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A Direct Response Publication Serving Concord, Clayton, Walnut Creek, Martinez and Pleasant Hill

www.myconcordian.com April 2011 800-606-6448

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page 10



Ending the Disease of Negativity

Page C4 • The Concordian • April 2011

dropsink from the publisher

Too often we hear people remind us thatnegativity merely brings on morenegativity. Even if you are unable to

think positively, you do not have to fall intothe trap of negativity.

The trouble is that after being exposed tonothing but negative information from themedia, or even from friends and family, itquickly becomes a disease that consumeseverything we encounter.

Our society has become very negativeindeed. We have, as a result of ourfrustrations, become a society bent onexposing, defaming and destroying whateverexists.

As Jedi Master Yoda from the movie “Star Wars”might say, “The path of the Dark Side ispowerful and one that is hard to escape from.”

So it is in California with our endless seriesof public education funding cuts that oftendefy reason. It is easier to believe that those incharge are corrupt than to accept our lack of control and our obsessive need to be critical.Here is an example: In the last handful of years the Mt. Diablo School District has seen achange in the Superintendent, and a shiftthree times in the make up and power of the board majority. At each step there was anoutcry to replace the board, and yet once

achieved, with a new majority and new boardmembers the same battle cries are still heard.How can this still be corrupt?

In an effort to combat this social mediamentality of anonymous criticism, inconjunction with Claycord.com, I have starteda “Constructive Only”blog called “FixingEducation.” The goal is for the public to postpositive ideas how education can be repaired,funded and improved, free of the endless

negativity when thousands of anonymous voices exercise a net mob mentality. Nonegative comments are published and thereare no dissenting voices. It is a forum forideas in the hope of solutions. Nothing more.

I hope you will take a look and participate, breaking the cycle of negativity we have allendured. Visit http://fundinged.blogspot.comfor more information.

- André GensburgerPublisher

[email protected]

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The Death Knell of a Concord

Neighborhood

All you have to do is look at a map of

Holbrook Heights to see that this

neighborhood was designed for families

and walking children.

In a map of the city, Holbrook sticks out.

No matter what street a child lives on,

walking to Holbrook Elementary involved

crossing just one or two neighborhood

streets. Holbrook's 931 homes were built in

the early 1950s with families and childrenin mind.

Next door is East Sun Terrace. A loved

enclave added in the early 60s, it shares

Holbrook Elementary. The close-by Navy

housing is now home to an ever-growingpopulation of Coast Guard families whose

children have also attended Holbrook

Elementary.

While other areas were built out,

Holbrook and East Sun Terrace remained

virtually unscathed. At 60 years old, itremains as it was at the start; well loved

neighborhoods of well tended homes,

where families know their neighbors and

welcome new homeowners or renters to the

neighborhood and school "family".

When you choose to live in a

neighborhood such as Holbrook or Sun

Terrace, you should feel confident that the

"neighborhood" will remain.

Mt Diablo Unified School District, withone swift stroke, has decided to destroy

these neighborhoods by closing their

beloved Holbrook Elementary School.Much like the Districts reasoning, even

the dollar signs in their eyes are

false. Little or no money will be saved;

money will in fact, be lost.

MDUSD has decided that “those”

children, families and neighborhoods are

not important. To benefit the children, it

seems, is NOT what this District is about.It's about Power and Stubborn ego.

“Surely those 400 five and ten year olds

can just walk to the "other" side of Port

Chicago, or a mile or two to the "other" side

of Willow Pass".

When an entity such as MDUSD can

hack away at the lives of over 1300 families,

with the lives of this many children,

Concord itself should beware, and --Ask

Not For Whom The Bell Tolls...!

GlennaPenzel Resident

A Response from MDUSD Trustee

Gary Eberhart

Closing schools is never going to be

viewed as positive by those whom the

closure impacts and that is precisely why

we waited so long to act on closing schools.That said, just like most districts in the

State, we are struggling financially in ways

that we never have before. The cuts that

have been made to school districts in

California over the last several years are far

worse than the cuts that were made to

education during the great depression

when public education was cut 18% in six

years. Does the community as a whole

really want the School District to ignore the

fact that we are at about 70% capacity District wide?

A thorough study was conducted and a

committee of community members made a

strong recommendation to the Board to

close schools. The committee made three

recommendations, but only two

recommendations had support from a

majority of committee members. The two

recommendations were as follows:

Glenbrook, Silverwood, Wren.

Glenbrook, Silverwood, Holbrook

In the end, the Board chose to close two

of the schools that were recommended;

Glenbrook and Holbrook. Glenbrook is

projected to have 478 students with a

capacity of 907 and Holbrook is projected

to have 355 students with a capacity of 594. That is a usage percentage of 53% and

60% respectively. Does the community really believe that the District can afford to

operate schools below the 60% capacity

level?

Closing schools is an awful thing to have

to do. I find it unbelievable that the State

would place the District in this position.

This is not something that was caused by

the School Board. We have a budget and

we are mandated to balance the budget

each and every year. This is not about theBoard picking on a single area. We made

decisions based on recommendations from

the School Closure Committee after they

spent months studying the issues.

I regret the impact the closures will have

on these communities and sympathize with

your concerns.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR



W hat a horrifying and

heartbreaking tragedy

we have been

watching develop in Japan.First, the fifth largest

earthquake ever recorded,

followed by a monstrous

tsunami that was so powerful its

waves caused havoc thousands

of miles away here in the Bay

Area and other parts of the state.

As if that was not enough for

the people of Japan to bear, that

was followed by the crisis atnuclear power plants that sent

radiation into the atmosphere

and waves of fear, instead of

water, to the West Coast.

The scope and scale of this

hydra-headed disaster is difficult

to comprehend and will take

years from which to recover, but

it is a shocking reminder of therisk that we live with in

California every day.Perhaps we can take some

measure of comfort in the

knowledge that the patchwork of

fault lines that fracture the

ground beneath us all across the

state apparently does not have

the capacity to create the kind of

intensity that so devastated

Japan. That’s according to a

seismologist from the U.S.Geological Survey whom I spoke

with the night of the quake in

Japan. Other experts we have

heard from in the weeks since

the magnitude 9.0 earthquake

all seem to agree that the type of

fault common in California, theso-called “strike-slip”, is

fundamentally different from

the “subduction” fault that

shifted in Japan. In very generalterms, that type of fault ruptures

vertically with one plate moving

beneath another, while the

“strike-slip” faults in California

break loose horizontally, side by

side. That is all well and good, but we should keep in mind that

the Japanese experts did not

anticipate that a quake of such

terrifying magnitude was

possible there either.The cold, hard reality is that

a major disaster is coming to the

Bay Area again. It might not

happen for decades or it might

happen before you finish

reading this column. Faced with

that geological truth, we would

all be wise to prepare.

After several false starts over

the years, my wife and I finally

got a basic survival kit togetherat home. But as we have been

prompted to do many times by

world events, we will now retrench and make certain we

have everything that we might

need after a catastrophe.

What does each of us need to

survive for days or weeks at a

time without help? We’ve

all heard it before, but it bears repeating. Below are

a few basics.

l Water- one gallon per

person, per day for at

least three days for

drinking and sanitation.

l Food- at least a three

day supply of non-

perishable food.

l Extra clothing and

blankets.l First aid kit.

l Flashlights and a

battery powered or

hand-crack radio.

l Dust Masks.

l Matches.

l Toiletries.

l Mess kits, paper cups, plates

and plastic utensils.

l

Towelsl Cash

l Pet food.

l Copies of important family

documents such as

identification and insurance

policies.

l Books, games, puzzles orother activities for children.

For more information on

how best to prepare for an

earthquake or other major

disaster, visit the American Red

Cross website. There is a link

at www.myconcordian.com.

You can also find information

on the Red Cross website about

how you can help the thousands

of victims of this terribletragedy in Japan.

There is no way, of course,

no way to be completely

prepared for any and every

disaster and we certainly

cannot live our lives worrying

about the worst case scenario.

