Lafayette Today, May 2013

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

May 2013

Serving the Lafayette Community Lafayette’s Own Tiger Woods

By Fran Miller

Irish Canyon and North Peak as viewed from Kreiger Peak.(photo by Scott Hein).

Save Mount Diablo: Focus on the Future

By Jody Morgan

Viewing Mount Diablo from the surrounding valleys generates a false sense that everything in sight has been preserved. When Save Mount Diablo (SMD) was founded in 1971, the State Park contained 6,788 acres. Today, thanks to the efforts of SMD and partner agencies such as East Bay Regional Park District, 110,000 acres in more than forty parks comprise a network of public open space including the now 20,000acre State Park. Yet huge tracts of land in the midst of the Diablo Wilderness remain at risk of being utilized in ways detrimental to the quality of life of area residents.

You don’t have to be enthused by environmental issues to recognize the value added to valley real estate by the Mount Diablo vista and the remarkable recreational possibilities the Diablo Wilderness offers. “The mountain forms a visual framework for the entire Bay Area,” remarks Malcolm Sproul, SMD Board President for fourteen years. If enjoying more than the visual impact of a pristine peak is on your agenda, take a hike. “In the midst of a very developed area there is a large area of public open space – so large you can walk for four days crossing only two little-traveled roads,” notes Scott Hein, current SMD Board President.

Hein’s serious involvement with SMD began when his mother died. He and his sister wanted to honor her memory by donating a Heritage Tree. “Staff member, Seth Adams, joined us for a hike on the property, and by the time we were done, we hadn’t chosen a tree – he had convinced each of us to adopt an entire grove.” Always interested in photography, Scott welcomed Seth’s encouragement. Hein’s photographs bring the mountain to everyone.

“Mount Diablo has 10% of California’s flora both native and non-native. That includes seven mountain-specific or regional endemic species,” notes Heath Bartosh, SMD Board member and Rare Plant Program Chair for the California Native Plant Society. Bartosh helps hikers spot the exquisite botanical treasures found along the trailside. Rare, endangered, newly discovered, and recently rediscovered plants populate the Diablo Wilderness.

In 2005, Michael Park took a different route back to his car while doing graduate study work on Mount Diablo and spied a dainty annual thought for 69 years to be extinct: Mount Diablo Buckwheat. Attempts to establish additional colonies with seedlings grown at UC Berkeley have not succeeded. Camera traps triggered by motion have been set beside the single known population to determine what fauna co-exist

See SMD continued on page 20

Local Postal Customer

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He held his first golf club before he could walk. He played in his first official golf tournament at age eight. He is a veteran at Torrey Pines, where he amazes and frustrates other golfers with his scrambling. And he is a Stanford fan.

Tiger Woods? No. It’s Lafayette’s own Will “The Thrill” Brueckner, and while he may not have appeared on a network television talk show at age two, he is quietly climbing the ranks of elite young golfers.

Brueckner recently won the 97th Annual San Francisco City Golf Championship at Harding Park, the longest running annual amateur match play event in the United States – and he’s only 16 years old.

As a 14 year old, he won the Diablo Foothill Athletic League tournament, was MVP of the League, and was the North Coast Section qualifier.

He can’t remember the first time he took a swing, but his parents have told him that he was barely a toddler. “My folks had some friends over for dinner and they put me in a playpen with a plastic golf club and ball,” says Brueckner.

“Apparently, I took one swing and hit the ball out of the play pen, across the room and hit one of their guests in the face.”

See Golf cont. on pg. 19

Will Brueckner. Photo by Dave Yuen.

Concert at the Res

Saturday, May 11th, 11am-3pm

Since 1996, Lafayette Rotarians have been hosting an afternoon of music each spring featuring local bands.

This annual concert has raised money to supply Lamorinda and Bay Area Schools with new

instruments for thier music programs.

This year’s event will include the Stanley Symphonic Band, the Big Band of Rossmoor, the Acalanes High School Jazz Ensemble, the Bentley Jazz Ensemble, Oakland’s Westlake Middle School, The Town Hall Troupe, the Lamorinda Theatre Academy, the Stevie Coyle String Ensemble, and the award-winning Dominant Seven Jazz Ensemble.

Along with the wonderful music and dancing, there will be food and beverages available. You can pack a picnic and bring Volume VII - Number 5 your beach chairs and blankets. The stage 3000F Danville Blvd #117 is adjacent to a shady picnic area, public Alamo, CA 94507 restrooms, and the children’s playground.

Telephone (925) 405-6397 Raffle tickets with be available for Fax (925) 406-0547 editor@yourmonthlypaper.com purchase, and prizes will include weekend get-a-ways. The proceeds are used to fund Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher the Rotary Club’s public service projects The opinions expressed herein belong to the writers, and do not necessarily reflect that of Laand support local bands. fayette Today. Lafayette Today is not responsible Formoreinformationvisitwww.lafayettecf. for the content of any of the advertising herein, org or contact jay@lafayettechamber.org. nor does publication imply endorsement.

Page 2 - May 2013 ~ Lafayette Today

Boulevard View

By Alisa Corstorphine, Editor

American Stand-Up comedian Patton Oswalt wrote right after the Boston Marathon bombing, and before anything was known about the suspects; I remember when 9/11 went down, my reaction was, “Well, I’ve had it with humanity.”

But I was wrong. I don’t know what’s going to be revealed to be behind all of this mayhem. One human insect or a poisonous mass of broken sociopaths. But here’s what I DO know. If it’s one person or a HUNDRED people, that number is not even a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a percent of the population on this planet. You watch the videos of the carnage, and there are people running TOWARDS the destruction to help out. This is a giant planet, and we’re lucky to live on it, but there are prices and penalties incurred for the daily miracle of existence. One of them is, every once in a while, the wiring of a tiny sliver of the species gets snarled, and they’re pointed towards darkness.

But the vast majority stands against that darkness, and like white blood cells attacking a virus, they dilute and weaken and eventually wash away the evil doers and, more importantly, the damage they wreak. This is beyond religion or creed or nation. We would not be here if humanity were inherently evil. We’d have eaten ourselves alive long ago.

So, when you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance, or fear, or just gardenvariety misogyny, hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think, “The good outnumber you, and we always will.”

We all have a choice about how we react to situations. Do we get involved or just drive by? I have had several situations in the last month that posed that question to me. Sometimes it is easier to drive by and hurry on our way, but if the shoe were on the other foot, I often think what kind of response would I like?

On a recent drive from Petaluma to the coast, my daughter and I were heading down a busy two lane road. We came to a blind corner and noticed to our right two young cows grazing in the side-strip of the road. We had driven past, but we immediately had a thought that the next guy might not be as lucky. The cows could cross in front of a car and cause injury and damage to the driver and their passengers, their vehicle, and the young cows. We made a U-turn and tried to assess how we could help. I went to a nearby farm but was unable to find anyone. Another motorist stopped as well, and she helped herd the cows inside the gate of a nearby farm. It appeared

www.yourmonthlypaper.com the cows had similar ear-tags to the ones in the local pasture, so we figured it was fairly certain it was the farm they came from. Even if it wasn’t, two live cows at the wrong farm seemed like a better option than a potential accident. We left a note at the farm home regarding the cows, and we were on our way again.

The other day I received a call from Lafayette reader Dan Brunicardi. He related that while on a walk he found himself confronted with a situation where a mamma ducks’ nine ducklings fell down a storm drain and were in need of rescue. He sprang to action and rescued them. His experience reinforced the message that “every act of kindness no matter how small or large matters.” Learn more about his story and the children’s book he and his neighbors created about the rescue at www.papaduckstory.com.

Another instance occurred as I was leaving the home of a friend. Driving down the road, I noticed an old black Labrador dog was strolling down the middle of the road. The dog appeared out of place. I slowed, stopped, and pulled out a spare leash I have in my car. At the same time, a high school student was heading in the other direction on the road and had the same thought I did. He pulled over as well. We leashed the dog and then rang the bell at a nearby home that appeared occupied.

While waiting for the door to be answered, I heard a dog barking from inside and felt grateful that we found a homeowner that was a dog lover. We asked the residents if the dog was theirs or if they knew to whom it belonged. They did not. At that point I made the comment, “I am glad we arrived at a home of a dog lover.” The residents were confused and said, “We don’t have a dog.” I assured them they did as the sound of a barking dog was coming from their home. It was a very strange interaction! As the bewilderment continued and they insisted they didn’t own a dog, I asked them to check their garage. Sure enough a small, fluffy dog came bounding from the garage when the door was opened! The small dog ran right up to the Labrador we had with us and profusely licked its face. At that point we pieced together that the two dogs had escaped together and one had become trapped. So, we were now in possession of two dogs. One had a tag with a phone number but no other identifying information or address. We called the number but got an answering machine. After a little more sleuthing, we found the dogs lived nearby, but their owners were on vacation.

Fortunately, a neighbor took in the strays, and we felt we left the dogs in good hands.

Then, last night a huge branch from a neighbors tree fell partially in the street.

Luckily no one got hurt and the only real damage was a crushed fence and garbage can. Several neighbors gathered to assess the situation and offer help moving it from the street. Two French exchange students we had with us noted that in their neighborhood, people wouldn’t have stopped and helped. Lucky for us, we live in an area where most people generously and genuinely provide assistance in times of need. It’s a nice reminder that by a wide margin, people really are good.

Assistance League Way Side Inn Thrift Shop Creates “Hawaiiana”

Aloha! Member volunteers of Assistance League® Way Side Inn Thrift Shop, located at 3521 Golden Gate Way in Lafayette, are preparing for the Men’s Aloha Shirts and “Hawaiiana” event scheduled to begin on Po ‘a lua, May 7th. Surf’s up while prices plummet! A sea of shirts in all sizes, colors, textures, and fabrics exploding with island scenes of flora and fauna await. Recreate an island paradise on your lanai while roasting a succulent pua ‘a on the barbee.

Actually, everything you will need for island entertainment can be netted at this event. Such decorator items as pillows, table linens, patio dinnerware, wall art, leis, shells, and tote bags promise not only to transport you to the “Jewel of the Pacific,” but they will transition beautifully to a coastal look, as well. Don’t forget the handbag selection, something so necessary for storing the money you’ll save when purchasing items at these below sea level prices.

Not only will you save kala (money) by supporting Assistance League Way Side Inn Thrift Shop with your donations and purchases, but you will improve the lives of those who are in need and at risk in our community. By the way, if you have any of the above listed items that you no longer use, you have just enough time to deliver them to the thrift shop. The blue smocked member volunteers will happily provide you with a tax donation receipt.

To learn more as to how Assistance League Way Side Inn funds Assistance League of Diablo Valley’s eight philanthropic programs, please visit our website at diablovalley.assistanceleague.org. Mahalo!

Diablo Symphony Orchestra

Which of these Men’s Aloha Shirts will you buy at Assistance League Way Side Inn Thrift Shop? Member volunteer Ann Paterson suggests that the rock bottom prices allow you to buy both. But see the extensive assortment before you decide.

The Diablo Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Matilda Hofman, will feature highlights from Bizet’s Carmen! as the orchestra completes its 50th season.

Also included in the program are Brahms’ “Hungarian Dance no.5,” the “Witches Chorus” from Macbeth, “Erriam sotto La Luna” from Falstaff by Verdi, and Mendelssohn’s “Fairies’” song from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Featured vocal soloists are Betany Coffland, Heidi Moss, Christopher Bengochea, and Zachary Gordin, and the renowned Contra Costa Children’s Chorus. A special treat will be the “Ritual Fire Dance” by De Falla, guest conducted by Patricia Kriletich.

Concerts will be held in the Rossmoor Fireside Room at 8pm, Friday, May 17th, and at the Lesher Arts Center in Walnut Creek at 2pm, Sunday, May 19th.

Lesher Tickets are $25 adults and $10 children. Call the Lesher Box Office at 925-943-7469.

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Kitchen Tour

Lafayette Today ~ May 2013 - Page 3

Lafayette Juniors will hold their14th Kitchen Tour on Saturday, May 18th, from 10am to 3pm. Tour six Lafayette kitchens from farmhouse rustic to Mediterranean. The tour benefits New Day for Children, CoachArt, Contra Costa Interfaith Housing, the Lafayette Library and Learning Center, and We Care. Tickets are

$40 ($30 tax deductible), with a box lunch available for $12. Purchase tickets online at www.lafayettejuniors.org or from Douglah Designs (3586 Mt. Diablo Blvd) and Premier Kitchens (3373 Mt. Diablo Blvd) in Lafayette.

Celebrate Mother’s Day at The Gardens

The Gardens at Heather Farm is excited to host a free Mother’s Day event in celebration of all moms. This fun-filled event will be held on May 12th from 1PM to 4PM at The Gardens, located at 1540 Marchbanks Drive in Walnut Creek.

The six acres of gardens are the perfect place to enjoy a self-guided stroll that winds through 24 unique demonstration gardens in full bloom.

Bring a picnic to enjoy in the shaded Meadow Garden overlooking more than 1,000 organically grown roses.

There will be craft activities for children to create a special gift for mom.

The afternoon will also feature an Artist’s Fair displaying nature inspired art and gift items for sale. All proceeds will directly benefit The Garden’s educational programs and gardens. Enjoy light refreshments and a garden gift just for mom – compliments of The Gardens! For more information, visit www.gardenshf.org.

The Gardens at Heather Farm is a nonprofit garden open to the public and free of charge. We are entirely self-supporting and managed by a small, paid staff and the dedication and hard many dedicated hard working volunteers.

Our mission is to educate and inspire our community about sustainable gardening and stewardship practices that help preserve and protect our environment.

Gold Coast Chamber Players Transcendent

In programming the epic work, Quartet for the End of Time for the Gold Coast Chamber Players season finale on May 11th at 7:30pm, it seemed to Artistic Director, Pamela Freund-Striplen, that audiences would benefit from a deep exploration of the piece. Therefore, she invited author Rebecca Rischin to discuss her book, For the End of Time: The Story of the Messiaen Quartet. Ms. Rischin lovingly brings to life the musicians who gave the premier and provides fascinating context for understanding the work. With Ms. Rischin’s lecture as a first half, a performance provides a second half to this program.

