Danville Today News August 2016

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August 2016 The Spirit of the Old West: Honoring Our Past, Educating Our Future By Jody Morgan

Serving Danville

The Spirit of the Old West at the Blackhawk Museums is a powerful tribute to two vastly different civilizations that collided across the American West – one losing an ancestral homeland, the other claiming an intractable wilderness. Each side of the exhibition immerses visitors in the culture presented. A 140-foot long topographic table recreates events that marked the westward expansion of the United States. Artifacts used

by Plains Indians and American settlers are displayed against a backdrop of colorful murals. Animals indigenous to the mountains, plains, and valleys enhance the sense of entering an earlier time and wilder place.

Intrigued by a friend’s suggestion that a remarkable collection of antiques from the American West was available to a single individual purchasing it in its entirety, Ken Behring traveled to Cody, Wyoming to see it. He immediately recognized the educational value of the collection Jerry Fick had spent his life discovering and preserving.

Del Amigo member and activities chair, Peta Wansbrough, with her children Kai and Jana, event co-chair, Gigi McClaskey, with daughters Makenna and Lily, American Cancer Society’s Loren Behr, Cancer survivor and Del Amigo member Julie Bryant, and her children Blake and Brooke.

Community Pool Gets Behind its Members in Fight Against Cancer

Recently local Del Amigo Pool Association Members came together to “lap cancer” at the Del Amigo pool. “Del” Members donned custom Lapping Cancer swim caps and hit the lap-lanes from sunrise to sunset, swimming laps in support of friends, neighbors, and loved ones touched by cancer, and writing donation checks to the American Cancer Society Children walked coast to coast beside the family wagon, which carried supplies for the long journey. and San Francisco Firefighter’s Cancer Prevention Foundation (SFFCPF).

Photo by Jody Morgan The idea for the event was the brainchild of DAPA President Peter Fick, whose grandmother was a full-blooded Delaware Indian, grew up hearing Back and DAPA member Gigi McClaskey, after Gigi lost her beloved stories of his ancestors. One day while he was pumping water on the family farm, he See Fight continued on page 4 spotted a pristine jasper arrowhead on the ground. His mother fostered his interest in collecting. When she sold produce at local farmers’ markets, she gave Jerry 50 Urgent Need cents or a dollar to buy artifacts. She saved money from selling homemade baked goods so Jerry could bid on pieces at auctions. Westerns playing regularly at the for Volunteers Many have found local cinema inspired him to study the lives of cowboys and cavalrymen as well as great personal satisNative Americans.

Thousands of people traveling to nearby Yellowstone National Park were stopping faction in volunteerto admire Fick’s collection. But maintaining the museum was costly. Although sad- ing with White Pony dened by parting with objects whose stories are close to his heart, Jerry is delighted E x p r e s s ( W P E ) , a by the Blackhawk Museum’s exhibition. “What they did,” he exclaims, “is what I nonprofit group dedialways dreamed of doing. They fulfilled my dreams.” cated to helping to end David Behring, Jeff Behring, and Joel Hodge made several trips to Cody to inventory hunger and poverty in and catalogue. Jerry Fick and his family provided background information on each the Contra Costa County.

White Pony Express volunteer Peter Brooks shows his 2,000 or more artifacts. Curators from the Buffalo Bill Cody Center supplied additional The program has been delight in picking up fresh, nutritious produce from the historical insight and aided in cleaning and packing the collection. so well received that Moraga Farmers’ Market The 80’x40’ topographic table occupying the center of Fick’s museum was additional volunteers are urgently needed photographed several times from above before the Ficks packed each of the 9,000 to help keep up with its rapid growth. The plus miniature figures. The original layout’s storyline ran chronologically counter- need in our community remains very great. Volume VII - Number 10 3000F Danville Blvd. #117, clockwise, beginning in the 1700s and ending with Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Seven days a week, WPE Food Rescue Alamo, CA 94507 Show. Fick, son Michael, and daughter-in-law Sue traveled to Danville to oversee volunteers take trucks to supermarkets, res(925) 405-6397 the installation of the new layout.

Fax (925) 406-0547 taurants, and farmers markets where they David organized the American settlers’ section adding loaned and donated artifacts pick up thousands of pounds of surplus Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher See West continued on page 18 food—high quality, nourishing food (fresh editor@ yourmonthlypaper.com meats, dairy, eggs, deli, baked goods). Most PRSRT STD U.S. Postage all of this food is distributed to those in need The opinions expressed herein belong PAID Local within two hours of the donation. In its first to the writers, and do not necessarily reflect that of Danville Today News.

Permit 263 two and half years, WPE delivered more Postal Customer Danville Today News is not Alamo CA for the content of any of than 3,000,000 pounds of food (equivalent responsible the advertising herein, nor does ECRWSS publication imply endorsement.

See Volunteer continued on page 5

y A g

Page 2 - August 2016 ~ Danville Today News

Boulevard View

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ously, and you need to pay constant attention (which when operating any motorized device we probably all should be doing more of anyways).

By Alisa Corstorphine, Editor A multitude of acronyms covered bike operation and safe riding. ONE-C adYou can teach an old dog new tricks! I spent the dressed starting the engine - On, Neutral, Engine Cut-Off Switch, Clutch and Choke. weekend learning a new skill – how to drive a moSPAT was used for once you get going - Speed, Position, Aim, and Turn. SIPDE torcycle. Buying or even riding a motorcycle is not addresses the mental steps to deal with hazards - Scan, Identify, Predict, Decide, something I plan on doing much but a) everyone else and Execute. In reality, when operating a bike or car, these steps are important to in my family has their license, b) I recently had a five whatever wheel we are behind. Everything involved being present and mindful. second ride on a friend’s scooter that didn’t go well The teachers were sticklers, especially with two basic rules - Be on Time (fortunately it was more comical than disastrous), but for a punctual person this was fairly easy, but for some it was more difficult. I the experience made it clear that if I were to be on a tend to refer to this rule as “The Plane is LEAVING.” Planes don’t tend to wait motorized bike I had better have a clue, and c) if there for anyone. You are either present or you miss your flight. It is fairly black and were a major emergency where roads were closed, having an alternate way to get white. The second rule was Wear Supportive Shoes that Cover Your Ankles around (like borrowing my son’s bike) may be a good thing to know how to do.

- It was in the initial literature, it was discussed in class the night before, and Being in this class allowed me to utilize a multitude of skills I have in my yet, two people in a group of 11 got sent home for that detail. Following details quiver – how to drive a manual car, how to ride a horse, how to operate a chain is just as important as following rules, and those individuals who chose to not saw, and how to ride a bicycle/tricycle (OK, I haven’t really used that skill pay attention to those details got sent in a while)/ATV among others. Training also encompassed skills that were home. It was too bad, but ultimately I also like skiing or water skiing – swerving around and avoiding obstacles probably wouldn’t have wanted them such as a dog chasing after the bike or items falling off of vehicles ahead. out on the course if they couldn’t pay The three-day, 15-hour course under the umbrella of the California Highway attention to a couple relatively minor Patrol - California Motorcyclist Safety Program involved classroom instruction details. and 10 hours of actual riding in a parking lot. The class was designed for all I think this class will make me a skill levels - from those that had no experience (like me) to those who ride out better and more aware driver and reRunning theit Freight Room on private property. The great part about thisThrough course is that draws a diverse fresh my road skills – heck, it’s been crowd interested in learning these skills. The youngest person in our course awhile since I have taken a written AT DEPOT was 17, and the oldest was in his early 60’s.

WeTHE had students from a 50 mile or practical driving test. I strongly 16 -who September 18 there radius of the East Bay, including a manJuly from India had his license recommend that anyone and everyone but wanted to learn the laws of riding a motorcycle in the United States. There take the class. You do not have to SUMMER was a guy who rode dirtbikes for his entire childhood but HOURS wanted to learn how go through getting your motorcycle MONDAY: CLOSED to ride a motorcycle on the streets. I got toTUESDAY take the class with my 23 year old - SATURDAY: 10 AM - 1 PM license, but the skills you learn can daughter who has been itching to get her motorcycle SUNDAY:license NOON - 3for PM years. It was do nothing but improve your driving nice to be able to talk over the skills learned that day with another person and Buy a Family Train Tickets for $10. and life skills.

Goodour for daily admission to Totally Trains! ultimately celebrate when we both passed tests.

To learn more about the class, visit One thing about riding a motorbike is there is a lot going on simultaneSponsored by: www.2wheelsafety.com.

TOTALLY TRAINS

Museum of the San Ramon Valley

MUSEUM OF THE SAN RAMON VALLEY

TOTALLY TRAINS: Models and Memorabilia 205 RAILROAD AVENUE ~ DOWNTOWN DANVILLE

(925)837-3750 The Museum of the San Ramon Valley (MSRV)~ WWW.MUSEUMSRV.ORG will once again present “Totally Trains-Models and Memorabilia.” The main layout of the exhibit has two elevations with four running trains, scenery, bridges, a trestle, tunnel, and a village with a replica of the Museum, the former Southern Pacific Depot. A secondary layout features a number of working accessories. On display are items from three private collections of model trains dating from the early to mid-1900s.

They include Lionel & American Flyer Standard gauge and Marx O gauge.

Two Centennials

2016 is a big year for several centennial celebrations, including the 100th anniversary of “America’s Best Idea” the National Park District (NPS). In the San Ramon Valley we are fortunate to have our own National Park, the Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site, Tao House.

Two Centennials The National Service & Eugene TheParkMSRV hasO’Neill joined with the NPS and the Eugene O’Neill Foundation, July 15 - November 15 Tao House, to provide a special exhibit at MSRV, called Two Centennials. It will run until November 15th, in the museum’s waiting room. It features the centennials of the NPS and of O’Neill’s first play, Bound East for Cardiff.

For tickets and information visit www.eugeneoneill.org.

The exhibit held at the Museum will include the O’Neill Centennial Quilt, videos, stage models, and information about the NPS and O’Neill when he and his wife lived in Danville from 1937-1944.

The national historic site may only be reached by vans which depart from MSRV. Vans serve walk-up visitors on Saturdays at 10:15AM, 12:15PM and 2:15PM. For reserved tours on Wednesday through Friday and Sunday at 10AM or 2PM, call 925-838-0249. See the NPS website at nps.gov.euon.

Totally Trains will be open through September 18. The Museum is open Saturday – 10AM to 1PM and Sunday – 12PM to 3PM. The Museum is closed Mondays.

MSRV is located at 205 Railroad Avenue, Danville. For more information call 925-837-3750, email srvmuseum@sbcglobal.net or visit www.musemsrv.org.

This special exhibit celebrates the centennials of the National Park Service and Eugene O’Neill’s first produced play, Bound East for Cardiff. Fourth Saturday programs will take place at 10:30 am at the museum.

Presented by the National Park Service, the Eugene O’Neill Foundation, Tao House, & the Museum of the San Ramon Valley.

Museum Summer Hours: July 16 - September 18 Tuesday - Saturday: 10am -1pm Sunday: Noon - 3pm Closed Mondays Visit these Websites: Museumsrv.org Eugeneoneill.org Nps.gov/euon

Museum of the San Ramon Valley 205 Railroad Ave., Danville, CA 925-837-3750 www.museumsrv.org

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JARED HIGGINS TEAM Danville Home Sales Danville Home Sales

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Auditions for Danville Girls Chorus

Danville Today News ~ August 2016 - Page 3

Treats for the Troops DATE

Service group Delta Nu Psi is excited to be collecting “gourmet junk food” Danville Girls Chorus (DGC) is holding auditions for new singers on PLEASE REPLY PROMPTLY to send August 9 at San Ramon Valley High School and 3 at ·East Bay· Alamo · Diablo to our servicemen and women in Afghanistan. The cumulative donaSanAugust Ramon · Danville Blackhawk THIS AD WILL RUN AS IS UNLESS WE Walnut Pleasanton · Dublintions · Livermore which have been sent total 1,416 boxes and 34,724 pounds of treats for Foursquare Church. If you have a daughter inVacaville grades·Creek 3-8· Lafayette who is ·interested Fairfield · Travis AFB · Suisun City · Dixon · Winters CHANGES PRIOR TO as PRESS. the troops. Delta Nu PsiRECEIVE will continue sending packages as long American in joining DGC and would like to audition, please send an email to admin@ military members are in the War Zone. Much of the food sent is not normally To make changes, please call 925.328.0888, email eastbay@yourtownmonthly.com, or contact your Account Representative. danvillegirlschorus.org. available to the troops.

