December - Alamo Today

Transcription

[email protected]
December 2010
Search and Rescue
By Fran Miller
Search and Rescue volunteer Walter Eichinger can still remember, these many years
later, the look of relief and happiness on the young man’s face when told that his lost
grandmother had been found. The Rossmoor woman had been missing overnight, and
Eichinger’s Contra Costa County Search and Rescue team had found her the next morning - cold, dehydrated and bruised, but alive.
“I distinctly recall the look on her grandson’s face when we told him she was okay,” says
Eichinger. “His tears, his relief, his joy...that’s what makes our work worthwhile. Our missions
bring a great feeling - a positive feeling. It’s one thing that is definitely right in the world.”
Each year, the 200 plus volunteer members of Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Search and
Rescue Team (Contra Costa SAR) participate in nearly 100 missions, and they provide 50,000
volunteer hours to the community. They are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a
year, and they are trained to respond to a variety of situations such as a wilderness technical rope
rescue, an urban search for an Alzheimer walk-away or missing child, a downed aircraft search,
rescue and recovery, or medical support for a mass casualty incident. Volunteers also participate
in community preparedness and preventative SAR education.
Eichinger estimates that he spends about ten hours per week on SAR activities, down from
the 23 per week he averaged for about three years. “1,200 hours per year was a bit too much,”
says Eichinger, who is Vice President of the Brenden Theatre Corporation in Concord. “We
call that SAR Fever. I’ve found a pretty good balance recently.”
Over the last 30 years, Contra Costa SAR has grown and evolved from a jeep club in the
late 60’s to one of the largest and best trained teams in California, providing highly trained
search and rescue resources to the citizens of Contra Costa County and beyond. The team
also provides medical, evidence, and educational support as needed at the request of the
Sheriff. Their overriding mission is to seek out, find, and return missing people to their
loved ones. Volunteers are dispatched throughout the County, as well as the entire state, and
are trained to operate in any terrain and environment in California. They may be called to
a search on Mt. Diablo one day, a city neighborhood the next, or at 11,000 feet in the Sierra
Nevadas another day.
SAR volunteer Sam Barley, age 49 and a Sales Executive with Hewlett Packard, had always
had an interest in assisting others, but it took the cataclysmic events of 9/11 to spur him to
action. Feeling vulnerable and ill prepared to ensure the safety of his family and community
Serving the Lafayette Community
Juntos Podemos. Together we Can.
Some of you might remember reading about a couple of
young women from Lafayette who found themselves running
a small children’s shelter in the little town of Bucerias, Mexico
in 2006 (see Lafayette Today article http://yourmonthlypaper.
com/pdfs/LT/2007/LT.2007.May.full.pdf). Katherine Briscoe, a
2001 Acalanes High alumni and friend Pilar Fox, the founders of
Katherine Briscoe and one of her “children.”
Banderas de Esperanza/ Flags of Hope, were honored to find the
support of the Lafayette community and have returned to fill you
See Together continued on page 13
Try Lafayette First Needs Your Help!
Recently,
members
of
the Lafayette Chamber of
Commerce stood at the Highway
24 on-ramp at First Street and
tried to stop traffic heading to
Broadway Plaza and the Mall.
That's how important shopping
local is to the community.
Have you noticed all the Try
Lafayette First posters in the
doors and windows of local
merchants?
Trying “Lafayette First” is
easy when we realize how many unique and affordable options
there are in Lafayette. We
all have our favorites, but
it’s hard to know everything
available.
Volume IV - Number 12
That's why the Try
PO Box 1335
Lafayette, CA 94549
Lafayette First strategy
Telephone (925) 405-NEWS, 405-6397
See Search continued on page 8 is focused on building
Fax (925) 406-0547
awareness about local
[email protected]
PRSRT STD
merchants and service
U.S. Postage
providers. The Chamber
Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher
PAID
The opinions expressed herein belong to the writers, and do not
has
been
reaching
out
to
our
Permit 21
necessarily reflect that of Lafayette Today. Lafayette Today is
community, in person, and not responsible for the content of any of the advertising herein,
Lafayette CA
See First cont. on page 9
nor does publication imply endorsement.
www.yourmonthlypaper.com
Page 2 - December 2010 ~ Lafayette Today
The View From Here
By Alisa Corstorphine, Editor
I recently attended a gathering of scouting
parents from my son’s old Boy Scout Troop
#236. Even though the boys have graduated
from scouting and have moved on to college,
the parents still get together a few times a year.
Sometimes there is a theme to the evening, and
Editors Jennifer Lopez and Alisa at the last gathering the host decided to engage
Corstorphine
us all in a community service project. After
contacting various organizations, he came up with a plan to build barn owl
boxes to be placed at the Boundary Oaks Golf Course in Walnut Creek.
Barn owls are natural predators to the rodent population, and their population has significantly declined in recent years. Without predators, the rats,
gophers, moles, and voles have experienced a population explosion. To combat this, the golf course and many local communities
recognize the need to encourage the owls to return.
The leaders of this project, Rick Mathews and Daryl Witbeck,
procured recycled lumber, drew up plans, and prepared all of the
needed pieces, so that each couple was given a kit to assemble and
paint. It harkened back to days when I was a Cub Scout leader and
came up with similar projects, albeit on a much smaller scale! By
the end of the night, six nesting boxes were constructed, painted, and
ready to be installed. We were grateful to be a part of the project,
and we encourage others to follow suit in their neighborhoods.
Giving to others is what the holidays are all about. During this
time our family likes to share treats from our kitchen. Since I was
a child we have been making frosted cookie-cutter sugar cookies.
This recipe gets recreated for all of the various holidays - Valentines, Easter... The recipe can be doubled, tripled, quadrupled, and
more!
12 Tablespoons butter (1 1/2 cubes) 2 teaspoons vanilla
2 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups flour
Cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolk, vanilla, and flour. Combine dough but don’t overwork. Roll out to 1/4” thick. Cut with
cookie cutters and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 10-12
minutes at 350 degrees. Only cook until they are lightly blonde.
Frost; see recipe below.
Butter frosting: 6 Tablespoons butter, 4 1/2 - 4 3/4 cup powdered
sugar, 1/4 cup milk, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat butter until fluffy.
Add half of the powdered sugar. Gradually beat in milk and vanilla.
Add remaining sugar until desired consistency. Divide and color
with food coloring as needed.
We have also made batches of jalapeno jelly to bring to parties
and give as gifts. The jalapenos were one of the few vegetables in
the garden that liked the weather last summer, and we had a bountiful crop. The recipe is simple, and makes a sweet jelly with not
too much heat so that even people who don’t tolerate spicy food
can enjoy it. Email me at [email protected] if you’d
like a copy of the recipe.
As we move through the holidays and into 2011, I wish all of
you a joyous season. Thank you for your continued readership
and patronage of our local businesses that make production of the
papers possible.
City Seeks Volunteers
There are currently openings for volunteers on the following City of
Lafayette boards and committees: Code Enforcement Appeals Hearing
Board, Community Center Foundation, Circulation Commission,
Creeks Committee, Downtown Street Improvement Master Plan
Implementation Committee, Central Contra Costa County Transit
Authority Representative, and Senior Services Commission. For more
information visit Lafayette’s website www.ci.lafayette.ca.us.
[email protected]
Toys for Tots and One Warm Coat Collection
The need has never been greater and it’s never been easier to make a
difference in your community. Here is your opportunity to make sure that
nobody goes without such a basic necessity as a coat this winter and that
children in need receive gifts during the holidays.
Roughing It Day Camp is collecting clean, gently used coats and jackets
as part of the One Warm Coat community service project. Coats of all
shapes and sizes are welcome. One Warm Coat is dedicated to distributing
reusable coats, free of charge, directly to local children and adults. The
program is an easy way for you and your family to pass along coats and
jackets that you no longer need. In addition, new, unopened toys for the
Toys for Tots drive will be collected at the same time.
Roughing It Day Camp has made donating simple. Just bring your
clean, gently used coats and jackets and/or new toys to 1010 Oakhill Road,
Lafayette from 10am - 6pm now through Friday, December 17th. All donated
coats and toys will be given to Roughing It Day Camp for distribution to
local people in need.
“More people than ever need help these days. I am proud of the thousands
of coat drive organizers whose creativity and generosity of spirit are making
a real difference in their own communities,” commented Sherri Wood,
President and National Coordinator for One Warm Coat.
Lafayette Today ~ December 2010 - Page 3
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LafayetteOpoly is Here!
What is LafayetteOpoly? It’s a game that plays just like the ever popular
Monopoly® game, but this version features Lafayette businesses and the
beautiful scenery of Lafayette. LafayetteOpoly is also a fundraiser for Lafayette
Partners in Education, formerly Lafayette Arts & Science Foundation.
Over forty local businesses featured on the board sponsored production
of the game so all sales proceeds will directly support Lafayette’s four
elementary schools, middle school, and high school. Each school is also
represented on the board, thanks to real estate agent sponsorship. Even the
Lafayette Police Department is represented…although you might want to
avoid their “Speeding – Go to Court” spot!
Games will be available through McCaulou’s department store and
Madison gift store and other retail sponsors to be determined. Games will
also be available via on site school sales drives to be announced through
school newsletters to attending families.
Lafayette Partners in Education thanks all of the generous business sponsors
who enthusiastically participated in this exciting fundraising project.
LafayetteOpoly is sure to be a family favorite for years to come. It has
a limited production and is expected to sell out. Make sure you get a copy
of this local collector’s item!
Young Performers Winter Concert
Under the direction of Rem Djemilev, the Young Performers Orchestra
and the Diablo Regional Youth Orchestra will perform an upbeat and fun program of classical and contemporary holiday treasurers including G.F.Handel,
A.Vivaldi, F.J.Haydn, F.Schubert, and F. Mendelssohn.
Guest artist Valery Senavski will perform the French horn soloist in Mendelssohn’s Nocturne. The program will also feature chamber music, solo
works, Holiday Medleys, and other surprises.
The Young Performers Winter Concert will be held December 14th at 7pm at
the Civic Arts Education’s Shadelands Campus located at 111 N. Wiget Lane
in Walnut Creek. Tickets are $10. For information call, 925.943-5846.
SINCE
1993
LAFAYETTE
3340 Mt. Diablo Blvd.
925.283.3133
SAN RAMON
2151 San Ramon Valley Blvd.
925.837.3000
THESERVICEOUTLET.COM
1009074-TSO-ALToday-5x6.25.indd 1
9/15/10 11:07:47 AM
Winterfest in Lafayette December 13th
Contra Costa Wind Symphony Holiday Concert will Feature Children’s
Chorus, Guest Artists
Maestro Duane Carroll and the Contra Costa Wind Symphony celebrate the holiday
season on December 13th in a concert of carols and other festive music featuring the Contra
Costa Children’s Chorus, a harpist, a vocalist, a guitarist, a celebrity narrator, and an audience sing-along. The performance will begin at 7:30PM in the Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian
Church, 49 Knox Drive, Lafayette. Admission is free.
The chorus will sing Three Noels, a medley of Christmas selections, Ding Dong! Merrily
on High, and Silent Night. Guest guitarist Julio Reyes will accompany the singers in Mary
Had a Baby. High school student Vanessa Anderson, a member of the chorus
for 11 years will sing Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and high school
senior Shannon Polley, now in her fifth year as the wind symphony’s harpist,
will perform Harp Christmas.
Carroll will lead the wind symphony, now in its 31st season, in selections
If you find him and your name is drawn!
including Holiday Rhapsody, familiar carols, and Leroy Anderson’s popular
He is very small, so you will have to look hard if you want to find him.
Sleigh Ride. The audience will be invited to join the chorus in a sing-along.
Lost Dog!
$50 REWARD
Lafayette Luther is Missing
He has become lost in this paper.
To be eligible send a letter telling us where you found him,
along with your name and address to:
Lost Dog! Lafayette Today, PO Box 1335 • Lafayette, CA 94549
Doris Duncan is our winner!
Luther was hiding in the Lafayette Library & Learning Center ad on page 6 last month.
Lafayette Luther contest and image Copyright Lafayette Today 2010. All rights reserved.
Assistance League of Diablo Valley
Let 2011 be the year for you to launch a new beginning! Reclaim valuable
square footage in your home by donating to Assistance League Way Side Inn
Thrift Shop. Located at 3521 Golden Gate Way in Lafayette, this well known
landmark prides itself in offering every day items at rock bottom prices. We'll
take your kitchen utensils, linens, children’s toys, casual and career attire
and shoes, books, and small furniture. We’ll also take those “unanticipated
treasures” you received as gifts over the years; no questions asked.
Your very much appreciated “extras” could be someone else’s “must
haves.” Somehow those rock bottom prices manage to fuel eight philanthropic
programs that target members of every age group who are in need or at risk in
our community. Help us clothe children for a successful school experience,
test them for vision and hearing problems, provide educational puppet shows
that deal with fire safety, physical challenges, learning differences, and
bullying, and instill the love of reading. Then, take the rest of the day off!
Assistance League member volunteers will happily accept your donations
and give you a tax receipt. Please peruse Guidelines for Thrift Shop
Donations at our website: diablovalley.assistanceleague.org . Now that you
will have more space in your home, you can make plans for the Valentine’s
Day promotion that will begin on January 25th.
Holiday Sharing
Forty senior citizens had a more
comfortable Thanksgiving this year
due in a large part to a gift of complete
Thanksgiving Meal Kits provided by the
Monument Crisis Center and donated
by the students at St. Perpetua School in
Lafayette. The students worked with the
Crisis Center by donating, assembling, and
delivering Thanksgiving meal baskets. The
baskets were complete with nutritious food
and holiday favorites along with a $20 gift
card toward the purchase of a traditional
bird. Many of those who received the
baskets were seniors or special needs adults on limited incomes.
To learn more about the Monument Crisis Center or to donate food, host
a food drive, or to make a financial donation on-line, please go to their
website at www.monumentcrisiscenter.org/donate.
WAVE Christmas Concert
The Women’s Antique Vocal Ensemble (WAVE) presents its annual Christmas concert entitled In Dulci Jubilo. The combined ensembles of WAVE and
the Schola Cantorum of St. Albert Priory will perform works by Leonel Power,
Michael Praetorius, Dietrich Buxtehude, Orlande de Lassus, Loyset Compère,
Marco da Gagliano, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, and Thoinot Arbeau. Plainchant
and music from Codex Specialnik and Piae Cantiones will also be performed, in
addition to a sing-along of the “Halleluia Chorus” by Georg Friedrich Händel.
The concert will take place Friday, December 17 at 8PM at St. Mark’s
Episcopal Church, located at 2300 Bancroft Way in Berkeley. Tickets cost
$15 for General admission and $10 for Students and Seniors.
For further information and detailed directions, visit our website at www.
wavewomen.org, e-mail [email protected], or call 510-233-1479.
