Lafayette_Today_February_2016

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February 2016

Serving the Lafayette Community Town Hall Theatre

By Fran Miller

The iconic marquee discloses only a portion of Town Hall Theatre’s many ambitions. While its core drama program continues to flourish and win accolades, Town Hall has quietly become much more than merely a stage for community productions. Founded in 1944 and located at the corner of Lafayette’s Moraga Blvd. and School St., Town Hall is finding its footing as a full-scale entertainment venue, with live music performances and stand-up comedy. Town Hall also offers one of most comprehensive theater education programs in Contra Costa County.

Burton Valley Class Shoots High to Raise Money for the Hidden Genius Project

The Book Bonanza is an annual fundraiser that has been a long-standing tradition at Burton Valley Elementary School. Every year, the students from Ms. Martinsen’s 4/5 grade AIM class collect, price, and, of course, sell, books. . . at incredibly low prices (some books are as cheap as 10¢). All proceeds go to a charitable cause, and this year the students chose to support The Hidden Genius Project. Based in Oakland, this non-profit organization provides Oakland (and surrounding area) black male youths with the knowledge, skills, mentors, and experiences to obtain and create technological jobs in this new, global, 21st-century economy. The whole class banded together to complete each step in the process, and after three weeks of collections and pricing, the two-day sale was on. Classes from the Burton Valley community came to support the AIM class, buying books and contributing donations to the donation jar.

After the frenzy, the students counted their change bags and were thrilled to realize they had surpassed their goal and raised $1,439.21! The students presented a check to Brandon Nicholson of The Hidden Genius Project right after winter break and felt good knowing they had made a difference in many disadvantaged children’s lives.

The Leuschner Observatory

By Fran Miller

Observant Lamorindans have likely noticed the two large domes rising from Bear Creek Road in the Happy Valley hills. To others, the knowledge that Lafayette is host to a University of California observatory comes as a surprise.

Photo by Ron Seba.

Last spring, Lafayette resident Carol Reif shone a small spotlight on the Leuschner Observatory by photographing it for the City of Lafayette’s “Day in the

See Observatory continued on page 21 Local Postal Customer

PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Permit 21 Lafayette, CA

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Town Hall Theatre Artistic Director Joel Roster (second from left) receives a ‘Shellie’ Best Director award for his work on Angels in America. At right, Angels in America actors Kerri Shawn and Jerry Motta. Photo credit: Mike Kirwan.

Town Hall Board member Tom Stack, former merchandising manager for the Grateful Dead, is using his music industry connections to expand the music and comedy programs, bringing in a series of musical acts such as Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers, Petty Theft, and Forejour, as well as comedians like Will Durst and Johnny Steele. This past fall, Town Hall hosted a special 50th anniversary commemoration of the Grateful Dead’s founding, that included tribute band performances and panel discussions with band leader Jerry Garcia’s former wife Carolyn “Mountain Girl” Garcia.

“Live music and entertainment venues are vanishing throughout the Bay Area,” says Stack. “By providing the community with the opportunity to see top tier musicians and comics, we are serving a major need in an area that doesn’t otherwise have access to this type of live entertainment.”

Volume X - Number 2 Town Hall’s theater education 3000F Danville Blvd #117 programs support more than 200 Alamo, CA 94507 preschool to high school students Telephone (925) 405-6397 each week.

Program director Fax (925) 406-0547 Ginny Wehrmeister creates a safe, editor@yourmonthlypaper.com supportive environment where kids Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher learn much more than just acting The opinions expressed herein belong to the and do not necessarily reflect that of Laskills. “Our program trains students writers, fayette Today. Lafayette Today is not responsible in self-confidence, social skills, for the content of any of the advertising herein,

See Theatre continued on page 17

nor does publication imply endorsement.

Page 2 - February 2016 ~ Lafayette Today

Host Families Sought for One Week Stay by Visiting French Students

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For the eleventh consecutive year, students from a large high school in the South of France are coming to Danville. Every visit by the students has been better than the last. The students will arrive on April 22nd and depart April 29th.

The teens stay with local families and have a full itinerary of activities during the days and only require your attention in the evenings and one weekend.

The visit is an ideal opportunity to experience another culture and hopefully consider visiting France in return. Anyone interested in hosting a student (or students!) is welcome to participate.

For more information or to find out about past years’ programs, please contact Martine Causse (teacher in charge of the group) at caussefly@wanadoo. fr or dachary.martine@orange.fr.

There are many happy local host families ready to discuss any questions with you (including the editor of this paper!). The local contact is Kevin Dimler, who can be reached at kevindimler@gmail.com or (925)997-7226.

Contra Costa Camp & School Fair

Assistance League

Way Side Inn Thrift Shop’s Valentine’s Day Event Warms the Heart

The dedicated member volunteers at Assistance League Way Side Inn Thrift Shop, that beloved landmark located in the heart of Lafayette, send a greeting to all Valentine’s Day aficionados.

The red-aproned member volunteers warn that the novelties of love available will virtually flutter out the door as if riding on Cupid’s wings.

A selection of heart-shaped boxes, stuffed animals (some sporting hearts), decorative pillows, and assorted home décor items will satiate your need for eye candy. Specifically, Valentine themed plates, glasses, mugs, and napkins will promise to dazzle your table. You’ll also find festively appointed tee shirts and cozy pajamas to fully embrace the Valentine’s Day spirit.

Your generous donations and purchases will improve the lives of those in our community who are vulnerable. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Happy Birthday, Assistance League of Diablo Valley’s The Kids on the Block!

Riddle: How did The Kids On The Block celebrate their thirty-first birthday?

That’s easy! Assistance League® of Diablo Valley’s puppet show, The Kids on the Block, celebrated their thirty-first birthday by doing what they do best: performing for elementary schoolchildren. Last year alone, they amassed 56 socially relevant and entertaining appearances in Contra Costa County schools.

Sunday, February 21, 11am – 2pm

The fourth annual Contra Costa Camp & School Fair is a free event with booths featuring camps, schools, preschool, daycare, STEM & STEAM programs, sports, martial arts, gymnastics, enrichment, performing arts, scouts, and family vacations. Activities and exhibitions will be held.

There is free admission and free parking. The fair will be held at Acalanes High School, located at 1200 Pleasant Hill Rd., Lafayette. For more information visit www.ContraCostaCampFair.com.

Lafayette Community Garden

The Lafayette Community Garden and Outdoor Learning Center is accepting applications for individual or family memberships for the 2016 season. The season opening is March 12.

For more information, visit www. lafayettecommunitygarden.org. To apply for membership, download and fill out a membership form, and send it to the address on the form. If membership is full, you will be put on a waiting list. For answers to questions, call (925) 946-0563.

Lamorinda Peace and Justice

The Lamorinda Peace and Justice Group meets the fourth Tuesday of each month from 7 – 9PM in the Fireside Room of Lafayette Methodist Church, 955 Moraga Road, Lafayette. The group is committed to working to support a healthy planet, a thriving local community, and a safe, equitable world for all. For information, call (925) 946-0563.

Lafayette Volunteer Opportunities

As Assistance League of Diablo Valley member volunteers, clad in black, fade into the black background, Melody James, Mark Riley and Renaldo Rodriguez come to life to discuss such issues as friendship, physical challenges and blindness, three of the 40 well researched and creatively scripted themes the program continues to offer. Additional themes include Learning Differences, Stop the Bullying, and Celebrating Diversity. Musical selections such as “Drop and Roll,” for fire prevention, and “Kids are Different,” for overall acceptance, enhance these valuable life-long lessons.

A Question and Answer segment, where students ask the cast members for additional insights, concludes each performance. For more information about The Kids on the Block, please phone (925) 934-0901.

To learn about Assistance League of Diablo Valley’s philanthropic programs that the thrift shop funds and its recently awarded GuideStar Exchange gold participation level status, please visit diablovalley. assistanceleague.org or the GuideStar Exchange.

• Banner Advisory Committee develops the downtown street pole banner program.

• Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) advises the Circulation Commission on issues related to non-motorized vehicles and pedestrians.

• Capital Projects Assessments Committee (CPAC) reviews the current Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and develops the long-range capital improvement plans for the City.

• Community Center Foundation is dedicated to renovating and expanding the Lafayette Community Center.

• Creeks Committee encourages beautification of Lafayette’s creeks and improves residents’ awareness of creek maintenance and pollution prevention policies.

• Crime Prevention Commission studies safety issues in the City and works to educate the public.

• Emergency Preparedness Commission coordinates preparation and planning efforts to mitigate the effects of natural and man-made disasters.

• Environmental Task Force is committed to developing and implementing environmental policies and programs that will enable the City and its residents to meet their present needs without sacrificing the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

• Parks, Trails & Recreation Commission supports effective management and operations of existing park facilities to maximize public enjoyment and continue to pursue easements for trails as shown on the Trails Master Plan.

• Public Art Committee oversees the city’s public art program and its administration.

• Senior Services Commission identifies senior concerns and needs; provides information about resources; and promotes community programs and services that enable seniors to live meaningful lives.

• Lafayette Representative to the Contra Costa County Advisory Council on Aging For applications and additional information visit the city’s website www.ci.lafayette.ca.us or call Joanne Robbins, City Clerk 925-284-1968.

Positions open until filled.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Boulevard View

By Alisa Corstorphine, Editor

Lafayette Today ~ February 2016 - Page 3

At Merrill Gardens

When I am on vacation, all of my necessary possessions fit nicely inside an averaged size suitcase.

These belongings manage to take care of my needs for a few weeks or longer, infrequently leaving me lusting over items I left at home.

When I come home, I look at all of the possessions that I own and surround me, and sometimes it gets overwhelming. Everything I own needs some level of “care and feeding.” From the tea cups that need dusting, to the button on my shirt that needs reattaching, to the broken glass in a picture frame, to the yard clippers that need sharpening, the items often become chores added to my “To Do” list.

This realization that my belongings were overwhelming me inspired me to start Spring Cleaning early this year. I wanted to pare down and lighten my load a bit. Now that our kids are on their own, I want to go through the piles of possessions that have accumulated over the years within the house and see what I truly value and want to keep. (Note: We aren’t throwing away the kids’ things without asking them first!) During this process my daughter sent me a post she had seen on reddit.com. It said, Coveting possessions is unhealthy. Here's how I look at it: All of the computers on eBay are mine. In fact, everything on eBay is already mine. All of those things are just in long term storage that I pay nothing for. Storage is free.

When I want to take something out of storage, I just pay At Merrill Gardens, life gets bigger – not smaller. the storage costs for that particular thing up to that point, plus a nominal shipping fee, and my things are delivered to It’s about possibilities – not limitations. me so I can use them. When I am done with them, I return them to storage via Craigslist or eBay, and I am given a fee as It’s about having more time for yourself – and more compensation for freeing up the storage facilities resources.

This is also the case with all of my stuff that Amazon and freedom and flexibility to do things you enjoy.

Walmart are holding for me. I have antiques, priceless art, cars, estates, and jewels beyond the dreams of avarice.

The world is my museum, displaying my collections on loan. ~ /u/pastabagel Call today and ask about our With that vision of my possessions, and great eBay and studio rent specials!* Craigslist skills, as well as the online NextDoor resource, I have a new outlook. I am cleaning, I am purging, I am redecorating, and I’m having a whole lot of fun! I am getting rid of things that weigh me down, that I merely was (925) 854-1858 keeping because I thought that I should. I want the items that surround me to make me smile and bring good memories.

1010 Second Street Most of the readers of this newspaper have not been to Lafayette, CA 94549 Lic #079200358 my home. But for those that have, they know of our (in) *Call for details. merrillgardens.com famous “Hall of Fame” that leads to my kids’ rooms. The pictures dotting the walls of that hallway are what I truly Retirement Living • Assisted Living • Memory Care care about in our home. The good memories of birthday parties, family road trips, high school dances with my hus012616n_Lafayette_Today_Life_Bigger_Incentive_A.indd 1 1/27/16 12:09 PM band, and everything in between can be seen and relished by everyone that walks down that hall. For me, items like these pictures are what is worth keeping. These 4”x6” pieces of paper are what make me smile. I don’t need the clothes in the back of my closet that are never worn anymore. I don’t need seven ladles in my kitchen drawers. And I definitely do not need three sets of the game Risk. Instead I focus on the items I want to keep, and anything else gets posted online, donated to one of our wonderful local charities or thrift stores, or given to a friend or family member.

With the lightened load, I am working on everything having a place (which is way easier when the shelves are not crammed full and overflowing!).

The answer is not in building more cabinets or procuring more storage boxes as that is an endless circle. I have tried embracing Marie Kondo’s (author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and its illustrated companion Spark Joy) ways of organizing, believing that every item in our lives serves a specific role, accepting when that role may be fulfilled, and then finally moving on. While difficult at first, the process of donating, selling, and giving away old possessions has become enjoyable, as I am excited for the items to have new homes and happy to no longer be burdened by the possession of them. It doesn’t mean my home is bare or devoid of objects. What it will mean is that each item will be here because I want it to be here and that it serves a purpose that makes me and my family happy.

By acknowledging their contribution and letting them go with gratitude, you will be able to truly put the things you own, and your life, in order. –Kondo

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Page 4 - February 2016 ~ Lafayette Today

Lafayette Hiking Group

The next meeting of the Lafayette Hiking Group will take place on Wednesday, February 17 and be at Big Break Regional Shoreline.

This is part of the San Joaquin Delta. We will observe fish and birds from the observation pier, then hike the Big Break Regional Trail through the marshlands which offers good birding. We will eat lunch at the Visitor Center and tour the interpretative facility which focuses on Delta ecosystems and wildlife and includes a 1,200 square-foot interactive map of water flow through the region.

To participate, meet at the EBRPD parking lot on Olympic Blvd at Pleasant Hill Rd. at 8:30AM. The group forms carpools to the trailhead. Bring lunch, water, layered clothing, good walking shoes, sun protection, and money to contribute toward gas, bridge tolls, and parking ($5).

Level of the hike is moderate on a flat, paved six miles. The leader for this hike is Peggy Kroll.

E-mail any questions to LafayetteHiking@comcast.net.

Free Tax Preparation

Free tax preparation for the 2016 tax season is available starting February 2016 from AARP’s Tax-Aide and United Way’s Earn It, Keep It, Save It (EKS) programs. All tax preparers are trained and certified by the IRS. While both programs serve taxpayers of any age, Tax-Aide does not have an income limit in whom they can serve but EKS can only serve individuals whose incomes do not exceed $50,000.

For information, or to make an appointment for the Tax-Aide sites serving the Walnut Creek area, please call (925) 943-5851 Walnut Creek Senior Club site, (925) 405-6278 Walnut Creek Grace Presbyterian Church site, or (925) 979-5013 Walnut Creek St. Paul’s Episcopal Church 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 tax return, Tax-Aide will need you to bring the following to the appointment: • Social Security Card or ITIN letter for all individuals to be listed on the return • Copies of all W-2s • 1098s and 1099s • Other income and deductions • Your 2014 Tax Return • Proof of medical insurance if you are not on Medicare

Family Bike Rides

Every Sunday – 9-11:30AM

Join BikeLafayette for its weekly Family Bike Ride from Stanley Middle School to Moraga Commons and back. The ride is recommended for people 7 years and up. Younger children are welcome in a bike trailer or on your bike.

