Lafayette_Today_Nov_2014

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November 2014 Lafayette Community Foundation

Lafayette Today ~ January 2014 - Page 25

Serving the Lafayette Community

By Fran Miller

The Lafayette Community Foundation (LCF) celebrates its 15 anniversary this month, and its Thanksgiving-time inception date is not lost on its beneficiaries.

A multitude of organizations have given thanks over the years to LCF for their financial support. Town Hall Theatre, Las Trampas, Inc., the Lamorinda Spirit Van, and the Lafayette Library and Learning Center (LLLC) are just a few of the many who have benefited from the work of the LCF and its board.

The LLLC would actually not exist if not for the LCF, which was initially created in 1999 as a vehicle to raise funds for the state-of-the-art facility. The group, then led by president Anne Grodin, initiated the most successful grassroots fundraising campaign in Lafayette’s history. The Library building, at 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd., is a testament to LCF’s fundraising fortitude.

Once that project was completed, though, the LCF was forced to reinvent itself as a supporter of the greater community. “We did have a slight identity crisis after the Library was built,” says current board president Sereta Churchill, who admits that people Members of the vocation-diverse, multi-generational Lafayette Community Foundation Board. were initially confused about LCF’s post-Library purpose. The board initially elected to fund a few marquee projects, such as the Lafayette Reservoir stage, which was completed in conjunction with Lamorinda Sunrise Spread Kindness – It’s Contagious! By Jody Morgan Rotary. And, since 2009, LCF has sponsored the annual Senior Maria Haswell woke up one morning in February 2009 wanting to perform Symposium. But the organization has also settled into a valuable some random acts of kindness. Her online search found no area organizations that role as a funder of smaller, varied ventures, investing in programs matched her vision. Encouraged by husband Mark, Maria gathered a small group and projects that enhance the civic, cultural, educational, and environmental health of Lafayette and, occasionally, beyond. Since 2000, LCF has given more than $300,000 in grants.

“When we look back at our 15-year record, it is quite an eyeth

See LCF continued on page 20

Community Thanksgiving Breakfast

The Lafayette Chamber of Commerce invites you to join city leaders, residents and the business community for breakfast as we have done for 35years. The 36rd Annual Community Thanksgiving Breakfast will be held on Friday, November 21, from 7am – 8:30am at Our Saviors Lutheran Church at 1035 Carol Lane in Lafayette.

Breakfast will be graciously provided by Dave’s Cuisine. This Spread Kindness launches their mission at Central Park, San Ramon. Photo courtesy of Spread Kindness. event is our way of bringing the community together before of like-minded locals. Taking on a life of its own, the project grew, suggesting the we all get too busy with the holidays. M.J. Marggraff (author, need for a formal structure. In January 2010, the Haswells registered Spread Kindspeaker, Mission Support Representative for Virgin ness as a 501 (c)(3) non-profit. They wanted their gestures to be community-based, galactic spaceflight) is this year’s featured guest but they soon found their local acts had a global reach. Kindness is contagious, speaker and our Chamber President Stacy Spell spreading a spirit of generosity that gives back to the donor while reaching out to will take care of the MC duties. Music will be embrace countless strangers. provided by harpist Wendy Tamis.

During the first event Spread Kindness organized at San Ramon’s Central Park, This event is held each year in the loving memory of Barbara Bupp, volunteers distributed flowers and treats and performed additional small acts of kind- who organized the first breakfast 35 years ago. ness. A group of friends the Haswells nicknamed “Dream-Team” helped brainstorm a Begin the holiday season in a variety of ideas including paying for the person in line behind you for coffee, tipping significant and meaningful way. well and leaving a compliment, and dropping off flowers with a thoughtful note at a Reservations can be made by calling Volume VIII - Number 11 See Kindness continued on page 19 the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce 3000F Danville Blvd #117 Alamo, CA 94507 at 925-284-7404 or by visiting our Telephone (925) 405-6397 PRSRT STD website at www.lafayettechamber.

Fax (925) 406-0547 U.S. Postage editor@yourmonthlypaper.com org.

The cost is $20 per person.

PAID Local For more information, Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher Permit 21 Postal Customer opinions expressed herein belong to the writers, and contact Jay Lifson, Executive The Lafayette, CA do not necessarily reflect that of Lafayette Today. Lafayette Director, Lafayette Chamber of Today is not responsible for the content of any of the adECRWSS vertising herein, nor does publication imply endorsement.

Commerce at 925-284-7404.

Page 2 - November 2014 ~ Lafayette Today

Boulevard View

By Alisa Corstorphine, Editor

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For some people, just getting through each day is a whirlwind of struggles. Many battle with financial issues, medical issues, or relationship issues. Others face job troubles or experience pains to provide oneself or their families with the five basic human survival needs of oxygen, water, food, shelter, and sleep. Most face these issues silently without showing any signs of strife, maintaining a façade of well-being. These people may be your coworkers, friends, neighbors, or even family members. These people may also be located a world away in a foreign country facing these same issues, but with less support of their community and less financial resources as well.

While there is always a need to address the plights of others less fortunate than oneself, the holiday “giving season” tends to put these issues in the spotlight. During these months, gifts are exchanged, people open up their homes to host friends and family, and many take time to reflect on their good fortune and to spread their holiday joy with others.

Charitable organizations (such as soup kitchens) tend to fill with volunteers during the holidays, but come February, they are scrambling to find people to keep their programs running. That being said, any time you have available to help out or donate is appreciated, no matter what time of the year it is.

Many of our fellow humans (and animals); whether located locally, nationally, or worldwide; rely on help from others to exist. Giving donations both financially and of our time and effort to groups or individuals is a highly personal decision which can be influenced by our own financial circumstances or perhaps are influenced by or related to a personal connection or one’s life experience.

This issue of Lafayette Today showcases some local groups and individuals that are working to make the difference in the lives of others both at home and abroad. It brings to light what they are doing in hopes of making the world a better place. These people are not just looking at a situation and wondering how it can be changed or be improved, they are doing something about it. It is their way of reaching out and saying they care and will use the resources available to them to make a difference.

While time is a precious resource for most, oftentimes if we reprioritize our schedules extra time can be found. In the electronic age it is easy to have our time sucked away via 24/7/365 TV on hundreds of channels or with online games or messaging. A small sacrifice and rearranging of this time can make a big difference if we use it in an other way.

Whether we reach out with our wallets and make a financial donation, give a jacket to keep someone warm at night, give a meal to help an empty stomach, provide counseling services to help find jobs or housing, or just donate a toy to enable a child to get a Christmas present, the gifts we give can be life-changing.

No one chooses to be born in an impoverished or war-torn country.

No one chooses to get sick. Sometimes people are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sometimes bad habits create a cycle of drama that a caring hand or person can help someone else break out of. It is scary to think about, but you never know when you may fall on hard times and need to rely on the support of others.

If you are looking to reach out and don’t know where to start, perhaps one of the stories in these pages can spark a connection to make a difference.

Acalanes High School Production: Almost, Maine

Acalanes DramaDons presents Almost, Maine, directed by Ed Meehan. This entertaining romantic comedy runs November 13, 14, and 15 at 7 pm in the Acalanes Performing Arts Center Little Theatre, located at 1200 Pleasant Hill Rd. in Lafayette.

Almost, Maine is an off Broadway play by John Cariani, featuring a remote, mythical town called Almost, Maine. Each of nine vignettes take place at nine o’clock on the same Friday night, in the middle of winter, with Almost's residents falling in and out of love in unexpected and often hilarious ways.

Knees are bruised. Hearts are broken. But the bruises heal, and the hearts mend—almost—in this delightful midwinter night's dream. Please join the DramaDons for a charming, witty, and humorous evening.

Advance ticket sales are occurring through the AHS Web store and on campus during lunch. Limited tickets are available at the door. Tickets cost $10 for adults and $7 for student and seniors. All proceeds benefit Acalanes Performing Arts Boosters - Drama.

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Celebrate the Joy of Remembrance at Hospice of the East Bay’s Tree of Lights Ceremonies

Hospice of the East Bay invites the public to participate in the 28th Annual Tree of Lights ceremonies that are held in Contra Costa County throughout November and December.

The ceremonies provide a way for community members to honor the lives of their friends and loved ones. Everyone is invited to participate in the events which include music, poetry, remembrances by family members and hospice staff, and the special moment when the trees light up.

By dedicating a Memorial Light for a minimum gift of $25, you can honor someone you love while directly supporting end-of-life patient care. Memorial donors of $100 and higher will have the option to have their names listed in the lighting ceremony program of their choice. Funds raised allow Hospice of the East Bay to provide essential programs and services such as the Vigil Program which ensures that no one has to die alone and Bruns House, our inpatient hospice facility in Alamo.

For light dedications, donations, sponsorships and event questions, call (925) 887-5678 or visit www.hospiceeastbay.org.

Pleasant Hill Tree of Lights Thursday, November 20, 5:30pm Gregory Lane, near Cleveland. Reception to follow at the Teen Center.

Orinda Tree of Lights Saturday, December 6, 4:30pm Orinda Village by Bank of America Moraga & Lafayette Tree of Lights Sunday, December 14, 5:30pm Moraga Country Club, 1600 St. Andrews Drive. Reception to follow.

Walnut Creek Tree of Lights Sunday, November 16, 5pm at 1511 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Walnut Creek behind Va de Vi. Rossmoor Tree of Lights Wednesday, December 3, 5pm at the Creekside Clubhouse located at 1010 Stanley Dollar Drive, Walnut Creek. Reception to follow.

Hospice of the East Bay provides compassionate end-of-life care to terminally ill patients, while offering emotional, spiritual, and grief support for the entire family. As a not-for-profit organization, we accept all medically qualified patients, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. Hospice of the East Bay has served over 22,000 patients and their families since 1977.

Lafayette Today ~ November 2014 - Page 3

Our Holiday Tradition Continues…

36th Annual Community Thanksgiving Breakfast Presented by the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce

Friday, November 21, 2014 7:00 – 8:30am Our Saviors Lutheran Church 1035 Carol Lane, Lafayette $20 per person

Breakfast provided by Dave’s Cuisine

For registration visit www.lafayettechamber.org or call 925-284-7404

Reservations are required

Stay Home for the Holidays

NOW OPEN!

Turn on the Lights and let the Shopping Begin Friday, December 5th

“It’s a Wonderful Life in Lafayette” community celebration to kickoff the holiday season is scheduled for Friday, December 5, from 4pm-7pm, in Lafayette’s Plaza Park, located in downtown Lafayette. This event is designed to be a time for gathering, giving, and gratitude. Arrive early and plan to stay! This fun, free, and festive event includes visits with Santa, official holiday tree lighting ceremony, one-of-a-kind photo-ops, live musical entertainment, crafts, holiday treats, and a holiday sing-a-long.

Local children will be performing throughout the event. Food trucks, goodies, and of course hot chocolate will be available.

For more details, visit www.lafayettechamber.org.

Sons in Retirement

Sons in Retirement Las Trampas Branch 116 will hold a luncheon meeting on Monday, November 17th at 11:30am. Ms. Ann White, will be presenting the Road Scholar program. Road Scholar is a non-profit travel and education company that was formerly known as Elderhostel. They provide journeys with learning opportunities for those with an inquiring mind, an adventurous spirit, and the belief that learning and discovery are lifelong pursuits. Guests are welcome to attend. Lunch is $15. Reservations can be made by calling 925-322-1160. The meeting and luncheon will be held at Walnut Creek Elks Lodge, locate at 1475 Creekside Dr. in Walnut Creek.

If you are retired or semi-retired and want to make new friends, participate in fun activities and better enjoy your leisure time, we welcome you to join with us. Our group activities include book discussions, bridge, computers, fishing, golf, walking, investments, poker, travel and more fun things. For information about our activities for retired men, please visit www.Branch116.org.

Walnut Creek Veterinary Hospital Jill Christofferson, DVM 130 La Casa Via, Suite 103A Walnut Creek, CA 94598 925-448-2908 www.wcvethosp.com

Fall Special: Free nail trim with exam Expires 12/31/14

Page 4 - November 2014 ~ Lafayette Today

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Assistance League of Diablo Valley Offers Scholarships

Assistance League of Diablo Valley is a nonprofit, member volunteer organization dedicated to improving lives in our community through handson programs.

One component of their Philanthropic Program provides support to qualifying high school seniors in Contra Costa County who demonstrate the need for financial aid. Individual scholarships could amount to as much as $5,000.

To learn more, please visit diablovalley.assistanceleague.org. On the upper, left side of the screen, scroll down and click on to Teacher Grants and Scholarship Applications.

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AARP Tax-Aide Call for Volunteers for 2015 Tax Season

Do you like working with people? Are you good with numbers?

Contra Costa County AARP Tax-Aide is looking for volunteers to become members of a team providing free tax preparation for individuals of all ages. TaxAide volunteer positions include Tax Counselors who are trained by Tax-Aide and certified by IRS and Client Facilitators who schedule appointment and assist clients at tax sites. Orientation is in November 2014, and classes for tax counselors start in January 2015. If interested, call LaVerne Gordon at (925) 726-3199 for information and to apply.

Contact Lafayette Today at 925.405.6397 or editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

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

Doug Fields is our winner!

Luther was hiding on page 5 last month.

The Lamorinda Republican Women Federated welcomes Michael Winther as the speaker for their November 20th luncheon.

Michael Winther is founder and president of the Institute for Principle Studies and serves as a member of Board of Scholars for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy at George Mason University. The Independent Institute is a non-profit, non-partisan, scholarly research and educational organization that sponsors in-depth studies of critical social and economic issues.

The luncheon will be held at the Orinda Country Club. Social time begins at 11:15 with lunch to follow. Cost is $25 per person. For reservations and information, please contact Elsie Euing at (925) 254-8617 or reservations@ lamorindarepublicanwomen.org. Payment can be made online at www.

LamorindaRepublicanwomen.org.

Everyone is welcome.

