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March 2015 Lincoln Exhibit Opens at the Museum of the San Ramon Valley
By Jody Morgan
How did Lincoln’s contemporaries in the San Ramon Valley view his presidency? What legacy did his leadership provide? The exhibition opening on March 17th at the Museum of the San Ramon Valley (MuseSRV) is full of thought provocative material. The core component is “Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War.” Organized by the National Constitution Center and the American Library Association, this traveling exhibit was made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and is based on an exhibit by the same name developed by the National Constitution Center. Local stories, artifacts from the era, and evening programs offer insight into how Californians reacted to Lincoln’s policies.
Serving Alamo and Diablo Alamo Music Festival ---The End?
Supporters of the Alamo Music Festival---Alamo’s “Block Party”--- recently held a series of meetings to bring together other Non-Profits groups in the area, in an attempt gain commitments to assist longtime festival organizer, Alamo Rotary Club in conducting the event. The effort has simply become too burdensome for the Rotary to handle, as it experiences the same decline in membership being experienced by other community service groups throughout the region and the country.
Alas, no other group was able to offer a commitment, and time is running out. The future of the Alamo Music Festival is in serious jeopardy! Is the Alamo Music Festival important to you or your organization? Please take our brief survey by clicking on http://tinyurl.com/kolsgmj, or cutting/ pasting it to your browser, and LET US KNOW!
Alamo Recreation Program Begins in March Register at www.alamorec.org By Sharon Burke
In response to demand from Alamo residents, the Alamo Municipal Advisory Council will begin offering recreational programs in March. The programs are made possible by a unique partnership with the Irvin Deutscher Family YMCA of Pleasant Hill. Classes offered will include yoga and beginning strength and balance at Hap Magee Ranch Park, a day trip to the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco on April 24, coach-pitch softball for children 7-11, youth soccer for ages 3-7, and introductory T-ball to familiarize children with the basics of baseball for ages 3-6. L to R: Dan Dunn with Civil War saber, Bob Chardler with parade torch, and Jerry Warren The youth sports classes will be held at Rudgear Park, 2250 Stewart Avenue, with poster as they ready the MuseSRV Lincoln exhibit. Walnut Creek, off Rudgear Road, on the Alamo border. Registration forms The American Library Association’s website describes the traveling presen- are available at www.alamorec.org. Registration is open now for the yoga class and beginning strength and tation. “Organized thematically, the exhibition explores how Lincoln used the The Alamo Municipal Advisory Council and the Irvin Deutscher Family YMCA are pleased to announce a partnership class, set for Mondays from March 9 to May 18, yoga at 9am and Constitution to confront three intertwined crises of the war – the secession of balance am to bring recreation programs to Alamo. ThisPresident spring, the Y will be offering recreation for Park yourinentire family! Magee Ranch The Cottage, 1025 La strength training at 10 at Hap Southern States,new slavery, and wartime civil liberties.” Jerry Warren, of the Board, is pleased MuseSRV was chosen to offer the traveling exhibit. Gonda Way, Danville. Each class costs $100 for Alamo residents and $120 Youth Sports the struggles Lincoln faced and the multiple for non-residents, and the class includes 10 sessions. This in-depth study highlighting Registration is also open for the day trip to San Francisco on April 24 o Soccer options he considered to resolve each issue raises awareness of how controwhich leaves at 8:45am from Hap Magee Park and returns at 3pm. The cost is versial his decisions were, especially during his lifetime. o Tee Ball Information o fromCoach local archives gives the presentation a more personal $75 for Alamo residents and $90 for non-residents. The trip includes a guided Pitch Softball perspective on living through a time when voicing an opinion on Lincoln’s tour of the Asian Art Museum, a dim sum lunch at Yank Sing Restaurant Adult Fitness classes decisions might alter the course of history. Although California entered the and bus transportation to and from the city. Registration ends April 10 and Yoga union in 1850 asoa free state two years after being ceded to the United States is limited to 20 people. Registration opens March 14 for the Beginner Strength and Balance by Mexico, the opolitical positions of the settlers of the San Ramon Valley, youth sports classes at Rudgear Park. like those most Californians, to reflect the parts of the country from Volume XV - Number 3 ofAdult Group Daytended Trips Classes including coach pitch softball 3000F Danville Blvd. #117, which they originated. Some way saw the a confederacy o A great to nation spendasan afternoonof sovereign (ages 7-11), youth soccer (ages 3-7) Alamo, CA 94507 Lincoln continued visiting someSee exciting Bay Area on page 27 and tee ball (ages 3-6) will start Sat- Telephone (925) 405-NEWS, 405-6397 Fax (925) 406-0547 urday, April 25 and run through June PRSRT STD locations U.S. Postage 6, and will be scheduled from 10am to Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher PAID Local Editor@yourmonthlypaper.com noon depending on enrollment and Permit 263 Sharon Burke ~ Writer availability. The 7 week session costs Postal Customer Alamo CA The opinions expressed herein belong to the writers, and do 4 EASY WAYS TO REGISTER: •Online at www.idfymca.org $105 for•Call: 925residents, 687 8900$125 for •Fax: 925 825 1879 Alamo not necessarily reflect that of Alamo Today. Alamo Today ECRWSS is not responsible for the content of any of the advertising •In person: Irvin Deutscher Family YMCA • 350 Civic Drive Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
ACTIVE LIVES HEALTHY COMMUNITIES SPRING 2015
See Rec continued on page 20
herein, nor does publication imply endorsement.
Page 2 - March 2015 ~ Alamo Today
Boulevard View
By Alisa Corstorphine, Editor Lighten your World
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43 Years in Alamo While Other Jewelers Have Come and Gone
All too early, spring is in the air, and spring-cleaning has begun! I started with my yard in that narrow two-week pruning window that nature sets aside for certain trimming. Right before the buds bloomed, I gave drastic pruning to my fruit trees, rose bushes, and other trees in the yard. It’s amazing to open up the vegetation and let the light in. Everything feels lighter and brighter. It is amazing how a tidying and yard cleanup can invigorate me. I feel the same way indoors, and even though I know I don’t have a fraction of the junk or issues as portrayed by some on the show, Hoarders, I am still inspired to lighten my load inside our house as well. I’ve mentioned a blog I read call Rodale News, and there was a recent article about “de-cluttering.” It noted that we can all benefit from this process and it suggests we separate the “benign” from the “malignant” items we own. The article went on to say that, “The stuff you own has power—the power to take you to another place and time, to remind you of events long past, to Mark Kahn & Kristine Walker overwhelm or depress you. Malignant clutter poisons your point of view, your habits, and your behaviors. It makes you feel bad about the decisions you’ve made. It makes you think less of yourself. It makes you second-guess yourself. It gets in your face, undermines your confidence, and it calls you a failure. It Sean Wilson reminds you of lost love, missed opportunities, or times past that you wish you could move on from. It’s harmful, and rooting it out must be your priority.” Jewelry & Watch Repair It’s up to you to decide what’s benign and malignant in your household. In Appraising | Engraving the pantry it might be junk or processed foods that ended up in your shopping Estate Jewelry | We Buy Gold cart or you bought to support an organization. How do you start? Pick a room. Carefully inspect the area and list all the malignant items—or better still, gather them in a pile on a table, where you have to deal with it. These things can bring up all kinds of emotions. The idea 3202 Danville Boulevard • Alamo (Across the street from Ace Hardware) of throwing them out might be hard, even when you can see they’re bad for you. If so, put them aside, somewhere unobtrusive so you can think about them differently. For each piece of malignant clutter, ask yourself: • How did this get here? • What power does this item have over me? • Is this item helping me create the vision I have for the space? • Is this item serving any purpose or helping me in some positive way? • What feelings linked to this object have kept me from throwing it out? • When was the last time I used it? • How would I feel if this item disappeared on its own right now? • Could this item, that’s a source of pain or disappointment to me, become a wonderful addition to someone else’s life? I proposed to my husband that we spend time each day working on lightening our load, and after some hesitation he climbed onboard. We realize that every object we possess actually owns US and has to be taken care of – cleaned, dusted, repaired, filed, trimmed, etc. All of the time used for these chores is better enjoyed, in my opinion, taking advantage of the lovely area we live in. This place we raised our family in for the past 18 years has so much to offer, and we barely take advantage of its abundance. There are many organizations happy to take items we no longer want. They repurpose others unwanted items or raise funds by reselling them. I know if I ever want to re-acquire something I’ve given away, with sources like eBay I can almost always find it again. For mementos like kids artwork, it is very easy to now take pictures or scan the items so they can live on and be shared Easter Bunny Hops on the Alamo Plaza Trail in another medium. You don’t have to keep endless tote bins of papers, cardth Saturday, March 28 Noon - 2pm board, glitter, and glue! I’ll tell you one that thing I am hoarding is water. I hope it rains, but I’m planning Join the Easter Bunny in FREE activities include: front of Richard's Crafts. Jungle James and his Exotic Reptiles for the drought. Our state is facing a serious crisis, and my opinion is that without more rain we are going to have water rationing before too long. I’ve purchased two Balloon Twisting Scavenger hunt to find Golden Eggs “rain catching” barrels that fill up with water from our gutters when it rains, and Face Painting stuffed with goodies from Noon - 1:30pm. Prizes and more we have buckets we fill with the “warming up” water from our showers. We’ve found it takes about 2.5-3 gallons of water to make our shower hot in the morning, Don’t forget to bring your camera to take pictures with the Bunny! and instead of wasting that water down the drain we let it partly fill a five gallon RSVP to (800) 762-1641 bucket in the shower. Every drop is going to count. I’m going to use this previously For more information visit: www.AlamoPlazaShoppingCenter.com wasted water to take care of my summer garden. Happy March! Located at Danville Boulevard and Stone Valley Road.
We Are Still Here!
925.837.3262
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Alamo
Alamo Today ~ March 2015 - Page 3
DESTINATION . . .
ALAMO IS COOKING! WE’VE SURPASSED THE PEAK August 2005 to February 2006
August 2014 to February 2015
Averaged Closed Sales Price: $1.490M Median Price: $1.400M # Closed Sales: 104
Averaged Closed Sales Price: $1.573M ( 5.6%) Median Price: $1.499M ( 7.1%) # Closed Sales: 86 ( 17%)
SELLERS, WHERE ARE YOU? • A Westside Alamo listing received 22 offers. That leaves 21 disappointed buyers still looking. It’s a HOT sellers market. • As a buyer, you must have a competitive edge to win. Strategy, connections and experience get my BUYERS their home. • Contact me now for a consultation on how to win in today’s market, whether you are a buyer or a seller.
The Realtor you list your home with DOES make a difference:
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CGwynn@EmpireRA.com www.CarolynGwynn.com
The Carolyn Gwynn Real Estate Advantage: Call me today at (925) 336-7525 to discuss how business acumen, high work ethic, professional photography, staging and preparation, and the knowledge that goes with being a lifelong East Bay resident will make the difference for you. www.CarolynGwynn.com Based on information from the CCAR MLS. This information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed by MLS or Empire Realty.
Alamo-Danville Newcomers Club
Are you new to the area or a long time resident, newly retired or emptynester interested in making new friends and participating in various social activities? We are a women’s organization whose purpose is to enrich the lives of all its members and their families in a social manner. Check out all we have to offer by visiting www.alamodanvillenewcomers. com. There will be no “Welcome Coffee” in March, but please mark your calendar for our “Wine & Cheese Social” on Tuesday, April 28th from 79pm. Please RSVP to alamodanvillenewcomers@gmail.com.
In My Merry Oldsmobile Sunday, March 29th at 2pm
Come take a ride with the Danville Community Band at the fabulous, family-friendly Blackhawk Automotive Museum located at 3700 Blackhawk Plaza Circle in Danville. We’ll be playing some motoring tunes as well as selections including Highlights from CARS, James Swearingen’s Flight of Valor, and Robert Hawkins’ rousing How the West was Won, and more! Come see the fabulous auto galleries, tour the current exhibits, and enjoy a concert all in the same building. The concert is free with admission into the Museum (free for museum members). For more information about the band, see our website at www.danvilleband. org. For Museum information, call (925) 736-2277 or visit www.blackhawkmuseum.org. The Danville Community Band is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
AAUW Celebrates International Women’s Day
AAUW (American Association of University Women) Danville-Alamo-Walnut Creek will celebrate International Women’s Day on March 7th by showcasing four cultures and recent grassroots movements in India, Chile, Africa, and the Middle East. Please join us for an informative and entertaining morning. Light refreshments will be provided. The event will be held at 1001 El Capitan Dr. in Danville from 9:30AM to noon. Please RSVP to ashakiran@gmail.com. International Women’s Day will be celebrated worldwide in honor of working women and women’s struggles everywhere. For answers to questions about the program, contact Asha at (925) 899-9396.
Rotary Club of Alamo to Sponsor Annual Egg Hunt and Family Fun Day at the Park on Saturday, April 4th
The Rotary Club of Alamo will again sponsor the Annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 4th at Livorna Park. This year, the Rotary Club of Alamo is expanding the event, and it will become known as the Egg Hunt and Family Fun Day at the Park. The event will begin at 9am and end at noon. In addition to the Egg Hunt and a visit by the Easter Bunny, where parents will have an opportunity to take photos, there will also be children’s games; face painting provided by the Monte Vista High School Interact Club, which is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Alamo; and other fun activities. The Egg Hunt will take place this year in a series of three scrambles: 10am will be the starting time for children three years of age and under (3-0); the 10:15am time period will be for children ages four to seven (4-7); and the 10:30am time period will be for children ages eight to ten (8-10). In past years the egg hunt would start promptly at the assigned time and was finished in less than five minutes. Parents should allow ample time for their children to be on time to participate. The Rotary Club of Alamo was founded on May 7, 1971 and has 45 members. The Club supports the music programs at Alamo and Rancho Romero Elementary Schools, Lucille Mauzy School, Stone Valley Middle School, and Monte Vista and San Ramon High Schools; provides dictionaries to three grade students; sponsors two free medical clinics; and helps with other community and international projects. The Club meets on Wednesdays at 12:15pm at Round Hill Country Club, 3169 Round Hill Road, Alamo.
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Host Families Sought for Visiting French Students
For the tenth consecutive year, students from a large high school in the South of France are coming to Danville. Every visit by the students has been better than the last. The students will arrive on April 11th and depart April 25th. The teens stay with local families and have a full itinerary of activities during the days and only require your attention in the evenings and weekends. The visit is an ideal opportunity to experience another culture and hopefully consider visiting France in return. Anyone interested in hosting a student (or students!) is welcome to participate. For more information or to find out about past year’s programs, please contact Martine Causse (teacher in charge of the group), at caussefly@wanadoo.fr or dachary.martine@orange.fr. There are many happy local host families ready to discuss any questions with you (including the editor of this paper!). The local contact is Danville parent Kevin Dimler, who can be reached at kevindimler@gmail.com or 925-718-5052.
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Rotary Club of Alamo Presents Checks for Local School Music Programs
The Rotary Club of Alamo sponsored the 32nd Annual Alamo Music and Wine Festival on Saturday, SeptemberToday 6, 2014. The fun-filled event is the Alamo/Danville Rotary Club of Alamo’s major fundraiser and benefits the Alamo community; the music programs at six local schools including Alamo and Rancho Romero Elementary Schools, Stone Valley Middle School, Monte Vista and San Ramon Valley High Schools and the Lucille Mauzy School; as well as the Club’s international humanitarian projects. At the Club’s meeting on January 28, checks in the amount of $1,000 each were presented to music teachers and principals, representing each of the six schools, to use toward their music and chorus programs.
Delta Nu Psi has now sent 1,270 boxes to American troops in Afghanistan, and the group continues to collect “gourmet junk food” and cards for additional shipments! The group will continue sending as long as American military members are in the War Zone. On March 6th Delta Nu Psi will be accepting items at CVS in Alamo, and on March 13th they will be at Lunardi’s in Danville. Collections will be held from 11am to 2pm both days, rain or shine. Money for postage is also always appreciated as shipping costs have risen 34%! To learn more and see emails and photos from the thankful service people, visit www.deltanupsi.org.
