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November 2013 Horses Healing Hearts: Rescue, Rehabilitation, Education By Jody Morgan
Serving Alamo and Diablo Save the Date for Alamo Tree Lighting Festival Sunday, December 1st, 4:30pm – 6:30pm
Rescuing half-ton animals from abuse or neglect requires more than a willing heart. Undaunted by the task of assembling the network of caring professionals and dedicated volunteers essential to the success of a horse rescue operation, Danville native Melissa Austin founded Horses Healing Hearts (3H) in 2011. 3H has already placed 40 equines in suitable homes and initiated a diversified education program Melissa Austin understands the equine perspective allowing community members of all on enjoying the moment. Photo by Jody Morgan. ages to engage with horses. Melissa Austin found herself stuck in a personal spin cycle. Traditional therapy was keeping her focused on what she perceived as her inadequacies. A friend suggested she work with Dyane Golding, Life Coach and Equine Guided Educator. By interpreting the way horses interact with a particular person in an enclosed arena, the Equine Guided Educator is able to help that person confront problems he or she has previously been unable or unwilling to truthfully verbalize. Aided by the intuitive wisdom of horses, Golding helped Austin reengage with her personal strengths. Grateful to the horses responsible for revitalizing her life, Austin researched equine rescue programs extensively before founding 3H. Recently Melissa saved two sound horses whose owner decided to terminate his responsibility for their care by putting them down. The owner paid 3H the amount an unwilling veterinarian would have charged for euthanasia. Although adopters pay a modest fee, equine rescue is a money-losing proposition. Able-bodied horses have stress issues from neglect or abuse. Like injured equines, they often need months of rehabilitation involving veterinary care, food, shelter, and affection. After 18 years of service, retired barrel racer Norman was given away. The woman who took Norman and two other free horses from Craigslist left them tied to a tree for weeks before 3H rescued them. Norman has “choke” and needs a special diet of nutritious gruel. Cindy McLoughlin fostered Norman, getting him back to a healthy weight. When Austin arrived to take Norman for placement evaluation he slunk to the end of the pasture and turned his back on everyone. An expert rider judged Norman unsuitable Equine Affection Specialist Carissa Manzo connects as a saddle horse. His only speed with 3H Ambassador Spirit. Photo by Jody Morgan. seemed to be high gear. Cindy followed her instinct insisting, “Norman is a gentle soul and misunderstood.” Adopted by the McLoughlins, Norman moves sedately with twelve-year old Liam riding and basks in the affection of Liam’s younger siblings.
See 3H continued on page 26 Local Postal Customer
PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Permit 263 Alamo CA
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The 2013 Alamo Tree Lighting Festival will be held in the Alamo Oak Tree Plaza next to Andrew H. Young Park at the corner of Danville Boulevard and Jackson Way on Sunday, December 1st. The festival signals the beginning of the holiday season for families with an evening of caroling, entertainment, beverages, and crafts. “Guests are urged to come early and stay late,” said the organizers. Santa will arrive early and be ready at 4:45PM for pictures so all kids will have a chance to share their Christmas wishes. Also participating is a local community organization called Shelter, Inc. This amazing group is dedicated to helping in the prevention of homelessness and promoting self-sufficiency among Contra Costa residents. It is an independent, charitable, nonprofit organization founded in 1986. They will be collecting money to buy food and toys for families in our
See Tree continued on page 21
Libraries Over the Years in the San Ramon Valley By Beverly Lane
The County library system is celebrating its Centennial in 2013 with an exhibit and special events at the Danville Library this November. In the valley’s early years, the only libraries were in private homes, such as the Hemme, Hall, Baldwin, Stone, and Wood Lillian Close families. For many, books at homes were a rarity. From 1903-1911, California’s State Library had a Traveling Book Service which loaned 50 books to different communities for three months. The Danville Grange applied for this service in 1906. In 1909, Sister Mary McPherson Podva was appointed a committee of one to obtain
See Libraries continued on page 22
Alamo and Danville Chambers of Commerce to Merge
In early October, the Boards of Directors of the Alamo Chamber of Commerce (ACC) and the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce (DACC) voted to consolidate the two organizations, thereby creating one Chamber of Commerce with over 700 local businesses. The merger becomes effective December 1, 2013, and the consolidated organization will be known as the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce. “The Executive Committees of both organizations have worked diligently to do what is best for the Alamo business community,” said Sharon Schuyler, Chairman of the ACC. We have always worked closely with the DACC and feel that this Volume XIII - Number 11 move will broaden our members’ 3000F Danville Blvd. #117, ability to prosper.” Benefits of the Alamo, CA 94507 consolidation to Alamo merchants Telephone (925) 405-NEWS, 405-6397 include enhanced resources and Fax (925) 406-0547 networking opportunities as well as Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher a stronger collective business voice Editor@yourmonthlypaper.com in the region. Sharon Burke ~ Writer sburke@yourmonthlypaper.com In a set of frequently asked quesopinions expressed herein belong to the writers, and do tions provided by the Chambers, it The not necessarily reflect that of Alamo Today. Alamo Today was noted the reason for the merger is not responsible for the content of any of the advertising
See Chamber cont. on page 31
herein, nor does publication imply endorsement.
Page 2 - November 2013 ~ Alamo Today
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equipment, could barely skate, and definitely couldn’t stop or skate backwards. Now, fast forward almost 15 years, and that one postcard led to a sports passion By Alisa Corstorphine, Editor that continues to this day, both as a spectator and a participant. It led to travel opI remember back in my math, computer, science, portunities all over California as well as Minnesota and Illinois to play hockey. It and logic classes learning about “IF->THEN stateled to friendships that continued through college and into the workplace. ments.” IF the batteries are dead, THEN the remote IF he hadn’t had received that postcard in the mail, THEN his friend control won’t work. IF you eat too much turkey and network, travel experiences, and love of hockey probably would have been trimmings on Thanksgiving Day THEN you’ll feel like completely different. My husband wouldn’t have gotten involved in coaching you will pop. I’ve been thinking about IF->THEN a and playing, his brother and sister wouldn’t have picked up the sport, and I lot lately and how it has impacted my life. would have found a different way to spend my time rather than stepping up to In elementary school my middle child participated run the league for almost five years. The activities and relationships of people in sports but hadn’t found his niche. In fourth grade he received a postcard in the with our whole family would have taken an entirely different direction...all mail for the newly formed hockey league at the Golden Skate roller rink. He debecause of one flimsy little postcard. Imagine that. IF->THEN. cided he wanted to check out the sport and see if was for him. He had no hockey There is a ripple effect from every event, a multitude of unimagined and unintended consequences. Years ago we were having our carpet replaced in our home. The carpet installer and my husband were talking about work, and the installer mentioned that his brother would like the kind of work my husband was doing with computers. My husband told the installer to have his brother send over a resume. That led to my husband hiring the carpet installer’s brother as a new employee. Ironically, several months into his employment, I connected the dots with the new employee’s last name and found the employee was the nephew of one of my hockey coaches! The brother spent nine years with my husband’s company, met his wife on the job, and introduced another great employee through his family. IF->THEN. When we moved to the Bay Area from Seattle, we looked at many neighborhoods and cities. My husband was taking a job in Pleasanton, and we looked at dozens of homes along the 680 corridor. We could have chosen many different homes and neighborhoods, and every one of them would have come with a completely different future for our family. There are so many paths forward, and these micro-decisions we make have a huge, unsung effect on our lives. The homes we looked at, within a 15 mile radius of Pleasanton, all had different neighbors, schools, commute patterns, stores, weather, etc. We seldom stop to think about how these little choices add up to huge changes in our lives. The relationships and experiences change with each little choice we make. One of my guilty pleasures is reading my way through the “A, B, C, D...” detective novel series of Sue Grafton books, and I am now in the middle of W is for Wasted. Early on in the story the author writes, “Pulling out of the parking lot, I thought about the oddities of life, that something as insignificant as a slip of paper could have a ripple effect. For reasons unknown, the dead man had made a note of my name and phone number, and because of that, my path had touched his...Sometimes the import of a minor moment makes all the difference...” Every choice we make has an impact on something around us. Each day we make hundreds of them. The IF->THEN equation constantly swirls around us. The choice can be something as simple as what we eat, what we wear, what we do for the next hour of our time, or which road we drive down. The THEN part of the equation might become apparent immediately, or the consequences may become apparent years down the road. Many of these choices feel like second nature, and we fail to recognize them as a choice at all, because we don’t even realize we’re making them. The joy of life is in the journey, and it’s illustrated by the **While Supplies Last multi-colored tapestry of decisions and consequences that are Alamo Location Event woven from the experiences of our lives. It’s a lot of fun to look back through our lives and connect the random dots of unplanned events to significant and wonderful things that have made our lives special. What are some of your IF->THEN’s?
“Our 1st Annual Christmas Open House”
ji
Thursday November 7th 5pm-8pm
You will Enjoy: The Chance to find “Elf on the Shelf” Tasty Treats for the Tummy Beverages to “Wet Your Whiskers” Letters To Santa Christmas Coloring Contest Holiday Photo Booth Seasonal Demos And
A Christmas Tree Giveaway to Active Military*
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Alamo Today ~ November 2013 - Page 3
Alamo ~ Experience one of the most Elegant Tuscan Villa's this side of Italia. This Masterpiece of Luxury with its Authentic Architect and Design features 7.300 square feet including Gourmet Kitchen, 5 bedrooms, 4 covered balconies, 5 bathrooms, soaring ceilings, 5 car garage w cobblestone circular driveway, 3 fireplaces interior, 1 exterior, Home Theater, Gym, Bonus Room, .98 Acres lot of Olive and cypress Trees w Vineyard: Sangioveses/Cabernet Varietals & tasting room/Cigar Patio. Magnificent Solar Heated Pool/3 Waterfalls w Swim Up Bar/ Room for your Tennis & Bocce Ball Courts. Lana Battagello
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Amazing West Side Alamo ~ Gorgeous 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath, totally-remodeled home in West side Alamo. Featuring 2,887 square feet of elegance on a spacious .67 acre flat lot, this lovely home is complete w/ inviting pool, sport court, fire pit, outdoor terrace dining. Call Michael for details! Michael Hatfield ~ 925.984.1339 www.tourfactory.com/1046682
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~Magnificent Estate ~ Orinda ~ New Listing! Nestled above Orinda CC this classic 4900 sq. ft. French Tudor has 4 bedrooms 3.5 baths. Separate guest house with 1 bedroom 1bath. Fabulous 3/4 acre landscaped grounds with pool/spa allows great entertaining and privacy. Call for your private showing and price. Gretchen Bryce ~ 925.683.2477 gretchenbryce@msn.com
Page 4 - November 2013 ~ Alamo Today
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Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Stone Valley Dental
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Alamo Today ~ November 2013 - Page 5
Serving Alamo’s real estate needs for 100 years! Let us assist with: • Consolidation of personal property via storage, estate sales, and charitable donations. • Home preparation for sale and possible staging. • 100% paperless transactions so you can sign documents in the comfort of your home! • Locating and identifying your next property. • Explanation of the tax implications of a move and how to keep your tax base low! Chris 925.858.5700
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Chris & Dea Campbell Broker Associate Proven Local Experts
Holidays on the Farm
Winter holidays will be celebrated at Forest Home Farms Historic Park on Saturdays, December 7th and 14th from 10AM to 2PM. Events each Saturday include: • Tours of the Farm and Glass House (fee), decorated for the holidays • Visits with a Victorian Santa and live reindeer • Victorian ornament making and stuff-your-own teddy bear (fee) • Old-fashioned games and tractor rides • Sheepdog demonstrations and more family entertainment On December 7, The Nutcracker puppet show, by the Puppet Company, will be presented at 11AM, and on December 14 you can shop at a special Holiday Market for unique gifts from over a dozen vendors. Admission to the park is free. For more information, call (925) 973-3284.
Holiday Handcraft Sale
Come shop for quality handcrafts by locals artisans for everyone on your holiday gift-giving list on November 9th from 9AM to 3PM at the San Ramon Valley United Methodist Church, located at 902 Danville Blvd. in Alamo. Unbeatable deals will be available on jewelry, hand-knit sweaters, quilted totes, table linens, fused glass ornaments, silk flower arrangements, homemade caramels, and more. You can also order homemade holiday pies. Be sure to visit the youth bake sale, and stay for a delicious homemade lunch.
Delta Nu Psi Collections for the Troops
Thank you Alamo CVS and Danville Lunardi’s shoppers. With your help we just sent our 1,118th box of “gourmet junk food” to the troops. We will be collecting at CVS in Alamo on November 1st and Lunardi’s in Danville on November 8th from 11am-2pm at both stores. If anyone knows a serviceman or woman in Afghanistan please let us know so we can adopt them. Visit www. deltanupsi.org for more information.
Dea 925.640.1727
BRE #01734124
Blue Star Moms Care Packages
It is time for Blue Star Moms to gear up for our December care package mailing to our troops who continue to serve overseas. The Drop Zone dates and locations are • Saturday, November 16 ~ 10AM-3PM - Luckys - 21001 San Ramon Valley Blvd, San Ramon • Saturday, November 23 ~ 10AM-3PM - Safeway - 200 Alamo Plaza, Alamo Guidelines for care packages can be found on the Blue Star Mom website, www.bluestarmoms.org under “Care Packages.”
San Ramon Valley Republican Women Federated Orlean Koehle Speaking on The Dangers of Common Core Curriculum
Orlean Koehle is the author of five books, the latest is Common Core, a Trojan Horse for Education Reform which tells of the deceptive new program coming into our public schools. It is pretending to be a harmless state standard initiative, but in reality it is a national top-down program that will take away the freedom of states and local districts to have influence, and jurisdiction over the curriculum, standards, and teaching methods of their own schools. Orlean Koehle, State President of Eagle Forum of California, was a teacher in Sonoma County, but retired in 2010 to write and speak about moral issues. Orlean, a wife and mother of five sons, one daughter, and six grandchildren, is an expert on Common Core Curriculum and founded “Californians United Against Common Core.” Please come get educated about this curriculum! The meeting will be held at the Crow Canyon Country Club located at 711 Silver Lake Drive, Danville on Tuesday, November 19th. Social time begins at 11:30am and lunch begins at noon. The cost is $25. For reservations, call Mary 925-837-5465 or email srvrwf.lunch@ gmail.com. Reservations are due by Friday, November 15th.To assure yourself a place at the table, make your reservation early! For more information, visit San Ramon Valley Republican Women Federated at www.srvrwf.org.
Page 6 - November 2013 ~ Alamo Today
Alamo MAC Welcomes New Member By Sharon Burke
Alamo resident Susan Rock of the Miranda Avenue area has been appointed to the Alamo Municipal Advisory Council (Alamo MAC) by the County Board of Supervisors. Her appointment was made upon the recommendation of Supervisor Candace Andersen after a public application process. Susan takes the seat vacated by Janet Miller Evans, who had served on the MAC since its inception in 2009. Janet resigned from the MAC as a result of a family move to Danville. Susan is a relatively recent resident of Alamo, but members of her husband’s family have been long-time residents here. She is the mother of twin nine year old boys and has been active in volunteer activities at Alamo School, where her twins attend. “The most recent census shows that 37% of Alamo households have school age children,” she told me as we had coffee recently. “That’s a lot higher than most people think. I hope to represent school-age households and bring their voice to the MAC.” “Alamo is a great community,” she continued. I hope to be able to give back and use what I’ve learned in the past to be helpful." Susan holds an MBA from Dartmouth and has a strong background in business and finance. Her diverse employment history includes stints at a spacecraft and
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Alamo-Danville Newcomers Club
The Alamo-Danville Newcomers Club is holding a free Welcome Coffee on November 19th at 7PM. The event is open to all who are thinking of joining the club, this casual get together is the perfect opportunity to learn about the many facets of Newcomers while enjoying coffee and chatting with Club Members. For more information, visit www.alamodanvillenewcomers.com, contact us at alamodanvillenewcomers@gmail.com, or call 925-281-1307.
San Ramon Valley Newcomers Club
The San Ramon Valley Newcomers Club holds a monthly luncheon on the third Thursday of the month (November 21st), features an arts and craft boutique this month, and is open to current and prospective members in the San Ramon Valley. For further information or a reservation, please contact Dee Bradshaw at 925-837-9600.
Veterans of Foreign Wars
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW) will be held on Wednesday, November 20h. The VFW Post 75 of San Ramon Valley meets every third Wednesday of the month at the Veterans Memorial Building located at 400 Hartz Avenue in Danville. The building is located on the corner of East Prospect Avenue and Hartz Avenue. Doors open at 7PM, and the meeting begins at 7:30PM. For more information, contact Post Commander Ernie Petagara at 925-362-9806. Find out more about the VFW and our Post on the internet at www.vfwpost75.org.
“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” A Danville Community Band Christmas Concert
Alamo MAC members: Back row from left Anne Struthers, Steve Mick, Susan Rock, and David Bowlby. Front row from left David Barclay, Vice Chair; Mike McDonald, Chair; and Ed Best.
commercial satellite firm, a high tech startup, and a well-known consulting firm. As a volunteer, she served as chairwoman of the Midsummer Mozart Festival, working with multiple stakeholders from the musician's union to donors. Under her leadership, the Festival turned around financially, going from red to black with a large increase in audience size. Her skills will come in handy on the MAC, which oversees Alamo Parks and Recreation, a county service area with annual revenues over $800,000 and a fund balance over $3,000,000 to spend on parks and recreation in Alamo. The Alamo Municipal Advisory Council was established by the County Board of Supervisors (BOS) in October 2009. The MAC advises the BOS on issues related to Alamo, including parks and recreation, lighting and landscaping, public health, safety, welfare, public works, code enforcement, land use and planning, transportation and other infrastructure. The MAC is specifically authorized in its charter to advocate for Alamo with the Town of the Danville and the SRV School District on issues related to parks and recreation. Currently serving on the MAC are Mike McDonald, Chair; David Barclay, Vice Chair; Steve Mick, Anne Struthers, David Bowlby, Ed Best, and Susan Rock. The Alamo MAC meets at Hap Magee Park on the first Tuesday of the month at 6PM. Meetings are conducted under the Brown Act and are open to the public, and every meeting provides an opportunity forAlamo citizens to voice their concerns to the MAC. Welcome, Susan, and thank you for your willingness to serve our community on the Alamo MAC.
