APRIL 2011
A Monthly Publication Delivered to Over 40,000 Residents
• As Russ Sees It........................................... page 5 • The Birds, Bees and Credit Scores............ page 6 • Oak Park Elementary School................. page 10 • Basketball Champs.................................. page 18
• Lesley Stiles’ Asparagus . ............................... page 23 • Breakfast at Jack’s .......................................... page 25 • Stage Door...................................................... page 28 • Teen Scene ..................................................... page 30
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April 2011
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April 2011
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It’s Not Easy Being Blue By Randy Wanser On “Sesame Street” in 1969, Kermit the Frog sang : “It’s not easy being GREEN… When I think it could be nicer being Red, or Yellow or Gold, or something much more colorful like that…” Notice he doesn’t yearn for BLUE. It’s game time on a bright, winter Saturday afternoon. Rookie umpire Jeremy Roe’s mind is swimming in a sea of information and instruction learned the previous week during New Volunteer Umpire training, conducted by Pleasant Hill Baseball and Softball Association (PHBA) veteran umpires. Roe signed up to be the base umpire for a boys scrimmage game to get some experience under his belt before the season opens. Roe meets with the home plate umpire and the 2 team managers. At that moment, the words of Brian Seibel, lead instructor during the field clinics, echo in Roe’s left ear: “There are three teams in baseball: the Home Team, the Visiting Team, and the Blue Team. The Blue Team always wins.” Then, as the plate umpire recites the ground rules, Roe recalls clinic
Pleasant Hill Baseball and Softball Association rookie volunteer umpire Jeremy Roe makes the call as second baseman Derek Sheets tags a sliding Elias Walker during a pre-season scrimmage game at Pleasant Hill Middle School in March. Umpires, like players, use scrimmage time to hone their craft, shake off winter rust, and regain their focus on baseball and softball. Photo Credit: Amber Green
instructor Ray Wrice looking and sounding for all the world a natural-born umpire, advising: “None of us were born umpires. We’re human, and we can make mistakes. The important thing is NOT to make them.” The plate meeting adjourns with firm handshakes. Roe paces six steps past first base, turns around, draws in a deep breath and holds it tightly. Batter up! The words of a guy seated in the fifth row at a field clinic pops up in Roe’s right ear: “I’m Tom Barber. I’ve been a volunteer umpire for nine years. I’ve never missed a call.” The room erupted in laughter at Barber’s, well, barb. But deep down, every experienced umpire appreciated the bravado, confidence, and thick skin the comment implied; they know what it takes to survive in a blue shirt.
Suddenly, the first batter hits the ball sharply to the second baseman who fields it cleanly. Roe moves into position for the call at first base. Then Seibel reprises in Roe’s left ear: “Umpires like STRIKES! Umpires like OUTS!” The throw is there in plenty of time to beat the batter-runner.
The first baseman has one foot firmly in contact with the bag. Roe lurches mightily, poised to make the first call of his umpiring career. Now Wrice returns, barking in Roe’s right ear: “Get the angle! Keep your eyes open! Head steady! See! Hear! Feel! Smell the action! There’s no crying in baseball? Well, there’s no oops in umpiring! MAKE YOUR CALL!” As if controlled by aliens, Roe’s arms defy his will and fan out widely into the “Safe” signal. His tongue morphs into a wad of bubble gum, unable to speak. Fortunately, the runner was so obviously out, no one cared to watch what Blue was doing. Roe shakes it off and gets back into position. Deep down, he’s beginning to believe that he’ll never, ever, miss another call. To paraphrase Kermit: “When (Blue) is all there is to be, it could make you wonder why. But why wonder? Why wonder? I’m (Blue) and it’ll be fine” … as long as you remember: When in doubt, “She’s OUT!” Contributor Randy Wanser has been a PHBA volunteer umpire for 5 years. He’s never missed a call, either.
Opening Day Parades
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April 2011
JULIE SAYS
I Say Semicentennial, You Say Quinquagenary
By Julie Ross I was just taking a look at the most took the Oscar for Best Picture. Notable 50th birthdays this year recent issue of “The Outlook,” the newsletter sent out to residents by the city of include those of Wayne Gretzky, Eddie Pleasant Hill. The front page lists a host Murphy, Meg Ryan, my friend Sue of terrific events, contests and programs (Happy Birthday, Sue!), Drew Carey, to celebrate the city’s 50th anniversary Woody Harrelson, and U2 guitarist, this year. The Edge. It turns out Pleasant Hill is shar With so many occasions to celebrate, ing this illustrious golden anniversary let’s not let the 50th anniversary of with several other important events Pleasant Hill get lost in the shuffle. from 1961. For example, the first electric Be sure to check out all the special toothbrushes were introduced in 1961, heralding a activities going on in our community this year. For whole new era in dental hygiene. We had our first more information on the 50th anniversary program, taste of Frito corn chips and Cinnamon Candy Jello contact Martin Nelis at mnelis@ci.pleasant-hill.ca.us Salad. John F. Kennedy was inaugurated president, or (925) 671-5229. established the Peace Corps, and advised all “prudent Please send comments to julieakross@comcast. net. Stay tuned next month when the winner of the families” to have a bomb shelter in 1961. It was the heart of the Cold War. On the other side of the globe, Green Spring Contest will be announced. The deadline for contest entries was March 17th. Thanks to Soviets built a wall dividing East and West Berlin, a grim barrier that would not come down for almost 30 everyone who entered and good luck! years. The Community Focus In lighter news, Barbie got a boyfriend in 1961 is available at the when the Ken doll was introduced. On the music following locations: scene, The Beatles performed for the first time Pleasant Hill Market • Pleasant Hill City Hall at the Cavern Club and Pleasant Hill Senior Center • Pleasant Hill Library Mt. Diablo YMCA • UPS – Virginia Hills, Mtz. Motown Records signed Chamber of Commerce (P.H. & Mtz.) the Supremes. Thanks to the community focus Pleasant Hill Rec and Park (Civic Dr. & Gregory) the introduction of IBM Hyatt Summerfield Suites, Pleasant Hill Selectric typewriters, we Legal Grounds, Martinez • Martinez Senior Center could tap out “The quick Les Schwab Tires - Alhambra Avenue brown fox jumped over Best Western, John Muir Inn, Martinez the lazy dogs” faster than Headways Salon, Main Street ever. Elvis starred in the movie, “Blue Hawaii,” while “West Side Story”
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April 2011
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B.F.F.
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AS RUSS SEES IT
By Russell Carroll The other day I received a friend request on Facebook. Amazing! It was amazing for a couple of reasons. 1) I rarely look at my Facebook page and, 2) I had no idea who this person was that wanted to be my friend. I wondered if this is the adult version of “stranger danger.” I clicked through to the page where I had to make a decision. I can “ignore” their request or “accept” it. I clicked ignore. After all, if I do not recognize their name, I do not need them as a friend. Then it hit me; does Facebook send them a note telling them that I ignored their request? Shoot….what if I knew them and just forgot? What if I did not recognize their name because it was a married name? What if it was an old friend who will now get an email from Facebook stating, “Russell Carroll has completely ignored your friend request? You must be a loser. Please do not try to contact Mr. Carroll again.” Now I feel bad. I try to go back and see if I can find the person on Facebook. Maybe I do know them. Maybe if I see their page it will all come back to me. Maybe they owe me money and are looking to pay me back. Worse yet, maybe I owe them money and they want it back. Eventually, I find them on Facebook, however, I can’t see their profile because we are not friends. Now what? I can’t request
to be friends with someone I just ignored! Maybe I can request them as a friend and offer an explanation as to why I just ignored them - some sort of a Hallmark Facebook apology card. I decide to Google them and see what I can learn. I open my internet browser and the landing page screams “Video Captures Japan Tsunami’s Surreal Fury.” This compilation claims to have stunning video of the catastrophe in Japan. Who can pass this up? I decide to click on the video and come back to Google later to find this long lost dear friend whose name is not even vaguely familiar and to whom I now owe an apology. I am starting to feel like someone trying to clean their house after five cups of coffee and no sleep. You know….you start a load of laundry, turn on the iron, run water for dishes, pop in disc one of Lonesome Dove and then run outside to change your oil. I’ve got too much going on here. My cell phone rings…I don’t recognize the number. It is probably the person I just ditched on Facebook and they want their money. I don’t answer it. Man, I just want to start over. If only I would have just clicked “accept” on this stupid friend request. Why did I start a Facebook page anyway? No one ever wanted to be my friend before this. Okay…now I feel worse. The only person that has actually made an effort to be my friend in recent memory, I don’t recognize.
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It was a lot easier when we just talked with each other and did not need permission to do so. It was a lot easier when the number of friends you had was not as important as the quality of the friends. It was a lot easier when
texting each other was not an option. It was a lot easier when we made friends while in the same room. But….that is just how I see it. To contact Russell, email him at russ@ourcommunityfocus.com
Proudly sponsored by:
DOING THE RIGHT THING I never had a policy; I have just tried to do my very best each and every day. Abraham Lincoln
“Doing the Right Thing” is a new monthly feature sponsored by Les Schwab that recognizes people in the community going above and beyond without expecting anything in return. If you know of someone in your neighborhood deserving mention, please send your nomination to info@ourcommunityfocus.com for consideration. Honorees will be applauded in the Community Focus and will be presented with a Les Schwab community gift basket.
Pam Miller, a retired teacher of 20 years, began her crossing guard endeavor 11 years ago by subbing in different neighborhoods between Martinez and Upper Happy Valley Road in Lafayette. After a stint on the corner of Strandwood Elementary and Helen Road in Pleasant Hill, she requested the spot as her permanent domain if ever available. Her wish was granted and she’s been a permanent fixture at her coveted post for 8 years now. “She has the perfect balance between total alert professionalism with total concern for the well being of all the children. I've watched how she interacts with the children and adults alike and I think because of her consistent positive interaction, everyone loves her and when she speaks everyone listens,” said nominator, Dwayne Glemser. Pam’s corner gives her a vantage point to see all her kids even as they graduate on to the next school. “I love it when young men, with beards and deep voices, come up to me asking if I remember them. Of course I do! I don’t forget these kids! I love them,” she beams. She points to the stop sign behind her that displays a growth history penciled on the main post. “This if fun for the kids- look how tall Andrew has gotten!” Strandwood Elementary families are fortunate to have Pam Miller standing guard - a vigilant and passionate person doing the right thing. Martinez 3800 Alhambra 370-6382 • Concord 625 Contra Costa Blvd. 825-5940
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April 2011
The Birds, The Bees and Credit Score By Peter Paredero It is always difus to have this talk. By now, I’m sure you’ve tors in as the most important category in ficult to talk to your guessed I’m talking about telling your kids your score. Credit scores range roughly from kids about uncomabout credit. If not taught at the right time, 320 to 840. 320 is very bad and I have never fortable topics. The children can wind up pregnant with debt met anyone with that score. If you know majority of us are not and wishing someone had explained the someone with a 320, please introduce him very good at it. Unless consequences of reckless behavior. to me. I would be fascinated to speak with you have the time to The Basics him. Conversely, 840 is a wonderful score. There are three bureaus that rate our read a book on how to It doesn’t get you 10% off when dining out, explain these things, credit: Experian, Equifax and Trans Union. but it will make your next automobile purwe muddle through and walk away wonEach bureau rates borrowers based on varichase very easy. dering what the heck we just put in their ous categories including: payment history, Beyond the Basics fragile minds. Our schools aren’t much amount owed, length of credit history, types Credit scores can really get ugly when help. They may breeze through the topic in of credit in use and new credit. They are not reckless behavior begins. The first problems a one hour class, but we all know it’s up to weighed equally, and payment history facbegin when we start maxing out our credit cards. This often leads to late payments. The next thing that happens is irrational thinking that stems from lack of education. You By Bill Holt, CFP refuse to pay the library $30 for overdue I’m going to die, tells the state who’s in charge if your books because: A) you don’t have the monchildren are left without parents. This it’s true, but life exey, B) reading is low on your list of activities pectancy tables say goes way beyond money; it is an exanyway, C) they’ll forget about it eventually. tension of the love and dedication you that at age 43 I have What people don’t realize is that that debt 35 years left. The show everyday for the ones you hold turns into a collection and appears on your dear. People think of trusts as begame isn’t over, it’s credit report. Eventually it will be sold to a just halftime. That ing for rich people, but trusts are for collection agency that will turn your hopes people who accept they are going to planning stuff ’s for “old people,” right? die and take the time to envision what While estate planning sounds like comes afterwards. A trust can be created in two ways: something only Rockefellers do, it is crucial at halftime for all of us to do hiring an attorney or buying a CD to do yourself. If you hire an attorney, it, especially those of us with spouses, he should be a state-certified estate children, a home, or assets. But here’s the kicker: having a will is really NOT planning and probate specialist. Don’t ask your family lawyer to do your trust good estate planning, but having a trust, complete with health care direcunless they farm it out to a specialist. tives, guardianship, and powers of atYou can expect the fee to be $1000 to torney, is. $2000, depending on the complexity of A will compels heirs to enter the the trust. CDs are now widely available probate process and hire an attorney. at a cost of $50 - $100, but are ultimately not as accurate or flexible. You Everything becomes public, slow, tedious, and costly. The state of Califorget what you pay for, but having a trust nia dictates a statutory fee for probate is a whole lot better than having a will or worse, nothing. Do it yesterday. attorneys based on the size of the es So now, with trust in hand, go play tate. If someone dies with $500,000 in assets, probate attorneys will charge out the second half with the knowledge that if, for whatever reason, you $13,000. For one million dollars in ascan’t finish the game, at least there’s a sets they will charge $23,000 and up. coach who knows who can. In contrast, a living trust is paid Game on! for just once and not only indicates who gets what, privately and without For more information contact me at 925-899-2044, williamrholt@yaan attorney, but tells doctors who’s in charge should you or your spouse exhoo.com, www.secondopinionfinanperience a medical emergency. It also cial.com.
