Lafayette Today, December 2013

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December 2013 Renee and Rena

Serving the Lafayette Community Writing Contest By Fran Miller

By Fran Miller

Perhaps it was more than serendipity that brought Renee DeWeese and Rena Wilson together seven years ago. Friends, family and clients might call it destiny.

The two best friends share more than their similar given names; they both love Lamorinda, they both love teaching, and each is incredibly talented. This potent amalgam is further enhanced by a shared entrepreneurial spirit that has led the two to success both on-stage and off.

It was 2006 when DeWeese and Wilson met during auditions for Diablo Renee (Tiger Lily) and Rena (Wendy) performing in Theater Company’s (DTC) Diablo Theatre Company's '07 production of Peter Pan. production of Peter Pan. Each was in awe, and envious, of the other’s talents, and each was relieved to learn they were auditioning for different roles – DeWeese for Tiger Lily, and Wilson for Wendy. “Renee is a fabulous dancer,” says Wilson.

“I asked her for help with my choreography.” “And Rena is a fabulous singer,” echoes DeWeese, who sought Wilson’s help with her vocals. They got the parts, and spent the following three months in happy collaboration.

Not content to let their partnership end with Peter Pan, the two sought opportunities that would allow them to continue to work together in the East Bay while continuing to pursue their individual performance dreams. An “arts” void within the public school system eventually led them to create an extracurricular after school arts education program for Lamorinda elementary and middle schools. Students and parents alike were taken with their appeal, their approach and their talent, and before they knew it, they had developed a following.

See Renee and Rena continued on page 16

Local Boy Appears in S.F. ACT A Christmas Carol

Lafayette native Blake Levinson is 11 years old and attends St. Perpetua School where he is in the 6th grade. About a year ago, Blake took an acting class at the Young Conservatory at American Conservatory Theater (ACT) in San Francisco and was introduced to the possibility of trying out for the holiday classic, A Christmas Carol. He was chosen from over 300 current conservatory students to play the role of young Dick Wilkins, or Boy Dick, in the mainstage musical-infused production.

The production will feature 29 young actors from the Young Conservatory ranging in age from 8-13.

Performances will be held December 6th - 28th. To buy tickets visit https://tickets.act-sf.org/online.

Local Postal Customer

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

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Growing up in Lafayette’s youth-sports oriented community can be isolating for kids who choose to focus on other interests. Athletic achievement is so often heralded with trophies, plaques, and team pictures in the newspaper.

But where does one find a local outlet for extracurricular artistic endeavors?

And how might such endeavors be acknowledged? Two local students think they may have the answer. Linnea Johansson, an eighth grader at Stanley Middle School, and Uma Unni, a freshman at Acalanes High School, have joined forces to create the Lafayette Youth Arts Society (LYAS), a place for Lafayette kids to showcase their writing and photography talents.

The two girls have always loved writing, and they each started early. Linnae Johansson - left and Uma Unni - right.

Johansson’s motivation came from an elementary school teacher who told

See Writing continued on page 18

Horses with the Heart to Heal

By Jody Morgan

Horses need more than even temperament, sound physique, and special training to successfully handle the arduous demands of therapeutic riding. They need the stamina to sustain long periods of carrying an unbalanced body or standing absolutely still. They have to be approachable from every angle and fearless in the face of flying objects and strange sounds. They need the heart to pass along their own wellbeing to humans struggling with a variety of physical, cognitive, and emotional problems.

Inspired by polio-impaired equestrian Lis Hartel’s silver Alana Koski has recently introduced her daughter's Zone to SonRise programs. 14-year old Zone medal triumph in Grand Prix horse was a cutting horse until he lost one eye. dressage in the 1952 Olympics, Europeans developed the first therapeutic riding programs. Americans soon learned of the Volume VII - Number 12 benefits. Founded in 1969 as the North Ameri3000F Danville Blvd #117 can Riding for the Handicapped Association, Alamo, CA 94507 the organization now known as Professional Telephone (925) 405-6397 Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship Fax (925) 406-0547 editor@yourmonthlypaper.com International (PATH) currently embraces a variety of protocols aimed at enriching Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher lives and promoting excellence in equine- The opinions expressed herein belong to the writers, and do not necessarily reflect that of Laassisted therapies. Cerebral Palsy, Spina fayette Today. Lafayette Today is not responsible the content of any of the advertising herein, Bifida, ADHD/ADD, Bi-Polar Disorder, for nor does publication imply endorsement.

See Horses continued on page 15

Page 2 - December 2013 ~ Lafayette Today

Boulevard View

By Alisa Corstorphine, Editor

I have been combing through my massive (58,000+) picture collection again. It’s great to relive fun times, important events, and holidays. Last month I declared to my nieces and nephews that it was “Family History Month.” My husband has a very large family, and over the years I’ve become the keeper of the majority of the family photos, both past and present. Even before my husband lost his parents, we had scooped up all the boxes of loose pictures, taken since the 1950’s, and began labeling/tagging, scanning, and organizing them. As I look through these photos, I have come to realize that the majority of the younger extended family members have never seen pictures of their ancestors. There are images of their grandparents, great grandparents, and sometimes great-great, and great-great-great grandparents as well as aunts and uncles. Without those people in their past, they wouldn’t be here today!

And yet, I find that most of them know very little about these people who are part of their foundation. How many families just like ours have their treasures locked away in a box in a spare bedroom that one day someone will “get around to sorting”?

Part of “Family History Month” uses Facebook to post weekly pictures for everyone to enjoy. It has been a lot of fun to display family photos and hear comments of how certain individuals share characteristics of those who are alive today. Everyone loves to see pictures of old homes they may have visited in their youth for family celebrations, or that some had only heard of. And of course, the young-adult nieces and nephews love seeing photos of their aunts and uncles from their younger years, and much fun is had poking the older generation in the ribs! Mostly, seeing the old photos starts conversations and brings us together.

Last week I shared a group photo of 40 students who went on an 8th grade field trip to Yosemite Institute in 1976. We were all 13/14 years old, freezing cold, and hamming it up for the camera. My 20-year old children quickly remarked how half of the group were wearing their big, puffy, North Face down jackets; the similar style, brand, and jackets they pine for today. Our high school Facebook friends loved the photo and the opportunity to rekindle old friendships and memories.

Stories of freezing in the cabins and snowball fights came back to life, and for a moment we were all back in junior high, re-living those activities and emotions.

www.yourmonthlypaper.com I’ve also had the opportunity to connect with a distant in-law relative whose young husband passed away, leaving two small children behind. Now, a decade later, I was able to give them all a gift of a dozen or so photos of the children’s father as a young boy and young man. It was a great feeling to be able to share the images with their family.

This is something I love doing. It puts a smile on everyone’s face and brings people together. What if everyone saw something special each day that made them forget their worries and harken back to a great time of life? Could it make a difference? Can you make a difference? Do you have boxes of photos waiting for action? Photos are for sharing. They don’t fulfill their purpose or promise when they’re kept in the camera or in a shoebox. Let them live!

You need to do two things to get started. First, I use a local service to scan all my paper photos (regardless of size or condition). They provide me with a DVD full of the pictures. Next, I load them into my computer, and I use the free Google Picassa program to sort them using the Facial Recognition feature. While it takes a time commitment to train it to recognize everyone you know, it works very well and is worth the initial time investment. Once you’ve started this process, make sure you have excellent, verifiable backups of your computer. You don’t want to lose this library!

As the family collector of historical memorabilia, I recently became the keeper of a silk/watercolor family tree dating back to the mid-1700’s. It has been in my husband’s family for as long as I remember, and it is something I’ve always loved, even though it has obviously had a rough road in the last 200+ years. It has suffered through water damage and other age-related maladies, but it still retains the original image. I had it reframed to help preserve it, and I have used information from it to do further family tree research. We’re lucky to live in an area where experts know exactly how to handle and care for historical documents like these.

As we gather with family and friends this holiday season, it is the perfect opportunity to pull out your old photo books for everyone to enjoy. I encourage you to start conversations about those photos, and especially, label those photos while the older generation are still available to help identify faces. When we lose our older generation, we lose their memories and they may be the only people who can identify the subjects of our photos. Both young and old will find something of interest, and it will help strengthen the family by remembering its past. Otherwise the opportunity may be lost with those images never connecting our past and future generations. I wish you all a wonderful holiday season.

First-ever “It’s a Wonderful Life in Lafayette” Holiday Celebration

The first-ever “It’s a Wonderful Life in Lafayette” community celebration, a time for gathering, giving and gratitude, will kick-off the holiday season on Friday, December 6th, from 4pm-7pm in Lafayette's Plaza Park, located in downtown Lafayette.

Arrive early and plan to stay late! This fun, free, and festive event includes visits with Santa, a holiday tree lighting ceremony, one-of-a-kind photo opportunities, live musical entertainment (including local student musicians and singers which features preschoolers on up), performers from the Peter Pan Foundation and Town Hall Theatre, crafts, activities for kids, holiday treats, and a holiday sing-a-long. Plus, while they last, Santa will be giving out limited edition goodie bags provided by Whole Foods.

Santa is scheduled to parade on Lafayette’s treasured Old Betsy fire engine, starting from the Lafayette Historical Society, traveling down Golden Gate Way, and arriving at Lafayette Plaza Park at 4:30pm.

The official lighting of the Lafayette holiday tree is planned for 5:30pm. The tree, decorated with environmentally friendly LED lights, will be lit each evening throughout the season.

Expect a fun and endearing surprise from local third graders, too! They are busy decorating “I Love Lafayette because…” cards that will be showcased on the Wall of Gratitude. Event participants will be able to decorate the same type of cards to add to the Wall.

Participants will also have the opportunity to create an ornament from recycled wooden shapes decorated with all natural sustainable ingredients. Etsy designer Matte Stephens will provide guidance and assistance in this complimentary activity for all ages.

Free hot chocolate and treats will be provided, and food trucks will offer dinner items for purchase.

The holiday event also offers an easy way to purchase the perfect holiday gift for teachers, clients, family, and friends. The Lafayette Chamber will be selling the new Lafayette Gift Card, good at over 40 local shops and restaurants. If you prefer to give a personalized card, purchase one online at http://bit.ly/ lafayette-gift-card or look for the link on the Lafayette Chamber website at www.lafayettechamber.org.

Many of Lafayette Chamber’s local non-profit partners will be on hand to answer any questions you may have as you prepare for your family’s holiday outreach.

The “It’s a Wonderful Life in Lafayette” event is presented by the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, ALL ITS OWN and it is sponsored by local Lafayette Realtor Dana Green and Branagh Development, who together are also hosting the environmentally-friendly downtown Lafayette twinkle lights for the 2013 holiday season.

For more details and the full entertainment schedule, visit www.lafayettechamber.org/events/20133518 B Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette (925) 299-1024 holiday-event.

Winter has a style MADISON

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CAPA Nutcracker

Snow falls onstage and the Christmas tree magically grows to great heights in the beloved annual California Academy of Performing Arts (CAPA) presentation of The Nutcracker. With more than 100 local Lamorinda performers ranging in age from 6 – 18 years, this elaborate production features sumptuous sets, live narration, and absolutely gorgeous costumes.

Performances will be held on Friday, December 6th at 7PM, Saturday, December 7th at 2PM and 7PM, and Sunday, December 8th at 2PM at the Del Valle Theatre, 1963 Tice Valley Boulevard in Walnut Creek (Location change due to Campolindo construction). Tickets ($22) can be purchased now at http:// www.lesherartscenter.org/ticket-officeinformation, and more information can be found at www.capadance.net. Don’t miss this Lamorinda favorite holiday tradition!

For more information, please contact lynnkdavis@comcast.net.

AAUW Presents Holiday Home Tour

The Danville-Alamo-Walnut Creek Branch of American Association of University Women (AAUW) presents their 9th Annual Holiday Home Tour on Friday, December 13th and Saturday, December 14th from 10AM to 4PM. Five festive homes in Alamo will be showcased on this tour.

Proceeds from the tour benefit local women scholars and Tech Trek. Prices are $30 for adults and $25 for seniors 65+.

Prices go up $5 each after December 6th, so plan ahead.

Tickets can be purchased in one of three ways.

• US Mail: Send a check postmarked

by December 6th, payable to DanvilleAlamo-Walnut Creek AAUW with a self-addressed #10 envelope to AAUW Holiday Home Tour, PO Box 996, Alamo, CA 94507.

• In Person: Tickets are available at East Bay Flower Company, located at 206 Sycamore Valley Road West (Danville Livery). Payment must be made by cash and checks only. The Flower Company is open from Monday - Friday from 9-6 and Saturday from 9-5.

• Online: Pay through PayPal via http:// daw-ca.aauw.net/programs/hht. A $2 processing fee will be added for each ticket.

The tour and quilt drawing tickets are not tax deductible. No children under 12 years or pets are allowed to attend.

E-mail any questions to aauwhht@ gmail.com, or go to our website at http:// daw-ca.aauw.net/programs/hht.

Lafayette Today ~ December 2013 - Page 3

THE LAFAYETTE CHAMBER PRESENTS

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Santa’s Bag Holiday Boutique

Beautiful decorations, holiday gifts, and the delicious smell of warm baked treats. It’s the little things that make this time of year nostalgic. Create new memories at the 23rd Annual Santa's Bag Holiday Boutique in Lafayette, featuring over 60 artists with beautiful handcrafted holiday items and works of art.

Gift baskets from local merchants and citizens will be featured, and the sale will benefit the Lafayette Community Center. Get ready for the holidays at the Santa's Bag Boutique Friday 12/6 from 11-7, and Saturday 12/7 and Sunday 12/8 from 9-5 at the Lafayette Community Center, 500 St. Mary's Rd, Lafayette. Admission and parking are free.

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Page 4 - December 2013 ~ Lafayette Today

The Lafayette City Council is Soliciting Applications to Fill the Following Volunteer Vacancies • The Lafayette Community Center Foundation is dedicated to renovating and improving the Lafayette Community Center. The Foundation was formed in 1983 to oversee the capital improvements and renovations necessary to transform the old Burton School into an active recreation center.

• The Circulation Commission reviews matters that affect the City’s right-of-way and administers the Circulation Element of the General Plan. The Commission advises the City Council on matters pertaining to traffic safety, on-street parking, and pedestrian sidewalks and bikeways. Six of the seven members of the commission shall be residents of the city and shall represent specific neighborhoods as designated by the commission. The seventh member of the commission, who need not be a resident of the city, shall either own or operate a business in the downtown.

• Downtown Street Improvement Master Plan Implementation Committee (DSIMPIC) is charged with the implementation of the Downtown Street Improvement Master Plan that was adopted in 1988. The Plan guides developers and staff in making improvements to street frontage in downtown Lafayette to create a cohesive, positive visual image and provide amenities to make the downtown a comfortable, safe and enjoyable place.

• Environmental Task Force The City 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.

• Lafayette Representative To The Contra Costa County Advisory Council On Aging (Acoa). The Contra Costa Advisory Council on Aging facilitates countywide planning, cooperation and coordination for individuals and groups interested in improving and developing services and opportunities for older resident in the County. The advisory council meets on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9:30am at 2425 Bisso Lane, Concord.

• Parks & Recreation Commission reviews and supports effective management and operations of existing park facilities to maximize public enjoyment, continue to seek funding and develop the Community Park, Trail System and other City Parks. The Commission typically meets the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 7pm at the Community Center, located at 500 St. Mary’s Road.

• Public Arts Committee establishes a public art program and its administration to oversee Lafayette’s public art collection, contributing to the cultural enrichment of the community by adding public art that is of the highest quality, visually stimulating, and of enduring value, ensuring that public art is incorporated into project planning at the earliest planning stage, and establishes public art gift policies and procedures. This committee will be composed of individuals who, by experience, training, education, occupation or avocation, have demonstrated knowledge of and interest in the visual arts.

• Youth Commission advises the City Council on issues pertaining to teenagers in Lafayette. The Commission coordinates activities and is involved in community functions that benefit both the youth and the community-at-large. The Commission meets the 2nd Monday of each month at 6pm in the Sequoia Room at the Community Center located at 500 St. Mary’s Road. (The Youth Commission does not meet in June, July or August.)

Individuals interested in these volunteer positions may obtain an application online at www.ci.lafayette.ca.us or call the main office at 284-1968 and an application will be mailed to you.

If you have questions related to these volunteer positions please call Joanne Robbins, City Clerk at 299-3210.