AARP Tax-Aide Call For Volunteers
Do you like working with people? Are you good with numbers? Contra Costa County AARP Tax-Aide is looking for volunteers to become members of a team providing free tax preparation for individuals of all ages. Tax-Aide volunteer positions include Tax Counselors who are trained by TaxAide and certified by IRS and Client Facilitators who schedule appointment and assist clients at tax sites. Orientation is in November 2013, and classes for tax counselors start in January 2014. If interested, call LaVerne Gordon at (925) 726-3199 for information and to apply.
The Danville Community Band returns to the wonderful venue of the East Bay Foursquare Church for its annual Christmas performance on Sunday, December 1, starting at 3PM. Led by Director Robert Calonico and Founding Director, Lawrence Anderson, the band presents a selection of memorable and exciting holiday music including “A Canadian Brass Christmas Suite,” Robert W. Smith’s “Christmas Declaration,” and Pola & Wyle’s “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Accompanying the band will be guest vocalist Nancy Groeneveld, and there will be a visitor from the North Pole as well. Come be a part of our annual family event as the band celebrates the holidays. Concert admission and parking are free! Join us at East Bay Foursquare Church, located at 2615 Camino Tassajara Rd. in Danville. For more information about the band, visit www.danvilleband.org.
San Ramon Valley Rotary Club presents “Enjoy the Classics” This Coupon is worth $10.00 Dinner and Auction toward your purchase of San Ramon Valley Rotary Club presents “Enjoy the Classics,” an elegant evening to remember, on November 9 th. The evening includes a full course dinner, single malts, wine tasting, cigars, and an auction. Steve Beal, internationally recognized Whiskey Master, will lead attendees through the fine flavors of OBAN single malt whiskies. We will also be tasting the renowned wines of Padis Vineyards. Cost for the event is $85 per person. For information and tickets, go to www.sanramonvalleyrotary.com or contact Valerie Munoz at vamunoz@comcast.net or 925-683-6310.
$50.00 or more in McCaulou’s Shoe Boutique
Valid through Sunday, Nov.10, 2013 Must be presented at time of purchase. Not valid in conjunction with other coupon promotions. Not valid on previous purchases. No cash substitutes. May not be used for payment on account. TOMS, Ugg and Clearance excluded.
Shoe Boutique Located in the Livery
This Coupon is worth $10.00 toward your purchase of $50.00 or more in McCaulou’s Home Store
Valid through Sunday, Nov.10, 2013 Must be presented at time of purchase. Not valid in conjunction with other coupon promotions. Not valid on previous purchases. No cash substitutes. May not be used for payment on account. TOMS, Ugg and Clearance excluded.
Home Store
Located in the Livery
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Pipeline Safety in Our Community
By Supervisor Candace Andersen, Contra Costa County, District 2
Although we don’t usually associate the fall season with planting and landscaping, many of us do take on final projects around the yard before winter sets in. It’s always good to remind everyone that any time you or your contractor digs on your property, you need to call 8-1-1. The 811 number is a national “Call Before You Dig” phone number designated to help save lives by minimizing damage to underground utilities. One easy phone call to 811 quickly begins the process of getting underground utility lines marked. Local One Call Center personnel notify affected utility companies, who will send crews to mark underground lines for free. Knowing where underground utility lines are buried before each digging project begins can prevent injury, expense and penalties. The depth of utility lines may vary, and multiple utility lines may exist in one area. Simple digging jobs can damage utility lines and can disrupt vital services to an entire neighborhood, harm those who dig, and result in expensive fines and repair costs. Marked lines show those who dig the approximate location of underground lines and help prevent undesired consequences. Call 811 before you dig or visit www.call811.com for more information. Utility line safety has come to the forefront recently along the Iron Horse Corridor, often referred to as the Iron Horse Trail. The County has begun reviewing property lines along the Corridor as they have become aware that some property owners have dangerously encroached into the utility easements. As most people know, the Iron Horse Corridor was previously the Southern Pacific Railroad Right-of-Way. It was purchased by Contra Costa County with grant money from the state and the sale of utility easements. The Corridor is typically 50-100 feet wide and includes
Alamo Today ~ November 2013 - Page 7
various underground utilities, including fiber optic, sewer and water lines, as well as a high pressure petroleum pipeline owned by Kinder Morgan. It is approximately 19 miles and stretches from Concord to the San Ramon/Alameda County line. East Bay Regional Park District has a license agreement with the County to operate and maintain the Iron Horse Trail within the Corridor. Over the years, some property owners have extended fencing, retaining walls, structures, bridges, stairs, pavers, landscaping and drainage into the corridor, landing near or on top of the Kinder Morgan pipeline. Kinder Morgan cannot allow encroachments in their easement as directed by the State Fire Marshall. It is a serious safety issue. The County is therefore requiring property owners to remove the encroachments which have been built in this easement. At this time, the removal process in Alamo is mostly complete. The county is consulting with Town officials to begin the process of working with property owners in Danville to make that stretch of the trail safer as well. We are fortunate to have an amenity like the Iron Horse Corridor. As we enter the month of November, it is a great opportunity to reflect upon all we are grateful for, including our great community and exceptional quality of life. Enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday with friends and family. If you are attending the Danville Old Oak Tree Lighting Celebration from 5:15pm to 8:30pm on the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 29th, please stop by my office (309 Diablo Road, Danville) to say hello and enjoy some hot cocoa and homemade cookies.
Page 8 - November 2013 ~ Alamo Today
TREE LIGHTING DECEMBER 1ST! Our Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held at Andrew H. Young Park and Alamo Oak Tree Plaza on Sunday, December 1st from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Enjoy music by students from all our schools, say “Hi” to Santa, and taste the great refreshments. This is truly a special long-time Alamo event. Thanks to our students and teachers, our Sheriff’s Staff & their Volunteers, our local Fire Fighters, our Rotary Club, and Terri & Brent Tucker for their support. Join us for a great time to begin the Holiday Season! ALAMOCHAMBEROFCOMMERCE.COM
Celebrate the Service of a Veteran By Monty Stanford
November 11th is designated in the United States as Veterans Day, a day to honor those who have served in the armed forces. It was originally proclaimed in 1919 as Armistice Day to commemorate the end of World War I. In 1954, Congress passed legislation that changed the name to Veterans Day and broadened it to honor all veterans. If you want to meet an historic veteran of World War II and the Vietnam War, there is one nearby. The aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CVS-12) is now a museum of naval aviation. She is docked at Pier 3 in the former Naval Air Station in Alameda. The Hornet has special exhibits, 15 aircraft aboard, a flight simulator that you can take a ride in, and self-guided as well as docent-led tours. The Hangar Deck also has artifacts from Hornet’s service as the recovery ship for the Apollo 11 and 12 space capsules. It is a great place for the whole family to visit on Veterans Day. See www.uss-hornet.org for more information. The USS Hornet Museum is an independent non-profit organization. Veterans Day originated with World War I, which is the one war that has no national memorial in Washington, DC. There are national memorials dedicated to veterans of World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam, but there are none for World War I. The last surviving US veteran of World War I, Frank Woodruff Buckles, led a campaign to establish a World War I memorial, but he was unsuccessful and died in 2011 at the age of 110 years. The last surviving veteran of World War I from any nation was Florence Patterson Green who was a member of England’s Women’s Royal Air Force. She died in 2012, also aged 110 years old. Most other nations who were combatants in World War I celebrate November 11th as Remembrance Day or Armistice Day. Those nations honor veterans who died in wars on this holiday. In the United States, the men and women who died while serving are honored on Memorial Day, the last Monday in May. Memorial Day originated to honor those who died while serving either side in the US Civil War. Today there are approximately 23 million veterans in the US, over 7% of the total population. In California, there are about 1.8 million veterans, nearly 5% of California’s total population. So, you probably know, or can find, a veteran to thank for his or her service on this their special day. Monty Stanford is a resident of Lafayette, a freelance writer, and a US Navy veteran. You can reach him by email at montycstanford@yahoo.com.
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Remembering President John F. Kennedy
An exhibit in the Waiting Room at the Museum of the San Ramon Valley, running until November 24th
John F. Kennedy became President of the United States in 1960. He was the first President to be born in the 20th century, and he energized the nation with his new ideas, ready wit, style, and compelling speeches. His young, attractive wife and family led writers to call Kennedy’s 1,000 days in office “Camelot.” The museum’s mini exhibit features his Presidency and his shocking assassination on November 22, 1963, fifty years ago. There are magazines, newspapers, and books for visitors to sit down and read as well as a video of Kennedy’s speeches. Jim Casey loaned us his collection of Kennedy half-dollars, and Danville Councilmember Mike Doyle is shown with the President in Oakland. A notebook is in place which invites visitors to record their memories of that time. The Valley Pioneer, Danville’s weekly newspaper, covered the story on Monday, November 25, 1963. There was a photograph of the current movie at the Village Theater, Cliff Robertson starring in PT 109 recounted PT boat Ro Anwhich exhibit inKennedy’s the Waiting experiences in World War II. A large image showed an Uncle Sam figure with his hand over his eyes. The title: JohnTHE F. NATION, Kennedy was elected ofHere the Uni THE VALLEY, LIKE MOURNS LOSS OFPresident PRESIDENT. was the first President who had been born in th are excerpts from He the Pioneer: Residents ofwith the San Valley, like the rest of the nation, were hisRamon young, attractive family, he energized th shocked beyond comprehension with the news of the assassination of ideas, ready wit, and style have led some to c President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, Friday. “Camelot.” This fall we remember fifty years ag Business in the retail section of the valley came to a virtual halt as on November 1963, shocked the personnel and assassination customers alike stayed glued to radios22, and television sets following the dreadful account of the displays day. This mini exhibit newspapers, books and At St. Isidore School the students were taken across the parking lot to the feature Kennedy and his family. There is a coll church where they recited the Rosary for the Repose of the Soul of the dead half dollars and videoa sharing hiswas many memorab President of the United States. Later thataevening, Requiem Mass said for Mr. Kennedy. A full-page picture of the Catholic service appeared in the paper. Jim Cozens, Principal of San Ramon High School, reports many of Presented by: the students wept openly upon hearing the news. The basketball game, scheduled for Friday night in Livermore, cancelled at the request of Museum of thewasSan Ramon Valley Livermore and will be re-scheduled. The Danville Bowl, usually an active establishment in mid-day, was quiet. The Brass Door in San Ramon, always bustling Friday noons, was like the rest of the nation--quiet--stunned-unbelieving. Muse The Museum is open Tuesday – Friday from 1-4pm, Saturday 10am-1pm , Museum Hours pm Sunday 12-3 . The museum is located at 205 Railroad Ave., Danville. For 2 Tuesday - Friday: 1pm -4pm more information visit www.museumsrv.org.
Remembering President John F. Ken
October 1 - November 24,
Saturday: 10am - 1pm Save the Date Sunday: Noon - 3pm
Alamo Tree Lighting Festival Sunday, December 1st • 4:30-6:30pm 8
Lost Dog!
$50 REWARD
If you find her and your name is drawn!
Alamo Zoe is Missing
Alamo Zoe has become lost in this paper... Search through Alamo Today and see if you can find her! She is very small, so you will have to look hard if you want to find her.
To be eligible send a letter telling us where you found her, along with your name and address, to: Lost Dog! ~ Alamo Today 3000F Danville Blvd #117 • Alamo, CA 94507
Eric Schneider is our winner
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Alamo Today ~ November 2013 - Page 9
320 South Avenue, Alamo
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Much to be Thankful For
By Stan Hitomi, Principal, Alamo Elementary School
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and there is much to be thankful for at Alamo School. We just finished one of the busiest and most productive Octobers in recent memory, and we have a lot of members of the Alamo School community to thank. First, we’d like to thank Kristin Kiltz and Melissa Economos for running what could only be described as a flawless “Run for Education” (formerly Primo’s Run) campaign. With 359 registered runners, 100% teacher registration and a staggering 108.8% participation rate, Alamo School was the Top Performing School in the district for the second year in a row. Our Annual PTA Fall Book Fair was held October 18-25. This is always one of the most popular events of the year for our students. Thank you to Margie Hart and Kim Dolan coordinated the event, along with Kate Canty who provided the Book Fair Luncheon for our staff. That’s right, Kate! Kate’s son graduated from Alamo School last year, but she continues to volunteer at Alamo…go Kate! We would also like to thank Clifford (the BIG Red Dog) for making a special appearance this year and the many, parents who volunteered throughout the Book Fair! On October 18th we held our annual Family Social Night, including desserts, BINGO and an early chance to shop at the Fall Book Fair. The event was a tremendous success with nearly 200 guests and over $2,500 in sales at the Book Fair. Thank you to Suzanne Miller and Carol Even for organizing this fun event! We would also like to thank our staff (Dave Telles, Sue Benit, Karen Andrew and Marcie Wehrley) for serving as BINGO callers. For two weeks the students at Alamo School collected coins to support Coinsfor-a-Cure. One hundred percent of the funds raised will be used by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to find a cure and to support the newly diagnosed diabetes patient program at Children’s Hospital in Oakland. The kids did a great job and raised $1,514.05! First place and the pizza party goes to Mrs. Benit’s 4th grade class, which raised $312.05. All of our students should be proud of themselves. Thank you to Jami Kane and Sharon Dodson for coordinating this program! We celebrated Red Ribbon Week the week of October 21st. CASA (Commu-
nity Against Substance Abuse) sponsors this event in our community and all of the local schools to help children gain an awareness of making healthy choices. Thank you to our local Cub Scouts from Pack 53 for decorating our campus with Red Ribbons in celebration of Red Ribbon Week! On October 23rd our PTA hosted the first of four “Breakfast with the Principal” events. Students with August, September, and October birthdays were able to join the Principal before school for breakfast. This is a great opportunity for the students and me to get to know each other better. The PTA provided a small treat and juice. Kudos to Raylinn Bianchi for coordinating this event! Congratulations to the winner of the Directory Cover Contest - Elizabeth Jannetta! This year’s theme was “Alamo School of the Future,” and her artwork will be featured on the front cover of the upcoming Alamo School Directory. Runners-up are Max Benson, Brennan Finder, Emma Hedican, and Ashley Liao. Their entries will appear inside the directory. Thank you to all the wonderful Alamo artists who participated! The theme for this year’s PTA Reflections Program was “Believe, Dream, Inspire.” Students submitted entries in the categories of dance choreography, photography, literature, visual arts, and musical composition. We would like to thank Andrea Siu for coordinating this inspirational program. The results will be published in next month’s article. We are fortunate to have such an involved community at our school. Those mentioned are just a few of the many who volunteer every day at Alamo School along with many teachers, para educators, and support staff that go above and beyond! Thank You for making Alamo School a very special place for our children.
Upcoming Meetings and Events
AIA - Alamo Improvement Association - Please visit www.alamoca.org for upcoming meetings - Creekside Community Church -1350 Danville Blvd. Alamo MAC (Municipal Advisory Committee) - First Tuesday of each month 6pm - Alamo Chamber of Commerce Office 120-B, Alamo Plaza P2B - Police Services Advisory Committee - First Monday of each month, 5pm - Meets at Alamo Chamber of Commerce Office located at 120 -B, Alamo Plaza P5 - Round Hill Police Services Advisory Committee - Second Wednesday of each month, 7pm - Meets at Round Hill Country Club - Lower Level Meeting Room CERT classes - Community Emergency Response Team - Visit www. firedepartment.org/community_outreach/cert/upcoming_classes.asp
Page 10 - November 2013 ~ Alamo Today
Stone Valley Middle School By Shaun K. McElroy, Principal
Thank you parents and staff who attended our Fall Party and Auction! It was an amazing night of festivities through eight countries! Thank you to our gracious hosts, Bobby and Sharon Waal, who shared their magnificent home and grounds. Hats off to our party planners, Chris Janze, Johnette Mass, Carla Munoz, Kristen Calderon, and Heidi Barbera, who so creatively took us to far off lands. Thanks also to our volunteer staff members, Mrs. Johnson, Mr. Sherwood, Mr. Andrzejewski, Ms. Lawver, Ms. Sass, and Mrs. Jacobs, who dressed the part and guided us on our trip! We appreciate everyone’s contributions and efforts as it is all for the kids. Early returns show we exceeded our fund-raising goal.
Common Core State Standards part 4 - Assessments
On October 3rd Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill* eliminating the STAR test for the 2013-14 school year. The STAR test was a requirement of the No Child Left Behind Act. The goal for all schools, districts, and states was to have every student proficient in language arts and mathematics by 2014. The absence of the STAR test does not relieve schools of the responsibility of measuring student progress, just a one-year hiatus from standardized testing. The tests that students will begin taking in the spring of 2015 originate from the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC). The new standardized tests are adaptive, computer-based exams that challenge students ability to reason more effectively than STAR. The tests adjust based on the students’ level of competency. If students move through problems quickly the test changes the difficulty level. Conversely, if a student struggles, the test become easier.
