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October 2011 Healing Hoof Beats: High on a Horse
Serving Danville By Jody Morgan
High on a horse, children who have never walked experience the empowerment and freedom of motion. The repetitive rhythm of hoof beats allays anxiety. Therapeutic riding makes miraculous moments happen for children and adults suffering from a variety of psychological, emotional and physical problems including ADHD/ADD, Asperger’s Syndrome, Autism, Bi-Polar Disorder, Blindness, Brain Injury, Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Cystic Fibrosis, Depression, Developmental Delays, Down’s Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Scoliosis, Spinal Bifida, and Stroke. Hoisting a student with limited muscle control into the saddle and providing a safe experience takes at least four trained caregivers. In addition to the instructor who is responsible for determining the goals and plan of the lesson and the tack and horse to be used, a handler is required to lead the horse, and two side walkers are needed to stabilize the rider. As strength improves, students graduate to managing their horses with less assistance. Games, toys, songs, and pounds of positive reinforcement elicit giggles from children who seldom smile in other situations. Eliana works on words with Instructor Karena Reaching to put a ring over a pole is a Smith far right and Volunteer Amber Decorano. demanding exercise for some. For others following a series of commands or verbalizing is the challenge. Some children utter their first words to encourage their horse to move. Peggy James, co-founder of ENN Reins in Motion, explains there is a muscle in the groin stimulated by riding that acts as a building block for improving core strength, which in turn permits the diaphragm to be raised. Without core strength, the rest of the body can’t function adequately. In place of a saddle, many students use a bareback pad permitting the heat of the horse to work on the rider’s muscles. Stir- At SonRise, Danielle Coburn praises Charlie's ascent into the rups of any length can saddle. Program Director at Xenophon, Danielle still volunteers be added and adjusted at the center that introduced her to therapeutic riding. to properly distribute the rider’s weight on the horse’s back. Therapy horses have to endure the jouncing of unbalanced riders and require regular chiropractic care. Suffering from spina bifida, Gary needed six people to hold him in place at first,
See Horse continued on page 16 PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Permit 263 Alamo CA
Danville Fall Crafts Festival
A visit to the Danville Fall Crafts Festival from 10am to 5pm October 22nd and 23rd is the perfect way to herald the fall season and feather your nest for the holidays. Unique craft items, Avenue of the Giants sculpture garden, Halloween costume parade, music, and dance are all part of the family fun. The Danville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Danville mark their 20th year hosting the festival on Hartz Avenue, between Diablo Road and Hartz Way, with a new expansion of local artists at work, make-and-take workshops, and other merchant activities along both East and West Prospect Avenues. More than 200 artists from across the U.S. and California gather to show paintings, photography, jewelry, ceramics, wood, metal, leather, glass, fiber, and mixed media. See Festival continued on page 21
Big Brothers/Big Sisters
By Fran Miller
Patty Guinto, age 31, is a busy woman. Her job is demanding, she has a crazy commute, she plays sports, and she enjoys time with friends and family. She lives an active life typical of most Bay Area residents – yet, she always finds time to spend with her “little sister” Sarah, age 15. “I'm not going to lie,” laughs Guinto, a volunteer with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the Bay Area (BBBS), “but on more than one occasion, Sarah and I have simply done laundry together because it was the only time I had the whole week to do it. Some- Sarah with “big sister” Patty Guinto times that's just how life is. But if you make it a priority, there is always time for BBBS. I Volume II - Number 12 think volunteers are surprised at how 3000F Danville Blvd. #117, Alamo, CA 94507 easy and rewarding BBBS is.” Telephone (925) 405-NEWS, 405-6397 The mission of BBBS is to Fax (925) 406-0547 provide children facing adversity Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher with strong and enduring, profeseditor@yourmonthlypaper.com sionally supported one-to-one The opinions expressed herein belong to the writers, and do relationships that change their not necessarily reflect that of Danville Today News. Danville
See BBBS cont. on pg. 18
Today News is not responsible for the content of any of the advertising herein, nor does publication imply endorsement.
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Page 2 - October 2011 ~ Danville Today News
OWN A CLASSIC!
These father/son restored cars are both for sale! 1974 Chevy Nova • 1967 Ford Mustang Coupe
1974 Chevy Nova in good running condition. Recently rebuilt engine, new tires, and more! Interior needs some work.
$8,000 • 925.552.0435
This car gets a lot of looks, and is one very few vintage turbocharged inline-six cars in the country. It has a long list of new/replacement parts. It is ready for daily use, or as a starting point for even greater restoration or modifications. • Rebuilt Carburetor • Holset Turbocharger • Front-mounted intercooler • Oversized 1" front swaybar • Front-end cross-braces (stiffening) • Boost Gauge • Tires and brakes less than 5k miles on them • New shocks • New leaf springs • Flat black paint • New interior carpets & liner • Ignition cut-off • 4-speaker stereo/MP3/CD player.
$5,500 • 925.216.1298
Scouts Begin Building Bounty Garden Beds
Under the guidance of Life Scout Josh Miner, local teens began construction of The Bounty Garden’s raised vegetable beds. For much of the summer, Josh has been finalizing the construction of the beds with The Bounty Garden Cofounder, Amelia Abramson. The Bounty Garden, to be located at local Hap Magee Ranch Park, will be a community place to grow fresh produce for local Food Bank programs. Recently a Josh lead a construction day to begin assembly of the beds. In two short hours, six beautiful boxes were finished. Josh noted, “It was so exciting finally getting the building of the boxes underway. The outreach of the community has been wonderful and six beds have already been made with the help from many citizens in the Danville-Alamo area. I look forward to having more building days and meeting many loyal members of the community.” Amelia added, “The Scouts were great! They completely exceeded our expectations by completing the number of beds we’d hoped for in less time than we estimated.” Life Scout Dallin Robins agreed. “It was a lot of fun, a bunch of community members showed up to help, and we got a bunch done!” Construction of the first eight boxes has been made possible through generous donations from Channel Lumber of Berkeley, which donated the materials for two boxes and has offered the remaining boxes’ materials for sale to The Bounty Garden at their cost, of approximately $150 each. Additional help has come from generous hardware donations from ACE Hardware of Alamo. Members of the community are invited to support the construction of the 42 raised vegetable beds that will be located in The Bounty Garden at Hap Magee Ranch Park. For a donation of $200, each donor’s name will be inscribed on the bronze donors plaque to be displayed at the Garden. To donate or participate in an upcoming work day, please contact Heidi or Amelia Abramson at 925-855-1864 or visit the website at www.thebountygarden. org. All donations are tax-deductible and very much appreciated!
Back Row Left to Right: Nicolette Allen, Amelia Abramson, Jeff Abramson, Tom Miner, and Glen Robins. Front Row Left to Right: Dashiell Miner, Dallin Robins, Ryan Nearon, Joshua Miner, Michael Reeve, Weston Nearon, Jack Vonsosen, and Jared Robins.
Pumpkin Jubilee Harvest Festival
The Danville Livery will be celebrating Halloween with their Annual Pumpkin Jubilee Festival on Saturday, October 22nd, from 11AM – 3PM. Kids and families are invited to dressup in their Halloween costumes and participate in this year’s festivities which will include live music, pumpkin carving demonstrations, pumpkin giveaways, horse-drawn wagon rides, face painting, balloon twisting, magic shows, strolling entertainment, arts and crafts, and trick-ortreating at participating Livery merchants. Bring the entire family, and enjoy a day of fun! For more information, contact Mimi Goc at 1-800-762-1641 or visit www.danvillelivery.com.
Visit the Alamo Cemetery Right Before Halloween
There won’t be any ghosts, but you will meet some interesting historic figures from the San Ramon Valley when you visit the Alamo Cemetery two days before Halloween. Museum docents, who enjoy researching and portraying the lives of our Valley pioneers, will be there in costume talking to visitors about the lives of their characters in the San Ramon Valley. The Museum of the San Ramon Valley is hosting its annual Autumn Tour of the Alamo Cemetery on Saturday, October 29th at 10AM. Participants should meet at the front gate of the Cemetery located at the end of El Portal near La Gonda Way in Danville. The tour cost is $3. The Alamo Cemetery is part of the Alamo/Lafayette Cemetery District, which was established in 1937. It is a public, non-profit and non-denominational cemetery. For more information, visit www.museumsrv.org or call 925-837-3750.
Elegant Flea Market
An “Elegant Flea Market” will be held on October 22nd from 9am to 3pm at the Museum of the San Ramon Valley located 205 Railroad Avenue in Danville. Special items will be sold to benefit the Museum. Donors have contributed items which don’t fit in with the Museum collections but are lovely historical pieces. Sale items will include pictures, books, knick-knacks, antiques and more. If you would like to contribute items for this sale to benefit the Museum, please bring them to the Museum during museum DT1011 hours. No clothing please. Contact Jan Habiger with any questions at 925837-3089.
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Boulevard View
By Alisa Corstorphine, Editor
Do you remember what you wore four weeks ago? Probably not. Can you remember what you wore to your high school prom, to your first day of kindergarten or to your wedding? Quite possibly you do. While most of the clothes we wear may end up “handed down” to someone else or donated to a charity without another thought about them, some items hold a special spot in our memories. I recently had some old slides scanned by the local Aberscan photo scanning service. It was a delight to find some hidden gems I didn’t know existed. One small stack of pictures included my fathers’ beloved Auntie Dee and her husband whom he thought he had no pictures of. (The price to scan those slides and come up with that treasure was worth every penny.) Another photo that jumped out to me was of my Grandma Horine. In the margins of the slide Grandpa Horine had carefully labeled the photo “Grace’s new red coat.” In the photo, Grandma stands proudly in her bright red coat with the black faux-fur trim. I reflected how some clothes can be very special. Some are almost an event unto themselves. I’m not sure of the story behind Grandma’s coat, but I am certain that, to her, the coat was a special purchase. My other grandmother, Dorothy Parizek, once told me about a jacket she dreamed of owning and how it led to the only job she ever held. She recounts, “I very, very briefly held a job. When I was first married, I saw there was a Sears store not too far away, and I saw something in the window I wanted. It was a great jacket. I decided I would go to Sears and see if I could work during the Christmas rush to make money to buy the jacket. So I worked for three weeks at Sears in a department where they sold trimmings and curtains and accessories. I did alright, I guess. After the three weeks I quit. I took my money and bought the jacket. That was my big experience in the work force.” These special purchases can define the seasons. They are planned for and saved for. The back-to-school season is synonymous with the purchase of new fall attire for many kids. I was looking at a photo my sister posted of my niece on her Facebook page. Whitney is entering second grade and was decked out in fancy tall Sketchers boots that appear woolly and warm...great for fashion, not great for the hot end of summer days. Whitney insisted on wearing them on the first day of school even though it was a very warm August day in California. By the time Whitney got home, her pants were rolled up to her knees, and she had a sheen of sweat on her forehead. However, despite the heat, she did not regret wearing her new boots. Her mom (my sister) recalls a similar first day of school of her own. She began seventh grade on a sweltering September day wearing the latest style of plaid wool skirt, argyle sweater vest, and knee socks. My husband, Evan, and I went to our high school Winter Ball together in 1980. I wore a white floral Gunne Sax dress. It was the “cool” thing to go to the Gunne Sax outlet (When outlets were really outlets!) in San Francisco in order to find the perfect dress. Evan wore a matching white tux with a ruffled pale blue shirt and coordinating white vinyl shoes. While these are certainly not outfits we would buy now, it sure brings back fun memories of those times. Just like a certain song or a unique scent can unlock a memory, so too can special clothing items. What clothing brings back special memories to you? Please send me a note, let me know, and include a photo if you have one. You may be included in a future article in Danville Today News!
Danville Today News ~ October 2011 - Page 3
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Page 4 - October 2011 ~ Danville Today News
Drop Zone
East Bay Chapter 101 Blue Star Moms is having a Drop Zone to collect donations for their upcoming “Holiday Hugs” care package mailing to our Troops in December. The event will take place on October 8th from 10AM - 3PM at Lucky Supermarket located at 660 San Ramon Valley Blvd in Danville. Our goal is to send out 2,000 care packages, and we cannot do it without the generous support of our community. All donations will be mailed to our brave men and women serving our country overseas. Come say hello, sponsor a care package mailing ($12.50), make a postcard or two, or drop off a donation to show your gratitude for what our brave troops do for all Americans each and every day. Go to www.bluestarmoms.org and click on care packages for more information, including a list of our donation items. Thank you for supporting our Troops!
A Short Sale May Be An Option For You Log on to ForeclosureHelpInEastBay.com
Are you facing foreclosure? I understand how difficult the situation you are going through may be for you and your family. I want you to know there are options available other than the devastating process of foreclosure. Please visit ForeclosureHelpInEastBay.com to learn about your options to avoid the foreclosure process. You will be able to confidentially download free reports, learn the differences between a foreclosure and a short sale, and use forms to see if you qualify for a short sale process. I can help. I am only a phone call or an email away...
Ed Ramos, DRE#01043554 • (925) 765-3179
Info@ForeclosureHelpInEastBay.com www.ForeclosureHelpInEastBay.com
Food for the Troops
Delta Nu Psi will once again collect in October for our Troops. We will be at CVS of Alamo on Friday, October 7th and at Lunardi's on Friday, October 14th. At both locations the hours will be from 11am until 2pm. Thanks for your support of our service men and women. We send “gourmet junk food” plus letters from school children and scout groups. Please shop at either store, and also encourage groups of children to write to our squads. Letters can be brought to CVS or Lunardi's on the appropriate day. Thus far we have sent 841 boxes containing 21,545 pounds of “gourmet junk food.” Left over Halloween candy, especially anything chocolate, would be an added treat for the squads. For more information, visit www.deltanupsi.org or email deltanupsi@comcast.net.
Museum of the San Ramon Valley
The Museum of the San Ramon Valley will feature an exhibit on Indian Life. Visitors can see model tule houses and animal mounts from the Lindsay Wildlife Museum, including a mountain lion, a coyote, a grey fox, and various birds. New this year is a condor hung from the rafters with an 8-foot wing spread and an intricately carved head. The Museum hours are Tuesday-Thursday 1-4 and Saturday 10-1. The museum is located at 205 Railroad Ave. in Danville. For more information, visit www.museumsrv.org or call 837-3750.
HW Construction
This is not intended to solicit property currently listed.
TroopsDirect Poker Tournament
On Saturday, October 15th , TroopsDirect will host its 1st Annual “Frontline Poker” Tournament at the Lafayette Veterans Memorial building. This will be an action packed fun evening supporting TroopsDirect's continuing mission to supply our ‘heroes’ at unprecedented levels. Register online at TroopsDirect.org.
Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
VFW Post 75, San Ramon Valley, meets every second Thursday of the month at the Swain House at Hap Magee Ranch Park, located at 1025 La Gonda Way in Danville. The next meeting will be held Thursday, October 13th. Doors open at 7PM, and the meeting begins at 7:30PM. For more information, contact Post Commander Nathan Greene at (925) 875-1747. Find out more about the VFW at www.vfw.org.