The children will have fun playing at the Commons. Riders are usually back at Stanley by 11:15AM. You are encouraged to bring snacks and water.

For more information about BikeLafayette, visit www.facebook.com/ bikelafayette.ca.

Lost Dog!

$50 REWARD

If you find him and your name is drawn!

He is very small, so you will have to look hard if you want to find him.

Lafayette Luther is Missing He has become lost in this paper.

Send a letter telling us where you found him, along with your name and address to:

Lost Dog! Lafayette Today, 3000F Danville Blvd #117, Alamo, CA 94507

Darja Koehler is our winner!

Luther was hiding on page 14 last month!

Gopher/Mole Removal No Poison

925-765-4209 Sons In Retirement Las Trampas Branch

Sons In Retirement (SIR) - Las Trampas Branch 116 welcomes guests to socialize at their monthly luncheon beginning at 11AM on Monday, February 15th at the Walnut Creek Elks Lodge, 1475 Creekside Drive. The speaker, physician Joel White, will explore the concept of shared-decision making in medicine in his presentation entitled “What you need to know and do unless you are certain you will live forever.” White will share information which will assist in creating better options and making choices that can comfort and enhance our experience even to the end, providing not only a good life but also a good end. Please call (925) 322-1160 to make lunch reservations.

The cost for lunch is $15.

If you are retired or semi-retired and want to make new friends, participate in fun activities and better enjoy your leisure time, you are welcome to join.

Member activities include book discussions, bridge, computers, dine-outs, dominoes, fishing, golf, hiking/walking, investments, poker, travel, wine tastings, and more fun things. In addition, the group has special golf events and bridge tournaments where wives, partners, and guests are welcome. If these are activities you like to do, then you may find even greater enjoyment in doing them with the friendly group of retirees in the SIRs organization. For information about activities for retired men, please visit www.Branch116.org.

Lamorinda Branch

Sons in Retirement Lamorinda Branch 174 is a social organization of retired and semi-retired men who enjoy spending leisure time with friends and activities. The group’s activities include golf, bowling, bocce ball, table pool, travel, fishing, computers & technology, bridge, poker, pinochle, investing, wine tasting, walking, astronomy, stamp collecting, etc. The group meets for lunch at 11AM the second Wednesday monthly at Holy Trinity Culture Center, 1700 School Street in Moraga. The guest speaker on February 10th will be Linus Eukel, Director of the John Muir Land Trust.

For attendance and membership info, call Tyler at (925) 284-5561.

Please visit the group’s website at www.branch174.sirinc2.org.

Premier of Accused

The International Showcase is presenting the USA premier of Accused, a true story from the Netherlands, opening on February 19 at the Orinda Theatre.

A psychological thriller, based on one of the most controversial court cases in the Netherlands.

Lucia, a nurse, is sentenced to life imprisonment for allegedly having killed at least seven babies and elderly people. Then the young assistant DA responsible discovers evidence that may prove her innocence.

View the trailer at https://youtu.be/Fq7qQ_yTgGQ. To learn more, visit www.internationalshowcase.org or www. orindatheatre.com.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Lafayette Today ~ February 2016 - Page 5

New Eagle Scouts Announced

Boy Scout Troop 200, chartered by Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Lafayette, is proud to announce its most recent Eagle Scouts. Kyle Stephan Everly, Connor Atkinson Williams, Nicholas “Nico” Peter Brightbill, and Anthony “TJ” Henry Low, Jr. achieved Scouting’s highest rank of Eagle Scout. They were honored at a recent National Court of Honor ceremony.

To become an Eagle, the candidate must earn a minimum of 21 merit badges, including 13 Eagle-required badges, demonstrate leadership and scout spirit, and successfully complete an Eagle service project that benefits the community.

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Kyle Everly, Connor Williams, Nico Brightbill and TJ Low. Photo by Dawn Brightbill

Kyle is a senior at Acalanes High School in Lafayette. For his Eagle project, he constructed and hung backpack racks for four classrooms on the 800 wing at Stanley Middle School. Connor, an Orinda resident, is a senior at Bentley School in Lafayette. For his Eagle project, he planned and carried out a donation drive to replenish the art and game supplies for Youth Engagement Advocacy and Housing (YEAH), a seasonal homeless shelter for youth, located in Berkeley. Nico is a senior at Acalanes High School. For his Eagle project, Nico designed and built four large, heavyduty wooden utility carts for Burton Valley Elementary School. The carts are used daily all over campus for movement of goods (e.g. library books, compost/recycling in the cafeteria). TJ is also a senior at Acalanes. For his Eagle project, TJ refurbished ten wooden picnic tables for Burton Valley Elementary School by replacing boards, bolts, and screws. He finished the project by repainting all the tables.

Troop 200 recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. Founded in 2006, Ad Idea for Troop 200 continues to thrive by operating a program that is compelling, Danville, Alamo and exciting, and challenging for its youth.Today In addition to planning many outings Lafayette and advancement opportunities, Troop 200 is proud to provide over 1,000 community service hours in the Lamorinda 3” X 5”community and the greater East Bay. The troop provides many leadership for its youth Danville Today opportunities 190.00 and adult leaders. Its youth leaders plan meetings, w discount 142.50outings, and activities under the mentorship of a dedicated group of uniformed leaders and parent volunteers. Membership Alamo applications are155.00 currently being accepted.

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1 Free Raffle Ticket for each canned good donation

Free Camps, Great Prizes Produced by (925) 408-4014 jay@BayAreaFamilyFest.com

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Expanding Your Horizons Conference for Girls

The American Association of University Women, Orinda-MoragaLafayette Branch are holding a one-day science and math conference for girls on March 19 at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga.

Expanding your Horizons conference is open to all middle school-aged girls interested in learning more about science, technology, engineering, and math.

Registration will begin at 8AM, followed by a keynote address by a representative from Pixar Animation Studios, three workshops, and a closing speaker from Virgin Galactic who will end the conference at 3PM. Registration closes on March 7, and enrollment is limited to the first 120 6th - 8th grade girls. The fee is $20, and scholarships are available.

To register, visit http://www.expandingyourhorizons.org/conferences/ AAUWSAINTMARYS/.

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Page 6 - February 2016 ~ Lafayette Today

The Bookworm

By Joan Stevenson

With one look at the master calendar for the Lafayette Library and Learning Center it is easy to understand why library usage in the US is up 20.7% in the past decade. Our library offers something for every age and interest. I thought today I would profile several ongoing programs that are opportunities you may never have considered before.

The classics book club meeting is held each month on the second Monday from 7-8 pm. February’s selection is Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and in March the discussion will be about Madam Bovary. The story focuses on a doctor’s wife, Madam Bovary, who has adulterous affairs and lives beyond her means in order to escape the boredom of provincial life.

This is a chance to read the books you always meant to get to or read the first time in high school and didn’t appreciate. To locate a copy of the book, grab your library card and reserve at ccclib.org. I checked and there are several copies, and you can also stop by the Friends Corner Book Shop. The library website www.lllcf.org/calendar/ lists the classics planned for future months.

If you have not already done so, I urge you to take advantage of John Muir Laws Nature Journaling class which meets on the second Thursday at 1PM in the Arts and Discover Center. He describes his class in these words: “Nature Journaling makes you a better observer, naturalist, and artist and opens a world of beauty and discovery. Join us for a monthly nature journaling workshop series. See the possibilities of what a journal can be and how to make journaling and drawing a life changing habit. If you already have a journal kit, bring it along plus any personal favorite sketching or nature study supplies.”

Story Time for the youngsters is offered in English, French, Spanish and Farsi. Check the calendar for the time. Children can have fun and practice their literacy skills by reading to a dog. Breeja (Bree-uh), a sweet Lab from ARF’s Pet Hug Pack, is a great listener! Bring your own book or pick up a library

Wednesday February 10 Community Hall 6:00 – 7:00pm

Friday February 12 Community Hall 7:00 – 8:00pm

Wednesday February 17 Arts & Science 6:30 – 7:30pm

Thursday February 18 Arts & Science 1:00 – 2:30pm

Leung’s White Crane and Lion Dance Group performs a traditional Chinese lion dance.

Kids and all ages Free Register: tinyurl.com/LLLCwhitecrane An evening with the Contra Costa Performing Arts Society piano composers.

Enjoy this group’s original compositions.

All ages Register: tinyurl.com/LLLCpiano

Free

Observe! Discover! Create! Explore STEM concepts while completing exciting construction challenges.

Kids age 5 – 11 No registration necessary

Free

Cut the Cable Cord: A beginner’s guide to cable company services & devices. Learn how to choose what’s right for you.

Adults Register: tinyurl.com/LLLCcable

Free

Thursday February 18 Community Hall 7:00 – 8:30pm

www.yourmonthlypaper.com book. The program called All Ears Reading® is held on the first Tuesday of the month. Kids can sign up for a 15-minute segment at the information desk.

A brand new program for teens is called Teen ‘Scape, and 13-18 year olds are welcome to join us every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month from 3:30PM-5PM either in the Teen Center or the Arts & Science room. Teen ‘Scape will feature a range of activities including STEAM-related activities, maker programs, arts and crafts, movies, video gaming, and more. Teen ‘Scape is always free, and no registration is required.

The Asian Art Museum turns 50 in 2016, and WOW (Wonders of the World) will celebrate that birthday on Wednesday, February 10 at 2PM with a special event in the Community Hall. The Golden Jubilee lecture highlights ancient and contemporary masterpieces from the museum’s collection, including objects found nowhere else. Learn what makes a work of art great and why a masterpiece stands the test of time. The Asian Art Museum holds one of the most comprehensive collections of Asian art in the world.

Sweet Thursday is an old tradition but with a new author every month.

February 18 at 7PM, The Friends who host the event will welcome The New York Times best-selling author Lisa McGuinness. Her latest book, Catarina’s Ring, interweaves the stories of four generations of strong, vibrant women and has created characters both idiosyncratic and adventuresome.

Three more events remain in the Library Concert Series. Friday, February 12 from 7-8PM you are invited to come and be treated to an hour of original compositions for piano from the CCCPS Piano Composers group. This is a free event sponsored by the Friends of the Lafayette Library and Learning Center. These are the same Friends who underwrite so many of the free programs. Thanks to them and the incredible Corner Book Shop they run.

The Bookworm is guilty of eavesdropping on the chatter about the special events that are on the drawing board for March and April, so I will share what little I was able to hear. The gala has been replaced by a “Night at the Library” to be celebrated on March 5th and in April the focus will be on celebrating the one hundredth birthday of the National Park Service. That will include many programs on the parks and camping and the joys of being outside.

Sweet Thursday presents Lisa McGuinness, author of Catarina’s Ring: the story of four generations of strong, vibrant women.

We’re breaking all the Library rules!

Adults Free Register: tinyurl.com/LLLCMcGuinness Saturday February 20 Community Hall 1:00 – 2:30pm

An afternoon with holocaust survivor Dora Sorell, author of Tell the Children: Letters to Miriam.

Wednesday February 24 Community Hall 7:00 – 9:00pm

An evening with Zulu nurse Sister Abegail Ntleko, author of Empty Hands: One Woman’s Journey to Save Children Orphaned by AIDS in South Africa.

Teens and adults Register: tinyurl.com/LLLCSorell

All ages Register: tinyurl.com/LLLCNtleko Tuesday March 1 Arts & Science 6:30 – 8:00pm

Free

Free

Contra Costa Master Gardeners present: Composting Made Easy. Discover easy ways to compost at home.

Adults

Free

Register by emailing higginssierra@gmail.com

Free programs are brought to you through the combined generosity of the LLLCF, The Friends of the Lafayette Library, and the Contra Costa Library System.

March 5, 2016 7pm Enjoy delicious food, libations, and noisy laughter with your friends while cavorting through the Library stacks!

Sponsorship and tickets at tinyurl.com/NightattheLLLC or call (925) 283-6513 x102 A fundraiser for the LLLC

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

1966 Saw a Fierce Battle to Develop the Reservoir

Lafayette Today ~ February 2016 - Page 7

By Ruth Bailey, Lafayette Historical Society

For all of us who enjoy the Lafayette Reservoir—whether for walking, fishing, boating, picnicking, exercising the dog, nature photography, birding, occasional concerts, or just sitting on the grass staring off into space—it might be a bit of a shock to learn that this lovely sylvan resource only emerged after a serious dispute between the East Bay Municipal Utility District and the East Bay Regional Park District.

That tug-of-war happened half a century ago, and was detailed in the February 18, 1966, Lafayette Sun, under the headline “EBMUD Fails to Win Supervisors’ Nod; Reservoir Decision ‘Final.’” Here's how it went: “EBMUD's decision to proceed with their own development of the Lafayette Reservoir as a recreation site failed this week to draw the blessings of the Board of Supervisors. But EBMUD will move ahead, regardless.

“Despite pleas that EBMUD's board of directors get together with the directors of the East Bay Regional Park District for a ‘last ditch’ attempt to reconcile lease agreement differences, the supervisorial board's handsoff attitude leaves little question as to which agency will proceed with development of the reservoir.

“Expressing his dismay over the decision of the utility district was a member of the regional park district’s board: ‘I’m still trying to get over the shock from the bombshell,’ Fred Blumberg said, referring to EBMUD’s announcement last week that the district was going into the park and recreation business.

“Blumberg claimed EBMUD's decision to develop the 133-acre reservoir and surrounding land would be ‘in defiance to the people of the county.’ Total area involved is 925 acres, including the reservoir and surrounding land. EBMUD said the district could not turn the land over to a third party (the regional park district).”

Considering the early angst, the development seems to have turned out pretty well, judging by the “over a million visitors every year,” according to the staff's official tally. And that's just counting the people who flock to the recreation area. No record is kept of the geese, herons, coyotes, deer, raccoons and other creatures great and small.

Meals on Wheels

Seniors in our community need your support! Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach Services have been supporting seniors in YOUR neighborhood since 1968.

Two of the programs, Meals on Wheels and Friendly Visitors, rely on the support of volunteers, and we need your help 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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Page 8 - February 2016 ~ Lafayette Today

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Valentine’s Day Aloe Tours and “Sweets with your Sweetie” 1410127-TSO-ALToday-5x6.25.indd 1

10/27/14 12:05 PM

The Ruth Bancroft Garden’s Aloe Day Tours, an all-day event focused specifically on the Garden’s dramatic aloe collection, will be held on February 13 from 10AM to 3PM. The Garden has an unparalleled collection of aloes, including hybrids not found anywhere else in the world. These winter bloomers put on a stunning show with colorful, dramatic flower stalks.