League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley

The League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley invites community members to their monthly meeting on Saturday, November 15 from 3 – 4:30 in the Cedar Room of the Lafayette Community Center located at 500 St. Mary’s Road.

The guest speaker will be Louise Bourassa, the Executive Director of the Contra Costa Interfaith Housing Program. She will discuss homelessness and the Zero: 2016 campaign.

Zero: 2016 is a rigorous follow-up to the 100,000 Homes Campaign, which was designed to help communities do what it takes to end chronic homelessness in the next two and a half years. The 10,000 Homes Campaign added huge momentum to the fight to end homelessness. However, chronic homelessness and Veteran homelessness continue to plague our nation’s streets which is why the ZERO: 2016 program has been initiated.

Come to the meeting and learn more! Light refreshments will be served, and the event is free.

AAUW Talk on How to Direct Your Philanthropy

How many solicitations do you get each week to donate your money?

How do you decide what to donate to? Does your giving satisfy your desire to make an impact? Give smart! Learn how to direct your philanthropy your money and your time!

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) presents Maureen Richardson, a Certified Financial Planner practitioner and author of Til Money Do Us Part, a book written for couples to help them become financially ready for marriage. On November 18, Maureen will be talking about Giving Smart - how to control and direct your philanthropy, tips and techniques to give money where it does the most good, as well as monetary and emotional benefits of timing your giving strategy.

Maureen is a financial advisor in San Ramon and is always on the lookout for ways to share ideas about money. Maureen has had her own financial planning practice since 1993. She has been involved with money ever since her grandfather taught her how to read stock quotes in the Wall Street Journal. Maureen became fascinated with investments and parlayed this interest into helping others with their money.

Please join the Orinda-Moraga-Lafayette (OML) Chapter of AAUW to hear Maureen speak on Tuesday, November 18, at 9:30AM, at the Serbian Cultural Center, located at 1700 School Street, Moraga. For more information, email communication-publicity@aauwoml.org.

AAUW is a national organization that advances equity for women through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research. The OML branch meets monthly.

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The Lafayette Youth Arts Society goes International

Building upon its successful first year, the Second Annual Writing and Photography Contest--which begins on November 15th--is opening its doors to middle schoolers local students and students halfway across the world. Middle schoolers from Thisted, Denmark will be responding to the same photography prompts that Lafayette kids are presented with, providing an interesting look at the world through the lenses of kids from two different continents. Lafayette kids shouldn’t worry about the larger pool of contestants, though. While Thisted kids will be entering the same contest, they will be judged separately, and there will be separate sets of prizes for the middle schoolers of Lafayette and Thisted.

Contest topics will be released on the Lafayette Youth Arts Society website on November 15th. Entries will be accepted until January 30, 2015. Results will be released in March 2015, and an awards ceremony will be held in April 2015.

This year’s chief writing judge will be distinguished writer and poet Robert Hass. Robert is a Pulitzer prize and National Book prize winner, and the former poet laureate of the U.S. The other two writing judges will be Alison Burke, a former English teacher at Miramonte High School, and Rod Twain, a former English teacher at Orinda Intermediate School. The panel of photography judges will consist of Dr. Morris Johnson, a retired surgeon and award-winning photographer, and professional photographers Gary Crabbe, Shelly Hamilton, and Paul Fillinger.

The winning photographs from both Lafayette and Thisted middle schoolers will be posted on the website of the Royal Danish Embassy, as well as on the Lafayette Youth Arts Society’s website. To sign up for the contest or to see last year’s winners, find out the contest prompts, and get more information about the Lafayette Youth Arts Society, visit www.lyas.org.

Lafayette Today ~ November 2014 - Page 5

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Cub Scout Excursion to John Muir Historic Site

Recently Lafayette Cub Scout Pack 200 Den 5 completed a self guided tour of the John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez as the scouts worked toward fulfilling the requirements for the Bear rank. The visit was one part of the ‘What Makes America Special’ study within the ‘country’ achievement group requirement. The scouts toured the site grounds and home, watched an informational movie, and then discussed and wrote about John Muir’s life and his work and accomplishments as a naturalist and advocate for the preservation of wilderness in the United States.

During the outing the cub scouts also reviewed and discussed scouting’s 12 core values which support character development.

LYAS leaders stand in front of the banner by Safeway announcing their contest.

Diablo Choral Artists

Diablo Valley’s own chamber choir, Diablo Choral Artists (formerly Voices of Musica Sacra), will be singing “A Baroque Christmas” featuring Antonio Vivaldi's Gloria and Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s “Messe de Minuit pour Nöel” (based on Medieval French carols) on Saturday, December 6, at 7pm at St. Paul Episcopal Church, located at 1924 Trinity Ave., Walnut Creek and Sunday, December 7, at 2:30pm at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, located at 1650 Ygnacio Valley Rd.,Walnut Creek For tickets and information, visit www.vmschorus.org or email info@ dcachorus.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 one-hour companionship visits to isolated seniors. To volunteer for either program, please call (925)937-8311.

Photo shows Den 5 Scouts in front of the John Muir house. (L to R) Chase Reagan, Cole Reagan (Den 9), Mason Lane, Chase Caicedo, Connor McCreary, Christian Cervenka, and Oliver Lane (Troop 204). Photo by Charles Reagan

Page 6 - November 2014 ~ Lafayette Today

The Bookworm

By Joan Stevenson

It was a joyous celebration…a birthday party that was appropriately called A Literary Festival.

Happy fifth birthday Lafayette Library and Learning Center! Let’s take a look at what is on the calendar for November and December.

If you have a Kindle or Nook or another e-reader and want the latest news regarding what your library can offer in services, you are invited to Digital Library 101 on Wednesday, November 12 from 6-7:30PM. This is your opportunity to learn about using the new and updated digital lending services now available through ccclib.org. We’ll be looking at the new overdrive catalog, the axis 360 catalog, and the just released Enki eBooks catalog. We’ll learn the best use for each catalog as well as some basic technology terms and formats and how each differs depending on your e-reader. The presentation will take place in the Lafayette technology lab. Due to space, registration is limited to 20. For information on registering, call (925) 283-6513.

Join us on Friday, November 14 at 7PM in the Community Hall for A Classical Evening of Piano and Cello. This special musical evening at the Lafayette Library and Learning Center by Noel Benkman and Rebecca Roudman will feature two sonatas for cello and piano, with pieces by Prokofiev and Chopin.

This free program is sponsored by the Friends of the Lafayette Library and Learning Center. Register at tinyurl.com/BenkmanRoudman.

Friends of the Lafayette Library and Learning Center continue their Wonders of the World docent lecture series with Roads of Arabia: Archeology and History of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, November 12 from 2-3PM in the Community Hall. The exhibit, organized by the Smithsonian Institution, features more than 200 objects, beginning with some of the earliest evidence of humankind. Tracing ancient incense trade routes and early-Islamic pilgrimage roads that once spanned the peninsula, Roads of Arabia, offers firsthand insight into the remarkable cultural interactions that occurred between Arabia and its diverse neighbors. As archaeologists continue to unearth important ancient finds beneath the shifting sands of the desert, Roads of Arabia offers a rare first glimpse into the Arabian Peninsula’s fascinating past. The event is free. Register

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at tinyurl.com/WOWAsianArt. If you missed it before, here is your chance. AstroBlast is back! Join us on November 18 from 6-7:30PM in the Community Hall for another out-of-thisworld evening featuring Chabot Space & Science Center. Visit with a NASA Scientist, learn about life in outer space, experiment with hands-on activities, learn about rockets, complete crafts and more. For the youngsters who attend Story Time, plan to stay a little later on November 24th from 12 - 1PM because there will be a special craft time for you. Kids will have the opportunity to make a wonderful table decoration to take home for the family Thanksgiving.

On Wednesday, December 10 at 7PM in the Community Hall, come to a special presentation of Science Café, What was the Star of Bethlehem? Join Saint Mary’s College’s astrophysicist, Ron Olowin, to reinvestigate this popular symbol of the Christmas season. The conversation will combine current historical scholarship and astronomical facts in an effort to provide explanations, religious interpretations, review methods of determining the year the historical Christ was born and depictions of the event in art and popular culture. The fee is $5 at the door. Register at tinyurl.com/Sciencecafebethlehem.

Friends the of LLLC present: Get the Holiday Scoop with Ron Shoop! Sweet Thursday on December 3 at 7PM who will roll out the red carpet for the everpopular Ron Shoop, of Random House Publishing, returns to the Lafayette Library. Ron will give us the inside scoop on all the latest and greatest books coming this winter, as well as can’t-miss spring/summer reads. Get started on your holiday shopping! Come and find out about the 14 books Ron says you must have on your nightstand. The program is free and refreshments are provided. Register at http://tinyurl.com/RonShoopLLLC. The half-price used book sales are now a monthly event. To learn more visit www.friendsoflafayettelibrary.org/corner-bookshop. I was surprised to learn that the Book Shop is also on Amazon, and the feedback from buyers gives it rave reviews. Gayla Manning, who manages the half-price sales summed it up this way, “Thank you all once again for a smooth running sale! Setting up, staffing, keeping customers happy, and cleaning up could not have gone better! Slow and steady was the theme for the day with 228 customers and...a final total of $1599.”

Thank God for the wonderful volunteers; you are special and we are all thankful for your gifts of time.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Lafayette Today ~ November 2014 - Page 7

Lafayette Volunteer Vacancies • Capital Projects Assessment Committee reviews the current Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and develops the long-range capital improvement plans for the City.

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

• Creeks Committee encourages beautification of Lafayette’s more than 16-miles of creeks and improves residents’ awareness of creek maintenance and pollution prevention policies. The committee helps the City’s staff ensure compliance with public education requirements under its Storm Water Permit.

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

• Downtown Street Improvement Master Plan Implementation Committee (DSIMPIC) guides developers and staff in making improvements to street frontage in downtown Lafayette to develop a cohesive, positive visual image for Lafayette’s downtown while providing amenities to make the downtown a more comfortable, safer and enjoyable place.

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

• Lafayette Representative to the Contra Costa County Advisory Council on Aging facilitates countywide planning, cooperation, and coordination for individuals and groups interested in improving and developing services and opportunities for older resident in the County.

• Youth Commission coordinates activities and community functions that benefit both the youth and the community-at-large.

For applications and additional information visit the city’s website www.ci.lafayette.ca.us or call City Clerk Joanne Robbins at 925-284-1968.

Not Tooth and Nail, but Teeth and Transit

By Ruth Bailey, Lafayette Historical Society

Fifty Octobers ago, what were the good people of Lafayette concerned about? Certainly it wasn’t baseball, for the newly-arrived Giants weren’t yet into their World-Series-winning ways. And the A’s were still in Kansas City until 1968, so they weren’t even a wee blip on our radar. No, the big topic of conversation was where to situate the Lafayette BART station. Here’s how the September 25, 1964, Sun saw it: “Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) officials told Lafayette civic leaders last week that they would survey and analyze a request to relocate the BART station in downtown Lafayette. Lafayette Chamber of Commerce President Jack Murray said he was ‘very pleased’ with the meeting with BART representatives. The Chamber made the proposal to move the station and was backed by the civic groups.”

Murray said the group unanimously asked that the station be located on the north side of the freeway, in an area between Brown and Dolores streets.

He said that it should be away from the Pleasant Hill Road interchange, as it is situated in the preliminary plans.

“If the Lafayette station is located on Pleasant Hill Road, it will become known as the Pleasant Hill station,” said Murray. He added that “with a projected population of 24,000-26,000, Lafayette’s identity should not be buried.” Murray said, “A serious mistake was made in Lafayette 11 years ago when the freeway was constructed having no interchange at Lafayette.”

Post script: The station location has proved to be the right choice, convenient and well-used, and is a major contributor to the development of Lafayette’s commercial and residential downtown. And Mr. Murray’s population projection was spot on, too. The 2010 census gave a tally of 23,893 residents for Lafayette.

Fluoridation was also a hot topic in that long-ago autumn. The Sun headline on September 4th read “CCCWD Treated Water Division to Start Fluoridation,” with a story that touched upon some of the controversy surrounding the program.

“Although the Water District Board passed a resolution providing fluoridated water for all treated water consumers five weeks ago, it will require some time to order and install equipment and to obtain the new chemicals. Sodium silicofluoride, the white crystalline powder used in the process, is produced by eight chemical factories on the East Coast and is in limited supply.”

“Contrary to certain misconceptions expressed at the public hearings held by the CCCWD Board a few months ago, this fluoride chemical is

not a waste product of the aluminum industry and no stockpile or surplus exists anywhere,” the Treated Water District’s director of purification and research, Lou Harris, said.

“Adding sodium silicofluoride to the water supply at the rate of one part per million of fluoride is all that is necessary to reduce tooth decay in children up to 12 years of age, according to findings of the dental and medical authorities.”

“The machines which measure the chemical by weight are geared to permit a variation of no more than 1/10 of one part per million. The district plans to spend approximately $1,000 for delicate instruments to provide a continuous record and analysis of fluoride-treated water. Samples are also sent to local and state Departments of Public Health,” Harris explained.

The shocker in this report is that “delicate instruments” could be purchased for such a modest amount, one observer noted.

Lafayette Hiking Group

The Lafayette Hiking Group has a couple upcoming hikes plan. For both hikes, meet in the parking lot out from Lafayette BART’s main entrance at 8:30am. Bring snacks, water, layered clothing, good walking shoes, sun protection, and money to contribute towards gas ($3).

Saturday, November 15, Walter Costa Trail, Lafayette

Visit the wonderful Lafayette Community Garden, then hike with garden members over Quail Ridge to Happy Valley School, and even beyond to Briones Regional Park. Enjoy the garden, views of Lafayette and the Rez, and walk by one of Lafayette’s vineyards.

The hike is moderate with hills and about 3 miles (or longer). Heavy rain will cancel the hike. The hike leader will be Alison Hill.

