april 2013

Delivered to Over 40,000 Homes and Businesses

• APRIL 2013

• Craft Beer Festival..........................................page 5• Martinez City News .......................................page 9• Interview with a Sommelier ...................... page 13• Mono Lake - Mystery and Intrigue .......... page 15

• CP’s Cinderella Season ................................... page 17• College Park Spring Schedules ............... pages 18-19• Spring and Summer Activity .......................... page 21 • Wombo Combo ................................................ page 31

Bay Area Craft Beer Festival April 20th in Martinez. Photos courtesy Seán Lightholder.

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JULIE SAYS

Kit Living-ston is a Pleasant Hill resident who, among other things, teaches mental fit-ness classes for older adults. Kit sent me a note saying they re-ally enjoy a good word challenge. I thought I would pass along a couple of brain games that have been circulating around the Inter-net for Kit and the rest of you to test your mind power. Even if you have seen these before, they are worth a second look…. If you can read this out loud, you have a strong mind: Can you raed this? I cdnuolt blveiee that I cluod aulacity uesdnatnrd what I was rdanieg. Aocodrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno’t mtaetr in what oerdr the ltteres in a word are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is that the frsit and last ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can still raed it whotuit a pboerlm. This is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the word as a wlohe. Azanmig, huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! And if you can read this, you have a strange mind: 7H15 M3554G3 53RV35 70 PR0V3 H0W 0UR M1NDS C4N D0 4M4Z1NG 7H1NG5! 1MPR3551V3 7H1NG5! 1N 7H3 B3G1NN1NG 17 WA5 H4RD, BU7 N0W, 0N 7H15 LIN3 Y0UR M1ND 1S R34D1NG 17 4U70M471C4LLY W17H 0U7 3V3N 7H1NK1NG 4B0U7 17. B3

PROUD! 0NLY CER741N P30PL3 C4N R3AD 7H15. Could you read them both? Well, that just goes to show the phaonmneal pweor of the huamn mnid. In closing, I did want to pass along a few more collective nouns from the previ-ous month’s “Bloat of Hippos” challenge. Here are some that Kit’s group came up with that are too good not to share:• A gossip of hairdressers • A clipper of bar-

bers • A snip of surgeons •A mess of slobs• An interlocking of jigsaw-puzzlers • A tangle of Christmas lights • An impatience of patients (in any doctor’s office!) • A hope of job applicants • A clutch of purses • An eagerness of students. Thanks, Kit – you obviously work with a clever bunch – a veritable “savvy of seniors!” Send comments to [email protected].

Brain Tests and Collective Nouns By Julie Ross

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Joe DiMaggio’s Joltin’ Joe Craft Beer Festival Join Sons of Italy on Saturday, April 27, at the Shell Clubhouse (at Pacheco & Ar-reba in Martinez) for a polenta and sausage fundraising dinner with dozens of great raffle and door prizes! The event will raise necessary funds to complete the restoration of the twenty-two foot Chris-Craft run-about, Joltin’ Joe, once owned by Joe DiMag-gio. Upon completion, the boat will be an historical and visual treat for the Bay Area. Joltin’ Joe was given to DiMaggio in 1949 by grateful New York Yankee fans dur-ing Joe DiMaggio Day at the Yankee Stadi-um. The boat was a state-of-the-art pleasure craft, built of gleaming mahogany and ca-pable of hitting a brisk 33 mph. DiMaggio, born in Martinez on No-vember 25, 1914, made his professional debut October 1, 1932, for The San Fran-cisco Seals. Known as “The Yankee Clipper,” DiMaggio was purchased by the Yankees on November 21, 1934. DiMaggio, best known for a 56 game hitting streak, led the Yankees to nine titles during his thirteen-year career. DiMaggio donated The Joltin’ Joe to the City of Martinez, who turned it into an out-

door waterfront monument to its most fa-mous son. In 2009, the Sons of Italy and the Mar-tinez Carpenters Union Local 152 decided to combine forces to do fundraising and a restoration of the Joltin’ Joe. They hope to display treasured images captured by area residents and fans featuring Joe DiMaggio in or near the delta and waterways. These images are scarce, so the search is on. Through April 20, $30 tickets can be purchased at The White Rabbit Boutique, 529 Main St., the Martinez Marina Harbor office or the Mini Mart at 7 N. Court St. Friendship hour starts at 5:30pm and din-ner at 6:30pm. For information or to submit DiMaggio images, visit www.TheJoltinJoe.com or e-mail [email protected].

On Saturday, April 20, the Bay Area Craft Beer Festival returns to Martinez! From noon until 4pm, the beautiful Marti-nez Waterfront Park will be taken over by food, beer, and music lovers from across the Bay Area. Come out and sample beer from over 30 of the top microbreweries west of the Mississippi, and rock out to live music from Lumberyard and Petty Theft. Advance tickets are $35 and can be pur-chased online at www.bayareacraftbeer-festival.com, or at select outlets around the East Bay. Admission includes a commem-orative glass, unlimited beer and cider tast-ing, and live entertainment. Designated driver tickets are available for $2. Tickets and ID are required for entry (all attendees must be 21 years and over.) Hand-crafted beer connoisseurs will have the opportunity to taste limited edi-tion and specialty beers from a vast ar-ray of distinctive breweries that include: 21st Amendment Brewery, Ale Industries, Creek Monkey Tap House, Crispin Fox Barrel Cider, Drake’s Brewing, E.J. Phair Brewing Company, Firestone Walker, Her-

etic Brewing Co., Hoppy Brewing Co., La-gunitas, Lost Coast Brewing, Magnolia, Mendocino Brewing Co., Pacific Coast Brewing, Sierra Nevada, Speakeasy, Stone, Strike Brewing Co., Triple Rock, and many more! Free shuttles to and from the festi-val grounds will be available to and from North Concord BART, Best Western Mar-tinez John Muir Inn, and downtown Mar-tinez. Last shuttle leaves festival grounds at 7pm. We are conveniently located within a short walk of the Martinez Amtrak station as well. The Bay Area Craft Beer Festival is a rain-or-shine event. The Beer Fest is pre-sented by Main Street Martinez, Inc. and benefits local non-profits. For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit www.BayAreaCraftBeerFestival.com. Main Street Martinez is a non-profit group dedicated to sustaining a sense of community through its various events held throughout the year and works to promote downtown small businesses. For more information, please visit www.mainstreet-martinez.org.


Real Estate UpdateBy Nathan Hitchcock

California real es-tate never fails to keep me on my toes. Just when I think I’ve seen it all, I’m thrown a Barry Zito caliber curve ball. Just a few weeks ago, I thought our local market was as hot and as competitive as it was going to get. Consider my opinion changed. I now personally feel the market is as competitive as any period experienced during the boom years. How competitive? Just days ago I worked with a buyer who submitted an offer on a cosmetic fixer home in Martinez. Their prospects looked prom-ising. The offer was for nearly $90,000 over

the asking price with 20% down and short contingencies across the board. Sounds pretty attractive, right? A day and a half later we received the alarming results. In all, 68 offers were received. The winning bid, of an as yet undisclosed amount, was “significantly over asking price” in cash, with a 10- day close and no contingencies of any sort. It’s pretty hard for even a “strong” buyer to compete with that. What about not-so-strong buyers with smaller down payments? Well, I’ll let you do the math. This exceptionally competitive market is resulting in rapidly increasing home pric-es. County wide, median values increased around 25% in 2012. Although it’s a bit soon

to call the numbers official, initial figures, as well as my very recent first hand experi-ences, lead me to believe that values have increased by at least that much again since January 1, 2013. Don’t look now, but peak values of 2006 are just around the corner. Interestingly enough, appraisal issues are not slowing things down much. Typical-ly, in rapidly increasing markets like these, purchase offers for well over asking price tend to fall apart when the home doesn’t ap-praise for the offered price. In essence, these appraisal issues tend to have a calming effect on home values, forcing them to increase moderately over time. This time around, we have two fac-tors letting price increases run wild. One, appraisers are being very liberal with their valuations, confidently citing a robust and increasing marketplace in their ap-praisal reports. Two, those appraisers have a bountiful supply of all cash and nearly all cash sales to cite in their reports. Without the restraints of an appraisal contingency, which is typically required with a financed purchase, most are written well beyond

what the comparable sales in the area would dictate as sensible, thus setting the harried pace of the market. A negative effect of this competitive mar-ket is rapidly plunging buyer morale. I never could have imagined a time when buyers with 20% down payments and the courage to write nearly six figures over list price would be in a weak negotiating position. So what’s a buyer to do? In short, either be patient or be aggressive. Anything in between is a futile effort. If you don’t have the financial means to be aggressive, step-ping back and watching closely from the sidelines might not be such a bad idea. Or, if sitting it out as a spectator is not your na-ture, for your sanity’s sake, be patient while you write your offers and don’t get too emo-tionally involved in the outcome. Whatever your approach, eventually, I promise you, the cash buyers will dry up, inventory will increase, and the market will calm down. It always has, and it always will. Nathan Hitchcock can be reached at [email protected] or (925) 825-1100.

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Drive Smart and SaveBy Car Care Council

With no end in sight for high gas pric-es, consumers should take control of how they drive vehicles in order to get more miles per gallon. The Car Care Council, an automotive consumer education group, recommends the following ways to drive smart and save money:• Combine errands in one trip and get good directions before you head out to minimize driving unnecessary miles.• Lighten the load by getting stuff out of the car, including the trunk, with the exception of important emergency items such as a spare tire, flares, and a first-aid kit. Unnecessary items weigh the vehicle down, causing a decrease in gas mileage.• Stay within the speed limit and use cruise control when appropriate. Gas mileage usually decreases over 60 miles per hour (mph). Always observe posted

speed limits.• Avoid aggressive driving. Sudden stops and starts and rapid acceleration can de-crease your vehicle’s miles per gallon.• Check the condition of the gas cap. Ap-proximately 17 percent of vehicles on the road have loose, damaged or missing gas caps, causing 147 million gallons of gas to vaporize every year.• To avoid wasting gas, don’t idle your vehicle when waiting. Go inside instead of sitting in long lines at drive-through windows. “We can’t control the price of gas, but we can control how we drive our vehicles and how much gas we use,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. For more information visit: www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mercury/carcar-eguide/


For More Information Regarding Ambas-sador Meeting -Ifinterestedinattending,contact(925)[email protected].

4/11 – Chamber Mixer - Thursday,5:30pm-7:30pm.RankinAquaticCenter,100BuckleyStreet,Martinez.Greatnet-working,food,fun,raffleprizes(bringaraf-fleprize&haveyourbusinessannounced!)

4/13 – Citizen of the Year Awards Dinner -Saturday,6-9pmattheMartinezEventCenter,524MainSt.,Martinez.WewillbehonoringcitizensfromthecommunityfortheircontributionstothebettermentofMartinez.Fordinnerticketsandmoreinfor-

mationcalltheChamberat925-228-2345.

4/18 – Educational Series - LinkedIn 2013 -What’s New and What Matters to You,PresentedbyRobinFoxfrom12-1:30pm.Doorsopenat11:30.NewLoca-tion:MUSDofficeboardroom,921SusanaSt.,Martinez.FREEtoChamberMembers,Non-Members,$20.Non-MemberswhojointheChamberwillget$10creditedto-wardstheirmembership.Lunchprovided.RSVPrequiredby4/15totheChamber.Calloremail:[email protected].

4/20 – Earth Day Celebration - 10am-4pmatJohnMuirNationalHistoricalSite,4202AlhambraAve,Martinez.

Please verify schedule at www.martinezchamber.com • 925-228-2345MARTINEZ CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Please verify schedule at www.pleasanthillchamber.com • 925-687-0700PLEASANT HILL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

4/5 – Ambassador Meeting –8-9am.PleasantHillCityHall.

4/9 & 23 – 680 Breakfast Club –Tues-days,8:15–10am.Networking.Formoreinformation,contactTracyTamura:[email protected].

4/11 & 25 – 680 Breakfast Club –Thurs-days,8:15–10am.Networking.Formoreinformation,contactJulieMcCoy:[email protected].

4/17 – Social Media Workshop –8-10am.PleasantHillCityHallCommunityRm.Tosignup,e-mail:[email protected].

4/17 - Business Mixer –5-7pm.HostedbySweetTomatoes,40CrescentDr.,[email protected].

4/18 - Board of Directors Meeting –7:45-9am.PleasantHillCityHall,CommunityRoom.

4/23 - Ribbon Cutting & Open House –4:30-6pmatMolly’sCaffeA’more,6710Alhambra#A,Martinez.