The most ethereally beautiful music of the twentieth century was first heard on a brutally cold January night in 1941, at the Stalag VIIIA prisonerof-war camp, in Görlitz, Germany. The composer was Olivier Messiaen, and the work was “Quartet for the End of Time.” Messiaen wrote most of it after being captured as a French soldier during the German invasion of 1940.

The concert takes place Saturday, May 11th at 7:30pm at the Lafayette Library Community Hall, located at 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd in Lafayette. Tickets can be purchased online at www.gcplayers.org or by phone (925) 283-3728.

Voices of Musica Sacra

Voices of Musica Sacra presents “Eternal Light,” a concert featuring Gabriel Fauré’s “Requiem” and Morten Lauridsen’s “Lux Aeterna.” Two concerts will be held; the first on Friday, May 17th at 8PM at First Presbyterian Church Concord, located at 1965 Colfax Street in Concord, and the second on Sunday, May 19th, 3PM, at St. Stephen Catholic Church, located at 1101 Keaveny Court, in Walnut Creek. Tickets are $10-$20. Details are available at www.vmschorus.org. For information, call 925-228-1181.

Presents

1 1 th

ANNUAL

Taste of Lafayette www.lafayettechamber.org • (925) 284-7404 Tuesday, May 21, 2013 5:30pm to 9:00pm

Plaza Park in Downtown Lafayette A benefit for the Lafayette Community Foundation and the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce

Experience the BEST OF LAFAYETTE Stroll down RESTAURANT ROW while sampling Lafayette’s culinary fare Spectacular Raffle to benefit the Lafayette Community Foundation Wine, Appetizers, Desserts and Music • Free Shuttle Service Tickets $45 for THE TASTE TOUR • Raffle tickets are $25 each or 5 for $100 Download your registration form or purchase tickets online at www.lafayettechamber.org

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Page 4 - May 2013 ~ Lafayette Today

The Lafayette City Council is Soliciting Applications to Fill the Following Volunteer Vacancies • The Lafayette Community Center Foundation is dedicated to renovating and improving the Lafayette

Community Center. The Foundation was formed in 1983 to oversee the capital improvements and renovations necessary to transform the old Burton School into an active recreation center.

• Creeks Committee encourages beautification of Lafayette’s more than 16-miles of creeks and

improves residents’ awareness of creek maintenance and pollution prevention policies. The committee helps the City’s staff ensure compliance with public education requirements under its Storm Water Permit.

• Downtown Street Improvement Master Plan Implementation Committee (DSIMPIC) is charged with the

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

• The Emergency Preparedness Commission meets on the 2nd Wednesday of each month to coordinate the preparation and planning efforts to mitigate the effects of natural and man-made disasters.

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

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

Lafayette Farmers’ Market Season Opening Sunday, May 19 - 9 th

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The Lafayette Farmers' Market will be re-launched for the season with the Opening Day on May 19th, from 9am to 1pm, and every Sunday through the fall. The location will be the same as last year, the South Bart parking lot of the Lafayette station.

Urban Village Farmers' Market Association (UVFM) in collaboration with Sustainable Lafayette invite you to bring the whole family to enjoy farm fresh produce, artisanal foods, delicious fruits, live music, fresh espresso, and the company of great neighbors.

Free parking is available in the north BART lot and the lot at Dewey Ave and Mt Diablo Blvd.

For more information, call Urban Village Farmers’ Market Association at (510) 745-7100.

Lafayette Improvement Association

Lafayette Improvement Association (LIA), Lafayette’s first community service organization founded in 1911, is seeking board members. The LIA is a non-profit organization and the steward of the Lafayette’s Town Hall building. We are looking for individuals who have a strong commitment to preserving this historic community resource and have experience working in fundraising and marketing. Community members who are interested in learning more about the LIA can visit www.lia-ca.org and contact LafayetteImprovementAssoc@gmail.com for more information.

Events at Lindsay Wildlife Museum “Mount Diablo: Visions & Vistas” Exhibit

Mount Diablo’s ever-changing face, from shrouded in fog to snow-capped to glowing at sunset, will be captured in an exhibit of original photography and artwork through September 2nd at Lindsay Wildlife Museum. “Mount Diablo: Visions & Vistas” will feature the mountain itself and its wildlife and plants in panoramic and close-up photos and paintings by local photographers and artists.

Entry to the exhibit is free with admission to the museum. Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors 65+, $5 for children 2 -17, and FREE for members and children under two.

Lindsay Wildlife Museum connects people with wildlife to inspire responsibility and respect for the world we share.

Share Your News and Events With Us! Contact us at 925.405.6397 editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Emergency Preparedness Training Neighborhood Captains’ Training

Join other Lafayette residents on Thursday, May 9th, from 7-8:30PM for training to become a neighborhood captain in the Lafayette Emergency Action Response Network (LEARN). This session is designed to help you organize your block or neighborhood in becoming self-sufficient for the first 72 hours following a major disaster. Attendance at a basic preparedness class (Emergency Preparedness, CERT, or Red Cross class) is recommended, but not required, prior to attending this class.

Both classes will be held at the Lafayette Community Center, located at 500 St. Mary’s Rd. in the Elderberry Room (back parking lot). Classes are taught by the Emergency Preparedness Commission and are FREE. Please bring pencil and paper to these classes. Materials will be provided.

Register for classes by calling the Lafayette Community Center at 925-284-2232. The Lafayette Emergency Preparedness Commission can arrange classes specifically for Lafayette homeowner, church, or service groups, possibly closer to home. For more information, call the Commission at 925-299-3220 or email csurges@lovelafayette.org.

National Affordable Care Act Presentation

The Danville-Alamo-Walnut Creek Branch of American Association of University Women along with the League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley and Health Care of All - Contra Costa County is sponsoring a documentary and discussion of the National Affordable Care Act. The Healthcare Movie narrated by Keifer Sutherland will be shown. This 27-minute documentary tells the real story of how the health care system in Canada turned out to be so completely different from that in the United States, given that at one point they were essentially the same. The movie covers how the Canadian health care system originated, how it works for ordinary Canadians, how it is paid for, and how it compares to its American counterpart.

There will be discussion and exploration of questions this movie raises about healthcare in California such as, What does the national Affordable Care Act (ACA) mean for healthcare reform in California and How can California make health care affordable for everyone?

The speaker will be Pat Snyder, PhD, RN, HCA Contra Costa County.

Join in on Thursday, May 16th from 7pm - 9pm at the Ygnacio Valley Library, located at 2661 Oak Grove Rd. Walnut Creek. The event is free. For questions please call 925-938-1481.

Lamorinda Peace and Justice

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

Lost Dog!

$50 REWARD If you find him and your name is drawn!

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

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

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

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

Alexia Dunlavey is our winner!

Luther was hiding on page 18 last month.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

11 Annual “Taste of Lafayette” – Tuesday, May 21 th

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The Lafayette Chamber of Commerce and the Lafayette Community Foundation are once again teaming up for a great night out on the town at the “Taste of Lafayette,” a tour of Lafayette’s finest eateries that lets you sample the signature cuisine of each restaurant. The event begins in Lafayette Plaza at 5:30pm where you will check in, listen to live music, enjoy a glass of wine, nosh on appetizers, and get a chance to join in on a spectacular raffle that will raise money for the projects that the Lafayette Community Foundation will fund. Next, you stroll down Lafayette’s Restaurant Row on Mt Diablo Blvd. or board the shuttle bus that will take you up and down the boulevard. Twenty-two local restaurants and catering companies will be participating. At each stop comes another “taste.” Finally, participants will gather back in the park to enjoy coffee and dessert. Adding to the fun of this year’s event will include the BEST of Orinda and Moraga restaurants joining us in the Plaza for appetizers and dessert.

This is your chance to try as many restaurants as you can squeeze into two hours. If you would like to get a glimpse of a past “Taste” event, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=r74ISEvnQsI and also listen for our Restaurant Row commercials on 92.1 KKDV. Proceeds from the event benefit the Lafayette Community Foundation and the services and programs of the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce. The Community Foundation serves a vital community resource, investing in programs and projects which promote and enhance the civic, cultural, educational, and environmental health of Lafayette. The Foundation provides donors the opportunity to build a legacy by investing in Lafayette through identification and support of community needs and organizations.

For tickets or information, stop by the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, located at 100 Lafayette Circle, Suite 103, visit www.lafayettechamber.org, or call 925-284-7404. For more information about the Lafayette Community Foundation, www.lafayettecommunityfoundation.org.

Lafayette Today ~ May 2013 - Page 5

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

Lafayette Motors Independent service and repair for Jaguar

CARLOS “KIKO” CAICEDO Shop (925) 284-4852 Cell (925) 285-0783 lafayettemotors@gmail.com 3470 Golden Gate Way , Lafayette, CA 94549

Jazz Café returns to Lafayette

Lafayette’s Annual Jazz Café will be held Friday, May 31st at 6pm in the Stanley Middle School Auditorium. There is a fabulous lineup featuring The Wednesday Morning Jam Session, The Dominant 7, The Gypsy Chix, The Crusaders, The Stanley Jazz Messengers, and The Acalanes Jazz Ensemble. General admission is $10 per person, elementary students $5, and children under 6 are free. If that’s not enough, Chef’s Touch will be selling scrumptious food from 5:30-7:30pm, and there will be dessert, coffee, and beverages available for purchase all evening. To top it off, drawings will be held to give away fabulous prizes including Tahoe accommodations. This is the only fundraiser for the Stanley Jazz Department. The Jazz Café has become a real favorite for the City of Lafayette. Don’t miss out on this once a year treat!

For more information, contact Heidi Kallen, hkimberk@gmail.com or 415-902-5238.

Lafayette Community Garden and Outdoor Learning Center

2013

Please join us at our upcoming class at the Lafayette Community Garden across the street from the Reservoir.

Our classes are interactive, informative, and fun, so come join us and prepare to get your hands dirty!

May 11th 1:30pm – 3pm, Creating and Enjoying a Butterfly Garden

Thursday, May 9 Purchase tickets at www.discoverdanvilleca.com Auburn James • Concannon Vineyard • Crooked Vine Winery • Cuda Ridge Wines • Eagle Ridge Vineyard Elliston Vineyards • Fenestra Winery • Glennhawk Vineyards • McGrail Vineyards • Mitchell Katz Winery • Murrieta’s Well Rodrigue Molyneaux • Stony Ridge Winery • Wente Vineyards • White Crane Winery • Wood Family Vineyards

Sponsors:

www.shopdanvillefirst.com

Join Pamela Winther, landscape architect and adjunct professor at DVC, to learn all about butterfly gardens and the beauty and delight they bring.

She’ll tell us the best plants to grow, what conditions they need to flourish, and which beauties you’ll find in your garden. We’ll explore the Community Garden’s new butterfly garden and maybe find some visitors.

Classes are free although a $5 donation is appreciated. To register for a class, please visit www.lafayettecommunitygarden.org, and click on classes.

Garden Tour

The Danville-Alamo-Walnut Creek American Association of University Women’s (AAUW) 13th Annual Garden Tour will be held Friday, May 10th and Saturday, May 11th from 10AM - 4PM. Tickets are available at www.aauw-daw. org and East Bay Flower Company, located at 206 Sycamore Valley Rd. West in Danville. Proceeds benefit aspiring women scholars. AAUW advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research.

Page 6 - May 2013 ~ Lafayette Today

The Bookworm By Joan Stevenson

The invitation to the Annual Meeting of the Friends of the Lafayette library stirred the memory of lyrics to a theme song from the past, “Thank you for being a friend. Traveled down the road and back again.” It seems appropriate that Mary McCosker will show us the road with her presentation “Legendary Lamorinda Library Lore.” We will gather on May 13th at 9:30AM for a continental breakfast, followed by a short business meeting.

Were you aware that May is “Get Caught Reading” month? Here is the deal. All kids up to fifth grade, grab a book and get reading! If you are caught reading in the library, you will receive a raffle ticket with a chance to win a great prize to be awarded June 5th. Someone is watching you!

For those teenagers looking for a summer volunteer job, the kind that looks wonderful on your college application, you might want to introduce yourself to Adult Services Librarian, Emily Koster, who will be recruiting teens to help with the Summer Reading Program. Our own librarian, Vickie Sciacca, is co-chairing the Summer Reading Festival at the Lesher Center on June 20th where the speaker will be Michael Pollen. His latest book is titled Cooked.

Come celebrate Children’s Book week on May 14th at 3:30PM, and meet Jimmy the Joey an adorable baby Koala Bear. Deborah Lee Road, the author, will be with us to share Joey’s true story, with a sweet message about coping with loss and caring for endangered animals.

The Friends will roll out the red carpet for author John Lescroart on Sweet Thursday, May 23rd at 7:30PM. He will discuss his life as a bestselling mystery writer and his 24th book, The Ophelia Cut, scheduled to be released on May 7th. One reviewer wrote, “The Ophelia Cut is hands-down the best legal thriller I have read in years and a perfect case study for why readers love the brilliant John Lescroart. Smart, riveting, and utterly compelling, The Ophelia Cut has an incredible cast of characters from whom you will not want to depart. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.” John will be joined in the conversation by his wife, Lisa, and Ruth Thornburg, President of the Friends.

Meghan Haagland once again chaired the bookmark contest, and she filled me in on the details. “Each year the Friends of the Lafayette Library hosts a

www.yourmonthlypaper.com bookmark contest for the four Lafayette Elementary Schools, Stanley Middle School, and St. Perpetua School. The contest is open to all students in grades 1st through 8th. Each winner received a gift certificate to a local bookstore.

Congratulations to our 2013 Bookmark Contest Winners! Each year Fast Frame of Lafayette graciously reaches out to the community and frames each winning bookmark. Thank you Anthony Ruiz for generously donating your framing and time to our contest. Mr. Ruiz also frames all winning bookmarks for our display in the library. Thank you to every student who participated this year!

Back left: Maia Pecher, Dohyun Kim, Elena Mountin, Owen Gonzales. Front left Andrew Darfler, Chaya Tong, Nora Macarawich, Kyrstin Wilson, and Kiana Henderson.

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.

