March '19 Community Focus Newspaper

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MARCH 2019 Reaching Over 50,000 Homes & Businesses

IN THIS ISSUE: • COUNTY’S EARLY AIRPORTS • CP WRESTLER WINS STATE • PH ROTARY CELEBRATES GRADS

PLEASANT HILL • CONCORD • MARTINEZ • LAFAYETTE • WALNUT CREEK

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MISSION STATEMENT The Community Focus is a free, independent, monthly publication dedicated to highlighting the vibrancy of the local businesses and residents while strengthening and building connections within our community.

COVER:

INSIDE

5 Martinez Arts Association

13 Italian Ice Cream Cake

25

Cut the Cord

9 Amit Makes History

21 Leadership in Turbulent Times

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View from Mt. Diablo in early spring.

6680 Alhambra Ave. Box #132 Martinez, CA 94553

925-335-6397

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2013

2014

2015

Best Insurance Agent

2013 • 2014 • 2015 • 2016/2017

2 | MARCH 2019 | OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM

Meet Martin Rollinson who lives in Pleasant Hill and has been the owner of Rollinson Advertising Design, an advertising marketing business, since 1990. Martin specializes in small and medium start-up companies. “I originally wanted to be an illustrator for magazines, but once I found that clients would change my artwork, I went into graphic design instead.”

What are your hobbies? I collect and restore vintage pinball machines. I find old games that nobody wants and don’t work and I fix and restore them, making them look brand new. And then I either keep them or sell them, so they always go to a good home. I love figuring out what’s wrong with them.

More About Martin: 1. I’m originally from Iowa. My whole family moved to California because of the harsh winters.

2. I had my own weekly comic strip in my high school newspaper. Art has always been my passion.

3. On the weekends, in the spring and summer months, I like to go on three-hour bike rides. I usually go on the Iron Horse Trail to Danville and back.

4. My biggest business thrill is making my clients successful.

5. My motto in life is “Integrity and loyalty.”

Julie Says

Spring Cleaning Step One: Junk Drawer Safari

BY JULIE ROSS

I’m writing this at the close of another rainy day. Did you know an atmospheric river can be 250 miles wide, 1,000 miles long, and can carry 20 times as much water per second as the Mississippi River where it empties into the Gulf of Mexico? Me neither.

This intense weather event kept me indoors much of the day, providing the opportunity to not only gather facts about intense, moisture-heavy storms but also to begin spring cleaning activities. Long-time readers might recall my favorite way of

easing into seasonal de-cluttering is by taking an amazing journey into my kitchen junk drawer and discovering the surprising collection within.

Here are some of this year’s discovery highlights: two bags of flag toothpicks (one American and one assorted international), two boxes of round toothpicks (one plain wood and one of various colors; really, what’s with all the toothpicks?), a small hammer, an assortment of birthday candles (long fancy striped ones, two half-empty boxes of the regular short kind, some thin curvy ones, and a few previously lit candles in the shape of numbers 1, 6, 2, 8 and 9, evidently saved for when a matching birthday comes up), a box of wooden

matches from Stellina in Pt. Reyes, an individually wrapped single napkin from Soup Stock in Tokyo, refrigerator magnets (a frog, a bee, Elvis, Beatles), 20 pairs of chopsticks, two bags of single and one box of double skewers, two turkey basters (I have never used either one), seven little packets of cut-flower food, a box of Mason jar lids, various adhesives, three Chuck E. Cheese tokens, a plastic dinosaur (brachiosaurus?), a yellow plastic cylinder thing that looks like you poke it into a citrus fruit to extract juice, a wooden rolling pin with no handles, and a cork from a nice bottle of Prosecco.

If the tidying up guru Marie Kondo were here, she would likely point out that

literally nothing in this drawer sparks joy and should be tossed. And that (aside from the fact that we do not actually know one another), is why she is not invited over.

Oh, I will get rid of a few things, but the rest is going right back into the drawer.

You never know when that embroidered Canadian flag patch or big stick of blue sidewalk chalk will come in handy.

If you have the chance to tackle your junk drawer this season, please let me know if you find anything interesting. (I know you all have junk drawers, so don’t try to pretend otherwise.)

Happy spring, all.

You can reach Julie at julieakross@ comcast.net.

3. Leave when buyers are looking at your house; they want to visualize themselves in the house, and that is easier without the current owner showing them around.

4. Don’t take things personally. A low-ball offer doesn’t mean they don’t love or want your house; they are simply trying to figure out your bottom line.

In conclusion, DO NOT OVERPRICE your home. We realtors advise, counsel, and supply data, but some sellers insist

on “trying” to get more than the home is worth. It costs market time, and in the end they may end up getting less than they would have if they had priced it correctly in the beginning.

Contact The Flaskerud Team for all your real estate needs! Norma Flaskerud Realtor, RE/MAX Accord, 925-338-2980 NormaJ49@gmail.com. Erik Flaskerud, Realtor, 925-381-7276 Erik.Flaskerud@ gmail.com

Real Estate Trends

Is the Home Market Starting to Cool?

BY NORMA FLASKERUD

If this were December 2018, my answer to that question would be “yes.” We started noticing it on June 1, 2018. As summer transitioned into fall, sellers priced homes as if it were still the hot market of the first half of 2018, but buyers were not having it. A major downshifting had occurred. Cautious buyers were waiting for better deals and avoiding budgetbusting mortgages. After all, in November, rates had hit a seven-year high, and a volatile stock market affected buying power and confidence. Year after year, prices were seen to drop in a more expensive Bay Area county like San Mateo.

Contra Costa gained a mere 2.8%, San Francisco 11.5%, and Alameda County’s median stayed level from the year before.

(Statistics from CoreLogic.)

We observed buyers unable to stomach higher prices. As one agent said, “In the last few years, you just had to list something and it was gone. Now we have some work to do. We have to roll our sleeves up.” Pricing it correctly, with

a good agent’s advice, was also critical. Things had shifted! Sellers were still looking for peak prices while buyers were looking for discounts. Stubborn sellers found themselves sitting on the market.

I have seen market shifts occur as the seasons change, and now that we are two months in to 2019 and interest rates have drifted back down a bit, it seems to be shifting again in favor of sellers! The sheer volume of buyers coming through open houses this year has astounded us. We’ve seen homes bid up in central Contra Costa County. A seller might be saying now, “It’s priced right, it’s the right time, let’s get this sold!” In conclusion, the market, which had cooled, seems to be heating up yet again.

But what are four things to do right when selling BESIDES pricing it correctly?

Your house has become a product, and now you are in the business of selling this product.

1. Be sure and not over-improve it; you may not get your money out if you do.

2. Do not over-personalize the décor.

Lavender and lace might be your thing, but neutral makes better sense. We use attractive, fashionable neutral paints that add more value than plain white does.

615 ALHAMBRA AVENUE, MARTINEZ, CA 94553 THANKS TO OUR CUSTOMERS FOR VOTING US #1!

2013 • 2014 • 2015 2016 / 2017 OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM | MARCH 2019 | 3

From the Contra Costa County Historical Society

A History Note Contra Costa’s Early Airports

BY MARGIE NEWTON

Orville and Wilbur Wright made their first public flight in 1908. In the same year, Peter Allinio was designing, building and flying planes from an airport along Stockton and Fairmount Avenues in El Cerrito. Three years later, Maupin and Bernard Lanteri developed an airplane in Pittsburg and named it the “Black Diamond,“ after the nearby mines. The pilot, Weldon Cooke, flew a series of flights at the Walnut Creek Grape Festival on October 6 & 7, 1911. Other early airports:

Mahoney Field: Taking off from a 300-acre field on Clayton Road near East Street on June 7, 1920, a six passenger Curtis Eagle left Concord’s Mahoney Field with stops in Stockton, Fresno, and Bakersfield to its destination, Los Angeles.

A one-way ticket cost $100. On June 26, the trimotor Curtis Eagle crashed in Los Angeles, and the company disbanded in August.

Sherman Field: Opening in May 1941 in Pleasant Hill, Sherman Field remained open during World War II and was used by Pan American for training. An instructor and two students crashed ½ mile from the airport on June 25, 1943. It closed in 1951 to make way for the 680 Freeway.

Martinez Airport: Located on reclaimed tidelands 3 blocks from the railroad station, 5 blocks from the courthouse, the Martinez Airport extended from the Shell Wharf to the municipal wharf. On December 26, 1941, it was reported the CAA had ordered vital parts of planes to be removed to prevent flying.

Clyde Airport: Associated Oil’s Clyde Airport was dedicated on April 17, 1976.

From the history center’s Norris Pope Collection, a paper by Tim Browne tells us pilots were given free fuel by Shell, Richfield and Associated in exchange for advertisements on their planes.

Antioch Airport: Operating for 43

years on 30 acres beside Lone Tree Way before giving way to home development and closing in 1998, what began as a dirt runway, an outhouse, and a shack had grown to house 80 planes at its peak.

Buchanan Field: On August 4, 1946, the former Concord Army Air Base was turned over to Contra Costa County and renamed. During World War II, the 444th and 39th fighter squadrons had been stationed there, training in Bell P-39 Airacobra planes. The first jet to land at Buchannan was a two-person trainer, the result of an emergency on May 12, 1951. Pacific Southwest Airlines chose Concord-raised Bobby Coons to pilot their inaugural commercial jet into Buchanan.

Byron Airport: Dedicated in 1994, Byron Airport was intended as a backup to Buchanan Field. According to the Oakland Tribune, the field was built during World War II to bring high-ranking German and Japanese prisoners of war to Byron Hot Springs. Buchanan Field and Byron Airport remain in service.

Thank you to those who responded to last month’s presidents’ article!

“A History Note” is presented by the Contra Costa County Historical Society’s History Center, 724 Escobar St., Martinez.

Open hours: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays, 9-4, and third Saturdays, 10-2.

Check out the website: www.cocohistory. org.

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Stronger Than You Know

Will Cutting the Cord to Cable Really Make you Happier?

BY DENA BETTI

This month, I share with you an interesting twist to bringing more happiness into your life by putting money back in your pocket. To me, lightening the load on financial pressure is a great strategy for bringing more joy your way.

Last year, my good friend Colleen shared that her husband recently cut the cord to their cable television. They were now streaming all their television entertainment via their internet connection and it was working out seamlessly. “No way!” I said. “I want to do that, too!” I had heard the buzz that many millennials were forgoing the high cost of cable and going for this thing called “streaming.” Feeling like I may be missing out, I set out to learn more.

Colleen’s husband was kind enough

to teach me the “streaming” ropes. When all was said and done, I saved our family over $160/month. Amazing, right? Now I want to share these cost saving tips with you.

1. First, write down every channel you enjoy watching. This should include all your live channels as well as your cable channels.

2. Next, buy something that’ll let you watch streaming services on your TV. If you have a smart TV, then you’re probably set.

If your TV isn’t smart, you’ll need to make sure your TV has a HDMI port so you can attach a streaming media device like Apple TV, Roku Media Player, PS4, or Amazon Fire TV Stick, for example. Do your research here and determine which option is best for you.