4/29 - Green Committee Meeting –4-5pm.BackFortyTexasBBQ,100CogginsDrive,PleasantHill.

4/29 - Governmental Affairs Committee Meeting –5:30–7pm.BackFortyTexasBBQ,100CogginsDrive,PleasantHill.

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Ribbon CuttingMartinez Furniture Co. Sofas and More

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Keeping the Tradition

Martinez Furniture Co. Sofas and More is a small business with good old fashioned val-ues while being a complete furniture store that sells sofas, sectionals, tables, rugs, bedroom sets, mattresses, throw pillows, ottomans, lamps and wall art. Owners Bill Jordan and Kate James combine their talents and experience in real estate and high end retail manage-ment to provide quality products for the residents of Martinez and the surrounding cities. Along with Ashley Furniture, they offer a custom line named Jonathan Louis, known as a Macy’s product. They offer free local delivery and will pick up your old sofa or mattress too! Designers and homeowners are welcome at almost wholesale prices! Visit their showroom at 742 Arnold Drive, Ste. B, Martinez, http://www.martinezfurniture.com or call at 925-370-7636.


Architectural Review CommissionApril 4, 18City Hall, 100 Gregory LaneSmall Community Room, 5pmContact: 671-5209

City CouncilApril 1, 15City Hall, 100 Gregory LaneCouncil Chambers, 7:30pmContact: 671-5229

Civic Action CommissionApril 3City Hall, 100 Gregory LaneSmall Community Room, 6:30pmContact: 671-5229

Education CommissionApril 24City Hall, 100 Gregory LaneSmall Community Room, 7pmContact: 671-5229

Planning CommissionApril 9, 23City Hall, 100 Gregory LaneCouncil Chambers, 7:30pmContact: 671-5209

City Calendar of Events

For Confirmation Visit: www.ci.pleasant-hill.ca.us

PLEASANT HILL CITY BUZZMayor’s Message

Michael G. Harris, OD, Mayor, City of Pleasant Hill

The Founda-tion For Pleas-ant Hill Educa-tion “The Little Foundation That Could!” That cer-tainly describes the Foundation for Pleasant Hill Education (FPHE). From its humble beginning in 2007 and the creativity of a few enterpris-ing and hard-working parents, the Foun-dation for Pleasant Hill Education has grown into one of our city’s finest organi-zations. FPHE is now a thriving founda-tion that generates tens of thousands of

dollars annually to support Pleasant Hill schools and the students they serve. The FPHE’s mission is simple: The Foundation for Pleasant Hill Education shall work in partnership with our local community to enhance the quality of education and provide enrichment op-portunities for students in Pleasant Hill public schools. And that’s exactly what they’ve done! Their mission was one of my inspirations for starting the Pleasant Hill Education Initiative. Along with the city’s Education Commission, FPHE has brought a new awareness to our local schools and how we as a community can

City News

make them better. Started five years ago by members of our Education Commission and con-cerned parents, this volunteer effort has grown to an organization of over 1600 members. Since its formal creation in 2008, the foundation has raised some $150,000 for local schools. Every public school serving Pleasant Hill students has benefited from their grant program. The grants have been used to improve technology, provide books, organize workshops, and help music programs, to name a few. The foundation and its efforts are certainly appreciated by our teach-ers and principals. In addition, they have enriched community spirit. One long-term donor commented, “It is fabulous to live in a community which is able to come together in support of our schools.” The foundation raises money prima-rily through its annual campaign. It also raises money and increases community awareness of education by putting on some really fun events, like an annual spelling bee, Dine Out for Education, restaurant walks, and A Night of Improv. Like any good organization, the foundation is not resting on its laurels. This year’s annual campaign hopes to raise $60,000 for ours schools and our kids. If you haven’t already donated, or would like to donate again, please visit their website at fphe.org and click on the “Donate Now” link. That’s what hundreds of Pleasant Hill households have already done. Please join them in supporting this worthwhile endeavor.

The hard-working board of direc-tors and other dedicated supporters are developing additional programs to benefit our students. Plans for the future include more support for vital “STEM” education. Our country is far behind others in train-ing our students in science, technology, engineering, and math, skills necessary for success in the 21st century. In celebration of their success and ongoing efforts to support Pleasant Hill schools, the foundation will be hold-ing a 5th anniversary party the evening of Saturday, April 20. This event is both a fundraiser and dance party and will feature the rock ‘n’ roll music of FOG 5. Should be lots of fun! The Foundation’s 2nd annual Amaz-ing Race of Pleasant Hill will be held on Sunday, April 28. You can get more information about both events and tickets at the Foundation’s website. As mayor, I’m pleased to say that the Foundation and its leaders have partnered with the Pleasant Hill Education Initiative, the community’s multi-year volunteer ef-fort to enhance educational opportunities for Pleasant Hill students. As a resident, I have long supported the Foundation’s efforts on behalf of our students. Please join me in congratulating the Foundation for Pleasant Hill Education on the occasion of their 5th anniversary. Our city, our schools, and our kids have benefited greatly from their dedication and passion for education. FPHE truly is “THE LITTLE FOUNDATION THAT COULD!”

Award of Appreciation AtthePleasantHillCityCouncilmeetingonMarch4,anAwardofApprecia-tionwasgiventoTimFlahertyinrecognitionofhisserviceonthePleasantHillPlanningCommissionfrom2010to2012andontheCivicActionCommissionfrom2001to2012.

Buskirk Widening AconstructioncontractfortheBuskirkAvenueWideningPhaseIIImprovementsProjectNo.09-12wasawardedtoGhilottiBrothers,Inc.ThecityengineerdeterminedthatGhilottiBros.,Inc.wasthelowestresponsiveandresponsiblebidder. TheBuskirkAvenueWideningprojectwillextendandrealigntheroadwaysouthoftheexistingCrossroadsShoppingCenterintersection.Somekeydesignfeaturesinclude:realignmentofBuskirkAvenuewithanewtrafficsignalattheBuskirkAvenue/ClarieDriveintersection;anewtrafficsignalatthenewBuskirkAvenue/ContraCostaCentersouthwesterlydrivewayaccessintersection;anewfreesweeping90degreeroadwaycurveandtrafficislandcalmingfeatureattheeasternsectionofHookstonRoadnorthtothenewBuskirkAvenue/ClarieDriveintersection;drainageimprove-ments;andnewpedestrianandbikefacilities.Theseroadwayimprovementswillpro-videaccessandaccommodatetheupcomingandfuturedevelopmentoftheCross-roadsShoppingCenter. TheprojectwillbepaidinpartbytheContraCostaTransportationAuthorityMea-sureJ(MJ)Funds.

CAC Openings Remain TwoopeningsremainontheCivicActionCommission(CAC).TheCommissionprovidesrecommendationstothecitycouncilonanyandallsubjectsthatimprovetheoverallqualityofcommunitylife.ThecommissionorganizestheSunsetbytheLakeSummerConcertSeriesatCityHall.TheconcertsareheldeveryotherSundayfrom6:00pmto8:00pm,beginningtheSundayofMemorialDayweekend.TheCACalsoorganizesCommunityServiceDay,normallyheldonthethirdSaturdayinSeptember.CommunityServiceDayisacitywideeventinvolvinghundredsofcommunityvolun-teerswhoworkoncitycleanupandotherprojectswithinthecommunity. CACChairSheilaCotruvohasbeenonthecommissionsince2008andsaid,“Be-ingamemberoftheCivicActionCommissionhasbeenaveryrewardingexperienceasitenablesallofustocontributeinameaningfulwaytothePleasantHillcommunitythrougheventssuchasCommunityServiceDay,SummerConcertSeries,andmanyotherspecialeventsandprogramsundertakenbythisfantasticcommission.WhatIloveisworkingwithpeoplewhoreallycareaboutourcommunityandthefamiliesthatlivehere!”

Joint Meeting AjointmeetingofthePleasantHillCityCouncilandtheMt.DiabloUnifiedSchoolDistrictBoardofTrusteeswilltakeplaceonApril15at6pmpriortotheregularCityCouncilmeetingat7:30pm(seearticleonpage9formoreinformationonthismeeting).


MARTINEZ CITY BUZZ

City Calendar of Events

Have you ever waited for a bus not knowing if it would arrive on time, was just run-ning late or was going to arrive at all? Well now you don’t have to wonder. If you have a smart phone, tablet or laptop, you can get real time information instantly through County Connection’s new Bus Tracker system. This system will tell you where every bus in the system is and when it will arrive at any given bus stop. You can customize it to update any par-ticular route(s) and bus stop(s). Bus Tracker has been installed on all County Connection’s fixed route buses, and the software uses GPS loca-tion data to predict arrival times. Buses transmit their location every thirty sec-onds via the Sprint network enabling Bus Tracker to predict arrival times and make bus location information available

to the public on the web. All you need is access to the Internet to see where buses are on-route and when the next bus is predicted to be at your stop. The map view uses the familiar Google map as a base to show buses progressing along the transit routes. Riders can view the upcoming bus arrival times by selecting any bus stop in the system. This system is particularly help-ful in a suburban area such as Central Contra Costa, where the bus does not arrive as frequently as in urban areas. It also allows County Connection cus-tomer service agents to see where the buses are and what the predicted time of arrival is so they can communicate that information to callers without In-ternet access. To use Bus Tracker, go to www.ccta.org or www.countyconnection.com and click the Bus Tracker button. You can browse estimated arrival times by route or bus stop, or see a map of selected routes and location of all buses on that

Mayor’s MessageRob Schroder, Mayor of Martinez

All City Meetings at City Hall, 525 Henrietta Street, Unless Otherwise Indicated. For Confirmation Visit: www.cityofmartinez.org

City News

City Council MeetingApril 3, 177-11pmContact: 925-372-3500

Design Review MeetingApril 10, 243-5pmContact: 925-372-3500

Park, Recreation, Marina &Cultural CommissionCheck City Website for Date7-11pmContact: 925-372-3500

Planning Commission MeetingApril 9, 237-11pmContact: 925-372-3500

Zoning Administrator MeetingApril 3, 173-5pmContact: 925-372-3500

route. If you are a regular passenger of a specific route, it is best to personalize your Bus Tracker page for your specific needs. You can also set it up to receive alerts via text or email messages in case of accidents or other important infor-mation on your route.

If you need help navigating Bus Tracker or have any other questions about County Connection, please call customer services at 925-676-7500. PS: I have been a member of the CCCTA Board of Directors, represent-ing Martinez, for 14 years.

Photo by Stahlberg

Community Groups Funding Program TheCityofMartinezsupportslocalnon-profitorganizationsthatservetheMartinezcommunity.In2007,theMartinezCityCounciladopteda“CommunityGroupsFundingProgram”andisnowacceptingapplicationsfromcommunityorganizationsfortheupcomingfiscalyear,whichstartsJuly1,2013.Applicationformsandrulesareavailableonthecitywebsiteandatthecityclerk’sofficeat525HenriettaStreet.Pleasenotethatcom-pletedandsignedapplicationsforthe2013-14fiscalyearmusttobesub-mittedby Monday, April 15tothecityclerk’soffice,[email protected]. Applicationswillbereviewedbycitystaff,consideredbythebudgetsubcommitteeandforwardedwithrecommendationstothecitycouncil.Forthepasttwoyears,atotalof$7,500hasbeenapprovedtosupportthisprogram.Lastyear,atotalofelevenlocalorganizationswereapprovedtoreceivecommunitygrants.