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Free Restaurant Inspection App for Smartphones

By Supervisor Candace Andersen

Throughout my Supervisorial district (Lamorinda, Walnut Creek and the San Ramon Valley) we have some of the best places to eat in the Bay Area. Have you ever wanted to know more about your favorite restaurant? Now you can access health inspection results for local restaurants on your iPhone or Android phone using California Food Inspector, a new app from Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS).

The County Health Services Department’s Environmental Health Division developed this free app. It is the first agency in California to do so. Each year the County’s trained food-safety specialists conduct thousands of unannounced restaurant inspections to prevent foodborne illnesses. They attempt to visit each food establishment at least twice a year.

The app allows users to search inspection results for the past five years for 4,200 food facilities in Contra Costa County. It includes everything from restaurants to coffee shops to ice cream vendors. The inspection histories show what, if any, violations these food facilities have been required to correct. With this new app, routine inspections are being uploaded weekly. Any closure information will be updated each evening.

Using the “Closures” button on the app, you can also see a list of eateries in the County which have been forced to temporarily close their doors to correct serious violations that pose an imminent threat to their customers’ health. Using your mobile phone’s GPS, you can also scan restaurants near your current location and compare the health-safety records of those venues.

The app’s release is the latest example of the County Health Department’s commitment to making information more readily accessible to the public. Contra Costa County Environmental Health Director Marilyn Underwood notes that for many years restaurant inspection results have been on the department’s website and now with this new mobile app, this information is available to the public in an even more convenient way.

Underwood said she expects the app will give restaurant owners more incentive to practice good food-safety techniques so that they maintain a clean inspection record.

“Hopefully, eating out in Contra Costa County will be even safer now because of this app,” Dr. Underwood said.

To learn more about California Food Inspector, visit your Apps Store to see a detailed description of the app.

Lafayette Today ~ May 2013 - Page 7

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Girl Scout Troop Plans Author Event at Lafayette Library

On Wednesday, June 5th at 6:30PM, Girl Scout Troop 33039 and the Lafayette Library and Learning Center will be partnering to bring you an evening of fun and entertainment with author Mac Barnett.

Mac Barnett is the author of the Brixton Brothers series as well as several picture books, including Guess Again!, Oh No! (or, How My Science Project Destroyed the World), Mustache!, and Extra Yarn, winner of a Caldecott Honor and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, as well as a New York Times bestseller.

Mac will read from his books, wear a mustache, answer questions, and sign books. The girl scouts will wear mustaches, paint mustaches, and serve mustache cookies. A craft and photo op booth will be available, too! The Storyteller Bookstore will have the author’s books for sale at the event. Information on “Guys Read” (a Web-based literacy program) and 826LA (a non-profit writing and tutoring center) will also be available.

The troop of 11 fifth grade Junior Scouts from Springhill Elementary have been working together with Ginny Golden, Lafayette Youth Services Librarian, to plan this event in order to earn their Bronze Award. The Girl Scout Bronze Award is the highest award that can be earned by a Junior Girl Scout and represents a significant service project benefitting the community, requiring a minimum of 20 hours.

This event is free and open to families and their children ages kindergarten through 8th grade.

The Lafayette Library and Learning Center is located at 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd. in Lafayette, which is a short walk from the BART station. For more information, call (925) 385-2292 or visit the library’s website at ccclib.org.

Lafayette Scouts Earn Gold Awards By Barbara Millman Cole

Troop 31883’s Acalanes Seniors Dana Katz and Carolyn Cole earned their Gold Awards, the Girl Scouts’ highest honor.

Katz worked with Mari Parino at the Xenophon Therapeutic Riding Center, a non-profit organization that provides horseback riding lessons and camps to children with mental and physical disabilities. Katz planned, designed, and rebuilt a sensory trail by mid-August 2011, in time for the grand opening of the Center’s new arena and facility.

Katz organized the tack room, made and installed dressage letters in the new covered arena, and created a hand drawn flip book, based upon suggestions by autism expert Nicky Thompson, to help handicapped children learn horse safety, care, and riding, as well as allow autistic children to communicate with staff more easily.

“The modifications and improvements actually made a difference to how the facility is run.

The disabled children can ride through the sensory trail in a safe manner, improving their self esteem, motor skills, and mental abilities,” said Katz.

Dana Katz Cole worked with Diablo Valley Montessori School Director Suzette Smith to plan the location, Carolyn Cole size, and scope of a children’s sustainable garden. As preschoolers plant, they will be aware of where their food comes from and learn about healthy eating.

“In January, I taught the kids to pre-plant, and they had many questions about the process,” says Cole. “Teaching preschoolers is unlike teaching adults.

To achieve the same understanding, the topic must be approached by simplifying explanations without taking away from the overall knowledge given. I talked about the importance of healthy eating and what organic foods are, and then I helped the children plant seeds in small paper cups. A few weeks later I came back with volunteers and transplanted their growing fruits and vegetables into the garden boxes.”

Page 8 - May 2013 ~ Lafayette Today

“If These Walls Could Talk”

By Mary Solon from the Archives of the Lafayette Historical Society

The building now called the Hen House is one of the oldest buildings in Lafayette. It is located at 20 Lafayette Circle under a big oak tree, south and a little east of the Roundup. According to an oral history by Edith Hunt Sterling taken in 1983, her aunt and uncle, Joe and Alice Hunt, built the building in the early 1920’s.

But there is a little story before that. Because of arthritis Joe could no longer work in the fields, and the Hunts went into business. From Edith Sterling’s oral history: “It was an ice cream and hot dog stand in the center of town on Tunnel Road (now Mt. Diablo Blvd.) It was right across from the Lafayette (Plaza) Park and the hotel, which were situated on the corners of Moraga Road and Tunnel Road. The Post Office was on one side of their stand and the town’s

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blacksmith shop was on the other side. They sold ice cream, hot dogs, soda pop, peanuts, candy, cigarettes, coffee and beer. My aunt and uncle rented the small home located in the rear of the property. The home belonged to Peter Thomson, the town blacksmith.

“Sundays were extremely busy for my Aunt Alice, as people in those days would have an early Sunday dinner at home before venturing on their ride out into the country. This usually took them to Alamo, Danville or in the Concord direction. On the way home they would stop at Lafayette at my aunt's stand (which was also known as ‘Mother's Place’) for an evening snack of hot dogs, soda, coffee, etc.”

Mother’s Place was also known as Ma’s Kitchen or Ma Hunt’s Kitchen.

The sign on the building in a photo provided by Edith Sterling says, “Miller’s Quality Ice Cream.” Mrs. Sterling continues: “When the Tunnel Road was widened in 1920 my aunt and uncle had to give up their little road stand. They then bought a piece of property at the corner of Mt. Diablo Blvd. and Hough Avenue and built a new building. It contained an inside counter, and tables for serving food, which included light lunches and dinners. Later, after my uncle Joe died, my aunt Alice leased the corner of her property to an oil company. Her building was moved around the corner facing Hough Avenue and a service station was built on the corner. Hough Avenue has since been renamed Lafayette Circle.”

Mrs. Euphemia Speyer, longtime Lafayette resident, remembers that one of the first five Lafayette telephones was in this building. The Lafayette Inn occupied the building in the 1930’s and the owner, Lou Borghesani, changed the name to Lou’s Bar. The bar’s claim to fame was that any winner at the Horse Show who would ride into the bar on their horse was given a free drink! The horse was given a carrot. Lou moved to another location a year before the building was relocated in 1938.

In the 1940’s the Lafayette Sun newspaper, run by Mr. Morse, occupied the building. After that the building housed a used furniture shop. In the 1960’s there were two parts to the building: a Happy Acre Realty Company and the Trading Post. Mrs. Nancy Rousso operated the real estate company

See Walls continued on page 22

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Lafayette Today ~ May 2013 - Page 9

Using the Sun to Cook Your Food

By Sustainable Lafayette

What could be more energy-efficient than using the sun for your energy needs? Rather than relying on petroleum corporations to transform dinosaurs and ancient trees into fossil fuel, you can use the sun’s energy directly. You may have already done so by installing solar panels or making sun tea (just put a glass container on the windowsill with teabags inside and let it sit there a few hours). But what about baking bread, or cooking vegetables, or roasting?

The good news is that all this is possible with solar cooking devices.

Would you be surprised to learn that these devices can be inexpensive, and that you can even make them yourself? Rennie Archibald of Lafayette has cooked with solar ovens for many years, made hundreds of them, and he teaches others to make and use solar cookers. He’s baked bread, and cooked vegetables and grains – even corn on the cob. He says, “It’s so much fun.

Anybody can try it.”

Solar cooking has only three requirements: collect the sun’s rays, turn them into heat, and retain the heat. Collecting is typically done with reflective surface such as aluminum foil that concentrates the rays. A metal base or pot converts the rays into heat, and a lid retains the heat until the food is cooked. Rice, bread, and potatoes take a long time, vegetables less.

You can set up your oven in the sunlight and basically leave it alone (one website compares it to a “solar crock pot”), or you could get a thermometer to check the temperature.

Let’s start with the solar ovens you can purchase. There are numerous designs. One looks like a slanted big box with a glass or plexiglass window on top. Others have reflective sides or vanes that amplify the sun-collecting surface, focus the sun into the cooking area, and can be folded down when the cooker is not in use. Check out solarovens.net and solarovens.org to see models available for purchase.

The second option is to build one yourself! Find plans for building your own oven at solarcooking.org and solarcooking.wikia.com.

Caring people are spreading the word to those in need of a solar oven. A three-minute video from National Geographic gives a great introduction. Visit

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/environment/energy-environment/ solar-cooking.

Lafayette resident Budd McKenzie, whose grassroots non-profit Trust in Education (trustineducation.org) supports education, gender equality, and health care in villages in Afghanistan, includes solar ovens in his group’s offerings. Solar cooking reduces the burning of wood for cooking fires, and this has two additional benefits of reducing destruction of trees and reducing the health hazard of inhaling smoke from wood fires. To see a photo of Afghan children and a solar cooker, visit trustineducation.org/ our-work/solar-cooking.

For other ideas, tips, information on how to live more sustainably, success stories, and another Lafayette resident’s experience with solar cooking, visit www.sustainablelafayette.org.

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Page 10 - May 2013 ~ Lafayette Today

What a Difference Time Will Make

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By Art Lehman, Village Associates Realtors

The California Association of Realtors® (C.A.R.) reported that strong sales in higher-cost coastal regions, and heated market conditions in March, drove California’s median home price to its highest level since May 2008, while inventory shortages continued to stifle home sales.

“While home sales were essentially flat from February, sales declined moderately from last year, as an extreme shortage of available homes continued to dictate the market,” said C.A.R. President Don Faught. “Statewide inventory dropped 36% from last March and was below three months for the second time in the past few months. Supply conditions are particularly tight in the lowerpriced segment of the market, as inventory for homes priced below $300,000 plunged more than 50% from the previous year.”

Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California totaled a revised seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 417,520, according to information collected by C.A.R. from more than 90 local Realtor® associations and MLSs statewide.

March closings were up a slight 0.1% from a revised 417,310 in February but down 4.9% from a revised 439,260 in March 2012. The statewide sales figure represents what would be the total number of homes sold during 2013 if sales maintained the March pace throughout the year. It is adjusted to account for seasonal factors that typically influence home sales.

The statewide median price of an existing, single-family detached home climbed 13.7% from February’s $333,380 median price to $378,960 in March, reversing a two-month decline. The month-to-month increase was the highest since C.A.R. began tracking this statistic in 1979. The March price was up 28.2% from a revised $295,630 recorded in March 2012, marking the 13th consecutive month of annual price increases and the ninth consecutive month of double-digit annual gains.

“No doubt the dearth of home listings is driving the upsurge in the median price, as is an increase in sales in the higher-priced segments,” said C.A.R. Vice President and Chief Economist Leslie Appleton-Young. “Sales of homes priced $500,000 and higher are up more than 34% from last year, and they have been on a rising trend since early 2012. Sales growth in the coastal regions – Marin, Orange, San Diego, and San Luis Obispo, in particular – helped push the statewide median price up to the highest level in more than four years.”

In Lafayette the inventory of homes for sale has picked up somewhat. As of mid-April there are 56 homes that are currently active, and 20 homes have gone pending since April 1st with 14 of them within two weeks of being on the market. Clearly buying a home in Lafayette has been a challenge for buyers with many submitting multiple offers. The prices have moved up. Still, interest rates are holding steady for now, and it is time to sell and move.

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.

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Walking the Reservoir

By Jim Scala

Two men tied up their rowboat and left the dock with a mess of rainbow trout. I wondered, “How many different kinds of fish live in the reservoir?” The book, Sportfishes of EBMUD Reservoirs, includes pictures of our 14 species including the strange looking prickly sculpin that grows to several inches and is food for the sport fish. Carp, the most difficult to catch, is arguably the most prolific because it lays eggs on protective water plants. We have three different types of catfish, two sunfish, and other good eating fish living in the waters of the Lafayette Reservoir.

Only the most persnickety fresh water fisherman can’t find a fish to satisfy his skill.

I urge boating as a terrific way for children, parents, and grandparents to bond while enjoying our natural abundance. I should add, please leave iPads, iPods, laptops, and smart-phones at the dock or, better still, at home.

The Rez is a great place for a picnic, and a walk or a row burns calories. The park supplies life jackets, and seniors pay half price. Please don’t feed the fish because wildlife shouldn’t be fed by humans.

Do you think 14 different types of fish are a lot? How about over 64 different birds? With a little effort, most birds at the Rez are easy to spot and photograph; especially with today’s telephoto-capable, high-resolution digital cameras. Begin at the visitor’s center by asking for the brochure that identifies, with pictures, all reservoir birds. Birds are easiest to see if you take your Rez-walk either early or late in the day. Notice how wild turkeys often flock on the lawn on the east slope of the dam? I started counting them, but I quit at 32 when they didn’t stand still. Have wild turkeys learned to live with us humans, or us with them?

Identifying birds is a nice way to combine walking, boating, or sitting on one of the many benches while alone, with friends, or with children. In twenty minutes at the dam I identified two kinds of ducks, several geese, and a red-tailed hawk that was circling above, and a kestrel with its shrill call. At the western end of the paved walk, in warm weather, a very white great egret, sometimes two, often searches serenely in the shallow marsh for a meal. It’s sure to extract a “Wow!” That egret makes it easy to get into bird photography. Stop at the visitor’s center, and look through the large notebook of reservoir bird pictures. You’ll be impressed and it might motivate you to try your skill.