But in a major catastrophe, it

would be very unwise for any of us to rely solely on local

government or federal

authorities to help us right

away. They could be

overwhelmed and, depending

on circumstances, you might be

far down on the triage list interms of where assistance will

be sent and when. Self-reliance

could be the key to survival, at

least initially. What Really

Matters is that each one of us

does our part now to brace for

calamity. If and when it

happens, it will be too late.

Automotive

D & H Automotive . . . . . . . .356-0683Elkins Audi . . . . . . . . . .408-249-1411

Business Services

City of Concord . . . . . . . . . .671-3272Chamber of Commerce . . .685-1181TSBA Downtown Assoc . . .521-9922

Dentist

Komor, Peter D.D.S . . . . . .689-5055Waldman, Robert D.D.S . . .682-6940

Dining and Entertainment1800 Cafe . . . . . . . . . . . . . .288-1486Delta Discovery Cruises . . .252-9300Digger’s Diner (Concord) . . .825-8958Lisa’s Hot Dogs & Burritos.. 687-7527Pacific Coast Farmers Market 825-9090Willows Theatre . . . . . . . . .798-1300

Educational Services

Kumon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .825-9955

Events

Main Street Martinez . . . . .228-3577

Financial Services

CA Pacific Federal Credit Union. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .677-0850

Travis Credit Union . . .800-877-8328

Fitness

Big C Athletic Club . . . . . . .671-2110In-Shape Health Clubs . . . .602-5600Aspire Pilates . . . . . . . . . . .680-4400

Funeral Services

Ouimet Bros. Concord FuneralChapel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-4242Acacia Cremations . . .877-916-4779

Gifts, Fun & Unique

The Royal Rooster . . . . . . .672-2025

Home and Garden

McCurley’s Floor Center . . .866-2200Navlet’s Garden Centers . .681-0550

Hotels & Lodging

Crowne Plaza . . . . . . . . . . .521-3787Hilton Concord . . . . . . . . . .850-9327

Homes and Housing

J Rockcliff Realtors:

Van Fleet, Josie . . . . . . . . .280-6470Bennison, John . . . . . . . . . .787-6985

Legal Services

Prutton, Douglas A. . . . . . . .677-5080

Medical Services

Bay Area Urgent Care . . . .930-8200John Muir Medical Center .674-2184Alphaeus Wise MD . . . . . . .935-3113

Personal Products and Services

Cutting Loose Hair Studio .609-8807Salon Epiffani . . . . . . . . . . .363-5432

Pet Services

Pet Suites Inn . . . . . . . . . . .432-7387

Recreation

Earthquake Arabians . . . . .360-7454

Services, Other

Diamond Terrace . . . . . . . .524-5100Mt. Diablo Self Storage . . . .685-2222Recycling Center & Transfer Station

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-9113UPS Store - Treat Plaza . . .825-4623Instant Imprints . . . . . . . . . .825-9815

directory of advertisers

Support your LOCAL paper

Get a home subscription toThe Concordian

for yourself or a Friend for only $30/yr. Home Delivery

(800) 606-6448

by Dan Ashley

The Japan Quake:A Distant Yet Early Warning for Us

An Exclusive for The Concordian

what really matters

DanAshleyisananchorat ABC-7Newsandcanbeseen

weeknightsat5,6and11p.m.onABC-7andat9p.m.on KOFY-TV20.Youcancontact himat [email protected]




in conord, 1800 monuent Blvd. l www.1800cafe.net

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Free WiFiand TV

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C.V. Football Camp Signups Begin

The United Mt. Diablo Athletic

Foundation (UMDAF) is partnering

with the athletic booster clubs of the

six Mt. Diablo Unified School District

(MDUSD) high schools to host a fun-filled

“Vegas Night” at the Concord Hilton on April 30. With MDUSD high school sportcollections more than $300,000 behind

last year’s pace, Vegas Night will help raise

critical funds so that MDUSD’s totally self-

funded high school athletic programs can

continue. UMDAF and the six athletic

booster clubs will share the net profits from

the event evenly.

This is a full house casino event run by

professional gaming providers. Casino

games include a Texas Hold’emTournament, Craps, Roulette, Black Jack,

Poker, and Pai Gow. The Grand Prize

winner of the Texas Hold’em Tournament

will receive a 2011 Camry lease for one year

donated by Toyota of Walnut Creek. Players

will also earn raffle tickets for additional

prizes.

Doors open at 6:00pm with the gamesstarting at 7:00pm to midnight. The $50

cost per person includes dinner and

gambling chips. Buy-in to the Texas

Hold’em Tournament is an additional

$100. There will also be a live band for

dancing.

Formoreinformationandtopurchase

tickets,gotoUMDAF’swebsiteat

www.unitedmtdiabloathletics.org.Asof thiswriting,businesssponsorshipsare

available.ContactKevinHennessyat

[email protected]

2290.Seeadonpage2

The 10th annual Clayton Valley Football Camp will be held at

Gonsalves Stadium at Clayton Valley

High School June 20 - 24 from 9 a.m 1 p.m.

Cost is $125 plus a refundable $75

equipment deposit. Experience a full

contact camp and instruction,

fundamentals and techniques taught by the

high school staff and a full time trainer on

site. Insurance and daily competion

included in the fee. Brochures can be

picked up at the Clayton Valley High School

office.

Contact the Camp Director Herc Pardi

for questions at 682 7474 x 3115 press 5 or

email [email protected]. The

Assistant Camp Director is Jerry Coakley.

city and county

Hunger Lives Next Door

Forklifts rumble through the

warehouse of the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano as

persistent telephone ringing is heard fromthe office. This busy non-profit providesfood directly to increasing numbers of people in our community who require extrahelp and they feed even more by workingthrough other local agencies.

“We have almost 200 (partner agencies) between Contra Costa and Solanocounties," explained the Community Relations Manager for the Food Bank, LisaSherrill. "With our own programs that wehave and the other agencies, we serve132,000 people a month.” Food Bank programs such as Food Assistance

Programs, Food for Children, Senior Food

Program, Farm 2 Kids and several others,help get healthy food and fresh produce tothose in need.

Each year thousands of volunteers helpin the effort to distribute over 12 millionpounds of food. Of those who benefit 28percent are children. Volunteers Nancy Steffen and Mary Mendoza diligently sortand box hundreds of carrots that will later

be distributed. Macy’s, their employer,fundraises nationally and gives locally withtheir annual Bag Hunger Drive. “We candonate money or come and donate hours,”shared Nancy, “It’s great to give back!”

See Hunger, page C12

Athletic Foundation Hosts AprilVegas Night Fundraiser



Stress – we all experience it, and we all

want to be free of it. For most of you,

the stress has been there for so very

long with a little inner voice that says,“Why bother, it will not work for me?” or

“It’s too late – I don’t have enough time,

money,” and so on.

The good news is you can easily let go of

that negative voice, reduce the stress and

live a happier life.Tip 1: Start where you are. The daily

demands of juggling work, family, health

and financial matters often weigh us down.

Sometimes, we are just plain tired.

Tip 2: Be patient with yourself. As we

all know, sometimes we need to take smallsteps, even baby steps,

as we move along our

path. Give yourself

permission to suspend

all self doubt and self criticism. Do not try to

push away any negative

thoughts – by doing so

you will actually

strengthen the very

thoughts you are trying

to be free of!

Tip 3: Tune into

your dreams. What

positive changes do you

wish to make? Don’ttry to force it; your

dreams will flow easily

when you are relaxed.Begin to imagine your

life exactly the way you

wish it to be. Have fun

with this process. All

transformation begins

with a single idea in the

mind. What ideas will you nurture?

ByGerriLevitas,

MBA,CHT

Hypnotherapist,

Author,Speaker

BayHealing.com

The Concordian • April 2011 • Page C7

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Top 3 Tips to Lose Stress



Lawrence Beamen, a finalist on “America’s Got Talent” and Art Watkins, a 35 year Clayton/Concord resident have teamed up to presenta benefit concert to raise funds for the Youth Ministry Center at St.Bonaventure Catholic Church in Concord featuring Lawrence & TheGold Coast Players string quartet.