The garden is open for regular admission visits with self-guided aloe tours and docent led tours at 11AM and 1PM. • Special selection of aloes will be available in our retail nursery • Dish gardens, aloe books, and other garden inspired gifts for your Valentine Regular Admission Rates are $10/adults, $8/students and seniors 65+, and free for RBG members, children under 12, and members of participating AHS reciprocal gardens.

Special Event - “Sweets with Your Sweetie”

You and your sweetie will take a guided tour of The Garden led by curator Brian Kemble, world-renowned aloe expert, then enjoy sipping tea, chocolate, or a mimosa while enjoying a plate of sweet treats in our covered shade house. Be sure to take home the dish garden on your table as a remembrance of your visit.

• Tours with Brian start at 10AM and 12PM and last 60 - 90 minutes followed by your Sweets seating.

• Space is limited for this special event, so pre-registration is required. Sign-up online or members call the office to make your reservation. The event will be held rain or shine. Fee is $50/ couple for members or $65/couple for non-members.

The Ruth Bancroft Garden is located at 1552 Bancroft Road in Walnut Creek. All parking is at the office entrance.

For more information, please visit The Ruth Bancroft Garden or call (925) 944-9352.

William Reginald Shepherd, Jr., 83

William (Bill) Reginald Shepherd, Jr. of Lafayette, California passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 17, 2016, after a long and valiant battle against Parkinson’s Disease. Bill was born in Fargo, North Dakota to Zoe and William Shepherd, Sr. and spent his childhood in Pittsburg, California.

Bill had a successful career in the auto business as the owner of several car dealerships, including Shepherd Chevrolet, Shepherd Volkswagen, Shepherd Pontiac, and Shepherd Honda/Suzuki. He was given his love of cars by his father who owned Chevrolet dealerships in Pittsburg and Antioch. Young Bill washed windows at his father’s dealership and took note of how to run a successful business. In 1990, Bill was honored by being named Time Magazine’s Car Dealer of the Year.

Bill graduated from Acalanes High School (1951) and attended Stanford University and University of Oregon, earning his degree in 1955. During college, Bill enlisted in the Air Force and served four years as a Reservist.

Bill was introduced to the love of his life, Mary Jo Miller, by dear friends while water skiing on the Sacramento River. Their meeting was “love at first sight,” and the two married three months later in 1961. Soon after their marriage, they started to grow their family and had four boys in the span of six years. Life was full, fun, and exciting with summers spent on the lake at Tahoe and winter weekends spent skiing at Squaw Valley.

Bill and Mary Jo loved raising their family in Lafayette and took great pride in all that their boys achieved. When asked how they happened to have four boys who were all so tall, they replied, “A lot of love.” Bill had a generous nature and welcomed strangers as if they were family. He took a genuine interest in the lives of others and enjoyed sharing stories into the wee hours of the morning.

Bill enjoyed boating on Lake Tahoe and acquired several antique wooden boats over the years. He was able to enjoy rides on the lake last summer, which was a highlight during his final year. Bill and Mary Jo loved traveling together, entertaining, spending time with friends, dining at Trader Vic’s, vacationing in Hawaii, cheering on the Golden Bears, celebrating Christmas, and skiing. As a couple, they hardly spent a day apart. It was rare to find Bill without a book in his hand, as he was an avid reader. Bill enjoyed hunting and the outdoors. He was also a supporter of Boy Scouts, proudly leading all four sons to receive their Eagle Scout award.

Above all, Bill loved his family. Family was the center of his life. He was an incredibly devoted and caring husband, a loving and supportive father, and a dedicated “Grampy” to his grandchildren. He is survived by his wife Mary Jo of 55 years; his sister Nancy Hudson of Alamo; his sons William, Robert (Kimberly), Richard (Lisa), and James (Jennifer). He is also survived by his ten grandchildren: Katherine, Morgan, Kristoffer, Anne, Elizabeth, Amanda, Jeffrey, John, Matthew and Sarah.

The family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to Vic Guiterrez for his loving care and support of Bill and Mary Jo during Bill’s illness.

We will forever appreciate the loving friendship he shared with Bill.

Bill will be remembered for his kindness, ready smile, saint-like patience, quick one-liners and humor, captivating storytelling, genuine character, and warm personality. Bill’s sons and grandchildren will continue his legacy while holding their cherished father and grandfather in their hearts.

A memorial service was held on February 5, 2016. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts in Bill’s honor may be made to The Friends of Cal Crew – 10 Clay Street, Suite 200, Oakland, CA 94607 or by visiting http://calcrew. com/donate.html.

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Three Smart Strategies for Teens to Nail Standardized Tests

By Sheryl Kline, M.A.

It’s completely normal to worry about the SAT and ACT standardized tests, but that won’t help your bottom line. Mastering information, just like becoming an expert in a sport, is hard work but doable if you approach it the right way. If you want some awesome tips on learning information (not cramming!), have a look at this article: bit.ly/1S0mRbh. P.S. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you don’t understand something.

There are a couple things you can do to make sure your college entrance exams are a true reflection of all of your hard work. Just like a downhill skier waiting in the chutes for her first Olympic start, you too can learn to calm your mind, get present, and focus (and re-focus) on the task at hand: the test! Here’s how to do it.

1. SLEEP. I cannot emphasize this enough. If you are not getting 8 ½ to 9 hours + of sleep per night, especially during the week of testing, you are likely compromised in your cognitive (thinking) ability. Try and plan your best to make and stay on a study schedule, so you don’t end up staying up too late as the tests approach. Lack of sleep results in trouble

Walking the Reservoir

By Jim Scala

A Special Res-lady’s Valentine’s Day book signing. Last month I wrote about my walk with Brenda of Papillion and Jil Plummer, author of the book about Brenda entitled Remember to Remember.

Brenda and Jil will be at Papillion on February 14th for a book signing. Come, have coffee, meet both ladies, purchase an autographed copy, and enjoy the compelling true story at your leisure.

Respect the Reservoir Vultures. On a cold January morning ten vultures dominated the big tree opposite the boat-dock cove by the visitor’s center. A group of vultures is called a “wake.” They carefully faced the warm morning sun to let its ultra-violet rays kill the accumulated bacteria on their bald heads and beaks. Since their natural food is carrion, they dig into the carcass with their red head and become covered with germ-laden, rotting tissue. Their sunlight ritual vividly illustrates nature’s focus on cleanliness and survival.

Vultures do not harm other living creatures. On the contrary, they eat the carcasses of dead animals and clean the environment. With bald heads and large curved beaks, they have evolved and adapted to the necessary role nature had planned for them. If they had a head of feathers, it’s easy to imagine how contaminated they would become from poking their heads into dead and decaying animals. Watch a res-vulture rinse its head in the reservoir, wipe it dry on the tree leaves, and then face the bright sun as its UV light does the rest. In reality, they are very clean birds.

Vultures have excellent vision and soar over the land searching for carrion.

Their gliding ability is best among birds. They sense and take advantage of the slightest temperature gradient and can hover for hours without flapping their wide wings and conserve their energy. Only their close relative, the California Condor, comes close to them in staying aloft for long periods. It’s not surprising that man-made gliders use temperature sensors on their wings to accomplish what Vultures do naturally – we copied them.

When you’re walking the reservoir, watch vultures hover while looking for a meal, and consider what they routinely accomplish. Their designated day is September 7th. Is it a compliment when someone is called, “a vulture?”

Emulate them by picking up litter on our great trails.

Ben’s motto is simple, “My life is good, join me.” When Maureen of Lafayette’s Senior Center started our senior res-walking, she added one provision, “Any day except Wednesday, because that’s the day for Ben’s bird-watching Group.” Brent (Ben) Pettersson, leader of the Wednesday nature-walk bird-watching group, is familiar with all the East Bay trails. Being a certified Emergency Response Team member, he can lead a safe, enjoyable walk in remote areas.

As we walked, Ben explained his two trips south to observe the

Lafayette Today ~ February 2016 - Page 9 concentrating, slower reflexes, memory impairment, and reduced all around academic performance (betterhealth.vic.gov.au). Elite athletes get better gradually and consistently, not all at once. They also have a routine that allows them to perform at their highest level possible. Sleep is a HUGE part of this routine.

2. Pre-Plan. What might get in your way when you map out your study plans? Your sport, a family obligation, a friend’s birthday? Elite athletes still have a life, and so can you. During the weeks leading up to your test, only commit to the things you really want to attend (ie: a best friends birthday) or that you have to attend (ie: family obligations). You’ll have to plan ahead to make sure you can stay on track with your studying (maybe stay home on a night/afternoon you’d normally spend with friends etc.).

3. Take Control. When exam day comes, think of a couple things you have control over, and write those things down. For example, 1) I will read each question slowly and thoroughly to make sure I understand what is being asked 2) I will breathe deeply a couple times when I start to lose focus or get worried, and 3) I will treat each question as a mini test. Once it’s done, the next question will be an opportunity to do well.

Elite athletes can learn how to manage their thoughts and emotions to perform their best, and so can you! Keep up the great work, and best of luck!

Sheryl Kline is a Mental Toughness Coach, published author, and speaker. You can subscribe to her free newsletter at www.SherylKline.com or reach her at 925-285-0526.

Advertorial California Condor, and I realized he takes bird watching seriously. He pointed out several unusual birds, including a rare Golden Eyes Duck swimming near the dam. I learned that even in the wild, birds recognize and are comfortable with certain people.

Ben walks over ten hours weekly between his two walking groups. I asked what inspired his program. He had half a cancerous lung removed and then, after open heart surgery, he decided to keep on keeping on – that meant walking. He conversed easily going up and down the res-hills, proving he’s in excellent shape. Ben dropped another bit of philosophy: “All walks must be pancake flat because we start and finish at the same place.”

Ben came to Lafayette from Sweden in 1967 and married his late wife on the day Lafayette was declared a city.

A walk with Ben’s birding group. They were easy to spot wearing binoculars around their neck, two carried a camera, some had bird books, and Ben carried a spotting scope and tripod. With binoculars I blended right in. At the dam we watched many water birds, and the group patiently explained them. Once we got near the visitor’s center, I noticed a Cormorant basking in the sun. I learned they lack oil and have to dry that way after diving for food. I was impressed with the birders’ knowledge and how patient they are to explain the birds.

Something swam near a bird everyone was watching, then dived. They asked what it was. I confidently said, “That’s an otter.” Suddenly, I was explaining something to them.

If you’d like to join Ben’s very friendly group, call the Lafayette Senior Center at 925-284-5050.

Let me hear from you: jscala2@comcast.net.

Healthcare in Contra Costa County Panel

The public is invited to join members of The League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley and Health Care for All - Contra Costa County in discussion about health care in Contra Costa County.

How are health care providers meeting current needs? What are some systemic changes we might consider? ACA offered much-needed improvements to the health care system. Yet problems remain: • Many residents are still uninsured • Patient costs continue to rise dramatically • Networks are narrowing • Family medical bankruptcies continue • Mental health, dental, and long term care needs aren’t sufficiently covered Hear from local health care experts, and join the discussion at the Mc Hale Room, Pleasant Hill Community Center 320 Civic Drive, Pleasant Hill.

The event will be held on Saturday, March 19, 3–4:30PM. Panelists are Dr. William Walker, MD, Director and Health Officer, CCC Health Services; Brenda Goldstein, MPH, Psychosocial Services Director, Lifelong Medical Care; Dr. Ariane Terlet, DDS, Chief Dental Officer, La Clinica de la Raza; and Dr. Pat Snyder, PhD, Leadership Team Member, All Care Alliance.

For more information, visit www.lwvdv.org or www.healthcareforall.org.

Page 10 - February 2016 ~ Lafayette Today

Sustainable Lafayette ~ Tip of the Month

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total cocoa market, estimated Organic and Fair Trade Chocolate … Is It Worth the Extra $? at less than 0.5% of total It’s February and, to paraphrase Lord Tennyson, one’s fancy lightly production. Approximately turns to thoughts of love … and chocolate. Whether you’re the giver or the 80% of certified organic cocoa comes from Latin America. Cacao is a recipient, you’re likely to be eating more than your usual share of chocolate “family farm” crop with almost 90% of its cultivation, fermentation, and drying in the hands of the individual farmer. The reality is that most farmers sometime around February 14.

Before grabbing a beribboned box for your sweetheart or a handful of cannot afford the expensive process of being “certified” organic.

Choices in organic chocolate have increased a lot in the past decade, as yummy morsels to accompany your child’s Valentine’s cards, you may want to take a moment to consider the differences between conventional both artisan and multinational chocolate manufacturers continue to grow chocolate, organic chocolate, and fair trade chocolate. Yes, organic and fair their range of organic chocolate products. This offers both chocolatiers and trade products are more expensive, but you cannot assess whether the extra artisan bar manufacturers more options.

Just a few years ago, organic chocolate was stocked only at natural food money is “worth it” unless you know why you’re paying extra.

For a chocolate (or any food product) to be considered “organic,” it must and gourmet stores such as Open Sesame or Whole Foods, but now it is contain at least 95% organic ingredients. To make organic cacao, the farm much easier to find. In fact, chocolate giant Hershey’s recently purchased replaces conventional fertilizers and soil conditioners with crop rotation Dagoba of Ashland, Oregon, one of the US’s premier organic chocolate practices and all-natural fertilizers (manure). Synthetic and toxic pesticides manufacturers, which undoubtedly will expand distribution of its products.

Fair Trade certification is more comprehensive than organic because it are replaced with all-natural alternatives. These organic practices create a more sustainable crop, have a lower environmental impact, and are better considers working conditions of the farmers above and beyond the use of for the workers who will not be pesticides and other environmental agricultural practices. Forced child and exposed to the synthetic chemicals. slave labor are strictly prohibited. For farmers and workers in developing On the manufacturing end, USDA countries, Fair Trade offers better prices, improved terms of trade, and the Certified Organic chocolate also business skills necessary to produce high-quality products that can compete guarantees that no artificial flavors, in the global marketplace.

For a list of Fair Trade USA’s partners in the production of cocoa products, dyes, or GMOs (genetically visit http://www.fairtradeusa.org/products-partners/cocoa. modified organisms) find their way Understanding where any product – from cocoa and coffee to tea and wine into your chocolate.

– is from, how it’s produced, and what’s in it sheds light on how sustainable The organic cocoa market represents a very small share of the it is and empowers us to vote with our wallets.

San Francisco International Airport

By Linda Summers Pirkle

Recently my husband and I had an emotional farewell at San Francisco International Airport as our youngest daughter who is studying abroad left for Paris, France. We wanted to stay until her flight departed, so we had a few hours to explore the airport. One of my favorite areas in the airport is San Francisco Airport Commission Aviation Library and Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum, located in the International Terminal A. This small and very stylish museum is stunning. The Spanish Revival architecture and large model airplanes hanging from the ceiling, gorgeous tiles, and soft lighting make this special space a calm refuge in the bustling San Francisco International Airport.