Saturday, December 6, Bay Trail, Richmond

Hike from Point Isabel to the Richmond Marina and beyond. Enjoy great bay views, shorebirds, native gardens, and sailboats. Visit the memorial to Rosie the Riveter, featuring the women who worked in the shipyards during World War II. The hike is a flat, easy, five miles.

The hike leader will be Alison Hill.

F o r questions, email LafayetteHiking@ comcast.net.

Page 8 - November 2014 ~ Lafayette Today

Sustainable Lafayette Tip of the Month

Is it Finally Time to “Go Native?”

By Kim Curiel, updated by Pam King Palitz, Community Outreach Manager

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

GOT EVERYTHING YOU NEED? ...WE DO!

November is a great time to assess your yard. Applaud the plants that survived the summer heat under the voluntary reduced watering schedule, and give up on the ones that either struggled mightily or just couldn’t make it.

The question is…what works in place of the water lovers?

One answer is native plants.

Growing native plants can take the headache out of gardening and the guilt out of water consumption, while benefiting native wildlife.

If you look at California native plants, you notice right away the leaves are usually quite small, gray or fuzzy – evolutionary efforts at sun protection. Roots are tough and deep, which help them survive through our long dry summers and gusty winter rains. California natives often THANKSGIVING TOOLS FOR THE CHEF bloom in fall instead of spring, or in both spring and fall. Come see our large selection of what you’ll need to They’ve adapted to our adobe soil and don’t need special make your meal effortless. enhancements or fertilizers. Furthermore, most have Alamo Ace Hardware |3211 Danville Blvd., Alamo adapted defenses against deer and other plant eaters. www.AlamoHardware.com | 925.837.2420 The Kitchen at Alamo Hardware Turning to California natives can drastically reduce your water bill. Most natives do not tolerate summer watering and get along just fine with winter rains.

Also, they do not particularly like drip irrigation, which is a relief to those of us who have doggedly Search and Rescue The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Search tried to keep drip systems working properly. and Rescue Team needs volunteer members to If you plant natives during the right time of respond to missing person incidents, disasters, year, then you can let nature do the work! Most and other critical incidents. Team members are native plants thrive if planted just after the rainy season begins in November. Others are fine planted on call 24/7 year-round. The program provides in early spring. Native plants which are planted in June or July will need water to get established, required training; including wilderness traveland they will also become very confused to have the “rain” and heat together. It is far better to wait ing, first aid, map and compass usage, tracking until now for planting. disaster response, and search skills; and may also Perhaps you have a distressed or unwanted lawn area that could be converted to a beautiful native include special training for canine, equestrian, garden. Native grasses such as rush and sedge never need mowing, fertilizing, or applying of pesticides. technical, mountain bike, or other rescue skills.

For information and applications, visit www.

Sheet mulching makes it easier and faster than you might think to covert a lawn. See the “Lamorinda contracostasar.org or call 646-4461.

Lawn Conversion Guide” on our website.

Beautiful flowering natives like ceonothus, penstemon, and flowering currants can replace flowers that require a lot of attention. Another plus is you can “eat your garden” if you plant native edibles Hospice Volunteers Needed Hospice of the East Bay is seeking volunteers such as California strawberries, yarrow, and native blackberry.

Perhaps you love hummingbirds, yet caring for a feeder seems too time-consuming. Native plants to assist Hospice patients and their caregivers. that have evolved to feed hummingbirds Opportunities include: • Licensed Hair Stylists to offer hair cuts and styling are fuschia, salvia, and coral bells. Many • Certified Massage Therapists to provide other plants also attract local butterflies and native bees; feeding our native pollinators massage therapy • Mobile Notaries to witness the signing of helps their populations. Some great plants important documents for this include California poppy, globe • Bereavement Support Volunteers to provide gilia, checkerbloom, monkey flower, and support to family members after their loved one butterfly bush.

You may have read about how much of our has died • Patient Support Volunteers to provide comnational pesticide and fertilizer use actually panionship and practical assistance occurs in home gardens. Some plants that To apply for free training, call Hospice of can deter bugs on their own and happily the East Bay at (925) 887-5678, and ask for the thrive in our native soil are Western Red Bud, Douglas Iris, black sage, coffeeberry, Volunteer Department, or email volunteers@ hospiceeastbay.org. snowberry, toyon, and mock orange.

Established in 1977, Hospice of the East Bay The opportunities for returning to natives are endless and local nurseries are available to is a not-for-profit agency that helps people cope help. Ask what natives they have in stock and with end of life by providing medical, emotional, spiritual, and practical support for patients and what they can order.

For more tips and real-world success families, regardless of their ability to pay.

To learn more or to make a donation of time stories about water conservation and sustainable landscaping, please visit or money, please contact (925) 887-5678 or visit www.hospiceeastbay.org. sustainablelafayette.org.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Walking the Reservoir

By Jim Scala

Lafayette Today ~ November 2014 - Page 9

11 Critical Home Inspection Traps to be Aware of Weeks Before Listing Your Home for Sale

An inspiring lady. I often see Chris, the California Haircuts receptionist, walking the reservoir.

Lafayette - According to industry ex- sale or, worse, turn prospective buyers Her smile brings sunshine into any perts, there are over 33 physical prob- away altogether. In most cases, you can gloomy day. Chris has defeated cancer three times, and she’s come lems that will come under scrutiny during make a reasonable pre-inspection yourself up smiling every time. Walking a home inspection when your home is if you know what you're looking for, and keeps her in shape physically, and for sale. A new report has been prepared knowing what you're looking for can help her smile does it mentally. When which identifies the 11 most common you prevent little problems from growing you pass by the studio or see her at of these problems, and what you should into costly and unmanageable ones. the Rez, give a well-deserved two know about them before you list your home To help home sellers deal with this issue for sale. before their homes are listed, a free report thumbs up and get a smile in return.

Whether you own an old home or a brand entitled "11 Things You Need to Know to Fox encounter. Doris and I were walking the Rim Trail and at the Westview Trail intersection when a large red fox new one, there are a number of things Pass Your Home Inspection" has been came out of the bushes. She stopped and looked us over – we that can fall short of requirements during a compiled which explains the issues involved. stared back. Then she very calmly crossed the trail and glanced home inspection. If not identified and dealt To hear a brief recorded message about back at us before going into the woods. She was about knee with, any of these 11 items could cost you how to order your FREE copy of this report, high with a long bushy tail, slender nose, and perky ears. The dearly in terms of repair. That's why it's call toll-free 1-866-265-1682 and enter sleek sheen of her brownish-red coat testified to her healthy critical that you read this report before 2003. You can call any time, 24 hours a day, you list your home. If you wait until the 7 days a week. diet. It was our first fox sighting.

A birthday boost. After my walk I stopped at the stage building inspector flags these issues for Get your free special report NOW to learn where six pretty young women were doing yoga poses to the you, you will almost certainly experience how to ensure a home inspection doesn't commands of their graceful leader. I quietly unrolled my mat costly delays in the close of your home cost you the sale of your home.

This report is courtesy of J. Rockcliff Realtors #01763819. Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract. Copyright © 2013 and did my routine off to the side. When the girls finished, they noticed my white hair and asked my age. I gave it and Cinema Classics By Peggy Horn added, “Today is my birthday.” They insisted on having a picture taken with me as an example of, “You’re never too old for yoga.” I was flattered, but they are National Velvet right. If you’re interested, e-mail me and I’ll help you get started.

I normally avoid superlatives but National Velvet Waist size and walking. Our height to waist ratio is an important healthI enthusiastically claim as one of my all time favorite risk indicator. It’s simple: divide your height in inches by two, and that’s your movies. It was released in 1944 and stars a young optimum waist size. So, a six-foot man should strive for a 36 inch or less waist.

Elizabeth Taylor, Mickey Rooney, Angela Lansbury, Health experts also advise that men should keep it under forty inches. Women and Donald Crisp. It is based on the novel, published often ask me about reducing their husband’s waist – and weight. in 1935 by Enid Bagnold. At the 1945 Academy To lose weight burn more calories than you eat. Waist size is reduced by Awards, the film garnered Oscars for Best Supporting adding resistance exercise to your routine. Surprisingly, it doesn’t matter what Actress and Best Film Editing. In 2003 the Library of resistance exercise people use. To combine Rez walking and resistance exercise, Congress selected National Velvet for preservation in carry a small, up-to-five pound barbell in each hand, and do three routines. the U.S. National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically While walking downhill and on flats, raise your weight to the shoulder and significant.” Actually, it qualifies in all three categories. count one, then above the head for two, back to shoulder for three, and down The story, set in England in the 1920’s, centers on a daring twelve-year old for four. Going uphill, simply lift the weight alongside your body about to your girl, Velvet Brown (played by Elizabeth Taylor), who believes her horse can armpit. On flats, hold the weights out to each side, shoulder high, for ten steps win the Grand National, and she aims to give him the opportunity to do so. and do up to ten times. People who followed that routine and dieted lost weight The Grand National is a British Horse race held annually since 1839– a steeple and waist size. Start slowly and work up. chase involving a course of 30 jumps, some of which are very dangerous. Two Ten-K Reservoir Run. Daylight savings starts with The Run for Daylight of the jumps discussed in the movie are actual jumps: “Becher’s Brook” and the and it finishes with the Reservoir run. Ten-K means its 10 kilometers or 6.2 “Canal Turn.” Mickey Rooney plays the part of Mi Taylor, an itinerant jockey miles. As the runners came up the hill, National Charity League ladies greeted who becomes Velvet’s friend and coach during this process. A good portion of them with water in small paper cups. In Reservoir spirit, people ran with their National Velvet was filmed at Pebble Beach, California, and Elizabeth Taylor dogs, parents pushed a stroller, and one dad pushing his twin daughters’ in a does much of the riding in the movie. The horse (real name: King Charles) was stroller was near the front. This tradition well represents the town, our fine given to her after filming as a birthday gift. recreation area, and people who volunteer.

From the very beginning of the film with Mi Taylor striding along the roads Writers like to walk. I walked at 6:30 one morning with Jil, author of Amber of England, whistling a pretty but haunting tune, the characters are quirky and Dust and Caravan to Armageddon, and we talked the entire way. Jan, author of the unique. Araminty Brown – Velvet’s mother – expresses her opinion that everybody should have a chance at a breathtaking piece of folly, and this is a wonderful memoir, Up From Hester Street, walks alone to help her creativity. Anna, an editor, morsel to be absorbed by the viewers who, like Mr. Brown, don’t appreciate the and I like to walk and discuss ideas. That’s how I mapped out my book for folks with importance of folly. A poignant moment occurs when Mi is about to commit a Crohn’s disease, Eating Right for a Bad Gut, and 20 years later it’s going strong. crime, and he remembers how Araminty has trusted him, and that remembrance Walking helps kids. Stanford scientists used tests to prove that taking a good alone is sufficient to put him back on track. No wonder Anne Revere won the walk improves creativity. Recent research proved that it works better for teenagers.

Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Mrs. Araminty Brown.

Teens were tested after being sedentary and after taking a good walk – like a Rez There is so much to admire about this movie that you’ll just have to see it yourself walk. Unquestionably, a 45 minute walk produced better test results. When teens to appreciate it! And it’s culturally, historically, and esthetically significant! study for a test, a good early morning Rez walk helps them do better.

Musical Notes “Sitting is the new smoking,” said the NYU med-school professor. By In keeping with the English theme of National Velvet, this month’s musical that he meant people being sedentary contribute to the alarming increase in recommendation is one of the most collected songs in the English language, illnesses like type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems, “Barbara Allen.” It is referenced by Samuel Pepys in his famous diary in an entry and serious mental health issues. Every expert agreed that as we Americans on January 2, 1666. There are many versions available on YouTube including increase our sitting time, we are causing costly health problems, especially in The. Best. Version. The interrupted performance of the ballad in A Christmas our senior years. Walking is insurance.

Carol, (1951) with Alistair Sims.

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

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

Page 10 - November 2014 ~ Lafayette Today

A Helping Hand

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

Lafayette Motors

Independent service and repair for Jaguar Many of us are running at full speed with Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and the holidays approaching. We find ourselves rushing through stores to buy items on our families’ holiday wish lists and planning for CARLOS “KIKO” CAICEDO elaborate family dinners.

Shop (925) 284-4852 For those who are struggling to make ends meet, however, the holidays can Cell (925) 285-0783 be one of the most difficult times of the year. Buying gifts and extra food is lafayettemotors@gmail.com not in their budget. Some families are worrying about more essential things, 3470 Golden Gate Way , Lafayette, CA 94549 such as where they will sleep that night, or where they will get their next meal.

The Holiday Season is the perfect time to extend the great spirit of giving beyond our homes and give together as families. There is no better way to teach generosity to our children than to donate or volunteer together. At the same time, we can make a real difference in our community.

If you would like to assist some families and individuals in need, here are a few simple ways Independent service and repair for Mercedes Benz you can help.

Holiday Helpers Warehouse (HHW) is a wonderful support to some of the neediest neighbors in JERRY FIGUEROA Contra Costa County (CCC). The HHW has been a program of VESTIA (Volunteers and Emergency Services Team in Action) in CCC for the past 25 years. VESTIA anticipates serving over 500 families Shop (925) 284-4852 Cell (510) 754-1942 this year through the HHW program. VESTIA provides gifts of warm clothing, toys, books and food to lafayettemotors@gmail.com families in need throughout CCC, all through referral from county social workers. Many of the families are in the process of starting their lives over from the recession, building new careers, and establishing 3470 Golden Gate Way , Lafayette, CA 94549 financial stability and do not have additional resources to provide gifts and new clothing at the holidays.

The dates for HHW are: Central County (to be held in Pleasant Hill) on December 15 & 16 from 8am to 3pm. West County (to be held in Richmond) on December 18th, from 9am to 3pm. If you, your company, or organization would like to volunteer please contact aflorez@ehsd.cccounty.us with “HHW” in the subject line.