Blackhawk “First Sunday” Cars & Coffee
Blackhawk Automotive Museum hosts a monthly Cars & Coffee event year round for all car enthusiasts. Held on the “First Sunday” of each month, starting at 8AM and going to 10AM, the Museum welcomes all classic, collector, and special interest car owners and enthusiasts. On Cars & Coffee Sundays the Museum opens an hour earlier, at 9AM, and participating car owners will receive complimentary Museum admission tickets. The Museum is located at 3700 Blackhawk Plaza Circle in Danville. For more information, visit www.blackhawkmuseum.org/carsncoffee.html, call (925) 736-2280, or email museum@blackhawkmuseum.org.
Get Yours At
• ALAMO BIKES • & skateboards
L to R: Alamo Rotary club president Bill Randall; Christine Bertalero and Lisa Murrary, music teachers at Rancho Romero Elementary School; Nancy Raun, music teacher, and Stan Hitomi, principal of Alamo Elementary School
Mommy & Me Consignment Sale
Come find amazing deals for women’s, tweens, kids, and babies. There will be clothing, accessories, furniture, and toys plus a Vendor Alley with women’s and family-based products and services. This semi-annual sale features gently used and even some new spring and summer clothes. The sale benefits Hospice of the East Bay, and consignors and shoppers are welcome. The sale will take place from March 27 - 29. There will be a VIP Preview on Friday from 3-6PM, and a public sale from 10AM - 4PM on Saturday and from 11AM - 4PM on Sunday. The sale will take place at 1475 Creekside Dr. (right off I-680) in Walnut Creek. For more information visit www.eastbaycon-
1483 Danville Blvd Alamo
925.837.8444
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Alamo ~ Outstanding views, ambiance, and exquisite craftsmanship highlight this 5 bedroom, 4.5 bath estate. This elegant 6400 sq. ft. home with media room and office sits on 2.4 acres — possibly sub-dividable! $2,849,000 Michael Hatfield ~ 925.984.1339 Www.alamoluxuryhomes.com
South Walnut Creek ~ Wonderful 1 story duet . This 4 bedroom, 2 bath home has approx 1800+ sq ft. Formal living and dining room with fireplace. Large eat-in kitchen with slider to back deck and private yard. $750,000 Gretchen Bryce ~ 925.683.2477 gretchenbryce@msn.com
Alamo Today ~ March 2015 - Page 5
Coming Soon in Danville ~ Located on a court minutes from Blackhawk shopping center. This wonderful 4 bedroom 3 bath 2 story home has approx. 3000 sq. ft. hardwood flrs, updated kitchen all open to family rm. One bedroom and full bath on main floor. Great backyard w/pool & spa plus outdoor kitchen for year round entertaining. Listed at $1,399,000.
Gretchen Bryce ~ 925.683.2477 gretchenbryce@msn.com
Walnut Creek ~ 5 New Semi Custom Homes Coming Soon! 4 & 5 bedrooms, 2827 sq ft to 3821 sq ft on flat as a pancake lots ranging from 12,000 sq ft to over 15,000 sq ft. High end finish work, 10’ ceilings, luxurious master suites, gourmet kitchens & 3 car garages. Prices start at $1,375,000 Tony Cristiani ~ 925.785.8948 tonycristiani@msn.com
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Page 6 - March 2015 ~ Alamo Today
Sons in Retirement
March Madness at
San Ramon Valley Branch
Looking for things to do in your retirement? Consider joining Sons in Retirement San Ramon Valley Branch 128. We have monthly luncheons with interesting speakers and good fellowship. Our guest speaker in March will be Contra Costa County Sheriff, David Livingston. Additionally, our members have lots of fun participating in a variety of activities such as golf, tennis, bowling, bocce ball, bridge, computers, and much more. Many other activities such as travel, dine outs, excursions, baseball games, and holiday parties include spouses, friends, and guests. Our next monthly luncheon will be held on Wednesday, March 18th at 11AM. The $23 fee includes luncheon, guest speaker and a great opportunity to socialize with at least 150 other retirees from the San Ramon Valley. To reserve a space, please email us by Friday, March 12th at www.info@SIR128.com. The location for the meeting is the San Ramon Golf Club, 9430 Fircrest Lane in San Ramon. For more information about this retirement branch, events and activities, please visit www.SIR128.com.
Las Trampas Branch
Sons In Retirement - Branch 116 welcomes guest to socialize with us at our monthly luncheon beginning at 11AM on Monday, March 16th and held at the Walnut Creek Elks Lodge, 1475 Creekside Dr. The speaker will be Bernat Rosner who was born in 1932 in rural Hungary. At the age of 12, he was loaded onto a train with his family and the rest of the village’s Jewish inhabitants and taken to Auschwitz. He was the only member of his family to survive the gas chambers and the other horrors of the Nazi concentration camps. Bernie came to the United States in 1948 at the age of sixteen, and he received his education at Cornell University and Harvard Law School. He spent his thirty-five year career in the legal department of Safeway Inc and the last ten as the Company’s General Council. After his retirement in 1994, he met Fritz Tubach, who was his same age, but was the son of a Nazi military officer. They became friends and decided to share their intimate story and co-wrote a book, An Uncommon Friendship, which tells the unique story of two youths trapped on opposite sides of the Holocaust. Please call (925) 322-1160 for lunch reservations. The cost for lunch is $15. If you are retired or semi-retired and want to make new friends, participate in fun activities and better enjoy your leisure time, we welcome you to join us. Our member activities include book discussions, bridge, computers, dine-outs, fishing, golf, hiking/walking, investments, poker, travel, wine tastings, and more fun things. In addition, we have special golf events and bridge tournaments where wives, partners, and guests are welcome. If these are activities you like to do, then you may find even greater enjoyment in doing them with the friendly group of retirees in the SIRs organization. For information about our activities for retired men, please visit www.Branch116.org.
Veterans of Foreign Wars
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW), Post 75, San Ramon Valley, meets every third Wednesday of the month at the Veterans Memorial Building, located at 400 Hartz Avenue in Danville, on the corner at 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) 3629806. Send mail to VFW Post 75 San Ramon Valley, P.O. Box 1092, Danville, CA 94526. Find out more about the VFW and our Post at www.vfwpost75.org.
www.yourmonthlypaper.com Upcoming Community 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 Women’s Club P2B - Police Services Advisory Committee - First Monday of each month, 5pm - Meets at Sheriff Substation, 150 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
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Check out our new Digs and our Demonstration Kitchen! Sign up for our emails for Classes Special Promotions & Cooking Events
Alamo Ace Hardware |3211 Danville Blvd., Alamo | 925.837.2420 www.AlamoHardware.com
Chromatica Sings American Composers
Chromatica, a regional chorus recently dubbed “the undiscovered musical jewel of the East Bay,” will perform three concerts of music by American composers in April in Dublin, Danville, and Clayton Valley. The April 13th concert will be held at 7pm at Resurrection Lutheran Church, located at 7557 Amador Valley Boulevard, Dublin. On April 18th the show will be held at 7pm at Peace Lutheran Church, 3301 Camino Tassajara, Danville (a reception follows this concert), and on April 19th the show will be held at 7pm at Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church, 1578 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton. Building on its tradition of innovative and compelling programs, the American Composers Journey will include works from as early as the 19th century scholars Stephen Foster’s “Come where my love lies dreaming” and Dominic Argento’s haunting “Dover Beach Revisited.” Morton Lauridsen’s “Nocturnes” is a recognized masterwork in modern American choral music, including three pieces in French, Spanish and English, while Rene Clausen’s “Jabberwocky” is an idiosyncratic and beguiling piece based upon the Lewis Carroll poem. Chromatica will also perform Clausen’s “One if by Land, Two if by Sea,” a tribute to Paul Revere’s ride. Eric Whitacre’s hilarious Ogden Nash settings called “Animal Crackers” will have audiences laughing while Frank Ticheli’s “Earth Song” is a touching and heartfelt tribute to singing. The program also includes Moses Hogan’s classic (and rollicking) spiritual “My Soul’s Been Anchored in the Lord,” among other pieces. “This program illustrates the extraordinary richness and depth of American choral composing, ranging from the deeply serious to the lighthearted and entertaining. American composers continue to expand the boundaries of modern choral composition, and I’m delighted to share this program with our enthusiastic audiences. We are always looking for good, enthusiastic singers to join us on our musical journey,” says David Huff, Chromatica’s founding musical director. Tickets and information are available at www.chromaticachorale.org or from any member of Chromatica. Tickets may also be purchased at each location on the evening of the performance (cash or check only, please). Chromatica, a classical and contemporary chorus, was founded in 2011 and now includes 28 men and women singers. It seeks to perform challenging pieces at a high level of professionalism. Entrance to Chromatica is by audition.
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Alamo Today ~ March 2015 - Page 7
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Page 8 - March 2015 ~ Alamo Today
Stone Valley Middle School By Shaun K. McElroy, Principal SF Giants Pitcher Kicks Off Fight Against Hunger
On Tuesday February 10th, Jeremy Affeldt, SF Giants pitcher and Generation Alive founder spoke to our student body about the importance of meeting the needs of people suffering from food insecurity. Generation Alive is a non-profit movement of young people who respond to the needs of other young people - wherever, whenever, and however. Each of our students was given a collection bin to collect financial donations now through Monday, March 9 th. The donations will fund meals. Each meal costs 25 cents, and our school goal is to provide 50,000
meals. Generation Alive will return on March 24th to assist students in packaging meals that will be distributed to Tijuana, Mexico and the Bay Area Food Bank. To find out more about Generation Alive or our philanthropic partner Pledge to Humanity, visit www.generationalive.org or http://pledgetohumanity.org.
Facilities Information
Updated information on construction projects throughout the district can be found on the SRVUSD website at 足www.srvusd.net/cms/page_view?d= x&piid=&vpid=1346747333230. Contacts for the Stone Valley construction project are Gary Black, gblack@srvusd.net, Assistant Superintendent, Facilities & Operations, (925) 552-2960; Richard Lowell, rlowell@srvusd. k12.ca.us, Director, Facilities, (925) 552-2970; and Tina Perault, tperaul@ srvusd.k12.ca.us, Sr. Planning &Development Mgr., 925) 552-2969.
Farewell Alamo Community
With a heavy heart and countless irreplaceable memories, I have decided to leave the Alamo community and venture onto a larger educational stage. I have been fortunate to serve the San Ramon Valley School District for over 32 years, including an amazing 13+ years as principal at Stone Valley Middle School and another five years here teaching science. I am forever grateful for the time spent in your service. I will truly miss the support of our parents, the camaraderie of my colleagues, the warmth a nd e xpe r tise of the staff, and more than anything the children who have granted me a great life education. I am confident that our children will continue to thrive in a school district that is without rival in the state of California.
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Alamo Today ~ March 2015 - Page 9
Alamo Elementary School By Stan Hitomi, Principal The Village Grows
In education we recognize that it “takes a village” to provide our children with the resources and support they need to develop to their fullest potential. One of the concerns at Alamo School for many years has been the decreasing size of our village. From 2003 to 2010 we experienced a gradual decline in enrollment from 419 to a low of 297 students. It appears as though that trend is changing. Going into March this year, our enrollment went over 350 for the first time in nearly a decade! When I first arrived as principal at Alamo School in 2010 we had several empty classrooms and our staff was being spread very thin in regards to supervision and extra-curricular duties. Through the hard work of both parents and staff we were able to maintain the high-quality educational program that our community has become accustomed to. Alamo School has been recognized as a California Distinguished School three times and has been the recipient of the National Blue Ribbon Award three times as well (most of any school in the district). Our recent growth trend has been gradual, but has already resulted in two new classrooms, with a projection that Alamo will return to an enrollment of over 400 by 2020. We will still be smaller than the next smallest school by nearly 100 students, and far from 1,100+ students at other SRVUSD elementary schools. As we have seen in the past, being a small school has its challenges. However, those of us who have been here over the years recognize the many benefits. Many of those benefits will become evident this spring as we approach some of our long-time traditions and events that help to build our small, but strong community. This month we start off with our biggest event of the year, the Alamo Ed Fund Auction Gala on March 7th at the Round Hill Country Club. The event is sold out! New this year to the Auction will be a live band (Mad Karma), a Cotton Candy Bar and electronic bidding for the silent auction. I would like to put out the word that we are looking for volunteers to help that night. If you can help, please check out the link to the volunteer list on signup genius in the Mustang News or contact one of our auction co-chairs (Jenn Hoffmann, Carol Berkowitz, Michelle Bryan). March 20th is our Annual Alamo School Talent Show. This year’s theme is “Cheers to Fifty Years,” in recognition of Alamo School’s 50th Anniversary (1965-2015). The week of March 23-27 is our Spring Book Fair. This year’s Spring Book Fair will also include a Family Reading Night on March 24th and a Dad’s Donuts morning. Finally, Alamo School’s BIG Birthday Party is just around the corner. The date has been set for April 22nd. I will have more information about the celebration in next month’s letter. Congratulations to our newly elected Student Council Officers for the Spring. Claire Phillips is our Student Council President and Ella Economos is Vice President. Also elected were Ashton Galera for Secretary and Clare Middlemiss for Treasurer.
Rudgear Meadows Swim Team Open House and Ice Cream Social Sunday March 8th 3-5 pm at the RMST Pool 2400 Stewart Ave, Walnut Creek
Come join the fun & learn about our exciting swim program from Head Coach Kristi Raab Carnival Games/Prizes, Ice Cream, Snacks & More Families that sign up by March 31st get a $50 discount-Early Bird Discount Check out more information about our familyoriented swim team at www.rmstseals.org Alamo & Walnut Creek merge into one communitycome join the fun and GO SEALS!! Open to ages 3 - 18. No swim experience necessary. Night practices available for working parent convenience.
Rancho Romero Elementary School By Skye Larsh-Faraghan, Principal
Last month’s article mentioned that during the first week in February, Rancho Romero, along with the entire district, would participate in a project called Words Matter. Our school extended the work of the project to include the concept of ‘kindness.’ The Kindness Project continued throughout the month of February. One of the activi11 Critical Home Inspection Traps to be ties involved students in grades first through fifth writing about why kindness matters. Below is Aware of Weeks Before Listing Your just one of the many thoughtful and heartfelt pieces.
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Kindness Matters
You must show kindness – this is not a lie If you pass by someone – you must say hi Even if they are mean – they will stop If you are kind – your eyes will shine If someone uses mean words towards you And, it causes you to be mean back to them There is always another time to be kind If you are a bully – you can still fix it You can say sorry – be kind and not worry You can put a line on your face that will let people know that you have changed People will stop telling the teachers about what you did if you are kind You must find a way that will give you time to go \under the sun and have some fun No one can bother you – seeing that you have changed You must tell people that you are sorry If they don’t accept – it does not matter All that matters is you said something that matters – And, always remember, WORDS MATTER. By Ahyan Abassi, 3rd Grade
Page 10 - March 2015 ~ Alamo Today
San Ramon Valley High School By Ruth Steele, Principal
By the beginning of March, we are already starting to get ready for next school year. Over the next few weeks our counselors will be running parent information nights for each grade level. On March 10th and 11th we have Building Bridges Night for our incoming freshmen, and in March students will be signing up for classes for next year. It is a strange time of year because while we are still in the midst of this school year and working on many different projects, we are busy starting to plan for the next school year, and that’s a huge undertaking! Next year we will be running some new elective programs and some courses that we have not been able to offer before. These are listed in our course catalogue. If you are interested in looking through these, the course catalogue can be found in the middle of our website, www.srvhs.net. As many freshman parents are aware, we have started a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) pilot with 360 of our freshmen students. Our goal is to infuse technology into all classrooms over the next few years so that students have 1:1 access to laptops whenever they need them in class. At the present time we have carts of iPads and Chromebooks (Google based laptops) that teachers can check out and bring to the classrooms. We also have five computer labs. However, the demand for these resources is much greater than our current supply as many teachers are doing innovative research projects, Google-based projects, and other work that is much more effective when internet access is available. There are many great educational tools and apps online that we would like our students to be able to take advantage of in the classroom. Many of our middle school students are using this technology in 6th, 7th and 8th grades, and it’s critical that we are able to support the same rich learning environment at high school. The pilot is already showing some interesting patterns: • Students are writing more. • Students are more interested in the content being covered. The class time is being used more efficiently, and more can be done within a 55 minute period. • Students are more able to work at their own pace instead of the whole class needing to be at the same point at the same time. One of our goals is to continue getting feedback from teachers and students over the second semester to see what is working and what needs to be adjusted. For example, students have also shared that they remember concepts better when they write things down, so there is clearly a difference in information retention when students “think and write” versus “think and type.” We are excited to be pioneering this work at the high school level and figuring out how technology can be most effectively used to support students in their learning. There will be more updates to come as we continue with this initiative through June.
