Lafayette Today, July 2014

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Lafayette Today ~ January 2014 - Page 25

July 2014 Operation Swingtime

Serving the Lafayette Community

Saluting Veterans Together

There was a day when veterans came home to their community with arms wide open. Communities would organize, have a parade, and celebrate their return. These traditions, like our veterans, have been forgotten. So in the spirit of remembering our veterans, Lamorinda’s local Rotary Clubs are organizing a picnic to bring back a piece of history. Mark your calendar for Saturday, July 19th, 5:30pm – 8:30pm, and help honor our heroes with a spectacular USO show being held at the Lafayette Reservoir located at 3849 Mount Diablo Blvd, in Lafayette. If you stop by, this is what you will find: • The Big Band of Rossmoor - A 32 member big band orchestra well known for sharing music with the generations for the past 22 years and is a part of Generations In Jazz Foundation, playing all things “American.” Music will include hits from Glenn Miller, Gershwin, and the songs that Fred Astair danced to

Bestselling authors Katie Hafner, left, and Kelly Corrigan participate in a LLLCF Distinguished Speaker Series program at the Lafayette Library. Photo by www.

LilyDongPhotography.com.

Distinguished Speaker Series

See Swingtime continued on page 5

The Peter Pan Foundation

By Fran Miller

The Peter Pan Foundation’s Seussical The Musical - Friday, July 19 through Sunday, July 20 – is a bittersweet affair for many in the cast. Several Peter Pan Foundation (PPF) mainstays have recently graduated from high school and will soon be moving on. Each acknowledges the importance that PPF has played in

The Peter Pan Foundation’s graduating seniors gather at a recent event held in their honor.

See Peter Pan continued on page 13 Local Postal Customer

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ECRWSS

By Fran Miller

The Algonquin it is not, but Dorothy Parker and her pals from the round table would likely feel right at home. Though the venue might be larger than Parker’s legendary Rose Room gathering spot, and participants more numerous, the Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation’s Distinguished Speaker Series evokes the character of literary salons of the past.

An exchange of ideas, general amusement, a quest for inspiration or deeper knowledge – these were, and still are, key elements to a cultural literary gathering. The Distinguished Speaker Series (DSS) consistently delivers on all accounts. DSS program attendees have been moved by Cheryl Strayed’s recounting of the circumstances leading to her 1,100 mile Pacific Crest Trail hike. They have been challenged by Rick Steves to broaden their idea of travel, and they have empathized and laughed with Kelly Corrigan and Katie Hafner as they related their mother troubles.

“The DSS format is definitely friendly,” says Hafner, bestselling author of Mother, Daughter, Me and a recent DSS speaker. “There's nothing quite like seeing people interact and play off each other the way Kelly and I did at our event. I will always believe, even if technology somehow manages to advance to the point where 3-D animatronic human-like figures can serve a tennis ball, that nothing will supplant a live experience, with real people talking to other real people.”

The desire for this sort of intimate connection is what led LLLCF board member Karen Mulvaney to initiate the DSS a few years ago. The idea came to her after reading the novel Unbroken shortly after her father died. Laura Hillenbrand’s true story about Louis Zamperini resonated with Mulvaney, profoundly changing her perceptions of World War II and her father’s own war and post-war experiences. “As Volume VIII - Number 7 3000F Danville Blvd #117 others have surely also experienced, Alamo, CA 94507 the power of stories - whether through Telephone (925) 405-6397 books or oral tradition - can alter the Fax (925) 406-0547 way we see and understand the world editor@yourmonthlypaper.com in subtle, obvious and profound Corstorphine ~ Publisher ways,” says Mulvaney, who sought TheAlisa opinions expressed herein belong to the out Zamperini for a personal meeting, writers, and do not necessarily reflect that of Lafayette Today. Lafayette Today is not responsible which led to a fast friendship. for the content of any of the advertising herein,

See Speaker continued on page 10

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Page 2 - July 2014 ~ Lafayette Today

Boulevard View

By Alisa Corstorphine, Editor

A rush-hour motorcycle accident found our family assuming the temporary role as caregivers to a 30 year old friend. He came to our home after three days in the hospital, could barely be scooted into the family minivan for the trip home, and was sent to us with a wheelchair and other care accessories. He had broken bones and a deep cut. Before bringing him home I gave him a “contract” of House Rules. In part they said, “No ‘pity parties,’” “Naps are mandatory,” and “Rent is payable in cookies and home cooked meals as you get better.”

He has been a motivated patient, and after four days he ditched the wheelchair and has been limping around in an orthopedic boot and with a cast on his hand.

Several friends have come around to visit, and many asked if he was going to get back on a motorcycle. Personally, I am not a huge fan of motorcycles, mostly because of other drivers, however, my adult children have chosen to get their motorcycle license, commute on their motorcycles, and participate in motorcycle track days. So, I am surrounded by others who enjoy riding.

About a week after we brought our friend home, he took a picture while sitting on my son’s bike and sent it to a friend of his who had also been helping with his care. The “back in the saddle” picture did not go over well with the recipient, and the recipient and I started chatting about our friend getting back on his bike.

I came to the realization that I had to let my concerns for our patient go. First of all, whether he chooses to ride again or not is really out of my sphere of control.

I think the first part of me releasing how our friend moves forward was when our friend told me the song he was listening to when he got in the accident was called “Live Your Life.” It made me realize that while I hate for anything bad to happen, it is not MY life that I’d be trying to control anyways. I started thinking

Lafayette Hiking Group

To participate in hikes, meet in the parking lot out from Lafayette BART’s main entrance at 8:30AM, unless otherwise indicated. We form carpools to the trailhead. Bring snacks, water, layered clothing, good walking shoes, sun protection, and money to contribute toward gas ($3). For more information, e-mail LafayetteHiking@comcast.net.

Saturday, July 12 ~ Trestle Glen & Crocker Highlands, Oakland

Walk the hills, with two pathways and 8 or 9 stairways (over 300 steps), in these Oakland neighborhoods. Interesting houses and possible views.

Moderate with hills and stairs, about 4 miles. Leader: Roxana Yau.

Wednesday, July 23 ~ Shorebird Park, Emeryville

of when ages ago I taught horsemanship to kids. When the kids got bucked off or fell off the horse, the first thing I need to do was to get them back in the saddle.

Recently we had a family party at our home and there were a ton of little kids. My four year old great niece was nervous to swim and would barely get in the pool. After working with her I had her paddling around and jumping off the edge of the pool to me. Later in the day she was feeling a little overconfident and playing a little further in the pool than she should have. She started going under and fortunately an adult saw it and called out. I jumped in and pulled her out.

I think it was really only a matter of a few seconds she was going under, but if there weren’t vigilant eyes on her she could have drowned. The parents rightly fussed over her, but I made sure that when they were done with their coddling they gave her to me so I could get her back in the pool again. I didn’t want her last thoughts of the day to be a negative and scary one where she would be afraid to swim again. Rapidly I had her jumping and splashing again -- back in the saddle.

Through this journey random timely quotes have been popping out to me that capture some of the thoughts that have been going through my mind during this experience.

• “All the fear in the world doesn’t prevent death—it prevents life.”

• “You can limit risky behavior, but you can’t eliminate risk.”

• “Courage begets courage, like fear begets fear.”

• “I realized that in my struggle to keep out every possible threat, I had been keeping out one very important thing: possibility.”

• You can’t plan for unexpected events, but you can make the best of them.

Marc Chernoff, coauthor of 1,000 Little Things Happy Successful People Do Differently wrote a post titled “8 Things To Remember When Everything Is Going Wrong.” He noted, “There is always, always, always something to be thankful for.

And that no matter how good or bad I have it, I must wake up each day thankful for my life, because someone somewhere else is desperately fighting for theirs.”

“Truth be told, happiness is not the absence of problems, but the ability to deal with them...Always look at what you have, instead of what you have lost.

Because it’s not what the world takes away from you that counts; it’s what you do with what you have left.”

Chernoff continues, “Don’t be afraid to get back up – to try again, to love again, to live again, and to dream again. Don’t let a hard lesson harden your heart. Life’s best lessons are often learned at the worst times and from the worst mistakes. There will be times when it seems like everything that could possibly go wrong is going wrong.

And you might feel like you will be stuck in this rut forever, but you won’t. When you feel like quitting, remember that sometimes things have to go very wrong before they can be right. Sometimes you have to go through the worst, to arrive at your best.”

So, whatever choices are made, I know our friend will make them with good thought and consideration. We each have to live our own life and pave our own path, and it is not for me to dictate. That’s why I let go of being angry, upset… about choices he or anyone else choose to make. That’s for me. His path is his.

***Meet at the City parking lot, 941 Moraga Road at 9:30am.*** We will car-pool to Emeryville and walk out to the end of the peninsula, partly on a boardwalk, then to the end of the fishing pier. Bring lunch or money to buy something there, and we will picnic at Shorebird Park.

Flat, easy, about 4 miles. Leader: Joan Bard

Concert in July

What is summer without a summer outdoor music event? Get ready and come to hear the 16 piece Studio Big Band with an awesome vocalist perform pieces from Count Basie to Frank Sinatra to contemporary jazz!

The performance will take place right in the middle of Lafayette on 584 Glenside Drive at Lafayette Christian Church’s back patio surrounded by oak trees. Mark your calendars for Sunday, July 27, 4-6PM. Refreshments will be available. A donation will be requested at the door of $15/adult or $5/kids.

Who knows, you may even feel a swing dance coming on!

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Lafayette Juniors Raise Nearly $50,000 for Charity

The Lafayette Juniors raised nearly $50,000 in the past 12 months for local non-profit organizations. The funds were distributed on June 5th by the Lafayette Juniors in a special ceremony at the Lafayette Community Center to First Place for Youth, STAND!, the Lafayette Library, the Special Education Enrichment and Development Foundation of Lafayette (SEED), and Twin Canyon Camp.

“We would like to thank everyone who supported us throughout the year,” said Tina Sebree, President of the Lafayette Juniors. “Their exceptional generosity enabled our beneficiaries to expand the services they provide to children and families in our local communities.”

The Lafayette Juniors have a history of organizing fundraising events like the Rummage Sale in the fall and Kitchen Tour in the spring for the sole purpose of raising money for selected beneficiaries. This year the Juniors chose First Place for Youth as their major beneficiary and donated $25,000 to support First Place for Youth’s work with foster youth 16 to 24 years old who are close to aging out of the foster care system or have recently aged out of care.

“The Lafayette Juniors are a remarkable group of women with the magic combination of compassion and action. Their donation of $25,000 will be used to give foster kids support right when they are learning to support themselves, including helping them get their first apartment, find their first job, and continue on with school,” explained Valerie Todd, Director of Major Gifts for First Place for Youth. “The Juniors are investing in the potential of young people in the Contra Costa County community, and the impact they make will last for the rest of these young people’s lives.”

The Lafayette Juniors also donated $10,000 to STAND!, $5,000 each to SEED and the Lafayette Library, and $4,000 to Twin Canyon Camp.

The Lafayette Juniors are looking forward to continuing this tradition of giving and are now accepting applications from all non-profits in Contra Costa and neighboring counties in the San Francisco Bay Area who serve children, families, and seniors. The Juniors will select four to five organizations from the applicant pool to become their 2014 – 2015 beneficiaries. Fundraising for these groups will begin this fall. To obtain an application or learn more about the Lafayette Juniors, please visit www.lafayettejuniors.org.

Lafayette Today ~ July 2014 - Page 3

PROUDLY INTRODUCING Merrill Gardens at Lafayette Openin Septemb g er 2014!

Retirement Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care Delight in our exclusive Anytime DiningSM program and enjoy fresh, restaurant-style meals served on your schedule – 7 am to 7 pm – seven days a week.

If that isn’t enough, consider this commitment: If you choose to leave within the first 60 days, we will refund your rent in full!

Call to schedule a visit to learn more!

(925) 854-1858 1010 Second Street Lafayette, CA 94549 merrillgardens.com

Lafayette Joins National Night Out 061814aCT_LAF_Lafayette_Today_A.indd 1

Juniors presenting First Place for Youth, our major beneficiary, with $25,000. Featured in the photo from left to right are Melanie Brinkman, Laura Lashinsky, Candy Calhoun, Amy Friedli, Whitney Firestone, and Jenny Shepherd.

About the Lafayette Juniors

Founded in 1953, the Lafayette Juniors is a non-profit organization made up of local women who come together to raise funds and offer service in support of other non-profits that serve children, families, and seniors in need throughout Contra Costa and neighboring counties in the San Francisco area. Over the past 15 years, the Lafayette Juniors have raised more than $550,000 for Bay Area non-profit groups.

License Pending

6/18/14 9:50 AM

Organize your block or neighborhood for a gathering on August 5 , and join the millions across our country who are celebrating the 31st National Night Out (NNO). It is time for Lafayette to join the national movement and put ourselves on the map for this event. People across the country have built their neighborhood strength and camaraderie on this annual date. Call your friends from here to the East Coast, and ask for ideas on their neighborhood gatherings, then implement one of your own.

The purpose of the event is to bring together neighbors for the mutual goal of learning what is already in place for your emergency preparedness and what still needs to be done. Most importantly is that neighbors knowing neighbors which saves lives and property!

The Lafayette Emergency Preparedness Commission and Crime Prevention Commission are available to help with planning. Contact them if you’d like to arrange the inviting of members of the Lafayette City Council, Fire Department, Police Department, CERT, or Commissioners as guest speakers.

Bring your neighbors together. August is the perfect time for an outdoor BBQ, potluck, and gathering.

