December 2015

Diablo Gazette • DECEMBER 2015 • Page 2 • www.DiabloGazette.com | www.fb.com/DiabloGazette •(925)-298-9990

From the Publisher David King It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. In this month’s edition it does. I’m looking forward to the New Year. It’s been personally rewarding to uncover the interesting stories this area has to offer this past six months.

If you know someone who should be recognized, or has a fascinating or entertaining personal story that could be shared, send it to me. Why should celebrities get all the press?

Advertisers, take note, in 2016, we will also be placing your messages on

Claycord.com. Please call us or email for details.

Get more story updates on our website, Diablogazette.com and be sure to like us for good news feeds on our facebook. Whoops, I’m out of space.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

David King

What Really Matters

by Dan Ashley

The Reason for the Season With Thanksgiving in our collective rear view mirror, we are now speeding rapidly toward Christmas and, if you’re like most people, you already feel desperately behind.

Is the house decorated? What about Christmas cards, are those in the mail? I’ll bet you haven’t bought a single gift yet, right? The holiday season is filled with so much joy, but it also comes with healthy helpings of stress, expectation, and pressure.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year, but Christmas is a close second. And I don’t mean Christmas Day, but the entire season. I’m one of those people who tries to really get into the spirit of the thing, the whole “good will toward men” aspect of what this time of year is supposed to be all about. For me, that part of the holiday transcends religion in that you don’t have to be a Christian to experience and appreciate what it is all about.

Unfortunately, what it has morphed into more so than ever before is stuff. Some stores won’t even wait until the day after Thanksgiving to open anymore for fear that someone might stay at home for the entire day without spending any money.

The level of fake events to get us to spend, spend, spend fast and furiously before December 25th is mind-boggling. First, we had Black Friday to get us to rush out on the day after giving thanks to give businesses our money. Then the marketing wizards came up with Cyber-Monday so that whatever limit we had left on our credit cards after the previous Friday could be spent on the internet. Now, they’ve just come up with another gimmick sandwiched right in the middle of those other two national days of consumerism. Have you heard of Small Business Saturday? That’s a day set aside for us to make our holiday purchases at mom-and-pop type operations. Are there even any of those anymore?

So, in the new spirit of the season, I’ve come with a few more ideas to help round-out the entire week

after Thanksgiving to really help us embrace the shopping arm-twisting we experience each year. Here we go: - Circular Sunday- after Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, this shopping day let’s us focus our attention on the circular ads that show up in the Sunday paper. Not only would this boost spending on that day, but it will also increase the circular ad business for your local paper— a two-fer.

- Take Out Tuesday- after all of the frantic shopping the previous three days, we will need a rest and some time at home with a nice take-out meal from a local restaurant. Why should they be left out of the holiday marketing blitz?

- Wild Wednesday- this special day of shopping leaves you in the driver’s seat for a change with no particular command about how to spend your money. Go crazy, big box shopping, locally-owned shops, or an on-line buying binge- whatever you choose as long as you choose to spend.

And to round out the week: - 401-K Thursday- since by now, if all has gone according to plan, you are completely out of money. This day would be a guilt-free chance to raid your retirement accounts to secure any of those last items on your holiday shopping list. All of the investment houses would have extra staff on duty to more quickly enable you to access your rainy day funds for the here and the now and the on sale.

There you go, a full week of spending mania to really kick-off the holiday season in festive fashion and still leave plenty of time before Christmas for all of that peace on earth, good will toward men nonsense!

All kidding aside, the commercial nature of the Christmas season has its role and it is fun, but What Really Matters, of course, is that it be kept in its proper place and perspective as we celebrate a magical time of the year.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! -Dan

Diablo Gazette • DECEMBER 2015 • Page 3 • www.DiabloGazette.com | www.fb.com/DiabloGazette • (925)-298-9990

THERE WILL BE NO SCURVY IN THE VALLEY

by Edi Birsan Concord City Councilman

In the Concord area and throughout the Diablo Valley there is a large population of fruit trees. There were orchards throughout and it was popular to plant fruit trees in the last century. In fact, in one housing tract complex the city cooperated with the planting of a fruit tree in every house that was built. Over three generations we have seen a decline in the ability of the homeowners, many of which are rather senior in age as well as having physical limitations, to deal with the fruit. Gone are the kids and the grandkids who are too wrapped up in the latest video-Iphone sensation to deal with the fruit trees.

Therein rushed the Rotary Club of Concord-Diablo 6 years ago, with the Gleaning Project also known as the arrival of the Picker Squadron. It is a classic “two'fer” community service project, it gathers the fruit from the homeowners and brings it to the food pantries in Concord or the Food Bank, while at the same time providing a service to the homeowners who do not have the ability or the time to gather the fruit

Picker Squadron with bounty.

before it falls to the ground and rots.

To date, The Club has gathered over 25 tons of fruit and involved every single member of the club in establishing a sustainable tradition of service-above-self in the community. As the motto of the Picker Squadron says, “There shall be no scurvy in Concord.”

If you have fruit trees that need 'gleaning' contact: EdiBirsan@gmail.com phone 925-798-3537.

You can follow the club on Facebook (Rotary Club of Concord-Diablo).

Travis Credit Union Granted Community Development Financial Institution Designation by U.S. Treasury’s CDFI Fund VACAVILLE, CA –Travis Credit Union has recently been certified by the U.S. Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund. Only 808 organizations in the United States are certified CDFIs, including loan funds, credit unions and community banks.

To receive this certification, financing organizations must have a primary mission of promoting community development and must provide development services in conjunction with their financing activities.

CDFI certification allows Travis Credit Union to better serve low- and moderate-income consumers and promote financial inclusion in the counties the credit union serves.

The benefits of certification include access to financial grants from the CDFI Fund, partnership opportunities with financial institutions that are seeking Bank Enterprise Awards, access to New Market Tax Credits and the enhanced ability to raise funds from foundations, corporations and state and local governments.

“CDFI certification is a valuable credential that helps credit unions increase their capacity to meet the needs of low-income consumers and to develop strategic partnerships to better connect with the community,” says Barry Nelson, president and CEO of Travis Credit Union.

The credit union offers products and services at substantial savings that consumers of modest means need and use. This includes traditional deposit and loan accounts and special programs such as small balance savings and investment products.

Members can borrow smaller loans at favorable rates and break the cycle of high-interest payday loans.

Specialized money management programs help members manage their personal finances and provide additional flexibility and options for military members, teachers, police officers, fire fighters, health care workers and people with disabilities.

Travis Credit Union is the 13th largest credit union in California, with more than 177,000 members and over $2.4 billion in assets.

Headquartered in Vacaville, Travis Credit Union is a not-for-profit, cooperative financial institution serving those who live and work in Contra Costa including Concord, Clayton, Antioch, and Brentwood.

They have 22 branches total among 12 Northern California counties.

Diablo Gazette • DECEMBER 2015 • Page 4 • www.DiabloGazette.com | www.fb.com/DiabloGazette •(925)-298-9990

A Concord Christmas Story BRIAN AMBROSE

What do you do when a 50+ year Holiday tradition is practically ripped from your heart in a matter of minutes? That's the dilemma one Concord family faced when their treasured handmade Christmas card collection was stolen during a burglary in their home this past summer.

But it's Christmastime and miracles are supposed to happen, right? Here is Concord resident Brian Ambrose’s true Christmas Story.

Brian silk screening this year's Christmas cards.

In 1958, my father started a tradition of creating homemade Christmas cards by using hand designed stencils Dad cut out for doing a silk screen painted card. I think part of the tradition may have been borne out of necessity as my parents used surplus school supplies to craft their early cards. For 22 years my parents continued this tradition before eventually moving on to more conventional store-made cards.

I thought it would be fun to carry on the tradition. So 33 years ago I picked it up and have continued it to this day. Each year I design, prepare the silk screen, and with a squeegee paint 150 cards. Every color requires a separate "run" through the screen and many of our designs have multiple colors. It is a labor of love. Once completed, I would proudly pick one out and add it to our master collection which I kept in a fireproof box for eternal safekeeping. Our first card was a simple red heart with a gold string hanging from

a single branch of a Christmas tree. It symbolized my wife's and my first Christmas as a married couple and had the simple caption, "Christmas is Love."

Over the years, our cards have come to symbolize many of the major and minor milestones in our family's life: from the birth of our two boys, to the celebration of my wife's successful victory over cancer; from vacations to anniversaries and more.

When my father passed away in 2007, I chose to honor him on our card using a Norman Rockwell sketch of a father reading a book to his child sitting on his lap. In retirement, my father became known as The Storyteller of Rancho Bernardo. A retired school principal, he volunteered his time telling stories to children at schools and churches. The card was a fitting tribute to the man who started our tradition. It is one of my favorites in our collection.

Five months ago that collection was taken from us in a home burglary. Many items in a burglary or fire can be replaced, but this was not one of them. Thirty-two years of hand-painted family Christmas cards, symbolizing the story of our lives, year by year...was gone. Irreplaceably.

My mother passed away five years ago around Christmas in 2010. My sister recently came across my Mom's collection of our Christmas cards among her stuff. It was no surprise that my mother had kept them for she had previously sent me her entire collection of my father's cards which we have framed and proudly display in our home.

Finding my Mom's collection of our cards was a blessing. I was getting my collection back after all. To be safe, I had my sister send them to me

via overnight delivery from San Diego to my Walnut Creek office address to avoid any would-be doorstep package thieves.

The cards never arrived.

A damaged label with no tracking number and only my sister's name visible in the recipient section lead a misguided driver to deliver the precious package to a complete stranger, in Pittsburg, CA. What! The return address to my Walnut Creek office was still clearly visible. I was devastated. My collection had been lost again, this time forever.

It turns out, this stranger had the same name as my sister and proved to be both a Guardian Angel and a Good Samaritan, for she looked me up from the return address and personally delivered the cards to my office a week later. I had recovered all of the cards! Except for the one from 2010, the year my Mom passed away. Nevertheless, it was just short of a miracle, I felt, a happy ending with a whole new chapter to be added to our tradition this year.

A couple weeks ago, I was playing poker with some friends. During the evening, I shared my "Christmas miracle" story with the group, describing the roller coaster ride of losing the cards, recovering them, losing them again and then re-recovering them. I expressed how happy I was and yet harbored some disappointment that I was missing the one card from the year my Mom had passed. At which point, the host proclaimed, "I think I still have that card!" She did. She had saved a few of our cards and she gladly gave it back to me - the one missing card from our entire 55 year collection.

That night, I lost in poker but it didn't matter, for I had just experienced a Christmas Miracle with better cards, our Christmas Cards. Happy Holidays to All!

From The Principal’s Desk: JEFF EBEN CVCHS

It seems to be the season for “everything” this time of the school year – championship athletic competitions, music and theatrical performances, and academic testing preparations.