Voices of Musica Sacra Celebrates 20 years

Celebrating their 20th year of song as well as English composer, conductor, and pianist Benjamin Britten’s centenary, under the direction of Mark Tuning, Voices of Musica Sacra presents a concert of Christmas Favorites, featuring Britten’s well-known and popular A Ceremony of Carols, accompanied by John R.S. Walko, organist and Emily Laurance, harpist. Britten wrote his earliest version of A Ceremony of Carols in 1942 as he was returning by ocean voyage to his home in England after a three year sojourn in the United States. The chorus will also be performing Steve Heitzeg's setting of e.e. cummings’ poem, “little tree.” Steve Heitzeg is a current American composer known for his music written in celebration of the natural world. Other holiday selections

by Bach, Ives, Burt, Thomas, and more, will be performed, and a carols sing-a-long will be held for everyones enjoyment!

Concerts will be presented December 6 at 8PM, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1924 Trinity Ave., in Walnut Creek; and December 8 at 3PM at St. Stephen Catholic Church, 1101 Keaveny Ct., in Walnut Creek (afternoon concert followed by a reception).

Tickets are $20 adult, $15 senior 60+, $5 student, and children 5-12 free. Tickets are available online at www.vmschorus.org or at the door. For more information, visit info@vmschorus.org or call 925-228-1181.

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. We are 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.

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

Jackson Deatsch is our winner!

Luther was hiding on page 13 last month.

Scottish Country Dance Party!

The Lafayette group of Scottish Country dancers is throwing a yearend party. Their tradition is that when a Saturday falls beTween Christmas and New Year’s, a “Tween” party is in order! This year’s party will be held on Saturday, December 28th at 7:30PM and will be free for spectators.

Live music will be provided by some of the Bay Area’s best musicians and will be a treat for dancers and spectators alike. Just for the one evening, for the sake of adequate space, the party will be held in Walnut Creek at Bortin Hall of the Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church, 55 Eckley Lane. Lively jigs and reels and elegant strathspeys will be featured. For more details, call Witsie at (925) 676-3637 or Kathleen at (925) 9346148. Come join the fun!

Weekly Dance Social

Dance for joy at the weekly Social, or just come to chat; all are welcome.

Twirl, chat, and tap your feet to the beat. The Social is for all-level and all-style dancers, music lovers, and observers. The Social is held Wednesdays from 12:30 to 2:50PM at the Lafayette Community Center located at 500 St. Mary’s Road. The longtime event, with continuous, professionally recorded music, is held in the big, bright Live Oak Room. The Social specializes in ballroom, but any style dance adds to the charm.

For more information, visit sites.google.com/site/lafayetteteadance. Fees for the event are $2 for members of the Senior Center and $4 for non-members.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Lafayette Today ~ December 2013 - Page 5

The Bethlehem Experience

The Lafayette United Methodist Church presents an interactive performance that takes you back through time. Tour guides will lead groups of people through the marketplace of Bethlehem on the night of the Messiah’s birth. The Bethlehem Experience is a feast for the senses: the smell of exotic spices, the festive sound of Jewish music, the sight of robed and sandaled merchants in their stalls, the taste of freshly baked unleavened bread, the experience of live animals in the stable, and the soft feel of flaxen “swaddling clothes.”

The Bethlehem Experience takes place at the Lafayette United Methodist Church, located at 955 Moraga Road. The program is a social event that emphasizes the spiritual meaning of Christmas. Performances take place between 5:30PM-8PM, December 20, 21, and 22. One-hour long tours begin every fifteen minutes.

Refreshments and entertainment will be provided while you wait. The last tour begins at 8PM. Freewill donations are $5/person or $20/family. For questions, call 925-284-4765.

Celebrate the Joy of Remembrance at Hospice Tree of Lights

Hospice of the East Bay invites the public to participate in its 27th Annual Tree of Lights Ceremonies to be held in Contra Costa County.

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

By dedicating a Memorial Light for a minimum gift of $25, you can honor someone you love while directly supporting end-of-life patient care. Memorial donors of $100 and higher will have the option to have their names listed in the lighting ceremony program of their choice. For light dedications, donations, sponsorships, and event questions, call (925) 887-5678 or visit www.hospiceeastbay.org.

LAFAYETTE-ORINDA Please join any of the commemorative ceremonies to enjoy music, poetry, remembrances by family members and Hospice staff, and the special moment when the tree lights up.

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH • Rossmoor: Creekside Clubhouse, 1010 Stanley Dollar Dr, Walnut Creek - Wednesday, December 4, 5PM LOPC.org • Orinda: 31 Orinda Way, Orinda (by Bank of America) - Saturday, December 7, 4:30PM PM • Moraga & Lafayette: Moraga Country Club, 1600 St. Andrews Dr, Moraga - Sunday, December 8, 5:30 Hospice of the East Bay provides compassionate end-of-life care to terminally ill patients, while offering emotional, spiritual, and grief support for the entire family. As a not-for-profit organization, we accept all medically qualified patients, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. Hospice of the East Bay has served over 22,000 patients and their families since 1977.

Christmas Eve 3:30, 5:00, 7:00, 8:30 & 11:00 p.m.

Handel’s Messiah Community Sing

A community sing of Handel’s Messiah will be held at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 66 St Stephens Drive in Orinda, on Friday, December 6 at 7:30PM. The Messiah Sing will be directed by Minister of Music Robert Train Adams with Festival Choir, professional soloists, and chamber orchestra with harpsichord and organ. This event is an annual fundraiser for the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano Counties. Childcare is available by reservation. A free-will offering will be taken. For more information, contact Brenda Free at office@ststephensorinda.org or (925) 254-3770 x10.

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Page 6 - December 2013 ~ Lafayette Today

The Bookworm

By Joan Stevenson

In the words of that great philosopher, Dr. Seuss, “How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before it’s afternoon. December is here before it’s June.

My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?” So to help you celebrate the holidays and ring in the New Year, the Lafayette Library and Learning Center has a calendar filled with music and art and wine and even a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event! Take a look!

On Friday, December 6, at 10:15AM Jose-Luis Orozco, a very special storyteller, will visit for a Spanish Story Concert. Families and children can sing, dance, and act out Mr. Orozco’s traditional Latin American children’s songs and original compositions. Mr. Orozco is a children’s author and recording artist. His published works include Lírica Infantil, Diez Deditos, and De Colores. His CDs and books will be available for purchase.

Opera and Ornaments: A Merola Opera Holiday Concert will take center stage in the Community Hall on Saturday, December 7 from 2-3PM. You are invited to start your holiday with a wonderful afternoon of opera and holiday favorites. The event features renowned opera performers Kristin Clayton and Bojan Knezevic (Merola Opera Program, San Francisco Opera). This 50 minute program will feature classical works and seasonal selections in an intimate performance, accompanied by piano. The cost is $10/person. Please reserve your tickets in advance by calling 925-283-6513 x103 or emailing reserve@LLLCF.org.

Continuing with the music of the winter holidays, come join a sing-along.

Legendary folksinger, storyteller and autoharp virtuoso, Adam Miller, will lead us in traditional songs, carols for the New Year, and music celebrating Hanukkah, Christmas, and the Winter Solstice. The program is free in the Community Hall on Thursday, December 19 from 6-8PM. The traditional American folksongs and folktales used in the program can be found in books that reside in the public library!

Have you ever seen a comet? LLLC announces a special viewing of the Comet ISON! Drop by with family and friends to view the spectacular passage

www.yourmonthlypaper.com of ISON as it travels though the inner solar system. Comet ISON belongs to a special category of comets called sungrazers, and itis anticipated to be a brilliant object potentially 10 times brighter than Venus. Some say it could even put the full moon to shame! From 4:30-7:30pm on Monday, December 9, comet viewing will take place in our outdoor amphitheater with astronomers on hand with telescopes and super cool viewing glasses.

Saint Mary’s professor and astronomer Dr. Ron Olowin will also be in the amphitheater to discuss the significance of this event. There will be a fun comet craft for the kids and a free tasty treat for the first 70 attendees. Don’t miss this very special free event.

Friends of the LLLC present “An Armchair Tour of Lafayette’s Public Art” in the Community Hall on Tuesday, December 10, 2-3PM. Lafayette is home to over 40 pieces of traditional and contemporary art in a myriad of public places. Some will be familiar and others will be a complete surprise.

I have long been enchanted with the artwork in children’s books and a big fan of Lou Fancher and Steve Johnson. A visit to their website www. johnsonandfancher.com will give you a preview of their time with us at Sweet Thursday on December 12 at 7:30PM. The majority of the paintings have been created by these two artists. They note, “Yes, we actually pass the canvas back and forth, like a tennis ball in a tournament, only not as quickly!” They have collaborated on over 45 picture books, and many of them will be available for sale and signing. What a wonderful gift for a child on your gift list! By the way, if Lou’s name is familiar, it is because it appears as a press byline. This talented lady wears two hats, artist and journalist.

Did you think I forgot the wine? The Commonwealth Club presents, “Celebrating the East Bay Wine Scene” on Tuesday, December 20 from 6:30-8:30pm. Join us for a panel discussion with some of the East Bay’s finest wine wizards, followed by exquisite tastings from several of the best wineries this side of the Bay Bridge. Attendees must be 21 to attend, and the cost is $15 for members and $25 for non-members. For more information, call (415)597-6700 or go to www.commonwealthclub.org.

I began with Dr. Seuss and end with a quote from Oprah Winfrey. “Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” Happy New Year!

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Lafayette Today ~ December 2013 - Page 7

Mystery from the Lafayette Historical Society: Who is Mamie Joseph?

Castro Ascarrunz

Owner, Chef, Waiter and Entertainer

By Kyra Mitchell for the Lafayette Historical Society

While looking through archives and databases at the Lafayette Historical Society, two photographs of a young mystery woman have surfaced. One includes Mamie Joseph in a traditional class photo at the Moraga School, with all participants looking solemnly at the camera. Mamie is named with 17 other identified students, while three of her classmates remain unknown. She stands in the middle of the back row.

The second photo of Mamie is in portrait style. Titled “Minnie Joseph, 1893,” it was found among Margaret “Jennie” Bickerstaff’s photograph collection. The image is signed “To my dear loving teacher—Mamie Joseph—Age 11—Moraga Valley 1893.” And so, the only absolute information known

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about Mamie is her birth year, 1882, and her attendance at the Moraga School in the Orinda School District around 1893.

In this second photograph, the subject poses most un-lady like, with one leg resting upon a stone, revealing the inner-fabric of her dress. Dubbed the “Annie Oakley” of Lafayette due to her nonchalant manner and “no-funnybusiness” pose, Mamie Joseph has captured the interest of the Lafayette Historical Society.

If you have any information about this mystifying woman, please contact the Lafayette Historical Society at (925) 2831848 or email lafayette. history@comcast.net.

Visit our History Room Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday from 10am to 2pm. We are located in the Lafayette Library & Learning Center – enter on Golden Gate Way.

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Assistance League® Way Side Inn Thrift Shop Celebrates the Magic of the Holidays!

Member volunteers at Assistance League® Way Side Inn Thrift Shop, located in Lafayette, are busily tidying shelves, racks, and counters.

While a few items remain, the focus will soon shift to the Quirky Christmas Sweaters event, Tuesday, December 3, and will usher in the Holiday Attire event. Women’s apparel, ranging from understated to dazzling, will include dresses, skirts, pants, jackets, blouses, purses, and shoes. Not to be outdone, gentlemen, your apparel will include evening as well as casual attire.

Venturing further into the shop will reveal the children’s fashions section.

The Holiday Attire event will promise more-than-reasonably-priced finds for everyone.

A return visit will be an absolute must when you consider that Tuesday, December 9-25-13.indd 10 will launch an event extraordinaire. At 10AM sharp, a considerable assortment of Madame Alexander and Nancy Ann Story Book dolls will beckon childhood dreams of magic and fantasy or add to a wisely invested collection. Reminiscent of such classics as Gone with the Wind, Little Women, The Oz, and The King and I. Most of the Madame Alexander dolls are in their original boxes. As for the Nancy Ann dolls, creations of the 40’s, artists hand painted the facial features, therefore, giving each doll its own special look. Also available will be the Sleepy Eyes dolls, which were produced in the 1950s. Overall, the dolls’ conditions range from pristine to fair. What a marvelous Christmas gift idea!

As always, thank you for your support with your purchases and donations; don’t forget your tax donation receipt. To learn more about Assistance League Way Side Inn Thrift Shop and the eight philanthropic programs it funds, please visit our website at diablovalley.assistanceleague.org.

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Page 8 - December 2013 ~ Lafayette Today

Spreading the Holiday Spirit

By Supervisor Candace Andersen, Contra Costa County, District 2

The month of December can be joyful for many but stressful for others. For some it is a month of religious importance; a time to share and create memories with family and friends. Parties, gift-exchanges, and special holiday related events are celebrated by most of us. Regrettably, there are many individuals and families in Contra Costa County who are not so fortunate. They would like to share in the holiday spirit but do not have the means to do so. If you would like to make a difference in their lives, here are two simple ways you can help.

Holiday Helpers Warehouse is a wonderful support to some of the neediest neighbors in Contra Costa County. The Holiday Helpers Warehouse has been a program of VESTIA (Volunteers and Emergency Services Team in Action) in Contra Costa County for the past 25 years. It provides a wide array of help to families in need including donations of food, new blankets, warm new clothing, new toys, books, board games, and shoe gift cards. The program is possible only with donations from local donors and groups, like you. The Holiday Helpers Warehouse will start taking donations in person on December 13th at 500 Ellinwood Way in Pleasant Hill, or you can drop off a donation of unwrapped new toys, blankets, or clothing at Supervisor Andersen’s office at 309 Diablo Road in Danville. Registered families will be picking up their gifts on December 16th and 17th in Pleasant Hill and on December 19th in Richmond.

Another wonderful way to help those less fortunate is to donate to The 2013 “County Cares Holiday Food Fight.” This is the tenth anniversary of the challenge between Contra Costa and Solano counties. CalFresh (the State’s food stamp program) will see a 5% decline in funding this year. This monthly reduction of $36 per family began on November 1, 2013. Many of the people receiving help are working families who simply do not have the ability to make ends meet each month.

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Although canned goods are appreciated and accepted, the Food Bank asks County employees and their friends and families to donate money in order to assist the Food Bank’s purchase of fresh produce, which now accounts for nearly half of the food distributed. Also, because they buy in bulk, for every $1 donated the Glory be to God on High food bank is able to provide two meals to an individual.

SAT., DEC. 14 4:00 p.m.

Please join this Food SUN., DEC, 15 4:00 p.m.

Fight by visiting www.foodbankccs.org and clicking on the link to the Counties Care Holiday Food Fight.

TICKETS are FREE, but required.

The link will be available Childcare available. for donations to the “Food Questions? Sharon@LOPC.org.

Fight” through the end of the year. Be sure to note LAFAYETTE-ORINDA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH where appropriate that you LOPC.org are giving as a “friend of CC County employees” and indicate Board of Supervisors, District 2, Candace Andersen as the department designee. It’s a big anniversary, so let the challenge begin!

Lastly, please join me and my District 2 Staff for some holiday treats.

I will be hosting two open houses in December:

Lamorinda Open House San Ramon Valley Open House

Wednesday, December 4th Wednesday, December 11th 5pm to 7pm 4pm to 6pm

3338 Mt. Diablo Blvd.

309 Diablo Road

Lafayette Danville This is an informal opportunity for me to personally thank so many of you who make a difference throughout Contra Costa County.

Gloria in Excelsis Deo

Assistance League Welcomes Return of Operation School Bell Bagging Event Assistance League® of Diablo Valley’s dedicated member volunteers have been improving lives in our community through the chapter’s handson philanthropic programs since 1967. One of its programs, Operation School Bell®, is a nationally acclaimed program that has provided local

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Assistance League of Diablo Valley President Margie Basile, (standing, far right) thanks Chubb Group of Insurance Companies Corporate Partners for their return visit. Seated, l. to r.: Annette Benoudiz, Shirley Ferrero, Fidela LaMadrid, Susan Stenrose, Julie Rugg, Patrica Snider.

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elementary schoolchildren with clothing and shoes since 1994. Last year alone, Operation School Bell volunteers, joined by corporate partners employee volunteers, served 4,011 children to help ensure improved school attendance, campus citizenship, and overall scholastic performance.

Sensitive to children’s needs, Operation School Bell has developed three

See Bell continued on page 11

11/16/12 9:28 AM

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Give the Perfect Gift this Season

By Monica Chappell

Vinegar is vinegar is vinegar . . . or is it? Store-bought vinegars are often muted. If you love to cook, then you know that it’s next to impossible to find quality red wine vinegar. It is usually made in bulk from poorquality wine, and it rarely adds anything but sharp acidity to a dish. Luckily, making your own red wine vinegar is easy and cheap, if not quick.

All you need are a few simple ingredients and some patience to make red wine vinegar.

Ingredients

1 bottle of red wine (Choose a bottle that you enjoy drinking yourself. Lower alcohol, fruitier wines tend to be more successful.)

1-gallon container (Earthenware is best, but a glass container will work too.)