I purchased an Amazon Fire TV Stick for each of our TVs ($39.99 each). In order to use this option, I needed an Amazon account first, which I had, so from purchase

to installation, the process was extremely (and I do mean extremely) easy.

3. The next step in the process is to equip your home with internet service.

Although most homes have internet, the speed of your service is very important.

Many of the streaming apps require minimum speeds of 0.5 Mbps; however, speeds of at least 1.5 Mbps or higher are optimal.

For the highest image quality, you may be looking for speeds as high as 12 Mbps.

When I called to increase my internet speed, my service provider had a promotion running. I was able to up my speed significantly and went from paying $57/ month to $30/month! I hope this happens for you as well.

4. Finally, reference the list you created in Step #1. If you had live TV channels on your list, your list of streaming options, as of this writing, will be narrowed down to Hulu Live, Sling TV, DirectTV Now, PlayStation Vue, and YouTube TV. Again,

do the research with each of these apps to confirm they offer your “must have” channels. (A television app works exactly like a smartphone app; similarly, there are free and monthly subscription options.)

Take advantage of the 7-day free trial period offered by each app. It’s a great way to experience what each has to offer, and it’s a wonderful way to win over the skeptics in the household. In my case, it was proving to my husband that he could still watch the Warriors live!

Habits to happiness come in many different forms. This month it comes by way of putting money back in your pocket.

Enjoy!

Dena Betti is a graduate of the University of San Francisco, executive director of #hersmile Nonprofit, and a certified life coach. Limited personal coaching slots are available or sign-up for a Habits to Happiness workshop. Visit http://strongerthanyouknow.com.

Enjoy the luck of the Irish!

Over 650 homes sold in Pleasant Hill Now’s the time to plan out the best strategy to sell a house in 2019! Call now and we can plan yours!

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CITY NEWS

Mayor’s Message

This will be a busy year. As the excitement builds for the construction of the new library, questions about the future of Pleasant Hill are being asked. The library project is nearing the end of the design phase and will be moving on to the construction bidding process and groundbreaking. But what of the rest of Pleasant Hill? How will we as a community come together and plan for our future?

This year we will begin our General Plan Update, and the council has already appointed a subcommittee to begin the work. The General Plan is the “blueprint” for our community and is required to address several key points for land use, housing, transportation, and much more. We can determine the look, feel, and economic vitality of our community.

City staff and the subcommittee began with searching for the right consulting

group to lead the process. Councilmember Noack and I serve on the subcommittee and knew the consultant group had to understand Pleasant Hill and our community. With our experience in the planning process for the new library, we know we need a team of dedicated individuals who will engage our citizens and hear their ideas and concerns as well as inform and educate everyone.

We think we have found the right match for Pleasant Hill and will be bringing a recommendation to the full council very soon.

Community engagement in the General Plan process is vital. Our consulting team will be hosting workshops, pop-ups, study sessions, and surveys throughout the process. There will be a dedicated website for information, tracking the plan, and participation. I encourage everyone to participate.

I just wanted to take a few moments

Ken Carlson, Mayor of Pleasant Hill

and try and spark everyone’s interest in playing a part in planning the future of Pleasant Hill. So many pieces of the plan overlap and face challenges based on the region we live in and, more specifically, from Sacramento.

Here are just a few of the questions/concerns that we face as we prepare the General Plan. I hope they will give you motivation to be a part of this process and share all your ideas as we go forward.

How can we manage the growth of Pleasant Hill while enhancing our “smalltown” feel and character? We must remain relevant and sustainable as we go forward but continue to maintain the character of our city. Can that character help us strengthen and grow our retail and commercial community?

The city faces the challenge of de-

mands and obligations for housing, new state laws, and mandates that will impact us. How can we meet those demands and face the challenges they may bring when it comes to maintaining our character yet meet the mandates? There are also efforts in the region and Sacramento which could lessen our local control of many aspects of development.

The General Plan truly is the blueprint for our city for the next decade or so. I would encourage all our community members, from residents to our businesses, to be involved in our future. This is an opportunity to share ideas about the look and feel of Pleasant Hill, from housing and traffic concerns to environmental issues. I look forward to working with all of you on the future of Pleasant Hill.

Public Meetings Civic Action Mar. 6 City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane, Small Community Room, 6:30pm. Contact: 671-5229 City Council Mar. 4, 18 City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane, Council Chambers, 7:00pm. Contact: 671-5229 Architectural Review Mar. 7, 21 City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane, Large Community Room, 5:00pm. Contact: 671-5209 Planning Commission Mar. 12, 26 City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane, Council Chambers, 6:30pm. Contact: 671-5209 Commission on Aging Mar. 14 City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane, Small Community Room, 5:00pm. Contact: 671-5229 Education Commission Mar. 27 City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane, Large Community Room, 7pm. Contact: 671-5229

Chamber Calendar March 1 – PH Chamber Ambassador Meeting 8:30- 9:30am, City Hall Community Room, 100 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill March 7 & March 8 – Ambassador Rally 2019, Pleasant Hill Community Center, 320 Civic Dr, Pleasant Hill March 14 – Chamber Business Mixer at DVC, 5-7pm, Diablo Valley College, 321 Golf Club Road, Diablo Room, Pleasant Hill March 21 – PH Chamber Board Meeting, 8-9:30am, City Hall Community Room, 100 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill March 25 – Government Affairs Committee, 4:30-5:30pm, Back Forty Texas BBQ, 100 Coggins Drive, Pleasant Hill 680 Business Networking – 2nd & 4th Wednesdays*, 8:30-10am, JFK University, 100 Ellinwood Way, PH *Thursday groups will not be meeting until further notice.

6 | MARCH 2019 | OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM

CITY NEWS

Pleasant Hill City News

Planning Commission Review of Projects

In 2018, the Planning Commission experienced the highest level of permit activity overall since 2012, as well as an approximately 40% increase in phone and counter activity compared to 2017.

Fountainhead Montessori Daycare

The Planning Commission reviewed and approved a proposed 72-child day care (general) facility, replacing two former day care facilities at the same site. The project includes removal of two existing building that were used for two separate day cares and the construction of a new building with new landscaping, parking, and outdoor play areas. The project is currently in building plan check.

Status Development Hotel

The Planning Commission and Architectural Review Commission held study sessions and a CEQA scoping meeting to review a proposal from Stratus Development Partners for a four-story hotel development at 3131 and 3195 North Main Street and 1531 Oak Park Blvd.

Site improvements would include guest parking, landscaping, and other associated hotel amenities. The project includes the demolition of the existing Black Angus Restaurant.

A draft EIR (Environment Impact Report) is currently being prepared for the project. Public hearings are anticipated in the spring.

Choice in Aging (CiA) & Satellite Affordable Housing Associated (SAHA)

The Planning Commission conducted a study session to receive preliminary feedback on a preliminary proposal by CiA and SAHA for redevelopment of the existing CiA facilities at 490 Golf Club Rd., including new facilities for a proposed Choice in Aging program (adult day care programs), Choice in Learning Preschool program, and 82 new affordable senior housing residential units. The affordable housing portion is proposed to be three and four stories.

The application is currently considered incomplete.

South Pleasant Hill Properties

The Architectural Review Commission conducted a study session to review a preliminary proposal by Contra Costa County for a new, 34-unit, single-family detached residential subdivision (and seven attached accessory dwelling units) at the current Pleasant Hill Library site. The Planning Commission is expected to conduct a study session in early 2019.

Carmax Auto Superstore

The project was approved by the city in 2017. Over the past year, building and grading permits have been obtained and construction has begun in earnest. The project is expected to be completed and the business opened sometime in summer/fall 2019.

100 Mayhew Way

Greyson Place is a major residential subdivision. The approved 44-unit, small lot detached single-family residential development has been under construction in 2018, with model homes recently completed.

10, 2019. Cash fares will be increased to $2.50 for all routes, and paper passes and transfers will be eliminated. Transfers and monthly passes will only be available on Clipper. Clipper fares will remain the same.

February was the last month that paper monthly passes were available. Paper punch passes, including 12-Ride Passes, 20-Ride Passes, and Commuter Cards, will no longer be sold, starting March 1, 2019. Starting March 1, 2020, paper punch passes will no longer be accepted onboard vehicles. Call or email for questions and more information: 925-6767500 or help@countyconnection.com.

Service and Fare Change History

In summer of 2017, County Connection staff started the process to restructure service throughout Central County in an effort to increase productivity and modernize the agency’s fare structure. Staff conducted six public hearings throughout County Connection’s service area in June and July 2018. The board approved the final service proposal in December 2018, and the fare proposal was approved in January 2019. Outreach events were held at BART and Amtrak stations in January and February to provide information on the service changes, help with trip planning, and answer questions.

Community Awards Survey

The five organizations that produce the Community Awards: Pleasant Hill Chamber of Commerce, City of Pleasant Hill, Recreation & Park District, Pleasant Hill Community Foundation, and the Foundation for Pleasant Hill Education, will use the 2019 awards postponement as an opportunity to work with the community on updating some award categories and explore a variety of formats for the awards event. The City of Pleasant Hill has created a survey so the community can weigh in on several event formats and proposed award categories or suggest one of their own. Visit www.ci.pleasant-hill.ca.us/ to complete the survey.

Relay for Life of Diablo Valley Now is the Time to Form Teams and Raise Funds

Diablo Valley residents will take another punch at the enemy of cancer at the 2019 Relay For Life on June 8-9 at the Pleasant Hill Middle School track. Starting now, groups of people are invited to form teams, raise funds in advance, and bring their cancer-fighting energy to the relay itself.

Relay For Life is the signature nationwide fundraising effort to benefit the American Cancer Society. Held from 9am Saturday to 9am on Sunday, the relay is not a run. Rather, it is an opportunity for everyone to walk the track at their own speed for as many laps as they wish. This is a public event that all people of all ages and abilities may attend. They may also participate in awareness-raising activities throughout the event.

This is the second year for the Diablo Valley Relay, which combines relay activities that had been held in Pleasant Hill, Concord, Walnut Creek, Clayton, Lafayette, Orinda, and Moraga. For more information about the Diablo Valley Relay, find it on Facebook, email relayforlife.dv@yahoo.com, call Ken Housfeld at 925-944-4898, or go to the website, http://relayforlife.org/diablovalleyca.

General Plan Update

The city issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) followed by a request for proposals (RFP) from consultants to assist the city in updating the General Plan. It is expected that a consultant will be selected by the city in early 2019 and work will begin to update the General Plan, with completion expected within 18 to 24 months of initiation of the project.

Accessory Dwelling Units Ordinance

The Planning Commission made recommendations to the city council for amendments to the zoning ordinance to implement recent changes in state law related to junior and accessory dwelling units (ADUs). Further amendments regarding ADUs will be considered by the Planning Commission in early 2019. It is expected that the council will review the changes in the first quarter of 2019.