Donations to support the HHW include new toys, clothing, blankets, footballs, basketballs, books, and gift cards. The basic rule of thumb is if your child would want to have the item, another child in need would, too. While all donations are gratefully accepted, they especially need gifts for teens – including sports equipment and clothing, fashion items (watches, beauty kits, etc.), gift cards, and movie tickets. I will have collection boxes in my Lafayette office (3338 Mt. Diablo Bl.) and Danville office (309 Diablo Road) until December 12 for your convenience.

Brighter Beginnings (BB) is another worthy non-profit in need of your help. It strengthens families by helping parents become self-sufficient so they can raise happy, healthy children. BB believes every family matters and every child deserves to have a happy, healthy future. Financial literacy is an essential tool for good decision-making and is as important as learning to read and write; one of the important services BB provides is helping clients understand how to open bank accounts, manage their money and make good financial choices. Their clients are among the most vulnerable in East Bay communities. There are volunteer opportunities available or your financial contributions allow them to ensure that staff and services are available to provide crucial support to their families all year long. To learn more about BB or to contribute online go to www.brighter-beginnings.org or send a check to: Brighter Beginnings, Attn: Development Director, 2595 International Blvd, Oakland, CA 94601.

A final way to help those less fortunate is to donate to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano in the 2014 “County Cares Holiday Food Fight.” This is the 11th anniversary of the challenge between Contra Costa and Solano counties. This year’s theme is “Peas, Love & Veggies.”

Although canned goods are appreciated and accepted, the Food Bank asks, when possible, to donate money in order to assist their purchase of fresh produce, which now accounts for nearly half of the food distributed. Also, because they buy in bulk, for every $1 donated the Food Bank is able to provide two meals to an individual.

Please join this Food Fight by visiting www.foodbankccs.org and clicking on the link to the Counties Care Holiday Food Fight. Be sure to note where appropriate that you are giving as a “friend of CC County employees” and indicate Board of Supervisors, District 2, Candace Andersen as the department designee. The Food Fight challenge between the counties runs from November 29 through December 31.

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.

Lafayette Motors

Lamorinda Peace and Justice

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

Weekly Dance Social

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

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

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

www.yourmonthlypaper.com Lic# 1100014354; Bay Area Entertainment

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Lafayette Today ~ November 2014 - Page 11

Serving the Bay Area with honesty and integrity since 1973

Since 1973

3191-M Crow Canyon Pl San Ramon Carpets, Hardwood, Laminate & Stone (925) 866-2200 www.MacFloor.com • info@macfloor.com

2395 Monument Blvd., Suite J Concord (925) 680-4433

In Loehmann’s Shopping Center (next to Lucky’s)

National Zinfandel Day Coming Our Way A Celebration of America's Grape

By Monica Chappell

Wednesday, November 19, 2014 is National Zinfandel Day - a day to celebrate America's grape. Zinfandel epitomizes California; exuberant and adventuresome. Known as the quintessential California grape variety, Zinfandel is often called “America’s Heritage Grape” though some argue that Zinfandel is the Primitivo grape of Italy (we could spent a whole article on this debate.) Unlike many other reds, Zinfandel is very compatible with food and especially loves the grill and BBQ. But avoid choosing a dish with chile heat, which can be exacerbated by the wine’s alcohol.

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

Medium-Full Body; expressive fruit with some barrel age; often spicy • Full Body; ripe, higher alcohol, often more tannic and oaky • Late Harvest; dessert style, sweet, port-like, high alcohol

Zin Producers

As a proud flag waver for America’s own grape, one of my favorite Zinfandel producers is Rosenblum Cellars. About thirty years ago, Kent Rosenblum stumbled across Zinfandel as a home winemaker. For more information about Rosenblum Cellars visit www.rosenblumcellars.com.

Zin Time

Much of the appeal of this American treasure is its complexity; yet at the same time, Zinfandel tends to be very approachable and a shoe-in for casual gatherings making it the perfect all American wine! Bold and celebratory, independent and unpretentious, versatile and individual, Zinfandel has charted a course all its own, and National Zinfandel Day offers many ways to chart your own course to help celebrate and draw positive attention for our Zin Food Pairings favorite grape.

• Most salty dishes as Zin is better then most reds due to its forward, Monica Chappell teaches wine appreciation classes. To register sweet berry fruit which contrasts the saltiness effectively. for the Sunday, December 5th Wine & Cheese Pairing go to www.

• Heartier dishes that have been grilled, braised or smoked. backtothetablecookingschool.com.

• Fruit based sauces particularly those with berry fruits.

• Cheeses with some sharpness like Cheddar, Manchego and washed rind Scottish Country Dancing Come dance every Thursday evening, year-round (with the single cheeses like Taleggio. exception of Thanksgiving)! No partner is required and no Scottish Zin History ancestry is required. Adult beginner classes for Scottish Country Dancing This uniquely American fine-wine grape has a history of moving in and take place each week with free lessons at 8PM. More experienced dancers out of fashion. In the beginning, Zinfandel was blended with other reds also begin at 8PM. Once a month Ceilidh dancing will take place as well. to make ordinary red table wine. In the 1970’s it started to be bottled as a Dancing will be held at the Danville Grange, located at 743 Diablo Rd in varietal on its own and then used to produce White Zinfandel which became Danville. All dance nights are drop-in. The first beginner lesson is free, incredibly popular. afterwards the cost is $8/night or $6/night if attending a 10-week session Zin Styles paid in advance.

Classic red Zinfandel has fruit aromas of dark cherries, plums, raspberries and Call Witsie at (925) 676-3637 or Kathleen at (925) 934-6148 for more blackberries and can range dramatically in style. These stylistic variations influence information. For children’s classes ages 7 and up, please contact Cathy at how the wine will likely pair with food. The styles you may in counter include: (925) 284-9068 for dates and fees.

Page 12 - November 2014 ~ Lafayette Today

Officer’s Club, San Francisco Presidio

By Linda Summers Pirkle

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

TAKE AN EXTRA

Years ago when my husband was in the Navy, his military credentials allowed me access to San Francisco Presidio PX (Base Exchange) and Commissary where I shopped for groceries. Our three children enjoyed going to the base since we always went to the fast food chain located near the PX. They looked forward to their toy with their burgers; my incentive however was very different. The outstanding view overlooking the San Francisco Bay from the booths of the Presidio Base Burger King kept me coming back.

Today the Presidio is a National Historic Landmark District and a transforming national park site.

The old Burger King is now the Observation Post, a ballroom for rentals, meetings and retreats. I am sure the views are still spectacular. If you are like me and many Presidio aficionados, you have been looking forward to the reopening of the Officers’ Club. It has been worth the three year wait.

Throughout the 20th century the Officers’ Club was the place where Army brass and their families gathered. The narrow hallways and low ceilings have been transformed into a beautiful, airy, multi-faceted cultural destination. Besides Arguello, a Traci Des Jardins restaurant which serves TAKE AN EXTRA 20% OFF ON CLEARANCE SHOES Mexican food, a bar and heated patio, the Club now includes a wonderful multi-media exhibition ALREADY MARKED DOWN 25% - 75% OFF hall. Take a walk up to the second floor to the 3,000 square foot Ortega room for stunning views of the San Francisco Bay. A ten minute film shown in the first floor exhibition room is a great way Mens Womens Kids to learn more about the history of the Presidio.

Over 1,000 pairs of shoes to choose from The Officers’ Club, established in 1776, with its adobe walls holds the distinction of being the Lafayette • Danville • Countrywood most historic building in San Francisco along with Mission Dolores. According to Dana Polk of Concord • Montclair • Orinda Moraga • Sonoma • Auburn the Presidio Trust, “The Mission and El Presidio (the original adobe settlement) were built within the same week, but there is no easy way to know which came first.”

No matter the time of year, the Presidio is a great place to visit, but winter is my favorite season; there is something appealing about exploring the historical site on a misty cold day with the fog coming in over the Golden Gate Bridge. Bring your walking shoes and cold weather gear for a hike up to the solemn and serene Presidio Cemetery. It was the first national cemetery established on the west coast, and the 30,000 simple white gravestones pay tribute to over 150 years of military service by those who rest there. *PresidiGo, a free shuttle service, offers daily transportation from Embarcadero BART station to the Presidio. The pick up location is on Drumm Street, at the corner of Washington. Drop off for the return trip to the Embarcadero BART is at Davis Street. It is so convenient! Check out www.presidio.gov/ shuttle or call 415-561-5300. * The Presidio periodically offers walking tours. The National Cemetery tour is offered on Saturdays, November 15 and December 13 from 10AM-noon.

On the one mile moderate walk you will hear about Medal of Honor recipients, a Union spy, an Indian scout, Buffalo Soldiers, and more. The tour is cancelled if it is raining. The hike has a steep uphill climb. A guided night tour called Winter Solstice starts at Rob Hill and ends with storytelling around the campfire in the Rob Hill Campground. Reservations are required for both hikes. Call 415-561-4323 for information. *Check out www.Presidioofficersclub.org for information about free events, Presidio Dialogues, and Presidio Sessions. The Presidio Officers’ Club is located at 50 Moraga Avenue, on the Presidio’s Main Post. It is open TuesdaySunday (Closed Monday) from 10AM-6PM. Holiday closures are November 24-December 1 and December 22-January 5. *Arguello Restaurant is open Wednesday-Sunday. Their phone number is 415-561-4400. *The Presidio Visitors Center is located at 105 Montgomery Street, on the Presidio Main Post. Hours are Thursday thru Sunday 11AM -4PM. Their phone number is 415-561-4323.

Linda Summers Pirkle, is inspired by the many wonderful places to visit in the Bay Area, she organizes day trips, either for groups or for friends and family. To share your “Quick Trips” ideas, email Coverthemap@gmail.com.

20% OFF

SHOE DEPT.

Hospice of the East Bay Grief Support Groups and Classes

Hospice of the East Bay has announced a new schedule for their upcoming support groups and workshops for adults, children, and teens experiencing grief after the death of a loved one. Classes will be offered at Hospice’s Administrative Offices located at 3470 Buskirk Avenue, Pleasant Hill.

Bereavement Services are provided free of charge to all community members in need, however, donations are greatly appreciated. Pre-registration is required for all groups and classes, except the drop-in group. To register, please call (925) 887-5681 or email volunteers@hospiceeastbay.org.

Groups for Adults

Adults Who Have Lost a Parent • Mondays, 6 - 8PM ~ January 26 - March 23, 2015 Widow and Widowers’ Support • Afternoon: Thursdays, 1:30 to 3:30PM ~ January 15 - March 6, 2015 • Evening: Mondays, 6 to 8PM ~ January 26 - March 23, 2015 Drop-In Bereavement Support Group • 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month ~ 4:30 - 6PM

Groups for Children and Teens

The Bridge - A bi-monthly support program for grieving children and teens using art, play, journaling, music, and conversation from October into June.

You can start at any time. Support is also available for parents/guardians.

Classes and Workshops for Adults

Coping With The Holidays - November 13 & December 11~ 6 - 8PM • A class that presents ideas and strategies to help those experiencing grief during the holiday season as this time of year can be difficult for those who have experienced a death. Each session covers the same material.

Hospice of the East Bay provides compassionate end-of-life care to terminally ill patients, while offering emotional, spiritual, and grief support for the entire family. As a not-for-profit organization, we accept all medically qualified patients, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Privacy

By Evan Corstorphine, Portable CIO

Lafayette Today ~ November 2014 - Page 13

GREAT SERVICE. EVEN BETTER VALUE.

Recently I began reading a book recommended to me, called Dragnet Nation, by Julia Angwin. The premise of this book is the question, “Who’s watching me?” The answer is complex and surprising, as CONVENIENT SHUTTLE SERVICE TO I’ll describe in the coming paragraphs.

HOME, THE OFFICE, BART AND BACK. Privacy is a very broad subject, and there are many types of information about you that are being ` gathered. In the interests of space, I’ll spare you the FACTORY LUBE, OIL DIAGNOSIS/ build-up and deliver the punch-line: ‘privacy’ is an illusion. The systems of SCHEDULED & FILTER CHECK ENGINE MAINTENANCE LIGHT INSPECTION data-collection and retention built into our society are vast and ingrained, Multi-Point Performance Let our trained experts perform an Improve mileage and extend Inspection and it is a virtual impossibility to keep information about yourself private initial inspection and diagnosis. We’ll the life of your vehicle - follow Drain and Replace All Engine Oil also provide you with the exact cost recommended service schedules and isolated. If you plan to participate in this society, it’s going to be pretty Install Genuine Factory Oil Filter to perform the repair. No obligation, nothing to buy. % hard to stay anonymous.

95 $ OFF +TAX Once in a while I run into folks, mostly older, who won’t buy something REGULAR PRICES Synthetic oil extra. online because of their insistence that it will decrease their privacy. The truth is, their privacy ship sailed a long time ago, and we didn’t even hear the For Acura, Honda, Lexus, and Toyota vehicles only. Valid only at THE SERVICE OUTLET on the day of service. Please present coupon when service order is written. Not valid in conjunction with other coupons, offers or discounts. Synthetic oil extra. boarding whistle. Do you shop with a credit card? Do you buy car insurance?

Have you been to the doctor, or have you ever had an operation? Have you lived in a house? Have you borrowed money? Have you ever flown on an airplane, driven across a bridge, or ridden Amtrak? Have you ever received a speeding ticket or been convicted of a crime of any sort? Do you use a computer? Have you ever used a search engine to research a topic? Do you ever shop online?

As a result of any of the aforementioned actions, you’ve left a trail of clues that indicate your needs, wants, and desires. Literally anyone can acLAFAYETTE SAN RAMON SINCE cess an incredible array of accurate information about you from over 200 3360 Mt. Diablo Blvd.

2151 San Ramon Valley Blvd.

1993 data accumulators online. Your information is very valuable to marketing 925.283.3133 925.837.3000 companies because they can sell your preferences to companies who want THESERVICEOUTLET.COM to target their advertisements at you.

