Danville Today News, February 2013 by The Editors, Inc

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

February 2013 Hope Remains for Local Hunger Relief Agencies By Ashley Hagin It’s the season for rain and snow, and while parts of the country are seeing some drought relief thanks to recent rain, the majority of the country remains in a drought Reuters is calling “the worst in over 50 years.” The drought has primarily affected corn and soybean crops which were in the poorest conditions the USDA has ever recorded. While a potential global food crisis may be looming, hope remains for local hunger relief agencies. The Urban Farmers, a volunteer-based grassroots East Bay organization, rallies together fruit tree owners and volunteer gleaners to gather fruit for the needy – specifically for local hunger relief agencies. The organization could not sustain its mission without the generosity of local fruit tree owners. Homeowners with backyard trees register with the organization, inviting volunteers to come pick excess fruit from the trees after the homeowners have taken what they need. And while the homeowners’ donations are essential, so too is the power of community. Last summer, Danville resident Shalini Kumar began exploring programs to engage her children’s Shalani and her daughter collect crates of oranges. minds when she came across an event organized by Sustainable Danville being held at Peace Lutheran Church. Through Sustainable Danville, Kumar found The Urban Farmers. Kumar attended a speech given by Siamack Sioshansi, co-founder of The Urban Farmers. Sioshansi’s talk touched Kumar. “It broke my heart that up to 125,000 people eat [food from the Food Bank] every day, and 25 % of them are children,” she said. “It bothers me that so many children have to suffer from a basic need to be fed in this beautiful country.” Eager to help, Kumar quickly mobilized her neighbors, and within 48 hours, The Urban Farmers had received 14 new tree registrations – six locations, all within less than a three-mile radius. With such little driving to be done, The Urban Farmers were able to harvest upwards of 740 pounds of fruit in a four-hour time frame. “On a typical day we can harvest four backyards,” says Sioshansi, “but in her neighborhood, since travel time is minimal, we have gone to five and six homes in a day.” How did Kumar round up so many tree owners? “I simply wrote up a flyer and sent it to all my friends and neighbors,” Kumar says. “What can I say? People are just plain generous!” In addition to sending out emails reminding friends and family to register their fruit trees, Kumar’s daughter brought flyers door to door with a friend, and each girl in her Girl Scout troop pledged

Serving Danville The Wheelchair Foundation: Giving Hope - Gaining Purpose By Jody Morgan The Wheelchair Foundation has delivered nearly 920,000 wheelchairs in over 150 countries since its inception in 2000. As founder Kenneth Behring’s original goal of giving one million wheelchairs to disabled individuals around the world nears fulfillment, global need continues to grow. An estimated 100 million people unable to afford a wheelchair are waiting in hidden corners of the earth for the chance to experience Josh and Don Routh with Augusto in Peru. Photo the empowerment of mobility. courtesy of Don Routh. Wheelchairs were not among the donations Behring was packing in his private plane in 1999 when LSD Charities (the humanitarian outreach branch of the Church of the Latter Day Saints) asked him to drop off their aid packages en route to his African destination. He readily agreed. Included in that cargo were six wheelchairs bound for a hospital in Romania. “Little did I know,” he writes, “that those six wheelchairs would change the direction of my life.” Behring, a successful Danville developer, defines the joy generated by setting a wheelchair recipient’s dreams in motion as the achievement of purpose. In his 2004 autobiography Road to Purpose, he recounts, “I lifted a small Vietnamese girl from the ground and placed her in a wheelchair. In that instant, she found hope... Her face opened into a smile, her eyes as bright as the noontime sky. And I knew for all she had changed in that moment, I had changed even more.”

See Wheelchairs continued on page 23

Danville Rotary’s Gives Pete Villa Award

Danville Rotary recently held its 15th annual Pete Villa awards luncheon. The winner was Karris Johnson from California High School. The award, named after Pete Villa, founder of the Thunderbirds youth football program, recognizes the most outstanding high school football players in the San Ramon Valley. Each year, three student athletes from the four high schools in our area are nominated by their coaches. This year’s nominees were Austin Terry, Karris Johnson and Kevin Leathley from California Volume IV - Number 4 High School, Aus- 3000F Danville Blvd. #117, Alamo, CA 94507 tin Larkin and Afo(925) 405-6397 labi Adeoti from Fax (925) 406-0547 Cal High football coach Eric Billeci and Dougherty Valley High School, Zack Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher Karris Johnson See Farmers continued on page 24 editor@ Chang, Mason Melin and Jalen Avery from PRSRT STD Monte Vista High School, and Cameron Birse, yourmonthlypaper.com U.S. Postage Ryan Dunn and Marcus de la Pena from San The opinions expressed herein belong PAID Local to the writers, and do not necessarily Ramon Valley High School. reflect that of Danville Today News. Permit 263 Postal Customer Danville Today News is not For more information on the Pete Villa Alamo CA responsible for the content of any of awards or about Danville Rotary, contact Valthe advertising herein, nor does ECRWSS publication imply endorsement. erie Vicente at valerie.vicente@cbnorcal.com.

Page 2 - February 2013 ~ Danville Today News

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

69% of Surveyed Families with Portfolios Exceeding $5 Million are Interested in a Second Opinion! Hutch Ashoo, CEOo

Chris Snyder, Principal, SR. VP

Overriding concerns are stock market volatility, outliving assets, not being able to afford the current lifestyle in retirement, and political/economic uncertainty.

If you have similar concerns and feel it is time for a second opinion, call (925) 407-0320 to schedule your complementary analysis. Pillar Wealth Management is committed to providing unbiased advice. We deliver 100% feebased customized wealth management solutions to a limited number of affluent families. Pillar is fully owned by Mr. Hutch Ashoo and Mr. Chris Snyder. They are book authors, financial columnists, and nationwide radio guests. They have been providing customized financial solutions to affluent families for a combined 47 years. Call (925) 407-0320 to schedule your complementary analysis.

Visit www.PillarWM.com for a short video Affluent Families should watch. Whatever your dreams are, they are important to you, which makes them critically important to Pillar Wealth Management. Pillar Wealth Management, LLC. | 1255 Treat Blvd | Walnut Creek, CA 94597 Information about Pillar Wealth Management, LLC., as a Registered Investment Advisor, CRD number 147837, is available at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.

Boulevard View

‘What about me?’ you ask. The three monthly“Today” By Alisa Corstorphine, Editor papers - Alamo Today, Danville I think my intern and I are on the same wavelength Today News, and Lafayette Today this month (see her story on page 11). Call me old are hyper-local, with the focus fashioned, but I still prefer reading books, newspapers, being positive people and orgaand magazines in the hardcopy print form. Don’t get nizations in the immediate areas your paper far me wrong. I constantly use mybycomputer, iPhone, and each paper serves. My intention is has the iPad besttoreturn get information, play games, get reviews, find to slow things down for you and out the current temperature, Geocache, and websurf. share stories about your families, But there are times when I want all the lights and noises your neighbors, your interests, and to just go away. I want to disconnect and curl up with a good book. local businesses to hopefully proOld-fashioned, hardcopy print materials don’t blink on and off, they don’t I can always tell when a new mote deeper those issuedon’t is delivered; that’sconnections when my with phone need charging or replacement batteries, and they don’t break. They near us. I hope to engage you as a starts talk at you, display videos, give alerts or chimes, or deliver ads that popringing up reader in a way that is distinct from out of nowhere. They quietly engage, inform, and entertain. They’re worn, digital media. I am not interested in warm, and familiar. drama or the latest disaster. You can Our patients routinely bring in When I head out of the house I feel as though I am constantly bombarded the paper or comment about the most get that in any breaking news feed with digital images. While pumping gas, a little TV screen on the pump tries recent article written by their doctor. if you want. I am interested in the to sell me products and entertain me with the latest and greatest happening. stories that connect us to each other. While at a restaurant there is often a giant TV screen with the of-the-moment While the Internet can be exhilaWe made over $2000 today sporting event or show. rating with constant links and new While waiting in line at a fast food restaurant the other day, I noticed no trails to explore at a rapid pace, I hope that these papers immerse and embrace one was interacting with each other, even if they entered the restaurant with you in a way the Internet can’t. someone else. Everyone was individually engaged with their phone. I am After being at the helm of Alamo Today for over eight years, Lafayette Today not sure anyone was talking on their phones, but rather they were playing a (seven years) and Danville Today News (four years), the mechanics of assembly game, or sending emails, texts, or tweets. are easier, but the stories remain the backbone of these papers. I notice amongst myself, my family, my friends, and the public in general The “Magazines - The Power of Print” ad campaign explains it this way: “A an almost Pavlovian response to various tones, songs, and alarms alerting us new medium doesn’t necessarily displace an existing one. Just as movies didn’t to calendar events, emails, texts, updates of “breaking news,” ticklers, and kill radio. Just as TV didn’t kill movies. Just as instant coffee didn’t kill coffee. reminders. Somehow these alarms takemy priority gives local business people exthese papers allow and me alerts to reach exactover anything we it An established medium can continue to flourish so long as it continues to offer a were doing at the time. Our eyes divert to the sound flash as ifposure whatever in a substantive way patient base with information and a or local unique experience...Which is why people aren’t giving up swimming, just because is being communicated nowI top priority. It’s sort of like presence isthat could not obtain with anythe ‘call waiting’ they also enjoy surfing,” and hopefully that’s why you’ll continue to enjoy the effect, when someone putsoryou on hold to answer another incoming call. “paper in the hand” feeling from the “Today” papers instead of words on a screen. other print media editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

September 2011 Bargains For Charity!

Serving Danville

Our Community Remembers

The Blackhawk Museum Guild was organized in 1991 by co-founder Pat Behring The Exchange Club of San Ramon Valley along with local veterans’ as the volunteer entity of the world-class Blackhawk Museum, a non-profit corporation organizations is hosting the Tenth Anniversary 9-11 Remembrance Cerdedicated to “ensuring significant automotive treasures blending art, technology, culture, emony for the residents of the San Ramon Valley. and history would be exhibited for public enjoyment and educational enrichment.” The event will be held at All Wars Memorial at Oak Hill Park, located at 3005 Stone Valley Road in Danville, on September 11 and will begin at 5:50PM and conclude at 6:40PM. Immediately following the ceremony there will be a free community “American picnic” featuring hot dogs and ice cream. This event will feature prominent guest speakers, hundreds of Scouts with an array of American Flags, joint Police and Fire Department honor Guard and Fife & Drum Corps., a bagpiper, a flight of doves, renowned tenor George Komsky and many other patriotic contributions. Guest speakers include Winston Copeland, Rear Adm. Ret., decorated Navy Squadron Commander and Joe Viscuglia, 9-11 Survivor. There will be an essay contest based on the event with cash prizes for high, middle, and grade school student residents of the five San Ramon Valley communities. The essay title and prizes will be announced in a subeditor@yourmonthlypaper.com

September 2011 Lafayette Community, Join David and Jay in Feeding the Hungry

Serving the Lafayette Community Big Brothers/Big Sisters By Fran Miller

Patty Guinto, age 31, is a busy woman. Her job is demanding, she has a crazy commute, she plays sports, and she enjoys time with friends and family.

The economic crisis is continuing unabated. Unemployment in Contra Costa County is over 11%. Even though we all have been negatively impacted by this down turn, those who are at the bottom of economic ladder are struggling for even the most basic of necessities: food. A Jay Lifson and David Gerson recent study shows that more than 26% of households with children in California do not have enough money to buy an adequate amount of food. Thus David Gerson and Jay Lifson have teamed up to help families with children, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and all those who face hunger each and every day @y community yp p in our greater

September 2011

Serving Alamo and Diablo

29th Annual Music and Wine Festival

The Alamo Music and Wine Festival is an annual community celebration benefiting, in part, our schools’ music programs while providing a variety of activities for the entire family. This 29th annual Rotary event will be held Saturday, September 10th from noon to 11P.M at the Alamo Plaza in Alamo. Headlining this event will be the annual favorite, the fabulous “Cruise Tones” starting at about 8pm. This talented group will play a wide variety of songs from the late 50’s to the hits of today – perfect for dancing under the stars. Also playing this year for the first time will be another popular Bay Area band – “Detroit Disciples” starting at 4pm. Local school music groups will perform starting at Noon. Come listen to the many talents from the San Ramon High School Bands, the Monte Vista High School bands, and the Stone Valley Middle School’s Jazz Band. It is always surprising every year to see the talents of our local youth. The day will be filled with many activities for the entire family. Food, games, and local business booths will be set up throughout the festival area. Kids will enjoy the play zone set up by the Mt. Diablo Regional YMCA and the Alamo Improvement Association. Our most popular feature for the

Taking Time to Talk with Trees

By Jody Morgan

The art of bonsai culture seeks to distill the essence of a tree’s encounter with the forces of nature over the course of Byron Nobriga gets advice from K Akabane a lifetime by presenting in a container a miniature specimen carefully trained to express the struggles the tree might have undergone and overcome in the landscape. Developed in Japan from an even more ancient Chinese practice of growing trees in pots, the centuries old art made its first major debut in Europe at the Paris World Fair Exposition of 1889. Initially unable to make their own bonsai survive, Europeans began gossiping about “Oriental secrets” and “Japanese magic.” Today bonsai clubs across the

See Bonsai continued on page 22

Project Second Chance By Fran Miller

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Danville Today News ~ February 2013 - Page 3

Danville’s Top 1% Producers 2452 Biltmore Dr | Alamo Sold in ONE day off MLS

CHOOSE WISELY… Tired of sales gimmicks and empty promises? Interview the Campbell & Higgins Team for integrity, honesty, and proven performance. Immediate Buyer Needs

Coming Soon

• Westside Alamo/Danville up to 1.2 & 1.8 million 217 Monterosso Ct | Danville 5 Bed, 3813sf. • Round Hill Country Club up to 1.3 million Amazing Views! • Diablo up to 2 million

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

Page 4 - February 2013 ~ Danville Today News

ACTION POOL REPAIR

Sਤ਱ਵਨਭਦ Aਫਠਬਮ & Dਠਭਵਨਫਫਤ Sਨਭਢਤ 1979!

There is No Better Time to Remodel Your Pool Than Now! Call and Find Out Why. Plaster • Tile • Coping Featuring WetEdge Technologies

Ask us about the IntelliFlo pump by Pentair. Proven to save $100 or more each month. In addition, as certified PGE installers we can offer a $100 PGE rebate on the pump!

925.820.3640

Visit our website at www.actionpoolrepair.com Contractor Lic# 978033-C53

“The Best Is Yet to Be” Forum The fifth annual “The Best Is Yet to Be” forum will take place from 8:45AM to 1PM on Friday, February 22nd in Walnut Creek. Five speakers will describe elements of positive aging. Topics include new nutritional guidelines, avoiding scams, benefits of pet ownership, and creative ways of dealing with challenges. A free senior information fair will be held throughout the morning next door to the forum. Sixteen exhibitors will describe their varied services and furnish prizes, pamphlets, and gifts. The events will be held at Heather Farm Community Center, located at 301 N. San Carlos Drive in Walnut Creek. Sponsor of the event is the nonprofit Diablo Valley Foundation for the Aging. It will donate proceeds to the Walnut Creek Seniors Club. “Our goal is to give seniors and their offspring information and ideas that will enrich their lives,” said Robert Kain, the foundation’s executive director. Speakers at the forum include nutritionist Kathy Napoli, who will describe “The Secrets to Longevity,” and Elena Bicker, ARF’s executive director, who will talk about the benefits of owning a pet. Concord Transcript columnist Ezio Kobyashi’s subject is “It Pays to Stay Active.” Consultant Tony Jimenez’s topic is “Creative Ways to Cope with Challenges.” Eloise Patella, manager of Family Protective Services, will focus on the latest senior scams and ways to avoid them. Lunch is included in the $20 admission. For tickets at the door, the admission is $25. To register, visit www.dv-fa.org or call (925) 945-8040.

Wind ‘n Sea Sailing Club The non-profit Wind ‘n Sea Sailing Club is holding a sailing training class at a member’s home in Danville on Wednesday, February 20th at 7PM. This class will cover “Basic Sailing Skills, Knots, and Terminology,” and will be followed by further sailing classes. Contact Jan at (925)837-3381 for further information.

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

Lou Labrincha is our winner!

Valley Teen Idol The San Ramon Valley Rotary Club is hosting auditions for Valley Teen Idol on March 2,3, 9 and 10. Middle and high school students with a talent for singing or playing a musical instrument are encouraged to audition. Semi-finals will be conducted on April 9 for instrumentals and April 10 for singers. The Final Competition will be held on April 30 for instrumentals and May 1 for singers at the Village Theater located at 233 Front Street in Danville. Grand prize is $1,000 and a recording session, 2nd prize-$500, 3rd prize-$250, and 4th to 10th-$50. For more info, contact Sharon Mace at 510-909-8791.

Host Families Sought for Visiting French Students For the eighth consecutive year, students from a large high school in the South of France are coming to Danville. Every visit by the students has been better than the last. The students will arrive on April 20th and depart May 2nd (after our local Spring Break). The teens stay with local families and have a full itinerary of activities during the days and only require your attention in the evenings and one weekend. The visit is an ideal opportunity to experience another culture and hopefully consider visiting France in return. Anyone interested in hosting a student (or students!) is welcome to participate. For more information or to find out about past year’s programs, please contact Martine Causse (teacher in charge of the group), at caussefly@wanadoo.fr or dachary.martine@orange.fr. There are many happy local host families ready to discuss any questions with you (including the editor of this paper!). The local contact is Danville parent Kevin Dimler, who can be reached at kevindimler@ gmail.com or 925-718-5052.