Town Hall Stage Lights Up for the Holiday Season
The operative word this holiday season at Town Hall is “music”! From
our holiday family favorite, Scrooge!, the musical adaptation of A Christmas
Carol, to The Sun Kings’ Drew Harrison’s In the Spirit of Lennon, an acoustic
evening commemorating the 30th anniversary of the death of John Lennon, to
CRYPTICAL, the Bay Area’s premier Grateful Dead experience, your home
town theatre will bring the warmth of song to these chilly winter days!
Also, our award-winning Town Hall Kids have opened registration on
their Spring 2011 classes. Check out www.TownHallKids.com for your
early registration discount on select classes.
Scrooge! runs through December 19.
In the Spirit of Lennon is a one night only event, December 8.
CRYPTICAL performs one night only, December 28.
For tickets and information, visit www.TownHallTheatre.com.
Lafayette Recreation & Community Center
Lafayette Recreation is now enrolling for winter programs. View the
Lafayette Recreation Winter Guide at www.LafayetteRec.org to see all of
the classes and how many ways you can have fun at any age!
Spend winter break with us at the Lafayette Community Center! Join
Camp Awesome Winter for arts and crafts, sports and games, and a ton of
awesome fun! The camp is for ages 4-14 years and will be held MondayThursday, December 20-23 and December 27-30 from 9AM to 2PM at a
cost of $128 each week. Before and after care is available for an additional
fee. Call 925-284-2232 or visit www.LafayetteRec.org to register.
Become your own jewelry designer during winter break at Jewelry
Making Camp! Join Dragonfly Designs in learning the art of jewelry making.
Camp includes creating beautiful jewelry using Czech glass beads, fresh
water pearls, and more. Techniques such as resin, stamping and dapping,
bead stringing, copper etching, and waxed Irish linen will be taught, and
each day will end with a friendship-building exercise. This camp is for ages
6-16 years and will be held Monday-Thursday, December 20-23 from
9AM-12PM or 12-3PM at a cost of $163 plus $40 supply fee. Call 925-2842232 or go online to www.LafayetteRec.org to register.
[email protected]
The Book Worm
By Joan Stevenson
What a year it has been for the Friends of the
Lafayette Library and Learning Center! When
the Friends Corner Book Shop opened, it was with
some trepidation. Could they outdo the success
they had realized in that cramped room at the
Community Center, selling books twice a month?
More important, could they make enough money to pay the rent on that charming
corner of the library building that was theirs? The answer is a resounding “yes,” and
to underscore what was accomplished, they were able to contribute $150,000 to the
campaign, Open Doors, Open Minds. In December Friends Treasurer, Dave Hiden
presented a check in that amount to Mike Gilson, the newly elected President of the
Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation.
Art Unger, Dave Hiden, and Mike Gilson present a check to Board Members of Open
Doors, Open Minds.
How do they do it? Over 100 volunteers staff the shop 50 hours a week,
and they are always busy sorting, pricing, shelving, maintaining, and selling an
inventory of 25,000 books. Over and above the commitment to the campaign,
the Friends budget $34,000 for library support and $50,000 pledged for staff
hours. Friends host the very popular Sweet Thursday authors’ night, an
opportunity to sit up close and personal with some of our favorite writers and
this fall we had a first peek at A Writer’s Place, our new series on honing the
skills of writing. The Friends helped make the Lamorinda Reads program
possible, not only assuring there would be plenty of copies of Cutting for
Stone available but adding extra cultural programs to make it unforgettable.
Last year the Friends determined they would no longer solicit membership
dues but would encourage an annual contribution to the LibraryALIVE
campaign to keep the library doors open. As a friend, know that you make
a difference with your contribution. It will assure that the library continues
to be the most “happening” place in Lafayette.
Stephanie Ross - Certified Pet Dog Trainer
www.pawsitive-reinforcement.com
925.383.9292
Lafayette Garden Club
The Lafayette Garden Club meets at 9:30AM on the second Thursday of each
month at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church located at 1035 Carol Lane in Lafayette.
The Holiday Extravaganza will be held on December 9th. This Christmas
party will be held at Il Fornaio in Walnut Creek for club members. The
January meeting will return to Our Savior’s in Lafayette, and visitors are
welcome. For more information, email [email protected].
Host Families Needed for Two Week Visit of
French Students
For the 9th year high school students from the south of France will be
visiting the East Bay and are in need of host families during their stay from
February 26th to March 11th. During the weekdays the students will be traveling to San Francisco and the surrounding areas via BART with their class.
Host families are asked to take and pickup the students at local BART
stations during the weekdays and provide for the students in the evenings.
Weekends will be spent with the host families.
If you are available to open your home to a student (or students!), please
email teacher Martine Causse at [email protected].
Girl Scouts from Burton Valley Elementary in Lafayette, under the direction of troop parent Kelly
Bradley, participated in the Forever Green tree planting project which celebrates 100 years of
Girl Scouts. Three members of 4th grade Junior troop #30195 in Lafayette and an older sister,
a Cadette, came out on a gorgeous afternoon to plant five trees at Burton Valley Elementary.
The Principal and maintenance supervisor had graciously granted permission to plant the trees
anywhere on campus, and the girls found two areas that they thought could use some sprucing
up. The ground was nice and soft from recent rains so they were able to dig the holes themselves
and place the trees. The best part is now they can see their handiwork every day and can tell their
friends how they beautified their school through the Girl Scouts Forever Green project!
Glenn Seaborg Learning Consortium Partnership
with the Oakland Museum of California
By Fran Miller
“The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) and the Lafayette
Library and Learning Center share fundamental missions, to not only
inspire and educate, but to serve as ‘town squares’ or public forums for
visitors from all different backgrounds to come together in dialogue,
exchange, and reflection,” says OMCA Executive Director Lori Fogarty.
“There are very few places in our society where people can congregate
and feel this sense of community – and share in a commitment to
lifelong learning.”
OMCA is one of the 12 Bay Area organizations comprising the
Library’s Glenn Seaborg Learning Consortium, a partnership of
premier education, science and arts institutions offering o the East Bay
community a calendar of programs and special events at a central, easily
accessible location - the Lafayette Library and Learning Center.
“OMCA is delighted to be a member of the Consortium,” says
Fogarty. “We are honored to be part of such a distinguished group. And,
our affiliation with the Lafayette Library gives us a bit of a ‘foothold’
in Contra Costa County to share information on Museum programs and
to attract residents ‘through the tunnel’ to visit the Museum – which is
only a few BART stops away.”
Established in 1969 as a “museum for the people,” OMCA brings
together collections of art, history and natural science under one roof to tell
the extraordinary stories of California and its people. With more than 1.8
million objects including seminal art works, historical artifacts, ethnographic
objects, natural specimens, and photographs, OMCA is a leading Bay Area
cultural institution and a resource for the research and understanding of
California's dynamic cultural and environmental heritage. www.yourmonthlypaper.com
OMCA just recently reopened its galleries after a
transformation that touched almost every aspect of the
300,000 square-foot building. Innovative interpretive
tools and interactive features are now featured in
several collections; new gathering spaces and program
areas engage and encourage visitors to share their own
perspectives, questions, and stories.
Fogarty appreciates Lafayette’s strong support
of the Museum; many residents serve as members,
volunteers and donors. “We are really trying to build our audience
of families with young children,” says Fogarty. “Since the Lafayette
Library is already such a destination for families, our Consortium
relationship allows us to highlight the many family programs the
Museum produces, and even to bring these programs directly into the
Lafayette community.”
For more information on the Oakland Museum of California,
visit www.museumca.org. For a calendar of Glenn Seaborg Learning
Consortium events, visit www.lafayettelib.org/calendar.
LASF Celebrates 30th Anniversary and New Name
The Lafayette Arts & Science Foundation (LASF) rolled out its new
name – Lafayette Partners in Education in a move that demonstrates
its continued growth and evolution as Lafayette’s education foundation.
The new name was formally introduced amidst festivities that also
commemorated LASF’S 30TH anniversary.
LASF President Maureen Bagley noted that “Thirty years is a significant
milestone for LASF. We are so grateful for the support of the people and
businesses of Lafayette. As we move forward, we hope to partner more
closely and effectively with the whole community. LASF’ new name Lafayette Partners in Education - is meant to reflect the importance of
community wide cooperation in supporting our local public schools.”
LAFAYETTE LIBRARY AND LEARNING CENTER
HOME OF THE GLENN SEABORG LEARNING CONSORTIUM
Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation – Information at LLLCF.org or 925-283-6513 x.101
Date and Time
Legend: Community Hall (CH), Arts & Science Discovery Center (A&S), Homework Center (HC), Veterans Memorial (VM)
Glenn Seaborg Learning Consortium Program (GSLC)
lawrencehallofscience.org
3 Saturdays 9:30-10:30am
Dec. 11
A&S
Jan. 8
Feb. 12
A&S
A&S
[email protected]
Saturday
10am-12pm
Feb. 26
A&S
sustainablelafayette.org
Sundays
1-3pm
Dec. 12
A&S
Jan. 9
A&S
Feb. 13
A&S
[email protected]
Friday
11am-12:30pm
Jan. 14
A&S
commonwealthclub.org
Tuesday
new time: 6pm
Jan. 25
CH
GSLC YOUTH SERIES
Lawrence Hall of Science
Ages 3-6 ~ $20/class
Guinea Pigs
Brush, pet, feed our guinea pigs. See how they move,
eat, make sounds. Take home a furry guinea pig project.
Fizz, Pop, Wow!
Mix cool concoctions and see which ones fizz, which is
bubbliest, and learn how to inflate a balloon by using
the resulting gas.
Frogs and Toads
Touch slippery frogs and bumpy toads. Watch them hop
and swim. See what frogs look like when they are
babies and learn about their life cycle.
Chabot Space & Science Center
Ages 3-7 ~ $5
Learn about Washington Carver, African American
inventor and peanut farmer, play a matching game with
his inventions; make and taste your own peanut butter!
ENVIRONMENTAL SERIES
Date and Time
Tuesday
Dec. 14
2 Thursdays
Jan. 20
Feb. 10
7-7:45pm
CH
7:30-9pm
CH
CH
Saturday
Jan. 29
9am-4pm
A&S
The Night Before Chris Mouse
Free
P&T Puppet Theater shares holiday magic with all ages
Friends of LLLC ~ Sweet Thursday
Free
Maxine Hong, Kingston, The Fifth Book of Peace
Po Bronson, NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children
Writer's Workshop (20-30 students)
John Flinn, former SF Chron travel editor
$150
gcplayers.org or call
283-3728
Sat. Jan. 29
7:30pm
Sun. Jan. 30
2pm
Gold Coast Chamber Players
$50, students $15
Baritone Lawrence Beamen, America's Got Talent winner,
joins GCCP to showcase the African American Spiritual's
influence on Dvorak; plus favorites like Old Man River,
Motherless Child, and more.
[email protected]
Saturday
7-9pm
Feb. 6
CH
Solo Guitarist Glenn Staller
$12
Performs classical and regional music by Scarlatti, Turnina,
Villa-Lobos, Albeniz, Piazzolla, and others.
Sustainable Lafayette
$5
Talks by UC Master Gardeners and by Urban Farmers
Conserve Energy, Protect Water & Air Quality
Select & Care for Fruit Bearing Trees
Green Investing
[email protected]
Thursdays
7-8:30 pm
Jan. 27
A&S
Mar. 10
A&S
LECTURE SERIES
[email protected]
2 Saturdays
12-4pm
Dec. 11 & 18
Accessing Medical Information
Free
Consortium partner John Muir Health shares strategies
for finding a wide range of medical information
The True Cost of Public Pensions: Reform or Bust?
Jon Coupal, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assoc; Anne
Stausboll, CalPERS; Joe Nation, Stanford Institute for
Economic Policy Research; Roxanne Sanchez, SEIU
ARTS & LITERATURE SERIES
Wednesday
Feb. 2
7-8:30pm
CH
COMING FEB. 3 & 17
BERKELEY REPERTORY THEATER SERIES
Docent Talks ~ Behind-the-Scenes Stories of each play
The Agony & Ecstasy of Steve Jobs ~ 2 provocative
monologues examining our obsession with commerce
Ruined ~ Pulitzer Prize winner about women in the Congo
during that civil war, filled with humanity, hope and humor
SPECIAL EVENTS & PROGRAMS
Dechen Designs presents Holiday Boutique & Gift Show
Exclusive trunk-show with local artists, vendors of high
quality gifts, cultural wares from India, Himalayas & more.
Building Hoover Dam ~ Renown lecturer Paul Giroux $5
combines historic photos, dynamic animation, and tales of
life & death to bring this amazing story to life. Don't miss!
NEW SERIES: Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
NOTE: Always Check Schedule Changes, Updates at LLLCF.org ~ click “Join Email List” for AdLib e-newsletter
[email protected]
Cinema Classics
Christmas Movies
By Peggy Horn
The Art of Music School
in Lafayette
A wholistic, caring, and relational approach
to learn about America’s indigenous musics Movies about Christmas can be
Rock, Folk, Pop, Blues, Rhythm & Blues - in a
fabulous, and three especially fine
style that nourishes both the technical and creative.
examples are recommended here.
The first of these Christmas classics
is White Christmas, (1954), starring
Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary
For guitar (acoustic and electric), drum kit,
Clooney, and Vera Ellen. It takes place sometime after
piano and keyboard, vocal style, and songwriting.
World War II and deals with the aftermath of that war
including how a particular general had difficulty adapting
Beginners to Professionals.
to ordinary life following his service during the war. His
devoted soldiers, Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) and Phil Davis • Teacher Paul Schmidt is the founding assistant director of the National Music Center the educational component of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
(Danny Kaye), strive to help him find his way because • Over 25 years experience as an artist, author, and teacher.
they remember his talent and dedication during the war • Internationally published author and musical artist.
and reward him with their friendship and esteem long after • Master of Music Degree in Education.
they are no longer soldiers. The grand music and lyrics of
925-878-1343
artofmusicinstruments.com
Irving Berlin, including Sisters and White Christmas, are
deftly combined into the plot because Wallace and Davis
Holiday Wine Survival Guide
are a musical team. Consequently, nearly every song and dance
By Monica Chappell
is presented as part of their stage show. The final scene captures
With the holiday season upon us I often feel the
the goodwill of Christmas so well as the players toast each other
need to stock the wine cupboard with a variety of
and celebrate the occasion that we long to be there with them or to
wines. A selection of wines poured in elegant glasses
replicate that feeling somehow in our own homes!
can add that special touch that transforms any special
A second wonderful Christmas movie is The Bishop’s Wife, (1947)
event into a truly great celebration. Not sure how
starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven. It’s based on a
much to buy? No worries, this party planning survival
book published in 1928 by Robert Nathan and details the travails of
guide can help you through the holidays.
one Bishop Brougham (David Niven) as he promotes the construction
Number of Servings in a Bottle of Wine
of a new cathedral, a job so difficult that he prays to God for help. In
The
standard
bottle
is 750 milliliters, which is about 25 ounces. That
response, God sends him Dudley (Cary Grant), an angel assistant who
translates to five 5-ounce pours, which is considered the correct amount, no
manages to torment him hilariously as fully as he helps him during
matter the size of the glass.
the course of the movie and leads the Bishop to some surprising
revelations. This film also creates some beautiful moments as How Much Wine to Buy
• Brunch for 8-10
where Dudley and the Bishop’s wife, Julia, played by Loretta Young,
Three bottles of sparkling wine, one bottle of white, and one of red.
luncheon at a popular restaurant named Michel’s. Somehow the
•
Dinner
for 12
mood at this crowded restaurant, the conversation between Dudley
Three bottles of sparkling wine, two to three bottles of each white and Julia, and the holiday spirit take hold as the viewer wistfully
and red wine.
notes he is only a witness, not a participant, in this wonderful meal! Food
friendly
whites include Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, or This movie is a moving tribute to faith and the Christmas season and
a non-oaked Chardonnay from France. Dinner reds to think can be viewed relentlessly for moments of hearty enjoyment, comic about include Merlot from Washington State and Pinot Noir relief, and inspiration all the way through.
from California or Oregon.