County Connection

County Connection bus service is planning a major service and fare change for March

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401 GREGORY LANE, SUITE 126 PLEASANT HILL, CA 94523 925.676.8485 FAX 925.676.0288 www.drjennifermartin.com OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM | MARCH 2019 | 7

CITY NEWS

Mayor’s Message

It is a tradition in federal, state and local government that a type of annual report to the citizens be delivered by the head of state, the governor, chair of the board of supervisors, and mayors. I delivered my address recently and Chief Sappal gave an update on the police department and public safety.

Here is a rundown of the topics included in my city update: • Martinez is in a strong financial position, with over $8 million in unrestrictive reserves and a Moody’s credit rating of “AA” and S&P of “AA+.”

• Despite strong financial position, we have major challenges ahead when considering the rising cost of pensions and retiree medical benefits.

• Measure X (1/2 cent general sales tax) was approved by a super majority of 74% and is expected to bring in additional revenue of approximately $3.2 million, which will provide funding for essential services, including maintaining services for youth, seniors and recreation, maintaining 911 response times and preventing and investigating violent crimes.

• Measure D (1/2 cent dedicated sales tax) has tripled our budget for road and

street repair and paving. Over $4 million of these additional funds are being used for projects currently underway all over the city.

• Special projects recently completed include the full dig-out and repaving of Brown and Green Streets, as well as the Tavan Estates trail spur pedestrian bridge.

• Major upgrades have been made to the city’s water treatment plant, with a citywide water main replacement project of over $4 million underway.

• The last phase of the intermodal project in in construction. This consists of a recently completed realignment of the Ferry Street crossing across the UP tracks and a new pedestrian bridge connecting the Amtrak station with the north overflow parking lot.

• The rebuilding of Waterfront Park and the baseball field renovations were completed with Field 3 enhancements to create a championship level baseball field available for semi-pro, adult, and youth over 14.

• Alhambra Park, adjacent to the Amtrak station, was dedicated and renamed in honor of former Mayor John Sparacino.

• Over the next year, we will be complet-

Want to make some changes?

Remodeling Kitchens Bathrooms Home repairs Room additions

Rob Schroder, Mayor of Martinez

ing the final Measure H Park projects, including Golden Hills Park, Highland Park, John Muir Park and Sparacino Park.

• This month the city will begin work on the Marina Trust Lands Use Plan as required by the State Lands Commission.

SB1424, which granted the lands at the waterfront to the city, required that we develop a comprehensive Marina Master Plan for future development and use of the marina and waterfront lands.

Public meetings and input will occur later this year.

• The Planning Commission has recently

Chamber Calendar March 13-Business Mixer at the Hospice of the East Bay Thrift Store, 550 Morello Ave., Martinez, 5:30-7pm March 27 - Martinez Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Meeting

Public Meetings City Council Meeting Mar. 6, 20 City Hall, 525 Henrietta Street, 6-9pm. Contact: 372-3500 Zoning Administrator Meeting Mar. 6, 20 City Hall, 525 Henrietta Street, 4-6pm. Contact: 372-3500 Design Review Meeting Mar. 13, 27 City Hall, 525 Henrietta Street, 4-6pm. Contact: 372-3500 Planning Commission Meeting Mar. 12, 26 City Hall, 525 Henrietta Street, 7-11pm. Contact: 372-3500 For Confirmation Visit: www.cityofmartinez.org

• • • • • •

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reviewed a draft ordinance dealing with recreational cannabis and will be sending their recommendations to the city council for review in early April.

• Under economic development, we will be considering the reuse of the old train station, the old county jail, a possible pilot ferry program and the future possibilities of parking lot 4 with the recent acquisition of the building located at 821-825 Escobar Street.

Last year was a busy and productive year. 2019 is shaping up to be just as busy and hopefully productive.

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CITY NEWS

Martinez City News Citizen Oversight Committee Established

At the February 20 city council meeting, council adopted a resolution establishing the formation, structure, and membership of the Measure X Citizens’ Oversight Committee and adopted bylaws relating to it. The city council adopted Ordinance No. 1418 on July 23, 2018, otherwise known as the “City of Martinez Quality of Life/Essential Services Measure.” This ordinance, among other things, established the regulatory and administrative framework for the general tax to be considered by Martinez voters. On November 6, 2018, almost 73% of Martinez voters approved Measure X, the Martinez Quality of Life/Essential Services Measure, to increase the transaction and use (sales) tax by an additional one-half percent (0.50%) for 15 years to fund general city services consistent with community priorities. The Oversight Committee’s role is limited to the following specific duties, as detailed in its bylaws: Review semi-annual revenue and expenditure reports produced by the city and other relevant reports and information regarding the Transactions and Use Tax; provide city council with an annual report on whether revenues were expended efficiently and effectively; and provide recommendations, if any, of ways to ensure that future revenues are expended efficiently and effectively.

The Oversight Committee will consist of seven members and be comprised of the city treasurer and six residents of Martinez as the at-large members, striving for at least one at-large member from each of the four voting districts of the city. Three members will serve 3-year terms, and three will serve 4-year terms. Candidates would ideally include individuals with business experience, community service experience, and knowledgeable professionals in a financial field. It is recommended that the city treasurer serve as the chair of the committee.

The next steps in the process will be soliciting written applications for potential Oversight Committee candidates until March 6 (or later if necessary). The mayor and city treasurer will review the applications and make appointment recommendations to the city council at the March 20 council meeting. For information on how to apply, visit the City of Martinez website at www.cityofmartinez.org.

Recreation Division is now on Remind!

The City of Martinez Recreation Division is now on Remind. Remind is a free, textmessaging app that helps parents and organizations communicate quickly and efficiently. You can sign up for text and/or email notifications. This is a great tool for staying in the know for playground program registration dates, special upcoming events, location changes due to weather, etc. Follow this link to find out how to sign up: http:// rmd.me/b?rid=113260770.

Celebrate Arbor Day

Celebrate Arbor Day at Susana Park, located at Susana Street and Estudillo Street.

Enjoy nature themed crafts and a tree planting to celebrate Arbor Day. The free event is on March 8, from 10am-12pm. The National Arbor Day Foundation has recognized the City of Martinez since 2003 as a “Tree City USA.” This distinction demonstrates this community’s commitment to urban forestry and promoting the benefits of trees. Residents are encouraged to support the principles of Arbor Day year-round: reduce, reuse, and recycle all paper products. No pre-registration is needed.

Main Street Arts in March Celebration

Main Street Arts is celebrating three years -- with a trio, of course! Garageland Rodeo’s BBC Sessions will perform their rocking blues with lots of soul at the March 9 reception, from 5pm to 7pm. The trio includes Bruce (Jackknife) Campbell, Barbara Quinlan-Tudda, and Chris (CB) Bryant.

The guest wall will be ready for YOU to use! Write a poem, draw a picture, or just wish Main Street Arts well. Your masterpieces will be on the wall for the month of March, and the artists will have new work up for you to view. Wine, beverages, and appetizers will be served. Music, dancing, art, and wine -- what could be better? Main Street Arts is located at 613 Main Street in Martinez.

MMA Artwork Show

The Martinez Arts Association is proud to announce an art exhibit of student work at the Martinez Library in March and April. Each year, MAA offers grants to teachers in the Martinez Unified School District for art projects. Artwork done by the students will be in the community room of the library at 740 Court Street.

MAA Grants Chair Carol Wiley is coordinating this exhibit and planning a reception for the students on Saturday, March 9, at 3:30pm at the library. Dorrie Langley has been curating exhibits in the library for the Martinez Arts Association for over five years now. Exhibits change every two months. Sometimes there is a group show and other time a solo artist. MAA encourages young artists to become involved in the community.

MAA is a non-profit organization that promotes art in the community through a number of annual events: Swan Day, Art in Park, Dia de los Muertos, and the Holiday Boutique. For more information, visit www.martinezarts.org.

The art exhibit is open to the public during library hours (closed on Thursdays).

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SAMUELS

8th Annual St. Baldrick’s

On Sunday, March 17, from 11am-2pm, Citrus Salon is hosting the 8th Annual St. Baldrick’s signature head-shaving event at the Main Street Plaza. “Shavees” ask friends and families to make donations “on their head,” and in return they attend one of the thousands of volunteer organized events around the world where they have their heads shaved in solidarity with kids fighting cancer. Last year, our community raised over $27,000 for life-saving cancer research, and we want to do it again for 2019!

This year’s event features live music from The Martinez Music Mafia, and Mayor Schroder will be shaving his head again, too! Not everyone who participates is a “shavee.”You can also start a fundraising team, volunteer, or donate. You can participate by going to www.stbaldricks.com/martinezstbaldrticks2019.

In the U.S, more children die of childhood cancer than any other disease and receive only 4% of U.S. federal funding for cancer research. The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long, healthy lives.

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OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM | MARCH 2019 | 9

CITY NEWS

Walnut Creek City News Lime’s License Extended

At the February 5 city council meeting, council adopted the resolution authorizing the city manager to negotiate and extend the existing license agreement with Lime (formerly Limebike) and to negotiate and execute a second license agreement with up to one additional bike share provider through August 31, 2019.

The city and Lime launched the citywide program in May 2018. As of December 2018, nearly 26,000 rides had been recorded and approximately 9,000 people had used the service. In mid October 2018, staff released a public survey to gather feedback on the bike share pilot program and found that 73 percent of the over 300 survey responders were supportive of the pilot program, and an even greater percentage (81 percent) supported the continuation of the pilot program if their top concerns (bike availability and parking style) were addressed. Because there is no upfront infrastructure involved, stationless bike share programs operate at no cost to the city, and bikes can be rapidly repositioned to meet demand. In the future, staff will go before city council with a second, more expansive pilot program.

Coffee with a Councilmember

In an effort to engage informally with residents and be more accessible within the Walnut Creek community, Councilmember Kevin Wilk has been offering a “Coffee Chat with a Councilmember” event. His most recent 90-minute Coffee Chat was in the evening on February 27 at the Safeway in the Orchards. Captain Jay Hill was also on hand to help answer police and crime related questions.

Neighbors who may not be able to attend a city council meeting but have con-

Your Best Friend Counts on You

cerns about crime and safety, development, downtown parking, affordable housing, and homelessness have an option to discuss a topic more in depth. When will Councilmember Wilk decide the time is right for another Coffee Chat? “I normally wait until there has been a lot of Nextdoor discussion on a certain topic or two.

So, while there is not a pre-determined schedule, I do like to make sure that people who don’t have a chance to get to a city council meeting can still meet with a councilmember at a convenient time and in an informal setting,” he said.

Turnouts have been varied for this drop-in meeting format, but he said that as long as people show up, he’ll continue to have them. The Focus will keep readers updated on the next Coffee Chat. Stay tuned.

City Sells Parcel to BART

The City of Walnut Creek is the fee owner of a parcel of land located near the intersection of North California Boulevard and Pringle Avenue that includes a small, triangular-shaped plot within the Walnut Creek BART Station parking lot.

This portion is residual land currently being used as a landscaped area under the BART aerial overpass within the BART station parking lot and is less than 5,000 square feet. It is adjacent to the Walnut Creek Transit Village Project, currently being developed at the BART Station. BART and the project developers will incorporate the land into the project to accommodate a publicly accessible driveway and utilities. At the February 5 city council meeting, council authorized staff to initiate the process for disposition of the residual property with BART. Staff and BART have agreed upon the terms and conditions. The transfer of city’s fee ownership interest will be via grant deed and be effectuated by a purchase and sale agreement to be executed by the city and BART.