DGC is a non-profit organization that offers a complete program of On August 5th Delta Nu Psi members will be at CVS in Alamo and on choral music education through a variety of learning experiences and perAugust 12th at Lunardi’s in Danville. Collection will be held from 11am to 2pm. formance opportunities. Singers are taught the basics of vocal production Money for postage is also always appreciated. Please help Delta Nu Psi and learn the fundamentals of musicianship and note-reading. They are provide our men and women in the War Zone a touch of home. exposed to a variety of musical styles, ranging from classical and folk tunes For more information, visit www.deltanupsi.org. to contemporary and pop music. Participation in this program develops a sense of responsibility, confidence, and self-esteem in the singers.

If you would like more information about Danville Girls Chorus, please visit Enjoy an evening of www.DanvilleGirlsChorus.com.

Alamo-Danville Newcomers Club

Are you new to the area or a long time resident, newly retired or empty-nester interested in making new friends and participating in various social activities?

The Alamo-Danville Newcomers Club is 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 the Club has to offer by visiting www.alamodanvillenewcomers. com. The next new member coffee will be held on August 23rd from 10am to noon.

RSVP to alamodanvillenewcomers@ gmail.com.

art, wine & beer and live music

TICKETS

35

$

Historic Downtown Danville - Rose Garden Shopping Center

Artists • Wine Tasting • Small Bites • Commemorative Wine Glass • Live Music • Trolley Rides SPONSORED BY:

Page 4 - August 2016 ~ Danville Today News

Assistance League Prospective Member Coffee

Since 1967, Assistance League of Diablo Valley (ALDV), a nonprofit member volunteer organization, has improved lives in our community through hands-on programs. ALDV is pursuing prospective members who would enjoy preparing new clothing for elementary schoolchildren, performing educational puppet shows for schoolchildren, reading to second grade students, or helping in supplying emergency clothing, food, and supplies to those in crisis. Two recently formed philanthropic programs implement art in the classroom and staff the Listen Program which helps identified students with reading skill needs. Two other programs address the needs of seniors.

A Prospective Member Coffee will be held on Wednesday, August 10, at 9:30AM. If you are interested in spending quality time and meeting energetic and upbeat people while helping those who are vulnerable, call (925) 934-0901 or visit diablovalley.assistanceleague.org. ®

Sons in Retirement Branch 128

Are you looking for things to do in your retirement? Consider joining Sons in Retirement San Ramon Valley Branch 128. The group has monthly luncheons with interesting speakers and good fellowship. The August guest is Dr. Michael Barrington who will speak on “his life as a missionary in war torn Nigeria.”

Members have lots of fun participating in a variety of activities such as golf, tennis, bowling, bocce ball, movies, bridge, reading, computers, and much more. Many other activities such as travel, dine outs, excursions, baseball games, and holiday parties include spouses, friends, and guests.

The next monthly luncheon is on Wednesday, August 17th at 11AM. A fee of $23 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 www.info@SIR128.com by Thursday, August 11th. The luncheon will be held at the San Ramon Golf Club located at 9430 Fircrest Lane, San Ramon.

For more information about Branch 128 and activities, visit www.

SIR128.com.

Branch 116

Las Trampas Branch 116 welcomes guest to socialize with them at their monthly luncheon beginning at 11AM on Monday, August 15th at the Walnut Creek Elks Lodge, 1475 Creekside Drive. Guest speaker Tom Madden’s presentation will cover 10 Common Misunderstandings about Homeowners’ Insurance.

Please call (925) 322-1160 to make lunch reservations. The cost for lunch is $15. For more information about the group’s activities, visit www.Branch116.org.

Volunteers Needed at Mt. Diablo State Park

There are several exciting volunteer opportunities at Mt. Diablo State Park over the upcoming months. Projects needing assistance are: • Maintaining and improving hiking trails throughout the park • Control of invasive plants, such as yellow star thistle • Repairing and repainting park facilities, such as fences, picnic tables, and outhouses Service projects out in nature tend be excellent team-building activities, and they can support feelings of cooperation and respect among school groups, community organizations, and co-workers. Projects can accommodate a range of participant ages and group sizes, and a work day for weekends or week days can be planned. Volunteer Field Projects Coordinator can work with you and your organization to design a project that will make a significant contribution to our beautiful park, and that will be a fun and memorable experience for you and your organization.

For answers to questions and for more information, contact Silas Ellison at 925-837-6122, 925-837-6819, by cell phone at 617-335-6833, or by email at silas.ellison@parks.ca.gov.

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Fight

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husband Mike McClaksey to prostate cancer last year. They pitched it to Peta Wansbrough, DAPA Activities and Events Chairperson, and the inaugural “Amigos Lapping Cancer” fundraising event was born.

Gigi and Mike McClaskey’s wedding anniversary was May 5th (Cinco De Mayo). The fun-loving Danville couple always celebrated their anniversary with a vibrant Cinco De Mayo party. May 5, 2016, was Gigi’s first anniversary without Mike. It also marked one year since a fellow DAPA member, Julie Bryant, was diagnosed with cancer, and began her journey through surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, to a successful full remission.

Both Gigi and Julie were guest speakers at the evening poolside event joined by locals Susie Barton and Toni Stefani’s friend, Mike Hennigan.

Julie, Susie, Mike, and Gigi’s stories brought tears of compassion to all.

Susie told of her journey through a very rare and aggressive cancer, to full remission, and her fall back into a recurrence of that cancer. Susie felt she simply could not endure it all a second time, but she did with the support of her amazing family and local community.

Toni Stefani’s story was shared by his long-time friend, Mike Hennigan.

As a firefighter, Toni fell victim to a rare form of cancer that specifically affects our valued first responders: fire-fighters. Chemicals and toxins released from combustion of materials never designed to go up in flames seep into the heat-enlarged pores of our first-responders, leading to cancer at levels not seen in the general population. Toni survived aggressive treatment, and founded the San Francisco Firefighters’ Cancer Prevention Foundation.

His dual goal is to raise community awareness of this problem and the fire-fighting families impacted by it, and to change legislation concerning materials used in building materials and home or commercial furnishings in order to reduce the carcinogenic gases expelled during fires.

Del is proud of the strength and community-spirit of its members. That spirit was fully displayed with donations totaling $8,045 to the two charities and a large turnout of members for lap-swimming and evening poolside event. Loren Behr, Community Services Manager of American Cancer Society, recently collected the donations to American Cancer Society, a total of $6,372. Another check was presented to SFFCPF’s Toni Stefani, for $1,632.

Members are keen to continue the tradition. It is very rare that any family is completely untouched by cancer. Family and Community Support is the second tier of care after medical care, and Del is proud to be that tier for their members.

Want to Improve Your Public Speaking Skills?

Toastmasters is one of the most effective ways to improve your public speaking skills. The local Toastmasters group will be holding a public demonstration on Tuesday, August 9th at the bandstand on the front lawn of the Danville Library. The demonstration will take place at our normal meeting time from 7 to 8:30AM. Come see what we're all about! For more info, visit http://4143.toastmastersclubs.org.

Gopher/Mole Removal No Poison

925-765-4209

Lost Dog!

$50 REWARD

If you find him and your name is drawn!

Danville Dog is Missing He has become lost in this paper!

He is very small, so you will have to look hard if you want to find him.

To be eligible send a letter telling us where you found him, along with your name and address, to: Lost Dog! ~ Danville Today News 3000F Danville Blvd #117 • Alamo, CA 94507

Kevin Sherman is our winner!

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Danville Today News ~ August 2016 - Page 5

684 GLEN ROAD, DANVILLE

29 NATHAN PLACE, DANVILLE

PENDING IN 8 DAYS!

CAROLYN GWYNN Realtor®

| 925.336.7525

carolyn@thegwynngroup.com www.carolyngwynn.com

PENDING IN 1 DAY!

These properties went pending quickly due to pre-MLS marketing.

The market is moving briskly and there are not enough properties on the market to meet buyer needs. Should you be thinking about selling, it would be my pleasure to help you with an overview of your options. Please contact me at 925.336.7525 or carolyn@thegwynngroup.com.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Volunteer continued from front page

to 2,500,000 meals) that the hungry would have gone without. Also, in addition to rescuing food, WPE collects donations of new or like-new clothing, shoes, toys, games, and books. More than 250,000 of these items have been distributed to those in need in the past two years—all free of charge, through WPE’s unique “Mobile Boutiques” and its Direct Distribution program.

Peter Brooks, a White Pony Express volunteer, says, “One of the highlights of my week is picking up fresh produce (often organic!) from farmers markets, knowing that it will be going to people in our county who don’t have access to such nutritious, high quality food.”

Interested volunteers should contact Mandy Nakaya at 925-818-6361 or email mandy@whiteponyexpress.org. For more on WPE, go to www. whiteponyexpress.org.

“

San Damiano’s Fall Auction & Dinner

“An Affair to Remember”

An evening of elegant dining and music reminiscent of the era of “Singin’ in the Rain” and “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” September 18, 2016 4:30 PM – 9:00 PM

Cost: $75/person

Experience Franciscan Hospitality 710 Highland Dr.; Danville, CA 925-837-9141 Register at www.sandamiano.org

Over 40 Home Improvement Vendors!

Sunday, August 28, 2016 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Danville Community Center 420 Front Street, Danville

FREE ADMISSION Presented By Media Sponsors

www.HomeExpoEvents.com

Page 6 - August 2016 ~ Danville Today News

Stone Valley Middle School

By Jon Campopiano, Principal

It is with great excitement that we embark on the 2016-2017 School year. I have always loved the energy, excitement, opportunities, and challenges that a new school year brings. Our staff has been working hard to prepare a campus that is conducive for collaborating, creativity, and ongoing student success.

Construction on our new facility continued throughout the summer and students, staff, and families will have great joy in watching our new building come together. When it is complete, we will have a state of the art, $40 million facility that will allow students to learn and staff to instruct at the highest of levels. Please continue to follow us on Twitter @stonevalleyms and at our website stonevalley. schoolloop.com. Here are some important dates to add to your calendar.

Thursday, August 11 - 7:45AM- noon - WEB Day (Where Everyone Belongs). All new students will meet their mentors, participate in team building activities, tour the campus. and enjoy a pizza lunch followed by Registration from 12:30PM – 6PM. Monday, August 15 - 8:15AM-12:17PM ~ First Day of School Thursday, September 1 -7PM ~ Back To School Night Enjoy your final days of summer and see you soon!

Join Girl Scouts!

Attention: Parents of Girls Entering Kindergarten this Fall

If you and your daughter are interested in joining an organization that builds girls of courage, confidence, and character; strives to make the world a better place; and does all this while having fun and making new friends, then Girl Scout staff wants to hear from you!

Please email LZerby@girlscoutsnorcal.org or call (800) 447-4475 and say: “I’m interested in helping to start a troop,” or “I’d just like some information,” or “Please invite us to an informational meeting in the fall.”

Provide the parent/caregiver name, email, and phone number as well as your girl’s name, grade entering this fall, and school attending.

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San Ramon Valley Christian Academy By Jamie Westgate, Principal

Summer is such a wonderful time for a family to catch up on rest, fun, and memory making. Kids in our valley seem to be so overscheduled, always rushing off to the next event after a full day of school. JuneAugust are great months to slow down, allow a child to use his/her imagination, and learn to self-satisfy when facing feelings of boredom. Some of the most creative ideas come when “there is nothing to do.” In these last couple of weeks of vacation, consider these suggestions.

1. Have a backyard picnic and spend time making cloud pictures.

2. Use sidewalk chalk to draw pathways for bikes/scooters. Take large boxes, and duct tape them to turn them into “drive through restaurants.”

3. Have your child organize your food pantry, and set aside some food goods for the local food bank. Deliver together to help your child see the needs others have for basic essentials, and discuss future ways to help.

4. Take advantage of many of our beautiful hiking paths. Count how many types of birds and bugs you can find.

5. Make cookies and surprise a neighbor. You may want to even consider dropping some off to our local community supporters like the Danville Police or San Ramon Valley Fire Department to offer a sense of appreciation for their efforts to keep us safe.

It is my prayer for my own family that our summers are used to slow down, and we can be intentional to shepherd the hearts of our kids. Enjoy these last couple of weeks!

As we all know, the new school year is around the corner! Our theme for the year is “Speak Up!” We will be revisiting Ephesians 4:29, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Our communication is reflective of our hearts, so we will be asking students to “speak up” in their verbal and non-verbal communication as well as through technology. In all we hope kids realize their words and actions are a way to praise God. Have a great back-to-school season, Danville!

