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July 2013 Serving the Lafayette Community Restoring the Eye of Diablo: Save Mount Diablo The Gift of Sight By Fran Miller Mary Alice Pinkham has been in love seven times in the past 16 years. Lights the Way Each “romance” By Jody Morgan
has lasted approximately 14 months before the inevitable “breakup.” And as each relationship comes to an end, and the tears flow, she believes she will never love so deeply again. But each time, she is mistaken. Pinkham, of Lafayette, is a serial puppy raiser for Guide Dogs for the Blind. Her first pup experience was in 1997, a few years after a Burton Valley Elementary School field trip to Guide Dog’s San Rafael campus. Her young daughter Jenna became smitten with the pups. Mary Alice Pinkham and one of her many guide dog puppies, Perrin. They signed-up, Photo by Dave Pinkham. attended meetings at the local puppy raising club, got the stamp of approval, and waited for an available charge. Di was their first. Then came Stanza, Gabriel, Persia, Perrin, Piper and her current, Brianna. Each successive dog claimed the role of favorite, and each drive back to San Rafael to turn the dog over for additional training, and ultimately a new owner, was as hard as the first time. “I always have someone else drive me to the Guide Dog Campus on Recall weekend because I’m crying too much,” laughs Pinkham. She learned early on that the best way to cure the emotional pain of returning a dog is to get another, though she does allow for a grieving period between each one. And when she stands on the Guide Dog stage at the annual graduation ceremony, she sees what a difference her dogs are making in the lives of others and realizes her sadness in giving up her pups is nothing compared to the joy they bring to others in need. “It’s extremely rewarding for our family to know that our efforts are making such an impact for Volume VII - Number 7 someone else,” adds Pinkham. 3000F Danville Blvd #117 Established in 1942, Guide Dogs for the Blind Alamo, CA 94507 See Beacon continued on page 16 Telephone (925) 405-6397 provides enhanced mobility to disabled Fax (925) 406-0547 individuals by partnering them with PRSRT STD editor@yourmonthlypaper.com extraordinary dogs who will become U.S. Postage PAID Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher Local their eyes and ears. These companions The opinions expressed herein belong to the Permit 21 begin their journey with loving writers, and do not necessarily reflect that of LaPostal Customer Lafayette, CA Today. Lafayette Today is not responsible families who commit to teaching the fayette for the content of any of the advertising herein, ECRWSS nor does publication imply endorsement.
The Beacon atop Mount Diablo first lit up the night sky in 1928 as part of a string of transcontinental aviation guides. Doused in December 1941 in compliance with the World War II blackout, the Beacon has been switched on once a year since 1964 at sunset on December 7th to honor those who served at Pearl Harbor. Over time, the Beacon, also known as the Eye of Diablo, has suffered the ravages of the elements and become almost inoperable. Recognizing its historical significance and the need for intervention before irreparable damage extinguishes its light forever, Save Mount Diablo (SMD) has taken on the task of preserving the Eye of Diablo, the sole known working survivor of its line. In 1928, Standard Oil of California, now Chevron, provided five 36” Sperry Gyroscope Beacons along the West Coast. Charles Lindbergh pressed the Eye of Diablo into action by remote control. Mounted on a 75-foot tower, the Beacon boasted the latest technology including a timer that automatically adjusted start and stop sequences seasonally. Walter Frick, who owned the land at Mount Diablo’s summit, gave his consent for the installaRestoration will keep the Beacon watching over the Diablo tion. foothills and valleys for years to come. Photo by Cris Benton. By 1939 when work commenced on the summit building, the Eye of Diablo surveyed surrounding valleys from within State Park territory. Standard Oil financed the cost of steel and concrete needed to support the new tower constructed of locally quarried sandstone, while the Diablo Civilian Conservation Corps provided labor. The Beacon was moved to its present location before the order came to turn it off. A note in the ranger’s logbook dated December 8, 1941 reads: “trip to shut off Beacon as to Black Out.” Radar developed during the war rendered the string of transcontinental lights obsolete as navigational aids.
See Dogs continued on page 24
Page 2 - July 2013 ~ Lafayette Today
Boulevard View
By Alisa Corstorphine, Editor
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On a stop at the library a couple months ago, I spotted a flyer noting author Michael Pollan would be speaking at the Lesher Theater in Walnut Creek. Having read many of his books, it seemed like a great opportunity to see this local legend in person. Pollan was speaking about his latest book Cooked - A Natural History of Transformation, which I just finished reading. The book explores cooking and four elements - fire, water, air, and earth - which all help to “transform the stuff of nature into delicious things to eat and drink.” Every time I would sit down and read a few pages I’d get ravenously hungry, although it didn’t help that my reading time was usually early evening before dinner. During the talk, Pollan noted that he felt that the acquiring of cooking skills is one of the greatest gifts we can give to our children and to ourselves. I’ve said it before, and the book reinforced the fact, that as a culture and society we have divided labor and outsourced many tasks that were skills that were once offered in the schools, such as cooking, sewing, “home ec,” wood shop, metal shop, auto shop, and electronics. Our high school even had a semester long course entitled “Living on Your Own” which covered things like how to fill out a check and balance a checkbook, how to plan menus, and how to contact and sign up for utility service. In Pollan’s book he notes how the specialization that we have acquired can be debilitating. He says, “It breeds helplessness, dependence, and ignorance, and eventually it undermines any sense of responsibility.” I think many have lost the puzzle pieces and building blocks to repair, build, and even create what they need. In many ways we’ve become unconsciously lazy, paying others to do things that our parents would have simply done for themselves. It’s not only expensive, it robs us of a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction to let someone else have the fun of doing these things for us. Our kids who have “left the nest” find that many of their peers lack any concept of cooking, favoring something that is quickly “zapped” in the microwave or comes to life by the addition of boiling water (AKA the young adult staple of Top Ramen). Learning to prepare food just wasn’t a priority in their homes growing up. We’re fortunate that each of our kids in their own way have embraced healthy eating and prepare many of their meals from scratch. Cooking is healthier than eating out, usually less expensive, often less time consuming, way more social, and much more satisfying on a personal level. Our daughter moved into a home with four roommates and has started a “Taco Tuesday” tradition. She’s attempting to help the other girls get a sense of the satisfaction and pleasure derived from a meal everyone helps create. Looking through our favorite food website, www. foodgawker.com she stumbled upon a recipe for easy crockpot cooked chicken tacos (please see page 12 for the recipe) which has now become a staple. She’s enjoying the camaraderie, and the smells and the tastes of making her college kitchen like home, and her friends look forward to this weekly event. We’ll Power Wash it for The element of food is also a great socializer. Summer is the perfect time to gather people together you, and blast all of those for a potluck or block party. It is an opportunity to connect, reconnect, and make new friends. It is Clean up your a good excuse to do something different, meet a new neighbor, and try a new recipe. nasty cobwebs from the outdoor living areas. The other day, our neighbors, who are downsizing, brought over a huge commercial grade soup eaves of your home at pot that was too big for their current lifestyle. While I didn’t have a particular need in mind, I gladly no additional charge. Call for a FREE accepted the sturdy pot. Not a week later I got an email from our oldest son who was looking for a consultation. large cooking pot, and I told him I had just the thing. While it might be oversized, it is a “lifetime” piece that he can use for years. Just in the last week the pot has been filled with Spanish rice and a • FRIENDLY RELIABLE SERVICE big batch of chili which will be saved for his upcoming week of meals. • LICENSED BONDED & After reading Cooked, I am even more inspired to try fermenting some of my garden vegetables. I INSURED #833462 keep eyeing the stoneware crocks and think one of them is next on the list of gadgets for our kitchen. I • FREE CONSULTATIONS think I’ll also try yet again to master a good sourdough, as we get back to making more of our own bread. Pollan noted at the end of his talk, “I think we are being robbed of a terrific pleasure by not cooking. Reclaiming cooking as an act of enjoyment and self-reliance, learning to perform the magic of these everyday transformations, opens the door to a more nourishing life.” We, and a couple hundred others in attendance, completely agreed! If you get the chance, pick up one of Mr. Pollan’s books on food. His books are easy to read, interesting, and incredibly informative. DECKS • DRIVEWAYS • FENCES • FLAGSTONE Check out more of the summer food themed “Reading is so Delicious!” library programs and PATIOS • STUCCO • BRICKWORK • WALKWAYS HOUSING EXTERIORS • OUTDOOR FURNITURE events at http://nt-evanced.ccclib.org/evanced/sr/homepage.asp?ProgramID=3.
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Reaching Out to our Sister City of Langeac, France
In an effort to revive the Langeac Society and once again reach out to the people of our sister city, Langeac, France, a number of local businesses of Lafayette are joining together to celebrate “La Fete de la Bastille” on Sunday, July 14th. All Francophones, Francophiles, and accordion lovers are invited to this free community event. There will be dancing for all ages in the If you find him and your name is drawn! streets, and La Guinguette, a Franco-American Trio, will perform at He is very small, so you will have to look hard if you want to find him. 12:30PM and 2:30PM. Please join the festivities from noon until 3:30PM at The French Bakery tea house, located at 71 Lafayette Circle in Lafayette for lunch, pastries, He has become lost in this paper. or drinks. Browse in and out of the galleries of the Art Room, come and Send a letter telling us where you found him, along with your name and address to: see all of the French collectibles the Bloom Space will bring, pick up a French book or two at the French European Bookstore table, taste some Lost Dog! Lafayette Today, 3000F Danville Blvd #117, Alamo, CA 94507 of the best nougat in America from a local artisan, Les Trois Filles, and of course come practice your French with French For Fun staff and families. David Shull is our winner! For more information, contact Catherine Jolivet-Johnson at 925Luther was hiding on page 15 last month. 283-9822.
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Lafayette Today ~ July 2013 - Page 3
Lamorinda Idol Summer Performances
Lamorinda Idol 2013 Finalists will be performing at a series of summer performances leading up to the Lamorinda Idol Finals on September 8th. Check out these talented kids as they perform as soloists and groups at a variety of venues on the following dates: • July 16 - Orinda Community Park Performance along with the Orinda Arts Council Arts in Bloom festival. Singers take the stage at 6:15 following the EFO jazz band performance. • July 28 - Lafayette Reservoir Stage Concert at 2:45. • August 24 - Orinda Theater Square Concert from 2:45-5:00. • September 8 - Lamorinda Idol Finals at the Orinda Theater is an all day event. Check www.orindaartscouncil.org for the full schedule of performances.
Casting Call for Children of World War II Film
A “Shout Out” looking for participants in an upcoming documentary which will be beginning production soon! A documentary film production seeks people who were children during World War II to share their experience as a child growing up during war time. The film (a 30 minute short form documentary) focuses on children living in the San Francisco Bay Area and surrounding areas. Producers are seeking personal stories from a variety of backgrounds and ethnicities. Participants will be asked to provide and bring supporting materials to assist in telling their story. Production begins in late July, so please contact us immediately. Send your contact information and a short summary describing your experience to patriciaweaver70@comcast.net. Mike Paunovich, an award winning documentarian, will be conducting a follow up phone call with each participant to get to know each other before going on camera.
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Lafayette Juniors Raise $50,000 for Charity
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The Lafayette Juniors raised $50,000 in the past 12 months for local non-profit organizations - the most money ever raised by the Juniors in a single year in its 60 year history. The funds were distributed by the Lafayette Juniors in a special ceremony at the Lafayette Community Center to New Day for Children, CoachArt, Contra Costa Interfaith Housing, the Lafayette Library and Learning Center, and We Care.
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Left to right: Alison Crane, Andrea Hilsabeck, Kathy Wilson, Debbie O'Neal, and Kendra Uffelman.
“We would like to thank everyone who supported us throughout the year,” said Veronique Kuhner, President of the Lafayette Juniors. “Their generosity enabled our beneficiaries to expand the services they provide to children and families in need in Contra Costa and neighboring East Bay counties.” lafayette san ramon The Lafayette Juniors have a tradition of organizing fundraising events, Since 3360 Mt. Diablo Blvd. 2151 San Ramon Valley Blvd. 1993 like the Rummage Sale in the fall and Kitchen Tour in the spring, for the sole 925.283.3133 925.837.3000 purpose of raising money for selected beneficiaries. This year the Juniors chose New Day for Children as their major beneficiary and donated $25,000 theserviceoutlet.com to support New Day for Children’s work with young American girls ages 10 1211138-TSO-ALToday-5x6.25.indd 1 11/16/12 9:28 AM to 18 who have been the victims of human sex trafficking. “The Lafayette Juniors dedication to the cause of New Day for Children has been exceptional, and we could not be more grateful to them. The $25,000 they have given us is the largest single donation we have ever received from any service group,” explained Kathy Wilson, spokesperson for New Day for Children. “This $25,000 will go toward the education, therapy, and daily care of the girls we are restoring. It is caring groups of people like the Lafayette Juniors who enable us to help more girls, whose average age of victimization is 12, from right here in Contra Costa County. We can place these girls in our program and give them a chance to heal and rebuild their lives.” The Lafayette Juniors also donated $10,000 to CoachArt and $5,000 each to Contra Costa Interfaith Housing, the Lafayette Library and Learning Center, and We Care. For more information on the Lafayette Juniors and this year’s beneficiaries, visit www.lafayettejuniors.org.
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Page 4 - July 2013 ~ Lafayette Today
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Join the 2013 Trails Challenge
Are you ready to explore your Regional Parks? The award-winning EBRPD Trails Challenge program provides participants with a free PDF guidebook, featuring 20 different trails, including everything you need to know to plan your hike. Complete the challenge by hiking five of the trails listed or 26.2 miles of trails. Registration is open and free. Get started now by creating your online account. Go to RegionalParksFoundation.org.
Hospice Volunteers Needed
Hospice of the East Bay is seeking volunteers to assist Hospice patients and their caregivers. Opportunities include: • Licensed Hair Stylists to offer hair cuts and styling • Certified Massage Therapists to provide massage therapy • Mobile Notaries to witness the signing of important documents • Bereavement Support Volunteers to provide support to family members after their loved one has died • Patient Support Volunteers to provide companionship and practical assistance To apply for free training, call Hospice of the East Bay at (925) 887-5678, and ask for the Volunteer Department, or email volunteers@hospiceeastbay.org. Established in 1977, Hospice of the East Bay is a not-for-profit agency that helps people cope with end of life by providing medical, emotional, spiritual, and practical support for patients and families, regardless of their ability to pay. To learn more or to make a donation of time or money, please contact (925) 887-5678 or visit www.hospiceeastbay.org.
Junior Achievement Needs You
Junior Achievement, a non-profit funded by foundations and businesses, offers an exciting opportunity for you and your office to partner with local schools to educate students about business and financial literacy. By volunteering in the schools or hosting a Job Shadow, companies can increase outreach. 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.
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Save the Dates!
The Lafayette Summer Music Workshop will be hosting non-stop music being performed from 3:30pm – 9pm on Friday, August 9th at Stanley Middle School located at 3455 School Street in Lafayette. The annual jazz camp is sponsored by Generations in Jazz and features bands made up of this year’s attendees. For more information about the Summer Jazz Camp, please visit lafayettejazz@wordpress.com. On Thursday, August 15th the three Lamorinda communities are having a Lamorinda Picnic. In partnership with the Moraga Parks Department, you are invited to join at Moraga Commons Park and enjoy an evening “neighborhood” event. Bring a picnic or let the volunteers prepare food and beverage for you. The gathering starts at 4pm. Take off work early and join in the fun. At 6:30pm ZeeBop! the great Santana cover band, will entertain from the band shell.