It’s Halftime
for good credit into a nightmare. Beyond the Basics goes well beyond this example and includes topics such as tax liens, judgments and bankruptcy, but for now, just know you need to educate your kids (and yourself) about credit. When should “The Talk” take place? Exactly one month before your children enter their freshman year of college, they will be exposed to offers for credit on collapsible folding tables stationed around campus during lunch time. If you like, I can e-mail you a fantastic PDF file I give my clients that explains credit. It was written by the Fair Issac Corporation and is very well done. I can even come up with a quiz to administer to your child and if they get less than 90%, you should financially cut them off. Finally, if any teachers would like someone to speak to their class on this topic, I’d love the opportunity! Peter Paredero, Senior Mortgage Consultant for Land Home Financial Services Inc., has resided in Pleasant Hill since 1994. (925) 787-8746 pparedero@lhfinancial.com
April 2011
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Mayor’s Message We Need Your Support In a year that has already seen unprecedented turmoil across the globe – from massive popular protests throughout the Middle East and North Africa, to epic battles between state governments and public employee unions; from the devastating earthquake in Japan and resulting tsunami, to the armed conflict in Libya – I am grateful for the opportunity to write about some good things in our community. Despite the denigration of public service in some quarters, and vilification of public servants in others, there lie two immutable facts about public service in Pleasant Hill: 1) our government institutions need public servants of quality, character, judgment, intelligence,
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PLEASANT HILL CITY BUZZ
David Durant, Mayor of Pleasant Hill high expectations, high ideals, dedicaand provide enrichment opportunities tion, courage and the conviction to solve for students in Pleasant Hill schools problems and find solutions; and 2) the through functions (i.e. spelling bees) vast majority of employees and elected and grants to support language arts, and appointed public servants from the math, science, and other key curricucity of Pleasant Hill and the Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park District meet that very description. We are indeed blessed! Pleasant Hill Community Emergency We are also blessed with an array Response Team training will begin Monof outstanding private and non-profit day, April 11th, at 6:30pm. Classes are service organizations that help improve taught at the Contra Costa County Fire our community. I am limited by space, Protection District Training Center, 2945 but two outstanding organizations Treat Blvd, Concord. Learn disaster safety come to mind, 1) The Pleasant Hill and rescue skills in a friendly, relaxed enCommunity Foundation (http://www. vironment. To sign up, go to http://www. phcommunityfoundation.org) seeks to ci.pleasant-hill.ca.us or www.pleasanstrengthen community organizations thillcertsignup.com. You will receive an and enhance the quality of life in Pleasant Hill through grants to educational, recreational and cultural organizations; and 2) The Foundation for Pleasant Hill Education (http://www.fphe.org/) seeks to enhance the quality of education
lum areas. Each organization needs your support during their annual fundraising campaigns. Please donate generously to them TODAY!
We Want You! acknowledgment letter from the Pleasant Hill Police Department. Join an expanding team of neighbors willing and able to help other neighbors; the only requirement is that you be over 16 years of age. If you have questions contact Pleasant Hill CERT volunteer coordinator Jim Bonato at: 925-938-5433 or Pleasant Hill Police Lieutenant Dan Connelly at: 925-288-4633.
New Cable TV Channel with Local Programming In an exciting new venture, Pleasant Hill has teamed up with Clayton and Martinez to launch “The City Channel” which debuts on May 1st on Comcast channel 28 and UVerse channel 99. Although The City Channel is considered a “government” channel, much of the content will consist of promotional features such as community events and performances (e.g. Starquest and DVC Drama productions), as well recordings of City Council and Planning Commission meetings. The City Channel will also feature a bulletin board for public service announcements about upcoming events, programs and meetings. This bulletin board will be available to local, nonprofit and other community organizations to promote and inform residents
about events and activities. The City Channel also hopes to develop new programs that highlight people and places in our community, local sports, restaurants and food, teen issues, and theatre and drama productions. “Inside Pleasant Hill” will be a 30-minute program that features indepth interviews with local experts and community leaders on a wide range of topics, along with promotional segments to attract shoppers and visitors to Pleasant Hill. Stay tuned for more details in next month’s Community Focus and the City’s Outlook Newsletter. For more information or to submit public service announcements for the bulletin board, contact Martin Nelis at (925)671-5229 or email him at mnelis@ci.pleasanthill.ca.us.
City Calendar of Events City Council / Redevelopment April 4, 18 City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane Council Chambers, 7:30pm Contact: 671-5267
Planning Commission April 12, 26 City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane Council Chambers, 7:30pm Contact: 671-5259
Commission on Aging April 6 City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane Small Community Room, 9:30am Contact: 671-5270
Zoning Administrator April 14, 28 City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane Planning/Public Works Conf. Room, 5:00pm Contact: 671-5270
Civic Action Commission April 6 City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane Small Community Room, 6:30pm Contact: 671-5229 Architectural Review Commission April 7, 21 City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane Small Community Room, 5:00pm Contact: 671-5259 Traffic Safety Commission April 12 City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane Community Room, 6:00pm Contact: 671-5270
Education / Schools Advisory Commission April 27 City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane Small Community Room, 7:00pm Contact: 671-5229 Redevelopment Advisory April 28 City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane Small Community Room, 7:00pm Contact: 671-5270 For Confirmation Visit: www.ci.pleasant-hill.ca.us
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PLEASANT HILL CHAMBER NEWS cALENDAR sponsored by
April 2011
MARTINEZ CHAMBER NEWS Martinez Chamber of Commerce
April Schedule of Events Information Regarding Ambassador Meeting – If interested in attending, contact Reba at (925)228-2345 or email Reba@martinezchamber.com
1936 Linda Drive Pleasant Hill CA 94523
(925) 827-1200 Rated by Bay Area Consumers’ Checkbook Magazine and Checkbook.org as one of the top computer repair shops in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Pleasant Hill Chamber of Commerce
April Schedule of Events
4/1- Ambassador Meeting PH City Hall, Lg. Community Room 100 Gregory Lane, 7:45am – 9:00am 4/1- Brown Bag Lunch Series 2011 – “YELP & Your Business,” Brandman University, 2950 Buskirk Avenue #307, Limited Seating – RSVP: Ingrid@pleasanthillchamber.com, 11:45am – 1:30pm 4/6- Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting Monticello, 4756 Clayton Road, RSVP:Ingrid@pleasanthillchamber.com 4:00pm – 6:00pm
4/12- Ambassador Luncheon Mt. Mike’s, 3614 Mount Diablo Boulevard RSVP: Ingrid@pleasanthillchamber.com 11:45am – 1:00pm 4/17- Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting Sinful Bliss Cupcakes, 35 Crescent Dr. RSVP: Ingrid@pleasanthillchamber.com 10:00am – 2:00pm (Ribbon Cutting @ 1pm)
4/4 – Citizen of the Year Nomination Deadline - Last day we will be accepting letters of nomination for Citizen of the Year candidates. For guidelines visit www.martinezchamber.com or call the Chamber. 4/14 – Chamber Mixer - Martinez Masonic Lodge – 700 Masonic St., Great Network-
ing, Food, Fun, Raffle Prizes (bring a raffle prize and have your business announced!) 5:30pm-7:30pm. 4/29 – Citizen of the Year Awards Dinner - 6-9pm at the Martinez Events Center, 536 Main St., Martinez. We will be honoring citizens from the community for their contributions to the betterment of Martinez. For dinner tickets and more information call the Chamber @ 925-228-2345.
Please verify schedule at www.martinezchamber.com
Ribbon Cutting Bill’s Chairs for Affairs
4/20- APRIL Mixer Magoo’s Grill of Pleasant Hill 1250 Contra Costa Blvd, RSVP: Ingrid@ pleasanthillchamber.com 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Confirm schedule at www.pleasanthillchamber.com
Mixin’ it Up Bill’s Chairs for Affairs is a one-stop party rental and supply store. It is our mission to plan and execute every detail of your event in the most professional manner possible. Whether it is an intimate gathering at home, a corporate event for hundreds, or a once-in-a-lifetime dream wedding, Chairs for Affairs is ready to take the stress out of the event so you can enjoy it. Rental items include: tents, tables, chairs, linens, china, glassware, flatware, heaters and so much more. Every rental delivery includes complementary set-up and tear-down of equipment. You don’t even have to do the dishes; just return them to Chairs for Affairs and we will clean them for you! Please stop by our new showroom and see the possibilities for making your next event spectacular! Bill’s Chairs For Affairs is located at 3503 Pacheco Blvd., Martinez. You may reach us at 925-370-1300 or www. chairsforaffairs.com. Photo by richardcash.com
Roxx on Main
Roxx on Main is a must-try new eatery on the downtown Martinez food scene. With a trendy vibe that belies the warmth and welcome created by owner and long time Martinez resident, Roxxanne Cole, Roxx is an exciting addition to the city. Open for late breakfast, lunch and dinner, you can start your day with a cup of ground-toorder coffee or lunch on freshly made soups, salads and sandwiches. Join friends at the wine bar and sample delicious small plates and bites from the tapas style bar. As an afternoon treat or a delicious end to a crazy day, satisfy your sweet tooth with a selection from decadent goodies. 627 Main Street, Martinez. Hours: Mon.-Wed. 11am–3pm, Thurs. 11am–7pm, Fri. 11am-9pm, Sat. 5pm-9pm. (925) 370-ROXX. Email: roxxonmain@att.net Photo by richardcash.com
April 2011
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HOUSING NEWS
Local Real Estate Update Ask any realtor what his favorite part of the home buying process is and one of the more popular responses you’ll receive is “the closing.” The reasons are obvious. All the work is done, the challenges have been met, the hoops have been jumped through, the “I”s are dotted and the “T”s are crossed. And for the grand finale, we get to hand the home’s keys over to a giddy buyer who can’t wait to move in and make the place his own. As I write this, I came across paperwork from one of the most enjoyable and rewarding closings I’ve ever had in my career as a real estate broker. It wasn’t because my clients were wonderful and deserving people (which they were), or because we conquered some major roadblocks (which we did), or because they embarrassed me with compliments as I handed them the keys (which they did). This closing RECENT MARTINEZ HOME SALES (2/1/2011 – 2/28/2011) Address SINGLE FAMILY HOME 2440 ORCHARD LANE 1505 GRANDVIEW DR 417 H ST. 1515 CASTRO ST 2703 MERLE AVE 2345 SAXON STREET 1510 MARINA VISTA AVE 3957 VIAL ESTRELLA 1040 VEALE AVE 2120 LASALLE ST 331 KINGSTON AVE 605 ALHAMBRA LN 1926 1936 FERRY ST 3944 EUCLID AVE 628 JANET LN 651 WALNUT AVE 1935 RAINIER CT 4008 VIA DE FLORES 1634 ESTUDILLO 625/631 ARREBA
Beds
Baths
Sq Ft
2 2 1 2 4 3 2 3 2 2 3 3 2 3 3 2 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 4 3 3 4 3 5
1 1 1 1 3 2 1 2 1 1 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 2 1 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3
624 942 741 940 1652 1017 1368 1068 1066 916 1294 1571 --1336 1106 1125 1253 1101 997 1680 1385 1485 2379 1582 1917 1582 1281 1800 1859 3006
28 156 14 53 72 103 21 11 31 28 146 5 67 36 5 280 8 84 24 37 5 118 101 346 90 68 42 25 14 170 72
$106,900 $167,000 $149,000 $189,000 $189,900 $194,900 $207,900 $189,500 $210,000 $239,900 $259,900 $247,200 $275,000 $259,000 $260,000 $269,000 $265,000 $275,000 $299,950 $350,000 $329,000 $349,900 $325,000 $350,000 $345,000 $358,000 $358,900 $364,900 $435,000 $700,000 $283,991
$107,000 $150,000 $155,000 $175,000 $185,000 $196,000 $207,000 $210,000 $220,000 $239,900 $240,000 $243,000 $245,000 $252,500 $255,000 $269,000 $270,000 $275,000 $275,000 $300,000 $320,000 $330,000 $333,000 $350,000 $355,000 $358,000 $358,900 $360,000 $380,000 $650,000 $275,476
$171.47 $159.24 $209.18 $186.17 $111.99 $192.72 $151.32 $196.63 $206.38 $261.90 $185.47 $154.68 --$189.00 $230.56 $239.11 $215.48 $249.77 $275.83 $178.57 $231.05 $222.22 $139.97 $221.24 $185.19 $226.30 $280.17 $200.00 $204.41 $216.23 $196
2 1 1 1 2 2
939 1276 1088 1085 1554 1602
125 182 72 47 94 26 91
$119,000 $187,900 $129,900 $139,900 $255,000 $355,000 $197,783
$112,500 $116,000 $129,900 $135,700 $240,000 $350,000 $180,683
$119.81 $90.91 $119.39 $125.07 $154.44 $218.48 $138
2552 PINE ST 16 PETTIT LN 6659 WAVERLY RD 3620 SUNRISE CT 637 FALLING STAR DR. 2207 BRIDGEPORT WAY 611 FALLING STAR DR. 1561 SILVERWOOD DR 3190 CASTRO STREET 355 WILLOWCREEK LN 709 LAFAYETTE ST TOTALS: 30 LISTINGS TOWN HOMES / CONDOS / DUETS 196 FARM LN 2 8 FOUNTAINHEAD CT 3 466 EASTGATE LN 2 342 EASTGATE LN 2 2478 HEATHERLEAF LN 3 2261 DRY CREEK CT 3 TOTALS: 6 LISTINGS
Market Days
List Price
Sales Price
Sales $/Sq Ft
By Nathan Hitchcock was exceptionally gratifying because the last time I shook hands with this family 3 years ago, every member had tears in his eyes, and they were not tears of joy. They had just begrudgingly signed the documents finalizing the short sale of their beloved home, an action forced by a job loss many months prior. An inevitable bankruptcy followed shortly thereafter. Fast forward 3 years to today. The lost job was replaced by an even better one and the financial lessons learned about living beyond their means were taken to heart and changes were made. They were able to save up enough to cover the closing costs while grandma graciously stepped forward to take care of the 3.5% down payment on an FHA loan. So how long do families like these have to wait to get back into homeownership? With FHA financing, borrowers can qualify in as little as 3 years after a foreclosure or short sale and as little as 2 years after a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. With conventional financing, which generally requires a 10-20%
down payment, borrowers must wait at least 2 years after a short sale, 4 years after a bankruptcy and 5 years after a foreclosure. However, if the borrower can document extenuating circumstances, these timelines can be cut down further. If you find yourself in this position and want to learn more about how you can get back into homeownership, the first step is to meet with a good lender. If you don’t have someone you trust implicitly, drop me an email or give me a call and I would be happy to give you a couple names of some of the best in the mortgage business. Nathan Hitchcock is the managing broker of Hitchcock Realty, a residential real estate brokerage and property management firm in downtown Pleasant Hill. He can be reached at nathan@ hitchcockrealty.com or (925) 8251100. Data contained herein was obtained from the CCAR Multiple Listing Service. Information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed.