Cheesecloth A “mother” (a live starter to get the fermentation process going. The bacteria eat the alcohol and turn it into acetic acid. A “mother” can be found at a wine and beer making store, online, or from a friend who makes red wine vinegar.)

2 cups of water

Lafayette Today ~ December 2013 - Page 9

11 Critical Home Inspection Traps to be Aware of Weeks Before Listing Your Home for Sale Lafayette - According to industry experts, there are over 33 physical problems that will come under scrutiny during a home inspection when your home is for sale. A new report has been prepared which identifies the 11 most common of these problems, and what you should know about them before you list your home for sale.

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

This report is courtesy of J. Rockcliff Realtors #01763819. Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract. Copyright © 2013

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Instructions

1. Pour the wine and water into the container 2. Add the “mother” 3. Cover tightly with cheesecloth 4. Store in a warm (70-80oF), dark place 5. Add a glass or two of wine (it doesn’t have to be the same wine that started the batch) to the jar every week. Move aside the “mother” when you pour in the wine so as not to disturb the fermentation process.

6. Store for about two and a half months, or until it tastes like vinegar.

7. Pasteurize the vinegar to keep it from continuing to ferment - dilute with water by 25%, heat to 155oF on the stove, and keep it at this temperature for 30 minutes.

8. Strain mixture through clean cheesecloth or a coffee filter into bottles or jars.

Herb vinegar can also be made with finely-chopped fresh chives, celery leaves, or cloves of garlic (remove the garlic after 24 hours).

Monica Chappell is a wine writer and educator. To see a list of wine appreciation classes, visit www.wineappreciation101.blogspot.com.

www.yourmonthlypaper.com 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.

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

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

To hear a brief recorded message about how to order your FREE copy of this report, call toll-free 1-866-265-1682 and enter 2003. You can call any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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

Miracle on 34TH Street

By Peggy Horn

This month’s Cinema Classic is Miracle on 34th Street, (1947) starring Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwenn, and Natalie Wood. The film won Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Edmund Gwenn), Best Writing, Original Story, and Best Writing, Screenplay. Unfortunately, it didn’t win in the Best Picture category although it was nominated, but it is certainly a favorite around our house!

The movie plot concerns an elderly gentleman named Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn), who thinks he is the real Santa Claus. Following the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, Kris becomes employed by Macy’s to serve as the in-house Santa Claus to the children of shopping customers during the Christmas season. He has been hired by Doris Walker (Maureen O’Hara), and Doris, along with her young daughter, Susan (Natalie Wood), become his friends.

Kris’s insistence that he is the real Santa Claus leads him into the office of the store’s pseudo psychiatrist, where the real trouble begins.

When Kris needs a lawyer to contest an accusation of incompetency, Fred Gailey (John Payne) comes to his rescue, and the resulting trial is one of the highlights of the movie. In one of the movies memorable quotes, Fred assures Doris that defending underdogs like Kris is the real fun in being a lawyer.

The issue of faith is raised in the movie in several ways; that is, that belief in something does not rest upon logical proof or material evidence. One example is a scene in which Mr. Macy is testifying as to whether he believes that Kris is the real Santa Claus. The thoughts going through Mr. Macy’s head are revealed to the viewers, and one might be reminded of a little girl’s letter to the New York Sun Editor from September 21, 1897. The Editor’s famous response begins, “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.” The Editor goes on to say, “The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see.” Mr. Macy affirms that Kris is the real Santa Claus!

The movie does not end there and continues to delight until the very last minute. This is a movie that can be enjoyed over and over. Our family watches it every Christmas!

Rent or purchase this fabulous movie online without delay!

Musical Notes

This month’s musical entry is, “Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly,” a traditional Welsh carol, dating back to the sixteenth century. Why not memorize the lyrics and sing some history together with family and friends? Downloadable versions are plentiful including one with gorgeous children’s voices by the Frankfurt Kinder Choir and the Harry Christophers and a spicy salsa version by Bochinche. Better yet, download the sheet music and sing around the piano or musical instrument of choice – it’s fun!

Page 10 - December 2013 ~ Lafayette Today

Portable CIO Computer Service

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Walking the Reservoir

By Jim Scala

After I wrote about dog education at the Rez last month, Sandy Sherman invited me for a walk with him. When I asked how I’d recognize him, he Serving Bay Area businesses and residents since 2002 said, “I’ll be with Chico, a long-haired gray dog How Can We Help You? of outstanding, albeit uncertain, parentage.” I met Chico, who stands slightly under two feet at the shoulder and is so friendly he’s impossible not to like. We became instant friends. Chico took charge and set our brisk, clockwise pace around the lower trail. We stopped often as Chico greeted oncoming dogs and we talked with their walkers. I began to see a blur between who is socializing whom. Sandy and Chico introduced me to Pat and Carol who were led by Frankie and Johnny, two beautiful, exquisitely groomed, full-sized, and sophisticated poodles. We met many beautiful dogs and friendly people. Sandy and Chico convinced me that people get to know each other through their dogs at the Rez. I realized that once the dogs are familiarized with each other, they bring their owners together. I met 10 people that morning, and whenever I asked Sandy how he had gotten to know everyone we met, his answer was always the same, “through Chico’s friendly encounter with their dog.”

PC / Mac/ Laptops/ Desktops/ Tablets/ Smartphones/ iPads|Repairs Years ago Gordon Cooper, the Apollo astronaut, invited me to serve on Upgrades| Maintenance|Office Moves and Networking | Data Recovery Walt Disney World’s Epcot Center board when it was being built and I was Virus/Spyware/Adware Removal|Back-up Solutions|Internet/ Cloud Computing taught Walt’s philosophy, “When people are having fun they learn.” The Rez Email Solutions|Remote Phone Support |Free Recycling certainly echoes that statement. My gold Mickey Mouse Watch reminds me of it, and walking the Rez proves it every time I make the circuit.

Speaking of dogs brings Steve Hobbs book, Lafayette Reservoir, A Visual Celebration to mind. The section entitled Dogs of the Reservoir is unique.

His book’s a great Holiday gift that will keep on giving. www.ThePortableCIO.com One Monday in early November, I watched Judith Feins set up her easel at the north end of the dam. She set up daily and during the week a slowJoin Portable CIO, Inc. on Facebook! motion movie took place as she captured this fall’s vivid yellows and reds on her canvas. Looking over the shoulder of this plein air artist, you could see Mt. Diablo Branch California Writers Club Three of our own, Ann Damaschino, Lyn Roberts, and Elisabeth Tuck, will a character take shape and a personality emerge. I encourage you to watch present “Why Editing is Essential to Writing” at the next luncheon meeting of artists capture our beautiful vistas.

I finish my walk at the bandstand, arguably the country’s most spectacular the Mt. Diablo Branch of the California Writers Club (CWC) on Saturday, th Yoga studio. Salutations to the setting sun are spectacular and beyond inspiring.

December 14 at Zio Fraedo’s Restaurant, 611 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill.

Ann Damaschino is a former technical editor for Shell Oil Company and Recently, two girls, seven and five, were playing while their mom relaxed.

Both girls watched my poses carefully and then did them quite well. I asked, academic editor for the Acalanes School District.

Lyn Roberts has written and edited for a local newspaper, a college, and various “Do you girls plan to become yogis?” Their mom laughed and commented companies. She is an independent literary editor who works with fiction writers. that we usually start Yoga as adults, but it’s a terrific program for children that Elisabeth Tuck began her career as a social worker, and then she worked will stay with them for life. Besides yoga’s physical benefits, it instills personal as a computer programmer/project manager and writer before becoming a discipline at a time we seem headed in a different direction. If you’re interested in getting a children’s program started, let me know – I’ll help. professional literary editor. am Yoga delays the slow decline of our physical balance, and a few poses deal Check-in begins at 11:15 . A festive seated luncheon and complimentary beverage will be served from noon to 12:45pm, followed by the program. The with restoring it directly. Physical therapists also teach an exercise to restore lost balance that I’ve worked into yoga poses – Jim’s Yoga. If your years are cost is $20 for CWC members and $25 for guests.

Reservations are required, and they must be received no later than noon on accumulating or you have lost balance and are interested, contact me.

As an aside, an orthopedic medical journal recently reported some hip Wednesday, December 11. Contact Robin Gigoux at ragig@aol.com or by phone and knee joints being damaged by going too hard on Yoga poses. Remember, at 925-933-9670. Expect confirmation only if you e-mail your reservation.

The California Writers Club Mt. Diablo Branch web address is http:// never push yourself beyond sweet discomfort.

People often ask how they can tell that regular Rez walking or jogging cwcmtdiablowriters.wordpress.com. improves their health. I explain that as aerobic fitness increases, your resting Scottish Country Dancing is Back in Town! pulse usually slows down as the stroke volume of your heart increases.

Come dance every Thursday evening, year-round (with the single exception of Many well-conditioned people have a resting pulse below fifty. If you do Thanksgiving)! No partner is required and no Scottish ancestry is required. Adult aerobic exercise, such as walking the Rez regularly, you’ll probably find beginner classes for Scottish Country Dancing take place each week with free your resting pulse in the 55 to 65 range; that’s good. Alan Shepherd always lessons at 7PM followed by more experienced dancers dancing at 8PM. Once a month said, “We’re born with a given number of heartbeats, so make them last as Ceilidh dancing will take place as well. Dancing will be held at the Lamorinda long as possible.” His folk wisdom said a lot about the rewards of keeping fit.

Theatre Academy, located at 83 Lafayette Circle in Lafayette. All dance nights are That dazzling bright star low in the southwest at twilight is the planet drop-in. Three weeks of free beginner lessons are offered. Afterwards, the cost is Venus, and when you read this it will be a slender crescent at maximum $8/night or $6/night if attending a 10-week session paid in advance. brightness. The crescent shape is easily seen in binoculars. If you’d like to Call Witsie 925-676-3637 or Kathleen 925-934-6148 for more see Venus in detail through a large telescope, contact me and I promise an information. For children’s classes ages 7 and up, please contact Cathy at interesting view.

925-284-9068 for dates and fees.

Have a great holiday. Let me hear from you at jscala2@comcast.net.

Great People. Great Service.

925.552.7953

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Lafayette Today ~ December 2013 - Page 11

My Clean PC

By Evan Corstorphine, Portable CIO

As I’m relaxing in my living room watching sports on TV, a commercial for PC cleaning software comes on.

They are promoting this website that they want you to visit in order to download their magical software. These commercials drive me nuts. If it were really that simple to fix computer performance issues, I’d be their biggest fan and focus on other problems in my industry. But it’s not.

These guys are grossly over-simplifying the situation, and in my opinion are not 100% honest because of the expectations they’re setting.

First, I’m going to tell you how to get the exact same functionality that these guys are hawking, but for free. The functions this software performs are nothing new, not 3328 Mt Diablo Blvd, Lafayette unique, and not worth spending $19.95. We use a free product called “CCleaner,” (925) 283-5212 | Monday - Friday 7:30AM-5PM which you can find on www.downloads.com. It cleans all the temp files, junk files, and profile files and will remove junk from your registry. When you finish running that scan, reboot your computer then update your AVG and Malwarebytes software and run a scan in each of those, too. You’ve just done more than they can, for free. And, if your system was running slowly before this, I’ll bet it still is running slowly now. Usually these actions don’t make much of a difference at all unless the system has been grossly neglected.

The truth is that there are many, many reasons why your system may run slowly. Clean-up software, whether paid or free, covers only a small part of the spectrum of possible maladies that slow down computers. And, slowness is a relative term. A computer that is running perfectly without any junk to clean up, can nonetheless feel like it’s crawling if it is connected to a network that is having issues or has an incorrect network setting. You can run clean-up software all day long, but it won’t help.

When we approach a computer, we look at it holistically, and we ask a lot of questions. As an aside, I have to say that sometimes people get impatient with us when our telephone people ask them a lot of questions about what is going on. These questions are what help us determine the nature of the problem and are a critical part of our holistic diagnostic process. Our least favorite client is one that calls up, is too busy to give us the actual details of what is going on, and expects us to fix their system quickly and cheaply. Sometimes their assumption is that they’re just experiencing a “quick problem that will take five minutes to fix,” when the reality is that there is much more to the issue that needs resolving. So if you’re on the phone with us, don’t get mad with us when we ask you questions!

In my opinion, the single area around which most computer slowness occurs is the hardisk. There are so many things that can go wrong. Start with the speed of the disk. Some spin at 5400 RPM’s, and some spin at 7200 RPM’s. There is a noticeable difference in speed between them. Next, look how much space is being used on the disk. If it’s over 50%, the performance is adversely affected. When I see a disk with over 60-70% consumed, I recommend cloning the contents to a larger disk. If I can lower the percentage used to 30% by putting them into a larger disk, I’ll improve performance. Finally, if the disk is having any issues, they will definitely affect performance, but they may not show up in the diagnostics. Please understand; just because a disk doesn’t have obvious diagnostic errors, it does not mean it’s healthy.

I’ve seen this happen more times than I can count, and the problems go away when I swap out the hardisk. In laptops, I’ve made miraculous changes when swapping out failing or over-full hardisks with newer Solid State hardisks (SSD)’s. They’re more expensive, but they’re twice as fast and make a huge difference in system performance.

Another area to check out is hardisk fragmentation. Fragmentation is caused when parts of your data get sprinkled around the platter of a hardisk, instead of being in a contiguous streak the system can read in one rotation. It’s like playing a song on a record player, but parts of the song are all over the record instead of being contained in just one of the circular ‘tracks.’ You can imagine how much that would slow down playing a song. It can slow down a system quite a bit.

We use a program called “Auslogics Defrag” to deal with disk fragmentation. It’s free and available at www.downloads.com.

The amount of RAM a system has will affect performance, too. If you’re in Windows 7 or 8, you should have a bare minimum of 4GB RAM. You really should have 6-12GB. The system processor also makes a big difference. I have never recommended an i3 processor for any reason. If you get a system, an i5 processer is the minimum I recommend, and an i7 processor should be strongly considered. The better you ‘buy’ a system, the longer it will last, and the better it will perform. Period.

The point of this is that there are many factors which affect system performance. Very few of them can be affected in any meaningful way by running a piece of software from the internet. Save your money and don’t patronize these snake-oil salesmen! If you’d rather have a professional technician look at your system to analyze what’s going on, give my friendly staff a call at 925-552-7953, or email us at helpdesk@theportablecio.com. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season with your family and look forward to seeing you in the new year.

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Bell continued from page 8

venues for clothing children: school site sizing to eliminate busing costs and loss of valuable classroom instruction time, retail site shopping to help children make good decisions, and chapter site bagging to bundle clothing that will be delivered to recipient school sites. Of consideration is that 85% of the schoolchildren served wear uniforms.

On October 16, Corporate Partners Committee Chairman Lesley Salo greeted employee volunteers from Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, located in San Ramon, for its third visit to Assistance League of Diablo Valley, this time as participants in the insurance industry’s Week of Giving. After Chapter President Margie Basile updated the employee volunteers regarding Assistance League of Diablo Valley’s other philanthropic programs, all involved reported to the chapter house annex, where Operation School Bell team leader Joni Broderson explained the bagging process. Then, the Chubb Group proceeded to transform stacks of inventory into 220 neatly bundled bags that included one jacket, one sweatshirt, two pairs of pants for boys or skorts for girls, three polo shirts, six pairs of socks, a six-pack of underwear, and a shoe card from Payless. In a mere two hours, the bags were ready for delivery to children attending Cambridge Elementary School, located in the Monument Corridor of Concord, to help close the education gap for its diverse student population. The partnership that Assistance League of Diablo Valley and the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies enjoys helps prepare young, lifelong learners for an ever changing world.

To learn more about Assistance League of Diablo Valley’s Corporate Partners Program or its eight philanthropic programs and its two auxiliaries, please visit diablovalley.assistanceleague.org.

Members of the Speakers’ Bureau are also available to present our story to various organizations, free of charge. For more information about scheduling a speaker to present to your group, please look at the About Us column on the left side of the page of the website, and select Speakers’ Bureau.

Page 12 - December 2013 ~ Lafayette Today

The Newest “Re” is Re-Purposing

By Sustainable Lafayette

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

Reduce, reuse, recycle. You’re familiar with the mantra for those who live sustainably. And don’t forget “rot,” AKA composting!

The newest “re” on the block is Re-Purposing which is taking an object you were about to throw away and turning it into something useful. Parents with young kids are familiar with the way cardboard boxes, food cans, and candle stubs can be transformed into magic art projects.

Let’s see what else we can transform!

