january 2013

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• Local Hiking Adventures ..............................page 3• Hagin’s Celebrates ..........................................page 6• College Funding .......................................... page 10• Winter in Argentina ................................... page 13

• All-League Selections ..................................... page 16• $100 1965 Mustang ..........................................page 18• Mandatory Fees Violate Law .......................... page 21 • Foster A Dream ................................................ page 24

To new beginnings, Happy New Year!Photo by www.Susanwoodphotography.com

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Local Hiking adventures “Anotherlovelyday,mostlysolidsunshine.TookafinefragrantwalkupthewesthillswithWandaandHelen,whoIamgladtoseelovewalking,flow-ers,treesandeverybirdandbeastandcreepingthing.Buttercup,clover,gilia,Brodiaea,Allium,Dodecatheon,lark-spurandportulacasareinflower.Theoaksareinfullleaf.Afinefragrantwalk,thebabiesaredelighted.” John Muir, April 12, 1895 When holiday lethargy has hit its peak and the impression in your fa-vorite chair appears to be permanent, get up! Get out! Take the dog, the kids, a friend or your parents and regain some perspective. Take advantage of our mild winter weather and start your year off with a hike, exploring the greening hills that surround us. If John Muir’s young daughters were delighted to roam these slopes, odds are good your post-holiday spirits will be elated by a walk up one of our local treasures.Mt. Wanda Named after Muir’s oldest daugh-

ter, Mt. Wanda in Martinez is open seven days a week – sunrise to sunset. Dogs are allowed on a leash, so please be sure to clean up after your hiking buddy. This 2.3 mile partial loop hike is an uphill saunter of half a mile to the nature trail, and one mile to the top. The highest point in the park is the summit at 640 feet. The entrance gate for Mt. Wanda is located by the Park & Ride lot on Fran-klin Canyon Road and Alhambra Ave. Martinez. FormoreinformationvisittheNa-tionalParkServicewebsiteat:www.nps.gov/jomu/index.htm.Mt. Diablo InformationtakenfromtheMt.DiabloInterpretiveAssociationwebsite:www.mdia.orgRains Bring Waterfalls to the Mountain In the winter and throughout the spring, the Falls Trail (approximately 5.5-mile loop of moderate difficulty) offers fine views of one of the moun-

tain’s most spectacular attractions, sev-eral waterfalls up to 100 feet high. But did you know that you can also find waterfalls elsewhere in the park when the rainfall is plentiful? Last spring, a cascade along Black Hawk Creek Road was falling approximately 25 feet. The nearest trail-head is in Rock City, re-quiring a hike of approximately 4 miles one way. Another waterfall was spotted last year on Dunn Creek in the Three Springs area of the park near Quarry Road. The closest trailhead is on Marsh Creek Road. Check the Event Calen-dar on Mt. Diablo State Park’s web-site: www.mdia.org during winter and spring for guided hikes to the falls. If you do decide to explore the various waterfalls in the park, be sure to dress appropriately for the weather and ter-rain and please refrain from scrambling to the falls; it is dangerous and damages the landscape. For a guide to the Falls Trail Loop visit www.mdia.org.

TheSummitBuildingObservationDeckwillbecloseduntilearlyFebruary2013forrepairandweatherization.TheSum-mitBuildingVisitorCenterandMu-seumisscheduledtoremainopendailyfrom10amto4pm;however,someclo-suresoftheinteriormaybeneededasthedeckrepaircontinues. East Bay regional Trails The Park District has more than 1,200 miles of trails within its park-lands, which offer year-round enjoy-ment. There are over 150 miles of paved trails linking Regional Parks that go through cities and along ma-jor streams and channels. The District sponsors the “Trails Challenge” pro-gram for the adventurous that enjoy exploring new trails by foot, bicycle, horseback, or even in-line skating! For more information call 1-888-EBPARKS or 1-888-327-2757. Visit www.ebparks.org/parks/trails to learn more about the local hikes in our area.

Mt. Wanda in January. Photo by www.susanwoodphotography.com

Snow on Mt. Diablo summit. Photo by www.susanwoodphotography.com


juLIE SayS

Among the many New Year’s tradi-tions, there is one that is sweet and nostal-gic; the rest are mostly about driving out evil spirits and securing good luck. The heartwarming tradition I am referring to is gathering to sing “Auld Lang Syne,” whose words encourage us to remember people from our past with fondness. Most of us have managed to butcher our way through the first stanza and chorus, but it is the four little-known stanzas that follow that truly pull at the heartstrings, albeit using some baffling old Scottish words. The third and fourth verses lament how friends who used to run about the hills gathering flowers (runaboutthebraesandpou’dthegowansfine) and paddled in the stream from dawn until dusk (paidl’dintheburnfraemorningsuntilldine) are now separated from us by time and distance (butseasbetweenusbraidhaeroar’d= broad seas have roared between us). That is so very true, so very melancholy, yes? But in the last stanza, we are reminded there is a way to connect with old friends, if not in person then by re-membering the times we shared. We can raise our glasses in a toast to our fond memories with a good-will drink (arightguid-williewaught – OK, no wonder we don’t sing all the verses…). But still, it brings a tear to your eye, right? Let’s all share a cup of kindness for times gone by. As for driving out evil spirits (and I don’t mean those nasty flavored vodkas, just pour those down the sink), there appear to be two camps. One is fireworks, a noisy tradition that uses explosions of various sorts to scare off the demons. The other custom is to just open your doors and let the wind blow the spirits out. I recommend the latter; it is much more peaceful and far less expensive. Food plays a big part in many cultures for procur-ing good luck in the New Year. A custom originating in the South is to eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day. I like black-eyed peas fine, but don’t really get the connec-tion between them and good luck – I’ll eat some just to be on the safe side, though. A tradition stemming from Spain is to eat twelve grapes at midnight on New Year’s Eve to secure good luck in each month of the coming year. That seems like a good plan with the one-to-one correlation and all, and also convenient since grapes are

plentiful year round here in California. Some herald the new year by wearing polka dots. Because they are round like coins, the belief is that wearing polka dots on New Year’s Eve will bring wealth. In Venezuela and Columbia, wearing yellow underwear supposedly accomplishes the same thing. Both of these seem like a bit of a stretch to me, so I’m not taking part in either of these customs. You can decide whether or not you want to participate, but remember most of us don’t really want

to know the color of your underwear. And last but not least, back to the Scottish for one more harbinger of good luck. If a tall, dark and hand-some man is the first to enter your house in the New Year, it is considered very lucky. But really, exactly when wouldn’t it be? Happy New Year! [email protected].

For auld Lang Syne, My Dear!By Julie Ross

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Warming our CommunityPhoto and Article by Sandra Muller

Den 6 Gives BackPhoto and Article by Steve Wald

Sewing - Service - SupportBy Sheila Lopipero

rotary Club Helps Out

Hidden Valley Girl Scout Troop 32132 and the Hidden Valley Elemen-tary Student Council teamed up for their first-ever One Warm Coat drive. Rain or shine, before and after school, the troop collected coats, hats, gloves and scarves on campus, while the student council made classroom an-nouncements and collected coats dur-ing the school day. Our community at Hidden Valley Elementary helped us collect 326 coats and 61 hats/gloves/scarves. Troop Leader Michelle Arnold was amazed at the generosity and support of the families. “I couldn’t be more proud of our Girl Scout Troop 32132 and Hidden Valley Elementary Student

Council. All our kids showed great en-thusiasm, even when bad weather was presented to us, and our drive pro-duced wonderful results that will help many families in our community.” The items collected will be donat-ed to two local organizations, Moun-tain View Emergency Family Shelter in Martinez and Contra Costa Com-munity Services in Concord. A special thank you to Lonnie Wickham (troop parent volunteer) for coordinating our One Warm Coat drive; Susan Jones (4th grade teacher and student council leader) for involving our student coun-cil; our girls and our student council. TodonatetoOneWarmCoat,contactonewarmcoat.org.

Den 6 Cub Scouts, Pack 282 from Strandwood Elementary delivered Thanks-giving meals, cards and decorations to eight families at the Pittsburg Center for Shelter Inc. on November 14. All the Cub Scouts had a chance to meet some of the residents and personally bring the meals into their homes. After each resident prepared a desired shopping list to Shelter Inc., the scouts and their parents put together meals for each family. Two of the scout moms went to

Grocery Outlet in Pleasant Hill and did all the shopping for the families ahead of time. Individual families got boxes full of Thanksgiving meal items so they could prepare their own Thanksgiving feasts. Afterwards, the scouts and some of the residents’ kids played in the courtyard together and had a good time. One of the residents said when his son was old enough, he was going to put him in the Cub Scouts after seeing what they did for him and his family.

The Sewing Machine Shop of Walnut Creek is holding a fabric and sewing ma-chine drive to benefit the efforts of Barbara Bretzinger’s “Service, Sewing and Support” community project. Barbara’s son Donny has served three tours of duty and is going back to Afghanistan in January for another. Barbara relies on sewing to help deal with the stress of having a son in the service overseas. Five years ago she began purchasing sewing machines from garage sales and taught military wives how to sew. She now acts as a mentor to young service wives, teaching them to sew while their husbands

are away. She is endorsed by the Depart-ment of the United States Army and is a vol-unteer at Army Community Service. She is heading back to Fort Drum, New York, this month with over 400 pounds of donated fabric collected by The Sewing Machine Shop. Barbara’s efforts have been so ap-plauded by the United States Army that they have asked her to set up teaching facilities in several additional locations. For information on how to donate cash for shipping fabric directly to Fort Drum, New York, please contact [email protected] or 925-937-7575.

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Pleasant Hill City Hall Photo by Susan Wood Photography

Troop 32132: Lorelei Arnold, Chelsea Martin, Jessica Cortez, Kayla Usedom, Logan Muller, Cassidy Harn, Emma Kleiff, Gianna Guarnera, Kate Johnson, Cassie Wickham, Christina Cortez.

Larry Sly (left), Managing Director of Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, receives check for $1,000 from Martinez Rotary President-elect Shelley Pighin (right) at the regular meeting of the Martinez Rotary Club on December 5, 20012. Recognizing the additional needs this year, Martinez Rotary decided to make this additional contribu-tion to the Food Bank.


real Estate updateBy Nathan Hitchcock

New Year’s Day, 2012: General confi-dence in the real estate market was suspect at best. Countywide, the median home price was $525,000, with Pleasant Hill at $435,000 and Martinez at $312,900. Bank-owned properties made up 27.0% of the market with short sales and pre-foreclosures ringing in at 25.9%. The average time it took to sell a home was an agonizing 68 days, and we had enough inventory to last 3.6 months. What a difference a year makes. Today, general confidence in the market is arguably stronger than it was in the hey-day of 2005. Appreciation rates are on par

with the best pace any of the boom years had to offer, and it shows in the market numbers. The county median price for a detached home is now $646,250, up 23.1%, with Pleasant Hill and Martinez at $550,000 and $342,500, up 26.4% and 9.5% respectively. Townhome and condo median prices are up nearly 47% county-wide. Bank-owned properties now only hold 11.5% of the market, with short sales holding on to a slightly larger share than before at 26.2%. Now for the really impressive numbers: the average days on market for a home is only 37 days, down 45.6%, and we have less than 30 days of inventory, down 72.2%. So what does my crystal ball predict

locally for 2013? Look for the market to jump into high gear right out of the gate. Inventory will be tight and demand will be high. As a result, home values will continue rising, likely at the same rapid pace of 2012. This trend should continue well into the summer months, its pace and endurance set by how well the market absorbs the demand. If we don’t get a boost in inventory, it may just forge ahead the entire year and beyond. Bank-owned listings will likely drop to insignificant levels. The shrinking number of foreclosures that actually occur will mostly be consumed at the auction level by investors and eventually resold on the open market as traditional sales after some degree of rehabilitation. What makes me so optimistic? Just a couple of weeks ago, in the middle of the “quiet” time of the year, I assisted a client with placing an entry-level Pleasant Hill home on the market. The catch was that the home was not actually viewable in-person by prospective buyers, so an online

virtual tour was going to have to suffice. Normally I would advise against this tactic, as it usually results in a lower sales price; but there were extenuating, time-sensitive circumstances that necessitated the arrangement, and I’m always up for a challenge. Within the first 24 hours, the home received five sight-unseen offers, the high-est at 12% over the asking price. Time was of the essence, so our market time was cut short at this point. Additional days on the market and a proper marketing campaign would have undoubtedly resulted in high-er yields; nonetheless, it demonstrated the intensity of the current market, especially at the entry- and mid-level price points of a given city. Only time will tell if my predictions prove accurate. I, for one, can’t wait to find out. NathanHitchcockisthemanagingbrokerofHitchcockRealty.Hecanbereachedatnathan@hitchcockrealty.comor(925)825-1100.

