Danville Today News, November 2013

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

November 2013 Horses Healing Hearts: Rescue, Rehabilitation, Education By Jody Morgan

Rescuing half-ton animals from abuse or neglect requires more than a willing heart.

Undaunted by the task of assembling the network of caring professionals and dedicated volunteers essential to the success of a horse rescue operation, Danville native Melissa Austin founded Horses Healing Hearts (3H) in 2011. 3H has already placed 40 equines in suitable homes and initiated a diversified education program allowing community members of all ages to engage with horses.

Serving Danville Village Theatre 100th Anniversary Gala

By Jody Morgan

On November 16th, the Town of Danville is hosting the Grand Engagement Celebration honoring the 100th anniversary of the Village Theatre’s grand opening as the Danville Fraternal and Social Hall on November 28, 1913. This gala gathering is free and open to the community. Festivities begin at the Town Meeting Hall from 5pm-7pm with appetizers provided by Bridges, Norm’s, McGah’s, and Primo’s and wine poured by the Vine at Bridges. The first 200 attendees will be presented with a commemorative wine glass.

The opening reception for Barn Dance: Celebrating Our Agricultural History occurs simultaneously next door at the Village Theatre Art Gallery.

The exhibit includes sounds and scents as well as images playfully alluding to the structure’s long service as a social center for the community.

See Theatre continued on page 20

Libraries Over the Years in the San Ramon Valley By Beverly Lane Hope, once afraid to be touched, now rushes to the fence to greet Melissa Austin and Carissa Manzo. Photo by Jody Morgan.

Melissa Austin found herself stuck in a personal spin cycle. Traditional therapy was keeping her focused on what she perceived as her inadequacies. A friend suggested she work with Dyane Golding, Life Coach and Equine Guided Educator. By interpreting the way horses interact with a particular person in an enclosed arena, the Equine Guided Educator is able to help that person confront problems he or she has previously been unable or unwilling to truthfully verbalize. Aided by the intuitive wisdom of horses, Golding helped Austin reengage with her personal strengths.

Grateful to the horses responsible for revitalizing her life, Austin researched equine rescue programs extensively before founding 3H. Recently Melissa saved two sound horses whose owner decided to terminate his responsibility for their care by putting them down. The owner paid 3H the amount an unwilling veterinarian would have charged for euthanasia. Although adopters pay a modest fee, equine rescue is a money-losing proposition. Able-bodied horses have stress issues from neglect or abuse. Like injured equines, they often need months of rehabilitation involving veterinary care, food, shelter, and affection.

After 18 years of service, retired barrel racer Norman was given away. The woman who took Norman and two other free horses from Craigslist left them tied to a tree for weeks before 3H rescued them. Norman has “choke” and needs a special diet of nutritious gruel. Cindy McLoughlin fostered Norman, getting him back to a healthy weight. When Austin arrived to take Norman for placement evaluation he slunk to the end of the pasture and turned his back on everyone. An expert rider judged Norman unsuitable as a saddle horse. His only speed seemed to be high gear. Cindy followed her instinct insisting, “Norman is a gentle soul and misunderstood.” Adopted by the McLoughlins, Norman moves sedately with twelve-year old Liam riding and basks in the affection of Liam’s younger siblings.

McLoughlin also fostered Spirit. Injured after winning his last race on December 8, 2011, Spirit lost 400 pounds in three weeks before 3H saved him. Spotting Spirit in

See 3H continued on page 18

Local Postal Customer

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The County library system is celebrating its Centennial in 2013 with an exhibit and special events at the Danville Library this November. In the valley’s early years, the only existing IBRARY libraries were esLE tablished in private ANVIL homes, such as 1913 - 2013 the Hemme, Hall, C Efamilies.

N T E NFor N Imany, AL C E LatEhomes B Rwere AT IaO N! Baldwin, Stone and Wood books rarity.

Happy 100th birthday, Danville Library and Contra Costa County Library!

From 1903-1911, California’s State Library had a Traveling Book Everyone is invited to help the Danville Library celebrate 100 years of bringing people and ideas together with many special all ages.

Service which loaned 50 books to different communities forevents threeformonths.

D a n v i l l e In L i b1909, r a r y C eSister n t e n n i a l Mary Event The Danville Grange applied for this service in 1906.

S a t u r d a y, N o v e m b e r 9 , 11 a m t o 4 p m McPherson Podva was appointed to a committee of one to obtain these books for Grange members. Early in 1910, Mary More was appointed Assistant Librarian and took charge of the newly arrived books.

“Dream Big” Family Story Time with Olympian and Best-selling Author, Kristi Yamaguchi Tuesday, October 8, at 4pm Children’s Reading Room, Danville Library Join Children’s Author, Olympic Figure Skating Champion, and winner of the sixth season of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” competition, Kristi Yamaguchi, for special story time for the entire family to celebrate the Danville Library’s 100th birthday!

The rst 100 families will receive a copy of Kristi’s rst book, Dream Big, Little Pig, to commemorate the library’s 100th Anniversary!

Busy Bee Dogs Tuesday, October 22, at 4pm Children’s Reading Room, Danville Library

Enjoy birthday refreshments courtesy of the Friends of the Danville Library and a historical Danville Library Centennial display in partnership with the Museum of the San Ramon Valley along with special events throughout the day for all ages!

11am: Birthday Story Time – The Danville Library turns 100 and is kicking off the celebrations with a special family story time for readers of all ages with birthday stories, crafts, and treats.

Children’s Reading Room, Danville Library

See Library continued on page 10

Celebrate Danville Library’s 100th birthday and watch in amazement as these highly trained dogs perform silly comedy and amazing tricks. See how smart and friendly man’s best friend can be at the Danville Library!

1pm: Alex Ramon Magic – No birthday party is complete

Lighting of the Old Oak Tree Chocolate Chip Cookie School Tuesday, November 5, at 4pm Mt. Diablo Room, Danville Library

November 29, 5:15PM - 8PM

Happy 100th Birthday, Danville Library, with this special program for students in grades 2-5. Kids learn chemistry, math, English, health, geography, business, culture, cooking and our food system through an examination of the classic chocolate chip cookie recipe with Susie Wyshak, Co-Founder of Epicuring California and Co-chair of Good Food Awards.

Discover and sample how different chocolate chip cookies can be delicious and educational!

Spaces are limited and registration is required. Registration begins on September 3.

without a master of illusion! Alex Ramon, Magician, has mesmerized millions around the world with his magic touring as the star of Disney Live! and Ringling Bros.’ rst-ever magician ring-master.

Children’s Reading Room, Danville Library

3pm: Richard Bolles, Best-selling Author of What Color is

Your Parachute? – Recently named by Forbes Magazine as one of today’s top twenty “Wealth Wizards,” international best-selling author, Richard Bolles, will do a special presentation and signing. Designated

by TIME Magazine as one of the 100 All-TIME best non-ction books, the 14th edition of his book will be released in August.

Valley Oak Room, Danville Community Center

Save the date and prepare to join an evening of fun and merriment at the Lighting of the Old Oak Tree, on the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 29th, beginning at 5:15PM. The community will gather on Diablo Road around the town’s landmark oak tree to enjoy music provided by the Danville Girls Chorus and the San Ramon Valley High School Chorus. Around 6:15PM, Father Christmas and Volume V - Number 1 the Snow Angel will arrive, “fairy dust” will be 3000F Danville Blvd. #117, Alamo, CA 94507 sprinkled and the Old Oak Tree will be illuminated.

(925) 405-6397 Following the illumination of the tree downtown Fax (925) 406-0547 Danville will come alive with street-corner musicians. Restaurants and shops will be open to dine Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher and start working on your holiday gift-giving lists. editor@ For more information, call 925-837-4400 or yourmonthlypaper.com visit www.danvilleareachamber.com.

The opinions expressed herein belong Please note that the oak tree is located on Diablo to the writers, and do not necessarily Road and surrounding roads will be closed. Park- reflect that of Danville Today News.

Danville Today News is not ing will be available at Danville municipal parking responsible for the content of any of lots and the Community Presbyterian Church, the advertising herein, nor does publication imply endorsement. located at 222 W. El Pintado Road.

Danville Library Centennial Celebration programs in partnership with the Town of Danville, Museum of the San Ramon Valley, Friends of the Danville Library, and Danville Library Foundation

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Page 2 - November 2013 ~ Danville Today News

Boulevard View

By Alisa Corstorphine, Editor

I remember back in my math, computer, science, and logic classes learning about “IF->THEN statements.” IF the batteries are dead, THEN the remote control won’t work. IF you eat too much turkey and trimmings on Thanksgiving Day THEN you’ll feel like you will pop. I’ve been thinking about IF->THEN a lot lately and how it has impacted my life.

In elementary school my middle child participated in sports but hadn’t found his niche. In fourth grade he received a postcard in the mail for the newly formed hockey league at the Golden Skate roller rink. He decided he wanted to check out the sport and see if was for him. He had no hockey equipment, could barely skate, and definitely couldn’t stop or skate backwards.

Now, fast forward almost 15 years, and that one postcard led to a sports passion that continues to this day, both as a spectator and a participant. It led to travel opportunities all over California as well as Minnesota and Illinois to play hockey. It led to friendships that continued through college and into the workplace.

IF he hadn’t had received that postcard in the mail, THEN his friend network, travel experiences, and love of hockey probably would have been completely different. My husband wouldn’t have gotten involved in coaching and playing, his brother and sister wouldn’t have picked up the sport, and I would have found a different way to spend my time rather than stepping up to run the league for almost five years. The activities and relationships of people with our whole family would have taken an entirely different direction...all because of one flimsy little postcard. Imagine that. IF->THEN. There is a ripple effect from every event, a multitude of unimagined and unintended consequences. Years ago we were having our carpet replaced in our home.

The carpet installer and my husband were talking about work, and the installer mentioned that his brother would like the kind of work my husband was doing with computers. My husband told the installer to have his brother send over a resume.

That led to my husband hiring the carpet installer’s brother as a new employee.

Ironically, several months into his employment, I connected the dots with the new

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employee’s last name and found the employee was the nephew of one of my hockey coaches! The brother spent nine years with my husband’s company, met his wife on the job, and introduced another great employee through his family. IF->THEN. When we moved to the Bay Area from Seattle, we looked at many neighborhoods and cities. My husband was taking a job in Pleasanton, and we looked at dozens of homes along the 680 corridor. We could have chosen many different homes and neighborhoods, and every one of them would have come with a completely different future for our family. There are so many paths forward, and these micro-decisions we make have a huge, unsung effect on our lives.

The homes we looked at, within a 15 mile radius of Pleasanton, all had different neighbors, schools, commute patterns, stores, weather, etc.

We seldom stop to think about how these little choices add up to huge changes in our lives. The relationships and experiences change with each little choice we make.

One of my guilty pleasures is reading my way through the “A, B, C, D...” detective novel series of Sue Grafton books, and I am now in the middle of W is for Wasted. Early on in the story the author writes, “Pulling out of the parking lot, I thought about the oddities of life, that something as insignificant as a slip of paper could have a ripple effect. For reasons unknown, the dead man had made a note of my name and phone number, and because of that, my path had touched his...Sometimes the import of a minor moment makes all the difference...”

Every choice we make has an impact on something around us. Each day we make hundreds of them. The IF->THEN equation constantly swirls around us.

The choice can be something as simple as what we eat, what we wear, what we do for the next hour of our time, or which road we drive down. The THEN part of the equation might become apparent immediately, or the consequences may become apparent years down the road. Many of these choices feel like second nature, and we fail to recognize them as a choice at all, because we don’t even realize we’re making them.

The joy of life is in the journey, and it’s illustrated by the multi-colored tapestry of decisions and consequences that are woven from the experiences of our lives. It’s a lot of fun to look back through our lives and connect the random dots of unplanned events to significant and wonderful things that have made our lives special. What are some of your IF->THEN’s?

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Danville Today News ~ November 2013 - Page 3

JARED HIGGINS TEAM

Danville’s Real Estate Danville Today News ~ August 2013 - Page 3 Expert

22 Donna Ln., Danville $1,149,950 Open House ~ November 3rd, 1-4

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Happy Halloween!

Alamo-Danville Newcomers Club

The Alamo-Danville Newcomers Club is holding a free Welcome Coffee on November 19th at 7PM. The event is open to all who are thinking of joining the club, this casual get together is the perfect opportunity to learn about the many facets of Newcomers while enjoying coffee and chatting with Club Members.

For more information, visit www.alamodanvillenewcomers.com, contact us at alamodanvillenewcomers@gmail.com, or call (925) 281-1307.

San Ramon Valley Newcomers Club

The San Ramon Valley Newcomers Club holds a monthly luncheon on the third Thursday of the month (November 21st), features an arts and craft boutique this month, and is open to current and prospective members in the San Ramon Valley. For further information or a reservation, please contact Dee Bradshaw at (925) 837-9600.

Diablo 3D and Symphony

A One-of-a-Kind Diablo Wilderness Experience

On November 6th, from 6M to 9PM, Save Mount Diablo will host an original show featuring dramatic 3D images of the Diablo wilderness by renowned photographer Stephen Joseph at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek. Joseph’s breathtaking images will be accompanied by the Contra Costa Wind Symphony playing an original score composed by Ron Paquette.

For 43 years, Save Mount Diablo has worked to preserve, defend, and restore the mountain. With spectacular geography and varied micro-climates, the mountain is one of the most important wildlife habitats and recreation areas in the region. It is home to more than 900 plants and animals. Over time, population growth and development pressures have divided the Diablo region into many privately-owned parcels, fragmenting wildlife habitat and inhibiting recreation. With 40% of the Diablo wilderness at risk of being lost to development, protecting it is just as critical as ever. All proceeds from this event benefit Save Mount Diablo to continue its work to reassemble the Diablo wilderness and keep it wild forever.

For tickets and further information, visit www.savemountdiablo.org/ activities_events_diablo3d.html.

21st ANNUAL CANDY CANE BOUTIQUE!

Thanksgiving and Christmas Gift Items, Fine China, Crystal, Collectibles, Jewelry, Linens, Dolls, Toys, and Delicious Homemade Baked Goods

SPECIAL LUNCH - $12

(Served from Noon - 2PM) Pastitsio (Greek Pasta), Greek Salad, Baklava, and Coffee

GREAT RAFFLE PRIZES!

One Week at Sun Valley, Idaho in Stunning Vacation Home Weekend in Beautiful Donner Lake Home Weekend in Six-Bedroom, Bass Lake View Home Weekend in Deluxe Capitola Condo with Monterey Bay View Gorgeous Fine Jewelry and Many More Wonderful Prizes

SEPARATE RAFFLE FOR A Beautiful Handmade Quilt by Masterpieces

Creekside Community Church 1350 Danville Boulevard, Alamo, CA Friday, November 8, 2013 from 4PM-8PM & Saturday, November 9, 2013 from 9AM-3PM All proceeds will be donated to The Macedonian Outreach, a non-profit Christian Organization founded with the purpose of helping the neediest children in the Balkans.

Thank you and God Bless You! www.macedonianoutreach.org

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Page 4 - November 2013 ~ Danville Today News

Blue Star Moms Care Packages

It is time for Blue Star Moms to gear up for our December care package mailing to our troops who continue to serve overseas. Here are our Drop Zone dates and locations: • Saturday, November 16 ~ 10AM-3PM - Luckys - 21001 San Ramon Valley Blvd, San Ramon • Saturday, November 23 ~ 10AM-3PM - Safeway - 200 Alamo Plaza, Alamo Guidelines for care packages can be found on the Blue Star Mom website, www.bluestarmoms.org under “Care Packages.”

Delta Nu Psi Collections for the Troops

Thank you Alamo CVS and Danville Lunardi’s shoppers. With your help we just sent our 1,118th box of “gourmet junk food” to the troops.

We will be collecting at CVS in Alamo on November 1st and Lunardi’s in Danville on November 8th from am pm 11 -2 at both stores.

If anyone knows a serviceman or woman in Afghanistan, please let us know so we can adopt them. Visit www.deltanupsi.org for more information.

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Lettice and Lovage

Role Players Ensemble presents Lettice and Lovage, a funny look at the value of friendship and wild story telling. Set amidst the ruins of an old historic home, a wonderful battle of wits ensues between the need for authenticity versus entertainment.