Meals on Wheels
Seniors in your community need your support! Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach Services has been supporting seniors in YOUR neighborhood since 1968. Two of our 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.
2013 Get to Know Contest
Bay Area agencies and the international Get to Know Program are working together to encourage youth to connect with nature through the 2013 Get to Know Contest. The contest invites youth (19 years and under) to get outdoors and submit works of art, writing, photography, video, or music inspired by their natural world. Entries may be submitted online at GetToKnow.ca until November 1, 2013. View entries online in the Get to Know Gallery during the entire contest run. Contest winners will receive prizes, including art supplies, books, outdoor gear, and cameras. For more information, visit GetToKnow.ca.
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Assistance League Wayside Inn Thrift Shop’s July Promotions
Lafayette Today ~ July 2013 - Page 5
The dedicated member volunteers at Assistance League® Way Side Inn Thrift Shop, located at 3521 Golden Gate Way in Lafayette, want to remind all of you discerning thrift shop enthusiasts that the Vintage Hats, Gloves, Purses & Clothing event begins on Tuesday, July 9th. Travel back to styles that have withstood fads and whims which can be purchased at prices enjoyed during the sixties and seventies. An assortment of dresses, outfits, and coordinates appropriate from sun up to sun down will refresh your wardrobe. A smart looking purse topped off with a hat that evokes style and sophistication will complete a look of confidence. You’ll also find an ample selection of gloves, items not easily found these days, at your fingertips. The Vintage promotion will continue into the following week if the inventory allows, so you’ll want to plan accordingly. As for the following event, whoever said that Christmas comes but once a year obviously did not consult Assistance League Way Side Thrift Shop member volunteers. The Christmas in July event will begin on July 23rd. Those who arrive at 10M sharp will be greeted by a flurry of children’s toys, greeting cards, ornaments, nutcrackers, table linens, and holiday apparel. As with last year’s event, the “star on the tree” will be an array of high-end items marked at bargain basement prices that will grace every table, hearth, and home throughout the valley. Hopefully, this event will continue through August 3rd, provided that the inventory lasts.
Assistance League Way Side Inn Thrift Shop member volunteer Nell Ryan delights in all of the Christmas in July merchandise.
Donating items, whether vintage, holiday, or everyday, will surely make room for this year’s purchases. Appreciative member volunteers will provide you with a well deserved tax receipt. To learn more about Assistance League of Diablo Valley’s primary fundraiser and the philanthropic programs that the thrift shop supports, please visit its website diablovalley.assistanceleague.org.
Lafayette Hiking Group
Friday July 26 - San Francisco series, Golden Gate to Sutro Heights
From the Golden Gate Bridge, hike along the cliff tops and beaches enjoying great views of the bridge and the ocean. We walk through the ritzy Seacliff and Lincoln Park areas to Sutro Heights. Bring money for public transit and lunch. Meet at the city parking lot located at 941 Moraga Road in Lafayette at 8:30AM. Bring snacks, water, layered clothing, good walking shoes, and money for transit and lunch. The hike is moderate with some steps and hills and about four miles in length. The hike leaders are Ardith Betts and Alison Hill.
Friday August 9 - Valle Vista to Redwood Park
From the Valle Vista staging area enjoy oak and bay woodlands, and the crossing of Indian and San Leandro Creeks. Climb through the ferns and redwoods to the East Ridge trail in Redwood Park. Carpools will be formed to the trailhead. Bring lunch or snacks, water, layered clothing, good walking shoes, sun protection, and money to contribute toward gas ($3 local). Meet at the city parking lot located at 941 Moraga Road in Lafayette at 8:30AM. The hike is moderate with one steep hill and is about four miles in length. Hike leaders are Alison Hill and Joyce Tse. For questions email LafayetteHiking@comcast.net.
Page 6 - July 2013 ~ Lafayette Today
The Bookworm By Joan Stevenson
Let me begin with a warm welcome to the new Executive Director of the Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation, Beth Needel. Beth comes to us with a unique blend of experience which includes serving as Community Relations Manager for Barnes & Noble, where she worked extensively with award-winning authors to create and manage educational programs and community events throughout the East Bay. At the Animal Rescue Foundation, Needel was instrumental in the creation of People Connect, a department established to design and develop programs aimed at education, teen volunteerism, community engagement, and animal-assisted therapy. Most recently she served as Capital Campaign and Grants Manager for Oakland Zoo, where she raised funds for education outreach programs and construction projects including a new veterinary hospital, a biodiversity center, and the California Trail project. Sounds like a good fit, don’t you agree? As we move into the summer, I wondered what Gloria Lenhart had up her sleeve for the Writers Place. She assured me that writing groups are going strong through the summer. On Tuesdays and Thursdays two general groups that cover fiction, short stories, and memoir writing meet. The Young Adult and Picture Book writers meet one Sunday a month. Probably the most exciting news is that Corina Vacco, one of the budding writers in the Young Adult group has launched her debut novel titled My Chemical Mountain. To read more about the book, which won the Delacorte Prize, visit www.corinavacco.com. The Writers Place is planning to have a coffee hour get together for writers in all groups and any writers interested in joining a group. For more information, give Gloria a call at glorialenhart@comcast.net. Around the Bay, this summer is known as “The Summer of Racing,” where the fastest boats, the best sailors, and the oldest trophy take center stage. In honor of these events, the California Palace of the Legion of Honor is presenting a wonderful exhibit entitled “Impressions on the Water.” On Wednesday, July 31 from 6:30 – 7:30pm a docent from the exhibit will be with us to describe how the Impressionists successfully captured water scenes - sharing highlights of the more
www.yourmonthlypaper.com than 80 paintings that make up the exhibit, including Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, and Seurat. These artists captured the effect of sparkling water and moist light to reflect on pleasure boating and competition. To reserve your spot, call 925-2836513 x103 or email reserve@LLLCF.org. The cost is $5 per person. On July 11th at 6pm we will celebrate our summer reading theme, “Reading is So Delicious!,” with a free showing of the film Julie and Julia. This wonderful film contrasts the life of Chef Julia Child in the early years of her culinary career with the life of young New Yorker Julie Powell, who aspires to cook all 524 recipes in Child’s cookbook in 365 days, a challenge she described on her popular blog that would make her a published author. Join us for a celebration of food on film every Thursday in July at 6pm. Other movies in our summer Film Feast series include Chocolat at Moraga Public Library on July 18th and Ratatouille at the Lafayette Library on July 25th. All events are free of charge. How would you capture “A Day in the Life of Lafayette”? This challenge, by the Lafayette Public Art Committee, aimed to create a snapshot of our community on one particular day. On Friday, June 21, the Summer Solstice, anyone in Lafayette with a camera and an idea could take a photo of a typical day in our fair city between 12:01am and 11:59pm. The Committee was looking for something that captures who we are and what makes us unique. Photos can now be submitted to the City of Lafayette Offices between July 12th and July 30th (by 5pm). The Committee will review the entries and select the winning photographs to be displayed at the Library Gallery at the Community Hall and on the City’s website. The friends of the Friends Corner Book Shop were up for the challenge. Led by Friends President, Ruth Thornburg, they created an easy chair made of books! What fun it will be to take a look at the winning snapshots! Left to right: Mary Ransdell, Frances Wallace and Ruth Thornburg.
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The 1950s
Lafayette Today ~ July 2013 - Page 7
Eastern Gamblers Betting on Contra Costa? Part 2 By Ruth Bailey, Lafayette Historical Society
General law practice with The January 20th (1950) Lafayette Sun pointed out that “the boys were bothered by the ‘heat’ a concentration on Wills & Trusts being applied by stories in the Lafayette and Orinda Sun and Oakland Tribune. So now they’re and Real Estate Law. planning an attack on advertising revenues of the three papers, following the lead of one nightspot 925.283.2500 | 925.451.6679 which already cancelled its advertisements in the Sun. One thing the boys did decide: they’re derek@wagleylaw.com certain gambling has a future in Contra Costa County as long as the present setup continues.” www.WagleyLaw.com That issue of the paper also had this story: “Long Says ‘No Comment’ on Gambling. 3433 Golden Gate Way, Suite B | Lafayette “Question: Would you mind telling the Sun, Sheriff, just what method your office uses to see that the laws against gambling are enforced in the county? Long: No comment. “Question: Do you have any patrol or similar setup in operation to make sure gambling laws are not violated? Answer: Listen here, young fellow, I have no comment to make to your newspaper on anything. I’m Serving Bay Area businesses and residents since 2002 due in court in two minutes. (There was no comment from the sheriff, who hung up without so much as a word of goodbye.) From Wednesday How Can We Help You? morning [the 11th] until the 16th, a total of 64 calls were placed to the sheriff before he could be reached.” And this: “Sun Reporter Taken for a Ride. Dana McGaugh, staff writer for the Lafayette Sun and the Orinda Sun, previously worked as a police reporter on the Arizona Republic in Phoenix covering civic vice scandals and gang operations in 1947, and two years as the Associated Press Southern California correspondent.” He wrote a first-person account of a frightening encounter: “I was taken for a ‘ride’ early Wednesday morning and dumped in the Berkeley Hills with a warning to ‘lay off stories concerning county
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gambling operations.’ The one-way ride followed the evening spent on the fringes of a meeting at the Crossroads Restaurant in Orinda, where nightclub owners met with gambling figures to discuss future policy.” The next week, the Sun’s publisher asked the FBI to investigate the recent activity, including the meeting of gambling interests and the subsequent ride given to Reporter McGaugh. County Superintendent of Schools B.O. Wilson weighed in, saying, “Gambling operations have been a definite threat to our schools’ efforts to teach young students pride in their community and respect for law and order. How can you expect a youngster to believe in obedience to the laws when he sees the laws openly flouted every day and apparently no attempt made to enforce the laws by those officers sworn to uphold them? Children are going to become educated in one way or another, whether by textbooks or slot machines.” There was also a letter from an impassioned subscriber, “Thank goodness someone is at least trying to do something about the gambling and racketeering in our county. As you must know, we are the ‘laughing stock’ of the East Bay. It is getting so I hesitate telling anyone I live in Contra Costa County. When I do admit it, the comment is ‘Ah, the Tunnel Strip, ha ha.’ A couple of years ago in L.A., I was introduced to residents there and was informed of goings on in our county that I had no idea existed. These people had been ‘taken’ on ‘The Strip.’ Restaurants and nightclubs were named. It made me ashamed I had appeared in such places for eating purposes.” To Be Continued…
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Jack Main Wins Coleman Leadership Award
Jack Main from Lafayette Boy Scout Troop 243 won the 2nd annual John A. Coleman Leadership Award at the Troop’s recent Court of Honor. Main won the award based on demonstrating strong leadership skills, including recently achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. Main just graduated from Acalanes High School. He reported to the United States Naval Academy on June 27th as a midshipman fourth class. Main stated “I got to do many things in Troop 243 that gave me skills that I can use at the Naval Academy. I learned about adventure and camping, I learned about knots and shooting but most importantly, I learned how to lead people.” Jack Main To commemorate John Coleman’s leadership role in Lafayette Boy Scout Troop 243, the Troop established the John A. Coleman Leadership Award to provide scholarships for Troop 243 Scouts who exhibit leadership and character. Coleman is past president of the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, former board member of the National Association of Service and Conservation Corps, and former member of the California Biodiversity Council. He is an Eagle Scout and served as Scoutmaster of Troop 243 in Lafayette for over 25 years. He continues his serve as Troop 243’s Eagle Advisor, working with Scouts to assist them with completing their merit badges and service projects to become Eagle Scouts.
Page 8 - July 2013 ~ Lafayette Today
Cinema Classics Free Samples By Peggy Horn
Cinema Classics reserves the right from time to time to bring to the readerships attention contemporary films that are particularly interesting, uplifting, comical, and entertaining and that otherwise might escape your notice. This month’s film, Free Samples, qualifies in all five categories. It stars Jess Weixler as “Jillian” and Jesse Eisenberg as “Tex/Albert,” and it was released to theatres in May 2013. Although the film has its share of vulgar behavior, such details are interrupted and overcome by some surprising moments of tenderness and depth. Profundity, however brief, is a valuable and important component in movies of any era. The plot features Jillian doing a favor for a friend by single handedly manning a food truck that provides free samples of “ice cream or an ice cream like substance” for an entire day. Jillian has dropped out of Stanford Law School, and she is taking time off while trying to discover her true career objectives - making her available for this task. During her day of service she is confronted by a series of fairly typical, demanding ‘customers’ (remember these are ‘free samples’). Some are irritating, unnerving, and even insulting, while others are intriguing and insightful. The long and difficult day is both funny and sad, but Jillian’s foray into the marketing world ends with new beginnings. Excellent dialogue and acting make this a very enjoyable and, in my opinion, a hilarious movie! Free Samples is available for rental or purchase online.
Musical Notes
Recommended for downloading are two songs, both of which remind me of Jillian in the movie, Free Samples. The first, “It Had To Be You,” was written in 1924 by Isham Jones, with lyrics by Gus Kahn. The lyrics are simple yet memorable: “Some others I’ve seen, Might never be mean; Might never be cross or try to be boss, but they wouldn’t do!”. Many versions of this song have been recorded, but Betty Hutton provides a lovely one from 1944. Her recording of this song is very pretty, romantic and different from her more usual frantic format. The second song, “How About You?” was composed by Burton Lane with lyrics by Ralph Freed in 1941 for the film, Babes on Broadway. As with the previous song, many artists have recorded this, but Michael Feinstein does a contemporary version in an old fashioned way, containing both verses. It’s easy and fun to sing along to these lyrics: “ I like potato chips, moonlight, and motor trips – how about you?” Both songs are easily downloaded for your listening and singing pleasure!