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While following in the footsteps of his father, a technician of 25 years who later became an automotive teacher at College Park High School, Andy Hagin, owner of Hagin’s Automotive, started his automotive career at the ripe young age of 15. At the age of 35, Andy opened Hagin’s Automotive for business on Oc-tober 1, 1998 on Pacheco Blvd. Hagin’s operated at that location for five and a half years. Hagin’s outgrew that facility and needed a bigger shop. Andy pur-

chased a larger building and on June 1, 2004, moved operations to 3725 Alham-bra Ave. On October 1st, 2012, Hagin’s Automotive celebrated 14 years in busi-ness. Next year will be Hagin’s Automo-tive’s 15th anniversary. They are throwing around the idea of having a barbeque and car show, and would like to know what you think. You can post ideas on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/haginsauto or let them know the next time you visit the shop.


ambassador Meeting – If interested in attending, contact (925) 228-2345

1/2 – Chamber Office reopens after the Holidays – Happy New Year!

1/10 - Chamber Mixer – Thursday – 5:30-7:30pm – Cosi Bella Day Spa, 514 Ferry Street, Martinez. Great Network-ing, Food, Fun, Raffle Prizes (bring a raffle prize and have your business an-nounced!)

1/12 – Crab Feed & raffle – Satur-day – 6pm. Boys & Girls Club of Diablo Valley, 1301 Alhambra Ave, Martinez. Contact the Boys & Girls Club at 925-228-3896x102 to purchase tickets.

1/21 – Office Closed for Martin Luther King Day

February – Date to be determined for the Martinez State of the City Breakfast

From our Chamber Office to you – Have a Wonderful new year!

Please verify schedule at www.martinezchamber.com • 925-228-2345

MarTInEZ CHaMBEr OF COMMErCE

CaLEnDar SPOnSOrED By

Please verify schedule at www.pleasanthillchamber.com • 925-687-0700PLEaSanT HILL CHaMBEr OF COMMErCE

1/4- ambassador Meeting - 8-9am, Pleasant Hill City Hall.

1/5 – ribbon Cutting & Grand Opening: Pleasant Hill Senior Center - 1-4pm at 249 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill.

1/16 – Chamber Member Business Mixer: Déjà vu Boutique, 6-8pm at 1630 Contra Costa Blvd, Ste. A, Pleas-ant Hill.

1/17 – Board of Directors Meeting - 8-9am at Pleasant Hill City Hall, Com-munity Room.

1/17 – Pleasant Hill’s 42nd annual Community awards night - 5:30pm at Back Forty BBQ, 100 Coggins Drive, Pleasant Hill.

1/19 - ribbon Cutting & Grand Opening: Déjà Vu Boutique – 11am at 1630 Contra Costa Blvd., Ste A, Pleasant Hill.

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Get your Calender now

The 42nd Annual Community Awards take place at Back Forty res-taurant on Thursday, January 17. The event includes nominees for Citizen of the Year, Business of the Year, Teen of the Year, Teacher of the Year, and the Green Award. If you would like to nominate a Pleasant Hill resident, business or organization for one of these awards, please go to http://www.ci.pleasant-hill.ca.us and click on the Commu-nity Awards 2012 link to download the nomination forms along with eligibility criteria. Nominations for

all awards are due by Friday, Janu-ary 4th and can be emailed to [email protected] or dropped off at the Pleasant Hill Chamber of-fice at 91 Gregory Lane, Suite 11. The celebration begins at 5:30pm with a social hour, followed by din-ner at 6:30pm and the awards pro-gram. Tickets are $40 per person and may be obtained at the Rec & Park District Offices. Call Katrina Hunn at 691-5645 for more information. RSVP’s for the dinner and ticket purchases must be finalized by January 11.

nominations Sought for Community awardsConnolly & Taylor

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Tribute VideosPersonalized PrintingMemorial Websites

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Keeping the Tradition

2013

A Day in the Lifeof Pleasant Hill

“A Day in the Life of Pleasant Hill” 2013 Calendar available at City Hall. This 2013 calendar featuring twenty photographs taken by amateur photographers as part of the city’s 50th Anniversary celebration in 2011 is now available for purchase at City Hall. “A Day in the Life of Pleasant Hill” took place on Saturday, September 17, 2011. During this 24-hour period, a group of local photographers explored the people, places and character of Pleasant Hill and then submitted their best photographs as part of a competition organized by Dick Hixson of Hixson Photography during the 50th Anniversary. The 2013 calendar may be purchased at the reception desk at City Hall for $10.


City Sales Tax revenues Increase At the November 19 City Council meeting it was reported that sales tax reve-nues for the City of Pleasant Hill have increased 6.2% over the same reporting pe-riod last year. This is primarily attributable to the new businesses that were added in the past year, including Big 5 Sporting Goods, the Safeway gas station on Con-tra Costa Blvd. and In-N-Out Burger. Sales were also up for quick serve restaurants, family apparel and grocery-liquor stores. According to Finance Manager Mary McCarthy, sales tax revenue accounts for approximately 35% of the general fund. Looking forward, the city expects to see increased sales tax revenues in 2013 from the opening of new businesses like Zachary’s Pizza, the Vitamin Shoppe and The Corner Bakery. Sales tax revenues provide additional funding for general city operations and will help maintain the city’s strong financial position.

1035 Contra Costa Boulevard The former Blondie’s site on the corner of Taylor and Contra Costa Blvd. has seen some landscaping improvements over the last few months. According to City Planner Greg Fuz, “The last word we received from building owner Ken Sara-chan is that Rasputin Music will be moving into this space shortly.” The space con-figuration is yet unknown, as Sarachan has not submitted any interior tenant im-provement plans. Some may remember that several years ago the building used to house Blondie’s Pizza and Rasputin Records, the large independent record store.

Dick’s Could replace Dome At the December 6 Architectural Review Commission (ARC) meeting, a study session was held to provide initial design input on plans to develop an area of the Crossroads Shopping Center on Monument Boulevard. Plans include demolishing the CineArts dome theatre building and constructing a new two-story commer-cial building of approximately 73,000 square feet to accommodate Dick’s Sport-ing Goods, a full-line sporting goods retailer. The project also includes renovating the existing 21,000 single-story square foot building (formerly Bally’s Gym building) resulting in a total of 94,964 square feet of commer-cial space. The additional modifications include refur-bishing the existing parking lot to provide more parking spaces and new landscaping throughout the surrounding area. At this time, no tenant has been determined to fill the single-story space. Zachary’s Pizza is plan-ning on a mid-January open-ing. Nordstrom Rack only plans two store openings a year and is looking at an August 2013 opening date for the Pleasant Hill location.

Continued Buskirk avenue Improvements The Fair Oaks Market underground storage tank removal and site demolition work is complete. The project included the building demolition, gas tank removal, underground storage tank removal, testing of soil, backfill and final on-site grad-ing. The contractor, Pantano Engineering, started work in October 2012 and sub-stantially completed the project in November 2012. The work was necessary in or-der to allow for the new roadway improvements for the upcoming Buskirk Avenue Phase II Widening Project. The project is being advertised for public bid and the city council will consider awarding the project in February. The project will extend and realign the road-way south of the existing Crossroads Shopping Center intersection, creating a more functional transportation corridor. These roadway improvements will provide access and accommodate the future development of the Crossroads Shopping Center. Construction is scheduled to begin in the Spring of 2013 and be complet-ed by the Winter of 2014.

newly Elected Mayor and Vice Mayor At the December 17 City Council meeting, the new mayor and vice mayor were installed. Congratulations to now Mayor Michael Harris and Vice Mayor Jack Weir. They will serve in their positions in 2013.

architectural review CommissionJanuary 3, 17City Hall, 100 Gregory LaneLarge Community Room, 5pmContact: 671-5209

City CouncilJanuary 7, 28 City Hall, 100 Gregory LaneCouncil Chambers, 7:30pmContact: 671-5229

Civic action CommissionJanuary 2, 16City Hall, 100 Gregory LaneSmall Community Room, 6:30pmContact: 671-5229

Education CommissionJanuary 23City Hall, 100 Gregory LaneLarge Community Room, 7:00pmContact: 925-671-5229

Planning CommissionJanuary 8, 22City Hall, 100 Gregory LaneCouncil Chambers, 7:30pmContact: 671-5209.

City Calendar of Events

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

PLEaSanT HILL CITy BuZZ

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

I would like to take this opportuni-ty to wish all Pleas-ant Hill residents and businesses best wishes for a happy and healthy new year. Last year was a great year for our city. We made major strides to protect the economic future of Pleasant Hill while continuing to provide a safe and enjoyable place to live and raise a family. This year promises to be another great year for Pleasant Hill. After the success-ful opening of the new Teen Center, we look forward with great anticipation to the opening of the new Senior Center. I had the opportunity to tour the building sever-al times before completion, and it promises to be a fantastic setting to serve the needs of our senior citizens. I’m also looking for-ward to attending many community events in this spacious and beautiful facility. Hats off to our Rec & Park District and all the folks who worked so hard to make the new Senior Center a reality. We’ve got more great things happen-ing in Pleasant Hill this year. I’m eagerly anticipating the opening of the new Zach-ary’s Chicago Style Pizza later this month in our downtown. Zachary’s has been an institution in Berkeley for thirty years, and I’ve been a big fan. I’ve eaten there dozens of times and taken home hundreds of piz-zas since they first opened in 1983. Now I’ll be able to get their delicious stuffed Chica-go style pizza and other goodies right here

in Pleasant Hill. We will also be welcoming the Corner Bakery Café to our downtown. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, the Corner Bakery Café is sure to become a Pleasant Hill institution. As much as I’m looking forward to the great food at these new restaurants, my wife Dawn is looking forward to great bargains at the new Nordstrom’s Rack, opening later this year on Contra Costa Boulevard, next to Safeway. I’m sure our recently reelected City Treasurer Mark Celio is looking forward to the additional revenue these businesses will generate for the city. This year, we will see new faces in city government. We welcome new City Coun-cilmembers Ken Carlson and Tim Flaherty and new City Clerk Kimberly Lehmkuhl. I hope they enjoy serving the city and you as much as I have. I congratulate them along with reelected Councilmember David Du-rant. We say goodbye to two longtime de-voted public servants who did not seek reelection in 2012. Councilmember John Hanecak and City Clerk Marty McInturf have served the city for the past eight years. Please join me in thanking them for their efforts and dedication in helping make Pleasant Hill the best it can be. John and Marty, thanks also for being such great friends. I’ll miss you. Much good luck in the future. Stay tuned for next month’s column in which I’ll announce a major new program for our community. Until then, take care and be well.

City news

Artists drawing of the new Zachary’s Pizza on Crescent Drive


City council appointed councilmember Lara DeLaney as vice mayor for the year 2013 at the December 19 City Council meeting.

1124 arnold Drive Last month the Planning Commission approved construction of a new two-building commercial development on 1124 Arnold Drive. Plans are to develop the Francis Medical Building, an 8,000 square foot space to house the Francis’ Dental office on the second floor and a commercial-retail area on the ground floor. A freestanding Taco Bell restaurant with drive-thru is part of the plan. According to City Manager Phil Vince, “The applicant worked well with the Design Review Com-mittee (DRC) to come up with designs that effectively blend the design of the two buildings, and the Commission unanimously approved the project.” The commit-tee found the use of balconies, wood detailing and central tower attractive upgrades. Both build-ings will share a unified landscape theme. The triangular site is currently vacant and lo-cated along a commercial corridor, backing onto the Highway 4 John Muir Parkway (freeway). The site will be the westerly most developed portion of a row of “strip” neighborhood commercial shop-ping centers located on the north side of highway 4. The property will have its own access on Arnold Drive. The developer will be required to widen Arnold Drive by 5 feet to improve the utility of the existing center turn lane in front of the project.

Diamond Classic The Seventh Annual Diamond Classic Derby will take place January 26. Thispopular event draws hundreds of anglers to Martinez, and children under 15 par-ticipate for free. It is a great way to promote the marina and Martinez. The award ceremony is held in the Martinez Events Center on Main Street. For more informa-tion go to www.diamondclassic.org or call 313-0942.

Composting Workshops The City of Martinez is hosting free backyard composting workshops and offer-ing high-quality compost bins for $58. Composting your yard trimmings and food scraps is easy, great for your yard and garden, kind to our environment and good for you too! Save money, save water, and conserve natural resources. Attend the next free workshop on Saturday, January 12th, from 10 a.m. to noon at City Hall, located at 525 Henrietta St. Registration is simple, just email [email protected] or call (925) 372-3531.

City Budget Photo Contest Martinez is about to begin work on its 2013-15 Biennial Budget and once again is sponsoring a photo contest. The winning photographs of Martinez will be show-cased in the document. The pictures should be hi-resolution digital images (land-scape format) that illustrate the beauty, character, and unique charm of Martinez. When submitting, please describe your pictures and specify where and when they were taken. The deadline for submittal is February 15, to [email protected] Winners will be recognized at a city council meeting and will receive by-line credit in the budget.