A plastic case, in which blank CDs were sold now serves as a perfect bagel container. Turn an old yoga mat into a bulletin board, laptop case, drawer liner, coffee mug wrap, floor protector (for furniture legs), or even a mouse pad! Use empty plastic soda bottles to prop open your boots when they’re stored in the closet. Turn empty wine bottles into outdoor bells/chimes. Use plastic bags from the dry-cleaners to store blankets or plastic vegetable bags to store shoes, gloves, etc. Use colored comics pages from the Sunday paper to wrap gifts. This is just the tip of the iceberg. For hundreds of repurposing ideas, visit these sites - RepurposeEverything.org, www.brit.co/100ways-to-repurpose, www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/green-living/recycling-101-00000000007875, or howtoreuseitcreatively.com.

On a larger scale, “deconstructing” a house, or part of a house, that is being demolished means lots of materials are removed and reused, rather than going to the landfill. Visit www.sustainablelafayette.org/wordpress/?p=3783 for an example of a redwood deck that became a bridge over a seasonal stream.

Whether large or small, re-purposing helps to keep useful items out of the landfill, and that helps Lafayette reduce waste and increase its diversion rate.

This past summer Sustainable Lafayette, along with many partners, launched a citywide campaign to reach a 75% waste diversion rate. We are currently at a 66% diversion rate, up from 58% just a year ago! Learn more at http://recyclelafayette.org.

A related movement is called “the re-skilling of America.” Instead of being dependent on others for everything we use, wear, or eat, re-skilling means reviving the household arts and taking care of ourselves. Sewing our own clothes, using those fancy tools in the garage to actually make or refinish furniture, and baking bread are things we’ll tell you more about in a future article.

In the meantime, do some repurposing of your own, and send us the photos so we can turn your idea into a Success Story! For more tips, ideas, and success stories about how Lafayette residents are living more sustainably, please visit sustainablelafayette.org.

Girl Scout Gold Award Recipient

Juliana Biro, a junior at Acalanes High School, completed her Gold Award project in May of 2013. She is a member of troop 31017 and has participated in Girl Scouts since Kindergarten. For her project she created “Water Wise: A Water Safety Program” in partnership with Lighthouse Community Charter School in East Oakland and the Downtown Oakland YMCA. Water safety has become a passion for Jewels as she nearly downed as a young child. th Seventy five 8 grade students received instruction and participated in activities about nutrition, sun safety, and water safety. They also had the opportunity to learn basic swimming skills. The students at Lighthouse represent the ethnic diversity of Oakland’s neighborhoods with 72% Latino and 11% African American students. As part of the Water Wise safety program, Juliana organized a swim gear drive to provide suits, goggles and towels for every participating student. She also led a coffee talk at Lighthouse School for the 8th grade parents to explain the purpose of her event and the importance of water safety. Caitlin Leverenz, a 2012 bronze Olympic medalist, joined Jewels at the Lighthouse Community Charter school to kick off the event by talking to the students about her Olympic experience and what a difference swimming has made in her life. With this project Jewels hopes to break the pattern of children not knowing how to swim because their parents never learned to swim.

Student Art from Afghanistan Exhibit

The Lafayette Public Art Committee invites the public to attend its newest art exhibit, Student Art from Afghanistan, being held at the Lafayette Library Community Hall located at 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette. The exhibit runs through January 13, 2014. The library gallery is open every Monday evening from 7PM to 9PM and during public events in the Community Hall.

Afghanistan is a country with deep roots in art and culture. Though many beautiful treasures have been destroyed by war and political strife, Afghan children continue to create art and imagine a world of peace. This exhibit, brought to you

by Trust in Education (TIE) and the Lafayette Public Art Committee, highlights drawings created by students taking classes funded by TIE. The pieces in this exhibit are part of an art exchange between American students and Afghan students. Many local students have participated in the art exchange, as well as in fundraisers for Afghan schools, teachers, supplies, and playgrounds. Since the literacy rate in Afghanistan is among the worst in the world, education is TIE’s top priority.

Trust in Education (TIE), founded by Budd McKenzie in 2004, is a grassroots, secular, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Afghan families educate their children and rebuild their lives. Among many other projects and programs, TIE has funded the construction of two schools in Afghanistan. The most recent is a school for girls located in the village of Farza. It opened in September of 2013. Two hundred-fifty girls are now off the floor, in desks, in a structurally sound building, and they are thrilled to be given the opportunity to learn. TIE now employs 23 Afghan teachers teaching over 1,000 students, 40% of whom are girls. TIE has discovered that education is the solution to almost everything, and it is the greatest gift we can bestow on children. For more information about TIE, visit www.trustineducation.org.

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Nominate the 2014 Business Person of the Year

It’s the time of year to submit applications for the 2014 Business Person of the Year. Nomination forms are available at www.lafayettechamber. org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/14-Nomination-Form.pdf. Submit your nominations by fax, email, or mail, or deliver it in person to the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce office located at 100 Lafayette Circle #103 in Lafayette by Thursday, December 12 at 1pm. If you have any questions, call Karen Rose at 284-7404.

Budd McKenzie and Afghan children

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Solar Currents

Postponing Your Solar Investment Delays Savings

By Mark Becker, GoSimpleSolar

In the United States, the commercial and residential solar business is growing at a 30% pace this year.

Growth is expected to continue to rise worldwide.

Today there are 191,404 California solar projects in operation. Recognition of the financial benefits that a solar PV system can offer a home or business owner is leading this growth. Of course, green bragging rights come hand-in-hand with the financial savings, but they play a distant second. Financial return is by far the most compelling reason for most to “go solar.”

The American Solar Energy Society recently published their annual “State of the Industry” analysis. I’m going to provide some quotes from the analysis and play “Peanut Gallery” to chime in with my observations or commentary. Here it goes.

“Silicon modules are likely to remain stable at 80 to 85 cents per watt for the foreseeable future.”

Due to the Chinese Government losing the International Trade Commission and US Department of Commerce trade cases, Chinese solar panel manufacturers are no longer dumping (that’s indeed a legal term) their illegally subsidized solar modules into the US market.

Solar product prices have indeed stabilized. A commonly posed question is whether one should wait for prices to continue to come down to take advantage of a lower cost of product. It seems the jury is out. Waiting simply puts potential savings generated by a solar system into the future; a future where the savings can be applied to college tuition, a 401K, charity, retirement vacation travels, or other pursuits or passions.

“The wealthy oil emirates are installing PV factories and solar farms on an accelerating scale because it makes no sense to burn oil for electricity when it can be sold for more than $100 a barrel.”

I read this and I cringed. The Middle East oil Emirates are installing solar energy systems so they can sell America and the rest of the world more of their oil. Perhaps it’s a great business decision for them, but the sooner we’re completely weaned away from Middle Eastern oil for political and financial

Lafayette Today ~ December 2013 - Page 13 reasons, the better. Fortunately, what appears to be on the horizon is American energy independence, which at our current rate of adoption of natural gas and renewable sources can come as early as 2025, if we stay the course we’re on.

“In the United States, utility companies are now aware that distributed generation (solar on rooftops) is poised to kill their business model.”

Cry me a river! Although working with PG&E has been for the most part a very positive experience, the fact that PG&E indeed may have to adapt and compete as every other business has had to adapt and compete in this market will be welcome news. As you may have realized your choice of energy providers is extremely limited.

Option One: PG&E. Receive no return on monies paid, recurring for life.

Option Two: Buy your own solar system, and own your own power plant. Typically, a 10% return on investment is easily achieved. One thing is for certain: PG&E rates keep going up which makes the investment virtually no risk assuming the proper products and installers are utilized.

Option Three: Enter into a Solar Power Purchase Agreement and switch energy providers; a financial institution buys and installs a solar system for your home and you pay for the electricity it produces. You’ll end up paying less than you’re currently paying PG&E. Consumer’s Corner: This time of year generates sales pitch falsehoods coming from solar contractors about the tax credits available for solar energy systems for residential and business customers. The Federal Tax Credit of 30% is NOT expiring, simply a customer’s ability to capture the Federal Tax Credit for tax year 2013 expires at the end of the year. The Federal Tax Credit will not expire until January 1st, 2017.

Monetary savings generated by a solar system are very compelling, but equally compelling (to me anyway) are the obvious environmental advantages that come with generating your own power. Solar can also make your life more stress free; my family lives a very efficient lifestyle at home, but we no longer stress about living just a bit more comfortably in a more temperate and well lit home.

Next Month: California Assembly Bill 327, the solar bill of the decade.

Mark Becker is the President of GoSimpleSolar, by Semper Fidelis Construction Inc, a Danville based Solar Installation Firm (License 948715).

Mark can be reached at 925.915.9252. Visit GoSimpleSolar’s NEW and larger showroom at 100 Railroad Avenue, Suite B, Danville (behind Pete’s Brass Rail) or www.GoSimpleSolar.com, or email Mark@GoSimpleSolar.com. Advertorial

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Page 14 - December 2013 ~ Lafayette Today

Winding Down 2013!

By Art Lehman, Village Associates Realtors

Once again it’s hard to believe that another year is winding down. What a roller coaster ride in real estate it has been! The good news is that there has been a lot of good news about real estate this year.

No more talk about the sky falling for most of us.

Don’t get me wrong, prices have come down since the “great old days.” However, they are likely back to 2007 prices now.. The homes in our area under $1,000,000 have, for the most part, been gobbled up this whole year. The good news is that higher priced homes have also sold very well this year. This is true as usual for homes that are priced right and homes with few major issues. Buyers are still searching for the “perfect” home but seem to be keenly aware that the unprecedented low interest rates will eventually move up along with prices moving up.

At the time of this writing, there are only 39 homes on the market in Lafayette. We are currently in a low supply and higher demand mode as it was this time last year. There are likely plenty of pent up sellers poised to place their homes on the market in 2014. The question is whether they actually will. I think at this point we are all willing to accept a balanced

www.yourmonthlypaper.com market with far fewer extremes. For now, having multiple offers placed on many properties has not been uncommon. Will buyers remain in the market with multiple offers to face? We shall see. The market clearly slowed some in the summer and fall when multiple offers went crazy in the spring.

Maybe it is time, if you’re thinking about selling in the coming year, to start putting together a plan over the holidays to get some of those fix-it projects completed and get that house uncluttered.

On the buying side – speak to your financial advisors and lender to get clear on what you can afford in purchasing a home.

On a more personal note, I wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season and the best for 2014.

For those residents who are considering selling their home or would simply like more in-depth information, I can provide a customized home value report and a strategy for how to make a home worth more. The detailed information I provide helps homeowners better understand the value of the investment they have made in their home by detailing key factors such as a home’s value based on current market conditions and amenities, recent home sales in Lafayette and listing prices of other homes that home buyers may be considering in the neighborhood. You can call me at 925-200-2591 or email me at art@artlehman.com.

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www.yourmonthlypaper.com Oakland Strokes Wins Gold and Bronze at Boston’s Head of the Charles Regatta

The Oakland Strokes youth rowing club won gold and bronze medals at the Head of the Charles rowing classic in Boston, October 19-20, 2013 The competition included 85 top high school teams. The Womens Varsity 8+ finished the 4800m course in a winning time of 17.23 minutes, 17 seconds ahead of the 2nd place team. The boat was crewed by Elizabeth Elmgren (Oakland Tech), Tara Bozzini (Acalanes HS), Marie Johnson (Miramonte HS), Abby Vare (St. Marys HS), Katie Hubert (Piedmont HS), Jennifer Mundelius (San Ramon Valley HS), Lindy Clute (Carondelet HS), Amy Tarczynski (St. Marys HS), and coxswain Margaret Ross (Miramonte HS).

The Varsity Mens 8+ finished third with a time of 15.31 minutes, seven seconds behind 1st place Marin and one second behind 2nd place St. Pauls.

The Varsity Mens 8+ was crewed by Marshall Krock (Monte Vista HS), Viggo Hoite (Berkeley HS), Josef Starc (Oakland Tech), David Parker (Bentley HS), Kevin Chang (Bentley HS), Christian Cuellar (Alameda HS), Allan Hosler (Piedmont HS), Daniel Hogan (DeLaSalle HS), and coxswain Hannah Christopher (Miramonte HS).

To learn more about the youth rowing program, visit www. oaklandstrokes.org.

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Above and Below the Bay-Oakland Museum Exhibit By Linda Summers Pirkle

Lafayette Today ~ December 2013 - Page 15

Lafayette Motors Independent service and repair for Mercedes Benz

Over seventy-five years ago my dad, a San Franciscan, decided to hike on the newly opened Trans Bay Bridge connecting the East Bay to San Francisco. “When JERRY FIGUEROA I was parallel to the Ferry Building, a policeman coming from the other direction (from Oakland) pulled over on the bridge and motioned to me. In those days the Shop (925) 284-4852 top level was for cars going in both directions, the bottom level was for trucks. I Cell (510) 754-1942 lafayettemotors@gmail.com jogged across the lanes towards the officer who said walking on the bridge was not allowed; he gave me a ride to 7th Street, and I walked the rest of the way home,” 3470 Golden Gate Way , Lafayette, CA 94549 explained Joe Summers, age 93.

The Oakland Museum exhibit Above and Below: Stories from our Changing Bay shares quirky stories (like my dad’s) and shows dramatic footage of the building of “the most expensive, longest bridge ever built.” Two rooms are devoted to the exhibit; the first is about what is under the water and the second room Independent service and repair for Jaguar is about what is above the water.

The eerie audio heard throughout the “below” room is the “sonification” of the wave data recorded by deep water ocean buoys. It is mesmerizing.

CARLOS “KIKO” CAICEDO The second room, my favorite, focuses on above the Bay, celebrating the original Bay Bridge, the Shop (925) 284-4852 “Worlds largest bridge” at the time which opened November 9-11, 1936. You can see the “brother” bridge Cell (925) 285-0783 troll in this exhibit; the original troll is in the California History section of the museum. lafayettemotors@gmail.com A short film, Bridging, S.F., captivated me. The 10 minute film plays continuously. Grab one of the four 3470 Golden Gate Way , Lafayette, CA 94549 seats to watch the footage and listen to the soundtrack. The announcer explains how this “modern dangerous job” requires “skilled hands” and how every precaution has been made to make this bridge the “safest in the world.” We see “rugged men of steel run to their noon time dinner.” The film, shot in black and white, depicts the workers running and jumping on the narrow cat walks, hundreds of feet above the Bay. Watching the film it is easy to see how precarious it was for these workers, these “Men of Steel.”

A few blocks from the Oakland Museum is the beautiful Cathedral of Christ the Light. No matter your religious leaning, the building is worth a visit. Frank Wnuk, who signed up for a two year tour of duty as docent, is still giving tours five years later, along with 15 other dedicated volunteers. Wnuk says, “People from all over the world take the tours at the Cathedral. It won 32 architectural awards since it was dedicated in 2008.” An impressive sight as you enter the Cathedral is a huge depiction of Christ in Majesty. According to Wnuk, a photograph from a 12th century sculpture from Chartres Cathedral in France was the inspiration for the 90 foot anodized aluminum panels that dominate the center of the interior of the Cathedral of Light. Over 94,000 laser perforations allow light to shine through creating this extraordinary image. Free docent led tours are available every day, Monday thru Friday at 1PM. Ask to see the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament; it’s a lovely spot for meditation. *Cathedral of Christ the Light is located at 2121 Harrison Street, Oakland. Their phone number is 510-893-4711, and their website is cticathedral.org. The San Francisco Boys Choir performs their Winter Concert at the Cathedral on December 21 at 8PM. *Oakland Museum is located at 1000 Oak Street Oakland. Their phone number is 510-318-8400, and their website is museumca.org. Entrance is free every first Sunday of the month. Museum hours are Tuesday-Sunday from 11AM-5PM and until 9PM on Fridays. The exhibit Above and Below is at the museum until February 23, 2014.

Linda Summers Pirkle, travel consultant and long term Danville resident, has been arranging and leading tours for the Town of Danville for several years. Inspired by the many wonderful places to visit in the Bay Area, she organizes day trips, either for groups or for friends and family. “If it’s a trip for my husband and me, my husband drives and I talk (he’s a captive audience) – the perfect combination! What a great place to live, so much to see, so much to do.” To share your “Quick Trips” ideas email Coverthemap@gmail.com.

Lafayette Motors

Horses continued from page 18

Depression, Brain Injury, and Autism are a few of the human disorders the healing powers of horses can relieve.

Therapy horses remain calm no matter what is asked of them. In sessions for physically disabled clients, the instructor orchestrates the lesson with a handler leading the horse and side walkers steadying the rider on either side. The horse may need to stand still while balls or rings are tossed through the air.

Some exercises involve vaulting maneuvers and riding backwards. Physically able riders coping with emotional or cognitive issues may make sudden gestures or sounds.

The horse that works well in therapeutic riding is not necessarily the lovey-dovey backyard horse,” Peggy James, co-founder of Reins in Motion in Livermore, explains.

