nov'13focus final

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•november 2013

• Lets Talk Turkey ............................................page 4• New Garden Angel .................................... page 19• Benzie: World Champion ......................... page 20• High School Homecoming ....................... page 22

Local Authors .................................................... page 27Riding the Rails ................................................. page 33New Mt Diablo Superintendent ...................... page 37Business Service Directory .............................. page 39

Fall in Sonoma Photo by SusanWoodPhotography.com

www.ourcommunityfocus.com November 2013

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www.ourcommunityfocus.comNovember 2013

Celebrate remembrance veterans Day events The Hospice of the East Bay invites the public to participate in the annual Tree of Lights ceremonies for both Martinez and Pleasant Hill. For twenty-seven years, the Tree of Lights ceremonies have offered citizens throughout Contra Costa a way to celebrate and memorialize the lives of their friends and loved ones. In addition, the funds raised at all eleven trees throughout Contra Costa County allow Hospice of the East Bay to offer end-of-life care for everyone in the community regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. The ceremonies include music, reading of the memorial names, refreshments, and the magical moment when the Tree is lighted…rain or shine! Lights can be dedicated for a minimum gift of $25; donors have the option of having their name listed in the tree lighting program for a gift of $100 or more; and tax-deductible tree sponsorships range from $250 to $10,000. Proceeds from Tree of Lights ceremonies benefit the patients and families in our communities under the care of Hospice of the East Bay. Established in 1977, Hospice of the East Bay is a not-for-profit agency that helps people cope with end of life by providing medical, emotional, spiritual, and practical support for patients and families, regardless of their ability to pay. For light purchases, donations, spon-sorships and event questions, please call (925) 887-5678 or visit www.MartinezHospiceTree.com or www.PHHospiceTree.com. To learn more, visit www.hospiceeastbay.org.

martinez Tree of LightsThisyear’streelightingwillbeheldonSaturday,November16,at5pmatthemajesticoaktreelocatedonMorelloAvenue,northofArnoldDrive,andwillbededicatedtotheKinderFamilyinmemoryofJacobKinderandJohnKinderandinhonorofPaulaKinder’smotherMableStewart.JoinMartinezMayorRobSchroder,chamberofcom-mercemembers,citycouncilandMartinezresidentsastheEastBayskyisbrightenedthisholidayseasonbyhonoringthelivesoflovedones.Pleasant Hill Tree of LightsThemagnificentoaktreelocatedonGregoryLanenearClevelandRoadwillbelitonThursday,November21,at5:30pm.ThewelcomedreturnofthistreelightingwillbeinhonorofPleasantHillPoliceOfficerRobertEugeneLauderdale.AreceptionwillfollowimmediatelyatthePleasantHillTeenCenterlocatedat147GregoryLane.

To honor our veterans for service to their country, we invite you to join in Veterans Day ceremonies at various locations throughout Martinez and Pleasant Hill on Monday, November 11.In Pleasant Hill:The Contra Costa County Veterans Monument at Boyd Road and Contra Costa Blvd. will be open 10am - 2pm to mark the heroism of local veterans. Questions about the monument’s proud history will be answered and refreshments will be served to the strains of patriotic music. All are welcome to commemorate the service of our veterans.In martinez:We invite you to attend two Veterans Day ceremonies in honor and gratitude of veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. At 10am there will be a ceremony by the Veterans Commission at the Alhambra Cemetery on Carquinez Scenic Drive. At 11am there will be a ceremony by the Veterans Commission at the All Veterans Monument at the corner of Alhambra Avenue and Berrellesa Street.

Photo by SusanWoodPhotography.com


JULIe SAYS

My brother who lives in Al-berta wished me Happy Thanksgiv-ing on Columbus Day this year. No, I reminded him, while Canadians are busy with their birds (or vegetar-ian/vegan alternatives) on the second Monday in October, Thanksgiving in the United States is not celebrated until the fourth Thursday in November. These seemingly arbitrary harvest-based dates made me wonder about how the whole Thanksgiving holi-day evolved, so I did a bit of research. Maybe you historian types are already aware of this, but I was disheartened to learn the Pilgrims did not actually wear those quirky black hats with the big buckles. Nor did they necessarily eat turkey at the initial feast with Native Americans. Evidently, there is some sort of proof that the Wampanoag In-dians brought five deer to the gathering (sadly, not as guests, but as the main course). Anyway, before I further spoiled the holiday for myself by uncovering more fallacies, I chose not to delve fur-ther into the historical development of Thanksgiving Day. Instead, I decided to write about something only tangential-ly related -- wild turkeys. By the growing population of healthy birds in our midst, one would think the wild turkey was native to California. Not so. Those big flocks hanging around our neighborhoods are descendants of wild turkeys introduced to California fifty years ago from Texas and Colorado. Wild turkeys are omnivores. They eat mostly nuts, fruit, seeds and other plant matter, but occasionally they sup-plement their diet with insects, sala-manders, small reptiles and snails. For a nest, the female turkey scratches a shallow depression, about an inch deep and a foot across, and lays between 4 to 17 eggs. The natural habitat of wild tur-

keys is open forests with interspersed clearings, but they seem to be doing just fine at the corner of Ridgeview and Cliffside in Pleasant Hill also. Wild turkeys can run 25 miles per hour (take that, Usain Bolt!) and fly 55 miles per hour. This seems implausible for such a heavy bird, which can weigh up to 20 pounds. I can tell you first-hand, however, how powerful their wings are. As a volunteer in the wildlife hospital at Lindsay Wildlife Museum, I have been challenged with restraining a wild turkey while it is given medicine. Not so easy holding those wings down! Only male turkeys make that charming gobbling sound. Females yelp as well as cluck. A wild turkey has a wingspan of four feet or more and has 6,000 feathers. They typically live three or four years in the wild. Does the name turkey have any-thing to do with the country Tur-key? Why, yes it does, but via a case of mistaken identity. When Europeans encountered wild turkeys in America,

they incorrectly identified the birds as a type of guinea fowl, known as “turkey fowl” because they were imported to Europe through Turkey. Today’s domestic turkeys are the descendants of those brought by ex-plorers from Mexico to Europe in the 1500s. Later, English colonists intro-duced domestic turkeys to the Unit-ed States. Barnyard turkeys are much heavier than wild turkeys and are not so good at running or flying. Farm tur-keys can also be distinguished from na-tive wild turkeys by their tail tips. Do-mestic turkeys generally have white tail tips, like the subspecies that originated in Mexico, while wild turkeys in North America have chestnut brown tips. Now that you have plenty of fod-der for discussion around the holiday dinner table, I will sign off. Have a Happy Thanksgiving! Foradviceaboutlivinginhar-monywithwildturkeys,callLindsayWildlifeMuseum.YoucanreachJulieatjulieakross@comcast.net

Let’s Talk TurkeyBy Julie Ross

PUbLISHerSBecky Coburn, Jennifer Neys,

Elena Hutslarinfo@ourcommunityfocus.comAMonthlyPublicationdeliveredtoover40,000HomesandBusinessesinPleasantHill,Martinez,Pacheco,

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ConTACT InFormATIon:Community Calendar:

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Phone: (925) 335 - neWS (6397)

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TELEPHONE 925.933.0435


For more Information regarding the Ambassador meeting –Ifinterestedinbecominganambassador,contactusat(925)[email protected].

11/7 - Five Chamber business expo,Thursday4-7pmattheCrownePlazaHotel,45JohnGlennDrive,Concord.Freetothepublic.CalltheMartinezChamberformoreinformationandtoreserveyourbooth.

11/11 – office Closed - veterans Day

11/16 – Hospice Tree of Lights –Saturday,5pm,AtMorelloAvenue,northofArnoldDrive.Joinusforthe26thAnnualMartinezTreeofLightsCeremony.ThetreelightingsthroughoutContraCostaCountyhaveservedthedualrolesofcomfortingmem-bersofthecommunitywhohaveincurredalossaswellasraisingfundstosupportHospiceoftheEastBay’sservices.FormoreinformationcalltheChamberorKathyKa-vanagh@925-887-5678.

11/20 - Chamber mixer – Wednesday,5:30–7:30pmatTheUPSStore,1155ArnoldDrive,Martinez.Co-hostedwiththeHispan-icChamberofCommerce.Greatnetwork-ing,food,fun,raffleprizes(bringaraffleprizeandhaveyourbusinessannounced!)

11/28 & 11/29 – office Closed – Thanksgiving Holiday

11/1 – Ambassador meeting8-9am.PleasantHillCityHall.

11/7 – business expo 20134-7pm.CrownePlazaHotel,Concord.

11/12, 11/13 & 11/14 – 680 breakfast Club networking8:30-10am.

11/20 – business mixer 5-7pm.ChateauIII,175CleavelandRd.,PH.

11/21 – board of Directors meeting8-9am.PleasantHillCityHall.

11/21 – Hospice of the east bay Tree Lighting & reception5:30pm.PHTeenCenter,147GregoryLane.

11/26 & 11/27 – 680 breakfast Club networking8:30-10am.

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

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ribbon CuttingBoston Market - Pleasant Hill

Boston Market celebrated their new Pleasant Hill Chamber membership with a ribbon cutting attended by chamber ambassadors, board members and the may-or of Pleasant Hill. Boston Market serves ribs, chicken, hand carved meats, home-style sides and desserts for individuals or family style. Feeding a group? They cater too! 2180 Contra Costa Blvd. Hours are Mon-Sat 10:30am-10pm and Sun 11am-9pm.

rinn Chosen for board

Thursday, November 7, 2013 - 4:00 pm - 7:00 pmCrowne Plaza Hotel, 45 John Glenn Drive, ConcordFive Chambers are participating in this huge business expo: Concord, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Lafayette & Hispanic Chambers of Commerce

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For more information, please contact your Chamber of CommerceConcord: www.concordchamber.com • Martinez: www.martinezchamber.comHispanic: www.H5C.ORG • Pleasant Hill: www.pleasanthillchamber.comLafayette: www.lafayettechamber.org

PRESENTED BY:

BUSINESSEXPO

Matthew Rinn, a local State Farm agent and 2011 Pleasant Hill Business Person of the Year, was selected from a group of twelve applicants to fill the vacancy on the Contra Costa Community College District board through December 2014. Rinn is the chairman of the Pleasant Hill Chamber of Commerce and also serves on both the Irvin Deutscher YMCA Advisory board and the Pleasant Hill Education Com-mission. The Contra Costa Community College District includes Diablo Valley College campuses in Pleasant Hill, Brentwood and San Ramon, Los Medanos College and Contra Costa College.

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The dictionary defines luck as “the force, considered the result of chance, that seems to operate for good or ill in a person’s life.” But is luck really just the “result of chance,” or can we, perchance, take some steps to ensure good luck by doing the following? Pay attention to your surroundings. You won’t spot good luck unless you look for it.Strike up conversations with strangers. You might meet the love of your life or make an important business contact.After you meet someone interesting, follow up with a note or phone call.Stay relaxed, even in a pressured situa-tion; it will help you be more aware.Vary your routine. Walk on the other side of the street or try a new lunch spot.Be aggressive about making changes you want. Still thinking about moving across the country? Just go, already!Follow your hunches and gut feelings. Many seemingly random occurrences are actually the result of good subconscious

decisions.Treat nagging doubts as alarm bells. They’re often right, even if you can’t pin-point the reason.Expect good fortune. If you think some-thing’s going to happen, you’ll be more likely to spot it when it does.Believe in lucky charms. A four-leaf clover doesn’t have special powers, but the confidence it gives you is very pow-erful.Smile. People will smile back and, sud-denly, you’re off to a good start.Outlast bad luck. Often a negative turn of events creates unexpected opportuni-ties for good results. Wishing you a lifetime of good luck! Start by calling me for your future real estate needs!Sincerely, “Lucky”DaveKelley,BrokerBRE#00470111.YourLocalRealEstateEx-pertSince1973,RealtyExecutives,[email protected],800-881-4282.

Can You Change Your Luck?

PAID ADverTorIAL

Strong Schools benefit the Community

PHCF expands boardPhoto and Article by Betty Geishirt Cantrell

Four of Pleasant Hill’s elementary school principals showed their sup-port for the Foundation for Pleasant Hill Education (FPHE) by dining out at Magoo’s Grill in September. Magoo’s teamed up with FPHE throughout the month of September by donating 50% of food sales when guests brought in their FPHE flyer. All the ladies en-joyed the great salads! FPHE is now on eScrip! For those unfamiliar with eScrip, every time you shop at an eScrip merchant, like Safe-way or Lunardi’s, and use your club card, credit and/or debit card, FPHE earns funding for its school grant pro-gram - funds that will directly benefit Pleasant Hill’s public schools. Sign-up is easy! Visit http://www.escrip.com/ to either sign-up for a new account or, if you already have an account, simply add the ‘Foundation for Pleasant Hill Education’. The more people sign up, the more funding FPHE will receive, so please spread the word. It’s a simple act that will have a huge impact! Since 2009, FPHE has awarded over $157,000 and 187 grants to the eleven public schools within the Col-

lege Park High School feeder pattern. This year, the foundation awarded 37 grants. FPHE thanks and applauds all 2013 donors for placing a high priority on local education and realizing that strong schools benefit the entire com-munity. Forinformationvisitfphe.org.