What about the government, and what do they know about you? The an1410127-TSO-ALToday-5x6.25.indd 1 10/27/14 12:05 PM swer is that the government knows everything available commercially plus all that which can be gleaned via access to your web searches, email, and social networking. We do not have the privilege of knowing the extent of that knowledge, nor challenging the content.

Between the collection of industrial data, their now exposed snooping of all the search Lafayette Today is a hyperlocal paper engines and their gathering of all email traffic, there isn’t much left that the government delivered exclusively doesn’t know. That bothers some people. Pre-9/11, there were a lot of disparate industry to the Lafayette, 94549 zip code. databases with information about our purchase habits, for example in the travel, banking, Reach out to over 12,000 and insurance industries. These databases contained vast amounts of personally identified information. Post-9/11, under the auspices of the Patriot Act and a host of rulings and LOCAL homes and businesses. urgent regulations, the line between private industry and government was obliterated, and private industry has been compelled to make all records available to the government.

What used to take a court order to obtain is now available in a searchable browser format to authorized employees of several three-letter agencies.

Do you care? Should you care? Frankly, it’s something that most people feel better not knowing. Remember that trip to New York you took in 2003? Do you remember which airline you flew, when it left, whether you checked bags, if you travelled with a Montelindo Garden Club The next Montelindo Garden Club meeting (third Friday, companion, and what seat you sat in? Probably not! But in an attempt to build the linkst ages and trends that help predict terrorism, all of that information has been provided by September thru May) will be held on Friday, November 21 at AM 9 at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 66 St. Stephens Drive, the transportation industry to the Department of Homeland Security.

It’s controversial. On one hand, we have folks saying, “It doesn’t bother me that there Orinda. Visitors are welcome.

The topic for November’s meeting is Reuse in the Garden, are these vast reservoirs of information about me, because I’m not a criminal and frankly and the speaker will be Matthew Levesque, author, designer, I wouldn’t have known about this unless you told me. It doesn’t affect me on a day to speaker, and advocate for material reuse. You can find out more day basis.” On the other hand, we have folks who feel that the unwarranted collection of about Matthew by visiting www.matthewlevesque.com. information about us, and our inability to review or challenge anything that may be used More information about the Club can be found by visiting against us, is a violation of our individual rights, and freedom, and is a giant step toward www.montelindogarden.com. totalitarianism and tyranny. Boiled down, it would seem that the data collection game is either about making money or preventing terrorism. What do you think? Is it that simple? Genealogical Meetings The San Ramon Valley Genealogical Society meets at 10am the There is much, much more to be said on this topic, and I encourage you to discuss it with those around you. There are many sides of the discussion, and blanket statements third Tuesday of every month, except August and December, at the pro or con are probably somewhat oversimplified. We certainly live in complex times. Danville Family History Center, 2949 Stone Valley Road, Alamo.

A speaker is at every meeting. Everyone is welcome.

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Page 14 - November 2014 ~ Lafayette Today

When Should You have “The Talk” with Your Children?

By Robert J. Silverman, Esq.

When should you talk to your adult children about your estate plan? It’s an interesting question that is frequently asked by clients.

Of course, each person and each family is different, and no answer is universally correct. Many factors need to be weighed. These factors may include, among others, the age and maturity of the children, whether or not parents are treating them equally in their Will or Living Trust, whether one but not all of the children are nominated to serve as the Executor and/or Successor Trustee, what age(s) must the children reach to inherit the assets outright, whether the children (and/or step-children) and surviving spouse may have potentially competing or conflicting interests, how large the estate is, and whether any non-children beneficiaries (individuals and/or charities) will receive a portion of the assets.

In a recent Wealth Management section of the Wall Street Journal, there was an article by Veronica Dagher entitled “Time for the ‘Estate’ Talk” in which she outlined five reasons why parents should discuss their wills with their children.

These were: 1) You’ll have a chance to smooth ruffled feathers; 2) You’ll save them hassles and prevent mistakes; 3) You may increase their quality of life now; 4) The children might give you a better idea; and 5) You may save them some taxes.

I’ll try to flesh out reasons number one and four above, focusing on concepts I’ve found particularly useful in helping my clients. The first – smoothing ruffled feathers – is often not applicable because most parents provide for distribution of assets equally to the kids. But when it is applicable – for example, when your Will or Trust provides for significantly unequal distributions to the children – I think it weighs heavily in favor of talking with your children as soon as you feel it is appropriate to do so.

Even when a Will or Trust provides essentially that all children will receive the bulk of assets equally, certain tangible gifts or real property rights or interests (e.g. a first right of refusal to buy a particular property) are sometimes carved out for one or more specific children. Sometimes, loans made to some, but not all, of the children are to be forgiven on death. In any event, these are your assets, it’s your estate, and you can choose to do whatever you want (whether or not such decisions appear objectively reasonable or fair to your children), right? Of course!

Nevertheless, your children may not perceive it that way; in fact, they may take great umbrage upon learning what you’ve decided. Their reaction may even result in friction among the children or resentment of one or more of the siblings who is viewed as being “favored.”

So, query: Wouldn’t it be better to communicate about such potentially sensitive things during your lifetime than leaving your children with no explanation, leading to anger and/or guilt when you’re gone? Even if a child or all of the children believe your decision is unfair or disappointing or illogical, at least they’ll know what to expect and have some basis for understanding why

you made the decisions you made.

Reason number four – the kids give you a better idea – is very interesting.

Those parents who are open minded typically have no trouble acknowledging that they learn a great deal from their children. Smart, responsible, and independent adult children may have their own estate plans; and if so, they are likely in a better position to appreciate the difficulty and subjective nature of your having established a comprehensive plan. Also, by sharing the more important components of your estate plan, one or more of your children (who may have worked with their own estate planning attorney who gave them some interesting tools and ideas) may be able to suggest that you consider these things in designing or revising your own estate plan.

My experience suggests that well-intentioned clients sometimes come up with provisions that they think are best but that their children either don’t care about or wouldn’t want. One example is a recent client who wanted me to draft a fairly complex Living Trust under which one of her two children (we’ll call Mary) - the less financially successful one - was to receive a lifetime interest in my client’s home and would receive certain funds toward property-related expenses. The other child would receive cash and securities, but in a significantly smaller amount than the home equity that would be tied up in the home Mary would live in. Many questions and contingencies had to be raised, many of which would need to be drafted in the document. My client was struggling with how to reconcile all of this.

I recommended that she discuss this with the children before we tried to tackle all this complexity. After doing so, it turns out that Mary had no plans to stay in the area and in any event would prefer to receive cash from a sale of the home on her mother’s death. Consequently, my client was relieved and we were able to draft a much simpler document that would serve my client and her children well.

The above story is only one of many instances in which communication with children led to more optimally customized documents that would potentially work better and better facilitate family harmony. Another common issue about which feedback from children can be very useful involves who is best to nominate as Executor and/or Trustee (or Co-Executors/Co-Trustees). Assumptions by and instincts of parents about what scenario will work best may not jive with the responsibility levels, skills, and feelings of the respective children.

Whether or not you anticipate that a discussion about these issues will be absolutely comfortable or stress-free, deciding when to “have the talk” and what to reveal and discuss with the children is not a subject to be taken lightly or ignored.

Upon your request, I would be happy to provide you with any or all of the following, free: i) a tri-fold brochure on the pros/cons of alternative methods of holding title to property, ii) an “Estate Planning Primer,” iii) a complimentary introductory meeting.

Mr. Silverman is an attorney with R. Silverman Law Group, 1855 Olympic Blvd., Suite 240, Walnut Creek, CA 94596; (925) 7054474; rsilverman@rsilvermanlaw.com.

This article is intended to provide information of a general nature, and should not be relied upon as legal, tax and/ or business advice. Readers should obtain specific advice from their own, qualified professional advisors.

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Lafayette Today ~ November 2014 - Page 15

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What is “Probate”?

Safety

With the Tungsten Smart-Heat Portable, the burner systems and gas injection are fully enclosed in a cover and curved mesh to provide protection for the flame and to act as a filter against the wind. This will enable the heater to hold up well in high wind conditions up to 7.5mph, and it will provide a more consistent, reliable heating output than what you would get with a mushroom heater. When the flame is not detected, the gas supply is cut off.

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By Art Lehman, Village Associates Real Estate

Probate means that there is a court case that deals with transferring the property of someone who has died to the heirs or beneficiaries, deciding if a will is valid, and taking care of the financial responsibilities of the person who died.

In a probate case, an executor (if there is a will) or an administrator (if there is no will) is appointed by the court as personal representative to collect the assets, pay the debts and expenses, and then distribute the remainder of the estate to the beneficiaries (those who have the legal right to inherit), all under the supervision of the court. But when real estate has to go through probate, the sale must adhere to the legal requirements of California probate law.

Probate Sale under IAEA

In most probates, the real estate can be sold in the normal way by the representative of the estate without interference by the probate court. This is authorized by the Independent Administration of Estates Act (IAEA). The representative is a person who was named as executor in the will, or who was appointed as the estate administrator by the probate court. However, either the representative or the probate court – who can act when an “interested party to the estate” files an objection to the sale under the IAEA – can decide the property should be sold with a confirmation hearing.

Traditional Probate Sale

When court confirmation is chosen by the representative or ordered by the court, then the real estate is sold according to the procedures required by California probate law. Here is how those procedures work: A probate referee appraises the property; this appraisal must occur no more than one year before the sale. The estate hires a real estate agent who has probate sale experience. (Real estate commissions must be confirmed by the court when the property is finally sold.) The agent lists the property as a probate sale. A potential buyer makes an offer. If the estate representative likes it, he or she can conditionally “accept” it and sign a purchase agreement. However, this purchase agreement is not binding on the estate. After the buyer removes all contingencies (such as an inspection, financing approval, etc.), the probate attorney files a petition for a confirmation hearing. The hearing is usually held 21-42 days after the petition is filed. The buyer must deposit 10% of the property’s purchase price before the court confirmation hearing is held. The sale and the accepted offering price is advertised in a local paper for the time specified by law and in the way specified by law. The confirmation hearing is held. At the hearing, anyone can bid openly for the property. The first overbid must be at least 5% above the accepted price, plus $500, and overbids cannot have any conditions at all – no inspections, no financing, no anything else.

Then the court makes a ruling on how much higher the next overbid must be – i.e., $1,000 higher, or more. The bidding ends with the final bid. The court confirms the sale to either the first buyer or an over-bidder, whichever is higher. The purchase price accepted must be at least 90% of the probate referee’s appraised value of the property. A confirmed over-bidder must pay a cashier’s check deposit for 10% of the confirmed purchase price, just as the original buyer did. If the over-bidder then defaults, he loses his deposit. When there is a confirmed over-bidder, the original buyer gets his deposit back. If there is a confirmed over-bidder, the original buyer gets his deposit back. Otherwise, the sale to the original buyer proceeds, and he must arrange for payment of the remaining 90% sales price.

I have been a real estate probate specialist for 22 years. Believe me, most realtors rarely understand the probate process. 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.

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Page 16 - November 2014 ~ Lafayette Today

The Tree of the Season Coast Live Oak, Quercus agrifolia

By Blaine Brende & Joe Lamb

If you have a coast live oak in your yard, you will understand that its Latin name, Quercus agrifolia, is appropriate. Agrifolia means spiny leaves. And though the tree retains green leaves throughout the year, it also sheds dead leaves, many dead leaves, and they are less than friendly on bare feet. If you are lucky enough to have a mature coast live oak in your garden, you are well aware that its sculptural qualities more than compensate for the ongoing maintenance this big beast requires. I find comfort in the manner wherein old trees twist into their strangely beautiful form, their rugged bark accentuating, in counterpoint, their grace and openness. The generous shade offered by their broad crowns seems to invite one to lounge against their trunks and think about things that are never on TV. Agrifolia became the dominant tree of the costal plain, not because it’s beautiful, but because it’s tough. Though plagued by several diseases and pests, the continuing ubiquity of live oaks over the millennia is testament to their ability to resist diseases and fight off pests. Several fungal diseases, with the generic names “twig blights” and “oak branch dieback,” attack the crowns of live oaks. Brown patches in your oak’s canopy are most likely from these fungal diseases. An aesthetic debit, they rarely pose a serious threat to the life of the tree. Unsightly deadwood can be pruned out. Though these diseases come from water-borne fungi, they often occur in oaks weakened by drought stress.

It is common knowledge that over-watering coast live oaks is a good way to kill the tree. Too much summer water promotes the growth of oak root fungus, a common soil fungus that can turn lethal in soggy soils. Less widely appreciated is that summer watering of oaks can make them more disease- and insect-resistant IF, and it is a big IF, they are watered correctly. Correct summer watering of coast live oaks requires placing a soaker hose in a circle around the tree at least ten feet from the trunk and running the water for about two hours–sunset is a good time. It is important to water the tree not more than once a month: once in July, once in August, once in September, and once in October. Over-watering

Gardening with Kate

By Kathleen Guillaume

We’ve had some rain at last, yet we all hope that it would rain more frequently. I long for our old weather patterns that were more dependable.

Finally we have gotten some chilly nights which might finally convince my garden to go into winter dormancy. It has been a crazy autumn, my Fiji apple is in total confusion. It has been blooming for several weeks and my bees, being busy, have pollinated blossoms. I have several baby two inch apples hanging on the boughs. My tree hasn’t figured out that it’s not late spring!

My clematis is leafing out and blooming. This typically happens in late April in my garden. If we get frost this winter, I don’t know what is going to happen to all that lush new foliage. My soil is damp, but not yet soggy, so I am squeezing in as many garden clean up chores as I can. Once the soil becomes saturated, I will have to stay off of it so I don’t compress it and make the ground plant unfriendly. It’s best to get your beds cleaned up while they are still workable.

I have just treated myself to three Orange Sedge (Carex) which is one of my favorite grass type plants. They have a golden leaf blade that matures into a glorious orange with a weeping habit, growing about 15” high and 18” wide.