Property Exchange

City council authorized the city manager to proceed with the disposition of a portion of the 490 Lawrence Way parcel in exchange for an approximately equal area of land from 2404 North Main Street through a negotiated property exchange. Council approved the transfer through a lot line adjustment. The commercial property at 2404 North Main Street, owned by Michael Stead, abuts the city-owned property of 490 Lawrence Way. The city’s property is currently in the process of being sold to Tharaldson Hospitality Development by the city for the redevelopment and construction of a Hilton Garden Inn Hotel. As the designs for a hotel on the city’s property progressed it was agreed with Stead that this lot line adjustment would be mutually beneficial to both parties.

March Saturday Spotlight

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The March 9 Spotlight features Meals on Wheels and Walnut Creek Senior Services. You have probably heard of Meals on Wheels, but do you know what it takes to operate an organization that serves nearly 10,000 residents throughout Contra Costa County each year? Meals on Wheels Diablo Region operates out of Walnut Creek and partners with the city’s senior services programs to offer hot meals during the week at the Civic Park Community Center. We’ll also offer a behind-the-scenes look at the many senior services provided by the city for our residents. Following the tour, you can participate in a guided walking tour of the neighborhood as well.

Each second Saturday, the mayor leads a group of citizens to a non-profit agency and then adds an optional walking tour of the community in which the agency is located. See how the community connections are made throughout Walnut Creek, and get to know parts of the city you might not have yet explored.

Broadway Plaza Craft Fair

Come shop over 20 local artists (e.g. jewelers, candles, organic body, home goods, apparel, artwork, glass, and succulents) while listening to live music out on the plaza on Saturday, March 23, from 10am-5pm. This free event takes place in front of True Foods and Starbucks.

Estate Planning

Can You Put a Surveillance Camera in a Nursing Home Room?

BY JEFFREY HALL, Elder Law Attorney Technological advances have made it easier to stay connected with loved ones all the time. This has included the ability to install cameras in a loved one’s nursing home room. These socalled “granny cams” have legal and privacy implications.

The benefit of putting a surveillance camera in a nursing home is the ability to monitor your family member’s care. Families that suspect abuse or neglect can keep an eye on caregivers. Being able to observe care from afar can give family members peace of mind that their loved one is being well taken care of. It can also serve as evidence if abuse is found. Even if there is no abuse, cameras can be helpful for observing if caregivers are using improper techniques that may injure a resident.

On the other hand, cameras raise

privacy concerns for both residents (including roommates) and caregivers. Residents may not want to be monitored while they are in a vulnerable state, such as changing or bathing. If the recording device picks up audio, then even the resident’s conversations may no longer be private.

All this aside, do nursing homes have to permit families to install cameras? This varies, depending on the facility. Some nursing homes may have language in their admission contracts banning cameras or imposing specific requirements for their use. However, concerns over elder abuse have led some states to pass laws allowing cameras in nursing homes. At least six states -- Illinois, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Washington -- have passed laws permitting families to install a camera in a nursing home if the resident and the resident’s roommate have agreed.

Utah permits cameras in assisted living facilities. New Jersey does not have a law specifically permitting cameras, but it has a

program that loans surveillance cameras to families who suspect abuse. In other states, the laws surrounding camera use is more vague.

If you are considering installing a camera in a loved one’s nursing home room

or have concerns regarding elder abuse or neglect, contact your neighborhood elder law attorney, Jeffrey Hall. You may visit his website at www.HallLawGroup.com or call (925) 230-9002.

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Caring for Paradise High Grads

Pleasant Hill Rotarian Leads the Effort to Host Grad Night Event

A small group of Rotarians, educators, and interested community members from Contra Costa County have begun the process of hosting a safe and sober Grad Night for high school seniors from Paradise High School. The event will provide a post-graduation celebration for the 200+ Paradise High School students who were displaced from both their homes as well as their high school because of the devastating effects of the Camp Fire in November 2018.

The event will take place on Thursday, June 6, immediately following the Paradise High School graduation and will be available to the approximately

240 high school seniors, regardless of whether or not they have relocated outside the Butte County community.

(Location of the event to be determined at a later date.)

The volunteer committee, which is comprised of members of the Pleasant Hill Rotary Club, employees from the Contra Costa County Office of Education, and other interested community members, has begun the planning, which is focused on providing all the activities, food, music, prizes, and ambiance for a safe and sober, post-graduation celebration.

Mike Maxwell, Pleasant Hill Rotarian and president of the Contra Costa

County Board of Education, is leading the effort. He says the event will require little effort on the part of the Paradise High School community and has been fully embraced by the school administration. “Our goal is to provide the best grad night experience possible for these young people who have lost so much, without the high school community having to do any of the work,” said Maxwell. “We don’t know exactly what it will look like yet, but this group of very passionate people is committed to giving these kids an opportunity to

truly celebrate with their classmates.”

We deeply appreciate everyone who has stepped in to help make our grad night a success and a night to remember for our students, especially in this very difficult time,” said Loren Lighthall, principal at Paradise High School. “It has become very difficult for parents/students to donate their time and money with all that is going on in their lives. The Rotary Club of Pleasant Hill is accepting donations that will be used for the planning and execution of the event.

MONETARY DONATIONS CAN BE SENT TO: Pleasant Hill Rotary Foundation / PHS Grad Night 621 Reading Place, Danville, CA 94526 Federal Tax ID is #04-3708728 www.gofundme.com/paradise-high-school-grad-night

WPE Assist Fire Victims

BY STEVE SPRAITZAR, WPE

Through its programs of redistributing abundance, White Pony Express (WPE), a nonprofit headquartered in Pleasant Hill, continues with its efforts to provide food, cash donations, and clothing to those suffering from the Camp Fire in Butte County, especially those located in remote locations.

On November 14, 2018, White Pony Express began making daily refrigerated truck runs to Butte County with perishable, ready-to-eat meals and envelopes of donated cash to aid the fire victims. After two weeks, WPE learned that although a lot of food was being shipped to affected areas, it often did not reach residents living in isolated areas where grocery stores are not available, residents who don’t have transportation, and those limited by physical disabilities. WPE thereafter changed its strategy by targeting its runs to provide sufficient food on a weekly basis to people living in out-of-the way locations with little access to food sources.

Highlights of WPE’s current assistance to the fire victims in Butte County: · Twice a week, WPE volunteers (no paid staff) drive a refrigerated van to Butte County (a 6-hour round trip) with surplus, ready-to-eat meals, fresh produce, bread, milk, eggs, and envelopes of individual cash donations. · WPE focuses on providing these items to fire survivors in trailers that are situated in remote locations with little access to grocery stores. · WPE has increased its delivery from 200 meals a week in December to, currently, 400 meals a week. · WPE is sending aid to these isolated fire survivors because they are our brothers and sisters, which embodies WPE’s philosophy: “All of us taking care of all of us.” · Many WPE volunteers are profoundly moved by their experiences in serving the fire survivors and often make a request to go on a return trip.

WPE is currently looking for food donors between Pleasant Hill and Butte County that can add to the food that WPE is delivering, as well as funding to help WPE continue and expand its work. Those who wish to volunteer with WPE to help with its Butte County efforts or with WPE’s other programs should visit www.whiteponyexpress.org/volunteer.

12 | MARCH 2019 | OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM

SPORTS

Amit Elor Makes History First Freshman to Win State

BY HELENA VARDAS AND JIM KECK

College Park freshman Amit Elor made school history when she became the first freshman athlete in any sport to win a CIF State Championship for College Park.

Amit won the 150-pound weight division at the Girls Wrestling State Championships over the February 23 and 24 weekend in Bakersfield. Amit pinned all of her opponents, including the championship round, where she pinned her opponent in just 29 seconds. Amit was also named “Champion of Champions,” an award voted on by all 14 girls state champions. Last summer, Amit won the prestigious Triple Crown of wrestling for the girl’s novice division. She was a national champion in Olympic Freestyle, Greco Roman, and American Folkstyle wrestling.

Two of Amit’s coaches are siblings -- sister Ronny, who also won the state championships for CPHS, and brother Orry Elor, who was a two-time state medalist for CPHS and is currently an assistant wrestling coach at San Francisco State. Amit admitted she gained interest in the sport after watching her siblings wrestle in high school. “My brother Oshry also wrestled and played football. The wrestling moves and challenging tumbling during warmups made my siblings look like superheroes, and I wanted to be a superhero too!”

Amit’s father was another athlete- a mem-

ber of the Israeli Olympic team in shot put.

Amidst Amit’s successes, the family suffered a devastating loss. Amit’s brother Oshry was murdered last April. “He was a gentle giant that loved wrestling and football. It was hard for me to continue wrestling and think of my Olympic dreams when I knew my brother lost his life and would never be able to fulfill any of his.

When I wrestle at College Park, in the back of my mind I am always aware that he was shot and killed just down the street. I am forever grateful for the support given to my family from the wrestling community since Oshry’s death. Thanks to everyone, we are slowly recovering.”

Amit is grateful for guidance along the way and she hopes to win World and Olympic competitions. “I have had many coaches that taught and supported me. The wrestler I am today is thanks to all of them. Valentin Kalika is my amazing freestyle wrestling coach and I went to NCS and State with my College Park wrestling coaches, Bob Wilhelm and my sister Ronny. I have also been coached by Bobby Gonzalez, Casey Strand, and Charlie Hong in practices and tournaments over the years. Having passionate coaches that welcome and support me is priceless. I am also thankful for David Miller, my awesome strength coach from Forma Gym. I wouldn’t have been able to perform the

Alhambra Wrestling

On senior night, Alhambra seniors go out in style winning the League Championship on their home mat. Submitted by Pat Ertola.

same without him and his supportive Forma Athlete Scholarship.

Look for Amit in the future. Her goal is to win a gold medal in the Olympics and, “To show the world that female wrestlers are awesome!” Amit would greatly appreciate our help in supporting the College Park girl’s wresting team. “We wrestle in very, very old boys’ singlets (the boys’ got new singlets this year).” The Gofundme was established to acquire uniforms cut to fit a woman’s figure. Ronny and Amit are offering a wrestling clinic for donations of $100 or more, and the College Park team is offering custom art for $50 and $35 donations. Please visit www.gofundme. com/singlets4ladyfalconsCPHS for more information.

Wrestling All Stars

BY JIM KECK

Two weeks ago at the North Coast Section Wrestling Championships, College Park had some groundbreaking individuals. The first feat was from the Karas triplets. Seniors Daniel, Steven and Eric all placed in the medal rounds at the event. This is the first time in NCS wrestling history to have triplet medalists. Daniel placed 8th at 138 lbs., Steven placed 4th at 220 lbs., and Eric placed 6th at the HW (heavy weight) division. This was the first time for Daniel and Steven to medal, while brother Eric had placed 7th as a sophomore and 6th as a junior. The brothers all started wrestling with the Pleasant Hill Wrestling Club, coached by former College Park Coach Cory Salmon. The boys loved the sport and practiced and competed yearround, including team trips to Idaho and camping at Yellowstone National Park.