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Monte Vista High School By Janet Terranova, Principal
As we move into March, students are asked to begin class selection for the following year. The classrooms of today may look the same as they did 20 or 30 years ago, but the experiences students have in class are very different. Today students have the opportunity to choose from a wide array of required and elective courses. Engineering, Robotics, Sports Medicine, Biotechnology, or Game Art Design were likely not offered when you went to school. Many of us took Physics, but we did not take a PET class – Physics and Technology Together. Even required math, English, and social studies classes offer students choice. Seniors may select from five or six different English classes. Art classes include graphic arts and digital photography. Advanced Placement courses are varied and scattered throughout the disciplines. If you are helping a student choose classes for next year, urge them to challenge themselves but also urge them to take a class that sounds fun and interesting. Students are sometimes so focused on their GPA that they are afraid to take a risk with their classes. In March our 10th graders take the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) and our 9th graders take the Mock CAHSEE to prepare them for next year. All students must pass the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) to receive a high school diploma. State law, Education Code Section 60851, authorizes this graduation requirement. The purpose of the CAHSEE is to determine that graduates meet identified standards in reading, writing, and mathematics. Students must also meet the district requirements for graduation in order to earn a high school diploma. While our students traditionally score in the proficient range, our teachers will spend some time reviewing concepts and building student confidence. If you would like more information about Monte Vista High School, please visit our website at www.mvhs.schoolloop.com.
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Alamo Today ~ March 2015 - Page 11
3174 Danville Blvd., Suite 2, Alamo, CA 94507, (925) 837-6052 3174 Danville Blvd., Suite 2, Alamo, CA 94507, (925) 837-6052 3174 Danville Blvd., Suite 2, Alamo, CA 94507, (925) 837-6052
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Summer Jobs for Youth
are graduating unprepared for the world of work, with some not graduating at all. Employers complain about the skills gap; they can’t find qualified workers to fill available jobs. Meaningful work experiences can bridge this gap – and for youth, summer is the perfect time to gain those essential skills that will set them on a path toward success. In an effort to create summer youth employment and enrichment experiences, the Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County, in collaboration with Contra Costa Economic Partnership and the Diablo Gateways to Innovation Consortium, recently introduced “Earn & Learn East Bay.” The goal for Earn & Learn East Bay is to connect hundreds of youth ages 16-21 to summer jobs, internships and other high-quality work-based learning experiences, such as industry-lead summer camps. To create these opportunities, the Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County and the Contra Costa Economic Partnership rely largely on the support of local employers and community-based organizations. Employers and organizations can help by hosting a summer internship or work-based learning opportunity for one or more youth, sponsor a youth for a summer experience at a rate of $1,500 per participant, or encourage colleagues to host a work-based learning opportunity. Benefits to employer partners include the opportunity to build a future workforce; the chance to showcase their industry and organization, including positive publicity as a partner supporting Earn & Learn East Bay (through publications, website, news media and special events); and the ability to have a direct impact on strengthening communities in the East Bay region. If you are a youth (age 16-21) or the parent of a youth and are interested in learning more about Earn & Learn East Bay, email wdb@ehsd.cccounty.us. To participate as an employer, or for more information about Earn and Learn East Bay, visit www.wdbccc.com/youth or call (925) 602-6800. My office is here to serve the residents of Contra Costa County District 2, which includes San Ramon, Danville, Alamo, Walnut Creek, Saranap, Parkmead, Lafayette, Moraga, Canyon, and Orinda. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if we can provide you with additional information on this topic or on other County issues. I can be reached at SupervisorAndersen@bos.cccounty.us or (925) 957-8860.
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By Supervisor Candace Andersen
Do you remember your first summer job? Mine was at the Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor in Kahala Mall in Honolulu, where I worked in the kitchen filling ice cream orders. Besides being taught how to scoop a perfectly round ball of ice cream and slice a banana while still in its peel, I learned the importance of being responsible and on time, the satisfaction that came from working hard, and how to appropriately manage the money I earned. Aside from keeping teenagers out of trouble during the break from school and providing a supplemental income, summer jobs present our youth with so many life lesson opportunities. Summer jobs provide hands-on career and technical skills as well as life skills, such as communication, collaboration, and critical thinking. Summer jobs can create a great environment to learn networking and relationshipbuilding skills, as well as facilitate mentorships with industry professionals. Youth with jobs also gain newfound confidence in their skills and abilities. However, recent reports show that fewer American teenagers are now engaged in the workforce than before. The numbers have been dropping steadily since 2000, when 45% of 16 to 19-year olds held jobs. In 2013, just 25% of Americans, ages 16 to 19, were in the workforce. These trends apply also to summertime employment, which is unfortunate, because according to research, teenagers who work in high school have wages 10 to 15% higher than their peers after college graduation. The decline is due to the reality that many teenagers are simply unable to find jobs today. More teens are enrolling in summer school and pre-college enrichment programs as well as playing sports year-round. Some teens use their time in the summer to do volunteer work or participate in unpaid internships with the goal of building their resumes. As our economy rebounds from the Great Recession, unemployment rates are at their lowest level in seven years, and the future is bright. But now more than ever, Americans must compete for jobs in a global economy, and we have to make sure our youth are ready to compete for those jobs. At the same time, many youth
Page 12 - March 2015 ~ Alamo Today
Chateau Carolands By Linda Summers Pirkle
Downton Abbey, the Emmy award winning TV series about the fictional English aristocratic Crawley family in the early 1900’s, is known for great acting, writing, and costumes. I look forward to the weekly installments of the adventures of the Crawley family and their servants; my personal favorite of the “downstairs help” is the hard working Lady’s maid, Anna, who lovingly calls her husband “Mr. Bates.” Besides the great story telling, the show’s mansion, Downton, with its beautiful rooms, art work, and furniture as well as graceful views of the English countryside, is gorgeous. According to a recent documentary (The Heiress and Her Chateau, Carolands of California) Carolands mansion is America’s version of Downton Abbey. I had the good fortune to be on the inaugural tour for the general public, and I agree Carolands is indeed exquisite! Carolands is an example of American Renaissance and Beaux-Arts design and is a designated California Historical Landmark. It was built by Harriett Pullman Carolan (1869-1956) between the years 1913 and 1915, has 98 rooms, and is 67,000 square feet. The majestic Carolands mansion rises above lovely residential homes in a tony Hillsborough neighborhood.
From the moment our tour started, I was drawn into the fascinating story of Carolands as our guide Paul Price wove history and architecture into incredibly interesting stories; his passion was evident. Harriett Pullman Carolan, heiress to the Pullman Railway fortune, had very distinct ideas for Carolands, her California home. In 1912, she purchased 554 acres of land south of San Francisco, hired a renowned French architect, and created a home that today stands the test of time with modern conveniences and timeless beauty. Harriett’s love of light and fresh air is evident in the spacious and bright home. Paul explained, “The fresh air intake, a large oval opening, is both decorative and very important to the mechanical workings of the house. The architect, Ernest Sanson, designed the building with the finest and most modern technology in mind. Air is drawn in through the intake, filtered, and (on most days) heated, and distributed throughout the house. The last private owner of Carolands, Mrs. Johnson, had the entire system replaced, but some of the modern heating units are still using this opening as a source of fresh air.” Each room we toured (except the library which has low lighting to protect the collection of books) from the magnificent entry way to the two story butler’s pantry is cheery and full of light. The staircase, known as the “Main Staircase,” is a showpiece. Paul explained, “The staircase goes from the first floor to the third floor, and at the top it has an oval skylight which shines soft natural light to the base of the staircase. Each step is made of carved Hauteville limestone, imported from France. The steps are carved to be either convex or concave and are very beautiful in proportion and shape.” The visit lasted two hours, and our guide Paul jokingly said an eight hour tour would be needed to see the whole house. Unlike many tours in grand homes where ropes cordon off beautiful spaces, we were able to enter each room and rest along the way on comfy couches and chairs; almost each stop had ample seating for our group of twelve. The view from the many windows looking out onto the beautiful lawn and pools of Carolands was delightful. At the end of our stay, in true Downton Abbey style, our wonderful guide Paul, with a smile and slight bow extended his wishes to each one of us for a safe journey home. Carolands is located at 565 Remillard Drive, Hillsborough. Their website is www.carolands.org. Reservations can be made online and are offered once per week on Wednesday from 2PM-4PM. Tours are free and fill up quickly. To share your “Quick Trips” ideas email Coverthemap@gmail.com.
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Meals on Wheels
Seniors in your community need your support! Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach Services has been supporting seniors in YOUR neighborhood since 1968. Two of our programs, Meals on Wheels and Friendly Visitors, rely on the support of volunteers, and we need your help now more than ever. Meals on Wheels volunteer drivers deliver meals to local homebound seniors through regular two hour shifts once per week or as substitute drivers. Friendly Visitors volunteers provide weekly one-hour companionship visits to isolated seniors. To volunteer for either program, please call (925)937-8311.
Cinema Classics By Peggy Horn
The Miracle Worker
This month’s Cinema Classic is, The Miracle Worker, (1962) starring Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke. The film was preceded by a play of the same name, and both the play and the film were based on the autobiography of Helen Keller from 1903 entitled, The Story of My Life. The play premiered on Broadway in 1959 and starred Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke as in the movie. Prior to writing this column I read The Story of My Life, and I tremendously admired the beauty and eloquence in the way the story was told and the subject matter it presented. For humility and appreciation of life, even without sight or hearing, few authors can compare with Helen Keller and her extraordinary imagination and writing ability! The plot consists of a series of events that actually happened in Helen’s life, including the account of the sickness that took away her sight and hearing, and how her teacher, Annie Sullivan, rescued her from the darkness of a world without words. It is a tribute to Helen’s intelligence that she was able to grasp language at all since, by the time she was learning it, she was already seven. Miss Duke was fifteen when she played the role of Helen Keller. It is a difficult film to watch, especially knowing it is true. Nevertheless, it is a film worth watching. The acting is superb and the story is uplifting. There are even humorous scenes in which Helen plays little tricks on her teacher, exhibiting her clever wit. Oh, I wish that every movie could be so beneficial and worthy of our time.
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Alamo Today ~ March 2015 - Page 13
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Sustainable Danville Area Tip of the Month
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Ode to the Earthworm By Cynthia Ruzzi, President Sustainable Danville Area
I take the week’s kitchen scraps to my backyard compost bin and lift the lid. It’s a party! My local earthworms have been happily burrowing in and out of my family’s food scraps, and now they’re wiggling around on top of a lovely dark hummus as if to say, “Hey look what I did for you.” Grateful, I deposit their fresh meal of food scraps – satisfied that I have contributed to the complex balance of keeping carbon in check on our planet. When you deposit leftover food into your garbage pail you contribute to the number one item in our landfills. Unfortunately, food scraps piles not exposed to oxygen decompose producing methane, which is a greenhouse gas responsible for trapping heat in the atmosphere. Additionally the breakdown of food scraps in a landfill produces an acidic liquid residue called leachate which can seep into our ground water. Think feeding your food scraps to your kitchen garbage disposal is a better option? Besides the precious water wasted getting those pesky leftovers down the drain, there are also the solids that are screened out at the entrance to your waste treatment plant that are trucked off to the landfill, where once again in the absence of oxygen, you get…methane. Of course there’s more energy and chemicals used to dissolve the solids that do make it into the plant – which then turns them to…yes, you’ve got it - methane. Some facilities are turning methane into power for their facilities, but doesn’t that just seem like a vicious cycle? Let’s face it - compost happens. It’s just a question of whether you and your garden benefit from it. It’s a great time to consider composting in your yard. Spring growth, the remains of winter leaves, and even newspapers provide plenty of material to give composting a great start! Composting will transform leaves and other yard waste into a high quality soil amendment that will invigorate your garden. When we compost, we are simply replicating a natural process that is going on all around us. Soils are continually replenished by nutrient-rich dead grasses and leaves as they decompose on
their own. Add your leftover food scraps – except meat, cheese, oils, and citrus fruits – and you’ll be participating in one of nature’s great wonders. Many residents assume it is too much work to do their own composting. Nothing could be further from the truth! Typically, composting requires less than 15 minutes of time every two weeks and will yield finished compost in as little as four months. Here is a simple, low effort method for composting using a compost bin. When building a compost pile, use equal amounts of fresh yard waste (high nitrogen content) and old, dry yard waste (high carbon content). Mix these materials together as they go into your bin, and add lots of water! Once composting has started, the material in your bin will begin to get warm or even hot. This is a positive sign that aerobic decomposition has started. Turn or agitate the composting yard waste once every ten to fourteen days to help with faster decomposition. The water content should be moist, not wet. At this point it’s fine to add food scraps buried under a layer of material in the bin. After a few months most of what has been added will look like dark brown, fluffy soil. This indicates that the compost process is done, and the finished compost is ready to be distributed around your yard. Don’t have the space or interest in a backyard compost bin? Starting March 2015, residents of Alamo, Danville, Diablo, and Blackhawk will be able to add food scraps directly into their yard waste cart. Because our new waste provider uses a different method to process food scraps and yard waste into compost, you can even add items like bones, cheese, meat, fish, and egg shells to the bin. Contact your provider for a free kitchen container that can be used to collect your food scraps during the week. The tight fitting lids will eliminate smells in between trips to your yard waste bin. For more details, visit RecycleSmart (formerly Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority) at http://www.wastediversion.org/app_pages/view/251. Either method you choose will help grow wonderful fruits, vegetables, and nuts – and our worms will thank you. We’d love to see a picture of you and your compost bin, so join us on Facebook and post a picture at www.facebook. com/sustainabledanville or send it to us at sustainabledanville@gmail.com. SAVE THE DATE: The 5th Annual Town of Danville Earth Day Event is scheduled for Sunday, April 19th, 11am-3pm, at the Town Green which is located at 400 Front Sheet.
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Page 14 - March 2015 ~ Alamo Today
Wine Pairings - Good and Bad By Monica Chappell
To make sense of the best wine pairings, it helps to recognize the worst wine pairings, too. Here are a few pairing to look for on your quest for the perfect pairing.
Champagne
Sparkling wines are eminently food-friendly. Bubbles wake up the taste buds! Champagne, specifically, is blended from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and the lesser-known Pinot Meunier, which are all fairly easy to pair on their own, too. Worst Pairing: Chocolate Cake - A frequent wine-pairing mistake: cake and bubbly. The Champagne is relatively tart, the cake is super-sweet, and it’s like World War III in your mouth. Best Pairing: Spicy Asian noodle and chicken salad. Champagne, when light, dry, and acidic, elegantly cuts through the spices in Asian food; dishes with nuts bring out the nutty flavors in the sparkling wine.