This morning while doing three Yoga Sun Salutations and other poses on my mat at the bandstand, two large crows, black as night, kept buzzing me. I’ve heard

3328 Mt Diablo Blvd, Lafayette (925) 283-5212 | Monday - Friday 7:30AM-5PM that crows are curious, but isn’t an interest in yoga going too far? Or were they trying to tell me something?

Except for squirrels, the spectacular animals that inhabit the reservoir are much more elusive than birds. However, if you’re patient and try, many can be seen and your Rez-walk will take on a whole new dimension. Deer and rabbits are a cinch to see at the west end of the paved walk in the early morning before the sun gets above the dam or at dusk when it’s dropped behind the hills, or if there’s a light fog.

For bobcats and foxes, you’re best to use the rim trail early in the morning when they seek food, but they’ve also been spotted during the day. I’ve spoken to several people who have seen the elusive reservoir mountain lion. If you spot it, look, but stay back and leave him – or is it her? – alone. The reservoir, like the entire area, has a generous share of coyotes. Please let me know what animals you see.

A sweatshirt in bold letters: “I Won!,” caught my attention. Thinking that maybe he’d won the state lottery, I asked, “How much?” The man, Brian, replied, “Better than money, I’ve been declared cancer-free for five years!” We discussed his victory – five years free is a cure – starting with his doctor’s words, “I’m afraid it’s cancer.” At that, Brian said, “I’ll go down fighting!” He and Jill did everything they could to fight the cancer and they’re still walking the reservoir. Does life get any better than that?

Another shirt I saw on someone at the Rez said, “It’s writer’s block! My imaginary friends stopped talking to me!” Sensing her pain, I said, “Keep taking them on Rez-walks, and this too will pass.”

Let me hear from you at, jscala2@comcast.net.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Lafayette Today ~ May 2013 - Page 11

Protecting and Enhancing the Lives of Your Children

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By Robert J. Silverman, Attorney at Law

This article will explore some important ways we Serving Bay Area businesses and residents since 2002 can provide security for our children and lay the groundHow Can We Help You? work for improving their lives.

It should go without saying that health is the most important thing we want for our children. As parents, we should do whatever is necessary to ensure that our children have health care insurance; that they see competent medical, dental, vision and other providers; and that we serve as their health care advocates when necessary or appropriate.

Likewise, it’s incumbent upon parents to provide a safe environment for their children at home and monitor their school and extracurricular activities. There’s no substitute for communicating with your children regularly to make sure they are not being bullied or unduly picked on; and that no peer, teacher, coach or other person with whom they are in contact is taking advantage or attempting to do so in any way.

Sure, the above is mostly common sense. But, if you have any minor children, having an up-to-date Will containing a guardianship provision is also common sense, yet many parents don’t have one.

Often, parents of young children fail to establish a Will because they cannot decide on a guardian. This is ironic because if parents die and have made no guardianship PC / Mac/ Laptops/ Desktops/ Tablets/ Smartphones/ iPads|Repairs nomination, the court will appoint whomever the judge may deem appropriate, which Upgrades| Maintenance|Office Moves and Networking | Data Recovery guardian may be the very last person the deceased parents would ever have chosen or Virus/Spyware/Adware Removal|Back-up Solutions|Internet/ Cloud Computing wanted. So, it’s infinitely better to struggle to nominate at least one guardian (if not Email Solutions|Remote Phone Support |Free Recycling also one or two alternates) than to leave this critical decision to chance.

Of course, another prudent way to protect your children is by protecting yourself.

If you experience a disability that prevents you from working or limits your earning power significantly, do you have an appropriate disability policy to provide income replacement for you and your children? If you died prematurely, would enough www.ThePortableCIO.com assets be available to enable your children to maintain the lifestyle you want for them? If you’re not happy with the answers to these questions, you should obtain Join Portable CIO, Inc. on Facebook! advice from an experienced life insurance professional.

Beyond basic protection and safety, a common way to enhance the life of a child is to save for his or her higher education - whether through traditional savings, permanent life insurance (which cash value can generally be withdrawn tax free), a tax-advantaged 529 plan, or other methods. If grandparents or other relatives are in a position to make gifts to your children for their education, useful Federal Estate/Gift Tax rules may apply.

One such rule is that up to $14,000 per calendar year can be gifted to each of your children without the donor being subject to any Gift Tax and without causing the donor to use up any of his or her Federal Estate Tax exemption (i.e. without reducing the amount that the donor is able to give away Estate Tax free on death).

Besides these $14,000 “annual exclusion” gifts, a donor may donate an unlimited amount to your child’s education by paying the tuition bill directly to the educational institution. Specific rules and qualifications apply to the tax aspects of these educational gifts (and to mirror rules for health care-related gifts).

Finally, the manner in which you or others make gifts to your children for educational and/or other purposes, has important implications. The most popular and simplest method is to gift funds into a custodial (UTMA) account. But many donors fear the child may not eventually use the funds for the intended purpose or handle the money responsibly. Upon opening an UTMA account, the minor owns and is automatically entitled to all of the account funds when the child turns 18 (or up to 21 if the custodian so affirmatively designates on the account). Accordingly, people sometimes look for an alternative way to gift with “strings attached.”

Fortunately, a special kind of irrevocable trust known as a “Crummey Trust” can be established and customdesigned in whatever way you wish, enabling your young loved one to receive income and/or principal starting and continuing at certain ages or defined benchmarks, and for certain purposes (e.g. health, education, buying a home, Purveyors of classic, exotic, and etc.). Crummey Trusts, as with all advanced estate planning strategies and many of the aforementioned planning high-performance cars for more than 30 years. strategies, should only be considered and implemented with California’s #1 Classic Car Dealer the advice and assistance of an experienced estate planning Over 200 vehicles in inventory! attorney and possibly other applicable professional advisors.

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.

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Page 12 - May 2013 ~ Lafayette Today

Cinema Classics

By Peggy Horn I Remember Mama

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This month’s Cinema Classic, in honor of Mother’s Day, is I Remember Mama, (1948) starring Irene Dunne and Barbara Bel Geddes. Ms. Dunne plays the role of “Mama,” and Ms. Bel Geddes plays one of her three daughters, “Katrin.” The film was nominated for five Academy Awards and was based on a play of the same name by John Van Druten and a novel by Kathryn Forbes entitled, Mama’s Bank Account.

Mama and her family have immigrated to San Francisco from Norway in the early 1900’s and this film presents sketches of their family’s life in their adoptive country. Something about this film is very touching. Maybe it is the sad-happy quality that seems to elicit a tender response every time Mama resolves an issue. Mama is as close to the ideal mom as one can get; smart, spunky, savvy, and kind. She sees what is really important, and she fears no one. And she has a sense of humor – a priceless commodity in any family. No wonder this movie is all about her! Moreover, Mama knows when to intervene and just how to do it. Mama exhibits a becoming modesty about the powerful influence she has in the family and only uses it in ways that are beneficial. In one scene, her youngest daughter, Temperatures are Rising By Monica Chappell Dagmar, insists that Mama can fix anything, but Mama doesn’t With the temperature rising, it’s easy to find yourself pouring wine that want to be thought of as infallible. With a wry smile Papa confesses is either too cold or too warm. Just as the right glass will enhance your wine he knows how Dagmar feels. experience, serving wine at the ideal temperature is equally as important.

The movie illustrates the process of blending old country 20/20 Rule - When it comes to knowing what temperature to serve cultural traits with those of the new country, accomplished here a wine, follow this tip - twenty minutes before serving, take the white with good - natured elegance. In some instances the old counwine out of the fridge, and put the red wine in. This rule is intended to fix try’s ways must be pushed aside and maintained elsewhere, and the two most common mistakes in wine service; serving white wines too this family has the wisdom to decipher when to do what. These cold and red wines too warm. Now, this is not something to lose sleep features and more render this a great movie experience for the over, but the fact is that properly chilled wines do taste noticeably better. whole family to watch.

Serving wine at it’s proper temperature enables you to taste the wine This wonderful movie is available for purchase or rental online. at its full potential. Most of the enjoyment that comes from drinking wine involves its aroma. Taste Musical Notes only has four aspects - sweet, sour, salt, and acid. The nose does the rest. Vapors are created as wine Why not take your mother on a musical art tour with Modeste warms up, so the wine needs to be a few degrees below its ideal drinking temperature for you to enjoy Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition? This beautiful suite, it at its finest. To be confident the wine you serve will be on its best behavior, know the whole story. consisting of ten movements, was composed as a tribute to MusRed, Red Wine - If you’ve heard the old adage that red wines need to be served at “room sorgsky’s dear friend, Victor Hartmann, an artist who died in 1874 temperature,” don't forget that “room temperature” can be considerably higher in the summer. at the age of 39. Perhaps your mom would prefer dancing, in which Most red wines are at their best at cool room temperature, 62 to 65 degrees fahrenheit. Light case Strauss waltzes are ideally suited. The majestic and dynamic reds benefit from being served slightly cooler than full-bodied reds. Keep reds too warm and “Emperor Waltz, Opus 437” would be a felicitous choice! they will taste alcoholic and even vinegary. If they are kept too cold they will have an overly Both of these options are available for download or to simply tannic bite and much less flavor. listen to on the internet.

Refreshing Whites - Just as many reds are served too warm, most white wines are Special Announcement – A Sacred Service featuring music definitely served too cold. Fine white wines are best between 58 and 62 degrees. Simpler, composed by Ernest Bloch (Swiss-American composer and Director inexpensive, easy drinking type white wines are best served colder, between 50 and 55 degrees. of San Francisco Conservatory of Music from 1925-1930) will be Chilling white wines properly preserve their freshness, but keep them too cold and they will be performed by the Choirs from Congregation B’nai Tikvah, Con- nearly tasteless. White wines served too warm will taste alcoholic and flabby.

Bubbling Beauties - Sparkling wine should start out totally chilled and are best served between gregation B’nai Shalom, Temple Isaiah and Diablo Valley College Choir and Orchestra on Saturday May 18, at 8pm at Diablo Valley 40-45 degrees. Put them in the refrigerator an hour and half before serving or in an ice bucket with College Performing Arts Center, Pleasant Hill. The concert will water for at least 20 minutes before serving. For vintage-dated Champagne and other high-quality be offered again on Sunday, May 19, 4pm at Temple Isaiah, 945 bubbly, you should let the bottle warm up a bit if you don’t want to miss out on the mature character Risa Rd., Lafayette. Tickets for the Diablo Valley College Concert for which you’re probably paying extra.Wine will not stay at a constant temperature once it’s out of on May 18 cost $15 in advance or $20 at the door and the soloist the refrigerator, so keep an ice bucket handy or put the bottle back in the refrigerator between pourings.

You needn’t become a maniac with a thermometer to get wine to the right temperature range; is Cantor Leigh Korn, Temple Isaiah. Tickets to the Temple Isaiah a little experience and a little tasting, and the wine itself will tell you everything you need to Concert in Lafayette, on May 19 are free with soloists Cantor Leigh know.

So, chill this summer and enjoy a perfectly chilled glass of wine.

Korn, Temple Isaiah, Cantor Jennie Chabon, B’nai Tikvah, and Monica Chappell teaches wine appreciation classes in the East Bay. Visit www.wineapCantor Marc Dinkin, B’nai Shalom. Consider yourselves invited preciation101.blogspot.com for a class list. to this extraordinary opportunity for sacred music.

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Talk to Me!

Lafayette Today ~ May 2013 - Page 13

By Evan Corstorphine, Portable CIO

Ever since seeing the first episodes of Star Trek while growing up, I’ve been fascinated by the possibility of speaking to a computer and having it actually understand what I’m saying. We’ve all seen examples of computer speech recognition in TV shows and movies, and today, life imitates art where computers are actually listening to us and understanding, too.

For quite some time, we’ve seen examples on TV of the FBI using voice-pattern recognition to ascertain different things about the person who is being analyzed. They can determine if the person speaking on a recording matches another individual by examining the voice waveform on a scope, and they can also tell if there is stress present in the individual’s voice when being questioned. This technology is the grandfather of current voice recognition software, which has found its way into mainstream computers available to everyone. It used to take a mainframe computer to analyze speech. Then, it took a mini computer and then a powerful desktop workstation. Now, it’s available for $99 and works on just about any PC you can buy off the shelf, and you can also find the feature on most smartphones and tablets.

As you might imagine, I type a lot. I stay pretty connected whether it’s on my desktop in the office, my laptop in my favorite chair, or my phone or iPad when I’m mobile. But I get tired of typing. Sometimes I’m just tired, and other times it’s hard to type because I worked in the yard, and my hands are sore. Happily, there’s a helpful product which has been out for a number of years. It’s called Dragon Naturally Speaking, and it’s quite powerful in its current iteration. There are two main ways that Dragon can help you translate spoken words into text on the computer. The first way is through straight dictation. The program has a powerful command vocabulary which you can use to navigate your computer, and then you can use it to dictate documents and messages.

The Dragon package comes with a nifty headset that plugs into your computer, and you wear that headset to issue voice commands and dictation.

The second way it works is through transcription. Let’s say you have recorded your thoughts onto a dictation device, and you want them turned into a document. If you load that transcription onto your computer as a speech file, Dragon can “listen” to the file and build a text document from the words spoken on the recording. The accuracy of the transcription depends on the things you’d expect to matter, such as the quality of the initial recording and how well the program has been “trained” to recognize your voice. But it does work, and the final editing takes a fraction of the time it would have taken you to manually transcribe the document.

Another cool way I’m using voice recognition is with my phone and tablet computer. The first Apple devices to offer voice recognition for dictation are the iPhone 4s and iPad3. The dictation feature came along around the same time as “Siri,” the application that is supposed to act as a phone-based concierge (but that I feel is a horrendous disappointment). Even though the iPhone’s on-screen keypad interface is pretty well thought out, I’ve found it to be slow at times to get my thoughts translated quickly through my thumbs and into the phone. But by using the dictation feature built into my phone, I can send content-rich text messages and emails directly from my phone, only touching the keyboard to press “send.” I find this to be an amazing time-saver and extremely convenient when I have a lot to say or can’t conveniently use my hands to type. I think my friends and family probably wonder how I can type such long messages so quickly!