Seneca Falls
Celebrating Women’s Suffrage, AAUW Luncheon
In honor of the 100th anniversary of California women’s suffrage, passage of the 19th amendment, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s birthday, the November American Association of University Women luncheon will present the award-winning documentary Seneca Falls featuring writer/ producer Louise Vance. The event will take place Saturday, November 5th at 11AM at Crow Canyon Country Club located at 711 Silver Lake Drive in Danville. For more information, call (925) 945-1938.
Alamo Danville Newcomers Club October Luncheon
925-497-2687 Do you have a list of projects you would like to get done? Ask us about our specials... Mention this ad at the time you receive your FREE estimate and get 20% off labor! • Kitchen and Bathroom Remodels • Crown Molding, Casing, Baseboard • Window and Door Installation • Tile and Hardwood Installation • Drywall Installation and Repair • Decks and Fences • Toilet and Faucet Installation • Handyman Projects hwconstruction2005@hotmail.com Free Estimates
License # - 963083 - Licensed, Bonded and Insured
Discover nutrition and lifestyle strategies at theAlamo Danville Newcomers Club October Luncheon. Speaker Kathy Napoli, is a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant in private practice inAlamo. She will be speaking to us about natural therapies and avoiding weight gain as we enjoy a healthful lunch at Sunrise Bistro in Walnut Creek. Ladies who are new to the area or long-time residents are invited to join us on Tuesday, October 11th at 11:30am. The cost is $20. Call Marty at 925-838-8113 for reservations.
Welcome Coffee
A Welcome Coffee will be held for ladies who are new to the area or long-time residents. Join a casual get together to learn about the many facets of Newcomers while enjoying coffee and some treats with friends. The next Coffee is Thursday, October 27th at 10am to noon. For information call 925-775-3233. Contact us at alamodanvillenewcomers@yahoo.com or visit our website www.alamodanvillenewcomers.com.
AARP Tax-Aide Call for Volunteers
Do you like working with people? Are you good with numbers? Contra Costa CountyAARPTax-Aide is looking for volunteers to become members of a team providing free tax preparation for individuals of all ages. Volunteers are trained by Tax-Aide and become IRS Certified tax counselors. Other volunteer positions are available. For information, or to apply, call LaVerne Gordon, District Coordinator, at (925) 726-3199. Orientation is in November, and classes for tax counselors start in January 2012.
The Exchange Club of San Ramon Valley
The Exchange Club of San Ramon Valley meets for lunch the second Wednesday of every month at Faz Restaurant in downtown Danville. For more information, call Karen Stepper, President, at (925) 275-2312, email coachstepper@yahoo.com, or visit www.srvexchangeclub.org.
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Danville Today News ~ October 2011 - Page 5 Barbara Monroe
Barbara Monroe
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Role Players Ensemble
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Barbara Monroe Centennial of Women’s Right to Vote in California By Beverly Lane Owner
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On October 10 we should all celebrate the important centennial of California winning the vote. Woman suffrage was part of a long list of progresFur&& &Feathers Feathers Petwomen Sitting Fur&& &Feathers Feathers Pet Sitting Fur Fur Feathers Pet Pet Sitting Sitting Fur Fur Feathers Pet Pet Sitting Sitting 925-998-9317 925-998-9317 sive issues on a special election ballot which included recall, initiative, and referendum, powers which are still used by voters today. Bonded, Insured & References Bonded, Insured & References Exceptionalcare carefor foryour yourpet pet Exceptionalcare carefor foryour yourpet pet Exceptional Exceptional care for your pet Exceptional Exceptional care for your pet In Contra Costa County, 14 communities supported woman suffrage 100 years ago: Alhambra, Furfeatherpet@aol.com Furfeatherpet@aol.com Dailyvisits visitsplus plusdog dogwalks walks Dailyvisits visitsplus plusdog dogwalks walks Daily Daily visits plus dog walks Daily Daily visits plus dog walks Lock andleave, leave,no noworries worries Lockand andleave, leave,no noworries worries Byron, Bat Point Cornwall, Crockett, Hercules, Lafayette, Lone Tree, Oakley, Richmond, San Ramon, Lock Lock and and leave, no worries Lock Lock and leave, no worries Overnights Overnights Overnights Overnights Overnights Overnights Selby, Stege, and Walnut Creek. Woman suffrage won by 21 votes, 1,569 to 1,548, in the County. There were five Equal Suffrage Clubs in the County in Concord, Danville, Martinez, Oakley, and Walnut Barbara Monroe BarbaraMonroe Monroe Barbara Barbara Monroe Monroe Barbara Barbara Monroe Owner Owner Creek. Martinez, the County seat, was very active with Equality Teas and special SuffrageOwner Smokers for men. Owner Owner Owner 925-998-9317 925-998-9317 925-998-9317 925-998-9317 925-998-9317 The successful California campaign tried innovative approaches which were used 925-998-9317 throughout the country. Bonded,Insured Insured&&&References References Bonded,Insured Insured&&&References References Bonded, Bonded, Insured References Bonded, Bonded, Insured References These included car speeches from a snazzy touring car, parades, huge billboards, posters and buttons and flyers Furfeatherpet@aol.com Furfeatherpet@aol.com Furfeatherpet@aol.com Furfeatherpet@aol.com Furfeatherpet@aol.com Furfeatherpet@aol.com of all sorts, and programs with songs, dances, monologues, and lively speakers. The West led the way. California’s male voters awarded women the right to vote in the state by barely 2% - 125,037 to 121,450. Farmers throughout the Central Valley and Los Angeles County voted in favor, while San Francisco voted against. California’s success doubled the number of women voters in the country. In October and November the Contra Costa County Historical Society’s History Center in Martinez has an exhibit and lecture series which features the centennial. The Center (610 Main Street) features the campaign to win the vote and includes women in vintage white clothing wearing the California suffrage sashes of blue and gold. Results from all the cities in the county are featured. The exhibit runs through November 23, and is titled The Women Have Something to Say, Celebrating California’s Equal Voting Rights Centennial. It is open 9AM - 4PM Tuesday through Thursday and every third Saturday. Lectures at the Martinez Veterans Hall, located at the corner of Ward and Court Streets, will be held six Thursday evenings at 7PM, beginning on October 13. The first program will feature Danville’s Beverly Lane speaking on women’s rights history and docent Carmen Curtis portraying the indomitable pioneer and suffragist Alamo’s own pioneer Mary Ann Jones. For more information about the lecture series, visit cocohistory.com or call the History Center at (925) 229-1042. th
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Page 6 - October 2011 ~ Danville Today News
Sustainable Danville Area – Tip of the Month By Cynthia Ruzzi, President, Sustainable Danville Area
Burkin Electric
Have you ever overheard someone referring to a woman as “plastic?” The term just as easily could be used to refer to a man, but with either gender, “she’s so plastic” Let Us usually describes the person as fake or phony – or that she has undergone one too many cosmetic surgeries! However, if the world continues its love affair with plastic Your polymers, one day soon we might all be more plastic than a Barbie doll. In the opening pages of Plastic, A Toxic Love Story, author Susan Freinkel attempts to go an entire day without touching anything plastic. After touching numerous plastic objects during her morning routine, she revises her plan and decides to write down everything she touches that is plastic. This strategy nets her four notebook pages of All Serving Contra Costa since 1991 wor plastic items by the end of the day! If you’re not convinced we all live in “Plasticville,” More than 35 years experience k d o then consider that the average American uses between 330 - 500 plastic bags a year for n � e b Licensed Lic. # C10-631523 y ow an average of 12 minutes before throwing them out (that adds up to between 100-150 ner 925.672.1519 BILLION plastic bags used last year in the United States alone). Unlike most other trash, plastic isn't biodegradable, and most of our bags are not rewww.burkinelectric.net cycled. What happens to a discarded bag besides becoming a modern day tumbleweed floating along our streets? Spooky, they never go away - apropos for the coming Halloween – but not for the environment! Sunlight eventually breaks the bonds in the plastic polymers, a process known as photodegradation, but the plastic bits never really go away entirely. There is a floating “island” of plastic swirling around in the Pacific Ocean known as the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” And while you may not be planning to visit the island on your next family vacation, you may want to think about how this “plastic soup” can visit us! What I mean is if fish in the Pacific Ocean eat the plastic bits (thinking that it’s plankton, better known as fish food) and then we eat the fish, we’re essentially eating the toxins from that old water bottle. San Ramon Valley High School Environmental Club (E2) students have come together with Sustainable Danville Area and The Sierra Club, to bring the award-winning film Bag It to Danville. Bag It is a touching and often funny documentary about how we use and abuse plastic. This featured film will be screened on Wednesday, October 12th at 7pm in the San Ramon Valley High School Performance Arts Center located at 501 Danville Blvd. in Danville. The group hopes to raise awareness of the impact of single use plastics, like plastic bags and water bottles, on our community. The film offers an eye-opening look at the environmental and health dangers posed by the global use of disposable, non-biodegradable plastic products. Told with wit and humor, Bag It follows “everyman” Jeb Berrier as he embarks on a global tour to unravel the complexities of our plastic world. The film focuses on plastic as it relates to our throwaway mentality, our culture of convenience, our over consumption of unnecessary, disposable products and packaging – things that we use one time and then, without another thought, throw them away. Remind me, what’s AWAY? If I remember that “away” really just means “out of sight” and “see you soon as fish food,” then I might remember to grab a few of those ten re-usable bags sitting in my car trunk as I enter the grocery store. I’ll even fill a reusable water bottle if it keeps toxins out of my fish, and it’s a bonus knowing that I’m not adding to the island vortex in our oceans. General admission to the film screening is open to the public with seating availability on a first come basis. A $5 suggested donation benefits the San Ramon Valley High School Environmental Club (E2) Collegiate Scholarship. The scholarship will be awarded for a second year in June 2012 to a graduating SRVHS student that has demonstrated their commitment to the environment through action in our community. Join the Near-Zero Waste Preshow. Weather permitting, we’ll gather in front of the theatre for snacks and games. Test your recycling knowledge and win cool prizes. Learn how to protect our creeks and water resources. See worm composting in action, and take a tour the school’s organic and drought tolerant planting beds. Jules Thin Crust Pizza will be on hand with samples of their delicious, organic thin crust pies, along with other Danville Area Sustainable Businesses. Please bring a reusable container for beverages. Activities begin at 6PM on Wednesday, October 12th. For more information regarding this event, or to donate to the San Ramon Valley High School Environmental Club (E2) Collegiate Scholarship, please visit www.sustainabledanville.com.
Light Up
Life
Gracie
A beautiful name for a beautiful kitty. Gracie is fun to be with. She’s very playful, gets along well with other kitties, and absolutely loves attention from humans. Imagine yourself stretched out reading your favorite book with Gracie cuddled up next to you purring and thanking you for loving her. Doesn’t that sound just perfect? Gracie can be adopted from the White Kitty Foundation. Visit their website at www.whitekittyfoundation.org, email bob@whitekittyfoundation.org, or call (925) 837-2411 for more information.
Friends of the Danville Library
Treat Your Children and Grandchildren to See Bestselling Young Adult Author James Dashner
James Dashner will present his latest book for children ages 10-14 at a program Thursday, October 13th at 7pm in the Performing Arts Center at The Athenian School, 2100 Mt. Diablo Scenic Blvd, Danville. The book is The Death Cure, the final installment of The Maze Runner trilogy. This series has been wildly popular! Tickets are $25 and are available at Rakestraw Books, 522 Hartz Ave., Danville. Each ticket admits two people and includes one copy of The Death Cure. Proceeds benefit the Friends of the Danville Library Endowment Fund.
Danville Library Book Sale
Friends of the Danville Library will hold a huge sale of gently used books, all priced 50 cents or $1. The sale will be held in the library located at 400 Front Street in Danville. Hours on October 14th are 9AM-10AM for members only. The public is invited to shop October 14th from 10AM-5PM, and on October 15th from 10AM-4PM. On October 16th a bag sale will be held from 12:05PM-3:45PM. During this time everything you can pack into a bag costs $5. For more information, call (925) 837-4455.
Lost Dog!
$50 REWARD
If you find him and your name is drawn!
Danville Dog is Missing He has become lost in this paper!
He is very small, so you will have to look hard if you want to find him.
To be eligible send a letter telling us where you found him, along with your name and address, to: Lost Dog! ~ Danville Today News 3000F Danville Blvd #117 • Alamo, CA 94507
October’s Winner Is ~ Randa Shlah
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Greenbrook Elementary By Jenise Falk, Principal
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” ~ W.B. Yeats If you have been on the homepage of our website or that of the District’s, you may have seen the “Framework for Excellence” triangle. This triangle, designed by SRVUSD, is our vision for our 21st century learners. In the triangle you will see five focus areas: Teaching and Learning, Student Engagement, Interdisciplinary Literacy, Life and Care Skills, and Character Development. These areas are surrounded with the words: “SRVUSD – Supporting student and their Learning – Supporting Staff and their Work.” Inside the triangle are the words: Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships; words that form the basis of each of the focus areas. This Framework for Excellence guides our actions and planning each and every day. Student Engagement: With such a myriad of things to do in the day, teaching is exhausting and yet exhilarating. We have the opportunity every day to light the fire in our students - the fire of curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication in each of our students. My hope is that it burns brightly in our classrooms each and every day. Our teachers are a committed group of individuals, teaching a rigorous curriculum with high expectations from all stakeholders. During these first months of school, we are busy assessing students in order to meet their needs and to provide the best learning opportunity for each student. We have many resources at the school site, and our goal is to strategically use them in order to help each student to achieve his/her potential and beyond. Character Development: We celebrate our Community Heroes. The anniversary of 9/11 provided us the opportunity to reflect on the events of that day and how ordinary people were called upon to do extraordinary acts. We were honored to welcome some very special heroes in our community including Veterans from the Vietnam War, represented by Mr. Jerry Yahiro and Bill Green. We also honored our Danville Police Department and the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District. Our courtyard was decorated with a large banner, “9/11 Greenbrook Cares” which was carefully created by each individual class. Fifth graders Lindsay Stevens, Venae Rosedahl, and Emma Golden sang a beautiful rendition
Charlotte Wood Middle School By Christopher George, Principal
The year is off to an excellent start thanks to the hard and dedicated work of many people. First off, teachers were prepared and going into day one with challenging and engaging lessons. Secondly, the office staff and many parent volunteers worked hard throughout August to enable the registration process to run as smoothly as possible. This only speaks to how much we rely on our parents and volunteer help in order to make everything work smoothly. Lastly, our counselors bore the brunt of making sure that we had every student’s schedule ready to go on the first day of class. Many thanks to all who helped us get the year off to such a great start. On the first day of school, while sixth graders were getting over their nervousness and seventh and eighth graders were comparing schedules, we also were given another great piece of news. Charlotte Wood’s Academic Performance Index (API) was released. We learned that we had earned anAPI score of 926 for the 2011- 2012 school year. This was up 12 points from the previous year’sAPI and represented the second largest gain in San Ramon Valley Unified District Middle Schools. Largely, we believe that this gain was due to the fact that every single department within Charlotte Wood showed some modest measure of improvement, rather than being the result of one or two departments showing enormous gains. We should all be proud of that, as a community, because that kind of broad based growth means that all of us worked together to create a successful environment for our students. While this is a great success, and we celebrate it for the time being, we also quickly turn to look ahead to the 2011 - 2012 school year and how we can begin improving the achievement of every single student. This year, we continue to have our discussions through the SRVUSD’s Rigor-Relevance-Relationships framework, and we will continue to discuss what that means specifically for Charlotte Wood. For now, we are excited that we have gotten off to a good start, and we look to that momentum to lift us into the new year. Lastly, and as always, please let us know if there are questions, comments, or concerns that we can address to help your student navigate middle school. I am always available by email at cgeorge@srvusd.net, and I appreciate the feedback that a parent’s perspective can provide.