Language Arts
Here are a few examples of the types of questions student will encounter. In this example students are asked to read a non-fiction passage from Planes
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on the Brain by Elisabeth Deffner and answer the following questions: • Highlight the parts of the text that provide evidence to support the idea that the Tuskegee Airmen group was historically important. • How does the author emphasize the point that the TAM program was a positive influence on the sister’s lives. Use details from the text to support your answer. • What does the author mean by “the sky is no longer the limit”?
Mathematics
Gene has two cats, Pele and Nikita. 1) Pele eats 3/4 of a can of cat food each day, and Nikita eats 1/2 of a can of cat food each day. Cat food costs $5 for three cans. It is only sold in three packs. How much does it cost Jenny for a 60-day supply of cat food for her two cats? 2) Find the cost of cat food for a 29-day supply, a 30-day supply, and a 31-day supply. Show your work. For more information, visit the Smarter Balanced website www.smarterbalanced.org. The link to the practice test is www.smarterbalanced.org/practice-test.
How Will we Judge Student Progress this Year?
During the month of October every student at Stone Valley took a baseline assessment in language arts and math. We use these assessments to determine which students may need additional support in reading, writing, and mathematics. A targeted intervention plan is being developed to support those students throughout the school year. Student will also take three benchmark assessments during the course of the school year. For more information, visit the SRVUSD Common Core website at https:// sites.google.com/a/srvusd.net/common-core. This is the fourth in a series of articles about the Common Core State Standards implementation. Next month I will focus on the newly adopted Next Generation Science Standards. Preview them at www.nextgenscience. org/next-generation-science-standards. * STAR science will still be administered at grades 5,7, and 10.
Rancho Romero Elementary School By Skye Larsh-Faraghan, Principal
We know we are halfway through the first trimester when the temperatures start to cool, leaves change color, and Parent Teacher Conferences occur. Parent Conferences are an important step in building the bridge between home and school to ensure the highest quality of education for children. Conferences occur twice during the school year, at regular intervals in October and March. The purpose of parent-teacher conferences is to discuss the academic, behavioral, and social well-being of the child, and successful conferencing between parents and teachers is one way for parents to help their children at school. The purpose of the first conference was to discuss the teacher’s initial impressions of the child, to set goals together for the year, and to allow parents to share insights about their child with the teacher. One hundred percent of our Rancho Romero families attended October conferences.
Common Core Communication
Rancho Romero is focused on developing Units of Study around the Common Core Standards in both English Language Arts and Mathematics. Units of Study blend and integrate essential elements of teaching and learning with standards and assessments in an engaging, rigorous, and meaningful way. Our goal by the end of the year is to have two or three units prepared in each content area. This task might seem daunting if it were not for the rich collaboration taking place across the district. Alamo and Rancho Romero Elementary School teachers are working together under the guidance and facilitation of two sensational district Common Core coaches, Ngoc Nguyen and Renee Doran. During the month of October, Alamo Elementary hosted our first workshop on Units of Study in writing, specifically, writing arguments, one of the BIG 6 shifts in English Language Arts. Rancho Romero hosted the second workshop on Units of Study in math, with an emphasis on aligning assessments, Problem of the Month, and topics in the enVision math curriculum.
San Francisco Opera Visits Rancho
On October 9, the PTA was thrilled to be able to present SF Opera Guild’s Opera à la carte program, The Barber of Seville. Three singer/performers and their pianist came to Rancho, bringing with them costumes, sets, and their incredible voices. The production also starred Rancho student actors and Rancho’s Chorus, who had all been rehearsing since the month before. Students had a chance to experience a live opera, right in their own school, featuring their classmates. They
did an incredible job! A big thank you to Jane Lang and Sarah Belzer who spent many hours helping everyone get ready.
Calling all Space Enthusiasts and Future Astronauts!
Students strapped on their jet packs and blasted over to Rancho Romero for Family Science Night on Thursday, October 24th. Chabot Space and Science Center piloted several hands-on stations, demonstrating how astronauts train for space travel. Students were able to take in a show in the Cosmic Ray Planetary Theater and then headed over to the computer lab to test rocket-launching skills. Additionally, students were able to check out the actual radio equipment that will be used for the November contact with an astronaut aboard the International Space Station.
Village Theatre 100th Anniversary Gala
On November 16th, the Town of Danville is hosting the Grand Engagement Celebration honoring the 100th anniversary of the Village Theatre’s grand opening as the Danville Fraternal and Social Hall on November 28, 1913. The gala gathering is free and open to the community. Festivities begin at the Town Meeting Hall from 5pm-7pm with appetizers provided by Bridges, Norm’s, McGah’s, and Primo’s and wine poured by the Vine at Bridges. The opening reception for Barn Dance: Celebrating Our Agricultural History occurs simultaneously next door at the Village Theatre Art Gallery. The exhibit includes sounds and scents as well as images playfully alluding to the structure’s long service as a social center for the community. From 7pm-9:30pm, all activity moves to the Village Theatre for a journey through time as local leaders in Danville’s rich history come together and highlight the various ways the building has been utilized throughout its 100 year history. Please sign up for this free evening at htpp://vt100years.eventbrite.com.
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San Ramon Valley High School
By Ruth Steele, Principal
Alamo Today ~ November 2013 - Page 11
11 Critical Home Inspection Traps to be Aware of Weeks Before Listing Your Home for Sale
Our schools are governed, down to the smallest detail, by the Alamo - According to industry experts, away altogether. In most cases, you can California Education Code. There there are over 33 physical problems that make a reasonable pre-inspection yourself are rules for everything - the nu- will come under scrutiny during a home if you know what you're looking for, and tritional content of school lunches, inspection when your home is for sale. knowing what you're looking for can help how many instructional minutes a A new report has been prepared which you prevent little problems from growing school year must contain, freedom identifies the 11 most common of these into costly and unmanageable ones. of speech rules for school newspapers, parent chaperones problems, and what you should know about To help home sellers deal with this issue on field trips...the list is endless. There are literally thou- them before you list your home for sale. before their homes are listed, a free report sands of these codes that school administrators need to have Whether you own an old home or a brand entitled "11Things You Need to Know to knowledge of. The Ed Code manual is about two inches new one, there are a number of things Pass Your Home Inspection" has been thick and written in very small type! that can fall short of requirements during a compiled which explains the issues involved. The sections that the majority of administrators are most home inspection. If not identified and dealt To hear a brief recorded message about familiar with are the 48900 Codes. These codes define the with, any of these 11 items could cost you how to order your FREE copy of this report, various student actions that can result in suspension from dearly in terms of repair. That's why it's call toll-free 1-866-265-1682 and enter school and other disciplinary consequences. Many of these critical that you read this report before 2001. You can call any time, 24 hours a day, codes are constant and need no adjustment regarding of- you list your home. If you wait until the 7 days a week. fences such as assault, bullying, and use of drugs or alcohol building inspector flags these issues for Get your free special report NOW to learn for example. But there are other emerging actions that may you, you will almost certainly experience how to ensure a home inspection doesn't or may not be specifically covered by section 48900. One costly delays in the close of your home cost you the sale of your home. of these is the new trend we are seeing more and more of sale or, worse, turn prospective buyers - the use of e-cigarettes or “hookah pens.” This report is courtesy of J. Rockcliff Realtors #01763819. Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract. Copyright © 2013 These devices look a bit like metal marker pens and are essentially vaporizers. They contain a very small heating element that heats Monte Vista High School up oil. These oils then form a vapor when heated which users inhale and By Janet Terranova, Principal exhale - it looks a lot like smoke. The oils may contain flavorings, nicotine, October is almost over and it has been an amazing or marijuana. There is some debate, depending on the content of the oil month with great memories and so much to anticipate as being used, as to which of the 48900 codes should be used when students the year continues. Our first quarter is finished, and we bring these devices to school and/or use them on campus. know that students at Monte Vista take academics very Schools across the state are trying to determine how to handle this new seriously. As a school community we are very proud of trend which is becoming a significant problem. Everyone is in agreement our students and their successes thus far. Academically, that students should not bring them to school and that they cannot be used at our students continue to excel in their coursework. From school. But if students are inhaling flavored vapor, then how exactly should the core academic subjects to our wide array of elective that be dealt with? There is a range of opinions on this, but with the market classes, we encourage students to take the most rigorous for these devices rapidly growing and cigarette manufacturers getting in courses to meet their individual needs. on the act, it is clear that this trend is showing no sign of disappearing. Homecoming Week is always a part of October, and once again our students’ creativity and sense of school pride was evident throughout the week. The theme Street Smarts Presents CHP “Start Smart” Program this year was board games; from Candyland (9th) to Battleship (10th) to Jumanji Driving is dangerous for teens. Motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause (11th) to Life (12th) students created floats, decorated the hallways, participated of death for 15 to 20 year olds in this country, and the impact of teen driving goes in dress-up days, held a rally, played a football game, and finally ended the week way beyond the teens themselves. In California, teen drivers are found at fault with our Homecoming Dance with over 1,200 students participating. in 66% of all fatal collisions they are involved in, although they only represent And the anticipation…we will be having the opening of our new Workday 4% of licensed drivers. What can a parent do to help their teen be a safer driver? Student Center on October 30th. This is an incredible building and gift to the Street Smarts, a traffic safety education program, is pleased to offer San Monte Vista community that will last for generations of high school students. Ramon Valley teens and their parents a new drivers education option. On NoThe building houses both the library on the second floor and a student center on vember 6th from 7-9PM, Street Smarts will be hosting the California Highway the first floor. The Student Center includes a large state-of-the-art classroom for Patrol’s “Start Smart” Program. “Start Smart” is a two-hour driver safety educateachers to reserve, the college and career center, a technology kiosk so students can check out laptops and iPads for use in the center and library, a café, a confertion class that targets new and future licensed teenage drivers aged 15 to 20 and ence room, an ASB room, student collaboration rooms, and areas for students to their parents or legal guardians. As part of the program, CHP officers discuss gather. The library is truly the library of the future with state-of-the-art technology, collision factors associated with teen drivers, collision avoidance techniques, student conference rooms, and meeting rooms. The entire building was designed and driver/parent responsibilities. Officers also show images of collision scenes for students to study and collaborate in a 21st century learning environment. and share stories of families who have lost loved ones. Our deepest thanks and appreciation go to Workday and the Duffield family The event is free and open to the entire San Ramon Valley. The event will be for providing such an amazing gift to our students. held at Monte Vista High School Theater, located at 3131 Stone Valley Road in If you would like more information about Monte Vista and events at the school, Danville. Registration is requested, but not required, and can be done by going please visit our website at www.mvhigh.org. to https://chpstartsmart.eventbrite.com. Parent and teen attendance at the event is strongly recommended, because parent involvement is crucial to teen driving safety. Lettice and Lovage For more information about the event, contact Cathy DeLuca at (925) Role Players Ensemble presents Lettice and Lovage, a funny look at the value of 314-3382 or cathy@street-smarts.com. To learn more about the Start Smart friendship and wild story telling. Set amidst the ruins of an old historic home, a wonProgram, contact CHP Officer John Fransen at (925) 646-4980 or visit www. derful battle of wits ensues between the need for authenticity versus entertainment. chp.ca.gov/community/startsmart.html. The play will be shown through November 9 with Friday and Saturday perforStreet Smarts is a traffic safety education program serving the San Ramon mances at 8PM and Sunday performances at 2PM. Valley. The program is a partnership between the San Ramon Valley Unified Shows will be held at the Village Theatre, located at 233 Front Street in Danville. School District, the City of San Ramon, the Town of Danville, the County of Tickets can be purchased at www.RolePlayersEnsemble.com, at the Danville ComContra Costa, and the San Ramon Valley Council of PTAs. munity Center located at 420 Front St. in Danville, or by calling (925) 312-3400.
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Page 12 - November 2013 ~ Alamo Today
Alamo Women’s Club
The Alamo Women’s Club (AWC) was established in 1916 and is the longest standing service organization in the valley. We invite you to get to know us by joining us at one of our upcoming programs. Members come from many locations and all are welcome. For more information, contact Jeri Strong, jeristrong@ gmail.com. Coat Drive - On Wednesday, November th 13 we will be holding a Coat Drive – Coat Drop Off at Alamo Women’s Club, located at 1401 Danville Blvd. in Alamo, from 10am to 12:30pm. Drop off coats and jackets for all ages. These donations will be given to Volunteer Emergency Services Team in Action (VESTIA). As the changing of the seasons occurs so does the need to keep warm. Health experts report even a two-degree drop in body temperature results in reduced heart rate, loss of coordination, and confusion. Adults cannot work effectively and children find it difficult to learn when cold, and a warm coat solves the problem. The AWC Coat Drive will help in that endeavor. Join us and help keep our local community warm! The year 2016 will be our celebratory 100 year centennial from our 1916 founding as the Mother’s Club of Alamo Grammar School. As we plan our AWC celebration, we are reviewing our past history, particularly how we have helped our community in the intervening 98 years. We would like to share some of the philanthropic highlights with you over the next few months in our articles. Library issues were a mainstay in the first 30 years of our group. We set up a branch of the County Library in the Hoover house, which our club rented on behalf of the library. It was opened on Tuesdays and Fridays and manned by club women. The rent was $5 for the library and for our club meetings. Later, the Alamo Henry Hotel became the new library and club location, and we rented its lower floor. For heat there was a coal and wood stove. The Alamo postmaster (Bertha Linhares) would build the fire on her way to work so that it would be warm for the library and the women coming in to work. However, on more than one occasion the old stove exploded and sent everyone running!
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World War II changed the focus from libraries to making garments, rolling bandages, having a canteen for visiting soldiers, as well as manning the Air Watch Tower on Alamo School grounds. In the 1950’s, after acquiring our own land and clubhouse, and with the County discontinuing the library service in 1960, we focused on libraries once again and funded the Alamo bookmobile for most of the 60’s until it too was discontinued. From 1920 to 1970, as part of our membership in GFWC, we, along with our sister clubs, established 474 public and 4,655 traveling libraries nationwide. The American Library Association officially recognizes our parent group with founding 75% of all U.S. public libraries! We no longer focus primarily on libraries but we do encourage reading and support two book groups within AWC that meet monthly. Join us and become a book club member too. Today we support nine main philanthropies and fund annual high school arts and returning Diablo Valley College women scholarships. Our membership regularly helps man events and special interest projects for these groups. VESTIA, which is highlighted this month due to our Coat Drive, is one of these charities. VESTIA serves over 6,200 clients annually with low to very low incomes. While our County provides services to Contra Costa needy sometimes extras are required and VESTIA was formed in 1986 to handle those situations. VESTIA assists individuals and families in our community when no other resources are available. VESTIA works closely with Contra Costa County’s Employment /Human Services Department. (Social Services). VESTIA provides a conduit to focus resources of local citizens in projects such as our Coat Drive to make a positive difference to the neediest. Please clean your closets and help in this endeavor! THANK YOU to Trader Joe’s of Danville and Alamo Ace Hardware. October 12th was our Community Craft Boutique & Garage Sale, and AWC thanks Trader Joe’s, who provided a wonderful gift bag filled with TJ’s gourmet foods, and Alamo Ace Hardware who provided a generous gift card for our raffle. The lucky winners were Pam Dominici of Alamo and Dana Cohn of Danville. We appreciate both of these community minded businesses. Clubhouse Rental - Our clubhouse is available for events, weddings, and meetings. Call 925-820-1943 or email alamowomensclubrent@gmail.com for details, or visit www.alamowomensclub.org.
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Alamo Today ~ November 2013 - Page 13
Page 14 - November 2013 ~ Alamo Today
Winterize…Summer-ize your Home
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By Darlene Gayler, VP Gayler Construction, Co-Founder Sustainable Danville
Our family has been building custom homes and commercial properties throughout San Ramon Valley for 50 years. Long before we were certified as a Green Builder, we realized that building green means building smart and that it’s not just kind for the planet and our community - it’s also kind for your pocket. No matter what the project is, our clients often ask us how they can best save energy. They want to know what choices they can make to save heating and cooling costs without sacrificing the aesthetics and comfort of their homes. And whether energy saving is on the forefront of our clients mind or not, we strive to deliver projects that reduce the burden of energy costs while providing luxury and comfort for all. Energy friendly features we incorporate into our projects are often improvements you can make to your existing home. Here are some suggestions to help winterize or summer-ize your home, sweet home. Heat and Cool Efficiently: Have a professional tune up your HVAC every spring and fall. It’s usually worth replacing with an energy efficient unit if yours is more than 10 years old. Check your ducts for leaks as you may be losing up to 20% of heated/cooled air to your attic. Do not use duct tape, instead use mastic sealant or metal tape to seal off leaks. Change your filters regularly – at least four times per year. One of the easiest ways to save energy in your home is to install a programmable thermostat. Keep it set at energy saving temperatures for long periods of time instead of cranking it up to 90 degrees or down to 40 degrees, as this will not heat or cool your home any faster and will cost you more money. Insulate and Re-Insulate: If you are removing siding from a wood frame wall without insulation, add R5 insulation in the wall before replacing siding. To get the biggest savings, the easiest place to add insulation is the attic. Attics Purchase a Pavé Gift Set for $200. Featuring a PANDORA Clasp Bracelet, two “You’re a Star” clips and one pavé with 3-4 inches of insulation can use a boost of insulation to the recommended R25-R38 and for the floor R19-R25. charm of your choice up to $65 (Retail value $240.00). While supplies last. See store for details. This is a relatively inexpensive investment, but it will definitely pay off in comfort both in winter and summer. Make Home Sealing a Family Project: Many drafts are easy to feel. Seal leaky windows and doors with caulk, spray foam, or weather stripping. After your sealing project, have a heating and cooling technician check to 589 San Ramon Valley Blvd., Danville (925) 837-0261 make sure your HVAC and appliances are venting properly. Consider adding doors to open fireplaces as these are actually one of the biggest culprits for heat loss and cold gains in your home. Windows and Doors: A variety of quality window materials exist to reduce heat loss and transfer heat. Two or more window panes are recommended to keep heat out. Look for Energy Star rated panes including those with a ‘low-e’ coating to deflect infrared light to keep heat in during the winter and outside in the summer. When replacing doors, make sure there is a tight fit and that core materials include fiberglass, wood cladding, or steel with polyurethane foam to keep Jack Frost ‘at the door.’ Purchase Energy Star Appliances: You’d be surprised at the range of appliances that are Energy Star certified. Visit energystar.gov for a selection of everything from refrigerators to cordless phones that will save money on energy bills without sacrificing performance, features, or comfort. Front loading washing machines and newer dryers will pay for themselves in energy savings over a short duration. And energy efficient HVAC systems often qualify for tax credit rebates until 2016. As Easy as Changing a Light Bulb: Lighting accounts for 22% of the electric energy used nationwide. While compact florescent light bulbs are 30% more efficient than incandescent, you’ll gain the most savings by screwing in some LEDs. LED light bulbs are up to 80% more efficient than conventional light bulbs, and they don’t have the mercury of florescent ones. Be Aware of Your Energy Consumption: Watt meters are helpful in gauging the ‘vampire’ power used by electronics in standby mode. Vampire power is the energy used by an appliance, TV, or other items around your house that draw energy when they aren’t performing their function for you. Sustainable Danville Area donated a Kill-A-Watt meter to the Danville Library available for check-out, or you can purchase one a nearby hardware store for $25. Smart Strips ($29) power strips that automatically switch devices off when not in use is another good way to manage energy when not needed. And through Smart Meters, PG&E makes near real-time usage available on their website to help guide your monthly usage. For more information about these tips, visit www.sustainabledanville.com.