The Pleasant Hill Community Foundation is very pleased to welcome five new members to its Board of Directors: Wendy Komori Stager of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Aloma Levine of Innovations Day Spa, Giles Miller of the East Bay Commu-nity Foundation, Adrianne Roe of Leading Edge Pest Management and Marian Wo-odard of Rodgers Ranch Urban Farm & Teaching Gardens. These new members bring unique perspectives from the faith-based community, nonprofit community-based organizations and local small businesses. The Pleasant Hill Community Foundation is an all-volunteer organization that has served Pleasant Hill for the past 26 years. It supports educational, recreational and cultural organizations through grants and fundraising for major projects. It also pro-vides scholarships to College Park High School graduates and stipends to the winners of the Community Plus Award. The Pleasant Hill Community Foundation provides an avenue for donors to support Pleasant Hill by accepting tax-deductible donations. Find out more on our website at www.PHCommunityFoundation.org.

run for education 2013 The 11th Annual Shell/MEF 5K/10K Run for Education on October 6 raised $50,000 for the Martinez Edu-cation Foundation (MEF). More than 560 runners and walkers competed in the event, with 63 runners continuing on to the 10K with a route that spun off from the 5K and went up the hills to Carqui-nez Scenic Drive. The 5K race began at 8:30am at the corner of Es-tudillo and Main Street. It turned up Alhambra Avenue, over to Berrellessa, turning on Marina Vista and then back down Escobar and fin-ishing up on Court Street. More than 100 people volunteered to make the event a success, including dozens of

students from Martinez Junior High School and Alhambra High School and many Shell refinery workers. All ages participate in the run, and

prizes are awarded for the overall winners as well as for various age groups. The Shell/MEF Run For Edu-cation started in the fall of 2003 and has steadily grown every year. Originally a 5K event, in 2012 a 10K course was added to the run. MEF uses the Run proceeds to

give grants to Martinez schoolteach-ers for needed technology and other equipment in classrooms. The Run is the largest annual fundraiser for the Martinez Education Foundation, with Shell the primary sponsor.

Back row LtoR: Sandy Bruketta, Hidden Valley; and Liz Kim, Strandwood. Bottom row: Marji Calbeck, Valhalla; and Cheryl Kolano, Gregory Gardens.


Architectural review CommissionNovember 7, 21Small Community Room, 5pmContact: 671-5209

City CouncilNovember 4, 18Council Chambers, 7:30pmContact: 671-5229

Civic Action CommissionNovember 6Small Community Room, 6:30pmContact: 671-5229

education CommissionNovember 27Large Community Room, 7pmContact: 671-5229

Planning CommissionNovember 12, 26Council Chambers, 7:30pmContact: 671-5209

All meetings take place at City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill.

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

Public meetings

PLeASAnT HILL CITY bUZZ

mayor’s messageMichael G. Harris, OD, Mayor, City of Pleasant Hill

The Contra Costa County Library celebrated its 100th birthday this summer. And despite what my wife says, there is no truth to the rumor that I was their first patron! But I have been a regular patron for dozens of years. Whether it’s reserving books online, viewing their webpage, or visiting the Pleasant Hill Library in person, I seem to connect to our library on a daily basis. When I was a kid, I felt really lucky that there was a public library across the street from my school. I could stop there on my way home and browse through hundreds of books, looking for just the right ones to take out. I still remember how proud I felt the first time I showed a librarian my very own library card. Ever since that special day, I’ve always kept my library card in my wallet. I still get a thrill when I walk into the Pleasant Hill Library and use my library card to check out books with the newfangled self-checkout machines. I love books. I’m an avid reader, and I’ve been writing a book review column for the Community Focus for the past year. Reading as many books as I do, it just doesn’t “pay” to buy all of them when I can borrow them from the library for free. When I check my account online, I get excited when I see that a book I reserved is waiting for me at the library. Going to the library is like exploring

the world without leaving home. I can find books about mysterious places I’ve never been, famous people I’ve never met, and magnificent adventures I’ve never had. Through library books, I get to enjoy all these wonderful experiences and more. Today’s libraries are more than just book repositories. They are gathering places for the entire community. When I walk into the Pleasant Hill Library and see a group of parents with young children listening to a librarian reading a story, a huge smile comes to my face. What a joy it must be for parents to share these special occasions with their children, knowing that story time will open their young eyes to the wonders of the world. The programs and the people at the Pleasant Hill Library are truly wonderful and enrich our lives. You can help our library by becoming a member of the Friends of the Pleasant Hill Library. I’m a life member. You can learn more about the great work they do by visiting their website at http://ccclib.org/friends/phl.html. The City of Pleasant Hill is commit-ted to extending library hours so we all will have more opportunities to visit the Pleasant Hill Library and see what it has to help us grow and learn. Personally, I am committed to exploring all options for building a new library in Pleasant Hill. In the meantime, I hope you will continue to enjoy all that our library currently has to offer. When I look in my wallet, I find many important things, but none is more valuable than my library card.

City news

City Hall Offices Closed on Monday, November 11 in Observance of Veterans Day and November 28 & 29 in Observance of Thanksgiving.

Closing the book on barnes & noble TheBarnes&NoblelocatedinthePleasantHillShoppingCenteronContraCostaBoulevardisclosing.TheirleaseexpiresonJanuary31,2014,andthestorecouldcloseforbusinessshortlyaftertheholidays.AnewleasehasbeensignedbyHomeGoodstooccupythe21,000squarefootspace.JennySmith,seniorleasingagentwithRegencyCenters,said,“HomeGoodswilltakepossessionofthespaceshortlythereafter,inearlyFebruary,andbegintheirtenantimprovements.Wedonotyethaveanopeningdateforthem,butIwouldassumetheywouldbeopenbythesummer.”HomeGoodsisahomefurnishingsstorethatoffersexclusivehomefashions,includingaccentfurniture,lamps,rugs,bathandbedding,deco-rativeaccessories,children’sfurniture,seasonalmerchandise,andwalldécor.Kel-lyCalhoun,economicdevelopmentmanagerforPleasantHillsaid,“HomeGoodswillbeabenefittothecityandbringnewopportunitytothatcenterandpoten-tiallytwicetheamountoftaxrevenueofBarnes&Noble.”

Light up the night in Downtown Pleasant Hill JoinSantaandothersinlightingupdowntownPleasantHillfortheholidayseasononWednesday,December4,5pm-8pm.EnjoyaholidaycraftsfaironCrescentDrive,carriagerides,carolingandStudioAdancersontheplazastage.Also,freehotchocolateandcookies,aswellasmerchantgiveaways,willbeavailablefortheentirefamily.Formoredetails,seetheadonbackpage.

The month of November is the start of the busy holiday season. As you begin to think about and plan your holiday celebra-tions, don’t forget the importance of shop-ping locally. Pleasant Hill has a wide variety of retailers and shopping options and plenty of restaurants for feeding that pre or post shopping appetite. The average consumer, according to the National Retail Federation, spends about $700 during the holiday season. Making all of your holiday purchases within the city can have a profound impact on our local economy and help form a synergy to create new jobs locally and generate more economic growth within the community. Here is a top ten list for why shopping lo-cally benefits the community:• Protect Local Character and Prosperity – By choosing to shop at local businesses, you can help maintain a diversity of businesses and create and support local jobs. • Community Well-Being – Locally owned and operated businesses build strong neigh-borhoods by sustaining communities and contributing to more local causes. • Local Decision Making – Local ownership means people who live in the community and feel the impact often make important decisions locally. • Keeping Dollars in the Local Economy –

Dollars spent in local businesses have more impact on your community by creating and sustaining jobs, funding more city services through sales tax, and investing in neigh-borhood improvements. • Jobs and Wages – Local businesses create jobs in the community. • Entrepreneurship – Supporting local en-trepreneurs fuels America’s economic inno-vation and prosperity.• Environmental Sustainability – Local stores help sustain vibrant, compact and walkable city centers, which is essential for reducing automobile use, and air and water pollution. • Diversity – A market place or city that has a variety of diversity of businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and stable prices over the long term and provide the commu-nity with a broader range of product offer-ings. • Local Food – Local restaurants and stores are more likely to carry locally produced foods, which supports local agriculture. • Support Local – Local businesses support other local businesses. If you are looking for shopping or din-ing resources during the holiday season, visit us on ShopPleasantHill.org and like us on Facebook at ShopPleasantHill. Enjoy Pleasant Hill this holiday season!

Keep It LocalBy Kelly Calhoun, Economic Development Manager


mArTIneZ CITY bUZZ

Public meetings

Live theatre will soon return to downtown Marti-nez. On September 18, the Martinez City Council ap-proved the com-mencement of ne-gotiations for a sublicense of the Campbell Theatre with Onstage Repertory Theatre. The agreement, which would run through December 31, 2014, should be ready for final approval in the next few weeks, hope-fully, with holiday performances in late No-vember and into December. The Campbell Theatre, located on Ward Street in downtown Martinez, is a two-story building with approximately 5700 square feet. The city has leased the build-ing from the Bisio family since 2005, and it was the home of the Willows Theatre Com-pany Cabaret up until August of 2012. The former auto parts store and county storage facility underwent extensive remodeling

and renovations. Over $1,000,000 in private donations went into those renovations and into the construction of their production facility near the John Muir Amphitheatre in Waterfront Park. The theatre opened in 2007 with a performance of Danny Goggins’ world-renowned comedy, Nunsense. For the next four years, the Campbell Theatre held hun-dreds of performances and brought thou-sands of people to downtown Martinez. The theatre closed in August of 2012, and the Willows declared bankruptcy in November of 2012. Although the Campbell Theatre closed their doors and the building has been sitting empty for over a year, the City of Martinez is still obligated to pay rent through the ex-piration of the lease in December 2014. We had hoped to open the building for other theatre companies and promoters to use for live theatre, comedy, lectures, meetings and gatherings. Unfortunately, due to the bank-ruptcy and liens placed upon the Willows’

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 meetingNovember 6, 206:30-11pmContact: 925-372-3500

Design review meetingNovember 13, 273-5pmContact: 925-372-3500

Planning Commission meetingNovember 12, 267-11pmContact: 925-372-3500

Zoning Administrator meetingNovember 6, 203-5pmContact: 925-372-3500

Photo by Stahlberg

personal property by lenders as collateral, we were legally prohibited from opening the theatre. The personal property in the Campbell Theatre consisted of various sound, light-ing, stage and concessionaire equipment. Through months of negotiations and delays, the city recently acquired title to this prop-erty, and all liens and demands have been satisfied. This placed the city in a position to move forward with a sublicense for the theatre to a third party manager. After a se-ries of Requests for Proposal (RFP), the city chose Onstage Repertory Theatre. Onstage is a non-profit theatre with over 35 years of experience and strong ties to a number of other local theatre compa-nies. Onstage envisions directly booking music, stand-up comedy, business meetings,

acting classes and a variety of K-12 “Young Artist” performances. Onstage is also will-ing to rent the space to another event holder for special performances beyond their scope or expertise. This is an important compo-nent of the vision for the Campbell Theatre as Martinez is home to many talented artists that perform at venues downtown. Within six months of renewed op-erations of the Campbell Theatre, the city will evaluate the success and future of live theatre in downtown Martinez. There are no hard numbers on how many people at-tended past performances at the Campbell Theatre, but if you talk to downtown res-taurateurs, they were packed with people attending the theatre. I am confident that attendance for upcoming performances will be strong.

City Offices Closed on Monday, November 11 in Observance of Veterans Day and November 28 & 29 in Observance of Thanksgiving.

City manager resigns TheMartinezCityCouncilmetonOctober18inaspecialclosedsessiontoconductapublicemployeeperformanceevaluationforCityManagerPhilipVince.Followingtheclosedsession,MayorRobSchroderannouncedthecitymanager,whohasheldthepositionsince2008,offeredhisresigna-tioneffectiveimmediately.AssistantCityManagerAlanShearwillassumetheroleofactingcitymanager.“Inthenextfewweeksthecitycouncilwillmeetinclosedsessiontodiscussthepossibilityofappointinganinterimcitymanagerandtheprocessforfillingthepositionpermanently,”saidMayorSchroder.

Small business Saturday HeadtodowntownMartinezonSaturday,November30,andsupportourcommunity.Whenyoushopatlocalsmallbusinesses,youhelpourcommunitygrow.Together,let’scontinuetosupporttheShopSmall®initiativeallyear.

breakfast with Santa OnSunday,December8,8:00am-11:00am,enjoyafun-filledholidaybreakfastwithSantaattheSeniorCommunityCenter.JoinSantaforpan-cakes,sausages,scrambledeggs,juiceandcoffee.Bringacamerabecausethisissuretobeagreatphotoopportunity.Homemadecraftswillbeforsale.Cost:$3.50Adults,$2.00forchildren(10yearsandunder).Location:MartinezSeniorCommunityCenter,818GreenStreet.Call925-370-8770forinformation.