MarTInEZ CITy BuZZ

City Calendar of Events

Revitalization and economic development of downtown Marti-nez has been the mantra of every candidate that has ever run for the Martinez City Council, including me. Not that there aren’t other issues facing

our city that are just as important, but having a vibrant, safe and comfortable downtown core is important to the vi-ability and quality of life in any com-munity. If the heart is not healthy, the body is not healthy. Over the years we have worked on many strategies to revitalize our down-town, and we have had some successes. Many new restaurants and retail shops

Mayor’s MessageRob Schroder, Mayor of Martinez

have opened downtown. The outdoor dining platforms and lights strung from lamppost to lamppost have im-proved the ambiance of Main, Castro and Ferry Streets. The rebuilding of the streetscape on Marina Vista now gives those entering our city an old town feel that is clean and safe. We had hoped that establishing a redevelopment agency would allow the city to finance more improvements to the downtown infrastructure including: rebuilding the Marina; helping owners of our historic unreinforced masonry buildings complete earthquake retro-fitting; running underground power lines; repairing sidewalks, and build-ing a parking garage. Unfortunately, the governor and legislature abolished the formation of new redevelopment agen-cies and closed down existing agencies in 2011. Since that time, the city council and staff have been evaluating other economic tools to help us improve the city. In mid-November, the city council unanimously approved the formation of an Economic Development Corpo-ration (EDC) and also approved the seed money to formulate and adminis-ter the corporation for the first year. What is an EDC? An EDC is a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation that, through a board of directors and ex-ecutive director, provides commercial/industrial loans and services on a city

wide basis. It can finance city spon-sored projects and provide services for commercial and industrial develop-ment and business growth. An EDC receives and utilizes funds from public and private sources. The EDC enters into agreements with lend-ers to generate both real estate and business based loan programs. It can participate in infrastructure financ-ing programs and can apply for grants from public and private foundations and programs. Because traditional loan resources are too restrictive and expensive, not all property and business owners can qualify or afford a traditional loan from a bank. An EDC can develop pub-lic/private loan programs individu-ally tailored for improving properties to enhance structures and businesses throughout the city. There are many reasons that an EDC makes sense in Martinez. It is an umbrella that supports financial busi-ness growth and other economic devel-opment activities. An EDC is indepen-dent and represents all elements of the community. It leverages public and pri-vate funds to finance a wide variety of community projects and programs. We have taken the first step in this process, and I have high hopes that this tool will be a valuable piece of our revi-talization and economic development strategy.

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

City news

City Council MeetingJanuary 167-11pmContact: 925-372-3500

Design review MeetingNo Meetings in January3-5pmContact: 925-372-3500

Park, recreation, Marina &Cultural CommissionJanuary 157-11pmContact: 925-372-3500

Planning Commission MeetingPlease contact City Hall for January schedule7-11pmContact: 925-372-3500

Zoning administrator MeetingJanuary 2, 163-5pmContact: 925-372-3500

City offices closed until january 2.


The current cost to attend a Cali-fornia university (including tuition, room and board, and daily living ex-penses) is over $35,000 for in-state res-idents. That’s more than four times the cost only ten years ago! This year, tuition is predicted to increase 4.8%, furthering a long-term pattern of college tuition outpacing inflation rates. Additionally, many col-lege freshmen take longer than the traditional four years to achieve their undergraduate degrees, even while a growing number live at home. In fact, roughly forty percent of those who start a four-year degree program still have not earned one after six years. As parents, we all want to provide our children the best possible college experience without compromising their educational quality or our own meaningful journey one day into re-tirement. Personally, I have three children, each four years apart, yielding a mini-mum of twelve years of college fund-ing– yikes! So, when my clients talk to me about their college funding con-cerns and the impact it will have on their retirement savings, I can com-pletely and personally relate. Planning my own family’s future made it crystal clear to me that fund-ing our chil-dren’s college education is no simple matter. The topic of college funding is of-ten at the top of the list with friends, clients and, of course, my own family. We live in an extraordinary part of the world where we can enjoy an ideal climate, strikingly beautiful scen-ery, urban culture in all its glory, and

almost any summer or winter sport for our family adventures within a few hours of travel. We work hard to afford a lifestyle in the Bay Area! We don’t want to sacrifice these adventures that give meaning to our lives, and yet we want a quality education for our chil-dren, while also fulfilling our dreams of retirement. Can we achieve it all?What are our options? Choose less expensive schools? Borrow the funds and increase our debt (and maybe create debt for our children)? Forget about college all to-gether? Spend all night online or weeks trying to sort out the difference be-tween “fact and fiction?” There has to be a better way! Like most complex topics in life, the smartest answer is often working with a team of trusted advisors to help turn dreams into prioritized goals and then goals into reality. An experienced team can clarify options that make sense for your timeline and unique family goals. Now that doesn’t sound so bad does it? If I can find a way to navigate through college funding, you can too.

I bet you’ll even relax and enjoy the process once someone helps map

out the journey for you. What could feel better than watch-ing your child walk across that esteemed stage to receive a di-

ploma, knowing your life is also secure and

full of continued promise? As a New Year’s gift to yourself, visit www.funds-

forthefuture.net to download our Top Ten College Fund-

ing Tips report. TolearnmoreaboutTracy

andTamuraInsurancevisit:www.tamurainsurance.com.

College Funding The realistic View

By Tracy Tamura, Life Insurance and Planning Specialist

Tracy Tamura • 6680 Alhambra Avenue #196• Martinez, CA 94553Office: (925) 335-9749 • Fax: (925) 335-9779

CA License #0B20349

Make 2013 the Year Your College Savings

Goals Become a Reality!Tuition and fees at public four-year colleges have

tripled over the past 30 years! Don’t be caught unprepared. Get all the information you need to

get started in one 90-minute workshop! What is your time worth?

• Current and future college costs• Sources of college funds

• Financial aid, scholarships, and loans• 529 plans & Coverdell Education Savings Accounts

• Other investment options for college savings and tax advantaged strategies

In this free educational workshop we will explore:

Workshop Offered by:Tamura Insurance Services – Life Insurance and Planning Specialists

Attendees will receive a full-color, 20-page workbook and are eligible for a complimentary consultation.

Location: All workshops will be held in the newly remodeled Teen Center @ 147 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill.

To register: online, go to www.fundsforthefuture.net, call 925-639-8889 or email [email protected].

Three Workshops in February: Tuesday 2/12 6:30 to 8:00 pm

Wednesday 2/13 6:30 to 8:00 pmSaturday 2/16 10:00 to 11:30 am

Sponsored by:The Pleasant Hill Teen Council and the Pleasant Hill Chamber of Commerce.


Pleasant Hill Senior activities

Martinez Senior activities818 Green St. (925) 370-8770

249 Gregory Lane (925) 798-8788

advice for the ages

There is a certain sense of awe, wonder and reverence for one who has lived 100 years, experienced so much and yet still maintains an innocence and enjoyment of life. In our culture, we don’t give our seniors the respect they deserve. Sometimes we shove them to the side and barely acknowledge them. This is a mistake, as one can learn so much from

our elders, especially those who have aged so gracefully as this 99-year-old woman has. I had a recent conversation with Ms. Josephine Heruth-Nation which I’d like to share. The two of us sit in a quiet house on a quiet street in Martinez. She says there is nothing to talk about, nothing special, and that her life is ordinary. I tell her that

january 10, 1913By Jenny Lind, Senior Helpers

her life is extraordinary. What is her se-cret to aging so successfully; to be this age and have no significant health challenges except some loss of eyesight? In her case, was it any of the following... Two happy marriages (really happy), hard work (really hard work), being an orphan, adopting a child, walking the golf course (a lot), not drinking, not smok-ing, not eating junk food, a lot of dancing (loving to dance!), fighting off cancer three times, having good doctors and being able to communicate with them, eating her sister’s vegetables each night when they were kids so that her sister wouldn’t get in big trouble (but sadly, later losing her sister to tuberculosis), feeding the pigs before herself, picking and drying

prunes as a child laborer, knowing what she didn’t like and moving on, knowing what she liked and working really hard at it, honesty, giving a lot to charity and of herself to others, staying in the same house for more than 60 years, starting a local cable company, becoming a local politician, sadly outliving both of her children, holding her true love in her arms while he passed away, having a good sense of humor, and traveling the world? NO, none of these things! The answer, my dear readers, according to Josephine (a.k.a. Jo) Heruth-Nation of lovely Martinez, California, is merely this: When they ask you about your age say, I don’t know, and just don’t think about it at all. This is the secret to healthy aging!

What other advice does Jo have to share? Q: What advice would you give an 18 year old? jo: Don’t sit around, work hard! Don’t expect anything to be given to you.Q: What advice would you give a 30 year old? jo: That depends.Q: What advice would you give a 50 year old? jo: Be a good citizen.Q: What advice would you give a 60 year old? jo: Same.Q: What advice would you give to a 70 year old? jo: Silly question.Q: What advice would you give an 80 year old? jo: Laughs!Q: Favorite gift ever received? jo: The love of my family. The date is in the title, but we don’t mention what it means today. (Happy Birth-day, Jo, with utmost respect and love.) Jenny Lind, owner, Senior Helpers, which, by the way, Jo and her friend lovingly call “Hamburger Helpers.” And that my dears, is another story...

Jan. 4 – C.E.R.T. – Personal Emergency Preparedness Class 10am-12pm. In this informa-tional seminar, you will learn how to prepare yourself and your family to be ready when a major disaster strikes. Topics to be covered will include: basic supplies and equipment you should have and plans to make to insure you are ready to meet this challenging time. Please call our office (925) 370-8770 to register for this free seminar.

Jan. 13 - Pancake Breakfast 8am–11am. Pancakes or toast, sausage, eggs, orange juice and coffee. Everyone is welcome. $3.50 adults/$2 10yrs. and younger.

Jan. 26 – Annual Crab Feed. Doors open at 5:45pm. Dinner will be served at 6:30pm. It is that time of year, and back by popular demand. We will be serving our famous gourmet salad, pasta, garlic bread, delicious marinated crab and dessert. Complimentary ice tea, water and coffee will complete the meal. There will be plenty to eat so bring your appe-tite. Cost: $45. Call for availability. (925) 370-8770.

jan. 5 - SaVE THE DaTE… SEnIOr CEnTEr GranD OPEnInG! The day we have been waiting will soon arrive. join us from 1pm to 4pm at the new Senior Center for an afternoon of fun!

A New Year brings Pleasant Hill Seniors a new building and lots of new adventures! Here is a list of just some of the new classes starting in January to start the adventure: Life Stories Worth Sharing: This class helps you to recall, write, edit, organize and pub-lish them. Dance for Joy: A gentle dance class done at your own level. Jazz, ballet, belly dance, tap & some yoga are incorporated. Improve strength, flexibility & mental agility. Quilting Basics & Beyond: Use of color, picking out fabrics, piecing techniques, rotary cutting, and introduction to machine quilting, basting, binding & more.Art Healing Workshop: Based on the belief that the creative process involved in artistic self-expression helps people resolve conflicts, solve problems, reduce stress & more. Painting on a water surface is the subject of this workshop, a technique called Suminagashi.

1/10 - Care Management Educational Series: Coffee & refreshments served, compli-ments of The Chateau’s. What is Assisted Living? Presented by The Chateau’s from 2-3:30pm. Free but space is limited. Call to reserve your spot!

1/25 - Crab Feed Fundraiser: All you can eat fresh crab, pasta, salad, garlic bread and dessert. Buy your tickets early to insure you are there for the first Crab Feed in the new building! 6pm to 8pm, $45 / $40 members.


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

Madam and Mister Secretary Two former Secretaries of State, Madeleine Albright and Colin Powell, have written memoirs that deserve your attention. While they shared the same high office, they got there along different paths. Their distinctive backgrounds and experiences offer valuable lessons for all of us. Madeleine Albright was the first female Secretary of State. Her mem-oir, PragueWinter:APersonalStoryofRemembranceandWar,1937–1948, pro-vides a unique view of life in Eastern Eu-rope during World War II and the Cold War. Albright was born in Czechoslova-kia prior to the outbreak of World War II. Her father, Josef Korbel, was a Czech diplomat. Just before the Nazi takeover of their country, the family escaped to Great Britain, where Korbel became the voice of a democratic and free Czechoslovakia. Young Madeline and her family returned to their homeland after the war only to find a country that was now under the tyrannical rule of Soviet Communism. Albright tells the compelling tale of the hatred and brutality to her country-men at the hands of both the Nazis and

the Soviets. Al-bright was raised a Christian, but dozens of years after the war, she was stunned to learn of her fam-ily’s Jewish back-ground. Over twenty of her relatives, includ-ing three grandparents, were killed in the Holocaust. Through intimate interviews and letters, she traces the tragedy that befell millions of Jews through the eyes of these relatives who were forced into con-centration camps and then exterminated. Her book offers an enlightening history of Czechoslovakia and its free-dom loving people who founded their country, only to lose it to the Nazis, and then recovered it ever so briefly, only to lose it again to the Soviets. Finally, they achieved independence again in the form of two countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Albright helps us understand what “prompts one person to act boldly in a moment of crisis and a second to seek

shelter in the crowd,” and why “some people become stronger in the face of adversity while others quickly lose heart.” PragueWinter is a testament to the courage and

conviction of extraordinary people in spite of the terrible costs they faced. We learn much about the tragedy in Eastern Europe during this period. We also learn that hope and spirit can conquer our worst fears and what it takes to be a true hero. Colin Powell’s book,ItWorkedForMe:InLifeandLeadership, is based on his long and distinguished career in public service, culminating with his appoint-ment as the first African-American Secretary of State. His examples of leader-ship come from his decades of military

service. While I found his stories interesting and his style engaging, I had a hard time relating to some of his examples. I did, however, relate to the core of this book - his “Thirteen Rules.” We can all gain from Powell’s advice, such as: “It ain’t as bad as you think. It will look better in the morn-ing,” and “Remain calm. Be kind.” Both books reminded me that we live in a truly great country. Where else could a young Czech immigrant and the son of Jamaican parents rise to such high office? In America, people can achieve their dreams by hard work and persever-ance. We value people’s talent, effort, and character, not where they come from. If you weren’t already proud of this country and the people who serve it so well, you will be after you read these books. (To learn more about the lives and lessons of these two exceptional public servants, I also recommend their previ-ous memoirs, MadamSecretary and MyAmericanJourney.)

Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District announces a vacancy on the board of directors. The district board is requesting letters of interest from district residents who would like to serve on the board. The term will be from Janu-ary 24, 2013, until the next election in November 2014. The board of directors meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month, except in November and December when it is changed to the 1st and 3rd Thursdays. Qualifications for office, as required by the Public Resources Code, under which Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District is organized, are:• Persons must be 18 years of age or older; live in the Pleasant Hill Recrea-tion & Park District, and be a registered

voter. The deadline for submitting a let-ter of interest to the Recreation & Park District Board is Wednesday, January 16, 2013. The current board of directors will interview and select the new member at the January 24, 2013 board meeting. The meeting will be held at the District Ad-ministration Office, Conference Room, 147 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill with interviews beginning at 6:00pm. Letters of interest should be submit-ted to Bob Berggren, General Manager, Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park Dis-trict,147 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 or by email at [email protected]. For more information, please call 682-0896.


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Chimichurri Sauce

Grilled Provolone Cheese on Toasted Bread

INGREDIENTS1 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley1/2 cup olive oil1/3 cup red wine vinegar1/4 cup (packed) fresh cilantro2 garlic cloves, peeled3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon saltDIRECTIONS Puree all ingredients in processor. Transfer to bowl. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.)Yield: 1 Cup

INGREDIENTS4 3/4-inch thick slices of provolone cheese1/4 cup olive oil1 teaspoon oregano1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)1 teaspoon kosher salt8 thick slices of breadDIRECTIONS Place the cheese slices in a shallow dish and drizzle with olive oil. Turn the slices so that each side is coated with oil. Sprinkle the cheese with the salt and the oregano (and red pepper flakes if desired). Place the cheese in the freezer while you prepare the grill. The cheese should be cooked quickly over fairly high heat so that the

outside browns before the inside melts too much and starts oozing down into the coals. Brush the grill with a generous amount of olive oil to help prevent stick-ing. When the grill is ready, place the cheese slices directly on the grill, and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until cheese is hot, slightly browned, but still holding its shape. Remove cheese to a plate. Brush bread slices with any remaining olive oil left in the dish that had the cheese. Grill bread slices until slightly toasted. (If your grill is large enough you can grill the cheese and bread simultaneously). Serve cheese on bread to eat.Yield: 6 servings

COrKS anD FOrKS

Pair upWith La Sommelierre Maria Terry

Winter in argentina It’s cold outside, but if you can find a dry place to do some grilling, here is a menu of Argentinian foods that features grilled foods paired with smoky beverag-es from different parts of the world. This is definitely a meal that will warm you up on a cold, Northern hemisphere, winter night. Start off with grilled provolone cheese paired with a dry stout beer. Dry stout is stout beer in its purest form. It is dark black with a roasted coffee-like taste.

Most dry stouts are brewed in Ireland and not necessarily high in alcohol con-tent. One of the most well-known brands of stout beer is Guinness Stout. Other popular brands are Murphy’s Irish Stout and Beamish. Beer is a great beverage to drink while tending the grill and it will complement the tangy provolone cheese that has picked-up the smoke from the grill. Argentina is known for its top qual-ity beef. Choose your favorite cut and make it Argentinian by topping it with a

Chimichurri Sauce. Chimichurri is bright green and super garlicky. Add roasted po-tatoes and Brussels sprouts and you have a complete plate. You could even toss the sprouts with cumin and chili powder be-fore roasting to give them a smoky flavor like the grilled meat. Of course, a bold red wine is needed to stand up to the strong flavors of this meal. Argentinian Malbec is perfect. The high altitude vineyards of the Andes Mountains allow the grapes to ripen fully while maintaining a fine quality to the tannins. These wines can be inexpensive and offer great value. If you want to really finish off the meal with a true Argentinian dessert, Pasta Frola (full recipe at www.LaSom-

melierre.com) is a wonderful dessert made with a cookie-like shortbread crust and dulce de membrillo (quince paste) filling. Pasta Frola is an example of the influence of Italian food on Argentin-ian cuisine - pasta frolla (with the extra “l”) is Italian for shortbread crust. As a beverage pairing, look for a coffee with bright fruity notes to echo the fruit filling. Kenyan coffees are known for their fruity, red wine character. So, go on. Pair Up! MariaTerryisaCertifiedSomme-lierandWineEducatorintheSanFran-ciscoBayArea.FormoregreatwinesandinformationpleasevisitMaria’swebsiteatwww.LaSommelierre.com.

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The alhambra Pioneer Cemetery Material provided by the Martinez Historical Society and Harriett Burt

The Alhambra Pioneer Cemetery is documented to 1854, but it is believed to be at least three years older and is a Cali-fornia State Point of Historic Interest. In this cemetery, many early pioneers of Contra Costa County were laid to rest. The land was part of the Don Ygna-cio Martinez land grant, El Rancho Pinole, and was platted in the original survey of Martinez of 1849 by surveyor Thomas A. Brown for Col. William M. Smith, the son-in-law and agent for the Martinez family and founder of the City of Marti-nez. The Martinez Historical Society web-site offers a virtual tour of the Alhambra Cemetery at www.martinezhistory.org. The tour shares the history of the many pioneer families with a picture record of the gravesites. Here are some interesting facts shared during cemetery tours in previous years:• In 1872, the Alhambra Cemetery As-sociation set a price of $25.00 for a plot of 150 square feet.• “Buddy” is the only animal buried in the cemetery. Someone snuck in and bur-ied the pup under a headstone that reads, “The cutest dog you ever saw.”• In 1873, Potter’s Field was established. Those buried in Potter’s field were either strangers or society’s castoffs who no one was willing to claim, or who did not have money for funeral expenses. The deceased were given a brief service and buried un-der a small numbered marker. In 1880, the Cemetery Association began charging the county $4.00 for each pauper’s burial site.• In the far right section of Potter’s field is the site of the Chinese Ovens. In the 1870’s, 1500 Chinese were working in the area. Many of the leading families of Martinez, including the Muir’s, employed Chinese cooks, house cleaners and labor-ers. Others were employed at the Martinez Fruit Cannery and for the railroad. When a family member died, survivors would bring food to the cemetery to cook for the deceased who would need the sustenance for the long journey to heaven.• Because of a fire, an unscrupulous care-taker during the 1940’s and 50’s, and the

careless destruction of some records by the county, no one knows exactly how many gravesite deeds are unused. Efforts have been made to document everyone in the cemetery, and the Cemetery Com-mission, the city, and the Martinez His-torical Society have concluded that there are slightly over 3300 individuals buried in the Alhambra Cemetery. Only descen-dants of families with plots in the cem-etery can be interred there. Here are some interesting facts about some of the individuals and families of the Alhambra Cemetery. • J.D. Carrothers was the founding father of Pacheco. He served one term in the California State Legislature and later died of an opium overdose.• Louis Wittenmeyer was the first mayor of Martinez. He was elected in 1876, right after the city was incorporated. He moved to Martinez in 1851 and was elected coun-ty clerk in 1857.• The Fishes were the first millionaires in Contra Costa County. Lafayette and Charles brought mechanization to the county. In 1862, they had a steam-pow-ered plough built in Pacheco because the 18,000 acres of wheat they owned de-manded an efficient harvesting method.• Eliza Nottingham, as an eight-year-old girl, saved a four-year-old boy from drowning in a Kentucky creek. That little boy grew up to become President Abra-ham Lincoln• Following the death of John Muir’s fa-ther-in law, Dr. John Strentzel, in 1890,

the family’s vast orchards and farm had fallen into the care of John Muir. His wife, Louie Strentzel Muir, knew how impor-tant his travels and writing had become, so she suggested that John invite his fam-ily to help run the farm. The first to arrive was his sister Margaret Muir Reid and her husband John, who became a ranch fore-man. When Muir’s brother David’s busi-ness failed in 1892, Muir offered him and his wife Juliette a chance to farm a share of the property. Later, David’s son Will and his wife Sara moved in, as did John Muir’s widowed sister Sara Muir Galloway, fol-lowing the death of their mother. All are buried at the Alhambra Cemetery, while John and Louie are buried in a separate gravesite on Alhambra Creek, south of the trestle.• The most famous person buried in the Alhambra Cemetery is Captain Joseph Rutherford Walker, a pioneer, trailblazer, explorer, and mountain man. At the age of

21, he helped to build Independence, Mis-souri, which he named. He was elected that town’s first sheriff. He served under Andrew Jackson fighting the Creek In-dians, and at various times rode with Kit Carson, Jim Bridger and Sam Houston. In 1833-34, he followed the Humboldt River and crossed the Sierra Nevada into California. He and his crew were the first Europeans to cross the Sierra from east to west, and he was the first white man to see Yosemite Valley. He led the first wagon train of immigrants into California. Walk-er warned the Donner Party about trying to cross the Sierras so late in the year. He was dismissed by them as an “ignorant Missouri pike.” In 1846, he was with Fre-mont at Hawk’s Peak when Fremont stood off the Mexicans and then lost his nerve and retreated. Walker quit Fremont in ut-ter disgust and never had a good word to say about him after that. He exclaimed, “He (Fremont) was the greatest moral and physical coward I ever met,” adding, “I would call him a woman, if it weren’t a slur to the sex.” At age 65, he led a par-ty of miners into Arizona, capturing the Apache Chief Mangas. U.S Troops took Mangas away from Walker and murdered him. Walker never led any white men any-where after that. That was Walker’s last ex-pedition. He retired to his nephew James’ ranch on Mt. Diablo. He was an honor-able, kind and courageous man. Walker River, Walker Pass, and Walker Lake are all named for him. Formoreinformationonthecem-eterypleasevisitwww.martinezhistory.org.

JENNIFER L. MARTIN, D.D.S.

Specialist in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics

401 GREGORY LANE, SUITE 126PLEASANT HILL, CA 94523

925.676.8485 FAX 925.676.0288www.drjennifermartin.com


The Pleasant Hill Community Founda-tion has awarded its annual Youth Grant Awards. The proceeds from the 12th Annual Pleasant Hill Allied Waste Golf Classic held last October provided the funding for these awards: • American Association of University Women for its Math and Science Camp• College Park High School for biology anatomical models, a creative writing class, tennis net replacements, soccer uniforms and high school instrumental mentoring of elementary students• Fair Oaks Elementary for headphones• Pleasant Hill Elementary for class-room sports equipment• Pleasant Hill Library for books for young readers• Strandwood Elementary for an anti-bullying program

• Valhalla Elementary for Livescribe Smart Pens. Youth Grant Awards Chair Betty Geishirt Can-trell stated, “The Pleasant Hill Community Founda-

tion is very thankful to all the people who have participated in over a decade of our Golf Classics. Their generosity has enabled local community organiza-tions to support these vital programs for the youth of Pleasant Hill. We are also very excited to welcome new board member, Adrianne Roe, to our Youth Grant Awards Committee to help evaluate the twenty proposals we received this year.” ThePleasantHillCommunityFoundationwillbeacceptingpropos-alsforitsCommunityGrantAwardsinspring2013.Applicationswillbeavailableonourwebsite,www.PH-CommunityFoundation.org.

Pleasant Hill Community Foundation youth Grants

Valhalla Third Graders Visit City Hall On a beautiful November morning, third-graders from Valhalla Elementary School visited Pleasant Hill City Hall for a mock city council meeting and tour led by Vice Mayor Michael Harris. The students had an opportunity to demon-strate what they had learned about local government in the council chambers. The students had elected their own mayor, councilmembers, and city staff. After Mayor Kira Funk called the meeting to order and lead the Pledge of Allegiance, City Clerk Declan Jensen called the roll. Councilmembers Mario Taylor, Cody Hall, Jacob Mascaro and Kaleena Fowler, along with Mayor Funk, were all present. They heard argu-ments from fellow third-graders for and against three issues important to Val-halla students that had been discussed in class. Ms. Kaput’s class discussed: Should Valhalla students have more access to the school library? Marcus McClennon spoke in favor while Josh Nieman spoke against. The item failed on a 5–0 vote.