Danville-Alamo-Walnut Creek AAUW AAUW and Delta Kappa Gamma are hosting a joint meeting at 5:30pm on February 26th at Scott’s Restaurant in Walnut Creek. The speaker will be Assistant Professor Priya Mariana Shimpi from Mills College speaking on young children’s language development. The cost of the event and dinner is $35. For reservations, please send a check made out to DKG to Densie Dolan, P.O. Box 551, Alamo, CA 94507 with menu choice of salmon, chicken, or vegetarian. AAUW advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research. Danville-Alamo-Walnut Creek AAUW offers scholarships and supports women for personal and professional growth, community leadership, and friendship. For more information visit www.aauw-daw.org. AAUW membership is open to all graduates of accredited four-year colleges or universities and those holding an Associate Degree or equivalent. Prospective members can contact Tena at 925 837-0826 or membershipvp@aauw-da.org.

AAUW Offers Scholarships to Local Women The Danville-Alamo-Walnut Creek branch of the American Association of University Women is offering scholarships to local women. Last year five deserving recipients received $2,000 each. This year awards will range from $1,000 to $2,000. A special grant will go to the Jane Trittipo scholarship winner. Applicants must be a college junior or higher, as of September 2013, at an accredited college or university. Graduate and post-graduate students can also apply. Applicants will be accepted who are from Walnut Creek and the San Ramon Valley - please see the website for more specific requirements. Applications will be evaluated on the basis of scholarship, educational goals, and campus or community involvement. Completed scholarship applications must be postmarked by March 1st, 2013. Applications and information are available online at www.aauw-daw.org. For additional information, email Lgood67334@comcast.net and put “Local Scholarships” in the subject box.

San Ramon Valley Genealogical Society The San Ramon Valley Genealogical Society meets at 10AM the third Tuesday of every month, except August and December, at the Danville Family History Center, 2949 Stone Valley Road, Alamo. There will be a speaker at every meeting. Everyone is welcome. For information, call Ed at (925) 299-0881, visit www.srvgensoc.org, or email SRVGS@SRVGenSoc.org.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Danville Today News ~ February 2013 - Page 5

Alamo-Danville Newcomers Club Please join us at a free Welcome Coffee on Thursday, February 28th from 10AM to noon to learn about the Club. For further information, please call (925) 281-1307.

Danville Community Band Dinner Concert The Danville Community Band, under the direction of conductor Robert Calonico, an evening dinner and concert titled, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;What I did for Loveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; on Sunday, February 10th. The band will be joined by vocalist, Jodi Aldredge. The event begins at 5:30pm with no-host cocktails, dinner at 6pm and the concert at 7:30pm, and is open to all. Plan to bring your Valentine and enjoy an early celebration. The dinner and concert is $48 per person. Blackhawk Country Club, located at 599 Blackhawk Club Drive, is taking reservations for the event to be held at their venue. Call (925) 7366500 for reservations. For menu details for the dinner concert, or more information about upcoming performances, visit the band website at www. danvilleband.org.

Your Hosts Gabriele Davanzante & Russ Belleci

The Sony Holland Quintet

+VTU #BDL GSPN QFSGPSNJOH BU i5IF #MVF /PUFw JO /FX :PSL $JUZ

Sunday February 17th 4VOEBZ t QN 4FBUJOH t QN %JOOFS 4IPX *O 5IF %JOJOH 3PPN Pre-Paid Reservations Required

$PVSTF %JOOFS 4IPX +VTU -JLF JO 7FHBT i5IF 0ME %BZTw

QFS QFSTPO QMVT UBY HSBUVJUZ

The Sony Holland Quintet

A Night on Broadway Come join the Xenophon team of supporters for A Night on Broadway gala dinner, auction, wine toss, dance, and more to support Xenophon Theraputic Riding Center. The annual gala is the biggest fundraising event of the year. The event takes place on March 9th from 6-10pm at Round Hill Country Club in Alamo. The cost is $100/person, and reservations are required. For more information visit www.xenophontrc.org, email to mparino@xenophontrc. org, or call Mari Parino at (925)212-8788. Xenophon Therapeutic Riding Center is located in a beautiful rural setting in Orinda. They offer life-changing experiences for children with a wide range of disabilities. They provide therapeutic horseback riding in a safe and secure environment. The children achieve goals that they never before dreamed possible and focus is put on enhancing their unique abilities. With a horse as their guide, there is no limit to what they can achieve.

GREAT SERVICE. EVEN BETTER VALUE. CONVENIENT SHUTTLE SERVICE TO HOME, THE OFFICE, BART AND BACK. `

FACTORY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE Improve mileage and extend the life of your vehicle - follow recommended service schedules

% OFF 20 REGULAR PRICES

LUBE, OIL & FILTER Multi-Point Performance Inspection Drain and Replace All Engine Oil Install Genuine Factory Oil Filter

DIAGNOSIS/ CHECK ENGINE LIGHT INSPECTION Let our trained experts perform an initial inspection and diagnosis. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll also provide you with the exact cost to perform the repair. No obligation, nothing to buy.

TAX 2995 FREE

Synthetic oil extra.

For Acura, Honda, Lexus, and Toyota vehicles only. Valid only at THE SERVICE OUTLET on the day of service. Please present coupon when service order is written. Not valid in conjunction with other coupons, offers or discounts. Synthetic oil extra.

SINCE

1993

LAFAYETTE

SAN RAMON

3360 Mt. Diablo Blvd.

2151 San Ramon Valley Blvd.

925.283.3133

925.837.3000

THESERVICEOUTLET.COM

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sony Holland delivers passion and elegance in every phrase. The voice is warm, full and engaging. She is becoming a favorite request from our worldwide listening audience.â&#x20AC;? Mike Metheny, Radio IoJazz / â&#x20AC;&#x153;With Sanssouci, Sony Holland continues establishing herself as a siren of the first order.â&#x20AC;? Dwight Hobbes, Twin Cities Daily Planet / â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sony Holland keeps getting better and better. She is the quintessential artist. Her calling cards are flawless phrasing, sultry tonality and bright energy. Her vocals shine on the slower and languorous ballads.â&#x20AC;? Richard Connema, Talkinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Broadway

%BOWJMMF #PVMFWBSE t "MBNP $BMJGPSOJB t 1IPOF

XXX GPSMJBMBNP DPN 7JTJU VT BU

XXX 'PSMJ"MBNP DPN

+PJO VT PO 'BDFCPPL BU

XXX GBDFCPPL DPN GPSMJFOUFSUBJONFOUMPVOHF

Former Mayor to Narrate â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lincoln Portraitâ&#x20AC;? On February 15th, 16th and 17th the Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra teams up with former San Ramon mayor H. Abram Wilson to perform Aaron Coplandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lincoln Portrait. Also on the program is the East Bay premiere of St. Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s College professor Marty Rokeachâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra with audacious local clarinetist Diane Maltester. Veterans can receive specially priced $10 tickets for the Lesher, February 17th concert by mentioning code word â&#x20AC;&#x153;CHIEFâ&#x20AC;?. For tickets and more information visit www.contracostachamberorchestra. org/concerts.html.

San Ramon Valley Republican Women Federated Present Former Congressman, Bill Baker Taxes as Big as Texas! As a fourth generation Californian, Congressman Bill Baker has seen a lot of changes in the way California does business, especially when it comes to taxesâ&#x20AC;Ś or should we sayâ&#x20AC;Ś paying your fair share! In Congress he was active in addressing Californiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economic, transportation, and science research policies. While serving in the State Assembly he was a Budget Analyst for the California State Department of Finance. He also wrote a weekly column entitled, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Angry Taxpayer.â&#x20AC;? If you are still an angry taxpayer, plan to attend this informative meeting while enjoying the wit of this former Congressman! The meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 26th. Social time starts at 11:30am, and the luncheon and speaker begin at noon. The cost is $25. For reservations, call Mary at 925-837-5465 or email srvrwf.lunch@gmail. com. Reservations are due by Thursday, February 21st. To assure yourself a place at the table, please make your reservation early! To learn more about San Ramon Valley Republican Women Federated, please visit www.srvrwf.org.

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

Page 6 - February 2013 ~ Danville Today News

Veterans of Foreign Wars

Meals on Wheels

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW) will be held on Wednesday, February 20th. The VFW Post 75 of San Ramon Valley meets every third Wednesday of the month at the Veterans Memorial Building located at 400 Hartz Avenue in Danville. The building is located on the corner of East Prospect Avenue and Hartz Avenue. Doors open at 7PM, and the meeting begins at 7:30PM. For more information, contact Post Commander Ernie Petagara at (925) 362-9806. Find out more about the VFW and our Post on the internet at www.vfwpost75.org.

Seniors in your community need your support! Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach Services has been supporting seniors in YOUR neighborhood since 1968. Two of our programs, Meals on Wheels and Friendly Visitors, rely on the support of volunteers, and we need your help now more than ever. Meals on Wheels volunteer drivers deliver meals to local homebound seniors through regular two hour shifts once per week or as substitute drivers. Friendly Visitors volunteers provide weekly one-hour companionship visits to isolated seniors. To volunteer for either program, please call (925)937-8311.

Free Tax Preparation

Delta Nu Psi Collection for Troops

Free tax preparation for the 2013 tax season is available starting in February from AARP’s Tax-Aide and United Way’s Earn It, Keep It, Save It (EKS) programs. All tax preparers are trained and certified by the IRS. While both programs serve taxpayers of any age, Tax-Aide does not have an income limit for whom they can serve. EKS can only serve individuals whose incomes do not exceed $50,000. For information or to make an appointment for the Tax-Aide sites please call (925) 973-3250 for the San Ramon Senior Center site, or (925) 480-7202 for the St. Isidore Ministry Center site. For general information and other site locations, call (925) 726-3199. For information on EKS sites, call 2-1-1 or visit www.earnitkeepitsaveit.org. To complete your tax return, Tax-Aide will need you to bring to the appointment your: • Social Security Card or ITIN letter for all individuals to be listed on the return • Photo ID for yourself and spouse • Copies of all W-2s • 1098s and 1099s • Other income and deductions • Your 2011 Tax Return.

We are desperate! We just mailed off 16 boxes of “gourmet junk food” to the Troops, and our supplies for February boxes are low. Dried fruit, beef jerky, salmon in foil packets, chicken/tuna salad mix, trail mix, energy bars, and more will all be gladly accepted for mailing. Please see our website, www.deltanupsi.org, or stop by our collection table at Lunardi’s in Danville (345 Railroad Ave) on February 8th from 11am-2pm for more ideas. We hope to see you there.

Books for the Homebound If you or someone you know has a passion for reading and can no longer visit the library, find out more about the Danville Library’s Books for the Homebound program, a free and unique library service. Trained library volunteers check out and deliver books to homebound individuals residing in their own homes or residential care facilities. Contact Sandra Paiva, Volunteer Coordinator, at the Danville Library at (925) 837-4889 for more information.

The Early Bird Gets the Worm Get a sneak peek of what the Town of Danville has in store for spring and summer 2013 by attending the 4th Annual Recreation Program Expo. Meet summer day camp and aquatics staff, plus a variety of specialty class instructors on Saturday, February 9th from 10am to 1pm at the Danville Community Center. Parents will be able to register early and receive 10% off of fees for programs listed in the Spring Activity Guide and Summer Camps Brochure just by attending and registering at the Expo (not all programs or classes may be included.) Visit www.danville.ca.gov or call (925) 314-3400 for more information.

Serving the Bay Area with honesty and integrity since 1973

Since 1973

3191-M Crow Canyon Pl San Ramon Carpets, Hardwood, Laminate & Stone (925) 866-2200 www.MacFloor.com • info@macfloor.com In Loehmann’s Shopping Center (next to Lucky’s)

2395 Monument Blvd., Suite J Concord (925) 680-4433 (Across from Costco Gas Station, next to Harvest House)

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Danville Today News ~ February 2013 - Page 7

Portable CIO Computer Service

Serving Bay Area businesses and residents since 2002

How Can We Help You?

Pioneers at Cox’s Grove. c. 1890

What About These Names? By Beverly Lane Let’s talk about names, chickens, and a romantic intersection which is no more. Livorna Road appeared on Alamo maps because of a chicken farm. A Danville Journal article on Jan. 12, 1917, confirmed the origin of the road’s name. Its headline: “‘Livorna” Home of Royal Line of Leghorn Poultry. Mr. and Mrs. H. L. Hunter named their home near Alamo “Livorna.” According to the article, the word means “Leghorn” in Italian. Four years earlier the Hunters purchased four acres and set out to raise leghorn poultry, a distinctive breed which H.L. worked to maintain “in distinctive and perfect strain.” The newspaper describes the productivity of the birds, cleanliness of the poultry houses, and success of his marketing. H. L. hatched 10,000 chickens annually and sold all but 1,300 of them which he raised himself. The whole article may be read at the Museum of San Ramon Valley’s research library. And the romantic intersection? Love and Hartz, of course. At one time Love Lane connected with Hartz Avenue, creating a junction where Love met Hartz. Sometimes the signs would disappear around Valentine’s Day. Two decisions were made which ended this sweet pairing. The new Town of Danville decided to extend Railroad Avenue through to Hartz in the 1980s, and the school district needed more parking and a location for an auditorium, so Love Lane was reconfigured to enter Railroad Ave. Love is named for the Robert and Amelia Love family which owned much of northern Danville in the 19th century. Today’s road was likely a ranch lane which led to the Love Ranch and house (built in 1860 and still standing). Love was a prominent leader in the 1860s who served as a Trustee for the Union Academy High School (1859-1868). He and his wife joined the Danville Grange #85 as a charter members in 1873. John and Catherine Hartz came later, purchasing 220 acres west of Danville’s main street (Front) in 1888. When the San Ramon Branch Line of the Southern Pacific extended from Avon to San Ramon in 1891, Hartz deeded the right of way and sold 8.65 acres of his ranch for the large Danville station. Having a remnant piece of land between the station and Front Street, in July of 1891 he subdivided the land into lots and established a new street, Hartz Avenue. More names will be shared next month. Visitors are welcome to tour the new Museum of San Ramon Valley exhibit “What’s In A Name? Tracing Our Valley’s Early Families,” which features many early valley families.

What’s in a Name, Tracing Our Valley’s Early Families Adventurous men and women traveled to California beginning in the 1840s. They moved to Alamo, Danville, San Ramon, and the Tassajara Valley, and today we see their names on roads, canyons, schools, and home developments. Displaying the Museum’s archives, photographs, clothing, agricultural equipment, saddles and flags, this exhibit provides insights into the lives of our founding families. Running now through April 20th, the Museum of the San Ramon Valley is hosting a new exhibit that focuses on early families in the Valley. The exhibit features ledgers, scrapbooks, farm diaries, and minute books from the early twentieth century as well as actual farm equipment, branding irons, a wedding dress and suit, a ukulele, and an antique family desk and sewing machine -- all from the Valley’s pioneers. The exhibit emphasizes these founding families along with the families they married into: Baldwin, Coats, Freitas, Harlan, Podva, Stone, Wiedemann, and Wood. All these families came in the mid-nineteenth century, were active with schools, joined the Danville Grange or other fraternal organizations, and have their names on street signs, schools, or canyons. Visitors will receive a card with the name of one of these pioneers and will search for that person as part of their museum experience. As a special feature, in the Valley Portrait Gallery, held in the Museum’s

Great People. Great Service.

925.552.7953 www.ThePortableCIO.com

Join Portable CIO, Inc. on Facebook!

Waiting Room, visitors can see photographs or drawings displayed in elaborate nineteenth century frames of families from all over the Valley. San Ramon Fire Chief Bill Fereira’s grandparents are on view, Minerva Fowler Harlan appears in a confection of a hat, and Charles and Cynthia Wood look solemnly at visitors. There are 26 not-to-be-missed portraits with short biographies recounting their stories. Museum of the San Ramon Valley is located at 205 Railroad Avenue in Danville. The Museum is open Tuesday-Friday from 1-4pm, Saturday from 10am-1pm, and Sunday from 12-3pm. Find out more about the Museum by calling (925) 837-3750 or visiting museumsrv.org.

Home Farms Historic Park & Glass House Museum Open for Fun on the Farm Come to Forest Home Farms Historic Park and the Glass House Museum for Fun on the Farm from 10am to 2pm the second Saturday of each month. On these days you can step back in time to explore the site, enjoy tours, and participate in a free activity from days gone by. On February 9th the theme for the day will be “Victorian Valentine Making.” Sending paper Valentines became popular in the 1800’s, and the tradition continues today. Join us to make old-fashioned Valentine greetings and discover some of the history behind them. On March 9th the theme for the day will be “Mystery Gadgets and Tools.” Over the years the patent office has been busy recording the latest ideas to make work in the kitchen and around the farm easier. Many of these time-saving contraptions have been replaced by newer technology. See if you can guess what some of the objects in our collection were used for, and then try using a few of these hand-powered devices. Tours of the restored Victorian Glass House Museum will be held at 10am, am 11 , 12pm and 1pm and tours of Forest Home Farms Historic Park, including the tractor museum, at 11am and 1pm. Each tour lasts approximately 45 minutes and the fee is $5 per person or $8 for both tours taken on the same day. Tour tickets can be purchased in the Gift Shoppe. Children ages two and under are free. For more information about Forest Home Farms Historic Park call (925) 9733284 or visit www.SanRamon.ca.gov. Forest Home Farms Historic Park is located at 19953 San Ramon Valley Blvd., just south of Pine Valley Road in San Ramon.

