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November 2016
Serving Alamo and Diablo
Blue Star Moms – Proud Parents Providing Practical Support By Jody Morgan
Blue Star Moms (BSM), Chapter 101, was established in 2001 shortly after the Twin Towers fell. The Moms honor the achievements of their own offspring who are serving in the United States Military, Veterans, or Fallen Heroes through an ever-increasing variety of missions from carefully coordinated care packages to programs for Gold Star Parents and events supporting Veterans as well as active duty military personnel. Once a month members from across the East Bay gather at Danville’s Veterans Memorial Building to commune with others who understand what it means to spend every day with their hearts on the line.
Alamo Tree Lighting Festival
The Community Foundation of Alamo will present the 2016 Alamo Tree Lighting Festival at 4:30PM on Sunday, December 4th. The festival signals the beginning of the Christmas holiday season for families sharing an evening of caroling, entertainment, beverages, and crafts. “Guests are urged to come early and stay late,” said the organizers. Students from local schools, elementary through high school, will be performing. Of course, Santa will make his annual appearance and hear what the dreams and wishes are for this Christmas. There will also be light treats and beverages provided by local restaurants as well as local civic groups. Participating again this year will be the Contra Costa Food Bank with barrels to collect non-perishable items such as canned or boxed goods. All are encouraged to participate in supporting charitable organizations this holiday, but it is not required in order to enjoy the fun festivities for the evening. Additionally, two local animal rescue groups have been invited to share pets
See Festival continued on page 23
Blue Star Moms host Gold Star Parents at High tea with Colonel Starling. (photo courtesy of BSM)
The Blue Star emblem originated with a service flag designed by Army Captain Robert L. Queisser to display his pride in his two sons engaged at the front during World War I. In 1918, President Woodrow Wilson approved the request by the Women’s Committee of the Council of National Defenses that mothers who had lost a child serving in the war be permitted to wear a gold star on their black mourning armband. Eventually, the gold star was also placed over the blue on banners displayed by parents across the nation whose children had died in combat. Blue Star Mothers of America, of which BSM is an official chapter, was founded during World War II. Care packages from home are always appreciated by those with boots on the ground around the globe. BSM assembles and ships at least 1,500 boxes each year. Travel-size toiletries are packed in quart bags. Snack size treats and similarly sized protein products are also separately bagged. Socks are important, especially in areas where sand and grit chew through fibers and can’t be washed out. Warm hats are good in cold climates. Asked by an embarrassed Captain with all women under his command if they did special packages for ladies, the Moms answered, “Absolutely!” The next major shipment, Holiday Hugs, will be sorted and sent December 3rd. Other major shipments are made for Valentine’s Day and the 4th of July. Better Homes and Gardens Realty, 630 Danville Boulevard in Danville, offers space year round for collection of appropriate items.
Local Postal Customer
Bay Area German Shepherd Rescue By Fran Miller
No one would deny that German Shepherd puppies are some of the cutest among all dog breeds, making them a popular pet choice. But these cute puppies grow into large and extremely intelligent dogs who require consistent mental stimulation and physical exercise. This high level of necessary care often takes German Shepherd owners by surprise, and they sometimes find themselves unequipped to handle their pets. This is one reason that German Shepherds are second only to pit bulls in dog shelter populations, and it’s also the reason for the existence of Bay Area German Shepherd Rescue (BAGSR). “German Shepherds don’t mature until age three,” explains Alamo resident Susan Hsu, director of fundraising for BAGSR. “German Shepherd owners don’t really get to know their dog’s personality for awhile, and if proper training does not take place, a large dog can quickly get out of hand.” Of course there are other reasons that these dogs end up in shelters, Volume XVI - Number 11 and thus, in the care of BAGSR. Real 3000F Danville Blvd. #117, estate issues and economics often Alamo, CA 94507 See Moms continued on page 20 play a role. Some come from owners Telephone (925) 405-NEWS, 405-6397 who are no longer physically able Fax (925) 406-0547 PRSRT STD to care for them. And then there are Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher U.S. Postage the rare cases of owner cruelty. Most Editor@yourmonthlypaper.com PAID Permit 263 Sharon Burke ~ Writer BAGSR dogs come from shelters The opinions expressed herein belong to the writers, and do Alamo CA where they’ve been abandoned. The not necessarily reflect that of Alamo Today. Alamo Today 20 volunteer foster families and five is not responsible for the content of any of the advertising ECRWSS
See BAGSR cont. on page 30
herein, nor does publication imply endorsement.
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Wreaths Across America
There are 111 Veterans from all wars, even one from the Civil War, buried at the Alamo Cemetery. Local members of Wreaths Across America will place a wreath on each grave to Honor, Remember, and Teach our community about our heroes. You can help this effort by purchasing a wreath with a tax deductible check for $20 made out to WAA and mailed to WAA, SRVRWF, Post Office Box 1, Danville, CA 94526. Everyone is welcome to join with the group at the Alamo Cemetery on Saturday, December 17 at noon for a special ceremony.
Interfaith Thanksgiving Service
Interfaith of San Ramon Valleyy (I-SRV) invites you to their annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service titled “Embracing Hope - Living Beyond Fear” on Wednesday, November 23rd at 7:30pm at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church located at 2601 San Ramon Valley Blvd. in San Ramon. Everyone is welcome to join in this one-hour, family-friendly celebration and come together as partner faith communities to pray, offer gratitude, and sing. Please bring canned goods to support the Contra Costa Food Bank, and donations for Shelter Inc. will be accepted.
San Ramon Valley Genealogical Society
Annual Fall Food and Turkey Drive
The Kiwanis Club of San Ramon Valley will hold their annual Fall Food Drive outside Safeway stores in Alamo, Blackhawk, Dougherty Valley, and San Ramon from 10AM to 3PM on Saturday, November 19th. Members will be reminding shoppers about the food drive and then asking them to purchase a $10 bag of food inside the store. They will also be accepting cash donations. The food and funds will be delivered to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano counties located in Concord. The goal is to help fill all local food banks so that no child or family will need to go hungry this holiday season. Additionally, the Club will be donating $4,000 directly to the Food Bank to purchase even more groceries. “Every year we collect about 10,000 lbs. of food during our food drive. It’s great to see such community support for the work of the Food Bank,” says Nancy Bray, Chair of the Kiwanis 2016 Food Drive. “Our one day contribution accounts for about 10% of all food distributed between Thanksgiving and New Years by the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano County.” Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time. Founded in 1915 in Detroit and with headquarters now in Indianapolis, Kiwanis International is a thriving organization of service and community minded individuals who support children and young adults around the world. More than 600,000 Kiwanis family members in 96 countries make their mark by responding to the needs of their communities and pooling their resources to address worldwide issues. Kiwanis Club of San Ramon Valley meets every Thursday from noon to 1:30PM at the Black Bear Diner in Danville for networking, lunch, and a guest speaker. Additional information may be obtained by visiting www.kiwanis-srv.org.
Alamo-Danville Newcomers Welcome Coffee
Are you new to the area or a long time resident, newly retired, or an empty nester 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 or email alamodanvillenewcomers@gmail.com.
You are invited to attend the free November 15 meeting of the San Ramon Valley Genealogical Society from 10am to noon at the LDS Church located at 2949 Stone Valley Road in Alamo. The program for this meeting entitled “Lies, Lies, and Damn Lies” will be presented by Jeffry Vailent. For additional information, visit http://srvgensoc.org or email SRVGS@ SRVGenSoc.org.
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Alamo Today ~ November 2016 - Page 3
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Boulevard View
By Alisa Corstorphine, Editor
As I sit typing this music plays in the background and the song that comes on is Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror.” The lyrics echo the story I am in the process of writing. I hear the chorus: I’m starting with the man in the mirror I’m asking him to change his ways And no message could have been any clearer If you wanna make the world a better place Take a look at yourself, and then make a change. While contemplating what to write this month, I was reflecting on a recent get-away my husband and I took to the island of Grand Cayman. We were able to do many unique things like kayaking in a bioluminescent bay and horseback riding in the ocean. While the tides were fairly kind in keeping an area known as Seven Mile Beach free of washed ashore debris, unfortunately the other beaches on the island were a magnet for our consumer waste. Washed ashore on several of the beaches were a multitude of pearlescent pink-lined conch shells to be picked up by the dozen. However, for every beautiful shell, there were water and soda bottles too numerous to count, along with motor oil and shampoo bottles and a plethora of lost flip-flops and other footwear dotting the coastline. Realizing Grand Cayman is but a tiny island on this planet, the reality of our global waste problem, especially plastic discards, became even more clear to me. We’ve heard the stats before: many of our material things and single-use items can take years, even decades, or generations to decompose. A plastic bottle of water or soda is often consumed in several min-
utes. However, that vessel won’t decompose for an estimated 450 years. Have you ever wondered how man has been able to live for thousands of years and stay hydrated without the use of a disposable plastic bottle? Since mainstream introduction of a single-use disposable water bottle about 25 years ago, close to 50 billion bottles of water are now consumed in the United States each year, with close to 200 billion consumed annually throughout the world. In the U.S. only 23% of those bottles are recycled, and my guess is worldwide the percentage is much lower. The realty of the problem was hammered home to me on those beaches. I realize a beverage in a plastic bottle can be convenient, but at what long-term cost? The equation of resource consumption and environmental damage just doesn’t add up to me. To make an impact on this problem, humans have to change behavior. By nature most of us resist change. All change efforts have something in common. In One Small Step Can Change Your Life by Robert Maurer, Ph.D. the author notes, “For anything to change, someone has to start acting differently...” The book, which explains the Japanese Kaizen approach to continuous improvement, involves taking BABY STEPS to enact a desired change. We don’t have to be on a pretty beach to see the effects of our waste. Look along our local trails, roads, and waterways. We can all take baby steps to make a difference. We can start by drinking one less bottled beverage a week, then one less every other day, and so on until the new habit becomes using zero plastic bottled beverages. We can always say “no” when offered a “free” water bottle. We can buy reusable containers. If you are a sports team parent, consider having team reusable water bottles passed out at the beginning of the season. We can also pick-up and sort trash along our paths and properly dispose of it. The Chinese classic text the Tao Te Ching notes, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” With our busy lives sometimes this seems difficult, but if we don’t take a step now, then when?
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ALAMO
GORGEOUS ALAMO RANCHER
Westside Alamo ~ Spectacular New Construction Home, 5 Bdrms & 4.5 Baths. Just under 4000 sq ft, with a GREAT floor plan—high ceilings and all the extras. Open kitchen/family room combo, formal living & dining, 3 bedroom suites including Master with two walk in closets. 1/2 acre lot, fully landscaped including outdoor kitchen & fireplace and much more! $2,198,000 Nancy Benvenuto ~ 925.784.1955 Nancy@NancyBenvenuto.com
Alamo ~ Quiet Court Location with Great floor plan. With formal dining room and living room, both with fireplaces. 1 bedroom/bath has separate entrance for au pair or guest bedroom. Hardwood floors throughout. Updated baths. Beautiful yard includes gorgeous salt water pool, detached play house, rose garden and art studio. Walk to downtown Alamo and the Iron Horse trail. $1,495,000
JUST LISTED
VIEWS OF MT. DIABLO
Danville ~ One of the best lots in Woodbine! 5 Bdrms, 2.5 Baths, 3127 sq ft on a .32 acre lot. Expanded living room w/high ceilings, formal dining room, large family rm. Master Suite w/soaking tub and study. Private back yard that backs to open space w/pool and spa, fire pit, perfect for entertaining! Court location, close to award winning schools and freeway. Call for Pricing
Todd Carter ~ 925.914.5844 todd@remaxaccord.com
Danville ~ Stunning secluded property with a modern farmhouse style on top of Nob Hill featuring sweeping views of Mt. Diablo & an enchanting landscaped yard on a third of an acre lot. 3 Bdrms, 2 Baths 1,569 sf with updated features throughout. The yard is impeccably designed & landscaped. Mature trees & stunning views! $999,950
Tim Palumbo tmpal@sbcglobal.net 925.943.3332 Russ Darby russsells@value.net 925.943.3333
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COMING SOON IN DANVILLE Danville ~ One of the best lots in Woodbine! 5 bdrms, 2.5 baths, 3127 sq ft on a .32 acre lot. Expanded living room w/high ceilings, formal dining room, large family rm. Master Suite w/soaking tub and study. Private back yard that backs to open space w/pool and spa, fire pit, perfect for entertaining! Court location, close to award winning schools and freeway. Call for Pricing Tim Palumbo tmpal@sbcglobal.net 925.943.3332 Russ Darby
Alamo Today ~ November 2016 - Page 5
SENIOR COMMUNITY San Ramon ~ Sunny Glen Senior Community, Must be 55+. Light & Bright Condo with Vaulted Ceilings, New Paint, New Carpet, All on One Level. 2Bdrms, 2Baths, Approx 1255 sf. Decks off of Family Room & Entry/Master Bdrm, 1 Car Garage Located 10 Yards from Home. Seller to provide Termite Clearance. HOA is $287 per month $459,000 Don Magalhaes ~ 925.242.8999 DonMagalhaes@gmail.com
CANYON LAKES
SOLAR HOME
San Ramon ~ Desirable Canyon Lakes Gated Community! Single Level Condo on the First Floor with Court Location. Spacious Floor Plan, 3 Bdrms, Approx 1309 sq ft. Lg Master w/Extra Large Walk-In Closet. New Furnace, A/C, Water Heater & Garage Door Opener. Lg Inside Laundry. HOA $525/mo. $624,500
Lafayette ~ Comfortable Elegance, 5 bedroom 4.5 bath contemporary home located on a private 3+ acres, yet minutes to downtown Lafayette. Over 5300 sq. ft, Chef's eat-in kitchen with large center island, bamboo cabinets, walk-in pantry. Large bonus room/office with separate entrance. A must see.
Don Magalhaes ~ 925.242.8999 DonMagalhaes@gmail.com
Gretchen Bryce ~ 925.683.2477 gretchenbryce@msn.com
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What’s Up By Jim Scala
Our two brightest planets will grace the early evening and morning sky by November 15 and be even higher by mid-December. At magnitude minus-4, Venus will always appear as the brightest star in the sky. Since magnitudes are measured in whole numbers starting at zero, a minus number is unusually bright. Venus is the size of the earth, often called our twin, and is shrouded in white clouds making it very bright at magnitude minus four. On the same evening, Vega, one of the brightest stars at 0.3, doesn’t rival Venus. Venus is in the early evening sky and is easily seen as a small disk in good binoculars, and through a telescope looks like a miniature moon just past first quarter. On December fourth, Venus and the crescent moon will be at the same height above the horizon and will make a beautiful view when it’s dark at about 6PM and for a while after. Be sure to get a clear western view and during twilight, when you can see the crescent moon, look left and search for Venus. A pair of binoculars can be a big help. Jupiter is our largest and second brightest planet. At magnitude minus-1.8 it dominates the early morning sky. By 6AM it’s quite high and in the sky. Look at it through binoculars, and you can easily see some of its four Galilean moons and its disk. A small telescope shows more. On November 13 a full moon will dominate the sky, and its brightness makes viewing stars difficult. However, one of the brightest stars, Vega, at magnitude 0.3, will be visible high in the western sky. Colonial Americans named the November Full Moon the Beaver Moon, and the Indians had named it the Frosty or Snow Moon. Full Moons were named by what was important at the time. And, since both societies were focused on agricultural and trapping, that’s what the names depict. There are no public star nights atop Mt. Diablo in November because the weather is seldom cooperative. However, on November 15th at 7:15 PM in Walnut Creek’s Lindsey Wildlife Museum there will be a stirring lecture about the planning and building of the 200-inch Hale Telescope on Mt. Palomar in Southern California. It was one of the 20th century’s greatest scientific accomplishments, and the images it produced are awe-inspiring.
Treats for the Troops
Service group Delta Nu Psi will be collecting “gourmet junk food” to send to our servicemen and women in Afghanistan. Delta Nu Psi will continue sending packages as long as American military members are in the War Zone. Much of the food sent is not normally available to the troops. Collections will be held at CVS in Alamo on Friday, November 4 and at Lunardi’s in Danville on Friday, November 11. Both collections will take place from 11:30AM to 2PM. Please come to either store and shop for our service personal. For more information, visit www.deltanupsi.org. Money for postage is also always appreciated. Please help Delta Nu Psi provide our men and women in the War Zone a touch of home.
Stop by our new office in the Alamo Courtyard 3195 Danville Blvd #4, Alamo
Role Players Ensemble Don’t Drink the Water
The Role Players Ensemble will present Don’t Drink the Water, by Woody Allen and directed by Aaron Murphy, through November 12 at the Village Theatre, 233 Front Street in Danville. Friday and Saturday shows will be held at 8PM, Sunday shows will be held at 2PM, and a show on Thursday, November 3 will begin at 7:30PM. When a New Jersey family takes pictures of the wrong thing while visiting cold war Eastern Europe, they find themselves pursued by police and seeking refuge in the American Embassy. Woody Allen brings his signature brand of humor to a motley assortment of characters in this oddball comedy. Tickets can be purchased online at www.RolePlayersEnsemble.com, at the Danville Community Center located at 420 Front St in Danville, or via phone at (925) 314-3400. For full season information, visit www.RolePlayersEnsemble.com.
Sons in Retirement San Ramon Valley
Looking for things to do in your retirement? Consider joining Sons in Retirement San Ramon Valley Branch 128. The group has monthly luncheons with interesting speakers and good fellowship. The November speaker will be Mr. Nan Su, an expert on Chinese culture/history and human rights advocate. Additionally, members have lots of fun participating in a variety of activities such as golf, tennis, bowling, bocce ball, movies, bridge, reading, computers, and much more. Many other activities such as travel, dine outs, excursions, baseball games, and holiday parties include spouses, friends, and guests. The group’s next monthly luncheon will be held on Wednesday, November 16th at 11AM. A fee of $23 includes luncheon, guest speaker, and a great opportunity to socialize with at least 150 other retirees from the San Ramon Valley. To reserve a space, please email by Thursday, November 10th to www.info@SIR128.com. The group meets at The Bridges Golf Club, 9000 S. Gale Ridge Rd in San Ramon. For more information about this retirement branch and activities, please visit www.SIR128.com.