The play will be shown through November 9 with Friday and Saturday performances at 8PM and Sunday performances at 2PM. Shows will be held at the Village Theatre, located at 233 Front Street in Danville. Tickets are $20-28 and can be purchased at www.RolePlayersEnsemble.com, at the Danville Community Center located at 420 Front St. in Danville, or by calling (925) 312-3400.

This Coupon is worth $10.00 toward your purchase of $50.00 or more in McCaulou’s Shoe Boutique

Valid through Sunday, Nov.10, 2013 Must be presented at time of purchase. Not valid in conjunction with other coupon promotions.

Not valid on previous purchases. No cash substitutes.

May not be used for payment on account.

TOMS, Ugg and Clearance excluded.

Shoe Boutique Located in the Livery

This Coupon is worth $10.00 toward your purchase of $50.00 or more in McCaulou’s Home Store

Valid through Sunday, Nov.10, 2013 Must be presented at time of purchase. Not valid in conjunction with other coupon promotions.

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Holidays on the Farm

Winter holidays will be celebrated at Forest Home Farms Historic Park on Saturdays, December 7th and 14 from 10AM to 2PM. Events each Saturday include: • Tours of the Farm and Glass House (fee), decorated for the holidays • Visits with a Victorian Santa and live reindeer • Victorian ornament making and stuff-your-own teddy bear (fee) • Old-fashioned games and tractor rides • Sheepdog demonstrations and more family entertainment On December 7, The Nutcracker puppet show, by the Puppet Company, will be presented at 11AM, and on December 14 you can shop at a special Holiday Market for unique gifts from over a dozen vendors.

Admission to the park is free. For more information, call (925) 973-3284. th

Holiday Handcraft Sale

Come shop for quality handcrafts by locals artisans for everyone on your holiday gift-giving list on November 9th from 9AM to 3PM at the San Ramon Valley United Methodist Church, located at 902 Danville Blvd. in Alamo.

Unbeatable deals will be available on jewelry, hand-knit sweaters, quilted totes, table linens, fused glass ornaments, silk flower arrangements, homemade caramels, and more. You can also order homemade holiday pies.

Be sure to visit the youth bake sale, and stay for a delicious homemade lunch.

AARP Tax-Aide Call for Volunteers

Do you like working with people? Are you good with numbers?

Contra Costa County AARP Tax-Aide is looking for volunteers to become members of a team providing free tax preparation for individuals of all ages. Tax-Aide volunteer positions include Tax Counselors who are trained by Tax-Aide and certified

by IRS and Client Facilitators who schedule appointment and assist clients at tax sites.

Orientation is in November 2013, and classes for tax counselors start in January 2014.

If interested, call LaVerne Gordon at (925) 726-3199 for information and to apply.

Classic(al) Rock

The Contra Costa Wind Symphony will unite with Bay Area rock musicians for the US premiere of a new arrangement for wind symphonies and rock bands of Deep Purple’s Concerto for Group and Orchestra on November 17 at 7:30PM at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek. The concert will also feature the music of Queen, the Beatles, Deep Purple, and Led Zeppelin, with special guests bassist Terry Miller (currently touring with the Zac Brown Band) and Terry’s Kids.

Lesher Center for the Arts is located at 1601 Civic Drive in Walnut Creek.

Tickets are $25 adults, $18 seniors, and $10 students and can be purchased by calling (925) 943-SHOW or visiting lesherartscenter.org.

For more information, visit www.ccwindsymphony.org.

Danville Women’s Club’s Holiday Boutique

General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) Danville Women’s Club will hold its annual Holiday Boutique on Saturday, November 16 from 10AM to 4PM. Club members and local crafters have teamed up to bring you this early season shopping opportunity. With the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays just around the corner, this is the perfect place to pick up one-of-a kind gifts and decorations for all your holiday needs including jewelry, accessories, candles, sewing/knitting items, cards, art, floral items, holiday decorations, paper crafts, photographs, and much more. The women of the Club also make a wide selection of holiday treats to help with entertaining and gifting. Join us for great shopping, and enjoy a free cup of coffee or hot apple cider while you browse. The event is held at our clubhouse, located at 242 Linda Mesa Avenue, just a few blocks from downtown Danville.

Parking is free in our lot behind the clubhouse. Proceeds from the boutique support the Club’s charities. For more information, visit www.danvillewomensclub.org.

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

Gloria Guinn-Padilla is our winner!

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

San Ramon Valley Republican Women Federated Orlean Koehle Speaking on The Dangers of Common Core Curriculum

Orlean Koehle is the author of five books, the latest is Common Core, a Trojan Horse for Education Reform which tells of the deceptive new program coming into our public schools. It is pretending to be a harmless state standard initiative, but in reality it is a national topdown program that will take away the freedom of states and local districts to have influence, and jurisdiction over the curriculum, standards, and teaching methods of their own schools.

Orlean Koehle, State President of Eagle Forum of California, was a teacher in Sonoma County, but retired in 2010 to write and speak about moral issues. Orlean, a wife and mother of five sons, one daughter, and six grandchildren, is an expert on Common Core Curriculum and founded “Californians United Against Common Core.” Please come get educated about this curriculum!

The meeting will be held at the Crow Canyon Country Club located at 711 Silver Lake Drive, Danville on Tuesday, November 19th. Social time begins at 11:30am and lunch begins at noon. The cost is $25.

For reservations, call Mary 925-837-5465 or email srvrwf. lunch@gmail.com. Reservations are due by Friday, November 15th.

To assure yourself a place at the table, make your reservation early!

For more information, visit San Ramon Valley Republican Women Federated at www.srvrwf.org.

Blackhawk Museum Guild

With Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner, the November Blackhawk Museum Guild meeting might just be the place for you! The guest speakers will be Dona Spaugh and Cindi Grauer co-owners of a home décor and accessory boutique in Alamo called “A Change of Seasons.”

Custom floral design, accessorizing, and color analysis are the three top skills in Dona’s repertoire. Creating beautiful spaces, solving design problems, and searching out unique products are her passion. Cindi worked for the Revlon Corporation before moving from New York City to the Bay Area.

For the past 10 years she has worked retail for Sunflower and Elegant Clutter in the capacity of visual design, interior design, and consultation.

Get ready to go home with lots of creative, but easy-to-do ideas to give your home that special touch from the “Decorating for the Holidays” meeting on Wednesday, November 13th at 10am. The meeting is free and refreshments will be provided.

For more information call Dee at 925-820-1432.

Danville Today News ~ November 2013 - Page 5

Blackhawk Republican Women ~ Addressing California’s Challenges

Blackhawk Republican Women (BRW) are pleased to present Autumn Carter speaking on Addressing California's Challenges.

Autumn is the Executive Director of California Common Sense (CACS), a nonprofit research organization dedicated to making government more transparent and promoting civic engagement.

She has worked with CACS since it began in 2010. She later graduated from Stanford University, receiving a B.A. in Political Science with Concentrations in American Politics and Political Theory.

The meeting and dinner will be held Wednesday, November 6th at the Blackhawk Country Club Lakeside Grill located at 599 Blackhawk Club Drive, Danville. Check-in and social start at 5:30pm and the meeting and speaker follow at 6:15pm.

Please make your reservation and payment of $25 payable to“Blackhawk Republican Women” by noon November 4th by contacting Mrs. Marianne Lyons, 856 Turrini Drive, Danville, CA 94526, rlyons1009@sbcglobal.net, or 925-820-6452.

“Our 1st Annual Christmas Open House”

ji

Thursday November 7th 5pm-8pm You will Enjoy: The Chance to find “Elf on the Shelf” Tasty Treats for the Tummy Beverages to “Wet Your Whiskers” Letters To Santa Christmas Coloring Contest Holiday Photo Booth Seasonal Demos And

A Christmas Tree Giveaway to Active Military* Alamo Location Event

**While Supplies Last

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Page 6 - November 2013 ~ Danville Today News

Discover Danville Association presents...

Pipeline Safety in Our Community

By Supervisor Candace Andersen, Contra Costa County, District 2

Pre-Holiday Shopping & Dining Benefit Fundraiser

November 14, 2013 11am-8pm

Downtown, Danville Livery, The Rose Garden & Blackhawk Plaza • Holiday shopping & dining specials throughout the day Evening activities from 5-8pm...

• Live entertainment • Holiday festivities • Commemorative ornament (limited quantity) • Trolley rides (Downtown, Livery & Rose Garden)

Purchase $5 event ticket from the following organizations: • Blue Star Moms • Hospice of the East Bay • Museum of the San Ramon Valley • Tony LaRussa’s Animal Rescue Foundation • Veterans Memorial Building Fund • San Ramon Valley High Boosters and more!

Details and tickets available online at DiscoverDanvilleCA.com

ShopDanvilleFirst.com

Veterans of Foreign Wars

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW) will be held on Wednesday, November 20h. The VFW Post 75 of San Ramon Valley meets every third Wednesday of the month at the Veterans Memorial Building located at 400 Hartz Avenue in Danville. The building is located on the corner of East Prospect Avenue and Hartz Avenue.

Doors open at 7PM, and the meeting begins at 7:30PM. For more information, contact Post Commander Ernie Petagara at (925) 362-9806. Find out more about the VFW and our Post on the internet at www.vfwpost75.org.

“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” A Danville Community Band Christmas Concert

The Danville Community Band returns to the wonderful venue of the East Bay Foursquare Church for its annual Christmas performance on Sunday, December 1, starting at 3PM. Led by Director Robert Calonico and Founding Director, Lawrence Anderson, the band presents a selection of memorable and exciting holiday music including “A Canadian Brass Christmas Suite,” Robert W. Smith’s “Christmas Declaration,” and Pola & Wyle’s “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Accompanying the band will be guest vocalist Nancy Groeneveld, and there will be a visitor from the North Pole as well.

Come be a part of our annual family event as the band celebrates the holidays. Concert admission and parking are free! Join us at East Bay Foursquare Church, located at 2615 Camino Tassajara Rd. in Danville. For more information about the band, visit www.danvilleband.org.

San Ramon Valley Rotary Club presents “Enjoy the Classics” Dinner and Auction

San Ramon Valley Rotary Club presents “Enjoy the Classics,” an elegant evening to remember, on November 9th. The evening includes a full course dinner, single malts, wine tasting, cigars, and an auction. Steve Beal, internationally recognized Whiskey Master, will lead attendees through the fine flavors of OBAN single malt whiskies. We will also be tasting the renowned wines of Padis Vineyards. Cost for the event is $85 per person.

For information and tickets, go to www.sanramonvalleyrotary.com or contact Valerie Munoz at vamunoz@comcast.net or (925) 683-6310.

Although we don’t usually associate the fall season with planting and landscaping, many of us do take on final projects around the yard before winter sets in. It’s always good to remind everyone that any time you or your contractor digs on your property, you need to call 8-1-1.

The 811 number is a national “Call Before You Dig” phone number designated to help save lives by minimizing damage to underground utilities. One easy phone call to 811 quickly begins the process of getting underground utility lines marked.

Local One Call Center personnel notify affected utility companies, who will send crews to mark underground lines for free. Knowing where underground utility lines are buried before each digging project begins can prevent injury, expense and penalties. The depth of utility lines may vary, and multiple utility lines may exist in one area. Simple digging jobs can damage utility lines and can disrupt vital services to an entire neighborhood, harm those who dig, and result in expensive fines and repair costs. Marked lines show those who dig the approximate location of underground lines and help prevent undesired consequences. Call 811 before you dig or visit www.call811.com for more information.

Utility line safety has come to the forefront recently along the Iron Horse Corridor, often referred to as the Iron Horse Trail. The County has begun reviewing property lines along the Corridor as they have become aware that some property owners have dangerously encroached into the utility easements. As most people know, the Iron Horse Corridor was previously the Southern Pacific Railroad Right-of-Way. It was purchased by Contra Costa County with grant money from the state and the sale of utility easements. The Corridor is typically 50-100 feet wide and includes various underground utilities, including fiber optic, sewer and water lines, as well as a high pressure petroleum pipeline owned by Kinder Morgan. It is approximately 19 miles and stretches from Concord to the San Ramon/ Alameda County line. East Bay Regional Park District has a license agreement with the County to operate and maintain the Iron Horse Trail within the Corridor.

Over the years, some property owners have extended fencing, retaining walls, structures, bridges, stairs, pavers, landscaping and drainage into the corridor, landing near or on top of the Kinder Morgan pipeline. Kinder Morgan cannot allow encroachments in their easement as directed by the State Fire Marshall. It is a serious safety issue. The County is therefore requiring property owners to remove the encroachments which have been built in this easement. At this time, the removal process in Alamo is mostly complete. The county is consulting with Town officials to begin the process of working with property owners in Danville to make that stretch of the trail safer as well.

We are fortunate to have an amenity like the Iron Horse Corridor. As we enter the month of November, it is a great opportunity to reflect upon all we are grateful for, including our great community and exceptional quality of life.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday with friends and family. If you are attending the Danville Old Oak Tree Lighting Celebration from 5:15pm to 8:30pm on the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 29th, please stop by my office (309 Diablo Road, Danville) to say hello and enjoy some hot cocoa and homemade cookies.

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Danville Today News ~ November 2013 - Page 7

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Page 8 - November 2013 ~ Danville Today News

Charlotte Wood Middle School

By Christopher George, Principal

1ST ANNUAL

HALLOWEEN

It’s almost Halloween, and we continue onwards this year. Our year has so far been one of great success and great change, as we’ve noted Post A Picture Of You In Your in our previous articles. We have often mentioned Halloween Costume On Our how challenging the change to the Common Core Facebook Page & You Will Be State Standards has been, and we have done a great Entered To deal of work in getting there by changing our school day, lengthening our class periods, and so on.

I want to take a moment to acknowledge just how hard our teachers have been working this year in their preparation for the Common Core State Standards. This preparation has challenged teachers to take a completely new look at their work and to revamp much of what they do in a classroom on a daily basis. I’d imagine it would be the same as being an attorney and being told that next year you would be required to have the knowledge of an entirely foreign legal system...no easy task. To manage this, teachers throughout the district have taken on an incredible amount of professional development, all while keeping the high standards for the kids who come to greet them every day.

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I’d also like to take a moment to recognize our Rotary Teacher for the Year, Ms. Kathleen Martins.

Ms. Martins has been instrumental in not only building the Common Core Curriculum, but with her team also helping to develop our wildly successful Advisory Curriculum this year. She has, along with our entire staff, worked tirelessly to OR keep our standards and expectations high and met.

Additionally, we were glad to recognize our Golden Skate Tickets For 4 People Rotary Student this Year, 8th grader Connor Kay. ( Their Choice! ) Must Be At Least 21 To Win. Connor rose through our nomination process as and more prizes an excellent art student, but we quickly discovered that he is a mature student who spends a great deal and post your Halloween costume picture with your best pose by of time helping others and improving himself.

November 10th. Everyone is welcome to participate! You may enter Congratulations Connor. your children. Winner will be announced on November 12th.

Lastly, we’d like to thank our community for our fantastic showing in the Run for Education this 3176 Danville Blvd., Suite 2 | Alamo, CA 94507 | AmindaModrellDDS.com | info@amindamodrelldds.com year. We registered more than we ever had before, with upwards of 37% of our student body repreCelebrate Hospice Tree of Lights sented. While we are glad that this showing helped us raise additional funds, we Hospice of the East Bay invites the public to participate in its 27th Annual are prouder still that it is a signifier of a strong school community which includes Tree of Lights Ceremonies to be held in November and December. our parents, our kids, our neighbors, and our staff. Have a great Halloween.

The tree lightings offer community members a way to honor the lives of their friends and loved ones. Funds raised allow Hospice of the East Bay to provide essential programs and services such as the Vigil Program which ensures no one has to die alone. Each light on every tree is symbolic of a life and will shine in honor or memory of a beloved friend or family member.

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By dedicating a Memorial Light for a minimum gift of $25, you can honor someSan Ramon, Danville, Alamo one you love while directly supporting end-of-life patient care. Memorial donors • All Subjects • PreK-Adult of $100 and higher will have the option to have their names listed in the lighting • Reading • Writing • Math ceremony program of their choice. For light dedications, donations, sponsorships, • LD/ADD/ADHD • SAT/ACT Prep and event questions, call (925) 887-5678 or visit www.hospiceeastbay.org.