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One of the 10 Safest Cities in California--Thanks to Our Danville Police By Karen Stepper, Mayor of Danville

Danville Today News ~ August 2016 - Page 7

7 Things You Must Know Before Putting Your Home Up for Sale

Danville - A new report has just been released deadly mistakes that cost them literally thousands of You just went to an awesome 4th of July parade hosted which reveals 7 costly mistakes that most dollars. The good news is that each and every one of

by Kiwanis and co-sponsored by Town of Danville. You homeowners make when selling their home, and a 9 these mistakes is entirely preventable. In answer to cheered and laughed and saluted with up to 40,000 other Step System that can help you sell your home fast this issue, industry insiders have prepared a free special report entitled "The 9 Step System to Get parade watchers. What a great crowd of community-minded and for the most amount of money.

This industry report shows clearly how the Your Home Sold Fast and For Top Dollar". families! But it only takes “one” disrupter to cause the viotraditional ways of selling homes have become To hear a brief recorded message about how to lence we have been witnessing in the news recently. increasingly less and less effective in today's market. order your FREE copy of this report call toll-free 1Did you notice the teams of officers on rooftops this The fact of the matter is that fully three quarters of 866-265-1682 and enter 2000. You can call any time, year? The dogs sniffing for dangerous materials before homesellers don't get what they want for their homes 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. become disillusioned and - worse - financially Get your free special report NOW to find out how the event? The command vehicle on School Street? Police and disadvantaged when they put their homes on the you can get the most money for your home. body cameras? Chief Steve Simpkins plans ahead to protect market.

As this report uncovers, most homesellers make 7 Danville’s small town environment.

Recently, Lt. Allan Shields met the Danville Car Show This report is courtesy of J. Rockcliff Realtors CalBRE 01763819. Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract. Copyright © 2015 volunteers to be sure they know their roles when there are 12,000 auto fans and families expected on the streets on August 11. He St. Isidore School emphasized when to call for help from a uniformed officer, a police School Is Almost Here! volunteer, a search and rescue volunteer, or a SWAT team.

By Maria Ward, Principal The Lieutenant is a leader for the SWAT teams for the Sheriff’s ofWe hope that your summer has been memofice; yet, his demeanor is always nonaggressive, professional, factual, rable and that you enjoyed some downtime with and welcoming. Lt. Shields gave examples of how to keep people calm the important people in your lives. We have when there is an issue to address. been busily preparing for the coming school Like other police officers, Lt. Shields has a spouse and kids waiting for year over the summer. Our dedicated teachers him at home each night. In the back of his mind, he knows that a routine have been in and out getting ready for their new classes of students. Summer faith camp, traffic stop can end a police officer’s future. You may think a stop is rou- hosted by our parish, was a huge success. The theme was “Cave Quest: Following Jesus, tine, but every officer knows how wrong that can go. An officer’s goal is the Light of the World.” We enjoyed seeing different students from our school and parto get home to his or her family at the end of the day. Every decision in ish communities come together and share in their Catholic faith. Many of our middle that “stop” can make the difference--attitude, professional tone and stance, school students volunteered and earned service hours toward their annual service hour and nonaggressive words, all the time being ready with the best equipment goal. Our pastor, Fr. Moran, also participated with daily visits in supporting our sumavailable--the camera, the radio, the taser, or the service weapon. mer faith camp. He and his dog, Beauty, were on campus enjoying all the festivities.

Remember how hard and isolating a police officer’s job can be out Our school office will open on Monday, August 1. Our teachers officially begin on patrol. Be an alert citizen. Watch out for children, take note of odd on August 15, and students will be starting school on Tuesday, August 23. We look behavior or unusual packages, and memorize the important things you forward to welcoming each and every one of them to this new school year. There are see in around you. Be polite, but most of all, be grateful that someone new teachers and staff members to welcome as well. The puts his or her life on the line every day as one of our Danville officers Back-to-School Mass will be held on Friday, August 26 at 8:10am. Please join us for this celebration to begin our new or one of our police volunteers. Thank them when you see them!

Show your gratitude at the 9-11 observance at Oak Hill Park which will school year. During the first week of school, we will host take place at 5PM Sunday, September 11th followed by a free community picnic) a back-to-school BBQ for the entire school community, which will be held at school. There will be food trucks, or join the Contra Costa 100 Club to support the families of fallen officers. games, and much family fun to be had. We enjoy getting to Charlotte Wood Middle know our students and their families at this wonderful event.

St. Isidore School is extremely excited to be offering a School two-year kindergarten program. The first year will be TranBy Christopher George, Principal sitional Kindergarten, and the second year will be a standard Hello, Charger Community!

Kindergarten program. The curriculum will be following the We hope you have had a great summer and California Transitional Kindergarten guidelines set by Califorhave all had time to enjoy your families. We nia’s Department of Education. The Transitional Kindergarten are just getting back to work in preparation program includes a developmental approach that prepares NEW YEAR for the 2016- 2017 school year which will be students for the following Kindergarten year. The focus is • CARPET th underway on August 15 . We are so looking building literacy, math, and social development in a nurturing NEW FLOORS! forward to getting back to school and seeChrist-centered environment. This program will be shorter than • HARDWOOD ing all 1,000 or so of our kids return to Charlotte Wood. We will the traditional Kindergarten day, starting at 7:50am for drop off, • CARPET RUGS be spending the interim time getting ready by finishing up hiring, pm and student pick up will begin at 12:15 . However, students scheduling, and preparing our curricular vision and plans for the CUSTOM RUGS are welcome to stay for the extended day option if it works for • HARDWOOD year. We will continue the work we’ve done in creating the best your family and child. This time allows for lunch, breaks, rest • RUGS LINOLEUM experience for kids through true collaborative planning, and great time, story time, and free-choice exploration stations.

• LINOLEUM practices in assessment, with a renewed focus on intervention stratTILE There are a few openings for the 2016–2017 school egies and making sure that we are reaching every student. Part of year. St. Isidore School is the largest Catholic school in the that involves ensuring that we are a physically and emotionally safe Oakland Diocese with over 630 students. Our students learn Family Owned Business campus, so we will be working to continually improve our school Since 1989 the value of service by living the Gospel values. We have a climate this year. We will have more specifics as the year goes on, community of remarkable teachers, staff, and parents who 3344 Mt. Diablo Blvd. but for now, just know that we are excited to be back to work after work together to create success in each child’s life. The Lafayette, CA our summer, and we can’t wait to see our students! As always, if development of the whole child and bringing out the best 925.284.4440 you have questions, comments, concerns, or ideas about how we in each student lies at the heart of our philosophy. If you can work better with our at-large community, always feel free to have any questions about enrollment or would like to take www.LamorindaFloors.com contact me at cgeorge@srvusd.net. Enjoy the remainder of summer!

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Page 8 - August 2016 ~ Danville Today News

Alamo’s 1st & Only Pediatric Dentist!

Alamo Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics Welcomes Dr. Allan Pang Dr. Pang completed his undergraduate degree at the University of California, San Diego.

He earned his Doctorate of Dental Medicine at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts. After Tufts he completed a General Practice Residency at University of California, Los Angeles. Thereafter, Dr. Pang practiced general dentistry in the community of Los Gatos, California for two years. It was during this time that he realized how much he enjoyed working with his pediatric patients and returned to school to specialize in Pediatric Dentistry.

His residency in Pediatric Dentistry at New York University-Bellevue Hospital in New York City allowed for him to have extensive training in treating the well child and those with special healthcare needs such as children with craniofacial disorders and developmental disabilities.

Dr. Pang has been in private practice since 2008.

He is a Board Certified Pediatric Dentist, a Diplomate with the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, and a member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

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Danville Today News ~ August 2016 - Page 9

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Monte Vista High School

By Dr. Kevin Ahern, Principal

It is always a little daunting coming onto campus after summer break and picking up where you left off – especially since school is starting ten days earlier this year. However, Monte Vista is still fairly quiet at this time, and that gives me a few days to take care of some of the finer details that we want to address this school year. Over the course of my summer, I have focused on deepening my own knowledge about Response to Intervention, improving campus climate, and Carol Dweck’s research on growth mindsets. What I found is that understanding this body of research will undoubtedly help our faculty and staff take our students to another level of success. I am also enjoyed SRVUSD’s annual administrator retreat. This event was a great opportunity to refocus on our district-wide initiatives as well as hear about successful practices at other schools. I look forward to sharing this work with my colleagues over the course of the school year.

With school starting earlier this year, school events will begin right away in early August. Monte Vista’s counseling staff returns on August 1st, and SRVUSD’s annual update will be sent out on August 2nd. On August 5th, our student Link Crew members will be visited by campus climate expert Keith Hawkins, who will help our juniors and seniors prepare for Freshman Orientation which will be held on August 12th. We have also consolidated our registration days to a single day – Stampede Day – which will be held on Thursday, August 11th from 12-7PM in the Monte Vista’s main gym. As in the past, students and parents will have the opportunity to pick up school related materials, buy spirit wear, and make donations to a variety of booster organizations. Monte Vista’s athletic programs are also poised to start in August. We look forward to another great fall campaign.

Monte Vista will welcome several new faculty members including assistant principal, Kenny Kahn; science teachers, Nikki Griffin and Bryan Jensen; social science teacher and MV alum Melissa Trisko; and culinary arts teacher, Linda Hann. There are a few more positions to fill, so we look forward to

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welcoming more new faculty members before the onset of the school year.

There is a lot of work on the Monte Vista campus that has been completed as well as a considerable amount that is still in progress. We have a new forensics classroom that is coming along nicely, and many of our buildings are receiving fresh coats of paint. In response to our four additional computer science sections, we have received the first of two new sets of computers that will be installed in our two computer science labs. In addition, most classrooms in the 400 building are being outfitted with new audio / video / interactive presentation systems.

This upgrade follows a similar project in the 200 building that was completed last spring as well as another upgrade to some 400 wing classrooms that occurred two years ago. Hats off to our site custodial and district maintenance crews for getting these items done for our staff and students.

The first day of school is August 15th, and we are looking forward to another amazing year at Monte Vista. Enjoy what is left of summer vacation – in a few weeks it will be back to business, and the Mustang Stampede will be off and running!

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Page 10 - August 2016 ~ Danville Today News

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Is Zika Virus a Threat to Contra Costa County?

By Candaces Andersen, Contra Costa County, District 2 Supervisor

As temperatures rise and mosquitoes begin to irritate once more, many are concerned about the risks we take when we go outdoors this summer. Can these buzzing pests carry the Zika virus? Fortunately, research has shown that we in Contra Costa County can put our worries to rest.

Zika, a mysterious new virus first reported in Brazil, has been a critical concern this year. Zika is transmitted through mosquito bites, sexual contact, and blood transfusions and has become widespread across South and Central America. Zika’s symptoms, which are present three to seven days after initial exposure, include red eyes, rash, mild fever, and joint pain. Only mosquitoes of the genus Aedes are capable of functioning as vectors of transmission for Zika and other illnesses such as malaria, Dengue fever, chikungunya, and yellow fever. The species that spread Zika are not found in Contra Costa.

Although many cases of infection are asymptomatic and go undetected, most of unease due to Zika is rooted in a correlation between Zika infections during pregnancy and birth abnormalities. In an observed group of 42 South American women infected with Zika virus, 12 infants were born with abnormalities. The most significant of these abnormalities was a condition known as microcephaly, or small head size due to irregular brain development. Zika has also been linked to Guillain-Barre syndrome, an autoimmune neurological disease.

Specific protocols must be followed if a Zika infection is confirmed. When an infection is discovered in-state, the California Department of Public Health works with local health departments to make media reports, tightens mosquito surveillance and control in the surrounding areas of those infected, distributes public awareness materials, and sends female mosquitoes to the Davis Arbovirus Research and Training Lab for arboviral testing to discover if Zika carrying Aedes mosquitoes are present.

With all this information in mind, the California Department of Public Health

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has urged pregnant women to abstain from travel to countries with high Zika incidence rates or reported Zika outbreaks. If travel is unavoidable, precautions such as long sleeves and pants and the use of EPA registered insect repellents are strongly recommended. Women who are or even may be pregnant should be tested for Zika on return from travel in South or Central America. In addition, the CDC recommends waiting at least six months before trying to conceive if either partner has Zika symptoms and eight weeks if either partner has been exposed to the Zika virus.

Contra Costa County has had two positive travel related cases confirmed in February of this year. One person had traveled to South America and the other to Central America. Other cases of the virus in California have been identified in the San Diego, Los Angeles, and Yolo counties, bringing the total count of cases in California to 30. Only one of these cases was acquired in California itself. In San Diego County, a woman became infected following contact with a man returning from Colombia, but she recovered with no complications.