Even though I find the Dragon voice recognition technology to be very effective, it’s not as easy to use as I’d like. It’s still pretty technical, and you have to memorize a lot of structured commands to really get the most out of the product on the PC. I predict that as computer power continues to increase, the software will become more and more intelligent, until we can speak in normal language to our computers and they will be able to interpret our wishes. When it gets there, life will have come full-circle to imitate art, because that’s exactly what Captain Kirk was able to do with the computer in Star Trek!

If you do a lot of writing and believe you might be a candidate for speech recognition software, Portable CIO can help get you setup with the right equipment so your whole environment works well. Our friendly staff is ready to help, and reachable via email at helpdesk@theportablecio.com or at (925)552-7953.

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Page 14 - May 2013 ~ Lafayette Today

Adieu By Daniel A Barnes, CFA

With this issue, I bid you adieu. I have immensely enjoyed writing this column. I’d like to thank all my readers for lending me your eyes over these 50 columns in the last four years. But first, let me provide a final assessment and holistic warning about change, life, and the ongoing fiscal calamity of the new millennium.

I write this column from a pokey regional train in lower Silesia. We are on our way to Prague coming from the beautiful city of Wroclaw. Wroclaw, with its enduring beauty and its astounding history, is a symbol for me and the current economic crisis.

Wroclaw was controlled by the Piast Polish Kings from 1000 to 1335.

Then from 1335 to 1533 it was controlled by the Kingdom of Bohemia. From 1533 to 1740 the Austrian Habsburgs took over. From 1740 to 1871 and then until 1945 first Prussia, then the German Empire, and finally the 3rd Reich controlled Wroclaw. In 1923 less than ½ percent of Wroclaw was inhabited by Polish natives. Then in 1945 90% of the city fled west from the approaching Russian Army. The Potsdam Agreement ceded Wroclaw to Poland while ceding Lviv to the Soviet Empire. The polish inhabitants of Lviv were deported West to into the new Polish borders, many ended up in Breslau, Wroclaw’s German name. Today The gem of Wroclaw on the Oder river survived its tumultuous past, and so too will the West survive its demographic crisis and the current, enduring bear market that will be the result of this current seemingly endless fiscal calamity.

Synchronized Recesssions

Copper is perhaps the most correlated economic indicator that exists. The copper price has fallen 30% in the last 20 months and 20% since February. Deflationary forces are everywhere, but inflationary forces persist in food, restaurants, and services. From 2011 to 2012 the US economy added two million jobs, but tax receipts from personal income rose 0%. Yes, that means the jobs that are being added are not adding to prosperity, but they are subtracting from it. While Investment Management client’s wealth may be increasing, most of us know that most people’s standard of living is not going up. How many of you have helped your own children more than your parents helped you?

From a portfolio management perspective, the last 12 months have been intellectually difficult. The stock market has surged higher, at least in the blue chip averages, but economic indicators clearly indicate a resumption of stagnating growth and a synchronized global recession. I recall the second half of the year 2000. In September, after the Nasdaq had lost 40% and then rallied tepidly 10%, the Dow hit an all-time high. Two months later that seemed unreal. The economy was in free-fall. Within 18 months the blue chip stocks values were cut in half. That could happen again in the next few years.

Similarly this year, after a mild scare in bonds in the first few months, deflationary indicators are up, bonds are up, blue chip stocks are up, and most everything else is pointed down.

Portfolio Management

Neither I, nor anyone smarter than I, can say with certainty, whether the inevitable trillions of dollars of “money printing,” i.e. “quantitative easing,” can keep a reasonably valued stock market and the best run companies in the world (US Blue Chips) from falling in price. Blue chips stocks are acting as a safe haven for global capital. And if I had to bet (and I do, it’s my job), I’d say there is a 40% chance that this situation can be sustained through the adjustments of the next decade. Blue chip stocks may retain their values through this bear market. But I also think there is at least a 60% chance that the tides of deflation, secular and fiscal change, and money-printing to infinity, will eventually topple the support for US blue chips, and they too will head substantially lower at some point before large changes in fiscal and economic policy are wrought upon reluctant populations and their elected leaders.

As a protector of capital, I must bet on this probability to protect accumulated and accumulating wealth.

1. We remain invested in gold bullion assets as eventual safe havens against today’s profligate fiscal policies.

2. We remain invested in municipal bonds for their ability to produce high after tax income.

www.yourmonthlypaper.com 3. We remain invested modestly in blue chips stocks because they increase their dividends every year.

4. We remain wrong about the protective nature of gold and silver stocks, but believe that we may eventually be selectively right.

Money is not wealth. From the website www.peakprosperity.com, I endorse their recent quote, “True wealth is your safety, health, relationships, work, community, knowledge, skills, etc. And advancing those are what will ensure a prosperous future.”

Future Barnes Capital writings

I will be publishing my first book this summer, likely to be titled No Shortcuts, a compilation of writings. See barnescapital.com to obtain a copy.

Again, I thank you for your eyes and your encouragement, and if you would like to keep reading my columns, sign up to do so at www. barnescapital.com.

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Solar Currents

Lafayette Today ~ May 2013 - Page 15

By Mark Becker,

GoSimpleSolar The Million-Dollar Question

I’m a big fan of the program Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? I think it’s inevitable that sometime soon the million-dollar question will be, “I see you are in PG&E’s service area. Please tell me what you are paying for electricity?”

For most of you, your answer (for the million bucks) may be “I’m paying a tiered rate.”As we know, the more energy we use, the more we pay per unit (kilowatt) of energy used. It’s called “progressively increasing price points.”

Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as that. PG&E’s progressively increasing price points change based on which utility rate and territory the customer is in.

The price points also change daily, by time of day, and seasonally. All residential (and soon all business) rates have “tiered and time of use attributes.” Weekdays cost more than weekends, and summer costs more than winter. Daytime costs more than nighttime, but not always, because it depends on one’s usage. Some kilowatts cost as low as 3.8 cents, and some cost more than 55 cents. The difference in cost depends on your utility tariff and your “tiered and time of use” habit patterns of electric use. As you can see, all kilowatts are not created equal.

Wouldn’t it be nice if there were “frequent flyer miles” when spending more for energy? Many of our customers may have never gone solar had such perks been forthcoming. In reality, PG&E would rather you use less energy than more.

Energy demands keep rising, and power generation is not rising to meet the demand. Stabilizing and managing the grid and having reliable energy sources to provide energy to the grid are top priorities for PG&E. For this reason, solar and PG&E happen to make excellent yet seemingly strange bedfellows. This PG&E/solar partnership is mutually beneficial.

The grid’s energy demands and customer’s energy costs are highest from May through October. Not so coincidentally, solar power systems have their highest output during these months as well. For PG&E, excess energy is expensive to generate, and it’s difficult to transmit and manage, especially during hot days.

Non-solar customers are penalized by a higher cost of electricity during these summer afternoon hours. Solar customers are incentivized by PG&E to generate and export power to the grid during these higher cost summer afternoons. The old moniker “buy low and sell high” is the simplest description as to how solar systems generate excellent financial return for their owners. For nighttime car charging, for each solar kilowatt sent to the grid during the day, I get credited multiple kilowatts back at night. Car charging is essentially free for me because solar is able to leverage the peak vs. off peak energy costs. PG&E is indeed selling my excess solar generation to my neighbors, and they’re possibly marking it up as well. The “mark-up” of course depends where my neighbors are on the “tiered and time of use” continuum at that moment in time. Solar systems save PG&E money in energy generation and transmission costs.

Much like the other 147,366 California solar customers, (as of April 18th) I saw no return on investment with monies paid to PG&E. I’d rather be an energy provider, and I’m happy to know that on most days, I’m providing clean energy to my neighbors while being compensated nicely by PG&E for doing so. It’s a great partnership.

Since businesses haven’t voluntarily reduced energy use during peak hours, they’re being forced to switch to time of use electric rates, which will be fully implemented by November 2013. I have a feeling this transition to time of use rates for business will generate more solar business as the customer tries to escape the ever rising cost of energy. Hedging energy costs by “going solar” is one of the few stable and safe investments with reasonable returns still around.

PG&E and solar, strange bedfellows indeed.

Mark Becker is the President of GoSimpleSolar, by Semper Fidelis Construction Inc, a Danville based Solar Installation Firm (License 948715). Mark can be reached at 925.915.9252. Visit GoSimpleSolar’s showroom at 114 West Prospect Avenue in Danville or www.GoSimpleSolar.com, or email Mark@ GoSimpleSolar.com.

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Page 16 - May 2013 ~ Lafayette Today

The Incense-Cedar

By Blaine Brende & Joe Lamb

The incense-cedar graces many Bay Area gardens with its shade, beauty, and intriguing fragrance. Calocedrus decurrens, its Latin name, means beautiful cedar.

The striking contrast between the vibrant greens of its leaves and the trunk’s rich reds creates a pleasing aesthetic further enhanced by the relaxed elegance of the weeping foliage. The beauty of this tree is not confined to the realm of the visual. The incense-cedar gives off a distinctive fragrance that fills the air with a pungent aroma strongly reminiscent of grade-school classrooms and the unforgettable smell of the pencil sharpener. In my youth, and still largely today, pencils were made from the soft and distinctively fragrant wood of Calocedrus decurrens.

The incense-cedar is not a true cedar (thus the hyphen). The so-called “true cedars” are native to the Mediterranean and the Himalayas, and are members of the genus Cedrus. These include the majestic Deodora and Atlas cedars, as well as the famous Cedar of Lebanon.

The incense-cedar, which may live a thousand years and attain a height of 150 feet, is a true California native. It evolved in North America, and its current range extends from the Cascade Mountains in northern Oregon, through the Sierra Nevadas, and down to the Sierra San Pedro Matir of Baja California.

Throughout its range it has been important in the lives of Native Americans.

The Klamath tribe of Oregon wove its bark into baskets. The California Paiutes made infusions of its leaves for colds. The Round Valley tribe of Mendocino Country used leaflets as flavoring when leaching acorn meal. This species has provided Native Americans with food, shelter, clothing, and music.

The incense-cedar’s natural resistance to rot made it very useful both in antiquity and in modern times. Homebuilders use it for siding, decking, moulding, and interior paneling. Landscapers use its chips and bark for mulch. Its wood is made into furniture, shingles, and railway ties. Sawdust and wood scraps help fuel co-generation of electricity.

The softness of the wood and its resistance to splintering make the incense-

Gardening with Kate

By Kathleen Guillaume

Everything in my garden has been a little late this year, it’s taken until the last week of April for my Ballerina rose to bloom; it usually greets me in late March or early April. It often has a gigantic wave of blossoms while my other roses are just setting buds.

This year my Old English rose opened first. My favorite rose is the David Austin “Evelyn” which is both spectacular and so fragrant that just a few blossoms fill the house with a deep rose perfume. My second favorite rose is “Reines des Violettes,” an old fashioned repeat bloomer which has rich purple petals and is nearly thornless. Go to Google Images and search for Reines des Violettes, and you will know why it is an anchor in my garden.

I have been revisited by fire blight on the tips of my pear tree leaves. Luckily, I have caught it and it is mainly just on the new growth. You will know fire blight because it looks like someone took a blow torch to the stems and leaves.

Remember to cut below the damaged area and wipe your clippers with alcohol after each cut so as not to spread the infection to the next cut. Also, never put the affected branches in the compost; throw them in the garbage.

My rhododendrons are creating waves of blossoms against my western fence. Here they get morning sun and afternoon protection. They are one of the best evergreen flowering shrubs for the dollar invested. This is the time to shop for rhoadies as they are currently blooming at the nurseries and it will give you a sense of what type of blossom cluster each variety has. You will also get a sense of whether the growth habit is open and loose or compact. One of my new acquisitions is “ Moonstone,” a pale yellow flower with a compact growth habit that tops out around three feet. I used to live in the city of Alameda and along Grand Avenue there were rhododendron hedges that were over nine feet tall that acted like fences between the front yards.They were spectacular to look at. Rhododendrons are a must-have for any garden as feeding and deadheading them after they boom is they only attention they require.

My rudebeckias are all breaking forth with promises of tons of black/

www.yourmonthlypaper.com cedar ideal for encasing pencil lead. However, these qualities also make the wood fragile, brittle, and potentially somewhat problematic as an urban landscape tree. When it grows as one trunk from a thick base to a single pyramidshaped crown, the incense-cedar is relatively stable; it requires little work other than the periodic removal of deadwood. But if the trunk of the tree divides into multiple columns or has large branches which turn up and rise parallel to the trunk, the tree has structural problems that make it vulnerable to column failure. After some recent winter storms, Brende & Lamb looked at many incense-cedars that had shed branches and sometimes entire columns. Most of the failed trees suffered from a malady of tree anatomy called included bark.

This structural defect occurs when the bark at the crotch folds inward, and interrupts the continuity of the fibers supporting the columns.

Good pruning can ameliorate many structural problems. Co-dominant stems (more than one column of roughly the same diameter) are more likely to fail than trees with a single leading column. Sometimes reducing one of the competing leaders can minimize the hazard. If column removal is not advisable for aesthetic or functional reasons, it is often possible to cable the multiple stems together. However, individual trees are so unstable that removal is the safest alternative. Whatever you do, do not top these trees. Topping a cedar will eventually produce many unstable columns multiplying the risk and, ultimately, the expense of keeping the tree. Preventative medicine is almost always less expensive and more effective than later surgery. If you plant an incense-cedar, choose nursery stock with only one trunk and no crotches with included bark.

Remember that a seedling cedar can grow to over a hundred feet, and that tall trees may cause view concerns for yourself and your neighbors.

Calocedrus has graced the California landscape for almost 200 million years.

With a little forethought and good pruning, the incense-cedar can continue to bless Bay Area gardens with the subtle fragrance of childhood. It takes a little effort to live at peace with this large California native, but its bounty of colors, shapes, and scents make that effort worthwhile.

