Danville Today News, October 2012 by The Editors, Inc

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October 2012 Devil Mountain Brigade

Serving Danville By Fran Miller

They are the world’s only shotgun “almost semi-precision” marching unit in the world. For nearly half a century, Danville’s own Devil Mountain Brigade (DMB) has been delighting locals at community events with their choreographed shotgun blast volleys - blanks, of course. Organized in Danville in 1971 by locals Howard and Jack Weightman and modeled after early west shotgun marching groups, the Brigade has since appeared in every annual Danville July 4th parade, where children dart onto the parade path to collect their empty black powder bank cartridges, just as their parents once did. The Brigade has also become a regular at the Elks Rodeo Parade in Santa Maria, Gold Nugget Days in Paradise, and Nevada Days in Carson City. They have participated in parades in Virginia City, Reno, Truckee, Tahoe City, Oakland, Crockett, Oroville and other small communities. Their services (all gratis) are sometimes requested for 21 gun salutes to dedicate local businesses or for an individual memorial service. Its 100 members are also participants in “Clampers,” an early western history appreciation group whose first California chapter was established in 1849 in remote Sierra County. Today, 30 charitable Clamper chapters primarily install and dedicate brass plaques on buildings and sites of historic interest nearby and all over the country. Brigade Vice Commander Norm Nielsen has been a DMB member for more than 20 years, and he notes that fans are often surprised to find that the bearded, shotgun toting mountain men do not

Volunteer Trail Patrols Put Safety First in East Bay Regional Parks By Jody Morgan Keeping multi-use trails safe throughout the 112,000 acres of the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) is a daunting task. With 65 parks and only 60 sworn officers to supervise the more than 1,100 miles of trail open to the public, the 200 members of the Volunteer Trail Safety Patrols contribute significantly to ensuring the courteous sharing of this exceptional open space by park visitors. Volunteers currently serve on Mounted, Bicycle, Hiking and Companion Dog Patrols and may also Jerry Buck promotes safety for all trail users. qualify for Search and Rescue. Heather Gilfillan, EBRPD Volunteer Coordinator, meets with prospective volun-

Mounted Patrol volunteers pictured are left to right: Priscilla O’Meara on Sarge, Cindy Shon on Tucker, Julian Frazer on Silhouette, Judy Gile on Wendy.

live in the woods, only to come out for parades. “We like our mountain man image, but the truth is that we come from all walks of life,” says Nielsen who is a retired Senior Research Engineer at Stanford Research Institute. Commander Bob Gray held a similar position with Lawrence Livermore Lab. “Our careers

See Brigade continued on page 21

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teers to assess their qualifications. A few are too interested in being enforcers, a role reserved for Park Police. Others lack the communication skills to turn an encounter with a visitor violating park rules into a cordial educational experience rather than a hostile confrontation. Some will not commit to remaining on patrol for at Volume III - Number 12 least a year. Each patrol has its own certification testing. 3000F Danville Blvd. #117, “Once we get them on patrol,” Heather laughs, “they Alamo, CA 94507 (925) 405-6397 stay on board a long time unless they move out of the Fax (925) 406-0547 area! Some have been on patrol for 30 years.” The concept began with four civilian riders who Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher wanted to make a difference. In 1979 they formalized editor@ their vision as the Volunteer Mounted Patrol. Bicycle yourmonthlypaper.com Patrol followed in 1989, Hiking Patrol in 1994 and opinions expressed herein belong Companion Dog Patrol soon after. While each of The to the writers, and do not necessarily the patrols makes its own unique contribution to reflect that of Danville Today News. Danville Today News is not promoting safety and preserving natural resources, responsible for the content of any of all share the mission of observing, reporting and the advertising herein, nor does

See EBRPD continued on page 18

publication imply endorsement.

Page 2 - October 2012 ~ Danville Today News

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Boulevard View By Alisa Corstorphine, Editor Fall is here! The holidays are right around the corner, and soon our calendars and “to do” lists will be overflowing with things to accomplish. The season can be stressful, or it can be wonderful with the right attitude, so I’m going to share my secret with you; I’ve decided to stop sweating the small stuff. While “perfection” sounds great, it isn’t worth being stressed out. I think it’s time to work a little harder at not worrying about “getting it all done” and instead accept that it’s never all going to get done. If the laundry doesn’t get folded and sits on the couch for a few days, that’s OK. If there are a few dirty dishes in the sink, that’s OK too. I am a big fan of quick-repair items such as duct tape, super glue, and Sharpies. For example, my son and his friend were riding their motorcycles on some twisty roads. His friend laid his bike down going about 40mph, and both he and his bike were banged up. The bike had been in new, immaculate condition. He babied it, he polished it, and it was beautiful. The accident changed all that. It was scraped and dinged and broken. He brought the bike to our house for repairs, where we all labored on getting it back into working condition in time for an upcoming riding event. The time and expense dictated that aesthetics be sacrificed in lieu of making the bike “10 foot good,” or good enough if viewed from ten feet away. Everyone who sees it now doesn’t notice that some of the blue “paint” is actually a scrape colored over in blue Sharpie. To the casual eye it is truly ten-foot-good. The whole experience has been liberating for our young friend, who even asked us to bring our collection of Sharpies to our last get together for some touch-ups. While I am not a big fan of the statement sometimes chanted by college students, “C’s get degrees,” it does somewhat convey the same message. A “C” degree might not be good enough for grad school or scholarships, but a student getting a degree with a report card filled with a variety of grades may be busy with fulfilling and life-changing extracurricular activities that cannot be reflected with a grade. Is college just about the grades, or is it about the entire experience? An article found on the website http://happiness-project.com notes there are two types of decision makers. There are “Satisficers” who make a decision once their criteria

are met. When they find the product or service that has the qualities they want, they’re satisfied. Then there are “Maximizers” who want to make the best possible decision. Even if they see an object that meets their requirements, they won’t make a decision until they’ve examined every option. “Maximizers” drive “Satisficers” nuts because they take so long to make a decision. Not unsurprisingly, “Satisficers” tend to be happier than “Maximizers.” “Maximizers” expend more time and energy reaching decisions, and they’re more anxious about their choices. On the other hand, “Satisficers” have figured out that good enough is good enough, and have learned to move on. In an article by Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, spiritual leader of Congregation Bnai Yeshurun in Teaneck, New Jersey, he notes, “One of the secrets to a happy life is the recognition and appreciation of things that are ‘good enough.’One of the primary curses that plagues man, families, communities, countries and much of civilization is the cynical dismissal of things that are not ‘good enough’ only because they are not ‘perfect’ – a literal fulfillment of Voltaire’s dictum that ‘the perfect is the enemy of the good.’” Life becomes more enjoyable when we embrace the “good enough” model. Much as a person can be a slave to their video camera instead of enjoying the live event they’re attending, a perfectionist misses the same event by not allowing themselves to participate in and enjoy the beauty of what is by obsessing over what isn’t. Some might argue that the acceptance of “good enough” is tantamount to enshrining mediocrity. Absolutely not! Mediocrity is complacency with failure. The life properly lived always strives for continuous improvement, even if perfection will never be achieved. The real difference between the virtue of “good enough” and the vice of mediocrity is how we handle the present. “Good enough” appreciates the present, and hopes to improve it, but it does not obsess over the deficiencies, even if they are not fixed. The individual has a concept of the “perfect,” as the standard, but lives in a state of gratitude and acceptance. Conversely, the mediocre do not idealize the perfect and are content with that which is commonplace. They see no need to push themselves, and perhaps even discounts the value of success or denigrates those who succeed. The realization that what is “good enough” is actually “very good indeed” makes for happier people and more fulfilling lives. The byword is gratitude for all of our blessings. Someone once said, “The rich man is not the one who has what he wants, but rather the one who wants what he has.” I agree. So that’s the secret. Be in the moment and enjoy life, and accept that life’s imperfection is its beauty. It is OK to focus on just being good enough.

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Danville Today News ~ October 2012 - Page 3

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Average Closed Sales Price: $906,518 Average Days on Market: 47 Total Closed Sales YTD: 421 Number YTD Closed Sales Under $1M: 308 Number YTD Closed Sales Over $1M: 105

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Huge Library Book Sale Friends of Danville Library will hold a sale of gently used books, all priced at 50 cents or $1. Included are children’s books, CDs, and DVDs. The sale will be held at the Danville Library, located at 400 Front Street. Hours on Friday, October 12 are 9AM-10AM for members only and from 10AM5PM the public is invited. The public is also invited Saturday, October 13 from 10AM-4PM and Sunday, October 14 from 12:05PM-3:45PM. Sunday is “bag day,” and all the items you can carry in a one bag cost $5. Admission is free.

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SonRise Equestrian Foundation Holds Fundraiser On Saturday, October 20th at Round Hill Country Club in Alamo SonRise Equestrian Foundation will hold its 6th Annual Wine and Equine Fundraiser. Enjoy estate grown wines, dinner, dancing, and entertainment. SonRise will also be offering a wine cellar raffle of premium wines and exciting live and silent auctions. SonRise continues to seek donors and sponsors for this event. All proceeds will provide support to children who are facing social, emotional, and physical challenges as well as help rehabilitate horses in need. Tickets cost $125. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 925-838-RIDE (7433) or visit www.sonriseequestrianfoundation.org.

About SonRise SonRise Equestrian Foundation is a volunteer-based non-profit organization making a positive difference for children ages 6 to 18 living with social, emotional, or physical challenges including life limiting illnesses. Participating children develop confidence, integrity, and responsibility through mentoring and peer relationships centered around the care and enjoyment of horses.

Rally for the Cure Golf Tournament The San Ramon Women’s Golf Club is sponsoring Rally for the Cure Golf Tournament to benefit breast cancer research and local community outreach programs. A two-best-ball tournament will be held at the San Ramon Golf Club on Tuesday, October 9th with a 7AM check-in and 8AM shotgun start. Entry fee is $80 which includes 18 holes of golf with cart, lunch, goody bag, magazine subscription, and prizes. For information and entry form, contact Kay at srbctournament@yahoo.com.

Halloween Parade (Saturday 10a.m. in front of Faz Restaurant) Safe Trick-or-Treating Prospect Merchant Activities Bike Station First Annual Fall Crafts Festival Show

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Page 4 - October 2012 ~ Danville Today News

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Alamo-Danville Newcomers Club Please join the Alamo-Danville Newcomers Club at a free Welcome Coffee on Thursday, October 25th from 10AM to noon to learn about Club membership. Both those new to the area or long time residents will be able to learn about the numerous activities and events sponsored by the club. We hope you'll join us at this casual get-together where you can meet current members, find new friends, and discover the many activities offered through Newcomers. For further information, call us at (925) 281-1307, email us at alamodanvillenewcomers@yahoo.com, or visit our website www.alamodanvillenewcomers.com.

Baskets Exhibit: Basic, Beautiful, Bold A new exhibit featuring Washoe Indian baskets continues through November 4th at the Museum of San Ramon Valley. These are not just any baskets. These are baskets woven by California Indians who were, and are, some of the most accomplished basket weavers in the world. Twenty baskets from The Gatekeeper’s Museum in Tahoe City have been loaned to the Museum. Museum hours are 1-4 Tuesday-Friday, 10-1 Saturday, and 12-3 on Sunday. This exhibit will accompany the Museum’s Indian Life Program for fourth graders at the museum each morning from September 13 to November 2. For more information call 837-3750 or visit museumsrv.org.

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Danville-Alamo-Walnut Creek AAUW The Danville-Alamo-Walnut Creek branch of the American Association of University Women (DAW-AAUW) is sponsoring two events that are open to the public. On October 11th from 7pm-9pm at the Shadow Hills Cabana located at 1001 El Capitan Drive in Danville, please join us for a debate on the pros and cons of the California State Ballot measures. Hear the ballot initiatives debated. The debate will be presented by the League of Women Voters and sponsored by DAW-AAUW. On Saturday, October 20th at 10am at the Diablo Country Club located at 1700 Clubhouse Road in Diablo, join DAW-AAUW as we participate in a nonpartisan Next 10 Budget Challenge simulation of the tough choices that face our California lawmakers. California has experienced large budget shortfalls for the last decade and faced a $15.7 billion dollar budget gap for the 2012-13 fiscal year. Budget solutions affect us all. Take the Challenge and decide how much should be spent on programs and where the money should come from. Luncheon tickets are $25 and available at aauw-daw.org. Click on the October 20, 2012 Lunch link. AAUW advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research. DAW-AAUW offers scholarships and supports women for personal and professional growth, community leadership, and friendship. AAUW membership is open to all graduates of accredited four-year colleges or universities and those holding an Associate Degree or equivalent. For questions or prospective membership, contact Tena at 925-837-0826 or membershipvp@aauw-da.org.

The Magic of Music The Contra Costa League of the San Francisco Symphony will present it’s annual luncheon, The Magic of Music - It’s in the Cards on Monday, October 29th at Crow Canyon Country Club located at 711 Silver Lake Drive in Danville. Lunch includes bridge, games, and magic. There will be a silent auction and a musical presentation by the Matlock Duo. The cost is $65 per person. If you are interested in attending please reply to Carolyn Bybee at 925285-5292 or carolynbybee@gmail.com by October 19th. The League provides docents for the schools in Contra Costa and surrounding counties which introduce students in first through third grade to classical music through concerts for kids. The League personally sponsors two schools by buying tickets and supplying transportation with accompanying volunteer docents.

