Danville_Today_October_2015

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

October 2015 Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach Services

Serving Danville Step Back in Time on the Alamo Cemetery Tour

Senior citizens aged 80 and older are the fastest growing population segment in Contra Costa County. Many are homebound and unable to cook or otherwise obtain daily meals to maintain their health and remain independent in the comfort and security of their own homes. Since 1990, Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach Services (MOWSOS) of Contra Costa and its coalition of volunteers has been ensuring that these homebound seniors receive daily nutritious meals.

“Our services are free and there are no financial restrictions,” says Leigh Shughrou, Public Affairs Specialist for MOWSOS. “We coordinate care for older adults (60+ years) in Contra Costa County who have a wide range of needs. Our six programs (Meals on Wheels, Friendly Visitors, Fall Prevention, Care Management, Home Care Referral, and C.C. Cafés) all work together to form an umbrella of services that allow seniors to stay healthy and at home for as long as possible.

We bridge the widening gap between the increasing number of frail homebound elders and insufficient government funding for these critical services.”

The average MOWSOS participant is 80 years old, lives alone or with a codependent spouse, and has one or more chronic health conditions that prevents him/her from preparing or shopping for daily meals. Most live below the Bay

Stone Valley was named not for a rocky landscape feature, but a family whose combined holdings totaled more than 1,000 acres. Who were the Stones and their neighbors whose courage and convictions shaped the communities of the San Ramon Valley? Next occurring on Saturday, October 24th, the biannual Alamo Cemetery Tour honors the pioneers who settled the area in the mid-nineteenth century and their descendants. Costumed docents, having thoroughly researched the individuals they portray, invite participants to engage in an hour-long adventure in time-travel dedicated to understanding the history of the area. Sponsored by the Museum of the San Ramon Valley, the tour begins at 10am.

Senior members of the settlers’ community from the start, Silas and Susanna Stone built a home that stood on what is now Stone Valley Road for over a century. Their adult son Albert drove a herd of cattle across the plains when he returned to Alamo in 1853. Silas was a trustee for the area’s first high school, the Union Academy.

Built in 1859, the school was demolished by fire in 1868.

Patty Dobbin coordinates the program and greets visitors with a short presentation on Valley history.

Queried about what she most enjoys about leading the tour, she comments, “I love the reaction from people who have lived in the area for a long time, but Joan Kurtz as Charlotte Wood and Don Kurtz as her have had no access to local father Charles Wood vary their presentations in response history. Some visitors are to their audience. then inspired to bring family members on a tour.”

Family names on headstones in the cemetery include Baldwin, Bollinger, Boone, Close, Cox, Hall, Humburg, Jones, Love, Stone, Wiedemann, Wood and Young. The earliest documented burial (that of six-year-old Callie Chrisman) occurred in 1856. The serene park-like setting is underscored by cemetery streets named for trees and paths named for flowers.

On February 2, 1848, less than two weeks after the discovery of gold in California, the formerly Mexican territory was ceded to the United States in the Treaty of Guadalupe at the close of the Mexican-American War. The Gold Rush brought many of the settlers of the San Ramon Valley over the treacherous Rocky Mountains or across the equally defiantly dangerous seas. Once California entered the union as the 31st state in 1850, land sales by former Mexican owners (such as Jose Marie Amador) adjudicated in United States courts gave the latest San Ramon Valley settlers legal title to their properties.

Although Mary Ann Jones first visited the Alamo area in 1847 with her husband John, the couple resided Volume VI - Number 12 in San Jose for a few years before settling in the San 3000F Danville Blvd. #117, Ramon Valley in 1851. Carmen Curtis, who plays the Alamo, CA 94507 role of Mary Ann Jones, is often asked about the con(925) 405-6397 Fax (925) 406-0547 nection between Mary Ann and Virgie Jones who wrote Around Alamo, a book containing Mary Ann’s diary. Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher “Virgie Jones’s husband was adopted by the Jones editor@ family,” Curtis explains, “so he was not a blood yourmonthlypaper.com relative. Her original diary is archived at UC The opinions expressed herein belong Berkeley, so I invite visitors to come to the Mu- to the writers, and do not necessarily seum’s library to read the copy as well as to go to reflect that of Danville Today News.

Danville Today News is not UCB and see the original. She dictated this infor- responsible for the content of any of the advertising herein, nor does mation to her granddaughter in her later years.” publication imply endorsement.

By Fran Miller

See MOWSOS continued on page 26

Bishop Ranch Business Park Helps Transform the San Ramon Valley By Beverly Lane

When the bucolic Bishop Ranch began to develop in the 1970s, a key part of its County-adopted Master Plan was 585 acres zoned for controlled industry. The County Board of Supervisors, planners, local business and homeowner groups were keen to see the Master Plan’s “New City” proceed as approved.

In 1978, Masud and Alexander Mehran, a father-son team, purchased the 585 acres. Masud Mehran’s Sunset Development Company had successfully built 4,000 homes and other buildings in Livermore beginning in 1951. When Alex returned to California in 1977, after school and time as a commercial banker, Sunset was re-vitalized. Initially, they built 21 homes in Alamo’s Round Hill Country Club as well as a few homes and ofRibbon cutting for Bollinger Canyon Interchange – state, fice buildings in Livermore. county and family representatives with Alexander Mehran.

As Alex tells it, they Jr. in short pants. began to look for a large property to purchase and settled on Bishop Ranch. It was close to a freeway, located not that far from San Francisco, and had zoning approvals and certified environmental documents. At a cost of around $20,000,000 they bought the 585

See Park continued on page 22

Local Postal Customer

PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Permit 263 Alamo CA

ECRWSS

By Jody Morgan

See Tour continued on page 24

Page 2 - October 2015 ~ Danville Today News

Boulevard View

By Alisa Corstorphine, Editor

www.yourmonthlypaper.com www.DanvilleLivery.com

Pumpkin Jubilee

Last month, after three years of planning, I was able to get away for a few weeks with a wonderful trip to France and Spain. I saw and experienced many fun, interesting, and exciting things. One of many observations I made was the large number of stores and sidewalk vendors selling books, comic books, trading cards, postcards and letters, ephemera, and writing supplies. Some of the material was new and much of it was old but timeless.

Saturday, October 24th Here in the U.S. stores like these have become a rarity, replaced by the fast 11am - 3pm moving digital age. It’s not as if the residents of Europe don’t experience the digital age - they do, but I witnessed more interaction between people, fewer electronic devices overall, and a greater use of paper and pen, and paper and print mediums.

It’s as if they have struck a balance that thus far has seemed to elude us here at home.

Maybe I was drawn to these places as they reminded me of the foundation of this paper. Many people comment that they still enjoy reading their stories, news, and letters via • All Subjects, K-12 • Reading, Writing, Math paper; a material that is more • Secondary Math and Sciences and AP tactile and permanent. People • SAT/ACT Test Prep can feel and smell the texture • Study Skills • Affordable Rates of paper they hold in their hands • Degreed Professionals and it’s a completely different • Flexible Schedules experience than reading a story electronically. I find the reading At Danville Livery experience is slower, in the best Womens, Mens, Kids possible way.

Hundreds of Shoes In Barcelona, the Sunday Vintage Book Market pops up each week in the middle of a busy street. It is huge event with people both young and old in attendance. You can buy new and vintage books, coins, postcards, vinyl records, magazines, trading cards, and photographs. I just wish I read and wrote Spanish and French fluently so that I could enjoy some of the amazing materials I ran across on this trip. What a bounty!

En route to the Vintage Book Market there were several sidewalk corners filled with kids and their parents who were buying and were trading sports cards. There must have been a hundred people on one corner alone, they had lists in hand and were mingling with each other to find elusive player cards to fill their sets. It was as if old hobbies Flats, Boots, Heels, were in vogue again, and it was really refreshing.

Sandals, Flip Flops & More!

I’ve always been drawn to keeping lists and notes on paper. Typically I’ll use a yellow lined note pad and write Entire store is on sale with an assortment of pens. In my mind I believe the act of writing down my lists and transcribing them from list to list helps me to clarify and reinforce the things I wish to accomplish. While my “uber-digital” friends often make all the time! fun of my scraps of paper, this pen and paper method works great for me.

600 Sycarmore Valley Rd. West - Danville Livery I recently received a letter from a reader whose son is in the Marines. She noted, “The only communication we have had is the lost art of writing which has been a blessing!” In her correspondence she asked if I could reach out to my readers to help support her son who is currently in Boot Camp, in San Diego. As he enters the final phase of Boot Camp they complete what is known as the “Crucible,” which is a strenuous 54 hour event that culminates Boot Camp and

which tests everything they learned over the last three months.

Her request was to have porch lights left on over the nights of September 29th to October 1st to symbolize the “guiding light” for the Marine’s journey through the Crucible. (If you read this article during that time, your support of their project would be greatly appreciated.) Pictures of the lit up community will be sent to this class of Marine’s to symbolize the hometown support for their accomplishment and future deployments.

I received another communication asking for support for an ill friend.

They noted that they felt texting and email don’t have You’re Holiday Headquarters the same ability to convey the gravitas of love our ill friend needs so much. As such, they asked the network of friends to reach See our wide selection of out by mailing a hand-written card, prayer, note, photograph, memory, or cartoon to our sick friend. I think they’re right, and Cookware Bakeware Table top our beloved friend deserves nothing less.

As the fall becomes busier with holidays and gatherings, I Espresso Coffee Gadgets Gifts & more urge you to slow down. Pick an up an old book that has been sitting on your shelf for ages. Write a letter by hand, pick out a beautiful stamp, and post it in the mail. Start or restart an old hobby or collection. Take a breath, take time for you, surround yourself with things that are more tangible, and reconnect with people and activities you enjoy.

Save The Date!

Shoe Outlet Now Open!

30% to 75% Off

3211 Danville Blvd. Alamo CA 94507

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

JARED HIGGINS TEAM

Danville Today News ~ October 2015 - Page 3

Danville’s Real Estate Expert

Danville Today News ~ August 2013 - Page 3

The Market is HOT Inventory is Low. It’s a Great Time to SELL! Put the power of a top producing real estate team and the East Bay’s #1 real estate firm to work for you!

Jared Higgins (925) 487-2907

jhiggins@rockcliff.com JaredHiggins.com BRE# 01781054

Danville 94526 detached home sales per MLS 8/24/15 – 9/20/15. DOM=Days on Market.

Book Launch and Cemetery Tour

On Saturday, October 24th, two events are scheduled by the Museum of the San Ramon Valley.

One is the autumn Alamo Cemetery Tour at 10am at the historic Alamo Cemetery on El Portal just east of Danville Blvd. Docents in historic garb will provide information about San Ramon Valley pioneers buried in this interesting cemetery. There is no need to make reservations; just arrive at 10am. A donation to the Museum is requested.

At 10:30am at the Museum, located at 205 Railroad Avenue in Danville, the new local history book, San Ramon Chronicles, Stories of Bygone Days, will be launched. Author Beverly Lane will be there to sign books and tell a few stories about this vibrant city which now has 78,000 people.

The book includes 90 photographs accompanying the stories. The cost is $22. Museum hours are Tuesday-Friday 1-4pm, Saturday 10-1pm, and Sunday 12-3pm. For more information, call 925-837-3750.

Music and Movies Return to Village Theatre

Beatles, Blues, and Cuckoos Featured in this Year’s Lineup

Thursdays are shaping up to be one of the most exciting nights of the week as the Village Theatre & Art Gallery gears up for the start of the new season of Thursdays @ the VT. Come to the VT October 29 for Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums. Led

by Steve Lucky and Carmen Getit, this jump swing band provides a high energy performance.

Tickets for the music series are $10 presale/$15 at the door. Doors open at 7PM, and show begins at 7:30PM. Beer and wine are available for purchase, courtest of Norm’s Place.

Beginning in November Thursdays @ the VT switches over to cinema.

This years movies featured include: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Some Like it Hot, Innerspace, and White Christmas To purchase tickets for these events, go to www.villagetheatreshows.com.

For more information, contact Recreation, Arts and Community Service Manager Henry Perezalonso at (925) 314-3454 or hperezalonso@danville.ca.gov.

The Danville Area Chamber of Commerce Presents

1 5 0 Ar ti s a ns Cos tu m e Pa ra de (Saturday 10am)

Li ve Mu s i c by Steve Lucky & the Rhumba Bums Tinman

Ca r Sh ow (Sunday only)

Saturday & Sunday

October 24 & 25

R & B Cel l a r s Sch u bros Br ewe r y

10am - 5pm

Along historic Hartz Avenue

Grea t Gl a ss P umpk in Pa tch www.danvillefallcraftsfestival.com

Page 4 - October 2015 ~ Danville Today News

SRVHS 37 Annual Ski, Board and Bike Swap November 7 th

th

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

The San Ramon Valley High School-Parent Teacher Student Association has been hosting this community-wide ski and snowboard swap for over 37 years, and this is the second year the event will include bikes. This year the event takes place on November 7th, from 10am to 4pm. Admission is $5, children 5 and under free when accompanied by an adult. Interested in finding the best deals? New this year from 9am to 10am is Early Bird Admission price of $20 per adult and $20 for up to two children.

Gopher/Mole Removal SRVHS Ski, Board, and Bike swap is the largest swap in the East Bay with over $1 million in inventory brought by local residents as well as from large retailers offering goods at bargain prices. The San Ramon Valley High No Poison School gym will be filled to the brim with new and used merchandise. Come join the fun with the live broadcast from KKIQ and enjoy yummy treats from local food truck vendors.

925-765-4209 This is the second year the swap will include bikes, biking equipment, and apparel. A large inventory of new and used bikes for all ages and skill level will be on hand. Danville bike retailer 6Fifteen Cyclery will be there to help with questions and recommendations, as will Stix and Stones and members of the San Ramon Valley High School Mountain Bike Club.

The Ski and Snowboard Swap is a great place to see the latest products and outfit the entire family.

There is a huge selection of boards, skis, boots, helmets, and clothing, along with experts to assist you.

Representatives from local ski clubs will be available to answer questions about their clubs and the sport.

Retailers include Hughes Ski Hut, Nor-Ski Sports, Sports Cove, Land Park, Demo Sport, and Four Seasons.

In addition, community members are invited to sell their bikes, ski and snowboard equipment and clothing on consignment. Consignment equipment check happens at SRVHS on Thursday, November 5th from 6pm-8pm and Saturday, November 7th from 7am-8:30am. Donations are accepted anytime. Please contact srvswap@gmail.com.

Come to the swap and bring your friends on November 7th. Take advantage of this great opportunity to update your bikes, ski and snowboard equipment and support the students at San Ramon Valley High School. Directions to SRVHS: Highway 680 to Danville, exit El Cerro West, two blocks to Danville Blvd., turn left, San Ramon Valley High School is one block on the right. For more event information, visit the website: http://skiboardbikeswap.com.

Live Well, Age Smart

Senior Wellness Fair set for October 9th

Come to the Danville Senior Center and join in as the Town of Danville hosts the annual Live Well, Age Smart Health and Resource Fair. This fun, informative event is set for Friday, October 9th from 9am - noon at the Danville Senior Center, 115 East Prospect Ave. Attendees are encouraged to come spend the morning visiting with vendors, attending free lectures on health and wellness, and enjoying light refreshments. Maintaining good health is important, so seniors will have access to free health screenings and flu shots. Raffle prizes will also be handed out throughout the day to lucky attendees.

Live Well, Age Smart will provide information for mature adults and their families.

This fantastic, informative event is free to all. For more information or to register, call the Danville Senior Center at 925-314-3430.

Mobility Challenges

Meals on Wheels and other partners are offering presentations relating to senior mobility on October 23 from 10AM to 2:30PM at John Muir Medical Center, located at 1601 Ygnacio Valley Road in Walnut Creek.

The first presentation will be “Mature Drivers and the Healthy Brain,” led

by Dr. Patrick Arbore, Jefferson award winner and founder of the Center for Elderly Suicide Prevention. The second presentation will be “Take Control of Your Driving Future,” led by Rosemary Robles, DMV Senior Driver Ombudsman.

Free box lunches will be provided, and parking is available.

Space is limited, so please RSVP by October 15 to clouisell@mowsos. org or (925) 954-8736.