RECENT PLEASANT HILL HOME SALES (2/1/2011 – 2/28/2011) Address Beds Baths SINGLE FAMILY HOME 175 HOOKSTON RD 3 1 151 CLARIE DRIVE 3 2 349 GLORIA DR 3 1 968 SANTA LUCIA DR 3 2 107 CLEOPATRA DR 3 1 1655 MARTA DR. 3 2 2192 MORELLO AVE 3 2 1985 ALVINA DR 3 1 384 MAUREEN LN 3 2 500 PATTERSON BLVD 3 1 20 ELDERWOOD DR 3 2 409 BEATRICE ROAD 3 2 20 HORTEN COURT 4 2 2933 MADEIRA WAY 4 2 90 MONTE CRESTA AVE 3 2 33 VITA CT 4 2 235 PLEASANT VIEW DR 4 2 576 CREEKSIDE ROAD 4 3 TOTALS: 18 LISTINGS TOWN HOMES / CONDOS / DUETS 854 CAMELBACK PL 0 1 441 RIDGEVIEW DR 2 2 400 SUNTREE LN 2 2 35 ROLLING GREEN CIR 3 2 925 SCENIC PL 3 2 533 MESA VERDE PL 2 2 TOTALS: 6 LISTINGS
Sq Ft
Market Days
List Price
Sales Price
Sales $/Sq Ft
1086 1497 1052 1135 1105 1404 1242 1052 1754 1040 1502 1677 2176 1958 1560 1974 2200 3529
14 18 12 34 7 219 58 50 4 13 55 11 21 142 8 6 47 42 42
$234,900 $279,900 $294,950 $319,000 $299,600 $345,000 $375,000 $380,000 $385,000 $400,000 $449,900 $486,000 $585,000 $639,000 $625,000 $639,995 $685,000 $847,000 $459,458
$234,950 $270,000 $285,000 $314,000 $320,000 $320,000 $365,000 $371,000 $372,500 $400,000 $449,900 $485,000 $535,000 $595,000 $610,000 $620,000 $658,000 $842,500 $447,102
$216.34 $180.36 $270.91 $276.65 $289.59 $227.92 $293.88 $352.66 $212.37 $384.62 $299.53 $289.21 $245.86 $303.88 $391.03 $314.08 $299.09 $238.74 $282
537 1073 1190 1302 1912 1163
19 157 23 8 96 97 66
$79,200 $215,000 $189,900 $359,000 $379,900 $399,900 $270,483
$72,200 $204,000 $205,500 $355,000 $365,000 $399,000 $266,783
$134.45 $190.12 $172.69 $272.66 $190.90 $343.08 $217
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MARTINEZ CITY BUZZ
Before the Benicia-Martinez Bridge opened in 1962, the only way to cross the Carquinez Straits was to drive to Crocket and cross the Carquinez Bridge or take the auto ferry to Benicia. For almost 100 years a ferry connected Martinez, Benicia, and the Bay Area to the goldfields of the California foothills. In those days, Martinez was a transportation hub with the transcontinental railroad running through the downtown and the ferry transporting travelers across the straits. When the
Mayor’s Message Rob Schroder, Mayor of Martinez bridge and new freeway bypassed Mara ferry landing study to explore altertinez, the last ferry in the San Francisco natives for the terminal location and Bay Area shut down. conduct the necessary environmental Martinez may see the return of ferry work. So far it looks as if the preferred service in the next few years if the plans site for a terminal is just west of the of the Water Emergency Transportaexisting marina and inland from the old tion Authority (WETA) move forward. auto ferry dock by the fishing pier. The WETA currently runs ferry service from ferry terminal building would likely sit Vallejo, Oakland/Alameda, Redwood on the grassy area, adjacent to the fishing City, Tiburon, Sausalito, and Harbor Bay pier walkway, and could house not just a to San Francisco and back. The proposed ferry terminal but also a restaurant, cofMartinez stop would run from Antioch fee shop, and other retail sites. The study to Martinez to San Francisco. Travel time from Martinez to the Ferry Building in San Francisco would be a relaxing and The City of Martinez has unrushed 60 minutes with no gridlock. announced the availability WETA is currently working on of a free downtown Wi-Fi network, providing laptop and smartphone service along Main Street, parts of Court Street, inside the Amtrak Station (including on the station platform), City event for only $5. Ticket prices Hall Council Chambers and Plaza area include admission, commemo(near the fountain). The City partnered rative glass, unlimited tasting with AirCloud Communications on and entertainment. All beer this sophisticated and complex project drinkers must be 21 year of age or older. Free parking and free shuttle from BART North Concord station available. Online ticket sales end at midnight on Friday, April 8th. Buy your tickets online at: babeerfestival.eventbrite.com. For additional information, including where to purchase tickets at various retail locations, visit: www.bayareacraftbeerfestival.com or call Main Street Martinez at: 925228-3577.
estimates 1,133 daily Martinez passenger trips by the year 2025. So when will you be able to board a San Francisco or AT&T Park bound ferry at the Martinez waterfront? It all depends on funding but probably not until 2015 or 2016. I know that seems like a long way away but it will be here before you know it. Yes, exciting things are coming to Martinez, but only if we continue to lay the groundwork for the future.
Free Wi-Fi Downtown
Craft Beer Festival Coming to Downtown Be a part of the Craft Beer Festival in Downtown Martinez on Saturday, April 9th in the historic Cannery District at the picturesque Martinez Waterfront Park, located at 333 Ferry Street. Over 30 microbreweries will be onsite along with live music from 12noon until 5pm and food available for purchase. VIP access tickets are available in advance for $55.00 allowing you early access to beer tasting. General admission tickets are $35.00 in advance or $45.00 at the door (no VIP tickets at the door). If you are not beer tasting for the day but want to enjoy the festivities, you can attend the
April 2011
that took almost 2 years to develop and implement. To access the WiFi network, simply connect to the “aircloud-free-wifi” wireless network and open your browser for instructions. For more information regarding the network, please visit http://www.aircloud. com/services/free-wifi. For technical or customer support questions, please email wifi@aircloud.com.
Opening Day Parades
City Calendar of Events Zoning Administrator Meeting April 6, 20 4:00pm-6:00pm Contact: 925-372-3500
Design Review Meeting April 13, 27 4:00pm-6:00pm Contact: 925-372-3500
Planning Commission Meeting April 12, 26 7:00pm-11:00pm Contact: 925-372-3500
Park, Recreation, Marina and Clutural Commission Meeting April 19 7:00pm-9:30pm
For Confirmation Visit: www.cityofmartinez.org
April 2011
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Page 11
Art World Un-Confidential! “You don’t take a photograph,” said Ansel Adams, you make it.” I often think of this quote when I view photo images at art exhibits and galleries, as well as this quote by Ted Grant: “When you photograph people in colour you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in black and white, you photograph their souls!” Fine art photography encompasses a wonderful range of expression and endless opportunities to photograph landscapes, people, events, and unique objects of interest. These days, we all use cameras to record life’s important events and spontaneous moments. While we quickly share these photos with friends and family online, the moments they capture are fleeting and transient. As a culture, we are motivated to record these
By Tony Michael Vecchio milestones of life as a way to celebrate the passage of time or a priceless moment of inspiration. Fine art photographers, the visual “record keepers” of our communities, are driven to do this with a focused passion and technical artistry that we all admire. Each photographer sees the world a little differently, looking at life around them with an eye borne of their own unique personal experiences and environment. This is why Photo by Michael O’Conner photographers offer such a wide variety what the photographer saw when he of visual interpretations of our world or she was looking through the lens. and it’s inhabitants. Seeing the world through the eyes of a When you display a fine art photograph in your home, studio, or business, fine art photographer will open your imagination to a deeper understanding you’re acknowledging and sharing an of the creative process. important emotion or sensory connec This month’s artist is Michael tion with that image. And if you’re forO’Connor, a Walnut Creek photogratunate enough to have met and talked pher. His work is vibrant and varied. A with the photographer who created the single drop of rain on a lush iris petal or work, then your kindred attachment to the brilliant yellow of daffodils sparkle the image is enhanced. When you see in his images. His fine art photos range photography on exhibit, try to imagine from the golden domes of St. Petershow the photo came about. Consider
burg, Russia, to the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy, as well as scenes from the San Francisco Bay Area. Focusing on color, light and composition, O’Connor employs his personal shooting style to achieve a satisfying visual balance of place and mood. He has developed his skills over the years through study and extensive travel (www.shadowandlightgallery.com). O’Connor is an active member of the Alamo-Danville Artists’ Society (ADAS), and his work can be seen at the Art Dealers Association of America (ADAA) Spring Harmony Show through May 8 at the Blackhawk Gallery in Danville, as well as at the 34th Annual Spring Art Show on Saturday April 30th – also at Blackhawk Plaza. For more information, contact Tony Michael Vecchio at tonymvecchio@gmail.com. View his collage illustration, mixed media assemblages, and paintings at etsy.com/shop/WabiSabiDaddi.
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April 2011
SENIOR ENVY
Laugh, Love & Learn Tickets are still available for Laugh, Love & Learn 2011 on Friday, April 8, at the Pleasant Hill Community Center, 320 Civic Drive, from 10 am to 1:30 pm. Presented by the Pleasant Hill Senior Center, the program begins with a continental breakfast followed by a presentation on home safety by Mary Paris of the Contra Costa County Fire Department. After a box lunch, it continues with Michael J. Young, a Walnut Creek attorney who specializes in Elder Law and As-
set Protection, especially as it applies to Medi-Cal coverage. This year’s keynote speaker lives by the adage, “Laughter is the Best Medicine.” Linda Thaxter is a professional clown and breast cancer survivor who will share how humor reduces stress. “Be prepared to laugh out loud,” said Senior Center Supervisor Kendra Luke. From 8:30am to 1pm, in conjunction with Laugh, Love & Learn, a free senior information fair, open to the public,
Pleasant Hill
Martinez
Senior Activities
Senior Activities
Pleasant Hill Senior Center 233 Gregory Lane (925) 798-8788
Martinez Senior Center 818 Green St. (925) 370-8770
Friday Flik - April 29 “Inception” (2010). About: In a world where technology exists to enter the human mind through dream invasion, a highly skilled thief is given a final chance at redemption which involves executing his toughest job to date: Inception. Rated: PG-13. Run Time: 2 hours 28 mins. @ 12:30pm @ Bradman University, 2950 Buskirk Ave #200 Room 304. *(This location is near the NEW AAA Bldg. and Back 40 BBQ)
AARP Driver Refresher Course – April 8 This one-day 4.5-hour course is for anyone who has taken the 8-hour AARP Driver Safety Training in the past four years. Either course qualifies you for a mature driver discount with your auto insurance company. (Check with your insurance agent for details). $12.00 for AARP members and $14.00 for non-members. Class will fill up quickly. Register now. Make checks payable to “AARP” and give to the instructor the day of the class. 12pm – 4:30 pm.
Rummage Sale - April 16 ALL Proceeds benefit the Furnishing Fund to buy items for the New Building Pleasant Hill Senior Center. Starts @ 8am. Examples of items for sale: *furniture, *holiday decorations, *office supplies, *and LOTS of other stuff! Senior Center Update All operations will CONTINUE at the Little House, next door to the Senior Center on Monday, April 4. Bus & Bart tickets as well as special events and class registrations will continue at the reception desk. The phone number will be the same as well, but our new address is: 249 Gregory Lane. All staff will be located at the Little House. For a list of the relocated programs & classes, stop by and we can provide one!
Pancake Breakfast –April 10 This delicious breakfast includes pancakes or toast, sausage, eggs, orange juice and coffee. Everyone is welcome. Cost is $3.50 for Adults/$2 for Children 10 years old and under. Handmade crafts, perfect for gifts, will be on sale during the breakfast. 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Fashion Show Luncheon & Tea – April 15 Come for mimosas, creative salads and breads. Wine and juice will be served with lunch and teas with your dessert. Our fashion show will feature very affordable outfits from Hospice Boutique Thrift Shoppe in Walnut Creek. Some items will be available for purchase. Show is at 12:00 p.m. Cost: $11 members/$13 nonmembers.
will be held at the Community Center. More than 60 vendors will present senior services and resources available in Pleasant Hill and surrounding communities. There will be many table-giveaways, door prizes, free blood-pressure testing, and excellent ideas for living well. Tickets for Laugh, Love & Learn 2011
Did You Say Disaster? By Joyce & Jim Newport, Owners, Right at Home of Mt. Diablo Simple Safety Tips that Can Save a Loved first aid supplies, medical equipment, oxOne’s Life During Emergencies ygen tanks and a minimum of three days With proper planning, you can avoid worth of extra medications. Be sure to injury and life-threatening harm include a list of contacts with to seniors when emergencies telephone numbers for famstrike. Here are three steps to ily, friends, neighbors, medical help you prepare: professionals and caregivers for 1. Develop a Plan which easy accessibility. 3. Important Informaconsiders all types of emergency situations including power outtion including updated medical ages, floods, terrorist attacks and records should be stored, and natural disasters. Families must those in the support network keep in mind the specific needs should know where to access and health issues of the elderly or disabled important documents and records. For details, visit our blog at http:// in order to properly execute the plan and www.rah-mtdiablo.net. or for Right at provide suitable resources. Home in-home caregiving services, call 2. Emergency Kits should include us today at 925.256.HOME (4663). water, food, batteries, flashlights, radio,
Life. Less complicated. Right at Home offers caregiving services for almost any family and practically any situation. Our in-home care lets loved ones enjoy life in the comfort of a familiar environment. And it lets you concentrate on caring instead of caregiving. Give us a call and let us develop a Custom Care Plan for your loved one today.
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purchased in advance are $20 for seniors (age 60+) or $25 for general admission. Tickets purchased at the door will be $25 for seniors, and $30 general admission. Pleasant Hill Community Center, 320 Civic Drive. Check-in begins at 8:30 am; the Program begins at 10 am. For information, call the Pleasant Hill Senior Center at 798-8788.