Just to add to the hustle and bustle, Clayton Valley Charter High School hosted an Open Enrollment parent information meeting to showcase the amazing academic environment, to highlight student achievements and to introduce our dedicated teaching staff, coaches and guidance counselors. It was an eye-opening experience – over 1,500 family members gathered in our large gym – to witness the commitment of parents who want the best for their children and the great lengths they will travel for a world-class education right here in Concord.

In less than 24 hours, CVCHS received more than 500 student applications for the 2015-16 school year. This is a new record for our charter school and is a testament that

Full house at CVCHS gymnasium for 2016/17 enrollment meeting.

parent choice really matters.

To be clear, where to send your student to high school could be one of the most impactful decisions a parent will ever make. I’m certain families have a special focus on certain factors that determine a desired academic environment and choose accordingly.

For those of you looking for guidance, allow me to offer three reasons why families choose Clayton

Valley Charter for their students.

First, we have high expectations for our students’ experience. We don’t just want our students to graduate – we want them to excel. We want our students prepared for the future – not just pass a test today. So, we will push our students to be their best, and support them along the way. Second, we provide worldclass opportunities for your son or

daughter. Whether it sports, music, theater, or student government, we make sure our activities are highcaliber and worthy of their time and engagement. Finally, to be a part of Ugly Eagle pride. Spend an hour with our students and you will feel their unabashed school spirit. It is hard to describe, but easy to see. Our students are proud of their school.

So during this busy season, take some time to ask yourself what you want for your children? There’s no debate that Clayton Valley Charter High School thoroughly prepares our students for academic success and develops our young leaders to compete in the 21st Century.

Our Open Enrollment period ends on January 26, 2016. All students who wish to attend, including feeder pattern middle school students, and students with siblings attending CVCHS, must complete the Open Enrollment application online by the deadline.

To learn more about Clayton Valley Charter High School and Open Enrollment, please visit: www. claytonvalley.org.

Diablo Gazette • DECEMBER 2015 • Page 5 • www.DiabloGazette.com | www.fb.com/DiabloGazette • (925)-298-9990

Carondelet Softball Player Signs to Yale When parents enter their children into recreational sports program, occasionally they develop faint dreams of it becoming something more, a ticket to college, maybe even a profession.

For Giovy Webb, it was just supposed to be fun. She started her softball career playing ball at age 5 with Clayton Valley Little League.

Now she’s 17 years old and a senior at Carondelet High School. She is a four year varsity softball short stop, EBAL All League and NCS Scholar Athlete award recipient.

She had no idea it would lead to a D1-Ivy League commitment to Yale University. On November 13, 2015, at a campus-wide NLI (National Letter of Intent) signing ceremony -- a culmination of several years of playing travel ball year round, putting in hard work and dedication to their sport.

Giovy maintains a 4.5 GPA and began receiving athletic scholarship offers from Pac-12 schools as early as 10th grade. However, she has always had her eyes set on playing in the Ivy League. Several Ivy League schools began contacting her during her junior year after scoring well on her SATs and AP tests.

By second semester of junior year, Giovy received an early verbal commitment from Yale (her top choice). Princeton and Harvard

Giovy last week at Carondelet High School’s NLI signing ceremony.

were her second and third choice, respectively. Having submitted her Single Choice Early Action application to Yale in September, she was ecstatic to receive a congratulatory telephone call from Yale letting her know that she will be the recipient of one of their very few and highly coveted "Likely Letters" which officially cements her likely acceptance into Yale.

Giovy cannot wait to play collegiate softball for Yale University and represent her family, the City of Clayton and Nor Cal in the Ivy League. Congratulations to Giovy and her parents for realizing their dreams. We wish her well. Maybe we should be congratulating Yale.

Ten-year-old Giovy (back row, second from left) with the CVLL All Stars team during a Fourth of July Parade in downtown Clayton.

HOOP SHOOT - 44th YEAR OF EXCITEMENT The 44th annual Walnut Creek Elks local Free Throw Contest will take place Sunday, December 6th from 8:30 to 11:00 a.m., hosted once again at De La Salle High School in Concord.

Boys and girls, ages 8 through 13, (as of APRIL 1, 2016) are invited to participate.

Certificates and prizes will be awarded to all participants and trophies will be awarded to the top three finishers of each boys’ and girls’ category.

Age group champions will have the right to represent our Lodge area in the Elk’s District, California, Regional and National championship events beginning next January. (We have had five California state champions over the past three years!).

There is no cost! Just show up and register at the gym between 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. and shoot 25 free throws! Bring your brothers, sisters, friends, and teammates. Coaches can have your players participate independently, or as a team. It

will be a great, fun experience bot for individuals and for teams. For more information go to www.Elks. org. Click on Our Programs, Hoop Shoot and watch a video of the 2015 national finals.

Contact Coach Mike Rittenhouse, Director at (925) 3602900 or coach_ ritt@yahoo.com.

Let’s Embrace School Choice, Not Destroy It NEIL MCCHESNEY

Public charter schools are schools of choice allowing parents to determine what’s in the best interest of their child. Throughout California, parents and community members are leading the effort to recognize school choice as an important factor in transforming the future of our public education system.

Evidence suggests that individual communities have never been more supportive of charter schools based on growth in enrollment, waiting list numbers, and polling data. The increase in support has occurred during a period when charter schools have been held more accountable than traditional public schools and have strengthened their performance, especially with historically underserved students.

Earlier this summer, a group of educators and passionate parents worked tirelessly with the Contra Costa County Board of Education (CCCOE) to establish a new alternative for East Bay students – the Contra Costa School of Performing Arts (SPA).

We are excited to begin our 2016-17 school year and are rapidly approaching our enrollment goal of 300 students. The SPA team is grateful that parents recognized the value of choosing a distinguished, pre-professional experience in performing arts within a college and career preparatory setting for their students.

Unfortunately, some in our community -- with a certain political agenda to destroy the school choice

movement -- are seeking to derail our efforts. Earlier this month, SPA was informed that the Mt. Diablo Unified School District (MDUSD) filed a lawsuit against CCCOE over their decision to approve our charter petition.

Although this news is disappointing, anti-charter politics of this kind are unfortunately not uncommon. The District’s complaint is completely meritless and similar challenges have been dismissed by the courts. And, we fully expect the same result in this case.

There’s no argument that MDUSD is extremely hostile to charter schools. Since the California Charter Schools Act was signed into law in 1992, MDUSD has only authorized one school – Eagle Peak Montessori in 2000. Over the years, MDUSD has routinely and systematically squashed parent choice in their district and outlying areas.

Despite having a mandate to do what’s in the best interests of students, MDUSD continues to bully and intimidate in order to continue its monopoly.

I want to ensure our school community of SPA’s commitment to bring the best education option for performing arts to the Concord region. We have complied with all requirements as outlined by State law and SPA will remain involved and vigilant protecting the rights of our new students. So at a time when school choice is being embraced throughout California, it’s rather unbecoming of those local education bureaucrats who seek to destroy what’s best for our students.

Diablo Gazette • DECEMBER 2015 • Page 6 • www.DiabloGazette.com | www.fb.com/DiabloGazette •(925)-298-9990

Tips for Selling Your Home During the Holidays JENNIFER STOJANOVICH Realtor

It’s the time of year where our calendars are full with holiday events, our budgets are planned for gift-giving and the weather outside is cold! However the good news is the buyers that do venture out are serious about buying a home and if your home is properly staged with stylish trimmings it will make them want to ring in 2016 in your home.

If you do plan to sell your home during the holiday season here are a few tips to get buyers in the right spirit: Stage – Before putting up holiday decorations, your house needs to be staged. For buyers to see your home with all of its potential you want to ensure your home is not “overcrowded” with décor. Less-ismore however a few subtle touches like an evergreen wreath can help create a cozy vibe and create a festive feeling in your home. However make sure your holiday collection matches your current décor. If your family room is painted blue, red garland would not be a fit. Opt for white snowflakes or a silver wreath. If your décor is earth tones, accent with cranberries, forest green or gold.

Lights – Skip the inflatable décor in your front yard this year. Instead, use simple string lighting to play up your home’s architecture or help accent your front landscape.

Tree or No Tree – A tall Christmas tree can help show off your two-story with vaulted ceilings but make sure it doesn’t overwhelm your room. If you have a smaller living area, opt for a skinny tree. While trimming your tree, remember to keep to a simple theme of white lights and silver tinsel or just colored glass balls.

De-Clutter – Properly done, a few decorations can enhance the holiday spirit in your home but remember you want each space to look as spacious as possible. Limit each room to a few holiday decorations and put the rest away.

Some sellers tell me they miss their usual holiday décor but rest assured if your home is properly staged, it will present well to potential buyers and remember you can celebrate next year’s holiday the way you want in a new home.

At Better Homes Realty we take the stress out of staging your home. We offer free staging when we list your home. Call our office today. See my ad below.

FrugElegance With Carol and Randi, the Frugirls

A Christmas Kitchen

Our Kitchen is the heart of our home all year round and most especially during the holidays. With all the special holiday cooking and baking, everyone seems to drift towards the kitchen to taste, to chat and to just be close by. We love to decorate our kitchen with a separate theme from our other holiday home décor. That is, the rest of the house is more traditionally decorated throughout. The kitchen is a bit more whimsical especially with our gingerbread theme Christmas tree filled with fun ornaments. And everyone loves the hot chocolate & cookie station! Here are our FrugElegant holiday touches that make A Christmas Kitchen so special.

•A Kitchen Christmas Tree •A festive & beautifully set Kitchen Table •Gingerbread Houses •Cookies & Hot Chocolate Station •Assorted decor items around the kitchen: Decorative Plate, Soap Dispenser, Plants & more...

Our Christmas kitchen decor is full of rich colors with lots of warmth and love. The gingerbread theme tree is the perfect kitchen island centerpiece. The ornaments are a mix of new and old. The hot cocoa bar invites everyone to make a cup and grab a cookie. The rosemary tree, next to the stovetop,

is perfect for cooking (and smells terrific). Decorating the container for the rosemary tree is a super easy inexpensive DIY project. It is a plain clay pot that we painted with chalkboard paint and around the top the words "Ho Ho Ho!" are written across the top using a chalk marker.

A pretty ribbon wrapped around the pot provides the final touch. By the way, this would also make an awesome hostess gift! The most important part of decorating for the holidays is to have fun!

For those with a home office, we offer simple decorating ideas to infuse the Holidays into your work days as well. Come check out the rest of the house including our ideas for a Christmas Home Office! We have our Frug-Elegant Christmas Home Tour & our Christmas Home Office on our blog! www. frugelegance.com

Diablo Gazette • DECEMBER 2015 • Page 7 • www.DiabloGazette.com | www.fb.com/DiabloGazette • (925)-298-9990

Computer Corner

Retirees Explore San Francisco

By William Claney, Computers USA

Congratulations, You Finally Bought a Backup Device There is good news, and then there is not so good news when it comes to backup devices for your computer.