At age 16 Lawrence Beaman sang before Rosa Parks at a NAACPevent honoring the civil rights leader. He has performed before many other notable dignitaries such as former President Bill Clinton and hasopened for Patti Labelle and Kirk Franklin as well as performed thenational anthem for the San Francisco Giants among others.

The fundraising concert will be held at St. Bonaventure Catholic Church in Concord, 5562Clayton Road, on May 14 at 7:00 p.m. For more information contact St. Bonaventure at672-5800 or brownpapertickets.com for tickets.

People, places and things

seen around the towns

oundr about

A Gift of Love

Honoring the District Woman of the Year

Gleaning a Ton of Fruit for the Hungry

The public is invited to a special encore

performance of “A Gift of Love” on Sunday, April 3, at 6 pm, at Saint Catherine of

Sienna, 1125 Ferry Street, in Martinez.

Admission is free but contributions will be

accepted.The February 13 performance drew an

audience of more than two hundred people

for a choral presentation of popular

Broadway show tunes including songs from

“Fiddler on the Roof”, “Oklahoma”, “South

Pacific”, “Carousel”, “My Fair Lady”, “Les

Miserable”, “Hello Dolly!” and many more.

Come see the show and invite your

friends for what Fr. Leo Asuncion and Mr.

John Glick, St. Catherine’s Music Directorpromises will be “Another delightful

evening of music.”

For more information call 228-2230.

Kid Friendly and Great

Food says

Secret DinerI just had the most delicious

dinner tonight at this newer

restaurant in Concord – 1800Café. My folks had eaten there a

few times and have been raving

about it, so we figured we’d give it

a try. And let me tell you, we were

not disappointed.

The prices are very reasonable with most entrées between $8 and

$10 and huge portions. The food

is just delicious with a very

diverse menu with a couple daily

specials.

We ordered pork chops - two

huge slabs and very tasty, both a

full turkey dinner and an open

face turkey sandwich - fresh

turkey right off the bird with

incredible gravy, and theFlorentine fish which was breaded

and cooked perfectly. Everything we had, from the soup and salad

to the pineapple smoothie was

delicious.

The person at the next table

had the beef stew on noodles. I’ll

try that next time.

The owner, May Wang, a very

charming woman, came outperiodically through our meal to

see how we were doing.

I’d highly recommend you stop

by and see for yourself how good

this is. They serve breakfast, lunch

and dinner daily and the

restaurant is located at 1800

Monument Boulevard a block off

Oak Grove, in Concord.

TomFromConcord

“America’s Got Talent”

Star to Raise YouthMinistry Funds

The Concord-Diablo Rotary surpassed one ton of

fruit collected in their Gleaning Project on March 10

when Community Service Director Edi Birsan

working with member Karen Mahshi and Solvig

McDonald, a homeowner, picked 450 pounds of

grapefruits. This brings the Rotary Club’s year to

date harvest to 2,400 pounds of fruit donated tolocal food pantries. The haul of grapefruits was

divided among, Monument Crisis Center, Share, and

the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano Counties.“There will be no scurvy in Concord!” Birsan

joked. If you have fruit trees that are bearing fruit in

excess of what your household can use, then contact

the Concord-Diablo Rotary at concord-

diablo.rotary5160.org/ or by email

[email protected].

Sandra Scherer, Executive Director of the

Monument Crisis Center was honored with the

11th Assembly District Woman of the Year Award. Scherer was humbled to be recognized

but credits her small staff and all the dedicated

volunteers for the Center’s success in serving

the community. “I think it is really important to

highlight the work that the center has done.That’s what the award is all about. What we’ve

done here is such a collective effort,

“commented Scherer.

In a span of 8 years, this non-profit has

expanded their services and is out growing their

facility. They provide assistance to currently 5,600 active families in Central and East

County. Every person they support has a

unique story and is from a diverse

socioeconomic background; they aid the

homeless and those with mental health issues,

they also serve hard working families and a

huge population of seniors and single mothers.

“The award gives us opportunity for that validity

that the center is going to always need. The

recognition from the Assembly and the State

gets our name out there to be recognized as a

group that is doing something really positive,”

explained Scherer.

In need of assistance or would like to

contribute go to monumentcrisiscenter.org/ ByKathyWeires



Fresh eggs are available at your

farmers’ market, fresh from

the farm directly to you. Try some natural egg dyes made from

fresh produce this year when making

Easter eggs. The good thing is there

are no petro-chemicals or other

additives in the dyes!

l Put eggs in as large a pan as

possible. Don’t stack on top of

each other.

l Fill the pan with water so eggs are

covered about 1/2 inch.l Add 2 teaspoons white vinegar

(don’t add vinegar when usingonion skins.

l

Optional: Add 1/2 teaspoons alumto water to make colors brighter.

l Add the natural dye material. For

example, use 2 tablespoons

turmeric, 2 cups of packed onion

skins, 1 cup berries.

l Bring water to a boil. Reduce to a

simmer for 20 minutes.

l With a strainer, remove the eggs

into a bowl lined with paper

towel.

Here are some natural dyes, but

feel free to experiment. Mix and

match materials for different shades.

Red/Pink: fresh beets, canned,

crushed cranberries (not cranberry

sauce or jelly).

Orange: yellow onion skins.

Light Yellow: lemon peels, orange

peels or ground cumin.

Golden yellow: ground turmericLight green: spinach, kale.

Blue: red cabbage leaves or

blueberries (crushed). Pre-boil red

cabbage leaves for 30 minutes.

Save some of those fresh farmers’

market eggs for Easter quiche,

frittata, scrambled eggs, or this

delicious spring recipe with fresh

green beans and goat cheese.

Warm Green Bean, GoatCheese and Poached

Egg Salad2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

2 small shallots, minced

Sea salt and pepper, to taste

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

6 cups mixed beans, several varieties (mix of colors, wax, and

shelling beans)

12 large eggs

6 ounces goat cheese

9 cups mixed baby salad greens

3 tablespoons fresh chopped

tarragon or chervil

Blend together vinegars, mustard,

shallots, sea salt and pepper totaste.

Slowly whisk in olive oil until fully

incorporated. Set aside.

Trim ends of beans and cut in 3-

4” pieces. Blanch beans in lightly

salted water; drain.

Toss beans with 1/4 cup dressing.

Poach eggs in small batches in

acidified water (1 teaspoon vinegar to

1 quart water) until whites are set

(completely coagulated and firm) and yolks begin to thicken (no longer

runny, but not hard). Remove and

keep warm.

To serve, arrange 1/2 cup mixed

beans in a nest in center of a plate.

Place egg in the nest. Toss the salad

greens and herbs in the remaining

vinaigrette; place 3/4 cup greens

around the nest. Sprinkle 1/2 ounce

goat cheese over the salad. Serve

immediately. Serves twelve. Recipe &photo: Mustard’s Grill, Napa, CA.

ByDebraJMorris,PCFMA

Local Farmers Markets

ConcordFarmers’Market,

Thursdays,April28thruOctober27,

4pmto8pm;Tuesdays,year-round,

rainorshine,10amto2pm,Todos SantosPlaza.

ClaytonFarmers’Market,

Saturdays,8amto12pm,May7thru

October29,DiabloSt.betweenMain

andCenter.

PleasantHillFarmers’Market:

Saturdays,8amto12pm,May7thru

November19,CrescentDriveatthe

CenturyTheatre.


Brunch Buffetwith gourmet pastries, fruits &

berries, omelets, eggs Benedict,

shrimp, salads, carved prime rib

and leg of lamb, desserts,

mimosas & more!

Easter BunnyEaster Day Brunch includes

a guest appearance of

the Easter Bunny at each table

delivering candy for children

Exceptional

Value Adults $34.95

Seniors $28.95

Kids (under 10) $18.95

Reservations

Encouraged

Call Today! 925-827-2000

Sunday, April 24th10am -1:30pm

Hilton Concord • 1970 Diamond Blvd, Concord, CA 94520 • Tel 925-827-2000

Eggs-travaganza at the

Farmers’ Market!