For questions or assistance, contact Carol Yates, NNO Director for Lafayette, at lepccarol@gmail.com. th

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Page 4 - July 2014 ~ Lafayette Today

Sculpture in the Garden By Jody Morgan

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Sustainable Lafayette Presents With My Own Two Wheels

Sustainable Lafayette is continuing its environmental film series this summer and will present, in partnership with BikeLafayette, a midlength documentary film called With My Own Two Wheels. With My Own Two Wheels tells the stories of five individuals in Zambia, Ghana, India, Guatemala, and California who use the bicycle as a way to create positive change for themselves and their families. It is a wonderful film with a very special message.

The screening will take place at 6:30PM on July 31 at the Lafayette Library and Learning Center. The film producers who live in Berkeley will attend to answer questions about the film and its message.

For more information on With My Own Two Wheels, or if you would like to help organize an additional screening of the film, please call (805) 680-1922 or visit WithMyOwnTwoWheels.org.

The Ruth Bancroft Garden’s 20th annual Sculpture in the Garden event runs through July 13th.

Jurors have selected works by 51 artists for exhibition and sale. In addition, the Art Walk features a range of pieces priced to fit every budget. Art & Jazz in the Garden on July 11th from 5-8pm invites visitors to enjoy the sculpture while strolling with a glass of wine in hand or pause at a garden table for food presented by Willowstone Catering. Live music

by Dogbone offers additional inspiration for painters working at easels throughout the garden.

Ruth Bancroft always insisted that in her garden the plants were sufficiently sculptural and man-made objects were a distraction from the natural show. However, once she agreed to open her horticultural collection as the first garden in the Garden Conservancy in 1992, a major fundraiser was needed. Hence, for a month each year, the Ruth Bancroft Garden becomes an open-air gallery.

Many of the exhibitors have a puckish sense of humor evident in their art.

Joe Bologna, who crafts found objects into intricate metal sculptures, decided many years ago that one of his pieces that had not sold really belonged in the garden. He left it in a remote spot with a tag that read: “To Ruth from Joe.” Even though Ruth toiled in the garden for hours each day, she didn’t discover Joe’s prank until long after the show closed. As the story goes, Ruth telephoned Joe and chided him: “You know, Joe, I don’t approve of sculpture in my garden.” Pausing just long enough to tease, she added, “But, Joe, I really like it and I’m going to keep it.” The only piece to find a permanent home at the RBG, Bologna’s sculpture blends so well among the Dyckias in bed 5A, that visitors often ask: “Has that cactus died or is it dormant?”

Artists particularly appreciate displaying their work against the dramatic background the garden provides. Hours are spent finding the best space to showcase each sculpture. A complete list of artists as well as information on garden hours and entrance fees can be found at www.ruthbancroftgarden.org.

Tickets for the Art & Jazz Sunset Social are $15 online or $25 at the door.

Food and drinks are sold separately. The Ruth Bancroft Garden is located at 1552 Bancroft Road in Walnut Creek.

Search and Rescue

The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team needs volunteer members to respond to missing person incidents, disasters, and other critical incidents. Team members are on call 24/7 year-round. The program provides required training; including wilderness traveling, first aid, map and compass usage, tracking disaster response, and search skills; and may also include special training for canine, equestrian, technical, mountain bike, or other rescue skills.

For information and applications, visit www.contracostasar.org or call 646-4461.

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Lafayette Today ~ July 2014 - Page 5

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Swingtime continued from front page

• Special Guests - The Swingin Blue Stars -think of the Andrew Sisters singing “Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree,” and more • Military vehicles on display • Rotary’s new stage and picnic area overlooking the lake • Veterans to be honored during the program • A free event for the public and veterans alike Help us reach out to all veterans to attend and remember those generations of Americans that were there for us when they were most needed.

Bring a blanket, your lawn chairs, and a picnic. The Lafayette Reservoir is located just west of downtown Lafayette, and parking is available at the Reservoir.

If you know of a veteran, please email Mo Levich at gto@67goat.com with name, rank, branch and years served, and let us know they are coming. A golf cart shuttle is available for those who may need assistance. Uniforms are optional but encouraged.

For more information, visit www.rotarylafayette.org.

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Save the Date

Friday, August 8th

Music picks back up on Friday, August 8th. The Lafayette Summer Music Workshop will be hosting non-stop music being performed from 3:30pm – 9:30pm at Stanley Middle School. The annual jazz camp, sponsored by Generations in Jazz, features bands made up of this year’s attendees. For more information about the Summer Jazz Camp, please visit lafayettejazz@ wordpress.com.

Sons in Retirement

Sons in Retirement - Las Trampas Branch 116 will be holding a luncheon meeting. The speaker for July will be Mr. Wayne Korsinen, who will be unfolding the story of how the small town of Port Chicago was badly damaged, but survived, a wartime explosion at an ammunition pier just two miles away. It was the most powerful man-made detonation prior to the atomic bomb explosion on Hiroshima, Japan. This 1944 blast involved 10,000 tons of explosives and killed 323 servicemen and wounded 500 others. The presentation will also uncover how the United States Navy launched a 13 year campaign (1955-1968) against Port Chicago and finally succeeded in uprooting the town from the county. Today Port Chicago is a ghost town.

Lunch begins at 11:30am, July 21st, at the Walnut Creek Elks Lodge, 1475 Creekside Dr. in Walnut Creek. Guest are welcome. Please make reservations by calling 925-322-1160 by Wednesday, July 16th. The cost is $15.

For information about SIR activities for retired men, please visit www.

Branch116.org. Among the many fun activities we enjoy, golf is our most popular. We have an active golf organization consisting of 18-hole and 9-hole groups. The 18-hole group plays once a week in a Tournament format with play alternating between local courses and courses that may be 10 to 50 miles away. The 9-hole group plays every Wednesday, rotating play between Buchanan Fields, Concord, Pine Meadows, Martinez, and Diablo Hills in Walnut Creek. Foursomes in both the 18-hole and 9-hole groups are arranged so that players can meet and enjoy playing with most, if not all, the other players in the branch. Guest are welcomed to play.

Page 6 - July 2014 ~ Lafayette Today

The Bookworm

By Joan Stevenson

Our youngest library visitors have received a special invitation as part of “Paws to Read, Pause to See.” Children from babies to eleven years old are welcomed on July 12 from noon to 1PM at the Lafayette-Community Garden. In that special hour there will be time to pause, look closely, and discover the miracles found in the garden. There will also be time for stories, crafts, and fun. For information on registering, please visit ccclib.org or call (925) 385-2280.

We have a special event for families on July 19 from 10-1: The Lafayette Library Maker Fest! It celebrates “makers” in our community and will include 3D printing, air-powered rocketry, micro-controllers, book art, quadcopter FPV drones, metal working, rubber stamp making, and so much more. Register for this free event at tinyurl.com/lafayettemakerfest, and be registered to win prizes.

Have you have ever fantasized about fostering a Guide Dog puppy? East Bay Guide Dog Raisers are coming to share their experiences on July 15 at 6:30.

You will have a chance to meet the puppies and hear about the special jobs they do. Meet us in the Homework Center.

We are fortunate this month to be rolling out the welcome mat for a group of wonderful writers. The Friends will bring us Karen Slaughter on July 18 at 6:30 in the Community Hall. Her latest thriller, Cop Town, was released this month. Karin Slaughter, author of the New York Times bestselling Will Trent novels, is widely acclaimed as “one of the best crime novelists in America” (The Washington Post).

Elisa Kleven will join us in the Homework Center on July 22 at 6:30. As a child Elisa Kleven loved to make miniature, make believe worlds using art supplies, scraps, and imagination. She’s still using that same joyful imagination today as she creates her picture books. Her most recent book, Glasswings, A Butterfly Story is being called “A lovely meshing of science and story” by critics.

This promises to be a night of magical stories and art.

On Tuesday, July 29, as part of the Lafayette Library and Learning Center

www.yourmonthlypaper.com Authors and Athletes Series, we will welcome Four Time Olympian Heather Petri to the Community Hall for a visit. She is one of the most decorated female water polo players in the world. Fee is $8 per person, payable at the door. Reserve a space at tinyurl.com/HeatherPetri.

Michael Slack is the author and illustrator of some of the first books our littlest readers love. He will be with us on August 5th at 6:30 in the Homework Center.

Ask any preschooler about “Monkey Truck,” and he will be delighted to share the adventures of the truck in the jungle! According to this latest research from the America Academy of Pediatrics, reading aloud to infants on a regular basis is crucial to their development.

Join us for an exclusive Summer Reading Festival event on August 7 in the Community Hall at 7:00 when Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jane Smiley visits the Lafayette Library! Jane Smiley’s novel A Thousand Acres won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1992, and her latest novel, Private Life, was chosen as one of the best books of 2010 by The Washington Post. It surprised me to learn that she has also published a five volume series for young adults, The Horses of Oak Valley Ranch. Her next novel, Some Luck, will be released October 7th.

The next half-price book sale is set for July 12th from 9 – 5. We heard some great stories from our Book Shop. On May 16th, the grand opening date of Belle Terre, Lafayette’s new Senior Housing, Mayor Don Tatzen brought a box of books, donated by the Friends, to welcome our new neighbors. Eight bags of books were sent to Stanley & Springhill School for their Bargain Book Bonanza and is a monthly book sale in which kids can buy donated used books for a quarter. The proceeds go to the Parent Faculty Club, which supports many school programs and classroom supplies.

Still looking for a great summer read? Well, I asked Ruthie Thornburg, Friends’ President, what was on her night stand, and here is her answer. “I currently am reading The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty for my book club. Waiting in the wings is The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown, which I can’t wait to read.

I have recently started rowing on Lake Merritt and hear fantastic things about this book from the other rowers.” Thanks, Ruthie. If you have a recommendation, send it to The Bookworm, joanstevenson@comcast.net.

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Lafayette Today ~ July 2014 - Page 7

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It’s Not Mayberry, R.F.D...But Close

By Ruth Bailey, Lafayette Historical Society

This month we’re getting back to the interesting little items from the Sun of 50 years ago. (It would be fun to mimic our British friends and say, “We’re doing the naughty bits…” but, unfortunately, there weren’t any. So we’ll forge ahead.)

First up is a charming item from May 1964, under the headline “Aunt Marge, Uncle Paul, Where Are You?” It goes on to read, “Postmaster ‘Doc’ Crandall says a package without an address was returned to the post office last week with a birthday card signed by the above-named (and cousin Brian). It was mailed from Lafayette on April 30 and received at Sacramento without an address. Doc believes the address label became unglued.” Follow up, the next week’s paper reported: “No sooner did the Sun hit the streets than Postmaster Crandall was deluged with calls, and Mr. and Mrs. Paul Childs of Camino Vallecito went to the post office and sent the by-now past birthday sweater to their nephew.”

In light of the current conversation on wage disparity and minimum wages, this Want Ad from the May 29, 1964, Sun will be instructive. Under HELP WANTED—Female (remember when ads could specify gender and age?) BABY SITTER, light housework in my home. Children 2,5,11. 8:00 to 5:30, 5 day week. $35. (I believe that’s for the week, not per hour.)

LAFAYETTE WOMAN for general housework—Tuesday, Friday mornings—4 hours each, own transportation. $1.50 an hour.

And, in the June 12, 1964, issue: ALTERATIONS—Oriental girl preferred. Lafayette area. Permanent housekeeping, child care. Over 25.

Live in or out. $40 for 37-hour week.

Speaking of the cost of living, there was a gas war in the spring of 1964.

At the 76 Station, regular gas was 28.9 cents/gallon, Shell regular was 27.9 cents/gallon, and Super Shell was 30.9 cents/gallon. Fill ‘er up!

A $50,000 fire caused major damage at Stanley School. Two science-math rooms were gutted, and portable classrooms were brought in as temporary classrooms for the students. The article said quite a few class projects were disrupted, along with all materials for an upcoming open house. Remnants

(Across from Costco Gas Station, next to Harvest House)

of matches were found in several lockers and along a corridor where the fire apparently broke out. Juvenile officers from the Sheriff’s Dept. theorized that the blaze may have been ignited by placing lighted matches through the locker vents.

In April, comedian Jerry Lewis was given the Genesian Award by St. Mary’s College. This award is given annually by the college to an entertainer for outstanding service to humanity through the performing arts. Lewis was cited for charitable work on behalf of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, National Conference of Christians and Jews, Boys Town of Italy, Bonds for Israel, and other charities.

Fifty years ago last month, cheers went up for the planting of trees along the Boulevard. A total of approximately 50 magnolia and liquid amber trees were planted by the Rotary Club, in holes left in the new sidewalk. Donn Black, president of the Lafayette Design Project, said about 40 more trees were to be planted in the existing sidewalk. Cost of the trees and planting were handled by Rotary. And we’re still loving those trees.

Friends Corner Book Shop

EVERYTHING Half Price ~ Saturday, July 12 ~ 9 - 3pm BAG SALE ~ $5/bag ~ Saturday, 3 - 5pm The Book Shop is located at 1st St and Golden Gate Way, Lafayette

Page 8 - July 2014 ~ Lafayette Today

Home Composting 101

By Candace Andersen, Supervisor, Contra Cost County, District 2

I have been sitting on the Central Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority (CCCWSA) for the past six years, and I just completed a one year tenure as chair. Most of you probably don’t think about what services your waste carrier provides; you just want your garbage and recycling picked up. CCCWSA provides many consumer programs you might find helpful, including the increasingly popular and environmentally sustainable practice of home composting.