Danville Today News ~ October 2011 - Page 7
of “Star Spangled Banner.” Interdisciplinary Literacy: (Health/ Safety/Wellness)The month of October will find Greenbrook not only busy in the classroom but walking or running in the Primo’s Run for Education and celebrating Red RibbonWeek. Our theme for Red Ribbon Week is “Dream it. Believe it. Achieve it.” We will celebrate the week by focusing on our dreams and how to achieve them. Lindsay Stevens, Venae Rosdahl, and Emma Golden. Poster creation, making smart healthy living choices such as eating right, getting enough sleep, and exercise will be emphasized through a variety of school-wide activities. We end the month with a wonderful Greenbrook tradition, the Halloween Parade, complete with the San Ramon Valley High School and Greenbrook 5th grade bands. Enjoy the beautiful fall!
Page 8 - October 2011 ~ Danville Today News
Stone Valley Middle School
By Shaun McElroy, Principal What does the future hold for our children?
Here’s a topic that we can all weigh in on with passion, typically in the negative: “Kids these days...They’ve got no work ethic, no manners, no respect, and they’re entitled.” On and on rolls the rhetoric about “these kids.” First of all I’d like to rephrase “these kids” to “our kids.” That way we can all take some ownership in their future. The “our kids” statement is aimed at all of us, with or without children. Wouldn’t it be great if when we see kids in public without their parents that we engaged them in conversation instead of crossing the street to avoid them? I guarantee that you’ll find some really great future stars and leaders in the crowd. So what else can we do for this up and coming generation? I’ve got a few ideas that just might help provide you with some insights to their world: First of all, most teens don’t know what they are going to be when they grow up because the jobs we need to prepare them for don’t currently exist. We are no longer a nation that builds or grows things. Most of the jobs in the United States involve heuristic or thinking tasks usually done in groups. According to Tony Wagner, author of The Global Achievement Gap, our children need to possess the following competencies to compete in the global economy: • Critical Thinking and Problem Solving • Collaboration across Networks and Leading by Influence • Agility and Adaptability • Initiative and Entrepreneurialism • Effective Oral and Written Communication • Accessing and Analyzing Information • Curiosity and Imagination So when you summon up the courage to engage a teenager on the street, you might want to consider asking questions from one of these seven categories. I think you be surprised at how well students can answer those questions. To get a sneak peak at their future, visit http://youtu.be/jp_oyHY5bug or Google search SHIFT HAPPENS. On our end, the educational community, we are working on this new focus called st 21 Century Learning. 21st Century Learning includes the competencies mentioned above and more. I invite you to look at the newly adopted SRVUSD “Framework for Excellence” on the district home page or visit the http://www.p21.org/
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to learn more about what the focus for today’s learner looks like. The San Raextremepizza.com mon Valley Education Foundation (www. SRVEF.org) is currently on a mission to create several “Classrooms of the Future” throughout the district. These classrooms will become models for future generations of the classrooms that will not only engage our learners but prepare them for future employment. On the school level we try and engage learners in three main categories: Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships. Rigor: increasing student engagement by providing more dynamic lessons in the classroom. Teachers and administrators (typically in pairs) will be performing instructional rounds in classrooms and providing feedback on their observations to the classroom teacher. Improving instruction begins with objective neutral feedback from peers. Relevance: We have added an additional technology rich semester elective class, Video Production, in which students will be producing a weekly television show that is seen each Monday by the entire student body. We added two new elective classes last year, Robotics and Environmental Marine Science. Our Robotics class will be creating a competition team this year. Our Environmental Marine Science class has been working on creating a community garden at the north end of our campus Relationships: Our traditional programs that focus on campus life are Leadership, WEB (student orientation group), and Safe School Ambassadors. Those programs will continue to support student life on campus. We are currently looking for student and parent representatives to join our Site Climate Committee. The Site Climate Committee will be charged with creating a campus wide focus for improving campus life. Please contact me directly if you are interested at smcelro@srvusd.net. I wish everyone a great school year. I am proud and honored to lead Stone Valley for my 10th year.
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St. Isidore School
Fall is Here! By Jean Schroeder, Principal
As we enter one of my favorite seasons, FALL, I am excited to share with you what we are working on here at St. Isidore School. We kicked off last month by hosting an 8th grade, “Don’t Stop Believing” back to school dance. We host this dance annually and had over 250 students from our local host of Catholic schools that joined us. Our student council students helped organize a “One Warm Coat” drive where our students were asked to donate a gently used coat in support of St. Vincent de Paul. We were able to present the coats we collected on the Feast day of St. Vincent de Paul. What a great cause to support! Our guests from Central America just left, and were sad to say good-bye. We had 24 young people visiting us from Father Frank’s Kids. Father Frank’s Kids is a ministry in our parish that visits our school annually. They share Mass with us, play soccer, play Spanish bingo, have lunch with our 8th grade students, and dance in our courtyard. It was a huge success. Our 5th grade students led a Spanish Mass for our visitors the week they were here. All of our students from K-8 take Spanish as a subject. Our guests’ visit was a true test of our Spanish curriculum. We are calling all families to our “Book Fair & Beyond!” Our annual book fair runs October 14th through 23rd. We will have a whole galaxy of books for all ages and nonstop action for everyone to enjoy. Again this year, we will have a “Dad’s Breakfast ‘n’ Books” on Thursday, October 20th, where dads can enjoy a little breakfast and some quality time reading with their child. This year families can purchase books online which is new for us. Our school will participate in Red Ribbon Week this year. Our school theme is, “PRAY for the CHILDREN,” drug free and safe. We are starting the week with a visit from our local law enforcement volunteer who will discuss the meaning of Red Ribbon Week to our students. We will also start off the week with a door-decorating contest for all grades, K-8. All classes are asked to present a slogan that represents our school theme during the week and they will present it at our afternoon all school assembly. In addition, each day our students will be wearing a different red item of clothing. On Wednesday, they are permitted to wear jeans and a red shirt for one dollar. The proceeds will support the “Invisible Children” charity of Central Africa. We will be giving the money we raised to San Ramon High School, which has a student run organization that directly raises money and awareness for “Invisible Children.” We BELIEVE (our school theme) in supporting our neighboring schools in their efforts to fund and create awareness for charities that they BELIEVE in. Our Parish Harvest Festival will be held on Sunday, October 30th this year. We love joining with the Parish to support this event. It is a Sunday of camaraderie, fun, and treats. Our middle school students will assist in the “cake walk” which our parents and teachers generously bake homemade cakes and treats for. We hope to see you this month at either our “Book Fair & Beyond,” or at our Parish Harvest Festival Please pray with us during Red Ribbon Week for ALL children. As you can tell, we BELIEVE in children, families, and our faith.
Spooktacular
Maestro Duane Carroll and the Contra Costa Wind Symphony will perform “Spooktacular,” a pre-Halloween concert of haunting music aimed at goblins, ghosts, and ghouls of all ages. The concert will be performed October 29th at 3PM at the Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek. Tickets costing $8 to $18 are available by calling (925) 943-7469 or going to www.lesherartscenter.org. Children are invited to attend in costume and participate in a Halloween parade in the theater. The concert includes selections from The Lord of the Rings by Johan de Meij, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by John Williams, Toy Story 2 by Randy Newman, and The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
San Ramon Valley Newcomers Club
The San Ramon Valley Newcomers Club invites new and long-time residents to a New Member Coffee on October 13th from 10AM -12PM. Call Jan at 835-3508 for more information. The monthly luncheon will be held October 20th at Forbes Mill Steakhouse located at 200 Sycamore Valley Blvd. West in Danville. We meet from ll:30AM to 2PM and the cost is $20. The speaker will be Brad Bartman, Financial Advisor. Call Susan, 925-718-5214, for reservations and information.
Danville Today News ~ October 2011 - Page 9
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San Ramon Valley Christian Academy By Jan Brunkal, Principal
Fall is definitely upon us, and school is in full swing. Our theme for this year is “Hard Corps for God— Dedication, Discipline and Determination. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for man” Colossians 3:23. The Academy encourages all of our students to be servant leaders. We challenge our students in junior high by requiring them to do service hours in and around our community. From coaching students in Special Olympics, serving at senior centers or helping build houses in Mexico, our students realize that dedication, discipline and determination are part of who we are. We have been blessed this year by the generosity of our parents and PTF. We have purchased all new computers in our computer lab and document cameras and ceiling projectors for our classrooms. Our junior high students have classroom computer notebooks to help with in- class instruction and prepare them for the world that lies ahead. Our teachers were also blessed by receiving new lap top computers. Again, the generosity of our families is amazing! It’s not all work around here, one of the outstanding characteristics of our students is working hard, but also playing hard. Each junior high class has an overnight field trip to help strengthen their faith as well as stretch them either physically or educationally. Our 6th graders head up to Alliance Redwood camp near Santa Rosa where they learn about God’s amazing creation. Our 7th graders challenge themselves at Kidder Creek, near the Oregon border, where they rock climb, river raft and sleep out under the stars. Our 8th graders just returned from Asilomar where they enjoyed three beautiful days on the Monterey peninsula. Students, along with their teachers, worshipped with Tim Brady from Creekside Church, played on the beach, and bonded as a class. Our 8th graders will also travel to Washington DC for our annual trip later this year where they will study our country’s heritage and history. We’re looking forward to a great school year. SRVCA’s mission statement is to provide a Christ-centered K-8 education whereby students develop spiritually, academically, socially and physically and are equipped to fulfill God’s purpose for their lives.
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Page 10 - October 2011 ~ Danville Today News
Monte Vista High School By Janet Terranova, Principal
It is hard to believe but it is already fall and school has been in session for almost six weeks. Students are settled into their classes and are back into a school routine. The opening of school is a major undertaking and requires the help of many. I would like to thank those groups that are instrumental in making the opening of the school year so successful. Our parent groups work countless hours organizing registration. Monte Vista’s PTSA takes on the task of organizing much of our registration, getting over 100 volunteers to organize and stuff registration packets, work our two days of registration, and even getting volunteers to arrive at 6:30am on the first day of school to help with late registration. All our booster groups work at registration and beyond to ensure a smooth start for students involved in their activities. At the school site, the staff works overtime to have the campus ready for the return of our students. Thanks to all for a successful start to the school year. One of Monte Vista’s goals for the year is to build a character development program that touches each student on our campus. This year Monte Vista is highlighting one character word a quarter. This quarter the word respect is highlighted throughout the campus. Students see the word on our marquee as they arrive at school each day. Every classroom has the word respect prominently displayed in the classroom and our teachers are connecting the word respect to their curriculum. Our drama class is producing a short video on the word respect which will be shown to all classes during homeroom period. We will focus on responsibility, empathy, and integrity in future quarters. Our leadership class joins this effort by providing opportunities for students to become involved in school activities and working toward build positive relationships between students. Their theme, “no judgments” will be the focal point of many of their activities this year. For more information about Monte Vista and our activities, please visit our website at mvhigh.org.
San Ramon Valley High School By Joseph A. Ianora, Principal
Well, not only have we made it through the first couple of weeks but we are already looking at the end of the first quarter! As we settle into our educational routine I want to remind the community of our Mission Statement: The San Ramon Valley High School community empowers students to achieve their educational potential. This statement accurately reflects what we are all about – student learning.
Tuesday’s Schedule
Our Tuesday schedule is in full swing with multiple opportunities for students to receive enrichment and remediation. Almost all teachers are available from 2:15 – 3:15pm (except those who teach an “A” period). Peer Tutoring is also available in the library. Lastly, Departmental Tutorial Schedules are posted on our website and teacher pages at www.srvhs.net.
Ski Swap
Our 36th annual Ski Swap is being held November 5th and 6th. Don’t forget to put this great event on your calendars!
Construction
I am happy to report we have finished our Concession/Rest Room facility and will be using it for all home contests. Our next major project will be a new pool with construction beginning in the late spring.
Special Community Event:
Homecoming is October 21st. The Homecoming parade will begin at 2:15pm and will move from SRVHS along Danville Blvd. to Railroad to Prospect and back onto Hartz. The parade will end at the high school campus. There will be Homecoming floats, alumni, and sports teams participating in the parade. Mr. & Mrs. SRVHS will also be crowned. Everyone is invited! Visit our website www.srvhs.net for more information.
API
Our API score rose five points this year! Our score is now 895. Congratulations to all on this great accomplishment. Once again, thank you for your support of SRVHS. Go Wolves!
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The Perfect Present
A Personalized Photo Gift! By George Swan, Aberscan Imaging
As we fast approach the holiday season, this is a great time to dig out all those print photos and slides you have hidden away in albums and boxes, and use them to create that extra-special personalized gift for family members and friends. The first step is to convert your print photos and slides into digital images. If you have less than 50 photos, then you can either convert these yourself using an in-house scanner, or use the scanning services provided at many photo labs. If, like most people, you have hundreds or thousands of photos and slides, then you should use a professional scanning company like Aberscan. It’s a much better use of your time, and you’ll be much happier with the quality of the results. The second step is to search the internet for companies that can make the personalized photo gift you want. Kodak, Snapfish, Picoaboo, and Shutterfly are a few of the more popular sites out there, but there are hundreds of others to choose from. The third step is to give the present to your loved one, and watch the smile on his/her face when they open it!