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

Page 8 - February 2013 ~ Danville Today News

ART CAMP at ALAMO PLAZA

COLOR BUNDLES ART STUDIO SUMMER CAMP

SPRING CAMP

March 11th - April 5th , Ages 8-16 June 10th - August 23rd, Ages 8-16 Daily sessions: M- F, 10AM - 1PM (No camp July 4th & 5th) M -F, 2PM - 5PM Daily sessions: M- F, 10AM - 1PM M -F, 2PM - 5PM $40/session Sign up before February 28th and pay $35/session

$40/session

Please inquire about our Art Parties and Classes for Kids and Adults

SPECIALS Full Day (Two sessions/day) $65 | Five sessions/week $160 Full week (10 sessions/week) $300 For more information and camp schedules, please visit our website, call, or contact us at sales@colorbundles.com. “Like” us on Facebook (Facebook.com/colorbundles) to see our new art projects and events. 220A Alamo Plaza, Alamo, CA 94507

www.colorbundles.com | 925.727.3137

Charlotte Wood Middle School By Christopher George, Principal This week, we begin our second semester at Charlotte Wood. As always, we are excited about the challenges before us. As we’ve discussed in this space, our enduring challenge and opportunity this year remains our transition to the Common Core State Standards. You may have heard more and more about this curriculum as more media outlets are covering them and becoming aware of the switch. We have had a great deal of success in beginning our implementation. Our teachers are working extraordinarily hard in learning and trying the methods necessary to teach under the Common Core. Most notably, students have probably noticed that teachers are trying new lessons which require more active engagement from our students- requiring students to be constantly engaged with the material at hand. We will continue to work in this area for the foreseeable future. Obviously, since December, we have placed a very high priority on student safety and in reviewing our safety practices. We have altered our procedures for visiting our campus to reflect the need to keep kids safe. We also ask that members of our community help us in following the procedures we’ve set forth. Please, if you are visiting our campus for any reason, check in at the main office. We are also very fortunate to share the beautiful space around Osage Park with our community. We continue to ask that those neighbors work with us in letting us know when they see any potential safety threat. This help from the community has been invaluable in the past in helping us identify potential safety threats and in helping us respond. Overall, however, thanks to the work of our Assistant Principal, the PTA, and the cooperation of the police and other local agencies, we are very confident that Charlotte Wood remains an extraordinarily safe place, both physically and emotionally for kids. As always, please contact us with any concerns, comments, or questions.

Love is in the Air By Maria Ward, Principal St. Isidore School This month our Gospel Value is LOVE, perfect for the month of February. We are asking our students to remember the Bible passage from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, Love is patient, love is kind, love does not insist on its own way. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never fails. As we keep this verse in our hearts and mind, we are humbled by this message. On February 1st we ended our Catholic Schools Week celebration. What a week it was for all. This year our theme was, “Catholic Schools: Raising the Standards.” All enjoyed our Science Fair, Open House, and school wide contests. We are now starting to prepare our newest little ones for kindergarten testing this month. They are anxiously waiting to become St. Isidore students. The week of February 11th we will celebrate National Random Acts of Kindness Week. We try extra hard during this week to be kind to one another. Our teachers love to “catch” students being kind to one another, and then we recognize them during our afternoon assemblies. We also spend quality time as a faculty recognizing one another for those things we may have forgotten to say thank-you for, because we get so busy and forget during the school day. We plan to continue this message through out the year with a “Kindness is Contagious” school wide theme. Our teachers have an Elementary Staff Day on Friday, February 8th where we will have a full day of 21st Century learning strategies, curriculum, and mapping. Having the opportunity to have continuing education for our faculty and staff is of upmost important for our school. On Wednesday, February 13th we enter the season of Lent. Our schoolwide theme this year is, “Lent means Change.” We are partnering with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Pennies for Patients this year. We will be gathering change and giving what we collect to these patients in need. At the start of Lent, we begin our morning with an All School Mass Ash Wednesday liturgy prepared by our 8th grade students. You may see our students around town with ashes on their forehead that day. Many people ask us, “Why do we put ashes on our forehead?” Ashes are applied to our forehead in the sign of the cross as the words “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel,” emphasizes our call to continual conversion and holiness of life. This act symbolizes our need for ongoing repentance. It is a reminder that this life is short and merely a foreshadowing of what we shall become through the redemption of Christ on the cross. Lent is a quiet time when we as Catholics try to reflect, look at own faults, and remember what our Lord sacrificed for us. On Thursday, February 14th one of our St. Isidore traditions is celebrating “Grandparents Day.” This day is set-aside for our third grade students and their grandparents and/or special guests. They begin their day together with a mass especially for them, followed by a continental breakfast, activities for the students and their grandparents, and a short musical program. Our classroom teachers along with technology staff worked hard preparing a special keepsake book our students made for their special guest. While every month seems to be a busy one, we look forward to embracing all activities in which our school participates. Our Annual School Auction, “Viva Italia,” will be held March 2nd. It is a fun filled evening, which celebrates St. Isidore School. We hope you are able to attend.

Need A Tutor? Club ub b Z! 1-On-1 Tuttorin ng In Your Home! s All Subjects s PreK-Adult s Reading s Writing s Math s LD/ADD/ADHD s SAT/ACT Prep s Study Skills Program s Affordable Rates s Degreed Professionals s Flexible Schedules Call to Reserve Your Tutor Today!

925-786-7149 www.clubz.com

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Danville Today News ~ February 2013 - Page 9

Stone Valley Middle School By Shaun K. McElroy, Principal Common Core State Standards How can we prepare our kids for success in the new Common Core State Standards Environment? First – Have a plan. The San Ramon Valley School district recently published Common Core State Standards Two Year Implementation Plan. The plan will be spearheaded by Director of Education Toni Taylor and Dr. Kathy Moore, Teacher on Special Assignment. This dynamic duo has created a strong supporting cast made up of representatives from every school site in three disciplines: English Language Arts, Mathematics, and various other academic disciplines. These groups of educators make up the Common Core Task Force. It is worth noting that math task force work is being supplemented by a generous grant from the San Ramon Valley Educations Fund (SRVEF). The SRVEF grant money provides the math task force with access to the Silicon Valley Math Initiative (SVMI.org) research and trainers. Task force members in turn train teachers at their schools sites. The Bob Shalon, EA next two years will require an immense amount of time, energy, ingenuity, and dollars to provide a Master Tax Advisor • Enrolled Agent full implementation of the plan. To view the plan, visit http://bit.ly/10Qoeir. Second - Know what’s expected. Education is no longer a read and regurgitate profession. Learn925.820.9570 ers in the new CCSS system will need all of the following skills to be college and career ready after 714 San Ramon Valley Blvd, Suite B, Danville high school. Sycamore Square (next to Lucky’s) Here are the 21st Century Skills established by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (www.p21.org.) bob.shalon@tax.hrblock.com * Critical Thinking and Problem Solving * Collaboration across Networks and Leading by Influence SRV Christian Academy * Agility and Adaptability * Initiative and Entrepreneurialism By Jan Brunkal, Principal * Effective Oral and Written Communication Can you believe we are already halfway through * Accessing and Analyzing Information the school year?! As the first semester comes to an * Curiosity and Imagination end, life at SRVCA has been busy. We just finished Third – You gotta get your (child’s) mind right! Dr. Carol Dweck, professor our Kindergarten Readiness Meeting for parents at Stanford University and author of the book Mindset provides the background interested in our Kindergarten program. We had a for this TED talk. Mindset research defines intellect as a variable and not a fixed great turnout and are excited to be meeting future property. How we approach the conversation with our children is critical to their SRVCA students! We have a variety of activities success. Watch/listen to Eduardo Briceno speaks about how our Mindset affects in the coming weeks for prospective Kindergarten our intellectual growth. Find out more at http://youtu.be/pN34FNbOKXc. students and their parents. We would love to have you join us! First, we

2013 Parenting Conference

The San Ramon Valley Council of PTAs presents its annual parenting conference, Parenting 2013 & Beyond, on Saturday, February 23rd at Dougherty Valley High School from 8:30am to 2:30pm (Check-in begins at 7:45am). This year’s keynote speaker is Mike Robbins, who will talk about “The Power of Appreciation.” Please contact Vanessa Berastain at srvparented@gmail.com to find out more, or visit the San Ramon Valley Council of PTAs website at www.srvcouncilpta.org.

Stone Valley Leadership Classes First Semester Accomplishments • Created all school-wide games and activities for Wacky Wednesday and Friday themes • Created signs and posters for upcoming activities • Organized and ran Wacky Wednesday games each week at lunch • Ran contests and prizes for theme dress up days • Volunteered at Get Acquainted Pizza Night • Guided parents at Back to School Night • Created a 9/11 remembrance anniversary video • Brought High School Nation’s The Christopher Brothers concert to SV • Held a school-wide moment of silence for Sandy Hook Elementary Visited • Classrooms at Stone Valley to promote all school-wide activities • Coronado Elementary School in Richmond • Mauzy School for special needs children • Senior Residence Homes in Alamo Donations •Coins for a Cure for Juvenile Diabetes • Primo’s Run for Education • Bake sales for free lunch program in India • Breakfast sales for Hurricane Sandy victims • Holiday toy collection for Coronado Elementary • Wrapped gifts at Coronado Elementary for parents • Letters to Santa for The Make A Wish Foundation Our thanks to teacher Monique Metzcus, Gaby Ghorbani, and Pledge to Humanity.

Exchange Club of San Ramon Valley The Exchange Club of San Ramon Valley meets for lunch the second Wednesday of every month at Faz Restaurant in downtown Danville. The Club’s sign-in and social time begins at 11:30AM. The meeting starts promptly at noon and ends promptly at 1PM. The one-hour program features guest speakers and a business networking speaker. Guests are welcome. Price is $16 for members and first time guests and $20 for returning guests. For more information, call Karen Stepper, President, at (925) 275-2312, email coachstepper@yahoo.com, or visit www.srvexchangeclub.org.

have Story Time in the Library on Thursday, February 7th at 11:30am. On Wednesday, February 13 at 9:30am, students will join me for juice and cookies. Elementary chapel on Friday, February 22nd at 8:30am is specifically geared towards our prospective families. Lastly, students will have a chance to play in the Kindergarten classrooms on Friday, March 1st at 2pm. These are some wonderful events designed to introduce students to SRVCA and start building a community between parents. Recently, we were excited to host FBI Special Agent Jack Bennett as he spoke to parents regarding Internet Safety. This is such an important topic for our parents. Besides giving great websites and strategies for keeping our kids safe, Mr. Bennett read a letter written by a mom who had just given her teenage son a smartphone for Christmas. The letter stated among many important things, that number one, the phone was not his and he was merely using it, and that anytime it was misused she could and would take the phone away. The mom also told the son that she would have all the codes, and that she would be reading his text messages. The letter made a great point that he should never say anything in a text or on a social website that he wouldn’t say or do in person. Pretty smart mom, I think. She wasn’t afraid of being a mom. Mr. Bennett reminded us that even with all the safety nets in place for our kids, our greatest weapon in keeping our children safe are parents. Talk to your kids about these issues. Don’t be afraid to parent your child and teach them. The analogy given was, we wouldn’t drop our children off in a very unsafe environment late at night and tell them to find their way home by themselves. The same is true of the internet. They need to be taught to use caution and be smart about the choices they make. With the start of the second semester comes the annual 8th grade trip to Washington DC. Students, parents, and staff are looking forward to this opportunity to see our nation’s capital. They will visit many museums and historic monuments throughout the DC area, as well as take a special trip to New York City to see the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. This trip provides a unique experience for students to learn about the founding of our nation. Students come home with a new understanding of how blessed we are to live in this country.

Page 10 - February 2013 ~ Danville Today News

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

San Ramon Valley High School

Monte Vista High School

By Ruth Steele, Principal

By Janet Terranova, Principal

As I write this, I have been Principal at San Ramon Valley High School (SRVHS) for exactly one semester (That’s 90 instructional days to be precise). Being a principal of a high school is a little daunting at times. I am responsible for 2,200 students, I manage almost 200 staff members, and I answer to a few thousand parents. My responsibilities include the safety of every single one of the SRVHS’s students and staff as well as the oversight of all instructional programs. In light of the tragic Sandy Hook shooting and the Taft Union High School shooting, school safety is at the top of everyone’s priority list. At San Ramon we are going through our internal procedures, our emergency systems, and all aspects of school security to make sure all areas have been addressed. There have been many positive things happening recently. Our new pool was ready for the start of swim season, and it is a beautiful new facility. This coming summer we will be replacing the bleachers on both sides of the football field as a direct result of Measure D’s passage. The SRVUSD Curriculum Directors are working with school sites to roll out the Common Core standards and to help to prepare staff at each site to begin working towards using the Smarter Balance Assessments. These programs will help provide students with a thorough, skills based education that will mark a positive step forward into true 21st Century learning. As a new Principal, these are exciting and hopeful times, and I have seen how fortunate I am to be leading a school that serves such a uniquely supportive community. My conclusion so far is that despite the challenges, school administrators in this district have never been better placed to be able to effect positive and lasting reform in our schools, and for that I am extremely grateful.

California Writers Club Contest & Workshop By Elizabeth Koehler-Pentacoff County-Wide Middle School Writing Contest Middle school students are preparing for the annual Young Writers Contest. Since 1995, the California Writers Club, Mount Diablo Branch, has offered cash prizes and certificates to students for their writing. Last year over 500 entries were received, and 24 prizes were awarded in the categories of short story, poetry, and personal narrative. Prizes included $100 for first place winners, $50 for second, and $25 for third place winners in each category and in each grade. In addition, there are numerous honorable mentions.

Welcome to the second semester at Monte Vista! Most of our classes are year-long classes, so student schedules typically remain the same. However, for all students, this is a new beginning. If you have a student who may have struggled with time management or study skills, this is a perfect opportunity to have a new start. It is easy for us, as adults, to believe we have all the answers for our struggling student and even easier for us to “lecture” them on what they need to do to improve. Unfortunately, experience tells us that this is rarely, if ever, successful. A conversation addressing your concerns and willingness to help your student develop some positive strategies may be more successful. Sometimes, referring to an area that you need to improve upon will open those lines of communication and the feeling that we are all struggling to improve. Keep in mind that giving students a laundry list of what they need to change is probably not productive. Counselors, psychologists, and educators all suggest having your student develop one or two very specific goals for the semester. “Studying more” is really not a specific goal. “Reviewing notes regularly for my World History class” is much more specific. Discuss with your student strategies they will use to accomplish that goal such as, “Twice a week I will reread my notes, highlight important facts, and briefly summarize what I have learned.” Now, the tricky part, talk with your student about accountability. “How will I know that you have accomplished this goal?” You could suggest having the student show you the highlighted notes, discuss with you the summary, etc. Having just two doable goals makes success more attainable. Listing numerous goals or goals that may not be achievable leads to frustration and giving up. While you may see many more areas that could use improvement, concentrating on two attainable goals and seeing success builds lifelong skills. As usual, Monte Vista is a whirlwind of activity. Winter sports are in high gear, and spring sports will soon begin practice. Our Drama class will present The Rimers of Eldritch, by Lanford Wilson. The Science Alliance Mentor Buddy Program, Student Recognition Project, and practice ACT programs are just a few of the activities scheduled for February. If you want to know more about Monte Vista and our activities, please visit our website at www.mvhs.schoolloop.com. First, second, and third place winners and their parents and teachers will be invited to the awards banquet held on May 11th, and author Mike Jung will be the featured speaker.

Free Humor, Mystery & Suspense Writing Workshop

For over ten years the Club has led middle school writing workshops to teach the craft of writing and to encourage students to enter the middle school contest. The workshops are taught by author Sarah Wilson (www. sarahwilsonbooks.com) and Elizabeth Koehler-Pentacoff (www. lizbooks.com) who feel inspired by the talent and enthusiasm Dumploads OnUs specializes in of the local youth. This year’s free workshop, Humor, Mystery providing the ultiand Suspense, will be held from 9AM – noon on March 2nd at mate junk removal the Walnut Creek Public Library. Students can learn how to solution. We’ll haul write a funny whodunit or a scary thriller, play a writing game, away just about anything - from old household junk to construcand ask all the questions they desire about the publishing world. tion and yard waste. The only items we are unable to accept are Visit http://mtdiablowriters.org/youngWriters.html to discover hazardous the complete writer’s guidelines for the contest and the details • Computers materials. We of the workshop. (Deadline for this year’s contest is April 1st.) make getting • Cables Other Opportunities for Schools and Adults rid of your • TVs Our Young Writers Program has been awarded a grant from unwanted junk • Monitors as easy as the Leroe Foundation to place authors in local classrooms. If 925.934.3743 • 925.934.1515 • Servers 1-2-3; we load, www.dumploadsonus.com • www.erecycleonus.com you are a principal or teacher who would like a free writing • Phones we sweep, and 1271 Boulevard Way, Walnut Creek workshop at your school, tell us why by e-mailing youngwrit• Printers then we haul Monday-Friday, 8-5 • Saturday 9-1, Sunday, closed ers@mtdiablowriters.org, and you may get a fabulous poetry •Copiers away. It’s that or short story writing workshop for your students. • Fax Machines • Power Supply Units • Discs and Tapes easy! Finally, if you are an adult who enjoys writing and/or readPlus we do it • Scanners • Printer Cartridges and Toners • And More... ing, the California Writers Club, Mount Diablo Branch meets with a smile! the second Saturday of every month at Zio Fraedo’s Restaurant in Pleasant Hill. We listen to speakers discuss their books and the publishing world. We are open to the public- please send us your reservation ahead of time. Visit us online at http://mtdiablowriters.org/.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Death of a Library By Kelsey Nyland, San Ramon Valley High senior I am an adamant critic of the Kindle, the Nook, the iPad, or any other electronic book device. I held a funeral for Borders, and I am preparing Barnes and Noble’s obituary as we speak. The newspaper and the magazine are near extinction, and I am campaigning to get them a slot on the endangered species list. I don’t understand this massive migration towards the electronic word. No, I do not live in the Stone Age, and yes, I understand that a Kindle is easier to carry around than two Harry Potter books and The New York Times, but I think we should make the sacrifice. There is something so personal about holding a book. When it’s in my hands, I can look at the artistry involved in the cover, smell that new-book smell, and feel the thickness of its spine. It allows me to appreciate all of the effort put into this one single book and marvel at the fact that hundreds of thousands of other people are holding the same book. When talking to the average Kindleite, they don’t get any of these sentiments. I find that none ever know where they are in the story, and only a select few can remember the title, let alone the author. The same applies to news outlets. Online news is undoubtedly convenient and preferable for quick, breaking-newsesque stories. But, electronic news is impersonal. On a computer or a phone or an iPad, it is all too easy to read a story, say, “Oh, that’s awful,” then move on to the next story. Online news is