Why home compost? Organic waste material, like yard clippings and food scraps, can be given “new life” through composting. Finished compost is a great soil amendment that improves texture and adds important nutrients into the soil in your garden, creating healthy, thriving plants. It’s easy and takes little time, space, and effort, and it will also save you money. According to CCCSWA, “one-third of the waste generated by Central Contra Costa County communities consists of yard and food waste.” Home composting reduces the amount of waste, which is a huge benefit for the environment. With so many advantages, the question should really be, “Why not home compost?”

It’s easy to get started today! CCCWSA offers residents, schools and businesses the Soilsaver Compost Bin at a discount price of $62, which includes shipping and tax. This same bin normally retails for $90-$110. Bins can be purchased online at www.wastediversion.org. The Soilsaver is available at the discounted price to service area residents, schools, and businesses in Orinda, Moraga, Lafayette, Walnut Creek, Danville, and unincorporated Contra Costa County, including Alamo, Blackhawk and Diablo, and San Ramon (reimbursed to CCCSWA by the City of San Ramon). The CCCSWA and Republic Services (aka Allied Waste Services) reward single-family home residents who actively compost at home with a $1.50 per month bill reduction.

Once you have a compost bin, you can start making your compost.

• The first step in composting is to collect your yard and kitchen waste.

Items like leaves, twigs, fruits, vegetables, straw, egg shells, and tea bags are perfect to use. Avoid using foods that spoil like meat or cheese.

• The second step is to combine the waste in your bin. As you mix the waste, add water.

• Last but not least, the third step is to manage your compost. Mix leaves or grass in the compost once a week. Every two weeks, turn the pile. If you’d like to add more materials to the pile, grind or cut them so they will decompose faster. The compost pile should be slightly damp, so add water or dry materials depending on the wetness. Make sure food waste is buried so flies or other creatures won’t be attracted. When your compost has gotten to its final stages, it should resemble dark dirt. At this point, stop adding waste and wait a month. After, your compost should be all ready.

CCCSWA also hosts “Home Composting for Busy People!” workshops at eleven locations around Danville, Walnut Creek, and Lafayette to teach you everything you need to know to get started. Visit their website at www. wastediversion.org to view the workshop schedule. Reservations are required.

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

Liz Radding is our winner!

Luther was hiding on page 5 last month.

www.yourmonthlypaper.com For questions or to register by phone, call (925) 906-1801 x306.

My office is here to serve the residents of Contra Costa County District 2, which includes San Ramon, Danville, Alamo, Walnut Creek, Saranap, Parkmead, Lafayette, Moraga, Canyon, and Orinda. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if we can provide you with additional information on this topic or on other County issues. I can be reached at SupervisorAndersen@bos. cccounty.us or (925) 957-8860.

Cinema Classics The Player

By Peggy Horn

This month’s Cinema Classic is a film from 1992 entitled The Player, starring Tim Robbins and Greta Scacchi. Additionally there are brief appearances by more than ninety actors including Whoopi Goldberg, Cher, Peter Gallagher, Bruce Willis, Andy McDowell, and Susan Sarandon. The movie is based on a novel of the same name written by Michael Tolkin.

This is a wicked satire in film form that seems to delight in man’s sinful nature while it presents art imitating life and life imitating art and, as the protagonist reminds us, movies are art – “Now more than ever.”

The plot involves major Hollywood studio executive, Griffin Mill (Tim Robbins), who earns a living listening to movie pitches all day long – some 50,000 pitches a year. Amidst the pitches and screenplays, Mr. Mill has been receiving death threats for some time from a disgruntled writer whose identity is unknown. The threats come in the form of postcards, and apparently their number is increasing. This is a cutthroat world, and given the fragility of everyone’s employment position, the last thing Mr. Mill wants is to involve the police and invite negative publicity for himself, so he tries to discover the identity of his tormentor on his own. Bad idea.

Mr. Mill’s forays into detective work introduce him to the intriguing June Gudmundsdottir (Greta Scacchi), to romance, and to trouble. June is an artist. Her unique views on life and criminal behavior provide some thought provoking insight into what constitutes crime, leaving the characters able to dispense with guilt rather easily.

This is an excellent movie. It has all the components required of a good movie. According to Griffin Mill those requirements are suspense, laughter, violence, hope, heart, nudity, sex, and a happy ending! Enjoy!

Musical Notes

This movie reminds of a Cole Porter song recorded in 1951 and performed by April Stevens entitled “I’m in Love Again.” Discover it for yourself on YouTube or by downloading.

Interested in Government?

Seeking Volunteers for County Advisory Boards

Supervisor Candace Anderson is looking for interested, motivated residents to serve on a few Contra Costa County citizen advisory boards. These voluntary boards usually meet monthly and advise the Board of Supervisors on a variety of issues. They play a vital role in county government, and provide important input.

District 2 includes Alamo, Canyon, Danville, Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda, Parkmead, Rossmoor, San Ramon, Saranap, and Walnut Creek (West of N. Main Street). Applications are currently being accepted from residents of District 2 for seats on the following boards: • Alcohol and Other Drugs Advisory Board: Applicants shall have a professional interest in, or personal commitment to, alleviating problems related to drug abuse and inappropriate alcohol use in their community.

• Aviation Advisory Committee: Advise the Board of Supervisors on aviation issues as they relate to the airports in Contra Costa County.

• In Home Support Services Public Authority Advisory Committee: Make recommendations to the BOS regarding the IHSS program.

• Mental Health Commission: Reviews and evaluates the community’s mental health needs, services, facilities. Consumer Seat available.

For more information about each board, go to http://contra.napanet.net/ maddybook. For an application, go to www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/6433. For additional assistance, you may contact, Jill Ray at (925) 957-8860 or jill.ray@bos.cccounty.us.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Wine with Chilled Soups

By Monica Chappell

Paired with Rose

What’s the first thought that comes to mind when someone says soup; a big cauldron of boiling, rich and filling broth? That sounds great if it’s December.

But during the dog days of summer, when you’re eating outside in the heat and humidity, that’s about the last thing you want set in front of you. Try serving a cool, soothing chilled soup, with a refreshing glass of wine to go along side your al fresco summer meal.

Is there any soup that screams summer more than gazpacho? This mélange of vegetables, including summer’s best tomatoes, deserves a wine that best matches hot summer nights and outdoor dining - Rose. These vegetable-loving dry pink wines complement the acidity of the tomatoes and are friendly with any herbs from the garden you may add to your gazpacho.

Lafayette Today ~ July 2014 - Page 9

Come See What’s New

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Paired with Chardonnay

Perhaps you have an abundance of leeks and potatoes? It’s time for some cold leek and potato soup, which sounds so much fancier when you call it “vichyssoise.” Make it vegetarian by replacing the chicken stock with vegetable stock. Since this soup contains a fair amount of cream, try complimenting that richness with a chardonnay with a touch of heft from oak aging. But you still want the wine to have a refreshing finish to cleanse your palate, so check out what the Chablis region of Burgundy has to offer. You’ll find those wines have prices well suited to casual summer dining, too.

Paired with Sauvignon Blanc

One of the basic rules of pairing wines with food is that rich dishes match well with wines that have good acidity. This silky soup—a simple puree of onion, yellow corn and chicken stock—is no exception. Not only is yellow corn a good source of vitamin B, magnesium and thiamin, but it also contains carotenoids not found in white corn.

What is your favorite summertime soup and wine combo to beat the heat? Let us know at wineappreciation101@gmail.com.

Monica Chappell is a wine writer and educator. Visit www. wineappreciation101.blogspot.com for upcoming classes.

Genealogical Meetings

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

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

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Way Side Inn Thrift Shop

Vintage Hats, Gloves, Purses, Clothing, and Baby Items Event

The blue smocked member volunteers at Assistance League® Way Side Inn Thrift Shop, located at 3521 Golden Gate Way in Lafayette, find this famous landmark a most appropriate venue for the Vintage Hats, Gloves, Purses, Clothing, and Baby items event. Come in now and live less complicated times with styles that have withstood fashion whim and frenzy, all marked at user-friendly prices.

Let an assortment of dresses, outfits, and coordinates appropriate for day and night time define your wardrobe. Find that smart looking purse; as in a leather clutch, novelty bag or handbag reminiscent of the 60’s and 70’s; and a sassy hat to top off the look. As for the finishing touch, an ample selection of gloves not always found in department stores promise to be at your fingertips.

As for baby items, clothes and everyday articles abound, while specialty items such as baby themed planters provide a whimsical nuance. A man’s leather wallet still in its original box, briefcases, and attaches a la Mad Men make this an all family pursuit. Magazines that evoke earlier times and trends offer additional insights.

When you donate and purchase items at the Way Side Inn Thrift Shop, you improve lives in the Contra Costa community. Learn more about Assistance League of Diablo Valley’s primary fundraiser and the eight philanthropic programs that the thrift shop supports by visiting its website at diablovalley. assistanceleague.org.

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Page 10 - July 2014 ~ Lafayette Today

Speaker continued from front page

“I wanted others to share the experience of reading Laura's book and of meeting Louis,” says Mulvaney. “I decided that bringing Louis to Lafayette would help to bring that story and book to light, and give others a chance to meet Louis and hear him personally tell his story.

I felt there was no doubt that having that event would be a once-in-alifetime opportunity, very possibly a life-changing one, as it had been for me, for all who were able to participate.”

The event was a huge success, illustrating the community’s desire to connect with literary figures and with each other. “Because of technology, there is greater awareness of what and who is “out there,” and people feel that they “know” the authors and subjects they admire,” says Mulvaney. “I believe that sense of familiarity creates an urge in people to want to attend events which allow them to not only hear and engage with the author or subject, but also mingle with others for whom a story resonates. Nothing replaces the energy of people gathered together to share and commune in an experience connecting them with an admired author or other notable speaker for whom there is great admiration, respect, curiosity and desire for access.”

Hafner concurs, “If Kelly Corrigan and I had been doing a ‘webinar’ or ‘courseware’ or ‘conferencing’ ourselves in, how would Kelly have known to read the expression on the face of the one man in attendance well enough to know she could tease him? And it wasn't so much that she read his expression and body language, but that she read the vibe of the room and knew she could get away with it.”

In addition to Zamperini, Strayed, Steves, Corrigan and Hafner, past DSS speakers include New York Times bestselling author Alexander McCall Smith, of No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency fame, renowned photographer Michael Collopy, and essayist and bestselling novelist Joyce Maynard. “Of all the places I’ve been invited to speak in recent years,” says Maynard, “none has offered a warmer welcome or a more engaged, articulate, and well-read audience. What I find at the Lafayette Library is not simply an opportunity to speak, but to listen to what readers have to say back.”

The success of DSS inspired another LLLCF speaker program – the Authors & Athletes Family Series, where “hometown heroes” such as former Golden State Warrior Adonal Foyle, Olympian Kristi Yamaguchi, and former NFL player Tim Green have addressed fans of their athletic and literary achievements. Next featured, on July 29, is four time Olympian Heather Petri, a Moraga native and one of the most decorated female water polo players in the world.

Library supporter Joe Downes recognized the value of DSS for the local community and was an early sponsor. “I felt our community could be enriched by such a program,” says Downes. “I have to say that the stature and quality of the speakers thus far has exceeded my expectations.”

Future DSS speakers include Paul Madonna of San Francisco Chronicle All Over Coffee fame, former Stanford University Stegner Fellow Anthony Marra, author of A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, and Malcolm Margolin, well-known author and Heyday Press founder.

Annual DSS subscriptions ($1,250) are currently available and include two reserved seat tickets to all July 2014 – June 2015 programs, along with access to event receptions with guest speakers. Individual tickets are also always offered, though programs do sell out. For information on DSS and Authors & Athletes, and to sign up for the LLLCF’s e-newsletter, visit www.lllcf.org, call the Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation at (925) 283-6513, or email reserve@ LLLCF.org.

“The DSS is truly a community asset,” says Downes. “It provides all of us the opportunity to grow and learn - without having to travel farther than the local library.”

All proceeds from LLLCF’s DSS and Authors & Athletes Family Series support operations of the Lafayette Library.

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Lafayette Community Garden Classes and Activities Paws to Read, Pause to See ~ July 12 (Sat) ~ 12 – 1PM

The Lafayette Library and Lafayette Community Garden welcome you to a story and activity hour. Listen to the children’s librarians tell stories about seeing things differently, and then take a close-up look at miracles in the garden. Magnifying glasses and observation notebooks will be provided for detailed record keeping. Kids (and grown-ups) supply the curiosity. For Young Children & Families • FREE

Lafayette’s Amazing Natural History ~ July 12 (Sat) ~ 3:30 – 5PM

Doc Jim Hale, a wildlife biologist, naturalist and ethnobiologist; will bring alive the natural history of the Lamorinda area. Learn what plants thrived here and how they were used by local Native Americans. Find out what animals visit our area while we sleep at night. Doc Hale is an expert on wild, edible plants, the medicinal and cultural use of herbs, and mountain lion ecology in Contra Costa County. Doc’s photos and stories will delight people of all ages. All ages • FREE

Meeting Nature Through Miwok Eyes ~ August 4 – 8 (M-F) ~ 8:30 – 11:30AM

This weeklong adventure will provide an immersion into the abundant world of nature as experienced by the local Native American tribe, the Saclan/Miwoks.

