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January 2019 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 1
& JANUARY 2019
FRUIT TO NUTS: CALIFORNIA RARE FRUIT CONTRA COSTA CIVIL GRAND JURY GROWERS SEEK THE BEST By Jody Morgan LOOKING FOR INDIVIDUALS TO SERVE
California Rare Fruit Growers (CRFG) was organized in 1968 as an association of gardeners and orchardists dedicated to exchanging their knowledge and experience of raising rare fruits. The non-profit now has chapters throughout California as well as in Arizona and Texas Their mandate has expanded to embrace seeking the most delicious and nutritious edibles offered by the entire vegetable kingdom. Their mission includes preservation of seldom seen varieties, educational outreach on what can be grown in a Sean Taylor regales Golden Gate members with tales particular climate or found in of growing and producing chocolate. (photo courtesy specialty markets, and sharing of Mark Hughes) the enjoyment of good food. The Golden Gate Chapter serves the Bay Area and welcomes anyone interested
See CRFG continued on page 13
By Linda Summers Pirkle
The Contra Costa Civil Grand Jury is looking for a few good women and men, 19 to be exact. Every year citizens just like you apply to serve a term of one year on the Contra Costa Civil Grand Jury. You must be 18 years or older, a citizen of the U.S., and currently a resident of Contra Costa County for at least one year. You need to possess ordinary intelligence, sound judgment, and good character. You are eligible to apply if you possess enough knowledge of the English language to communicate both orally and in writing and never have been convicted of a felony, malfeasance, or other crime.
WHAT DOES THE CIVIL GRAND JURY DO?
The Contra Costa County Superior Courts website describes the Civil Grand Jury this way: “In California, the Grand Jury system consists of 58 separate grand juries-one in each county-that are convened on an annual basis by the Superior Court to investigate the operations of the various officers, departments, and agencies of local government. Each Civil Grand Jury determines which officers,
See Jury continued on page 11
ROW, ROW, ROW YOUR BOAT WITH THE OAKLAND STROKES
By Fran Miller
They come from as far as Burlingame and Pleasanton. The Bay Area teens who participate in the Oakland Strokes rowing program gather weekdays in the late afternoons and on weekends in the early morning to glide in unison along the Oakland Estuary. On any given day, more than 200 of them gather at the team boathouse in Alameda off of High Street. The tunnel and bridge commutes can be daunting, but for those who experience the team camaraderie of time on the water, the trek is well worth it. This nationally recognized rowing program is known for its strength of community and for the passion it instills in its young participants – some of whom row as a casual and fun activity, and some of whom zealously commit to the sport. “The time commitment for those in competition is definitely intense!” says parent volunteer Kareema Young, an Alamo resident, “but the rewards are great. Aside from the physical fitness and learned time management skills, the camaraderie surrounding this team is one of the best byproducts. Rowers take care of rowers no matter where they are in the world. They know the brutal workouts they’ve all endured day after day and have an unbelievable respect for one another, which translates into a village that takes care of its own to the nth degree. “And in terms of fitness, I have never seen a sport that offers such overall physical training. A day on the water of a varsity rower can average two 45minute expeditions to the Bay Bridge or around Coast Guard Island, and there is usually one day of land training which includes a run and strength training.” The hour-long commute in each direction doesn’t phase Young’s son Carter, who has been rowing for five years and won a national championship last year. The 17-year old San Ramon Valley High School junior started in 7th grade, two days each week, later progressing to the novice and then varsity group, with practices six days per week. He at first found the everyday drive to Oakland intimidating and difficult to manage, but coordinated carpools
See Row continued on page 16
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The Editors Serving the communities of Alamo, Diablo, and Danville
Volume XIX Number 1
Volume X Number 1
3000F Danville Blvd. #117 Alamo, CA 94507 Telephone (925) 405-6397 Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher Editor@yourmonthlypaper.com The opinions expressed herein belong to the writers, and do not necessarily reflect that of The Editors. The Editors is not responsible for the content of any of the advertising herein, nor does publication imply endorsement.
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PAGE 2 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • January 2019
BOULEVARD VIEW
By Alisa Corstorphine, Editor
There is a saying that asks, “How do you eat an elephant?” or similarly, “How do you eat a whale?” They both have the same answer: “One bite at a time.” I have continued to reach out to those in Butte County affected by the November fire. There are many issues both large and small for the over 50,000 displaced individuals - that is MORE people than in ALL of Danville and Diablo combined. Picture all of your neighbors losing their housing, EVERY possession they owned, cars, jobs, medical care, infrastructure...I find the problem staggering. There is no one person or organization that can make this issue “all better” or to go away. These needs must be addressed bite-by-bite on the individual level: people helping people, neighbors helping neighbors, or, as Rocklin area residents Eric and Heather Lofholm started with their “Paradise Fire Adopt a Family” Facebook group (they also have a website www.paradisefireadoptafamily.com), “One family helping one family.” The premise is simple. If each of us reached out to just one family and took care of whatever needs we could - be it financial, material, emotional, or logistical - the crisis would lessen that much more quickly. We each have skills or connections where we can make a difference. An old quote states,“Helping one person might not change the whole world, Ashley Zavala from KRON 4 (left) but it could change the world for one person.” f ilms a Christmas Day piece on While there are huge needs of “big ticket” items such as housing/trailers, cars, even less than $30 can buy a crockpot ornaments for fire survivors. where a healthy meal can be prepared from a hotel room or trailer. An $18 hair dryer can give someone a warm start to their morning. On the emotional level, I read many posts where people were pining for their lost holiday ornament collections. These ornaments were reminders of one’s life journey. Seeing musing after musing about lost ornaments inspired me to tap into materials I had and to create some new ornaments that people could restart their collections with. I had no idea how popular they’d become. I offered one ornament for free to anyone who asked, and my mailbox was flooded with requests. The project became much bigger than I could handle by myself, so I enlisted the help of my family, my neighbors, and wonderful people in our community who responded to a post I made on NextDoor.com. The project even captured the eye of reporter Ashley Zavala from KRON 4 news who ran a Christmas Day piece on it. Many hands do make light work, and through this network I have probably sent over 1,500 ornaments so far. The appreciation from those receiving them is all the motivation I need to continue. People often use the new year to set goals and tackle them. Denise Fournier, Ph.D. wrote in Psychology Today, “....everything in life that seems daunting, overwhelming, and even impossible can be accomplished gradually by taking on just a little at a time.” A powerful method of goal-setting uses the acronym SMART to guide the process of turning dreams into reality. To use SMART, make sure goals are clear and reachable. Each one should be (S)pecific - simple, sensible, significant; (M)easurable - meaningful, motivating; (A)chievable - agreed, attainable; (R)elevant - reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based; and (T)ime-bound - time-based, time limited, time/ cost limited, timely, time-sensitive. Have you thought about what you’d like for yourself and your family in the coming year? If you have some time, could you aid someone in Butte County by helping them just come up with a list of goals? Please reach out if you’d like to connect with someone in need. Motivational coach Zig Ziglar reminds us that “a goal properly set is halfway reached.” The process of setting a goal is just like eating an elephant: bit-by-bit, bite-by-bite, you make possible what at first seemed impossible. You get a little bit closer to achieving and creating what seemed like a distant impossibility. In this new year, go forth knowing YOU can change the world and make a difference for at least one person.
ASSISTANCE LEAGUE OF DIABLO VALLEY ALAMO WOMEN’S CLUB SCHEDULES PROSPECTIVE MEMBER COFFEE BOOK LOVERS: DON’T MISS THE 5TH ANNUAL AUTHOR’S FAIRE
Since 1967, Assist ance League® of Diablo Valley, a nonprofit member volunteer organization, has improved lives in the local community. You might have heard of its primary fundraiser, Assistance League Way Side Inn Thrift Shop, located at 3521 Golden Gate Way, in Lafayette. Member volunteers agree that staffing at this wellknown landmark offers a most rewarding experience. In response to the needs of a growing client base, Assistance League of Diablo Valley is reaching out to those of you who would enjoy sizing clothing or performing educational puppet shows for school children, reading to second grade students, or helping in supplying emergency clothing, food and supplies to those in crisis. Additional philanthropic programs concern implementing art in the classroom and staffing the Listen Program which helps identified students with verbal expression. Two other programs address the needs of local seniors. If you are interested in spending quality time and meeting energetic and upbeat people while helping those who are vulnerable, please phone 925934-0901 to reserve a spot for the Prospective Member Coffee scheduled for mid-January. For more information, please visit www.assistanceleague.org/ diablo-valley.
On Wednesday, February 27th, The Alamo Women’s Club (AWC) will be hosting the 5th Annual Author’s Faire at the beautiful Diablo Country Club, located at 1700 Club House Rd., Diablo from 9AM-noon. The event will be moderated by Penny Warner, local Agatha Award winning author of more than 50 books. All monies raised will support AWC and local philanthropies. Six top authors will discuss their books and their writing journey. The cost for the event is $55 and includes a delicious buffet breakfast and valet parking with tip included. This is sure to be a sell-out event, so please make your reservations early! For more information, visit https:// www.alamowomensclub.org/events/2018-07/5th-annual-authors-faire. Reservations are required. Checks must be received by February 18th. Seating will be assigned. Groups must register together. There will be 10 places per table. Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite at https://tinyurl. com/yarz2xt5, or you Join us for can mail your check Pasta Dinner Nights to Alamo Women’s When: January 2oth, 2019 Club, P.O. Box 151, Time: 4:30 – 6:30 P.M. Alamo, CA 94507. Where: San Damiano Retreat Learn More about 710 Highland Drive the Alamo Women’s Danville, CA Club at https://www. Cost: Adults: $20|12 and Under: $10 alamowomensclub. Purchase tickets: org. sandamiano.org | (925) 837-9141
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THE SIXTIES AT FIFTY, TURBULENCE AND TRANSFORMATION: THE SAN RAMON VALLEY IN THE 1960s
On January 26th, the Museum of the San Ramon Valley will open its 2019 season with an exhibit that chronicles the 1960’s in the San Ramon Valley. The 1960’s brought Americans the war in Vietnam. It also brought JFK, LBJ, landing on the moon and much more. Issues such as civil rights, the environment, worker’s rights, and women's rights were beginning to move to the forefront of American’s minds. The San Ramon Valley was not immune to these changes. See how these and other events effected the Valley. This once quiet idyllic farming community saw its population grow from 12,800 in 1960 to 28,000 in 1970. The Meese Ranch, which is now knowm as Greenbrook, became the first Planned Unit Development or PUD. This growth impacted schools in the valley. It drove the creation of the San Ramon Valley Unified School district, a tumultuous undertaking for the valley. John Baldwin School would open during this period. The migration from farming to suburbia was well underway. Transportation was changing as old Highway 21 was to be replaced in 1964 with Highway 680, a new freeway connecting the valley with the greater Bay Area. The San Ramon Valley would never be the same. Landing on the Moon, bell bottoms, leisure suits, The Summer of Love, and much more are all part of the “The Sixties at Fifty.” Come and learn about these and many other events that helped shape what the San Ramon Valley is today. The Museum of the San Ramon Valley is located at 205 Railroad Ave. in Danville. The Museum is open Tuesday-Friday 1-4PM, Saturday 10AM-1PM, and Sunday 12-3PM. For more information visit museumsrv.org or call 925-837-3750.
ALAMO DANVILLE NEWCOMERS
Are you a new resident of Danville, Alamo, Blackhawk, or Diablo, a longtime resident, newly retired, or empty nester interested in making new friends and participating in various social activities? The Alamo Danville Newcomers Club is a woman’s organization, whose purpose is to enrich the lives of all its members and their families in a social manner. Check out all the club has to offer by visiting www.alamodanvillenewcomers.com. The next “Welcome Coffee” will be held on January 22nd from 10AM to Noon. RSVP to alamodanvillenewcomers@ gmail.com.
January 2019 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 3
2019 Crab Feast Calendar
January 14 - Italian Catholic Federation January 24 - Danville Area Chamber of Commerce February 9 - St Isidore Knights of Columbus February 22 - Benefits Down Syndrome Connection
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BOOK SALE
The Friends of the Danville Library (FODL) will be having a large book sale in January. The sale begins on Friday, January 25th. The FODL Members preview will be held from 9am-10am, and general public hours will be held from 10am-5pm. On Saturday, January 26th, general public hours will be held from 10am-4pm. On Sunday, January27th, there will be a $5 Bag Sale. Public hours will run from 12:05pm -3:45pm. On Friday and Saturday, all hardcover books, books on tape, and DVD’s will cost $2, and all paperback books and CD’s are$1. The library is located at 400 Front Street in Danville.
FAMILY HISTORY CENTER
For almost two decades The Danville Family History Center has been serving the community. Everyone is welcome during library hours to use the resources available. There is a friendly and experienced staff who volunteer to help you to utilize the materials, including the Family Search web portal which provides access to over a dozen subscription-based genealogical research services, such as Ancestry.com. The Center is located inside the LDS building at 2949 Stone Valley Road, Alamo. Enter the left side of the building. Hours are Monday 1-4pm, Tuesday 7-9pm, and Wednesday 10-4pm and 7-9pm. The Center is closed on major holidays and the last two weeks of December. For questions, call 925-552-5920.
We also offer a simple drop
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Sunday February 10, 2019 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Danville Community Center 420 Front Street, Danville
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PAGE 4 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • January 2019
SONS IN RETIREMENT SAN RAMON VALLEY
Are you looking for things to do in your retirement? Consider joining Sons in Retirement San Ramon Valley Branch 128. There are monthly luncheons with interesting speakers and good fellowship. Additionally, members have lots of fun participating in a variety of activities including golf, hiking, biking, bocce ball, movies, cooking, finance, reading, computers, and more. Many other activities such as travel, dine outs, excursions, baseball games, and holiday parties include spouses, friends, and guests. The next monthly luncheon will be on Wednesday, January 16th at 11AM. The guest speaker will be Thomas Lindemuth, who’ll provide an overview on desalination and how it might fill future needs for more pure water. Be ready for a very interesting presentation. The $26 luncheon includes a meal, guest speaker, and a great opportunity to socialize with at least 180 other retirees from the San Ramon Valley. To reserve a space for the January 2019 luncheon, please send an email by Thursday, January 10th to info@SIR128.com. The luncheon will be held at The Bridges, 9000 S. Gale Ridge, San Ramon. For more information about the retirement branch and activities, please visit www.SIR128.com.
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JIM SCHUPPERT NAMED ALAMO ROTARIAN OF THE YEAR
White Pony Express (WPE) is a nonprofit group dedicated to helping to end hunger and poverty in Contra Costa County. The program has been so well received that additional volunteers are urgently needed to help keep up with its rapid growth. The need in our communities remains great. Seven days a week, WPE Food Rescue volunteers take trucks to supermarkets, restaurants, and farmers markets where they pick up thousands of pounds of surplus food—high quality, nourishing food (fresh meats, dairy, eggs, deli, baked goods). Most all of this food is distributed free-of-charge to those in need within two hours of the donation. In its first four years, WPE delivered more than 6,000,000 pounds of food (equivalent to 5,000,000 meals) that the hungry would have gone without. Also, in addition to rescuing food, WPE collects donations of new or like-new clothing, shoes, toys, games, and books. More than 400,000 of these items have been distributed to those in need—all free of charge, through WPE’s unique “Mobile Boutiques” and its Direct Distribution program. Interested volunteers should please contact Mandy Nakaya at 925-8186361 or mandy@whiteponyexpress.org. For more information, visit www. whiteponyexpress.org.