Del Amigo Continuation High School By Haley Cole, Leadership Team for Del Amigo High School Student Body As the end of the first semester comes to a close, we are saddened to say good-bye to many of our students who will be graduating or returning to their home schools. Earlier this month, one student left to attend Grizzly Youth Academy, a Charter High School, run by the California National Guard and chartered through the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education. We look forward to our student’s return to our school upon graduation from the academy. Last week, two of our out-of-district students returned to their home schools to complete the remainder of their senior year at Las Lomas and Acalanes High Schools. On January 23rd, we celebrated the end of the session/semester with a barbeque, at which time we celebrated our nine graduates, including six who recently began attending Diablo Valley College, one who will be starting at Chabot College, and the remaining two who will be venturing out into the workforce. Additionally, we have four seniors returning to San Ramon Valley High, three to Cal High, two to Monte Vista High, along with a junior who is transferring back just in time for baseball season, and one to Dougherty Valley High. Another junior has decided to transfer to Venture to complete the

Danville Today News ~ February 2013 - Page 11 mindless, and it takes the shock value out of important stories. I love finding new books to read; going to a book store is an adventure. I will admit to shamelessly sitting on the ground criss-cross apple sauce, searching through a shelf for new books to read. I can spend hours at the library, walking through the shelves, desperate to find my next read. However, with an electronic book, you can just scroll through a catalog and quickly find another book. There is no excitement; it is too immediate. Once again, I find this relates perfectly to news sources. Online news provides instant gratification. If you want to know something, you can find it easily. Strangely enough, I love waiting for my favorite publications. It usually takes me less than a day to read Rolling Stone cover to cover, and then I spend the next two weeks obsessively checking the mail. When that new issue comes, I am ecstatic. I love flipping through the pages, taking in all the information. And then I wait another two weeks, and the exact same thing happens. Books are beautiful. In my future house, I want a floor-to-ceiling library, with every book I can imagine. My friend’s bedroom has this one bookshelf, and I stare at it every time I’m at her house. On that shelf lie Shakespeare, Tim O’Brien, George Orwell, and others. All the books have cracked spines and torn pages; they look worn out. Yet, somehow, that wear makes them beautiful. Next to my bed I keep all of my Rolling Stones, and yes, I save every single one. I love looking at my stack of magazines, I feel like I’m keeping pieces of history. The written-word lovers are dwindling. People are unabashedly shifting towards an electronic lifestyle. Consider this a Public Service Announcement: Books and newspapers are becoming rarer every day, and we need to fight to keep them alive. remainder of his credits, in part due to transportation issues to reach our school site from his residence. After the loss of 24 students, we are hopeful that we will see an increase in enrollment at the semester. We have many new things planned for the next semester, beginning with a Physical Education class. It is our goal to encourage students to recover their physical education credits through organized team sports, rather than independent contracts. We are beginning to hear more about the Common Core and how that will impact our learning in the classrooms, and some of us are preparing for the next California High School Exit Examinations (CAHSEE). We are also considering various ways to give back through community service and are collaborating with Robin Kelley to pursue this. Our staff recently changed the Honor Roll criteria, so we are working harder to meet the increased grade point and credit requirements. With the start of the New Year and new semester, we find ourselves feeling great pride that we have accomplished so much already. Many of our students passed the CAHSEE in November, we donated a surprising 228 cans of food to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, and we have successfully completed three grading sessions. We look forward to welcoming new students next week, the next three sessions, and the coming of spring.

High School Writers Contest and Workshop The California Writers Club Tri-Valley Branch will be sponsoring their Second Annual High School Writers Contest. The theme is “My Story, My Vision” and is open to all students attending high schools in Danville, Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton, and San Ramon in grades 9, 10, and 11. The contest is free to enter. Deadline for submission is March 22, 2013. Entry categories include poetry, personal essay, and short story. Cash prizes will be awarded to nine students. For more details, visit http://trivalleywriters.org/high-school-contest/. The CWC Tri-Valley Branch invites writers of all genres and experience levels to learn about their craft at its monthly meetings, workshops, and special events. For more information about California Writers Club Tri-Valley Branch, contact Paula Chinick at president@ trivalleywriters.org or visit www.trivalleywriters.org.

Purveyors of classic, exotic, and high-performance cars for more than 30 years. California’s #1 Classic Car Dealer Over 200 vehicles in inventory!

Showrooms in Pleasanton, Benicia, and Fairfield.

www.SpecialtySales.com | 800.600.2262

Page 12 - February 2013 ~ Danville Today News

Bad Gas By Sean Harrington, Specialty Sales Classics With our coldest and wettest months behind us, and the shortest days of the year locked in the 2012 history books, we are free to dream of spring - the miracle of the annual rebirth of our natural world. The bursting blossoms, the birds and the bees and, for some of us, the intense primeval desire to re-experience this annual natural phenomenon from the driver’s seat of the machines of our youth, our classic cars and trucks. Typically, classic and exotic car owners are by nature fastidious about the care and maintenance of their investment, bordering on acting like doting parents to a member of their family. They know that buffing their custom paint is only done on an extremely clean surface. They know that good quality lubrication is important to the health of the engine, and they know a quality antifreeze not only protects from the extremes of temperature but from internal corrosion of critical rotating parts. They understand that out-of-aligned wheels are going to chew up tires, and improperly greased suspension components will cause high wear leading to poor handling. These are standard issues of motorcars and have been since motorcars became available, but there are new threats to the health of your classic or exotic vehicle that you may even be aware of. Your baby may be your grandfather’s Oldsmobile but it’s not using granddad’s gasoline. Lots has changed over the last few decades including the move from analog to digital, man on the moon, and robots on Mars. Gasoline has evolved from a dirty fuel to the new generation of clean fuels required to meet pollution control targets. Today’s highly oxygenated fuels, especially California blended gasoline containing ethanol, has a surprisingly short shelf life. While you are not likely to notice this degradation in your daily driver where you replenish your gas once a week, it does affect the typical classic or exotic car owner who may only drive the car a few times a year. It is estimated that 70% of emergency backup generator engine failures are fuel related. Think about Hurricane Katrina, Superstorm Sandy, earthquakes,

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

and other natural disasters, and know that the problem is real. Classic and exotic vehicles are in a similar category of limited use. Here at Specialty Sales Classics we often encounter clients whose cars, while looking fabulous, are hard to start, run poorly, smell terrible when running, or won’t run at all. This all seems to happen for no apparent reason. Bad gas and gas related issues are often the culprit. That gas you purchased a year ago is no longer Chevron or Shell. The liquid lurking in your tank now resembles a Sherwin-Williams varnish product. Today’s modern fuels can start degrading in a matter of weeks. Not only does it gum up the small diameter fuel lines, but the dreaded varnish and sludge will wreak havoc with the ultra-small diameter jets, orifices, and moving parts of a carburetor; fuel injector aren’t immune from these maladies. Water grabbing and separation caused by ethanol addition to our fuels can actually cause rusting in the micro orifices of fuel injectors. In addition, the chemistry of this cocktail can rot your gas tank. Adding insult to injury, imagine the physical debris from a rotting gas tank that could be sucked into the same small lines, jets, and orifices. This can often lead to an expensive repair requiring a new fuel tank and many man-hours of labor to clean the fuel lines and intricate passages. So, how can you keep your gas from going bad and keep your car ready and willing for that next spring fling? There’s no easy surefire solution to long-term gas storage and degradation, but there are precautions you can take. Purists would say to drain the tank and run the fuel lines dry. This is easier said than done, and it’s not really practical. A more realistic approach would be to keep your gas tank nearly full to reduce exposure to air, but not completely full, so the gasoline can expand or contract as the temperature changes. Try to minimize temperature swings. Store your car in a cool place to reduce evaporation and oxidation. Use a gas stabilizer, and remember to run your engine so you have stabilizer in the fuel lines and the carburetor float bowls. Remember stabilizers are meant to prevent gasoline from going bad. They won’t restore bad gas to its former health, but dilution with fresh gas may work. If you suspect that you have seriously bad gas, do yourself a favor and consult an expert before attempting to start your car. Check out our entire inventory at www.SpecialtySales.com, and if you have any questions, feel free to email me at TheCarGuy@SpecialtySales.com, or call 800-600-2262. Advertorial

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Sustainable Danville Area Tip of the Month By Cynthia Ruzzi, President Sustainable Danville Area For the Love of ...Chickens

Danville Today News ~ February 2013 - Page 13

925-837-9090

Monday-Saturday 9-5 | Sunday - call

Vehicle registration renewal

Registering out-of-state vehicles To everything there is a season, even food. Incorporating seasonal, local, whole foods into your daily diet provides Change of vehicle ownership Approved Star Station Diesel vehicles a healthy balance for you and the environment. Eating vegetables and fruits soon after harvest maximizes the nutrients in the food. Besides being better $30 OFF for the environment, seasonal, local food is usually more cost effective and Posted Price generally tastes much better. My husband and I certainly think so. Valid at time of service We love trying new, local foods, and so, we were delighted when Jake, DANVILLE our 11 year old neighbor and self-professed chicken farmer, invited me 198 Diablo Rd., Unit A to learn more about ‘growing’ fresh, local eggs. Jake had wanted to raise At Front St., across from BevMo SmogInspections.com a brood of hens since 2nd grade when he hatched chicks as a classroom project. Roadie, J.J., Chevy, Hazel, and Fluffy make up Jake’s clucking crew. He started off with six chicks, but Scrambles was retired to a rural farm when one morning, the family heard crowing. Apparently, crowing is the first identifier that a chick is a rooster and not a hen. Danville keeps the peace by banning roosters within city limits. Jake’s brood started laying eggs when they were just under five months old and will continue to offer eggs for about two years. It takes a chicken 24 hours to produce an egg, and production is dependent on having at least 13 hours of daylights - so maximum production from the flock is 35 eggs per week. Jake basically knows which chicken has laid which egg because he has different breeds that lay different colored eggs. His flock includes a Rhode Island Red, two Brahmas, and two Americana chickens who lay green eggs! Yes, there really are green eggs – just like in the Dr. Suess book, Green Eggs and Ham. The family picked these breeds because they can handle both our hot summers and cold, wet winters with aplomb. Jake spends between 10 – 30 minutes a day caring for his brood. The chickens greet him when he opens the screen door to give them their feed or a special treat of cantaloupe (in season of course). The girls mostly ignore the family when they sit out in the backyard. Jake says the chickens have a great relationship with his cat, Nutmeg – especially since the chicks have grown larger than the cat. Jake recommends adopting chickens all at one time to limit competition (pecking order) between the hens. Jake’s chickens have plenty of room to ‘eat local’ by roaming around a large part of the backyard eating bugs. Thanks to Jake’s dad, Chris, these hens have a chicken palace to rival anything offered in the William Sonoma catalog. Chris admits he didn’t save much money by making it ‘DIY’ style - though he used reclaimed wood for all the construction. Chris said one of the most important architectural elements for the coop is to include lots of ventilation in the design and to secure on all sides, including underneath the coop, to protect from raccoons and other predators. As a ‘parting gift,’ or perhaps in exchange for the chocolate chip cookies I brought with me, Jake gave me eggs that were laid that day. Excited, I picked some spinach from my garden and cooked up a simple omelet that very night. Can you get more seasonal or local than that? At Embracing the Season for a Healthy, Balanced Diet (Sustainable Danville Area’s forum on February 20th from 6:30pm – 8pm at Custom Exercise Custom Nutrition the Veterans Memorial Building located at 400 Amazing Results Hartz Avenue in Danville), you’ll learn how to savor local flavors from our guest speakers as traini tra ini n ng, ng g c g, ca ardi arrdi rd dio exer x rcis xe cis ise e and and nd nut nu utrit rit ittion on n pl p ann an an nn ning in ng ng they talk about the inspiration they gain by emto togeth tog o e eth her, er, cu er custo sstt miz miz zin ing ng n g itt p prrec eci cisel se e y to your ou bo body dy and a d yo y ur goa oa als ls. ss.. Itt ’ss fas ast, as t, m mot ottiva tiva vatin tin tti ng and nd so so bracing the seasons. Sebastian Miller, Executive efffect ef eff ctive c ve,, it’s ve it’s ’ss pa pate ten tented nte t d. ted Chef of Piatti’s Danville, is known for bringing contemporary flavors to the plate using seasonal, local ingredients prepared in a simple, unpretenwhen you join the club tious manner. Sebastian reveals how he creates for Danville Today Readers! the ever changing ‘market menu’ at Piatti’s and Hurry! Offer expires 2/28/13. how you can do the same at home. Angela Stanford, Registered Dietitian and Holistic Food & Nutrition Advisor at Vital Nutrition & Wellness, brings a holistic approach to eating. She combines 20 years of working in the food and health industries with roots on her family farm and love for cooking and organic gardening. For more 499B San Ramon Valley Blvd. • Danville, CA 94526 925-743-0802 • danville.kokoﬁtclub.com information, visit www.sustainabledanville.com and join us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ sustainabledanvillearea).

The “Future of Fitness” is here.

Save $89

Page 14 - February 2013 ~ Danville Today News

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

Quick Trips By Linda Summers Pirkle Gourmet Chocolate Walk in San Francisco When I was in my twenties, I lived in Paris. Every so often I splurged on delicious chocolate from one of the many chocolate shops. The little shops reminded me of fine jewelry stores; the chocolate morsels were very different than the See’s that I was accustomed to. I have returned to Paris every few years since then and have been fortunate to bring my daughters on some of my trips. One of our favorite things to do is visit the chocolate shops. We do visit the museums, of course, but chocolate shops are a close second on our itinerary. When I discovered San Francisco Gourmet Walks, (www.gourmetwalks.com) Chocolate Walk, I was thrilled. My friend Sue (another chocoholic) and I met up with our small group at Justin Herman Plaza at two in the afternoon on a rainy Saturday. Our very personable tour guide, Shane Fallon, started us out with a bit of history about the company. “Gourmet Walks was started in 2007 by Andrea Nadel, a dynamic woman and devout lover re Patio FurneitruSale of fine chocolates. Moving from NYC to the Bay Area, SPARE THE AIR rd Special O USE GAS LOGS & FIRE PITS she was astounded by the number of gourmet chocolate makers. By combining her love of tourism and food, she started Gourmet Walks.” Before starting on our three hour walking tour of the city’s finest chocolate shops, Shane suggested we “pace ourselves’ on our journey of tasting some excellent chocolate. Tarragon grapefruit, star anise and pink peppercorn, lavender vanilla, rose caramel, and candied orange peel are just a few of the different kinds of gourmet choco- Open Tuesday thru Saturday lates we were able to sample and buy. Gourmet chocoCustom Glass 10am to 6pm lates, according to our guide, are made from all natural Doors am pm products and no artificial preservatives. Sunday 11 to 5 One of our stops, Teuscher (www.teuschersf.com), on Closed Monday Sutter Street carries the truffle made famous by Oprah with her “favorite things’ list. According to Assistant Manager Hang Phan, when Oprah mentioned the truffle on her show, every one of their stores sold out within one day of the announcement. Not to add to the hype, but our sample of “Oprah’s favorite” was truly delicious! 3426 Camino Tassajara Teuscher also has an extraordinary window display. February is a great month to check it out, with their signature floral display and red and white boxes. 3189 Danville Boulevard One of the most unique stops along the tour was Fog City News (www.fogcitynews.com), a tiny shop on Market Street. According to owner Adam Smith, Fog City News started out offering international newspapers and magazines. Customers commented they could get French Limonade, and the latest Paris Match magazine, so why not also offer fine French chocolates? Soon they were importing chocolates, not just from France but from all over the world. They currently carry hundreds of premium chocolate bars. Employees keep tasting notes on everything they carry. No matter what question our group asked about their fine chocolate, our chocolatier was ready with an informed answer. Our tour lasted three hours. We learned about the “bean to bar” process, had delicious samples to take home, and of course, made chocolate purchases. *Gourmet Walks offers gift certificates for the chocolate lovers in your life; they will thank you for it. They have also added a Valentine Cupcake and Chocolate tour for the month of February only. Gourmet Walks can be reached by email at info@gourmetwalks.com or by calling 855-503-0697. Linda Summers Pirkle, travel consultant and long term Danville resident, has been arranging and leading tours for the Town of Danville for several years. Inspired by the many wonderful places to visit in the Bay Area, she organizes day trips, either for groups or for friends and family. “If it’s a trip for my husband and me, my husband drives and I talk (he’s a captive audience) – the perfect combination! What a great place to live, so much to see, so much to do.” To share your “Quick Trips” ideas email Coverthemap@gmail.com.

Danville 925.648.0293 Alamo 925.820.8492

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Danville Today News ~ February 2013 - Page 15

A Fresh Spring Look For Your Home

Home Style Richards is Your Decorating Source

Artist’s Stretched Canvas Special Purchase 70% off

30-50% off

Size 8” x 10” 11” x 14” 16” x 20” 24” x 36”

Lamps, Trunks & Chests, Wall Decor, Apothecary Jars, Chandeliers, Containers & Vases, Framed Art, Clocks & Mirrors

Reg. $7.99 $9.99 $18.99 $44.99

Sale Price $2.00 $2.99 $5.69 $13.49

All other sizes 50%

All Potted Trees, Plants, Topiaries & Pre-Made Arrangements

50% off

VALUABLE COUPON

50% off

Any One Regular Priced Item

____________________________________E-Mail Address

*Alamo

*Livermore

I’m already on the list! One coupon per family per day. Cannot be combined with other offers. Excludes custom framing and prior sales, Klutz Books, Demdaco, Spellbinders, Sizzix, Willow Tree, Wilton, Games, Weird California Book, Martha Stewart, Meri Meri, Copic Markers, Pillow Pets and Webkinz. Limited to stock on hand. Other exclusions apply. Discount taken off regular price.

CLIP ‘N SAVE!

Valid Through 3/5/13

All Spring Floral

Thank You For Supporting Local Family Business p

Paper Creativity

All Rubber All Stickers Stamps 40% off 40% off

All 12” x 12” Cardstock

2 for $1

All Photo Albums and Scrapbooks

40 % off Regular Price

Our Entire Selection of Floral Stems ◆ Floral Bushes ◆ Greens Vines & Swags ◆ Dried Flowers Floral Garlands ◆ Fruits ◆ Orchids Succulents ◆ Grapes

Alamo Store 820-4731 Alamo Plaza Shopping Center Stone Valley Rd. Exit West off Hwy 680 to Danville Blvd., Right 1 Block.