Gus Petruske finished his career as a 4x NCS Medalist and 4X State Qualifier. The only other wrestler in College Park history with this accomplishment was College Park Hall of Famer Casey Strand. Gus finished his high school NCS wrestling career with a 2nd place finish as a freshman, 2nd place as a sophomore, and 2 championships as a junior and senior. Gus also started wresting with the Pleasant Hill Wrestling Club. Also earning a medal for the first time this year was junior Falcon Andrew Hamant, who placed 8th at 160 lbs. Great job, boys!

OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM | MARCH 2019 | 13

SPORTS

College Park Winter Sports

BY CP SPORTS LEADERSHIP

Soccer and Basketball Season Recap BOYS VARSITY SOCCER

The boys varsity soccer team had a rough season, but they were still able to have fun under the tutelage of new Head Coach Ernesto Silva and Assistant Coach Colin Osborne. Even though their record was not as good as the team potential they still played hard. The team is losing 9 players who are graduating this year, goalkeeper Jordan Shinn, defender Javi Villa, midfielder captain Tyler Emerick, forward David Tolentino, midfielder captain Andres Alfaro, defender Michael Boyd, defender Ethan Navarro, midfielder Carsen Utler, and defender captain Amado Uyehara. The team scored a total of 18 goals throughout the season and ended with a record of 2-15-1 and a league record of 2-9-1.

BOYS JV SOCCER TEAM

The JV boys soccer team had a outstanding 2018-2019 season. Nearly every player on the team scored a goal by the end of the season. The season started rocky with

a loss, but that woke the team up with a five-game winning streak! Their two losses were the first game against Vintage High School and then again towards the end of the season against Benicia. The one tie was a game against Amador Valley in the stormiest weather the team had played in all season. Before the tie at Amador, the team had a seven-game winning streak, with only three goals scored for all seven games, and throughout those seven games, a total of twenty goals were scored by the boys. The tie was a slap in the face, but they did not let it get them down and they came back the next game, beating Alhambra 6-0 and continuing that winning streak for another five games. Their two hardest fought games were against Clayton Valley and Ygnacio Valley, winning both games by the skin of their teeth. On JV, the top three goal scorers were JR Alec Beyer with 7 goals; JR Sam Dugan with 6 goals; and SOPH Yousif Alani with 6 goals, finishing their season with an overall

record of 14-2-1 and a league record of 10-1.

Their coach, Michael Emerick, and assistant coach, Mauricio Duran, were so proud of their boys and are excited to see a lot of them play at the varsity level and see a lot of freshmen stay at the JV level and grow even more.

FROSH/SOPH BOYS SOCCER TEAM

The frosh boys soccer team had a rollercoaster of a season. Their overall record was 8-4-4, making their league record 7-2-2.

Their season started out rough, with an L 3-0, tie, then another L 3-0, but they got their first win in a tough game against Campolindo on December 11, winning 1-0. Their coach was John Ormerod, with assistant coach Oscar Chacon.

BOYS FRESHMAN/JV BASKETBALL

By Luc Lamoureux, Hailey Salomone, Pili Hines

The freshman team had an overall record of 22-3 and went 11-1 in league play.

The boys won the league for freshman and easily handled the teams in DAL, beating their opponents by an average of 20 points per game, making them a force to be reckoned with. Not only did they dominate league but they also showed their sports-

manship on and off the court. The boys junior varsity team showed much improvement throughout this season. Sophomore guard Roan Basa said, “It was fun kicking it with my teammates this year at all the fundraisers and team dinners. This season, I made a lot of memories I will never forget.” College Park basketball has a bright future.

VARSITY BASKETBALL

The varsity basketball team had a fantastic season, with a record of 22-5 and went 9-3 in league. The Falcons had many influential players, including senior point guard Zyon Pullin, who won two tournament MVPs early in the season and was the leading scorer throughout the year. Not only did the Falcons have weapons from the perimeter, they were also very deep in the post with forwards Dennis Pomazanov, Thomas Romo, and Ramon Farias. Zyon Pullin said his favorite moment during the season was when he scored 45 points in a game against Palo Alto High School. The Falcons beat Clayton Valley Charter High School in the first round of the NCS playoffs with a final score of 85-68. The Falcons had yet again another successful season and balled out all year long.

Varsity Girls Soccer DIABLO FC

Spring Recreational Soccer League COMBINES PROFESSIONAL TRAINING WITH A FUN, DEVELOPMENTAL PROGRAM

The Falcon Varsity girls ended their fantastic 2018-2019 season with a 1-0 loss against Berkeley H.S. in the first round of the NCS playoffs. A penalty kick in the box in the 6th minute gave the lead to Berkeley. The Falcons played their heart out in driving rain and wind and had several close moments but it was not to be.

The girls finished 11th in the NCS Division 1 bracket, the highest they have been in the last three years, and 4th in the DAL league with a record of 5-2-5. Kudos to a strong defense and midfield who held opponents to only 7 goals all season. Many games were decided in the last few minutes of play and all of the games were kept close. Team captains, Rylee McCormick and Natalia Leroux gave inspiration to the team to play hard and never give up. Congratulations ladies!

BOYS & GIRLS - 3 TO 12 YEARS MID-MARCH TO MAY 2019 NEWHALL PARK - CONCORD WEEKDAY PRACTICE & SAT GAMES

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Senior Varsity Girls LtoR: Coach Jorge, Alicia Cardenas, Bailey Matthews, Robyn Tuggle, Sloane Sullivan, Natl Leroux, Rylee McCormick and Teeny Osmundsen 14 | MARCH 2019 | OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM

DO IT YOURSELF

Spin on DIY Bathroom Makeover

BY REBECCA SEIDENSPINNER

My most recent home improvement project has been a bathroom makeover.

We live in a small house with only one bathroom, and the number of family members going in and out is sometimes like a traffic jam. There seems to be an overflowing laundry basket at all times, and the toilet paper roll is empty more often than not. I wanted to find a way to make the bathroom more functional and organized on a budget. First, we updated the bathroom with a fresh coat of paint. Paint is the first thing I choose when updating any space in my home. I bought a new shower curtain and liner but just spray painted the shower rod instead of purchasing a new one. Spray paint works wonders.

I seriously want to spray paint everything.

Most of the wood I use for my DIY

projects is from old fence boards. I love giving new life to reclaimed wood, and it’s usually free -- even better. If you don’t have access to old fence boards or your style is more modern, you can pick up new fence boards at Home Depot. They will even cut your wood for free. My husband helped me build this cute cabinet door out of old fence boards. I would have been able to do it all by myself, but the hinge on it got a little tricky so I moved on to making a fence board towel rack out of the leftover wood. I had a few hooks that had been sitting in my junk drawer for years that I hadn’t been using, so I dug them out and attached them to the leftover wood. I used screws and a power drill and attached it to the wall. Finished. Now if only I can get my family members to hang up their towels after they shower. We even used old fence boards for our bathroom baseboard.

I also wanted to share with you this cute little sign I found at Target that is the

perfect reminder to flush the toilet every time. Stay tuned as I continue my bathroom makeover with a wall stencil that I ordered from cuttingedgestencils.com.

A stencil is a great way to add a creative touch to any room, and you can even stencil your floor! I can’t wait to try it.

Are you curious about some of my other DIY projects or how I balance my crafts and family? Follow me on Instagram @mamaspinner to see what else I’m up to as your favorite DIY girl. Is there a project you would like me to feature? Send me an email at mamaspinner@hotmail.com.

Hot Time for Ticks The Ticks Come Out in Spring

BY DR. LOUISA ASSEO

The rains have certainly made our hills a stunning display of greenery. I am looking forward to leashing up my dogs, getting out in the sunshine, and hiking through our gorgeous open spaces. If you and your canine friends are joining me out there, please make sure that your furry companion is protected against parasites.

Spring is a hot time for ticks in our area. The Western Black-Legged Tick (Ixodes pacificus), Pacific Coast Tick (Dermacentor occidentalis), and American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis) are the most common ticks encountered in the Bay Area. Ticks are not only creepy but can carry dangerous diseases to both you and your pet. Ixodes ticks are the primary carrier of Borrelia burgdorferi, which is the causative agent of Lyme disease. Dermacentor ticks are known

to transmit Rickettsia rickettsia, which causes Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and Tularemia.

Signs of these and other tick-borne diseases can be vague and non-specific. Some common signs include lameness, fever, decrease in appetite, lethargy, and fever. If your pet is experiencing any of these signs, seek veterinary care immediately and notify your veterinary team that your dog has been exposed to ticks or has been in an area where ticks are common. These diseases can be diagnosed on specialized blood tests if your veterinarian feels that your pet’s signs and exposure risk are suggestive of a tick-borne disease. Specific antibiotics can be prescribed, if indicated, to help clear the bacterial infections causing these tick-borne diseases; however, sometimes curing the disease can be difficult.

Preventing these diseases is dependent on preventing the tick from biting and passing the bacteria into your dog’s bloodstream. Tick prevention is a critical

component to keeping your dog healthy.

Always check your dog thoroughly after a hike and remove any ticks that you find.

Many options are available from your veterinarian. The most effective options are oral flea and tick medications. Alternatively, the Seresto collar is a preventative that your pet can wear around his or her neck to help repel ticks. If you find a tick that is already attached to your pet, you can use commercial tick remover devices to gently detach the tick, or you can call your veterinarian and one of their trained team members can remove the tick for you.

I hope you all enjoy this spring with all that our area has to offer. Remember to keep your furry friends safe during this time to help them live a happy and healthy life by your side!

Dr. Louisa Asseo, owner of Oasis Veterinary Hospital, can be reached at (925) 954 – 8087, 6635 Alhambra Ave, Suite 100, Martinez, or visit oasisveterinaryhospital. com.

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SCHOOL NEWS

Principal’s Corner

Spring Semester Updates at College Park JOSEPH G. ALVAREZ PRINCIPAL, COLLEGE PARK HIGH SCHOOL

As we enter March, I am very appreciative of our students and staff for all their hard work.

The first semester of this school year has given us much to be proud of in the area of activities and athletics. We have great students at College Park High School High who represent our community in the right way. Please come out and support our students in their different activities this spring. Going forward this month, we are anticipating exciting events such as our multicultural rally, which represents the rich diversity and culture of our student body, as well our junior prom, which gives our junior class an opportunity to celebrate their junior year.

We at CPHS embrace ALL, with an environment of inclusion and celebrating each other’s differences. On February 22, we celebrated our first Gay-Straight Alliance Showcase, with over 150 students and adults coming onto our campus and engaging in great dialogue and breakout sessions. Much of what I do at College Park High School is ensure we have a high level of learning and overall strong academic program.

