2021 APRIL ~ Alamo Today & Danville Today News

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April 2021 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 1

& APRIL 2021

PREDATORS, PEOPLE, AND PETS: PRESERVING A PRECARIOUS BALANCE

By Jody Morgan

Alamo and Danville residents a re re p or t i n g a surge in sightings of wildlife.

The proliferation of motion sensor security cameras captures nocturnal activity that would have been missed a decade ago.

Daytime sightings are also on the rise.

Coyotes, bobcats, pumas, and foxes Animals like this bobcat, seen at a distance or partially hidden, control rodents and are often mistakenly identified. (Photo courtesy of Greg Cochran) other pests. Delightful to observe in their natural habitat, predators should not be encouraged to lose their innate fear of humans.

European settlers with a livestock-dependent lifestyle enlisted Native Americans in disrupting the harmony of ecosystems they'd respected for thousands of years. In the 1500s, Jesuit priests in Southern California offered Native Americans a bounty of one bull for every cougar they killed. In 1661, Plymouth Colony's Court offered “every Indian, who shall kill a wolf, one half a pound of powder and two pounds of shot or lead.”

Spotting territorial vacancy signs as larger predators were eliminated, coyotes moved west and east from their original homeland on the Great Plains. In Myths & Truths About Coyotes, Carol Cartaino notes that as of 2010, coyotes occupied a range larger than that of any other wild animal in North America.

Cartaino describes the ability of coyotes to adjust the size of their litters, immediately filling unoccupied territories. Offering bounties for killing coyotes has consistently backfired. She notes: “Every state that ever offered a bounty now has more coyotes than it ever had before,” adding, “If three quarters of the entire population of an area were removed every year, after 50 years or so the coyotes there might be significantly diminished or begin to disappear.”

Rose Peters Emery, born in 1905, recalled growing up on a 256-acre San Ramon Valley ranch. She writes in Footprints in the Soil, “In those early days of my life, a variety of wildlife still roamed the fields and woodlands, but just as we thought trees were there to be cut and wildflowers to be gathered, animals were there to be killed, as predators or as food.” She never saw a deer on the property.

Rabbits were gone by the time she graduated from high school. “Often, at night, before we fell asleep, we could hear the doleful, creepy sound of a coyote’s howl.

They were the survivors and lasted much longer than the rabbits."

Coyotes travel as much as 10 miles a night in search of sustenance but have

See Wildlife continued on page 22

Local Postal Customer

PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Permit 263 Alamo CA

ECRWSS

Jenise Falk (l) and Mary Verstraete (r) volunteering their time at The Thrift Station.

AN INVALUABLE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP CELEBRATES NEARLY 50 YEARS

By Fran Miller

It was five decades ago when members within the Danville Rotary Club founded Discovery Counseling Center (DCC). Concerned about drug use and disconnectedness amongst high schoolers, a group of caring parents and community members pooled resources to hire a counselor, Peter Strauss.

Strauss would meet with students as they gathered at the local Foster’s Freeze.

He established with them an easy rapport and earned their trust, helping to guide many through challenging times.

These same community leaders realized that in order to maintain the services provided by Strauss, they would require proper office space. They turned to church groups and PTAs to help raise additional funds, and from

See Partnership continued on page 19

AIDAN COX, ALAMO ARTIST IN PLYWOOD

By Charlie Jarrett

Last year, Aidan Cox, a San Ramon Valley High School senior, discovered artist Mike Bennett displaying his cleverly conceived cartoon-like artwork in Tik Tok interactive social media videos on the internet. Aidan was utterly fascinated with Bennett’s nearly life-sized cartoon characters, crafted on scraps of wood, artfully painted, and made nearly life size.

They were left peeking into and out from

See Smile cont. on page 20

The Editors Serving the communities of Alamo, Diablo, and Danville

Volume XXI Number 4

3000F Danville Blvd. #117 Alamo, CA 94507 Telephone (925) 405-6397 Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher Editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Facebook: Alamo Today & Danville Today News Instagram:@AlamoandDanvilleToday

Volume XII Number 4

The opinions expressed herein belong to the writers, and do not necessarily reflect that of The Editors. The Editors is not responsible for the content of any of the advertising herein, nor does publication imply endorsement.

www.yourmonthlypaper.com | Instagram: @Alamoanddanvilletoday | #atdtnews

: : New Listing

: : Coming Soon

PAGE 2 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS •April 2021

On the Market April 5

4540 Melody Dr #C, Concord

Results. Pure and Simple.

$410,000

24 Tracy Court, Alamo

$2,150,000

4 Bedroom | 3 Bath | 2445 Sq Ft | 3 Car Garage Beautiful Single Story Home in Round Hill Country Club on the 4th Fairway! Lovely Home Boasts Four Bedrooms Plus an Office, Stunning Kitchen/Family Combo Remodeled Less Than Two Years Ago. Private Park-like Backyard Features a Sparkling Pool Plus Amazing Views of the Golf Course, Round Hill North and Las Trampas Ridge.

: : In Contract

2 Bedroom | 2 Bath | 899 Sq Ft | 1 Car Garage

641 Adobe Drive, Danville - Listed at $1,798,000

1420 Finley Drive, Pleasanton

$2,999,900

5 Bedroom | 4/2 Bath | 7269 Sq Ft | 5 Car Garage Fully Remodeled and Rebuilt from the Ground Up in 2011, Gated Custom Estate on Secluded Flat 2.5 Acres.

Magnificent Outdoor Entertaining. Sold 4/5/2021

BOULEVARD VIEW

: : Just Sold

: : Just Sold

Don successfully represented the buyer with 4 other offers. Pending 3/9/2021, Scheduled to close April 2021.

Don Magalhaes 925.786.1855 don@compass.com DRE 00897221 1160 River Rock Lane, Danville

$1,100,000

Sold as a coming soon!!! Highest comparable for this size home in this area. Sold 3/30/21

By Alisa Corstorphine, Editor

Last month, I wrote about a photo that is believed to be of the Alamo Post Office in the late 1850s. Several people have spent hours sleuthing, trying to learn more about the photo, the photographer, and the people pictured. I wrote my column in hopes that someone would hop on the sleuthing bandwagon and perhaps uncover something we hadn’t.

What I didn’t expect was the email I received about a week after the paper was distributed.

The subject of the email was “OMG-thank you! You solved some family history for me!!”

I was amazed and curious. The email went on to say, “Please call me - your blurb about the Howard family blew me away - I always knew we had family history here in Alamo, but no one knew (remembered how it fit together) the whole story until you just wrote Dr. John Rezon Howard it for us! Would love to talk to you. My name is Catherine Howard de Witt. My father called J Rezon Howard ‘grandfather doctor!’! Call when you can. I’m SO excited.”

Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that the great-great granddaughter of some of the people we were researching lives in Alamo would read the article, and would reach out to me. What was even more exciting was that Catherine and her father had some of the old family photos, including ambrotypes, daguerrotypes, tintypes, and more, which she brought over to my home to share and be photographed. I was awestruck that several of the people we had only known by name came to life in images I was able to hold in my hand.

What a step back in time. While all of the photos were of people (not buildings or other scenes like the post office picture we were researching), they still brought me back to what our area was like 160 years ago. We know John and Jane were part of the community at a time when probably 100-150 people lived here. I think it is easy for us to Jane Williams Cary Howard forget there was once a three-story school on the Alamo/Danville border, a racetrack in Diablo, an electric trolley with overhead electric lines running down the boulevard through Alamo and Danville, to Diablo Road and out to Diablo Country Club, endless ranches and farms used for horse and cattle breeding as well as for the growing of fruits and grains, and a hotel that existed in Alamo for 100 years, until it was torn down in 1954.

We know that John and Jane Howard lived in Alamo around 1857-1862. In the book Recollections of Early Life in the San Ramon Valley by Dr. James Smith, he noted “Dr. J.H. Howard was the first doctor in Alamo.” We have found advertisements in old issues of the Contra Costa Gazette where John listed his medical practice, noting he was a physician and surgeon in the community. We believe his office was in the vicinity of the current Alamo Cafe area.

While we still continue to find more information about the original post office, and photographer J.C. Howard, we have also learned more about our local area. In addition, the purchaser of the original post office photo, Sean Nolan, has graciously shared his extensive knowledge of old photographs. He has created a book called Fixed in Time that is available in hard copy or a free download at https://fixedintimebook.blogspot.com. It is “a guide to dating daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, and tintypes by their mats and cases, for historians, genealogists, collectors and antique dealers.” It is easy to get lost in the deep research Sean has undertaken with these photos and he has been a true wealth of knowledge to the additional photos Catherine and her father have shared with us.

As I look through old photos and community pictures, and research those that have helped create the fabric of our communities, I reflect on my friend and local business man Dick Delfosse of Richards Arts and Crafts, who passed away last month. He, too, was a part of the fabric of our community and will be sorely missed. Read more about him on page 3, and also learn about a planned celebration in his memory on page 4.

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April 2021 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 3

JOHN MUIR: CALIFORNIA'S MOST FAMOUS RESIDENT

A FREE VIRTUAL PRESENTATION

Everyone living in California has heard of John Muir. He was a conservationist and had a role in preserving Yosemite National Park. But he was far more than that. Would you associate words like an inventor, world traveler, or the name “University of Wisconsin” with John Muir? Attend a free virtual presentation on Thursday, April 15th at 11:30AM, and find out.

The Museum of the San Ramon Valley will feature Garrett Dailey, an attorney and noted authority on John Muir, at their April Third Thursday program. Mr. Dailey is a resident of Alamo and a part-time resident of Scotland. He has developed and taught a course on John Muir at the University of Edinburgh Office of Livelong Learning, as well as lectured and spoke with various groups and organizations on the topic.

In this presentation, you will learn about why John Muir was officially voted California’s most famous resident. You will follow Muir’s life from Scotland to immigrating as a child to America, and hear about his education and quest to save nature and the beauty it holds. Beyond being voted California’s most famous resident, you may likely come away thinking of Muir as one of the world’s most interesting men.

To attend this free online presentation, visit museumsrv.org and go to the “Events section,” or call 925-837-3750.

The Museum of the San Ramon Valley is located at 205 Railroad Ave. in Danville.

The museum is now open. Please call or visit the website for days and times.

SUPPORT SONRISE EQUESTRIAN FOUNDATION

SonRise Equestrian Foundation is a therapeutic horseback riding program for children with special needs.

From 4:30 to 8PM on Monday, April 26th, Gianni’s Italian Bistro in San R amon will be hosting a “Tips for Change” fundraiser for SonRise. Ten percent of all sales and 100% of all tips from the evening will be given in support of this Bay-Area nonprofit which provides its services at no cost to the children it serves. SonRise Photo by Lauren Zherebnenkov/SonRise Equestrian Foundation. will also be collecting loose coins, dollar bills, and checks for its annual “Pennies for Ponies” drive.

Reser ve a table or place an order at giannissanramon.com or by calling G i a n n i ’s a t 9 2 5 - 8 2 0 6 9 6 9 . D ou b l e the support for SonRise by bringing “Pennies for Pon i e s” d o nations to G i a n n i ’s o n April 26 th .

For more information Tri-Valley Trapper about SonRise, check out SonRiseKids.org.

Gopher/Mole Removal No Poison

925-765-4209

May 4 Parcel Tax Ballot

The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department patrols Alamo but, over 50 years ago, Alamo voters created a special police district for the purpose of directly funding extra police protection in Alamo. This district funds an additional full-time deputy to patrol Alamo streets, businesses, and schools.

Forty years ago, in 1981, the special tax was increased when Alamo residents voted for an $18 annual parcel tax. We are still paying that $18 tax, although it no longer keeps up with the cost of the Alamo deputy. The tax needs to be increased to $67 per year, still less than $6 per month, to fund our deputy. Alamo residents are voting via a mail-in ballot, due May 4th, to approve the charge.

HOW MUCH POLICE COVERAGE DOES ALAMO CURRENTLY HAVE? The Alamo police district has one County officer available to us 24/7. The officer covers an area from Alamo to Morgan Territory Road, and Camino Tassajara and Norris Canyon in San Ramon.

Additionally, our Alamo Police District residents pay for one dedicated Alamo-only police deputy who works 4 days a week, 10 hours a day; 40 hours, Monday-Thursday.

We have no dedicated officer Friday-Sunday but still have the County officer. We have been paying $18 per year for over 40 years for our deputy.

WHAT DOES OUR DEPUTY DO?

There are 3,400 homes in our Alamo police area. Our deputy responded to 761 calls for service in 2020 as well as 64 alarm calls, and answered requests for assistance to citizens. He checked out suspicious circumstances and vehicles, performed public assembly checks, vehicle tows, took identity theft reports, and provided welfare and vacation checks. The deputy also investigated and solved commercial and residential burglaries and grand thefts, and provided a physical, visible police presence in the downtown business district. He also serves as school resource officer for the three Alamo schools when they are in session.

BALLOTS will be mailed to Alamo voters in early April and ballots returned to the Elections Department must be postmarked no later than May 4th to be counted.

Visit www.alamodeputy.org for a list of supporters, more information, answers to your questions, and a map of our police district.

Paid for by Keep Alamo’s Deputy committee (ID#1437144), Yes on Measure K

The Contra Costa Taxpayers Association has endorsed Measure K

REMEMBERING LONG-TIME ALAMO BUSINESSMAN ~ RICHARD/DICK DELFOSSE

Alamo businessman, and long-time Alamo Today & Danville Today News advertiser, Richard/Dick Delfosse passed away on March 6, 2021. Dick and his wife Terri owned the Richard’s Arts and Crafts store that was in the Alamo Plaza Shopping Center from 1983-2016.

If you ever needed a holiday bauble, a supply for a school project, artwork or a picture framed, or an item for a hobby or craft, the store was the place to find exactly what you needed. Their newspaper ad always included a coveted 50% off one-item coupon.

Dick was born in Chicago and lived his youth in Tucson, Arizona. He went to the University of Arizona, studied art and business, and spent his junior year of college in Mexico City.

Following college, he worked for the F.W. Woolworth company for 23 years, moving his way up from a back-room cleaning boy, to stock clerk, store manager, district manager, and key buyer for the 17 western states. When the company collapsed in 1980, Dick was put in charge of closing a division of the company and was asked to provide the greatest profitability with each store closing. He was able to exceed all expectations, earning him tremendous

See Delfosse continued on page 12

PAGE 4 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS •April 2021

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TOWN TALKS

LIVESTREAM PROGRAM LAUNCHES

Danville residents have a new way to stay informed as Mayor Renee Morgan has begun a monthly livestream broadcast called “Town Talks.” The Zoombased program will take place at 9AM on the first Friday of each month. The program is intended to provide a safe way for residents to hear from their community leaders and get up-to-the-minute information on the issues and topics facing Danville. Viewers will have the opportunity to ask questions in the chat and have them answered in real-time. Questions can also be asked in advance by emailing towntalks@danville.ca.gov.

Following the program, residents can either view the entire program or short snippets from each episode on the Town of Danville’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/TownofDanvilleCA. Each month, Mayor Morgan will feature new guests and topics of interest to the community.

To get more information or register for upcoming talks, visit www.danville. ca.gov/798/Stay-Connected. Look about half-way down the page for the current link. You can also contact Assistant to the Town Manager Diane Friedmann at (925) 314-3378 or email her at dfriedmann@danville.ca.gov.

