Danville Today News, June 2012 by The Editors, Inc

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June 2012 Role Players Ensemble Takes on Theatrical Masterpieces By Jody Morgan Role Players Ensemble (RPE) has an encore offering for audiences that rated their rollicking rendition of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Mikado worthy of standing ovations. Theater lovers who missed any or all of the RPE 2011-2012 season have the opportunity to enjoy three short, site-specific selections on June 23rd and 24th during a happening at Forest Home Farms enticingly entitled Tennessee on the Farm. RPE Artistic Director Eric Fraisher Hayes read 30 Tennessee Williams short plays before finding the three best suited to the San Ramon location. “By performing the works of Tennessee Williams, one of America’s greatest playwrights, on the farm we will be illuminating the relationship between our local heritage and our broader American heritage,” Hayes remarks. “The right play set in the right location can be magical.” Following appetizer and beverage service on the veranda of the Boone House, participants will move to the first seating area. Plays staged throughout the property will alternate with refreshment breaks. The Pretty Trap, a light-hearted piece eventually expanded by Tennessee Williams into The Glass Menagerie, opens the event. Meeting the characters before they evolved into their more familiar and more ominous roles is enlightening. Twenty Seven Wagons Full of Cotton, a tough, gritty drama about feuding farmers, follows. In the finale, The Case of the Crushed Petunias, a small-town New England woman gets the chance to escape from her mundane existence. RPE and the Rehearsing for Tennessee on the Farm (left to right) Eden San Ramon Historic Foundation Neuendorf and Craig Eychner. Photo courtesy of Role will share proceeds. Players Ensemble. Role Players opened in Danville as a community theatre company in 1983. In 1991 RPE formed a partnership with the Town of Danville allowing the group to move from storefront space to the Village Theatre. Today the more apt designation for this professional troupe would be theatre in the community. RPE has expanded its offerings to include lectures highlighting the historical setting and playwright’s vision for each upcoming production as well as casual cabaret evenings celebrating the musical genre of the era appropriate to the play currently on stage. “The Role Players mission is to provide high-quality professional theatre to Danville,” Florence McCauley, President of the RPE Board of Directors, explains. “Theatre is a very important part of a community’s culture. Role Players’ contribution of live theatre performances offers a cultural component that enriches everyone’s life.” Selection of the material to be mounted falls to the Artistic Director Eric Hayes who has held the post the past two seasons. Although his career took him to Chicago where he earned an MFA in Acting at De Paul University, Hayes is happy to be back in Danville, the town in which he grew up. Raising the expectations of local patrons was his first concern. “Role Players Ensemble has worked hard over the past two seasons to establish that we continually produce high-quality productions of a wide range of plays. For instance, this season we started with the rarely produced tragedy Mourning Becomes Electra and

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Serving Danville Wardrobe for Opportunity

By Fran Miller

Take a good look at the contents of your closet. Do you actually wear everything you own? Do some items still bear the original tags? The rule of thumb in the closet-organizer world is: if you haven’t worn an item in the past year, then consider getting rid of it. In doing so, you could be helping to change someone’s life for Wardrobe for Opportunity program the better. graduate Sara Aboei before (left) Donations to and after (right) her WFO interview Wardrobe for wardrobe consultation. Opportunity (WFO), of new and gently worn business clothing, accessories and shoes, help to empower low-income women and men to achieve economic viability and self-sufficiency. The successful and growing Bay Area nonprofit organization offers professional clothing, interview skills, and career support to those in need. WFO’s mission is to

See Wardrobe continued on page 20

211

By Fran Miller Most people know to call 411 for phone information. Nearly everyone knows to call 911 to register a life-threatening emergency. Not so commonly known is the purpose of a 211 call – to receive information about emergencies declared in one’s town and outlying area. Taking it one step further is the Contra Costa County Community Warning System, which allows Contra Costa residents to register and, in turn, personally receive emergency information for their area. The Contra Costa County Community Warning System (CWS) allows residents to receive alerts on cell phones, via email or via Twitter. CWS is recognized as one of the nation’s most modern and effective all-hazard public warning systems and is a partnership of the Office of the Sheriff, the Health Services Department, other government agencies, industry, news media, and the non-profit Commu- Volume III - Number 8 nity Awareness & Emergency Response 3000F Danville Blvd. #117, Alamo, CA 94507 (CAER) organization – all of whom strive (925) 405-6397 to deliver time-sensitive and potentially life Fax (925) 406-0547 saving information to the people of Contra Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher Costa County. editor@ CWS alerts come in various forms: through yourmonthlypaper.com a Countywide telephone notification system, via sirens near major industrial facilities, and The opinions expressed herein belong to the writers, and do not necessarily in other special safety zones, through a cell reflect that of Danville Today News. Danville Today News is not phone voice notification service, via NOAA responsible for the content of any of weather radios, via radio, TV and cable, via the advertising herein, nor does

See 211 continued on page 25

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Boulevard View By Alisa Corstorphine, Editor Another graduation season is upon us and students are moving on from elementary school, middle school, high school, and college. Hopefully they will have gained knowledge, values, and skills that will last a lifetime. Our oldest son, Alex, just graduated from San Jose State and is continuing his learning and employment with a large networking company in Mountain View. The path to his job stemmed from his education, hard work, and a little luck. That, combined with his good communication skills, his methodical approach, and his interest in technology, led to where he is now. He laid a foundation of entrepreneurship from an early age with his version of a lemonade stand, AKA Cardboard Cafe, that he set up on the Iron Horse Trail, followed by a successful eBay business. His success is summarized in a quote my daughter shared with me after her UC Davis Women’s Club Lacrosse team placed first in the nation beating, 300 other teams from across the country for the top prize. The quote noted, “We are what we repeatedly do. EXCELLENCE is therefore not an act but a habit.” The UC Davis lacrosse team roster included many girls who graduated from local high schools including Casey Bowles and Amy Corstorphine - San Ramon Valley, Ming Richie - Northgate, Jennifer Hofmann - Campolindo, Lisa Kritikos - Piedmont, and Jessica Dresser and Samantha Fannin - Las Lomas. Their season was not an easy one. There was tough competition from many California teams in their Western Conference League. Unlike early sports days when the score was always “fun to fun” with no win-

ners or losers, these girls had seven regular season losses where they only were defeated by one point. Many losses came in overtime and double overtime. “The losses sucked,” my daughter said. However, the team was able to pull out a tenth seed going into the national tournament which led the girls to come up with the motto of “The Perfect 10.” During most of the games at Nationals, they were down by multiple goals at points during the game. They started out down 5-0 against UC Santa Barbara, 4-0 against Michigan, and 6-2 against Colorado State, but they never lost focus. Two of their final games were decided in overtime, and their team came out victorious, realizing their vision by truly becoming the Perfect 10. Since their win was in Colorado Springs, they followed up their day with an inspiring trip to the US Olympic Training center. They were awed by the facilities and by the athletes they observed getting ready to reach the tops of their games to take home the gold with their perfect scores. On their tour they came across a poster that held much relevance. It said, “I learned to win by learning to lose - that means not being afraid of losing.” It reflected the girls’ path perfectly. The path to the top is usually not a straight line. There are lots of zigs and zags. Our son spent a few years in community college and took the “six-year plan” towards graduation, but his path worked for him. It was his persistence, like the persistence of the lacrosse team that helped each rise to the top of their game. What makes individuals and teams rise to the top is their dedication, passion, drive, detail, and teamwork. It is time to honor, celebrate, and share the accomplishments of all our local graduates and athletes. Congratulations Class of 2012!

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Danville Today News ~ June 2012 - Page 3

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Danville Fine Arts Faire

Special Film Screening of Autumn Sonata

Visit the 21st annual Danville Fine Arts Faire with 200 talented artisans, Italian street painting, entertainment, Prospect merchant activities, gourmet food, and fine wines and micro-brews on June 16th and 17th from 10AM-5PM. Stroll Hartz Avenue in downtown Danville while enjoying one-of-a-kind fine art from all around the country and the Bay

The Town of Danville will welcome Rosario Tronnolone, actor, director, and curator of a major radio station in Italy, Tuesday, June 19 at 7PM to the Village Theatre. Tronnolone will present a special viewing of Autumn Sonata (1978) in honor of Ingrid Bergman. This year commemorates the 35th anniversary of her death. Ingrid Bergman, one of the main characters in this film, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. After the film, Tronnolone will discuss and host a question and answer period on the rich and complex career of this Hollywood legend. Tickets, costing $7, are on sale now and can be purchased at www. villagetheatreshows. com or by calling (925) 314-3400. Visit www. danville.ca.gov for more information.

Area. The Faire is hosted by the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Danville. Admission and parking is free, and there is secure bicycle parking. For more information, contact (925) 837-4400 or visit the festival website at www. mlaproductions.com.

ADAS Blackhawk Gallery Presents Spring Palette Alamo Danville Artist’s Society (ADAS) is hosting Spring Palette featuring 50 gallery member artists exhibiting oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, photography, sculpture, ceramic, wearable art, jewelry, and note cards. The exhibit runs through June 10th seven days a week, Monday - Thursday 10AM - 7PM, Friday and Saturday 10AM - 8PM, and Sunday 11AM - 6PM. The exhibit is free of charge to the public. Among the artists are oil painter Juan Cantavella, specializing in photo realism who will display a variety of subjects, photographer Ojars Kratins, who’s work will depict foreign lands, and Victor Habib, who will present several of his fine wood working pieces. James Aarons, ceramicist, will exhibit exciting brightly colored dramatic work “Geode Bowls” to Spring Palette. James’ minimalist work incorporates non-representational and linear designs. Caryne Mount will display wearable art inspired by nature and textiles including her Vintage Kimono Series using obi and textiles from Japan. Blackhawk Gallery is located at 3416 Blackhawk Plaza Circle in Blackhawk Plaza. at the corner of Camino Tassajara and Crow Canyon Road in Danville.

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Delta Nu Psi Delta Nu Psi will be collecting donations from 11am until 2pm at CVS in Alamo on June 1st and at Lunardi's on June 8th. Items in demand are individual packets of powdered drink mix and individual eye drops. We appreciate all of the help from the shoppers of Alamo and Danville. For more information, visit deltanupsi.org.

Drop Zone for Blue Star Moms The East Bay Chapter 101 Blue Star Moms is having a Drop Zone to collect donations for their upcoming “Star-Spangled Thank You” care package mailing to our Troops. The event will take place Saturday, June 2nd from 10AM to 3PM at Safeway located at 200 Alamo Plaza. While you are out shopping, please consider picking up some extra items to donate. Come say hello, sponsor a care package mailing ($12.60), make a postcard or two, or drop off a donation to show your gratitude for what our brave troops do for all Americans each and every day. Go to www.bluestarmoms.org, and click on Care Packages for more information, including a list of our donation items. We will packing up all are donations to send to the Troops on Saturday, June 16th from 10AM to 2PM at Camp Parks located in Dublin. If you are interested in coming out and helping, please go to beavolunteer@ bluestarmoms.org.

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Make a Difference in Your Community! The Town of Danville provides opportunities for residents to contribute to their community by volunteering at various events and programs. Volunteers will have the opportunity to discover new interests, meet new people, and develop new skills. Different opportunities exist. Below are a few projects that will be coming up. Sign up online at www.danville.ca.gov, type “volunteer” in the search box and click on the first result. Kid’s Night Out: Children, ages 3 to 11 years old, spend Friday nights creating arts and crafts, playing games, eating snacks, and enjoying a movie. Volunteers, 16 and up are needed to help staff prepare snack and transition between activities. They will also be expected to aid staff and children during art projects and games. Available dates are June 15 and 29 from 7:15pm to 9:30pm. Moonlight Movies: Lights, camera, action! Volunteers, 14 years and up, are needed to help with arts and crafts, games, face painting, and balloon animals before the movies this summer. Moonlight Movies are scheduled for June 8 and 22, July 6 and 20, and August 3 from 6pm to 8:30pm. Painting Park Fences: This opportunity is great for families, individuals, civic groups, churches. or other clubs. Youth ages 12 and over are welcome. This project needs at least 20 people to work in teams. Projects will be located at Greenbrook and/or John Baldwin Elementary Schools and will take place Saturday, June 9 from 8:30am until noon. Get outside and help keep the Town looking great! Art Gallery Associates: Join the thriving art gallery scene by volunteering during gallery hours to inform patrons about the current exhibits and upcoming programs. This is an ongoing opportunity. Optional art related field trips for volunteers are provided. Village Theatre Ushers: Volunteers will be scanning patrons tickets, issuing will call tickets, seating patrons, monitoring the Village Theatre Art Gallery, and performing general upkeep during theatre performances. One hour of training is required and provided. One theatre ticket will be earned for every two shows worked. These ongoing shifts will vary by day and time. For more information, visit www.danville.ca.gov or call (925) 314-3400.

Veterans of Foreign Wars Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW), Post 75, San Ramon Valley meets every third Wednesday of the month at the Veterans Memorial Building located at 400 Hartz Avenue in Danville, located on the corner at East Prospect Avenue and Hartz Avenue. The June meeting will be held on June 20th. Doors open at 7PM, and the meeting begins at 7:30PM. For more information, contact Post Commander Nathan Greene at (925) 875-1747. Mail to: VFW Post 75 San Ramon Valley, P.O. Box 1092, Danville, CA 94526. Find out more about the VFW and our Post on the internet at www.vfwpost75.org.

Blackhawk Republican Women Present John Hanson John Hanson, Chair of the Monterey County Romney Campaign, will be speaking on “The European Financial Crisis” at the June 6 meeting of the Blackhawk Republican Women. The event will be held at the Blackhawk Country Club located at 599 Blackhawk Club Dr. in Danville, and check-in and social will begin at 11:15 followed by lunch and the speaker at 11:30. Cost for the event is $25. Mr. Hanson’s conservative credentials started with his work on Margaret Thatcher’s campaign. He joined forces with Sir James Goldsmith in the late ‘90’s to lead the referendum effort that successfully prevented the Euro from replacing the pound sterling as Great Britain’s currency. Managing the Monterey Republican Party office of Carly Fiorina and Meg Whitman further prepared him for his current position. He shares many of Gov. Romney’s concerns regarding the United States’ financial health, being intimately familiar with European and Chinese economies via his successful textile business. Come hear what’s going on in the Euro zone and how it affects the U.S. from a successful conservative businessman who knows! Please make reservations or cancellations by noon on Monday, June 4th by contacting marebradley@aol.com or (925)828-2360.

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Danville Community Band Season Finale Concert The Danville Community Band concludes its 10th Anniversary season Traveling the World by Song at their free concert on Sunday, June 17th at 3pm. The band will take you on an armchair tour of songs from around the world, including Barroso’s samba “Brazil,” Karrick’s “Bayou Breakdown,” and Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture.” Come join the band at Community Presbyterian Church located at 222 W. El Pintado Rd., in Danville as we chart the world with music. For more information about the band or future performances, visit www.danvilleband.org or call 925-837-5525.

Danville Girls Chorus Presenting Music through the Decades The Danville Girls Chorus will perform their final concert of the 2011-2012 season with a musical journey through the last hundred years of popular music. The performance will take place on Saturday, June 9th at 11AM at the East Bay Fellowship Church, located at 2615 Camino Tassajara Road in Danville. Tickets, costing $15 for adults and $5 for children 14 and under, can be purchased in advance by calling 837-2624 or at the door just prior to the concert.

Come Sing With Us! Danville Girls Chorus Placement Auditions for the 2012-2013 season are being held on Tuesday June 12th in Danville. Girls in grades 3-8 are invited to join the fun singing, performing, and learning how to read and appreciate music of all types. No experience is required. For more information or an appointment, please call the chorus line at (925) 837-2624. The Danville Girls Chorus is made up of girls from 3rd - 8th grades from over 30 local Tri-Valley schools. While the primary goal is music education, the girls also make lasting friendships and learn important life lessons such as teamwork, punctuality, respect, and how to follow directions...and they enjoy doing it! The affordable after school program meets once per week and is comprised of four choir levels that fit the girls experience and ability. The choir is under the artistic direction of Ken Abrams, award winning choral director for the San Ramon Valley High School. The girls are taught the basics of vocal production, and they learn the fundamentals of musicianship and note reading. They are also introduced to a variety of musical styles, ranging from classical to contemporary, folk tunes and pop music.