Chances of Zika transmission in Contra Costa County are low and can be completely avoided by following the guidelines provided by the California Department of Public Health and the CDC. For more information on Zika and Zika prevention, visit https://www.cdc.gov/zika/ or http://www.cdph.ca.gov/ HealthInfo/discond/Pages/Zika.aspx.

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.

Thank you to summer interns Clara Cabot and Annie Jeung for their contributions to this article.

To place an ad, share a story,or for more information about our papers, call 925.405.6397 or visit our website www.yourmonthlypaper.com

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Quick Trips

Danville Today News ~ August 2016 - Page 11

Self guided architecture tour in Berkeley

By Linda Summers Pirkle

Zaha Hadid, a ground breaking architect who recently passed away at the age of 65, was “a force of nature, a pioneer,” according to a New York Times art and design column. Ms. Hadid, the article continued, was an Iraqi-born Brit whose buildings “elevated uncertainty to an art” where “geometry became in her hands a vehicle for unprecedented and eye-popping new space.” She was the first woman to win the Pritzker Prize, architecture’s Nobel, as well as the first on her own to be awarded the RIBA Gold Medal, Britain’s top architectural award in 2015. I would love to see her works in Wolfsburg, Germany, her modern art museum in Rome, and the aquatics center in London she designed. I so enjoy reading about architects and seeing their innovative and inspiring creations.

My friend Barbara is usually up for exploring the Bay Area, so when I suggested an architecture walking tour of the neighborhoods of Berkeley and Oakland, she happily accepted my invite.

I brought along a delightful book called Berkeley Walks, by Robert E. Johnson and Janet Byron to our meeting place, Rick and Ann’s café (2922 Domingo Ave. Berkeley) which is located in the charming shopping center across from the Claremont Hotel.

This delightful café has been in business for 26 years, and I have been a frequent patron since they opened. Benches outside are usually full with people waiting for a table (reservations are for six and over only), and Peet’s Coffee is right next door.

Iced coffee from Peet’s in hand, we headed out on “Walk Number 13,” the Rockridge to Claremont tour, one of 16 treks in Berkeley Walks. According to the authors, “Walking is in the fabric of Berkeley’s culture. When the city was designed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, planners included a network of Doors | Windows | Blinds & Shades | Home Automation about 140 public paths throughout the Berkeley hills, providing pedestrian with routes to retail and commercial areas...” I love this book because it is so easy to follow. The routes start out with an overview of the walk, there is an estimated time to Visit Our Alamo complete the walk, the maps are easy to read, and my favorite part: there are spotlights on local architects and their works as Showroom well as a glossary of architectural terms.

3221-B Danville Blvd Julia Morgan (1872-1957) is one of the architects spotlighted in the book. Born in San Francisco, Morgan grew up and lived Alamo, CA 94507 most of her life in Oakland. While working on a civil engineerBy Appointment Only ing degree at UC Berkeley, she met Bernard Maybeck who encouraged her to go to Paris to study architecture. “Her renowned ability,” according to the authors, was to “borrow from different styles while forging her own, and she was meticulous about craftsmanship. Her designs could be extremely sensitive and subtle, as in many Berkeley homes, or flamboyant, as in Hearst Castle at San Simeon. She made particular use of local California styles, such as Mission Revival and Bay Area Arts and Crafts.” We took note of the Julia Morgan designed 1928 Italian Renaissance villa on at 2821 Claremont Boulevard. The authors point out the “lovely ornamental details, including Venetian Gothic tracery on the side windows (look through the gates from the corner), a front-doorway fresco, and wrought iron on the balcony.”

On our tour Barb and I discovered a lovely quiet narrow street lined with tall plane trees forming a complete canopy with Henry Gutterson designed residences at 2922, 2916, 2910 and 2904 Garber Street. If you continue to the crest you can see a mini version of San Francisco’s winding Lombard Street.

Our next adventure using the book Berkeley Walks will most likely be “Maybeck Country” (Walk Number 5) which highlights Maybeck creations, diverse historic architecture, and the lovely Rose Walk in Berkeley Rose Garden.

Berkeley Walks, Revealing Rambles Through America’s Most Intriguing City is published by Roaring Forties Press and can be purchased online or at your local bookstore.

Linda Summers Pirkle, travel consultant and long term Danville resident, has arranged and led tours for the Town of Danville for several years. Inspired by the many wonderful places to visit in the Bay Area, she organizes day trips, either for One of the homes on self guided architecture groups or for friends and family. “What a great place to live, so much to see, so much to do.” To share your “Quick Trips” ideas email Coverthemap@gmail.com. walking tour in Berkeley.

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Page 12 - August 2016 ~ Danville Today News

A Windstar Sailing Adventure in French Polynesia

By Betsy Ahlberg, Alamo World Travel & Tours

Have you ever wanted to sail aboard your own private yacht in turquoise waters surrounded by magical green islands and motu’s (Polynesian reef islet with vegetation), enjoy fabulous local cuisine, swim in 80 degree water with friendly manta rays and black fin sharks, snorkel over coral reefs viewing brilliantly colored fish, and enjoy a picnic on a motu feasting on blue marlin cooked over a coconut husk BBQ with homemade coconut bread along with local “Huahini” beer?

Rise each morning to a spectacular sunrise while doing yoga and stretch classes on the flying bridge. Enjoy cocktails every evening on the deck as you watch the sun set over the sea in brilliant splendor. Spend your days swimming, snorkeling, paddle boarding, kayaking, or just sitting on a pristine beach. If you want more adventure, go hiking under waterfalls or on a four-wheel drive tour up rugged roads, exploring the islands...

That is what a Windstar cruise in Tahiti is all about. Set sail from Papeete (just 7 1/2 hours nonstop from LA). Spend seven nights aboard

Tip of the Month

By Marco Conci, Eagle Scout, Troop 36

I recently had the opportunity to work with the Town of Danville’s Clean Water Program Coordinator, Chris McCann and 12 Boy Scouts from Troop 36 to replace curb markers above storm drains.

Dumping anything into storm drains is not just wrong, it’s illegal. Storm water is often considered a nuisance because it mobilizes pollutants such as motor oil and trash. Pollutants such as oil, paint, pesticides, fertilizers, and soaps contaminate storm water and cause harm to our ecosystem. This affects ocean water quality and marine life.

Storm drain marking is an established method to increase community awareness about non-point source pollution. The Town of Danville has an established program to replace the storm drain markers and increase community awareness to educate the public not to dump pollution into our streets and waterways.

Unlike the water that flows down the drains inside your home which goes to sewage treatment facilities, the storm drain system is completely separate; water in the storm drain receives no treatment or filtering process. This means that any pollution that gets washed into the storm drains go directly to our creeks and ultimately the Bay. We can all do our part to keep storm water clean. So what can we do to make it better? There are a lot of things: Keep trash and chemicals off the streets. That means picking up litter when you see it, even if it’s not your own, and avoiding the use of harsh chemicals.

Make sure your car is in good working order so that the oil and gas doesn’t drip onto the pavement and eventually into the drain.

Pick up after your dog. You don’t want to swim in its waste the next time you go to the beach!

Be a community advocate. Report full or clogged storm drains to your department of public works.

Here’s some other simple do’s and don’ts: Don’t wash your car at home because the soapy suds join a polluted mix of grime, metals, petroleum products, and chemicals that flow into the street, then

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the luxurious Wind Spirit, a 140 passenger sailing yacht with 90 delightful crew members attending to your every need. By the end of the first day they know your favorite coffee and cocktail.

Your itinerary includes Moorea, Tahaa, Raiatea, Bora Bora and Huahine. You spend a full day on a private motu complete with water sports, delicious BBQ lunch, and full bar.

While in Bora Bora, dinner is served island style on another private motu complete with roast pig, BBQ steak, chicken and ahi (raw and cooked) with your own island dance show. Aboard ship one nights dinner is completely prepared and served outdoors on the deck followed by dancing. Another night you dine by candlelight on the deck. What could be a more fun and romantic vacation?

For this Windstar trip or other cruises, river cruises, tours or resort stays anywhere in the world you want to travel, contact Betsy Ahlberg at Alamo World Travel and Tours, www.alamoworld.com, your local travel agency for 35 years. We are located in Alamo Commons- Suite 255, between Ace Hardware and the Peasants Courtyard Restaurant.

We specialize in personalized service with “real” agents- Ask us, we’ve been there...call Betsy at (925) 899-9363 or email at ahlbergtb@gmail.com. Advertorial into the drain which flow into our creeks and eventually the bay and ocean.

Do take your car to a commercial location that has a drain that flows into a treatment facility where the water is cleaned before it is released.

Don’t water garden and lawns with the sprinklers running too long or spraying too far, as the extra water can carry pollutants like fertilizers and animal waste in to the drain.

Do adjust your sprinklers so they work properly and only water areas that need it.

Don’t hose your concrete paths because the water can pick up other trash that flows into the drain.

Do use a broom (which is also a wise choice during our drought).

Here are some other good storm water management ideas to consider.

In cities with lots of concrete, 75% of the rainwater runs into the sewer instead of being absorbed by the ground as it would in a natural environment. Counter this by using rain barrels to divert water from storm drains, therefore reducing pollutants.

Or use rain chains to direct water to your garden using water wisely and keeping it out of our storm drains—saving you money and helping with the drought.

Our state and regional water board support projects that include low impact development designs that capture water where it falls. For example, in new developments or in re-landscaping, using trees and plants near sidewalks and roads works to soak up water into the ground to feed living things, instead of having the water roll off the pavement into the street and drains.

By keeping water on your property and preventing runoff, you’ll be doing your favorite beach a favor too. The less water that gets into our storm drain system, the cleaner our beaches stay.

As part of my project, we distributed flyers to houses throughout my neighborhood to educate the public on storm drain awareness. On the flyer, I asked residents to pledge not to misuse the storm drain system with pollutants, such as pouring toxic materials in their streets that would flow to the storm drain. You can show your commitment in keeping the waterways clean and healthy for our community, environment, wildlife, and Bay by signing an online pledge at www.thepetitionsite.com/444/692/655.

If you sign before September 15, 2016 you will have a chance to win a Starbucks gift card.

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Danville Today News ~ August 2016 - Page 13

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Page 14 - August 2016 ~ Danville Today News

Technology Matters

By Evan Corstorphine, Portable CIO

I’m always hunting for good analogies to explain the way we approach technology, so I’ll try this idea and see how it works. I’m old enough to remember TV’s when there were only a few channels to watch, and we had rabbit ear antennas. Remember when we’d turn the channel dial on our TV, and then we would turn that second ring around the dial that helped fine-tune our channel from fuzzy to crisp? That’s what we do at PCIO; we fine-tune your environment, making your network and systems crisp and responsive. We take a holistic approach based upon the premise of MASS. MASS stands for manageable, available, scalable and secure. That’s the yardstick by which we measure every recommendation we give you.

At a typical smaller firm, someone generally inherits the IT “mantle” because they have a bit more experience with computers than their coworkers. Typically, they’ll buy some computers, get some accessories or consumer-grade networking gear at Best Buy or Fry’s, then put it all together. Voila, they’re heroes! This has worked OK, and with a lot of folks that’s been the extent of their IT. However, in today’s computing environment with the number of online criminals trying to access your computers, encrypt your files, and steal your money and identity, it’s no longer enough. The game has changed, and our team is playing defense. If you think you’re protected and safe because you have antivirus, it isn’t enough.

The bad guys are endlessly innovative, and to protect you we collectively need to do more. We need to build more blocking layers between them and your systems. The challenge is implementing these changes as quickly and unobtrusively as possible, and to continue to adapt as the landscape shifts.

I’m not an alarmist, nor do I want to deal in scare tactics to motivate people.

However, one could argue that a little more awareness might motivate folks to start engaging instead of ignoring their situation. It’s difficult for people to hear that it’s not a matter of “if” you get hit, it’s a matter of “when.” When we say that, we’re not trying to be negative, we’re being real. There is simply no way to avoid being exposed to the hacker element, because they’re into everything. If you use the web, you’re exposed. For instance, becoming infected is as easy as going to your favorite news website that runs advertisements on the page. We know that a percentage of those ads are infected, and we won’t know which ones, but we only have to be on the page at the same time as an infected ad to become infected. And, there is a good chance your antivirus won’t pick it up. You’ve done nothing wrong, but the next thing you know all your files are destroyed, and you’re calling for help.

Why is this happening? The first reason is money. The second reason is because it will always be easier to destroy than to create. And, this is not a “PC thing” or a “Mac thing”: it’s an “everyone” thing. The criminals don’t really care which computing platform you’re using, because they write their code for all platforms. To them, ransomware is a business, and we are their unwilling “customers.” The only question is whether you’ve implemented strategies to make it harder for them to succeed and to recovery from a disaster when it happens.