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Stone Valley Middle School

By Shaun K. McElroy, Principal

Thank you parents and staff who attended our Fall Party and Auction! It was an amazing night of festivities through eight countries!

Thank you to our gracious hosts, Bobby and Sharon Waal, who shared their magnificent home and grounds! Hats off to our party planners, Chris Janze, Johnette Mass, Carla Munoz, Kristen Calderon, and Heidi Barbera, who so creatively took us to far off lands! Thanks also to our volunteer staff members, Mrs. Johnson, Mr. Sherwood, Mr. Andrzejewski, Ms. Lawver, Ms. Sass, and Mrs. Jacobs, who dressed the part and guided us on our trip! We appreciate everyone’s contributions and efforts as it is all for the kids! Early returns show we exceeded our fund-raising goal.

Common Core State Standards - Assessments

Danville Today News ~ November 2013 - Page 9

11 Critical Home Inspection Traps to be Aware of Weeks Before Listing Your Home for Sale Danville - According to industry experts, there are over 33 physical problems that will come under scrutiny during a home inspection when your home is for sale.

A new report has been prepared which identifies the 11 most common of these problems, and what you should know about them before you list your home for sale.

Whether you own an old home or a brand new one, there are a number of things that can fall short of requirements during a home inspection. If not identified and dealt with, any of these 11 items could cost you dearly in terms of repair. That's why it's critical that you read this report before you list your home. If you wait until the building inspector flags these issues for you, you will almost certainly experience costly delays in the close of your home sale or, worse, turn prospective buyers

away altogether. In most cases, you can make a reasonable pre-inspection yourself if you know what you're looking for, and knowing what you're looking for can help you prevent little problems from growing into costly and unmanageable ones.

To help home sellers deal with this issue before their homes are listed, a free report entitled "11Things You Need to Know to Pass Your Home Inspection" has been compiled which explains the issues involved.

To hear a brief recorded message about how to order your FREE copy of this report, call toll-free 1-866-265-1682 and enter 1003. You can call any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Get your free special report NOW to learn how to ensure a home inspection doesn't cost you the sale of your home.

On October 3rd Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill* eliminating the STAR test for the 2013-14 school year. The STAR test was a requirement of the No Child Left Behind Act. The goal for all schools, districts, and states was to have every This report is courtesy of J. Rockcliff Realtors #01763819. Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract. Copyright © 2013 student proficient in language arts and mathematics by 2014.

The absence of the STAR test does not relieve schools of the Monte Vista High School responsibility of measuring student progress, just a one-year hiatus from standardized testing.

The tests that students will begin taking in the spring of 2015 originate from the Smarter BalBy Janet Terranova, Principal anced Assessment Consortium (SBAC). The new standardized tests are adaptive, computerOctober is almost over and it has been based exams that challenge students ability to reason more effectively than STAR. The tests an amazing month with great memories and adjust based on the students’ level of competency. If students move through problems quickly so much to anticipate as the year continues. the test changes the difficulty level. Conversely, if a student struggles, the test become easier.

Our first quarter is finished, and we know that students at Monte Vista take academics Language Arts very seriously. As a school community we Here are a few examples of the types of questions student will encounter. In this example are very proud of our students and their sucstudents are asked to read a non-fiction passage from Planes on the Brain by Elisabeth cesses thus far. Academically, our students Deffner and answer the following questions: • Highlight the parts of the text that provide evidence to support the idea that the Tuske- continue to excel in their coursework. From the core academic subjects to our wide array of elective classes, we encourage students gee Airmen group was historically important.

• How does the author emphasize the point that the TAM program was a positive influ- to take the most rigorous courses to meet their individual needs.

Homecoming Week is always a part of October, and once ence on the sister’s lives. Use details from the text to support your answer. again our students’ creativity and sense of school pride was evi• What does the author mean by “the sky is no longer the limit”?

• How does the meaning apply to the Anyadike sisters? Use details from the text to dent throughout the week. The theme this year was board games; from Candyland (9th) to Battleship (10th) to Jumanji (11th) to Life support your answer.

(12th) students created floats, decorated the hallways, participated Mathematics in dress-up days, held a rally, played a football game, and finally Gene has two cats, Pele and Nikita.

1) Pele eats 3/4 of a can of cat food each day, and Nikita eats 1/2 of a can of cat food ended the week with our Homecoming Dance with over 1,200 each day. Cat food costs $5 for three cans. It is only sold in three packs. How much does it students participating.

And the anticipation…we will be having the opening of our cost Jenny for a 60-day supply of cat food for her two cats? new Workday Student Center on October 30th. This is an incredible 2) Find the cost of cat food for a 29-day supply, a 30-day supply, and a 31-day supbuilding and gift to the Monte Vista community that will last for ply. Show your work.

For more information, visit the Smarter Balanced website www.smarterbalanced.org. generations of high school students. The building houses both the library on the second floor and a student center on the first floor.

The direct link to the practice test is www.smarterbalanced.org/practice-test.

The Student Center includes a large state-of-the-art classroom for How Will we Judge Student Progress this Year?

During the month of October every student at Stone Valley took a baseline assessment teachers to reserve, the college and career center, a technology in language arts and math. We use these assessments to determine which students may kiosk so students can check out laptops and iPads for use in the need additional support in reading, writing, and mathematics. A targeted intervention plan center and library, a café, a conference room, an ASB room, student is being developed to support those students throughout the school year. Student will also collaboration rooms, and areas for students to gather. The library is truly the library of the future with state-of-the-art technology, take three benchmark assessments during the course of the school year.

For more information, visit the SRVUSD Common Core website at https://sites.google. student conference rooms, and meeting rooms. The entirestbuilding was designed for students to study and collaborate in a 21 century com/a/srvusd.net/common-core.

This is the fourth in a series of articles about the Common Core State Standards learning environment.

Our deepest thanks and appreciation go to Workday and the implementation. Next month I will focus on the newly adopted Next Generation Science Standards. Preview them at www.nextgenscience.org/next-generation-science-standards. Duffield family for providing such an amazing gift to our students.

If you would like more information about Monte Vista and * STAR science will still be administered at grades 5,7, and 10. events at the school, please visit our website at www.mvhigh.org.

Page 10 - November 2013 ~ Danville Today News

The Limitless Uncertainty

By Devyn Holliday, San Ramon Valley High School Senior

The leaves are falling. They softly crunch beneath our feet; it’s going to be yet another beautiful California fall. However, if you were to ask any high school senior about their feelings for this fast approaching season, happiness and appreciation for beauty most likely will never even come up.

It’s hard to slow down and appreciate the season’s splendor when your mind is flooded with an incomprehensible amount of thoughts. The universal thought that ties the senior class of 2014 together is: Am I good enough? We’ve gone to school for 12+ years, each year leading up to this “moment.” The moment is a time of applying to colleges, the ones we’ve dreamed of since age six, the ones we’ve pictured ourselves at for half of our lives. Our thoughts have been tinged with fear and worry these first few months of senior year. Did we do enough? Even if your GPA is a 4.5 and your SATs are 2,100+, the question still haunts you. You could have been the captain of X varsity team and president of a national charity group, but in these days where the applicant pool has grown exponentially, nothing is certain.

There’s beauty in that statement, “Nothing is certain.”Is it not when nothing is certain that everything is possible? Is not the beauty of life held in the idea of infinite possibilities? The class of 2014, or most all who have experienced senior year, has felt unworthy and under prepared, but we shouldn’t. We have done enough, we are worthy, and we are ready for that lofty “higher education.” Now that we are at the ripe old age of 17, we have some important questions to ask. What do we want to do? Where do we want to study? But most importantly, who do we want to be? When we decide to be someone rather than something, all possibilities open up, once again creating that precious “zero-certainties” atmosphere. Seniors, future “some bodies” of the world, there is nothing ahead of us but the infinite, wondrous possibilities of certainty.

This fall will pass as quickly as all falls before it, but this beauty, this beauty of limitless possibilities, will withstand time itself. Sit back, relax, and embrace the uncertainty.

Library continued from front page

In 1911, the state legislature enabled counties to establish public library service in unincorporated areas. The Grange endorsed the idea of a County Free Library in 1913. Thus, on November 9, 1913, the Danville Branch of the new county library opened with 104 books. The books were available in the Danville Improvement Club room over the Post Office on Front Street in a building owned by Lillian Close. The library was run by Mrs. Close, Phoebe Halverson, Elma Galvin, and Ellen Ainslie.

The Alamo School hosted a county library in 1917, and the Alamo Community Club fitted part of the Hoover building with library books in 1922. Miss Ida Hall supervised and many of the books were provided by the Hemme sisters of Berkeley and Martha Bunce Mougin (from the Stone family collection).

In 1925, Edith Clark became librarian and the following year the library moved to the new Veterans Hall, at the corner of Prospect and Hartz Avenues. According to the News Notes of California Libraries, April 1926: “A large entertainment given in Danville toward the end of February netted sufficient funds to pay entirely for the fitting up of the new library room in the Legion Building. The room is a joy to the whole community. On March 15 and 16, a force from the county library moved the books...The library was opened the next day without ceremony. The part of the building devoted to the library is very delightful, sunny and large enough for a few years..”

San Ramon’s libraries began in 1919 at the San Ramon Grammar School and continued in the San Ramon Store owned by Annie L. Fry. After Mrs. Fry passed away in 1929, a Mrs. DuBois was librarian for two years. For a time it was housed in Mrs. Victoria Soto’s home on a book shelf. Ann Kaplan remembers the Soto library at the corner of Thorup Lane and today’s San Ramon Valley Blvd. “She had a couple hundred books in her living room, and she let people check them out.” Her son Bill First library in Close building on Front St. Soto recalls this as well and still has this original San Ramon library book shelf.

The country library history indicates that the San Ramon Library ended in 1933, with the supposition that San Ramon readers began to use the Legion Hall books.

See Library continued on page 22

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Del Amigo High School

By Joseph A. Ianora, Principal

It’s hard to believe that the first two months of school have come and gone. We have completed our first quarter and are now moving into the second quarter. October was a very busy month at Del Amigo. We were involved with a myriad of activities, and we finished up the first quarter.

Some of the many activities include: • A tour of the Blackhawk Auto Museum and Wheelchair Museum • A blood drive in which 50 pints of blood were donated • Participation in the Art and Wine Festival • Singing at the Run for Education and at the bib pickup • Taking a tour at the Legion of Honor and the Holocaust Memorial • Working on a $10,000 grant for a 3-D printer and laser cutting machine Besides all of these great activities, we had many learning activities that were also equally beneficial. In physical science, the theme was motion -- students made balloon rockets, balloon cars, and stomp rockets, and they learned about kinetic energy. Life science students learned about the scientific method and independent/dependent variables. Geometry classes have been studying basic proofs, and personal finance classes have learned the importance of good credit and creating personal budgets. Our English class has just finished a unit on the book A Child Called It: One Child’s Courage to Survive, by David Pelzer.

Moving forward into the month of November, we are looking forward to the many learning opportunities as well as the activities that we will be engaging in.

We will be enrolling six new students at the quarter, and we welcome the energy they will bring to our campus.

Our students, as they have done in the past, will be holding a Thanksgiving celebration. This celebration is a collaborative effort of all students and time for us to remember how thankful we are for what we have been given. As we enter into this holiday season, Del Amigo is truly appreciative for all the support that our community has shown us.

San Ramon Valley High School

By Ruth Steele, Principal

Our schools are governed, down to the smallest detail, by the California Education Code. There are rules for everything - the nutritional content of school lunches, how many instructional minutes a school year must contain, freedom of speech rules for school newspapers, parent chaperones on field trips...the list is endless. There are literally thousands of these codes that school administrators need to have knowledge of. The Ed Code manual is about two inches thick and written in very small type!

The sections that the majority of administrators are most familiar with are the 48900 Codes. These codes define the various student actions that can result in suspension from school and other disciplinary consequences.

Many of these codes are constant and need no adjustment regarding offences such as assault, bullying, and use of drugs or alcohol for example.

But there are other emerging actions that may or may not be specifically covered by section 48900. One of these is the new trend we are seeing more and more of - the use of e-cigarettes or “hookah pens.”

These devices look a bit like metal marker pens and are essentially vaporizers. They contain a very small heating element that heats up oil.

These oils then form a vapor when heated which users inhale and exhale - it looks a lot like smoke. The oils may contain flavorings, nicotine, or marijuana. There is some debate, depending on the content of the oil being used, as to which of the 48900 codes should be used when students bring these devices to school and/or use them on campus.

Schools across the state are trying to determine how to handle this new trend which is becoming a significant problem. Everyone is in agreement that students should not bring them to school and that they cannot be used at school. But if students are inhaling flavored vapor, then how exactly should that be dealt with? There is a range of opinions on this, but with the market for these devices rapidly growing and cigarette manufacturers getting in on the act, it is clear that this trend is showing no sign of disappearing.

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St. Isidore School is Thankful!

Danville Today News ~ November 2013 - Page 11

By Maria Ward, Principal St. Isidore School

November brings a spirit and feeling of thankfulness and giving. How appropriate that our November Gospel Value is Gratitude. It is a month for us to be truly thankful for all our blessings. Please keep the 8th grade class in your prayers as they head to a week-long trip to Caritas Creek in Occidental during the first week in November. Caritas Creek is a faith community-building experience that endeavors to illuminate how we can see God in all things. At Caritas students learn to celebrate the gifts that God has given them, build empathy and relationships, and understanding for the natural world. Students return to their communities with a greater appreciation for their responsibilities as peacemakers and as ecological stewards. A special thank you to our 8th Grade Team which goes with our students to Caritas. We are thankful for each one of them.

One of our favorite days we celebrate in November is Veterans’ Day. This day is a long standing tradition here at Saint Isidore School, and we spend many hours making sure this day is all about honoring our Veterans. This year we are thrilled that our speaker is Mr. Don Schroeder. Our entire school participates in an assembly that honors our own dads, grandfathers, uncles, friends, and parishioners who have served in our armed forces. We love our Veterans and feel very blessed to share their stories with our students. This is a day where we remember, reflect, and give thanks.

On Tuesday, November 19th, our second grade students receive their 1st Reconciliation. Our second grade teachers are very busy preparing our little lambs for this sacrament. Reconciliation was also known as Confession and Penance. Reconciliation gives us the opportunity to confess our sins and restores our friendship with God. On Thursday, November 21st at 6:30pm in our science room we will have our first “Parent University.” Parent Universities are evening programs that inform parents of different programs that are relevant to the education of their students. Our school counselor, Mrs. Devine, invited two professionals from the SRV school district, Julie Burlingame and Kara Solomon, who will have a presentation on “Stressbusters.” They will teach strategies for improving time management, organizational skills, and study habits. They have already spoken to our faculty and had huge success, and now our parents are in for a treat.

Before we take our Thanksgiving holiday, students take time to truly be thankful. As a school, we collect food items for the non-profit organization called Running with Love. This organization was developed by one of our former graduates, Alyse Cronin. Please visit the website, www.runningwithlove.com, for more information. We are thrilled to help collect and deliver Thanksgiving dinners to them. It is the best way to show and share all of our blessings and thanks.

May you all have a blessed Thanksgiving

Street Smarts Presents “Start Smart” Program

Driving is dangerous for teens. Motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of death for 15 to 20 year olds in this country, and the impact of teen driving goes way beyond the teens themselves. In California, teen drivers are found at fault in 66% of all fatal collisions they are involved in, although they only represent 4% of licensed drivers.

What can a parent do to help their teen be a safer driver?

Street Smarts, a traffic safety education program, is pleased to offer San Ramon Valley teens and their parents a new drivers education option. On November 6th from 7-9PM, Street Smarts will be hosting the California Highway Patrol’s “Start Smart” Program. “Start Smart” is a two-hour driver safety education class that targets new and future licensed teenage drivers aged 15 to 20 and their parents or legal guardians. As part of the program, CHP officers discuss collision factors associated with teen drivers, collision avoidance techniques, and driver/ parent responsibilities. Officers also show images of collision scenes and share stories of families who have lost loved ones.