Mrs. Roberts’ class discussed: Should Valhalla get a second ball wall? Chris Arellano spoke in favor. The proposition failed in a unanimous vote. In a hotly contested issue, Mrs. Snitselaar’s class discussed: Should Valhalla get a new, larger play structure? Speaking in favor was Patrick Toman. Speaking against was Alexis Fell. After

much debate, the proposition failed on a close 3-2 vote. All in all, the students had a great time and demonstrated outstanding knowledge of local government. They even had a chance to visit “the secret room” in City Hall, but don’t ask them about it. It’s a secret for third-graders only!

Showrooms also in Santa Clara & Milbrae


aLHaMBra

FootballFirst-Team: Taylor Poyadue (O), Miguel Lara (O / D), and Joe Pierce (D)Second-Team: Ethan Little (O)Honorable Mention: Nick Revetta (O) and Julian Archuleta (D)

Girls GolfSecond-Team: Channel Drucker

Girls TennisHonorable Mention – Singles: Tanya Wright

Girls VolleyballHonorable Mention: Sawyer Norried

Boys Water PoloFirst-Team: Michael BullSecond-Team: Drew CistermanHonorable Mention: Christian Bumala

Girls Water PoloFirst-Team: Alex ManuliHonorable Mention: Cami Vereschagin

COLLEGE ParK

Boys Cross CountryFirst Team: Nathaniel Comer and Parker MarsonSecond-Team: Drew McDonaldHonorable Mention: David Phair and Shane McKenzie

Girls Cross CountryFirst-Team: Victoria Miguel, Emily Dowey and Selina SalibaSecond-Team: Kendall Stuscavage, Taryn Niederberger, Parisa Broomand and Mariana Perez

FootballFirst-Team: Matt Da Silva (O), Sean Hennessey (D), Steven O’Brien (D) and Nick Luna (D)Second-Team: Timmy Jackson (O), Jaelen Collins (O), Sean Alkire (D) and Tanner Utler (Sp)

Girls TennisFirst-Team: Gina AlvarezSecond-Team: Erica Kemp, Stephanie Schenk and Kayla SouthwickHonorable Mention: Isabelle Bollas, Meixi Luan

Girls VolleyballFirst-Team: Sierra Stratton and Anni TappeSecond-Team: Emily BedollaHonorable Mention: Clare Alden

Girls Water PoloFirst-Team: Shelby Salling

Boys Water PoloFirst-Team: Max CreamerSecond-Team: Brandon EvansHonorable Mention: Damien Pandza

College Park High School sophomores Jackie Scharff and Ale Gonzalez just complet-ed a successful 2012 soccer season with their premier level club team, Bay Oaks Botafogo U16 Girls which is ranked #1 in California, 4th in Region IV and #12 in the nation. Below is a summary of Bay Oaks Botafogo 2012 season:Northern California Spring Showcase - Champion • CYSA Cal North State Cup - Cham-pion • CYSA North/South League - Champion • Regional IV Championship - Semi-Finalist• Nike Mustang Stampede - Champion • Pleasanton Rage Showcase – Far West - Cham-pion • CCSL Premier League U-17 - Champion • Placer United Cup - Champion

U8 8/1/05 - 7/31/07U9 8/1/04 - 7/31/05U10 8/1/03 - 7/31/04U11 8/1/02 - 7/31/03U12 8/1/01 - 7/31/02U13 8/1/00 - 7/31/01U14 8/1/99 - 7/31/00

Age Matrix

In Concord for boys & girls competitive teams

U9-U10-U11-U12 boys U9-U10-U11 girls

Jan. 26-27-28Boys born 8/1/2001 - 7/31/2006Girls born 8/1/2002 - 7/31/2006

U12-U13-U14 girlsU13-U14 boys

Feb. 2 & 4 Girls born 8/1/1999-7/31/2002 Boys born 8/1/1999-7/31/2001

No charge to tryout. Signup today at www.diablofc.org

Tryout DatesFree ClinicsMondays, Jan. 14 & 21U9-U14 Girls 6:15pmU9-U14 Boys 7:30pmWillow Pass Park, Concord

Tuesdays, Jan. 15, 22 & 20Goalkeepers U9-U14 4pmBaldwin Park, Concord

Check www.diablofc.org for tryout and clinic times & locationsCall (925) 779-2102 for tryout weather updates.

Tryouts will be held rain or shine!U15 - U19 Tryouts in Spring.

Local Soccer Champs

Fall 2012 all-LeagueSelections

HOME TEaM

Ale Gonzales and Jackie Scharff


raciti Earns all-Western athletic Conference

By Chuck Nan

athlete SpotlightArticle and Photo by Tod Gomes Photography

Alhambra HS Boys’ Varsity Soccer Team won the Consolation Championship in the Winter Soccer Classic-Bronze Division: Group results: 11/21/12- Alhambra HS 4 - American HS 1. AHS Goals: Julian Soria (assist: Juan Sanchez), Juan Sanchez (assist: Jose Ojeda), John Billecci (assist: Jeffrey Drevno), Bryce Contant (assist: John Billecci) 11/26/12 - Alhambra HS 2 - Mission SJ 2. AHS Goals: Jesus Maldonado (Unassisted), Osiel Mendoza (assist: Jesus Maldonado) 11/28/12 - Alhambra HS 0- Northgate HS 0. Consolation Final: 12/1/12 -Alhambra HS 2- Miramonte HS -1. AHS Goals: Jose Ojeda (Assist: Jesus Maldonado), Julian Soria (assist: Jeffrey Drevno) AHS Record: 2-1-2 as of 12/3/12

HERITAGE SOCCER CLUB“Talk with your feet… Play with your heart”

7th ANNUAL FREE WINTER CLINICS !

Sunday January 6th 10:30am-1pmSaturday January 12th 11:30am-2pmSaturday January 19th 11:30am-2pm

FREE For Boys & Girls Ages 8-14 Years

College Park High School Turf FieldVisit www.HeritageSC.com to register

Competitive Soccer Program for Girls & Boys U8-U18

Heritage Soccer Club Offers:Excellent Coaches & TrainersAffordable Club FeesFree Clinics & Discounted CampsFree Health, Strength & Conditioning Program (HSC)Local Practice Fields (incl. indoor)Local Home Fields (all-weatherturf and grass)Competitive Teams in eachAge GroupHigh School & College Prep5 to 9 year old Academy

So Come and JOIN THE CLUB !!

HSC ALSO RUNS ADULT MEN’S, CO-ED, & YOUTH INDOOR LEAGUES AT USA MARTINEZ

2013 Heritage Tryout DatesJan 26th, 27th & Feb 2nd 8am-1pmBoys and Girls Ages U8-U12

(Birthdates Aug 1, 2001 thru July 31, 2006)

College Park High School Turf Field. Go towww.HeritageSC.com for details & forms!

Questions? Please contact Julio Borge at [email protected] www.heritagesc.com

www.heritagesc.comHSC is a Non-Profit Organization

alhambra Varsity SoccerHOME TEaM

Pictured bottom row (l to r): Harits Abdurrohman #28, Jeffrey Drevno #13, Dominic Weir #8, Ivan Rod-riguez #4, Austin Guard GK #51, Garrett George #2, Jose Ojeda #33, Alejandro Ortiz #27, Joey Fuller #16, Jesus Maldonado #10, Manny Maldonado #7. Back row (l to r): Assistant Coach Farhad Amini,

Harrison Brown GK #50, Julian Soria #12, John Billecci #5, Ari Amini #3, Juan Sanchez #11, Osiel Men-doza #6, Nick Goulding #9, Bryce Contant #15, Head Coach Mark Eitelgeorge.

The 24th-ranked San Jose State University football team added another honor to its list this season when sixteen Spartans were named either First or Second-Team All-Western Athletic Conference (WAC) honorees as voted by the league’s head coaches. SJSU led the way with the most honorees of any team this season. Named to the First-Team All-Defense squad was sophomore lineman Travis Raciti. The College Park alum finished the regular season with 47 tackles (12 for loss) and 7.5 sacks. Raciti’s tackle total was third best on the team and second-best for sacks. The Spartans 10-2 (2nd-place in the WAC) season continued with one more reward, a bowl game. SJSU played in the Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman on December 27 against Bowling Green in Washington, D.C.

Two local athletes have gone to col-lege to continue their education as well as play the sport they love. Thaddeus Wat-kins and Travis Raciti worked together as teammates for the College Park Falcons (2008-2010), then as coach (Watkins) and player (Raciti). Recently, however, they were on opposite sides of the ball. The Texas State Bobcats and the San Jose State Spartans met on the field this fall, and the Spartans came out on top, 31-20. Watkins is in his junior year, plays offensive line and wears number 56 for the Texas State Bobcats. He has received his degree in Liberal Arts and Studies for Exercise and Sports Sciences and would like to be a graduate assistant, and then

begin coaching. When asked about his contributions to the community, Watkins said, “Every year the football players help the coaches with a kids’ camp towards the end of spring ball, and before school starts, the players help the students with a project called Bobcat Build, where we go around the community and paint houses, pick up trash, pull out weeds and fix yards -- pretty much clean up the com-munity.” Raciti is in his sophomore year, plays defensive tackle and wears number 3 for the San Jose State Spartans. Raciti is a communications studies major and says one day he would like to open a local (Pleasant Hill) restaurant or own a gym.

#3 Thaddeus Watkins and #56 Travis Raciti. Photo by Tod Gomes Photography


$100 for a 1965 Mustang

State Cup Champions College Park athletic Booster Crab Feed

Saturday, February 2, 2013At The New Pleasant Hill Senior Center

233 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill, CA

Must be 21 or olderTickets must be purchased in advance at

6:00 pm – Midnight $55 per person

TO SUPPORT HIGHSCHOOL SPORTS

http://cphs.mdusd.org/collegeparkathleticboostersAlso see the website to �nd out how you can help donate an item or service

for the auction. Donations may be tax deductible.

This is our largest fundraiser that helps keep our sports program functioning.Please come have a great time and support our student athletes.

23rd Annual Crab FeedLive and Silent Auction Fundraiser

College Park High SchoolAthletic Boosters

The 23rd Annual Crab Feed to support College Park’s athletic programs will take place on Saturday, February 2 at the new Pleasant Hill Senior Center. This event is the boosters’ largest fundraiser each year, and the school relies heavily on these funds to keep the athletic pro-grams alive. This year’s event will be one of the first held at the new Senior Center located at 233 Gregory Lane in Pleasant Hill, and the boosters are looking for a good turnout from parents, business leaders, alumni, and members of the community.The Athletic Programs Need Dona-tions A large part of the fundraising comes from donations for the live and silent auctions held during the crab feed. College Park boosters are look-

ing beyond items donated by parents, and they can use your help. If you are a College Park alum, an ac-tive community member, or a business with an item, product, or service you

are willing to donate, please contact Joe Stokley at [email protected] or Dennis Murphy at [email protected]. According to Jerry Southwick, the JV Softball Coach, “The boosters’ funds are a vital resource for College Park Athletics. As coaches we rely on the boosters for equipment, uniforms, maintenance and facilities improve-ment. Perhaps most importantly, they entirely fund the Athletic Trainer to help keep our kids safe.” The College Park Athletic Boosters are a non-profit organization made up of parents, alumni, coaches and staff members.

As part of their annual Crab Feed Fundraiser, the College Park Athletic Boosters will be auc-tioning off a classic 1965 Mustang Coup that was generously offered by the Stokley Family of Pleasant Hill. They will be selling only 150 tickets at $100 each, with proceeds benefiting the College Park athletic programs. The car is in fine working condition and will be a great prize for one lucky winner. Tickets will be on sale through the Booster’s website at http://cphs.mdusd.org/collegeparkathleticboosters.

Minions: Back Row LR – Justin Villegas, Edgar Castaneda, Eric Saldana, Coach Cesar Chavez, Mat-thew Coronel, Ignacio Rios and Erik Lindenauer. Front Row LR – Regulo Arjona, Jason Eide, Diego

Ramos, Agustin Duenas, Blas Guerrero and Anthony Torres (Christopher Torres is next to his brother).

The Heritage Soccer Club (HSC) Celtics won the Under 13 Boys’ Bronze Division and the HSC Minions won the Under 10 Boys’ Premier Division. The Celtics had an exciting path to the championship. In the quarterfinal game, Jake Eide scored in the second sudden death overtime period to win the game. In the semi-final, Mikael Scordelis scored in the first sudden death overtime period for the victory that sent the team to the championship game.

Back Row LR – Coach Sandy Jones, Jake Eide, Sal Placencia, Daniel Swartz, Pedro Garcia, Brett Jones, Casey Bassler, Joey Damianakes, Kristofer King, and Coach Juan Ramos. Front Row LR – Kevin

Martinez, John Eric Wilcock, Mikael Scordelis, Diego Salcedo, Jeffrey Johnson and Dillon Morley.


Winterfest at College Park High School On Wednesday, December 19 the CP community came together to celebrate students who participate in the visual and performing arts. In the Multi-Use room, crowds listened to vocal and instrumental music performances while simultaneously viewing original works of art created by the talented visual arts students. The art work included photography, ceramics, glass, paintings, drawings, and more. Some students offered their art for sale. Future College Park families got a glimpse of the opportunities their children will have at College Park.