Songs of the Season
The Danville Community Band will be presenting their 15 anniversary Christmas concert on Sunday, December 11 at 4pm. The free concert will take place in a new location: the Multipurpose Room at Community Presbyterian Church, 222 W El Pintado Rd in Danville. The band hopes you join them for this wonderful afternoon. th
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Free “Pop-Up Museum” Honoring Korean Veterans
San Ramon Valley veterans will be welcoming families and the general public to a special three day “Pop-Up Museum” in Danville starting on Veterans Day, Friday, November 11. The military-themed exhibits, gathered from local residents, will be displayed inside the main auditorium of the Veterans Memorial Building as well as outside the building. “Honoring Korean Veterans” is this year’s theme and will recognize those who served in “The Forgotten War.” Visitors will have the opportunity to speak with local Korean veterans about their experience in the “Living History” area. In addition to displays from the Korean War era, exhibits will also include military memorabilia from other time periods such as: • Full size cockpit of F-8 Crusader jet from USS Hornet (OK to climb in) • “Huey” helicopter (OK to climb in) • “MASH” Tent, Tactical Operations Center, American Soldier’s Campsite in Korea • Communication gear • Maps and posters • Video of Korean War news reports and home movies from that era • Children’s activities (identify objects) • Blue Star Moms (send a postcard to current service personnel overseas) The Veterans Memorial Building is located at 400 Hartz Avenue in Danville. Event hours are Friday, November 11 from noon to 8PM, Saturday, November 12 from 9AM to 4PM, and Sunday, November 13 from 10AM to 3PM Docents will be available to guide guests around the permanent museum displays. Admission is free. For more information, email info@stevenburchik.com, call (925) 998-943, or visit www.vmbsrv.org.
Diablo Choral Artists Presents Christmas Pudding
NEW YEAR
Diablo Choral Artists Presents Christmas Pudding, a concert of traditional English songs featuring works by Rutter, Tavener, Vaughan Williams, Byrd, Holst, and more. The concerts feature a Christmas carol sing-along. Shows will be held Friday, December 2 at 8pm, at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, located at 66 St. Stephen’s Drive, Orinda, and on Sunday, December 4 at 3pm, at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 1601 Mary Drive, Pleasant Hill. Details and tickets are available at www.dcachorus.org or by calling 925-680-7089.
• CARPET NEW FLOORS! Volunteer with AARP Tax-Aide • HARDWOOD for 2017 Tax Season • CARPET RUGS Do you like working with people? Are you • HARDWOOD CUSTOM RUGS good with numbers? Contra Costa County AARP Tax-Aide is looking • RUGS LINOLEUM for volunteers to become members of a team provid• LINOLEUM TILE ing free tax preparation for individuals of all ages. Family Owned Business Since 1989 3344 Mt. Diablo Blvd. Lafayette, CA 925.284.4440
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Tax-Aide volunteer positions include Tax Counselors who are trained by Tax-Aide and certified by IRS, and Client Facilitators, who schedule appointments and assist clients at tax sites. Orientation is in November 2016, and classes for tax counselors start in January 2017. Service is from February through April 15, 2017. If you are interested, apply online at www.aarp. org/taxvolunteer or call LaVerne Gordon at (925) 726-3199 for additional information.
AAUW Annual Holiday Home Tour
The Danville-Alamo-Walnut Creek Branch of American Association of Univeristy Women (AAUW) will be holding their 11th Annual Holiday Home Tour on Friday and Saturday, December 9 and 10. Bring your friends and tour five beautiful, festively decorated homes in Danville and San Ramon. Tickets will be available on November 7 and are $35 through Friday, December 2, after which the price increase to $40. To purchase tickets in person visit East Bay Flower Company, 206 Sycamore Valley Road W., Monday -Saturday 9-5 (cash or check only). Ticket can also be purchase via mail or online. Send a check postmarked by December 2nd payable to Danville-Alamo-Walnut Creek AAUW with a self-addressed stamped #10 business size envelope to AAUW Holiday Home Tour P.O. Box 996 Alamo, CA 94507. Use the branch website at http://dawca.aauw.net/hht2016/ to purchase tickets using a credit card. A $2 fee will be added to the cost of each ticket. No children under 12 or pets are permitted on the tour. Tour tickets are not tax deductible. For additional information, email aauwhht@gmail.com. Your ticket purchase will help send 12 middle school girls in the Danville, Alamo, and Walnut Creek communities to a one-week Tech Trek math-science camp for girls in a university setting and help local women receive their college education.
Election Wrap-Up
Blackhawk Republican Women proudly present retired Senator Jim Brulte, Chairman of the California Republican Party with an Election Wrap-Up on Thursday, November 10th at the Blackhawk Country Club, Grille Room. Check-in and a social with hors d’oeuvres and no-host bar begins at 5:30PM, and the speaker will present at 6PM. The cost is $25. “Over the last 15 years, there has been no more enduring force in California Republican politics than Jim Brulte,” noted the Capital Weekly which also called Jim one of the top 20 “most powerful political players in California.” Obviously, California Republicans agree. Elected as Chairman of the California GOP with 25 years of full-time experience in politics and government, Jim was the only freshman ever elected leader of his party in both houses of the legislature, having served in the State Assembly and Senate. Enjoy this unique opportunity to meet with the Senator personally during the social half hour. Please make your reservations by e-mailing or calling Jane Parish at janeparish@sbcglobal.net or 925-216-6663, then mailing a check made payable to “Black- Gopher/Mole Removal hawk Republican Women” to her No Poison at 366 Jacaranda Drive, Danville 94506-2125 to arrive by Monday, 925-765-4209 November 7th.
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Rancho Romero Elementary School
‘Tis the Season of Giving
By Candace Andersen, Contra Costa County, District 2 Supervisor
As the mother of six and now a grandmother of three, I am very aware of how the stresses and commitments of Christmas and the holiday season can be overwhelming on family life. It is also the perfect time to focus on what is most important and extend the great spirit of giving beyond our homes, together as families. There is no better way to teach generosity to our children than to donate or volunteer our time. Many living in our community are struggling to make ends meet, and for them the holidays can be one of the more difficult times of the year. Buying gifts and extra food is not within their budget. Some families are worrying more about essential things, such as where they will sleep that night or where they will get their next meal. Here are a few simple ways you can help if you would like to assist local families and individuals in need. Donate to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano in the 2016 “County Cares Holiday Food Fight.” This is the 13th anniversary of the challenge between Contra Costa and Solano counties. The Food Fight benefits the Food Bank in several ways. This drive has raised over one million dollars in the past 12 years and provides the Food Bank more than $120,000 each year to help families in need. Aside from the gift of food to the needy, this drive is also valued for the sense of community it brings. No one in our community should have to go hungry. Please join this Food Fight by mailing or dropping off a check made out to “The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano” at my office or by visiting www. foodbankccs.org and clicking on the link to the Counties Care Holiday Food Fight. The link will be available for donations to the “Food Fight” from November 23rd through December 31st. Be sure to note where appropriate that you are giving as a “friend of CC County employees” and indicate Board of Supervisors, District 2, and Candace Andersen as the department designee. Another way to help support some of the struggling families in Contra Costa County is by donating to the Holiday Helpers Warehouse. The Holiday Helpers Warehouse has been a program of VESTIA (Volunteers and Emergency Services Team in Action) in Contra Costa County for the past 25 years. VESTIA provides gifts of warm clothing, toys, books and food to families in need throughout Contra Costa County, all through referral from county social workers. Many of the families are in the process of starting their lives over, building new careers, and establishing financial stability and do not have additional resources to provide gifts and new clothing at the holidays. The dates for the Holiday Helpers Warehouse 2016 are Central County (to be held in Pleasant Hill) on December 12th and 13th from 8am to 3pm, and West County (to be held in Richmond) on December 15th from 9am to 3pm. If you, your company, or organization would like to donate directly or volunteer for a two-hour time to act as a “shopper” at the warehouse, please contact Alvaro Florez, Program Manager for HHW at aflorez@ehsd.cccounty.us with “HHW” in the subject line. Suggested donation items to support the Holiday Helpers Warehouse include new toys, clothing, blankets, footballs, basketballs, books, and gift cards. The basic rule of thumb is if your child would want to have the item, a child in need would, too. While all donations are gratefully accepted, they especially need gifts for teens. I will have collection boxes in my Lafayette office (3338 Mt. Diablo Bl.) and Danville office (309 Diablo Road) through December 9th for your convenience. This time of year, many look forward to celebrating the holiday season with their community. In this spirit, there are local tree lighting festivities taking place. The Town of Danville Tree Lighting will be held on Friday, November 27th. If you attend, please stop by my office for some hot cocoa and a holiday treat. The office, located just west of the tree at 309 Diablo Road, will be open from 5:30pm - 8pm . The Alamo Tree Lighting at Andrew H. Young Park will be held on Sunday, December 4th from 4:40pm – 6:30pm . The Bishop Ranch Tree Lighting in San Ramon will take place on Friday, December 2nd at 5:30pm . 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.
By Skye Larsh-Faraghan, Principal
We know how important a good school is to a community. The San Ramon Valley Unified School District is proud to claim schools that fall within the highest ranks in the state.Family and community engagement play a significant part. Rancho Romero aspires to the quote, “It is not only one person’s work; it’s really a partnership and collaboration during all these years.” I am honored to collaborate with so many creative, hard-working and compassionate staff members, families and community partners who continually mobilize community resources in support of every student. Below are a few examples occurring in November.
Harvest of the Month
Harvest of the Month started in September at Rancho Romero in Kindergarten and First Grade. The program is led entirely by parents. The program aims to increase access to fruits and vegetables through school lunch programs, classrooms, school gardens, and community grocery stores; increase students’ preferences for fruits and vegetables; and, build understanding of why eating local, sustainable fruits and vegetables is important to our health and community.
Shared Reading – One Book
Two of our teachers, Sandrine Wright and Peggy Cox, have adapted the concept of One School, One Book with the goal of creating a culture of literacy throughout the school and in every home. Parents and students in kindergarten through fifth grade are currently reading The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, following podcasts created by teachers and using Read Aloud strategies. On November 3rd Rancho Romero will host a Fall Family Literacy Night, reading the final pages together.
Fall Give Back Night
Together, with Pledge to Humanity, the PTA Rancho Outreach Team, is planning a Give Back Night with the sole purpose of building community and fostering empathy and human compassion. November 15 from 6:30-7:30PM, all families are invited to come together in a night of donating food, clothes, and toiletries, and participating in thoughtful giving activities. Donations will be made to our Sister School, Coronado Elementary School.
SF Opera Guild
The Rancho Romero PTA is thrilled to be able to bring the SF Opera Guild back for the fourth year. Students have the opportunity to perform alongside professional actors, and the school choir provides the music. The mission is to give voice to potential, extending the impact of opera into the life of the community. Thank you to our parent, Jane Lange; Choir Instructor, Helen Town; and PTA. With deep gratitude to all.
Exchange Club of SRV
The Exchange Club of San Ramon Valley meets for lunch the second Wednesday of every month in downtown Danville. Sign-in and social time begins at 11:30AM. The meeting starts promptly at noon and ends promptly at 1PM. The program features guest speakers and a business networking speaker. For more information, call Karen Stepper at (925) 275-2412, email coachstepper@yahoo.com, or visit www.srvexchangeclub.org. 8
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Alamo Today ~ November 2016 - Page 9
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Alamo Elementary School By Stan Hitomi, Principal
As usual October was the month for us to catch our “stride” for the year, literally. Now in its third year, the Alamo School Run Club is going stronger than ever. Melissa Economos (Alamo School mom) started the club in the spring of 2014 and it was an instant hit! That first year 40 students (K-5) joined the club that has since grown to over 70 runners or nearly 20% of our student body. The club meets every Wednesday morning - before school, and students are often joined by their parents, teachers and even the principal! The kids can run up to two miles each week, winning a charm to put on their backpacks or bracelets for every five miles they complete. The current leader is Nick Kimber (4th grade) with 80 miles. Helping Melissa organize the Club are Melanie Volk, Kamla Umscheid, Kristin Callison, Gretchen Treffiletti, Kristin Bush and Gill Kimber. When asked why she started the club Melissa said, “Kids love running and it’s a great way to start the day.” Go Mustangs! Staying on the running theme, Alamo School was once again (4th year in a row) the highest participating school in the SRVEF’s Run For Education. With the help of Gretchen Treffiletti, Angie Barta, and Monika Corr (School Coordinators) we were able to register a record 108% participation (# of students enrolled/# of registered runners) and grabbing over $16,000 in prize and incentives for Alamo. In our classrooms our students and teachers were also excelling. The results of the 2015-16 California Standards Test for science were returned in October and Alamo School ranked first among all 21 elementary schools in the SRVUSD with 98% of students scoring at or above proficient. Congratulations to Mary Dietler and Dave Telles (5th grade teachers) and Edwina O¹Toole (science teacher) for their amazing work in science and kudos to our entire staff for supporting our students in science education throughout their years at Alamo.
Stone Valley Middle School By Jon Campopiano, Principal
October was our busiest month of the year as we participated in Red Ribbon Week, Digital Citizenship Week, the Great Shakeout (Earthquake Awareness), and the Run for Education. Stone Valley (SV) had the most sign-ups for the Run for Education of any secondary school in San Ramon Valley Unified -- 64.82% of the SV community, (387 runners) signed up. Additionally, our jazz band rocked the path and Larry the Lion ran the 5k. We embraced the challenge of having the lowest number of runners (81) last year and worked together to accomplish this incredible feat. Thanks to our PTA parent volunteer, Danielle John, for spearheading our campaign. With the prize money for our participation rates, SV will be purchasing a new set of Chromebooks for our students. Social media and the use of technology dominate our culture. At SV we are making an intentional effort to discuss the dangers of improper social media use. Our librarian, Ms. Volenec, has been delivering lessons around our digital footprint, cyber safety, and tech responsible usage. The district has built an impressive website of resources that I recommend viewing -- www.digitalsrvusd.net. Additionally, our PTA is sponsoring a parent education night in November with the Cyberstrong organization. SV has started an Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program which focuses on building study and organization skills, note taking, test taking tips, and visits to high school and college campuses. We are looking for parent tutors every Tuesday and Thursday during the class time to support our students. If you are interested, please contact Ms. Kim at hkim@srvusd.net. Participation in our after-school sports programs is growing! Our cross-country team, coached by Mr. Sherwood, had over 20 runners and six finalists in the district race. Our volleyball team coached by Ms. Daly has over 20 athletes. In the spring we will offer golf and track and field. We are proud to continue our enrichment math program, Math Counts! Math Counts is run by high school students and our 8th grade math teacher, Mr. Nacamu. The club is open to all grade levels and meets every Friday from 2:50-4PM. The club works collaboratively to solve incredibly challenging problems. Thank you very much for your continued support of Stone Valley.
Page 10 - November 2016 ~ Alamo Today
Monte Vista High School By Dr. Kevin Ahern, Principal
With midterms in the rear view mirror, Monte Vista’s students and staff are looking forward to a great run towards the end of the fall semester. There has been a ton of positive energy generated around the Monte Vista campus since the opening of school, and that energy has reached several peaks over the past few weeks. On Friday, September 30th, the Mustangs enjoyed a big Homecoming victory against Granada. That win was followed by Saturday night’s Homecoming Dance on October 1st, which was undoubtedly one of the best events held at Monte Vista in recent years. One thousand, five hundred students and guests danced the night away on two dance floors. Our students truly had a blast at the event. Our school climate work was set into motion over four days in October. Monte Vista welcomed nationally recognized speaker Phil Boyte and the “Breaking Down the Walls” program. Phil addressed all of the juniors and seniors in two separate assemblies and followed up with four groups of students totalling about 400 in day-long workshops that focused on building positive and supportive relationships among themselves and on their campus. Based on the great feedback received from our students, we plan to continue this program for years to come. Monte Vista’s arts programs provided several fall performances over the past month and plan for more in the month of November. MV’s marching band has been performing amazing halftime routines at our home football games and has provided a spirited pep band for our away games. They also competed in their first marching band competition on October 22nd. MV’s nationally recognized Choir performed their annual Back-to-School Concert on October 4th and are slated for several more performances as the holidays approach. MV’s Dance program will perform their three evening shows on November 1st, 2nd, and 3rd at 7PM. These performances will be followed the next weekend by our Fall Play which is slated for November 10th, 11th, and 12th. I encourage everyone in our community to come out and see MV’s incredibly talented performing artists in action. Monte Vista Athletics is once again displaying a powerhouse role in the EBAL. MV Football is undefeated going into our heated rivalry game against San Ramon Valley and will top off the season with a visit to national power DeLaSalle before heading to the NCS playoffs. MV Women’s Volleyball is also enjoying another league leading run through the EBAL before beginning their playoff quest for a third consecutive NCS title. Monte Vista’s Men’s and Women’s Cross Country, Men’s and Women’s Water Polo, and Women’s Tennis are all in position to claim EBAL titles and are equipped to make deep runs into the NCS playoffs. Our school community is very proud of our student-athletes, and we look forward to a great month of November. MV is also reaching further out into our community. Our PTSA has partnered with our administration and faculty to begin monthly, morning coffee meetings where faculty, parents, and community can talk about topics surrounding Monte Vista’s programs. Our next session will be held on November 16th at 8:30AM in Room 118 and will focus on our Social Science program. In addition, Monte Vista Parent, Ryan Meineke, has started the Dads on Campus program. The group met for the first time on October 18th and featured speakers Bob Dillow and Mike Redemer presented “The Four Faces of Dad.” Keep an eye on the MV website (www.mvhs.schoolloop.com) for the next session. As always, thanks to the Monte Vista Community for their support of our school and all of its programs. We look forward to seeing you at one of our campus events.