Our goal is to manage your technology better, faster, and cheaper than you can do it for yourself with your own staff. We’re at our absolute best when we take over your IT function and run it like our own. We have the knowledge, tools, and staff, and a long list of actions we take to make your systems run well and your network perform better. We build layers of protection and offer remediation in times of crisis. Our tag line is ‘Technology.

Simplified.’ If we do our job, we enable you to do yours without worry.

Technology definitely has a role in today’s world, and we want that role to be as powerful and cost effective as possible. The first question to ask yourself is “How well protected am I?” If you’re not sure of where you stand, let us help you sleep better with a site survey and report. Give us a call and we can chat about your situation, and make plans for your technology management. You can reach us at info@ pcioit.com, or 925-552-7953.

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Mindfulness can Help with your Difficult Emotions

By Joree Rosenblatt, MA

Danville Today News ~ August 2016 - Page 15

Just as the acclaimed Pixar movie Inside Out demonstrated, all emotions are not only necessary and part of the human experience, but they each show up in our lives at different times. It is very common to want to disregard the “negative” emotions, such as anger, sadness, depression, or anxiety, as undesirable and therefore something that we just push aside and ignore.

But just as when we sweep all the proverbial junk under the rug, ignoring or denying difficult emotions doesn’t actually make them go away; eventually as that pile under the rug builds, we are bound to one day trip over it, making it impossible to ignore it forever. The same is true with emotions. Practicing how to not run away from painful emotional experiences allows for the opportunity for integrated health, wellness, and overall balance in our lives.

Mark Bertin, an author at Mindful magazine and a developmental pediatrician, states, “Being skillful with our emotions isn’t just about recognizing when we feel happy, angry, or sad. Awareness means noticing all of our emotions, and then making active choices about whether we need to take action or whether it’s best to leave things alone.” The more we learn how to turn towards, rather than away, the more informed our responses can be.

Mindfulness is a practice that allows us to gain insight into our brains and bodies and therefore develop a new, and hopefully more integrated, relationship with whatever is arising. By practicing greater awareness and paying attention to what is happening in the present moment, rather than reacting or running from what we deem negative or undesirable, it is then that we are able to see it for what it is, allowing it to have less control over us. Paradoxically, often what holds us to difficult emotions is the lack of desire to deal with it. But with mindfulness, when we allow space for it to exist and practice relating to our Alamo Ace Hardware |3211 Danville Blvd., Alamo | 925-837-2420 emotional experiences with self-compassion and loving-kindness, we can learn www.AlamoHardware.com that we find new tools and strengths to get through difficult times.

Zendal Segal, one of the founders of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy, explains that by simply noticing, labeling, naming, and allowing the emotion to exist, does not mean that you like it, are resigned to feeling that way forever, or that you are passively dealing with it. In fact, quite the opposite; it takes great strength and commitment to bring more intentional attention to how we are feeling and develop a new, less reactive, relationship to our emotional experiences. When we do this, we break the automatic and habitual patterns of seeing ourselves as being stuck in a negative space or mindset forever. Through acceptance and “letting it be” we also recognize the fleeting nature of all emotions. This is why you often hear of a mediation teacher describe the thoughts in our minds to be like clouds passing overhead – when we can relate to our emotions or thoughts as the ever-changing clouds, we hold less of a grip onto them as a permanent state.

Through the cultivation of mindfulness, you can practice allowing the unpleasant experiences to exist, knowing that in the end you will still be okay. By being in the present moment and creating this friendliness to ourselves and our experiences, helps bring about greater courage, strength, and ability to be with whatever is arising.

Living in the now brings not only relief and peace, but it also brings courage, strength, and the willingness to be with ourselves. Additionally, when we fail to pay attention to emotion, it often alters the way we view the world. In other words, our perceptions of others are often skewed by our emotional states; the benefit of mindfulness is that when we notice our emotional states with less resistance we are able to see our emotions, and therefore people or situations around us, more clearly.

And now, you can cultivate a mindfulness practice right here in Danville! The Bay Area Mindfulness and Therapy Center is opening August 15th and will be offering many small classes, workshops, and individual therapy. Check out www. mindfulnessandtherapycenter.com for more info.

Joree Rosenblatt, MA is a Licensed Marriage Stop by and Family Therapist, with a passion for helping our new office in the others live their optimal life through the cultivaAlamo Courtyard tion of a mindfulness practice. Contact her for 3195 Danville Blvd #4, more information or to set up an appointment.

Email joree@comcast.net or call 925-212Alamo 2996.

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Page 16 - August 2016 ~ Danville Today News

Pruning for Fire Safety

By Blaine Brende & Joe Lamb

In the spring and early summer, the landscape grows lush and beautiful.

Our Mediterranean climate is blessed by sufficient winter rains to make plants grow, but our dry summers, and our even drier autumns, can make that new growth a fire hazard. In the greater Bay Area, we live surrounded by an ecosystem that has been shaped, over the last 10,000 years, by frequent wildfires. Because these woodland fires are inevitable, landscape trees, even healthy ones, require occasional pruning to prevent them from becoming fire ladders––bridges of flammable material that could carry flames from a woodland fire to your home.

The threat posed by fires in the greater Bay Area is real and significant.

The Oakland/Berkeley Hills fire of 1991 caused $1.7 billion in property damage, and it was the nation’s worst urban fire since the San Francisco fire of 1906. Failure to properly maintain landscape trees and shrubs played a significant role in allowing that fire to grow, intensify, and move. The Comprehensive Overview of the Berkeley/Oakland Hills Fire recommends that the risk of wildfire can be reduced by proper care of landscape plants: • Break up fire ladders.

• Limb trees back from structures.

• Reduce flammable biomass by thinning crowns.

• Remove dead trees and shrubs from the landscape.

• Remove deadwood from live trees and shrubs.

Breaking up fire ladders helps prevent a fire from moving easily from the woods, or from your neighbor’s property, to your house. To break up fire

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ladders, increase the space between plants, both vertically and horizontally.

In the 1991 fire, blowing brands of flammable material landed on ground plants and, if there was sufficient dry matter, caught the ground cover on fire.

The fire burned along the ground plants horizontally for as long as it found material to burn. If it encountered trees with low branches, the fire would move vertically from the ground up into the crown of the tree. If those burning trees were close to a house, they would set the house on fire. If their crowns touched the crowns of other trees, the fire spread from crown to crown.

Landscape plants pose little fire hazard when they are properly maintained, and proper maintenance does not mean sacrificing a natural, woodland aesthetic. If the limbing up, dead-wooding, and crown thinning are done by a craftsman with a sensitivity to plant aesthetics, then the trees will look natural, even though they may have had 30% of their biomass removed. Knowing how to identify potential hazards is important, but it is also important to know how to reduce those hazards in a manner that keeps your property looking natural and which doesn’t sacrifice important screening plants. Brende & Lamb specializes in balancing the conflicting needs for privacy, fire safety, tree health, and landscape aesthetics. It is possible to improve the fire safety of your property while promoting the health and beauty of your plants.

Tree care is a craft requiring study and experience. Our trimmers are master craftsmen who understand that a well-pruned tree should not only be safer and healthier, it should look beautiful as well. At Brende and Lamb we take great pride in both the science and the art of pruning.

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.

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In Victorian England properly communicating in “the language of the flowers” was an essential social grace. Blossoms, colors and combinations conveyed complex messages from professions of devotion to diatribes on disdain. Presenting a bouquet with an infelicitous arrangement of flowers was as gauche as delivering a speech with improper syntax. Yet even though they chose to let flowers speak for them, the Victorians relegated the possibility that flowers could speak for themselves to the realm of fantasy.

Published in 1871, Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass places Alice in a garden exchanging quips with the resident plants. “ ‘O Tiger-lily,’ said Alice, addressing one that was waving gracefully about in the wind, ‘I wish you could talk!’

‘We can talk,’ said Tiger-lily, ‘when there’s anybody worth talking to.’ “ Until the turn of the 21st century, most of the scientific community continued to regard the concept that plants have the capacity to communicate as something out of a children’s story. When Jack Schultz and Ian Baldwin’s essay describing their experiments demonstrating that injured trees release chemical signals to which other trees respond by activating their own defense mechanisms appeared in a 1983 issue of Science, their research was debunked by most of their peers as the “talking tree notion.”

Some scientists, however, recognized the value of the research. Schultz and Baldwin weren’t suggesting that trees converse with one another like Alice’s imaginary flowers. Their findings pointed to a totally different type of communication. Over the next three decades, scientists across the globe accumulated compelling data on the various ways plants send signals that cause other plants and insects to react. While they have yet to devise a way of measuring intentionality – whether plants purposely send messages to warn their neighbors – they have quantified responses to those messages.

Carefully constructed readily replicable research using a variety of plants substantiates Schultz and Baldwin’s findings. When under attack by predators or disease or stressed by drought, plants emit an airborne volatiles (“VOCs”) specific to the problem. A bean plant infested with aphids, for example, sends a chemical message. In response, neighboring bean plants produce substances abhorrent to aphids to protect themselves. Wasps that feed on aphids react to the signal as an irresistible summons to feast.

Recently, scientists have demonstrated that plants also communicate through the soil. Ariel Novoplansky worked with pea plants at Ben-Gurion University in Israel, Ren Sen Zeng with tomatoes at South China Agricultural University in China and Zdenta Babikova studied beans at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.

They all found that the underground network of fungal fibers, or mycelia, carries messages transmitted by stressed or infected plants that elicit defensive responses in plants connected to the web.

Do plants also utilize acoustic signals? Monica Gagliano, an evolutionary ecologist at the University of Western Australia, reports plants produce sounds inaudible to humans. Whether clicking noises generated by the roots of corn plants growing in water have a definite meaning is yet to be discovered. Heidi Appel and Rex Cocroft’s research at the University of Missouri indicates plants can distinguish the vibrations caused by chewing caterpillars from other similar acoustic patterns.

UC Davis Professor Richard Karban’s early papers on plant communication published in the 1990s were treated primarily with skepticism. However, his new book, Plant Sensing and Communication (University of Chicago Press 2015), has received widespread recognition. In her July 22, 2015, review for Entomology and Nematology News Kathy Keatley Garvey quotes Grahme Ruxton of the University of St. Andrews, UK praising the book as a “landmark in its field” and noting, “Karban seeks to argue that plants behave – that they sense their environment, detect and communicate with an array of different organisms, and respond to their sense of the environment and communication.”

Plants may lack a central nervous system, but they can process information from external sources and react appropriately. They can’t stage a family reunion, but they do give preferential treatment to kin.

The Victorians never suspected when they chose to express themselves through floral messaging that flowering plants actually possess a capacity for non-verbal communication as complex as the system of symbolism ascribed to them by humans. Scientific study of the “language” flowers use to transmit information is an intriguing emerging discipline. Agricultural applications are promising. Someday, by engaging the natural ability of plants to summon predators to solve their pest and disease problems and rally their neighbors to bolster their own defenses, farmers may be able to grow healthier, higher-yielding crops.

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Life in the Danville Garden

Garden Architecture

By John Montgomery, ASLA, Landscape Architect #4059

What is “Garden Architecture?” Garden = a plot of ground where plants, vegetables, and flowers are grown. Architecture = the art and science of designing and constructing buildings and hardscape.

I approach your Danville landscape design with “Garden Architecture” in mind. The two design fundamentals brought together in a creative and cohesive design make up your landscape environment. Successful landscape design is a good balance of both. The approach I take is to focus on the “architecture” initially. The “architecture” defines the design. It creates structure with the borders, edges, views, and function of the “softscape.” Structures serve as background for people and plants. A focal point deserves significant detailing. Background structures don’t. Scale and proportion are important. Structures need to be scaled appropriately and in proportion to the surrounding environment. The outdoor environment allows for larger scale than the indoors. Measure the scale of structures by keeping in mind existing large scale trees, distant horizon lines, adjacent properties and views, and buildings.

Architecture provides the bones to any landscape design. They provide ongoing significance throughout the season while the “softscape” changes from season to season. In general, “hardscape” structures include the floor of the landscape (patios, decks, paths), steps and grade changes, enclosures and ceilings (pavilion, cabana, arbor, pergola, gazebo), walls (retaining, seat walls, benches), fences, buildings (cabana, pool house, potting shed, storage shed), use and recreation (swimming pools, sports court, bocce), and focal points (water features, bridges, garden ornament, gates, trellises).

The purpose of any structure in the landscape design is function and form.