James Schuppert has been named the Alamo Rotarian of the Year by the Rotary Club of Alamo. The award was presented to Jim by Rotary Club of Alamo President Jack Thompson. The award was in recognition of Jim’s outstanding contributions to the Club. “With this honor, the Rotary Club of Alamo is recognizing someone who best exemplifies the goals of Rotary through his or her L to R: Jim Schuppert and Rotary Club of Alamo consistent contributions, President Jack Thompson. and in doing so has brought honor and respect to the Club,” Thompson said. “Jim Schuppert exemplifies Rotary’s goals. Jim has been a quiet, but significant contributor to the success of the Rotary Club of Alamo and its 501(c)3 non-profit Foundation. In his role as treasurer of both the Club and its Foundation, Jim keeps track of our various accounts and makes sure that all of the financial statements are up to date and correct,” said Thompson. “When one of the Club’s Global Grant projects, ‘Transitional Care Medical Clinics for Diabetic, Hypertensive and Asthmatic patients,’ was recently visited by Rotary International, the representative was effusive with compliments about the professionalism in the way Jim kept the books, financial records, and supporting data. This is just another example of the good work Jim does all of the time,” he noted. Jim is also a frequent volunteer for whatever function or activity Alamo Rotary is working on. “His finger is on many of the things that the Club does, which made the decision easy for me to select Jim as the Rotary Club of Alamo’s Rotarian of the Year,” Thompson stated. Jim joined the Rotary Club of Alamo in 2002, served as President in the 2008-2009 year and is currently treasurer of both the Club and its Foundation. He also serves as the treasurer of the Transitional Care Clinics Rotary International Global Grant and is responsible for monitoring the usage of funds and for the payment of all bills. The Rotary Club of Alamo was founded on May 7, 1971 and has 45 members. The Club meets on Wednesdays at 12:15PM at Round Hill Country Club. 3169 Round Hill Road in Alamo.
GOLD COAST CHAMBER PLAYERS
ROLE PLAYERS ENSEMBLE PRESENTS HONKY
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
The Gold Coast Chamber Players present one of the leading quartets of our time, the “St. Lawrence String Quartet” along with three time Grammy-nominated clarinetist, Todd Palmer at 7:30PM on Saturday, February 9th at the Lafayette Library Community Hall. The program offers an unprecedented musical, emotional, and spiritual experience with chamber music spanning four centuries. From Haydn and Beethoven, to Berger and Golijov, this unique program is not to be missed! Tickets are $15-45 and can be purchased at https://gcplayers.tix.com/Event.aspx?EventCode=1079081 or by calling (925) 283-3728.
TREATS FOR THE TROOPS
Thanks to all of the generous shoppers who have helped charity group Delta Nu Psi send 40,000 pounds -- 20 TONS of gourmet junk food to American servicemen and women located in the War Zones! The group will be collecting donations at CVS in Alamo on the first Friday of each month and at Lunardi’s in Danville on the second Friday of each month. Collection hours are 11:30AM until 1:45PM. Please shop for the men and women serving the United States. To learn more, visit www. deltanupsi.org.
When a young African American is shot for a pair of basketball shoes, sales triple among white teens. Are ghetto-glorifying commercials to blame, or is it the white CEO who only sees dollar signs? Luckily, there’s a new pill on the market guaranteed to cure racism. Honky is a strongly worded, darkly comedic look at five people, white and black, as they navigate the murky waters of race, rhetoric, and basketball shoes. PBS.org notes, “Careers are ruined, wedding plans up-ended and hypocrisy unmasked in this inventive, free-wheeling send-up of race relations in contemporary America. Honky pulls no punches and spares no feelings, but it is as light-hearted as it is sincere, and in the end it finds ample reason for hope.” The show will be held Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 2pm from February 1 – 17 at the The Village Theatre located at 233 Front Street in Danville. Tickets can be purchased online at www.RolePlayersEnsemble.com, at Danville Community Center located at 420 Front St, Danville, at the Theatre box office one hour before the show, or by calling (925) 314-3400. A Sneak Peek will be help Monday, January 14th at 7pm, at the Danville Library, Mt Diablo Room, located at 400 Front Street in Danville.
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January 2019 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 5
Wishing You a Happy and Healthy 2019 1
3 2
Just Sold
Just Sold 4 5
Coming Soon
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DANVILLE | $ 3,225,000 5 BEDS | 5.5 BATHS 5,630 SQ . F T. | 1.12 ACRE LOT
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PAGE 6 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • January 2019
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WAYS TO STAY CONNECTED IN ALAMO
By Candace Andersen
There are a lot of ways to stay connected with what is happening in the community of Alamo. Because Alamo is not an incorporated city, it is governed by the County, and the Board of Supervisors makes decisions on behalf of the residents. I’m fortunate to be the Board member who represents Alamo. There are several ways to stay connected, informed, and involved Serving the Bay Area with honesty and integrity since 1973 with County issues in Alamo. Please join us at our first 2019 Town 2395 Monument Blvd., Suite J 3191-J Crow Canyon Pl Hall at 11AM on January 19th at Alamo Concord San Ramon Carpets, Hardwood, Laminate & Stone (925) 680-4433 (925) 866-2200 School. Items to be discussed at the Town Since 1973 www.MacFloor.com • info@macfloor.com (Across from Costco Gas Station, next to Harvest House) Hall include the downtown roundabout, public safety, recent Alamo Park improvements, and traffic safety, especially around our schools. Each month the public is invited to the Alamo Liaison meeting, held at 8:30AM on the second Monday of the month at my Danville office. Contact my office at (925) 957-8860 to sign up to receive reminder emails; sometimes the meetings are moved due to holidays. The Alamo Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) meetings are open to the public and are held at 6PM on the first Tuesday of every month at the Alamo Women’s Club. The MAC advises the Board of Supervisors on services that are provided to the Alamo community by Contra Costa County or other local government agencies. Such services include parks and recreation, lighting and landscaping, public health, safety, public works, code enforcement, land use planning, transportation, and other infrastructure. The Council also provides input on issues of concern to the community. The Alamo Police Services Committee (APSAC) is made up of Alamo residents who, along with the Sheriff ’s office, review safety and law enforcement in the community. This team of nine volunteers and two alternate members advises the Board of Supervisors and the Sheriff ’s Department on the needs of the community for police services. APSAC meets at 5PM on the first Monday of the month in the Sheriff ’s Valley Substation, Alamo Plaza, Suite 180B. Everyone is welcome to attend. Round Hill residents have a similar police advisory group, known as P5, and they too advise the Board of Supervisors and the Office of the Sheriff on matters that relate solely to the community of Round Hill. These services include local traffic enforcement and crime prevention. The public meeting for P5 takes place at 7PM on the second Wednesday of the month at Round Hill Country Club. The County, alongside other local agencies in the San Ramon Valley including the Town of Danville, the City of San Ramon, the San Ramon Valley Unified School District, and San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District, is responsible for providing emergency operations and response in the event of natural or man-made disasters, and work together to accomplish this objective through the San Ramon Valley Emergency Preparedness Citizen Corps Council. You can get prepared by joining a CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training class and getting your home ready in case disaster strikes. Find out more by visiting www.bereadysrv.org. Quarterly Citizen Corps Council meetings are held at the San Ramon Valley Fire headquarters in San Ramon, and these meetings are also open to the public. The San Ramon Valley, back in 2004, developed a traffic safety and education program called BEERFEST BBQ 2019 Street Smarts. The Street Smarts Program is a collaborative partnership between the Town of On Saturday, February23rd from 6pm to 10pm, come join the Danville, City of San Ramon, County of Contra Costa, San Ramon Valley Unified School District, fun and celebrate with a little beer, BBQ, pasta, and polka at San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District, San Ramon Valley Council of PTAs, and community the San Ramon Valley Rotary Club’s annual fundraiser! Enjoy partners. Street Smarts offers traffic safety and education programs to local elementary schools and their students. You can find out more about Street Smarts by visiting www.street-smarts. com. Their meetings are also open to the public, and you are welcome to attend. Alamo has several beautiful parks open to the community, including Hap Magee Ranch Park, which is jointly owned by the County and the Town of Danville. Hap Magee is a beautiful 16-acre park that offers a large play area, two dog parks, and cottages on-site that can be rented for social engagements. The MAC receives annual updates on the budget and park improvements, and is involved in its oversight. If you have questions or concerns about any of Alamo’s parks or activities, you can come to a MAC meeting or contact my office. There is always a lot happening in Alamo, and I look forward to seeing more people engaged and involved! My office is here to serve the residents of Contra Costa County District 2, which includes San Ramon, Danville, Alamo, Walnut Creek, Saranap, Parkmead, Lafayette, Moraga, Canyon, and Orinda. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if we can provide you great music, yummy food by Slow Hand BBQ, silent and live with additional information on this topic or on other County issues. I can be reached at auctions, and local beers to mark this event. The gathering SupervisorAndersen@bos.cccounty.us or 925-957-8860. will take place at the Danville Veteran’s Hall located at 400 Hartz Ave., in Danville. Proceeds will benefit the Clubs’ local !Advertise in your hometown paper or share a and worldwide charity work. story! Contact us at 925.405.6397 Tickets are $55/person. For tickets or more information visit www.BeerFestRotary.com. Come and join the fun! or Editor@YourMonthlyPaper.com
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January 2019 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 7
Happy New Year Stone Valley Center in the Heart of Downtown Alamo
Supo� Lcal Bsineses-Shop d Din CVS Pharmacy…………..……………………….314-9710 Forli Restaurant & Bar………………………….854-2638 Maguey’s Mexican Restaurant..…………….…..743-8997 Aqua Salon & Spa…………..…………………...837-7884 MD Liquors………………………………….…...838-1888 RJ’s Asian Fusion Bistro………………………..984-2486 Fred’s Cleaner.…………………………………..837-1180 Coffee Shop Alamo …………….……………….820-0400 Hospice Thrift Shoppe………………………….820-6525 Taco Bell Express………………………………..406-0185 Custom Nails……………………………………..831-9839 Subway-Eat Fresh……………………………….362-1520 Sexton Veterinarian Clinic…...………………….855-8387
Lots of Free Parking Easy Access from I‐680 Located at Stone Valley Road & Danville Blvd. The Lineweaver Trust, Owner (925) 837‐3665 www.diabloholdings.com
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PAGE 8 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • January 2019
RANCHO ROMERO ELEMENTARY
By Sandy Kontilis, Principal
Joy, a feeling of great happiness and delight, was December’s Character of the Month. Why is “joy” important in a child’s classroom or school? A quote about schooling particularly resonates with me. Marva Collins states, “ When someone is taught the joy of learning, it becomes a lifelong process that never stops, a process that creates a logical individual. That is the challenge and joy of teaching.” December held many “joyful” moments including recognition of 35 students who displayed “joyful” attitudes throughout the month. Character building is one of our goals, and each month we recognize students as Remarkable Roadrunners. Thanks to our Inclusion & Diversity Committee and Librarian, our students were treated to a visual representation of holiday celebrations around the world. Our very large bulletin board (outside of the library) was transformed using visual images as well as descriptions of world wide celebrations. One of the interesting Pagan rituals is the “yule log.” Students learned the “yule log has its roots” in Norse Mythology. Students loved learning about the different holidays so much that the library’s circulation of books for holiday celebrations was higher than normal. Many thanks to Linda Mailho, our school librarian, who covered our shelves with titles that touched on all cultures. Holidays are magical times on an elementary school campus. To name a few of our celebrations, I begin with our Transitional Kindergarten students. They made friendship wreaths with the help of wonderful parent volunteers. Our second grade students celebrated Heritage Days by singing songs about the world such as “I Like to Teach the World to Sing” and “It’s a Small World.” Students and families brought in homemade cultural food to share with their classes. Finally, Christine Bertolero, our music teacher, held two assemblies during the day and a Winter Band Concert. The students did an amazing job all day long. Each new performance was better than the last. The entire MPR was full, with spill over outside, during our evening performance. We even had some “Music Ambassadors” from San Ramon Valley High School join our Advanced Band. Ongoing collaboration between the high school and elementary school will fuel the desire for music to continue throughout our students’ academic lives. From Rancho Romero Elementary, I hope you find “joyful” moments with your loved ones throughout the new year.
ALAMO ELEMENTARY
By Stan Hitomi, Principal
2018 was another phenomenal year at Alamo School! But rather than looking back, we are looking forward to an even better year in 2019! The staff that I started with in 2010 has nearly completely “turnedover” with just four of the original 15 staff remaining. The transition has been gradual with the retirements of Mrs. Burgess, Benit, Andre, Andrew, Scott, Dietler, Martin and Herrmann. So the torch has been passed to a new generation of teachers and staff, and things are looking as good as ever for the children of Alamo Elementary. The NEW staff at Alamo has often pointed to the extras as a major strength of Alamo School. These extras include vocal music, instrumental music, science, PE, technology, library, and art. Each of these programs has changed over the years to mix cutting-edge developments and traditional values. Nancy Raaum (vocal) and Karla Angle (instrumental) have been featured many times in past articles for what can be arguably described as the best elementary music program in the district. However, their counterparts Edwina O’Toole (science), Shari Bergum-Hayes (technology), Marcie Wehrley (library), Carol Berkowitz (art), and Lori Poulleau and Lindsay Christensen (PE) make up a special subjects component of our school that as a collective body can well be considered best-in-class. This month I would like to shine the spotlight on our Science Program. Edwina O’Toole, a former classroom teacher, has been our science lab teacher at Alamo for five years. During this time, she has been able to develop a remarkable program that is both educational and engaging. On a recent visit by our Superintendent, he noticed that students were grouped by the names of famous scientists such as Team Marie Curie, Jane Goodall, or Neil deGrasse Tyson. One of the highlights for Mrs. O’Toole has been her work in transitioning
our science program into alignment with the new Next Generation Science Standards. As a sample, the following topics were covered in December: 4th grade • Patterns in rock formations and fossils that help explain changes in landscape over time • Data from maps to describe patterns of Earth’s features 5th grade • Patterns of daily changes in shadows • Day/night and stars in night sky • Gravitational force • Brightness of the sun due to relative distance from sun Mrs. O’Toole covers similar topics in grades 1-3. Who wouldn’t want to be in Mrs. O’Toole’s science class?