Danville Fall Crafts Festival, Fall into Fun! Get ready to fall into fun when the 21st annual Danville Fall Crafts Festival returns to beautiful downtown Danville on Saturday and Sunday, October 20 and 21. Hosted by the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Danville, this admission-free, family-friendly event on Hartz Avenue features something for everyone including the return of the popular Glass Pumpkin Patch with over 1,000 glass pumpkins of every size and shape. Festival-goers can meet and mingle with 200 talented artisans as they display work ranging from ceramics, fiber, wood, leather, and metalwork to jewelry, glass, photography, and mixed-media art pieces. Street corner musicians will be playing country, blues, Americana tunes, Caribbean steel drum rhythms, and the lively sound of marimba music for you to enjoy while strolling though the colorful festival booths and attractions. The youngsters won’t want to miss the annual Halloween Costume Parade on Saturday, October 20, starting at 10AM at the corner of School and Hartz Avenue as the start of the parade when children and their parents enjoy safe trick-or-treating with the merchants and artists along Hartz Avenue. Other children’s activities include face painting, inflatables fun and train rides. For adults, the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce Beverage Garden offers wine and microbrews. Along with the many Prospect merchant activities, new this year is the first annual Fall Festival Car Show held along Prospect near Front Street. The festival also offers plenty of free parking in city-owned lots and curbside spaces (the two-hour parking limit will not be enforced). Or bring your bike and take advantage of the convenient Bike Station located near Hartz Way. For more information, call (925) 837-4400 or visit the festival website at www.mlaproductions.com.

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Danville Today News ~ October 2012 - Page 5

How Much are my Coins and Collectables Worth?

Dr. Kristin Hazleton D.C.

Many coins and collectables are worth more today. But how much more are they worth? The 16th annual Contra Costa Coin and Collectables Show is the perfect place to get informal, free appraisals from over 30 West Coast dealers. The show will be held on Saturday and Sunday, October 13th and 14th, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel located at 45 John Glenn Drive in Concord. Doors open to the general public at 10AM each day. The show dealers will also buy, sell, and trade a variety of items including coins, tokens, medals, paper money, estate jewelry, and watches. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The general public can really benefit,â&#x20AC;? said Bill Green, with the Diablo Numismatic Society, the non-profit coin club hosting the show. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no better way to make sure you get fair value for your coins and collectables than at a show like ours, and our safe, secure venue offers a fun, fascinating, and educational experience for the entire family.â&#x20AC;? Admission to the show is $3 and good for both days. Children under twelve are admitted free. There will be drawings for valuable coins and other prizes. Also, Boy Scout Troop #465 will host a youth exhibit that includes free coins for children. Contact Bill Green of the Diablo Numismatic Society for more information at (925) 351 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 7605, or visit the clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website at diablocionclub.org.

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Reminiscent of the gala opening ceremonies of the recent London Olympics, Joyce Johnson Hamilton passed the conducting baton to Matilda Hofman as the new Music Director and Conductor of the Diablo Symphony at a recent reception. The reception had the dual purpose of welcoming Matilda Hofman and celebrating the Symphonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 50th Anniversary. Hofman, 33, selected by the orchestra musicians from five candidates, will open the Symphonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2012 - 2013 five-concert season with dual concerts on Friday, October 12th at 8PM in Rossmoor and Sunday, October 14th at 2PM at the Lesher

Sunday, October 14 2:00 p.m. 4)045",07*$) #BMMFU 4VJUF /P 1PMLB GSPN 5IF "HF PG (PME )":%/ 5SVNQFU $PODFSUP +PZDF +PIOTPO )BNJMUPO TPMPJTU 3*.4,: ,034",07 4DIFIFSB[BEF

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Left to right: Pat Campbell, Diablo Symphony board president; Joyce Johnson Hamilton, retiring conductor; Matilda Hofman, new conductor of the DSO; and Mary Ann Osborne, board member and reception hostess. Photo by Paul Fillinger.

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Center for the Arts, located at 1601 Civic Drive in Walnut Creek. Hofman will Season tickets available at the lead the symphony in Dances from Ballet Suite No. 1 and Polka from the Age of 925 943-SHOW (7469) Lesher Center for the Arts box office, Gold by Shostakovich and Rimsky-Korsakovâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Scheherazade. www.LesherARTScenter.org 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek, CA Hoffman is a native of Oxford, England. She studied at Cambridge University, the Royal Academy of Music, and the Eastman School of Music. In addition to symphony orchestras, she has conducted operas throughout Europe and was assistant conductor at Sacramento Opera. She is a regular guest conductor of the Empyrean Ensemble at UC Davis and the Bay Areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Left Coast Chamber Ensemble. In 2003 Hofman formed the Kreisler Ensemble, a group of seven Bay Area-based musicians, and she serves as its artistic director and conductor. While quiet-spoken in conversation, she wields the baton with power and authority. She is a diamond in the rough, about to be cut and faceted by her experiences with the Diablo Symphony. Joyce Johnson Hamilton, who retired as Music Director in 2011 after 31 years of leadership, was a master weaver of people and music, demonstrating a sensitive ear in communicating with the musicians. She has been described as a gold nugget finely burnished by her tireless enhancement of performers and programs.Also a trumpet virtuoso, Hamilton will be

See Symphony continued on page 17

SRVRWF Presents Brent Jones The Importance of Enthusiasm, Motivation and Excitement in Politics San Ramon Valley Republican Women Federated (SRVRWF) are proud to present Brent Jones as our October 23rd evening meeting speaker. Brent, his wife Dana, and two daughters live in Danville. His motivational speech comes as we close in on an extremely important election. He has already shown his strong support for our candidates, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan. Among his many activities, Mr. Jones now manages his business, Northgate Capital, and also coaches and gives sports commentary. Brent is a highly recommended speaker and legendary 49er. We look forward to his presentation on Tuesday, October 23rd at Crow Canyon Country Club located at 711 Silver Lake Drive, in Danville. A social time begins at 5:30pm followed by the dinner and speaker at 6pm. For reservations, call Mary at 925-837-5465 or e-mail srvrwf.lunch@gmail.com. Reservations are due by Thursday, October 18th. For more information, visit www.srvrwf.org. We hope to see you there.

Page 6 - October 2012 ~ Danville Today News

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Is it Scrumdidilyumptious? By Cynthia Ruzzi, President Sustainable Danville Area I still remember seeing the movie Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory as a child. The magical world with a river of chocolate, a drink that made Charlie and his Grandpa float in the air, and ‘the most amazing, fabulous, sensational gum in the whole world’ containing a three-course dinner captured my heart! Purveyors of classic, exotic, and But, would we chance such biotechnological conhigh-performance cars for more than 30 years. fections if they were available to us? Would you risk California’s #1 Classic Car Dealer turning your child blue and blowing up like a blueberry, Over 200 vehicles in inventory! similar to the nit-wit character Violet in the movie, just to save time in the kitchen? Dinner in a piece of gum would surely be the end to family meals, and aren’t our teachers already dealing with ‘floating students’ on five hour energy drinks? In my effort to eat healthier, I’ve been shopping the outside aisles of the grocery stores for the past few years. The perimeter is normally where you find the ‘real food,’ or at least where you find produce, the meat and fish counter, dairy products, and breads. Processed foods like Showrooms in Pleasanton, Benicia, and Fairfield. sugared cereal, bottled juices and sodas loaded with corn www.SpecialtySales.com | 800.600.2262 syrup, packaged cookies, chips, and even power bars dominate the middle aisles of most stores. Entering this dominion I need to arm myself with reading glasses to check labels for sugar and fat content and use a ‘chemical-speak’ dictionary to understand the rest of the packaged ingredients. Recently, Art inththe Park The 14 Annual Art in the Park festival will be held October Proposition 37, the GMO Food Labeling Initiative, has me wondering whether my shopping 6th and 7th from 10am to 5pm each day at a new, expanded location technique is the best defense for purchasing the healthiest foods. GMOs or ‘genetically modified organisms’ is the term for plants or animals created through - San Ramon’s Central Park located at Alcosta Blvd and Bollinger the gene splicing techniques of biotechnology. Biotechnology, also known as generic engineering Canyon Road. Admission to the event is free. There will be 70 booths of fine art, live music, food and wine, (GE) combines DNA from different species, mixing plant, animal, bacterial, and viral genes that and children’s activities. Don’t miss the judged art show in the cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding. Nearly 80% of processed foods available Fountain Room of the Community Center and the professional in the US contain GMOs. These include products that contain corn, soy, canola, flax, and rice Chalk Artists showing their talents. as well as sugar beets, papaya, zucchini and yellow summer squash. However, it’s not always Fine art booths include painters in all media, clay, fine jewelry, obvious since ingredients listed in ‘chemical-speak’ may be art photography, textiles, sculpture, and more from artists around derived from these crops like (but are not limited to) Xanthan the Bay Area and Northern California. The artists will be happy Gum, Sucrose, Monosodium Glutamate, Maltodextrins, to talk to you about their techniques and experiences, and many Citric Acid and of course High-Fructose Corn Syrup. Even will be demonstrating. milk, meat, eggs and honey can contain GMOs because of Live music both days includes the Monte Vista High Jazz feed for animals and other inputs. Group, Gary Chulla Trio, Cal High Jazz Band, Diablo Dixie DevMost GMOs are designed to produce their own insec- ils, San Ramon Valley High School Jazz Band, and San Ramon ticide to fight bugs or survive the farmer spraying herbicide to kill competing weeds. GMOs Strochkova Music Studio. promise drought tolerance and increased yields to make food more plentiful. Opponents connect There will be art tables set up near the tennis courts for kids GMOs with environmental damage and cite cases of large seed companies going after farmers to create a painting or a project to take home. for growing crops that have been hybridized by wind and/or birds. I’d love a solution to end Materials and supplies are free of charge, compliments of world hunger, but I’m worried about the unknown, long-term impacts of GMOs on people and Alamo Danville Artists’ Society (ADAS) and help from the Nathe environment. If nearly 50 countries around the world, including Australia, Japan, and all tional Charity League. The San Ramon Library will have a table of the countries in the European Union have restrictions or bans on the production and sale of in the children’s area and a bubble station will be supplied by GMOs, then why do US manufacturers’ consider GMOs safe for us to eat? Valley Parent Preschool. A kids’ train (supplied by the Museum I depend on my food producer to be transparent about their ingredients. We ask the farmer how they of the San Ramon Valley) will take children for rides around the fertilize and combat pests, and the butcher if antibiotics or hormones were used raising the meat. We sports fields. check if the fish is sustainable, and we definitely check labels on packages carefully before purchase. The event is sponsored by ADAS, the San Ramon Arts FounIf a manufacturer can list sugar, fat and ‘new and improved,’ then certainly they can list GMO-derived dation, and the City of San Ramon. Art in the Park is a fundraiser ingredients and allow me the choice to decide if the product is right for my family. Currently, the Non- for San Ramon art programs and Art in the Schools of the San GMO project offers the only third party verification for products. Their website, www.nongmoproject. Ramon Valley School District. Over $125,000 has been raised org, and their nifty iPhone app offers a complete list of Non-GMO verified foods which I use to decide over the years by ADAS for grants which go directly to the elwhat trade-offs to make when shopping. ementary and middle school art programs in the district. Interested in learning more about GMOs and food? Join San Ramon Valley High School For more information, contact Norma Webb at normawebb@ Environmental Club and Sustainable Danville Area for a showing of the documentary, Future comcast.net or 925-828-9170. of Food on Wednesday, October 10th at 6:30pm in the San Ramon Valley High School Performing Arts Center located at 501 Danville Blvd. in Danville. There is a suggested donation of $5. Delta Nu Psi Collection For more information, please visit www.sustainabledanville.com. Delta Nu Psi is approaching 1,000 boxes of items sent to the Troops. Help Breath of Hope Chiropractic and Sustainable Danville Area fight local hunger. Now We have now mailed 24,552 pounds of “gourmet junk food” and cofthere are two places in Danville to donate fresh vegetables and fruits to our local food pantries: fee. Our next collections will be held from 11am to 2pm on October 5th Wednesdays7:30am – 3pm 822 Hartz Way (Inside lobby of office building behind Burger King) at CVS in Alamo and October 12th at Lunardi's in Danville. Saturdays 9am – 1pm Loaves and Fishes at Danville’s Farmers Market, Prospect and Railroad Ave. For more information, visit deltanupsi.org.