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April 2011
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Oak Park Elementary School The “THWACK!” of Mt. Diablo Unified’s ax just barely missed two Pleasant Hill schools during the district’s recent budget cuts. Sequoia Elementary and Sequoia Middle Schools, it seems, will live on, but not every Pleasant Hill school has been so lucky in the past. Up until it was razed several months ago, the former Oak Park Elementary, next to the library on Oak Park Boulevard, gasped for breath during many years out of service. The school’s recent sorry state belied the joy with which it opened in 1952. At that time, a rapidly growing post-World War II Pleasant Hill was in dire need of more schools for the hordes of children that new suburbanites were producing. Retired teacher Patricia Mackay Rihn remembers the horrendous overcrowding at Pleasant Hill Elementary. She taught in a tiny portable building with no intercoms, so when a girl got hit in the head with a nail, she had to physically escort the girl to the main part of the school to get help. “It was a very inefficient system,” she says. From there, her kindergarten
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PAST TO PLEASANT
By Adam Nilsen class was moved to St. Mark’s Lutheran physical presence is gone, it lives on in the Adam Nilsen is a Pleasant Hill native and a history researcher at the OakChurch on Putnam Boulevard, where she form of an active Classmates.com page land Museum of California. He is the taught two sessions of classes crammed and a Facebook group. Check it out and author of Pleasant Hill, a history of the with 50 students. share your memories! And even if you community, available at local bookstores Imagine her delight when she bedid not attend Oak Park, may these phogan teaching at Oak Park Elementary in tos from 1952 spark memories or imagin- and through the Friends of Rodgers its first year. Not only did she have more ings of school in the post-War suburbs. Ranch. space and a smaller class, but room for a carpentry area and a garden. At this new school she remembers an interesting sign of the times: the persistent post-War fear of bombings. One recommended bomb shelter for the school was a big sewer pipe nearby. Ms. Mackay remembers not wanting to lead her students to this hideout for a bomb drill for fear of a pipe full of rats! But the Baby Boom petered out, and as Pleasant Hill’s last Baby Boomers grew up in the 1970s, the district found itself with a surplus of schools. By 1977, Oak Park was a goner. The buildings housed other educational entities until it was razed in 2009. So while I memorialize Oak Park and breathe a sigh of relief for the Sequoias, I mourn the closing of other district schools. Let’s hope that they may open The milkman pays a visit to an Oak Park class learning about various jobs. their doors again some day in the future and not meet the same fate as Oak Park. In the meantime, although Oak Park’s
Dick and Jane were alive and well at Oak Park.
Getting ready for a fieldtrip. Note that the mailbox says Concord, in the days before Pleasant Hill mailing addresses.
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CORKS AND FORKS
April 2011
Pair Up With La Sommelierre Maria Terry
Spring Greens In springtime, a sommelier’s thoughts turn to lighter foods paired with vibrant white wines. The albariño grape makes an adaptable wine that can start the meal and continue through the main course. Then, end your evening with an icewine from Canada that is fresh and fruity. Albariño is a grape that is classically found in Rias Baixas (pronounced: rhee-us buy-shus) in the northwest region of Spain. You can find many well-priced imported albariños or seek out California producers. Albariño is similar to sauvignon blanc but has less grassy flavors. Instead, you
will notice floral and peach flavors. It is a delicious salad wine and will pair nicely with spring greens tossed with an herbal fennel dressing. Up the ante by adding some bright red beets, a few crumbles of goat cheese and toasted almonds. Fresh herbs are also highlighted in the main dish pasta. The toasted nuts add depth and shallots provide a subtle garlic-onion flavor. With lemon juice and zest providing a little zip, you have a great entrée that will continue to work well with your bottle of Albariño. Icewine is made in many of the colder wine regions of the world. In
Pasta with Lemon, Pine Nuts & Herbs INGREDIENTS 1 lb. dry pasta (rotelle/penne) 8 oz. sugar-snap peas ½ cup mixed coarsely chopped fresh herbs: Marjoram, basil, lemon thyme, Italian parsley, chervil, or hyssop (any combination, include flowers if available) 1 tsp. grated lemon zest 2 tbsp. lemon juice 3 tbsp. olive oil 5 tbsp. pine nuts 4 shallots, chopped 1 tsp. tiny capers (optional) ½ cup softened sun-dried tomatoes, cut into thin strips Salt & pepper
DIRECTIONS In a large bowl combine herbs, 2 tbsp. olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, capers and sundried tomatoes. Sauté pine nuts in 1 tbsp. olive oil until they begin to color. Add shallots and continue to cook until shallots are soft and pine nuts are light brown. Add to bowl. Micro cook peas until crisp-tender. Boil pasta 6-8 minutes. Drain both. Add to bowl. Salt & pepper to taste. Toss well to coat. Yield: 12 cups
m a k e a s p l a s h t h i s s u m me r
JOIN THE Buena Vista Swim Club
Memberships Still Available For Summer 2011
• Quiet, relaxed, shaded lawn setting • Lifeguards on duty - Gated kiddy pool • Holiday Parties, BBQ and Picnic area • No swim team to interfere with pool access • New members receive (4) 30-minute private swim lessons • Private swim lessons. Open to Non-members. Call Chip (510) 599-9997 To reach the pool call 925.944.0700 For membership inquiries Contact Christine at christinerosa@comcast.net 197 Cortsen Road, Pleasant Hill • www.buenavistaswimclub.org
Ontario, it is commonly made from the vidal grape. A tough outer skin makes vidal resistant to botrytis and prevents the grapes from bursting when frozen. When Vidal is aged in oak it takes on rich overtones of vanilla, almonds and oven-baked bread. The high sugar and high acid found in icewines preserve the wine and add to their ability to age, however, many suggest that icewine is most enjoyable young. Apricot, pear, honey and pineapple are all common flavors
found in vidal icewine. The pear tart recipe on my website (www.LaSommelierre.com) would be lovely with it. Its almond filling and apricot glaze will echo the similar flavors found in the wine. So, go on. Pair Up! Maria Terry is a Certified Sommelier and Wine Educator in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more great wines and information please visit Maria’s website at www.LaSommelierre.com
Creamy Fennel Dressing INGREDIENTS ½ cup olive oil ½ cup mayonnaise ¼ cup white wine vinegar 2 tbsp. fresh fennel fronds, chopped 2 tbsp. parmesan cheese ½ tbsp. distilled white vinegar
½ tbsp. sugar 1 clove garlic, chopped fine ½ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. pepper DIRECTIONS Blend all ingredients together. Chill. Yield: 1½ cups
April 2011
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Page 15
A Commitment to Carpentry While growing up around timber and sawdust, Contractor Robby Myer couldn’t help but develop an affinity for woodworking. Myer’s family owned Piedmont Lumber for decades and when a fire destroyed the Walnut Creek landmark last year, his dedication to carpentry and millwork sustained him through the adversity. In 2003 Craftsman Collective, an architectural millwork company specializing in doors, windows, moldings, and
By Jaki Jones finish carpentry was established and Wood Products and opened the Parun by Myer to serve the retail customcheco showroom to the public for the ers of Piedmont Lumber. Located on first time. The space is impressive, with Pacheco Boulevard, the business is custom fireplace mantles, windows and essentially a “collection of craftsman doors on display throughout. Myer coming together to do different projects” works side-by-side with many former says Myer. The Collective team continPiedmont Lumber employees, and says ues to create and install custom doors he is “grateful to have a great group of to suit the design needs of homeowners, guys to work with everyday.” contractors and architects. Myer finds his profession allows him On March 11th, Myer segued to be creative and experimental. Craftsman Collective into Architectural “My ability to draw was a big asset to the business.” His expert design concepts have led to hundreds of sketches, construction and installations and he has
completed over 1,000 custom installs in 7 years. Whether it’s rebuilding a mantle or pondering a pergola, Myer and his team welcome the next carpentry project. “I love to build stuff and be involved in the building process--to create something with timeless beauty and classic style that will endure long after my time here on earth.” Myer currently manages a blog, where he posts his projects, musings and information. You can visit at: http:// robbymyer.blogspot.com. Find more information on Craftsman Collective at: www.craftsmancollectiveinc.com.
A Lemur’s Paradise
The Architectural Wood Products Team: LtoR: Robby Myer, Stephen Gustafsson, Ross Lane, Harland Wilke, Danny Lane and Wes Herschelman
Dawn Block and Michael Harris of Pleasant Hill recently visited Madagascar, or “Mad,” as it is known, and came back with vivid memories of this exotic island nation, rich in bio-diversity. Dawn and Michael were particularly enamored with the lemurs, the world’s earliest known primate, found only in Madagascar. The Malagasy people live in one of the world’s poorest nations and practice slash and burn agriculture in order to plant rice patties for food and grazing land for cattle. Dawn and Michael found the city of Tana poverty-stricken and yet not lacking in charm with its French flavor and daily outdoor markets. .
Dawn Block reading the Focus to Sifaka Lemurs in Madagascar. Photo by Michael Harris Dec. 2010
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HOME TEAM Winter Sports Wrap-Up Wrestling Alhambra DFAL - Team: 4th. Individual Results (Qualifiers for NCS): 112 - Licht 2nd, 130 – Monterrosa 1st, 160 - Alexander 2nd, 103 – Mann 3rd, 125 - Schwartz 3rd, 135 - Bailey 4th, 145 - Archuleta 3rd, 171 - Wallace 3rd, 189 - Schwartz 3rd, 215 - Wright 3rd and 285 - Ward 4th. College Park DVAL - Team: 1st. Individual Results (Qualifiers for NCS): 103 - Nguyen 2nd, 112 - Wilhelm 1st,
April 2011
“Season Ticket” Sports By Chuck Nan 119 - Yoell 1st, 125 - Mongares 2nd, 130 Falcons finished DVAL play by winning - Sergi 1st, 135 - Avila 1st, 140 - Douglass three straight and six-of-seven. CP was an 2nd, 145 - Mitchell 1st, 152 - Chou 1st, impressive 10-2 in the DVAL, with their 160 - Young 1st, 215 - Encarnacion 2nd, only losses to champion Northgate. 285 - Elor 1st, 140 - DeSouza 3rd, 171 In the first-round, they drew No. 8 seed - Carroll 3rd and 189 - Orpin-Wilkes 3rd. Antioch. Trying to avenge an earlier 84NCS - Team: 3rd. 130 - Sergi 1st, 285 65 earlier loss to Antioch, CP went on the - Elor 1st and 215 - Encarnacion 3rd. road to a tough environment. They faced the Panthers knowing that the winner Basketball Playoffs would face No. 1 seed Castro Valley. College Park Boys (D I) However, Antioch came away with a 68 The College Park boys finished the 52 triumph. The Falcons trailed early and season strong and garnered a bid to the then made a run, but could not muster NCS Division I playoffs (No. 9). The enough for a fourth quarter comeback. They finished the campaign 18-8. College Park Girls (D I) The Lady Falcons were seeded No. 15 and had the assignment of trying to beat No. 2 Carondelet (23-3). CP had finished league with a 7-5 mark, tied for third-place. They were on a roll as they concluded the regular season with three straight wins and four-of-five. The Concord power proved too mighty as CP was downed 93-23 in a very physical game.
Lacross Rivals
The Falcons’ final record was 13-14. Soccer Alhambra Boys (D II) First year head coach Mark Eitelgeorge instilled his system and the Bulldogs responded with the most overall wins, nine, than they have seen in many, many seasons. Their final record was 910-3. Alhambra started the campaign by surprising many with victories over traditional powers Richmond and Albany en route to a season that saw them earn an NCS berth. The Dogs were especially tough at home with a 5-4-2 mark at Knowles Field. Unfortunately, with goals being hard to come by at times this season, the Bulldogs could not make-up an early deficit against Ygnacio Valley in their firstround contest and fell, 1-0. Alhambra had earned a very respectable No. 8 seed based upon the strength of the DFAL.
CP junior Brett Bechter had a clutch performance shaking off 4 defenders while maintaining steady ball control scoring a goal with just 6 seconds on the clock. Bechter’s tenacity prevailed; scoring 5 goals with 3 assists overcoming Alhambra 10-2. The rivals met again at Alhambra’s field and fell to the Bulldogs 7-4. Alhambra’s junior, Andrew Crosno had a stellar Photo by Dane Hutslar offensive game with 5 shots on goal and scoring 3.
DFC Black Win Cup
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Diablo FC Black 98 ended their season by finishing 3rd in the NORCAL U12 Boys Premier League and this talented team recently placed 1st in the NORCAL State Cup Boys Red Premier 1: 9-16 Bracket.
Top (L-R) Abraham Rosales, Adrian Ortiz, Martin Valentines, Javier Hernandez, Charlie Duarte, Danny, Luca Parodi, Coach Mani Salimpour. Bottom (L-R) Willy Giambalvo, Pepe Diaz, Jordy Garibay, Landen Elfstrom, Eruvey Arceta, Omar Jiron, Kai Squires, Rene Alvarado
April 2011
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HOME TEAM
Stephenson is Unhittable!
Winter Sports All-League Selections
Soccer Alhambra - All-DFAL Boys - First-Team: Zack Walton, Senior and Tyler Sylvia, Junior. Second-Team: Juan Sanchez, Freshman. Honorable Mention: Jesus Maldonado, Freshman, Osiel Mendoza, Sophomore and Josue Vega, Senior. Girls - First-Team: Serena DeChristofaro, Senior and Natalie Smith, Junior. SecondTeam: Anne Whipple, Junior and Julia Wilkins, Freshman. Honorable Mention: Gabriella Vinco, Freshman, Brittani Pygeorge, Junior and Jewelz Andrews, Senior. College Park - All-DVAL Boys - First-Team: Billy Kessler and Carlos Lopez. Second-Team: Julio Avalos and Will Golubics. Honorable Mention: Scott Walker and Tommy Seng. Girls - First-Team: Ashley Dickinson and Mabelle Gozun. Second-Team: Marissa Buckley and Jordan Vailei. Honorable Mention: Ally Laborde, Marianna Rumpf and Pilar Souder. Basketball Alhambra - All-DFAL Boys - Honorable Mention: Keith Wilson, Junior. Girls - Second Team: Taylor Berry, Freshman College Park - All-DVAL Boys - First-Team: Mike Daily. SecondTeam: Logan Ryan. Honorable Mention: John Daily. Girls - Second-Team: Taylor Poulin. Honorable Mention: Molly Schoenweiler and Victoria PeLeras. Wrestling Alhambra - All-DFAL First-Team: Kevin Monterrosa (130 lbs.), Junior. Second-Team: Max Licht (112 lbs.), Freshman and Troy Alexander (160 lbs.), Junior. Honorable Mention: Chris Mann. (103 lbs.), Freshman, Andrew Schwartz (125 lbs.), Junior, Julian Archuleta (145 lbs.), Sophomore, Frank Wallace (171 lbs.) Senior, Nate Schwartz (189 lbs.), Senior and Quentin Wright (215 lbs.), Freshman. College Park - All-DVAL First-Team: Brian Sergi (119 lbs.), J.J. Chou (140 lbs.), D.J. Cummings (189 lbs.) and Orry Elor (285 lbs.). Second Team: Cody Teifel (103 lbs.), Casey Salmon (112 lbs.) Ben Altman (124 lbs.) and Connor Young (152 lbs.). Honorable Mention: Rico Mitchell (130 lbs.), Joey Avila (135 lbs.) and Gabriel Spangenberg (145 lbs.). 160 - Troy Alexander. 285 - Maurice Poyadue
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Alhambra’s Robert Stephenson had a game for the record books in earlyMarch. In his second game of the season, the ace registered his second no-hitter of the young season in a 9-0 win at DeAnza. Of the 21 outs recorded, an amazing 20 were via strikeout. Professional scouts on-hand clocked his fastball at 97 mph. Stephenson walked two and didn’t hit a man. He also contributed at the plate with a double and run batted-in. Stephenson had twirled a no-hitter in his first outing of the season against Encinal of Alameda. Stephenson and the Bulldogs won 5-0, moving their record to 2-0 in non-league. Stephenson pitched seven frames, allowing no walks
By Chuck Nan and striking-out 12 in the masterful victory. He did hit three batters, thus preventing him from a perfect game. Stephenson also tossed a no-hitter last season for Alhambra at Acalanes in lateApril. The 20 Ks are not an Alhambra record. On May 21, 1969, Eddie Gordon fanned 21 batters against Las Lomas. Gordon had also thrown another nohitter just 12 days previously versus Acalanes. For 2011, Stephenson’s ERA is 0.00, the batting average against him is .000 (0-for-42). At right Stephenson at bat. He is as feared a batter as a pitcher.