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 brown eyed susans this summer. There are so many varieties and their wash of bright yellow is so cheerful. You can still find these in six-packs at most nurseries...or you can wait and pay the higher gallon price when they are sold in early June. I particularly like them when they are banked with the late blooming blue salvias.

My tomatoes are now close to a foot tall and growing every day. I have six “Early Girls” to plant this week. I bought them in four-inch pots and planted them at the bottom of gallon pots. When they get to be a foot tall, I will dig an 18” hole and plant them deep again. This year I am trying some hybrids that friends have had success with. I’ll let you know more about them next month.

This year I will have 12 tomato plants to share with neighbors, and the surplus production will go to the Food Bank. Everyone will get some, and to me that is what gardening is all about - sharing. When I was younger I canned more, but as that requires a lot of heavy pots and standing, now I share more.

Remember, when you have surplus of produce, there are several organizations that will collect produce to distribute to those less fortunate. Meals on Wheels and other food supplement organizations have lost a fair amount of funding, and we have seniors and children that go hungry in our county and yes, even in our own neighborhoods. So please share one of the best gifts you have, the bounty from your garden. Many thanks to those who do so already.

Happy Gardening.

Lafayette Garden Club

The Lafayette Garden Club holds its monthly meetings at 10AM on the second Thursday of each month at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, located at 1035 Carol Lane in Lafayette.

The club’s next meeting will be held on Thursday, May 9th. On that day, the club will also be holding a plant sale and “Garden Shed” from 10AM to noon.The plants for sale have been lovingly propagated by club members, and the club’s Master Gardners will be available to give planting advice. The Lafayette Garden Shed will feature gently-used garden tools and garden art/crafts, birdhouses, and bonsai containers.

For more information, e-mail sa613and@aol.com.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Life in the Lafayette Garden

By John Montgomery, ASLA, Landscape Architect Garden Rooms

Imagine your garden to be like your home; having different functions and places for varied activities, perhaps laid out in a similar fashion as the floor plan of your home. Rooms for activities, food preparation and dining, relaxation and contemplation, and work spaces can all be part of the intended vision of a garden design.

Particularly in Lafayette, we are very blessed to live in such a favorable environment which supports the idea of living inside/out. Current trends over the last decade have been moving towards using the outdoor environment as an extension of the indoor living space. It is very interesting to see with some of my renovation projects with homes built in the1940 – 1950’s the way in which the land was used. For instance, take my home, built in 1948 on half an acre, where the landscape entailed a small concrete patio (square), a small patch of turf, a few fruit trees, and the rest which was left to go to seed. I find a lot of homes of this era like that. Today, I develop those unused areas into usable outdoor space, or garden rooms.

A home has a heart; so does a garden. Generally the kitchen and family room are the center of activity in a home, and it is the same for a garden.

Most folks in Lafayette enjoy the outdoors all-year-round, making food preparation and dining outdoors desirable. I design a wide range of outdoor kitchens equipped with everything including 48” stainless steel grills, refrigerators, sinks, dish washers, lobster pots, woks, pizza ovens, keg-arators, and wine closets. Pretty much anything in the indoor kitchen can be recreated outdoors. Outdoor kitchens are great for either large parties or dinners for two. The patio space shaded by a pergola or arbor becomes the central room of the garden, supporting activities such as eating and dining, having conversations with friends and family, entertaining, playing games, or simply sitting quietly reading a book. At night, the fireplace, firepit, or heating umbrellas can take away the evening chill for late-night entertaining.

Lafayette Today ~ May 2013 - Page 17 in your swim suit while on a conference call with associates scattered halfway around the globe or sitting with your laptop hammering out the year-end financials while sitting next to a koi pond under the shade of a tree.

There are no limits to the ways you can use your garden. Garden rooms need not be overdone or complicated. Creating “garden rooms” is one approach to effectively design the “floor-plan” of your outdoor environment.

A hot tip from your local Landscape Architect: When it comes to planning an outdoor environment, my motto is: “Every square inch has a purpose.”

Gardening Quote of the Month: “I do not understand how anyone can live without one small place of enchantment to turn to.” - Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings 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

Lafayette Hiking Group

May 25 - San Francisco, Fort Mason to Fort Point

For more rambunctious activities like swimming, soccer, croquet, hiden-seek and tag; swimming pools and spas, large turf areas, and sport courts become the activity room or even the sports arena. For the avid golfer imagine having your own putting green! On the other hand, if the bedroom and sleep is your thing for a nice relaxing Saturday afternoon, carve out a nice quiet corner of the garden for a hammock, chaise lounge, or an outright bed in a small garden cottage. I have designed several versions of an outdoor bedroom for clients. One was a “Sky-Bed” which was a platform that would allow you to pull yourself up into the tree canopy with a pulley system, tie it off, and take a nap in the tree tops. Another was a small garden cottage (10’ X 12’) that was for Mom and her two young daughters to have sleepovers in. I designed a fold-away Murphy/bunk bed so the cottage could double as play space for the girls during the day.

Lately, I find a fair amount of my clients working from home which gives the garden a completely different potential for use. With wireless capabilities for almost everything, imagine taking care of business poolside

Come join with us as we continue our City exploration through Fort Mason, the Marina, and along the waterfront to Fort Point. En route we will visit the amazing Wave Organ. Bring money for BART, bus, and lunch.

Meet in the parking lot out from Lafayette BART’s main entrance at 8:30AM. Bring water, layered clothing, good walking shoes, and sun protection.

The walk is approximately four miles, and is mostly flat. The leaders are Ardith Betts and Alison Hill.

June 8 - Fernandez Ranch, Martinez

Hike in the Muir Heritage Land Trust’s 702 acre open space preserve.

Enjoy meadows of wild grasses, forests of oak, willow and bay laurel trees, ponds, panoramic mountain views, and birds, including raptors. The hike is mostly shaded. There will be optional wine tasting after the hike.

Meet in the parking lot out from Lafayette BART’s main entrance at 8:30AM. We will form carpools to the trailhead. Bring lunch or snacks, water, layered clothing, good walking shoes, sun protection and money to contribute toward gas, bridge tolls and parking ($3). This is a moderate hike of three to four miles. The hike leader is George Denney.

For questions email LafayetteHiking@comcast.net.

Page 18 - May 2013 ~ Lafayette Today

The Art of Plastic Surgery

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

Many of my cosmetic patients experience real suffering because they are self-conscious about their appearance. Others desire elective aesthetic treatments to feel more youthful, improve body image, or change an attribute that has always bothered them. With all my patients, however, my role is the same: I am a surgeon, and as such I need to be well informed about the latest developments in procedures and products. I am a scientist, and I need to follow the basic tenants of the scientific method to ensure what I am recommending to patients has been proven effective by authenticated and reputable studies. I need to be able to explain the science behind the benefits of alloderm (a regenerative tissue matrix used in post mastectomy breast reconstruction), understand how retinol plays a role in anti-aging creams, and be facile with laser resurfacing.

The concept of beauty is an ever-changing one, and the tools we have to address everything from wrinkles and fat deposits are evolving quickly. So, I am also and artist, and the palette now contains neurotoxin, dermal fillers, fat grafting, ultrasound, and laser. As these treatments receive greater attention from the media, physicians not only have to keep up with the science,

Good News for Melanoma Diagnosis

By Dr. Matthew Sirott, MD

Melanoma is one of the most serious forms of skin cancer and is diagnosed in over 70,000 patients yearly in the US. May is Melanoma Awareness Month. The prognosis for patients with metastatic disease has been dismal. The only curative treatment, Interleukin 2, is toxic, requires an oncologist comfortable with the treatment, involves multiple intensive care unit admissions, and has cure rates around 5%. Other therapies, including chemotherapy, have some efficacy that is modest at best. However, the times they are a-changin’!

Over the last few years, new developments in molecular and immunologic therapy have changed the treatment paradigm, resulting in many more successes.

Ipilimumab (Yervoy) is a genetically engineered antibody which acts as a brake on the immune system, blocking the activity of the T cells and resulting in very significant efficacy, with a near tripling of survival at two years. Ten percent of patients get a complete response (CR), and these patients do not seem to relapse (out to five years). This data is astounding, given the previous record of melanoma therapy. Ipilimumab has a serious toxicity profile and must be administered by physicians familiar with the drug and the potentially serious autoimmune side effects.

Braf is an activating mutation present in 50% of melanomas. Zelboraf (Vemurafenib) is a potent inhibitor of braf and has been shown to be extremely active in braf mutated melanoma, with an improved progression free and overall survival of four months. Note that this is similar to the herceptin benefit in breast cancer and Avastin benefit in colorectal cancer. Toxicity is relatively mild, except for the high rate of cutaneous malignancy, which usually accompanies squamous cell cancer.

Many other new drugs are in development and awaiting approval. Initial results with Anti- PD -1 antibody are very exciting with the response rate in melanoma at 28%, with half of all responses lasting greater than a year in this pre-treated population. Other areas of research include inhibition of the MEK pathway and blocking angiogenesis with drugs like Avastin.

The future looks brighter for melanoma patients. Diablo Valley Oncology has developed the California Skin and Melanoma Center to foster expertise in the treatment of all skin cancers, including squamous cell, basal cell, melanoma and rare tumor types such as Merkle cell and skin lymphoma. We have brought together community physicians interested in the dermatologic, surgical, medical, and radiation therapies of these patients. Our signature event, the Many Faces of Skin Cancer, will be held on May 15th. To learn more, visit www.calskincancer.com or call (925) 677-7287.

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www.yourmonthlypaper.com but they also need to keep ethical considerations in mind. Patients often ask, “What is best for me?” Though the answer varies for each patient, it is always a professional opinion that addresses their expectations and best interests.

This includes deciding when surgery to improve self-image and esteem is acceptable, when to try newer nonsurgical technology, and when to simply help my patients find a healthier attitude about themselves--without any intervention at all. It’s important to stop and ask questions since just because we can medically intervene, doesn’t mean we should.

As a practitioner who offers aesthetic interventions, it is often difficult to strike a balance between medical treatment and aesthetic therapy, in part because the core of my identity is that of a healer. Although the real value of any person should not be reduced to appearance, I also understand how important looks can be. I would be living a completely different life were it not for my own facial reconstruction after a traumatic injury. I firmly believe that appearance is not only a large part of our own esteem, but ultimately it defines how others view us.

I want my patients to look natural and feel good. I want to understand their expectations and meet them. Most of all, I want to be my patients’ best ally--someone who can tell them which new technologies are worth their time and money, when to proceed with something that might involve more risk, and what to expect from both.

Here’s the deal. What I am, the heart of me, is your doctor. After many years, I have learned that medicine is a partnership, that problem solving is fun, and that I am up for the challenge. I have the acumen to understand clinical trials, and I am willing to share my knowledge. I have the confidence to treat you with the newest technology, because I would never try something on a patient I wouldn’t try myself. And most of all, I trust you, the patient. You are the expert of your own body. With that unique expertise, and with my training, we make a wonderful team.

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

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Brainwaves by Betsy Streeter

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Dealing with that Negative Mind

By Michael Anne Conley, LMFT

“My mind is a dangerous neighborhood. I can’t go in there alone.”

I ended last month’s column with this quote, but I really blew it.

What I said was, “Don’t let this attitude get in your way.”

What I meant was, “Hold onto this attitude with everything you got!”

If you’ve ever made a mistake and wanted a do-over, you’ll understand when I take this opportunity for a do-over.

This month’s column is about why the mind is so darned dangerous.

Ever heard of Negative Thinking? Sure you have – and it has a bad reputation doesn’t it?

How about its friend Pessimism? We should ban it, too, shouldn’t we? Pessimism has such a bad reputation that optimists think pessimists claim to be “realists” rather than admit the truth about their negativity.

It turns out the part of the brain that is in charge of what we call “thinking” is a HUGE STOP SIGN. It’s supposed to be that way. This is one of its jobs.

If you don’t believe me, just stop reading RIGHT NOW, and go run out into traffic. Or put your hand on a hot stove.

Okay, you shouldn’t do this unless you’re at least 18. If you’re under 18, find an adult and see how they handle it when you tell them you want to dash into traffic or touch a hot stove. If they say, “Whatever you want, dear,” then they’re either not paying attention or they know that you’re testing them just to get a reaction.

It doesn’t take a brain scientist to understand why older people should be in charge, even though some older people leave much to be desired. It’s just that it takes experience over time for the Stop Sign Mind to learn its job of saying, “Oh, you want to do that? No way!”

It’s all a part of how we’re wired. Deep inside we’re still walking in the woods on the alert for tigers. And the younger we are, the less likely our brains have developed enough to get that.

Golf continued from front page

Brueckner does remember being carted to his older sister’s high school softball games, where he would set-up in available open space and hit for hours at a time. He never got bored. Acalanes High School golf coach Tim Scott recalls meeting a six-year old Will at a golf tournament in which Will’s sister was playing. “I was amused when I saw this little boy go into the pro shop to ask if he could practice his sand shots,” says Scott. “He spent five and a half hours in that sand trap that day. This is still the thing that makes Will unique. His dedication to the game he loves is unparalleled.”

Brueckner hones his skills with practice or play 250 days out of the year, but there is an element of natural athletic ability involved in his success. Gifted at nearly every sport he has tried, his early focus was baseball where he was a Lafayette Little League all-star and a traveling team player. He also excelled at basketball, but this year he gave up the Acalanes High School team in order to concentrate fully on golf. This is the first time in his life that he is a one-sport athlete, and he’s fine with it. “The team sports were not as enjoyable for me,” says Brueckner. “I didn’t like other people deciding my fate. With golf, I am in control and I get out of it what I put in. I love the challenges; no outing is ever the same.”

When Brueckner was 11, he tied for fourth in the US Kid’s World Golf Championship in North Carolina. That’s when he and his parents realized that maybe golf was more than just a fun hobby. College coaches started scouting him when he was 13. At age 15, 20 college coaches watched him in the Junior World Tournament at Torrey Pines. He was not nervous then, and he rarely gets nervous now. He routinely powers-down large pre-match meals while his anxious opponents lose their appetites to stress.

He says his greatest strength is that he can hit the ball farther than most people his age. His distance off of the tee is comparable to many pros. And he is a relentlessly fierce competitor. The bigger the challenge, the better, as far as he is concerned. His tactics on the green are somewhat unorthodox – something that has confounded his more traditional golf-playing father who used to promote “course management” as the way to win. “I’m very unconventional for my age,” says Brueckner, who admits to cutting corners whenever possible.