I am totally into weeding, which I still do by hand, as it is such a wonderfully mindless and meditative task. It is an easy to do in damp soil when the weed seeds just begin to sprout.

I still have some perennials to divide and a few perennials on my wish list to add to my garden. With all of this work behind me by midNovember, I will be too busy with holidays to do much more, and like my garden will probably go slightly dormant myself, preferring the coziness of my recliner and a good book.

Autumn is the perfect time to plant perennials and natives. If you have

www.yourmonthlypaper.com can kill oaks by stimulating parasitic fungi. Judicious watering during dry summers gives the tree a boost but doesn’t encourage root diseases. It’s better not to water oaks at all than to over-water them; and lawns, grown under the canopy of the oaks, are a common cause of over-watering. One way to make your oak (and the many creatures it supports) happy is to turn lawn under the canopy over to native, drought-tolerant plants. This saves water, and reduces the likelihood your oak will get a root disease. Oaks also appreciate a layer of mulch. Mulch helps aerate the soil and improves the environment for beneficial soil creatures.

Given that the current stewards of the coastal plain seldom burn the woodlands, most of our oak forests have built up a significant load of dead wood.

To prevent a crown fire, like the one that ravaged the East Bay in 1991, it is important to make all landscape trees and shrubs more fire safe. At Brende and Lamb it is our fervent hope that all current players in the ongoing drama of the oak woodlands act to maintain a healthy ecosystem in which coast live oaks, and the many creatures that depend on them, continue to appear center stage.

Unfortunately, we a starting to see a few cases of Sudden Oak Death (SOD) in the East Bay, concentrated mostly in forested parklands. The SOD pathogen infects susceptible oaks during spring rainstorms. It is difficult to prevent an oak from being infected, but there are steps to reduce the probability of infection, such as the application of Agrifos in autumn. Further more, California bay trees can be a host to SOD, where it occurs as a leaf disease. Infected bays don’t die, but they can spread the spores to oaks as water drips from the bay leaves onto the trunk of an oak. Studies show that pruning back bay trees to give a 10 foot separation from your oaks can significantly lower the infection rate. At this time, preventative action is the only way of treating the disease.

It takes two years for an infected tree to show any sign of infection, and once infected there is no way to cure the disease.

The best place to find current information on SOD is the California Sudden Oak Task Force at www.suddenoakdeath.org.

If your trees need a little TLC to protect them against winter winds, or if your property could use a little fire protection, 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 Advertorial work in your neighborhood. a slope that you don’t irrigate and want some plants that will anchor it, it is a great time to think of ceanothus (California lilac) which is one of my favorite hillside plants. “Dark Star” and “Julia Phelps” are two of the darker blue taller varieties, and “Yankee Point” is a lower variety that is nice when paired with the taller ones. Having moved to the area from a place where these plants were rare, I still remember driving in the spring up 19th Avenue, when it was one of the ways to drive into the City from the Peninsula, and marveling at banks of dark foliage with bright blue blossoms. They took my breath away. What makes them a perfect slope plant is the fact that they need almost no water once established, and they are beautiful year-round.

They need very little shaping and are glad to be ignored.

The pittosporum ‘Marjorie Channon’ is also wonderful for slopes where you might want contrasting and taller foliage. My other favorites are Wistringea (Australian Rosemary) which come in variegated and grey green and green foliage varieties. All of these are great in the garden...not only to be relegated only to slopes but as focal points in planting beds.

They are perfect for their foliage contrasts and as foils to more common garden perennials.

Now is the time to start looking for those gifts you might want to give friends and family as we move quickly toward December. I love mirrored reflection balls which have different size and style bases, and come in a variety of colors so they blend in with different garden color themes, or provide wonderful contrasts. If you look at what is available early on, it will give you a chance to check out your recipient’s garden so that you can make a perfect choice. There are also some interesting decorative solar powered lights that make great gifts.

Stop by your local nursery and look over some of their garden accessories and garden art so you can begin collecting some ideas. You don’t have to wait to start thinking of Christmas and holiday gifts for any gardener on your list. It’s good to get ahead of the curve, while there is good inventory and lots of choice.

Happy Gardening.

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Life in the Lafayette Garden

Lafayette Today ~ November 2014 - Page 17

Autumn Color Ablaze in Lafayette

By John Montgomery,ASLA, LandscapeArchitect

The autumn months of September, October, and November bring a joyful change to the gardens of Lafayette. Autumn marks the change from the growing season to the cycle of rest and rejuvenation. As your plants prepare for a period of rest and rejuvenation, a whole new life cycle brings vibrant colors, scent, texture, and calmness to your garden. Creating garden environments that take advantage of the seasons enhance the all-year-around pleasure of your garden.

Autumn is a wonderful time in a garden. Trees, shrubs, ground covers, and grasses bring a whole new dimension of color, scent, and texture as they prepare themselves to rest. As I work with my clients in creating their landscape, I think about how we can have the garden be active all year around. So I select a plant palette that takes advantage of the seasons. The characteristics that can be used in the palette include color, texture, structure, scent, and movement. A good allyear-around plant palette has a diverse mix of trees, shrubs, perennials ground covers, and ornamental grasses.

Color can be provided either by flower or leaf. Colorful trees like Nyssa Sylvatica (Sour Gum), Red Sunset Maple, and Chinese Pistache are vibrant as the evening snap of chill fills the air. Red-twig Dogwood or Sango Kaku Japanese Maple has vibrant bark color. As winter approaches Autumn and Mexican Sage bloom profusely.

Texture can be found in leaves, seeds, and bark. As plants prepare for rejuvenation during the winter, they begin a last spurt of growth, bloom, and seed head expenditure. Crape Myrtle wonderfully flowers and turns to spent seed heads and bark peel. Other shrubs bloom and seed in a last ditch effort to propagate.

Structure is an element of design that can really be taken advantage of during the fall. Multi-branching trees and shrubs with intricate or bold branching can provide a dramatic accent that will add pizzazz to any garden. Multi-branching trees like Crape Myrtle, Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo,’ and Buckeye can accent the drama of an autumn garden. As leaves drop and begin to expose the bold and intricate branching, new garden accents are created for new focal interest.

Autumn is time to take in the wonderful aromas your garden can create. The heat of our Indian summer brings the strong scent of California Bay, sage, rose, and forest floor. Often times you will see roses springing to bloom as fall daytime temperatures sore. Most sages bloom during the autumn. I like to take advantage of deciduous trees and shrubs when they begin to drop their leaves. Besides the vibrant leaf colors, deciduous trees and shrubs can dapple the landscape floor, adding texture and scent as the leaves begin to decay. When the first rains of fall arrive, the aroma of the forest floor can fill the air.

Autumn also brings soft warm Nor-easterly breezes through Lafayette. Movement is an element I like to take advantage of in your garden environment. Ornamental grasses such as red fountain grass, California fescue, and Morning Light Miscanthus are profuse by now with seed heads that gracefully sway and add gentle movement to your landscape. Perennials that are spent and dying back can also provide interesting movement if left uncut as they move into winter.

Lafayette’s unique climate allows for a long growing season yet brings forth

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a good autumn and winter for rejuvenation.

Planning for seasonal change is an important aspect of my design philosophy.

A hot tip from your local Landscape Architect: If you’re looking forward to installing your landscape project in the spring, fall and winter is a great time to start the design process for your garden so that you’re ready to enjoy it next summer!

Gardening Quote of the Month: I am rich today with autumn’s gold, All that my covetous hands can hold; Frost-painted leaves and goldenrod, A goldfinch on a milkweed pod; Huge golden pumpkins in the field, With heaps of corn from a bounteous yield; Golden apples heavy on the trees rivaling those of Hesperides; Golden rays of balmy sunshine spread Over all like butter on warm bread; And the harvest moon will this night unfold The streams running full of molten gold. Oh, who could find a dearth of bliss, With autumn glory such as this! ~ Gladys Harp 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

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Page 18 - November 2014 ~ Lafayette Today

Brainwaves by Betsy Streeter

What Are E-Cigs and Can They Help Quit Smoking?

By Gigi Chen, MD

Ask Dr. Happy Dear Dr. Happy,

By Bob Nozik, MD

I am a 29-year-old single woman. I am 5’3” tall and weigh 215 pounds. I’ve been able to lose weight in the past, but it always comes right back on. I get teased about my weight at work (I’m a secretary) and bullied both by friends and family. I’ve never had a real boyfriend. Eating is my only pleasure, so, of course, the weight keeps going up. I can’t stop crying.

Please, Dr. Happy, help; I’m so unhappy.

Dear ‘Help,’

It sounds to me like you have a number of problems going on that are ganging up on you: excessive weight, low self-esteem, depression, and compulsive eating. And, on top of that, you are being bullied. It is a good sign that you have been able to lose weight even though you’ve been unable to keep it off. To break this self-destructive cycle, I would like you to be evaluated by a medical doctor who specializes in eating disorders. You will also, I’m quite sure, need to be treated for depression. You may, in addition, need psychological help to deal with your family’s treatment of you as they are making everything worse. But, ‘Help,’ don’t give up. You are young, and with the right help, I feel sure you will be able to turn things around and lead a good, a happy life.

An electronic cigarette (e-cig or e-cigarette) is a battery-powered vaporizer which simulates tobacco smoke by producing an aerosol that resembles smoke. It generally uses a heating element that vaporizes a liquid solution known as e-liquid.

E-liquids usually contain a mixture of propylene glycol, vegetable, nicotine, and flavorings.

E-cigs are designed to look like cigarettes, right down to the glowing tip.

When the smoker puffs on it, a mist of liquid, flavorings, and nicotine that looks something like smoke is let off. The smoker inhales it like cigarette smoke, and the nicotine is absorbed into the lungs. The nicotine inside the cartridges is very addictive.

In a recent study through Memorial Sloan Kettering, cancer patients who smoked were enrolled in a tobacco treatment program, and their smoking history was evaluated. At the beginning of the study, it was noted that the patients who used e-cigarettes were more dependent on nicotine than those who didn’t use them. They also had tried to quit more times in the past and were more likely to be diagnosed with cancers of the lung, head, and neck.

At the conclusion of the study, the researchers found that the number of participants who kicked the habit was the same in both groups.

Other studies give a mixed picture. Some studies conclude that e-cigs can help people give up the tobacco habit, while other studies suggest that the artificial cigarette carries its own set of health risks. Presently, there is no government oversight of the e-cigarette, and because the FDA has not approved it, there is no way for the public health professional, medical community, or consumer to know what chemicals are contained in e-cigarettes or what the short and long term health implications might be from their usage.

Researchers conclude that questions remain about the long-term safety and effectiveness of e-cigarettes, and that more controlled research is needed.

Medical practitioners advise all patients to quit smoking traditional combustible and electronic cigarettes by using FDA-approved cessation medications and/or smoking cessation counseling.

To learn more about the health risks of smoking, join Dr. Chen and Dr. Michaela Straznicka at “Shine a Light on Lung Cancer” on November 13, 7PM – 9PM at the Lafayette Library and Learning Center. This educational event will focus on the unique issues facing lung cancer patients and will include information regarding new screening guidelines, clinical trials, new treatment options, and survivorship issues. To register, please call (925) 677-5041 x272 or go online at www.ShineALightOnLungCancer.org.

Gigi Chen, MD is a medical oncologist and hematologist with Diablo Valley Oncology and Hematology Medical Group. She sees patients in Pleasant Hill, Rossmoor, and San Ramon. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call (925) 677-5041 or visit www.dvohmg.com. Advertorial

Happiness Tip

Low self-esteem is a problem that can harm us in many ways. Asking yourself: “How proud am I of myself?” will give you a pretty good idea about the current status of your self-esteem. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that those who loudly proclaim their worth to others have high self-esteem.

In fact, this is the characteristic of those who have pseudo self-esteem, a form of low self-esteem. They act they way they do in hopes of convincing other people of their value. People with true self-esteem have no need to convince others of their self-worth. Because it can be difficult to accomplish, raising self-esteem may require professional help for success. This is what I recommend for ‘Help’ as she works to control her weight permanently.

For questions for Dr. Happy email pollyannan@aol.com.

Lic# 1100014354; Bay Area Entertainment

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Avoiding Unnecessary Prostate Biopsies

By Stephen Taylor, MD Prostate Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) holds the promise of avoiding unnecessary prostate biopsies in men with elevated Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood levels. The PSA blood test has been used for over 25 years to screen men for early stage Prostate Cancer. Elevated PSA blood levels can signal the presence of Prostate Cancer, even when the Digital Rectal Exam (DRE) is normal. In fact, over 80% of Prostate Cancers are diagnosed because of an elevated PSA blood test. However, when the PSA is between 4 and 10, approximately 30% of men will have a positive biopsy for Prostate Cancer, and 70% will have a negative biopsy after a standard Ultrasound Guided biopsy is performed. A standard Ultrasound Guided Biopsy consists of an ultrasound probe, shaped like a finger, which is placed in the rectum, local anesthetic is injected into the prostate to anesthetize the prostate. Typically 12 biopsies are obtained with a biopsy needle. A “standard pattern” of 12 biopsies are taken in locations where prostate cancer is likely to be found. However, with the standard pattern, prostate cancer can be missed, and 70% of the biopsies are negative for Prostate Cancer. This can lead to continued worry about the presence of missed cancer, repeat biopsies, delay in diagnosis etc. Every time a biopsy is performed, there is a small chance of infection as well as increased costs and discomfort.

Recently, Multi-parametric MRI has been shown to hold promise in reducing the number of unnecessary biopsies, and to be more accurate when biopsies are obtained. Prostate MRI uses no X-Rays and is very safe. The MRI exam takes approximately one hour. Once the images are obtained, several parameters are analyzed to determine if Prostate Cancer is present.