GIVE HOCKEY A TRY
FREE 4 WEEK PROGRAMS FOR GIRLS AND BOYS
The 'Give Hockey a Try' program is for children age 13 and under who are interested in picking up the sport of hockey. Kids will learn the basics of the game of hockey and skating skills through fun lessons under the instruction of USA Hockey certified coaches. Full hockey gear and skates will be available for rental to all participants at no additional cost. The' G program I V E HisOintended C K E YforAchildren TRY' with limited to no prior skating experience. Multiple sessions are upcoming. The girls’ program meets on Saturdays from 10AM - 10:45AM. The boys’ program meets on Wednesdays from 4:30PM - 5:15PM. To reserve a spot, visit www.trivalleyice.com/ ghat. The program takes place at TriValley Ice, located at 6611 Preston Ave, Suite D, Livermore.
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January 2019 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 9
ST. ISIDORE SCHOOL By Maria Ward, Principal
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! The break offered a well-deserved retreat from the norm, an opportunity to connect with family and friends, a plethora of delicious treats, and time to create treasured memories. I encourage you to hold on to the warm feelings the holiday provided as long as you can, right into the the new year. My hope is that the new year is filled with joy, love, kindness, and peace. Cheers to 2019!
DOING GOOD TOGETHER
At St. Isidore School, we believe we are truly at our best when helping others. In the month of December, the SIS Student Leadership sold candy canes to students to raise money for the Butte County fire victims. Boxes and boxes of candy canes were sold, raising over $1,500. I am proud of the students’ generosity and eagerness to help others. Families also donated toys for the Knights of Columbus holiday baskets, which were given to those less fortunate. Additionally, the Christmas Boutique gave our students an opportunity to shop for family gifts, and the proceeds were donated to our sister schools in the diocese.
LET YOUR CHILD GROW WITH US!
We are now accepting applications for TK and Kindergarten for next school year, 2019–2020. Children must be four years old by September 1 for TK and five years old by September 1 for Kindergarten. Please join us for our TK/Kindergarten Informational Open House on Thursday, January 17, at 10AM. At St. Isidore School, we believe that early education lays the foundation for your child’s educational experience. Through hands-on learning, children are guided to develop intellectually, socially, emotionally, and spiritually. RSVP at www.stisidore.org or by calling or texting (925) 389-8190. Tours are always available upon request.
CATHOLIC SCHOOL WEEK
Catholic School Week kicks off on Sunday, January 27! This week is an annual celebration of Catholic education across the country. The school will be open and available to tour on Sunday, January 27, from 10AM to noon and Thursday, January 31, from 6PM to 8PM. This is a wonderful opportunity to visit the campus and learn more about our program, faculty, and community. I hope to see you!
FREE TAX PREPARATION
Free tax preparation for the 2019 tax season is available starting February 2019 from AARP’s Tax-Aide and United Way’s Earn It, Keep It, Save It (EKS) programs. Service is provided by volunteer tax preparers who are IRS trained and certified. Both programs serve taxpayers of any age, and AARP membership is not required for Tax-Aide. EKS service is limited to those with incomes below $54,000, while Tax-Aide does not have an income limit. Beginning January 7th, for information or to make an appointment for the Tax-Aide sites serving the San Ramon/Danville area, call (925) 973-3250 for the San Ramon Senior Center site or (925) 480-7202 for the Danville Veterans Memorial Building of San Ramon Valley site. For general information and other site locations, call (925) 726-3199. For information on EKS sites, call 2-1-1 or visit www.earnitkeepitsaveit.org. To complete your return, you will need to bring the following documents: • Social Security Card or ITIN letter for all individuals to be listed on the return • Photo identification for the taxpayer and spouse • Copies of all W-2s, 1098s and 1099s • Other income and deductions • Your 2017 Tax Return • Covered California: All documents including form 1095 • Tax Law Change: Although federal tax law changed, California tax law has not changed. If you itemized deductions for 2017, be sure to bring related records for 2018
ACTION POOL REPAIR
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SAN RAMON VALLEY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
By Jamie Westgate, Principal
As soon as Christmas is over, it seems those festive holiday commercials are replaced by ones advertising fitness memberships and wellness opportunities. Many of us try and turn over a new leaf as we turn over our calendars to a new year. We shed bad habits and commit to implementing better life practices. Goal setting is a very important part of the learning process, even for the youngest of learners. Recognizing objectives and implementing a plan for success is a wonderful process to construct as a life habit. Our objective at SRVCA is to create an EAGLE in every student. This acronym helps students, teachers, and parents know that we are intentionally working to shape our students in the following ways: E – Effective Communicators of the Truth A – Academically Prepared G – Growing in the Understanding of Biblical Truth L – Living in Obedience to Christ E – Evaluating Critically For each of these goals, we set more specific, age-appropriate objectives and explore a variety of strategies in order to help students feel successful. As an example, every 3rd grade student researches a famous person in American history this time of year by reading books, visiting websites, and learning to cite resources. After writing a report, he/she “becomes” the inspirational individual and presents a speech in full costume to our school community. Students are inspired by the ways some of our most influential leaders overcame significant struggles, and our kids recognize how faith played a major role to building resiliency and achieving success. Throughout the process, students are taught how to identify important facts, discern truth from fiction, communicate in written form, and practice oratory skills. In addition, students look for ways God answered prayer during hardship, or used ordinary people to do extraordinary things. It’s an incredible project, and one that not only challenges our students but inspires them to be better students and better people. If you are interested in learning more about the benefits of Christian education, we have an open house scheduled for the community on January 25th from 10:30AM-noon. Everyone is welcome! We’ll provide a brief presentation as well as provide tours, have a Q and A session, and hear stories from some of our current students and parents. Come hear more about why so many feel our academic rigor and relational discipleship program is the best in the Bay Area! Our website has more details about the event, www.srvca.org. Happy New Year to our friends and families in the San Ramon Valley!
PAGE 10 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • January 2019
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MONTE VISTA HIGH SCHOOL
By Dr. Kevin Ahern, Principal
The Holidays are over, and, as always, the Monte Vista community went above and beyond to spread goodwill throughout the Tri-Valley area. Through the Adopt-a –Family program, our students and staff filled a U-Haul truck full of gifts, and English Teacher Kimberley Gilles’ students participated in the USPS “Letters to Santa” Program where our students answered children’s letters. Our students also stuffed stockings full of gifts for Verde Elementary in Richmond, and then MV’s Leadership class delivered these items in addition to eating lunch, and playing games with the children there. On December 8th, MV’s Freshman Leadership class made their way to San Francisco to deliver care packages to the homeless. I commend our students and faculty for their willingness to help their community by truly demonstrating what this special season is all about. In particular, I would like to thank Tommy Greenless and his Leadership Class, Chris Connor and MV’s Freshman Leadership Class, and Kimberley Gilles and her English Classes for their energy and expertise in making these things happen. Please also know that all of these generous donations were made in addition to a truckload of donations that were sent up to support the victims of the Camp Fire in Paradise just before the Thanksgiving Break. A huge shout out to MV basketball Nick Jones and his family, Tommy Greenless, and the MV Community for giving generously to the many families affected by the fire. Thank you all so much. On November 14th, 18 of Monte Vista’s finest student-athletes placed an exclamation point on their amazing high school careers by signing their letters of intent to a wealth of colleges and universities all across the US. We can’t wait to see their impact on their new campuses. Numerous cancellations created some challenges to Monte Vista’s fall sports, but we finished strong. Hats off to Women’s Tennis and Football for hanging in there through the multiple changes to playoff contests. MV’s winter sports are now in season, spearheaded by our defending CIF Champion Women’s Soccer Team. Men’s Soccer and both Men’s and Women’s Basketball are off to strong starts, and we are looking forward to excellent seasons across the board. Monte Vista’s Performing Arts Programs were also in full swing in December. Our Choir sang to three sold out audiences and followed up over the next three weeks with performances at numerous holiday venues. A special thanks to MV’s choir director. Jodi Reed and her students for making the holidays that much better. MV’s Jazz Bands, Orchestra, and Wind Ensembles also played to full houses and provided yet another example of how to enjoy the holidays. Thanks to Ed Cloyd and his students for their excellent work. I would like to conclude with a big thank you to Monte Vista’s PTSA for the Holiday Bake. I was truly amazed by the sheer number of baskets and goodies that the PTSA provided our staff and our community. Thanks to PTSA President, Janet Nunan; PTSA Vice President, Bridgit Pelley; and their amazing group of volunteers for this incredible event. Thanks to the whole Monte Vista community for an awesome close to the fall semester and 2018.
SRVHS STUDENT TRISTAN SINCLAIR WINS 2018 PETE VILLA AWARD
The Rotary Club of Danville recently held its 22nd annual Pete Villa awards luncheon. The winner of this prestigious award was Tristan Sinclair from San Ramon Valley High School. The award, named after Pete Villa, founder of the Thunderbirds’ youth football program, each year recognizes the most outstanding high school football players in the San Ramon Valley. Three student-athletes from each of the four San Ramon Valley Unified School District’s high schools are nominated by the school’s principal and the head football coach. This year’s nominees were: Jahmal Cornwell, Cameron Fitzpatrick, and Julian Iribarren from
AAUW PRESENTS JOE LURIE
The Danville-Alamo-Walnut Creek Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) welcomes the public to hear Joe Lurie speaking about “Cross Cultural Conundrums.” Joe is the UC Berkeley International House Executive Director Emeritus, award-winning author and cross-cultural communications trainer. The program will be held on Monday, January 14, 7-9pm at Beth Chaim Congregation located at 1800 Holbrook Drive in Danville. In his book, Perception and Deception: A Mind-Opening Journey Across Cultures, Lurie explores surprising misunderstandings between individuals from diverse backgrounds, based on his years in the Peace Corps and at I-House. “Our age of globalization often produces polarization, so the theme is particularly relevant,” Lurie says. “Instantaneous communication increasingly is thrusting cultures together. Without preparation and context, many cross-cultural misunderstandings have confusing consequences.” Five dollar donations to AAUW to support gender equity for women and girls through research, education, and advocacy will be gratefully accepted. Learn more at https://daw-ca.aauw.net/programs-2/.
CELEBRATING THE JAZZ ROOM’S ANNIVERSARY
‘CAST PARTY’ FUN AND FUNNY OPEN MIC EXPERIENCE
L-R: Rotary Club of Danville Co-Presidents Tammy Mercado-Smith and Robert Combs, 2018 Pete Villa Award winner Tristan Sinclair, Rotary Club member Ken Sandy.
California High School; Demonte Aleem, Xavier Coleman, and Jarom Kuaea from Dougherty Valley High School, David Hayward, Jack Stewardson, and Nate Rutchena from Monte Vista High School, and Tristan Sinclair, Lucas “Deuce” Palmer, and Beau Garratt from San Ramon Valley High School. First runner-up was Demonte Aleem from Dougherty Valley High School and second runner-up was Monte Vista High School’s David Hayward.
As part of the celebration of two years appearing at The Village Theatre & Art Gallery, the “Jazz Room” is bringing a raucous evening of musical entertainment to Danville on January 18th. Imagine a karaoke night with a charismatic host and fantastic piano accompaniment, and you get Jim Caruso’s Cast Party. For the anniversary show, legendary showman Jim Caruso brings this hilarious impromptu open mic variety show to provide an evening of music, comedy, and unexpected fun. The evening features a dazzling blend of songs, styles, and genres, as well as a surprise guest or two. And there is audience participation as well, so any one wanting to showcase their golden voice can sign up to get on stage and sing. From Broadway to jazz standards, accompanist Billy Stritch is ready to provide an upbeat and unique experience for the performers and audiences. To participate, email host Jim Caruso caruso212@aol.com in order to sign up. On the evening of the performance, be sure to bring sheet music for the musical accompaniment. The show is set for 8PM, January 18th, at the Village Theatre & Art Gallery, located at 233 Front St. in Danville. For ticket information, visit www.danville.ca.gov/villagetheatre. To learn more about The Jazz Room, visit www.evemarieshahoian.com. Follow on Facebook @TheJazzRoomDanville. For more information, contact Performing Arts Coordinator John Dunn at (925) 314-3418 or jdunn@danville.ca.gov.
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Jury continued from front page
departments, and agencies it will investigate during its term in office.” As a result, the Civil Grand Jury conducts its investigations under the auspices of the Superior Court and has broad access to public officials, employees, records, and information. Investigations by the grand jury are varied but generally come by way of three avenues: 1) Citizen complaints 2) Matters raised by the members of the grand jury, and 3) Referrals from the preceding grand jury. During its investigations, the Civil Grand Jury acts as a finder of fact. The jury evaluates whether the entity is operating in a businesslike manner and providing public services effectively and economically. While it has no authority to order or otherwise compel compliance with its recommendation, it is through its reports that the grand jury wields its power. The Civil Grand Jury’s investigations culminate in written reports which contain specific findings and recommendations aimed at identifying problems and offering ways to improve government operations and enhancing responsiveness. Not to be confused with the Criminal Grand Jury whose main function is to bring criminal indictments against individuals accused of committing crimes, the Civil Grand Jury acts as a representative of the county residents in promoting government accountability. The local governmental entity to which a report is directed is required to answer both the Findings and Recommendations of the report in writing and within a specified period after the issuance of the final report Since ordinary citizens are chosen for the job, the state legislature, through passage of statutes, provides legal assistance for each county grand jury including a Judge for the Superior Court and the District Attorney. Additionally, the law requires the Superior Court ensure that each incoming grand jury receives training to help it understand these laws; this training also
January 2019 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 11
provides practical advice on conducting watchdog investigations and writing grand jury reports. Most grand juries are given a local orientation program in addition to attending training. A current civil grand jurist noted that she had always been interested in serving on the Civil Grand Jury and until now did not have the time to dedicate to the service of being a grand jurist. “Being on the Contra Costa County civil grand jury is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It can be a lot of work at times but is very gratifying. You are challenged in a good way and are performing a community service. I highly recommend the experience and encourage citizens to apply if they have an interest.” A typical week as a grand jurist will involve grand jury/committee meetings, subcommittee interviews to solicit information, research, and computer work at home. Each grand jurist works on several committees investigating city and county governmental entities, public agencies, departments, and/or special districts. The grand jury speaks only through its written reports, so your last few months are spent writing and editing those reports for judicial review before being published.
HOW DOES A JUROR GET SELECTED?
Each year the process to select the next year’s civil grand jurists starts in March. About 75 applicants are screened and selected to be interviewed by the Grand Jury Selection Committee, which is composed of Superior Court Judges. After interviews, the judges nominate approximately 30 applicants to constitute a grand jury pool from which the final panel of 19 are selected by random drawing. The drawing is scheduled to be held in mid-June 2019, and the new members are sworn in on the same day. Some approximate dates and events in the application process to become a civil grand jurist for Contra Costa County are: March 22, 2019 - Applications due April 2019 – Background screening for all applicants May 2019 – Selected applicants are notified and interviewed Mid-June - random drawing of final panel from approximately 30 applicants remaining in grand jury pool For more information and application details on the Civil Grand Jury, visit www.cc-courts.org/grandjury or call the Civil Grand Jury Office at 925.608.2621. Applications for the year 2019 will be available late January.