Along those same lines, I work tirelessly to reduce the relationship gap that can occur on any campus, especially on one the size of CPHS. During our upcoming staff professional development day, the Rainbow Community Center will provide training on how we can support all students in their socio-emotional development, become more familiar with terms that refer to various gender identities, and reflect on the knowledge, resources, and boundaries that we create in our

classrooms and school in supporting ALL students. It is both a journey and a challenge to create a culture not just of tolerance but also of full acceptance. I greatly look forward to this ongoing journey.

As we already begin to plan for next year and develop our action plan, I am

attending a conference with district personnel to study and learn more about linked learning, which is essentially how multiple curricular areas can work together to best prepare our students to be both college and career ready. Go Falcons! #Weareone

MEF Receives Grants

Martinez Education Foundation (MEF) is honored to announce it recently awarded grants in the total amount of $136,681 to teachers and staff throughout the Martinez Unified School District schools. Schools receiving grants include Alhambra High School ($33,052), Martinez Junior High School ($27,250), Morello Park Elementary ($17,206), Las Juntas Elementary ($14,558), John Swett Elementary ($27,178), John Muir Elementary ($7,917), Vicente Martinez High School/Briones School ($2,785) and Martinez Early Intervention Pre-School ($6,735).

Additional information about the grants can be found at MEF’s website at www. martinezedfoundation.com. MEF thanks and appreciates all of its contributors, especially Shell Oil Products, DC Solar, Wells Fargo, Lippow Development, and the Cameron-Baird Foundation for their generous support this year to make these grants possible. Thanks to all for great support from the community throughout the year that allows MEF the opportunity to make our schools better! Save the date for next year’s Run For Education on Sunday, 29,pm2019.

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Estate Planning

Top Five Common Mistakes to Avoid

BY DANIEL DuREE

The road to estate planning hell is indeed often paved with the best of intentions. While assisting clients in the probate process or with a trust administration, I often encounter small missteps that result in a large headache for the surviving family. This month I am going to discuss some of the most common estate planning mistakes I run across in my practice and how to avoid them so you can have peace of mind.

1. Assets Left Outside of a Trust Even if you have a revocable living trust, if an asset is not in the trust it must go through

probate if it is worth more than $150,000.

Often this happens when people create a trust online or through a low cost company and they are not sufficiently reminded that assets must be titled in the name of the trust to avoid probate. It is not a bad idea to check in with your estate-planning attorney every few years, as they will always ask if all of your assets are in the name of the trust.

2. Beneficiary Designations that Conflict with a Trust A beneficiary listed on an account trumps any disposition under a trust or a will. If there is a valid beneficiary on an account, that account transfers to the beneficiary, regardless of what a trust says.

3. Married Couple Holding Title to Real Estate as Joint -Tenants Contrary to popular belief (and what most title companies

St. Baldricks

Fundraiser for Cancer Research

We ask all to join the Martinez community in a special event on Sunday, March 17. Citrus Salon is hosting the 8th annual St. Baldrick’s signature head-shaving event.

In the U.S, more children die of childhood cancer than any other disease -- more than AIDS, asthma, cystic fibrosis, congenital anomalies, and diabetes combined. And yet, all types of childhood cancers combined receive only 4% of the U.S. federal funding for cancer research. The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long, healthy lives.

“Shavees” ask friends and families to make donations “on their head,” and in return they attend one of the thousands of volunteer organized events around the world where they have their heads shaved in solidarity with kids fighting cancer. Last year, our community raised over $27,000 for life-saving cancer research, and we want to do it again for 2019!

This year’s event features live music from The Martinez Music Mafia, and our very own Martinez mayor will be shaving his head too! Not everyone who participates is a “shavee.”You can also start a fundraising

tell people), a married couple in California should never hold title to real estate as joint tenants. Yet roughly sixty percent of my new clients hold their property this way. If real estate is held as community property or in a trust, the tax basis for capital gains purposes steps all the way up to the current value at the death of the first spouse. This does not occur for joint-tenants. Holding title as joint-tenants can result in a serious capital gains tax bill if a surviving spouse ever sells a property.

4. More than $150,000 in Assets and No Living Trust Even with a will, if an individual in California dies with more than $150,000 in gross assets, their estate must still go through the court supervised probate process. While a will is sufficient in many states, in California most people need a revocable living trust for proper estate planning.

5. 401(k) or IRA Beneficiary Designations Are Outdated As I noted earlier, a beneficiary designation supersedes anything in

either a will or a trust. Often people amend their trust but neglect to change their beneficiary designations. It may be advisable to name a trust as a secondary beneficiary to a retirement account so that any distribution changes made to the trust will channel retirement funds according to that scheme.

By being aware of potential pitfalls and seeking out the help of knowledgeable professionals, you can avoid the calamity described above and have the peace of mind that your family will be taken care of should anything happen to you. As always, consult with an expert before making any estate planning decisions, and don’t hesitate to call my office if you have any questions.

Daniel L. DuRee is a third generation resident of Contra Costa County and a licensed attorney practicing in Walnut Creek.

He can be reached at (925) 210-1400 or visit www.DuReeLaw.com.

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TRUSTS • WILLS • PROBATE team, volunteer or donate.

To participate in St. Baldrick’s headshaving event: 1. Head to www.stbaldricks.com/martinezstbaldrticks2019 2. Register as a “shavee” or volunteer.

3. As a “shavee,” you’ll GO BALD to show your support and inspire friends and family to donate to childhood cancer research.

4. Everyone join us on March 17, 11am – 2pm, at Main Street Plaza in Downtown Martinez for the life-changing, head shaving event.

Sponsored by: Citrus Salon OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM | MARCH 2019 | 19

PAIR UP

The Ides of March WWCD? What Would Ceaser Do?

BY MARIA TERRY

What would Julius Caesar have ordered as his last meal had he believed the seer who told him he was about to be assassinated? Perhaps he would have ordered this delicious meal that starts with little Italian toasts, features both red and white Italian wines, and culminates in a decadent Italian cream cake.

To start, it would have been worth Caesar’s effort to seek out a Greco di Tufo from the wine region south of Rome called Campagna. This crisp white wine is pale lemon in color and has aromas of hazelnuts, butterscotch, and mandarin orange liquor. It pairs perfectly with crostini topped with creamy brie cheese, sweet/tart apple, and crunchy hazelnuts. The nutty flavor of the wine

echoes the toasted nuts, and its full body matches the weight of the cheese.

A little closer to home, Rosso di Montalcino would have been a local Tuscan wine for Caesar. It is made from the classic Italian Sangiovese grape, specifically, the Brunello clone. This wine comes in two versions, the Rosso and the eponymous Brunello. The Rosso is lighter in style than the more expensive Brunello because it is aged only one year and comes from younger vineyards. As a bonus, the Rosso’s lighter style is welcome when paired with pasta dishes. If Caesar was a seafood fan, he could have chosen Linguini with Shrimp, Tomato, Asparagus, and Saffron Cream to enjoy with his glass of Rosso.

Its dark earthy flavors complement the saffron, while its bright acidity stands up to the tart tomato and cleanses the fatty cream from the palate.

Had Caesar loved coconut as much

Crostini with Brie, Apple & Hazelnut

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INGREDIENTS 1 French baguette, thinly sliced Olive oil Kosher salt 6 oz. Brie cheese, thinly sliced ½ cup freshly grated granny smith or other tart apple ½ cup hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped ½ teaspoon cinnamon Salt & pepper to taste DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 425º. Slice bread on the bias, about 24 slices, place on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Toast bread for about five minutes.

Mix apples, hazelnuts, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Top each bread slice with cheese and return to oven until the cheese is warm.

Top each bread slice with a tablespoon of apple-hazelnut mixture. Serve warm.

Yield: 6 servings: three each

..........................................................

as I do, he would have delighted in this Italian Cream Cake, which has coconut in the cake as well as in the cream cheese frosting. It is way too sweet for wine, but paired with a dark, bitter espresso, its sweet, tangy flavors may have been just the incentive to keep him home and skip the trip to the senate altogether.

So, go on. Pair Up!

Maria Terry is a certified sommelier and wine educator in the San Francisco Bay Area. www.LaSommelierre.com.

Linquini with Shrimp & Saffron Cream INGREDIENTS ½ lb. linguine 4 oz. asparagus 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined 2-3 Campari tomatoes, quartered 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced ½ cup white wine ¼ cup chicken stock, warmed Pinch of saffron threads, crushed ½ cup heavy cream 2 Tablespoons butter Salt and pepper, to taste DIRECTIONS

Boil water for pasta and cook according to package directions. Add asparagus during the last 3-5 minutes or so of cooking. Drain and set aside.

While water is boiling for pasta, heat oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add shrimp, tomatoes, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until shrimp turn pink and are cooked through. Set aside.

Add the saffron to the warmed chicken stock, allowing the flavor and color to bloom. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, simmer the wine and reduce by half. Add the cream and chicken stock, season with salt and pepper to taste, and bring to a simmer.

Whisk in butter.

Toss pasta, asparagus, and shrimp with sauce and serve.

Yield: 4 Servings

..........................................................

Italian Cream Cake with Coconut INGREDIENTS CAKE 1 cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ cup butter ½ cup shortening 2 cups white sugar 5 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup flaked coconut 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 cups all-purpose flour FROSTING 8 ounces cream cheese ½ cup butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 cups confectioner’s sugar 2 Tablespoons light cream ½ cup chopped walnuts 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut DIRECTIONS CAKE

Preheat oven to 350º. Grease three 9“round cake pans. In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda in the buttermilk; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together ½ cup butter, shortening, and white sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs, buttermilk mixture, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup coconut, baking powder, and flour. Stir until just combined. Pour batter into the prepared pans.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow cooling.

FROSTING

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, ½ cup butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and confectioner’s sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Mix in a small amount of cream to attain desired consistency. Stir in chopped nuts and remaining flaked coconut. Spread between layers and on top and sides of cooled cake.

Yield: 12 Servings

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IN THE MIX

In the Mix

You Know you are Getting Older When...

BY PAUL COTRUVO

There are moments in your life when it hits you that you are getting older.

And I’m not talking about things like eating dinner at 4pm, wearing black socks with flip-flops, or when your ears become hairier than your head. I’m referring to watching

• Moving • Yard Work

the Grammys. It can be quite sobering to turn on your TV (that’s if I can find the remote) and hear the lineup and nominees.

It’s a lot of who? What? Who? Honestly, I have not watched them for a few years because I just don’t know the music.

But this year I decided to jump into the deep end of the pool, and I sat there with my tea and blanket, wondering if Paul McCartney was gonna show up. Would

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22 | MARCH 2019 | OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM

Paul’s Picks

am I soft in the middle now, Why am I soft in the middle…” I mean, I am really enjoying this. I can even be hip to my grandkids now.

I can say, “Yes kids, I have heard of Childish Gambino, Cardi B., Post Malone, and Bebe Rexha.”

Now, I am not saying that watching this show changed my life; there were some artists that left me wondering, “Huh?” (Artists to remain anonymous.) But now that I think about it, it’s not about getting old or holding on to music from the past. It’s about opening our minds to new sounds and embracing such young talent. I, for one, will try even harder to be more accepting of music that I know nothing about.