The good news, you finally took to heart that you NEED backup because computers do fail. When computers fail you risk losing decades of important data, photos or music. So, it is imperative you have backups.

But, is that enough?

When backing up, it is important to know the equipment you’re using.

Backing up to faulty equipment is tantamount to no backup at all. So you spent your fifty bucks, bought a backup device, ran the backup software and now you’re safe.

In the never ending push to keep prices low, manufacturers will cut corners. Save a buck at any cost and uninformed consumers will rush to buy. Well, this race to the bottom has dire consequences and its name is Western Digital Passport. In my opinion the absolutely worst piece of equipment you can purchase.

The Passport, and other cheaply made plastic external devices, will work for a while, but a high percentage of them fail, so avoid them. Anyone selling you or suggesting you buy this device may as well be saying, “one of us is too uninformed to know the difference.”

In my opinion, relying on a Western Digital Passport device for your backup is worse than no backup at all. I have seen the faces of people who just lost a lifetime of memories.

Not so pretty.

There are two overwhelming

reasons why this device fails. First the case is made of plastic. Plastic doesn’t dissipate heat. Hard drives generate heat, heat kills hard drives.

The second is the way they combined the USB device with the drive. It’s all one device and USB dies easily.

USB dies, that’s the end of the HDD because it cannot be separated from the failed part, whereas, a good device separates the HDD from the USB. In case the USB portion dies, one can remove the still good drive and install it into another external enclosure and you’re back up and running.

Shop with eyes open and buy a metal enclosure, usually made of aluminum. It will dissipate the heat a HDD produces thereby aiding in the longevity of the drive. Buy one that has separate USB connection that plugs into the drive in case the USB portion dies, the HDD can be disconnected and moved to another metal enclosure.

Now this from the Siam Embedded Community Support Forums (Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics – some really smart guys n’ gals) “… a plastic enclosure can be your nemesis when it comes to stable installs, for much of the same reasons. I take the position that, if possible, you should never use a plastic enclosure - and always opt for an aluminum one instead. In the long run, the cost offset will be outweighed by the enormous benefits you gain from a metal enclosure. This is coming only from my experience and opinion.”

According to “superuser” an answer site for computer enthusiasts and power users, “Metal generally conducts heat better (often much better) than plastic and will keep temperatures lower than a plastic enclosure, which can trap heat as it acts as an insulator.

Recap. Plastic is bad, metal is good, okay? Now go do the right thing.

See his ad left.

(L to R) Gayle Duncan, Elaine Stephenson, Jack Duncan, Jim Garcia, Bobbi Silberman, Barry Silberman, Lorraine Ruppert, John Fernando, tour guide Kurt Weitzmann, Tom Ruppert, Mike Krawesky, Bill Stephenson, Connie Krawesky, Michelle Barnaba, Jack Barnaba, Hilda Luke, Nelson Luke, Bernie Theobald

The local Concord/Clayton Branch #19 of the Sons in Retirement (SIR) recently spent the day in San Francisco’s eclectic Haight Ashbury neighborhood for a unique walking tour to recall and commemorate the 1967 Summer of Love. The focus was on the cultural impact and music coming out of San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury community during that late 1960’s era. The two hour walking tour included stops at the former residences of Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead, the Jefferson Airplane, the Diggers community firehouse, and the Panhandle. They also took time to see and learn about the colorful history of the “painted ladies”, those beautiful Victorian homes that have become an integral part of the neighborhood.

The Sons in Retirement (SIR) is

a western non-profit corporation for retired men dedicated to maximizing the enjoyment of their senior years. Concord/Clayton Branch #19 offers its members a variety of recreational activities including golf, bowling, hiking, bocce ball, various travel outings, dine-outs, and other activities. Meet over lunch on the first Thursday of every month at Oakhurst Country Club for keynote presentations from a variety of interesting cultural and content experts. Membership is free. Prospective SIR members are welcome to come as a guest to one of our monthly luncheons. Sound Interesting? Contact Bruce Persons at: brucep@astound.net, or call 925-338-1996. Learn more at www. sir19.org.

Diablo Gazette • DECEMBER 2015 • Page 8 • www.DiabloGazette.com | www.fb.com/DiabloGazette •(925)-298-9990

Reviews Book Ends

by Chadwick H Saxelid

Welcome to Night Vale - by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor If you listen to “Welcome to Night Vale”, you know people are not allowed in the Dog Park. You know dogs are not allowed in the Dog Park. You know, should you see a hooded figure in the Dog Park, to not look at or speak to it. You know these things, and so much more.

If you have not heard of “Welcome to Night Vale”, and do not know the above things, and so much more, let me tell you…

“Welcome to Night Vale” is a podcast set in the friendly little desert community of Night Vale. A place where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overhead while everyone pretends to sleep.

This podcast can best be described as what might happen if Garrison Keillor decided to reboot A Prairie Home Companion, and called in Monty Python and the spirit of H.P. Lovecraft to help write it.

In the three years since its July 2012 debut, “Welcome to Night Vale” has only become more

and more popular. It goes on tour performing live shows in front of audiences in various states and countries across this great nation. (Nations like Svitz.)

This growing popularity, which shows zero signs of abating, has also given creators/writers, Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor, the opportunity to write a standalone novel set in their bizarre little desert community. (Where visitors are warmly greeted with pointed fingers and screams of - “INTERLOPERS!”) Fink and Cranor tell two stories that, over the course of 400 and some (very) odd pages, turn out to have more in common than not.

One is the story of perpetually nineteen year old pawnshop owner Jackie Fierro, who is searching for a way to get rid of a slip of paper she cannot get rid of, no matter how hard she tries.

The other is the tale of single mother Diane Crayton and her fifteen year old son, Josh. Josh is a shapeshifter that has become curious as to who his father is, and wants to meet him.

Fink and Cranor manage to fit all the existential dread, absurdist humor, and nonsequitur strangeness that make their podcast so addictive. A great deal of the cast also shows up.

I am certain most fans will enjoy reading this.

If you have not heard the show, I suggest giving it a listen before cracking this book open.

Movie Maverick

by Jason Rugaard

‘Creed’ Earlier this year there was much pre-release Oscar buzz for the boxing flick Southpaw. That film and its lead actor Jake Gyllenhaal were being mentioned as possible heavyweights on Academy Awards night, all sight unseen. Then the movie came out and despite a remarkable physique change for Jake Gyllenhaal, Southpaw was instantly forgettable. Now, comes the most unlikeliest of Oscar contenders in Creed. Resurrecting a franchise that has spawned nearly 40 years, writer/director Ryan Coogler (a Bay Area native) does a remarkably nimble job of sculpting a love-letter to the series and for long-time fans of Balboa.

Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) is the bastard son of deceased former heavyweight champion Apollo Creed. Plucked out of a juvenile detention center as a youth by the widow Mary Ann

Creed (Phylicia Rashād) and raised in luxury, Adonis still can’t shake the inner fire to fight, against anything and anybody it seems. When we first met the adult Adonis, he is preparing to battle in an unsanctioned bout south of the border for minimal money. This is a troubled young man who is fairly unlikable until he comes under the tutelage of his father’s former foe, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone).

After initial resistance Rocky decides to help the kid with some workout tips, this leads to pointers on the bag and next thing you know, Rocky is the Mickey character to Adonis. From this point the script takes on the same structure of the previous installments. We are treated

to a brilliantly staged fight sequence at the midway point that should be studied in film schools for years.

The final fight is also a marvelous sequence (though not as fluid as the first bout) and drew cheers and applauses from the crowd in my screening.

Creed has a lot of the loneliness and isolation that was depicted in the first two films (before the series got adrift in a hyper reality). It’s peculiar how the earlier movies fill in the some of the questions left by this one. It is, I would imagine, not even possible to understand this film without having seen (at least) the first two, and yet, being familiar with them, Creed works on even more levels.

Michael B. Jordan is the real deal in terms of upcoming movie stars.

His handsome features can barely contain the rage and arrogance of a legend’s forgotten son. His scenes with the beautiful Tessa Thompson are delicate and balanced nicely with the film’s more brutal passages.

However, this is Stallone’s show and he takes the opportunity to turn in his greatest bit of screen acting since his inaugural appearance in the role back in 1976. Come Oscar night, I know which underdog I’ll be cheering for. All together now, ROCKY! ROCKY! Director: Ryan Coogler Stars: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson

Diablo Gazette • DECEMBER 2015 • Page 9 • www.DiabloGazette.com | www.fb.com/DiabloGazette • (925)-298-9990

The Diablo Gazette’s

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Outdoors

MARTINEZ: Holiday Ice Skating Rink Downtown Martinez through Jan. 3, 2016Municipal Parking Lot at the corner of Ferry St. and Marina Vista Ave. TICKETS: Prices range from $9 to $14. Group rates, family night, season passes, skating academy, private party rates, birthday party packages also available. Call (925) 228-3577 or email director@ mainstreetmartinez.org Or visit www.

DowntownHolidayIce.com.

Dec 12: Santa Beer Crawl: Join the jolliest bunch of Santas as they walk around the downtown corridor of Martinez, sampling beers from over 20 great craft breweries stationed inside some of the small businesses along Main Street. Sponsored by Main Street Martinez, Creek Monkey Tap House and RockSteady Brewing!

Santa costumes and Ugly sweaters are encouraged to add to the festive fun! Free Shuttles to and from the North Concord BART station will be available, starting at 1:00pm and ending at 8pm. Tickets are $25-$35 each until Dec. 12, 12am or until sold out. Must be 21 or over. No refunds for any reason. http://www. santabeercrawl.com/ DANVILLE: First Sunday of every •Month: Cars ‘n Coffee, On the First Sunday of every month, automotive enthusiasts gather in the parking lots of the Blackhawk Automotive Museum to share their vehicles and admire the other fabulous classics, exotics, rods and anything else with wheels and a motor. There is no fee for Cars & Coffee. Also, the Museum opens at 9am on Cars & Coffee Sundays. 8am-10am , Blackhawk Museum • 3700 Blackhawk Plaza Circle • Danville p:925.736.2280 • museum@blackhawkmuseum.org, http://www.blackhawkmuseum.org/ carsncoffee.html Concord: Todos Santos Park OFF the Grid Mondays Walnut Creek: Off the Grid Every Tuesday; 1380 N. California Blvd. from 5-9pm; Live music from 6-8 pm featuring, Quinn Deveuax , Food truck lovers rejoice!

The community of Walnut Creek can come together to enjoy a variety of Off the Grid food trucks, live entertainment, wine and beer garden, and lots of tasty reasons to come back every Tuesday with family and friends for this ongoing weekly event.