Families Helping Families Summer Camps Once again, Families Helping Families (FHF) will be hosting fun-filled summer camp days for children aged 3 to 6. FHF Summer Camps are a substantial part of our fundraising in support of the educational needs of children cared for by relative (Kinship) caregivers. Each day of the FHF Summer Camps will feature a different theme. Camp runs from 9am to Noon. The cost is $30 per day per child. Daily themes are: July 16th – Sports, July 17th – Safari, July 18th – Carnival, July 19th – Under-the-Sea. Camp will be held at the Aungle Residence at 1001 Ironwood Place, Alamo. Enroll at www.fhfcommunities.org or by contacting tanya_aungle@yahoo.com.

Art in the Park, Call for Artists Applications are being accepted for outdoor booth spaces in the 14th annual Art in the Park Fine Arts Festival to be held October 6th and 7th from 10AM to 5PM each day. The show will be held in their new larger location in Central Park in San Ramon. Art in the Park is presented by the Alamo Danville Artist’s Society and the San Ramon Arts Foundation as a fundraiser for Art in the Schools of the San Ramon Valley Union School District and other community activities. For information about these organizations, see www.adas4art.org and www. sanramonarts.org. Categories for consideration are painting, photography, ceramics, textiles, sculpture, and graphics. There will be limited openings for fine jewelry. Work must be original and created by the exhibiting artist. A new feature this year will be a Sidewalk Chalk Art event. Contact Mark Ballock at (925) 998-2924 or info@SanRamonArts.org for chalk information. Inquiries for artists’ applications can be addressed to Norma Webb at normawebb@comcast.net or (925) 828-9170.

Danville Today News ~ June 2012 - Page 5

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The Exchange Club of San Ramon Valley

Girl Scouts Need Your Help! It’s the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts! We are looking for a flatbed trailer/truck so we can put together a Girl Scout float for the Danville 4th of July parade, and we can advertise any company donation! The parade theme is “Small Town, Big Heart.” If you can help, please contact Magret Nunes at magretnunes@yahoo.com.

Alamo-Danville Newcomers Club The Newcomers Club cordially invites all ladies new to the area or long-time residents to a Welcome Coffee. This will be a casual get-together to learn about the many facets of the Club while enjoying coffee and some treats with friends. Please join us June 28th at 10AM to noon. For further information, please call (925) 281-1307, email us at alamodanvillenewcomers@yahoo.com, or visit our website www.alamodanvillenewcomers.com.

Gold Fever!

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.

Diablo View Toastmasters Club The Diablo View Toastmasters Club meets on Tuesdays 7:55 to 9AM at Center Plaza Building on 2333 San Ramon Valley Boulevard in San Ramon in the conference room (First Floor). For more information, see diabloview. freetoasthost.ws or call Ernie DeCoit at 925-699-7103.

On January 24, 1848, the American River area heard the cry of “Gold! Danville A.M. Toastmasters Club The Danville A.M. Toastmasters Club meets on Tuesdays from 7AM to 8:30AM Gold!.” Thousands headed to California from the midwest and eastern parts of the United States. They came from Canada, China, Hawaii, Mexico, and other at Father Nature’s Restaurant on East Prospect in Danville. The first breakfast is places around the globe. Most prospectors made their fortune, large or small, on us. Come by to check out the club - you’ll enjoy yourself while learning to be and then quickly turned to what they knew best: their businesses, farms, and the speaker you want to be. For more information, call Roxie at (925) 837-6253 or visit www.danvilleamtoastmasters.org. professions. California and the San Ramon Valley changed forever. The Museum of the San Ramon Valley is hosting the Gold Rush Exhibit Danville Toastmasters Club through July 14th. “Gold Fever!: The Untold Stories of the California Gold The Danville Toastmasters Club meets every Wednesday from 7:30 to Rush” tells the story from that first electric moment of discovery until it played 9PM at Diablo Valley College, Room W204. The college is located at 1690 out with arrival of prospectors setting in the San Ramon Valley. Pioneer ValWatermill Road in San Ramon. For more information, visit www.danvilley families established homes here, and an emigrant trail diary along with letoastmasters1785.com/ or call Chandra Mundra at 925-389-1468. the rifle that protected that family on the long trek over endless prairies and Danville/Sycamore Rotary mountains proves it. If you are interested in visiting the Danville/Sycamore Valley Rotary Club, Supporting the exhibit, the Museum will feature tools used in placer mining contact club president Jim Coleman at coleman_jd@pacbell.net. Meetings along the rivers including gold pans, rocker boxes, gold molds, and an assay are held on Tuesdays at 7AM at Crow Canyon Country Club. office. When the easy placer gold was exhausted, hard rock mine tunnels were Danville Rotary dug. To illustrate this, actual drills, miners’ lamps, mercury to extract the gold The Danville Rotary Club meets every Monday at noon at Faz restaurant from the ore, and many other artifacts will be on display. The devastating hyin Danville. For more information, contact membership chairperson Jim draulic mining practice radically deformed Sierra landscapes, and an hydraulic Crocker at jimcrocker@pacbell.net or by phone at 925-577-6159. hose will be featured among other artifacts used. Original documents and coins of the period will also be displayed. Danville Lions Club Along the way, the prospectors met the Chinese in the diggings. HardThe Danville Lions Club invites you to join us for dinner and to learn more about working and diligent, these Asian immigrants became a permanent part of how our club serves the community. Meetings are held at the Brass Door, 2154 San our American community. Courtesy of the Chinese Historical Society of San Ramon Valley Blvd, San Ramon on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month at Francisco, you will be able to see some of the articles which helped ease the 7PM. For more information, please call Dr. Brent Waterman at (925) 275-1990. everyday lives of the workers, enabling them to survive backbreaking work and thrive among us. Special Gold Rush Exhibit Events include Dr. William Harlan speaking on “Exploits of a gold rush family!” on June 3rd from noon to 3pm. Dr. Yee - Gold Rush Herbalist presents “Chinese Miners in the Gold Rush” on July 8th from noon to 3pm. Gold panning at the Museum will take place June 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, and July 7. Museum hours are Tuesday to Friday 1pm to 4pm and Purveyors of classic, exotic, and Saturday 10am to 1pm. Entrance is free to members and there is a small fee for non-members. The Museum is high-performance cars for more than 30 years. located at the corner of Railroad and Prospect Avenues California’s #1 Classic Car Dealer in downtown Danville. For more information, call 925Over 200 vehicles in inventory! 837-3750 or visit www.museumsrv.org.

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

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FOOD: Local, Free-Range or Organic? By Cynthia Ruzzi, President Sustainable Danville Area

Danville Today News ~ June 2012 - Page 7

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Foreclosed Real Estate Partnerships Doesn’t it seem like feeding ourselves and our families has gotHigh Return Requires a Minimum Cash ten a lot more complex in the last few years? Deciding on the best food options at the grocery store is time consuming and sometimes Investment With No Experience in difficult. Is the fresh, organic broccoli trucked from thousands of Real Estate or Construction. miles away better for you than the conventional broccoli grown Contact: Adamsson Associates Inc. and frozen 200 miles from your home? 925-575-2057 We want to feed ourselves and our families well. We want to do right by our farmers and their workers, www.adamsson.com our environment, and our local economy. Yet, if we’re going to spend more of our paycheck on food, then don’t we want to make sure that there’s a payback in taste and nutrition? Hence the dilemma: When shopping, should you buy local, free-range, or organic food? So why is eating local a big deal? According to the World Watch Institute, food consumed in the U.S. typically travels 1,500-2,500 miles to reach our plates. In fact, the energy used for food production accounts for about 20% of all fossil fuel used in the United States. A local-eating pioneer, Joan Gussow, once said that shipping a strawberry from California to New York requires 435 calories of fossil fuel but provides the eater with only five calories of nutrition. Based on that, what you eat may be as important as what you drive. When you shift your diet toward local foods, you are protecting nearby farms, reducing carbon emissions, and supporting your local economy. Besides being better for the environment, local food generally tastes much better because it is picked when it is ripe and is much fresher when we eat it. Eating fresh, local food allows you to capture nutrients that will have otherwise diminished over the many miles conventional foods normally take to reach your plate. However, it seems to me that if the ‘fresh, local food’ is grown conventionally using chemical pesticides (or in the case of meat - antibiotics and hormones), it defeats the benefits of buying ‘fresh.’ When I shop at local farmers market, I ask vendors, “How do you grow your vegetables (or raise your meat)?” These open-ended questions (instead of “Do you spray pesticides on your crop?”) usually reveal which farms are passionate about sustainable, healthy growing practices. And let’s face it, if I’m going to pay more for farmers’ market products, then I want to make sure I’m not just paying for atmosphere. Is free-range the ‘Wild West’ of eating? The term ‘free range’ implies that the animal is allowed to roam freely instead of being contained in any manner. However, USDA regulations apply only to poultry and indicate that the animal has been ‘allowed access to’ the outside. The USDA regulations do not specify the quality or size of the outside range, nor the duration of time that an animal must have access to the outside. So cowboy, free-range isn’t a guarantee that your chick has ever left the hen house – where they have been trained to find food and water. Hence, that grass stomping hen may only be more nutritious for you when the term free-range is partnered with ‘no antibiotics, no hormones, organically-fed and/or grass-fed.’ Do you need to eat only organic food? Did you know that if your food doesn’t say 100% organic it can contain unhealthy chemicals? If a product label says ‘Made with Organic Products’ it means that only 70% of the products need to be organic in that food item. However, organic products can be twice as expensive as conventional items, so if you must make a trade-off between which products to buy orAssistance League Seeks Prospective Members ganic, then use a resource like the Dirty Dozen List from the Environmental Assistance League® of Diablo Valley is a nonprofit member volunteer organizaWorking Group. They offer a downloadable list for your wallet and you can tion dedicated to improving lives in our community through hands on programs. find the complete list at www.ewg.org/foodnews/list/. In response to a growing client base, we are actively pursuing prospective In the end, it’s pretty basic. The more you know about your food sources and members who would enjoy volunteering through projects that benefit school the more you eat whole, unprocessed foods, the healthier you’ll be. If you are children and seniors. interested in learning more about how our food choices affect ourselves, our st pm A Prospective Member Coffee will be held on Wednesday, June 20th at 9:30AM, families, and our community, then please join us Thursday, June 21 6:30 . at the Community Resource Center located at 2711 Buena Vista Avenue, Walnut The Danville Library is sponsoring this month’s Sustainable Danville Area Creek. If you are interested in spending quality time while helping those who are Forum with two special speakers. Linda Riebel, author of The Green Foodprint vulnerable, please phone 925-934-0901. For more information, visit diablovalwill talk about the main guidelines to environmentally wiser food and share ley.assistanceleague.org. many options, so you can tailor earth-friendly eating to your own lifestyle. Also, Danville Area Sustainable Business leader Joey Mazzera from Green Apple AcuSan Ramon Valley Genealogical Society puncture (www.greenappleacupuncture.com) will reveal the ten most important The San Ramon Valley Genealogical Society meets at 10AM the third herbs to integrate into your diet for a holistic approach to healthy living. Joey is a Tuesday of every month, except August and December, at the Danville licensed Acupuncturist and received her Master’s Degree in Traditional Chinese Family History Center, 2949 Stone Valley Road, Alamo. There will be a Medicine from The American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San speaker at every meeting. Everyone is welcome. For information, call Ed at (925) 299-0881, visit www.srvgensoc.org, Francisco. For more information, visit us at www.sustainabledanville.com and or email SRVGS@SRVGenSoc.org. www.facebook.com/SustainableDanvilleArea.

Page 8 - June 2012 ~ Danville Today News

Charlotte Wood Middle School By Christopher George, Principal Our students have just wrapped up their STAR testing for the year- always an unofficial sign that the end of the school year is within sight. This year has been so amazing on so many fronts. We have seen great strides made by our teachers on technology, assessment, and learning fronts. More importantly, we have seen another group of students grow and mature, and now move on to their new role as San Ramon Valley High School Freshmen. The first thing we must do is thank the PTA and the parent community from the bottom of our hearts for the makeover of the staff room. What an inspiring gift to our teachers, as a new place to collaborate, relax, talk, and learn together. As we get close to the end of the year, as we’ve mentioned, we join our 8th graders in looking forward to their promotion and 8th grade activities. We have sent the behavioral and academic requirements home. And while the year is ending for students, we are already looking forward to next year. Next year, we will see Charlotte Wood grow, especially with our incoming 6th grade class. That will bring changes to our setup, but it will not bring change to our commitment to student learning for all students. Most importantly, next year as a staff, we will begin the process of transitioning to the National Common Core Standards. This is a set of national standards for students that will once again bring improvements to the ways that we teach and assess kids. We will undoubtedly have many more conversations about

St. Isidore Catholic School So Long, Farewell... By Jean Schroeder, Principal It is the time of year where we have to say good-bye to a few dear colleagues and hello to a special one. A rite of passage at St. Isidore School is about to come to an end. For the past thirty years, Maureen Wroblewski has taught junior high History, Religion, and Language Arts at St. Isidore School. She has seen countless changes at the school, made lifelong friends with her colleagues, dear friendships with families of her students, and has been deeply involved in St. Isidore Parish since 1974. In addition to her role of being an educator, her own four children attended St. Isidore School. In countless ways, she has been involved and connected to the school, parish, and families for many years. Two of our teachers are leaving to have babies, and we couldn’t be happier for them. Mrs. Beaver, one of our Kindergarten teachers, will be leaving to start a family. Mrs. Beaver has been with us for seven years, starting as our Art Teacher then moving to Kindergarten. Mrs. Kehrig, our sixth grade language art and writing teacher, is leaving as well. She has been with us for four years, and we are thrilled that she is expecting a little girl in July to join her family. Mrs. Kehrig’s students will miss her dearly. A few other faculty members are leaving us this year after many years of service. Mrs. Davis, Mrs. Coggiola, and Mrs. Overton are three fantastic Instructional Assistants who combined have been here 23 years. Mrs. Davis and Mrs. Coggiola, will now have the opportunity to spend time with their grandchildren. Mrs. Overton is moving from the educational world to the business world. We wish them all much happiness. As for myself, I too am leaving after 21 years here at St. Isidore, not to mention the 12 years as Principal at Assumption School in San Leandro. With a heavy heart, yet with much anticipation to welcoming more grandchildren on the way, I am embracing the future ahead with joy, peace, and hope for many new exciting memories. Although leaving St. Isidore School is a difficult time for me, I am thrilled to welcome my partner Mrs. Maria Ward as new Principal at St. Isidore School. Mrs. Ward started at St. Isidore as a fourth grade teacher, then became an eighth grade teacher, and she has served as Vice Principal for the last four years. She brings a wealth of knowledge, passion, and enthusiasm to our school. Our Pastor, faculty, parents, and parishioners feel confident that she will continue to lead the school to our 21st century learning objectives, she will bring a sense of community within our school and parish, and she will model in the footsteps of Christ. We are going to truly miss all who are leaving us this school year. However we feel blessed for the time they committed to St. Isidore School. As Mrs. Wroblewski gracefully says, “Because I knew you, I have been changed for the better.” It is quite clear that because we knew you, our lives have been changed for the better.

www.yourmonthlypaper.com that as time goes on. In addition, we look forward to more ways to effectively use and obtain technology. Clearly, community support in this area is gratefully appreciated, and it remains crucial to providing a 21st century education. Please join us, as a community, in congratulating our outgoing students and their parents on a successful trip through Middle School. And of course, help me welcome our new incoming 6th graders. We look forward to next year. Have a great summer.

SRV Christian Academy By Jan Brunkal, Principal Spring is definitely upon us, and we are clearly in the throes of activities. Our spring concerts/musicals are a great way to celebrate the end of a busy school year. Kindergarten through 2nd grade stole the stage with their sweet voices and heartfelt songs in their program entitled, The Ultimate Question. Our 3rd through 5th graders were amazing in their play, Praise Rocks. The 5th graders were the stars of the show. I am so amazed at the talent: the quality of the singing, dancing, and acting made the show come alive. A big thank you to our fabulous music teacher, Miss Katie Hugill, for pulling all of this together and letting our students share their God-given talents with all of us. Our 4th graders just returned from their “Miners” camp called “Rock and Water.” They had a great time camping out under the stars, panning for gold, and getting dirty, just like the old miners did. Our 8th grade graduation is the culmination of each year. Our graduation ceremony is like no other. This is a time for our 8th graders to share their memories of past years, testimonies, and musical talents. These are such proud moments for their parents and teachers to watch what wonderful young men and women they have become. It’s exciting to see not only the academic growth in these students but to watch their spiritual and physical maturity as they confidently head off to many different high schools. We are very proud of our alumni as they make their mark on their campuses. They are not only prepared academically but also make great contributions in the areas of sports, music, speech, and drama as well as being outstanding leaders serving in key leadership roles. As we prepare for summer, my hope is that we don’t over-commit ourselves or our kids. Summer has become shorter and shorter over the years and gone are the days where our children actually have the time to get bored. Getting bored creates creativity and self-expression. Time with family, without an agenda and just hanging out without technology, is a great thing. Camps are great, and tournaments and sports activities are great too, but remember, your children will only be with you for a short time. Let’s enjoy them by just being together. Saying “no” to busyness is not a bad thing.