A third fabulous Christmas movie is A Christmas Carol, (1951)
One to two bottles of dessert wine such as late-harvest Riesling, starring Alastair Sim as the hateful Ebenezer Scrooge. There have
Sauterne, or Port.
been many films attempting to recreate the book A Christmas Carol,
• Cocktail Party for 25
by Charles Dickens, but this version is very nearly perfect. It begins,
Eight to 12 bottles of red wine.
like the book, with the proposition, “Marley was dead: to begin
Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile and Shiraz from Australia with.” That point must be clearly understood or no good will come
are great options.
from the story. Apparently, Charles Dickens intended this story to be Six
to
eight
bottles of white wine.
read by his family alone, as a teaching tool. Thankfully we all have
Italian whites or South American Chardonnay are excellent options.
the opportunity to benefit from his eloquence and themes of charity,
One-and-a-half
to two cases of beer.
forgiveness, and perspective on what is really of value in this life,
One bottle each of Vodka, Gin, Rum, and Tequila, plus mixers.
all of which are presented so beautifully in this film. In one of the
final scenes, Scrooge interrupts a dinner party given by his nephew Wine Serving Tips
and his nephew’s wife – a party for which he had earlier declined an
Be aware of the temperature of the wine served.
invitation in his refusal to celebrate Christmas with them. The guests
• White wines should be served at about 55°.
are singing the folksong Barbara Allen in beautiful harmony when
• Red wines should be served at about 65°.
Scrooge bashfully begs to be forgiven and allowed entrance. The
And finally, don't forget to stock the bar with non-alcoholics as well.
loving and forgiving reception he receives should warm the coldest
Happy Holidays!
heart and require a convenient box of tissues as well. This is a film
To advertise contact Lafayette
you will crave to see each and every Christmas!
All three movies are available inexpensively for purchase online
Today at 925.405.6397 or email
or at select DVD rental establishments.
[email protected]
Private Lessons
Lafayette Historical Society Celebrates One
Year in New Home
By Melanie Anderson, Lafayette Historical Society
It’s official: The Lafayette Historical Society (LHS) recently celebrated
its one-year anniversary in its first home after over 40 years of membership.
It has been an exciting, busy year, as LHS welcomed visitors to the History
Room in the Lafayette Library and Learning Center (LLLC), hosted speakers
and led excursions to nearby museums.
“It’s been a dream come true for the Historical Society,” President
Dorothy Walker says. “We can now focus on our real mission of making
Lafayette’s history available to our community.”
Here’s a recap of the events and programs that brought local history to
life during the past year:
LLLC Grand Opening, November 14, 2009 - Visitors posed with
Old Betsy, the 1920s Model TT fire engine, for photographs until she moved
into her showroom next door to the History Room, where she is visible to
passersby day and night.
Members Open House, November 22, 2009 - Fifty LHS members
attended an ice cream social to get acquainted with the History Room.
with festival-goers, inviting them to take a photo with Old Betsy and learn
more about LHS.
Western Railway Museum Excursion, October 26 - Members
and guests enjoyed a private tour of the Suisun museum and a ride in an
interurban car on restored Sacramento Northern Railway track.
Third Grade Field Trips - The History Room was the starting point
for students’ walking tours of historic Lafayette.
Library Displays - Visitors viewed presentations of Lafayette’s first
inhabitants—the Saklan, railway train stations in Lafayette, Acalanes High
School’s 70th anniversary and World War II-era Lafayette.
Coming Soon: Volunteer Appreciation Day, January 30, 2011
History Room Coordinator Judie Peterson greeted many of the 300
visitors who stopped by during the past year. “We call the History Room
‘Lafayette’s Front Porch,’” Peterson says. “Visitors come in to see what we
have on display and often have their own stories to share!”
Have you visited the History Room yet? Come by Tuesdays, Thursdays,
and Saturdays, 10AM–2PM. Call 283-1848 or visit lafayettehistory.org.
LHS Speaker Series: Indigenous Peoples of Lafayette—The
Saklan, February 18 - Rossmoor Historical Society President John
Nutley spoke about the hunters and gatherers who inhabited the land from
Lafayette to San Pablo Creek to San Ramon Valley.
Lafayette Earth Day Celebration 2010, April 25 - LHS joined
the celebration at the LLLC by presenting farming displays.
Annual Pot Luck Dinner, May 12 - Speaker Tom Crews captivated
the 75 attendees with his tale of the ride of Thomas Bedford, the first Pony
Express rider to stop in Lafayette in 1860, commemorating the Pony Express’
150th anniversary.
LHS Speaker Series: The Sacramento Northern Railway, June
17- John Krauskopf of the Western Railway Museum spoke to a standing-
room-only audience about electric trains that traveled through Lafayette
between 1913 and 1957.
Oakland Museum of California Excursion, August 21 - Members and
guests were dazzled by a docent-led tour of the renovated museum’s California
history gallery, and they visited the art gallery and Pixar special exhibition.
Art and Wine Festival, September 18 and 19 - Volunteers mingled
Search continued from front page
in the event of a Bay Area catastrophe, Barley then joined the Contra Costa SAR
team. “Realizing that disasters are inevitable in our area, whether they’re caused
by Mother Nature or a failed gas line, I began to look for opportunities to better
prepare myself and hopefully enable myself to help others in the process,” says
Barley. “I ran across a SAR recruiting booth outside REI and attended an orientation session. At that point, I was hooked!”
Eichinger was first drawn to SAR in 2001 through a chance meeting with an
SAR team member, also at REI. “He told me all about the Contra Costa SAR
team and their Mountain Bike Resource,” says Eichinger. “I went to the next SAR
Team Training and have been hooked ever since. I was very impressed with their
Old Betsy led the parade from the old library to the new library for the opening ceremonies, with
then-Mayor Don Tatzin and volunteer Ray Peters—dressed as Lafayette founder Elam Brown—
onboard, and former Mayor and LHS Board Member George Wasson behind the wheel.
mission and devotion to it.”
While all volunteer team members are “ground pounders,” many obtain additional training in one of the many specialized disciplines: Canine Unit, Bicycle
Unit, Mounted/Equestrian unit, Trackers, Urban Search and Rescue, Mountain
Rescue Group and the Explorers Program for 14-16 year olds, for which Eichinger
is Staff Advisor. The Explorer youth all receive the same training and certifications as the adult volunteers, while working around school hours, homework, and
family commitments. “I guess the satisfaction I get out of this role is in mentoring
and teaching a young mind,” says Eichinger. “I see their self-confidence grow
and their skills improve, and that is very rewarding for me.”
Sadly, not all of Contra Costa SAR’s missions end as happily as that of the
Rossmoor grandmother. Eichinger remembers the heartbreak of his team members
when they found a deceased hiker who had gone missing the night before. Barley
sorrowfully recalls the circumstances of a15-month old that went missing on an island
in the Delta one summer afternoon. It was one of his first searches, and it was late at
night after a long day at work. “It took me more than an hour to get to the Command
Post, where I then boarded a ferry that took my team to the island to execute our
search assignments,” says Barley. “We searched through the night, ‘boony-crashing’
through what I later found out were patches of Stinging Nettles. A Blackhawk helicopter hovering low overhead almost knocked us off our feet at times. The search
was suspended around 3:30 in the morning, and we were sent home to get some rest,
with the next operational period planned to begin again at 7AM. Unfortunately, we
then received a call canceling the search, as the child’s remains had been located by
one of the Sheriff’s Marine patrol boats in a nearby waterway. This was a tragic end
to a search that I will remember for a very long time.” “BUT, what I also remember, in addition to the terrible loss of the child, was the
See Search continued on page 11
[email protected]
A Holiday Message of Warmth
By Jeff Mooers, H.D. Mooers and Company
It’s the holiday season.
What better time to talk about death.
And while we’re at it, taxes.
Raise your hand if you’re familiar with the
Estate Tax. Or, more bluntly, the Death Tax.
In a nutshell, it says that when you die, if your
estate is worth enough, a very healthy tax will be
due so you can pay off your uncle.
Not that uncle. I’m talking Sam.
2010 had no federal Estate Tax. How’s this for a morbid thought—
there is significant concern that people will decide not to extend lifesupporting medical measures in order to die before the tax is reinstated
on January 1.
So the family is gathered around, making that already impossible
decision, while also factoring in a significant tax savings. That’s just
too weird.
But it makes sense. Take Dan Duncan, a Texas pipeline tycoon, who
died in March of this year. Had he died in 2009, his estate would have
been taxed at 45%. Had he made it to 2011, the rate would be 55%.
But he picked the right year to go. I’m sure his four children loved him
very much, but the fact is they’re splitting nine billion dollars, tax free.
Or George Steinbrenner, the lovable owner of the New York Yankees.
500 million, to his destitute children, tax free. 2010. A good year to die.
All this because of a tax code prepared by a country that sure could
use that money right about now. Whoops.
So unless you’re like me, and you’re hoping your mother will take
you up on the sky-diving lesson you bought her for Christmas (hurry,
Mom. Offer expires 12/31), you missed the boat.
Do the next best thing. Prepare. The Estate Tax is coming back. For
how long, and at what percentage, we still don’t know. But until the
Democrats agree with the Republicans who agree with the President,
meaning never, then the calendar will make the decision for them, and
come January 1, it’s back.
Life insurance is as good a fit as you’ll find to mitigate this ugly
truth. Talk to your insurance professional, or your attorney, or CPA,
about a plan to offset the tax. I would rather my hard-earned money
went to my children than to my Uncle.
In fact, year-end is a great time to plan. Things are looking up. The
economy feels different, at least when you go to the mall, real quick,
to grab your wife a gift. Term insurance still makes terrific sense,
as does permanent coverage, depending on your situation. So contact
your agent, or speak with a pro. Now is as good a time as any.
Because, if you’re reading this, you’re still alive. That means it’s
time to prepare. If you’re reading this and you are no longer alive,
well…congratulations.
Jeff Mooers is President of H.D. Mooers and Company, a Lafayette
Life Insurance Brokerage Agency. He can be reached at 925.283.7310 or
Advertorial
[email protected].
First continued from front page
on social media with specifics. Have you noticed all the Facebook posts? Last
week, a Try Lafayette First blog was started.
To amplify these efforts we are asking for your help. It's easy.
Any or all of the following will help:
• Try Lafayette First - of course!
• Talk up your favorite local shops to your friends, both in person and on
social media
• Join the Lafayette Chamber Facebook Page and the Try Lafayette First page
• Check out our new Try Lafayette First blog; comment and/or share
posts you like
• Offer ideas for our blog and Facebook posts - just email ideas@
trylafayettefirst.org
Remember, we all win when our local economy thrives.
HW Construction
925-497-2687
Do you have a list of projects
you would like to get done?
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• Kitchen and Bathroom Remodels
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• Drywall Installation and Repair
• Decks and Fences
• Can Lighting
[email protected]
Free Estimates
License # - 838685 - Licensed, Bonded and Insured
Committee Volunteers Sought for New Relay
For Life in Lafayette
The American Cancer Society is looking for committee volunteers to
help bring Relay For Life to Lafayette.
Relay For Life is a fun-filled, overnight event that mobilizes communities
throughout the country to celebrate survivors (anyone who has ever been
diagnosed with cancer), remember loved ones, and raise money for the fight
against cancer.
Committee volunteers are needed to help organize and recruit teams,
seek community support, coordinate logistics, find refreshments, plan
entertainment, and lend their support in a number of ways.
“Relay For Life gives Lafayette a unique opportunity to contribute to
the American Cancer Society’s mission of saving lives by helping people
stay well, by helping them get well, by finding cures, and by fighting back,”
said Kelli Nahas, Senior Relay Manager for the American Cancer Society.
“Residents who give their time, energy, and financial commitment to this
exciting event are really standing up for our community and its pledge to
join the fight.”
Relay For Life events are held overnight as individuals and teams
camp out at an athletic track, park, or other gathering area, with the goal
of keeping at least one team member on the track or path at all times
throughout the evening.
If you’re interested in volunteering or learning more about Relay For
Life, please contact Karen Faber at [email protected], or
call (925) 232-1101.
The American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a
major health problem by saving lives, diminishing suffering, and preventing
cancer through research, education, advocacy, and service. Founded in
1913 and with national headquarters in Atlanta, the Society has 13 regional
Divisions and local offices in 3,400 communities, involving millions of
volunteers across the United States. For more information, call 1-800-ACS2345 or visit www.cancer.org.
December – Turning Memories
into Tradition
By Marcia Harmon, Cottage Jewel
Don’t blink, or you will miss another month. As
the last days of 2010 race by, take a moment to reflect
on the year and document the highlights in the form of
a card, letter, journal, photo, or handcrafted keepsake.
My fondest childhood memories are from making
dozens of holiday ornaments each year with my oh-soclever mom. She would gather elements from nature
or scraps from her sewing room and design a unique prototype for my brother
and me to follow. Under my mom’s skillful tutelage, our annual ornaments
far surpassed the pre-school toilet-paper tube Santa and baker’s clay painted
ornaments. We created clothes-pin soldiers, needlepoint images in drapery rings,
quail on cinnamon stick logs, calico skirted dolls, Danish Nisse, woven paper
heart pockets, pomander balls, etc, etc. Each special ornament was placed in
a cellophane bag with a bow and delivered to neighbors, family, and friends
so they would know we were thinking of them during the holidays. After too
many years of neglecting this old family tradition, I have made a token Cottage
Jewel ornament which I welcome you, my readers of A Meaningful Month, to
come collect. It’s not too fancy, but rather a labor of love.
While you are out and about, take
a peek at the gems of the month: Turquoise and Zircon. Turquoise is “in
December
fashion” now, but it has a longer history
Birthstone:
Zircon or Turquoise
as the most valued of the opaque stones.