“I make the best of any situation and do whatever gets the job done. The best part of my game is my ability to scramble.”

Lafayette Today ~ May 2013 - Page 19 Negative thinking has at least one positive purpose: Impulse control. And the older we are, the more likely it is that we have developed this skill.

So, when Susie wants to drive her friends to a movie on Saturday night, you don’t have to quote state law. Just say, “No, dear, not until your brain is ready to see all those tigers out there on the road.”

The trick is to respect the natural negativity of your mind without being crippled by all the tigers that might be out there. Sign up for a free workshop this month to discover more about how to use your Recovery Plus ~ mind’s natural negativity to create New Skills for the New You! new possibilities for your life.

What are the challenges you FREE 2-hour workshop face around balancing your brain’s with Habit Change Expert tendency to send out negative Michael Anne Conley, LMFT signals? Let me know at info@ habitsintohealth.com. Next month Saturday, May 18, 2013 I’ll include reader comments and 10am-12pm questions in talking about another Central Lafayette natural aspect of being human: The buddy system, an important part of • Does your “look good” cover up the second half of “My mind is a some "feel bads?” dangerous neighborhood. I can’t go • Has your unhealthy habit created in there alone.” problems for yourself and others?

Michael Anne Conley is a holistic • Do you hurt because someone you therapist and addiction specialist love engages in an unhealthy habit (or since 1991 and the director of even addiction)?

Stillpoint integrative health center in • Are you are ready to STOP the Lafayette. If you want what you feel heartbreak and STEP into the life of on the inside to be just as powerful your dreams? as how you look on the outside, apply for a free consultation to discover if Register NOW (space is limited) Michael Anne’s services could be a 925/262-4848 x2 fit for you at www.habitsintohealth. info@habitsintohealth.com com/get-support.

Advertorial Also unconventional is his strange grip and swing, by-products of having taught himself the game. He never took the time to correct either. “Most would look at his swing and think ‘Oh my goodness,’” says Scott. “He’s not orthodox but it works for him. Tons of players on the Tour have unorthodox grips, and they make it work. ” Hoping to propel Brueckner to the Tour is his friend, tournament caddy, motivator, and strategist, 21-year-old Trevor Murphy - a self-described fellow goofball who shares Brueckner’s love for the game. They met at the Olympic Club where Brueckner is a Junior Merit member and where Murphy was the 2010 Junior Olympian. Murphy took over caddy duties from Brueckner’s dad Bob, who now watches his son from the sidelines and receives

See Golf continued on page 24

Lic# 1100014354; Bay Area Entertainment

Page 20 - May 2013 ~ Lafayette Today

Your Personal Nutritionist

By Linda Michaelis, RD. MS. With all this Exercise, why am I not Losing Weight?

I cannot begin to tell you how many clients say they are working out, making healthy food choices, and not losing weight. When a person seems to be doing the right things and not making any progress, they may face the following issues which hinder them from losing weight.

You are eating all the calories that you burn during your workouts

Yes, when you work out you are burning extra calories. But you may be overestimating how much you are burning. Saying, “I exercised today so later I can overeat or over-drink today,” or “I’ll have this now, but I’ll work out extra hard tomorrow and burn it off,” does not work. That three mile walk may burn 300 calories but does not compensate for the 1,000 calorie restaurant meal you have.

You are relying on exercise alone to lose weight

Yes, exercising can help you lose weight, along with providing lots of other health benefits. Exercise helps you create the calorie deficit needed to drop body fat. But here is the truth. Exercise alone will not help you lose weight.

Exercise does burn calories but probably not as much as you think. A full hour of intense exercise may only burn 400-500 calories, but hundreds even thousands of calories can be consumed in a few minutes. It could take an hour or more of exercise to offset those calories. If you are not changing your diet and reducing your caloric intake, exercise alone will not help you lose weight.

You must have both caloric reduction through diet and intense exercise for optimal weight loss results.

You are not eating as healthy as you think you are

Often new clients come to my office with a food diary they’ve kept for a few days. They think they eat healthy and are shocked to hear they are eating too much sugar and fat and not enough protein and fiber. Recently, I had a pre-diabetic client that was eating a double serving of Raisin Bran (when he measured it) and a glass of orange juice for breakfast. I calculated that he was eating 800 calories which contained 10 teaspoons of sugar for the two servings of cereal, 5 teaspoons of sugar from 1 1/2 cups of milk, and 8 teaspoons of sugar

SMD continued from front page

www.yourmonthlypaper.com from the orange juice for a grand total of 23 teaspoons of sugar! I see clients that don’t realize how much fat they are consuming with many servings of olives, nuts, avocados, cheese, and beef. Also, I see clients skipping meals and then eating up all their daily calories in the evening when our bodies process calories less efficiently. You might be eating healthy, but perhaps your portions are too large for your age, height, and activity. My clients need nutrition plans that are individualized and based on all of these factors.

You are not being consistent enough

When you are struggling to lose weight, consistency is most important.

Clients tell me they are sticking to strict diets and exercise programs for a week but cannot possibly continue this regimen without “cheating.” They try to eat “perfectly” and exercise “religiously” and do not lose weight and then throw up their hands in frustration and never succeed. I also see clients that seem to be on a reasonable nutrition plan and then go totally off course with family celebrations and restaurant meals. Their restaurant dessert is five times the standard portion size, and their alcohol consumption can be 500 calories alone. A significant part of my practice concerns how to manage these events to provide balance while enjoying goodies.

It is easy to lose weight but it is not very easy to keep it off. It takes a reasonable nutrition plan, intense exercise, and consistency (with forgiveness for occasional lapses).

You are not keeping track of mindless eating

A recent Kaiser study tracked 1,685 overweight and obese adults (men and women) whose average weight was 212 pounds. They encouraged participants to adhere to a reduced-calorie, DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan and asked them to record their daily food intake and exercise minutes. After 20 weeks, the average weight loss was 13 pounds per person.

But researchers discovered something quite interesting - the more participants recorded what they ate, the more weight they lost in the end. Participants who did not keep a food diary lost about nine pounds over the course of the study, while those who recorded their food intake six or more days per week lost 18 pounds—twice as much as those who didn’t track any food!

I am glad to inform you that nutritional counseling may be covered by your insurance. Please feel free to call me at (925) 855-0150 and tell me about your nutritional concerns. Refer to my website www.LindaRD.com for past articles, recipes and nutrition tips.

Advertorial

with this species. On Lime Ridge in 2008, amateur botanist David Gowan discovered two previously unknown plant species: the Lime Ridge navarettia and the Lime Ridge wooly star.

Warning: the magic of the mountain indigenous Miwok people considered the seat of creation is hard to resist. Many of the participants in the recently held Four Days Diablo (FDD) annual hiking and camping event (www.savemountdiablo.org/activities_events_4days. html) become avid volunteers and/or significant donors. Hannah Alger had never heard of SMD before her sister-in-law gave her information about FDD last spring. At 77 Alger found the invitation to hike once again a welcome challenge. “I never before met such a dedicated, enthusiastic, and happy group of volunteers. I want my grandchildren and yours to have and share this beautiful landscape.”

John and Tena Gallagher became dedicated volunteers after experiencing FDD in 2005. John, now a Board member, trucks the “kitchen” and other equipment from site to site during the FDD event.

Tena takes home tableware to sanitize in the dishwasher and return to the mountain. Hikers attend a preparation meeting a month before the trek and rejoin one another for a reunion months later highlighted Four Days Diablo showcases the SMD mission. Photo by Scott Hein.

Executive Director Ron Brown and the SMD staff monitor more than 40

by Scott Hein’s exceptional photographs.

Sue Ohanian became involved with SMD when she retired. “Four Days planning agendas a week to evaluate their potential impact on the mountain. The more the population in communities surrounding the mountain grows, the more Diablo synthesized my prior experience with Save Mount Diablo as a donor important the mission of making the Diablo Wilderness appropriately available and volunteer, and it strengthened my belief in the cohesion of the organizafor recreation becomes. Ron explains that the approach required to preserve this tion. Core cohesion is so critical.”

Nancy Woltering read about FDD in the Clayton Pioneer and signed up for large, diverse ecosystem for future generations needs to satisfy everyone’s interthe 2011 excursion. Now a part-time staff member, she describes the way the ests whether economically, politically, environmentally or aesthetically based.

Communications Coordinator Beryl Anderson addresses the misconception organization negotiates to get groups with totally disparate priorities to agree on that SMD is anti-development. By advocating intelligent planning for developcommon goals. “Save Mount Diablo overcomes polarity by extending a welcoming hand to many different individuals and groups; it brings people together to ment that preserves the watershed, wildlife corridors and breathtaking vistas, enjoy, appreciate, and ultimately preserve the mountain and its surroundings.”

See SMD continued on page 24

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Uncovering the “Hidden” Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease

By Jim Carlson - Certified Senior Advisor

Parkinson's disease (PD) belongs to a group of conditions called motor system disorders, which are the result of the loss of dopamine-producing brain cells. Dopamine is a chemical messenger in the brain that impacts movement and emotions.

The most common physical symptoms of PD are • Tremor (trembling in hands, arms, legs, jaw, and face) • Rigidity (stiffness of the limbs and trunk) • Bradykinesia (slowness of movement) • Postural instability (impaired balance and coordination) As these symptoms become more severe, clients may have difficulty walking, talking, and maintaining activities of daily living. However, what is perhaps most noteworthy is our finding that gaps identified most commonly…were not disease symptomatology and treatment, but rather gaps related to emotional and social challenges and legal and financial difficulties encountered by those living with the disease.

The overall message is that psychosocial issues are dominant in the minds of participants. Though psychosocial issues have been recognized by some as contributors to reduced quality of life, healthcare provider focus is generally on symptom management and medication adjustment. PD guidelines do not explicitly address psychosocial issues. The primary focus on managing motor symptoms has been with medication due to time limitations.

Psychological symptoms of PD can include depression, anxiety, isolation, insomnia, frequent urination, fatigue and loss of energy, cognitive/memory changes, excessive saliva, and vision and dental problems All of these symptoms impact work, financial issues, roles, family, hobbies, and relationships.

“Scientists showed that the impact of depression on health status is almost twice that of the motor impairments universally associated with

Ask Dr. Happy Dear Dr. Happy,

By Bob Nozik, MD

Two weeks ago when I went to the ATM for a hundred dollars in cash, it spit out four twenties and a fifty. Weird but, hey, a nice little windfall, right?

When I told my wife, Tess, about it, she said, “You’re going to return the extra money, aren’t you?” I said I planned to keep it. It’s a big bank, they won’t miss the extra, and I could use money. Well, Tess is upset with me. She says I have the morals of a toad. I don’t see anything wrong with keeping the money. I mean, what’d the big deal? Dr. H, who’s right? ~ Toad

Dear Toad,

Certainly, your wife is occupying the higher moral ground. That said, most of us, even the most high-minded of us, have, well, soft-spots sprinkled in our moral makeup, areas where we consider it okay to violate the rules. Some of us will jaywalk if no cops are around, others will drive five miles over the speed limit unless we spot a police cruiser, and others will sneak into a second theater in the multiplex without paying. In this case, your morality sees the extra thirty spit out by the ATM as a bit of good fortune, while Tess views keeping the money as a moral breach. I can’t castigate you for your view but still recommend you return the $30 to the bank. For the price of $30, you and Tess will move more into moral alignment, you will get much more than $30 worth of praise and admiration from the bank’s employees, and you will get a big boost in feeling proud of yourself--priceless.

Lafayette Today ~ May 2013 - Page 21 Parkinson’s.” 2012 Parkinson’s Outcomes Project

Finding Solutions

• Recognize and share symptoms of depression and anxiety with your care team, family, and friends.

• Expand your care team to include providers who understand and treat psychosocial challenges such as depression, anxiety, and grief

o Counselor or therapist o Dietician

o Rehab professional (physical therapist, occupational therapist,

speech therapist) o Massage therapist

oYoga/Pilate/Tai Chi instructor or program

o Spiritual advisor • Stay active (Important – talk to your healthcare provider prior to starting any new routines)

o Tai Chi o Yoga

o Pilates o Stretching • Choose healthy foods • Get involved through advocacy • Get support o www.parkinson.org/Improving-Care/Outreach/NPF-Chapters--Support-Groups.aspx o https://www.michaeljfox.org/understanding-parkinsons/livingwith-pd/topic.php?support-groups • Points to remember

o Quality of life for clients with PD is directly related to psychosocial issues that are “hidden” and rarely addressed/discussed with prescribers

o Health care extenders play a key role in helping clients to manage psychosocial symptoms Jim Carlson is Owner/Director of Griswold Home Care which specializes in providing Quality in-home care at an affordable price, and can be reached at 925-297-5110 or at www.griswoldhomecare.com/diablo-valley. Advertorial

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.

Hearing Loss Association

Come to meetings of the Diablo Valley Chapter of Hearing Loss Association of America at 7pm on the first Wednesday of the month at the Walnut Creek United Methodist Church located at 1543 Sunnyvale Ave., Walnut Creek Education Bldg., Wesley Room. Meeting room and parking are at the back of the church. All are welcome. Donations are accepted. Assistive listening system are available for T-coils, and most meetings are captioned. Contact HLAADV@hearinglossdv.org or (925) 264.1199 or www.hearinglossdv.org.

Happiness Tip

What is important for your happiness is for your actions to be congruent with your moral beliefs and values. For example, if honesty is one of your moral pillars, there will be a price to pay if you choose to ‘forget’ to include a significant chunk of taxable earning on your income tax report, or shave several strokes off of your golf score, or, as in this case, if you keep the extra cash mistakenly spitout by the ATM. Even if you seem to get away with ‘cheating the system,’ you know what you did and that you compromised your moral values, and that cost will be deducted from your happiness and self-esteem. It’s a high cost, indeed.

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

925.934.3743 • 925.934.1515

www.dumploadsonus.com • www.erecycleonus.com 1271 Boulevard Way, Walnut Creek Monday-Friday, 8-5 • Saturday 9-1, Sunday, closed

Page 22 - May 2013 ~ Lafayette Today

Events for Lafayette Seniors

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

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 client’s quality of life on a daily basis.