ART CONTEST INVITES SUBMISSIONS HIGHLIGHTING HOPE

Artists of all ages are invited to submit entries to Contra Costa County Family Justice Center’s Art, Poetry & Photography Contest: “Showcasing Hope.” What does Hope mean or look like to you? Submit paintings, drawings, photographs, and poetry in a one page 8x11 format or short 1-2 minute dance, music, or recitation videos. Prizes will be awarded to the five top winners include a tablet and a Disney+ subscription. The submission deadline is April 15th. Include name, age, and contact information. Winners will be notified by email and phone. Entries will be returned to artists.

Entries will be displayed during “Building Hope Through Community” - a virtual art and music festival celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Contra Costa County Family Justice Center (FJC). Running from noon to 5PM on May 22 with a professional musician performing throughout the program, the festival will remain available on FJC's YouTube Channel. Donations of additional prizes for artists, especially gift cards, would be much appreciated. FJC provides services to victims of interpersonal violence to foster healing and hope.

Please submit art or inquiries about the contest to Brenda Solorio at brenda@cocofamilyjustice.org, or call 925-281-0970.

Entries and gift card donations for prizes can also be mailed or delivered to any of the three FJC locations: Antioch: 3501 Lone Tree Way, Suite 4, Antioch, CA 94509 Concord: 2151 Salvio Street, Suite 201, Concord, CA 94520 Richmond: 256 24th Street, Richmond, CA 94804

CELEBRATION OF MEMORIES

ON THE LIFE OF RICHARD “DICK” DELFOSSE

The Alamo community, and the organizations that support and serve our local area, would like to invite everyone to join and share your memories on the life of Richard “Dick” Delfosse.

Dick was the founder of the long-running, Richards Art’s Crafts store that began in Alamo Plaza in 1983.

Those that had the honor to work and serve alongside Dick, in the many passions he loved and supported, would like to virtually come together to share thoughts, pictures, videos, stories, artwork, and other memories, of the many projects and events he supported and loved.

An upcoming Zoom Memory Celebration will be held, recorded, and made available to join and be seen, by those near and far and include materials received.

Please send your contact information, and any memories to share, so when then date and time are scheduled you can be included.

Email Sharon Schuyler at sharons16@gmail.com, call her at 925-708-8546, or mail material to Sharon at P.O. Box 1086 Alamo, CA 94507.

Vintage & Artisanal Earthly Goods Restore 0 Reuse 0 Reflect

391 Hartz Avenue, Danville

925-837-2664

open daily Visit Instagram: Cottage_Jewel_Antiques for featured finds and April events.

Diablo Magazine’s “Best Place to go Treasure Hunting”

FOOD DONATIONS NEEDED

Food insecurity for many is becoming more dire as the coronavirus pandemic continues. Stepping up and helping out are members of St. Timothy’s Church, located at 1550 Diablo Rd., Danville. The members have been holding bi-monthly food drives to support the Monument Crisis Center (MCC).

MCC is a community-based non-profit family resource center which offers food, resources, and referrals to low-income individuals and families in order to help them become stable and secure in the community.

St. Timothy’s Church food drives will be held the second and fourth Sunday of each month from 2-4pm for the foreseeable future.

Of particular need are tuna, peanut butter, canned fruits and vegetable, pasta, canned meats, rice, beans, oatmeal, soups, ethnic foods, and baby food. In addition, pet food and diapers are appreciated. Items in glass containers cannot be accepted.

Monetary donations can also be made directly to MCC via www.monumentcrisiscenter.org/donate. Your contributions are deeply appreciated.

Learn more about the drives at www.sainttimothysdanville.org.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM

“TOGETHER WE GIVE” BENEFITING FREE THE GIRLS

The Alamo Women’s Club is hosting another “Together We Give” event.

This month the event will benefit survivors of human trafficking in Mozambique, El Salvador, and Costa Rica.

Please donate your clean, gently used, and/or new bras on Wednesday, May 12 th from 2 PM – 5 PM . Curbside drop-off will take place at Alamo Women’s Club located at 1401 Danville Blvd. Alamo In addition, the group has a source to buy new bras at an incredible discount to donate to this worthy cause. If you wish to make a donation, please make your check out to AWC with “Free the Girls” in the Memo line, and mail to AWC, P.O. Box 151, Alamo, CA 94507.

You generous donation will empower these women to build businesses reselling bras. For information on Free the Girls, visit www.freethegirls.org.

AAUW LOCAL WOMEN IN ENCORE CAREERS

Join with the Danville-Alamo-Walnut Creek Branch American Association of University Women (AAUW) as they host conversations with local women leaders on Wednesday, April 21st from 5 – 6:30PM. The program will feature Candace Anderson, District 2 Supervisor Contra Costa: Sally Scholl, Field Trainer with Lifewater International: and Beverly Lane, Director of East Bay Regional Parks District.

Hear their stories of challenges and opportunities in their work and personal lives.

Register for the free event at daw-ca.aauw.net.

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April 2021 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 5

DUDUM REAL ESTATE GROUP W H E R E R E A L E S TAT E I S S T I L L P E R S O N A L

RENDERING

COMING SOON

COMING SOON

JUST LISTED

ACTIVE - ALAMO LOT

1640 RIDGEWOOD ROAD, ALAMO 4 BEDS, 3.5 BATHS, 3,875 SF, 0.50 ACRE LOT

1733 SPRINGBROOK ROAD, LAFAYETTE 5 BEDS, 3 BATHS, 2,464 SF, 0.65 ACRE LOT

116 RAVENHILL ROAD, ORINDA 2 BEDS, + OFFICE, 2.5 BATHS, 2,144 SF

1327 LAVEROCK LANE, ALAMO FINISHED 28,740 SF CUT LOT W/UTILITIES AT STREET OFFERED AT $999,000 MARY PISCITELLI & PETER GILLIS | 925.765.9095

CALL FOR PRICE

CALL FOR PRICE

CALL AGENT FOR PRICE

DON & PAMELA COLOMBANA | 925.878.8047

DON & PAMELA COLOMBANA | 925.878.8047

SUZY PECK | 925.200.2988

PENDING

PENDING

PENDING

PENDING

2691 CABALLO RANCHERO DRIVE, DIABLO 4 BEDS, 3 BATHS, 5,600 SF, 1.46 ACRE LOT

108 CARA COURT, WALNUT CREEK 5 BEDS, 3.5 BATHS, 3,695 SF, 0.33 ACRE LOT

50 KENDALL LANE, DANVILLE 4 BEDS, 3 BATHS, 3,200 SF, 0.69 ACRE LOT

1429 MENTON STREET, DANVILLE 4 BEDS, 4 BATHS, 3,113 SF, 7,530 SF LOT

OFFERED AT $4,588,000

OFFERED AT $2,149,000

OFFERED AT $1,900,000

OFFERED AT $1,624,999

BONNE WERSEL | 510.304.3303

BRYAN HURLBUT, HURLBUT TEAM | 925.383.5500

MEREDITH & BONNIE KUMMELL | 925.984.1344

KORY MADGE | 925.366.9899

PENDING

PENDING

SOLD - OFF MARKET

SOLD - REPRESENTED BUYER

2761 SANDERLING WAY, PLEASANTON 5 BEDS, 3.5 BATHS, 2,747 SF, 0.21 ACRE LOT OFFERED FOR $1,459,000

2711 ROSS PLACE, WALNUT CREEK 4 BEDS, 2 BATHS, 1,837 SF, 11,000 SF LOT

1777 LUCILLE LANE, PLEASANT HILL 3 BEDS, 2 BATHS, 1,492 SF, 0.17 ACRE LOT

330 MILLER COURT, ORINDA 5 BEDS, 4.5 BATHS, 4,355 SF, 0.73 ACRE LOT

OFFERED AT $1,149,000

SOLD FOR $1,00,0000

SOLD FOR $3,415,000

BRYAN HURLBUT, HURLBUT TEAM | 925.383.5500

KORY MADGE | 925.366.9899

DON & PAMELA COLOMBANA | 925.878.8047

DON & PAMELA COLOMBANA | 925.878.8047

ALISON J. PETERSEN 925.984.7214

BONNE WERSEL 510.304.3303

BRYAN HURLBUT 925.383.5500

REALTOR® | DRE#01177737

REALTOR® | DRE# 01173288

REALTOR® | DRE# 01347508

DON & PAMELA COLOMBANA 925.878.8047 925.482.4142

EVA ELDERTS 925.726.9409

JOHN FONDNAZIO 925.817.9053

REALTOR® | DRE# 02039328

REALTOR® | DRE# 01938194

SUZY PECK 925.200.2988

REALTORS® DRE# 01979180 / 01979181

KORY MADGE 925.366.9899

MARGY LYMAN 925.963.6380

REALTOR® | DRE# 01345227

REALTOR® | DRE# 02067680

DRE# 01882902

WWW.DUDUM.COM

DANVILLE

MARY PISCITELLI & PETER GILLIS 925.765.9095 925.765.0629

MEREDITH & BONNIE KUMMELL 925.984.1344 925.980.9952

SCOTT & FONIA HUMPHRIES 925.298.2249 925.998.4444

REALTORS® DRE# 01426129 / 01364038

REALTORS® DRE# 00905114 / 01364056

REALTOR® / BROKER DRE# 02078065 / 01019063

WALNUT CREEK

LAMORINDA

BRENTWOOD

SIERRA TAHOE

REALTOR® | DRE# 01224695

Distinctive Properties

©2021 The information herein was obtained by sources deemed to be reliable by Dudum Real Estate Group. Dudum Real Estate group has not independently verified the information contained herein and therefore, assumes no legal responsibility for its accuracy. Buyer should investigate any matters or items disclosed, identified or about which they have concerns to their own satisfaction. DRE Lic. 01882902

PAGE 6 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS •April 2021

ALAMO DANVILLE NEWCOMERS CLUB

Are you a new or long-time resident of Danville, Alamo, Blackhawk, or Diablo? Or are you newly retired or an empty nester interested in making new friends and participating in various social activities? The Alamo Danville Newcomers Club is a woman’s organization whose purpose is to enrich the lives of its members and their families in a social manner. Check out all the club has to offer by visiting www.alamodanvillenewcomers.com.

During this difficult time of COVID, it is even more important to have a way to meet new friends. The group is currently doing all that they can to offer new and different ways to meet new people, socialize, and have fun while staying within the COVID guidelines. We will resume with socially distanced gatherings as we are able. In the meantime, some groups are continuing via Zoom.

An upcoming virtual “Information Coffee” meeting will be held April 16th, at 10AM, via Zoom. This is a great way to find out more about the club. To learn more or participate in the Coffee, email alamodanvillenewcomers@gmail.com.

SRV GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY

The San Ramon Valley Genealogical Society (SRVGS) was organized in 1985 to provide its members with resources, assistance, and educational opportunities that help them successfully research their ancestry. The group publishes a monthly newsletter and offers monthly meetings of small groups with common interests to discuss their specific areas of research. SRVGS also provides resources ranging from a large selection of reference books, to information on local genealogical libraries. Classes are also offered for the beginning researcher and those interested in genetic DNA. You are invited to join their Tuesday, April 20th, 10am ZOOM meeting with a presentation by Eric. E. Johnson titled “Researching Ancestors in the Old Northwest Territory, 1788-1803.” Johnson is the chairperson of the Society of the Families of the Old Northwest Territory and the Society of Civil War Families in Ohio, for the Ohio Genealogical Society.

He is also a former Vice President of the Ohio Genealogical Society. He serves as the registrar general for the General Society of War of 1812 and as the registrar/genealogist for the Society of the War of 1812 in the State of Ohio. He is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force. Johnson is the author of eighteen books on the War of 1812, the Civil War, and the Old Northwest Territory.

Opening up of the Old Northwest Territory and the migration that followed is very important to those with ancestors in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, and parts of Minnesota.

To become a member of SRVGS, visit srvgensoc.org and click on the “Join SRVGS” tab on the left side of the Home Page. To attend as a guest, please email your request to president@srvgensoc.org.

COMMISSION VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT

The Town of Danville is looking for residents interested in serving on one of several commissions seeking new volunteers. City Clerk Marie Sunseri said the following commissions are in the process of accepting applications for two and four-year terms beginning July 1, 2021.

Youth Representatives – One Arts Advisory Board; One Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission (2-year terms) Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission – One regular, one alternate member (4-year terms) Senior Advisory Commission – One regular member (4-year term) Arts Advisory Board – One regular member (4-year term) Poet Laureate – One position (2-year term) Contra Costa Transportation Authority Citizen Advisory Committee – One representative (4-year term) County Connection Citizen Advisory Committee - One representative (2-year term) Applications are available on the Town website at www.danville.ca.gov/ Commission-Recruitment. The deadline to file an application is 4PM on Wednesday, May 12th. Applicants have the option to interview with the Town Council on June 8th or June 15th.

For additional information, contact City Clerk Marie Sunseri at (925) 314-3401 or msunseri@danville.ca.gov.

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DANVILLE WOMEN’S CLUB

UPCOMING EVENTS

Please join the members of the GFWC Danville Women’s Club at the following upcoming event.

SATURDAY, APRIL 24TH~ PAPER AND DISK SHREDDING

The cost is $15/box and/or hard drive. Bring your banker’s boxes of old papers and hard drives to the GFWC Danville Women’s Club parking lot, located at 242 W. Linda Mesa in Danville, at 9AM for shredding.

This event is a Patty Hart Memorial Scholarship Fund event, providing scholarships to graduating seniors from Tri-Valley high schools.

AREA CHURCH ENCOURAGES RACIAL DISCOURSE VIA FREE CURRICULUM

Over the past year, an interracial committee of seven women from San Ramon Valley United Methodist Church (SRVUMC) in Alamo have developed and facilitated a class that explores issues on racial equity and justice. The class response to the curriculum sparked so much enlightening discussion that they are sharing their free “Dialogue for Change” (DfC) syllabus, together with relevant discussion questions, with the hope of fostering similar conversations.

The DfC program consists of a carefully curated list of TED Talks, speakers, and discussion panels geared for self-reflection and education against racial insensitivity and injustice. The 19 suggested sessions can be treated as a full curriculum, or groups can choose a cafeteria-style approach to tailor their own programs for length and topics of interest. Individuals may also want to view the material on their own time. The DfC committee will share their curriculum with anyone who requests a copy from the SRVUMC office, free of change, or you can download the curriculum at srvumc.org/dialogue-for-change.

SONS IN RETIREMENT

SAN RAMON VALLEY BRANCH

Looking for things to do in your retirement? Consider joining Sons in Retirement (SIR) San Ramon Valley Branch 128. There are monthly luncheons with interesting speakers and good fellowship. Additionally, members have lots of fun participating in a variety of activities including golf, hiking, biking, bocce ball, movies, cooking, finance, reading, computers, and more.

Many other activities such as travel, dine outs, excursions, baseball games, and holiday parties include spouses, friends, and guests.

NOTE: Due to current COVID regulations, the April meeting will be a virtual event using Zoom.

The guest speaker will be Mr. David Seaborg, president and founder of the World Rainforest Fund, a nonprofit foundation dedicated to saving the earth’s tropical rainforests and biodiversity. Mr. Seaborg will speak on “Climate Change and its impact on our environment.”

The presentation will be held Wednesday, April 21st at 11AM. If you’re interested in accessing the virtual meeting as a guest, please email membership@sir128.com.

To learn more about the Retirement branch, please visit www.SIR128.com.

LAS TRAMPAS BRANCH

ARF! Join SIR Branch 116 on Monday, April 19th at 11:30AM via Zoom to hear a representative from Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) tell how their “Pets and Vets” program is “Saving Both Ends of the Leash” and making a positive difference to Veterans in need.