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Walking the Reservoir By Jim Scala
I came up South hill to the bend at the picnic area. A young man held up a large white sign with bold black letters that said, “Free Hugs.” Two teens dressed as a fuzzy brown bear and Captain America stood by. I took a fuzzy bear hug – it was nice – and asked, “What’s going on here?” “We’re Acalanes High School statistic’s students and we’re analyzing men’s and women’s hug preferences,” he chuckled. “And we’ll get good statistics.” Anyone walking the Rez isn’t rushed, and is in a good mood, so it’s a great place for the study. Their teacher took Walt Disney’s advice, “When people are having fun, it’s a good time to learn.” The students were uncovering a subtle difference between men and women while having fun. I think I saw more women taking hugs – mostly fuzzy ones. At the children’s play area more learning was going on. Two kids were playing the built in Tic-Tac-Toe. I said to Ali, watching her son play, “It’s really a class in session. After all, Tic-Tac-Toe teaches pattern recognition and to plan ahead with offensive and defensive strategies.” I added, “The kids are learning and having fun at the same time.” One mom tried to help her daughter make a tune with the chimes – she wasn’t getting it and mom was frustrated. I said, “Come on, Mom. She sees that the chime’s length makes different notes, and tunes are about sequences – and she’s having fun.” I added, “Children who stick with music do above average in math, even if their music is lousy. So, you’re a great mom.” Mothers talked about how the kids like to climb on all the various ladders, tunnels, and slides in the 5-12 age area. We agreed that they gain selfconfidence and visualize ways to get through, over, or under some obstacle. To children it’s just fun. Give some thought to the Lafayette Reservoir as an informal open air school. Rez-learning goes far beyond the fine informational displays, wildlife, and beautiful vistas. Notice this year’s crop of dragonflies and black and yellow butterflies. Open field dragonflies have brilliant blue hues, and the swamp-rush dragonflies are bright red. It’s easy to see how the field flies blend in, but the water dwellers stand out with that striking color. If you figure out nature’s strategy, please let me know. The visitor’s center has great dragonfly photos. On June 3rd, at the east end of the paved walk, Louie’s claws grasped the bench beside his proud owner. Louie’s a striking, whiter-than-white, Umbrella Cockatoo, and he attracted a small crowd who studied him carefully – while he studied them. He’s there often, so if you see him say, “Hello Louie,” and notice how he looks you over. Just beyond Louie’s bench an elegant, white egret was standing in the tall reeds searching for a meal. A recent medical study comparing walkers and joggers proved that both gain similar health benefits. Most folks focus on losing or maintaining weight. That’s about calories. Jogging the lower, paved course in 25 minutes vs. walking it in 50 burns about the same calories and the benefits equalize except for appetite. The researchers tested joggers vs. walkers using a controlled buffet lunch after each group burned similar calories. Joggers actually ate fewer calories than they burned. Walkers did the exact opposite – ate more than they burned. It traced to an appetite suppressant– a peptide – the body produces when you jog. For walkers, the message was very clear: Drink water and don’t eat for about an hour after your walk. You’ll feel full, eat less, and get all the benefits – no, they don’t sell that peptide. Personal: Two growths, each the size of a small bean, had grown inside my lumbar spine, causing intense pain. On June 5th a skilled surgeon removed them. Starting June 9th, I’ve walked the Rez’s east end from the starting line to the half mile mark and back. On the 11th I unrolled my yoga mat on the bandstand and did the exercises prescribed by the physical therapist. In July, I can start my yoga again. Let me know if you’re interested in joining me. Besides being a great school, the Rez is a therapeutic center. Are we fortunate or what? Rez dress: A lady wore a sweatshirt with two lines: First line: Wine improves with age. Second line: I improve with wine. With two thumbs up, I said, “Looking good!” Send your comments to me at jscala2@comcast.net.
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Explore 3D Printing
By Evan Corstorphine, Portable CIO
3D printing. What is it? Why does it matter? How can it help me? These are all the questions I began asking my son Alex when he brought up the topic. I have him to thank for the education I’ve received over the past few months. He’s been out on the front edge of learning this technology, as he’s an entrepreneur looking for creative ways to manufacture all the product ideas he’s been coming up with. In addition to his endless web research, he read and recommended a book called Makers – The new Industrial Revolution by Chris Anderson. It’s a really good book, and I recommend it as well. Put simply, a basic 3D printer is a device that takes a specially processed drawing file from a computer and “prints” progressive layers of plastic on a bed to form an object. That object can be almost anything, as long as it’s not bigger than a one foot cube. Alex’s printer is about twenty inches tall and eighteen inches square. It uses a spool of plastic filament, which comes in different colors, to print. The print head is actually a heated nozzle which melts and extrudes the plastic filament down in a precise bead in thousands upon thousands of layers. It can print anything up to a foot square, which is about the size of the printing bed. The plastic is identical to that of a LEGO piece, so you get an idea how sturdy the printed product is. Alex ordered his printer as an unassembled kit to save a couple hundred dollars. When he got it he was intimidated by the sea of parts, but he stayed up into the wee hours one night to charge through, and I think he surprised himself with how fast it actually went. And it didn’t work right at first, either. Partly, it needed adjustment, and other part was that he was still learning the software that drives the printer. Self-assembly was very educational. This is a very early-adopter technology. In five years, it won’t look or behave like this. In ten years, this will be a quaint antique. But right now it’s exciting and useful. One simple example of something he’s made is a replacement part for his Foosball table. He broke one of the guides on which the handles passes through the side of the game. Using his Autocad program, he measured and designed a work-alike piece, ran it through the special rendering software that tells the printer how to break it down into “slices” for the printer, and created himself a new one. A couple other items he’s made so far are an iPhone case, a business card holder, an iPhone/iPod stand, a replacement hinge for our Igloo cooler, and a Rubik’s cube type of geared object. He has more complicated projects planned. If you want to take a look at objects other people have designed and shared, check out www.thingiverse.com and explore their catalog. The possibilities for what you can create with a 3D are as endless as your imagination. And that’s the point. Manufacturing was always something only big corporations could do, and do at great expense. Now, between the advent of 3D printing and all the outsourced services for circuit design, programmers, and just about every other skillset you can imagine, we’ve entered a golden age of micro-manufacturing. It’s a more boutique style of creation and one that favors the small-lot over the mass production of a particular object. Today, an entrepreneur is much more likely to make their product a web-based, open-source project and manufacture in small lots at a higher price, because the object they’re producing is for a specialized audience, even though it may be world-wide. That audience is OK with paying a higher price for a boutique object, because they’re making a conscious choice to go this route rather than the mass-produced object route. Printing takes a while depending on the size of the object and the detail required. To facilitate this, Alex has set up his computer for remote control, and he’s setup his camera with Skype on auto-answer so he can watch it print while he is away. It can be mesmerizing to sit there and watch an object be created layer by layer before your eyes. There’s much more to say on this topic, and I’m just getting warmed up. Stay tuned as we talk more about boutique manufacturing and the amazing array of resources available for entrepreneurs today. In the meantime, if you have questions or need help with your systems, networks or technology planning, you should contact the friendly staff at Portable CIO! Email helpdesk@ theportablecio.com, or reach us at 925-552-7953. Advertorial
Lafayette Today ~ July 2013 - Page 9
Enjoy the Summer Concerts in our District Two Communities By Supervisor Candace Andersen, Contra Costa County District 2
There are many reasons why Contra Costa County’s District 2 is such a great place to live, but high on my list are the Summer Concert series that so many of our communities host every year. This summer there are many musical opportunities for your entire family to take advantage of, and I thought it would be helpful to list them all in one place. The concerts are held on various nights of the week, and the music reflects many different genres. The park settings and a picnic dinner are perfect complements to an evening of music outdoors. Moraga – Moraga Commons Park ~ Thursdays~ 6:30PM – 8:30PM ~ Call (925) 888-7035 for information • July 11th: The Fundamentals (Motown Dance Band) • July 18th: Cal Alumni Big Band (Big Band Swing) • August 1st: Gator Beat (Cajun Zydeco) • August 8th: Moonalice (Early San Francisco Rock) • August 15th: Zebop! (Latin Rock) • August 22nd: Rodeo House (Country) Orinda – Orinda Community Center Park ~ Tuesdays ~ 6:30PM – 8:30PM Call (925) 253-4200 for information • July 16th: A Special Night of Art, Food & Music Call for Details • July 23rd: Pladdohg (Celtic Rock) • July 28th: Opera in the Park with OpenOpera Sunday, 4PM – 6PM • August 6th: The Crisis (Blues & Rock) • August 13th: littledog2 (Pop & Rock) Walnut Creek – Stanford’s parking lot (unless otherwise noted) ~ Thursdays ~ 6:30PM – 8:30PM ~ Call (925) 939-7600 for information • July 11th: Pride & Joy (Pop/Soul) Held in Broadway Plaza Street • July 18th: Nick Colionne (Jazz, R&B, Blues, Funk) • July 25th: The Sun Kings (Beatles Cover Band) • August 1st: Tainted Love (1980’s Dance Band) Enjoy the rest of your summer. I hope you have a chance to take advantage of the free concerts with your family and friends in our great communities.
San Ramon Valley Genealogical Meetings
The San Ramon Valley Genealogical Society meets at 10 am 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.
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.
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Page 10 - July 2013 ~ Lafayette Today
Summer Reading List By Monica Chappell
If you’re more in the mood for a staycation than vacation this summer, you can at least transport yourself in mind and spirit with a great wine read. Reading wine books will inspire you and help wrap your brain around the immense world of wine, and summer time is a perfect time to dig in. Here’s a list of a few books, both new and old, that will take you to some great wine regions or at least compel you with some fascinating wine tales. Pull up your beach chair, pour a glass of something, and crack a book open.
Books on Wine Worth a Read
Judgment of Paris by George M. Taber The Paris Tasting of 1976 was recently put to film in the movie Bottle Shock. This is the book that tells the story of the first time the world realized that wine can be great – even from places-other-than-France. Wine and War by Donald Kladstrup and Petie Kladstrup The Nazi occupation of France was a flurry of destruction. Wine is the jewel of France, and the Nazis had a lust for finery. During the 1940’s, French winemakers came together to resist and protect their fragile world. Napa: The Story of an American Eden by James Conaway You don’t have to leave the country to find a great wine tale. This book chronicles Napa Valley, the fortunes made there, and the wine dynasties that have emerged from it. The Billionaire’s Vinegar by Benjamin Wallace A novel about one of the largest scams the wine world has ever seen. The story gets interesting when an American billionaire drops over $100,000 on a single bottle supposedly owned by Thomas Jefferson. A page-turner made for a lazy summer day, this mystery is the true story of a 1787 Château Lafite Rothschild (Bordeaux). Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes This classic and widely read book (and movie) still holds up as a romantic read if Tuscany, Italy, is on your horizon. Have you read any great wine books lately? Share with us at wineappreciation101@gmail.com.
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CARLOS “KIKO” CAICEDO Shop (925) 284-4852 Cell (925) 285-0783 lafayettemotors@gmail.com 3470 Golden Gate Way , Lafayette, CA 94549
Lafayette Motors Independent service and repair for Mercedes Benz
JERRY FIGUEROA Shop (925) 284-4852 Cell (510) 754-1942 lafayettemotors@gmail.com 3470 Golden Gate Way , Lafayette, CA 94549
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Growing Your Own Food; It’s Easier Than You Think By Sustainable Lafayette
Wouldn’t it be nice to just go outside your back door and pick food straight from the vine? It sounds idyllic, but it’s how many people used to live, with a kitchen garden that supplied some of their food. We can revive this custom – and many people already have. Herbs are favorites for people with little land or experience in growing food. Tarragon, sage, thyme, and more can be grown in a small pot on your windowsill; sunny porch, or that little patch of backyard. Rosemary grows well and can be seen around our town as a popular and hardy ground cover. Some herbs can even be grown indoors – see www.wvu.edu/~agexten/hortcult/herbs/ne208hrb.htm#Indoor%20Herb%20 Gardening for more tips. The easiest bounty comes from fruit trees that someone foresightedly planted 10 (or 50) years ago. Lafayette’s climate is friendly to trees bearing lemons, plums, apricots, quinces, and more. If you don’t have fruit trees now but you’re planning to stay in your home for a long time, you could plant a fruit tree now and have a harvest in a few years. A project run by The Urban Farmers (www.theurbanfarmers.org) each winter helps people acquire heirloom fruit trees for planting. Once you have fruit ripening, don’t forget to harvest it! Use a pole picking tool or shake a branch to get the ripe fruits to fall. If you’ve missed a few days and there are fruits on the ground, you’ll find that many of them are perfectly serviceable – they may be flawless or they may just have a bruise or two that needs to be cut out. The Urban Farmers will also glean from trees that are producing more than you can use, donating the harvest to local hunger relief agencies. Tomatoes, zucchini, and cucumbers are summer favorites for busy urban dwellers, since they are hardy, productive, and essentially take care of themselves. They happily grow in the ground, raised beds, or pots. Depending on what variety you choose and how much sun and water they get, they can be amazingly prolific – people joke about having more zucchini than they can eat. In response, California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom solemnly declares August 8 “Sneak Some Zucchini onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day.” Sustainable Lafayette board member Nanette Heffernan writes (crunchywisdom.com) about onions: “Next time you buy a bunch of green onions from the store, save the root ends and place them in a cup of water. Within eight days, you can reharvest them right from the glass. Or even better, place them in water for a few days to get them started, and then put them in a small pot with potting soil for a continuous supply.” You could start from scratch (seeds), or you could get starter plants (small pots with seedlings already emerging) at Mt. Diablo Nursery, Orchard Nursery, and Lafayette Community Garden. Local grocery stores occasionally sell basil plants that are already mature. You’ll find growing food incredibly rewarding. And whatever you grow is guaranteed to be organic, local, and good for you and for the earth. For more tips about growing food and to read real-world success stories written by your neighbors, please visit sustainablelafayette.org.