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PAGE 12 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • January 2019
VALLEY VIGNETTE By Beverly Lane
BLACKHAWK -- THE NAME, THE RANCH, THE HOMES
Today Blackhawk describes a country club in Danville which celebrated its thirty-fifth anniversary recently. In the past, the name and the homes’ development have been linked to two “Blackhawk Wars,” one in 1832 and one in 1974. Originally, the name came from a Sac and Fox Indian warrior of such intelligence and fierceness that the 1832 Black Hawk Indian wars were named for him. Black Hawk led the war which resisted President Andrew Jackson’s policy of relocating Indian tribes east of the Mississippi. The name was then given to a famous thoroughbred horse, called Black Hawk, which the pioneer Easton family brought to California during the 19th century. Their Hillsborough ranch was named for the horse. Danville’s Blackhawk Ranch was established in 1917 when Ansel Mills Easton and his son-in-law William Q. Ward purchased 1,250 acres from Robert N. Burgess, owner of the new Mount Diablo Country Club. Architect Louis Mulgardt designed a spacious, showcase home for the families at the ranch where registered Shire workhorses and pure-bred Shorthorn cattle were raised. When the ranch was sold to Raymond Force in 1934, it was used as a summer home. Walnuts, Arabian horses, and Hereford cattle were raised on this diversified ranch. Force enlarged the property by purchasing the adjacent Wilson, Freitas, Sousa, Frick, and Goold properties. The Forces moved to the Ranch in 1941, and Mrs. Force, an ardent gardener, planned and planted a beautiful garden and grounds. Force also used the land to test new versions of Caterpillar farm equipment and tractors, transporting the experimental vehicles under wraps so they could be tried out in secret. After Force passed away, Howard Peterson, the owner of Peterson Tractor in San Leandro, bought the ranch. Peterson owned the Two-County (JJJ) Ranch on the boundary of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties and had admired the Blackhawk Ranch for years. One Saturday in the sixties, Peterson learned the Blackhawk Ranch was available. In the habit of going north from his ranch to get his hair cut in Danville, he recalled that Bill Flett, of Geldermann Realtors, saw him in the barber shop and said to him, “Howard, how’d you like to buy the Blackhawk Ranch? It’s up for sale.” Peterson said he could hardly wait to get out of the barber chair. He bought all 6,500 acres of the Ranch in 1964 which included 140 acres of walnuts, 500 Drawing of the Sac and Fox warrior Black Hawk acres of hay, 1,000 head of beef cattle and seven acres of well-landscaped gardens. One year he sold 103 tons of walnuts to Diamond. Peterson said he and his wife loved the ranch. They rebuilt the Easton-Ward house to create a beautiful ranch house with large picture windows looking all directions. When EBMUD was expanding to the valley, Peterson convinced EBMUD that he simply “had a big yard,” and the entire ranch went into the water district’s service boundary. Mr. Peterson said he sold Blackhawk because the county re-assessed the ranch as a potential subdivision, raising the taxes to $100,000 a year. He decided not to go into the land development business himself and chose to sell it to one buyer, keeping just 300 acres of the home and headquarters. After two years of discussions with Florida developer Ken Behring, a sale of 6,200 acres concluded in 1975. Behring’s Blackhawk Development Company envisioned a housing development of 4,800 dwelling units on 4,200 acres, the largest proposal to date in the County. From 1973 to 1976, no development proposal in the Bay Area received more newspaper headlines, with writers happily calling the debates “The Blackhawk Wars.” Blackhawk Ranch in the foothills of Mount Diablo Opponents charged the project was “leapfrog zoning,” represented urban sprawl and brought potential destruction to the Mount Diablo foothills. The opposition came from environmentalists, local activists, and Diablo residents who organized as “Amigos de Diablo.” Overriding County staff recommendations, the Board of Supervisors approved the development for 4,800 homes in 1974. The Amigos collected signatures for a referendum, and a law suit was filed. Petition signature-gatherers were harassed as they collected signatures. Blackhawk attorney Dan Van Voorhis said that they were “attempting to clarify the situation by putting ‘truth squads’ on the street.” The referendum did not make it to the ballot and was dismissed by a Superior Court Judge for several reasons. Blackhawk Development Corporation in turn sued Amigos members for slander, saying they had “maliciously conspired to delay” the project. The Blackhawk Corporation ultimately reduced the number of houses to 2,400 and dedicated 2,000 acres of open space to Mt. Diablo State Park by 1999. The first homes opened in 1979. More than 40 builders participated in the development, and now two 18-hole golf courses, two clubhouses, and several sports complexes are part of the gated community today known as Blackhawk. The Wars are no more. Sources: Museum of the San Ramon Valley archives, Valley Pioneers 1974-9, interviews with Howard Peterson, Sue Watson, Tony Dehaesus.
VOLUNTEER AT THE BLACKHAWK MUSEUM
Staff at the Blackhawk Museum believes that a museum’s strength comes from its community and that volunteers are the foundation of the community. Museum volunteers give their free time to enhance the experience of every visitor that comes through the door. Volunteers will be providing guided tours to school and adult groups, greeting Museum visitors, representing the Museum at a car show or other special event, fundraising for the Children’s Education and Transportation Fund, or simply lending their real-world expertise to the Museum’s staff. The Blackhawk Museum couldn’t function without their volunteers. If you would like to join a group of enthusiastic people with shared interests, the Museum’s many volunteer opportunities are for you! For more information, visit http://blackhawkmuseum.org/volunteer-form.
SEARCH AND RESCUE
The Contra Costa County Sheriff ’s Search and Rescue Team needs volunteer members to respond to missing person incidents, disasters, and other critical incidents. Team members are on call 24/7 year-round. The program provides required training; including wilderness traveling, first aid, map and compass usage, tracking disaster response, and search skills; and may also include special training for canine, equestrian, technical, mountain bike, or other rescue skills. For information and applications, visit www.contracostasar.org or call (925) 646-4461.
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January 2019 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 13
Results. Pure and Simple. •
In the last 60 days, over 80 homes have been withdrawn/cancelled in this current changing market
•
Don had ZERO listings that were withdrawn/cancelled in the last year
•
What is your home worth in today’s market? The market is changing.
Call Don Today if you would like to know the true current value of your home!
Don Magalhaes 925.786.1855 don@compass.com DRE 00897221
Compass is a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdraw without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. Exact dimensions can be obtained by retaining the services of an architect or engineer. This is not intended to solicit property already listed.
CRFG continued from front page
in exploring products from plants around the world through tasting as well as growing unusual fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Free bi-monthly Golden Gate meetings give non-members a chance to learn what lures folks who simply like to taste fruit to bond with experts who have been growing unusual fruits for decades. Treasurer Liz Strauss came to her first meeting intending to skip the potluck lunch that opens each one. Members urged her to eat. She soon found the company exceptional. “I no longer had to endure hanging out with people who only ate supermarket Red Delicious apples. All of us enjoy learning about different edible plant parts (not just fruit, by the way), and we all enjoy eating.” Would you know what to do with a durian? Most Americans discovering one on their doorstep would look for a lurking prankster. Popular in Southeast Asia and nicknamed the King of Fruits because of its up to foot-long size, the durian is packed with incredibly nutritious pulp. Thanks to a recent tasting event, Golden Gate members know how to peel back the spine-covered skin. But the spines aren’t the durian’s only defense mechanism. The odor exuded by the fruit combines essence of skunk, rotten egg, and raw sewage discouraging the uninitiated from sampling the honey flavored flesh. The September 2018 meeting was a chocolate-lovers’ dream. Sean Taylor, traveling chocolate maker, winemaker and fermentation specialist talked about the history, economics, and science of chocolate growing Liz Strauss holds spiny durians at arms length. (photo while offering insight into the lives of the six million cacao growers across the world whose average farm courtesy of Mark Hughes) is only 2.5 acres. Almost all are clustered within 10 degrees of the equator. A no-see-um pollinator, the chocolate midge, is essential for successful crops. The audience deemed the single-source chocolates Taylor offered for tasting “intense.” Asked what she values most about membership, Annie Stovall replies: “I enjoy the camaraderie and the extensive knowledge that many of the ‘old-time’ members share with us as well as the monthly meetings where we have great speakers and the chance to taste fruit I’ve never tried before.” Annie has been growing fruit in Walnut Creek since 1989 but didn’t discover CRFG until January 2011. On Saturday, January 19, 2019 from noon to 3pm, Golden Gate will hold its annual scion exchange at the Horticultural Department, Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill. Open to the public with a modest $5 entrance fee, the event offers two formal sessions on grafting and rooting cuttings. Experts are available with advice on whether fruits are easy to grow or might be challenging, can be grown in containers or need to be planted in ground, can be grafted on an existing tree in the yard or raised on their own roots, are self-fertile or need a companion plant for pollination. Scions (sections of plant material ready to graft or root) are free. Vendors will also be present, and Barath Raghavan led Golden Gate volunteers in planting the Ohlone Greenway selling related items. Orchard in Albany. (photo courtesy of Mark Hughes)
See CRFG continued on page 17
PAGE 14 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • January 2019
QUICK TRIPS By Linda Summers Pirkle
UCSF MISSON BAY CAMPUS
“A city within a city” is how our guide described the former Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau in Barcelona. Lluis Domenech i Montaner (1850-1923), the original architect, created this Catalan Art Nouveau jewel using the best artisans, sculptors, mosaicists, and draftsmen of the early 1900’s. He believed that tranquility, nature, sunlight, fresh air, and beauty were essential in the healing process, a revolutionary concept for hospitals in 1905. Twenty-seven buildings of the original design were built, and each one is beautiful. Stone, ceramic, brick, wood, glass, iron, and gorgeous mosaic tile were used to create the stunning architectural complex. A labyrinth of underground tunnels connects each pavilion and served as a thoroughfare for busy staff who transported equipment, soiled linens, even corpses so as not to disturb patients during their rest and recovery. Gardens located in the courtyard were planted with native Mediterranean aromatic trees including bitter orange, lime, chestnut, and palm as well as medicinal plants like verbena, sage, thyme, and rosemary, creating spaces for strolling and contemplation. Just steps away from the hustle and bustle of Barcelona’s St. Pau hospital ward circa 1930. the city of Barcelona, the complex was a protected refuge, a place for healing and therapy. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, the former Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau is currently being restored to its former glory.
NEW YEAR’S WINE RESOLUTIONS 2019
By Monica Chappell
I’ve made my share of New Year’s resolutions through the years, but none have been quite as delicious (or easy to keep) as those that involve wine. How many of your resolutions are wine-related? Whether you plan to take a course or read a book, learning about wine can be one of the easiest, most fun New Year’s resolutions to keep. Here’s a checklist of 10 things to do this year that will make wine more accessible all year long. 1. Open a Sparkler for No Reason - There are so many reasonably priced bubblies that they can be cheaper than ordinary wine. Put a bottle in the fridge, and open it for dinner. 2. Drink More White Wine with Cheese - I’ve discovered that white wine generally tastes better with most cheeses than red; acidity does the trick. My favorite combination is goat cheese and a crisp Sauvignon Blanc. 3. Go to a Wine Bar - If you have been to some wine bars before, try a wine bar you haven’t visited, and order an unusual flight of wines to try. 4. Take Notes on a Fine Wine - You’ll find that the wine will change with time, air, and warmth. When you go back over your notes, you might be amazed at the changes. 5. Stop Holding Back “Great” Bottles - I’m as guilty as anyone of saving wines instead of enjoying them. Without waiting for a special occasion, invite friends over and open some of those gems you’ve got stashed away. 6. Visit a Local Winery - You’ll be amazed at the diversity of wines and styles in your own neck of the woods. 7. Try Different Wines - There are more than 5,000 grape varieties in
www.yourmonthlypaper.com Although never a choice, the services of a hospital are often inevitably necessary. UCSF Mission Bay Campus, a teaching, research, and clinical care campus located near the new Warriors stadium in San Francisco with a daily population of about 3,500, opened in 2015. Mission Bay is a beautiful campus with more than one million square feet of research space including a 289-bed Ophiucus, hanging sculpture in lobby of Mission Bay UCSF created by Spencer Finch (American b. 1962) hospital that serves women, using fluorescent lamps enclosed in color sleeves children, and cancer patients. What a gorgeous campus it is! Like St. Pau in Barcelona, UCSF Mission Bay includes buildings designed by internationally renowned architects who created a facility that provides a state-of-the-art healing environment for patients. And, like St.Pau, Mission Bay architects paid close attention to creating a tranquil space by incorporating nature, sunlight, fresh air, and beauty. Each room has either a bay, city, or garden view, and the hospital delivers 100 percent fresh outdoor air, with no recirculation throughout the buildings protecting patients and staff form airborne infections. Specially made sound-absorbing ceilings and floors provide peace and quiet. Mission Bay has 16 outdoor gardens totaling 4.3 acres, and every floor has an outdoor terrace with views as well as meditation rooms with low light, calming music, and nature inspired décor. Musicians including a harpist and guitarist perform in waiting areas on certain days of the week. What truly stands out at UCSF Mission Bay is the art collection. Everywhere you look, inspiring and provocative artwork including murals, paintings, tile mosaics, artwork by patients and staff, quilts, and mobiles abound. I learned the extensive art collection at UCSF Mission Bay is named in honor of J. Michael Bishop, MD, Nobel laureate (1989) and former UCSF chancellor (1998-2009). Bishop established a public art program to coincide with the ongoing construction of the new campus “to create an environment that will be a credit and benefit to the entire community, a stimulating and pleasant place to work and visit, and a permanent legacy to the city.” If you are at the hospital on a Friday, stop in the cafeteria for delicious Friday fish tacos; grilled cod on small tortillas with crispy purple and white cabbage with a delicious light sauce for under $5. Expect a line; the yummy tacos are very popular with the staff. UCSF Mission Bay is located at 1855 4th Street, San Francisco, CA. Linda Summers Pirkle travel consultant and long-term Danville resident has arranged and led 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. “What a great place to live, so much to see, so much to do.” To share your “Quick Trips” ideas email Coverthemap@gmail.com. the world, but many of us drink the same one, or few, week after week (the equivalent of eating chicken every night). 8. Try a Wine You Think You Don’t Like - Are you sure you don’t like German wine? Have you tried a modern Chianti? Things change, including your taste. 9. Order the Least Expensive Wine on the List - This takes courage, but I’ve found that many restaurant wine buyers work hard at finding great deals. And the opposite applies as well, go above your usual limit for wine if there is a bottle that looks interesting to you. 10. Enroll in a Wine Appreciation Class - Taking a wine class can be a fun, unintimidating way to learn more about wine. Whether you take a class on the basics or one with a narrower focus, you’ll learn something new and have fun in the process. Extra Credit - If you have never dropped me a note to say hello or ask a question, don’t be shy. My email address is wineappreciation101@gmail.com. I’ll do my best to get back to you promptly. Happy New Year!