Photo Gift Ideas
To get those creative juices going, I’ve listed a few ideas below: • Photo books: Photo books can be a real keepsake. You select which photos you want on each page and add captions as needed. You can then get creative with layouts and styling. The final offering is a professionally printed and bound book that will last for years. • Digital photo album: For the person who likes to view their photos online, there are many options for creating an online photo album. The concept is similar to the printed photo book, but you can add music, animation, and usually have more flexibility in the editing effects on images. • Games for the kids: Make a set of trading cards using photos of team players. Create cards for the “memory game” using family or vacation photos. Create a pack of playing cards with customized photos on the back. Create jigsaw puzzles using a photo or a collage of photos created by you. • Photo Stamps: For those family members that still like to write letters, create a sheet of stamps with your family photo on them. • Digital photo frames: Purchase a digital photo frame and pre-load it with a set of photos that is special to the person receiving the gift. • Photo calendars: Create twelve special memories, then make a calendar – one memory for each month. • DVD slideshows: If there is an event coming up where all the family is together in one house, it’s a great time to compile a family slideshow that everyone can enjoy on the TV. Then make copies for each person to take home. • Keepsake Family Trees: Capture and share family history, especially from all those photos and slides hidden away in your parent’s or older relative’s homes. Capture the memories before the history is lost forever, and send copies to siblings. • Merchandise: Any number of items can now be manufactured with personalized images on them: cups, t-shirts, tote bags, coasters, and plates are only a few of the possibilities. • Scrapbooking: If you know someone who loves scrapbooking, then make re-prints from your scanned images and let them scrapbook to their hearts content! As you can see, the options are limitless. Make this holiday period a special one with that one-of-a-kind personalized photo gift! It all starts with getting your photos and slides out of the closet and scanned into digital images. Visit the Aberscan website at www.aberscan.com, call 925-362-0801, or email custservice@aberscan.com. Contact us today and find out how easy and convenient scanning can be! We are located in Alamo. Advertorial
Danville Today News ~ October 2011 - Page 11
Alamo World Travel & Tours Celebrates its 30th Year in Alamo
The Travel Consultants at Alamo World Travel & Tours (www.alamoworld. com) are often asked what the hot trends are in travel. One fast growing area is river cruising, with newer and better boats added almost monthly. Plusses for river cruises include smaller and more intimate boats, continuous scenery, included shore excursions, no large waves, all outside cabins, and wine or beer included with dinner for those over 21. Popular destinations are Western European rivers such as the Danube, Rhine, and Mosel. In Russia you can cruise from Moscow to St Petersburg, and in Vietnam and Cambodia you can cruise the Mekong river. Culinary travel is also popular, with wine and food oriented themes in cruises and tours in the USA, Europe, Africa, South America, and Africa. Some of the more popular cruises and tours have Food Network celebrities on board. European and Hawaiian destinations remain strong, Mexico is starting to come back, and more people are exploring exotic locations such as Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Tahiti, and Africa. Alamo World Travel works with individual, group and corporate travelers, traveling to destinations worldwide. Our travel agents are ready to help with your simple or complex travel plans and help Specializing in you avoid some of the Interior & Exterior nightmares of “internet travel.” We are located at • Power Washing Prep 3201 Danville Blvd #255 • Painting in Alamo Commons • Spray-Enamel Finish between Ace Hardware • Restaining Decks and the Peasants CourtSince 1970 yard restaurant. Please Free Estimates contact us at (925) Tim O’Halloran • 925.743.9535 837-8742. Advertorial
Page 12 - October 2011 ~ Danville Today News
Art in Everyday Life By Tony Michael Vecchio
www.yourmonthlypaper.com
shapes. The Lafayette Gallery’s new exhibit, Textures, Layers, and Lines, will be on display from October 11-29 with an artist reception on Friday, October 14, from 5PM to 8PM. Located at 50 Lafayette Circle in Lafayette, the gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11AM to 5PM. For information, see www.lafayettegallery.net. The Village Theatre Art Gallery’s exhibition, Offerings; Works of Text and Image, runs through October 29. The Alamo-Danville Artists’ Society exhibition, Artistic Reflections, continues through October 23 at the Blackhawk Art Gallery in Blackhawk Plaza. Tony Michael Vecchio writes about visual art and style. If you have any comments, contact him at tonymvecchio@gmail.com. View his collage and assemblage work at etsy.com/shop/WabiSabiDaddi.
The holidays and gift-giving season are right around the corner! Here’s an idea for a memorable and artistic present for a family member, best friend, favorite relative, or... Hand-paint a pair of groovy shoes for them! You can create an original design that fits their fashion sense, lifestyle, or personality. And, who knows, you might change their whole outlook on life by making them a pair of colorful and (maybe) magical shoes! Stranger things have happened, and the whole process is easier than you think. Create your design with the personality of your recipient in mind. Think about their favorite expressions or song lyrics, cartoon characters, hobbies, colors, and any clever images you imagine they’ll like. Start by buying a pair of white or natural cotton canvas shoes—sneakers, “tennies,” or casual shoes. A number of brands on the market have canvas shoes that will serve perfectly as your blank canvas. All you need to know is the shoe size that the person wears and what style they may like. Then, you’re ready to roll! Here are the simple steps to creating your shoe masterpiece: 1. Use a sharp pencil or mechanical pencil to draw your design lightly on the canvas areas of the shoe. The design can link both shoes with various design elements, but the two shoes don’t have to match at all. Be wild. Be clever. As you proceed, you can easily erase and refine your design. 2. Use fabric paint or fabric marker pens to color your design. Leave a narrow gap between colors—where the pencil lines are—as you’ll cover these later. As you apply color, alternate between shoes and design areas so you don’t paint next to wet areas. Take the time to let every color area dry thoroughly before you continue. You’ll end up with a fully colored pair of shoes with tiny white outlines between the colors. 3. Next, use a sharp, new black permanent fabric marker (or a Sharpie) to fill in all your white outlines, working quickly so the color doesn’t bleed. This black outline Gas Log & Firepit will tie everything together nicely. You may Season is Just still want to touch-up color here and there, as needed. 4. After the outlines are comAround The Corner plete and everything is dry, spray the shoes with a waterproof shoe spray to extend the longevity of the artwork and to make them easier to clean. 5. Find a fun pair of laces to fit the color scheme you’ve created—bright, striped, leopard spotted, whatever fits—and your gift is complete! The recipient of your one-of-a-kind pair of shoes will remember your effort and treasure the shoes. To give you an idea of what you can do, I’ve included photographs of a couple of pairs that I’ve completed. (Notice that I’ve even used fabrics to decorate shoes to get the effect I wanted.) Have fun! Local art happenings in October: The 9 Piece Set th 19 annual Danville Fall Crafts Festival Retail $3,748 will be held on October 22 & 23 from 10AM PM Clearance $1,999 to 5 on beautiful Hartz Avenue, featuring a Saturday morning parade, over 200 artisans, a friendly wine and beer garden, ongoing entertainment, and the ever-popular Danville 925.648.0293 glass pumpkin patch with enticing, highly 3426 Camino Tassajara decorative glass pumpkins of all sizes and
End of Season Clearance Sale on Patio Furniture
Sale Ends 10/30/11 Limited to Stock on Hand
Open Tues thru Sat 10 to 6 Sunday 11 to 5 Closed Monday
Alamo 925.820.8492
3189 Danville Boulevard
Livermore Store 447-0471 Mon. - Sat. 9:30-8:00, Sun. 10:00-6:00 Alamo Store 820-4731 Plaza 58011/1/11 Shopping Center Ad prices effective through Plaza Shopping Center Thank youAlamo for supporting your local merchants 4502 Las Positas Rd., 1st St. Exit off Stone Valley Rd. Exit West off Hwy 680 to Hwy 580, 1 Block Danville Blvd., Right 1 Block. Mon. - Sat. 9:30-8:00, Sun. 10:00-6:00
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Mon. - Fri. 9:30-8:00, Sat 9:30-6:00, Sun 11:00-5:30
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Livermore Store 447-0471 Alamo Store 820-4731 Plaza 580 Shopping Center Alamo Plaza Shopping Center 4502 Las Positas Rd., 1st St. Exit off Alamo Store 820-4731 Alamo Plaza Shopping Center Stone Valley Rd. Exit West off Hwy Hwy 580, 680 to 1 Block Danville Blvd., Right 1 Block. Mon. - Sat. 9:30-8:00, Sun. 10:00-6:00 Stone Valley Rd. Exit West off Hwy 680 to
Livermore Store 447-0471
Plaza 580 Shopping Center Danville Today News ~ October 2011 - Page 13 4502 Las Positas Rd., 1st St. Exit Hwy 580, 1 Block
Danville Blvd., Right 1 Block. Mon. - Fri. 9:30-8:00, Sat 9:30-6:00, 11:00-5:30 AdSun prices effective through 11/1/11 Mon. - Fri. 9:30-8:00, Sat 9:30-6:00, Sun 11:00-5:30
Mon. - Sat. 9:30-8:00, Sun. 10:00-6:00 Ad prices effective through 11/1/
Supporting Local Business ThankFamily You For Supporting Local Family Business Thank You For Supporting Local Family Business www.ShopRichards.com
All Halloween
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31 ing Center t West off Hwy 680 to t 1 Block. Regular
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Livermore Store 447-0471 Plaza 580 Shopping Center 4502 Las Positas Rd., 1st St. Exit off Hwy 580, 1 Block
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rds.comAlamo Plaza Shopping Center
Thank you for supporting your local merchants
Family Rd. owned operated since Stone Valley Exitand West off Hwy 6801983 to Danville Blvd., Right 1 Block.
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Hand-blown Thank You For Supporting Local Family Business Decorative Glass Pumpkins
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Mon. - Fri. 9:30-8:00, Sat 9:30-6:00, Sun 11:00-5:30
Sign up for our e-mail list and enter a monthly drawing for a www.ShopRichards.com Thank you for supporting your local merchants owned and operated since 1983 hly drawingSign for aup for our e-mail list and enter a monthly drawing for a $50 GiftFamily Certificate! $50 Gift Certificate! ____________________________________ E-Mail Address ____________________________________ E-Mail Address *Alamo *Livermore ______E-Mail Address
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kins will last the all of your fall CLIP CLIP SAVE! Decorative Door Mats corating ‘N Indoor/Outdoor reg. $19.99 $9.99
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DT Stems, Swags, Garlands, Bushes, Picks, Wreaths, and Pre-Made Arrangements
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Decorative Glass Pumpkins You will find these one of a kind, stunning works of art in some of the best gift shops this year. You will find them at the lowest price at Richards.
Now $9.99-$14.99 reg 19.99 to 29.99 50 Yd. Christmas Ribbon 2.5” Wide LivermoreNow Store $8.88 447-0471/Bolt Plaza 580 Shopping Center reg. $16.99
4502 Las Positas Rd., 1st St. Exit off Hwy 580, 1 Block
10 Yd. Fall & Mon. - Sat. 9:30-8:00, Sun. 10:00-6:00 Christmas Ribbon Ad prices effective through 11/1/11 2.5” Wide
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All Halloween
1 Chr
All Christmas Flora No
10 Yd. Fall & You will find these one of a kind, stunning 3TEMS s 3PRAYS s 3WAGS s 0ICKS s "ERRIES 3TEMS s 3PRAYS s 3WAGS s 0ICKS s "ERRIES works of art in some"USHES s 7REATHS s 'ARLANDS of the best gift shops this Christmas Ribbon "USHES s 7REATHS s 'ARLANDS year. You will find them at the lowest price Pre-Made Arrangements 2.5” WideDoor Mats Pre-Made Arrangements at Richards. Decorative Door Mats Decorative DecorateÊyourÊhomeÊforÊHalloween. Everyday Floral also Stems, Swags, Garlands,Floral also Everyday Now $2.99 /Bolt Indoor/Outdoor reg. $19.99 $9.99 Indoor/Outdoor reg. $19.99 $9.99 WeÊhaveÊitÊallÊfromÊtastefulÊtoÊGhoulish! Now $9.99-$14.99 regoff 19.99 to 29.99 40% Bushes, Picks, Wreaths, and 40% off Christmas Styles Available reg. $5.99 Christmas Styles Available HalloweenÊDecor,ÊLights,ÊSpidersÊandÊWebs, Pre-Made Arrangements Hair Feathers, Extensions, Fascinators, Tools, Jewels and Hair Jewelry
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aveÊitÊallÊfromÊtastefulÊtoÊGhoulish! reg 19.99 to 29.99 WeÊhaveÊitÊallÊfromÊtastefulÊtoÊGhoulish! and eenÊDecor,ÊLights,ÊSpidersÊandÊWebs, Regular Price, HalloweenÊDecor,ÊLights,ÊSpidersÊandÊWebs, ts artyÊGoods,ÊGhouls,ÊWitches,ÊCrowsÊ&ÊÊ other exclusions apply PaperÊPartyÊGoods,ÊGhouls,ÊWitches,ÊCrowsÊ&ÊÊ % off Vultures,ÊSkeletonsÊandÊmore. Vultures,ÊSkeletonsÊandÊmore.
9
Thank you for supporting
Livermore Store 447-0471 Mon. - Sat. 9:30-8:00, Sun. 10:00-6:00 other exclusions apply Plaza 580 Shopping Center Ad prices effective through 11/1/11 4502 Las Positas Rd., 1st St. Exit off Hwy 580, 1 Block
You will find these one of a kind, stunning works of art in some of the best gift shops this year. You will find them at the lowest price at Richards. ateÊyourÊhomeÊforÊHalloween.
s,
Family owned and operated since 1983
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al
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Hair Bling! Hair Feathers, Extensions, Fascinators,
Page 14 - October 2011 ~ Danville Today News
Fall Pruning
By Blaine Brende & Joe Lamb
Now is a great time to prune your trees to protect them against winter storms. Judicious pruning can reduce the likelihood of branches falling and causing damage to person or property. Evergreens, such as cedars, and many species of deciduous trees, such as valley oaks, can be pruned in the late fall and early winter, and it’s by far the best time to prune pines. Monterey pines should be pruned from October 15th to February 15th. Sap from pruning cuts attracts beetles that are destructive to pines. These beetles become dormant during the fall and winter months. Some species of beetles carry pine pitch canker, an increasingly common fungal disease that disfigures pine trees, and sometimes kills the trees. If your tree has dead tips scattered throughout the canopy, it probably suffers from pine pitch canker. To prolong the aesthetic life of the diseased tree, now is the best time to prune out the infected tips. Pruning trees for safety is a craft requiring study and experience. A wellpruned tree should not only be safer, it should look beautiful. At Brende & Lamb we take great pride in both the science and the art of pruning. Each plant has a natural growth pattern. Our trimmers are experts at accentuating the shape given the plant by nature. Within the bounds of what is healthy for each species, Brende and Lamb works to make trees as beautiful as possible. Our trimmers are well practiced in aesthetic pruning and are attuned to the artistic flow inherent in tree forms. The form may be weeping, as with Willows and Chinese Elms. In some species, such as Monterey Cypress, branches ascend at acute angles to the trunk,
Clip Notes
By Jody Morgan
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giving the tree an upswept look. Branches in the coast live oak bend and twist, forming complex arcs. Each tree species has a unique form and flow. When necessary, trees and shrubs can be reduced in size, but crown reduction requires a good eye: a poorly reduced tree looks like a thicket of stubs. Topping is almost always a bad idea. However, the crown of many trees can be reduced by cutting back long branches to the crotches formed by shorter branches growing in the same direction. If the branch doesn’t fork, we cut back to the lowest growth point that will neither create a thick stub nor undermine the arching quality of the branch. When a tree or shrub has been reduced in this way, it’s difficult to detect the cuts or tell that the branches have been shortened.