What function will any particular structure perform? In other words, what do they do? Those hot summer days in the Danville garden demand the need for shade and those long cold gray winters when deciduous trees drop their leaves, give you bones. Arbors or pergolas are “Garden Architecture” that can fulfill that function.

What do they do? They provide shade in the summer and structural bones in the winter!

A structure can have several functions.

For instance, an arbor can define a portal or an entry into a garden room, or it can frame a view beyond. The form an arbor takes is an open structure usually with plants or vines climbing over it to form a portal or tunnel. An arbor can be built to take on any form that suits your design style. It can be as simple as an arched gate with climbing clematis or a bold design with four twelve-inch round Corinthian columns with rough hewn beams above heavily laden with Wisteria.

Depending on the scale and architectural styling of your home and the design theme of your landscape, an arbor has many different forms it can take while performing the same function.

A pergola as defined here is a free-standing overhead structure supported by posts or columns. The material that provides the shade may vary from lattice, wood beams, to vines. All can provide shade depending on how much you wish to have. Pergolas generally are a more significant structure because of the function. Often, a pergola becomes a garden room or enclosure in the garden, a gathering place for people, and a focal point. “Garden Architecture” brings form and function to any successful landscape environment.

A hot tip from your local Landscape Architect: Built structures must be executed with proper construction techniques which are ensured through

Danville Today News ~ August 2016 - Page 17

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proper design, construction details and specifications, and on-site observations during the construction process. Landscape architects are tested and licensed by the state to design garden architecture.

Gardening Quote of the Month: “One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it provides”. ~W.E. Johns If you would like me to write on any particular subject, email your ideas to jmontgomery@jm-la.com or for design ideas visit www.jm-la.com or www. houzz.com/pro/jmla/john-montgomery-landscape-architects.

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Page 18 - August 2016 ~ Danville Today News

West continued from front page

and a California history exhibit. “What was originally planned to be a 10,000 square foot exhibit on the Old West grew to 27,000 square feet,” he recalls. “The concept was always to give equal space and balance to the history of both the Native Americans and the American settlers. It is unusual for a museum to have such an extensive representation of the Native American way of life.”

Joel planned the Native American area. “The Plains Indian side of the exhibit needed to tell stories about each member of a family unit, and about the roles of nature and spirituality in tribal life,” he explains. “I grew in this process as I learned to allow the collection’s artifacts to drive the narrative rather than adopt the topical idea of moment.”

Jeff supervised construction of exhibit space. “We as a team had a lot of leeway to design and place objects where we wanted them and to design and place materials such as railings, murals, cabinetry, platforms, lighting sound, etc.” The teepee

Jerry Fisk, whose collection forms the core of the Spirit of the Old West, addresses visitors. (photo courtesy of Blackhawk Museums)

central to the Native American presentation and the prairie schooner anchoring the pioneer display are accurate reproductions. Available antiques were fragile, expensive, and in poor condition.

Buffalo and eagle command center stage. Indians wasted no part of the bison, while settlers used only meat, hide, and fertilizer. To the new American nation the majestic eagle symbolized freedom. To the indigenous people the sacred eagle was a messenger from the gods.

Local artist Roxanna Santos De Hayden studied photographs and paintings of the Old West before preparing scale drawings for her striking murals found throughout the gallery. She particularly enjoyed the challenge of rendering Spanish mission architecture on a curved wall. The viewer feels drawn into her painting as if entering a three-dimensional space.

Blackhawk Museums Executive Director Timothy McGrane comments, “Although we are widely known as a world class automotive museum, since the opening of the West Wing building in 1991, Blackhawk has been a multi-discipline museum with changing gallery themes over the past 25 years. The introduction of the Spirit of the Old West was a dramatic change as it did require the number of cars on display to be reduced. We do have some returning visitors that are disappointed, but most enjoy the new gallery exhibition, and the diversity and the increase of visitors that it now brings to the Museum has been significant.”

Nora Wagner, Blackhawk Museums Programs Director, notes, “Ken Behring has always been interested in education. He really wanted an exhibition that addresses the needs of school children.”

Wagner started training gallery guides when the Spirit of the Old West opened in February 2015. Requests for school tours began in March. Guides still in midtraining agreed to lead groups. Susan Schaefer admits, “I was nervous at first, but it was a great way to learn.” Guides are not expected to know everything about the exhibition. “As guides we don’t want to over talk. We want to introduce what is important and respond to each group’s interests,” Mary Mackey explains.

Visiting the exhibition convinced Dall Barley and Linda Larson to become guides. “I was impressed by the caliber of the exhibit and the even-handed

See West continued on page 23

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Tax-Wise Gifts to Young Loved Ones

By Robert J. Silverman, Esq.

If you have achieved a certain level of wealth, you have likely made, or have considered making, lifetime gifts to minor (or young adult) loved ones.

You would commonly make gifts to a minor by: a) establishing a custodial account; or b) (if you aren’t the parent of the recipient) gifting money to the parent of the minor - so the parent can use the funds for the benefit of the minor.

The manner in which you make gifts to your loved ones has important tax and non-tax consequences. On the tax side, Federal Estate Tax is payable on your death at the rate of 40% multiplied by the amount of your net assets, if any, that exceeds $5.45 million (indexed annually for inflation). Thus, gifting tax-efficiently is particularly important for those with considerable wealth.

Accordingly, when you contemplate gifting to minor or young adult loved ones, you should obtain legal and tax advice about applicable tax rules and implications. One key rule is that you may gift up to $14,000 per calendar year to any number of people without: i) needing to file a Federal Gift Tax return; or ii) using up any of your Federal Gift Tax exemption or Federal Estate Tax exemption (i.e. amounts you are able to give away Gift Tax free during your life and Estate Tax free on your death). These are known as “annual exclusion” gifts.

Opening a custodial (UTMA) account is simple. The funds are controlled and distributed by the designated custodian for the benefit of the minor. Upon turning 18 years old (or in some instances up to 25), the minor is automatically entitled to all remaining account funds. The serious non-tax problem associated with custodial accounts is one of control. When the funds are turned over to your loved one, he may not use the funds responsibly. Accordingly, people often look for a better alternative – a way to gift with “strings attached.”

You may attempt to control your gifts by making them to the parent of the minor or young adult loved one. But, the parent may not invest or use the funds responsibly for the minor (and the parent has no legal obligation to do so). There can also be a tax problem. If you want to make annual exclusion gifts ($14,000) each year to both the parent and the child (e.g. if you are the grandparent of the minor), you will not be able to do so. You will be deemed to have made a $28,000 gift to the parent and no gift to the young loved one; and consequently, you would be required to file a Federal Gift tax return and unnecessarily use $14,000 of your Federal Gift Tax and Federal Estate Tax exemptions.

Also, to qualify for the tax benefit (removing assets from your estate for Estate Tax purposes), annual exclusion gifts must be irrevocable, unconditional “present interest” transfers. So, intuitive methods of placing strings on your gifts, such as keeping your name on the account into which funds are gifted, do not work. Fortunately, however, a special kind of irrevocable trust known as a “Crummey Trust” is uniquely designed and administered so that gifts made to the trust qualify as annual exclusion gifts but can also be meaningfully controlled. A Crummey Trust can be custom-designed so that your gift into such irrevocable trust - which can be cash, securities or even life insurance - can be invested, held, and distributed to your loved one precisely at the time(s) and for the purposes you wish.

So, from a tax and non-tax perspective, Crummey Trusts offer an appealing and effective way to “have your cake and eat it too” when gifting to minors or young adults. Be mindful that a Crummey Trust is an advanced estate planning strategy that should only be considered, drafted, and implemented with the advice and assistance of an experienced estate planning attorney. * Estate Planning * Trust Administration & Probate * Real Estate * Business Please contact the author to request a complimentary: i) “Estate Planning Primer”; ii) Real Estate titling brochure; iii) introductory meeting. Mr. Silverman is an attorney with R. Silverman Law Group which is located at 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.

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Transitioning a Family Business

Danville Today News ~ August 2016 - Page 19

By Robert Cucchiaro, Certified Financial Planner

With summer in full swing, for most families July and August mean vacation time. For business owners like myself, taking a vacation and being totally disconnected from the office is easier said than done. For many business owners, vacation time is actually when they become most aware of how tight their grip is on the family business. They find themselves checking in with the office every day only to come back and find a mess that they then have to spend weeks cleaning up.

With this pattern in place, it’s little wonder that the thought of transitioning their business to other family members sends shivers down their spine. As my business coach once taught me, if you have a problem, create a process and soon enough you will not have that problem.

So here is my five step plan to use as you consider how to transition your business to the next generation or other family members.

1. Plan early – Do not wait until you are two years from retirement to start planning for this transition. Identify roles and responsibilities early, and carefully consider the personality types involved. While you may be the CEO, COO, and Head of Sales, it’s possible that you will need to split these roles up when passing them on to your kids, for example.

Your outgoing daughter may make a great head of sales, while your son with the Engineering Degree may be an excellent COO. 2. Prepare to be surprised – You may have a great plan in place only to find that after working in the family business for two years, your son has changed his mind and actually doesn’t see himself doing this for the rest of his life. Now what? Your plan needs a major reworking, and that’s ok. Better to find out now while you are still involved and can help create and implement an alternative solution.

3. Don’t forget estate taxes – You worked hard to build your business from scratch, and now you may be surprised to learn that you can’t simply pass it on to your kids without any taxes. We each have a $5.45M lifetime credit for gifting and estate planning purposes, which means if your business is worth $15M or $20M, your kids will have a huge tax bill to face when you pass the business down to them. If their only real asset is the business, they will have to sell it or take loans just to pay the taxes. There are myriad ways a Financial Planner can alleviate this problem but only if you plan ahead.

4. Consider non-family members – I recently helped a 3rd generation family-owned business install their 1st non-family member CEO. After three different kids took turns as CEO before deciding it was not for them, the father feared he would have to take the company back over himself. Instead, we worked with an Executive Recruiter to find an outside CEO, and six months in it’s looking like we made an excellent decision. It’s premature now, but we are already considering ways to lock in the non-family member CEO since he doesn’t and probably won’t ever own the company stock.

5. Communicate the plan – I am always amazed at the lack of communication that takes place within some family businesses. Sometimes it’s fear that the kids are too young to know all of the numbers, especially how much mom and dad are making. Whatever the case may be, you cannot expect your kids to eventually take over the family business if you don’t get them involved in board meetings and other forms of formal communications. The idea that one day they will just show up and take over is a recipe for disaster. Even if you don’t want them to know everything, get them involved and make sure they understand your vision.

Our firm has helped business owners plan and implement exit strategies for 30 years. Whether that’s an external sale or an internal transition to the next generation, we can help. If you want to sit down and discuss your options, send me an email at rob@swrpteam.com or give us a call at (925) 927-1900.

Robert Cucchiaro is a Certified Financial Planner and a registered tax preparer. He is a Partner and owner of Summit Wealth & Retirement, a financial planning firm that has been serving business owners in Danville for almost 30 years.

Rob specializes in retirement, investment, tax, and estate planning. www. summitwealthandretirement.com.

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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 (925) 646-4461.

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Page 20 - August 2016 ~ Danville Today News

The Mystery of Recurring White Spots

By Dr. Jerome Potozkin

Last week I saw a young couple, John and Debbie, who had just come back from a vacation in Cabo. They came to see me because shortly after returning from vacation Debbie noticed white spots that seemed to appear out of nowhere all over John’s back. They reported a similar phenomena last year when they returned from a trip to Cancun. Debbie wanted to know if this was contagious, and John wanted to know how to get rid of it.

I carefully examined John’s back and immediately recognized that he had one of the most common skin conditions known as Tinea Versicolor. This condition is caused by yeast growing on the skin. Many people have the yeast harmlessly growing on their skin while others will develop Tinea Versicolor. The condition is often worse in hot humid conditions. It usually appears as circular patches of skin that look as if it has lost color. There may be some fine scaling on the skin. The reason the skin looks lighter in color is that the yeast produces azelaic acid that can inhibit pigmentation. That is the reason it is more noticeable after sun exposure. The area that has the yeast does not tan while the rest of the skin does. This explains why Debbie and John noticed this after their sunny vacations. As John’s tan faded, so did the appearance of the rash. I felt obligated to educate them about sunscreen and sun protective clothing. Soon we will discuss treatment.