MDUSD School Board Member Seeking Meetings with City Councils AttheMarch6citycouncilmeeting,MayorSchroderstatedthatCher-ylHanson,presidentoftheMt.DiabloSchoolBoardofTrustees,isseekingajointmeetingoftheschoolboardandthecitycounciltodiscussconcernsandestablishabetterrelationship.Hansonhasbeenreachingouttoev-erycitycouncilinherdistrictwiththehopethatthesemeetingstakeplacebeforetheendoftheschoolyearandwiththeeventualgoalofmeetingonceayeartodiscussitemsofinterest.HiddenValleyElementaryistheoneschoolinMartinezthatisapartoftheMDUSD. HansontoldtheCommunity Focussheisschedulingthesemeetingsbecause,“Asaboardmember,Ihaveyettomeetacityofficial,parent,orcommunitymemberwhoisnotdeeplycommittedtothequalityoftheirneighborhoodschoolsandschooldistrict.Allofthemwanttheirschoolsandstudentstobesuccessful,andallofthemwanttobeproudoftheirdistrict.Theyareeagertolendtheirsupportandincreasecommunicationandcollaboration.Mygoalistohelpbuildourinterrelationshipandfindwaystowelcometheirparticipation.” Hansonbelievestheindividualschoolandschooldistrictcan’tfunc-tioneffectivelyinisolation.Bothentitiesneedeachotherforthecommonpurposeofassuringthesuccessofthecommunityofstudentsintheschooldistrict.Sheexplained,“Mymainobjectiveistostrengthenpartnershipswithourcitiesandcommunitiestosupportourstudentsandexpandtheireducationalopportunities,tocreateawelcomingattitudeandbettercus-tomerservice,andtoincreaseprideinourschooldistrict.” Sheaskedthateachcitycouncilcomeupwith3-4itemsfordiscussionattheupcomingmeeting.Althoughtheresponsetohavingthesemeet-ingshasbeenpositive,whenaskedwhatshehasheardfromcitycouncilssofar,shesaid,“TwoofthebiggestconcernsIhaveheardisthatweneedtoimprovetheperceptionofMt.DiabloUSDasapreferredplacetolive,work,andeducatechildrenandtoimprovedistrictresponsivenessandoutreachtoparentsandcommunitymembers.” TherewasaconsensusamongtheMartinezCityCouncilmemberstomoveforwardwiththismeeting,tobeheldatalaterdateatHiddenVal-leyElementarySchool.

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Read My Mind© Book Reviews by Michael G. Harris, OD

Winston Churchill I’m a big history buff, especially the period around World War II. No single individual played a more prominent role during that period than Sir Win-ston Churchill. In my eyes, and those of countless historians, Churchill was the greatest hero of the 20th century. Many believe Churchill, by his sheer will, saved Great Britain and the rest of the world from the tyranny of Nazi Germany. He galvanized the British people through his riveting speeches and his perseverance. The range of his achievements is truly remarkable. Churchill spent 55 years of his 90-year life in public service. He published almost 10 million words. His speeches in Parliament and elsewhere are considered classics on how to inspire and influence people. As if that weren’t enough, he was a highly acclaimed artist and a man with a keen sense of humor. The latest book about his life, The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill: Defender of the Realm, 1940–1965, is

the third and final volume of William Manchester’s comprehensive biography of Churchill. Author Paul Reid finished writing the book after Manchester’s death. It covers the last quarter-century of Churchill’s life in unbelievable detail. Thoroughly referenced with hundreds of source notes, it is a monumental piece of work for the most diligent Churchill aficionados. However, it’s over 1200 pages long. This tome is even more challeng-ing to read since the print size seems to be that used in the New York City phone book! Rather than spending hours trying to digest this volume, I recommend Paul Johnson’s biography: Churchill instead. At 181 pages, it provides refreshing in-sights into this incredible leader. It traces his life from early childhood until his death, including his numerous overseas adventures and near brushes with death. It describes his triumphs and his defeats as a cabinet minister and Prime Minister. Most importantly, it portrays a truly cou-

rageous leader who always aimed high, valued hard work, never let mistakes and criticism get him down, and never held grudges. And he did all this with great joy and goodwill. What a role model for today’s leaders! Churchill’s astonishing insight is also revealed in two other recent bestsellers. Both are spellbinding accounts of the battle between the West and the Soviet Union to determine the fate of post-war Europe. Michael Dobbs’ Six Months in 1945: From World War to Cold War chronicles the period between Febru-ary and August 1945, six months that changed the world dramatically. Dur-ing these 6 months, President Franklin D. Roosevelt died, atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, World War II ended, and the Big Three (USA, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union) shaped post-war Europe. It was during this period that Churchill predicted the great rift be-tween East and West and urged the USA not to trust the Soviets. Here again we

see Churchill’s genius in understanding world events and world leaders. On March 5, 1946, in the small town of Fulton, Missouri, Churchill declared, “an iron curtain has descended across the (European) continent.” Anne Apple-baum’s book Iron Curtain: The Crushing of Eastern Europe, 1944-1956 tells in gruesome detail how the Soviet Union used bullying and murder to demol-ish democratic governments and install communist dictatorships throughout Eastern Europe. These two books recount the events and individuals who shaped the world in the latter half of the 20th century and beyond. Winston Churchill stands out as the only leader who accurately predicted the devastating events leading to the pro-longed Cold War and the misery suffered by millions of Eastern Europeans under communism. One wonders what would have happened if other Western leaders had listened to Churchill and taken the advice of this sage and brilliant leader.

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Behind the Scenes with La SommelierreBy Alison Clary

Our “Pair Up” columnist Maria Terry is always happy to share her ex-perience and knowledge of wine. Maria pursued her interest in wine in earnest after her two daughters started growing up. As soon as she started courses at Las Positas College, she was hooked and was the first student to graduate with an associate’s degree in enology. What was the attraction? Maria enthused, “There is the biology of the vines, the chemistry of the production, the history and soci-ology of the cultures who produce it, the puzzling nature of pairing it with food, and the hedonistic pleasure of drinking it.” I asked Maria if the old rules ap-plied: “Serve white wine with fish and red wine with meat.” To my relief, she answered, “The new rules are no rules. If it tastes good to you, drink it. That said, there are simple guidelines for getting started and creating successful pairings. Match the weight of the food to the weight of the wine. If you have

a heavy dish, you need a bold wine. Lighter dishes shine when they are not overpowered. From there, it is just fine tuning.” That made sense, but I thought it was clever to ask why people think red wines are superior to white wines. Maria drolly said, “Because they cost more.” She then explained, “Actually, red wines take longer to make and gener-ally involve expensive barrel aging. They also have longer shelf lives, which allows for collecting, and collecting drives the price up for anything. The perceived value of red wine is higher than that of white because of the added complexity imparted by the flavors from the skin and barrel.” For clarification I asked Maria if age was the main difference between cheap wine and expensive wine. She empha-sized “wine value is definitely no longer dependent on age. Historically, aged red wine had higher value because they needed time in the bottle to tame their high tannin content. But modern wine-

making techniques have responded to a consumer market that demands wine drinkability at an early age. Micro-ox-idation is just one technique employed to reduce the level of tannin in red wines. Wines no longer need to be old to have soft tannins. Free market forces determine the price of a wine.” So it does come down to supply and demand. After moving from the Midwest, I developed a preference for California wine over, say, French wines. Here was my opportunity to ask a certified som-melier the difference between new world and old world wines. Maria explained that “as a general rule, new world wines are softer and more fruit forward and old world wines are higher in acid and earthier, likely because old world grow-ing regions tend to be cooler and new world regions are warmer. Old world wines often utilize more traditional winemaking techniques (such as using native yeasts), and new world areas are more likely to try new techniques (such

as using modern yeasts).” Maria stated that lines are becoming more blurred as temperatures change and new ideas develop. I was interested in knowing what she thought of the new trends in wine from areas such as Australia. “The quality of wine from the entire world is growing by leaps and bounds. As new viticulture and winemaking techniques are adopted, better quality wines are created. Additionally, financial markets reward producers who create uniquely delicious products that are made in small quantities and find high demand.” What is the best part of Maria’s job? “Chatting with people who are enthusiastic about wine and enjoying it responsibly. Wine is fun.” I could have interviewed Maria for hours, but would have to be content for now to read her monthly column and take her friendly advice to “Go on, pair up!” Learn more about Maria Terry by visiting her website at www.LaSomme-lierre.com.

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4-H members proudly show the chickens they raised. Photo Lamorinda 4-H club photographers.

California 4-H Celebrates100 Years

By Anthony Cannon In 2013, 4-H members across the state are celebrating the California 4-H Centennial by using their head, heart, hands and health to create positive impacts in their communities, just as 4-H members have done for the past 100 years. The University of California 4-H Development Program is part of the Cooperative Extension system, with offices in every California county. The statewide 4-H program is powered by 17,000 local volunteers who receive training and support from professional staff in best practices for youth devel-opment. It is estimated there are one million 4-H alumni in California today who are industry leaders in agriculture, government, education and technology as well as philanthropic and engaged members of the community. Contra Costa County has eight community clubs with over five hundred active youth members. Our members are active in all levels, from local community activities to a youth who is a junior board member of the California Pork Producers. Long gone are the days of “4-H is not all cows

and cooking;” 4-H has a vast array of projects including robotics, rocketry, veterinary science, meat judging, and consumer awareness. The largest club in the county is Lamorinda 4-H, with over one hundred youth involved in activities ranging from beef to cake decorating. Members from Lamorinda 4-H are youth from Martinez, Orinda, Moraga, Lafayette and Pleasant Hill.

Mr. Crab (Anthony Cannon) and long time 4-H supporter Mr. Mangini at the Contra Costa 4-H

crab feed.

U15 - U182013 Season Tryouts

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Part 3 Mono Lake – Lake of Mystery and Intrigue After you rejoin highway 395 from Bodie, head toward Lee Vining to begin the steady climb a few miles to the high-est pass, Conway Summit (8138 feet). At the summit, you will come upon Virginia Lakes Road which, if you crave tall trees and tall mountain peaks, climbs westward quickly up into the Inyo National Forest, past ranch land, pines and aspen. The road pretty much ends at the Virginia Lakes Resort and nearby campground. The re-sort sits next to a stunning lake view, serves food, and has a bear-proof entry door -- a trifecta of good entertainment. A haven for fishermen and hikers, the area is home to a complex of lakes and magnificent vistas of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Hwy 395 crests at its highest point at Conway Summit. Stop at the View Point to pause for a few minutes and grasp the magnitude of the scene. Tall peaks on the right rise up out of the desert like a New York skyline and descend to the left in a menagerie of basalt flows, craters, water and, if the sky is clear, a 100 mile view east to Nevada and south toward Mammoth Lakes. You are standing on a massive es-carpment (land uplifted along a fault line). Below you, the highway meanders down

to a thin line that skirts both the edge of the mountains and the expansive lake. Just north of town there are two worthy stops: 1) the Mono Lake County Park with a near-level boardwalk through tall marsh grass and a close-up view of the “tufts” common around the lake’s edge, and 2) the new, modern visitor center, where you can stop to collect your senses, obtain valuable information about the lake and surround-ing area, get a drink of water and peruse the exhibits and gift store for hiking maps, walking tours and information about the chemical processes that result in the eerie water and land formations (tufts) that sur-round much of the lake. The town of Lee Vining has a few motels, eateries, a small grocery, a gas sta-tion, and fishing and camping outfitters. There are a number of good campgrounds along Hwy 120 west up the Tioga Pass Rd. Take a well-deserved lunch break at Nice-ly’s just down from the must-stop-and-see Mono Lake Committee headquarters or head south to the Hwy 120 junction west to the Tioga Gas Mart and Whoa Nellie Deli. For many decades, Los Ange-les has been diverting many of the water sources feeding the lake resulting in a dra-matic drop in water level, increased salin-

ity and starvation of water sources serving vegetation and bird life in the region. A grass-roots organization called the Mono Lake Committee has used legal means and public support to help slow that ef-fort by negotiating a devil’s compromise to help restore habitat and water sources be-fore permanent and irreversible damage is done to the lake. Though the lake is slowly regaining fresh water, the battle to restore all water sources continues. Do stop by the Mono Lake Committee office/store front for further information. They have a great store full of art, books and exhibits. It is a worthy organization doing great work. The land surrounding Mono Lake is some of the most volcanically ac-tive on the continent. The best access to closely view the lake’s “tufts” is from an access point on the south side. Drive five miles south of Lee Vining on Hwy 395 to Hwy 120 East and then back toward the lake (there is good signage along the way). Tufts (tufa) are formed as the result of simple chemical processes involving lime-stone and evaporation of highly saline/al-kaline water. If time only allows one stop, leave Hwy 120 East onto the easily driven dirt toward the lake and veer left to enjoy a great walking trail and informational signage to help you better understand the

processes involved. This is also the starting point for many of the ranger-led informa-tion walks conducted by the visitor center and Mono Lake Committee volunteers. Along the road on Hwy 120 East going toward the lake is a dirt road lead-ing to Panum Crater. Beware, the road and hiking require good shoes on both your car and your feet and should be tak-en slowly. The road, like the trail, is loose gravel, dirt and sand. The reward is a great panorama of the surrounding landscape and, optionally, a chance to walk inside a small volcanic crater. In any desert hike such as this, bring lots of water, a wide-brimmed hat, long-sleeved shirt, necker-chief (it gets windy in the afternoon) and sunscreen. Allow two-three hours to make this side trip. In his book Roughing It, Mark Twain declared the region “lifeless, tree-less, hideous desert... the loneliest place on earth.” I hope you will see that the region teems with life. Because water is scarce, the plants are spaced further apart, the crea-tures are smaller, and life in general is more conservative to help assure it’s existence. Like most desert locations, you must get up-close and personal to appreciate it. View more of Christopher’s photos at www.VardasPhotography.com.