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Danville Today News ~ October 2012 - Page 7

Charlotte Wood Middle School By Christopher George, Principal We are off to a fantastic beginning to our year. We always measure the beginning of the year by how soon it seems like business as usual in the classrooms, and this year was incredible. By the second day of school, teachers and students were already involved in engaging and thrilling activities. Probably the most important thing for our community to know is that we have begun our transition to the Common Core Standards. These national standards will be fully assessed in 2014- 2015, but the work to teach them correctly begins now. These standards are far more focused on the higher level thinking skills and concepts that students will need to compete in this 21st century world. As a staff, we have begun the work necessary for our transition to the Standards to begin in earnest. This two year process will be a challenging one for our staff, but it’s one which should yield amazing results. If you haven’t already, I urge you to look up Common Core Standards online and begin reading about the changes coming to education. In addition, we are also working on better ways of engaging students through technology and the Common Core. You will be seeing more about this in the future, but for now, just know that we are grateful for the support we receive from our parent community in this area. As always, we urge you to contact us with concerns, comments, or questions. at a deeper and more engaging level than anything else we have ever done Stone Valley Middle School in the past. The CCSS vocabulary includes the term Depth of Knowledge or By Shaun K. McElroy, Principal DOK. DOK provides teachers and students with a background for measuring What’s trending in education? complexity of a skill of task. Four levels of DOK include: In 1980 I read my first book about the education sysLevel 1 - Recall - Recall of a fact, information or procedure tem in the United States, A Place Called School by John Level 2 - Skill/Concept - Use information or conceptual knowledge, two or Goodlad. Goodlad researched the classroom and school more steps structures of the era, and his work coincided with the Regan Level 3 - Strategic Thinking - Requires reasoning, developing a plan or seadministration’s A Nation at Risk report. The consensus of quence of steps, some complexity, more than one possible answer Goodlad’s work and A Nation at Risk report was that our Level 4 - Extended Thinking - Requires an investigation, time to think and schools were failing our children. The age old structures process multiple conditions of the problem and methodologies did not support progress by American children. In California, This is an exciting change for educators all over the country. To date, 45 states then State Superintendent of Public Instruction Bill Honig (1983-93) followed with a have adopted the CCSS. I predict that students will find the CCSS engaging and standards-based education system. Honig’s tenure yielded primary documents called exciting. A peek into the 2015 classroom will find students engaged in a high level Frameworks. The Frameworks described in detail what students should know and be of dialogue with their peers and the teacher assisting in guiding the conversation to able to do in every subject from home economics to calculus. In 2001, The George an outcome. For the lay person, think of the scene in Apollo 13 where five scientists W. Bush era created a national reform called “No Child Left Behind” (NCLB). States are engaged in a problem solving exercise where failure is not an option. were asked to put a fine point on standards by measuring how well students met the *The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort to estabrequirements of the standards. Measurement systems were put in place to clearly de- lish a shared set of clear educational standards for English language arts and lineate how schools’ were making progress. In California progress was measured by mathematics that states can voluntarily adopt. the results of the annual STAR tests. The general public was made aware of individual If you have more questions visit www.corestandards.org/frequently-askedschools progress (adequate yearly progress or AYP) by the Academic Performance questions. Index score. API ranged from 200-1000, the baseline goal for all California Schools What’s Up in the SV Community Garden? is 800. All schools in SRVUSD are near or over the 900 mark. On the north side of campus is a plot of land that is the SVMS’s garden! In Fast Forward to 2014-15 School Year: Common Core State Standards 2009, Mr Hager and his Environmental Science students created the garden and In 2010 the Common Core State Standards* movement takes a step towards the outdoor classroom. Last spring, Mr. Hager established a Garden Committee a national curriculum. Parents, teachers, school administrators, and experts from to develop the potential of this valuable teaching resource. Just a few months across the country, together with state leaders, through their membership in the later, there are many exciting things happening. This week our students met Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governors Aswith local Landscape architect, John Montgomery, who explained the process sociation Center for Best Practices (NGA Center), worked cooperatively to create of landscape design so the students will be able to create their own design for National standards for language arts and math. The unique feature of CCSS is the the garden. Mr. Montgomery will use the student generated plans to inspire a use of a common thread that links a single standard from kindergarten through 12th master plan for the garden that we can then begin to implement. This week we grade. Each grade level has a progression that requires a higher level thinking skill. also accepted a generous donation from Tuff Shed that will house our garden The CCSS movement will require a differently structured classroom. tools and supplies. If you are interested in helping with the garden, there are a Students will be asked to communicate ideas and problem solve with peers variety of opportunities. Please contact Rachel Day at rachel.day31@gmail.com.

Free Milonga and Argentine Tango Lessons Enjoy a relaxed Sunday afternoon of tango on October 7th at the Blackhawk Plaza Rotunda, located at 3499 Blackhawk Plaza Circle in Danville. A beginners’ tango class will be held from 2-2:45PM, an intermediate tango class from 2:45-3:30PM, and Milonga will be held 3:30-7PM. This free event is hosted by the Blackhawk Milonga and the Bay Area Tango Association. Live music will be performed by Redwood Tango Ensemble, and Emilio Flores will DJ. For more information, contact Carlin Ghahraman at carlinsf@gmail.com or call (510) 406-4583.

Wind ‘n Sea Sailing Club The non-profit Wind ‘n Sea Sailing Club is holding a sailing training class at a member’s home in Danville, Wednesday, October 10th at 7PM. This class will be “General Sailing Skills, Knots, and Terminology” and will be followed by further sailing classes. Contact Jan at (925) 837-3381 for further information.

Booktoberfest! Project Second Chance, the Contra Costa County program for adult literacy is holding a fundraiser on October 26th from 6 to 8pm at the Lafayette Library Community Center, located at 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd. in Lafayette. Tickets are $25. Ale Industries brewery of Concord will serve their craft beers, author Ken Weaver will discuss his new book The Northern California Craft Beer Guide, beer-related books will be sold, and there will be a drawing for prizes. Serving of substantial appetizers, and Ale Industries beer (and wine for non-beer drinkers) will precede the literary events. Guests must be 21 to attend. To purchase tickets with cash or check, contact Project Second Chance at 925-927-3250 or send payment to Project Second Chance, Inc., 1750 Oak Park Blvd. in Pleasant Hill, CA 94523. Credit card payments can be made over the phone to Maria at 925-930-7249. For more information, call Project Second Chance at 925-927-3250 or visit www.ccclib.org/psc.

Page 8 - October 2012 ~ Danville Today News

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SRV Christian Academy By Jan Brunkal, Principal School is in full swing, and what a great beginning we have had! Our Back- to-School nights were a wonderful time of information for the new school year as well as a chance for our families to get together. This year, parents had the opportunity to support their child’s classroom by contributing to the Giving Tree. Parents selected “apples” off the trees that represented items that would enhance the classroom learning experience. As always, our families were very generous in supplying us with items from new technology, to classroom rugs, and everything in between. Thank you parents! Every year our students participate in a change drive which raises money for a variety of causes. Classes will select mission partners from the Bay Area and around the world. Locally, classes are supporting the San Francisco City Academy, Bay Area Rescue Mission, Today’s Youth Matters, Young Life, and Shepherds’ Gate. Internationally, students will be helping children in Uganda, Swaziland, Philippines, and Macedonia. Students will learn about their mission partners and how their contributions will help bring education, clothing, food, shelter, as well as hope to others. The year-long change drive will give our students an opportunity to financially support these causes, but more importantly, it will allow them to “connect” with children who are less fortunate, both locally and around the world. I love that our students have the opportunity to give of themselves and their resources; to those whom much is given, much is expected. I love that we are helping to teach our students to be “others-centered.” Every year, our 7th and 8th graders look forward to the fall retreats. This year our 7th graders went to a beautiful camp called Woodleaf near Challenge, California. They spent their time swimming, playing on the “blob” in the lake, listening to speakers, worshiping, as well as just “hanging out” as a class. Our 8th graders spent their retreat on houseboats in the Delta with Sonshine ministries. What a great time of fellowship, goal setting, and renewing old friendships as well as making new ones. These spiritual retreats are some of the most anticipated and long remembered events for our students here at SRVCA. I want to invite you to join us on Sunday, October 7th from 4-7pm on the Community Presbyterian campus for our annual Fall Family Carnival sponsored by Parent Teacher Fellowship. This is a great time of food, fun, and games. Everyone is welcome and it always proves to be a great family time.

St. Isidore School - All About Community By Maria Ward, Principal I am excited and honored to be the new principal of St. Isidore School. I have been at St. Isidore School for ten years. My first assignment was as a fourth grade teacher, followed by teaching eighth grade, and then serving as vice principal for the past several years. This is why St. Isidore School is like home to me, and I love it! We are a school that is all about community. Last month we had our first Family Bingo Night of the school year. It was a huge success and much fun. Many parents were happy to have a special event in which the entire family could participate. Our third grade students made friendship bracelets during recess the week prior and sold them at Bingo and raised $169 for Loaves and Fishes. Congratulations to them for having the idea and following through while bringing the whole class together. This is what service is about at St. Isidore School. The Parent Teacher Group (PTG) has been working diligently on many community events. Our annual St. Isidore Dinner Golf Classic was a hit. We love the support from our community, and this event would not be successful without everyone’s help. This year our Family Movie Night will be held on Friday, October 5th. We are showing the movie E.T. It will be another great family night out. Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (NPH), also known as Fr. Frank’s Kids, visited St. Isidore School at the end of September. These children live in an orphanage in Mexico. St. Isidore Parish along with Fr. Frank, a former St. Isidore priest, has supported NPH for many years. While they were here, they celebrated Mass with traditional Mexican dancing, performed for our students in our courtyard, they had lunch and played soccer with our eighth grade students, and had a Family Fiesta Auction to raise money. We cherished the time we had with them. Please join us for our Book Fair Fall Harvest starting on Friday, October 19th and ending on Sunday, October 28th. The Book Fair is open after school and after all Masses on the weekends. The Fair will bring bushels of books - all at exceptionally low prices. Mark your calendars to make sure you stop by! Red Ribbon Week is fast approaching. Our Student Leadership group, led by our amazing moderators, plan many great activities for students to learn ways to make good choices. Being a Catholic community, we are able to use our faith and Gospel Values to teach good decision-making processes to our students. What Would Jesus Do (WWJD)? Please check out our newly redesigned website to get information about our upcoming Alumni Party on October 6th. Also coming up this month is our potential Kindergarten student meeting on October 26th at 9AM in the St. Isidore Room. If you have questions regarding our programs, please come to this meeting or contact me directly. I look forward to sharing our school with you.

What Does “Superscore” Mean? By Susan Sokat, Club Z “Superscoring” is fairly new. Superscoring involves college admissions departments taking different sections of the SAT test and counting the best individual sections from each test while reviewing a student’s college application, rather than just looking at one individual test date’s score. It’s to a school’s advantage to “superscore” because the college can report higher SAT scores of its admitted students to make their institution appear more exclusive. Therefore, if you took the SAT on three different test dates, such as March, May, and Club ub b Z! 1-On-1 Tuttorin ng October, the colleges will mix and match your best sections. For example: March -580 I n Y o u r H o m e ! critical reading, 480 math, 640 writing, May - 540 Critical reading, 580 math, 600 writing, October - 640 Critical reading, 550 math, and 620 writing. s All Subjects s PreK-Adult In this example you would need to submit all three tests to the school. The admissions s Reading s Writing s Math office would then “superscore” and take the best sections from each test date. Therefore, s LD/ADD/ADHD s SAT/ACT Prep your “superscore” would be 640 Critical reading + 580 Math + 640 Writing, making your s Study Skills Program s Affordable Rates “superscore” an 1860 out of a possible 2400. s Degreed Professionals s Flexible Schedules Traditionally colleges and universities have not “superscored” the ACT. As always the best way to improve your SAT score is private tutoring. With this apCall to Reserve Your Tutor Today! proach you are working on your weak areas, not just taking a class. Club Z! In-Home Tutoring provides tutoring for the SAT, as well as any other subject grade K-12, in the convenience of your home. Contact Club Z! at 925-786www.clubz.com 7149 or visit www.clubztutoring.com/danville. Advertorial

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Danville Today News ~ October 2012 - Page 9

San Ramon Valley High School By Ruth Steele, Principal Technology is playing a more and more important role in our classrooms and educational practices. As we move through the second month of school at SRVHS, the challenge of educating our tech 925.934.3743 • 925.934.1515 www.dumploadsonus.com • www.erecycleonus.com savvy youth is high on my list of priorities. There are now a variety 1271 Boulevard Way, Walnut Creek of technology related terms that dominate current educational jargon: 21st century learners, digital natives, flipping the classroom, cyberbul- Monday-Friday, 8-5 • Saturday 9-1, Sunday, closed lying, iLearners…to list but a few. Our students now learn differently that we did (and by “we” I mean anyone born before 1981!). They belong to “Generation Y” and are the newest members of our educational community which now spans four generations which includes - Veterans or Traditionalists - 1922-1945, Baby Boomers - 1946-1964, Generation X - 1965-1980, and Generation Y or Millennials - 1981-present. This range presents some very significant challenges. In the business world, managers are being provided with training to help them to work with and motivate “Generation Y” employees. They are the most rapidly growing segment of the workforce, and most are working for managers or leaders who belong to “Generation X” or the “Baby Boomer” generation. These groups have little in common and are motivated very differently. Their priorities, attitudes, and approach to learning differs too. Our students belong to “Generation Y” – which could equally be “Generation Why?” They love to collaborate and multi-task, and they are tenacious, goal focused, and want meaningful tasks to complete. These are different from the skill-sets and aptitudes of the previous three generations and not only present challenges for future employers but also for educators. How do you engage, interest, and motivate students that are constantly switching between media and don’t seem able to focus on any one thing for more than a moment? One of the simple answers is to try and bring elements of their world into the classroom. Our students love to create content and get feedback from an audience. This is why Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites have become such an integral part of our students’ world. They upload videos to YouTube, pictures to Instagram, messages to Facebook, and notes to Twitter. They are constantly connected to their cell phones because these devices allow them to stay connected to their friends and their world of entertainment. They are validated by the responses to their messages, posts, tweets, and pics. By sharing their world with others, they connect and interact. One of the keys to successfully engaging students in school is to recognize why they behave the way they do and find a way to re-create some of those interactions in the classroom. This is the single biggest challenge facing not only high schools, but elementary and middle schools as well. Many established and experienced teachers are members of “Generation X” or the “Baby Boomers.” We are termed “digital immigrants” because while we may use a range of technology and be fairly comfortable with it, we are not innate users. “Generation Y” are digital natives. They intuitively understand how to use technology and seem to have become seamlessly connected to it 24/7. Our responsibility as educators is to try and find ways to integrate this into our classrooms where possible, but we must also balance the use of technology with rigorous and relevant instruction. This is one of the major goals at SRVHS this year, and it will continue to be as we prepare our students for the workplace beyond school.