Volunteers Needed
White Pony Express (WPE) is a nonprofit group dedicated to helping to end hunger and poverty in Contra Costa County. The program has been so well received that additional volunteers are urgently needed to help keep up with its rapid growth. The need in our communities remains great. Seven days a week, WPE Food Rescue volunteers take trucks to supermarkets, restaurants, and farmers markets where they pick up thousands of pounds of surplus food—high quality, nourishing food (fresh meats, dairy, eggs, deli, baked goods). Most all of this food is distributed to those in need within two hours of the donation. In its first two and half years, WPE delivered more than 3,000,000 pounds of food (equivalent to 2,500,000 meals) that the hungry would have gone without. Also, in addition to rescuing food, WPE collects donations of new or likenew clothing, shoes, toys, games, and books. More than 250,000 of these items have been distributed to those in need in the past two years—all free of charge, through WPE’s unique “Mobile Boutiques” and its Direct Distribution program. Interested volunteers please contact Mandy Nakaya at 925-818-6361 or mandy@ whiteponyexpress.org. For more information, visit www.whiteponyexpress.org.
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San Ramon Valley High School By Ruth Steele, Principal
Suddenly it is fall, and the days are getting shorter and the mornings darker. In the run up to Thanksgiving Break, I know that everyone is ready for a little time off, and we are all looking forward to being with friends and family. Given that the school year started a couple of weeks earlier this year, we’ve been going at full speed for a while now. Thanksgiving is a great time to slow down and enjoy the things that happen outside of school so that we can come back and finish up the semester ahead of Winter Break. The district calendar changes this year allow for a break around Christmas that won’t require students to prep for final exams in January. Now, these assessments fall in December, and the Winter Break will truly be a break between semesters with no work load for students. One of the overarching goals at SRVHS for the last few years now has been trying to refine the school experience for students and staff so that we can accomplish all the things we need to get done, while still being mindful of how school “feels” for everyone. Our initiatives, which include involvement in the Stanford Challenge Success program, our campus wide 1:1 computer and the new bell schedule have allowed us to significantly shift the day to day experience for our students and staff. However, as we become a more tech centered school campus, one of the areas that continues to be a challenge for both educators and parents, is educating students around digital citizenship and preparing our children for a work force that is increasingly dependent on technology. Many of the careers that now exist are new and developing. These are fields that are much less clearly defined than in the past. One example is strategic marketing through online/ social media. The collection of meta-data from consumers and the analysis of purchasing patterns online has completely shifted how products are marketed. As educators, we have to try and figure out how to help students to navigate this extremely complex online world as both learners and consumers. These are life-long skills that adults haven’t necessarily mastered, and as education continues to morph at an incredible rate, it’s a challenge that we are trying to wrap our heads around and fully understand. As part of our work on this at SRVHS, we will be showing the documentary/movie Screenagers on November 9th at 7pm in the PAC (see our website www.srvhs.net for details). It’s a window into the technological world that our teens and tweens have to navigate and the impact that screen time is having on our children’s emotional, academic, and social development. We will also be providing screenings for our staff and for all of our students. Please come if you are interested in this complex and important topic! May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears. ~ Nelson Mandela
Hospice East Bay’s 30th Tree of Lights Celebrations
For thirty years, Hospice East Bay has held Tree of Lights ceremonies which have offered members of the communities they serve a way to honor the lives of their friends and loved ones. • Danville & San Ramon - Friday, November 18, 5:30pm Town Meeting Hall, 201 Front Street This tree is dedicated to Win Haagensen, Founder of Tree of Lights! • Alamo - Tuesday, November 22, 5:30pm Alamo Women's Club, 1401 Danville Blvd. Dedicated to Moni Whitbeck, Sumner Hawley, and Ann Pearson • Rossmoor - Tuesday, November 29, 4:30pm Creekside Clubhouse, 1010 Stanley Dollar Drive, Walnut Creek Dedicated to Jerry McConnell • Blackhawk - Friday, December 2, 5pm Blackhawk Road at Blackhawk Drive. Dedicated to Ted Santon. • Walnut Creek - Wednesday, December 7, 5pm John Muir Medical Center, Main Entrance, 1601 Ygnacio Valley Road, Dedicated to Jim Hazard, former mayor of Walnut Creek. Hospice East Bay provides compassionate end-of-life care to terminally ill patients, while offering emotional, spiritual, and grief support for the entire family. As a not-for-profit organization, they accept all medically qualified patients, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. Since 1977, Hospice East Bay has served over 23,000 patients and their families. To learn more visit www.hospiceeastbay.org.
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Alamo Today ~ November 2016 - Page 11
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Bruce Robert Marhenke
September 16, 1930 – August 25, 2016
Long time educator in the San Ramon Valley and 50-year resident of Alamo, Bruce Robert Marhenke, 85, passed away on August 25, 2016, surrounded by his loving family. Bruce was the first principal of Vista Grande Elementary School when it opened in 1960 and later a principal at Los Cerros Middle School as well as a San Ramon Valley Unified School District administrator. Bruce appreciated his former students reaching out to him. He responded to everyone with a warm hello and a big smile. Bruce came to northern California to attend graduate school at the University of California in Berkeley in 1952. His life changed forever when he signed up to drive a carload of students home to Los Angeles over the Thanksgiving holiday and met a vivacious brunette from Alpha Delta Pi with a beautiful white smile and jet red lips who finagled her way to sit next to him, and they were inseparable after that. Bruce and Nancy shared 61 wonderful years together! Bruce was born in Los Angeles on September 16, 1930, to Max and Myrtha Marhenke and raised in Pasadena and Altadena. He attended John Muir High School in Pasadena and was a graduate of University of California in Santa Barbara. He received his graduate degree in education at the University of California at Berkeley. Bruce began his career as an educator in Berkeley as a teacher at John Muir School. He and Nancy moved to Danville in 1958 where Bruce taught at Montair Elementary School and then later moved to Alamo in 1966 where they lived for over 50 years. After retiring from education, Bruce was a constant presence in Alamo as founder and former publisher of Alamo Today and Alamo Magazine. He was a fixture around town, always with a smile and interest in the community. In 1995, Bruce was named Alamo Citizen of the Year, and in 2006 he was named as the Alamo Merchant and Professional Association’s Business Person of the Year. Special in his heart was the annual Alamo Tree Lighting ceremony where he coordinated community safety with the Sheriff ’s department. Upon receiving his license on his 14th birthday, Bruce’s passion for cars started with a Model T Ford Truck. In high school, he and his best friend Bob Davis both owned 1935 Fords. Bruce was an avid racer at Pebble Beach and Golden Gate Park road races in the 1950’s and the Virginia City motorcycle races in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Bruce’s family was his greatest passion in life. He was very close to his four children and four grandchildren, taking a keen interest in their lives and pursuits. His annual family reunion at The Lake gathered family, cousins, and friends from all over the United States, and the gathering recently celebrated its 50th year in 2015. Bruce is survived by his sister, Ilse Kirste, son Bruce Marhenke (Teresa) son Mike Marhenke (Donna Maxwell), daughter Michele Hooker (Sam), son Steve Marhenke (Donna Piombo), grandchildren Brie Acosta (Rudy), Max Marhenke, Sam Hooker, Matthew Hooker, and great-granddaughter Revelry. A celebration of life was held on October 29th.
Page 12 - November 2016 ~ Alamo Today
Quick Trips
Guillermo del Toro Exhibit By Linda Summers Pirkle
Who likes to drive to Los Angeles from the Bay Area and then deal with the notoriously congested freeways? No one I know does! Low cost flights to L.A. and the ease of hiring an Uber driver to navigate the busy streets of SoCal qualifies the entertainment capitol as a “Quick Trip.” If you watch the FX series The Strain, a super natural adventure horror show with flashbacks to Nazi Germany, you most likely are familiar with Guillermo del Toro. He co-wrote the books on which the series is based and is the executive producer of the show and director of the blockbuster films Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth, and Pacific Rim. The Los Angeles County Museum is hosting a special exhibit through November 27 highlighting the 51-yearold Mexican-born filmmaker. My husband is a del Toro fan, and he loves the horror film genre, so for his birthday I suggested a quick trip to Los Angeles to visit the Guillermo del Toro: At Home with Monsters exhibit. The exhibit did not disappoint. Deep maroon colored walls, a dark and stormy night projected on the ceiling along with dozens of drawings, artifacts, paintings, photographs, and items from del Toro’s wildly popular (and gory) films and personal collection were on display. I was most interested in the unique and varied pieces del Toro drew inspiration from—Disneyland’s attraction the Haunted Mansion (one of del Toro’s favorite Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and Frankenstein’s places), etchings from Francisco Monster; Photo: Joshua White Goya y Lucientes (Spain, 1746-1828) who is the artist whom del Toro connects with “most viscerally,” and even a large lobster suspended from the ceiling which the director acquired while in Prague while making Hellboy II. My husband liked the exhibit and commented that there was so much to take in. The life size rendition of the Pale Man from Pan’s Labyrinth was a crowd favorite. Our next destination was another favorite for my husband— a bookstore. It wasn’t just any bookstore. The Last Bookstore is a 22,000 square foot space in Guillermo del Toro: At Home with Monsters exhibit downtown L.A. and home to 250,000 new and used books. With dark wood floors, reading nooks, a labyrinth made of stacks of books, and a walk thru tunnel also made of books, The Last Bookstore is defying odds in the bookstore market. Opened eight years ago, it is the largest independent bookstore in California. What a fun place to spend an afternoon. My oldest daughter, a frequent visitor to L.A., suggested that I make an appointment at the “best blow dry bar.” While my husband answered emails and explored a bit on his own, I spent an hour at The DryBar. To the uninitiated, blow dry bars are salons that specialize in shampooing and styling—no cuts. For me, it’s the ultimate in pampering. The Drybar (TheDrybar.com) chain located all over L.A. (and now in San Francisco and Palo Alto) is attributed to being the first in the blow dry field, and in my daughter’s and my opinion it is the best. The element that sets them apart from other blow dry bars is that they use their own products (shampoo, conditioner, all kinds of elixirs), and they are exceptional. Los Angeles County Museum of Art is located at 5905 Wilshire Blvd, L.A., (323) 857-6000; lacma.org. The Guillermo del Toro: At Home with Monsters exhibit runs through November 27. Hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday:11AM5PM; Friday: 11AM- 8PM; Saturday and Sunday: 10AM-7PM; and closed Wednesday. The Last Bookstore is located at 453 S. Spring Street, Los Angeles; (213) 488-0599; Lastbookstorela.com. 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.
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Mediterranean Celebrity By Sue Collier, Alamo World Travel
It was a beautiful sunny day when my friend Michael and I sailed out of Barcelona on our 10 day Celebrity Western Mediterranean cruise. We flew into Barcelona three days prior to the cruise so we would have time to explore this beautiful and vibrant city with a rich cultural heritage, renowned for the architectural work of Antoni Gaudi. If you go to Barcelona, don’t-miss attractions include Gaudi’s most famous works, the church La Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell, Las Ramblas (the main shopping area), the Picasso Museum, classic flamenco performances, and tapas and Spanish wine. The Constellation is one of Celebrity’s most popular ships, part of the “Millenium” class. She holds 1,800 passengers and has the intimate feel of a smaller ship that is easy to get around. We were greeted with a glass of champagne and checked into our very comfortable Sky Suite with veranda. After unpacking, we sat on our veranda, enjoyed a glass of wine, and departed Barcelona. We then began exploring the ship and visited the wonderful Aqua Spa Solarium, took a dip in the covered thalassotherapy pool, and visited the healthful Aqua Spa Café for a light lunch. Our first port of call was Monte Carlo where we enjoyed a visit to the Oceanographic Museum and “donated” some of our money to the local economy at the beautiful Belle Epoque Monte Carlo Casino. Our next stop was St. Tropez. We had made dinner reservations months in advance to dine at Chateau de la Chevre d’Or in Eze, made famous in the 2007 movie Bucket List, starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. It was a fabulous prix fixe gourmet meal with attentive waiters in a beautiful dining room with a gorgeous view. The next day a light rain and fog came down, but we happily enjoyed Portofino, a charming stop on the Italian Riviera. We visited the church of San Giorgio with its beautiful inlaid mosaic designs and enjoyed cocktails dockside at a local trattoria overlooking the water. In Rome, we met up with our small group for a private shore excursion tour of St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums. St. Peter’s Basilica is home to Michelangelo’s “Pieta.” Rome is a wonderful city, full of great historical sites such as the Roman Colosseum, the Pantheon, and the Trevi Fountain which is magical at night! However, one of the most enjoyable things to do was to simply choose a local café and sit outdoors overlooking the Piazza Navona and relax enjoying a taste of Italy’s famous gelato. Our next cruise port was Naples. Sailing into the Bay of Naples, past the hills of Ravello and the pastel colored houses of Positano cascading down to the water, is an experience not to be missed! We enjoyed our shore excursion which was a morning tour of ancient Pompeii, followed by a delicious lunch in the picturesque town of Sorrento, culminating in a sometimes hair-raising drive down the infamous Amalfi Drive to Positano. We ended our day with an afternoon of shopping and a tasting of the locally made lemon liqueur, Limoncello and continued the time honored tradition of having a pair of sandals custom made for us at Artigianato Rollo, a family owned sandal shop that has been in business for over 65 years. We were able to choose the style, heel height, leather color, and decorative add-ons – just like a fashion designer. It was a great shopping experience! All too soon, our cruise came to an end in one of my favorite cities, Venice. Venice is unlike any other city in Europe with its bustling waterways, beautiful churches, great art, and wonderful food. If you have not had an opportunity to travel overseas, I highly recommend a Celebrity Western Mediterranean cruise as a relaxing way to visit Europe. Celebrity, a premium cruise line, offers several sailings from 7 days to 14 days long, visiting some of the most beautiful cities in France, Italy, Spain, and Sicily. Sue Collier is a Travel Agent with Alamo World Travel. She specializes in cruises, customized vacations, and tours worldwide. Sue is passionate about wine, food, music, and travel. Allow her to help you plan the perfect vacation. You can reach Sue at (925) 837-8742, ext. 22 or at suec@alamoworld.com. Advertorial
Attention! Don’t miss Alamo World Travel’s special event on November 15th from 6pm to 7:30pm. Please join us at the Forbes Mill Steakhouse in Danville for a wonderful evening with one of our valued travel partners, Insight Vacations. Enjoy a presentation on the hottest new travel destinations along with wine, hors d’oeuvres, and the chance to win prizes! Please RSVP to Sue Collier at 925-837-8742.
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Alamo Today ~ November 2016 - Page 13
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
Page 14 - November 2016 ~ Alamo Today
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Alamo Today ~ November 2016 - Page 15
Brad Gothberg Not Only LISTS Luxury Homes, D D L L D L O O O S S S He SELLS Luxury Homes!! 1706 S. Clear Creek Pl. Danville