T

he

Wallig

family of

Concord gets toenjoy a thrill of a lifetime. After

a long and

anxious wait

time, their

names were

picked Mar. 22

for select seats

at the NASA

Causeway

Launch Viewing

in Florida.This will be

the STS-134

mission, the last flight for

the space shuttle Endeavor

scheduled for launch April 19

to the International Space

Station, from the Kennedy Space Center.

“My husband and our two

kids are huge space buffs,”said Jennifer Wallig. “I’ve

loved NASA ever since I was

a kid. The Kennedy Space

Visitors Center had a Ticket

Registration Lottery and I

signed up.”

High school sweethearts

of 22 years, Jennifer and her

husband graduated from Mt.

Diablo High and Concord

High School. They have twodaughters Lily (7) and

Ashley (11) attending the Mt.

Diablo school district.

“Our 11 year old is very interested in space and says

she wants to grow up to be

an Astronaut or a Scientist,”Jennifer explains. “My 7 year

old tells me she wants to

grow up to be an Artist.”

With only two launches

left it is the end of the space

shuttle era that began April

12, 1981.“We are so crazy excited

that we are going to Florida,”

Jennifer added. “I don’t

think I’ve been so excited

about something since I was

a little kid!”

The Walligs will report on

their adventure in our next

issue.

Concord Family Scores

Visit to Space ShuttleEndeavor’s Final Launch

Lily, Ashley and Jennifer Wallig are excited aboutseeing the shuttle launch in April



S.T.A.G.E. Troupe, teen theater inPleasant Hill, will present eight showingsof the “You’re a Good Man CharlieBrown,” a musical based on the comicstrip “Peanuts” by Charles M. Schultz thru

April 3. The Teen actors for “You’re aGood Man Charlie Brown,” directed by Doña and Stephen Foreman, come fromall over Contra Contra Costa County.

The show depicts a day made up of

little moments in the lives of CharlieBrown and his friends. From Valentine’sDay to baseball season, from brightuncertain morning to hopeful starlitevening, from wild optimism to lunch onthe playground, “you will see yourself inthese lovable characters,” director DoñaForeman said.

The productions will be held April 1 at7:15 p.m.; April 2 at 2:15 p.m. and 7:15p.m.; and April 3 at 2:15 p.m. For moreinformation contact the Lesher Center forthe Arts by calling (925) 943-SHOW (7469) 1601 Civic Drive in Walnut Creek.

rtsa &

entertainment rtsa &

entertainment “You’re a GoodMan Charlie

Brown”

Anniversary Square DanceHoedown Stomps to Success

The Concord Stompers Square DanceClub celebrates its 56th Anniversary Hoedown at Concord High School on Apr2, 8 p.m. -11 p.m. “plus” squares. Featuresinclude Gary Kendall & the Ghost RidersBand, Mary Ann Callahan - Cuer. For moreinformation contact Peggy (925) 432-1201and see the club calendar listing.

The Willows Theatre Company returnedto Concord last month after a 15-month

hiatus. The professional regional theatre

company will resume production in the

theatre space it had occupied in the

Willows Shopping Center on Diamond

Boulevard since 1977. TheWillowschristens its newly refurbished space with

the large-cast musical Once On This Island

which runs through April 17.

The Willows will continue to produce

shows at its Campbell Theatre facility in

Martinez, which it opened in 2007, and

which became its only theatre space when

economic issues forced the company to

move out of the shopping center space in

December of 2009.Under the guidance of its board of

directors and its new management team,

managing director David Faustina andartistic director Eric Inman, along with the

help of dozens of of stalwart volunteers

and supporters, The Willows Theater

Company was able to return to Concord.

“We owe special thanks to the members

of IBEW Local 302 who donated services

and materials to re-do the stage and houselighting system, and to the help of the

Contra Costa Builders Exchange, for

bringing The Willows back to Concord and

making it better,” Faustina said.

The Willows Theatre Company marked

its return to Concord with a gala re-

opening event on March 12 featuring

David Burham, Broadway star of

Wicked, in concert.

After Once On This Island, the

Concord theatre, now called the

Willows Mainstage, will follow up

with the drama King O’ The Moon,

followed by Chess: The Musical, and

climaxing the season with Nunset

Boulevard, the latest in Dan Goggin’s wild nun series of musicals.

The Willows continues at the

Campbell Theatre in Martinez,

opening the musical Chicago on May

12, then following with Songs for a

New World, Evil Dead: The Musical,

and hitting the holiday season with

the 60’s girl-group spoof, Winter

Wonderettes.

The ambitious theatre company willalso produce the Jerome Kern-Oscar

Hammerstein II musical Show Boat

outdoors at the John Muir Amphitheatre

in Martinez in early August.

The Willows production of Once On

This Island, with a cast of 14, is directed by

Eric Inman, with musical direction by Pat

Parr and choreography by La Tonya Watts.

The star-crossed lovers, Ti Moune and

Daniel Beauxhomme, are played by Khalia

Davis and Trevor Moppin, with ActorsEquity stalwarts Kieleil-Deleon Frazier and

Linda Dorsey taking on the roles of Tonton

Julian and Asaka, Mother of the Earth.

Taking place on a Caribbean island

divided by social prejudice, Once on This

Island revolves around Ti Moune, a poor

peasant girl, who falls in love with Daniel,

an upper class boy whose life she savesafter a car crash. A panoply of spirits

controls the peasants’ lives, including thegods of Love, Earth, Water and Death. This

charming musical adventure focuses on the

effects social class divisions have on love.

“We’re thrilled to be home in Concord,”

says David Faustina. “We’ve always

thought of The Willows as ‘everyone’s

theatre,’ and we are still committed to

keeping ticket prices within everyone’s

reach.”

TicketsforOnceOnThisIslandare

availableatwww.willowstheatre.orgor (925)798-1300.

Mark Reifenheiser from Mount DiabloHigh School placed second in the state outof tens of thousands of entrants in thePoetry Out Loud event held March 21 in theSenate Chambers at the State Capitol. Heread “The Charge of the Light Brigade” by

Alfred, Lord Tennyson.“As an aspiring writer, and former

theatre major, I was honored to be chosenas a judge for the Poetry Out Loud County Competition,” said Lisa Bonnington. “It

was impressive to see such poise,confidence and talent. I attribute my own

background in the arts to helping mesucceed in the business world and amconfident that this experience will benefitMark greatly in his future endeavors.”

The event is headed by the NationalEndowment for the Arts & Poetry Foundation each year, and local

competition begin at the Arts & CultureCommission of Contra Costa County (www.ac5.org) and the California state levelthrough the California Arts Council(cac.ca.gov).

“Young people interested in rap andslam contests can be surprisingly interestedin classical poetry when it’s presentedthrough the Poetry Out Loud competition,”said Muriel Johnson, Director of theCalifornia Arts Council. “We’ve seenstudents from all backgrounds andacademic levels embrace this program

wholeheartedly. It can change their lives.”For more information visit

www.poetryoutloud.org

MDHS StudentPlaces Secondin State Poetry

Out LoudWillows Theatre Returns to Concord

lamon Ridge (l) as Papa Ge and treor Moppin asDanie in he wios theare producion of Once On

this Isand,Phoo: Judy Poer

WC Elks Lodge 1811 Hosts Eagle

Scout Court of Honor Troop 1811

Ed O’Conne, Eks Chairman, Mahe Am,Garrick Goueia, Exaued Ruer

Walnut Creek Elks Lodge honors Matthew Alm as with the Award of Eagle Scout thehighest honor which can be awarded to a boy scout. Matthew is the 23rd Eagle Scout inTroop 1811, a resident of Martinez, currently asenior at College Park High School PleasantHill. He has received 28 merit badges in thecourse of his scouting career.



In today’s world most peopledo not want to see yellow or

white gold in their mouth.They want to see something toothcolored. For the past century

many dentists have taken asubstructure of gold and coveredit with porcelain to make a “semi-natural” looking tooth.

Today, there are 3 types of porcelain crowns that are as goodas or better than the originalporcelain fused to gold crown.