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Sauvignon Blanc
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc wins over fans with its tart brilliance and is a good example of the bold, grapefruit-’n’-grass style that works with many dishes, but not all of them. Worst Pairing: Brussels sprouts, blue cheese, and pecan salad. Blue cheese is tough with any wine—and the slightly sweet pecans make the wine taste more tart than it really is. You can’t have two bold flavors competing. Best Pairing: Seared Sea Bass with fresh herbs and lemon. This dish has the same citrus and herb profile as the wine, but complementary tastes as well.
Pinot Noir
Ever since the movie Sideways, Pinot Noir has been riding a wave of popularity as the easy-drinking light red. It’s hard to find anyone who doesn’t like a fruity, lower-tannin wine with a sight hint of earthiness, but that doesn’t mean it can go with everything. Worst Pairing: Chicken with tarragon vinegar sauce. The herb vinegar in this dish dampens the wine’s fruitiness. Like sprinkling tarragon over roses. Pinots clash with acidic dishes. Best Pairing: Chicken thighs with squash, yams, and apricots. Any dish with mild, even flavors like this one with fruit and sweet veggies will bring out Pinot’s essential flavors.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Big Cabs are the giants of the wine world. Be careful, or they will stomp all over your menu. I love them for their berry-filled exuberance, but fear their chewy tannins. Worst Pairing: Pan-seared petrale sole with winter vegetables. Filet of sole, like flounder or any white flaky fish, is delicate, and will not only get lost, it will sour when it hits Cab’s dense texture. Best Pairing: Rib-eye steaks in red wine sauce. Red wine and beef is a classic match, but the addition of soy sauce, which helps soften tannins, makes the match that much better. Monica Chappell teaches wine appreciation classes in Lafayette. For a class schedule visit www.wineappreciation101.blogspot.com.
Vespers: Music for Evening Prayers
Diablo Choral Artists (formerly Voices of Musica Sacra), directed by Mark Tuning, presents “Vespers: Music for Evening Prayers,” featuring Stanford’s and Byrd’s Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis, Pergolesi’s Magnificat and Handel’s Dixit Dominus with stringed orchestra. Shows will be held March 13, at 8pm, at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 1924 Trinity Avenue, Walnut Crrek, and March 15, at 3pm at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 1650 Ygnacio Valley Rd., Walnut Creek. Details and ticket information are available at www.vmschorus.org, info@dcachorus.org. St. Isidore School students decided to “Go GOLD”: Give Out Love Deliberately. The 7th and 8th grade students planned a service project that focused on a work of mercy they were passionate about, identified a need in society, researched and learned about this need, and carried out a plan of action--Giving Out Love Deliberately! Some of the projects included packaging food for Kids Against Hunger, gathering clothes for 1 Closet, assisting at several local retirement communities, anonymously sending games and bracelets to various children’s hospitals, and making numerous donations to various charities and organizations. Many of the students have decided to continue their service to the community. St. Isidore members are proud of and inspired by these students and the myriad of service they provided to the community.
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Scottish Country Dancing
Every Thursday evening, year-round (except Thanksgiving day) come dance! No partner is required and no Scottish ancestry is required. Adult beginner classes for Scottish Country Dancing take place each week with free lessons at 8PM. More experienced dancers also begin at 8PM. Once a month Ceilidh dancing will take place as well. Dancing will be held at the Danville Grange, located at 743 Diablo Rd in Danville. All dance nights are drop-in. The first beginner lesson is free, afterwards the cost is $8/night or $6/night if attending a 10-week session paid in advance. Call Witsie at (925) 676-3637 or Kathleen at (925) 934-6148 for more information. For children’s classes ages 7 and up, please contact Cathy at (925) 284-9068 for dates and fees.
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Concert to Feature Czech Composers, Folk Songs, and Fairy Tales
The Gold Coast Chamber Players are proud to present their third concert of the 2014-15 season, Czech Mix. The concert will be held on Saturday, March 14 at 7:30PM at the Lafayette Library Community Hall, 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd. in Lafayette. A pre-concert talk with musicologist Kai Christiansen will start the evening at 7PM. Antonin Dvorak, Leos Janacek, and Josef Suk are among the most famous Czech composers of the 19th century. Dvorak’s “Bagatelles for String Trio” and “Harmonium” were written for a home performance among friends and family and are charmingly accessible. The harmonium, a reed organ once common in 19th century music, adds a rich but subtle tone to the string melodies. “Pohadka (Fairy Tale) for Cello and Piano” was inspired by a Russian epic poem, “The Tale of Tsar Berendey” by Vasily Zhukovsky. The dramatic cello represents the young Prince Ivan, and the lyrical piano represents the beautiful Marya, daughter of Kaschei, ruler of the Underworld. In a series of evocative tableaux, Ivan and Marya fall in love, endure trials, and achieve happiness. Josef Suk’s “Piano Quartet” is at times dramatic, lyrical, triumphant, and deeply expressive. It is the perfect keystone to this Bohemian program. Highly acclaimed Chicago-based pianist Yana Reznik will perform on Czech Mix. Ms. Reznik has appeared regularly with Gold Coast Chamber Players since 2012, and her exquisite musicality has captivated audiences. The Gold Coast Chamber Players are known for their engaging and vibrant performances. Audiences have been responding with such enthusiasm that tickets are in great demand. Ticket price includes complimentary champagne, a pre-concert talk at 7PM, and a reception with the musicians following the performance. Tickets are available at www. gcplayers.org and by phone at (925) 283-3728. Seating is limited, so please reserve early. Yana Reznik
Alamo Today ~ March 2015 - Page 15
Back by Popular Demand: The 4th Annual Westside Alamo Neighborhood Yard Sale Saturday, May 2, 2015 9am to 1pm Please RSVP by April 18 to:
www.TheAlamo Channel.com Sponsored by:
Andrea Scott Alain Pinel Realtors 925.788.9374 Andrea@apr.com TheAlamochannel.com
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The Blackhawk Republican Women Present Senator Jim Brulte (Ret.)
On March 11, the Blackhawk Republican Women present Senator Jim Brulte (Ret.), Chairman of California’s Republican Party, introduced by The Honorable Catharine B. Baker, California State Assembly, 16th District. A V.I.P. reception with Chairman Brulte and elected officers will be followed by dinner and Jim Brulte speaking on The Republican Resurgence in California. The event will take place at the Blackhawk Country Club, Lakeside Ballroom, 599 Blackhawk Club Dr. in Danville. Check-in and V.I.P reception (no extra cost) will start at 5:30 and be followed by dinner and speaker Jim Brulte. The cost is $40. “Over the last 15 years, there has been no more enduring force in California Republican politics than Jim Brulte” ~ Capitol Weekly Obviously, California Republicans agree. Elected as Chairman of the California GOP with 25 years ServingAlamo&Danville Since 1979! of fulltime experience in politics and government, Chairman Brulte’s strategies resulted in RepubliJUMPSTART the 2015 POOL SEASON! cans breaking the Democrat supermajority in the Upgrade Your Pool Equipment State legislature. Enjoy this unique opportunity to Remodel your Pebble, Tile, and Coping! meet personally during our V.I.P. reception and to FREE ESTIMATES hear from this experienced politician about how the party can replicate the recent Republican victories, Make sure your pool/spa is Drain Cover Safe (Virginia Graeme Baker - VGB compliant). like Catharine Baker’s, and make California golden In-house diver can replace your drain covers. Best prices year-round. once again! Please make your reservations with a check made payable to “Blackhawk Republican Women,” Install a Pentair Intelliflo pump and as well as any cancellations, by Monday, March 9th save $100 monthly on your energy with Marianne Lyons, 856 Turrini Drive, Danville bill and get a $100 rebate from PG&E. 94526, rlyons1009@sbcglobal.net or (925) 8206452. All are welcome. No denim, please, per Blackhawk Country Club policy.
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Page 16 - March 2015 ~ Alamo Today
PATIO FURNITURE & firepits early bird Special Order sale AN ADDITIONAL 10% OFF & NO SALES TAX
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Alamo Today ~ March 2015 - Page 17
AT
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Page 18 - March 2015 ~ Alamo Today
Spring Pruning
By Blaine Brende & Joe Lamb
Once again, it’s that time of year when the landscape grows lush, beautiful... and out of control. At Brende & Lamb, we prune to balance the practical with the aesthetic. When our clients ask us to restore their views, bring more light into their gardens, and reduce fire hazards, we do our best to keep their screening intact and to protect their privacy. At the same time, we work hard to enhance the natural beauty of their trees. Balancing your tree care needs are skills we’ve developed over decades of caring for trees.
Aesthetic Pruning
Each plant has a natural growth pattern. Aesthetic pruning accentuates the shape given the plant by nature, and good pruning creates a light and open feeling. A well pruned plant enhances the observer’s experience by accentuating the interplay of light and shadow, open spaces and denser spaces, and the sculptural elements revealed in a tree’s trunk and branch. The first step in aesthetic pruning is to see the flow of the tree. We begin by looking at the base of the trunk, and then we let our eyes follow the trunk upward into the branches and out to the branch tips. We notice how the flow of the branches determines the tree’s form. The form may be weeping, as with Willows and Chinese Elms. Perhaps, as with Monterey Cypress, the branches form at acute angles to the trunk, giving the tree an upswept look. Or the branches may bend and twist, forming complex arcs, as does the Coast Live Oak. Within these patterns, each tree has its own unique form and flow.
Pruning and Size Reduction
It is important to prune in a manner that does not harm the health of the tree. When thinning a pine, for example, it is important not to strip the major branches of their smaller branches, a practice called “lion-tailing” which leaves a branch denuded except for foliage at the end. Lion-tailing increases the chance of branch failure by concentrating the weight at the branch tips.
A healthier tree, and more subtly beautiful look, is achieved by thinning to highlight the spaces or “layers” in a tree’s natural patterns. Removing diseased wood, and removing or reducing crossing branches that interrupt the natural flow, lets in more light and air, encouraging interior growth and overall health. Careful pruning can increase desired screening over time by encouraging interior growth.
Aesthetic View Work
In view work, the beauty of the view and the beauty of the tree often seem to be in conflict. Some tree-workers will sacrifice the tree for the view by “topping” the tree. Topping is almost always a bad idea. “Topping” creates a dense re-growth in “water-sprouts” that is unsightly. But more than the tree’s beauty is at stake here. Topping wounds the tree and promotes disease, including heart rot, and can make the tree dangerous. The water-sprouts on a topped tree are not deeply anchored in the trunk and are subject to failure in high winds. Add in the fact that these sprouts may be anchored onto a rotting trunk, and you have a safety problem that gets worse over time. Responsible arborists do not top trees. Removing a tree, perhaps replacing it with a smaller variety that can be kept out of the view, is usually preferable to beheading it. Looking at tree and view as two elements that complement each other can often solve view problems. Sometimes, lightly bringing the tree back without cutting into major branches can prevent further encroachment on the view. To open even more of the view, we create windows by selectively removing branches not essential for the tree’s natural form. We can enlarge these windows by removing branchlets that rise or drop into the view. Thinning above and below the window creates a feeling of openness, rather than a gaping hole. The image formed by Mt. Diablo framed by the trembling leafs of a well-windowed tree proves that nature and civilization can complement each other. If your trees need a little TLC, 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
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Life in the Alamo Garden
Alamo Today ~ March 2015 - Page 19
A Garden Experience By John Montgomery, ASLA, Landscape Architect
We long to connect with nature to rejuvenate, relax, recreate, and redeem ourselves. A garden is one of those places that has the gift to touch all of our human senses: sight, smell, touch, sound, and taste. Wandering through a beautifully designed Alamo garden allows the senses to be stimulated by the wonderful visuals, fragrances, textures, sounds, and tastes that nature can offer. One of the key elements to creating a gorgeous garden is to intentionally stimulate our human experience through our senses. Sight is the primary sense in distinguishing the beauties of a garden. All the elements of a garden; plants, paths, structures, water, fire, and lawn; form the visual scenery. Color, texture, balance, form, and composition are the visual scales that our sight measures the landscape with. Sight is the very sense by which a great garden design flourishes. It gives our eyes pleasure by offering interest to spur the imagination, color to dazzle, texture to distinguish, composition to sooth, scale for a sense of place, balance to nurture, and form to define. Call for details
925.939.8300 solartechnologies.com Lic. #932914
The sense of smell in the garden is such a delight! Remember the delicate fragrances of apple and orange blossoms, irises, and mock orange? The old favorites are the more overwhelming scents of rose, jasmine, gardenia, winter-blooming daphne, and lavender. The scents so often not at the forefront of the nose are newly cultivated soil, tomatoes, decomposing leaves, compost, manure, and sprinkler water when it settles on the dry dirt. Even though these smells add to your experience, they are not very often planned for. Give your garden design a good smattering of fragrances throughout that will dazzle the old sense of smell both day and night. Touch seems to be the sense we don’t often intentionally think about when planning a garden. We think primarily about our sight, secondarily about our smell, and lastly about sound. Touch adds a whole new world of sensuality to a garden. Hold out the palm of your hand to brush through a clump of wind grass (Nasella tenuissima), dip your hot tired feet into a cooling pond, walk barefoot through the cool grass, feel the warmth of the sun’s rays, and refresh under the shade of a red sunset maple (Acer rubrum ‘Red Sunset’). Allowing your body to feel the environment gives you a sense of place and reality. Touch brings you to your senses and brings your experience to you. Design elements should beckon your touch. Let the branches hang over the path to reach out and touch you. Provide leaves with texture, flowers with interest, and bark with coarseness to coax the touch. Go quietly into a well designed garden and listen. What do you hear? The sound of honey bees buzzing, the rustle of leaves in the breeze, the crunch of gravel under your step, and the chirping songs of birds can be deliberate design elements. Plantings provide everything necessary for bird and insect music. The breeze will do its magic in the trees and grasses without effort. Sound brings a sense of rejuvenation to our experience in the garden. Nothing sooths the senses more than the sound of trickling water. Water elements are the most common way to add the sense of sound to your garden. A water element needs deliberate design. Its placement, size, and particular sound play an important role in a successful garden. The sound of water serves many purposes. Most of us in the area can hear the freeway at one time of the day or another. The sound of water can create “white noise” to veil the road noise. Trickling water will be a much more desired sound than the hectic rush of cars, trucks, and motorcycles. The sense of taste has to be my favorite. To reap the harvest of what can be grown in ourAlamo sunbelt has to be the most fulfilling of the senses. Vine ripened tomatoes, fresh juicy peaches, sweet red strawberries, apples, pears, lettuce, chard, green beans, corn, onions, peppers, and rosemary are all successful treats grown inAlamo. Thanks to our wonderfully warm climate and long growing season, an abundance of garden treats can be added in any garden. Not only are the tastes exquisite, but they are attractive. The silver-gray of artichokes among the plantings add pizzazz! The abundance of fruits and vegetables growing in your garden brings an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment. You don’t need a lot, just some. There’s nothing better than stepping out of your kitchen and into your garden for fresh rosemary, tomatoes, or artichokes. Just because you grew it in your garden it tastes better. Your garden is solely experienced through your five senses. The five senses when intentionally applied to our design process truly add another element of design to your garden experience. A hot tip from your local Landscape Architect: If you are planning a new garden, make a list of each of the five senses. Under each sense list what you would like to experience in your new garden. Gardening Quote of the Month: “The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses.” ~Hanna Rion If you would like me to write on any particular subject, email your ideas to jmontgomery@jm-la. Advertorial com. For design ideas, visit www.jm-la.com.