Tinea Versicolor isn’t the only skin condition that results in loss of pigmentation. Another condition that commonly causes some loss of pigmentation is Pityriasis Pityriasis Alba is a form of eczema. This condition is commonly seen in kids who spend a lot of time in the pool. The pool water dries out the skin resulting in loss of pigmentation. It most commonly occurs on the face but can occur anywhere on the body. Treatment includes mild soap, moisturizer, as well as topical prescription creams. Many parents of children with Pityriasis Alba bring their child to us fearful that they have Vitiligo. Vitiligo is a skin disease that occurs when the body’s immune system attacks the pigment producing cells. Michael Jackson made this disease well known.

Pityriasis Alba is easier to treat than Vitiligo, but fortunately there are now newer treatments that can help people suffering from Vitiligo.

Some people get small white patches on their arms and legs. The spots usually are not scaly. They typically represent long-term sun damage. Unfortunately, there is no great treatment for this problem that carries a big fancy name: idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis. Prevention with sunscreen and protective clothing is your best bet.

Of the many treatment options, John chose to use a topical antifungal lotion. Topical treatments are available in foam, cream, lotion, and shampoo preparations. Some people choose to take oral antifungal medications, but these do pose greater risks than medicines applied topically. Recurrence is very common, so some people choose a monthly application of a topical antifungal to prevent the condition from coming back. Return of the lightened pigment does not occur immediately but rather over the course of several weeks to months.

If you think you may have Tinea Versicolor or any other skin or pigmentation issue, feel free to call us as we are accepting new patients.

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. Dr. Potozkin is a fellow member of the ASDS. He is accepting new patients. Please call (925) 838-4900 or visit Potozkin.com for more information Advertorial

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Drinking Tea to Fight Cancer

By Jewel Johl, MD

Starting primarily in China and Japan, over 5,000 years ago, royalty started drinking tea. This fine drink is now consumed by many all over the globe. There are a variety of important nutrients and natural polyphenols found in tea, an important one being Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). EGCG is the most active and abundant type of polyphenols in tea. It is capable of lowering levels of a certain protein in the body which are required for cancerous cells to grow. Tea can also trigger apoptosis of cancerous cells, which is when the cell dies. Catechins, a property also found in tea, are capable of blocking blood vessel formation in tumors. When this occurs the supply line is cut off which keeps the tumor from growing. With a combination of both the EGCG and other catechins, tea is able to stop tumor growth as well as kill cancerous cells. Tea has been shown to prevent or suppress ovarian, prostate, breast, colon, and lung cancers.

Oolong, black, and green teas have the most effective active nutrients for fighting cancer. Overall, green tea shows to be the most promising of all tea types. Its polyphenols are made up of 50-70% EGCG which, as mentioned earlier, is the most effective and active polyphenol of them all. Packaged or “instant” tea powders do not contain the same benefits as fresh tea bags or leaves. To get the most active nutrients out of your tea, drinking it freshly brewed and plain is most beneficial. When tea beverages are iced, or have other liquids or sugars added into them, their nutritious components are diluted.

Drinking two to three cups of tea a day can lower your overall risk for cancer.

In the year of 2014, just shy of 600,000 people died in the United States from cancer. There are many simple lifestyle changes that help to prevent cancer, including the drinking of tea. In addition, by eating healthy, maintaining an ideal weight, and staying active, it is easier for your body to keep fighting off diseases so that you can live a long, healthy life.

Dr. Johl is a Medical Oncologist and Hematologist at Diablo Valley Oncology. Dr Johl practices evidence based medicine with an integrative approach. He educates patients about the therapeutic benefits of natural compounds and supplements that have very little or no side effects. Call 925-677-5041 to schedule an appointment.

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Your Personal Nutritionist

End Diabetes Type II Without Drugs

By Linda Michaelis RD, MS

Yes, it’s true: minor changes in your diet along with moderate exercise will bring your blood sugar levels down to normal in a very short time. This is not an exaggerated claim but reflects real results I see everyday in my practice. Even my husband received bloodwork that indicated that he was diabetic. He made the changes that I suggested, and I am happy to report his levels came down to normal within weeks.

Close to 25 million Americans over 65 have Type 2 Diabetes (blood sugar over 140 mg/dL) while another 90 million 20 years or older have been diagnosed with Pre-Diabetes (blood sugar over 120 mg/dL). You should be aware of the fact that studies have shown us that this diabetes epidemic is a great contributor to the scourges of cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Your physician will confirm a diabetes diagnosis by looking at results of an A1C which should not be greater than 6.5%. This test tells what your average glucose level has been over three months. I am glad to report that I am able to typically get my clients’ A1C down from 8.6 to 6.5 within three months, and, where doctors often express amazement by telling me they were about to put my clients on higher doses of metformin.

The first reaction to a diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes is often shock, fear, and even depression as most people will start taking 500-1000mg of metformin twice a day immediately. (Diabetes Type 1 does need medication.) Clients report that for a couple of months they have diarrhea, gas, stomach pain, and flu like symptoms until their body adjusts. I am adamant with my clients that they do not have to live with these side affects if they work closely with me and follow the dietary regimen I recommend.

A major problem with diabetes is that blood sugar levels spike throughout the day and result in the constant need for insulin to break down the sugars which, in turn, causes a large strain on the pancreas. People with diabetes either don’t make insulin efficiently or their body’s cells no longer are able to recognize insulin, leading to high blood sugars.

Inguinal Hernia

By Michael Baker, M.D., FACS

A hernia means that some part of the contents from within the abdominal cavity – some fat or sometimes a part of the intestine – protrudes through an abnormal opening or weakness in the muscles of the abdominal wall. An inguinal hernia is a bulge that develops through a weakened area in the groin. The inguinal canal is a passage through the lower abdominal wall – there is such an opening on each side of the lower abdomen. In males, the spermatic cord from the testicle passes through the inguinal canal and contains blood vessels, nerves, and the spermatic duct, that carries sperm from the testicles to the penis. In females, the round ligaments, which support the uterus, pass through the inguinal canals. This inguinal canal provides a weak point in the abdominal wall which is why hernias often develop in the groin. They are more common in men than in women, can be present at birth, or have developed at any time during your lifetime.

Inguinal hernias can cause burning, pressure, a dragging sensation, a bulge, or pain. Most hernias can be diagnosed by physical examination. Usually your physician will ask you to cough or strain in order to make it more obvious on examination. If it is difficult to determine with certainty, then physicians will sometimes order an ultrasound exam or a CT scan.

A hernia does not get better over time, nor will it go away by itself. There are no exercises or physical therapy regimens that can make a hernia improve or heal. The hernia can be observed if you and your physician feel it is not an urgent problem, and there are minimal or no symptoms. An alternative to surgery includes wearing a truss or hernia belt.

There is a slight risk that abdominal contents could become incarcerated (trapped) or strangulated ( the tissue dies) which needs to be taken into consideration if surgical repair is not done. An incarcerated hernia happens when part of the fat or small intestine from inside the abdomen becomes stuck in the groin or scrotum and cannot go back into the abdomen. When

5 Meal a Day Plan

Danville Today News ~ August 2016 - Page 21

With Type 2 Diabetes it is extremely important to eat five small meals a day which will prevent blood sugar from spiking and causing the need for greater amounts of insulin. Small meals should be eaten every few hours, and it is best to keep to the same times each day so your blood sugar will adapt. I not only recommend five meals but also suggest balancing the amount of proteins, carbs, and fats at each meal. For the first four meals, I recommend large amounts of protein, a carb, and some veggies. The evening meal should include a smaller amount of protein (which is harder to digest at night) to be enjoyed with at least a cup or more of whole grains and two cups of vegetables. With few exceptions, I find my clients actually begin to enjoy spacing out their meals during the day and are happy to not feel bloated from heavy meals. They enjoy the variety of smaller, tasty meals and large snacks. Clients easily lose weight and report higher levels of energy during the day.

Exercise

An hour of exercise 5-6 days a week is recommended. I have found that breaking exercise up into two half hours of, for example, a brisk walk is quite effective. It is quite common to see a 50 point reduction of blood sugar after a walk, the best pill in town.

Desserts

Yes, you can have desserts as long as it is eaten after a meal and not on an empty stomach. At first I recommend 200 calories of dessert such as a fudgisicles, fruit juice bars, puddings, cupcakes, or slice of cake with very little frosting.

I know these adaptations may sound too good to be true, but it can be done if you do not want to rely on diabetic meds your whole life. The good news is that most insurance companies pay for nutritional counseling for diabetes.

I am glad to inform you that my services are covered by most insurances such as Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Healthcare, Sutter Select, ABMG, Health Net, and Hill Physicians. Please feel free to call me at (925) 855-0150 or email me at Lifeweight1@yahoo.com about your nutrition concerns. Look at my website LindaRD.com for past articles and nutrition tips in my blog section.

Advertorial an incarcerated hernia is not treated, the blood supply to the small intestine may become constricted, causing “strangulation” of the intestine or other contents. Hence, most physicians encourage repair of inguinal hernias in patients who are medically able to undergo the procedure when feasible, even if there are no symptoms.

A hernia may not cause symptoms, but they do tend to get larger over time.

If symptomatic or enlarging, the hernia should be repaired. This requires a trip to the operating room and the ability to tolerate some type of anesthesia. Most all hernia repairs involve implanting a mesh of woven material to strengthen the muscles and prevent hernia recurrence. Hernias can be repaired by making a small incision in the groin (open technique) or by using a laparoscope to enter the abdominal cavity and repair from the inside. Your surgeon will choose the technique which they feel is the most appropriate for your age, medical conditions, surgical risk, and potential outcome. Each type of repair has its advantages, risks, and benefits. There are certain patients in which only an open technique can be used, such as when the patient cannot tolerate general anesthesia.

In the hands of experienced surgeons who repair inguinal hernias on a regular basis, both the open and laparoscopic approaches have low rates of serious complications and very good outcomes. Complications include hematoma (bleeding into the tissue), superficial wound infection, testicular swelling, chronic pain in the groin, and hernia recurrence.

Most inguinal hernias can be repaired on an outpatient basis requiring only a short stay on the day of surgery. Higher risk patients may need hospital observation for their medical conditions. Recovery time is variable, but most patients can return to light activity within a few days. Timing for return to work or vigorous activity will be recommended by your surgeon.

Dr. Baker is a board certified general surgeon, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and a retired US Navy Admiral. He is the Senior Partner of West Coast Surgical Associates (formerly Walnut Creek Surgical Associates) with offices in Walnut Creek, Concord, and San Ramon. For more information call (925) 933-0984 or view the surgical team at www. wcsurgeons.com.

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Page 22 - August 2016 ~ Danville Today News

Preventing Travel Aches and Pains

By Melissa Ko, DC, Sycamore Valley Chiropractic

Many of us are enjoying summer travelling with our friends and families, but travelling can be rough on the body. Long hours in a car or airplane can leave you stressed, tired, stiff, and sore.

“Prolonged sitting can wreak havoc on your body,” says Scott Bautch, DC a member of the American Chiropractic Association’s Council on Occupational Health. “Even if you travel in the most comfortable car or opt to fly first class, certain pressures and forces from awkward positions can result in restricted blood flow. One of the biggest insults to your system from prolonged sitting in the buildup of pressure in the blood vessels in your lower legs. Contracting and relaxing the muscles helps the blood flow properly.”

Here are some tips and advice to fight the strains of travel before they occur: In an airplane: 1. Use pillows or blankets to help maintain a neutral “S” curve in your spine (you can feel this when standing or sitting up straight) when you are in your seat. Sit on a blanket or pillow if the cushion is worn down.

2. Check all bags heavier than 5-10% of your body weight to reduce strain when moving, lifting, and carrying personal bags. Never lift and twist at the same time when lifting your bags.

3. When in flight, change your position periodically to improve circulation and avoid cramps and tight muscles. Massage legs and calves. Prop your feet up on a bag to take pressure off your low back. Stretch head to toe in your seat and when permitted, stand up and make trips to the lavatory to get in some walking.

Travel by car: 1. Adjust the seat so you are as close to the steering wheel as comfortably possible. Your knees should be slightly higher than your hips.

2. Use a pillow or back support if your seat does not provide enough sup-

The Eye Opener

Retinal Holes, Tears, and Detachments

By Gregory Kraskowsky, O.D., Alamo Optometry

Thankfully there are very few ocular emergencies that we deal with at the office. However, a retinal detachment and some symptomatic holes and tears are examples of a time when an immediate referral is needed. Whenever someone calls into the office with the possible signs of a detachment, that person is usually seen in the office the same day.

There are several signs and symptoms that a patient needs to know to be able to correctly assess the situation. Most patients will experience an increase in the amount of floaters, flashes of light, possible loss of vision, and areas of gray or black in their visual field. Most patients have floaters, but in the case of a problem, there is a large change in the quantity and/or size of them.