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Solar Currents
By Mark Becker, GoSimpleSolar The Four V’s
Lafayette Today ~ July 2013 - Page 11
11 Critical Home Inspection Traps to be Aware of Weeks Before Listing Your Home for Sale
Independence Day is a wonderful holiday. Local parades and celebraLafayette - According to industry ex- sale or, worse, turn prospective buyers tions are a wonderful way to celebrate perts, there are over 33 physical prob- away altogether. In most cases, you can our nation’s 237th birthday. Coincilems that will come under scrutiny during make a reasonable pre-inspection yourself dentally, “Buy American” is becoma home inspection when your home is if you know what you're looking for, and ing more in vogue again for various for sale. A new report has been prepared knowing what you're looking for can help reasons. For the solar industry, “Buy which identifies the 11 most common you prevent little problems from growing American” has of late become a very obvious choice. Recently of these problems, and what you should into costly and unmanageable ones. in the New York Times an article titled “Solar Industry Anxious know about them before you list your home To help home sellers deal with this issue Over Defective Panels” was published. for sale. before their homes are listed, a free report Before reading on, it’s very important for the reader to unWhether you own an old home or a brand entitled "11Things You Need to Know to derstand that there are solar panel manufacturers still in business who have never had a recalled or defective product. These new one, there are a number of things Pass Your Home Inspection" has been manufacturers have strict quality control and testing standards. that can fall short of requirements during a compiled which explains the issues involved. Every solar panel from these manufacturers is tested as it leaves home inspection. If not identified and dealt To hear a brief recorded message about the assembly line. Many panels made by these companies 30 with, any of these 11 items could cost you how to order your FREE copy of this report, years ago are still in service today. It’s safe to say that the best dearly in terms of repair. That's why it's call toll-free 1-866-265-1682 and enter value panels are not lowest cost panels. The best value panels critical that you read this report before 2003. You can call any time, 24 hours a day, will provide the highest long-term production, thereby the best you list your home. If you wait until the 7 days a week. building inspector flags these issues for Get your free special report NOW to learn financial returns that can be achieved from a solar system. you, you will almost certainly experience how to ensure a home inspection doesn't As I read the New York Times article, a sense of pride began costly delays in the close of your home cost you the sale of your home. to well up inside of me. If one were to “read between the lines,” This report is courtesy of J. Rockcliff Realtors #01763819. Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract. Copyright © 2013 the article validates what I’ve been proselytizing for years: The best value and lowest long term Total Cost of Ownership (LCO) City of Lafayette Contacts of solar projects rarely comes with lowest initial price. After finishing the article, four words instantly came to Below are key city departments and their contacts. mind. “I told you so” (directed at no one in particular) were not the words, although they may have best deFor more information visit www.ci.lafayette.ca.us. scribed my feelings at that moment. The words were “Validation,” “Verification,” “Vindication,” and “Value.” Administration: Responsible for overall city Validation: For the consumer, choice and installation of products based on price alone, without regard operations such as human resources, finance and to performance history, bankability, and compatibility, will result in a higher long-term cost of ownership. office operations. Key staff members include the City There are literally tens of thousands of solar panels that are at the center of these quality control problems Manager, Administrative Services Director, City Clerk, located around us. A solar panel that fails is a solar panel that most likely provided the lowest initial cost, yet and Financial Services Manager. The City Offices are at much greater long-term risk, financial or otherwise. Many of these panels will perform until their seals located at 3675 Mt. Diablo Blvd., #210, Lafayette. Hours fail, be it 2, 5, or 10 years from now. Read the article for more details. are 8am – 5pm Monday-Friday. For information call (925) Verification: Over 50% of Chinese solar panel manufacturers have become insolvent in the last few years, 284-1968 or email cityhall@lovelafayette.org. including the world’s former largest manufacturer, Suntech. Multiple independent third party testing services Planning: Responsible for current and long-term confirmed product quality control problems at multiple module manufacturing sites. It was determined that planning for the physical development of the community quality control problems occur when corners are cut in material selection and when solar panel production that is consistent with the General Plan, Zoning Ordinance is subcontracted to other smaller Chinese manufacturers. Defect reporting is not high on the priority list of and the direction of the City Council. Planning Department companies having difficulty remaining solvent. Some developers worldwide reported a 22-35% failure rate hours are 12pm – 5pm Monday-Friday. For information call of mostly Chinese modules. (925) 284-1976 or email planner@lovelafayette.org. Vindication: A business plan based on utilization of best choice products is the correct approach to appeal Police: Responsible for public safety, law to customers who choose value over cost. In my opinion, the best solar panels are panels that are compatible enforcement, emergency operations, and parking with other products, have long-term performance histories, are price competitive, are aesthetically pleasing control. The Police Department is located at 3675 Mt. as possible, and create American jobs. The best-marketed solar panels are the “most efficient,” yet are seri- Diablo Blvd, #130, Lafayette. Hours are 8am-12pm & 1amously lacking in compatibility. I’m not singling out Chinese products, but they happen to be at the center 5pm Monday-Friday.For general questions call (925) 299of the studies, and traditionally have been the “best” in when it comes to price. When choosing products to 3220. For police dispatch call (925) 284-5010 or 911. Public Works: Responsible for maintaining the achieve maximum financial returns over the course of 25 plus years, the wise choice is a quality product that combines and ranks high in all of the necessary above-mentioned traits. Ultimately the best insurance policy infrastructure of the City including road repair, storm is excellent product. One American manufacturer is about to increase their solar panel warranty to 30 years. drains, and landscaping of public property. The Public Works Corp Yard is located at 3001 Camino Diablo, A product with a flawless performance history backed by such a warranty is easy to trust. am pm Value: Three separate groups should benefit from the research published by the New York Times. Manu- Lafayette. Hours are 7 – 3 Monday-Friday. For facturers with rigorous testing and quality controls should be able to reap the rewards of their value-add questions call (925) 934-3908. To report potholes, streetlight outages, traffic signal problems and other approach by selling more product. Installers who have strived to maintain a business plan which is most advantageous to their customers issues call the Hotline at (925) 299-3259. Parks&Recreation:Responsibleforthemanagement will also likely be rewarded with their foresight. Satisfied customers generate more referral business for the and operation of a variety of recreation programs, special installer. events and facilities including the Lafayette Community Customers who have chosen quality over price are vindicated in their choice of product. Those extra few Center, the Community Park and a system of city trails. dollars you’ve spent on high quality products are an inexpensive insurance policy which will ensure 25 plus The Parks & Recreation (Community Center) is located years of excellent financial returns. 500 St. Mary’s Road, Lafayette. Hours are 9am – 5pm If you’re wondering whether your solar system is operating at optimum, or how you can leverage the Monday-Saturday. For questions call (925) 284-2232. most financial return out of your solar system, please contact us. We provide bi-monthly seminars to solar CodeEnforcement:ResponsibleforenforcingtheLafayette home and business owners in our Danville showroom. Municipal Code. The Code Enforcement Officer concentrates Mark Becker is the President of GoSimpleSolar, by Semper Fidelis Construction Inc, a Danville on the investigation and abatement of complaints involving land based Solar Installation Firm (License 948715). Mark can be reached at 925.915.9252. Visit GoS- use (zoning), housing conditions, abandoned vehicles, signs, impleSolar’s showroom at 114 West Prospect Avenue in Danville or www.GoSimpleSolar.com, or animals and vermin, weeds/fire hazards, fences and general email Mark@GoSimpleSolar.com. Advertorial public nuisances. Contact Mark Robbins at (925) 299-3207.
Page 12 - July 2013 ~ Lafayette Today
Another Cycle
By Art Lehman, Village Associates Realtors
Record low interest rates appear to be ending and slowly creeping up. The Mortgage Bankers Association predicts they may reach 4.7% by the end of the year. I guess that signals a better economy. As usual it puts sellers and buyers in a quagmire. From February until May the prices have climbed substantially in our area. This has been due to a combination of low inventory, pent-up buyer demand, and low interest rates. I’m not certain that abundant inventory is on the horizon – many people say if they don’t have to move are staying – especially if they refinanced at such historically low rates. The low interest rates are still very low. I’m sure some of my readers remember 11%-18% rates. But the
Busy Life Cooking
By Amy Corstorphine
Growing up, my parents had a list of three skills that my brothers and I had to have. The first was to swim. Second was to know how to drive a manual car. Third was to know how to cook. As I’ve gone to college and lived with roommates from all over, it has never ceased to shock me how few of my peers know how to cook. Either their parents didn’t cook when they lived at home and frequently bought pre-made meals or takeout, or their parents didn’t spend the time to teach them how to make the homemade meals that they pine for while they’re away at school. Although nothing can beat your mom’s cooking (Doesn’t everything taste better when someone else cooks and cleans?), it’s a shame that so many people my age seem to believe that they are not able to cook healthy and delicious food for themselves. Yes, I’ll be the first to admit that it’s easy to pick up a frozen dinner from Trader Joe’s on your way home from class, or go out to get a burrito instead of cooking. And every once in a while, those are fine as treats. But as my roommates have found, getting takeout every night of the week does not do good things to your budget (or your waistline). Recently, I had Taco Thursday with some of my friends. I made crockpot salsa chicken and Spanish rice from scratch to go in to the tacos. My friends were amazed that I knew how to make these things, asking me where I found the recipes and how I knew to make it. The funny part is that they are two of the simplest recipes I know! For a weeknight dinner, crockpot chicken has become a favorite. My grandmother gave me her crockpot, and I am so excited to experiment more and try new recipes with it! For the chicken, use a 16 oz jar of salsa (or one and a half jars, depending on how much sauce you want), 1 lb chicken breast (boneless and skinless), 2-3 tsp cumin, and a packet of taco seasoning (2-3 tsp if you don’t have a packet). Put the salsa and cumin in the bottom of the crockpot, give it a quick
Lic# 1100014354; Bay Area Entertainment
www.yourmonthlypaper.com new guys and gals on the block never experienced that, so even one point looms large for them. Will it stop them from buying? I suspect it won’t, as long as increased home prices don’t go off the charts. Higher interests rates coupled with escalating prices will certainly make affordability an issue. So in the end we are looking once again to find the sweet spot for a thriving real estate market. We want to see a healthy number of motivated buyers in the marketplace and a healthy number of homes going on the marke. For sellers to sell they also need to see a good steady increase in the sale prices. If we can get there, I suspect history tells us we will be just fine! If you have any questions on selling or buying a home in the area, please contact me at 925-200-2591 or by email at art@artlehman.com. Please feel free to email a topic for the next article too. If you’d like a free automatic email update of current listings and sales, call or visit my website to sign up, www. artlehman.com. Advertorial stir to incorporate all the ingredients, and add the chicken breasts on top. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8. With about half an hour left, add in the taco seasoning and stir. Shred with two forks when it’s done. If it seems like there’s too much sauce, you can leave the top off for the last half hour of cooking. The nice thing about this recipe is that I can put it in the crockpot before class, and then I can come home after class and studying and have a great meal prepared for me. Low time commitment, but great results! The other great thing about this dish is that it is a very customizable recipe – you can add pinto beans, corn, cream cheese, bell peppers, jalapenos, or whatever your heart desires during the cooking process to customize it. The Spanish rice takes a little more time to prepare, but it is definitely worth it if you have half an hour. The rice is also quite customizable. The ingredients are ½ onion (chopped), ½ bell pepper (diced), 1 carrot (finely chopped – or if you’re trying to use up baby carrots, use ¾ cup of chopped), 1 cup long grain rice, 1 ½ cup chicken broth, 1 can stewed tomatoes (juice left in), 1 pinch cumin, 1 tsp chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook onion, pepper, and carrots in a little oil. Once cooked and a little translucent, add rice. Stir occasionally, but not too much. Once rice is browned, add spices and stir. Add chicken broth and tomatoes with juice, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover for 20 minutes (leave undisturbed – no peaking and no stirring!). If needed, add more broth. If you’re not a big fan of bell peppers and carrots, feel free to take them out. Or add some garlic. Or use diced tomatoes that have chilies in them. Whatever you do, have fun with it! I have learned in the past couple of years that my must-have ingredients that I always have on deck are 1-2 bell peppers, a tomato, garlic, onion, eggs, tortillas, and broccoli. Yes, all together they may be a bit strange. But in addition to basic pantry staples, you can make great, cheap, healthy, and fast meals with almost any combination of them. Cook the garlic and onion, add the broccoli to steam in the pan, and add to some pasta with a little parmesan and pesto/marinara/olive oil, and it’s an easy quick dinner! You can add some chicken if you want protein, as well. Cooking has become one of my favorite hobbies, and I hope that I can share my love of it with those around me. I’ve already made plans with some friends to make 1-2 meals a week together over summer to teach them how to make easy basic lunches and dinners for when they go back to school!
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Lafayette Today ~ July 2013 - Page 13
Lafayette Community Garden and Outdoor Learning Center Classes
Flavio Carvalho Law
Family Law Estate Planning Immigration
Please join us for one of our classes at the Lafayette Community Garden across from the Reservoir. These classes are interactive, informative and fun, so come join us and prepare to get your hands dirty!
2950 Buskirk Ave, Suite 300, Walnut Creek Two locations to serve you 100 Pine Street, Suite 1250, San Francisco
Saturday, July 13- 3:30 to 5pm ~ Lafayette’s Amazing Natural History
Doc Jim Hale, wildlife biologist, naturalist and ethnobiologist, will bring alive the natural history of our Lafayette Community Garden site. Learn what plants thrived here and how they were used by 415.745.3324 | fc@flaviocarvalholaw.com local Native Americans. Find out what animals visit our area while we sleep at night. Doc Hale is www.flaviocarvalholaw.com an expert on wild, edible plants, the medicinal and cultural use of herbs, and mountain lion ecology in Contra Costa County. This class will delight people of all ages. With home values increasing, take advantage of
Saturday August 10 ~ 10:30am to noon ~ Composting 101
Linda Mizes, Master Gardener, helped establish school gardens throughout Contra Costa County and managed a lunch composting program at Orinda Intermediate School. She produced an instructional video, “Compost Cooks,” for elementary and middle school students, and was awarded Orinda’s William Penn Mott, Jr. Environmental Award for her work in the schools. Come alone or bring the whole family, and learn how easy it is to enrich your soil and reduce waste through composting and worm composting. Classes are free, although a $5 donation is appreciated. To register for a class. please visit www. lafayettecommunitygarden.org, and click on “Classes.”
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Shop Talk from The Mechanic By René Aguirré, The Mechanic Keeping cool during the hot months!
Summer is here! Air conditioning is an important amenity to have working at this time of year. Are you ready to battle the heat on your travels this summer visiting family and friends? Air conditioning is something that lots of us use to help us get through these hot months of summer. Many of us will be taking road trips, mini-vacations, or running some errands this summer. We all know how quickly the mood changes when the air conditioning goes out on those exceptionally hot afternoons. Keeping the climate in your car comfortable- Air conditioning systems are closed systems that generally have these parts: compressor, condenser, evaporator, receiver- drier, and accumulator, orifice tube or thermal expansion valve. All of these parts together are responsible for keeping the passenger area of your car cool through a three-step process of pressurization, condensation, and vaporization. These are a few things to know about your air conditioning system: 1. Leaks are the most common issues with air conditioning systems. Because air conditioning is a closed system, leaks will occur at the weakest point in the system. Your mechanic has specific equipment to test where these leaks are to fix them. 2. Older vehicles with air conditioning systems use R-12 Freon. The EPA has eliminated this in all refrigeration systems, including your older vehicle. The new standard is R-134. Your vehicle can be retrofitted by changing out seals, hoses, and sometimes the compressor. The compressor will have to be changed out if it is not compatible to the new seals and hoses. 3. Initial repairs on air conditioning systems involve injecting dye into the system, evacuating the system to create a vacuum, charging the system with the refrigerant, and checking for leaks with an ultraviolet light. Sometimes the dye and leaks are obvious, and sometimes they are not. 4. Unfortunately, air conditioning repairs can be costly and yes, sometimes frustrating! You might have a repair done, and then have no cold air a month or sometimes a week later. The initial repair may not have fixed the whole problem. Once the initial leak is fixed, another leak can happen at another weak point or a different part of the system, such as the compressor and/or condenser can fail. Keeping cool this summer will make road trips and adventures enjoyable. As always, communicate with your mechanic and understand what is being done for an air conditioning job and any other maintenance necessary for your car. You are your best car advocate! Happenings at the shop - Our team had an excellent time on Fathers’ Day celebrating the 4th annual Motorama- World of Wheels, car show! Close to 100 vehicles were on display at the new location at Plaza Park and Golden Gate Way. Over 10,000 people cruised through the venue checking out some really neat vehicles! The Triple Nickel Racing Team was on hand to talk about their car and Mexican 1000 experience. We continue to increase our participation in local and community events. Part of this is to offer our shop as a FREE and unique event space. Looking for a different kind of atmosphere for your fundraiser, house concert, or other type of event? Call us today for more information. We are booking fast! You can now make appointments for service on our website at http://themechaniclafayette.com/appointments. Also, look out for coupons and discounts around the web. All summer long we will be offering labor discounts, free Starbucks, discounts at Enterprise car rental, and more! If you have any questions about this or any other “Shop Talk” issues, call The Mechanic today at (925) 283-5212. Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 7:30am - 5pm. We provide free shuttle service to the local area. The Mechanic is your personal car care consultant, taking care of all of your auto repair and servicing needs. Advertorial
Page 14 - July 2013 ~ Lafayette Today
How Much are your Trees Really Worth?