If the Multi-parametric MRI is normal, we are at the 90% confidence level that no cancer is present (which is more accurate than a prostate biopsy), and a prostate biopsy can be avoided. If the MRI is highly suggestive of prostate cancer, than a biopsy is indicated. Moreover, we now know where the cancer is “hiding” in the prostate. We can fuse the MRI images onto the “real time” ultrasound images and target our biopsies directly into the suspicious area.

This greatly improves the accuracy of the prostate biopsies, with biopsies positive in 90% of men without previous biopsies and in 60% of men with previous negative biopsies. In addition, MRI detected biopsies tend to be the higher grade, more aggressive types – ie, the ones that will require active treatment. The slower growing, more indolent types, are usually not seen on MRI, so we avoid “over diagnosing” those which do not require treatment.

Pacific Urology, a division of Diablo Valley Oncology Hematology Medical Group, is the first to offer the MRI-Ultrasound Fusion Guided Biopsies in the San Francisco East Bay. Dr. Stephen Taylor and Dr. Judson Brandeis have undergone specific training for this procedure and are available to perform this procedure in their Walnut Creek office.

Dr. Stephen Taylor is a Urologist with Pacific Urology. He specializes in robotic urologic surgeries and prostate, kidney, and bladder cancers. For more informaAdvertorial tion, please call (925) 937-7740 or visit www.PacificUrology.com.

Cancer Support Community

The Cancer Support Community presents two upcoming talks. The free events will be held at 3276 McNutt Avenue, Walnut Creek. For information and reservations call (925) 933-0107.

Frankly Speaking About Cancer: New Discoveries - This workshop will cover the latest information on cancer treatment, side-effect management, and the psychosocial aspects of living with cancer. Highlights include the rise of personalized cancer care, cancer prevention innovation, and targeted therapies. The workshop will be led by Aruna Gavini MD, Medical Oncologist with Contra Costa Oncology on Tuesday, November 18th from 6pm – 8pm.

Frankly Speaking About Metastatic Breast Cancer - Information about the latest treatments for metastatic breast cancer is presented including treatment options, side effect management, and ways to cope with the social and emotional challenges. Lesley Martin, MD, a Medical Oncologist with Mt. Diablo Solano Oncology will be the presenter. The talk takes place Thursday, December 4th from 3pm – 5 pm.

Lafayette Today ~ November 2014 - Page 19

Kindness continued from front page

neighbor’s house. These suggestions and several more are printed on the back of “Kindness Cards” which can be ordered in packs of eight. As you complete your act of kindness, you hand a card to the recipient. The front reads: “You’ve just experienced a random act of Kindness. Now it’s your turn to do something for someone else and pass this card along.”

Mark and Maria Haswell with one of their Spread Kindness t-shirts available in a variety of colors. Photo courtesy of Spread Kindness.

Requests for cards now number 50-100 a month. They come from across the globe: Canada, India, New Zealand, Australia, England, Tasmania, and Norway. In February 2010, Stephanie Klinzing, then Mayor of Elk River, Minnesota, asked for and received 1,000 cards for the city’s “1,000 Acts of Random Kindness Campaign.” Spread Kindness mails the first pack of eight cards free, but they request a modest contribution for additional cards. Mark notes: “We want people to understand the power of kindness – why it’s good and the positive effect it can have.”

At the Dublin St. Patrick’s Day Parade each year, Spread Kindness hands out 500 Kindness Cards along with candies and other treats. Their signature offer of “Free Hugs” caught the attention of Barbara Roudebush, marching immediately ahead of their group in the parade. Roudebush, organizer of Bras for the Cause, an annual 10K Walk in Pleasanton raising money for breast cancer research, treatment and education, enthusiastically describes the station Spread Kindness subsequently staged for her fundraiser.

“Next year will be our tenth event,” Roudebush explains, “and Spread Kindness has participated in half of those walks. I wish they could be there every year. Their hugs add a fun dimension for the walkers and bring out the neighbors, too.” Setting up at Mission Hills Park, about a third of the way along the route, Spread Kindness encourages participants and spectators with hugs and high-fives. (Go to www.trivalleysocks.org to read about this fundraiser.)

Jeremy Damec, who asked to join the “Dream-Team” when the Haswells founded Spread Kindness, has high praise for their dedication. “Maria and Mark are genuine, loving, fun, full of energy, and are passionate about their work, spreading kindness. They live what they believe and believe what they live. They believe in helping, supporting, encouraging, and spreading kindness to the world. Their mission in life is to create a better world through acts of kindness, and that they do.”

To celebrate her 40th birthday, Maria decided to spend the day performing 40 acts of kindness. She invited friends to choose a few acts to perform themselves, but Maria managed to accomplish all 40 items on the list herself.

“It was the best day,” Maria recalls. “I spent a lot of time planning. I felt I was really making a difference in the community.” On her next birthday, she performed 41 acts of kindness.

See Kindness continued on page 21

Your Personal Nutritionist

End Diabetes Type II Without Drugs

By Linda Michaelis, RD, MS

Yes, it’s true. Minor changes in your diet with moderate exercise will bring your blood sugar levels down to normal levels in a very short time. This is not an exaggerated claim but reflects real results I see every day in my practice. Even my husband received bloodwork that indicated that he was diabetic. He made the changes that I suggested, and I am happy to report his levels came down to normal within weeks.

Close to 25 million Americans over 65 have Type 2 Diabetes (blood sugar over 140 mg/dL) while another 90 million Americans 20 years or older have been diagnosed with Pre-Diabetes (blood sugar over 120 mg/dL). You should be aware of the fact that studies have shown us that the diabetes epidemic is a great contributor to the scourges of cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Your physician can confirm a diabetes diagnosis by looking at results of an A1C test which should not be greater than 6.5%. This test tells what your average glucose level has been over three months. I am glad to report that I am able to typically get my clients’ A1C down from 8.6% to 6.5% in three months, and doctors often express amazement by telling me they were about to put my clients on high doses of metformin.

The first reaction to a diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes is shock, fear, and even depression as most people diagnosed will immediately start taking 500-1000mg of metformin twice a day. (Diabetes Type 1 does need medication.) Clients report that for a couple of months they have diarrhea, gas, stomach pain, and flu like symptoms until their body adjusts to the medicine. I am adamant with my clients that they do not have to live with these side effects if they work closely with me and follow the dietary regimen I recommend.

A major problem with diabetes is that blood sugar levels spike throughout the day and result in the constant need for insulin to breakdown the sugars which, in turn, causes a large strain on the pancreas. People with diabetes either don’t make insulin efficiently, or their body’s cells no longer are able to recognize insulin, leading to high blood sugars.

Desserts

Yes, you can have dessert as long as it is eaten after a meal and not on an empty stomach. At first I recommend 200 calories of dessert such as Fudgsicles, fruit juice bars, puddings, cupcake, or slice of cake with very little frosting.

Exercise

An hour of exercise for 5-6 days a week is recommended, and I have found that breaking it up into two half hours of, for example, a brisk walk is quite effective. It is quite common to see a 50 point reduction of blood sugar after a walk, the best pill in town.

I know this all may sound too good to be true, but changes can be made if you do not want to rely on diabetic meds your whole life. The good news is that most insurance companies pay for nutritional counseling for diabetes.

I am glad to inform you that my services are covered by most insurances such as Aetna, Sutter Select, ABMG, Health Net, Hill Physicians. Please feel free to call me at (925) 855-0150 or email me at lifeweight1@gmail.com and tell me about your nutrition concerns. Refer to my website www.LindaRD.com for past Advertorial articles and nutrition tips in my blog section.

Board members aside, LCF’s true essence are its donors.

“Definitely the most valuable aspect of LCF are our donors,” says Churchill. “We take good care of them, and we let them know how their money is being utilized. We live in a very giving community, and we don’t take that for granted.”

Tom and Karen Mulvaney have been LCF donors from the beginning. “Tom and I believe strongly in giving, and we think it's important to start with the community in which we live while also giving outwards to faraway places,” says Karen.

“This is especially true for the fundamental and essential organizations that make life here better for everyone, which of course includes among others the Lafayette Community Foundation.”

LCF provides grants twice each year. Grant application guidelines and forms, as well as donor information, can be found at www.lafayettecf.org, where a full list of beneficiaries can also be found. Interested in joining the board? Contact LCF board president Sereta Churchill at seretachurchill@gmail.com.

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opener to see our list of recipients,” says Churchill. “It is a reminder of the breadth of impact we have had in the community over the years.”

The Food Banks of Contra Costa and Solano Counties have been beneficiaries, as have Generations in Jazz, the Gold Coast Chamber Players, the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County, the Global Student Embassy, the Lamorinda Village effort, and the Lafayette Community Garden and Outdoor Learning Center. And of course, LCF continues to support the LLLCF as needed and recently provided support for the LCF’s 5th Anniversary Celebration earlier this month.

“LCF has provided invaluable financial support for materials to build garden beds and install irrigation at the Lafayette Community Garden,” says Janet Thomas, the garden’s director. “As the garden and outdoor learning center continues to develop and needs arise, it is nice to know that a caring, generous organization so thoughtfully supports projects that benefit the Lafayette community.”

But the LCF does much more than simply provide funds. Board members create a support system for local non-profits, conducting grant writing workshops, and encouraging organizations to become more self-sufficient. “When we asked LCF to support the developing Lamorinda Village by being our fiscal sponsor, it enabled us to have them accept tax deductible contributions on our behalf while our own application for IRS determination was being processed,” says Ruth McCahan, president of Lamorinda Village.

The vocation-diverse, multi-generational board members bring a wealth of knowledge to the LCF table; attorneys, accountants, real estate experts, those with city and government expertise, and volunteers in the schools, youth sports and music programs are all represented. “Our board includes people who enjoy volunteering and doing communitybased work,” says Churchill, who has pushed for fewer board meetings and more actual hands-on tasks. “We are a group that really cares and wants to serve all members of the community. We are a working board, and we have fun doing what we do.”

It is extremely important to eat five small meals a day that will prevent the blood sugar from spiking and cause the need for greater amounts of insulin.

Small meals should be eaten every few hours, and it is best to keep to the same times each day so your blood sugar will adapt. I not only recommend five meals but also suggest balancing the amount of proteins, carbs, and fats at each meal. For the first four meals, I recommend eating large amounts of protein, a carb, and some veggies. The evening meal should include a smaller amount of protein (which is harder to digest at night) to be enjoyed with at least a cup or more of whole grains and two cups of veggies. With few exceptions, I find my clients actually begin to enjoy spacing out their meals during the day and are happy not to feel bloated from heavy meals. They enjoy the variety of smaller, tasty meals and large snacks. Clients easily lose weight and report higher levels of energy during the day.

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Five Meal a Day Plan

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Page 20 - November 2014 ~ Lafayette Today

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1999-2014 Grant Recipients AAUW • Artz 4 Kids • Assistance League of Diablo Valley • Belasco Theatre Company • Burton Valley Elementary PTA Greenhouse Project • Cal Symphony Music in Schools • California Shakespeare Theatre • Campolindo Grad Night • City of Lafayette Parks and Recreation • City of Lafayette Senior Needs Assessment • Contact Care Hotline • Contra Costa Crisis Center • Contra Costa Interfaith Housing • Contra Costa Youth Council • Deer Hill Ranch • Diablo Ballet • Earth Team • Episcopal Senior Communities • Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano County • Friends of Lafayette Creeks • Friends of the Lafayette Library • Futures Explored • Generation Green • Generations in Jazz • Gold Coast Chamber Players • Get Real Academy • Girl Scout — Twin Canyons Camp Site • Global Student Embassy • Greenbelt Alliance • Happy Valley Parents Club Playground Project • Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County • Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation • Lafayette All American Football Association • Lafayette Community Center Foundation and Outdoor Learning Center • Lafayette Gallery/Lamorinda Arts Alliance • Lafayette Garden Club • Lafayette Historical Society • Lafayette Rotary – Stage at the Reservoir • Lafayette Senior Symposium • Lafayette United Methodist Church • Lafayette Senior Transportation Program • Lafayette Orinda Presbyterian Church • Lamorinda Adult Respite Center • Lamorinda Spirit Van • Lamorinda Petanque Club • Las Trampas, Inc. • Las Trampas • LASF • Meals on Wheels • Muir Heritage Land Trust • Northern California Youth Leadership Seminar • Parents for a Safer Environment • Peter Pan Foundation • SEED • Senior Helpline Services • Special Olympics • Springhill PFC – Running Track • Stanley Middle School • Summersong • Sustainable Lafayette • The Dramateurs, Inc • The Gardens of Heather Farms • Town Hall Theatre • Youth Homes • WomenSing • YMCA at UC Berkeley

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Wear Your Pink Shoes Proudly

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reconstructive breast surgery is now routinely performed at the same time as the mastectomy in close coordination with the general surgeon, enabling women to wake up from surgery with breasts. In some cases the nipples and surrounding areolas can be saved as well. The emotional testimonials and thanks I receive from my breast cancer patients feed my soul. I am continually amazed by the strength and courage these women possess through such tragic circumstances. I recently had the pleasure of seeing a 60 year old woman who was told she could not have her breast reconstructed after mastectomy 10 years ago because of thin skin. Now, with new techniques and materials, she will soon have breasts again. She will feel whole.

The theme behind the breast cancer campaign is education and awareness. Realize that breast cancer affects us all. Please take the time to educate yourself, perform self breast exams every month, and please don’t delay your routine mammogram screening. To find instructions on how to perform a breast self-examination, please visit our website at www.personsplasticsurgery.com. Support the efforts of wonderful organizations like Susan G. Komen or the Avon Foundation. Join me in wearing your pink shoes proudly every day.

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

925.934.3743 • 925.934.1515

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

Lafayette Today ~ November 2014 - Page 21

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Friend Cherie wanted to pay for the next person in line at Starbucks. Finding no one behind her, she bought pastries for two policemen seated nearby. When she explained her mission, they laughed. “Maria already brought donuts to the station!”

But they happily accepted their obligation to pass along a second thoughtful gesture.