In addition, there is usually accompanying flashes of light. These floaters and flashes are consequences of the forces of the retina pulling away from the back surface of the eye. Even though a patient can have an increase in their floaters with flashes and not have a detachment, it is extremely important to have this evaluated as soon as it happens. In addition, there will be loss of vision or peripheral vision in the affected eye; this can vary from a very little change to severe vision loss. Vision loss in a detachment is determined by whether or not the macula is still attached. Since the macula is the only area of the retina where sharp 20/20 vision is achieved, if the detachment does not include the macula, the vision loss will be minimal. However, if the detachment is very near or including the macula, vision will be less than 20/400, or the equivalent of the big “E” on the eye chart. Lastly, a person will notice an area of gray or black in their vision that corresponds to the area of the retina that is detached.

It is also important to note that a person will not experience any pain from a detachment because there are no pain receptors in the retina.

Most of the time, the signs and symptoms of a retinal complication are

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port for your low back.

3. Exercise your legs while driving to reduce the risk of any swelling, fatigue, or discomfort. Open your toes as wide as you can, and count to 10. Count to five while you tighten your calf muscles, then thigh muscles, then your gluteal muscles. Roll your shoulders forward and back, making sure to keep your hands on the steering wheel.

4. Minimize arm and shoulder tension by holding the steering wheel at the 3 and 7 o’clock position, periodically switching to the 10 and 5 o’clock position. Keep a loose, relaxed grip on the steering wheel.

5. Take frequent rest breaks to fill up on gas, use the bathroom, grab something to eat or enjoy a coffee break. Take a few extra minutes to walk and move around before getting back on the road.

“If you follow these simple tips, you can enjoy pain-free, safe travel,” says Dr. Bautch. “If you do experience pain and stress on your back, Doctors of Chiropractic are trained and licensed to diagnose and treat problems of the spine and nervous system.”

Who do you know who’s come home from their summer travels with aches and pains? They would be a great referral to our office, and we are here to help them get back on track and enjoying the rest of the summer!

Sycamore Valley Chiropractic is located at 565 Sycamore Valley Rd. West in Danville. Please visit www.sycamorevalleychiropractic.com or call 925-837-5595 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

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Call us at 925.405.6397 or email us at Editor@YourMonthlyPaper.com. obvious to the patient. However, a long-standing tear and detachment can go undetected for a period of time. If the retinal problem is not in the main area of vision and does not cause the above-mentioned visual symptoms, the patient can be completely unaware that anything is wrong. Granted this does not happen often. However, it does underscore the need for routine dilations to monitor the health of the retina.

After a dilated evaluation reveals a detachment or a symptomatic hole or tear, the patient is then referred to a retinal specialist that same day or the next day. It is advisable for the patient to go straight to the specialist because they are already dilated, and the sooner treatment is initiated, generally the better the prognosis. Surgical repair can either be done in office or will require a surgical outpatient procedure. This is determined by the surgeon, and the evaluation is based on the location, vision loss, size, and duration of the detachment. In addition, other factors that determine treatment options include age, other associated medical conditions such as diabetes, and if there has been a hole or detachment in the other eye. Even though the surgery is delicate, the recovery from the surgery can be tedious depending on what exactly needs to be done.

Some patients often have to lie face down for a period of time to help ensure the retina remains attached.

Some detachments just “happen” and there is not necessarily a cause. However, conditions such as trauma, high myopia (near-sightedness), diabetes, and other systemic conditions can increase your likelihood. It is important that if you experience flashes of light, floaters, loss of vision, or an area of black or gray in your vision that you are checked that day. I would much rather see a patient with these symptoms and not have a detachment than a patient waiting a period of time for the symptoms to “go away” and then possibly have permanent decreased vision because they waited too long.

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, and Twitter @Alamo Optometry.

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West continued from page 18

manner of displaying the story of the clash of two very different ways of life,” Barley says. Larson writes, “My favorite part of the museum is not an exhibit itself; it is the spirit of the people reflected by the exhibits. The Plains Indians, pioneers, settlers, emigrants and miners showed courage, perseverance, and resilience during the rapid and challenging changes that happened during the Westward expansion.”

Adult visitors frequently share family stories, as do guides. Stuart Candland relates, “My great grandparents came across the plains in the 1850s – one greatgrandfather with a Mormon handcart company and a great-grandmother with a wagon train. My great-grandmother was responsible for the milk cow. She milked the cow in the morning and put a portion of the milk in a bag attached to the wagon. By evening the motion of the wagon had turned that milk to butter.”

Children often ask insightful questions. Evelyn Candland recounts, “I tell students that the Indians used every part of the buffalo from one end to the other. I was stumped when one child asked what they used the eyes for until learning while visiting Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump in Canada that they rubbed the eyes on their arms as an insect repellent.”

Caroline Sanchez remarks, “I asked a group of children gathered at the Conestoga wagon how many of them walked to school. None raised their hands.

They were astonished when I explained that pioneer children walked 2,000 miles beside the family wagons to reach their destination.” Schaefer adds, “Children are interested in what it was like living with a Native American family or being part of a pioneer family and walking coast to coast. They are amazed that children needed 8, 10, or even 12 pairs of shoes to walk those 2,000 miles.”

Installation of several more exhibits, ranging from Chinese art to natural history, begins this fall. David Behring explains, “At this point in his life my father wanted the museum to be more educational. He also wanted to insure that all kids who want to come to the museum can do so. The key to achieving that goal is public support for the Children’s Education and Transportation Fund. This fund has enabled the Museum to triple the number of school visits from across the Bay Area. When the new exhibits open, visitors will be able to spend an entire day seeing 5-6 totally different displays.” Since 1991 the Fund has brought

Danville Today News ~ August 2016 - Page 23

approximately 186,000 students to the Museum at no charge.

A gala evening supporting the Fund is planned at the Blackhawk Museums on October 2nd. For details, visit www.blackhawkmuseum.org.

For website information on the Education and Transportation Fund, click on Education. Guide training begins in October. Contact Nora Wagner at 925-736-2280 ext 238. To schedule guided tours for 10 or more, call Maria Chafin at 925-736-2280 ext 239. Allow three weeks notice for guided tours for large groups.

C L A S S I F I E D COMPUTER HELP

ITkid Computer Help Assistance with any tech related issue for a low price.

Help with Email•Wifi•Computer•Smartphone•Tablet•Etc. $30/hr. Contact Max Nunan, local ITkid consultant. (925) 482-5488, maxnunan@gmail.com

CAREGIVING

Caring for a person with dementia is difficult. When you’re not around, you want patient and loving help. As You Like It, Really Kind Caregivers is here. Please contact Wendy at 925-708-6915, or minisister@yahoo.com, or find me on Facebook, search: As You Like It.

Danville Today Classifieds

Reach over 15,000 homes and businesses in Danville Help Wanted, For Sale, Services, Lessons, Pets, Rentals, Wanted, Freebies... $35 for up to 45 words. $5 for each additional 15 words. Send or email submissions to: 3000F Danville Blvd #117, Alamo, CA 94507 or editor@yourmonthlypaper.com.

Run the same classified ad in our sister papers “Alamo Today” or “Lafayette Today” and pay half off for your second and/or third ad!

Payment by check made out to “The Editors” must be received before ad will print.

Your cancelled check is your receipt. We reserve the right to reject any ad.

Page 24 - August 2016 ~ Danville Today News

The Combs Team

Nancy

This is RockcliffCountry

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Professionals You Can Count On

Joe

Call the Combs Team

®

92 5 -9 8 9 -6 0 8 6 www.TheCombsTeam.com

Danville Area Real Estate: Prices Up and Down!

In our local Danville Area Market which includes Alamo, Danville, Diablo, and Blackhawk, homes are selling at rate of about 119 units per month. This is pretty consistent with the numbers posted during the last few years. Distressed home sales are down from 10% in 2014 to less than 4% today. It is doubtful that they are exerting negative pressure on pricing at this time.

The Town of Danville leads the area with the shortest time from listing to sale at 17 days. During the most recent quarter Diablo had the longest time from listing to sale with 49 days. A normal market would be three to six months from listing to sale. So, this is definitely not a normal market. Although cooling a bit, it remains a hot market. Homes priced right continue to sell quickly. Prices, while still increasing, appear to have moderated a bit.

Average sales price for an Alamo home rose from $1,654,649 in the second quarter of 2015 to $1,859,639 in the second quarter of 2016 for a 12% advance quarter on quarter.

Nearly all of this price increase is due to the average size of the homes increasing. They grew 320 square feet during this time, while dollars paid per square foot remained flat at $534. In essence real prices in Alamo have not risen year-on-year, but larger homes that have sold account for a greater portion of the sales mix.

Danville showed impressive gains during the second quarter year-over-year with average sales price increasing from $1,081,533 to $1,200,951 for an 11% increase in price. Dollars paid per square foot grew from $463 to $500 for about an 8% increase. The average size of a home sold in Danville was up about 100 square feet, so some of the increase was driven by size, but not nearly as much as in Alamo.

Blackhawk showed small gains during the second quarter year-over-year with average sales price increasing from $1,540,999 to $1,614,028 for a 4.7% increase in price. However, dollars paid per square foot actually declined from $451 to $443 for about a 10% decrease.

The average size of a home sold in Blackhawk was up about 170 square feet, so while average price continued to grow, people got more house for their money than last year.

Diablo, historically our priciest neighborhood, did not grow. In fact, average sales price moved from $2,202,000 to $1,674,000 for about a 24% decrease. There were five home sales during the second quarter at an average square foot price $479. During the second

West Side Alamo, Mt. Diablo Views

Home Sales Alamo, Blackhawk, Danville, Diablo (April 1-June 30) Active Pending Sold DOM List Price Sold Price Sq. Foot Alamo 54 30 70 35 $ 1,853,900 $ 1,859,639 3,607 Blackhawk 35 15 41 32 $ 1,653,219 $ 1,614,028 3,608 Diablo 5 1 5 49 $ 1,758,790 $ 1,674,000 3,786 Danville 97 94 240 17 $ 1,187,909 $ 1,200,951 2,467

$ Sq. Foot $ 534 $ 444 $ 479 $ 500

quarter last year Diablo carried an average square foot price of $526 or about 10% more than this year. Noteworthy is that the homes selling this year are almost 1,000 square feet smaller than last year.

There is unevenness in the overall market. For the first time since 2011, we are seeing negative numbers. This may or may not be a trend, but it certainly is something to watch.

I believe we are experiencing a softness in the market for larger multi-story homes that aren’t truly luxury homes. While overall inventory remains low, perhaps the supply of these bigger homes is growing faster than demand. Looking at current inventory, the picture is not clear, because a fair number of larger homes that did not sell have been taken off the market, so they can’t be counted in the inventory numbers of homes for sale even though their owners wish to sell.

This may make sense in light of the growing number of downsizing Baby Boomers looking for smaller single story alternatives. The Boomers are a large group and Generation Xer’s who follow them are smaller in number. The X generation may not be large enough in number to pick up the slack, so this softness may persist for a while. Meanwhile, the Millennial generation, with sufficient numbers to fill the gap left by the Boomers, aren’t economically there yet.

Nancy and I have more than 3,000 email subscribers who receive this article in advance of publication. Sign up on our website or just send me an email and we can add you to the list. I assure you no spam will follow.

It’s important to remember that there really is no “average” home and no two homes are exactly alike. If you would like an honest “no strings attached “opinion of your home’s current market value and suggestions for preparing it for market, please give me a call 925-989-6086 or send me an email joecombs@thecombsteam.com. Please visit our website to discover more information on our local market www.thecombsteam.com.

Round Hill C.C. Single Story

Danville Single Story

D SOL

IN ND

PE

G

Completely renovated, 2 master bed suites, 2 beds ensuite, office, library and au pair unit. Soaring ceilings, great flow. Priced to Sell $1,799,000.

Beautiful 4 bedroom overlooking golf course. $1,672,500. We represented the buyer. We have more buyers.

5 bedroom, single story on nearly 2 gorgeous acres. Two family rooms, exquisite master, large bonus room, walk-in wine cellar. Worth waiting for. Priced to sell $2,499,000.

Alamo Oaks Custom Home

Views! West Side Alamo

Diablo Building Lot

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IN ND

PE The epitome of 21st century architecture. 4 bedroom and office First floor level master & 2 family rooms. Priced to Sell $2,095,000.

West Side Alamo 4 bedroom spectacular views, great location. Worth waiting for. Priced to sell $1,279,000.

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.

Build your dream home on a 1.64 acre lot in Diablo. Priced to sell $975,000.

J. Rockcliff Realtors 15 Railroad Ave., Danville CA. 94526