So, bringing this back home, I hope we all can take a chance on some of the talent that is here in our area. Take a nap and head out to one of the many venues to hear some music. I’m positive you will be rewarded.

Quote of the Month: “Youth is the gift of nature, but age is a work of art” ~~ Stanislaw Jerzy Lec

March 8: Ray Charles Project, Armando’s, 707 Marina Vista, Martinez, 8pm March 8: The Big Jangle, Retro Junkie, 2112 N. Main Street Walnut Creek, 9pm March 9: Lavay Smith & the Red Hot Skillet Lickers, Armando’s,707 Marina Vista, Martinez, 8pm March 13: Franke G. & the Conviction, Armando’s, 707 Marina Vista, Martinez, 8pm March 15: Zoo Station, Dan’s Bar, 1524 Civic Drive Walnut Creek, 10pm March 21: Duo Gadjo, Armando’s, 707 Marina Vista, Martinez, 8pm March 30: Dan DeShara, Rocco’s Pizzeria, 2909 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek, 8:30pm

Star Quest celebrates...

Sat, April 27 7:00pm

there be a Led Zeppelin tribute? I knew there would be a Dolly Parton and Aretha Franklin tribute, so I felt safe. And when they announced that Alicia Keyes was the host, I said, “OK, I’ve heard of her!” But I never heard of H.E.R. I bet most of you reading this have not heard of H.E.R either (Btw, H.E.R. is an acronym for Having Everything Revealed. You’re welcome for help in your next trivia contest.) Anyway, she was up for best new artist. She comes out playing a Fender Stratocaster and just slays the song “Hard Place.” She did not win this category but ended up with two Grammys for best R&B album and performance. I’m a fan now!

Next, two other artists come out with a mashup of their songs: St. Vincent’s “Masseduction” won for best rock song, and Dua Lipa’s “One Kiss” won for best new artist. It was a great performance, and now I’m thinking, what’s happening to me? Thirty years ago I would have never even listened to these songs. (I’m a rock and roll purist at heart.) Am I soft? Just like Paul Simon wrote, “A man walks down the street. He says, Why

Sun, April 28 2:00pm

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IN THE GARDEN

Spring has Sprung

A Precipitation Deluged February Creates Fortune for March

BY LESLEY STILES

Famous for its “Ides,” March blows in and begins our spring season, leading up to the equinox to make it official. The Ides of each month were sacred to Jupiter, the Romans’ supreme deity, always being kowtowed to with supreme sacrifices of the animal or human variety. “Beware the Ides of March” stems from the assassination of, or the interpretation of the assassination of, Julius Caesar as told by William Shakespeare. Caesar’s assassination was foretold by his enemy seer to be on the Ides of March. Upon entering the senate, Cesar himself snarkily stated to the dreadful fortune-teller, “the Ides have arrived,” to which the seer replied, “Ahhh, but they have not yet departed.” We know how that ended.

Pasta with Velvety Ragout INGREDIENTS 1 pound pasta, cooked 2 pounds cremini mushrooms, sliced 1 pound spring onions or scallions, sliced 1 pound shelled fresh peas 1 Tablespoon each chopped fresh thyme, fresh Italian parsley, and cilantro 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 cup chicken or veggie stock ¼ cup cream 2 Tablespoons butter 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1 cup grated Manchego cheese Salt and pepper to taste DIRECTIONS

Heat a large sauté pan with butter and olive oil to hot and melted. Add garlic and onions and sauté on medium heat until opaque and soft, about 7 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté on same heat about 5 minutes. Add peas, stock, cream, herbs, and pasta and simmer on medium high for about 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with grated Manchego cheese.

Serves 4 to 6.

..........................................................

Joyously enduring a precipitation deluged February creates fortune for March.

We will be rich indeed in a fanciful picture of flowers, blossoms, and chartreuse vibrant hills surrounding us. As we approach the Ides of March, we can expect even more rain in the Bay but not enough to hurt or destroy our amazing spring crops and flowers. Even as meteorologically audacious circumstances resonate, apricots and cherries will be plentiful on trees as well as bowing tables come May Day.

Gardens put on a brave performance during chilly to freezing days and nights, resting and conjuring marvelous affection for their roots, soon to push out silky smooth velvety limbs of nutritious love above ground for us to partake. Winter crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, and chards take to winter cold with brassy defiance and produce crops that explode with sweet flavor and beg for olive oil, garlic, and lemon to bust a move from raw to hotly edible in a matter of minutes.

Cool weather loving herbs commence to spill over sides of pots and tangle restlessly over garden walls, loving the cold and rain. Parsley and cilantro are obliviously alluring, with oversized leaves and stems that beckon on looks alone to be picked and chopped along with lemon and garlic into chimi churri sauce to cover anything savory you could ever want to put in your mouth.

Cilantro leaves, also known as Chinese parsley, has seeds that, when dried, miraculously morph into spicy coriander. A common and loved addition to Asian foods as well as Middle Eastern fare, cilantro can be a touch soapy to some taste buds if over used.

When meats or vegetables are marinated in copious amounts of chopped cilantro, chopped mint, garlic, and olive oil, once seared into flesh on a sizzling grill, herbs melt bodaciously into lusciously charred love.

Vibrant emerald green with a crisp bite that pops flavor into all it touches, there is no substitute for flat Italian leaf parsley. Epicureans’ concur that spring herbs cozy well with parsley. Ask the French about bouquet garni -- bundled up parsley w/ thyme and

marjoram -- to flavor soups and stocks. Osso Bucco would be naked without gremolata -- chopped parsley with copious amounts of garlic and lemon. Delicate fine herbs artfully ménage e trois chervil, chives and tarragon on a honeymoon together, elegantly careening across our taste buds. Exotic Lebanese tabbouleh -- green with fresh parsley signing up mint as a comrade in arms -- levels out cucumber, lemon juice, and tomato.

My personal favorite go-to sparker upper is persillade. Combining chopped parsley with fresh chopped garlic, copious amounts of lemon peel, a drop of vinegar, and grated parmesana Reggiano, it garnishes delicate soups, seafood stews, and addictive, buttery croutons. This is where we got garlic fries from. Charmoula marries parsley, cilantro, mint, garlic, lemon, and freshly toasted and ground cumin to round out roasted codfish or grilled chicken breast.

Add a handful of chopped parsley to pesto to obtain the greenest hue. Both herbs,

long proven as antioxidants, are also known to calm your jumpy stomach by chewing a good handful while at the same time sweetening even the most potent of garlic breathe, allowing you to love your clove with who you love.

Our wonderfully amazing and fun new project, the reopening of Roxx on Main, is scheduled to begin satisfying taste buds as well as ears with food, drink, and music around mid-April. We will keep you posted, and you can visit us on Roxx on Main Facebook page, Instagram, and www.roxxonmain.com.

Plus, the Farmers’ Market Lovers’ calendar for 2019 is available at a reduced price.

Contact me at lesleystiles@comcast.net.

Lesley Stiles is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy, sustainable caterer and school garden educator. Contact Lesley at lesleystiles@comcast.net, www. lesleystiles.blogspot.com and visit her new website: www.lesleystilesfoods.com.

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SENIORS

St. Paul’s Concert Series

Christopher and Sandra Bengochea will perform their collection, “Songs of Love”, including pieces from Puccini’s “La Boheme”, Verdi’s “Rigoletto” and others. They will be accompanied by SimonaSnitkovskaya, a doctoral graduate in piano performance from St. Petersburg Music Conservatory.

When: Saturday, March 16, 7pm Where: 1924 Trinity Avenue, Walnut Creek, CA 94596 Donation at the door: average $20, Students $10 (all are welcome regardless of donation).

Christopher Bengochea, Tenor, has been praised as having “power, sure intonation, and fine diction that come in a package tied with a ribbon of natural sound.” as quoted by Janos Gereben of the San Francisco Classical Voice. He has delighted audiences with his unique combination of vocal and dramatic interpretations in performances ranging from art song to opera around the world.

Sandra Bengochea, Soprano, has earned rave reviews for her spirited interpretations of the lyric coloratura repertoire. She is described as having a “natural vivacity and charisma that resulted in a performance that was a joy from the first note to the last” (Opera News).

St. Paul’s Concert Series offers monthly world-class performances to the local community for an affordable, donation-based cost. Free parking is provided, or an easy walk, just three blocks from Walnut Creek BART.

Pleasant Hill Senior Activities

Mar. 14 - Care Management Series Presents “Caring Hands Volunteer Caregivers Program” at 2pm. Caring Hands promotes independence and well-being for local seniors through meaningful, one-on-one relationships with caring volunteers. Come learn more about the program and how you can get involved and make a difference.

Presented by Caring Hands. Free. RSVP to 798-8788 or online.

April 10 & 17 - Financial Wellness Workshops for Caregivers presented by Housing & Economic Rights Advocates (HERA). Part 1: Debt & Credit for Caregivers - April 10. Part 2: Estate Planning for Caregivers - Wednesday, April 17. These workshops can provide valuable information for you and your loved ones. Workshops happen in the classrooms at PH Senior Center. Free, but please RSVP to HERA at (510) 271-8443 ext. 315 or call the Senior Center’s front desk or online.

233 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill 925-798-8788

Martinez Senior Activities

March 7 – Bingo is Back! Sales open at 12pm and games begin at 1pm. $5.00 per pack. $30 guaranteed minimum prize for 10 regular games.

March 10 - Pancake Breakfast 8-11am. The Martinez Senior Center Club puts on a pancake breakfast the 2nd Sunday of every month. This breakfast is open to the community and includes eggs, sausage, pancakes, toast, orange juice and coffee. The delicious breakfast is $5.00 for adults and $3 for children ages 10 and under.

March 15 –St. Patrick’s Day Luncheon 12-1:30pm. Last day to purchase a ticket is Monday, March 11, by 10am. This event is for members only. Tickets are $15.

March 22 – Bunco 11:30-3pm. A refresher course held prior for those that haven’t played before. Prizes go to the most buncos, most wins, second and third most wins, and a booby prize. Lunch will be served at 12pm. $12. Sign up at front desk. Deadline to purchase tickets is Wednesday, March 20.

818 Green Street, Martinez 925-370-8770

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eastbayjewishfilm.org 24 | MARCH 2019 | OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM

Read My Mind

©

Leadership in Turbulent Times

BY MICHAEL G. HARRIS, OD

Where does leadership come from when it’s needed most? What attributes does it take to be a great leader?

Does history somehow find the right leader at the right place and time? Or, does the right leader simply rise to the occasion?

For answers, I turned to historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of numerous books about our presidents and leadership. She brought Abraham Lincoln to life in Team of Rivals, a testament to his leadership during the Civil War. Rather than pick a cabinet of “yes men,” Lincoln chose men who openly opposed him in the 1860 presidential election. He became a team with his rivals during this crucial time in American history.

Goodwin’s latest book, Leadership in Turbulent Times, presents a retrospective of Lincoln and three of her other favorite presidents, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Lyndon Baines Johnson.

Using her vast resources, Goodwin details the leadership qualities they demonstrated that served our nation in our most turbulent times. Unquestionably, Lincoln, TR, and FDR rank among our greatest presidents, but why LBJ? What did he have in common with these great men that warrants his inclusion?