SIR is a California-based social organization for semi-retired and retired men. The strength of Branch 116 is the many activities members enjoy such as golf, book groups, bridge, and more.

If you wish to become a member, join the Zoom meeting, or learn more about SIR Las Trampas Branch 116, visit sirinc2.org/branch116, or call 925-322-1160.

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

Neighborhood Watch is a community action and problem-solving program and one of the most effective means available for resolving issues within your community.

Through organized problem-solving activities, your block can remove crime from your neighborhood and address any community issues that concern residents.

The Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff will be hosting meetings via Zoom. If you have any questions or are interested in finding out more information, please email the Community Services Unit at csu@so.cccounty.us.

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April 2021 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 7

“Celeste’s industry experience, calmness and diligence were essential to our successful bid.”

COMING SOON | $1,795,000

SOLD | $4,075,000

SOLD | $3,300,000

Golf course views

3571 Deer Crest Drive, Danville 4 BD 3 BA 3,486 Sq Ft

16 Hilferd Way, Danville 5 BD 3.5 BA 5,284 Sq Ft 6.65 Acre Lot

SOLD | $3,210,000

SOLD | $3,000,000

339 Corrie Place, Alamo 5 BD 6.5 BA 5,966 Sq Ft 0.58 Acre Lot

3716 Northgate Woods Court, Walnut Creek 4 BD 4.5 BA 5,143 Sq Ft 1.2 Acre Lot

148 Alamo Springs Drive, Alamo 5 BD 4.5 BA 5,718 Sq Ft 1.14 Acre Lot

SOLD | $2,950,000

19 Alamo Springs Court, Danville 5 BD 5 BA 2 Half BA 6,823 Sq Ft 1.4 Acre Lot

Her clients say, “Celeste was a pleasure to work with. We had a very difficult transaction to complete with lots of twists and turns throughout the process. Celeste was on top of every issue. Her experience, industry knowledge, calmness, diligence, judgement and logic were essential to our successful bid. Celeste made a difficult transaction as seamless as possible. We would recommend her without hesitation to either a buyer or seller. Her integrity, knowledge and experience are at the top of the class.” -L.D.

See my 66 Zillow reviews!

Top 1% of Agents in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties!

Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01527235. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been verified. Changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footage are approximate.

Celeste Pacelli Broker Associate 925.395.1511 celeste@celestepacelli.com celestepacelli.com DRE 01862387

PAGE 8 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS •April 2021

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CATCH UP ON SOME “Zs”

FROM SHOWERS TO FLOWERS

By Jaime Kaiman, Monte Vista High, sophomore

You know what they say: “April showers bring May flowers.” Not only is this describing what is in store for us for the next couple of months, but I feel that it perfectly describes this year in terms of how far we’ve come from last year. As I watch the news, I hear about more and more people who are being vaccinated, and how the world is slowly, but surely, making its return back to “normal.”

Monte Vista High School has finally started their hybrid format of learning that had been planned for the start of the year. I, myself, did not elect to partake in the hybrid option, but I have heard from a lot of people who have returned to campus that they really enjoy being able to get back into the swing of things. Being a student who chose to continue with remote learning, I get to experience what it’s like to have a teacher instruct a class that is held both remotely and in-person. It’s a unique experience to see a few kids in-person, but the rest of the class is only online. The teachers do a great job of paying attention to both the in-person and online classes.

Not only is school back in session, but so is the sport’s season! Although I am not much of an athlete, I absolutely love watching sports. Any type of sporting match could be on, and my attention will be drawn to the screen. Since I am more of a viewer than a player, I talked with my sister Samantha, who is a softball pitcher, about her feelings on softball season starting up again. Samantha noted, “I am extremely excited to get back to the sport I love, and I am so excited I’ll be able to see my friends again. I get butterflies just thinking about it!” I asked her what she noted was different in playing the sport now than it was before the pandemic. She replied, “Now, everyone is starting to be a little bit more cautious about distancing and how long we can play games, but that never takes away from the fun we have on the diamond.”

Overall, it looks like the world has a new filter on. It once had this gloomy feel of hopelessness, but now the lighting has changed. Everything is starting to look much brighter than before. Although it is certain that nothing is back to complete normality, it is nice to see just a slight glimmer of light at the end of this long, dark tunnel.

AMERICAN LEGION BOYS AND GIRLS STATE DELEGATE SELECTIONS

The American Legion Mt. Diablo Post 246 congratulates the 2021 Boys and Girls State delegates from the San Ramon Valley!

BOYS STATE DELEGATES (86TH SESSION)

• Chad McElroy, Jake Okwubanego, and Ethan Arnold, the Athenian School • Armin Bozorgi, California High School • Matthew Jao and Jonathan Ng, Dougherty Valley High School • Aidan Nichols, Dylan Purandare, and Andrew Howard, San Ramon Valley High School

GIRLS STATE DELEGATES (78TH SESSION)

• Hollis Carey, the Athenian School • Evelyn Ramos, California High School • Pujitha Nachuri, Dougherty Valley High School • Michelle Chen, Monte Vista High School • Evelyn Howard, San Ramon Valley High School The American Legion Boys State and Girls State programs are among the most respected and selective educational programs of government instruction for U.S. high-school students. These are immersive, participatory programs in which students become part of the operation of city, county, and state government. Both programs are committed to preserving our republic, democracy, liberty, and justice by supporting and investing in our next generation of leaders and citizens.

This year, both programs will be held virtually but will encompass most all aspects of the live, in-residence program. While many students are relaxing over summer vacation, this select group of students will spend a week in June meeting delegates from all parts of California; forming cities, counties, and a state; running for office; developing party platforms; writing and debating legislation; prosecuting cases, hearing from distinguished speakers; and engaging in other leadership development activities.

Since Boys State and Girls State began, a significant number of its graduates have been elected to public office, including presidents, congressmen, state governors and state legislators, county and municipal offices. They have also become leaders in the fields of medicine, law, arts, science, engineering, technology, professional sports, and the entertainment industry.

This program would not be possible without the support and sponsorship from the American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary. Other local community organizations also support the program through grants, including the San Ramon Rotary Club, the Dougherty Valley San Ramon Rotary Club, Soroptomist of San Ramon Valley, and Daughters of the American Revolution Mt Diablo Chapter.

Learn more at www.boysstatecalifornia.org.

SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED

The San Ramon Valley Republican Women Federated recently awarded two $1,000 scholarships. The recipients are Amanda Mobley, a Danville native, Monte Vista High grad, Amanda Mobley and UC Santa Barbara junior majoring in Political Science; along with Evelyn Andrade, a Cal High grad from San Ramon currently a Chemistry major at Saint Michael’s College in Minnesota.

Both women were chosen on their high academics, leadership Evelyn Andrade qualities, and character.

CALIFORNIA WRITERS CLUB

Author and award winner Alan Brennert will present “Researching Your Novel: Reality Matters” at the upcoming virtual meeting of the Diablo branch of the California Writers Club on Saturday, April 10th.

Alan will cover the many techniques he has used to ensure his novels conform with historical records, including using archives and other resources to create the past, ferreting out legal matters and facts surrounding infamous cases, and interviewing subject-matter experts.

To participate, register at cwcmtdiablo.org/current-cwc-mt-diablo-meeting. The meeting will begin with a 9:30AM sign-in, 9:45AM breakout rooms, 10AM Writers Table, 11AM business meeting, and the speaker talk from 11:15AM - 12:15PM. The cost is $5 for members, $10 for guests. Learn more at cwcmtdiablowriters.org.

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SAN RAMON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL

By Liz Pagano, Interim Principal

April 2021 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 9

11 Critical Home Inspection Traps to be Aware of Weeks Before Listing Your Danville, Alamo Home for Sale Danville-Alamo - According to industry experts,

altogether. In most cases, you can make a

St. Patrick’s Day was a there are over 33 physical problems that will come reasonable pre-inspection yourself if you know what wonderful day for those under scrutiny during a home inspection when your you're looking for, and knowing what you're looking of us who wear the green home is for sale. A new report has been prepared for can help you prevent little problems from growing and gold! We opened our which identifies the eleven most common of these into costly and unmanageable ones.

To help homesellers deal with this issue before school to hybrid instruction and welcomed a large problems, and what you should know about them their homes are listed, a free report entitled "11 group of students to our campus. We had great before you list your home for sale.

Whether you own an old home or a brand new one, Things You Need to Know to Pass Your Home energy in our opening days as we toured freshmen there are a number of things that can fall short of Inspection" has been compiled which explains the through the campus during orientation. We have issues involved. also expanded our after-school activities in recent requirements during a home inspection. If not identified and dealt with, any of these 11 items could To hear a brief recorded message about how to weeks. Our football games may have fewer speccost you dearly in terms of repair. That's why it's order your FREE copy of this report call toll-free 1tators than normal, but we have cheerleaders and 844-941-0941 and enter 1003. You can call any time, our marching band out in full force to support critical that you read this report before you list your home. If you wait until the building inspector flags 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. the Wolves! these issues for you, you will almost certainly Get your free special report NOW to learn how to After a year of working on a very quiet campus, experience costly delays in the close of your home ensure a home inspection doesn't cost you the sale I have a big smile under my mask, especially sale or, worse, turn prospective buyers away of your home. during lunch. Our PTSA has supported us by This report is courtesy of The Jackson Group-EXP Realty DRE #01763819. Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract. Copyright © providing us with games that students can play 2019 during the lunch break, including a giant Connect Four and ping pong. Music rings out and students eat lunch, laugh, and play MONTE VISTA HIGH SCHOOL games. I am happy to report that a sense of joy has once again returned to the San Ramon High School campus. Happy spring!

By Dr. Kevin Ahern, Principal Nearly a year to the day we had to close our schools SAN RAMON VALLEY CHRISTIAN due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Monte Vista (MV) welcomed roughly 600 students back to campus in our ACADEMY By Jamie Westgate, Principal Hybrid Model. As I have shared in earlier articles, our Spring is my favorite time of year. The green hills, students in Hybrid are grouped into two cohorts of 300 the blossoming trees, and the budding flowers are that rotate between two days per week in person and two all a reminder of renewal and regeneration. If ever days remotely. The remainder of our students chose to we needed to feel renewed, I suspect it’s now; living remain with fully remote learning for the remainder of through a pandemic has been anything but easy, and the school year. At press time, the CDC guidelines have been further revised to a we are all looking for some refreshment.

Spring is also a time our elementary students point that would allow both cohorts to return to school full time, and the SRVUSD learn more about the plant cycle and what’s needed Board will vote on our next steps. It was truly great to welcome our students back for growth. Sunlight, healthy soil, seeds, and water are all part of the process. to school, and we are looking forward to what happens next.

Mustang Athletics have been going full bore over the past few weeks. There are Recently, I watched one of our second grade classes spread seed in a planter, multiple contests going on, and there is an incredible amount of activity happening and they were so excited just anticipating what would happen! Interestingly, the on our campus. Cross country running, swimming, diving, golf, and tennis are Bible frequently uses the analogy of sowing seeds to remind us that our spiritual all nearly finished with their shortened but great seasons. Softball and baseball health is much the same. We need God’s light of love for encouragement, a are both off to a strong start, and women’s lacrosse has started their season with softened heart that’s ready to grow, seeds of truth from God’s Word for direction, several victories. MV football has also started their six-game season with the first and spiritual refreshment to keep us healthy and growing. three games away and a three game homestand to finish. We look forward to our Psalm 126:6 tells us “He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will home opener against Clayton Valley on April 3rd. Seeing the Mustangs back in return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.” For many of us, this action definitely makes things feel that much more normal. has been a year of weeping, but despite the anguish, we’ve been sowing good In visual arts and performing arts (VAPA), Monte Vista’s Chamber Singers seeds. As we have hope that things will return to normal soon, we’re seeing gave an amazing virtual concert where small groups of our students performed the “sheaves” which now benefit us: a renewed work ethic, creative use of songs from everyone’s favorite musicals. This event will be followed by several technology, a new compassion for those hurting, and a determination to finish other virtual concerts throughout the spring. We are looking forward to hearing strong. In my own reflection of this past year, I realize God has been directing our students’ incredible voices. Please check the MV website for the latest inforus at every twist and turn. We’ve received the unusual benefit of hosting our mation on our virtual concerts and performances. entire student body for a full day of learning five days a week since October, Our planning for graduation and end-of-the-year events for our seniors also and as a result, our TK-8th graders are on target to complete their goals for the continues. I am meeting weekly with our senior and student body officers to plan year. Not once have we seen transmission of the COVID-19 virus, nor have we these events. With the shift to the Red Tier, we hope that we can get events on had any teachers come down with the illness. It has been a year of blessing, and the calendar in the near future. Any further positive changes will also help us to so we find ourselves “returning with songs of joy” as the psalmist describes. plan out the scope of each event, so we are all crossing our fingers.

Switching gears, we’re excited to congratulate the students in our SRVCA Finally, MV enjoyed a one-day accreditation visit from a small WASC team, Class of 2017 who are now seniors in high school. Our parent church, and our school came through with flying colors. This brief visit came on the heels Community Presbyterian Church, has formed a new program to offer a of our full accreditation visit from three years ago. We received high marks from $3,000 scholarship to four graduating seniors. This scholarship opportunity the visiting team, and we received a lot of positive feedback that will help drive our is available to all students in our school district who care to share how they next three years of growth. A huge thank you to our WASC Coordinator, Kristine have been “FOR The Valley.” More information can be found via the church Sexton and all of the staff, students, parents, and community members who website, www.cpcdanville.org/forscholarship. participated. It was truly a team effort, and our school shone brightly as a result.

We’re looking forward to a restful Easter vacation, and a busy but meaningful Thanks to the MV community for their ongoing support. We look forward to end to the 2020-2021 school year. a wonderful conclusion to our school year.

PAGE 10 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS •April 2021

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ST. ISIDORE SCHOOL

By Carol Bender, Principal APRIL HAS ARRIVED!

At St. Isidore School, we have so much to celebrate! In reflecting back to last year at this time, we were required to suddenly close our campus and shift to distance learning - a new platform for so many. Present-day, we are thrilled to announce that our students will return to a full day of school upon our return from Easter break. Since October, our students have been on campus five days a week for half a day; this has been a true gift! The extended day allows students more in-person learning and social interaction within their cohorts as a community. The return to a regular school day, combined with the fact that a majority of our staff are now vaccinated, creates much enthusiasm. These are small glimpses of light at the end of a very long tunnel!

This month our 2nd-grade students will receive the Sacrament of First Holy Communion - an exceptionally memorable day in the life of our Catholic students, parents, and school community. Receiving the Eucharist while dressed in traditional white dresses and suits marks an honor and privilege that our children never forget. Most importantly, it is keeping sacred the sacrifice of our Lord and joining the community in the reception of the Eucharist.

Congratulations to our eighth-grade students who were accepted into De La Salle and Carondelet High Schools. We are blessed to live in an area that offers many outstanding high school options for our children. Wherever our graduates decide to attend, we are confident knowing that the foundation they received at SIS will serve them well!

FUN RUN

DANVILLE LIONS CLUB STUDENT SPEAKER AWARDS

The Danville Lions Club recently held a student speakers contest via Zoom on the topic, “Distance and Online Learning: Pros and Cons.”

The winner, a San Ramon Valley High School student, won $100 at the Club level and also won at the Zone level, taking home an additional $250. They will advance to the next level in the Region contest to be held April 19th.

LIONS SERVE!

Though Lions are well known for successful initiatives in vision health, Lions service is as diverse as their members.