Sell Your Home Without an Agent

PAID ADverTorIAL

Martinez, Pleasant Hill, Concord - If you’ve tried selling your home your-self, you know the minute you put the “For Sale by Owner” sign up, the phone started ringing off the hook. Unfortu-nately, most calls aren’t from prospective buyers, but rather every real estate agent in town, hounding you for your listing. Like other “For Sale by Owners,” you’ve been subjected to a hundred sales pitches from agents who will tell you how great they are and how you can’t possibly sell your home by yourself. After all, without the proper informa-tion, selling a home isn’t easy. Perhaps you’ve had your home on the market for several months with no offers from qualified buyers. This can be a very frustrating time, and many homeown-ers have given up their dreams of selling their homes by themselves. But don’t give up until you’ve read a new report

entitled, “Sell Your Own Home,” which has been prepared especially for home sellers like you. You’ll find that selling your home by yourself is entirely pos-sible once you understand the process. Inside this report, you’ll find ten inside tips to selling your home by your-self, which will help you sell for the best price in the shortest amount of time. You’ll find out what real estate agents don’t want you to know. To hear a brief recorded message about how to order your FREE copy of this report, call toll-free 1(800) 597-9215 and enter 1236. You can call any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Get your free special report NOW to learn how you really can sell your home yourself. This report is courtesy of East Bay Residential Realty, BRE 01245396. Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract. Copyright © 2013

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Paddock Bowl, the hidden gem of Pacheco, has been welcom-ing bowlers of eve-ry age and ability since it opened in August 1952. This twenty-lane house has seen many changes over its sixty-one years as a community fixture, from the filling in of its indoor pool in order to add more lanes, to the addition of its favored Ce-lestial Thunder on Friday and Saturday nights when the bowl comes alive with thunderous music and cosmic lights. One thing has remained a constant: the friendly and helpful staff of Paddock Bowl make its patrons feel like family. With staff being almost as long-standing as the building itself, each employee brings their own flavor to the business. Be it a cheery smile or a willingness to help you figure out how

to pick up that dreaded 10 pin, each employee adds to the charm that makes it a family-friendly environment we all crave in this fast-paced world. Perhaps no

one knows the feeling of family at this establishment better than owner Ron Rutherford. He not only met his wife Eunice here, but, on occasion, he can be seen playing on the race cars in the arcade area with his young grandson. Ron is what makes this place feel so warm, and he’ll welcome long-time patrons with a hug or go down to the lanes to give new bowlers an insider’s perspective on how to roll that perfect strike. So, whether you are looking for a place to hold your next fundraiser, child’s birthday party or, perhaps, your husband’s surprise 50th, remember,

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Paddock Bowl has something for eve-ryone. Paddock Bowl has youth leagues with certified coaches on every pair and a youth director who just might be a bigger kid than your toddler. There are family style leagues and evening

regulars in addition to outstanding deals like the beloved dollar delight nights and the famous Monte Carlo special. One thing is certain, once you visit Paddock Bowl, no other will com-pare, and you will find yourself calling this place home.


real estate UpdateBy Nathan Hitchcock

Across the board, numbers reflect a slow-down in the local real estate market. Pending and closed sales are both down, and while our inventory of homes for sale has essentially remained flat for the past couple of months, average and median sales prices, as well as the percent-age of list price received, have all dropped slightly. A softening market is not just evident in the numbers. Active Realtors out on the street can feel the shift too. Open houses this spring were brimming with prospec-tive buyers, literally resulting in standing room only in many cases. While this past weekend’s open houses were by no means ghost towns, in my estimation, the volume of visitors was down by 75%. We’re also seeing the softening demonstrated in the number of offers received on properties. Recently, I had the fortunate opportunity to list a home for sale when the home two doors down had closed escrow two weeks prior. Thanks to the limited number of models in this particular neighborhood, the home was identical in nearly every way. It was a fan-tastic opportunity to compare the market conditions over a two-week timeframe. Both homes were listed at the same price, and both eventually sold nearly 10% over asking and within $1,000 of each other. However, the listing from seven weeks prior received nine offers, while my newer listing received only three. Why the same sales price with two thirds fewer bid-

ders? Fortunately for my sellers, there are still numerous buyers out there who are strongly committed to winning the bid-ding war, even if there are fewer players to defeat. It’s important to note that this slowing is not exceptional for this time of year. People simply are not as interested in buy-ing real estate as the holidays approach. This time around, though, many pro-spective buyers are back on the sidelines because they are plain fed up with the bidding wars. I spoke to one such former prospective buyer last week who ex-pressed great fear over the rapid escalation in prices, noting that it felt far too familiar to the bubble years. The real question, however, is what will the market do come January? Will the drop in competition attract sidelined buy-ers? They will almost certainly have more inventory to tempt them as well. This time around, we’re carrying a much higher level of inventory into the holidays. Ac-tive listings are up 33% for single-family homes and a whopping 87% for attached homes compared to this time last year. This increased inventory will likely create a more stable marketplace where values increase much more moderately. This more “sane” marketplace, I believe, will indeed foster an environment that is attractive to these disenfranchised buyers. Perhaps the Bay Area will finally then achieve that mysterious “normal” market that has eluded us for so long. [email protected](925)825-1100.

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Incapacity Planning for a Family member

By Daniel DuRee Last month, I wrote about using a durable power of attorney in case you someday lose capacity. But what if you have a family member who has an estate plan in place but is already starting to lose capacity due to dementia, Alzheimer’s, or simply old age? With some basic steps, you can smoothly transfer management of finan-cial, personal, and healthcare decisions without going through the painful proc-ess of declaring someone incapacitated.Transitioning management of a Trust Generally, a person will serve as trustee of their trust until they pass away or are declared incompetent by two separate doctors. Only at that time will the successor trustee take control and start managing the trust property. How-ever, management can be transferred more easily by amending the trust and making the first successor trustee a co-trustee. This way, the original trust crea-tor can still help manage the property alongside the co-trustee and eventually leave the co-trustee to do most of the management. Another benefit to this is the original trust creator never needs to be declared incompetent and may remain a co-trustee until their death. This simplifies tax preparation as well because a separate tax return must be filed when the creator of the trust is no longer a trustee or co-trustee.

Transitioning management of Finan-cial, Personal, and Healthcare deci-sions Similar to the trust management succession above, most Durable Powers of Attorney and Advance Healthcare di-rectives do not take effect until a person is deemed incapacitated by two doctors. However, if a family member is slowly losing capacity but is presently still competent, they can create an immedi-ate durable power of attorney and/or ad-vance healthcare directive to transition this decision making to another person. With an immediate durable power of attorney, for example, the creator can still write checks, file their taxes, etc., but their agent can also do these things on their behalf. So, instead of management going from only the principal hav-ing authority to only the agent having authority, there is a smooth transition where both parties have legal authority to manage the principal’s finances. If the deteriorating capacity of a loved one is addressed early enough, you can transition management smoothly without having to resort to declaring the person incapacitated or going through the painful conservator-ship process. DanielL.DuReeisathirdgenera-tionresidentofContraCostaCountyandalicensedattorneypracticinginWalnutCreek.He canbereachedat(925)210-1400orvisitwww.DuReeL-aw.com.


rec and Park Updatesnews from PHr&PDCelebrate the Holidays at Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District Venues: Planning a holiday party? Pleasant Hill Recreation has the perfect venue for your next holiday celebration with family, friends and/or co-workers. Contact Ryan Herriman, facilities coordinator, at (925) 798- 8788 Ext. 689 or email [email protected] to reserve your space.New Community Center Grand Opening in January 2014! Watch for more details coming soon. For Community Center bond construction updates, visit pleasant-hillrec.com. Donate to Capital Campaign Fund! Call (925) 882-0896 to offer your support. New Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District Website Coming Soon! Visit pleasanthillrec.com at the end of Novem-ber and be the first to check it out. PHrec events November 24 – 38th Annual Turkey Trot (8.4 Mile Run) at Briones Regional Park. Enter annual race at Briones Regional Park and win a turkey! Pre-register by November 20 and receive a free t-shirt! Go to www.pleasanthillrec.com or call (925) 682-0896.December 14 – Breakfast with Santa Two Sessions: 8:30 – 9:45am and 10:15-11:30am at Senior Center (Chateau Hall) Santa is taking time out of his busy schedule to join you and your family for a morning of holiday cheer, breakfast and live entertainment. Breakfast includes pan-cakes, sausage and more. Must pre-register by December 10. Admission per person: $8.50/$7.50 (Dist. Res).

Tots/Youth ActivitiesAdd a Little Music to Your Child’s Life With Beginner Music Classes Available Now. The Village Music School offers a wide variety of music programs for children 4-13 years old. Register online at pleasanthillrec.com or call PH Recreation office (925) 682-0896.Tiles for Teens Support the Pleasant Hill Teen Center. Pur-chase a brick tile and your name, or that of a family, friends or company name will be forever commemorated at the Pleasant Hill Teen Center. Tiles will be installed on a large planter along the exterior of the Teen Center along the walkway. 4” x 8” Tiles: $100 (up to 30 characters). See the flier and order form or purchase online now at phtc.engravedbricks.com.AquaticsNew Fall Swim Mount Diablo Dolphins Now Registered With USA Swimming and Gets New Logo. Check out the action at pleasanthillrec.com. Find Your Perfect Christmas Tree! Dolfins Tree Lot opens november 29 Winslow Center Parking Lot, 2590 Pleasant Hill Road. Support the Dolfins Swim Team to raise important funds for meet operations, equipment and swimmer incentives for the 2014 season. Get a Jump on the Competition With Winter Swim Clinics High School Pre-Season Clinic (grades 9-12) and Winter Swim Clinic (grades 8 & under) are now open for registration. Register online at pleasanthillrec.com or call (925) 682-0896.

The Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District’s Teen Scene After-School Program has seen its overall member-ship exceed the total participation for 2012 and daily enrollment has doubled to an average of 44 students per day. “My children and I really like the bright, open space of the new Teen Center and the friendly staff,” says Noel Emkjer, a mother of two middle school students. “Compared to other day care alternatives, the Teen Scene After-School Program is a step above the rest.” The district now offers a 10-visit punch card option that enables par-ents the flexibility to work childcare around their own schedule. In addition, the Teen Scene After-School Program (school dismissal – 6:00pm) has month-ly and weekly options for families who need more consistent participation. After school program offerings include: Something Scrumptious (cook-ing) or crafts, outdoor fitness and Wii

as well as access to computers, sport equipment, foosball, ping pong, pool and air hockey. The Teen Scene pro-vides enrichment classes and monthly events. The snack shack is available and the district has daily bus transportation from Pleasant Hill Middle and Valley View Middle Schools; students walk from Sequoia Middle School to the Teen Center. “Every program through the Teen Scene is designed specifically with teenagers in mind,” says Katrina Hunn, teen program supervisor, Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District. “And I’m confident that the significant increase in the after-school enrollment indicates we are successful in meeting the needs of both our teens and their parents.” Ifyouhaveachildingrades6-12andwouldliketosignuporpurchaseamembership,visitthePleasantHillTeenCenterat147GregoryLaneorvisitonline:towww.phteenscene.com.

After-School Program Gains Popularity


Sequoia Elementary in Pleasant Hill has very active cub scouts in Pack 405. Throughout the school year and even summer, these cub scouts keep busy with exciting outings, fundraising and service projects, including selling popcorn, taking field trips, participating in parades, hiking various local trails, and the ever-famous…Pinewood Derby. One of Scouting’s foundational princi-ples is “doing a good turn daily,” and Scouts at all levels participate in good turns and service projects. One of the most impor-tant upcoming projects is Scouting for Food. It’s been a project of the Boy Scouts of America for decades. Scouts go out on one weekend - November 9, 2013 - to place

hangers on the doors of their neighbors, and come back the following weekend - November 16, 2013 - to pick up the food and take it to a local food bank. If you are willing to help, we ask that you place your canned food donation by your mailbox. In addition, the Cub Scouts will partici-pate in the Toys for Tots holiday drive in December, during which children and families donate a toy or toys to a needy child in the community. Please consider giving to this worthy charity during the holiday season wherever you see the dona-tion barrels. Thank you to all the parents who dedicate countless hours to Pack 405. Scouting could not be done without you.

Scouting for a CausePhoto and article submitted by Telzey Gourley

Girl Scout Silver AwardBy Marissa St.Marseille, Kelly Crawford, and Julianne Bhak

Cub scout Pack 405 from L to R: Mason Gourley, Forest Canari, Nick Gutteridge, Jakob Schmidt, Kurtis Enloe and Anthony Cardinale. .

The Silver Award is the highest award a Girl Scout cadette can earn. A cadette can be a girl from 6th to 8th grade. There is a long process to earn this award, but the final steps include making a difference in the community. As a group of three from Troop 31061 in Pleasant Hill, we decided to work with the elderly at Aegis, a residential living home for elderly people in Pleasant Hill. The residents we worked with have dementia and Alzheimer’s. Dementia is a term used to describe a condition where the brain’s cognitive ability is impaired to the point where the victim’s memory, judg-ment, language skills and ability to think are severely compromised. Alzheimer’s is an irreversible progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory, thinking skills, and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks of daily living. Aegis is a facility that has comfort-able living for elderly who need assistance. They provide many different activities such as hand and nail care, painting, ball toss, bingo, etc. We volunteered to spend quality

time with the residents and learned how to adapt and be flexible with people that have dementia and Alzheimer’s. Some days you need to help the residents be active and some days they are very excited and active on their own. We learned how to treat them with respect and adjust to their way of liv-ing. Working with the residents is beneficial to them and they really enjoy it. Working at Aegis was a new experience; we learned a lot and we helped a segment of our com-munity. We hope that our work on this project will bring a new awareness into the commu-nity about Alzheimer’s and dementia. We would like people to know about volunteer opportunities at Aegis and the difference you can make in the residents’ lives just by volunteering a few hours a month. Also, if you have a loved one suffering from Alzhe-imer’s or dementia, or in need of assisted living care, Aegis is in your own backyard. FormoreinformationonvolunteeropportunitiesorresidentinquiriespleasecontactAegisat:925-939-2700.

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Winter Trip ready?By the Hagin’s Staff

Includes 5 quarts of standard chevron oil Replace oil filter and oil filter gasket Top off under hood fluids Check tire pressure and reset maintenance light Complimentary Visual Vehicle Inspection

*Coupon must be presented at service counter and can’t be combined with any other discounts / offers.

Call M-F 8am-5pm or scan the QR code below for an appointment

When the temperature drops, we start wearing coats to protect ourselves from the cold, but most people don’t realize their vehicles also need some extra protection during the winter. Deep down, you know your car should be checked before hitting the road this winter, but with so many other things to do, some folks put it off. A few quick steps are all it takes to help your vehicle perform its best this winter. An invest-ment of an hour or so to have your ve-hicle checked is all it takes to have peace of mind and help avoid the cost and stress of a breakdown during your winter road trip. Here is a list of just some of the items you should check before the cold weather sets in or before head-ing out on that winter road trip. Battery - Very cold temperatures will reduce a vehi-cle’s battery power, so it’s important to keep the connections clean, tight and corrosion-free. If your vehicle’s battery is more than three years old, it’s wise to have it tested. Antifreeze - The mixture of anti-freeze (coolant) and water inside your vehicle’s radiator is typically 50:50. Don’t make the mistake of adding full strength antifreeze. Coolant should be drained and refilled at least every two years in most vehicles. Oil - Use the oil your vehicle manu-facturer recommends in winter, as it will flow more easily between moving parts

when cold. Drivers in sub-zero driving temperatures should check their owner’s manual for manufacturer recommenda-tions. Check all fluid levels & condition - including engine oil, transmission flu-id, transfer case fluid, differential fluids, power steering fluid, brake fluid, wind-shield washer solvent and antifreeze/coolant. Check the belts and hoses - belts can become cracked, frayed and worn.