The event is free and open to the entire San Ramon Valley. The event will be held at Monte Vista High School Theater, located at 3131 Stone Valley Road in Danville. Registration is requested, but not required, and can be done by going to https://chpstartsmart.eventbrite. com. Parent and teen attendance at the event is strongly recommended, because parent involvement is crucial to teen driving safety.

For more information about the event, contact Cathy DeLuca at (925) 314-3382 or cathy@street-smarts.com. To learn more about the Start Smart Program, contact CHP Officer John Fransen at (925) 6464980 or visit www.chp.ca.gov/community/startsmart.html.

Street Smarts is a traffic safety education program serving the San Ramon Valley. The program is a partnership between the San Ramon Valley Unified School District, the City of San Ramon, the Town of Danville, the County of Contra Costa, and the San Ramon Valley Council of PTAs.

Page 12 - November 2013 ~ Danville Today News

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Winterize…Summer-ize your Home

By Darlene Gayler, VP Gayler Construction, Co-Founder Sustainable Danville

Our family has been building custom homes and commercial properties throughout San Ramon Valley for 50 years. Long before we were certified as a Green Builder, we realized that building green means building smart and that it’s not just kind for the planet and our community - it’s also kind for your pocket.

No matter what the project is, our clients often ask us how they can best save energy. They want to know what choices they can make to save heating and cooling costs without sacrificing the aesthetics and comfort of their homes.

And whether energy saving is on the forefront of our clients mind or not, we strive to deliver projects that reduce the burden of energy costs while providing luxury and comfort for all.

Energy friendly features we incorporate into our projects are often improvements you can make to your existing home. Here are some suggestions to help winterize or summer-ize your home, sweet home.

Heat and Cool Efficiently: Have a professional tune up your HVAC every spring and fall. It’s usually worth replacing with an energy efficient unit if yours is more than 10 years old. Check your ducts for leaks as you may be losing up to 20% of heated/cooled air to your attic. Do not use duct tape, instead use mastic sealant or metal tape to seal off leaks. Change your filters regularly – at least four times per year. One of the easiest ways to save energy in your home is to install a programmable thermostat. Keep it set at energy saving temperatures for long periods of time instead of cranking it up to 90 degrees or down to 40 degrees, as this will not heat or cool your home any faster and will cost you more money.

Purchase a Pavé Gift Set for $200. Featuring a PANDORA Clasp Bracelet, two “You’re a Star” clips and one pavé Insulate and Re-Insulate: If you are removing siding from a wood frame wall without insulation, add R5 charm of your choice up to $65 (Retail value $240.00). insulation in the wall before replacing siding. To get the biggest savings, the easiest place to add insulation is While supplies last. See store for details. the attic. Attics with 3-4 inches of insulation can use a boost of insulation to the recommended R25-R38 and for the floor R19-R25. This is a relatively inexpensive investment, but it will definitely pay off in comfort both 589 San Ramon Valley Blvd., Danville (925) 837-0261 in winter and summer.

Make Home Sealing a Family Project: Many drafts are easy to feel. Seal leaky windows and doors with caulk, spray foam, or weather stripping. After your sealing project, have a heating and cooling technician check to make sure your HVAC and appliances are venting properly.

Consider adding doors to open fireplaces as these are actually one of the biggest culprits for heat loss and cold gains in your home.

Windows and Doors: A variety of quality window materials exist to reduce heat loss and transfer heat. Two or more window panes are recommended to keep heat out. Look for Energy Star rated panes including those with a ‘low-e’ coating to deflect infrared light to keep heat in during the winter and outside in the summer. When replacing doors, make sure there is a tight fit and that core materials include fiberglass, wood cladding, or steel with polyurethane foam to keep Jack Frost ‘at the door.’

Purchase Energy Star Appliances: You’d be surprised at the range of appliances that are Energy Star certified. Visit energystar.gov for a selection of everything from refrigerators to cordless phones that will save money on energy bills without sacrificing performance, features, or comfort. Front loading washing machines and newer dryers will pay for themselves in energy savings over a short duration. And energy efficient HVAC systems often qualify for tax credit rebates until 2016.

As Easy as Changing a Light Bulb: Lighting accounts for 22% of the electric energy used nationwide. While compact florescent light bulbs are 30% more efficient than incandescent, you’ll gain the most savings by screwing in some LEDs. LED light bulbs are up to 80% more efficient than conventional light bulbs, and they don’t have the mercury of florescent ones.

Be Aware of Your Energy Consumption: Watt meters are helpful in gauging the ‘vampire’ power used by electronics in standby mode. Vampire power is the energy used by an appliance, TV, or other items around your house that draw energy when they aren’t performing their function for you. Sustainable Danville Area donated a Kill-A-Watt meter to the Danville Library available for check-out, or you can purchase one a nearby hardware store for $25. Smart Strips ($29) power strips that automatically switch devices off when not in use is another good way to manage energy when not needed. And through Smart Meters, PG&E makes near real-time usage available on their website to help guide your monthly usage.

For more information about these tips, visit www.sustainabledanville.com. shocked beyond comprehension with the news of the Remembering President John F. Kennedy assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, An exhibit in the Waiting Room at the Museum of the San Texas, Friday.

Ramon Valley, running until November 24th Business in the retail section of the valley came to John F. Kennedy became President of the United States in 1960. He was the a virtual halt as personnel and customers alike stayed first President to be born in the 20th century, and he energized the nation with glued to radios and television sets following the dreadhis new ideas, ready wit, style, and compelling speeches. His young, attractive ful account of the day. wife and family led writers to call Kennedy’s 1,000 days in office “Camelot.”

At St. Isidore School the students were taken across the The museum’s mini exhibit features his Presidency and his shocking assasparking lot to the church where they recited the Rosary for sination on November 22, 1963, fifty years ago. There are magazines, newspathe Repose of the Soul of the dead President of the United pers, and books for visitors to sit down and read as well as a video of Kennedy’s Remembering States. Later that evening, a Requiem Mass was said for Mr. Kennedy. A fullspeeches. Jim Casey loaned us his collection of Kennedy half-dollars, and page picture of the Catholic service appeared in the paper.

President John Danville Councilmember Mike Doyle is shown with the President in Oakland.

Jim Cozens, Principal of San Ramon High School, reports many ofF. Ken A notebook is in place which invites visitors to record their memories of that time. the students wept openly upon hearing the news. The basketball game, The Valley Pioneer, Danville’s weekly newspaper, covered the story on Monday, scheduled for Friday night in Livermore, was cancelled at the request of October 1 - November 24, November 25, 1963. There was a photograph of the current movie at the Village Livermore and will be re-scheduled.

Aninexhibit thequiet.

Waiting Roo The Danville Bowl, usually an active establishment mid-day,inwas Theater, Cliff Robertson starring in PT 109 which recounted Kennedy’s PT boat The Brass Door in San Ramon, always bustling Friday noons, was like the experiences in World War II. John F. Kennedy was elected President of the Unite rest of the nation--quiet--stunned-unbelieving.

A large image showed an Uncle Sam figure with his hand over his eyes. The title: was thefrom first President who had 10 been am born The Museum is open Tuesday He – Friday 1-4pm, Saturday -1pm, in the THE VALLEY, LIKE THE NATION, MOURNS LOSS OF PRESIDENT. Here with his young, attractive family, he energized the Sunday 12-3pm. The museum is located at 205 Railroad Ave., Danville. For are excerpts from the Pioneer: ideas, ready wit, and style have led some to ca more information visit www.museumsrv.org.

Residents of the San Ramon Valley, like the rest of the nation, were “Camelot.” This fall we remember fifty years ago assassination on November 22, 1963, shocked the

This mini exhibit displays newspapers, books and feature Kennedy and his family. There is a colle

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Danville Today News ~ November 2013 - Page 13

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Stone Valley Dental

Page 14 - November 2013 ~ Danville Today News

SFJAZZ By Linda Summers Pirkle

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

My daughter’s music class assignment was to attend a concert and write a paper about the experience. She chose the SFJAZZ Center and me as her partner. The concert we attended was SFJAZZ Collective, commemorating the very talented group’s 10th Anniversary, highlighting their greatest arrangements and original compositions. The music was a real hit with my daughter, who at the intermission was surprised an hour had passed; she thought it was twenty minutes since the concert started.

Jazz in the City, the largest non-profit presenter of jazz and world music, held its first concert in the fall of 1983. They performed in locations such as the Davies Symphony Hall and Masonic Auditorium. Thirty years later, in January 2013, the new SFJAZZ Center opened in Hayes Valley. It is beautiful!

I spoke to Marshall Lamm, Publicist who explained why the Center is so special. “Jazz is now elevated to a place alongside the major arts institutions such as the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera, and San Francisco Ballet in the Civic Center Performing Arts district. It is truly a modern home for jazz and a welcoming environment in which to hear, learn, and be inspired. We have the intimacy of a jazz club, but it has all the elements of a performing arts center. It is the only stand-alone jazz venue in the world.”

The “main theater,” or Miner Auditorium, of the SFJAZZ Center accommodates 750 people. According to Annette, a long time volunteer at the many concert halls in the area, says her favorite place to usher is SFJAZZ Center. “It is so lively here, and the sound is great from every seat.” My daughter and I sat in the balcony and had a perfect view of the band, and the sound was just great.

The SFJAZZ Center Café, South, is located on the first floor of the Center. It is operated by chef and restaurateur Charles Phan. South is small with seats for around 60 people at small tables and at the bar. Ken, our very friendly bartender, explained their philosophy. “Our wine list reflects our commitment to our relationship with ecologically minded individuals who understand stewardship, clean farming, and balance. Our cocktail menu reflects our OW Lee’s most comfortable collection. Made in the USA. take on classic cocktail recipes, many of which were created before the prohibition era.” We tried the Standard, a light, crisp, not too sweet cocktail (minus the alcohol).

It was just perfect as an accompaniment to delicious fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and crisp lettuce wedge salad.

Bartenders will gladly supply plastic cups if you want bring your drinks into the theater. You are welcome to go in and out of the theater during the concert, although it is best to do so in between songs. *Although not on the menu at South, ask for the Mint Julep; it looked very interesting. *To reach South, call 415-539-3905.

Their email is info@southatsfjazz.com. *SFJAZZ Center is located at 201 Franklin Street, San Francisco. Their phone number is 866-920-5299. Their website is www. sfjazz.org. Check out their calendar; you can listen to excerpts of upcoming events. * Two blocks from the SFJAZZ Center is a wonderful artisanal chocolate shop called Christopher Elbow. Their Fleur de Sel and Champagne are the most popular, and they Custom Made Glass Doors To Fit Any Fireplace were indeed delicious. The tiny shop is also known for their “Chocolate Liquid,” a perfect to-go drink for a cold November evening. * BART is my preferred way to get to concerts in the Performing Arts area. One of San Francisco’s finest police officers advised staying on Grove Street, “which is lit up like a Christmas tree at night. We keep an eye on all you folks heading back to the Civic Center BART station,” he said. www.patio-fireplace.com Linda Summers Pirkle, travel consultant and long term Danville resident, has been arranging and leading tours for the Town of Danville for several years. Inspired by the many wonderful places to visit in the Bay Area, she organizes day trips, either for groups or for friends and family. “If it’s a trip for my husband and me, my husband drives and I talk (he’s a captive audience) – the perfect combination! What a great place to live, so much to see, so much to do.”

To share your “Quick Trips” ideas email Coverthemap@gmail.com.

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Page 16 - November 2013 ~ Danville Today News

The Tree of the Season Coast Live Oak, Quercus agrifolia

By Blaine Brende & Joe Lamb

If you have a coast live oak in your yard, you will understand that its Latin name, Quercus agrifolia, is appropriate. Agrifolia means spiny leaves. And though the tree retains green leaves throughout the year, it also sheds dead leaves, many dead leaves, and they are less than friendly on bare feet. If you are lucky enough to have a mature coast live oak in your garden, you are well aware that its sculptural qualities more than compensate for the ongoing maintenance this big beast requires. I find comfort in the manner wherein old trees twist into their strangely beautiful form, their rugged bark accentuating, in counterpoint, their grace and openness. The generous shade offered by their broad crowns seems to invite one to lounge against their trunks and think about things that are never on TV. Agrifolia became the dominant tree of the costal plain, not because it’s beautiful, but because it’s tough. Though plagued by several diseases and pests, the continuing ubiquity of live oaks over the millennia is testament to their ability to resist diseases and fight off pests. Several fungal diseases, with the generic names “twig blights” and “oak branch dieback,” attack the crowns of live oaks. Brown patches in your oak’s canopy are most likely from these fungal diseases. An aesthetic debit, they rarely pose a serious threat to the life of the tree. Unsightly deadwood can be pruned out. Though these diseases come from water-borne fungi, they often occur in oaks weakened by drought stress.

It is common knowledge that over-watering coast live oaks is a good way to kill the tree. Too much summer water promotes the growth of oak root fungus, a common soil fungus that can turn lethal in soggy soils. Less widely appreciated is that summer watering of oaks can make them more disease- and insect-resistant IF, and it is a big IF, they are watered correctly. Correct summer watering of coast live oaks requires placing a soaker hose in a circle around the tree at least ten feet from the trunk and running the water for about two hours–sunset is a good time. It is important to water the tree not more than once a month: once in July, once in August, once in September, and once in October. Over-watering

Clip Notes By Jody Morgan

According to the Mayflower descendant who gave me my original cutting, I am the proud keeper of a type of mint that crossed the Atlantic in the fall of 1620. Having taken it successfully up and down the East Coast and twice across the American continent, I have no doubt that a sprig would have survived 66 days at sea. But why would the Mayflower Company have wanted mint?

The Pilgrims certainly didn’t transport mint to garnish iced tea, although they probably used it in medicinal brews. Possibly they intended to use it to flavor vegetables and whatever meat they could come by in the New World. However, as a strewing herb to sweeten the air when trod upon, repel pests and guard against disease, mint was a commodity well worthy of their thanks. In Saints and Strangers, George Willison describes the malodorous conditions the 102 Mayflower passengers endured: “As the ship had only the crudest of conveniences and no sanitary facilities of any kind except the traditional bucket, as there was no provision for bathing or even cursory washing (even if it had been a practice of the time to indulge), the air in the narrow, crowded quarters below deck must have been nauseating at best and at worst simply staggering.”

Mints freely hybridize. The closest match I can find to my Mayflower variant is crinkle-leaved black peppermint (Mentha x Piperita ‘Crispa’), known to repel mice and rats. Peppermint has antiseptic, antiparasitic, and antiviral applications.

It also produces a mild anesthesia. Deer dislike trampling on any space where mint is allowed to run free.

Rue (Ruta graveolens) hits the opposite end of the scent spectrum with a musty odor repugnant to most humans as well as fleas, lice, mice, and moths. Judges employed rue to protect themselves from vermin and “jail fever” introduced into the courtroom by the accused and assorted unwashed witnesses. Hung in windows, rue was reputed to ward off the Plague.

Rue is known as the “Herb of Grace” because during the Middle Ages it was added to the holy water sprinkled with brushes preceding Sunday Mass. Ancient

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can kill oaks by stimulating parasitic fungi. Judicious watering during dry summers gives the tree a boost but doesn’t encourage root diseases. It’s better not to water oaks at all than to over-water them; and lawns, grown under the canopy of the oaks, are a common cause of over-watering. One way to make your oak (and the many creatures it supports) happy is to turn lawn under the canopy over to native, drought-tolerant plants. This saves water, and reduces the likelihood your oak will get a root disease. Oaks also appreciate a layer of mulch. Mulch helps aerate the soil and improves the environment for beneficial soil creatures.

Given that the current stewards of the coastal plain seldom burn the woodlands, most of our oak forests have built up a significant load of dead wood.

To prevent a crown fire, like the one that ravaged the East Bay in 1991, it is important to make all landscape trees and shrubs more fire safe. At Brende and Lamb it is our fervent hope that all current players in the ongoing drama of the oak woodlands act to maintain a healthy ecosystem in which coast live oaks, and the many creatures that depend on them, continue to appear center stage.