Youth and openhearted adults will live as tribal members, adopting Native American names and cultural observances. We will use what nature has provided for tools, meals, clothing, and shelter. The last morning will conclude with a tribal sharing of food and ceremony with guests. Educator, Peggy Magilen, will lead this experience assisted by other members of the Community Garden. Register at www.lafayettecommunitygarden.org (min 6/max 12). Ages 8 to 12 (a few parents also welcome) • $50 material fee per camper

Composting 101 ~ August 9 ~ 3:30 – 5PM

Presented by the Contra Costa County Waste Authority, Linda Mizes returns to the garden to share her expertise on home composting. Learn how easy it is to enrich your soil and reduce your waste while letting nature do the work. You’ll leave with all the information you need to start a simple home composting system, as well as how to use the compost in your garden. Methods of simple vermiculture (worm composting) will also be covered, and you’ll learn ways to use worm castings and tea. Register at www.wastediversion.org. Ages 18 & up (families welcome) • FREE

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Walking the Reservoir

Lafayette Today ~ July 2014 - Page 11

By Jim Scala

Sharks? Five-year-old Mason and I, wearing required life jackets, rented a rowboat and explored the reservoir on the water. “Poppy, will we see sharks? Are turtles in those big weeds?” His questions revealed the adventure unfolding in his mind’s eye. We started early, when the wind sleeps and the water’s glass-smooth. He was awed by the tower as we rowed toward some geese. At the west end we saw a kingfisher. Going past a fishing station we saw a young lad pull in a nice rainbow trout.

If you’ve got your own, grand, or neighbor children, take advantage of this excellent resource, and give some of them an adventure like Mason’s. If you’re not a rower, rent a paddle boat...the adventure’s the same.

July 12th Super Moon. The largest full moon of 2014, a Super Moon, rises at 8:40PM. Since the Res closes at nine, go and stand on the Dam or a Rim-Trail Hill to see this awesome sight rising in the east. Be sure to show the children.

July 19th Concert. Our concert will begin at 5PM and last until nine o’clock closing time. Spread a blanket on the large grassy area, and enjoy a picnic. Why not give Mom a break and use the Diablo Food’s Deli for a picnic supper? If you prefer a table, there’s plenty in the same area. Sunset is at 8:28PM. Imagine a picnic at the dam, watching the sun dip behind the distant trees to stirring band music.

Hikers practice on the Rim Trail. You may have noticed people with full backpacks hiking the Rim Trail. They work the kinks out of their equipment and get in shape for serious hiking. When you read this, Ron will be trekking in the Italian Alps. He said, “Practicing with a full back is important and helps in many ways.” He explained the different packing schemes and how he settled on one for clear weather and another for wet. “And,” he added, “I did it close to home on the Rim and got in shape.”

A Goblet Drum. On sunny afternoons a haunting, musical drumbeat often emanates from the picnic area across from the bandstand. After finishing a Yoga session on a June day, I walked over to listen closely and meet the musician. I shook hands with Steve, a well-tanned, six-foot young man with a chest-length black beard and deep-set friendly eyes enhanced by shoulder-length dreadlocks. While we talked, he didn’t miss a beat on TM TM TM his decorated Doumbek, known as a Goblet Drum. It’s shaped like a large drinking goblet, about three-feet long and over a foot in diameter at the top.

While playing a captivating composition, Steve explained that it Trucks • Vans Vans • • Boats •• Real Estate ••Trucks • Boats Real Estate Cars Cars •Cars Trucks • •Vans Boats •aReal Estate produces three basic sounds with a slight variation in one. A quick factorial Live Operators on hand 7 days week Live Operators on hand 7 days a week LiveTax Operators on hand 7 days a week calculation indicates there are over 240 different basic musical beats Taxdeduction deduction •• All All transfer documents transfer documentshandled handled possible from that Doumbek. In Middle Eastern countries, where some say Freepick-up pick-up Running or in Free •• Running or not not in most mostcases cases Tax deduction • All transfer documents handled it originated, a special stick is also used. Not surprisingly, Hector Berlioz Free pick-up • Running or not in most cases included its haunting sounds in several of his compositions. www.thefallenheroes.org www.thefallenheroes.org Occasionally Steve plays his large, deep-sounding tambourine and creates very interesting and haunting compositions. Steve’s music has www.thefallenheroes.org enriched my Res walks and Yoga sessions. If you enjoy 11 Critical Home Inspection Traps to be his music, stop and tell him – he adds another dimension Aware of Weeks Before Listing Your to our reservoir.

Mental fitness. “Does physical fitness contribute to Home for Sale mental fitness?” Scientists matched pairs of seniors and Lafayette - According to industry ex- sale or, worse, turn prospective buyers followed them for over four years. They compared the mental acuity of those who got at least 150 minutes of perts, there are over 33 physical prob- away altogether. In most cases, you can moderate exercise weekly to those who didn’t. Exercisers lems that will come under scrutiny during make a reasonable pre-inspection yourself showed little mental decline compared to those who didn’t a home inspection when your home is if you know what you're looking for, and for sale. A new report has been prepared knowing what you're looking for can help exercise. It’s an ongoing study and there’ll be more to which identifies the 11 most common you prevent little problems from growing come. It shouts, “Seniors, get out and walk the Res!” of these problems, and what you should into costly and unmanageable ones.

What’s moderate exercise? If you’re walking the Res and know about them before you list your home To help home sellers deal with this issue can still have a conversation, but are unable to sing well, you’re for sale. before their homes are listed, a free report getting moderate exercise. If you can’t carry a conversation, Whether you own an old home or a brand entitled "11 Things You Need to Know to you’re in the vigorous group and probably jogging. If you’d new one, there are a number of things Pass Your Home Inspection" has been like accurate formulas using heart rates, contact me and I’ll that can fall short of requirements during a compiled which explains the issues involved. give you several and explain how they work. home inspection. If not identified and dealt To hear a brief recorded message about Ashes and purple flowers. A family told a touching with, any of these 11 items could cost you how to order your FREE copy of this report, story of their mom who walked the Res daily. Due to life’s dearly in terms of repair. That's why it's call toll-free 1-866-265-1682 and enter fortunes, she passed at 50 – way too young. They followed critical that you read this report before 2003. You can call any time, 24 hours a day, her wishes and spread her ashes on a hill overlooking the you list your home. If you wait until the 7 days a week. issues for Get your free special report NOW to learn reservoir. As you walk, look for the purple flowers that building inspector flags theseFallenHeroes2x3_11-27-13.indd you, you will almost certainly experience how to ensure a home inspection doesn't mark where her spirit sleeps.

FallenHeroes2x3_11-27-13.indd costly delays in the close of your home cost you the sale of your home.

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

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

Page 12 - July 2014 ~ Lafayette Today

John Muir House

By Linda Summers Pirkle

I recently read John Muir, and the Ice That Started a Fire by Kim Heacox, Lyons Press, 2014. The inside cover of the book says, “John Muir was a fascinating man who was many things: inventor, scientist, revolutionary, druid (a modern-day Celtic priest), husband, father, and shining son of the Scottish Enlightenmentboth in temperament and intellect.” This year marks not only the 100th anniversary of John Muir’s death; it is also the 150th anniversary of the establishment of Yosemite as a National Park and the 50th anniversary John Muir House being an historic site.

If you haven’t been to John Muir’s home in Martinez in the past three years, you are in for a treat. According to Lead Interpreter Ranger, Jim MacDonald, “The John Muir National Historic Site has redesigned the interpretive experience. Once the house was full of period furniture that did not belong to Mr. Muir. The National Park Service removed many of the pieces in order to make room for cases to display original archival materials and to open up the rooms for visitors. This allows the rangers to tell a story of John Muir’s life and accomplishments and his time on the fruit ranch in Martinez. The displays change every six months.”

I enjoyed exploring this historical house. The “scribble den,” where John Muir did much of his writing, was particularly interesting. With papers spread out on the floor, a cozy chair next to the open hearth and his desk with an old fashioned ink pen, I could picture the man at work. While on my tour I learned that John Muir’s youngest daughter Helen loved trains, and she decorated her room with all things having to do with trains. An exhibit about Helen told of her love of living in Martinez, and one of the reasons must have had something to do with the train route just a short distance from her home. A train trestle built in 1899 is still in use, visible from some of the windows of the house.

Just a mile from the John Muir House is the Martinez Marina. The marina has an easy walking path around the shoreline with lots of benches and picnic tables to watch the many ships passing by.

The largest bocce court in the United States, with 15 lanes, is within walking distance of the marina. Nightly games start at 6:30PM, 5PM on Sunday.

The waiting list to get on a team is over a year with more then 2,000 players enjoying the sport. But during the day, like the Monday my daughter and I visited, many lanes are open for play. *For more information on the Bocce Courts, visit MartinezBocceFederation.org. *Mount Wanda, named after John Muir’s daughter, is just behind the John Muir House. It is open year round, sunrise to sunset. *John Muir House and grounds are open Wednesday-Sunday, 10AM to PM 5 . Allow one and a half hours to tour the house and grounds, and take time to watch the twenty minute film prior to the self guided tour. The address is 4202 Alhambra Avenue, Martinez. Their website is www.nps.gov/jomu. * Full Moon Walks on Mount Wanda, led by a ranger, are free. Meet at the Park and Ride at the corner of Franklin Canyon Road and Alhambra Road. Start times vary according to sunset. Dates are July 12, August 10, September 9, and October 8. For more information on the Full Moon walks and Campfire programs, a community friendly event, call 925-228-8860.

Linda Summers Pirkle, travel consultant has been arranging and leading tours for the Town of Danville for several years. Inspired by the many wonderful places to visit in the Bay Area, she organizes day trips, either for groups or for friends and family.

“If it’s a trip for my husband and me, my husband drives and I talk (he’s a captive audience) – the perfect combination! What a great place to live, so much to see, so much to do.”

To share your “Quick Trips” ideas email Coverthemap@gmail.com.

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Safety Requirements to Keep in Mind

By Art Lehman, Village Associates Real Estate

I thought I’d keep you in the loop regarding some of the latest home safety requirements.

January 1, 2014: The law requires that for all dwelling units when a building permit is issued for alterations, repairs, or additions exceeding $1,000, the building department issuing the building permit must assure prior to signing off on the permit that all smoke alarms required for the dwelling unit are approved by the State Fire Marshal.

July 1, 2014: The State Fire Marshal will not approve batteryoperated smoke alarms for sale unless they contain a non-replaceable, non-removable battery which is capable of powering the smoke alarm for at least 10 years. The law allows that existing inventory of smoke alarms can be sold and used until July 1, 2015; but, if any alterations, repairs, or additions greater than $1,000 requiring a permit are made, the smoke alarms must meet current State Fire Marshall standards. NOTE: This law does not affect existing installed smoke alarms that were approved at the time they were installed.

January 1, 2015: The State Fire Marshall will require newly-installed, battery-operated smoke alarms to: 1) Display the date of manufacture; 2) Provide a location on the device to write the installation date; and 3) Incorporate a “hush” feature which will temporarily silence the alarm. This will allow a few minutes for the dissipation of whatever set off the alarm (such as kitchen smoke) before re-arming the device.

January 1, 2016: All landlords will be required to install additional smoke alarms if required to ensure that the smoke alarms are located in compliance with current building standards.

Smoke Alarm Testing And Maintenance In Rental Units: For many years landlords have been responsible for testing and maintaining smoke alarms in rental units and in common stairwells of apartment and other multipledwelling structures. However, as of January 1, 2014: 1) The landlord's obligation to test and maintain smoke alarms is extended to rented singlefamily dwellings as well; and 2) The landlord cannot make tenants responsible for testing and maintaining the smoke alarms.

However, tenants still have a duty to notify the owner or property manager if the tenant becomes aware of an inoperable smoke alarm in the rented unit.

The owner or property manager will not be in violation for a non-operating smoke alarm if the tenant has not given them notice of the problem.

California law requires all “dwelling units intended for human occupancy” that have fossil fuel-burning appliances, fireplaces, or an attached garage to be retrofitted with a carbon monoxide (CO) detection device. “Dwelling unit intended for human occupancy” means a single-family dwelling, factorybuilt home, duplex, lodging house, dormitory, hotel, motel, condominium, stock cooperative, time-share project, or dwelling unit in a multiple-unit dwelling unit building or buildings.

Regarding installation of the CO devices, the statute states: “With respect to the number and placement of carbon monoxide devices, an owner shall install the devices in a manner consistent with building standards applicable to new construction for the relevant type of occupancy or with the manufacturer's instructions, if it is technically feasible to do so.”

A Water Heater Statement of Compliance is required in all residential sales (not just single-family properties) of Probate, Trust, Bankruptcy, Foreclosure and REO properties with any standard water heater with a capacity of not more than 120 gallons for which a pre-engineered strapping kit is readily available. The Water Heater compliance statute is not specifically limited to residential properties; however, the legislative intent seems to be that this requirement is limited to residential properties.

So if you don’t have any of these items above taken care of, don’t wait to sell to do it -- just get it done today!

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 visit my website to sign Advertorial up www. artlehman.com or call!

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Wanted: Great People

By Evan Corstorphine, Portable CIO

Lafayette Today ~ July 2014 - Page 13

Lafayette Motors

Independent service and repair for Mercedes Benz When I founded Portable CIO in 2001, I knew I could not do it alone. From the start, my idea was to surround myself with like-minded technical people so that we could build a remarkable company. I never wanted or intended to be the JERRY FIGUEROA sole ‘guy with a screwdriver’ going around fixing computers! I’ve done plenty Shop (925) 284-4852 of that in my career, but I can’t build a company if I’m the lead technician, no Cell (510) 754-1942 matter how fun it may be at times. “One-Man-Bands,” or what we call the lone lafayettemotors@gmail.com PC consultants we come across, usually don’t survive, and we’ve seen all of 3470 Golden Gate Way , Lafayette, CA 94549 those we’ve met fall by the wayside over the last decade. They fail because the lone-consultant business model is not financially or practically sustainable for the kind of work we do.