Hoses can crack & leak. These are critical to the proper functioning

of the electrical system, air con-ditioning, power steering and

cooling system. Check the tires - in-

cluding tire pressure and tread. Uneven wear

indicates a need for wheel alignment or possibly suspension

repairs. Tires should also be checked for bulges and bald spots. Wipers and lighting - you should check the windshield wipers and inte-rior and exterior lighting before your winter road trip. In a short amount of time, we can identify how road-ready your vehicle is and then take steps to have the prob-lems fixed before you head out for your trip. A few hours of your time is a small sacrifice compared to the inconvenience and potential safety hazards of breaking down away from home. Call Hagin’s Au-tomotive (925) 228-5115, [email protected].

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The UPS Store, owned by Jerry and Marie Knutson, is lo-cated on Arnold Drive in Martinez, and has been in business for ten years. It has grown from providing shipping and copies to mailboxes, a full notary staff, and de-sign and extended print services. “When I bought this store I didn’t know what to expect. There have been some tough times, but we have learned to grow from them. We have learned to adapt to our client’s needs and, many times, we are the firemen when people need problems solved right away. It is definitely hard work owning your own business, but our community has been good to us, so we make time to give back,” said Jerry. His wife Marie added, “We have been working with the Martinez Chamber since we opened the store, and they have always been very supportive. It gives us the opportunity to meet new customers and find new ways to be involved in our community.” The UPS Store 272 offers consum-ers and small businesses a wide range of products and services in one convenient location. Their one-stop-shop of prod-uct and services includes: high technol-ogy printing and finishing services, in-cluding banners and posters, computer rental, faxing, notary services, packag-

ing, shipping, mail-boxes and more. They are happy to provide personalized service to individuals, but also are proud to list clients in-cluding Oracle, Crowne Plaza, County Connec-tion and GeoNexus. The store, its owners and their employees won the Business of the Month Award for the Martinez Chamber in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010,

and 2013, and the Small Business of the Year Award from the Hispanic Chamber in 2010. Jerry and Marie are members of the Martinez Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Mar-tinez Yacht Club, and EPS Industry Alli-ance (Loose Fill Collection Partner). “The UPS Store continues to be an outstanding Martinez business with great customer service and is a steadfast community partner,” said former city council member Janet Kennedy. “Their strong commitment to Martinez, both personally and professionally, is some-thing that we need more of in our com-munity!” The store will be hosting a joint mixer with the Hispanic and Martinez Chambers November 20 at 5:30pm. Visitwww.theupsstorelocal.com/0272 formoreinformationorvisitthemonFacebookandLinkedIn.Con-tactJerryKnutsonat(925)[email protected].


Imagine twinkle lights, stars above, ice below your feet, holiday music & an occasional snowman sighting right in Downtown Walnut Creek! That’s what you’ll find at Walnut Creek on Ice - Walnut Creek’s outdoor skating rink in Civic Park. Wal-nut Creek on Ice is presented by Raymond James, Walnut Creek Downtown & the Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau. The rink is open daily November 15 through January 12, 2014. The rink features special events, birthday parties, a skate school, family discount nights & more! Admission is $11 (non-peak) & $15 (peak & holiday) and includes skate rental. For more cool details, visit www.iceskatewalnutcreek.com or call 925.935.SNOW (7669).

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Curried Cranberry Snack Mix

Fleur de Sel Toffee

INGREDIENTS6 cups Corn Chex3 cups Rice Chex1 can (6 ounces) French-fried onions2 cups miniature pretzels1 1/2 cups honey-roasted peanuts1/3 cup butter, cubed3 tablespoons honey2 tablespoons honey mustard1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder1 teaspoon garlic powder1 1/2 cups dried cranberries, divided DIRECTIONS In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Place the butter, honey,

honey mustard, curry powder and garlic powder in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds or until mixture is smooth. Pour over cereal mixture and toss to coat. Place half of the mixture in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 2-3 minutes, stirring after each minute. Stir in 3/4 cup cranberries. Immediately spread onto waxed paper; cool completely. Repeat with remaining cereal and cranberries. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 4 quarts

INGREDIENTSVegetable oil, cooking spray1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter2 2/3 cups sugar1/3 cup water1/4 cup light corn syrupFleur de sel, for sprinkling DIRECTIONS Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Bring butter, sugar, water and corn syrup to a boil in a large saucepan, whisking frequently until sugar dissolves and butter melts.

Cook, undisturbed, until mixture registers 300 degrees on a candy thermometer--about 12 minutes. Whisk toffee mixture, then immedi-ately pour onto prepared sheet, tilting pan to spread over entire surface. Let stand for 30 seconds, then sprinkle with fleur de sel. Let cool. (Do not move the pan for first 30 minutes.) Break toffee into pieces. Keep covered for up to 1 week.Yield: 2 Pounds

Pair UpWith La Sommelierre Maria Terry

Food & Wine Gift Giving II Last year, I offered suggestions for the best wines to give as gifts based on their ability to pair with the most foods. This year I am providing three home-made food items that are great for gift giving, and I am adding suggestions for wines to pair with them. The first food gift is a classic bread-stick called Parmesan Grissini (recipe on website). In general, salted bread is delicious with any wine: sparkling, rose, red or white. This recipe includes crushed fennel seeds, which add the subtle flavor of black licorice, crushed red pepper to give a kick of spice and, of course, Parmesan cheese. The perfect pairing partner is a buttery Chardon-nay. Look for Chardonnays that have undergone malolactic fermentation and are aged in oak barrels. The oak will

complement the low notes of the lico-rice and the Parmesan will echo the but-tery/dairy flavor provided by the lactic acid from the secondary fermentation. The next food item is Curried Cranberry Snack Mix. Bold curry flavors in this mix require wine that is very fruit forward. Additionally, the flavor of dried cranberries is often found in red wines; it is a smart mix-in. I also loved the addition of French-fried onions. Fried onions are terrific with wine because they have a sweet/savory quality that brings out the fruit flavor in the wine. Fruit forward varietals like Grenache and Pinot Noir are my first choice pairings, but just about any red wine will be fantastic. Sweet treats are always welcome and Fleur de Sel Toffee will fill the bill, especially since sweet and salty combi-

nations are all the rage. I like the idea of pairing toffee flavors with a little known, fortified wine from the Languedoc-Roussillon region called Banyuls. It is made from Grenache grapes and has the flavors of toasted nuts, fig newton, dark chocolate and hints of roasted cof-fee. It is rich and thick and will echo the caramel flavor of the toffee. As a bonus,

the salt in the toffee will make it more wine friendly as it balances the wine’s high sugar content and tames any rough tannins.So, go on. Pair Up! MariaTerryisaCertifiedSom-melierandWineEducatorintheSanFranciscoBayArea.www.LaSommeli-erre.com.

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THe GArDen

College Park Or-ganic Garden and Diablo Day Community School Organic Garden both have a new garden an-gel by the name of Lisa Meyers. Her company, Meyers Homegrown Organics, has been selling vegetable seedlings and plants at the Pleasant Hill Farmers’ Market all summer, and as her season nears a successful end, she has donated a huge amount of winter vegetable seedlings to our gardens for the students to plant, coaxing a long and fruit-ful winter crop from a living gift. Lisa and her husband Phil live in Pleasant Hill, but Lisa is a Martinez native herself. Lisa and Phil’s inspired gift is the definition of full-fledged community involvement in the gardens and have put an apple-cheeked rosy glow on all of our students’ faces. We are immeasurably grateful and will surely support Meyers Organics in the future. We wish them a fruitful season as their busi-

ness grows. As we traverse the cool season, we look forward to a stunning winter gar-den overflowing with kale, broccoli, spin-ach, cauliflower and much more. Tramping through pumpkin farms and farmers’ markets always induces juicy imaginative ideas for cookies, pies, cakes and savory dishes. Especially charm-ing are those divinely inspired Cinderella pumpkins. Deep red and magenta to an almost make-believe orange, the Rouge Vif d’Etampes looks like something out of a fairytale. Also known as a Cinderella pumpkin, owing to the resemblance of a famous getaway coach, this French heir-loom cucurbit makes for excellent, long-lasting décor. Legend has it that the Pil-grims may have cultivated this variety and served it at the second Thanksgiving din-ner. Don’t be captivated by her squashed, deeply ribbed good looks alone though, as the molten orange flesh is creamy sweet, beckoning to be a pie filling as much as a savory treat.

new Garden Angel, Lisa meyersBy Lesley Stiles

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

Mix together peanut butter, butter, sugars, and salt in a bowl. Taste, then add more salt if needed.Roughly chop chocolate and melt it in a double boiler or in microwave. Arrange mini cupcake wrappers on a baking sheet. Pour just enough chocolate in to fill the bottom of the wrapper about 1/8 of an inch. Let set in fridge for 10 minutes. While the chocolate is chilling, begin shaping heaping teaspoons of peanut butter and sugar filling into flat-tened balls that will fit into mini cupcake wrappers on top of chocolate. Remove choco-late from the fridge and pop a ball into each one. Reheat remaining chocolate and pour into cupcake wrappers to cover the balls. Sprinkle the tops with a little extra coarse sea salt if you like and let set in fridge at least 20 minutes. Remove and pack into airtight containers, or devour all you can in the next hour and give the rest to friends and family.

1 cup creamy unsalted peanut butter 4 tablespoons unsalted butter ½ cup turbinado sugar or brown sugar ½ cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons coarse sea salt 32 ounces high-quality dark chocolate or chocolate chips

Ingredients:

Directions:

Gently slice off the top, scoop out seeds and save them to sprinkle with salty olive oil and roast for crunchy tidbits alongside nibbles at the Thanksgiving gorge. Create a layered casserole inside the pumpkin by throwing sliced zucchini, chopped onion, grated Parmesan and cooked spinach into the cleaned pumpkin. Top off with eggs beaten with cream and seasoned with salt and pepper. Put the top back and place on baking sheet in 350* oven for about an hour until the egg mixture has set. Use the rich flesh for pie, cookies and breads by cutting off the top, slicing in half and scooping out seeds. Place in a baking dish with a ½ inch of water, cover and bake at 350* until soft. Puree or mash and use according to your recipe. You will likely have several recipes worth of pumpkin pu-ree from just one pumpkin, so I measure it out according to recipes and freeze it in batches for later culinary tricks and treats. Add chocolate chips atop any pumpkin cookie or bread recipe for a surprisingly addictive sweet. My motto: Two for décor and one to eat now. You will never buy a can of pumpkin again. We have been greatly blessed with ridiculously gorgeous days and chilly eve-nings in our valley as the season changes and local flora and fauna in neighboring yards don sunset colors day and night, with leaves turning crazy hues of almost unnatural reds and ghoulish oranges. This

time of year is always challenging for adults to resist the urge to steal candy from wee ones who are amped into complete sugar induced joyfulness and almost unhinged in the belief that they won’t notice a few miss-ing peanut butter cups. Hope everyone was a little naughty and sated that annual gig. As our craze-inducing season creeps up and stalks us with holiday décor before Thanksgiving menus even hit the planning stage, consider the fact that a good hike in the hills around us can induce an amazing endorphin created narcotic haze as well as a good yoga class can. So while you are gearing up for the frenzy, take time to heal in and out and enjoy the amazing valley we call home. LesleyStilesisagraduateoftheCali-forniaCulinaryAcademy,sustainableca-tererandschoolgardeneducator.ContactLesleyatlesleystiles@comcast.net,www.lesleystiles.blogspot.comandvisithernewwebsite:www.lesleystilesfoods.com.

Makes around 4 Dozen

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Home TeAm

Stephenson: mvP The October edition of Baseball America named Martinez resident Robert Stephenson the Reds’ most valuable minor league pitcher in their system. In 2013, missing a month with an injury did little to slow down the right-hander. The Reds’ 2011 first-round pick started the 2013 season where he finished 2012, Class-A (Low) Dayton. The injury kept him out of the Midwest League All-Star Game, but that was all that could slow him down. Stephenson, 20, was 5-3 with a 2.57 ERA in 14 starts, striking-out 96 and walking 20 in 77 innings. Stephenson made four starts at High Class-A Bakersfield, striking-out 22 and walking just two with a 3.05 ERA in 21 innings. He then moved-up and made four starts at Double-A Pensacola, struggled with his command, but still fanned 18 in 17 innings.

CP: off to Strong Start The College Park (CP) varsity football team (5-2-1), coached by Bill Kepler, is off to a strong start for the 2013 season. With a tie and two losses as blemishes in their first seven games, the Falcons offense has been strong throughout three non-league wins and two DVAL victories over area oppo-nents. In early-September, Ray Jackson and Timmy Jackson (no relation) helped CP come from behind to defeat Dougherty Val-ley, 21-10. Ray made two scores and Timmy checked-in with one. Later in the month, Ray Jackson scored two touchdowns as the Falcons triumphed over Pinole Valley on the road, 27-14. Tim-my Jackson and Trevor Sprung each scored once. The next week, the school notched their third win as they tamed Hayward. 32-20. Quarterback Dimitri Salido was 6-of-7 passing with two touchdowns, one to each

Arsenal Gives back

of the Jacksons. Salido also had a rushing touchdown. The Falcons earned their first league win over Mt. Diablo, 47-7. In all, CP amassed 502 yards rushing with Ray Jackson, Sprung and Salido all breaking the triple-digit threshold, combining for 405 yards and five scores among the trio. CP enjoyed a homecoming game vic-tory vs Concord Minutemen October 25, 35-26. Scoring touchdowns were Salido, Ray Jackson(2), Timmy Jackson and Sprung. Johnsonbaugh kicked 5 PAT’s.Alhambra Student is ring Champ Alhambra High School freshman Angel Cordon is now the town’s latest box-ing champion. The 14-year-old traveled to

Oxnard, Ca. in October to contend for the National PAL Boxing title versus competi-tors from across the country. Cordon fights out of the Old School Boxing Gym in Concord. Cordon earned his title in early Octo-ber as he beat Victor Rodriguez of Nampa, Idaho, in his semi-final bout. He then went on to defeat Jamirr Arthur from Atlantic City, New Jersey. Cordon was king of the ring in the 13/14-year-old 95-pound divi-sion. With his win, Cordon earned the right to head to the Northern California Silver Gloves Boxing Championships, held in American Canyon.