Unfortunately, we a starting to see a few cases of Sudden Oak Death (SOD) in the East Bay, concentrated mostly in forested parklands. The SOD pathogen infects susceptible oaks during spring rainstorms. It is difficult to prevent an oak from being infected, but there are steps to reduce the probability of infection, such as the application of Agrifos in autumn. Further more, California bay trees can be a host to SOD, where it occurs as a leaf disease. Infected bays don’t die, but they can spread the spores to oaks as water drips from the bay leaves onto the trunk of an oak. Studies show that pruning back bay trees to give a 10 foot separation from your oaks can significantly lower the infection rate. At this time, preventative action is the only way of treating the disease.

It takes two years for an infected tree to show any sign of infection, and once infected there is no way to cure the disease.

The best place to find current information on SOD is the California Sudden Oak Task Force at www.suddenoakdeath.org.

If your trees need a little TLC to protect them against winter winds, or if your property could use a little fire protection, please call 510-486-TREE (8733) or email us at bl@brendelamb.com for a free estimate. Additionally, go to our website www.brendelamb.com to see before and after pictures, client testimonials, and work in your neighborhood.

Advertorial belief held that rue was a powerful defense against witchcraft and somehow also imparted clairvoyance. Thought to improve vision while reversing the effects of eyestrain, rue was consumed by both Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.

The root of the botanical name has nothing to do with regret. It comes from the Greek reuo meaning, “to set free,” referring to the supposition that rue was efficacious in ridding the body of innumerable ailments. The species designation graveolens translates as “having an offensive odor.” Perhaps the scent is a natural warning label. Toxic when ingested in sufficient quantity, rue is also a skin irritant.

Often used in the courtroom in conjunction with rue, southernwood, Artemisia arbrotanum, has a camphor-like fragrance. Native to Spain and Italy, southernwood is so potent a moth-repellant that the French called it “garderobe.” Note that none of these strewing herbs is capable of killing the eggs or larva of moths. However, they do deter the mother moth from laying eggs.

Ladies carried bouquets of southernwood to church, inhaling the scent to keep from falling asleep during multi-hour sermons. They burned it in their fireplaces to clear the air of cooking odors. Bees avoid southernwood, which inspires the intriguing thought that it might discourage yellow jackets from congregating at outdoor dining tables. Time to experiment.

Lavender is one of the sweetest smelling strewing herbs. Taken from the Latin lavare meaning, “to wash,” the botanical appellation Lavendula alludes to the Roman practice of adding it to bath water. In addition to repelling moths and permeating stored fabrics with a pleasant, lingering fragrance, lavender is actually capable of overcoming the odor of mildew in musty trunks. Rosemary Very writes in The Scented Garden: “The traditional way to scent linen, as practiced by Elizabethan housemaids, was to lay damp sheets and pillowcases along a hedge of lavender or rosemary bushes.”

Lavender landed in New England during the 1600s, when Europeans were wearing wristlets of the herb to ward off the Plague. One recipe for Four Thieves Vinegar, a concoction used externally to guard against that contagion, calls for equal parts of lavender, peppermint, rue, wormwood (southernwood’s northern cousin), rosemary, and sage steeped in vinegar. Opportunists willing to risk their health to rob the homes and graves of victims of the Black Death reportedly anointed themselves successfully with the preparation before engaging in their nefarious enterprises.

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Life in the Danville Garden

By John Montgomery, ASLA, Landscape Architect Creating a Family Garden

What is a Family Garden? Well, it is a term that has newly emerged from families I’ve been working with in the creation of their outdoor environments. A “Family Garden” is a yard that has all the elements in it that attract kids to want to stay at home and play. With growing concerns and real and perceived dangers in the world, parents have been asking me to create outdoor environments that will attract their children and their friends to their home. The main idea is to keep children and teens at home were they are safe, occupied, and within a parent’s watchful eye.

An outdoor environment that is geared toward being a “Family Garden” has many elements that allow children and teens to be active, be together with their friends, and most importantly be a place where they want to stay. The yard has to be multi-purpose. The elements of the landscape need to challenge a child physically, mentally, and visually. In other words, there needs to be places to physically exert the enormous amounts of energy that children and teens have. There need to be places for adventure, imagination, games, reflection, and risk-taking. Within that environment of physical and mental challenge, it has to be visually pleasing to children. It has to look cool! A child will naturally be attracted to stay and play.

Plastic-coated steel play equipment made in primary colors is not the prerequisite for engaging a child’s attention. If you were asked to recall your favorite childhood place, it would probably be a special tree you climbed, a space for a “secret” house or fort under a hedge, or somewhere you could mold dirt or sand into fantasy landscapes. Play equipment is certainly an added activity center for your “Family Garden,” but it’s not enough. It is now recognized that risk-taking is an important element of play and physical development. A “Family Garden” is designed intentionally to provide an environment for your children and their friends to develop an appreciation of risk in a controlled play environment rather than a place where they would be taking similar risks in the uncontrolled and unregulated wider world.

Your yard should have levels of graduated challenge. In design terms, this means that children of different ages, abilities, and levels of daring need to find activities that are within their capabilities, plus some that are just beyond them.

What are some of the elements in an Danville yard that can provide this kind of environment? The landscape itself is definitely the primary element that provides the environment for this to occur. A lush, tree-filled, sunny yard with large lawn spaces and plantings that children are allowed to interact with provides hours upon hours of play. Play sets, swings, slides etc. will give your child a place for hours of extended energy output. Places for games to be played are necessary. Lawns are wonderful places for any child who is sport-minded. Soccer, baseball, football, tag, croquette, volleyball, hide-and-seek, gymnastics, and cartwheels can be enjoyed, and the list can go on and on because children are not limited to play on a plastic play set.

Swimming pools definitely add the element of water play and physical activities to the point where a child needs to be pulled from the water because they look like a prune. Some recent additions to some of my pool designs are beach areas or “Shamu” shelves, water slides, waterfalls, and diving rocks. Beaches and shelves provide shallow areas for the younger ones so they can safely play in the pool, water slides for the older ones provide adventure and fun, waterfalls add sound, action, and adventure, and diving rocks are perfect for safe risk-taking.

Sports courts are great for all kinds of activities. Basketball, paddleball, rollerhockey, volleyball, and badminton are just a few. It’s unbelievable what children can create to do when they have an environment that supports their imaginations.

Remember that children are limitless when it comes to creativity and energy.

Provide spaces for quiet play and contemplation as well. Include a shade tree to lay under and day-dream and watch the sunlight dapple across their faces.

Children need places to wonder and explore and, of course, a place to play with mom and dad.

A hot tip from your local Landscape

Danville Today News ~ November 2013 - Page 17

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Architect: Remember to plant flexible and resilient plantings that can stand the occasional trampling. “Family Gardens” are great for multi-family entertaining.

Gardening Quote of the Month: “We have not inherited the earth from our parents; we have borrowed it from our children.”~ L. Brown, 1981 If you would like me to write on any particular subject, email your ideas to jmontgomery@jm-la.com or for design ideas, visit www.jm-la.com. Advertorial

Page 18 - November 2013 ~ Danville Today News

Birds of a Feather

By Evan Corstorphine, Portable CIO

I have a lot of fun writing this article every month for you. Seriously! I get 750 words to talk with you about something we share in common, and it’s a cathartic experience that most people never get. There is so much I want to tell you about that it’s hard to choose how to spend my valuable words. This month I want to talk about paint.

Windows Paint? Paint Shop Pro? Paint.net? None of the above. Just paint. This month we had the building which houses our office painted, and it dawned on me how many similarities there were between Narciso Rodriguez’s paint company and Portable CIO. We are both reputation-based companies. Sure, I carry an ad in these papers, but that’s about it.

Both of us have been doing our professions for decades. We both have teams of highly specialized and skilled employees. We both respect our teams very greatly.

We both seek perfection, and we offer a keen value for the work we perform. We clean up after ourselves, we leave things noticeably better than the way we found them, and you can tell right away whether we did a good job or not. The similarities go on, but I think you get the point. We’re service businesses, and I consider Narciso an equal, just doing with paint what we do with computers.

I wanted to mention Narciso Rodriguez’ house painting business specifically because I was so impressed by the way he approached our job. If you have ever employed skilled laborers to do work on your home in Danville, Diablo, Alamo, or Lafayette, you know what I mean by the term “Zip Code Pricing.” It seems that whenever we’re getting work estimates, the contractor jacks up the price because they figure everyone with these zip codes is so wealthy they don’t care how much they spend. You can understand then how much I appreciated Narciso’s quote which was a full 40% cheaper than the previous quote I received. He also included more scope, gave me specific dates, and didn’t want a dime from me for paint or labor until the job was complete. I’m not exaggerating when I say I

3H continued from front page

Cindy’s pasture, Debra Dudley felt an immediate connection to the thoroughbred.

Sadly, Dudley realized that the six-year-old was potentially more horse than she could handle. “I accepted that my place in “Spirit’s Journey” was to help him heal physically, but we weren’t to be riding partners.” Spirit currently serves as a 3H ambassador.

The 3H adoption agreement permits a 60-day trial period. Austin personally inspects the facility where the horse will be kept and follows through with periodic visits to ensure all the veterinary care and maintenance standards specified in the contract continue to be met.

Emaciated and suffering from rain rot, a disfiguring dermatitis, Tahoe Treasure was rescued and rehabilitated by 3H. Renamed Ferrari by new owner Shayna Silcox, she brought home the blue ribbon at her first three-day eventing competition in September. Not looking for a horse when she received an email outlining Ferrari’s story, Silcox drove 1½ hours to meet her and fell in love. “She and I have been building a trusting relationship ever since, and I am proud to say that she is now a loving, trusting, gorgeous mare.”

When Austin approached Michelle Ulrech, Brown Ranch partner/trainer, Ulrech was apprehensive. She knew with rescue horses you were inheriting someone else’s problems. But Austin’s persistence got her attention. Realizing that Melissa had developed the capacity to identify horses suitable for rehabilitation as well as the integrity to insist on their placement in proper homes, she welcomed 3H to the 80-acre spread at 7101 Camino Tassajara.

Older horses can be placed as companions. Horses become depressed when a long-term stablemate dies. A new mellow-mannered equine friend often solves the problem. Some horses require complete retirement. 3H places them at sanctuaries including Horses’ Honor in Auburn and Safe Haven in Cottonwood.

Volunteers, who play a big part in the healing process, find healing works both ways. Equine Affection Specialist Carissa Manzo began donating time to 3H when her youngest son started school. “Coming out here puts me at ease. I leave a better person. As a volunteer, you need to want to be there because it’s a commitment and hard work. You need to want to be there because your efforts are giving you something back.” Carissa spends time walking the horses and talking with them as she tends to their physical needs.

Vietnam veteran Donly Ingwaldson volunteers because he wants to work.

“I do not ride or even walk the horses. I just brush them and talk to them. I am 100% deaf from jet engines, but they don’t care. 3H is really great for disabled vets like me.” Max, a horse in rehabilitation, immediately adopted Donly, keeping

www.yourmonthlypaper.com was blown away by the quality of his team’s work. Every time I walk outside I marvel at how thick and consistent the paint job appears. This is the best paint job I’ve ever experienced (and there have been many, as I used to paint in college), and we had a complex job because of the age and condition of the building. His team was meticulous, dedicated, polite and friendly. One more thing: Narciso ’s team liked him and respected him. His was a team in the classic sense of the word, and he wasn’t your typical task-master with laborers. They worked together like a well oiled Swiss clock. Narciso is certainly doing things right, and more contractors in this area should pay attention to his habits.

Narciso caught my eye on this project because his approach mirrors that of mine with Portable CIO. We understand the jobs we scope better than our competition because we have a fundamentally different approach, and we have done enough of this work that we are able to accurately predict the labor involved.

We keep costs down because we’re efficient, and we set accurate expectations for what the client will experience. We’re not trying to make a killing on a customer’s back because we would rather have a long-term, referring relationship.

And like Narciso, we don’t ask to be paid until the project has been satisfactorily completed and the client is demonstrably happy with our work. When you’re good at what you do, you can deliver consistent and predictable results under a variety of circumstances. We make our living by repeating this process over and over, building a wider circle of positive shared experiences. Like Narciso, we’re blessed and grateful for the opportunity to share what we’re good at with others and be remunerated. We receive daily validation that what we’re doing matters and is valued by the community.

I’m not surprised that Narciso is so busy. We are too. Narciso’s become a favorite of local real estate agents because he’s able to quickly and expertly paint houses being readied for sale, or he can help a new home owner freshen the residence. People who are good at what they do seldom have to worry about keeping their pipeline full. If you’d like Narciso’s number, give me a call at the office (925)552-7953 or email our helpdesk@theportablecio.com account, and I’d be happy to share him with you! Happy Thanksgiving!

Advertorial him safe while he was working in the arena by nudging the rest of the horses out of the way.

With rescue and rehabilitation operations established, Austin initiated the third aspect of 3H: education. Scout and 4-H groups enjoy interacting with horses in programs that need no special gear or training. Danville Girl Scout Troop 30597 painted healing hands on Vegas, now a happily adopted working cow horse. Antioch Girl Scout Troop 30431 brought supplies to donate, making their visit a service project as well as a learning experience.

Last October Austin completed Equine Guided Education Vietnam veteran Donly Ingwaldson finds volunteering (EGE) certification. On the final at 3H a major benefit. Photo courtesy of 3H. day of the course, graduating students demonstrate interpretation of a wide range of human problems through the eyes of equine guides before an audience composed of professional therapists and casual observers. Ariana Strozzi, Founder of EGE, notes in Horse Sense for the Leader Within that 93% of human communication is nonverbal. Horses give feedback that is accurate and immediate by reflecting the message a person’s body language telegraphs. EGE practitioners help pinpoint underlying issues expressed by the horse’s behavior. For example, the horse acts trapped. Is the person feeling trapped by a relationship, a job, or indecision?

Corporate groups discover respect for each team member’s strengths. Individuals learn to value their instincts. Drawing on thousands of success stories, Strozzi writes: “I learned through experience that the energetic mirror that horses are for each participant directly correlates with other significant areas of their lives. I also learned that people accept feedback from a horse exponentially faster than they do from humans. People trust the horse’s reflection as honest and direct.”

Zorro has taught Ashley Smith a lot about the connection between horses and humans since she adopted him on Valentine’s Day. When a body worker massaging

See 3H continued on page 21

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Solar Currents

By Mark Becker, GoSimpleSolar

As I paid for my items recently at Home Depot, I saw a Marine Corps logo on the checkout clerk’s lapel. Instantly the bond of those that have served translated into smiles, and the traditional “Marine greeting” was given. The standard questions were asked to determine if we’ve previously crossed paths while serving on this continent or some other “clime or place.” Interestingly, we had. Also on duty in Home Depot at that time was a Korean War Veteran and an Iraq/Afghan War Veteran. Between the four of us, we had all the major combat engagements covered from the last 65 years.

Contrary to the manner in which solar PV is marketed by Solar City and other installers, solar PV panels and other solar products are NOT commodities. Commodities are interchangeable products such as gasoline, copper, or pork bellies.

Treating solar panels like they are a commodity is the first step in which the sales process can simply become focused on lowest installation cost. The personnel who install the products are not of equivalent qualification either. “Commodifying” solar is simple, yet disingenuous and deceptive, but it “simplifies” the sales process for the seller. The longevity claims of solar manufacturers whose products have been in production less than 10 years are founded not in practice, but by internal, NOT independent testing. Some products have been on the market less than four years and have been subject to recalls. Our licensed electrician recently performed a site visit to a solar project in Lafayette. The solar panels had electrically shorted out and failed, rendering over 50% of the system useless (and also potentially a fire hazard). With proper product and installation team, a solar PV system will safely return hundreds of thousands of dollars in bills NOT paid to PG&E over its lifetime. The only right answer to “PROVE to me that these products will last” is manufacturer documentation of 25 plus years of performance history of that product line.