Brende & Lamb Client Testimonials:
• Excellent work - I wish I had found you sooner. ~ J.R., Alamo • Great Job! My blue oak looks beautiful. Thank you for your expertise. Your crew knew exactly what they were doing. ~ M.R., Alamo • I have never been happier with a tree trimming! ~ D.H., Danville •Thank you - your workers showed great professionalism. ~ S.M., Danville • You have a very happy customer. Thank you - pleasure to do business with you! ~ Mrs. S., Danville • I felt as if I were getting real trained professionals instead of just laborers! I was looking for someone with a sense of aesthetics and found them with B&L! ~ S.B., Walnut Creek If your trees need a little TLC, give us a call at 510-486-TREE (8733) or email us at bl@brendelamb.com for a free estimate. Additionally, visit www.brendelamb.com to see before and after pictures, client testimonials, and work in your neighborhood. Advertorial witch’s relationship to the same words from the Dark Ages. American Witch Hazel reached England in a box of specimens sent to Peter Collinson by John Bartram in 1736. The fragrant yellow blossoms shaped like fanciful spiders delighted British gardeners as they clung to bare branches in winter. The previous year’s fruits remain fixed to the branches along with the current year’s blossoms. Beware if you bring a flowering branch inside. Warmth causes the seed capsules to magically explode. Witch Hazel, the astringent, is a steam distillate of the recently harvested twigs gathered in autumn. Known for its medicinal properties for centuries, it became popular as a patent medicine between 1840 and 1850 when Theron Pond of Utica, New York went into business with a member of the Oenida tribe to market a product known as “Golden Treasure.” To connect with the Celtic roots of our Halloween traditions, stand underneath an old oak tree. Marking the end of the light half of the year and the beginning of the dark, the Celts celebrated Samhain as a time when the separation between the world of the living and the world of the dead was almost erased. The English Oak, capable of surviving 1200 years, formed an obvious link to ancestral spirits who had once lived beside it. The deep roots seemed to stretch to the center of the Otherworld. The oak was believed to be the door to the spirit world. (The Irish word for oak, daur, and the Welsh, dewr, are said to come from the Sanskrit word for door, duir.) Costumes and masks were donned to fool malevolent spirits. Lanterns of hollowed out turnips provided light. Culinary treats at the table welcomed friendly family ghosts home.
Ghostly decorations will soon set the stage for Halloween. If you look up into the trees, you may even spot a genuine witches’-broom. Resembling the bundle of twigs used back in the day for sweeping, these deformities, like most departures from the natural norm, were attributed by medieval folk to the work of malevolent spirits. The English term for these clusters of contorted branches, witches’-broom, comes from the German hexenbesen, with hex meaning to bewitch and besen translating as besom (a broom of branches). Occurring high in the canopy, the “nests” were thought to be the resting places of witches and also of the evil mahre (or mares) that sat upon the chests of sleepers at night causing the bad dreams known as nightmares. Although areas of densely twisted twigs may be caused on deciduous trees by pathogens, the ones that interest nurserymen are formed on evergreens by the genetic mutation of a bud. A tree affected by disease or stress may have several witches’brooms. A conifer displaying a genetic mutation will have only one. During the 1860’s T.C. Maxwell & Brothers Nursery in Geneva, New York began growing grafts of a witches’-broom they discovered on a Norway spruce. In 1874 they introduced the first dwarf cultivar cultivated from a witches’-broom. Maxwell’s Spruce, as it is commonly called, is rare in the trade today, but it is still visible at several arboretums across the country. It starts out as a flat-topped mound and grows slowly into a more upright mini-tree. The seeds of witches’-brooms collected on evergreens are also Book Your Party at The Gardens at Heather Farm Embracing a rolling hillside in Walnut Creek’s Ygnacio Valley, The Gardens at Heather Farm reside grown out to produce interesting dwarf conifers. Botanists use the on six acres adjoining Heather Farm Park. Parties and other gatherings are held in the Camellia term “dwarf” to refer to the rate of growth rather than the ultimate size of a tree. Some dwarf evergreens remain tiny. Many are Room, with views of Mt. Diablo and the gardens. Fully climate controlled, with neutral walls and a suitable for a rock garden accented by small specimen trees. But newly installed floor, this pleasant space is easy to decorate. a dwarf redwood, while never reaching the 320-foot height of the The Gardens at Heather Farm is proud to have been awarded the Best of the East Bay award true species, may top out at 20 feet tall! from Diablo Magazine for Best Garden in 2005. We are a Certified Wildlife Habitat and a Contra Which words begot the term “witch”? A quick search nets ten Costa Certified Green Business. competing claims. Is the same root for the moniker of the shrub Witch The Gardens are located off Ygnacio Valley Hazel also responsible for the term for a being with magical powers? Road, two miles from downtown Walnut Creek. The common name applied to this late autumn-flowering species Holiday party sale: Mention this article discovered by English colonists growing from Maine to Florida was and receive 25% off the base rental fees for any used in the Old World for the Wych Elm, which was the source for rental date on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday in supple twigs employed as divining rods. Etymologists explain that the November or December 2011. Old English wice meaning pliant evolved into Middle English wiche Weekend dates are still open for rental this year. and thence to “witch.” Noting the similarity of the new-found plant’s leaves to the familiar Wych Elm, the settlers went witching for water We can accommodate parties of up to 150. Call us at (925) 947-1678 or e-mail rentals@ with the bendable branches of the local species Hamamelis virginiana. Some think that being able to bend reality explains the spell-casting gardenshf.org for more information.
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Danville Today News ~ October 2011 - Page 15
Life in the Danville Garden
Surface Trends By John Montgomery, ASLA, Landscape Architect #4059
One of many important decisions you will make while designing your Danville garden will be what kind of surface materials will you be using for your patios, walkways, decks, and hardscape. Today the choices in materials are numerous. Sometimes the choices are overwhelming! When you think of what has been available in the past, you think of dull gray broom-finished concrete, tan Arizona flagstone, and red brick. When you think of decking materials, redwood has dominated the industry for the past fifty years. Today, a myriad of hardscape materials are available. Natural stone products such as flagstone, slate, wall ledger, and rock have dominated current trends in hardscape materials. In the past ten years the natural stone industry has grown by leaps and bounds. When considering natural stone as your primary surfacing material, you must understand this is the most expensive approach. Generally, natural stone surfacing runs $15 to $35* a square foot when mortared over a concrete base. *Prices indicate current market averages including material, labor, and profit by licensed contractors. With the awareness of “green” building methods, manufactured surfacing material choices have also gone off the chart. There is an abundant choice of manufactured stone and pre-cast concrete products in a multitude of colors. These products make long-lasting affordable surfaces for patios, walls, and veneers. They are less expensive and less labor-intensive to install, and prices range from $12 to $25 a square foot depending on your surface and product. A popular trend that came into the industry about fifteen years ago is interlocking concrete pavers. When first introduced, the shapes, colors, and surface choices were limited. Today interlocking pavers span a wide range of colors, textures, and shapes. Pavers have become the new “cheaper” solution to large expanses of surfacing such as driveways, patio, plazas, and streetscapes. Concrete once dominated the industry as the number one choice of surface materials. Recently pavers have taken over because of effective cost, ease of installation, sustainability, and a more creative design detail. Interlocking paving generally ranges from $9.50 to $15 a square foot, although large expansive streetscapes can be installed as low as $3.50 a square foot. Concrete is still one of the most popular choices for hardscape. It is cost effective, although concrete prices have sky-rocketed over the past five years as petroleum prices increased shipping costs. Concrete’s versatility is its strong point. Innovations in concrete treatments have soared in efforts to keep up with the natural stone industry growth. New treatments, such as dust-on color hardeners, pigmented acid stains, multi-colored stamped concrete, and creative designs, have given concrete a new lease on life. These new treatments have replaced exposed aggregate, salt finish, and broom finished concrete. Concrete prices range from $9 to $25 a square foot. Other uses include lightweight concrete counter tops for outdoor kitchens. A specialized product that I have been enjoying lately is a product called “ArcusStone™,” aka “Coolstone” and “Patternstone.” These products are very attractive and durable. They add an element of elegance and uniqueness that other hardscape materials don’t have. Basically the material is an overlay of a cementitious limestone with natural mineral pigments that can be customized into any design and color range thinkable. When you think of “Old World” techniques, this is exactly that. It takes a trained craftsman to apply it because it is totally shaped, colored, and created at your project site. It runs $10 to $25 a square foot when overlaying a concrete or wall and can be used as a patio, walkway, wall face, cook center countertops, fireplace, or bar top. Wood surfaces have fallen in popularity because of rising costs, maintenance concerns, and environmental issues. Redwood was once abundant locally but has now become expensive and marginal in quality because of the halt in foresting and environmental concerns. If a natural wood product is what you’re looking for, redwood has been replaced with Ipe (epay) or ironwood and other sustainable woods. Manufactured wood products such as “Trex” and “TimberTech” have also become extremely popular because of their environmental approach and low maintenance. If you are looking for a wood look as a choice in hardscape, there are many choices ranging from $15 to $25 a square foot. One of my favorites is the use of gravel or decomposed granite for informal
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patios and paths. This is the lowest cost solution ranging from $3-$5 a sq ft. When I work with my clients in the creation of their garden environment, choosing the hardscape material can sometimes be one of the highest hurdles to get over. With adherence to the design process, the choices are narrowed by the design goals and budget decisions to an appropriate choice that you will be happy with for many years to come. A hot tip from your local Landscape Architect: Don’t order catalogs; the internet is a great place to start your search for hardscape materials. A lot of suppliers and manufacturers have good pictures of ideas on their websites. Gardening Quote of the Month: “Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.” ~Thoreau If you would like me to write on any particular subject, email your ideas to Advertorial jmontgomery@jm-la.com or for design ideas visit www.jm-la.com.
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Page 16 - October 2011 ~ Danville Today News
The Law and Unintended Consequences By Robert J. Silverman, Esq.
The estate planning “game” is one every adult plays, but some play more actively and more intelligently than others. The challenge lies in understanding how all the rules work, and thus it is the optimal way to play. It can be pretty tricky and difficult without expert professional advice. Nobody likes losing. Sadly, however, if you lose this game, your loved ones usually suffer the worst. Despite best intentions, unintended consequences happen all too frequently, as in the hypothetical examples below. Family #1: Judy has two adult children, John and Jane. Judy’s primary assets are a $1 million home, with no mortgage, and a $200,000 bank account. Family #2: Bob has two adult children, Bill and Betty. Bob’s primary asset is his $1 million 401K. Judy and Bob divorced their first spouses, got married, and have been happily married for 15 years, living in Judy’s home. They keep a small joint checking account for routine living expenses, but they otherwise maintain separate assets. Judy and Bob know that all responsible adults make Wills. Thinking they don’t need a lawyer, they download basic Will forms from the internet, and they each sign one. Each Will states that on the death of the testator, all assets go to his or her children in equal shares. Simple enough, and they are satisfied… Other salient facts: 1) Judy and Bob take out a home equity credit line on Judy’s home, and to qualify, Bob’s income is needed. So Bob goes on title as required. Their neighbor (who seems like a pretty smart guy) tells them that he and his wife hold title to their home as “joint tenants,” as do most married people. Judy and Bob tell their lender that they’ll take title as joint tenants. 2) In case anything ever happens suddenly to Judy and Bob, Judy wants one of her children to have authority to access funds from her bank account. She thinks about adding both John and Jane, but since the kids don’t get along well (and Judy wants to avoid a conflict) and Jane lives in N.Y., Judy adds John as a signer.
Horse continued from front page
but he now sits tall in the saddle. Gary laughs and raises both hands responding to a verse of “If you’re happy and you know it.” Peggy and co-founders Dave West and Katy Kempton talk with parents to review goals after each session. They share observations on each other’s students. Volunteers are encouraged to contribute their ideas. Owner Cathy Cerro’s generosity gives Reins in Motion a home at Rancho Cerro, a full-service equestrian center in Livermore. James, a PATH Certified Instructor, turned to therapeutic riding when traditional therapies failed to help her son. “As soon as I had him on a horse, I had his full attention.” Reins in Motion has been chosen as the 2011 Santa Charities Project (http://santascharities.org/). Founded in 1969, North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) now the Professional Association of Therapeutic Riding (PATH) provides training and guidelines for equine-assisted programs around the globe. Knowledge essential to teaching therapeutic horsemanship runs the gamut from how to interact with the autistic brain to how to strengthen the core of a cerebral palsy patient. Excellent equestrian skills are only one of the many requirements. Caregiver for a bright, outgoing teenager confined to her wheelchair as a spastic quadriplegic, Crystal Marks believes five months of therapeutic riding did more for her charge than 15 years of physical therapy. Aileen was face down on the horse’s mane when she started riding at Hoof Prints on the Heart. Karena Smith, Aileen’s PATH Certified Instructor, reports: “After a few months, Aileen’s core strength has dramatically improved and she now sits upright and balanced on the horse, her legs have relaxed and stretched down and her muscle tone, breathing and stamina have improved. She rarely needs to rest over the 30 minute period and now carries on a conversation with her volunteers during her ride, interspersed with humor and laughter!” Five-year old Eliana was enchanted by the horses she encountered on the beach at Daly City. Her mother, who heard about Hoof Prints from friends, watches proudly as Eliana concentrates on using words to describe and choose objects from Karena’s basket. Donette Phillips, Executive Director, hopes someday Hoof Prints will be able to integrate a full range of therapies at the Hagemann Ranch site the center leases from the City of Livermore
3) After Bob divorced his first wife, he listed his children, Bill and Betty, as beneficiaries of his 401K. Let’s explore the very harsh unintended consequences when Judy or Bob dies: 1) Judy’s $1 Million house. Joint tenancy carries with it the “right of survivorship” (“R.O.S.”), which trumps a Will. This means that at the death of one joint tenant, title vests fully in the name of the surviving joint tenant. Since Judy added Bob as a joint tenant when they took out a home equity line, the R.O.S. feature results in Bob becoming the owner of 100% of the house on Judy’s death. Even though John and Jane are in Judy’s Will to receive all of her assets, they receive no interest whatsoever in their mother’s house. 2) Judy’s $200,000 bank account. Judy didn’t understand that adding John as a signer meant that he became the legal co-owner of this account. Notwithstanding the Will’s express language that John and Jane share equally in all of Judy’s assets, on Judy’s death, the joint account acts the same as a joint tenancy - John owns 100% of it. Instead of John and Judy each receiving $100,000 as Judy intended, John gets all $200,000. Disliking his sister, John, as the legal owner of the account, doesn’t feel any obligation to share half or any of it with Jane. 3) Bob’s $1 Million 401K. ERISA (Federal law governing 401Ks) dictates that the wife of a 401K owner is entitled to it on the death of the plan participant. If Judy had signed a written waiver, formally consenting to having Bob’s kids as the beneficiaries, Bill and Betty would each receive half of Bob’s 401K, as intended and consistent with the beneficiary designation on file with the custodian. But no such waiver is on file, so Judy is entitled to all of it, and Bill and Betty none. Next month, I’ll describe how good planning offers some very interesting and effective alternatives for Judy, Bob, and their respective children. Mr. Silverman is an attorney with Shapiro Buchman Provine Brothers Smith LLP, 1333 N. California Street, Suite 350, Walnut Creek, CA 94596; (925) 944-9700; rsilverman@sbllp.com. His practice emphasizes Estate Planning, Trust Administration & Probate, Real Estate, and Business. Please call for a free introductory consultation. This article is intended to provide information of a general nature, and should not be relied upon as legal, tax, financial and/ or business advice. Readers should obtain and rely upon specific advice only from their own qualified professional advisors. This communication is not intended or written to be used, for the purpose of: i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code; or ii) promoting, marketing, or recommending to another party any matters addressed herein. Advertorial
Xenophon, a PATH Certified Center, was founded in 1993 by Judy Lazarus with one horse and two children. Xenophon moved to the land in Orinda it leases from PG&E in 1996. “Anyone who starts a program does everything,” Judy notes. In August, after three years of planning, the new covered arena opened. Donations of skilled labor and materials supplemented fundraising. Danielle Coburn, Program Director, hates to tell prospective families that the waiting list is two years long. Each year Xenophon holds a horse show awarding all participants a trophy. “One boy slept with his under his pillow.” Mari Parino, Executive Director, outlines the process of training a therapy horse. Experienced riders evaluate the horse’s ability to bear unbalanced weight, tolerate multiple humans in their personal space and deal with strange objects before introducing them to a disabled rider. Therapy horses come from varied backgrounds. Some are donated.