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Diablo Futbol Club’s 13U girls Arsenal team made posters for East Bay fire-fighters and visited their firehouses to thank them for all their hard work putting out the Mt. Diablo blaze and keeping surrounding neighborhoods safe.

Harry Benzie, a resident of Martinez, and his San Francisco Seals 75-and-older men’s softball team have won yet another title. Benzie and his teammates just returned from Las Vegas, where they were crowned the 2013 Major World Champions. The club finished with a 7-1 record in the tournament. Benzie has played on several cham-pionship teams over the past 15-plus years of his career. For the season (37

games), Benzie sported a .588 batting average with four home runs and 39 RBIs. Overall, the team fash-ioned a 61-23 record. In the championship tournament, Benzie was 7-for-12 (.583) with seven RBIs. Benzie helped the Seals average nearly 20 runs

per game. In tournament play, Benzie was dominant when it counted as he batted .600 and hit three of his four home runs of the year. Congratulations.


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Alhambra’s Lady Bulldogs take home the first place trophy from the Free-dom High School Water Polo tournament September 27 and 28. They beat Marin Academy 12 to 6, Pinole Valley 18 to 1 and Newark Memorial 16 to 7. They took first place at the Pinole Valley tournament in October as well.

LtoR Top: Coach Matt Kendall, Kaela Standish, Grace Ciabattari, Sofia Sosa, Daniela Perez, Kyley Davis, Victoria Diaz and Asst. Coach Cecil DeSouza.

Bottom: Jamie Ellman, Belle DeSouza, Caitlynn Turner, Kaila Murillo and Lily De La Torre.

Heritage Hot Shotz (U10 Girls) won their first tournament at the Dublin Fall Classic in September. Led by Coach Matt Kendall and Asst. Coach Cecil De-souza, the girls went into the championship game fired up and ready to go. The team brought their “A” game to the field and played well together. It was a tough game, but they came out victorious after two overtimes and PKs. The Hot Shotz were the first ones to step on the field at 7am on Saturday and the last ones to leave at 7pm on Sunday evening. “Tired and happy” described the mood of the girls, coaches and parents.

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College Park and Alhambra Homecoming 2013

Junior Girls LtoR: Hannah Hatch, Mia Dirito & Caitlyn Doolittle. Photos by Carmina Regner Sophomore Boys LtoR: Savion Prieto, Matthew Regner & Juman Purewall. Photo bombed by Matthew Beck

Falcon Ray Jackson ready to score. Photo by TodGomes.com College Park crowd goes wild. Photo by TodGomes.com

College Park Homecoming Court: Freshman Lady Emily Egbert, Sophomore Duchess Breanna Eales, Junior Princess Lauren Canale, Seniors Sara Beth Maney, Jamie Merjano, Kristen Tabone, Brianna Vassar, Queen Tayler Hopkins, King Trevor Sprung (father pictured), Brandon Hutslar, Kevin Neys, Saya Santos, Timmy Jackson (not pictured), Junior Prince Barune Thapa, Sophomore Duke Raymond Muhlenkamp and Freshman Lord Forrest Steele. Photo: TodGomes.com

Alhambra’s King-Dylan O’Shea & Queen- Hailey Ferrer. Photo by AHS senior, Nicole Thayer. Court nominees: Candy Bennett, Carly Bergerhouse, Alicia Cauthen, Jenna Shikuzawa, Camille Woerner, Molly Woerner, Marena Yarnell, Harits Abdur-rohman, Josh Armosino, Michael Bull, Abel Calderon, Monte Cabrera, Dalton Dollar, Calvin Roth, Jarod Tiangsing and Danny Yoeono. Pictured are nominees Sabrina Schulhauser and Ellen Randall with Mikaela Walsh. Photo by Steve Schulhauser.


Service Projects at AHS

Helping CP Families

Arsenic and Old Lace

College Park news

COLLEGE PARK HIGH SCHOOL PRESENTS

ARSENIC &OLD ARSENIC

LACEOLD LACE

The Alhambra High School student leadership is asking the community to help with two of their service projects during the holidays. The “Mitten Project” (adopt a family) provides gifts for a family/child during the holiday season. Families, individuals, even clubs and sports teams can “adopt a fam-ily” and help. Presents, preferably gift wrapped, can be dropped off at the school by Tuesday, December 10. You can also donate a gift card so leadership students can shop for the gifts. The Canned Food Drive helps with a holiday meal for local families in our community. Drop off cans of green beans or canned corn to the main office by Decem-ber 10. Sign up to participate in one or both projects by going to the Alhambra High School webpage at http://ahs-martinez-ca.schoolloop.com and click on “Mitten Project Sign Up” under Announcements on the right hand side. Alhambra Leadership teacher Marianne Griffin, along with Bonnie Anderson, coordinator at the First Baptist Church on Alhambra Avenue, have worked together for years coordinating the canned food drive and “Mitten Project” between Alhambra student leadership and the church. “These are opportunities for any members of our community. Student leadership helps coordinate and gets the classroom/student groups involved in raising money and getting gifts and/or cans. It is a really great partnership!” said Griffin. For questions about the programs, contact Mrs. Griffin at [email protected].

Sophomores Take PSAT for Free OnOctober16,approximately462CollegeParksophomorestookthePSATtestfreeofcharge.Forthefirsttime,theMt.DiabloUnifiedSchoolDistrictpro-videdallsophomorestheopportunitytotakethistestwithoutpaying.ThedistrictwroteagrantinconjunctionwiththeCollegeBoardandnewsofthefundingcameinSeptember.Duetothelargeamountofstudentswhotookthetestlastmonth—733students,includingfreshmanandjuniors—thehighschoolwenttoaspecialtestingschedulethatday. CollegeParkstaffproctoredthe3-hourtestinclassrooms,andstudentswhodidnottakethetestwereinstructedtoarriveat11am.“It’sagreatthingforkidsandparents.It’sgoingtogiveusalotofvaluabledataforour10thgradersanditwillgiveparentssomeguidanceastowhattheirchildhastheaptitudefor—whethertheydowellinSTEMclassesoriftheyhaveanaptitudetotakeaparticu-larAPtest—it’sanothertoolthatcanbeusedtodecidewhatpathwayyourchildistotravelthroughCollegePark,”saidPrincipalPaulGengler. TakingthePSATtestpreparesstudentsfortheSATandACTtestsintheirjuniorandsenioryears.ThePSATtestalsoidentifiesstudentslikelytosucceedinAPcours-esandencouragethosestudentswhomightnototherwisehavethoughtoftak-ingAPcourses.

be an organic Garden Guardian Establishedin2006byparentsLesleyStilesandStephanieJacob,theCol-legeParkorganicgardenisahiddentreasureoncampus.ThegardenistuckedintothesouthwestcorneroftheschoolbehindEwingandhasgrownabundantamountsofeverything,frompeasandtomatoestolettuceandlavenderovertheseasons. Theproduceharvestedfromthisstate-certifiedgardenisusedintheschoolcafeteria,inclassrooms,andinspecial“CookingintheQuad”demonstrationsatlunchtime. Butthegardenneedsyourhelp!WearelookingforagardencoordinatorwhocanactasaliaisonbetweenLesleyandStephanie(nowgraduatedpar-ent-alums!)andthePTSAandschoolcommunitytoensurethatthegardenre-mainsavitalpartoftheCollegeParkexperience.Ifyouareinterestedorwouldjustlikemoreinformation,pleasecontactLesleyStilesatlesleystiles@[email protected].

Come see another amazing produc-tion by the brilliant thespians of College Park High School as they perform the classic comedy Arsenic and Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring. This play features Dean Engle as Mortimer Brewster, Em-

ily Dow as Aunt Abby, Dakota Bragato as Aunt Martha, Becca Kefer as Elaine Harper, David Dean as Jonathan Brews-ter and Caz Aquino as Dr. Einstien. The Brewster sisters, Abby and Mar-tha, are the kindest and most generous old ladies in Brooklyn. Their father left them set for life and there isn’t a char-ity they haven’t donated to. They dote on their nephew Mortimer, a reluctant drama critic, who’s just become engaged to Elaine, the adorable girl next door. They all think they have the perfect life until a ghastly secret is revealed and they receive a rather unwelcome visitor. Is this night like every other? I think not. The play will be performed at Col-lege Park High School on Nov. 7 & 8 at 7pm, Nov. 13 at 4pm, and Nov. 14, 15 & 16 at 7pm. Tickets are $5 for students, $7 for senior citizens and $10 general admis-sion. Buy tickets on line at http://intouch.mdusd.org and at the door.

HIGH SCHooL HAPPenInGS

The College Park PTSA has created a simple way to give back to the community through their year-round outreach program. However, there are many College Park families who are in need of some extra help this holiday season, and the PTSA would like to provide each of these families with a gift card to TARGET to assist in making their holiday special. “The gift cards are used for basics like groceries and shoes, and some students are excited to purchase a gift for their parent. Last year we had a check come in from a family who had received help from us previously. There was a letter expressing their gratitude and explaining they were in a position to help others now. That was a great moment for this program,” said PTSA’s Community Outreach Committee Chair Susie Johnson. In the past, the PTSA was able to give at least $100 gift cards, but last year, that was cut in half due to lack of donations and increasing numbers of kids in need. All the students’ names are kept confidential. If you would like to contribute to this worthwhile program, donating online through the PTSA webstore is easiest. Select this link [http://collegeparkptsa.revtrak.net/tek9.asp] and click on Donations. All donations are tax deductible and the deadline for holiday assistance this year is Friday, December 13. If you would like to send a check, make it payable to CPHS/PTSA, write “Out-reach” on the memo line, and mail to: College Park PTSA “Outreach,” 201 Viking Drive, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523.

Career night at CP CP students and parents, join four to six industry professionals at a career night focused on Engineering, Manufacturing, Architecture and Construction. They will also share advice on the types of classes and work-based experiences (like internships) students should en-gage in now to better prepare for college and career opportunities. Wednesday, Nov. 20, 6:30-8pm, Multi-use room at CPHS. Orga-nized by the Pleasant Hill Education Initiative.


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Astound (www.astound.net), a residential and business-class broad-band services company offering state-of- the-art digital video, high-speed internet, phone and fiber services, an-nounced the company has extended its fiber-optic network to Martinez and is now offering services in most areas after months of construction. Construction will continue through December. Astound says they are thrilled to have moved into the neighborhood to offer cable and broadband services to Martinez. When asked what makes Astound different from big nation-al companies that service Martinez, Astound Bay Area Vice President of Operations Doug Schulz replied, “Re-liability; not just in the quality serv-ices we deliver to our customers, like ultra-fast internet that only Fiber-to-the-Home can deliver, but the way we treat our customers.” Schulz went on to say, “Martinez residents and busi-nesses are fortunate to have a choice in providers, but having the ability to choose a provider that has some of the highest customer satisfaction scores in the industry is simply awe-some!”

Astound is a local company that is committed to delivering the best entertainment at the best price, and, most importantly, with the best local service and customer care. Astound cautions Martinez resi-dents that current providers prob-ably aren’t happy that Astound is now available in Martinez and may try to lock customers in a contract to prevent them from trying Astound’s award-winning service. Doug Schulz was happy to add, “That’s what makes competition so great; consumers have a choice, and the company that pro-vides the best service and customer care earns customer trust and their business.” Astound welcomes Martinez resi-dents and businesses to try their risk-free, 30-day, money-back guarantee to see what a difference it makes to do business with a local company that cares. CALL 877.993.7051.