Volunteer With AARP Tax-Aide For 2016 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.

Tax-Aide volunteer positions include Tax Counselors who are trained by TaxAide and certified by IRS and Client Facilitators who schedule appointment and assist clients at tax sites. Orientation is in November 2015, and classes for tax counselors start in January 2016. Service is from February through April 15, 2016.

Alamo-Danville Newcomers Club

Are you new to the area, a long time resident, newly retired, or an emptynester interested in making new friends and participating in various social activities? The Alamo-Danville Newcomers Club is a women’s organization whose purpose is to enrich the lives of all its members and their families in a social manner.

Check out all the club has to offer by visiting www.alamodanvillenewcomers. com. Our next new member coffee will be held October 27th at 10am. RSVP to alamodanvillenewcomers@gmail.com.

Danville-Alamo Garden Club Meeting

The Danville-Alamo Garden Club (DAGC) meets on the second Thursday of the months between September and June starting at 9:15am at the Alamo Women’s Club, located at 1401 Danville Blvd. in Alamo. At the October 8th meeting, Bill ‘the Bulb Baron’ will join us. Bill Welch is the world’s leading authority on Narcissus, specifically Tazetta Narcissus.

Bill spends most of his time working in his fields in the Carmel Valley, growing, picking, and hybridizing Narcissus. His purpose in life is to collect and preserve the old varieties that still exist. His field in the Carmel Valley has the largest collection of Tazetta Narcissus in the world. He uses many of these varieties for pollination to create new types of Narcissus. Bill has bred and named several new varieties, including Avalanche of Gold, Sugar Cups, New Glory, and Liquid Sun. There will be an opportunity to purchase bulbs from Bill at the meeting.

If you have any questions, contact Susan at membershipvp@dagc.us.

Lost Dog!

$50 REWARD

If you find him and your name is drawn!

Danville Dog is Missing He has become lost in this paper!

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

To be eligible send a letter telling us where you found him, along with your name and address, to: Lost Dog! ~ Danville Today News 3000F Danville Blvd #117 • Alamo, CA 94507

Jenny Khoa is our winner!

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Danville Today News ~ October 2015 - Page 5

I needed a place where I could give you the advantage.

I am excited to announce that I have just made a move to Paragon Real Estate Group’s new office in Danville!

At Paragon, we do not strive to be the biggest. We focus on being the best.

When you are ready to make a move, I am here to give you the advantage over the competition that will make the difference in your success.

You can trust me for up-to-the-minute knowledge of inventory and market trends as well as responsive and personalized client care. I am a Paragon agent of change. Call me today to get the Paragon advantage.

Carolyn Gwynn Realtor® | CalBRE #01888136

925.336.7525

PARAGON-RE.COM

cgwynn@paragon-re.com www.CarolynGwynn.com

Contra Costa County – A Year of Dissension and Accomplishment SRVRWF Luncheon Meeting October 27th

The San Ramon Valley Republican Women Federated (SRVRWF) proudly presents Supervisor Candace Andersen who represents Contra Costa Supervisorial District 2, speaking on “Contra Costa County – A Year of Dissension and Accomplishment.”

Candace was elected to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on June 5, 2012. She was on the Danville Town Council from 2003 through June 25, 2012, serving two terms as Mayor. Candace currently sits on numerous boards, commissions, and committees.

She is an attorney licensed to practice law in California and Hawaii. Candace is an active volunteer in the community, including the Library Foundation and the Museum of the San Ramon Valley.

Join us for this candid, forthright view of our County at our luncheon to be held Tuesday, October 27th. Social time begins at 11:30AM, and the lunch and speaker follow at noon. The luncheon will be held at the Crow Canyon Country Club located at 711 Silver Lake Drive, Danville. The cost is $25 for members and $35 for non-members. Guests that become members at the door pay the member rate for this event. Men and students are cordially invited.

Please RSVP by Friday, October 23rd to srvrwf. lunch@gmail.com or at www.srvrwf.org.

Friends of the Danville Library October Booksale

Friends of the Danville Library (FODL) will be holding a book sale starting October 16 at the Danville Library located at 400 Front Street..

Members are invited for a preview on Friday, October 16 from 9AM - 10AM, and the public is welcome to start shopping that day from 10AM - 5PM. On Saturday, October 17, public sale hours will be from 10AM - 4PM, and on Sunday, October 18 a $5 Bag Sale will be available to the public from 12:05PM - 3:45PM. On Friday and Saturday all hardcover books, books on tape, and DVDs are priced at $2, and all paperback books and CDs cost $1.

For questions call 925-837-4455.

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

Page 6 - October 2015 ~ Danville Today News

Serving the Bay Area with honesty and integrity since 1973

Since 1973

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

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

2395 Monument Blvd., Suite J Concord (925) 680-4433 (Across from Costco Gas Station, next to Harvest House)

GFWC Danville Women’s Club Where Were You 5,000 Years Ago?

The Danville Women’s Club was organized in 1911 by Hazel Arthur Wiester, the first teacher for the San Ramon Valley’s one-room school.

Called “Mothers’ Club” in the beginning, the club was established to bring closer relationships among parents, teachers and school. The “Mothers’ Club” name was changed to “Danville Women’s Club” when the club became a federated club in 1919. We are members of the GFWC California Federation of Women’s Clubs (CFWC) and the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC)---one of the world’s largest women’s nondenominational, nonpartisan, international service organizations of volunteer women.

Our first general meeting of the year included a presentation by Danville Mayor Mike Doyle and Assistant to the Town Manager, Nat Rojanasathira. There was a lively question-and-answer session, and it was wonderful to meet both the Mayor and the Assistant to the Town Manager and learn more about how Danville handles its finances.

Our next general business meeting will be held on Thursday, October 15th, with socializing from 11 to 11:30AM, lunch at 11:30AM, and a demonstration by Lisa Murphy from The Nest, who will be showing the use of scarves. Bring a scarf and fall into fashion for the fall! At the conclusion of the speaker’s talk our membership meeting takes place. You are welcome to attend our meeting (and lunch, of course!) in order that you may learn more about our club.

At the luncheon we will also be donating our gently used bras for victims of sex trafficking in order to help women build new lives through their own businesses. For more information on this worthy cause, please go to http://freethegirls.org.

If you are interested in attending either or both of these October events, please contact Linda Perazzo at (925) 642-2097 or e-mail her at dwc-member@yahoo.com. We look forward to meeting you!

The First People of California

The Museum of the San Ramon Valley will open its exhibit of the Indians of California on October 3rd. Archaeological findings show that the first people settled in California well over 5,000 years ago, inhabiting the mountains, river valleys, deserts and the coast. The exhibition showcases California’s diverse climate zones which led to variations of diet and housing, even as trade, periodic gatherings, and intermarriage led to cultural similarities such as creation myths.

Tools made of stone, shell, wood, and fiber as well as regalia, foods, games, and examples of hunting and gathering will be on display.

Californian Indians are said to be the best basket weavers among the Native American groups. A rare and diverse collection of baskets, a baby carrier, and a seed sweeper will be on display. Especially noteworthy are the delicate gift baskets, woven with bird feathers and shells.

The exhibit runs October 3rd – November 8th at the Museum located at the corner of Railroad and Prospect Avenues in downtown Danville. The Museum is open Tuesday-Friday 1-4pm, Saturday 10am-1pm, and Sunday noon -3pm.

For more information, call 925-837-3750, email srvmuseum@sbcglobal.net, or visit www.museumsrv.org.

Blackhawk Republican Women Luncheon

The Blackhawk Republican Women invite you to join nationally syndicated columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, Debra Saunders, sharing the latest political happenings, before the news or paper!

“An independent voice working for a left-leaning newspaper, Saunders covers California and national politics, as well as the state’s political personalities. Her column is frequently a welcome change in tone from the rest of the editorial page, and she regularly throws punches at both sides,” notes Vaughn Ververs, Political Editor for NBCNews.com.

The luncheon takes place Wednesday, October 21st. Check-in and social time begins at 11:30AM followed by the speaker and luncheon at noon. The luncheon will be held at the Blackhawk Country Club. The cost is $25. For reservations or information please contact Jane Parish at janeparish@sbcglobal.net or 925-216-6663.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Danville Today News ~ October 2015 - Page 7

7 Things You Must Know Before Putting Your Home Up for Sale

St. Isidore School

By Maria Ward, Principal Yea for St. Isidore!

Danville - A new report has just been released which reveals 7 costly mistakes that most homeowners make when selling their home, and a 9 Step System that can help you sell your home fast and for the most amount of money.

This industry report shows clearly how the traditional ways of selling homes have become increasingly less and less effective in today's market.

The fact of the matter is that fully three quarters of homesellers don't get what they want for their homes and become disillusioned and - worse - financially disadvantaged when they put their homes on the market.

As this report uncovers, most homesellers make 7

deadly mistakes that cost them literally thousands of dollars. The good news is that each and every one of these mistakes is entirely preventable. In answer to this issue, industry insiders have prepared a free special report entitled "The 9 Step System to Get Your Home Sold Fast and For Top Dollar".

To hear a brief recorded message about how to order your FREE copy of this report call toll-free 1866-265-1682 and enter 2000. You can call any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Get your free special report NOW to find out how you can get the most money for your home.

Our middle school students receive direct, explicit instruction on specific study skills that will help them perform better in middle school and high school. They have been learning and practicing the following skills: reading comprehension, critical thinking, active learning, written expression, time management, organization, active listening, This report is courtesy of J. Rockcliff Realtors CalBRE 01763819. Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract. Copyright © 2015 attention to detail, learning strategies, and independence. Learning and implementing these skills has a direct effect on Stone Valley Middle School your middle school student’s success. We feel very fortunate to have a 1:9 teacherBy Jon Campopiano, Principal to-student ratio in our writing and math classes for our middle school students.

This past week I was fortunate to attend my This year, we are excited to launch the SOAR program. The SOAR (Set children’s 1st and 5th grade Back-to-School Night. goals, Organize, Ask questions, Record) program provides students with the In one of the classrooms, a parents asked, “When support they need to be successful. The students focus on the top 20% of the is this Common Core, stuff going away?” I wanted critical skills required in the workforce. Of the “soft skills” needed in the workto raise my hand and answer, but it wasn’t the right force, 80% require the ability to work well with others. The SOAR program helps students develop effective communication skills, learn time-management time. However, it made me think about our commuskills, practice taking strategic notes, improve reading comprehension in varied nity. I have received a number of questions regardtypes of text, learn about and explore learning types and how to learn, and build ing Common Core and I explain that Common Core flexible thinking strategies. As the students move through the SOAR program teaching and learning has been occurring within all in junior high, they gain the skills necessary to prepare them for a successful great schools and classrooms for years. Stone Valley is no exception. The transition to high school. focus of Common Core standards is to produce students that are creative, We are delighted to host the Girl’s Leadership Institute (GLI) workshops here collaborative, and can think critically. We have no idea what jobs may exist at St. Isidore School. Thank you to everyone who attended our parent education for our students 15-20 years from now, and we want our students to be able talk, presented by Simone Marean, on “Raising Resilient Girls.” Simone is the to think for themselves and be adaptable to future opportunities. Asking Executive Director and Co-founder of GLI. She provided practical, actionable students “why,” making them explain their reasoning, and challenging them advice parents can use at home to help support young girls. The workshops are to think deeply are all trademarks of excellent teachers. The Common Core for parents and their daughters in grades 2 through 8. Please visit our website Standards guarantee that all students are provided access to grade level and at www.stisidore.org under “events” for more information on these workshops beyond curriculum. Stone Valley takes great pride in providing excellent and to sign up for future sessions. teaching and learning in all classrooms.

Father Frank’s Fiesta Dinner is on Saturday, October 3. We are excited that Soul Shoppe has come to Stone Valley! our guests from the NPH orphanage, otherwise known as “Father Frank’s Kids,” Based on student, staff and community input, a focus has been placed are visiting us again this month. We partner with the parish to host about 24 young on developing a positive, caring and empathetic campus where students people visiting from Nicaragua. Father Frank’s Kids is a ministry of the parish feel safe to be themselves and focus on school. Soul Shoppe has worked in which we host visitors each year. These young people share a bilingual Mass with many schools in SRVUSD, and we are excited to have them join the with us and explain their culture while visiting with our students. We would Stone Valley Community. love for you to enjoy this evening with us. For more information, visit www. fatherfranks.org.

Red Ribbon Week is coming up! During the last week of school this month, our school will participate in Red Ribbon Week. At St. Isidore, we focus on being healthy, making good choices, and striving to always follow Christ. We integrate our Gospel Values into Red Ribbon Week, which helps us promote a Christian atmosphere in which students feel valued and safe. We still have a few openings for the 2015–2016 school year. Please come visit us. We would be happy to give you a tour of our beautiful campus.

Oktoberfest

The San Ramon Historic Foundation invites the community to join them in celebrating Oktoberfest at Forest Home Farms Historic Park on October 17th from 11am – 5pm. Bring the whole family. Enjoy live music, learn the polka, and have fun! Featured entertainment includes the Olympia Fields Brass Band, the Golden Gate Bavarian Dancers, and Dachshund Races!

Do you have a doxie that is ready to race? Visit srhf.org for details on how to enter your doxie in the competition.

Tickets to Oktoberfest are available for purchase through PayPal online at srhf.org.

The workshops and assemblies are interactive and give students the time to share, reflect, and make commitments to contributing to a more respectful school community.

Follow us on Twitter @stonevalleyms. Go Pride!

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

Page 8 - October 2015 ~ Danville Today News

Alamo’s 1st & Only Pediatric Dentist!

Alamo Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics Welcomes Dr. Allan Pang Dr. Pang completed his undergraduate degree at the University of California, San Diego.

He earned his Doctorate of Dental Medicine at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts. After Tufts he completed a General Practice Residency at University of California, Los Angeles. Thereafter, Dr. Pang practiced general dentistry in the community of Los Gatos, California for two years. It was during this time that he realized how much he enjoyed working with his pediatric patients and returned to school to specialize in Pediatric Dentistry.

His residency in Pediatric Dentistry at New York University-Bellevue Hospital in New York City allowed for him to have extensive training in treating the well child and those with special healthcare needs such as children with craniofacial disorders and developmental disabilities.

Dr. Pang has been in private practice since 2008.

He is a Board Certified Pediatric Dentist, a Diplomate with the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, and a member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

(925) 831-8310

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Charlotte Wood Middle School

By Christopher George, Principal

We are up and running and looking forward to a great year at Charlotte Wood Middle School. We have begun the year hopeful to build on our previous successes, yet we never let complacency prevent us from looking forward and making the changes we need to. We begin this year having received our first round of scores from the CAASSP assessment program. While we are pleased with the scores, we also know that we must continue to work so that every child meets or exceeds grade level proficiency. We look forward to the work that will enable us to do that.

One of our major goals is to look at better ways of assessing and scoring kids.

We have come to understand that our current A through F; one percentage score is inadequate to communicate to kids and parents where they truly are on their progress toward a standard. To that end, many of our teachers spent the summer looking at new and clearer ways to assess and communicate those assessments to parents. While we are still learning, we have already seen a difference in kids’ understanding of their own learning and parents’ understanding of the specifics of their child’s learning.

This year we begin work with Challenge Success, an organization founded at Stanford with the goal of reducing student stress. Recently a team of teachers, parents, and students traveled for a two day conference to learn about ways to bring balance back into kids’ lives. We are able to join this program thanks to a generous grant from Leadership San Ramon Valley, who chose to grant $5,000 to our district as their service project. We are grateful for their help.

On the school climate front, we also started piloting Restorative Justice techniques in order to reduce disciplinary measures that prevent kids from learning. This project, headed by our Assistant Principal James Corral and our two counselors, Brook Dalrymple and Tara Garrison, aims to help kids restore their relationships with peers, teachers, staff, and the school when problems occur. We hope to do this so that kids can resolve issues and get back to learning as soon as they possibly can. Teachers and students who have been able to go through this process have already reported positive outcomes from the techniques.

Finally, I want to thank all of our staff, parents, and students for their work. As we begin the year, we are continually reminded of the amount of work it takes as a community to get a school year started. Our teachers worked throughout the summer to prepare, and our office staff worked tirelessly to help get teachers ready. This year, our registration efforts were a combined effort, lead by Catherine Golden and Charlyene Swierstra, who worked all summer to help get our registration process totally online for the first time ever. We are remarkably grateful for their efforts.