Flower: Narcissus,
The ancient Buddhists revered turquoise
“Stay as sweet as you are.”
because it helped Buddha destroy a
monster. The Arabs consider it a lucky
stone and are confident in its ability to protect the wearer from poisons, reptile
bites, eye diseases, and the evil eye. Today turquoise is a symbol of courage,
A Meaningful Month
Password Security Redux
By Evan Corstorphine, Portable CIO
Recently the YourMonthlyPaper.com website, which
hosts Alamo Today, Lafayette Today and Danville Today
News was hacked. We found out because suddenly some
website visitors who were using the Google Chrome
and Safari browsers to visit the website were being told
the website contained malicious code (of note, Internet
Explorer and Mozilla Firefox did not flag this). I was
surprised and began investigating the problem.
We hear all the time from people who are minding their own business, not
visiting adult sites or downloading music, but still getting infected. What I found
was a potential explanation for how it might happen. It became immediately
obvious how easy it is for the bad guys to use seemingly harmless websites to
further their illegitimate aims. What they did to the site was interesting. The
hackers edited every single HTML page on the site, and they inserted a line of
code that linked to a site in Russia. I followed the trail and found the website
was registered in Romania but hosted in Moscow. Beyond the obvious, that the
code shouldn’t be there, I couldn’t identify the specific attack that this website
housed. Even when I took all of the controls and protections off of the test
system I was using to check out this site, I couldn’t get it infected. So maybe
the hackers blew it? I don’t know. But I’m happy that there wasn’t anything
getting downloaded onto YourMonthlyPaper.com visitor workstations.
How did it happen? There’s only one way, and that’s if the password used
for transferring files to and from the website was figured out. Even though
it had upper and lower case letters, a number and two dollar-signs, it wasn’t
the best password. The problem is that the password was complex, but it was
still commonly used in the technical community, the hackers knew it existed
and probably kept it in their library of passwords to try, and they used it to
exploit the site. Needless to say, the password has been improved, and the
bad guys will have to find another website to pick on!
Sometimes I know I sound like a broken record; I planned on writing my article
this month about something completely different. However, from what we’ve seen
recently, the bad guys are really stepping up their attempts to hack into your personal information. We’ve seen many email accounts compromised lately. We’ve
success and love, and long associated with our Native American
arts. While turquoise is valued as
a precious gem, it is a soft stone,
susceptible to scratches, aging and
change of color if exposed to soap,
grease, or abuse.
Zircon, on the other hand, is
transparent like a diamond and
comes in a range of colors from
clear to bright sky blue or robin’s
egg like turquoise. Zircons represent purity and innocence, are
perfect to balance the emotions,
and enhance self-esteem. This is
particularly important for those
born in the month of December.
Our December babies don’t want
to be forgotten! Maybe this is why
their flower of the month, Narcissus, smells so very sweet and is the
symbol of egotism and self-love.
Make your gifting extra special this year by selecting useful mementos
like a tea cup, spoon, or multi-functional pin that has a favorite color or
association with a memorable occasion. Lockets, a bookmark, a journal,
or charm can become a daily reminder of the people we care about. Enjoy
sharing the season’s offerings whether it be stringing a popcorn garland or
finding a vintage blown glass ornament that fills your head with memories
of dancing sugar plum fairies. For good old-fashioned gifting and classic
vintage embellishments, visit Cottage Jewel in downtown Danville at 100
Prospect Ave, or, visit us on the web at www.cottagejewel.com. Remember
Advertorial
to ask for your ornamental token of appreciation. found very sophisticated code called “rootkits” on customer machines, and we
haven’t seen this many in several years. And now we’ve experienced first-hand
at least one way that it’s all being accomplished. This is a sign, my dear readers,
that EVERYONE needs to take this seriously! So what should you do?
It’s hard to correct a problem if you don’t first know the scope of what you’re dealing
with. So, first I want you to find a notebook and write down every electronic account
you use. I keep an electronic file like this online on my system, and once you’ve taken
adequate steps to ensure your system is protected, you can do the same. For now, use
that notebook! Next to every account, I want you to write down the username(s) you
use to access the account. And next to that username, write the password. Consider all
the accounts you use; email accounts, news sites, banking sites, stocks or investments,
online gaming, and software sites – record anything and everything.
Now that you have your list, go through the usernames and passwords
you’re using. Evaluate the quality of your passwords using these guidelines:
8-10 characters, upper and lower cAsE, with $p3ci@l! Ch@ract3rs! And
p.uNctu@t10n# to break up the word. One of the websites I use gave me an
automated password that’s crazy, but it’s not going to be easily guessed or
broken: BdCkL.53229063 . Mind you, I can’t remember it and have to keep
it in a file – but the point is that nobody online is going to be able to figure
that out and break into my account. I’m worried a lot more about the guy in
Russia who wants my identity and my bank accounts, than the guy breaking
into my house for my passwords, when there’s TV’s, jewelry, and what-not
for them to grab instead.
Besides keeping current, updated antivirus software on your computer
(yes, Mac users too.. check out www.thexlab.com/faqs/malspyware.html,
and www.techeye.net/security/mac-users-face-growing-malware-threats), I
would recommend PC users use Google’s Chrome browser (http://chrome.
google.com.) And if you haven’t had your computer in for service lately, go
to www.malwarebytes.com, and download and install the full paid version
of their Malwarebytes software. This is excellent protection, and when it’s
running on your computer in the fully resident mode, it will also automatically block access to websites that contain known security threats.
If you didn’t read this article soon enough and think you’ve already got
a nasty bug on your system, give the friendly staff at Portable CIO a call at
925-552-7953 or email us at [email protected].
Advertorial
[email protected]
Search continued from page 8
hundreds of searchers and other resources from our team, the Sheriff’s office, other law enforcement
agencies, and the military that responded within minutes of the call to help search through the night
for the missing toddler. It’s this dedication and commitment that is at the heart of the SAR team, and
I believe it’s a key to what bonds us together in our common mission.” Eichinger concurs, “By participating in SAR you get an instantaneous ‘second family’ that will look
out for you, support you, teach you, and make you a better person. Then on top of that, this ‘second
family,’ without any thought of reward or recognition, is committed to helping lost or missing strangers.
All of our SAR experiences remind us how precious life is and how important our work is.”
“There are a number of things that are very gratifying to me about being on the SAR team,” says
Barley. “First and foremost, when I’m on a search, no matter what I’m doing, I’m contributing to helping
someone who is in need, either directly or indirectly. While actually finding someone
is the ultimate ‘payback,’ this typically can’t be accomplished without the entire team
fulfilling his or her individual roles and responsibilities in the search. For example,
we may have hundreds of ‘ground pounders’ executing their search assignments, but
only one or two teams may ultimately find and assist the subject. However, all of those
other teams are reporting back with some level of confidence where that subject is
NOT located, thereby narrowing the search. This leads to another gratifying element
of volunteering and that is the spirit of the team and the camaraderie. We are all from
different backgrounds and professions,
coming together with a common objective:
to help others in need. While I have never
been on a search team that’s actually found
a subject, I still feel a tremendous sense of
gratification and pride when another team
finds a subject. I also now feel much more
prepared for the time when a catastrophic
event does occur, so that I can more effectively help my family, my neighbors
and the community at large through the
fantastic training that I’ve received from
Contra Costa County SAR.”
For more information on Contra Costa
County Search and Rescue, visit www.
Lic# 1100014354; Bay Area Entertainment
contracostasar.org. For information on
SAR Explorers see page 24.
Ask Dr. Happy
I often find myself ruminating about the negative
things that happen to me. I do this so much that I
often have trouble moving forward with the rest of
my life. Do you have any suggestions for how I can
stop ruminating?
The Great Ruminator
Dear Ruminator,
Rumination happens when we compulsively overthink about current or past negative events. Not only is
rumination counter-productive but doing it is a very powerful way for extending
and amplifying negative emotions. Clearly, it is important for your happiness to
defeat rumination. Here are some ways for combating rumination: 1) Awareness:
just noticing every time you ruminate will help stop it. 2) Use healthy distractions
like exercise, going on an outing (e.g.: a walk into nature), working on a project,
or spending time with friends. Avoid unhealthy distractions like drugs, alcohol,
or mindless TV. 3) Dispute your thinking (a form of cognitive therapy). 4)
Learn and practice mindfulness (non judgmental awareness). 5) Avoid social
comparisons as they can be lethal to happiness. 6) Say, “STOP!” when you catch
yourself ruminating. 7) Look at the big picture (e.g.: How much is this going to
matter in a year?). Breaking the rumination habit is one of the best things you
can do to weakening the power of your negative emotions.
Happiness Tip
Probably, all of us, at one time or another have indulged in rumination
and second guessing something we’ve done less than skillfully. But really
expert ruminators don’t stop there; they will even ruminate over mistakes
they might make in imagined future occurrences. It’s foolish and terribly
harmful to happiness so, using the clues I’ve given above, don’t tolerate
rumination whether it be over past, present, or future (imagined) events.
Brainwaves by Betsy Streeter
Winding Down 2010!
By Art Lehman, Village Associates Realtors
It’s hard to believe that 2010 is winding
down. What a roller coaster ride it has been in
real estate! The good news is that the market has
clearly become more stable than it was in 2007,
2008, or 2009.
The sky hasn’t fallen for most of us. Don’t get
me wrong, prices have come down, and the upper
end market has clearly not recovered. The homes
in our area under $1,000,000 have, for the most part, been gobbled up
this year. Buyers are still searching for the “perfect” home but seem to
be keenly aware that the unprecedented low interest rates eventually will
move up.
At the time of this writing, there are only 76 homes on the market
in Lafayette. Contrast that with numbers of 100+ throughout those past
years. Are we moving into a low supply and higher demand mode? It
really is hard to say given the time of year. There are likely plenty of pent
up sellers poised to place their homes on the market in 2011. The question
is whether they actually will. I think at this point we are all willing to
accept a balanced market with far fewer extremes, and if I had to guess,
that is where we are likely heading. But I qualify this by saying there is
still plenty of uncertainty and volatility with unemployment and consumer
confidence which will certainly have an impact on real estate.
So maybe it is time, if you’re thinking about selling in the coming
year, to start over the holidays to put together a plan, get some of those
Sustainable Lafayette – Tip of the Month
The Gift that Doesn’t Take from the Earth
Every year Americans throw out about 25% more than usual between
Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. That’s an additional 5 million tons of
garbage! The good news is that there are many opportunities to reduce
unnecessary waste. One of the easiest is to show off your creativity by
wrapping gifts in reused or reusable materials. If each American household
wrapped just three gifts this way, enough paper would be saved to cover
45,000 football fields. Following are some suggested ways of reducing
your waste from gift-wrapping.
Reuse Materials You Already Have:
Remember that gorgeous wrapping paper you saved from last year
because it was too beautiful to just throw away? Well, now is the time
to use it! Small leftover pieces can be used to create a gift label (To: and
From:). Ribbons and bows are reusable, too. There are probably other paper
things around your house as well such as old calendars, maps, posters, and
children’s drawings. After you’ve used these to wrap a package, attach the
front image from an old greeting card to dress it up. Another idea is to use
decorations from outside like branches, berries, pine cones, trimmed bits of
the Christmas tree, or dried flowers.
fix-it projects completed, and get that house uncluttered. On the buying
side, speak to your financial advisor and lender to get clear on what you
can afford in purchasing a home (Let’s do a better job than in past years,
and try to live with a mortgage product that is within our means).
Here are a few facts from around California:
• Median home price: October 2010: $304,220 (Source: C.A.R.)
• Highest median home price by C.A.R. region October 2010: Santa
Barbara So. Coast $864,000 (Source: C.A.R.)
• Lowest median home price by C.A.R. region October 2010: High
Desert $125,060 (Source: C.A.R.)
• First-time Buyer Affordability Index - Third quarter 2010: 64 percent
(Source: C.A.R.)
• Mortgage rates: Week ending 11/18/2010, 30-yr. fixed: 4.39 Fees/
points: 0.9% 15-yr. fixed: 3.76% Fees/points: 0.7% 1-yr. adjustable:
3.26% Fees/points: 0.6% (Source: Freddie Mac)
On a more personal note, I wish you and your family a wonderful
holiday season and the best for 2011.
For those residents who are considering selling their home or would
simply like more in-depth information, I can provide a customized home
value report and a strategy for how to make a home worth more. The
detailed information I provide helps homeowners better understand the
value of the investment they have made in their home by detailing key
factors such as a home’s value based on current market conditions and
amenities, recent home sales in Lafayette, and listing prices of other homes
that home buyers may be considering in the neighborhood. You can call
me at 925 200-2591 or email me at [email protected].
Advertorial
Choose Recycled Wrapping
Papers:
If new paper truly is your thing, you
can get wrapping paper made from 100%
recycled paper and soy ink. Look for it at
your local stores, or shop online at vendors
like endoprint.com and greenfieldpaper.com.
Plan Ahead for Next Year:
Ask your recipients to save and reuse
the cloth and other reusable materials you
have artfully designed. If they decline,
grab them yourself, and take them back
home! After the holidays, plan for next
year by purchasing holiday-themed cloth
napkins or other fabric items on sale. Take a large box that a gift came in,
and set it aside to store your reusable gift-wrapping materials. Over the
years, you and your recipients will amass a collection of beautiful wrapping
materials and know that you’ve helped our planet.
For a complete list of tips on how to have a green holiday season, please visit www.
sustainablelafayette.org, and click on the “Tips” menu and then “Seasonal Tips.”
Use Cloth Bags:
If you have needle or sewing machine expertise, you could buy fabric
remnants (or use some left over from your last sewing project), hem the
edges, and wrap your gifts, securing them with fancy hat-pin type pins that
your recipient can easily see and extract (saving the pins for next time, of
course). Or you could finish the job and turn the hemmed squares into actual
bags with string loops. An easier way is to buy cloth bags specially made to
serve as gift-wrapping. Here’s an online vendor: http://wrapsacks.com/.
Minimize Wrapping:
Give gifts that don’t require much packaging, such as concert tickets or
gift certificates. If you have a nice box or container, just use yarns, ribbons,
and bows, and skip the paper. Or choose items where the wrapping IS part
of the gift, such as decorated cookie tins with tasty treats inside.
Lic# 1100014354; Bay Area Entertainment
[email protected]
Shop Talk: The Holidays are Here!
Handling the Stress…One Mile at a Time
By René Aguirré
Saint John’s
Anglican Mission
Member World-wide Anglican Communion
No denying it now, the holidays of 2010 are officially here! I love the
Sunday Worship 11am
holidays around home and around Urban Suburban. No doubt we have an extra
(except for first Sunday of month)
element of stress, gifts to buy, dinners to plan, parties to attend, relatives to
at Chapel of Santa Maria Church, Orinda
chauffeur, college kids coming home...the list goes on! Every one of us can do
Visitors Welcome
925.386.6393
our part to make life a little easier this holiday season.