By Blaine Brende & Joe Lamb
With the world in economic and ecological turmoil, it pays to take a deep breath and consider the real value of your assets. It’s best to start this exercise close to home because for most Americans their largest asset is their home. A surprisingly large contribution— between 8 and 19%1 — to the value of your home comes from your trees, shrubs, and other landscape plants. If your house is worth $500,000, that places the value of your plants at between $40,000 and $90,0000. Your trees deserve care commensurate with the value they add to your home’s portfolio. Trees, of course, have value far beyond real estate. Here’s a quick tour of values economists give for urban trees: Trees add to home values and thereby form part of the tax base. In so doing trees help fund schools, fire protection services, and police. Trees work to clean the air. In the process of photosynthesis, trees absorb pollutants and even convert harmful chemicals, like nitrogen oxides and airborne ammonia, into benign forms. Trees act to reduce local tax rates by reducing infrastructure costs. Trees absorb rain and slow the speed at which storm water accumulates, thereby helping to prevent flooding and the need to install larger storm drains. Trees not only filter pollution, they help prevent it. Shade from trees can reduce air conditioning needs by as much as 30%, and trees planted to intercept prevailing winds can reduce heating needs significantly. “Projections suggest that 100 million additional mature trees in US cities (three trees for every unshaded single family home) could save over $2 billion in energy costs per year.” 2 Trees also help prevent car pollution. In the Sacramento area, an astounding 16% of air pollution comes from cars parked in the sun. Shade from trees greatly reduces the loss of gas, thereby reducing air pollution. Trees aid healing. When hospital rooms have views of trees, patients heal at a measurably faster rate. Trees help us fulfill Dorothy Day’s maxim: create a world in which it is easier to be nice to each other. Studies find that trees in public housing neighborhoods reduce levels of fear and decrease aggressive behavior; and stu-
Gardening with Kate By Kathleen Guillaume
Summer arrived so gently with sweet temperatures and a gigantic moon, which was a wonder. My peaches will be ready to harvest now, and my mouth salivates for the first bites out of my Albertas, the best of garden peaches. My Velvet Queen sunflower moves its burgundy blooms in a soft arch each day to follow the sun across the sky, and my Allen hummingbirds dance around the edges of my hose spray as I dampen all of my potted plants. They are so used to me that they flit at my elbows just inches from my arms; they are such a wonder, and I am so glad that I have dedicated my garden to nectars that keep them bound to me. Summer is a wonderfully slow time, with my Rudbeckia “Indian Summer” and Leonotas leonurtus (Lions Tail) creating great slashes of yellows and oranges catching my eyes with their deep rich color. I have adjusted my watering; it is always a learning process. Helen Erickson, a Master Gardener member of Lafayette Garden Club and a lecturer at the Contra Costa Times “Our Garden,” suggested that rather than water a complete cycle of, say, 20+ minutes on lawns or beds every few days it is better to water in smaller sequences; eight minutes, eight minutes, eight minutes, or five, five, five rather than one long session on the same day. This allows the water to settle into the soil. Half an hour later repeat and allow the water to penetrate a little deeper and so on. This eliminates water running off on the surface as the soil is capable of absorbing only so much...especially if it has dried. It is also critical to, with a very narrow spade, check the soil in several places in each bed to see if it is uniformly damp down 8” or so. If you find that only the top several inches are damp and then you hit drier soil, you
www.yourmonthlypaper.com dents with ADHD develop more self-discipline when they play in natural settings. Berkeley calculates that for every $1.00 the city spends on planting and pruning city trees, its citizens reap $1.40 in measurable benefits; for Sacramento the return is $1.80, and for New York City an astounding $5.00 is the return for every dollar spent. The value added to pruning and planting trees on your own property is higher than that for street trees because trees have a real effect on real estate prices. Overestimating the value of trees to the entire planet is impossible: how can you put a price on the continuation of human life? If too many trees are stripped from the planet, then tipping points in the carbon cycle are crossed making global warming spin out of control… and making the world too hot for human life. Our Earth is small, and global warming makes it ever smaller. The easy division between what is global and what is local no longer holds: a ton of carbon dioxide from burning rainforests in Borneo heats the air as much as a ton of carbon dioxide from the tail pipes of commuter traffic on I580. We are all part of the problem. We are all part of the solution. Trees play a role in all three strategies to fight global warming. Trees help reduce energy use, and they may someday become a source of renewable biofuels. We can protect and restore rainforests and other carbon sinks. Through its work in the Borneo Project, Brende and Lamb works hard to leverage local support for the protection of rainforests. Closer to home we can all help with strategic planting of urban trees to sequester carbon, to reduce heat island effects, and to lower energy consumption. The dividends far outstrip the costs of caring for trees as a necessary part of the ‘green economy.’ Like other living beings, trees do require care. With people it costs less to avoid getting sick than to pay for a cure. The same is true with trees. Quality care improves the health of your trees, extends their lifespan, and increases their beauty. Quality tree work pays dividends to you and to the planet. If you need help, do not hesitate to give us a call for advice or to do the work. At Brende and Lamb, we have 20 years of experience balancing the aesthetics of your trees and shrubs and maintaining your screening needs. If your trees need a little TLC, please call 510-486-TREE (8733) or email us at bl@brendelamb.com for a free estimate. Additionally, go to our website www.brendelamb.com to see before and after pictures, client testimonials, and work in your neighborhood. Advertorial 1. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090119210532.htm 2. http://www.treefolks.org/store_biglist.asp have a problem. It is good to remember that we had a very dry winter with a lot of unseasonably warm days, and in places the soil dried out very deeply. It takes a slow pattern of soaking to get the soil moist again. Some friends wait until a plant show stress before they check their soil, but a stressed plant signals unwanted pests, as if they have a special radio frequency, and they somehow find a way into your garden. Plants that are given a balance of food and water create a garden that has a minimum of “bad’ insects and creates a home where birds and beneficial insects thrive. The time you take to dig a few test holes with your spade is well worth the effort. It also lets you know if you are overwatering. If you find wet soil, soil that does not crumble in your hand, it is time to reduce those watering cycles. I am still clearing beds of plants I once loved, but require care that I no longer have the energy to attend. Slowly my garden fills with flowering shrubs and wonderful grasses that require less care and still are aesthetically pleasing. Stipa arundenaces “New Zealand Wind Grass” is one of my favorite. It is pale green turning to golds and bronzes. It does not send seedlings all over the place and is nicely mannered. Carex “Orange Sedge” is another favorite which creates a beautiful copper fountain of blades and pairs nicely with the more vertical “Bronze Sedge.” All of these grow in 18” clumps except the “Bronze Sedge” which is a little taller and eventually forms a base that is about 8”. These plants are great at a border in the summer and fall. If your garden theme is more toward the pastel colors, the blue fescues create lovely borders, and they are much lower and form mounds around 10”. Your local nursery can point all of these out to you. It is good also to ask about pollen loads, as grasses like the “Fountain Grass” can really bother people with allergies and asthma. Whereas the beauties I mentioned above are kinder. Another favorite of mine, Deschampsia “Northern Lights,” has striped foliage in pale green and pinks that turn golden in the fall and has better manners. This grass needs about the same space as “Fountain Grass.” Happy gardening!
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Lafayette Today ~ July 2013 - Page 15
Life in the Lafayette Garden
By John Montgomery, ASLA, Landscape Architect #4059 Swimming Pools
Summer is finally officially here, although it has been a mild one so far. I assure you that the summer heat is on the way. One way to keep you cool during those blazing hot Lafayette summers is to have a swimming pool. With the hotter months yet to come, Lafayette residents are finding creative ways to keep cool in their backyards. If you don’t already have a swimming pool, you might be knocking on your neighbor’s door offering 25 cents a head to take a dip, or is it more like $5 bucks now? Getting out the “Kiddy” pool, Slip n’ Slide, Crazy Daisy or just running through the sprinklers are some other creative ways to stay cool without a pool. If you are considering a swimming pool as a major asset to your home environment, here are some things to consider before jumping off the diving board. Pools in today’s terms are a major investment. No longer can you get a simple rectangular pool for less than $70,000. Most pools today are falling into the range of $70,000-100,000+. Why? It’s because of the complexity of the pool designs, accouterments, and locations they are being constructed at. Some key considerations in designing and constructing a pool are the engineering and accessories that accompany today’s pool. Most flat lot pools can be constructed with standard engineering. Most of Lafayette’s soil is either expansive clay-type or sandstone bedrock or both. If your pool is going into the clay-type soil, potential problems such as expansion, settlement, and drainage are major issues to consider. If you are digging into sandstone, that’s a good thing. You may pay more for digging, but most likely your pool will stay put. Popular additions to the pool design are spas; waterfalls; water slides; automatic covers; solar heating panels; in-floor cleaning systems; plasters such as pebble-Tec, Satin Matrix and Pebble Sheen, custom masonry and tile; and of course, computer systems to run the whole thing. Your computer can manage your pool temperature, lights, waterfall, filtering system, landscape lights, cleaning system, solar, and even turn on your spa to warm it up hours before you even get home for that late night dip. For those with a view, the ever-growing popularity of the vanishing edge or infinity edge pool is changing the way pools have been used in the traditional sense. With high-tech engineering and pier-holes drilled thirty feet into the ground, you can hang a pool off the edge of almost any hillside lot. Of course, you only do this if you are willing to spend what the average Lafayette home cost in the 1990’s. V-edge pools are simply breath-taking. Depending on the degree of difficulty you can expect these pools to start at $125,000. If you have the opportunity to design one of these babies into your home environment you will be totally awe-struck by the beauty of your surroundings being reflected into the mirror glass reflection of your vanishing edge. If you are planning a pool as part of your home environment, it is best to integrate the pool design and the landscape design as an integrated master plan design. Pool companies design pools but often end up plunking a pool into your backyard without consideration of your lifestyle and the rest of the project. Start by creating the environment as a whole and integrating a cohesive design of pool, hardscape, and softscape. Do you want a more naturalistic or formal
setting? Installing a pool also makes you think about what other elements you want in your backyard. What kind of pool decking would be best? Should you use concrete, flagstone, slate, etc? What other additions to your pool-side entertaining do you want? What is your budget? As you can see, designing a pool into your yard is a serious commitment and investment with a lot at stake. Swimming pools can certainly be the magnet of joy and good times, as well as a liability. If you decide that a pool should be in your backyard, always consider safety first, be vigilant, make sure your children are pool safe and never, ever leave them unattended, not even for a moment. A hot tip from your local Landscape Architect: Always hire a state licensed contractor to build your project.. Check their license status and referrals. Make sure they have done projects similar to your own. You can verify the status of a contractor at the California State License Board (CSLB). You can check on-line at www.cslb.ca.gov. Gardening Quote of the Month: “I can’t fly, but swimming is the next best thing.... The water is my sky.” ~Author Unknown 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
Succulent Propagation Workshop July 27th, 10 to 11:30AM
Propagation is one of the first techniques to learn as you explore your love for succulent water-conserving plants. Whether you want to use your plants in crafts and décor or just have an abundant collection in your garden, we will teach you the most successful and easiest methods of increasing your collection. Growing succulents from seed, while possible, is not the most common practice for the most popular varieties. Succulents are easy to propagate through different techniques, including division and taking cuttings. These activities produce quick results and utilize the natural tendency of the plant in a very effective way. Learn which types of plants thrive with which practices, see demonstrations of some of the more unique activities, and participate in some hands-on practice of the common routines that you will use frequently in your garden. The workshop will be held at The Ruth Bancroft Garden, located at 1552 Bancroft Road, Walnut Creek. The cost is $20 for general admission, and $12 for members. For more information and to register, call 925-944-9352. The Garden is open to the public daily, 10AM - 4PM. The 3.5 acre Ruth Bancroft Garden is filled with hundreds of stunning succulents.
Page 16 - July 2013 ~ Lafayette Today
Gender Differences and Investment Behavior
By Deborah Mitchell, CFA, MSW
Perceived differences between men and women have long been a source of jokes, movies and novels. The late 1980’s hit movie When Harry Met Sally and the 1990’s bestselling book Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, were extremely successful in bringing to life gender stereotypes. The movie and book were wildly popular because they were not only comical, but audiences could easily relate to well known differences between the sexes. Gender differences when asking for directions has also proven to be quite insightful. In many cases, men do not like to ask for directions when lost, while women seek them out. The distinction here is degree of confidence. Whether gender inclinations are a function of nature, nurture, or a combination of the two remains to be seen. Ongoing studies continue to tackle this paradigm. Strangely enough, however, the confidence trait disparity found in the “asking for directions” example also extends to behavioral finance. Studies have shown that confidence varies along gender lines when it comes to investing. Investors who are overconfident tend to overestimate the accuracy of their information. According to the 2001 Barber and Odean study “Boys Will Be Boys: Gender, Overconfidence and Common Stock Investment,” men were more prone to be overconfident than women. In the study, when both genders placed trades, often their bottom line suffered due to higher transaction costs. Men who were more overconfident than women traded more frequently. The men who traded excessively had lower returns than the women. For the most part, the women felt less confident about investing than men and traded less frequently. Further studies note gender differences in risk taking as well. Research has shown that men take on higher risk when investing and prefer above average or substantial risk. In contrast, women favor average or below average risk (Yao and Hanna 2005). Men owned more stocks than bonds in their investment portfolios. Yet, women were more inclined to hold fixed
www.yourmonthlypaper.com income instruments, such as government bonds (Hira and Loibl, 2006). Several other studies have confirmed that when it comes to investing behavior, women are more likely to be risk adverse than men. If men are more overconfident and women are more risk adverse, are women considered better investors in the long term? Generally speaking, men who tend to be overconfident may fare better in a bull market, while women with lower risk tolerance may prosper over men in a down market. What this discussion does suggest is that there are several psychological influences at work when investment decisions are made. Knowledge about gender differences and tendencies can be used by the individual investor to make more informed financial decisions.
Implications for the individual investor:
Don’t get caught up in gender stereotypes - While it is true that studies have found men sampled to be overconfident risk takers, many women fit the mold as well. Investment behavior comes down to personal preferences rather than gender based traits. Get in touch with your “money script” - Developing an awareness of personal beliefs about money, as well as family values is useful. Be sure to evaluate your strengths and limitations when it comes to dealing with money. Ask for help if you need it - No question is a dumb question. If you don’t understand investing, be proactive and take a class or read books on finance. If investing in the stock market feels intimidating, seek out an investment advisor for assistance with putting your money to work. Set investment goals - Develop investment goals and create a comprehensive investment plan. Establishing structured investment guidelines for the short and long term are where men and women should not differ when it comes to investing. 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. Deborah can be reached at 925-299-2000 or dmitchell@noroian.com. Advertorial
Beacon continued from front page
Wanting to honor their fallen comrades, the Oakland chapter of Pearl Harbor Survivors asked retired Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz to arrange a re-lighting of the Beacon on December 7, 1964. Following the success of that original ceremony, the Beacon has shone through the night on December 7th each year. Whether bulb replacement was required for that first commemoration is unknown. However, ironically, Japanese manufacturer Ushio produces the bulb now used in the Beacon. Retired Ranger Burt Bogardus has been keeping the Beacon working since he transferred to Mount Diablo State Park in 1975. He often accepted the task assigned to the “closing” ranger on December 7th: greeting the Pearl Harbor Survivors and turning on the light. “Several times,” he writes, “the light did not work. The wiring was very unreliable, the sockets were corroded, the drive belts and pulleys slipped, and even though I had it checked out beforehand, several times it didn’t turn on (either light up or revolve) at the appropriate time.” In keeping with Lindbergh’s initial lighting of the Beacon by remote control, Bogardus created a device to permit Pearl Harbor Survivors to switch on the historic symbol themselves rather than shout up to the ranger on duty to perform the task. “In the early 1980’s, I happened to be at a garage sale and saw a large electric relay. I immediately thought, ‘That would make a good remote control for the beacon’ and bought it for, I think, a dollar.” Although his fellow Beacon Restoration volunteers are concerned that Burt’s homemade product is not a licensed electrician’s handy work, his invention has functioned reliably for over thirty years, firmly establishing its place in Beacon folklore. Save Mount Diablo stepped in to co-sponsor the annual lighting of the Beacon in 2006 when the issue of liability insurance threatened to cancel the ceremony. Neither the State Park nor the Pearl Harbor Survivors were able to provide the necessary coverage, but SMD had an event policy in place that solved the problem.