141 Lawnview Circle Danville
Sold for $743,000
Sold for $850,000
15 Alderwood CT. Walnut Creek
D L SO
Sold for $1,650,000
6 Abbott Ct. Orinda
Sold for $2,220,000
D L SO
Sold for $4,250,000
Sold for $1,450,000
1286 Mt. View Blvd.
145 Camino Encanto Danville
Sold for $1,533,000
D L SO
Sold for $1,280,000
D L SO 1398 Casa Vallecita Alamo
Sold for $1,830,000
D L SO
181 La Serena Ave. Alamo
Sold for $1,395,000
149 Alamo Springs Alamo
Sold for $2,950,000
Happy Thanksgiving From Brad Gothberg
BradGothbergSells.com
More people are choosing to Buy & SELL with Brad Gothberg With over 27 years experience and the most extensive list of inventory in the San Ramon Valley call Brad Gothberg at 925-998-5151. * All comments are deemed true and are on record for the specific purposes for marketing and or advertising for Brad Gothberg, CA BRE# 00964026. Š 2015 SanRamonValley.properties. All rights reserved. | Terms of Use | San Ramon Valley Real Estate Web Site Search Engine
Walnut Creek
Sold for $1,320,000
71 Donna Maria Way Orinda
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50 Camino Monte Sol Alamo
215 Valley Oaks Dr ALamo
Page 16 - November 2016 ~ Alamo Today
The Tree of the Season
Coast Live Oak, Quercus agrifolia By Blaine Brende & Joe Lamb
If you have a coast live oak in your yard, you will understand that its Latin name, Quercus agrifolia, is appropriate. Agrifolia means spiny leaves. And though the tree retains green leaves throughout the year, it also sheds dead leaves, many dead leaves, and they are less than friendly on bare feet. If you are lucky enough to have a mature coast live oak in your garden, you are well aware that its sculptural qualities more than compensate for the ongoing maintenance this big beast requires. I find comfort in the manner wherein old trees twist into their strangely beautiful form, their rugged bark accentuating, in counterpoint, their grace and openness. The generous shade offered by their broad crowns seems to invite one to lounge against their trunks and think about things that are never on TV. Agrifolia became the dominant tree of the costal plain, not because it’s beautiful, but because it’s tough. Though plagued by several diseases and pests, the continuing ubiquity of live oaks over the millennia is testament to their ability to resist diseases and fight off pests. Several fungal diseases, with the generic names “twig blights” and “oak branch dieback,” attack the crowns of live oaks. Brown patches in your oak’s canopy are most likely from these fungal diseases. An aesthetic debit, they rarely pose a serious threat to the life of the tree. Unsightly deadwood can be pruned out. Though these diseases come from water-borne fungi, they often occur in oaks weakened by drought stress. It is common knowledge that over-watering coast live oaks is a good way to kill the tree. Too much summer water promotes the growth of oak root fungus, a common soil fungus that can turn lethal in soggy soils. Less widely appreciated is that summer watering of oaks can make them more disease- and insect-resistant IF, and it is a big IF, they are watered correctly. Correct summer watering of coast live oaks requires placing a soaker hose in a circle around the tree at least ten feet from the trunk and running the water for about two hours–sunset is a good time. It is important to water the tree not more than once a month: once in July, once in August, once in September, and once in October. Over-watering
Time to Shine By Cynthia Ruzzi
I have long advocated improving your ‘building envelope’ before considering solar for your home. A building envelope is made up of the walls, roof, and openings of your home such as doors, windows, and skylights. An additional layer of insulation in our attic, low-e windows, curtains, seals around each door, a high energy heating/air unit and appliances, along with LED lights can be used to guarantee a monthly electric bill of around $50. However, the continuing rise of kWh prices contrasted with the lower cost of solar power has our family getting ready to harness the sun. I’ve been researching ways to go solar, and here’s what I’ve learned. 1. Purchase With Cash – Purchasing your system outright gives you the best negotiation power. You may also be eligible for the 30% Federal Tax Credit. Purchasing keeps the cost of your electricity constant, and studies show your property value will go up – often by a greater amount than the cost of your system. 2. Finance Your Purchase – Taking out a loan to finance your system may still be a prudent choice. Some banks offer renewable energy loans with lower rates than your home equity loan, and unsecured loans may be available from your solar company of choice. PACE loans are becoming popular since they are not tied to your credit score. To qualify, you must have 10% equity in your house. The load is paid twice a year as a lien in the property tax. Visit the CaliforniaFIRST program (https://californiafirst.org) or the HERO program (https://heroprogram.com) to learn more. 3. Leases/PPA - In this case, you don’t own the system. Instead, the finance company does. As such, they will install a system on your roof and then charge you for the electricity it produces. Your monthly lease payments should be lower than what you pay PG&E but may increase over time. The drawbacks include: a. You don’t get the 30% Federal Tax Credit – the finance company does! b. When you sell your home your buyer must be willing to assume the
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can kill oaks by stimulating parasitic fungi. Judicious watering during dry summers gives the tree a boost but doesn’t encourage root diseases. It’s better not to water oaks at all than to over-water them; and lawns, grown under the canopy of the oaks, are a common cause of over-watering. One way to make your oak (and the many creatures it supports) happy is to turn lawn under the canopy over to native, drought-tolerant plants. This saves water and reduces the likelihood your oak will get a root disease. Oaks also appreciate a layer of mulch. Mulch helps aerate the soil and improves the environment for beneficial soil creatures. Given that the current stewards of the coastal plain seldom burn the woodlands, most of our oak forests have built up a significant load of dead wood. To prevent a crown fire, like the one that ravaged the East Bay in 1991, it is important to make all landscape trees and shrubs more fire safe. At Brende and Lamb it is our fervent hope that all current players in the ongoing drama of the oak woodlands act to maintain a healthy ecosystem in which coast live oaks, and the many creatures that depend on them, continue to appear center stage. Unfortunately, we are starting to see a few cases of Sudden Oak Death (SOD) in the East Bay, concentrated mostly in forested parklands. The SOD pathogen infects susceptible oaks during spring rainstorms. It is difficult to prevent an oak from being infected, but there are steps to reduce the probability of infection, such as the application of Agrifos in autumn. Furthermore, California bay trees can be a host to SOD, where it occurs as a leaf disease. Infected bays don’t die, but they can spread the spores to oaks as water drips from the bay leaves onto the trunk of an oak. Studies show that pruning back bay trees to give a 10 foot separation from your oaks can significantly lower the infection rate. At this time, preventative action is the only way of treating the disease. It takes two years for an infected tree to show any sign of infection, and once infected there is no way to cure the disease. The best place to find current information on SOD is the California Sudden Oak Task Force at www.suddenoakdeath.org. If your trees need a little TLC to protect them against winter winds, or if your property could use a little fire protection, please call 510-486-TREE (8733) or email us at bl@brendelamb.com for a free estimate. Additionally, go to our website www.brendelamb.com to see before and after pictures, client testimonials, and work in your neighborhood. Advertorial lease, or you’ll pay an early termination fee. Have you ever tried to compare bed mattresses from one store to another? Evaluating solar systems is a whole world more difficult. Make sure you understand how efficient a proposed system is – including “how much energy will be generated” and ‘how much will it cost.” When looking for the best return on investment, compare the “Cost Per Watt” between the different proposals. If this is not provided by the solar company, calculate it yourself by dividing the total cost of the system (before the 30% Federal Tax Credit) by the total watts of the system (Note: kilowatt are converted to watts by multiplying by 1,000). Solar companies should provide a written estimate showing the break-even for your investment. This is the time it will take to pay off the system using the savings from using solar. The fun starts at break-even: your electricity is now free! Always check the manufacturer’s warranty on the panels and the inverters. Expect a 20-25 year life span for top-of-the-line systems. If you do lease, ask for a written document showing what’s included in scheduled maintenance and how often it is performmed. While you can expect a performance guarantee if you lease, you can also expect that their inverters (often central ones) will need to be replaced every 10-15 years. Ready to learn more? Google has a great website, “Project SunRoof” (https://www.google.com/get/sunroof) that recommends a system for your home based on your address and the average amount of the electric bill that you enter. Additionally look for an explanation of how solar works and the advantages of modern micro-inverters verses older central inverters. The site will even connect you to reputable providers if you so choose. Even with a monthly electric bill of $100, you can expect a lifetime savings of $17,000 from a purchased system. It’s time to shine! We’re ready to lower our energy bills, help the planet, and add value to our home – are you? Post a picture of your photovoltaic system at www.facebook.com/sustainabledanvillearea, and let the sun shine in!
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Life in the Alamo Garden
Outdoor Living By John Montgomery, ASLA, Landscape Architect #4059
Imagine your outside space to be like your home, having different functions and places for varied activities, perhaps, laid out in a similar fashion as the floor plan of your home. There are rooms for activities, food preparation and dining, relaxation and contemplation, and work spaces that can all be a part of the intended vision of an outdoor living design. Particularly in Alamo, we are blessed to live in such a favorable environment which supports the idea of living outside. Current trends over the last decade have been moving towards using the outside space as an extension of living space. It’s fascinating to see homes built in the 1950 – 1980’s era and the way the land was used. For instance, take my home here in Alamo, built in 1948 on half an acre. The landscape entailed a small concrete patio (square), a small patch of turf, a few fruit trees, and the rest was left to go to seed. I find a lot of homes of this area like that. Today, I develop those unused spaces into usable outdoor living space.
As a home has a heart, so does a garden. Generally the kitchen and family room are the center of activity in a home. It is the same for outdoor space. Most folks in Alamo enjoy the outdoors all-year-round, making food preparation and dining outdoors desirable. I design a wide range of outdoor kitchens equipped with everything from 48” stainless steel grills, refrigerators, sinks, dish washers, lobster pots, woks, pizza ovens, keg-a-rators, and wine closets. Pretty much anything in the indoor kitchen can be recreated outdoors. The living space shaded by a cabana, pavilion, or pergola becomes the central room of the outdoors supporting activities such as eating and dining, having conversations with friends and family, entertaining, playing games, simply sitting quietly reading a book, or watching TV. At night, the fireplace, fire pit, or heaters can take away the night chill for late-night entertaining. For more rambunctious activities like swimming, soccer, croquet, hiden-seek, and tag, swimming pools and spas, large turf areas, and sport courts become the activity room or even the sports arena. For the avid golfer, imagine your own putting green! There is a big trend for outdoor living spaces like cabanas, pavilions, and pergolas. These are outdoor living rooms to house cooking, dining, lounging, games, conversations, and watching the “big game.” These spaces are a wonderful and comfortable extension of the home. Lately, I find many of my clients working from home which gives the outdoor living space a completely different potential for use. With wireless capabilities for almost everything, imagine taking care of business poolside while on a conference call with associates scattered halfway around the globe
Alamo Today ~ November 2016 - Page 17
Sunday, Dec 4
4:30 pm - 6:30
or sitting with your laptop hammering out year-end financials. There are no limits to the ways you can use your outside space. Outdoor living space need not be overdone or complicated. Creating “Outdoor Living” is one approach to effectively design the “floor-plan” of your outside environment. A hot tip from your local Landscape Architect: Building outdoor living space adds to your property value and is a great investment into the quality of home life. Gardening Quote of the Month: “I do not understand how anyone can live without one small place of enchantment to turn to.” - Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings If you would like me to write on any particular subject, email your ideas to jmontgomery@jm-la.com or for design ideas visit www.jm-la.com or www. Advertorial houzz.com/pro/jmla/john-montgomery-landscape-architects.
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Page 18 - November 2016 ~ Alamo Today
Clip Notes
By Jody Morgan
No mention of any comestible a vegetarian would ingest is made in primary source accounts of the menu for the three-day feast shared by English settlers and Native Americans in 1621. The 57 surviving men, women, and children who had arrived on the Mayflower were already enjoying a prodigious quantity of wild-caught poultry of unspecified species when 90 unexpected native guests arrived. In a spirit of friendship not fated to last, the native huntsmen contributed five deer to the party. Perhaps if the authors who documented the event had foreseen that it would be remembered annually as “the First Thanksgiving,” they might have listed some of the side dishes. Corn, central to the celebration, could have been served in breads baked with indigenous fruit such as strawberries, gooseberries, or raspberries. It might have been added to soup or prepared as a pudding. But regardless of its place on the table, corn was the one component of their harvest that gave the Pilgrims cause to give thanks. A letter attributed to Edward Winslow dated Plymouth in New England, December 11, 1621, reads: “We set last spring some twenty acres of Indian corn, and sowed some six acres of barley and pease, and according to the manner of the Indians, we manured our ground with herrings, or rather shad, which we have in great abundance, and take with ease at our door. Our corn did prove well, and God be praised, we had a good increase of Indian corn, and our barley indifferent good, but our pease not worth the gathering, for we feared they were too late sown.”
Mt. Diablo Branch California Writers Club
Journalist Joan Morris will discuss “Keeping the Hats on Straight” at the next meeting of the Mt. Diablo Branch, California Writers Club (CWC) on Saturday, November 12 at Zico Fraedo’s Restaurant, 611 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill. Morris will explain how to balance deadlines, manage versatility, and navigate the ever-shifting world of digital-first journalism, among other challenges. Morris is the pets and wildlife columnist for the East Bay News Group as well as the garden page editor. She founded Our Garden, a demonstration garden operated by the Contra Costa Master Gardeners. The garden offers free classes on Wednesdays from April through October and donates about 14,000 pounds of fresh produce each year to the Monument Crisis Center. Born in Texas and raised in New Mexico, Morris holds a BA degree in Journalism, with a minor in Russian Studies from the University of New Mexico. She joined the Contra Costa Times staff in 1988 and has held a number of reporting and editing positions within the newspaper group. Sign-in starts at 11:15AM, the luncheon is from 12-12:45PM, and the speaker will present from 1-2PM. Cost is $25 for CWC members and $30 for guests. Reservations must be made by noon on Wednesday, November 9. To reserve, contact Robin at cwcrobin.gigoux@yahoo.com, leave a message at (925)933-9670, or sign up via PayPal: click “Buy Now”on the Mt. Diablo website. Expect confirmation only if you e-mail your reservation. For more information, visit http://cwcmtdiablowriters.wordpress.com/.
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The Pilgrims were not the first English settlers to be thankful for success in growing the native corn. Common parlance in England termed whatever the favored local grain crop was (whether wheat or oats) “corn.” Indian corn (maize or Zea Mays) saved Virginia settlers from starvation many years before the Pilgrims landed. Archeologists have uncovered evidence of a 1607 cornfield tilled in Jamestown. DNA testing confirms that the progenitor of maize was a grass: teosinte. The most ancient remnants of maize cultivation discovered to date come from a deposit in Mexico containing tools 8,700 years old. Over the course of centuries, native farmers selected grains displaying the most desirable characteristics to plant. In The New York Times, May 24, 2010, Sean L. Carroll writes: “The most crucial step was freeing the teosinte kernels from their stony cases. Another step was developing plants where the kernels remained intact on the cobs, unlike teosinte ears, which shatter into individual kernels.” As supplies from England ran low, settlers learned to use Indian corn in recipes adapted with a combination of Old and New World wisdom. They substituted cornmeal for wheat flour or oatmeal in puddings and porridges and dumplings for soups. They fried cornmeal in skillets to create “johnnycakes.” Following Native American practice, they parched kernels of corn dried on the cob and ground them into superfine flour. Travelers carried the flour in leather pouches. Mixed with snow in winter or water in summer, three spoonfuls of the flour fully nourished a grown man for an entire day. Native Americans served Swedish naturalist Pehr Kalm, whose North American Travels were published in English in 1770, “fresh maize-bread, baked in an oblong shape, mixed with dried huckleberries, which lay as close in it as raisins in a plum pudding.” Alice Morse Earle devotes a chapter of her 1898 Home Life in Colonial Days to Indian corn. She recalls: “The ears of corn were often piled into the attic until the floor was a foot deep with them. I once entered an ell bedroom in a Massachusetts farmhouse where the wall, rafters, and four-post bedstead were hung solid with ears of yellow corn …” She notes that during the winter a regular job for boys was shelling corn by the firelight. Sometimes they scraped off the kernels using the iron edge of a fire-peel or the sharp edge on the handle of an iron frying pan. Like Native Americans, colonists wasted no part of the corn plants. Once the kernels were shelled from the dried cobs, settlers stored the cobs to use as light firewood, especially for smoking ham and bacon. Lacking Legos or Lincoln Logs, children used the cobs to build cob-houses. Earle writes: “Many games were played with the aid of kernels of corn: fox and geese, checkers, ‘hull gull, how many,’ and games in which the corn served as counters.”
Winter Native Plant Gardening Workshops
Fall and winter are the spring of native plant gardens. Learn about these plants in a new Winter Workshop series and this month’s Native Plant Extravaganza, when seven native plant nurseries will be open, and their friendly staff will be ready to help you select native plants for your garden.
Winter Workshops
• How to select California native plants for your garden: Saturdays, November 5, December 10, January 14 • California native plant propagation: How to create native plants from seeds, cuttings, and divisions: Saturdays, January 14 and 21 • Gardening with nature in mind: Saturday, January 28 These workshops will fill; for more information and to register, visit http:// www.bringingbackthenatives.net/winter-2016-2017-workshops.
Bringing Back the Natives Tour
Follow and “like” the Bringing Back the Natives Tour on Facebook to see a changing gallery of native plant garden photos, read about what to do in your native plant garden each month, stay informed about Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour events, and more. The most recent post will link you to a fabulous new database that will let you know what plants are native to the place you live. There is an opportunity to volunteer, learn, make new friends, and have fun doing restoration in the East Bay Hills. Volunteers are need on Wednesdays 4PM-7PM, and Sundays 9:30AM-1PM. You can read more about this on the Garden Tour’s Facebook page, on the September 7 post. Contact Glen Schneider at glennyfrank@gmail.com if you would like to attend. Limit 15 people for each outing.
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Alamo Today ~ November 2016 - Page 19
Year-End Tax Reduction Strategies
Cinema Classics
Father’s Little Dividend By Peggy Horn
Presented by Peter T. Waldron
In conjunction with Lincoln Financial Advisors, a registered investment advisor
As we have witnessed in the presidential debates, Donald Trump has paid nearly 0% taxes for the last 18 years. Although these tips aren’t going to help you get to that level of tax savings, here are several year-end tax reduction strategies that might help you. Before I dig in, please note it is recommended that you verify that these are accurate for your given situation by contacting your CPA. 1. Contribute to a retirement account, such as a 401(k) or an IRA, depending on income limits. Ultimately, you could contribute between $18,000 and $23,000. If you’re over age 50, you can put up to $23,000 into a 401(k), $5,500 into a Traditional IRA, or a $1,000 catch up if you’re over age 50. If you are self-employed, you can set up a SEP IRA. If you are a business owner, you can participate in your 401(k) and do a profit-sharing contribution that would help your employees, potentially getting you up to $53,000, or $59,000 if you are over 50 years old. 2. Utilize tax loss harvesting. If you have assets that are in a loss position for 2016, you can sell those assets and create a loss. That loss is an unlimited loss that you can put on your tax return. You can utilize up to $3,000 of loss against current income or unlimited against a potential gain. 3. Make a charitable contribution. There are several ways you can make a charitable contribution. a. Give a charitable contribution directly to a charity. b. If you do not have a charity that you believe in yet or have a connection with, you can set up a donor advised fund. Donor advised funds are charitable organizations built to accumulate money for the ultimate distribution to a charitable organization. This is a way to contribute to a charity without actually donating the funds yet. c. Give money to a charitable lead trust. That’s where you put money inside of a trust, and all of the income from that trust would go to a charity. Then, at a set period of time from 1 year to 100 years from that date, those assets would either distribute back to you as the grantor or distribute to your family as beneficiaries. d. Make a charitable remainder trust, which is where you can put an asset inside of a charitable trust. You will receive a charitable deduction on contribution. You will not pay any capital gains on sales inside of that charitable remainder trust. You can receive income from that charitable trust. Then at your passing, a charity would receive the ultimate disposition of that asset or the principal remaining in that trust at the end of a specific pre-determined term. 4. If you’re a business owner, use a section 179 deduction, which is purchasing a vehicle of over 6,000 pounds or more. Depending on your situation as a business owner, that deduction can be taken as both depreciation and a bonus depreciation. Generally speaking, that means you could get a vehicle worth about $50,000, and your net tax cost of that asset would be about $12,500. Again, these are very rough numbers, but they give an idea of what to look out for. 5. Utilize tax deferred vehicles or income tax free vehicles (i.e. municipal bonds). By looking at the dividends and interest and income that’s being generated by your assets, you can ensure that you’re not generating unnecessary taxes from your investment accounts. 6. Use an 8582 transference through what is called passive income gains to passive activity losses. If you own large portions of real estate and you have embedded passive activity losses, you can invest in investments that create passive income gains and create a tax-free income stream for yourself. There are many things that you can do to help reduce your ultimate income tax. You can lose $900 million dollars and not pay taxes for a long time, but I don’t recommend that. Above are a few options on how you can use the tax law in your favor and potentially reduce your income tax burden for 2016. If you’re interested in learning more about some of these strategies or other strategies, don’t hesitate to give us a call for a complimentary review of your situation. You can contact me directly at peter.waldron@lfg.com. We look forward to hearing from you and sharing how we can help. Peter T. Waldron: California Insurance License #0E47827 Peter T. Waldron is a registered representative and investment advisor representative of Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp., a broker-dealer (member SIPC) and registered investment advisor, offering insurance through Lincoln Marketing and Insurance Agency, LLC and Lincoln Associates Insurance Agency, Inc. and other fine companies. This information should not be construed as legal or tax advice. You may want to consult a tax advisor regarding this information as it relates to your personal circumstances. The content of this material was created by Lincoln Financial Advisors for its representatives and their clients. 3201 Danville Blvd. Ste 190 Alamo, Ca 94507 925-786-7686 CRN1627172-102416 Advertorial
This month’s Cinema Classic recommendation is a sequel to last month’s selection, Father of the Bride. It is Father’s Little Dividend, (1951) starring the same principle stars as in the last movie: Spencer Tracy as the father, Stanley Banks; Joan Bennett as the mother, Ellie Banks; Elizabeth Taylor as their daughter, Kay Dunstan; and Don Taylor as Kay’s husband, Buckley Dunstan. Once again, the movie is directed by Vincente Minnelli and produced by Pandro S. Berman. The writers are Albert Hackett, Frances Goodrich, and Edward Streeter. This movie is just as sweet, funny, and well acted as the one that preceded it. In this one, Kay and Buckley are a married couple, settled in an apartment and carrying on with life. One evening they have a dinner party for their parents, and they announce that they are expecting a baby! Everybody is thrilled with the idea except for Stanley. He just can’t figure out what exactly is annoying him about the prospective baby until he is slapped on the back accompanied by a hearty greeting of, “Grampa!” The ensuing movie provides the preparations being conducted for the upcoming birth, and it’s all very funny and all very real. After the baby is born, there is a clash between Stanley and the baby resulting in a barrier being raised between the two personalities. Stanley keeps a respectable distance from the little baby, but family intervenes. At the conclusion of the movie, I will be surprised if you’re not dabbing your eyes just a little…I know I did! This movie didn’t win any awards, but it is so good. The dialogue is humorous and clever, and the occurrences in the film are plausible. And all this laughter and fun can be yours. Happy viewing! Musical Notes: From the same era as the movie comes, “Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook,” (1957). Frequently referred to as the ‘First Lady of Jazz,’ Ella Fitzgerald, at the age of seventeen, decided to change her Amateur Night debut performance from dancing to singing. It was a wise move as you may hear in this songbook.