Del Amigo Continuation High School By Joe Ianora, Principal Del Amigo Continuation High School is a small school nestled behind San Ramon Valley High School in Danville. We serve students, 16 years of age or older within, as well as beyond, the SRVUSD boundaries. Del Amigo is not on the typical quarter/semester system; our school year is divided into six six-week sessions that correspond to the semester start and finish of the comprehensive high schools. Students who attend Del Amigo are typically credit deficient and have the option to graduate from DAHS, upon fulfilling graduation requirements, or to return to their home school once they are caught up on credits. We have a safe educational environment with class size averaging between12-16 students. We are able to personalize instruction and meet the individual needs of our students. DAHS just completed our first six-week session. We marked this ending with a BBQ to celebrate the accomplishments of our students. We also celebrated our Back-to-School Night where students, staff, and parents enjoyed pizzas homemade by Joe Ianora and Mark Kauzer, met with teachers, and got an understanding of the educational process. Finally, we have a wonderful student recognition program. Every month we honor three students in three categories. The winners are as follows: Student of the Month – Romario Gonzalez, Most Improved – Ali Lanning, and Artist of the Month – Chris Lloyd. Del Amigo High School has been privileged to benefit from the many wonderful programs and support provided on behalf of and through the community. For this, we thank you. We hope to be able to continue this relationship.

Monte Vista High School By Janet Terranova, Principal At Monte Vista we are excited about the many fall activities in which our students can participate. Studies tell us over and over that one of the best ways for students to ensure a successful high school career is to get involved in school activities. Luckily for students at MV, there is an abundance of activities for our students to join. Sports, drama, instrumental music, vocal music, and speech and debate are some of the co-curricular activities that draw large numbers of students, but we offer more. We have over 75 clubs on our campus. Students recently had the opportunity to learn about all the clubs at the Monte Vista Club Faire. Our club offerings range from a mountain bike club, to scholastic clubs such as California Scholarship Federation (CSF) and National Honor Society (NHS) to service clubs such as Habitat for Humanity, Friends of Special Olympics, and Alzheimer’s Awareness, to name just a few. Even if students did not sign up at the Club Faire, our clubs welcome new members any time during the year. Amazingly, we are in our fifth week of school. Students have settled into their classes and are hard at work taking a wide array of required and elective courses. While the physical structures of schools are much like those 20 or 30 years ago, the courses our students take and the expectations for students today are far different. Students have the opportunity to study courses that were not part of a school curriculum a generation ago. Our students can enroll in courses such as engineering, environmental science, forensic science, video production, graphic arts, hospitality management, and other classes to help them explore a variety of career paths. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the generosity of our community. On Friday, September 7th, we traveled to Pittsburg High School for a football game (we won!). Some of you may know that Pittsburg High has a wonderful marching band that has been invited to perform around the country. They have recently been invited to perform in England for the 2014 New Year’s Day Parade. Our football families learned of their fundraising efforts and rallied round to collect over $1,300 from the Monte Vista Community. How fortunate we are to live and work in such a generous community. If you would like more information about Monte Vista High School, please visit our website at www.mvhs.schoolloop.com.

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Page 10 - October 2012 ~ Danville Today News

Contra Costa County Supervisor, District 2 Realignment – What is the Best Way to Keep our CommunitySafe? By Supervisor Candace Andersen, Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, District 2 Something you may be hearing about lately in County news is “Realignment.” In an effort to reduce State Prison overcrowding, the Public Safety Realignment Act (Assembly Bill 109) was signed into law last year. This law transfers the responsibility of supervising lower level--non-violent, non-serious, non-sex offenders–both inmates and parolees, from the State to local counties. This unprecedented change in how California handles those convicted of felony crimes greatly impacts the justice system. For example, some felony violations will be redefined resulting in shorter sentences. These sentences won’t be served in State prison but in our local jails which weren’t designed, or previously used, for lengthy stays. Some low-level inmates released directly from prison to community supervision will no longer be monitored by State Parole Officers, but by County Deputy Probation Officers. Parole violators won’t be sent back to prison but housed in County jails. Each California County has been allocated a certain amount of money and is required to create a Community Corrections Partnership (“CCP”) to oversee the realignment process. After the CCP makes its decision on how to proceed, its budget must be approved by the County Board of Supervisors with a 4/5 vote. The State Realignment legislation defines which County leaders or agencies should be on the CCP Committee. In Contra Costa, the members of the CCP Executive Committee are Chair, Chief Probation Officer Phil Kader, Sheriff David Livingston, District Attorney Mark Peterson, Public Defender Robin Lipetzky, Chief of Police Chris Magnus, Richmond Police Department, Presiding Judge of the Superior Court Diana Becton, and Cynthia Belon, Director of Behavioral Health for Contra Costa Human Services. Agencies represented on the CCP are considered “reentry stakeholders” in that they need to develop a plan to bring inmates who were previously housed and supervised by the State into County custody and probation supervision. A Community Advisory Board (“CAB”) was also developed to assist formerly incarcer-

ated individuals return to the community by collectively providing job training opportunities, literacy skills training, affordable housing, behavioral and physical health care, family reunification, substance abuse treatment, and counseling. The CAB is made up of CCP members, community-based organizations, community members, and local service providers. The common goal of the realignment plan is to ensure public safety, reduce repeat offenses, and give formerly incarcerated inmates the tools they need to successfully reintegrate into our communities. Of great importance to the realignment process is risk assessment of the convicted individual to ensure that the community stays safe. Contra Costa County was initially allocated about $4.5 million for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2011/12 through AB 109 funding. Fortunately, this amount was increased, and for the next two years, Contra Costa will be allocated just over $19 million. This is supposed to be used to implement the reentry plan, expand services, and secure County coordinated community-based programs. There are no funding guarantees past June 30, 2014. At issue now is how to responsibly and effectively spend the allocated $19 million. Should it be spent on increasing our County jail capacity or on social programs to help released prisoners? Up until this past month, Sheriff Livingston was hoping to utilize some of these funds to add 150 beds to the existing West County Detention Facility, a jail that not only holds inmates but also provides a variety of services to help with successful reentry. However, many citizens and community groups came to the September CCP meeting and argued that we don’t need more jail beds, that the monies would be better spent on community-based programs which should help keep the released inmates from going back to jail. The Sheriff has taken the addition of the 150 jail beds off the table for the time being. Realignment is a significant undertaking, and all parties involved realize that having never done this before, it will remain a work in progress. As our County is given these new responsibilities, the highest priority should be to keep our communities safe. We are relying on the experts who make up the CCP to come up with a plan of how to best use the $19 million to serve that purpose. If you want to weigh in on how the County spends the $19 million allocated to it, attend future meetings of the Community Corrections Partnership, or learn more about Realignment, visit www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/index.aspx?NID=3113. If you have other County issues you wish to discuss or would like to contact me, please don’t hesitate to do so. I’m elected to serve you. I can be reached at Candace.Andersen@bos.cccounty.us or 925-957-8860.

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Whom Can You Trust? By Evan Corstorphine, Portable CIO In past articles I’ve covered some of the intricacies of privacy and the changing landscape we find ourselves living in. One aspect I’ve not covered is how we at Portable CIO treat privacy and the implications of this in the way we work with you. For example, what happens to your computer when it comes into our shop? I must confess some irritation when someone whom we’re digging out of a terrific mess suddenly gets paranoid and questions the safety of their data in our hands or the motivations of my technicians. It’s a little like someone who’s having emergency surgery suddenly asking the doctor if he’s washed his hands and knows what he’s doing. I like to point out that it is they who called us, and that digging into their personal lives is just about the last thing anyone is interested in doing. In the course of a major system repair, we’re going to copy your system into a safer environment so that we safeguard that which cannot be replaced. The data is held securely on a locked and password protected server in an alarmed facility, and this data is deleted when your computer has been returned to you. Computers come and go, but your data is precious, and it’s our first responsibility to ensure that it is safe when it’s in our care. The average computer, whether it be for business or home use, has thousands of pieces of data on it. There’s browser information, cached passwords, Word and Excel documents, pictures, music, email database files, address books, and countless other bits and pieces that make your computer uniquely yours. While backing up data is always the customers responsibility, in cases where the customer has not taken that step, our challenge is to safeguard data, because so much of it is irreplaceable. Our office is not unlike a busy emergency room at a trauma hospital. When a patient comes in for treatment, we’re not worrying about the modesty of the patient as we cut off a garment to gain access to the “wound.” To paraphrase your mother, who walked in on you when you were changing as a teenager, “We’ve seen it all.” And by all, I mean ALL. Porn? Check. Cheating husbands? Check. Corporate intrigue? Check. We’re a bit numbed by it. As we’ve begun conducting HIPAA privacy and security audits for medical practices, and we’re working with financial firms who are governed by the SEC rules and guidelines for computer security, it’s become quite clear that a new day has dawned. We have composed our own Portable CIO Privacy and Confidentiality statement, available upon request, that explains our practices, methods, and commitments to client privacy. In the medical arena, physicians are called “covered entities,” and they are governed by a strict set of guidelines in how they handle and safeguard patient information. Patient information is called PHI, or Patient Health Information. In its electronic form, it’s called ePHI, for electronic Patient Health Information. When a company like ours works with a medical office, we must legally sign a type of contract called a Business Associate Agreement (BAA). This agreement extends the reach of PHI and ePHI compliance from the covered entity all the way to Portable CIO. This means that when we are working with the medical community, we are just as responsible, and just as liable, for the safeguarding of all patient information in any form, wherever and however we might come into contact with it. It’s a very big deal, and when data is accidentally released, it can costs thousands, even millions of dollars in fines. Now, in reality it’s rare to come across any of this data. It’s stored on electronic systems at the medical practices, and we don’t have (and don’t want) access to those systems. However, the potential exists that we might run across an extract of that data located on one of these systems, and we are bound to the confidentiality rules to ensure this data never sees the light of day. It’s part of what we do to ensure that secure data stays secure, and if we ever see anything, we’re to forget it immediately and move on to the next task. The same thing goes for when we’re working with a financial firm governed by the SEC’s rules on privacy or when working with Joe and Mary Smith down the street. It’s our job to ensure that everyone’s secrets stay secret and that computers get fixed in the most expeditious and secure way possible. Do you have questions or concerns about data privacy? If you do, you should give us a call or email, because we’d love to help you make sense of it all. Either call 925-552-7953, or email helpdesk@theportablecio.com. Advertorial

Danville Today News ~ October 2012 - Page 11

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Page 12 - October 2012 ~ Danville Today News

Quick Trips

By Linda Summers Pirkle San Juan Bautista

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San Juan Bautista State Historical Park is 90 miles southeast of San Francisco. The park includes several structures built in the 1800â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. These buildings, the 18th century Mission San Juan Bautista and several other historical buildings, surround the only original Spanish Plaza remaining in California. State Park Senior Aide, Marcos Raul Vizcaino says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;San Juan Bautista State Historical Park exists to preserve the rich legacy of the ancestors of San Juan Bautista. You can see the progression in time from the Native Americans known as the Amah Mutsun people, the Spanish era, the Mexican era, and then the American Gold Rush era.â&#x20AC;? Allow about an hour to visit the four main historic museums; the Plaza Hotel, the Zanetta House/Plaza Hall, the Plaza Stables, and the Castro-Breen Adobe. The Mission, an active Catholic church since 1797, is also open to visitors. In the cemetery behind the church, look for the large red cross which is the burial spot of the last indigenous Native American from the area. San Juan Bautista is a charming town. The wild chickens that roam the streets add to the ambiance of bygone days. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you want a real sense of what it was like living during the 1800â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s,â&#x20AC;? says Vizcaino, â&#x20AC;&#x153;come to our Living History Days; a hands-on historical event which is held every first Saturday of the month (except November).â&#x20AC;? * The hours between 10AM and 2PM on school days can be crowded with up to 300 children visiting the site during the week. A good time to visit the park is after 2PM on weekdays, or it is even better to go on weekends. *Portions of the film Vertigo, by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak, were filmed in the Plaza Stable and the Zanetta House, and there is a scene when Miss Novak runs across the plaza. Rosie Murray, secretary at the Mission, says that people from all over the world come to the Mission to see the famous tower in the film. She explains the tower sequence was actually â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hollywood.â&#x20AC;? San Juan Bautista has some nice restaurants. Our group of 40 people dined at Jardines de San Juan Mexican restaurant. We sat outside in the gorgeous patio, which is really a large garden. Service and food were excellent. On Friday nights the house regional specialty at Jardines is Huachinango ala Alicia, fresh snapper served Veracruz style, and the Sunday special is Pollos Borrachos, or drunken chicken, an old pueblo recipe - chicken simmered in a sauce with ham, sausage, almonds, raisins and a hint of sherry. Jon Clark, manager at Jardines, recommends calling in your order for the weekend specials. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our house specialties have been on our menu for years. We have people coming in from miles around for them, and we do sell out.â&#x20AC;? Jardines de San Juan is open daily (closed Christmas and Thanksgiving). Hours: 11AM to 9PM Sun. â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Thurs. and 11AM-10PM Fri.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Sat. They can be reached at (831) 623-4466. San Juan Bautista Park is open Tuesday through Sunday 10AM to 4:30PM. Guided walking tours can be arranged with reservations. Call (831) 623-2753. Linda Summers Pirkle, travel consultant and long term Danville resident, has been arranging and leading tours for the Town of Danville for several years. Inspired by the many wonderful places to visit in the Bay Area, she organizes day trips, +HU]PSSL either for groups or for friends and family. *HTPUV ;HZZHQHYH â&#x20AC;&#x153;If it's a trip for my husband and me, my husband drives and I talk (heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a captive audience) - the perfect combination! What (SHTV a great place to live, so much to see, so Open Tues thru Sat 10 to 6 much to do.â&#x20AC;? To share your â&#x20AC;&#x153;Quick Tripsâ&#x20AC;? +HU]PSSL )V\SL]HYK :\UKH` [V Â&#x2039; *SVZLK 4VUKH` ideas, email Coverthemap@gmail.com.