Lions volunteer for many different kinds of projects including caring for the environment, feeding the hungry, as well as aiding seniors and the disabled.

Danville Lions Club is meeting online via Zoom on the first Tuesday and third Wednesdays of each month at 6:30PM. Please contact Nancy at nbircher@mac.com to request a guest connection to the meeting.

Danville Lions Club is accepting applications for membership, please email your requests to truman.howard@gmail.com.

The annual fundraiser is back by popular demand! This year, the Fun Run will have students partici- STONE VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL pate within their cohorts, dressed in grade-level appropriate themes such as superheroes, western wear, WORDS MATTER WEEK and pirates. Our students always look forward to these events, even if it requires a few modifications!

Recently, students across the San Ramon Valley School We have tried to implement as many of our school activities in order to give our students a sense of District participated in “Words Matter Week.” At Stone community and normalcy this school year.

Valley Middle School, students engaged in a myriad of activities, discussions, and fun connection opportunities.

CHOOSE HOPE Throughout April, St. Isidore School will honor the monthly gospel value of HOPE. Having an opti- One of those opportunities was the Kindness Challenge. mistic attitude is not always easy given the current circumstances; however, our students lift our spirits The Challenge asked students to check off at least five acts each day just by their presence on campus. It’s easy to feel hopeful when life is happening according to of kindness on the list that they completed during this week plan, but in moments of hardship and uncertainty, I encourage you to put your trust in God. While we and to attach a photo of one of the acts you completed. All may not know exactly what the next Fall will bring us, knowing that God is watching over us provides students who completed the challenge had their names entered in a raffle. Students also had the opportunity to take immense comfort and security.

See Words continued on page 26 May your month be filled with good health, HOPE, and blessings!

ENERGY REIMAGINED: THE MCE COMMUNITY CHOICE PROGRAM

By County Supervisor Candace Andersen

While Texas experienced unusually cold temperatures this past February, the energy policy debate was brought to the national forefront.

Like many of you likely did, I too considered the possibility of our region seeing a similar occurrence, and pondered, that if we had such an occurance, how much different we would fare.

Californians are certainly accustomed to natural disasters and extreme weather. Though we enjoy generally moderate temperatures compared to other parts of the country, we endure a lengthy wildfire season, sporadic earthquakes, droughts, and in recent years, energy blackouts.

The state and effectiveness of our energy grid is crucial, and its well-being is most notable during these unexpected disasters or conditions. When a state of emergency occurs, having a working power grid is what allows all of us to operate effectively and make it through safely.

Fortunately, for my constituents in unincorporated parts of the County, Danville, Lafayette, Moraga, San Ramon, and Walnut Creek, they have an efficient and reliable option for residential or commercial energy.

For more than 10 years, MCE Community Choice Energy, California’s first Community Choice Aggregation program, has provided such an option and afforded individuals the all-important ability to choose their energy provider. In most Contra Costa cities and unincorporated areas of the county, MCE became an option in 2017 and 2018. While electricity still comes through PG&E power lines, the source of the power is through MCE. At the time of its adoption, residents and businesses had the option to select their electricity to be 60% Renewable Energy, 100% Renewable Energy, 100% Locally Produced Solar Energy, or opt out to choose to have PG&E continue to provide electricity. Each level has different costs.

The goal of the County and cities by switching to MCE as the source of energy was to lower greenhouse gas emissions, offer rate stability, and provide new, local renewable projects. While affordability and sustainability are extremely important, reliability is one area that cannot be emphasized enough when it comes to energy providers. MCE offers some great programs that can better prepare you for an emergency or power shutoff. They currently offer assistance to MCE customers in setting up an energy storage/battery system. They can also help customers apply for funds through the Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP). Depending upon eligibility, it could help cover 15% to 100% of the cost of the system. Customers can also receive a credit each month if they allow MCE to program the energy storage system to charge and discharge at certain times of the day for greater efficiency.

Other programs include assistance with electric vehicle (EV) rebates, credits to MCE customers with solar panels, power outage preparedness, and energy savings advice. Commercial customers and contractors also are offered a wide range of support and programs.

The MCE Board of Directors is a group of local elected officials who gather community input at MCE Board and Committee meetings. They make decisions about the types of power to acquire, implement and approve the many programs, and set the various rate levels. To learn more about the source of your electricity and these many programs, go to mcecleanenergy.org.

As always, for more information related to energy or disaster preparedness, feel free to contact my office at 925-957-8860. It is my honor to serve as your representative on the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors.

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April 2021 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 11

PAGE 12 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS •April 2021

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VALLEY VIGNETTE By Beverly Lane

THE HOWARD RANCH AND WHITE GATE FARM

In 1975, the San Ramon Valley Historical Society recognized two historic families from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries: the Howards and the Donahues. A historic plaque (#4) was placed on the historic Howard house, by then called White Gate Farm.

Charles and Nathaniel Howard originally came to California for the Gold Rush.

Younger brother Charles arrived in September 1849, just before his 23rd birthday, and prospected for gold. In August of 1849, Nathaniel (age 29) and others purchased the ship Florida, and sailed for California, arriving in San Francisco on January 1st, 1850.

The Howard’s then mined at Solomon’s Gulch on the Merced river for a year. They returned to San Francisco where Charles was engaged in business and Nathaniel plied his carpentry trade as an architect and contractor. Nathaniel had served on-board ships from ages 10-16 and then apprenticed as a carpenter until 1849. Nathaniel was also a member of the SF Vigilance Committee during that rowdy time in the City’s history.

In September of 1856, the brothers purchased a 160-acre property two miles east of Alamo which became the Howard ranch. They built a colonial style house which accommodated both families. Nathaniel had married Elizabeth Hitch of Fairhaven, Massachusetts on May 30, 1844, and she joined him in San Francisco in 1852; they had three children, Lizzie, Amelia, and Kate. Charles married Susan Homan of Boston in 1857, and they also had three children: Ann, Perez, and Ida. The Howards were important to the beginnings of American settlement in the San Ramon Valley in many ways. They built their large house from redwood logged from Redwood Canyon west of Moraga and sent the wood to New England to be milled. The house also featured a redwood mud foundation, hand-cut and hand-finished doors and window frames, and Georgia pine cupboards. The Colonial New England design reflected the fact they were raised in Massachusetts.

Their large house was the site of early school classes, drawing children from the vicinity. In 1865, the Howards built the first Green Valley Grammar School on land along today’s Green Valley Road, donated by Danville rancher Andrew Inman.

In a memoir, daughter Amelia Howard Ridgway wrote that, in their early years in the valley, the brothers had much to learn about farming. As novices to those tasks, their neighbors evidently had to introduce them to this new way of life. According to her account, the brothers “invested in some mustangs, thinking that it would be no task to break them into good work animals. But they did not know mustangs, and many amusing and exciting things happened before they finally settled down to farming.”

The brothers did know how to design and build, however. They constructed many of the early buildings in the valley, several of which are still around. The Cohen/Vecki House (now 169 Front Street, Danville) and the Osborn House (off Diablo Rd.) had almost identical designs, and today both are Heritage Resources for Danville.

When the Grange began in 1873 (and soon outgrew meetings in the Danville Grammar School), the Howards supervised construction and built the new Grange hall at a cost of $1,383. This original hall is now the second story of the Village Theatre, 233 Front Street, Danville.

Charles Howard was very active in the community. He reviewed the votes on an effort to get a railroad from Martinez to Amador Valley in 1868 and served as Danville Grange Worthy Master in 1889-90. In 1897, Nathaniel’s daughter Kate married Charles J. Wood of Sycamore Valley, and the Howards built a house for them as a wedding present. Still standing, this house has been added to over time.

In the mid-1880s, the Howard house and ranch were sold to Judge Warren Olney. At that time Nathaniel and Elizabeth Howard moved to Walnut Creek while Charles and Susan Howard went to Danville.

In 1898, Judge William H. Donahue bought the house and farm. His brother John J. lived there and did some diversified farming with grains, almonds, and fruit trees. J.J.’s son, Fred, bought the house and ran the ranch. His son, Ed Donahue, raised chickens on the ranch. Later, another son, Ray, restored the home which became a showplace in the mid-20th century. He named the ranch White Gate. The house and property were sold to housing developer Harold W. Smith in 1970, and the development was called “White Gate.” According to Ray Donahue, on one of the first stagecoach lines from Danville and Alamo to Clayton and the Black Diamond mine fields, the Howard stables provided a stop-over for animals and drivers. Later, Ray’s brother Ed questioned that account and said that Ray was quite a storyteller.

The historical society dedicated its plaque on September 10, 1975, with Society President Dr. Wilson E. Close providing a history of the house and property which honored the memory of Fred and Ruth Donahue. The plaque recognized Charles and Nathaniel Howard and Ray Donahue. Present also at the dedication were the grandchildren of Nathaniel Howard: Mary Ridgway Lichens, and George and Waldo Wood. The house, much changed from the original building in 1857, was razed in 1998.

Sources for this article include the Nathaniel Howard obituary (1899), the 1882 History of Contra Costa County, Amelia H. Ridgeway’s Memories and Virgie V. Jones book Historical Persons & Places in San Ramon Valley.

Delfosse continued from page 3

respect from many including two of the most senior in higher management. The two men invited Dick to work alongside them in developing the Ross chain of stores. Dick was responsible for designing store layouts and giving advice on merchandise and display.

In 1983, Dick met a young fellow named Michael Dupey who owned a small chain of stores. “This guy was half crazy and half genius,” he told many. Dupey had come up with an idea for selling art supplies and crafting materials. His stores were very successful and profitable. He kindly shared many of his wild ideas that Dick then used to develop his own concepts for a store. After much research and being told he was half crazy by several banks and even family, Dick choose a store location in Alamo.

Richards Arts and Crafts opened in August of 1983, just two doors down from Safeway. In 1998, the store moved across the parking lot into a store designed

by Dick. A second store in Livermore, that moved to San Ramon in 2015, was operated by Dick’s kids.

The first few years were lean, but Dick worked hard and long hours. His sons and one daughter became an important part of the business. His wife, who had her own company, also provided support from home, joining him in the Alamo store later.

Dick hired a great staff of caring people who became like family. Together, they found how they could best serve the community, learning about the needs of schools, teachers, clubs, churches, and service organizations. This eventually became an important aspect of the business as he found success over the years.

“Our community was loyal to us, and we found that there were many needs where we could help,” Dick said. It was important to Dick to help others find success, whether personal or in business. Everyone benefitted from his giant compassion and generosity.

Richard was very active in the community with participation in the Alamo Music Festival and Rotary events. He was a founder of the Alamo Merchants and Professional Association (AMPA) that morphed into the Alamo Chamber of Commerce/Danville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Community Foundation of Alamo.

His smile and his sincere desire to be a good person and share that with others will be fondly remembered by all who knew him.

To reminisce with his spouse, you can email her at terri@ShopRichards.com. If you wish to make a memorial contribution in his honor, please consider supporting his favorite charity, the Tony La Russa Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) in Walnut Creek. Information can be found at www.arflife.org/support.

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VETERAN SERVICES BRING THE “OFFICE” TO YOU

* See back panel for Terms & Conditions

With the COVID-19 County Health Order making it more challenging to get services from government offices, the Contra Costa County Veterans Services Office is removing barriers by opening a virtual office space. The virtual Veterans Office can give you close to an in-person experience.

Veterans can learn about and apply for benefits, access VA health care, receive referrals for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder therapy, and much more. Visit the office website at www.contracosta.ca.gov/vets during open office hours for one-on-one assistance. Hours of operation are Mondays through Thursdays from 9am to noon and 1pm to 4pm, and on Fridays 9am to noon.

Staffing the virtual office are Veterans Service Manager Sidney Jones, an Air Force Veteran, and Veteran Services Representative Buck Carmichael, a Marine Corps Veteran. Both have long-time experience connecting vets to critical services.

For more information, please call the Veteran Services Office at 925-313-1481.

PAGE 14 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS •April 2021

www.yourmonthlypaper.com | Instagram: @Alamoanddanvilletoday | #atdtnews

CLIP NOTES

By Jody Morgan

While browsing recently at a bookstore, I was sufficiently intrigued by a title - Trowel and Error - to flip through the pages of a paperback purporting to contain “700 Organic Remedies, Shortcuts & Tips for the Gardener.” I’ve created any number of organic deer deterrents, so I turned to that entry to see what author Sharon Lovejoy could add to my knowledge, and I was immediately hooked by her sense of humor.

Among the more practical repellents included under the heading “The Buck Stops Here,” she noted: “Many seasoned deer battlers Serving the Bay Area with honesty and integrity since 1973 swear that dirty undies hung on bushes will 2395 Monument Blvd., Suite J 3191-J Crow Canyon Pl keep deer away. My only suggestion is to do Concord San Ramon this at night, and try to remember to remove Carpets, Hardwood, Laminate & Stone (925) 680-4433 (925) 866-2200 Since 1973 www.MacFloor.com • info@macfloor.com them before your neighbors wake up.”

(Across from Costco Gas Station, next to Harvest House) Seeking some original advice on attracting beneficial garden helpers, I turned to the chapter entitled “Using Lures to Attract Allies” and discovered Lovejoy shares my interest in historical information.

She quotes under “When ‘Toad’ Meant Respect” an article from an 1890 British newspaper: “In such favor do toads stand with English market gardeners that they readily command a shilling a piece, ... and as toads possess no bad habits, every owner of a garden should treat him with the utmost hospitality.” I happily welcome toads to my own garden each year. They consume all kinds of insect pests and only ask that you don’t inadvertently tread on them. Provide a clay or ceramic pot half-buried on its side in a shady spot as a toad shelter, and you’ll have free organic pest control for slugs as well as insects.

The “Borage Benefits” entry on the opposite page encouraged me to research additional reasons for cultivating the attractive annual herb I have been planting on and off for decades. Bees love the blue flowers. Borage provides an excellent source of nectar for them all of the growing season. The blooms are edible as are the leaves and stems.

But I didn’t realize why borage is such a good companion plant for strawberries, tomatoes, and squash, until reading Lovejoy’s comments. She writes: “Aphid Lions (the name says it all), the offspring of green lacewings, are one of your best allies against all sorts of pests. Recent studies in Switzerland have shown more eggs and young of lacewings are found among borage than anywhere else in the garden. If you inter-plant borage among your vegetable and flower crops, you will eliminate many pest problems.”

Seed borage directly into your garden. It self-sows and provides seed wild birds enjoy. You may not want the volunteers where they sprout the next year. Move them early because this annual is tap-rooted. Yet the taproot adds to borage’s many benefits.

Delving deep into the soil, it captures minerals that make it a great addition to the compost. Leaves get fuzzier as they age, so deer don’t like them.

Added to salads, soups, and beverages, the young leaves impart a refreshing cucumber flavor. Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs recommends adding 2 tablespoons of minced borage leaves to 4 cups of chilled vegetable soup and a handful of leaves to 2 quarts of chicken or fish stock. Adelma Simmons writes in Herb Gardening in the Five Seasons: “To candy the flowers, cut fresh, dip in beaten egg whites and then in sugar, and dry.” The blossoms can also be frozen in ice cubes to decorate a punch bowl.

At Caprilands in Connecticut, Simmons offered guests delicious seasonal herbal luncheons by reservation. I tasted my first May wine at her table. Her June claret punch is flavored with borage.