The Beacon settles atop the new summit building c. 1939. Photo courtesy of Save Mount Diablo.
As a new volunteer at the time, Dick Heron was asked to help some of the veterans up the steps. His role soon expanded to running shuttle service by van to the summit from the lower parking lot. A retired project engineer for Del Monte Foods, Herron readily accepted Bogardus’s invitation to join him in keeping the Beacon functional. For the past six years he has helped replace parts. He comments in the Spring/Summer 2013 issue of Diablo Watch: “One year I had to push the Beacon manually for 45 minutes to get it loosened so the drive could keep it going.” As Beacon Restoration Project Leader, Herron is proud of the group of 16 volunteers currently committed to the task. “Talents include: safety coordination, historical preservation, contracting, electrical engineering, mechanical
See Beacon continued on page 18
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Are You Confident About Your Estate Planning Team? By Robert J. Silverman, Attorney at Law
As always, the first question about estate planning is: Do you have an estate plan? Naturally, if the answer is no, you should change that by working with an experienced estate planning attorney to establish and obtain advice about core documents, including a living trust; will; power of attorney; and advance health care directive. If you have an estate plan, the next question is: When was the last time you had it reviewed and updated with legal counsel? Consumers sometime view estate planning as a static, one time event. It’s not. Your life and those of your loved ones change. Your financial situation has ups and downs. New tax law is passed. Estate planning law and practice evolves. As I’ve written frequently, it’s generally a great idea to engage in a comprehensive estate planning review at least every 3-5 years, or sooner if anything material changes in your financial or personal life. If you have an estate plan, you also have an estate planning team. The team may seem to consist of just your estate planning lawyer. Who else might you consider or hire to be part of your team? Albeit some of these team members play smaller and some larger roles, they might include (among others) the following professionals, as merited - your: i) tax accountant; ii) financial advisor; iii) insurance (life, disability, long term care, etc.) agent(s); iv) business attorney; v) banker; vi) real estate agent; vii) mortgage broker. If you have read my articles before, you know I place a high value on hiring excellent professional advisors. A solid investment in the right professional team members can pay off handsomely in helping you make a series of important decisions throughout your life. People establish and continue relationships with various professional team members for a whole host of reasons. Interestingly, these reasons often do not include that the client is extremely confident about the ability, responsiveness, and ethics of a particular advisor. In my view, it’s very important to evaluate carefully when hiring, and re-evaluate at appropriate intervals, your level of confidence in each of your professional advisors. If it’s anything but very high, you should really make a change or add a team member who can fill a particular need in an expert manner. We are fortunate to live in an area in which there are many fine professionals from whom one can choose. Aside from professional advisors, you’ll need to assemble the right “personal team
Lafayette Today ~ July 2013 - Page 17 members” – typically loved ones and/or close friends (and in appropriate circumstances, private or institutional fiduciaries). These are folks you appoint to serve, at the appropriate time when called upon, a critical role in your estate plan, including: • The successor trustee(s) of your living trust; • The executor and successor executor(s) of your will; • The person(s) you nominate in your will to serve as guardian of your minor children; • The primary and successor agents you nominate in your Advance Health Care Directive to make medical decisions if you become incapacitated; • The primary and successor agents you designate under your Durable Power of Attorney to handle your financial matters if you become unable to do so. Just as it’s important to have a full, excellent team of professional estate planning team members, it’s essential that your estate planning documents designate the key personal team members who are most likely to carry out your affairs responsibly and in accordance with your wishes when the need arises. Your estate planning attorney can and should play a valuable role in helping you identify sound, objective criteria for making these appointments. Of course, subjective and emotional issues should not be ignored or dismissed; however, a seasoned estate planning attorney and other professional team members can be very helpful in identifying potential conflicts, warning signs, risks and problems with a client’s initial instincts about who will fill these personal team member positions. The neutral “reality check” such professionals are able to present – particularly when based on many years of actual experience helping people plan and administer trusts/estates – should provide powerful assistance in helping you appoint an estate planning team in which you have justifiable confidence. Do you remember those you chose (when your documents were originally drafted or last revised) as primary and alternates for each of the handful of critical roles I identified above? If not, it should only take a few minutes to pull out your documents and check. If you don’t feel very strongly that these are your best current candidates, be proactive and work with your estate planning attorney to re-evaluate these prior decisions and revise your documents to set up the optimal team. Mr. Silverman is an attorney with Buchman Provine Brothers Smith LLP, 1333 N. California Street, Suite 350, Walnut Creek, CA 94596; (925) 944-9700; rsilverman@ sbllp.com. His practice emphasizes Estate Planning, Trust Administration & Probate, Real Estate, and Business. Mr. Silverman offers a free introductory consultation. This article is intended to provide information of a general nature, and should not be relied upon as legal, tax, financial and/ or business advice. Readers should obtain and rely upon specific advice only from their own qualified professional advisors. This communication is not intended or written to be used, for the purpose of: i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code; or ii) promoting, marketing, or recommending to another party any matters addressed herein. Advertorial
Quick Trips
By Linda Summers Pirkle The New Exploratorium
The New Exploratorium, located at Pier 15 in San Francisco, is open. It is beautiful. The publication Explore says, “Glass surfaces act as mirrors large and small, revealing and reflecting in surprising ways. The surrounding bay waters double this effect, reflecting the architecture of the new campus as well as the city and natural landscape around it.” On a Thursday evening, my son Reed, age 22, and I took BART to Embarcadero station and walked along the waterfront on Bay View Walk (10 minutes) to the New Exploratorium. From the moment we arrived, helpful and friendly staff answered View of Bay Bridge from the Exploratorium's Observatory Terrace. questions and seemed genuinely happy to be working at the New Exploratorium. I later found out that the orange jacketed staff is made up of 300 students recruited from Bay Area schools to help visitors understand the exhibits and also to learn more about science themselves. There is so much to see as the space is the size of three football fields. There are over 600 exhibits. Besides just looking, though, the visitor is encouraged to touch, tinker, and even smell the exhibits. I spoke to Ms. Leslie Patterson, Public Information Officer at the Exploratorium who pointed out some of the most popular exhibits. The Giant Mirror, where you will usually find a crowd, is an interactive giant upside-down image. Even the smallest faraway object appears in perfect focus. Another must see is Team Pac-Man, where visitors are required to cooperate to play a classic video game-each player can only move the Pac-Man in one direction. According to the website, in Team Pac-Man, you are the exhibit! My favorite exhibit, The Changing Face of What is Normal, a special exhibit until April 2014, explores “how we have defined, categorized, and treated people who fall outside of a professional or societal conception of what constitutes normal mental health and activity” according to the website. This exhibit takes a while to explore, as it is made up of photographs, video, poetry, and compelling artifacts. I also loved the Fog Bridge, by artist Fujiko Nakaya. The website explains it as ephemeral and other-worldly. It magically envelops a 150-foot-long pedestrian bridge between Piers 15 and 17 in an ever-changing blanket of fog. It is lit at night, and it is indeed magical. After spending about two hours in the exhibit area, we headed up to the Bay Observatory Gallery on the second floor. What a sight! From the deck we could see the Bay Bridge light show with the rising full moon behind it. Everyone who came up to the deck made the same exclamation, “Wow!” The museum has two restaurants, a walk-up in the front of the museum and SeaGlass, with 200 seats inside and additional seats outside facing the bay and the pier. Even though the restaurant was very busy, Executive Chef Loretta Kelly found the time to make us feel welcome. Reed and I had the lamb and pulled pork tacos which were delicious. The menu includes honeycomb paired with cheese, rotisserie chicken, pizza, salad, soups, and sushi. The prices range from $9-$13 for entrees. • Thursday evenings at the Exploratorium from 6PM -10PM are for adults only. The first Thursday of the month has a theme, and oftentimes there is music. • Bay Area residents are eligible for a discounted rate (except Thursday night which is already discounted), so mention your zip code upon arrival. The Exploratorium is openTuesday-Sunday, 10AM-5PM,Wednesday until 10PM andThursday for adults only (over the age of 18) from 6PM-10PM.Their website is www.exploratorium.edu. To share your “Quick Trips” ideas, email Coverthemap@gmail.com.
Page 18 - July 2013 ~ Lafayette Today
Options for Knee Pain for the Over 40 Athlete By Dr. Jeffrey G. Riopelle, MD
Knee pain is one of the most common causes of reduction in activity for people over 40. To understand how to help knee pain, one must start at the root of the pain. Although the knee is a rather complex joint with movement in multiple directions, knee pain can best be understood as resulting from one or more of four basic causes: ligamentous pain, meniscus pain, pre-patellar bursitis pain, and chondral cartilage pain. By far the most common cause of knee pain in people over 40 is chondral cartilage pain, which includes arthritis, and this article will mostly be focused on this cause. But let’s discuss the others first. Ligamentous pain occurs due to an injury to one or more of the four ligaments: the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), the posterior cruciate ligament, the medial collateral (MCL), or the lateral collateral ligament. These injuries are common in high intensity younger athletes, especially football, basketball, and soccer players. Ligamentous pain injuries are less common in older athletes, but they may lead to chondral cartilage pain years after the original injury if the injury, especially an ACL, was never fixed. With ligamentous pain, the involved ligament is either torn completely or partially disrupted. Diagnosis of ligamentous pain is made by exam and by MRI. Treatment usually involves ACL reconstruction for an ACL and may involve either surgery or non-surgical treatment for the other injuries. The meniscus is a band of cartilage around the edge of the knee joint which aids in smooth motion of the joint. Meniscus injury can occur in any age group from a twisting injury or blow to the knee. It is most commonly seen in football players and other high intensity collision sports players. There are two meniscuses, the lateral and medial meniscus in each knee. Similarly to ACL injuries, an untreated meniscus injury can lead to chondral cartilage damage years later. Diagnosis is again made by exam and MRI. Treatment usually includes repair or partial removal of the meniscus via arthroscopic surgery. Pre-patellar bursitis is the least serious of any of the causes of knee pain. A bursa is a thin sack filled with the body’s own natural lubricating fluid. This slippery sack allows different tissues such as muscle, tendon, and skin to slide over bony surfaces without catching. If the bursa becomes inflamed from repeated trauma or kneeling, a bursitis occurs, and the knee can become painful and swollen. In the case of bursitis, however, the problem is not in the joint itself. Treatment includes rest, ice,
www.yourmonthlypaper.com anti-inflammatory medications, and occasionally drainage and/or cortisone injection. Chondral cartilage pain (including arthritis) is the most common cause of knee pain in the over 40 athlete. It occurs either due to chronic wear and tear from overuse or kneeling, or due to a specific injury. A trauma to the knee can scuff the cartilage or, as mentioned above, an old meniscus tear or ligament tear can cause the knee to function improperly year after year, leading to chondral damage. The chondral cartilage lines the bony surfaces that rub against each other in the joint, i.e., the femur, the patella, and the tibia. As the cartilage becomes scuffed more and more, it gradually wears down to the underbone and arthritis occurs. Bone spurs can form due to the inflammation. Diagnosis can be made by exam in combination with xray or MRI. Standard arthroscopic surgery to “clean out the joint” is surprisingly ineffective for both chondromalacia (cartilage wear and tear) and arthritis. What treatments are helpful? Generally a combination of treatments is most helpful. Anti-inflammatory medications will help pain and swelling although they have not been shown to reduce progression to arthritis. Physical therapy and straight leg raises rebuild muscle strength and help in realigning the knee. Ice at night and heat in the morning are helpful. High quality shock absorbent shoes and padding help keep the cartilage hydrated and help take wear and tear off the joint. We also recommend eliminating exacerbating factor such as kneeling and squatting and, as the joint worsens, discontinuing high impact exercises such as running. Low impact exercises on the other hand keep the joint moving and can be helpful with reducing pain and swelling. Pilate’s exercises, done properly, can be particularly helpful. In our practice, we have found that supplements such as glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM are worth a try and provide significant improvement in symptoms for many patients. Studies show conflicting evidence about glucosamine and chondroitin, but our experience with these has been positive. Tylenol is also helpful for pain relief. For osteoarthritis, cortisone injections can provide up to six months relief, but with each subsequent injection, the time to recurrence of symptoms typically shortens. Hyaluronic acid injections such as sinvisc have typically been the last resort prior to knee replacement. When all else fails and pain is to the point it disrupts routine activities, knee replacement becomes the final option. One new final possibility for joint rejuvenation available in our office through a study protocol involves the use of autologous (your own) stem cells. We are now accepting local patients for a patient sponsored study through the Ageless Regenerative institute to evaluate the regenerative properties of stem cells in the knee. Further information is available through our office. 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
Beacon continued from page 16 engineering, machining, sheet metal work, welding, optics, HazMat work.” For example, Scott Miner, Los Positas College Welding Instructor, had his students construct a special frame to safely transport the Beacon to Concord for repair. John Gallagher volunteered to help coordinate the effort as soon as SMD Executive Director Ron Brown began talking about tackling the Beacon’s long overdue rehabilitation. Asked how an organization dedicated to environmental conservation was prepared to push for a solution to keeping the Beacon alive, Gallagher responded: “Part of SMD’s mission refers to preservation of our agricultural and historic heritage.” A major step forward was taken when Assemblymember Joan Buchanan sponsored AB 1916, a bill authorizing the state Department of Parks and Recreation to enter into an operating agreement with Save Mount Diablo, permitting the engagement of volunteers as well as licensed professionals in the effort to preserve the Eye of Diablo. Gallagher, Herron and Brown all worked with Buchanan on fine-tuning the bill. Signed into law by Governor Brown on July 17, 2012, the legislation makes possible for the first time the involvement of a private non-profit organization in a significant capital project under the auspices of the public Department of Parks and Recreation. “Once we got past the legislation,” Gallagher says, “the state historians have been quite cooperative and supportive of the project.” Herron adds, “We also understand that the DPR Historians are the preservation experts, so we look to them for guidance as well as our hired Conservator. We do not want to lose any feature of historical significance.” A complete record of every step of the process is being added to a tome already running to 144 pages that details all documentable aspects of the Beacon’s original configuration, maintenance, and 85-year history. Herron explains the importance of SMD’s role pioneering position: “If we perform well on the Beacon Rehabilitation project, then it will be easier for other organizations to step forward with assistance for the Department of Parks and Recreation, and to be approved for such work; it will be easier for these organizations to begin their work if there is a structure The 1928 Standard Oil tower had neon letters flashing S for Standard in place.” See Beacon continued on page 22
and D for Diablo in Morse Code. Photo courtesy of Save Mount Diablo.