Additionally, we also want to welcome our new PTA President, Amy Rickard to our site, and we look forward to the next two years of working with her for our students.

Del Amigo High School

By Amy Oss, Principal

Here at Del Amigo High School we have had a wonderful start of the 2015-2016 school year. I am excited to be part of SRVUSD. The students at Del Amigo are a great group of young adults focused on graduating. Every student works closely with an Advisory teacher and the school counselor to develop and monitor their graduation plan. The students have an opportunity to earn credits at an accelerated rate, helping them to catch up and meet their graduation goals.

We started our school’s Speaker Series with 9/11/01 survivor, Bert Upson.

Mr. Upson shared his experiences of being on the 78th floor of the South World Trade Tower when the North Tower was struck by American Airlines Flight 11. He worked his way through a harrowing tale of bravery and leadership as he made his way out of the South Tower and led many to safety. Del Amigo students have written papers about the decisions one would have to make to survive an event like 9/11.

Del Amigo hosted our first annual Spaghetti Feed and Back-to-School Night on September 17th. Students, families, and staff enjoyed the opportunity to visit, showcase, and learn about our school and classrooms.

We are looking forward to a great school year.

Danville Today News ~ October 2015 - Page 9

MEADOWLARK PRESCHOOL Invites You to Our

Wheel Day & Fall Festival!

Saturday, October 24 ~ 10AM to Noon

Children will be able to see and explore: • Fire Truck • Camper • School Bus with Rides • Antique Fire Engine • Monster Truck • Unicycle • Police Motorcycle • Construction Vehicles • Plus fall crafts, activities, and refreshments Meadowlark Preschool | 2964 Miranda Ave in Alamo

S.T.E.M. in the Preschool Classroom

By Giovana Merritt, Meadowlark Preschool

Children are innately curious. Just ask any parent of a four year old! “Why and how?” are the first words in so many of their sentences. Curiosity is a wonderful thing. Engaging children in meaningful, relevant S.T.E.M. play (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) supports a child’s abilities in critical thinking skills: to question, to observe, to predict, to hypothesize, to reason, to problem solve, to test, and to create.

These are skills that can lead to success in school and in life, especially when introduced in the context of play.

Children learn through play. Let’s look at block play. When children build with blocks, they are developing cognitive skills (mathematical concepts, abstract thinking, problem solving), physical skills (fine and gross motor), acquiring new vocabulary (balance, arch, ramp), social skills (sharing, turn taking, listening to the ideas of others, negotiating, cooperating), and literacy skills (making or using road signs, labeling their work). They are also tapping into all four components of S.T.E.M. Block play is rich in engineering (“How can I make this balance?”) and mathematical skills (“I need two triangle blocks and four more square blocks”). When you offer them a child’s digital camera so that they can make a permanent record of their structure, you’ve added technology. Jungle animals or sea creatures integrated into their structure brings life science into their play.

In the right preschool environment, S.T.E.M. is happening all around and throughout the day. The dramatic play corner can be easily transformed into a grocery store offering opportunities for rich socialization and S.T.E.M. play.

Children become checkers, baggers, and shoppers (socialization-role playing).

By introducing a cash register with play money and a phone, children are using technology and practicing pre-math skills, not to mention sharing and turn taking. Shopping for fruits, grains, dairy, etc increases their vocabulary, their knowledge about where food comes from, and their understanding of what healthy foods are and why they are important. Fine motor and early literacy come into play when children make signs for their store, and by using cloth grocery bags, caring for the environment is being reinforced.

Asking the right questions can greatly enrich the play experience. When parents and educators ask questions such as, “What do you think caused ______?” or “What do you think would happen if______?” you are encouraging children to use critical thinking skills in their play.

Meadowlark Preschool in Alamo is a small developmental preschool and pre-K that fosters learning and independent thinking through hands on experiences in all areas of S.T.E.M., early literacy, creative arts, motor skills social skills, and small group time. We have one classroom with a small student/teacher ratio of 6:1. Giovana Merritt is the owner and one of the teachers. She would love to give you a tour. 925-588-1059. Advertorial

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

Page 10 - October 2015 ~ Danville Today News

Los Cerros Middle School

By Evan Powell, Principal

The school year has begun, and learning is in full swing at Los Cerros Middle School. In my first month as principal I have met many students and families who are eager to learn, work hard, and support the educational process. From morning drop off and throughout the day, saying, “Hello” and “How you doing?” are common phrases I hear. Using the R U TRFCC campaign, we are enforcing positive character development. At the Back-to-School Rally, I talked with students about what it takes to be a leader, challenged them to make good choices, and discussed the following traits: Respect, Trustworthiness, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship.

Our faculty is determined to do what is best for students. Through professional development, great teaching practices, and engaging lessons, students will enhance their learning each day. Teachers are identifying the Essential Skills, or ‘Need to Know’ pieces of the curriculum, which allow for students to dive deep into learning and prepare them for what is next.

As we look ahead, the month of October will very busy. We are hosting the magazine drive, teachers will take part in several Professional Development days, and the first ‘Evening with Evan’ will take place on October 21st. Evening with Evan is a time for parents and community members to come to Los Cerros and see student work and learn about the school.

I would like to thank everyone at Los Cerros and in our community who has helped make the start of the school year a success. Without your support, our school would not be where it is today. I am looking forward to the rest of the school year and working with students, staff, and families to help enrich our school and community. Go Panthers!

San Ramon Valley Christian Academy

By Jamie Westgate, Principal

Now that we are a month into the school year, I’m noticing our students have hit a nice stride! Our kindergarten students have learned to navigate the lunchroom, opening thermoses, and retrieving their hot lunch orders. Our first graders are a little more energetic by the end of the day, where staying until 3pm is a new challenge for them. In Jr. High, I notice renewed friendships have been strengthened, giving our students security in knowing they belong to one another.

Perhaps my favorite week of the year is in early September, when we take our 7th and 8th grade students on a spiritual retreat to Younglife’s Camp Woodleaf. Located in the California foothills, Woodleaf allows students to get away from technology and their scheduled routines to spend time fulfilling our primary goals: to grow closer to God and grow closer to one another. I am always struck by the simple realization that our investment in relationships is far more fulfilling than most of how we spend our time. This is a life-skill that must be taught to our youth, as talking and listening have often been replaced with texting and social media. Students marvel at how close they feel to one another when they return. Upon self-reflection, they notice the benefits of good old fashioned communication. Our staff members also notice the relational benefit of this retreat as students return to campus with a renewed desire to reach outside of their cliques and widen their friendship circles. Most importantly, students realize that time spent in prayer and Bible study fills their souls by providing peace, joy, and love for those around them. By having some quiet time in God’s Word, the students learn He has a unique purpose for the life of each student. What a privilege it is to witness God at work in the hearts and minds of our students as they strengthen their friendships and grow deeper in their faith! Author Marvin Olasky captured the importance of teaching our students about God stating, “If children don’t develop a sense of wonder about this astounding, God-created world, they’ll miss a lifetime of excitement. Music, art, history, science, foreign languages and more should all make school wonder-full.” I smiled when I read this as specific teachers came to mind who live out this play on words. Not only do we provide the opportunity to find wonder in this world God created, but we find blessing in sharing it with our students through the various arts and sciences. Sara Whalen can be seen singing with our 3rd graders while wearing her sombrero! While performing any of our four musicals, our music teacher Mrs. Warner cannot hide an enormous smile of joy. Mrs. Managan practically can’t sleep the night before shark dissection, knowing the activity may ignite in some a passion for pursuing careers in biology or medicine. Finally, I envision Mrs. Winaker, hiking the hills at Arlington National Cemetery with our 8th grade class, where she tearfully reminds students that our American freedom isn’t free. My list of teachers could go on forever, and the “wonder-full” education and discipleship I am privileged to observe is a blessing back to me. I wish everyone a great month of October as we prepare our hearts for the season of Thanksgiving to come.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

San Ramon Valley High School

By Ruth Steele, Principal

One of the enduring struggles, in any school, is how to support ALL students in their learning.

We have many students who struggle in particular aspects of their learning, and one of the things that we are working on this year is how to ensure that school staff are responsible for making sure that all students learn what they need to learn in order to progress to the next academic level.

RTI (Response to Intervention) is the formal name for the established system that defines how to support students in the classroom. However, it could also stand for “Really Terrific Instruction” because in a nutshell, the more effective and engaging the instruction, the more engaged and successful students will be in their learning. RTI encompasses three levels.

RTI Level One. These are interventions that can happen in classrooms every day and are put in place by the teacher. Preferential seating, on task reminders, multiple modes of communication, breaking down tasks into small steps, and checks for understanding are a few examples of simple interventions that can help students.

RTI Level Two. These are interventions that happen outside the classroom, often as a result of an SST (Student Support Team meeting). They include extra help at brunch and lunch, after school support with classes, and peer tutoring.

RTI Level Three. This is includes specific program interventions. For example a 504 plan or an IEP can be put in place as a result of medical, psychological, and academic assessments. This level of support may be developed if the interventions from Levels One and Two have not been effective in supporting student learning.

One of the challenges with the RTI Level Two interventions, is that they typically happen outside the classroom or outside of the school day. One of our goals at SRVHS this year is to look at ways that we can adjust our bell schedule so that we can build intervention time into the school day with tutorial time and targeted support for our students. There is always more we can do in order to support all of our students in their learning and this is something that we hope to have in place for the 2016 school year.

Homecoming Parade: The annual Homecoming Parade is October 16th and we need flatbeds, alumni, clubs, convertibles, and sports teams who are interested in being a part of the parade to join the fun! We will set up the parade around 12:30PM and the actual parade will be held from 2:30-3:10PM. If you are interested in donating or being a part of the parade please email jwillford@ srvhs.org. The theme is “One Big Family-SRV Homecoming 2015.”

Chromatica Sings Women Composers

Chromatica, a regional chorus, will perform three concerts of music by women composers. The program includes music by Monte Vista High School graduate and commissioned composer Stacy Garrop, and the North American premier of music

by UK composer of the year Cecilia McDowall.

Shows will be held November 1st at 7pm at Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church, 1578 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton, November 7 at 7pm at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Dublin at 7557 Amador Valley Boulevard, Dublin, and November 8 at 7pm at Peace Lutheran Church, 3301 Camino Tassajara, Danville (a reception follows this concert).

Building on its tradition of innovative and compelling programs, the Chromatica program of women composers will include works as early as the 12th century Hildegard von Bingen’s“O Virtus Sapientiae” to Cecilia McDowall’s haunting tribute to Edith Cavell, an English nurse executed during World War 1. Titled “Standing as I do before God.” Add to this song cycles by Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Shakespeare songs by Mary Jeanne van Appledorn, and a very different take on nursery rhymes by Libby Larsen (and much more), and you have a compelling take on women composers over the centuries.

Tickets can be purchased through the Chromatica website at www.chromaticachorale.org, from any member of Chromatica, or at the event. Ticket prices are $20 for adults, $10 for students and free to children 5 to 10.

Chromatica, a classical and contemporary chorus founded in 2011 and located in the San Ramon Valley, includes men and women singing soprano, alto, tenor, and bass. Chromatica performs high quality, challenging vocal music from classical and contemporary genres for presentation to regional audiences. To learn more visit www. chromaticachorale.org.

Danville Today News ~ October 2015 - Page 11

Monte Vista High School

By Dr. Kevin Ahern, Principal

The 2015-16 school year is full speed ahead, and Monte Vista’s students and faculty are off to a great start.

What I love most about the first weeks of school is the reconnecting (or in my case connecting) with students, faculty, parents, and community. When I walk through classrooms or around campus and have those interactions, I am reminded of why I am an educator. All the stress that goes into the preparation for school gives way to the happiness I feel when we are finally in school.

Over the course of the first week, I tried to visit as many classrooms as possible and was very impressed by the high levels of instruction delivered by our teachers and the amazing levels of learning demonstrated by our students.

Through these visits, I couldn’t help thinking about three elements important to any team that I learned from former Notre Dame Head Coach Lou Holtz: Can I trust you? Are you committed? Do you care? As educators, I feel we need to answer these questions frequently. Do my students trust me to teach them? Am I committed to providing them with a quality education? Do I care about my students’ learning? My classroom walkthroughs at Monte Vista have answered these questions with a resounding “Yes.” Monte Vista’s Back-to -School Night was held on September 10th, and it proved to be a great success. Our faculty did an outstanding job describing their courses and their teaching philosophies. I received countless positive comments from parents and was able to work to solve some of the challenges that came up that evening.

It was great seeing the high level of interest that our parents are taking in regard to their students’ education. Building that home-to-school link is a critical part of providing a quality educational program. Special thanks to our robotics team, who showed off a few of their creations before the official start to Back-to-School Night.

Monte Vista’s athletic teams are off and running. Football is off to a great 2-0 start, Varsity Volleyball took a 2nd at the Albany Tournament, Frosh-Soph.

Volleyball won the Dougherty Valley Tournament, Boys Cross Country took 1st in both the Ed Sias and Monte Vista Invitationals, and Girls Cross Country took 1st in the Monte Vista Invitational. In addition, Tennis, Women’s Golf and Water Polo are all doing well.

Monte Vista’s arts programs are also on the move. Our band played at our 9/11 rally and our football game against Pittsburgh, our choir enjoyed a weekend retreat in Aptos, and we received word that our Speech and Debate Team once again earned a National Championship Award.

I would also like to give kudos to Monte Vista’s Leadership students and their advisor Andrea Greco. These students have taken the lead in creating a positive school culture which has included an outstanding 9/11 rally, Freshman Orientation, and a student cheering section that truly sets a great tone for our school.

Things will only get better in the next few weeks. Eleventh grade (and some 10th grade) students will take the PSAT on October 14th. Homecoming Week is slated for October 12th – October 17th, concluding with our Friday Homecoming Game against Foothill and the Homecoming Dance on Saturday.

Pumpkin Jubilee Festival

The Danville Livery Shopping Center located at 440 Sycamore Valley Road West, Danville will be celebrating Halloween with their Pumpkin Jubilee Festival on Saturday, October 24th, from 11am – 3pm.

Kids and families are invited to dress-up in their Halloween costumes and participate in the festivities which will include live music with local Country Band Terry Sheets, pumpkin carving demonstrations, pumpkin giveaways, horse drawn carriage rides, face painting, balloon twisting, photo booth, strolling entertainment, reptile fun with Jungle James, and trick-or-treating at participating Livery merchants. Also, join in on the fun at the “Bone Diggin’ Graveyard.” Dig up some fun sized bones and receive a free pair of glow in the dark glasses to help you see all of the fun and exciting activities!

Bring the entire family and enjoy a day of fun! For more information, visit www.DanvilleLivery.com.

Veterans of Foreign Wars

Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW), Post 75, San Ramon Valley, meets every third Wednesday of the month at the Veterans Memorial Building, located at 400 Hartz Ave., Danville, on the corner at East Prospect Avenue and Hartz Avenue. Doors open at 7PM, and the meeting begins at 7:30PM. The next meeting will be held October 21st. For more information, contact Post Commander Ernie Petagara at (925) 362-9806 or visit www.vfwpost75.org.

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

Page 12 - October 2015 ~ Danville Today News

Oakland Treasures

UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE FACTORY DIRECT PRICES SAVE UP UP TO TO 50% 50% OFF! OFF! SAVE

By Linda Summers Pirkle

My friend Barb is the kind of traveler who brings home a list of “Barb’s Best” cafes, unusual walks, and delicious local treats to try. I always pass along her tips to my other friends.

When she is not traveling to far off places, Dr. Barbara Thomas, Senior Director of Counseling Services at U.S.F. is busy with her many interests: Ikebana, hiking, and exploring her adopted city, Oakland. She has been a passionate Oakland promoter for many years, even before the city became “the” place to live in.

Barb and I visited the Mt. View Cemetery which recently celebrated its 150th anniversary. Located on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland, it is one of her favorite walking spots. The extensive grounds were designed by the renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted who also designed Central Park in New York City.