Ceramics students, James Thomas, Jennifer Paredes and Chris Huft Members of the CP Jazz Band

Art students Kyra Murzyn, Allan Diosana and Molly Dallara

David Phair and Andy Tripp.

Members of the Wambo Combo Jazz Band: Mason Johnson, Aaron Uribe and Caleb Phair. The Wambo Combo recently came together as a Musician’s Showcase auction item in

October and has been practicing and performing with each other ever since.

Ceramics teacher, Lesley Jensen Jonny Kaminek


alhambra Photography art Projects

CP Eligble for award

HIGH SCHOOL HaPPEnInGS

According to the California De-partment of Education (CDE), there exists an “achieve-ment gap” among student subgroups that threatens their future and the future of California. Statewide, schools and school districts are working toward closing that gap through quality educational pro-grams. The 2013 Distinguished School Program recognizes and honors schools that have worked toward nar-rowing the achievement gap. College Park has met the eligibil-ity criteria and has been invited to ap-ply for the California Distinguished Schools Program. The school’s Aca-demic Performance Index (calculated from the annual STAR test and High School Exit Exam) increased by 29 points to 815 last year, and a majority of significant student subgroups met their API group targets. This includes Hispanic and Latino students, English language learners and socio-econom-

ically disadvantaged students at the school.

CPHS Principal Paul Gen-gler said, “Last year was a banner year academically for College Park. Our kids took the STAR test seriously

and it paid off. Now we are being compared to some of these

other high performing high schools in the area. The academic gap is clos-ing at CP between the high achieving students and the lower achieving sub-groups, and that is very exciting.” Although College Park is the only high school in the Mt. Diablo School District that met the eligibility re-quirements, two additional schools in the district, Diablo View Middle and Foothill Middle, also met the require-ments. Evaluation of the application will be conducted in January, and noti-fication of evaluation results will be e-mailed to school principals by the CDE in February.

Alhambra High’s Advanced Photo students, taught by Miriam Fabbri, were assigned a challenging project: to use one of their original black and white photos and combine color using magazine scraps to create a collage. Samples of a few of the students’ artwork are pictured below.

Hannah Baaten

Olivia Green Hannah Baaten


On September 29, 2012, Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law AB 1575, intro-duced by Assembly Member Ricardo Lara, ensuring “free schools” for all Cali-fornia’s public school children, regardless of economic status. Effective January 1, 2013, AB 1575 intends to identify, pre-vent, and address the charging of student fees. Additionally, the bill is designed to prevent stigmatizing students and families who are unable to pay for educational pro-grams and field trips by singling them out. California’s Constitution guarantees every student the right to a free public education under Article 9. AB 1575 defines a student fee as any charge or deposit that students and their families have to pay “as a condition for registering for school or classes, or as a condition for participation in a class or an extracurricular activity, regardless of whether the class or activity is elective or compulsory, or is for credit.” Many school programs will have to rely solely on dis-trict funding, voluntary fund-raisers and

donations. However, the new law does al-low schools to ask for voluntary contribu-tions. Additional student fees now in viola-tion include, but are not limited to: (1) A security deposit or other payment a pupil is required to make to obtain a lock, locker, book, class apparatus, musical in-strument, uniform (including PE clothes), or other materials or equipment. (2) A purchase a pupil is required to make to obtain materials for classes such as culinary arts, ceramics and biology, lab fees, school choir and ASB cards. However, a fee can be imposed for finished in-school art projects, spectator events, prom, grad night and dances, stu-dent parking and damaged materials, as well as transportation for student athletes to games, to name a few. This bill will have a major impact on how schools collect funds for off campus activities. Because mandatory fees can no longer be imposed, principals, teachers and parents will need to resort to aggres-

Mandatory Fees now Violate California LawBy Jaki Jones

sive fundraising. At Valhalla Elementary in Pleasant Hill, the cost to provide 5th grade outdoor education is $340 per stu-dent. “Now we need to tell the parents the cost to the school is $340.00 per per-son and that we can ask them to donate if they choose, but we cannot “charge them” or collect and keep track of who has paid and who has not paid, so that means we need to fundraise the entire cost which is approximately $35,000 for 100+ students”, said Marji Calbeck, Valhalla Principal. Parents can still use their scrip money to off set part of that cost. The hope is that parents will donate the cost per student to the school. How is the new law going to impact a school’s PTA requests for donations? Ac-cording to the PTA’s Facebook page, PTAs are “separate entities and are allowed to do fundraising in accordance with PTA policies and procedures. As part of their fundraising efforts, PTAs may conduct voluntary fundraising to support field trips or other educational activities, as

long as it is clear that contributions are voluntary and in the amount the parent chooses to donate. PTAs may not ask each parent to “voluntarily” donate the cost for their child to attend a field trip. PTAs may set a goal of raising $500 for the 3rd grade class to attend a field trip and ask parents to contribute whatever they would like to contribute. When/if the funds are raised, the field trip will take place.” The bill also requires the State De-partment of Education to develop guide-lines for schools, districts, and county offices of education and to post them on the department’s website. Parents and students at all public schools every year will get information about the free school guarantee and what to do if they believe this is being violated. Time will tell how the impact of AB 1575 will be felt in the Mt. Diablo School District, how much our schools will need to scale back on activities and field trips, and how much our high school depart-ments and classes will be affected.

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THE GarDEn

It’s time to gear down, slowly get back into real life and savor January in the Dia-blo Valley. Colors start to appear on golden, parched hills and ridg-es, and animals start to burrow out along trails while late winter flowering bulbs adorn begging gardens. Spring bulbs are popping heads up, looking around like the veggie version of the rodent. Vegetable gardens should be producing lots of car-rots, lettuce and greens to be snipped and sweetly devoured. I recently discovered that instead of thinning vegetables one by one, I can use small scissors to snip the tops off carrots, beets, or whatever I am thinning, at the ground. This action withers what is be-neath, leaving room for others to get big-ger as well as netting a nice little handful of green tops and shoots to add to salad. Peas should be climbing high on their fence or strings and sporting astounding white blossoms that morph into peas as you gaze on them. Winter peas sautéed with a bit of olive oil, mint and garlic are simply sumptuous and something I could almost live on. Roasted beets sliced up with winter tangerine slices and lemon juice sprinkled with toasted walnuts is a work of art for eyes as well as the tongue. Roasted winter vegetables are grant-

ed by law to adorn any food known to mankind. Said vegetables can be lovingly draped in olive oil and showered with sea salt, caramelized in a hot oven and thrown into stews, polenta, risotto, and scramble eggs, or tossed over lettuce or spinach, wilting as you grab a fork. Kiwis have also made their own sweet splash into salads and onto plates valley-wide. Winter citrus is beyond abundant in January and begging to be zipped out of skin and shared. Satsuma mandarins are fantastic for healthy lunches and snacks, but citrus in our winter come in so many varieties that it is difficult to leave the farmers’ market without bruising biceps carrying it all out. Hint: Citrus and other heavy items (think butternut, cauliflower etc.) are easier to carry in reusable canvas bags than in the farmers’ market plastic ones. Blood oranges, tangelos, mandarins, honey tangerines, pommelos, and sev-eral varieties of grapefruit, not to mention achingly sweet, plain old regular oranges in several different varieties, including Cara Cara, abound and beg to be taken to a nice home. A very fortunate friend of mine, upon returning from Paris, was so taken with red grapefruit sprinkled with brown sugar and bruleed, she bought a blowtorch to do her own. Along with taking back our personal food systems, we may now find ourselves with time to actually exercise again. Once

rejuvenate with january’s BountyBy Lesley Stiles

again, I have to get into my yoga mind and be indifferent to unfamiliar faces, fearfully holding real estate in my spot on the aero-bics’ studio floor at my gym. That’s just fine, I can go anywhere even if I don’t like the mirrors in other spots of the studio, because one of my goals in life is to get people to exercise on a regular basis and eat right. That’s all. This is a really good time of year for rebirth and reevaluation of your life and times. Getting your resolution list together and realistically carrying out attainable tasks and visions for yourself and loved

ones is target stuff. Trust me, when you are happy, those around you are, and if they are not, it is easy enough to get out of their proximity or offer an orange and a walk to help them move into that side of the brain. Happy New Year everyone and, as usual, don’t forget to breathe! LesleyStilesisagraduateoftheCali-forniaCulinaryAcademy,sustainablecatererandschoolgardeneducator. [email protected],www.lesleystiles.blogspot.comandvisithernewwebsite:www.lesley-stilesfoods.com.

Citrus and Avocado Salad

In a salad bowl combine the lettuce with the citrus, kiwi and avocado and lightly toss. Add the olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste and toss lightly again. Serves 4.

1 pound mixed baby greens salad 1 orange, peeled and sliced1 tangerine, peeled and sliced1 large grapefruit, peeled and sliced1 kiwi, peeled and sliced

1 large avocado, peeled and sliced2 tablespoons olive oil2 tablespoons lemon juiceKosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Ingredients:

Directions:

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Many of us make New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, exercise more or keep our homes neater, but many of us have a hard time keeping these past January. Why don’t you try some new resolutions this New Year that will help our wild neighbors?• Prune trees only from September through December to protect animals that nest the rest of the year. • Reduce or eliminate pesticide use. Many pest insects are better controlled by birds and insect-eating insects than by pesticides.• Use non-toxic cleaners such as lemon juice and vinegar. • Don’t use sticky traps—they are inhu-mane and can catch birds, lizards and snakes.• Rodenticides can poison more than just the rodents. Hawks, owls, foxes

and other wild and domestic animals can die from eating a poisoned rodent.• If you use garden netting, keep it off the ground to keep snakes from being tangled. • If you have bird feeders, make sure you sanitize them at least once a week to prevent the spread of diseases. Do the same for birdbaths. • Keep garbage and debris picked up. Even small things like a roll of duct tape left on the ground can cause seri-ous problems for wildlife. • Cut six-pack rings to prevent entan-glement. Crush plastic containers with narrow necks so animals don’t get their heads stuck. • Close pet doors and don’t leave pet food outdoors at night. Pet food is not good for wildlife. • Keep your cat indoors. You will save the lives of many birds and other small animals, and your cat will be healthier. • Become a wildlife rehabilitation vol-unteer at Lindsay Wildlife Museum.

new year’s resolutions By Susan Heckly, Lindsay Wildlife Museum

NOW OPEN!

Change "Open House" to "Now Open"Change "Friday, March 11" to Monday-Friday 7:30 - 5:00Add phone number (925) 609-6420Add somewhere: "Serving Builders, Architects & Designers with top quality custom doors, windows and millwork."

Monday - Friday 7:30 - 5:00925.609.64205399 Pacheco Blvd. Pacheco CA 94553

Serving Builders, Architects, Designers & Homeowners with top quality custom doors, windows and millwork.

Introduction to Wildlife Rehabilita-tion is offered January 19 and January 22. Sign up for one of these classes on the museum’s website at http://wildlife-museum.org/getinvolved/adult.

FormoreinformationaboutLind-sayWildlifeMuseumandwaysyoucanhelpwildlife,visitwww.wildlife-museum.org.

Submissions needed for Visions and Vistas Exhibit

Lindsay Wildlife Museum invites art-ists to submit two-or three-dimensional original artwork for the upcoming Mount Diablo: Visions & Vistas exhibition, April 25-September 2, 2013. Submissions must depict flora, fauna or views of Mount Dia-blo. The jurors of the exhibition include representatives from Save Mount Diablo, Mount Diablo Interpretive Association and Lindsay Wildlife Museum. To be considered for this exhibition, submit only slides, photographs or digi-tal representations of the work, not the finished work. Include artist name, artist contact information including email ad-dress, title, medium and finished dimen-sions (including framing or mounting) with each submission. No more than five submissions per artist will be accepted for this exhibition. Send or deliver submissions to Lind-say Wildlife Museum, 1931 First Avenue, Walnut Creek, CA 94597, Attention Mar-ty Buxton or [email protected]. Deadline for submission is January 31, 2013 by 5pm. Notification of accep-

tance will be sent by February 15, 2013, preferably by email. All accepted work must be deliv-ered to the museum between April 15 and April 19, 2013. Artist, contact infor-mation, insurance value and artist state-ment (if any) must be on each piece. All accepted work must be delivered in ex-hibit ready condition. The exhibit will be installed under the direction of Lindsay Wildlife Museum curator of natural his-tory and exhibits. Artwork may be offered for sale dur-ing this exhibition. Lindsay Wildlife Mu-seum requires 30% of the sale’s price as a donation to the museum. Any sale’s price should include museum donation and should be on each work at time of deliv-ery. Artists will be notified of the sale of any pieces. All works will remain on exhi-bition for the duration of the show. Artists must pick up all unsold work no later than September 6, 2013. For more information contact Marty Buxton at [email protected], or by phone at (925) 627-2937.