Page 20 - March 2015 ~ Alamo Today
Clip Notes
By Jody Morgan
Victoria regia refused to bloom. Despite having been named for the Queen and treated like royalty, the giant water lily found England a totally inhospitable environment. Seeds delivered in 1836 from her home habitat, the backwaters of the Amazon River, did sprout at the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew in London, but none thrived. Finally, on August 3, 1849, Joseph Paxton adopted a small specimen with four leaves. The largest measured 5.5 inches in diameter. The Queen’s namesake breathed an expansive sigh of relief when she reached Chatsworth where Paxton had been Head Gardener for the past 23 years. The 12-foot square heated tank he’d prepared gave her space to grow. By October 1st, her largest leaf was 4 feet in diameter, and a month later it was over five feet. On the evening of November 11th, Paxton traveled to Windsor, bringing Queen Victoria the water lily’s first huge blossom and a gargantuan leaf. Back at Chatsworth, seven-year-old Annie Paxton basked in the admiration of visitors come to view this horticultural wonder as she demonstrated the strength of Victoria regia’s floating foliage by standing on a leaf. Paxton’s daughter was in no danger of soaking her fashionable frock when she posed on the lily pad. Capable of reaching seven feet in diameter, fully grown leaves of the species now known as Victoria amazonica can support up to 300 pounds. An intricate web of crisscrossing hollow ribs on the bottom surface of the pads provides both strength and buoyancy. The giant water lily’s flowers can be as big as a soccer ball and open only in the low light of evening. The first night the blossom is white and sweetly scented with a pineapple-like fragrance irresistible to the beetles that pollinate it. The flowers can also heat their interiors to present an inviting sanctuary. Trapped inside overnight, the beetles emerge covered in pollen the following evening to seek another white flower as the now rose-colored second-night blossom releases them. On the third evening, the flower fades away. Armed for environmental combat, Victoria amazonica is not an endangered species. The green upper face of the leaves is smooth, but their maroon underside
Rec continued from front page
non-residents for each sport. More than 600 Alamo residents responded to a mail survey sent to every Alamo resident in spring 2011 and the most popular recreational activities chosen by survey respondents were bocce ball, senior exercise classes, day trips for seniors, and youth sports for children too young to sign up for organized sports. This survey served as the basis for the classes chosen for the new rec program. As for bocce ball, the MAC has approved plans to install two bocce ball courts at Livorna Park in the space currently occupied by the sand volleyball courts. The bocce ball courts will be funded by approximately $750,000 from the Measure WW bond passed by East Bay Regional Parks District voters in November 2008. The Alamo MAC was formed in 2009, and as part of its charter assumed the advisory functions for County Service Area R-7, the Alamo Parks District. Alamo Parks are funded with an approximately 2% allocation from the 1% property tax. This means if you own an Alamo house assessed at $1 million, you are paying total property taxes of around $10,000 per year of which 2% or $200 is allocated to Alamo parks. With total assessed values for all Alamo homes in the R-7 District approaching $5 billion, the 2% allocation added up to $900,000 in property tax revenue to the Alamo Parks District in fiscal year 2013-2014 and an estimated $1 million in 2014-2015. This revenue can legally only be spent on parks and recreation services in Alamo, with the advice of the Alamo Municipal Advisory Council to the County Board of Supervisors. Currently, Alamo property taxes support five parks: Hap Magee Ranch Park, jointly owned with the Town of Danville; Livorna Park; Andrew H. Young Park, the “pocket park” in downtown Alamo across from the Bank of America; and the Alamo School Park and Rancho Romero Park, both of which were developed with R-7 funding but are maintained by the SRV School District. Last year the County, at the request of the Alamo MAC, acquired a 0.7 acre parcel at the corner of Hemme Way and Danville Boulevard for the purpose of creating a trail side park adjacent to the Iron Horse Trail. Based on several months of public input, the MAC unanimously passed a motion
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is spiked with thorns that discourage predators from taking a taste. Notched in two places to allow rainwater to drain, the rims around the pads offer additional protection against nibbling nuisances. The son of a tenant farmer, Paxton made up for what he lacked in formal education with extensive on-the-job experience. Having created what was then the world’s largest greenhouse in 1837, Paxton was quick to read the message in the giant water lily’s leaves. Taking a cue from the radiating cantilevers bolstered by thinner cross-braces on the flipside of Victoria’s foliage, Paxton built her a home that required only a few cast-iron supports for the expansive glass roof. Hollow like Victoria’s leaf ribs, the columns drained rainwater to the ground. Completed in April 1850, the lily house offered not only heat and light, but also a system supplying a continuous gentle current mimicking the action of the plant’s native waters. Boldly applying the engineering adaptation suggested by the Queen’s namesake on a much grander scale, Paxton bested 245 others in the competition to design a building for London’s Great Exhibition of 1851, the first international fair for manufactured products. Time was of the essence. Paxton’s Crystal Palace was erected in only eight months, but covered 18 acres of Hyde Park with 900,000 square feet of glass. Tall enough to enclose towering elm trees, the hall so successfully demonstrated the superiority of British technology that Queen Victoria knighted Paxton in October when the exhibit closed. How had Paxton managed to get a structure that large erected in just eight months? He had modular sections constructed off-site, thus introducing the world to the concept of pre-fabricated buildings. The Great Exhibition ran from May 1 – October 11, 1851. Easily disassembled into its component parts, the Crystal Palace was reassembled at another London site where it stood until destroyed by fire in 1836. Sir Joseph Paxton began his career as a 15-year-old garden boy. Having subsequently obtained a position at the Horticultural Society’s Gardens, he caught the attention of William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire, who hired him as Head Gardener for his Chatsworth Estate in 1823. Paxton’s talent and diligence in showcasing the Duke’s extensive horticultural collections became legendary in Victorian England. Paxton’s earliest mentors were plants. His keen observation of their attributes, assets, and needs secured his success. giving the County direction on the park elements desired by the community. A preliminary site plan should be available for public review at the April 7 MAC meeting. The Alamo MAC meets at 6pm on the first Tuesday every month at the Alamo Women’s Center. If you want to stay informed of all MAC matters via an email distribution list, please contact Jen Quallick, Field Representative for Supervisor Andersen at jen.quallick@bos.cccounty.us. To register for the new Alamo rec programs, visit www.alamorec.org. Registration can also be done over the phone with a credit card by calling 925-687-8900. Registration for the adult programs is open now but the youth sports programs will not be available for registration until March 14.
Ruth Bancroft Garden’s Annual Spring Plant Sale
Shake off the winter blues with the Ruth Bancroft Garden’s annual Spring Plant Sale. The sale is the Bay Area’s best source for drought tolerant plants, succulents, cacti, California natives, and members of the Protea family from Australia and South Africa. Featured succulents include Agaves, Aloes, Echeverias, including gems propagated from the Garden’s plants, some dating back to Ruth’s original collection. The Garden’s expert staff, docents, and nursery propagators will provide insider tips and tricks to planting a stunning garden that looks great all year long with less irrigation than a lawn. Unique garden related gifts and books will also be available. The sale will take place from Saturday, April 11 through Thursday, April 16 . Saturday • Member’s Only Sale: 9AM -11AM (memberships available at the door) • Public sale: 11AM – 3PM There will be free admission all day and the garden will be open until 4pm. Docent-led tours will be held at 11AM and 1PM. Sunday – Thursday • The public sale continues 10AM - 4PM each day The Ruth Bancroft Garden is located at 1552 Bancroft Road in Walnut Creek. For more information, please visit www.ruthbancroftgarden.org or call (925) 944-9352.
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Taking Care of Your Pool
Alamo Today ~ March 2015 - Page 21
By Mike Hennigan, Pure Pool Solutions
Many homeowners are unaware of the latest pool innovations developed to save pool owners a significant amount of money as well as make their pool safer and more enjoyable. A single speed pool pump can draw the equivalent of twenty, 100-watt light bulbs! Proper pool filtration normally requires running the pump for four hours a day. It is easy to see how a pool pump can be the most expensive household appliance to run. A variable speed pump can reduce power consumption to the equivalent of three 100-watt light bulbs and improve water filtration at the same time! How can this be done? The principle for this savings is two things. One, the pump utilizes the latest technology in efficiency and a principle called the “Pump Affinity Law.” The law states, if a pump is run at half speed, it consumes 1/8th the power of a pump running at full speed. Older pumps have two speeds, “off” and “on.” When the pump is turned on, it runs at full speed, 3,450 RPMs. A variable speed pump allows us to tune the pump to the minimum operational RPMs for that specific pool, usually in the 1,500 to 1,800 range. This also improves filtration since the water is moving through the filter slower and with less force. How great are the savings? Our customers are reporting $100 to $200 a month in savings. This makes the return on investment less than one year! For a pool without a spa, variable speed pumps start at less than $1,000 with the $100 PG&E cash rebate. For pools that use a booster pump to drive the pool cleaner, there is a new pump on the market that offers a 30% reduction in operating costs. LED lights are now available for replacement lights on older pools. They offer an 80% reduction in operating costs. Most pool lights are 500-watt incandescent bulbs. The LED replacement lamps use between 34 and 51 watts, create a more uniform light distribution, and lasts 10 times longer (30,000 hours opposed to 2,000 to 3,000 hours). For the fun factor, you may want to consider a color lamp that can produce five distinct colors or a variety of pre-programmed light shows! Tough day at the office? The latest in pool automation utilizes an app on your smart phone or smart pad to control your pool, spa, lights, and heater so that your spa is running and warmed to your favorite temperature by the time you get home. The system is available as an upgrade to older automation as well as new automation installations. During the summer months, many pool owners without auto fillers are challenged to keep their water at the appropriate level (mid-skimmer). If the water level is not maintained, the skimmer cannot remove the surface debris, and the pool pump as well as the booster pump can be damaged operating without sufficient water flow. If your pool is equipped with a manual fill valve with an anti-siphon valve, a new solar powered timer is available. It can be set to turn the water on at a pre-designated time for a predetermined length of time or be operated manually. I have mine set to run for five minutes at 8am every day at the peak of summer, so the water level remains constant. If we are hit with an extra hot spell, I press the manual button and add an extra five minutes of water. For more information on any of the equipment listed, please call us at 925-820-8950, visit our website at Pure-Pool-Solutions.com, or email Mike@ Pure-Pool-Solutions.com. We are happy to provide you with an assessment of your current equipment and provide recommendations as to upgrades. Mike Hennigan is the owner of Pure Pool Solutions Corporation, providing full service and equipment repairs in Alamo, Blackhawk, Danville and Diablo. He is a member of the Independent Pool And Spa Service Association, is a Certified Pool Operator, and holds California Contractor License #998550. Advertorial
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Walnut Creek Veterinary Hospital Jill Christofferson, DVM 130 La Casa Via, Suite 103A Walnut Creek, CA 94598 925-448-2908 www.wcvethosp.com
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Page 22 - March 2015~ Alamo Today
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helpdesk@theportablecio.com www.theportablecio.com One Size Does Not Fit All
By Evan Corstorphine, Portable CIO
Recent articles I’ve written about solving broadband internet problems in your homes and businesses have been received well. Today I want to help you recognize and avoid another common scenario we have been seeing. If you want a solid and reliable WiFi network, there are key things that must be in place to make it happen. The best place to start is with some facts. The first fact is that Comcast and AT&T have a huge challenge in providing internet to such a broad variety of customers. The only way to survive that size of support challenge is to standardize as much of their offering as possible. That means they choose equipment that should be robust enough to handle the overall majority of their installations and deal with any exceptions on a case-by-case basis. Here is another fact. In this area we live in much larger homes, on average, than your typical homeowner across the Bay Area or the country at large. Where a typical family home in the U.S. is now 2,700sf, the typical East Bay home size is often in excess of 4,000-5,000sf. What these facts have in common is that the network gear being provided by our internet vendors is wholly insufficient for the larger homes we typically find in this area. On average, I see a typical wireless device capable of servicing 1,000sf. It varies widely depending on environmental factors such as obstructions, where the device is mounted, and the type of gear used. So, if you have a small home, a condo, a townhouse or an apartment, the offthe-shelf offering from either AT&T or Comcast will probably work fine. However, if you’re a homeowner in this area who wants WiFi throughout their long, one-story Alamo ranch-style home, or a typical two-story Danville home, or a multi-level Lafayette home, it’s going to take at least two wireless devices, and easily more, to cover the area. And if you had visions of being able to use WiFi on your patio out back, you can plan for another WiFi radio for that, too. This isn’t me trying to sell access points; this is the laws of phys-
ics clashing with what you’ve been told by advertisers about what is possible! Remember, by design, WiFi does not come with a very strong radio signal. It’s easily disrupted by walls, furniture, and crowds of humans. The best analogy is to think of your WiFi like you would a sprinkler system. It should be as high in the room as possible (mounted on ceiling is best) and should have no obstructions around it, particularly those made of or containing metal. WiFi radios are little stronger than a children’s walkie-talkie, and the closer they are to you, and the fewer the obstructions between you and them, the better. A good example of this is over in Berkeley, where we have installed WiFi for several sororities in those very old, very thick houses. The houses are constructed using lathe and plaster, and we typically end up with 10 or more access points per house. These houses are huge, and if they were constructed of lighter materials, we could probably cut the number of WiFi devices in half. If you have a larger home or business that needs great coverage, can you buy gear off the shelf and be successful? Maybe, but you’re probably going to get a lot of what I euphemistically call “retail advice,” and waste a lot of time and money. I do not think an untrained individual earning $10/hour in retail is the person to look to for this sort of guidance! Seriously, the best way to achieve your goal with WiFi is to have a professional help you plan it out, and use the right calibre of gear. When we have identified how many wireless radios are necessary to provide full WiFi coverage for a house, we recommend a competent wiring vendor to run a network cable to each point. You’ll have a solid and trouble-free wireless network. In an effort to sell computers, the computer industry has done a great job downplaying the technical requirements of implementing computers, software, and networks. While I agree that virtually anyone can be successful using a computer, constructing and managing a successful multi-node network system requires forethought and knowledge that laymen do not possess. To quote an old boss of mine, “If it were that easy, we’d pin a note to a dog and send him instead!” If this sounds like your situation, home or business, we should chat and see if you can benefit from another set of eyes and some professional help. Our helpdesk is ready for your call at (925)552-7953, or you can email us at helpdesk@theportablecio.com. Advertorial
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How Much Will You Need to Retire?
Alamo Today ~ March 2015 - Page 23
By Peter Waldron
Brought to you by Peter Waldron. In conjunction with Sagemark Consulting, a division of Lincoln Financial Advisors, a registered investment advisor.