ADAS Events
See Horse continued on page 23
October ADAS Meeting ~ Guest Artist is Bill Parsons
Bill Parsons is the Guest Artist for the Alamo Danville Artists’ Society (ADAS) meeting on Tuesday October 11th at 7:30PM. The meeting will be held at the Alamo Women’s Club located at 1401 Danville Boulevard in Alamo. The public is invited to attend at no charge. Parsons’s presentation will include a short charcoal demo of classical realism techniques and then a painting demonstration showing how these techniques apply to oil. He will also provide commentary on his techniques as he draws and paints.
New Exhibit at Blackhawk Gallery
Blackhawk Gallery opens an all-new exhibit Artful Treasures on October 27th. The Gala Reception will be held on Saturday, October 29th from 5 to 7PM. The public is invited. The current exhibit “Artistic Visions” will be on display through October 23. The Blackhawk Gallery, located at 3416 Blackhawk Plaza Circle in Danville, is operated by ADAS. The gallery is open Monday through Saturday from 10AM to 8PM and on Sundays from 11AM to 6PM.
ADAS to Add Fine Art to Danville Fall Crafts Festival
ADAS artist booths will be located on East Prospect Avenue between Hartz Avenue and Front Street on October 22nd and 23rd from 10AM to 5PM. Artists will donate a percentage of their sales to the Art for the Schools program.
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Hang Up!
By Evan Corstorphine, Portable CIO
Every month I could fill this space with information about scam artists, viruses, and the seedy underbelly of computing. Usually I don’t, because I think you’ll get bored reading the same old warnings. But, there is a new scam affecting the computer community, and we already know several people who’ve been approached, so I think you should know about it. The scam begins with a simple telephone call. The caller says they are calling either from “Microsoft” or from “Windows.” The caller informs the victim that the victims’ PC system is reporting major problems and says they can show the victim where the errors are on their system. The scammers know that almost all computer logs will look to most people like there’s a serious problem, so they play on your fears to trick you into cooperating. Just for reference, almost every PC computer registers these “error events.” You will see logs filled with warnings and errors which usually mean nothing, but they look scary to the uninformed. The scammers convince the victim to go to a website which allows installation of a remote control tool on their computer. The access allows the scammer to take control of the victim’s computer where they lead the victim to the error logs. The scammer then directs the victim to a website that requires the victim to pay between $40 and $300 a year for an antivirus scanning tool. In a recent case, the victim figured out he was scammed, refused to pay the $300, and hung up. However, the victim had no idea what the scammer could have copied onto his system while it was being remote controlled. What he did was really dangerous. Doing a little research, I found that this scam is a worldwide problem. ComputerWorld (www.computerworld.com) wrote an article in April about this, from which I quote below. “Microsoft Australia has admitted an inability to effectively shut down an Indian-based telemarketing scam which offers users of its Windows operating system virus protection. (It’s based on the same tactics as the one I mention above.) The scam, known as Windows Event Viewer - or simply ‘eventvwr’ - involves telemarketers requesting the recipient’s authority to run a Windows program by the
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Danville Today News ~ October 2011 - Page 17 same name in order to fix ‘bugs in the operating system.’ Other callers claim they can remove the virus for a fee and ask for people’s credit card details. However, the telemarketers only charge the credit card for the amount the customer agrees to and, according to the vendor’s research, do not use the card details again. (It’s by these nuances the scam artists are avoiding prosecution.) “The difficulty that we have here [in Australia] is that because the telemarketers seem to be based in India, there are some intricacies of the Indian law which suggest they may not be breaking any laws there. Even if they are breaking some consumer laws in Australia, trying to prosecute anyone under Australian law in India is exceptionally challenging. What I do know is that from an enforcement perspective in Microsoft, we’ve been very active in trying to track down people who have used our logos without permission or tried to represent themselves as having an alignment to Microsoft.” Since telemarketers weren’t impersonating Microsoft employees or claiming to be from the company - instead mentioning key brand names such as Windows Vista or XP - they were treading a “fine line” on the case. The scam involves a random telephone call made to an Australian number from an offshore call center. A computer is used to do predictive dialing and connect the call, which is characterized by a delay of a few seconds before the calling party answers. The caller then claims to be a representative of a software company and requests the recipient to run a program to fix ‘bugs’ in the operating system. The point I want to drive home here, is that Microsoft, or “Windows” will never call you. Neither will any of the other big technology companies. I need you to be extremely skeptical when “Good Samaritans” claim to be acting on your behalf. Honestly and unfortunately, I’ve not ever been contacted by someone who truly had something of real value for me that didn’t want even more in return. If it seems too good (or too amazing, or too scary) to be true, it most likely is. The world is full of scam artists, and as economic times put the pinch on more people, the bad guys are getting more brazen and desperate. Don’t be their next victim. When someone calls and says they want to fix your PC, hang up and call Portable CIO. We’ll tell you the truth. If you want an actual evaluation of your system, or have a problem you wish to address, give the friendly and honest staff at Portable CIO a call, 925-552-7953, or email us at helpdesk@theportablecio.com. Advertorial
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Page 18 - October 2011 ~ Danville Today News
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BBBS continued from front page
lives for the better, forever. “Providing a child with a Big Brother or Big Sister – someone they can look up to, explore the world with, put their trust in – really does change lives,” says Erica Argueta, Hispanic Partnership Coordinator for BBBS of the Bay Area. “Time spent together offers new experiences and new choices, allowing a child to learn more about the world and their own place in it. From the moment a “Little” is matched with a mentor, a door is opened, and the future is full of possibilities. Kids have been able to improve their grades, avoid gang violence and drugs, and reach higher education.” Guinto’s little sister Sarah, who registered at BBBS in an effort to add more positive role models to her life, claims that through her relationship with Guinto, the life-changing mission has been accomplished. But Guinto feels the transformation as well. “The program is supposed to benefit the Little,” she says, “but I find that my life is so much richer having known Sarah and her family.” Big Brothers was founded in 1904 by New York Court Clerk Ernest Coulter who was appalled by the suffering and misery of children who came through his courtroom. He appealed to civic and business leaders to take on the role of a “Big Brother.” By 1916, BBBS had spread to 96 cities across the country. Today there are more than 450 BBBS agencies operating in all 50 states and 12 countries around the world. Currently, BBBS of the Bay Area has 54 matches in Contra Costa; 114 children (95 boys and 19 girls) are waiting for a mentor, yet only two volunteers are in the process to be matched. Generally, Little Brothers and Little Sisters are between six and 16 years old and come from many types of home environments and family structures, socioeconomic situations, ethnic backgrounds, and from a variety of neighborhoods and schools throughout the Bay Area. Many are from single parent homes; some are in foster care or are living with a non-parent guardian or other family member. “Their backgrounds and personalities are unique, but they all have the need for a special friendship with a caring adult,” says Argueta. Mentors (or Bigs) will find that the program is flexible, and there are no mandatory activities. A Big can organize anything from riding bikes together, playing sports, cooking together, going out to lunch, running errands, or simply doing homework. “The most important thing is to be there for the child and give them the one-on-one time, two to four times a month for a year,” says Argueta. “Most of our Bigs have such a great time mentoring, that they continue to mentor well beyond the year. We even have some matches that have lasted 10 years. Many mentors have told me their Little becomes like family.” Guinto and Sarah’s time together is usually a little more exciting than laundry duty. The two have had a relationship for five years, and they try to see each other weekly as time allows. They might do lunch and a movie, cook, or visit museums. Sometimes they simply do homework together. “Sarah is just a cool kid, and it’s genuinely fun to spend time with her,” says Guinto. “We both have a goofy sense of humor, so I would say we spend 80% of our time together just laughing hysterically.” Guinto and Sarah were first matched when Guinto lived in San Ramon, and Sarah lived in Danville. Guinto now lives near Lake Merritt in Oakland, from where she commutes to her job in Mountain View as director of communications for the Alzheimer’s Association, Northern California and Northern Nevada. The distance has not affected their relationship. “Sarah and I have an annual tradition in which we write two letters -- one to ourselves and one to each other,” says Guinto. “We reflect on our year together,
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Narrowband UVB Therapy By Dr. Jerome Potozkin
With an Indian Summer just around the corner, many people look forward to wearing sundresses and shorts for a few more warm weeks until autumn finally nestles in. Unfortunately for Laura, such clothing choices were not always an easy option. Laura, like many other adult men and women, suffers from plaque psoriasis - a common, chronic, genetic disease of the immune system affecting over 7.5 million Americans today. Red and scaling patches, often itchy and sometimes painful, covered Laura’s knees, lower legs, and elbows leading her to dress in slacks and long sleeves, even during the summer months, to shield the persistent lesions. Psoriasis is often seen on the scalp, elbows, legs, trunk and sacrum, but it can occur anywhere on the body including the palms, soles, genitals, and skin folds. In some people, only a small portion of the skin surface area is effected, and in others, it may be extensive and debilitating, causing arthritic pain, inhibiting a person’s daily activities, and leading to stress, anxiety, depression, and social isolation. Although the cause of psoriasis is still not fully understood, it is thought to involve the immune system’s response to the environment in people who have a genetic susceptibility. Anyone may develop psoriasis, but risk factors include a family history of the disease, decreased immune function, stress, obesity, and smoking. Psoriasis may be triggered or worsened by injury to the skin, stress, cold weather, smoking, infection, and certain medications. There is no cure for psoriasis, but current treatments can significantly reduce and control psoriatic plaque formation, and in some cases, lead to long-term remission. Methods include topical medications, systemic medications, and narrowband (NB)UVB phototherapy. NB-UVB phototherapy is a state of the art, highly effective, popular, and easy therapy option for the treatment of psoriasis. Unlike older light therapy options such as PUVA (oral chemotherapy + UVA light) which can increase the risk for skin cancer development, and broadband UVB which can cause sunburn, NB-UVB is both safe and efficacious, providing only a narrow spectrum of the most therapeutic wavelengths of light (311-313 nm). For Laura, NB-UVB phototherapy was an ideal treatment option, and it led to significant clearance of her plaque psoriasis in just a few weeks of therapy, allowing her to confidently dress for the season without hiding her skin. It is also a great option for people who have not reached treatment goals with topical therapies alone, who are unable to take immunosuppresant medications, or who prefer alternatives to topical and oral medications. Additionally, NB-UVB is highly effective in the treatment of eczema, vitiligo, chronic itching, and many other skin disorders. If you are battling psoriasis, eczema, vitiligo, or another chronic skin problem, we can help you just as we have helped so many others. We are accepting new patients at our fully accredited dermatological and laser facility in downtown Danville. Please call us today at 925-838-4900 to schedule an appointment. Dr. Potozkin is a board certified Dermatologist who has been serving Danville Advertorial since 1993. Please visit www.Potozkin.com for more information. on the milestones we’ve achieved, our favorite memories, what we hope for in the next year... then we put those letters away until the following year. When we open them in the first week of the following year, it is really exciting. We laugh, we cry, and then we re-read the letters we’ve written over the years that we’ve known each other and we laugh and cry more. When I first met Sarah, she was 10 years old. It’s truly amazing to see her grow every year through those letters and to also see how much my life has changed since knowing her. “Many people feel they are too busy to commit to becoming a mentor,” says Argueta, “but almost every ‘Big’ enrolled in our program will tell you that the time they spend with their Little is often the most rewarding part of their day, and something they look forward to each week.” “When I reflect on my years with Sarah and consider the big picture of our relationship,” add Guinto, “I think what I most enjoy is watching Sarah grow, mature, and really develop a sense of self. Being a volunteer with BBBS has been one of the most positive experiences of my life.” BBBS is currently seeking male volunteers in the Bay Area, South Bay and Peninsula. Of 1,000 children in these areas waiting to receive a match, 70% are boys. And, as a victim of recent federal budget cuts, BBBS is losing all of its federal funding. It costs $2,000 to make and support a match the first year and $1,500 each year thereafter to maintain the relationship with professional support that provides intensive case management from the time a match begins until the match has ended - ensuring the healthy development of the match relationship. To sign up as a volunteer mentor or to make a donation, visit www.bbbsba.org.