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January 2019 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 15
PAGE 16 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • January 2019
CLIP NOTES
By Jody Morgan
Over 150 years ago, a boy named Jamie Barrie joined schoolmates in acting out adventure stories in a garden in Scotland. The property ran down to the River Nith, with formal plantings yielding to a bit of more natural landscape. Decades later J. M. Barrie turned to that idyllic time as the inspiration for Peter Pan. Soon after arriving in Dumfries as a lad of 13 to attend Dumfries Academy and board with his older brother Alexander, newly appointed Schools Inspector, Barrie met Stuart Gordon. Both boys and their circle of friends were devotees of James Fenimore Cooper’s novels. Barrie introduced the group to The Coral Island, a tale of three shipwrecked boys named Ralph, Jack, and Peterkin by R. M. Ballantyne. In his introduction to the 1913 edition of The Coral Island, Barrie wrote: “We had a sufficiently mysterious cave, that had not been a cave until we named it, and here we grimly ate cocoa-nuts stoned from trees which not even Jack nor Ralph nor Peterkin would have recognized as likely to bear them.” As they conjured a South Sea setting from a Scottish riverbank, Gordon adopted the persona of Dare Devil Dick and renamed Barrie Sixteen-String Jack. The acreage encompassing their imaginary encounters with danger belonged to Mont Brae, a magnificent Georgian house owned by Gordon’s father. Speaking at Dumfries in 1924, Barrie recalled: “… when shades of night began to fall, certain young mathematicians shed their triangles, crept up walls and down trees, and became pirates in a sort of Odyssey that was long afterwards to become the play Peter Pan. For our escapades in a certain Dumfries garden which is enchanted land to me, were certainly the genesis of that nefarious work, Peter Pan.” Barrie recorded those romps in the Log-Book that he considered his first fictional masterpiece. Another Dumfries friend, Wedd Anderson, gave Jamie unlimited access to books of every sort. Wedd’s father owned the town bookshop and lending library. By the time Barrie completed his studies at Dumfries Academy in 1878,
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www.yourmonthlypaper.com he had penned and staged his first play, Bandelero the Bandit, and decided that he was destined for a career in literature. Like the adventures worked out by Barrie and his boyhood friends, the script of Peter Pan evolved magically through the process of rehearsal. Named after the Greek god Pan, progenitor of the Pied Piper of Hamelin who lured children from their homes, Peter was originally intended to be the villain. By the time the play opened in London in 1904, Gerald du Maurier’s masterful portrayal of Captain Hook had transformed the role from a few lines to a major part, recasting the pirate captain as the demon. In Hide and Seek with Angels: A Life of J. M. Barrie, Lisa Chaney writes: “At first sight Peter Pan appears to be for children, yet its premiere was played in front of an audience composed of adults, and held in the evening when Barrie would customarily present a new play to the public.” She notes that the blurring of distinctions between adulthood and childhood created a daring piece of theater. Success was immediate. Children packed theaters on both sides of the Atlantic, making the tale their own. After 91 years as a private residence, Moat Brae became a hospital and then a nursing home. One of the nurses would take young patients to a small upstairs window and tell them it was where Peter Pan flew in. After the nursing home closed in 1997, the house descended into disrepair. In 2009, three days before a bulldozer was scheduled to demolish the building, a group of volunteers put a halt to the project. A decade later, now organized as the Peter Pan Moat Brae Trust, the group is reopening Moat Brae and the remaining 1.75-acre garden in spring 2019 as a National Centre for Children’s Literature and Storytelling. Would Barrie be amused or appalled by the theme-park-like additions to Moat Brae’s garden including a pirate ship, an Indian village, and a mermaid lagoon? Certainly he would approve of the central stage for young thespians to try their skills and youthful audiences to applaud performances. Perhaps the interior spaces devoted to storytelling and stimulating an interest in both reading and writing will be the inspiration for future generations of novelists, playwrights and patrons of the literary arts. Public gardens across the US offer popular fairy garden events. Everyone who appreciates the enchantment gardens generate keeps the magic alive.
helped a bit. “After finding wonderful carpools with great friends, the time has passed by much faster,” says Carter, who often uses the commute to review school notes. “It really teaches you time management as well.” For Carter, the best part about Oakland Strokes is the community and coaching staff. “The amount of expertise the coaches bring to the table, as well as the number of hardworking kids it attracts, allows the team to flourish and be one of the most successful junior programs in the country,” says Carter. “Even if you may not be one of the most physically talented or gifted, this program is designed to make you reach your full potential in a very short time period. “Some rowing clubs cut members; however, Oakland Strokes does not. Oakland Strokes, regardless of your athletic ability, will give you the opportunity to row in a boat and will teach you the fundamentals. If you put in the time and effort, you can grasp the concepts and slowly merge parts of a stroke into beautiful fluid motion. Furthermore, anyone can join at any point in time. No matter age or year in school, the sport will open so many doors for you.” Weekday practice takes place Monday through Friday from M-F 4:15pm to 6:45pm, and Saturday and Sundays 6am to 11am. Competition varies by novice/varsity/ women’s/men’s categories and can take place anywhere from The San Pablo Bay to the Charles River in Boston, site of the iconic ‘Head of The Charles’ regatta, held every fall since 1965, and in which Oakland Strokes has sent a team for the past several years. Their boats consistently place and win at such regional, national, and world championships including the Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames in London. They have won 19 National Championships and countless Southwest Regional Championships. “Ever since I began rowing, my goal was to qualify for the Head of the Charles Regatta,” says Carter, who this year was able to achieve the aspiration. “Going to The Head of the Charles and seeing college students on their bikes with tweed blazers, and a shell of eight going past every 15 seconds on The Charles River was more magical than words can explain,” says Young. “The synchronicity of the oars locking coupled with the slight ripple of the water as the fall leaves cast their color display was beyond magnificent.” For more information, visit www.oaklandstrokes.org.
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LIFE IN THE ALAMO/ DANVILLE GARDEN
CONTEMPORARY DESIGN By John Montgomery, Landscape Architect, ASLA
It’s a New Year and time to turn over a new leaf! We are always excited about new things, especially when they relate to Landscape Architecture, so contemporary style in the landscape has of course stolen our hearts. We have many favorite elements that form the contemporary aesthetic, among them clean architectural lines, new solutions to hardscape, and an emphasis on textural plantings. We love the focus on structure and simplicity, especially when combined with a home remodel to give an entire properties a real update! Hardscape elements, or the non-living surfaces i n a l a n d s c ap e , are brought to the forefront in contemporary design. Brushed concrete pavers, river stone, and slate have a distinctly modern b ent. C ombine d hardscape is another trend we are really A brushed concrete walkway cuts through this J.Montgomery in love with. These Landscape,all geometric clean lines and soft green grasses. include stone and gravel in different sizes combined with concrete or stone pavers which are held in place with clean metal edging for geometric elegance on the ground. CorTen steel is undeniably the signature new material for anything from planters to retaining walls. Its beautiful rusting palette lends a warm contrast to grey stone hardscape. The effect of plantings framed by the metal makes it one of our favorite additions to a garden. New planting design spans a broad spectrum from natural grassland to structural mass plantings of succulents. Texture seems to rule overall - soft wispy grasses contrast stark hardscape, thick leathery leaves stand upright amidst soft ground-covers, and wild-looking plants from Australia and South Africa have a bold vertical presence singularly or in mass. We love the mood created by these simple plantings, and we get excited when we can design entirely new aesthetics by combining them with traditional styles. One of the joys of design is that it is constantly changing. Introducing new elements into the landscape can bring a fresh look and enhanced interest. In the colder months, exploring style options for the garden is a great way to prepare for the season ahead. Spring will be here before we know it! “An d n o w l e t u s welcome the new year, full of things that never were.” ~ Rainer Maria CorTen Steel retaining wall embedded in stone with South Rilke African Cape Rush behind. J. Montgomer y Designs offers custom Landscape Architecture and Design on all scales. If you’re considering a new look in any style, we would love to work with you! Contact our Alamo studio at 925-820-8884 to schedule a Complimentary Consultation, or visit our online portfolio at jmontgomerydesigns.com. Advertorial
January 2019 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 17
WALNUT CREEK GARDEN CLUB
JANUARY 14TH MEETING - KNOW YOUR MUSHROOMS
David Rust, an expert on mushrooms and President of the Mycological Society, presenting his slide show “Know Your Mushrooms” will help attendees identify the good and the bad in the mushroom world. Come away with a new appreciation of fungi's significant benefits to our ecosystems and human health. The meeting will be held at Heather Farm, located at 1540 Marchbanks Road, Walnut Creek. The Business Meeting begins at 9:45AM, Social time at 10:30AM, and the program at 11AM. Everyone is invited to attend. For questions, email mslittle44@gmail.com.
DANVILLE-ALAMO GARDEN CLUB
Najat Nicola will create beautiful, imaginative, and classy flower arrangements at the Danville-Alamo Garden Club (DAGC) meeting on Thursday, January 10th. Najat is well known in the flower design world. She has presented at the Bouquets d' Arts at the deYoung for more than 14 years and also taught floral arrangement skills workshops at the Gardens at Heather Farm, Diablo Women's Garden Club, and throughout the area. Najat said her floral designs are more “freestyle.” She’s inspired by the way flowers and plants flow the way nature intended. “When I incorporate styles … I like to bring the outside in.” Aside from flowers, she might include sticks, bark, and fruit. The DAGC meets on the second Thursday of the months September to June, starting at 9:15am, at the Alamo Women’s Club, located at 1401 Danville Blvd, Alamo. The public is welcome with the guest fee of $10. If you have any questions, email membershipvp@dagc.us or visit www. dagc.us.
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Graham Stott collects scion material for several chapters. One source is members’ gardens. A few commercial growers who are active CRFG members provide additional varieties. Occasionally places with heirloom orchards invite CRFG to take cuttings. San Jose’s Prusch Park welcomes CRFG volunteers from area chapters one Saturday each January. Stott explains how cuttings from the park as well as those previously gathered are prepared. “Scions are about six inches long and have four or more buds. We then bundle each variety into Ziplock bags and distribute them into larger bags for each chapter.” Golden Gate member Ashok Tambwekar notes: “Many rare and older cultivars are not commercially available and can only be obtained through hobbyist propagation, and it is good to see these items shared more widely. Distr ibution and preservation is an important mission.” Bring a Ziplock bag with a bit of moisture and something to label your cuttings. If you are new to the exchange, doing a bit of advance research will help you focus on one or two varieties you may want to try. Asked what advice he would give novice g rowe rs , G ol d e n Molly and Ken Ong demonstrate the difficulty of getting the Ohlone Gate President Brian Greenway Orchard growing. (photo courtesy of Mark Hughes) Lavin responds, “My advice is not to be intimidated. It’s not always apparent how many mistakes people have made to get where they are. You see experienced people growing all sorts of things, and you don’t see everything they’ve killed. Expose yourself to as many sources as possible.” Golden Gate Membership Chair Molly Ong characterizes chapter members as “enthusiastic home gardeners who enjoy eating and growing lots of unusual and different kinds of fruit.” Molly packs an incredible assortment into her 50’ x 150’ El Cerrito yard. “When I first joined,” she recalls, “I
See CRFG continued on page 26
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PAGE 18 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • January 2019
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TECHNOLOGY MATTERS
By Evan Corstorphine, Portable CIO, Inc.
As we start our new year, I’d like to take you on a brief journey through a piece of your household technology that is often overlooked. In fact, it’s often not until the end of November that we even start to think about this item, and by that time there isn’t enough time to shop for good sales and make the necessary changes you may have in mind. Of course, what I’m talking about are your “multi-denominational holiday illuminators” (also known as “Christmas Lights”). We see these lights on houses, trees, businesses, and across city parkways. From the 1940’s, these were all either C7, C9, or “mini” incandescent bulbs. In fact, Christmas lights were just a standard filament-style element inside a painted glass bulb. We’ve all seen beautiful scenes of a snowy home ringed by the warm, pretty colors of these lights, and those are endearing images. If you’ve ever handled these lights, you’ll also recall that they were very fragile and very hot! Unfortunately, the heat they generated started a lot of house fires. In fact, we almost had a fire when this type of bulb charred a patch of my living room carpet adjacent to my tree. That heat they generated was also an indicator of how much electricity they consumed – a lot. Each regular C9 outdoor Christmas light consumed approximately10.5 watts of electricity, which adds up when you consider they come in strings of 25 bulbs. When you multiply that consumption by the hundreds of bulbs required to light a standard suburban home, it adds up very quickly, and it is too much for a single household 15 amp outlet to handle. My own home requires approximately 200 feet of bulbs to adorn the front and side perimeter, and another 100 feet for the roof crown. Standard strings use one bulb for every foot of wire, which means my home requires 300 bulbs. When we divide that by strings of 25 lights, I need 12 standard strings. At 10.5 watts per bulb, for 300 bulbs I’d use 3,150 watts of power. Phew! Because that’s so much power, I used to split the load across four or five separate outside outlets using separate timers, because the load was far too much for one circuit to handle. You should have seen how fast my old PGE
meter used to spin when those timers clicked ON. I’m sure PGE loved it. However, with LED technology finally advancing to a reasonable and cost-effective level, and being tired of burned fingers, huge electricity bills, and blown breakers, I began converting. I still use 300 bulbs to light my house. However, now the entire enterprise can be run from one single outlet, and it consumes only 87 watts – about the same as a standard indoor lamp. This is a 97% reduction in the amount of power I’m consuming! Most importantly, the bulbs no longer threaten to burn my house with their heat, and the convenience of running it from one outlet allows me to control it from a single Alexa-linked timer. Our Christmas lights can run longer, and now they consume a tiny fraction of the electricity. Now I don’t even notice it on my bill. The only downside with LED lights is that they’re not cheap. It is important to comparison-shop and look for sales. In fact, while saving money in one area, our costs go up proportionately in another. Because I want the benefits of cooler, lower-consumption lights that can be run from a single circuit, I’m willing to make the up-front investment in the more expensive bulbs. This made sense for me; your math may be different. Another thing I’ve done is to buy three 100-foot strings of outlets and a plastic reel, instead of using 12 individual 25’ strings that needed to be daisy-chained together. Since one 100-foot string only consumes about 29 watts, I have no fear of blowing a breaker. For me, these trade-offs are well worth it. There are many websites for buying LED Christmas lights, and I urge you to familiarize yourself with the marketplace before making a purchase. While writing this article, I found a website which did a good job of illustrating the trade-offs between LED and incandescent light bulbs: https://tinyurl.com/ pcio-lights. I do not endorse a single vendor for purchasing items, because prices (not to mention reputations) change so often. I’m confident that with a little research you will find answers for your particular situation. Did you find this article illuminating? Are there other areas of technology upon which I may shed some light? Are there areas of your home or office technology that need more clarity and simplification? If so, please contact me at info@pcioit.com, or 925-552-7953, because technology matters. Advertorial
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HAPPY RETIREMENT
January 2019 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 19
By Robert Cucchiaro
If you’ve been paying attention to the news, or dared to peak at your 401K or brokerage account statement, you know that the last two months have not been good for stocks. In this very newspaper back in July, I wrote a cautionary tale about the potential impact rising interest rates and tariffs could have on the stock market. Just a few months later, that prognostication came to fruition as October was the worst month for stocks since 2008. The thesis behind my July article was that the economy and the corporations that make up the stock market were facing two giant headwinds, neither of which had been seen in decades, with rising interest rates and tariffs. I stated that these two factors would depress corporate profits (earnings), bringing down stock prices. During the month of October, this is exactly what happened as many companies reported Q3 earnings saying profits were up (about 20% on average) from the previous year, but that expectations for the coming year’s profits weren’t as good. The recurring theme on these earnings calls was that rising rates, a tight labor market (which means higher wages for workers), and tariffs are all conspiring to depress next year’s profits for most major companies.