Hands down most beautifultypes of cosmetic crowns aremade from all porcelain materials

which are fabricated from 100%porcelain or Lucite glass.

For chewing strength, themethod of fusing porcelain to aceramic core is now preferred.This very hard tooth colored

ceramic core material is fabricatedfrom alumina, lithium or zirconiaand tooth colored porcelain is

baked on top of this core.The newest material used for a

crown is made from 100%zirconia, yes a synthetic diamond!This type of crown requiresfabrication by a computer. Thetooth is scanned and mapped.These specific design instructionsare then electronically sent to acomputerized milling machine. A solid ingot of zirconia is then cutto the exact specifications of yourtooth, resulting in a very hard“virtually unbreakable” crown.This tooth colored crown is morespecific for back teeth because it isnot as cosmetically appealing forfront teeth as the other types of ceramic crowns.

But this is a greatmarriage between whatpatients want… “looks likea tooth!” and whatdentists want… “it isdifficult to break!” Thesetypes of crown are

becoming the new “goldstandard”!!!

As always, remember toalways swish, floss, brushand swish again andcontinue to see yourdentist at least every sixmonths or as often as yourdentist prescribes.

whimsical sculptures and even a bird house. The artwork reaches beyond what you can imagine ispossible with glass, and shows

what these artists haveaccomplished with thisremarkable medium.

When asked how long it takesto make these works of art, Randy Strong replies “it takes a lifetime.It takes hard, hard work toachieve the success you see.” Notonly does it take a lifetime of study, hard work, and many failures, it takes theability to embrace

your fear of theunknown. All of thearts face roadblocks,

but with blown glass,Strong says some of the biggest challengesare “the expense of creating work in glass,designing the piecesand clients who don’tpay for commissioned

work.” But through allthe years of trial anderrors, Strong saysthat “what means themost to me is my inner self.” He refersto his own journey of finding balance in hislife, his art and the

world. He goes on to

say thatour early journey inlife includes the outeracquisition of materialthings. But if we arelucky enough, wereach a point wherelife becomes the questfor the inneracquisition of

personal growth. It’s apoignant message anda valuable lesson.

“Finding Your Balance, Glass Art in the Bay Area” runs throughMay 7 at the Village Theatre ArtGallery and it is well worth yourtime to visit.

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F

rom the moment you enterthe Village Theatre ArtGallery in Danville you will

be blown away by the dazzlingarray of vivid colors and diversestyles of the blown glass artwork on display. The show is titled“Finding Your Balance” andfeatures 14 local and worldrenowned glass artists. One of themany interesting aspects of thisexhibit is the wide range of experience levels of each of theartists. Among the participatingartists, Micheal Nourot of NourotGlass Studio in Benicia has been

working in glass for over 40 years.Nourot has made glass pieces forPope John Paul II as well asPresidents Clinton and Reagan. A few of the artists are new to glass

blowing, and the show highlightstheir impressive results. Nourot’s

Wife Ann Corcoran is also anaccomplished artist and hasseveral exquisite multi-colored

vessels in the exhibition as well.The youngest artist is TheoHanks, the 10 year old protégé toRandy Strong. Strong has also

been working with glass for over40 years and is the 2005 Nicheaward winner for blown glass; anaward for the best of blown glassin the United States. Both Nourotand Strong have worked withDale Chihuly, who many may remember from his exhibition atthe De Young Art Museum in2008.

The pieces in the exhibit rangefrom functional vases and bowlsto large scale wall pieces,


DeborahAshleyisanartist,

pianistandviolinistlivinginthe

BayArea.Shehasadegreein

FineArtaswellasinmusicwith

aconcentrationinViolin

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in tune with the arts

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by Robert H.

Waldman, D.D.S.The Gold

Standard

something to smile about

AskRobertH.Waldman, D.D.S.yourquestionsat925-682-6940,byemailat concordiansmiles @sbcglobal .net or www.roberthwaldmandds.com.Hisofficeisat3042ClaytonRoadinConcord.

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Brunch with the Easter Bunny Seatings at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. & 2 p.m.

Adults: $39 per person, Seniors (62): $33,

Children 5 through 12: $15 (0 to 4, free) (ax and grauiy addiiona)

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A few Saturdaysago I attended theConcord Police

Association’s AnnualCrab Feed at the Concord Police

Academy. As we drove up that cute

little road by Highway 4, I saw oneof the best views of Mt. Diablo that I’dever seen.

The ConcordPolice Academy isnestled in thefoothills behind the

bunkers at theNaval WeaponsStation. It’s been atit’s presentlocation sincel985.

The Academy sits on 8 acres andhas a shooting range that can hold12 officers. That’s the nice thingsince the old Academy, founded inl954, sat on one acre of land andheld only 4 officers on it’s range.

Back in l954 the Concord Police Academy was on Academy Roadright by Clayton Valley HighSchool. It was a classroom andtraining facility. That’s wherehopeful young men went to becomepolice officers. By the late l960’s,after the riots, Concord didn’t havethat many new officers and the Statestarted regulating andstandardizing the training and

badging. There was now a process

to go though, and in l974Los Medanos Collegeopened the Police

Academy and potentialofficers went there to be educatedand trained.

In l985 the Newhall LandDevelopment Agency bought theland where the Academy now stands. The building has l944 sq.feet and available for renting, says

Linda Graham, Office Manager of the Police Association. Kevin Wise,a retired officer, helps Linda keepthings in order. Now the potentialofficers have a strict and formalizedtraining system that they receivefrom the Sheriff’s Department and

use the Academy for shootingpractice, staying fit and forevents. Linda is there if you ever

want to rent the hall with kitchen foran event you need to plan for. Thephone number is 676-8298. They are now planning their annual Starsand Stripes 5K walk run in TodosSantos Plaza benefiting non-profitorganizations. Keep your eyes openfor more on that. By the way, it wasthe best crab feed I’d been to this

season.The Society is holding their Great

Stuff Sale April 9th and 10th at theHistoric Farm Bureau Hall on FarmBureau Road, from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.Come see us and help support theHistoric Galindo House, which is

where the proceeds will go. Look formore info on our Summer Social atthe Historic Galindo House, June26. It will be the first time you’ll get

to see the inside of thehouse and we’ll have artistfrom The Gallery paintingthe house and offeringtheir work for sale. Of course, if you want to helpor join us, please call theCenter Tuesday afternoonsat 827-3380.


Scenes from the Society his torica l

“Hot cross Buns, one apenny, two a penny, Hot cross

buns....”Do you really know what a

hot cross bun is? Have you evertasted one? Sweet yeast doughstudded with raisins, spices andcandied citrus fruit, baked to adecadent perfection, each bunmarked with a lemon or vanillacustard cross. While it’stradition to eat hot cross bunson Good Friday, this once-a-

year treat is available at AlpinePastry starting on Ash

Wednesday through EasterSunday!

New to the business a few years ago, we received severalrequests from customers to bakeHot Cross Buns earlier than the

traditional starting day. Eager toplease the requests we gladly complied and started bakingthem one week before Ash

Wednesday. To our surprise wereceived a stern letter from a“concerned” citizen informingus that we broke the “Hot CrossBun law.” The writer stated thatit was “unheard of to sell hotcross buns before Ash

Wednesday.” Yes, we confess - we broke the unspoken law of

traditions. As guilt slowly creptin, we realized just how important traditions are to our

business. Every holiday brings

its own style, colors and warmth. It’s about familiarsmells and tastes that fill yourheart. Traditions are part of acommunity and we at AlpinePastry certainly know theimportance of keeping sweettraditions alive. And so, be notmistaken enough to ask for ahot cross bun before Ash

Wednesday. It is nothappening. Rules are rules.

ByGabrielaFreitag

- - - - - T u r n

t o

B a c k

C o v e r t o

R e a d

T h e

D i a b l o

V a l l e y

J o u r n a l - - - - -

We Are Not Breaking the Hot Cross Bun Law

The Food Bank receives most of its support from individualsthrough local food drives and fundraising efforts. They alsoreceive USDA commodities with the Food Assistance Programand donations from large corporations. “The need has risendramatically over thepast 4 years,” saysSherrill. She added asilver lining, "Wehave been able tomeet the needs.”

