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December 2016
www.valleysentinel.com
SPOTLIGHT
From L-R; 76-Perkins; 28-Norfleet; 77-Beekan; 88-Rossi; 52-Powers; 64-Giosso; 60-Purcell; 44-Deitchman; 81-Lenk; 59-Morgan.
Congratulations to the San Ramon Valley Midget T-Birds
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PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID DANVILLE, CA PERMIT NO. 70
On Saturday November 26th, The San Ramon Valley Thunderbirds (T-Birds) entered the field to play in what is known as the Turkey Bowl. This game is equivalent to the Super bowl for youth football. See T-Birds page 11
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On Friday November 25, Danville residents and friends were treated to the annual ‘Lighting of the Old Oak Tree’ sponsored by the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Danville. Each year on the Friday after Thanksgiving, current San Ramon Valley High School choral students sing carols and holiday songs to kick off the season in Danville. The Snow Angel and Father Christmas always make an appearance. This year’s record turnout was a delight, with downtown merchants providing refreshments. This is an annual event not to miss.
Those Orange Fox Squirrels are Not Native to California By James Hale The Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) is our only tree squirrel inhabiting Contra Costa County. It was widely introduced in city parks, campuses, and private estates throughout the Pacific States, and populations have spread from suburbia into the wildlands. In some areas, the more aggressive Eastern Fox Squirrel has outcompeted our native species for their habitat. In 1960, populations of Eastern Fox Squirrels finally pushed the remaining native Western Gray Squirrels up Mount Diablo where they were extirpated from Contra Costa County. A similar situation is taking place down the San Francisco Peninsula where Eastern Fox Squirrels are driving populations of Western Gray Squirrels up the eastern slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains as they invade their habitat. The Eastern Fox Squirrel, or Bryant’s Fox Squirrel is North
America’s largest species of tree squirrels, with large individuals having a body length exceeding 28 inches, tail lengths exceeding 13 inches, and some individuals weighing almost 3 pounds. There is no sexual dimorphism in size. However, there are three distinct geographical color phases: the most common brown/gray/orangish coloration; the strikinglypatterned dark brown/black phase with white bands on the face and tail; and the color phase that is uniform black. Most San Francisco Bay area individuals are the dark brown/orangish color phase, although a population of melanistic or black color phase individuals occurs in the Palo Alto area. The Eastern Fox Squirrel is native to the eastern United
States from Canada, west into the Dakotas, Colorado, and Texas. It was originally introduced for game food and sport hunting in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and New Mexico. They prefer mixed evergreen forests, and thrive best among oak, walnut, hickory, and pines. Two types of shelters (dreys) are constructed: leaf nests and tree dens. Natural tree cavities, bird nests, and woodpecker holes are also used. Occasionally they invade house attics to den. Some squirrel stick nests may exceed three feet in diameter, and have been in use for decades, sometimes by several breeding pairs. Eastern Fox Squirrels feed on mast (nuts, acorns, seeds, etc.), tree buds, insects, tubers, bulbs, roots, birds eggs,
This month’s Special Sections:
Holidays pages 6-7 Senior Living pages 8-10
and fungi. Agricultural crops are also eaten such as corn, soybeans, oats, wheat, and fruit. Large caches of nuts and acorns are used heavily to help survive the winter. Eastern Fox Squirrels are strictly diurnal, active during daytime. They are active, agile climbers that spend a great deal of time on the ground foraging for food. Their sharp claws, extended digits, developed abdominal musculature, and long tail See SQUIRRELS page 15