Historic and Beautiful 395 - A Town-by-Town SeriesStory and Photo by Christopher Vardas


Season TicketBy Chuck Nan

Top in Tournament

Rams Win Championship

St. Catherine Wins DivisionHOME TEAM

Alhambra JV Girls Enjoy Suc-cessful Season, 9-3 in DFAL With their solid 46-36 win over Campolindo on February 14, the Alhambra junior varsity girls’ team finished the 2012-13 season in fine fashion. The junior Lady Bulldogs sported a notable 9-3 record in the always rugged DFAL, and 21-5 overall. The team was coached by Phil Raines and assisted by Kevin O’Leary. Sophomore Grace Perkins was selected as the team’s MVP for the season as she led the club with 405 points (18.4 per game). In addition, she was tops in assists and steals despite missing three games due to injury. Freshman Lexi Hammer provided strong scoring support (second with 183 points) and led the team in rebounding with 199. The statistical breakdown for the Dogs’ season distinctly shows that their strength was in the paint, under the basket.

Rebounding the basketball on both the of-fensive and defensive ends of the court was key to Alhambra’s success. In addition to Hammer, no less than four other players notched 70-or-more boards. They included: Veronica Akolo (136), Sam Whitworth (84), Cara Dimercu-rio (72) and Bailey Surges (72). Laurel Green led the team in 3-point shooting accuracy with 33%. Ahmiya Tyehimba was top from 2-point range with 47%. Alejandra Nejara was injured mid-season and missed much of the league campaign, but returned to score 15 points in the final two games. Given some lean years recently, the girls’ basketball program at Alhambra has a real sense of optimism in the coming seasons. Many of these student athletes will be playing at the varsity level next year. Congratulations!

Top Row (LtoR): Head Coach Phil Raines, Carlee Mercure, Lexi Hammer, Veronica Akolo, Sam Whitworth, Hannah Cole and Assistant Coach Kevin O’Leary. Middle Row: Ahmiya Tyehimba,

Sinead Wiley, Cara Dimercurio, Bailey Surges, Paris Arditti and Laurel Green. Front Row: Brianna Rios, Grace Perkins and Alejandra Nejera.

The St. Catherine’s CYO 8th grade boys national division basketball team battled it out on the court against a tough and talented St. Bonaventure team from Concord to win the CYO Tournament of Champions on Saturday, March 9, at Heritage High School in Brentwood. St. Catherine’s overcame a double-digit deficit in regulation play only to have St. Bonaventure tie it up on a buzzer beater. The game went into triple overtime and ended in sudden death on cool-headed consecutive free throws by Adan Carde-nas. The scrappy St. Catherine’s group, made up of boys from four different middle schools, has gelled as a solid team; they’ve gained knowledge and have upped their level of play under coach Earl Goselin over the past three seasons. These 13 and 14 year-olds capped their CYO basketball careers in record style, going undefeated in league play and throughout playoffs, 15-0 for the season.

Pleasant Hill Middle School’s 8th grade basketball team won the Bay Area middle schools’ consolation championship. They competed against fifteen other schools, losing only one out of five games by just 3 points. Nick Lombardi was awarded All Tournament Player.

Pictured L to R: Ian MacIver, Nick Lombardi, Luke Martinelli, Casey Bassler, John Fornbacher, DJ McInnis, Sean Rigley, Thomas Siebel and Will Knotz.

L to R: Thomas Peon del Valle (Martinez Jr. High); Jason Melgoza (Pinole Jr. High); Matthew Peon del Valle (Martinez Jr. High); Adan Cardenas (St. Catherine’s); Coach Earl Goselin; Oliver Armand, Anthony Goselin,

Ben Coburn, Noah Hurley (all of Valley View Middle); and Leijan Legaspi (St. Catherine’s).

Congratulations to College Park mens volleyball program for taking first place in the UC Davis High School Volleyball tournament Saturday March 2. CP beat teams from San Francisco, Watsonville and Chico to make the finals where they faced St. Ignatius for the final victory.

Top L to R: Coach Johnnie Tran (CP ‘06), Coach Peter Manguit, Justin Stokes, Matt Hutchison, Devin Humm, Steven Daily, Kevin Fortney, Nick Horton, Coach Steve Drevno (CP ‘07), and Coach Nick Ka-

lustian (CP ‘08). Bottom row LtoR: Tim Bayaraa, Noah Fisher, Alex Kalustian, Nelson Fisher, Charles Liu. (Not pictured: Ben Tejada, Coach Kyle Willhite (CP ‘09) and Dipen Patel (CP ‘12).


Cinderella Season for CP Varsity Boys Basketball By Brad Jenson

Congratulations to the College Park Boys Varsity Basketball Team! With a thrilling 93-90 win in overtime over the Dublin High Gaels, the Falcons are NorCal D2 Champions and advance to the State Championship game. Captain, point guard and 2012 league MVP Mikey Eggleton, and junior guard Sebastian Flores were the lead-ing scorers with 22 and 23 points, followed by AJ Newell, 16, and Joe DeMers, 15. Sen-ior guard Peter Schoemann drained a deep three pointer for the go ahead basket with under 8 seconds left in overtime, and then stole the ball at half court on the inbound play to secure the victory. The College Park gymnasium’s rafters will soon be overcrowded with banners at the rate the Falcons have been winning championships during the Battle Era. In the five years since Coach Craig Battle stepped onto the CP campus, the boys’ basketball program has been flying high, making its first appearance ever in the state tourna-ment last year. Each year the program progresses further, building on the prior season. The 2012-13 team has followed the formula perfectly with highlights, victories and championships that will be the stand-ard for seasons to come. An overall 26-5 record, undefeated Diablo Valley Athletic League championship, and a NorCal Divi-sion II Championship are the headlines for the season. Getting there has been sweet for Falcon fans. The Falcons served notice from the opening tip against Pinole Valley that the winning ways of the previous season would continue. Eggleton, along with sharpshoot-er Schoemann, swingman Tommy Acton, and lauded transfer AJ Newell provided valuable senior leadership for the young team. The squad built on early success, building a 10-4 record and a tidal wave of momentum going into the Diablo Valley Athletic League opener. College Park has been the league powerhouse over the past four seasons, but an undefeated record had not been earned during that run. A 25-point blowout against archrival Northgate heralded the fact that a team with six sophomores and seven upper class veterans would be looking to change that fact. The Falcons rolled through the DVAL, blasting opponents with a mixture

of three-point barrages, unstoppable fast-breaks, and a bevy of defense schemes that kept opponents frustrated all season. The 12-0 record added another notch to the accomplishments of the season, but Falcons were about to soar to new heights as CIF sectionals and state playoffs began. The number five-seeded Falcons at their last home game got a North Coast Section victory against Livermore, which was enough to get CP through to the state tournament. Ironically, the opponent CP drew in that first round was Chico High, which had ended last season’s record run. Chico returned many key players from that roster and were heavy favorites against an 11th-seeded CP team that had to get out on the road for this difficult match-up. Down 17 at half, it seemed as though CP’s run would end as it had in the previous season. The second half began a run of exciting play that would not end for several games. The Falcon D stepped up and choked a hot Panther team into submission. Chico only scored 12 points in the second half while CP began to tickle the twine with mid-range jumpers, 3-point bombs, and strong attacks to the rack. Falcon Nation had travelled strong to Chico, creating a frenzy that sparked the team to a 55-52 final score. The excitement of the first-round victory brought even more students, parents, boosters, and the community at large to the Mt. Eden gym in Hayward the next Saturday. Mt Eden was the number 3 seed in the NorCal playoffs and again was a prohibitive favorite against CP. That bubble was burst in the first quarter as the

Falcons jumped to an 18-5 lead. The score would tighten considerably, but the Falcons never lost the lead and held on for a 67-59 victory. Full-court pressure and a lighten-ing quick pace of up-and-down action kept fans entertained. Noticeably, superior hoop fundamentals were on display by CP as they dictated the speed of play, sported a lock-down defense, and gashed Mt Eden as they slashed through the paint. CP is known for its 3-point shooting that is on display every night up and down the roster. The Mt Eden game saw several treys connect, but this would just be a warm-up for the semi-final game. The Falcons travelled on a Tuesday night to visit the St. Francis Lancers in Mountain View in the NorCal semi-final game. The CP faithful were present in force, taking over at least half the home team’s gym. The 3-ball was going to be the weapon of choice for teams as several dropped within the first sixty seconds after tipoff. For 32 minutes, fans were treated to an epic high school hoop tilt. Back and forth action with lead changes that seemed to occur on every possession had the gym rocking. Lancer shooters dropped 17 threes on CP over the course of the game. The Falcons answered each shot, with the final punctua-tion being a trey by Sebastian Flores as the shot clock expired and 13 seconds remained on the game clock. Falcon free throws and a Lancer 3 ended the scoring at 85-82 as the student section stormed the court. Profes-sional games are 50% longer than a high school game, meaning the equivalent score of an NBA game would have been in the

mid-120s. The pace of the game, number of lead changes, and the high percentage of shots turned this game into an instant clas-sic, but the Falcon’s road trip was not done yet. The Falcons traveled to Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento for the NorCal State Championship game to challenge the No. 1 seeded Dublin Gaels on March 16. A day before St. Patrick’s Day, the luck of the Irish was not with the Gaels, although they outsized College Park and brought a lot of theatrics to the floor. The Gaels’ dunks and highlight reel plays were not enough to slow down the feisty, disciplined, and eagle-eyed College Park boys. As the first quarter ended 16-13 for College Park, both teams were raining 3’s and running the floor. While Dublin was going for highlight reel plays, College Park was running their offense, playing stifling defense, and drain-ing more shots. Senior Mikey Eggleton was a rock, making a steal and layup just before the halftime buzzer to give CP a 40-31 lead. Dublin made a run in the third quarter and pulled within six at the end of three. The Falcons were not to be closed on until late in the fourth quarter. With three starters fouled out of the game, the Falcon faithful were in shock as the game was tied and a free throw by the Gaels could win the game with 1.2 seconds left in regulation. But, it was not to be, although the Gaels got out to a 4-point lead in overtime. Junior Jack Corey and senior AJ Newell kept their com-posure, making clutch baskets and several free throws in overtime to set up Peter Sch-oemann’s game, winning three with under 10 seconds left. With the NorCal Championship vic-tory, the team returned to Sleep Train on March 23 to battle the Redondo Seahawks in College Park’s first ever State Champion-ship game. Though CP surged late in the 4th, a 54-47 loss ended the dream season for Coach Craig Battle and his team, but did nothing to dampen the pride of the Falcon crowd in purple and back home in Pleasant Hill. Brad Jensen is a married father of 3 kids, all who graduated from College Park. His son Jared played on the Varsity bas-ketball team last year. Brad is a faithful Falcon fan!