Baseball in Full Swing
Local Sports Schedule
BASEBALL
ALHAMBRA HOME GAMES 4/12 vs Acalanes 4pm 4/21 vs Dougherty Valley 4pm COLLEGE PARK HOME GAMES 4/7 vs Northgate 4pm 4/19 vs Concord 4pm To confirm: www.maxpreps.com DIABLO VALLEY COLLEGE 4/5 vs Santa Rosa 2:30pm 4/8 vs American River 2:30pm 4/14 vs Sacramento 2:30pm 4/15 vs Sierra College 2pm 4/22 vs San Joaquin 2:30pm 4/26 vs Consumes 2:30pm To confirm: www.dvc.edu/events/athletics As College Park hosted Deer Valley, CP junior Athan Koutsoubinas led off the bottom of the first inning with a twelve pitch at bat, then turned on one for a double which landed just short Photo by Dan Mead of the warning track in left center.
VISIT US AT:
www.lesschwabmartinez.com
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April 2011
Basketball Champs
CTK 3rd Grade American Boys Champions
CTK 8th Grade Girls Win Championship
The Christ the King 3rd grade American Boys won the West Diablo League Championship. Nikko Kieffer, who knotted the score and enabled the extra period, made the semi final victory over Santa Monica in OT possible after a steal and layup with just 18 seconds on the clock. The Championship game was just as exciting, as the whole team contributed to a 1-point victory over top seeded Santa Maria, capping a great first season! Boys L to R: Keoni Coloma, Jackson Mitchell, Nikko Kieffer, Grant Daley, Sean Olivier, Reid Ghisletta, Lucas Gilliam-Corbett, Kade Ship, and Carter Flanagan. Coaches L to R: Jeff Mitchell, Doug Shipp and Burton Coloma. Submitted by J. Mitchell.
CTK 5th Grade Girls American Champions On Sunday, March 13th, the Christ the King 8th grade American girls became the 1st girls team at CTK to win an Oakland Diocese CYO championship since Stanford star, Jayne Appel’s team won it when she was in 8th grade at CTK in 2002. Final score: 45-35! All seven girls contributed greatly to the glorious defeat of longtime rival, St. Mary. Pictured are: Katrina Guytingo #5, Claire Cox #7, Olivia Ramacier #10, Taryn Niederberger #13, Kyla Miller #14, Elysse Moriguchi #23, and Taylor Odom #24. Coaches pictured from left to right: Rick Ramacier, Joe Niederberger, Ron Moriguchi. Submitted by Rick Ramacier, CTK Athletic Director
The 2010-2011 Christ the King CYO 5th Grade American Girls Basketball are League Champions with a perfect 10-0 league record and 18-4 overall season record. During their recent regional CYO Dioceses playoff games the girls came up victorious in their 1st round single elimination game vs. St. Agnes, 22–8, and managed to knock off a tough St. Perpetua team in their semi-final game 26-20. The girls came up a little short in the Championship game on March 13th vs. another undefeated CYO team, St. Annes. The girls came in 2nd place in the Regional Diocese playoffs. Pictured L-R: Coach Ray Ramirez, Leah Walton, Lauren Etnyre, Kalane Bessard, Evelyn Kim, Kianie Ramirez, Maggie Scaff, Sydney King, Jasmine Safarians, and Coach Mike Kim. Not pictured: Abigail Radutiu.
PHMS Hoops it Up
The 6th grade Pleasant Hill Middle School basketball team finished first in the league, and won the consolation game in the year-end tournament. Top row: Jake Spellman-Hess, Ian MacIver, Sean Rigley, Will Klotz, Thomas Seibel, Luke Martinelli, Luca Parodi. Bottom. row: Chris Keeler, DJ McGinnis, Nick Lombardi, Casey Bassler and Conner Heuerman. Coaches: Sam Martinelli and Ken Lombardi.
April 2011
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IN FOCUS•IN FOCUS•IN FOCUS•IN FOCUS•IN FOCUS•IN FOCUS
An Oasis of Calm Driving down Oak Park Boulevard, just before it reaches Interstate 680, you will find an oasis of calm. Nestled among the oak trees is a little harbor known as Le Jardin at the Spa – what some call a little Calistoga in the busy city. Owner Nancy Robinson bought the property seven years ago when it was a
blemish on the face of the neighborhood. Today, the refurbished four-cottage compound houses a full service salon and spa, offering everything from specialty facials to full body massage. Also offered are hair color, cuts, Keratin Complex treatments as well as spa & bridal party services. See our website for monthly specials www.lejardinatthespa.com. We would love to meet you. Le Jardin at the Spa, 1603 Oak Park Blvd,.Pleasant Hill. Visit us at: www. lejardinatthespa.com or call: 925-935-4247.
Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Nancy Robinson.
& New Client Specials... •Keratin Express Blow Out Just $90.00 •Custom Facial Just $59.00 •50 Minute Swedish Massage Only $55.00 •FREE Haircut with any Hair Color Service 1603 Oak Park Blvd.,Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
925-935-4247 www.lejardinatthespa.com
See our web-site for monthly specials. Expires 3/31/11
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Local NFL Photographer After nearly 5 years of plugging away at the system, local portrait photographer Tod Gomes of Pleasant Hill gets his first NFL photo/media game credentials. Tod has run a successful portrait and wedding photography business for almost 10 years now, and in those 10 years, he has also been taking photos of local youth and high school sports (maybe you’ve seen him on the sidelines?). Most recently he has been taking photos of College Park high school sports and donating them to the yearbook as well as posting them online for students and parents to view and purchase (going on 3 years now). Just this past year, Tod was able to photograph the San Francisco Forty Niner training camp where he connected with journalist Wayne Lavelle (“Super Bowl Wayne”). Lavelle was instrumental in helping Tod connect with the Denver Broncos media personnel which led to getting his first media credentials for the Seattle Seahawks vs Denver Broncos game in Denver, CO. Going forward, Tod says he will be working more closely with Wayne and Hawaii Five-0 Sports Media - based in Honolulu Hawaii, and hopefully covering the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl for them sometime in the near future. When asked what his next goals were, Tod replied “I have a new project that I am working on that involves incorporating your
favorite sports team and family portraits. I have been contacting stadiums such as AT&T Park, Oakland Coliseum and others to get all the details so I can take family portraits in the stadium(s) with families dressed in their team gear! While I am still ironing out the details, I am taking inquiries/calls now for this unique opportunity!” In addition, Tod says “While creating family portraits is the bulk of my business and I just love doing this for families, I am looking to get credentialed for more games, and eventually be under contract with an NFL team preferably the Seattle Seahawks”. “This would be so awesome on so many levels! First there is the personal thing, then from a professional stand point it will help my sports photography career”. Tod was just nominated to be in the Professional Football Ultimate Fan Association (PFUFA) for the class of 2011, he is the president of the NorCal Sea Hawkers official fan club (www.norcalseahawkers.org) and a lifelong Seattle Seahawks fan as well as an East Bay Native who was born at Mt Diablo Hospital. He is also working on a new sports blog based on his travels to games around the country and his experiences in sports/photography. You can visit this blog by going to www.todgomes.com or you can visit his website at www.creativelookphoto.com or call him at 925-787-1063
3
36 Year Member Pleasant Hill Chamber of Commerce
Pleasant Hill Cold Stone-925 288 0388
Limit one per customer per visit. Price Excludes Tax. Valid only at participating locations. No cash value. Not valid with other offers or fundraisers or if copied, sold, auctioned, exchanged for payment or prohibited by law. ©2010 Cold Stone Creamery, Inc. All rights reserved. PLU #49. Expires 02/12/2011.
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April 2011
Former Raider’s Greatest Joy By Nathan Thoms Oakland Raider Super Bowl XI Champion, Art Thoms, has coached youth sports for 30+ years. Art coached his own kids, Art III, Nathan, Derek and Kristen, in a variety of sports. Art said, “I received notoriety and fame in my nine years with the Raiders but the greatest joy of my life has been the time I have spent on the playing field coaching my children.” Art is on to the next generation coaching grandson, Dillan, for the Marauders in Walnut Creek. Art serves as Head Coach with sons Art III and Nathan serving as coordinators. De-
spite being short on players, the team finished 10-2 last season. “Many organizations start with 60 players and cut down to 35. We started with eighteen and played with eighteen. Each week we told the kids we were the proverbial small dog in the fight. It was a role they embraced,” says Nathan. The coaching staff emphasizes school work and home life over wins and losses. Each practice and game is an opportunity for the kids to learn life lessons. Art III said, “Victory on the field is certainly a goal for the coaching staff, however, the true success comes
U.M.D.A.F Vegas Night Details The United Mt. Diablo Athletic Toyota of Walnut Creek. Players will Foundation (UMDAF) is partneralso earn raffle tickets for additional ing with the athletic booster clubs of prizes. Doors open at 6:00pm with games the six high schools in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District (MDUSD) to starting at 7:00pm and going until midhost a fun-filled “Vegas Night” at the night. The $50 cost per person includes Concord Hilton on April 30th. With dinner and gambling chips. Buy-in to MDUSD high school the Texas Hold’em Toursport collections more nament is an additional than $300,000 behind $100. There will also be last year, Vegas Night will a live band for dancing. This event promises help raise critical funds so that MDUSD’s totally to be a lot of fun while self-funded high school directly supporting athletic programs may high school sports in OF WALNUT CREEK continue. UMDAF and the MDUSD. Participathe six athletic booster clubs will share tion is limited to 800 people, including the net profits from the event evenly. 120 contestants for the Texas Hold’em This is a full house casino event Tournament. Sign up now for the run by professional gaming providers. Vegas Night to ensure a spot. For more Casino games include a Texas Hold’em information and to purchase tickets, go Tournament, Craps, to UMDAF’s web site Roulette, Black Jack, at www.unitedmtdiaPoker, and Pai Gow. bloathletics.org. As of There are fabulous this writing, business prizes for all the winsponsorships are availners. The Grand Prize able. Questions about winner of the Texas the event should be Hold’em Tournadirected to Kevin Henment will receive a nessy at khennessy@ 2011 Camry lease for farmersagent.com or one year, donated by 925-899-2290.
TOYOTA
from the growth off the field.” The Thoms family is organizing the 2nd Annual Art Thoms Golf Tournament on May 23rd, 2011. Please visit www.wcyfmarauders.com for
tournament details. The Marauders offer football and cheerleading for boys and girls, aged 7 to 14 years old.
Art Thoms Jr in raider hat. Nathan Thoms in blue jacket. Dillan Thoms in front #23 and Art Thoms III in red hat
Foster a Camper By Pat Deluca Please help us benefit foster children in our community by joining Royal Family Kids’ Camps for a charity walk on May 14th at Contra Loma Reservoir (an easy 2.5 miles). Since 2000, Royal Family Kids’ Camps has provided free summer camps to over 350 foster children in our community. Week-long camps provide 7 to 11 year-old children with a safe environment, happy memories, confidence, and hope for the future. Our ratio of trained counselors is one to every two campers, ensuring that the emotional, physical, and special needs of every child are met. The staff consists of volunteers and admission is never charged. We exist solely on the donations of individuals, companies and organizations. In September 2010, we launched a new program, The Royal Friends’ Club, which mentors foster children at critical developmental
stages for building healthy new patterns that can change lives. We firmly believe that if the cycle of abuse can be broken for a week, it can be broken permanently. For information on the charity walk, please visit www.rfkccharitywalk. dojiggy.com. Individual sponsors raising $125 will receive a pledge walk t-shirt. Businesses pledging $800 will sponsor a child for a week of camp and their logo will earn a place on our t-shirts and press releases. We are grateful to the following sponsors who have pledged their support and are recognized as businesses that give back to the community: Hearing Science of Walnut Creek, Dale and Jeri-Lynn Cross, Joe and Gina Gonzales, Civic Feline Clinic, Dr. Daniel Leung, DDS, Kersi and Roxan Bhada, and Roger and Nancy Rice. Royal Family Kids’ Camps is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization.
April 2011
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Frosty Flowers
By Troy McGregor, Garden Natives Winter in the East Bay is hard on succulents. Succulents are prone to freezing, which can leave some tender species looking like a pile of mush. One standout cold weather succulent is our native Lewisia, named for Captain Meriwether Lewis (who calls their kid Meriwether?) This is a small genus of 17 or so species native to the western states that grows in areas of mid to high altitude. One of the easiest Lewisias for home gardeners to cultivate is Lewisia cotyledon, which calls the Klamath and High Cascade ranges requirements. Lewisia cotyledon grows home. in sandy or gravelly soils, so planting Lewisia cotyledon rarely grows them in clay just isn’t an option. Fill a larger than 6-8” tall and wide makcontainer with 2/3 potting soil and 1/3 ing it a perfect candidate for containperlite or gravel for best results. Higher ers. Flowers give a 2-3 month show altitudes also have cooler sun than we in spring and reach out between dark do here at lower levels, so place the pot green fleshy leaves in any range of color in a morning sun/ afternoon shade loincluding shades of pink, peach, yellow, cation to avoid burning. Provide some and purple, as well as white. summer water once every week or two Growing Lewisias at home is easy but never allow the pot to be flooded when catering to a few basic cultural with rain in the wet months.