On any day, walkers are out enjoying the 223-acre historic location. “I enjoy a peaceful walk to the crest that overlooks Oakland and San Francisco. The view is exceptional. Then I traverse the southern edge which also runs along a rise. My favorite areas are the Jewish and Chinese sections because of the poignant mementos that folks leave at the grave sites,” Barbara says. Some of the historical figures buried in the cemetery are Charles Crocker; Domingo Ghirardelli, the chocolate maker; Anthony Chabot, the hydraulic engineer; and Julia Morgan, the famous architect.

Chapel of the Chimes is an inside cemetery, crematorium, and funeral home located just steps away from the entrance to Mt. View Cemetery.

It began in 1909 as a small chapel for funeral services. Today this beautiful architectural treasure is a “masterpiece mash up,” says Allison Rodman, End of Life Pre Planning Specialist at the Chapel.

Julia Morgan, the architect who designed Hearst Castle and modernist Aaron Green (protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright) contributed to the design of this gorgeous Moorish, Gothic, and Romanesque historic landmark. Barb and I toured the many enclaves, chapels, and rooms in the Chapel of the Chimes. We saw lush green gardens, beautiful fountains, and exotic and tropical plants and trees. There is even a primitive Entrance corridor of the historic Chapel of the Chimes.

Boar fountain dating back to 1550. My favorite area of the Chapel is the Garden of Revelation, with its luxuriant planters, individually lit glass niches, and a gorgeous fountain in the center. The view from the window in the Garden of Revelation is spectacular. Don’t miss the beautiful Lapis Lazuli Fleur de Lis inlaid table brought from Europe by Ms. Morgan for the Chapel of the Chimes. As Ms. Rodman says, “Traipsing up and down the three floors through all the different design eras is a sensory pleasure balanced by the reason for the building’s existence.”

• Mt. View Cemetery is located at 5000 Piedmont Avenue in Oakland. Free cemetery tours are offered every second Saturday. This docent led tour highlights the people, architecture, beauty, and history of Mountain View Cemetery. Tours begin at 10AM and lasts two and a half hours.

• Every fourth Saturday of the month a free tour of the cemetery focuses on more specialized topics. Check out their website at www.mountainviewcemetery. org. A self guided tour map is available in the cemetery office. Dogs are allowed on cemetery grounds provided they are on a leash at all times.

• Chapel of the Chimes is located at 4499 PiedmontAvenue, Oakland. Their website is chapelofthechimes.com. The venue is used for concerts, speaker series, and weddings.

• No trip to Piedmont Avenue in Oakland is complete without a stop at the famous Fenton’s Creamery located at 4226 Piedmont Avenue which has the best ice cream around.

Linda Summers Pirkle, travel consultant and long term Danville resident, has arranged and led tours for the Town of Danville for several years. Inspired by the many wonderful places to visit in the Bay Area, she organizes day trips, either for groups or for friends and family. “What a great place to live, so much to see, so much to do.” To share your “Quick Trips” ideas email Coverthemap@gmail.com.

Build your own custom sofa, chair, orBeautiful sectionalquality with ourfabrics premium fabrics.

Many and & leather tostyles choose from frames to choose from.

In stock ready to take home

Floor models or special order! always on sale or special*Starting order your at $719.00 own.

*The Anaheim Sectional $1149

www.rickspicks.biz www.rickspicks.biz Downtown (3325) Downtown Danville Danville •• 375 375 Hartz Hartz Ave Ave ••925.837.DEAL 925.837.DEAL (3325) Downtown Main St St •• 925.426.SAVE (7283) DowntownPleasanton Pleasanton •• 719 719 Main 925.426.SAVE (7283)

Sons in Retirement SRV Branch 128

Looking for things to do in your retirement? Consider joining Sons in Retirement San Ramon Valley Branch 128. We have monthly luncheons with interesting speakers and good fellowship. Additionally, our members have lots of fun participating in a variety of activities such as golf, tennis, bowling, bocce ball, bridge, computers, and much more. Other activities such as travel, dine outs, excursions, baseball games, and holiday parties include spouses, friends, and guests.

Our next meeting is on Wednesday, October 21st at 11AM. A fee of $23 includes luncheon, speaker, and a great opportunity to socialize with at least 150 other retirees from the Valley. Our October guest speaker will be Mr. Bill Richardson. Bill had a long and distinguished career as a San Francisco Fire Chief, but it will be his second career as a PAC-12 official and NFL Replay analyst that will be the focus of his talk at our luncheon. Bill will speak about NCAA football and the transition from the field to the Instant Replay booth in the NFL and PAC-12. To reserve a space, please email us by Thursday, October 15th at info@sir128.com. The meeting will be held at San Ramon Golf Club, 9430 Fircrest Lane in San Ramon.

For more information about our Retirement branch and activities, please visit www.SIR128.com.

GREAT SERVICE. EVEN BETTER VALUE. CONVENIENT SHUTTLE SERVICE TO HOME, THE OFFICE, BART AND BACK.

FACTORY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE Improve mileage and extend the life of your vehicle - follow recommended service schedules

% OFF 10 REGULAR PRICES

`

LUBE, OIL & FILTER Multi-Point Performance Inspection Drain and Replace All Engine Oil Install Genuine Factory Oil Filter

DIAGNOSIS/ CHECK ENGINE LIGHT INSPECTION Let our trained experts perform an initial inspection and diagnosis. We’ll also provide you with the exact cost to perform the repair. No obligation, nothing to buy.

TAX 2995 FREE

$

+

Synthetic oil extra.

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.

SINCE

1993

LAFAYETTE 3360 Mt. Diablo Blvd.

925.283.3133

SAN RAMON

2151 San Ramon Valley Blvd.

925.837.3000

THESERVICEOUTLET.COM 1410127-TSO-ALToday-5x6.25.indd 1

10/27/14 12:05 PM

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Andalucia – The Moorish Jewel of Spain

Danville Today News ~ October 2015 - Page 13

By Jeremy Barcan, Alamo World Travel

No wonder travelers love to go back to Spain time and again. It’s one of those countries that has so much to offer because it really is a conglomerate of so many regions, each with its unique sights, culture, food, entertainment and yes, even language. Spain could mean the ancient royal cities of Toledo and Madrid in central Spain, it could mean Catalunia with its effervescent capital Barcelona in the northeast, or it could mean the Basque country in the north with its capital Bilbao.

And then, there is always the sun-kissed Andalucia in the south with its capital Seville, where one can almost smell Africa, where ancient Moorish palaces like the Alhambra or the Alcazar reflect the Moslem heritage of southern Spain.

You will be swept away by the sheer beauty, the fiery flamenco rhythm, and the sound of “Ole!” coming from the bullfight arenas and the taste of western Mediterranean and North African cuisine.

After a hiatus of 30 years, I recently traveled to Andalucia with two close friends. We started in Malaga, where we flew into the user-friendly airport, Spain’s third busiest. Malaga is a great starting point for a tour of Andalucia, where one can rent a car and drive all over the region or use frequent and comfortable trains between the major cities: Malaga, Granada, Cordoba and Seville. To do Andalucia justice, one should allow at least eight days and nights if traveling by rental car, and it would be wise to begin in Malaga and end in Seville, where a minimum of three days is recommended as Seville has so much to offer. No wonder the city conjured up the imagination of so many writers and opera composers.

The most noticeable change was the modern infrastructure of roads that postFranco era Spain has put in place which cuts the driving time between places considerably. Also, the Spanish train network has improved beyond description, and riding trains in Spain these days is very safe and comfortable.

Andalucia, like the rest of Spain, is a late night party place. Local restaurants fill up around 10:30-11pm, and people often dine well past midnight. That’s because the tradition of taking a “siesta” (the afternoon nap and rest between 2pm and 4pm) is well entrenched over there. So, to really catch a dining experience and mingle with the locals, go see a flamenco show from 9pm to 10:30pm, and make your restaurant reservation for immediately after the show. Almost invariably, I found that the local Andalucian culinary specialty is oxtail, and it was delicious everywhere I ordered it even though it was prepared in several different ways.

But of all the things I did and saw in Andalucia, the biggest revelation was visiting the town of Ronda, situated half way between Malaga and Seville. I think the reason I missed it on previous visits to that region is because it is kind of off the beaten track and can only be reached by car or bus. The circuitous road leading up to it overlooks the majestic Costa del Sol, and one will have trouble deciding which vista point offers more magnificent sea views.

Once reaching the town of Ronda, the first thing you’ll notice is the spectacular view of the El Tajo gorge that splits Ronda into the old and the new districts with the Punte Nuevo bridge connecting the two, a photographic highlight. This gorge and the bridge create a dramatic backdrop for this small town which boats a rich Islamic history.

The best kept secret in Ronda is the Parador de Ronda, an affordable government-run deluxe five-star hotel which mixes elegance and tradition and takes advantage of the most incredible views. If for some reason you make it to Ronda and cannot stay at the Parador, you must at least go to the bar around sunset and watch the view while sipping your sangria. From the hotel windows, guests may look down to the bottom of a 120 meters (360 feet) deep gorge.

Including Ronda on your itinerary when visiting Andalucia makes for an exotic change from staying in a large urban city.

Jeremy Barcan is a Travel Consultant with Alamo World Travel, specializing in tours, cruises and customized vacations to Europe and Israel. You can reach him at 925-948-6035 or jeremy@alamoworld.com. Advertorial

History on Display

Military Memorabilia Sought

The Veterans Memorial Building, in partnership with the Town of Danville, is seeking collections of military memorabilia for an open house featuring temporary exhibits honoring our nation’s veterans in conjunction with Veterans Day. The focus for this year’s exhibit will be “Women in the Military.”

The exhibits will be on display in the auditorium of the Veterans Memorial Building, 400 Hartz Avenue, and open to the public Saturday, November 7, and Sunday, November 8.

For those with collections or memorabilia, send a brief description, by noon on October 16, of the items and photos to Tim Sammons, curator@vmbsrv.org.

Experience the richness of New Meaning and Color with the Alex and Ani Fall Collection. Inspired by the mystery and thrill of exploring the wild, this collection embodies Ancient Mysteries, Rich Colors, and Raw Energy inspired by nature.

Walnut Creek Broadway Plaza

Danville The Livery

MADISON

Next to McCaulou’s, Lafayette

Page 14 - October 2015 ~ Danville Today News

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Danville Today News ~ October 2015 - Page 15

DT

Page 16 - October 2015 ~ Danville Today News

Life in the Danville Garden

The Night Garden

By John Montgomery, ASLA, Landscape Architect

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

What if the glory of your Danville garden could come to life at night? There is so much to be enjoyed after the sun goes down. When designing a successful garden the night garden must be considered. Many Danville families enjoy evening entertaining, sitting on the patio drinking wine and iced tea, playing games, swimming, or kids playing hide-n-seek until midnight. The essentials of a great night garden are sound, scent, light, and fire.

There’s nothing more soothing than the sound of trickling or babbling water echoing through the landscape. Waterfalls, streams, and fountains are an important attraction to all gardens, whether it is day or night. Water masks the “unwanted” sounds of traffic and noisy neighbors. The night garden becomes so much more romantic with the sound of water soothing the night.

Designing-in essential night-blooming plants that add fragrance and scent enhance the night garden ten-fold. Fragrance adds another dimension of pleasure to your garden, especially at night. It also heightens your outdoor experience by encompassing the most powerful of our senses, Call for details the sense of smell. Just as perfume induces the senses, fragrant plants 925.939.8300 intoxicate and romanticize any setting. White and pastel flowers are the solartechnologies.com most fragrant, pale pinks are the most potent pastels, moving through the Lic. #932914 color wheel to the mauves and yellows, and to the less scented purples and blues. Vibrant colors such as oranges and crimsons will provide dramatic color in the garden but little or no fragrance to the night garden. Fragrance becomes intensified in enclosed areas, so plant your most fragrant selections in a courtyard or trellised patio, or surround your garden with hedges and windbreaks to encourage the fragrance of plants to linger. Some of my favorites include jasmines (jasminum polyanthum, jasminum officinale, and jasminum sambac), gardenias (Gardenia jasminoides), Mexican orange (Choisya ternata), Daphne (Daphne x burkwoodii), Sweet Olive (Osmanthus fragrans), and Citrus (oranges, lemons, tangerines, and blood oranges) to enhance the sense of fragrance of the night garden.

Lighting your garden at night touches our visual sensibilities. Creating a “lighting portrait” is another essential to the night garden. From mood and ambiance to functionality, lighting brings life to the night garden. A “lighting portrait” is not just plunking Malibu lights into your landscape, but it is a creative approach that paints a landscape for night-time enjoyment. Downlighting, moonlighting, uplighting, silhouetting, shadowing, and washing create moods and ambiance. Lighting to feature sculpture, accents, and structures create visual focal points in the dark which in-turn brings drama to the night garden.

Lighting water features produce very dramatic effects. Watching the illuminated diamonds bounce off the glowing surface becomes a mesmerizing effect at night. Underwater lighting for pools, waterfalls, fountains and ponds makes the water glow, giving emphasis to water’s natural attraction.

Another major mood maker and important feature in the night garden is fire. There is nothing like fire on either a summer evening or a cozy winter’s night to bring drama, function, and romance. I find the fire element to be very important to my clients. Fire can be implemented from the very simple to the more complicated. The simple and least expensive approach is a portable firepit from Target to a Mexican pottery “chiminea.” Built-in firepits to full blown outdoor fireplaces can add hours of evening pleasure as well. Fire elements have become very popular in the last several years because they add yet another element to make your outdoor environment more inviting and useful, especially the night garden.

A hot tip from your local Landscape Architect: For you garden tour fundraiser enthusiasts, I am disappointed to announce that we have cancelled our garden tour fundraiser for spring 2016 due to the drought. We expect to reconvene in spring 2017. Meanwhile, let’s hope we get some rain this winter!

Gardening Quote of the Month: I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day. ~Vincent Van Gogh If you would like me to write on any particular subject, email your ideas to jmontgomery@jm-la.com or visit www.jm-la.com.

Advertorial

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Fall Pruning

By Blaine Brende & Joe Lamb

Now is a great time to prune your trees to protect them against winter storms. There are three kinds of tree failure: branch, column, and entire tree. Judicious pruning reduces the likelihood of all three kinds of failure. Selective removal of weight from leggy branches makes it much less likely that a branch would fall, causing injury or damage to property. It takes a lot of “in tree” experience to identify branches with weak crotches and/or with unsafe weight distribution.

Thinning the canopy to reduce friction from the wind greatly reduces the odds of a column breaking, or of the entire tree falling over. When done correctly, a tree pruned for safety should still look natural, even after 30% of its foliage is removed.

Many evergreens, such as cedars, cypresses, and redwoods, and many species of deciduous trees, such as valley oaks, can be pruned in this time of year. Monterey Pines should only be pruned between October 15th and February 15th unless compelling safety reasons dictate otherwise.. The timing for pruning is restricted because sap from pruning cuts attracts bark beetles that are destructive to pines.

These beetles become dormant during the fall and winter months. Some species of beetles carry pine pitch canker, an increasingly common fungal disease that disfigures pine trees, sometimes killing them. If your tree has dead tips scattered throughout the canopy it probably suffers from pine pitch canker. To prolong the aesthetic life of a diseased tree, prune out the infected tips before February 15th.

October is also a good time, if you haven’t already, to make your landscape more fire safe. It is not uncommon for the East Bay to experience hot, dry, and gusty winds in the fall due to sinking air from the bay combining with inland high-pressure systems. The Oakland Hills fire of 1991 occurred on October 20th, its precursor, the 1923 Berkeley Fire, started on September 27th. Removing dead wood, breaking up fire ladders, and limbing vegetation back from your home can greatly improve the chances of your home surviving a wildfire. Brende & Lamb knows how to fire prune your landscape in a way that improves fire safety, without sacrificing the natural aesthetic. Clearing some under-story trees and removing dead wood usually enhances the natural feel of a landscape by making it look more like a mature forest.

Pruning trees for safety is a craft requiring study and experience. A wellpruned tree should not only be safer, but it should look beautiful. At Brende &

Clip Notes

By Jody Morgan

October is the month when Americans assemble costumes in anticipation of Halloween. Carnival, celebrated prior to Lent in many Catholic cities around the world, also invites donning of disguises. Weeds, however, don’t wait for holidays to impersonate more desirable plants. Much like the Venetians who found concealing their identities so convenient that they wore masks on many occasions throughout the year, many weeds masquerade in all seasons.