In addition, theFood Bank educates

the public and electedofficials on differentlegislations focusedon hunger ornutrition. Oneeducational eventthat was held March 28, ‘Empty Bowls’, invited community members for a simple meal while they listened to speakers

who reminded people that the need is constant and immediate.Tovolunteer,donateorforassistancegoto

www.foodbankccs.org/ ByKathyWeires

Hunger continued

from page 6

by Carol LongshoreConcord Historical Society



Neighborhood

Watch Groups to

Receive 21st

Century AlarmTechnology

During Beta Test

Don't be fooled by the aggressive,

young door to door salespeople you read about on Claycord

pushing alarm systems that are nothingmore than 20 year old and outdatedequipment. Expect a lot of them thissummer as companies try to unloadtheir inventory in light of the new tech-

nology available.E-mail your request for a copy of “Why Alarm Systems Fail” and otherarticles available from BuyLocalByC-ity.com as part of its exclusive promo-tional sponsorship offering to Neigh-

borhood Watch Groups, businessesand their employees the latest in cellu-lar (all wireless) alarm systems at nocost.

“Our goal is to upgrade older alarmsystems connecting to phone lines orcable,” said Jim Etherington of BuyLo-calByCity.com. “These systems are eas-ily disarmed by simply cutting the wireoutside the home or business or havingit go down in a storm. We would alsolike to offer to install new systems atno cost to the user.”

The company is looking for volun-

Barbara Smith, known simply asBarb, has been an employee of the Crowne Plaza Hotel for the

past 32 years. In the past few weeksBarbara has received the Paul Harris

Award from the Concord/Diablo Ro-tary Club, Employee of the Year andrecognition of her tenure from theCrowne Plaza Hotel, as well as an Of-ficial Resolution from Senator Mark DeSaulnier.

Barb had initially started out as aBanquet Server after years of wait-ressing in restaurants and coffeeshops. Her leadership and dedica-tion did not go unrecognized and shesoon was promoted to Banquet Cap-tain.

“I was here before the Buchanan Wing was even built,” Barb ex-plained. She has seen the hotel meta-morphosis into the first class hotel itis today. “I am most impressed withthe new management of the CrownePlaza by Rim Management. Immedi-ately upon take over in April 2009they made substantial investmentsnot only in the product; but they in-

vested in the employees as well, ” sheadded.

Married for 50 years to Tom Snr.,Barbara credits her extended “hotelfamily” with helping her deal withthe tragic loss of her adult son in1994.

“I love my job,” she said. “Every day is a new day with new people tomeet, greet and serve.”

Recently during the Contra Costa

County’s Central Labor Council andBuilding and Construction TradesCouncil 11th Annual Labor 2 LaborDinner where the Crowne Plaza hotel

was an honoree and CongressmanGeorge Miller, a presenter, he recog-nized Barbara during the event, andstated affectionately that he had en-

joyed more dinners with Barbarathan with his own Mother.

“Barbara is a Crown Jewel of Con-tra Costa County,” saidGeneral Man-ager, Larry Ross. “She represents

what we stand for: service, quality and dedication.”

- Lisa Bonnington

Recognition CountsCrowne Plaza EmployeeLongevity Rewarded

See Alarm, page D3

www.diablovalleyjournal.com April 2011 800-606-6448

R ich Lueck, Fred Nelson, BobSundberg, Torsten Jacobsen,Larry Hutchings , Major Clay

Gardner of the Concord Salvation Army and Clayton Worsdell made atrip to San Felipe mid February to help

with repairs at a school for challengedchildren.

“We helped construct a handicapramp, and repainted the railings of aschool for challenged children,” re-ported Worsdell. “ We also partici-pated in San Felipe's 5th Annual Walk to Prevent Cancer. It was a wonderfulexperience. We met and made friends

with other Rotarians who kindly opened their homes to us and were ex-cellent hosts.” For more information

on this Rotary Club visit www.clayton- valleyrotary.org

Rotary Clubof Clayton Valley /

Concord Sunrise

Members HelpRepair San

Felipe School

Barbara Smith with SenatorMark DeSaunier holding oneof the recognitions she received.

Photo by Crowne Plaza



NCUA–Your savings federally insured to at least $250,000 and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government.Everyone who lives, works, or attends school in Contra Costa County is eligible to join. Certain membership requirements may apply.

Concord: 1257 Willow Pass Road

Clayton Valley: 5442 Ygnacio Valley Road, Suite 10

Antioch: 5819 Lone Tree Way

Yes. You can join.® (800) 877-8328 www.traviscu.org

Free Checking that’s still free!

Why pay for your checkingaccount if you don’t need to?

“I love Free Checking because I don’t have a monthly fee and there are lots of freebies,

like ATMs, debit cards, Online Banking and TCU’s Bill Pay service.”

Monica, TCU member since 1991

Open yours today!

Page D2 • diablovalleyjournal.com • April 2011

concordtsba.org

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With spring & summercoming up, it is important toconserve as much water aspossible. Here are some easy efficiency tips that can help you through the year.

Brushing your Teeth: Did

you know that the average bathroom faucet flows at arate of 2 gallons per minute?!Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth! It couldsave up to 8 gallons per day!

Taking a bath: Did you

know that a full bath requiresup to 70 gallons of water?! If you take a 5 minute shower, you would use about 10-25gallons of water- that can beup to 50 gallons of water youare saving just by taking aquick shower!

Shaving: Did you know theaverage bathroom faucet

flows at a rate of 2 gallonper minute? If you want tosave water, fill your sink with a few inches of warm water and you can save upto 5 gallons per day!

Fix the leak!: Leaky faucets can drip one drip persecond which can be up to3,000 gallons of water per year! A leaky toilet can useup to 200 gallons per day!Read your water meter before & after a two-hourperiod when no water has been used. If the meter doesnot read exactly the same, you most likely have a leak.Just by fixing your leak, youcan save 8-200 gallons perday!

Keep your recyclablesclean: Yes, it is true… you want to clean yourrecyclable containers before you recycle them but only rinse them with minimal water before putting them in your recycling container.

For more information & tips on water efficiency,

please visit Wholly H2o at www.whollyh2o.org.

get a Green life/businessSponsored by Concord Disposal Service

Water Efficiency Tips



One of the excitingparts of

medicine is that things are always changing. Patients willoften come in with internet ads or news-paper cutouts about laser treatments ornew imaging studies, but lately I have been getting a lot of questions about vi-tamin D. What could possibly be excitingabout vitamin D?

We have known about vitamin D

since the 1600s. What could possibly benew here? Well the buzz about vitaminD seems to be studies that have shownhow important it may be in other dis-eases. Let’s take a closer look at vitaminD and why you want to make sure youare getting enough of this vitamin.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitaminthat helps our bodies absorb and use cal-cium. This is why it is so important forhealthy bones. You can get vitamin Dfrom fortified milk, fatty fish, cod liveroil and eggs. However we get the vastmajority of it from the sun. Sunlight andultra violet light convert a precursor sub-stance into vitamin D in our skin andthen the blood takes it around to the or-

gans that need it.The first exposure I had to Vitamin

D deficiency was the pictures of kids withRickets in Biology class. Young childrenin developing countries with severely bowed legs. The low vitamin D causesthe bones to be so soft and brittle thatthey can actually bend as they grow.

What caused the recent interest in vitamin D are studies that showed an as-sociation between low vitamin D and nu-merous diseases. It turns out that many areas in the body have the receptors for vitamin D. Some studies have shownthat there is an increase in people withlow vitamin D and nearly all cancers, butespecially colon cancer.

Similarly, there has been an associa-tion seen between low vitamin D and in-creased heart disease, diabetes, multiplesclerosis, muscle weakness and inflam-

matory bowel disease. The studies arepretty clear that there is a higher risk for these diseases in people with low vitamin D.