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Page 14 - October 2012 ~ Danville Today News

Solar Currents

By Mark Becker, GoSimpleSolar

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Specializing in

I’ve recently learned first hand that San Ramon Valley High School Interior & Exterior has a vibrant Environmental Engineering Program. We hired three young graduates from that program as summer interns to work in our showroom. • Power Washing Prep I’m sad to say that they’ve left our nest and moved onto other pursuits: two • Painting off to college, one to culinary school. Another young intern was a freshman • Spray-Enamel Finish home from university for the summer. • Restaining Decks I believe every local business should take the opportunity to mentor and Since 1970 learn from our youth. I hope these young men are able to learn and earn their Free Estimates way into rewarding careers. Based on our experiences, it seems the community and the schools are doing a good job of preparing our youth for such endeavors. Tim O’Halloran • 925.743.9535 Tax filing extension periods are expiring for tax year 2011. The good news is that tens of thousands of American taxpayers will pay less tax via IRS renewable energy and energy efficiency credits. The Personal Tax Credits (PTC) for homeowners and Investment Tax Credits (ITC) for business owners are in place through tax year 2016. These tax incentives pay a homeowner or business owner 30% of the net installation cost of a qualifying solar electric or solar water heating system. There is no upper limit to the PTC or ITC for solar projects. These tax incentives will reduce alternative minimum tax liabilities as well. Lesser energy credits are available for windows, doors, furnaces, fans, and other household and business equipment. Solar water heat, used to heat a swimming pool, does not qualify. For specific details on all available technologies that qualify, see www.irs.gov/form5695. PGE also provides rebates for pool pump upgrades (single-speed pool pumps are so inefficient they are no longer legal to be installed if they are over ½ horsepower). A variable speed pool pump will pay for itself in energy savings in a couple of years. There are also other efficiency upgrade rebates for lighting, appliances, insulation, etc. Solar electric and solar thermal systems also qualify for PGE rebates. See pge.com/rebates. In tax year 2010, the installation of a small solar electric system on my home reduced my annual tax liability by over $4,000 (and brought my electric bill to $0). In tax year 2011, the installation of a solar water heater system on my home reduced my tax liability by $2,000 (and brought my water heating costs to $12). I’m no longer subject to rising electric or natural gas rates. Tax credits and escalating energy costs accelerate investment payback time that averages 5-6 years. For payback calculations, monies that would have gone to PGE are redirected to pay for the solar system. “Payback” is achieved when the PGE savings have fully paid for the solar electric system. I’m investing my “monies not paid to PGE” as pre-tax savings into a 401K-retirement savings plan. Monies paid to PGE never provide a return on investment. At this time of year, our business typically encounters an end of year “solar project rush” to complete projects before December 31st. Project completion prior to year’s-end 2012 allows customers to capture the 30% PTC or ITC when they file their 2012 taxes in April 2013. That’s good tax planning. Corporate business owners have an added advantage in the tax code concerning the ITC. Corporate businesses must file estimated quarterly tax payments as income is generated. With the installation of a solar PV system, the ITC can reduce an estimated current year quarterly tax payment because the ITC is a credit for the tax year in which the solar project was placed in service. Of course, business owners can depreciate their assets. Investments in renewable energy equipment qualify for accelerated Federal five-year depreciation. As always, get qualified advice from a tax professional. GoSimpleSolar is taking advantage of Federal tax incentives for our business at our solar showroom location in downtown Danville. Our small operational awning mounted solar electric system on the Railroad Avenue side of our business was built primarily as a demonstration solar system. This solar system enhances our customer’s experience. We can demo firsthand how solar and its technology works. Customers and curious visitors can also see our PGE meter spin backwards as the panels generate excess solar energy. The excess power from our business’ solar system and my home’s solar system is sent back to the utility grid to be consumed locally. Mark Becker is the President of GoSimpleSolar, by Semper Fidelis Construction, a Danville based Solar Installation Firm. Mark can be reached at 925.915.9252. Come visit GoSimpleSolar’s new showroom at 114 West Prospect Ave. in Danville to see, touch, and discuss solar and energy efficiency products. For more details, see www. GoSimpleSolar.com or email Mark@GoSimpleSolar.com. Advertorial th its precursor, the 1923 Berkeley Fire, started on September 27 . Removing dead Fall Pruning wood, breaking up fire ladders, and limbing vegetation back from your home By Blaine Brende & Joe Lamb can greatly improve the chances of your home surviving a wildfire. Brende Now is a great time to prune your trees & Lamb knows how to fire prune your landscape in a way that improves fire to protect them against winter storms. safety, without sacrificing the natural aesthetic. Clearing some under-story trees There are three kinds of tree failure: and removing dead wood usually enhances the natural feel of a landscape by branch, column, and entire tree. Judicious making it look more like a mature forest. pruning reduces the likelihood of all three Pruning trees for safety is a craft requiring study and experience. A wellkinds of failure. Selective removal of weight from leggy branches makes it pruned tree should not only be safer, but it should look beautiful. At Brende & much less likely that a branch would fall, causing injury or damage to property. Lamb we take great pride in both the science and the art of pruning. Each plant It takes a lot of “in tree” experience to identify branches with weak crotches has a natural growth pattern, and our trimmers are expert at accentuating the and/or with unsafe weight distribution. Thinning the canopy to reduce friction shape given the plant by nature. Our trimmers are well practiced in aesthetic from the wind greatly reduces the odds of a column breaking, or of the entire pruning and are attuned to the artistic flow inherent in tree forms. One form tree falling over. When done correctly, a tree pruned for safety should still look is weeping, as with Willows and Chinese Elms. In some species, such as the natural, even after 30% of its foliage is removed. Monterey Cypress, branches ascend at acute angles to the trunk, giving the Many evergreens, such as cedars, cypresses, and redwoods, and many spe- tree an upswept look. Branches in the Coast Live Oak bend and twist, forming cies of deciduous trees, such as valley oaks, can be pruned in this time of year. complex arcs. Each tree species has a unique form and flow. Monterey Pines should only be pruned between October 15th and February 15th When necessary, trees and shrubs can be reduced in size, but crown reducunless compelling safety reasons dictate otherwise.. The timing for pruning is tion requires a good eye: a poorly reduced tree looks like a thicket of stubs. restricted because sap from pruning cuts attracts bark beetles that are destruc- Topping is almost always a bad idea. However, the crown of many trees can tive to pines. These beetles become dormant during the fall and winter months. be reduced by cutting back long branches to the crotches formed by shorter Some species of beetles carry pine pitch canker, an increasingly common fun- branches growing in the same direction. If the branch doesn’t fork, we cut back gal disease that disfigures pine trees, sometimes killing them. If your tree has to the lowest growth point that will neither create a thick stub nor undermine dead tips scattered throughout the canopy it probably suffers from pine pitch the arching quality of the branch. When a tree or shrub has been reduced in this canker. To prolong the aesthetic life of a diseased tree, prune out the infected way, it’s difficult to detect the cuts or tell that the branches have been shortened. tips before February 15th. If your trees need a little TLC to protect them against winter winds, or if your October is also a good time, if you haven’t already, to make your landscape property could use a little fire protection, please call 510-486-TREE (8733) or more fire safe. It is not uncommon for the East Bay to experience hot, dry, and email us at bl@brendelamb.com for a free estimate. Additionally, go to our website gusty winds in the fall due to sinking air from the bay combining with inland www.brendelamb.com to see before and after pictures, client testimonials, and high-pressure systems. The Oakland Hills fire of 1991 occurred on October 20th, work in your neighborhood. Advertorial

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Danville Today News ~ October 2012 - Page 15

Life in the Danville Garden Autumn Color Ablaze in Danville By John Montgomery, ASLA, Landscape Architect The autumn months of September, October, and November bring a joyful change to the gardens of Danville. Autumn marks the change from the growing season to the cycle of rest and rejuvenation. As your plants prepare for a period of rest and rejuvenation, a whole new life cycle brings vibrant colors, scent, texture, and calmness to your garden. Creating garden environments that take advantage of the seasons enhance the all-year-around pleasure of your garden. Autumn is a wonderful time in a garden. Trees, shrubs, ground covers, and grasses bring a whole new dimension of color, scent, and texture as they prepare themselves to rest. As I work with my clients in creating their landscape, I think about how we can have the garden be active all year around. So, I select a plant palette that takes advantage of the seasons. The characteristics that can be used in the palette include color, texture, structure, scent, and movement. A good all-year-around plant palette has a diverse mix of trees, shrubs, perennials, ground covers, and ornamental grasses. Color can be provided either by flower or leaf. Colorful trees like Nyssa Sylvatica (Sour Gum), Red Sunset Maple, and Chinese Pistache are vibrant as the evening snap of chill fills the air. Red-twig Dogwood or Sango Kaku Japanese Maple has vibrant bark color. As winter approaches, Autumn and Mexican Sage bloom profusely. Texture can be found in leaves, seeds, and bark. As plants prepare for rejuvenation during the winter, they begin a last spurt of growth, bloom, and seed head expenditure. Crape Myrtle wonderfully flowers and turns to spent seed heads and bark peel. Other shrubs bloom and seed in a last ditch effort to propagate. Structure is an element of design that can really be taken advantage of during the fall. Multi-branching trees and shrubs with intricate or bold branching can provide a dramatic accent that will add pizzazz to any garden. Multi-branching trees like Crape Myrtle, Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo,’ and Buckeye can accent the drama of an autumn garden. As leaves drop and begin to expose the bold and intricate branching, new garden accents are created for new focal interest. Autumn is time to take in the wonderful aromas your garden can create. The heat of our Indian summer brings the strong scent of California Bay, sage, rose and forest floor. Often times you will see roses springing to bloom as fall daytime temperatures sore. Most sages bloom during the autumn. I like to take advantage of deciduous trees and shrubs when they begin to drop their leaves. Besides the vibrant leaf colors, they can dapple the landscape floor adding texture and scent as the leaves begin to decay. When the first rains of fall arrive the aroma of the forest floor can fill the air. Autumn also brings soft warm Nor-easterly breezes through Danville. Movement is an element I like to take advantage of in your garden environment. Ornamental grasses such as red fountain grass, California fescue, and Morning Light Miscanthus are profuse by now with seed heads that gracefully sway and add gentle movement to your landscape. Perennials that are spent and dying back can also provide interesting movement if left uncut as they move into winter. Danville’s unique climate allows for a long growing season yet brings forth a good autumn and winter for rejuvenation. Planning for seasonal change is an important aspect of my design philosophy. A hot tip from your local Landscape Architect: If you’re looking forward to installing your landscape project in the spring, fall and winter is a great time

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THESERVICEOUTLET.COM to start the design process for your garden so you’re ready to enjoy it next summer! Gardening Quote of the Month: “I am rich today with autumn’s gold, All that my covetous hands can hold, Frost-painted leaves and goldenrod, A goldfinch on a milkweed pod, Huge golden pumpkins in the field, With heaps of corn from a bounteous yield, Golden apples heavy on the trees, Rivaling those of Hesperides, Golden rays of balmy sunshine spread, Over all like butter on warm bread, And the harvest moon will this night unfold, The streams running full of molten gold, Oh, who could find a dearth of bliss, With autumn glory such as this!” - Gladys Harp 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 16 - October 2012 ~ Danville Today News

Clip Notes

By Jody Morgan

Can you extract gold from Goldenrod? Five freight cars loaded with Goldenrod arrived in Fort Myers, Florida a month or so after the stock market crashed on October 24, 1929. Thomas Edison considered that the cargo of American native plants was destined to make a significant contribution to the nation’s future economic success. In agreement with the value of their friend’s assessment, Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone had invested in the research project. But what kind of wealth could the common roadside wildflower possibly have to offer? Luther Burbank seems to have planted the seed that grew in Edison’s imagination. During a visit to the self-styled “plant engineer’s” Santa Rosa, California home in 1915, Edison, Ford, and Burbank discussed the country’s dependence on foreign sources for rubber. Dramatic fluctuations in availability and cost during World War I underscored the vulnerability of a nation lacking its own means to satisfy ever-increasing demand. After revisiting the issue repeatedly in conversation, Edison, Ford, and Firestone founded the Edison Botanic Research Corporation in 1927 specifically to discover a domestic source for the organic substance from which natural rubber is produced: latex. Many plants contain the sticky, milky fluid, but few yield sufficient amounts to be used for large-scale production. The tropical Para rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis), the main source of commercial natural rubber, is native to South America. Charles Marie de La Condamine introduced rubber to France in 1736 and penned the first scientific paper on the properties of rubber in 1751. In 1770 Englishman Joseph Priestly remarked on the ability of the material to rub out pencil marks from whence comes the word rubber. The Indian rubber plant, Ficus elastica, commonly grown as an indoor ornamental specimen, was also used at one time to produce rubber. Edison sent forth field men in Ford roadsters to collect plants. He tasked himself with reading and re-reading all 3,639 pages of L.H. Bailey’s Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture to identify every possible natural source for latex that could be grown in the United States. He studied specimens of Ficus and species of Euphorbia at the New York Botanical Garden. From western states he received plants gathered by Union Pacific Railroad foremen.