The rotating lineup of nine food trucks in Walnut Creek will include: Drewski’s Hot Rod Kitchen, Gyro

Kiwifruit Now at the Farmers’ Market Kiwi has been around for over 700 years, but only in the US for a few decades. In 1960, an experimental commercial vineyard of 12 vines was planted in California. During this time, the fruit was renamed kiwifruit due to its similar appearance to the national bird of New Zealand.

Now California produces 98% of the kiwifruit grown in the United States. Due to California kiwifruit’s fall harvest, fresh kiwifruit is available to the consumer during the winter months, an uncommon time for the locally-grown fresh fruits. California’s kiwifruit season runs from October through April.

The taste of kiwi fruit, which varies from sweet to tart, has been compared with a combination of other fruits, such as strawberries, nectarines, and melons.

Kiwi fruit blends well with other fruits and makes a striking garnish,

but it is also very tasty eaten on its own.

How to Store Unripe Fruit: Unripened fruit will keep for 3-6 months if stored in a single layer in an airtight plastic bag. Fruit should be kept in cool (but not freezing) temperatures. Close proximity to other fruit will cause fruit to ripen.

Store only fruit with skin that is free of cuts, scrapes, or bruising and check the bags every week or so for any fruit that is starting to ripen.

When the kiwis are ripe, remove the apple or banana and place the plastic bag in the bottom of the vegetable bin, away from other fruit. Ripened fruit will keep for several weeks.

How to Ripen Kiwifruit: Put a few kiwifruit in a closed plastic bag with an apple or banana and keep at room temperature. Fruit should ripen in 3 to 10 days.

From the Recipe Book:

Kiwi Salsa

3 to 4 California kiwifruit, peeled and diced (1 1/2 cups) 2 medium tangerines or 1 orange, peeled and diced 1 cup peeled and diced jicama 1/2 cup diced sweet red or yellow bell pepper 1/4 cup chopped cilantro 1 tablespoon lime juice 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1/2 to 1 small jalapeno pepper, minced, seeds and veins removed 1/4 teaspoon salt In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, mixing well. Chill briefly.

· Serve as a dip with tortilla chips, toasted pita bread triangles or warm tortillas; · Serve as a sauce over grilled or baked halibut or swordfish steaks, chicken or roasted pork tenderloin; · Serve over warm flour tortilla filled with scrambled eggs.

Club/Support Group Events

Concord Ducati Bike Night, 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on the fourth Friday of each month at Lazy Dog Café, 1961 Diamond Blvd, Concord. 925/8491221 http://norcaldoc.com Home Rainwater Workshop.

Saturday December 12 10A to 2 P (lunch provided). Hosted by Sustainable Contra Costa . Hands-on learning workshop on Installing A Home Rainwater Catchment System.

Location at private Walnut Creek home. For more info price visit www. sustainablecoco.org/workshops .

Concord Chamber of Commerce 12/10 Women’s Networking Group Holiday Lunch 11:45 AM—1:00 PM Concord Chamber Office 2280 Diamond Blvd., Suite 200 Concord Members—FREE Prospective Members—$25 12/18 Holiday Open House Breakfast catered by Dave’s Cuisine 8:00 AM — 9:30 AM Concord Chamber Office 2280 Diamond Blvd., Suite 200 Concord FREE—Chamber Members Only. (925) 685-1181 info@ concordchamber.com Mt. Diablo California Writers Club (CWC): “The Path to Publication” presentation by three local authors at the next luncheon meeting on Saturday, December 12, 2015 at Zio Fraedo’s Restaurant, 611 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill. Sign-in begins at 11:15 am, with a seated luncheon and one complimentary beverage from 12:00 pm to 12:45 pm, and speakers at 1:00 pm. The cost is $25 for CWC members, $30 for guests. Reservations are required, and must be received no later than noon on Wednesday, December 9. Contact Robin at ragig@ aol.com or leave a message at: 925933-9670 or sign up via PayPal: click “buy now” on the Mt.Diablo website.

Add $2 transaction fee. Confirmation only if you e-mail your reservation. http://cwcmtdiablowriters,wordpress. com/next-program/.

12/18 CYP Ugly Sweater Get Together 6:00 PM—8:00 PM Epidemic Ales 150 Mason Circle, Suite J Concord Members—FREE, Prospective Members—$20 info@ concordchamber.com; (925) 685-1181 www.concordchamber.com

Fundraisers Pancake Breakfast - Supporting Veterans of foreign Wars – 2nd and 4th Sundays includes eggs, pancakes, sausage, beverage. 8 – 11 a.m. Willow Pass Road, Concord $5, $3 Children under 12. www. vfwpost1525.org

Diablo Gazette • DECEMBER 2015 • Page 10 • www.DiabloGazette.com | www.fb.com/DiabloGazette •(925)-298-9990

Support Groups Al-Anon Family Group 7:30 p.m. Mondays, St. Martins of Tours Anglican Church & Preschool, Concord. 932-6770 or www.ncwsa. org.

Alcoholics Anonymous - 9394155 or www.aa.org.

Bereavement Support Group:1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month, 4:30 6:00 pm. pre-registration. Call (925) 887-5681 The Bridge A bi-weekly program that provides support in a safe place where grieving children, teens, adults share their experiences using art, play, journaling, music and conversation. The Bridge program starts and ends with each school year, approximately 9 months. Preregistration (925) 887-5681.

Cardiac Care Support Group - 7 p.m. second Thursdays, John Muir Walnut Creek or Concord. 947-5206.

Hearing Loss and Cochlear Implant Wearers Support Group - 7 p.m. 1st Wednesdays, Walnut Creek United Methodist Church. HLAADV@hearinglossdv. org or 264-1199.

HIV/AIDS Support Group - 7-9 p.m. 2nd & 4th Thursdays, John Muir Concord. 925- 674-2190.

Solo Opera Announces 2015-2016 Season: ‘Storybook Opera,’ Opens with Hansel and Gretel in December

Lori Buffalow’s The Next Step Dance Studio as the Fourteen Angel Ballet.

Courtesy of John Buyer.

After the success of last year’s Storybook Opera series, Solo Opera, the nonprofit chamber opera company has decided to produce another season of opera specifically devoted to youth and families. “One of our company’s main missions is to foster a new generation of opera lovers. Our Storybook Opera series will help accomplish this dream,” according to Solo Opera Artistic Director, Sylvia Amorino. “Last year the children loved the shows so much, we wanted to continue to bring opera to them a nd help educate them

Living with a Mental Illness?

Join NAMI Connection Peer-led support group. Saturdays 1:00 2:30 pm at John Muir Behavioral Health Center 2740 Grant Street Concord. Call 925-942-0767 or www. namicontracosta.org Nar-Anon - 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, John Muir Concord. http:// naranoncalifornia.org.

Retired & Senior Volunteer Program - 472-5777.

The Stroke Support Group of Contra Costa County will meet in the Concord I Room at John Muir Medical Center - Concord Campus, 2540 East Street, Concord Monday, Oct 12, from 7-9 p.m. Contact Ann Dzuna at 925-376-6218. Meetings are free and open to the public.

Have an event coming up?

Email your event info to: diablogazette@gmail.com

Concord Tuesdays, 10am to 2pm, year-round, rain or shine, Todos Santos Plaza.

Concord Thursdays, 4pm to 8pm, odos Santos Plaza. Clayton, Saturdays 10am - 2pm Martinez, Farmers Market, Sundays, 10am to 2pm, year-round, Main St. and Estudillo.

Leukemia Society Family Support Group - 7 p.m. first Thursdays. 947-4466, ext. 32797.

Pet Loss Support Group, Second Tuesday of the month, 5:30-7PM. (925) 887-5681. Pre-registration required.

Home & Garden/ Farmers’ Markets

Deborah Rosengaus (The Witch) Courtesy of John Buyer

in the art form.”

The company will begin the season December 18-20, at Del Valle Theater in Walnut Creek by producing their very successful holiday opera, Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel.

Solo Opera collaborated with three well-known community organizations. The Contra Costa Children’s Chorus, under the artistic direction of Andrew Brown, will be performing as the Gingerbread Children Chorus. Dancers from Lori Buffalow’s The Next Step Dance Studio will appear as the Fourteen Angel Ballet, choreographed by Kristin DelSoldato.

The third collaborator is the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano.

Solo Opera is asking the audience to bring a nonperishable food item to the shows to donate to the Food Bank as Hansel and Gretel has a running theme of hunger and poverty throughout. Artistic Director, Sylvia Amorino, will direct/produce the show; Alexander Katsman of Livermore Valley Opera will be the Music Director/Conductor/Pianist.

Scenic design and build provided by the award winning Peter Crompton and Rooster Productions.

For Tickets call (925) 943-SHOW; or at the Lesher Center box office.

For more information, visit www.

SoloOpera.org

Pleasant Hill Saturdays, through November 15th, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Downtown Plaza (in front of Jack’s Restaurant) http://www.pcfma. com http://www.pcfma.org Walnut Creek Diablo Valley Farmers Market Saturday 9a.m. - 1 p.m. Shadelands Business Park, N. Wigett Lane and Mitchell Dr. Contra Costa Certified Farmers Market Sundays 9 am - 1 pm, Year Round, North Locust St between Giamona and Lacassie St. (925) 431-8361 http:// www.cccfm.org

Government Concord City Council, 1st, 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, 6:30 pm, Council Chambers, 1950 Parkside Dr, Concord. Or watch online at http:// www.ci.concord.ca.us/citygov/ agendas/council/ Concord Planning Commission 1st and 3rd Wednesdays 7 p.m. Concord Chamber, Concord Civic Center 1950 Parkside dr. www.cityofconcord.org Clayton City Council, 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, 7pm. Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Rd, Clayton. http://ci.clayton.ca.us Martinez City Council, 1st and 3rd Wednesdays. City Hall, 7 pm, 525 Henrietta Street, Martinez.

Listen online at http://www. granicus.com/streamingMediaHelp/ minimumSystem.htm, http://www. cityofmartinez.org Walnut Creek City Council, 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, 7 pm. Watch online at http://www.walnut-creek. org/services/citizen/granicus.asp Pleasant Hill City Council, 1st and 3rd Wednesdays, 7:30 pm, Council Chambers of the Pleasant Hill City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill. Follow online at http:// www.ci.pleasant-hill.ca.us/media/

Diablo Gazette • DECEMBER 2015 • Page 11 • www.DiabloGazette.com | www.fb.com/DiabloGazette • (925)-298-9990

Family Events

Visual Arts/Theatre/ Music cont...

Concord December 5 Mayor sing along and Tree Lighting.

December 5. Todos Santos Plaza .

Santa’s Grand Arrival, 4 p.m. Santa and his elves will hear children’s holiday wishes from 4 to 6 p.m.

Parents are welcome to bring a camera and take photos of their children with Santa. For more information about downtown events,.

Dan Ashley emcees. Visit www. concordfirst.org or call the downtown hotline at (925) 671-3464.

ceramics at Civic Arts. Entry is free!