They cannot charge enough every hour to make enough to stay in business, and they do not have the depth they need for the breadth of problems we typically face. And usually, they’re not businessmen, Independent service and repair for Jaguar they’re technicians, so they only figure this out when they’re in over their head. I knew from the start that this business requires a team, nothing less. Nobody can know everything or do everything that is required to make a company successful. I had my little spreadsheet and a business plan, and it was in CARLOS “KIKO” CAICEDO black and white what it was going to take. So, my philosophy has been to find people with great charShop (925) 284-4852 acter who happen to have a technical bent, people who have big ears, small mouths, and small egos.

Cell (925) 285-0783 We train them in the ways of doing what we do. It’s worked very well. Of course our staff members lafayettemotors@gmail.com are smart, but first and foremost they’re nice, friendly, and interesting people.

3470 Golden Gate Way , Lafayette, CA 94549 In the thirteen years since our founding, we’ve had many employees, and only a couple that didn’t work out, and they didn’t last very long. I’m proud to say that none of our long-term people have left for anything less than fantastic, life-affirming reasons that everyone on our team completely supported. In other words, they left to grow, because it was time, not because they hated working here or something was intolerable, and I’m proud of that. It’s always been my goal to create a work culture that people enjoy and are proud to be a part of, somewhere they want to be.

Fast forward to now, July 2014, when we find ourselves in a growth stage, and we need more like-minded staff to help us get to the next level. Specifically, I am looking for a senior consultant to work in the field and a person to work inside our office managing the bench/helpdesk workload. These are important roles, ones that touch clients every day.

So, here’s the pitch. If you know someone who has the temperament, the customer service attitude, the natural inquisitiveness, and the experience that would make them someone YOU would like to have come to your home or business to help you, we’d like to meet them. Unfortunately, this time we are not in a stage where we can accommodate interns or youngsters looking for summer work. We’re looking for full-time, career-minded people who want to join a company to build a technical consulting career, who want to be in one place for at least a couple years, probably more. There will definitely be more time later for the “nephew who likes to build PC’s…” and who needs a summer job.

Because the situations we face can be so technically diverse, one of my staff thought it would be a good idea to create an employment questionnaire for every applicant to answer. I thought it was a great idea. He wrote down some questions pulled directly from situations he’s faced, and voila, we created a great vehicle for both ascertaining someone’s experience and for sharing the kind of work we perform. Through the questionnaire we can get a glimpse into the applicant’s personality and problem solving methodology. And through the questions, the applicant can get a glimpse of what a day in the life of a Portable CIO employee is like and the breadth of issues we face.

In the end, our business is based on and blessed by relationships with people like you. I’m grateful for the opportunity to sit here thirteen years after conceiving this venture and be asking you to send me your best and brightest. I can’t promise anyone more than an opportunity to work hard, play hard, learn a ton, and hopefully make life-long friends along the way.

As always, if you have any computer, networking, or infrastructure problems, contact Portable CIO at 925-552-7953, or email our friendly staff at helpdesk@theportablecio.com. We’d love to help. Advertorial

Lafayette Motors

Peter Pan continued from front page

their lives over the years.

Andrew Cope, age 18, has been a member of PPF since age 10. He finds irony in the “Peter Pan” name. “I never felt like a child in the Foundation,” says Cope. “I have always felt respected, even when I was 11 years old.

I was able to write and direct shows, and lead the teen council without anyone questioning my age or ability.” He credits the PPF for encouraging his desktop publishing skills. “When I was 12, I started making the show programs for our large-stage productions. I had no background in desktop publishing, but I was given the opportunity to help out and I took it.”

Eighteen-year-old Savannah Souza has been a member of PPF for the past two years. From her first day with the group, she knew she had found her place. “At that point in my life I needed to know that I was worth something,” says Souza. “The PPF and all the people in it gave me all the reassurance I needed and more. The PPF has instilled in me a confidence that, growing up as an outcast, I never thought could be possible. Leslie Noel (PPF founder) and others showed me that not only am I good enough to succeed with my talents in the arts, but I have all of the skills and resources to change the world along the way.”

“The PPF is like going to school, but only with your best friends,” says AJ Udon, age 17. “I love walking into a room to feel and see a whole lot of love and happy, high spirits all around me.” Udon was 14, and having a tough freshman year, when he became a part of PPF. His older brother James convinced him to join, and Udon believes it was

one of the greatest decisions he has ever made. “The PPF has given me opportunities to become a greater leader, a more confident person and performer, and a better friend, and it has it has given me the opportunity to learn more about myself through other people,” says Udon. “Something I’ve learned and witnessed first-hand - through performances at the Children’s Hospital of Oakland with the PPF’s youth leadership group - is how much impact one can have simply by doing what one is able to do. It means a lot to me to be able to make one’s day better through something that I love to do.”

Udon will attend the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana this fall. He plays Horton the Elephant in the July 19, 2PM Seussical production and a Wichersham Brother in other performances.

Souza, who stars as the Cat in the Hat, will attend The University of the Arts in Philadelphia to get a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre.

Cope, who plays Horton the Elephant, will attend the University of California at Davis. “It was challenging to juggle my PPF responsibilities during high school, but I managed because I loved the personal growth the foundation provided me.” says Cope. “I have learned things in design, organization, and leadership that will guide me for the rest of my life.”

For information on Seussical the Musical and the Peter Pan Foundation, visit www.peterpanfoundation.org. Seussical performances take place at Diablo Valley College’s Performing Arts Center in Pleasant Hill: Friday, July 18, 7PM. Saturday, July 19, 2PMand 7PM, and Sunday, July 20, 2PM.

Page 14 - July 2014 ~ Lafayette Today

Mulch: The Secret Weapon for Water Conservation

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By Linda Riebel, Sustainable Lafayette

Mulching is often referred to as a gardener’s best friend and is even more essential to the survival of your landscape during a drought. When people think of mulch, they often think of wood and bark chips, but mulch is really a whole class of diverse things that can be spread along the top of the ground. No matter what it consists of, a good layer of mulch will reduce the amount of water that evaporates from your soil, greatly reducing your need to water your plants.

But, the benefits of mulch go far beyond water conservation. Mulch also: • Retains soil moisture by reducing evaporation and reducing exposure to wind, • Acts as an insulating layer on top of the soil, keeping it cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, • Keeps weeds down and the weeds that do grow are much easier to pull, • Improves soil texture and quality as the mulch breaks down (if it’s bark or otherwise organic material), • Prevents compaction of the soil, • Helps to reduce rain splash and runoff, which can help to prevent erosion is steep areas, and • Gives a finished look to any landscape.

That’s a lot of benefit from something so simple! You can use a wide variety of formerly living things to form a mulch barrier such as wood chips and bark chips, leaves and grass clippings, manure and compost, peat moss, and even shredded newspaper or cardboard. Inorganic materials like plastic sheets and gravel are also used as mulches.

Some people even consider low-growing ground cover plants to be mulches; after all, they perform the same tasks. There is no exact science to mulching, so experiment to see what works best in your garden and is most appealing to your eye.

In Lafayette, you can purchase mulches in bags or bulk from Diamond K Supply, Orchard Nursery, or Mt. Diablo Nursery. Wood and bark chips may also be available for free from arborists, who are often happy to off-load materials they would otherwise have to pay to dump at the landfill.

A few tips before you get started: • Before applying mulch, remove weeds and water thoroughly.

This will help you get the most benefit from your new mulch.

• Replace the grass under trees with mulch to minimize competition for water and nutrients. This mimics the way trees grow in nature and still gives a groomed look to the area.

• Keep mulch 6 to 12 inches away from the base of trees and shrubs.

• Apply 2-to-4 inches of mulch in all planting areas. Finer mulches (sized a halfinch or smaller) should be applied no more than 2 inches deep. Coarser mulches, such as large bark chips, can be applied 4 inches deep.

Due to their watersaving abilities, EBMUD is offering rebates on mulch during 2014.

More information on this is available at www.ebmud.com/water-and-wastewater/waterconservation/mulch-discount-coupons.

Read more about the benefits of mulch at www.ebmud.com/ sites/default/files/pdfs/Drought101Mulch.pdf.

Check out a video tutorial called “Use More Mulch and Less Water” put together by The Urban Farmers at www.youtube.com/ watch?v=qw_K6qXel-w&feature=youtu.be.

Learn more about water conservation and read real-world success stories at sustainablelafayette.org.

Meals on Wheels

Seniors in our community need your support! Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach Services have been supporting seniors in YOUR neighborhood since 1968. Two of the programs, Meals on Wheels and Friendly Visitors, rely on the support of volunteers, and we need your help now more than ever.

Meals on Wheels volunteer drivers deliver meals to local homebound seniors through regular two hour shifts once per week or as substitute drivers. Friendly Visitors volunteers provide weekly onehour companionship visits to isolated seniors. To volunteer for either program, please call (925)937-8311.

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Energy Matters

By Mark Becker, GoSimpleSolar

July 4th is a wonderful holiday. From Fife and Drum Corps bands marching in the streets of Madison, Connecticut, to the Orinda Parade, we’re a rightfully proud nation. Winston Churchill once famously said: “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.” One day of watching our Senate in action (or lack of action) is enough to make any American disillusioned; but one day of scrutinizing how most other nations are governed is sure to make one to agree with Winston Churchill’s quote.

“More solar” is becoming a more popular request. Solar customers, after experiencing the financial returns or increased comfort level of running the air conditioning can bring, are adding on to their existing solar PV systems. It’s quite flattering to be asked to perform the work instead of the contractor that was previously chosen.

America is quickly on a path to energy independence. Renewable generation (solar, wind, biomass), natural gas and a focus on efficiency are the contributors.

Consumer alert, also known as the monthly “cringe-worthy” moment: “Canadian Solar” products are 100% “People’s Republic” of China made. Who would’ve guessed that this and other products are so “cleverly” marketed? Some solar products claim American roots, and they are no more American than Canadian Solar is Canadian.

Unlike the stock market: Energy prices don’t crash and rarely go down.

Therefore, “future financial gains expected from your solar PV system can be based on past performance.” There are well over 200,000 solar customers in California, and there is continued rapid growth of the industry.

Solar products are not commodities, but sometimes they are treated as such.

Ask any American if they’d consider buying a Chinese car, and the answer will most likely be “No.” Ask any American if they’d consider buying Chinese solar panels, and the answer may likely be “Yes.” Americans hold on to their cars for an average of four years. An investment in a solar system will provide 25 years of investment returns (assuming high quality products and installation team). I believe there is an educational gap here; not all solar products are equal, hence they are not commodities.

As an aside: I hope it’s apparent that my “China bashing” in this column is

Lafayette Today ~ July 2014 - Page 15

directed to the leadership, policies, and products of the nation of the “People’s Republic,” not the people. One billion people live under the rule of oppressive governance by intimidation. Twenty-five years ago in Tiananmen Square, a struggle for freedom began, and it was oppressively put down with thousands of deaths as a result. America’s fight for freedom lasted for many years. We are truly fortunate to live in this nation, and truly in debt to those who served and sacrificed their lives in the defense of freedom and the preservation of our values for the last 238 years. The consumer protection laws set by the Contractor’s State License Board are crucial and necessary government oversight. Anyone who says that this nation needs less regulation can’t be referring to our contracting industry. Unfortunately, statistics show that contractors have a lower performance and customer satisfaction rating than virtually every other profession. The most frustrating part of a construction project to which consumers are subjected are cost over-runs.

A common contractor tactic: Lure them in with a low price to land the contract, then charge more during the construction process. This widespread practice is illegal yet rampant in our state.

From the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB): “If the contract price or scope of work needs to be changed, it MUST be done with a written “Change Order,” signed by the customer and contractor prior to the change, which then becomes a part of the contract.”

Contractor transparency: Do a perusal of your contractor’s website or construction proposal. You should be able to identify the installers and qualifications of the installers who will be working on your home, product point of origin, and license and insurance status of the contractor amongst other required information.

Visit www.cslb.ca.gov.

Solar products are slowly getting more efficient. However, for maximum financial return, a solar investment must be structured for minimum risk. That means it should have field proven technology, not the latest in technology. Choose your installation team and products wisely for maximum return on investment.

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

GoSimpleSolar (www.GoSimpleSolar.com) can be reached at 925-331-8011, or info@GoSimpleSolar.com. Visit GoSimpleSolar’s solar and roofing showroom at 100 Railroad Avenue, Suite B, Danville, (behind Pete’s Brass Rail Restaurant). Advertorial

Page 16 - July 2014 ~ Lafayette Today

Life in the Lafayette Garden

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Outdoor Kitchens

By John Montgomery, ASLA, Landscape Architect

We are gearing up for what is looking to be a wonderful Lafayette summer. July 4th is the pinnacle of outdoor entertaining and family BBQ’s. So much of outdoor entertaining is built around cooking and eating that it has become a regular request by my clients to design outdoor kitchens into the hardscape. Our magnificent Lafayette weather allows us to use the outdoors as an addition to our home. So, why not have an outdoor kitchen?