St. Isidore School students get ready to give a fond farewell to principal Jean Schroeder who is retiring after 21 years of teaching and leading the school. During her role as principal she has kept the school full, raised funds to build a new school library, extended the kindergarten day, and kept a balanced budget in both the prosperous years and our current lean economic times. Without a doubt she knows each and every student by name and a little something about them. Whether she is handing out “calming mints,” giving a hug, enforcing the skirt length, or leading the school in the Rosary she will be missed by all. But, her vision of a strong and faithful community, a competitive and nurturing curriculum, and a charitable environment will undoubtedly continue in St. Isidore School students, administration, and families.

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Stone Valley Middle School By Shaun K. McElroy, Principal PTA Honorary Service Awards As part of our spring Open House event, the PTA hosted a reception for our Honorary Service Award recipients. The recipients below received repeated ovations from nearly 900 parents, students, and staff. • Janis Dewar – Honorary Service Award - Regional Director SF Bay Region Odyssey of the Mind since 2004, increased the number of competitive teams by 66%. Member California Odyssey of the Mind Board, served on the PTA Executive Board at Stone Valley for 7 years. • PamAbsher – Continuing ServiceAward - SV 2011-12 PTAPresident, three major accomplishments – 1) parent classroom visitation day, 2) providing blue tooth audio systems to all academic classrooms, 3) doubling the attendance at Open House and creating a grand community event for the Honorary Service Awards ceremony. Five years service to both to lunch time supervision and office support, Ed Fund Assistant secretary. • Jeff Hager – Honorary Service Award - Coaches after school sports (cross country, ultimate Frisbee), Started two new classes in the past two years, Video Production and Environmental Marine Science, member of the field day and staff development committees. Co-created the SV community garden. Won the National Educational video competition. • Cecilia Reyes – Very Special Person Award -14 years at Stone Valley as Counselor Tech, eight years as Registrar. We wish Cecelia good luck in her retirement. • Denise True – Golden Oak Award – Nearly 20 years of service to the Alamo community, classroom volunteer, two term PTA President, PE Assistant, Library Aide, Office support, Parent Education Program, SV Attendance Secretary, and current Office Manager. • M’Lu Knauss – Continuing Service Award - Boy Scout Unit Commissioner, Para Educator Alamo School, math intervention specialist, Noon Duty supervision, CCD teacher at St. Mary’s of Walnut Creek, math tutor. • Fred Hofsterter – Honorary Service Award – Leader Boy Scout Troop 216, 8 years, Scout Master Award of Merit 2009. Served 21 years in the US Army in the following venues Operation Desert Storm, Desert Shield, Exxon Valdez oil

San Ramon Valley High School By Joseph A. Ianora, Principal It is hard to believe, but it is true - the school year is almost over! We have finals and graduation, and then we are out for the summer! I would like to share a few thoughts and reflections as we near the end of the school year. New Administrative Changes: Change can be unsettling, especially when it involves a Principal and Assistant Principal who have been here for quite some time. Questions include: Who will the new principal be? What changes will they make? Will the change benefit my student? And, how will the change affect my student’s learning? Some questions will be answered very quickly, and others will take more time. The important thing to remember is to dialogue with and support each other through this time of change. While it can be anxiety producing, it is also a wonderful opportunity to develop new relationships and enhance an already incredible educational experience. As for me, I have loved my time at San Ramon Valley High School. You have given so much to me – your time, your financial support, and most importantly, your sons and daughters. I truly hope their high school experiences have been positive ones under my tenure. Wolftracks, the magazine: We published our second edition of our SRVHS magazine (Wolftracks), filled with interesting articles about Alumni and current events at the school. If you would like to receive this magazine, please sign up under Alumni on our web page (www.srvhs.net), or stop by school to pick up a copy. Sports: We are winding down yet another phenomenal season with our Spring Athletic Teams reaching great heights. ~ Women’s Swimming & Diving • EBAL Champions! • NCS Champions – SRVHS won by an impressive 92 points at the NCS Meet ~ Men’s Swimming & Diving • EBAL Champions! • 3rd Place at NCS Championships, missing out on 2nd by a few points ~ Women’s Track & Field • EBAL Champions! • 4th Place at NCS Qualifying Meet • 7 Athletes (Kaitlyn Eklem, Emily Evans, Alina Sinclair, Sammi Kruger,

Danville Today News ~ June 2012 - Page 9 spill, Loma Prieta Earthquake, hurricanes Andrew and Hugo. • Linda Buschmeyer – Continuing Service Award, Rancho Romero PTA Executive Board 3 years, lunch supervision, PTA Cross county chair, PTA Reflections Chair, Parliamentarian, 8th grade promotions chair.

Alamo Rotary Teacher and Student of the Year Jeff Hager was busy completing his 6th year as a science teacher at SV and probably never saw the Teacher of the Year and the Honorary Service Award coming his way. Jeff is humble and hardworking, and his love of science and his enthusiasm for the natural world is contagious amongst the student body. Jeff is the “Pied Piper” on the SV campus. When Jeff started coaching cross country, 75 students were seen running down Miranda Avenue at 7AM following him to Starbucks. Jeff’s following continued to build as he created new opportunities for students through sports, science, video production classes and working in the community garden. Jeff also created the award winning video seen here www.nextvista.org/bohr-model-of-the-atom. The 2011-12 Student of the Year was chosen by teachers representing every grade level and subject discipline. The intent of the group was to insure that Mackenzie Loar was chosen. “Mac,” as she’s known, has touched the lives of adults and students through her academic efforts, achieving the Principals Honor Roll status for five straight semesters, appearances on SVTV, WEB leader to 6th graders and as a teaching assistant. Jeff Hager presented Mac at the Rotary Awards luncheon, and noted, “Many students seem to begin a dark descent as they navigate the middle school years, but Mac has continued to soar, starting out as an amazing and thoughtful 6th grader, and growing and blossoming each subsequent year. She is the type of student that makes her teachers proud and excited to be teachers, not just through her classroom achievement, but through positive attitude and willingness to make the world a better place, and she truly deserves this recognition as Rotary Student of the Year.”

Math Counts Team Wins National Video Competition Coach Rebecca Herman worked with the team of Joel Herman, Jake Horne, Jake Perry, and Alec Zhang to create a video that received national recognition. The title of the video was Probability, Counting & Combinatorics. The problem the students dealt with was how to create 120 combinations of clothing using a minimal amount of garments and accessories. Go to http://video.reelmath.org/ home.aspx?vid=wZRnmEjM6Ww%253d to see how they did it. Rebecca Herman is this years’ recipient of the PTA Alumni Scholarship. Rebecca will attend UC Berkeley in the fall. Sarah Herron, Christine Bayliss and Sydney Biekert) to move onto the Meet of Champions at UC Berkeley ~ Men’s Track & Field • 6th Place at NCS Qualifying Meet over the weekend • 8 Athletes (Parker Deuel, David Griffith, Trevor Holmgren, Declan Rosdahl, Wade Wilson, Colin Barber, Kevin Tuckness, and Mark Roullier) will move on to the Meet of Champions at UC Berkeley ~ Men’s Lacrosse • EBAL Champions with an 18-3 record! • #1 Seed in the NCS Playoffs ~ Baseball • Tied for 2nd Place in EBAL • #4 Seed going into NCS playoffs ~ Men’s Golf • 3rd Place NCS Tournament of Champions • Competing at the Nor Cal Championships in Chico, CA ~ Men’s Volleyball • Advanced to the 2nd round of NCS as a #5 Seed ~ Men’s Tennis • Overall 12-4 record and seeded #7 in NCS • Beat Castro Valley in first round of NCS and lost to #2 seed and eventual NCS Champion Miramonte Thank you to Academic Boosters who support our academic programs through their financial contributions. They provide funding to support 18 classes! In addition to class size reduction and purchasing 70 iPads, they also fund our Career Center, after school tutoring, the student directory, and much more. As the year ends, we have staff members who are concluding their careers at SRVHS and going on to enjoy the benefits of retirement or new adventures. Retiring are Teresa Roeder and Phil Childress. Jesse Hansen will move to Martinez Junior High School as an administrator, John Walker will take over as principal of Campolindo High School and I will become principal at Del Amigo High School.

Class of 1967 San Ramon Valley High School Reunion Save the date for the San Ramon Valley High School class of 1967’s 45th reunion during Homecoming Weekend, October 12-14, 2012. For information, contact Carol Stewart Pierovich at (925) 820-4628 or sweetcarolann@ aol.com.

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Page 10 - June 2012 ~ Danville Today News

Monte Vista High School

SAT/ACT - Start Planning for College Now

By Janet Terranova, Principal

By Susan Sokat, Director, Club Z Tutoring!

We are in the middle of end-of-the-year activities, planning for next year and thinking about summer plans. Many of the culminating activities include award ceremonies for our students who excel in a variety of different arenas. Last week I had the opportunity go to the annual ROP Students of Excellence Awards Ceremony which honored 38 students from around the area and two of our own Monte Vista students. You may not be familiar with ROP (Regional Occupational Program), but you may have students and friends who participate in ROP programs. The Contra Costa County ROP serves nearly 12,000 students with classes in 34 high schools throughout Contra Costa and Alameda counties. The high school program has a variety of academically focused career classes, many of which meet the UC requirements. Monte Vista is fortunate to be able to offer many ROP courses including Engineering, Culinary Arts, Advance Placement Environmental Science, Developmental Psychology of Children, Sports Medicine, and many more. Some of the programs articulate with Diablo Valley College, and our studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; high school coursework allows the student to move beyond introductory courses at DVC. Great news for the next year â&#x20AC;&#x201C; We will have limited bus service from the Diablo Middle School area to Monte Vista through TRAFFIX. TRAFFIX is a congestion relief program in the San Ramon Valley which utilizes a fleet of school buses to help alleviate traffic congestion. TRAFFIX has been serving three schools in Danville since the Fall of 2009, and it is now expanding service on a one-year trial basis providing student shuttle bus service to Monte Vista High School for the 2012-2013 school year. The TRAFFIX shuttle bus will pick-up and drop-off at two locations: â&#x20AC;˘ Existing County Connection bus stop outside the Tassajara Crossing Shopping Center on Camino Tassajara â&#x20AC;˘ Blackhawk Plaza in the Draegerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parking lot *Exact shuttle stop locations will be provided on the Monte Vista High School page of the TRAFFIX website prior to the start of the 2012-13 school year. Please note the following: â&#x20AC;˘ TRAFFIX only has resources to serve students attending first period (not A period) â&#x20AC;˘ The TRAFFIX shuttle bus has a maximum capacity of 50 students â&#x20AC;˘ Seats will be sold on a first-come-first-serve basis TRAFFIX 2012-203 season passes are now on sale at a discounted rate. Register between today and June 14 and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll save $75 and get an annual pass for only $200 for the entire school year. The regular price is $275, still a bargain compared to what other student transportation program cost and still cheaper than driving. You can log-on to the TRAFFIX website at www.ridetraffix.com to create an account, register, and secure a seat for your student for the upcoming school year. We anticipate that this route will fill up quickly, so buy your pass today. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the TRAFFIX Program Manager, Alex Weis at manager@ridetraffix.com or call (925) 866-TRFX (8739) Monday through Friday between 8AM and 4PM.

For some students, thoughts and plans for higher education only begin as high school graduation nears. But, as the competition to get into college grows more fierce with every year, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important for students to make plans sooner rather than later. Wait too long and your spot at the college of your choice just may go to your neighbor in Chemistry class. If students want a competitive edge in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s market, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s critical to consider college placement exams such as the SAT and ACT well before your Senior year of high school. Start by researching your school of choice to see which test is preferred and to find out about minimum and average scores on either test that will be accepted for incoming freshmen. Knowing this will allow you to set goals for a successful score. If your school of choice accepts both the SAT and ACT as acceptable placement exams, consider taking both tests as part of your college preparation plans. You may find that you score higher on one test versus the other, depending on your aptitude for the various subject knowledge they measure. It is important to know the differences between the two exams, and you may want to take either of them multiple times in an effort to increase your score. Both tests contain math, reading, and writing, however the SAT has a focus on vocabulary, and the ACT has a section on scientific reasoning. SAT gives you a score for Reading, Writing, and Math. You can obtain a possible 800 on each subtest. ACT gives you an average score of the subject tests on a 36 point scale. SAT may tend to have â&#x20AC;&#x153;trickierâ&#x20AC;? questions. On the SAT, wrong answers may be used against you, and in some cases, it may be better to skip a question than to guess. You will want to know these facts about the tests in order to prepare. You will also want to know when each test is being offered and when to sign up for that date. To give yourself a better chance of increasing your scores on either exam, consider working with a private tutor. Taking sample practice tests and practicing on your specific areas of weakness is the best strategy for improving your scores. You will also want to memorize concepts and mathematical formulas, and practice your writing. For information on SAT and ACT individualized tutoring, contact Club Z! at 786-7149. Please find test dates and important information about the SAT and ACT tests at www.clubztutoring.com/danville. Start planning now for the college of your dreams!

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San Ramon Valley Pioneers -- and Gold! Part 2 By Beverly Lane In 1848 Joel Harlan and his cousin Jacob were partners in a thriving livery business in San Francisco. According to Jacob’s account, Peter Wimmer’s letter arrived in April and urged them to come immediately to mine. In his book California ‘46 - ‘68, Jacob said, “It upset all my business plans. I caught gold fever at once, and I notified my wife and my partner Joel that it was time to give up livery stable keeping and go to the mines.” So that spring Joel and Jacob left their livery business in San Francisco to set up a store in Coloma. According to Jacob, Joel put their horses to pasture at Squire Elam Brown’s ranch (in Lafayette) while he got a stock of goods “suitable for a store or trading post at the mines.” Jacob wrote that Joel was a doubting Thomas at first, wondering how “they would start a store with $500, which was our whole money capital.” William Leidesdorff, a prominent landowner and civic leader in San Francisco, knew the Harlans and agreed to advance them the money. Jacob wrote, “My purchases that day amounted to $4,500 for all of which Leidesdorff made himself responsible.” They took Capt. John Sutter’s launch up the Sacramento River and hired two ox teams in Sacramento to get to Coloma. Jacob wrote that he turned down an opportunity to be a partner with Sam Brannan “being already in partnership with Joel.” Their uncle Peter, who was still working on the saw mill, put them up at Coloma until they built a cabin. According to Jacob, they found that miners would pay whatever “we demanded for our goods.” Flour cost $1 a pound, coffee $1.50, and whiskey $8 a bottle. Jacob made money selling colorful cloth as sarapes to Indians. He said, “They had much fine gold which they carried in vulture or good quills” and were not stingy. In one day, two bolts brought $1,200 to the young merchant. José Maria Amador of the Rancho San Ramon went up in June and July of 1848, netting by his account $13,500 from mining and merchandise during one trip and $10,000 more in another. He took cattle and food to sell and brought 25 Indians with him from his Rancho to work for the gold. The Harlan boys weren’t the only ones to leave for the mines. Writers tell about the deserted streets and unfinished jobs in San Francisco, San Jose, and Monterey. Miners came from all over the world – China, Mexico, Europe, and the East Coast. Felix Coats, who settled in Tassajara Valley, wrote, “Hearing so many tales of the rich mines in California, which caused such wild excitement over the whole country, my father and I, having caught the ‘Gold Fever,’ were anxious

Danville Today News ~ June 2012 - Page 11 to try our luck.” They came in 1849. Brothers R. O. and John Baldwin came from Ohio to try their luck in the Gold Rush as well, arriving in Hangtown (Placerville) in July 1850. John’s diary about crossing the country is typical of many journeys although their small group of men on horseback brought a different perspective. The Harlan cousins sold their store in Coloma and returned to San Francisco. Joel and Minerva Fowler were married in 1849. In 1852 Joel used his earnings to purchase land from Amador and Norris. His family house which was built in 1858, El Nido, still sits at 19251 San Ramon Valley Blvd. Jane Wimmer claimed Marshall had given her back the original gold piece, and for years she kept it in a soft buckskin bag around her neck. According to Mary Ann Harlan Smith (Joel’s sister), Peter Wimmer sold it for $500 after her death. Mary Ann thought the honor of finding the first gold belonged to both Marshall and Wimmer. It is said that gold started California, perhaps too quickly. Some historians suggest that the abrupt beginnings of the state, with a practically all-male cast of characters, was not the best foundation for statehood. J. P. Munro, in his 1883 History of Contra Costa County, called the first pioneers “birds of passage” who had been to the mines, felt the blessings of the “glorious climate of California,” and returned to settle. They may not have planned it, but these pioneers joined others and became the backbone of the new state.