Rd in Lafayette unless otherwise noted.

• Free in-home assessments • Regular home visits Space is limited. Please call 925-284-5050 ensure the right care plan • Hourly care Heartfelt & to reserve a spot. Annual Membership fee: for you • Live-in care Supportive • Fully bonded and insured • Geriatric care mgmt. $10 per person. General Event fee: Members • Elder referral and placement $1; Non-Member $3. Special Concerts fee: At All Times...

Members $3; Non-Members $5. Ongoing 3645 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Suite D Lafayette, CA 94549 Caregiver Support Group: Members: no (beside Trader Joe’s) www.excellentcareathome.com 925-284-1213 charge; Non-members $1.

Lamorinda Dance Social Every Wednesday • 12:30 – 3PM • Live will learn how to back up your photos for posterity.

Oak Room, LSC - Enjoy afternoon dancing every Wednesday, and learn ‘As the Page Turns’ Book Club 3rd Tuesday monthly 5/21 • 1– 3PM some great new dance moves. On the first Wednesday monthly, professional • Elderberry Room, LSC - Looking for a good book to talk about with dancers Karen and Michael will provide a dance lesson and live DJ services, others? Join this informal group of book lovers and enjoy enrichment, playing your favorites and taking requests. $2 Members/ $4 non-members. discussion, fellowship and refreshments.

Lafayette Senior Services Commission 4th Thursday of the month Caring for a Loved One With Cancer Thursday, 5/16 • 10:30 – from 3:30 – 5:30PM at the LSC - View agendas at the City of Lafayette ofnoon • Sequoia Room, LSC - You have enormous influence, both positive fice or at www.ci.lafayette.ca.us.

Senior Nature Walk and Bird-Watching Every Wednesday • 9AM - 11AM and negative, on how a cancer patient deals with his or her illness. Find • Call LSC to find out weekly meeting locations - Experience nature at its finest out how you can provide excellent care and help your loved one deal with along our local trails. Delight in the beauty that unfolds around each bend, all the cancer in the best way possible. while learning to identify a variety of birds. Bring a water bottle; binoculars will be Rat Pack Tribute in Song Friday, 6/7 • 1:30 – 2:30 • Sequoia Room, LSC Frank, Sammy, and Dean are back in town! Throw in a few tunes by Bobby Darin helpful if you have them. Join us every Wednesday or whenever you are able.

PM PM Come Play Mahjong! Every Tuesday 1 –3:30 • Sequoia Room, and Louis Prima, and Mark delivers a high-energy, bewitching performance. You’ll LSC - Come join us on Tuesdays for a drop-in game of mahjong. Mahjong is a enjoy richly interpreted standards and popular songs from the 20’s through the 60’s. game of skill, strategy, and certain degree of chance. All levels welcome. Bring Walls continued from page 8 your card, a mahjong set and a snack to share (optional). RSVP not required.

Self-Discovery and Aging, Creative Writing Workshop • 2nd and 4th and owned the building. The Trading Post sold antiques. The proprietors Thursday monthly 5/10, 5/24 • 3 - 5PM • Elderberry Room, LCC - Join creative were Julie Hendrickson and Barbara Gros. At this time the building was writing and english instructor Judith Rathbone and write to explore issues around painted red with white trim.

Over the years the building housed an insurance company and a book aging, emotion and perception–or get support to write on any topic! Workshop sessions include writing prompts, feedback and encouragement, and information store. In 1983, at the time of Edith Sterling’s oral history, the building was called the Nifty Thrifty Shop of Futures Explored. about the world of writers, writing, and publishing.

The building is now called the Hen House. A sign on the side of the Positive Living Forum (“Happiness Club”) Thursdays 5/9, 6/13 AM • 10:30 – noon • Toyon Room, LSC - Brighten your day with Dr. Bob building also says, “Haute Bohemian, Vintage Atelier, Bits with a Flair.”

Nozik, MD, Prof. Emeritus UCSF and author of Happy 4 Life: Here’s How At this time the building has no insulation or stove. The foundation is earth to Do It. Take part in this interactive gathering which features speakers with the remnants of 6-inch tree stumps under the floor. The walls are not on a wide range of topics that encourage and guide participants towards a necessarily perpendicular. But what it lacks in plumb, it makes up for in aplomb. Elizabeth Kirkpatrick is the proprietor of at least 12 years. Her idea more ideal and positive life experience.

Bi-Monthly Caregiver Support Group Mondays 5/20, 6/3 • 1:30– is that if she likes an item enough for her house, she will buy it. Many of her 2:30PM • Elderberry Room, LSC - If you are a family member helping antiques are from Italy or France. to care for an older adult, join our support group to find balance and joy The shop has a few new items such as greeting cards. But there are mostly as you manage your responsibilities. ‘olde’ things, including stemware, prints, vintage birdcages, old keys, end tables, Book Club 3rd Tuesday monthly 5/21 • 1 – 3PM • Elderberry Room - Looking and chairs. There are items for the garden, such as old watering cans and benches. for a good book to talk about with others? Join this brand-new, informal group of At Halloween there are orange and black boas and original witch hats. There are book lovers, and enjoy enrichment, discussion, fellowship, and refreshments. vintage ornaments, miniature reindeer, and stocking stuffers at Christmas.

Anne Randolph Presentation: Strokes 5/24• 11:30 – 12:30 • Sequoia The Hen House is the kind of a shop you must go through two or three Room, LSC - The effects of a stroke can be devastating. Learn what causes times to actually see everything. It is a place for finding that one-of-a-kind strokes, how to recognize when one is occurring in order to avoid some of collectible for that hard to please relative or friend. But most of all it is fun, the debilitating effects. FREE Memory Screening by Caring Solutions after and as Elizabeth sells items, she replaces them with something else interesting. the Strokes class on Friday, May 24th. Please call us at 284-5050 for an So you have to stop in once in a while to see what you’re missing. You can appointment. also visit Elizabeth’s equally interesting website www.vintagehenhouse.com.

Free Peer Counseling 3rd Wednesday of the month 5/15 • Cedar Room, People enjoy seeing vintage antiques in a historical building. Many LSC - Contra Costa Health Services offers free one-on-one counseling with customers come in and talk about previous owners or renters. And oh, if senior (55+) counselors who use their life experiences to help other older adults those walls could talk! cope with life changes, problems, crises, and challenges. Confidentiality is strictly observed. Appointment required. Call LSC to sign up for one of the Stroke Support Group On Monday, May 13th, The Stroke Support Group of Contra Costa County following appointment times: 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, or 11:30AM. Medical Center Yak n’Yarn 1st & 3rd Thursday monthly 5/16, 6/6 • 1–3PM • Elderberry will hold its May meeting in the Concord Room at John Muir PM Room, LSC - Do you knit or crochet but wish you could do it in a more social Concord Campus (2540 East Avenue, Concord) from 7-9 . The speaker will be Georgia Upshaw of Lingraphica who will discuss Alternative Communication setting with people of similar interests or expertise to brainstorm with when inSystems. After the program, attendees will break up into three coping groups: structions make no sense? Drop-in and join us to work on your current project stroke survivors without aphasia, stroke survivors with aphasia, and caregivers while enjoying an afternoon of camaraderie. All levels are welcome. and families of stroke survivors -- each group led by a trained professional.

Digital Camera – Archiving Your Photos Wednesday, 5/8 • Both For further information about the Stroke Support Group, contact Ann Dzuna at classes 10:30AM – noon, Cedar Room, LSC - In Archiving Your Photos we (925) 376-6218. Meetings are free and open to the public.

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Lafayette Today ~ May 2013 - Page 23

Happy Mother’s Day and Other Tidbits

By Mary Bruns and Mauna Wagner - Lamorinda Senior Transportation, an Alliance of Transportation Providers

We wish you a very Happy Mother’s Day! If you have family nearby, we know you will connect with them. If you don’t have family nearby, we hope you will reach out to neighbors and friends to connect and celebrate. On Friday, May 10th, the C.C. Café/Walnut Creek Senior Center is serving veal, spinach, baked yams, tossed salad, and strawberry cake or fresh fruit. The requested lunch donation is $2-$5 and the ride is free. Call 925-280-7310 one business day ahead of time to reserve your lunch, and tell them you are riding the Spirit Van. They will call us with the list of people going to lunch that we are to pick up.

Each Bay Area Senior Center offers a variety of activities, programs, lunches, travel opportunities, and workshops to help you stay informed, meet people, stimulate your brain, exercise your body, and stay engaged. Some have a focus on travel or bingo. Others, like the one in Lafayette, have a focus on interest groups, book clubs, learning, dance, walking, and Mahjong. You can meet your needs for social contact, have fun and intellectual stimulation by reaching out until you find what you can’t resist. And remember, the Lamorinda Spirit Van can take you to local special events, errands, grocery shopping, medical appointments, social engagements, and lunch at the C.C. Café/Walnut Creek Senior Center. This past Monday we took two vans loads of seniors to lunch. As my sister says, “There’s just too much fun out in the world to stay home and watch TV.” Neale Donald Walsch reminds us,“Caution is what causes you to look both ways before crossing the street. Fear is what keeps you stuck on the curb forever...You know the difference...Get out there. You’ve already looked both ways...The coast is clear.”

We want to help you get out of the house and have some fun.

Reminder, at the May 31st event, “Out of Isolation – The Mobility Connections,” Dr. Carla Perissinotto of the UCSF Medical Center will discuss the findings of her study on isolation, loneliness, and its effect on older adults at the John Muir Medical Center Ball Auditorium, 1601 Ygnacio Valley Blvd. in Walnut Creek, from noon to 3:30pm. Joining her will be Rosemary Robles from the DMV and a representative from the California Highway Patrol to present the Age Well; Drive Smart program.

Join us to learn about transportation options that assist older adults in getting around after they give up the car keys. A box lunch will be provided, and free parking is available. Space is limited, so please RSVP to Cindi at (925) 937-8311 or email staff@mowsos.org by May 17th. If you live in Lamorinda, call the Lamorinda Spirit Van Program at (925) 283-3534. and ask about transportation to this event.

The Stratford is offering a series of informative events. On May 16th, the topic is “Disaster Response: Community Sheltering for Persons with Dementia and Related Disorders.” Call 925-932-9910 for more information.

Contra Costa County is “Championing the Conversation Project” which helps us plan to convey to our loved ones what is important to us toward the end of our lives.

Since I haven’t had this conversation with my daughters yet – because, of course, I

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Lamorinda Spirit Van drivers Malcolm, on left, and Eddie, on Right.

don’t want to worry them – this topic seemed particularly relevant. “Sixty percent (of people) say that making sure their family is not burdened by tough decisions about their care is ‘extremely important.’ However, 56% of Californians have not communicated their end-of-life wishes to the loved one they would want making decisions on their behalf. While 82% of Californians say it is important to have endof-life wishes in writing, only 23% say they have done so.” These statistics help us consciously consider what is important to us and then communicate our wishes to our loved ones. For more information, see www.theconversationproject.org.

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 - May 2013 ~ Lafayette Today

SMD continued from page 20

SMD ensures that development enhances real estate values and provides future generations with access to an incomparable wilderness in their own backyards.

In 2012, 1,450 volunteers gave 15,000 hours of service to Save Mount Diablo. Stewards walk properties under SMD management to inspect the condition of trails, fences, and buildings. Others offer services that don’t include outdoor expertise. Whatever time or talent you want to donate to the mission is valued.

Mount Diablo State Park was first dedicated in 1921, with no funding allocated to purchase land. In 1930 the park still contained zero acres when Mary Bowerman began cataloguing the plants of Mount Diablo for her UC Berkeley senior undergraduate project. Walter Frick, owner of much of the mountain, granted Mary permission to wander throughout his property. In 1931, California bought 348 acres from Frick, and the park was dedicated once again.

The opening of I-680 in the1960s created a population explosion that brought conservation advocates together. On December 7, 1971, Mary Bowerman and Arthur Bonwell held the first meeting of Save Mount Diablo. Their original goal of protecting the mountain by advocating conservation-based legislation soon evolved as they realized that raising funds for land acquisition was a critical component of preservation.

“Mary Bowerman was one of the people going back to the time of John Muir carrying on the conservation tradition of the Bay Area to protect places they felt were special,” Sproul explains. Art Bonwell had the practical skills to make Bowerman’s visions viable. Today SMD carries on their work by matching complimentary skill sets such as Land Programs Director Seth Adams’s ability to visualize how properties fit into the preservation puzzle and Executive Director Ron Brown’s capacity to rally community support.

For information on Four Days Diablo, day hikes, family events, volunteer opportunities and much more, visit www.savemountdiablo.org or call the office at 925-947-3535.

Golf continued from page 21

SMD founders Mary Bowerman and Art Bonwell on the mountain in 1993. (photo by Stephen Joseph)

passing updates from Murphy. “Will’s competitive edge separates him from other players,” says Murphy who shares an appreciation for the dual difficulty and simplicity of the game. “He plays what I call ‘domination golf.’”

Murphy has caddied for Brueckner in some of his most important tournaments, and he knows that Brueckner has the ability to compete with the best in any tournament anywhere in the world. It was during the SF City Championship that Murphy fully realized that Brueckner was the real deal. “I was like Wow, this Will ‘The Thrill’ has something extremely special,” says Murphy. “He has the ability. That’s the most exciting part about it all. He’s seriously that good! And, he’s always got a smile on his face. He has fun on the course.”

Somehow, in between all of the golf, Brueckner finds time to be a regular teen. He loves music, and hanging out with friends. He is friendly and personable, with a quick wit. And his skills on the course are equally matched by his skills in the classroom. Purdue, Southern Methodist University, and Stanford are all keeping a close eye on him. His dream is to play at Stanford under coach Conrad Ray, but he also craves the topnotch education in order that he find success in the real world, post-golf.

Brueckner definitely plans to try his hand in the pros, and Murphy fully expects to one day see him on television accepting a green jacket.

“He’s Will ‘The Thrill,’” says Murphy, “and he wants you to doubt it Will Brueckner. Photo by Ben Miller. can happen; it only makes him better.”