CP celebrating their NorCal Championship. Photo by TodGomes.com


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GOLFDATE OPPONENT SITE4/2 Ygnacio Valley CCCC4/11 Concord CCCC4/16 Clayton Valley CCCC4/23 Berean Boundary Oak4/25 Northgate CCCCAll matches 3:30pm

BOYSTENNISDATE OPPONENT SITE4/9 Clayton Valley CPHS416 Mt. Diablo Mt. Diablo4/18 Northgate College ParkAll matches 3:30pm

TRACKANDFIELDDATE OPPONENT SITE4/17 Berean & YVHS Ygnacio Valley 4/24 MDHS & Concord CPHS 5/1 Northgate Northgate 5/ 8-10 DVAL Championships Ygnacio Valley5/17-18 NCS Tri Valley Granada HS5/ 24-25 NCS Meet of Champions UC Berkeley5/31-6/ 1 State Meet Buchannan HS, Clovis

VOLLEYBALLDATE OPPONENT SITE TIME4/9 St. Pats St. Vincent St. Pats / St. Vincents JV 5 4/9 Northgate CPHS JV 5, V 64/10 Las Lomas CPHS JV 5 4/11 Clayton Valley Clayton Valley JV 5 4/11 Berean Berean V 64/16 Clayton Valley Clayton Valley JV 5 4/16 Ygnacio Valley CPHS V 64/17 Campolindo Campolindo JV 54/18 Concord Concord JV 5, V 64/23 Clayton Valley Clayton Valley JV 5, V 64/26 Las Lomas Las Lomas JV 54/27 Alumni Game CPHS 124/30 Alhambra CPHS JV 54/30 Mt. Diablo CPHS (Senior Nite) V 65/2 Northgate Northgate JV 5, V 6

VARSITYBASEBALLDATE OPPONENT SITE4/16 Northgate CPHS4/18 Northgate Northgate4/23 Berean Christian CPHS4/25 Berean Christian DVC4/30 Ygnacio Valley Ygnacio Valley5/2 Ygnacio Valley CPHS5/7 Clayton Valley CPHS5/9 Clayton Valley Clayton Valley5/11 El Cerrito CPHS 2pm5/14 Mt. Diablo Mt. Diablo5/16 Mt. Diablo CPHSAll games at 4pm except 5/11 at 2pm

FROSH/SOPHBASEBALLDATE OPPONENT SITE4/4 Clayton Valley CPHS 4pm4/6 Acalanes CPHS 10am, 1pm4/12 Heritages CPHS 4pm4/13 Cardinal Newman Cardinal Newman 11am, 2pm4/15 Freedom Freedom 4pm4/20 Northgate Northgate 10am, 1pm4/22 Northgate Northgate 4pm4/25 Benicia Benecia 4pm4/27 Logan Logan 11am, 2pm5/3 Liberty Liberty 4pm

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VARSITYLACROSSEDATE OPPONENT SITE&TIME4/9 Bishop O’Dowd CPHS 5pm4/12 Piedmont CPHS 5pm4/19 Berkeley Berkeley 7pm4/23 Clayton Valley CPHS 5pm4/26 Northgate Northgate 6:30pm4/30 Berean CPHS 4:30pm5/3 Bishop O’ Dowd Bishop O’Dowd 7:30pm5/7 Piedmont Piedmont 7:30pm

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SWIMMINGDATE OPPONENT SITE4/10 Clayton Valley Clayton 2:154/19 Northgate CPHS 2:454/20 CPHS Invitational CPHS 3:304/26 Ygnacio Valley CPHS 2:455/3 Concord CPHS 2:45

VARSITYSOFTBALLDATE OPPONENT SITE4/16 Northgate CPHS4/18 Northgate Northgate4/23 Berean CPHS4/25 Berean Berean4/30 Ygnacio Valley Ygnacio Valley5/2 Ygnacio Valley CPHS5/7 Clayton Valley CPHS5/9 Clayton Valley Clayton Valley5/14 Mt. Diablo Mt. Diablo5/16 Mt. Diablo CPHS Games at 4pm

JVSOFTBALL4/11 Liberty CPHS4/15 Northgate CPHS4/16 Northgate Northgate4/23 Berean Berean4/25 Berean CPHS5/7 Clayton Valley Clayton Valley5/9 Clayton Valley CPHSGames at 4pm


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HIGH SCHOOL HAPPENINGS

AHS Presents Xanadu

Second Round for CPDistinguished School

Martinez Brickyard Run

CP Gets Cooking The College Park In-strumental and Choral programs are producing their first CPHS cook-book to help raise funds for these programs at the high school. In the past few months, the cook-book team consisting of Mary Gray, Uni Ortegon Uribe, Keala Noske and Rochelle Douglass, worked to obtain recipes, submitted online, from the di-verse CPHS community. The spiral bound, soft cover cook-book will be 5.5”x 8.5” and sell for $25 with all proceeds going to the CP Instru-mental Music and Chorus programs. Recipes will range from appetizers, main dishes, soups/salads, desserts, or quick and easy meals. This is a great gift idea for a senior student as they head off to college in the fall--there will even be a recipe category called “Quick and Easy Dorm Food.”

Falcon parent Mary Gray raised the subject of a cookbook at an in-strumental music boost-ers meeting several months back. “Many years ago Pleasant Hill Elementary did a cook-book for fundraising, and I thought we could do one for CPHS, bigger

and better, because all the PH schools feed into College Park. What we’re hop-ing to do is to include everyone’s reci-pes in the College Park feeder-pattern and create this great cookbook, the proceeds of which will be split between instrumental and choral music. We plan to include photos and artwork of CP as well,” said Gray. You can preorder by going to the CPHS website: http://cphs.mdusd.org and clicking on the “Boosters Webstore” link on the home page. Cookbooks will be distributed in mid-May.

Earlier this year, College Park met the eligibility criteria and was invited to apply for the California Distinguished Schools Program. In March, members of the validation team visited the cam-pus and went into the classrooms with student leaders as chaperones in order to validate data in the application. For three hours, the team spoke to staff mem-bers and students, and looked at student work, student data and other representa-tions of student activity at College Park. Principal Paul Gengler said, “They talked with all types of people in formal and in-formal conversations and did interviews with representatives of every stakeholder group at the site and in our community. They met with four different groups of people: a group of 25-30 students; ad-ministration teams from CP; the district office community leadership including PTSA, PHEC, School Site Council, and business leaders; and teachers and classi-fied employees that work at CP.”

The validation team will submit a report to the California Department of Education and the final step in the proc-ess will be validation of the application. The State Superintendent of Public In-struction will make an announcement of the 2013 Distinguished Schools shortly. “Overall they were very impressed with our students, staff, and community and how everyone works together for the benefit of all students. This would not have been the outcome if not for the hard work of Aline Lee, VP, who was in charge of the entire process, and the hard work and dedication of PTSA President Kath-leen Strange and Vice President Tricia Li. Additionally, classified and certificated staff, and the many community members who gave up their time to represent their group and College Park were essential. This global team effort was brought to-gether by our district, students, parents, and staff to celebrate College Park,” con-tinued Gengler.

Don’t miss the fun as Alham-bra High School Drama presents Xanadu, the musi-cal! Xanadu opens Wednesday, April 17, and runs through Saturday, April 20, in the AHS performing arts building at 150 E Street in Martinez. Curtain is 7pm for all shows. Drama teacher Gerry Wiener said, “Our cast has about twenty-five performers, a rock band, and lots of techies.” The musical is described as: “Silliness is its own reward when Greek mythology slams into roller disco and

a string of Olivia Newton-John hits.” Ticket prices: Students/Seniors: $8 presale and $10 at the door. Adults: $10 presale and $12

at the door. Kids 12 and under are $5. Pre-sale tickets can be purchased online from the Alhambra High School web store. If you do not have a student ID, use the 10-digit guest ID 9999999999. Tickets will also be available at lunch outside the high school library beginning Monday, April 8. Tickets go fast, so order online soon for the best seats.

The long-established and popular local sporting event returns to Mar-tinez this month with a few changes. The East Bay Regional Park recently acquired Carquinez Scenic Drive from the County, and is currently working on restoring a 1.7-mile segment of Car-quinez Scenic Drive - from the brick-yard access road east of Port Costa to the Ozol ranger station - for pedestrian and bicycle use. As a result, they are not permitting access to that area fur-ther than 2 miles for the run. Brickyard Race Director Kevin Searls needed to shorten the course from the original 8 miles. “Not wanting to cancel this 44 year old Martinez tradition, I decided to just have the 4 mile version of this race (it will turn around at mile 2 before the road closes),” said Searls.

The race will be held, rain or sun-shine, on Sunday April 7. Start time is 8:30am and registration can be done online at: www.martinezbrickyardrun.com or you can preregister on the day of the event starting at 7am. In keep-ing with tradition, the top 3 finishers in each age group will receive a “Brick Award”. Fees for the race are $25. The race will begin and end in front of the Rankin Park pool on Tal-bert Street, which will also be utilized as the registration and staging area. There is no parking in the lot at Rankin Park. You must park on the side streets near the Park. It will be run on pave-ment with rolling hills on scenic Car-quinez Way. Proceeds benefit Alhambra High School Cross Country and the Mar-tinez Recreation Department.

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This month, Lindsay Wildlife Museum has some very special events where kids and adults can connect with nature and wildlife. Mount Diablo Art/Photo Exhibit Friday, April 26, 5:30-7:30pm. A free, public reception opens the new Mount Di-ablo: Visions & Vistas exhibit, and includes panoramic and close-up photos and paint-ings, children’s art activities, and a live ani-mal encounter. Artists and photographers capture Mount Diablo’s ever-changing face, from snowcapped to glowing at sunset. Ani-mals depicted include hawk, woodpecker, owl, lizard and butterfly. (Entry to the mu-seum during the opening will be to the Mount Diablo exhibit only.) From April 25-September 2, entry to Mount Diablo: Visions and Vistas is free with general admission. The exhibit is co-sponsored by Save Mount Diablo. (The exhibit will not be open weekdays during

museum camp weeks: June 24-28, July 8-12, July 22-26 and July 29-Aug. 2.) Live Animal Encounters Meet our animal ambassadors includ-ing: Kin-tah the gray fox, eagles, hawks, owls, an opossum, native snakes and more. Observe their many fascinating and surpris-ing behaviors. Touch a gentle rat, guinea pig, hamster, or even a snake!Ongoing Exhibits Every visit is a new experience. Find the queen bee among thousands of busy, buzzy bees in Hive Alive! - a real, work-ing honeybee hive. Watch through a one-way window at Wildlife Hospital Behind the Scenes as hospital staff examine and treat animal patients. At Raptors! test your strength against a raptor’s grip. Soar like a hawk over Mount Diablo virtually. Spread your “wings” to see how your armspan compares to a raptor’s wingspan.

Every Day is Earth Day at Lindsay Wildlife Museum By Deborah Rose, Lindsay Wildlife Museum Director of Communications

Village Center for the Arts in Pleas-ant Hill Introduces Toddler & Preschool Music Classes with Andrea Gaspari this April and a Super-Fun Performing Arts Summer Camp this July, Camp Super-star! Are you looking for a fun, local class to engage your little one? Village Cen-ter is offering Andrea’s Musical Adven-tures classes starting the week of April 8! There is a variety of class times to choose from and even a special pajama class for those who like to boogie before bedtime. Let’s Make Music is a wonderful approach to learning music concepts and theory as well as math and language skills for children aged 18 mos. – 3 1/2 years. Music, Piano and Me is a class for children, aged 3 1/2 - 6 years old, that uses games, activities, singing and in-strument play. Students learn to read and write music as well as experience it from the inside out. It’s never too early to in-troduce your child to music; the benefits are abundant! Call or visit Village Cen-ter today and ask us how you can start bringing music into your child’s life. Get ready for a super summer! This

July, we are proud to offer an introduc-tory summer camp that focuses on the performing arts, Camp Superstar! All children grades K-5 are invited to join the Village Center for the Arts staff for a fun, no-experience necessary, sum-mer camp full of fantastic introductions to a variety of programs focused in mu-sic, arts & crafts, movement, theatre and more! Campers will have so much FUN creating within an all-inclusive, encour-aging environment! Campers can attend one session or all three! Session I: July 8-12 | Session II: July 15-19 | Session III: July 22-26Times (campers can attend in the morn-ing, afternoon or all day long!): 8:30am-Noon | 1pm-4pm | 8:30am-4pm (ex-tended care is available for additional fee). Call Village at 925-676-8400 or visit VillageCenterfortheArts.org to get more information about any of our pro-grams or to REGISTER TODAY! 1720 Linda Drive Pleasant Hill, CA 94523

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Gary Bogue Talk/Brunch Monday, April 15, 9:30am. Wildlife expert Gary Bogue will speak about “Crea-tures of the Urban Wilderness (Your Back-yard)” referring to wild animals that live in and prowl, fly, and slither around your backyard, day and night—the coyotes, rac-coons, skunks, opossums, owls, hawks, hummingbirds, snakes, lizards and other creatures that interact with you and have become a part of your life, often without you even knowing they are there. Bogue is Curator Emeritus at the mu-seum, and was the daily Pet and Wildlife Columnist for 42 years for Bay Area News Group’s Contra Costa Times. His talk is sponsored by Lindsay Wildlife Museum Al-liance. Tickets are $25 per person. Contact Penny Adams at 925-837-4046 or P.O. Box 562, Diablo, CA 94528, or call the museum at 925-935-1978. Visit Lindsay Wildlife Museum The museum is located at 1931 First Avenue, Walnut Creek, in Larkey Park. Ad-mission is $7 for adults; $6 for seniors 65+;

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Last month’s article presented a likely scenario for a major earthquake on the Hayward fault: a major earthquake hits at 2:15 in the afternoon, you are at home ready to pick up the kids from College Park High School and Pleasant Hill Elementary, and your spouse is at work in Oakland. We’ll follow this same scenario through a series of articles on disaster preparedness. Absolutely, the most valuable as-set in our lives is…our family. Having a plan that is prepared ahead of time and familiar to all family members can reduce the confusion and emotional im-pulsiveness that immediately flood our thoughts when we realize our family is in danger. Let’s look at some key elements of a Family Disaster Preparedness Plan. Should a disaster strike when family members are at home, insure they know the escape routes from your home – two routes per room. Don’t just talk about it; draw a floor plan with the escape routes. When disaster strikes, your family

may not be together. Identify assembly locations and how to get in touch with each other should you be unable to get there. Good examples of meeting locations might be the front yard of a neighbor or a nearby park. Identify one out-of-state relative for all members to contact, as local lines may be clogged with emergency calls. That relative can keep every member informed about everyone’s location and situation. Keep quarters for pay phones or a prepaid phone card handy. Text messages may get through even quicker. Every family member should know when and how to shut off the utilities – gas, electricity, and water - to protect the house. After your family, your home is probably your next most valuable asset. Be familiar with the safety protocols of your kids’ schools. Identify someone to look out for the kids until you can get to them. Identify your most important records -- deeds, insurance policies, bank

account numbers, etc. -- and keep them in a safe place. Make sure your pets are included in your plan, and take the time to look at

www.ready.gov. Being familiar with these items will help get your loved ones back together and preserve that most valuable asset – family.