Writer’s Panel
The Danville-Alamo-Walnut Creek branch of American Association of University Women (AAUW) is hosting a Writer’s Panel on Thursday, November 10th from 7-9PM at the Danville Ranch Clubhouse, located at 1895 Ridgeland Circle in Danville. This event is free to the public. Light refreshments will be served. Please come and hear six very talented, published writers share their passion, knowledge, and experience in writing memoir, family history, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, technical writing, magazine articles, blogs, and book reviews. You will also learn how to get published, and about writing coaches and websites, workshops, reading groups, writing contests, and more. Please RSVP to Holly Sauer at 925-837-8302.
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Page 20 - November 2016 ~ Alamo Today
“Outlaw” Protection By Robert J. Silverman, Esq.
A growing number of clients want to explore how the future inheritance by any of their children may be affected by a subsequent divorce of such children. Concern may stem from any number of things, including simple caution or perhaps a fragile relationship between one’s child and his or her spouse. Occasionally, clients may question the possible motives of a daughter-in-law or son-in-law. It is in this context that I sometimes facetiously refer to in-laws as “outlaws”! Let’s take an example. John and Jane Doe have a daughter, Betty. Betty has been married to Bill for eight years. John and Jane are working with their estate planning attorney to establish a Living Trust under which they want Betty to inherit all of their assets. Jane and John ask their attorney, “How do we ensure that no part of Betty’s inheritance goes to Bill if Betty and Bill get divorced?” It’s an important question but not a quick, easy one to answer. First, when a married person receives a gift or inheritance, California law renders it that person’s separate property. So, generally speaking, if Betty inherits from her parents and then she and Bill divorce, Bill will have no claim over the assets Betty inherited. Since Betty’s inheritance constitutes her separate property, can John and Jane set aside their worries? Unfortunately, John and Jane may still have reason to be concerned. Here’s an instructive hypothetical. Betty, like many married people, believes in the strength and longevity of her marriage. After Betty inherits from her parents, Bill says to Betty: “We love each other; what’s yours is mine and mine is yours, and our marriage is forever, right?” Betty answers, “Yes, of course, Bill.” Following a brief discussion (or, possibly, no discussion), Betty decides to title all of her inherited assets in her name and Bill’s name. Many years go by, during which Betty and Bill deposit various sources of income into, and pay many expenses out of, their “inheritance” account. Bill and Betty then get divorced. At that point, it is extraordinarily difficult to trace
Moms continued from front page
Special requests are honored as they are received. Jana Clark, 1 Vice President, says, “As Moms we can’t hear about a soldier who’s cold or hasn’t had a package from home without doing something about it.” Responding to a call from a Special Forces unit serving in Afghanistan, BSM vacuumsealed two blankets to a care package. Seventy-two boxes were air dropped to the unit. Jana has spoken to some of the grateful recipients who still cherish their blankets. Christine McCracken, Recording Secretary and Care Package Co-Chair, relates: “While my son was at boot camp, there was one young man whose family did not approve of his choice in serving our country. They refused to provide him support through letters, so a few BSMs stepped up to write to him and show our support and appreciation of his service.” Wearing her BSM Service Pin, Chris has been approached more than once by mothers who don’t know about Blue Star Moms but want to get a care package to a deployed son or daughter. Following one such encounter in a Pleasant Hill Starbucks, McCracken personally packed the Holiday Hugs box for the woman’s son. Postcards created for Operation Post Card are included in care packages, bundled for distribution. The Moms have a postcard table with all necessary supplies at the Alameda Fair each year. In 2016, the Moms were invited to set up a table at the Grand National Rodeo at the Cow Palace on October 22nd. School groups, youth groups, adult organizations, and individuals all contribute to this project. Eagle Scout Projects have also supported BSM missions. The latest involves collecting baseball gloves and baseballs to ship to troops overseas for much-needed recreational breaks practicing the US National Sport. Going well beyond what other chapters offer, BSM brings California’s Gold Star Parents together annually in San Francisco with the aid of Marines’ Memorial. The totally private three-day gathering permits parents whose sons and daughters have sacrificed their lives for our country to acknowledge their grief, honor their children and share fond, happy memories. Asked st
which funds are, or were derived from, Betty’s inheritance (and thus, are her separate property) and which constitute community property. So, Bill ends up with a substantial portion of Betty’s inheritance, which John and Jane would never have wanted. John and Jane may, in an effort to protect Betty against the above scenario, have a delicate talk with Betty to warn her about the importance of keeping her future inheritance segregated – just in case she ever divorces. John and Jane may also or alternatively include any number of provisions in their Living Trust. One is a “spendthrift trust” under which, upon her parents’ death, the funds stay in trust for Betty’s lifetime, during which she has access for her needs (instead of Betty receiving all of the inheritance outright). I offer my clients another alternative: Betty is to receive her inheritance outright, but the Trust expressly states that it is John and Jane’s strong desire that Betty keep the inherited assets as her separate property. I call this my “outlaw protection” clause. The spendthrift trust offers very strong protection; however, it’s more costly and inconvenient to administer, and many clients want their mature adult children to have the inherited assets outright, with no strings attached. So, without handcuffing their children, the “outlaw protection” clause gives their children (like Betty) a valuable tool to use upon receiving their inheritance. Betty can explain to Bill that it is important to her to keep the inherited assets in her name only so as to honor her parents’ express wishes – rather than appearing to do so because she doesn’t trust Bill or has doubts about their marriage. Pros and cons of such alternatives should be discussed with an estate planning attorney so that your Living Trust can be drafted and/or revised thoughtfully and carefully in accordance with your wishes. * Estate Planning * Trust Administration & Probate * Real Estate * Business Please contact the author to request a complimentary: i) “Estate Planning Primer”; ii) Real Estate titling brochure; iii) introductory meeting. Mr. Silverman is an attorney with R. Silverman Law Group which is 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
by some of the Gold Star parents about the possibility of holding a less solemn get-together, BSM staged a delightfully social High Tea and organized an entertaining Jelly Belly tour with wine tasting. BSMs’ annual golf tournament, held at Callippe Preserve Golf Club in Pleasanton, helps to fund the filling and shipping of Care Packages and brings Gold Star Parents together. On Jana Clark left and Chris McCracken right with photos of their sons June 18 and 19, 2016, who are deployed in the US Army and US Marines respectively. the European Train Enthusiasts donated their time and talent to display their model train layouts in Veterans Memorial Building for Danville Summerfest. Contributions received from over 600 visitors will help the Moms with all of their missions. From distributing clothing at East Bay Stand Down to “Momming” rest stops with food and drink for Cycling 4 Veterans, BSM supports related organizations in many ways. Helping at the Valor Games held on Coast Guard Island is an especially moving experience. Clark relates, “The Valor Games are so inspiring that volunteers often end up in tears. A triple amputee was still swimming after everyone else finished. The other swimmers made the effort to get back into the pool in lanes beside him to urge him to the finish line.” The list of events in which BSM participates keeps growing. McCracken notes, “There is a lot of work to be done, so we all jump in and help whenever
See Moms continued on page 26
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Technology Matters By Evan Corstorphine
There’s been a revolution happening around us. However, being mindful that we’re in an election year, I should clarify that I don’t mean in politics! The revolution has been about how we are making technology available to help you do your work. By ‘work,’ I mean any productive thing we do with technology, whether it’s sending an email, looking up information on Google, or printing a map. At the home level, we’ve noticed most homes have at least one smartphone user and at least one tablet such as an iPad. Old desktop computers are not being replaced at the same rate as before. In fact, desktop computer sales have been down every quarter since 2012, which is not surprising, and we see a lot fewer desktop computers in our office for repairs these days. What this means is that people are accomplishing their computing tasks in other ways. When the iPad was introduced in 2009, it turned the consumer electronics world on its ear. Suddenly, people found they could do everything they needed with this 6x9 glass and aluminum tablet, and they found that it was fun to use, too. Not only that, the tablet hasn’t been nearly as susceptible to viruses, so we’re not always having to rebuild or fix them. Its best feature is that it always seems to work, and with the 3G models you can bring them on vacation with you like a book. Why would I buy another desktop computer given this choice? It would seem that the market feels exactly the same way. In fact, the only personal computer sector that is hanging on in any way is laptop sales. People still need computers for some tasks, but they’re “tabletspoiled” and they want mobility. What about your workplace? The office of tomorrow is a very cool place, and we’re seeing this shift already. In fact, PCIO is blazing the way with all of the technologies I’ll mention here. Most clients we service have some sort of a file server acting as a data repository and security hub. As we’ve become a more mobile workforce, we need to distribute access to the files on our server, and the technology is now here to make it easy. We are implement-
Alamo Today ~ November 2016 - Page 21 ing a product called Autotask Workplace to enable global access to all of the files we use internally, and it’s HIPAA compliant so the medical offices we support are going to be taking a hard look at it, as well. Think of Autotask Workplace like OneDrive or DropBox, but with all the features, security, and usability they’ve been lacking. As we move PCIOs infrastructure to Autotask Workplace, I’m preparing to cut my air-conditioning bill because I will be turning off at least one, possibly both, of my heat-generating and energy-guzzling servers. If my file server is now cloud-based, what does that mean for my security and for my ability to validate my end-user’s access to important files? The answer comes from Microsoft, and the product is called “Azure.” Using this product, we will duplicate the security and authentication functions we used to perform from a local server. The difference is now we’re doing it from the cloud so that our workforce can authenticate and access everything they need, from anywhere, and Microsoft is maintaining the server (and air conditioning) instead of us. The next part of the revolution is with telephony. We’ve just implemented a new cloud-based VOIP telephone system called RingCentral. If you’ve called our Helpdesk (option 4) you’ve spoken with Jennifer, who works from Arizona. She’s connected to our phone system over the internet, just like she was sitting in our office, and you’d never know the difference. The new system has given us the ability to grow our company while improving client access to important services like the Helpdesk, or the Bench, or Sales. It enables us to take advantage of sophisticated functions we would have paid $20,000 to implement just 10 years ago. And it’s somewhat future-proof, as the system will continue to improve as the company releases new functions and updates for us to use. When we’re finished implementing these new systems, our office will be a model for any company to follow; we can do anything from anywhere, securely and quickly. That truly is revolutionary! Would you like to learn how we can begin your migration to a more mobile and flexible workforce? Please contact us and let’s chat. We’re excited about what the future holds and would love to bring you along with us. You can reach us at info@pcioit.com, or 925-552-7953, option 3. Advertorial
COMPUTER SERVICES: PCs/Macs/Tablets/Smartphones • Upgrades • Maintenance • Networking • Data Recovery • Virus/Malware Removal • Back-up Solutions • Email/ Hosted Exchange IT DESIGN & IMPLEMENTATION: IT Strategy Development • IT Infrastructure Assessment • Cloud Services IT INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT: Desktop, Server, & Network Monitoring and Management • Office Move Management • Disaster Preparedness
Technology. Simplified.
Serving Bay Area businesses and residents since 2001
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Page 22 - November 2016 ~ Alamo Today
By Roger Smith, Alamo Improvement Association November means Autumn, Colorful Foliage, and Thanksgiving!
Please join us and your neighbors in experiencing the live music and family oriented activities at the Farmer’s Market. See how our Farmer’s Market has grown over the last years since beginning July 26, 2014! Take a moment to pause and reflect upon the bountiful relationship agriculture provides for all of us through healthy food for our meals and our bodies. Our vendors welcome the opportunity to discuss their work and produce with you. The Market is open every Sunday from 9AM-2PM. Make us part of your Sunday!
Pipeline Safety in Alamo
For the many people using the Iron Horse Trail and for neighborhoods residing along it, it is important to know more about Pipeline Safety, as the Iron Horse Trail has several utilities that have easements utilizing the Iron Horse Trail corridor. The following information is excerpted from Kinder Morgan’s safety brochure for pipeline emergency response. We want you to be aware of our pipelines and ask for your help in preventing damage to pipelines. Kinder Morgan supports the Nation’s Homeland Security efforts and encourages you to immediately report any suspicious persons and/or activities near the pipeline to your local law enforcement authorities by calling 911. Please contact Kinder Morgan if you know of places where trees, plants, or structures are located on the pipeline right-of-way or if you see individuals digging in areas where underground utilities are not marked with flags. Kinder Morgan regularly conducts maintenance to trim trees and remove shrubs or structures that prohibit the company from viewing the pipeline corridor during aerial or foot patrols and also performs regular maintenance activities.
Underground Pipelines Are Everywhere
Because we cannot see them, we seldom think about pipelines, their role in our community, or their potential hazards. Pipeline leaks are rare. The National Transportation Safety Board says that pipelines are the safest mode of fuel transportation, both for the public and the environment. But if a leak occurs, it can be dangerous and requires caution and immediate action. The following three steps will help protect your family or your employees and the people, property, and environment in your community. Know Where Pipelines are Located – Find the location of pipelines near your home or office by looking for pipeline markers. Write down the operator’s name and emergency phone number listed on the marker Always Call “811” Before You Dig – Call 811 at least two working days before you dig for any reason. The call is free and coordinates with local utilities to mark the location of underground utility lines including pipelines. Watch, Listen, and Smell for Signs of a Leak – If you see, hear, or smell signs of a pipeline leak, immediately leave the area, warn others to
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stay away, and call 911. Signs of a Liquid Petroleum or Natural Gas Pipeline Leak or Rupture - The following are indications of a possible pipeline leak: Brown or discolored vegetation amid healthy plants, dirt being blown into the air, colorful sheens on water surfaces, fire at or below ground, stains or pools of hydrocarbons not usually present in the right-of-way, bubbles coming from bodies of water, a loud roar or hissing sound, distinctive petroleum type odors, the smell of mercaptan, sulfur (rotten eggs), or a mild fragrant odor, a dense white cloud of fog.
For More Information
For more information, Kinder Morgan’s emergency help is available by calling (714) 560-4411 or (213) 624-9461. To learn more online, visit the National Pipeline Mapping System at www. npms.phmsa.dot.gov, NASFM’s “Pipeline Emergencies” at www.pipelineemergencies.com, PHMSA Emergency Response Guidebook at www.phmsa.dot. gov/hazmat/library/erg, or Kinder Morgan Public Awareness at www.kindermorgan.com/public_awareness. Alamo is a special community that all of our residents can be justifiably proud to call “Home.” Established in 1955, AIA’s mission is to “preserve the semi-rural character of Alamo,” the place we love to live. Consider becoming a member of our 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to preserve Alamo’s unique beauty and status. Please visit www.AlamoCA.org for information on AIA, articles of interest to Alamo residents, membership forms, and more. Now is the time to renew or become a new member of AIA.
Upcoming Community Meetings and Events
AIA - Alamo Improvement Association - Please visit www.alamoca.org for upcoming meetings - Creekside Community Church -1350 Danville Blvd. Alamo MAC (Municipal Advisory Committee) - First Tuesday of each month 6pm - Alamo Women’s Club P2B - Police Services Advisory Committee - First Monday of each month, 5pm - Meets at Sheriff Substation, 150 Alamo Plaza P5 - Round Hill Police Services Advisory Committee - Second Wednesday of each month, 7pm - Meets at Round Hill Country Club - Lower Level Meeting Room CERT classes - Community Emergency Response Team - Visit www. firedepartment.org/community_outreach/cert/upcoming_classes.asp
Alamo Police Services Advisory Committee September 2016 Reports
Alamo police responded to 37 crimes which included drunk in public, arson, battery, burglary, tow, disturbance, drugs, forgery, grand theft, mentally ill hospitilization, outside assist, petty theft, property found/lost, service to citizen, suspicious circumstances, identity theft, weapon violation of probation, and welfare check. If I Were a Thief Program - 159 Streets covered during the month, 40 flyers distributed, 50 notices distributed in Alamo Plaza parking lot.