Ancient Celtic warriors drank wine laced with borage prior to battle to give them courage. The 1636 edition of John Gerard’s Herbal describes medicinal properties of borage not necessarily supported by modern science. “Syrrup made of the floures of Borrage comforteth the heart, purgeth melancholy and quieteth the phrentick or lunaticke person.” For those not troubled by mental illness, Gerard suggests: “The leaves and floures of Borrage put into wine make men and women glad and merry, driving away all sadnesse, dulnesse, and melancholy, as Dioscorides and Pliny affirme.”

Roman scholar Pliny believed borage (Borago officinalis) to be an anti-depressant and consequently labeled it “euphrosinum,” the herb of gladness. Unfortunately, current scholars believe that the wine to which the leaves were commonly added bore a greater responsibility for generating merriment, instilling courage, and calming raving lunatics than the herb itself.

Tea brewed from borage leaves with lemon and honey added makes a refreshing drink.

DANVILLE ALAMO GARDEN CLUB

The Danville Alamo Garden Club would like to invite you to their monthly meetings, where they will share their knowledge and love of gardening.

Monthly meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month and are currently presented via Zoom.

The meetings feature an inspiring and educational guest speaker and program.

Please visit www.DAGC.us to find detailed information about the monthly program, activities, and contact information.

To contact the Membership VP, click on “About DAGC” then “About Membership.” The group looks forward to meeting you!

WALNUT CREEK GARDEN CLUB

Come join the Walnut Creek Garden Club for a virtual meeting to be held on April 12th via Zoom. The meeting starts at 10AM. The guest speaker, Shawna Anderson of Lafayette’s Orchard Nursery, will begin her presentation at 10:30AM. Shawna has been with Orchard Nursery since 2004. She is known for her container gardening and is a certified horticulturalist who has lead many classes at Orchard. In 2016, she became their Custom Container Designer and Manager. She plans to talk about “Plants That Attract Beneficial Insects.”

To join in, contact Co-President, Maureen Little, at mslittle44@gmail.com for an invitation. To learn more about the club, visit www.walnutcreekgardenclub.org.

Facebook: Alamo Today & Danville Today News | editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

April 2021 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 15

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PAGE 16 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS •April 2021

www.yourmonthlypaper.com | Instagram: @Alamoanddanvilletoday | #atdtnews

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BEE-ING IN BERKELEY AND PARIS

High atop beloved landmarks including L’École Militaire, the Grand Palais, Musee d’Orsay, the Institute de France, and Notre Dame, beekeepers are quietly enjoying some of the most incredible views of Paris.

Wearing his signature straw fedora hat specially designed with face net, Audric de Campeau is one of the many urban rooftop beekeepers in the City of Light.

In his late 30’s, de Campeau has been tending his hives along with his trusty beagle for almost a decade. Parisian bees feed from the diverse flowers and plants including orange trees and jasmine found in window boxes and terrace gardens as well as various exotic trees in the many “jardins” and parks throughout the city. Some say because of the bees’ unique diet in Paris, their honey tastes like cherries and bubble gum. “Parisians love more and more to buy local,” says de Campeau, “and the honey is really delicious.

In April 2019, when the 800year-old Notre Dame cathedral was burning, beekeeper Nicholas Geant was convinced the rooftop hives he tended there would be destroyed. Thankfully, he was wrong. “The bees are alive,” Geant told reporters. At first, he was fearful the hives had burned. “I Audric de Campeau, beekeeper in Paris and Filou saw from satellite images that this (his beagle) was not the case, and then the cathedral spokesperson told me that they (the bees) were going in and out of the hives.

Many believed it was a miracle that saved the 200,000 Notre Dame rooftop bees. Geant explained that bees are very resilient, and since they do not have lungs, they cannot die from smoke inhalation. “I wouldn’t call it a miracle,” he added, “but, I’m very, very happy.”

Closer to home, beekeepers in the Bay Area visit Biofuel Oasis, a worker-owned

and operated cooperative founded in 2003. Signage on the windows of the 1930’s Mission-style station read, “Reserve your Bees NOW, and Feed us Organic.” When I visited the tiny bustling shop, Kate, a very busy employee, assisted customers, answered the phone that seemed to ring every three minutes, and helped with deliveries in the back of the building.

“Millions of bees will go through the station in April,” Kate explained.

This is a particularly busy time because nucs (nucleus colonies: small honeybee colonies created from larger colonies) arrive mid spring (April to early May), depending Biofuel Oasis, Berkeley CA on weather.

“They have customers arrive at night,” explained Jennie, beekeeper and retired teacher, whom I met at BioFuel Oasis. Between 8PM and 10PM on designated April nights, bees are transitioned to their new homes. “The bees are quieter then (at night) and not as likely to fly around in cars, though I have picked bees up during the day from a beekeeper, and they are fine buzzing around in the car- mostly not interested in the human. During Covid, they do a drive-thru at night with a designated time. Customers drive through the station, and the bees are loaded in the cars. Often beekeepers cover the bees, but allowing ventilation creating less fear, especially with new beekeepers.”

The tiny hub provides locally sourced biodiesel as well as beekeeping supplies, chicks, chicken feed, and locally made products. Each month in the spring and fall, there is a ‘Chick Day.’ Baby chicks arrive in the mail, having just hatched less than a day prior. The next Chick Day is April 30. Check their website, biofueloasis. com, for details and classes.

Biofuel Oasis is located at 1441 Ashby Avenue in Berkeley. Their phone number is 510-665-5509. They are open Monday-Friday from 11AM-6PM, Saturday 10AM4PM, and Sunday noon -4PM. Fuel hours are 7AM-Midnight, every day.

Linda Summers Pirkle, a travel writer, Francophile, consultant, and long-term Danville resident, has arranged and led tours for the Town of Danville for several years. To share your “Quick Trips” ideas, email Coverthemap@gmail.com.

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TECHNOLOGY MATTERS

RANSOMWARE IS STILL HERE

By Evan Corstorphine, Portable CIO, Inc.

April 2021 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 17

AGGRESSIVE & SKILLED LEGAL ADVOCACY Protect your rights after serious injury or wrongful death.

No recovery, no fee.

We’ve been fighting ransomware since 2012. We’re nine years into this nightmare, and all that has changed is the increased creativity, viciousness, and most of all greed of the cyber-criminals. The “bad guys” always find a new way to break things and steal what is not theirs.

Ransomware is often downloaded accidentally Call us today to schedule a consultation. when it is disguised as a legitimate file. Once it is on 925-587-9949 your computer, it silently goes to work. There are many variants that attack in “Making the world a safer place, one case at a time.” different ways. Some versions look only for certain operating system versions, and they steer clear of computers using certain antivirus/antimalware protection Alamo resident since 2002 www.gattopc.com products. They avoid certain OS versions because different versions have vul2540 Camino Diablo, Suite 200, Walnut Creek, CA 94597 Past results are not a guarantee of future outcomes. nerabilities that the ransomware may be waiting to exploit. They avoid certain antivirus/antimalware protection because the last thing they want to happen is to land in your antivirus quarantine. If their code is quarantined, it can be dissected and analyzed for ways to defeat it.

Cyber-criminals are very good at what they do. I don’t know of any situation, Serving Alamo & Danville Since 1979! except in a lab, where someone who was infected with ransomware could pinpoint exactly when and what they did to get themselves infected. Figuring out where it came from is like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. When we dissect an attack, we work with our clients to go back through their previous week to identify when strange things began to happen. We observe that the most common ways people get infected are when they open a phishing email and click on a web link, when they open an infected attachment they thought was legitimate, when they www.actionpoolrepair.com visit a sketchy site (porn, gambling, illegally downloading or torrenting software), yourpoolman@hotmail.com or when visiting a legitimate yet compromised site. I must emphasize here that this all happens silently, and you will not know it happened until it is already too late.

In the past, PCIO operated in a reactive, time and materials (T&M) mode with Contractor Lic# 978033-C53 our clients. T&M is based solely on our reacting to client problems after they call us.

In this era of internet crime, the reactive T&M model is outdated and completely inadequate for keeping our clients safe. I have a recent, unfortunate example to share.

We have loosely worked with a client for several years, and they have always done their own IT. They only called us for complex networking jobs because they felt they had their desktops, backups, and security under control. Recently, I sent a letter to the very nice owner of the firm, explaining how our model had shifted, and how my recommendation was to get onboard with our Total Security Product (TSP) protection plan going forward. I explained why TSP was the only way we would be working with firms in the future, because we cannot be effective if we’re working with them at arms-length, and they are far less secure without our protections around them.

Unbelievably, less than 15 hours later, we received a call from that client, and we immediately recognized what they described to us as a ransomware attack.

And it was bad. Because this client had relied on their own expertise to protect themselves, they had no backups (they thought they did), their workstation protection was inadequate (they thought it was good enough), and they had no business continuity/disaster recovery (BCDR) plan in place. They were hit with a ransomware variant that was focused on infecting network-attached storage (NAS) devices. This client’s NAS had not been updated since 2016, and worse yet, someone had configured their NAS to be directly accessible from the public internet, which is another good way for devices to become infected. If their NAS had been up to date, it would have repelled this attack.

Because our client had no backups, we suggested they pay the ransom so we could (hopefully) put them back together as quickly as possible. They did pay, a fraction of Bitcoin in an anonymous transaction. After they paid, the client brought the NAS and the decryption software provided by the cyber-criminals to our office, and we began the decryption process. Only, it didn’t work. We tried and tried, we researched online, and we spoke with experts. Unfortunately, the expert advice was to do exactly what we had already done, and we hadn’t gotten any results.

Are cyber-criminals honorable? Unlikely. They’re criminals, and if they were good people, they wouldn’t be doing this in the first place. Sometimes, perhaps most of the time, they provide a working decryption mechanism, and it will unlock all your encrypted files. After all, if it became common knowledge they didn’t hold up their part of the deal, nobody would bother paying, and their criminal enterprise would fall apart. However, sometimes, and for whatever reason, the product they deliver is no good, and you’re stuck with a bunch of encrypted data after paying out their ransom fee. These guys aren’t known for their post-sale customer service when things don’t work out, so you’re stuck.

What should you do? Start by working with firms like PCIO who employ world-class protection systems and who employ highly experienced professionals to keep you protected. Our interest is protecting you from data loss and heartache. In all the time we’ve been in business, and since we’ve offered our TSP protection, neither us nor our TSP clients have suffered a ransomware infection. Considering how far and wide we travel the internet for the work we perform, our stellar track record is far from coincidental. That is not the case for the T&M clients we run across, and unfortunately, by the time we get their phone call, it is often too late.

This scourge isn’t going away. The way you’ve done things in the past doesn’t work any longer. If you have data you care about, please make changes. And if you need help with this journey, your friendly IT professionals at PCIO are here to help. Call or email, 925-552-7953 or email info@pcioit.com. Advertorial

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SAVE MOUNT DIABLO’S FREE “DISCOVER DIABLO” 2021 HIKES PROGRAM

Explore some of the East Bay’s premiere hiking spots with Save Mount Diablo in 2021, including areas rarely open to the public. The Discover Diablo hike series offers interpretive family walks, guided hikes, and property tours, all free to the public. Trailblazers of all ages and skill levels are welcome.

Save Mount Diablo is adding hikes and new activities to the series. New offerings will include climbing, mountain biking, and bilingual hikes in Spanish and English. The ever-popular tarantula walk will be offered twice, and a special hike will celebrate the California State Parks centennial. Hikes are guided by experts steeped in the natural history and lore of the region, who both educate and entertain while emphasizing the breathtaking beauty that the Diablo Range has to offer.

See the full schedule of upcoming hikes and RSVP online at http://bit.ly/Discover-Diablo-Hikes-Calendar.

PAGE 18 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS •April 2021

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UNFORTUNATELY, IT’S A FACT: YOU’RE GOING TO DIE ONE DAY

By Peter T. Waldron, Managing Partner of Spectrum Wealth Partners

“What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.” ~ Albert Pike Sorry for such an ominous title, but I really wanted to catch your attention and convey the fact that one day you will indeed die. This is something that I think about, obviously not for pleasure but because of my profession. As part of my job, I must consider my client’s eventual demise. This is something that I had to come to terms with early on in my career as it became apparent to me that this topic would be regularly discussed. While we can’t control our ultimate departure, we should understand the impact it will have on our family’s financial situation. For this article, I will break down this topic into three broad phases: early family life, financial independence, and advanced years.

The early family life phase can be the hardest time to contemplate your own mortality, but is arguably the most important time. To frame this, you are just recently married, planning to start a family, and now you must consider the fact that you might die … obviously, not the best timing. That said, it is important to consider the financial future of the family you are planning as they will continue even in the event you are no longer here. This planning must take into consideration your current resources and what objectives you want covered in your absence. While this is different for everyone, some plans might include covering your lifetime earning potential, education costs, and other future planning objectives (e.g., homes, cars, etc.). While the planning around your death this early on is difficult, the cost to solve the potential deficit that will be created by your absence is at this time very inexpensive.

The next phase is the one that most people strive for: financial independence, or in other words, the ability not to work if you so choose. At this point in their financial journey, many people will continue to ignore the likelihood of their own demise, as the thought of death clouds the jubilation of financial freedom. The financial impact of your death on your surviving spouse and family must be considered. While in most situations financial independence includes your spouse and family (and so your death would not change their situation), there is the possibility that there would be considerable taxation (estate taxes) that could impact their financial independence at the time of your passing. Additionally, they would be affected if your passing resulted in the end of an income stream (e.g., pension/ trust distribution) or if assets were transferred away from them because of estate planning vehicles (e.g., generational trusts, irrevocable trusts, charitable trusts).

The last phase, the advanced years of your life, can be defined loosely as the latter part of your retirement. You are now winding down and have likely seen your children and grandchildren mature into adults who are starting their own families. This is when many people begin to truly feel the end and start to formulate their legacy with the funds that they have remaining. While I do not consider this the best time to begin formulating one’s legacy, for many it is the first time they feel it is appropriate. Currently, there are several elements that are paramount to consider fully in terms of your ultimate beneficiaries. Sometimes leaving money to family can result in negative outcomes; in some instances, your death might even lead to the death of family cohesion. It is important to understand these dynamics when planning.

Each of the phases discussed above come with an array of planning considerations and dynamics. It is important to take the time to fully understand your objectives, current planning, and the hidden opportunities and gaps. While it is difficult to understand every aspect of your financial life, after your death is probably the worst time to start planning. The implications of your death are significant, and you should not take them lightly. While this article focuses on the financial impacts of your death, we believe these are the easiest to mitigate as the loss of any life is truly a tragedy.

“I am ready for anything that happens. Death is never polite, even when we expected it. The only thing I pray for is the strength to go out without complaining.” ~ Herbert Butros Khaury To schedule a complimentary review of your financial situation, please contact me at 925-786-7686 or email peter.waldron@lfg.com.

Peter T. Waldron: California Insurance License #0E47827. Peter T. Waldron is a registered representative of Lincoln Financial Advisors, a broker/dealer, member SIPC, and offers investment advisory service through Sagemark Consulting, a division of Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp., a registered investment advisor, Spectrum Wealth Partners is not an affiliate of Lincoln Financial Advisors. 3201 Danville Blvd, Suite 190, Alamo, CA 94507. Insurance offered through Lincoln Marketing and Insurance Agency, LLC and Lincoln Associates Insurance Agency, Inc. and other fine companies. This information should not be construed as legal or tax advice.

You may want to consult a tax advisor regarding this information as it relates to your personal circumstance. The content of this material was provided to you by Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp. for its representatives and their clients. CRN3505710-032321.