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In the MixBy Paul Cotruvo, Cover2Cover

I can’t believe we are already a quarter into 2013. Didn’t I just take down the Christ-mas tree? But if this quarter is any indication of the local music scene this year, it will most likely be the best year yet! One of the highlights so far was the “Come Together 3” benefit on Febru-ary 15, held at the new Pleasant Hill Senior Center. For those of you who have attended one of these shows in years past, this “planned” 3-hour event usually clocks in around 4-5 hours. And it always includes many surprise guests. This year was no exception. The show began with Fiona and Deirdre Nelis, two local teenagers who stole the show last year. For this year’s show they put together two small a cap-pella groups. Fiona and her group sang a beautiful rendition of the Scottish/Irish

song, “The Parting Glass,” and Deirdre and her group did a “mash-up” of The Fleet Foxes’ “White Winter Hymnal” and the traditional “Down to the River to Pray.” These girls stole the show again and definitely set the tone for the evening. I hope this becomes a tradi-tion for these concerts; it is comforting to know that the music scene is in good hands with this next generation of sing-ers and musicians. The energy in the room exploded with great performances by Liz Lewis, The Ro-Duo, Cover Story and headliner Tender Mercies. Tender Mercies is a side project of sorts that includes two Count-ing Crows members -- Dan Vickrey on guitar and vocals and Jim Bogios on drums. Along with Patrick Winninham on guitar and vocals and Kurt Steven-son, they had the crowd up and dancing. Even though they had another gig, they stuck around and played a few encores. After this great set, the first surprise guest showed up: none other than the

great comedian, Johnny Steele. Since he grew up in Pittsburg, his commentary and observations of the suburbs had the crowd in the palm of his hands. A very funny surprise indeed. Dan Deshara performed next with another special guest, local musician Carlos Reyes, a world-renowned harpist and violinist. The duo pulled out some classic songs, including a crowd- pleas-ing version of Brittany Spear’s “Baby one more time.” Then Carlos decided to perform a few songs on his own. All I can say is that it was inspiring and mesmerizing and left the crowd standing on its feet. Not to be outdone, The Bell Broth-ers were next with their own brand of country and definitely got their “hick“ on. To close out the night, Jim Caroom-pas and the Sisters of Mercy wowed the crowd with their version of blues and Cajun music. Jim has one of the best voices in the area, and this night was no exception. The crowd was on its feet

wanting more. And this was just one night! I can-not say enough about this show. Every year the musicians bring their “A” game, and they do it all for free! I cannot wait until Come Together 4. Please find out where these musicians are performing and support them. We live in one of the finest areas for local talent. So what does the rest of the year bring? On April 20 The Bay Area Craft Beer Festival in Martinez will feature two incredible bands, Lumberyard and Petty Theft. On May 26, The Summer by the Lake Concert Series in Pleasant Hill begins with none other than Tender Mercies. Always a popular series, this year will be no exception with bands including the U2 Tribute Band, Zoo Sta-tion, East Bay Mudd and the always fun, Dave Martin’s House Party. Quote of the month: “Music is everybody’s possession. It’s only publish-ers who think that people own it.” - John Lennon

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PAUL’S PICKS FOR APRILApril 4: Chris Cain Band, Armando’s, 707 Marina Vista Martinez, 8pmApril 7: Derek Rolando & Desert Chant, Armando’s, 707 Marina Vista, Martinez, 8pmApril 11: Sin Silver, Rocco’s Pizzeria, 2909 Ygnacio Valley Road Walnut Creek, 8pm April 19: Super Diamond, Dan’s Bar, 1524 Civic Drive Walnut Creek, 10pmApril 20: Lumberyard (12pm – 1:45pm) and Petty Theft (2:15pm-4pm); The Bay Area Craft Beer Festival, Martinez (www.bayareacraftbeerfestival.com)April 29: Caroompas Room, Armando’s, 707 Marina Vista Martinez, 8pm

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THE GARDEN

Lengthening day-light paired with ris-ing mercury conjures exciting images of eye-popping flowers, warm-weather local produce, and scintillating scents of spring. Farmers’ markets are flush with seasonal fare that spills off tables and beck-ons salaciously to shoppers. Springtime officially arrived last month, ensuring that late spring fruits and our beloved asparagus will be in the Bay Area for a nice long visit. Long and smooth, thin or fat, stalks of asparagus in differing shades of green with tight purplish tips will not disappoint those eagerly awaiting its seasonal debut. As we see more and more friends’ and neighbors’ yards coming alive with chick-ens, I am reminded of my favorite way to welcome asparagus to my palate at first showing. Sauté small slices of asparagus in olive oil and green garlic until just opaque. Beg, borrow, steal or purchase some of those amazingly rich local eggs with the

obscenely perky yolks. Softly scramble into sautéed asparagus with a nice grate of Manchego and a few slices of snipped baby chives to start a perfect spring morning and send anyone out the door smiling. Simply steaming asparagus in chick-en stock, then draining and slathering in butter can be nirvana. Alternately, getting fancy with heavenly, indulgent hollandaise sauce is always viscerally memorable. As-paragus lends itself well to the grill lubed with a bit of olive oil and a few cracks of salt and placed onto sizzling hot grills. The car-amelized green sugars transform an entire day. Drizzle grilled asparagus with balsamic glaze and eat with your fingers. Wrap fat stalks with good prosciutto then roast until the prosciutto gets soft and supple; anticipate the awe-inspiring release of characteristically rich, salty juices min-gled into softening asparagus spears. Serve drizzled with lemon oil and shaved spring pecorino and hold on to the table as you veer close to an intensely sensual swoon. Roast succulent pieces of asparagus until

Tempting and Versatile AsparagusBy Lesley Stiles

just soft and serve in a spring greens salad with sliced oranges and toasted local al-monds, dressed with good olive oil and rice vinegar. Sauté copious amounts of sliced asparagus, green garlic and fresh shitake in olive oil, stir into creamy risotto, and gar-nish with Reggiano and spring herbs. Roast asparagus in a hot oven then toss with lemon oil, salt and pepper. Shave feathery puffs of dry aged Gouda on top, sprinkle with chopped fresh oregano and a squeeze of lemon juice. Slice into small pieces, sauté with green garlic, white wine and parsley, then toss into hot pasta, and cream the dish with thrilling dollops of chevré folded in. Asparagus soup is as easy as sautéing baby onions and a few pieces of sliced up green garlic in olive oil, then adding cut up asparagus. Sauté for a few minutes and add

some white wine and chicken stock. Sim-mer a little bit and embellish with a few drops of half and half. Puree and garnish with several small spring peas sautéed with finely chopped mint, creating astounding shades of greens found nowhere on a color wheel, for a pivotal food moment. Eating asparagus steamed out of the pot with a crack of sea salt, a luscious squeeze of Meyer lemon and a glass of lo-cal sparkling wine is the epitome of early spring. We are indeed fortunate to reap the bounty of local Brentwood and Stockton asparagus. Mangia! Lesley Stiles is a graduate of the Cali-fornia Culinary Academy, sustainable ca-terer and school garden educator. Contact Lesley at [email protected], www.lesleystiles.blogspot.com and visit her new website: www.lesleystilesfoods.com.

Asparagus Quinoa w/ Green Garlicand Cremini Mushrooms

Heat olive oil in a deep sauté pan. Add green garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes until it begins to caramelize. Add the mushrooms and asparagus and sauté for 3 to 4 more minutes. Add a cup of stock and let it come to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes until asparagus turns bright green. Add quinoa and heat through. Season w/ salt and pepper and toss in parsley. Garnish w/ shaved Parmesan. Serves 4

3 tablespoons olive oil1 pound cooked quinoa1 cup vegetable or chicken stock, heated1 pound asparagus, sliced in ½ inch pieces4 stalks of green garlic, cleaned and sliced

1 cups sliced cremini mushrooms6 ounces of Reggiano Parmesan cheese3 tablespoons chopped parsleyKosher salt and freshly grated pepper

Ingredients:

Directions:

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College Works Painting Intern Hi, my name is John Vanni, Jr. (JJ) and I am a former Miramonte High School student who is currently studying at San Francisco State University. This past fall I was accepted into a College Works Painting (CWP) internship pro-gram that gives me the tools to run my own exterior house painting business in order to get managerial experience while still in school. College Works Painting at www.collegeworks.com is a nation-wide program that partners with Kelly-Moore Paints, so we get a good discount on their

high quality paint. Each intern sets cer-tain goals to accomplish during his or her time with the program, and my goal is to get a 100% customer satisfaction rating for the summer of 2013. I view this internship as something more than just a managerial position. I am adding another level of experience in working with people, determining their needs and ensuring their satisfac-tion with the outcome. My experience in coaching kids and communicating with parents as a certified hitting instructor at

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Pleasant Hill Senior Activities

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4/8 - Trip Presentation4pm.JoinColletteVacationsandtheMartinezSeniorCenterforapresentationslideshowonthefollowingtrip’s:Northern National Parks – Friday, July 5 – Friday, July 12. Southern Italy with Sicily - Thursday, October 17 – Monday, October 28.Asneakpreviewoftwotripsfor2014:InspiringIcelandandTropicalCostaRica.Callordropbythecenterifyouhaveanyquestionsorwantadetailedbrochureonthesetrips.

4/14 - Pancake Breakfast8am–11am.Thisdeliciousbreakfastincludespancakesortoast,sausage,eggs,orangejuiceandcoffee.Everyoneiswelcome.Cost:$3.50foradults/$2forchildren10andunder.Handmadecrafts,perfectforgifts,willbeonsaleduringthebreakfast.

4/24 - Round Table “Pizza Night” Fundraiser 11am-9pm.Helpusachieveourgoaltoupdateandimproveourcenterbyparticipatingwhetheryoudineinororderbyphoneforpickupordelivery.(Don’tcareforpizza?Anythingontheirmenuworks).•YoumustusetheparticipatingRoundTableRestaurantlocatedat504CenterAve.inMartinezandusetheflyercreatedbyRoundTableHeadquartersforthisevent.•RoundTablewilldonate20%ofyourtotalpurchasetoourcenter.(Toreceivecreditfordeliveriesyoumustmentionourfundraiserwhenorderingandincludetheflyerwithyourpaymentatdeliverytime).•Needaflyerortwo?Callthecenterat(925)370-8770ordropbyandpickoneup.

5/24 - Contra Costa County Public Law Library.Thecountylawlibraryisanimpor-tantsourcetoknowaboutforanyoneneedingup-to-datelegalinformation.CareyRowan,DirectoroftheLawLibrary,willdoabriefpresentationaboutthelibraryfollowedbyaQ&Asession.Comeandlearnmoreaboutthisvaluablecommunityresource,notjustforyourself,butalsoforyourfriendsandfamily.Callthecenterofficetoregisterforthisfreeinformativepresentationat(925)370-8770.

Thursdays - Dance for Joy – Fitness and Fun for Everyone! 2:30-3:15pm.Agentledanceclassthatcanbedoneatyourownlevel,withorwithoutchairs.Classcontainsele-mentsofjazz,ballet,bellydance,tapandsomeyoga.Improveyourstrengthandflex-ibilityplusmentalagility.Comeforfunandtryitout.ClassisheldinPHSC’snewDanceStudiowhichlooksouttothebeautifulPleasantHillPark.Firsttimetrialonly$5!Likeit?Registerforasessionordropinwhenyoucanforonly$7/class.