When considering a 25-year investment, ask the difficult questions and demand definitive answers. Data backs up the fact that solar panels are not created equally (remember, not a commodity). The purchase of a solar PV system can be an

Danville Today News ~ November 2013 - Page 19 extremely simple or difficult process. How that transpires depends on the customer’s desire for knowledge and their choice of installer. In person, with products and documentation at hand, a solar contractor should be able to allay any trepidations that a customer may have about roofing penetrations and electric integration (solved by our licensed roofer and licensed electrician), aesthetic concerns (solved by mutual design between installer and homeowner), and initial investment cost (solved by discussing differing payment, loan or Power Purchase Agreement options). All these details should be covered in a 30-minute presentation, all backed up by documentation of everything that is said by the contractor. In most cases, it’s more costly in PGE territory NOT to go solar.

It’s a bit perplexing how some consumers make a solar PV purchase decision solely over the Internet. Our solar showroom is an educational facility set up to help you make the right solar choices. Drop by and we will answer any questions you might have. We’ll also provide comparisons of solar proposals free of charge. The knowledge gained in a fifteen-minute visit could save you tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

For instance, did you know that on January 1st, some Contra Costa County residents will be subject to new regulations that will reduce the amount of roof space they can use for solar PV? While these new regulations may not affect everyone, more roof space oftentimes equals a higher return on investment from solar PV. Much like Mayor Newell Arnerich and Danville Town Council, Home Depot is an employer who “walks the walk and talks the talk” when it comes to supporting our veterans or active/reserve service members. Perhaps next door to you there is a WWII veteran (thousands passing away daily), a Beirut veteran, a Grenada veteran, a Cold War veteran, a Somalia veteran, or a veteran from many of the other wars or actions into which our government has sent our troops into harms way. Veterans are of all race and gender, political persuasion, and economic demographic. On Veteran’s Day, thank a veteran.

Mark Becker is the President of GoSimpleSolar, by Semper Fidelis Construction Inc, a Danville based Solar Installation Firm (License 948715). Mark can be reached at 925.915.9252. Visit GoSimpleSolar’s NEW and larger showroom at 100 Railroad Avenue, Suite B, Danville (behind Pete’s Brass Rail) or www.GoSimpleSolar.com, or email Mark@ GoSimpleSolar.com. Advertorial

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Page 20 - November 2013 ~ Danville Today News

Theatre continued from front page

From 7 -9:30 , all activity moves to the Village Theatre for a journey through the building’s history. Beverly Lane, Past Mayor and Curator of the Museum of the San Ramon Valley, opens the program. Her presentation covers the initial construction of the oldest portion of the theater in 1874 as Grange Hall #85 and touches upon the 1911 Suffrage Meeting debate and the first San Ramon Valley High School graduation in 1914. A Powerpoint photo show

by Ross Smith, Worthy Grand Master of the Grange, provides visual highlights.

J e r r y Wa rren, President of the Board of the Museum of the San Ramon Valley, conducts the next segment of the trip through time. In keeping with the silent film entertainment offered in the hall from 1920-1942, Warren is screening In the Park, a 15-minute Charlie Chaplin film shot by Essanay Film Studios in Golden Gate Park.

Eric Hayes, Role Players Ensemble Artistic Director, adds drama to the evening with a short documentary-style theater presentation about the 1964 crash of Pacific Airlines Flight, locally known as the Tassajara plane crash.

Look for a full-length play next spring commemorating the 50th anniversary of the tragedy. Hayes invites audience participation in another piece focused on the Village Theatre building’s use as a motion picture venue.

Danville Arts Commissioner Vicki Brooks continues the saga of the structure’s days as a movie theater. Her talk covers the period from 19691986, when the building also served as the main sanctuary for the Zion Fellowship.

Mayor Newell Arnerich completes the historical adventure with his account of the Town of Danville’s acquisition of the building and the groups employing the renovated space for live performances, gallery exhibitions, and social events from 1987 to the present.

Founded in 1867, the Grange is America’s oldest agricultural advocacy group. Unlike other contemporary fraternal organizations, the Grange always recognized women as equal members. In 1873, charter membership in Danville’s Grange included 20 men and 10 women. At a cost of $1,383.70 for land and construction, the one-story structure was completed in 1874.

At the local level, the Grange brought families together for regular social events, and the hall remained the largest community meeting space in the San Ramon Valley for four decades.

In 1912 there were additional fraternal orders in town. The Odd Fellows (IOOF) joined with the Grange in the project of creating a larger hall. Begun as a service organization in England during the 18th century, the Odd Fellows are so named because their countrymen thought anyone willing to give away time and treasure was most certainly “odd.” In 1913 the existing Grange building was turned and elevated to form the second story of the Danville Fraternal and Social Hall.

Attendance at the 1913 dedication cost a couple $2. The 2013 celebration is free. You can help ensure adequate provisions by indicating your intention to attend at htpp://vt100years.eventbrite.com. pm

pm

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Take Advantage of Open Enrollment

By Sima Alefi

At many places of work, it’s “open enrollment” season — the time where you get to make changes to the various benefits you receive from your employer.

As you review your overall benefits package, what areas should you focus on?

Here are three possibilities: • Life insurance — If your employer offers life insurance as a benefit, and you haven’t already signed up for it, consider adding it during your open enrollment period — because life insurance can be important to your family’s financial security. If you already have life insurance with your employer, you may want to take the time, during open enrollment, to review your beneficiary designations. If you’ve experienced a change in your family situation, such as divorce or remarriage, you’ll want to update your beneficiaries, as needed.

• However, the amount of life insurance offered by your employer in a group policy may not be sufficient for your needs, so you may want to consult with a financial professional to determine if you should add private, or individual, coverage. You may find that individual coverage is comparable, in terms of cost, to your employer’s coverage. Also, individual coverage is “portable” — that is, you can take it with you if you change jobs.

• Disability insurance — Your employer may also offer disability insurance as a low-cost benefit. The coverage can be invaluable. In fact, nearly one in three women, and about one in four men, can expect to suffer a disability that keeps them out of work for 90 days or longer at some point during their working years, according to the Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education (LIFE).

Again, as was the case with life insurance, your employer’s disability policy may not be enough for your needs, so you may need to consider additional coverage.

• Retirement plan — Your employer may offer a 401(k) or similar retirement plan, such as a 403(b) plan, if you work for an educational institution or a nonprofit organization, or a 457(b) plan, if you work for a governmental unit. All these plans offer the chance to contribute pretax dollars; so the more you put in, the lower your taxable income. Equally important, your earnings can grow tax deferred, which means your money can accumulate faster than if it were placed in an account on which you paid taxes every year.

Consequently, try to contribute as much as you can possibly afford to your 401(k) or other employer-sponsored plan. If you’ve gotten a raise recently, consider boosting your contributions during open enrollment. Also, take this opportunity to review the array of investments you’ve chosen for your 401(k) or other plan. If you feel that they’re under performing and not providing you with the growth opportunities you need, you may want to consider making some changes. You might also think about making adjustments if your portfolio has shown more volatility than the level with which you are comfortable. Your financial professional can help you determine if your investment mix is still suitable for your goals, risk tolerance and time horizon.

Open enrollment season gives you the perfect opportunity to maximize those benefits offered to you by your employer. So, think carefully about what you’ve got and what improvements you can make — it will be time well spent.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

To contact Sima for a free consultation, call her at Edward Jones (925) 648-2590. Her office is located at 3472 Camino Tassajara, Danville in the Blackhawk Safeway Shopping Center. For more information, visit www.

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Common Estate Planning Myths

By Robert J. Silverman

A considerable number of myths exist about Estate Planning and in particular, Revocable Living Trusts.

Although increased media coverage and a higher level of consumer sophistication have helped debunk many of these misconceptions, I still encounter quite a few.

I’ve outlined some of the more common ones below and attempted to set the record straight as to each.

1. Myth: If you are not wealthy and you have a Will, you do not need a Revocable Living Trust.

Reality: Residents of California who die with or without a Will (but no Trust) and whose assets are valued at more than $150,000 (other than certain kinds of assets, such as automobiles, joint or P.O.D. accounts, joint tenancy assets, and insurance and retirement accounts with named beneficiaries) are subject to Probate.

Probate is a public, court supervised estate administration process. It typically takes nine months to a year or longer, and it requires a great deal of paperwork and hassle, substantial attorneys’ fees, executor fees, and other costs which are incurred.

Revocable Living Trusts are an excellent “Will substitute” in most respects.

Note that you should still have a simple “pour-over” Will that accompanies your Trust as a “safety net” – to catch any assets when you die that may not have been transferred to your trust. Fortunately, all assets in your Trust are simply exempt from Probate under the law. So, Probate is easily avoidable, trust administration is generally handled privately, it is much less expensive and inconvenient than Probate, and avoiding Probate usually results in significantly more money going to your loved ones and a lot less to attorneys, executors, the court, and other third parties.

2. Myth: It is time consuming and complicated to establish a Revocable Trust, fund, and manage a Revocable Living Trust.

Reality: It takes little more time to establish than a Will, it does not have to be more complicated than a comprehensive Will, Trusts are generally quite straightforward to fund (retitling your assets), and managing your own trust assets is virtually identical to the way you manage them before you establish a Trust.

3. Myth: There are income tax implications and extra tax filing requirements when you establish a Revocable Living Trust.

Reality: Establishing a Trust for yourself triggers no additional income taxes or property taxes nor any additional tax filing requirements.

4. Myth: You should be afraid to do a Trust because you’ll be locked into the decisions you make.

Reality: A Revocable Living Trust is revocable and amendable. You have the ability to revise your trust any time and as many times as you wish. As your personal, familial, and financial position changes, it is quite easy and affordable to work with your estate planning attorney to revise your document so that it continues to reflect your current wishes. In fact, a good rule of thumb is to undergo an estate planning review at least every 3-5 years. In contrast, Irrevocable Trusts, which are not commonly used, generally cannot be changed, however, they can, in some instances, have benefits that outweigh the disadvantage of irrevocability.

5. Myth: If I sign a Power of Attorney, I don’t need a Will or Trust.

Reality: Every adult should have a Power of Attorney. It vests legal authority in someone you trust to transact financial business for you in the event of incapacity. If you become incapacitated and don’t have a valid Power of Attorney, a very expensive and cumbersome conservatorship court procedure may become necessary to enable someone to manage your finances. However, as helpful as a Power of Attorney can be during your life, it has no effect whatsoever once you’re gone; it dies when you do. Your Trust and/or Will then become the necessary governing document(s).

6. Myth: If you establish a Revocable Living Trust, your trust assets will be protected from your creditors.

Reality: As fantastic as Revocable Living Trusts are, they are not useful to protect your assets from your creditors. If a Trust conveyed that benefit, everyone would establish a Trust and no creditors would be able to be paid; thus, no credit would be available! However, in contrast, if a Trust is drafted with appropriate provisions, very robust creditor protection is available to those assets kept in your trust for your loved ones after you die.

Mr. Silverman is an attorney with R. Silverman Law Group, 1855 Olympic Blvd., Suite 240, Walnut Creek, CA 94596; (925) 705-4474, rsilverman@ rsilvermanlaw.com, www.silvermanlaw.com. * Estate Planning * Trust Administration & Probate * Real Estate * Business This article is intended to provide information of a general nature, and is not intended nor should it be relied upon as legal, tax 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

Danville Today News ~ November 2013 - Page 21

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3H continued from page 18

Zorro’s neck triggered a traumatic memory, Ashley instantly felt pain. “I really felt for a moment like I knew how horses must feel during EGE when they are feeling the people’s emotions.” Thanks to Ashley’s ability to tune into Zorro’s needs, the rescued Arabian now confidently leads trail rides and helps human EGE clients.

Danville Girl Scout Troop 30597 painted their healing hands on Vegas, since adopted and happily herding cattle. Photo courtesy of 3H.

Ginger Flood draws on generations of family experience. “All animals have a special role in the lives of humans – dogs are our helpers and partners, cats often take our illnesses upon themselves – but horses reflect our very souls. They have a unique capacity to see through all our ‘public’ selves and reflect our cores. They show us our insecurities, our fears, our trust issues, our hopes and our dreams.”

Since adoption by the Flood family, Hope has transformed from a horse trembling at human contact to a trusting equine eager for attention.

A 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, 3H is planning two fundraisers. Watch the website for dates: www.horseshealingheartsinc.org. To schedule a visit, volunteer or learn more, contact Melissa Austin: 415-260-2232; melissa@ horseshealingheartsinc.org.

Page 22 - November 2013 ~ Danville Today News

You Have the Power

By Rebecca Berke, CHt, Hypnosis for Change

Yes, we all have it within us... the power. Just like in The Wizard of Oz when Glinda told Dorothy how she could return home, we too, have all we need. We carry that part of us that wants to do well, feel great, and be “at home” with ourselves in the best and most fulfilling way.

Rather than clicking our heels wishing for home, there are other things we can do to go to that place where we would rather live more often. It is achieved by tapping into our highest selves, our place of feeling good about ourselves and what we can accomplish. Here is where hypnotherapy comes in.

The subconscious mind is estimated to be at a minimum of 88% of the whole mind. It has no reasoning skills, for that is part of the function of the conscious mind, meaning that whatever enters into the subconscious, some part of it remains somewhere. This weaves a large and complicated web of identifications and associations. Through hypnotherapy one can go into a relaxed state where the subconscious mind is open, willing, and ready to release limiting thoughts and feelings and then accept more positive ways of thinking and feeling.

Another way of thinking of it is this: The subconscious mind learns negative unwanted habits by repetition, like a broken record repeating the same phrase over and over. So in turn that behavior or habit will have to be unlearned or positively changed through repetition. Positively changing the way the subconscious associates and identifies with the behavior or habit produces new and better neuropathways. The mind is set through hypnotherapy for a client to achieve personal success in their self improvement objectives.

Hypnotherapy can facilitate you to fulfill your best life and goals, and to enjoy each and every moment. Beauty and wonder will, and can, emerge from what could just be the stories of your life. The best parts can be brought forth and make a lasting difference as you live your desired life...to truly “feel at home.”

As two of my favorite poets have put it, one ancient and one not so ancient but still so true: You were born with wings, why prefer to crawl through life? ~ Rumi

Ask the Doctor

My Stiff Aching Shoulder

By Dr. Jeffrey G. Riopelle, MD

Patient: Doctor, my shoulder has been hurting for two months, and I have trouble lifting it up over my head. I didn’t have an injury; it just started on its own.

What do you think is going on with it?

Doctor Riopelle: Try this easy test. Bend your elbow to 90 degrees and keep it in against your body. Now rotate your shoulder and arm out away from your body while keeping your elbow bent at 90 degrees. Notice how far out you can rotate it. Now do the same thing on the other side with the good arm. How far does it go?

Patient: My shoulder on the right (my bad one) rotates out about 40 degrees.

My left shoulder rotates out 90 degrees.

Doctor Riopelle: Now rotate inward and reach up behind your back as if you are scratching your back from below. How high can you reach with each arm?

Patient: My right shoulder cannot reach nearly as high as my left. There is about a four inch difference.

Doctor Riopelle: From this simple test I can tell you that you most likely have Shoulder Adhesive Capsulitis, also known as a frozen shoulder. The other possibility is shoulder arthritis, but if it was arthritis alone, and you have never had an injury, you would expect both shoulders to be more similar.

Shoulder Adhesive Capsulitis, or frozen shoulder, is one of the most common shoulder problems we see. It usually occurs in patients ages 40 to 70 and is more common in women than men. It can occur spontaneously or after an injury. It is often associated with shoulder arthritis, although technically the pathologic problem is different than in arthritis. Frozen shoulder occurs due to adhesions that form in the shoulder, sort of like scar tissue that restricts the motion. Anything that causes shoulder pain can lead to frozen shoulder as the patient favors the shoulder, not moving it adequately, and then adhesions are allowed to occur.

Symptoms of frozen shoulder include pain, stiffness, and restriction of motion, especially rotation. X-rays and an MRI scan are typically negative, and we make the diagnosis primarily by exam. By contrast, X-rays and MRI in arthritis

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and, You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.

You’re on your own.

And you know what you know.

You are the guy who’ll decide where to go. ~Dr. Seuss I invite you to take that step to feeling more at home with yourself and to achieve your highest and best life.

For more information, contact Rebecca Berke CHt - Certified Hypnotherapist, HypnoBirthing® Practitioner at Hypnosis for Change. We are located at 913 San Ramon Valley Blvd. Suite 280, Danville. Please call 925-352-3372.