The lovely Aviation Museum and Library is tucked away next to the Virgin Airways gate. It is used by the traveling public and visitors who come to see the unique exhibitions presented on a wide variety of commercial aviation history subjects. Patrons, including air enthusiasts, students, scholars, authors, and aviation industry professionals, are welcome to use the unique and specialized materials.

I spoke to John Hill, the Assistant Director of the SFO Aviation Museum, who gave us some history of the S.F. International Airport. In 1929 the airport was a dirt airstrip in a cow pasture as the jet age was just beginning.

The original 150 acre airfield was leased for three years at $1,500 per year.

In 1937, a larger Administration Building opened on the property, and eventually the airport and surrounding land was purchased by the City. It is the interior passenger lobby of the 1937 building that inspired the architecture firm Fong & Chan to design the San Francisco Airport Commission Aviation and Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum.

A Press Release dated December 30, 2015 says, “SFO announced a major milestone in its 88 year history, achieving a new all-time passenger traffic record of 50 million annual passengers…this caps a six year time span of continuous traffic growth at the Airport.” The museum and library are very close to full scale of the original space of the 1937 passenger lobby of the airport, and it’s amazing to realize that this beautiful yet small space was the passenger lobby in those days. As John Hill says, “The relative size of

the museum space, and its historical relevance to the Airport in the 1930’s compared to SFO today, dramatically demonstrates how aviation has grown over the last seven decades.”

Mr. Francis Egan worked for many years at the S. F. International Airport, and now he volunteers as a monitor for the Reading Room in SFO Library. “I guess I have airplane fuel in my veins,” he laughed. “Since I was a small boy I couldn’t resist looking up in the sky as a plane flew overhead. I could not The San Francisco Airport Commission Aviation Library and keep my eyes off of Louis A. Turpin Aviation Museum them.” He has witnessed many poignant encounters at the airport, and the SFO Museum and Library are no exception. Egan explains, “You can see it all here. I especially enjoy seeing people who walk into this beautiful library who are frazzled, tense, and angry about a missed flight or whatever, and you see a complete change in them once they spend a bit of time in this place. It might be the architecture; it might be that it’s not very crowded. Whatever it is, it is a place where people can calm themselves.”

There are over twenty art galleries located in SFO, and approximately ten of these exhibitions are pre-security. Two upcoming exhibitions being presented by SFO Museum are Essential Style: Vintage and Antique Purses from January 23 to July 24, 2106, and The Allure of Art Nouveau: 1890-1914 from February 13 to August 14, 2016. Both exhibitions will be on view in the International Terminal Main Hall pre-security.

The museum hours are Sunday thru Friday (closed Saturday) from 10AM-4:30PM. The library is available by appointment. Their phone number is (650) 821-6700. The website is www.SFOMuseum.org. The museum may be rented for special events.

Linda Summers Pirkle, inspired by the many wonderful places to visit in the Bay Area, 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.

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Issue of Inventory

Lafayette Today ~ February 2016 - Page 11

By Erin Martin, Village Associates Real Estate

The current lack of inventory is the hot topic in Lafayette real estate this January. The beginning of the year is traditionally a very slow time because sellers wait until the rainy season is over, gardens are in bloom, and buyers are out planning for the upcoming school enrollment period. While historically January has been a slow month for real estate, this January there is a surplus of buyers desperately wanting to purchase a home.

In early January, a 1,481 sq. ft. Burton Valley fixer on Burnt Oak Circle that was listed for $880,000 and received 11 offers, six of which were all cash. As of January 16th, there was one active listing in Lafayette under a million dollars, and it does not feed into the Lafayette school district. There are four detached family homes available under $1.5 million, one of which is in the Martinez school district, and only one property is newly listed on the MLS. There are four active listings over $2.6 million. These numbers speak for themselves in describing the current lack of inventory.

If you have been thinking about selling your home there is a real benefit to coming on the market before there is more competition. Waiting until the spring to get the highest price is no longer a hard-and-fast rule. Basic economics of supply and demand tells us that things sell for more money when there is an abundance of buyers when supply is scarce, which certainly also applies to housing. Unfortunately, most sellers assume real estate does not sell in the winter, and this is just not true in today’s market.

During the holidays I received many calls from new buyers who were on vacation and had time to think about house hunting. With the new year comes a new home mentality where buyers are planning the purchase of their new home. Many people have received their year-end bonus and are ready to put their money towards a down payment.

If you do decide to beat the competition to market this winter, make sure that you or your agent keep the house heated for showings and open houses, and leave lights on so your home feels bright despite shorter days and El Niño weather. Buyers are aware that the drought has taken a toll on lawns and gardens. Making sure your yard is tidy and clear of debris as well as adding some black bark can go a long way this winter.

While there is some concern about the stock market and how raising interest rates will affect home prices, there is no real sign that this is impacting Lafayette. In addition, since many market pundits feel economic uncertainty will increase in the second half of the year, getting a jump on any plans to sell your home in 2016 will likely only benefit you.

Please feel free to call or email me with your real estate questions or for a free home evaluation. I can be reached at (925) 951-3817 or by email at erin@erinmartinhomes.com.

Advertorial

Assistance League of Diablo Valley’s TeleCare Connects with the Homebound

Since 1971, member volunteers of TeleCare, a philanthropic program of Assistance League® of Diablo Valley, have been making daily reassurance calls, Monday through Friday, to those in our community who are homebound. As the chapter’s longest standing philanthropic program, TeleCare empowers the clients, no matter what their ages, to remain in their homes. What ensures this is a daily confidential journal kept for each client that member volunteers consult prior to the phone calls then update accordingly. Last year alone, member volunteers devoted 765 hours to connecting with homebound clients.

Unfortunately, many clients are socially isolated and don’t have anyone to check on them daily. Statistics indicate that loneliness can cause a 20% decline in health, a number that increases for seniors, the elderly and the homebound. TeleCare not only offsets that statistic, it ultimately serves as a safety net for clients and their families especially if volunteer callers are unable to reach the client.

At a recent regular chapter meeting, Ruth Finlay, former member of Assistance League of Diablo Valley since 1975 and current TeleCare client, dropped in for a visit to say, “Thank you, TeleCare; you start my day.” She added that if it weren’t for TeleCare member volunteers, some of the homebound would never receive phone calls.

If you live alone or know someone who does, a daily phone call would be a great way to stay connected with life and make new friends. Other TeleCare activities include attending an annual holiday party to meet fellow clients and member volunteers face to face, as well as receiving greeting cards from the Assisteens ®, an auxiliary where kids learn to participate in a community service at a young age. So make that call to get you or someone you know connected.

For more information about TeleCare, please phone 925-934-0901. To learn about Assistance League of Diablo Valley’s other philanthropic programs, funded by its thrift shop in Lafayette, and its recently awarded GuideStar Exchange gold participation level status, please visit diablovalley.assistanceleague.org.

Page 12 - February 2016 ~ Lafayette Today

Assisted Outpatient Treatment Program Launches in Contra Costa County

By Candace Andersen, Contra Costa County Supervisor, District 2

One of the many services the County provides to Contra Costa residents is mental health services. I am pleased to announce that Contra Costa County’s Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) Program launched on February 1. AOT is based on Assembly Bill 1421, otherwise known as Laura’s Law, which is a discretionary state law that allows counties to use the civil court system to supervise care. Last year the Board of Supervisors passed Laura’s Law in our county as a way to not only help the mentally ill and their families, but to also protect the community.

Who is eligible for AOT? An adult with severe and persistent mental illness may qualify for the AOT program if their mental health is getting worse, they are unlikely to be safe in the community without supervision, and they have a recent history of hospitalization or violence related to their mental health. The program is intended for those who have previously declined or not engaged in offered treatment. For more information about who qualifies for AOT and who can request an AOT screening, visit cchealth.org/mentalhealth/lauras-law.php or you may call 1-844-422-2268.

Eligible individuals benefit from a 24-hour team response that can include treatment, medication, access to primary health care, substance abuse counseling, counseling regarding benefits and other resources, access to supportive housing services, vocational rehabilitation, and peer and family member support. Those who do not meet all AOT eligibility requirements will still be connected with appropriate behavioral health services.

The County has contracted with Mental Health Systems, a not-for-profit, community based organization, with extensive experience running similar programs in San Diego County and elsewhere in California, to provide an Assertive Community Treatment model, which is designed to break the cycle of repeated hospitalization or incarceration many of these community members face, delivering safe, effective and respectful treatment. Program staff includes licensed mental health clinicians from Behavioral Health Services (BHS) as well as from Mental Health Systems.

While a process for court-ordered treatment is now in place, we are optimistic that it will remain a last resort. Our AOT program emphasizes voluntary participation, and the experience of other counties with similar programs suggests that most patients do engage with services without court involvement.

To ensure outcomes are accurately tracked, the County has hired Resource Development Associates, who will provide program evaluation services.

Our AOT program was developed in coordination with Behavioral Health, Contra Costa Superior Court, the Public Defender’s Office, County Counsel, the Mental Health Commission, and many community partners.

AOT is not for crisis intervention. If you or someone you know is experiencing a life-threatening emergency, call 911 immediately. To speak with a trained crisis counselor about a mental or emotional health concern, call 1-888-678-7277 any time of day or night.

For more information on mental health resources in Contra Costa County you may visit mhcrashcourse.org/about.html. The website offers links to services as well as information on the Mental Health Crash Course, which is a 90 minute orientation for people who find themselves having to interact with the mental health field but don’t know where to start. A coalition of groups has come together to provide a weekly seminar to help people learn more. Classes begin this month and will be held on Wednesday evenings at the Family Justice Center, 2151 Salvio Street, Suite 201 in Concord.

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 with additional information on this topic or on other County issues. I can be reached by email at SupervisorAndersen@bos.cccounty.us or by phone at (925) 957-8860.

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Energy Matters

H2O Matters

By Mark Becker, GoSimpleSolar

El Niño is officially here, sometimes resulting in torrential rain. Torrential rain is not forgiving on any type of roof that is not flashed or installed properly, or has reached the end of its service life. A roof is one of the most important parts of any dwelling. Water intrusion is the number one cause of damage to homes and businesses. If you’re considering a solar installation, please ensure that there is a licensed roofer performing the roof portion of the work. If so, your roof warranty will remain valid. The roof product warranty will not remain valid if a non-licensed roofer is performing any modifications to the roof. (See www.

Gaf.com and www.Certainteed.com for more information). Broken roof tiles need to be matched and replaced, not “repaired” with caulk. Proper flashing is an art, and a science. Solar and roofing, done right, eliminates any roof leak risk.

Grounding and shock hazards can result from water intrusion into an improperly installed solar PV or electric system. A licensed electrician’s work on a solar PV project will ensure that the conduits, junction boxes, and connections are properly watertight to prevent this hazard. It’s your home, choose your tradesmen wisely.

Roof and gutter cleanliness: El Niño is not forgiving of deferred roof maintenance either. Leaves or debris in a gutter can result in a clogged downspout. A clogged downspout can result in a backed-up gutter. Standing water in an improperly designed gutter will rise in the gutter and then penetrate behind flashings. The water will take the path of least resistance, into your ceilings and walls. If you’re lucky, you’ll see the water manifest itself earlier than later. An invisible leak will result in mold and rot damage. Clean your gutters and ensure your downspouts are free flowing to keep your home free from water damage and mold. The remediation costs for water damage may or may not be covered by insurance. If you’re not able to perform the tasks of cleaning your gutters and downspouts safely, there are reasonably priced companies to perform this task. Ensure you hire a company with a good reputation. Many gutter locations are often impossible to visually inspect unless one is on top of the roof or on a second story ladder. In the world of the building trades, it’s always wise to “Trust, but Verify.”

Assessed Value of Solar: After any properly permitted home improvement project, the County Assessor will send an assessment form to your home requesting project costs. Solar PV projects are exempt from assessed value (real estate tax) increases per California State law. However, real estate appraised value increases for solar homes are well documented in studies by such entities as the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Alternative Fuels, Anchors Aweigh! A Navy Carrier Battle Group was recently dispatched on deployment powered by a 10% bio-fuel mix. Ten percent doesn’t seem significant, but for this battle group it translates to 77 million gallons of clean alternative energy.

Homeowner’s Associations, by law, are very limited as to how they can regulate solar PV installations. I wish my HOA would enforce aesthetics considerations a bit more. Hidden conduits, rectangular or square contiguous arrays (that don’t skip around easily moveable vents) and installing aesthetically pleasing black panels are installation practices which can be legally regulated by HOA’s to limit negative aesthetic impact. Unfortunately, many “budget” solar companies’ projects look like someone haphazardly placed solar panels onto a roof and typically, there is no HOA involvement to prevent these practices.

We’ve all seen these projects. Architectural planning committees are known for their bureaucracy, but they can benefit the HOA resident. Poorly designed and installed solar projects ultimately damage the reputation of the solar industry, as well as the aesthetics and perhaps value of the neighborhood in which they lay.

The 2015 Federal Tax Credit IRS 5695 and 3468 forms for residential and commercial solar PV (and other energy efficiencies) are now available for download from the IRS. We’ve made them available at www.GoSimpleSolar.com/downloads.

Use the sample filled out form to guide you to fill out your own if you installed solar PV or other energy efficiencies in your home or business in tax year 2015.

Details, details: The Contractor’s State License Board very clearly defines construction contract requirements and specifies contractor performance standards and responsibilities.

Leverage www.CSLB.ca.gov to ensure you’re properly informed: Information is power.

Mark Becker is the President and business owner of GoSimpleSolar, by Semper Fidelis Construction Inc, CSLB 948715. GoSimpleSolar is one of the very few solar PV installers utilizing both licensed roofers and licensed electricians for installation work, project managed by a solar PV NABCEP professional. For more information visit www.GoSimpleSolar.com. Advertorial

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Technology Matters

By Evan Corstorphine, Portable CIO

Over the past few years, we’ve seen an increase in the popularity and market share of Apple Macintosh (OS X) computers. I’ve never been a bigot one way or the other when it comes to Mac’s or PC’s. They each have their uses, their strengths, and weaknesses, and my staff feels the same way. Our business is to enable technology of any sort to increase the productivity of the users we work with. And when I criticize either, I am not speaking out of turn, as I own both a brand new fully decked-out Macbook Pro and also a Windows 10 Lenovo laptop. As such, I’m going to give you my unvarnished opinion, and from there you can make up your own mind about what is right for you and your situation.

When helping a client purchase a new system, my concerns are about the features, performance, reliability, and manageability of the computer system.

For example, there are some brands that we see in our repair shop a lot more than others, and we make no excuses for steering our clients away from those brands so that the user has a better experience. I feel it’s also important to avoid purchasing a computer because of its looks, a more common criteria than you may imagine.

Of course, hardware is just one aspect of the system. There will always be a debate between industry followers about whether Microsoft Windows or Mac OS X is “better.” The truth is that they’re both really good and mature operating systems, and the most appropriate choice is the one that checks the most boxes for your specific situation. If I had to choose, I would say Mac’s are a better home computer, whereas PC’s are a superior business computer. This will probably continue to evolve, and it’s not an absolute rule, but right now my opinion is it’s the best guideline.