Celebrate the Joy of Remembrance at Hospice of the East Bay’s 27th Annual Tree of Lights
Hospice of the East Bay (HEB) invites the public to participate in its 27th Annual Tree of Lights Ceremonies to be held in November and December. The tree lightings offer community members a way to honor the lives of their friends and loved ones. Funds raised allow HEB to provide essential programs and services such as the Vigil Program which ensures no one has to die alone. Each light on every tree is symbolic of a life and will shine in honor or memory of a beloved friend or family member. By dedicating a Memorial Light for a minimum gift of $25, you can honor someone you love while directly supporting end-of-life patient care. Memorial donors of $100 and higher will have the option to have their names listed in the lighting ceremony program of their choice. For light dedications, donations, sponsorships, and event questions, call (925) 887-5678 or visit www.hospiceeastbay.org. Please join a commemorative ceremony to enjoy music, poetry, remembrances by family members and Hospice staff, and the special moment when the tree lights up: • Alamo & Bruns House: Alamo Women’s Club, 1401 Danville Blvd, Alamo, Wednesday, December 11, 12:15PM • Danville & San Ramon: Town Meeting Hall, 201 Front Street, Danville, Friday, November 15, 5:30PM
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Alamo Today ~ November 2013 - Page 15
Alamo Area of Benefit Study Update By Michael McDonald, Chairman, Alamo Municipal Advisory Council
1ST ANNUAL A study has been underway in Alamo for the past year or so to update what is called the Alamo Area of Benefit Project list. The Alamo Area of Benefit (AOB) was formed by the County Board of Supervisors in 1985 to provide for the collection of funds from new development in Alamo to help pay for roadway and other transportation related Post A Picture Of You In Your improvements needed to accommodate the new Halloween Costume On Our development. Following adoption of the AOB, Facebook Page & You Will Be a list of improvement projects was developed, Entered To and this list has been periodically modified and updated since then. It was last updated in 1998, so at the urging of Supervisor Candace Andersen, the county Public Works Department began the current update at the end of 2012. An important milestone was reached in this process at the end of August when a new project list was approved by the Alamo MAC for recommendation to the Board of Supervisors. This list of projects was developed after public input was received at three community meetings and presented to the public and the MAC at a fourth meeting in August. It now moves on to the Board of Supervisors. Three important priorities came out of the Enter at AmindaModrellDDS.com & Click On The Halloween Graphic! public meetings which were reflected in the recommended project list. These were: • Pedestrian safety downtown and around schools • No desire to expand or increase capacity on Danville Boulevard OR • Protect trees and other aspects of Alamo’s semi-rural character Golden Skate Tickets For 4 People The priority relating to no expansion of Dan( Their Choice! ) Must Be At Least 21 To Win. ville Boulevard was probably the most talked and more prizes about and of most concern to Alamo residents and post your Halloween costume picture with your best pose by who attended the meetings. This has been a long November 10th. Everyone is welcome to participate! You may enter standing issue and reflects a concern that some your children. Winner will be announced on November 12th. county and regional transportation planners see Danville Boulevard expansion as a way of relieving congestion on the freeway. But at least 3176 Danville Blvd., Suite 2 | Alamo, CA 94507 | AmindaModrellDDS.com | info@amindamodrelldds.com as far as the AOB project list is concerned, there will be no expansion or increase in capacity. In fact, a project from the previous AOB list involving further work at the intersection of Danville Boulevard and Stone Valley Road which would have allowed more traffic onto Danville Boulevard was removed altogether. Consistent with the priorities that came out of the public meetings, the new projects recommended by the MAC include: • Pedestrian safety improvements on Danville Boulevard in the downtown area • Pedestrian and bicycle improvements on Livorna and Stone Valley Road • Pedestrian safety improvements at Stone Valley Middle, Alamo Elementary, and Rancho Romero Elementary Schools • Safety improvements at the intersection of Danville Boulevard and Hemme Avenue In addition to these new projects, the list includes projects related to bicycle and pedestrian safety on Stone Valley Road and Miranda Avenue carried over from the prior list. The new projects are described very generally on the project list, and, if approved by the Board of Supervisors, the MAC will be working with the community to develop specific improvement projects in the months ahead. Since the AOB funds are limited, part of the MAC’s job will be to work with county public works to identify and pursue additional funding where possible. A lot of work remains to be done, but we now have a list of AOB projects that reflect the desire of the community to retain and enhance Alamo’s character and quality of life. On behalf of the Alamo MAC, I would like to thank Supervisor Andersen and her staff for their consistent involvement and solid support during this process, the county public works staff for their hard work and for responding to the community’s input, and especially all of the community members who took the time to attend the public meetings and share their vision of Alamo. As we move forward with this process and turn these general projects into specific action items, we on the MAC invite you to continue to stay involved and help us ensure that the results are true to the priorities identified in the public meetings and enhance the community of Alamo.
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www.yourmonthlypaper.com Page 16 - November 2013 ~ Alamo Today SFJAZZ By Linda Summers Pirkle My daughter’s music class assignment was to attend a concert and write a paper about the experience. She chose the SFJAZZ Center and me as her partner. The concert we attended was SFJAZZ Collective, commemorating the very talented group’s 10th Anniversary, highlighting their greatest arrangements and original compositions. The music was a real hit with my daughter, who at the intermission was surprised an hour had passed; she thought it was twenty minutes since the concert started. Jazz in the City, the largest non-profit presenter of jazz and world music, held its first concert in the fall of 1983. They performed in locations such as the Davies Symphony Hall and Masonic Auditorium. Thirty years later, in January 2013, the new SFJAZZ Center opened in Hayes Valley. It is beautiful! I spoke to Marshall Lamm, Publicist who explained why the Center is so special. “Jazz is now elevated to a place alongside the major arts institutions such as the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera, and San Francisco Ballet in the Civic Center Performing Arts district. It is truly a modern home for jazz and a welcoming environment in which to hear, learn, and be inspired. We have the intimacy of a jazz club, but it has all the elements of a performing arts center. It is the only stand-alone jazz venue in the world.” The “main theater,” or Miner Auditorium, of the SFJAZZ Center accommodates 750 people. According to Annette, a long time volunteer at the many concert halls in the area, says her favorite place to usher is SFJAZZ Center. “It is so lively here, and the sound is great from every seat.” My daughter and I sat in the balcony and had a perfect view of the band, and the sound was just great. The SFJAZZ Center Café, South, is located on the first floor of the Center. It is operated by chef and restaurateur Charles Phan. South is small with seats for around 60 people at small tables and at the bar. Ken, our very friendly bartender, explained their philosophy. “Our wine list reflects our commitment to our relationship with ecologically minded individuals who understand stewardship, clean farming, and balance. Our cocktail menu reflects our OW Lee’s most comfortable collection. Made in the USA. take on classic cocktail recipes, many of which were created before the prohibition era.” We tried the Standard, a light, crisp, not too sweet cocktail (minus the alcohol). It was just perfect as an accompaniment to delicious fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and crisp lettuce wedge salad. Bartenders will gladly supply plastic cups if you want bring your drinks into the theater. You are welcome to go in and out of the theater during the concert, although it is best to do so in between songs. *Although not on the menu at South, ask for the Mint Julep; it looked very interesting. *To reach South, call 415-539-3905. Their email is info@southatsfjazz.com. *SFJAZZ Center is located at 201 Franklin Street, San Francisco. Their phone number is 866-920-5299. Their website is www. sfjazz.org. Check out their calendar; you can listen to excerpts of upcoming events. * Two blocks from the SFJAZZ Center is a wonderful artisanal chocolate shop called Christopher Elbow. Their Fleur de Sel and Champagne are the most popular, and they Custom Made Glass Doors To Fit Any Fireplace were indeed delicious. The tiny shop is also known for their “Chocolate Liquid,” a perfect to-go drink for a cold November evening. * BART is my preferred way to get to concerts in the Performing Arts area. One of San Francisco’s finest police officers advised staying on Grove Street, “which is lit up like a Christmas tree at night. We keep an eye on all you folks heading back to the Civic Center BART station,” he said. www.patio-fireplace.com Linda Summers Pirkle, travel consultant and long term Danville resident, has been arranging and leading tours for the Town of Danville for several years. Inspired by the many wonderful places to visit in the Bay Area, she organizes day trips, either for groups or for friends and family. “If it’s a trip for my husband and me, my husband drives and I talk (he’s a captive audience) – the perfect combination! What a great place to live, so much to see, so much to do.” To share your “Quick Trips” ideas email Coverthemap@gmail.com.
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Page 18 - November 2013 ~ Alamo Today
The Tree of the Season Coast Live Oak, Quercus agrifolia By Blaine Brende & Joe Lamb
If you have a coast live oak in your yard, you will understand that its Latin name, Quercus agrifolia, is appropriate. Agrifolia means spiny leaves. And though the tree retains green leaves throughout the year, it also sheds dead leaves, many dead leaves, and they are less than friendly on bare feet. If you are lucky enough to have a mature coast live oak in your garden, you are well aware that its sculptural qualities more than compensate for the ongoing maintenance this big beast requires. I find comfort in the manner wherein old trees twist into their strangely beautiful form, their rugged bark accentuating, in counterpoint, their grace and openness. The generous shade offered by their broad crowns seems to invite one to lounge against their trunks and think about things that are never on TV. Agrifolia became the dominant tree of the costal plain, not because it’s beautiful, but because it’s tough. Though plagued by several diseases and pests, the continuing ubiquity of live oaks over the millennia is testament to their ability to resist diseases and fight off pests. Several fungal diseases, with the generic names “twig blights” and “oak branch dieback,” attack the crowns of live oaks. Brown patches in your oak’s canopy are most likely from these fungal diseases. An aesthetic debit, they rarely pose a serious threat to the life of the tree. Unsightly deadwood can be pruned out. Though these diseases come from water-borne fungi, they often occur in oaks weakened by drought stress. It is common knowledge that over-watering coast live oaks is a good way to kill the tree. Too much summer water promotes the growth of oak root fungus, a common soil fungus that can turn lethal in soggy soils. Less widely appreciated is that summer watering of oaks can make them more disease- and insect-resistant IF, and it is a big IF, they are watered correctly. Correct summer watering of coast live oaks requires placing a soaker hose in a circle around the tree at least ten feet from the trunk and running the water for about two hours–sunset is a good time. It is important to water the tree not more than once a month: once in July, once in August, once in September, and once in October. Over-watering
Clip Notes
By Jody Morgan
According to the Mayflower descendant who gave me my original cutting, I am the proud keeper of a type of mint that crossed the Atlantic in the fall of 1620. Having taken it successfully up and down the East Coast and twice across the American continent, I have no doubt that a sprig would have survived 66 days at sea. But why would the Mayflower Company have wanted mint? The Pilgrims certainly didn’t transport mint to garnish iced tea, although they probably used it in medicinal brews. Possibly they intended to use it to flavor vegetables and whatever meat they could come by in the New World. However, as a strewing herb to sweeten the air when trod upon, repel pests and guard against disease, mint was a commodity well worthy of their thanks. In Saints and Strangers, George Willison describes the malodorous conditions the 102 Mayflower passengers endured: “As the ship had only the crudest of conveniences and no sanitary facilities of any kind except the traditional bucket, as there was no provision for bathing or even cursory washing (even if it had been a practice of the time to indulge), the air in the narrow, crowded quarters below deck must have been nauseating at best and at worst simply staggering.” Mints freely hybridize. The closest match I can find to my Mayflower variant is crinkle-leaved black peppermint (Mentha x Piperita ‘Crispa’), known to repel mice and rats. Peppermint has antiseptic, antiparasitic, and antiviral applications. It also produces a mild anesthesia. Deer dislike trampling on any space where mint is allowed to run free. Rue (Ruta graveolens) hits the opposite end of the scent spectrum with a musty odor repugnant to most humans as well as fleas, lice, mice, and moths. Judges employed rue to protect themselves from vermin and “jail fever” introduced into the courtroom by the accused and assorted unwashed witnesses. Hung in windows, rue was reputed to ward off the Plague. Rue is known as the “Herb of Grace” because during the Middle Ages it was added to the holy water sprinkled with brushes preceding Sunday Mass. Ancient
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can kill oaks by stimulating parasitic fungi. Judicious watering during dry summers gives the tree a boost but doesn’t encourage root diseases. It’s better not to water oaks at all than to over-water them; and lawns, grown under the canopy of the oaks, are a common cause of over-watering. One way to make your oak (and the many creatures it supports) happy is to turn lawn under the canopy over to native, drought-tolerant plants. This saves water, and reduces the likelihood your oak will get a root disease. Oaks also appreciate a layer of mulch. Mulch helps aerate the soil and improves the environment for beneficial soil creatures. Given that the current stewards of the coastal plain seldom burn the woodlands, most of our oak forests have built up a significant load of dead wood. To prevent a crown fire, like the one that ravaged the East Bay in 1991, it is important to make all landscape trees and shrubs more fire safe. At Brende and Lamb it is our fervent hope that all current players in the ongoing drama of the oak woodlands act to maintain a healthy ecosystem in which coast live oaks, and the many creatures that depend on them, continue to appear center stage. Unfortunately, we a starting to see a few cases of Sudden Oak Death (SOD) in the East Bay, concentrated mostly in forested parklands. The SOD pathogen infects susceptible oaks during spring rainstorms. It is difficult to prevent an oak from being infected, but there are steps to reduce the probability of infection, such as the application of Agrifos in autumn. Further more, California bay trees can be a host to SOD, where it occurs as a leaf disease. Infected bays don’t die, but they can spread the spores to oaks as water drips from the bay leaves onto the trunk of an oak. Studies show that pruning back bay trees to give a 10 foot separation from your oaks can significantly lower the infection rate. At this time, preventative action is the only way of treating the disease. It takes two years for an infected tree to show any sign of infection, and once infected there is no way to cure the disease. The best place to find current information on SOD is the California Sudden Oak Task Force at www.suddenoakdeath.org. If your trees need a little TLC to protect them against winter winds, or if your property could use a little fire protection, please call 510-486-TREE (8733) or email us at bl@brendelamb.com for a free estimate. Additionally, go to our website www.brendelamb.com to see before and after pictures, client testimonials, and work in your neighborhood. Advertorial belief held that rue was a powerful defense against witchcraft and somehow also imparted clairvoyance. Thought to improve vision while reversing the effects of eyestrain, rue was consumed by both Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. The root of the botanical name has nothing to do with regret. It comes from the Greek reuo meaning, “to set free,” referring to the supposition that rue was efficacious in ridding the body of innumerable ailments. The species designation graveolens translates as “having an offensive odor.” Perhaps the scent is a natural warning label. Toxic when ingested in sufficient quantity, rue is also a skin irritant. Often used in the courtroom in conjunction with rue, southernwood, Artemisia arbrotanum, has a camphor-like fragrance. Native to Spain and Italy, southernwood is so potent a moth-repellant that the French called it “garderobe.” Note that none of these strewing herbs is capable of killing the eggs or larva of moths. However, they do deter the mother moth from laying eggs. Ladies carried bouquets of southernwood to church, inhaling the scent to keep from falling asleep during multi-hour sermons. They burned it in their fireplaces to clear the air of cooking odors. Bees avoid southernwood, which inspires the intriguing thought that it might discourage yellow jackets from congregating at outdoor dining tables. Time to experiment. Lavender is one of the sweetest smelling strewing herbs. Taken from the Latin lavare meaning, “to wash,” the botanical appellation Lavendula alludes to the Roman practice of adding it to bath water. In addition to repelling moths and permeating stored fabrics with a pleasant, lingering fragrance, lavender is actually capable of overcoming the odor of mildew in musty trunks. Rosemary Very writes in The Scented Garden: “The traditional way to scent linen, as practiced by Elizabethan housemaids, was to lay damp sheets and pillowcases along a hedge of lavender or rosemary bushes.” Lavender landed in New England during the 1600s, when Europeans were wearing wristlets of the herb to ward off the Plague. One recipe for Four Thieves Vinegar, a concoction used externally to guard against that contagion, calls for equal parts of lavender, peppermint, rue, wormwood (southernwood’s northern cousin), rosemary, and sage steeped in vinegar. Opportunists willing to risk their health to rob the homes and graves of victims of the Black Death reportedly anointed themselves successfully with the preparation before engaging in their nefarious enterprises.