Like me, you will be surprised to learn how he fits into this auspicious group.

Goodwin looks at all four of them at three crucial periods in their lives, when certain events honed their leadership skills. We learn the early influences that shaped these young men of ambition, the “traumas that tempered their flaws and bred resilience,” thus, shaping their character, and how each became the leader our nation needed when the time came.

They had common traits - uncanny persistence, inspiration, surpassing intelligence, and great storytelling - and are linked in other ways. Lincoln left the Whig Party to help form the new Republican Party and champion its efforts to end slavery. TR was Lincoln’s re-embodiment as a progressive Republican trying to help the poor. FDR

was a distant cousin of TR and shared his progressive views. As a young congressman and senator, LBJ was a protégé of FDR.

The obstacles they overcame were different, but each helped form a great leader.

Lincoln was a poor but ambitious “railsplitter” who overcame deep depression to lead our country through the most perilous time in its history. TR was a sickly young man who overcame asthma and the death of his mother and wife within a day. FDR overcame polio, which left him paralyzed from the waist down. LBJ nearly died of a heart attack and suffered major depression after losing his first race for the Senate.

Lincoln’s great leadership skills were seen in his efforts to heal our broken nation during the Civil War. If not for an assassin’s bullet, Lincoln spirit and love for his fellow man could have led to reconciliation between the North and the South, much as his reconciliation with his ”team of rivals” helped end the Civil War. And perhaps civil rights legislation would have passed in the 1860s rather than a century later, in the 1960s. Imagine how that could have changed are country’s history.

TR used the talent he gained as a frontiersman and Rough Rider to settle the Coal Strike of 1902. The mine owners, who also owned the railroads, were recalcitrant in their efforts to break the miners’ union, which struck for better wages and working conditions. By dealing with each side separately and only then bringing them together, TR was able to settle the strike with minimal bloodshed.

FDR would not be deterred in his numerous plans to end the Great Depression.

In one brilliant move, he started the Civilian Conservation Corps, which solved several problems. It put hundreds of thousands of unemployed young men to work managing our national forests while most of the money they earned was sent home to help their families survive the Depression. When LBJ became president, he was determined to see John F. Kennedy’s dream of expanded civil rights and voting rights become a reality. The skills he learned in Congress put him in a unique position to get congressional

leaders of both parties to draft civil rights and voting rights legislation, which did more to bring equality to minority citizens than anything since Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. It’s unfortunate that LBJ was not able to use those same skills to end the Vietnam War sooner. These men are also linked by their love of education and history.

Each asked, “Who are we and where are we

going?” Their leadership strength depended on their link to the ordinary people they represented. Each was a “moral compass” united by their sense of humanity, purpose, and wisdom.

The leadership skills these men demonstrated will help aspiring leaders no matter their field. Goodwin’s book is a must-read for anyone who fights for a cause.

OURCOMMUNITYFOCUS.COM | MARCH 2019 | 25

Cancer Treatment Advances Harnessing the Immune System to Fight Colon Cancer

BY JEWEL JOHL, MD

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates that almost 101,420 new cases of colon cancer will be diagnosed in 2019.

While chemotherapy is still used to prevent recurrence of early stage colon cancer and treatment of advanced/metastatic colon cancer, immunotherapy is playing an increasing role in the treatment of a certain group of patients with this disease. Immunotherapy is the use of medications that utilize a person’s own immune system to better recognize and destroy cancer cells. It can be used to treat some people with advanced colorectal cancer as well certain other cancers that respond to the manipulation of one’s own immune system.

An important part of the immune system is its ability to keep itself from atI’m not in trouble anymore!

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tacking the body’s normal cells. To do this, it uses “checkpoint” proteins on immune cells that act like switches that turn on or off to start an immune response. Certain cancers use these checkpoints to keep the immune system from attacking them. New immunotherapy agents that target these checkpoints hold a lot of promise as cancer treatments.

Drugs called checkpoint inhibitors can be used for people whose colorectal cancer cells have tested positive for specific gene changes, such as a high level of microsatellite instability (MSI-H) or changes in one of the mismatch repair (MMR) genes. These drugs are used for patients whose cancer is still growing after treatment with chemotherapy. They might also be used to treat people whose cancer can’t be removed with surgery, has come back after treatment, or has spread to other parts of the body (metastasized). These drugs are effective mostly in those whose tumors test positive for MSI-H. Checkpoint inhibitors are also being

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tested in clinical trials in combination with chemotherapy for treatment of patients with stage III colon cancer that is MSI-H following surgery to prevent recurrence.

Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and nivolumab (Opdivo) are examples of checkpoint inhibitors currently available that target PD-1, a protein on immune system cells called T cells that normally help keep these cells from attacking other cells in the body. By blocking PD-1, these drugs boost the immune response against cancer cells.

These drugs are given as an intravenous (IV) infusion every 2 or 3 weeks.

Even though checkpoint inhibitors can be very effective and are an exciting treatment option for those suffering from colon and certain other cancers, serious side effects can potentially occur. These drugs work by basically removing the brakes from the body’s immune system. Sometimes the immune system starts attacking other parts of the body, which can cause serious or even

12th Annual SWAN Day

SWAN DAY (Support Women Artists Now Day) is an international holiday celebrating the creative power of women all over the world. The 12th annual SWAN DAY celebration in Martinez is on Saturday, April 6, and over 50 artists from around the Bay Area are expected to showcase their talent.

The Martinez Arts Association has brought this international holiday close to home in downtown Martinez for the past 11 years. With the support of the City of Martinez and local artists, we have promoted the celebration of all forms of visual & performing arts. This event is FREE, and all artists and lovers of the arts are invited to join in the celebration of this amazing collaboration of artists. Every year there is a great line-up of local live music.

This year’s schedule will be announced soon.

This celebration will be held from 10am to 4 pm in the Old Train Depot and the parking lot at the end of Ferry Street. The event goes on, rain or shine! For more information or to participate in this free event, please visit www.martinezarts.org.

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life-threatening problems in the lungs, intestines, liver, hormone-making glands, kidneys, or other organs. Therefore, we closely monitor these side effects during clinic visits via physical exams and lab assessments.

John Muir Hospital is participating in clinical trials to see if these checkpoint inhibitors can be used in combination with chemotherapy in early stage disease (stage III) following surgery to prevent recurrence and in advanced stage (stage IV) to see if these drugs can be used early in the course of the treatment, either by itself or in combination with chemotherapy.

Join Dr. Johl and other medical staff at “The Many Faces of Colorectal Cancer” on March 13, 6:30-8:30pm, at the Lafayette Library Community Room. Please register to: sjung@dvohmg.com or call 925-677-5041.

Jewel Johl, MD is a Board Certified medical oncologist with Diablo Valley Oncology & Hematology Medical Group.

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How to Raise Your Own Chickens

Walnut Creek Walking Tour

Messa da Requiem Chorale

TreasureFest

Topics include raising young chicks, laying hen maintenance, and sustainable coop construction. Workshops are free and will be held in Lafayette from 1-3:30pm. Location provided upon registration: chickenspapajohn@ gmail.com.

The WC Historical Society offers free downtown tours that depart rain or shine at 9:30am from Liberty Bell Plaza on the corner of Broadway and Mt. Diablo Blvd. A booklet with historic photos of the sites visited may be purchased at the tour for $5. Registration in advance by calling 925-935-7871 or www.wchistory.com.

Cantare Con Vivo Chorale presents Giuseppe Verdi’s Messa da Requiem. Four soloists, double choir and a very full orchestra that includes 8 trumpets. 7:30 pm, Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church, 1801 Lacassie Ave., Walnut Creek. General $38, senior $33, student $10. www.cantareconvivo.org

One part shopping, one part feasting, and one part music and entertainment.

A unique monthly festival that showcases the best of the Bay Area. 10am-4pm. Located at 500 Ave N, Treasure Island SF. $5 general entry, kids under 12 are free. Free parking. Pet friendly. www.treasurefest.com

march 5

march 13

march 17

april 5

Pleasant Hill Garden Study Club

PH Historical Society Meeting

St. Baldrick’s

The Secret Life of Wildflowers by Ken Lavin.

Guests are always welcome. Meeting is free.

7pm at PH Community Center, 320 Civic Dr., PH. (925) 323-9314 or www.phgsc.com.

The quarterly meeting will be held at 6pm at Rodgers Ranch, 315 Cortsen Road in Pleasant Hill. Refreshments will be served.

The 8th Annual Shave-A-Thon that raises funds for life saving cancer research will be held from 11am-2pm at the Main Street Plaza in Martinez. Visit www.stbaldricks.org and search “Martinez” Event for more details.

Texas Hold Em Tournament

march 9

march 14

march 19 & 23

ongoing

Grow More Food: Home Permaculture Series

Plan a Park

CERT

Volunteer with Seniors

John Muir Land Trust (JMLT) seeks funds to protect the 84-acre property in Lamorinda known as Painted Rock. Drop by between 5:30-9pm to ask questions, provide input, and see design concepts. Refreshments available. Hacienda de las Flores, 2100 Donald Dr., Moraga. RSVP at https://jmlt.org.

Two sessions of Community Emergency Response Training begin on Tuesdays from 6-9:30pm beginning on 3/19 or Saturdays 8am-1pm beginning 3/23. Both sessions are 6 weeks. Sign up at martinezcert.org

Spectrum Community Services is looking for individuals who would like to volunteer in senior centers all around the East Bay. Please call Spectrum Community Services at 510-8810300 ext. 242 or fill out an application at www.

Spectrumcs.org.

march 9

march 15

march 21

ongoing

Main Street Arts in March

St. Patrick’s Party

Growing and Using Herbs

Volunteers for Senior Van Service

In this workshop explore the world of herbal medicine and its connections to the garden and kitchen, then plan your garden. 10am12pm at the Rodgers Ranch Heritage Center, 315 Cortsen Road., Pleasant Hill. $25 fee. Preregister at www.sustainablecoco.org.

Pleasant Hill Senior Center Van Service is looking for a volunteer ride schedule dispatcher. Only one morning shift each week (9-11am). For more information, visit pleasanthillca.org/seniorvan or call 925-671-5288.

Drop-ins welcome; 9:30am—12pm. $40/ class. Rodgers Ranch Heritage Center, Pleasant Hill. Register: www.sustainablecoco.org

Celebrating 3 years! Garageland Rodeo’s BBC Sessions will perform from 5-7pm. Write a poem or draw a picture to be displayed on our wall for the month of March. Refreshments will be served. Main Street Arts, 613 Main Street, Martinez.

Pleasant Hill Rotary hosts their 19th annual party at the Pleasant Hill Community Center at 5:30pm. Tickets are $60 and can be purchased by emailing jbonato@aol.com. No tickets sold at door.

Tournament benefiting White Pony Express and Martinez Rotary at 6pm. Cards fly at 7pm. 1340 Roman Way, Martinez (U.A. Craftsman Center). Tickets $60 prior to March 20 and $70 after, includes dinner. Sign up at http://www.martinezrotary.org.

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