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In the mixBy Paul Cotruvo, Cover2Cover

One Thursday night last October, I ventured down to Open Mic Night at Roxx on Main in Martinez, a hidden gem that features small plates of excel-lent food and great wine. Open mic nights provide an opportunity for anyone to get on stage for 15 minutes to perform in front of a live audience. These shows have been gain-ing popularity and give singer-songwriters, poets, musicians and vocalists an outlet to work on their craft. There is no telling who might walk in - could be a professional mu-sician trying out some new material or high school kids playing in front of their first live audience. Roxx on Main owner, Roxanne Cole, had a vision for a unique restaurant, but she also had a passion for music. She enlisted Mike Spinelli (an employee) and his music partner Jill Collard, to host the open mics. “There are so many stories that come along with open mic nights,” Roxanne says. “There are people scared to death to get up, but our welcoming crowd gives support. The common theme is ‘everyone’s welcome.’ I’ve had people that have never been able to sing live, and now they are over the top.” Local musician and current host Chris Bryant, added, “the variety!” is what makes the nights so special. “Just in the last month, I’ve had classical, rap, blues, soul, solo uku-lele, accordion, just about everything. That’s what makes it fun.” Singer-songwriter Angelique Kellogg concurs. “It’s a fantastic crowd of open-

minded musicians and something different for everybody. And it’s a family friendly environment, which encompasses what Martinez is all about.” Another singer-song-writer, Mark Jeffrey Davison goes for the excellent food and wonderful musicianship, claiming, “The sound in this place in un-comparable. You cannot get a better sound in the Bay Area; that’s why I’m here!” The musicians support each other here, not only in kindred spirits, but musically. What might start as a single, can end as a five-piece band. Harp player Jay Olson noted, “The level of musicians is always good. Besides the fact that you get your 15 minutes, people interact with each other. That’s the big thing; musicians playing with each other.” Bassist Bruce Holloway agrees, “It’s a nice atmosphere for improvisation.” An exciting aspect of the open mic night is that one act is picked each week to be the “spotlight,” and gets a full half hour to play. On this particular night, Terry Miles was the spotlight. “I love coming here be-cause I’ve always wanted to play in an open forum like this,” he said. “I thought, man, this is cool... just fell in love with the place. Love the people and the atmosphere. It’s a second family to me. It’s my little escape.” Any fear of being the featured artist, I won-dered? “You always want to do your very best and fear making a mistake, but we’re all friends here, so nothing to be fearful of.” Terry also wrote a beautiful and touch-ing song about Roxx on Main, encompass-ing his and just about everyone’s opinion. In talking with most of the performers and audience members, the common consensus was: “Great food, great people.” Roxx does

PAUL’S PICKS For november

have the friendliest staff, including the won-derful Alyssa Rose, who was, unfortunately, too busy working to give me a quote, but will always treat you like one of the family. I have been a musician for forty years now, and started out in a place just like this. There are no TV sets on the wall, no attitudes, just a great atmosphere of people getting together for a good time around music. Open Mic Night begins at 7pm and

goes to 10pm. If you plan on coming down to perform, this has turned into a very popular event, so you should show up about 20 minutes early and sign up. I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! Now go out there and support live music!Quote of the month:As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. - John Fitzgerald Kennedy

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November 2: Jim Caroompas & The Sisters of Mercy, Roxx on Main, 627 Main St, Martinez, 7pmNovember 2: Fleetwood Mask, Lafayette Town Hall, 3535 School Street, Lafayette, 8:00pmNovember 2: The Big Jangle, Dallimonti’s, 1932 Oak Park Blvd., Pleasant Hill, 9:30pmNovember 3: Hopeless Romantics, Armando’s, 707 Marina Vista, Martinez, 4:00pmNovember 14: Frankie G. & The Conviction, Armando’s, 707 Marina Vista, Martinez, 8:00pmNovember 14: Lumberyard, Round Up, 3553 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette, 9:00pmNovember 21: The Smokin J’s, Round Up, 3553 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette, 9:00pmNovember 24: MSTV, Armando’s, 707 Marina Vista, Martinez, 4:00pm

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Deborah Lee rose Walnut Creek’s Deborah Lee Rose is an internationally published, award-winning author of 14 children’s books includ-ing her newest titles, The Spelling Bee Before Recess, Jimmy the Joey and Someone’s Sleepy. The Spelling Bee Before Recess is her fourth collaboration with illustrator Carey F. Armstrong-Ellis, who helped create Deborah’s bestselling series, The Twelve Days of Kindergarten, The Twelve Days of Winter and The Twelve Days of Springtime. “The success of those school stories, based on the rhythm of The Twelve Days of Christmas, got me thinking about adapting ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” De-borah explains. “I loved the sound of the verses where the reindeer names are called out and I wanted to write a school story that had a similar kind of call-out, and that gave me the idea of creating a fictional spelling bee.” Deborah based the story on her childhood memory of losing the school spelling bee, an event that pushed her to become a huge reader and a professional

writer. She was also inspired by her own children’s spelling experiences in elementary school. To make the book universal, she drew vocabulary from spelling lists used by schools across the country. The Spelling Bee Before Recess includes three spelling lists that can be used for spelling bees at home, in school, at the library, or for community events. This is Deborah’s 25th year writing children’s books, and her very first book, The People Who Hugged the Trees, is still included in major school reading an-thologies and used for live performances for school groups. Her new nonfiction book, Jimmy the Joey, tells of the rescue of an orphaned baby koala by Australia’s Koala Hospital. Her new rhyming book for very young children, Someone’s Sleepy, has also been made into a song and will be a downloadable lullaby by Gram-my-winning singer/songwriter Tom Chapin. Visit Deborah’s website at deborahleerose.com. Her books are available through Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.

Gretchen de la o Gretchen de la O, author of the steamy new adult romance series, Wilson Mooney, just published the third and final book, Beyond Eighteen, on October 2. After leaving readers reeling from the heart stopping cliff-hangers in the first two books, Almost Eighteen and Eighteen at Last, Beyond Eighteen delivers the blood boiling drama, and skin tingling excitement of a truly forbidden love. Beyond Eighteen is a continuation that pushes its reader’s past taboo and plunges them front and center into Wilson and Max’s existence. This romantic tale goes far beyond the discovery of first love and the pressures of family dynamics. It takes the reader on a journey they never want to end. By day, Gretchen teaches computer, by night she dons the cloak of motherhood, wifehood, and authorship. She is making her way through self-publishing and is truly learning to let go with every curve and bump in the creative process. She enjoys writing in the first person about first loves and first times. She is a firm believer that anything is possible if you set your mind to it, and what you expect out of life, always finds a way of showing up. Gretchen happily lives in Pleasant Hill with her husband and three boys. You can connect with Gretchen on her website, www.gretchendelao.com or on social media: www.facebook.com/booksbyGretchen-

delao and www.twitter.com/delaogk. The Wilson Mooney Series is available through Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, iBooks, Smashwords and Createspace.

Local Authors The Community Focus is proud to introduce three recently published books by local female authors:

Deborah Lee rose, Pamela Ann Will and Gretchen de la o.

Pamela Ann Will Martinez resident Pamela Ann Will released The Snicky Guide To Falling Asleep on the Apple iBookstore last

September. Written with the goal of helping sleep-deprived parents, The Snicky Guide features an adorable eight-pound Miniature Pinscher who has mastered the art of the power nap. Pamela says that the book is the result of Snicky’s uncanny ability to sleep anytime and anywhere, coupled with the fact that her niece recently had a baby. “I kept seeing my niece post on Facebook that she wasn’t getting any sleep. On the other hand, my new rescue dog Snicky seemed to be sleeping all the time. I started taking pictures of Snicky’s quirky sleep style and The Snicky Guide was born.” The Snicky Guide has a gentle message, adorable photos, and an innovative storyline that sets the tone for an enjoyable bedtime. If you have trouble getting your child to bed, this 23-page guide is the perfect addi-tion to your iBooks library. You can purchase the book on iTunes for $2.99.


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read my mind© Book Reviews by Michael G. Harris, OD

Good Sports! I’ve always been a big sports fan and love reading books about sports heroes. Recent books highlight several who were really “good sports!” Even though he coached the dreaded LA Lakers, Phil Jackson is a legendary basketball coach who managed to win with class and Zen. Jackson’s biography Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success recounts his younger years in North Dakota, his playing days in the NBA, and the eleven champi-onship teams he coached during his illustrious career. Whether it’s dealing with Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman, Shaq, or Kobe Bryant, Jackson’s laid-back style seems to bring out the best in his players. He calls his approach to coaching “mindful leadership.” His ability to get the most out of his players proves that this Zen master knows his stuff. Even if you don’t like basketball, you will enjoy this well-written book by perhaps the smartest coach ever. How can you not like a book about sports that quotes Rudyard Kipling, Buddha, Napoleon, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Dalai Lama? My favorite quote from the book (and a lesson for all of us) is the Chinese prov-erb: “Fall down seven times. Stand up eight.” Pat Summitt is more than Jackson’s equal when it comes to college basket-ball. Summitt’s life and brilliant career as the women’s basketball coach at the University of Tennessee are portrayed in her recent biography Sum It Up, which captures her “1,098 victories, a couple of irrelevant losses, and a life in perspective.” Summitt grew up in the tobacco fields of Tennessee, learned basketball from her brothers, became a basketball star, won Olympic Gold, and became head coach of the University of Ten-nessee “Lady Vols” at the young age of 22. She led the team for the next four decades and won more games than any

other coach, man or woman. She taught young women from diverse back-grounds the importance of hard work, teamwork, and leadership. Her personality and style made her a much beloved coach and mentor.

In her book, Summitt discusses her many triumphs and disappointments. She comes across as very human and openly discusses her battle with Alzheimer’s disease. While everyone will enjoy this book, I think it will be especially meaningful for mothers who face the challenge of balancing work and family. Pat Summitt will be an inspiration to you and your children. While some of today’s baseball players use illegal substances and lie about it, it’s nice to read a book about a ballplayer who achieved success through hard work and determination. John Rosengren introduces us to such a player in Hank Greenberg: The Hero Of Heroes. When Greenberg joined the Detroit Tigers in 1930, he wasn’t the first Jewish major leaguer, but he was the first to gain any notoriety. Greenberg led the major leagues with 58 home runs in 1938. He was a hero to Detroit Tigers fans and one of America’s most prominent Jews. None-theless, Greenberg heard anti-Semitic slurs wherever he played, even though he was one of the greatest sluggers of his era. Rosengren illustrates the struggle Greenberg had balancing his Ortho-dox Jewish upbringing and his career. Many chastised him for not playing in the World Series on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year. Greenberg’s challenges in over-coming religious prejudice preceded Jackie Robinson’s struggle with racial prejudice by nearly two decades. Some say Greenberg’s example on how to surmount prejudice and thrive in the major leagues was an inspiration to Robinson. For his generation and those who followed in his footsteps, Green-berg was “the hero of heroes.”

Thomas Harris’s The Silence of the Lambs is a hair-raising psychologi-cal thriller that examines humanity’s capacity for good and, more often, for evil. There are few char-acters as memorable or frightening as Hannibal Lecter. His utter lack of morality combined with a façade of cultural refine-ment produces a terrify-ing, paradoxical monster that cannot be imitated. But Lecter is just one piece of Harris’s brilliant work; the other characters are exceptional as well. The novel opens when Clarice Starling, a young FBI trainee, receives an assignment from Jack Crawford, head of the behavioral science divi-sion of the FBI. Starling is to present a questionnaire to Hannibal Lecter, an infamous incarcerated serial killer and former psychiatrist. However, what Crawford doesn’t tell Starling is that his real purpose in sending her to Lecter is to get his help in catching another serial killer on the loose, Buffalo Bill. As Starling becomes more involved in the Buffalo Bill investigation, she becomes more dependent on Lecter for help in analyzing the killer’s mind. In return for his help in the investiga-

tion, Lecter requires that Starling tell him about her life. As Starling grows increasingly desperate to catch Buffalo Bill, she allows Lecter further and further into her mind. The complicated relationship between Starling, a driven FBI trainee, and Lecter, a cannibalistic serial killer, is one of the most inter-esting parts of Harris’s

novel, and it illustrates why The Silence of the Lambs is considered a classic of the psychological thriller genre. One of Harris’s greatest strengths as a writer is that his characters are incredibly believable. Although best known for his portrayal of the chill-ingly analytical Dr. Lecter, Harris’s other characters, such as the maniacal Buffalo Bill, are also prime examples of his skills as a writer. The Silence of the Lambs is widely considered to be one of, if not, the best psychological thriller of all time, and although the movie adapted it well, the book delivers a dif-ferent yet equally chilling experience. Also, if you like The Silence of the Lambs, check out Red Dragon and Hannibal. They have many of the same characters as The Silence of the Lambs, but can be read separately.

To read or not to read By Zane Dundon, Senior, De La Salle HS


Go Green This Holiday Consider these great green tips for gift giving this holiday season! Buy Energy-Saving LED Holiday Lights: LED lights use 90% less energy than conven-tional lights and can save your family up to $50 on your energy bill during the holiday season. You can find LED lights at many major retailers, including Target, Costco and Ace Hardware.Reduce Waste: Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, Americans generate 25% more landfill waste than during the rest of the year. Bring your own bags to carry gifts, consolidate shopping trips to cut back on gas, and consider sending holiday cheer with handmade cards, or via the Internet, telephone or in person to cut back on paper waste. Make Your Own Wrapping Paper: Be creative! Wrap gifts in the Sunday comics, maga-zines, paper grocery bags, old scarves or cloth bags. If every family in the U.S. wrapped three gifts with reused materials, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields!Recycle Your Wrapping Paper: If you do choose to use regular wrapping paper make sure to recycle it, but only if it is non-metallic paper. Metallic wrapping paper and ribbon are NOT recyclable, so please put them in your blue garbage cart. Recycle Your Christmas Tree: Recycling holiday trees is easy! Keep an eye out for a bill-ing insert in your Republic Services bill that will detail when your tree pick up will occur. Purchase Quality Gifts: Look for gifts that are long-lasting & reusable. If shopping for electronics look for the most energy-efficient models. Purchase gifts made from organic or recycled materials and avoid materials like PVC. Choose items that have minimal, recyclable packaging. For the person that has everything, make them a nice personalized gift (gourmet dinner, cookies, massage) or donate to charities in their name. Shop Green: Consider doing your holiday shopping at Contra Costa County Green Cer-tified Businesses. Find local businesses at www.greenbiz.ca.gov. PresentedbythePleasantHillChamberofCommerceGreenCommittee

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November is Long-Term Care Awareness Month. The intention is to encourage baby boomers to get started with proper planning. Adding a long-term care policy to that holiday gift wish list would be an upbeat way to approach the holiday season. Long-term care (LTC) is the assistance needed over an extended period of time to manage a chronic condition. The care can be provided at home, in a nursing home or in another facility. Medicare does not cover much in the realm of LTC. Long-term care insurance is intended to protect against loss caused by aging and to protect against spending down assets. Without a plan, most people will self-insure the risk and rely on family by default. Medi-Cal requires one to deplete or spend down assets before the government will pay for the care. The cost of care is shocking. Genworth, a financial security company, has a great cost of care calculator on their website.