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The Eye Opener
By Gregory Kraskowsky, O.D., Alamo Optometry Halloween and Colored Contacts
Fall is here and Halloween is just around the corner. Since the local school district is not in session that day, we would like to invite you and your kids to come by the office in the afternoon after the Alamo Plaza festival for a little trick-or-treat at the office. Your child is welcome to come by in costume to pick up a few goodies before the real trick-or-treating begins! It is during this time of the year that kids start thinking about their costumes for Halloween. Depending on your child’s age and costume, some decide that colored and/or specialty contacts are to be a part of their disguise. However, it is very important to understand that contact lenses that are not fit and prescribed by a doctor can be potentially visually threatening due to a corneal infection and other adverse conditions. As mandated by federal law, contact lenses are medical devices that need to be properly fit and assessed by an eye care professional. All lenses do not fit and breathe the same. In addition, just because you are currently wearing a particular type of lens, that does not mean that you can just wear and order any type of specialty lens. If the lens does not fit and wear properly, there can be a lot of potential damage to the eye. Conditions such as a corneal ulcer are very painful, cause light sensitivity, and cause the eye to become very red and teary. Granted, an infection like this can happen to anyone wearing contacts regardless of care, hygiene, and sleeping with the lenses on. However, when the lens is not fitting properly, the likelihood of a bad outcome increases. The other issue with specialty contacts is that if the patient is not familiar with proper care and handling, insertion and removal, and proper disinfection of the lenses, a mishap is more likely to occur. In addition to the above reasons, purchasing lenses from an outside vendor without proper prescription verification is against the law (this is also true for your normal everyday contact lenses). Depending on the vendor, the specifica-
Your Personal Nutritionist By Linda Michaelis, RD. MS. Simply Lowering Cholesterol
I am glad to tell you about my client Tom that was referred to me by his doctor to provide nutritional counseling for high cholesterol and weight loss. Tom’s doctor wanted to give him the chance to lower his cholesterol by diet alone before going on medication. Tom was very motivated since he was already on medication for hypertension and did not want to add another pill to his life. During my years of practice and research I have devised simple, effective ways to lower cholesterol levels while eliminating much confusion. Our liver produces cholesterol in addition to the cholesterol that we take in our diet. The amount of cholesterol made in the liver is dependent upon what we eat. Saturated fat is the main culprit in producing high levels of LDL cholesterol which can cause heart attacks and strokes. The goal with my clients is to cut back on saturated fat intake without giving up great meals. I made it easy for Tom by saying he could have one meal a day which included his favorites: red meat, cheese, dark meat chicken, salami, pepperoni, and prosciutto. For the opposite meals that day I told him to turn to turkey, fish, egg whites, and non-fat dairy products which have very little saturated fat, or something vegetarian such as a meatless chili or a pasta primavera dish. Tom needed to plan his meals with more veggies, fruits, legumes, and whole grains. A typical daily meal plan for Tom includes oatmeal with a yummy topping or an egg white omelet filled with veggies for breakfast. For snacks he enjoys fat-free cottage cheese and veggies, flavored non-fat Greek yogurt, nuts and fruit. For lunch he can still enjoy his hamburger, Buck Horn Grill Steak, or chicken sandwich with a salad. Then for dinner he can have a baked potato topped with non-fat sour cream and veggies, chicken, fish, pasta, sautéed greens, and a fudgesicle for dessert. Fiber. The addition of soluble fiber to Tom’s diet is important because it dissolves in water and when absorbed lowers cholesterol. Oats from his oatmeal contain beta-glucan which is a soluble fiber that soaks up excess LDL cholesterol and removes it from the body. Apples contain pectin which is also a
Danville Today News ~ October 2011 - Page 19 tions, material, quality, and sterility can not be verified. Most of the brand name and mass-produced lenses purchased through a reputable store or vendor are usually not a problem. It is the smaller and/or foreign companies that produce these specialty lenses for Halloween that can be an issue. It is pretty rare that we see complications from contact lens wear because our patients are educated about proper contact lens care. However, it is in times of non-compliance including sleeping with the lenses on and poorly fit lenses that these consequences arise. It is our hope that for those that choose to wear these specialty contacts for Halloween that it is done in the correct way and is able to add to their costume without any visual compromises. 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 Alamo Optometry Facebook page. Advertorial
The Many Faces of Breast Cancer
The Many Faces of Breast Cancer event is slated for Saturday, October 15th from 10AM-12PM during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast Cancer Specialist Tiffany Svahn, MD and Diablo Valley Oncology partner with the American Cancer Society, the Cancer Support Community, and AstraZeneca to present this complimentary event. It will be held at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek. This educational talk focuses on the unique needs and issues of survivors, providing the latest information on breast cancer. Medical experts will speak on issues effecting survivors and offer insight into treatment options and lifestyle changes that can help with rehabilitation. Reservations are required as seating is limited. For reservations call 925-677-5041, ext 260. soluble fiber and great for lowering cholesterol. A cup of beans is another good soluble fiber so Tom eats lots of burritos and tacos with whole beans. Since we need 30 grams of fiber per day, I suggested Tom add Metamucil to his diet since he travels and often is not consuming enough soluble fiber. Remember high fiber in general moves the food through your gut faster allowing fewer contaminants and carcinogens to be absorbed into the intestine. Flaxseed. We added flaxseed to Tom’s diet which is high in fiber and Omega 3 fatty acids. Flaxseed has been proven to prevent platelets from getting sticky which reduces the risk of heart attack. Grinding your flaxseeds provides the full benefit and refrigerating extends the shelf life. Tom now keeps it in easy reach and sprinkles it on a variety of foods throughout the day. Fish Oils. Tom, like most people, heard about the benefits and confusion of fish oils. It is important to buy one that provides the right kinds of Omega-3 in the right amount. Look for the bioactive ingredients, EPA and DHA which are Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish. It is recommended to get at least 650 milligrams of these key Omega-3 fats. Since Omega-3’s are not very well regulated I told Tom it would be best to purchase ones that have the highest grade of potency and purity like Nordic Naturals, Carlson, or Lovaza, available by prescription. I encouraged Tom to eat at least two oily fish meals a week such as salmon, herring, sardines, anchovies, and tuna where then he would not have to use supplements. Since fish is not his favorite food, we decided he needed to take the fish oils. Plant Sterols and Stanols. I introduced Tom to products that are fortified with plant sterols and stanols. They are components of plant membranes. Recent studies have shown that consuming two grams per day can block the absorption of cholesterol from your diet and can lower your LDL’s by 10%. The best results come from consuming them twice a day at different times with other foods. Benecol and Take Control margarine spreads are very popular for this reason. After reviewing Tom’s food diaries and talking on the phone a few times a week for two months Tom’s total cholesterol went down from 270 to 225. I know with consistent exercise and losing more weight Tom will be in the normal range. Another piece of good news is that his health insurance covered my sessions where all he had to pay was a weekly copay. To discuss your nutrition needs call me at 925-855-0150 or email info@ Advertorial LindaRD.com. Visit my website at www.linda-rd.com.
Page 20 - October 2011 ~ Danville Today News
Have You Been TP’d Lately? By Brandi Geiger MS, CMT
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or quality of life? I actually want both. Yes, I want it all! I would like to thank Chris Lieto for introducing me to Trigger Point Performance, good luck at Kona Ironman. It has changed my life and so many others. Let me help you feel your best with a Trigger Point Kit and a one-on-one instruction session. Find me on Facebook and Twitter at Fit Mind n Body. For more info about Trigger Point Therapy, visit www. tptherapy.com and for all of my services offered, visit www.fitmindnbody.com. My office is located at 55 Oak Ct. #130 in Danville. You can email me at info@fitmindnbody.com or contact me at (925)984-9259 for appointments or more information. Eat Well, Live Well, Be Well Advertorial
No I don’t mean toilet papered, I mean Trigger Point rolling. Although, with teenagers in the house I have experienced both myself. So what is Trigger Point you ask? Trigger Point Tools are the greatest self massage tools on the planet! In fact, they are so great that I called the company to become one of their first four Master Trainers. So what makes them so special? They were designed by an elite athlete named Cassidy Phillips who was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in his 20’s. It would Mended Hearts take him over two hours to get out of bed each morning. After trying many theraThe John Muir Chapter of Mended Hearts will hold its monthly meeting on Thurspeutic modalities, the only relief he got was from massage. He set out to design day, October 13 at 7PM in the Hanson Room at John Muir Medical Center-Walnut a self massage tool so he could take care of himself, because who can afford a Creek Campus which is located at 1601 Ygnacio Valley Road in Walnut Creek. The massage everyday anyways? Trigger Point Tools are a similar concept to foam speaker will be Rod Mclean, author of the book Stroke Survivors. Mended Hearts rolling only much better. These balls and rollers are small enough to travel with is a national organization providing support for cardiac patients, their families, and anywhere. You will actually find me rolling against the wall in an airport to help caregivers. For further information contact Nancy Mitchell at (925) 943-7549. unlock my hips and back before I hop on a plane to relieve the pain from my herniated disc. I don’t care that people are staring at me, they are just jealous that they don’t have a pair of balls like mine. Unlike a tennis ball, which will collapse under CONTRA COSTA ONCOLOGY pressure or a baseball and lacrosse ball, which are too hard and could cause tissue damage, Trigger Point Performance Tools were designed to mimic a massage therapist’s hand to conform to the muscle within 5-7 seconds. The goal is to compress and release the myofacia that surrounds our muscles and creates tightness in order to increase range of motion and relieve muscular tension. It works so well that you may ask why I would support such a tool that could cut into my business. Maybe it does but I came back to this field after doing medical sales to empower, educate, and motivate people to take care of themselves. I would rather my clients take charge of their health and see me for maintenance, than become dependent on me. Plus, if I help them, they will tell all of their friends, and I will get more clients to help. How cool is that? The Trigger Point balls are so wonderful, everybody needs a set. TP Tools are for anybody with muscles, that would be all of us, who want relief right now. Perform Myofacia Compression Techniques before you exercise or at the start of your day. It increases the fluidity and elasticity of your muscles and prepares them for work to help prevent injury. Take a TP break instead of a coffee break. It works so well that you will feel the difference right away. It’s amazing! Just ask SF Giant’s Nate Schierholtz and former NFL Player Tank Williams. I rolled Nate’s one calf, and he stood up to walk around, turned, and looked at me with a look on his face that was priceless. He then said, “You have to roll the other one now.” I was going to make him walk around all day with only one side rolled so he could feel the difference, however, there was no need because he felt it right away and was off with his kit in AT CONTRA COSTA ONCOLOGY, we are committed to providing WALNUT CREEK hand. Tank Williams wishes he knew about Trigthe highest quality care. Specializing in comprehensive cutting-edge treatment ger Point when he was with the NFL. He said, SAN RAMON programs for all forms of cancer and blood disorders, our nationally recognized “I wish I had you and TP when I was playing. CONCORD oncology experts and specialized oncology nurses are dedicated to providing Maybe I wouldn’t have had so many injuries and ROSSMOOR the best possible care experience. We understand the wide array of concerns would still be playing. I feel like a new man!” and challenges faced by you and your family, so we ensure the most sophisticated DANVILLE [ Opening this Fall ] As TP’s inventor Cassidy Phillips says, “What levels of medical oncology and hematology care, while providing you with the you tolerate, you accept.” Why accept pain and contracostaoncology.com utmost support, compassion, and respect. discomfort when you have total control to do 925.939.9610 something about it? Do you want quantity of life
With Them
my story Continues.
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Saline or Silicone?
By Barbara Persons, MD, Persons Plastic Surgery, Inc.
Every woman is born with breasts that are not perfectly even. Some patients wish they were born bigger.As a female plastic surgeon with specialized training and experience, I can improve a woman’s natural breasts with breast implants. Implants make it possible to enhance each woman’s natural beauty while giving her the size she desires. In a typically week, I consult with a dozen or so women seeking breast augmentation. A number of questions and topics are discussed with the most popular being...saline or silicone? There are many factors involved in making the proper choice. This makes the need for an in-depth consultation even more critical. In general, most women are better suited for the new generation of silicone cohesive gel implants versus saline, although an increasing number are also opting for fat grafting. Recent studies have supported the use of fat grafting to the breast. Both silicone and saline implants have an outer silicone shell. The silicone implants come pre-filled with a cohesive silicone gel whereas the saline implants are filled with sterile saline after being placed. As an aside, the debate surrounding the safety of silicone implants has largely been resolved, as there has not been a single substantiated case of silicone filled implants causing systemic disease. Depending on the patient’s decision regarding implant choice, approach and size, the implant is placed in a pocket created under the pectoralis-major muscle (subpectoral) or under the breast tissue (sub-glandular). The type of implant placed will be determined by a number of factors discussed during the consultation. For now, we can look at the general differences and advantages of each type of augmentation. Saline implants tend to be chosen by a younger demographic prior to having children. Because these implants are filled after they are placed under the breast tissue, the incision can be more distant (such as the umbilical method of implantation) and will result in almost no visible scaring, which is a big appeal for this age group. Saline implants have a lifespan of 7-10 years before replacement or revision. For women in this age group the timing usually works out well as there could be an additional need for a breast lift after childbirth at which time it is convenient for the patient to replace her implants. Risks associated with saline implants include breast pain, changes in nipple sensation, infection, capsular contracture, deflation, and the need for revision. Saline implants are less optimal for women seeking larger implants such as a D cup, as the heavier weight of saline increases the risk of downward displacement and rippling. This heavier weight also makes saline feel less natural. Silicone implants have once again become the more popular choice among all age groups (even though the implants themselves cost more) as the thicker, gellike consistency creates a more natural look and feel. These implants are highly effective at creating a natural effect for women desiring small, moderate or ample breast size. Arriving from the manufacturer pre-filled and sized, the augmentation
Festival continued from front page
The Avenue of Giants is a display of large, metal sculptures by Phillip and Chad Glashoff in a mixture of whimsical and contemporary styles. This mustsee display is at Prospect and Hartz Avenues. Special to the Fall Crafts Festival is the Halloween Costume Parade Saturday, October 22nd at 10am, beginning at Hartz Avenue and School Street. “Safe trick-or-treating” will be held both Saturday and Sunday inside designated shops and restaurants along Prospect and Hartz Ave. Also, local dance troupe Next Step Dance will perform at 1:30pm on Saturday at a new venue on East Prospect near Danville Chocolate. Local merchants don’t miss a beat in supporting the festival by bringing their art, fall crafts, and hands-on workshops to West Prospect, and the Alamo Danville Artists Society hosts plein air demos and paintings for sale on East Prospect. Look for one of the five Concierge booths to pick up a Fall season “Treasures of Danville” strolling map featuring shopping and dining recommendations and discount coupon. To serenade festival-goers, musicians will play in street corner concerts, and the Beverage Garden, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, will have its own entertainment along with fine wines and microbrews. Fine food abounds throughout the event. Admission is free to the Danville Fall Crafts Festival, and parking limitations will not be enforced during the festival weekend. For more information, call (925) 837-4400 or visit www.mlaproductions.com.
Danville Today News ~ October 2011 - Page 21 procedure using this type of implants requires a small incision below the breast and results in a small scar, typically hidden under the breast. The risks associated with silicone implants are similar to those associated with saline. Silicone implants have a significantly longer lifespan. If you have existing silicone or saline implants and are unhappy or have noticed changes to the shape of your breast(s), please make an appointment for a consultation to ensure that an implant deflation or leak has not occurred. Recent advances in fat harvesting and grafting has made fat transfer the fastest growing method of breast augmentation in my practice. It is ideal for women looking to increase their breasts by one cup size, for example from B to a small C. Fat transfer is often incorporated with breast lift (mastopexy), reconstruction, and augmentation. Mild liposuction is used to remove the fat from an unwanted area such as the flanks or abdomen. The fat is then processed to obtain the highest quality and number of fat cells and adipose derived stem cells. It is then injected into the desired areas in tiny droplets using a syringe and without a need for any additional incisions, a superior aesthetic result is the norm. The final result of fat transfer becomes visible by the end of the first month and improves over the first twelve months. The grafting acceptance rate averages about 60% of volume, but unlike implants the fat grafts last for the lifespan of the patient. The one aspect of my plastic surgery training that I am most proud of is my fellowship in Aesthetic, Breast & Laser surgery. In addition to nine years of surgical training, trauma and plastic surgery, my cosmetic fellowship provided me with exceptional tools and incomparable experience in creating the most suitable outcomes for these types of surgeries. The Cosmetic & Reconstructive surgery center in Lafayette has one of the largest consignments of implants in the Bay Area which enables us to find the perfect size and shape for you. Whether you are considering a breast augmentation for the first time or are a patient with existing implants looking for a change, I look forward to sharing my experience and expertise in determining the most suitable augmentation option for you. Barbara Persons MD owns Persons Plastic Surgery, Inc. located at 911 Moraga Rd. in Lafayette. Please call 925-283-8811 or email drbarb@ personsplasticsurgery.com. Advertorial
Walking the Tightrope of Elder Care
Eldercare Services and St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Pleasant Hill are sponsoring a day of workshops to empower and prepare family caregivers so that they can provide care and also find balance on the “tightrope” of elder care. Many community providers of service to elders and their families will have displays, and much of the support and information that family caregivers need will be found at this event. Keynote speakers include Neurologist Dr. Michael Nelson, speaking on Alzheimer’s Care, Elder Law Attorney, Michael Hanson, talking about planning for the cost of long term care, Cazeaux Nordstrom, MFT, talking about how to keep a balance while care partnering, and Linda Fodrini-Johnson, MA, MFT, CMC, speaking on the Power of Love/Care and Forgiveness. In addition, the day will be filled with breakout sessions on: Challenging Behaviors, Moving or Staying at Home, Hospice Services, Turning Resistance into Cooperation, and New Technologies in Care. Lunch and refreshments will provided, and a raffle will be held. All proceeds will benefit The Alzheimer’s Association and the local Meals on Wheels program. “Education is empowering, life giving, and life renewing. Caregiving can be a time of great love and connection and doesn’t need to be a time of 24/7 stress,” adds FodriniJohnson. The Family Circus: Walking the Tightrope of Elder Care will be held on Saturday, October 15th from 8:30AM to 3PM. The program will be held at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church located at 1601 Mary Drive in Pleasant Hill. For information or reservations, call (925) 937-2018 or email Info@EldercareAnswers.com.