All-American Grilling Wine By Monica Chappell As a proud flag waver for America’s own grape, Zinfandel, Zin epitomizes California. Known as the quintessential California grape variety, much of the appeal of this American treasure comes from the grapes complexity. At the same time, Zinfandel tends to be very approachable and a shoe in for casual summer gatherings.

Style and Stylish This uniquely American fine-wine grape has a history of moving in and out of fashion. Classic red Zinfandel has fruit aromas of dark cherries, plums, raspberries, and blackberries and can range dramatically in style. These stylistic variations influence how the wine will likely pair with food. The styles you may encounter include: • Medium-Full Body: expressive fruit with some barrel age, often spicy • Full Body: ripe, higher alcohol, often more tannic and oaky • Late Harvest: dessert style, sweet, port-like, high alcohol

All About the Food Unlike many other reds, Zinfandel is very compatible with food and especially loves the grill. Food pairings that work well include: • Heartier dishes that have been grilled, braised, or smoked • Many salty dishes, as Zin is better then most reds due to its forward, sweet berry fruit • Fruit based sauces, particularly those with berry fruits • Sharp cheeses like Manchego and washed rind cheeses like Taleggio

A Few Zin’s to Try

Lic# 1100014354; Bay Area Entertainment

I recently participated in a 2009 Sonoma County Zinfandel tasting (yes, it was fun), and here are my top picks: Seghesio Family Vineyards Home Ranch, JC Cellars St. Peters Church, Carlisle “Carlisle Vineyard,” Ridge Vineyard Pagani Ranch, and Ravenswood Sonoma County. A schedule of Wine Appreciation classes taught by Monica Chappell, wine writer and educator, can be found at www.wineappreciation101. blogspot.com.

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Page 12 - June 2012 ~ Danville Today News

Privacy By Evan Corstorphine, Portable CIO In March 2011 I wrote about privacy, at least the illusion of it we all subscribe to, and how much things have changed over the last twenty years. I described how the common individual has no concept of how little privacy they retain and how much information anyone with computer skills can dig up on their lives. I’m sure it upset a lot of people to realize they live far from anonymously, and how much they’ve lost control over their anonymity. Sometimes even I am caught off-guard. I have a simple anecdote to describe just such an incident. A young friend of our family turned 21 recently. As is customary, he invited a handful of his closest friends to meet him at a local bar for a night of over-imbibing to mark his ascension into the world of “grown-ups.” I suppose it’s necessary at this point to explain that I’m 48, not in my 20’s, so I’m pretty unfamiliar with the bar scene. Anyway, my wife and I showed up, and a young man was stationed in front of the bar checking ID’s. Ok, I figured his job is to ensure nobody under 21 finds their way into the bar. It makes sense in this ever-regulated world for a small business to protect itself by ensuring there is no way an under-age drinker makes their way into the bar. But it was more than that. I sensed something was different when we approached the front of the line and the young man held his hand out to signal us to s.t.o.p. and wait “there” before we went any further to enter the bar. As he finished with the person ahead of us, the young man asked for our ID’s. At first I felt complimented, because being salt and pepper (probably a little heavier on the salt!), I thought it was a formality that he wanted to see our ID’s. I even pointed to my grey hair and said, “Really? You’re kidding, right?,” in an effort to relieve him of this formality. Maybe he was just checking to make us feel good; maybe we still looked young enough to pass for someone under 21? All of these thoughts were quickly erased when in a tone reminiscent of my last traffic stop, he asked me to take my license out of my wallet, not just show it to him. That surprised me. Should I keep my hands where he could see them, too? At this point, the cuteness of the situation receded, and I was pretty irritated. Yes, he was doing his job, but what the heck was this? I was just looking to go into a bar and have a drink

with a young friend. How does ensuring drinking age devolve into this? After a brief exchange that left my wife completely irritated with me “for causing trouble,” we entered the bar and proceeded to revel in the celebration with our friend. But the incident stuck with me, because I felt like I had been unexpectedly poked by the horns of the privacy dilemma. I wasn’t satisfied or settled with the way our entry into the bar had gone, so I made my way to a friendly face behind the bar, and I asked her what was with this third-degree at the front door, and why was someone so very obviously over 21 being treated like this? What she said made sense but made me sad. Yes, she said, they check ID’s to ensure people are 21. But when they ask you to take your ID out of your wallet and scan it, it’s because they store the information contained on your driver’s license in their own little ID database. They do this, she said, to hold onto a list of everyone who entered the bar in case of fights or other problems, where it’s necessary to give information to the police about who was in the establishment. I don’t know if this is a condition of their business license for that type of establishment in that city, but it may be. She went on to explain that felons often don’t have licenses, and that by asking for an ID they are excluding those who’ve just been released from state accommodations, which seems to further reduce the possibility for trouble. The bottom line? You cannot be anonymous if you want to go to that bar. All of this made enough sense for me to go to the young man at the front door and apologize for giving him a hard time. But this loss of anonymity bothers me, and I find it unsettling. I don’t like being tracked, and I bristle when someone tells me in an officious tone to take my license out of my wallet and hand it to them. It is an element of control and intrusion over me that I didn’t bargain for when I agreed to come out and have a drink with a friend. I live a low-key life, fairly anonymously, and when I am unexpectedly yanked out of that anonymity, I react. Our kids don’t know any different and think I’m making a big deal. Am I just old and cranky? I’ll let you be the judge. It seems like one more unexpected corner of our lives where our privacy has been sacrificed for the “greater good.” Welcome to the new age. Your papers, please? Computers, networks, and of course privacy require a steady hand from seasoned professionals. Coincidentally, some of those professionals reside at Portable CIO, a great local IT consulting firm that can be reached by emailing helpdesk@ theportablecio.com or calling 925-552-7953 for a consultation. Advertorial

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Danville Today News ~ June 2012 - Page 13

America Can Compete (When Given a Chance) By Mark Becker, GoSimpleSolar

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Our economy has had its share of ups and downs. Fortunately, the era of the “Robber OFF Brand Names! Baron” is over. Next followed the “Gilded Age when America rose to dominance in Tremendous Discounts on the world economy because of our manufacturing base. Slowly our economy morphed Barbecues, Smokers & Accessories into the “Global Free Trade” model. Global trade has brought some advantages to Direct from the National Hardware Show the American consumer, yet it has also damaged the American economy. American Many models in stock manufacturing was 53% of our economy in the 1960’s, and it is now less than 8%. Qty’s limited. No rainchecks. Mexico is now the world leader in the manufacture of auto parts. In the 1970’s the dumping of foreign steel destroyed that industry; the new Bay Bridge is 100% foreign steel. In the 1980’s it was foreign textiles. In the 1990’s it was out-sourcing of service industry and call center jobs. Currently our airline industry has to compete against state owned foreign carriers with very deep pockets. Perhaps when a radiologist in India is reading your x-ray over the internet from your doctor’s or dentist’s office (coming soon), the doctor’s lobby will intervene. America is not protecting herself through our economic, corporate, or labor practices. Every economist knows that an American manufacturing job is the greatest economic multiplier in terms of providing for our economy’s strength and resilience. Robert Morley sums it up best saying “Admirers of globalization contend that freer access to foreign markets and cheap labor increase corporate profits $25.00 OFF any purchase over $150.00 YTMSD AT With Ad. Exp. 7/6/12 and thereby benefit the U.S. economy. While this argument may superficially sound compelling, it ignores the Products shown are examples of what you may find in stores dangerous long-term effects of manufacturing losses. In reality, outsourcing makes Americans poorer over time, www.rickspicks.biz because America’s wealth and technology slowly migrate to other nations.” Since manufacturing has moved Downtown Danville • 375 Hartz Avenue • 925.837.DEAL (3325) to China, which economy is thriving,? America’s or China’s? Germany has protected their manufacturing base Downtown Pleasanton • 719 Main Street • 925.426.SAVE (7283) by a process called “co-determination” where the workers and the board members of companies work together incorporate governance, keeping in mind the long term health Sell Your Used Car or Furniture! of the company when making strategic decisions and negotiating labor agreements. I believe WE are to blame because of loopholes in trade agreements, consumer shopping habits, and the relationship between corporate boards and American workers. The trickle down effect of cheap foreign labor and the flood of offshore products from industries we formerly dominated has decimated our economic base. As a nation, we need to encourage the growth of American manufacturing jobs by I handle all the details and deliver a check when your items sell. ensuring that trade agreements and business/labor practices allow us to compete. Author Hard-working local college student with lots of experience. Stephen Young argues that “Brute capitalism - profit-seeking regardless of effects - must Call today to discuss items you’d like to consign and sell! give way to moral capitalism to attain widespread monetary and moral well-being.” Tato Corcoran • 925.858.7282 • tatocorcoran@yahoo.com American Capitalism must be responsible and sustainable in order for it to survive. From the solar industry, I’d like to share a LOCAL success story about American ingenuity and manufacturing at its finest. Quick Mount PV is a manufacturer of solar roof mounting products. These products lead the industry in innovation, design, quality, and price. All of this is achieved from their Walnut Creek headquarters and manufacturing facility where over 60 employees work. Since their birth in 2006, they have achieved growth of 75% year over year. I would like to commend the leadership and employees of Quick Mount PV. They demonstrate Yankee ingenuity and American business practices at their finest. America’s largest solar panel manufacturer, SolarWorld, is the leader of the Coalition of American Solar Manufacturers. As of May 18th, CASM has won a second round in a trade case against China. It has been proven to the US Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission that China has been illegally dumping their solar panels into the US market. America can compete when we stand together in legislation, moral business practice, and resolve. We recently had the pleasure of doing a site visit for the Deputy Director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He is responsible for new and emerging solar technologies. What he shared with us: “Today is the right time to go solar. None Come taste our wines, of the new technology that can last for 25 years will be available in the near future. shop in our Winery Boutique store, or Current products are the most cost effective, reliable, durable and have proven longevity.” Straight from the horse’s mouth: Now is a great time to go solar. choose our breathtaking venue for your As a veteran owned business, GoSimpleSolar is proud to practice our own version wedding or private party. of “patriotic capitalism.” We’ll use American made products at every opportunity. We’ll do it at a very competitive price. GoSimpleSolar and our customers can rest well at night knowing we’ll have the product support when we need it, and that our product choices have had a positive impact on the American economy. Come see, Call for hours touch, and discuss our solar and energy efficiency products at our showroom at 114 West Prospect Avenue, Danville. Mark Becker is the President of GoSimpleSolar, by Semper Fidelis Construction, a Danville based Solar Installation Firm based in Danville. He can 5700 Greenville Rd, Livermore, CA 94550 be reached at 925.915.9252. For more details, see www.GoSimpleSolar.com or www.redfeatherwinery.com email Mark@GoSimpleSolar.com. Advertorial

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Page 14 - June 2012 ~ Danville Today News

Energy Audits for a Healthier Lifestyle

By Energy Pros

While our home is essentially our castle, we want to keep it running at its peak for top efficiency. Evaluating one’s entire home is the smart choice. When we think of our electric bill, did you know that the average cost of electricity has risen approximately 4.3% per year since year 2000? And there seems to be no light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. It is with that thought, and by verifying our energy consumption levels, we can then begin to reduce our utility costs. In order to bring these costs down, taking matters into our own hands is a savvy cost and comfort-effective decision. To effectively keep our home at its optimal level, a professional energy audit will evaluate where you might have consumption issues. Adding insulation in the attic or weather stripping around doors might not be enough to keep you more comfortable year ‘round. Energy Pros, Inc., located in Livermore, is a professional building and energy contractor company. The experts will assess your surroundings to determine if an energy audit is necessary for your home. In their evaluation, they may also recommend ways to conserve water both inside and out; the swimming pool is often overlooked, as well as the landscaping. There are an array of ways to cut water consumption once specific issues are discovered. Energy audits consist of physical and visual assessments of a home or building. The testing procedures include a pressurized air test to determine the amount of air that leaks from a building as well as the use of a thermal imaging camera which shows temperature variations inside of walls, ceilings, and floor systems. These tests can locate any problems related to energy use. The Energy Pros crew will check out the overall condition of the home or building. They will check for allergens, dust, moisture and humidity, and drafty areas in the living or workspace. Your specialist will suggest ways to improve the air quality inside your home as well; maintaining your good health. Does your home have hot or cold spots? Always be aware of hot or cold areas in your living space. Where air is coming in or escaping will cost you. Your contractor will suggest possible upgrades or replacements to doors, windows, A/C, or furnace units. Your equipment may also be outdated and need to be replaced. When considering energy upgrades and upon the advice of your service provider, keep in mind that there could be rebates, incentives, and loans available for your good choices. Be sure to check with your utility company, and county or city. Log on to www.energyupgradeca.org to learn more. You could be rewarded for the improvements made to your own home and by energy you save. The tests performed by Energy Pros will also help keep occupants safe as they determine carbon monoxide levels. That alone will help you sleep more soundly. Audits give homeowners good insight into which events should take place to make their home more energy efficient. Exp. 6/30/12 With warmer weather approaching, expensive cooling loads during the summer months need not be tolerated especially in this economy. The professionals at Energy Pros can cut costs to consumers by addressing the issues related to A/C output and leave you with a more comfortable living space. Sophisticated calculations are performed to measure use and overall performance of your A/C unit. These tests can ultimately save consumers serious money in the long run. Energy Pros, upon evaluating one client’s home in Dublin has been instrumental in saving the homeowner well $ $ $ $ over $1,200 on his yearly electric bill. By simply performing an energy audit in his Any Purchase Any Purchase Any Purchase Any Purchase home, educating him on where his energy of $1995 or more of $2995 or more of $3995 or more of $4995 or more was not used wisely, and making the appropriate repairs, this client’s home is now running at peak performance, while saving him energy-spending dollars. Danville 925.648.0293 If you are interested in contacting the professionals at Energy Pros, be 3426 Camino Tassajara prepared for a thorough, safe, and honest home assessment. To contact Energy Alamo 925.820.8492 Pros, call 855-674-7761, email info@ Open Tues thru Sat 10 to 6 3189 Danville Boulevard energypros.net, or visit their website at Sunday 11 to 5 • Closed Monday www.energypros.net. Advertorial

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Danville Today News ~ June 2012 - Page 15

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Page 16 - June 2012 ~ Danville Today News

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Tax Tips By Bob Shalon, IRS Enrolled Agent, H&R Block, Danville Office Automated IRS System Helps CollegeBound Students with Financial Aid Application Process College-bound students and their parents typically want to make every dollar and every minute of the college experience count including money spent on tuition and time spent on the college financial aid application process. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is helping minimize the time spent on the completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form by automating access to federal tax returns with the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. This tool provides the opportunity for applicants to automatically transfer the required tax data onto the FAFSA form. Here are some tips on using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool: • Benefits - The IRS Data Retrieval tool is an easy and secure way to access and transfer tax return information directly onto the FAFSA form, saving time and improving accuracy. Also, the increased accuracy reduces the likelihood of being selected for verification by the school’s financial aid office. • Eligibility Criteria - Taxpayers who wish to use the tool to complete their 2012 FAFSA form must 1) Have filed a 2011 tax return 2) Possess a valid Social Security Number 3) Have a Federal Student Aid PIN (individuals who don’t have a PIN, will be given the option to apply for one through the FAFSA application process) and 4) Have not changed marital status since Dec. 31, 2011. • Exceptions - If any of the following conditions apply to the student or parents, the IRS Data Retrieval Tool cannot be used for the 2012 FAFSA application: 1) An amended tax return was filed for 2011 2) No federal tax return for 2011 has been filed 3) The federal tax filing status on the 2011 return is married filing separately or a Puerto Rican or other foreign tax return has been filed. • Alternatives - If the IRS Data Retrieval Tool cannot be used and if the college requests verification documentation, it may be necessary to obtain an official transcript from the IRS. To order tax return or tax account transcripts, visit www.irs.