Opening night reception is Friday, December 4th from 5 – 9pm with Winter Wonderland entertainment.

Artist demonstrations, hands-on art making, entertainment, cookies & cocoa will be Saturday, December 5th and Sunday, December 6th from 10am – 6pm. www.arts-ed.org The Diablo Women’s Chorale performs “Christmas Swings” on December 5th at Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, 399 Wiget Lane, Walnut Creek. Show time is 2 p.m.

Saturday. Advance tickets are $16.00 General Admission, $10.00 Student, $20.00 Premium seating. Tickets purchased at the door will be $20.00 Adult and $10.00 Student. Tickets can be purchased on our website at www.DiabloWomensChorale.org , or call 800-838-3006.

44th Annual Walnut Creek Elks Free Throw Contest on Sunday, December 6th from 8:30 to 11:00 a.m., at De La Salle High School in Concord for boys and girls, ages 8 through 13, (as of APRIL 1, 2016).

Prizes for all, trophies to the top three finishers of each boys’ and girls’ category. Entry is Free. Register at the gym between 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. For more information go to www.Elks.org. Contact Coach Mike Rittenhouse, Director at (925) 3602900 or coach_ritt@ yahoo.com.

Children’s Original Art and Book Show Reception December 12; in coordination with Clayton Books at Jennifer Perlmutter Gallery, 3620 Mt. Diablo Blvd. Lafayette. 925284-1485 Solo Opera Storybook series, Hansel and Gretel Begins December 18-20, at Del Valle Theater in Walnut Creek.

For Tickets call (925) 943-SHOW; or at the Lesher Center box office.

For more information, visit www.

SoloOpera.org

Jelly Belly Brunch with Santa: December 12th; 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Jelly Belly Visitor Center, 1 Jelly Belly Lane, Fairfield (800) 953-5592: Join Mr. Jelly Belly and friends for a delicious brunch and lots of fun with Santa Claus! It is by reservation only and spaces are limited. Visit www.jellybelly.com for ticket and event info.

Sing with Diablo Choral Artists! “Diablo Valley’s OWN chamber choir performs significant works of sacred and secular choral music, and has openings for all voice parts (esp. tenors and basses).

Rehearsals are Mondays, 7-9:30 pm at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1924 Trinity Avenue, Walnut Creek. Mark Tuning, Music Director.

See www.vmschorus.org for details and more information, or call 925680-7089,info@dcaschorus.org

Solo Opera Storybook series, Hansel and Gretel Begins December 18-20, at Del Valle Theater in Walnut Creek. For Tickets call (925) 943-SHOW; or at the Lesher Center box office. For more information, visit www.SoloOpera. org Pittsburg Nutcracker - Black Diamond Ballet Theatre. Dec 12 Sat 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Pittsburg High School.

A wonderful holiday tradition for the whole family! 250 School Street, Pittsburg. (925)754-9833 Pre-sale Ticket Price (expires 10/31) - $12 all ages: Regular Ticket Price (from Nov. 1st) - $15 all ages Groups of 10 or more - $10 each. www. blackdiamondballet.org; www. pittsburgnutcracker.com

Visual Arts/Theatre/ Music Art Cottage –Christmas Craft Exhibit and sale starts December 1; Artist reception (PARTY) is open to the public on December 5 from 2 to 5 PM. 2238 Mt. Diablo Street Concord.

21st Annual Winter Artists’ Market December 4 – 6, at the Shadelands Art Center, 111 N. Wiget Lane in Walnut Creek. Features over 80 local artists (both Civic Arts Education students and instructors) selling unique handmade arts and crafts items. Entertainment, refreshments and gift wrapping will be offered throughout the three day event. 25% of all proceeds from the Winter Artists’ Market benefit Civic Arts Education and the Clay Arts Guild, an organization that supports

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Winter Ballet Gala 2015 . Friday December 11th. 7:30p.m The Walnut Creek Civic Arts Education Dance Academy features a variety of holiday favorites, including many selections from The Nutcracker.. director Rebecca Berke. Ticket information call 925-943-SHOW (7469) Del Valle Theater, 1963 Tice Valley Blvd.

Walnut Creek.

Diablo Gazette • DECEMBER 2015 • Page 12 • www.DiabloGazette.com | www.fb.com/DiabloGazette •(925)-298-9990

Clayton’s Robert Chislett of Chisel-It Ice -----------Creates Ice Masterpieces----------I think you will agree when I declare neither San Francisco 49ers nor the Oakland Raiders are expected to be in Superbowl 50. But Clayton’s Robert Chislett will be. Robert is an ice sculptor, one of an elite crowd of ice artists in the country.

He has been called upon to prepare several ice sculptures for the iconic event and associated parties. That alone is a pretty convincing endorsement -- Robert is a local resident we should know more about.

Robert and family live in Clayton. He plays in the Clayton Bocce League. He’s a good member to have on a team. At his final league game of the season, Robert brought out one of his sculpted drink luges. It was beautiful, big, and fun. A drink luge is a sculpture whereby you pour your liquid in one end, and as the drink (often vodka) passes through the ice sculpture, becomes chilled and is released into the glass, or sometimes straight into the mouth.

That’s the night I became aware of Robert Chislett. I saw a beautiful sculpted piece of art with the functionality of a frat house party favor.

Several members of several teams were appreciating his work of art that night at bocce, sometimes returning for several “looks”.

Robert is a 1991 graduate of the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) in New York.

While going to culinary school, Robert and some friends learned of an ice sculpting course. They drove four hours every Sunday to learn the fine art of sculpting. That’s four hours each way for 15 weeks. His teacher was world renowned and champion ice sculptor Vivat Hongpong.

After he graduated from culinary school, Robert worked several chef jobs on jets, yachts and exclusive events. He also traveled with Vivat and helped with his ice sculpting, but more for the learning and experience, not for money. Vivat was his master and mentor. (At this point, I’m visualizing “Snatch the ice cube from my hand grasshopper.”)

Robert got married, and in 1995, he and his wife visited her dad who lives in Clayton. “I just thought this area was so beautiful.” He said. So they moved from New York to Clayton. In 1998, Robert finally branched out on his own, and started Chisel-It Ice. With a last name Chislett, it was a perfect name, as if this was his destiny all along.

His first large job came soon afterwards. He created 10 large ice Bicardi bottles for a Hollywood actor’s party. So far, no project has been too big, no sculpture too large. He has sculpted a full size convertible Lexus, a piano, palaces, and currently he’s working on a stagecoach. Each is an intricately detailed masterpiece.

His sculptures can be customized to fit anyone’s needs. Each project begins with a discussion of the

client when requesting an estimate. His designers begin with a digital rendering that incorporates his ideas and the clients.

There are very few companies in the Bay Area who provide ice sculpting.

“What distinguishes us from others is our collaboration in the creative process with the client,” Robert says.

Robert makes its own ice blocks and his tools are chainsaws, chipping tools, torches and a 12’x12’ freezer. The rest is up to the creative mind and hands of the artist and a small team of designers.

Chisel-It does many, many corporate events, weddings, and of course the Holiday season is extremely busy, up to 20 deliveries in a day. Last year he sculpted for the NBA finals and now has been called upon by Levi Stadium offices to prepare several carvings for the Superbowl 50.

Clayton should hold Robert in high regard.

Anybody good enough for the most iconic sporting event in America is good enough for us. His business card reads, “Dream It, We’ll Chisel It.” Visit his gallery online at www.chisel-it.com. Even if you don’t need an ice sculpture, you will be amazed.

Downtown Concord Holiday Event December 5, Dan Ashley emcees Concord, CA -- Todos Santos Plaza will have a new look this year as families gather on Saturday, December 5, for the annual Mayor’s Sing Along and Official Tree Lighting.

Over the summer, the lights in the trees surrounding the plaza were replaced after serving the community well for over 15 years.

In addition, two new archways were installed on the Willow Pass Road side of the park. The archways feature lit signage at the top which says “Todos Santos Plaza” on the side facing the street and “City of Concord” on the side facing the

park. The new features compliment the traditional clock located on the Salvio Street side of the park that was installed to commemorate the City’s Centennial in 2005.

The event begins at 4 p.m. with Santa’s Grand Arrival. Santa and his elves will hear children's holiday wishes from 4 to 6 p.m. after making a colorful entrance on a bright red fire truck. Parents are welcome to bring a camera and take photos of their children with Santa.

Numerous community and school choirs will entertain families from the Todos Santos stage from 5 to

6:30 p.m., followed by the Mayor’s Sing Along and the countdown to the tree lighting. ABC 7 news anchor Dan Ashley will act as emcee for the evening.

Free holiday buttons, treats and song books will be available while supplies last. The holiday button was designed by Kennedy Kissack, a fourth- grade student at Highland Elementary. The Todos Santos Business Association will sponsor carriage rides from 4:30-7:30 p.m. for a nominal fee with boarding at Salvio and Grant streets.

The event will be televised live,

weather permitting, on Concord Government TV Cable channel 28 (Comcast), channel 29 (Astound) and AT&T U-verse channel 99, and will be streamed on the City’s website,www.cityofconcord.org.

Free parking is available in two municipal garages with entrances on Salvio Street between Colfax and Galindo streets. For more information about downtown events, visit www.concordfirst.org or call the downtown hotline at (925) 671-3464.

Diablo Gazette • DECEMBER 2015 • Page 13 • www.DiabloGazette.com | www.fb.com/DiabloGazette • (925)-298-9990

From Dollhouse to aRt Cottage Frogard Butler and family came to America from Germany via an ocean freighter to New Jersey. As a young girl, FRO dreamed of having her own doll house and doing whatever she wanted in it. She shared small furniture for homemade doll houses with her two sisters and played with it in their attic. But she never had one all to herself.

She entered college at SF State as an art major.

She loved theatre and studio art classes. Then she married while still in college, had three children, and found herself teaching and directing a preschool for over 20 years. She felt sidetracked. “I always found myself in the art corner enjoying helping three to five-year-olds create their masterpieces,” she recalls.

Once her children were grown, she returned back to college and became an art “junkie” taking all the studio courses she could, first at College of San Mateo and then later Diablo Valley College. She was completely absorbed in ceramics, watercolor, acrylics, oil painting, figure drawing, mono prints, and exploring mixed media at DVC. FRO began to show her work in venues around Contra Costa County in store fronts, restaurants, and entering art competitions. She spent a lot of time at the Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center showing her work and participating in the Gallery being a docent. “It was there that I learned how to run a Gallery and have studio space to conduct classes. It became a monthly routine for me to go to Santa Cruz.”

Years later, when the new library in Walnut Creek opened, she applied for the wall space at

the Bedford Gallery. “I curated my own show and called it “From Here to There and Back Again”.

Her work included a large diptych of Mt. Diablo which was surrounded by paintings of favorite places around the world which I had visited. Mt. Diablo sold for $2,000. “I was on my way!”