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Life in the Alamo Garden
Alamo Today ~ November 2013 - Page 19
By John Montgomery, ASLA, Landscape Architect Creating a Family Garden
What is a Family Garden? Well, it is a term that has newly emerged from families I’ve been working with in the creation of their outdoor environments. A “Family Garden” is a yard that has all the elements in it that attract kids to want to stay at home and play. With growing concerns and real and perceived dangers in the world, parents have been asking me to create outdoor environments that will attract their children and their friends to their home. The main idea is to keep children and teens at home were they are safe, occupied, and within a parent’s watchful eye. An outdoor environment that is geared toward being a “Family Garden” has many elements that allow children and teens to be active, be together with their friends, and most importantly be a place where they want to stay. The yard has to be multi-purpose. The elements of the landscape need to challenge a child physically, mentally, and visually. In other words, there needs to be places to physically exert the enormous amounts of energy that children and teens have. There need to be places for adventure, imagination, games, reflection, and risk-taking. Within that environment of physical and mental challenge, it has to be visually pleasing to children. It has to look cool! A child will naturally be attracted to stay and play. Plastic-coated steel play equipment made in primary colors is not the prerequisite for engaging a child’s attention. If you were asked to recall your favorite childhood place, it would probably be a special tree you climbed, a space for a “secret” house or fort under a hedge, or somewhere you could mold dirt or sand into fantasy landscapes. Play equipment is certainly an added activity center for your “Family Garden,” but it’s not enough. It is now recognized that risk-taking is an important element of play and physical development. A “Family Garden” is designed intentionally to provide an environment for your children and their friends to develop an appreciation of risk in a controlled play environment rather than a place where they would be taking similar risks in the uncontrolled and unregulated wider world. Your yard should have levels of graduated challenge. In design terms, this means that children of different ages, abilities, and levels of daring need to find activities that are within their capabilities, plus some that are just beyond them. What are some of the elements in an Alamo yard that can provide this kind of environment? The landscape itself is definitely the primary element that provides the environment for this to occur. A lush, tree-filled, sunny yard with large lawn spaces and plantings that children are allowed to interact with provides hours upon hours of play. Play sets, swings, slides etc. will give your child a place for hours of extended energy output. Places for games to be played are necessary. Lawns are wonderful places for any child who is sport-minded. Soccer, baseball, football, tag, croquette, volleyball, hide-and-seek, gymnastics, and cartwheels can be enjoyed, and the list can go on and on because children are not limited to play on a plastic play set. Swimming pools definitely add the element of water play and physical activities to the point where a child needs to be pulled from the water because they look like a prune. Some recent additions to some of my pool designs are beach areas or “Shamu” shelves, water slides, waterfalls, and diving rocks. Beaches and shelves provide shallow areas for the younger ones so they can safely play in the pool, water slides for the older ones provide adventure and fun, waterfalls add sound, action, and adventure, and diving rocks are perfect for safe risk-taking. Sports courts are great for all kinds of activities. Basketball, paddleball, rollerhockey, volleyball, and badminton are just a few. It’s unbelievable what children can create to do when they have an environment that supports their imaginations. Remember that children are limitless when it comes to creativity and energy. Provide spaces for quiet play and contemplation as well. Include a shade tree to lay under and day-dream and watch the sunlight dapple across their faces. Children need places to wonder and explore and, of course, a place to play with mom and dad. A hot tip from your local Landscape
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Architect: Remember to plant flexible and resilient plantings that can stand the occasional trampling. “Family Gardens” are great for multi-family entertaining. Gardening Quote of the Month: “We have not inherited the earth from our parents; we have borrowed it from our children.”~ L. Brown, 1981 If you would like me to write on any particular subject, email your ideas to jmontgomery@jm-la.com or for design ideas, visit www.jm-la.com. Advertorial
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Page 20 - November 2013 ~ Alamo Today
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Would you hesitate to buy fire insurance for your lab or office building? Of course not. What about liability insurance in case someone slips on your steps? Same answer. But have you insured what could be your most valuable asset -- your top employees? If not, you should consider “key-person” insurance. Protecting Your Most Valuable Asset. The know-how, judgment and experience that builds a business is found in people, not equipment or machinery. The company president, its key scientist, or other essential employee helps develop new products, attract investors, and generate profits. Those people could be your most important asset. But what happens if a company’s chief researcher or other key worker dies? The firm might fall into disarray, and investor capital could dry up. By insuring its top employees with “key-person” insurance, however, the business may be more likely to survive the loss. Key-person insurance (previously known as “key-man”) offers a financial safety net. It can provide the cash needed to hire a replacement and keep the business running. That’s why savvy firms looking to keep their businesses running smoothly can benefit from key-person policies. How it Works. Key-person insurance can be structured in several ways. Typically, the business buys a life insurance policy on the life of the keyperson. The company is the owner, premium payer, and beneficiary of the policy. The covered person could be the company’s founder, its patentgenerating scientist, or anyone else critical to the business. The policy may be term insurance or cash value life insurance. The premiums paid by the company are not tax deductible. And while life insurance benefits are normally not subject to income tax, the death benefit received by a corporation from a key-person policy may be subject to the alternative minimum tax. Key-person insurance can also be set up to fund buyout arrangements or deferred compensation plans for a retired top employee. Additional Benefits. Besides helping to stabilize a company’s financial position following an essential employee’s death, key-person insurance can: * Serve as collateral for bank loans. * Pay off company debt or hold off creditors seeking to collect following the key person’s death. * Instill loyalty and enthusiasm in the insured employee. * Provide funds needed to purchase a deceased owner’s stock. Ask yourself how much it will cost to replace a key employee in the event of death, and where the cash will come from. Check with a reputable insurance professional to find out how key-person insurance can help provide some answers. Please contact Peter Waldron at 925-659-0383 to schedule a complimentary review of your financial situation, or email peter.waldron@lfg.com. CRN201006-2043638 Paul Solorzano: California Insurance License #0A46330, Peter T. Waldron: California Insurance License #0E47827, Robert J. Waldron, Jr.: California Insurance License #0686859, James R. Westermeyer: California Insurance License #0C17637. Peter T. Waldron, James R. Westermeyer, Paul Solorzano, & Robert J. Waldron Jr. are registered representatives of Lincoln Financial Advisors, a broker/dealer, member SIPC, and offers investment advisory service through Sagemark Consulting, a division of Lincoln FinancialAdvisors Corp., a registered investment advisor, Spectrum Wealth Partners, 3000 Executive Parkway, Ste 400, San Ramon, CA 94583. Insurance offered through Lincoln affiliates 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 FinancialAdvisors Corp. for its representatives and their clients. Advertorial
Schools to Receive Funds from the Rotary Club of Alamo to Support Music Programs - The Rotary Club of Alamo recently received a significant Rotary District 5160
grant for Alamo’s school music programs. Jack Thompson, representing the club, received a check for $14,500 from Steve Polcyn, Rotary District 5160 Foundation Grants Chairman and past president of the Rotary Club of Alamo. For many years the Club has been supporting the music programs at the six Alamo area schools with funds raised at its Annual Alamo Music and Wine Festival held each fall. This year the opportunity to obtain this one-time grant allowed the Club to increase the funds donated to the schools music programs to $24,000. The money will be spent in an effort to revitalize the music programs and their instruments. The six schools - Rancho Romero Elementary, Alamo Elementary, Lucille Mauzy School, Stone Valley Middle School, Monte Vista High School, and San Ramon Valley High School, will each receive $4,000 to spend on new instruments, to repair old instruments, and to purchase music stands, sheet music, sound systems, etc. Each school will set the priorities for its individual music program. In California, schools receive little or no funds for their music programs. The Alamo Rotary Club has for years supported the music programs on the belief that learning music is an integral part of a proper education. It believes that in the process of learning music, the students learn responsibility, sensitivity to others and a sense of accomplishment in the attainment of specific individual and group goals. Within a student’s formal education, practically no other course of study will offer these goals and opportunities. The Rotary Club of Alamo thanks the community for supporting the Annual Music Festival that helps benefit the local school music programs.
The U-14 Mustang Blaze went undefeated at the recent Adidas Invitational. Top row L to R: Sasha Beretska, Bella McHugh, Olivia Riggenberg, Julia Luzzi, Marley Walke, Bridget Baur, Ella Collier, Halle Dawson, Erika Wheeler, Emily Gandsey, Coach Cris Gilmore. Bottom row: Tessa Wolfgram, Adriana Conte, Bella Polizzi, Christina Buselli, Sammi Ross, Becca Outcault, Alex Wilson. Missing: Blaire Southmayd and Coach Mike Kelley. Photo by Toni Baur.
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Alamo Today ~ November 2013 - Page 21
Common Estate Planning Myths By Robert J. Silverman
A considerable number of myths exist about Estate Planning and in particular, Revocable Living Trusts. Although increased media coverage and a higher level of consumer sophistication have helped debunk many of these misconceptions, I still encounter quite a few. I’ve outlined some of the more common ones below and attempted to set the record straight as to each. 1. Myth: If you are not wealthy and you have a Will, you do not need a Revocable Living Trust. Reality: Residents of California who die with or without a Will (but no Trust) and whose assets are valued at more than $150,000 (other than certain kinds of assets, such as automobiles, joint or P.O.D. accounts, joint tenancy assets, and insurance and retirement accounts with named beneficiaries) are subject to Probate. Probate is a public, court supervised estate administration process. It typically takes nine months to a year or longer, and it requires a great deal of paperwork and hassle, substantial attorneys’ fees, executor fees, and other costs which are incurred. Revocable Living Trusts are an excellent “Will substitute” in most respects. Note that you should still have a simple “pour-over” Will that accompanies your Trust as a “safety net” – to catch any assets when you die that may not have been transferred to your trust. Fortunately, all assets in your Trust are simply exempt from Probate under the law. So, Probate is easily avoidable, trust administration is generally handled privately, it is much less expensive and inconvenient than Probate, and avoiding Probate usually results in significantly more money going to your loved ones and a lot less to attorneys, executors, the court, and other third parties. 2. Myth: It is time consuming and complicated to establish a Revocable Trust, fund, and manage a Revocable Living Trust. Reality: It takes little more time to establish than a Will, it does not have to be more complicated than a comprehensive Will, Trusts are generally quite straightforward to fund (retitling your assets), and managing your own trust assets is virtually identical to the way you manage them before you establish a Trust. 3. Myth: There are income tax implications and extra tax filing requirements when you establish a Revocable Living Trust. Reality: Establishing a Trust for yourself triggers no additional income taxes or property taxes nor any additional tax filing requirements. 4. Myth: You should be afraid to do a Trust because you’ll be locked into the decisions you make. Reality: A Revocable Living Trust is revocable and amendable. You have the ability to revise your trust any time and as many times as you wish. As your personal, familial, and financial position changes, it is quite easy and affordable to work with your estate planning attorney to revise your document so that it continues to reflect your current wishes. In fact, a good rule of thumb is to undergo an estate planning review at least every 3-5 years. In contrast, Irrevocable Trusts, which are not commonly used, generally cannot be changed, however, they can, in some instances, have benefits that outweigh the disadvantage of irrevocability. 5. Myth: If I sign a Power of Attorney, I don’t need a Will or Trust. Reality: Every adult should have a Power of Attorney. It vests legal authority in someone you trust to transact financial business for you in the event of incapacity. If you become incapacitated and don’t have a valid Power of Attorney, a very expensive and cumbersome conservatorship court procedure may become necessary to enable someone to manage your finances. However, as helpful as a Power of Attorney can be during your life, it has no effect whatsoever once you’re gone; it dies when you do. Your Trust and/or Will then become the necessary governing document(s). 6. Myth: If you establish a Revocable Living Trust, your trust assets will be protected from your creditors. Reality: As fantastic as Revocable Living Trusts are, they are not useful to protect your assets from your creditors. If a Trust conveyed that benefit, everyone would establish a Trust and no creditors would be able to be paid; thus, no credit would be available! However, in contrast, if a Trust is drafted with appropriate provisions, very robust creditor protection is available to those assets kept in your trust for your loved ones after you die. Mr. Silverman is an attorney with R. Silverman Law Group, 1855 Olympic Blvd., Suite 240, Walnut Creek, CA 94596; (925) 705-4474, rsilverman@ rsilvermanlaw.com, www.silvermanlaw.com. * Estate Planning * Trust Administration & Probate * Real Estate * Business This article is intended to provide information of a general nature, and is not intended nor should it be relied upon as legal, tax and/ or business advice. Readers should obtain and rely upon specific advice only from their own qualified professional advisors. This communication is not intended or written to be used, for the purpose of: i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code; or ii) promoting, marketing, or recommending to another party any matters addressed herein. Advertorial
Tree continued from page 21
area who cannot afford such treats for the holidays. There will be barrels set up for Shelter, Inc. to collect nonperishable items such as canned or boxed goods. The barrels will also be set out several days before the tree lighting event in front of Richards Arts and Crafts. We encourage all to participate in one of this charitable organization, but it is not necessary to enjoy the fun festivities for the evening! If you are interested in helping with a monetary donation or for more information, please visit www. AlamoChamberofCommerce.com. During the event, one lane of Danville Boulevard will be closed between Stone Valley Road and Jackson Way. North and south bound traffic will be allowed along the open lane.