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gov and select “Order a Transcript” or call the Transcript toll-free line at 1-800-908-9946. Bob Shalon, EA In addition to helpMaster Tax Advisor • Enrolled Agent ing reduce the time and effort involved in 925.820.9570 completing and sub- 714 San Ramon Valley Blvd, Suite B, Danville mitting the FAFSA Sycamore Square (next to Lucky’s) form through the IRS bob.shalon@tax.hrblock.com Data Retrieval Tool, the IRS offers money-saving information to college students and their parents. Important information regarding tax credits and deductions for qualifying tuition, materials and fees is available at the IRS Tax Benefits for Education: Information Center and in IRS Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education both of which are available at www.IRS.gov.

Links • IRS Tax Benefits for Education: Information Center - www.irs.gov/ newsroom/article/0,,id=213044,00.html • IRS Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education - www.irs.gov/pub/ irs-pdf/p970.pdf • IRS Data Retrieval Tool/FAFSA - http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/index.jsp • Order a Transcript - www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=232168,00.html In many cases it is the parents’tax returns that determine if your child gets financial aid. I hope that you find these links useful. Remember that the Danville office of H&R Block is now open all year on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I will be returning at the Advertorial end of June. Please call me with any questions at 925-820-9570.

To place an ad, share a story, or for more information about Danville Today News, call us at 925.405.6397 or visit our website www.yourmonthlypaper.com

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Danville Today News ~ June 2012 - Page 17

The Car Guy By Paul Matthew Peterson, Specialty Sales Classics Confessions of a Certified Old Car Nut My mother was the first to notice my condition soon after I got my first car, a light blue metallic ’65 Mustang convertible. It was hands-down the coolest (pedal) car on the block, and it was just like my uncle Phil’s REAL Mustang...except his was a coupe. Back in 1966, Uncle Phil drove an auto transport for Ford, delivering new Fords to Denver from the assembly plant in St. Paul. The day after I got the ‘Stang, Mom snapped a photo of me towing the convertible up the driveway with my trike. My older brother, Burt, helped me park the back wheels up on a couple 2x4s, and Mom had another photo-op of my legs sticking out from under the car while I ‘fixed the u-joints.’ After we moved to Idaho and got an old farm with some space around it, Dad drug home a non-running 1950 Buick Roadmaster for Burt and me to tinker with. Burt was about 12 years old, and I was around nine. The car arrived at noon, and by the time Burt got home from school at 3:30, I had removed everything on the car that was held on by Phillips head screws. On a 1950 Buick, that’s 50% of the outside trim and lights and ALL the interior trim. I remember Burt and me struggling to open the hood for months, only to find out it opened sideways! A few years later we ended up back in Minnesota, and, with Dad’s passing, I started hanging out in Uncle Butch’s garage after school working on the cars he was repairing for family members and friends. Uncle Butch taught me the lion’s share of what I know about cars. I was changing clutches on 454 Super Sport Chevelles by age 13 and helping swap engines by 14. I studied the section of those old Motor’s Repair Manuals that showed the grills of all the different years and models so the mechanic could tell what he was repairing, and I could tell the makes of oncoming cars at 100 yards. I lusted after my Aunt Peggy’s maroon ’66 Pontiac Lemans 326 four speed…badly...daily. Another move back to Idaho at 14 put me in the driver’s seat with a daylightonly license designed for farm kids, which was the answer to this city kid’s prayers. I drove Mom’s Nova and had some junkers in the driveway from 14 on…but at 16 I bought MY FIRST REAL CAR! For $850 of Dad’s life insurance money I bought a dark copper 1966 Oldsmobile 442 four speed, showing an honest 80,000 miles on the odometer from the original owner. At the time I was working at J.C. Penny’s Auto Center. I had lied about being 18 to get the job as a tire technician, and the Olds had belonged to a customer. Two hours after I got the stone-stock 442 home, I immediately cut off the mufflers and tailpipes, welded on some ‘Purple Hornies’ glass-pack mufflers, and tossed the stock whitewalls and hubcaps in exchange for some Radial T/As and smooth center chrome wheels. The Craig ‘Powerplay’ 8-Track floor mount stereo packed a whopping 12 watts per channel, so I seat-belted my Radio Shack 12” house speakers in the back seat with 20 feet of speaker wire, and I was the king of the high school keggers, with the speakers on the roof, and my Boston 8-Track wailing away. The ‘66 was pretty fast for being a stock engine. For fun, I could raise the idle to 1000 RPM, pop the clutch, and get a ‘chirp in all four gears, never raising the idle. By the time I was 19, my friends and I figured out I had bought and sold approximately 17 cars. I had two jobs, two cars (a 1973 VW ‘Sport Beetle’ and a 1970 W-30 442), and two insurance payments. My condition was becoming critical, so I found a temporary solution. I took a job selling used cars, but I only did it because they let me drive a different car home every night. I obviously needed help. Now at age 52, I’ve had some 350 cars pass through my hands. A fair number have been cars I ‘turned,’ but at least 200 have been my daily drivers. My favorite one? Well...the NEXT one is always my favorite one, of course. Now seriously, working at a place like Specialty Sales Classics is just what the doctor ordered for this certified old car nut. With over 200 collector and exotic cars in our four locations, I get my fix daily. Last Friday I sold a spectacular 1976 Corvette for less than $11,000, then Saturday I delivered a cool ’37 Ford Street Rod, and consigned a customized 1966 Mustang Convertible that won ‘Best Of Show’ at the National Mustang meet in Fairfield…..Yes, I’m car crazy, and Specialty Sales Classics is my daily therapy. Check out our inventory at www.SpecialtySales.com. Feel free to email me at TheCarGuy@SpecialtySales.com with any questions or comments, or call 800-600-2262. Advertorial

Cinema Classics & Musical Notes By Peggy Horn Absence of Malice This month’s film is, Absence of Malice (1981), produced and directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Paul Newman and Sally Field. In this movie, the president of the longshoreman’s union has disappeared and, after six months, the district attorney’s office still has no leads as to his whereabouts. Consequently, one of the strike force attorneys initiates an inquiry into the life of Michael Gallagher (Paul Newman), an ordinary citizen who has apparent ties to people who could be responsible. The attorney has no evidence that Mr. Gallagher has committed any crime, but he predicts that this inquiry will “squeeze” Gallagher into solving the mystery of the union president’s disappearance in order to absolve himself from suspicion. Miss Field plays the part of newspaper reporter, Megan Carter, who gets wind of this story and decides to pursue it because the public deserves to know. Prior to the story’s publication, Megan consults a lawyer for the newspaper who advises her that Mr. Gallagher is neither a public official nor a public figure, and the truth of the story is irrelevant. The fact that she does not know it to be false – the absence of malice - affords the newspaper protection from a lawsuit, as long as she has done a reasonable and prudent job of reporting. In fact, the lawyer assures her that Mr. Gallagher is powerless to do them harm as long as the rules have been properly observed. Megan will now begin to explore the question that although she can proceed legally with the story, should she? When the story is printed, the consequences to Michael Gallagher are significant, and, although he does not sue, he very cleverly manages to defend his rights - the rights of an ordinary man who has been unfairly accused. This very interesting movie has a brilliant finish and leaves us with the notion that justice has been done! It was nominated for Academy Awards for best actor, best supporting actress, and best screenplay. It’s available for rental or distribution online. Musical Notes – To emphasize the spirit of the movie’s theme, I suggest downloading “Fanfare for the Common Man,” by Aaron Copland. This spirited music with horns and percussion even sounds like a salute and heralds the spunk and forthrightness of the common man.

Page 18 - June 2012 ~ Danville Today News

The Art Of Screening By Blaine Brende & Joe Lamb Trees and shrubs provide many valuable services in the urban ecosystem. One of the most important, from the perspective of homeowners, is screening for privacy and to hide undesired objects. Well-placed foliage can keep out prying eyes and enhance personal safety, and a view of beautiful leaves and branches gives more pleasure than the view of a neighbor’s garage. Over the long run, preserving a living screen requires planning and judicious pruning. Plants grow toward the sun; they maximize foliage where there is most light. As trees mature, the density of the canopy can act as an umbrella and shade out the interior lower branches, which causes them to die. To see a clear example of this, look at a mature oak in the forest. The majority of foliage is in the outer shell; the interior is bare. This natural phenomenon works well for plants in the wild, but it may not succeed well for your screening needs. Luckily, there are ways to avoid this loss of valuable screening. All strategies for maintaining screen involve keeping sunlight flowing to interior branches. Sufficient light on the leaves reduces dieback. It is best to act before the screen is compromised (an ounce of pruning is better than a ton of replanting). In plants with latent buds, English laurels for example, trunks can re-sprout even after interior branches have withered. However, many species lack latent buds and are incapable of re-sprouting, and for those species preventative medicine is the only medicine. Even for species with latent buds, keeping branches healthy is much easier, and more effective, than reinvigorating them. • Eliminate light competition from surrounding plants. Evaluate the plants growing near your screen plants to see if they are casting a shadow on branches critical to screening. Plants shading out important screen plants can be removed, or they can be thinned and shaped to increase illumination of screening branches. • Thin the screen plants themselves. This may seem counterintuitive, but the exterior of the screen plant may be shading its interior. It is not uncommon to see 40-foot pittosporums that look like balloons, with the only green occurring in the canopy. To revitalize, it is generally best to remove all dead wood, thin the top heavily, and even thin the screen area. The goal is to maintain layers of green from the edge of the canopy through the interior. A thick, multi-layered screen is less prone to failure. If it is not acceptable to lose any bottom screen, even temporar-

Clip Notes

By Jody Morgan

The bride carried an exquisite bouquet of garlic fashionably intertwined with herbs whose powers promised longevity, ensured fertility, and provided sufficient fragrance to keep the offensive odors emanating from the unwashed guests at bay. Not the choice for even the most tradition-minded of 21st century brides, perhaps, but it was quite the rage in medieval Europe. Garlic kept the evil spirits as well as the Black Plague away. This pungent member of the onion family was believed by ancient Egyptians to have similar magical properties. The Chinese have been using it since 3,000 BC for both medicinal and culinary purposes. Modern research indicates that garlic is an antibiotic and an antifungal agent. Stakes infused with garlic oil are available to ward off the fourlegged evildoers tunneling into our gardens. Moles and gophers be gone! June being a favorite month for weddings (I confess to having chosen it so I could be photographed before my mother’s spectacular rhododendron hedge), I decided to research historical horticultural contributions to weddings through the ages. Most interesting of my findings is that brides for thousands of years have borrowed freely from foreign customs to make their own celebrations distinctive. Although Queen Victoria’s impact on social mores is generally viewed as a bit staid, stuffy and even repressive, she daringly broke with expectations when she marched to the alter as a bride in 1840. Rebellious Victoria rejected the dress interwoven with metallic threads favored by generations of her royal family. She audaciously wore instead a simple gown of white. The snowdrops she carried for her bouquet (well it was February in England) were her groom’s favorite. Did being queen encourage her to reverse the chivalrous custom whereby knights of old wore a flower representing the colors of their bride’s family? (That tradition came down to modern times as the suggestion that a groom should wear one of the flowers chosen by his bride for her bouquet.) Shockingly, Victoria exchanged the jeweled tiara her royal predecessors favored for the garland of orange blossoms traditionally worn by Saracen brides. The Cru-

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Gardens Sought for 2013 Tour Gardens are now being sought to participate in the spring 2013 “Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour,” which showcases pesticide-free, drought-tolerant gardens that provide habitat for wildlife and contain 60% or more native plants. The gardens featured in this tour will demonstrate that, from postage stamp-sized yards to large lots, beautiful California native plant gardens are possible for anyone. Garden visits will begin in May 2013 and continue through July. The goals of this free tour are to 1) Provide local residents with the opportunity to see first-hand a garden containing 60% or more native plants, 2) Illustrate that healthy, attractive gardens can flourish without the use of synthetic chemicals and with little water, and 3) Motivate residents to try gardening with native plants and using natural gardening techniques in their own gardens. Host applications can be found at www.bringingbackthenatives.net/gardenhost-application. For more information, e-mail Kathy Kramer at Kathy@ KathyKramerConsulting.net or call (510) 236-9558. ily, a good compromise is to thin those portions above the screen area. Thinning only one portion of the tree is an aesthetic challenge, but it can be done. • Shape the tops of screen plants. It is sometimes possible to shape back the tops of screen plants to allow more light to reach the lower branches. Our philosophy of pruning requires that the overall beauty of the plants be considered in all pruning cuts. Because health and beauty are often synonymous, we have found that bringing light into the interior usually enhances tree aesthetics. What do you do if you have already lost the screen? It is difficult to get branches to grow back once they have died, but radically thinning or lowering the plant may induce growth in lower foliage. Unfortunately, this is hard to achieve without sacrificing the aesthetics of your trees and shrubs. Sometimes it is possible to fill the gap with shade-loving plants. Other times the only solution might be to remove the plant and start over. Each case is different. If you need help, do not hesitate to give us a call, for advice or to do the work. At Brende and Lamb, we have 20 years of experience balancing the aesthetics of your trees and shrubs and maintaining your screening needs. If your trees need a little TLC, please call 510-486-TREE (8733) or email us at bl@brendelamb.com for a free estimate. Additionally, go to our website www. brendelamb.com to see before and after pictures, client testimonials, and work in your neighborhood. Advertorial saders apparently first introduced the custom to Spain where imported citrus trees flourished and from there it migrated to France and England where an enclosed orangery was required to preserve the plants through the winter. The ability of the species to produce both flowers and fruit simultaneously throughout the year accounts for its legendary connection to fertility. For Victoria and Albert, the superstition proved efficacious as the couple welcomed nine royal offspring. Queen Victoria’s use of orange blossoms, while a break from royal custom, had sufficient precedent in Western weddings that the Saracen connection probably went unremarked. Married in France in 1780, the Marquise de La Tour du Pin writes of her wedding day in her Memoirs that her floral adornments included “a bouquet of orange blossoms on my head and one to my side.” In 1828 an American bride, daughter-in-law of President John Quincy Adams, decorated both her gown and veil with orange blossoms. Highly collectible are the alternatives fashion-conscious brides utilized in climates where orange blossoms were not available. Wax replicas once less expensive in colder climates than the exotic flowers are now vastly more valuable than actual blossoms. Possibly echoing the time in which genuine flowers faded, superstition suggested artificial orange blossoms had to be discarded within one month of the nuptials. The myrtle carried by Victoria’s daughters in their bouquets and by royal British brides thereafter came from a posy given to Victoria by Albert’s grandmother when the couple visited Germany in 1845. Her majesty planted a sprig from the posy at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight where it still thrives. Evergreen myrtle has legendary significance as a symbol of both love and immortality. According to ancient Greek mythology, myrtle was sacred to Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, and Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest. Demeter held power over the cycle of life and death. Greek brides and grooms wore garlands of myrtle and other greens. Romans added flowers to the garlands. Whatever wildflowers were in season were employed. The custom of tossing the bridal bouquet began sometime around the 14th century as a defense mechanism. Grabbing a piece of the bride’s clothing was considered to be good luck. Imagine having your gown torn to shreds by your guests! To escape their clutches, brides began throwing everything at hand including their garters and their bouquets at the crowds. Eventually catching the bouquet was accepted as a substitute symbol of favorable fortune.