After analyzing 17,000 different horticultural candidates, including Milkweed and Dogbane, Edison announced the discovery of an all-American winner with leaves capable of producing up to 12 percent latex. From the 100 species of Goldenrod, Edison selected Leavenworth’s Goldenrod (Silidago leavenworthii) as the focus of his experiments. Inspired by Burbank’s skill in breeding plants for a particular attribute, Edison maximized the latex output by re-engineering the shrubby four-foot Goldenrod endemic to the Southeastern Untied States into a 12-foot golden giant. He planned to use parts of the plant leftover from latex extraction to produce paper. Although Edison did get to drive a Model T outfitted with Goldenrod rubber tires, production of synthetic rubber proved less costly. But now the biomass research abandoned in 1934 is enjoying rejuvenation. This time Goldenrod’s lowly cousin Dandelion looks like the likeliest source for latex. The species Edison bred to produce up to 300 pounds of rubber per acre is named for Melines Conklin Leavenworth (1796-1862). A Yale graduate, Leavenworth collected plant specimens from the Southeastern Untied States to Central America while serving as an army surgeon. Goldenrod is dependent on insects to carry its pollen, which is too heavy to be wind-wafted. Once the mistaken belief that Goldenrod causes seasonal allergies had been disproven, horticulturalists began breeding garden worthy cultivars as well as prolifically flowering varieties for the floral trade. The genus name Solidago comes from the Latin “solido,” meaning to heal or make whole. Various species have been used to treat everything from snakebite to sore throats and even asthma. Natural dyes made from the flowers range from mustard yellow to orange, olive, and brown. Migrating butterflies will thank you for growing Goldenrod. Songbirds enjoy the seed. The roots exude a substance that suppresses soil pathogens. Laboratory studies suggest that Goldenrods also produce pre-emergent herbicides that prevent the growth of seeds sown by their competition. Deer have no interest in ingesting any part of these native plants. My personal favorite for the garden is Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks.’ Unlike some Goldenrods that spread invasively on runners, this cultivar forms compact three-foot clumps. Wands of sparkling golden blossoms create a dazzling late summer to early fall display. Western Goldenrod (Solidago californica) is native to our area and drought tolerant, but will colonize on creeping rootstock.

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Danville Today News ~ October 2012 - Page 17

Real Estate Succession Planning I By Robert J. Silverman, Attorney at Law Between your home and any vacation and/or investment property you own, a meaningful percentage of your total assets is likely comprised of real estate. It follows that serious consideration should be given to the succession of this property. People are often inclined to structure their Living Trust (or Will) in an “asset specific” manner. For example, they may dictate which children or other loved ones will inherit certain specific properties and/or financial accounts. They may also require that certain assets be sold upon their death so that the sale proceeds, rather than the so do we! assets themselves, are distributed to the beneficiaries. The problem with these inclinations is that a highly asset-specific estate plan is often impractical. Over time, asset values, the lives of your loved ones, and the economic marketplace for certain kinds of assets are likely Danville Today to change significantly. This frequently throws a wrench into a very asset-specific (i.e. “micro-managed”) plan. readers call NOW for A less asset-specific estate plan provides useful flexibility. It gives the successor trustee of your Living Trust the discretion to work with the beneficiaries in a practical manner that best suits their interests based on the cirspecial offer! cumstances at that time. This is typically accomplished by leaving all or nearly all of your assets in the “residue” Watch a short video of your trust – to be split up among your beneficiaries in the respective percentages you allocate to each person. With real estate, however, certain circumstances make it compelling for a property owner to designate a given piece of property to one particular beneficiary. Here are some situations, among others, in which careful consideration should be given to making a specific bequest of a property: 1. When one of the beneficiaries lives at the property. 2. When one of the beneficiaries would likely want to live in the property after the owner dies. 3. When one of the beneficiaries already owns a fractional interest in the property; or 499B San Ramon Valley Blvd. • Danville, CA 94526 4. When the owner is only the legal title holder - having gone on title for convenience purposes (e.g. to qualify 925-743-0802 • danville.kokoﬁtclub.com for a purchase or refinance) - and one of the beneficiaries is really the true owner (“equitable title” holder). Absent a specific testamentary bequest of a property, it is possible, if not likely, that the successor trustee will decide to either a) sell the property and split up the proceeds among the beneficiaries, or b) distribute fractional interests in the property to each beneficiary. In either case, the beneficiary who lived in, and/or who could potentially reside in, or best use the property might need to try to buy the interest(s) of the other beneficiary(ies). In such situations, objections, complications and disputes can arise, and it’s never certain that the buy-out will happen. Furthermore, such a buy-out may be detrimental from a property tax standpoint. In any one or more of the above situations (1-4), and other similar ones, if you are the property owner, you don’t need to (and probably shouldn’t) leave it to chance that the property will end up in the right beneficiary’s hands. Instead, consider making a specific property bequest. By examining all potentially relevant factors and ramifications, including personal and familial issues, and tax aspects (including property tax, income tax, and estate and gift tax), and discussing these with your estate planning attorney and other professional advisors, you can come up with a customized Living Trust design that is most certain to accomplish your objectives. In my November article, I’ll outline a number of interesting, and not well known, property tax reassessment rules that can provide substantial help in shaping a real estate succession plan. I’ll present a hypothetical example of how a specific property bequest can be very advantageous for the inheriting individual. Mr. Silverman is an attorney with Buchman Provine Brothers Smith Sunday, October 28, 2012 LLP, 1333 N. California Street, Suite 350, Walnut Creek, CA 94596; (925) 8am Downtown Lafayette 944-9700; rsilverman@sbllp.com. His practice emphasizes Estate Planning, Parking available at BART Trust Administration & Probate, Real Estate, and Business. Mr. Silverman offers a free introductory consultation.

Hate Gyms?

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

Symphony continued from page 5

Matilda Hofman. Photo by Christoph Trestler

2 Mile Run/Walk (8am) 5K (8:30am) • 10K (8:45am) To register, go to www.active.com or www. lafayettechamber.org, or call the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce at

featured in the opening concerts as the guest artist, play925-284-7404 ing the Haydn trumpet conThis event supports local education certo. As a composer, she brings adventure to the audience and players, and the Symphony will honor her again in the March 22 and 24, 2013 concerts which will premiere her special composition celebrating the orchestra’s 50th anniversary. These concerts will also feature the season’s winner of the Yen Liang Young Artist Competition, a symphonic Junior Olympics with outstanding young performers. The Diablo Symphony is the oldest symphony orchestra of professionally trained musicians in Contra Costa County. Hofman becomes the sixth conductor of the Diablo Symphony since its founding in 1962. Tickets are available at the Lesher Center for the Arts box office, by calling (925) 943-7469, or at lesherartscenter.org.

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Page 18 - October 2012 ~ Danville Today News

History of Social Security and How it Might Impact You

made on one’s own record, spouses record, or ex-spouse’s record • Age 65, MANDITORY DEADLINE for filing for Medicare • Age 70, maximum benefits under Social Security is reached, no point in delaying

By Sima Alefi, AAMS Financial Advisor Introduction to Social Security Introduction of Social Security

The Dilemma

The Social SecurityAct was signed into law by Franklin D. Roosevelt on August 14, 1935. After the devastating effects of the Great Depression, millions of Americans lost their jobs, savings disappeared and the disabled and children were greatly affected-there was no other source of income. Taxes were first collected in January 1937 and the first one-time payment lump sum payment was made that first month. The first recipient was Ernest Ackerman, who received a lump sum of 17 cents!

Design of Social Security Social Security was designed as a contribution program where both employers and workers are required to pay into the fund. Taxes collected are credited to two trust funds to handle surpluses, originated in 1939: the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) and the Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Fund. These funds are accounts managed by the Department of the Treasury and earn interest. These funds are not used as part of the overall Federal budget however; those involved in the federal budget matters often produce two sets of numbers, one with Social Security included in the budget totals and one without. Social Security was not designed to be the single source of income for people to rely on; it serves as the foundation of one of many components of one’s income plan: Social Security, pensions and earnings and asset income. Given that pensions have significantly decreased, now is the time to look at other ways to prepare for a comfortable retirement.

Current Program Benefits Under Social Security • Survivors benefits and retiree’s spouse and children’s benefits • Disability benefits • Medicare • Unemployment benefits • Retirement benefits

Entitlement Under Social Security • Earliest eligibility age (EEA), currently age 62 • Full retirement age (FRA), currently ranges from 65-67 • Children may receive benefits on retired parent’s record or survivor benefits for a deceased parent (Up to age 18) • Reduced survivor benefits available at age 60 • Age 61 years, 9 months is the first date on which filing for benefits may be

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educating. “We are the friendly face of the parks,” says Cindy Shon who has been on Mounted Patrol for the past decade. “Our role is to be friendly, helpful, and informative.” Patrol members answer questions, share maps, and advise visitors about park regulations. They report downed trees, animals left unattended in trailers or cars, and situations that may require intervention by sworn officers. Before going on patrol they call in their plans to dispatch and report in again when they return home. While on patrol, volunteers are covered by the same insurance as park employees. Hiking Patrol member Larry Fong remarks, “You have to be a mellow person to do this job. Your role is to make people feel safe and to educate the public. Not everyone responds politely to ‘education.’” Although volunteers are asked to spend 6-8 hours a month on patrol, most gladly work more time as last year’s total of 24,100 hours indicates. For Larry, “Being on patrol is a kind of ‘double-dipping.’ You get to be physically active and at the same time help other people.” Fong, also on Search and Rescue, always carries emergency supplies: first aid equipment, extra water, and power bars. Many of the problems he observes come from one type of trail user misunderstanding the needs of another. To a pedestrian, a cyclist passing at the 15 mile per hour speed limit on a paved trail seems to be speeding. To a cyclist, a bunch of pedestrians walking side by side appears to be hogging the trail. On multi-use trails, equestrians have the right of way over pedestrians and bicyclists. People unfamiliar with horses don’t know how dangerous the effect of startling a green mount with an inexperienced rider can be. Horses can be spooked by seeing a strange figure in a flapping poncho or being approached without warning by a cyclist whizzing around a blind curve. Pedestrians have the right of way over cyclists. With the exception of wheelchairs and electric-powered bicycles for the disabled, no motorized device is permitted on any trail. Volunteers attend monthly patrol meetings and also help with at least one special event a year. Favorite happenings include parades, safety fairs, and fishing derbies for children. Barbara Boehme enjoys sharing her mount with children at EBRPD Fishing Derbies. She brings carrots so they can feed as well as pet her horse. Barbara rides with her husband Dale in many of the more remote parks officers seldom have time to cover. “We are out there anyway,” Dale explains.

Nearly 55 million people receive some form of Social Security, including 38 million retired workers. The numbers keep growing as Baby Boomers face retirement - one turning 65 about every nine seconds! Given this hurdle to overcome, there is a growing burden on Social Security. In fact, Social Security payments currently exceed tax revenue and are expected to do so for the foreseeable future. While recognizing the fundamentals, the Social Security Administration will encounter much difficulty into the future, based on current estimates. Current estimates say that Social Security can pay benefits in full until 2037. For those of you who will not be impacted and are closer to retirement or in retirement, the issue of relying heavily on your Social Security income is still a big problem simply because it may not be enough! For those of you who are further away from retirement, it is wise to accelerate savings now for your income needs later.

What you Should Consider to Prepare Yourself for Retirement • Get a financial check up - Determine where you are today with regards to your investments and where do you want to be upon retirement. How much income will you need upon retirement? • Expenses - Determine how much on average you spend monthly today in order to assess how much you may need in the future. Most people will need a minimum 75% of todays income to maintain the same lifestyle into their retirement years • Income - How much and where does your regular source of income come from today? How much will stay with you throughout your retirement years? • Debt - What level of debt do you carry? How much is the interest rate on your debt? When will it be paid off? Consider paying off your debt before retiring. • Assets - Are your assets hedged against inflation and taxes? How comfortable are you with the level of risk you are taking? What is the best return you are making on your money?Are your investments diversified? While interest rates may be low, there are ways a financial advisor can help you with providing a stream of income from the assets you own. Sources: www.socialsecurity.gov *While disability is involved, age restrictions are different-consult the social security administration for details. **Information contained in this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute tax or legal advice. Please visit a professional for one of these services.

To contact Sima at Edward Jones, call (925) 648-2590. Her office is located at 3472 Camino Tassajara, Danville in the Blackhawk Safeway Shopping Advertorial Center. For more information, visit www.edwardjones.com. “Why not take it to the next level? Ride and perform a service.” Annual recertification ensures Mounted Volunteers are fully in control of horses sedate enough to shrug off unexpected sensory experiences: balls kicked at their feet or thrown by their ears, firecrackers, a police car with flashing lights and blaring siren. A trail ride and timed testing in an arena are part of the process. Newly certifying partners can keep retesting until they qualify. Canines and their owners on Companion Dog Patrol go through a similar certification process each year. Cathy Overmeyer and John Moffat signed up after seeing a television show about the program. They find the appreciation EBRPD

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Tax Talk By Bob Shalon, IRS Enrolled Agent H&R Block in Danville Open for Extensions Hello Danville and Alamo Taxpayers. Our office will be open to handle everyone who filed an extension. The deadline is October 15th, and we are ready to handle all your needs, whether you used us to file your extension or not! Our hours are Tuesday and Thursday from 10am to 6pm, or by appointment at any time, please call. I have the added experienced tax preparers Bob Shalon, EA to handle all returns Master Tax Advisor • Enrolled Agent that need filing. For all your tax 925.820.9570 needs, contact me at 714 San Ramon Valley Blvd, Suite B, Danville Sycamore Square (next to Lucky’s) my Danville office at bob.shalon@tax.hrblock.com 925.820.9570. Advertorial

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Danville Today News ~ October 2012 - Page 19

Your Personal Nutritionist

Role Players Presents Incident at Vichy

By Linda Michaelis, RD. MS. Teen Weight Loss the Healthy Way

Incident at Vichy, Arthur Miller’s suspenseful and gritty WWII drama is a fascinating and frightening psychological test of the limits of mankind’s capacity for good and evil. Picked up off the streets in Vichy, a group of men tensely await what they hope will be a routine check of their papers. As it becomes apparent that the Germans are involved, the fear in the room builds. Arthur Miller, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, powerfully pits man’s instinct for self-preservation against his desire for solidarity. As each man struggles to save himself, he must face the age old question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” One by one, each man is summoned to learn his fate and the most dreaded word soon becomes – Next! Shows will be held at Danville’s Village Theatre from October 19 - November 10. Tickets can be purchased at www.villagetheatreshows.com, by calling (925) 314-3400, or at the Community Center, 420 Front St. For more information, visit www.danvilletheatre.com.