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Page 22 - November 2013 ~ Alamo Today
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Five Essential Money Tips for Living Happily Ever After By Barbara Hause, MBA, Financial Counselor
When you can depend on steady income and credit it’s easy to coast along day to day and not pay attention to the consequences of how today’s spending choices will affect your future goals and dreams. Coasting along and spending freely works until you get in a bind: Taxes that aren’t paid, credit cards that are maxed, or a shortage of cash flow could be caused by a number of reasons (job layoff, illness, economy, life change). Once you start falling behind, it is difficult to catch up when you, “continue to do what you have always done, you will get the same results.” Here are five essential money tips that will keep you moving forward for positive results. You will eventually be able to coast again but this time with a solid plan and activities that will keep you conscious and connected to your day-to-day spending choices and your financial goals. Plan your spending. At the beginnings of each month, write down your fixed and anticipated variable expenses. Subtract this amount from you net monthly income. An important part of this planning process is anticipating future needs so a portion of what comes in monthly can be saved for irregular expenses such as property taxes as well as an emergency fund. Without a plan “money will flow freely like a faucet on full blast.” Be accountable. Having a spending plan does not hold up very well unless you are accountable to it. The plan may look good on paper, but until you actually track and compare expenses and income to the plan, it is difficult to know what adjustments need to be made to keep the plan meaningful. If you are a couple, decide who is going to oversee day-to-day money management which will include tracking expenses and income and paying the bills. The other partner agrees to turn over receipts to help with this process. Communicate regularly. By following through with tips one and two above, you will have a point of reference for money talks. When meeting with your financial planner, or accountant, or seeking financial advice, you will be better prepared to ask relevant, pertinent questions. Couples when talking about money with each other should tune out distractions and be good listeners. The outcome from money talks between partners is not necessarily to see eye-to- eye on everything but to start looking at some compromises that will lead to mutually beneficial goals. Frequency of talks varies among couples, but weekly check-ins help when starting out to encourage trust and teamwork. Eliminate debt. Dealing with debt is an emotional burden. You need to make it a priority to get rid of it as soon as possible. People without debt are much happier. The first step is to find out what is the bottom line on your debt – what do you owe? The next step is look at options for paying it off. The best solution is to come up with a repayment plan that consistently reduces the outstanding balance while at the same time increases your savings so you will never have to rely on credit again. Prepare for financial challenges. Even with good planning and budgeting, all financial challenges can’t be anticipated. You could lose a significant amount of money in an investment for economic reason out of your control, or it could take longer than expected to find a new job after a layoff. If you have a good understanding of your finances, you will be more prepared to handle any kind of financial challenge that come your way. Your strength will come from having financial clarity and having created an emergency fund to get you through a financial crunch. These five tips are essential to avoiding and solving all money problems; however, there is more to it since money is deeply connected to emotions. If you have tried these or similar tips before and they have not worked, you probably gave up too soon. Changing attitudes, habits, and beliefs about money takes time and discipline. To get on a faster track for recovery, hiring professional help is the way to go. A good financial coach or counselor will provide you with non-judgmental support, structure, and accountability. Once you eliminate money problems, then all your energy can focus on living happily ever after. My counseling method is one that everyone can do and enjoy. For more information visit my website www.barbarahause.com or call Serving Bay Area businesses and residents since 2002 me at (925)743-0518. Advertorial
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Libraries continued from front page
these books for Grange members. Early in 1910 Mary More was appointed Assistant Librarian and took charge of the newly arrived books. In 1911 the state legislature enabled counties to establish public library service in unincorporated areas. The Grange endorsed the idea of a County Free Library in 1913. Thus, on November 9, 1913, the Danville Branch of the new county library opened with 104 books. They were available in the Danville Improvement Club room over the Post Office on Front Street in a building owned by Lillian Close. The library was run by Mrs. Close, Phoebe Halverson, Elma Galvin, and Ellen Ainslie. The Alamo School hosted a county library in 1917 and the Alamo Community Club fitted part of the Hoover building with library books in 1922. Miss Ida Hall supervised and many of the books were provided by the Hemme sisters of Berkeley and Martha Bunce Mougin (from the Stone family collection). In 1925 Edith Clark became librarian and the following year the library moved to the new Veterans Hall, at the corner of Prospect and Hartz Avenues. According to the News Notes of California Libraries, April 1926: “A large entertainment given in Danville toward the end of February netted sufficient funds to pay entirely for the fitting up of the new library room in the Legion Building. The room is a joy to the whole community. On March 15 and 16, a force from the county library moved the books...The library was opened the next day without ceremony. The part of the building devoted to the library is very delightful, sunny and large enough for a few years..”. San Ramon’s libraries began in 1919 at the San Ramon Grammar School and continued in the San Ramon Store owned by Annie L. Fry. After Mrs. Fry passed away in 1929, a Mrs. DuBois was librarian for two years. For a time it was housed in Mrs. Victoria Soto’s home on a book shelf. Ann Kaplan
See Libraries continued on page 24
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Solar Currents
Alamo Today ~ November 2013 - Page 23
By Mark Becker, GoSimpleSolar
As I paid for my items recently at Home Depot, I saw a Marine Corps logo on the checkout clerk’s lapel. Instantly the bond of those that have served translated into smiles, and the traditional “Marine greeting” was given. The standard questions were asked to determine if we’ve previously crossed paths while serving on this continent or some other “clime or place.” Interestingly, we had. Also on duty in Home Depot at that time was a Korean War Veteran and an Iraq/Afghan War Veteran. Between the four of us, we had all the major combat engagements covered from the last 65 years. Contrary to the manner in which solar PV is marketed by Solar City and other installers, solar PV panels and other solar products are NOT commodities. Commodities are interchangeable products such as gasoline, copper, or pork bellies. Treating solar panels like they are a commodity is the first step in which the sales process can simply become focused on lowest installation cost. The personnel who install the products are not of equivalent qualification either. “Commodifying” solar is simple, yet disingenuous and deceptive, but it “simplifies” the sales process for the seller. The longevity claims of solar manufacturers whose products have been in production less than 10 years are founded not in practice, but by internal, NOT independent testing. Some products have been on the market less than four years and have been subject to recalls. Our licensed electrician recently performed a site visit to a solar project in Lafayette. The solar panels had electrically shorted out and failed, rendering over 50% of the system useless (and also potentially a fire hazard). With proper product and installation team, a solar PV system will safely return hundreds of thousands of dollars in bills NOT paid to PG&E over its lifetime. The only right answer to “PROVE to me that these products will last” is manufacturer documentation of 25 plus years of performance history of that product line. When considering a 25-year investment, ask the difficult questions and demand definitive answers. Data backs up the fact that solar panels are not created equally (remember, not a commodity). The purchase of a solar PV system can be an extremely simple or difficult process. How that transpires depends on the customer’s desire for knowledge and their choice of installer. In person, with products and documentation at hand, a solar contractor should be able to allay any trepidations that a customer may have about roofing penetrations and electric integration (solved by our licensed roofer and licensed electrician), aesthetic concerns (solved by mutual design between installer and homeowner), and initial investment cost (solved by discussing differing payment, loan or Power Purchase Agreement options). All these details should be covered in a 30-minute presentation, all backed up by documentation of everything that is said by the contractor. In most cases, it’s more costly in PGE territory NOT to go solar. It’s a bit perplexing how some consumers make a solar PV purchase decision solely over the Internet. Our solar showroom is an educational facility set up to help you make the right solar choices. Drop by and we will answer any questions you might have. We’ll also provide comparisons of solar proposals free of charge. The knowledge gained in a fifteen-minute visit could save you tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars. For instance, did you know that on January 1st, some Contra Costa County residents will be subject to new regulations that will reduce the amount of roof space they can use for solar PV? While these new regulations may not affect everyone, more roof space oftentimes equals a higher return on investment from solar PV. Much like Mayor Newell Arnerich and Danville Town Council, Home Depot is an employer who “walks the walk and talks the talk” when it comes to supporting our veterans or active/reserve service members. Perhaps next door to you there is a WWII veteran (thousands passing away daily), a Beirut veteran, a Grenada veteran, a Cold War veteran, a Somalia veteran, or a veteran from many of the other wars or actions into which our government has sent our troops into harms way. Veterans are of all race and gender, political persuasion, and economic demographic. On Veteran’s Day, thank a veteran. Mark Becker is the President of GoSimpleSolar, by Semper Fidelis Construction Inc, a Danville based Solar Installation Firm (License 948715). Mark can be reached at 925.915.9252. Visit GoSimpleSolar’s NEW and larger showroom at 100 Railroad Avenue, Suite B, Danville (behind Pete’s Brass Rail) or www.GoSimpleSolar.com, or email Mark@GoSimpleSolar.com. Advertorial
21st ANNUAL CANDY CANE BOUTIQUE!
Thanksgiving and Christmas Gift Items, Fine China, Crystal, Collectibles, Jewelry, Linens, Dolls, Toys, and Delicious Homemade Baked Goods
SPECIAL LUNCH - $12
(Served from Noon - 2PM) Pastitsio (Greek Pasta), Greek Salad, Baklava, and Coffee
GREAT RAFFLE PRIZES!
One Week at Sun Valley, Idaho in Stunning Vacation Home Weekend in Beautiful Donner Lake Home Weekend in Six-Bedroom, Bass Lake View Home Weekend in Deluxe Capitola Condo with Monterey Bay View Gorgeous Fine Jewelry and Many More Wonderful Prizes
SEPARATE RAFFLE FOR A Beautiful Handmade Quilt by Masterpieces
Creekside Community Church 1350 Danville Boulevard, Alamo, CA Friday, November 8, 2013 from 4PM-8PM & Saturday, November 9, 2013 from 9AM-3PM All proceeds will be donated to The Macedonian Outreach, a non-profit Christian Organization founded with the purpose of helping the neediest children in the Balkans.
Thank you and God Bless You! www.macedonianoutreach.org
Fine Mexican Dining
743-8997 In Stone Valley Shopping Center
Enjoy Our Patio Dining Monday - Saturday: Lunch and Dinner Sunday: Dinner only We Offer a Full Bar and Lounge 3168 Danville Blvd, Alamo Margaritas are a House Specialty
Page 24 - November 2013 ~ Alamo Today
Alamo Police Services District P-2, Zone B
Deputy Michael Carson, Alamo Resident Deputy, activities for September 2013
Deputy Carson Completed:
187 Calls for service • 5 Moving citations • 0 Non-moving citation • 4 Reports • 1 Arrest
Deputy Carson Responded to or Conducted
33 Patrol requests/Vacation house checks • 12 Alarm calls (46 total in Alamo) • 3 Found property • 1 Lost property • 5 Suspicious circumstances • 2 Service to citizens • 3 Vandalism • 2 Identity theft • 7 Petty thefts • 1 Auto burglary • 2 Residential burglaries • 2 Warrant arrest • 4 Drug Possession
If I Were a Thief Program 86 Streets covered • 34 Flyers distributed Reported Incident
• Ersilia Trails - Identity Theft - Deputy Carson responded to a reported identity theft. Deputy Carson contacted the victim, who had reported that his identity had unlawfully been used. A report of the incident was taken. Possible leads were discovered during the investigation. The report was forwarded to the Investigations Division, and this is an ongoing investigation. • Stone Valley Rd. at Hwy 680 - DUI Arrest/Outside Assist - Deputy Carson responded to a reported suspicious vehicle parked in the listed area. Deputy Carson located the vehicle, which had one tire parked on the curb and heavy front end damage. Upon approaching the vehicle, Deputy Carson discovered a male subject passed out in the driver’s seat. Deputy Carson contacted the subject and could smell a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath. The California Highway Patrol arrived on scene a short time later and began a DUI investigation, subsequently arresting the subject for DUI and Hit and Run. Deputy Mike Carson is Alamo’s full time resident deputy. His position is funded by Alamo’s P-2B police services district, which includes approximately 60% of Alamo household. District households pay an $18 annual parcel tax plus a portion of the 1% property tax. The Alamo Police Services Advisory Committee advises Sheriff David Livingston on the resident deputy and his services. The Committee is composed of Alamo residents within the district and it meets on the first Monday of each month at 5pm in the offices of the Alamo Chamber of Commerce, located at 120B Alamo Plaza. Alamo citizens are welcome to attend the meetings.
More Pipeline Safety Information By Roger Smith, AIA President
For the many Alamo residents using the Iron Horse Trail and for those residing along it, it is important to know more about Pipeline Safety, as the Iron Horse Trail has several utilities that have easements utilizing the Iron Horse Trail corridor. The following is excerpted from Kinder Morgan’s Safety Brochure for Pipeline Emergency Response: We want you to be aware of our pipelines and ask for your help in preventing damage to pipelines. Kinder Morgan supports the Nation’s Homeland Security efforts and encourages you to immediately report any suspicious persons and/or activities near the pipeline to your local law enforcement authorities by calling 911. Kinder Morgan regularly conducts maintenance to trim trees and remove shrubs or structures that prohibit the company from viewing the pipeline corridor during aerial or foot patrols and regular maintenance activities.
Underground Pipelines are Everywhere
Because we cannot see them, we seldom think about pipelines, their role in our community, or their potential hazards. Pipeline leaks are rare. The National Transportation Safety Board says that pipelines are the safest mode of fuel transportation, both for the public and the environment. But if a leak occurs, it can be dangerous and requires caution and immediate action. The following three steps will help protect your family or your employees and the people, property, and environment in your community. Know Where Pipelines are Located – Find the location of pipelines near your home or office by looking for pipeline markers. Write down the operator’s name and emergency phone number listed on the marker Always Call “811” Before You Dig – Call 811 at least two working days before you dig for any reason. One-Call is free and coordinates with local utilities to mark the location of underground utility lines including pipelines. Watch, Listen, and Smell for Signs of a Leak – If you see, hear, or smell signs of a pipeline leak, immediately leave the area, warn others to stay away, and call 911.
Signs of a Pipeline Leak or Rupture
The following are indications of a possible pipeline leak: Brown or discolored
www.yourmonthlypaper.com Libraries continued from page 22
remembers the Soto library at the corner of Thorup Lane and today’s San Ramon Valley Blvd. “She had a couple hundred books in her living room, and she let people check them out.” Her son Bill Soto recalls this as well and still has this original San Ramon library book shelf. The country library history indicates that the San Ramon Library ended in 1933, with the supposition that San Ramon readers began to use the Legion Hall books. At the Danville Legion Hall library, Mrs. Clark was librar- First library in Close building on Front St. ian for 20 years, followed by Mrs. Myrtle Osborn (1945) and Mrs. Grace Warren (1956) with Mrs. Osborn continuing as assistant for many years. Young Winky Camacho worked part-time at this library beginning in 1956 and said it was a tiny room with storage in the bathroom. Mrs. Warren got boxes from Elliott’s Bar and used them for book storage. Gary Soto and Barbara Park recall this library and the stereopticon on one table -- an early form of multi-media. After the freeway was completed through the valley in 1966, the area’s population exploded. The San Ramon Valley Library League lobbied for a new library which was built in Danville in 1961. The San Ramon Valley Public Library opened on June 12, 1961. Called “space age” in design, it was very modern, with soaring glass windows at one end. San Ramon opened a new library at 100 Montgomery Rd. in 1989, just six years after the community incorporated. Then a new Danville Library was established in 1996, replacing the 35-year old San Ramon Valley library. In 2005, the Dougherty Station Library opened, serving the growing Dougherty Valley residents. The Danville Library will have a special Centennial Celebration on Saturday, November 9th. Be sure to read the Danville Library Timeline with photographs of early libraries and librarians, now on display. Sources: Danville Grange # 85, Minute Books for Jan. 2, 1909, Nov. 20, 1909, March 5, 1910, Jones, Virgie V., Historical Persons and Places…in San Ramon Valley, 1977, News Notes of California Libraries, April 1926, page 137, Personal communications: Winky Camacho, Wilson Close, Lee Halverson, Ann Wiedemann Kaplan, Bill Soto, Gary Soto, Barbara Parks.
vegetation amid healthy plants, dirt being blown into the air, colorful sheens on water surfaces, fire at or below ground, stains or pools of hydrocarbons not usually present in the right-of-way, bubbles coming from bodies of water, a loud roar or hissing sound, distinctive petroleum type odors, the smell of mercaptan, or sulfur (rotten eggs), a mild fragrant odor, or a dense white cloud of fog
If a Leak Occurs
1) Leave the area immediately in an upwind direction, and warn others to stay away. 2) Do not light a match, start an engine, use a telephone or cell phone or turn on/off any electrical appliances, and avoid potential ignition sources which may cause an explosion or fire. 3) Once you are a safe distance away from the potential leak, call 911 and Kinder Morgan. The Kinder Morgan emergency numbers for their 24/7 Call-in Center are 714-560-4411 and 213-624-9461. 4) Do not drive into an area where you suspect a leak or vapor cloud, and do not touch or operate pipeline valves. 5) Avoid making contact with escaping liquids or vapors as potential hazards may include eye, skin and respiratory irritation, and the produce may be highly flammable.
AIA’s Annual Membership Drive
Alamo is a special community that all of our residents can be justifiably proud to call home. Now in its 58th year, AIA, a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization, has the longest history of serving our community and helping shape it into “Alamo - the place where we love to live”! Since 1955, Alamo residents have been joining the Alamo Improvement Association and working in support of AIA’s mission statement, which is to “preserve the semi-rural character of Alamo.” As Board President, I want to thank all of our many volunteers, both past and present, for their efforts over the last 58 years in making Alamo into the wonderful community that it is today. Please watch for the AIA membership letter and form, then complete it, and return it to AIA to our P.O.Box 156, Alamo, CA, 94507. Please visit www.AlamoCA.org for information on AIA, articles of interest to Alamo residents, membership forms, and more. Don’t be left out; now is the time to renew or become a new member of AIA.
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Birds of a Feather
Alamo Today ~ November 2013 - Page 25
By Evan Corstorphine, Portable CIO
I have a lot of fun writing this article every month for you. Seriously! I get 750 words to talk with you about something we share in common, and it’s a cathartic experience that most people never get. There is so much I want to tell you about that it’s hard to choose how to spend my valuable words. This month I want to talk about paint. Windows Paint? Paint Shop Pro? Paint.net? None of the above. Just paint. This month we had the building which houses our office painted, and it dawned on me how many similarities there were between Narciso Rodriguez’s paint company and Portable CIO. We are both reputation-based companies. Sure, I carry an ad in these papers, but that’s about it. Both of us have been doing our professions for decades. We both have teams of highly specialized and skilled employees. We both respect our teams very greatly. We both seek perfection, and we offer a keen value for the work we perform. We clean up after ourselves, we leave things noticeably better than the way we found them, and you can tell right away whether we did a good job or not. The similarities go on, but I think you get the point. We’re service businesses, and I consider Narciso an equal, just doing with paint what we do with computers. I wanted to mention Narciso Rodriguez’ house painting business specifically because I was so impressed by the way he approached our job. If you have ever employed skilled laborers to do work on your home in Danville, Diablo, Alamo, or Lafayette, you know what I mean by the term “Zip Code Pricing.” It seems that whenever we’re getting work estimates, the contractor jacks up the price because they figure everyone with these zip codes is so wealthy they don’t care how much they spend. You can understand then how much I appreciated Narciso’s quote which was a full 40% cheaper than the previous quote I received. He also included more scope, gave me specific dates, and didn’t want a dime from me for paint or labor until the job was complete. I’m not exaggerating when I say I was blown away by the quality of his team’s work. Every time I walk outside I marvel at how thick and consistent the paint job appears. This is the best paint job I’ve ever experienced (and there have been many, as I used to paint in college), and we had a complex job because of the age and condition of the building. His team was meticulous, dedicated, polite and friendly. One more thing: Narciso ’s team liked him and respected him. His was a team in the classic sense of the word, and he wasn’t your typical task-master with laborers. They worked together like a well oiled Swiss clock. Narciso is certainly doing things right, and more contractors in this area should pay attention to his habits. Narciso caught my eye on this project because his approach mirrors that of mine with Portable CIO. We understand the jobs we scope better than our competition because we have a fundamentally different approach, and we have done enough of this work that we are able to accurately predict the labor involved. We keep costs down because we’re efficient, and we set accurate expectations for what the client will experience. We’re not trying to make a killing on a customer’s back because we would rather have a long-term, referring relationship. And like Narciso, we don’t ask to be paid until the project has been satisfactorily completed and the client is demonstrably happy with our work. When you’re good at what you do, you can deliver consistent and predictable results under a variety of circumstances. We make our living by repeating this process over and over, building a wider circle of positive shared experiences. Like Narciso, we’re blessed and grateful for the opportunity to share what we’re good at with others and be remunerated. We receive daily validation that what we’re doing matters and is valued by the community. I’m not surprised that Narciso is so busy. We are too. Narciso’s become a favorite of local real estate agents because he’s able to quickly and expertly paint houses being readied for sale, or he can help a new home owner freshen the residence. People who are good at what they do seldom have to worry about keeping their pipeline full. If you’d like Narciso’s number, give me a call at the office (925)552-7953 or email our helpdesk@theportablecio.com account, and I’d be happy to share him with you! Happy Thanksgiving! Advertorial
Diablo 3D and Symphony
A One-of-a-Kind Diablo Wilderness Experience
On November 6th, from 6M to 9PM, Save Mount Diablo will host an original show featuring dramatic 3D images of the Diablo wilderness by renowned photographer Stephen Joseph at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek. Joseph’s breathtaking images will be accompanied by the Contra Costa Wind Symphony playing an original score composed by Ron Paquette. For 43 years, Save Mount Diablo has worked to preserve, defend, and restore the mountain. With 40% of the Diablo wilderness at risk of being lost to development, protecting it is just as critical as ever. All proceeds from this event benefit Save Mount Diablo to continue its work to reassemble the Diablo wilderness and keep it wild forever. For tickets and further information, visit www.savemountdiablo.org/ activities_events_diablo3d.html.