For home use, I think the Mac is brilliant. Part of this is the superior way Apple has integrated their operating system across their smartphones (iPhone), tablets (iPad), and computers (MacBooks, iMac’s, etc.) For example, with recent OS X releases, I can answer my cell phone with my computer, place a “FaceTime” video phone call directly from my computer, or type a text message from my Mac instead of from my iPhone. This is extremely useful, and it

Lafayette Today ~ February 2016 - Page 13 demonstrates the level of cross-platform integration Apple has achieved. But while these are impressive features, they do not mean the computer is businessready. There are important areas where the Mac falls short.

One of the biggest Mac issues is that most established and popular business software was written for the PC, not for the Macintosh. Also, for the overwhelming majority of companies that have traditional, non web-based software to run, it’s very difficult to completely integrate their Mac’s into the security and filesharing infrastructure established for the Windows domain-based computers and to manage them all consistently. Yes, we can get files into and out of the servers for the Mac’s, but it’s not smooth. We do work with some companies who have an all-Mac infrastructure, and for them (and only them) it works OK because 100% of their software and files are internet-based. In other words, they’re not worrying about running Quickbooks or Sage Business Works, or saving data to a local file-server, because they’re using all their business software through a subscription service they access through a web browser. Nothing is local.

Beside software, the other area of concern is that Mac’s are more difficult to securely administrate for business use. For example, in the Mac OS X world, an end-user is either established as the administrator of the computer with God-like rights, or they are a ‘limited user,’ who has significantly fewer rights to do anything.

With administrator rights, the end-user has the privilege of removing any software they choose, and there’s nothing we can do about it, because that role has the rights.

While not an epidemic, there are a certain number of people who for whatever reason will use those privileges to remove the management or backup software that we installed on their system, which removes our ability to administrate that system, which causes all sorts of other issues. If this were a PC, we would have the ability to tune the security and ensure the end-user could do their job with flexibility, while preserving the integrity of the system management functions and overall security. This is a big issue and one that limits our ability to ensure that the policies and dictates of the company who owns that computer are followed. For some, this alone is enough reason to disqualify the Mac for enterprise use.

Regardless of your stance, I hope this causes you to consider the implications of the platform you choose before you make your next computer purchase. There are great features and capabilities with both types of systems. If you’re unsure which way to proceed, I urge you to contact us so we can help you think it through in advance of your investment, either by calling 925-552-7953 or emailing helpdesk@theportablecio.com. Advertorial

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Page 14 - February 2016 ~ Lafayette Today

Topping Trees?

By Blaine Brende & Joe Lamb

At Brende & Lamb we get the occasional request to remove some or all of a tree’s crown, a process called topping.

There are many reasons why people ask to have a tree topped: increased light, better view, safer tree, or reduced leaf litter. Though it seems counter-intuitive, topping almost always produces the opposite of the desired effect. Topping can decrease available light, mar the view, make a safe tree unsafe, and even increase leaf litter. Take, for example, topping to decrease the shadow cast by a tree. This may work in the very short term, but topping stimulates rapid growth, causing the tree’s crown to thicken, thereby cutting out light after just a few growing seasons. Over time, you get more light for your pruning dollar if instead of topping you give the crown a judicious thinning. When done correctly, thinning doesn’t over stimulate the tree, and it enhances the tree’s aesthetics instead of seriously, sometimes irredeemably, damaging it.

Another common misperception is that topping will make the tree safer; it almost always does just the opposite. Most topped trees decay at the point at which they were topped. Topping also stimulates production of long lanky shoots. Given that these shoots grow out of decaying wood, topping often turns a safe tree into a hazard that increases over time. Some of the more dangerous trees we’ve seen were topped years ago with no follow-up pruning. If you have a previously topped tree growing close to your home, it is a good idea to have a competent arborist give it a safety evaluation. Previously topped trees can be made safer by pruning to reduce wind-sail and by reducing weight on leggy branches.

Gardening with Kate

By Kathleen Guillaume

Rain glorious rain...how lucky we have been this winter. Well-spaced storms have brought a steady somewhat gentle rain to our very parched soil along with a good helping of snow pack that will melt this spring. Too often in El Niño years we have been battered by the Pineapple Expresses bringing torrents of rain from the Hawaiian islands and giving us 5-12” of rain in one storm with all of its attendant problems.

At any rate, my much stressed trees are extremely happy.

February is a time to rest. Our ground is too wet to work. If you need to weed, you should create platforms so that you don’t compress the wet soil, robbing it of all air to the point that nothing will be viable. To build a simple platform you can create a plank wide enough to kneel on and attach 4x4’s to the end so that only that surface has contact with the ground. This will allow some prep work to be done in spite of ground saturation. It also creates a good platform for pruning.

As you think of these things, you might also want to think about your garden design. All beds should be narrow enough to reach into from the paths that run through your garden. If you have large beds which are so deep that you have to crawl into them to plant, prune, and deadhead, you might want to rethink your layout and add more paths to your garden. A safe path is at least 2.5 to 3’ wide which allows enough room for walking. If it is an access path, it can be a series of stepping stones wide enough to crawl along without compacting your soil.

This off-time of year is a perfect time for a project like this. It is also a perfect time to build raised beds, especially if you are older. My favorite raised beds are 16-18” high with a top board 6 to 8” that allows for comfortable sitting so you can reach easily into the bed for all garden tasks. If you have absolutely no sense of design, you can call on the Association of Professional Landscape Designers.

They have a great website, www.apldca.org, which allows you to access their designers who can assist you in creating a functioning easy to access garden.

All good garden design incorporates things you love with water-wise arrangements. I keep my water-use plants together, planting tomatoes next to roses in the same beds as they have similar once a week deep watering needs. I then have other beds that are landscaped with low maintenance drought-tolerant plants.

Winter is always a good time to rethink how you are using your garden.

Another great resource for ideas is ‘Our Garden’ in Walnut Creek, run by Master Gardeners. They have regularly scheduled free classes. They also have several

www.yourmonthlypaper.com People sometimes top trees to reduce leaf litter, but most trees respond to topping by putting out a profusion of leaves to help repair the damage. In short order, the owner of a topped maple will spend more time with rake in hand than before the topping.

Topping to increase view is often done without realizing that the new view will include an ugly tree. If the tree in the view is a bay, a eucalyptus, or any number of other fast-growing species, the topping will fail to provide view for long because the topped tree will soon produce sprouts that shoot up into the view. Well-planned pruning can often capture view, and it is often possible to enhance the beauty of the tree in the process. A beautiful view framed by a beautiful tree is far lovelier than a view over the top of an ugly and scarred tree.

Another frequent request for topping comes from people about to sell their homes who think that topping their trees will increase the sale price. Real estate professionals know that beautiful trees can raise property values by as much as 20%, whereas a topped tree can be a liability . . . something the bidder on your house might ask you to deduct from the sales price so that they can have the tree removed.

For further information about the perils of tree topping, go to the website of the International Society of Arboriculture, and read the article at www. treesaregood.org/treecare/topping.aspx. If you are thinking about topping, please reconsider. It is possible to enhance view, increase light, and make trees safer without topping. Doing so does, however, require competent pruning by tree professionals.

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

Advertorial display areas where they teach about fruit tree planting and care, crop rotation, and cover crops suitable for small residential gardens. Learn more at www.cmg. ucanr,edu/OurGarden which is a site loaded with everything you need to know to expand your garden knowledge.

We are so lucky in Contra Costa County to have many rich resources right at our finger tips from free classes, nurseries that offer good advice and also have free classes, active garden clubs, several display gardens that keep regular visiting hours, the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden, and the wonderful classes at Diablo Valley College.

Many of you now have trees loaded with oranges and lemons...much more than you could ever use. Right here in our neighborhood we have a great organization called Urban Farmers. Urban Farmers will glean your surplus and take it to the Food Bank so that others have fresh fruit. If you just leave the oranges in place, they will eventually rot and drop (a big clean up) or will attract rats who love oranges. You can ask the group to glean all of the fruit from the top and leave you with enough on the lower branches to meet your every need.

Learn more about them at www.theurbanfarmers.org.

In the meantime as the rains continue, keep comfortable and curl up with a good book in a place where you can occasionally lift your eyes and look out on your garden.

Happy Gardening.

Lafayette Garden Club

The Lafayette Garden Club is excited to present speaker Elizabeth Ruiz from Go With Nature at their February 11th meeting. Ruiz’s topic will be “Hydrangeas…Grow Them, Love Them, Prune Them!”

Meetings are held at the Lafayette Veteran’s Building, 3780 Mt. Diablo Blvd in Lafayette, from 9:45AM to 12 noon.

Visitors are welcome! For additional information, e-mail Carolyn Poetzsch at cpoetzsch@gmail.com.

Montelindo Garden Club

The next Montelindo Garden Club meeting (third Friday, September thru May) will be held on Friday, February 19th at 9AM at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 66 St. Stephens Drive, Orinda. Visitors are welcome.

The topic for February’s meeting is Incorporating Succulents Into Everyday Garden, and the speaker will be Rebecca Sweet, owner of the garden design company Harmony in the Garden.

For more information, visit www.montelindogarden.com.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Life in the Lafayette Garden

Lafayette Today ~ February 2016 - Page 15

Garden Path

By John Montgomery, ASLA, Landscape Architect #4059

To view a beautiful Lafayette garden from a distance is to bring joy to the eyes, but to walk through and experience a beautiful garden touches all the human senses. The pathway is an essential structure to any successful landscape design. A pathway brings you into the garden and brings the garden to you.

The goal of any garden path is to allow egress in and out of your landscape. It can lead you to that hidden secret sitting area where you love to sit in the warm sun and read a good book or enjoy quiet meditation away from the fray of life, or it can provide functional access to high-use areas in your yard such as swimming pools, patios and decks, and sports amenities.

Depending on the purpose, the path can either be formal or informal. A formal path generally is more structured, permanent, and more direct. For instance, the path to your front door, pool, or patio should be more formal.

Design it with the idea of transporting people more directly. A path to your door should be proportionate to the size of your home. If you have a large two-story façade, you don’t want a three-foot wide meandering path to your front door. Generally, a path for a larger proportioned home should be a minimum of five feet wide. It should be constructed of a permanent surface like concrete, stone, or brick mortared onto concrete for stability.

Pick a material that is solid and easy to walk on. A formal path should be more direct. It doesn’t need to be straight, but it does need to be direct.

A formal path can have curves, angles, or straight edges. In other words, it shouldn’t take you from the entry at the street around the side of your house, curve back around to the front through a grove of trees, and across to the other side before arriving at your front door!

An informal path can be an added design feature to any Lafayette landscape. Most Lafayette lots tend to be quite spacious which allows for informal paths to get you out into your garden. An informal path generally is less structured, less permanent, and less direct. The purpose of an informal path is to provide access to the sights, sounds, smells, textures, and tastes of your garden. It is a less direct way of getting someplace or nowhere. It gives you access to a hillside with views, a quiet corner for meditation, or gathering an assortment of edibles, herbs, and flowers. It should be constructed of a less permanent material such as loose-set flagstone with ground cover in between, concrete steppers, or gravel. I particularly like gravel because of the “crunching” sound it makes when you walk on it.

A garden path is one of the most important hardscape elements in your landscape design. It is a core element of your landscape. One of the first elements that I work out in my design process is the pathways. The path system defines the softscape areas and provides access for use. A path system can be as elaborate or as simple as you want. Remember that every element in your garden has purpose. Define the purpose of your path system before you

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design it. The garden path is most likely the most used hardscape element of any landscape design.

A hot tip from your local Landscape Architect: A primary path should always be wide enough (4-5 feet at minimum) for two people to walk side-by-side comfortably.

Announcement! We will be holding our annual “Life in the Garden Tour” fundraiser in the Spring of 2017. Keep your fingers crossed for a good wet year with plenty of snow! We look forward to seeing you on the tour in 2017!

Gardening Quote of the Month: It is a great art to saunter. - Henry David Thoreau, 1841 If you would like me to write on any particular subject, email your ideas to jmontgomery@jm-la.com or for design ideas visit www.jm-la.com or www.houzz.com/pro/jmla/johnAdvertorial montgomery-landscape-architects.

Page 16 - February 2016 ~ Lafayette Today

Baby It’s Cold Outside

By Monica Chappell

Come in from the cold to the warm aroma of mulled wine. It’s simple, fragrant, and beyond delicious. If you’ve never tried it before, you definitely need to.

It’ll make you happy on a cold night!

Mulled wine, the vine’s version of a classic hot toddy, is a traditional treat in many Old World countries and has been warming people for centuries.

These are wines that have been sweetened, spiced, and slightly heated - offering a delightful alternative to traditional coffees, ciders, and toddy’s on a cold winter's night. Mulled wine is one of my favorite winter drinks because it is hot, sweet, and possessing a very special power – it makes you delightfully warm inside.

Pick Your Potion

While red wine and apple cider are the most traditional of the spiced winter warmers, you can also use white wine, hard cider, or ale. The primary spice combinations for mulled wine almost always include cinnamon sticks and whole cloves. Nutmeg, star anise, allspice berries, cardamom pods, slices of fresh ginger, orange slices, and lemon zest are also good additions.

The trick to infusing the wine without making it cloudy and gritty is to use whole spices rather than ground versions.

Mix it Up

The mixture should be brought to a very gentle simmer over low heat and should not be boiled – that would cause the spices to turn bitter and make the alcohol evaporate. And, gee, that is the last thing in the world we want, right? To really allow the flavors of the spices to infuse into the wine, allow the mixture to simmer on the stovetop for at least half an hour.

Mulled Wine Recipe

1 bottle of dry red wine (Merlot can stand up to heat and the zing of spices) 1 teaspoon almond extract 2 cinnamon sticks (plus additional sticks for garnish) 3 whole cloves 1 star anise 1 Tablespoon honey Pour wine into the top of a double boiler and warm over medium heat.

Add remaining ingredients and stir until honey dissolves. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently, stirring occasionally. Ladle into mugs and serve garnished with an orange slice or cinnamon stick.

Monica Chappell is a local wine writer and educator. For a list of wine programs contact us at wineappreciation101@gmail.com.

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Is Your Living Trust a Bomb Ticking Silently?

By Robert J. Silverman, Attorney at Law

You may recognize the title of this month’s piece. I used it in my July 2014 article. I’m writing about the topic again because it is so important.

Major new Federal Estate Tax legislation was enacted in January 2013. As I warned previously, these newer rules may have transformed your existing living trust into a bomb ticking silently.

This article focuses on married couples who have a type of living trust that was very commonly drafted for decades - generally referred to as a formula “AB” or “A-B-C” trust.

The bad news: Your A-B trust bomb is set to explode when the first spouse dies. During the last three years, I have had to explain to too many widows and widowers why their trust exploded and how I needed to help clean up the damage.