Livermore 447-0471 Livermore StoreStore 447-0471 580 Shopping Center PlazaPlaza 580 Shopping Center Las Positas Rd.,St.1st St.off Exi 4502 4502 Las Positas Rd., 1st Exit 1 Block Hwy Hwy 580, 1580, Block

Mon.-Sat. 9:00-8:00, Sun. 10:00-6:00

Mon.-Sat. 9:30-9:00, Sun. 10:00-7:00 Mon.-Sat. 9:30-9:00, Sun. 10:00-7:00 Ad prices effective through 3/5/ Ad prices effective through 3/5/13

www.ShopRichards.com

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

Page 16 - February 2013 ~ Danville Today News

Solar Currents

The Perfect Patio Set

By Mark Becker, GoSimpleSolar

By The Patio & Fire Place staff

American Energy Independence: The bad news is that America has again increased her appetite for energy. The good news is that the majority of the energy plants constructed in 2012 are renewable biomass, solar, geothermal, hydro, and wind plants. Domestic oil and gas production are also up. As a result of our every increasing energy independence and energy exports, there are predictions are that a geopolitical shift in energy pricing will move from the Middle East to the United States within the next 10 years. This may eliminate the price fluctuations that we suffer from as a result of international events or politically motivated embargoes. Lease vs. Purchase of Solar: There is one very important factor that consumers must take into account when considering a solar lease. A leased solar system will reduce or eliminate your electricity bill. However, the leased solar system carries a monthly lease cost. The difference between the lease cost and the electric bill reduction is the savings the consumer should realize. A financial company owns the system and pockets most of the savings generated via the lease. It used to be that a leased solar system was the only choice for the consumer with no investment cash available for a purchase. Much like a traditional loan agreement, a leased solar system is a contract between a consumer and finance company to make payments on the leased system for 20 years. However, the main difference is that a solar lease never leads to an ownership position in the solar system. The Path to Ownership (and greater returns): The federal government has recently provided backing for loan products through private banks, at reasonable interest rates, for energy efficiency home improvements. This zero down PowerSaver loan product allows consumers to trade electric costs for loan costs (vs. lease costs). The proceeds of the loan provide a “Path To Ownership” that a lease does not provide. Some industry experts are predicting that this loan option will be a “lease killer” because consumers will be made aware that ownership always results in much greater financial savings. Another Reason to Own: Recently I was surprised to hear that leasing companies often restrict their customer’s access to online solar system performance monitoring. Lease companies would rather not field continuous calls from homeowners who have concerns about their systems production and the resulting arguments about payments for perceived underperformance. The perceived “underperformance” is oftentimes attributed to kilowatt overproduction estimates by the contractor during the bid process (Discussed in last months article). In most cases, the actual performance numbers are appealing enough to the consumer, but in these competitive times, the “anything to get the job” approach can prevail. From a consumer’s standpoint, I believe that the lessee/ owner of a solar array has an absolute right to monitor the system’s performance and get accurate performance calculations; after all, they’re the ones paying for it. California Solar Initiative FACT: According to California statute, solar contractors and solar equipment providers are required to keep all solar installations operational for 10 years at no cost to the consumer. Purchase of a solar system ensures that it will be maintained for 10 years, assuming you choose a contractor with integrity and longevity in the industry. Mark Becker is the President of GoSimpleSolar, by Semper Fidelis Construction Inc, a Danville based Solar Installation Firm (License 948715). Mark can be reached at 925.915.9252. Visit GoSimpleSolar’s showroom at 114 West Prospect Avenue in Danville or www.GoSimpleSolar.com, or email Mark@GoSimpleSolar.com. Advertorial

Specializing in Interior & Exterior • Power Washing Prep • Painting • Spray-Enamel Finish • Restaining Decks Since 1970

Free Estimates

Tim O’Halloran • 925.743.9535

It’s the perfect time to start planning for spring and summer outdoor events. If your patio furniture has seen better days, now is the time to visit the Patio & Fire Place store to replace it. Custom orders made in February and March will arrive just in time for warmer weather. Serving the Bay Area since 1975, our staff is well trained to take care of your outdoor furniture needs. Allana, who can be found at our Alamo store, has been in the patio industry since 1999. Her past experience at Frellen’s has given her a strong depth of knowledge to work with homeowners and businesses in creating their ideal outdoor living spaces that are not only beautiful but functional. Jay, who can usually be found in our Danville store, has an art and design background that gives him the distinctive eye in putting together a pleasing outdoor patio arrangement. His past experience of over 15 years at Simons and Frellen’s gave him a solid foundation in this business. Jay and Allana provide home consultations and design work to help you create your ultimate patio. Patio furniture is no longer all about redwood or teak. Today’s market includes beautifully crafted sets available in a variety of materials that will turn your outdoor living area into your own personal resort. Aluminum has surpassed all other metals and come out on top as the most popular for outdoor furniture. It is lightweight, durable, hand-welded, and best-of-all, virtually maintenance free. Aluminum is inherently rust-resistant and covers the spectrum of styles from ultra modern to traditional. Wicker, which refers to a weaving method rather than a material, comes in rattan, bamboo, willow, and synthetic. Conversation sets generally include a sofa, love seat, club or lounge chairs, a rocking chair or two, coffee table, and side tables. Today’s wicker furniture is constructed to stand up well to outdoor use. Where wind is a concern, wrought iron is an excellent option. From clean, simple lines, to intricate designs, wrought iron provides a classic look that also requires little maintenance, and it won’t blow around. Did you make a resolution to be more “green” this year? If so, check out our recycled furniture options. These pieces are made from recycled plastic bottles and containers. The eco-friendly sets are suitable for any climate. They won’t crack, rot, fade, or splinter, and they are a solid color throughout. If wood is still your go-to choice, we have many solid premium teak sets available which are crafted to withstand the elements for many years to come. To complete the look, the Patio & Fire Place carries a full line of fire pits to make any outdoor living space shine. Our experienced staff will help you chose the best items for your taste, needs, and budget. Our Danville store is located at 3426 Camino Tassajara in Danville, and the Alamo store is ture ni located at 3189 Danville Blvd. Both stores ur F io at P er Sale Special Ord are open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 6pm and Sunday from 11am to 5pm. For questions or more information, call the Danville store at 925-648-0293 or the Alamo store at 925-820-8492. Advertorial

Rotary The Danville Rotary Club meets every Monday at noon at Faz restaurant in Danville. For information, contact Jim Crocker at jimcrocker@pacbell.net or by phone at 925-577-6159. If you are interested in visiting the Danville/Sycamore Valley Rotary Club, contact Jim Coleman at coleman_jd@pacbell.net. Meetings are held on Tuesdays at 7AM at Crow Canyon Country Club.

Danville Lions Club The Danville Lions Club invites you to join us for dinner and to learn more about how our club serves the community. Meetings are held at the Brass Door, 2154 San Ramon Valley Blvd, San Ramon on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month at 7PM. For more information, call Dr. Brent Waterman at (925) 275-1990.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Life in the Danville Garden Water As A Garden Element By John Montgomery, ASLA, Landscape Architect We long to dip our hands under it, stick our big toe in it, and submerse our bodies under it. Every successful garden has some form of a water element as a main attraction. It may be a huge rushing waterfall cascade, an Italianate fountain, a koi pond, or a simple wall fountain. Whatever the size and magnitude of the feature itself, water brings a sense of peace, connection, serenity, and reflection to a garden. There are several different approaches that I take in determining the design of a water feature. What is the size, scale, and terrain of the land? Is the water feature intended to be a focal point? What is the level of sound that is needed from the water feature? Does the water feature have a function? Size, scale, and terrain play a significant role in the design of a water feature. If you have a large Danville lot tucked up against a hillside, you probably have a perfect opportunity to have a natural water feature like a waterfall, stream, brook, or thundering Sierra cascade ending into a pond or even a swimming pool. Hillside backgrounds often times are the best terrain for a waterfall cascade which lends itself to a more natural setting. Typically, I don’t like creating a “fake” backdrop for a waterfall because they never look very natural. If you’re going to build a natural water feature, do your best to recreate nature’s artful

Go Green This Valentine’s Day Lover’s Day Aloe Tour, Sunday, February 10 The Ruth Bancroft Garden’s “Lover’s Day Aloe Tour” is an all-day event focused specifically on the Garden’s dramatic Aloe collection. The Ruth Bancroft Garden has an unparalleled collection of aloes, including hybrids not found anywhere else in the world. These winter bloomers put on a stunning show with colorful, dramatic flower stalks. There will be three one-hour docent tours offered throughout the day, highlighting the most spectacular blooms and describing of the plants’ history and native habitats. Hot drinks and nibbles will be served, including sweets from TCHO and Rachel Dunn Chocolates. Sign up to have your portrait taken by a professional photographer, or pick up a memento for your sweetie – handmade jewelry, ceramics, floral arrangements, and dish gardens will be available. Docent tours will be held Sunday, February 10th at 10:30am, noon, and 1:30pm. A Members-Only tour will be held at 3pm. The Garden is open from 10am-4pm and is located at 1552 Bancroft Road in Walnut Creek. Admission is $15/person or $20/couple. For more information, call (925) 944-9352. The Ruth Bancroft Garden is open to the public daily. It is filled with thousands of stunning succulents. Ruth started the Garden, adjacent to her home, in 1972 with one-gallon pots of a wide variety of succulents, many of which are still growing in the Garden. Opened to the public in the early 1990s, the Garden is an outstanding example of a water-conserving garden, appropriate for its Mediterranean climate, and its staff are internationally respected authorities on succulents and dry gardens.

Danville Today News ~ February 2013 - Page 17 hands. Build it into the natural terrain, not onto the terrain. The scale of a water feature is relevant to the purpose of it. Nine times out of ten a water feature is a main focal point in a garden. If it is a main attraction, design it so people can hear it, see it clearly, and access it easily and safely. A decorative fountain can often be a stunning focal point. Make sure to scale it to its surroundings. There’s nothing more disappointing than a wimpy little fountain surrounded by a massive piece of architecture. Be bold not gauche! The sound that a water feature makes is very important. We love the look and feel of water, but often times the sound of water can be unnerving or irritating. Most of us can remember the uneasy feeling of the water feature that sounds like the male of the species doing his business in the toilet (Hopefully that was said with some political correctness!), or the Sierra cascade next to your main patio that is so overwhelmingly loud that you have to scream at the top of your lungs to have a conversation. The sound that resonates from your water feature needs to be appropriate for your surroundings. For instance, the Sierra cascade is great for a golf course clubhouse terrace view across a lake or at a distance from your main patio in the background. Water sounds can be very soothing and relaxing. The right sound tends to be different for each and every client. I once had a client who wanted a “lakeshore water-lapping-on-the-beach-sound” and one who wanted a “babblingbrook-sound.” Before you undertake selecting a water feature, listen for the sounds of water that please your senses. The function of a water feature as a garden element is very important. The function can take many forms depending on the intention for its use. It can also have several different functions separately and at the same time. Swimming pools, waterfalls, ponds, fountains, rills, vanishing edge, shear descent, wall fountain, fleur-de-lis, cascade, etc. all have many different functions. Basically, all of the five senses are available to please with your water feature at any given time or maybe all of them at once - sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste! All of the aforementioned water features can fulfill the function. Water as garden element is essential for the successful design of your garden. It will bring you peaceful joy and connection to your landscape. It will attract and bring wonder to all who enter it. A hot tip from your local Landscape Architect: A well-done water feature begins with good design and is implemented by an experienced craftsman. Ask to see some finished referrals from your contractor. Gardening Quote of the Month: How often it is that a garden, beautiful though it be, will seem sad and dreary and lacking in one of its most gracious features, if it has no water. - Pierre Husson If you would like me to write on any particular subject email your ideas to jmontgomery@jm-la.com or for design ideas visit www.jm-la.com. Advertorial

Page 18 - February 2013 ~ Danville Today News

Topping Trees? By Blaine Brende & Joe Lamb At Brende & Lamb we get the occasional request to remove some or all of a tree’s crown, a process called topping. There are many reasons why people ask to have a tree topped: increased light, better view, safer tree, or reduced leaf litter. Though it seems counter-intuitive, topping almost always produces the opposite of the desired effect. Topping can decrease available light, mar the view, make a safe tree unsafe, and even increase leaf litter. Take, for example, topping to decrease the shadow cast by a tree. This may work in the very short term, but topping stimulates rapid growth, causing the tree’s crown to thicken, thereby cutting out light after just a few growing seasons. Over time, you get more light for your pruning dollar if instead of topping you give the crown a judicious thinning. When done correctly, thinning doesn’t over stimulate the tree, and it enhances the tree’s aesthetics instead of seriously, sometimes irredeemably, damaging it. Another common misperception is that topping will make the tree safer; it almost always does just the opposite. Most topped trees decay at the point at which they were topped. Topping also stimulates production of long lanky shoots. Given that these shoots grow out of decaying wood, topping often turns a safe tree into a hazard that increases over time. Some of the more dangerous trees we’ve seen were topped years ago with no follow-up pruning. If you have a previously topped tree growing close to your home, it is a good idea to have a competent arborist give it a safety evaluation. Previously topped trees can be made safer by pruning to reduce wind-sail and by reducing weight on leggy branches. People sometimes top trees to reduce leaf litter, but most trees respond to topping by putting out a profusion of leaves to help repair the damage. In short order, the owner of a topped maple will spend more time with rake in hand than before the topping. Topping to increase view is often done without realizing that the new

Clip Notes

By Jody Morgan

Once upon a time when American schoolchildren were taught to revere the virtue of veracity as exemplified by their nation’s foremost politicians, “Honest Abe” Lincoln’s birthday was celebrated on February 12th and “I-cannot–tell-a-lie” Washington’s was recognized on February 22nd. The featured dessert for the latter date was cherry pie, and generations of American youth believed in their first President’s inability to prevaricate. Ironically, most experts now agree that the tale supporting young George’s truthful nature is a fabrication. Even those who argue that the story was a piece of Washington family lore cannot present documentation for the incident. Nevertheless, based on his gardening proclivities at Mount Vernon and his wife’s culinary records, serving cherry-based confections to honor Washington’s memory is entirely appropriate. Mason Weems is credited with publishing the earliest written account of the cherry-tree-chopping myth in the 1806 edition of his biography of Washington. The itinerant preacher declared the tale to have been told to him by an elderly lady who was Washington’s first cousin. He quoted her as saying of young George: “He unluckily tried the edge of his hatchet on the body of a beautiful young English cherry-tree, which he barked so terribly, that I don’t believe the tree ever got the better of it.” William McGuffey incorporated the story as a moral parable in his series of reading texts introduced in 1836 as Eclectic Readers, and reprinted through 1960 as McGuffey Readers. With sales estimated at 120 million copies, the books and the lessons they taught influenced the thinking of children across America for almost 150 years. George Washington’s family was not the only prominent colonial clan to hand a cherry tree tale down to their descendents. In Wild Fruits, Henry David Thoreau recounts: “Family tradition says that my grandmother, who lived in Weston, brought over the first ripe cherries of the year to her brother, Simeon Jones, who was confined in Concord Jail as a Tory, on the day of the Battle of Bunker Hill, the seventeenth of June, 1775.” Thoreau distinguishes between the

www.yourmonthlypaper.com view will include an ugly tree. If the tree in the view is a bay, a eucalyptus, or any number of other fast-growing species, the topping will fail to provide view for long because the topped tree will soon produce sprouts that shoot up into the view. Well-planned pruning can often capture view, and it is often possible to enhance the beauty of the tree in the process. A beautiful view framed by a beautiful tree is far lovelier than a view over the top of an ugly and scarred tree. Another frequent request for topping comes from people about to sell their homes who think that topping their trees will increase the sale price. Real estate professionals know that beautiful trees can raise property values by as much as 20%, whereas a topped tree can be a liability . . . something the bidder on your house might ask you to deduct from the sales price so that they can have the tree removed. For further information about the perils of tree topping, go to the website of the International Society of Arboriculture, and read the article at www. treesaregood.org/treecare/topping.aspx. If you are thinking about topping, please reconsider. It is possible to enhance view, increase light, and make trees safer without topping. Doing so does, however, require competent pruning by tree professionals. 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 Advertorial in your neighborhood.