[email protected]
Holiday Driving Habits- Ok, you know we had to talk about this eventually!
www.saintjohnsanglican.org • http://anglicanchurch.net
Believe it or not, we see a rise in brake work around the holiday season. Perhaps
René Aguirré
there is more stop and go traffic, or rushing to slow down which causes this, but who knows? Since it is the holidays, let’s really get into the
holiday spirit. Be aware of your surroundings. Avoid taking the one car length space in front of the Mac truck, or give a little extra room to the car in front of you. I know
we have a lot to do and very little time to do it in. But I promise, patience really pays. We need to remember to be courteous to others, using turn signals, giving extra
space to cars around us, and being aware of the kind of vehicle you might jump in front of in the rush to get moving. Large trucks and cars do not stop or slow down
the same way the smaller compact or sporty cars do. The bigger vehicles take longer to stop quickly and need more room to do so. If you are driving a larger vehicle,
keep in mind the space in front of you to be able to stop safely. Instead of thinking about where you are trying to go, think about where you are. Lots of holiday music
is playing on many radio stations, so kick back, relax, and enjoy the ride. We all have some place to go in these coming weeks. Let’s have fun and enjoy the travel!
Team Urban Going Green- Team Urban is always working on ways to improve our business, green standards, customer service, and all around ways
of life. In 2011, we pledge to reduce, reuse, and recycle as much as possible. Our biggest movement is to move all of our correspondence to the web. We
want to send out a monthly e-newsletter with our articles and other great community information. We are also striving to make our monthly service repair
reminders electronic as well. If you are interested in becoming a part of the Team Urban green effort, please sign up for our email list by dropping us a line
at [email protected]. We want to hear from everyone- feel free to send comments, sign up, or just say hi!
Holiday Greeting from Team Urban- This year Urban Suburban celebrated 15 years of successful business in the Lafayette community. This year we added
the Green Cow to our family, and we participated in the Motorama – World of Wheels car event, the Lafayette Reservoir Run, Springhill Elementary Summer
Camp, and a variety of other community activities. We certainly had a great time getting to know a lot of our customers and members of the community, more
now than ever before! We are thankful to all of you for your continued support to our business. We have really enjoyed the first 15 years and are looking forward
to the next 15 years! Team Urban promises to be even more involved in your community and continue to provide high quality service and excellent resources
to all of your automotive needs. Happy Holidays, and we wish you all a Happy and Prosperous 2011!
Green Cow Certified Launch Party! - Join Team Urban on January 15, 2011 as we launch the Green Cow Certified program! We will have local
businesses who have been given the Green Cow Seal of Approval, representatives from the various programs businesses can donate to,
and
hors d’oeuvres. The party will kick off our campaign to identify the local businesses in the area that are green and give back. Please email
Krysten, [email protected] for more information.
If you have any questions about this or any other Shop Talk issues, call US today at 925-283-5212. Our hours of operation are
Monday through Friday, 7:30AM- 5PM. At Urban Suburban we work on all makes and models, foreign and domestic. You drive it, we fix it!
Advertorial
Urban Suburban is Your Dealership Alternative! We provide free shuttle service to the local area.
Together continued from front page
in on what they have been doing since their initial debut nearly four years ago.
“Our job is simple. We care for children,” is a phrase Katherine and Pilar used
to convey the urgent and bare-boned needs of a Mexican children’s shelter that
threatened to close and leave 11 abused and abandoned children scattered in
the Mexican state system. They could not let that happen, and so they sounded
an alarm to their respective home towns to find funding that would help the
shelter exist long enough to find a better alternative. With the help of generous
donations from the United States and Canada, that alternative came when the
two women (each at the age of 23) successfully passed on their day to day
duties to an already involved local Mexican charity Manos de Amor.
There was so much more to be done for the communities surrounding
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; with continued support the Banderas de Esperanza
team found new ways to apply their energies to support the underprivileged
children in Bucerias. Teaming up with the Bucerias Bilingual Community
Center, Banderas de Esperanza now creates, funds, and executes an annual
summer camp where children living on the fringes of society are awarded
scholarships to spend their summer playing sports, painting, dancing,
swimming, learning, and just being kids.
For three years, Banderas de Esperanza has solicited the support of likeminded university students to volunteer and collaborate in these rich cultural
and educational exchanges. A delegation of graduate students from the
University of California Berkeley became the most recent team of Banderas de
Esperanza alumni who committed themselves not only to the tasks of running
a summer camp, but also to exploring various other nonprofit or charitable
ventures ranging from school tutoring, to HIV and AIDS prevention clinics,
to centers for mental health. It is the hope of Banderas de Esperanza to
continue to collaborate with UC Berkeley and heighten student opportunities
to apply their studies to practical application in the developing world. They
feel that when issues of inequality are exposed, and passionate people are able
to collaborate together, change will come.
Today Banderas de Esperanza tends to several different objectives. They track
the safety and success of the former residents of the children’s shelter, provide
academic scholarships to exceptional students with extraordinary financial need,
create and execute an annual summer camp for underprivileged children, invite
American university students to become exposed the issues facing the communities
surrounding Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and network with and support all charitable
ventures of social welfare and human dignity functioning in the region.
Banderas de Esperanza can be found on the web at www.flagsofhope.org
and on Facebook “Flags of Hope.” Katherine and Pilar welcome everyone
who wishes to learn more about the kids, the programs, and their dreams for
the future to contact them directly by visiting the website. Katherine and Pilar extend a heartfelt thank you to all who supported
them on their difficult but deeply rewarding journey, specifically Springhill
Elementary School, the Acalanes High School Class of 1955, and all the
individuals and their families who have allowed them to be the conduit of
their global intentions. Juntos podemos. Together we can.
Editors note: Last summer on a family vacation to Puerto Vallarta, my children and I stopped by
the Bucerias Bilingual Community Center and spent a day with Katherine, the kids, and the Flags
of Hope team. The happy children and loving environment was a true test to the work Katherine
and Pilar had done to help create a positive childhood for many of Bucieras’ children.
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Best White Cabernet in the Valley!
Tasting Room Open
Weekdays - Noon to 4pm
Weekends 11am to 5pm
or by appointment
For private parties
please call 510-861-2722
5700 Greenville Rd, Livermore
www.redfeatherwinery.com
Come shop in our Winery Boutique Store. We have gifts for the
entire family, including your pet! We have homemade pet treats,
handmade scarfs, wine accessories, barrel creations, candles,
artwork, photography, paintings, jewelry and custom gift baskets.
Estate & Gift Tax Strategies –
More to Your Loved Ones…
By Robert J. Silverman, Esq.
Earlier this year, I wrote about Estate and Gift Tax
Confusion. I described the then-current rules: speculated
about what “permanent” legislation by Congress might
look like, explained the importance for many of employing a formula - “A-B” or “A-B-C” – type of Living Trust,
and encouraged people to review their estate plans.
I wish I could report that Congress has now acted
to reform the Estate and Gift Tax rules, thereby making it easier for people to
plan. Unfortunately, I cannot. We will see whether or not, in the final weeks
of 2010, new (even emergency/“patch”) legislation will be passed. If so, you’ll
see or read about it in the news, and I’ll write an article about it.
If not, then effective January 1, 2011, the Estate Tax “exemption” – total
amount of net assets you can own when you die without being subject to federal Estate Tax - will be $1 million. This is down from $3.5 million last year.
Believe it or not, any net assets you owe above $1 million will be subject to
tax at a 55% tax rate, generally all payable to the government within nine (9)
months of your death!
If, in January, the Estate Tax exemption indeed becomes $1 million, it will be particularly important for married couples with total net assets (currently or expected to
be in the future) over $1 million - including home equity, retirement plan accounts, life
insurance, and everything else - to create a Living Trust with an A-B or A-B-C formula
provision. This structure works only if it is set up before the first spouse dies.
Once so established, this formula provides that after the first spouse dies,
the assets that belonged to the first spouse to die (assuming all assets are jointly
owned, this would be one half of the couple’s total assets) are to be segregated.
Simply speaking, by segregating the assets, a married couple is able to use two
exemptions – one for each spouse – and thus shelter $2 million from Estate Tax.
Absent this kind of provision, all of the assets of both spouses are typically
aggregated in the surviving spouse’s estate. Consequently, on the survivor’s
death, the estate is entitled only to the survivor’s $1 million exemption, and the
deceased spouse’s $1 million exemption is lost. At a tax rate of 55%, if you
fail to establish a formula-based trust, you could lose a very easy opportunity
to save your loved ones as much as a whopping $550,000!
Beyond the potential Estate Tax savings benefit, a formula trust allows
control of the assets that belonged to the first spouse to die. This makes such
trust structure even more critical for “blended” families (those whose children
are not all common to the marriage).
Those individuals whose total net assets exceed or are expected to exceed
$1 million, and married couples who have or may have more than $2 million,
need to learn about and consider advanced Estate Tax mitigation strategies - in
addition to a formula trust. These come in many shapes and sizes. They range
from simple strategies that involve making any number of “annual exclusion”
gifts to loved ones, to more complex strategies that often involve establishing
one or more irrevocable trusts. The primary objective of many such irrevocable
trusts is to shift assets tax efficiently to loved ones.
Some advanced strategies use life insurance to leverage Estate Tax free
growth of your estate and/or to create a fund to pay some or all of the projected
Estate Tax. Others, such as a Qualified Personal Residence Trust (“QPRT”
(which is, in my view, a very under-utilized strategy), involves transitioning
ownership of your principal and/or secondary residence to your loved ones.
Others, such as selling or gifting assets to an Intentionally Defective Grantor
Trust (“IDGT”), can produce compelling Estate Tax savings. Many types of
charitable giving techniques are also available, not only as tax advantaged vehicles, but also as an opportunity to fulfill one’s philanthropic goals.
Mr. Silverman is an attorney with Shapiro Buchman Provine LLP, 1333
N. California Street, Suite 350, Walnut Creek, CA 94596; (925) 944-9700;
[email protected]. His practice emphasizes Estate Planning, Trust
Administration & Probate, Real Estate, and Business. Call for a complimentary Estate Planning primer or a free introductory consultation.
This article is intended to provide information of a general nature, and should not be relied upon
as legal, tax, financial and/ or business advice. Readers should obtain and rely upon specific advice
only from their own qualified professional advisors. This communication is not intended or written to
be used, for the purpose of: i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code; or ii) promoting,
marketing, or recommending to another party any matters addressed herein.
Advertorial
[email protected]
Developing Critical Life Skills:
Smart Shopping for 99 cents
By Daniel A. Barnes
What can you buy for 99 cents? If you are in Lafayette,
the answer is this: Not a lot. In my view, we owe it to
our kids to practice frugality because it is a critical life
skill (and even forms the basis for wealth accumulation).
And guess what, finding bargains is fun as well!
Last week my Dad took us to the 99 Cents Only store
by his house. We had a blast. The bargains excited my
perennially broke 14 year old daughter just as much as any 4-year old in the candy
store. At the 99 Cents Only store (www.99only.com), everything is 99 cents or less.
Let me give you some examples: we bought a family pack of six good
toothbrushes, hair product stuff, sunblock, mouthwash, lint rollers, postage
supplies and holiday cards and gift wrap; all just 99 cents each. Many of these
items cost $4-$8 at your local Safeway or Target.
A cost-conscious household should look at shopping as a hierarchy, starting at the
most frugal possible venue and moving up once having confirmed that the previous
level doesn’t have what you need. To shop frugally and semi-efficiently, go to the deep
value stores first, beginning with the 99 Cents Only store, then work your way up to
higher end stores, which carry products not available at the deep discount stores.
In California, the hierarchy of stores looks something like this:
Ultra Frugal - 99 Cents Only store, Big Lots/Grocery Outlet (formerly Pic N Save & MacFrugals), Twice as Nice
Deep Value - Walmart, Costco, Trader Joe’s
Value
- Target
Selective
- Safeway, other mainstream stores
Higher End - Nordstrom, Whole Foods
This isn’t a comprehensive list, but it gives you an idea. A typical affluent
family can certainly intelligently buy 10% of the stuff they need (groceries and
sundries) at the ultra-frugal stores once every three or four months or so.
Deep Value stores, depending on your preference (personally, I'm not particularly
fond of Walmart), can be frequented quarterly, bi-monthly, monthly, or weekly,
depending on your budget and your family size. Value stores can fill in for items not
carried by Deep Value. Selective just means, that in general, there is no great value,
just good selection and ubiquitous locations. And higher-end stores are great because
they provide some of what we really love, even though they frequently charge a huge
mark-up on just about everything they carry. Even higher-end stores can offer some
value, if you are really smart about it. For instance, I recently discovered some pants
I really like that only Nordstrom carries. I investigated and found that Nordstrom’s
Winter sale starts December 18th, and the Summer sale is in mid-June. You can even
select what you want, before the sale starts, and you will get the sale price (often
50%, you just have to buy it before the sale starts - within a few weeks or so).
I hate to shop. So going to multiple places might sound a bit inefficient. But it’s
not too inefficient, since most people don't need to shop at the ultra-frugal or higher
end stores so often. So while inconvenience is a major problem for those of us tucked
away in the enclaves of the affluent suburbia, we do have some options. For instance,
the produce markets in Pleasant Hill and Concord offer outstanding value; the produce
is often just as good as what you find at Whole Foods - at a fraction of the price.
Sadly (and hypocritically) I seldom make the special trips required to get
some of these deals. That may be true for you too. Every family needs to adjust
their needs and weigh the convenience issues. But the issue is bigger than just
convenience, its an issue of modeling to our kids.
Most adults already know about lots of ultra-frugal places, but do their
kids know? My 13 and 14 year old children didn’t. And they were astounded,
and delighted, to discover all they can buy for less than a one dollar.
Learning frugality is a critical life skill. It is the basis of behavior which
promotes wealth accumulation and it is empowering. As our children are
empowered economically, I believe they will become more independent, pay their
own way sooner, and be able to contribute to society, on their own accord, in
greater numbers and effect. Life skills include smart buying. We owe it to our
kids, to teach them the skills of “ultra frugality,” the same skills perfected by our
kid’s great-grandparents during the last economic tsunami, the Great Depression.
Barnes Capital LLC is a Registered Investment Advisor located at in downtown
Lafayette in the Bay Area. We protect client capital using municipal bonds, highquality dividend-increasing companies and precious metals which have protected
wealth in every epoch spanning five millennia of bankruptcies, inflation and other
forms of attrition. Together with our partner, RB Capital Management, Barnes Capital
manages trusts and retirement income portfolios. Financial planning in an integral
part of our process. Call 925-284-3503 and visit www.barnescapital.com. Advertorial
Italy won LMYA Soccer’s 5th/6th grade boys division with a 9-1 record, scoring 33 goals, while
allowing only 11. Front Row: Nixson Murgia, Cam Stuart, Andrew Federas, Stefan Ramsey, John
Mitchell, Aidan McNamara, and Carson Blocker. Back Row: Assistant Coach Trevor Stuart, Head
Coach Bill Stuart, Hayden Wells, Kage Groszewski, Clark Fromer, Kaelen Nunes, Noah Kim, Tyler
Schenone, Ben Bequette, Zak Singh, and Assistant Coach Gint Federas. Photo by Gint Federas.
Lafayette defeated Moraga 5-0 in the 5th/6th Grade Boys Division in the LMYA Commissioner’s
Cup, an All-Star game featuring the best players from Lafayette and Moraga. Front row: Ben Peck,
Timmy Wong, Colin Jeffries, Nixson Murgia, Tyler Schenone, Drew Wondolowski, Nick Schirmer.