4/12 - Taste of the Vine 4-6pm.Sipaglassofwinewithfriendsandrelax.Avarietyofredandwhitewinesavailablepluslighthorsd’oeuvreswillbeserved.Non-alcoholicbeveragesavailable.SponsoredbyTheChateausofPleasantHill.PHSC’sDiningRoom.Tickets:$10,$15atthedoor(ifavailable).

4/19 - Vagabond Players Present “Last of the Red Hot Lovers”1pm.GrablunchbeforetheplayatourChef’sLunch(notincludedinticketprice,)thenwatchthisaward-winninglivetheatergroupputonashow.PHSC’sChateauRoom.Tickets:$10,$15atthedoor.

5/10 - “Laugh, Love and Learn” and Senior Resource Faire.Thisyear’sthemeis“TheBestofCalifornia.”SpeakersincludeGaryCrabbe,renownedphotographerandownerofEnlightenedImagesPhotography.HisworkhasappearedinNationalGeo-graphic,TimeMagazine,andhisbookCaliforniaCoastwonbestbookoftheyearin2001byCaliforniaOutdoorTravelWritersAssociation.Gary’spresentationwillbea“VisualJourneythroughNorthernCalifornia,”discussinghislatestbookPhotographingCalifornia.JulioLacayo,fromtheDept.ofMotorVehicleswillsharedrivingtipsforsen-iors.HeservedasDMV’sSeniorDriverOmbudsmanandinteractedwithmanyseniorcommunitycentersandagenciesasa“gobetween”toensuretreatmentofseniordriverswasfairandconsistentwithlawsandregulations.Additionally,KevinWeinberg,ownerandexecutivechefoftheWalnutCreekYachtClub,willsharehisexpertiseinCaliforniacuisine.KevinstudiedattheCulinaryAcademyandhasoverthirtyyearsintherestaurantbusiness.HewasvotedbestchefbyWalnutCreekMagazinein2012.RegisterforeventattheSeniorCenterorPHRecoffice,at147GregoryLane.Tickets:$30;$25ages60+.

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“Homebound elders in Contra Costa County will soon feel the pain of the so-called federal ‘sequester.’ An immediate funding reduction of $103,000 has been leveled against our local County Senior Nutrition Program, which includes the countywide Meals on Wheels Program,” reports Program Director Paul Kraintz. Forty percent of Meals on Wheels’ funding comes from government sources. The rest comes from individual donor charitable contributions, foundation grants and the program participants them-selves, sources which have also declined significantly since the Great Recession began. The combined impact means as many as 200 fewer homebound elders will receive daily meal deliveries in Contra Costa County. Meals on Wheels’ volunteers and staff currently deliver 1,500 meals per day to

nutritionally at-risk homebound elders who have no other viable means of receiv-ing nutritious daily meals. The program operates 80 meal delivery routes county-wide. Another 650 daily meals are served to seniors in 17 senior and community centers throughout the county. Community contributions to Meals on Wheels of Contra Costa from individu-als and charitable foundations subsidize some portion of virtually all of the 365,000 Meals on Wheels deliveries to homebound elders each year. Unfortunately, as com-munity and participant contributions have slowed, the homebound elders seeking our help have increased. Donations to Meals on Wheels can be made by mail to Meals on Wheels of Contra Costa, PO Box 3195, Martinez, CA 94553 or via the website: www.meal-sonwheelsofcontracosta.org.

Golden Notes Concert

Pleasant Hill’s own senior choral group, the Golden Notes, will present their annual concert on Sunday, April 28 at 2pm in the Chateau Room of the Pleasant Hill Senior Center, 233 Gregory Lane. The chorus, consisting of 37 men and women, is directed by Dee Wood and accompanied by Margie Lynwood. Music for this concert will be popular songs from the 40’s, 50’s and the 60’s, and will provide opportunities to sing along, and even dance a few steps. Tickets are $7.00 and are available at the Senior Center and from chorus members. Tickets may also be available at the door if any seats are remaining. Refreshments will follow the con-cert. For more information, contact Dee Wood, 687-7053 or [email protected].

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Recreation and Park UpdatesTeen Council Applications Due! Are you in middle or high school and looking for a great way to get in-volved in your community? The Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District is now accepting applications for the 2013-2014 Teen Council. The mission of the Teen

Council is to plan, promote and imple-ment programs and services for the areas teens. Teen Council is also a great way to volunteer at community events and serve in a leadership capacity. Applicants must live in or go to school in Pleasant Hill. Applications are available online at phteenscene.com and the deadline is

April 19.Pleasant Hill Rec is Ready for Summer… Are You? Spring will come and go quicker than you know, so the question is… are you ready for summer? Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District sure is! If you haven’t received our Summer Program guide, be sure to stop by the District Of-fice at 147 Gregory Lane and pick one up. Inside you’ll find everything you need for a fun and active summer. We have summer camps for every age. Here are just a few choices:• Preschool Camps: Ocean Adventures, Backyard Creatures, Make Believe Ad-

ventures, and Castle Tales. • Youth Camps: Lego Camp, Mad Science Camp, Animation Flix, Wildlife Habitat Explorations, and Spanish Immersion Camp. • Teen Camps: Teen Scene Extreme (includes trips!), Whitewater Rafting, Oakland A’s games, Sailing Trips, Rock Climbing, Trapeze Art Circus School, plus much more!• Other camps include Youth Sports Camps, Sewing Camp, Junior Lifeguard Camp & Water Polo Camp. For more information on all our Summer Camp opportunities, visit our website at www.pleasanthillrec.com or call (925) 682-0896.Take a Dip & Get Fit with Water Exercise! Don’t let the warm weather deter you from outdoor exercise. There are plenty of water exercise offerings through Pleasant Hill Rec & Park. Classes include Aqua Zumba, Water Walking, Water Blast, Water Aerobics and Swim for Fit-ness. Water exercise is a great low impact way to burn calories! Try one out and see what you think. For more information on class days and times, visit our website at www.pleasanthillrec.com or call (925) 682-0896.

Beginning May 4, join us every Saturday from 9am – 1pm, through November 16 in the courtyard between Sweet Tomatoes and ShaadZee Bakery Bistro for the season’s freshest produce from your favorite farmers. Throughout the season you’ll also find many new producers and products as well as live music and fun special events to make your farmers’ market experience better than ever!

Farmers’ Market is Back

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PHBA Opening Day 2013 Pleasant Hill Baseball Association’s (PHBA) annual Opening Day parade and games took place on Saturday, March 9, and was once again a huge hit amongst the players, families and local community. PHBA has been supporting the youth of Pleas-ant Hill, offering baseball and softball for 55 years. PHBA provides a league where ev-ery child plays as well as a more competitive traveling league for advanced players. The event began with a parade from Sequoia Elementary School to Pleasant Oaks Park (across from Pleasant Hill Middle School). The parade started promptly at 8:00 am and was led by the mayor and police chief. Family, friends, and supporters lined the parade route and cheered on the parade participants which included baseball and softball teams, antique and custom cars, a fire engine, police car, hay wagon, Boy Scout Color Guard and much more. Following the parade, there were opening ceremonies at the PHBA Sports Com-plex to ring in the new season. Baseball and softball games followed throughout the day, as well as a bar-b-que, batting cages, speed track pitching, slides, gladiator joust, bounce house, raffles and many more fun activities. There was something for every-one, and it was a great way to celebrate and start the 2013 season!

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It was mere minutes from the start of the live auction at College Park High School’s 2012 Musician’s Showcase and black-tie fundraiser at the Concord Hil-ton Hotel last October. Mason Johnson, 11th grader and alto saxophone player in the jazz ensemble, had to act fast. At-tending the event was Johnson’s grand-mother who told him she would be a serious bidder for a student jazz combo if they would perform at an upcom-ing dinner party at her Walnut Creek home. Johnson dashed quickly from the crowded ballroom to an even more crowded backstage area, where five fel-low players enthusiastically embraced the sudden challenge. Rounding out the promptly named “Wombo Combo” were 12th grader Caleb Phair on trum-pet, 11th grader Aaron Uribe on tenor saxophone, and 10th graders Mason Davis on drums, Brian Smith on bass, and Christian Wanser on piano. “We wrote the combo party offer on a scrap of paper, and handed it to the

auctioneer just in time,” recalls Wanser. None of the band members expected what happened next. “My grandmother won the bidding war and got us for a thousand dollars,” says Johnson. Wombo Combo was the smash fundraising success of the event. But, more importantly, the six student musi-

Quick! What Rhymes with Combo?By Brockton Brennan

On March 15, the executive staff from the Pleasant Hill Nation’s Giant Ham-burgers paid a surprise visit to a special employee, 79 year-old Rita Seaman. It was officially her last day serving and greeting customers, a job she has enjoyed for 34 years. Rita began working at Pleasant Hill’s original Nation’s, which was located further south on Contra Costa Blvd. some twenty years ago. Rita was greeted with balloons, flowers, cake and gifts and a special visit from her family. When asked what she will miss most from her job, she said, “The people and loyal customers I have known forever.”

cians (all of whom, Smith confesses, “eat lunch in the music room”) have now be-gun to reap the rich experiences and re-wards of collaborating closely with band mates. “After our first few rehearsals for the dinner party, we starting feeling chemistry,” says Uribe. “We thought, ‘we should stick together and keep jamming.’” Jorge Jimenez, Director of Instrumental Music at College Park, agrees. “Some of the best learning oc-

curs when peers are just trying to figure it out. Wombo Combo is completely student-led by six of the strongest play-ers in our program. They are staying after school up to four days a week, ex-ploring and playing jazz together.” Ji-menez added, “All this time practic-ing as a combo is in addition to their schoolwork. These are all high-achiev-ing, very active students.” Active, indeed. Wombo Combo re-cently played to rave reviews at the auc-tion-inspired dinner party where several music professionals were in attendance, including a trombone player who sat in with the band for a number. According to Phair, “We realized that we really can entertain an audience.” Now, it appears Wombo Combo will be getting another opportunity to do just that. “We’ve got a paid gig at The Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek this spring,” beamed Davis. If you or an organization you belong to would like to book a jazz performance by Wombo Combo, please contact Mr. Jorge Jimenez at College Park High School at (925) 682-7670, extension 3230, or email [email protected].

Wombo Combo is comprised of College Park High School students, (l to r): Caleb Phair, Aaron Uribe, Mason Johnson, Mason Davis, Brian Smith, and Christian Wanser.

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The Oak Park Convalescent Hospi-tal and Rehabilitation facility in Pleasant Hill has received quite a makeover this year. Oak Park recently went from being managed by a management company to owner/operated under Grace Healthcare, both management and staff are eager to invite the community in to see the cozy and comfortable facility and learn about the multitude of services they provide to its short and long-term care residents. The building has been in the same location on Oak Park Boulevard since 1959 (some of you long time residents may remember the facade was an eye-catching Pepto-Bismol pink for many years) begin-ning with only 21 beds. Today, the facility is operating at just under 50 beds with 28 long-term residents. The impressive upgrades include a re-hab gym with a new OmniVR, an exciting virtual rehabilitation therapy technique, similar to the Wii, where it recreates the patients’ movements in a 3-D, real-time interactive experience. It is designed to be fun and improve exercise participation, repetition and duration. In addition, a tool used to keep patients’ mentally active is the iN2L software (It’s Never Too Late), allowing patients and residents to easily use a touch screen computer and enjoy ap-plications such brain exercises and puzzles, travel videos, music and karaoke, and even social networking opportunities like Skype and web cams, all in an effort to help them stay mentally active. Monique Stokes, Admissions and Marketing Director, is dedicated to chang-ing the negative connotation of a ‘nurs-

ing facility’ and believes her facility is the way of the future. “In this community I think we are on the cutting edge. We have quality of care and a comfortable physical plant. It’s all the little things that make a difference when you’re rehabbing too. You want your creature comforts: good food--we cater to all specialty diets-- and daily activities to keep you entertained. When you’re feeling good, you’re going to do bet-ter.” The small facility allows the resi-dents and staff to build trust and develop friendships. “Here you get to know the families and residents intimately and that would not be the case in a larger facility,” said Molly Jones. “We provide individual-ized care and are moving forward with what the community wants of us—excel-lent nursing care, a great facility, a large number of rehabilitation services and a place they feel comfortable in and can make their home short or long-term. Our goal is to get people better, stronger, and back into the community for as long as possible,” she said. Oak Park works directly with the local area hospitals, community physicians, future residents and/or families to coordi-nate short-term poste-acute rehabilitation stays. These stays can be set up prior to surgery or as soon as someone admits to the hospital. Oak Park also supports sev-eral community groups through education and outreach to the senior community. For long-term care placement it is recom-mended to start this process early as there is routinely a waiting list. For information or to request a tour, call 925- 935-5222.