Chrysanthemum Weed fooled me the first time it began haunting my garden. Emerging near where Chrysanthemums grew the previous year, it was several inches high before the leaves began looking more like its cousin Wormwood. Also known as Mugwort, this versatile vegetativereproducer is a shape changer, sporting different looks as it grows to its full 3-7-foot height. The insignificant flowers do set seed, but clumps sprout most successfully along the rapidly running rhizomes, and every tiny piece of ghostwhite root left in the garden generates a new shoot. Useful in preventing erosion along stream banks, the roots are almost impossible to eradicate once established.

Various Mugworts are found throughout the world. Oddly enough, all are associated by local folklore with warding off evil spirits. Native Americans rubbed the leaves of the species indigenous to California (Artemisia douglasiana) on their bodies to keep ghosts away and wore necklaces of the leaves to avoid dreaming about the dead. Smoking the leaves or infusing them in a tea purportedly induced vivid visions.

Roman soldiers tucked the leaves of the Old World species (Artemisia vulgaris) into their sandals to treat tired feet. Drinking Mugwort tea was a remedy for stomach pains.

Some believe the common name comes from the practice of flavoring beer with Mugwort leaves before hops came into use, thus making the plant essential to imbibing a “mug” of ale. Others, relating “mug” to the Old English “moughte” meaning moth, suggest the plant’s efficacy as an insect repellent is the more likely source of the sobriquet. Nevertheless, rather than finding the leaves repulsive, a few species of native bees actually use the foliage of California Mugwort for nesting material.

Danville Today News ~ October 2015 - Page 17

Danville-Alamo Garden Club Meeting

The Danville-Alamo Garden Club (DAGC) meets on the second Thursday of the months between September and June starting at 9:15am at the Alamo Women’s Club, located at 1401 Danville Blvd. in Alamo. At the October 8th meeting, Bill ‘the Bulb Baron’ will join us. Bill Welch is the world’s leading authority on Narcissus, specifically Tazetta Narcissus.

Bill spends most of his time working in his fields in the Carmel Valley, growing, picking, and hybridizing Narcissus. His purpose in life is to collect and preserve the old varieties that still exist. His field in the Carmel Valley has the largest collection of Tazetta Narcissus in the world. He uses many of these varieties for pollination to create new types of Narcissus. Bill has bred and named several new varieties, including Avalanche of Gold, Sugar Cups, New Glory, and Liquid Sun. There will be an opportunity to purchase bulbs from Bill at the meeting.

If you have any questions, contact Susan at membershipvp@dagc.us.

Lamb we take great pride in both the science and the art of pruning. Each plant has a natural growth pattern, and our trimmers are expert at accentuating the shape given the plant by nature. Our trimmers are well practiced in aesthetic pruning and are attuned to the artistic flow inherent in tree forms. One form is weeping, as with Willows and Chinese Elms. In some species, such as the Monterey Cypress, branches ascend at acute angles to the trunk, giving the tree an upswept look.

Branches in the Coast Live Oak bend and twist, forming complex arcs. Each tree species has a unique form and flow.

When necessary, trees and shrubs can be reduced in size, but crown reduction requires a good eye: a poorly reduced tree looks like a thicket of stubs. Topping is almost always a bad idea. However, the crown of many trees can be reduced by cutting back long branches to the crotches formed by shorter branches growing in the same direction. If the branch doesn’t fork, we cut back to the lowest growth point that will neither create a thick stub nor undermine the arching quality of the branch. When a tree or shrub has been reduced in this way, it’s difficult to detect the cuts or tell that the branches have been shortened.

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.

Members of the genus Ambrosia look a lot like marigolds as wee seedlings.

The leaves become more rounded as the culprits grow. Anyone who suffers from hay fever will wonder how these plants, commonly called Ragweed, came to be named after the mythological food of the gods. Although a few small mammals ingest the bitter foliage, it is generally considered unpalatable.

Like most villains, Ragweed has its virtues. Western Ragweed (Ambrosia psilostachya) is the larval host plant for many types of moth. The seeds sustain songbirds and gamebirds through the winter. Less popular dependents on the seeds are the Prairie Vole and the Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrel.

Often friends ask me, “What’s the name of that weed that looks like clover?”

No one knows precisely where it originated, because it is found almost everywhere across the globe. Called Creeping Woodsorrel or False Shamrock, Oxalis corniculata is capable of producing up to 5,000 seeds per plant. In case no unwitting carrier conveniently offers a furry coat or suitable clothing to capture and transport seeds to a favorable location, these clever clover impersonators can shoot seeds 10 feet from their pods. Roots and stems sprout wherever a node reaches soil. Plants regenerate from broken bits of stem and root. The yellow flowers are not showy, but a mass blooming in a lawn can make its presence conspicuous, and they bloom throughout the year in California.

If you wanted to host an Oxalis show displaying every species (not counting varieties, hybrids, cultivars, etc.), you would need space for about 800 specimens. Bermuda Buttercup (Oxalis pes-caprae) is well known throughout California for grabbing more than its share of space. Tiny bulbils develop along the spreading rhizomes to rise up as new plants. Sometimes invited into gardens because the yellow flowers are attractive, this South African import rapidly evicts less aggressive residents.

There is an Oxalis commonly grown as a houseplant, purposely added to pots as a colorful accent and capable of behaving in a socially acceptable manner in the company of other plants. Love Plant (Oxalis triangularis) has heart-shaped purple leaves offsetting rose-pink flowers. A subspecies called Red Velvet Shamrock is particularly useful for cut foliage. Garbed in royal purple, it masquerades as an aristocrat and usually remains enthroned in place in the garden. The poisonous aspect of its personality is only unmasked when ingested. All members of the Oxalis family contain varying percentages of oxalic acid.

Page 18 - October 2015 ~ Danville Today News

Procrastination – Science and Remedy

By Robert J. Silverman, Attorney at Law

During the course of my 22 years of practicing law in the estate planning arena, a large percentage of my clients communicate that they: i) are uncomfortable about having procrastinated – some for years and others for decades – in establishing and/or reviewing and updating their estate plans; ii) feel relieved and pleased about having completed the project; and iii) indicate that the process was much easier and less stressful than they expected.

Why do people procrastinate and how can one overcome the tendency to procrastinate - both in general and in connection with something as important as estate planning? I read with a keen interest an article in the Wall Street Journal, captioned “Never Procrastinate Again.” Below, I’ll outline some interesting points raised in that article and highlight what I believe to be the key “take aways.”

The article states that procrastination is defined by scientists as “the intentional delay of an action despite foreseeable negative future consequences.” The author, Shirley S. Wang, points out that procrastination is not synonymous with laziness nor simply poor time management. We know procrastinators – even chronic ones – whom we would be hard-pressed to label “lazy” or even bad time managers.

Most of my clients (and those who live in this community) are widely viewed as successful. It would therefore be logical to think that many of them procrastinate on certain projects because: a) they are perfectionists; b) they are somewhat paralyzed by their desire to do everything perfectly; and c) their associated anxiety causes them to avoid getting started.

Interestingly, however, studies indicate that it is not perfectionism or anxiety that prevents people from getting started. The article reflects that procrastinators “often seem unable to see clearly into the future about their choices and behaviors” – a phenomenon she [Dr. Sirois] calls “temporal myopia.” In other words, “[T]heir vision of their future selves is often more abstract and impersonal, and they are less connected emotionally to these future selves.” Understandably, the high levels of stress experienced by procrastinators causes them to shift focus to immediate rather than distant matters.

Fascinating studies are being conducted in many countries with therapy and even software being developed for habitual procrastinators. Fortunately, some scientists believe the following represent constructive tools to remedy - break the cycle of - procrastination: 1) Break down the project goal into concrete sub-goals and commit to the exact time you will start to work on the task;

What is the Role of Code Enforcement in Our Communities?

By Candace Andersen, Contra Costa County District 2

Periodically my office receives inquiries about code enforcement in both the cities and unincorporated areas of District 2 of the County. There might be questions about the placement of realtors’ signs, the parking of an RV or boat, an inoperable vehicle in someone’s yard, or construction being done without a building permit.

Most cities and the County do not have the manpower to actively patrol neighborhoods looking for code violations. They rely upon citizens to report problems. Deciding whether to complain about violations observed may be a difficult decision. Most of us want to be kind neighbors, but we also want to maintain the quality of our community.

Code Enforcement’s role is to improve the safety, health, and welfare of all citizens living within local governmental jurisdictions. Cities, and the County for unincorporated areas, have the authority to impose administrative fines when a code violation presents itself. While every governing body has its own procedures for addressing noncompliance, it is common to issue notices of violation to the offending property owner. If the property owner does not correct the violation or obtain a permit where necessary within a given time frame, fines are imposed and a lien can be recorded against the property.

How Does the Code Enforcement process work after a complaint is received? An inspection of the property is conducted to see if the complaint is valid. In most cases, if a violation is found, a letter is prepared and mailed to the property owner with time enough to correct the violation. If there is a hazardous or unsafe condition, immediate action may take place and the property owner issued a “stop work order.”

Another area where the preservation of community standards is addressed is through Home Owners Associations (HOAs). Many neighborhoods have

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

2) “Just get started!” - don’t get overwhelmed by a long list of tasks or intermediate steps that may be required to complete the project; 3) Remind yourself that completing a task now will help you in the future (and putting it off won’t make it more enjoyable); 4) Give yourself a reward for not only completing the whole project, but also for finishing each sub-goal.

Examples of the kinds of foreseeable negative future consequences you and your loved ones could suffer by procrastinating about estate planning are tens of thousands of dollars in unnecessary probate fees and costs; substantial time and inconvenience in estate administration; unnecessary and stressful court intervention; causing your estate affairs to be open to the public instead of being handled privately; no control over distribution of assets to young adults or beneficiaries with special needs; and court appointment of people authorized to manage your finances, health care and/or minor children whom you would not want to do so.

On a more positive and constructive note, what tools would the above-referenced studies suggest to help you break the procrastination cycle and thus avoid such negative future consequences?

In estate planning, the process is typically broken down into concrete sub-goals or steps: i) contact an experienced estate planning attorney to discuss your situation, obtain a fee quote, and answer your preliminary questions; ii) complete the attorney’s Confidential Client Questionnaire; iii) schedule a meeting to discuss and decide upon key provisions of each estate planning document, with the attorney’s guidance and support; iv) review the documents prepared by your attorney; v) schedule an appointment to discuss and sign the documents, and vi) (assuming you establish a Living Trust) retitle assets into your Trust with the attorney’s instructions and advice.

Forgive yourself for procrastinating. Just get started and reward yourself each step of the way!

Upon request, I’ll be happy to provide you, on a complimentary basis, any or all of the following: i) an “Estate Planning Primer”; ii) a brochure on alternative methods of holding title to property; iii) an introductory meeting.

Mr. Silverman is an attorney with R. Silverman Law Group specializing in estate planning, trust administration and probate, real estate, and business taxes. They are located at 1855 Olympic Blvd., Suite 125, Walnut Creek, CA 94596; (925) 705-4474; 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.

Advertorial

HOAs that have their own established covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs). These are contractual obligations that “run with the land,” so anyone who purchases a home within the neighborhood is bound by these obligations. These CC&Rs may restrict what you can do with your property.

They cover a wide variety of matters and might dictate what color you can paint your home, what you can plant or keep in your yard, where you can park your cars, or whether you can even own a pet. Enforcement of the CC&R’s is not something done by Code Enforcement inspectors. It is a private, civil matter and should be taken up with Homeowners Associations.

If you are concerned about a potential code violation within your community, below is the contact information for local agencies Code Enforcement Teams: Contra Costa County (925) 674-7210 Town of Danville (925) 314-3335 City of Lafayette (925) 299-3207 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.

Volunteer Opportunities in Town of Danville

Danville residents are known for their willingness to be a part of their community, to give back and help out. The Town of Danville has a variety of volunteer opportunities all year round. Coming this fall there are one day events such as Children’s Fall Fest, Elf Workshop and Homemade Holiday where enthusiastic volunteers, ages 13 and up, lead crafts and activities for children. Needed are magicians, face painters, photographers and anyone who loves to craft.

There are other volunteer opportunities at the Senior Center, Santa’s Mailbox, Kid’s Night Out, and the Art Gallery. Volunteering is great for your health, keeps your mind and body active, and allows you to give back to our community.

All the opportunities are listed online. Visit www.danville.ca.gov/volunteer to register. Community Service hours can be earned for volunteering.

For more information, contact Volunteer Program Specialist Julie Mason at (925) 314-3478 or jmason@danville.ca.gov.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

The Right Way to Transfer a Business Internally

Danville Today News ~ October 2015 - Page 19

By Robert Cucchiaro, Certified Financial Planner

Much has been written about how few businesses successfully transfer from one generation to the next. Without going into all of the reasons for why this transition usually fails, I think our time is better spent examining what typically occurs when this transition is a success.

A successful business should have a formal document in place outlining what will happen in the event that the owner/manager of the firms dies, becomes disabled, gets a divorce, or decides to retire.

This is typically called either a business succession plan or a buy-sell agreement. This is of particular importance when a business has two or more partners. Let’s say for example Dan and Don are business partners, and each of them is married. If Dan dies and his 50% interest passes to his wife, that means Don is now partners with Dan’s wife. Most likely that is not what either of them wanted to happen.

Dan’s wife may want to sell her 50% interest, and Don may or may not want to buy it. Even if Don does want to buy it, for how much?

Does he have to pay her all at once, or can he pay her over time?

If he pays her over time, at what interest rate? A formal agreement should be written to deal with all of these “what-if” scenarios before they become reality.

While too few companies have a formal business succession plan in place, even fewer have an informal plan that deals with how to pass the baton internally. Just last week I met with a successful 58 year old business owner whose goal is to work seven more years before selling the business to his two junior associates. He wanted to hire me to help him think through the formal business succession plan. My challenge to him was, even if we come up with the business value and buy-out terms, what assurance do you have that the new owners will actually know how to run the place?

As a result, I suggested that we build out an informal succession plan which includes a timeline for how he will pass along knowledge to his two associates over the next 3-5 years. Then for two years he can watch them essentially run the place, all without giving up his control and ownership stakes. At that point he can feel confident in agreeing to a multi-year buy-out and knowing that they won’t run the place into the ground after he’s gone.

An informal succession plan begins with making a list of activities that you as the owner/manager are currently engaged in and then detailing who will do these going forward, what skills will they need, what relationships must they have, and what’s a realistic timeframe for transitioning. An informal succession plan will include a mentorship game plan and timeline to include formal one-on-one meetings to review items such as the company financials, sales, staffing, equipment, technology, compliance, new initiatives, etc.

An informal succession plan will include identifying and tracking the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) which measure the health of the business, and understanding what factors contribute to each one of them and what steps can be taken when the results are not favorable.

If you are a business owner and want to learn more about how to implement both a formal and an informal business succession plan, give us a call at 925-927-1900 or send me a note at rob@swrpteam. com.

Robert Cucchiaro is a Certified Financial Planner and a registered tax preparer. He is a Partner and owner of Summit Wealth & Retirement, a financial planning firm that has been serving business owners in Danville for almost 30 years. Rob specializes in retirement, investment, tax, and estate planning.

To learn more visit www.summitwealthandretirement.

Advertorial com.

AAUW Monthly Program & Grant Deadlines

The Danville-Alamo-Walnut Creek Branch of The American Association of University Women (AAUW) presents: “Tech and the Brain – a Double-Edged Sword,” a lecture and discussion covering the impact of tech on the brain, young or old, and how can technology be harnessed to improve brains. The talk will be presented by Dr. Jyoti Mishra, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry at UCSF. The UCSF lab is a cognitive neuroscience research lab where novel testing is done to determine if things such as video games and cell phone use have a negative effect on our minds. The center has a focus on studying the neural mechanisms of memory, attention and perception; how these processes change with childhood development, normal aging and dementia; and how we might intervene therapeutically to alleviate cognitive deficits.

The program will take place Thursday, October 22 at 7PM at the Danville Town Meeting Hall, 201 Front St in Danville. For reservations or questions contact Judy at daw.aauw@gmail.com.