I often see teens wanting to lose weight and look their best. I have a particular empathy with them since I too was overweight as a teen because of my own personal problems, which was a major cause for me to major in nutrition in college and develop my own approach that allowed me to lose weight and keep it off. Let me tell you about my teen client, Debbie, who attends a local high school, is in leadership, and plays soccer. Debbie is certainly quite active. Because of her busy schedule, she ends up eating most of her food at the end of the day. Her diet during the day could best be characterized as low fiber, low protein, and high sugar. Breakfast consisted of Honey Nut Cheerios. During the middle of the day she consumed smoothies, Think Thin and Cliff bars, and yogurt. For dinner, with her family, she ate double servings of meat and starches and skipped the veggies because they did not taste good to her. Late at night, she constantly snacked with bowls of Honey Nut Cheerios thinking they were a healthy choice. I calculated her nighttime snacks alone contributed over 1,000 calories to her daily intake. In my initial session with Debbie, I evaluated a food diary and showed her where her meals were lacking protein and fiber. I taught her how to read food labels for serving size as well as percentage of calories from fat, grams of protein, fiber and sugar. I always tell my clients that the food label is really backwards – we don’t use the metric system nor go by grams, and protein is listed as the last item where it should be first along with dietary fiber. After telling Debbie that 1 oz. of protein is equal to 7 grams, she could see her Honey Nut Cheerios has a skimpy 2 grams of protein compared to the king of cereals, Kashi Go Lean, that has 13 grams of protein or about 2 oz. of protein. When you add a cup of milk to cereal you get an additional ounce of protein and thus a breakfast can have 3 oz. of protein. I adamantly made the point that Debbie must consume at least 8 ounces of protein and 15 grams of fiber before dinner to function well during the day and not be starved for dinner. After looking at a list of her favorite foods, we put together a meal plan. For breakfast Debbie agreed to have oatmeal or Kashi Go Lean with some fruit after trying a sample at my office. Debbie liked the idea of taking to school a mid-morning snack of an apple with peanut butter, beef jerky, or a small pack of almonds. Debbie tried Trader Joe’s fresh grilled chicken strips cut up with a cup of mixed beans and salsa and a leftover chicken breast with veggies and brown rice which she enjoyed. Now, as a routine, she takes the second serving that she used to have for dinner and saves it for lunch the next day and adds tasty veggies that she likes. When she comes home from school, before soccer practice, she now likes to have a hearty soup such as lentil or black bean, or even oatmeal. Debbie has traded in all her smoothies for fresh fruit, is drinking more water than ever, has eliminated bars, and is substituting low sugar Greek yogurt instead of high sugar Yoplait. She now tells me she goes to practice at 5PM feeling better than ever with high energy. She no longer comes home famished and can control her portions at night. Best of all she does not feel the need to snack endlessly at night. Now she is happy with a fat-free fudgicle or creamsicle or even some sorbet. Debbie and I have worked together through several follow-up phone and email sessions where we discuss strategies for eating at parties, social events, and restaurants with friends and family. The number one lesson for Debbie was not to go to a party hungry and avoid filling up on unhealthy junk food that is usually available at teen gatherings. When at a buffet, which her family and friends enjoy, I taught Debbie to first scan the choices and set up a plan instantly in her mind, and then keep to it. It is fine if she makes room for dessert as long as she eats less starch and fat. I am glad to inform you that Debbie has lost 10 pounds in one month, and we are still working together via phone and e-mail. Her goal is to lose 10 more pounds before the holidays. The good news is that Debbie’s visits were covered by Sutter Select insurance with a small copay. 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 nutrition tips in my blog section. Advertorial

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Page 20 - October 2012 ~ Danville Today News

Danville Dermatologist First in Northern California to Offer MelaFind

By Dr. Jerome Potozkin As a dermatologist, I am constantly evaluating new technologies to see what would benefit my patients. Throughout the years we have purchased and upgraded many laser and light based devices. Most new devices that I evaluate do not live up to their hype. However, once in a while I find something that will truly help my patients. One of my patients mentioned MelaFind® a couple of years ago. He had just read an article about the company in the Wall Street Journal. Since I had never heard of it, I started to do my research. At the time the device was not available for use and was going through testing and studies for FDA approval. I first saw the device early this year at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology. I immediately recognized the benefit to my patients and asked the company to contact me as soon as the device was ready to be installed in dermatologists’ offices. I am pleased to announce that we are the first dermatology practice in Northern California to incorporate the ground-breaking MelaFind® device into the practice. MelaFind® , developed by medical device company MELA Sciences, is a first-of-its-kind technology that is used during a skin exam to help dermatologists see under the skin’s surface. The device collects information from 2.5mm deep into the skin painlessly and non-invasively using computer vision technology. For some patients it will allow us to forgo a biopsy and follow a lesion clinically, while for others it may indicate that a lesion should be biopsied. This device can help us in the early detection and treatment of melanoma. The examination is not painful and does not use any harmful radiation I am excited to have this tool in our practice as a clinically validated, objective system to help us in deciding whether or not to biopsy atypical moles we see on our patients. Everyone is at risk for melanoma. It is important for dermatologists to have a device such as MelaFind® to help us detect potential melanomas at the earliest, curable stage. MelaFind’s® safety and effectiveness were proven in the largest clinical trial in melanoma detection ever conducted. MelaFind® has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in the US. If you can’t remember the last time you have had your skin checked or if it has been over a year, please call my office to schedule an appointment. 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 may also visit his website at Potozkin.com for more information. Advertorial

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is Here Again! By Tiffany Svahn, MD It seems like just yesterday that we were honoring Breast Cancer Awareness in 2011. While the year has gone by quickly, it has not done so without leaving its mark in the advancement of breast cancer treatment. We all know that breast cancer is a very important health issue for women as it is the most common cancer in women and the second most common cause of cancer death. In 2011, there were more than 220,000 new diagnoses and more than 40,000 deaths due to breast cancer in the United States. But, the most important statistic is that there are more than 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in this country right now! That is due to improvements in screening, leading to earlier diagnosis, as well as advancements in treatments that increase the cure rate. We often hear the phrase that we need to “find a cure for breast cancer,” when in reality we actually cure more than 90% of women diagnosed with this disease. Although there are some women whose breast cancer cannot be cured, we now live in a time when incurable breast cancer can be treated as a chronic disease, like diabetes and heart disease. There are many different treatment options for women with metastatic breast cancer, and these treatments lead to longer survival and improved quality of life. In the past year, three new drugs have entered the arena for breast cancer treatment, making it a record year in breast cancer advances. Two of the drugs, pertuzumab (Perjeta) and TDM-1, target HER2-positive breast cancers, while everolimus (Afinitor) treats hormone-responsive breast cancer. Both pertuzumab and everolimus are already FDA-approved, and we anticipate approval of TDM-1 in the near future. We are fortunate to live in a time and a community in which there is a great focus on breast cancer awareness. Locally, there are some important events in the upcoming weeks. Sunvalley Mall in Pleasant Hill will host the second “Surviving in Style” fashion show in conjunction with their “Pink Up the Mall” campaign on October 7th. “The Many Faces of Breast Cancer,” a program that focuses on the issues of breast cancer survivorship, will see its fourth year of an auditorium filled with breast cancer survivors on October 13th at the Lesher Center in Walnut Creek. On October 18th, John Muir Health Center will have “An Evening in Pink” stroll that begins at the Women’s Health Center and continues through downtown Walnut Creek. These are just a few of the events occurring in our community throughout the month. Whether you are a survivor, a loved one, a caregiver, or just one who cares, we hope to see many of you out there this month supporting the cause! Tiffany Svahn, MD is a Medical Oncologist and Hematologist with Diablo Valley Oncology. Dr. Svahn specializes in breast cancer. Diablo Valley Oncology’s comprehensive cancer center is located at the California Cancer and Research Institute in Pleasant Hill. For more information, call (925) 677-5041. Advertorial attend six meetings of Search and Rescue before they can be sworn in. As coEBRPD continued from page 18 shows its volunteers rewarding. Although they enjoy most of their meetings with captain Walt Headley explains, skills not practiced regularly are quickly lost. dog walkers, they have encountered problems with off-leash dogs. Cathy’s leashed Eighty percent of Search and Rescue volunteers are Certified Medical First German Shepherd was attacked on patrol by off-leash animals. She saw an off- Responders, the level just below Emergency Medical Technicians. “When someone goes missing,” Headley relates, “the police are called in first, and leash Weimaraner lured away by a coyote never to be found. “We probably have the most liberal dog policy in the US,” Gilfillan comments. Search and Rescue is not usually contacted until it’s already dark.All parents should know that a simple device can save a child’s life. I was called out to look for a five-year old girl. “We have parks where dogs can be off -leash if they are under voice control. Unfortunately, not all owners understand voice control as we at the Regional Parks do.” She was at a campground with her parents and church group counselors. Something On paved trails dogs must be on a leash not exceeding six feet in length. Extension frightened her and she ran off. When the CHP helicopter flew over the pitch-black area with night vision, they spotted the leashes, not always visible to cyclists or even pedestrians, can cause accidents. child in a deep gully almost immeEBRPD holds helmet and bell give-away days and training events for cyclists. diately because her mother had put Bicycle Volunteer Jerry Buck sometimes brings a cracked helmet to demonstrate a glow-in-the-dark necklace around what would have happened to his head if he hadn’t been wearing it. Even though her neck.” He continues, “On another cyclists must call out or ring a bell when passing other trail users, Jerry cautions search, the EBRPD helicopter with that children learning to ride may be startled and topple off their bikes. Awareness night vision was able to find a senior of the vulnerabilities of fellow trail users is important. “My number one rule is to hiker in one of our parks using the keep the trail as safe as possible for all users. If I see someone engaged in an unsafe light on his key ring.” behavior, I stop, talk, educate, and persuade. Tact is one of the skills volunteers For information on EBRPD, the have to have.” Volunteers choose the areas they prefer to patrol. Buck regularly largest park and open space system rides the Iron Horse Trail accessible near his Danville home. in the United States below the state Monthly patrol meetings offer information on everything from snakebites to level, visit www.ebparks.org. To park history. Search and Rescue meetings concentrate on training. Volunteers John Moffat, Cathy Overmeyer, and Bodie. Photo volunteer click on “Get Involved.” already certified on Mounted, Bicycle, Hiking, or Companion Dog Patrol must courtesy of Carl LaRue.

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The Eye Opener By Gregory Kraskowsky, O.D., Alamo Optometry Macular Degeneration Of all the possible eye issues and conditions that affect vision, this one seems to be the one that generates the most questions and concerns on the part of my patients. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the most common causes of functional vision loss as we age. Your likelihood does increase as you age as 1 in 5 over age 70 and 1 in 3 over age 85 are affected. At this time the exact cause is not well understood, and therefore there is no cure. However, our detection methods and treatment options are improving to help maintain vision. The macula is the center part of the retina in which light that enters the eye is focused. This area only measures about 5 millimeters in diameter, contains only cones (no rods), and is therefore the only place on the retina where color vision and your 20/20 vision is processed. Light focused outside of this area will see a sharp drop-off in acuity, and the images will be best viewed in dim light. First, let’s discuss the positive; you will never go blind from AMD alone, and your peripheral vision will remain intact. However, your peripheral vision will not be great. Because of this, you might have noticed some people looking off to the side when they are trying to look at you since they are using their peripheral vision to focus on an object instead of using their macula. There are two types of AMD, dry and wet. Depending on the severity and type of the disease, vision loss will vary. Dry macular degeneration causes less vision loss but there are few treatment options. At this stage vitamin supplements, home monitoring, and regular eye exams is the standard of care. Wet AMD develops

Shared Experiences By Barbara Persons, MD, Persons Plastic Surgery, Inc. This month I decided to stray away from my usual article relating to a reconstructive or cosmetic procedure and write about shared experiences— events we endure as a community. The last several weeks have been marked by several life-altering events for me. I experienced the death of a kindergarten classmate of mine, and friend to many, and the death of a young local boy. These loses, combined with trials occurring in my own life, left me feeling quite thoughtful. Ultimately, I asked myself what I wanted to say in the simplest terms. It was, “Thank you, to my community.” Thank you for teaching my children, who in turn teach me. Thank you for being a community when I needed a community - at a festive gathering one day and a touching memorial the next. Thanks for coming into my office and bringing cupcakes for my staff, and for giving me the opportunity to do what I love every day. Thank you for sharing a sunny day at the Art and Wine festival with me and for exclaiming, “I never knew you did such wonderful things at work!” These moments remind me that, despite how hectic our lives may be, life is utterly fulfilling. It is easy to get caught up with our crazy schedules, but it is essential to take the time to realize how blessed we are. It takes more than skill to perform delicate surgeries and more than a kind heart to be a compassionate doctor every day. Thank you, in short, for inspiring me, for inspiration is of great worth in my profession, and it is something I find from many people I am inspired by teachers whose lessons have taught me a great deal and will not be forgotten. I am inspired by my patients whose courage astounds me and whose gratitude make every extra hour at the office worthwhile. Most importantly, I am inspired by family, they are my greatest support system and can turn a long, stressful day around with a simple smile. No matter what the inspiration, I am grateful for it. It’s a reason to listen a little more, to perfect that suture, and to make that extra stop at the hospital. While there are moments when all of this is nearly overwhelming, somehow the people who need me are also the ones that inspire me. I hear my