Back Row: Assistant Coach Trevor Stuart, Brad Altbaum, Tanner Warren, Kaelen Nunes, Ryan
Bixler, Bobby Poole, Harley McKee, Jordan Goodfriend, Head Coach Bill Stuart. Not pictured:
Clark Fromer, Joey Berzins, Assistant Coach Gint Federas. Photo by Gint Federas.
The Care of Mature
Trees
By Blaine Brende & Joe Lamb
Entering my sixth decade, the
gathering stiffness in my joints
deepens my appreciation that living
systems change as they age. Trees also change as they grow older, but, for
trees and humans alike, how gracefully we flower in later life is not determined by genetics alone.
Long life for humans is a relatively new phenomenon. Our Paleolithic
ancestors seldom lived beyond 35 years of age, and they would, I imagine,
marvel that the average American now lives to be 78. However, long life for
trees is nothing new. Methuselah, a bristlecone pine growing in the Sierras,
has attained the astounding age of 4,838 and is the oldest documented living
organism on our planet. It lifts my heart to acknowledge that the pine nut,
which grew to become Methuselah, sprouted its first needles 2,268 years
before the birth of Buddha, 2,832 years before the birth of Jesus, and 3,402
years before the birth of Muhammad.
To promote long life, reduce the stresses on your trees. The densely packed
clay soils common to the East Bay produce many stresses. Compacted soils
lack air spaces and inhibit the movement of oxygen. Clay soils are soggy
when wet (which promotes root rot), but it is hard when dry (which promotes
drought stress).
soft, moist and cooler in the summer. Aerating aids soil porosity and reduces
stress. To aerate the tree, use a deep root irrigator to drill many one inch
diameter holes to a depth of around 30 inches throughout the zone under the
tree’s canopy.
Pruning to remove dead and diseased branches reduces the stresses on the
tree. Many fruit trees suffer from diseases, fungal and bacterial, carried from
flower to flower by pollinating insects. After entering through the flower, the
infection spreads, usually slowly, down into the woody tissue. Pruning to a
point below the spread of the disease increases the lifespan of the tree. As
with humans, stresses can have cumulative effects. When pines are drought
stressed they are unable to make the sap they use to drown burrowing insects.
Oaks suffering from oak root fungus have trouble taking up water and often
suffer from drought stress.
When planning elder care for your trees, several factors beg consideration:
What is your emotional attachment to the tree? Is the tree a hazard? Will
it become one in the future, and, if so, when? What will it cost to maintain
the tree? Will it attain ‘sabi,’ the beauty of aging, if given the correct care?
I hope, that as I grow older, I accept Roethke’s challenge and “dare to blaze
like a tree.”
If you wish to extend your tree’s lifespan, please call 510-486-8733 for
a free estimate, or visit our website www.brendelamb.com.
Advertorial
Improving the porosity of the soil by mulching, aerating, and, sometimes,
by radial trenching reduces the stress on your tree. Mulching is the easiest,
and cheapest of these techniques. Two or three inches of quality mulch under
the canopy of the tree, but not piled against the trunk, helps to keep the soil
Gardening with Kate
By Kathleen Guillaume
If your plants have survived this first set of frost,
you might be asking what’s next. There are several
theories as to what actions a homeowner can take
to prevent loss of landscape, especially among
specimen plants.
The “forget about it” crowd perpetually weans
out frost/freeze tender plants so as to have less to
worry about. These types of gardeners generally
remove all non pest free plants and the heavy water use plants through the
spring and summer also. They are from the, “If it can take my neglect, it
can stay” crowd. This is really in fact very liberating, and for some this
perspective has allowed them to enjoy their gardens more.
The “protect everything” group will go to great lengths to protect
everything. They will install smudge pots and nurture specimen plants by
stringing old fashion miniature lights that give out small amounts of heat
over the plants. They will install fans to keep the air circulating, and they
will lay down elaborate temporary cover, from heavy shade cloth to old
bed linens stretched across bamboo poles. They will spray their plants with
Freeze-Pruf or similar products and mulch high.
I guess I fall in the third group of doing “nothing heroic or expensive.”
I protect my citrus as they are my beloved high producing dwarf varieties,
and just about everything else either makes it or doesn’t.
The first thing you should do to protect your garden is to pay attention
to the weather forecasts. If the weather person predicts temperatures below
freezing, have a plan of action.
1. If you have not done it already, early in the day thoroughly water
in all of your plants...unless we have had consistent rainfall. A dry plant
desiccates in the cold much as it does in a heat wave. If it is dry it will die.
2. Look around your garden to determine what is worth saving and
concentrate on that first. I have an old flue pipe which is my bamboo pole
holder. I try to always have around 6”, 8”, and 10” lengths. In the spring
I need them for snap peas, in the summer they stake some of my tomatoes,
and in the winter time I can stick them in the ground or in my large pots to
make the frame for a frost cover.
If they are going in the ground, I get on a steady ladder and pound them
in with a mallet, making sure I get 3-5 poles around the circumference of
the specimen plant I want to protect, then I drape some old sheets over the
bamboo and clip them on with safety pins, clips from my office, or whatever
is handy. It is best not to have the material touch the plant as the leaves will
probably get damaged at point of contact. I don’t care. I will gladly lose
some leaves, as long as I save my (citrus) favorite specimen plant.
3. Remember frost falls down, so potted plants that can be moved can
get placed under eaves, under trees, or under market umbrellas. Just be sure
they are under something.
4. If the weather person calls for freezing temperatures below 25o, you
have to do more. You need a heat source such as old holiday lights, a single
regular incandescent low wattage light bulb held in a contraption like the one
guys hang from open car hoods when they are working on the car’s engine.
It seems that every 7 to 10 years California has a recession and deep
freezes; not always at the same times, but things like that come in cycles.
You should always be prepared, in your garden as well as your home. If
a deep freeze is forecast, by the time you get home there will no longer be
any easy to install covers for your water pipes left at the hardware store. You
will be out in the cold wrapping your exterior water pipes with towels.
If water is moving slightly, it will keep the pipes from freezing completely.
Don’t leave water in the hose under pressure; open the nozzle to drain most
of the water out to keep hoses from splitting.
If a plant gets frost damage, don’t be tempted to cut away those awful
ugly leaves that are damaged; they will actually make a frost cover that
will protect the plant during the next frosty night. There will be time for
clean up in the spring. And, if some of your plants look beyond dead,
show a little faith, because some of them will just miraculously reappear
in the spring.
Happy Gardening, Kate
[email protected]
Life in the Lafayette Garden
Inviting Entries
By John Montgomery, ASLA, Landscape Architect
It’s that time of the year when family and friends
celebrate, and our Lafayette homes are open and inviting. Inviting entries are an essential element in the
creation of a successful landscape design. An inviting
entry or portal is your first impression of your home
and garden. It creates the mood! The portal gives
your garden drama, definition, direction, structure,
and interest. It leads you through the garden, frames the views, defines the
“rooms,” and adds structural interest.
A garden portal generally is an architectural element that is built e.g. an
arbor, arch, gateway, fence, pergola, colonnade, or landscaped focal point.
Most typically seen is an arbor, either arched or squared-off. It creates the
portal framework that makes a distinction that you, the participant within
the garden, are entering into something. Think about how you might want
someone to feel as they approach your garden and your front door. First, you
want them to know where to find the entry to your home. Then, you wish to
create a welcoming feeling that sets the tone for entry into your living space.
Once you pass through the door into your home, you egress from one space
to another and in doing so have gone from one environment to another. The
garden portal essentially performs the same function in your garden.
Gates beckon to be opened. The drama unfolds as you pass through from
one space to another. What’s on the other side? Gates advance the opportunity
to create the drama by how they are designed and where they are positioned.
Fences provide an opportunity to frame an area of the garden as well as
offer a portal to the next “garden” room. Fences give us security. They supply privacy so we can be ourselves. Fences add drama to expansive spaces
that need to be brought into
perspective. They create new
rooms and therefore create
new dramatic entries.
Pergolas and colonnades
offer a dramatic portal to view
from while enjoying protection from a hot Lafayette
summer day. Sit in the shade
and view the garden and relax. Pergolas and colonnades
are the structural framework
that creates a room and a
portal simultaneously. We
want to enter. Pergolas and
colonnades can be built in
many architectural styles that
suit the theme of your home
and garden style.
Landscaped focal points
are an easy way to create a
portal. Certain plants such
as Buxus microphylla japonica ‘Winter Gem’ (Boxwood) and Ligustrum
japonicum ‘Rotundifolium’ (Privet) provide a more formal structural plant
that can be used to form a dramatic entry. Looser plant forms such as Alyogyne huegelii (Blue Hibiscus), Hibiscus syriacus ‘Collie Mullins’ (deciduous Hibiscus), or tree roses placed at either side of an opening through a
hedge of Boxwood or Pittosporum tenuifolium “Varigata” (Variegated
Pittosporum) give the effect of an entry to another room.
Garden portals lead the garden wanderer to the next surprise. Interest
and curiosity lead them to the next portal that might be the vegetable garden
where they can pause to pick the strawberries or cherry tomatoes. The next
one may lead them down a colorfully planted “alley” or path where they can
“stop and smell the roses.” Remember to have fun and be creative!
A hot tip from your local Landscape Architect: New entries added to
an existing home can give your home a completely new look and feeling
without redoing your entire landscape.
Gardening Quote of the Month: “One of the most delightful things about
a garden is the anticipation it provides.” ~W.E. Johns
If you would like me to write on any particular subject, email your ideas
to [email protected] or visit www.jm-la.com.
Advertorial
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Warts and How to Treat Them
By Shanny Baughman, MD
What are Warts?
Dr. Shanny Baughman, Alamo
• Warts are caused by a viral infection of the skin.
• Warts are very common, particularly in children,
with 20% of children developing at least one wart.
• Warts are benign, minimally contagious, and usually clear up over a period of several months to years.
Sometimes they persist, even with treatment.
• Treatment is recommended if warts are spreading, painful (on the sole of the foot or fingertips), or embarrassing.
What Causes Warts
• Warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).
The Appearance of Warts Depends Upon Their Location
• Common Warts grow on hands, knees, and elbows and have a raised,
cauliflower appearance.
• Plantar Warts grow on the soles of the feet. They may have black dots,
mistakenly thought to be seeds, which are the tips of small blood vessels.
• Flat Warts are small, smooth, barely elevated. They are seen on the face
and on the legs of women. Shaving will spread them.
• Condyloma are warts that occur in the groin area.
Treatment Options
Treatment depends upon the location, the type of wart, and age of the patient.
Home Treatment
• Salicylic Acid is an effective peeling agent, available over the counter as
Duofilm, Occlusal, and Compound W in a 16 – 17% concentration. Mediplast
is a 40% salicyclic acid plaster that can be cut to fit the wart.
• Soak the wart in water for five minutes to hydrate the area for better penetration of the medication.
• Scrape off any dry surface with an nail file after soaking to aid penetration of the
medication. DO NOT use your finger to avoid spreading the virus under your nail.
• Apply the medication, let dry, and apply paper tape. Remove the following
day. The wart will be softer and whitish. Repeat daily until wart is gone.
• Advantages – simple, low cost, minimal pain, and no doctor visit is required.
• Disadvantages – may take 2 – 3 months, requires persistence and dogged
‘Tis the Season
By Brandi Geiger, MS, CMT
...To eat junkfood, fa la la la la, la la la la! It’s that
time of year again that we tend to overindulge in all the
yummy holiday treats and libations. It’s easy to receive
a few extra pounds as a gift for the holidays; we don’t
even have to ask for them. I know the holidays only
come once a year, but that doesn’t give you the excuse
to drink high calorie, sugar laden, acid forming, pesticide
ridden (used to grow coffee beans) Peppermint Mocha
and Egg Nog Lattes along with gluten and sugar, acid
forming holiday breads everyday. Gee, did I just take the enjoyment out of your
breakfast? Yes, I know they are yummy, but they are not going to give you that
ageless, healthy body and mind that we are all seem to be seeking. We seem to
have “no time” to exercise and then find ourselves eating treats everyday because
they are everywhere.
I view sugar like crack and artificial sweeteners as the devil! They entice you
and make you crave more. Sugar raises your insulin and stores excess body fat.
Artificial sweeteners have a whole slew of issues because they are like ingesting
poison. How do we expect to lose body fat when our body is constantly fighting
to protect itself against the poisons we seem to keep ingesting?
This holiday season, try something new, just step away from the treats! Don’t
even start on them and don’t make them. Other people don’t need them either! If you
do make them, substitute coconut or palm sugar for regular sugar. You can also use
organic brown rice syrup in place of corn syrup. Make crustless pies or fruit cobblers
instead and use coconut oil instead of butter. Make sure you have a balanced meal
with protein and lots of high fiber vegetables before you have a treat. Only allow
yourself a small serving that gives you just a taste, that’s all you need.
Don’t think that calorie-free artificial sweeteners are any better. Diet soda is not
better than regular soda, it’s all bad. Stay away from drinks and foods containing
aspartame, which includes NutraSweet and Equal. It contains methyl alcohol that
converts into formaldehyde, a deadly neurotoxin. This toxin was created by G.D.
determination, and doesn’t work for stubborn warts.
Office Treatment
• Freezing with liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy)
• Liquid nitrogen is applied by the doctor to the warts.
The area treated turns red, swells up or even blisters, then
becomes dry and falls off in a week or two.
• Treatment takes a just a few minutes. It stings, and
can hurt for up to twenty minutes.
• Repeated treatments every 3–4 weeks are necessary.
• Advantages – less daily hassle than the Soak,
Dr. Kelly Hood, Lafayette
Scrape, Apply Med, Tape, Repeat Treatment, and can
be more effective.
• Disadvantages – painful, might restrict exercise for a few days if a sensitive
area is treated, may cause skin discoloration or scar, requires a doctor visit (but
you can catch up on People Magazine), and is no guarantee of cure.
Other Office Treatments
• Lasers, in office chemicals applied to or injected into the wart and surgical
removal are other options. Surgery can leave a painful scar, so is not recommended for fingertips or sole of feet.
• Imoquid cream (Aldara or Zyclara) is a prescription cream applied at home
which stimulates the immune function to reject the virus.
Combination Treatments
• Home and office treatments combined are often most effective.
When is the Wart Gone?
• When you can’t see any difference in the skin surface.
• When pressing on the area feels the same as the surrounding skin.
Final Words
• Because many warts resolve on their own the last treatment used considered the “cure” which explains the host of possible remedies including
radish juice and duct tape.
Ref. Goodheart’s Photoguide to Common Skin Disorders, 3rd edition
To schedule a consultation with one of us, contact Dr. Shanny Baughman
at Alamo Oaks Dermatology, 3189 Danville Blvd, suite 130, Alamo, 925-3620992, [email protected] or Dr. Kelly Hood, 970 Dewing, Suite 301,
Lafayette, 925-283-5500, [email protected].