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Danville Today News ~ June 2012 - Page 19

Life in the Danville Garden

Specializing in Interior & Exterior

Design and Budget By John Montgomery, ASLA, Landscape Architect

• Power Washing Prep

First, I want to personally thank you all so much for your participation in • Painting our 3rd Annual Garden Tour Fundraiser “Life in the Walnut Creek Garden.” I • Spray-Enamel Finish am very proud to announce we generated donations close to $10K for three • Restaining Decks charities that participated. The weather was perfect, and we all had a great time. Since 1970 It exceeded our expectations! I look forward to talking to you at our 4th Annual Free Estimates Garden Tour next year. This year I had the delightful opportunity to greet and chat with folks about Tim O’Halloran • 925.743.9535 the five gardens on the tour. People commented on how distinctly different each garden was. While a lot of the questions were specific like, “What kind of plant is this?,” some were about the design process. I found it intriguing that many questions were about Design and Budget, so it inspired me to write about it. I want to dispel the myth that good creative design is expensive. First, expensive is relative to each family’s budget. Every project and client is different. Therefore, everybody’s design goals and budget is different. Budgets Consulting, Building, Design, are purely client driven by their wants and scope of the project. Everyone has a list of what they want and desire. Some clients have BIG want lists and are willing to Installing, Fixing, Cleaning “invest” in the budget to HAVE what they want while others only want some simple

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advice to do it yourself. I work with my clientele hand-in-hand with Design and Budget. I am well aware that while design options are limitless, most budgets are not. Good creative design need not be expensive; good creative design needs to be executed within the budget parameters. I require my clients to make tough decisions about their wants and budget so as to meet their expectations. The last thing I want is to create a beautiful garden on paper that isn’t affordable; I am committed to having my clients living in them! When a client interviews me to do their project, they basically want to know two things, “How much are your fees going to be?,” and, “How much is my project going to cost?” To answer the first question, which is easier to answer, for everyone, whether or not it is a small project or a big one, my fees are by the hour based on the scope of services I provide. I love working on all aspects of a garden. I have three basic services; consulting, design, and construction assistance. I have a two hour minimum for consulting on items like garden spruce ups, flower pots, annual color borders, etc. My design services include conceptual master plans, construction documents, and planting plans. Construction assistance includes helping you with contractor selection, bids, on-site decisions, and project observation. In answer to the second question, project costs are driven by my client’s wants. People know what they want but often times don’t know what it costs. The specific way I work gives you control of the budget because my fees aren’t based on how much your project costs. I am interested in identifying how much you are willing to “invest” into your home and what’s appropriate to the home and your family budget. Before I design anything, I evaluate your wants and desires and weigh it against your budget. Once these parameters are understood I begin the design, and at every step of the process I provide a line-item budget so choices and decisions can be made regarding the design and budget. I love what I do! With more than 35 years in the garden, my clients’ and my own, I understand the enjoyment we receive from our gardens, whether small or large. Not only am I a licensed landscape architect, but I am a passionate gardener! I am dedicated to designing garden environments that produce the feelings you wish to have when you are in them; inspiration, rejuvenation, relaxation, playful, peaceful… Good creative design doesn’t have to be expensive; it has to be good creative design within your budget! A hot tip from your local Landscape Architect: Over the years I have observed that good design can save you money in the long run by doing it right the first time! Gardening Quote of the month: “How much the making of a garden, no matter how small, adds to the joy of living, only those who practice the arts and the science can know.” - E. H. Wilson If you would like me to write on any particular subject, email your ideas to jmontgomery@jm-la.com or for design ideas visit www. jm-la.com. Advertorial

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Page 20 - June 2012 ~ Danville Today News

Market-Moving Indicators for Monitoring Europe

pessimism about Europe for so long that in some cases, markets may already have priced in much of the bad news.

By Jim Gebhardt

A credit default swap (CDS) is a form of insurance against the possibility that a bond issuer might default or fail to make a payment on its obligations. Bondholders buy a CDS from a financial institution or insurance company that promises to reimburse the bondholder for any losses sustained in the event of a default. The cost of that insurance is seen as a proxy for the perceived risk involved in investing in a particular country’s bonds. The higher the cost of a CDS on, say, Italian sovereign debt, the greater the anxiety about whether the bond issuer will default and the CDS issuer will have to pay.

If you’ve struggled to make sense of the ongoing European debt debacle, you’re not alone. It’s difficult even to keep track of all the pieces of this financial Rube Goldberg puzzle, let alone understand how they can influence one another. Though new aspects of the situation seem to crop up every month, here are some of the most common factors that either reflect or affect sentiment about what’s happening in Europe. Knowing about them might help you understand why markets react to a seemingly obscure headline. After all, one of the few things that almost everyone seems to agree on is that the situation isn’t likely to be solved overnight.

Take an interest in interest rates Interest rates on sovereign debt are perhaps the most closely watched indicator. When demand for a country’s bonds is low because investors are concerned about the possibility that they might not be repaid in full and on time, that country must offer a higher interest rate in order to borrow money to finance its day-today operations. Interest rates become particularly worrisome when they reach or exceed 7%. That’s the level that prompted Greece, Ireland, and Portugal to seek bailouts from their European peers, and it’s widely seen as unsustainable. When a country must pay that much simply to service its debt, investors become concerned that high borrowing costs will make a country’s financial situation even worse.

Watch credit ratings Troubled European countries are struggling to deal with a devilish Catch-22. In many cases, unsustainable debt burdens have led to stringent austerity measures; however, such measures also can hamper economic growth, which reduces tax revenue and can potentially increase deficits. Higher deficits can lead to a lower credit rating that in turn can mean higher borrowing costs, bringing on the problems discussed above and potentially launching a new downward economic cycle. Thus, a downgrade to a country’s credit rating tends to raise concerns. However, investor reaction also can be unpredictable. For example, Standard & Poor’s January downgrade of nine sovereign nations and the European Financial Stability Fund was largely met with a shrug by investors. There’s been so much

Monitor credit default swap costs

Follow the money To prevent credit markets from seizing up, the European Central Bank late last year provided almost €500 billion in three-year loans to European banks, making it easier for them to refinance their debt. The level of borrowing at the ECB is seen as one indicator of how banks are being affected by their holdings of sovereign debt. The greater the need to borrow from the ECB, the greater the banks’ perceived level of vulnerability.

Bailouts: Nein neinnein? U.S. voters aren’t the only ones who are sensitive about bailouts; so are Germans. As Europe’s most powerful economy and the one with the best credit rating, Germany is the tent pole upon which European financial stability hangs. However, by the end of 2011, the German economy had begun to slow. Any indications that economic pressure could threaten Germany’s ability and willingness to remain strong in its support of the Eurozone can spook anxious investors. Gebhardt Group, Inc. is an independent wealth management firm located in Lafayette, California, that holds integrity, honesty, and transparency as primary values. Gebhardt Group serves clients nationwide and wealth management services include financial planning, portfolio management, and insurance services. For information, visit www.gebhardtgroupinc. com or call 925-283-9150. Jim Gebhardt is a Registered Representative of and Securities are offered through Brokers International Financial Services, LLC. Panora, IA, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Gebhardt Group, Inc.,ARegistered InvestmentAdvisor. Brokers International Financial Services, LLC and Gebhardt Group Inc. are not affiliated. The majority of information in this article has been prepared by Forefield, Inc. These are the views of Forefield, Inc. and not necessarily those of James Gebhardt or Brokers International Financial Services, LLC., and should not be construed as investment advice. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, Forefield, Inc. makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Advertorial

service and job-training agencies across the Bay Area. WFO clients face significant barriers including poverty, drug abuse, disabilities, racism, and work in partnership with the community to assist low-income individuals to homelessness; 80% are single parents, 73% receive government assistance, “Find a Job, Keep a Job, and Build a Career.” and 85% are minorities. WFO's programs consistently help clients overcome challenges to WFO programs include professional imaging, interview workshops, accomplish their goals and achieve success. Founded in 1995 to address the nine-month Success Series featuring training, career coaching, and often overlooked, yet critical barriers to finding and retaining employment, community mentors, and the follow-up Pathways program, a six-week WFO has served nearly 20,000 people, referred from over 150 partner social communication and conflict resolution seminar helping clients to excel at their new jobs. All programs are free of cost. Professional imaging begins with a visit to one of their two private boutiques (on 14th St. in Oakland, and on Harrison SERVING ALAMO & DANVILLE SINCE 1979! St. in Concord) at which professional stylists offer assistance in selecting two interview outfits. This service helps clients gain a more positive sense-of-self and empowers them to become confident job applicants and successful employees. Monthly corporate-sponsored interview clinics help clients to network and connect directly with potential employers. These events provide the opportunity to practice Call us and ask about interviewing with up to four different professionals who Pentair’s IntelliFlo pump offer constructive feedback and help with their interview skills, thereby helping clients to gain confidence and learn which qualifies for a $100 the importance of having a network to support them. PG&E rebate! Graduates of the Pathways and Success Series seminars represent WFO’s Alumni Program, which incorporates Want Soft Sparkling Algae Free Pool Water ? quarterly events, an online member directory, networking groups, bi-weekly support roundtables, Individual Ask about the IntelliChlor salt chlorine generator Development Accounts (matched savings accounts), and affordable career coaching. The Alumni program connects WFO graduates with each other and the resources they need to continue to advance their careers. Visit our website at www.actionpoolrepair.com

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Blended Families – Careful Planning is Critical

Danville Today News ~ June 2012 - Page 21

By Robert J. Silverman, Attorney at Law

Last month, I presented a case study illustrating how poor planning by blended families can cause severe financial and personal harm to their loved ones. This month, I’ll describe some ways in which a blended family can avoid this damage by establishing a thoughtful, customized estate plan. First, both spouses need to acknowledge conflicting interests. Then, they should identify specific conflicts and explore constructive ways to reconcile them. While there are no “one size fits all” solutions, an experienced estate planning attorney can share invaluable tools and give meaningful counsel and assistance. Below is the most common type of conflict and a description of a few practical approaches to resolving the conflict successfully. Conflict: How do you provide for the potential needs of the surviving spouse while ensuring an inheritance is received by the children of the spouse who dies first? First, it’s critical for each spouse to consider how he or she generally wishes to provide for his or her spouse and children (and potentially step-children) if he or she is the first spouse to die (“deceased spouse”). Many factors can come into play, including the length of the marriage and each spouse’s: personal feelings, age, financial resources, current and potential health needs, lifestyle, number of children (or, if none, primary loved ones), children’s ages, children’s needs, and children’s financial resources. The best tool to codify the plan is a revocable living trust, which can be structured so that, upon the death of the first spouse, the assets are split up into two separate sub-trusts. For the purpose of this article, I’ll refer to them as the “Survivor’s Trust” and “Deceased Spouse’s Trust.” The Survivor’s Trust contains the survivor’s assets (50% of the community property and all of the survivor’s separate property) and remains revocable. Naturally, the survivor can do absolutely anything he or she wishes with these assets and can change who will receive the assets on his or her death. The Deceased Spouse’s Trust contains the deceased spouse’s assets (50% of the community property and all of the deceased spouse’s separate property) and is irrevocable. Typically, the surviving spouse is entitled to some distribution of funds from the Deceased Spouse’s Trust; however, the survivor cannot give away the assets, spend the assets frivolously, or change who is to receive whatever is left in the Deceased Spouse’s Trust, if anything, when the survivor dies. Depending on the circumstances, the Deceased Spouse’s Trust might provide that the surviving spouse will receive only income. This ensures that the principal of the deceased spouse’s assets (hopefully adjusted upward by appreciation during the survivor’s life) is preserved so that the deceased spouse’s children receive them upon the death of the surviving spouse. Alternatively, the Deceased Spouse’s Trust can not only pay the surviving spouse income but also principal, if any, for the needs of the survivor’s needs. Of course, this makes it less likely that the children of the deceased spouse will receive a substantial, or any, inheritance on the death of the surviving spouse. Yet another possibility is to state that the survivor can withdraw income and only a limited percentage or a set dollar amount of principal each year. An infinite number of other variations of a Deceased Spouse’s Trust are possible, limited only by the couple’s imagination and the drafter’s experience and skills. For those who have substantial wealth, important Federal Estate and Gift Tax ramifications must also be considered. Another approach is to distribute certain assets to the surviving spouse (either outright or to a Deceased Spouse’s Trust) and other assets to the children. For example, the Deceased Spouse could designate his or her children as beneficiaries of a life insurance policy and/or retirement account (e.g. 401K or IRA). The home and other assets can then be made available to the surviving spouse. The benefit of doing this is that upon the death of the deceased spouse, his or her children receive at least some significant inheritance immediately, rather than potentially waiting many years until the surviving spouse dies to receive any inheritance. Furthermore, it helps minimize or avoid ongoing conflicts between the children of the deceased spouse and their step-parent concerning how the Deceased Spouse’s Trust is administered. All assets should be considered, various competing needs identified, and goals of each spouse established and discussed, and a customized, comprehensive, and practical estate plan should be drafted to accomplish the couple’s objectives. Mr. Silverman is an attorney with Buchman Provine Brothers Smith LLP, 1333 N. California Street, Suite 350, Walnut Creek, CA 94596; (925) 9449700; 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

Page 22 - June 2012 ~ Danville Today News

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Your Personal Nutritionist

Counseling Services at Senior Center

By Linda Michaelis, RD. MS. Can’t Lose Weight Despite Healthy Eating and Exercise

Danville-area seniors will have another venue for their health and wellbeing, as the Town has begun a partnership with Discovery Counseling Center to provide mental health services at the Danville Senior Center located at 115 E. Prospect Avenue. Thanks to a generous donation from Chevron, the Town and the Discovery Center will provide Counseling, Intervention, and Support for Seniors (CISS) at the downtown location, where seniors gather on a regular basis. “The Town of Danville is always looking for ways to enhance programs and services for seniors,” said Assistant Town Manager Greg Gilbert. “This is a good example of how local partnerships are able to meet community needs.” Discovery Counseling Center therapist, Dr. Fran Rapoport is now available by appointment at the Senior Center. Dr. Rapoport will have office hours at the center, making therapy readily available and non-threatening. Plans are also underway for group counseling sessions on such issues as grief, loss, transitions, and maintaining good mental health. For more information, contact Discovery Counseling Center Executive Director Kathy Chiverton at (925) 837-0505 or visit www.discoveryctr.net.

I frequently get people coming up to me during my 24 Hour Fitness Club classes saying they are exercising five days a week and eating healthy but not losing weight. The following case study is typical. Carolyn, a nurse, exercises early at the gym at least five times a week. For breakfast she had a Lara Bar, and for a mid-morning snack she had a cup of granola with plain Greek yogurt mixed in. For lunch she always ate low fat cottage cheese with two pieces of fruit. For her 4PM snack she would buy a bag of Baked Lays. Carolyn would come home starved, and she would snack on baked pita chips with hummus or several handfuls of nuts where later she would have the traditional high protein-veggie-starch dinner with her family. Carolyn fit the pattern of having frequent snacks during the day and a large dinner at night. Given her age and size, I told her that in order to lose weight she needed to keep her calories to 1,500 on days she did not exercise and 1,800 for when she did. In spite of good exercising habits, she was nonetheless sabotaging Hospice of the East Bay Estate Sale Service herself. After an intense 45 minute exercise regimen, her metabolism is revved After the death of a loved one, dealing with the entire contents of a home up to five times the rate as before the exercise. We discussed the need for her to and a life time of possessions can be overwhelming. have a large part of her daily calories closer to the period after exercise rather Hospice of the East Bay Estate Sales (HEB Estate Sales), formally known than her practice of eating the bulk of calories later in the day which culminated as Diablo Appraisal and Estate Sales, is an estate sale and liquidation service with a 1,000 calorie dinner. that manages and coordinates your entire estate and provides you with a tax I recommended some dietary changes for Carolyn. At this time the Lara Bar benefit by sharing the profits from the sale with Hospice of the East Bay. We seems to help get her thru the morning exercise routine, especially since she was provide caring and trained professionals that can help you handle the entire still full from the heavy dinner meal. However, as she lightens up her dinner, we process making the seemingly impossible, attainable. discussed how she will be more hungry in the morning where she needs to eat We will assess each item’s value, advertise the sale through multiple chanmore. Great breakfasts before the gym are those with protein and fiber like a hardnels, organize and display your estate items, provide security before, during, boiled egg or cottage cheese which she loves with a toasted whole wheat English and after the sale, run the estate sale smoothly and professionally, take unsold muffin. For mid-morning Carolyn can have some oatmeal along with toppings of items to Hospice of the East Bay thrift stores, and provide with a tax deductible her choice such as brown sugar and raisins. I find oatmeal is too heavy before the receipt for those items, clear out the house at the end of the sale, and leave the gym but a great choice afterwards. Her Greek yogurt and granola is a great snack, house empty and ready for cleaning. Everything will be handled for you, and but the ratio needs to be reversed - one cup of Greek yogurt is a wonderful source best of all you won’t even need to be present! Families are provided with a of protein, and a sprinkle of granola is great for crunch. Carolyn also decided to guaranteed honest, efficient, and reliable service. try peanut butter with an apple or celery at this time as well. HEB Estate Sales was established in 2001 for families requesting help selling We discussed why Carolyn’s cottage cheese and fruit is a poor choice for the contents of their homes. Funds generated from the sale help benefit the patients lunch and only provides two ounces of protein. She needs to have at least 4-6 and families in the care of Hospice of the East Bay. Please call Patricia Wright at oz of protein for lunch. For instance, she could choose leftover meat from the (925) 887-5678 or email patriciaw@hospiceeastbay.org for more information. previous night with a cup of veggies, or a salad and a cup of whole grains such as Established in 1977, Hospice of the East Bay is a not-for-profit agency that quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat pasta or couscous, barley, faro, or even a sweet helps people cope with end of life by providing medical, emotional, spiritual, and potato. We even included her fruit as dessert. At first Carolyn thought this was too practical support for patients and families, regardless of their ability to pay. much food, but I suggested that she take it all to work, eat the protein and veggies first, and keep the grains and veggies for mid-afternoon Dumploads OnUs snacks rather than her usual potato chips. Carolyn is now arriving home specializes in without being famished. She no longer needs the after work snack and providing the ultican enjoy a cup of Good Earth tea, which is so sweet and pungent it is mate junk removal solution. We’ll haul referred to as dessert tea. For dinner she is no longer having a large portion of protein since away just about anything - from old household junk to construcshe would have eaten enough during the day to keep her blood sugar in tion and yard waste. The only items we are unable to accept are hazardous balance and avoid hunger. After determining her favorite foods, Carolyn materials. We • Computers keeps her dinner calories to 500 which may include a 6 oz. baked potato make getting • Cables (200 calories) with butter or sour cream (100 calories) and sauteed veg- rid of your • TVs gies or a salad with dressing (100 calories for the dressing or oil and unwanted junk • Monitors minimal for veggies). She then has 100 calories left for such desserts as as easy as 925.934.3743 • 925.934.1515 • Servers a fruit juice bar or two, a half a cup of lowfat ice cream, or even a slice 1-2-3; we load, www.dumploadsonus.com • www.erecycleonus.com • Phones of white cake with strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream. we sweep, and 1271 Boulevard Way, Walnut Creek • Printers I am thrilled to tell you that after working with Carolyn for one then we haul Monday-Friday, 8-5 • Saturday 9-1, Sunday, closed •Copiers session she instantly began losing weight. I have continued to counsel away. It’s that • Fax Machines • Power Supply Units • Discs and Tapes easy! Carolyn for two months via phone and e-mail, and she has lost 15 • Scanners • Printer Cartridges and Toners • And More... pounds. By the way, she has Aetna PPO insurance which is covering Plus we do it with a smile! her weight loss program. Please feel free to 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 Advertorial nutrition tips.