Unfortunately it seems that vitaminD deficiency is increasing. I have seenthis in my practice. This is likely in partdue to us being inside working all thetime and being so good about sunscreenuse. The good news is that vitamin Dsupplementation is safe and easy. It hasalso shown a clear benefit in two things,

bone health and reducing falls, this islikely because it is can increase musclestrength. If you have questions about your vitamin D level ask your doctor tocheck your Vitamin D 25-OH level, thisis done with a blood test. And considertaking a vitamin D supplement, 800 IUof vitamin D3 is a safe dose for mostadults and should keep you from devel-oping any severe deficiency.

Alphaeus Wise, MD. Is Board Cer-tified in Family Medicine. 1150 Civic Dr., Ste 100, Walnut Creek. 9 35-3113

On March 5, California Pa-cific Federal Credit Unionpresented a check for over

$5,600 to Friends of Faith, Inc.Employees and members of Cali-fornia Pacific Federal Credit Union

were joined by Thomasina Woida,Rosie Allen (KGO-AM 810), andBarbara Rogers (CBS-5 & ComcastSpotlight), members of the organi-zation’s Board of Directors, for the

check presentation. Friends of Faith (Fancher), Inc. is a non-profitorganization started by KTVU Newswoman, FaithFancher and her mediafriends and colleagues af-ter she was diagnosed with

breast cancer in 1997.Faith ultimately lost her

battle with breast cancer in2003, but the Friends of Faith continue to promote

breast cancer awarenessand provide support serv-ices to uninsured and un-derserved women battlingBreast Cancer in ContraCosta and Alameda Coun-ties (CA).

The small credit union with only 15 employees and

less than 6,000 members ispassionate about a cause

that continues to touch so many,including a number of their ownstaff and members over recent

years. For six consecutive years,California Pacific FCU membershave responded with enthusiasm asthe credit union’s employees havecome up with a variety of fundrais-ing activities, from bakes sales toraffles. For each of the past three

years, the credit union has created

a unique t-shirt design incorporat-ing the pink ribbon into their sun

and waves logo, which are given tomembers making donations duringOctober, National Breast Cancer

Awareness Month.“We greatly appreciate all that

large national organizations con-tribute to the fight to cure breastcancer; however, we have seen first-hand the difference the individualgrants and support services pro-

vided by Friends of Faith, Inc. make

for women right here in our com-munity.” This year, California Pa-

cific FCU will be among the eventsponsors for the 7th AnnualFriends of Faith, Inc. Breast Can-cer Challenge. The 5k walk/runaround Oakland’s Lake Merritttakes place on August 20. Thecredit union is hoping that busi-nesses in Contra Costa and

Alameda counties will join themin participating, either throughsponsorships, forming walk teams, or both. For more infor-mation on California Pacific FCUplease visit www.calpacfcu.org,or call 925.677.0850. For infor-mation about Friends of Faith,

Inc., or to sponsor or register forthe Challenge, please visit

www.faithfancher.org

money minute by Helen Raoufian

I

sometimes hear people com-plain that they don’t like their

bank or that they’re unhappy

about their bank’s fees or the poorservice. Yet, when I speak to themabout the benefits of credit unionmembership, they’re hesitant tomake the switch mainly becausethey don’t know what a credit unionis.

A credit union offers the sameproducts and services. The big dif-ference is we’re for people not prof-its, so you get a much better dealand better savings. Don’t take my

word, here’s what our membershave to say about us:

“Anyone who is sick of lousy bank service and hidden fees should bring all their accounts to TravisCredit Union.”

“I love Free Checking because Idon’t have a monthly fee and thereare lots of freebies, like ATMs, debitcards, Online Banking and TCU’sBill Pay service.”

“I have my personal and busi-ness accounts with Travis CreditUnion. You should too!”

It’s easy to joinChances are you can become a

member. You’ll enjoy many of thesame products and services as

banks, and save money, too! On av-erage, credit union members save$200 a year compared to big banks.Our members also save $1,000 onaverage off auto loans and have ac-

cess to 28,000 free ATMs—10,000more ATMs than the largest banks!Plus, you’ll receive genuine per-

sonalized service that sets us apartfrom the rest.

Credit Union history Credit unions in the U.S. started

in 1934 during The Great Depres-sion as a way to allow people to col-lectively provide loans and savingsto one another at a time when

banks weren’t lending. As not-for-profit financial cooperatives, creditunions are exempt from certainstate and federal taxes, allowingthem to return earnings to mem-

bers through higher yields on sav-ings, lower rates on loans and fewerfees.

Many credit unions are also ac-tively involved in their communi-ties, giving back through sponsor-ships, manpower, free financialeducation workshops, canned foodand toy drives and so much more.

And credit union savings are in-sured up to $250,000 by the Na-tional Credit Union Administration.

We encourage you to stop by oneof Contra Costa branches to learnmore about how we can help youreach your financial goals.

Helen Raoufian is an assistant vice president/regional manager of Travis Credit Union’s branchesin Contra Costa County. Reach her at (925) 524-9080 or visit our of-

fices in Antioch, Brentwood or Con-cord. For branch addresses, visit www.traviscu.org.

April 2011 • diablovalleyjournal.com • Page D3

Credit Unions Are For

People Not Profit

SEND US YOUR [email protected]

(left to right) Friends of Faith Board Members: Rosie Allen (KGO-AM 810), Thomasina Woida and BarbaraRogers (CBS-5 & Comcast Spotlight), accepting the

check from Credit Union Branch Manager and two-time breast cancer survivor, Ida Milan.

Faith’s Friends Rally Against Cancer

teers (no obligation) to Beta Testthe program going through theprocess of security system designand application for home or busi-ness. Participants will learn thenewest in wireless Z-wave sensors,GE Security and 2gig Technologies,testing remote control of your homeor business from Smartphone’s,running thermostat controls to saveon utility bills, discuss monitoringoptions, and then creating the tem-plate for the giveaway program.

Participants receive gift-cardsand cashable rewards to local busi-nesses plus rebates for the programthey designed.

Ideas, comments and sugges-tions are welcomed and encour-aged. We have 15 openings for busi-nesses, homeowners and renters to

help us fine-tune this idea. To learnmore and participate in this study contact [email protected]

Alarm,from page D1

What’s the Big D?

by Alphaeus Wise, MD

medically Wise

Visit his website at www.awisemd.com



Helga High-

wages flopsdown in the

lawyer’s office, sighs, and relays thefollowing sad story. “For 10 years I

had a decent job at Concord FishBait, but I really wanted somethingnew, so I started surfing the ads onCraigslist. I found a position at theMartinez Worm Farm that paid twodollars an hour more, so I said adiosto my old boss. Well, guess what,two weeks into the new job and Mr.Maggot, the owner, fires me, sayingthat the worms don’t seem to likeme and were acting depressed!Now my old boss won’t take me

back – what am I going to do? It’sridiculous.”

“Helga,” the lawyer responds. “Ifeel for you, it sounds completely unfair. Do you think that maybeMr. Maggot fired you for someother reason?”

“Yeah,” Helga says. “I think hedidn’t like my purple hair. We’ve

got to sue his butt! ”“Helga,” the lawyer carefully

proceeds, “I’d be mad too if I were you. It’s not right, it’s immoral, it’sunethical, it sucks. But, you’re hereto ask me if what happened was il-legal.”

“Have you ever heard the termat-will employment, Helga?”

“I think so, somewhere, but I’vegot proof, those worms were not de-pressed, they were happy as could

be. You should have seen themlaughing and joking around when-ever they saw me!”

“Well, at-will employmentmeans that an employer does nothave to have a reason to fire an em-ployee. An employer can fire some-one for no reason at all.”

Helga is now getting a little irri-tated with the lawyer who does notseem to understand her situation.

“Look,” she says: “I can’t believethat an employer can fire someone

for no reason, but even if you’reright, Mr. Maggot didn’t fire me forno reason, he fired me for bummingout the worms and I can prove thatis a lie.”