Page 20 - October 2015 ~ Danville Today News

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

Protect our Waterways

Please Turn off your Smog

In recent months the drought has received a lot of attention for the obvious damage to the environment and efforts needed to conserve usage and to protect and preserve our natural habitats. However, lack of water isn’t the only water related environmental hazard our community needs to worry about. In addition to water consumption concerns, one of the easier and more controllable ways to protect habitats, lakes, streams, and oceans is to be certain that storm drains aren’t used as a dumping ground or drain to dispose of waste for the community.

This may seem obvious, but according to the Ocean Conservancy, a notfor-profit organization in Washington D.C., most Americans don’t know that there is a significant difference between storm drains and other types of drains in our community or in our homes. When asked, most believe that water or waste that goes into any type of drain, including a storm drain, receive some sort of treatment. In fact, storm drains flow directly into rivers, streams, and other bodies of water and ultimately to the ocean without passing through any sort of treatment facility.

Another misconception is that chemicals shouldn’t be put down drains but other forms of trash such as leaves, wood, or hard materials such as construction materials don’t cause harm. In fact, any form of pollutant, solid or liquid has the potential to damage the environment, endanger natural habitats, and threaten wildlife.

I recently engaged in my Eagle Scout project in conjunction with Chris McCann of the city of Danville to take actions to educate the public about the necessity of disposing of all waste properly and especially to protect the storm drains and downstream habitats. We recruited over 30 volunteers and I organized them to place, or replace, nearly 100 markers known as “duck markers” on local drains near the Sycamore Valley Road area of Danville. In addition to placing these markers which warn against polluting in the drains, we passed out 300 fliers to homes near the drains.

It is my hope that we can all be better stewards of the environment through the markers and education, but just in case you have any concerns of dumping, the city of Danville and the local sheriff's office want citizens to report and record instances of dumping to prosecute and fine responsible parties.

We can’t make it rain, but we can all play an important part in protecting our local environment and wildlife. Let’s keep Danville a clean and great place to live.

On a beautiful morning, with a lovely temperature of 68 degrees, I arrived at the dry cleaners at the same time as another car. As I turned off my vehicle and collected my garments, I admired a young father and his two young children— who were reading peacefully in the back seat. The father mirrored my actions, gathering his garments before exiting his car, but, he left one step out – he didn’t turn off his vehicle. Instead, this father left his car idling.

Idling is when a driver leaves the engine running and yet, the vehicle is parked. Every day in the US millions of cars and trucks idle needlessly, sometimes for hours. Certainly there are times when a driver may not be able to avoid running their car engine, such as when stopped at traffic signal or stuck in slow-moving traffic, but honestly, stepping into a store for five or ten minutes is not one of those unavoidable times.

Besides the inexcusable danger of the possibility that one of his precious children might have wandered to the drivers’ seat for any number of reasons and accidently or intentionally thrown the car into gear, endangering their lives and others, this father added to unnecessary air pollution that his family and all of us don’t need.

An idling car spews out as much or more unhealthy smog and soot as a moving car. Nitrogen oxide, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds are the main health-harming pollutants. These pollutants have been linked to asthma, heart disease, chronic bronchitis, and cancer. Unfortunately, children and the elderly, along with those with asthma and other chronic health problem, are especially susceptible to the dangers of car exhaust.

Idling cars also emit carbon dioxide (CO2) which is a main heat-trapping gas leading to global warming. Each day, Americans waste approximately 3.8 million gallons of gasoline idling their cars. To offset emissions in our community, we would have to cover the entire land mass of our city each and every year with new trees.

Besides polluting our air and wasting gas, idling is also a poor practice for modern automotive engines. Many people have a misconception that idling is beneficial for our car engines, but this outdated habit actually harms the car, our wallets, and the environment.

By Jared Miller, Eagle Scout Candidate

By Cynthia Ruzzi, Sustainable Danville Area

Four ways to be idle free

Turn off the ignition when you’re waiting for more than 10 seconds. Just idling for 10 seconds wastes more gas than restarting the engine. Car experts share that if you idle longer than 10 seconds, both you and your car engine are better off if you turn your vehicle off and then restart it when ready to move.

Warm up your engine by driving it, not by idling. Modern cars require only a few seconds of idling time before they can be driven safely, even in winter. The best way to warm up a car is to ease into your drive and not revving the engine.

In fact, the engine warms twice as quickly when driven verses standing still.

Warm up your car’s interior by driving. Driving is also the best way to get your car’s heating system to deliver warm air faster. Remember when you sit in an idling car you are breathing in dirty exhaust fumes that leak into the car’s interior cabin. Is the warmth of sitting there worth damage to your health – or the health of your children?

Take care of your car engine. Restarting your car frequently is not hard on the engine, nor will it provide undo wear to your battery. The opposite is true: engine idling forces it to operate in a very inefficient and gasoline-rich mode that can degrade the engine’s performance and reduce mileage.

By understanding the effects of idling and reducing the times you do so can improve your car’s performance, save you gas money, and most importantly keep the air clean for those we love.

Want to learn more about reducing pollution, waste, and preserving our environment? Follow us at www.facebook.com/sustainabledanville or visit us at www.sustainabledanville.com.

Town Committee Seeks Recruits

The Town of Danville is looking for community-minded residents to fill vacancies on a Town Commission. The following advisory body is looking for new members on the Heritage Resource Commission (2 positions): Terms are four years, beginning January 1, 2016.

Applications are available on the Town of Danville website, www.danville. ca.gov. Applications must be submitted to the City Clerk’s office no later than 4pm on November 12, 2015.

Interviews will take place either on December 8 or 15, 2015. Commissioners will be appointed at the December 15, 2015 Town Council meeting.

For more information, contact City Clerk Marie Sunseri at (925) 314-3401 or msunseri@danville.ca.gov.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Travelling Smart(phone)

Danville Today News ~ October 2015 - Page 21

By Evan Corstorphine, Portable CIO

Some people leave all of their technology at home when they leave on holiday. They park their phone on their dresser, set an ‘out of office’ message on their email, then hit the road! I’m a little different. I bring my smartphone with me, and I use it like crazy. The difference is, I don’t use it for work; I use it as a tool Saturday, October 24, 2015 to get the very best from my trip. It’s an amazing Please join us as we celebrate the annual resource to have.

For example, last month my family travelled to “Many Faces of Breast Cancer” France. My wife and daughter put together a wonderful agenda of sights to see across the country. When we arrived in Paris, we bought new SIM cards Come and experience a special event focusing on the unique needs and issues of for our un-locked smartphones at the local Orange store. (“Orange” to the breast cancer survivors. Join an engaging panel of medical experts as they speak European is like AT&T or Verizon to us.) The new SIM cards included 2Gb to issues that directly affect over 2.5 million survivors in the US today. The of internet data for 40-Euro, a new local French phone number, and an ample program will provide insights into imaging follow-up, lymph node surgery, amount of local telephone calls and SMS (text) messages. It’s the internet lymphedema, latest research, pyscho-social issues and benefits of targeted physical activity. Q & A session to follow the presentation. data that I was looking for. When you run out, data can be re-filled in 1Gb increments for 10-Euro, which is about $11 at current exchange rates. Easy Lesher Center for the Arts and cheap.

Stage 3, Knight Theatre Before I go further, let me just say I didn’t read my work email. I’m not interested in ruining my trip by worrying about work. I wanted the internet 1601 Civic Drive data so I could use the Maps app on my phone, or to look up restaurants in Walnut Creek, CA 94596 TripAdvisor or Yelp, or to research an interesting location we were talking about. Twice I used email to receive tickets for an attraction. My phone Saturday, October 24, 2015 was our tour-guide, not our ball and chain.

10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Some locations, such as the Louvre in Paris and several of the cathedrals, will sell an app you may download from the AppStore (Android or iPhone) Space is limited. Advanced registration which helps finance their site. The app takes you on a personal walking tour required. Admission, parking and of the site, providing interesting information while guiding you around the refreshments are free. building. It’s a great way to get the most from a visit when there isn’t a tour Parking available in the North Locust Garage, available or if you simply prefer to move at your own pace. adjacent to the theatre. Please mention you After a few days in Paris, are with The Many Faces of Breast Cancer. we picked up a rental car and drove to Versailles, Tiffany Svahn, MD - Moderator Etretat, Normandy, Cognac, Vivian Wing, MD Bordeaux, Carcassonne, Radiologist and finally into Beziers. It Leslie Jerge Cynthia Grace, Psy.D was over 1,200 miles of Certified Pilates Instructor Clinical Psychologist driving, and I don’t think we would have fared so well RSVP: 925-677-5041 without our smartphones. In days of old, we would have visited AAA and brought home a handful of maps covering our route from Paris to each of our destinations. The AAA Trip Planner would have yellowhighlighted the route, and whomever wasn’t driving would have navigated from this folded up map, trying to decipher the tiny road names and numbers, turns, obstacles and detours. This is how we used to do it in the past. Thankfully, times have changed and “GPS” is a much easier way to navigate!

When we rented our car, the man asked if we wanted to use the car’s GPS. Since we already planned on using our smartphones with GPS, and already had the data plans in place, we declined the 13-Euro/day additional charge, as it would have been redundant and added a full 25% onto the daily rental rate.

If you’ve ever used the Apple Map, Google Map, Bing Map or MapQuest programs, you know how easy it is to navigate with them. The map apps give you choices of routes to take, direct you around traffic, and tell you exactly when and where to turn, including advanced notice when you’re getting close. When I saw the map my wife had brought just in case we needed a backup, I felt a huge wave of relief that I didn’t have to use it. I think we would have been quite lost, given the number of roads and the byzantine routing required to get through many of these old Roman cities. Navigating a French town is completely different than navigating a US town. I’m sure we would have skipped many side-trips simply because we wouldn’t have been able to figure out how to get to our destinations. Considering my French language skills stop somewhere in the region of “Je m’appelle Evan,” asking for directions would probably not have gone well!

There is so much more to tell you, and no space! If you are getting ready to travel abroad, whether for business or pleasure, please come see us. With just a little technical forethought, you can make your trip much more enjoyable. Consult with your friends at Portable CIO through email at info@ theportablecio.com or phone, (925) 552-7953.

Advertorial

For all of your computer needs:

Business, Residential, PC, Mac, Servers, Networking

925-552-7953

helpdesk@theportablecio.com |www.theportablecio.com

Page 22 - October 2015 ~ Danville Today News

Energy Matters By Mark Becker, GoSimpleSolar

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

The Burden

In mid-September, on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, a diverse group of people and industry released a documentary called The Burden which tells the story about America’s dependence on fossil fuels and the implications of that dependence. The United States Military is taking the initiative to lead our nation away from dependence on foreign sources of fossil fuels from nations, many of which are not our allies.

The mission of the US Military is to protect our nation against all enemies “foreign and domestic.” By developing reliable, renewable, and local fuel sources, the US Military is less likely to be subjected to execute a foreign policy that may put our nation’s service members and domestic security at risk to secure these foreign fuels.

Forward thinking: Our military has become the largest purchaser of solar energy and alternative fuels in the world. In our democracy, the military takes orders from the elected civilian government, but the US Military is taking this initiative on its own, without orders, which ultimately contributes to our domestic security through peaceful means. A policy of energy independence can pay the dividend of peace.

A trailer for The Burden can be seen at www.Facebook.com/OperationFREE. The future is now: With the imminent expiration of the Renewable Energy Federal Tax Credit on December 31, 2016, the solar PV industry is booming. GoSimpleSolar is booked for the remainder of the calendar year. It would be wise, if you’re considering solar PV, to take the following steps: Do your research now to confirm that solar PV is right for you. Find a high quality installer, and get into their installation queue. At this rate, by May, our installation schedule may very well be booked for the remainder of 2016.

No more competition for roof space: Fafco USA, the largest manufacturer of swimming pool heating panels, has partnered with the largest US manufacturer of solar PV products, SolarWorld, to create a “CoolPV” panel. The principle is simple and unique. Cool water pumped from a swimming pool circulates through solar pool heat panels, which are mounted behind solar PV panels, and a heat exchange results. The heat from the solar PV panel on the roof is transferred to the solar thermal panel, allowing the solar PV panel to operate at a lower and more efficient temperature, resulting in greater electric output from the solar PV panel.

Conversely, the heat transferred from the solar PV panel is circulated back to the pool, which increases the temperature of the swimming pool. What’s the cost?

Unfortunately, it’s more expensive than a traditional solar thermal system, but in contrast, this system qualifies for the Renewable Energy Tax Credit since it’s primarily a PV system with a secondary duty of warming a swimming pool. Because of the lesser total roof space required, solar customers will no longer have to choose between the financial returns solar PV can provide or the luxury returns of a warmer swimming pool; they can have both.

Although not known for their abundant sunshine, Germany’s solar output was greater than their nuclear electric output in July.

PGE update: About a year ago, PGE lost a lawsuit to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which contended that non-solar ratepayers were bearing greater electric costs than solar ratepayers. PGE lost that lawsuit, and as a result, the current beneficial solar regulations were extended for 20 plus years. These solar rights are transferable with each solar system; if you sell your home, the solar PV system is grandfathered into the solar regulations in place when it was commissioned. Even though PGE resells the excess electricity that is sent to the grid from solar systems, they are still out to get their pound of flesh from solar customers.

Solar customers recently received a notification that their minimum monthly PGE charge is increasing from $5 to $10 per month. With well over a quarter million solar projects in California, this additional $5/month will indeed generate revenue for the utilities. Ultimately it’s less than 1/3 of a month of my solar credits, and simply reinforces the decision I made to go solar years ago. The utilities should focus on more policies that make them relevant versus trying to roadblock progress.

Mark Becker is the President and business owner of GoSimpleSolar, by Semper Fidelis Construction Inc, CSLB 948715. GoSimpleSolar is one of the very few solar PV installers utilizing both licensed roofers and licensed electricians for installation work, project managed by a solar PV NABCEP professional. For more information Advertorial visit www.GoSimpleSolar.com.

Park continued from front page

acres in October of 1978. The Mehrans were eager to proceed with development and eliminate the debt on the property.

Since the acreage was somewhat larger than they had anticipated purchasing, the Mehans had long discussions about what should happen on the site. An economic study was done which indicated that some combination of offices, light industry, and housing would work. They hired Dan Coleman Sr. to draw a mixed use plan with 50 industrial acres, 50 office acres, 140 residential acres, and 300 un-designated acres.

The local rumor mill assumed that the Mehrans planned to build homes on 100% of the land, since Sunset Development was known as a home developer.

When the Mehrans took this plan to the County, Dehaesus said that the community was happy with the existing controlled industry zoning and sent the Mehrans to meet with the San Ramon Homeowners Association. Alex noted later that the association had tremendous power. He and his father went to the homeowners’ meeting and he recalls “getting hammered.” The Association did not want housing on that acreage and was adamant about it. The Mehrans received the same negative reception when they brought the plan to the HomeownersAssociation of Twin Creeks, the DanvilleAssociation, and Regional Planning Commissioners. All were unanimous in saying that the area needed jobs, not more housing.

With the eventual success of the business park, San Ramon Homeowners’ President Mike Wahlig later said that the Mehrans should have sent them a thank-you note.

Indeed, Sunset Development Company took a giant step away from its historic role as a home builder and began constructing offices. They were and are debt-averse and needed to have income from the property. First, they produced 100,000 square feet of Class A office buildings north of Norris Canyon Road. Alex said, “My dad was really nervous about doing this. He worried they wouldn’t fill up.” The buildings were leased out in four months. Three more office buildings were constructed and filled within 24 months.

Alex described himself as “being the band” and wading in to create a new business. In 1980 Beckman Instruments bought 33 acres, then Toyota Motor Sales took 30 acres. When Standard Oil/Chevron bought 143 acres in 1982, this was the turning point for Sunset. A year later, Pacific Bell bought 100 acres. Two of the country’s largest corporations had placed their national headquarters in the Bishop Ranch Business Park.

It became the largest business park west of Chicago, with office space totaling 8.5 million square feet. A Marriott Hotel, transit center, and the Shops at Bishop Ranch

See Park continued on page 26

ACTION POOL REPAIR

ServingAlamo&Danville Since 1979!