Summer has been Peggy’s endurance horse for many years. “I can hardly hold her back on the trail because she wants to take the lead and is very competitive. She’s a totally different horse in the arena with kids. When working with clients who are busy with their bodies (inside and out), she tends to shut down and go slow.” Similarly, Chance, impatient to take charge under saddle, shifts gears when the driving harness appears. “He’s a challenge on the trail,” James relates, “but he will drive for three or four hours straight at Camp Arroyo on the hottest day of the year.” Reins in Motion horses delight special needs campers with regular visits to Camp Arroyo.

Horses successful in therapeutic activities have an innate sense of what each client needs. Cocoa served faithfully at Xenophon Therapeutic Riding Center in Orinda for 11 years, earning the PATH Horse of the Year award in 2008. Instructor Jan Bindas worked with Cocoa for a decade. “The beauty of Cocoa was that she would do anything for her kids.” When one of them was having a bad day, she was infinitely patient. When they got cocky, she challenged them to the limit of their ability, but never beyond. Cocoa insisted on working even after developing severe arthritis. Bindas recalls that one great gift Cocoa gave her students was the ability to help the horse they loved. They learned to ride her in larger circles and finally to work with her in ground exercises when she could no longer be ridden. Following her passing in 2012 Parts of the sensory trail involve standing still while the rider grabs objects that at the age of 28, Cocoa was inducted into the Horse Stars Hall of Fame.

See Horses continued on page 26

make unexpected sounds at Xenophon. Left to right: Kyle Hendricks, Shelly Guthrie, Diane Morabito. Leslie de Boer riding.

Page 16 - December 2013 ~ Lafayette Today

The Care of Mature Trees

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By Blaine Brende & Joe Lamb

Entering my sixth decade, the gathering stiffness in my joints deepens my appreciation that living systems change as they age. Trees also change as they grow older, but, for trees and humans alike, how gracefully we flower in later life is not determined by genetics alone.

Long life for humans is a relatively new phenomenon. Our Paleolithic ancestors seldom lived beyond 35 years of age, and they would, I imagine, marvel that the average American now lives to be 78. However, long life for trees is nothing new. Methuselah, a bristlecone pine growing in the Sierras, has attained the astounding age of 4,838 and is the oldest documented living organism on our planet. It lifts my heart to acknowledge that the pine nut, which grew to become Methuselah, sprouted its first needles 2,268 years before the birth of Buddha, 2,832 years before the birth of Jesus, and 3,402 years before the birth of Muhammad.

To promote long life, reduce the stresses on your trees. The densely packed clay soils common to the East Bay produce many stresses. Compacted soils lack air spaces and inhibit the movement of oxygen. Clay soils are soggy when wet (which promotes root rot), but they are hard when dry (which promotes drought stress).

Improving the porosity of the soil by mulching, aerating, and, sometimes, by radial trenching reduces the stress on your tree. Mulching is the easiest and cheapest of these techniques. Two or three inches of quality mulch under the canopy of the tree, but not piled against the trunk, helps to keep the soil soft, moist, and cooler in the summer. Aerating aids soil porosity and reduces stress. To aerate the tree, use a deep root irrigator to drill many one-inch diameter holes to a depth of around 30 inches throughout the zone under the tree’s canopy.

Pruning to remove dead and diseased branches reduces the stresses on the tree. Many fruit trees suffer from diseases, both fungal and bacterial, carried from flower to flower by pollinating insects. After entering through the flower, the infection spreads, usually slowly, down into the woody tissue. Pruning to a point below the spread of the disease increases the lifespan of the tree. As with humans, stresses can have cumulative effects.

When pines are drought stressed, they are unable to make the sap they use to drown burrowing insects. Oaks suffering from oak root fungus have trouble taking up water and often suffer from drought stress.

When planning elder care for your trees, several factors beg consideration: What is your emotional attachment to the tree? Is the tree a hazard? Will it become a hazard in the future, and, if so, when? What will it cost to maintain the tree? Will it attain ‘sabi,’ the beauty of aging, if given the correct care? I hope that as I grow older I accept Roethke’s challenge and ‘dare to blaze like a tree.’

If you wish to extend your tree’s lifespan 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.

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Renee and Rena continued from front page

Requests for their services increased, and in response to the demand, they opened Lamorinda Theater Academy in 2011 where their mission is “cultivating confident individuals through technique-based training in acting, singing & dancing.”

And they know of what they teach. DeWeese, who grew up in Moraga, danced at CAPA, attended Campolindo High School, and earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. In addition to her DTC role as Tiger Lily, she has performed professionally with Contra Costa Musical Theater (CCMT), Woodminster, and American Musical Theatre of San Jose. She received a Shellie award for choreography for CCMT’s Oklahoma! and a 2010 Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award for best supporting actress in a musical for her portrayal of Cassie in A Chorus Line.

Wilson earned her Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance from San Jose State University. She can currently be seen as Snow White in Steve Silver’s Beach Blanket Babylon where she has been on call five days and 40 hours per week for the past four years, and is one of only three actresses to ever have worn the production’s Bob Mackie Original Snow White dress. (One of her favorite performance memories is singing as Snow White with the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.) She is a two-time Bay Area Critics Circle Award winner for her work as Suzie Trevor in Lady Be Good, and as Ruby in Dames at Sea, and is a Shellie Award nominee for her DTC role as Wendy.

Both DeWeese and Wilson admit to once having had a Broadway bug: After and during her time at NYU, DeWeese pursued what she calls the New York young actor’s dream, which ultimately entailed waiting tables in between innumerable auditions. “It was great for several years, but I was ready to move on with my life,” says DeWeese who, with her husband Brendan, is getting ready to welcome their second child. (In yet another similarity, Wilson’s fiancé is named Brandon.) “I’ve always loved Lamorinda, and it was natural that I return.”

Even in the midst of their undeniable teaching success within the school system, Wilson planned a return to New York. It was during a soul-searching trip to Paris that she had an epiphany. “I realized that I was where I wanted to be, doing what I loved, with people that I love, and I realized I was content,” says Wilson. “I can’t imagine being anywhere else right now. I love performing in Beach Blanket Babylon, and I love running Lamorinda Theater Academy with my best friend.”

“The relationship between Rena and Renee - their commitment to each

other and to their collective vision for their studio, which they have worked hard to build together - is the key to the studio's success and to their ability to have a profound affect on their students' development,” says Sharon Bunzel, whose 10-year-old daughter MacKenzie studies at Lamorinda Theater Academy. “Their camaraderie and their joyful, enthusiastic pursuit of their shared dreams are a model for their students to follow.”

Their entrepreneurial learning curve has been steep, and in the early stages of their burgeoning business, the duo found themselves relying on the kindness of friends and family for guidance on how to best create their business model. Clearly excelling as students as well as teachers, their thriving and growing Academy employs 17 highly trained part time instructors who teach acting, singing and dancing to 300 students (aged two to 18) per week.

“In a community that strongly supports artistic development in its young people, Rena and Renee’s combined talents have come together to fill one of the few voids in the creative arts in Lamorinda,” says Matt Kolb, Left - Renee DeWeese, and right, Rena Wilson. an 18 year-old part time music assistant at the Academy. “I've seen how the community has embraced not only their talent and devotion but also the care and attention they put into each of their students. Every time I get to work with them, I'm amazed at the level of passion they put into their work.”

Whether the duo was guided by luck or fate, DeWeese and Wilson fans agree - New York’s loss is definitely Lamorinda’s gain.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Life in the Lafayette Garden

By John Montgomery, ASLA, Landscape Architect Inviting Entries

It’s that time of the year when family and friends celebrate, and our Lafayette homes are open and inviting.

Inviting entries are an essential element in the creation of a successful landscape design. An inviting entry or portal is your first impression of your home and garden. It creates the mood! The portal gives your garden drama, definition, direction, structure, and interest. It leads you through the garden, frames the views, defines the “rooms,” and adds structural interest.

A garden portal generally is an architectural element that is built e.g. an arbor, arch, gateway, fence, pergola, colonnade, or landscaped focal point. Most typically seen is an arbor, either arched or squaredoff. It creates the portal framework that makes a distinction that you, the participant within the garden, are entering into something. Think about how you might want someone to feel as they approach your garden and your front door. First, you want your guests to know where to find the entry to your home.

Then, you wish to create a welcoming feeling that sets the tone for entry into your living space. Once you pass through the door into your home, you egress from one space to another and in doing so have gone from one environment to another. The garden portal essentially performs the same function in your garden.

Gates beckon to be opened. The drama unfolds as you pass through from one space to another. What’s on the other side? Gates advance the opportunity to create the drama by how they are designed and where they are positioned.

Fences provide an opportunity to frame an area of the garden as well as offer a portal to the next “garden” room. Fences give us security. They supply privacy so we can be ourselves. Fences add drama to expansive spaces that need to be brought into perspective. They create new rooms and therefore create new dramatic entries.

Pergolas and colonnades offer a dramatic portal to view from while enjoying protection from a hot Lafayette summer day. Sit in the shade and view the garden and relax. Pergolas and colonnades are the structural frameworks that creates a room and a portal simultaneously. We want to enter. Pergolas and colonnades can be built in many architectural styles that suit the theme of your home and garden style.

Landscaped focal points are an easy way to create a portal. Certain plants such as Buxus microphylla japonica ‘Winter Gem’ (Boxwood) and Ligustrum japonicum ‘Rotundifolium’ (Privet) provide a more formal structural plant that can be used to form a dramatic entry. Looser plant forms such as Alyogyne huegelii (Blue Hibiscus), Hibiscus syriacus ‘Collie Mullins’ (deciduous Hibiscus) or tree roses placed at either side of an opening through a hedge of Boxwood or Pittosporum tenuifolium “Varigata” (Variegated Pittosporum) give the effect of an entry to another room.

Garden portals lead the garden wanderer to the next surprise. Interest and curiosity lead them to the next portal that might be the vegetable garden where they can pause to pick the strawberries or cherry tomatoes. The next one may lead them down a colorfully planted “alley” or path where they can “stop and smell the roses.” Remember to have fun and be creative!

A hot tip from your local Landscape Architect: New entries added to an existing home can give your home a completely new look and feeling without redoing your entire landscape.

Gardening Quote of the Month: “One of the most delightful things about a

Lafayette Today ~ December 2013 - Page 17

City of Lafayette Contacts

Below are key 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.

garden is the anticipation it provides.” ~W.E. Johns If you would like me to write on any particular subject, email your ideas to jmontgomery@jm-la.com or for design ideas, visit www.jm-la.com. Advertorial

Page 18 - December 2013 ~ Lafayette Today

Gardening with Kate

By Kathleen Guillaume

Autumn has wound down and we are officially settled into winter and a fairly dry one so far. The Holidays are rushing toward us, and people have parties to go to and gifts to acquire. There are no better gifts that you can give to those you love than living plants, gardening tools, and garden art.

You can stop by a craft store, like Michaels, and pick up fantastic bows and some items called “picks,” which are a collection of several holiday faux pine, fruit, and other items dusted with sparkles bound together and wrapped around a stiff wire. These were originally designed to tuck under the ribbons of gifts, but they are perfect for adding to a live plant to turn it into a beautiful holiday decoration. You can buy something green, like a button fern, place it in a cache pot to protect tables, add a glittery bow to one side, work in some matching picks, and have something wonderfully festive to adorn end tables and such.

If you have energy abound, you can go to your nursery and select a slow growing shrub like one of the “buxus” boxwoods or Osmanthus heterophyllus “Goshiki,” which is a very slow growing variegated hollylike plant. Your nursery person can help you select a good plant, then you decorate it as you would a Christmas tree, and it is wonderful to display outside the entry door. A live plant is a perfect hostess gift when you come to a party, especially if you liven it up with some holiday décor items.

Also, at your local nursery you can obtain a gift card for your favorite gardener, or browse the gardening tools for a gift. Here’s a hint--most gardeners are tremendously generous with others but often never treat themselves to higher quality tools or rose gloves. Most nurseries also sell garden art. My favorite items are the reflection or glass art globes which are

Walnut Creek Garden Club

The Walnut Creek Garden Club Holiday Luncheon will be held on December 9th at 11am. This is their annual get-together to enjoy the holiday ambiance.

The party will be held at Zio Fraedo’s Restaurant, 611 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill. Entertainment will be provided by the Northgate High School Madrigals.

Tickets are $28 and can be reserved by contacting Susie Paul at suzanne11@astound.net by Tuesday, December 3rd. Please make checks payable to Walnut Creek Garden Club.

The January 13 meeting, which will be held at the Gardens at Heather Farm, will include a business meeting, social time, and speaker Diane Bloomberg, Landscape Design Consultant and Certified Aesthetic Pruner (APA), who will demonstrate natural style pruning for plants and trees and will discuss basic pruning styles and tools. Please join the group at 9:30am, and find out if the Walnut Creek Garden Club is something you would enjoy.

You do NOT need to be a gardener to be a member.

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www.yourmonthlypaper.com beautiful when scattered around a garden. I only treat my garden to one when I am graced with a gift card.

Good gardening reference books, like East Bay Municiple Utility District’s wonderful Plants and Landscapes for Summer Dry Climates, is a perfect gift. Google ‘EBMUD gardening book’ and EBMUD offers their customers a $10 discount. There are also many books on roses, with the most popular being the Western Gardening Guide by Sunset, which is a bible for looking up plants.

In a month, bare root fruit trees will be in the nursery. You can create a gift that offers your help to select and get the tree, and dig the planting area in January.

The greatest gift anyone can give is the gift of time. Imagine offering a parent several Saturdays to work in their garden...that is a wonderful gift that can include a whole family. I had surgery a few years ago and had a long recovery period. During that time, some gardening friends came over and hand weeded and dead-headed my garden. I could only sit and watch them work, but we chatted, and in two short hours they had tidied all of my garden beds. It was the very best ‘get well” gift anyone could ever give me.

So remember that your time is the best gift you can give anyone, whether it’s a pledge to help in the garden, paint a fence, or do some repairs that someone you love might no longer be able to do for themselves.

Although everything is pointing to a mild and unfortunately dry winter, this is a good time to get the materials you may need to protect frost-tender plants. Every year I notice a mad dash to hardware stores and nurseries when a freeze warning is announced, and people are desperate to buy frost cloth etc. only to find everyone in short supply. If you have frost sensitive plants like dwarf citrus, it is easy to make a tent with bamboo poles and drape them with cloth to protect them from frost damage. The best time to get ready is now, not the day the frost and freeze warnings are announced.

Have a wonderful and joyous Holiday Season.

Writing continued from front page

her she had promise as a writer. Unni’s incentive came from her mom, who steered her at age 11 from the television towards pen and paper by offering a penny for every word written. When Unni hit the 20,000-word mark after two months, her mom reconsidered the initial offer and was pleased when her daughter’s sheer love of writing no longer required a bribe.

Through LYAS, the duo is currently offering a writing and photography contest for Lafayette middle school aged kids, and generous donors have filled the prize baskets. Entries in the two categories (writing and photography) will be accepted through mid-January, and winners will be announced at an April ceremony where entrants will have the opportunity to read their written works and display their photographs.

Writing judges include Daniel Handler, a.k.a. Lemony Snicket, local teacher Cheri Facer, and UC Berkeley English Ph.D. candidate Jonathan Shelley. Photography judges include Morris Johnson, Gary Crabbe, and Michael Keeney.

“We hope the contest gets people developing their artistic sides, which they may not have known even existed before,” says Unni, who finds time for writing in between taking piano and bass lessons, drawing, and learning computer programming languages (She designed, and is the webmaster of, the LYAS website). She one day hopes to become a novelist. “We want kids to realize how much fun writing and photography can be.

For me, I love that you can do whatever you want with your characters, and that through your characters you can live a completely different life than your own.”

Johansson also dreams of one day publishing a book. “The complete and utter freedom to write at your own pace, create your own characters, and come up with places you never could have dreamed of has always appealed to me,” says Johansson, who, in addition to being a writer, is a violinist, a doodler, and a track-and-field athlete.

For more information on LYAS and contest guideline and rules, please visit www.lyas.org.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Why is the Market...?

Lafayette Today ~ December 2013 - Page 19

By Deborah Mitchell, CFA, MSW

Coming fresh off the heels of the government funding and debt ceiling battles, the hope was for a holiday season reprieve from Washington volatility.

The DC area may now edge out New York City as the “city that never sleeps.” The implementation of Obamacare has been met with anxiety and fear.

With so many moving parts in tow, numerous errors and breaches have been made as the new health care plan rollout has progressed.

What has infuriated individuals, however, was the promise that old insurance policies, as well as doctors, could be maintained if preferred. That is not turning out to be the case. If plans do not meet the new health care regulations, it is up to insurance directors in each state to decide if consumers can keep their existing plans. Some are saying yes, while others are saying no.

In addition, in order to keep prices lower for Obamacare compliance, many health insurance companies are slashing payments to physicians. As a result, some doctors may opt to not participate in the new health care plans. The ball was dropped and efforts at damage control are being made. Nationwide polls are indicating that the success of Obamacare has been cast in doubt by many Americans. Despite the significant headwind, the market surprisingly has held steady and moving onto new highs.