Advertorial

MEALS ON WHEELS

FRIENDLY HELPER PROGRAM

Meals on Wheels (MOW) Diablo Region launched the “Friendly Helper Program (FHP)” to assist seniors with their everyday errands, such as grocery shopping and picking up medications at a local pharmacy. This pilot program will make it easier for seniors to remain at home, especially during Covid-19. “With most of our seniors sheltering-in-place, MOW Diablo Region can now provide another essential service that our seniors truly need,” said MOW Diablo Region Health and Wellness Division Manager, Cynthia Black.

The guidelines below determine if a senior is eligible for the Friendly Helpers Program: • Seniors must be a participant in the existing Friendly Visitors or Friendly Callers program.

• Seniors must provide at least a four-day notice before the errand is to be completed.

• Weekend errands may be available with a seven-day notice.

• If the volunteer pays for any item on behalf of the senior, the volunteer must be reimbursed at the time the item is delivered (cash or checks only).

• There is a $50 limit on all purchases.

• MOW Diablo Region requires all seniors and volunteers to adhere to the Contra Costa County Department of Health guidelines pertaining to COVID. For more information on the Friendly Helper Program, visit www.mowdiabloregion.org/get-involved, contact Eileen Stephens, estephens@mowdr. org, 925-482-2622; or Tuyet Iaconis, tiaco-nis@mowdr.org, 925-891-4872.

To advertise call 925.405.6397

BRINGING BACK THE NATIVES

Registration for the free, virtual 17 th Annual Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour, which will take place on Sundays, April 25 th and May 2 nd, 16 th, and 23 rd from 10 AM to 3 PM, is now open. This award-winning tour will be kicked off with a presentation by the inspirational Doug Tallamy and feature 25 beautiful native plant gardens, question and answer sessions with garden hosts, “Ask the Experts” opportunities, garden design and plant selection information, and more.

Check out the schedule of events at www.bringingbackthenatives. net/welcome-toou r- 2 0 2 1 - v i r tu al-events, and re g i s t e r f or t h e tour now.

In addition, a Companion Green Home Tour will be held. Join garden tour host Kathy Kramer and electrification advocate Amy Kiser at a free companion event: the first annual virtual Green Home Tour, which will take place on Sundays June 6 th and 13 th from 10 AM to 2 PM. Learn how you can save money and time, and improve your health while combating climate change by ditching natural gas, generating clean electricity from your own home, and installing energy-efficient (and health-protecting) induction stoves and heat pumps. A potpourri of other "green home" features will be discussed. Get recommendations for contractors and appliances, learn about costs, savings, rebates, benefits, and more. Register for the Green Home Tour at www. eventbrite.com/e/east-bay-green-home-tour-tickets-141756566707.

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HOW DO YOU HOLD TITLE TO YOUR REAL ESTATE?

By Robert J. Silverman, Attorney at Law

I write about this topic regularly because real estate owners are frequently ill-informed or have misconceptions about real estate titling alternatives. Furthermore, one’s titling choice has critical legal and tax consequences.

Focusing on the estate planning consequences of various titling methods, let’s explore the essential question: on an owner’s death, who will own the property and how will that transfer happen?

Note that limited liability company (LLC) titling has great appeal for business and investment property, but LLC titling features and benefits are beyond the scope of this article.

COMMON REAL ESTATE TITLING METHODS

Individual - On the death of an individual title holder, the property is subject to probate - whether or not the decedent had a valid Will. Unfortunately, probate is a long, expensive, and inconvenient public court proceeding. It is nevertheless avoidable if the individual titles it in a Revocable Living Trust (hereafter “Trust”).

Joint Tenancy - Joint tenancy requires two or more co-owners, each owning an equal, fractional share. Many married couples take title in this form because of a feature known as the “right of survivorship” (“R.O.S.”). Under R.O.S., when one joint tenant dies, the surviving joint tenant(s) automatically (without probate) becomes the owner of the decedent’s interest. Despite this feature and its popularity, joint tenancy is often unwise and problematic.

NOTE: some people try to short-cut estate planning (i.e. avoid establishing a Trust) by adding one or more children or loved ones to the title as joint tenants.

This can be extremely detrimental for many tax and non-tax reasons and should never be done without first consulting an attorney.

Community Property - Community property titling is available only for married couples who can choose to include the R.O.S. feature if they specify that in the deed. Like joint tenancy, the advantage is that R.O.S. enables probate

Partnership continued from front page

April 2021 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 19

to be avoided on the death of the first spouse. However, this is almost always less beneficial than taking title in a Trust.

Tenancy in Common - Tenant in Common (“T.I.C.”) titling requires two or more co-owners and simply reflects ownership by each tenant-in-common of an undivided, fractional interest in the property. T.I.C. titling is commonly used by friends, relatives, or associates who acquire property as a business venture. T.I.C. contains no R.O.S. feature. Thus, on death of a co-owner, their interest does not automatically go to the remaining tenant(s)-in-common; rather, each tenant-incommon (co-owner) can designate in his or her own Will who will inherit his/ her T.I.C. interest. The substantial estate planning problem is that, upon death, the T.I.C. property interest will be subject to probate. To overcome this problem, a co-owner can transfer title to his or her T.I.C. interest into a Trust.

Trust - For probate avoidance and other reasons, individuals and married couples are typically best advised to establish and hold title to their property in a Trust. By statute, titling property in one’s Trust renders it exempt from probate.

So, when the owner dies, the property transfers privately, without probate, to the beneficiaries listed in the Trust. Given the high costs and inconvenience of probate, this is a valuable exemption.

Key planning consideration - When married couples evaluate alternative titling methods, they should be cognizant that the R.O.S. feature that makes titling in “joint tenancy” and “community property with right of survivorship” seem so attractive is largely illusory. Probate is avoided only on the death of the first spouse; when the surviving spouse dies, probate will be required! Trusts are a compelling alternative because, among other advantages, probate is avoided on the death of any owners whose interests are titled in a Trust. |Estate Planning | Trust Administration & Probate | Real Estate | Business| Please contact me to request a complimentary: i) “Estate Planning Primer”; ii) Real Estate titling brochure; iii) introductory meeting. I am an attorney with R. Silverman Law Group, (please note new address) 1910 Olympic Blvd., Suite 330, Walnut Creek, CA 94596; (925) 705-4474; rsilverman@rsilvermanlaw.com.

This article is intended to provide information of a general nature, and should not be relied upon as legal, tax and/ or business advice. Readers should obtain specific advice from their own, qualified professional advisors.

Advertorial

this effort, The Thrift Station was founded – a volunteer-run reseller of gently used household goods and clothing items. Today, nearly 50 years later, The Thrift Station maintains a beloved place within the community, as does DCC; the partnership serves as a model of community ingenuity in support of mental wellness.

“This model is built on wide-spread community participation, from the amazing volunteers who manage and operate The Thrift Station, to community members who donate items, to the shoppers who enjoy the well-organized store filled to the brim with exciting bargains,” said Kathy Chiverton, executive director of DCC. Jenise Falk serves as president of the Volunteer Auxiliary that supports DCC, overseeing approximately 125 dedicated volunteers who run The Thrift Station. They receive, sort, and display items within the store which in normal times is open six days per week, six hours per day in its current location at The Crossroads Shopping Mall - 486 San Ramon Valley Blvd., Danville. One hundred percent of the proceeds from sales support DCC. In her fourth year at the helm, Falk saw firsthand the fantastic assistance that DCC counselors provided to students during her time as a teacher and principal within the San Ramon Valley Unified School District (SRVUSD). “The work of Discovery is great and important, said Falk. “When I retired from the School District, I knew I wanted to remain involved with the program somehow. The Volunteer Auxiliary (named Danville Area Chamber of Commerce non-profit business of the year in 2018) is such a great, extremely dedicated group. It is unique within our community. We work hard, but we have fun. Many of us have developed wonderful friendships as a result.”

“DCC is so very fortunate to have the proceeds from the remarkable Thrift Station, managed and operated solely by volunteers with no paid staff and providing about a third of our income which allows us to continue to serve our community,” said Chiverton. “Research indicates that early intervention is critically important when addressing mental health challenges. By having a non-profit counseling center as an integral part of the local community, we are improving access to much-needed mental health support. Many other community-based agencies such as ours have had to close their doors because they could not afford to provide these necessary services. Our mission is to continue to ensure that our services are accessible and affordable; clients pay fees on a sliding scale based on family income.”

DCC has pledged to be a mental health agency of full inclusion where staff, clients, and members of our diverse community can thrive. Therapists at DCC offer culturally appropriate individual and group counseling for adolescent issues, alcohol and drug recovery, anger management, anxiety, child-life issues, co-dependency, couples, depression, divorce, family issues, grief and loss, LGBTQ+ support, low self-esteem, parenting/co-parenting issues, and trauma recovery. It also provides early-intervention services at all schools in the SRVUSD. School-Based Counseling (individual and group counseling) is provided at 22 elementary schools, eight middle schools, four high schools, and two independent schools in the SRVUSD. The School Counseling and Intervention Program (SCIP) helps children develop social competence, gain problem-solving skills, and build self-esteem. In partnership with the School District, time-limited counseling (10-12 sessions) is offered by pre-licensed counselors supervised by DCC staff therapists. During the pandemic, all services are offered via telehealth. The counseling staff is composed of 25 licensed and 30 pre-licensed therapists.

“During this pandemic, it is important to give your mental health as high a priority as your physical health,” said Chiverton. “These are difficult times for many of us, but you do not have to be alone in your struggles. There are skilled and compassionate therapists at Discovery and throughout the community who can help you through these unprecedented challenges to mental wellness. If you need help, please call us at 925-837-0505. Leave a message and we will return your call within 2-3 days. We are not a crisis center. If someone needs immediate help, they should call the Contra Costa Crisis Center at 211 or text “hope” to 20121.

For The Thrift Station donation guidelines and for volunteer information, visit discoveryctr.net or visit their Facebook page: The Thrift Station.

PAGE 20 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS •April 2021

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Smile continued from front page

ALAMO IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION (AIA)

By Roger Smith, President ALAMO’S TREE CANOPY IS IN DANGER

Today, a local hiker looks down at a bucolic community of low-density homes through a nearly impenetrable green canopy of trees planted over the past 75 years during the postwar suburban development boom. If not for these trees, Alamo would look like many other suburban communities.

Driving down Alamo’s main thoroughfares are green tunnels of mature and magnificent trees. Please take a moment to visually compare Alamo to the main boulevards of many other communities throughout our County.

During the last decade, Alamo residents have become increasingly concerned and have raised the issue that the County’s current tree protection ordinance (TPO) provides erratic, often confusing, protection of Alamo’s tree canopy.

Several years ago, the County began a process to update its TPO. As part of this process, representatives from AIA and our Alamo Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) Tree Committee worked together to craft recommendations for clearer, more logical, and more comprehensive protections for our trees and management of our green canopy. These recommendations were endorsed unanimously by AIA and the Alamo MAC in 2019.

Since then, AIA conducted a local survey, researched tree protection measures in dozens of other communities, and consulted arborists and forest service experts to further substantiate these recommendations. The conclusions are that trees provide not only beauty, but they also help to clean our air, provide noise reduction, provide shade, provide habitat for birds and wildlife, provide both mental and physical health benefits, and contribute to strong property values. AIA has created a presentation summarizing the joint recommendations. View it online at https://bit.ly/3qrS62E. Unfortunately, the County’s latest revision of the new Tree Protection and Preservation Ordinance appears to be limited in scope, arbitrary, and unscientific in its basis as to be less, not more, effective in protecting our tree canopy than our current TPO. The potential damage done to Alamo’s tree canopy will take decades to repair.

HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED?

We urge you to visit www.AlamoCA.org to view the tree protection recommendations that have been made, and then review the County’s proposed ordinance. Plan to attend the County Planning Commission hearing on this matter tentatively scheduled for April 14th. All meetings are via Zoom and start at 6:30PM. You can email the Planning Commission at PlanningHearing@dcd. cccounty.us or contact them at 925-674-7792. Supervisor Andersen can be reached at SupervisorAndersen@bos.cccounty.us.

AIA has prepared a petition to protect our green canopy and to request an “Alamo Overlay” to our County’s proposed tree ordinance so Alamo could function as a pilot program on how to more effectively manage our tree canopy. Your signature would be greatly appreciated. The petition is available at http://chng.it/xPmvcstPJM.

MEASURE K – ALAMO DEPUTY BALLOT MEASURE – PLEASE BE INFORMED AND VOTE!

Have you received your ballot on Alamo’s “Save Our Deputy” parcel tax?

For residents, this will be for a new total (including the increase) of less than $6/month. Alamo has to pass the ballot by 66.7% or a 2/3 vote. Please visit www.AlamoDeputy.org for more information.

ALAMO CERTIFIED FARMER’S MARKET

The Alamo Certified Farmers Market is booming with the return of vendors including Resendiz Farms (stone fruit, melons and nuts), Alpine Blue (blueberries, cherries, and walnuts), MarElla Honey Bees (honey and plants), Taste of Texas BBQ, and Alexandre Dairy Farm and Springhill Cheese (milk, yogurts, and cheeses).

New vendors include Reuschelle’s Cheesecakes, and Chainsaw Art by Glen Sievert.

The Market is open Sundays year-round, from 9AM – 2PM, in Alamo Plaza, off of Danville Blvd., near Bank of America. There is plenty of free parking, live music, and friendly vendors.

AIA 2021 ANNUAL REPORT

In May, check your mailbox for the AIA 2021 Annual Report, ballot, and membership form. Now celebrating its 66th year, AIA, a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization, has an outstanding history of serving our community and helping shape it into “Alamo - the place where we love to live”!

bushes in the park, or standing on walkways and stairways.

Like most youth today, Aidan and his friends enjoy using emoji caricatures (little art form heads with smiles and frowns) to illustrate and exaggerate their emotions graphically while sharing thoughts with friends in many communication programs. Most commonly when we wish to express feelings such as “I love you,” “I’m sad,” or “I’m happy” in written form, people often attach to that expression an exclamation mark “!”. These emoji have become so popular that you will find a nearly unlimited supply of little artful expressions that you can borrow and attach to your own comments that you can share in other social media programs.

Aidan thought that since these smiley faces make us feel better in those kind of communications, maybe they might also help to lift up our spirits when coming upon them (sometimes unexpectedly), especially out in public places and especially as we are all dealing with repercussions of the Covid crisis.

About six months ago, Aidan began to experiment in crafting on scrap plywood, some plywood that he collected from construction sites, some of which he purchased, and some donated by neighbors. Aidan cut the basic circular form with a hand jigsaw, and followed by sanding and painting them.

Some happy-face artwork signs are attached to telephone poles, trees, and fences in Alamo, Danville, and San Ramon. For the most part, the response has been incredibly positive. For example, Vicki on “Nextdoor” said, “Thank you to whomever recently put up smiley faces on telephone poles on Danville Blvd. and Livorna Road near their intersection. A treat to brighten the day for all of us!” In addition, Lauren on “Nextdoor” added, “Just a note to say how much we love the smiley face posted at the corner of Ramona Way and Danville Boulevard. My kids look for it every time we drive by and get so excited. It’s bringing us lots of smiles during a not-always-so-smiley time.

Thank you for this small (but mighty) gesture!”

To date, Aidan has made and sold approximately 60 Smile Signs. Some of his pieces of art adorn private driveways, hiking trails, and even a couple of front porches!

My wife and I first saw the signs a couple of months ago as we drove around our beloved Alamo, and we smiled or laughed every time we came across them. We thought we would love to have one for the driveway entrance to our property and maybe even the trail adjacent to our home near Oak Hill Park.