She wanted her own studio though. In 2011, she purchased an old fruit-pickers bungalow, built in 1925. “I had 888 sq ft. to use as I please for creating my works.” That was the beginning of the aRt Cottage, FRO finally had her “dollhouse.”

She was happier at the aRt Cottage than her own Pleasant Hill Home. “Concord felt comfortable for me. The more work I put into the garden and curb appeal, the more the place became mine,” she says. “I had a cozy place to make my art and spend the night if I chose to.”

Soon two elementary students would come after school. That summer she hosted a program for children. A senior church group came and had watercolor classes. Boy scouts came and worked on an art merit badge. A seven-year-old chose to have her birthday party and booked it at the aRt Cottage. Instead of games and prizes, the children had a thematic party and made an art project to go along with their “under the sea” party.

It was time for a gallery show opening. In Feb. 2012, she invited 14 artists to paint directly on the wall. Areas were taped off and the artists chose their own areas and created their own paintings.

“It was all so wonderful and fun to see blank walls develop into to real art on the wall. “On the Wall” became the name of aRt Cottage show complete with artists reception and an open house.

From that time on, aRt Cottage has held shows and receptions monthly.

“I love promoting local artists as well as helping those who want to learn how to use different

mediums to create a painting or a piece of ceramics. “ FRO says. “I ask them what they like or want to do and help them to find an avenue to get their and do it. If it becomes a struggle and is not fun, we move on and find something that is.” aRt Cottage is a place where children and adults love to create. They tell me what it is they want to do and we find a way to do it. I consider myself more a mentor and cheerleader. “Everyone who comes to aRt Cottage has a special stake in the place. I call it ‘R’ Cottage for that reason.”

The aRt Cottage is located at 2238 Mt. Diablo Street in Concord opened Tuesday - Friday 11-5;Saturday 1-5. Classes are $15 each including materials, and arranged to meet your schedule. “People ask me how I can afford to do it so cheaply. My response is ‘It is not always about money.’ If I get enough to keep the lights on, pay taxes and insurance, then I am content.” aRt Cottage also receives donations of paper, acrylic paint, old brushes, watercolor paper, watercolor paint, glazes, and anything that can be used for projects. Now, we all can enjoy her “dollhouse”. For more information please go to artcottage.info.

Walnut Creek Civic Arts Education Hosts Annual ‘Winter Artists’ Market’ Walnut Creek – Civic Arts Education, a program of the City of Walnut Creek, will host its 21st annual Winter Artists’ Market December 4 – 6, at the Shadelands Art Center, 111 N. Wiget Lane in Walnut Creek. The Winter Artists’ Market will feature over 80 local artists (both Civic Arts Education students and instructors) selling unique handmade ceramics, jewelry, art glass, paintings, prints, photography, textiles and more.

Entertainment, refreshments and gift wrapping will be offered throughout the three day event. Twenty-five percent of all proceeds from the Winter Artists’ Market benefit Civic

Arts Education and the Clay Arts Guild, an organization that supports ceramics at Civic Arts. Admission is free!

Civic Arts instructors will provide arts demos and family art making, and answer questions about the array of classes offered by Walnut Creek Civic Arts Education. For over 50 years the City of Walnut Creek's Civic Arts Education program has been the regional center of arts for all ages. Last year more than 8,000 adults, youth and children enjoyed beginning through professional level classes and programs at the Shadelands, Civic Park and Heather Farm campuses. Classes include:

Ceramics & Sculpture, Decorative & Fiber Arts, Digital Media & Photography, Drawing, Painting & Printmaking, Jewelry, Glass, Music, Dance and Theater.

Opening night reception is Friday, December 4th from 5 – 9pm with Winter Wonderland entertainment.

Artist demonstrations, hands-on art making, entertainment, cookies & cocoa will be Saturday, December 5th and Sunday, December 6th from 10am – 6pm. www.arts-ed.org

Diablo Gazette • DECEMBER 2015 • Page 14 • www.DiabloGazette.com | www.fb.com/DiabloGazette •(925)-298-9990

From Concord to the North Pole The Deadhorse Adventure

Coming out of Brooks mountain range and onto frozen Tundra on the North Slope.

Journey-man’s Journal

by John Cooper

The late Frank Zappa said it best, “If you end up with a boring miserable life because you listened to your mom, your dad, your teacher, your priest, or some guy on television telling you how to do your s**t, then you deserve it”. Those words drive me to living a life full of adventure. I am always inspired by stories of people who challenge themselves, disprove the impossible, face their fears, do the unexpected, and turn dreams into realities. We all have many things going on in our lives. However, for me, there is no time like now to live your dream. With that motivation, I set the stage for an adventure with my good friend of 30 years, to go to the North Pole, through Alaska...on motorcycles.

(OK, North Pole is not possible, so to the Artic Ocean. It’s not the destination, but the journey that matters.)

Alaska has always appealed to adventurers.

With its statewide population of roughly 730,000, the majority of which are located in and around the city of Anchorage, and the balance of the population sparsely dispersed throughout the remainder of an enormously large state. To say that Alaska is “remote” is an understatement. This frontier was the backdrop we were seeking.

Eric and I devised our plan. We would fly into Fairbanks, AK, rent motorcycles and ride on a self-guided trip north through Alaska’s interior, over the Brooks Mountain Range, across the frozen tundra of the North Slope, and out to the Arctic Ocean to the small northernmost outpost, Deadhorse, Alaska.

There is only one road that reaches Alaska’s northern territories, the James Dalton Highway.

The “Haul Road” as it is also known is a 414 mile

long road which is largely unpaved and covered with loose gravel and potholes, and soft shoulders.

Profiled on a History Channel’s television series, “Ice Road Truckers”, it is one of America’s most remote and challenging roads; not ideal for motorcyclists. This road runs parallel to the TransAlaska Pipeline and acts as a conduit for semitrucks delivering heavy equipment and supplies to the oil businesses at Prudhoe Bay. We load our motorcycles with extra fuel, food and water, camping gear, tools and spare tires, and everything you might need for a self-sufficient tour. We set our sights for the town of Livengood, AK, population 13. The two of us represented a tourism boom for this community. Why, imagine their elation upon our arrival.

We didn’t realize just how remote of an area we were traveling in. When we arrived in Livengood, we found no sign of life, including 13 would-be elated welcoming residents. When the travel maps indicated “No Services Available”, who knew it really meant no services available?

There was no choice. We pulled off the road and made our home for the night behind a large pile of gravel. We arranged our bikes in front of us with the gravel behind, and constructed our small fort to protect us from hungry polar critters. Neither of us slept that night.

The following morning we glanced at the map (hint: there’s only one way to go, north). We saddled up the bikes and headed towards the Yukon River.

Alaska is breathtakingly beautiful with moss hanging over dense, heavy brush, and ponds and marsh-filled bogs all around. Serenity. Yet, I couldn’t shake the ever-present thought that at any moment a moose, grizzly bear or pack of wolves might jump out of the thick forest. I’m generally not one to have anxiety over a brush with a wild animal, but this is different. The stark reality was that we were really on our own, for such an incident. Fortunately, I was prepared for this, I

"Patton Yukon River Bridge" by Stan Shebs. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons

had packed the flask.

The Yukon River is massive, like all things in Alaska, and an impressive sight to see. It’s one of the longest rivers in North America and runs nearly 2,000 miles out to the Bering Sea. Passing over the Dalton Highway Bridge, we stopped to gaze down at the mighty Yukon River as it rushed beneath us. It’s a captivating sight, but our travel goal for the day was to cross over the Arctic Circle to reach Coldfoot, so we decided to push forward.

The Arctic Circle at latitude 66° 33’ is a point where the sun is above the horizon for 24 continuous hours at least once per year during the summer solstice. With a sign demarking its very position, we stopped for a photo shoot, because that’s the kind of photo opportunity one captures on a wild adventure.

Coldfoot is the only place on Dalton Highway with any basic services. It has an old hotel (with very rough accommodations), a small restaurant, a fuel station, and most importantly, some people.

Coldfoot has not changed character since it was originally built as a truck stop for weary-eyed, long-haul truckers. One statistic worth noting about Coldfoot; it’s outright cold in the winter.

In January 1971, Coldfoot recorded a temperature of -74 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s not the coldest temperature ever recorded up north, but darn close. Other statistics indicate there are more men than women in Alaska. However, in Coldfoot, you’d be hard-pressed to find any woman; perhaps they’re the ones who got coldfeet. Maybe that’s how it got its name.

The road running north of Coldfoot was harsh.

Our pace slowed. Each mile got harder. The Alaska Department of Transportation routinely sprays a thick coat of calcium chloride over the road intending to cut down on the dust kicked up by the trucks. In all practicality though, it turns much of the road into a wet and slippery surface; it’s like riding on chocolate pudding, but doesn’t

continued on p 15

Diablo Gazette • DECEMBER 2015 • Page 15 • www.DiabloGazette.com | www.fb.com/DiabloGazette • (925)-298-9990

continued from p14... taste nearly as good. The chemical is also highly corrosive and wreaks havoc on any exposed mechanical and engine parts. To make matters worse, this stretch of road is the longest distance without services in North America. That’s 240 miles with no services…whatsoever.

Rested, fed and fueled up, we left Coldfoot and trekked toward the Brooks Mountain Range.

We cut through the heart of the range at Atigun Pass, Alaska’s highest maintained pass (elevation 4,739 feet). We took the opportunity to stop and take in the views of the mountains and watch the Dall Sheep climb in the distance. Then we cautiously sauntered on our way. This highway is especially dangerous during the winter. The road is covered in ice for months at a time with threats of avalanches at every corner.

As we rode out of the mountains, the landscape gave way to tundra. Year-round, the ground is permanently frozen over the North Slope area with the exception of a thin top layer that thaws each summer to allow for small brush, grass and moss to quickly flourish before submitting again to the harsh winter. This land is protected from development leaving striking views in all directions as far as the eyes can see, simply mesmerizing.

There are large herds of caribou on the North Slope.

I noticed a full-sized male caribou just a

short distance off the road. I attempted to take its photo. As I searched my pockets for my camera, I noticed in my peripheral vision a hunter with his bow pulled back tight ready to strike the caribou. I sat silent, I froze… or maybe I was stunned; not at the sight of the hunter or of a caribou which may be taking its last breath, but because I was sitting in perfect line-of-site between the two. Suddenly, (I didn’t know I could move that fast), my bike lurched forward as I pulled on the throttle.

Out of harms way, I sat beside the road and really grasped the inadvertent danger I just escaped. The rules are different on the North Slope, where hunting is not only a way of life, but a rite of passage for many Alaskan’s. It is commonplace to see full-sized caribou being toted off in the back of pickups. And I, with a deer-inthe-headlight stare, was that close to being in one myself.