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The Eye Opener By Gregory and Laura Kraskowsky, O.D., Alamo Optometry A Different Perspective Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Laura, Dr. K’s wife. As our children have grown, I have become much more involved in the day-to-day business at Alamo Optometry. I thought it might be interesting to give our readers a new perspective for the month. Since Dr. K began writing this column, I have often suggested topics that I, as a layperson, think are interesting, relevant, or helpful. So now I would like to share my thoughts on Dr. K and our office. I am a pediatric Occupational Therapist by profession. However, I have been hearing about all things eye-related since the early days of our relationship, when Dr. K decided to follow his heart into Optometry. As he applied to and decided on an Optometry school to attend, worked hard throughout the program, and graduated proudly, I watched him happily take his place in his profession. For seven years, he worked for up to three different practices at any given time, up to six days a week, all the while hoping to find a practice he could call his own--a practice to give his heart and soul to, to grow and develop according to his own beliefs and capabilities. In 2007, we got the opportunity to buy Alamo Optometry. Getting the key and walking through the door on that Sunday, July 1st was completely surreal! Knowing that the next day he would go to work and have to pick up where the previous owner left off was incredibly daunting and exciting at the same time. He jumped right in and has never looked back. We are so proud to be celebrating our five year anniversary this July! We are grateful for our wonderful patients who keep trusting us with their eye care and referring us to their family and friends. We simply could not be here without them. Just like anything worthwhile, tending to the business has been stressful

Benefits of Craniosacral Therapy By Marchelle Milligan Do you suffer from headaches, TMJ pain, or low back pain? Do you have unresolved issues from an injury (recent or years ago)? Are you stressed out, or do you find it hard to sleep well? Have you ever considered a Craniosacral Treatment? Stress and trauma, whether physical or emotional, can greatly affect the functioning of your body. Over time, stored stresses, tension, and trauma may give rise to restricted body functioning as the experiences pile up. If, for example, you have had an accident, the broken bones and lacerations caused by the accident will heal within a matter of months, but the physical and emotional after-effects can go on for years – causing anything from headaches to depression or worse. Craniosacral Therapy (CST) strengthens your system as a whole, not just part of it. Like the workings of a fine watch, each part of a system is articulated with the others. When one part is stuck, or out of balance, it affects the motion of the whole. CST is a gentle, hands-on method of evaluating and enhancing the functioning of a physiological body system called the craniosacral system - comprised of the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord. CST locates restrictions in the body and facilitates the release of those restrictions. Restrictions can develop for many reasons. They may occur through a physical

Hearing Loss Association 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.

Is Food a Problem for You? Overeaters Anonymous offers a fellowship of individuals who, through shared experience and mutual support, are recovering from compulsive overeating. This is a 12-step program. The free meetings are for anyone suffering from a food addiction including overeating, undereating, and bulimia. The group meets Wednesdays at 6PM at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Lafayette. For information, visit www.how-oa.org.

Danville Today News ~ June 2012 - Page 23 and frustrating at times, but it’s also been truly rewarding. With a small staff, I am often the “fill-in” person when needed. As I sit at the front desk, I have had patients say to me, not knowing that the doctor is my husband, “We just love Dr. K! We love it here.” These times make my day! It means that he is doing what he set out to do, creating a practice that is personable and caring. When our patients take the time to tell a friend or write a favorable review of our practice online, we are not only thankful because of how it helps our business grow, but it also makes us happy that we are providing the kind of care we believe in, the level of care that we want to receive from other doctor’s offices that our family visits. I am well aware that no business or person can be perfect or suit everyone’s needs. However, I am confident in knowing that my husband values every patient, and that he works very hard to prove it. A few months ago, Dr. K wrote about what it meant to him to be a small business owner in our local community. He mentioned that owning a business has made him more aware of the importance of our support of other local businesses, and I couldn’t agree more. We are thankful to live and own our business in this Valley where I grew up, and we want to show other local businesses that we appreciate their contribution and value here as well. Especially in this economy, when even large, well-established franchises are going out of business at every turn, we recognize that our reputation depends on giving our patients great value for their money, with an emphasis on honest and caring customer service. Thanks for letting me share my sentimentality as we approach this milestone in our journey. We are so excited to be celebrating five years in this community! To celebrate our anniversary next month, we will be having an Open House in the evening on Thursday, July 12th. We would love for you to stop by and say hi! Dr. K. at Alamo Optometry is your hometown eye doctor for outstanding service, vision care, and designer eyewear. He can be reached at 820-6622 or visit his office at 3201 Danville Blvd., Suite 165 in Alamo. Visit our newly updated website at, www.alamooptometry.com, and become a fan on our Advertorial Alamo Optometry Facebook page. accident, emotional trauma, an illness, or may even go as far back as a birth trauma. CST complements the body's own healing process so it can function more fully on all levels. Each session is like peeling a layer of an onion to get to the core. It often resolves the cause of the issue, so symptoms can disappear for good. A session begins with your lying on a treatment table, fully clothed. I place my hands on different parts of your body, and I begin to “listen” with my hands. I am listening for the very deep and slow movement of the cerebrospinal fluid, which has a rhythmic flow throughout the craniosacral system just like your heart rate and breath. Like any fluid movement – a stream, a river – it can have a healthy flow or areas of stagnancy. In the rest of the session I work gently with these restrictions to help free them up. People often feel as if things are reorganizing inside of them. They may feel as if a weight has been lifted from their shoulders. People also talk of feeling as if they have “had their batteries charged.” Everyone can potentially benefit from CST. It can be effective for orthopedic problems, Stress Management, Headaches, Migraines, Neck and Back Pain, Whiplash, Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries, TMJ Dysfunctions, Depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorders, Emotional Difficulties, Chronic Pain Syndromes, Sleep Disorders, and Vertigo. CST can also support minor surgeries, including dental work, which can create strains in your system. For more information, visit www.therhythmwithin.org. To schedule an appointment, please contact Marchelle Milligan at (925) 286-6237. We are located in Alamo at the Alamo Commons. New clients receive $15 off a one hour session. Advertorial

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Page 24 - June 2012 ~ Danville Today News

Celebrate Fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day Early at Pints for Prostates! By Sachin Kamath, MD

â&#x20AC;˘ About 28,170 men will die of prostate cancer About 1 man in 6 will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime. Prostate cancer occurs mainly in older men. Nearly two thirds are diagnosed in men aged 65 or older, and it is rare before age 40. The average age at the time of diagnosis is about 67. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind only lung cancer. About 1 man in 36 will die of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer can be a serious disease, but most men diagnosed with prostate cancer do not die from it. In fact, more than 2.5 million men in the United States who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point are still alive today. Dr. Kamath is a Radiation Oncologist with Diablo Valley Oncology in Pleasant Hill. He can be reached at (925) 825-8878.

June is the month we celebrate the dads in our lives. Perhaps that is why June is also Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Health Month. The purpose of Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Health Month is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems, and to encourage early detection and the treatment of disease among men and boys. Another program aimed at creating awareness for menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health was founded by Rick Lyke, a prostate cancer survivor diagnosed at a young age. He felt a deep desire to get the conversation going with friends about the importance of prostate cancer screening. He started with one-on-one conversations, usually while sharing a pint of beer. Rickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s passion led A New Level of Medical Care him to establish the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Pints for Prostatesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;nonprofit organization â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with the goal of raising awareness Personalized and Responsive and preventing prostate cancer. th s 0RACTICE LIMITED TO PATIENTS (traditional practices have 2000+ patients) On June 13 , Diablo Valley Oncology and s %XTENDED UNHURRIED OFlCE VISITS Pacific Urology sponsor their annual â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Pints for s ACCESS TO $R 0ARSONS VIA PERSONAL CELL PHONE Prostatesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; event at Pyramid Alehouse in Walnut s 3AME DAY OR NEXT DAY APPOINTMENTS Creek. The guest of honor and keynote speaker s #OMPREHENSIVE MEDICAL EVALUATION will be Rick Lyke! A $20 donation Pints Packs $EDICATED SUPPORT STAFF age includes beer, beer glass, hors dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;oeuvres, and s -EDICARE ASSIGNMENT ACCEPTED raffle ticket. Space is limited, so reserve your spot by calling (925)677-5041. What are the key statistics about prostate DONALD S. PARSONS, M.D. cancer? Diplomate, American Board of Internal Medicine Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men. The lat925-855-3780 est American Cancer Society estimates for pros400 El Cerro Blvd., Suite 102, Danville tate cancer in the United States are for 2012: www.danvillemd.com â&#x20AC;˘ About 241,740 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed producing a variety of types of plays well, we build an expectation that anything RPE continued from front page we do, we do well. Having gained the confidence of the community, we seek to finished with the musical farce The Mikado.â&#x20AC;? gently expand the likes and interests of our audiences because we believe it makes How do you scale down an operetta ordinarily performed by a cast of 50 supported the arts and our lives richer.â&#x20AC;? Hayes is careful to avoid plays other area groups have by an orchestra of similar proportion to accommodate a venue and budget calling recently performed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We seek to create artistic trends, not follow them.â&#x20AC;? for a company of only two-dozen? RPEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fine-tuning of every detail accomplishes This year Hayes invited the RPE Board to read scripts under consideration. the task. Hiding the musicians on stage behind a bamboo screen subtly underscores Lively discussion of the material ensued. Analysis of the Boardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s likes and dislikes the disguise of the hero, Nanki-Poo. Having fled the court of his father, the Mikado, helped Eric refine his selection process. Nanki-Poo masquerades as a second trombone in the village band. Pooh-Bah, who In conjunction with the Eugene Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s September Festival, next holds every official position in the government except the post of Lord High Execuseason opens with Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only comedy, Ah, Wilderness! Arthur Millerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Incident tioner, wears a different hat in every scene. The cast enunciates each syllable of the at Vichy, a thoughtful piece involving characters thrown into a room together and hilarious lyrics in rapid-fire delivery while maintaining character. seeking to understand why, follows. As Contra Costa Times reviewer Pat Craig observes: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The singing is astounding. RPE Board Secretary Wendy Cooper comments on the third play by Lisa The company has been able to assemble some amazing voices that bring big sound Loomer: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Expecting Isabel is probably my favorite since it is very funny, but is to the fairly small Village Theatre and give the score the richness it deserves.â&#x20AC;? also very sensitive and heart wrenching at times. It is also very topical since so Trolling for the right place to showcase their talents, actors are drawn by the many young people are going through fertility problems these days.â&#x20AC;? favorable reviews. Role Players is attracting professionals from an ever-expanding Although Loomerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s characters speak directly to the audience, possibilities for area. Actors come to watch friends in RPE productions and return to audition themaudience involvement are even more abundant with Rod Serlingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Requiem for a selves. In emphasizing stipends for performers and de-emphasizing â&#x20AC;&#x153;boards and Heavyweight, first performed in 1956 before a live television audience on Studio 90. What was it like to be there? Eric is developing production plans that will keep everyone present on the edge of their seats. Will there be monitors like the ones in a television studio or period commercials to punctuate the performance? Stay tuned! â&#x20AC;&#x153;Having live theatre makes a positive impact on the Townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy. Theatre goers dine in Danville and browse the shops,â&#x20AC;? notes McCauley. But staying afloat is difficult. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ticket sales only provide approximately 35% of our income which means we must generate the remainder through gifts.â&#x20AC;? RPE is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization. Cooper adds: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We also need to spread the word about Role Players so that our audience grows. Part of this challenge is to approach clubs etc. in the area to have them come as a group. We do offer a group rate for ten or more.â&#x20AC;? That rate shaves enough RPE celebrates Gilbert & Sullivan music at Father Natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s off the ticket price for groups to use the discount as a fundraiser of their own. nails,â&#x20AC;? Hayes has been able to convince actors that RPE values their work without Tickets for the Tennessee on the Farm fundraiser with wine, heavy hors compromising the ingenuity of set, lighting, or costume design. dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;oeuvres and dessert are $50. Send orders for the 5pm June 23rd or 2pm June Conversant with the means of generating cutting edge theatre experiences th while mindful of the need to conform to local preferences, Hayes is guided in his 24 event to: RPE â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tennessee on the Farm,â&#x20AC;? PO Box 304, Danville, CA 94526. pursuit of artistic excellence by a firm grounding in San Ramon Valley values. â&#x20AC;&#x153;By Purchase tickets for the 2012-2013 season at www.villagetheatreshows.com.

CONCIERGE MEDICINE

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Your Low Back Pain Solution By Jeffrey Johnson, D.C. Lumbar disc degeneration is a well-known cause of back pain in today’s society. People suffering from pain secondary to lumbar disc degeneration usually experience back and leg pain, as well as muscle spasms in their low back and leg. They also commonly report muscle weakness, numbness, and pins and needles in the thigh, leg, and foot. As degeneration usually occurs on one side of the disc, the pain is generally worse on the corresponding side of the back. The pain can worsen with coughing, straining, or sneezing as well as slouching and bending, which compresses irritated discs in the spine. It often gets better with bending backward or leaning to one side (the one opposite to the pain) which takes pressure off irritated discs. Because of this, people with lumbar disc degeneration often adopt a particular posture or walking stance to ease discomfort. They may be seen bent sideways, forward, or with knees slightly bent to relieve pain in the legs. While the pain of lumbar disc degeneration can radiate into one or both legs, the cause of the condition occurs in the lumbar spine, which is just above your buttocks. Your lumbar spine is comprised of five bones called vertebrae. Like the coils of a slinky, these vertebrae are stacked one on top of the other and move in unison. To prevent friction during movement, intervertebral discs cushion and protect the vertebrae. These discs are soft, fluid-filled pads, and when they become herniated, the gel-like material inside may bulge out into the spinal canal. Within the spinal canal lies the spinal cord, which contains spinal nerves that exit between vertebrae and branch out to the rest of the body. Any displaced gel from a degenerated disc may compress these nerves, causing pain in the low back and the areas of the body which nerves travel from the spinal cord. In severe cases, the displaced gel can even compress the spinal cord itself. A singular traumatic event is usually not enough to cause disc degeneration. Most disc degeneration is more likely a result of steady abuse. People whose work involves lots of twisting, bending, prolonged sitting, or heavy lifting are more at risk as these activities cause disc stress, wear and tear. Truck drivers, for example, endure prolonged periods of sitting in a vibrating vehicle, which can cause tremen-

Danville Today News ~ June 2012 - Page 25 dous stress for the intervertebral discs and over time lead to a disc herniation. While extreme cases of lumbar disc degeneration may require surgery, our comprehensive approach which combines conservative chiropractic care, VAX-D therapy, McKenzie protocols, neuromuscular reeducation and exercise therapy has proven successful for most of our patients suffering from lumbar disc degeneration. Let’s take a look at one of the approaches we frequently incorporate in our comprehensive treatment paradigm.