SO WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?
Since the goal for most of our clients (and presumably many of my readers) is a happy retirement, I would suggest the following: 1. The past nine years have been great for large US stocks and not so great for just about every other type of investment. As a result, globally diversified portfolios have lagged the large US stock market and caused investors to wonder if diversification is really worth it. As the month of October proved, stock prices can fall in a heartbeat, even for the best companies in the world (Amazon was down 20% for the month and Google was down close to 10%). Now is the time to get a globally diversified portfolio if you don’t already have one. 2. Retirement planning has two phases, accumulation (saving) and distribution (spending). During the accumulation phase, large stock market declines can and should be largely ignored. In fact, as a saver, lower stock prices mean you can buy on the cheap, which is a good thing. Just the opposite is true once you retire and enter the distribution phase. If you have to sell investments to live off of the income, steep and abrupt declines in prices can be your worst enemy and could cause you to outlive your capital, every retiree’s worst nightmare. Make sure your portfolio contains at least one investment that will do the opposite of stocks, so that in every market environment you have something you can sell when you need to raise cash. 3. Consider taking some chips off the table if you are over-allocated to US stocks but haven’t been selling because you didn’t want to pay the taxes. We often see prospective clients who should have less in stocks (as a percentage of their portfolio) based on their age, risk comfort level, and a host of other factors. But when asked why they’ve been reluctant to sell some of their stocks and rotate into other assets, the answer is almost always that they don’t want to pay the taxes. Companies like Netflix, Facebook, and Apple have all fallen more than 20% from their 52 week highs in just the past two months. Needless to say, a lot of their shareholders wish they had sold and paid the taxes. If you are looking for a financial partner whose mission is to help you enjoy a happy retirement, come visit Summit Wealth & Retirement in Danville and interview us. We have three Certified Financial Planners on staff and over 30 years of experience helping folks enjoy their retirement. Visit our website, give us a call at 925-927-1900, or email me at rob@swrpteam.com. Robert Cucchiaro is a Certified Financial Planner and owner of Summit Wealth & Retirement, a financial planning firm that has been serving Danville for over 30 years. Summit Wealth has three Certified Financial Planners (CFP®), a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), an MBA, and a Tax Director (EA) all on staff and in Danville. Visit us at www.summitwealthandretirement.com. Advertorial
BE ON HIGH ALERT FOR ELDER FINANCIAL ABUSE!
By Robert J. Silverman, Esq.
Working with many elderly clients and hearing about the parents of “baby boomer” clients of mine, I see and hear signs of elder financial abuse way too often. Some of the stories are really heartbreaking. The confluence of an aging population, longer life expectancies, and a plethora of con-artists has resulted in an explosion of such instances in the last few decades. The perpetrators may be caregivers, financial service providers, neighbors, or “friends.” Sadly, family members of the victim are the most common perpetrators. Fortunately, California has responded by enacting more aggressive civil legislation in the last decade or so to help protect against such elder financial abuse. Unfortunately, however, it is still difficult to combat. Sometimes it isn’t recognized, or at least not until it’s too late – after the abuser and the money have disappeared. Tragically, financial elder abuse is hugely under-reported, usually because the elder victim and/or family is embarrassed or just wants to move on. Even when a civil lawsuit is filed, the accused perpetrator often argues that the elderly victim voluntarily gifted him the absconded funds. Evidence to the contrary may not be sufficient to satisfy the required standard of proof to hold the perpetrator liable. “Secret marriage” (a version of which is called “deathbed marriage”) is an ugly twist on elder financial abuse that can be difficult to defend against, particularly after the elder victim dies. This is when a financial abuser secretly marries an elderly person. Frequently, the marriage stays secret because the elder victim is incapacitated or has significant enough mental deficits that he or she doesn’t recall that the marriage ever took place. The sanctity and personal nature of marriage is such that courts are typically very reticent to second guess an elderly person’s decision to marry. Of course, once married, the abuser then manipulates the vulnerable elder
into making gifts to the abuser and/or turning over access to the elders assets. Often, the perpetrator persuades the victim to change his Will or Living Trust so that the abuser-spouse becomes the sole or major beneficiary. Even if the elder dies without a Will, the abuser-spouse becomes entitled to all or a share of the victim’s assets under applicable law. Interestingly, I’m working on a case now in which a very wealthy 96 year old man with two sons asked his 43 year old caregiver to marry him, at which time he offered to “give her everything.” Fortunately, she knew that it would be dishonorable to do this, so she rejected his offer (though he independently changed his living trust to give her a small portion of his assets anyway). Of course, most of the time the outcome in this kind of situation is very different than what happened in this case! Naturally, the most effective means of fighting elder financial abuse is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Elder abuse clinics and outreach programs sponsored by professional, judicial, and other non-profit organizations help build awareness and offer useful tools. Close relatives or friends of the elder are sometimes willing and able keep an eye out for signs of potential abuse. Otherwise, what can you do to try to prevent this kind of awful fraud and deception? Whether you are elderly yourself or a child of parents who are of advanced age, you should make sure that you (or your elderly parents) seek appropriate legal advice. While hiring an experienced estate planning attorney is not a guarantee against elder financial abuse, it can help considerably via careful legal analysis, thoughtful legal advice, and preparation and execution of appropriate estate planning documents. Estate Planning |Trust Administration & Probate | Real Estate | Business Please contact the author to request a complimentary: i) “Estate Planning Primer”; ii) Real Estate titling brochure; iii) introductory meeting. Mr. Silverman is an attorney with R. Silverman Law Group, 1855 Olympic Blvd., Suite 125, Walnut Creek, CA 94596; (925) 705-4474; rsilverman@rsilvermanlaw.com. This article is intended to provide information of a general nature, and should not be relied upon as legal, tax and/ or business advice. Readers should obtain specific advice from their own, qualified professional advisors. Advertorial
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PAGE 20 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • January 2019
ALAMO IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION
By Roger Smith, President CORNUCOPIA OF DELIGHTS AT ALAMO FARMER’S MARKET
Your Alamo Farmers’ Market has a great selection of produce options. Stop by and find oranges, clementines, mandarins, grapefruit, pomelos, grapes, persimmons, apples, and pomegranates. There is also fresh fish from Half Moon Bay by Captain M. Webb, (you can even order in advance), and pastries and more from Dore’ French Bakery in Brentwood! Fruit Tree of Alameda is serving organic fruit smoothies, and the newest hot food vendor, Mangan Tayon Delight, delivers authentic Filipino Street Fare prepared on site (BBQ chicken/pork, lumpia, and more!). The Alamo Farmer’s Market is located in Alamo Plaza, off of Danville Blvd near Bank of America in Alamo. It is open, rain or shine, Sundays, 9AM – 2PM.
ARE YOU A TARGET FOR “CRIMES OF OPPORTUNITY”?
A growing number of residents have had the misfortune of experiencing theft of items from their auto, burglary of their garage or home, and in a few cases have even had the removal of what were thought to be secure wall safes. Evidence indicates that these thieves appear to be from out of the area, may act as a single operator but more likely have one or two accomplices that act as a look-out and/or driver, and are very well prepared to break-in and escape quickly, leaving their vehicles with engines running while committing a crime. Anyone can become a target for “crimes of opportunity” by being unaware of their circumstances and failing to take precautions. Simply put, do not allow yourself, family, auto, or home to become a victim of criminals that can be traveling our roadways, streets, and shopping centers. Here is a detailed list of DO’s for you to save and reference. DO (For Your Auto) • Install and maintain auto security systems on your vehicles. • Secure, or better yet remove, your valuables including computers, cellphones, backpacks, purses, wallets, etc. • Always lock auto doors and roll up windows. DO (For Your Home) • Install and maintain outdoor security lighting • Install and maintain an indoor security system, and post signs/window stickers • Install and maintain security cameras at points of access. It is best to make sure that cameras have adequate lens definition for facial and license plate recognition and hard drive devices are adequately hidden or online and offsite at another secure location for evidence purposes following a crime. • Lock doors and windows • Consider a personal early warning and guard system (ie, a family canine!) DO (When Traveling) • Alert the Alamo Sheriff’s Substation Office ,and complete their Vacation House Check form to verify status of lights, vehicles, alarm, dog(s), pool, gardener, and any maintenance services. • Alert the Alamo Post Office to place a Vacation Hold on mail delivery. • Alert a neighbor to remove any package or newspaper deliveries to the property on a daily basis.
REPORT SUSPICIOUS PERSONS/ACTIVITIES Alamo Sheriff’s Dispatch – (925) 646-2441 Danville Police Dispatch – (925) 820-2144 FOR EMERGENCIES, CONTACT 911
YOU CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT CRIME PREVENTION
“Neighborhood Watch” is a crime prevention program that stresses education and common sense. It teaches citizens how to help themselves by identifying and reporting suspicious activity in their neighborhoods. In addition, it provides citizens with the opportunity to make their neighborhoods safer and improve the quality of life. Neighborhood Watch groups typically focus on observation and awareness as a means of preventing crime and employ strategies that range from simply promoting social interaction and “watching out for each other” to active patrols by groups of citizens.
INTERESTED IN NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH?
Interested in enhancing communication with your neighbors and neighborhood groups? Interested in providing a speaker for Neighborhood Meeting(s) to discuss Theft Prevention Techniques and in helping establish a network of interested representatives from various neighborhoods and neighborhood groups to discuss the Neighborhood Watch program and its benefits? In Alamo please contact Christina Land-Winters, Community Services Unit, Sheriff’s Office
(925) 313-2682. In Danville please contact Juliet Kelly, Administration, Danville Police Department (925) 314-3700, ext. 3704. There are many benefits of starting or becoming involved in a Neighborhood Watch group and becoming involved in a neighborhood group on NextDoor.com. Being a member gives you the opportunity to know your neighbors; helps deter criminal activity; offers a greater sense of security for those who live alone; trains you to be more aware of your surroundings; reduces your risk of becoming a victim; connects you to your neighborhood and makes you feel like part of a something larger; directly addresses quality of life issues; plugs you in to what emergency personnel are doing to help protect your community; offers you support following a natural disaster; takes power out of the hands of criminals; offers a sense of empowerment to law abiding citizens, and provides you with actionable, easy ways to protect yourself and your property. Visit www.NextDoor.com for more information on how to join your local group.
AIA MEMBERSHIP
Now in its 64th year, AIA, a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization, has the longest history of serving our community and helping shape it into “the place where we love to live”! Since 1955, Alamo (and Danville) residents have been joining the Alamo Improvement Association and working in support of AIA’s mission statement: to “preserve the semi-rural character of Alamo.” I want to thank all of our many volunteers, both past and present, for their efforts over the last 63 years in making Alamo into the wonderful community that it is today. Please complete and return your annual membership form to AIA at PO Box 156, Alamo, CA 94507. Please also visit our website at www.AlamoCA.org for information on AIA, articles of interest to residents, membership forms, and more.
DANVILLE LIONS CLUB
The Danville Lions Club meets for dinner at Crow Canyon Country Club on the first and third Wednesday of every month. Danville Lions Club supports blind charities, Sight First, the curing of pediatric cancer, local sight screening, the fight against diabetes, and many local charities. The group has interesting speakers at each meeting. Contact Truman Howard (925) 787-2565 or truman.howard@gmail.com for reservations. Visitors and new members are welcome. For more information, visit www.danvillelionsclub.org.
EXCHANGE CLUB
The Exchange Club of San Ramon Valley meets for lunch the second Wednesday of every month at Faz Restaurant located at 600 Hartz Avenue in Danville. Sign-in and social time begin at 11:30AM. The meeting starts promptly at noon and ends promptly at 1PM. The one-hour program features guest speakers and business networking. Guests are welcome with luncheon reservations. The cost is $20 for members and first time guests, and $23 for returning guests. For reservations and information please contact Karen Stepper at 925-998-8865 or coachstepper@yahoo.com.
KIWANIS CLUB OF SAN RAMON VALLEY
The Kiwanis Club of San Ramon Valley meets for lunch every Thursday at noon at Black Bear Diner, located at 807 Camino Ramon, Danville. The Club organizes the Kiwanis 4th of July Parade in Danville and many other exciting events. The Club has an interesting and informative weekly program speaker and specializes in fun and entertaining camaraderie. There is no charge for a guest lunch. For more information, call John Lineweaver at (925) 272-8207, email info@srvkiwanis.org, or visit www.srvkiwanis.org.
LOCAL ROTARY CLUBS
The Rotary Club of Alamo meets on Wednesdays at 12:15PM at Round Hill Country Club in Alamo. For information about the group contact Peter Walron at peter.waldron@lfg.com. The Danville Rotary Club meets every Monday at noon at the Black Bear Diner in Danville. For information, contact Bob Chace at bchace@pacbell.net or by phone at (925)838-7007. If you are interested in visiting the Danville/Sycamore Valley Rotary Club, contact Jim Coleman at coleman_jd@pacbell.net. Meetings are held on Tuesdays at 7AM at Crow Canyon Country Club. The Rotary Club of San Ramon Valley meets for dinner every Wednesday night at the Blackhawk Country Club in Danville. Networking and social time starts at 6:30PM with the meeting starting at 7PM. For more information, call Bernie at 925-352-2155. You can also visit www.sanramonvalleyrotary.com. Lastly, Rotary Club of San Ramon meets every Thursday between noon and 1:15pm at the Crow Canyon Country Club. For more information, contact Dennis Harvey at dennis@dharveyrealtor.com or 925-519-4748.