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Fighting ALS from the Beginning By Jim Carlson - Certified Senior Advisor
Early detection and diagnosis of any disease is important, and if you or a loved one has unexplained symptoms, seeking medical attention is the first step. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a disease that affects motor neurons in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and affect muscle movement. The ongoing damage from ALS causes motor neurons to die. When this occurs, the brain can no longer start or control muscle movement. This can eventually lead to paralysis. Although each person’s symptoms vary, early signs of ALS include slurred and nasal speech, difficulty chewing, twitching, muscle weakness affecting an arm or a leg, and cramping and stiffness of muscles. Difficulty with breathing and swallowing often occur as ALS progresses. One of the most prevalent symptoms of ALS is muscle weakness. Unfortunately, this can make any daily activity (ie. writing, eating, walking [tripping over carpet edges], dressing, and climbing stairs) difficult. Many people with ALS also experience problems with salivation and excessive turning in bed and adjusting clothes. Since ALS attacks only motor neurons, the senses of sight, touch, hearing,
Your Personal Nutritionist
By Linda Michaelis, RD. MS. Nutrition Has a Major Impact on Fertility
Lafayette Today ~ July 2013 - Page 19 taste, and smell are not affected. For many people, muscles of the eyes and bladder are generally not affected. Even though there is no known cure for ALS, it is critical to get an early and accurate diagnosis. Tests include blood and urine studies, X-rays (MRI and myelogram), Electro diagnostic tests (evaluates the body’s electrical activity), a spinal tap, muscle and/or nerve biopsies, and neurological exams. If you are living with ALS, it is important to surround yourself with a team of ALS experts and “health care extenders.” This team can have a positive effect on an improved quality of life! The ALS Association is the first place to start, and they can be reached at www.alsa.org or (800) 782-4747. In addition, a Neurologist who specializes in neuromuscular disorders, a Respiratory Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Psychologist and/or Psychiatrist, Social Worker, Massage/Relaxation Therapist, Speech Therapist, and Dietician can all be valuable resources for improved quality of life. Additional resources can be found at these websites: • Symptoms of ALS http://bit.ly/10buHmH • Living a Fuller Life with ALS http://bit.ly/ZPU5yL • ALS Support Groups http://bit.ly/1444ne0 Jim Carlson is a Certified Senior Adviser and Owner/Director of Griswold Home Care which specializes in providing Quality in-home care at an affordable price. Jim can be reached at 925-297-5110 or at www. griswoldhomecare.com/diablo-valley. Advertorial pregnancy issues. Many of my female client get nervous when they hear this, and I help them add the dairy and then teach them to compensate by eating less fat in the other meals of the day. The study addresses the need to take prenatal vitamins that contain folic acid, iron, and B vitamins. For folic acid the women who got at least 700 mcg a day from diet and supplements were 50% less likely to have infertility vs. women that were getting less than 300 mcg a day. For iron, the benefit came with high doses of 40-80 mg. It was surprising that the sources of iron mattered. Women receiving their iron from meat were not well protected, while those receiving iron from veggies, beans, and supplements were more successful. I work with clients on a two part strategy, including foods rich in folic acid and iron in their diet. Beverages do matter. Water is great; coffee, tea and alcohol are OK in moderation. Leave sugared sodas and juice alone. A glass of wine once a week or cup of coffee once a day will not adversely affect ovulation. Women in the high caffeine group were no more likely to have problems with infertility compared to women who had barely any caffeine. Lastly, I receive many referrals from OBGYN’s for women that are suggested to lose weight to increase success with pregnancy. Excess weight causes insulin levels to climb and causes an increase in the amount of testosterone in the ovaries and bloodstream which can contribute to infertility. The Nurses’ study showed us that women with the highest BMI’s had trouble with infertility. I work very closely with my clients, holding their hand, talking to them each day, and making sure the weight comes off as quickly as possible with a healthy and tasty diet based on their favorite foods. I know this is an emotional time, and support is very important especially with work schedules and social occasions. Linda is glad to inform you that nutrition counseling is covered by many health insurances. Please feel free to call LindaRD and tell her about your nutrition concerns. You can call her at (925) 855-0150 or e-mail her at lifeweight1@yahoo.com. Also please refer to website www.LindaRD.com for past articles, tips on nutrition, and recipes. Advertorial
I have been seeing several women who are concerned with how their diet is affecting their ability to become pregnant. I am glad to inform you that there has been groundbreaking research from the long term Nurses’ Health Study that indicates that various components of diet can help avoid infertility. The researchers chose nurses for the study because they can be counted on to provide accurate and reliable information. In 1989 the second round of the Nurses’ study specifically explored fertility and was led by Drs. Jorge Chavarro and Walter Willett of the Harvard School of Public Health. The results of the study were that simple nutrition changes can offer a powerful boost to ovulation-related fertility. Here are some of the important findings which I have attempted to incorporate into my counseling: Avoid trans fats which are artificial fats that have been extensively discouraged but are still widely used in commercially processed foods such as in French fries, donuts, and margarines. Healthy fats such as olive oil, canola oil, and peanut oil should be substituted. You must get more protein from plants and less from animals. The study revealed that women that consumed the highest animal protein were 39% more likely to experience infertility. Thus, adding one serving a day of red meat, chicken, or turkey predicted a one third increase in risk for infertility, while adding a serving of legumes, tofu, or nuts protected against infertility. In my work with couples I introduce to them a plan to still enjoy animal protein along with incorporating dishes that are plant protein based and simple and easy to prepare. Choose whole grains instead of highly refined white flour products that will create a slower effect on blood sugar and insulin levels. The study showed that women eating easily digested carbs such as white bread, pasta, sodas, and juices with little fiber exhibited insulin resistance. The resulting increase in insulin levels disrupts the finely tuned balance of hormones needed for reproduction. It is my job to show my clients how to substitute the carbs they enjoy with whole wheat breads, brown rice, and new grains such as quinoa and bulgur and to be creative with lots of bean dishes. I tell them that during the summer they should keep all the types of beans they enjoy in the fridge, and enjoy them with salsa or an olive oil vinaigrette like the old-fashioned three bean salad. The study shows you must have a full-fat dairy product such as a www.dumploadsonus.com • www.erecycleonus.com glass of whole milk or a small dish of ice cream every day. Removing fat from milk radically changes its balance of sex hormones like estrogen, 1271 Boulevard Way, Walnut Creek progesterone, and androgens that can create infertility. The more full fat Monday-Friday, 8-5 • Saturday 9-1, Sunday, closed dairy products the nurses had in their diet, the less difficulty they had with
925.934.3743 • 925.934.1515
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Page 20 - July 2013 ~ Lafayette Today
Sun Safety for Life
By Barbara Persons, MD, Persons Plastic Surgery, Inc.
I’m often asked about the most common factors contributing to the aging process. Everyday exposure to the sun, pollution, and other factors in our environment contribute to the natural aging process. As residents of the Bay Area, we are fortunate to live in a very mild climate with lots of sunny days. However, this fortune comes at a price, as the sun is the number one enemy we battle in our quest to retain our youthful appearance. Frequency and intensity of sun exposure accelerates the aging process, damages skin, and increases the incidence of skin cancer. As such, part of any healthy lifestyle includes practicing sun safety. We start our lives with thin delicate baby skin and end up with thin delicate elder skin. The care we take to protect our skin really does make a difference. Wearing hats, sunglasses, protective clothing, and liberal use of sunscreen are necessary precautions to protect us from our infancy to our golden years. This summer, I have noticed children at the pool and playground becoming red and sunburned. Just one bad sunburn in childhood increases our lifetime risk of melanoma (the most fatal form of skin cancer). We need to take effective precautions to reduce these risks. While it is true that over-exposure to the sun may result in more sunspots and premature or excessive wrinkles, melanoma is a very serious consequence of enjoying too much sun throughout our lifespan. Recently, I removed over 50 skin lesions from a 70 year-old patient. Sadly, most of these lesions could have been avoided with a better understanding of how the sun damages the skin and knowledge of the best practices to protect it. The sun emits two types of ultraviolet rays - UVA and UVB. Either can cause sunburn and damage skin. It is a common misconception that cloudy days offer protection from sunburn. UVA and UVB rays penetrate clouds and still result in sunburn and damaged skin. Medications can also increase the risk of sunburn. These medications include many antibiotics, most acne medications, and some antidepressants. It is always wise to review your medications with your doctor or
Brainwaves by Betsy Streeter
pharmacist regarding sun sensitivity. The best way to enjoy the sunshine is to limit exposure when the sun rays are most intense (between 10am and 4pm) and to use adequate sunscreen protection at all times. While the use of sunscreen is critical, it must be used properly in order to be effective. Follow these simple and effective guidelines for sunscreen use • Sunscreens with a zinc base and broad spectrum coverage are optimal, and zinc is found in higher end brands (we offer Skinmedica, Skinceuticals, Obagi, and Image in our office). • While these brands are some of the most effective available, even the cheapest generic sunscreen is better than wearing nothing at all. • Do not wait until you are in the sun to apply. Sunscreens are designed to be absorbed into the skin. Apply liberally (two ounces, equivalent to a full shot glass, for arms and legs) 30 minutes before sun exposure. Sunscreen should be reapplied after swimming or excessive sweating. • Regular use of sunscreen can begin at six months of age and used indefinitely. • SPF means “sun protection factor.” SPF of four provides protection allowing four times the sun exposure before burning. SPF eight equals eight times and so on. SPF 15 blocks 93% of incoming UVB rays, SPF 30 blocks 97%, SPF 50 blocks 98%, and SPF 100 blocks 99% of UVB rays. • One year of sun protection yields noticeably improved skin and reduced risk. It is never too early, or too late, to start using sunscreen so start applying it now. • Yearly skin checks with your GP, dermatologist, or plastic surgeon will help detect skin cancer early. These recommendations are meant to be guidelines and need to be tailored to individual skin types. If sunburn does occur, use of cold compresses, over the counter Benadryl, and pain medication may help with the sting. In cases of longer-term sun damage or skin cancer, your dermatologist and your plastic surgeon can help. As always, I welcome the opportunity to help you explore the options available. I wish you a sun safe and happy summer season! Barbara L. Persons, MD is a Board Certified 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. Advertorial
Ask Dr. Happy By Bob Nozik, MD Dear Dr. Happy,
I am a 29 year old married woman. I am childless, although my husband and I have been trying to get pregnant for years. We’ve been to specialists but had no success yet. I know we could adopt, but we both really want our own child. Three weeks ago, my younger sister, Trish, announced she is expecting. I’m furious! She is always trying to outdo me and now this, even though she knows how much her news would hurt me. I haven’t spoken to her since. Now, the rest of the family is criticizing me for being mad at her. Jake, my husband, says I should just drop it and move on. ~ Help
Dear ‘Help,’
Let’s see if I have this straight. In your world, if you can’t get pregnant, no one else in your family should either. And, maybe even your close friends shouldn’t be so inconsiderate as to become pregnant either? Of course you’re upset that Trish became pregnant so easily when you are having such difficulty. But you need to step back a bit and try and see this simply as a fact of life and not a personal attack on you. Treat her pregnancy as you would wish she would treat you if you had become pregnant. Does her success interfere with your success? Of course not. These are two independent, unrelated events. While it may be difficult, knowing how much you want a baby of your own, don’t create more problems by wishing her ill. Try and find it in your heart to be happy for your sister. In doing that, you will turn a lose-lose into a win-win. After all, despite the sister competition between you, she is not the reason you are having trouble becoming pregnant.
Happiness Tip
We are all stars in our own lives; however, some of us seem erroneously to believe we should be the central figure in the lives of others as well. Clearly, this is what is going on here. ‘Help’ is right to expect Trish and her other family members to empathize with her plight, but she is wrong to insist that Trish must also delay her own pregnancy. And, in this case, old family patterns (e.g.: “She is always trying to outdo me”) are adding fuel to the fire. Trish and other family members should show compassion for ‘Help’s’ travail but ‘Help’ needs to back off from her huge overreaction to her sister’s pregnancy. I have to say that ‘Help’s’ husband is right in suggesting that she just drop it and move on. There is nothing to be gained by lashing out. Send questions/comments for Dr. Happy to Pollyannan@aol.com.
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As Sick as Your Secrets? By Michael Anne Conley, LMFT
At my recent family reunion, we celebrated two birthdays. Everyone knows of the plan, and it goes like this: It doesn’t look like anything special is in the works, but dessert is hidden, cards are quietly passed along for signing, and gifts are stashed. At one of the recent celebrations, we had begun to sing the birthday song when it was discovered the candle had been forgotten. “You didn’t hear that,” someone joked to the person of honor. Moments later, candle lit and in place, the cacophony of song joined the procession as the “surprise” unfolded. No one is surprised. But it’s a secret — shhhhh, don’t tell! There’s a saying, “You’re as sick as your secrets.” But secrets designed for fun are worlds away from secrets that create distress. Many people live with secrets that create isolation, depression, or worry. This keeps them stuck in the past, and that undermines the present as well as the future.