Reported Incidents
• Livorna Rd, Residential Burglary: A home on Livorna Rd had been burglarized. The responsible(s) entered through an unsecure door and stole jewelry and a handgun. The scene was processed for evidence, and the case is currently ongoing. • Escondido Ct, Residential Burglary: A home on Escondido Ct had been burglarized. The responsible(s) entered through an unsecure window and stole jewelry, a coin collection, and a computer. The scene was processed for evidence, and the case is currently ongoing.
Blackhawk “First Sunday” Cars & Coffee
Blackhawk Automotive Museum hosts a monthly Cars & Coffee event year round for all car enthusiasts. Held on the “First Sunday” of each month, starting at 8AM and going to 10AM, the Museum welcomes all classic, collector, and special interest car owners and enthusiasts. On Cars & Coffee Sundays, the Museum opens an hour earlier, at 9AM, and participating car owners will receive complimentary Museum admission tickets. The Museum is located at 3700 Blackhawk Plaza Circle in Danville. For more information, visit www.blackhawkmuseum.org/carsncoffee. html, call (925) 736-2280, or email museum@blackhawkmuseum.org.
Lic# 1100014354; Bay Area Entertainment
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Finally! Relief From “Tech Neck” By Dr. Kristin Moore, DC
Tech neck?! What is that? To paint a picture, take a look at a teenager who has been texting on their phone for a few hours. Their head drops forward, their shoulders roll inward, and their thoracic spine slumps. Tech neck develops from a repetitive micro trauma from looking down at your phone, tablet, or computer for hours at a time.
Alamo Today ~ November 2016 - Page 23
Fine Mexican Dining
What are the symptoms of this condition?
Symptoms of tech neck include neck pain, neck tension and stiffness, headaches, shoulder pain, and upper back pain.
How do I know if my symptoms could be related to my posture pattern?
A good first step would be to look at your posture while trying to stand in a neutral position. Anatomically, our ears should be in line with our shoulders when looking at the body from the side. If your ears are significantly anterior (forward) to your shoulders, plus you have any of the above symptoms, there is a chance you could be suffering from a repetitive postural injury caused by looking down at your electronic devices. Think about it this way: if you were to hold a bowling ball close to your body, you could hold it all day long. The further you outstretch your arms, the harder it will be to hold that bowling ball for an extended amount of time. Your head is like the bowling ball. If your neck sits directly over your shoulders, there should be no strain, but the further anterior (forward) your head is in position, the more the muscles in your neck, shoulders, and upper back will have to strain in order to hold it up.
How do you treat tech neck?
I have found a fantastic combination of treatments that helps significantly speed up the time it takes to recover from this type of pain: 1. Gentle chiropractic adjustments: This helps to relieve any misalignments of the spine to restore proper positioning of the neck, shoulders, and thoracic spine. 2. Class IV laser therapy: Laser treatments help to increase blood flow to the taxed muscles in the neck, shoulders, and upper back. This helps the muscles to slowly relax to allow for better posture. The laser can also help to decrease pain and decrease inflammation in the areas of discomfort. 3. Neck and shoulder stretches: At-home stretches will be given to help relax the muscles that have been overworked from straining to hold the neck up. 4. Neck and shoulder exercises: Once the neck and shoulders have been stretched out, exercises will be given to help strengthen opposing muscles on the posterior side of the neck and shoulders in order to develop a more functional posture. I have found that this “tech neck” protocol has helped many of my patients to recover from this incredibly stubborn and painful condition!
How do I learn more?
If you are curious to find a natural and non-invasive treatment for your posture related neck pain, please call our office. I will offer a 15-minute complimentary consultation to each person that calls and mentions this article in the Alamo Today newspaper. This will give you a chance to come to the office, meet me, and tell me a little bit more about the symptoms that you have been experiencing. I can then determine if this form of care is right for you. I sincerely look forward to meeting you soon! To schedule your consultation, please call our office at (925) 362-8283 or send me an email at drkristinmooredc@gmail.com. My office is located at 125-G Railroad Ave., Danville. Please also visit my website www.alignAdvertorial healingcenter.com.
Meals on Wheels
Seniors in your community need your support! Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach Services has been supporting seniors since 1968. Two of the programs, Meals on Wheels and Friendly Visitors, rely on the support of volunteers. We need your help now more than ever. Meals on Wheels volunteer drivers deliver meals to local homebound seniors through regular two hour shifts once per week or as substitute drivers. Friendly Visitors volunteers provide weekly one-hour companionship visits to isolated seniors. To volunteer for either program, please call (925)937-8311.
743-8997 In Stone Valley Shopping Center
Enjoy Our Patio Dining Monday - Saturday: Lunch and Dinner Sunday: Dinner only We Offer a Full Bar and Lounge 3168 Danville Blvd, Alamo Margaritas are a House Specialty
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Museum Volunteers Needed
Looking to get involved in the community? The Museum of the San Ramon Valley needs your help. Volunteer positions are available in the following areas: • Walking Tour Docents • Museum Docents • Events Committee • Greeters • Educational Programs (One Room School/Indian Life) Call Eve or Donna at 552-9693, or email srvmuseum@sbcglobal.net for additional information.
Festival continued from front page
needing homes. These animals can make the holidays even more special through their unrelenting love and joy. Attending will be the German Shepherd Rescue as well as ARF, the Animal Rescue Foundation established by Alamo’s own Tony and Elaine La Russa. Both groups will be bringing sweet babies looking for new homes and wanting to share the holidays with you. The festival is sponsored by Community Foundation of Alamo with the Festival committee including Kevin Musante, Terri Delfosse, Sharon Schuyler, John Lineweaver, Andrew Elkin, Steve Mick, Alicia Watson, Denise Roussett, Elaine Ferguson, Russ Belleci, and Brent Tucker. The Foundation is thankful for the generous donations and sponsorships from Stone Valley Center, Alamo Oak Tree Plaza, County Parks and Rec, and World of Sound and Vision. Remember to support Alamo by shopping at local businesses. If you are interested in helping with monetary donations or for more information, please visit www.CommunityFoundationofAlamo.com. Everyone is welcome to come out to celebrate and make the Tree Lighting Festival a fabulous and memorable event!
Page 24 - November 2016 ~ Alamo Today
Recent Advances in Lung Cancer By Gigi Chen, MD
In the United States, lung cancer occurs in about 225,000 patients and causes over 160,000 deaths per year. It is the most common cause of cancer death in both men and women. There can be a number of risk factors including history of radiation exposure, environmental toxins, lung condition such as pulmonary fibrosis, and genetic factors. However, smoking is the most important and controllable risk factor of any. Screening for lung cancer has not been widely used until recently. The National Lung Screening Trial compared a CT screening with a chest x-ray for individuals who are heavy smokers. It was found that CT screening annually for three years can detect lung cancer early and as a result decrease the risk of lung cancer death by 20%. Now, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid services has agreed to cover the cost of CT screening in patients ages 55-77 who have had a 30 ‘pack year’ smoking history and have quit within 15 years. This is an exciting advance in early detection and prevention of death from lung cancer. Lung cancer treatment involves a team approach including the patient, primary care physician, pulmonologist, thoracic surgeon, medical oncologist, as well as a radiation oncologist. We have made great strides in the treatment of lung cancer. For example, previously chemotherapy was the only approach for treatment of advanced lung cancer. Now, we have an improved understanding of what drives cancer growth. Some patients may have a ‘driver mutation’
Medicare Open Enrollment –What Should You Do?
Medicare open enrollment is here through December 7. Is your Medicare Advantage plan leaving or increasing its prices for next year? Do you have questions about your Medicare health or prescription drug plan for 2017? This is the time to understand your coverage. It’s always a good idea to review your health or drug plan each year to make sure it’s still the best choice for you. Your needs and medications may have changed since last year, and plans may no longer be available or may change their premiums, provider networks, formulary of approved drugs, and/or copays. Contra Costa HICAP (Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program) can help you understand your options during open enrollment. HICAP will be giving various community talks in the local area during November. HICAP will provide information on what’s new with Medicare and changes to Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans for 2017. Handouts with plan details will be available. HICAP will also be holding several special counseling events for open enrollment, including events in Walnut Creek, Rossmoor, Danville, and Pleasant Hill. HICAP will review your plan, help optimize your coverage, and potentially save you a significant amount of money for next year. If you want your medications reviewed, it’s best to complete a worksheet in advance and schedule an appointment. Drop-ins will also be seen on a firstcome, first-served basis. You can get help on any Medicare-related issue at one of these special sessions. Call HICAP at (925) 602-4163 or visit their website at www.cchicap.org for more information about these talks and events and other open enrollment information. HICAP does not sell or endorse any products and offers free, impartial information and assistance to all Medicare beneficiaries or their caregivers.
Books for the Homebound
If you or someone you know has a passion for reading and can no longer visit the library, find out more about the Danville Library’s Books for the Homebound program, a free and unique library service. Trained library volunteers check out and deliver books to homebound individuals residing in their own homes or residential care facilities. Contact Sandra Paiva, Volunteer Coordinator, at the Danville Library at (925) 837-4889 for more information.
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in their cancer which is a molecular pathway that stimulates cancer growth. As a result of knowing that information, we can use targeted drugs to treat the cancer, yielding safer and more effective treatments. Examples of these oral targeted medications that have been approved by FDA in lung cancer includes Gefitinib, Erlotinib or Afatinib for patients with EGFR mutation and Crizotinib for patients with ALK rearrangement. We are also learning the resistant pathways, which is when these medications stop working. As a result, new medicines that fight the resistant pathways have emerged, which includes Osimertinib for patients with T790m EGFR mutation. Cancer immunotherapy is used to stimulate our own immune responsiveness to treat cancer. It helps our immune system to detect cancer as foreign and works to eradicate it. Immunotherapy drugs Nivolumab and Pembrolizumab have been recently FDA approved in treatment of advanced lung cancer. When Nivolumab was compared with docetaxel (chemotherapy) in squamous cell patients, one year survival rate was 42% vs. 24% favoring Nivolumab. Multiple other immunotherapy drugs are currently in clinical development. There are also clinical trials looking at immunotherapy combined with other immunotherapy drugs, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or radiation. We eagerly await the results of these trials and hope they will greatly improve our treatment of patients with lung cancer. Gigi Chen, MD is a Medical Oncologist and Hematologist with Diablo Valley Oncology. She has extensive experience in treating lung and gynecologic cancers and sees patients in Pleasant Hill, Rossmoor, and San Ramon. Many Faces of Lung Cancer - Join Dr. Chen and other medical experts on November 17 from 6:30-8:30 at the Lafayette Library, Community Room. Panel discussion with Q&A. For more information or to register for Advertorial the program, please call (925) 677-504, x272.
Cancer Support Community
The following classes are held at the Cancer Support Community located at 3276 McNutt Ave in Walnut Creek. Classes are free. For more information and to make reservations, please call (925) 933-0107. Classes are for cancer patients and caregivers. Cannabis and Cancer: Tuesday, November 8 ~ 6-8PM ~ with Eloise Thiesen, RN, MSN, NP. Learn how cannabis can assist in relieving pain, easing anxiety, improving quality of sleep, and preventing drastic weight loss, nausea, and vomiting in patients diagnosed with cancer who are undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiation. Eloise is a nurse practitioner with extensive experience in oncology. Creating an Anti-Cancer Terrain: Wednesday, November 9 ~ 6-8PM ~ with Heather Barrett, ND. The “Seed and Soil” hypothesis of cancer growth proposes that cancer cells (the seeds) will grow if they are in a permissive environment (the soil). This class discusses ways to create an anti-cancer environment (terrain) in the body while also supporting the body’s natural healthy state. Dr. Barrett is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor in private practice. Staying Healthy for the Holidays: Wednesday, November 16 ~ 6-8PM ~ with Anna Ritner, L.Ac. Learn how to optimize wellness during the holiday season so you can enjoy it with full presence and a healthy body. We’ll cover tips to avoid over-eating, and how to use easy-to-find kitchen remedies and herbal supplements to reduce bloating and indigestion, increase energy, and protect your immune system. Introduction to the Healing Science of Ayurveda: Wednesday, December 7 ~ 6-8PM ~ with Dawn Jacobson, MD. Learn about the philosophy of Ayurveda, identify your mindbody type, augment conventional cancer treatment, and minimize side effects using food, natural herbs, and other lifestyle changes based on Ayurvedic healing.
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Your Personal Nutritionist
Alamo Today ~ November 2016 - Page 25
Why am I not Losing Weight with all this Exercise? By Linda Michaelis RD, MS
Now is the right time to embark on a weight loss regimen so you will not gain excess pounds over the holiday season. During the winter months we require more food for fuel to keep us warm. I see many clients confusing hunger with feeling cold. My favorite client to work with is one that is tracking calories, exercising, and not losing weight. When a new client calls me and says they are doing all the right things to lose weight and not making progress, a list of scenarios runs through my mind. Those scenarios include: You are eating back all the calories you burn. Exercise is important in the weight-loss equation. But a lot of people overestimate how much they burn—and even use the “I exercised today” excuse to later overeat. How many times have you faced a food temptation and thought, “Well, I worked out today, so it’s OK this time.” If that sounds all-too-familiar, this is one major reason why you’re not losing weight. This type of making up the next day by eating less can be maddening. What do you eat and what do you not eat that next day? We overestimate how many calories we actually burned and underestimate how many calories we’re actually eating. Trainers even tell me that they think weight loss is 80% nutrition and 20% exercise. You’re relying on exercise alone to do the trick. The real truth is exercise alone will not help you lose weight. A full hour of intense exercise may only burn 400-500 calories for a lot of people. On the flipside, it’s easy to eat hundreds of calories in even a few minutes. But it would take hours of exercise to offset those calories. If you are not changing your diet and reducing your calorie intake, exercise alone won’t help your weight-loss results. You are not eating as healthy as you think. We all think we eat pretty well. No one really wants to admit that their diet might be pretty unhealthy. Often I see that my exercise people skimp on eating during the day after exercise and eat heavier at night. It should be the other way around. After exercise your metabolism speeds up and calories are burned off at three times the rate compared to many hours later. We tend to eat late night meals because of schedules which also can prevent weight loss. Many of us also enjoy alcohol, but having these drinks adds on hundreds of calories. A large glass of wine can easily be 200 calories. I see many clients eating too much cheese, nuts, olives, and avocados which of course can be considered healthy fats. However, they are just eating too much of them. You are doing the wrong kinds of exercise. When it comes to exercising, there is a lot of confusion. One day you hear that strength training is the best way to lose weight. The next day you’re told to focus on cardio. To my clients that walk for exercise, I tell them they must step it up and do interval training that will shock the metabolism. Cardio is the key for weight loss. Strength training keeps muscles looking toned and you feeling strong. You are not being consistent enough. When you’re struggling to lose those final 5-10 pounds or trying to overcome a plateau, consistent efforts are most important. Trying to eat “perfectly” and exercising for a whole week, only to step on the scale on the weekend to see that you haven’t lost an ounce you may think, “What is the point?” and go on an all-out eating feast and skip the gym for a couple days. This is when I get calls from clients saying they are having an “emergency.” It is my job to teach you how to enjoy birthday cake, drinks, and social times with friends. You need a plan that includes your favorite foods that are enjoyable and do not make you feel deprived. My eight-week Royal Treatment Program is my most popular for successful weight loss. It includes a weekly visit as well as my coaching you by text, phone, or email and a visit to the supermarket of your choice. Call me
and I will tell you about the program and how it can work for you. All Insurance Companies Pay For Nutritional Counselling. Call me at (925) 855-0150 about your nutritional concerns or email me at Lifeweight1@gmail.com. Visit my website at www.LindaRD.com for past articles in my blog section and nutrition tips. Advertorial
Hearing Loss Association
Come to meetings of the Diablo Valley Chapter of Hearing Loss Association of America at 7pm on the 1st Wednesday of the month at the Walnut Creek United Methodist Church located at 1543 Sunnyvale Ave., Walnut Creek Education Bldg., Wesley Room. Meeting room and parking are at back of church. All are welcome. Donations are accepted. An assistive listening system is available for T-coils, and most meetings are captioned. Contact HLAADV@hearinglossdv.org or (925) 264-1199 or www.hearinglossdv.org for more information.
Page 26 - November 2016 ~ Alamo Today
Moms continued from page 20
and wherever we can.” Examples include: Welcome Home and Fallen Hero events with Warriors Watch and others, Delta Stand Down in alternating years with East Bay Stand Down, Sentinels of Freedom Scholarship Fund, Wounded Warriors, Wreaths Across America, Concord Veterans Center Holiday Party, Oath for new recruits at Danville Veterans Memorial Building, Veterans Job Fair at Concord Hilton, making desserts for Vietnam Veterans of Diablo Valley Crab Feast and Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinners and Ruck Marches (marches over rough terrain carrying a backpack weighing at least 45 pounds) at Travis Air Force Base. The Moms parade their pride annually by carrying portraits of their sons and daughters in Danville on July 4th and Pleasanton on Veterans Day. Some photographs are formal poses in uniform. Others, like Jana’s of her son Josh holding an injured baby come with action stories. Often children stop Clark during the parades to ask about the picture. She tells them, “This is my son in Iraq where he and his men saved this baby and his family. A big family came and asked for Josh’s help to get across the water because the bridge had been blown up. When they said they would help, the Mommy came and handed her little baby to Josh so he would be safely carried across the water.” The speakers committee offers speakers for service organization programs, school assemblies, scout meetings, and similar occasions. Often following a school assembly, students make postcards to include in care packages. Monthly general meetings give members time to voice their anxieties and share information. McCracken says, “Blue Star Moms has provided me a support group of people who understand how I feel and the concerns and fears I deal with on a day to day basis. It is this supportive ear we desperately need, and we have difficulty sharing with friends and family and neighbors who don’t experience first hand these emotions and concerns.” Clark adds, “Sometimes some sons and daughters are more open and communicate what they are allowed to say and how they are feeling about things. There are others who really don’t communicate much at all about anything. Our more experienced Moms are able to help answer questions when someone’s son or daughter isn’t communicating. Answers to questions such as ‘what happens during jump training’ are really helpful.” You don’t have to be a military mom to get involved. Individual volunteers and workplace groups collect items for care packages and work with the Moms on packing day. Corporations like Southwest Airlines help make bringing Gold Star Parents together possible. Contact information can be found at www.bluestarmoms.org. For care package items: carepkgdonations@bluestarmoms.org; Volunteering: beavolunteer@bluestarmoms.org; Postcards: OpPostcard@bluestarmoms.org.