Danville Today News ~ October 2012 - Page 21 when blood vessels around the macula start to leak which deposits blood and fluid in and around the macular tissue and causes a drop in vision. Most treatment options are aimed at this stage of the disease. Recent advancements in wet AMD treatment include direct injections into the eye with drugs that attempt to halt the process that leads to leaky blood vessels. These new drugs have shown great results with minor side effects compared to past treatments. Even though a large percentage of patients have regained some lost vision, the goal of treatment remains to keep the status quo and prevent further vision loss. Since there is no cure for AMD, the question that arises is, “What can we do to decrease our chances of getting AMD?” As of right now, there is a large genetic component to the disease, so there is little we can do there. The number one thing that can be done is to not smoke. There is a 4 to 6 fold increase risk of developing macular degenration for smokers than non-smokers. Vitamin supplements specifically for the eyes have been conclusively shown to slow down the process in early stages of this disease. What has not been shown is if you take these vitamins now, what will happen in 20 to 30 years? It appears that if there is no reason why you can’t take them, there is no reason why you shouldn’t. The last thing I would recommend is to maintain your personal health. If you are diabetic or have high blood pressure, it is paramount to keep those diseases under good medical control. As always, regular eye examinations will help diagnose any early changes, and appropriate treatments and referrals can be made. 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. father, when asked if he needed anything sitting in his hospital bed at John Muir, simply respond, “Will you pray with me?” I hear a patient, who is facing difficult challenges, say wisely, “I learned a long time ago not to lose my cool, it doesn’t get me anywhere.” I hear my son say, “Mom, it’s important to hold hands and stick together.” So, in summary, thank you for inspiring me to be a good surgeon, a good physician, and good person. Thanks for making my job wonderful. Thank you for brining community to me and letting me serve you. Plastic Surgeon and owns Persons Plastic Surgery, Inc. located at 911 Moraga Rd, Suite 205 in Lafayette. She may be reached at 925.283.4012 or drbarb@personsplasticsurgery.com. Advertorial

Brigade continued from front page took both of us to the Mercury Test Site in Nevada many times, so we have a history of being involved with smoke and noise,” laughs Nielsen. DMB members include real estate agents, accountants, machinists, a dentist, and other medical professionals as well as those in the construction industry and organizations like Safeway, Hewlett Packard, and the City of Sacramento. Members are selected for their responsibility and experience with firearms. Most are hunters, skeet shooters or military veterans, and many are senior citizens. “This accounts for the elder audience appeal,” says Nielsen, who believes that onlookers enjoy seeing the ‘old guys out there having fun’ while demonstrating the safe use of firearms. The Brigade’s primary responsibility is safety. They fire only 12 gage black powder blanks in unison or individually, in rows or columns, at the direction of the Commander. Their guns are always broken open when not in use, and the shells are distributed before and collected after a parade by the Quartermaster. A Safety Officer, who walks in the last row of the parade, confirms and signals to the Commander before any gun firing takes place. At all parades the Brigade requests to be the last unit in the parade in order to avoid frightening animals and to allow individuals an opportunity to leave the area if they have an issue with the guns or noise. But Nielsen claims that very few people do leave, as most are interested to see what all the smoke and noise is about. “Walking back through town after a Parade is always rewarding when people thank us for coming or say, “You are the only reason my husband comes to this parade!” laughs Nielsen. “We thank Danville for their support.”

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Page 22 - October 2012 ~ Danville Today News

Your Inner Physician By Marchelle Milligan When you fall and bruise your elbow, do you think about how to help it get better? Some part of us just knows how to do it. It knows because the body is designed to fix itself, and it manages to do this very well most of the time. Even if you break a bone, the body mends the bone. A cast will be given so the arm or leg is stationary and protected to allow for the healing to take place, but the cast is not healing the bone, it’s providing the support for your body to do what it already knows how to do. In Craniosacral Therapy (CST) we refer to the body knowing what to do as the Inner Physician. It is a different approach to the body than most Western medicine takes. CST takes the approach that your body knows how to fix itself. A Craniosacral therapist is like the cast, providing the support your body needs in order to heal. What if you don't have a broken bone, but you have headaches, back pain, whiplash, TMJ or an injury from long ago? Rather than pushing or manipulating the body into a set or “correct” position, we use techniques to assist the body to release its own restrictions. There are two aspects to the process of CST. The first is to locate the restrictions causing the problem. The second is to encourage this restriction to release. I do this through palpation. Just like the body has a pulse rate that can be felt, I feel for the rhythm of the cerebrospinal fluid which is the fluid that bathes the brain and central nervous system. This rhythm can be felt throughout the body, and it provides clues as to where restrictions are. For example, in the case of a headache, the cause of the headache may actually be a restriction in the sacrum. If only the head was worked on, the headaches may never go away because the actual cause of the restriction had not been addressed.

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

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Our bodies are continually adjusting themselves to external changes. You run up a hill, your heart rate increases, and you start to sweat. You have a big meal, your body puts all its resources into digesting the food, and you feel sleepy. When you look at the workings of your body in this way, healing is part of the same balancing act. You get an infection, and your body kills it off by raising your temperature. What we call healing is the body’s way of trying to get back into homeostasis. You only run into a problem when, for some reason, your body has to overcompensate to maintain balance. It would be like trying to ride a bike with a lot of baggage hanging off the side. You may be able to keep going, but the effort over time would be draining, and eventually you would crash. The goal of CST is to get the body back into homeostasis to help free up restrictions inside the skull and the spine, thus relieving stress, decreasing pain, and enhancing overall health in the central nervous system. A properly functioning central nervous system determines how relaxed, capable, and resilient the health of an individual will be. The central nervous system is “command central” for the body. I try to help figure out what story your body is trying to tell. CST believes that the patient is part of the process, that you are “driving the car and the therapist is reading the map.” The work is very gentle, and most people wonder how something so gentle can bring such great results. CST can be helpful to many conditions including orthopedic problems, stress management, headaches, migraines, neck and back pain, brain and spinal cord injuries, TMJ dysfunctions, post traumatic stress disorders, emotional difficulties, chronic pain syndromes, sleep disorders, vertigo, and tinnitus to name a few. For more information, please log onto www.therhythmwithin.org. To schedule an appointment, please contact Marchelle Milligan at (925) 2866237. My business is located in Alamo at the Alamo Commons. New clients receive $15 off a one hour session. Advertorial and soreness, starts to demonstrate significant loss of mobility, and ultimately starts to limp or alter their gait while still trying to play. This is where things usually start to go awry for our children. Instead of understanding that a significant change to the architecture and physiology of our child’s body has taken place, requiring a thoughtful approach, too often we respond with an inadequate intervention that combines insufficient rest, some over-the-counter pain medication, ice, and bracing of the injured area so our child can continue to play through the pain.

A New Perspective I am currently helping to rehabilitate a player from a local professional sports team who developed extreme pain in his knee while going through his regular sports specific conditioning drills this past spring. The onset of his pain came on without warning and was significant enough for him to miss team drills and practices throughout the spring and summer. Before coming to me he had received the “standard” icing, bracing, electrical stimulation, cortisone injections, PRP injections (Platelet Rich Plasma), and strengthening exercises. All of this produced minimal benefit, led to his exclusion from team activities, and caused him to miss six regular season games. Please note that this athlete is paid over $250,000 per game, so missing any time is not taken lightly! I first evaluated this athlete three weeks ago and quickly determined he was suffering from SEVERE tissue restriction in his hips, knees, and lower legs. His injury resulted from OVERUSE of his soft tissues and led to the build-up of soft tissue “adhesions” in his muscles and tendons. As we discussed previously, this created not only inflammation and irritation in his knees, but also pain, tingling, numbing, burning, immobility, and significant loss of strength. Understanding that significant change to the architecture and physiology of his soft tissues had taken place, I began an intensive therapeutic regimen designed to do one thing...break free the adhesions that were restricting his mobility, eliminate his inflammation, and restore his muscles ability to fully contract and relax, over and over again without failure. I am happy to report that he is now walking, lunging, jumping, and performing all of his sports specific drills pain free and will be back on the field in three weeks. What’s important to note is that he understood the philosophy of our treatment approach and was willing to give his body the rest and therapy necessary to recover. All too often I hear parents of kids in my office, and out at my kids sporting events, who either do not understand the severity of their child’s injury, dismiss it as something they’ll grow out of, or are simply unwilling to have them miss a few weeks of activity so they can heal appropriately. Next month I will begin to review common injury sites in your children’s bodies, discuss how you can implement effective treatment and prevention, and offer a new perspectivefor the sake of their health and longevity. For more information, go to www.movepastyourpain.com, visit us on Facebook, or contact Dr. Johnson at Johnson Chiropractic Group, 115 Town & Country Dr., Suite E in Danville. 925.743.8210. Advertorial

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Danville Today News ~ October 2012 - Page 23

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

ELECTRICAL WORK

Stroke Support Group On Monday, October 8th, the Stroke Support Group of Contra Costa County will hold its October meeting in the Ball Auditorium at John Muir Medical Center, Walnut Creek Campus, located at 1601 Ygnacio Valley Road in Walnut Creek from 7-9pm. The speaker will be Sherwin Sheik, Founder of CareLinx, an online resource for hiring affordable and compatible caregivers. After the program, attendees will break up into three coping groups: stroke survivors without aphasia, stroke survivors with aphasia, and caregivers and families of stroke survivors. Each group will be led by a trained professional. For further information about the Stroke Support Group, contact Ann Dzuna at 925-376-6218. Meetings are free and open to the public.

To Advertise Call 925.405.6397

PET CARE

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.

EXCELLENT, EXPERIENCED PET CARE SERVICE. Lock and leave, no worries. At your home. Daily visits, overnights, dog walking, grooming and vet appts kept. Start planning holiday dates early. References. Reasonable rates. Call Barbara Monroe at 925-998-9317.

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 24 - October 2012 ~ 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 optimism this weekend when Nancy and I talked to more than 100 potential buyers. I described this change to a more positive attitude as one of the three big keys to becomLast month I wrote that the road to a full real estate recovery is proving to be a bumpy one ing a more normal market about three years ago. The other two keys being low interest rates, especially for Luxury Homes. Looking at the overall Danville 94526 market for all homes which we now have, and easy Big money that we may never see again - emphasis on Easy, including Luxury homes year-to-date compared to 2011 is proving just the opposite. The as the well qualified buyer can still get Big money. Easy money is the really big one and its Danville market, fueled by extremely low inventory of homes for sale, and incredibly low lack largely explains why an average house in Danville in 2007 sold for about $1.0 million and yet again historically low interest rates, is beginning to catch fire. What is happening is vs. $768,186 today. I am fairly certain that with new lending restrictions in place, we will not truly exciting. A mortgage broker told me yesterday that he could deliver a 3.37% loan on a see a rapid return to that those 2007 average prices. “Easy just ain’t comin’ back.” I suspect conventional mortgage. My Dad had a 3% mortgage in 1956. That was well before mortgage this will be a drag on the $1.5 million and up market for a long time to come. We will return rates were tracked. to those average price levels again, of this I am sure, but at a more measured pace of about Last year through September 25th a total of 308 homes, both multi- family and detached, 3-5% growth over the long haul. sold in the 94526 Market. This year a total of 386 homes closed in the same time period. Another “good news number” is average price. Average price is somewhat more dramatic That’s a 25% increase in home sales. Those waiting for the right moment to sell, really have than the upward shift of median price. I will take a 4% annual return on my real estate investment no reason to wait. Good homes sell and sell fast. Nancy and I put two homes in contract today. any time. If you purchased a million dollar home in Danville in 2011 you are theoretically ahead One received 32 offers, the other three offers. Both homes went pending above asking price. $40k on the year. That’s a whole lot better than the credit union. While a little less impressive at There are a lot of buyers out there. only 2% growth, dollars paid per square foot is also up. I like this number because it represents We still have not found homes for a buyer looking for a home up to $1.2 million, a buyer true growth at the lowest common denominator and is not impacted by the price mix of homes looking for a home around $1.6 million, and another for a home above $2 million. From the sold. It is however impacted by distressed property sales which are selling at about 15% less things you see on TV it’s hard to imagine that there is that much pent up demand. I remind per square foot and still exerting significant downward pressure on the overall market number. myself periodically that all real estate is local. What is happening in Modesto has no bearing Increasingly I am seeing non-distressed homes sell at $400 per square foot and above. There are on what is happening here. more than 60 so far this year compared to only 36 last year. That is really good news. Let’s look at some really good news. The median price for homes is moving up. I am forced If you are thinking about buying or selling a home in 2012 or 2013 and you would like to believe that low interest rates are responsible. Lower rates give buyers more purchasing to talk it over please give us a call at 925-989-6086 or send me an email to joecombs@ power for the same monthly payment; that enables buyers to purchase more expensive homes. thecombsteam.com. Nancy and I will be happy to visit with you in your home and help you The median price is up 2% over last year. The average home size moved down from 2,203 decide how to best prepare and price your home for the market. square to 2,166 square. An informed guess is that the condo market is picking up steam and Danville 94526 2011-2012 Sales Comparison that first time home buyers are making a strong move. Units Sold DOM $$ AVG $$ Median Avg. Sq. Ft. $$ Sq. Ft. Another perspective on this nice price advance, which can’t be quantified but is more of Homes 2011 308 46 $ 738,781 $ 713,925 2,203 $ 324 a perception, is that buyers are becoming less fearful of the risk of losing their jobs, so with 2012 386 43 $ 768,186 $ 725,750 2,166 $ 335 greater income security buying a home feels less risky to them. I truly sensed that feeling of

Danville Home Market Turns Corner and Heads Up in 94526 Zip

% Chg.

25%

-7%

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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.

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