We Googled “Aidan,” bought two signs, and put them up on our trees. People walking past our home tell us again and again how happy they make them feel.

Now you too may add and share these uplifting icons of joy and love, and help make a statement that your community also cares. If you wish to purchase a sign for your home or neighborhood, simply contact Aidan at (925) 856-7254 or at https://signtosmile.wixsite.com/smile to order yours. He might even add a special accent in his made-to-order creations if you have your own idea you want to share.

NEW ART EXHIBIT AT BLACKHAWK GALLERY

The Alamo Danville Artists’ Society (ADAS) Blackhawk Gallery has opened a new exhibit titled “Fascination.” The exhibit will be on view through July 3rd. The exhibit is free and open to the public. The exhibit features one guest artist and over 30 member artists.

Guest artist Jake Edwards will be exhibiting his metal sculptures.

Members’ artworks include paintings, drawings, sculptures, ceramics, photographs, and jewelry.

The Blackhawk Gallery is located at 3416 Blackhawk Plaza Circle in Danville. For questions call 925-648-8023, or email Blackhawk Gallery Director Greg Starnes at bhgallery.director@gmail.com.

Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday 11 AM to 7 PM, and Sunday 11AM-6PM. For more information visit www.adas4art.org/blackhawk_gallery, www.facebook.com/AlamoDanvilleArtistsSociety, or search Instagram for “galleryblackhawk.”

Founded in 1977, ADAS is a non-profit organization which provides support and education to local artists. Additionally, ADAS is a big supporter of local public schools, having donated generously to various school projects in past years.

Artists interested in exhibiting their work at the Blackhawk gallery should submit their request to adas-blackhawk@sbcglobal.net to receive more information.

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April 2021 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 21

925-831-8310 Meet Dr. Yvonne Hyland & Her Family Dr. Hyland has been in private practice since 2000. She received a DDS degree from Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas, Texas. Following dental school, she pursued a hospital-based General Practice Residency at the Veteran’s Medical Center in West Los Angeles for two years. Realizing this was not the end of her formal education, she completed a successful threeyear post-graduate surgical residency in periodontics. Dr. Hyland’s experience and professional skills excel in every aspect of dentistry from general cosmetic procedures to complex surgical cases. She has placed thousands of successful dental implants and is highly trained in all phases of gum disease therapy, tissue and bone grafting procedures, and wisdom teeth extraction.

Dr. Hyland understands the desire to provide the very best care for the entire family. As a resident of Alamo, she strives to meet community needs by providing unparalleled services for those seeking the finest complete dental care in one location. In her spare time, Dr. Hyland enjoys spending time with her husband Terry, two sets of twin boys, and their three rescue dogs adopted from ARF.

Open Monday - Thursday and the first two Saturday’s of each month.

PAGE 22 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS •April 2021

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THE EYE OPENER By Gregory Kraskowsky, O.D., Alamo Optometry

PRACTICING DURING COVID

As we have been dealing with the COVID for a year, I wanted to discuss how the pandemic has affected our staff, office, and the community in general. We have reached the point where COVID has affected everyone; whether it be the illness itself, financially (personal and business), virtual learning, or missing milestones such as graduations and weddings. We have had our lives turned upside-down, but there is some light at the end of the tunnel.

As an office, we have had to make many changes to the way we run. For everyone’s safety, we have had to institute new disinfection procedures for all frames, common surfaces, and equipment. We’ve had to reduce patient volume to adhere to social distancing protocols, implement mandatory mask wearing and daily temperature checks for patients and staff, and our office team members attest to their daily health status. All visits to the office must be scheduled. We’ve implemented plastic barriers at the front desk, pretest room, and exam rooms; have COVID screenings for all visits to the office; and instituted online paperwork to reduce time in the office, as well as many other little protocols. These safety measures were carefully crafted in adherence with federal, state, and local health department guidelines. They have absolutely affected the way we are able to operate, but it has allowed us to remain open.

The good thing about working in health care is that our entire office was able to sign up and receive both doses of the vaccine. We are fortunate that we were able to get vaccinated. It has been advantageous to our patient base since they now feel safer to come in. In addition, many of our patients who are older, or work in healthcare, childcare, schools, etc. have received their vaccines and are therefore slowly starting to make appointments that have been put off until now.

Many patients have recently started making all medical appointments such as optometrist visits, dentist appointments, etc. because they have been vaccinated, and they see that the local positivity rate has dropped sharply. Even though our office has been vaccinated, we have not changed our COVID safety protocols. Our system of making appointments for all office visits, always wearing masks, giving temperature checks, social distancing, and following disinfection procedures all remain in place. We also highly recommend that the entire community keep up mask wearing and social distancing. Even though the infection rate and hospitalizations are down, only about 13% of the population are fully vaccinated. We need to keep our foot on the gas and continue what we have been doing to this point. That is why we have not changed any protocols in our office; we do not want to go back to more restrictive measurements to further push back our return to “normal.”

Like most other small business during the pandemic, we have seen our business decline. Please patronize small business whenever you can as these are the businesses that have been hit the hardest during the pandemic. In addition to maintaining your health by visiting your eye doctor, dentist, and primary care doctor, also visit small shops and restaurants for your other personal and family needs. These small offices and restaurants are doing everything they can to survive, and they need all the help and hope they can get.

Our office is heading into a precarious time in the next two to three months as this is the same time last year when the office was closed. We don’t have any patients on annual recall since there were no exams for over two months last spring. We find ourselves in the same boat as most other non-emergency healthcare offices such as dentists and primary care doctors. Many appointments have been either canceled or postponed due to the pandemic, so we are encouraging the community to start visiting your doctors again for your annual, routine care.

Dr. K. at Alamo Optometry is your hometown eye doctor for outstanding service, vision care, and designer eyewear. He can be reached at (925) 820-6622, or visit his office at 3201 Danville Blvd., Suite 165 in Alamo. For more information, visit www.alamooptometry.com, and join in on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @Alamo Optometry.

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Wildlife continued from front page

thrived in a territory as small as one quarter of a square mile in downtown Los Angeles. Coyotes eat everything from mice to deer, carrion, fruit, and vegetables. They provide natural rodent control, occasionally cleverly partnering with badgers. Coyote chases a ground squirrel. Badger follows as it heads underground. While badger digs, coyote waits at the entrance to the escape tunnel for the prey to emerge.

A rogue coyote’s recent rampage in Lamorinda emphasizes the danger posed by coyotes no longer fearing humans. Trapped and euthanized March 11th after biting five people from July through February, the animal was aggressive but not rabid. John Krause, Environmental Scientist in the Wildlife Management Division of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), explains, “Most human/wildlife conflicts are caused by providing access to food, water, or shelter, and by not hazing coyotes to reinforce their natural wariness.” Lights and sprinklers with motion sensors are suggested deterrents. Be intimidating toward coyotes. Speak loudly and wield a big stick.

Krause writes: “Being omnivorous and highly adaptable, coyotes will consider a multitude of items around homes to be food. Feral cats and other small pets left outside at night, along with their pet food, can be common attractants to coyotes.

Other attractants Motion activated camera catches gray foxes feasting in a include garbage, Danville fig tree. (photo courtesy of John Gallagher) fruit that has fallen

from trees, and the associated rodents and other small mammals that feed on these fruits. Bird feeders can also increase numbers of coyote prey.” Once coyotes and other predators discover food left out for pets or feral cats, and rodents enjoy spilled seed under bird feeders, they easily move on to taking pets as prey.

Stash trash. Secure pets and their food, especially from dusk to dawn. For best safety practices at home and on the trail, visit wildlife.ca.gov, click on “Learning” and then “Living with Wildlife.”

In the case of an emergency involving a person being bitten, call 911. Contra Costa Animal Services focuses on Naturally curious bobcat checks out a Danville problems caused by domestic swimming pool. (Photo courtesy of Emily Nelson) and potentially rabid animals. CDFW has an online reporting system (https:// apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir, click the link on the right side of the page) for incidents thought to involve wildlife predation on pets. An inspector follows up on the report. Unfortunately for people missing pets, the process often doesn’t generate rapid responses. The majority of reports don’t result in confirmation of depredation caused by wildlife. A cat in the jaws of a coyote may have been killed by a car or dog.

In Forest Cats of North America, Jerry Kobalenko characterizes bobcats as “the coyote of the wild-cat world.” Equally adaptable, bobcats have taken

See Wildlife continued on page 24

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YOUR PERSONAL NUTRITIONIST

By Linda Michaelis RD, MS IS EVENING EATING DESTROYING YOUR WEIGHT LOSS EFFORTS?

April 2021 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 23

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The chemical link between lack of sleep and obesity lies in the fact that sleep is a regulator of two hormones that effect appetite: leptin and ghrelin. Leptin helps suppress food intake and stimulates energy expenditure, while ghrelin stimulates appetite, fat production, and body growth. When one is sleep deprived, the level of leptin drops and ghrelin increases. The result is a drastic increase in hunger. One study reported a 24% increase in hunger, with cravings for such items as cookies, candy, and cake, when there is inadequate sleep time.

In my practice, I have found many helpful ways of reducing late-night overeating. Here are some tips.

1. After examining my client’s eating patterns, I compute what percent of their calories are consumed after 6 PM. If the answer is one third or more, there is a problem.

2. We often discuss the need to normalize sleeping patterns. For example, if they are home in the afternoon, I suggest a nap if they are having a craving and know they are not hungry. Taking a nap is “low calorie,” and the craving will definitely go away because cravings only last for minutes.

3. I establish a meal plan that includes their favorite foods with meals that are balanced. I show them how having protein and fiber for every meal helps prevent cravings. I teach them how to read food labels for important nutritional facts. I give them a list of snacks that are portable for the office or in the car when commuting. After dinner, I allow 100 calories of snacks that are low in fat and yummy such as a low-fat ice cream sandwich, a bowl of cereal, or even dark chocolate.

4. We also explore what activities at night tend to trigger their overeating and develop strategies for changing them. I suggest that clients micromanage their time at night with non food related activities such as going online, taking a bath, working on a hobby or even cleaning out the closets. Watching TV all evening sets one up to want to snack, especially with all the food commercials.

5. I inform clients of the critical importance of exercise and the fact that if practiced, they will be more relaxed at night and not get caught up in mindless eating.

Nutritional counseling is covered by most health insurance companies including ABMG, Aetna, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, CCHP, Cigna, Hill, Sutter, and UHC. I am happy to call on your behalf and see what coverage your plan offers. Please visit my website, www.LindaRD.com, to learn more about my services. Feel free to email me at lifeweight1@yahoo.com, or call me at 925-855-0150 to tell me about your nutritional concerns and see how I may help you.

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PAGE 24 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS •April 2021

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RED, ITCHY SCARS AND DELAYED HEALING?

EXPLORING SUMMUS LASER THERAPY FOR WOUNDS, INJURIES, AND POST-SURGICAL HEALING

By Dr. Niele Maimone, DC

In 2004, Align Healing Center began using laser therapy to help patients relieve their muscle, joint, and nerve pains. Due to the near-miraculous results that laser can provide to a sprain, strain, or chronic pain, our patients began to ask, “What else can laser help heal?” Wondering the same thing, we began to branch out and use laser on any and all injuries and wounds that our patients were presented with. We have literally watched the healing process occur right before our very eyes. We have treated scars that are 18 years old, bright red, and have never healed properly. Yet, within a couple of visits, the scar begins to thin, flatten, and become less noticeable.

Swelling reduces within minutes, severe bruises dissipate with no visible sign within a day or two, and surgical wounds become painless, with minimal scarring and redness. We have had patients that have had knee surgery and hip replacements, shoulder surgery, spinal surgery, breast augmentation and reconstruction, rhinoplasty, face-lifts, and c-sections that heal in a fraction of the time typical without the use of laser therapy.

If you are intending on having surgery or have a stubborn wound or injury that has taken longer to heal than you would have expected, it is worth your while to explore the benefits of Class IV Summus Laser therapy.

HOW LASER THERAPY SPEEDS TISSUE HEALING AND REDUCES PAIN AND SCARING

Injuries and surgery cause tissue damage and inflammation which reduces the circulation to the injured tissue, thereby impeding the nutrition and energy available to the damaged area. Laser therapy is the application of low levels of laser light to areas of the body that have been injured or damaged. Therapeutic lasers do not cut or burn. Instead, they supply energy to the body in the form of photons of light. Light is transmitted through the skin’s layers (the dermis, epidermis, and the subcutaneous tissue under the skin). The wavelength of the Class IV Laser allows these photons to travel deep into the body up to 8-9 inches.

When laser light penetrates into the body, it stimulates damaged cells to start producing ATP. ATP is the “fuel” or energy source that all cells need to function and repair. When damaged cells have the energy they need to function properly, they can immediately start the repair process. Laser therapy accelerates the healing of injured tissue, decreases inflammation, minimizes scarring, and eliminates pain, allowing patients to quickly return to normal activities.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO WORK?

Ninety-five percent of our patients notice improvement after the very first treatment. However, some conditions may take a few treatments to respond. Each laser treatment is cumulative, meaning that each successive treatment builds on the previous. The doctors at Align personally work with you each visit to ensure that you are progressing as quickly as possible.

For more information about how laser therapy may be helpful to you, contact Align Healing Center at (925) 362-8283 to schedule a free consultation with Dr. Niele Maimone. Learn more at www.AlignHealingCenter.com. Advertorial

Wildlife continued from page 22

over habitats across the country vacated by apex predators. Bobcats can thrive in a territory as small as a barnyard with sufficient food and water.

Wildlife Biologist James (“Doc”) Hale has studied East Bay fauna and flora for almost 50 years. He once found a bobcat mother denning with kittens under a hot tub. Danville resident, Emily Nelson watched a young bobcat checking out her local swimming pool.

Concert photographer Greg Cochran’s new hobby is photographing wildlife visiting the open space adjacent to his Crow Canyon Country Club home. He recorded a coyote forcing a bobcat to drop a ground squirrel and then filmed the culprit making off with the bobcat’s lunch. This year, he’s seen bobcats for the first time in 20 years. One scaled a neighbor’s fence. He’s heard pumas “chirping” at night.

Courtney Coon, Wildlife Biologist for the Bay Area Puma Project of the Felidae Conservation Fund comments: “Reasons why bobcats come into residential areas are variable and can include they are using the area to go between high-quality habitats in a fragmented landscape, they are young individuals searching for a home range of their own, and/or they are hunting. Bobcat use of human residential areas may be Coyote makes off with bobcat's lunch at Crow Canyon Country Club. (Photo courtesy consistent, particularly if it has proven a good hunting ground (e.g. lots of rodents of Greg Cochran) and unprotected domestic animals), but it is usually temporary, meaning bobcats rarely reside long-term in a human residential area.”

Coon notes: “Wildlife are good at keeping their populations at the carrying capacity of the habitat where they live. In cases where a population outsizes the resources in its available habitat, the population will typically retract to come back into balance relatively quickly.” People increase the carrying capacity of their neighborhoods when they make food readily available to wildlife.

Mountain lions (aka cougars and pumas) were among the first predators targeted by European settlers. “From 1902-1971,” reports wildlifewaystatiopn.org, “it is unclear how many mountain lions were killed throughout the country, but we do know that over 12,000 lions were surrendered for bounty in California alone.” Current estimates of California’s statewide puma population range from 3,000-6,000 individuals. Doc Hale explains that mountain lions are the top regulator of the ecosystem in most of California. He compares the ecosystem to a house of cards that collapses when one piece is removed.