The good news: It’s fairly easy for you to avoid the explosion and thus the damage, but you must change your A-B trust (assuming it is advisable upon advice from legal counsel) before the first spouse dies.

Prior to January, 2013: A-B trusts have been extremely popular for many years and for good reason. This structure enabled married couples to legally eliminate or minimize Federal Estate Tax liability (with a top tax rate of 55% during much of the last few decades) that would otherwise be imposed upon the death of the surviving spouse – assuming he or she died with more than a certain threshold amount of net assets. This threshold - the amount exempt from Federal Estate Tax liability (“exemption”) - has varied greatly over the years, but was as low as $600,000 through much of the 1990’s. Accordingly, many couples had estates that were vulnerable to this “death” tax.

A-B trusts were designed primarily to mitigate Federal Estate Tax. By segregating the assets into two separate (A & B) sub-trusts after the death of the first spouse, the couple could use two Federal Estate Tax exemptions – one applicable to the deceased spouse’s assets and one applicable to the surviving spouse’s assets.

Alternatively, with a “one pot” trust, in which all of the assets of the first spouse to die and the assets of the surviving spouse remain in one pot, only one exemption (that of the surviving spouse) is available; the exemption of the first spouse to die is lost. So, unless a couple had an A-B trust, the children and/or other loved ones were potentially exposed to tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in unnecessary Federal Estate Tax liability.

After December, 2012: The new law passed in January, 2013 was a “game changer.” The exemption is now $5.45 million, indexed annually for inflation.

More importantly, a new feature called “portability” enables married couples to use two full exemptions without splitting the assets into two separate pots (A-B) after the first spouse dies. Consequently, a huge number of married couples no longer need an A-B Trust for Federal Estate Tax reasons!

Nevertheless, you might ask: what is this bomb that’s ticking? What harm is there in just keeping your old A-B trust? Unfortunately, there are substantial, yet not commonly understood, disadvantages of an A-B trust, including these primary ones: a) they are more expensive and inconvenient to administer after the first spouse dies; b) an attorney is generally needed to help the surviving spouse allocate and transfer assets into the respective sub-trusts; c) separate accounts must be maintained for each sub-trust; d) a separate tax return must be prepared and filed for the ‘B’ Trust every year of the surviving spouse’s life; and e) the future sale of certain assets in the ‘B’ sub-trust (that appreciate after the first spouse dies) may trigger income tax that would not have been payable if the assets had been kept in a one pot trust.

NOTE: Some non-tax reasons may still warrant a two pot trust, particularly for many blended families; however, current strategies other than an A-B trust are often more advantageous. In any event, the newer Federal Estate Tax rules provide a golden opportunity for married couples to seek counsel from an experienced estate planning attorney about the pros and cons of keeping or revising their existing trust structure.

I offer a complimentary Estate Planning Primer and/or a free, introductory meeting.

Mr. Silverman is an attorney with R. Silverman Law Group specializing in estate planning, trust administration and probate, real estate, and business taxes.

They are located at 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 is not intended nor should it be relied upon as legal, tax and/ or business advice. Readers should obtain and rely upon specific advice only from their own qualified professional advisors. This communication is not intended or written to be used, for the purpose of: i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code; or ii) promoting, marketing, or recommending to another party any matters addressed herein.

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Active vs. Passive Funds: It’s More Than Just Fees

By George M. Noceti, CRPS® -Wealth Advisor and Paul A. Noceti, Financial Planning Specialist with The Integra Group at Morgan Stanley

Since the first index fund was invented in 1975, the debate has raged between active and passive investing styles.

Passive investors adhere to the principal of market efficiency, which holds that all information available about a company is reflected in its current stock price. Rather than trying to secondguess the market, passive investors buy the entire market, or a specific segment of it, via index funds.

Active investors counter that the market is not always efficient and that through research, active fund managers may be able to uncover information not already reflected in a security’s price and potentially profit by it. A less-than-efficient market, they reason, favors active stock selection.

Which is better? That depends on what you look at.

Lafayette Today ~ February 2016 - Page 17

Theatre continued from front page

public speaking and being comfortable in their own skin,” says Wehrmeister. Lafayette resident Casey Sasner, parent of a Town Hall education program student states, “Whether you have a child who’s new to acting or one who’s very involved, Town Hall’s programs are deeply engaging and as challenging as they are fun.”

But the heart of Town Hall continues to be its main stage theater program, for which it recently won a record-breaking seven “Shellie” awards for outstanding achievement in the performing arts in Central Contra Costa/Diablo Valley regions. Four of the seven were for last year’s production of the first play in Tony Kushner’s Angels in America: Millenium: Best Play award, Best Director (Joel Roster), Best Supporting Actor (Dennis Markam), and Best Supporting Actress (Kerri Shawn). Town Hall also won for its production of the musical

Performance

Over the years, numerous performance comparisons have been made between the two styles. Most have found that in the aggregate, passive outperforms active, especially after fees are taken into consideration. One of these, Standard & Poor’s SPIVA® (S&P Indices Versus Active Funds) U.S. Scorecard, found that 61% of all actively-managed domestic equity funds underperformed their benchmarks after expenses during the 10 years ended Dec. 31, 2014.1 But the results may be more mixed during shorter time periods or when different segments or investing styles are examined. For instance, in 2013, although actively managed large- and small-cap funds underperformed their benchmarks, actively managed midcap funds outperformed, as did actively managed growth funds in the large-cap, The Golden Road rocks The Town Hall Theatre in Lafayette. midcap, and multi-cap categories.1 Company: Best Supporting Actress (Suzie Shepard) and Best Lighting Fees Design (David Lam). Town Hall Theatre Managing Director Dennis Actively managed funds generally charge higher annual expenses than their index- Markam, who has filled multiple roles at the company over the past based cousins. As of June 24, 2015, the average dollar-weighted expense ratios of actively seven years, received a special Contribution to the Arts award. managed domestic large-cap, midcap, and small-cap funds was 0.99%, 1.17%, and 1.24% Town Hall’s next production Angels in America: Perestroika, respectively. By comparison, the index versions of these fund categories charged 0.14%, rated R, opens on Saturday, February 27. Included in the show’s 2 0.17%, and 0.22% respectively. Although fee ratios for actively-managed funds have been trending down in recent years, they are still well above those of passive funds and program is a summary of events of Millennium, leading up to are likely to remain so given that they require higher research and management costs and the start of Perestroika. For those desiring further information on Part I, staged readings of Millennium will take place Saturday are consequently more expensive to run. afternoons during the run of Perestroika. Town Hall’s final show Takeaways for Investors Although aggregate, long-term performance and fees both favor passive over active, of the 2015/2016 season will be Woody Allen’s Play It Again Sam. there are some important points to be made in favor of active management. In certain Additional upcoming events include, comedian Johnny Steele on segments, such as growth and international small-cap equity, active managers have tended February 13; Three of Us, a Beatles tribute band, on Friday, March to outperform the benchmarks more frequently, often when the economy and financial 25; and Forejour, a Foreigner-Journey tribute band on March 26. markets are in a state of flux.1 While active management cannot guarantee market-beating Town Hall Theatre is located at 3535 School St. in Lafayette. returns, it does offer the potential to capitalize on market shifts and the flexibility to take Tickets for all performances can be purchased online at www. advantage of different investing strategies. Active managers also appear to have the edge townhalltheatre.com. in markets that are not efficient and when implementing investment strategies that are complex and fast moving. Such circumstances can pose issues for index funds, which Blackhawk “First Sunday” Cars & Coffee typically must adhere to a predetermined set of rules and may not be able to respond as Blackhawk Automotive Museum hosts a monthly Cars & Coffee nimbly as active managers.3 event year round for all car enthusiasts. Held on the “First Sunday” of In practice, a blended approach may be the best answer. Consider index funds for each month, starting at 8AM and going to 10AM, the Museum welcomes efficient markets and active management for less efficient areas. When the broad market all classic, collector, and special interest car owners and enthusiasts. turns volatile, adding a defensive, actively traded fund to a portfolio of index holdings On Cars & Coffee Sundays, the Museum opens an hour earlier, may help to smooth out bumps and moderate overall portfolio risk. Alternatively, passive at 9AM, and participating car owners will receive complimentary investors can potentially build risk management into their portfolios by diversifying Museum admission tickets. among a range of index funds covering a wide, varied swath of the market.

The Museum is located at 3700 Blackhawk Plaza Circle in Keep in mind that how you construct your portfolio should consider much more than Danville. For more information, visit www.blackhawkmuseum. performance and fees. Let me work with you to find the mix that best suits your situation. org/carsncoffee.html, call (925) 736-2280, or email museum@ Sources: 1 S&P Dow Jones Indices, “S&P Indices Versus Active Funds (SPIVA®) U.S. Scorecard,” March 20, 2015. blackhawkmuseum.org.

2 Morningstar. Based on the dollar-weighted average expense ratios for all funds tracked by Morningstar within each category. 3The Wall Street Journal, The Experts: When Does Active Management Make Sense? April 21, 2013

For further information on how our advice can better help you plan for retirement, as well as a complimentary Medicare Review, Social Security Review, and Financial Plan Review, please contact us at George M. Noceti, CRPS® -Wealth Advisor at (925)746-2982, via email at george. noceti@morganstanley.com, or visit our website at www.ms.com/fa/theintegragroup. Connect LinkedIn: George M. Noceti, CRPS® Follow me on Twitter: @GNocetiMS.

Tax laws are complex and subject to change. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice and are not “fiduciaries” (under ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code or otherwise) with respect to the services or activities described herein except as otherwise agreed to in writing by Morgan Stanley. Individuals are encouraged to consult their tax and legal advisors (a) before establishing a retirement plan or account, and (b) regarding any potential tax, ERISA and related consequences of any investments made under such plan or account.

George and Paul Noceti may only transact business in states where they are registered or excluded or exempted from registration www.morganstanley.com/ Transacting business, follow-up and individualized responses involving either effecting or attempting to effect transactions in securities, or the rendering of personalized investment advice for compensation, will not be made to persons in states where they are not Advertorial registered or excluded or exempt from registration.© 2014 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC.

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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Page 18 - February 2016 ~ Lafayette Today

A New Way of Managing BPH

Brainwaves by Betsy Streeter

Sample Ballot Photo Contest

The Contra Costa County Election Division is inviting residents to participate in the Sample Ballot Photo Contest.

One of the unique features of the Contra Costa Elections Division Sample Ballot/Voter Information Guide is that the cover features a photo to show some of the intrinsic beauty of our county and enhance the experience of our voters.

Few, if any, other counties in California have a photo on the cover of their guides. The first place photo will be placed on sample ballots which will go out to over a half-million registered voters!

Submission is open until midnight February 29. For more information and to complete the entry forms, visit http://www.cocovote.us/.

Advertise in Your Community!

Lafayette Today is a hyperlocal paper delivered exclusively to the Lafayette, 94549 zip code.

Reach out to over 12,000 LOCAL homes and businesses.

925.405.6397

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By Wei Zheng, MD

Benign enlargement of prostate (BPH) is one of the most common diseases that affects American men. It has been estimated that 70% of all men have enlarged prostate by the age of 60. By age of 80, 90% of men are affected. In other words, every man will have BPH if he lives long enough!

Symptoms of BPH can be divided into two categories: obstructive and irritative voiding symptoms. Obstructive urinary symptoms consist of difficulty in initiating the urinary stream, intermittent and slow stream, and post void dribbling. Irritative voiding symptoms include sensation of not being able to empty, urinary frequency, urgency, urgent incontinence, burning upon urination, and urge to get up at night to urinate.

There are many treatment options for BPH. When the symptoms are mild, watchful waiting is often recommended. When the symptoms become moderate or severe, they can be treated with medication, minimally invasive office procedures, or surgeries.

There is a new procedure called UroLift System which was approved by the FDA within the last year. The UroLift System is a minimally invasive procedure to treat BPH. It consists of a delivery device and tiny permanent implants which, once deployed in the prostatic urethra, can lift and hold the enlarged prostate tissue out of the way, alleviating compression on the urethra.

No cutting, heating, or ablating tissue is involved in the UroLift procedure, making it a unique treatment that does not remove prostate tissue and does not negatively impact a man’s sexual function.

The Urolift is done in an office setting under local anesthesia. It takes 20-30 minutes to perform. Patients can expect symptoms to improve within the first week and continue improving up to three months. Patients may have some mild pelvic discomfort, small amount of blood in the urine, and mild urgency and burning upon urination after the procedure. Patients can return to pre-procedural activity level within a week.

UroLift System has been evaluated and used extensively in Europe, Australia, and Canada within the last 5-6 years. It has been proven as an effective way of managing BPH. It is an excellent option for patients with BPH looking for an alternative to drug therapy or more invasive surgery.

Dr. Zheng is a board certified urologist with Pacific Urology and sees patients at offices in Concord, Walnut Creek, and Brentwood. For more information, call (925) 937-7740 or visit www.pacific-urology.com. Advertorial

The East Bay Regional Park District Wants You!

By Fran Miller

The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) includes 65 regional parks in its two-county jurisdiction, covering more than 113,000 miles and 1,200 miles of trail. Helping to oversee and manage this vast recreational territory are nearly 200 volunteers from all over the Bay Area.

EBRPD offers a volunteer position for nearly every interest. Consider work in the Botanic Garden, or help with a Coastal Clean-up Day. Become a Regional Parks ambassador, or participate in the companion dog patrol.

Help with trail maintenance, or walk the trails as part of the safety patrol.

Whether you may seek a special one-time volunteer job or ongoing yearround programs, EBRPD would love to hear from you.

Positions are offered for all ages and can be tailored for school groups, students, corporate groups, and Scouting and service clubs. They also offer company team-building service projects.

Those seeking to help restore parklands to their original state can help replace non-native plants with natives, or work with staff to restore vital habitats. EBRPD volunteers help lead tours, take photos, distribute flyers, serve as hosts and greeters, and help with recycling activities.

Volunteering with EBRPD can provide new skills, new friends, a greater knowledge of natural and cultural resources, and the personal satisfaction of making a difference in the community.

For information, email Volunteers@EBParks.org, or visit www.ebparks. org/about/getinvolved/volunteer. (Some events require registration and some programs require training, fingerprinting, background checks, or TB testing.)

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Lafayette Today ~ February 2016 - Page

Healthy Outlook

A Little Known Secret

By Jewel Johl, MD

It is hard to describe the physical and emotional stress people feel when dealing with cancer. Whether it is a patient, spouse, family member or friend, everyone can benefit from psychosocial support, but not all have the resources to pay for this valuable service. I would like to tell you about an invaluable resource called Cancer Support Community.

For over 10 years, my colleagues and I have referred our patients to Cancer Support Community in Walnut Creek. They provide comprehensive integrative care for people with cancer, their families, and caregivers. Their services are provided free of charge and include counseling, support groups, nutrition, and exercise and patient education programs. Through their programs, they enable cancer patients to achieve the highest possible quality of life.