Theresita Gonzalez, Resource Coordinator for Shelter, Inc. of Contra Costa County, gets calls from many organizations wanting to do something to be helpful to Shelter. Founded in 1986, Shelter, Inc. works to break the cycle of homelessness by providing education and employment counseling as well as temporary affordable housing. When Spread Kindness contacted her the first time, she suggested they sponsor a family barbecue. Gonzalez was amazed by the result. “They ran a very polished event. Everything including games and prizes was very age appropriate even though the families had children from infants to teenagers.”

Twice for the holiday season, Spread Kindness went shopping with a wish list from the families and came prepared with wrapped gifts and stuffed stockings individually designed for each child. Snacks and a sing-along engaged everyone in the fun.

Spread Kindness made sure all the families knew in advance what to expect so they could relax and enjoy their time together. “When other groups come in asking to volunteer to do an event,” Gonzales remarks, “I use what Jeremy Damec, Spread Kindness “Dream-Team” member, Spread Kindness pre- assists at a barbecue for Shelter, Inc. families in Pittsburgh. sented as a model. The Photo provided by Spread Kindness. fliers they produced to tell families what each event was going to offer are very helpful as guides for other groups.”

Recognizing how important it is for each child to arrive on the first day of school with a new backpack expressing his or her personality, Spread Kindness also put together a Back-to-School Party. They worked with suggestions from the families.

“They put a lot of time and effort into getting the appropriate items. The surprise was how accurate the backpacks and items filling them were to what each child wanted,” Gonzales recalls.

For Damec the Back-to-School Party defines the impact sharing kind deeds has on all the participants. He writes: “It was such an uplifting experience to see the families laughing, playing together and participating in the activities, and to see the smiles on the faces of the mothers and their children. The families were so very gracious and thanked us for spending the day with them and for the backpacks.

We left full of gratitude and appreciation for the families we spent the day with.

Sharing this experience with Spread Kindness reminds me to this day that when we share and do acts of kindness for others, everyone benefits, and in the end, we all feel happy.” (Visit shelterincofccc.org to learn more about their mission.)

Spread Kindness visits area care facilities, including the VA Hospital in Livermore, to spend quality time with residents who don’t otherwise get much company.

They’ve inspired Kindness Week at Ohlone College and a Kindness Club at Cal High. Ideas for simple acts anyone can perform are posted on their website, and suggestions are encouraged.

Information on their next Adopt-a-Soldier event will soon be on the website.

Spread Kindness asks for nominations of a soldier and follows up by getting a list of items the soldier and unit-mates want, ranging from basics like tube socks to a favorite candy. Shipments often run to eight boxes. One grateful unit in Iraq sent back a flag flown on the 4th of July to honor Spread Kindness.

Funding comes from sales of Spread Kindness T-Shirts and Wristbands and from generous donors and volunteers. “Kindness and compassion go hand-inhand. Working your compassion muscles honors the connection we all share,” Mark explains. Make someone else smile and you realize you feel happy, too.

To connect with Mark and Maria visit www.spreadkindness.org or email info@ spreadkindness.org.

Page 22 - November 2014 ~ Lafayette Today

Events for Lafayette Seniors

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Our mission is to provide personalized care, help All classes are held at the Lafayette Senior maintain independence and enhance our Center (LSC) located at 500 Saint Mary’s Rd in client’s quality of life on a daily basis.

Lafayette unless otherwise noted. Space is limited.

• Free in-home assessments • Regular home visits Please call 925-284-5050 to reserve a spot. ensure the right care plan • Hourly care Heartfelt & Document Your Life Story If you have for you • Live-in care Supportive • Fully bonded and insured • Geriatric care mgmt. wanted to write the stories, memories and • Elder referral and placement experiences of your life but haven’t known At All Times... where to start, wait no longer. You will be guided 3645 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Suite D Lafayette, CA 94549 through the process of leaving a living history (beside Trader Joe’s) www.excellentcareathome.com 925-284-1213 for future generations-what a gift! These are not drop-in classes, but are meant to be taken as a complete course. Dates, times, Positive Living Forum (“Happiness Club”) 2nd Thursday monthly and meeting rooms to be determined. Please call Lafayette Senior Services for • 10:30AM – noon • Elderberry Room, LSC - Brighten your day with Dr. Bob details: (925) 284-5050. Unless otherwise stated, classes are free for members Nozik, MD, Prof. Emeritus UCSF and author of Happy 4 Life: Here’s How and $5 for non-members.

Do It. Brighten your day and take part in this interactive gathering which ‘As The Page Turns’ Book Club Tuesday, 11/18 • 1PM – 2:30PM • Cedar to features speakers on a wide range of topics that guide participants toward a Room, LSC - Looking for a good book to discuss with others? Join this informal more ideal and positive life experience. Drop-ins welcome! group of booklovers and enjoy enrichment, lively discussion, fellowship and Free Peer Counseling • Alder Room, LCC - Contra Costa Health refreshments. Please call Lafayette Senior Services for the book title and to Services offers free one-on-one counseling with senior (55+) counselors add your name to the email notification list: 284-5050. use their life experiences to help other older adults cope with life Caregiver Support Group Mondays, 11/17 • 1:30PM – 2:30PM • who changes, problems, crises, and challenges. Confidentiality is strictly observed.

Elderberry Room, LSC - If you are a family member helping to care for an Appointment required. Please call Lafayette Senior Services at 284-5050 to older adult, join our support group to find balance and joy as you manage your sign up for one of the 60-minute appointments. responsibilities. Drop-ins are welcome.

Screening & Telephone Distribution - 1st Wednesday Men’s Slow Pitch Softball League, 68 years and up This new Hearing monthly • 1-2:45pm • Alder Room, LSC. As a service in addition to your Lamorinda team for players with varying levels of experience focuses on fun, hearing screening, if it determined that you are eligible for specialized camaraderie and safety. Games in this recreational league will be Wednesdays, telephone equipment, a representative from the California Telephone Access 9-10:30AM. Teams played will be Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, and Concord.

Program (CTAP) will provide you with a free adaptive telephone at your First-year start-up fees are estimated at $50-$55/player; fees in subsequent appointment. Appointment required. Please call Lafayette Senior Services years will be lower. For more information, please email Alan at alkanije@ at 284-5050 to sign up for one of the 20-minute appointments. aol.com and use “softball” in the subject line.

Digital Camera 102- Archiving Your Photos - Wednesday, 11/19 Words of Wisdom...From the Philosophical to the Lighthearted • 10:30am-noon • Cedar Room, LSC. Don’t lose those precious photos Third Tuesday Monthly, 11/18 • 10:30AM–noon • Cedar Room, LSC - Take you’ve taken with your digital camera! This class with Fred Winslow will part in this free-wheeling exchange of inspiration, information, and humor. Topics teach you how to back up your photos for posterity.

– from soup to nuts - will be explored, examined, and discussed by participants.

Downsizing and Moving - Tuesday, 12/2 • 1:30 – 3pm. Leaving Stories and photographs will stimulate humorous discoveries regarding the benefits a home after many years can be daunting and downright overwhelming. of becoming the ‘elders of our tribe. interactive and engaging presentation will provide you with tips and Lafayette Oral History Project Do you have stories about Lafayette in the This techniques on how to go about the moving process as well as the actual days of yore? Allow Ryan to document that history which will then be included physical move of your belongings. The event will be held at Merrill Gardens in the Lafayette Historical Societies’ archives, preserved for generations to come.

Lafayette, corner of Mt. Diablo Blvd. and Second Street.

All you have to do is tell those stories to Ryan; he’ll do the writing. You’ll receive Memory Loss: Help is Close at Hand - Wednesday, 12/10 • 10:30am a copy of the final document at the time of completion. Call Lafayette Senior – Noon • Cedar Room, LSC. Getting Connected: A great place for everyone to Services for details and to be a part of this project. No charge.

Learn the basics about Alzheimer’s disease, as well as programs and services Lamorinda Dance Social Wednesdays (except 11/26) • 12:30 – 3PM start. offered by our local Alzheimer’s Association. Partnering With Your Doctor: Your • Live Oak Room, LCC - Enjoy afternoon dancing every Wednesday, healthcare team is a key resource as you face the challenges of dealing with and learn some great new dance moves. On the first Wednesday monthly, Alzheimer’s or other dementias. You will learn how to identify the meaning and professional dancers Karen and Michael will provide a dance lesson and live purpose of a healthcare partnership, put into action eight strategies that strengthen DJ services, playing your favorites and taking requests.

Lafayette Senior Services Commission 4th Thursday of the month a healthcare partnership, and use tools to better prepare for doctor visits.

from 3:30 – 5:30PM at the LSC - View agendas at the City of Lafayette office or at www.ci.lafayette.ca.us.

Lamorinda Nature Walk and Bird-Watching Every Wednesday • 9AM - Noon • Alder Room, LSC - Experience nature at its finest along our local trails. Delight in the beauty that unfolds around each bend, all the while learning to identify a variety of birds. Bring a water bottle; binoculars will be helpful if you have them. Join us every Wednesday or whenever you are able. For more information or to place your name on the route email/phone list, call Lafayette Seniors Services. No charge.

Come Play Mahjong! Every Tuesday (except 11/11 and 11/25) • Noon–3PM • Sequoia Room, LSC - Come join us on Tuesdays for a drop-in game of mahjong. Mahjong is a game of skill, strategy, and certain degree of chance. All levels welcome. Bring your card, a mahjong set, and a snack to share (optional). RSVP not required.

Creative Writing Workshop Tuesdays • 11AM - 12:30PM • Toyon Room, LSC - Examine the possibilities of self-expression through writing. This friendly dropin group will welcome you and any of your writing efforts. As there is no teaching instructor, you will find encouragement and feedback from your fellow participants who will help bring out the writer in you. If you can speak, you can write! Beginners to established writers welcome.

Local Church Provides Community Care

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

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

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

If you know of someone who would benefit from the ongoing confidential, no cost, spiritual, and emotional support of a Stephen Minister, contact Jean Lee at (925) 943-2237, or visit www.lopc.org/care_stephen_ministry.asp.

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Coming of Age Through Overcoming Challenges

By Mary Bruns, Lamorinda Senior Transportation

As you think about your life and its particular challenges, you may find reassurance in the following statement made by Michael John Bobak: “All progress takes place outside the comfort zone.” Another way to say this is that in the course of day-to-day living, life presents us with challenges which force us to grow some facet of self to the next level, letting go of an old way and becoming a higher, more advanced version of self. An evolutionary process is taking place – step by step.

Think of your relationships, your health, your work or career, and your money – what are the challenges you are facing now? Think back over the past 10 or 20 years. Because of past challenges, how have you changed to become a bigger, better you?

Eight years ago, the Lamorinda Spirit Van Program was just beginning.

We had one vehicle and one half-time driver, and we were taking two people to lunch at the C.C. Café.

Our challenges were many. The first question we asked was, “How can we serve more people with one vehicle and one half-time driver?” We sent out a letter to the County LINK program inviting Lamorinda older adults to use our service. We recruited and trained two volunteer drivers and expanded our hours on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The next challenge was, “How will we keep the program funded?” We wrote grant applications and solicited donations. That challenge was followed by, “How do we secure another vehicle so we can take people to medical appointments?” We learned how to access a federal grant. Then we asked ourselves, “How can we better meet passenger needs with only three drivers?” We continued to solicit volunteer drivers, and the community responded by volunteering.

Now we have 14 drivers and four vehicles, and we are providing 62 hours of service a week. Volunteer drivers contribute 3,224 hours of service a year. Our passenger list has grown to 345. We delivered 4,316 rides in 2013-2014 and served over 100 people.

The challenges continue. We can’t accommodate all the requests for rides.

Fourteen drivers and three vehicles provide three four-hour shifts of service Monday through Friday. With more volunteer drivers, each vehicle could provide additional hours of service. Everyone loves the mini-van so we are applying for an additional mini-van through the 5310 Federal grant program. It gets better mileage and is easier to maneuver on Lamorinda’s curving, narrow, hilly streets.

“Necessity is the mother of invention.” The “challenge” is the driving force in the evolutionary process that is working in all of us as individuals, organizations, cities, states, and countries.

Our population is aging. More services for older adults are needed. Federal grant requirements have become the driving force behind “Mobility Management,” causing agencies to coordinate and share resources to meet the challenge of providing services to an increasing number of older adults.

We invite you to be part of our expansion by joining our illustrious team of volunteer drivers (call 284-5546 to inquire) or by making a donation to support the Lamorinda Spirit Van Program. To financially support this program, please make your tax-deductible check payable to the “City of Lafayette.” Write “Lamorinda Spirit” on the memo line and mail to Lamorinda Spirit Van Program, Lafayette Community Center, 500 Saint Mary’s Road, Lafayette, CA 94549.

New Bills Signed

Derrell Kelch, Executive Director of California Association of Area Agencies on Aging (C4A) noted Governor Brown recently signed several bills including:

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Lafayette Today ~ November 2014 - Page 23

• AB 1570, which increases training requirements for staff and applicants for licenses to operate an (assisted living) facility, including 80 hours of coursework and a stateadministered test of at least 100 questions.

• AB 1751, which requires the governing boards of assisted-living facilities to have resident representatives and to submit quarterly financial statement reports.

• AB 1899, which makes individuals who have had their licenses revoked or forfeited for facility abandonment permanently ineligible for reinstatement of a license.

• AB 2044, which requires sufficient staff to be at facilities at all times, including at least one staff member trained in CPR and first aid.

• AB 2171, which creates a Bill of Rights for assisted-living facility residents.

• SB 911, which increases training requirements for assisted-living center administrators and requires facilities that accept residents with certain health conditions to hire trained medical personnel.

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 at least two business days in advance – sooner or when you make your appointment if possible. WE LOVE TO SAY “YES”! Help us update our records by letting us know your email address, cell phone, and birthday.

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.

Is Food a Problem for You?

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

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Page 24 - November 2014 ~ Lafayette Today

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