Privacy vs. Secrecy
In some families the difference between privacy and secrecy gets lost. This is often tougher for my single-parent clients – but I’ve also seen it in families where parents build walls between each other and children become go-betweens. For instance, the kids don’t need to know the details about their parents’ financial circumstances, sexual lives, and personal issues. Of course, they’ll know there are challenges — you can’t protect them from life. But they don’t need to hear from you about how you feel about the boss and the worries you have about this or that. The shoulders of children, even teens, are just too small to lean on. In single-parent situations, dating is tricky because stability is optimal for kids. I’ve seen so much needless pain when relationships don’t work out, and clients learn first-hand how hard the revolving door is on their kids, however unintended. It’s possible to enjoy dating as your own private life
Take Care of Your Bladder By Linda Adams, LVN
July is bladder cancer awareness month. The symptoms of bladder cancer may be similar to symptoms of other bladder conditions. It is important to be aware and understand the differences. The most common symptoms of bladder cancer include: • Blood or blood clots in the urine • Pain during urination • Urinating small amounts frequently • Frequent urinary tract infections If you experience any of these symptoms, you should see your doctor who will complete a thorough medical history and examination. You may then be referred to a urologist, a physician who has special training in managing diseases of the bladder. But what if you are just experience urinary urgency or urinary incontinence? Through simple behavior modification you can lessen your symptom’s severity. Here are a few self care tips to help with these very common issues. Regulate your fluid intake with a consistent and constant daily consumption. Many people with bladder control problems reduce the amount of liquids they drink because they fear urinary frequency, urgency, and incontinence. This practice actually makes those symptoms worse. However, I recommend limiting your intake 2-3 hours before bedtime if nighttime voiding is a problem. Eliminate bladder irritants such as caffeine, carbonated beverages, artificial sweeteners (particularly aspartame), spicy foods, citrus juices and fruits, and alcohol. Also, prevent constipation through use of dietary fiber, fluid intake, and exercise. Smoking cessation and weight reduction are also recommended. Avoid using the bathroom when you do not have an urge, this is called “just in case” voiding and can create your desire for increased frequency. Pelvic floor strengthening, called Kegels, (with or without biofeedback)
Lafayette Today ~ July 2013 - Page 21 — when your kids are with the other parent, at One-hour monthly class activities, or on sleepovers with friends. When Recovery Plus ~ a relationship really is the one, your new New Skills for the partner will agree and plan with you on the New You best timing for introductions down the road. Tuesday • July 16th, Sovereignty 7-8pm, Lafayette Each of us has a need for sovereignty: The • Have you ever covered right to have a diary that no one else will read, up the gap between your to lock the bathroom door, and to have personal space for our own thoughts, even if it’s just a “look good” and your bed, a drawer, or a period of time that is for “feel bad” with unhealthy habits? ourselves alone. • Do you hurt because For instance, unless a teen’s behavior has someone you know engages really gone awry, there’s no need to pry. Don’t expect your teenagers to tell you everything. If in an unhealthy habit (or you’ve consistently nurtured respect over the even addiction)? Learn and practice timeprevious decade, trust that your teen will come tested, practical ways to to you when it’s really important. feel just as powerful on Final Thoughts Counseling can help if your kids seem the inside as you look on preoccupied or are isolating themselves — and the outside! First visit is free. if you yourself have been carrying secrets about something seen or experienced in your life. Reserve your place at least Getting unstuck about the past relieves a lot of two days in advance at burden. It’s all about creating the possibility of http://recoveryplusclass. a different future, where privacy is respected eventbrite.com. To learn more, apply and secrets can be all in good fun. Michael Anne Conley is a holistic therapist now for a complementary and addiction specialist, practicing since consultation to clarify if this 1991. She is also the director of Stillpoint class could benefit you at integrative health center in Lafayette. You http://www.habitsintohealth. can reach her at info@habitsintohealth.com com/get-support. or 925-262-4848. Advertorial done daily and correctly can reduce and even prevent certain problems. The recommended number of Kegels vary, but 60-80 per day has been proven to reduce bladder frequency symptoms. In most cases urinary incontinence can be treated and controlled, if not cured. If you are having bladder control problems, see your doctor or seek a specialist in urinary incontinence and bladder dysfunction. Linda Adams, LVN has dedicated her career to helping patients take control of their incontinence. She works with the urologists at Pacific Urology where together they have created a continence program that is specifically designed to reduce and/or eliminate the causes of incontinence. For more information about our Continence Center or to schedule an appointment with Linda, call Walnut Creek: 925-937-7740 or San Ramon: 925-830-1140. Advertorial
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Page 22 - July 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 • 12:30 – 3PM • Live Oak Room, LSC - Enjoy afternoon others? Join this informal group of book lovers, and enjoy enrichment, dancing every Wednesday, and learn some great new dance moves. On the first discussion, fellowship, and refreshments. Wednesday monthly, professional dancers Karen and Michael will provide a Words of Wisdom…From the Philosophical to the Lightrd dance lesson and live DJ services, playing your favorites and taking requests. hearted 3 Tuesday monthly, 7/16, 8/20 • 10:30 –Noon • Elderberry Room, LSC - Take part in this free-wheeling exchange of inspiration, in$2 Members/ $4 non-members. th Lafayette Senior Services Commission 4 Thursday of the month formation, and humor. Topics – from soup to nuts – will be explored, examfrom 3:30 – 5:30PM at the LSC - View agendas at the City of Lafayette of- ined, and discussed by participants. Stories and photographs will stimulate humorous discoveries regarding the benefits of becoming the ‘elders of our fice or at www.ci.lafayette.ca.us. AM Senior Nature Walk and Bird-Watching Every Wednesday • 9 - tribe.’ st pm 11AM • Call LSC to find out weekly meeting locations - Experience nature Hearing Screening 1 Wednesday monthly 8/7 • 1 – 2:20 • Alder at its finest along our local trails. Delight in the beauty that unfolds around Room, LSC - By Audiologists from Hearing Science/Diablo Valley Ear, each bend, all the while learning to identify a variety of birds. Bring a water Nose, and Throat. Appointment required. Minimum of two sign-ups rebottle; binoculars will be helpful if you have them. Join us every Wednesday quired in order for screenings to take place. Please call Lafayette Senior Services at 284-5050 to sign up for one of the 20-minute appointments. or whenever you are able. Come Play Mahjong! Every Tuesday • 1PM–3:30PM • Sequoia Diablo Ballet Summer Get Movin’ Dance Movie Series Room, LSC - Come join us on Tuesdays for a drop-in game of mahjong. Thursday, August 15th 1 – 3:30pm • Lafayette Library - Seven Brides Mahjong is a game of skill, strategy, and certain degree of chance. All for Seven Brothers - Join us as we screen some of the best dance films from levels welcome. Bring your card, a mahjong set and a snack to share Hollywood, hosted by dancers from Diablo Ballet. Learn fun, behind-thescenes information about the making of these films. The series takes place (optional). RSVP not required. nd Self-Discovery and Aging, Creative Writing Workshop 2 and at the Lafayette Library and Learning Center, Community Hall. 4th Thursday monthly 7/12, 7/26 • 3 - 5PM • Cedar Room, LSC - Join creative Beacon continued from page 18 writing and English instructor Judith Rathbone, and write to explore issues In June, following a 35-day environmental impact comment period, the around aging, emotion and perception–or get support to write on any topic! 1,500-pound Beacon was hoisted from its post by crane to undergo restoration Workshop sessions include writing prompts, feedback and encouragement, and at a state-approved facility. Existing lead paint and asbestos require remediainformation about the world of writers, writing, and publishing. Positive Living Forum (“Happiness Club”) Thursday 7/11, 8/8 tion, the cracked lens replacement. Electrical connections and wiring need attention as do the bearings at the Beacon’s base. When the final rust has • 10:30AM – noon • Cedar Room, LSC - Brighten your day with Dr. Bob been removed and a coat of fresh weather resistant paint applied, the Eye of Nozik, MD, Prof. Emeritus UCSF and author of Happy 4 Life: Here’s How Diablo will once again be hoisted in place to keep watch over communities to Do It. Take part in this interactive gathering which features speakers on a in the foothills and valleys below. wide range of topics that encourage and guide participants towards a more Donations to the Beacon Restoration Fund can be mailed to Save Mount ideal and positive life experience. Diablo, 1901 Olympic Boulevard Suite 320, Walnut Creek, CA 94596 or Bi-Monthly Caregiver Support Group Mondays 7/15, 7/29 • made online at www.savemountdiablo.org. 1:30–2:30PM • Elderberry Room, LSC - If you are a family member helping to care for an older adult, join our support group to find balance and joy as Hospice Offers Support you manage your responsibilities. Hospice of the East Bay has announced a new schedule for their upcoming Book Club 3rd Tuesday monthly 7/16, 8/20 • 1 – 3PM • Elderberry Room support groups and workshops for adults, children, and teens experiencing - Looking for a good book to talk about with others? Join this brand-new, grief after the death of a loved one. informal group of book lovers, and enjoy enrichment, discussion, fellowship, Classes will be provided at Hospice’s Administrative Offices located at and refreshments. 3470 Buskirk Avenue, Pleasant Hill. Free Peer Counseling 3rd Wednesday of the month, 7/17, 8/21 • Support Groups for Adults Cedar Room, LSC - Contra Costa Health Services offers free one-on-one Widow and Widowers' Support counseling with senior (55+) counselors who use their life experiences to help Pleasant Hill Afternoons: Thursdays, 1:30 - 3:30PM, August 1 - September 19 other older adults cope with life changes, problems, crises, and challenges. Pleasant Hill Evenings: Wednesdays, 6- 8PM, July 31 - September 18 Confidentiality is strictly observed. Appointment required. Call LSC to Drop-In Bereavement Support Group sign up for one of the following appointment times: 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, Pleasant Hill: 4:30 - 6PM, 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month or 11:30AM. Yak n’Yarn 1st & 3rd Thursday monthly 7/18, 8/1, 8/15 • 1–3PM • El- Support Group for Children and Teens The Bridge Pleasant Hill: Bi-monthly support program for grieving derberry Room, LSC - Do you knit or crochet but wish you could do it in children and teens. a more social setting with people of similar interests or expertise to brainSupport is also available for parents/guardians. New participants can start storm with when instructions make no sense? Drop-in and join us to work at any time! Pre-registration is required. on your current project while enjoying an afternoon of camaraderie. All For more information call 925-887-5678 or visit www.hospiceeastbay.org. levels are welcome. Hospice of the East Bay provides compassionate end-of-life care to terminally ill ‘As the Page Turns’ Book Club 3rd Tuesday monthly • 1– 3PM • patients, while offering emotional, spiritual, and grief support for the entire family. Elderberry Room, LSC - Looking for a good book to talk about with
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Lafayette Today ~ July 2013 - Page 23
Let Freedom Ring
By Mary Bruns, Lamorinda Senior Transportation
On Independence Day, we may contemplate Independence/Freedom - what they mean to us, not only as a country, but also as an individual. When we are a toddler, we first experiment with saying “No” and taking a few steps away from the security of our parents’ arms – our first steps toward independence and freedom. When we obtain our driver’s license as a teen, we take the next step towards independence. As a young adult, we go to work, learning to stand on our own two feet, to become financially independent and create an independent home. Much later when we become an “older adult” we find that we have to work even harder to preserve our independence and freedom: exercising to stay physically fit; learning new things to stay mentally fit; following a healthy diet with more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and fish to maintain or improve our health; and meditating to de-stress, release negativity, absorb positive energy, and to understand what we have learned through various life experiences. We find that the saying: “Aging is not for wimps” is truer than we ever expected it to be. It’s back to the DMV to take another driver’s test after studying and taking the practice tests in the DMV booklet and online. It’s remembering to present ourself in the best possible light when we walk into DMV, walking with as much stability as possible, not saying, “This is so confusing” to the DMV clerk. It’s taking yoga or doing stretching exercises, going to the chiropractor, having physical therapy, trying acupuncture, or getting a massage so we are flexible enough to look over our shoulder to change lanes in traffic. With aging comes the need to do this homework so we can maintain our driving independence and personal freedom as long as possible. However, this is just the tip of the “aging” iceberg. Life will continue to bring us experiences to grow through. Some of those experiences will have to do with handling loss as gracefully as possible, remembering that our time on earth is not forever. It’s important to reach out socially to continuously expand our network of friends. As we age, we sometimes feel a little invisible to those who are younger than we are, so it becomes more challenging to continue to reach out especially if we are a little introverted or if we have experienced substantial loss. One of the ways to reach out successfully is to express appreciation to people we know. Some of our passengers have made it a point to tell us how much they appreciate the Lamorinda Spirit Van. Because they have expressed so much appreciation, we feel delighted by their presence. Finding and expressing what you appreciate about people in your circle of friends and relatives will help that circle to widen. It’s known by many that what you put your attention on expands. If you think about what you don’t like about people, circumstances or life, that negativity expands and you feel grumpy and less well. If you think about what you do like about people, circumstances, and life, that positive feeling of well-being expands and attracts more positive energy and good friends.
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Independence and freedom do not mean becoming isolated. They mean building the strength to continue on continuing on. We work at taking good care of ourself so that we prevent or delay the time when it becomes necessary for someone to look after us. The more we invest in growing, developing, and sustaining our greater-than-before capacity, the more independence, freedom, and inner and outer resources we have as we age. At a recent meeting of the Advisory Council on Aging, Wendy Alfsen spoke on the topic: California Walks – about pedestrian safety. Their focus is educating people about safe walking, creating “Senior Slow Zones” where traffic speed is regulated for 25 miles per hour. She reported that 25% of car trips are one mile or less, with the average walk being .7 mile. We only need to take 5% of the cars off the road (by walking to our destination) to have less stop and go traffic, an improved environment, and improved health which translates to increased Independence/Freedom.
Lamorinda Senior Transportation An Alliance of Transportation Providers
Lamorinda Spirit Van
283-3534
Taking Lamorinda Seniors to medical appointments, grocery shopping, special events, and lunch at C.C. Café. $10 round trip; rides to lunch are free. Reserve your seat at least two business days ahead of time by 1PM.
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. Phone for information, opportunities to volunteer, and to donate. Volunteer drivers serving Contra Costa seniors with rides to doctors’ appointments during the week. Grocery shopping on Saturdays. Phone for information, opportunities to volunteer, and to donate.
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Page 24 - July 2013 ~ Lafayette Today
Dogs continued from front page
puppies good house manners and basic obedience. Puppy raisers must provide a safe, secure living environment, daily exercise and socialization. They must attend weekly training meetings and commit to daily obedience training. They receive expert local guidance as they raise their puppies. Pinkham has taken her pups to professional baseball games, on BART, to the library, to the grocery, to the mall – any place a site-impaired person would go. The Guide Dog green vest indicates “work mode,” but Pinkham rarely rebuffs polite requests to pet her companion. “I look at the training as people training too,” says Pinkham. “I tell children that it’s important to ask first before petting any dog.” Pinkham is quick to point Good July 5 through July 31 out that it’s not all work and no play for her pups. “They get plenty of down time at home, chewing bones and playing like regular puppies.” Being a puppy raiser is a huge commitment, and it helps that Pinkham is able to take her dogs to work; she is a veterinary technician instructor at Carrington College of California. “Everyone there knows Brianna and looks forward to her coming to work with me,” says Pinkham. “It’s part of her training and socialization – to be calm and stable in a work environment.” It also helps that an established group of Guide Dog puppy sitters are always at the ready to help out during vacations or weekend getaways. “The Guide Dog organization is so great and so supportive,” says Pinkham. “We have Open Tues thru Sat 10 to 6 Visit our website for more info always had superior guidance and Sunday 11 to 5 • Closed Monday assistance throughout the years.” Not all Guide Dog puppies fulfill their mission – in fact, only half make Danville 925.648.0293 • 3426 Camino Tassajara it through the entire journey to full-time Alamo 925.820.8492 • 3189 Danville Blvd. companion. Any number of issues can affect suitability. When a pup doesn’t make the grade, he or she is given a Pinkham will soon “career change.” Puppy raisers are given first right of refusal in taking back return Brianna to the their “career changed” pups, a practice that has led to an extremely full San Rafael campus, and Pinkham abode; she has often had three or more dogs at one time. “I guess I as with all the others, she can give them up once to become guides,” says Pinkham. “But when I get a will mourn her constant second chance to keep them, I just can’t give them up twice…they just become companion of the past part of your family.” Di was discharged due to her excessive drooling. Stanza year. But having done a had a “wildlife obsession.” Perrin had hip dyplasia, and the jury is still out on good deed fills her soul, Brianna. “She is strong, confident, and questions authority,” says Pinkham. “I as does the promise of don’t know how she will do in the extensive training portion.” another little blonde Pinkham notes that each of her dogs has had a distinctive personality. ball of fur, which she “They have all definitely been different,” she says. “Part of the fun is will soon mold and discovering each puppy’s personality traits. Perrin wanted to please; she shape into someone’s always wanted to do the right thing. She was attentive and intuitive. Piper future savior. Pinkham was more of a struggle. She was more aloof. Persia did not have an admits, “It’s a pretty exceptionally strong work ethic.” good gig.”
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