Boys & Girls Clubs of the Diablo Valley is present-ing their 34th annual crab feed on January 12. The event will be at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Diablo Valley on 1301 Alhambra Avenue in Mar-tinez from 6pm to midnight. The event will feature all-you-can-eat crab, raffles, balloon pop, no host bar and dancing. Not a fan of crab? No worries, we will also be serving chicken and pasta. The Boys & Girls Clubs crab feed is one of four major fundraisers throughout the year that raises much needed funds to help sustain programs offered to our com-munity’s youth. Research shows that Boys & Girls Clubs play a key role in reducing delin-quency, increasing academic achieve-ment, providing access to technology, developing career goals and improving attitudes toward school. Clubs achieve this by providing a safe and supportive environment, fun activities, supportive relationships with peers and adults, increased opportunities to learn and de-velop, and recognition of achievement. Boys & Girls Clubs of the Diablo

Valley has been an integral part of the Martinez com-

munity and surround-ing areas for more

than fifty years and has provided serv-ices to thousands of young people. Our mission is to

enable all young people, especially

those who need us most, to reach their full

potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Our club works collaboratively with families, volunteers, educators, businesses and community leaders to fulfill our mission to offer quality after-school and summer pro-grams at little or no cost to families – a fact that sets us apart from other after-school programs. The Boys and Girls Club is open after school Monday, Tuesday, Thurs-day and Friday from 2 - 6pm, and Wednesday from 1 - 6pm. Programs offered include Character & Leader-ship Development, Education & Career Development, Health & Life Skills, The Arts, and Sports Fitness & Recreation. For more information about Boys & Girls Club programs or activities, please call 925 228.3896 ext.102 or visit our website at www.bgcdv.org.

Diablo Valley Crab Feed Season of Giving

We, at Foster A Dream, would like to extend our deepest

appreciation to our donors and supporters for their generosity

this past year and their dedication to foster youth

in our community.

628 Escobar St, Martinez, CA 94553925-228-0200 • www.fosteradream.org

This has been an amazing year for Foster A Dream! The generosity of the community has overwhelmed us. During the holiday season we can get caught up buying gifts and planning parties and sometimes it is easy to for-get the meaning of the holidays. In De-cember, Foster A Dream was reminded of the giving spirit and goodwill the holidays bring. Foster a Dream is a nonprofit organization that supports Bay Area foster youth, whose purpose is to plant seeds of promise to children living in foster care by providing meaningful ex-periences that expand their perspective on life and inspire them to believe they can achieve. In December, through the Mike’s Auto Body Benevolence Giving Program and a charitable donation by AAA of Northern California, Nevada, and Utah, Foster a Dream received a 12- passenger van and a $1,000 dona-tion to their organization. One of their biggest challenges was transportation, and this van allows Foster A Dream to

offer transportation to and from pro-grams for their foster youth. This gift alone was overwhelm-ing but what put them over the top happened just a few days later. Foster a Dream received another Christmas miracle from Contra Costa Supervi-sor Federal Glover in the form of a $10,000 gift! This generous donation helped them close their budget gap for the year. Kim Castaneda, the Executive Director said, “Not only did this bring us to tears but it also reminded us what the holiday season is really about--helping those in need and spreading love to others. This year the staff, Board and volunteers at Foster a Dream are so appreciative and have felt first-hand the good spirit from the holidays and we will spread that feeling to our foster youth into the New Year. We would like to thank all of you in our community who have given so generously this past year. Because of you, we will be able to touch the lives of hundreds of foster youth in 2013.”

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PH Library Thank youBy Katherine Bracken

Lego Creators Club

Kids and adults participating in the Lego Creators Club, held once a month, at the Pleasant Hill Library.The end result of a girl scout troop’s work

packing giveaway boxes of books.

As we welcome 2013, we are reminded to be grateful to all those people and organizations that support the Pleasant Hill Library. Their contri-butions make our library and commu-nity a better place. We appreciate their generous support and look forward to seeing what can be accomplished in 2013! Thank you to:• The Contra Costa Library staff and our own Pleasant Hill Library staff for their dedication, enthusiasm and skill in making the most out of the available resources.• The Friends of the Pleasant Hill Library for funding programs, library materials and other resources. • The City of Pleasant Hill whose fund-ing of the Green Zone has kept the library open thirty-five hours per week since 2009.• The volunteers who perform a variety of tasks and range in age from 3rd grade to seniors.• The Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops who have helped on many projects. • The Community Service Day vol-unteers who have whisked through months’ worth of tasks in one day with incredible energy and good will.• The Pleasant Hill Community Foun-dation for grants for new materials

and preschool furniture as well as their mentoring of the Pleasant Hill Library Fund.• First Five of Contra Costa County for grant funds.• Kaiser Permanente, Pleasant Hill Ro-tary and Whole Foods in Walnut Creek for donating funds and goods for the Kids’ Bike Rodeo.• Lesley Stiles for her exquisite food.• The Loja Group for donating shelves from Borders and the Community Service Day volunteers who moved fic-tion downstairs in 2011.• An anonymous donor who has matched funds for many projects.• Payless Painting for donating their expertise to painting the new preschool area.• Bill’s ACE Hardware for donating paint for the preschool area.• Strandwood Student Council 2011/2012 for the Penny Wars that raised money for teen furniture.• Zoe F. who donated the money from her lemonade stand for new library furniture.• Sean Ross of BMW & MINI of Con-cord for donating a cherry red MINI Cooper for the Library 4th of July entry.• Sandy Bonato and the law firm of Berding/Weil for donating and trans-porting chairs and tables, enabling the library to create more seating areas. • Anne Baker of Allied Waste and the Teen Advisory Group for creating and selling recycled art at the Art, Jazz & Wine Festival.• Community members for donating chess boards, board games and LEGO bricks to help more people enjoy free activities at the library.• Sherwin Williams for donating paint and materials for the new public meet-ing room and the Community Service Day volunteers who painted it in 2012.• Peet’s Coffee & Tea for their holiday donation.• And all our library users who attend programs, make donations and share their ideas, bringing a unique Pleasant Hill energy to our library.

If you and your family are looking for an entertaining and creative way to spend time together, consider being chal-lenged by those multicolored interlocking bricks known as Legos. Facilitated by Patrick Remer, chil-dren’s librarian, The Lego Creators Club at the Pleasant Hill Library began last September with only fifty-five attendees and has almost doubled in size. “The club was created in direct response to requests from children in our community through a summer program called the Idea Box. With donations from our community and a federal grant, we built an impressive collection of bricks, but we continue to seek Lego donations as our club expands,” said Remer. The hour-long club has a diverse at-tendance, with many 2nd and 3rd grad-ers collaborating and working along side their parents. It’s not surprising, however, to see preschoolers and independent tweens dabbling in the three-dimensional creation process too. Although there are no constraints on what participants can design and engineer, the club does offer a different theme each month and con-nects it to reading by offering themed books at every meeting. “I derive themes from the expressed interests of kids in the club. Our next month’s spy theme came directly from a particularly crea-tive boy named Andrew,” said Remer, who problem-solves and provides tips and tricks to club members. “They will never cease to surprise and inspire me -

and I’ve been building with Legos myself for almost thirty years.” Challenges have ranged from “Work with other builders to construct the tallest building in one hour,” to “Make a small creation with just a few pieces, draw instructions on how you made it and give your instructions and pieces to a friend to see if they can remake it.” There is a connection not only in the Legos themselves, but between the builders and their limitless imagina-tions for building fantastic creatures and locations. Remer has seen a house on an exotic island, a giraffe with a staircase (to ride it), a garden on wheels, and spin-ning robots. “Legos are tools to create and investigate your world and the world of your own imagination. In our modern world, where passive entertainment and learning is the norm, Legos offer children a hands-on experience where they are in control. Lego has done an extraordinary job of connecting their brand to other pop cultural phenomena (like Star Wars, Harry Potter, & Batman), which makes it exceptionally appealing for children who want to recreate and play in those worlds.” Participants’ creations are photo-graphed, displayed in the lobby through-out the month and posted on the library website. The next meeting is on January 5 at 2pm. Lego Creators Club has meetings every month in the public meeting room at Pleasant Hill Library from 2 – 3pm for children aged 5-11.


Keeping Plants High and Dry

By Chris Dundon, Water Conservation Supervisor, CCWD For plants to thrive, they need wa-ter and oxygen at the root system. This time of year, however, a plant installed too low can begin to rot due to water sitting at its base. When this happens, no oxygen can make it to the root zone. That is why it is important to plants trees, shrubs and perennials on a slight mound, so that when the winter rains come, the plants sit high and dry. If you are re-landscaping your yard, consider installing a dry stre-ambed winding through the garden. This will create a low spot for rainwa-ter to sit. You can then create mounds in the planting areas so the plants sit high and dry. This is a great way to keep plants healthy, and it also allows the rainwater a place to soak into the ground while providing a reservoir for the following year. Speaking of gardens, it is time to sign up for the Bringing Back the Na-

tives Garden Tour on Sunday, May 5, 2013. This annual tour includes more than fifty home gardens in the Contra Costa and Alameda Counties. There are also presentations by landscape de-signers, plant experts and homeowners who have successfully replaced their lawns with water-wise gardens. The tour requires registration, but is abso-lutely free to attend. To register for the tour, visit www.bringingbackthenative.net. Finally, if you are considering re-placing your lawn with a water-wise garden, don’t forget that the Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) pro-vides rebates for customers to replace their water thirsty front lawns with water-wise gardens. Forprograminformation,call688-8320orvisitwww.ccwater.com/conserve.

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Being a Caregiver By Michelle Rooney, N.P.

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Are you ex-cited about mak-ing your New Year’s resolutions healthier? To be successful, you need a plan of ac-tion to achieve your goals. “I will lose weight,” or “I will get my health together,” may be great goals, but are fuzzy on the specifics. We know that diet, exercise, sleep and stress all affect our weight, fitness and over-all health, so use these concepts in your plan. Diet: While a great goal may be “I’m going to eat healthier food,” be spe-cific on what you are going to change in your diet. “I’m going to add one more serving of veggies a day,” or “I’m going to cut all of my desserts in half,” are spe-cific, easy tweaks that will have a cumu-lative effect on how you look and feel. Exercise: “I’m going to start work-ing out,” is vague and easy to ignore. Specifics like, “I will take the stairs once a day at work,” or “I will stretch for two minutes at noon every day,” are simple, measurable steps that will soon moti-vate you to increase your activity. Sleep: We know that a lack of sleep affects both our weight and over-all health. A small change may be, “I will go to sleep 15 minutes earlier,” or “I will take a 20 minute power nap on Wednesdays at 2pm.” This small change will grow organically over time.

Stress: Scheduling something that you love goes a long way towards low-ering your stress level. Once a week “I will have a 10 minute chair massage,” or “I will call a friend to talk for 10 min-utes,” helps not only your mood, but may also impact your overall health. Your New Year’s resolutions are just a plan of attack away. Remove the nebulous cloud of January 1st dreams and put specific, attainable steps in place. These tiny lifestyle changes add up, create lasting habits, and will soon transform both your body and mind. TonyaMarieAmosisafullycerti-fiedPilatesinstructorwithover1000hoursoftrainingincludingadvancedcertificationsinMovementMedi-cine,Scoliosis,Osteoporosis,Pre/PostNatalandPilatesForGolf.Formoreinformation,contactpleasecall(925)680-4400orgotowww.AspirePilates-Center.com.

Caring for a loved one diagnosed with cancer is tough physically, mentally and emotionally. What de-fines a caregiver? Caregivers are family members, friends and loved ones who provide full and part time support for a cancer patient. They do this by preparing food, running errands, help-ing with doctors appointments and treatment, coordinating care, cleaning, and offering emotional support for the patient as well as other people involved in their treatment. The requirements of caring for someone with cancer are challenging and endless. We want to share with you some helpful tips and resources for taking care of yourself and those you love. Remember, everyone’s situation is individual and unique. Be open and communicate. Com-munication is key, not only with your loved one, but with his or her health-care team, other caregivers, and people who are connected to the cancer patient. It can take time to figure out communication styles that work best, but keeping everyone up to date will result in more help and understanding from those around you. One effective and efficient method that is becoming widely used is to create a blog or web-page for your loved one. Most of these sites are free and easy to setup and manage. Carepages and CaringBridge are two popular sites to blog on. Be HIPAA compliant. As a loved one’s health declines, they need more help. If you are the primary caretaker or someone who is helping with doctor visits, treatment, medication or other medical support, it is important the patient has signed paperwork allowing you access to their medical informa-tion (HIPAA). Having this release al-lows you to be with the patient during exams, take notes, and if necessary, communicate with the medical team. As the patient’s advocate, you will be able to ask questions they may forget

or feel too overwhelmed to ask, have treatment options explained, communicate with others what prognosis and plans are in place, and comfort the patient. This HIPAA form is usually signed during the registra-

tion process, but can be updated at anytime. Stay organized. This is easier for some individuals than others, but the effort is worth it. As you would for your own care, take notes and keep track of medications, vitals, labs and other tests so that everyone under-stands the illness and treatment. Keep-ing all the information organized and accessible makes for an easy transition when other caregivers must give medi-cations, take the patient to appoint-ments and adjust to their needs. Ask for help. Rely on the support of friends and family for the patient as well as yourself. Battling cancer is a community effort, and when you are feeling overwhelmed, depressed, or having trouble meeting the needs of yourself or your loved one, talk to friends, family or a professional. Take breaks and take care of yourself. As a primary caretaker, doing something for yourself can feel strange and selfish, but making time to take care of yourself keeps you physically and mentally strong for your loved one. Whether you enjoy exercis-ing, cooking, reading or sleeping, do something rejuvenating and refreshing for yourself. Then you will be healthier and happier, and your loved one will benefit from your renewed energy. MichelleRooneyisaNursePrac-titionerandpracticeswithDiabloValleyOncology,locatedattheCali-forniaCancerandResearchInstituteinPleasantHill.Thecenterbringsto-gethermedicaloncology,hematology,radiation,chemotherapy,diagnosticimaging,clinicaltrials,andsupport-ivecareservices.925-677-5041.