Advertorial
Searle & Company, who overlooked the reports by neuroscientists that aspartame
was dangerous. In 1974, Dr. Marta Freeman, a scientist with the FDA declared
that the use of aspartame should not be permitted. Somehow, G.D. Searle managed to get aspartame approved regardless of all the trials and attacks on the toxic
substance. G.D. Searle, now owned by Monsanto, managed to buy everybody
off from the FDA (www.quantumbalancing.com/news/aspartameapproved.
htm). It didn’t matter that aspartame has reported cases of memory loss, nerve
cell damage, migraines, reproductive disorders, mental confusion, brain lesions,
blindness, joint pain, Alzheimer’s, bloating, nervous system disorders, hair loss,
food cravings, and weight gain.
But wait there’s more! Equal also contains amino acid phenylalanine which
occurs naturally in the brain. However, high levels can increase the chance of
seizures and lead to depression and schizophrenia.
Splenda is no better. It’s made by chlorinating sugar then changing its chemical compound. It’s also known as sucralose, which contains 98% sugar and 2%
methanol, heavy metals, and arsenic. But hey, it’s calorie-free! As we are saving
calories, we can have the pleasure of suffering from one of these mild maladies
which as been linked to sucralose, such as skin problems, allergies, headaches,
colds, or yeast infections. There are even severe issues associated with it, such as
severe damage to our thyroid gland, liver, and adrenal glands.
If you are looking for calorie-free alternatives, use stevia (a root) or xylitol (birch
bark and our bodies make it) for sweeteners. Instead of diet or regular soda, drink
water with a combination of sliced fresh fruit such as strawberries, orange, lime,
apple, lemon, cucumber or mint. It’s refreshing, alkalizing, and good for you. Herbal
and green teas are a great alternative to coffee on a cold winter day. Start your day
with a Mint Chocolate Chip Shake (visit our 28 Days to Health Facebook page for
the recipe). It will keep you satisfied until lunch. Just remember, there are ALWAYS
tasty, healthy choices if you WANT to look and feel your best! The choice is yours.
Have a healthy and fabulous holiday season. Keep it clean to get lean.
Eat Well, Live Well, Be Well. For more information contact Brandi
Geiger, MS, CMT at Johnson Chiropractic Group, Inc. located at 115
Town & Country Dr. Suite E in Danville. Or, call (925)743-8210 or visit
www.28daystohealth.com.
Advertorial
[email protected]
Abdominoplasty… Give Yourself
the Gift of a Stronger Core
By Barbara L. Persons, MD
Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon
An abdominoplasty, commonly called a “tummy
tuck,” is a plastic surgery procedure which can result in
not only a more attractive silhouette, but also a stronger,
tighter abdominal core. Abdominoplasty involves removing excess fat and skin from the stomach area and
stitching together separated and weakened abdominal
muscles. This procedure results in a firmer, tighter abdominal wall which can
ultimately benefit one’s overall core body strength and posture.
I actually first considered an abdominoplasty after having had three children in
four and a half years. The rectus abdominus muscle separation and weakness left
me with a sore back and diminished abdominal strength. Unable to lose the roll in
the middle despite having lost the weight with diet and exercise, I went forward with
a plastic surgery consult and then with abdominoplasty. The abdominoplasty helped
me regain core abdominal strength and a pre-pregnancy figure.
Abdominoplasty is not a substitute for weight loss and exercise, and is ideal
for healthy people who are at a stable weight and yet are concerned about the size
and laxity of their stomach area. This procedure
is particularly effective following major weight
loss and pregnancy. It is sometimes even possible for the plastic surgeon to work with the
obstetrician to perform a mini tummy tuck in
conjunction with a cesarean section delivery.
Abdominoplasty can offer long term positive
results. However, for best long term results,
candidates should be at a stable weight and not
considering future pregnancies.
A tummy tuck is typically done under a general anesthesia. A full tummy tuck involves a
horizontal incision from hip to hip, and just above
the pubic area, as well as a second incision around
the belly button to remove excess skin and fat
both above and below the belly button. A mini
tummy tuck involves removing excess fat primarily below the belly button and does not typically
involve an incision around the belly button. In
either case, the lower incision is generally below a conservative bikini line. Abdominal
muscles, stretched and weakened by pregnancy, weight loss, and age, are repaired
and sewn together, while excess fat, tissue, and skin are removed. Liposuction of the
flanks is often performed at the same time to reduce lateral fat deposits.
After some discomfort, swelling, and tightness when standing upright, the
tummy tuck usually results in a tighter abdominal appearance and feel. The
primary recovery time for this procedure is approximately two weeks, but the
scars may take over a year to fade.
Risks of an abdominoplasty, as with any surgery, are many and include but are
not limited to scarring, infection, fluid collection, and less than desired abdominal
trimness. It is essential to review the risks in detail with your plastic surgeon prior
to any procedure.
An abdominoplasty is often considered cosmetic and is usually not covered by insurance companies. Many plastic surgeons offer financing such as Care Credit that allow
payment over several months. When considering the costs of this, or any procedure,
consider the surgeon’s fee, surgery center costs, anesthesia fees, post surgery garments,
time off work and any prescriptions required to manage the post operative pain.
Countless sit-ups and gym routines will help strengthen the abdomen but may not
be enough to achieve a flat, well-toned appearing abdomen, especially following life
changes including weight gain, weigh loss, and pregnancy. Abdominoplasty is one way
a woman or man can regain their familiar, more youthful silhouette. It is important to
consult a fully trained plastic surgeon when considering an abdominoplasty to determine
if the procedure could be right for you.
Dr. Barbara Persons, MD, can be reached at Persons
Plastic Surgery, Inc. located at 925 Village Center, Suite
6, in Lafayette. Their phone number is 925-283-8811. For
more information visit www.personsplasticsurgery.com.
Consultations for cosmetic or reconstructive surgical
procedures are free.
Advertorial
Do You Know an Isolated Senior Who Could
Use A Friend?
If you know of a Contra Costa County senior - a family member, neighbor,
or fellow church member who will be alone this holiday season, please consider
referring them to the Friendly Visitors program. Did you know that loneliness and
isolation can impact nutrition, independence, and over-all health, and can actually
speed up the aging process? The Friendly Visitor Program was created to support
the aging community and provide much-needed companionship in the form of onehour weekly in-home visits. Friendly Visitors are volunteers from the community
who are dependable, caring, and have a positive, happy outlook. They are screened,
interviewed, and then matched with seniors who share similar interests.
The Friendly Visitors Program is operated through Meals on Wheels by
Senior Outreach Services, a private, non-profit agency that has supported
seniors in Contra Costa County since 1968. To learn more about the
Friendly Visitors Program, please contact Susannah Meyer at (925) 9378311 ext. 130 or at [email protected] or visit www.mowsos.org.
Dean Coons presented a grant award from the Lafayette Community Foundation to
the Lamorinda Spirit Van Program at the Lamorinda Senior Transportation Advisory
Committee Meeting. Left to right: Mei Sun Li, Eartha Newsong, Dean Coons, Malcolm
Hendry, Mary Bruns, Julie Fisher, Marlys Tobias.
Donate in December for Cancer
By Jewel Johl, MD Medical Oncologist, Diablo
Valley Oncology/Hematology Medical Group
As the year draws to a close, we know that many
people embrace the spirit of giving by making tax
deductible contributions to nonprofit organizations
and charities. So many agencies need our assistance,
including those who provide cancer support.
As a Medical Oncologist, there is one organization, the Cancer Support Community (CSC),
which reaches out to cancer patients, and their families, in so many vital
ways. Previously called “The Wellness Community,” CSC provides comprehensive psychological support and educational programs, at no cost,
for people with cancer and their caregivers, children, and families. Their
programs and services enable cancer patients and their families to manage
their treatment and recovery as effectively as possible, increase their chances
for survival, and provide for a higher quality of life. Anyone affected by
cancer is welcome, and all of their services are always free of charge.
In addition, The American Cancer Society (ACS) is another organization that makes huge contributions in cancer awareness and research
funding. Our patients enjoy programs like ‘Look Good Feel Better’- (free
cosmetology consults and products) and ‘Road to Recovery’- (free transportation to medical appointments). The ACS sponsors ‘Relay for Life’
and ‘Strides Against Breast Cancer’ in our communities, raising millions of
dollars while raising awareness about cancer, early detection, and prevention. If you donate to the American Cancer Society by December 15th, a
radiation device manufacturer will match your donation, dollar for dollar,
up to $100,000.
Think about all the wonderful ways your donations can help those
touched by cancer. Donations can be made by visiting the Cancer Support Community or American Cancer Society websites. You can also
make a donation in recognition or in memory of someone. Diablo Valley
Oncology makes a donation to recognize and honor physician colleagues
in our community.
I salute the Cancer Support Community and the American Cancer Society
and all they do for patients fighting cancer – everyday!
For more information visit www.cancersupportcommunity.org, and
www.cancer.org. Happy Holidays!
Oncology Nurse of the Month Award Carol Blue, RN
Patient Resource Publishing recently announced
that Carol Blue, RN, Director of Clinical Operations
at Diablo Valley Oncology/Hematology Medical
Group, was selected to receive the “Learn Well”
Award in October. Carol has been in Oncology for
over 20 years and is dedicated to giving patients the
highest quality care available. She sets the example
for compassionate care and inspires her staff to do
the same. Carol is a natural educator and promotes
hands-on learning, as well as staff in-services and patient seminars.
Here is a portion of the tribute received with her nomination. “Carol is
the glue of the nursing department. She is always eager to answer a question
or help you find the answer.” Congratulations Carol for all you do to help
your patients and staff “Learn Well”!
Advertorial
Pleasant Hill is home to the
California Cancer and Research
Institute. This state-of-the-art facility
with cutting edge technologies is the
largest comprehensive, non-hospital based cancer and blood disorder
treatment center in Contra Costa
County. The center offers everything from medical oncology and hematology, radiation, chemotherapy, and
advanced diagnostic imaging to clinical trials and supportive services such
as nutrition and patient education. For information call: 925-677-5041.
An American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry survey
reveals that 92% of adult respondents say an attractive
smile is an important social asset.
74% believe an unattractive smile can hurt a
person’s chances for a successful career.
More than any other facial feature, a smile can reflect
trust, comfort, confidence and the shortest path to
reflecting your personality.
Dr Rader is a graduate of the prestigious Las Vegas Institute
(LVI), a renowned center for cosmetic,TMJ, and Neuromuscular
dentistry. He is one of a few dentists nationwide to complete
Full Mouth Reconstruction curriculum at LVI.
925.932.1855
Alex Rader DDS
General, Cosmetic, and Neuromuscular Dentistry
1855 San Miguel Dr, Suite 12 • Walnut Creek, CA
www.alexraderdds.com
Actual patient, smile design by Alex Rader, DDS
[email protected]
Obesity in our Town
Eat for Health Simply!
By Liesbet Bickett
Simplicity! “As you simplify your life, the laws of the
universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude,
poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness, weakness.”
~Henry David Thoreau
Don’t Complicate Things
The main reason that you’re not happy with your
weight is because of what you eat. Eating is at least 80%
of your issue, no matter who you are. It’s hardly your
fault. Have you ever stopped to notice how many times you’re bombarded by food
marketing each day? Ads come at you from magazine pages, T.V. commercials,
on websites, and billboards, each boasting of cheap, convenient, and tasty ways
to cure your hunger. The question “What’s for dinner?” has never been more
complex than now.
Extensive menu options and large entrees have distorted your concept of a proper
meal, and before you know it, you’ve fallen into the trap of the chain restaurant, the
drive thru, and the take-out line. But wait – truly healthy eating is simple.
First you need to block out the blizzard of food marketing around you. Remember
that advertisers want your money, and they don’t stop to consider if the food they
promote will expand your waist – that’s your job. It’s safe to say that, with few
exceptions, any food that you see marketed should be avoided. When was the last time
you saw an ad for grilled white fish, steamed broccoli, and a side of brown rice?
So what does truly healthy eating look like? A healthy meal contains lean
protein, an abundance of fresh vegetables, and perhaps a modest serving of fruit.
Simple!
Just as importantly, a healthy meal does NOT contain: refined sugar/corn syrup,
fried/fatty food, hydrogenated oils, processed grains, anything with ingredients you
couldn’t stock your kitchen with easily, any processed food with chemical additives.
Healthy Breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. What you decide to eat
when you first wake up will set the tone for the rest of your meals that day. Try
these healthy options:
Home for the Holidays?
What to do when Holiday Visits Reveal
New Needs
By Joyce & Jim Newport, Owners, Right at
Home of Mt. Diablo
For those who live far from their parents, the holidays
are often a happy time of family reunions and catching
up. But this can also be a time of unpleasant surprises
for those who discover that their aging parent is showing
signs of either cognitive or physical decline.
Photo by www.JamieWestdal.com
Even if you notice that Mom is experiencing new challenges with age, do you know whether these changes are serious? Here are some
key signs to look for that a loved one may benefit from in-home assistance.
• Do you see a decline in personal appearance or hygiene? Warning signs
could include wearing the same clothes over and over or neglecting to bathe
or brush teeth.
• If Mom or Dad is taking medications, do they remember when to take
them, and can they explain to you what each is for? (For more on this, reference our October article, “Talking About Prescriptions”)
• Is Dad losing weight? Chances are he is not eating properly.
• Does their home look like it is getting its usual care, or are regular tasks
such as dusting not being performed?
• Are there piles of unopened mail? This could be a sign that once manageable tasks have become overwhelming.
• Is Mom no longer visiting with friends or participating in activities that
she previously enjoyed?
• Keep a lookout for burned pots and pans as well as for “science experiments” in the fridge.
• Is the family pet getting regular exercise and grooming?
The conversation about Mom and Dad’s changing needs can be extremely difficult
and emotional for everyone involved. But it’s a critical conversation to have to ensure
those you care about get the help and care they need. You may not want to broach
the topic during the holidays, but don’t wait too long – it won’t get any easier.
• Scrambled or fried eggs (omega 3 rich or free range), sliced tomato and
spinach drizzled with oil and vinegar and a sprinkle of bacon pieces.
• A protein shake with high quality protein (no fake sugars), frozen berries, and
(if you are brave) a little frozen spinach or peas thrown in.
• Fish filet, topped with some salsa, served over a bed of lettuce.
Healthy Lunch
It is important to plan your lunch ahead of time in order to avoid turning to a
fast food joint or vending machine. Pack your lunch the night before, and carry it
with you. Try these healthy options:
• Dark baby greens topped with chopped chicken breast and diced tomatoes
• Albacore tuna (packed in water) mixed with finely chopped cucumber over
brown rice
• Sprouted grain tortilla with lean turkey slices (from some turkey breast you
cooked on Sunday), broccoli, lettuce, tomato, avocado, and mustard.
HEALTHY DINNER
Dinner is the meal where most people splurge and eat far more calories
than they should. Eating at home is the first step in reducing your dinnertime
calories. Try these healthy options:
• Grilled white fish, sautéed spinach, and butternut squash.