At the end of a long day, we reached the end of the Dalton Highway at our destination, Deadhorse, AK. There is little to see in Deadhorse. Only 1,200 miles south of the North Pole, it’s as far north as one can go in Alaska. With a full-time population of 25, Deadhorse exists primarily to support the oil businesses at Prudhoe Bay offering clothing and supplies to the transient workers who come and go with regularity; two weeks on and two weeks off.

The adventure to Deadhorse was a trip to be remembered, but it was only part of the experience, as we turned our bikes around and headed back south, some 1,100 miles down the entire state to the tiny fishing village of Homer, AK, located on the Kenai Peninsula, and affectionately known as the “Halibut Fishing Capital of the World”; a spectacular place to call the finish line.

Was the trip worth the effort, the planning, and all the obstacles, I asked myself in hindsight? Yes,

it was as I picture my friend riding down the long, muddy road, with a smile across his face, knowing that we exercised our dream, in a nine-day trek across Alaska, to the Artic Ocean, as close to the North Pole as one can get…on a motorcycle.

End of the road, Homer AK.

Concord Chamber Helps Food Bank

Concord Chamber of Commerce members helped sort apples at the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano at the last Business After Hours Mixer.

They sorted 11,000 pounds of apples that will be taken to after

school programs in low income schools. Half of the students in these programs receive free and subsidized lunches, and will be able to take apples home to share with their families.

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Santa’s Workshop Returned to the Marsh Creek Detention Facility

Handcrafted toys and refurbished bikes were donated to local children-serving agencies For the 24th straight year, representatives from many Contra Costa County children-serving agencies were invited to the Marsh Creek Detention Facility to choose from more than 400 handcrafted toys and 170 bicycles refurbished by inmates from the facility. These toys and bikes are being donated to children served by these organizations for the upcoming holidays. A small group of Marsh Creek Detention Facility inmates have been working on this project since the workshop re-opened in early October. They have been extremely busy fixing

up used bikes to look and ride like brand new, and crafting colorful wooden toys, such as, ball and cup games, spinning carousels, cars, doll houses, baby cradles, toy tractors, train sets, and more. All of the toy makers and/or bike mechanics are students in the Contra Costa Adult School, an accredited school directed by the Contra Costa County Office of Education (CCCOE), located within the jail facility.

The workshop is co-sponsored by the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s

A Walk Through Time with Misty Bruns, Docent at the Clayton Museum

Klaus Berblinger —105 years ago As I walk through the Pacheco Historic cemetery taking pictures of headstone I came across a stone that said “If you saw the play you know my story”Klaus Berblinger.

I felt intrigued to find out who this man was. I went home and did some research. I contacted his children Rene and Bettina and they were gracious to provide a picture and some information about their father. It turns out Klaus was buried out the historic Pacheco cemetery because that is the only place the Neptune society did burials at the time he passed away. But, Klaus has a life full of service and a story to be told.

Klaus Wilhelm Rudolf Richard Hans Berblinger "Klaus Berblinger was stricken by a fatal heart attack at home on November 11, 1982. Just two days before he had celebrated the birthday of one of the undersigned in full health and good spirits.

He had been associated with the University of California and the Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute since 1958, and was well liked by colleagues, students, and patients. He was born in Zurich, Switzerland on September 8, 1910, the son of Walter Berblinger, then professor of pathology at the University Of Marburg, Germany. Not long afterwards, his father accepted the position of director of the department of pathology at the University of Jena, and the family moved to their new destination. In Jena he went to elementary

Office and the CCCOE. Sheriff David Livingston, County Superintendent of Schools Karen Sakata, and other representatives supervised the distribution. Bay Area Rescue Mission, Brighter Beginnings, Contra Costa County Independent Living Skills Program, El Cerrito Fire Department, Shelter Inc., The Salvation Army-Antioch Corps, Ujima Family Recovery Services/La Casa, and VESTIA all participated in the event.

During the 2014-15 school year, approximately 2,343 adult inmates throughout the three Contra Costa detention facilities were enrolled in classes ranging either in academic programs or vocational programs.

These classes taught basic literacy and GED preparation, to woodshop, construction, and state-of-the-art computer training.

Another course directed by the CCCOE is the 90-day DEUCE Program (Deciding, Educating, Understanding, Counseling, and Evaluation) focused on substance

school and later attended the Gymnasium, which after graduation in 1929 allowed him to register at the Medical School of the University.

After passing the preliminary examinations he transferred for his clinical years to the University of Munich. There he finished his studies in 1934, but due to the political circumstances in Germany, the authorities withheld the diploma and he found himself without doctorate or license.

To earn a living, he joined a group of students, who organized a cabaret which traveled through Germany. But political satire was not well tolerated by the regime and he was arrested and interned in Dachau. Only through the help of friends was he released and able to leave Germany. In 1935 he registered at the medical school of the University of Berne, Switzerland, to obtain a doctor of medicine diploma. Years later after the defeat of Germany, the license to practice and the doctorate from the University of Munich were restored to him.

But in 1936 without a license to practice in Switzerland, Berblinger could only hold internships and residencies that were not wanted by natives; he trained in various sanitaria and research institutes until he decided to emigrate to the U.S. in 1938. He accepted an internship in Norfolk, Virginia, where he eventually established a general practice of medicine. Meanwhile he had married a girl whom he had met in Switzerland, Marianne Hammerli (divorced May 1967 in San Francisco), with whom he had two children, a son Rene and a daughter Bettina.

After having consolidated his financial position, he decided at the age of forty to give up general medicine and to turn his attention to human behavior, an interest that was evident earlier in his life in his penchant for the theater. From 1950 to 1952, he spent two years training in psychiatry at Duke University, then he moved to the University of Maryland, and, rising through the ranks, he became an associate professor in 1956.

In 1954, when he was recruited by Feinsinger and Greenhill for the newly opened Psychiatric Institute of the University of Maryland, Feinsinger saw psychiatry as encompassing almost all of art and science, so he had on his staff a philosopher, a cellular physiologist, an educationalist, and sundry other "experts." Berblinger became "The

abuse prevention. The Parenting Inside/Out class teaches vital parenting skills to women and men.

Last year, the CCCOE opened a new re-entry class at the West County Detention Facility offers workforce readiness, career exploration, soft skills workshops, and a nine-week cognitive-behavior-change program called Transitions. These classes help to provide education and skills needed for successful transition back into the community.

Physician," and it was to him that the students and house staff turned when practical wisdom and judgment were called for.

In those days when the whole world seemed to smoke, his smoking was never ordinary, and his cigarette always seemed more a panache than "a smoke." This dramatic aura made him seem to the younger staff like someone larger than life, yet he was always approachable, and grounded in the knowledge that life is not always easy. This combination of The Dramatic and The Human was reflected in a gift his secretary gave him when he left for California. It was a silver "Zippo" cigarette lighter with KB:RM engraved on it.

In 1958 the Langley Porter Institute looked for a medically trained psychiatrist who could handle psychiatric situations and manage the liaison with the University of California Hospitals, and also could supervise the clinical services of the department of psychiatry. After screening a number of candidates, the choice fell upon Dr. Berblinger and he moved with his family in 1958 to San Francisco. Here he could utilize his experiences gained in the practice of medicine and psychiatry and apply them to the field of psychosomatic medicine. Indeed, the majority of his publications deal with the borderland between medicine and psychiatry. But Klaus Berblinger was not only an excellent physician; his erudite comprehension of human affairs, his familiarity with the world of literature, and his knowledge of music (he himself was an accomplished violinist) made him a successful teacher who could hold the attention of his students. His sense of humor was proverbial and many a tragic situation was saved by pun or joke.

Berblinger was an intuitive physician who cared for his patients and who never lost his joy in working with them. We share with his family, friends, and colleagues the sense of loss that resulted from his death.

Dr. Berblinger is survived by his second wife, Francika Berblinger, and by a son Rene and daughter Bettina."

Klaus Berblinger and Francika E. Centurion were married on 26 Mar 1971 in San Francisco, San Francisco, CA Source: Rene and Bettina Berblinger, Find A Grave

Diablo Gazette • DECEMBER 2015 • Page 17 • www.DiabloGazette.com | www.fb.com/DiabloGazette • (925)-298-9990

New Concord Parks & Recreation Director Selected Christmas Past In 2009, the somewhat unattractive Concord community tree was used as the official Christmas tree to save the city money. Then something much unexpected happened when Claycord.com reported on it.

A resident named Gina, took a picture of the tree and sent it in to Clacyord. com. As soon as Claycord posted it, its readers dubbed it the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree after the infamous tree in the Charlie Brown Christmas Special.

At first, the city leaders cringed over Claycord’s posting of the photo and story, as it gave a forum to their critics. This was the year of the market crash, there was a lot of criticizing that year. While some did, others praised the cost savings effort; but the majority instantly accepted the tree and gave it its name. That is when the unexpected happened.

To explain, here is an excerpt from Claycord’s post shortly thereafter.

“Concord Christmas Tree is a National News story! We were first to report on the tree after ‘Gina’ sent us a picture of it being decorated, then CBS5 picked it up, then other local stations and newspapers talked about it, and now, it’s all over the place! It’s on Yahoo, CNN, Fox, NBC, MSNBC and all over the World.

This little homely looking tree could end up helping Concord in the end, and not just by the money they saved from not buying a new tree!

It’s bringing people to Todos Santos Plaza, and in fact, two CLAYCORD readers from San Jose drove all the way up here to have dinner and see the tree after they saw the story on CLAYCORD.com.

Big question though. How much is it really saving the City of Concord?

City Manager Dan Keen tells us the real savings are about $22,000.

So, in the end, Concord saved $22,000, made the National news, and could actually be making money by using this funny looking tree, which can only be a good thing for the city and its people!”

There was such an outpouring of community spirit.

The story touched a nerve nationwide with people from many states, that it’s been hard to live up or down that memorable year.

In 2010, a donated live Blue Spruce, measuring 12 to 15 feet replaced Charlie Brown to become Concord’s official Holiday Tree, decorated and placed near the Todos Santos stage. When the tree reaches an appropriate height, it will be planted in Todos Santos Plaza and used each year as the Holiday Tree.

“We liked the Charlie Brown tree, and it probably ended up making the City of Concord a lot of money, considering they got about $3-million worth of advertising, for free, and the tree was seen by over 20-million people around the World.

But remember, you saw it first, on CLAYCORD.com!” Mayor of Claycord commented.

Concord, CA – Concord Parks Manager Steve Voorhies has been selected to replace Joan Carrico as the City’s next Parks and Recreation Director. Carrico is retiring at the end of the year after ten very successful years with the City.

Voorhies began his Concord career in the Parks & Recreation Department, so the new position represents a homecoming of sorts.

He started working for the City in 1997 as the Director of Camp Concord and served as a Parks & Recreation Program Manager from 2001 to 2004.

He was promoted to Senior Program Manager in 2005 where he remained until he moved to the Public Works Department in 2012 as Parks Manager.