See our website at HypnosisForChange.us.

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Library continued from page 10

At the Danville Legion Hall library, Mrs. Clark was librarian for 20 years, followed by Mrs. Myrtle Osborn (1945) and Mrs. Grace Warren (1956) with Mrs. Osborn continuing as assistant for many years. Young Winky Camacho worked part-time at this library beginning in 1956 and said it was a tiny room with storage in the bathroom. Mrs. Warren got boxes from Elliott’s Bar and used them for book storage. Gary Soto and Barbara Park recall this library and the stereopticon on one table -- an early form of multi-media.

After the freeway was completed through the valley in 1966, the area’s population exploded. The San Ramon Valley Library League lobbied for a new library, which was built in Danville in 1961. The San Ramon Valley Public Library opened on June 12, 1961.

Called “space age” in design, it was very modern, with soaring glass windows at one end.

San Ramon opened a new library at 100 Montgomery Rd. in 1989, just six years after the community incorporated. Then a new Danville Library was established in 1996, replacing the 35 year old San Ramon Valley library. In 2005, the Dougherty Station Library opened, serving the growing Dougherty Valley residents.

The Danville Library will have a special Centennial Celebration on Saturday, November 9th. Be sure to see and read the Danville Library Timeline with photographs of early libraries and librarians, now on display.

Sources: Danville Grange # 85, Minute Books for Jan. 2, 1909, Nov. 20, 1909, March 5, 1910, Jones, Virgie V., Historical Persons and Places…in San Ramon Valley, 1977, News Notes of California Libraries, April 1926, page 137, Personal communications: Winky Camacho, Wilson Close, Lee Halverson, Ann Wiedemann Kaplan, Bill Soto, Gary Soto, Barbara Parks.

typically show degenerative changes, but remember patients can often have both arthritis and frozen shoulder.

Initial treatment includes antiinflammatory medication, cortisone injections, range of motion exercises, and physical therapy. Typical physical therapy can be quite painful as the therapist must push the shoulder beyond where it wants to go to try to break up the adhesions. Do not try this on your own! Most adhesive Capsulitis takes six months up to even two years to resolve and goes away gradually. Forced manipulation under general anesthesia to break up the adhesions is sometimes helpful.

In our office we treat using a variety of techniques. We treat most forms of shoulder injuries, acute and chronic. We also have an ongoing patient sponsored study for joint treatment with autologous stem cells. We did our original training with Dr. Joseph Purita, the physician who performed the stem cell joint procedure on A’s pitcher Bartolo Colon. We want to stress that this protocol uses your own stem cells removed and purified out from your own fat and replaced in the joint the same day, NOT one of the highly controversial fetal stem cell procedures performed in other countries. The study protocols involve the treatment of the following conditions: joint problems, especially the shoulder and knee, erectile dysfunction, diabetes, and emphysema. For further information, please call 925-275-9333.

Halloween Candy Buyback Contest- We Need Your Candy!

Dr. Riopelle and his daughter Natalie have organized a Halloween candy buyback contest for schools. Students turn their candy into a school rep, who collects the candy and turns it in to our office. Schools win up to $1,000 and the candy goes to the Blue Star Moms for holiday packages for overseas troops. This event is sponsored by contributions from Dr. and Donna Riopelle and a number of generous caring local doctors. We are looking for student volunteers to get out the word and coordinate collection of the candy at each school. Student volunteers can do a valuable service for their schools and also write about their involvement in their college essays when they are older. To help out or volunteer your son, daughter, grandson, or granddaughter, call 925-275-9333. Candy collection will take place between November 1 and November 10, so call now.

For information on any of our programs, please call our office, San Ramon Valley Medical Group, Inc., at (925) 275-9333 or visit our website at www. riopellecosmetic.com. We are located at 5401 Norris Canyon Rd, Ste. 312 in San Ramon.

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The Eye Opener

Danville Today News ~ November 2013 - Page 23

By Gregory Kraskowsky, O.D., Alamo Optometry Common Eye Myths

When patients ask me questions regarding vision and the eyes, most of the time they are related to eye myths or things “that they have heard” and would like a firm answer from a professional about.

Obviously, I cannot address all of them here, but I will tackle some of the more common questions.

Myth: Wearing glasses or contacts will make my

vision worse.

Fact: If your vision is going to change, it is going to change regardless of whether you wear glasses, don’t wear glasses, or wear glasses part-time.

Most of the prescription changes that occur are secondary to genetics and our environment. I tell most patients that if this much were true, prescriptions would hardly change and that the “eye exercises” that are advertised would work all of the time, therefore negating the need for glasses or contacts. If there was something that worked a high percentage of the time, the need for eye correction would lessen dramatically. As of now, that does not exist.

Myth: Older patients develop a “second sight,” which means their vision is improving.

Fact: As patients age, cataracts develop. This is a clouding of the lens inside the eye. As the cataract matures, most often patients will become more near-sighted. Depending on the person, this could allow them to read better but possibly make their distance vision worse.

Myth: You only need an eye exam if you notice your vision deteriorating.

Fact: Many eye diseases and conditions will not cause decreased vision.

A great example is glaucoma. The patient will start to notice changes only near the end of the disease process. Other systemic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol can initially not have any vision changes but can be diagnosed during a routine eye exam.

Myth: Eyes can be transplanted.

Fact: The technology does not exist at this time to transplant eyes. The neural connections between the eye and brain are just too numerous and sophisticated to be able to transplant. Between the over 125 million rods and cones, the optic nerve, and the immense blood supply to the eye, there is too much complexity to tackle this at this time. However, a cornea can be transplanted. Since the cornea does not contain any blood vessels or the complexity of the retina, it makes it easier to transplant.

Myth: Reading in dim light will harm your eyes.

Fact: Reading in poor light will cause eye strain, squinting, fatigue, and possible headaches, but it will not damage the eyes. It is recommended to have good lighting and proper prescription correction whenever you are doing near tasks such as reading or using a computer or phone.

Myth: Eating carrots and other vegetables will improve your vision.

Fact: Carrots are rich in vitamin A, which is essential for retinal health, but it will not improve your vision. In addition, the vitamins and anti-oxidants found in green vegetables such as spinach and broccoli help in the health and function of the macula.

Myth: Eye conditions like macular degeneration and cataracts are hereditary.

Fact: Diseases such as macular degeneration and glaucoma can have a hereditary component. However, just because a parent or sibling has one of these does not mean you will. If the genetics are present for these diseases, then at this point there is very little that can be done to offset that. To help their cause, patients should not smoke, and they should maintain their overall health and keep any vascular conditions such as diabetes and hypertension under good control, as that can contribute to a worsening of those conditions. Cataracts are an age-related finding, and assuming you live long enough, you will get them. They might not get to the point of needing surgery, but they will affect a person as they age.

Dr. K. at Alamo Optometry is your hometown eye doctor for outstanding service, vision care, and designer eyewear. He can be reached at 925-820-6622 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.

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Bladder Leakage - Solutions for Incontinence By Parminder Sethi, MD

One of the most common urological problems I treat is urinary incontinence - the loss of control over urination. In some instances, it’s as minor a problem as losing a few drops of urine while running or coughing. In other cases, one may feel a strong, sudden urge to urinate just before losing a large amount of urine. Many patients experience both symptoms.

Both women and men can become incontinent from neurologic injury, birth defects, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and physical problems associated with aging. Women experience urinary incontinence twice as often as men. Pregnancy and childbirth, menopause, and the structure of the female urinary tract account for this difference. Incontinence in men is mostly related to prostate problems, but there are other neurological and bladder problems that contribute.

Incontinence stems from problems with muscles and nerves that help to hold or release urine. During urination, muscles in the wall of the bladder contract, forcing urine out of the bladder and into the urethra. At the same time, sphincter muscles surrounding the urethra relax, letting urine pass out of the body. Incontinence will occur if our bladder muscles suddenly contract or the sphincter muscles are not strong enough to hold back urine. Urine may escape with less pressure than usual if the muscles are damaged, causing a change in the position of the bladder. Obesity, which is associated with increased abdominal pressure, can worsen incontinence. Fortunately, weight loss can reduce its severity.

Urinary incontinence is not inevitable with age or ‘something you have to live with.’ Urinary incontinence is a medical problem. Many people aren’t aware that a specialty exists for the management and care of incontinence conditions.

Highly effective, minimally-invasive treatments are available, and most can be done in the out-patient setting.

For men and women with overactive bladder conditions who have failed to improve with pharmacological management, we can now provide a new treatment option which uses mild electrical pulses to stimulate the nerve that controls the

See Bladder continued on page 24

Page 24 - November 2013 ~ Danville Today News

Cultivate an Attitude of Gratitude

By Joree Rosenblatt

During the holiday season, it seems intuitive to practice gratitude, especially when celebrating a holiday titled Thanksgiving. But how often do you really think about what the word “thanks-giving” means? And how often do you practice giving thanks at times other than the holiday season?

Having gratitude – or giving thanks – is one of the core principles of mindfulness. Mindfulness is the practice of living your life with awareness, attention and intention, and it offers many tools for decreasing stress and anxiety, while overall improving the quality of your life. The intention of cultivating an attitude of gratitude suggests that the more you focus your attention on the things that you are grateful for, the harder it is to stay entrenched in what isn’t working for you. Gratitude can be an antidote for almost anything that is going wrong in your life. It is important to realize that practicing gratitude does not make the bad things disappear, but it does help change your attitude in how you deal with whatever is arising. This does not mean that you will always find a silver lining in an undesirable experience. However, the more you focus on the negative, the more negative your energy becomes. If you are able to find even a small thing to be grateful for, it helps adjust your perspective and makes it harder to stay in a negative place.

Dr. Rick Hanson is a neuropsychologist and author of the books Buddha’s Brain and Hardwiring Happiness. His research on neuroplasticity (which is the concept that our neural structure has the capacity to change) suggests that we have the ability to use our minds to change our brain. This means that our experiences, including what we think, impact the structure of our brain and therefore affect our implicit way of being. So when you focus on something that is negative, neurons fire off and wire together with the nearby neurons, thus strengthening that negative thought further into your neural code. Then you are more likely to operate from that negative place. When you choose to focus on gratitude, those neurons fire off and wire together thus strengthening positivity into your brain, which allows you

Shared Experiences

By Barbara Persons, MD, Persons Plastic Surgery, Inc.

This month I decided to stray away from my usual article relating to a reconstructive or cosmetic procedure and write about shared experiences—events we endure as a community. The last year has been marked by several life-altering events for me. I experienced the death of a kindergarten classmate of mine, and friend to many, and the death of a young local boy. These loses, combined with trials occurring in my own life, left me feeling quite thoughtful. Ultimately, I asked myself what I wanted to say in the simplest terms.

It was, “Thank you, to my community.”

Thank you for teaching my children, who in turn teach me. Thank you for being a community when I needed a community - at a festive gathering one day and a touching memorial the next. Thanks for coming into my office and bringing cupcakes for my staff, and for giving me the opportunity to do what I love every day.

Thank you for sharing a day at the Art and Wine festival with me and for exclaiming, “I never knew you did such wonderful things at work!”

These moments remind me that, despite how hectic our lives may be, life is utterly fulfilling. It is easy to get caught up with our crazy schedules, but it is essential to take the time to realize how blessed we are.

It takes more than skill to perform delicate surgeries and more than a kind heart to be a compassionate doctor every day. Thank you, in short, for inspiring me, for inspiration is of great worth in my profession, and it is something I find from many people I am inspired by teachers whose lessons have taught me a great deal and will not be forgotten. I am inspired by my patients whose courage astounds me and whose gratitude make every extra hour at the office worthwhile.

Most importantly, I am inspired by family, they are my greatest support system and can turn a long, stressful day around with a simple smile. No matter what the inspiration, I am grateful for it. It’s a reason to listen a little

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to implicitly operate from a more positive place.

When practicing mindfulness, you learn to have greater control over your attention of mind, and you practice seeing an experience simply for what it is without attaching more meaning behind it. You become able to tell yourself that your experiences are “this, just this.” When doing this, you become more skilled at letting go of things that are going wrong and bringing your mind’s attention to looking for the good around you. When you become more experienced at finding the good, not only are you making a positive, lasting impact on your brain, but you feel better overall. It’s hard to stay angry when you find a reason to smile. You probably won’t dwell on an argument you had with someone when you remember the reasons you love them. It’s difficult to feel that nothing ever goes your way when you acknowledge all the things that are going your way.

Cultivating an attitude of gratitude, and practicing it, is something that should occur on a daily basis. Start a gratitude journal. Around the dinner table, talk about all the things that made you happy during the day rather than everything that went wrong. Demonstrate showing your gratitude to the people around you without waiting for a time that requires a Hallmark card. And if you’re having a bad day, find a reason to smile. It’s not going to take away your bad day, but it will begin to help you feel a little better…it couldn’t hurt to try! So allow this holiday season to be an opportunity to strengthen your gratitude, rather than it being the only time you’re aware of it.

If you’d like more information on doing individual work with me, want my current schedule for group classes, or are interested in bringing mindfulness into your workplace, I would love to hear from you. In the meantime, I’d like you to always remember: Take a minute and Just Breathe.

If you’d like more information on doing individual work with me, want my current schedule for group classes, or are interested in bringing mindfulness into your workplace contact me at 925-212-2996, joree@comcast.net, or visit my webpage at JoreeRose. com I would love to hear from you.

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While there are moments when all of this is nearly overwhelming, somehow the people who need me are also the ones that inspire me. I hear my father, when asked if he needed anything sitting in his hospital bed at John Muir, simply respond, “Will you pray with me?”

I hear a patient, who is facing difficult challenges, say wisely, “I learned a long time ago not to lose my cool, it doesn’t get me anywhere.”

I hear my son say, “Mom, it’s important to hold hands and stick together.”

So, in summary, thank you for inspiring me to be a good surgeon, a good physician, and good person.

Thanks for making my job wonderful.

Thank you for brining community to me and letting me serve you.

Plastic Surgeon and owns Persons Plastic Surgery, Inc. located at 911 Moraga Rd, Suite 205 in Lafayette. She may be reached at 925.283.4012 or drbarb@personsplasticsurgery.com.

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Bladder continued from page 23

bladder and surrounding muscles that manage urinary function. From pharmacologic management and behavioral modification to pelvic floor rehabilitation and minimally-invasive reconstructive surgical techniques, effective solutions exist for virtually every form of incontinence.

Dr. Parminder Sethi is a Urologist at Pacific Urology. He specializes in treating patients with urinary incontinence and bladder dysfunction. He sees patients in Walnut Creek, San Ramon, and Livermore. To reach Dr. Sethi, call 925-830-1140.

On November 14th, join an engaging panel of leading medical experts regarding male and female incontinence. The panel will review risk factors, causes, and types of incontinence and offer the latest data on medications and treatment options for improving quality of life. Speakers include urologists Dr. Brian Hopkins and Dr. Parminder Sethi, along with incontinence specialist Linda Adams, LVN. The talk will be held at the Walnut Creek Library – Oak View Room from 6-8PM. Admission and refreshments are free. Please register in advance by calling 877-433-2873.

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Is Arthritis Slowing You Down?

Here’s how you can get back in the swing of things naturally

By Kimberly Liotta, DC and Melissa Doctors of Sycamore Valley Chiropractic Ko, DC, Sycamore Valley Chiropractic What is arthritis?

Danville Today News ~ November 2013 - Page 25

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Many years ago, arthritis was considered part of the aging process. It was considered the body’s way of telling the patient they need to slow down, which resulted in treatment plans of bed rest and prescription drugs. Thankfully, there is much more information available for those suffering from this painful disorder. The word “arthritis” literally means inflammation of the joint. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that typically affects the small joints of the hands and feet. This type of arthritis, unlike Osteoarthritis (which is the common form we see as we age from wear and tear), is an autoimmune disorder. The body actually mistakes its own tissues as foreign and attacks. This results in joint deformity and bone erosion from painful swelling.

What symptoms should I look for?

Rheumatoid arthritis typically affects women over the age of 40, and it affects one percent of the U.S. population. Symptoms to be watch for include painful swelling, stiffness in your joints that lasts after rest, and loss of joint function.