How much money will it take for you to retire in style? Will $1 million do the trick? How about $5 million? Or perhaps you can get by on less. If the question leaves you scratching your head, you’re not alone. Fewer than half of American workers have estimated how much they’ll need to retire, according to the Employee Benefits Research Institute. The biggest risk retirees may face is running out of money while they’re alive. It’s an all-too-possible scenario, even if you have substantial assets. An extended market slump, excessive spending, soaring health care costs, and other factors can wreak havoc on your chances of securing a comfortable retirement—as well as meeting other financial goals such as transferring wealth to heirs or charities. The good news: There’s plenty you can do right now to determine what your ideal retirement is likely to cost and plan accordingly. Start with a review of the key retirement income issues, such as: • Your life expectancy. Thanks to medical breakthroughs, retirees today are living longer than ever. Considering that the average life expectancy once you hit age 65 is 14.4 more years for males and 17.9 more years for females, according to the Center for Disease Control, you could live much longer—so it pays to aim high. You should anticipate living to 100, which is a reasonable number these days. It’s smarter to plan for a longer retirement and not get caught short. • Your retirement expenses. Once you leave the workforce, expenses such as business clothing, commuting costs and perhaps even your mortgage might fall or disappear entirely. However, your spending may spike for travel and leisure, gifts to family members, and—perhaps most importantly— medical care and prescription drugs. Your financial planner can help you review your current expenses and determine whether they are likely to change over time. In general, retirees may need roughly 75% of their pre-retirement living expenses (adjusted annually for inflation) to retire comfortably. And long-term care insurance can help defray the often enormous custodial care costs that can devastate an income stream. • Your portfolio. As part of the retirement planning process, your financial planner will estimate the average annual rate of return your savings and investments must earn to help meet your spending requirements and other goals. Then, an optimal portfolio of investments will be crafted that takes the lowest level of risk necessary to earn that potential return. Chances are, that portfolio will include a healthy dose of stocks for growth potential and to help protect your purchasing power. The fact is, even retirees need equity exposure to outpace inflation. For example, a retired couple with current expenses of $85,000 will need approximately $153,500 to pay for their expenses in 20 years, assuming a modest 3% annual inflation rate. • Your withdrawal strategy. The amount of money you draw from your portfolio each year will have a huge impact on how long your nest egg lasts. The appropriate withdrawal rate varies for each investor, of course, based on factors such as how much income you might receive from Social Security and a company pension, taxes and if you wish to leave money to any heirs or charities, but it is generally estimated to be no more than 3% to 4% of your total. You’ll also want to discuss with your financial planner whether it’s best to tap any tax-deferred plans first or start taking income withdrawals from taxable accounts given your situation and goals. • Estate planning and philanthropic goals. Investors planning to gift assets either while alive or upon death must factor in how their wealth transfer goals might affect their expenses and cash flow in retirement. For instance, you might want to consider strategies for leaving more money to heirs and charities, and less to estate taxes if you have a sizeable estate. Tools such as charitable trusts and insurance can help strike a balance between meeting current living expenses and providing for future objectives. Hopefully your analysis will reveal that you’re well on your way toward achieving a secure retirement. If not, don’t fret—there are plenty of ways to get back on track. Consider looking for ways to spend less in retirement, such as trading down to a smaller home or working part-time. Retirement is often the perfect opportunity to pursue professional interests that you didn’t have time for during your working years. Conversely, if you’re several years or decades away from retiring, saving and investing more aggressively now may help you build greater wealth over time. But remember, there is no assurance that by assuming more risk a portfolio is guaranteed to achieve better results. In the end, the process of mapping out your retirement income needs will give you an important benefit: the knowledge of where you are today and what it will take to help obtain the retirement you desire. Please contact Peter Waldron to schedule a complimentary review of your financial situation, (925) 659-0383 or peter.waldron@lfg.com. Peter T. Waldron is a registered representative of Lincoln Financial Advisors, a broker/dealer, member SIPC, and offer investment advisory service through Sagemark Consulting, a division of Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp., a registered investment advisor, Spectrum Wealth Partners, 3000 Executive Parkway, Ste 400, San Ramon, CA 94583. Insurance offered through Lincoln Marketing and Insurance Agency, LLC and Lincoln Associates Insurance Agency, Inc. and other fine companies. This information should not be construed as legal or tax advice. You may want to consult a tax advisor regarding this information as it relates to your personal circumstance. The content of this material was provided to you by Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp. for its representatives and their clients. California Insurance License #0E47827; CRN201305-2080403. Advertorial
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Page 24 - March 2015 ~ Alamo Today
The New World of “Digital Legacy” By Robert J. Silverman, Esq.
Social media and other prominent websites are paying more attention to what happens to a user’s account when he or she dies. Service providers are establishing more detailed policies and procedures and even some new legislation has been enacted. As social media plays a bigger role in the lives of a growing number of people, companies like Facebook and Google are starting to respond to the important, but often sensitive and difficult, aspect of user legacy. In this very new and rapidly developing arena, applicable law is very sparse, so companies are making up their own rules. This is not a significant part of the formal estate planning process that clients typically discuss with their estate planning attorneys, and rarely are provisions about digital assets included in documents, such as Wills or Living Trusts. Nevertheless: a) clients have the option of having such provisions included in their documents; and b) clients will undoubtedly choose to do so more often in the future. Mostly, Internet users who are “planners” will become familiar with the postdeath procedures that apply to the social media and other sites and apps that are most important to them. Then, they will submit the required forms to ensure that their post-death wishes are followed. Internet services are grappling with tough questions and trying to determine the right balance between respecting a user’s privacy and being responsive to the wishes and requests of grieving loved ones. Google was among the early major Internet companies to deal with digital afterlife matters by enabling users to choose “digital heirs” for its Gmail, cloud storage, and other services. These digital heirs were labeled “inactive account managers.” Facebook made a recent, high profile splash by changing its long-time policy of simply freezing the account of a deceased user and leaving up the decedent’s posts and pictures and maintaining the privacy setting that the decedent had established - a process Facebook calls “memorialization.” Facebook announced that users may now designate a “legacy contact” - a person the user chooses to manage certain parts of a deceased user’s account posthumously. Alternatively, members can choose to have their Facebook presence deleted entirely once they have died. Facebook legacy contacts can turn a deceased person’s Facebook page into
Farmer’s Market and Music Festival By Roger Smith
Spring is in the air, and our Alamo Farmer’s Market is OPEN ON SUNDAYS! There is easy access and parking, and a new entrance from the Iron Horse Trail for bicyclists and hikers. The Alamo Farmer’s Market features fresh vegetables and citrus, honey, smoked salmon/trout, olive oil, hummus, granola, almonds, jams/jellies and fresh bakery goods (with strawberries and asparagus returning in March). Bill Harlow, General Manager for All Bay Farmer’s Markets, has been working diligently to enable the Alamo Farmer’s Market to be open year-round. Visit the Market, and make it part of your Sunday. The Alamo Farmer’s Market is Open (Winter Hours) from 10AM-2PM. See you there.
Alamo Music and Wine Festival
Please give a “SHOUT OUT” to continuing the Alamo Music and Wine Festival! Known as “Alamo’s Block Party,” this annual event features food, wine, music, dancing, and other activities for the entire family and is the principal fundraiser for the Alamo Rotary Club’s efforts to support music programs in our local schools. Please consider joining the effort to preserve and continue the Alamo’s Rotary Club’s efforts in support of the Alamo Music Festival. They need volunteers to assist them. See the survey link at http://tinyurl.com/kolsgmj.
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 and 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 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.
what some people refer to as a “digital gravestone” by displaying posts on a memorialized profile picture and even responding to new friend requests on behalf of the deceased user. Many other options are available to the legacy contact as long as the deceased user granted prior permission for such options. Fortunately, in lieu of a user designating a legacy contact, the user may designate a “digital heir” in his or her Will, and Facebook will honor that Will provision. It may be a bit mind-boggling that, beyond your existing “to do” list (that’s probably quite long as it is), you now have the burden of thinking about what options you want and who you want in charge of your social media and Internet activity after you die. The good news is that now at least you have more of a choice about the legacy you want for your digital assets – just like you have lots of choices about creating a legacy for your conventional assets in your estate planning documents. State law will undoubtedly develop rapidly in the area of succession, management, and privacy as they relate to digital assets. Delaware recently passed legislation known as “FiduciaryAccess to DigitalAssets and DigitalAccountsAct,” and about a dozen states are considering Delaware’s statute in view of enacting similar law. Evidently, this legislation was a response to the policy of many large Internet companies who have played things safe by heavily restricting access to a decedent’s online accounts. Under the new Delaware law, unless a decedent instructed otherwise, online accounts can be accessed by an Executor without spending the considerable time, effort, and money to obtain a court order. While this Delaware law may seem perfectly logical and appropriate, it is somewhat controversial. A significant number of people and Internet companies insist that the law grants power to Executors that is too broad and in violation of privacy rights and existing federal privacy law. Stay tuned for new legal developments in this interesting area. Meanwhile, give some thought to starting down the new avenue of digital asset planning…but don’t neglect to establish or review and update your traditional legacy (estate) planning as well! Upon request, I’ll be happy to provide you, on a complimentary basis, any or all of the following: i) an “Estate Planning Primer”; ii) a brochure on alternative methods of holding title to property; iii) an introductory meeting. Mr. Silverman is an attorney with R. Silverman Law Group, 1855 Olympic Blvd., Suite 125, Walnut Creek, CA 94596; (925) 705-4474; rsilverman@rsilvermanlaw.com. This article is intended to provide information of a general nature, and should not be relied upon as legal, tax and/ or business advice. Readers should obtain specific advice from their own, qualified professional advisors. Advertorial
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 Liquid Petroleum or Natural Gas Pipeline Leak or Rupture The following are indications of a possible pipeline leak: • Dirt being blown into the air • A dense white cloud of fog • Colorful sheens on water surfaces • Fire at or below ground • Bubbles coming from bodies of water • A loud roar or hissing sound • Brown or discolored vegetation amid healthy plants • Stains or pools of hydrocarbons not usually present in the right-of-way • Distinctive petroleum type odors, the smell of mercaptan, sulfur (rotten eggs), or a mild fragrant odor
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. 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. 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.
Happy 60th Birthday, AIA!
Now in its 60th 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.” Please watch for your upcoming AIA 2015 Annual Report, ballot and membership form, then complete and return to AIA, P.O.Box 156, Alamo, CA. 94507 Please visit our website www.AlamoCA.org for information on AIA, articles of interest to Alamo residents, membership forms, and more.
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Alamo Today ~ March 2015 - Page 25
A Physician First
By Dr. Barbara Persons, MD, FACS
Recently, I had a discussion with someone who was considering career choices. They confided in me and asked if they should pursue being an investment banker or a plastic surgeon. To many, these aspirations might seem similar: two careers, each offering the hope of success and prosperity. Shouldn’t we all pursue such dreams? I offered the best advice I could. “I know very little about investment banking,” I said, “but from my perspective as a plastic surgeon, I believe there is another choice you must make first.” I explained that long before mastering the field of surgery, a person must first choose to become a physician. I explained that this path means caring for people and finding joy in it. In the field of medicine--increasingly so as the taxonomy of healthcare broadens--we are given many options. We may choose to be a dermatologist or an obstetrician. Some choose radiology, and others, like me, are drawn to surgery. In the end, however, being a physician comes first. No matter what specialty we choose, we become, and should always remain, doctors. Any medical student will tell you that the moment they entered training, family and friends began asking for counsel. I am sure that most of my colleagues will remember those first years of medical school: everyone asked us for advice, and we probably gave it, thinking we already knew so much. That kind of enthusiasm shouldn’t change over the years, but unfortunately it sometimes does. So when I was asked for career advice, I found myself answering a bigger question. Is it possible to dedicate oneself to something truly loved? And does that choice include a commitment to service and compassion? The answer is yes. For me, going into medicine was a calling. I became a physician for two reasons. The first was simple: a sense of duty. The second is one I hold dear: the wonder of forming relationships with people in their time of need. Some might describe it as a sacrifice; holidays, weekends, and nights are dedicated to helping patients. But it has never felt like a sacrifice to me. Being a physician is honorable, and it offers me purpose. It gives me great pleasure, and I go home feeling good about what I do. Sometimes my job is challenging, but the most difficult moments pale in comparison to what patients feel when they are in pain or chronically ill. In my experience, many doctors forget the idea of what it feels like to be a patient. Separating ourselves can be a way to keep an even keel, but this risks alienating the very people we are trying to help. It is tempting to believe that work is better left at the office. “Don’t take your patients home with you,” I have been told. And although it is important to maintain a good balance between my personal and professional life, I do, ultimately, take my patients home with me. I think about patients in my car as I drive home, and I look forward to seeing them when I wake up in the morning. Medicine is part of who I am, and I don’t think of it as a job or occupation. Rather, it is something I have chosen because I believe in it. This perspective has actually helped me be a more energetic surgeon and a more complete person. It is thus that I think those of us with a stronger sense of calling are more resilient to the challenges of our profession. We enjoy what we do. It informs us, shapes us, and makes us better people. Becoming a board certified plastic surgeon took more than a decade of training. But along the way, I was a doctor to my patients. I find comfort in the fact that simply caring for people is something I still do on a daily basis. Over the years, I have watched our healthcare system transform and policies evolve. Many of us feel swept up in the changes; we are not sure what to predict and how it will affect us. I hope that whatever system emerges will allow doctors to follow their calling, as I have done. I hope that if we have been called to serve, we will be able to do it. How will that happen? Who among us should choose this path? These are difficult questions. In the end, however, I have begun to recognize that even the most complex questions have a simple answer. For me, the answer is taking care of my patients and finding joy in it. I am so grateful to have found my calling, for it is one that inspires and rewards me in equal measures. I am a surgeon, but I am also a physician; both are roles I am honored to fulfill. I look forward to meeting you at my practice soon. Dr. Barbara Persons is a Plastic Surgeon and owns Persons Plastic Surgery, Inc. located at 911 Moraga Rd, Suite 205 in Lafayette. She may be reached at 925283-4012 or drbarb@personsplasticsurgery.com. Advertorial
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Dr. Kobsar will tell you about the latest scientific breakthroughs and methods that help you permanently and safely lose weight while quickly reclaiming your health, your youth, and your life!
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Want to Become a Better Speaker?
Toastmasters allows its members to practice their speaking and presentation skills in a supportive environment. There are several local clubs in our area. The Danville AM Toastmasters, meets every Tuesday from 7 to 8:30AM at the Danville Chamber of Commerce office, located in the Town and Country shopping center (just north of the Livery). For more information, contact Hans Thoma at danvilletoastmasters@outlook.com. A faith-based Toastmasters group meets Thursdays from 7-8:15PM at East Bay Four Square Church Conference Room, located at 2615 Camino Tassajara, Danville. For information email Tod at wthenry@ sbcglobal.net. Everyone is invited to join.
Page 26 - March 2015 ~ Alamo Today
Daily Workout – Kegels are Easy! By Linda Adams, LVN
Everyone knows the old saying, “Kegels every day keep incontinence away,” right? Okay, this may not be the most well known principle, but it’s one for women to live by. Urinary incontinence – the accidental or involuntary release of urine – affects nearly 25 million Americans. It is caused most often by a weakened or damaged urinary tract. For women, the urethra (urinary control “valve”) lies on a “hammock” of ligaments and muscle. If this hammock is stretched, urethral compression weakens and leaks can occur. Kegels, also commonly referred to as pelvic floor exercises, consist of repeatedly contracting and relaxing pelvic floor muscles – the structure that supports the uterus, bowel, and bladder. While noting the difficulty in quantifying improvement in urinary incontinence after Kegel exercise, recent studies have shown that women who correctly and regularly perform the exercises reduce the likelihood of urinary incontinence. From the occasional sneeze to bending over to pick something up off the floor, mild urinary incontinence can happen when it’s least expected. It also affects women and men of all ages, from college athletes, to postpartum women. For women suffering from incontinence, there are varying options to correct their condition including bladder training (timed voiding), prescription medication, biofeedback, and surgery. But the first line of treatment and defense against urinary incontinence is the Kegel technique. Kegel exercises can help to strengthen the pelvic floor and create needed tension to avoid to urinary mishaps.
How to do Kegels:
• Finding the pelvic muscle: Without tensing the muscles of your leg, buttocks, or abdomen, imagine that you are trying to control the passing of gas or pinching off a stool. • Two Types of Exercises: Short/quick contractions (two seconds) and slow/ long contractions (10 seconds). To do the short or quick muscle contractions, contract or tighten your pelvic muscle quickly and hard, and immediately relax it. For the slow or long (sustained) contractions, contract or tighten your pelvic muscle and hold for a count of 10 seconds, then relax the muscle completely for the same amount of time. Kegels consists of both “tightening and relaxing” the muscle. It is equally important to control when your muscle tightens and relaxes. Be sure to relax completely between each muscle tightening. • Exercise Regimen: Set a goal of doing 15 repetitions of each type of kegel, morning and night. The more often you workout the better the results. Now there are great Kegel apps for your phone that will help remind you to exercise! • Concentrate and tighten only the pelvic floor muscle. DO NOT tighten thighs, buttocks, or stomach. If you feel your stomach move, than you are also using these muscles. DO NOT hold your breath. Breathe normally and/or count out loud. After 4 to 6 weeks of daily exercise, you will begin to notice less urine leakage. Make the exercises part of your daily lifestyle. Tighten the muscle when you walk, as you stand up, and on the way to the bathroom. Linda Adams, LVN has dedicated her career to helping patients take control of their incontinence for the past 20 years. In addition to crafting individualized care for her patients, Linda also works to increase awareness and knowledge of continence through classes held at both Pacific Urology and in the greater community. She sees patients in Walnut Creek and San Ramon and can be reached at (925) 937-7740. Advertorial
Search and Rescue
The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team needs volunteer members to respond to missing person incidents, disasters, and other critical incidents. Team members are on call 24/7 year-round. The program provides required training; including wilderness traveling, first aid, map and compass usage, tracking disaster response, and search skills; and may also include special training for canine, equestrian, technical, mountain bike, or other rescue skills. For information and applications, visit www.contracostasar.org or call 646-4461.