Based on the 2013 survey for the East Bay, the annual cost of a semi-private room is listed at $94,000. It lists the cost for part-time care at home as $55,000 annually. A two or three-year stay in a nursing home comes with a hefty price. Long-term care insur-

ance can help pay for those expenses. There are several ways to qualify for benefits: the inability to perform two out of six activities of daily living, a physician certified medical necessity for a nursing facility, or a cognitive impairment. Benefits can be paid on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. You can work with a qualified agent to design a plan that suits your needs and budget. Couples can be eligible for discounts, and the benefits do not have to be identical. Of course, one must have good health to qualify! ColleenCallahanInsuranceServicesislocated140GregoryLane,Suite170inPleasantHill.Shecanbereachedat925-363-5433.

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Thank You Pleasant HillFrom the Pleasant Hill Civic Action Commission

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Nov. 1 – Dec. 20 – Food Drive for Contra Costa Food Bank.Collectioncontain-erswillbeinthelobbyoftheSeniorCenterat233GregoryLane.Weacceptnonperishableandunopenedfood(noglassorexpireditems).Mostneededitemsinclude:peanutbutter,wholegraincereals,heartysoups,beans/lentils(dryorcanned),cannedtuna/chicken,cannedfruitinjuice,cannedvegeta-blesinwater,brownrice,wholewheatpasta,cannedtomatoes.

Nov. 15 – Pleasant Hill Police Presents “Safety for Seniors” –1pm.ThePleasantHillPoliceofficerswilldiscusswaystoavoidfinancialscamsandopportunitiesthatappearvalidbutlaterprovetobescams.Theywillalsodiscussseniorsafetyandcrimepreventionathomeandaway.CallPleas-antHillSeniorCenter(925)798-8788toreserveyourspot.EventisfreeandlocatedattheCenter’sChateauRoom.

Nov. 23– Holiday Boutique -9am–3pm.Getanearlystartonyourholidayshopping!VisitourHolidayBoutiqueandchoosefromahugeselectionofqualityhandmadeitemsataffordableprices.

Fridays through March 31, 2014 – Soup’s OnatthePleasantHillSeniorCenterfrom11:30-12:30pm.Chef’sLunchoffersa“Soup&Savory”menu.For$5,hotsoupispairedwithahotsandwichoranothermenuitem.Noreserva-tionsrequired.Justdropin!

It’s Membership Renewal Time for 2014!Itistimetorenewyourmembership,stillabargainatonly$10perpersonpercalendaryear.Youwillcontinuetoreceiveaninformativemonthlybulletin,gettosignupfortripswhenfirstavailable,savemoneyonspecialeventsandmuchmore.We will begin signing up Friday, November 1.Foranynewmembersigninguppriortotheendoftheyear,wecharge$10for2014,andthemonthsofNovemberandDecemberarefree.Whatabargainthefirstyear:14monthsfor$10.

Pilates Class – New Class. Mondays:11am–12pm.Pilateshelpstoimproveyourflexibility,increasecorestrengthandimprovejointmobility,whichhelpspreventinjuries.Italsoincreasesone’sbodyawarenessthroughfocus,balanceandconcentration.Thisclassissobeneficialtoyourphysicalbeingandagreatwaytounwindandrelax.Cost:$5perclass.Instructor:Mau-reenO’Neil.

Nov. 15 - Holiday Bazaar and Lunch 9am–2pm.Lunchisservedfrom11:30am–1pm.Youwillfindwhiteelephantitems,beautifuljewelry,plants,cards,crafts,glass&crystalitems,holidaydecorationsandmuchmore.Don’tmissoutonthat“treasureditem”youcan’tlivewithout.Lunchwillconsistofpasta,salad,garlicbread,coffeeandtea.Fordessertyoucanpurchasesomethingdeliciousfromourbakesalearea.

Dec. 31 - New Year’s Eve Bingo Bash.Doorsopenat5:30pmandgamesbeginat7pm.Food * Prizes * Bingo – Everyone is WelcomeDon’tmissthefun!Wewillbeplayingsomenewgames,andprizeswillbegivenoutthroughouttheevening.Therewillbe16gameswith16winners,withaprizegiventoaluckyrecipientafterreachgame.$40guaranteedminimum“pot”fortheregulargames.“Pot”sizedependsuponsalesandmaybeincreased.Refreshmentswillbeserved.Cost:$5forone10-gameregularpack.Note:Therewillbelotsofprizes,suchasafreetriptoagam-blingcasinoandmoviepasses.Please call the office to sign-up so we can plan our menu.

9thAnnualCommunityServiceDay;YouMadetheDifference More than 1,000 volunteers par-ticipated in the 9th Annual Community Service Day on Saturday, September 28. There were 33 projects citywide includ-ing: ten schools, eight senior homes for senior residents, PH Library, four Rec & Park District sites, Ellinwood Creek, PH Instructional Garden, and lots more. A special thank you goes to the following organizations and businesses that contrib-uted to the event:• The Pleasant Hill Lions Club (for breakfast at the park)• Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park Dis-trict (for providing their facility for the breakfast and registration)• Republic Services (for donating bottled water)• Pleasant Hill Police Department, Bicycle Trails Council of the East Bay, Devil Mountain Cyclery, Pegasus Bicy-

cle Works and Trailtechnique (for their help in repairing more than 70 bikes for needy kids) • Oak Park Church volunteers • The Girl Scouts (who helped collect almost 2,752 lbs. of food for the Contra Costa Food Bank)• Starbucks (for coffee donations) For the first time this year, the Civic Action Commission organized eight projects at the homes of senior residents. Sheila Cotruvo, Andrew Pierce, Steve Oldenbourg and Patty O’Malley led a dedicated group of volunteers to do land-scaping and yard work for these residents, and they were very grateful for the assist-ance. There are too many schools, church groups, businesses, organizations, and names of individuals to list, but we thank you all for your dedication, hard work and commitment in giving back to your community.

Volunteers of all ages made a difference at the home of Carol Abfalter.

Volunteers sew crafts for St. Marks Lutheran Church.


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riding the railsBy Richard Patchin

Source of material is from the November 2006 Issue of the Martinez Historical So-ciety Newsletter and parts of a lecture at the Martinez Senior Center on Septem-ber 29, 2006. “Done.” This was the telegraph message sent east to Omaha and Chi-cago and west to Sacramento and San Francisco at 12:47pm on May 10, 1869, from a remote area of Utah. It reported the completion of the greatest single engineering feat in the history of the United States: the building of the trans-continental railroad. Many historians argue that this event was not equaled or surpassed until an astronaut walked on the moon. By the end of the century, a net-work of tracks had been laid through-out the American West. Contra Costa County was no stranger to railroads, even when the transcontinental was built. In 1862, the Pittsburg Coal Min-ing Company incorporated a railroad to connect its mining operations in Som-ersville to Pittsburg Landing, where coal was transferred from rail cars to barges for the trip down river to fuel burgeon-ing industries around the Bay. Other lines were planned and promoted by prominent citizens such as Simon Blum, Charles Sher-man, Elam Brown, Hiram Mills, John Larkey, Charles Fish, John Tormey, J.

H. Carothers, T. A. Brown, Francisco Galindo and John Strentzel. Their ob-jective was to get agricultural products to the shoreline for shipment down river. The Carquinez Strait was recog-nized for providing ideal conditions for harbor facilities, particularly a deep-water channel close to shore. Builders realized that a line from Oakland along the south shore of the Strait and beyond would allow a low level access to the Central Valley, a crossing to the north shore, and service to developing port facilities. The Northern Railway Company was incorporated on July 19, 1871, to build a line from Oakland to Martinez.

This was no easy task, but the entire line was open from Tracy through Martinez to Oakland in 1878. This service lasted until 1879, when the route changed to cross the strait at Benicia. The Central Pacific then began rail ferry service. With rail and waterway service, wheat production exploded. By the early 1870s, wheat acreage had doubled from one million to two million. By the end of the decade, over three million acres were planted in wheat. The Port Costa shoreline became the unrivaled center of California wheat trade. Trains through Martinez carried nearly all of the wheat from the San Joaquin Valley, while grain trains from the Sacramento Valley crossed at Benicia. Martinez shared in the boom by shipping millions of tons of grain from its own Grangers’ Wharf, built in 1876. But the boom was short-lived. Just

as rail expansion opened the valleys of California, railroads brought new producers to the marketplace from other parts of the world. By then, many farmers in Contra Costa had heeded the advice of orchardist John Strentzel to plant fruit and nut trees and vineyards. Railway competition brought the Santa Fe to the area. Its line required bridges, tunnels, including the 5,560-foot Franklin tunnel, and a 1,630-foot trestle across the Alhambra Valley. The trestle was billed as “the largest steel bridge in California and the most modern in the world.” Martinez citizens granted rights-of-way and donated land, and George Fraser provided a site for a station and warehouse. Addednote:There are few authori-tative sources of history available on the bridge. According to a post on the forum www.trainorders.com: The bridge was built around 1899-1900, and goes by a number of names. It crosses the Alham-bra Valley, so Alhambra Valley trestle makes sense. In History of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway, Keith Bryant calls it the Alhambra viaduct, giving its length as 1600ft and height as 75ft (Keibel’s book gives the length as 1680ft). Santa Fe’s Muir station was located just east of the bridge, so it is also called Muir Trestle. Its “real” name, so far as the railroad is concerned, is woefully unromantic, “Bridge 1170.7,” denoting its milepost location. According to Keibel’s book, the bridge was completely rebuilt in 1929 into the structure we see today, with new piers and larger deck girders.

Also known as the Muir Trestle or Alhambra Trestle, this railroad bridge crosses the Alhambra Valley, just south of Highway 4.

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The Shaking is over...now What?

By Jim Bonato, Pleasant Hill CERT Program Manager

“Phew! The shaking from that tem-blor seems to be over, but my gosh…I’ve been told there may be aftershocks. Thank goodness I ducked under the kitchen table to protect me from the falling plates and glasses. What’s that smell? Gas!” Past articles in this paper (avail-able on www.communityfocus.com) have focused on being prepared. This month I’m going to talk about what to do AFTER a major earthquake strikes. First, check yourself and others nearby for any injuries and administer first aid if needed. Call 911 only to report a life-threatening emergency. Put on gloves, a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and shoes to protect you against loose debris and broken glass. These are the biggest causes of post-earthquake injuries. Check your home for any hazards or safety issues. If you hear the hiss of gas or smell gas, open windows, leave the house, and turn off the gas at the gas meter. DO NOT attempt to turn the gas back on…that’s a job for PG&E only. If you notice sparks from house wiring or electrical equipment, turn the electricity off at the main circuit box. Put out any small fires safely with a fire extinguisher. Immediately fill the bath-tub with water – this and your water heater will be a good water source for you. Clean up any spills from gasoline or household chemicals.

If the quake struck during the day, family members will most likely be separated. Everyone should call a pre-determined, out-of-state relative, to check in, give their locations, and provide their anticipated next actions. Everyone should know their family’s pre-arranged gathering site and head there if safety permits. If you have an emergency hand-crank radio, turn it on and tune it to KCBS AM 740 for updates on the quake’s aftermath and damage to the region’s infrastructure – road closures, water main breaks, gas line ruptures, etc. Stay away from those areas. If your home is damaged, grab your emergency earthquake kit and safely exit. Beware of falling chimneys, downed power lines, and anything overhead that may fall and injure you. Once you are safe and your home is reasonably stable, check on your neigh-bors, particularly the elderly, and see what help might be needed. Be wary of aftershocks. Large quakes are always followed by after-shocks, and some are larger than the original quake. Treat each aftershock as a fresh quake in terms of safety. Thinking about the actions you WILL take following a major earth-quake, putting together your emergen-cy earthquake kit, and having a family plan will give you and your family confidence that you have prepared well.

According to the Mayo Clinic, someone who expe-riences poor sleep at least three times a week con-tinually over the period of a month has chronic insom-nia. Things that prevent restful sleep include: persist-ent stress, depression, use of stimulants (caffeine, alcohol, sugar, or highly salted foods), side effects of medica-tion, erratic schedules, and hormonal changes. Health-related risks from lack of sleep include: a high propensity for accidents, obesity, hormone disruption, diabetes, heart problems, depression, and substance abuse. Most adults need 7-9 hours sleep. Binging on extra sleep to overcome sleep loss may seem like the right thing to do, but a recent Harvard Medi-cal School study found that it doesn’t work.Simple Things To Do To Improve Sleep Dietary and lifestyle changes can help, but it’s best to try one change at a time. Give it three weeks before trying another. Avoid alcohol. Alcohol before bed may help you fall asleep, but it can

cause early-morning wak-ing and trigger hot flashes or night sweats. Engage in relaxing activity before bed. Take a warm Epsom salt bath. Make a list of all the things that keep you up before bed. You will know

how to deal with them in the morning. If you remember something that didn’t make it on the list, dismiss it. It prob-ably wasn’t that important.If Changes Don’t Work, Homeopathy May The right homeopathic remedy lifts underlying issues to help you sleep. The remedy must fit the symptoms. For example, Nux vomica can help a light sleeper who is sensitive to noise, wakes up at 3-4 am, or can’t sleep after abuse of sleeping pills or alcohol. Ignatia-am-ara may help someone who develops insomnia after the loss of a loved one. There are many more. Icanhelpyousleepbetter.Con-tactme.MentionCommunityFocusforafree,20-minuteassessmentandcomplementaryhomeopathicsleep-aidwhilethesupplylasts.MyraNissen,CCH,RSHom(NA),925.826.3858,www.MyraNissen.com.