JUMPSTART the 2015 POOL SEASON! Upgrade Your Pool Equipment Remodel your Pebble, Tile, and Coping!

FREE ESTIMATES

Make sure your pool/spa is Drain Cover Safe (Virginia Graeme Baker - VGB compliant).

In-house diver can replace your drain covers. Best prices year-round.

Install a Pentair Intelliflo pump and save $100 monthly on your energy bill and get a $100 rebate from

925.820.3640 www.actionpoolrepair.com

Contractor Lic# 978033-C53

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Your Personal Nutritionist

Reasons We Eat When We Are not Hungry

By Linda Michaelis RD, MS

We all eat when we are not hungry and often do not realize when it happens. Maybe you graze when you are bored or pass by a bowl of candy or nuts and mindlessly eat them. You may feel sluggish in the afternoon and food calls your name. While this is OK from time to time, too much eating without thinking can derail your weight loss plan.

Here are some typical situations:

Emotional Eating

You may indulge in a treat to celebrate or eat to soothe yourself because you are upset. I encourage my clients to track the emotional triggers that cause their eating rollercoaster. Together we work at understanding why it happens.

Because You Are Tired

I can easily tell when my clients eat improperly when they are tired. By looking at their food diary I can see it is full of sweets to pick them up. As I get to know my client I stress the importance of getting a good night sleep and taking naps. When you are tired it is very difficult to know whether you are truly hungry or not. Sleep loss increases impulsivity and stimulates the reward center of your brain, making you prone to eat foods high in calories, sugar, and fat. The body is driven to eat more after a night of poor sleep to compensate for energy expended being awake.

Because it’s a Special Occasion

If you work in a large office or have a big family, it seems like there is always some type of celebration. Remember that celebrations are about getting people together, and the food doesn’t need to be the centerpiece. I love to help my clients devise a food plan to navigate these parties as they happen.

Because the Clock Says So

Do you pull out your lunch or go to lunch when it is your scheduled time? I teach my clients to listen to their body and not eat lunch until they are hungry. Please use the time to take a walk, and then wait for the hunger to come. Your food is always more tasty when you feel hungry.

Preventing Sports Injuries By Dr. Lisa Hudson

The key to preventing sports injuries is to choose the right sport for your body type. If you are a few pounds overweight, or are over the age of 25, I don’t recommend running. Swimming or bicycling would be better choices to avoid long-term wear and tear on the joints that can lead to arthritis later. There is a reason championship runners average 5’8 inches and 145 pounds!

However, a study done with runners in our area over the age of 55 showed that those without joint pains after running did not have any more arthritis than others of the same age. But those with mechanical abnormalities (that led to pain) had significantly more joint degeneration. Every millimeter of cartilage in the knees counts later!

Over-the-counter or custom made orthotics can correct over-pronation which can lead to shin splints, and they help with high arches, which are predisposed to plantar fasciitis. I also recommend to avoid running downhill as there is twice the joint stress! Walking burns 80% of the calories of running, so if you walk 20% more, you will burn the same calories and avoid the injuries common to runners.

Female soccer players disproportionately injure their knees because the female pelvis has a wider “Q” (quadriceps angle), aligning the femur (thigh bone) to the knee, predisposing them to tearing the ACL ligament. This can be a career-ending injury. Core strengthening can help prevent this injury. It is also important to stretch the structures on the outside thigh (a foam roller can help with this) and to strengthen the inner thigh muscles to keep the kneecap tracking correctly in its groove.

Golfers need a strong core to prevent back injuries. Stretching hamstrings before golf helps prevent injury, while stretching afterward increases flexibility for the next time.

Tennis players can prevent elbow injuries by stretching and strengthening

Danville Today News ~ October 2015 - Page 23

Because Other People are Eating

This can be a difficult time because you want to feel a part of the gang. I encourage people to fill up their plate with some food, move it around on the plate, and throw it away as soon as possible. You always think you are being watched, but this is not true. Grab a beverage for security, get through the event, and feel comfortable when you leave.

Because it is Free or Cheap

Everyone, including myself, loves a deal. But please stop eating just because it is free. If you are hungry at the time and it is healthy food, then it makes sense.

When I see people at the store buying day old bakery goods, I cringe and want to tell them to take that money and buy something healthy and yummy.

Because You Cannot Say No to Food Pushers

If you are a people pleaser and find it hard to say no, when someone says, “You really need to try this.” You must kindly say to them, “No thank you,” or, “I am not hungry.” If you must take a piece of cake that the hostess spent hours making, then take a bite and get rid of it gracefully. Also, tell your neighbor when she comes in with fresh baked cookies that you will enjoy them later. Save them for dessert when it fits your food plan.

Because You Suffer from Clean Plate Syndrome

Yes, most of us grew up with orders to clean our plate because there are starving kids in (you name the country). It is unfortunate that we cannot benefit them, but we have to help ourselves by putting less food on our plate. My job is to teach my clients how little food our body needs when they eat the right combination of foods.

I am thrilled to have the pleasure of working with clients that do well in the beginning with their personal weight loss journey but just cannot keep the motivation going and get sidetracked by life. It is my job to keep them on track, show them the areas that are preventing success, and give them the steps to finally achieve their weight loss goals. Give yourself the gift of allowing yourself to hire a nutritionist to hold your hand and get you to your goal before the holidays are upon us.

NUTRITIONAL COUNSELING CAN BE COVERED BY MEDICAL INSURANCE - Aetna, Hill Physicians, Sutter, Health Net, Blue Cross, Contra Costa Health and other insurances. Please refer to my website www.LindaRD.com for past articles and information about services. Feel free to call me at (925)855-0150 or email lifeweight1@yahoo.com. Advertorial the forearm muscles and (this is controversial) by reducing racquet head size and increasing grip size. Ice, a brace, and some time off when the elbow first becomes sore can get you back to play sooner.

Swimmers and water polo and volleyball players should do intensive preseason, sport-specific strength training of the small muscles of the rotator cuff to avoid shoulder injuries. This is especially true for young swimmers as they begin to add more laps. And I also recommend to avoid overhead lifting – sorry Cross-Fit buffs! The shoulder is not designed to put weights overhead. Just avoiding this motion can prevent the most common shoulder complaint I see in my office.

If you need help with these or other sports injuries, my office offers same day appointments to help evaluate you and get you back to play!

Dr. Hudson is a board certified internal medicine physician and owner of Danville Sports Medicine and Primary Care, 913 San Ramon Valley Blvd, Suite 186, Danville, CA, 94526. She is accepting new patients. Please call (925) 984-2622.

Advertorial

Hospice Volunteers Needed

Hospice of the East Bay is seeking volunteers to assist Hospice patients and their caregivers. Opportunities include: • Licensed Hair Stylists to offer hair cuts and styling • Certified Massage Therapists to provide massage therapy • Administrative Support Volunteers to assist in the Pleasant Hill office • Thrift Shoppe Volunteers to work in one of the organization’s five stores which are located in Alamo, Concord, Martinez, Danville, and Walnut Creek.

• Bereavement Support Volunteers to provide support to family members after their loved one has died • Patient Support Volunteers to provide companionship and practical assistance To apply for free training, call Hospice at (925) 887-5678 and ask for the Volunteer Department, or email volunteers@hospiceeastbay.org.

Established in 1977, Hospice of the East Bay is a not-for-profit agency that helps people cope with end of life by providing medical, emotional, spiritual, and practical support for patients and families, regardless of their ability to pay.

Page 24 - October 2015 ~ Danville Today News

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

By Dr. Barbara Persons

Tour continued from front page

On the three to four days a week that I am in the operating room, 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. As I have mentioned in previous articles, my breast cancer patients hold a very special place in my heart and in my practice.

Like most cancers, early detection is key to a successful outcome in breast cancer patients, and I urge everyone to become educated on breast self-examination and regular mammogram screening. 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.

Unlike earlier courses of breast cancer treatment in which tissue removal and reconstruction were done in separate surgeries, sometimes months or years apart, breast reconstruction can often be performed in conjunction with a mastectomy.

Breast reconstruction surgery can drastically improve a patient’s emotional and mental recovery. In fact, many national studies support immediate reconstruction to preserve the patient’s sense of womanhood. Women who opt for immediate reconstruction can keep their physical form closer to what it was, never wake up without any breast form, and can feel more whole during their recovery. In addition, many patients find that it is easier to face additional cancer treatments including chemotherapy or radiation with their breasts more intact. While not every patient is a candidate for reconstruction at the time of a mastectomy, my personal experience and recent studies agree that first stage reconstruction at the time of mastectomy should be the standard of care in treating this cancer. The patient’s breast cancer team can provide her with the information she needs to make the decision that’s right for her.

After an initial breast cancer diagnosis, there is usually an initial consultation with a general surgeon, who will perform the lumpectomy or mastectomy.

This surgeon then assembles and coordinates the team of other doctors needed to treat the cancer, including the oncologist, the radiation oncologist, the genetic counselor, the radiologist, and the plastic surgeon. We are very fortunate in the greater East Bay and Bay Areas to have several very talented and caring general surgeons who I regularly team-up with to provide exceptional and leading-edge results for our patients.

While the breast reconstruction process is just that, a process that can take three to twelve months and three surgeries to complete (including one major and two minor procedures for implant placement and nipple reconstruction), the patient can should consider this process as early as the timing of the mastectomy.

I am so fortunate to be part of the team of people to make a positive impact in my 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 post-mastectomy has become a reality.

The theme behind the Breast Cancer Awareness Month campaign is education and awareness. Realize that breast cancer affects us all. I encourage you to support the efforts of wonderful organizations like Susan G. Komen or the Avon Foundation. Join me in wearing your pink shoes proudly every day and feel free to contact my office any time with questions or if you have the need for a consultation.

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

Battling over the Sierras in 1846 just ahead of the storm that doomed the Donner party, Mary Ann handled the reins as husband John fell ill. She had two small girls to worry about and a baby on the way. While John pronounced Alamo the most beautiful sight he had ever seen, Mary Ann observed: “There was nothing in sight but nature. Nothing to show that man had been here, except a little mud and stick hut close to where the Alamo bridge is.”

James Boone, a direct descendant of Daniel Boone, arrived in Danville in 1865 with his wife Sara and daughters Lina and Cora. Ruth Boone, wife of James’s grandson Travis, recounted highlights from family history shortly after donating Forest Home Farm to the City of San Ramon to honor her husband’s contribution to the success of agriculture in the Valley. The cow brought to feed baby Cora died on the journey. Ruth reported: “Cora was fed from the juice from the rind of bacon. If fat was gonna kill you, maybe already you’d think she would’ve died, but she didn’t. She lived to be 90 and then her sister lived to be 91.”

Betty Casey, another tour leader, introduces herself as Rose Lawrence Peters, someone who knew the people interred in Alamo, but is buried elsewhere. “I explain that Charlotte Wood was my teacher,” Betty says. Casey actually did know Charlotte Wood, who sometimes dictated her poetry to Betty. “I love when newcomers to the area come on the tour and get a sense the town has been around for a while,” Casey notes.

On the tour, Joan Kurtz personifies Charlotte Wood, while her husband Don plays Charlotte’s father Charles.

Charles came to California in 1852 via the Nicaragua route and purchased property in the Sycamore Valley in 1862. Both agreed, “We try to relate to the crowd.” Don explained, “We give more detail when the group is mostly adults. As Charles Wood, the first Worthy Master of the Grange, I talk about the impact of the Grange on bringing Costumed docents greet visitors for the Alamo Cemetery Tour: the railroad to the Valley and improving education.” The Danville Grange recognized the importance of women in L to R: Sonya Borlandelli, Carmen Curtis, Betty Casey, Don Kurtz, Joan Curtz.

See Tour continued on page 25

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Are You Getting Up at Night to Pee?

By Jeremy Lieb, MD

Night time urination, also called nocturia, is a very common problem as we get older. I’ll start off with an anecdotal patient visit. A few years ago a fellow came to my office for a new patient appointment because he was getting up at night to urinate 4-5 times. After further questioning I determined he drinks four beers every evening. When I told him that my first recommendation was to reduce evening beer intake, he just looked up and said, “Well doc, I guess that I’ll be getting up to pee at night.”

I share this story to explain that there is no magic pill to reduce night time urination. The most important information is to determine why someone is getting up too many times and try to reduce risk factors.

For example, the most simple and first recommendation is to reduce evening fluid intake. Obviously, less drinking after dinner means less urine production overnight. Always remember to have a glass of water in the morning to start your day so you do not get dehydrated.

The next bit of advice is to lower your salt intake. Salt allows the body to retain more fluids, sometimes leading you to feel bloated. This will store water in your body and the water is released when you lay down. Another recommendation is to elevate your legs during the daytime or wear compression stockings or long tight socks. Most fluid is retained in our legs and the above helps to squeeze out fluid during the daytime.

If you take several medications it’s helpful to determine which ones can be taken in the morning vs night. For example, taking vitamins or safe medications (such as cholesterol pills) at night may lead to more urine because of the glass of water used to wash down the pills. Talk with your primary care doctor and determine which medications can be taken in the morning to reduce night time fluid intake. Occasionally, I’ll have a patient come into my office who is taking a diuretic water pill at night. Obviously, this leads to tons of urine production at night.

There is a medication called desmopressin which is commonly used with children to reduce bedwetting. This medication will reduce urine production overnight, but unfortunately the FDA recently voted against approval for the indication of nocturia because it can lead to diluted body salt level. That being said, there are plenty of studies that show in a low dose it can safely be used to reduce nocturia.

Dr. Lieb is a Board Certified Urologist with Pacific Urology. Pacific Urology has offices in Walnut Creek, Concord, San Ramon, Brentwood, Livermore, Fremont, and Antioch. For more information, call 925-937Advertorial 7740 or visit www.PacificUrology.com.

Danville Today News ~ October 2015 - Page 25

The Eye Opener

By Gregory Kraskowsky, O.D., Alamo Optometry Legally Blind

I am often asked the question “Am I legally blind?”

This question usually comes from my patients who have a large prescription or who are battling an eye disease or medical condition that results is a loss of vision. Thankfully, many people do not meet the definition of legally blind. To clarify this for everyone, I will go over the definition and some of the causes of a patient being defined as legally blind.

First, we need the definition. A person can be considered legally blind if they meet one of the two criteria; they do not have to meet both definitions. The first classification is related to vision, and the second is correlated to visual field, or peripheral vision. For the visual acuity definition, a person must see worse than 20/200 in their better seeing eye with their best visual correction in place. Most people who have high prescriptions assume that they meet this definition when they are not wearing glasses or contact lenses. However, it is only related to bestcorrected vision, and as long as one eye sees better than 20/200, then they do not meet the criteria. To meet the definition for visual field loss, a person’s peripheral vision must be limited to 20 degrees or less. This is usually referred to as “pinhole vision”; these individuals can only see through a very small area of central vision.

Outside of this tiny area these people either have no vision or just sensations of light and dark only. For comparison, the normal person has about 180 degrees of binocular peripheral vision. A normal person’s peripheral vision is not as good as central vision, but they have to ability to see relatively well in a wide range away from the point of fixation.

A person with this type of decreased vision and/or constricted peripheral vision generally has a congenital condition or suffers from a medical or ocular disease.

Trauma can also be a reason, but this is not as common because most accidents tend to affect only one eye; therefore the other eye would maintain good vision. The two most common acquired diseases that could potentially cause a person to lose vision in both eyes are diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration. Advanced glaucoma can cause both decreased vision and constricted peripheral vision. Some inherited or congenital issues that cause legal blindness include albinism, malformation of the optic nerves, and retinitis pigmentosa. In the first two conditions, vision is poor from a very early age and does not improve. In retinitis pigmentosa, for the most part, vision and peripheral vision are both normal in childhood. Then in teenage years or early twenties, the rods in the retina start to fail, and this causes the patient to have narrow visual fields and extremely poor night vision.