Pumas prefer lurking unseen at the edges of human habitation. Deer are the main staple of their diet. Males occupy territories from 25-500 square miles, and females occupy 8-425 square miles. Mothers keep offspring with them for 18-24 months, tutoring them in survival techniques. Trouble comes when youngsters lose their mother - often to a speeding vehicle - and wander into residential areas. Fragmentation of habitat compels pumas to cross highways to hunt and fosters inbreeding that limits healthy genetic diversity.

John Gallagher monitors camera traps for Save Mount Diablo. He reports: “In order, I trap pigs, deer, bobcats, and raccoons.” Residing near Las Trampas Regional Wilderness, he captures lots of wildlife on his home cameras. Deer are most common, but coyotes, bobcats, and many others including a long tailed weasel have appeared. Images of gray foxes devouring fruit in a fig tree are a reminder that foxes are also omnivores.

John requires concrete proof concerning the identity of the culprit when domestic animals go missing. Fox tales from the UK offered by Jane Russ in The Fox Book support his skepticism. One lad witnessed his family’s German Shepherd killing his cat, but his mother asked him to tell police he saw a fox do it.

Lamb losses attributed to foxes primarily turned out to involve lambs already dead of other causes before foxes fed on their remains.

For local residents, privileged to live in the midst of open spaces where wildlife is thriving, understanding the consequences of purposely or inadvertently habituating predators to dining in residential neighborhoods is critical to keeping both people and predators safe. Coyotes, bobcats, pumas, and foxes play essential roles in maintaining the balance of regional ecosystems. Inviting them to lose their innate fear of humans leads to predation on pets instead of natural control of gophers, ground squirrels, rats, mice, and other pests.

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April 2021 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 25

SHOULD I GET THE COVID VACCINE?

By Jerome Potozkin, MD

This past year has been quite a journey for all of us. In early February of 2020, I was in a classroom at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Business as part of their Physician CEO program. One of the first lectures was on crisis management, and during that course the first thing presented was Bill Gate’s Ted Talk on Global Pandemics. I remember thinking to myself, “Why don’t they present us with something a bit more practical?” Little did I know that we were about to enter a once-in-a-century pandemic. As a dermatologist, I see many patients. I treat their skin cancers, treat medical dermatology problems, and also offer the gamut of services that cosmetic dermatology has to offer.

As you can imagine, over the past year, Covid-19 has been a major topic of conversation, and most recently the vaccine has come to the forefront. Most patients I see want the vaccine as soon as they are eligible, although others are hesitant. As a physician with a background in science, the hesitancy seems strange to me. Hopefully, this article will help you decide to get vaccinated.

It is amazing that the effective Covid-19 vaccines have been developed so quickly. These vaccines are mRNA vaccines. mRNA is not DNA and does not become part of your genetic blueprint. mRNA is like a simple instruction on how to produce a protein. In the case of the Covid-19 vaccine, certain cells are instructed to produce a small portion of the spike protein of the Covid-19 virus.

This allows the body’s immune system to create protective antibodies against the Covid-19 spike protein. If one is exposed to the actual virus, your body’s immune system is primed to fight off the virus without you getting sick.

Is the vaccine safe? The Covid-19 vaccines have been given to millions of people worldwide. Some people have mild transient side effects such as aches, headaches, and fever. However, the data-to-date shows that it is overwhelming safe and effective. I have received both doses of the vaccine as have many of my colleagues and family members. The day after my second vaccine, I felt slightly achy.

With all of the information currently available, we know the vaccine prevents serious illness and death from Covid-19. I believe the vaccine to be our pathway to getting back to a normal life. The only way out of this pandemic is if enough people are protected from the virus, preventing it from spreading.

There are some unusual theories I have heard that make no sense to me. These include that Bill Gates or the U.S. government will somehow track you because you received the vaccine. The vaccine simply doesn’t do this. There is no microchip in the vaccine, and as previously mentioned, the vaccine doesn’t get into your DNA. It seems ironic that people who are concerned about the vaccine creating a way to be tracked are the same people who carry their cellphone everywhere they go.

Every healthcare decision we make is balancing the potential risk versus the potential benefit of the intervention. As far as the Covid-19 vaccine goes, it was a simple decision for me. The benefits clearly outweigh the risks. I hope you come to the same conclusion for yourself and your family. It is the light at the end of the tunnel, bringing us back to a normal life.

Dr. Jerome Potozkin is a Board Certified Dermatologist specializing in minimally and non-invasive cosmetic procedures. The practice is accepting new patients and can be reached at (925) 838-4900 and www.MyBeautyMd.com.

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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Many of our neighbors cannot afford to feed and clothe themselves or their families. Volunteer opportunities for individuals, families, and groups to serve the community are available at White Pony Express.

White Pony Express, founded by Dr. Carol Weyland Conner in 2013 and headquartered in Pleasant Hill, is a nonprofit that rescues fresh surplus food from supermarkets, restaurants, and farmers markets. This nutritious food is then delivered free to organizations that feed the hungry. In addition, high-quality clothing, children’s toys, and books are distributed free of charge.

Hundreds of volunteers make White Pony Express possible. They volunteer because they believe in the mission and know they are helping others who have urgent needs at this critical time in their lives. If you are interested in volunteering, please visit whiteponyexpress.org/volunteer or call Mandy Nakaya, Volunteer Services Coordinator, at 925-818-6361 or email Mandy@whiteponyexpress.org.

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RIDES NEEDED FOR SENIORS AND VETERANS

Mobility Matters is a nonprofit agency that provides free rides for ambulatory seniors and veterans who cannot take other forms of transportation. The group is looking for volunteers that are willing to help out the community by driving homebound seniors and veterans to medical appointments, and to get their Covid-19 vaccine shots. Most volunteers drive once every week or two.

Please contact David Benet at (925)284-2215 or david@mobilitymatterscc. com for more information about volunteer opportunities. You can learn more about Mobility Matters at www.mobilitymatterscc.com.

TELECARE CONNECTS WITH THE HOMEBOUND

Since 1971, member volunteers of TeleCare, a philanthropic program of Assistance League® of Diablo Valley, have been making weekday reassurance calls, to seniors and the homebound in our community. Clients can anticipate a friendly exchange of ideas with trained volunteers who provide high quality, consistent communications. If a client cannot be reached, family members will be notified.

This service is free! Additional TeleCare activities include an annual holiday party, and they also receive greeting cards from the Assisteens, an auxiliary where tweens and teens learn to participate in a community service at a young age.

Make that call to get you or someone you know connected! For more information, call 925-934-0901. To learn about Assistance League of Diablo Valley’s other philanthropic programs, please visit www.assistanceleague.org/diablo-valley.

COUNTY HEALTH INFORMATION RESOURCES

Below are some resources to get updated COVID-19 health information in Contra Costa County.

• Visit coronavirus.cchealth.org for updated and comprehensive information and answers to the most frequently asked questions.

• Additional resource information of all kinds can be found at contracosta.ca.gov.

• Email Supervisor Andersen at supervisorandersen@bos.cccounty.us, or call her office at (925) 957-8860. The Supervisor’s office is closed to visitors but is able to respond by phone or email to questions you have that cannot be answered at the County Health website.

PAGE 26 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS •April 2021

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BODY CONTOURING By Dr. Barbara Persons

The sun is shining brighter and longer, and the temperatures are rising. Spring has begun, and summer is just around the corner.

We all know what this means - shedding our winter clothes and showing more skin. Wouldn’t it be incredible if you could take those unwanted areas of fat and move them somewhere else? Thankfully, we have the technology to do so! The process, called fat transfer or fat grafting, involves removing fat from one area of the body via gentle liposuction and injecting it into a more desirable area. Desirable areas include, but are not limited to, the breasts, buttocks, cheeks, under-eye hollows, hands, and other parts of the body that have lost volume due to the normal aging process.

Techniques in body-shaping and fat-reduction procedures have improved vastly in recent years. Today, the procedure is performed as follows: prior to liposuction, a tumescent solution is placed under the skin to locally numb the area. Unwanted fat is then removed using a safe, blunt-tipped cannula and suction. The suctioned fat is purified and kept sterile to be evenly injected, creating a soft and natural look.

Fat is a glistening, gold color when it is removed from the body, so you will often hear fat referred to as “liquid gold.” Because the fat comes from your own body, people refer to fat grafting as a “natural” surgery. The fat will thrive when placed in a new area without any adverse reaction or possibility of rejection, which has lent to the procedure’s increasing popularity. According to The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), liposuction was the second most popular surgical procedure in 2018. Although this procedure cannot remove cellulite or solve obesity, it helps to achieve a slimmer body appearance.

It is important to note that liposuction is a shape changer, not a weight changer.

As fat grafting rises in popularity, I have been seeing more and more patients specifically choose this procedure over a traditional breast augmentation using breast implants. Traditional surgery requires an incision, the dissection of a “pocket,” and placement of the implant with stitches to close the incision site. With a fat transfer procedure, there are only small incisions with very minimal scars. The ideal fat transfer candidate is searching for a relatively small enhancement to the breasts, has natural lift with good bust contour, and has excess body fat on other areas of the body.

When it comes to any surgical procedure, do your research! If you are considering fat transfer, or any other plastic surgery, please go to abplasticsurgery. org and make sure your doctor is a board certified plastic surgeon. It is likewise important to find out how long they have been offering the procedure you are looking for (the correct answer is over ten years!). In my experience as a board-certified plastic surgeon performing procedures of this kind for over two decades, I caution my patients and those considering cosmetic surgery to not be ensnared in the illustrious promise of deals of any kind. Fat grafting procedures, when performed safely and correctly, can be truly life changing for patients of all ages.

Barbara L Persons, MD, FACS is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and owns Persons Plastic Surgery, Inc., located at 911 Advertorial Moraga Rd, Suite 205 in Lafayette. She can be reached at 925-283-4012 or drpersons@personsplasticsurgery.com.

Words continued from page 10

part in a Words Matter Week Art & Essay Contest. Students answered the prompt: “In your life experience as a student and a young person, please explain how ‘Words Matter’ to you.” Students could submit an essay, drawing, poetry, or combination of these.

The Pride delivered with some wonderful entries. Congratulations to the winners in the Words Matter Week Art & Essay Contest: Graciela Kerr ~ poetry, Liam Dolan ~ drawing, Neil Chandran ~ essay, and an Honorable Mention to Tess Hagen ~ drawing. The Kindness Challenge winners were Tram Doan, Trace Hooper, and Katerina Haramoglis.

Some of the winning entries are shared here.

THE POWER OF WORDS

By Neil Chandran

Liam Dolan - Art

Tess Hagen - Art

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

Words have always been a pivotal component of my life. Whether I am spelling words at a spelling bee or receiving words of compliments or criticism, words have influenced my character and every decision I have ever made. They have shaped my personality and influenced my everyday actions. Of course this is the case for many, as words stimulate our actions either positively or negatively based on their impact. Some are confused about the importance of words having such a dramatic effect on one’s life, as they consider them to be just meaningless idioms. But to me, the significance of words is they delineate how we choose to represent ourselves to the people around us. Our words and our nonverbal actions hold a lot of power, more than we probably even realize. Although words don't possess the ability to change reality, they can affect how people perceive a situation. Compliments don't just uplift spirits temporarily, they have a long term impact and influence our belief and confidence in ourselves. During rough times, one can think back to words of praise and use them to motivate or inspire us to rise out of negative situations.

Words are an integral part of building our self esteem, and helping instill confidence in others. Unfortunately, words also have the power to negatively affect someone's life, as cynical words are extremely easy to remember compared to positive ones. We also must learn how to use words only when necessary and think about what we’re stating before saying it out loud and not having the chance to take it back. If we all just took five seconds to reflect on the words we are about to emit, we could transform a potentially negative statement into a constructive and uplifting one. Words are the fundamentals of communicating in a society, but it’s our duty to use them wisely and encourage others to convey positive ideas in order to ensure we all share the same bright future.

Poem by Grace Kerr

I reached into the cupboard And to my delight I found a golden platter Sparkling in the light I traced my finger Around the sides Feeling the surface Smooth as the tides And I was whisked away Into a universe past Where each lull On the shore would last And each fall Of each crowning wave Would leave its mark On the shore to engrave Meanings deeper Than the ocean itself Something that I Did not get myself But as I stared Up at the sky I saw a reflection In the stars up high I saw sparkles And lights from above That each told me To express my love And as I was whisked Back into my day I understood the waves and stars Each in their own way For now I recognized That in the golden platter What really was said Is that words matter

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HOPE HOSPICE ‘HIKE FOR HOPE’ EVENT

Hope Hospice has opened registration for the 2021 Hike for Hope.

Sign-ups are being taken at TheHikeForHope.com. Proceeds from the annual event raise support for hospice patient care and community programs, including grief support services, dementia-care education, and family caregiver resources. The hospice programs are available at no charge and are made possible through donations, grants, and fundraising events. The nonprofit’s biggest fundraiser of the year went dark in 2020 due to COVID-19 concerns, shorting Hope over $100,000 in anticipated revenue.

The 2021 event will have a different format to encourage continued physical distancing and health safety. Participants will hike in a location of their choosing with only those in their household or social bubble.

There are two ways to participate. In either instance, the concept is to solicit support from one’s friends and family, asking that they donate to the Hike for Hope in the participant’s name.

1. Follow the regular style of a single-day excursion on Saturday, June 5.

2. Or go the extra mile, and accept the week-long Champion Challenge. Set a mileage goal for the week of May 29–June 5. Chip away each day, and log progress on your participant page at TheHikeForHope.com. Graham-Hitch Mortuary has generously offered to match the money raised by our top fundraiser in the Champion Challenge, whether a team or an individual, up to $10,000!

The Early Bird Registration Fee, valid through April 30th, is $39 per hiker age 13 and up. The fee increases to $45 on May 1st. Hikers 12 and under participate for free but need to be registered. Registration fees include an event T-shirt.

Lastly, in lieu of the usual post-hike group barbecue, organizers have put together a fun closing party called the Jamboree. The Jamboree will be held on June 5th from 4 to 6pm. The Jamboree will offer live music and engaging activities, all presented through Zoom for safety.

For the Jamboree, the organization has partnered with Frankie, Johnny, & Luigi Too Italian restaurant in Dublin. Jamboree attendees who would like to participate in the group meal will order dinner to-go in advance for pick up on June 5th, and we’ll dine together at the Jamboree. The restaurant owners have graciously agreed to donate a portion of the proceeds to Hope Hospice.

Hope Hospice is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, proudly serving the Tri-Valley and neighboring East Bay cities since 1980. Learn more about their services and community programs at www.HopeHospice.com, or call (925) 829-8770.

April 2021 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 27

FREE CONSULTATIONS TO FAMILY CAREGIVERS WITH DEMENTIA-RELATED CONCERNS

Hope Hospice has launched video conference service that is, at this time, complimentary to the public in our area.“Many of the family caregivers who attend our classes find themselves in the caregiver role unexpectedly and without resources,” says program manager Jill Smith, RN. “The face-to-face classes have helped these individuals tremendously in learning about the changes to expect in their loved one and how to adjust techniques as the disease progresses.”

Zoom conferencing will be used to conduct private consultations with family members who have questions on specific challenges they are facing in caring for a loved one living with dementia. Submit a meeting request via email to jills@hopehospice.com, or call (925) 829-8770. Email is preferred.

Learn more at www.HopeHospice.com.

There are many ways to connect with Alamo Today & Danville Today News!

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PAGE 28 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS •April 2021

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Coldwell Banker is a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdraw without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. Exact dimensions can be obtained by retaining the services of an architect or engineer. This is not intended to solicit property already listed.