Cutting Edge ConvalescingBy Jaki Jones


Core training is all the rage because of its deep strengthening and back pain management. The Pilates method, developed over ninety years ago by profes-sional German boxer Jo-seph Pilates, sets the gold standard for core training. When adding this secret weapon to in-crease whole body strength, flexibility, balance, and injury prevention, ath-letes see a profound shift in their sport. Joseph and Clara Pilates’ work has been embraced by athletes of every sport, including Venus & Serena Wil-liams, the New Jersey Nets, and closer to home, former SF Giant hottie Au-brey Huff and the UC Berkeley Golden Bears, who use Pilates as an integral part of their training. Specialized spring-resistant ma-chines (reformer, trapeze table, etc.) enable multi-dimensional, dynamic strengthening that targets the body’s deep muscles that stabilize the joints. Pilates uses short reps, powerful ec-centric (lengthening) muscle contrac-tions, and flexibility interwoven with strength and balance, in addition to a focus on healthy body mechanics. Pi-lates uses an “inside out” approach to strengthening which creates new body awareness and an efficiency of move-ment that allows athletes to harness previously untapped power.

When training, an athlete’s body should be challenged dynamically by utilizing many alignments. Athletic movements are not simple or two-dimensional. This means that traditional bicep curls, push ups, and abdominal crunches don’t

translate well into the multidimension-al power, agility and injury prevention needed for hitting, tackling or tum-bling (which require rotation or tor-sion in many planes with force). Add this to the speed increase that comes from accessing new power and flexibil-ity, phenomenal Plyometric work, and correction of faulty body mechanics, and Pilates makes a perfect training regimen for athletes. It’s time that Pilates trickles down from professional and collegiate pro-grams to our younger athletes. It pro-foundly transforms both an athlete’s body and mind, giving them that extra edge for a long, successful, and healthy career. Tonya Marie Amos is a fully certi-fied Pilates instructor with over 1000 hours of training including advanced certifications in Movement Medicine, Scoliosis, Osteoporosis, Pre/Post Natal and Pilates For Golf. For more information, contact please call (925) 680-4400 or go to www.AspirePilatesCenter.com.

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The concept of rehabilita-tion has been widely accepted in cardiac and pulmonary care and in recovery from traumatic and orthopedic injuries, but few understand how important this concept can be for cancer patients. Almost 70 percent of cancer patients report fatigue and overall deconditioning during treatment. Other complaints include muscle atrophy and decreased bone density, medication side effects, loss of stamina, balance problems and lymphedema. Currently there are very few institutions and cancer centers that offer formal oncology rehabilita-tion services, and these services are often omitted from cancer survivorship pro-grams. An oncology rehabilitation program should be designed to educate, support and empower patients who have or have had cancer and to allow them optimal function and quality of life during and af-ter their cancer treatments. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s guide-lines say “rehabilitation should begin with a cancer diagnosis and should continue even after cancer treatment ends.” Oncology specific physical therapists can help patients overcome physical ob-stacles during treatment and provide tools for independent participation in a plan to remain healthy and vibrant after treat-ment. Patients who have lymphedema of any body part, restricted mobility, scar tis-

sue, fatigue, deconditioning or weakness, balance problems, difficulty walking, weight gain and decreased muscle mass can benefit from early intervention in an oncology rehabilitation program. At Diablo Valley On-cology, we have developed a

state-of-the-art Physical Therapy and Life-style Center to meet the growing needs of cancer patients. Our lead therapist, Alison Taba, is a licensed physical therapist with special training in oncology rehabilitation and lymphedema therapy. Alison and our team of physical therapy specialists provide cancer rehabilitation services to enable patients who have been diagnosed, those undergoing treatment and survivors of cancer to improve their quality of life and help them successfully integrate back into society. In addition to physical therapy, our Lifestyle Center provides nutritional serv-ices by Tinrin Chew, RD, who specializes in providing oncology specific nutri-tion counseling. Other services include group exercise classes and educational programs. Additional integrative health services will be incorporated in 2013. Our Physical Therapy and Lifestyle Center is the only one in the East Bay area and one of the few in Northern California to provide cancer specific rehabilitation services. Diablo Valley’s Physical Therapy & Lifestyle Center can be reached by calling 925-400-9570.

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4/1 - 4/5 - Kitty Corner Spring Break. Come meet our cool cats during special open hours M-F, 11am to 3pm at our one-of-a-kind free roam shelter at 609 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill. For info on Kitty Cor-ner or adoptions visit www.cchumane.org or call 925-279-2247 x 303 M-F 9 to 5 or after hours and weekends at 925-497-4883.

4/2 - Pleasant Hill Garden Study Club 7pm. Camellia Room, Gardens at Heather Farm, 1540 Marchbanks Dr., Walnut Creek. Speaker: Brad Gates, Growing Heirloom Tomatoes. Guests are welcome & free. Contact 925-944-4898, www.phgsc.com.

4/6 - Italian Catholic Federation Branch #13 annual Spaghetti & Meatball Family Fundraising Dinner; 5:30pm No-Host Cocktails, 6pm Dinner; St. Catherine of Siena Parish Hall, 604 Mellus Street, Mtz, (enter hall on Henrietta Street). Adults/Seniors: $10; Children ages 5-11: $5; under 5: free with adult. Family Deal: 2 adults & 2-3 children: $25. Proceeds benefit scholar-ship and other programs. Tickets: 925-229-2665.

4/12 – Teen Scene Concert 7pm. Teen Scene presents two College Park student bands, Magic Band of Misfits and 2AM. For all ages. $5. PH Teen Center, 147 Gre-gory Lane, Pleasant Hill.

4/13 - Mini Motorland Returns! 10am-12pm. A unique track for electric ride-on cars, big wheels and tricycles at John Muir Amphitheater. Ages 2-5. $8. Fee includes driver’s license, fishing permit, library card and snacks. Visit the repair shop, doctor’s office, museum, library, flower shop and so much more!

4/16 - Making Informed Choices About Standard Care & Clinical trials 6–8 pm, with Robert Robles, MD. Learn about benefits and risks of standard treatments and clinical trials, how new cancer treat-ments are developed and approved, how to sort out myths from facts about clinical trials, and locate those in your area right for you. Dr. Robles is a medical oncologist with Diablo Valley Oncology/Hematology Medical Group. Cancer Support Commu-nity, 3276 McNutt Avenue, Walnut Creek, 925.933.0107.

4/17 - Society of American Magicians Assembly #112 meets the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 7pm. Open to all! Join us

EVENTS

Calendarthis month and learn magic! Contact Fred at (925) 451-1292.

4/17 - Community Bible Study Visitors Day 9:15-11:15. An interdenominational in-depth,weekly Bible study. All women and children are welcome. For informa-tion call Diane: (925) 370-7525; email [email protected], or visit www.com-munitybiblestudy.org.

4/18 - Daylight Tours Cemetery Tours 10am-12pm. Adults only. A tour guide will introduce you to families with names you know and some you don’t. Learn about local war heroes personalities, politicians and a most creative caretaker. This tour is to enlighten, not frighten! Call 372-3510 to reserve, space is limited. Pre-registration required. Donations will go to the Cemetery for improvements and the Martinez Historical Society.

4/19 - An Evening of Wine and Song 7-10:30pm. Featuring Sin Silver. It’s been 5 years since Sin arrived in California via Ireland. With such musical influences as Elton John, Billy Joel, Tori Amos and Irish folk, this piano bar show is not to be missed! Light hors d’oeuvres served, wine and beer for purchase. Proceeds to benefit the Senior and Teen Centers.

4/20 – John Muir Birthday - Earth Day Celebration 10am-4pm. Bring the family for fun filled activities and entertainment: music, fashion show, silent auctions, tours, cake and much more! Free. Food and bev-erages available for purchase. Info: www.johnmuirassociation.org.

4/25 – Dinosaur Dig 3:30 - 4:45pm. All kids love dinosaurs! Bring your junior paleontologist to Waterfront Park to dig for dinosaur bones and make fun dino crafts. Prehistoric punch & a dinosaur cookie and time on the playground are included. Space is limited to 20 children, preregistration is required: 372-3510. Ages: 3-6 years, $8 per child at Waterfront Park, North Court Street, Martinez.

4/27 – Annual Lions Club Poker Night 5-10pm. Join us for a Texas Hold’em tournament at Back Forty Texas BBQ, 100 Coggins Dr., Pleasant Hill. Have a good time, east some great food and raise money for charity. The $50 entry fee includes food and poker. Dealers will be provided at every table to assist and handle all questions. All skill levels welcome. 1st prize is $400. Tickets are available at Back

Forty, Phil Madruga 925-933-8061 and Ken Wombacher 925-687-0858.

4/27 – YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day 11am-1pm. the Y’s national initiative to improve the health and well-being of families. Yoga for kids, Zumba, Family Relay, Bounce House, pool games and more! Mayor Michael Harris will lead a Family Fun Walk at 10:15am. Free giveaways and drawings for kids and parents. 350 Civic Dr., Pleasant Hill.

4/27- Document Shredding Fundraiser 1-3pm. This annual event is sponsored by Diablo Valley Oncology and raises money for the Cancer Support Community. Make a charitable donation, and ‘SHRED WORKS’ will shred your documents on the spot! California Cancer and Research Institute, 400 Taylor Blvd, PH, 925-677-5041.

4/27 - Cruisin’ the Creek Car Show 10am-2pm. Creekside Church’s 5th an-nual. Bring cool cars, trucks and bikes. Awards for different categories. Great food, live music, giant inflatables, activi-ties for kids and fun for the family! $25 to register car, truck or bike. Register: www.creekside.org under “events” then “car show”.

4/27 - The Catholic Community of Saint Catherine of Siena Parish 140th Anni-versary 4:30pm. Liturgy, continuing with fellowship and celebratory adult dinner at 6pm. Tickets are $40 per person and may be purchased at the Saint Catherine Parish Office at 1125 Ferry Street, Mtz; School at 604 Mellus Street, Mtz; or by calling 925-270-9830.

Hospice of the East Bay is pleased to offer a variety of support groups and workshops for adults, children and teens experiencing grief after the death of a loved one. Classes offered at Hospice’s Administrative Offices: 3470 Buskirk Av-enue; Pleasant Hill, 80 Eagle Rock Avenue, Suite A, Brentwood, and at Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation: 2890 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek. Find the most current Bereavement Services calendar at: www.hospiceeastbay.org.

Spring Fling April. Contra Costa Humane Society is collecting shoes all month long for ShoeBox Recycling. Bring your shoes to CCHS, 609 Gregory Lane, Ste. 210, Pleasant Hill and help us give shoes and animals a second life. For more information visit www.cchumane.org or www.shoeboxrecy-cling.com or call 925-279-2247.

For April Library Calendars go to ccclib.org.

FPHE’s UPCOMING EVENTS

FPHE’s UPCOMING EVENTS

FPHE’s 5th Anniversary CelebrationJoin FPHE as they celebrate their 5th Anniversary on Saturday, April 20, from 8-11pm at Zio Fraedo’s Restaurant at 611 Gregory Lane. Rock the night away with a favorite local band, the FOG5! Tickets are $15 per person/$25 per couple and are available now at www.fphe.org.2nd Annual Amazing Race of Pleasant HillOn Sunday, April 28 from noon to 4pm. This is a fun and interesting event for all ages that promises to keep you challenged! (Race is not based on speed.) Assemble your team (up to four people or a family) and be sure to join us this year! Show team spirit with matching hats, T-shirts, props – whatever! Registration is $50 per team. Pre-register now at www.fphe.org.The Amazing Race is sponsored by Magoo’s Grill of Pleasant Hill.Be a Part of Progress - Donate Today for the Future of Our Community’s Schools. Please donate at www.fphe.org or send check to FPHE, PO Box 23851, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523. Thank you for your commitment to education and our community. Email us at: [email protected].


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Dr. Bob Schaefer Chiropractic & Weight LossWhere to Go & What to Do for Elder Care

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