5700 Greenville Rd, Livermore, www.redfeatherwinery.com | 510-861-2722 cultivated English cherries his Tory relative enjoyed and several wild species of cherry native to New England. In American Gardens in the Eighteenth Century, Ann Leighton notes of growing English cherries that: “Those with carefully designed kitchen gardens, like Washington, liked to espalier them against a wall as well as to line them up in orchards.” She also comments that like Jefferson, Washington was “partial to May Dukes, Carnations, Black Hearts, White Hearts, and Morellos.” This list includes both sweet cherries, which could be picked and eaten straight from the tree and sour cherries, which needed to be cooked with sugar to be palatable. The May Duke is a hybrid between sweet and sour cherries, while the Morello is a late-flowering sour cherry. The Carnation cherry is sour, but both Back and White Hearts are sweet. Sour cherry species tend to be self-fertile, but sweet cherries generally require a companion pollinator to set fruit. Early settlers rejoiced to see cherry trees growing wild in the New World, only to learn that while they excelled in providing wood for cabinetry, their fruit was almost inedible. In New England’s Prospect, published in 1634, William Wood writes: “The cherry trees yield great store of cherries, which grow on clusters like grapes; they be much smaller than our English cherry, nothing near so good if they be not very ripe. They so fur the mouth that the tongue will cleave to the roof and the throat wax hoarse with swallowing…” Steeped in rum, they were good for Cherry Bounce, a popular colonial beverage. The so-called English cherries made their American debut in 1629. Exactly when they reached the British Isles is open to speculation. Some contend that birds delivered them to England prior to their intentional planting by the Romans in the first century A.D. In Greece, they were cultivated as early as 300 B.C. Fruit-bearing cherry trees are thought to be native to the area between the Caspian and Black Seas. Martha Washington’s cookbook offers recipes for desserts including fruit tarts and pies, though none specifically for cherry pie. Transcribed by Karen Hess and published in 1995 by Columbia University as Martha Washington’s Booke of Cookery and Booke of Sweetmeats, the volume contains recipes for cherry preserves, cherry wine, and cherry paste. After checking the recipe for Martha’s Cherry Bread-and-Butter-Pudding, I’ve decided to stick with serving my own lattice top cherry pie for President’s Day.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Find Anything By Evan Corstorphine, Portable CIO I received an interesting email, and I thought you’d enjoy the content. The email contained a link to a YouTube video (http://youtu.be/F7pYHN9iC9I) sponsored by Febelfin Bank, set in Brussels, Belgium. The premise of the video is that there is a mind-reader who sets up in a tent in a public square. Unsuspecting tourists are ushered into the Bedouinlike tent, where a touchy-feely Fabio-esque mindreader proceeds to gyrate and gesticulate while apparently sensing and divulging the secrets each person hides. Of course, nothing is ever that simple. Once the mind-reader has thoroughly impressed his patron, a curtain is pulled aside revealing several masked researchers in front of internet-

Danville Today News ~ February 2013 - Page 19 connected terminals. What is the message? It’s that there is almost limitless information about you on the internet for free, and for a little bit of cash, a whole bunch more can be found. What the video didn’t show was that when the individuals were first interviewed for their “mind reading,” they gave several pieces of identifying information to the screeners. The information they provided helped the researchers behind the curtain start drilling into their lives. By exploring social networking sites, finance sites, and mortgage and property value sites, the researchers were able to fill the earpiece of the mind-reader, who was a trained actor, with enough useful facts to convince anyone that he had supernatural power. Of notable interest in the video were some of the intimate personal tidbits that were relayed back to the victims, because that information was openly provided by those individuals on social networking sites. The public in general, and most young people specifically, don’t have a clue how much of an information trail they’re leaving behind on the internet. Maybe it’s just naiveté, or maybe laziness, but why would someone post intimate and specific details of their opposite gender encounters on a social networking site for anyone to read? The person in the video looked genuinely shocked that the mind-reader knew these details; it didn’t look intentional. It must not have occurred to these people that most employers troll the social networking sites for disqualifying information on job candidates before extending offers. It’s not worth the risk. What can you do to protect your privacy? It helps to first divide your privacy concerns into areas of information you can control and areas that are out of your control. Keep in mind that there is a fair amount of information accessible through public websites connected to public records that you can’t stop. In other words, the information was always available in the past, but before the internet it took a lot more effort and time for someone to access it. For example, in 1980 if a newspaper wanted to find out how much I bought my house for and how much my mortgage was, they would have had to wait for weekday business hours, drive down to the county records office, and manually search for the property records on microfiche until they found it. Today, that same reporter can go to a website, put in my name, sift through the results until he finds the right “Evan Corstorphine,” and he has it all. That’s instant-access 24x7x365. But some information does require a special request, specifically Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. An example of this public access was in White Plains, New York last December where the White Plains Journal News requested a search of all registered gun owners in their area under a FOIA request, and The Journal published a map of them online. While it was a legal FOIA request, many considered it an abuse of journalistic privilege and of the FOIA process. While they cannot yet directly link the events, there have been burglaries at the homes of some of those citizens listed on the website where their noted possessions were stolen. Obviously this is an extreme case, but you need to know how broadly you are potentially exposed in this age of instant electronic access. You never know who may have an axe to grind. An area of information you can control is what goes into social and business networking sites such as Facebook and Linkedin. I find it very difficult to understand the privacy rules on the popular site Facebook, so I have limited my use of it for personal information until I know with utter certainty who can access what I post and where it can be used. I think most people have no idea who can read what they post, and maybe it doesn’t matter to them, and that’s OK. But it does matter to me, and I don’t necessarily want everyone I’ve “friended” to be able to dig into every intimate detail I’ve posted for family use. As long as you know for certain and can make an educated decision, do what you think is right. Obviously there is a lot more to privacy than I can cover here! If you’d like to chat more about your particular concerns or have specific questions you’d like to discuss, please call the friendly staff at Portable CIO at 925-552-7953, or email helpdesk@theportablecio. Advertorial com.

Page 20 - February 2013 ~ Danville Today News

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

Fire Station Closures Affect All of Us

New Estate Tax Law - How to Seize a Key Opportunity

By Supervisor Candace Andersen, Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, District 2

By Robert J. Silverman, Attorney at Law

There has been a lot in the news lately about fire station closures and fire districts. Many people don’t know that fire services are not provided by the cities or the County, but they are run by separate agencies called “fire districts.” My Supervisorial District 2 has three fire districts covering it: San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District, Moraga-Orinda Fire Protection District, and Contra Costa Fire Protection District. For the most part, the history of each fire district began with volunteers assembling and training themselves to protect what was mostly rural and farming land dating back as far as 1912. The current fire protection districts are an outgrowth of this. The San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District (SRVFPD) was formed in 1980 after the consolidation by the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) of the Danville Fire Protection District and the San Ramon Fire Protection District. The new District served the communities of Alamo, Blackhawk, Danville, Diablo, and San Ramon - a 70 square mile area. With the reorganization of these two districts, five locally elected directors governed the newly formed District. In 1991, LAFCO completed the annexation of all territories of the Tassajara Fire Protection District and transferred them to the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District, which included Tassajara Valley and the southern boundary of Morgan Territory. The major revenue sources of the District are property taxes (93%), ambulance service fees, and interest income. Total income for the year ending June 30, 2012 was $52,936,340. The District employs approximately 191 personnel. The Moraga-Orinda Fire District (MOFD) was formed on July 1, 1997 as an independent special district. MOFD was created through the consolidation of the Moraga Fire Protection District and the Orinda Fire Protection District to provide more efficient fire protection and emergency medical services. The MOFD provides fire protection, rescue, and emergency medical services in the City of Orinda, the Town of Moraga, some unincorporated county areas adjacent to the municipalities, and the community of Canyon. The MOFD covers an area of roughly 47 square miles and serves a population of approximately 38,000 people. The major revenue sources of the District are property taxes, ambulance service fees, and a new cost recovery program to recoup some vehicle accident costs. Total budgeted income for the fiscal year 2012-13 is $17,781,231. The District employs approximately 71 personnel. The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (ConFire) was originally formed by the merger in 1964 of the Central Fire Protection District (Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill) and the Mt. Diablo Fire Protection District (Concord, West Pittsburg, Clayton, and Pacheco). In the years since, many other fire districts have been annexed into ConFire to create the current district. Mountain View (unincorporated Martinez), Martinez, Lafayette, Bay Point, Island, Briones, Riverview, San Pablo, Oakley, and Pinole Fire Districts have all become a part of ConFire. The District serves more than 600,000 residents across a 304 square mile coverage area, operates 30 fire stations, and responds to approximately 45,000 incidents annually. Total projected revenue for the fiscal year 2012-13 is $102,313,737. The District employs approximately 298 personnel. Although all fire districts in Contra Costa County have been hit hard by a decline in property taxes and increased employee and pension costs, ConFire has been impacted the most. The County Board of Supervisors, which serves as the ConFire Board of Directors, voted last month to close four stations as a cost saving measure. The stations closed are Station #4 - 700 Hawthorne Drive, Walnut Creek, Station #12 – 1240 Shell Avenue, Martinez, Station #16 – 4007 Los Arabis Avenue, Lafayette, and a partial closure of Station #11 – 6500 Center Avenue, Clayton. These closures impact all of our fire districts because of agreements to support each other through “Automatic” and “Mutual” aid. We are looking at both short term and more importantly long term solutions to make ConFire sustainable. These include continuing to control expenses, reducing pension obligations and employee expenses, and finding more cost efficient ways to respond to medical emergencies, which make up more than 80% of all ConFire calls. We hope to expand our use of volunteer/reserve firefighters, seek greater cost recoveries, and

See Supervisor continued on page 21

New Estate Tax legislation (enacted January 3rd) creates a compelling opportunity for many married couples who have a Revocable Living Trust. Below, I’ll: a) give you some background; b) describe the opportunity and to whom it applies; c) explain why, if this applies to you, you will lose the opportunity if you don’t change your Trust before the first spouse dies; and d) identify the harm caused by failing to change your Trust. The new Federal Estate Tax exemption – the net value of assets you may own at death without being subject to this tax – is $5.25 million, and it will be indexed for inflation annually. Any excess is subject to Estate Tax at a 40% tax rate. During the last few decades, the exemption has increased dramatically – from $600,000 - $675,000 throughout the 90’s, to between $1 million and $3.5 million between 2001 and 2009, with tax rates applying to excess amounts varying from 45-55%. Besides having a dramatically lower exemption for the last few decades, applicable laws since 2001 have all included a “sunset” provision. Each such provision mandated the reduction of the exemption to $1 million on the law’s sunset date. Due to the uncertainty and to plan conservatively (i.e. counting on a lower exemption), many couples established what’s known as a “formula” (aka “A-B” or “A-B-C”) Trust. The primary goal of most formula trusts is to take advantage of potential Estate Tax savings. The mechanism for realizing these tax savings is to allocate assets into two or three separate sub-trusts after the first spouse dies. Essentially, by creating these sub-trusts, a married couple can double the amount of assets they are entitled to pass on free of Estate Tax to their children or other loved ones - potentially producing tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax. At this point, you’re probably saying to yourself, “Thank goodness for formula Trusts; I need to be sure I have one!” Not so fast. For married couples with estates of up to several million dollars or more, formula Trusts were indeed the “holy grail” of estate planning for many years. They can still help accomplish certain non-tax goals, such as providing some control during the surviving spouse’s life over what happens to the assets that belonged to the first spouse to die. This can be particularly useful in estate planning for blended families. Aside from these various kinds of “control” reasons to have a formula Trust (which should certainly always be considered), the current exemption of more than $5 million is such that a huge number of couples no longer need a formula Trust! You might reasonably ask why you shouldn’t keep your A-B Trust in the remote event that you end up needing it. Because there are important, yet not commonly understood, disadvantages of a formula Trust. They are typically much more expensive to administer, and they are much more inconvenient to manage after the first spouse dies. An attorney is generally needed to help the surviving spouse comply with complicated rules in allocating and transferring assets into their respective sub-trusts. Separate records and accounts are required. A separate tax return must be prepared and filed for the ‘B’ Trust every year of the surviving spouse’s life. Unfortunately, I have met with too many new widows or widowers to whom I had to deliver the bad news - explaining the ramifications of his or her formula Trust. Frequently, the surviving spouse tells me that if their attorney had explained the pros and cons of formula and non-formula Trusts when their Trust was drafted or when it was last reviewed (or when it should have been last reviewed) by their attorney, the couple would have definitely decided on a non-formula Trust. And by making that decision, the surviving spouse would have saved a lot of attorneys’ fees, costs, and inconvenience. You should be on high alert if you are married and have net assets unlikely to ever exceed $5 million (in fact, because of a newer “portability” rule, even if your assets will not likely exceed $10 million). If you have a formula Trust, you should obtain expert legal advice and assistance about the pros and cons of amending and restructuring it into a non-formula Trust. If you fail to make this change, you may subject the surviving spouse to years of unnecessarily complex, expensive, and aggravating Trust administration. Simple is often better; sometimes less is more… Mr. Silverman is an attorney with Buchman Provine Brothers Smith LLP, 1333 N. California Street, Suite 350, Walnut Creek, CA 94596; (925) 944-9700; rsilverman@ sbllp.com. His practice emphasizes Estate Planning, Trust Administration & Probate, Real Estate, and Business. Mr. Silverman offers a free introductory consultation. This article is intended to provide information of a general nature, and should not be relied upon as legal, tax, financial and/ or business advice. Readers should obtain and rely upon specific advice only from their own qualified professional advisors. This communication is not intended or written to be used, for the purpose of: i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code; or ii) promoting, marketing, or recommending to another party any matters addressed herein. Advertorial

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Danville Today News ~ February 2013 - Page 21

Happy Valentines Day! Have You Fallen in Love with Your Stocks Over the Years? By Sima Alefi While working for a company over a long period of time, you likely develop an understanding and an emotional tie to the company. You may understand the logistical and operational side of the firm. You could have also seen first-hand employee satisfaction and interaction with management; management ideology, goals, or philosophy. In many cases, in addition to the attachment and loyalty that grows between you and your company over the years, you could also be given stock options from your employer to either exercise immediately or accumulate while you work for the company. As a result, over a long period of time, you find yourself owning more shares of one company than you ever anticipated. I believe individuals should limit their investment holdings of any one company, regardless of how stable and healthy you feel the company may be. Historically, we have seen too many “healthy” companies file some type of bankruptcy, whether through reorganization or otherwise. Likely we could all list a number of companies that were once considered to be healthy or even industry leaders that no longer exist today for one reason or another. We feel that aligning both your current/future income and your retirement investments into the possible success or failure of one company is quite risky. Imagine the hard working people who dedicated their lives to working for a company, and when things went bad at the company, they lost both their job and their retirement savings. In order to avoid putting your assets at risk of loss by over-concentrating in any one company, here are some considerations to keep in mind: • Diversify-While diversification doesn’t guarantee a profit nor protect against loss, owning multiple types of investments (stocks, bonds, CDs, mutual funds, etc.) in different business sectors can spread some of your risk. • Avoid investing in speculative investments that you don’t understand simply because a friend or family member suggested it. That would be like taking a medical prescription from a neighbor that is not a pharmacist and likely knows very little about your health or possible allergies. • Invest in Quality- Over time you will find that quality investments, especially those that pay dividends, have historically done well when compared to non-dividend paying companies. Look for companies with strong management teams, competitive products, and a business plan that is clear and concise. • Work with your Financial Advisor-Find an Advisor who is local, willing to listen to you, and able to give you the time that you deserve. You deserve to be given the advice you seek from your advisor and for your advisor to contact you promptly when it is time to make a change with your investment portfolio. The more you share with your financial advisor about your financial needs and risk tolerance, the more appropriately he or she is equipped to help you work toward you’re goals. **Information contained in this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute tax or legal advice. Please visit a professional for one of these services. To contact Sima at Edward Jones call (925) 648-2590. Her office is located at 3472 Camino Tassajara, Danville in the Blackhawk Safeway Shopping Center. For more information, visit www. Advertorial edwardjones.com.

Supervisor continued from page 20 apply for additional grants. We are examining the efficiency of where all of our fire stations are located. For example, rather than eventually reopening Lafayette Station 16 in its current location, we are exploring with MOFD the possibility of a joint firehouse on the Orinda/Lafayette border to better serve both fire districts. We often talk about being prepared for disasters, but it’s important to be prepared for emergencies in our own homes. Please ensure that smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are installed in your house and routinely checked. Have fire extinguishers on hand, and know how to use them. Consider the installation of a residential sprinkler system. Create defensible space around your home and property in the event of a brush fire, and attend citizen CPR/CERT classes and training. For more information about the fire station closures, please see the ConFire website at www. cccfpd.org, or contact my office with any questions: Dist2@bos.cccounty.us or (925) 957-8860.

Page 22 - February 2013 ~ Danville Today News

Failure to Launch Syndrome By William Shryer, LCSW, DCSW Clinical Director, Diablo Behavioral Healthcare Failure to Launch Syndrome is the term used to describe a phenomenon that is far more common than most folks think. This term is used to describe those young adults, usually males, that seem unable to take the next step in their lives and move into increasing independence and employment. They often have a history of starting school or jobs and not following through and dropping out in more ways than one. They also often have histories of substance abuse and addictive behaviors. By “addictive behaviors” we don’t just mean the use of substances such as drugs and alcohol. We include in this area the overuse of computer technology, video games, and RPG (Role Playing Games) such as World of Warcraft, Black Ops, and Diablo 3 to name but a few. When the term “computer or internet addiction” is used, it usually refers to this type of behavior. Often the teen or young adult will require more and more time gaming in a subconscious attempt to balance their mood and anxiety. Another area that most parents are reluctant to talk about is when the computer isn’t used for games, but they find that their son has been looking at internet pornography to excess. This is very understandably disturbing for parents. We often find the child sneaking online to view more and more hardcore sites, often staying up until the wee hours to use the computer uninterrupted. This is far from the old sneak-a-peek at the Playboy magazine at the barbershop. This is an inability to not look and fantasize, as this is a type of stimulation that affects an area of the brain that needs more and more stimulation to feel balanced. Teens and young adults that are involved in this type of behavior need assistance, not moralizing as it has very little to do with conscious choice after a while. It becomes a driven, even obsessive need that negatively impacts a large part of their life.

Diablo Valley Oncology Doctors Receive Patients’ Choice Award The recognition of the Patients' Choice Award reflects the difference that a particular physician has made in the lives of their patients. The honor is bestowed to physicians who have received near perfect scores as voted by their patients. Of the nation's 830,000 active physicians, only 5% were accorded this honor by their patients in 2012. All physicians at Diablo Valley Oncology recently received this prestigious award. They are physicians Matthew Sirott, Robert Robles, Jewel Johl, Tiffany Svahn, Gigi Chen, Esther Catalya, Sachin Kamath, and Sophia Rahman. These medical oncologists, hematologists, and radiation oncologists were rated by their patients on various components of care such as ease of appointment, promptness, courteous staff, diagnosis accuracy, amount of time they spent with the patient, their bedside manner, and follow-up care. They received the highest scores, a near perfect four star rating by their patients. In fact, the practice has more doctors recognized than any other oncology practice in the area. Dr. Robles, the group’s blood cancer specialist, has received the award three years in a row. One comment from a patient’s review states, “Dr. Robles explained my blood disease to me in a way I could understand. His medical knowledge and experience really impressed me. I know I am in good hands in his care. I would recommend Dr. Robles to my best friend or parents.”