Each month, investors remain on pins and needles while awaiting updates on the Federal Reserve’s (FED) $85 billion asset purchase program. The release of the FED minutes from the October meeting was essentially a nonevent. Officials mentioned the possibility of tapering back in the “coming months,” which is nothing new, and no specific time table was provided. FED members have been quoted as saying that strong November employment data could increase the likelihood of purchase reduction in the future. The October labor report was stronger than expected, with the change in non-farm payrolls at a gain of 204,000. But the unemployment rate was still elevated at 7.3%. There does not seem to be adequate incentive for the FED to change its monetary policy at this point in time.

A closely watched event has been the confirmation process of incoming Federal Reserve Chair, Janet Yellen, who currently serves as the FED’s number two official. The Senate Banking Committee voted in favor of Dr. Yellen’s nomination to become the new FED chief, replacing current Chair Ben Bernanke on February 1st, 2014. The next step is for the Senate to provide final confirmation upon returning from a brief two week Thanksgiving break. Dr. Yellen is widely expected to sail through the confirmation process without objection. Dr. Yellen is expected to continue with the “easy money” policies established by her predecessor. The market has reacted positively to the endorsement.

The seemingly invincible upside behavior of the market has prompted much discussion about bubbles in the news. The mere reference to bubbles brings to mind the “tech wreak” and “housing debacle” and elicits shutters by many.

There continues to be concern that the next bubble to burst could be student loans. And that may happen down the line. Presently, however, although the market is moving to new highs, there does not seem to be a euphoric feeling attached, as was apparent in the dot com and housing sector eras. Also, stock valuations are not near peak levels.

The major market indices continue to move full steam ahead despite considerable Obamacare issues present. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average both recently surpassed all time highs of 1,800 and 16,000 respectively. With the holidays upon us, lighter trading volume is in evidence and tax loss selling is apparent as the year end approaches. Holiday cheer could potentially arrive early to Wall Street in the form of a “Santa Claus Rally,” which is a small rally that traditionally occurs some time within the last five days of December and first two days of January. With more new highs in the making, the market remains vulnerable to a near term setback.

Noroian Capital Management wishes you a very Happy Holiday Season.

If you have any comments or questions, please contact Deborah at 925-299-2000 or dmitchell@ noroian.com.

Deborah Mitchell holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, a Bachelors degree in Psychology, and a Masters in Social Work degree. She is a Vice President for Noroian Capital Management, an independent investment advisory firm located in Lafayette, California for individuals and businesses.

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Programs are offered to the schools at no cost. For more information, please contact Shaun Rundle at 465-1082, email srundle@janorcal.org, or visit www.janorcal.org.

Contact Lafayette Today at 925-405-6397

Page 20 - December 2013 ~ Lafayette Today

Is DIY Estate Planning Wise?

By Robert J. Silverman

A regular reader emailed me recently, stating that she enjoyed reading my articles and was eager for me to comment about a particular, well-advertised legal software program. She wondered, as she thought many other readers would, about the “legalities of the ... [software company’s] documents,” specifically Wills.

She shared that she was single, with her primary asset being her home, and wanted to know if a Will generated by this software, notarized, would be “enough to prevent problems and probate after I pass?”

I thanked her for writing to me and agreed that it would be a good idea to write an article on the subject. First, as most of you know who read my articles regularly, a valid Will (which, in itself, has a number of specific statutory requirements) is not enough to prevent probate. Without a revocable living trust, whether or not the above-referenced reader has a valid Will, a probate will be required on her passing. Most people are aware that avoiding a probate is generally desirable, and I often write about the many advantages of a living trust.

Let’s next address the more general question: is “do it yourself” (DIY) estate planning wise? My opinion is that in most cases, it is not. The inquiring reader I described, who evidently has some familiarity with this popular estate planning software, might well have purchased it, self-drafted and signed her Will, and figured all would be fine. Yet, on her death, the required probate would diminish her estate by $10,000 - $20,000 or more in attorneys’ fees and costs, and therefore reduce by that amount what her loved ones and/or favorite charities would receive.

I could literally write an article every month for the next several years just on trust and estate administration cases I’ve handled during the last 20 years in which problems, disputes, and lawsuits were caused by DIY estate planning. People who engage in DIY estate planning frequently think: “I can do this myself; my situation is very simple.” The number and types of drafting “traps” is countless, but I’ll give one example below of how easy it is to create a serious potential

Hospice Volunteers Needed

www.yourmonthlypaper.com problem out of what is perceived as a simple estate planning drafting task.

John Doe has a home worth $900,000, with a loan against it in the amount of $200,000. He also has cash accounts totaling $400,000. Without consulting or talking to anyone, John takes it upon himself to type up a testamentary document - Will or Living Trust - that states, in pertinent part: “on my death, my home is to go 100% outright to Betty Doe, my sister; and the rest of my assets go to Bill Doe, my brother.”

How can the document be any more clear, right? Wrong! John dies and his estate is being administered. Betty claims that John’s intention is clear from his testamentary document - Betty is to receive the $900,000 home “100% outright,” meaning mortgage-free. In other words, Betty demands that the $200,000 mortgage be paid off from John’s $400,000 cash accounts. This would result in Betty receiving the $900,000 home with no mortgage, and Bill receiving $200,000 in cash ($400,000 in the cash accounts minus the $200,000 used to pay off the mortgage).

I’ll bet you already know what Bill argues. Of course, he is adamant that John intended that Betty be distributed the house as John owned it; she would take over John’s obligation to pay the mortgage. So, Bill’s position is that he should receive the full $400,000 in cash.

Although it might be interesting intellectually to discuss whether Betty or Bill has a better legal position, the “take aways” should be 1) Regardless of who will ultimately prevail, Bill and Betty could easily spend $50,000 - $100,000 or more on legal fees to resolve the dispute, not to mention the aggravation and damage to their sibling relationship, 2) Sadly, because John never communicated about this to anyone before he died, neither of his siblings know for sure what John intended, and 3) if John had hired an experienced estate planning attorney, the attorney would have discussed John’s intentions and drafted appropriate language to clarify those intentions (e.g. Betty shall receive the home “subject to liens and encumbrances,” or “free of liens and encumbrances”).

Mr. Silverman is an attorney with R. Silverman Law Group, 1855 Olympic Blvd., Suite 240, Walnut Creek, CA 94596; (925) 705-4474, rsilverman@ rsilvermanlaw.com, www.silvermanlaw.com. * Estate Planning * Trust Administration & Probate * Real Estate * Business This article is intended to provide information of a general nature, and is not

nor should it be relied upon as legal, tax and/ or business advice. Readers Hospice of the East Bay is seeking volunteers to assist Hospice patients intended 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 and their caregivers. Opportunities include: of: i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code; or ii) promoting, market• Licensed Hair Stylists to offer hair cuts and styling ing, or recommending to another party any matters addressed herein. Advertorial • Certified Massage Therapists to provide massage therapy Dumploads OnUs • Mobile Notaries to witness the signing specializes in of important documents providing the ultimate • Bereavement Support Volunteers to projunk removal solution. vide support to family members after their We’ll haul away just loved one has died about anything - from old household junk to construction and yard • Patient Support Volunteers to provide comwaste. The only items we are unable to accept are panionship and practical assistance hazardous To apply for free training, call Hospice of • Computers materials. We the East Bay at (925) 887-5678, and ask for the • Cables make getting Volunteer Department, or email volunteers@ hospiceeastbay.org. rid of your • TVs Established in 1977, Hospice of the East unwanted junk • Monitors Bay is a not-for-profit agency that helps people as easy as 925.934.3743 • 925.934.1515 cope with end of life by providing medical, 1-2-3; we load, • Servers www.dumploadsonus.com • www.erecycleonus.com emotional, spiritual, and practical support we sweep, and 1271 Boulevard Way, Walnut Creek • Phones for patients and families, regardless of their then we haul Monday-Friday, 8-5 • Saturday 9-1, Sunday, closed ability to pay.

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Genealogical Meetings

The San Ramon Valley Genealogical Society meets at am 10 the third Tuesday of every month, except August and December, at the Danville Family History Center, 2949 Stone Valley Road, Alamo. A speaker is at every meeting.

Everyone is welcome.

For information, call Ed at (925) 299-0881, or visit http:// srvgensoc.org.

Issues with the Newer Oral Anticoagulants

By Robert Robles, MD

Treatment for a deep venous thrombosis (blood clot typically in the leg) and/ or pulmonary embolus (blood clot in the lungs) has followed a standard treatment regimen for many years. Originally, intravenous heparin (requiring hospitalization) followed by warfarin pills was the standard of care. More recently, the use of low molecular weight heparins or fondaparinux (Arixtra) which can be given as injections under the skin followed by warfarin has become a more convenient and equally effective treatment protocol.

The recent approval of newer oral anticoagulants deserves some review and discussion. Dabigatran (Pradaxa), rivaroxaban (Xarelto), and apixaban (Eliquis) are oral anticoagulants approved for the prevention of stroke in atrial fibrillation. Rivaroxaban (Xarelto) is also approved for the treatment of deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolus and for blood clot prevention following knee or hip joint replacement surgery. These oral drugs have made long-term anticoagulation much simpler. There is no need for routine monitoring, and there are few interactions with food or other medications. However, each of these drugs has elimination through the kidney, and safe dosing requires accurate assessment of the kidney function. Overall, the risk of bleeding associated with these new medications is equivalent to warfarin. A commonly asked question is how to manage bleeding for patients on one of the newer oral anticoagulants. There are no approved reversal agents for these medications. Vitamin K and fresh frozen plasma (used to reverse the effect of warfarin) are ineffective in reversing the blood thinner effect of the newer oral anticoagulants.

Special kidney dialysis techniques may remove some dabigatran (Pradaxa), while rivaroxaban (Xarelto) and apixaban (Eliquis) cannot be removed effectively by standard kidney dialysis. Orally administered activated charcoal given within 2-6 hours of the last dose of apixaban (Eliquis) may help reduce further absorption of this drug and can also be considered for rivaroxaban (Xarelto).

Standard coagulation studies such as aPTT and PT/INR are not helpful in monitoring the anticoagulation effect of these drugs.

However, these tests can be used to determine whether or not the blood thinning drugs are still present. Non-approved therapies for acute bleeding have utilized activated prothrombin complex concentrates (APCC) and factor VIIa. These drugs need to be used very carefully as they can provoke excessive clotting. These medications do not provide full reversal of the anticoagulant effects of the new oral anticoagulants.

In summary, the new anticoagulants provide equal benefit and no extra risk for individuals requiring blood thinners. However, like all new medications, they pose unique challenges to safe use.

Robert Robles, MD is Board Certified in Medical Oncology and Hematology. He practices with Diablo Valley Oncology/Hematology Medical Group, located at the California Cancer and Research Institute in Pleasant Hill and also sees patients in San Ramon.

Dr.Robles can be reached at 925-677-5041.

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Lafayette Today ~ December 2013 - Page 21

Controversy over PSA Screening

By Stephen Taylor, MD

Urologists have been advocating Prostrate Specific Angigen (PSA) screening for prostate cancer for over 20 years. Prostate Cancer is the most common cancer in men, and the second most common cause of cancer deaths in men second only to lung cancer.

In its earliest stages (curable stages), prostate cancer is usually completely without symptoms, and it can only be detected by PSA and occasionally by digital rectal exam.

PSA is a simple non-fasting blood test. PSA is made by both benign and malignant prostate cells, so all by itself, it does not signal prostate cancer. An elevated PSA blood test can be indicative of prostate cancer, an enlarged benign prostate gland, a prostate infection, or other causes. An elevated PSA will usually result in a referral to a urologist, who will determine the cause of the abnormal test. A digital rectal exam, prostate ultrasound xxam, prostate MRI, and a prostate biopsy are often necessary to establish the cause, and determine if there is prostate cancer present, or one of the benign causes for the elevated test.

The U.S. Preventative Health Services Task Force has given PSA screening a “D” recommendation, based on a single very flawed study. In that study conducted for 10 years, they compared men who were assigned to a screening group (of which only 80% participated in screening) versus a group assigned to non-screening (of which 60 % voluntarily went for screening) and found that after 10 years there was very little decrease in the death rate from “organized” screening. Most prostate cancers grow very slowly and do not cause death for 10 to 20 years. So the 10 year “cut off” was far too short to show a significant decrease in prostate cancer mortality. Moreover, many men who were detected “late” (because of a delay in diagnosis if they were not screened) were caught at incurable stages: They are still alive at 10 years but suffering the effects of advanced prostate cancer or its treatment.

In the Pre-PSA era, 90% of prostate cancers were detected at incurable stages. In the PSA era, 90% of prostate cancers are detected at curable stages. We know that some prostate cancers grow so slowly, that they do not require treatment in men with less than a 10 year life expectancy. These men are usually placed on active surveillance, where they are monitored for life threatening progression. Young men with over 20 years of life expectancy are offered treatment with curative intent: Either total removal of the cancerous gland (Robotic Radical Prostatectomy) or radiation therapy (Image Guided Radiation Therapy). These new ultramodern treatments both offer very high success rates and very few side effects. The American Urologic Association’s recommendation is that men should discuss with their urologist whether or not each individual patient is a good candidate for PSA screening based on their life expectancy, family history, co-morbidities (diabetes, kidney failure, severe coronary artery disease, previous stroke, etc.). We believe healthy men should have a baseline PSA when they turn 40, then at intervals ranging from 1-10 years based on the initial value.

Dr. Stephen Taylor is a Urologist at Pacific Urology. He specializes in robotic urologic surgeries and prostate, kidney and bladder cancers. To reach Dr. Taylor, call 925-937-7740.

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Page 22 - December 2013 ~ Lafayette Today

Ask the Doctor

By Evelyn Peinado for Dr. Jeffrey G. Riopelle, MD

Hi. I’m Evelyn and I work for Dr. Jeffrey G. Riopelle. I asked him if I could write the article this month and share two special things that recently happened in the office. The first thing is we just completed a very successful Halloween candy drive. The idea was to have kids in local schools donate their Halloween candy and earn money for their schools. We feel it teaches the students the value of giving and sharing. The money was donated from Dr. Jeffrey Riopelle and his wife Donna Riopelle, Riopelle Cosmetic Surgery and Laser Center, and a number of doctors from San Ramon Regional Medical Center, including Michele Riopelle MD, Shoha Kankipati MD, William N. Hamstra DO, Sanford L. Severin MD, Marshall Lee Chiropractor, Claudia S. Pinilla MD, John R. Krouse MD, Renee Hilliard MD, David T. Wong MD, Gloria Soto Reyes PT, Michael P. Sherman MD, PhD, Michael L. Wynn MD, Kenneth Passeri Podiatry, Judson Brandeis MD, Narendra Malani MD, and Craig and Dana Amack PT. The money was then donated to winning schools through Pledge to Humanity. Pledge to Humanity is comprised of the best group of volunteers and supporters. It is a group of children, young adults, mature adults, educators, professionals, and families all dedicated to a common mission - the desire to reach out to people of all ages in our local community and beyond to provide aid for their needs, to confront global issues of poverty, education, medical care, lack of access to clean water, and to provide the help and support needed. Through working together to achieve this common goal, we are finding that it truly is much better to give than to receive. Each winning school is to use the money for a special project of their choice such as providing Christmas toys for foster kids, Thanksgiving dinners for foster kids, or blankets for the homeless. Each school votes on which project to do. Meanwhile, all of the candy was given to Blue Star Mom’s who arranged to have it delivered to active military service personnel.

We weighed all the candy in Dr. Riopelle’s office. First place went to Rancho

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www.yourmonthlypaper.com Is Food a Problem for You?

Overeaters Anonymous offers a fellowship of individuals who, through shared experience and mutual support, are recovering from compulsive overeating. This is a 12-step program. The free meetings are for anyone suffering from a food addiction including overeating, under-eating, and bulimia. The group meets Wednesdays at 6PM at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Lafayette. Visit www.how-oa.org for more information.

Coping with the Death of a Pet

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

Hospice of the East Bay and the Tony La Russa Animal Rescue Foundation is offering a support group where participants can share memories and feelings and talk to others who truly understand and care. Meetings will be held the first Tuesday of each month from noon - 1:30PM at the Tony La Russa Animal Rescue Foundation, 2890 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek.

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

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

www.yourmonthlypaper.com Romero with over 282 pounds. Second place went to Montair with 222 pounds, and third place went to Stone Valley with 125 pounds. Congratulations also to The Creative Learning Center with over 75 pounds. Thanks goes to the schools and all of the kids for a successful Halloween candy collection contest for 2013.