The symptoms occur symmetrically - both hands or both feet are affected, joints feel tender, swollen or warm, and symptoms may last months or years.

While the wrist and finger joints are most commonly affected, rheumatoid arthritis can affect any major joint in the body: the neck, shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, ankle, or feet.

What can a patient with arthritis expect as an outcome?

Rheumatoid arthritis affects each person differently. While some patients may experience a very severe case, others may have mild symptoms that come and go, or flares and remissions. The arthritis can last anywhere from a few months to many years and lead to joint damage and disability. It is very important to receive treatment if you or somebody you love is suffering from arthritis.

What treatment options are available?

There are several important treatment options available today for arthritis patients. In this article we will be discussing the positive outcomes associated with Chiropractic, exercise, and proper nutrition. While all of these treatments are very effective on their own, it is important to do everything you can to help your body through this process.

Chiropractic is vital to restoring motion in the body and decreasing inflammation, two of the biggest components of arthritis. Most people hear chiropractic and think of back adjustments, but there are adjustments for every joint in the body, including all of those possibly affected by arthritis. Getting adjusted regularly can slow down the degenerative process, reduce pain, and deliver oxygen to the joints. All of these results will help the patient feel well enough to start an exercise program, which is also an important component to recovery. Exercise will naturally increase joint mobility and flexibility, and it helps to build strong muscles, increase endurance, and control weight.

This is why chiropractic is such an important part of the process. It can help you feel better and recover faster so you can stay on your exercise program.

The best time to start an exercise program is while in remission. During a flare up the patient should be resting and getting adjusted more frequently.

Flare ups are when the pain is at its worst, and this is when prescription drugs come into play. For those patients who don’t want to take as many drugs, here are some simple dietary changes and additions that can help decrease inflammation naturally: Omega-3, found in fish, is a natural anti-inflammatory, and spices like turmeric, ginger, and nettle leaf have been shown to inhibit the inflammation pathway in the body. Just adding one small fish meal per week can have a big impact on reducing the symptoms.

We are no longer in the era of ignoring arthritis pain. It is real and it is affecting 2.1 million people. There are now many things that can be done to reduce the symptoms of arthritis and enter a state of remission. Don’t let your pain get in the way of your recovery. If you or someone you love is suffering from arthritis, let them know how chiropractic can help them live their life to the fullest!

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

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Shine a Light on Lung Cancer

By Gigi Chen, MD

The most effective way to reduce lung cancer is by cancer prevention. Smoking is thought to be the cause in 85% of lung cancer. With our progress in smoking cessation, there is a recent decline in lung cancer rates and mortality. However, 19% of the population in the US are still smokers. We also know that the risk of lung cancer after smoking cessation still takes many years before it declines significantly. Therefore, there is a need for an effective screening modality for lung cancer.

Previously, studies using chest x-ray as a screening modality have not shown that screening reduces lung cancer deaths. More recently, the National Lung Screening Trial, conducted by National Cancer Institute, compared annual screening using low-dose chest CT scanning with chest x-ray for three years in high risk individuals and found a reduction lung cancer deaths. Several observation trials, including the early lung cancer project (ELCAP), showed that low-dose chest CT can identify early asymptomatic lung cancer. This would allow treating lung cancer at an early stage and improve the overall cure rate.

CT screening is recommended only for people who are at high risk where the benefit would outweigh the risk. High risk is defined as age 55 to 74 with a 30 pack a year smoking habit, and if no longer smoking, smoking cessation within 15 years. Lung cancer screening should be done in a multidisciplinary program which involves a number of experts to guide the screening.

There have also been new and exciting advances in the treatment of advanced lung cancer. We now have a better knowledge of the molecular pathways that drive lung cancer growth. In a patient with an identifiable “driver mutation” such as EGFR mutation or ALK rearrangement, we have targeted therapy such as erlotinib, afatinib or crizotinib, which are highly active in treating these cancer types. In patients who do not have an identifiable driver mutation, we have a combination of chemotherapy as well as monoclonal antibodies that are active in treating lung cancer. Many clinical trials that use new targeted agents as well as immunotherapy are being studied in the area of lung cancer.

Gigi Chen, MD is a Medical Oncologist and Hematologist practicing at Diablo Valley Oncology, located in the California Cancer and Research Institute, Pleasant Hill.

Join an engaging panel of lung cancer experts as they cover the most current information regarding early detection, new screening recommendations, clinical trials, treatment options, surgical techniques, and survivorship issues on November 16th from 3–5PM at the Walnut Creek Library. Register by calling 925-677-5041 x272 or online at www.shinealightonlungcancer.org. Advertorial

Page 26 - November 2013 ~ Danville Today News

“The Mark of a True Professional is to Know When you don’t Know”

By William Shryer, LCSW, DCSW, Clinical Director, Diablo Behavioral Healthcare

The title statement of this article seems so obvious, yet it is so rarely accepted. For many individuals and parents out there looking for help for addiction, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, child related concerns, and a host of other conditions, one would think that those licensed mental health professionals would have no problem with that statement.

A child who is acting out could be reacting to a simple issue of parenting, but then again it could be depression, or obsessive compulsive disorder, or a developmental disorder. How is the professional to know the difference? The answer lies in the level of training and expertise the individual has.

Being competent at figuring out complex problems is like being a detective, a neurobiological detective. This all begins with the evaluation, which should be very thorough. It should, at the very minimum, include a health history, developmental history, and family history, including questions about blood relatives and their histories.

Nowadays most professionals should have at least a rudimentary knowledge of genetics and the inheritance factors for such disorders such as ADHD, Bipolar, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) to name but a few.

The next area of the knowledge base should be matching the correct treatment to the problem as this complex area is far from one-size-fits-all. This is where the above statement comes in to play, for if the treating professional is not sure of the diagnosis and is unaware of the fact that they don’t know, they don’t know to seek professional consultation. When this occurs it is you, the public, who pays the price, or your child does. Some examples we often see in our practice are someone diagnosing ADHD when in fact the correct diagnosis is depression, OCD, Bipolar, Asperger’s or even a thyroid disorder. How does this happen? Usually it comes

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, 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 clearing 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 op-

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from not paying attention to the fact that the individual has symptoms that just don’t fit the complete pattern of the required diagnostic symptom list. When something just doesn’t fit, it is the time for you to get expert consultation to make sure of your diagnosis. Only a comprehensive multidisciplinary program can insure the public that they have been competently evaluated and the treatment program fits.

It’s not just enough to know how to evaluate competently, we now have to stay up-to-date with all of the new treatments and new technology that is available. This is because many of the treatments that have been used for many years have had too many side effects and inherent risks. Risk management is the ability to weigh inherent risks to benefits, and this has always been a difficulty in all of medicine throughout time.

Currently we have, with managed care, the push to do the most with the least amount of time. This usually entails medications prescribed only with a very brief visit that often leads to poor outcome, as most people are very complex. It is this hurry-to-use pharmacy mentality that leads to the side effects and trials of many different medications over time, each with the side effects that are one of the greatest causes of treatment “failure.”

This is where Diablo Behavioral Healthcare and Silicon Valley Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) at Blackhawk separate from the rest. Some of the things that make us unique are the fact that we answer the phone with real people.

We are thorough to a fault and have adult and child psychiatrists on our team as well. We have new cutting edge treatment technology such as TMS, the FDA cleared technology for those that have failed to responds to antidepressant medications. Our staff is trained in Cognitive Behavioral therapy by the International OCD Foundation. We welcome second opinions and questions from individuals, family members, the general public, and students interested in a career in the fields of Social Work, Psychiatry, or Psychology.

For more information on any behavioral or developmental concern, call our office at (925) 648-4800, and we will take the time to answer your questions. To learn more about behavioral disorders, visit our website at www.behaviorquest. com, for more information about TMS see www.blackhawktms.com our location is 4185 Blackhawk Plaza Circle Suite 210, Danville, CA. Advertorial tion for people who have not reached treatment goals with topical therapies alone, who are unable to take immunosuppressant 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.

We are always looking at new therapies as they emerge. Starting this month we are pleased to offer the Xtrac Excimer Laser. This laser technology can be used to treat stubborn plaques of psoriasis, vitiligo, and eczema. The treatments are quick, require no anesthesia, and does not require down time.

If you are battling psoriasis, eczema, vitiligo, or another chronic skin problem, we can help you just as we have helped so many others.

Dr. Potozkin is a board certified dermatologist who has been serving the local community since 1993. His fully accredited dermatological and laser facility is located at 600 San Ramon Valley Blvd, Suite 102 in Danville. He is accepting new patients.

Please call 925-838-4900 or visit Potozkin.com for more information.

Advertorial

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Your Personal Nutritionist

With all of this Exercise, why am I not Losing Weight?

By Linda Michaelis RD,MS

Are you going to spinning classes or doing TRX, Bootcamp, or Body Pump and still not losing weight?

This frustrating story is common.

Let me tell you about my client Diane who takes Bootcamp classes at 6:30AM most mornings and has not lost one pound - in fact, she has gained a few since starting. Before class Diane had a slice of sourdough toast with peanut butter and two veggie sausages that she thought were very healthy. She would stop for a Chai Latte at Starbucks on her way home, and then once back home she prepared a Greek yogurt with an excessive amount of granola and slivered almonds. Soon after she raced to work where she would buy a prepared salad at the local cafĂŠ for lunch. She wound up being hungry most of the day and succumbed to office snacks such as chocolate covered almonds, dried fruit, granola bars, and too much fruit. Diane then would arrive home famished and snack on what she was making her kids for dinner, like macaroni and cheese or chicken nuggets, before she sat down with her husband later. She would then eat dinner with her husband most of the time, even though she was not hungry.

I explained to Diane that after she exercises intensely her metabolism is sped up to three times the normal rate, and therefore she should be eating most of her high calorie meals soon after. Diane realizes now that her body temperature remains hot for several hours after spinning, and this is the time when calories will be burned off most rapidly.

The problem was that Diane was eating most of her calories at the end of the day. Her food choices were lower in protein and fiber and higher in fat and starches than she realized. Her breakfast was very high in fat between the peanut butter and sausages, and she was shocked to realize that she was consuming very little protein and no fiber. In addition, Diane did not realize that her low-fat Chai came to half of its calories from fat and was very high in sugar due to the Chai syrup. Her Greek yogurt was a great choice but she added too much granola and nuts that contained more fat than she realized. I often tell my clients that a one ounce serving of nuts

Danville Today News ~ November 2013 - Page 27

has 150 calories and is 2/3 fat. Nuts are great to have during the day as a snack but not good to snack on in the evening. I told her to add a sprinkling of granola and a tablespoon of nuts to her yogurt.

Diane’s lunch was very skimpy since all the places that have prepared salads never have enough meat added and always end up having too much cheese, croutons, tortilla strips, or other surprises. Of course, the dressing needs to be monitored, and I recommend to always use half of what is served. I strongly suggested Diane bring her lunch that should contain at least six ounces of protein, a whole grain bread, and veggies. A sample lunch might include a tuna and white bean salad or grilled chicken strips with one cup brown rice, quinoa, or whole wheat couscous and at least one cup of veggies with a yummy sauce such as pico de gallo, BBQ sauce, or even curry. I told Diane that fruit should be considered a dessert and not eaten all day long as a snack if she wanted to lose weight. Fruit has a lot of calories which is not an easy fact to know because fruit is not packaged with a nutrition label. I also told Diane that she should be eating dried fruit sparingly since it is very concentrated in calories, and that granola bars do not fill you up when you are hungry because they lack protein and fiber. I suggested she bring snacks such as turkey jerky, hearty bean soups, oatmeal, cottage cheese, or even hard boiled eggs with veggies.

I am glad to tell you that when Diane now comes home she is not snacking on her kids’ dinner because she is not hungry. She realizes that when she sits down with her husband she has an appetite and can enjoy the meal. For dinner she is having a small serving of protein, a veggie, and salad or even just a sweet potato and a veggie. Diane is a dessert girl and always enjoys her Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich.

I counseled Diane via phone and e-mail for two months and she is thrilled to finally lose those 15 pounds that she could never take off. Please look at my website, LindaRD.com for the eight week Royal Treatment program for details on how I worked with Diane.

As many readers know, I am a gym person myself and love working with women that need the support to lose weight even though they are exercising. I am glad to inform you that insurance companies will cover nutritional counseling.

Please visit LindaRD.com for the list of companies and past articles and more information about nutritional concerns. Call me at (925) 855-0150 or e-mail me at lifeweight1@yahoo.com. Advertorial

Page 28 - November 2013 ~ Danville Today News

The Combs Team

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Professionals You Can Count On

Nancy

Joe

Call the Combs Team

®

9 2 5 -9 8 9 -6 0 86 www.TheCombsTeam.com

Danville Area Real Estate: Prices Increase 7% during 3rd Quarter square foot. In a normal market one would expect to see 2-3% appreciation in a

year’s time. We are now seeing it in a single quarter. During the third quarter, ten Alamo homes sold for more than $500 per square foot with one fetching $601.

Danville also showed impressive gains during the third quarter with average sales price increasing from $866,791 to $925,507 for a 7% increase in price.

Dollars paid per square foot grew from $369 to $390 for about a 6% increase.

Twenty Danville Homes sold for more than $500 per square foot during the third quarter with two selling for more than $600. Blackhawk showed no advance in average price during this time but registered a strong increase in dollars paid per square foot, climbing from $373 to $389 for a 4% increase. No Blackhawk sales exceeded the $500 per square foot mark during the third quarter.

Diablo, our priciest neighborhood, remained steady with five home sales during the quarter and a $520 average square foot price. Two Diablo homes crossed the $500 per square foot mark with one obtaining an unbelievable price of $918 per square foot on a purchase price of $3.2 million.

I think it is noteworthy that this is the second calendar year in a row during which the Danville Area Market defied the normal seasonal pattern of price softening during the summertime. The question remains: When and at what price levels will the market become normal again?

It’s important to remember that there really is no “average” home and no two homes are exactly alike. If you would like an honest “no strings attached” opinion of your home’s current market value and suggestions for getting it $ Sq. Foot ready for market, please give me a call 925-989-6086 or send me an email $ 435 joecombs@thecombsteam.com. $ 389 Please visit our website to discover more information on our local market $ 520 www.thecombsteam.com. $ 390

In our local market which includes Alamo, Danville, Diablo, and Blackhawk, homes are selling at rate of about 116 units per month. This is really good when you consider that the economy, while improving, is still in recovery mode. Distressed home sales are down from 33% in 2011 to approximately 22% today, and although diminishing, they are still exerting some negative price pressure.

The Town of Danville leads the area with the shortest time from listing to sale at 19 days. During the most recent quarter Diablo had the longest time from listing to sale with 45 days. A normal market would be three to six months from listing to sale. So, this is definitely not a normal market. It’s a hot market. Nondistressed homes priced right continue to sell quickly. Multiple offers continue to be a common feature of the Danville Area market as buyer demand still exceeds inventory, pushing prices up and up.

The average sales price for an Alamo home rose from $1,263,909 in the first two quarters of the year to $1,438,453 during the third quarter...an amazing 13.8% advance. This is unusual. Typically one would expect to see the highest prices in springtime and a small seasonal decline through the summer into fall.

On average, Alamo homes sold during the third quarter were larger by approximately 500 square feet compared to the earlier time period. So, some of that incredible increase can be explained by size, but not all of it. Price paid per square foot during the third quarter advanced from $426 per square foot to $435 per Home Sales Alamo, Blackhawk Danville, Diablo (July 1-Sept. 30) Active Pending Sold DOM List Price Sold Price Sq. Foot Alamo 47 22 52 23 $ 1,448,309 $ 1,438,453 3,306 Blackhawk 34 16 36 37 $ 1,319,119 $ 1,298,966 3,339 Diablo 9 2 5 45 $ 2,066,800 $ 1,879,600 3,614 Danville 94 84 257 19 $ 917,237 $ 925,507 2,373

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Data presented in this column is based in whole or in part on data supplied by the Contra Costa and Alameda MLS service and other quoted sources.

Joe Combs, Nancy Combs, The Combs Team, J. Rockcliff and the MLS service do not guarantee the accuracy of this information. DRE #0144125.

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