Calling all Instructors!
The Town of Danville Seniors Services division is looking for qualified instructors to offer classes for adults 55 years and over at the newly renovated Veterans Memorial Building which is set to open early 2012. If you have the knowledge and skills to teach nutrition, health and fitness, language, craft, and/or hobby classes to adults over 55, you are encouraged to submit a proposal. Classes will be offered at various times including early evenings and weekends. For more information on how to become a Town of Danville instructor, please contact Jenn Overmoe, Program Coordinator for Senior Services by email at jovermoe@danville.ca.gov or by phone at (925) 314-3491.
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Page 22 - October 2011 ~ Danville Today News
Celebrity Chef Night T o p o f T h e S t r at f o r d ! T h u r s d a y • O c t 2 0 th • 5 : 3 0 p m
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The 21 Century Woman – Part III st
Thyroid and Female Hormones, Friends or Foes? By Dr. Michael Ruscio
Female hormones and thyroid hormones are like a nineyear-old brother and sister. Put them in the wrong environment, and they will drive you crazy. Give them what they need and they will make you smile. Female hormones and thyroid hormones can work together, leaving you feeling great, or fight one another leaving you feeling stressed, frustrated, and in need of a vacation. Understanding their relationship can help the 21st century women resolve a chronic complaint. Navigating the relationship between female hormones and thyroid hormones can be tricky. The symptoms of low thyroid function include fatigue, weight gain, being cold, depression, slow thinking, constipation, thinning hair, dry skin, high cholesterol levels, and low libido which have a strong overlap with those of female hormone imbalance. To complicate things further, female hormones can cause thyroid imbalances, and thyroid can cause female hormone imbalance. So where do we begin? Let’s start with how estrogen can affect the thyroid. When estrogen levels become too high, they actually block thyroid hormones. Many women suffering with this will express symptoms of high estrogen along with symptoms of low thyroid. These women may not respond well to thyroid replacement therapy. This is because estrogen is working against thyroid hormones. It’s like giving love to one of our two fighting nine-year-olds without doing anything to make the other one happy. One child might be happy, but the family “system” will not be harmonious. Why am I high in estrogen? The answer might surprise you. Possibly the greatest reason for high estrogen, which suppresses thyroid, comes from environmental toxins. It is well documented that certain common environmental toxins function as estrogens. You might be saying, “Well if this was the case, how come my doctor has not mentioned this to me?” My answer is I don’t know. What I do know is what current science is saying. But don’t take my word for it, as in my last article I will show you the science. Simply type any of the following study ID numbers into www. pubmed.com, and you will see the exact scientific study I am referencing. Study, 20030460, showed that common environmental toxins interfere with thyroid hormone in a variety of ways. Another study, 19478717, showed that environmental toxins function as estrogens in the body and can even derange puberty in young boys and girls. What can you do? The most basic action is to eat organic food, drink filtered water, and use natural/biodegradable household cleaners and cosmetics (soaps, shampoos, skin creams, etc.). Performing a periodic cleanse program can also be very helpful. Why does a women’s body temperature fluctuate with her cycle? This is because progesterone has a thyroid enhancing effect. After a woman ovulates, she produces much more progesterone. Fertility clinics track a women’s body temperature to determine when she will have the best chance of getting pregnant (see body temperature chart). If a woman has low progesterone, which I often find in women, she will not get this thyroid enhancing benefit. Women with low progesterone can benefit greatly from dietary and lifestyle modifications. This is because dietary stress and lifestyle stress will deplete progesterone. Women can also benefit greatly from herbal medicines to help balance progesterone as I discussed in my last article. Are you starting to see how female hormones and thyroid are related? Well, it’s not only female hormones that impact the thyroid. The thyroid can affect female hormones too. If a woman is low thyroid (hypothyroid), it can interfere with her ability to make estrogen and progesterone. This holds true whether she is still cycling or menopausal. In this case it’s necessary to correct the thyroid hormone imbalance in order to balance female hormones. I will dedicate an entire article to thyroid problems in the future. I hope this helps! For more info, visit Dr. Ruscio’s YouTube page, www.youtube.com/ michaelruscio, view his recent newsletter visit http://conta.cc/oxAiNR, or email DrRuscio@movepastyourpain.com. Dr. Michael Ruscio is the director of Functional Medicine at Johnson Chiropractic Group, 115 Town & Country Dr., Advertorial Suite E in Danville, 925.743.8210.
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Breast Cancer Awareness Month Is Here Again! By Tiffany Svahn, MD
About 1 in 8 women in the United States (12%) will develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetime. Breast cancer is a very important health issue for women – it is the most common cancer and the second most common cause of cancer death. In 2010, there were more than 200,000 new diagnoses and more than 39,000 deaths in the United States. The good news is that death rates have been decreasing since 1990 as a result of treatment advances, earlier detection through screening, and increased awareness. Join me on October 7th at 3PM for the opening ceremony at St. Mary’s College’s first Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society. All cancer survivors are invited to participate in the survivor lap at the beginning of the event. On October 15th, “The Many Faces of Breast Cancer” will take place at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, from 10AM – 12PM. This educational community event focuses on the unique needs and issues of survivors, providing the latest information on breast cancer. Heather Quarterman from KKDV 92.1 FM will be the moderator, and medical experts will speak on issues effecting survivors and offer insight into treatment options and lifestyle changes that can help with rehabilitation. There is no charge for the event, however reservations are required as seating is limited. RSVP at (925) 677-5041, x231. This year, Diablo Valley Oncology, Sunvalley Shopping Center and Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance are partnering together to host a special Breast Cancer Awareness event entitled “Pink Up The Mall.” Throughout the month of October, Sun Valley merchants will feature “Pink” themed merchandise and special discount offers. The highlight of the event will take place on October 16th at 1PM in the Grand Court. Breast Cancer survivors will be recognized by their oncologists and surgeons where they will be featured in the Surviving in Style Fashion Show. Join John Muir Health for a fun night out to help support and raise awareness for breast health in Contra Costa County on October 20th from 6-9PM at the Women’s Health Center in Walnut Creek. The evening includes education, special offers and goodies from participating downtown restaurants and businesses, and raffle prizes. Proceeds benefit the Every Woman Counts Program. These are a just a few of the Breast Cancer Awareness events in our area. Raising awareness about the importance of early detection is one of the most important things we can all do to make a difference in the fight against breast cancer! Dr. Svahn is a Medical Oncologist and Breast Cancer Specialist at Diablo Valley Oncology in Pleasant Hill and San Ramon. She is on the Medical Staff at John Muir Medical Center and San Ramon Regional Medical Center. She can be Advertorial reached at 925-677-5041 or at www.DiabloValleyOncology.md.
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Danville Today News ~ October 2011 - Page 23
Horse continued from page 16
Others are rescued. Some are shared by owners involved with the programs. Volunteers are a huge part of the program at every center. Xenophon provides training so that every team functions the same way. Consistency is critical for the horses as well as for the students. Horse handlers need extensive equestrian experience. Side walkers must have patience and strength. Opening March 29, 2011, Leaps & Bounds at Leap of Faith Farms in Walnut Creek is the newest program in our area. Mariah and Jim Bradford-Urban realized their dream by purchasing the property. The response of their boarders to the concept of adding a therapeutic riding program was overwhelming. A single e-mail elicited $10,000 in donations. As Executive Director Steve Woods explains, “ If you go into a teenager’s room, the walls are covered with photographs of friends and activities. This program gives our kids photos to post on their walls.” Wordof-mouth alone netted 20 clients and 22 volunteers. SonRise Equestrian Foundation reflects founder Melanie Buerke’s personal experience with the healing power of the horse - as a child when her father deserted the family and as an adult when her mother was battling cancer. While all of the programs described above are non-profits offering scholarships and never turning away a client in need, only SonRise offers services free to every student. In the Saddle SonRise lessons occur at Charles Wilhelm Training in Castro Valley. Brushing, tacking up, and unsaddling their mounts, as they are able, connect the students with their horses. Charlie’s family applauds his success. When he contracted Cerebral Palsy as a baby, they were told he would not survive. “Every day is a gift,” says his father. Happy in the saddle, Charlie asks, “What’s next?” Melanie received both the Jefferson and Threads of Hope Awards in 2010 for her work. Read about additional SonRise programs addressing the needs of youth at risk and children in hospice care, hippotherapy at Xenophon and Leaps & Bounds, programs for veterans and other equineassisted activities at Reins in Motion next month. Websites to visit: ENN Reins in Motion: www. ennetwok.org/RIM, Hoof Prints on the Heart: www. hotharc.org/, Xenophon: www.xenophontrc.org, Leaps & Bounds: www. l e a p o ff a i t h f a r m s . c o m , SonRise Equestrian Foundation: www.sonriseequestrianfoundation. Gary Cooper sits tall in the saddle with help left to right of Julie Burke, Peggy James and Kayla Sheppod leading. org.
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Danville Real Estate: Rents are up! Rental Transactions are Down!
with the every day cost of things. Unfortunately, this modest increase in rental rate was more than offset by the 6% year on year decline in Danville home values this year alone. Most notable in the data presented here are the unit increases experienced and maintained from 2004-2011. These time periods reflect anywhere from 2-4 times the number of rental transactions than in the preceding time frames. I think we would expect that given the market conditions for home sales. Unable to sell their homes, a larger number of sellers opted to give renting a try and in the process became “Unintentional landlords” while praying for a quick snap back in price. That was certainly a scary place to be considering that property values declined a full 25% from 2005-2011. I suspect that renting their properties was more than likely a bad bargain for the majority and they could have done better by selling early. 4 bed 2-3 bath rental homes sales Danville Jan.1- Sept. 26 Year Units $ Sq. Foot Avg. Price Size Sq. Ft. Also, very interesting is 2000 12 $ 1.18 $ 2,712 2298 that the number of rental trans2001 14 $ 1.27 $ 3,250 2559 actions has not dropped back 2002 12 $ 1.10 $ 2,922 2656 into the pre-2006 range with 2003 11 $ 1.07 $ 2,685 2509 2004 40 $ 1.13 $ 2,854 2526 36 rental transactions reported 2005 41 $ 1.17 $ 2,914 2491 on MLS during 2011. The 2006 28 $ 1.26 $ 3,228 2562 continued high volume of rent2007 41 $ 1.25 $ 3,298 2638 als is fascinating and suggests 2008 35 $ 1.27 $ 3,383 2664 that sellers are still willing to 2009 50 $ 1.19 $ 3,169 2663 2010 32 $ 1.23 $ 3,477 2827 try renting their properties in 2011 36 $ 1.37 $ 3,677 2684 light of the relentless decline in home values. What this means is not clear. Yet, it suggests that there is still optimism or hope for a market turnaround. Falling interest rates and refinance alternatives may help here. If you are thinking about selling your home and would like an honest opinion of its market value, please give me a call 925-989-6086, or send me an email joecombs@ thecombsteam.com Nancy and I will be happy to help.
Average Sales Price
Last week I became aware that a serious real estate investor had begun selling off a number of rental properties in Alamo and Danville and it caught my attention. I wondered, why? By all news media accounts, rental rates are on the upswing and more people are choosing to rent than to buy. I was naturally curious and ran the rental history numbers for our market to see if I might find something relevant and useful to my readers who are probably hearing and seeing the same news media accounts as I am. This analysis looks at homes with at least 4 bedrooms and 2-3 baths. The data for all years listed runs from January 1-September 26, so it is an apples to apples comparison for all years. The data presented here are published on MLS and do not include every property rented during the time periods. A fair number of rentals are handled directly by the homeowner off MLS. Unfortunately, when we look at off MLS rentals we can only see the advertised price, not the rent actually agreed to, so current rents as advertised off MLS, while they may appear to be higher than reported here, most likely overstate the actual rent collected by the landlord. Rents have risen steadily in Danville, from 2000-2011 approximately 36%, from an average of $2,712 per month to $3,677. That’s significant positive change and represents an annualized increase of 3% per year. Not too shabby when you consider the growth of most other investments over the same time period. When adjusted for average home size between the two periods the actual growth Danville Family Home Rental comes down to a more earthly 16% as $4,000 measured by dollars per square foot, moving $3,500 $3,000 from $1.18-$1.37 from 2000 to 2011. That $2,500 Avg. Price doesn’t really seem to be that much when $2,000 $1,500 $1,000 all things are considered such as increasing $500 $insurance and maintenance costs. At a 1.5% 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Years 2000-2010 annual increase, rents may just keeping pace
Danville Single Story
Alamo Westside Mediterranean
Alamo Westside Complete Remodel
LD
SO Four bedroom, two bath, single story. Magnificent pool and landscaping. RV parking. $784,000
Perfect “10” 5 beds, office, huge bonus room, kitchen family room flow, exquisite mill work, views $2,095,000
Single story, 5 bedroom, 4.5 bath, gated entrance, chef’s kitchen, pool and pool house. $1,699,000
Blackhawk Single Story
Alamo 5 Bedroom Custom
Westside Alamo Single Story
The perfect downsizer. Designer inspired. Two master suites, lovely gardens, pool, and spa. $889,000
Stunning John Clausen Custom. Great kitchen - family room flow, office and exercise room $1,325,000
Perfect in every detail inside and out. 4 bedroom, 3.5 bathrooms. Huge outdoor entertainment area and pool. $1,550,000
Data presented in this column is based in whole or in part on data supplied by the Contra Costa and Alameda MLS service and other quoted sources. Joe and Nancy Combs, J. Rockcliff and the MLS service do not guarantee the accuracy of this information. DRE #0144125.
J. Rockcliff Realtors 15 Railroad Ave., Danville CA. 94526