Page 26 - November 2013 ~ Alamo Today
Your Personal Nutritionist
With all of this Exercise, why am I not Losing Weight? By Linda Michaelis RD,MS
Are you going to spinning classes or doing TRX, Bootcamp, or Body Pump and still not losing weight? This frustrating story is common. Let me tell you about my client Diane who takes Bootcamp classes at 6:30AM most mornings and has not lost one pound - in fact, she has gained a few since starting. Before class Diane had a slice of sourdough toast with peanut butter and two veggie sausages that she thought were very healthy. She would stop for a Chai Latte at Starbucks on her way home, and then once back home she prepared a Greek yogurt with an excessive amount of granola and slivered almonds. Soon after she raced to work where she would buy a prepared salad at the local café for lunch. She wound up being hungry most of the day and succumbed to office snacks such as chocolate covered almonds, dried fruit, granola bars, and too much fruit. Diane then would arrive home famished and snack on what she was making her kids for dinner, like macaroni and cheese or chicken nuggets, before she sat down with her husband later. She would then eat dinner with her husband most of the time, even though she was not hungry. I explained to Diane that after she exercises intensely her metabolism is sped up to three times the normal rate, and therefore she should be eating most of her high calorie meals soon after. Diane realizes now that her body temperature remains hot for several hours after spinning, and this is the time when calories will be burned off most rapidly. The problem was that Diane was eating most of her calories at the end of the day. Her food choices were lower in protein and fiber and higher in fat and starches than she realized. Her breakfast was very high in fat between the peanut butter and sausages, and she was shocked to realize that she was consuming very little protein and no fiber. In addition, Diane did not realize that her low-fat Chai came to half of its calories from fat and was very high in sugar due to the Chai syrup. Her Greek yogurt was a great choice but she added too much granola and nuts that contained more fat than she realized. I often tell my clients that a one ounce serving of nuts
3H continued from front page
McLoughlin also fostered Spirit. Injured after winning his last race on December 8, 2011, Spirit lost 400 pounds in three weeks before 3H saved him. Spotting Spirit in Cindy’s pasture, Debra Dudley felt an immediate connection to the thoroughbred. Sadly, Dudley realized that the six-year-old was potentially more horse than she could handle. “I accepted that my place in “Spirit’s Journey” was to help him heal physically, but we weren’t to be riding partners.” Spirit currently serves as a 3H ambassador. The 3H adoption agreement permits a 60-day trial period. Austin personally inspects the facility where the horse will be kept and follows through with periodic visits to ensure all the veterinary care and maintenance standards specified in the contract continue to be met. Emaciated and suffering from rain rot, a disfiguring dermatitis, Tahoe Treasure was rescued and rehabilitated by 3H. Renamed Ferrari by new owner Shayna Silcox, she brought home the blue ribbon at her first three-day eventing competition in September. Not looking for a horse when she received an email outlining Ferrari’s story, Silcox drove 1½ hours to meet her and fell in love. “She and I have been building a trusting relationship ever since, and I am proud to say that she is now a loving, trusting, gorgeous mare.” When Austin approached Michelle Ulrech, Brown Ranch partner/trainer, Ulrech was apprehensive. She knew with rescue horses you were inheriting someone else’s problems. But Austin’s persistence got her attention. Realizing that Melissa had developed the capacity to identify horses suitable for rehabilitation as well as the integrity to insist on their placement in proper homes, she welcomed 3H to the 80-acre spread at 7101 Camino Tassajara. Older horses can be placed as companions. Horses become depressed when a long-term stablemate dies. A new mellow-mannered equine friend often solves the problem. Some horses require complete retirement. 3H places them at sanctuaries including Horses’ Honor in Auburn and Safe Haven in Cottonwood. Volunteers, who play a big part in the healing process, find healing works both ways. Equine Affection Specialist Carissa Manzo began donating time to 3H when her youngest son started school. “Coming out here puts me at ease. I leave a better person. As a volunteer, you need to want to be there because it’s a commitment and hard work. You need to want to be there because your efforts are giving you some-
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has 150 calories and is 2/3 fat. Nuts are great to have during the day as a snack but not good to snack on in the evening. I told her to add a sprinkling of granola and a tablespoon of nuts to her yogurt. Diane’s lunch was very skimpy since all the places that have prepared salads never have enough meat added and always end up having too much cheese, croutons, tortilla strips, or other surprises. Of course, the dressing needs to be monitored, and I recommend to always use half of what is served. I strongly suggested Diane bring her lunch that should contain at least six ounces of protein, a whole grain bread, and veggies. A sample lunch might include a tuna and white bean salad or grilled chicken strips with one cup brown rice, quinoa, or whole wheat couscous and at least one cup of veggies with a yummy sauce such as pico de gallo, BBQ sauce, or even curry. I told Diane that fruit should be considered a dessert and not eaten all day long as a snack if she wanted to lose weight. Fruit has a lot of calories which is not an easy fact to know because fruit is not packaged with a nutrition label. I also told Diane that she should be eating dried fruit sparingly since it is very concentrated in calories, and that granola bars do not fill you up when you are hungry because they lack protein and fiber. I suggested she bring snacks such as turkey jerky, hearty bean soups, oatmeal, cottage cheese, or even hard boiled eggs with veggies. I am glad to tell you that when Diane now comes home she is not snacking on her kids’ dinner because she is not hungry. She realizes that when she sits down with her husband she has an appetite and can enjoy the meal. For dinner she is having a small serving of protein, a veggie, and salad or even just a sweet potato and a veggie. Diane is a dessert girl and always enjoys her Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich. I counseled Diane via phone and e-mail for two months and she is thrilled to finally lose those 15 pounds that she could never take off. Please look at my website, LindaRD.com for the eight week Royal Treatment program for details on how I worked with Diane. As many readers know, I am a gym person myself and love working with women that need the support to lose weight even though they are exercising. I am glad to inform you that insurance companies will cover nutritional counseling. Please visit LindaRD.com for the list of companies and past articles and more information about nutritional concerns. Call me at (925) 855-0150 or e-mail me at lifeweight1@yahoo.com. Advertorial thing back.” Carissa spends time walking the horses and talking with them as she tends to their physical needs. Vietnam veteran Donly Ingwaldson volunteers because he wants to work. “I do not ride or even walk the horses. I just brush them and talk to them. I am 100% deaf from jet engines, but they don’t care. 3H is really great for disabled vets like me.” Max, a horse in rehabilitation, immediately adopted Donly, keeping him safe while he was working in the arena by nudging the rest of the horses out of the way. With rescue and rehabilitation operations established, Austin initiated the third aspect of 3H: education. Scout and 4-H groups enjoy interacting with horses in programs that need no special gear or training. Danville Girl Scout Troop 30597 painted healing hands on Vegas, now a happily adopted working cow horse. Antioch Girl Scout Troop 30431 brought supplies to donate, making their visit a service project as well as a learning experience. Last October Austin completed Equine Guided Education (EGE) certification. On the final day of the course, graduating students demonstrate interpretation of a wide range of human problems through the eyes of equine guides before an audience composed of professional therapists and casual observers. Ariana Strozzi, Founder of EGE, notes in Girl Scout Troop 30431 of Antioch brought supplies from Alamo Hay & Horse Sense for Grain making their visit both a service project and a learning experience. the Leader Within that 93% of human communication is non-verbal. Horses give
See 3H continued on page 30
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Shine a Light on Lung Cancer
Alamo Today ~ November 2013 - Page 27
By Gigi Chen, MD
The most effective way to reduce lung cancer is by cancer prevention. Smoking is thought to be the cause in 85% of lung cancer. With our progress in smoking cessation, there is a recent decline in lung cancer rates and mortality. However, 19% of the population in the US are still smokers. We also know that the risk of lung cancer after smoking cessation still takes many years before it declines significantly. Therefore, there is a need for an effective screening modality for lung cancer. Previously, studies using chest x-ray as a screening modality have not shown that screening reduces lung cancer deaths. More recently, the National Lung Screening Trial, conducted by National Cancer Institute, compared annual screening using low-dose chest CT scanning with chest x-ray for three years in high risk individuals and found a reduction lung cancer deaths. Several observation trials, including the early lung cancer project (ELCAP), showed that low-dose chest CT can identify early asymptomatic lung cancer. This would allow treating lung cancer at an early stage and improve the overall cure rate. CT screening is recommended only for people who are at high risk where the benefit would outweigh the risk. High risk is defined as age 55 to 74 with a 30 pack a year smoking habit, and if no longer smoking, smoking cessation within 15 years. Lung cancer screening should be done in a multidisciplinary program which involves a number of experts to guide the screening. There have also been new and exciting advances in the treatment of advanced lung cancer. We now have a better knowledge of the molecular pathways that drive lung cancer growth. In a patient with an identifiable “driver mutation” such as EGFR mutation or ALK rearrangement, we have targeted therapy such as erlotinib, afatinib or crizotinib, which are highly active in treating these cancer types. In patients who do not have an identifiable driver mutation, we have a combination of chemotherapy as well as monoclonal antibodies that are active in treating lung cancer. Many clinical trials that use new targeted agents as well as immunotherapy are being studied in the area of lung cancer. Gigi Chen, MD is a Medical Oncologist and Hematologist practicing at Diablo Valley Oncology, located in the California Cancer and Research Institute, Pleasant Hill. Join an engaging panel of lung cancer experts as they cover the most current information regarding early detection, new screening recommendations, clinical trials, treatment options, surgical techniques, and survivorship issues on November 16th from 3–5PM at the Walnut Creek Library. Register by calling 925-677-5041 x272 or online at www.shinealightonlungcancer.org. Advertorial
Workshop on Coping with Grief During the Holidays
The holiday season is a time to give thanks and celebrate. However, for many the holidays are an unhappy time. Hospice of the East Bay offers a Coping with the Holidays workshop for people who have experienced the death of a loved one and find the holiday season to be a sad and stressful time of the year. The class will offer participants ways to manage holiday grief. It will be offered: Pleasant Hill - 3470 Buskirk Avenue • Thursday, November 14, 6 - 8PM • Thursday, December 12, 6 - 8PM “This time of year we are expected to gather with family and friends and be joyful. We are expected to be thankful, generous, and in a mood to celebrate,” says Joe Lumello, Bereavement Program Director for Hospice of the East Bay. “These expectations can place tremendous pressure on us, especially if we are grieving the death of a loved one and trying to make sense of our new lives without those we love in it.” For further information and/or to register, please call Bereavement Services at Hospice of the East Bay at (925) 887-5681. Pre-registration is required.
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925.934.3743 • 925.934.1515
www.dumploadsonus.com • www.erecycleonus.com 1271 Boulevard Way, Walnut Creek Monday-Friday, 8-5 • Saturday 9-1, Sunday, closed
Bladder Leakage - Solutions for Incontinence By Parminder Sethi, MD
One of the most common urological problems I treat is urinary incontinence - the loss of control over urination. In some instances, it’s as minor a problem as losing a few drops of urine while running or coughing. In other cases, one may feel a strong, sudden urge to urinate just before losing a large amount of urine. Many patients experience both symptoms. Both women and men can become incontinent from neurologic injury, birth defects, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and physical problems associated with aging. Women experience urinary incontinence twice as often as men. Pregnancy and childbirth, menopause, and the structure of the female urinary tract account for this difference. Incontinence in men is mostly related to prostate problems, but there are other neurological and bladder problems that contribute. Incontinence stems from problems with muscles and nerves that help to hold or release urine. During urination, muscles in the wall of the bladder contract, forcing urine out of the bladder and into the urethra. At the same time, sphincter muscles surrounding the urethra relax, letting urine pass out of the body. Incontinence will occur if our bladder muscles suddenly contract or the sphincter muscles are not strong enough to hold back urine. Urine may escape with less pressure than usual if the muscles are damaged, causing a change in the position of the bladder. Obesity, which is associated with increased abdominal pressure, can worsen incontinence. Fortunately, weight loss can reduce its severity. Urinary incontinence is not inevitable with age or ‘something you have to live with.’ Urinary incontinence is a medical problem. Many people aren’t aware that a specialty exists for the management and care of incontinence conditions. Highly effective, minimally-invasive treatments are available, and most can be done in the out-patient setting. For men and women with overactive bladder conditions who have failed to improve with pharmacological management, we can now provide a new treatment option which uses mild electrical pulses to stimulate the nerve that controls the bladder and surrounding muscles that manage urinary function. From pharmacologic management and behavioral modification to pelvic floor rehabilitation and minimally-invasive reconstructive surgical techniques, effective solutions exist for virtually every form of incontinence. Dr. Parminder Sethi is a Urologist at Pacific Urology. He specializes in treating patients with urinary incontinence and bladder dysfunction. He sees patients in Walnut Creek, San Ramon, and Livermore. To reach Dr. Sethi, call 925-830-1140. On November 14th, join an engaging panel of leading medical experts regarding male and female incontinence. The panel will review risk factors, causes, and types of incontinence and offer the latest data on medications and treatment options for improving quality of life. Speakers include urologists Dr. Brian Hopkins and Dr. Parminder Sethi, along with incontinence specialist Linda Adams, LVN. The talk will be held at the Walnut Creek Library – Oak View Room from 6-8PM. Admission and refreshments are free. Please register in advance by calling 877-433-2873. Advertorial
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Page 28 - November 2013 ~ Alamo Today
Shared Experiences
By Barbara Persons, MD, Persons Plastic Surgery, Inc.
This month I decided to stray away from my usual article relating to a reconstructive or cosmetic procedure and write about shared experiences— events we endure as a community. The last year has been marked by several life-altering events for me. I experienced the death of a kindergarten classmate of mine, and friend to many, and the death of a young local boy. These loses, combined with trials occurring in my own life, left me feeling quite thoughtful. Ultimately, I asked myself what I wanted to say in the simplest terms. It was, “Thank you, to my community.” Thank you for teaching my children, who in turn teach me. Thank you for being a community when I needed a community - at a festive gathering one day and a touching memorial the next. Thanks for coming into my office and bringing cupcakes for my staff, and for giving me the opportunity to do what I love every day. Thank you for sharing a day at the Art and Wine festival with me and for exclaiming, “I never knew you did such wonderful things at work!” These moments remind me that, despite how hectic our lives may be, life is utterly fulfilling. It is easy to get caught up with our crazy schedules, but it is essential to take the time to realize how blessed we are. It takes more than skill to perform delicate surgeries and more than a kind heart to be a compassionate doctor every day. Thank you, in short, for inspiring me, for inspiration is of great worth in my profession, and it is something I find from many people I am inspired by teachers whose lessons have taught me a great deal and will not be forgotten. I am inspired by my patients whose courage astounds me and whose gratitude make every extra hour at the office worthwhile. Most importantly, I am inspired by family, they are my greatest support system and can turn a long, stressful day around with a simple smile. No matter what the inspiration, I am grateful for it. It’s a reason to listen a little more, to perfect that suture, and to make that extra stop at the hospital. While there are moments when all of this is nearly overwhelming, somehow the people who need me are also the ones that inspire me. I hear my father, when asked if he needed anything sitting in his hospital bed at John Muir, simply respond, “Will you pray with me?” I hear a patient, who is facing difficult challenges, say wisely, “I learned a long time ago not to lose my cool, it doesn’t get me anywhere.”
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I hear my son say, “Mom, it’s important to hold hands and stick together.” So, in summary, thank you for inspiring me to be a good surgeon, a good physician, and good person. Thanks for making my job wonderful. Thank you for brining community to me and letting me serve you. Plastic Surgeon and owns Persons Plastic Surgery, Inc. located at 911 Moraga Rd, Suite 205 in Lafayette. She may be reached at 925.283.4012 or drbarb@personsplasticsurgery.com. Advertorial
Seeing Blue and Red
By Nick Vleisides, Community Chaplain Resources
Red, white, and blue. Those colors remind us of our flag. How about blue and red? Those colors remind me of our men and women who serve us locally in law enforcement and the fire service. As a chaplain in the community serving law enforcement and the fire service I get to see what lies underneath the surface as I get to know our peace officers and firefighters. I can tell you, a career in these fields is no walk in the park. Some might think, “Oh, Alamo, Danville, San Ramon...what an easy assignment!” It is anything but easy! Our firefighters put their lives on the line every time they park a rig on the freeway. We know too well what kind of danger lurks for our law enforcement officers a year now after we lost an officer on OUR freeway. No matter where these public servants work, shift work is shift work. Officers and firefighters have a very high divorce rate partly due to the nature of shift work and being gone from home long stretches at a time. It is not easy to raise a family and they sacrifice family time in order to keep us safe. I tell our officers they should have received a degree in psychology or a least be awarded one after four years on the job. Even though they are highly trained to deal with the criminal element and crime, they spend as much, or more time, responding to your calls to settle disputes between spouses, parents and children, and neighbors. They enter into some of the most dysfunctional settings in relationships you can imagine and they are expected to “do something.” I am amazed at how our local officers have such patience with people while witnessing such troubled lives. Of course, they deal with troubled people or the criminal element who constantly lie to them, disdain them, and will take advantage of any kindness. We all know too well that there is nothing routine about their work as we recall the murder of two Santa Cruz officers not long ago and the shooting a few weeks ago in San Ramon where a bullet narrowly missed two officers and hit a civilian on what we might call a routine call. They must always be on guard. Always. Our firefighters and officers, over the span of a career, see the most tragic and gut wrenching sites and incidents imaginable. It is no less impactful than the trauma our soldiers see on the battlefield. Our men and women have to keep going and they can’t allow themselves to be overcome with emotion or sympathy. But they do...in their own way...in their own time. Somewhere deep down the hard calls lodge themselves into the mind and heart. You cannot do this line of work without it taking a toll and it does. I can tell you firsthand, you don’t need to see too many gruesome incidents or go on many calls where a child has died. One is enough, let alone the dozens and perhaps hundreds over a career. I watch our firefighters and law enforcement officers show extreme tenderness and care with dealing with those who experience tragedy and loss. They are awesome! But it is costly work on the mind and heart. We work as chaplains to come alongside them and offer support and care. Please honor these servants and acknowledge the high cost of their work in their lives. They earn every penny they make! Thank them when you come in contact with them, and thank God we have the finest here in the San Ramon Valley! To contact me email NVleisides@yahoo.com or visit my website www. communitychaplainresources.org.