Hospice of the East Bay Estate Sale Service After the death of a loved one, dealing with the entire contents of a home and a life time of possessions can be overwhelming. Hospice of the East Bay (HEB) Estate Sales, formally known as Diablo Appraisal and Estate Sales, is an estate sale and liquidation service that manages and coordinates your entire estate and provides you with a tax benefit by sharing the profits from the sale with HEB. We provide caring and trained professionals that can help you handle the entire process making the seemingly impossible, attainable. We will assess each item’s value, advertise the sale through multiple channels,

www.yourmonthlypaper.com If their computer time is restricted in any manner, the teen or young adult may experience a deep melancholy and become angry, irritable, and even aggressive towards caregivers or parents. They often avoid social encounters, homework, and other daily responsibilities that remind them of what they should be doing. This can raise their anxiety and plunge them back to the computer and the safety of the game and the fantasy world that is easier to contend with than the real world and it’s subsequent demands. Some of the diagnostic areas that seem to contribute to this “stuck life position” are depression - usually reactive to their inability to move on, ADHD and the need for constant stimulation, and learning disabilities that not only effect schooling, but reading and its impact on educational progress. Young adults with Asperger’s as well can be prone to this phenomenon as they can perseverate, meaning they get stuck on themes and ideas and not transition to what they need to be doing. All of these things can contribute to low self-esteem, academic under achievement, and being unprepared for adulthood, leaving them dependent on their families. Most, if not all, of these teens and young adults have a great potential, even superior IQ’s for developing the awareness needed to move confidently towards a life free of disempowering perspectives, negative behaviors, and their selfimposed limitations. This is where it “takes a village” to get them back on the right track. Usually the more typical “how does that make you feel” therapy is a dead end. The village is the family, a guide, or a therapist/mentor who can help begin the transition to adulthood and a good and proper launch! If anyone you know falls into this category, there are good resources that address this issue. We are happy to schedule a phone consultation time to point you in the right direction. For more information on any behavioral or developmental concern, call our office at (925) 648-4800, and we will take the time to answer your questions. To learn more about behavioral disorders, visit our website at www. behaviorquest.com. We are located at 4185 Blackhawk Plaza Circle Suite Advertorial 210 in Danville. Another patient wrote about Dr. Catalya, “The nicest doctor I have ever had. Wonderful lady and smart too!” To view the complete Patients’ Choice “MD report card” profile of each physician, visit www.patientschoice.org. Diablo Valley Oncology is located at the California Cancer and Research Institute in Pleasant Hill. The cancer center is the largest freestanding, nonhospital based facility in Contra Costa County. The center brings together medical oncology, hematology, radiation, chemotherapy, diagnostic imaging, clinical trials, and supportive care services – all in one convenient location. Advertorial Satellite offices in Rossmoor, San Ramon, and Brentwood.

organize and display your estate items, provide security before, during, and after the sale, run the estate sale smoothly and professionally, take unsold items to HEB thrift stores, and provide with a tax deductible receipt for those items, clear out the house at the end of the sale, and leave the house empty and ready for cleaning. Everything will be handled for you, and best of all you won’t even need to be present! Families are provided with a guaranteed honest, efficient, and reliable service. HEB Estate Sales was established in 2001 for families requesting help selling the contents of their homes. Funds generated from the sale help benefit the patients and families in the care of HEB. Please call Patricia Wright at (925) 887-5678 or email patriciaw@hospiceeastbay.org for more information.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Your Personal Nutritionist By Linda Michaelis, RD. MS. Healthy Eating: Recognizing Your Hunger Signals Do you remember a time when you were famished and kept eating until, oops, you ended up feeling uncomfortably full? One reason that many of us are not at a healthy weight level is because, somewhere along the line, we stopped listening to our body signals that naturally tell us when we’re hungry and when we’re full. Learning to recognize those signals again can help you get to a healthy weight and stay there. The signals are still there, but we’re out of practice when it comes to paying attention to them. As babies we ate intuitively - we fussed when we were hungry and stopped eating when we were full. As we grow up, the world “teaches” us when to eat via things such as advertising, imposed meal times, holiday meals, and grandma’s comfort foods. We confuse cravings with hunger and end up overeating. The hypothalamus is a portion of the brain that is responsible for controlling feelings of hunger, appetite, and the satisfaction one feels after eating a meal. Did you know that it takes 20 minutes for the hypothalamus to send signals that you are full? This explains why we keep eating and then 20 minutes later feel uncomfortably full. The objective is to reset your hypothalamus, and control it by eating more slowly. This is indeed the painless way to begin your journey to weight loss this new year. Do you know how to distinguish between real hunger and cravings? Hunger is a painful sensation caused by the need for food. There is a signal from the brain and stomach that food is needed for energy. Signals from your stomach may include growling, an empty hollow feeling, and/or hunger pangs. Your brain may send signals such as headache, trouble concentrating, irritability, or fogginess. Hunger does not go away over time, it only gets worse. Unlike hunger, craving signals do not serve a life-sustaining need. They often last over a period of 10 minutes and are usually triggered by emotions such as stress, boredom, sadness, etc. With hunger, any food will quell the sensation; only one specific food like chocolate will satisfy the craving. In my practice I teach my clients to distinguish their hunger from craving by keeping a journal to track their hunger and satiety before and after eating. Interestingly, it initially sometimes takes them a day or two or more to feel real

Wheelchairs continued from front page Initially, Behring explored recycling used wheelchairs. The process proved the reverse of cost-effective. Packaging for shipment added to the expense of parts and labor for repairs. Then Behring asked manufacturers to design a durable wheelchair priced according to the high volume of orders he anticipated. One product seemed perfect, but it required two hours to piece together when uncrated. Today’s model comes in five sizes, ordered with regular or all-terrain tires, and can be assembled in 15 minutes. Averaging shipping costs to all destinations, the Foundation can deliver each wheelchair for just $150. In Bolivia a comparable product costs $1,700. In many countries, the price of a wheelchair exceeds an average laborer’s annual income. The Wheelchair Foundation runs an administratively lean operation, funneling virtually every dollar into providing wheelchairs. Volunteers and service organizations across America do much of the fundraising. Unanimously declaring the positive return on their investment inestimable, donors traveling on distribution trips pay their own expenses. On the receiving end, similar groups arrange local logistics including identification of recipients and appropriate configuration of the wheelchairs they require. They also fund and coordinate transportation to remote locations where wheelchairs are most needed. Rotary International, with clubs in over 200 countries, is frequently involved in all aspects of the process. Since Bill Wheeler, founder of Blacktie Transportation, invited them on their first journey, Josh Routh and his father Don have made 20 distribution trips to 11 countries. In the remote town of Juigalpa, Nicaragua, they met a 26 year-old woman who had been waiting eight years to acquire the wheelchair she needed to utilize the scholarship to Managua University she earned as a high school honors graduate. Finally enabled to pursue her studies, she chose psychology so she could help families coping with disabilities. In poorer places, when one family member is disabled, another often has to stay home from school or work to act as caregiver. Josh tears up as he describes a recipient brought to a wheelchair distribution in a wheelbarrow and another crawling through the dust to get there. Born with

Danville Today News ~ February 2013 - Page 23 hunger. In the past they were eating all their meals before they received hunger signals. They soon learn that food truly tastes better when they are hungry. I often work with a hunger scale (see below) and have my clients keep track of how they are feeling before and after they eat. I tell them that it is best to eat when their hunger level is at a 3 or 4, and not to wait until they are at a 1-2 and feeling very, very hungry. At that point they will most likely overeat and choose unhealthy foods. The 3-4 level allows them to make conscious decisions to eat the right amount of healthy and tasty foods Next time you have a meal, make it a point to pace yourself. Take a bite of food, lay your fork down, take a drink of water, and partake in conversation. Continue this practice throughout the meal, and check in with your body. This method will help you to slow down and get to the feeling of satisfaction and away from that ugly fullness.

Hunger Level

Sensations and Symptoms

1 Starving, weak, dizzy 2 Very hungry, cranky, low energy, a lot of stomach growling 3 Pretty hungry, stomach is growling a little 4 Starting to feel a little hungry 5 Satisfied, neither hungry nor full 6 A little full, pleasantly full 7 A little uncomfortable 8 Feeling stuffed 9 Very uncomfortable, stomach hurts 10 So full you feel sick I always stress that food is a celebration of life. You can still lose weight if your food is tasty and even when it has some fat. Cravings, which are often for fat, sugar, and salt, are normal and can have a place in a healthy balanced diet. I teach my clients how to enjoy the treats, and then bring the day back into balance. When they are succeeding they know that they do not have to feel guilty. Weight loss to me is a program that teaches you how to lose weight and keep it off forever while still eating your favorite foods. I am glad to inform you that your health insurance may pay for nutritional counseling. Please call me at (925) 855-0150 or e-mail me at lifeweight1@yahoo.com and tell me about your nutritional concerns. Refer to my website www.LindaRD. com for past articles, recipes, and nutrition tips in my blog section. Advertorial cerebral palsy, Josh has never walked. Although doctors predicted he would remain a quadriplegic, never uttering an intelligible word, the 33-year old San Ramon resident drives his own car and lives independently. A cashier at Nob Hill, Josh dedicates much of his time to aiding others. “When you give A woman in Nicaragua waited 8 years for the wheelchair she needed someone the gift of to attend Managua University - with Jerry Pentin of Pleasanton. mobility, you are giving them freedom and dignity…and when someone has freedom and dignity then they have hope for the future,” explains Don Routh. Now retired, Don spreads awareness of the worldwide need for the means of mobility and the elation engendered by improving the life of each wheelchair recipient. One of his initiatives at a Hayward elementary school gave low-income Latino students the opportunity to celebrate joy in their joint accomplishment: raising enough money to send six wheelchairs to less fortunate peers in El Salvador. Don Routh plans to introduce the program the “Three Amigos” (Don, Josh and Bill) are currently piloting with the Pleasanton Unified School District to additional area school districts this spring. They provide live and video presentations, posters, collection containers, and fundraising ideas. Wheeler offers Blacktie’s community bus free for one field trip per school to either the Blackhawk Museum/Wheelchair Foundation exhibits or a wheelchair sports event. Ten wheelchairs are available

See Wheelchairs continued on page 26

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

Page 24 - February 2013 ~ Danville Today News

Preventing Youth Sports Knee Injuries By Jeffrey Johnson, D.C. Our children’s frequent overlapping of one sport with another, and participation in year round sports, has created a generation of injured youth athletes. Today, like never before, children are using their bodies’ in highly refined and repetitive ways without the benefit of appropriate rest, downtime between sports, and supporting therapeutic intervention. As a result, their muscles and connective tissue (fascia) are being overused and stressed in a manner that exceeds the healing capacity of their bodies’. Healthy, efficient, conditioned muscles have the ability to fully contract and relax, repetitively, over and over again. When muscles are overused they typically become shorter and tighter. This decreases the efficiency of the muscle and leads to a loss of mobility, weakness, and pain. Muscles in this situation are more likely to be overloaded, leading to a tearing of muscle tissue (strain). It also increases the likelihood of a compromise to the joint complex (sprain) that the muscle is supposed to be moving and stabilizing. When soft tissues are OVERUSED and muscle fiber tearing occurs, our bodies’ try to repair these microscopic tears through the build-up of scar tissue (aka adhesions). Muscles and tendons initially heal with weak, haphazard adhesions, which not only bind the torn tissues but also with healthy tissue in the surrounding area. As these adhesions form, they may restrict the normal movement of muscles, tendons and nerves. This not only creates inflammation and irritation, but also pain, tingling, numbing, burning, immobility and loss of strength. As your children participate in their sports, over and over again, without the benefit of appropriate rest, stretching, conditioning, and therapy they sustain trauma to their muscles that at first goes undetected. But, as the cycle of tissue shortening repeats itself, the injury spreads undetected until enough of the muscle has been affected and it ultimately fails. What you see and hear as a parent is a kid who slowly loses their “burst” or “speed” in their events, complains of stiffness and soreness, starts to demonstrate significant loss of mobility, and ultimately starts to limp or alter their gait while still trying to play.

Farmers continued from front page to talk about The Urban Farmers to at least one other person. Kumar also spread the word by including information about the organization in the parent newsletter at her children’s middle school. “I asked the communications person to put it in the newsletter with the hope that one or two parents will read it and act on it,” Kumar says. Kumar, who has an orange tree, two cherry plum trees, a baby fig, and a bay plum tree with hopes to plant more, says that when she told friends and family about The Urban Farmers, “They were just happy that all the extra fruit would be put to good use!” As a result of Kumar’s efforts, The Urban Farmers have received 34 new tree registrations. Combined, those trees produced upwards of 3,400 pounds of food – enough to feed 680 people for a day at virtually no cost. Such donations are extremely important to local food banks. With recent cutbacks to The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) provided by the Federal government, food banks have experienced higher operating costs, resulting in fewer high protein items. “Programs like TEFAP are essential at the local level,” says Daniel Scherer, Logistics Coordinator at the Monument Crisis Center. When local hunger relief agencies such as the Monument Crisis Center receive less TEFAP support, they must compensate with other programs to ensure clients receive proper nutrition, which is costlier for the Center. Scherer describes the Pantry Food Program, which runs five times a week: Qualifying clients who meet income requirements and bring in necessary paperwork can pick up food once a month; at this time, they also receive TEFAP support. “Our Pantry Food Boxes contain non-perishable food items including pasta, rice, beans, oatmeal, cereal, canned fruit, vegetables, beans, soup, fish, tomatoes, and peanut butter,” says Scherer. However, “In July our list dropped from the usual seven or eight items down to six which consisted of tuna, green beans, peaches, shelf stable milk, rice, and rotini. While the tuna was great, all the other items are fairly cheap. You can compare this to the menu for May which consisted of canned apricots, assorted vegetables, corn, vegetarian soup, peanut butter, dried plums, lentils, and whole wheat rotini.” Donations from groups such as The Urban Farmers help ease the financial difficulties of local food banks by providing quality organic produce at no cost.

This is where things usually start to go awry for our children. Instead of understanding that a significant change to the architecture and physiology of our child’s body has taken place, requiring a thoughtful approach, too often we respond with an inadequate intervention that combines insufficient rest, some over the counter pain medication, ice, and bracing of the injured area so our child can continue to play through the pain.

A Better Approach to Knee Injuries Knee pain in youth athletes is increasing in frequency and is most commonly due to shorting of the tissues that stabilize and move the knee as described previously. Unfortunately, most children receive little care or care designed to strengthen the knee. The problem with this approach is stabilization or strengthening activities usually cause additional shortening and aggravation to an area with great tissue restriction. Think about it. Most knee pain is not associated with hypermobility (too much motion), but rather hypomobility (too little motion). This is not to say that hypermobility does not occur, it is simply far less common. When children present for evaluation of their knee pain, I frequently find they have a loss of mobility in not only there knee but also associated loss of mobility in their hips. The pattern that is most common is a profound shortening of their hip flexors, which most kids have heard of, but have no real idea how to address with lengthening activities. Hip flexors become a serious problem in most athletes, because it causes them to hyperextend their lower backs leading to diffuse low back pain, and it also causes them to slightly turn out their toes (external rotation). This may be found in their gait, but almost always demonstrated when checking their hip range of motion during physical exam. Most cases of knee pain can be quickly and effectively dealt with by simply restoring the normal length to the muscles that support and move the knees and hips. By addressing knee pain as a regional issue, instead of simply looking at the knee itself, I have been able to assist nearly all of my youth patients in eliminating their pain and restoring their form and function. Don’t waste another minute suffering from knee pain that may be eliminated in a matter of days or weeks. Call us now and put an end to it! For more info go to www.movepastyourpain.com, visit us on Facebook, or contact Dr. Johnson at Johnson Chiropractic Group, 115 Town & Country Dr., Suite E, in Danville. 925.743.8310. Advertorial Scherer points out, “Fresh produce is incredibly expensive to purchase in a grocery store. To be able to provide food as nutritious as [the produce from The Urban Farmers] to our clients is invaluable.”

How can you help? • If you have fruit trees with excess fruit, register them on The Urban Farmers website, www.theurbanfarmers.org. • Tell your friends and neighbors. There is a flyer on The Urban Farmers website that you can download or email to friends and neighbors. • Help get the word out by placing an announcement in the newsletter at your children’s school, your house of worship, and community lists. Do you have room for a tree or two? The Urban Farmers will help you buy, plant, and raise local delicious fruit. For more information, contact The Urban Farmers at (925) 297-5525.