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January 2019 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 21
PAGE 22 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • January 2019
YOUR PERSONAL NUTRITIONIST By Linda Michaelis RD, MS LOSE YOUR WEIGHT FOREVER THIS NEW YEAR THE HEALTHY WAY
Happy New Year! Are you using this time as a motivator to drop the weight you have been struggling to lose all year round? You have the best of intentions to lose weight as the New Year begins, but somehow, life happens and you often find yourself going back to your old ways. Try a different approach for this New Year. Instead of making a diet and weight loss resolution, focus on improving your health by making weekly nutrition and fitness goals. Decide which goal you will work towards for the coming week. Log your progress and check in with yourself at week’s end. This is the process that I follow when I work with my clients. Don’t look at this year’s resolution as a temporary change; look at it as a lifestyle change. Making too many changes at once can cause you to burn out before the end of January and cause you to break your commitment. Therefore, instead of changing your entire way of living all at once, try making these small changes every day. Try these nutrition and fitness goals, and you’ll see how great you feel. 1. Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. Every day, have two servings of veggies such as adding veggies to your egg white omelet, having a soup with veggies at lunch, or eating a salad. Have a fruit at lunch and one after dinner. The new recommendation is that half your plate should be veggies and fruit, and the other half should be a ½ cup of grains and 4 ounces protein. 2. Use portion control. Work your way to smaller portions, and this will help control your calories. If you use a big dinner plate and fill the whole plate, try using a smaller size plate. You will always eat more when you have a pile of food on your plate. 3. Limit the sweets. You do not have to avoid sweets. The key is moderation. If you enjoy dessert and sweets several times a day, make a goal for yourself to limit sweets to either once per day or a few times a week. I teach my clients to have their sweets after a meal instead of randomly during the day which will prevent cravings for sweets. 4. Swap out the soda and juice. These beverages are loaded with sugar and contribute to your daily calories. And let’s be honest: most people don’t only drink a can a day. So imagine how many extra pounds in one year are contributed from soda alone. I show my clients many popular beverages that have no calories. 5. Begin a walking program. Commit to a daily walk, first thing in the morning or after dinner. I teach my clients about interval training which shocks the metabolism and causes us to burn calories much faster. 6. Schedule your workouts. Just like you schedule a doctor’s appointment or a lunch date with a friend, schedule your workout on the calendar; and make it a part of your routine five times a week. I teach my clients how to set up their meal plan based on their exercise schedule for the day. 7. Make sure you are taking care of your basic needs such as eating and sleeping. By doing this it will then be easier to listen to what your body needs in terms of food and exercise. Often, I can see when my client is having a problem with overeating it is because they have not gotten enough sleep or are very overwhelmed with family and work and will use food to get through these stressful times. 8. Practice mindful eating. Since you have vowed not to diet this year, practice being mindful when you are eating. Listen for your hunger and fullness signals, and respond appropriately. Don’t eat when you are not hungry, yet don’t let yourself get to the ravenous point either. When eating, stop midway and ask yourself if you are still hungry. If not, stop and save the rest for another time. I take a lot of time to practice this technique with my clients. Many health insurance companies will pay for nutritional counseling. I am contracted with most insurance companies ABMG, Aetna, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Sutter, and UHC. Please call me at (925) 855-0150 about your nutritional concerns, email me at Lifeweight1@yahoo.com, and visit my website www.LindaRD.com. Advertorial
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ANNUAL HEMATOLOGY CONFERENCE OUTLINES NEW STANDARD OF CARE FOR CHRONIC LYMPHOCYTIC LEUKEMIA
By Robert Robles, MD
The American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting was held in San Diego at the beginning of December, 2018. An international crowd of 28,000 Hematologists and Oncologists were in attendance. The most important development reported concerned treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the most common leukemia in North America and Western Europe. A clinical trial completed in the United States compared aggressive chemotherapy with Ibrutinib (Imbruvica), an oral targeted therapy. Imbruvica proved superior to aggressive chemotherapy in a younger, healthier population. This trial, combined with results of previous clinical trials, establishes Ibrutinib as the new standard of care for chronic lymphocytic leukemia in all settings. A trial from Germany investigated whether a shorter course of chemotherapy would produce outcomes equal to a longer course of the same chemotherapy. Younger patients, ages 18-60, with “good risk” diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (the most common subtype of non-Hodgkins Lymphoma) received four or six treatments of R-CHOP (a standard chemotherapy recipe used worldwide). Survival for both groups was excellent and equal. Not surprisingly, the group which received less chemotherapy had fewer side effects. This trial will need longer follow up before a major change in treatment should be undertaken. A series of presentations looked at elderly patients with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. The conclusions from these presentations was to not entirely dismiss the idea of chemotherapy for elderly patients with aggressive non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Chemotherapy did improve survival of elderly patients with aggressive non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. However, doctors need to consider the support these patients have as well as their overall health before making a recommendation for or against chemotherapy. Finally, there was a timely panel discussion regarding the recent report of a Chinese scientist who allegedly performed gene editing on embryos using CRISPR (a technique which allows for very specific changes to genes). These manipulated embryos were implanted, and apparently healthy babies were born. The panel included the Director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Francis Collins, among others. The conclusions of the discussion was a denunciation of the irresponsibility of this scientist, as the consequences of this procedure will not be known for years. Robert Robles, MD is board certified in Hematology and Medical Oncology. He practices with Diablo Valley Oncology & Hematology Medical Group, located in Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, Brentwood and in San Ramon. Dr. Robles specializes in treating hematologic cancers, lymphomas, and blood and clotting disorders. He can be reached at 925677-5041. Advertorial
THE MANY FACES OF LEUKEMIA, LYMPHOMA AND MYELOMA - JANUARY 23RD
Join Dr. Robles and Dr. Aditi Choudhry at a free event where they will discuss and share exciting new research, treatments, and therapies recently announced at the American Society of Hematology’s annual meeting. The event takes place on January 23RD from 6:30-8:30PM at the Lafayette Library Community Room, 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd, Lafayette. To make a reservation, please call 925-677-5041, x272.
HEARING LOSS ASSOCIATION
Come to meetings of the Diablo Valley Chapter of Hearing Loss Association of America at 7pm on the 1st Wednesday of the month at the Walnut Creek United Methodist Church, located at 1543 Sunnyvale Ave., Walnut Creek Education Bldg., Wesley Room. Meeting room and parking are at back of church. Everyone is welcome. Donations are accepted. An assistive listening system is available for T-coils, and most meetings are captioned. Contact HLAADV@hearinglossdv. org, (925) 264-1199, or www.hearinglossdv.org for more information.
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January 2019 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 23
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“I CAN’T BELIEVE I ATE THE WHOLE THING!” By Dr. Jerome Potozkin
Yes, I found myself saying, “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing!” many times over the holidays. I am sure I am not alone in packing on a few extra pounds and feeling a little too full in the belly. Most people reading this will not recognize the title, which is from a classic Alka-Seltzer commercial from 1972. For a good laugh, go to YouTube and enter the title into the search bar. However, if you want to make a change in the change the holiday treats have brought upon you, then read on. I am a big fan of simple. The simple approach is diet and exercise. Frankly, what you eat is more important than how many calories you burn. I have found that I can always “out eat” my work out. There is a lot of great information online to help with nutrition. There are many great ways to exercise. You can go to the gym, get outside and get that body moving, or be like me and jump on your Peloton indoors. If you really want some great help, I suggest you stroll on down to Gumsaba Custom Fitness in Alamo and consult with the one and only awesome Michele Brown. If she can’t help you get in shape, then nobody can. What if you are in good shape, eat well, and still have some stubborn fat that you can’t get rid of? Modern medicine has several options. CoolSculpting has become the gold standard for non-surgical fat reduction. The most common areas we treat are the abdomen, thighs, love handles, and more. We treat men and women. CoolSculpting works by freezing the fat cells. Fat cells are more sensitive to cold temperatures than the other skin structures, so we can selectively destroy the fat cells without harming the other skin structures. This procedure requires no social downtime or time off work. At my office, we offer “dual-sculpting.” We have two CoolSculpting machines so that we can treat two areas of the body at once, essentially cutting your treatment time in half. We are committed to not only getting
the best result but also to making the experience as easy as possible. Do you have a busy work schedule? We can offer weekend treatments. In addition to CoolSculpting we also offer Tumescent Liposuction which is the safest way of performing the procedure completely with local anesthesia. Call us at 925-838-4900 today as during the month of January 2019 we are offering complimentary CoolSculpting Consultations. Dr. Jerome Potozkin is a Board Certified Dermatologist specializing in minimally and non-invasive cosmetic procedures. We are accepting new patients and can be reached at (925) 838-4900 and at www.MyBeautyMd.com. Advertorial
DANVILLE LIONS CLUB FREE VISION SCREENING SERVICES
The Danville Lions Club, with certified Lion members, offers vision screening at no charge to public and private schools, senior care facilities, learning centers, and children’s centers in Danville and San Ramon. Danville Lions use the Spot infrared camera that combines auto-refraction and video retinoscopy to test the eyes. From three feet, the camera is used to take a digital photograph so the information acquired automatically assesses a person’s vision in as little as five seconds. The Spot camera is safe and quick, and can easily process 50 to 75 people in a short visit. The Spot camera screens for the following refractive errors and gaze analysis: irregularly shaped corneas or lenses, nearsightedness, and farsightedness. Danville Lions are most interested in using the Spot screening at public school locations and children’s learning centers. For more information and to schedule dates for screening, please contact Dr. Brent Waterman at (925) 352-6111 or watermanchiro@yahoo.com.
IS FOOD A PROBLEM FOR YOU?
Overeaters Anonymous offers a fellowship of individuals who, through shared experience and mutual support, are recovering from compulsive overeating. This is a 12-step program. The free meetings are for anyone suffering from a food addiction including overeating, under-eating, and bulimia. The group meets Wednesdays at 6PM at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Lafayette. Visit www.how-oa.org for more information.
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PAGE 24 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • January 2019
MENOPAUSE MATTERS
HOT FLASHES: HOW LONG DO THEY LAST? By Timothy Leach, MD, FACOG, CNMP
POPLAR SPECTACLES OPTOMETRY
LOCATED IN THE SAFEWAY PLAZA
At a recent holiday celebration, I was approached by a woman who asked when her menopause was “going to end.” I said, “It never ends.” What I think she was asking was, “When do these bothersome symptoms that I am experiencing end?” Menopause, defined by the permanent absence of a woman’s menses for 12 months, happens in 50% of women by 51 years old. At the 2018 North American Menopause Meeting in San Diego, there was a presentation of the SWAN (Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation) study (now ongoing for 17 years) which is a multiracial/ multiethnic observational study of the menopausal transition among 3,302 women across seven US sites. The main outcomes studied were the total Comprehensive Dilated Eye Exams Cataract Evalua�on, Macular Degenera�on, Diabe�c Re�nopathy, Glaucoma Evalua�ons duration of hot flash persistence (in years) and their duration after the final menstrual period. Contact Lens Exams As a reminder, hot flashes and night sweats, are hallmarks of the Daily, bi‐weekly, monthly, colored menopausal transition and can significantly affect the quality of life. Up to Prescrip�on Glasses and Sunglasses 80% of women experience these symptoms, and most rate them as moderate In many cases, we are able to make your glasses in our office with our On‐Site Lab to severe. Hot flashes are one of the main menopause-related problems for which US women seek medical treatment. Results from SWAN suggest that Adult & pediatric pa�ents welcomed OPEN MONDAY TO SATURDAY hot flashes are independently associated with multiple indicators of elevated Monday –Friday: 9am‐6pm cardiovascular risk, bone loss, and higher bone turnover. Most vision insurance plans accepted Saturday: 9am‐4pm The median total time of having hot flashes for the entire cohort of ~3,000 women was 7.4 years. Women who were premenopausal or early (925) 202-2846 perimenopausal when the first reported symptoms occurred had the longest total duration (~11 years) and post final menstrual period ~9 years duration We invite you into our conveniently located office next to Peet’s Coffee & Katrina Rozelle of symptoms. Women who were postmenopausal at the onset of symptoms To learn more about our office visit had the shortest total duration of symptoms (~3.5 years). The median total duration of symptoms varied significantly by race/ethnicity. African www.poplarspecs.com American women noticed the longest duration of symptoms (median ~10 years), and Japanese and Chinese women had the shortest total duration of symptoms (median ~5 years). The median duration of Hispanic women was 8.9 years and non-Hispanic women ~ 6.5 years. Total time for hot flash duration was longer if a woman has ever smoked, in women with a high BMI, and in women with higher levels of perceived stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Total hot flash duration was significantly shorter in women who were currently married or partnered, in women who had a higher educational level and less financial strain, and in women who had greater social support. Neither sports physical activity nor alcohol servings per week were statistically significant. More than 50% of midlife women experience frequent hot flashes, yet current clinical guidelines often underestimate their time duration. Among women with frequent hot flashes, total duration of symptoms lasts for approximately 7.5 years and approximately 4.5 years after a final menstrual period. Counseling a patient about hormone replacement strategies that emphasize short term use of hormones should be reconsidered. The SWAN study is an important longterm survey that helps both clinicians and patients have a more realistic time frame for how long hormone replacement therapy should be used. Please visit www.leachobgyn.com and check out the menopause blog for previous articles related to health and menopause. Our office is located at 110 Tampico, Suite 210 in Walnut Creek. Please call us at (925)935-6952. Advertorial
CPC PRIME TIME
Community Presbyterian Church (CPC) “Prime Time” is a gathering of senior adults who like fellowship, fun, and making new friends! The group meets in the Multi-Purpose Room of Community Presbyterian Church from 9:30AM – 12:30PM on Tuesdays, September to May. Please join in the fun. Activities often include games (cards, dominoes, and mahjong to name a few), blood pressure screening, water painting, devotions, informative presentations, and various forms of entertainment that also take place. A home-made lunch is provided for $4. Get pampered, get fed, and get loved! For more information, visit www. cpcdanville.org/primetime/.
MEALS ON WHEELS
Seniors in your community need your support! Meals on Wheels Diablo Region has been supporting seniors since 1968. Two of the programs, Meals on Wheels and Friendly Visitors, rely on the support of volunteers. Your help is needed now more than ever. Meals on Wheels volunteer drivers deliver meals to local homebound seniors through regular two hour shifts once per week or as substitute drivers. Friendly Visitors volunteers provide weekly one-hour companionship visits to isolated seniors. To volunteer for either program, please call (925)937-8311.
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BOOKS FOR THE HOMEBOUND
If you or someone you know has a passion for reading and can no longer visit the library, find out more about the Danville Library’s Books for the Homebound program, a free and unique library service. Trained library volunteers check out and deliver books to homebound individuals residing in their own homes or residential care facilities. Contact Sandra Paiva, Volunteer Coordinator, at the Danville Library at (925) 314-3756 for more information.
GOLDEN CRANE SENIOR CENTER
No “digging” is needed to strike “gold” at the Golden Crane Senior Center (GCSC)! The mission of the Center is to promote physical and mental wellbeing through programs and social activities for those aged 50+ years old. On Mondays and Tuesdays, group learning and enjoyment of physical and mental abilities stimulate personal growth. Activities include Tai Chi, tap dance, line dance, karaoke, hiking, camera club, chorus, yoga stretch, Chinese brush painting, calligraphy, soft pastel, Chinese cooking class, MahJong, Yuan-Ji dance, walking, and aerobic exercise. GCSC celebrates members’ birthdays, organizes picnics and day trips, and observes Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Chinese holidays. Members may volunteer and participate in charitable, educational, and community service activities. All activities are open to members for an annual $50 member fee. Classes and activities are held at the Alamo Women’s Club, located at 1401 Danville Boulevard in Alamo. For more information, contact Wendy Lee, 925-7186222. A complete class and activity schedule is posted at www.goldencrane.org.