The main reason we have the definition of legal blindness is for people to possibly receive any applicable government disability assistance and for DMV. Tour continued from page 24 Depending on the severity of the vision loss and/or peripheral vision loss, a person’s the community immediately granting them full voting membership. Ten of the thirty driving is going to be compromised, and the individual will therefore either have Charter Members were women. a restricted license or not be permitted to have one at all. The main take home Joan adds, “As Charlotte Wood, when we have mostly children, I tell them about message here is to be thankful that many of us do not meet the definition of legal remembering being a four-year-old girl when the 1868 Earthquake turned over all our blindness because it relates to best-corrected vision only. For patients that are lemilk cans and spilled all that lovely cream. Our hired hand would not go up to our third gally blind, there are many low vision aids that will help enhance any remaining floor to clean up the mess, so my dear Mom did it! The next day she had our baby vision to enable that person to accomplish their activities of daily living. brother.” As time permits, Joan quotes a portion of one of Charlotte’s poems. Charlotte Dr. K. at Alamo Optometry is your hometown eye doctor for outstanding sernever married (although one English suitor asked her to return with him to his homeland vice, vision care, and designer eyewear. He can be reached at 925-820-6622 or as his bride). She taught at the Sycamore School for 31 years and participated in the visit his office at 3201 Danville Blvd., Suite 165 in Alamo. Visit our website at www. dedication of the Charlotte Wood Middle School named in her honor. alamooptometry.com, and join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @Alamo The Baldwin ranch occupied the area adjacent to the Charlotte Wood Middle Optometry. Advertorial School, including what is now Osage Station Park. Robert (R.O) Baldwin left his Ohio home in 1850 at the age of 22 to make his fortune in the California gold fields. After three years, he turned his attention to agriculture, purchasing land in Danville that he eventually increased to a holding of over one thousand acres. In 1858 he married Mary Cox, the daughter of a neighbor. The couple celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary at the Grange shortly before he died.

Sonya Borlandelli varies her presentation of Mary Cox Baldwin according to the audience on hand. Often she plays off Stan Wharton’s interpretation of R.O. Baldwin, but occasionally she commands the crowd’s attention by herself. Sometimes she reads a brief excerpt from the diary of Robert’s brother written as they traveled to California. “My most memorable moment portraying Mary Cox Baldwin for the Alamo Cemetery Tour,” Borlandelli recalls, “occurred when one of the visitors announced, ‘I am your greatgrandson.’ He was wearing a baseball cap that read ‘Elworthy,’ and he identified himself as Robert Baldwin Elworthy.”

Located on the Danville/Alamo border off El Portal, the Alamo Cemetery is administered by the Alamo-Lafayette Cemetery District. Parking is limited, so attendees are advised to arrive 15-20 minutes prior to the tour and carpool if possible. Reservations are not required, however, as a courtesy those coming with a large group should advise the guides by calling the Museum of the San Ramon Valley: 925-837-3750. A $5 donation is respectfully suggested.

Costumed interpreters give tours in late October and late April. To schedule a private non-costumed tour, call the Museum (837-3750). To learn more about Valley history, visit the Museum at the corner of Railroad and Prospect Avenues, Danville. Check books including reprints of the pioneers’ diaries available at the Museum’s Gift shop, and/or request permission to use the Museum’s archives.

Page 26 - October 2015 ~ Danville Today News

MOWSOS continued from front page

Area basic low-income standards, and many must choose between paying for food, medicines, rent or utilities with their meager resources.

Volunteer driver Cindy Russey is often the only contact that a client on her route might have during the week. “My clients tend to be homebound and have no caregiver,” says Russey, who sought her MOWSOS position upon her retirement. “Several have become friends and we chat for awhile at meal drop-off; others are more private, but all are appreciate of our service.

“I really do feel that there is nothing more important than taking care of our elders,” continues Russey. “We are all going to eventually be in a situation of being aged, and hopefully a stranger will someday be willing to drop by for me.”

MOWSOS is currently in need of volunteer drivers to deliver meals in Antioch, Bay Point, or Pittsburg -- the areas with the greatest need but the most difficult cities to find volunteers. “We would love to inspire Lafayette/ Danville/Alamo civic groups, church ministries, or companies to ‘Adopt A Route’ in those East County cities,” says Shughrou. Routes are typically between 10-15 homes, and delivery is between 10:30-12:30pm, Monday-Friday.

In addition, MOWSOS’s Friendly Visitors Program matches isolated seniors with screened volunteers who visit a senior for an hour each week and read, share stories, work on puzzles, take walks together, or other shared interests. There is currently a wait list of seniors seeking friendship.

To volunteer, call Carol Louisell at 925-954-8736 or email clouisell@ mowsos.org or visit www.mowsos.org/volunteers/volunteer-form. To sign up for services, call 925-937-8311. MOWSOS Care Managers will complete an over-the-phone evaluation and determine the needed service(s) for the caller.

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

Botox Rebuilding Lives

By Dr. Jerome Potozkin

In 1998, when I started my dermatology practice, a medical practice attorney invited me to a luncheon for “The Battered Women’s Alternative.” This organization has since been renamed to “STAND! For Families Free of Violence.” At that luncheon I heard a woman tell the story of how her husband abused her to the point where he threw her out of a car at highway speeds. This was beyond my ability to comprehend. How could someone do something like that? The luncheon was a fundraiser, and it was held at a time when in order to start my practice I had just taken out what seemed to be a giant loan to start my practice which was piled on top of my student loans. I wanted to help but felt like there was little I could do. I looked to the future for a time when I could do something to help.

STAND! provides many services to our community. They offer a 24 hour crisis line. They help provide services to families to end violence and build safe and strong relationships. Eighty percent of their funds go directly to programs for family violence survivors. Children are supported to prevent the repeated cycle of those being abused to becoming abusers. Until the recent high profile domestic violence cases reported by NFL players, many of us have been unaware how prevalent this is. On October 8th STAND! is having their annual rebuilding lives fundraiser luncheon. I would encourage you to give generously.

I am grateful to announce that on October 23rd we are going to host another of many “Vanity For Charity” events. On that day we will only be doing cosmetic injectable treatments such as Botox, Dysport, Restylane, Juvederm, and other injectable fillers. We will be donating 100% of the revenue to STAND! For Families Free of Violence. On that Friday you can indulge yourself, guilt free, as you will be supporting a great cause. I would like to thank the many wonderful people who have supported these events in the past as they have been a huge success. Please join our community in support of STAND!. I hope to see you on the 23rd!

Dr. Potozkin is a board certified dermatologist who has been serving Park continued from page 22 the local community since 1993. His fully accredited dermatological were constructed. The number of employees rose from 1,500 in 1984 to 15,000 in 1988 with an anticipated 40,000 employees at build-out. In the early years, work- and laser facility is located at 600 San Ramon Valley Blvd, Suite 102 in Danville. Dr. Potozkin is a fellow member of the ASDS. He is acers moved from San Francisco and joked that they were going to “San Remote.”

By 1984 Sunset had 4.5 million square feet of buildings plus roads and landscap- cepting new patients. Please call (925) 838-4900 or visit Potozkin.com Advertorial

ing under way at one time. Eager to see an access from Bollinger Canyon into Bishop for more information.

Ranch, Sunset Development contributed $2.5 million to build the interchange. It was not a decision which made them popular with other development companies. But they had $5 million worth of office space in the works and needed a direct way for employees to reach the business park.

A quality business environment was their goal. Unique signage, master-planned landscaping, careful selection of tenants, and service to their customers were early practices. For years Alex Mehran interviewed every single potential tenant and became proficient at deciding which were best for the business park.

One of the Bishop Ranch brochures points out that its “nationally recognized 585-acre development has been pivotal to the economic growth of the San Ramon Valley and Contra Costa County.”

Bishop Ranch Business Park is located in the center of San Ramon. While it was not included in the original 1983 San Ramon City boundary, the Business Park annexed to the city in 1988 following extensive negotiations on tax distributions and planning. Point of sales and hotel revenues come to the city. Alex Mehran has been a significant player in many San Ramon activities such as donating to causes, hosting community activities such as the Tree Lighting and Farmers Market, and discussing a prospective new city center.

Current plans for the business park will take the Bishop Ranch a very different direction, facilitated by Alexander Mehran Jr. who joined the company in 2011 and is now President and Chief Operating Officer. Today Sunset is advancing more green landscaping practices and organizing bicycles and car sharing. It recently received an important environmental certification for 28 buildings totaling 6 million square feet.

Today there are plans to provide what young Mehran calls “a needed and vital combination of amenities for Bishop Ranch customers, the community of San Ramon and the entire region.”Anew City Center at Bollinger Canyon and Camino Ramon proposes 350,000 square feet of shopping, dining, and entertainment around a piazza which will create “a sense of dynamic urbanity.” Antonio Belvedere of the renowned Renzo Piano Building Workshop is the architect for this ambitious project.

Early on, Alex Mehran said that Sunset Development Company wanted to create a horizontal Rockefeller Center in the San Ramon Valley. Indeed, the Bishop Ranch Business Park has become one of the nation’s premier business communities. Today Bishop Ranch has plans to be ten million square feet in size. It currently hosts 550+ companies, 30 industries, and 37 Fortune 500 companies.

Where once there were pear orchards replaced by a proposed “New City” in the seventies, Bishop Ranch is evolving again from an office park to what Sunset calls a “seven-day-week living, working and shopping environment.”

Certainly, change is in the air.

This is an edited essay from a new book, San Ramon Chronicles, Stories of Bygone Days, coming out in October 2015. Main sources for this essay are available at the Museum of the San Ramon Valley archives.

Advertisement recalling the original Bishop Ranch

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Torticollis: A Real Pain in the Neck

By Melissa Ko, DC, PAK, COES - Sycamore Valley Chiropractic

Torticollis is a very common condition treated by chiropractors. Also known as wry neck, torticollis means “twisted neck” in Latin which is a pretty literal description. A patient with torticollis experiences a spasm of the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle which causes the neck to be pulled and “stuck” in a position that is usually rotated, flexed or tilted.

There are generally two types of torticollis: congenital and acquired.

Congenital

A baby can be born with torticollis, and its neck and head are stuck in a rotated position. This can be painful for the newborn and make feeding and sleeping very difficult. For example, a baby may be only able to feed on one side or in one position because it’s unable to move its head. Congenital torticollis can be caused by: • malposition in-utero • birth trauma or when the physician pulls and twists the baby’s head during labor with hands or tools • in rare cases, pathology like cancer or neurological disease Congenital torticollis occurs in 0.3-2.0% of babies and usually gets better within the first eight months. However, long duration of torticollis can lead to lasting changes to posture, muscle strength, and development.

Acquired Torticollis

Babies and adults may develop torticollis which can come on very quickly and may last from days to weeks. Babies can develop torticollis from any of the causes mentioned above for congenital torticollis (but have a later presentation) as well as from too much time laying down or in one position. Adults can develop torticollis from a number of causes such as trauma, poor posture,

Danville Today News ~ October 2015 - Page 27 unsuitable mattress or pillow, weakened or imbalanced muscles, and misalignments of the spinal vertebra.

Diagnosis and Treatment

At our office, we perform a thorough examination of the spine to determine the cause of the torticollis including range-of-motion, orthopedic, neurological and muscle testing.

If necessary, X-Rays can also be taken to identify structural problems such as arthritis, (Image courtesy of Gray’s Anatomy) degeneration, abnormal curve, and misalignment in the spine. Chiropractic adjustment to the neck, upper back and mid-back re-establishes proper alignment and movement in the spine. Additional therapies we use for torticollis includes massage therapy, ultrasound, electric stimulation, cold laser, as well as kinesiological taping. These therapies help to relieve muscle spasm, decreases tissue inflammation, and increases circulation to the affected areas.

We also counsel our patients on lifestyle factors that may be contributing to the condition such as workstation ergonomics, fitness, stretching and strengthening, finding the right pillow and mattress as well as eating a healthy diet. For babies, it is strongly recommended to regularly change its position to take pressure off of the spine and muscles.

Got a crick in the neck? All bent out of shape?

Chiropractic helps to relieve torticollis, and our office is here to serve you!

Sycamore Valley Chiropractic is located at 565 Sycamore Valley Rd. West in Danville. Please visit www.sycamorevalleychiropractic.com or call 925-837-5595 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Advertorial

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

Page 28 - October 2015 ~ Danville Today News

The Combs Team

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

Professionals You Can Count On

Nancy

Joe

Call the Combs Team

®

92 5 -9 8 9 -6 0 8 6 www.TheCombsTeam.com

Danville Real Estate Market: Fewer Sales, More Inventory, Higher Prices!

As of this writing there are 59 Danville (94526) single family homes listed as active on MLS. This is about a 40% increase in inventory from the previous year. Today, 264 properties are listed as pending and during the last nine months, a total of 247 properties were sold. Last year 68 more properties sold. The average days on market before a sale is completed stands at 19. Danville remains a seller’s market.

We’ve included a bell curve and divided the Danville Real Estate market into 25%, 50%, and 75% percentiles to give you a better sense of how properties fared at different price points. Of note is that the lowest price points and the middle points closed in 24 and 25 days respectively, while the highest price point homes stood at 34 days on market.

Within each of the three groupings you’ll see that average and median price are very close with the greatest difference occurring in the grouping of the most expensive homes. The majority of homes are selling between $915,000 and $1,370,500 with the average standing at $1,110,000. This average price is about $51,000 higher than last year’s average price. However, this is about one half of last year’s increase in price. Still, it’s a large rise in the price of Danville Real Estate in a very short space of time.

The attached chart titled “New Properties” suggests that supply, while remaining low, is increasing, but only marginally. From January 2015 inventory rose markedly through April and dipped in May. It spiked briefly in July, and has been heading downward ever since. While we are seeing the rate of price appreciation slowing significantly from last year, unless we see a much larger increase in the number of new properties hitting the

Danville 4 Bedroom

market during in the next couple of months, there will most likely be a steady but perhaps somewhat slower rise in prices.

There is an important change occurring in the price mix in Danville. A total of 62 homes have sold for more than $1,370,500 with an average price of $1,789,172, and median price of $1,687,000.

Average price for this group has decreased by nearly $7,000 from last year and the median price is up almost $137,000. These are significant differences. It may be of consequence to note that the top 75% percentile of home sales declined from 79 last year to 62 this year.

That is a 22% decline in unit sales and the slowing of sales for this class of homes may be responsible for the inventory increase. Currently 34 of the 59 Danville homes for sale are in this category. While they represent a mere 25% of the sold homes, they represent 51% of the available inventory. A total of 16 unsold homes are priced at more than $2 million.

If the Fed is successful in moving interest rates up beginning sometime this year, as they have suggested, I am confident the Danville Real Estate market will continue to prosper.

We’ll probably see fewer multiple over-bids, more negotiation will take place throughout the sales process, and it will require more effort in order to attract a buyer.

Nancy and I have more than 3,000 email subscribers who receive this article in advance of publication. Sign up on our website or just send me an email and we can add you to the list. I assure you no spam will follow.

Web based estimates of your home’s market value are probably wrong. If you would like a multi-dimensional analysis of your home’s current market value, based on years of Danville market experience, please give me a call 925-989-6086 or send me an email joecombs@thecombsteam.com. For more Danville and Alamo Real Estate articles, please visit our website at www.thecombsteam.com.

Alamo New Construction Views!

NDG I L D O N PES Nicely updated 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath in lovely Danville neighborhood. Community pool and tennis courts. Priced to sell $899,000.

Views of Mt. Diablo from nearly every room. 5 bedrooms, spacious open and bright, estate vineyard, pool and pool house. Priced to sell $3,875,000.

Executive Luxury Home

Single Story Coming Soon!

LD

LD

SO

Mt. Diablo views from this casually elegant & completely luxurious Braddock Logan model home. 5 bedroom, 4.5 bath. Priced to sell $1,899,000

Alamo Single Story Ranch

SO Four bedroom 3694 sq. ft. Single story home with large guest home on 1.5 acres. Great Neighborhood, Amazing Privacy, Views, Pool and Irrigation well. Priced to Sell.

Data presented in this column is based in whole or in part on data supplied by the Contra Costa and Alameda MLS service and other quoted sources.

Joe Combs, Nancy Combs, The Combs Team, J. Rockcliff and the MLS service do not guarantee the accuracy of this information. DRE #0144125.

4 bedroom, 2.5 bath home on flat half acre.

Updated and ready to go. Priced to sell $1,275,000.

J. Rockcliff Realtors 15 Railroad Ave., Danville CA. 94526