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Colon Cancer Prevention with Vitamin D By Jewel Johl, MD
It is well known that an adequate amount of vitamins and minerals are good for your health. However, recent studies suggest there is a possible association between vitamin D intake and colon cancer prevention. The role of vitamin D is to assist in calcium absorption, to have healthy teeth and bones, and to boost the immune system. The daily recommendation for individuals 1-70 years of age is 600 IU per day. Over 80% of Americans have adequate intake of vitamin D from exposing the skin to sunshine and eating foods containing it, such as fatty fish, eggs and fortified foods like milk, juices and cereal. Though it is uncommon for individuals to have a high intake of vitamin D, it is important to note that excess of nutrients of any type have toxic effects. With colon cancer being the third most common cancer in America, not including skin cancers, it is understandable why researchers have been looking for ways to prevent it, and higher survival rates for individuals who have been diagnosed. The specific cause of colon cancer is unknown, but factors that increase risk are a mix between genetics, age, diet and weight. Throughout several studies we have seen that individuals with high vitamin D levels have a lower risk for developing colon cancer, and if diagnosed, they have a better survival rate. When a cancerous tumor develops, it does not contain only cancer cells, but an array of cells. This includes immune systems cells, also known as T cells, which fight against cancerous cells, limiting their duplication and killing them. Therefore, anything that helps to boost your T cells assists in prevention and a higher survival rate. While an individual cannot change their age or genetics, one can reduce their risk of cancer by making healthy lifestyle choices that include daily exercise, less red meat and alcohol, a healthy diet, and proper intake of vitamins. More research is being conducted to determine the level of vitamin D that is essential to decreasing the risk of colon cancer and to improving survival in patients with colon cancer. What is becoming more clear is the importance and protective role of vitamin D in patients with colon cancer and several other cancers. Dr. Johl is a Medical Oncologist with Diablo Valley Oncology & Hematology Medical Group. He sees patients in Pleasant Hill and Brentwood. Join Dr. Johl and other medical experts at an educational event focusing on the unique issues of patients with colon cancer. Q & A session to follow. March 25, 2015 6:00 PM at the Cancer Support Community 3276 McNutt Ave Walnut Creek, CA 94597. For more information call Advertorial 925-677-5041.
Group Helps People Cope with Death of Pets
When you lose your pet, you often feel like a part of you is lost. The death of your beloved animal companion is one of the most difficult losses you may ever feel. This loss is sometimes made more painful by society’s seeming lack of support for pet grief. Hospice of the East Bay and the Tony La Russa Animal Rescue Foundation is offering a support group where participants can share memories and feelings and talk to others who truly understand and care. Meetings will be held the first Tuesday of each month from noon - 1:30PM at the Tony La Russa Animal Rescue Foundation, 2890 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek. For further information and/or to register, please call Bereavement Services at Hospice of the East Bay (925) 887-5681. Pre-registration is required. Hospice of the East Bay Bereavement Services are provided free of charge to all community members in need. However, donations are greatly appreciated.
Books for the Homebound
If you or someone you know has a passion for reading and can no longer visit the library, find out more about the Danville Library’s Books for the Homebound program, a free and unique library service. Trained library volunteers check out and deliver books to homebound individuals residing in their own homes or residential care facilities. Contact Sandra Paiva, Volunteer Coordinator, at the Danville Library at (925) 837-4889 for more information.
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Lip Augmentation By Dr. Jerome Potozkin
Lip augmentation is probably the single cosmetic recommendation that I make that elicits the most fear in people. Oftentimes when I recommend that someone consider injections to enhance their lips they respond that they don’t want crazy big lips that they are used to seeing when they think of lip augmentation. Most people share that perception. However, that perception is pretty far from the truth. There are many people who have had their lips tastefully restored. Those are the ones that you never notice. They’re the ones with a big natural smile. As we age our faces tend to lose volume. Our lips are no exception to this. Some people show their age around their mouth by losing both bone and soft tissue. Just as no two faces are the same, no two lips are the same. People of different ethnicities have different natural lip volumes. The goal in lip augmentation is to restore your natural volume and lip shape, not to create a distorted duck-like lip. We have been using hyaluronic fillers such as Juvederm and Restylane to restore natural looking and feeling lips. Hyaluronic acid is a biological gel that is soft to the touch. They have been the fillers most commonly used for lip enhancement with great natural results. In addition to loss of volume, many people are plagued by the fine vertical lip lines also referred to as smoker’s lines. Ironically, most people that I see with these have never smoked. Up until now, we really didn’t have an injectable filler that worked well for these lines. Recently, Restylane Silk was approved for these lines. Restylane Silk has unique properties that allow us to successfully inject the vertical lip lines. Common side effects include bruising and swelling. Most people can expect Restylane Silk to last about six months. There are other options to help around the mouth such as injecting neuromodulators, applying topical creams, and using laser treatment. Rejuvenating the perioral region of the face can have a great impact on how people look and feel. If you are interested in exploring your options for this area, mention this article to receive a complimentary consultation. We are committed to creating natural results to have you looking like the best version of yourself. 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
Alamo Today ~ March 2015 - Page 27
Lincoln continued from front page
states, while others argued that it was an indivisible political entity. African Americans lacked basic legal rights, and some remained enslaved. Daniel Dunn, MuseSRV Executive Director, shares insight on how elements of the exhibition come together. “Traveling exhibits come ‘freezedried’ complete with marketing information, education packets, and the exhibits,” he explains. “Augmenting the traveler with local materials is the most time-consuming but also can be the most rewarding aspect of preparing the exhibit.” Robert Chandler, retired Wells Fargo Senior Historian and prolific author on Civil War matters in California, serves on the MuseSRV Board. His expertise and artifacts from his collection add local zest. “Real items convey the spirit of the era,” Chandler notes. With no online searchable newspapers available during the 1970s when he was researching his doctoral thesis: “The Press and Civil Liberties in California during the Civil War,” he spent hours rolling through microfiche. Discovering an 1864 letter relating to the News-Telegraph Monopoly (the subject of his first article) in an ephemera shop in Port Costa turned him into a collector. When he and his wife Susan purchased their Lafayette home many years ago, one prerequisite was sufficient space to house Bob’s museum-worthy stash of books (possibly 9,000), letters, illustrations, articles, and objects (including a Civil War saber and parade torch). Chandler’s San Francisco Lithographer: African American Artist Grafton Tyler Brown published in 2014 describes how fiercely African Americans fought to gain basic rights to testify in court, acquire land under the Homestead Act, and be recognized as free citizens in pre and post Civil War California. “Democrats ignored the provision in the 1849 California Constitution that denied slavery ‘shall ever be tolerated.’ Without enacting legislation legitimizing the statement, a Supreme Court Justice ruled in 1852, the clause ‘stands, inert and inoperative.’” Brown’s personal accomplishments included registering to vote in 1867, three years before ratification of the 15th Amendment secured that right for men of color nationwide.
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Colorful Civil War era ballots like this item from Robert Chandler’s collection were printed locally.
Additional local background is provided by extensive research done by Beverly Lane, past Danville Mayor and past President of the MuseSRV Board. On the eve of the 1860 election, Danville was a nameless cluster of small businesses that sprang up after Daniel Inman’s 1858 purchase of 400 acres in the area now encompassing Front Street and Diablo Road. Inman had come to California in 1849 with his brother Andrew seeking gold. Andrew tired of mining and settled in the Green Valley in 1852. Outspoken Democrats, both Inmans opposed Lincoln’s policies. The town’s name, according to Daniel’s account, honors the birthplace of his brother’s mother-in-law – Danville, Kentucky. Most of Contra Costa County, including Alamo (50 to17), voted for Lincoln in the 1864 election, but Danville (then including San Ramon) voted for McClellan 91 to 76, as did Moraga 39 to 24. Lic# 1100014354; Bay Area Entertainment
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Page 28 - March 2015 ~ Alamo Today
The Eye Opener
By Gregory Kraskowsky, O.D., Alamo Optometry Conjunctivitis, Pink Eye
This is the time of the year when we are all fighting the winter colds and flus. If your family is anything like mine, as soon as one person in the family gets the flu, they pass it around to the other members of the household. Some family members might get the cough and congestion, while others might get the eye infection; that is because the same bacteria and viruses that cause the colds and flus also cause conjunctivitis. It is therefore very common for different family members or co-workers to either have upper respiratory infection or conjunctivitis, or both. Conjunctivitis is an inflammation secondary to allergies or infection of the conjunctiva, which is a thin transparent layer of tissue that lines the inner surface of the top and bottom eyelid and covers the white part (sclera) of the eye. Conjunctivitis, often called “pink eye,” is a common eye disease, especially in children. It may affect one or both eyes; it usually starts in one eye and then spreads to the other. Some forms of conjunctivitis can be highly contagious and easily spread in schools and at home. While conjunctivitis is usually a minor eye infection, sometimes it can develop into a more serious problem. Conjunctivitis is mostly caused by a viral infection, but it can also be bacterial. In addition, it can occur due to an allergic reaction to irritants in the air like pollen and smoke, chlorine in swimming pools, and ingredients in cosmetics or other products that come in contact with the eyes. Bacterial conjunctivitis is an infection most often caused by the common staph. and strep. bacteria that is found on the skin and body. Infection commonly occurs via physical contact with other people, poor hygiene (touching the eye with unclean hands), or use of contaminated eye makeup and facial lotions. A bacterial infection will usually present with a redder eye, swelling, and possible discharge. There is no pain associated, and vision remains good.
Whiplash
By Dr. Kristin Moore, DC
(Formerly Dr. Kristin Hazleton, DC)
Have you ever seen the videos of what happens to a crash test dummy during a car accident? I know I have, and it is not pretty! The crash test dummy is twisted, contorted, and sometimes tossed around the vehicle like a rag doll. The truth is that is exactly what can happen to you in a real car crash. Major injuries occur daily due to motor vehicle accidents, whether it’s just a fender bender or a serious wreck. Whiplash is a common injury most people have to deal with after an accident. Whiplash is a terrible injury that occurs when a force causes your head to jerk forward and rapidly snap backwards. The sudden force can cause over-stretching or tearing of the muscles and ligaments in your neck. This condition most commonly occurs during motor vehicle accidents, but it can also be caused by other forceful impacts.
What are the symptoms of whiplash?
• Pain or muscle tightness in your neck • Difficulty turning or moving your head • Tenderness in the muscles in the front of your neck • Headaches that originate at the base of your skull • Pain when swallowing If whiplash is left untreated, it can lead to long-term neck instability and chronic neck pain.
How do you treat whiplash?
The most important treatment for whiplash is Class IV K-Laser Therapy. The light from the laser first increases blood flow to the affected area. The increased blood flow means that more oxygen molecules will reach the injured tissues. The oxygen will then stimulate a portion of the cell called the mitochondria to produce ATP. ATP is cellular energy and this is needed to help rebuild and repair damaged muscles and ligaments. Thus, laser therapy helps support your soft tissue healing.
Viral conjunctivitis is most commonly caused by contagious viruses associated with the common cold. The primary means of contracting this is through close exposure or physical contact to coughing or sneezing by persons with active illnesses. It can also occur as the virus spreads and enters the body through mucous membranes, mostly in the nose and mouth. Viral infections present with a lighter or pink color to the eye with associated swelling and tearing. As with a bacterial infection, there is very little to no vision loss or pain. Practicing good hygiene is the best way to control the spread of conjunctivitis. Once an infection has been diagnosed, follow these helpful hints: keep your hands clean and avoid touching your eyes and face, change your towel or washcloth daily and do not share with others, and discard any eye cosmetics. At our office, conjunctivitis can be diagnosed through a focused office visit. Testing with special emphasis on evaluation of the conjunctiva and surrounding tissues will include a patient history to determine the symptoms the patient is experiencing, when the symptoms began, and the presence of any general health or environmental conditions that may be contributing to the problem. As with all office visits and exams, visual acuity will be taken to determine the extent to which vision may be affected. We will then examine the conjunctiva and external eye tissues and the inner structures of the eye using an optometric microscope to ensure the diagnosis and that no other tissues are affected by the condition. Even though the diagnosis of conjunctivitis is relatively straightforward, the cause of the condition is often more difficult. Depending on the exact signs and symptoms, several different kinds of causes can overlap. In addition, other more serious issues such as a foreign body in the eye or a corneal infection can initially cause some of the symptoms of conjunctivitis but need to be treated in a different manner. We have same-day appointments for any type of emergency visit. Dr. K. at Alamo Optometry is your hometown eye doctor for outstanding service, vision care, and designer eyewear. He can be reached at 820-6622 or visit his office at 3201 Danville Blvd., Suite 165 in Alamo. Visit our website at www.alamooptometry.com, and join us on Facebook, Instagram, Advertorial and Twitter @Alamo Optometry. Gentle chiropractic adjustments can also be an effective way to treat whiplash. As your muscles and ligaments are beginning to heal, it is important to make sure that you have proper spinal alignment. Since whiplash is an injury caused by an “over stretching” of the soft tissue in the neck, it is important that any adjustments that are performed on the cervical spine be very GENTLE. The goal is to create more stability in your neck. Doing heavy handed manipulations can potentially increase long-term instability in your cervical spine. Lastly, specific stabilizing exercises should be done in order to regain neck support. These exercises will be given to patients to complete at home in between visits. This will insure that your treatment will be lasting and will help prevent future problems from arising.
How many visits will it take to get rid of my pain?
Unfortunately, it is difficult to answer this question. I have had great success treating patients that have suffered from a whiplash injury; however, every case is different. Mild cases of whiplash can take days to weeks to treat, whereas severe cases may take weeks to months. My goal is to always get my patients better as quickly as possible.
How do I learn more?
I offer complimentary 15-minute consultations. These consultations allow us to chat about your specific condition and determine which treatment methods are best suited for your recovery. To learn more, please visit www.drkristinmooredc.com, call 925-3628283, e-mail drkristinmooredc@gmail.com, or visit our office located at 125-G Railroad Avenue in Danville to schedule your complimentary conAdvertorial sultation today!
Alamo Sheriff’s Station Staffed and Ready
The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Station, located in the Alamo Shopping Center, is now staffed with volunteers to assist you Monday through Saturday from 8am-5pm and Sunday from 8am-12:30pm. When closed, citizens can use the outdoor red phone for all emergency and non-emergency calls. For help or information, call (925) 646-6180 or visit the office at 150 Alamo Plaza #C.