All of their programs and services are evidence-based to positively impact cancer treatment outcomes and/or immune system functioning, and they are all delivered by professionals who are licensed or certified in their area of expertise. Their main center is in Walnut Creek. They also provide services in local medical centers and in several other community locations throughout the Bay Area.

They are the only organization of their kind in Northern California.

While an affiliate of the international Cancer Support Community organization, they are structured to be an independent nonprofit corporation, so all of the funds they raise are used to underwrite programs and services in our local community.

The late Ted Kennedy stated, “As a cancer survivor, I understand the emotional and social impact of this disease. So does Cancer Support Community. The organization’s work is critical as it helps optimize patient care by providing essential but often overlooked services that complete the cancer care plan.”

Together we can help make sure that everyone impacted by cancer knows this resource is available to them at no charge. Please share this article with someone you know whose life has been affected by cancer.

Dr. Johl serves on the Board of Directors of Cancer Support Community in Walnut Creek. He is a Board Certified Medical Oncologist and Hematologist with Diablo Valley Oncology & Hematology Medical Group. His practice has offices in Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Brentwood and San Ramon and can be reached at (925) 677-5041. The Cancer Support Community can be reached at (925) 933-0107 or www.cancersupport.net.

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We’ll haul away just about anything - from old household junk to construction and yard waste. The only items we are unable to accept are hazardous materials. We make getting rid of your unwanted junk as easy as 925.934.3743 • 925.934.1515 1-2-3; we load, www.dumploadsonus.com • www.erecycleonus.com we sweep, and 1271 Boulevard Way, Walnut Creek then we haul Monday-Friday, 8-5 • Saturday 9-1, Sunday, closed away. It’s that easy!

Plus we do it with a smile!

Weight Loss Surgery an Option When Diet and Exercise Fail

By Irene Lo, MD, West Coast Surgical Associates

We all know that the ideal way to maintain a healthy body is through exercise and a sensible diet. But what if you can’t lose weight? Sometimes it is more than a matter of willpower.

Obesity is common in the United States, and many struggle to lose weight for a variety of reasons, including physical limitations. As a result, they face a greater chance of life-shortening medical problems, such as diabetes or heart disease.

For people in danger because of their size, weight related medical problems, or inability to keep off weight by following other treatment plans, bariatric (weight loss) surgery may help.

Bariatric surgery is not a cosmetic procedure or a weight-loss scheme from a commercial. It involves altering the stomach or gastrointestinal tract, resulting in life changes that are not always easy.

There are several bariatric procedures, but all of them either restrict the amount of food the stomach can hold, or reduce the body’s ability to absorb nutrients from food, or do both.

This kind of procedure is for patients who are very obese, in the medical sense. Doctors calculate obesity with the body mass index (BMI), which is a measurement of body fat based on height and weight.

People with high BMI scores are at higher risk for a number of medical conditions, such as diabetes, reflux, heart disease, cancer, arthritis and depression. People with a BMI score higher than 40, or 35 or higher with an obesity-related condition, may be good candidates for surgery.

Most patients lose weight quickly, maintain healthy body weight and feel comfortable with their new lifestyles, if they follow their plans. I have even had patients who stopped needing medication for obesity-related conditions, such as high blood pressure.

There are several bariatric procedures to consider, each with advantages.

All of them are laparoscopic, meaning the surgeon uses special instruments that only need a tiny cut to see and work inside the body which results in fewer side effects and a shorter recovery time.

Gastric bypass surgery creates a small pouch in the stomach that restricts how much food can be eaten, and reattaches the small intestine so food passes without being broken down and absorbed.

A sleeve gastrectomy turns the stomach into a slender tube that limits the amount of food one can eat. Gastric banding, meanwhile, places an adjustable, inflatable band around the stomach to limit food consumption.

If you are thinking about bariatric surgery, talk to your healthcare provider about your options. Bariatric surgery is not easy, but it is an effective way to lose weight.

Dr. Irene Lo (far right) the author, Dr. Diane Kwan (center), and Dr. Aileen Murphy (left) are general and bariatric surgeons who comprise the 680Bariatrics team to promote weight loss and a healthy lifestyle -- part of West Coast Surgical Associates (formerly Walnut Creek Surgical Associates) with • Computers offices in Walnut Creek, Concord, and San Ramon and can be • Cables reached at 925-933-0984, or viewed at www.wcsurgeons.com • TVs or www.680Bartiatrics.com.

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• Monitors • Servers • Phones • Printers •Copiers

Hair Care Professionals and Massage Therapists Needed Hospice of the East Bay provides care to terminally ill patients and their families in their homes or facilities throughout Contra Costa County. Many of our patients benefit greatly from a haircut or hair set or from the gentle and compassionate touch of a massage therapist. Would you be interested in volunteering a few hours a month to provide comfort to our patients? If so, please call the Volunteer Department at Hospice of the East Bay, (925) 887-5678. (License/Massage Certification Required).

Page 20 - February 2016 ~ Lafayette Today

Your Personal Nutritionist

Typical Misconceptions and Unsuccessful Weight Loss

By Linda Michaelis RD, MS

It is January and I am seeing many misconceptions that my new clients have where I wish they would have come to see me sooner so I could show them how much easier weight loss can be.

A recent client, Diana, told me that she thought she was doing all the right things to lose weight but became so frustrated with lack of results that she just gave up. These were some of the habits that she was following.

I am Going on a Diet

Diet implies restriction and a short-lived effort to only get quick results and then return to normal poor eating habits. Diana was eating boring foods that did not satisfy her. I was adamant with her that food is to be enjoyed. It is my job to keep her on track, hold her hand thru socializing and restaurants, learn how to eat favorite foods, and keep the motivation high. Donna is now happy to be losing weight and eating tasty foods.

Drastic Attempts to Stop Eating “Bad” Foods

My client told me that she started the new year by cleaning out the kitchen and throwing away all the junk and replacing it with only healthy foods. The only reason I am still in practice after 25 years is because I teach clients that you have to adopt a way of eating that you can keep for the rest of your life. There is no overnight successes, but rather you must implement small and realistic changes. Yes, it can (and even should) include splurges and your cocktails. I showed Diana how to plan her day wine tasting in Sonoma along with eating at a favorite restaurant.

Giving Up Carbs

Of course Diana decided to give up all carbs, and she was miserable with no weight loss. She was eating too much meat, cheese, nuts, and fruit. A weight loss regimen must include all foods you love. Diana is a dessert person, so I showed her how to include it each day. When she enjoyed her favorite ice cream sandwich for dessert, I told her that ice cream is fat and sugar and the cookie has carbs. She learned to go backwards and think, “Tonight I want dessert so I will not eat a rich chicken caesar

Church Provides Community Care

Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian’s Stephen Ministry has 25 trained lay people who provide ongoing, one-on-one Christian care to those in our congregation and in the community who are experiencing transitions in their lives. LOPC Stephen Ministry is confidential and is provided at no cost. A Stephen Minister is...

• A congregation member with a gift for listening, • A lay person who has received 50 hours training in providing emotional and spiritual care, • A committed caregiver who listens, cares, prays, supports, and encourages those who are hurting, and • Someone who will “be there” for his or her care receiver, meeting faithfully for about an hour each week, for as long as there’s a need.

Stephen Ministers are available for those who are dealing with illness or hospitalization, loneliness, aging, being shut-in, separation due to military deployment, death or serious loss, separation or divorce, disabilities, or grief and anxiety.

If you know of someone who would benefit from the ongoing confidential, no cost, spiritual, and emotional support of a Stephen Minister, contact Jean Lee at (925) 9432237, or visit www.lopc.org/care_stephen_ministry.asp.

www.yourmonthlypaper.com salad which has a lot of fat from cheese and dressing, and carbs from croutons, but I will have a seafood salad instead with some popular roasted red pepper soup.”

Only Counting Calories

Diana was right to count calories, but the key to weight loss is spreading your calories equally throughout the day to gain success. She did not realize that fats are higher in calories per serving even with healthy fats such as nuts, olives, and avocados.

It is proven that we use calories more efficiently during the day when we are most active. Therefore, we should have less fat at night and eat a small piece of salmon or a filet mignon for dinner with more veggies. Diana now eats salmon or sirloin burger for lunch and sees that often she is not hungry for dinner because of the fat content.

Weighing Yourself Often

Diana weighed herself each day and felt defeated before she even began the day.

Weighing yourself does not tell the whole story. Even if the scale is not budging it does not mean that you are not making progress. I see clients drop 2 lbs. all at once after plateauing for weeks. I do not have a scale in my office, and I do not talk about weight loss with my clients. After working with them for a short time I can see they are losing weight and feeling more energetic. Yes, after changing their eating habits we start weighing only once a week.

Exercise is Not Always the Answer

Most of my clients exercise several times a week, just like Donna did. The mentality is, “I am exercising, so I can have larger portions.” No, I taught Donna how to listen to her hunger even if she exercised that day. She realized on days that she exercised she was less hungry. There needs to be a plan for days that we exercise and days we do not so, for example, on days that she goes to the gym she can enjoy her wine or a larger dessert or even a larger serving of pasta.

All in all an enjoyable menu is the answer to weight loss. I am glad to share with you after working with Diana for two weeks she is down five pounds.

She is simply amazed by how easy this can be and tasty as well. Feel free to call me and I can show you how this can be done, and you will be thrilled to eat your favorite foods and still lose weight.

NUTRITIONAL COUNSELING CAN BE COVERED BY MEDICAL INSURANCE - Aetna, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Health Net, Hill Physicians, Sutter Health, and other major companies. Please refer to my website www.LindaRD.com for past articles and information about services. Feel free to call me at (925)855-0150 Advertorial or email lifeweight1@yahoo.com.

Hearing Loss Association

Come to meetings of the Diablo Valley Chapter of Hearing Loss Association of America at 7pm on the 1st Wednesday of the month at the Walnut Creek United Methodist Church located at 1543 Sunnyvale Ave., Walnut Creek Education Bldg., Wesley Room. Meeting room and parking are at back of church. All are welcome. Donations are accepted. An assistive listening system is available for T-coils, and most meetings are captioned.

Contact HLAADV@hearinglossdv.org or (925) 264-1199 or www. hearinglossdv.org for more information.

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.

Lic# 1100014354; Bay Area Entertainment

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A Day to do Something Special

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

Saint Valentine was a third century Roman saint who has long been associated with the tradition of courtly love. Every February 14th gifts and letters (an estimated one billion Valentine’s Day cards each year) are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of Saint Valentine. The oldest known valentine was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans (Go forth, my heart, with my lady…with grace and mercy.) By the middle of the 18th century, it was common for both friends and lovers to exchange small tokens of affection.

I like to think of Valentine’s Day as a day to do something special. Some of my fondest memories are of writing cards for elementary school classmates. In some years, however, it was the preparation for Valentine’s Day that was special.

Valentine’s Day is a time to feel and look your best. Whether you are preparing for a romantic evening, warming up the winter blues, or want to give a gift to someone, here are eight ideas that might help you on your way.

1. A consultation - I find this to be one of the most important interactions I have with my patients. I enjoy answering questions and offering both personal and professional advice. I’m often surprised at how many people ask if surgery is right for them.

2. Botox or Dysport injection - Most commonly used around the eyes and forehead, it can be used both to prevent and treat wrinkles.

3. Volumizing filler injection - This is an excellent way to refresh your appearance, address moderate to severe facial wrinkles, and give youthful

Observatory continued from front page

Life” photography contest. Her award-winning photo hung in the Lafayette Library’s Community Hall for all to see, causing puzzlement to many an event-goer who had no idea that Lafayette held this secret.

The two domes of the Leuschner Observatory are adjacent to EBMUD watershed land and Briones Regional Park, and are reached via Bear Creek Road near Happy Valley. But don’t try to visit – the area is fenced off and not currently in use. “Advancements in the astronomy world have slowly but surely caused less use of Leuschner, and in turn, disrepair,” says Lochland Trotter, CAL’s Department of Astronomy administrative manager. “Funds that might have maintained the Observatory have unfortunately been diverted. It’s just been sitting there.”

Originally called the Students’ Observatory and renamed in 1951 for director Armin Otto Leuschner, the domes were built in 1886 on the Berkeley campus and relocated to Lafayette in 1965. Though the grounds and structures are in disrepair, two operating telescopes do exist within the domes. One is a 30” (760 mm) optical telescope, used for observations in visible light and an infrared detector used for infrared astronomy. The other is a 12’ (3.7 m) radio dish used for an undergraduate radio astronomy course.

The Observatory, which shares land with property seismology and forestry researchers, did at one time function as a site for professional astronomy research. In the early 1900’s it was used for orbit determination of small solar system bodies and in the 1980’s and 1990’s for supernova surveys. And CAL’s Department of Astronomy has hopes that some day soon, Leuschner will again rise to its former glory. It just takes money.

The department’s long range plan is to fix it up; immediate needs include operational phone lines, running water, and restrooms in order to accommodate case-by-case visit requests. Luckily, there are no plans to tear down the Observatory. The department has preliminary sketches for a remodel and addition of a research room. But the price tag continues to climb. Department heads are mulling over fundraising options, and are open to partnerships within the community. Donations are happily accepted and can be made by visiting the following link: https://give.berkeley.edu/ browse/?u=7.

“As a department, we are actively working on ways to get Leuschner back into working condition for use by the greater Bay Area,” says Trotter.

“We are trying to figure out the sweet spot for positioning Leuschner as

Lafayette Today ~ February 2016 - Page 21

contour to the skin.

4. Fraxel laser treatment - Certainly not what King Henry V had in mind when he hired a writer to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois we’ve come a long way since then. For Valentine’s Day preparation, I recommend a first treatment one week before the big day. A series of treatments (generally 3-4) address texture problems, fine lines and wrinkles, and pigmentation issues such as brown spots, but results are noticeable after just one treatment.

5. Laser genesis is a great no-downtime, painless procedure for acne prone skin. While there’s never a simple cure-all for problem skin issues, laser genesis is a good place to start as the laser has enough heat to kill the bacteria in the active breakouts.

6. While not exactly the vestige of Christian and ancient Roman Valentine’s tradition, laser hair removal is a real windfall of living in the 21st century.

Several treatments are generally needed, and it works best for darker hair types.

7. Longer lashes! - Latisse is a treatment used to grow lashes, making them longer, thicker, and darker. More voluptuous lashes in just six weeks, are “romantique”!

8. Skin care products - There’s a pleasure in taking time to care for your own skin, and a cream or lotion can also make a nice gift - something to be wrapped up and enjoyed.

Sometimes just the process of sharing wisdom (and taking away some of the mystery of youth and beauty) is the most rewarding part of my day. Happy Valentine’s Day! Dr. Barbara Persons is a Plastic Surgeon and owns Persons Plastic Surgery, Inc. located at 911 Moraga Rd, Suite 205 in Lafayette. She may be reached at 925.283.4012 or drbarb@ Advertorial personsplasticsurgery.com. a community resource for elementary, middle, and high school activities.