VAX-D Therapy VAX-D therapy has proven to be effective in relieving the pain our patients experience secondary to herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, and sciatica. VAX-D therapy allows for the safe, controlled distraction or decompression of the lumbar spine. We are able to provide each patient with a personalized decompression treatment as we use a computerized program to administer an exact treatment. Your treatment is determined after reviewing your medical history, examination findings and diagnostic imaging reports. From this information we determine how much of a stretch is placed into your lower back and how often it is repeated.

How VAX-D Works The repetitive stretching or “decompression” of your lower back may create relief by physically decreasing the pressure on the lumbar discs and spinal nerves, creating a neurological response which inhibits lumbar spine pain generation and by encouraging the flushing of painful inflammatory chemicals out of the disc for replacement with oxygen, water, and nutrients necessary for disc health. Most patients experience relief with VAX-D therapy within 6 to 8 sessions and are able to effectively transition into the exercises and stretches that are necessary for sustained lumbar spine health.

Can VAX-D Therapy Work For You? It is important to note that no therapy consistently creates relief of the lumbar spine in all patients. But, at Johnson Chiropractic Group, we have seen a large population of patients positively affected by this safe, relatively inexpensive treatment. Many people that were once forced to compromise their daily activities are now living pain-free or managing their pain much more effectively. For more info, go to www.movepastyourpain.com, visit us on Facebook, or contact Dr. Johnson at Johnson Chiropractic Group, 115 Town & CounAdvertorial try Dr., Suite E in Danville. 925.743.8210.

that people can access at a more personal level,” says Hern. “Just as we recomthe Emergency Alert System (EAS), and now through Twitter and Facebook mend having an emergency ‘go kit’ with flashlights, batteries, water, etc., we now alerts. (Radio and television broadcasts are still usually the best source of ongoing recommend people prepare with an ‘Emergency Alert System’ which includes: a) purchasing a weather radio, which provides a simple, inexpensive personal siren information about emergencies, but it is important to recognize that differproviding alert and full information on an incident, b) bookmarking www.cococws. ent stations and channels serve distinct areas, and information might not be us on your computer and registering at http://cws.cccounty.us to receive alerts on entirely applicable to particular locations.) your cell phone, c) registering for text and email notifications at http://edis-by-mail. The Community Warning System (CWS) has averaged about one to two net , and d) ‘liking’ CWS on Facebook, and following CoCoCWS on Twitter.” activations per month over the last four to five years in various communities For further information on the Contra Costa County Community Warning throughout the County, according to Katherine Hern, manager of CWS. “We System, visit www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/index.aspx?nid=161. have activated for active shooters in a neighborhood, downed power lines, missing persons, fire warnings, etc.,” says Hern. “We don't operate based on a list of specific events; instead, we use the criteria of imminent threat to life or safety, for which there is a recommended protective action authorities advise you to take.” Hern provides the following example of a recent activation one that was requested by Lafayette’s Police Chief. “An extremely high voltage power line was down in an area between Highway 4 and Mt. Diablo Blvd in Lafayette,” says Hern. “The impact of this power line was not just that power would be out, but that due to the voltage, anyone coming near could suffer serious consequences, even death. Although a relatively small area, it was a denser population due to the mix of apartments and business. The CWS used phone lines, cell phones, and media to notify the public of the incident and issue a Shelter in Place. “Additionally, very recently, we notified the residents of Diablo of an at-risk missing juvenile girl and requested any information on her whereabouts,” adds Hern. Citizens need only register to receive the voice alerts on their personal cell phones or any other landline on which receptivity to Telephone Emergency Notification System calls might be problematic. (Emergency warnings come from a caller ID of 00000000.) Lic# 1100014354; Bay Area Entertainment “But more and more, the CWS has the capability of using devices

211 continued from front page

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Page 26 - June 2012 ~ Danville Today News

Healing with Minimal Scarring By Barbara Persons, MD, Persons Plastic Surgery, Inc.

CONTRA COSTA ONCOLOGY

With Them

my story Continues.

As summer approaches, I find that my practice is busier than ever. Most people would think that plastic surgeons become busy in the summer because that’s the time of year when people want to look better in a bathing suit. While it’s true that summer does bring people into my office looking to enhance their appearance through cosmetic surgery, summer is also the time of year when I see more patients after being involved in an accident. Local emergency rooms are packed in the summertime with people who have been involved in accidents while participating in warm weather activities such as swimming, hiking, and biking. I have spent years during my training in trauma centers and emergency rooms, working in highpressure situations and focusing my attention on saving lives, and ensuring that patients are not at risk of serious illness or infection. My advanced training in aesthetics is an added benefit my patients receive. For example, repairs to facial lacerations from a biking accident can be done in a way that leaves minimal scarring. Please use me as a resource and give me a call, especially when kids are involved. I would be happy to help. This past week, my patient’s sister was involved in a car accident. She was taken by ambulance to the emergency room where they made sure she had no major injuries and AT CONTRA COSTA ONCOLOGY, we are committed to providing WALNUT CREEK the highest quality care. Specializing in comprehensive cutting-edge treatment evaluated for a number of horrible lacerations SAN RAMON programs for all forms of cancer and blood disorders, our nationally recognized on her forearm. My staff and I told our patient CONCORD oncology experts and specialized oncology nurses are dedicated to providing to call us if there was anything we could do ROSSMOOR the best possible care experience. We understand the wide array of concerns for her sister. Two days later we were asked to and challenges faced by you and your family, so we ensure the most sophisticated DANVILLE take a look at her sister’s arm because it was levels of medical oncology and hematology care, while providing you with the painful and oozing. The woman had baseball contracostaoncology.com utmost support, compassion, and respect. 925.939.9610 type stitches in the largest laceration and 17 centimeters of cuts in a star-like pattern on her forearm. During my fellowship in hand and microsurgery, and other advanced training in cosmetic and maxillofacial the need for future scar revision. An additional note - It is a common misconception that lacerations must be surgery, I repaired countless traumatic injuries very similar to this woman’s. I consulted with her, and we agreed on a course of treatment that involved repaired immediately. In some cases, if the laceration is cleaned well and kept replacing the baseball stitches with 100 finer carefully placed sutures that moist, excellent results can be achieved days after the initial injury. Common sense must prevail with all bites, cuts, scrapes, or burns. Elevate will result in a more aesthetically pleasing and less painful repair. The result for this began with a consultation that allowed me to improve her situation and apply pressure for bleeding, ensure safety of the environment, and call 911 if and offer her a more aesthetically pleasing result in my office … away from there is a life-threatening emergency. The paramedics in our area are fantastic! Keep in mind that our office accepts most insurance plans and even on a cash the long lines and crowds of the typical ER. As a mother I know first hand that the emotions involved when your child payment basis treatment at our office is likely to be a less expensive option. As is injured are amplified on an exponential scale. The injury (especially facial always, it is my pleasure to offer my expertise and I look forward to consulting laceration) itself is traumatic enough, but add to that a lengthy wait time in an with you soon. Wishing everyone a safe and happy summer season. Barbara L. Persons, MD is a Board Certified unfamiliar environment and what is already a scary experience can become almost unbearable. I treasure my involvement in this community, and I want Plastic Surgeon and owns Persons Plastic Surto be used as a primary resource for these types of injuries. Please call me and gery, Inc. located at 911 Moraga Rd, Suite 205 in I will ensure that it will be a calm and comfortable experience for your child. Lafayette. She may be reached at 925.283.4012 or Most importantly, the injury will be optimally repaired the first time, avoiding drbarb@personsplasticsurgery.com. Advertorial

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Danville Today News ~ June 2012 - Page 27

Hyperhidrosis

Wardrobe continued from page 20

By Dr. Jerome Potozkin

WFO clients are from Alameda, Contra Costa and San Francisco counties and are referred by outside agencies. Nearly 100 clients are seen each week at the boutiques, which employ 200 regular volunteers. Donna Souza, WFO’s manager of corporate partnerships feels fortunate to actually have face time with the people that WFO assists. “I love seeing the transformation that our clients go through – from the wardrobe consultation, to career advancement classes, to the Pathways job retention program,” she says. “We really get to see their positive results, and that is rewarding.” Sara Aboei is one of WFO’s success stories. A graduate in sociology from San Francisco State, Aboei learned of WFO through her volunteer work with Contra Costa County. “I needed interview clothes, but I didn’t have the means to buy them,” says Aboei. “I learned about the WFO boutique, where I was able to pick out two interview outfits with the help of a stylist. It was fun; I was surprised they had so many items from which to choose.” As a graduate of the Pathways program, Aboei, who is currently seeking a job in social work, was able to pick out three more outfits. And, once she secures a job, will have the opportunity to receive a week’s worth of clothing. “We don’t want our clients to have to spend their first paycheck on a new wardrobe,” adds Souza. “WFO is really supportive of their client’s needs,” says Aboei. “They open doors, they’re positive and empowering and inspiring. It’s amazing to me how a non-profit can do so much.” WFO maintains collection bins at Walnut Creek’s Broadway Plaza Concierge Office, as well as at Comerica Banks on North Main in Walnut Creek, Crow Canyon Rd. in San Ramon, and Diablo Rd. in Danville. WFO seeks new or gently used male or female business attire, accessories, and shoes. All donors receive receipts for tax purposes. For more information, please visit www.wardrobe.org.

When Susan first came to see me she was distraught. She had just received her dream job in sales. However, slowly over the years she had developed a problem of excessive sweating of her palms. This condition is known as hyperhidrosis. Things got so bad for her that she avoided shaking hands and had to keep a washcloth in her purse to wipe her hands. She thought there was no hope and felt that this would hamper her success in a senior regional sales position. Luckily for Susan there are a number of treatment options for hyperhidrosis, each with its advantages and disadvantages. We initially tried a prescription strength antiperspirant containing aluminum chloride. This can work for about 75% of people who try it. Unfortunately, for Susan this was not a great option because she found the topically applied antiperspirant to be too irritating, and she could not tolerate the redness and irritation. At her follow up visit we discussed using Drionics, a device that uses an electric current to suppress sweat gland activity. Drionics can be purchased directly from the manufacturer at Drionics.com. It works by a process called iontophoresis whereby an electric current suppresses the sweat glands. It can be used in the armpit, palms, and soles. Some people find the sensation annoying, and it can be time consuming. Susan didn’t have the time for this solution. We decided to treat Susan with Botox. Most people think of Botox as a wrinkle relaxer. However, Botox can also be used to treat excessive sweating. Botox is injected superficially into the skin and works by blocking the signal from the nerve telling the sweat gland to secrete sweat. For most people the results last 3-6 months, so it usually requires 2-3 treatments per year to maintain the results. It is quick and convenient. The biggest downside is that the injections can be uncomfortable. In my practice we utilize a topical numbing cream to minimize the discomfort. For Susan, we applied a numbing cream and allowed it to “marinate” for about an hour. We then injected the Botox into her palms and fingers. Within two days Susan was calling to tell us how well she was doing and how, for the first time in two years, she didn’t feel self-conscious about shaking hands. We have treated many people just like Susan. We have patients who ruined many garments because of excess sweating of the armpit. They are delighted to expand their wardrobe after having the excess sweating treated. Most of the people we have helped had no idea that there were a number of treatment options available. If you or someone you know is suffering from hyperhidrosis, we would be happy to help you. Dr. Potozkin is a board certified dermatologist who has been serving the Danville community since 1993. He is accepting new patients at 925-838-4900. You Advertorial may also visit his website at Potozkin.com for more information.

C L A S S I F I E D YOUTH PROGRAMS GOT KIDS? Fun, interactive, youth programs for toddlers to high school students. www.StPaulsWC.org. Located in downtown Walnut Creek.

Wardrobe for Opportunity's two boutique locations boast an array of options for both men and women.

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.

WORK WANTED HOUSE SITTING, PET SITTING, PROJECTS, TO-DO-LISTS, ERRANDS, ORGANIZING, and MORE. Reliable, punctual, UC Davis Sophomore, San Ramon Valley High Grad, looking for part-time, summer-time work. Call Amy at 925-487-4356 or email amy.corstor@gmail.com.

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 ____________________________________________________________________

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Page 28- June 2012 ~ D 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 Swing Upward Last month I reported that a turnaround in Danville Sales was questionable. Better news is available now and I have included a chart which compares 2011-2012 year to date through May 14th. While every number on the chart isn’t bright green, the overall picture is extremely positive. So far this year, home sales have jumped significantly from the previous year. Last year at this time only 208 Danville Homes had sold. This year 258 homes have sold. Mathematically that is a 20% increase in sales and it is a bullish number for Danville. Another key development that should be mentioned is price paid per square foot. Except for a goofy number in March of 2012, this number has consistently remained above $300 and currently sits at $364 for the month of May 2012. Just as bullish as the unit sales number, it argues strongly that a bottom has been hit. Sounds trite, but the market can’t recover until a bottom has been reached. I think maybe it has. Rather than pour through the numbers which I have placed on the page for you to see, I would like to pass on some anecdotal information and personal opinion that might illustrate the market change we are currently experiencing. Two weeks ago on a Tuesday, Nancy and I listed a property. By Friday we received three offers and the home pended at greater than list price. On the following Thursday we listed a property and reviewed offers on Monday. We received 40 offers and our Seller selected the highest all cash offer with no appraisal contingency. Needless to say it went well over the asking price. We helped the seller make selected 2011 2012 Units Units Jan 29 26 Feb 40 38 March 57 76 April 61 78 May* 21 40 * May 1-May 14

% Chg -10% -5% 33% 28% 40%

$ $ $ $ $

2011 Price 728,000 764,000 801,000 678,000 767,000

$ $ $ $ $

Custom Luxury Contemporary

2012 Price 783,000 635,000 668,000 805,000 972,000

%Chg 8% -17% -17% 19% 27%

2011 $$/Sq. Ft. $ 293 $ 292 $ 309 $ 298 $ 319

2012 $$/Sq. Ft. $ 304 $ 306 $ 298 $ 306 $ 368

improvements to the home that paid for his cost many times over. In the week just passed, we were in a multiple offer situation on a multi-million dollar home. Yes, even demand for the big boys is picking up. We are currently working with two couples looking for multi- million dollar homes and we are not finding the ones they want. This past week we put three addition al Danville home buyers in contract. Nancy and I are accustomed to selling many homes each year, but the flurry of buying activity we are experiencing right now is greater than anything we have seen since 2004-2005. For the moment demand is there, but the inventory of acceptable homes is not high enough to meet it. Let me attempt to explain why I think this increased activity is happening. From the buyer’s perspective: First, I think people are tired of being afraid. It’s not in our nature. Secondly, there are five years of pent-up buyer demand sitting on the sidelines ready to make a move. Thirdly, mortgage rates keep falling. The rate this week is the lowest yet at 3.75%. Fourthly, banks are once again loaning “Big, Big Money” and at great rates. Lastly, the “Bubble Maker” 80/10/10 is back again. If you are thinking about selling your Danville home, here is what I can tell you about today’s buyers. They want perfection and they are willing to pay for it. They won’t pay for peeling paint, dirty carpets or ten years of deferred maintenance. They love “real” hardwood flooring. They hate any appliance that isn’t stainless steel. They love white windows. The only blue they want to see is in the sky. They are less concerned about the color of your granite, but it better be granite. Oak is just O.K. for flooring, it is definitely not an acceptable cabinet material. A “ bummer” bathroom is a $25k deduction. For a bad roof, deduct $50k. If your kitchen not up to scratch subtract $100k. No lawn equals no sale. %Chg Today’s buyers don’t seem to have the time or the temperament to fix up a home. In their minds the cost of fixing will be double the actual price of the improvements involved. 4% A tired, shop worn, thirty year old house in original condition is going to bring $225-$250 5% per square foot depending on its location. It’s worth even less to a “Flipper.” A little well -4% placed investment can make a huge difference to the seller in today’s market. If you are thinking about selling your home and would like an honest opinion of its 3% 15% market value and some ideas on how to improve it, please give me a call 925-989-6086, or send me an email joecombs@thecombsteam.com Nancy and I will be happy to help.

West Side Alamo Single Story

IN ND

West Side Single Story

IN ND

Dramatic, one-of-a-kind luxury home with amazing views. $1,599,000

Perfect throughout. 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath. Huge outdoor entertainment area and pool. $1,450,000.

West Side Single story. $1,299,000. We represented the buyer, we have more buyers.

Danville 4 Bedroom

Blackhawk Single Story

Downsize in Style

IN ND

Lovely home in beautiful Danville neighborhood $985,000. We represented the buyer. We have other buyers.

ING

D PEN

Completely renovated single story on Golf Course. $1,399,000

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

2 bedroom 2 bath townhome with great views in a gated community. Updated granite and stainless kitchen, patio, attached garage. $540,000 J. Rockcliff Realtors 15 Railroad Ave., Danville CA. 94526