To reach Alamo Today call us at 925-405-6397
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Bariatric Surgery Celebration Fashion Show By Dr. Irene Lo, MD
Struggling to achieve a healthy weight can be overwhelming and frustrating. Obesity is a complex problem and on the rise in the United States. Obesity worsens many medical conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, joint pain, and acid reflux. We all know that the ideal way to maintain a healthy body and lifestyle is through diet and exercise. But sometimes it is difficult to lose the weight – sometimes willpower is not enough. Bariatric (weight loss) surgery may be the solution for those who are overweight and have been unable to lose those excess pounds through diet and exercise. Bariatric surgery is not a cosmetic procedure or a weight-loss scheme. It involves altering the stomach or gastrointestinal tract, in conjunction with life-style modification, resulting in major metabolic and physical changes. There are several bariatric procedures which either restrict the amount of food the stomach can hold, reduce the body’s ability to absorb nutrients and calories from food, or do both. 680 Bariatrics is the division of West Coast Surgical Associates that promotes weight loss. At 680 Bariatrics, obesity is treated as a complex disease process. We strive to provide our patients with advice and care that is multidisciplinary, comprehensive, and, above all, compassionate. Our team is composed of individuals from various health care disciplines, and all our surgeons are fellowship trained and have received specialized training in bariatric surgery, metabolic surgery, and gastrointestinal surgery. On September 20th, 680 Bariatrics, in partnership with J.Crew and West Coast Surgical Associates, held their first annual celebration fashion show. The event spotlighted the accomplishments of men and women who have lost significant weight through surgical weight loss procedures and gave them the chance to display their healthy, new physiques as they modeled the latest fall fashions from J.Crew. Eight men and women who have had bariatric surgery participated in the event. Over 800 pounds were lost. As participants walked up and down the runway, they were met with enthusiastic cheers from the audience, which included their family, friends, and members of their health care team. During the event, the personal story of each model was highlighted. Audience members learned about why each participant pursued bariatric surgery and how bariatric surgery has changed their lives. You can view this event at http:// www.wcsurgeons.com/join-us-at-our-first-annual-bariatric-fashion-show/ . I found this event to be extremely rewarding and inspiring as one of the surgeons of 680 Bariatrics who contributed to their lifestyle improvement. We are immensely proud of our patients and their weight loss accomplishments. We are honored to be able to share in their weight loss journeys and successes. The decision to have bariatric surgery is not an easy decision to make. At 680 Bariatrics, we strive to provide our patients with the help that they need to achieve their weight loss goals and make lasting improvements in their health care. The first step in seeking weight loss is to obtain more education about various options to weight reduction. Prospective surgery patients need to attend a Weight Loss Surgery informational seminar, which is led by our bariatric surgeon. This provides information about different types of bariatric surgeries and will allow you to have the opportunity to ask any questions that you may have regarding bariatric surgery. Through these seminars, you will determine if bariatric surgery is right for you. Prospective patients also need to attend a weight loss surgery support group. Through these support groups, you will be able to interact with patients who have undergone bariatric surgery and learn more about their experiences. Our team at 680 Bariatrics is dedicated to helping you achieve your weight loss goals. We have a commitment to improving the health and quality of life for our patients. Dr Irene Lo is a Board Certified General Surgeon who has completed a fellowship in Advanced Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and is part of the 680Bariatrics Team at Walnut Creek Surgical Associates. offices in Walnut Creek, San Ramon, and Concord. Call (925) 933-0984 to schedule an appointment Advertorial or find more information at www.wcsurgeons.com.
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Alamo Today ~ November 2016 - Page 27
Breast Augmentation
By Dr. Barbara Persons, Persons Plastic Surgery
While breast augmentation surgery remains one of the most popular procedures performed in my practice, recent data from the American Society of Plastic Surgery indicates the number of women having breast augmentations has decreased slightly (2%) since 2014. A total of 279,000 women in the US had breast augmentation using implants in 2015. Breast surgery has always been one of my passions, as it feeds my inner artistic side. It is critical that any augmentation is approached from an artistic perspective, as everyone's shape and proportion are different. It is definitely NOT “one-size fits all,” and exceptional results require not only an artist’s eye but also a doctor who understands trends and lifestyles that are unique to women. My initial general surgery residency consisted of five years at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas... a unique place to learn about breasts. We performed thousands of breast augmentations, and at that time bigger was often thought to be better. Humorously, a male plastic surgeon in town actually drove a yellow Hummer with the license plate saying CME4DD. Having now returned to my childhood home, I am happily in Northern California where bigger is not necessarily better...where athletics and healthy lifestyles typically prevail. With approximately one-third of women in our area having breast implants, there is a trend towards going smaller for a more natural look along with an increasing trend of utilizing fat grafting for breast augmentation. Fat grafting is extremely useful for women who want half a cup size increase in their breasts. In this procedure, excess fat is removed from an area such the flanks or “love handles” and then is grafted into the breast to create the desired shape and size. While this procedure can be less invasive and less expensive than a traditional augmentation with implants, the downside is that in the long-term fat can and often is naturally re-absorbed by the body, creating the need for more frequent touch-ups. Another popular procedure I perform is what I call a “contour” breast augmentation. I place the implants slightly more toward the center of the chest while suctioning away the excess fat on the sides and in the arm crease. This creates an augmentation that makes one look more shapely, but not heavier or wider. Many women with implants started out by having larger implants when we were younger. What I have noticed with my patients is that there is a trend toward removing larger implants that are made from early generation saline or silicone and replacing them with the new fourth generation silicone implants that provide a more natural shape. Many first-time patients are just starting with smaller implants and a more natural looking size. While the early data on this next generation of implants is still incoming, initial indications are that there are fewer instances of complications and need for replacement or revision surgery. My own breast implants have been exchanged every 8-10 years. Beginning with the first pair in my 20s, followed by a lift (mastopexy) after children, I recently just changed to small fourth generation silicone implants. With October’s Breast Cancer Awareness month in our review mirror, it is important to mention that women with breast implants actually have a lower incidence of breast cancer. This may be because there is less breast tissue to start with or because lumps can be more easily felt over the firmer implant. Indications also show it may be due to some very small immune response related to the implant. All in all, when it comes to breasts, it is great to be a girl! We nurse our children, feel good about our bodies, and we alone get to decide the right size for us as we dance through our lives. When the decision to have a breast augmentation is made, do your homework and be skeptical of anyone offering a one-size, one-price fits all approach to this surgery. I encourage you to visit my website at personsplasticsurgery.com to see a gallery of before-and-after photos of many beautiful shapes and sizes. I look forward to meeting you soon during a consult to determine what is truly the best fit for you. Dr. Barbara Persons is a plastic, cosmetic and reconstructive surgeon and is Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Inc. Persons Plastic Surgery, Inc. is her cosmetic & reconstructive surgery center, conveniently located at 911 Moraga Road, suite 205 in Lafayette. She may be reached at 925-283-4012 or drbarb@personsplasticsurgery. Advertorial com.
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Group Helps People Cope with Death of Pets
When you lose your pet, you often feel like a part of you is lost. The death of your beloved animal companion is one of the most difficult losses you may ever feel. This loss is sometimes made more painful by society’s seeming lack of support for pet grief. Hospice of the East Bay (HoEB) and the Tony La Russa Animal Rescue Foundation is offering a support group where participants can share memories and feelings and talk to others who truly understand and care. Meetings will be held the second Tuesday of each month from 5:30-7PM at the Tony La Russa Animal Rescue Foundation, 2890 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek. For further information and/or to register, please call Bereavement Services at HoEB (925) 887-5681. HoEB Bereavement Services are provided free of charge to all community members in need. However, donations are greatly appreciated.
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. To learn more or to make a donation of time or money, please contact (925) 887-5678 or visit www.hospiceeastbay.org.
Page 28 - November 2016 ~ Alamo Today
Menopause Matters
Osteoporosis By Timothy Leach, MD, FACOG, CNMP
Osteoporosis is a disorder characterized by low bone mass and micro-architectural deterioration of bone tissue, leading to enhanced bone fragility and a consequent increase in fracture risk. In the last few columns I looked at Vitamin D’s role in bone health, morbidity, and mortality associated with fracture and also risk reduction strategies by looking at fall prevention in your home. In this column I will look at how osteoporosis is diagnosed and proven pharmacologic interventions considered standard of care to reduce fracture risk. DEXA scan (or bone scan), a low dose x-ray used in assessing bone mineral density (BMD) typically of the lumbar spine and hip, is the only test on which to base treatment. Results from other technologies or scans from other body sites (wrist or ankle), cannot be used according to the World Health Organization (WHO) diagnostic classification because they are not equivalent to results derived from DEXA. A normal DEXA result is within one standard deviation of a young adult reference population (T score at -1.0 and above). Low bone mass (osteopenia) is between 1.0 and 2.5 standard deviations of a young adult reference population (T score between -1.0 and -2.5). Severe bone loss (osteoporosis) is more than 2.5 standard deviations below that of a young reference population (T score greater then -2.5). Any person who has osteoporosis (T greater than -2.5) or has sustained a hip or vertebral fracture in the absence of major trauma, (such as MVA or multiple story fall) regardless of bone mineral density, deserves medical therapy according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (www.nof.org). The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) recommends that all women over 65 years old and post-menopausal women aged 50- 64 years old with 1) fracture during adulthood, 2) condition (i.e. rheumatoid arthritis) or medication (chronic steroid use) associated with low bone mass or 3) women less then 65 years old whose 10-year risk of osteoporotic fracture is equal or greater than that of a 65-year-old white woman who has no additional risk factors get a bone scan. FRAX is the WHO fracture risk assessment tool that can be used with and without DEXA results to calculate that 10-year risk. The FRAX website (https://www. shef.ac.uk/FRAX/) can help calculate the 10-year risk for both major vertebral
Stimulating Hope
Break Through the Bleak Cycle of Depression By William Shryer, LCSW, DCSW Clinical Director, Diablo Behavioral Healthcare and Blackhawk TMS
Depression is a subject that is rarely if at all talked about. We have associated shame and powerlessness with this subject and often have difficulty knowing how and what to do if we, or someone close to us, becomes depressed. Some of the symptoms of biochemical depression are feeling long-lasting sadness, sleeplessness, a change in appetite or weight, or even difficulty in following a daily routine. These feelings are sometimes accompanied by feelings of hopelessness and inadequacy. These are symptoms of biochemical depression that is treatable. Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is one of the most acute, widespread pathologies of the 21st century, affecting nearly 15 million American adults annually. Patients suffering from MDD are traditionally treated with antidepressants and/or psychotherapy. However, too often, antidepressants and other treatments fail to bring the hoped-for relief to patients. The marriage of Silicon Valley technology and forward thinking medicine has resulted in the technology known as Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). This novel and successful treatment for depression has been used for years in Europe but sadly, only recently here in the U.S. Brainsway is one of the most advanced companies providing this technology based out of Israel, and Blackhawk TMS located in Danville, is the first to bring this exciting technology to the Tri-Valley. Brainsway can help you break through the sadness and start anew with a safe, non-invasive, and effective treatment for depression. The treatment has been shown to bring significant improvement to patients suffering from depression and anxiety
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fracture and hip fracture. If your risk for a major fracture is 20% or greater or hip fracture is 3% or greater, you should be offered medicine proven to reduce your risk for fracture. A previous column reviewed the morbidity and mortality within one year of a fracture, explaining why you should know if you are at risk. If you have osteoporosis or a FRAX score greater than 20% or 3%, simply taking Vitamin D and getting regular weight bearing exercise is not enough. You will continue to lose bone which will only increase your fracture risk over time. There are several medicines used in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Bisphosphonates are considered the first line of defense to reduce your risk for fracture. These medicines reduce bone loss by inhibiting the cells that are responsible for bone resorption. Bisphosphonates come in oral and injectable forms, and some are dosed weekly, monthly, or annually. They are considered safe to use for between 3-5 years after which many patients take a drug holiday for a few years. Their use is responsible for an 80% reduction in risk for fracture. They are not without side-effects, most common being indigestion. The most talked-about fear and reason cited for not taking a bisphosphonate is osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ), a rare complication which typically occurs in cancer patients on very high bisphosphonate doses greater than that recommended for fracture prevention. Over 90% of the reported cases of ONJ have been in cancer patients receiving bisphosphonate doses 10 times higher then used to treat osteoporosis. Estimated incidences of ONJ in patients with osteoporosis is between 1:10,000 – 1:100,000. The less talked about fear and second reason patients are reluctant to take a bisphosphonate has been their association with atypical femur shaft fractures. These are thought to occur from over-suppression of bone turnover in patients exposed to bisphosphonates for longer the 3-5 years. A drug-free period may be considered after three years of IV zoledronic acid or five years of oral alendronate. The absolute risk increase in femur fractures from bisphosphonate therapy is five fractures in 10,000 patients over the course of a year. What is often not known is that other than reducing the risk of hip and vertebral fracture, bisphosphonates “SIDE BENEFITS” are decreased risk of breast cancer, colorectal cancer, stroke, myocardial infarction, gastric cancer, and overall mortality in users compared to non-users. This is why it is important to talk with your doctor about your bone health and know that there are safe medicines that can be prescribed to reduce your risk for fracture. That is why bone health matters. Visit my website at www.leachobgyn.com for links to resources and our Facebook page, Timothy Leach MD, for more information. My office is located at 110 Tampico, Suite 210 in Walnut Creek. Please call us at 925-935-6952. Advertorial including those who have tried several types of antidepressants to no avail. Brainsway's treatment for depression has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2013. The treatment has no systemic side effects and is highly convenient, requiring only 20-minute daily sessions over a period of 4-6 weeks. Moreover, the treatment is prescribed and supervised by a licensed psychiatrist in an outpatient facility.
Have Antidepressants Failed to Work?
Brainsway’s treatment launches a new era in the treatment of MDD. It has many unique advantages over other treatments for depression. Antidepressants, for instance, fail to provide an adequate solution for many patients, and they often entail harsh side effects, ranging from nausea, insomnia, and anxiety to weight gain and sexual dysfunction. This can lead many patients to neglect their medication regime, believing that living with depression is better than living with the side effects. Other alternatives, such as electro-convulsive therapy (ECT), require anesthesia and is associated with memory loss. To be clear, TMS is not ECT, and it does not induce electric current into the brain.
Brainsway’s Deep TMS – Brief, Effective Treatment
The Brainsway Deep TMS is a non-invasive treatment which stimulates the brain region responsible for depression to bring significant improvement to patients. It is an outpatient procedure which does not require hospitalization or anesthesia, and it entails no memory loss or systemic side effects. The treatment generates brief magnetic fields, at similar amplitude to that used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. These magnetic fields briefly stimulate the targeted brain area and improve depressive symptoms. After each session, patients can return home independently and follow through their normal daily routine, including going to work. If you or someone you know would like more information on this amazing treatment technology, just call Blackhawk TMS and we will take the time to explain this in greater detail. We are located at 4185 Blackhawk Plaza Circle Suite 210 in Danville. Please call us at 925-648-2650. Advertorial
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The Eye Opener
Recent Upgrades at the Office By Gregory Kraskowsky, O.D., Alamo Optometry
As our office is growing and expanding, we are constantly trying to find new and innovative ways to both continue to provide excellent patient care and to enhance the patient experience. We are inherently aware that patients have many options for their eye care, and the fact that our patients continually recommend our practice to their friends and family is extremely gratifying. We therefore continually strive to improve ourselves, and we hopefully have done so. Our two newest additions have been our automated notification system and our new retinal digital imaging system. If you have been at the office in the past few weeks, then you have been introduced to our automated system, Solution Reach. Instead of receiving phone calls and then having to check your voice mail, all patients will now receive emails and texts for appointment confirmation, appointment reminders, eyewear material notifications, and office communications such as recalls, birthday cards, and office newsletters. When patients now confirm through either the email or text, it will feed directly into our system and therefore requires no additional work and calls to make sure the appointment date and time works for you. In addition, when your eyewear materials are ready to be picked up, a simple email and text will go out. This does not require a response; it is just to let you know that your glasses or contact lenses have been received, verified, and are ready. We are hoping that this upgrade in technology makes it easier for patients to receive the information needed regarding appointments and materials. The other exciting news we have is the introduction of the Optomap. This new instrument allows us to take a digital image of the retina. These images do not contain any radiation and are taken through an undilated pupil. The Optomap uses scanning lasers to both image a wide area and different layers of the retina. This capability helps in diagnosis of certain conditions and diseases. Many times the identification can be made by determining the
Alamo Today ~ November 2016 - Page 29
location of the area of concern within the retina. The easiest example is a nevus or freckle. These are very common and for the most part are benign. Most of the time a nevus is easy to differentiate between a benign finding and a melanoma. Most, but not all, melanomas start as a nevus that transforms into malignancy. When a nevus starts to change, it generally grows wider but also in depth. A nevus is located underneath the retina, and when it starts to invade the retina itself, it might be a sign to get a retinal consult. The advantage of the Optomap is that it can tell you information at different levels of the retina to aid in this diagnosis. In addition, this instrument allows for a digital image to be stored for baseline documentation. Even if the retina is completely healthy, having a representation for your file can be invaluable for the future. Each year these images can be brought up side-by-side for a direct comparison to ensure that either there are no changes or if a subtle change has occurred. As an office, we are trying to keep up with an ever-changing landscape. Changes are sometimes difficult but necessary to continue to practice in a way that is both patient-centric and meets the acceptable standard of care. The enhancements we have made and continue to make have these two tenets in mind. As always, we appreciate all of our patients and patient referrals. It is only through these referrals that we can grow our practice to meet the eye care needs of our local community. Dr. K. at Alamo Optometry is your hometown eye doctor for outstanding service, vision care, and designer eyewear. He can be reached at 820-6622, or visit his office at 3201 Danville Blvd., Suite 165 in Alamo. Visit our website at www.alamooptometry.com, and join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @Alamo Optometry. Advertorial
Is Food a Problem for You?