Natalie, who is doctor Riopelle’s daughter and a senior at Monte Vista High, and Dr. Riopelle have done this drive for several years now. This was one of the best contests ever. Everyone is looking forward to Halloween 2014.

The second exciting thing that took place in the office was Dr. and Donna Riopelle’s anniversary party. They have been in practice for 25 years and had a party to celebrate. All of their clients and patients were invited to show their appreciation. There was music, great food, and beverages for all. Rachel Gai, Cybille Scott, Dr Riopelle, Alanah Scott, Grace Each guest received a Kennedy, Ellie Kennedy, Gaby Ghorbani, Katina Kennedy (in front). special treat. It was a night of fun and excitement. In addition, they honored the three winners of their “Do a good deed contest,” where kids and teens wrote essays about good deeds they had done for others. The three finalists all received awards for their efforts. The winner received a brand new iPad. It is such a pleasure to work for someone who does these types of things.

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

Ask Dr. Happy By Bob Nozik, MD Dear Dr. Happy,

Frannie and I have been married for five years and have two children, a boy five and a three-year-old girl. We get along great except that I am not sexually attracted to Frannie anymore. When we were married, she was, well, pleasingly plump. She’s gained more than fifteen pounds over the past year and is to the point now where she doesn’t turn me on anymore. Frannie says her weight is fine and besides, if I love her, I should want her sexually no matter what she weighs. Dr. Happy, I do love her but I just don’t feel attracted to her that way when she is so heavy. ~ Any advice?

Dear Any,

Most marriages go through two distinct phases, a romantic phase that generally lasts 2-4 years and, if the marriage is good, the romantic phase evolves into a companionate one. The main focus during the romantic period is for the couple to learn to know each other well. This is also the time where sex plays a major role. When the marriage is a good one, a lasting one, the romantic period will evolve into a long, lasting bond where companionship and mutual support and understanding are featured. This, while not as exciting as romance, can be even richer and more deeply satisfying. However, I am concerned that you and Frannie may not be making that transition, and therefore I strongly recommend that you consider marriage therapy. You have children now and owe it to them as well as yourselves to do everything you can to succeed in transitioning into a mutually nourishing, long term relationship.

Happiness Tip

We’ve been sold a myth. That myth is that romance in marriage is supposed to last forever, and that we should always be breathless when we see our husband or wife undressed. Wee learn that something is wrong if sex with our partner does not knock our socks off. This fiction does immense damage because it leads young people to believe something is very wrong when their marriage moves naturally and rightly from the early romantic phase into the less spectacular but even more satisfying companionate phase. I’m afraid this is what is behind ‘Any’s’ unhappiness with the direction his marriage is taking.

Send questions/comments for Dr. Happy to Pollyannan@aol.com.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Your Personal Nutritionist

How to Survive the Holiday Season Without Gaining Weight

By Linda Michaelis RD,MS

What I hear from my clients this time of year is, “How can I enjoy the holidays without overeating and gaining weight?,” “Oh! I will just start again on January 1st,” or “How can I say no to all the goodies offered?” Here are a few tips that have proven successful.

The key to success during the holidays madness is being mindful of your eating. What does this mean? It means developing a moment-to-moment awareness of what you are eating without judging yourself. It means deliberately paying attention to your thoughts about the food, taste, aroma, and sensation in your mouth. It means becoming aware of how you eat and then what you eat. For example, when you are eating quickly without savoring the food and then taking another serving, you are not eating mindfully.

Think first when you arrive at a party and prepare a plate. Do you really like this food? Is it on my list of favorites, and then is it as good as I thought it would be? This again is mindful eating.

Practice moderation, not deprivation, because this will only cause a backlash of bingeing and overeating. Some of my clients are chronic dieters who are so focused on the role that food plays in losing weight that they do not allow themselves to enjoy food. I teach all of my clients to enjoy the holiday parties that come around this time of year. They learn to realize that occasional overeating does not equate to instant weight gain.

The next day after a party if you return to eating mindfully, you will be eating less. I see too many clients throw in the towel when they overeat at a party. They get very upset with themselves and end up doing it again.

One effective tool is to observe what you do with your silverware when you are eating. Do you keep it in your hand the entire meal, or do you put it down between bites? Do you prepare another bite while you are still chewing? You are not eating mindfully when your attention is on your next bite instead of focusing on what is in your mouth.

Workshop on Coping with Grief During the Holidays

The holiday season is a time to give thanks and celebrate. However, for many the holidays are an unhappy time.

Hospice of the East Bay offers a Coping with the Holidays workshop for people who have experienced the death of a loved one and find the holiday season to be a sad and stressful time of the year. The class will offer participants ways to manage holiday grief. It will be offered: Pleasant Hill - 3470 Buskirk Avenue • Thursday, December 12, 6 - 8PM “This time of year we are expected to gather with family and friends and be joyful. We are expected to be thankful, generous, and in a mood to celebrate,” says Joe Lumello, Bereavement Program Director for Hospice of the East Bay. “These expectations can place tremendous pressure on us, especially if we are grieving the death of a loved one and trying to make sense of our new lives without those we love in it.”

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

Hearing Loss Association

Come to meetings of the Diablo Valley Chapter of Hearing Loss Association of America at 7pm on the first 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 the back of the church. All are welcome. Donations are accepted. Assistive listening system are available for T-coils, and most meetings are captioned. Contact HLAADV@hearinglossdv.org or (925) 264.1199 or www.hearinglossdv.org.

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Lafayette Today ~ December 2013 - Page 23 Put your fork down when you are chewing. You can also take finger foods and put them down in between bites. I always tell my clients to sit down and eat at a party instead of standing up because they will not be mindful when standing.

Please become aware of your hunger signals. Eat when you are hungry, and stop when you are satisfied. There is no need to eat until you are uncomfortable to truly enjoy the party. It is okay to say “no, thank you” to your host when offered an appetizer that you do not like. Do not overeat from pressure at a party, and do all you can to be true to yourself and not give in.

The number one rule is don’t arrive at your party too hungry. If you do, you are setting yourself up to fail because you will inevitably overeat. Have a substantial lunch the day of the party. Don’t just have a bowl of soup or salad; you should add at least 4-6 oz. of protein and a cup of veggies to make it a meal. Skip the breads which you will certainly have at the party. Perhaps make for yourself tuna stuffed in a tomato or an egg white omelet with diced ham and veggies.

If you are asked to bring a dish, bring one that will help you through this event.

Bring a shrimp cocktail, skewered shrimp, roasted veggies, grilled asparagus with balsamic glaze, or even fruit salad. These items will definitely balance your meal, especially when the offerings are mostly starch and fat laden.

Please make time for your exercise program. You can burn off 300-500 calories with an intense hour of exercise. Also, arrive fashionably late if possible. Just think what that will allow you at your next party - definitely a few appetizers and a couple of holiday cookies.

I counsel my clients during the holiday season by phone or e-mail. We speak often where I try to “hold their hand” through holiday parties. My clients give me an idea of what will be served, and we role play the event starting from the beginning of the day through the feast. It gives them a sense of confidence to attend the party with a plan in mind. It is a constant thrill for me to hear how, compared to past years, they have been able to sail through parties with even more enjoyment without overeating.

Feel free to call me to discuss your upcoming party so we can put together a plan.

I offer holiday gift certificates for nutritional counseling, please contact me to purchase. I am also glad to inform you that insurance companies will cover nutritional counseling. Please visit LindaRD.com for the list of companies that cover counseling, past articles, and more information about nutritional concerns.

Call Linda at (925) 855-0150 or e-mail her at lifeweight1@yahoo.com. Advertorial

Brainwaves by Betsy Streeter

Page 24 - December 2013 ~ Lafayette Today

Empower Yourself to Thrive

By Michael Anne Conley, LMFT

John Lennon’s son awoke from a nightmare. His father wrote of this soon after.

“Close your eyes,” he sang. “Have no fear/The monster’s gone/He’s on the run and your daddy’s here.”

When challenges happen, we all seek reassurance.

Real power comes from growing our capacity to reassure ourselves, to send our monsters on the run.

Those with this internal locus of control tend to navigate life’s changes in more satisfying ways.

Philosophically we all know that life is about change. On a moment-to-moment basis, it’s so routine to be unremarkable. Night-to-day, day-to-night. Our safest conversations are about ordinary changes brought from the sky. Cloudy with a chance of rain.

Inviting Change

It’s so much easier to embrace change when we’ve invited it, right? Haven’t you been excited about a move to a new home, a change of job, starting a new school, or losing weight? “Yea! I want this,” you might say, “so it’s good!”

Even changes that effect more than our individual lives can be exciting. Recently I awoke with a memory of one such cultural change I experienced as a child.

I’m in an elementary school auditorium. It’s a simple room, cloaked in warm wooden walls, with a curtained stage just a few steps from the main floor.

The auditorium is standing room only. People are gathered to learn about the launch of a whole new telephone system that will change all of our lives.

Very soon, we’ll be adding three more digits to our telephone numbers and dialing more numbers to call our friends and family wherever they are in the nation. The Area Code is arriving.

Why Me?

Changes that are the most challenging tend to be those that arrive unbidden, unwanted; those that seem forced upon us from the outside. Those who don’t embrace these situations feel out of control — what is called external locus of control. They say, “I didn’t choose this!” The move to a new home, a change of job, starting a new school or losing weight is not always good, and often difficult.

Have you ever, in those times, asked, “Why me?”

Wear Your Pink Shoes Proudly

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

On days that I am scheduled to operate (3 or 4 days a week), my attire is comfortably predictable - scrubs and my favorite pair of clogs. The clogs happen to be pink, and I am often asked, “Why the pink shoes?” I usually respond by simply tugging up my pant leg a bit to reveal the familiar pink ribbon logo used by so many worthy causes that support Breast Cancer research and education. I don’t think about breast cancer for one month out of the year -- I think about it every day.

Reconstructive surgery makes up a good portion of my practice. I feel so fortunate that my practice allows me to actively participate in the care and treatment of many breast cancer patients. As a staff member at John Muir Hospital, I participate in weekly Tumor Board meetings, often as a panelist.

The cases presented at these meetings help us coordinate excellent treatment plans for our patients, and they demonstrate that breast cancer does not spare any particular demographic. One in nine women will be diagnosed with breast cancer including the elderly, the 28 year old newlywed, the healthiest fitness guru, the couch potato, the vibrant career woman, and the mother, pregnant with her first child.

Like most cancers, early detection is key to a successful outcome in breast cancer patients. All too often breast cancer is discovered in advanced stages, requiring surgery and breast reconstruction along with radiation and chemotherapy. The physical toll of breast cancer is costly enough, but the emotional toll of losing our breasts can be devastating.

I am fortunate to be part of the team of people who make a positive impact in breast cancer patients’ lives by giving back to them something they thought was lost. Through advances and innovations in technique as well as new surgical materials, artful reconstruction of the breast has become a reality. Reconstructive breast surgery is now routinely performed at the

www.yourmonthlypaper.com A few years ago minister and author 1-hour retreat Wayne Muller talked about “why me” at a conference hosted by Healing Journeys, Habits Into Health — a community that supports “everyone New Skills For the New You with touched by cancer or any life-altering Michael Anne Conley condition.”

Muller invited the audience to notice Tuesday • Dec 17, 2013 how we don’t tend to say “why me” when 7-8 pm we’ve decided something is good. Yet Lafayette it comes so easily when we experience something we call bad.  Are you heading into the holidays Have you ever gotten caught in this trap? overworked and pressured?

Many of us know John Lennon’s more  Do you deny yourself “me” time famous words from the song he wrote to his son. that could rejuvenate your spirit?

Before you cross the street Take my hand Join me to practice ways Life is what happens to you you can stop feeling out of control While you’re busy making other plans and start containing new possibilities These are all the more poignant when you know the context. Three weeks after 1st visit is free Reserve your place the song was released on the album Double Fantasy, John Lennon died, leaving us his http://www.habitsintohealthgroup.eventbrite.com or words to “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) and Apply for a complementary consultation so much more.” to learn if this class is a fit for you: Hard as it may sound, how you manage info@habitsintohealth.com what happens, whether it be nightmare or a dream fulfilled, is more important than what actually happens. If you are feeling challenged about a current life change, apply for one of my complimentary consultations. If you qualify, I’ll call you to schedule within three business days.

Empower Yourself To Thrive Michael Anne Conley supports clients in navigating life’s changes. She is

By Michaelpracticing Anne Conley, LMFT a holistic therapist and behavior change specialist since 1991 in Lafayette, where she founded and directs Stillpoint Center for Health, WellJohninfo@habitsintohealth.com Lennon’s son awoke from a nightmare.

H Being & Renewal. You can contact her at or 925/262-4848.

Advertorial

“Close your eyes,” he sang. “Have no fear/The

same time as the mastectomy in close coordination withhappen, the general surWhen challenges we all seek reassura geon, enabling women to wake up from surgery with breasts.

In some cases on the reassure ourselves, to send our monsters the nipples and surrounding areolas can be savedlife’s as well.

The emotional navigate changes in more satisfying way testimonials and thanks I receive from my breast cancer patients feed my Philosophically we all know life is about c soul. I am continually amazed by the strength and courage thesethat women be unremarkable.

Night to day, day possess through such tragic circumstances. I recently had the pleasuretoofnight. O brought from the sky.have Cloudy a chance of seeing a 60 year old woman who was told she could not herwith breast reconstructed after mastectomy 10 years ago because of thin skin. Now, Inviting Change with new techniques and materials, she will soon have breasts again. She will feel whole.

It’s so much easier to embrace change when w The theme behind the breast cancer campaign education and awaremove to a is new home, a change of job, starting ness. Realize that breast cancer affects us all. Please take the time to educate yourself, perform self breast exams every month, and please don’t delay your routine mammogram screening. To find instructions on how to perform a breast self-examination, please visit our website at www. personsplasticsurgery.com. Support the efforts of wonderful organizations like Susan G. Komen or the Avon Foundation. Join me in wearing your pink shoes proudly every 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@personsplasticsurgery.com.

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To share your story, advertise,or see past issues, visit www.yourmonthlypaper.com or call 925.405.6397

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Women are Different from Men, Proof at Last

By Dr. David Birdsall. Emergency Room physician at John Muir Concord, Regional Director CEP (California Emergency Physicians) America

Consider you are a woman in your late 40s or early 50s in good shape, with no medical problems, and you find out one day that the reflux symptoms you were experiencing were actually a heart attack. Talk about a shocker. Well, that is exactly what happened to Jackie this year on President’s Day weekend.

It all started in January following a bout of the stomach flu. At that time Jackie continued to feel run down and weak. “I didn’t feel like I quite had my energy,” said Jackie who normally is very energetic. She also began to experience burning and pressure in her chest. “Sometimes it would happen when I walked and sometimes when I wasn’t doing anything.” Jackie went to her doctor who thought, quite logically, that Jackie was experiencing mild stomach issues that might be GERD (reflux) or an early ulcer. Cardiac issues really were low on the list as she had no risk factors.

Jackie was subsequently started on a strong antacid and scheduled for an endoscopy.

Soon after that Jackie, an avid hiker, decided to tackle the hill near her house.

She made it to the top without incident, but as she was staring at the views she was struck with those nagging burning upper abdomen symptoms again. The only difference was that this time it was quite a bit stronger. “That pain really slowed me down and didn’t feel like the typical pain I experienced before,” Jackie said. “I knew I had better get back to the house.” The pain improved as she made her way down the hill, but it still didn’t feel right, so she drove herself to the emergency room at John Muir Concord a Cardiovascular Center of Excellence.

After ECGs, X-rays, and blood tests, the diagnosis still wasn’t clear, but the physicians felt that an overnight stay with a cardiac stress test the next morning that was the most prudent and safest course of action. It wasn’t until the early morning blood tests came back that the diagnosis was clear - Jackie had had a heart attack. That morning she was whisked away to have an angiogram that showed Jackie had a 95% blockage of the main artery to her heart. A complete occlusion would have meant a massive heat attack and possibly death. Jackie was lucky and she was treated in time, but why did Jackie and her doctors have a hard time figuring out what was going on? The reason is, when it comes to heart attack symptoms, women are different from men.

Most people consider the symptoms of a heart attack as being left sided pressure

Lafayette Today ~ December 2013 - Page 25 Asperger’s or even a thyroid disorder. How does this happen? Usually it comes from not paying attention to the fact that the individual has symptoms that just don’t fit the complete pattern of the required diagnostic symptom list. When something just doesn’t fit, it is the time for you to get expert consultation to make sure of your diagnosis. Only a comprehensive multidisciplinary program can insure the public that they have been competently evaluated and the treatment program fits.