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A Light on Lung CancerBy Gigi Chen, MD

The most effective way to reduce the risk of lung cancer is through prevention. Smok-ing is thought to be the cause of 85% of lung cancer. With our progress in smoking cessation, there is a recent decline in lung cancer rates and mortality, however, 19% of populations in the U.S. are still smokers. We also know that the risk of lung cancer still takes many years to decline significantly after smoking cessation. Therefore, there is a need for an effective screening modality for lung cancer. Previously, studies using chest x-ray as a screening modality have not shown that it reduces cancer related deaths. More recently, the National Lung Screening Trial, conducted by National Cancer Institute, compared annual screening using low dose chest CT scanning with chest x-ray for three years in high-risk individuals and found a reduction in lung cancer deaths. Several observation trials, including the early lung cancer project (ELCAP), showed that low dose chest CT could identify early asympto-matic lung cancer. This would allow treat-

ment of early stage lung cancer and improve overall cure rate. The CT screening is recommended only for people who are at high risk, and the benefit would outweigh the risk. High risk is defined as individuals aged 55 to 74 who smoke 30 packs per year or

have ceased smoking within 15 years. Lung cancer screening should also be done in a multi-disciplinary program, which involves expertise in guiding the screening. Join an engaging panel of medical experts as they cover the most current information regarding early detection, new screening recommendations, clinical trials, treatment options, surgical techniques, and survivor-ship issues on November 16, 2013, 3–5pm, at the Walnut Creek Library. Register by calling 925-677-5041 x272 or going online: www.shinealightonlungcancer.org GigiChen,M.D.,isaMedicalOncologistandHematologistpracticingatDiabloValleyOncology,locatedintheCaliforniaCancerandResearchInstitute,PleasantHill.

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Solutions for IncontinenceBy Parminder Sethi, MD

One of the most common urological problems I treat is urinary incontinence - the loss of control over urination. In some instances it’s as minor a problem as losing a few drops of urine while running or cough-ing. In other cases, one may feel a strong, sudden urge to urinate just before losing a large amount of urine. Many patients experience both symptoms. Both women and men can become incontinent from neurologic injury, birth defects, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and physi-cal problems associated with aging. Women experience urinary incontinence twice as often as men due to pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, and the structure of the female urinary tract. Incontinence in men is most-ly related to prostate problems, but there are other neurological and bladder problems that contribute.

Urinary incontinence is not inevitable with age or “something you have to live with.” Urinary incontinence is a medical problem. People aren’t aware that a specialty ex-ists for the management and care of incontinence condi-tions. Highly effective, mini-

mally invasive treatments are available, and most can be done in the outpatient setting. For men and women with overactive bladder conditions who have failed to im-prove with pharmacological management, we can now provide a new treatment option that uses mild electrical pulses to stimu-late the nerve that controls the bladder and sur rounding muscles that manage urinary function. From pharmacologic manage-ment and behavioral modification to pelvic floor rehabilitation and minimally invasive reconstructive surgical techniques, effective

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solutions exist for virtually every form of in-continence. Dr.ParminderSethiisaUrologistatPacificUrology.Hespecializesintreat-ingpatientswithurinaryincontinenceandbladderdysfunction.ToreachDr.Sethi,call925-830-1140. OnNovember14,2013joinanen-gagingpanelofleadingmedicalexpertsregardingmaleandfemaleincontinence.

Thepanelwillreviewriskfactors,causes,andtypesofincontinenceandofferthelat-estdataonmedicationsandtreatmentop-tionsforimprovingqualityoflife.SpeakersincludeurologistsDr.BrianHopkinsandDr.ParminderSethi,alongwithspecialistLindaAdams,LVN.LocationistheWalnutCreekLibrary,OakViewRoom,6-8pm.Admissionandrefreshmentsarefree.Pleaseregisterinadvance,877-433-2873.

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We live in a fast paced, high stress society that moves quickly and relentlessly to ful-fill our daily tasks. One of the outward signs of stress is the tendency to hold our breath. Since breathing is literally life, we should do it fully. Breathing works wonders in the body because it brings life-giv-ing oxygen and nutrients to every nook and cranny of our system. Breathing deeply helps our energy level and focus, strengthens the core, improves our pos-ture and flexibility, aids digestion, boosts immunity, and decreases neck, shoulder and back pain. Creating a sense of calm-ness and relaxation, breathing also de-creases stress and anxiety, while lowering blood pressure. The brain and body need plenty of oxygen to function well, and breathing is key. Check in with your body right now. Are your shoulders up around your ears? Are you holding your breath or pant-ing quickly like a puppy? To retrain your body to take in the oxygen it craves, prac-tice slow deep breaths. Sit or lie comfort-

ably. Notice your belly rising while inhaling (like a balloon inflating) and falling while exhaling (like a balloon de-flating). Notice if your shoul-ders and neck are tensing with short, choppy breaths. Now begin slowing down your breath to create a long, ex-

pansive rising and falling of your belly. Enjoy this slow, deep breath a few min-utes, and then repeat later the same day. If you initially get dizzy, stop and wait a few seconds, then start again. Sometimes that first big dose of oxygen after years of holding your breath can be a bit of a sur-prise. A few minutes a day of mindful breathing has a great impact on how you feel. And it can be done anywhere, at anytime. You’ll soon be calmer, more focused, and better energized. You may even be able to skip that afternoon cup of coffee! TonyaMarieAmosisafullycerti-fiedPilatesinstructor.Formoreinfor-mation,pleasecall(925)680-4400orgotowww.AspirePilatesCenter.com.

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MDUSD Superin-tendent Dr. Nellie Meyer spoke to the MDEA (Mt. Diablo Education Asso-ciation) Representative Assembly at the Willow Creek Center on Octo-ber 7. After she presented her vision for the school district and strategies for working together for the benefit of all students, she took questions from teachers. Issues included teacher salary in-creases, Common Core implementation, the scheduling of IEP’s (Individualized Education Program) and professional de-velopment. But foremost on the minds of the audience was salary, health insurance and declining morale; unhappy teachers impact student learning. In response to a comment about the unfortunate teacher furlough days in May, 2011, and how it contrasted with raises among the upper

echelon in the district, Dr. Meyer responded by saying, “We have too many tiers in this sys-tem--that is something I noticed right away--and we need to make sure that everyone has an eq-uitable amount of sup-port, and that includes salary and benefits. If you look at the impact on the student and think,

‘which roles have the greatest impact,’ it’s the teachers’ roles in the classroom.” There has been an ongoing effort to negotiate a 2013-14 successor contract with MDUSD, and teachers are currently asking for a 7% salary increase. The dis-trict had a $42 million unrestricted end-ing balance for the 2012-2013 school year, which is more than $34 million beyond the state-required 2% reserve. Dr. Meyer answered a question about teacher sala-ries and the $42 million by saying, “The

reserve that I have seen, coming from a place that did not have a reserve, is won-derful from a budgetary standpoint. But much like your funding for categorical programs, it is our obligation to use the funding that we get from California for the students we have in front of us. Recog-nizing the required 2% reserve, whatever is over that is something that we should talk about being put in places that would have the most impact on students. I do believe that morale and respect that retain teachers and classified employees could be resolved by analyzing where some of that money is going. Prior to Proposition

30 (passed in November 2012 and saved massive budget cuts to education), there were some people who had to come in and cut programs for students. I’m look-ing at how to reinstate that, and the best way is to start looking at the things that students need.” Dr. Meyer is working on setting up feeder pattern meetings, possibly at the high schools, to greet and talk with par-ents, and she will have a schedule an-nounced shortly. Dr. Meyer’s three-year term with the school district began on September 23, and her contract runs through June 30, 2016.

Dr. Nellie Meyer

Mt.DiabloUnifiedSchoolDistricthaslaunchedaFacebookPage.Thepur-poseoftheDistrictFacebookpageistocelebrate,recognizeandcommunicateinformationabouttheschoolsandtheschooldistrict.Postswillshareinforma-tionaboutcelebrations,recognitions,information,spotlightingspecialpro-grams,people,schools,anddistricthistory.Inquiriesandsuggestionsoninfor-mationtopostcanbeemailedtofacebook@mdusd.org.


Community AnnouncementsSupport the Rebuilding of the Pleasant Oaks Park Playground. Join concerned parent Laura Fernandez at the PH Rec and Park District board meeting, 6pm on Thursday, Nov. 7 at the Rec and Park District Office, 147 Gregory Lane, to voice your opinion.Candy Swap! Calling all Trick or Treaters - Donate to Blue Star Moms! The orthodontist office of Dr. Jennifer Martin is asking all trick-or-treaters to bring your candy to the “Candy Buy Back” on Nov. 8 between 2:30pm and 4:30pm. The candy will be donated to the Blue Star Moms and sent to troops serving in the military. You can drop your candy at 401 Gre-gory Lane, Suite 126 in Pleasant Hill.Shine a Light on Lung Cancer, Saturday, Nov. 16, 3–5pm, Walnut Creek Library, Oak Room, 1644 N. Broadway in Walnut Creek. Attend this educational event focusing on the unique issues of lung cancer patients. Join a panel of medical experts as they cover the most current infor-mation on lung cancer. Speakers: Dr. Kristina Kramer, Dr. Michaela Straznicka and Dr. Gigi Chen. Sponsors: Lung Cancer Alliance, Diablo Valley Oncology and the Cancer Support Com-munity. Register by calling 925-677-5041 x272 or online at: www.shinealightonlungcancer.org. Admission and refreshments are free.Thanksgiving Donations - Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano There is still time to make a difference for your hungry neighbors. You can help provide more than 14,000 holiday meals and 26,000 food baskets that enable re-cipients to cook a special holiday meal and help them with everyday grocery needs. Help make

the difference to the children, families, and sen-iors who simply can’t afford enough food. www.foodbankccs.org.Central County Homeless Outreach Winter Wish List With the onset of the cold weather, CCHO is especially in need of: Blankets, Sox, Tarps, Gas Cards, Food Cards, Jackets and Coats, Knit Hats and Gloves. Central County Homeless Outreach is looking for donations of clean, used or new items. If you have any to spare, you can reach Doug at 925-812-3511. If you’d like to donate to CCHO, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, please visit www.home-lessoutreach.net and make a donation on the Contact-Donate page.The Society of American Magicians Assembly #112 meets the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 7pm. Open to all! Contact Fred at 925-451-1292.Pleasant Hill Garden Study Club meeting is Tuesday, Nov. 5, 7pm, Fellowship Hall at Faith Lutheran Church, 50 Woodsworth Lane, PH. Kipp McMichael presents Succulents in Small Spaces. Guests are welcome and free. Contact: 925-944-4898 or www.phgsc.com.Navlet’s November ClassesSaturday, 11/9, 10am – Concord: HouseplantsSaturday, 11/16, 10am – Concord and 2pm – Pleasant Hill: Winterizing Your Garden with Buzz Bertolero, The Dirt Gardener.Christ the King Parish Altar Society Holiday Boutique. Saturday, Nov. 16, 11am to 7pm, and Sunday, Nov. 17, 7am to 2pm. Christ the King Church – Msgr. Wade Center, 199 Brandon Road, Pleasant Hill, 925-682-2486. Proceeds go

to different needs around the Parish. Boutique will have many Christmas items for holiday gift giving, jewelries, knitted items, raffle prizes and baked goods and more. Call Violet DeBorja, President of the Altar Society at 925-934-7832 for details.Holiday Crafter and Vendor Faire Hidden Valley Elementary will hold it’s 2nd annual Holiday Crafter and Vendor Faire on Satur-day, Dec. 7, 10am to 3pm, 500 Glacier Drive, Martinez. Santa will be stopping by for pictures; fourth graders will be having a bake sale; there will a wide variety of vendors to your holiday gift giving needs. Check out our Hidden Valley Elementary Craft and Vendor Faire Facebook page for details. InSearchofJohnMuirby Anthony Gavin, Movie and Reception. Tuesday, Nov. 19, 6pm, Martinez Library, 740 Court Street, 925-646-9900. This film has been showing to standing room only crowds throughout the Bay Area! Free parking after 6pm. Seating is limited; re-serve your spot today. You may call, ask a staff member or register online at: http://ccclib.org/locations/martinez.Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra presents ActingOut, featuring Jonathan Knight playing the Arutiunian Trumpet Concerto. Saturday, Nov. 23, 7:30pm, Los Medanos College Recital Hall, Pittsburg. $5-$10 at the door; Sunday, Nov. 24, 7:30pm Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek. $10-$30 at the door. Tickets by phone 925-943-SHOW or online at www.Le-sherArtsCenter.org. The dramatic program also includes Bernstein’s Overture to Candide, John

Williams’s The Cowboys Overture, Suite from the Threepenny Opera by Kurt Weil and Stravin-sky’s L’histoire d.Diablo Symphony Concert SeaInterludes and HaroldinItaly, Nov. 17 at the Lesher Cent-er. In performing Benjamin Britten’s haunt-ingly beautiful Sea Interludes, we will celebrate the centenary of the birth of this great British composer. Berlioz’s Harold in Italy, inspired by Byron’s epic poem “Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage,” will feature violist Ellen Ruth Rose. Tickets are available at 925-943-SHOW (7469) or online at www.lesherartscenter.org, or at the Lesher Center Box Office.Thanksgathering Service at Creekside Church, November 28, 9 -10am, 444 Fig Tree Lane, Martinez.Welcome Aboard the Diablo Valley Lines!The Walnut Creek Model Railroad Society (WCMRS) operates the Diablo Valley Lines (DVL) model railroad, one of the most moun-tainous and one of the largest exclusively HO scale model railroads in the United States. We we invite you to view our permanent 34’x56’ layout. The DVL is comprised of approxi-mately 4,300 feet of hand-laid track on more than 175,000 individual ties with over 240 turnouts. Holiday Shows: Friday, Nov. 22, 8pm-10pm ; Saturday Nov. 23, 11am-6pm; Fri-day Nov. 29, 2pm-10pm and Saturday Nov. 30, 11am-6pm. Adults (13+) $3, seniors (60+) and children under 6 are $2. Walnut Creek Model Railroad Society is located at 2751 Buena Vista Avenue in Walnut Creek. For more information visit www.wcmrs.org or call 925-937-1888.

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