An outdoor kitchen doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive, but it can be if you wish. Outdoor kitchens range from the simple BBQ grill to a fully equipped kitchen. They are designed based on the way you entertain and cook. Starting with a simple approach, there is a huge choice of portable or prefabricated BBQ equipment. Many portables are high-quality stainless steel products made by top brand names like Weber, Viking, DCS, and Wolf. Of course, there is still room for the die-hard Weber kettle fans!

I have designed many outdoor kitchens for clients ranging from professional chefs to the guy who grills hamburgers and hot dogs. Like most kitchens in your home, the outdoor kitchen is the heart of your outdoor environment.

As you think about what you want in an outdoor kitchen, many key elements must be considered such as location, frequency of use, equipment, size and space, and integration into the hardscape and landscape. Location is instrumental to how much you use your outdoor kitchen. For instance, many clients like to grill year-round, so the outdoor kitchen must be conveniently located and accessible to their indoor kitchen keeping in mind food prep, storage, and dinning.

Choosing equipment is very important. Depending on your desired level of expertise, the market offers numerous choices and price points. First, consider the grill, the center piece to your outdoor kitchen. There are too many choices to mention in this article. Briefly, grills range from 18” to 60”, using charcoal, natural gas, or propane, and ranging in price from $1,000 to $13,000. The low-end uses charcoal and the high-end grill made by Kalamazoo is a hybrid that uses gas, charcoal, or wood depending on your grilling needs. Next, having a side burner for boiling water, sautéing, and steaming is a good choice so you can cook your entire meal outdoors. Other cooking equipment includes lobster pots, wok burners, and counter top pizza ovens.

Full-size pizza ovens are also a great addition. To keep things on the cool side, outdoor refrigerators of various configurations are available including

running water, and electrical needs are also things to think of.

The size and space of your outdoor kitchen depends on frequency and level of entertaining. Your love of cooking and entertaining will determine the size and space you need. One of my clients, a professional chef, prefers to use his outdoor kitchen over his indoor one. Designing the location so that the kitchen is located in the heart of the hardscape is very important. It is a social place connected to the dinning area, patio, pool, and garden. They can be enclosed in a cabana or under an open trellis. Other essentials to consider are wood burning pizza ovens, fireplaces, fire pits, and a living room. What you can imagine can be designed and built!

A hot tip from your local Landscape Architect: Adding an outdoor kitchen to your new or existing hardscape requires creativity, design, planning, and budget experience.

Gardening Quote of the Month: “Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity.” ~Voltaire If you would like me to write on any particular subject, email your ideas to jmontgomery@jm-la.com. For design ideas, visit www.jm-la.com. Advertorial

925.934.3743 • 925.934.1515

wine fridges, keg-a-rators, ice makers, and now freezers. Storage is also an important aspect to the design of your outdoor kitchen. Again, all sorts of storage is available from stainless cupboards, drawer units, warming drawers, and complete cabinet units. Counter top space and materials are also an important consideration. A raised bar with stools, a sink with hot and cold

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

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How Much are your Trees Really Worth?

By Blaine Brende & Joe Lamb

With the world in economic and ecological turmoil, it pays to take a deep breath and consider the real value of your assets. It’s best to start this exercise close to home because for most Americans their largest asset is their home. A surprisingly large contribution— between 8 and 19%1 — to the value of your home comes from your trees, shrubs, and other landscape plants. If your house is worth $500,000, that places the value of your plants at between $40,000 and $90,0000. Your trees deserve care commensurate with the value they add to your home’s portfolio.

Trees, of course, have value far beyond real estate. Here’s a quick tour of values economists give for urban trees: Trees add to home values and thereby form part of the tax base. In so doing trees help fund schools, fire protection services, and police.

Trees work to clean the air. In the process of photosynthesis, trees absorb pollutants and even convert harmful chemicals, like nitrogen oxides and airborne ammonia, into benign forms.

Trees act to reduce local tax rates by reducing infrastructure costs. Trees absorb rain and slow the speed at which storm water accumulates, thereby helping to prevent flooding and the need to install larger storm drains.

Trees not only filter pollution, they help prevent it. Shade from trees can reduce air conditioning needs by as much as 30%, and trees planted to intercept prevailing winds can reduce heating needs significantly. “Projections suggest that 100 million additional mature trees in US cities (three trees for every unshaded single family home) could save over $2 billion in energy costs per year.” 2 Trees also help prevent car pollution. In the Sacramento area, an astounding 16% of air pollution comes from cars parked in the sun. Shade from trees greatly reduces the loss of gas, thereby reducing air pollution.

Trees aid healing. When hospital rooms have views of trees, patients heal at a measurably faster rate. Trees help us fulfill Dorothy Day’s maxim: create a world in which it is easier to be nice to each other. Studies find that trees in public housing neighborhoods reduce levels of fear and decrease aggressive behavior; and students with ADHD develop more self-discipline when they play in natural settings.

Berkeley calculates that for every $1.00 the city spends on planting and pruning city trees, its citizens reap $1.40 in measurable benefits; for Sacramento the return is $1.80, and for New York City an astounding $5.00 is the return for every dollar spent. The value added to pruning and planting trees on your own property is higher than that for street trees because trees have a real effect on real estate prices.

Overestimating the value of trees to the entire planet is impossible: how can you put a price on the continuation of human life? If too many trees are stripped from the planet, then tipping points in the carbon cycle are crossed making global warming spin out of control…and making the world too hot for human life. Our Earth is small, and global warming makes it ever smaller. The easy division between what is global and what is local no longer holds: a ton of carbon dioxide from burning rainforests in Borneo heats the air as much as a ton of carbon dioxide from the tail pipes of commuter traffic on I580. We are all part of the problem. We are all part of the solution.

Trees play a role in all three strategies to fight global warming. Trees help reduce energy use, and they may someday become a source of renewable biofuels.

We can protect and restore rainforests and other carbon sinks. Through its work in the Borneo Project, Brende and Lamb works hard to leverage local support for the protection of rainforests. Closer to home we can all help with strategic planting of urban trees to sequester carbon, to reduce heat island effects, and to lower energy consumption. The dividends far outstrip the costs of caring for trees as a necessary part of the ‘green economy.’

Like other living beings, trees do require care. With people it costs less to avoid getting sick than to pay for a cure. The same is true with trees. Quality care improves the health of your trees, extends their lifespan, and increases their beauty. Quality tree work pays dividends to you and to the planet.

If you need help, do not hesitate to give us a call for advice or to do the work. At Brende and Lamb, we have 20 years of experience balancing the aesthetics of your trees and shrubs and maintaining your screening needs. If your trees need a little TLC, please call 510-486-TREE (8733) or email us at bl@brendelamb.com for a free estimate. Additionally, go to our website www.brendelamb.com to see before and after pictures, client testimonials, and work in your neighborhood. Advertorial 1. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090119210532.htm 2. http://www.treefolks.org/store_biglist.asp

Lafayette Today ~ July 2014 - Page 17

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Ask Dr. Happy By Bob Nozik, MD

1211138-TSO-ALToday-5x6.25.indd 1

11/16/12 9:28 AM

Dear Dr. Happy,

Dear Sadly,

I am a 23-year-old married woman with a two- yearold little girl. I was a really happy gal when I was a kid but no longer, not since I started watching cable news.

All they report is war, terrorism, children being abused and raped, poverty, hunger, and all kinds of other terrible things. I didn’t realize so much of this was going on when I was a kid. I guess it’s true that ignorance is bliss. Dr. H, how can any informed person be happy in the face of so much misery going on in the world? ~ Sadly Informed

You raise at least two good issues with your question. The first relates to why it seems 90% of the news is so negative. Actually, there is an almost 50-50 between good and bad in the world. However, the media has discovered that people seem mainly to be interested in hearing about bad news, and so that’s what they report.

The second concern from your question has to do with your choosing to be unhappy, and, yes, I said choosing. After all, has being unhappy in any way helped reduce any of the bad stuff? Of course not. In fact, because it is enervating, unhappiness would make it harder for you to actually do anything to help relieve any of the bad stuff. I’d recommend you consider significantly reducing your cable news watching. Trust me, you will hear about anything important anyway. You are not alone in having your mood dragged down by the barrage of negativity coming out of your TV.

Happiness Tip

If we are to be happy, it is critical for us to understand the negative news bias in the media. Knowing this is a big help for us in not allowing news reports to degrade our outlook. Still, some feel too guilty or depressed after watching negative news to allow themselves to be happy. For them, it is important to understand that depression will rob them of the energy they need to help for them to right those wrongs, whereas happiness will boost their energy, thereby helping them take effective action. Also important is for us to understand that when we choose happiness, it is not because of the bad news but for helping us move beyond it.

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

Page 18 - July 2014 ~ Lafayette Today

Why is the Market...?

By Deborah Mitchell, MSW, CFA

The stock market continues to march to new highs, all the while trading volume has dried up and new stock leadership has yet to reveal itself. Generally speaking, there continues to be a disconnect between the market highs and slow growing economy.

Some noteworthy metrics were released last month. The final reading of the first quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP) came in weaker than expected at -2.9%, much lower than the -2% forecast. This was the lowest reading since 2009.

Surprisingly the market did not fall out of bed on the news. There are a few possible reasons why this occurred. Given the negative estimate, it was widely expected the result would be a contraction and was likely already priced into the market by investors. Since the data is backward looking, eyes have now turned to second quarter estimates which forecast growth in the 3% range. Given the backdrop, the Federal Reserve (FED) reduced their economic growth rate estimate to 2.2% in 2014, compared to the previous 3%.

There were a few other reports that took on a more bullish slant.

Consumer confidence again came in higher than expected, the highest since January 2008. Opinions were that economic conditions seemed to be improving, especially in the business arena. Existing homes sales and new home sales demonstrated some strength, while housing starts and building permits struggled. The housing market is still not in full recovery mode, although it is moving more in that direction.

Most recently, the data release that captured the most headline hits was the CPI (Consumer Price Index). Recall that the CPI is a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by consumers for a market basket of goods and services (Bureau of Labor Statistics). The CPI is also

Gardening with Kate

By Kate Guillaume

There is more heat and everything is dry. I hope by now if you have tall grasses and dead underbrush around your home you have already made arrangements to have it cut down and the fuel load hauled off. I was at a home a few days ago off of Reliez Station Road and looked up from the backyard to the top of the lot and saw about 20 dead shrubs and many fallen limbs surrounded by 2-3 foot high dry grass. The neighbor to the right had even more fuel load on their property. This type of fuel load was supposed to be removed by the end of May. It does not help if you have cleared your lot to create a fire break if your neighbor has fuel leading up or down a hill to the edge of your property. If the offending property belongs to an elderly neighbor on a limited budget who can’t afford to get their property cleared, see if you can organize something in your neighborhood to get a communal effort going to clean off the hill. If the neighbor doesn’t fall in this category, go speak to them or call in the violation.

The drought this summer does not just affect your garden; it can threaten your neighborhood’s safety. Wildfires happen in populated areas just as easily as in wilderness areas. The Oakland fire is still fresh in my mind; it wiped out over 3,000 homes. The fuel load around Lafayette looks a lot like the Oakland hills did in the late 80s. Pay attention to the properties around you. Have a plan if there is a fire in your area. Don’t be foolish and think you can hold a wildfire back with a hose. When fires get going they create their own winds and move very rapidly. It is better to get in a car and drive down the hill for a while than risk getting caught in something beyond your control. Also check on neighbors that no longer drive, and make sure everyone has a way out.

When you live in our wonderfully wooded area, think carefully about the type of vegetation on your property - pines and eucalyptus virtually explode in fires, sending sparks into the surrounding areas. If you have

www.yourmonthlypaper.com the most widely watched inflation measure. The latest overall CPI came in at 2.1% and the core CPI (excluding food and energy) was 2%, which is right around the FED’s 2% inflation objective. With price increases becoming more broad based in nature investors became fearful of an early FED rate hike. FED Chairwoman Yellen acknowledged that the CPI data was on the “high side” but dismissed it as “noisy.” She sought to soothe investor anxiety by noting that “inflation is evolving in line with committee’s expectations” and that “the committee has expected a gradual return toward its 2% objective.”

Geopolitical concerns persist in Ukraine and Iraq and it is unclear what the outcomes will be. What is known is that the market does not like the uncertainty. Russian President Putin claimed to retract the use of military force in Ukraine. Yet, despite the pro-peace lip service attacks by proRussian separatists continue. Also, conflict has escalated in Iraq where the U.S. plans to send 300 military advisors to assist the Iraq government in the clash with insurgents. Much of the fighting is in northern Iraq and has not spread to the southern region where major oil facilities are located.

Iraq was considered the 7th largest oil producer in the world last year (U.S. Energy Information Administration). Any disruption in production could result in higher oil prices and consequently boost the inflation rate.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) and S&P 500 may encounter some long awaited and well publicized resistance as they approach the 17,000 and 2,000 levels respectively. In the short term some level of consolidation is expected.

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

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

Advertorial an abundance of trees and shrubs that behave badly in fire areas, think seriously about having them removed, even if you can only afford to remove one tree a year. Remember when you hire anyone to remove trees, you want a licensed professional who has E & O insurance and especially workers compensation insurance for their employees. If you have an unlicensed person clearing trees on your property and one of them gets injured, you might end up paying that person workman’s compensation disability for the rest of their life. There is a reason that licensed people charge more; they are paying for that insurance and licensing that protects you and your property.

Consult with your local nursery on trees and shrubs that are more fire safe. If you are lucky to have native oaks on your property, cherish them.

California natives developed in conditions that exposed them to frequent fires often can make a home more fire safe.