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

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

This is where Diablo Behavioral Healthcare and Silicon Valley Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) at Blackhawk separate from the rest. Some of the things that make us unique are the fact that we answer the phone with real people. We are thorough to a fault and have adult and child psychiatrists on our team as well. We have new cutting edge treatment technology such as TMS, the FDA cleared technology for those that have failed to responds to antidepressant medications. Our staff is trained in Cognitive Behavioral therapy by the International OCD Foundation. We welcome second opinions and questions from individuals, family members, the general public, and students interested in a career in the fields of Social Work, Psychiatry, or Psychology.

For more information on any behavioral or developmental concern, call our office at (925) 648-4800, and we will take the time to answer your questions. To learn more about behavioral disorders, visit our website at www.behaviorquest. com, for more information about TMS see www.blackhawktms.com our location is 4185 Blackhawk Plaza Circle Suite 210, Danville, CA. Advertorial (“like an elephant on the chest”*) that radiates to the left arm and/or jaw and may be accompanied by shortness of breath, sweatiness, and/or nausea. For decades the medical community felt the same way. However, over the last few years we have realized that the pain women feel may be different. In fact, only half of the women who have heart attacks even experience chest pain. If they do, it may feel like a fullness or squeezing pain, and it may be anywhere in the chest, not just the left side. Women are more likely to have pain in their arms, back, neck, and jaw, and that pain can randomly increase and decrease in intensity. Stomach discomfort may be a common symptom, feeling like heartburn or an ulcer or even a severe abdominal pressure. This is what Jackie experienced. Shortness of breath, nausea, lightheadedness, or extreme fatigue that comes on suddenly may be a sign of a heart attack in women. Also, sudden sweating episodes, like a nervous or cold sweats, may indicate a cardiac disorder.

Why the difference in symptoms? It is not entirely clear, though the thought is that women are more likely to have disease in small vessels of the heart as well as the big ones, and this can lead to the variable symptoms. Of course, many of these symptoms occur in nearly all of us (who doesn’t feel fatigued, nauseated, or lightheaded at some point), so when should someone go and get themselves checked out? The common thinking is that if you experience the symptoms noted above, then you warrant an evaluation. This is especially true if you have some cardiac disease risk factors (though as Jackie’s case shows us one doesn’t need risk factors to have a heart attack). Some of these risk factors are similar to those in men namely high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, family history, and smoking (Incidentally, smoking is a much greater risk factor in women than in men). However, for women, there are additional female specific risk factors.

One such risk factor is the combination of fat around your abdomen, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high triglycerides. This combination apparently raises your chance of cardiac disease significantly. Other female risk factors are mental stress, depression, and low levels of estrogen after menopause. In fact, according to the National Institutes of Health, many researchers think that the drop in estrogen levels during menopause combined with other heart disease risk factors leads to microvascular disease (disease in the small arteries of the heart).

This further lends credence to my statement that women are different from men.

What can you do to prevent the development of heart disease? Start by exercising 30-60 minutes a day, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating a diet that is low in saturated fat. Also, quit or don’t start smoking, and make sure your blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes are under control. However, most importantly, don’t ignore the warning signs of heart disease outlined above. If you experience those symptoms, then get to a doctor as soon as possible. *Who has ever had an elephant on their chest anyway?

Page 26 - December 2013 ~ Lafayette Today

Events for Lafayette Seniors

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Our mission is to provide personalized care, help All classes are held at the Lafayette Senior maintain independence and enhance our Center (LSC) located at 500 Saint Mary’s Rd client’s quality of life on a daily basis. in Lafayette unless otherwise noted. Space is • Free in-home assessments • Regular home visits limited. Please call 925-284-5050 to reserve a ensure the right care plan • Hourly care Heartfelt & spot. Annual Membership fee: $10 per person. for you • Live-in care Supportive • Fully bonded and insured • Geriatric care mgmt.

General Event fee: Members $1; Non-Member • Elder referral and placement $3. Special Concerts fee: Members $3; NonAt All Times...

3645 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Suite D Members $5. Ongoing Caregiver Support Lafayette, CA 94549 Group: Members: no charge; Non-members $1. (beside Trader Joe’s) www.excellentcareathome.com 925-284-1213 Lamorinda Dance Social Every Wednesday *skip 12/25 • 12:30 – 3PM • Live Oak Room, LSC - Enjoy afternoon Horses continued from page 15 dancing every Wednesday, and learn some great new dance moves. On the first SonRise Equestrian Foundation, dedicated to providing programs free Wednesday monthly, professional dancers Karen and Michael will provide a of charge, originally thought adopting rescue horses would be a win-win dance lesson and live DJ services, playing your favorites and taking requests. proposition. Charles Wilhelm, provider of space and support for SonRise at $2 Members/ $4 non-members. his Castro Valley stables, suggests why this solution seldom succeeds. “I can Lafayette Senior Services Commission 4th Thursday of the month normally evaluate the personality of a horse in five minutes or less. With a from 3:30 – 5:30PM at the LSC - View agendas at the City of Lafayette office or rescue horse, the process takes longer. Many times it’s the human baggage at www.ci.lafayette.ca.us. that comes with the horse that’s the problem. He may seem docile at first, but Lamorinda Nature Walk and Bird-Watching Every Wednesday once you get some groceries in him, he might be a whole different animal.”

• 9AM - 11AM • Call LSC to find out weekly meeting locations - Experience Gift horses, however, sometimes have miraculous attributes. Blackie, a nature at its finest along our local trails. Delight in the beauty that unfolds around miniature horse donated to SonRise in 2006, inspired the introduction of an each bend, all the while learning to identify a variety of birds. Bring a water entirely new program: Traveling Tails. SonRise volunteer Claire Vesely was bottle; binoculars will be helpful if you have them. Join us every Wednesday or working at George Mark Children’s House (GMCH) at the time. Her idea of whenever you are able. sending Blackie into the rooms of terminally ill children proved so helpful Come Play Mahjong! Every Tuesday (except 12/24 and 12/31) • 12:30PM– that Traveling Tails soon expanded to include home visits to patients, trips 3:00PM • Cedar Room, LSC - Come join us on Tuesdays for a drop-in game of to Camp Arroyo, and visits to special needs classrooms. mahjong. Mahjong is a game of skill, strategy, and certain degree of chance. All Mikey Teare levels welcome. Bring your card, a mahjong set, and a snack to share (optional). enjoyed the regRSVP not required. ular respite care Creative Writing Workshop 2nd and 4th Thursday monthly 12/5, 12/19 visits the miniature • 10:30AM - noon • Cedar Room, LSC - Join creative writing and English horses make to instructor Judith Rathbone, and examine the possibilities of self-expression GMCH. Respite through writing. This friendly group, with an ever-changing membership but care permits chillots of returning participants, will welcome you and any of your writing efforts. dren coping with Find encouragement and feedback and bring out the writer in you. If you can complex medical speak, you can write, and we will show you how! Beginners to established issues and their writers welcome. families to take Positive Living Forum (“Happiness Club”) Thursday 12/12 • 10:30AM a relaxing break – noon • Sequoia Room, LSC - Brighten your day with Dr. Bob Nozik, MD, from the routine of Prof. Emeritus UCSF and author of Happy 4 Life: Here’s How to Do It. Take home care. When part in this interactive gathering which features speakers on a wide range of Mikey became too topics that encourage and guide participants towards a more ideal and positive ill with complicalife experience. tions of Cerebral Bi-Monthly Caregiver Support Group Mondays 12/9, 12/16 • 1:30– Palsy to travel to 2:30PM • Elderberry Room LSC - If you are a family member helping to care GMCH, Blackie for an older adult, join our support group to find balance and joy as you manage delighted him by Mikey Teare greets Blackie’s home visit with a big smile. Photo your responsibilities. Drop-ins are welcome. coming to his La- Courtesy of Claire Vesely, SonRise. st pm Hearing Screening 1 Wednesday monthly 12/4 • 1 – 2:20 • Alder fayette home. His mother Myra, especially fond of a photograph of Mikey Room, LSC - By Audiologists from Hearing Science/Diablo Valley Ear, with Blackie taken shortly before his passing, comments, “It reflects what Nose, and Throat. Appointment required. Minimum of two sign-ups re- a happy boy he always was even at the end of life.” quired in order for screenings to take place. Please call Lafayette Senior Blackie and his partner Windy, donated by a different owner, take evServices at 284-5050 to sign up for one of the 20-minute appointments. erything in stride, calmly clopping past loud oxygen concentrators, feeding Words of Wisdom…From the Philosophical to the Lighthearted pumps on poles, ventilators, and suction pumps to reach the children who 12/17 • 10:30 –Noon • Elderberry Room, LSC - Join discussion group need them. “The minis have an amazing ability to go in, lay their heads on leader Craig Janke, and take part in this free-wheeling exchange of inspiration, the bed, stand motionless, and just be present,” Vesely relates. “They take information, and humor. Topics – from soup to nuts - will be explored, examined, on a lot of the heaviness and emotion of the situation. When they get home, and discussed by participants. Stories and photographs will stimulate humorous they are so exhausted they go into the corner of their stalls and face the wall as if they need to debrief for awhile.” Several times their warm breath has discoveries regarding the benefits of becoming the ‘elders of our tribe.’ rd AM wakened a child from a coma, giving families a chance to share a moment Free Peer Counseling 3 Tuesday monthly • 12/17 • 10 - noon • Alder Room, LCC - Contra Costa Health Services offers free one-on-one of unexpected joy.

Shelley Guthrie, Xenophon Barn Manager, confirms the stress issues. counseling with senior (55+) counselors who use their life experiences to help other older adults cope with life changes, problems, crises, and challenges. “These horses need some fun in their downtime in order to stay mentally Confidentiality is strictly observed. Appointment required. Please call Lafayette healthy and happy doing their job. According to our veterinarian, they need Senior Services at 284-5050 to sign up for one of the 60-minute appointments.

See Horses continued on page 28

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You Can be a Hero

By Mary Bruns, Lamorinda Senior Transportation

It’s that holiday time of year when we share our love and joy with family and friends by getting together, sharing a meal, or exchanging presents. We also reach out to extend a helping hand to friends and neighbors – people and organizations who need our support.

When a mind is raised and animated by the scenes that engage the heart, then those qualities which otherwise lay dormant, wake into life and form the character of the hero and the statesman. ~ Abigail Adams You can be “a hero and a statesman” to the older adults in our community by noticing when someone in your circle or neighborhood is becoming too isolated. Inviting someone in or out for coffee or ice cream…offering a ride…running an errand…changing a light bulb…or lending a helping hand in another way can make an amazing difference in the quality of life for that person.

Author Neale Donald Walsch’s inspirations note, “…that the world is so much brighter, so much better, because you are in it. If only you knew all the gifts that you bring to others, you would never feel sad again, but only rejoice.”

You can also be “a hero and a statesman” to Lamorinda Senior Transportation by becoming a volunteer driver or by financially supporting Lamorinda Spirit Van Program, Senior Helpline Services Rides for Seniors, and Orinda Seniors Around Town, which provide rides for Lamorinda older adults who no longer drive.

Sequestration continues to plague older adults with increasing cuts to services for seniors. The Older American’s Act still has not been funded.

Many senior programs lost funding when the economy was struggling, and these funding streams have not returned, making it more difficult for those of us trying to keep our programs financed. The coming year’s buzz word is “sustainability,” and we invite you to help by giving your gift of funds or volunteering.

Long-time Spirit Van passenger, Susanne, wrote, “Lamorinda Senior Transportation is a wonderful organization. Usually seniors have to spend their days within their four walls – for different reasons than they had to give up driving in their own cars. The Lamorinda Seniors have WHEELS! Each week they are being picked up by volunteers at their homes in a warm comfortable bus. They are being taken shopping at their favorite stores. The volunteer drivers are always friendly, very helpful, and on TIME. Thanks to this excellent organization, it is possible for me and the other passengers to live an independent life. THANK YOU!” As John Lennon said, “A dream you dream alone is only a dream.

A dream you dream together is reality.” If you would like to financially support the Lamorinda Spirit Van Program, donations may be made payable to the City of Lafayette. Write “Lamorinda Spirit” on the memo line and mail it to Lamorinda Spirit, Lafayette Community Center, 500 Saint Mary’s Road, Lafayette, CA 94549. To support Senior Helpline Services, please

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Lafayette Today ~ December 2013 - Page 27 send your tax deductible donation to Senior Helpline Services, 1035A Carol Lane, Lafayette, CA 94549. To support Orinda Seniors Around Town, mail your tax deductible donation to Orinda Association, P.O. Box 97, 26 Orinda Way, Orinda, CA 94563.

Lamorinda Senior Transportation passenger Lei-Ching notes, “In the many years that I have been a part of the family of Lamorinda Senior Transportation, the rides have given me a sense of freedom and security at the same time. They also give me a sense of independence to do some of the little things that I need to do and to go to some of the places that I want to go. They are a blessing that allows me to stay connected; not be bound by the walls of my house and the home of my heart and mind. The comforting smiles, the gentle voices, and the informative newsletters have all encouraged me to smile and be thankful. These blessings have given me some roots to just enjoy the beauty in each ride on the road of being alive...

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Lamorinda Senior Transportation An Alliance of Transportation Providers

Lamorinda Spirit Van

283-3534

Takes Lamorinda Seniors to errands and appointments, grocery shopping, and to lunch at C.C. Café.

Contra Costa Yellow Cab and DeSoto Company 284-1234 20% discount for Lamorinda seniors.

Orinda Seniors Around Town

402-4506

Senior Helpline Services Rides for Seniors

284-6161

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.

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Reach over 12,000 homes and businesses in Lafayette - Help Wanted, For Sale, Services, Lessons, Pets, Rentals, Wanted, Freebies... $35 for up to 45 words. $5 for each additional 15 words. Send or email submissions to: 3000F Danville Blvd #117, Alamo, CA 94507 or editor@yourmonthlypaper.com.

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.

LAKE TAHOE VACATION RENTAL - West Shore/Rubicon Bay. Wonderful ski cabin. Close to Homewood. Enjoy the true Lake Tahoe experience in this beautiful home. Remodeled. Large deck with hot tub and gas BBQ. Great snow play area. Fantastic stereo, iPod set-up, satellite TV, DVD with surround sound.

Sleeps 8. Go to VRBO.com/#185765 or call (925)640-1356 WOMEN’S RECOVERY GROUP for addictions/codependency, physical or emotional trauma, chronic illness, depression, anxiety, grief.

The group provides a safe, supportive space for healing and creating healthy relationships with self and others. Group structure meets needs and concerns of members, including specific topic focus and experiential process. New groups starting December-January. For info or flyer contact Lynn Goodman, MFT, CAS, (925)385-7060, gracewks@att.net.

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Lafayette Today Classifieds

www.yourmonthlypaper.com Page 28 - December 2013 ~ Lafayette Today Horses continued from page 26 to go for rides on the trails or have OW Lee’s most comfortable collection. Made in the USA. someone ride them in the arena that is different from the way they move in lessons.” Mari Parino, Xenophon Executive Director, concurs. “Our biggest challenge is maintaining the mental health of these horses.” Turning horses out to pasture isn’t enough. They need to enjoy the freedom to challenge an expert equestrian. Regular chiropractic care is essential to their physical health.

Centers give careful consideration to horses offered as donations before accepting one for a 30-day trial period.

Horses suitable for therapy work may not fit the needs of a particular program.

Parino notes, “We need a diverse herd because every child’s needs are different. Some children need a narrowbased horse with smooth movement, or some might need a wide-based horse with big movement. Because the movement of the horse is so fundamental to the therapeutic value of the session, our horses need to be sound at the walk, trot, and canter.”

Custom Made Glass Doors To Fit Any Fireplace On the process of evaluating horses capable of being healers, Dave West, co-founder of Reins in Motion, remarks, “We look for the horse with the right type of temperament. If they have that, we can train them to do the rest.” But he adds, “They have to have the right heart and mind for this kind of work. It is taxing on them physically and mentally.” www.patio-fireplace.com During training, horses are subjected to experiences most equines find unnerving. Xenophon’s sensory trail invites the rider to clutch at pool noodles, clang chains and grab stuffed birds that twitter and caw. Before a horse is cleared to work with clients, able-bodied staff and volunteers work with the horse for hours, often over the course of several months, simulating all the situations encountered during lessons. SonRise Program Manager Sarah Dowlearn notes, “We have a two-page list of items we go through and test the horses on before they are used in the program. We are always adding to that list, and we also revisit de-spooking training weekly.” SonRise Executive Director Alana Koski is grateful to have Charles Wilhelm’s expertise available. “It’s always good to have a horse professional to work with the horses and be there to help work through any training issues that may arise.”

Some horses burn out after a year. Others like Cocoa want to work forever, but they may have a bad day and need time off. For more information on these non-profit organizations and the horses that make their programs possible, visit www.reinsinmotion.com, www.xenophontrc.org, or www. sonriseequestrianfoundation.org.

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Chance is happiest when dressed for driving. Veteran Mariela Meylan takes charge as Peggy James coaches.