“Steve launched many new programs and has served on dozens of inter-departmental teams in his 18 years with the City,” said City Manager Valerie Barone. “He has shown great initiative and creativity in addressing numerous challenges over the years, and I know he will bring those skills to his new position as director of the Parks & Recreation Department. I look forward to working with him in the years to

come.”

“Concord has a wide range of successful recreational amenities including community centers, a diverse park and open space system, and regional attractions like the Concord Pavilion and Camp Concord.

It will be an honor to work with our dedicated team of professionals and partners to maximize those resources and influence a positive future in our community,” said Voorhies.

Visit the City’s website for Concord’s Parks & Recreation Department at www.cityofconcord. org.

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Resident Tales Sponsored by the Diamond Terrace 55+ retirement community in Clayton.

Singin’ in the. . .SNOW

By Marge Crawford, Resident at Diamond Terrace Retirement Community At Quaker Hill School, a music teacher came once a week. She introduced to us all kinds of vocal music’s folk songs, classical pieces, national and regional music from all over the world. She singled me out as a soloist to my surprise. I sure enjoyed that! She taught me many things about diction, expression, volume, dynamics, and especially, breathing. Joan Hart, my best friend, still mentions how Miss Barcley got me up in front of the class and demonstrated the use of one’s diaphragm in controlling breathing and the importance of good posture to produce good breathing control during singing. With those basics ingrained in me and the leadership of many a choir director, I participated in many performances of choirs all over the country and soloed many times with many of those groups.

When all else failed in happy or sad or scary situations, if I hummed or sang some little tune I’d be able to relax and cope. For instance, one April, when I had just driven my youngest daughter back to Iowa State University after spring break, I headed away from the campus to drive the couple of hundred miles back home to Bettendorf. A late spring snowstorm had begun just as I left the campus. By the time I reached the interstate highway the snow was falling fast! Soon the multilane highway, the median and the roadsides were covered with inches of wet, slippery snow. I passed more and more areas where cars had slid off the road into the middle of the median. Then the snow began to fall so fast and was so thick that I felt smothered in a white blanket. I couldn’t see anything but white cotton falling before, beside and behind me! There was no way that I could pull off to the side of the road for fear of running into another car similarly stopped. I had no idea whether any cars were in front of me or beside me. So I just proceeded slowly at a steady pace, peering ahead, trying my best to see something through the snow!

As often happens when I am in a tight situation, the muscles in my neck and shoulders began to tighten up. No amount of wiggling my shoulders or head-turning or shoulder shrugging would loosen those muscles! Spontaneously, I began to sing at the top of my lungs any song that popped into my head.

After a few hymns and pop songs, I found that awful muscle tension had eased to a tolerable level and I drove on through the storm safe and sound all the way home!

Long ago, I decided that my voice was one of God’s gifts to me and the use of it needed to be mainly to praise Him and tell others about

His awesome love. Although I did go through a time in my early teens when I thought it would be really neat to be a gal singer with one of the Big Bands and go traveling around all over the world, performing.

Luckily, I didn’t get into that field of endeavor!

But I do love many camp songs,

country western songs, old timey songs, show tunes and musical movie tunes. They speak to me about many aspects of life and other peoples’ cultures, and I love to share them all and enjoy them all with campers, friends, family and now grandkids.

Music, vocal and instrumental, is a treasured part of my existence!

Diablo Gazette • DECEMBER 2015 • Page 19 • www.DiabloGazette.com | www.fb.com/DiabloGazette • (925)-298-9990

A lifetime of smiles

Most people who snore suffer from no serious medical condition.

However, approximately 12 million Americans have a sleep disorder called Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), which can be deadly.

Sleep apnea deprives the body of normal blood oxygen levels. This may cause morning headaches, excessive fatigue, and in some cases high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, even stroke.

I started making dental snore appliances when one of my patients came to me asking for help because as he said, “I’ve tried everything but still snore. I’m desperate”. I’m happy to report that he loved the appliance I made him! In doing more research and taking extra continuing education classes on snoring, I now encourage all patients to speak with their physician and have the proper sleep studies done to know the difference between excessive snoring and sleep apnea.

While the medical community has successfully treated mild to severe cases of OSA with the CPAP therapy

mask, (Continuous positive airway pressure). The mask is connected to a machine that delivers air pressure through a mask placed over your nose while you sleep. With CPAP (SEE-pap), the air pressure is somewhat greater than that of the surrounding air, and is just enough to keep your upper airway passages open, preventing apnea and snoring.

Although CPAP is a preferred method of treating sleep apnea, some people find it cumbersome or uncomfortable. Don't just stop using the CPAP machine if you experience problems. Check with your physician to see what modifications can be made to make you more comfortable.

Additionally, contact your physician if you are still snoring despite treatment or begin snoring again.

The dental community has found that many people who find the CPAP mask uncomfortable and cumbersome to use benefit from an oral appliance called a “Snore Guard”. The snore guard is a custom made appliance designed to keep your throat open. While the CPAP is

by Robert H. Waldman, D.D.S.

more effective than oral appliances, this oral appliance may be easier for you to use. This guard is designed to open your throat by bringing your jaw forward, which can sometimes relieve snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnea.

A number of other devices are available from your dentist. You may need to try different devices before finding one that works for you. Once you find the right fit, you'll still need to follow up with your dentist at least every six months during the first year and then at least once a year after that to ensure that the fit is still good and to reassess your signs and symptoms.

There are other options to help with your snoring such as surgery: Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), Maxillomandibular advancement, Tracheostomy, nasal surgery to remove polyps or straighten a crooked partition between your nostrils (deviated nasal septum), or surgery to remove enlarged tonsils or adenoids.

Possible causes of central sleep apnea include heart or neuromuscular disorders, and treating those conditions may help.

Using supplemental oxygen while you sleep may help if you have

central sleep apnea. Various forms of oxygen are available as well as different devices to deliver oxygen to your lungs.

Bi-level positive airway pressure (BPAP) builds to a higher pressure when you inhale and decreases to a lower pressure when you exhale.

Some BPAP devices can be set to automatically deliver a breath if the device detects you haven't taken one after so many seconds.

Adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV) device learns your normal breathing pattern and stores the information in a built-in computer.

In many cases, self-care may be an appropriate way for you to deal with obstructive sleep apnea and possibly central sleep apnea. It is a good idea to check with your physician before trying these home remedies and lifestyle tips.

Lose excess weight. Even a slight loss in excess weight may help relieve constriction of your throat. Sleep apnea may be cured in some cases by a return to a healthy weight.

Avoid alcohol and certain medications such as tranquilizers and sleeping pills. These relax the muscles in the back of your throat, interfering with breathing.

Sleep on your side or abdomen rather than on your back. Sleeping on your back can cause your tongue and soft palate to rest against the back of your throat and block your airway.

To prevent sleeping on your back, try sewing a tennis ball in the back of your pajama top.

Keep your nasal passages open at night. Use a saline nasal spray to help keep your nasal passages open. Talk to your doctor before using any nasal decongestants or antihistamines because these medications are generally recommended only for short-term use.

If you’re a snorer or sleep with someone who is, I hope you have found this article helpful….If you have any questions please feel free to email me at robwaldmandds@ gmail.com or visit my website roberthwaldmandds.com.

As always please remember to: Swish, floss, brush and swish again and continue to see your dentist at least every six months or as often as your dentist prescribes.

WISHING YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY AND HEALTHLY HOLIDAY SEASON!!

See his ad above.

Diablo Gazette • DECEMBER 2015 • Page 20 • www.DiabloGazette.com | www.fb.com/DiabloGazette •(925)-298-9990

Fifth Annual Philanthropy Awards Continue to Inspire East Bay Danville, CA – Nearly 300 people gathered at the Blackhawk Museum last month to celebrate the Fifth Annual Philanthropy Awards Breakfast.

The Awards were hosted by the East Bay Leadership Council, along with presenting sponsor Wells Fargo, and honored an exceptional group of leaders who make the East Bay a more vibrant and caring place.

Honorees were recognized for their help in preserving historical artifacts and supporting the arts, addressing youth asthma, inspiring millions of dollars in donations to help sick children, feeding the hungry, bringing freedom and fitness to a class of sixth graders, mentoring youth, and contributing several lifetimes worth of philanthropic and civic leadership.

This year's award winners included Safeway, Clif Bar

& Company, Waters Moving & Storage Company, White Pony Express, Thomas J. Long Foundation, Thomas DeJonghe, Dr. Washington Burns, Christina Adams, Arlie Smith, and Sue Rainey.

“The Philanthropy Awards is my favorite day on the Council’s calendar because today honors the organizations and people who make the East Bay such an inspiring place to live and work,” said Kristin Connelly, President and CEO of the East Bay Leadership Council.

The keynote address was presented by legendary East Bay chef Alice Waters. The world renowned owner of Chez Panisse and founder of the Edible Schoolyard recently received the National Humanities Medal from President Obama. Her life dedication to celebrating the edible and the ethical has truly embodied the spirit of the event.

The 2015 class of Philanthropy Awards Honorees celebrate together following the event.

Above, the fifth Annual Philanthropy Awards were held at the Blackhawk Museums in Danville, CA in front of a sold out crowd. Below, Sue Rainey received a California Legislature Resolution from Assemblywoman Catharine Baker and Judy Lloyd from the Office of Senator Steve Glazer.

“Alice Waters has profoundly influenced the way Americans think about food and has inspired an entire generation”, said Steve Hitchcock, Area President of Wells Fargo.

The room packed full of business and civic leaders from across the East Bay included Assemblywoman Catharine Baker who presented a resolution from the California State Legislature in honor of Sue Rainey’s Lifetime Achievement honors.

“When I first met Sue, it was apparent to me right away what a vibrant and energizing leader we had in our community.” said Assemblywoman Baker.

Vibrant and energizing are great words to describe Sue and her commitment to the East Bay, but also ring just as true for every one of this year’s Philanthropy Awards Honorees.

The East Bay is an inspiring region because of the people who make it that way and the East Bay Leadership Council was proud to help honor their contributions to the community.

The East Bay Leadership Council is an employer-led organization founded nearly 80 years ago. Its mission is to advocate on public policy issues affecting the economic vitality and quality of life in the East Bay. www.eastbayleadershipcouncil. com.

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YOU CAN ADD THE FOLLOWING TO MAKE THE EVENING EVEN MORE SPECIAL

• Upgrade to Executive Level King, Breakfast for Two, & 2 Drink Tickets for ($30 per couple) • Champagne & Chocolate Dipped Strawberries in your room ($30 per couple)

BOOK YOUR DINNER PACKAGE TODAY (925) 680-1700 OR VISIT: PlateAndVineRestaurant.com

BOOK YOUR NYE NIGHT OUT PACKAGE TODAY (925)-827-2000 OR VISIT: ConcordHilton.com

1970 Diamond Boulevard Concord, CA 94520