I met a great woman at a Garden Club luncheon. She had just paid a designer to create a new water-wise landscape design and started her project before she heard about the rebates many water districts are offering. Unfortunately, you cannot retroactively apply for rebates. Your first step is to apply for the rebate, or make sure your designer does before even the drawings are started. Go to your water utilities website and check on “water saving rebates.” They are really worth the effort. The woman applied too late to qualify and was mad at herself and her designer.

By the time you get this I will be harvesting my first sun-ripened peaches which will be so fragrant that their aroma will fill my backyard.

If we don’t get crazy heat, I will have a three to four week harvest time. If we get a week or two in the high 90s, I’ll have to hustle to get everything harvested, laid up, and shared out.

My Rudbeckia has mad bloom stalks of perfect black-eyed susans.

There are 30 to 40 blooms on each plant waving summer hellos at me. I also have a glorious stand of “Velvet Queen” sunflowers that greet passersby near my sidewalk with their cheery burgundy petals. My tomatoes are coming along, and all is right with my world.

Happy Gardening.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Is Your Living Trust a Bomb Ticking Silently?

By Robert J. Silverman

Lafayette Today ~ July 2014 - Page 19

Major new Federal Estate Tax legislation was enacted in January 2013. You may have heard or read that these tax rules changed, but it’s not likely that the new rules may have transformed your existing living trust into a bomb ticking silently.

I wrote about this last February, but the topic is so important that I decided to cover it again. First, let’s highlight the good news and bad news for married couples who have a type of living trust typically referred to as a “formula,” “A-B,” or “A-B-C” trust. You may not know whether you have this type of trust, but there’s a reasonable chance you do since this structure has been common for many years.

The bad news is that if you are a married couple with such a trust and you make no changes to the document, the bomb will explode. The good news is that it’s fairly easy and painless for you to avoid the explosion; however, you must take affirmative action to change your trust before the first spouse dies.

Prior to January 2013: Formula trusts have been extremely popular for married couples during the last two to three decades. The reason is that this structure enabled married couples to legally eliminate or minimize Estate Tax (with a top tax rate of 55% during much of the last few decades) when such tax might otherwise be imposed if the surviving spouse died with more than a certain threshold amount of net assets. The amount exempt from Estate Tax liability (“exemption”) has varied greatly over the years, but it was as low as $600,000 through much of the nineties. Accordingly, many couples were exposed to potential Estate Tax liability.

Formula trusts dictate that assets are to be split up into at least two pots (sub-trusts) after the first spouse dies. By segregating the assets into A & B subtrusts, two exemptions – one applicable to the deceased spouse’s assets and one applicable to the surviving spouse’s assets – could be used.

Alternatively, if a couple’s trust was structured as a one pot trust, in which all of the assets of the first spouse to die were kept in the same pot as the assets of the surviving spouse, only one exemption (that of the surviving spouse) could be used; the exemption of the first spouse to die was lost.

So, married couples who did not have a formula trust were potentially exposing their children and/or other loved ones to tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in unnecessary Federal Estate Tax liability.

After December 2012: The exemption is now $5.34 Million and is indexed annually for inflation. More importantly, a new feature called “portability” enables married couples to use two full exemptions without splitting the assets into two separate pots after the first spouse dies. Consequently, a huge number of married couples no longer need a formula Trust for Estate Tax reasons!

Nevertheless, you might ask what harm there is in just keeping your A-B trust? What is this bomb that I’ve stated is ticking? Perhaps using the ticking bomb analogy is overly dramatic, but there are quite important, yet not commonly understood, disadvantages of a formula trust. Some of the primary disadvantages are: a) they are typically much more expensive and inconvenient to administer and manage after the first spouse dies; b) an attorney is generally needed to help the surviving spouse comply with complicated rules and procedures in allocating and transferring assets into their respective sub-trusts; c) separate records and accounts are required for each sub-trust; d) a separate tax return must be prepared and filed for the ‘B’ Trust every year of the surviving spouse’s life; and e) possible extra income tax liability will be incurred on the sale of assets in the “B” sub-trust that appreciate after the first spouse dies.

It is noteworthy that there are still some non-tax reasons that may warrant having a formula trust, particularly for many blended families. In any event, the newer Estate Tax rules provide a golden opportunity for married couples to seek counsel from an experienced estate planning attorney about the pros and cons of their existing trust structure. Unfortunately, ignoring the subject and taking no action at all may not be as harmless as you might think.

Mr. Silverman is an attorney with R. Silverman Law Group, 1855 Olympic Brainwaves by Betsy Streeter Blvd., Suite 240, Walnut Creek, CA 94596; (925) 705-4474, rsilverman@ rsilvermanlaw.com, www.silvermanlaw.com. * Estate Planning * Trust Administration & Probate * Real Estate * Business

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

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Page 20 - July 2014 ~ Lafayette Today

Your Personal Nutritionist

By Linda Michaelis RD,MS Simply Lowering High Blood Pressure

Lately I am seeing many clients that wish to get off of their blood pressure medication because of its side effects. They feel that they have to resort to eating a bland diet. I am thrilled to be able to show them that dining can be enjoyable, especially when they are well educated.

Let me tell you about my client John and his wife Adelle, who were referred by a local physician. The doctor was inclined to increase John’s medication because his blood pressure numbers were not in the normal range. However, the doctor said, “If you see Linda, we’ll wait two months.” John and Adelle are retired, their kids are gone, and Adelle wanted a break from cooking. They felt that this was finally the time to enjoy more restaurants and travel, but John expressed some nervousness in going to restaurants because of a realistic fear that the food could raise his blood pressure.

After seeing John’s food diary, I decided our basic strategy was to limit his salt intake to 2,000 mg of sodium per day, which is equal to a teaspoon of salt. I saw that his choice of foods – breads, bacon, soups, chips, and deli meats--included heavy doses of salt. We first focused on how to read food labels, pointing out that in spite of claims on packages, a low sodium product is 140 mg per serving.

As I always do in my counseling, I strive to take what my clients enjoy and set up plans based on their favorite foods. I introduced John to breakfast options that have no salt such as oatmeal or even a slice of salt-free bread with unsalted almond or peanut butter. I also recommended that John enjoy an omelet made with unsalted butter, Swiss cheese (that is naturally low in salt at 60 mg/ slice), spinach, and mushrooms along with fresh salsa that has very little salt. I also introduced him to Kashi Go Lean as the best cold cereal with only 80 grams of sodium per cup.

I told Adelle that while I appreciate her desire to go out to eat, there is a short list of foods that must be prepared at home to avoid salt traps. These include homemade soups (at home you can easily substitute wonderful fresh herbs and spices for salt), baked turkey breast and chicken with BBQ sauce, vinaigrette salad dressings, and marinara and cheese sauces that John loves. I introduced Adelle to salt-free chicken stock as well as vinegars that provide a terrific flavor when splashed onto cooked veggies. Adelle now cooks a great sauce for John’s beloved spaghetti which consists of chopped tomatoes along with fresh basil, oregano, and garlic, adding some aged parmesan because it only has 75 mg/ Tbs of sodium. Adelle also loves to make beans soups, and I told her she can buy salt free beans or use dried beans and soak them overnight and cook them the next day.

Adelle and John did not realize that all breads have an average of 150 mg of sodium per slice, so I suggested using salt-free bread for their sandwiches and adding yellow mustard (55 mg/teaspoon). In addition, John was happy to learn he could still enjoy his snacks, such as unsalted baked chips, unsalted nuts, or even dry cereal that is low in salt.

I told Adelle and John that it would be my job to make sure they will enjoy their glorious retirement in restaurants and become more comfortable travelling.

Lic# 1100014354; Bay Area Entertainment

www.yourmonthlypaper.com We have discussed the advantages of ordering fish, beef, or chicken that is freshly cooked without salt by instead using olive oil, lemon, pepper and herbs, which are now very popular. Though salt is a favorite addition of many cooks to veggies, we discussed the need to be firm with the waiter that you cannot have salt. A side salad is great to order, and many restaurants will bring you a decanter of oil and vinegar.

I emphasized that John can still enjoy a restaurant meal with salt if he keeps the other meals of the day relatively salt free to meet the 2,000 mg/day sodium goal.

We also discussed the advantages of staying in condos with kitchens, which will allow for eating breakfast and some lunches in and dinner out.

I advised John that he must drink 6-8 glasses of water per day to get rid of the salt he is consuming and also to walk 30 minutes per day. He agreed that he would begin doing both.

I am glad to inform you that after working with John for a month, his blood pressure is the best it has been in years, and he has lost 10 pounds. John and Adelle have decided to go visit their kids in Texas, and John says he is not scared of eating in restaurants anymore.

I will continue to follow John thru phone and e-mail, even in Texas, and assist him with eating while at his daughter’s home. The good news is that John’s visits were covered by his Aetna PPO insurance with a small copay.

Please feel free to call me at (925) 855-0150 or e-mail me at Lifeweight1@ yahoo.com and tell me about your nutritional concerns. Refer to my website www.LindaRD.com for past articles, recipes, and nutrition tips in my blog Advertorial section.

A Non-invasive Way to Remove Kidney Stones

By Parminder Sethi, MD

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is a technique for treating stones in the kidney and ureter that does not require invasive surgery. Highenergy shock waves are passed through the body and used to break stones into pieces as small as grains of sand. Because of their small size, these pieces can pass from the body along with the urine. ESWL treatment is recommended when a kidney stone becomes too large or painful to pass on its own.

The patient lies on a soft cushion or membrane through which the waves pass. About 3,000 shock waves are needed to crush the stones over a period of 30 minutes.

The main advantage of this treatment is that many patients may be treated for kidney stones without invasive surgery. The disadvantage is that the patient has to pass the small fragments of the original stone. It is common to have some pain in the kidney and ureter as the small stone fragments pass.

After treatment is complete, the patient can move about almost at once.

Many people can fully resume daily activities within one to two days. Special diets are not required, but drinking plenty of water helps the stone fragments pass. Usually a lithotripsy patient is asked to strain his or her urine afterward to collect pieces for analysis and to determine what the stones are made of.

The passage of stone fragments may take a few days or a week and may cause mild pain.

Not all kidney stones are candidates for this type of treatment. The size, number, location, and composition of the stones are factors that must be taken into account when exploring treatment options. Also, the stones must be clearly viewed by the x-ray monitor so the shock waves can be targeted accurately. If anatomical abnormalities prevent this, other methods of stone removal may have to be considered.

Through examination, x-ray and other tests, the doctor can decide whether this is the best treatment for the patient. In those patients who are thought to be good candidates for this treatment, about 70 to 90 percent are found to be free of stones within three months of treatment.

Parminder Sethi, MD is a urologist with Pacific Urology. The urology group has partnered with John Muir Health to provide a dedicated, on-site Storz lithotripter machine at the Concord Campus. Kidney stone patients can often undergo ESWL within 24-48 hours. For more information, please Advertorial call (925)937-7740.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

The New Breast Implants

By Dr. Barbara Persons

As a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon who completed a fellowship in Aesthetic, Breast, & Laser surgery, I have been on the cutting edge of breast augmentation surgery for many years. I have been amazed and delighted at the incredible advances the leading breast implant manufacturers have made in the past 10+ years and wanted to share the history of breast implants with you.

• 1942 - Eugene G. Rochow of Harvard University, pioneered the manufacture of commercial silicones • 1963 - Dow Corning launches the first silicone gel-filled breast implant.

• 1968 - Saline filled implants launched in the US in 1968. [First Generation] • 1970s-80s - Silicone implants widely used in the U.S. [Second Generation] • 1992-2006 silicone implants banned in the U.S. due to concerns about performance • 2006 Third Generation Silicone implants FDA approved The Third Generation implants offer many benefits over earlier products: • They feature a multi-layer shell (exterior) with a barrier layer to make them more durable • They are filled with a special gel that is quite cohesive (non-spreading).

You can cut an implant in half, and there is no flow of the gel.

Despite the advances in these Third Generation implants, every patient has unique needs and desires. In a typically week, I consult with a dozen or so women seeking breast augmentation. A number of questions and topics are discussed with the most popular being, “saline or silicone”? There are

Medical Practice and Physicians Receive Awards

By Sandy Goldberg

Diablo Valley Oncology is very proud to announce that for the fourth consecutive year, we have been named a Top Work Place by the Bay Area News Group and Workplace Dynamics’ list of Top Work Places in 2014. Out of 1,200 organizations, only 100 companies were ranked as Top Work Places after employees submitted surveys addressing company leadership, compensation and training, diversity/inclusion, career development, familyfriendly flexibility, and values and ethics. Private companies and non-profits as well as publicly held businesses were included in the analysis.

“Our physicians and management team understand that in order for us to provide the best care for our patients, we must first provide the best for our employees. Their happiness and satisfaction enable them to provide exceptional patient care and make a difference in the lives of those we serve, explains Lori Orr, Chief Operating Officer.

Most likely, this physician inspired mission of providing the best for employees and patients explains why our doctors consistently receive the Patients’ Choice Award, a distinguished honor that recognizes physicians who have received high scores and excellent reviews from their patients.

Our multi-specialty group of medical oncologists, hematologists, urologists and radiation oncologists were rated by their patients on various components of care such as ease of appointment, promptness, courteous staff, accuracy of diagnosis, amount of time they spent with the patient, their bedside manner, and follow-up care. They received a near perfect four star rating by their patients.

Knowing that we received these awards because of positive feedback from our employees and patients makes the recognition that much more special!