• Baked chicken breast, steamed broccoli, and some sweet potato.
• Ground turkey with spaghetti sauce poured over brussels sprouts,
cauliflower, and/or broccoli.
• Try the recipe for Chicken Quinoa Stir Fry found on my blog:
XcelWeightLossandFitness.com/Blog.
While healthy eating is a huge factor in achieving your ideal weight, exercise
is the other half of the equation. Your exercise routine should be challenging
and should be done on a regular basis. As always, feel free to call or email me
at anytime with your questions and concerns. I am here to assist you in your
journey to good health and living the good life!
Already thinking about your New Year’s Resolutions or want to give the gift
of health to someone you love? Call me now to be one of my exclusive 20 new
private clients who will create their personal vision for 2011, create achievable
goals and action steps (not empty resolutions) to turn their vision into reality,
and, finally, have what it takes to live a healthy, vibrant life. Call 1-888-XCELNOW, or e-mail me at [email protected]. Advertorial
Bring other family members into the discussion during the early stages
so everyone is on the same page. This can spare you and your family much
discord down the road. If you expect it to be a difficult conversation, try
introducing the topic briefly and then agreeing on a later time to discuss in
more detail after everyone has had time to reflect.
Another option to consider is bringing in a mediator or geriatric consultant
to weigh in and keep the conversation peaceful.
There are many options available for seniors in need of assistance – even
if you live far away or are already over-committed. Other single-service
care options can help to supplement or address a specific need, such as a
housekeeping service, meal delivery, or an adult daycare. Eldercare Locator
(http://www.eldercare.gov/) may help you locate some of these services. If
more comprehensive care is needed, there are assisted living facilities and
nursing homes—or, if your loved one wishes to stay at home, you will want
to consider a full service in-home care agency such as Right at Home.
Ultimately, no single isolated sign necessarily means Mom or Dad is in
trouble. Take a gut check. Sometimes you can feel a change in a person even
if you can’t articulate it. Trust yourself. And in the meantime, enjoy your
time together and celebrate.
About Right at Home
Founded in 1995, Right at Home offers in-home companion and personal assistance and support to seniors and disabled adults who want to
continue to live independently in their own homes. Right at Home directly
employs all caregiving staff, each of whom are thoroughly screened, trained,
bonded and insured prior to entering a client’s home. All ongoing care is
monitored and supervised by one of our RightCareTM managers. Owned
by Jim and Joyce Newport, our office is a CAHSAH-certified (see www.
CAHSAH.org). For more information about our non-medical home care
services, please visit our web page at www.rah-md.net, or call us at 925.
256.HOME (4663) to schedule a complimentary in-home assessment.
For more updates on caregiving, follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/
jnewport_rah, or Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RAHMD?ref=ts.
To receive our free electronic newsletter, Caring Right at Home, please
sign up at www.caringnews.com.
Advertorial
Events for Lafayette Seniors
All classes are held at the Lafayette Senior Center located at 500 Saint Mary’s
Rd in Lafayette unless otherwise noted. Space is limited. Please call 925-284-5050
to reserve a spot. Annual Membership fee: $10 per person. General Event fee:
Members $1; Non-Member $3. Special Concerts fee: Members $3; Non-Members
$5. Ongoing Caregiver Support Group: Members: no charge; Non-members $1.
The Devil Mountain Chorus
Friday - December 10, 1:30-3PM
We are privileged to showcase the award winning men’s choral group
The Devil Mountain Chorus at our annual holiday fundraiser concert
This four-part barbershop group of male singers perform in four-part a
cappella harmonies with such style and exuberance that they won the
International Barbershop Chorus championship of 2009. The LaDiDa,
a wonderful women’s vocal trio, will wind up the event. Join us for the
fun, the excitement, the gorgeous music and the chance to win some
very special raffle prizes. Bring friends! Funds raised from this event
will support the Spirit Van paratransit rides program.
Raffle Prizes (Raffle tickets $1 or $5 for six) and plus lots of Door
Prizes $3 Members/$5 Non-Members
Self-Discovery and Aging Creative Writing Workshop
Alternate Fridays, 12/17 • 1 - 2:30PM , 1/7 & 1/21 2:30-4:30PM•
Elderberry
Write to explore issues around aging, emotion and perception – or
get support to do your own thing! Workshop sessions include feedback
and encouragement, writing prompts, and information about the world
of writers, writing, and publishing.
Hearing Screening - Is Your Hearing Not what It Used to Be?
Ongoing Monthly Hearing Screenings by Dr. Mimi on Wednesdays: 12/8 at 10:30, 10:50, 11:10, 11:30, 11:50, and 12:10
Positive Living Forum (a.k.a “Happiness Club”)
12/9 • 10:30 – noon - Positive Living Forum features speakers on a
range of topics that will stimulate and guide participants towards a more
ideal and positive life experience.
Bi-Monthly Caregiver Support
Group
Mondays, 12/13, 1/3, 1/17 • 1:30 – 2:30PM
Caring for frail older adults in the
home often creates great stress and
emotional anguish for spouses and
family members. Certified Geriatric
Care Manager offers a support group for
family members involved with the care
of an older relative.
Lafayette Senior Services Commission - The Commission meets on
the 4th Thursday of the month at 3:30
– 5:30PM at the Lafayette Senior Services
Center. View agendas at the City of Lafayette office or at www.ci.lafayette.ca.us.
Tea Dancing - Enjoy afternoon Tea
Dancing and light refreshments at the
LCC Live Oak Room every Wednesday
from 12:30 - 3PM, and learn some great
new dance moves. $2 Members/ $4 nonmembers.
Positive Living Forum (a.k.a
“Happiness Club”) - On the second
Thursday of each month, Positive Living
Forum features eminent speakers on a
wide range of topics that will stimulate
and guide participants towards a more
ideal and positive life experience. Dropins are welcome. Next meeting 12/9
10:30 – noon. Moderated by Dr. Bob
Nozik, MD, Prof. Emeritus UCSF and
author of Happy 4 Life: Here’s How to
Do It.
Hearing Loss Association
Everyone is invited 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. Donations
accepted. Assistive listening system are
available for T-coils, and most meetings
are captioned. Contact: HLAADV@
hearinglossdv.org or 925.264.1199 or www.
hearinglossdv.org.
[email protected]
Happy Holidays From Lamorinda Senior
Transportation Program
By Mary Bruns, Program Coordinator, Lamorinda Senior
Transportation, An Alliance of Transportation Providers
Here at the Lamorinda Senior Transportation Program, we are thinking of you
and wishing you a very Happy Holiday Season. Please join us in the following:
The Devil Mountain Chorus and Ladida
Annual Concert to Benefit the Lamorinda Spirit Van Program
Friday, December 10 from 1:30 to 3PM – Live Oak Room
Lafayette Senior Services is privileged to showcase the award winning men’s
choral group The Devil Mountain Chorus and Ladida, a wonderful women’s
trio, at our annual holiday fund raiser concert which benefits the Lamorinda
Spirit Van Program. The program will take place at the Lafayette Community
Center, 500 Saint Mary’s Road, Lafayette. Join us for the fun, the excitement,
the gorgeous music, holiday refreshments, and the chance to win some very
special raffle prizes and door prizes. Bring friends! $3 for members and $5
for non-members. You can purchase raffle tickets early. Phone 284-5050 to
reserve your seat and 283-3534 to ask about raffle tickets or a van ride.
Holiday Giving = Love in Action
As you consider your end-of-year giving and estate planning, we hope
you will remember the Lamorinda Spirit Van Program and the transportation
service that is offered to Lafayette, Moraga, and Orinda seniors so they may
live independently in their own homes after they give up their car keys. Tax
deductible checks may be made payable to: City of Lafayette and mailed
to: Lamorinda Spirit Van, Lafayette Senior Services, 500 St. Mary’s Road,
Lafayette, CA 94549. On the memo line, write “Lamorinda Spirit Van.” We
also accept those coins you have stashed in a jar or a drawer!
The following article, not only has tips for improving your memory, but
the same tips will help you to better enjoy the holidays. Giving Memory
a Boost by Eric Plasker, author of The 100 Year Lifestyle quoted in The
Costco Connection has this to say: “Memory loss is usually considered a
side effect of aging – but it doesn’t have to be. Keep the following memory
boosters in mind, so you won’t forget to remember.
Be social. Engaging in stimulating interactions with others lowers the
risk of dementia, so join a club, schedule a regular get-together with close
friends and really talk with your family regularly.
Improve your diet. People who lack enough B-12 and folate have a greater
risk of developing dementia. Fortify your body against this destructive disease
C
L
A
S
S
I
F
I
E
D
FOR RENT
FANTASTIC LUXURY SKI RENTAL – Deer Valley Utah, #1 Ski Resort in
nation, beautiful views, 6 bed/ 6 bath mountain home. Danville/Alamo/Lafayette
resident discount of 10% off posted rates for non-holiday rentals. 925-820-4654.
Call soon, winter reservations going fast. Snow has started! See home photos at:
www.deervalleyvacationhomerental.com.
BEACH HOUSE on sand, 10 miles south of Santa Cruz next to Aptos. Completely
remodeled 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, granite/stainless kitchen, internet, 3 TV’s, DVD/
VCRs, deck, gas barbecue. No pets. $350-400 nightly, $1000-2450 weekly, plus tax
and cleaning. 925-837-7143 and/or see photos at www.vrbo.com/234127.
by eating spinach, romaine lettuce, lentils, black beans, broccoli and/or beets.
Studies show that if you stick to a Mediterranean diet rich in vegetables and
fish, you’ll have the lowest risk of developing Alzheimer’s and mild cognitive
impairment. Green tea, too, can protect memory.
Focus on self-care before you need crisis care. Learn your family
history, take care of your body and be proactive with doctor visits in order
to detect and treat potential problems early on.
Don’t retire – yet. Find a job you love, and stick with it. Working
exercises your mental capacity more than retired life and thus helps to keep
your memory intact. If you’re tired of your same old job, learn something
new; this stimulates the brain.
Hit snooze. From getting eight hours of solid zzzz’s, including quality
REM sleep, to taking a six to 90-minute nap, sleep helps your brain sort,
consolidate and store memories.
Avoid toxins. What you put into your body affects what it is capable of
accomplishing, including the brain functions that preserve your memory.
Alcohol is especially toxic in terms of memory.
Lamorinda Senior Transportation
An Alliance of Transportation Providers
YOU CAN HELP! VOLUNTEER DRIVERS ARE NEEDED. Call
each program for information, opportunities to volunteer, and to make
tax-deductible donations.
Lamorinda Spirit Van 283-3534
Taking Lamorinda Seniors to medical appointments, grocery shopping and
lunch at the C.C. Café. $10 round trip; rides to lunch are free. Reserve your seat
two business days ahead of time by 1PM.
Contra Costa Yellow Cab and DeSoto Company 284-1234
20% discount for Lamorinda seniors.
Volunteer Driver Program
Volunteers driving their own cars provide free rides for seniors.
Orinda Seniors Around Town 402-4506
Senior Helpline Services Rides for Seniors
284-6161
Serving Orinda seniors with rides for appointments and errands.
Serving Contra Costa County seniors with rides to doctors’ appointments during
the week, grocery shopping on Saturdays.
ARCHITECT
JOHN ROLF HATTAM - ARCHITECT Specializes in modest budget, new
and remodeled residences. Over 200 completed projects. AUTHOR: Houses
on Hills and Other Irregular Places. Also, National Parks from an Architect’s
Sketchbook Call for a brochure: 510-841-5933. 737 Dwight Way, Berkeley.
LESSONS
MUSIC INSTRUCTION with Robbie Dunbar. Bach to Beatles and beyond.
Piano, guitar, other instruments. All ages and levels welcome! I travel to your
home. Decades of experience, including Masters of Music Composition. Also
PIANO TUNING. (925) 323-9706, [email protected]
WISHING ALL GOLFERS HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Rediscover the joy
of the game!! Beginners program, video analysis, and lessons for all levels
taught by Jue Tanaka, Member of LPGA Teaching Division. Call 925-8267983 or email [email protected] for an appointment.
Lafayette Today Classifieds
Reach over 11,500 homes and businesses in Lafayette - Help Wanted, For Sale, Services, Lessons, Pets,
Rentals, Wanted, Freebies... $35 for up to 45 words. $5 for each additional 15 words. Send or email
submissions to: PO Box 1335, Lafayette, CA 94549 or [email protected]. Run the same
classified ad in our sister papers “Alamo Today” or “Danville Today News” and pay half off for
your second and/or third ad! Payment by check made out to “The Editors” must be received before
ad will print. Your cancelled check is your receipt. We reserve the right to reject any ad.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Name_________________________________________ Address___________________________________________ # of Words_______________
SAR Explorers
Searching and rescuing are not adult-only endeavors. The same training
provided to adult SAR volunteers is also provided to youth, ages 14-18,
through Contra Costa SAR Explorers Post 611.
Just like their adult counterparts, Explorers are trained in CPR and first
aid, wilderness survival, swift water rescue, and ground, ATV, helicopter,
and aircraft search techniques. Trained Explorers serve the citizens of
Contra Costa County as skilled search and rescue volunteers, providing
medical, evidence, and educational support as needed at the request of the
Sheriff. And just like adult SAR volunteers, they respond to incidents such
as lost children or hikers, Alzheimer walk-aways, or wilderness searches
and may be called on to assist in natural disasters, criminal case evidence
searches, or public event medical support.
Danville resident Jeff Luchetti, age 16 and a student a Del Amigo, has
been involved with SAR Explorers for two and a half years. He is currently
the captain of Post 611. “Explorers has allowed me to learn skills that I
would not pick up otherwise,” says Luchetti. “I feel honored to say that I
am part of the Sheriff’s Department. The part I like the best about being
an Explorer is all of the places that we go for training and searches - places
that I have never been before and they are a lot of fun.”
17-year-old Lafayette resident Vance Prescott says that being an Explorer
has helped him progress as a leader and as an overall good person. “The
lessons taught in the Explorer program are important and can be helpful in
any situation, whether it is grid searching a field or administering CPR,”
says Prescott. “My favorite part is the camaraderie that the team members
share. We represent a small group within Contra Costa SAR but we always
compete and try our best so that people know we are not joking around. We
always work as a team, and this inspires a great sense of togetherness.”
The extensive Explorer training meets or exceeds the search and rescue
requirements of the California Emergency Management Agency, and it can
well prepare participants for careers in emergency medical services, fire or
emergency service, or FEMA, Homeland Security and the military. Luchetti
hopes to someday use his SAR Explorers skills in the US Coast Guard.
Explorers much be physically fit high school students between ages 14
– 18, with a minimum 2.0 grade point average. Visit www.contracostasar.
org/Explorer/ for more information.
LMYAs first grade soccer Team Brazil's Sofia Boselli (#5) breaks away to score the winning
goal in their 3 - 2 victory over Team Italy during a recent game at Happy Valley Elementary
School in Lafayette. Photo by David Cervenka.
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December - Alamo Today

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