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Alamo Today ~ March 2015 - Page 29
Page 30 - March 2015 ~ Alamo Today
Lincoln continued from page 27
David Glass led the local Lincoln supporters. Born in Pennsylvania, he worked with his cousins in Kentucky and Ohio before moving to the Midwest. In 1850 he brought his wife and toddler son to mine gold in Hangtown (now Placerville). When the boy died, the couple moved first to Walnut Creek and finally in 1859 to a parcel in San Ramon. According to his youngest son Rolla: “In politics David was among the Democratic votes, then he cast his vote for Lincoln and has been a Republican ever since.” David served as Contra Costa County representative to the State Union (aka Republican) Convention in 1864. Justice George Nicholson will deliver an opening address on March 17th at 7PM at the San Ramon Valley High School: “Lincoln’s Living Legacy: Solitude, Service and Sacrifice.” On March 30th at 7PM at the Danville Community Center, UC Davis Professor Vikram Amar will speak on “Lincoln and the Scope of Executive Power.” Daniel Inman bought land in what Intrigued by history of the era when Milton is now downtown Danville in 1858. He opposed Lincoln's policies. Bradley introduced the board game Battle Cry Photo provided by Ralph Cozine. to commemorate the Civil War Centennial, Amar gravitated in Law School toward Constitutional Law. He remarks, “I learned a great deal more about Lincoln’s views not just as a statesman, but as one of the most sophisticated constitutional minds of the nineteenth century.” Among the topics Amar will cover is Lincoln’s ability to “single-handedly pry the South open to free speech.” Postal appointments Lincoln made in the South allowed antislavery literature to circulate through the Federal mail. On April 14th, the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s assassination, meet Civil War re-enactors at the Danville Library at 7PM. A condensed version of Our American Cousin, the comedy Lincoln was watching the night he was shot, will be staged. After reviewing the script, Eric Hayes, Role Players Ensemble Artistic Director, realized the humor wasn’t readily translatable to modern tastes. “But I kept thinking there must be a way to tell the story of the play and in essence shine light on what Abraham Lincoln was experiencing during the last hours of his life,” Hayes explains adding that the short adaptation “naturally lends itself to the playful spirit of the play which made it so popular with audiences in 1865.” Giving a glimpse of the Valley’s reaction to Lincoln’s death, a local student will recite the poem “A Mighty Oak Has Fallen” first performed in Danville at the Green Valley School Festival and Picnic on May 7, 1866. A newspaper clipping describing the event is among the artifacts MuseSRV is sharing with Ford’s Theatre on the site “Remembering Lincoln” being launched March 18th. Dunn arranged the exchange with Sarah Jencks, Ford’s Theatre Director of Education and Programming, after they met while judging the National History Day (NHD) finals last June. A long-term NHD judge, Dunn is pleased to announce MuseSRV support for NHD in the SRVUSD includes this year a monetary award presented to Julian La, a Golden View Elementary student, for his project: “President Abraham Lincoln - Leading a Nation on the Brink of Separation through its Darkest Hour.” NHD requires that research include primary sources and interviews with experts. Dunn hopes that in the future many students will take advantage of MuseSRV resources. For information on hours, exhibits, programs and Valley history, visit www.museumsrv.org.
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
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From Sit to Fit, One Step at a Time By Michelle Brown, C.P.T, C.G.T.
Exercise. Some put it out of their minds, some dread it, some put up with it, and yet some genuinely love it. If you need motivation to exercise, you are not alone. There are many roads to fitness, and no two roads are exactly alike. We all come from different places and circumstances, and we have entirely different genetics. What I love, you may loathe, and what suits you may confine me. The key is to find what works best for us so that we can maintain our fitness not because we have to, but because we want to! First, some tough love. There is absolutely no excuse whatsoever to neglect exercise when your body is working and able. I can testify that there are plenty of people breaking a sweat every day who have many reasons not to. They do it anyway. Now that we have that straight, let’s take the first step... If exercise is off your radar, then you are in the pre-contemplation stage. You have to start somewhere! The first part of moving up from this step is admitting you are on it. Some people stay in this stage for life and acquire early onset, preventable lifestyle diseases like diabetes and heart disease. If you are in pre-contemplation, then it’s your lucky day! Just thinking about moving puts you in the contemplation stage. How exciting! You have already taken a step to whole body health. Let’s take this excitement and make a plan of action. Now that you are here in the contemplation stage, it’s time to prepare. What do you like to do? Have you ever played a sport or been part of a team and enjoyed it? If you enjoy working with people, then a group training model may be a good fit. Many fitness programs like Gumsaba offer a free week or free running club. Free membership opportunities are a great time to find a fitness modality that you enjoy. If you are more inclined to work alone, swimming, biking, or walking may be better for you. A workout log or fitness app can really make a difference in maintaining your commitment to fitness if this is your path. Point being your workout must work with your personality, not against it! Make the effort to enter into your exercise program prepared. Whether you are a come back kid or you are exercising for the first time ever, it’s critical that you focus on proper movement patterns and go at a pace that suits your level. Make sure you are able to walk briskly for 30 minutes for several days of the week for at least a couple weeks before you jump into a new program. Walking provides the minimal mobility and stability needed to move on to more rigorous training. Once you commit to a program, you are in the action phase. When you find the right fit and stay committed to 3+ days a week for six months, then you enter the maintenance phase. This is the time to start cross training if you haven't already. As you progress into your program, you will inevitably ask more of your body. Stretching and mobility are critical, helping you gracefully increase the variety and level of your fitness challenges while remaining injury free. Our bodies are meant to move. Within just six months of training, movement becomes something we truly value. It is a gift only we can give ourselves, and only we have the power to make real change within. It just takes one step at a time! Michelle Brown is an ACE certified fitness professional, 2nd Degree Bok Fu Do Black Belt Disciple, Level 2 TRX certified, TRX Mind Body Certified, a Trigger Point Self Rehabilitation Therapist, board member on the CHMRC, blogger, public speaker and owner of Gumsaba Outdoor Fitness. Michelle has been helping clients surpass their goals since 1998. Gumsaba offers outdoor fitness programs year round in the great outdoors. Join Gumsaba for a FREE CLASS. Visit our website at www.gumsaba. com to get started. Use promo code GETTOIT to redeem your free week. (925) 683-5630. Advertorial
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Your Personal Nutritionist
How to Simply Add Fruits and Veggies to your Day By Linda Michaelis RD,MS
We have heard countless times about the benefits of eating veggies and fruits to reduce obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. It’s true. Old recommendations are to eat five servings a day of fruits and vegetables, and the newest suggestion is that half the plate should be filled with veggies at each meal. With all of the benefits, you would think the entire population would be chomping on bok choy and snacking on broccoli, but we have not yet built a love affair with the produce department. If you struggle like many of us, here are some painless tips and tricks my clients use that increase their fruit and veggie intake. 1. Eat a vegetable with every meal. If half a plate of vegetables seems like an overwhelming goal for you right now, start by simply adding one veggie to each meal and snack. You can eat them as a side—think of adding spinach, mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes to your eggs in the morning, order a salad at lunch, or have your sandwich piled high with veggies. Enjoy a green smoothie when you come home, and have a cup of green beans with dinner. Don’t feel that you must eat plain, steamed veggies. Sautéing them in olive oil, garlic, and spices will have the whole family enjoying them. Once you start working them in, you’ll welcome the new additions! 2. Eat a fruit with each meal. I actually find my clients often eat too much fruit and not enough veggies. Too much fruit equals lots of sugar. I recommend having two fruits a day and three servings of veggies. Always eat a fruit as part of or after a meal and not in between when it often will make you more hungry. 3. Snack smart. Instead of hitting the vending machine for an afternoon pickme-up, start snacking on fruits and vegetables. Cut up veggies and eat them with hummus or nuts, or have some sliced fruit with Greek yogurt. This will satisfy you more than a candy bar will. Your energy level will be stable, and you will not drop after a large amount of sugar on an empty stomach. 4. Drink up. If you have trouble fitting fruits and vegetables into your busy life, work them into a drink that you can take on the go. Try out green shakes that have
Cancer Support Community
The following events are held at the Cancer Support Community, located at 3276 McNutt Avenue in Walnut Creek. Events are free to attend. For information and reservations, please call (925) 933-0107. Employment and Disability Rights & Disability Benefits for Cancer ~ Wednesday, March 11 ~ 6PM – 8PM All too often employees and employers are not aware of the legal rights conferred by statutes that protect people with cancer and their caregivers. Leaves of absence, workplace accommodations, wage replacement benefits and discrimination protections will be discussed. With Rachael Langston, Esq., Employment Law Center. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Series ~ Tuesdays, March 3 April 28 ~ 1:15PM – 3:15PM For cancer patients and their caregivers. Meditation practice aids in achieving emotional balance, managing pain, and using the wisdom of the body and mind. It is a powerful way to manage stress, be present in the moment, and enhance quality of life. With Mary Wade, an experienced instructor in MBSR and Yoga. Healing Yoga ~ Fridays, April 3 - May 22 ~ 2:00PM – 3:30PM For Cancer Survivorship Research Study – This eight week series will focus on simple yoga techniques that may reduce the severity of cancer treatment side effects. Daily reporting on functional, physical, emotional and spiritual well-being is required as well as yoga practice at home. Cultivating Compassion Series ~ Thursdays, April 30 - June 18 ~ 3PM – 5PM For cancer patients and their caregivers. Learn specific tools and practices for the cultivation of compassion along with the exploration of compassion across traditions. One of the most precious of our capacities as human beings, it can benefit ourselves and others. The practice of self-compassion will be emphasized. With Margaret Cullen, LMFT, a CSC therapist facilitator and Cultivating Compassion Trainer.
Alamo Today ~ March 2015 - Page 31 mostly veggies and added fruit, and work them into your rotation as a breakfast or afternoon snack option. You can easily get several fruit and vegetable servings in a yummy beverage. 5. Enjoy soup more often! Soups and stews can be a nutritious, filling way to get lots of vegetables into a meal. Soup is an easy way to increase the variety of veggies you eat, too, as it can make some of your least favorite options more palatable. There is always the option to buy fresh soups with lots of veggies at Whole Foods. 6. Be ready at all times. Have cut fruits and vegetables in the fridge ready for munching at all times. Whether you buy the pre-cut options in the produce department or take the time to cut and bag it yourself, you’re more likely to eat it if it’s readily and easily available. 7. Keep them in sight, in mind. Just like you keep sweets out of sight to discourage incessant snacking, keeping fruits and veggies in sight will help you think of them as an option for eating. Stock up at work. I always tell parents to keep a bowl of fruit on the kitchen counter at home, and when the kids come home from school put out veggies on the counter with ranch dressing, and you will see they are more likely to eat it when they are hungry. 8. Easy grab lunch. Next time you’re blanking on a quick, easy place to grab lunch, head to the salad bar at a local grocery store such as Whole Foods, Lunardi’s, or Diablo Foods. With an endless variety of vegetables, cut fruit, and soups, it’s an easy way to make sure you get a meal rich in all the nutrients provided by the multi-colored fruits and veggies. 9. Start smart. Make it a habit to order a salad or vegetable-based soup such as minestrone, garden vegetable, tomato basil, or lentil when you’re out at restaurants. These fiber-rich starters may keep you from overeating when your meal comes, in addition to helping you add more vegetables into your day. If you start following my suggestions, you will definitely see how much better you feel. Eating more fruits and veggies will probably take the place of eating too many carbs at meals. Clients tell me that when they add veggies to their meal, they feel that they get an extra hour of fullness which keeps their appetite at bay. I am glad to inform you that insurance companies will cover nutritional counseling. Please visit LindaRD.com for the list of companies that cover counseling, past articles, and more information about nutritional concerns. Call me at (925) 855-0150 or e-mail me at lifeweight1@gmail.com. Advertorial
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C L A S S I F I E D FOR RENT
CONDO VACATION RENTAL Mauna Lani Resort, Big Island. New luxury 2 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath condo on 4th fairway. Minimum 3 night stay. Contact Alamo owners for discounted rate. (925)381-7042, Alamomgt@usa.net
FOR SALE
YAMAHA PIANO & BENCH U1 - Studio upright, satin walnut, beautiful, like new. $2,400. (925)283-3071.
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Page 32 - March 2015 ~ Alamo Today
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Danville Area Real Estate: Another Good Start in 2015
units which represents less than two months of inventory. It would not be surprising to see Danville appreciate faster than the other markets in the coming year. Diablo is interesting in that it is a very small market and less than 1/3 of homes have sold this year compared to last year, which by all accounts was a banner year for Diablo. It’s noteworthy that the few homes which have sold so far in 2015 are significantly smaller than those sold during the same time period last year. Given the size difference and the ever so slight decrease in dollars paid per square foot, I think it is safe to say that the market in Diablo is stable at more than $500 per square foot. While the numbers presented here are mixed, positive and negative, I don’t see anything in these early months data to suggest anything other than a very good year in the Danville Area Real Estate Market. As I have said in more than one of these articles, it isn’t likely that we will be enjoying these incredible rates of growth very much longer. Eventually supply and demand will come into balance. While I doubt that 2015 will be the year where inventory catches up with pent up demand, I believe we are beginning to get close to that day and a return to a more normal rate of appreciation of 3-5%. It’s important to remember 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 ready for market, please give me a call 925-989-6086 or send me an email joecombs@thecombsteam.com.
Although the early season in real estate is not a great predictor for the entire year, I thought I would look at the first two months of 2015 and see if there is anything useful to be gained by an analysis of this same time period last year. I’ve used red and green in the chart to indicate the direction of change, green for the positive and red for the negative. Days on Market must be interpreted in the opposite as a negative change in Days on Market means market time is decreasing which is a good thing. The majority of indicators on the chart are green which portends well for another really good year for Danville Area Real Estate. An exception is in Diablo where the number of homes sold declined, price paid declined significantly, and dollars paid per square foot dipped just a smidge. Is this reason for concern? It’s probably not. It’s just a small hint that market prices in Diablo are unlikely to continue growing as fast as we have seen them during the past three years. A significant issue in Alamo is lack of inventory of homes for sale. At this time only 30 homes (14 less than last year) are active listings and this is less than 1/3 of what might be considered normal. Average price is up 8% over last year on a home that is almost 400 sq. ft. smaller than at this time last year. Dollars paid per square foot are up 31% in the first two months of 2015 compared to 2014. I would not expect this rate of growth to hold up throughout the rest of the year and would expect our rate of growth to even out between 5% and 10% for all of 2015. All Home Sales Alamo, Blackhawk Danville, Diablo (Jan1-Feb 21) Blackhawk experienced a 62% increase in sold price between 2013 and 2014, so Sold DOM List Price Sold Price Sq. Foot we shouldn’t be surprised to see the prices pull back a bit in 2014. The average size of Alamo 2014 13 62 $ 1,336,461 $ 1,311,384 3,397 2015 8 43 $ 1,445,750 $ 1,419,333 3,010 homes sold in Blackhawk decreased by 519 square feet and this accounts for the average 10 47 $ 1,725,590 $ 1,678,800 4,045 price reduction. Although the numbers on the surface don’t look very good for Black- Blackhawk 2014 2015 14 56 $ 1,541,828 $ 1,547,823 3,526 hawk, price paid per square foot increased by 6% over the same time period last year. Danville 2014 60 39 $ 880,462 $ 880,908 2,213 Danville continues to show strong positive growth. Average price has moved 2015 76 32 $ 998,092 $ 992,471 2,333 from $880,908 to $992,471 for nearly a 13% increase in average price. Size of the Diablo 2014 16 84 $ 2,164,624 $ 2,021,402 3,835 average home also increased from last year by about 110 square feet. Dollars paid 2015 5 120 $ 1,817,790 $ 1,706,000 3,330 per square feet in Danville increased by 9%. Inventory in Danville stands at 74
Alamo Condo
$ Sq. Foot $ 386 $ 506 $ 415 $ 441 $ 398 $ 435 $ 527 $ 522
Danville West Side
D
SOL Updated 2 bedroom 1.5 bath condo in downtown Alamo. Walk to Starbucks.Priced to sell at $499,000
Nicely updated West Side single story. Backs to open space, large level yard. Oak trees. Priced to sell at $999,000.
Alamo Single Story
Single Story Newer Construction
Concord Investors Dream
Beautiful update. Everything you want on ½ acre flat lot. Includes pool, pool house, orchard and irrigation well. Priced to Sell $1,435,000.
Built in 2006 this amazing 4 bed 2 bath single story has 10 foot ceilings and all of the goodies. Priced to sell at $1,299,000.
2 bed 1 bath single story on large level lot. Priced to sell $368,888
Data presented in this column is based in whole or in part on data supplied by the Contra Costa and Alameda MLS service and other quoted sources. Joe Combs, Nancy Combs, The Combs Team, J. Rockcliff and the MLS service do not guarantee the accuracy of this information. DRE #0144125.
J. Rockcliff Realtors 15 Railroad Ave., Danville CA. 94526