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Palm Trees and Wildlife By Susan Heckly, Lindsay Wildlife Museum Palm trees are found in many landscapes in our area. These tropicallooking plants add a touch of the exotic to Bay Area neighborhoods. Although not native to the Bay Area, palms are well adapted to our Mediterranean climate. Mature palms can have lots of dead fronds that form a dense mass of material still attached to the crown. These cavities and hiding places provide Fox squirrels build large nests using habitat for a wide variety of wildlife. dried fronds and line them with soft ma Palm trees are attractive to animals terial. Barn owls don’t really build nests, that nest in cavities because they protect but tuck themselves between the fronds. them from the elements and most Palm trees become a problem for predators. Many species of wild animals nesting wildlife because palm trunks are use these trees as nesting sites. Barn owls flexible and when it’s windy, palm trees and fox squirrels are common inhabitsway. Palm fronds slant out and down, ants of palms, but many songbirds also and nests don’t have much to hold onto. build nests there. Some palms are large It doesn’t take much wind for babies and enough to have more than one kind of nests to tumble out of palm trees. animal in residence. In 2010, Lindsay Wildlife Museum received 76 baby animals that had fallen from palm trees. Most were barn owls (35) and eastern fox squirrels (32)), but there were also three mourning doves, two black phoebes, a western scrub-jay, an American goldfinch, a brown-headed cowbird and a raccoon. Many species that nest in palm trees will readily nest in boxes. Barn owl boxes are very successful and are much safer for baby barn owls. You can attach the box to the trunk of the tree, or place it somewhere close to the palm. If a palm tree requires pruning for removal of dead fronds, postpone the work until late fall when there is a lower risk of displacing nesting wildlife. What should you do if you find an animal that has fallen from its nest? Carefully place it in a box or paper grocery bag, put the container in a quiet and warm location and call the Lindsay Wildlife Museum at (925)935-1978. Don’t feed the animal or give it water. For more information about Lindsay Wildlife Museum and ways you can help wildlife, visit www.wildlife-museum.org.
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April 2011
Honey-Do List
Showrooms also in Santa Clara & Milbrae
By Dawson Urban, Hire My Husband, LLC Day light savings time has arrived, giving us the promise of long summer evenings. After being cooped up inside for the past couple of months, we are all ready to get outside and enjoy our yards and gardens. Taking care of some basic repairs and maintenance now, before it gets too hot, will make for a more enjoyable summer. peeling of caulk and painted areas on Here are a few things to think about and reap the benefit during the next windy, rainy winter. Is your gate sagging? your window trim, especially where when looking at your yard: two trim pieces meet. These are signs We know how much fun it is to hold up Decks of compromised areas. The last thing the gate while lugging that heavy recycle Could your deck use a bit of clean you want is water penetrating the walls bin to the curb for pick up. Why bother up? Power washing and re-sealing or of your home, creating larger problems with these acrobatics when a simple re-staining your deck will provide the over time. As Benjamin Franklin said, adjustment can work magic? tender loving care it needs to last longer “An ounce of prevention is worth a Exterior Trim and be more inviting. pound of cure”. If you experienced any leaking into Fences & Gates Dawson Urban can be contacted Did the wind create havoc with your your home during winter storms, your via his website at: www.hiremyhusband. exterior trim may be to blame. As you wood fence or gate? Walk around and com or by calling 925-969-0133. walk around, look for puckering and shake the posts. If there is any movement, it is only a matter of time before it needs proper repair. Try replacing a displaced post early in the season, while the stubborn clay soil is easier to work,
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April 2011
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Grassy Green Asparagus
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THE GARDEN
By Lesley Stiles grilled halibut. Roast asparafraiche for a pivotal food moment. flush with seasonal fare spilling Simply blanch and dip into freshly gus in a hot oven and toss off tables and beckoning with lemon oil, salt and made Meyer lemon aioli. salaciously to shoppers. Eating Brentwood asparagus in pepper. Shave feathSpringtime officially arery puffs of reggiano season has its perks. Eating aspararived last week, ensuron top and sprinkle gus with fingers strongly encouraged. ing asparagus a nice with chopped fresh Pack up some of that grilled asparagus long visit to the Bay oregano. and take it with you for a hike in and Area. Slice into around our amazing hills and regional Smooth, green small pieces and parks. Waterfalls on Mount Diablo stalks with tight, sauté with green are flowing and wildflowers are in purplish tips, lubed garlic, white wine and abundance everywhere you look. Have with a bit of olive oil parsley. Toss into hot I mentioned how fortunate we are to and a few cracks of salt, pasta, creaming the dish live here?? lovingly placed onto siz Lesley Stiles is a graduate of the with thrilling dollops of zling hot grills can happily California Culinary Academy, suschevre stirred in. transform an entire day. Simmer asparagus, onions and tainable caterer and school garden Drizzle grilled asparagus with garlic in chicken broth. When soft, add educator. balsamic glaze and pair with simply Contact Lesley at lesleystiles@ ½ & ½, then purée. Season with fresh comcast.net, www.lesleystiles.blognutmeg and salt and pepper, creating spot.com and visit her new website: a brilliant spring soup. Garnish with puréed fresh peas and luscious crème www.lesleystilesfoods.com. By Chris Dundon Registration is now open for from flower-filled perennial to low the FREE Bringing Back the Natives maintenance, and from gardens deGarden Tour, which takes place on signed and installed by owners to those Sunday, May 1st, 10am – 5pm. Partici- done by professionals. Ingredients: A companion feature, the Native pants in this annual, self-guided event 3 Tbsp. olive oil 1 c. sliced cremini mushrooms can choose from fifty showcase native Plant Sale Extravaganza, will take place 1 lb. cooked quinoa 6 oz. of reggiano-parmesan cheese plant gardens throughout the Bay Area. on Saturday and Sunday, April 30 and 1 c. vegetable or chicken stock, heated 3 Tbsp. chopped parsley Learn how to select and care for CaliMay 1. This exclusive sale features a 1 lb. asparagus, sliced in ½ inch pieces Kosher salt and freshly grated pepper fornia native plants; lower your water number of native plant nurseries which 4 stalks of green garlic, cleaned and bill; design a low-maintenance garden; carry large quantities of hard-to-find sliced attract butterflies, birds and bees; California natives. This two-day shopDirections: and garden without using pesticides. ping opportunity offers native plant Heat olive oil in a deep sauté pan. Add green garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes More than forty talks will be offered fans a good selection of plants and a until it begins to caramelize. Add the mushrooms and asparagus and sauté for 3 throughout the day at various locations relaxed shopping experience. Knowlto 4 more minutes. Add a cup of stock and let it come to a boil. Simmer for a few on the tour. edgeable staff will be on hand to help minutes until asparagus turns bright green. Add quinoa and heat through. Season What’s so special about California shoppers select the right plants for w/ salt and pepper and toss in parsley. Garnish w/ shaved parmesan. Serves 4. native plants? They are adapted to our their gardens. To register for the tour, visit www. soil and climate and are easy to care for. Native plants are naturally drought BringingBackTheNatives.net. You will tolerant. They attract native birds, find much more specific information Local community members who showed interest in having a butterflies, and other forms of wildlife. on the gardens, places to buy native garden in the park started the Community Garden over 35 years ago. And, as the gardens on the tour show, plants, and landscape designers. Many It was developed with funds from a county grant and resides on the native plants are beautiful; these lovely of the designers offer discount consulgardens display a sense of place that is tations to tour participants. North East Side of the Pleasant Hill Park behind the softball fields. The Over 6,000 people are expected to uniquely Californian. garden consists of twenty-five 8ft-by-27ft plots which are rented annu The incredible gardens offered this participate in this annual event, so regally for $70, plus a $50 refundable deposit. year range from established collecister early to ensure a place and enjoy For more information, please call/email Sheila at Pleasant Hill Rectors’ gardens to those that are newly the native gardens of your local and reation & Park District: 925-682-0896, sgeorge@pleasanthillrec.com installed. Garden styles run the gamut neighboring communities.
Local asparagus from Brentwood, Stockton and the Central Valley returns to farmers’ markets all over California for, hopefully, an amazing spring season. Fat or thin, long or short, asparagus captivates folks with its grassy, sweet stalks dripping with melted butter, hollandaise, mayo, balsamic, or whatever you choose. Nothing says warm days are coming like blooming daffodils or the first season of asparagus. Lengthening daylight paired with rising mercury conjures exciting images of consuming local, warm-weather produce. Markets are
Bringing Back the Natives
Asparagus Quinoa w/ Green Garlic and Cremini Mushrooms
Community Garden Info
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“Egg� Citing Egg Hunt On April 23, amid screams of delight, discovery, and a crowd of almost 600 children, 10 to 15 members of the Pleasant Hill Lion’s Club will be presenting one of their favorite events of the year. Ted Winslow, a charter member of the Pleasant Hill Lions Club, has never missed the Club’s annual egg hunt in Pleasant Hill Park – this will be his 56th year! For fellow Lion Phil Madruga, this year will be his 31st. Club President Ken Wombacher, says he and his fellow Lions “look forward all year to seeing the kids joyfully running around, mingling with the parents and the community, and we love working with our friends and partners at Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District.�
April 2011
A Pleasant Hill Tradition Each year the Lions share complimentary water, hot chocolate, and coffee at the event. They manage the egg hunt and in recent years have given kids free rides on the Park District’s train, the Pleasant Hill Express. This year four hunts are scheduled. The first two are for the youngest group, those 0-3 years old. Next comes a hunt just for children ages 4-6 yrs, followed by one more for older kids 7-10 yrs. Admission is just $6 per child and in every hunt some lucky egg hunter will find a very special egg with a golden ticket inside – redeemable for a special prize. The day also includes great music from Strawberry Fields DJ, face painting, and visits with the Bunny. Advance reservations by noon on April 22 are required.
A Day With Dr. Seuss By Tannaz Heaney
Call the District Administration office at 682-0896. Check-in at Pleasant Hill Park on Saturday begins at 9:30 am. The first hunt begins at 10:30 am. And don’t forget your camera! Challenge Yourself! Family Fun Triathlon April 17 Parents and youth 8 years and older are invited to join Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District’s non-competitive Swim, Bike, and Run challenge. For those
under 14 years, the course includes a 250-yard swim, 5-mile bike, 2-mile run. For challengers 15 and over, the course includes a 500-yard swim; 10-mile bike, and 4-mile run. Check in on Sunday April 17 at 8am at the Pleasant Hill Education Center Pool, 1 Santa Barbara Road. Registration on or before April 1 is $44 per person or $54 per person between April 2 and race day. For information, call 682-0896.
Boys & Girls Club The Boys and Girls club of Diablo Valley has been serving youth and the community of Martinez since 1955. Over the years the Club has offered programs and services to over 55,000 youth and families in a safe and positive environment. They continues to serve over 1200 youth annually. The Club has an average daily attendance of 150 youth. The club is more than a place...it’s a “second home� to most of its members. With the help of all the individuals, corporations, and foundations we look
to the future with great optimism. The Club is holding their 7th Annual Peter Ginocchio Memorial Golf Fore Kids Sake Tournament, “ Luau on the Links� on April 15th. Come for Mai Tai’s and a Hawaiian dinner. Come dressed in your best Hawaiian attire for a chance to win a prize. The golf tournament takes place at Rodddy Ranch. Foursome is $500, $125 individual and $25 for dinner only. For more information and to register please call 925-209-4947 or email liz@ma-law.com.
Happy Mother’s Day
Students in Mrs. Heaney’s kindergarten class at Sequoia. Photo Credit: Erika Austen
On March 2nd, Read Across America Day was celebrated in kindergarten at Sequoia Elementary in honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday. On this special day all the children, including the adults who volunteer in my class that day, came to school wearing their favorite pajamas and brought their favorite book and stuffed animal from home. We made “Read Across America Day� pillows, and parents graciously sewed them up for the kids to take home as a special memory of the day. In the classroom we set up a huge tent and spent the entire day reading our books aloud, one at a time, while sipping on hot chocolate and enjoying a scrumptious breakfast made generously by the won-
derful parents in the class! We also focused on the stories by Dr. Seuss. I talked to my students about what a special author Dr. Seuss was and how he wanted kids to enjoy reading and have a special love and appreciation for stories and illustrations, so he wrote books that were silly and fun to read. Tannaz Heaney teaches kindergarten at Sequoia Elementary in Pleasant Hill.National Education Association’s Read Across America is an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on March 2, the birthday of beloved children’s author Dr. Seuss.
For Sushi Dining Room
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April 2011
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RESTAURANT GUIDE
Breakfast at Jack’s Restaurant By Emma Peel Jack’s Restaurant & Bar in Downtown Pleasant Hill feels new and stylish with a retro-lounge soundtrack and an outdoor seating area in the fountain plaza. The restaurant is open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but I was there for breakfast, which is served until 2pm daily. The breakfast menu offers ten choices of omelettes ($8-10) and various breakfast combos (mostly $8-9) that include the standard fare of eggs, bacon, and sausage, as well as steak & eggs or eggs benedict, all served with Yukon gold hash browns. Fans of the griddle will be happy with classics like buttermilk pancakes, Swedish pancakes with lingonberries, or Belgian waffles, all in the $5-7 range. The health conscious will appreciate Irish steel-cut oatmeal with all the fixings or Greek yogurt with honey. Jack’s Breakfast Specials ($7-16) are intriguing and if you imbibed a bit too much the previ-
Dallimonti’s
Dave, Chris and John Marcovici
ous night, you may want to order The Hangover ($9.95), a dish consisting of hash browns topped with homemade chili, two eggs any style, cheddar cheese, scallions, salsa, and fresh jalapenos. My husband ordered this item with the eggs over-easy, a good decision because the dish has a wonderful layered effect. If you prefer dessert for breakfast, order-
Restaurant www.dallimontis.com
Dallimonti’s Italian restaurant is a multi-course, family-style dining experience, offering Pasta, Seafood, Steaks, Prime Rib. Full bar and wine list. Friday night Karaoke and Saturday night live music. • A Family Tradition Since 1982 • Open for Lunch & Dinner • Reservations & Take Out Available • Small Banquets Welcome • A Touch of North Beach in your Neighborhood
1932 Oak Park Boulevard, Pleasant Hill. 925-944-5224
RESTAURANT GUIDE for more information contact us at for more please information please contact us at
925.335.NEWS (6397)
info@ourcommunityfocus.com
ing Bananas Foster French Toast ($7.95) is a good move. This sweet and delicious dish is served with carmelized banana slices scattered over slices of French toast under a dollop of melting cinnamon cream with a hint of banana flavored syrup. Both these dishes came out piping hot and we greedily shared the combination of savory and sweet
flavors along with our espresso drinks. Jack’s is owned by three brothers, John, Dave, and Chris Marcovici (and named after Chef Dave’s son), and Chris explained that their goal was to create a neighborhood restaurant “for any occasion, for every occasion, whether it’s family night out, a romantic dinner, or a business lunch.” Of their mother, Eleni, Chris said: “Mom was the ultimate host at home. No one ever left hungry and she took care of everyone like they were family.” At Jack’s, customers can have great food and a good time in a comfortable atmosphere without breaking the bank. Before we left we saw a couple of neighbors happily enjoying their meals and I recalled Chris saying “Jack’s is the ‘Cheers’ of Pleasant Hill.” I couldn’t have said it better myself. Jack’s is open Sunday through Thursday, 8am-10pm; Friday, 8am11pm and Saturdays 8am-2am. www. jacksrestaurants.com.