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January 2019 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 25
THE EYE OPENER
WHERE SHOULD I GET MY GLASSES? By Gregory Kraskowsky, O.D., Alamo Optometry
Medical & Surgical Dermatology For Healthy Skin Offering treatments for: Acne, Eczema, and Rashes Cysts and Lipoma Hair and Nail Disorder Keloid and Scar Revisions Moles Physician-Strength Skin Care Products Precancerous Lesions Psoriasis and Vitiligo Skin Cancer Underarm Sweating Warts, Molluscum
Revolutionary Nonsurgical
Eyebag Therapy For those patients who need glasses to aid available. their vision, there are many options to choose Cosmetic Dermatology Call for For Beautiful Skin from when deciding where to purchase them. consultation! Offering treatments for: There are many commercial options such as Body Sculpting Costco and Lenscrafters, online sites such Eyebag Reduction Introducing Face, Neck, Body Tightening, Lifting, as Warby Parker, optical stores, and private and Rejuvenation Women’s Wellness offices. All of these are viable options and Frown Lines and Jawline/Jowl Center, featuring Vlase patients must decide what is important to Reduction Hair Removal nonablative laser for feminine them. As consumers we must make financial Pigmentation and Melasma dryness, atrophy, and stressdecisions when it comes to purchases such as Rosacea, Facial Redness, Veins, and induced urinary incontinence, Post-injection Bruising whether to eat out or cook at home, if we can Sun Damage and Scars and PRP for hair thinning upgrade our phones, and how much can and Tattoo, Moles, Birthmarks, and Scars and rejuvenation. should we spend on a college education. At Thinning Hair and/or Balding the heart of these decisions is value. Actual Technology & Procedures Offered cost is of course a consideration, but it comes A place where beauty Cellfina down to what a particular meal, school, Cool Mini for neck and healthy skin meet glasses, etc. costs, and do you get enough Coolsculpting Visit us at our Center of Excellence Cryoshape benefit and joy from the purchase to warrant Diolite 532 laser with a 10,000 square foot, the cost. These benefits could range from no Enlighten Pico Genesis Laser state of the art, newly renovated time or too tired to cook, is there a sale on Excel V Laser suite. We are dedicated to Excimer Laser the new phone and are we at the end of the Medical, Cosmetic, and Surgical Fractional CO2 Laser contract, and how excited is your child for GenesisPlus Laser Dermatology and are a place for Infini Microneedling RF getting into their dream school and you don’t medical skin consultation, Kybella want to disappoint them. These are tough deaesthetic rejuvenation, and Liposonix cisions we all must make (I am in the middle face and body contouring. Microneedling MiraDry of the college decision currently). Sometimes Visit www.DrWilliamTing.com Mohs Micrographic Surgery the answers are easy, and sometimes they are NBUVB Phototherapy for an extensive list of medical, surgical, and cosmetic treatments, PicoSure Laser product lines, lasers, and therapies offered. not. I will discuss the decision of where to PRP for Hair Loss and Rejuvenation purchase your glasses here and the benefits Schedule your free consultation appointment today! Vbeam Laser of purchasing them at our office. Spectra Laser Superficial Radiotherapy Dr. William Ting, MD The task of frame and lens selection is not Thermage™ Board Certified Dermatologist and Mohs Surgeon an easy one. Several factors are involved in just Ultherapy™ 2262 Camino Ramon 500 Alfred Noble Drive, #185 Vaginal Rejuvenation choosing a frame: fashion/style, sizing, and San Ramon, CA 94583 Hercules, CA 94547 Vaser Shape appropriateness for your prescription and lens Tel: (925) 328-0255 Tel: (510) 669-5700 VLase for Feminine Rejuvenation style. First, one must choose a frame type from *Welcoming new Medicare patients Email: staff@CalDermCare.com www.DrWilliamTing.com metal, titanium, plastic, partial rimless, and full rimless. Next comes sizing; i.e. does the frame size, bridge, and temple fit the patient well; and does it work well with the prescription and lens type (progressives, bifocals, computer progressives, etc.). Getting a frame that is too large or too small, too heavy, or does not fit the bridge well will invariably cause issues for the patient. Depending on the issue, some adjustments can be made but not in all cases. In my opinion, frames just need to be tried on as all frames are not constructed the same. Looking at a picture or image of a frame or using technology to have the frame superimposed on you is not the same as actually trying it on and seeing how it feels and looks on the face, nose, and ears. Next is determining what type of lenses would work best for your prescription, occupational needs, and lifestyle. There are many choices when it comes to lens material, lens styles, and lens treatment options such as anti-reflective coating and blue protect coatings, high index and aspheric lenses, and transitions. Understanding your specific needs is essential to help make the proper recommendations to be able to optimize your frame and lenses. It is our feeling that we know our patients best and what they are needing and looking for. It is our core belief that we don’t recommend or sell things that are not appropriate or necessary for our patients. We do not run a strictly sales-based operation as some other commercial and online sites; they are motivated by sales only. We do not have sales quotas or commissions. We believe that honest help, information, and value are more important. We are here for our clients: from the selection and ordering of your glasses, to the initial dispensing and adjusting of the glasses, and any adjustments, repairs, and warranty claims on the frame and lenses that arise. Helping patients with the selection of glasses and obtaining all the specific measurements requires skill and experience which is often not likely or not present at other establishments. We believe in quality products, materials, and lens options for the sole reason that these will give patients the best value and vision. This is significant because they provide our patients with the best options for the cost. We look forward to helping our patients look better and see better in the coming year. Dr. K. at Alamo Optometry is your hometown eye doctor for outstanding service, vision care, and designer eyewear. He can be reached at 925-8206622, or visit his office at 3201 Danville Blvd., Suite 165 in Alamo. Visit our website at www.alamooptometry.com, and join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @Alamo Optometry. Advertorial ®
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CRFG continued from page 17
had never heard of cherimoya, pineapple guava, or white sapote, unusual rare fruits that can be grown here locally.” She learned to graft at a 2012 hands-on workshop. “I am addicted to propagation,” she admits. “I have 15 different varieties of apples on my apple tree, same with my pear, plum, and apricot trees.” Mark Twain declared in Roughing It: “We had an abundance of fruit in Honolulu, of course. Oranges, pine-apples, bananas, strawberries, lemons, limes, mangoes, guavas, melons, and a rare and curious luxury called cherimoya, which is deliciousness itself.” Pineapple guava is a small evergreen tree with sweet, fragrant fruit that drops to the ground when ripe. White sapote yields apple-sized fruits with a creamy texture like pudding.
SEASONS OF BEAUT Y: PLANNING YOUR COSMETIC AND PLASTIC SURGERY
By Dr. Barbara Persons
I always get excited about starting a New Year. I like to think about my resolutions and goals to accomplish over the next twelve months. It’s exciting. What I don’t get excited about is turning a year older. We all battle the clock. At Persons Plastic Surgery, I love helping my patient look their best at every age. And just like the goals we set out for ourselves, we can also map out a beauty maintenance plan for the year ahead. Depending on your lifestyle, there may be more optimal seasons of the year to schedule your cosmetic and plastic surgery treatments. I’ve listed out the pros and cons of each season below.
WINTER
From mid-December through March, we start to see colder temperatures and lots of rain, which can be an ideal time to schedule plastic surgery procedures. During your recovery, you can wear turtlenecks, scarves, and sweaters to camouflage changes created by facelifts, body contouring procedures, and breast augmentation. Plus, it’s also a great time to be cozy at home during your recovery. Also, because the days are shorter, it’s easier to avoid direct sunlight, which makes it an ideal time for laser skin resurfacing treatments. You’ll need to avoid exposure to direct sunlight for up to six weeks. You can also schedule a chemical peel to address mild acne scars, age spots, dull skin texture, skin discoloration, or wrinkles around the eyes or mouth. A chemical peel removes the outer layers of the skin and encourages the growth of new, smoother, more evenly colored skin.
SPRING
Golden Gate members enjoy tasting the nutritious pulp of spiny durians. (photo courtesy of Mark Hughes)
Golden Gate serves the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Solano, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and beyond, encompassing a vast array of micro-climates. Stott explains: “There is an overall climate (Mediterranean), and then there are more local climates. For example, San Francisco is a colder climate than Berkeley which is cooler than Dublin. But then Berkeley has a number of frost free areas that allow members to grow bananas.” Graham can’t grow bananas on his Dublin property, but he does have avocados that produce fruit. The Ohlone Greenway Orchard along the BART tracks opposite the Albany Library/Community Center is a Golden Gate outreach project initiated in 2015. Undaunted by compacted soil with the consistency of concrete and tenacious weeds, Barath Raghavan led chapter members in planting a selection of fruit trees including cherimoyas, pineapple guava, white sapote, avocadoes, mango, and loquat. Tambwekar writes: “What Barath has accomplished is truly amazing. It is so easy to sit around talking about establishing wonderful demonstration/germplasm repository gardens – but he got it done.” Establishing the plants during the drought has been a chore. Until Albany provided City of Albany Volunteer t-shirts and traffic cones, angry residents accused Golden Gate orchard tenders of stealing water with their 100’ hoses. Now passersby are stopping with positive comments and questions about what’s growing. One avocado flowered this year. Lemons and pomegranates added by the City of Albany are fruiting. Mark Hughes, Golden Gate Newsletter editor, characterizes himself as “more of a fruit eater than a fruit grower.” While describing the “incredible body of knowledge in the combined expertise of the membership” he writes of the rare selections they are dedicated to sharing: “Keeping these fruit varieties alive is important for the future of food, adapting to climate change, and improving health. The scant varieties of fruit available in the big grocery stores are not diverse enough to survive new pathogens or climate change.” Witness the ongoing spread of disease by the Asian citrus psyllid and the recent decimation of honeybee populations. Golden Gate meetings are held the second Saturday of odd-numbered months (with the exception of January) in locations around the Bay Area. Visit http://www. crfg.org/chapters/golden_gate/index.html for details on the scion exchange and upcoming meetings and www.crfg.org for extensive information on plants to grow.
In the spring, you still have time to undergo most plastic surgery procedures and be healed by the beginning of summer’s beach season, especially for procedures such as liposuction and fat grafting. Other body contouring and facial surgeries are also excellent options during this time of year. If you want to avoid having surgery around the holidays or if you enjoy doing outdoor winter sports, spring is also an excellent time to schedule a procedure. Another consideration for patients with school-age children is that the kids are still in school during the spring months, which can be helpful during recovery.
SUMMER
If you’d like to be summer ready, it’s a good idea to schedule your plastic surgery in the winter or spring. Summer can also be tough if you have schoolaged children home for the summer break. Plus, generally hot weather can be challenging as the recovery process for many body contouring procedures requires that patients wear compression garments. However, summer (and really anytime during the year) is an excellent time to focus on nonsurgical treatments such as injectables (BOTOX® or Dysport), cosmetic injectable fillers, and HydraFacial. I am also thrilled to offer Vampire Facials (PRF or Platelet Rich Fibrin with Rejuvapen for a Micro-Needling option or with Micro-Cannula Injections for both skin and scalp). I’ve tried it, my staff has tried it, and we’ve all witnessed the amazing results firsthand with little to no downtime.
FALL
Undergoing plastic surgery during the months of September, October, and November offers many of the same advantages of winter plastic surgery. Sweater weather is arriving, and there are a handful of long weekends that allow you time to recuperate privately. Fall is also a good time to undergo facial plastic surgery, including rhinoplasty, a neck lift, or a full facelift. You will also find a tummy tuck or liposuction can help you look your best for holiday parties. Remember, whatever procedure you’re considering, you need repetition to maintain results. Think of it as going to the gym, the hair salon, or the nail salon. Aesthetics require consistency to achieve and maintain your best beauty results. I look forward to meeting you at my practice. Barbara L Persons, MD, FACS is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and owns Persons Plastic Surgery, Inc., located at 911 Moraga Rd, Suite 205 in Lafayette. She can be reached at 925.283.4012 or drpersons@ personsplasticsurgery.com. Advertorial
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RED, ITCHY SCARS, AND DEL AYED HEALING?
EXPLORING CLASS IV LASER PAIN RELIEF FOR WOUNDS, INJURIES, AND POST-SURGICAL HEALING Dr. Niele Maimone, DC, Align Healing Center
In 2004, Align Healing Center began using laser therapy to help patients relieve their muscle, joint, and nerve pain. Due to the near miraculous results that laser can provide to a sprain, strain, or chronic pain, our patients began to ask, “What else can laser help heal?” Wondering the same thing, we began to branch out and use laser on any and all injuries and wounds that our patients were presented with. We have literally watched the healing process occur right before our very eyes. We have treated scars that are 18 years old and are bright red and have never healed properly. Yet, within a couple of visits, the scar begins to thin, flatten, and become less noticeable. Swelling reduces within minutes, severe bruises dissipate with no visible sign within a day or two, and surgical wounds become painless, with minimal scarring and redness. We have had patients that have had knee surgery and hip replacements, shoulder surgery, spinal surgery, breast augmentation and reconstruction, rhinoplasty, face-lifts and c-sections that heal in a fraction of the time typical without the use of laser therapy. If you are intending on having surgery or have a stubborn wound or injury that has taken longer to heal than you would have expected, it is worth your while to explore the benefits of Class IV K-Laser therapy.
HOW LASER THERAPY SPEEDS TISSUE HEALING AND REDUCES PAIN AND SCARING
Injuries and surgery cause tissue damage and inflammation which reduces the circulation to the injured tissue thereby impeding the nutrition and energy available to the damaged area. Laser therapy is the application of low levels of laser light to areas of the body that have been injured or damaged. Therapeutic lasers do not cut or burn, but instead, supply energy to the body in the form of photons of light. Light is transmitted through the skin’s layers (the dermis, epidermis, and the subcutaneous tissue under the skin). The wavelength of the Class IV Laser allows these photons to travel deep into the body, up to 8-9
January 2019 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 27
inches. When laser light penetrates into the body, it stimulates damaged cells to start producing ATP. ATP is the “fuel” or energy source that all cells need to function and repair. When damaged cells have the energy they need to function properly, they can immediately start the repair process. Laser therapy accelerates the healing of injured tissue, decreases inflammation, minimizes scarring, and eliminates pain, allowing patients to quickly return to normal activities.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO WORK?
Ninety-five percent of our patients notice improvement after the very first treatment. However, some conditions may take a few treatments to respond. Each laser treatment is cumulative, meaning that each successive treatment builds on the previous. The doctors at Align personally work with you each visit to ensure that you are progressing as quickly as possible. For more information about how laser therapy may be helpful to you contact Align Healing Center to schedule a free consultation with Dr. Niele Maimone (925)362-8283. Visit us on the web at www.AlignHealingCenter.com. Advertorial
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