Two years ago, Diablo Valley Oncology and Hematology Medical Group and Pacific Urology merged to become the first multi-specialty group of its kind in Contra Costa County. This merger created the opportunity for the practices to deliver a stronger continuity of care for patients and create their comprehensive prostate cancer program and multi specialty cancer consultation service. For more information contact Sandy Goldberg, OutAdvertorial reach Manager at 925-677-5041.

Lafayette Today ~ July 2014 - Page 21 many factors involved in making the proper choice. This makes the need for an in-depth consultation even more critical. In general, most women are choosing the new generation of silicone gel implants versus saline, although an increasing number are also opting for fat grafting as an adjunct to implant augmentation or reconstruction. Recent studies have supported the use of fat grafting to the breast and I often perform liposuction of the bra roll for a “contour” breast augmentation.

Both silicone and saline implants have an outer silicone shell. The silicone implants which come pre-filled with a cohesive silicone gel whereas the saline implants are filled with sterile saline after being placed. As an aside, the debate surrounding the safety of silicone implants has largely been resolved, as there has not been a single substantiated case of silicone filled implants causing systemic disease.

Saline implants tend to be chosen by a younger demographic prior to having children. Because these implants are filled after they are placed under the breast tissue, the incision can be more distant (such as the umbilical method of implantation) and will result in almost no visible scarring and has no impact on breast feeding. Saline implants have a lifespan of 7-10 years. Saline implants are less optimal for women seeking larger implants such as a D cup.

Silicone implants have once again become the more popular choice among all age groups, even though the implants themselves cost more, as the thicker, gel-like consistency creates a more natural look and feel. These implants can create a natural effect for women desiring small, moderate, or ample breast size. The procedure using this type of implants requires a small incision, often in the crease below the breast, resulting in a very small scar, typically hidden under the breast. The risks associated with silicone implants are similar to those associated with saline while having a significantly longer lifespan.

Recent advances in fat harvesting and grafting have made fat transfer a growing method of breast augmentation in my practice. It is ideal for women looking to increase their breasts by one half to one cup size, for example from B to a small C. Fat transfer is often incorporated with breast lift (mastopexy), reconstruction and augmentation. Mild liposuction is used to remove the fat from an unwanted area such as the flanks or abdomen and injected without a need for any additional incisions.

Whether you are considering a breast augmentation for the first time or are a patient with existing implants looking for a change, I look forward to sharing my experience and expertise in determining the most suitable augmentation option for you.

Dr. Barbara Persons is a plastic, cosmetic and reconstructive surgeon and is Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Inc. Persons Plastic Surgery, Inc. is her cosmetic & reconstructive surgery center, conveniently located at 911 Moraga Road, suite 205 in Lafayette. She may be reached at 925-283-4012 or drbarb@personsplasticsurgery.com. Advertorial

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www.yourmonthlypaper.com 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.

Page 22 - July 2014 ~ 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 Rd client’s quality of life on a daily basis. in Lafayette unless otherwise noted. Space is • Free in-home assessments • Regular home visits limited. Please call 925-284-5050 to reserve a ensure the right care plan • Hourly care Heartfelt & for you • Live-in care Supportive spot. Annual Membership fee: $10 per person.

• Fully bonded and insured • Geriatric care mgmt.

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

3645 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Suite D Members $5. Ongoing Caregiver Support Lafayette, CA 94549 (beside Trader Joe’s) Group: Members: no charge; Non-members $1. www.excellentcareathome.com 925-284-1213 PM Moving Process Seminar 7/18 • 1:30-3 nd AM • Does the thought of moving overwhelm you? Please join Merrill Gardens at Free Peer Counseling 2 Tuesday monthly • 10 - noon • Alder Lafayette and Lafayette Senior Services at the Lafayette Library and Learning Room, LCC - Contra Costa Health Services offers free one-on-one counseling with senior (55+) counselors who use their life experiences to help other older Center located at 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd in Lafayette. Leaving a home after many years can be daunting and downright overwhelming. There is so much stuff to adults cope with life changes, problems, crises, and challenges. Confidentiality deal with and things to do. Join an interactive and engaging presentation which is strictly observed. Appointment required. Please call Lafayette Senior Services will provide tips and techniques on how to go about the moving process. There at 284-5050 to sign up for one of the 60-minute appointments. will be a discussion on the actual physical move of your belongings and other Grief Support Groups and Classes unique programs available. Please RSVP by June 16 to 510-210-2556.

Hospice of the East Bay has announced a new schedule for their support Smart Driver 4-Hour Refresher Course 7/31 • 9AM–1:30PM • Sequioa groups and workshops for adults, children, and teens experiencing grief after Room, LSC - This abbreviated refresher course is for those who have taken the death of a loved one. Classes will be offered at Hospice’s Administrative an AARP driving course within the last four years. Refine your driving skills, Offices located at 3470 Buskirk Avenue in Pleasant Hill. develop safe and defensive techniques, and possibly lower your insurance Bereavement Services are provided free of charge to all community members premium. Max: 25 pre-paid registrants. First come, first served, by date check in need, however donations are greatly appreciated. is received. Send check, made payable to AARP, to Lafayette Senior Services, Pre-registration is required for all groups and classes, except our drop-in 500 Saint Mary’s Rd., Lafayette, CA 94549. Important: Prior to sending check, group. To register, please call Hospice of the East Bay at (925) 887-5681. please call 284-5050 to determine space availability. $15 AARP Members • Groups for Adults Adults Who Have Lost a Parent $20 Non-Members of AARP • Pleasant Hill ~ Mondays, 6 - 8PM ~ July 21 - September 15 Lafayette Oral History Project Do you have stories about Lafayette in the days of yore? Allow Ryan to document that history which will then be included Widow and Widowers’ Support • Pleasant Hill Afternoons ~ Thursdays, 1:30 to 3:30PM ~ June 5 - July 24 in the Lafayette Historical Societies’ archives, preserved for generations to come.

• Pleasant Hill Evenings ~ Wednesdays, 6 to 8PM ~ June 4 - July 23 All you have to do is tell those stories to Ryan; he’ll do the writing. You’ll receive a copy of the final document at the time of completion. Call Lafayette Senior Drop-In Bereavement Support Group • Pleasant Hill ~ 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month ~ 4:30 - 6PM Services for details and to be a part of this project. No charge.

Lamorinda Dance Social Wednesdays • 12:30 – 3PM • Live Oak Room, Groups for Children and Teens The Bridge LCC - Enjoy afternoon dancing every Wednesday, and learn some great new • Pleasant Hill ~ Bi-monthly support program for grieving children and teens. dance moves. On the first Wednesday monthly, professional dancers Karen Support is also available for parents/guardians. Sign up now for fall classes. and Michael will provide a dance lesson and live DJ services, playing your Hospice of the East Bay provides compassionate end-of-life care to terminally favorites and taking requests. $2 Members/ $4 non-members. ill patients, while offering emotional, spiritual, and grief support for the entire famLafayette Senior Services Commission 4th Thursday of the month ily. To learn about making a donation of time or money, contact (925) 887-5678 or from 3:30 – 5:30PM at the LSC - View agendas at the City of Lafayette of- visit www.hospiceeastbay.org. fice or at www.ci.lafayette.ca.us.

Lamorinda Nature Walk and Bird-Watching Every Wednesday • Local Church Provides Community Care 9AM - Noon • Call LSC to find out weekly meeting locations - Experience

By Bill Sautter nature at its finest along our local trails. Delight in the beauty that unfolds Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian’s Stephen Ministry has 25 trained lay around each bend, all the while learning to identify a variety of birds. Bring people who provide ongoing, one-on-one Christian care to those in our a water bottle; binoculars will be helpful if you have them. Join us every congregation and in the community who are experiencing transitions in Wednesday or whenever you are able. their lives. LOPC Stephen Ministry is confidential and is provided at no Come Play Mahjong! Every Tuesday • Noon–3PM • Cedar Room, LSC cost. A Stephen Minister is...

Come join us on Tuesdays for a drop-in game of mahjong. Mahjong is a game • A congregation member with a gift for listening, of skill, strategy, and certain degree of chance. All levels welcome. Bring your • A lay person who has received 50 hours training in providing card, a mahjong set, and a snack to share (optional). RSVP not required. emotional and spiritual care, Creative Writing Workshop 2nd and 4th Thursday monthly • 10:30AM • A committed caregiver who listens, cares, prays, supports, and noon • Cedar Room, LSC - Join creative writing and English instructor Judith encourages those who are hurting, and Rathbone, and examine the possibilities of self-expression through writing. This • Someone who will “be there” for his or her care receiver, meeting friendly group, with an ever-changing membership but lots of returning participants, faithfully for about an hour each week, for as long as there’s a need. will welcome you and any of your writing efforts. Find encouragement and feedback Stephen Ministers are available for those who are dealing with illness or and bring out the writer in you. If you can speak, you can write, and we will show hospitalization, loneliness, aging, being shut-in, separation due to military you how! Beginners to established writers welcome. deployment, death or serious loss, separation or divorce, disabilities, or Positive Living Forum (“Happiness Club”) 7/10 • 10:30AM – noon grief and anxiety.

• Sequoia Room, LSC - Brighten your day with Dr. Bob Nozik, MD, Prof.

If you know of someone who would benefit from the ongoing Emeritus UCSF and author of Happy 4 Life: Here’s How to Do It. Brighten confidential, no cost, spiritual, and emotional support of a Stephen your day and take part in this interactive gathering which features speakers on Minister, contact Jean Lee at (925) 943-2237, or visit www.lopc.org/ a wide range of topics that guide participants toward a more ideal and positive care_stephen_ministry.asp. life experience. Drop-ins welcome!

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Lafayette Today ~ July 2014 - Page 23

Community Engagement

groups were Housing, Transportation, Health, Membership, Nutrition, Planning, Senior Coalitions, Mental Health, Education and Outreach, and the Rx Drug Coalition.

Many of the people who are members of the ACOA are older adults who have retired but choose to stay active and engaged in community issues. It is clear that those who choose to stay involved in the world, stretching and growing themselves in new ways, becoming more active and energized as a result, retain a youthful vitality that attracts friendships and leads to greater health and well-being.

Grace Hopper suggests, “A ship in port is safe, but that is not what ships are built for. Sail out to sea and do new things.”

Neale Donald Walsch adds a related thought. “Creativity is not something you wait for; it is something that waits for you. You must decide to be creative, not wait to be. You must challenge yourself. Pick up the brush. Grab hold of the camera. Turn on the computer. Start cooking the meal. Get to the workplace early. Propose the solution. Advance the idea. Become the answer….”

By Mary Bruns, Lamorinda Senior Transportation

In the month of July, as we celebrate Independence Day, we may consider the high value we place on our freedom and independence, conditions that are easy to lose as we age when age-based disabilities may begin creeping in. A powerful antidote to aging is staying active and engaged in the community, contributing our skills, and learning new ones.

It is sometimes tempting to decide to retire from life and take it easy, but that seems to accelerate the aging process. Exercising mentally and physically keeps us young; stretching our capacity by learning and doing more helps us to better enjoy life and each other. We become a more engaging person as we continue to grow and develop.

All around us are examples of people who continue to contribute, people who are working diligently to benefit older adults. Three such people, members of the Contra Costa Advisory Council on Aging, are Shirley Krohn, Gerald Richards, and Joanna Kim-Selby, who are also members of the California Senior Legislature.

“The California Senior Legislature (CSL) is a volunteer body which meets for four days each year to propose legislation regarding senior citizens at both state and federal levels. Meetings are held in the State Capitol building for four days in October. CSL was created from an idea

by California State Senator Henry Mello who called for a meeting of a ‘Silver-Haired Legislature’ in 1980. The group first met in 1982. There are 40 Senior Senators and 80 Senior Assembly Members. These are selected in elections in 33 planning service areas, as established by the Federal Older Americans Act of 1965. The session goals are to arrive at ten state and four federal proposals. These are then taken to state Legislators or members of Congress, who are asked to author and carry appropriate bills in the Legislature or Congress. 80-85% of the bills proposed are endorsed and carried.” For more information, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ California_Senior_Legislature.

The CSL writes, advocates, and promotes legislation that benefits older adults. “CSL members submitted over 70 legislative proposals this year which were designed to improve the lives of Californians age 60 and over.

The CSL is not funded by taxes, but by contributions from individuals throughout California who care about enhancing the quality of life for older Californians and their families,” notes the site http://4csl.org.

One of the benefits I experienced in attending ACOA (Advisory Council on Aging) meetings is getting in touch with legislation that is being proposed and becoming aware of opportunities to advocate for those ideas that are important to you. One of the ACOA workgroups, the Legislative Advocacy Committee, works in this arena. Other ACOA work

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Lamorinda Senior Transportation An Alliance of Transportation Providers

Lamorinda Spirit Van

283-3534

Takes Lamorinda Seniors to errands, appointments, grocery shopping, special events, and to lunch at the C.C. Café. Reserve your ride two business days in advance (or sooner) by 1pm or when you make your appointment.

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

Orinda Seniors Around Town

402-4506

Senior Helpline Services Rides for Seniors

284-6161

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

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

County Connection LINK Reservation Line 938-7433 LINK Applications and Questions 680-2066 or 2067 Fixed-Route Bus Service Information 676-7500

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

Lafayette Today Classifieds

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

Run the same classified ad in our sister papers “Alamo Today” or “Danville Today News” and pay half off for your second and/or third ad! Payment by check made out to “The Editors” must be received before ad will print. Your cancelled check is your receipt. We reserve the right to reject any ad.

Page 24 - July 2014 ~ Lafayette Today

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