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April 2011
Calendar events 4/2 – Mini Motorland. A unique track for electric ride-on cars, big wheels and tricycles at the John Muir Amphitheater. Youngsters will stop for gas, order at the drive-thru window, visit the tire shop and more. Bring your child’s favorite riding toy. Snacks will be served to all drivers. NO DOGS, NO GAS POWERED RIDE-ON VEHICLES. 2 -5 years old and $8 per child; 10am – Noon at John Muir Amphitheater, Tarantino Dr. Space is limited to the first 150 children. To reserve a spot, pre-register by calling Martinez Recreation: 372-3510. 4/3 – Pleasant Hill Lions Club Poker Tournament at Back Forty. Join us for our Texas Hold’em Tournament! Eat some good food and raise money for charity with 100% of the net proceeds going back to local charities. Food at 3pm, poker at 4pm. Final Table will be professionally dealt. Tickets are $50 at Back Forty. Contact: Phil Madruga 9338061 or Ken Wombacher 687-0858. 4/9 – Bay Area Craft Beer Festival. Head to the historic Cannery District at the picturesque Martinez Waterfront Park, located at 333 Ferry St. in beautiful Downtown Martinez. 30+ top microbreweries west of the Mississippi! Rockin’ Live Music! Fabulous food available for purchase. 12pm-5pm VIP; 1pm-5pm General Admission. Ticket & ID required for beer tasters (21 & over). For more info and tickets visit: www. bayareacraftbeerfestival.com. 4/17 – Rodgers Ranch Open House. Honoring the Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District’s 60 years of history, from 1951-Present. Rodgers Ranch, 315 Cortsen Rd., Pleasant Hill. 2pm - 4pm. Contact Denise: 387-0158. 4/18 – Breakfast with Bunny. Our favorite bunny has taken time off from his busy schedule to join you and your child for breakfast. Enjoy a craft and a treat. For ages 2–5 yrs. 9:30am–10:30am. $7 per adult and $5 per child. Reservations required by April 8. Call: 676-5200 or visit: www.pleasanthillrec.com. Now – 4/18 - Golf for the Wild Registration. This 17th annual event is held on May 9 at the Diablo Country Club. All proceeds go to the Lindsey Wildlife Mu-
seum. Individual entries are $250. Additional guests for the dinner and auction are $50 per person. Registration is open through April 18. For more information, call Mary McAfee at 925-627-2951 or email: mmcafee@wildlife-museum.org. 4/21 – Homeopathy Every Day Study Group of Walnut Creek. The art and practice of Trituration taught by Judy Schriebman, CCH, RSHom(NA), CHT. Judy is a co-author, with Anneke Hogeland, MFT, of The Trituration Handbook: Into the Heart of Homeopathy. 6pm-7pm. 43 Quail Court, Suite 215, Walnut Creek. www.homeopathyeveryday.com. 4/22 – Earth Day. Demonstrate your commitment to environmental protection and sustainability. Visit: www.earthday.org for ideas and information. 5/14 – Free Wildlife Museum Day. 10am-5pm. Lindsay Wildlife Museum,1931 First Avenue, Walnut Creek. Call: 925-935-1978 or visit www.wildlife-museum.org for more information. 5/23 – Walnut Creek Marauder Youth Football & Cheer. 2nd Annual Art Thoms Golf Tournament and Fundraiser at Oakhurst Country Club. For information visit www.wcyfmarauders. com. Call Nathan: 925-360-0857 to participate. Registration begins at 8am for a 9:15am Shotgun Start Time. Needs include Golfers, Sponsors, and Prizes. Ongoing – The Martinez Animal Hospital has a Kitten Adoption Program. The Cost to the new owner is our cost of vaccines & spay/neuter. www.martinezanimalhospital.net.
AT THE LIBRARY In Martinez: 4/5, 12, & 19 – (Tuesdays) Mother Goose Time. Let your child develop early literacy skills naturally, as we share songs and rhymes, bounces and tickles, and simple stories and crafts. Come join us for this light-hearted story hour just for tots. 11:30am-12:15pm. Contact: Ruth Boyer, 335-9425. 4/11 – History and Songs of the Railroad. Come celebrate National Library week with this special presentation about trains in Old Martinez. With speaker Richard Patchin and musical perform-
ance by Spinning Wheel, this promises to be a wonderfully informative and entertaining evening. Suitable for adults and families. 6:30pm-7:30pm. Contact: Lea Stone, 335-9425. 4/18 – Meet the Spring Bunny. To celebrate spring, we’ll have rabbit stories, face painting, a bunny craft, and a visit from The Rabbit. We’ll meet in the library and then, weather permitting, we’ll gather on the lawn across the railroad tracks. For kids and preschoolers. 4:00pm-4:45pm. Contact Lea Stone: 335-9425. In Pleasant Hill: 4/1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 (Fridays) – Mother Goose Time. Let your child develop early literacy skills naturally as we share songs and rhymes, bounces and tickles, and simple stories. Come join us for this light-hearted storyhour just for tots ages 0 - 3. 11:15am -11:45am. Contact: Patrick Remer, 646-6434. 4/6, 13, 20, & 27 (Wednesdays) – Mother Goose Time. Let your child develop early literacy skills naturally as we share songs and rhymes, bounces and tickles, and simple stories. Come join us for this light-hearted storyhour just for tots ages 0 - 3. 11:15am -11:45am. Contact: Patrick Remer, 646-6434. 4/7, 14, 21 & 28 (Thursdays) – Preschool Storytime. Join us in the story corner for stories, songs, and more to stre-e-e-etch the imagination. Ideal for your 3-5 year old. 11:15am-11:45am. 4/12 – Book Club. Get more from your books at the Pleasant Hill Library Book Club. Meet other readers for fun engaged discussions. The April pick is Robert Heinlein’s The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. 6:30pm-7:30pm. Contact Library Staff: 646-6434. 4/26 – Randel McGee and Groark the Dragon! Join us for a hilarious evening with Groark, the world’s only guitarplaying dragon! Part of our series of stories and puppets funded by a grant from First 5. 6:30pm-7:10pm.
volunteer opportunities The California Cancer and Research Institute in Pleasant Hill is looking for volunteers to greet and assist patients. Two-hour shifts are available, Mon-
day through Friday from 9am – 5pm. Eligible for community service hours and minimum volunteer age is 15. To learn more, please contact the volunteer manager at: 925-395-7630, or email: ca.cancer.institute.volunteer@gmail. com. Please leave your name and contact information.
CLUBS 4/4 - Valley Stitchers and Fiber Artists Guild. 10am at Faith Lutheran Church, 50 Wordsworth Lane, Pleasant Hill. Our speaker this month will be Marion Hunziker-Larsen on creating Fiber Jewelry. Guests are welcome ($5 fee). Guild meets monthly (except Summer months). Call: 925-682-7909 for information. 4/5 – Pleasant Hill Garden Study Club. Meeting in the Camellia Room of the Gardens at Heather Farm, 1540 Marchbanks Dr., Walnut Creek. The meetings are held at 7pm on the first Tuesday of each month except July. The April 5th speaker will be Troy McGregor, talking on Australian plants. Call: 944-4898 or go to www.phgsc.com. 4/9 - Mt. Diablo Branch, California Writers Club Presents Naomi Epel, Author of The Observation Deck: A Tool Kit for Writers. Check-in begins at 11:30am. Meeting begins at noon, and buffet luncheon with the program following. Zio Fraedos Restaurant, 611 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill. $20 for CWC members, $25 for guests. Reservations required by April 6 by contacting jeaniegpops@comcast.net, or call: 925934-5677. Visit: www.cwcmtdiablowriters.wordpress.com for more information.
Doing THE RIGHt Thing nominations “Doing the Right Thing” is a new monthly feature sponsored by Les Schwab that recognizes people in the community going above and beyond without expecting anything in return. If you know of someone in your neighborhood deserving mention, please send your nomination to info@ourcommunityfocus or call 925-335-NEWS. Honorees will be applauded in the Community Focus and will be presented with a Les Schwab community gift basket.
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Who Says Golfers Aren’t Athletes? Most of us agree that basketball players, gymnasts, swimmers, and even professional dancers are athletes. It’s expected that serious athletes approach their sport with serious physical conditioning to compete well. Whether it’s traditional weightlifting, stretching regimens, or more progressive workouts found in Pilates or yoga, athletes know they must build strength, flexibility and balance if they are to play well, avoid injury, and gain an edge over their competition. So what about golf? As golf is often seen as a kinder, gentler, social activity, many people start playing as older adults or casually on weekends, and overlook training their bodies for high level athletics. But because
By Tonya Marie Amos of the percussive force and rotational torque through the body, the golf swing requires a high level of athleticism to be effective and sustainable. How are players able to produce more driving power and minimize the impact on their joints year after year? By building a finely tuned physical instrument armed with core strength, flexibility, balance, and healthy body mechanics. Strengthening the core (the deep muscles that create stability in the spine and pelvis) gives us untapped power, explosiveness, and helps protect us from injury. Improving flexibility helps our range of motion, creates an ease of movement, and distributes force more uniformly throughout the body, which prevents us from over taxing joints in areas such as the shoulders and lower back. Balance and healthy body mechanics help build a smooth and consistent swing with less effort. A well designed golf conditioning
program not only helps your game improve and speeds recovery after long weekends on the green, but enhances your daily life with more energy and fewer aches and pains. So if you want great club head speed, a smoother swing, longer drives, and faster recovery time, tap into your inner athlete. Regardless of your age or fitness level, by taking your conditioning to the next level, you can improve your handicap while improving the overall quality of your life. Tonya Marie Amos danced professionally in New York for 15 years before opening her studio, Aspire Pilates Center in Concord. She is a fully certified Pilates instructor with over 1000 hours of training. including advanced certifications in Movement Medicine, Scoliosis, Osteoporosis, Pre/Post Natal and Pilates For Golf. For more information, please contact Tonya by calling (925) 680-4400 or going to www.
Keratin Complex Express Blow Out Hair can become dry, damaged and brittle for many reasons. Besides over use of hot tools and chemical services, as well as environmental factors, one should consider nutrition and a diet lacking in omega-3 essential fatty acids, which can be found in salmon and fish oil, or walnut and flax seeds. Hair...our crowning glory one day, our bad hair day nightmare the next! Hair can suffer wear and tear just by rubbing back and forth on shoulders or pillows at night! By treating your hair to the Keratin Complex Express Blowout, not only will you completely eliminate
By Monica Smith frizz and add shine, you will improve the protective protein layer around your hair, which builds strength and protects it from further damage! This new service costs a fraction of the original Keratin Complex treatment, is less time consuming, and the results last up to six weeks. The Keratin Complex Express Blowout is different from other straighteners on the market as it does not change the actual structure of the hair and does not use harsh chemicals like formaldehyde, a known carcinogen that becomes a toxic gas when heated with hot irons or blow dryers.
The Express Blowout can be done immediately following a color service, sealing in the color and creating shine and vibrancy like never before! Keratin Complex Express Blowout is the fastest, simplest and most affordable way to create smoother, shinier and healthier hair at a price your pocketbook will love! Book your appointment today with a certified Keratin Complex Technician and achieve the results you’ve been looking for. Call Headways Hair Salon at 925-228-8563. We are located at 727 Main Street in downtown Martinez.
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THEATRE & THE ARTS
Welcome to the April edition of Stage Door! I recently accompanied 36 Diablo Valley College drama students to the annual Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. This year the weeklong competition was held at Humboldt State University. Alongside my friend and colleague, Ed Trujillo, it was my extreme pleasure to watch these young, aspiring professionals dazzle audiences and judges alike. We advanced students to the finals in EVERY element of the competition: acting, directing, stage man-
April 2011
Stage Door By Nicole Diestler agement, design and technical theatre to the difficult, engaging, powerful and olympics. Several students were offered skill-based work that we do. RECREAprofessional jobs and scholarships at TIONAL? As though we just have fun all some of the most prestigious institutions day, putting on makeup and clowning and theatre training programs in the around. The clear implication is that western region. The city of Pleasant Hill dramatic artists do not have value or a can be proud of these students and of true function in our society. My heart our dedication to arts education. was broken thinking of the possible Upon returning home, my smile impact on my students’ futures. Most quickly turned into a grimace. I received of these students carry 18 units at DVC news that community college funding and work full-time. Were it not for DVC was being hit once again. If the proposed drama, they would have no other path to cuts were approved, it would only be higher education. Amidst this great disappointment, a matter of time before the visual and performing arts were eliminated. I was my colleagues across all disciplines began shocked and fearful. Our drama proto stand up and reject the proposed gram at DVC along with several oth“gutting” of arts education, even at ers, including fine art and music, were risk to their own positions. Teachers in described as “ recreational.” What a blow every subject held hands and vowed to work together to carry the Sacramento
APRIL - NOW PLAYING
burden. It brought me to tears. There is no path in life that should be deemed “recreational” if it is a person’s calling. The arts serve a vital role in society: it is an historical fact that social change is artistically fueled. The need for performing and visual arts is not debatable and the people of Pleasant Hill understand. The people of Pleasant Hill show this in their actions and edifying words. On an overcast Tuesday afternoon, my DVC Colleagues stood together, side by side and proclaimed it loudly. Whatever the future holds, whatever cuts come our way, whatever funding is dropped…I am proud to be on their team. Nicole Diestler is the Associate Professor of Acting and Directing at Diablo Valley College. Send information to stagedoor@ourcommunityfocus.com.