Overeaters Anonymous offers a fellowship of individuals who, through shared experience and mutual support, are recovering from compulsive overeating. This is a 12-step program. The free meetings are for anyone suffering from a food addiction including overeating, under-eating, and bulimia. The group meets Wednesdays at 6PM at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Lafayette. Visit www.how-oa.org for more information.
Page 30 - November 2016 ~ Alamo Today
I’m Sick...Should I Still Exercise? By Michelle Brown
Getting sick is a real drag, and unfortunately we all know it becomes more common during this time of year. While bed rest is the prescription for wellness in some circumstances, it’s not always the most efficient way to heal. In some cases, bed rest can actually prolong sickness. Knowing when to sweat it out and when to rest is your key to winning the fight against these bugs in record time. The decision to exercise depends on what exactly is ailing you, and if exercise is the right choice, then the right kind of exercise is critical to the healing process. First and foremost, avoid spreading your sickness. When you have a cold, you’re at risk of passing it on for about five full days. Your germs spread easily during those first two or three most symptomatic days, and germs can live on hard surfaces like exercise equipment for hours. Even if you wash your hands, sweat can carry germs onto equipment. For the sake of the greater good, keep your workouts at home, and do them on your own during your cold. With a mild cold and symptoms including a runny or stuffy nose without a fever, you can and should workout. Don’t push yourself hard. Gear up and get outside for a half hour walk. If you are currently in training, a light active recovery workout is recommended and encouraged. It is important to note that some cold medications can increase heart rate, so be extra cautious about exercises that elevate heart rate if you have taken any medications within the last 24 hours. Stomach bugs warrant rest until you feel better. Symptoms of the norovirus, aka the stomach flu, can result in severe dehydration. This will be exacerbated by a sweaty workout, so stretching or easing muscle tension with a foam roller
BAGSR continued from front page
board members at BAGSR are dog lovers who give their time to find loving homes for these dogs. The team has fostered and saved more than one thousand German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois to date. Each dog that comes into the BAGSR program is carefully evaluated and then placed into a foster home; no boarding kennels are involved. BAGSR volunteers passionately believe that by living with the dogs, they learn more about them, allowing for proper adoption matches. When applicants adopt a BAGSR dog, the process involves an evaluation of experience and lifestyle with a goal of making a suitable match for both owner and dog. BAGSR also provides ongoing post-adoption support and counseling. “We get to know each and every dog very well,” says Hsu, who is a certified dog behavioral consultant. “We want to keep in touch and make sure that the match is a good one and that everything goes smoothly.” Hsu’s own rescue dog, Contessa, suffered a sad case of abuse. Barely recognizable as a German Shepherd when first found, Contessa had been severely neglected for years. She was critically underweight and had less than 10% of her fur. Rescuers didn’t even know the color of her fur and estimated that due to the severity of her skin damage, she would likely end up with bald spots. But under the loving watch of Hsu, Contessa now weighs a healthy 80 pounds, has all of her fur, and reveals no lasting effects from her neglected condition. “She’s been a wonderful companion,” says Hsu. BAGSR is always seeking foster families: those who are able and willing to provide a temporary home until permanency is found. Fostering can last from one day and up to eight months. BAGSR, through donor funding, pays for all foster care expenses such as medical and food. And there are a multitude of other volunteer positions (for ages 16 and up) that allow volunteers to work just a few minutes each week or more. Many roles don’t require travel; others are event related. Choose from transporting dogs, social media work, blog writing, website updating, manning the hotline, responding to emails, or fundraising. “The main criteria for involvement is that you love dogs,” says Hsu. “Our ultimate goal is to save dogs.” While funds are always needed, BAGSR also seeks a donation or a loan of a piece of land at which rescued dogs can be held temporarily. “We can turn a land parcel into a home and be able to save more dogs,” says Hsu. “It
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at home is your best bet with this type of illness. On that note, the full-on flu is very common this time of year. This also warrants rest to avoid elevating your core temperature any further. Working out with a fever can reek havoc on your system and result in severe dehydration. Even more seriously, high fevers have been linked to heart damage. Exercising through this can raise your risk of heart muscle inflammation, resulting in permanent damage. Your fever, muscle aches, and pains are signs that your body is fighting off a virus. Asking your body to expend more energy on exercise will take away energy from the fight against the virus. So sit tight, and when you head back to your workout, enter at a reasonable pace. You can expect those first couple workouts to feel a bit more challenging as even a week in bed will cause a slight loss of muscle mass and strength. Health is always the priority. With any flu, rest until your fever has been gone for a full 24 hours (without medications) before hitting that iron or starting that jog. We become incredibly grateful for our health when we feel better after having been sick. It is possible to avoid nasty bugs with a hearty immune system. Be ready for flu season with regular exercise, rest, nutritious food, and hydration. These are all critical components of your fight against everything from the common cold to the full-on flu. To your health. Michelle Brown is an ACE Certified Medical Exercise Specialist, ACE Certified Personal Trainer, Spartan SGX Coach, Martial Arts and Self Defense Expert, TRX Level 2 Certified Trainer, Certified Trigger Point Rehabilitation Therapist, SCW Yoga Level 2 Instructor, Competitive Vegan Athlete and owner of Gumsaba Fitness Programs. Michelle has been helping clients surpass their goals since 1998. Gumsaba offers outdoor fitness programs, personal, small group and sport specific training. Join Gumsaba for a FREE CLASS. Visit gumsaba.com and click get started to redeem your free class with promo code FALL2016. www.gumsaba.com. Advertorial
Contessa - Before and after.
is always our hope that in the future we can provide free obedience, behavioral and training classes, and a place where volunteers can play with the in-program dogs and provide education for those who wish to learn about dog care and the breed in general.” If you can help, please contact Susan Hsu at susan@bayareagsr.org.
Search and Rescue
The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team needs volunteer members to respond to missing person incidents, disasters, and other critical incidents. Team members are on call 24/7 year-round. The program provides required training; including wilderness traveling, first aid, map and compass usage, tracking disaster response, and search skills; and may also include special training for canine, equestrian, technical, mountain bike, or other rescue skills. For information and applications, visit www. contracostasar.org or call (925) 646-4461.
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Alamo Today ~ November 2016 - Page 31
Time For Some Holiday Sprucing Up? By Dr. Jerome Potozkin
As we roll into November, the holiday season is upon us. It seems that once Halloween is over we roll into Thanksgiving, Winter Holidays, and the New Year. For many of us it will be the first time we will be seeing friends and family who we haven’t seen in quite some time. This might be a scary thought as you want to look your best when you face your relatives. Maybe you weren’t as religious as you should be about sunscreen last summer, and you are starting to see the ravages of time on your skin. Not to worry; we can help in time for the holidays. This might be the time to think about your daily skin care routine. Medical grade skin care can have significant effects over time. The single thing I recommend most is a high quality sunscreen that blocks out both UVB and UVA ultraviolet light. We have great sunscreens that feel good and have a natural tint so that no one will know you have them on. If you are concerned about Vitamin D deficiency, take an oral supplement. Secondly, a topical prescription retinoid can help stimulate collagen production and help reverse some sun damage. The last in the basic ingredients is a topical antioxidant such as Vitamin C or Resveratrol. That is the bare minimum that I recommend. We routinely customize skincare regimens to fit an individual’s skin type and lifestyle. Maybe you need a bit more help or a quicker fix. Injectable fillers and neuromodulators can offer a significant rapid improvement. The goal with injectable fillers is to create a natural look by restoring the volume that is lost in our face as we age. The biggest fear patients new to fillers have is that they are going to look distorted or abnormal. One area people really worry about is having big distorted lips. Juvederm just released the filler Volbella XC which is great for the fine lines around the mouth and for subtle lip enhancement. My goal is always to create the best natural looking version of you without distortion. This is highly technique dependent. We have many different fillers available today to replace the volume in our face that diminishes with time. Neuromodulators such as Botox Cosmetic, Dysport, and Xeomin act by relaxing muscles.With proper use we can create a natural relaxed appearance (which is helpful during the stressful holiday season). I have had some people in sales tell me that because they appeared more relaxed, their sales success improved. Lastly, lasers, light based devices, and chemical peels can help with color and surface changes in the skin. These changes that we hate tend to be more related to our “photo-age” due to how much sun exposure we have had rather than our biological age. We have treatments ranging from light chemical peels and Photofacials that require minimal to no down time to more aggressive laser treatments that might require a week of social downtime. For some, the holiday time is ideal to take a week off work to get maximal benefits. If you have broken capillaries, brown spots, and textural changes, chances are we can help you get rid of them. Whatever your situation is, we are happy to help. Many of our patients seek our help because what they see in the mirror does not match the active, youthful spirit that they have. If you are motivated to look and feel your best, we are here to help. Wishing you and your family a great Thanksgiving and a happy holiday season. Dr. Potozkin is a board certified dermatologist who has been serving the local community since 1993. His fully accredited dermatological and laser facility is located at 600 San Ramon Valley Blvd, Suite 102 in Danville. He is accepting new patients. Please call (925) 838-4900 or visit Potozkin. com for more information. Advertorial
To advertise call 925.405.6397
The “Good Old Days” are now!
Rates are better than 50-60 years ago (see proof above)
The Alison Company Nationwide Financing on Commercial Property
Douglas Scott DRE#00859191 | Kevin Corstorphine DRE#01944908
805.845.5200
Dscott@alisonmortgage.com | Kevin@alisonmortgage.com
www.alisonmortgage.com
TeleCare Connects with the Homebound
Since 1971, member volunteers of TeleCare, a philanthropic program of Assistance League® of Diablo Valley, have been making daily reassurance calls, Monday through Friday, to those in our community who are homebound. As the chapter’s longest standing philanthropic program, TeleCare empowers the clients, no matter what their ages, to remain in their homes. What ensures this is a daily confidential journal kept for each client that member volunteers consult prior to the phone calls then update accordingly. Last year alone, member volunteers devoted 765 hours to connecting with homebound clients. Unfortunately, many clients are socially isolated and don’t have anyone to check on them daily. Statistics indicate that loneliness can cause a 20% decline in health, a number that increases for seniors, the elderly and the homebound. TeleCare not only offsets that statistic, it ultimately serves as a safety net for clients and their families especially if volunteer callers are unable to reach the client. If you live alone or know someone who does, a daily phone call would be a great way to stay connected with life and make new friends. Other TeleCare activities include attending an annual holiday party to meet fellow clients and member volunteers face to face, as well as receiving greeting cards from the Assisteens®, an auxiliary where kids learn to participate in a community service at a young age. So make that call to get you or someone you know connected. For more information about TeleCare, please phone 925-934-0901. To learn about Assistance League of Diablo Valley’s other philanthropic programs, funded by its thrift shop in Lafayette, and its recently awarded GuideStar Exchange gold participation level status, please visit diablovalley.assistanceleague.org.
C L A S S I F I E D COMPUTER HELP
ITkid Computer Help Assistance with any tech related issue for a low price. Help with Email•Wifi•Computer•Smartphone•Tablet•Etc. $40/hr. Contact Max Nunan, local ITkid consultant. (925) 482-5488, maxnunan@gmail.com
FOR RENT
CONDO VACATION RENTAL Mauna Lani Resort, Big Island. New luxury 2 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath condo on 4th fairway. Minimum 3 night stay. Contact Alamo owners for discounted rate. (925)381-7042, Alamomgt@usa.net
Alamo Today Classifieds
Reach over 6,500 homes and businesses in Alamo & Diablo - Help Wanted, For Sale, Services, Lessons, Pets, Rentals, Wanted, Freebies...$35 for up to 45 words.$5 for each additional 15 words. Send or email submissions to: 3000F Danville Blvd #117,Alamo,CA 94507 or editor@yourmonthlypaper.com. Run the same classified ad in our sister papers “Lafayette Today” or “Danville Today News” and pay half off for your second and/or third ad! Payment by check made out to “The Editors” must be received before ad will print. Your cancelled check is your receipt. We reserve the right to reject any ad.
Page 32 - November 2016 ~ Alamo Today
The Combs Team
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Nancy
This is Rockcliff Country
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Danville Area Real Estate: Mixed Results 3rd Quarter 2016
Home Sales Alamo, Blackhawk, Diablo, Danville, (July 1-Sept. 30) 2016 Active Pending Sold DOM List Price Sold Price Sq. Foot Alamo 36 23 55 44 $ 1,772,974 $ 1,737,091 3,580 Blackhawk 30 8 33 38 $ 1,681,685 $ 1,646,614 3,527 Diablo 5 2 5 65 $ 2,440,778 $ 2,270,000 3,320 Danville 139 79 241 22 $ 1,183,194 $ 1,165,449 2,487
In our local Danville Area Market which includes Alamo, Danville, Diablo, and Blackhawk, homes are selling at rate of about 37 units per month. This is down 64% from last year’s total of 102 units per month. Distressed home sales are down from 7% in 2015 to approximately 2% today. Distressed home sales historically range from 1-2%. After eight years our distressed market has returned to normal. Homes priced right continue to sell quickly. During the most recent quarter Danville led the area with the shortest time from listing to sale at 22 days. Diablo had the longest time from listing to sale with 65 days. Alamo hit 55 days while Blackhawk was less than 40 days. A normal market would be 3-6 months from listing to sale. So, the market remains better than normal. Alamo showed impressive gains during the third quarter year-over-year with average sales price increasing from $1,616,319 to $1,737,091 for a 7.4% increase in price. Dollars paid per square foot dipped from $538 to $516 for about a 4% decrease. This is a bit misleading as the average sold home was 14% larger than last year. Twenty-four Alamo homes sold for more than $500 per square foot. Blackhawk average price dipped from $1,735,168 to $1,646,614 during this time for a 5% decline but registered a small increase in dollars paid per square-foot, climbing from $467 to $468 for about a 1/2% increase. Sold homes in Blackhawk were about 6% smaller this year, so the market is more positive than these numbers might suggest. Ten Blackhawk sales exceeded the $500 per square foot mark. This is the same as last year. Diablo, our priciest neighborhood remained fairly steady with five home sales during the quarter and a $698 average square foot price. Two Diablo home crossed the $800 per square foot mark with one obtaining a remarkable price of $910 per square foot on a purchase price of $3.75 million. There are five active listings in Diablo, the same number of homes sold during the quarter. The average days on market for these homes is 65 days, 23 fewer days than last year. On average a 3,320 sq. ft. Diablo home sold for about $2.27 million during the third quarter. Diablo sold homes last year averaged 5,200 square feet so the mix of homes is significantly different. Average sales price for a Danville home slipped from $1,263,578 in the third quarter
$ Sq. Foot $ 516 $ 468 $ 698 $ 479
of 2015 to $1,165,449 in the third quarter of 2016 for about an 8% decline quarter-overquarter. Active listings are a bit more than half of sold homes, hinting that inventory in Danville may be catching up with demand, and Danville may be on the verge of becoming a normal market. On average Danville homes sold during the third quarter 2016 were smaller by approximately 257 square feet compared to the earlier time period. So, the actual reported decline in average price is overstated. Price paid per square foot during the third quarter advanced from $472 per square foot to $479 per square foot. This works out to be about 1% more than during the same time period last year and may be a better view of the value change in the Danville market. The numbers for the Danville Area Real Estate Market are mixed for the third quarter 2016. This is not what we have experienced during the last few third quarter time periods. Of note is that during the past few years our market has shown almost no seasonal dip in price during the summer months. A slowdown in sales and lower prices during the summer would be considered normal. We may now be seeing the first real signs of market normalization since 2007. This will be worth watching. 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. It’s important to remember that there really is no “average” home and no two homes are exactly alike. If you would like an honest “no strings attached written opinion of your home’s current market value and suggestions for preparing it for market, please give me a call 925-989-6086 or send me an email at joecombs@thecombsteam.com. Please visit our website to discover more information on our local market www.thecombsteam.com.
West Side Alamo, Mt. Diablo Views
Downsize to Downtown
Award Winning Realtors
Completely renovated, 2 master bed suites, 2 beds ensuite, office, library and au pair unit. Soaring ceilings, great flow. Priced to Sell $1,699,000.
Beautiful penthouse condo with two master suites. Walk to downtown Pleasant Hill. Priced to sell $419,000.
Top 5% in Sales Production
Diablo Building Lot
West Side Alamo Single Story
Blackhawk Area
Build your dream home on a 1.64 acre lot in Diablo. Priced to sell $930,000.
G
IN D N E
D SOL
P Single level 3 bedroom on .47 acre. Pool. Backs to Iron Horse Trail. SRVUSD schools. Priced to sell $963,000
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.
Elegant Mediterranean style 4 bedroom 3.5 bath home with pool/spa. 1st floor MB suite w/2 walk-in closets. Priced to Sell $1,350,000 J. Rockcliff Realtors 15 Railroad Ave., Danville CA. 94526