Lic# 1100014354; Bay Area Entertainment

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Danville Today News ~ February 2013 - Page 25

The Eye Opener By Gregory Kraskowsky, O.D., Alamo Optometry Visual Fields Since we now have a new automated visual field machine in the office, I thought it would be a good time to discuss this important topic. I think most, if not all, patients have had their visual fields tested when they have visited the optometrist. Most patients just assume it is something done during the visit, but few are probably aware of the many indications to assess visual fields and what possible visual field deficits can tell about your eyes and overall health. To understand visual fields, we must first discuss how peripheral vision is created and processed by the brain. It is important to note that each area of the retina corresponds to the opposite area in the visual field, i.e. the superior area of the retina corresponds to your inferior visual field, and the temporal retina (area closer to your ears) corresponds to the nasal visual field. The photoreceptors throughout the retina all send their signals to one area in the back part of the eye that comes together and then exits the retina as the optic nerve. Part of each optic nerve crosses to the other side of the brain at a place called the optic chiasm located very close to the pituitary gland. Next, these fibers travel through different parts of the brain until they reach the occipital lobe, which is in the back of the head. By knowing the type and location of the peripheral vision defect, your optometrist can have a good idea where the potential issue is. For example, a pituitary gland tumor will cause a temporal field loss in both eyes. Since the nerve fibers of the nasal optic nerve cross over by the pituitary gland, those fibers are therefore damaged and will cause a visual field deficit. As a visual field defect can occur anywhere along the optic nerve trail, a condition of the optic nerve itself will cause a specific kind of field loss. As most people are aware, the location of your optic nerve is your blind spot because there are no photoreceptors on the nerve itself, just the fibers from the photoreceptors. Therefore an enlarged blind spot will show up when there is an infection, inflammation, or trauma of the nerve; the area immediately surrounding the nerve head will be swollen and therefore will not function properly. Most types of optic nerve diseases will also show specific patterns of field loss like glaucoma. Glaucoma is one of the more well-known diseases that are monitored by visual fields. Since glaucoma slowly kills the optic nerve, there will be a corresponding field loss associated with the dead and dying section of the nerve. One of the other main reasons to assess visual fields is to make sure there are no effects on the macula from certain medications. Early detection can very often help to prevent vision loss. It is common that visual field loss will precede actual vision loss, so it is not sufficient to follow these patients by routine vision assessment alone. Some common medications that warrant this are tamoxifen (for breast cancer), and plaquenil (a drug commonly used to treat some autoimmune diseases such as lupus). There are certain types of visual tests that should be done on these patients to monitor them. Communication with the prescribing doctor is also paramount to inform him/her of any visual effects so any modifications in their treatment plan can be made. Unfortunately, doing this test does require a patient to have relatively good vision. So, for conditions such as advanced macular degeneration or other conditions with severe vision loss, a visual field assessment is not very useful because the patient does not have the acuity necessary to do the test. A visual field test is a valuable tool in assessing the eyes, visual system, and the body as a whole as certain medications and diseases such as diabetes and hypertension can cause conditions in the eye and brain that would show up in an eye exam and/or a visual field test. Dr. K. at Alamo Optometry is your hometown eye doctor for outstanding service, vision care, and designer eyewear. He can be reached at 925-8206622 or visit his office at 3201 Danville Blvd., Suite 165 in Alamo. Visit our newly updated website at www.alamooptometry.com, and become a fan on our Alamo Optometry Facebook page. Advertorial

Don’t Believe the Tanning Hype! By Dr. Jerome Potozkin When I was a teenager I spent my summers working as a lifeguard and swimming instructor. I remember applying suntan oil with an SPF of 2. My friends and I would actually have tanning contests that I would usually win. Today, this strikes me as ironic since I spend my professional life treating skin cancer as well as the photo damage the sun causes. To simplify things, the sun has two major long-term effects upon your skin. Firstly, it causes skin cancer, and secondly, it causes premature aging of the skin. Despite all the scientific information, the tanning industry is about to launch a major public misinformation campaign telling you about the benefits of ultraviolet (UV) light exposure. In the words of the rap group, Public Enemy - Don’t Believe the Hype! Last month the tanning association was formed, representing over 1,400 salons in what amounts to a five billion dollar a year business. The tanning association plans a major public relations and lobbying effort to get people to tanning salons. The tanning industry is taking its lead from big tobacco. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized UV light as a carcinogen. The tanning industry is ignoring actual scientific studies and making up its own data. Organized dermatology organizations have fought the tanning industry. In California it is actually illegal to provide this service for anyone under the age of 18. Legislation to ban underage tanning was originally sponsored by CalDerm, an organization representing dermatologists in California. What about Vitamin D? The tanning industry clings to the idea that tanning beds are great because UV exposure stimulates the production of Vitamin D. This is true. However, if you happen to be Vitamin D deficient, you can get

all the Vitamin D you require in your diet or with supplements. In effect, you can get the Vitamin D without exposure to a known carcinogen. The tanning industry claims that organized medicine’s attack on tanning is because of some conspiracy we have with the manufacturers of sunscreen. As I mentioned earlier in this article, I spend much of my professional life treating skin cancers and the ageing effects of the sun. It would go completely against every dermatologist’s financial self-interest to advise you not to go into tanning beds. Usually, when someone gives you advice that is contrary to their self interest, it is advice you can trust. If you wish to tan, use one of the many self-tanners that you can apply to the skin. The products have come a long way from the old ones that left you looking like an orange. In general, to protect your skin from ultraviolet damage, I recommend that you do what you love outdoors but that you avoid the peak sun hours, and apply and reapply a broad-spectrum sunscreen. Since early diagnosis of skin cancer is crucial, I recommend an annual skin check by a board certified dermatologist and monthly self-checks. If anything changes on your skin get it checked out. Lastly, stay out of the tanning beds. Dr. Potozkin is a board certified dermatologist who has been serving the local community since 1993. His office is located at 600 San Ramon Valley Blvd, Suite 102 in Danville. He is accepting new patients. Please call 925) 838-4900 or visit Potozkin.com for more information. Advertorial

Do you have a story idea? How about sporting news? Call us at 925.405.6397, or email us at Editor@YourMonthlyPaper.com.

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

Page 26 - February 2013 ~ Danville Today News

A Day to do Something Special By Barbara Persons, MD, Persons Plastic Surgery, Inc. Saint Valentine was a third century Roman saint who has long been associated with the tradition of courtly love. Every February 14th gifts and letters (an estimated one billion Valentine’s Day cards each year) are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of Saint Valentine. The oldest known valentine was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans (Go forth, my heart, with my lady…with grace and mercy.) By the middle of the 18th century, it was common for both friends and lovers to exchange small tokens of affection. I like to think of Valentine’s Day as a day to do something special. Some of my fondest memories are of writing cards for elementary school classmates. In some years, however, it was the preparation for Valentine’s Day that was special. Valentine’s Day is a time to feel and look your best. Whether you are preparing for a romantic evening, warming up the winter blues, or want to give a gift to someone, here are eight ideas that might help you on your way. 1. A consultation - I find this to be one of the most important interactions I have with my patients. I enjoy answering questions and offering both personal and professional advice. I’m often surprised at how many people ask if surgery is right for them. 2. Botox or Dysport injection - Most commonly used around the eyes and forehead, it can be used both to prevent and treat wrinkles. 3. Volumizing filler injection - This is an excellent way to refresh your appearance, address moderate to severe facial wrinkles, and give youthful

Wheelchairs continued from page 23 for schools to borrow in rotation for students to test drive or use in fundraising races or sports competitions. For information, e-mail donrouth@comcast.net. Eva Carleton, Regional Director of Operations of Latin America and the Caribbean, travels on 3-4 distribution trips a year while coordinating the delivery of 40-50 projects. Every working day she helps provide someone with what she considers a basic human right: a wheelchair. “Without a wheelchair,” Carleton notes, “you have to ask for everything you need.” Eva’s mother’s quality of life improved dramatically once she accepted how enabling the device could be. She no longer has to ring for a nurse every time she wants a simple object like a tissue. In a Columbian community several hours from Bogota, Carleton met a woman who had been unable to work for five years due to a spinal injury. Thanks to her Foundation wheelchair, she was back at her job. Minutes later, Eva encountered another wheelchair recipient happily earning money keeping parked cars safe. “It is always a joy to give someone a wheelchair and it is an even greater joy

contour to the skin. 4. Fraxel laser treatment - Certainly not what King Henry V had in mind when he hired a writer to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois we’ve come a long way since then. For Valentine’s Day preparation, I recommend a first treatment one week before the big day. A series of treatments (generally 3-4) address texture problems, fine lines and wrinkles, and pigmentation issues such as brown spots, but results are noticeable after just one treatment. 5. Laser genesis is a great no-downtime, painless procedure for acne prone skin. While there’s never a simple cure-all for problem skin issues, laser genesis is a good place to start as the laser has enough heat to kill the bacteria in the active breakouts. 6. While not exactly the vestige of Christian and ancient Roman Valentine’s tradition, laser hair removal is a real windfall of living in the 21st century. Several treatments are generally needed, and it works best for darker hair types. 7. Longer lashes! - Latisse is a treatment used to grow lashes, making them longer, thicker, and darker. More voluptuous lashes in just six weeks, are “romantique”! 8. Skin care products - There’s a pleasure in taking time to care for your own skin, and a cream or lotion can also make a nice gift - something to be wrapped up and enjoyed. Sometimes just the process of sharing wisdom (and taking away some of the mystery of youth and beauty) is the most rewarding part of my day. Happy Valentine’s Day! Dr. Barbara Persons is a Plastic Surgeon and owns Persons Plastic Surgery, Inc. located at 911 Moraga Rd, Suite 205 in Lafayette. She may be reached at 925.283.4012 or drbarb@ personsplasticsurgery.com. Advertorial to personally watch and hear how that wheelchair improved their life,” explains David Behring, President of the Wheelchair Foundation. David met Tran Nghia in 2003. Born with a neurological disorder, the Vietnamese high school student depended on family and friends to carry her everywhere. She needed a wheelchair to attend university to study English and become a doctor. The following year David visited her family and they kept in touch. In November 2012 they met again in Hanoi. “Nghia unfortunately could not become a doctor due to her disability but she did learn English and translates documents for a Vietnamese company. … Her smile was as radiant as I remembered it back in 2003.” Kenneth Behring makes a point of shaking the hand of every wheelchair recipient. “All we ask in return is a smile.” Partnering with non-governmental agencies permits the Wheelchair Foundation to give the gift of mobility with no strings attached. Creating global friendship and promoting the joy of giving are additional aspects of this non-profit organization’s mission “to deliver a wheelchair to every child, teen, and adult in the world who needs one, but cannot afford one.” The Wheelchair Foundation’s annual Charity Ball at the Blackhawk Museum February 23rd is open to the public as are all Foundation fundraisers. Jeff Behring, Director of Special Benefits, offers a Wine for Wheels private party plan getting rave reviews nationwide as a means for finding personal purpose while sharing fun with friends. To register for the Charity Ball, plan a Wine for Wheels event, learn more about Foundation activities or to make a donation, visit www. wheelchairfoundation.org. Road to Purpose is available at the Danville Library.

Mended Hearts The John Muir Chapter of Mended Hearts will hold its monthly meeting on Saturday, February 9th at 1pm in the Martinez Room (near the cafeteria) at John Muir Medical Center-Concord Campus, 2540 East Street,Concord. Suzanne Clements, RN, BSN, CCRC - John Muir Clinical Research Center will be the speaker. Mended Hearts is a national organization providing support for cardiac patients, their families, and caregivers. For further information about Mended Hearts,contact Bill Schramer at 925-817-9265.

Hearing Loss Association

A wheelchair recipient with Kenneth Behring (right). Photo courtesy of the Wheelchair Foundation

Come to meetings of the Diablo Valley Chapter of Hearing Loss Association of America at 7pm on the 1st Wednesday of the month at the Walnut Creek United Methodist Church located at 1543 Sunnyvale Ave., Walnut Creek Education Bldg., Wesley Room. Meeting room and parking are at back of church. All are welcome. Assistive listening system is available for T-coils, and most meetings are captioned. Contact HLAADV@hearinglossdv.org or 925-264-1199 or www.hearinglossdv.org.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

C L A S S I F I E D COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE FOR SALE DOWNTOWN DANVILLE RETAIL BUILDING - Owner/user or investor. Three spaces, 3,500sf. Fantastic location/visibility. Please call Shawn Willis 925-988-0502. DRE 01095619

COMPUTER TUTOR COMPUTER TUTOR - Having trouble with email attachments or importing photos from your camera to your computer? I’m a senior who tutors other seniors “one-onone” for the Town of Danville. I will patiently work with you in your home to help you better understand and manage your computer. I’m also knowledgeable with iPads, iPhones and minor PC repair. Reasonable rates! PLEASE CALL (510) 427-5159.

ELECTRICAL WORK EVERYTHING ELECTRICAL! Need new light fixtures, ceiling fans, recessed lighting, or track lighting installed? Need a dimmer switch or GFCI installed? Do you want to change the color of your outlets in your kitchen or install 220V power for the new hot tub or stove? I also troubleshoot electrical problems. FREE ESTIMATES. Licensed and bonded. 30 years experience. CALL 925-389-6964.

Danville Today News ~ February 2013 - Page 27

Grief Support Group Helps People Cope with the Death of a Pet When you lose your pet, you often feel like a part of you is lost. The death of your beloved animal companion is one of the most difficult losses you may ever feel. This loss is sometimes made more painful by society’s seeming lack of support for pet grief. Hospice of the East Bay and the Tony La Russa Animal Rescue Foundation is offering a support group where participants can share memories and feelings and talk to others who truly understand and care. Meetings will be held the first Tuesday of each month from noon - 1:30PM at the Tony La Russa Animal Rescue Foundation, 2890 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek. For further information and/or to register, please call Bereavement Services at Hospice of the East Bay (925) 887-5681. Pre-registration is required. Hospice of the East Bay Bereavement Services are provided free of charge to all community members in need. However, donations are greatly appreciated.

PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD HERE!

Danville Today News Classifieds Reach over 14,500 homes and businesses in Danville 94526 - Help Wanted, For Sale, Services, Lessons, Pets, Rentals, Wanted, Freebies... $35 for up to 45 words. $5 for each additional 15 words. Run the same classified ad in our sisters paper “Lafayette Today” and/or “Alamo Today” and pay half off for your second and/or third ads! Send or email submissions to: 3000F Danville Blvd #117, Alamo 94507 or editor@yourmonthlypaper.com. 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. Name_________________________________________ Address__________________________________________ # of Words_______________ Phone________________________________________ Email ____________________________________________________________________

www.yourmonthlypaper.com nthlypaper.com

Page 28 - February 201 2013 ~ Danville Today News

The Combs Team Professionals You Can Count On

Nancy

Joe

Call the Combs Team

925- 9 8 9 - 6 0 8 6 www.TheCombsTeam.com Danville Real Estate Sales: December Sales Brisk, Buyer Confidence Returning Danville Real Estate sales for the month of December were brisk with a total of 44 properties closing during the month. Prices ranged from $560,000 to $1,925,000. This broad price range is a sign of a healthy market for Danville Real Estate. The average price paid for Danville Real Estate in December was $966,370. This is an improvement over last year and yet another sign that the Danville Real Estate Market is on the road to recovery. The average dollars paid per square foot hit $326, a very strong number. The highest dollars paid per square foot for a West Side Danville Home was $508 for a small property on Bradford Place. A large home on Tamalark fetched $1,585,000 and $398 per square foot. A property of average size on Greenbrook Drive obtained a purchase price of $925,000 and $361 dollars per square foot. A nice home on Shadewell Ct. obtained a purchase price of $1,259,000 and $331 dollars per square foot. The fact that these four very nice properties did so well during the month of December is a positive sign for Danville Real Estate and shows clearly that buyers are willing to step up and spend aggressively on nicer homes. If a theme emerged during 2012, it was that buyers evaluated Danville Real Estate carefully, and less desirable properties were discounted, while homes that were updated to today's tastes commanded prices approaching what were seen prior to the market downturn in 2008. It will be interesting to see if this theme persists during the spring selling season or if the high tide of the 2013 peak buying season lifts all boats. Through the halfway point of January 2013, it looks like the tide is coming in. Even short sale prices are rising. Nancy and I are frequently asked why Danville Real Estate is selling so briskly and why multiple offers are becoming common place again. It’s Econ 101. Demand is outstripping supply by a large measure; prices are moving upward. Our inventory of homes for sale is as low as I have ever seen it, and the production builders have slowed their pace for the time being. There are other prominent factors as well. The quaint Danville downtown charm is one. Another is the desirability of our schools. The SRVUSD is blessed to have a taxpayer base that values and invests in education. Danville benefits greatly from this. A third reason is a big

Alamo Short Sale

D SOL

and important demographic shift. The Baby Boomer’s children are now starting families and the number of school age children is rising and will probably continue to rise for many years. I predict the return of the “Wait List” for our grade schools. It’s good to see that a new school will be built to meet this demand. A fourth reason is the proximity of Danville to the freeway and ease of access to the city and the Silicon Valley. I think we can expect that the additional tunnel bore and the new Bay Bridge will work in conjunction to bring Danville a little closer to the city, at least time wise. I couldn’t say which of these reasons is the greatest, but together they are, and will continue to be, quite powerful. Apart from the intrinsic value proposition of the Danville community mentioned above we are experiencing a huge benefit from reduced prices, at least from the buyer’s perspective. Having dropped nearly 30% since the beginning of the downturn, Danville homes are as affordable as they have been for a very long time...the prices are on the rise. Yesterday, I saw an ad for a 10 year loan at 2.5% interest rate. With these two beneficial impacts, we have homes selling at about a 30% discount from peak price and interest rates at nearly half of what they were during the peak in 2007. That is a huge stimulus for buyers. I also read that unemployment in the Danville Area is at 4.3%. This is considered full employment or better. In addition, the Silicon Valley technology incubator, which we are blessed to be so near, is once again popping out millionaires by the thousands…it’s been 13 years since the last big tech breakout...remember the Dot.com Days? Now it’s “Social Media,” “Mobile Computing,” “The Cloud,” and “Big Data” changing the way we work and live. All of these positives are increasing buyer confidence, and people who have been sitting on the sidelines are jumping into the market. Increasing confidence leads to greater financial risk-taking, and that is good for Danville home sales. The chart supporting this article and all of our recent articles can be found on our website www.thecombsteam.com. If you have been thinking about selling your home, Nancy and I would be glad to prepare a free market analysis specific to your home. We would welcome the opportunity to help you develop ideas on how to best prepare your home to optimize its market value. Please feel free to give us a call or send and email to joecombs@thecombsteam.com.

Round Hill Single Story

IN ND

Alamo Short Sale

SOL

Dramatic, one-of-a-kind luxury home with amazing views. We get results.

Remodeled to perfection. Incredible chef’s kitchen. We represented the buyers.

Amazing single story home on quiet cul-desac. This will be pending in no time. Call for details.

Investors Welcome

Build Your Dream Home

Incredible 3 bedroom, single story home in a nice neighborhood at a below market price. Call for details.

7 acre lot, 11 acre lot, 1.2 acre lot with utilities at street. Call for details and pricing.

Short sale. Beautiful remodel, single story. Investment opportunity. Call for details.

Data presented in this column is based in whole or in part on data supplied by the Contra Costa and Alameda MLS service and other quoted sources. Joe Combs, Nancy Combs, The Combs Team, J. Rockcliff and the MLS service do not guarantee the accuracy of this information. DRE #0144125.

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