Alice In Wonderland (World Premiere-Family Friendly) Adapted and Directed by Ed Trujillo 3/25-4/10 - Fri and Sat @ 8pm, Sundays @ 2:30pm. Tickets $10-20. A girl named Alice falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar and anthropomorphic creatures. Considered to be one of the best examples of the literary nonsense genre, the story plays with logic in ways that have given it lasting popularity with adults as well as children. Diablo Valley College Drama: 321 Golf Club Road, Pleasant Hill, www.dvcdrama.net, Box Office: (925) 687-4445 The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot by Stephen Adly Guirgis (Adult/Dark Comedy) Directed by Nicole Hess Diestler. 4/29-5/22 - Fri and Sat @ 8pm, Sundays @ 2:30pm. Tickets $10-20. The ARENA Theatre (Limited seating, make your reservations today) The Last Days of Judas Iscariot tells the story of a hypothetical court case over the ultimate fate of Judas Iscariot using flashbacks to an imagined childhood, and lawyers who call for the testimonies of such witnesses as Mother Teresa, Caiaphas, Sigmund Freud and Satan. The original 2008 West End production was met with almost unanimously positive reviews, The Hollywood Reporter calling it “funny, profound and wildly entertaining.” Diablo Valley College: Drama 321 Golf Club Road, Pleasant Hill, www.dvcdrama.net Box:Office: (925) 687-4445 Hairspray by O’Donnell, Meehan, Wittman & Shaiman (Musical/Opera) Directed by Scott Dension 3/18 – 4/16 - Call for days, times & prices. The ‘50s are out and change is in the air. Can a larger-than-life teen win the affection of a TV heartthrob and integrate the network – singing and dancing all the while, of course! – without denting her do? Lesher Center for the Arts,1601 Civic Dr. Walnut Creek. Contra Costa Musical Theatre, www.ccmt.org, Box Office: (925) 943-7469 Twelfth Night, or What You Will by Maureen-Theresa Williams, adapted from William Shakespeare (Comedy) Directed by John Butterfield 3/10 – 4/30 - Thurs-Sat @ 8pm; Sun @ 3pm. Ticket Price: $7.00 - $12.00. One of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies, featuring two separate casts--one all male and one all female--performing on alternating weekends. Cue Productions, 1835 Colfax St. Concord, CA, Butterfield 8 Theatre Company, b8company.com, Box Office: (800) 838-3006 Villainous Viewpoints (Children’s Theatre) by Various local youth 4/8 - 4/10 - Fri 7:15PM; Sat 2:15pm & 7:15pm; Sun 2:15pm. Ticket Price: $10.00 - $14.00. Five amusing one-act plays tell the stories of famous fairy-tale villains from the villains’ perspective. The plays are written, directed and performed by local youth ages 8-20. Lesher Center for the Arts 1601 Civic Dr. Walnut Creek, Poison Apple Productions, www.poisonappleproductions.net, Box Office: (925) 943-7469 A Year with Frog and Toad (Children’s Theatre) by Willie Reale & Robert Reale; adapted from Arnold Lobel Directed by Mina Morita 3/26 – 4/17 - Curtain time(s): Sat-Sun 2pm; 4/10 & 4/17, 11am & 2pm. Ticket Price: $12.00 - $20.00. Small fry and big fish alike will enjoy welcoming spring with Frog and his pal, Toad, as they awaken from a long winter’s sleep, plant a garden, discover that “Toad looks funny in a bathing suit,” rake crunchy autumn leaves and more. Bay Area Children’s Theatre, www.bactheatre.org, Box Office: (510) 296-4433 Freight & Salvage 2020 Addison St. Berkeley, CA.
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In-N-Out Should Stay Out Dear Editor, Having grown up in California and being very familiar with In-N-Out Burger (INO) I can see no justification for negatively impacting the business of established fast food and burger provider restaurants in the PH area or adding additional traffic into the proposed area. The traffic analysis performed to date is meaningless until there is actually an INO installed. It is well established that INO has a very large consumer base due to their niche burger marketing strategy. Common sense and experience should dictate that an INO seen from the highway will pull traveler
Letters and Opinions traffic off the freeways and that this traffic will negatively impact the off ramp, hold up traffic, and cause extensive time delays to the local residents attempting to visit the Target shopping area or DVC campus.. However, the heart of the issue is the question; do PH & WC need another obesity spewing fast food burger joint? Is PH that desperate for additional tax revenue from licensing and property taxes that they want another eyesore, traffic jamming fast food restaurant in the community? Of all the tax and local causes to support this INO proposal is the worst. Sincerely, Buck J. Cheshire, Pleasant Hill
Proud to Serve Brian Campbell, a 2005 graduate from De La Salle, was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army as an Infantry Officer after graduation from Fresno State University (with a degree in Criminology). His first assignment is at Fort Benning, Georgia. In January, he earned his Army Ranger tab after successfully completing all three phases of the rigorous Army Ranger School. Brian was one of the elite few to accomplish this feat on the first attempt. Upon completion of Airborne and Mechanized training, he will be stationed in South Korea.
College Bound Martinez resident and De La Salle High School senior, Devin Williams, signs “Letter of Intent” with Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. Some of Devin’s accomplishments include: DB/Special Teams First-Team All-EBAL FB Defense 2010 First-Team All East Bay Defense-2010. Devin is a member of the 2009 and undefeated 2010 DLS Football State Championship Team.
Send announcements to: info@ourcommunityfocus.com
Letters to the Editor The Community Focus invites your comments and opinions. Letters should be no longer than 400 words and submitted with first and last name. Address and daytime telephone number required but not published. All letters will be published at the editor’s discretion. The Focus reserves the right to edit submissions for length, clarity, possible libel and propriety or to refuse letters we feel contradict our mission. E-mail letters for our community forum to: editorial@ourcommunityfocus.com
Cancer Control Month
By Gigi Chen, M.D. Every year the President proclaims esophageal reflux, which increases the April “National Cancer Control Month” occurrence of esophageal cancer. to improve the quality of 4.Sun Exposure Avoid exlife for cancer survivors cess exposure to ultraviolet and to promote cancer rays to prevent skin cancer prevention through healthy and always use a daily lifestyles, screening, and sunscreen. increased access to care. 5.Supplements Maintain Following are some an adequate intake of vitapreventative lifestyle min D to reduce the risk of changes you can make: colon and prostate cancer. 1. Avoid tobacco Smok6.Regular Check Ups Be ing has been linked to 30% of all cancer up-to-date on cancer screenings that deaths in the U.S. It increases the risk include a mammogram, Pap smear, and of lung, head and neck, kidney, bladder, colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy. Diablo Valley Oncology/Hematolpancreas and colon cancers. ogy Medical Group founded the Cali2. Diet Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetafornia Cancer and Research Institute. bles, and whole grains, and low in satuLocated in Pleasant Hill, it is the largest rated/trans fats. Vegetables, fruits, nuts and grains have anti-carcinogens. A high comprehensive, non-hospital based canintake of tomatoes may decrease prostate cer and blood disorder treatment center in Contra Costa County. For more inforcancer risk. mation contact: 925-677-5041 or visit 3. Exercise Be physically active and maintain a healthy weight. Physical www.DiabloValleyOncology.md Dr. Chen is a Medical Oncologist/ activity is associated with decreased risk Hematologist at Diablo Valley of breast and colon cancer. Obesity increases the risk of breast, endomeOncology. trial and prostate cancer, and increases
Honoree Leanne Hamaji
3
In recognition of Women’s History month in March, Nancy Skinners office solicited nominations of women who have made a significant difference from communities throughout Assembly District 14. From the impressive group of nominees, Leanne S. Hamaji, a Pleasant Hill resident was chosen as one of the 14 women to be honored. As a founding board member of the Foundation
for Pleasant Hill Education, Leanne involved the entire community in financially supporting Pleasant Hill’s eleven public schools. As co-chair of the Pleasant Hill Boundaries Action Committee and member of the Superintendent’s Advisory Council, she was instrumental in holding the district to its obligation to notify parents of their choices regarding which schools their children could attend.
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TEEN SCENE
Teen Council Transformed
Pictured are members of the Pleasant Hill Teen Council modeling the new prom fashions donated by Starlet Prom and Bridal. The Prom Preview Fashion Show event was held to raise money for the new Teen Center Furniture Fund. Photo by Tod Gomes.
The New Teen Center
With this 6500+ sq ft building, Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park will offer new after school programs for teens year round. Some of the features of the new Teen Center include: • Kitchen with two snack shack windows one open to the pool and one to the front of the building • High ceilings with
plenty of natural light from windows lining front and side walls • Open courtyard accessible to pool area • Restrooms inside as well as public restrooms open to the park • Large Conference room with space to accommodate 20+ members of the Pleasant Hill Teen Council • Available for private rentals when not in use by the Teens
Artists Sketch of the New Teen Center
Grease is the Word ByJaki Jones The Alhambra High School drama med); Rizzo (Taylor Cumings); Frenchy class is currently in rehearsal for the musi- (Jenny Oertel); Marty (Joanna Mackincal “Grease” with performances scheduled son); Jan (Lia Roth); Kenickie (Christian for April 14, 15, 16, and again on April Million); Doody (Noah Sturtridge); 21, 22, 23. According to drama director, Roger (Jack Donalds); Sonny (Nick Milano). Gerry Wiener, “This is a huge Doors open at 6:30pm production. We have 50 kids in the cast, about and Curtain is at 10 in the band and 7:00pm. Tickets are $8 about 20 working tech. presale and $10 at the An art class will design door for the first weekand paint the set, the marketing students end. Tickets the second weekend will be will handle advertising and program, and $10 presale and $12 at the door. They can there will be an art show of student work be purchased at the HS at lunch or online in our art gallery at each performance.” at the Alhambra web store: alhambrahs. The leads include: Sandy (Amanda revtrak.net, or by calling (925) 313-0440 Wilson); Danny (Zachariah Mohamext. 2010.
Mr. Alhambra Crowned
ByJaki Jones Male Alhambra High students performed at the annual beauty pageant spoof in front of a packed crowd. The good-humored event included competitions in formal wear, talent and swimsuit modeling. Rich Mauli wowed the crowd with his duet and was crowned “Mr. Alhambra”. Sam Randall was awarded the “People’s Choice”. His rendition of “Ice Ice Baby” and the body suit he wore for his swimsuit competition were definite audience pleasers. Photos by Dane Hutslar. Crowned Mr. Alhambra, Rich Mauli
Headed to Carnegie Hall ByJaki Jones The College Park high school symaccepting a job in Texas, Dr. Jason Klein, phony orchestra, under the direction of Dr. an instrumental music teacher in the Mt. Jason Klein, is headed to New York City this Diablo school district, stepped in. Dr. Klein month for the extraordinary opportunity to believes this experience will be invaluable play at Carnegie Hall. for the 66 participating students for several The 5th annual New York International reasons: “Being part of a legendary venue, Music Festival is a 5-day, 4-night tour that hearing other ensembles from around the begins on April 23, culminating with a world, getting workshop feedback, working performance in Carnegie Hall on April 26. feverishly toward a goal of near-perfection, Admission into the festival was based on creating indelible lifetime memories, getting audition only and limited to 6 high school a taste of one of the world’s greatest citiesgroups and 2 showcase university ensembles. -these are what occur to me immediately.” Preparations for this event began Included in the itinerary is an outdoor with former CP Director of Instrumental performance in Central Park, a dinner Music, Johnny Johnson two years ago. But dance/cruise along the Hudson River and after getting pink-slipped last year, and group workshops with festival faculty.
April 2011
Sam Randall performing his requested interpretive dance.
Sam Randall singing “Ice Ice Baby”
April 2011
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April 2011
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Everyone Loves a Parade Pleasant Hill Baseball Association’s (PHBA) annual Opening Day parade and games took place on Saturday, March 12th and was once again a huge hit amongst the players, families and local community. PHBA has been supporting the youth of Pleasant Hill, offering baseball and softball for 53 years. PHBA provides a league where every
child plays and provides a more competitive traveling league for advanced players. The event began with the parade from Sequoia Elementary School to Pleasant Oaks Park [across from Pleasant Hill Middle School]. The parade started promptly at 8:00 am, led by Mayor David Durant and Police Chief
Peter Dunbar. Family, friends, and supporters lined the parade route and cheered on the parade participants, including baseball and softball teams, antique and custom cars, fire engine, police car, hay wagon, Boy Scout Color Guard and much more. Following the parade, there were opening ceremonies at the PHBA
Sports Complex to ring in the new season. Baseball and softball games followed throughout the day, as well as barbeque, batting cages, speed track pitching, slides, gladiator joust, bounce house, raffles and many more fun activities. There was something for everyone and it was a great way to celebrate and start the 2011 season!
Pleasant Hill Baseball Association
Wishes to Thank Our 2011 Sponsors and Advertisers AA Automotive All Out Baseball Allied Propane Service Anna R. Key Appraisal Expediters Arrow Sign Company Aspen Surgery Center Back Forty Texas BBQ Roadhouse & Saloon Bay Alarm Best Bounce, Inc. Better Homes Realty Big Air Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc. Big-O Tires Bill's Ace Hardware Calloway Portable Shelters Cheeseworks Compare Heating Air Conditioning & Sheet Metal Cottage Kennel Crystal Clarity Consulting, Inc. Curran Electric Dallimonti's Restaurant
David C. Fontan, Inc. Denon and Doyle Disc Jockey Co Deutsche Bank DeVino's Pizza & Pasta Diablo Trophies & Awards Domino's Pizza Duke & Duke Charity Auctions Eames Hardware & Supply Farmer's Produce Fast Signs First Realty Five Guys Burger and Fries Frank Zablocki General Contractor Freas Plastering Company Inc. Golden Gate Hair Company Gryco Sportswear Guichard, Teng & Portello APC Hermelin Law Firm Horizons Dental Impromptu Parties In Loving Memory of Bart Curtin
iSport.com Javier Lopez DDS Jennifer L. Martin, DDS John I. Cooper Restoration Systems Kobe Japan LCA Architects Les Schwab Tire Center Mark Rolandelli Construction Martz Motors Mechanics Bank MVP Sportscards Natural Life Chiropractic Night Owl Pediatrics Pacific Utilities Supply Papa Murphy's PB Teen Perforce Software Pleasant Hill Collision Pleasant Hill Lions Club Pleasant Hill Police Association Pleasant Hill Rec. and Park
Pleasant Hill Vacuum PowerBar Premier Property Maintenance R. Lang Company Right Media Network Rotary Club of Pleasant Hill Santiago & Associates SB Capital Smokin Okies BBQ Joint Sports Chalet Steve's Landscaping The Bonney Law Firm Thumbs Up Torture Trenery Homes Trombettas Family Walnut Festival Association Windermere Lynne French & Associates Yogurtland of Pleasant Hill Zio Fraedo's