We’d love to open for field trips and public lecture nights. It’s the perfect venue for small groups and intimate interaction and viewings.”

Curious? Want more information? Contact CAL’s Department of Astronomy at manager@astro.berkeley.edu.

City of Lafayette Contacts

Below are key Lafayette city departments and their contact information.

Administration: Responsible for overall city operations such as human resources, finance and office operations. Key staff members include the City Manager, Administrative Services Director, City Clerk, and Financial Services Manager. The City Offices are located at 3675 Mt. Diablo Blvd., #210, Lafayette. Hours are 8am – 5pm Monday-Friday. For information call (925) 284-1968 or email cityhall@lovelafayette.org.

Planning: Responsible for current and long-term planning for the physical development of the community that is consistent with the General Plan, Zoning Ordinance and the direction of the City Council. Planning Department hours are 12pm – 5pm Monday-Friday. For information call (925) 284-1976 or email planner@lovelafayette.org.

Police: Responsible for public safety, law enforcement, emergency operations, and parking control. The Police Department is located at 3675 Mt. Diablo Blvd, #130, Lafayette. Hours are 8am-12pm & 1am-5pm Monday-Friday. For general questions call (925) 299-3220. For police dispatch call (925) 284-5010 or 911.

Public Works: Responsible for maintaining the infrastructure of the City including road repair, storm drains, and landscaping of public property. The Public Works Corp Yard is located at 3001 Camino Diablo, Lafayette. Hours are 7am – 3pm Monday-Friday. For questions call (925) 934-3908. To report potholes, streetlight outages, traffic signal problems and other issues call the Hotline at (925) 299-3259.

Parks & Recreation: Responsible for the management and operation of a variety of recreation programs, special events and facilities including the Lafayette Community Center, the Community Park and a system of city trails. The Parks & Recreation (Community Center) is located 500 St. Mary’s Road, Lafayette. Hours are 9am – 5pm Monday-Saturday. For questions call (925) 284-2232.

Code Enforcement: Responsible for enforcing the Lafayette Municipal Code.

The Code Enforcement Officer concentrates on the investigation and abatement of complaints involving land use (zoning), housing conditions, abandoned vehicles, signs, animals and vermin, weeds/fire hazards, fences and general public nuisances.

Contact Mark Robbins at 925-299-3207.

For more information, visit www.ci.lafayette.ca.us.

Page 22 - February 2016 ~ Lafayette Today

Events for Lafayette Seniors

All classes are held at the Lafayette Senior Center (LSC), located at 500 Saint Mary’s Rd in Lafayette, unless otherwise noted. Space is limited.

Please call 925-284-5050 to reserve a spot. Unless otherwise mentioned, events are free for members and $10 for non-members.

Discovering Opera: Bizet’s Carmen 2/11 • 1:30PM - 3PM • Arts & Science Room, Lafayette Library - Carmen, one of the most brazen seductresses in all of opera, snares the innocent soldier Don José—for a while. But she pushes him over for the dashing bullfighter Escamillo, and Don José takes it out on her by stabbing her to death outside the bullring. French composer Bizet’s music brilliantly captures the Spanish atmosphere with famous arias including Carmen’s bewitching “Habanera” and Escamillo’s rousing “Toreador Song.”

Lecturer Bradford Wade will give a guided tour of Carmen, with a description of the plot interspersed with musical examples. This lecture is given in conjunction with Opera San Jose’s production of Carmen, February 13-28, 2016.

Anne Randolph Physical Therapy Presentations: Posture 2/24 11:30AM – 12:30PM • Cedar Room, LSC - Poor posture can lead to discomfort, pain, and other problems. Discussion, demonstration, and exercises will be offered to improve your posture, decrease your pain, and help in the never ending battle against gravity.

Valentine Exchange/Sing-Along 2/10 • 11:45AM – 12:15PM • Cedar Room, LSC - Celebrate Valentine’s Day with the darling preschool little ones you see bouncing around the Community Center on a daily basis. Share their joy and enthusiasm by singing along with them to favorites such as “You Are My Sunshine” and “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” all the while enjoying cookies and punch. Valentine cards will be provided for you to exchange with your little buddies. Wear pink or red if you’re able!

Apple Basics 1st & 3rd Thursdays 2/18 11AM – 12:30PM • Cedar Room, LSC - This on-going series covers topics such as the technology needed for wireless communication, your Apple ID, iTunes, iCloud, and the basics of iPad and iPhone usage. Topics for future sessions will be determined by participants’ input and needs. There will be time for Q&A at the end of each class. Please note: this series deals with Apple devices only.

Lamorinda Dance Social Wednesdays • 1 – 3:30PM • Live Oak Room, LSC - Enjoy afternoon dancing every Wednesday, and learn some great new dance moves. On the first Wednesday monthly, professional dancers Karen and Michael will provide a dance lesson and live DJ services, playing your favorites and taking requests.

Words of Wisdom...From the Philosophical to the Lighthearted

3rd Tuesday Monthly 2/16 • 10:30AM–noon • Elderberry Room, LSC Share your opinions with us in a freewheeling exchange of ideas: from current events to philosophy to the inspirational. There may be agreement or there may be different opinions -- it’s all in the spirit of learning, sharing, enrichment, and good humor. Our “elder perspective” frequently sounds a lot like wisdom!

Reservoir Walking Group Tuesdays and Thursdays • 9AM – 10:30AM • Meet at reservoir center bench on the dam - Led by Jim Scala, Lafayette Today’s “Walking the Reservoir” columnist. Join us for camaraderie, fresh air, and enjoyable exercise, all in magnificent surroundings. Optional bonus: at the end of the walk, Jim will lead you through easy yoga poses and breathing exercises in the most beautiful outdoor yoga studio: the band stage overlooking the water. Increase your balance and fitness, both physical and mental, and leave each week feeling uplifted and radiating that overall sense of well-being! Please call (925) 284-5050 or email seniors@lovelafayette.org to add your name to the email notification list. Bring quarters or a credit card for the parking meter.

Annual senior (62+) passes may be purchased at the reservoir visitor center.

Positive Living Forum (“Happiness Club”) 2nd Thursday monthly 2/11 • 10:30AM – noon • Elderberry Room, LSC - Brighten your day with Dr. Bob Nozik, MD, Prof. Emeritus UCSF and author of Happy 4 Life: Here’s How to Do It. Brighten your day and take part in this interactive gathering which features speakers on a wide range of topics that guide participants toward a more ideal and positive life experience. Drop-ins welcome!

Lunch n’ Learn: Aging in Place with Smart Phone/Tablet Apps 3/31 • 10:30AM – noon • Cedar Room, LSC - Discover helpful apps

designed to make your life easier! You will learn ways to shop at home,

www.yourmonthlypaper.com access transportation, check your heart rate, and be reminded of birthdays, when to take meds, etc. Focus will be on free apps. Time will be allowed to briefly help individuals log onto the internet, find various settings, etc., so we ask for everyone’s patience as individual help is given. There will also be time for questions and answers. If you are bringing an Apple device, be sure to have your Apple ID with you if you’d like help downloading apps.

Lunch generously provided by Merrill Gardens. Space is limited; reservation required by Thursday, March 24. Call Lafayette Senior Services: 284-5050 or email seniors@lovelafayette.org.

Free Peer Counseling 2nd Tuesday monthly • 10AM - noon • Alder Room, LSC - Contra Costa Health Services offers free one-on-one counseling with senior (55+) counselors who use their life experiences to help other older adults cope with life changes, problems, crises, and challenges. Confidentiality is strictly observed. Appointment required. Please call Lafayette Senior Services to sign up for one of the 60-minute appointments: 284-5050.

Lamorinda Nature Walk and Bird-Watching Wednesdays • 9AM - noon • Alder Room, LSC - Experience nature at its finest along our local trails. Delight in the beauty that unfolds around each bend, all the while learning to identify a variety of birds. Bring a water bottle; binoculars will be helpful if you have them. Join us every Wednesday or whenever you are able. For more information or to place your name on the route email/phone list, call Lafayette Seniors Services, 284-5050.

Hearing Screening • Alder Room, LSC - Please call Lafayette Senior Services at 284-5050 to make an appointment. Minimum of two sign-ups required in order for hearing screenings to take place.

Drop-In Mah Jongg! Every Tuesday • Noon–3PM • Cedar Room, LSC - Calling all Mah Jongg players! Bring your card and mah jongg set, and join us every Tuesday afternoon. This group is for all levels.

‘As The Page Turns’ Book Club 3rd Tuesday Monthly • 1PM - 2:30PM • Elderberry Room, LSC - Looking for a good book to discuss with others? Join this informal group of booklovers and enjoy enrichment, lively discussion, fellowship, and refreshments. The group is of mixed gender, and everyone gets to participate in the discussions as well as the selection of books to read. Please call Lafayette Senior Services for the book title of the month: 284-5050.

Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Programs (HICAP) 1st Wednesday/3rd Tuesday appts: 10AM, 11AM, noon • Alder

Room, LSC - HICAP provides free and objective counseling and advocacy services to Contra Costa Medicare beneficiaries and their families who need assistance with Medicare enrollment and issues involving Medicare and associated insurance programs, including prescription drug coverage.

HICAP does not endorse or sell insurance products. For appointments, call Lafayette Senior Services: 284-5050.

Lafayette Senior Services Commission 4th Thursday of the month from 3:30 – 5:30PM at the LSC - View agendas at the City of Lafayette office or at www.ci.lafayette.ca.us.

TM

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May Your Heart Bloom!

By Mary Bruns, Lamorinda Senior Transportation

May our heart’s garden of awakening bloom with hundreds of flowers.~ Thich Nhat Hanh This seems a fitting reminder as we approach Valentine’s Day in another New Year. By putting your attention in your heart, you will notice how warm it becomes as you activate the heart energy. Balanced with the positive energy of the mind, you can accomplish the goals you hold most dear for the coming year. For me this brings to mind finding balance between work, family, and personal goals – in other words, achieving a balance between commitment to others and commitment to self.

Lafayette Today ~ February 2016 - Page 23 Volunteer drivers want to give back to their community, and they enjoy visiting with our passengers and hearing about their lives. If you enjoy driving and older adults, contact one of the programs below to offer your services as a volunteer driver. In finding a way to volunteer your skills, talents, and time, your heart blooms.

In a small story called Beautiful Things, Brian Andreas wrote, “Once there was a boy (or girl) who wanted to change the world. At first, s/he thought it would be easy because if everyone could see how beautiful it’d be, it’d take about a minute. But all the people s/he talked to were too busy to stop to listen. So, s/he went off and did beautiful things all on his own and pretty soon people were asking if they could come along and do that too, and that’s how she figured out how worlds change.”

Group Helps People Cope with Death of Pets

When you lose your pet, you often feel like a part of you is lost. The death of your beloved animal companion is one of the most difficult losses you may ever feel. This loss is sometimes made more painful by society’s seeming lack of support for pet grief.

Hospice of the East Bay and the Tony La Russa Animal Rescue Foundation is offering a support group where participants can share memories and feelings and talk to others who truly understand and care. Meetings will be held the second Tuesday of each month from 5:30-7PM at the Tony La Russa Animal Rescue Foundation, 2890 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek.

For further information and/or to register, please call Bereavement Services at Hospice of the East Bay (925) 887-5681.

Hospice of the East Bay Bereavement Services are provided free of charge to all community members in need. However, donations are greatly appreciated.

“Mobility Challenges” event sponsored by the Senior Mobility Action Council (SMAC).

As you consider your commitments to others and your commitment to meeting your personal goals, what stands in your way? Sometimes, it’s time, energy, finances, distance, health challenges, know-how, or needing transportation. I have noticed that when the need, goal, or desire comes from the heart, there is usually a way. All of the senior transportation programs were created out of the heart-felt need/goal/desire to ensure that older adults who no longer drive have a way to live independently with the opportunity to create a high quality of life for themselves.

That quality of life is enhanced by each of us following our heart’s desire to blossom with hundreds of flowers. You might ask yourself: “What is my heart’s desire to create?” New retirees go through a process of reinventing themselves – finding a new sense of purpose and ways to fulfill that purpose. In general, we will live well beyond the retirement age. After we have taken a good vacation from “earning a living,” what is next for us? What have you always wanted to do or be? What new experiences do you still want to have? What remains on your bucket list? How does that help you to meet your commitment to others and your commitment to self and then to find the balance?

I love to hear that our passengers are taking a class, going to play golf or to work out, or visiting a friend who can’t get out. Transportation programs were created to make sure older adults had a way to go to the doctor and to buy groceries, but we love to hear that we are also helping people enhance their quality of life by doing something more than meet the bare necessities of life. Since many senior transportation programs only have the resources to meet passengers’ needs for rides to the doctor and grocery shopping, we hope you are utilizing the Lamorinda Spirit to also get out and about to enhance the quality of your life, and your heart’s garden is awakening bloom with hundreds of flowers.

Lamorinda Senior Transportation An Alliance of Transportation Providers

Volunteer Drivers – Needed, Valued, and Appreciated We will accommodate your schedule, travels, and vacations.

You will be helping your friends, family, and community!

Lamorinda Spirit Van

283-3534

Takes Lamorinda older adults to errands, appointments, grocery shopping, special events, and to lunch at the C.C. Café. Call early to reserve your ride. WE LOVE TO SAY “YES!” so call early and make your reservation. Wheelchair and walker accessible.

C L A S S I F I E D S HOUSECLEANING SERVICES LETTY’S HOME CLEANING services serving Lamorinda since 1986 weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, one-time. Former owner of Pepe’s Mexican Cusine in Moraga. Great references. Call 925-408-4837.

ARCHITECT JOHN ROLF HATTAM - ARCHITECT Specializes in modest budget, new and renovated residences. Over 200 completed projects. Brochures available for all of our professional services •RESIDENTIAL RENOVATION •NEW RESIDENCES •CHURCHES •COMMERCIAL •MULTI-FAMILY. For the brochure meeting your need call 510-841-5933. 737 Dwight Way, Berkeley.

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Run the same classified ad in our sister papers “Alamo Today” or “Danville Today News” and pay half off for your second and/or third ad!

Payment by check made out to “The Editors” must be received before ad will print.

Your cancelled check is your receipt. We reserve the right to reject any ad.

Contra Costa Yellow Cab and DeSoto Company

284-1234

Orinda Seniors Around Town

402-4506

Senior Helpline Services Rides for Seniors

284-6161

County Connection LINK Reservation Line

938-7433

20% discount for Lamorinda seniors.

Volunteer drivers serving Orinda seniors with free rides to appointments and errands.

Volunteer drivers serving Contra Costa seniors with free rides to doctors appointments during the week. Grocery shopping on Saturdays.

For people with disabilities. (Older adults often have “age-based” disabilities.)

Page 24 - February 2016 ~ Lafayette Today

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