“Helga, under at-will employ-ment an employee can leave with-out having a good reason and anemployer does not have to havegood cause to also terminate the re-lationship. If you were in a unionor if you worked for the government

you could not be fired without goodcause, because the union contractor the constitution would demandit, but with private employers theCourts just are not equipped to havea lawsuit and a trial every time anemployee feels that his or firing was

wrongful or unfair.”“Now, there are exceptions to

the at-will employment rule, Helga.If there weren’t I would not be in

business. The obvious exceptionsare that an employer cannot fire anemployee because she is pregnant,or because she is a woman, or be-cause she is Black or Asian, thingslike that. But, firing someone forhaving purple hair is not an excep-

tion. People with purple hair arenot in a protected category. So, Ihope you understand. I know that

you can prove without any doubtthat the reason Mr. Maggot gave forfiring you is false, but unless thereal reason he fired you is illegal,

you are out of luck. It sounds like you are entitled to unemployment.”

Helga walks out, shaking herhead, muttering, “Well that justdoesn’t seem fair.”

Oakmont Senior Living, a rec-ognized leader in the retire-ment industry, has selected

Integral Senior Living (ISL), a well-respected senior living community management company, to manageone of its key properties, Montecito,in Concord.

“Oakmont Senior Living is ded-icated to exemplary service in ourcommunities and the highest qual-ity of life for our residents,” saysBill Gallaher, founder and principal

of Oakmont Senior Living.

“With the selection of Inte-gral Senior Living we areraising the bar even higher.Their expertise and experi-ence make them the bestpossible choice in terms of care, customer service, fa-cilities management, andthe overall experience for allof our residents and fami-lies.”

Montecito, formerly known as Aegis of Concord,is located in an elegant set-ting in Concord, with theconvenience of both SanFrancisco and the Napa Val-ley less than an hour away.The property offers offerseven different floor plans,all featuring nine-foot ceil-

ings with crown moldingand private balconies. Mon-tecito also offers independ-ent and assisted living, witha total of 153 apartments forrent. As of April 1, Mon-

tecito will unveil a newly-createdsection called "Traditions," which

will offer 24 apartments to meet thegrowing need for care and supportfor memory-impaired individualsand their families.

“We are committed to working with companies like Oakmont Sen-ior Living because they share ourcore values of dignity, autonomy,and choice for senior residents,”says Polly Miller, Chief MarketingOfficer with Integral Senior Living.

Oakmont Senior LivingFounded by Bill and Cindy Gal-laher, Oakmont’s policy is to solicitinput from each and every em-ployee and to foster an atmosphereof mutual respect and a free ex-change of ideas, with the goal of re-maining a vibrant and thrivingcompany. Oakmont is dedicated tolistening to, understanding, and re-sponding to the needs of seniors.

Integral Senior LivingIntegral Senior Living headquar-

tered in Carlsbad, CA., manages 44independent, assisted living andmemory care properties for seniorsin California, Arizona, Utah, Idaho,Texas, Montana, New Mexico, Ne-

vada and Washington. Founded in2001, ISL embraces a care philoso-

phy that fosters dignity and respectfor residents and promotes their in-dependence and individuality. Formore information about ISL visit

www.islllc.com or call (760) 547-2863.

Page D4 • diablovalleyjournal.com • April 2011

At-Will Employment

Revisited

Doug Prutton is an attorneyspecializing in employment and

personal injury law. You can con-tact him at (925) 677-5080 or www.dougprutton.com

by Doug Prutto n legal briefs

(925) 677-50801866 Clayton Rd., Suite 109,

Concord

We can assist you with:

w Wrongful termination

wOvertime & wage claimsw Harassment & discrimination

w Auto accidents & slip/falls

Contingencyfees

Freeconsultation

25 yearsexperience

Employment Law

& Personal Injury

contact the

Law Offices of

Douglas A. Prutton

Since the early 1970s, the en-ergy efficiency capability andreliability of thermal solar

heating systems and collectors haveincreased significantly and costshave become very affordable. Im-provements to collector materials,the introduction of a consumer rat-ing system, and innovative and cre-ative designs that are more attrac-tive have all helped to make thistechnology more successful.

The first question many peopleask when considering any solartechnology is, “How much will itcost?” The answer depends on thetype of system, the application thatis used (example: building heating,

water or pool heating), and yourphysical geographic location. A typ-ical solar thermal system costs be-tween $2,000 and $4,500. This isusually more than the cost of a con-

ventional gas or electric water heat-

ing system, however, a solar heatingsystem cost is very competitive

when you consider the total energy costs over the life of the system.

Your monthly utility gas or electric-ity bills will be lower and more pre-dictable for as long as you own thehouse. Solar heating systems willprovide the balance from rising fos-sil fuel costs and protect you fromfuel-price inflation. Moreover, in-

vesting in solar thermal technology may increase the resale value of

your home. Additionally, you can earn be-

tween 6% to 25% tax-free rate-of-return on your investment annu-ally, depending on hot water useand energy saved.

The general rule of thumb is youcan expect to heat 1.5 gallons persquare foot of collector. A small 60-gallon system is typical largeenough for one to three people; amedium-size, 80-gallon system ac-commodates a three- or four-per-son household; and a large, 120-gallon system is appropriate forfour to six people.

The amount of solar collectorarea required depends on severalfactors including available solar en-ergy, collector efficiency, local cli-mate, and heating requirements.Example; Heating requirements

will be based on insulation levels,the buildings air-tightness, and thelifestyle of the residents. Generally,the area of solar collector is aboutequal to 10% to 30% of the floorarea of the building.

Don’t Forget RebatesCalifornia has incentives for so-

lar heating through 2017 or untilthe funds are depleted. PG&E is ad-ministering this program for theState. Residential, commercial andmultifamily properties are eligiblefor this incentive. Maximum incen-tives levels: $1,875 for single-family systems that displace natural gas,or $1,250 for single-family systemsthat displace electricity, or$500,000 for Commercial and mul-tifamily systems that displace nat-ural gas, or $250,000 for Commer-cial and multifamily systems thatdisplace electricity. All qualifyingequipment must meet the SolarCollector Certification and Rating(SCCR) requirements outline by the

program. Be sure you check forcomplying products

https://www.csithermal.com

Maintenance

Will I need a maintenanceagreement? A maintenance agreement may

be part of your warranty. Have yourcontractor prepare a schedule of re-quired or recommended mainte-nance before you purchase yoursystem.

Do I need a conventional hot water heater as a backup?

Whether you need a backup sys-tem for your solar thermal systemdepends largely on the type of sys-tem you select and where you live.Solar water-heating systems typi-cally require a backup for cloudy days or during times of increaseddemand. A backup system is nor-mally a conventional gas or electric

water heater, which may be part of

the system package. It may also bea component of the solar collector,such as rooftop tanks with ther-mosyphon systems. A ther-mosyphon system is the simplestsolar collector systems for waterheating which uses the circulationof the water through the systemsstorage loop by means of naturalconvection.

License Requirements You will need to obtain permits

from your local building depart-ment that has jurisdiction in yourcounty, or city. Plumbing, building,and electrical permits may be re-quired for the installation. Thesepermits will require a final inspec-tion after the system has been in-stalled. Check with your solar heat-ing system contractor to find out

whether the price of obtaining per-mits and inspections is included inthe bid and final cost estimate.

Additional ResourcesThere is a lot of information on

thermal water systems and I sug-gest you start your research withthe following organizations. Be aninformed consumer.

American Solar Energy Society (ASES)

www.ases.orgPhone: (303) 443-3130E-mail: [email protected]

Database of State Incentives forRenewable Energy (DSIRE)

www.dsireusa.org

Florida Solar Energy Center(FSEC) Public Affairs Division

www.fsec.ucf.eduPhone: (321) 638-1015E-mail: [email protected] Program

David Manoguerra is the Vice

President of Operations for

Enalasys Corporation, a business

strategy and energy solutions

company providing intelligent di-

agnostic measurement, verifica-

tion and sophisticated data gath-

ering systems for today’s world.

You can reach David at

[email protected].

The Power of the Sun

Mister Energy

by David Manoguerra

Oakmont Senior Living Selects

Integral Senior Livingto Manage Concord Property

11 04 concordian_for_website

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