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The Eye Opener
By Gregory Kraskowsky, O.D., Alamo Optometry Common Eye Myths
When patients ask me questions regarding vision and the eyes, most of the time they are related to eye myths or things “that they have heard” and would like a firm answer from a professional about. Obviously, I cannot address all of them here, but I will tackle some of the more common questions. Myth: Wearing glasses or contacts will make my
vision worse. Fact: If your vision is going to change, it is going to change regardless of whether you wear glasses, don’t wear glasses, or wear glasses part-time. Most of the prescription changes that occur are secondary to genetics and our environment. I tell most patients that if this much were true, prescriptions would hardly change and that the “eye exercises” that are advertised would work all of the time, therefore negating the need for glasses or contacts. If there was something that worked a high percentage of the time, the need for eye correction would lessen dramatically. As of now, that does not exist. Myth: Older patients develop a “second sight,” which means their vision is improving. Fact: As patients age, cataracts develop. This is a clouding of the lens inside the eye. As the cataract matures, most often patients will become more near-sighted. Depending on the person, this could allow them to read better but possibly make their distance vision worse. Myth: You only need an eye exam if you notice your vision deteriorating. Fact: Many eye diseases and conditions will not cause decreased vision. A great example is glaucoma. The patient will start to notice changes only near the end of the disease process. Other systemic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol can initially not have any vision changes but can be diagnosed during a routine eye exam. Myth: Eyes can be transplanted.
Alamo Today ~ November 2013 - Page 29
Fact: The technology does not exist at this time to transplant eyes. The neural connections between the eye and brain are just too numerous and sophisticated to be able to transplant. Between the over 125 million rods and cones, the optic nerve, and the immense blood supply to the eye, there is too much complexity to tackle this at this time. However, a cornea can be transplanted. Since the cornea does not contain any blood vessels or the complexity of the retina, it makes it easier to transplant. Myth: Reading in dim light will harm your eyes. Fact: Reading in poor light will cause eye strain, squinting, fatigue, and possible headaches, but it will not damage the eyes. It is recommended to have good lighting and proper prescription correction whenever you are doing near tasks such as reading or using a computer or phone. Myth: Eating carrots and other vegetables will improve your vision. Fact: Carrots are rich in vitamin A, which is essential for retinal health, but it will not improve your vision. In addition, the vitamins and anti-oxidants found in green vegetables such as spinach and broccoli help in the health and function of the macula. Myth: Eye conditions like macular degeneration and cataracts are hereditary. Fact: Diseases such as macular degeneration and glaucoma can have a hereditary component. However, just because a parent or sibling has one of these does not mean you will. If the genetics are present for these diseases, then at this point there is very little that can be done to offset that. To help their cause, patients should not smoke, and they should maintain their overall health and keep any vascular conditions such as diabetes and hypertension under good control, as that can contribute to a worsening of those conditions. Cataracts are an age-related finding, and assuming you live long enough, you will get them. They might not get to the point of needing surgery, but they will affect a person as they age. Dr. K. at Alamo Optometry is your hometown eye doctor for outstanding service, vision care, and designer eyewear. He can be reached at 925-8206622 or visit his office at 3201 Danville Blvd., Suite 165 in Alamo. Visit our newly updated website at www.alamooptometry.com, and become a fan on our Alamo Optometry Facebook page. Advertorial
Page 30 - November 2013 ~ Alamo Today
Ask the Doctor
My Stiff Aching Shoulder By Dr. Jeffrey G. Riopelle, MD
Patient: Doctor, my shoulder has been hurting for two months, and I have trouble lifting it up over my head. I didn’t have an injury; it just started on its own. What do you think is going on with it? Doctor Riopelle: Try this easy test. Bend your elbow to 90 degrees and keep it in against your body. Now rotate your shoulder and arm out away from your body while keeping your elbow bent at 90 degrees. Notice how far out you can rotate it. Now do the same thing on the other side with the good arm. How far does it go? Patient: My shoulder on the right (my bad one) rotates out about 40 degrees. My left shoulder rotates out 90 degrees. Doctor Riopelle: Now rotate inward and reach up behind your back as if you are scratching your back from below. How high can you reach with each arm? Patient: My right shoulder cannot reach nearly as high as my left. There is about a four inch difference. Doctor Riopelle: From this simple test I can tell you that you most likely have Shoulder Adhesive Capsulitis, also known as a frozen shoulder. The other possibility is shoulder arthritis, but if it was arthritis alone, and you have never had an injury, you would expect both shoulders to be more similar. Shoulder Adhesive Capsulitis, or frozen shoulder, is one of the most common shoulder problems we see. It usually occurs in patients ages 40 to 70 and is more common in women than men. It can occur spontaneously or after an injury. It is often associated with shoulder arthritis, although technically the pathologic problem is different than in arthritis. Frozen shoulder occurs due to adhesions that form in the shoulder, sort of like scar tissue that restricts the motion. Anything that causes shoulder pain can lead to frozen shoulder as the patient favors the shoulder, not moving it adequately, and then adhesions are allowed to occur. Symptoms of frozen shoulder include pain, stiffness, and restriction of motion, especially rotation. X-rays and an MRI scan are typically negative, and we make the diagnosis primarily by exam. By contrast, X-rays and MRI in arthritis
3H continued from page 26
feedback that is accurate and immediate by reflecting the message a person’s body language telegraphs. EGE practitioners help pinpoint underlying issues expressed by the horse’s behavior. For example, the horse acts trapped. Is the person feeling trapped by a relationship, a job, or indecision? Corporate groups discover respect for each team member’s strengths. Individuals learn to value their instincts. Drawing on thousands of success stories, Strozzi writes: “I learned through experience that the energetic mirror that horses are for each participant directly correlates with other significant areas of their lives. I also learned that people accept feedback from a horse exponentially faster than they do from humans. People trust the horse’s reflection as honest and direct.” Zorro has taught Ashley Smith a lot about the connection between horses and humans since she adopted him on Valentine’s Day. When a body worker massaging Zorro’s neck triggered a traumatic memory, Ashley instantly felt pain. “I really felt for a moment like I knew how horses must feel during EGE when they are feeling the people’s emotions.” Thanks to Ashley’s ability to tune into Zorro’s needs, the rescued Arabian now Norman, at home with the Mcloughlins, doesn't need words to confidently leads trail communicate with Julia. Photo courtesy of 3H.
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typically show degenerative changes, but remember patients can often have both arthritis and frozen shoulder. Initial treatment includes antiinflammatory medication, cortisone injections, range of motion exercises, and physical therapy. Typical physical therapy can be quite painful as the therapist must push the shoulder beyond where it wants to go to try to break up the adhesions. Do not try this on your own! Most adhesive Capsulitis takes six months up to even two years to resolve and goes away gradually. Forced manipulation under general anesthesia to break up the adhesions is sometimes helpful. In our office we treat using a variety of techniques. We treat most forms of shoulder injuries, acute and chronic. We also have an ongoing patient sponsored study for joint treatment with autologous stem cells. We did our original training with Dr. Joseph Purita, the physician who performed the stem cell joint procedure on A’s pitcher Bartolo Colon. We want to stress that this protocol uses your own stem cells removed and purified out from your own fat and replaced in the joint the same day, NOT one of the highly controversial fetal stem cell procedures performed in other countries. The study protocols involve the treatment of the following conditions: joint problems, especially the shoulder and knee, erectile dysfunction, diabetes, and emphysema. For further information, please call 925-275-9333.
Halloween Candy Buyback Contest- We Need Your Candy!
Dr. Riopelle and his daughter Natalie have organized a Halloween candy buyback contest for schools. Students turn their candy into a school rep, who collects the candy and turns it in to our office. Schools win up to $1,000 and the candy goes to the Blue Star Moms for holiday packages for overseas troops. This event is sponsored by contributions from Dr. and Donna Riopelle and a number of generous caring local doctors. We are looking for student volunteers to get out the word and coordinate collection of the candy at each school. Student volunteers can do a valuable service for their schools and also write about their involvement in their college essays when they are older. To help out or volunteer your son, daughter, grandson, or granddaughter, call 925-275-9333. Candy collection will take place between November 1 and November 10, so call now. For information on any of our programs, please call our office, San Ramon Valley Medical Group, Inc., at (925) 275-9333 or visit our website at www. riopellecosmetic.com. We are located at 5401 Norris Canyon Rd, Ste. 312 in San Ramon. Advertorial rides and helps human EGE clients. Ginger Flood draws on generations of family experience. “All animals have a special role in the lives of humans – dogs are our helpers and partners, cats often take our illnesses upon themselves – but horses reflect our very souls. They have a unique capacity to see through all our ‘public’ selves and reflect our cores. They show us our insecurities, our fears, our trust issues, our hopes and our dreams.” Since adoption by the Flood family, Hope has transformed from a horse trembling at human contact to a trusting equine eager for attention. A 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, 3H is planning two fundraisers. Watch the website for dates: www.horseshealingheartsinc.org. To schedule a visit, volunteer or learn more, contact Melissa Austin: 415-260-2232; melissa@horseshealingheartsinc.org.
Lic# 1100014354; Bay Area Entertainment
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Alamo Today ~ November 2013 - Page 31
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Wi t h a n I n d i a n Summer just around the corner, many peoAt All Times... ple look forward to 3645 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Suite D Lafayette, CA 94549 wearing sundresses (beside Trader Joe’s) www.excellentcareathome.com 925-284-1213 and shorts for a few more warm weeks until autumn finally nestles in. Unfortunately for Laura, such clothing choices were not always an easy option. Laura, like many other adult men and women, Chamber continued from front page suffers from plaque psoriasis - a common, chronic, genetic disease of the is that the combined resources of the two organizations exceeds those of the two existing separate Chambers. Some merchants are already members of immune system affecting over 7.5 million Americans today. Red and scaling patches, often itchy and sometimes painful, covered Laura’s knees, lower both Chambers, paying duplicate dues, and the industries and economies of legs, and elbows leading her to dress in slacks and long sleeves, even during the two communities overlap. The two organizations already work closely the summer months, to shield the persistent lesions. together, and the combined organization will have a larger and stronger voice Psoriasis is often seen on the scalp, elbows, legs, trunk and sacrum, but to champion the assets of the Danville-Alamo area and promote greater it can occur anywhere on the body including the palms, soles, genitals, and economic development. skin folds. In some people, only a small portion of the skin surface area is The existing Danville Chamber Board of Directors will be the governing effected, in others, it may be extensive and debilitating, causing arthritic body upon final consolidation, and its President/CEO and staff will provide pain, inhibiting a person’s daily activities, and leading to stress, anxiety, day-to-day management. During its year-end board election process, the depression, and social isolation. nominating committee of the DACC Board will nominate at least two repAlthough the cause of psoriasis is still not fully understood, it is thought resentatives from the ACC to join its board in 2014. These nominees shall to involve the immune system’s response to the environment in people who be current Alamo Chamber members in good standing. have a genetic susceptibility. Anyone may develop psoriasis, but risk factors Both existing Chambers are financially strong, with a tradition of responinclude a family history of the disease, decreased immune function, stress, sible budgeting and meeting or exceeding net revenue goals. The newly obesity, and smoking. Psoriasis may be triggered or worsened by injury to merged Chamber will have more than adequate reserves and will continue the skin, stress, cold weather, smoking, infection, and certain medications. to maintain sound fiscal policies without reliance on those reserves. There is no cure for psoriasis, but current treatments can significantly The consolidated Chamber offices will be maintained at 117-E Town & reduce and control psoriatic plaque formation, and in some cases, lead to Country Drive in Danville, the current headquarters of the DACC. This location long-term remission. Methods include topical medications, systemic medicahouses a staff of four and has conference/meetings rooms available for members. tions, and narrowband (NB)-UVB phototherapy. NB-UVB phototherapy is The proposal calls for the legal dissolution of the ACC concurrent with a state of the art, highly effective, popular, and easy therapy option for the the transfer of assets and members to the DACC after payment of any outtreatment of psoriasis. standing liabilities. After the December 1 effective date, the DACC will host Unlike older light therapy options such as PUVA (oral chemotherapy + UVA light) which can increase the risk for skin cancer development, and a membership orientation/reception for all members. broadband UVB which can cause sunburn, NB-UVB is both safe and efficacious, providing only a narrow spectrum of the most therapeutic wavelengths of light (311-313 nm). For Laura, NB-UVB phototherapy was an ideal treatment option, and it led to significant clearing of her plaque psoriasis in just a few weeks of therapy, allowing her to confidently dress for the season without hiding her skin. It is also a great option for people who have not reached treatment goals with topical therapies alone, who are unable to take immunosuppressant medications, or who prefer alternatives to topical and oral medications. Additionally, NB-UVB is highly effective in the treatment of eczema, vitiligo, chronic itching, and many other skin disorders. We are always looking at new therapies as they emerge. Starting this month we are pleased to offer the Xtrac Excimer Laser. This laser technology can be used to treat stubborn plaques of psoriasis, vitiligo, and eczema. The treatments are quick, require no anesthesia, and does not require down time. If you are battling psoriasis, eczema, vitiligo, or another chronic skin problem, we can help you just as we have helped so many others. Dr. Potozkin is a board certified dermatologist who has been serving the local community since 1993. His fully accredited dermatological and laser facility is located at 600 San Ramon Valley Blvd, Suite 102 in Danville. He is accepting new patients. Please call 925-838-4900 or visit Potozkin.com for more information. Advertorial
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Page 32 - November 2013 ~ Alamo Today
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Danville Area Real Estate: Prices Increase 7% during 3rd Quarter square foot. In a normal market one would expect to see 2-3% appreciation in a
year’s time. We are now seeing it in a single quarter. During the third quarter, ten Alamo homes sold for more than $500 per square foot with one fetching $601. Danville also showed impressive gains during the third quarter with average sales price increasing from $866,791 to $925,507 for a 7% increase in price. Dollars paid per square foot grew from $369 to $390 for about a 6% increase. Twenty Danville Homes sold for more than $500 per square foot during the third quarter with two selling for more than $600. Blackhawk showed no advance in average price during this time but registered a strong increase in dollars paid per square foot, climbing from $373 to $389 for a 4% increase. No Blackhawk sales exceeded the $500 per square foot mark during the third quarter. Diablo, our priciest neighborhood, remained steady with five home sales during the quarter and a $520 average square foot price. Two Diablo homes crossed the $500 per square foot mark with one obtaining an unbelievable price of $918 per square foot on a purchase price of $3.2 million. I think it is noteworthy that this is the second calendar year in a row during which the Danville Area Market defied the normal seasonal pattern of price softening during the summertime. The question remains: When and at what price levels will the market become normal again? It’s important to remember that there really is no “average” home and no two homes are exactly alike. If you would like an honest “no strings attached” opinion of your home’s current market value and suggestions for getting it $ Sq. Foot ready for market, please give me a call 925-989-6086 or send me an email $ 435 joecombs@thecombsteam.com. $ 389 Please visit our website to discover more information on our local market $ 520 $ 390 www.thecombsteam.com.
In our local market which includes Alamo, Danville, Diablo, and Blackhawk, homes are selling at rate of about 116 units per month. This is really good when you consider that the economy, while improving, is still in recovery mode. Distressed home sales are down from 33% in 2011 to approximately 22% today, and although diminishing, they are still exerting some negative price pressure. The Town of Danville leads the area with the shortest time from listing to sale at 19 days. During the most recent quarter Diablo had the longest time from listing to sale with 45 days. A normal market would be three to six months from listing to sale. So, this is definitely not a normal market. It’s a hot market. Nondistressed homes priced right continue to sell quickly. Multiple offers continue to be a common feature of the Danville Area market as buyer demand still exceeds inventory, pushing prices up and up. The average sales price for an Alamo home rose from $1,263,909 in the first two quarters of the year to $1,438,453 during the third quarter...an amazing 13.8% advance. This is unusual. Typically one would expect to see the highest prices in springtime and a small seasonal decline through the summer into fall. On average, Alamo homes sold during the third quarter were larger by approximately 500 square feet compared to the earlier time period. So, some of that incredible increase can be explained by size, but not all of it. Price paid per square foot during the third quarter advanced from $426 per square foot to $435 per Home Sales Alamo, Blackhawk Danville, Diablo (July 1-Sept. 30) Active Pending Sold DOM List Price Sold Price Sq. Foot Alamo 47 22 52 23 $ 1,448,309 $ 1,438,453 3,306 Blackhawk 34 16 36 37 $ 1,319,119 $ 1,298,966 3,339 Diablo 9 2 5 45 $ 2,066,800 $ 1,879,600 3,614 Danville 94 84 257 19 $ 917,237 $ 925,507 2,373
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