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Eating better and los-ing weight are among the top resolutions in the nation. How many times have you gone into the new year determined to achieve a goal and failed? Did you know 75% of people who make a New Year’s resolution fail? According to a recent article in Psy-chology Today, ingredients for successful resolutions include:• Planning resolutions in advance• Being strongly committed to making a change• Having coping strategies to deal with problems along the way• Mechanisms to track progress Achieve your goal! If your resolu-tions are to eat better and lose weight, and you want a winning strategy to stay on track, Metabolic Balance® is for you. Based on your unique chemistry, you will receive a menu plan that provides the best combinations and portions based on

your goals, whether it’s to lose weight, gain weight, or just be healthier. Plans for vegetarians are offered as well. In addi-tion, I offer twelve coaching sessions to ensure success. New to the United States, Metabolic Balance® is a scientific program developed

by Dr. Wolf Funfack, a prominent Ger-man physician with a 30-year track record in Europe with over 700,000 participants. “IamimpressedwithMetabolicBal-ance®.Beingoneofthemostunmotivated‘dieters,’IdecidedtotrytheMBdiettokick-startsomegoodeatinghabits.Iwassurprisedatthefoodschosenforme;therewerefoodsthatIlovethatIthoughtwereno-no’sfordiets...lost17lbsin3weeks,feltgreatandresolvedhormonalsymptoms.Ikeptthatweightoffsixmonthslater.Thankyou,Myra!“ ~ Julie, Venice, CA ContactMyraNissenat925.826.3858orvisitwww.MyraNissen.com.

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CRAB FEEDS1/12 - Boys & Girls Clubs of Diablo Valley 6pm to Midnight. 34th Annual Crab Feed located at 1301 Alhambra Avenue in Martinez. Tickets are $50 each and include all you can eat crab, raffles, balloon pop, no host bar and dancing. Not a fan of crab? No worries. We will also be serving chicken and pasta. The Boys & Girls Clubs crab feed is one of four major fundraisers throughout the year that raise much needed funds to help sustain the programs offered to our community’s youth. Call the Club at (925) 228-3896 ext. 102 to purchase your tickets or purchase tickets on-line: www.eventbrite.com/event/4928193359.1/19 - Grace Episcopal Church Annual Crab Feed Dinner Includes; pasta, salad, bread, and dessert. 5pm social hour; 6pm dinner. Grace Episcopal Church, 130 Muir Station Road, Martinez. $40.00 per person. Contact: Pat at 925 876-6916 or Connie 510 799-1322. 1/26 - The Diablo Symphony’s Crab Gala and fundraiser! Join us for an evening of fun with silent and live auctions, local celebrities, auctioneers and live musical entertainment! Held at Rossmoor’s Del Valle Clubhouse. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at 5pm (no host bar). Dinner at 6:30pm. Tickets are $60 per person, tax deductible. Reservations made by sending a check to Diablo Symphony Association, 126 Linda Lane, Pleasant Hill 94523, attn: Leo Vardas. Call: (925) 947-5776 or email: [email protected]. 1/26 – CYO Crab Feed 6pm-11pm at Christ the King Church, 199 Brandon Rd, Pleasant Hill. You may reserve a table for 10 people. Tickets are $50 per person. Checks should be made payable to CTK CYO and mailed to: Vince Cirelli, 2231 Bryce Dr., Martinez 94553. For questions call (925) 997-1273 or email [email protected]/1 & 2/2 - Creekside Church Crab Feed, Feb. 1 at 6pm and Feb. 2 at 5pm, 444 Fig Tree Lane in Martinez. Don’t miss out on the two-day 7th Annual Crab Feed benefitting Mar-tinez schools and Aftermath Student Center. All you can eat crab, chicken and tri-tip. $40/adults; $15/children. Childcare for infants through fifth graders is available at $5 per child. Check the church’s website for special prices on tables: www.creekside.org.2/2 – College Park Athletic Boosters’ 23rd Annual Crab Feed, 6pm – Midnight. This is the largest fundraiser for the athletic boosters and keeps the sports programs functioning. There will be a live and silent auction too. Held at the new Senior Center, 233 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill. Purchase $55 tickets in advance at http://cphs.mdusd.org/collegepar-kathleticboosters.2/9 –40th Annual Crab Feed jointly sponsored by the Pleasant Hill Lions Club along with the Pleasant Hill Dolfins Swim Team. Crab feed will be at the new Pleasant Hill

Senior Center at 233 Gregory Lane. All the crab, pasta, and salad you can eat for $50 per person, with door prizes, silent auction, raf-fles, music and dancing! No Host Bar at 6pm and dinner at 7:30pm. Contact Ken Wom-bacher at (925) 687-0858 or the PH Recrea-tion & Park District at (925) 682-0896 or any Lion or Dolfin parent for tickets. Come and have a good time and also check out the new Senior Center!


Martinez Farmers’ Market. Sundays, 10am-2pm Year-round! Main St. between Castro & Ferry St. Stop by to pick up your locally grown winter produce and support the market this year!

1/1 - 4th Annual Polar Bear Plunge at 12pm. All ages welcome! Start your New Year with an invigorating plunge in the unheated water of PH Aquatic Park! Warm up with coffee and hot chocolate after your plunge. Thank you to our sponsor: Sports Basement Walnut Creek. PH Aquatic Park, 147 Gregory Lane. Pre-Reg $20. Contact: 682-0896.

1/5 – Iceberg Swim at 9am. Brrr...ing some excitement to your New Year with an icy dip at the Rankin Aquatic Center, 100 Buckley Street in Martinez. After post-frigid plunge enjoy hot beverage, bagels and donuts. Cos-tumes are encouraged! Fee: $6 per person, paid at the pool. Call to reserve a snack and hot beverage: 372-3510. Proceeds benefit the Learn to Swim Scholarship Program.

1/7 - Stitchers Unite! 1pm to 4pm .Valley Stitchers and Fiber Arts Guild will meet at the Faith Lutheran Church, 50 Woodsworth Lane in Pleasant Hill to watch Robin Berry demonstrate her Medieval embroidery and re-enactments. Arrive before 10am to go through our sales tables full of different arts. Guests are welcome. For questions, call Sheila Rogstad at (925) 945-1338.

1/7 - Join Valley Stitchers and Fiber Arts Guild who are participating in an excit-ing workshop on Black Work Embroidery: Needle-case. From 1pm to 4pm. Place to be announced at morning meeting, noted above. Cost: $25 payable to VSG and $14 to Instruc-tor. Please call to confirm that this workshop is being held at Faith Lutheran Church, 50 Woodsworth Lane in Pleasant Hill. Too few enrollees will cancel the workshop. Contact Pamela at (925) 672-9543.

1/8 - Pleasant Hill Garden Study Club at 7pm. Camellia Room - Gardens at Heather Farm, 1540 Marchbanks Dr., Walnut Creek. Speakers: Denise Koroslev & Martha Scheer discuss “All about Herbs.” Guests are welcome and free. Call for Info: 925-944-4898 or visit website: www.phgsc.com.

1/12 - Preschool & Parenting Fair 9am–12pm. Sponsored by the Pleasant Hill/Walnut Creek Mother’s Club and held at the new Pleasant Hill Senior Center, 233 Gregory Lane. Preview 40 pre-schools located in

EVENTSCalendar

Alamo, Concord, Lafayette, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, and Walnut Creek and a myriad of parenting and family resources in the East Bay. Co-sponsored by Pleasant Hill Recrea-tion & Park District. For information visit www.mom4mom.org, email [email protected] or call: (925) 939-6466.

1/16- 2/10 – Global Ethics Interfaith Series Wednesdays at 7pm and Sunday February 10 at 4pm. Hosted by Hillcrest Church, 404 Gregory Lane in Pleasant Hill. “Opening Our Hearts: Interfaith Truth in Action” builds on the Parliament of World’s Religions’ To-wards a Global Ethic. The series is devoted to experiencing and sharing from our different traditions and to opening up ways for people of diverse communities and beliefs to move together and put into practice a genuinely global and healing ethic. The presenters are leaders representing a variety of faiths includ-ing Christian, Jewish, Hindu and Muslim, who are active in local communities as well as nationally and internationally. Come to one or all meetings. For more information on speakers contact Hillcrest Church at 925-689-8260 or go the website at www.hillcrestucc.org.

1/21 – Society of America Magicians Awards Banquet at Concord Elks Lodge. Reservations are required. Contact Fred at (925) 451-1292.

2/15 - Come Together Benefit Concert 7:30-10pm. Past years have received rave reviews, so don’t miss this special intimate all-star Benefit Show for Pleasant Hill teen concerts and programs. Winslow Center, 2590 Pleas-ant Hill Rd. in Pleasant Hill. $25/person. For tickets call (925) 682-0896 or visit the PH Recreation office at 147 Gregory Lane.

2/17 & 3/2 - How to Raise Your Own Chick-ens 1-3:30 pm. Lafayette resident Papa John Kiefer will again offer workshops covering topics including raising young chicks, laying hen maintenance, and sustainable coop con-struction. Workshops are free. Reservations are required. Contact: [email protected].

AT THE LIBRARY

All subscribers will receive a 5% discount for choosing Pleasant Hill Library as their pick-up location.

Wednesdays - English Conversation Practice for Adults 1:30-2:30pm.

Wednesdays - Mother Goose Storytime 11:15-11:45pm. Ages 0-5.

Wednesdays - 1/2 & 1/9 - One-On-One Computer Tutor 11am-12pm & 12-1pm. Set up an appointment for a one-hour, one-on-one computer training session with one of the Pleasant Hill Library’s trained computer tutors.

Thursdays - Preschool Storytime 11:15-11:45am. Ages 3-5.

Fridays - Storytime 11:15-11:45pm & 1:15-1:45pm. Ages 0-3.

Fridays - Contra Costa Teen Chess Club 3-5pm. Instruction, friendly matches, and tournaments. All levels are welcome. Par-ticipants are encouraged to bring own chess board and pieces.

Saturdays - Story Time 11:15-11:45am. Ba-bies, Preschoolers, Kids.

1/4 – Afternoon Book Discussion 1-2:30pm. First Friday of the month. This month we are readingTheBuddhaintheAttic by Julie Ot-suka.

1/5 – Lego Creators Club 2-3pm. Let your imagination run wild at our monthly meet-up of brilliant builders. We’ll have new themes, tips, and challenges every month, plus a great selection of book tie-ins to take home. Ages 5-11.

1/5 & 1/19 – Library Volunteer Orientation 3-4pm. Want to volunteer at the Pleasant Hill Library? Pick up an application and get started with our Volunteer Orientation.

1/9 – Teen Advisory Group (TAG) 3:30-5pm. Join the TAG to meet with the teen librarian to create fun programs and suggest new re-sources at the library for you and other teens. Receive volunteer hours for your time.

1/10 & 1/24 – Wii Thursdays for teens. 3-4:30pm.

1/12 – Apples to Apples! for Teens – 1-2:30pm.

1/15 – PH Book Discussion 6:30-7:45pm. This month we are reading Freedom by Jonathan Franzen.

1/23 – Training for Adult Literacy Tutors. Please see website or contact Laura Seaholm

1/1 - All libraries are closed. Happy New Year!1/21 – All libraries are closed for MLK Day.Pleasant Hill: Tuesdays - Doorstep Farmers Pick Up 5-7pm. Sign up with Doorstep Farmers, a local CSA, at www.doorstepfarmers.com.

at 925-927-3250 for information on require-ments and times of training.

1/29 – Chinese New Year Lion Dance! 1pm. In anticipation of Chinese New Year, the White Crane Lion Dancers will bring their fabulous dance to the library. The whole fam-ily will be awed by this colorful gymnastic dis-play and ferocious drumming!

ForChildren’sProgramsquestionscontactPatrickRemer,925-927-3235

Martinez:Tuesdays – Mother Goose Story and Craft Time 10:30-11:30am. Ages 0-3, includes a storytime and a simple craft. Enjoy some early literacy fun at this light-hearted story and craft time designed just for the youngest crowd. Join us as we bounce, tickle, and rhyme our way through the morning! Stories are followed by a simple craft time that will enhance motor skills and creative expression. Ages 6 months through 3 years old. No registration required.

1/8 - Origami Club 3:30 - 4:30pm. This pro-gram is appropriate for upper elementary school and middle school kids. Younger chil-dren may attend with a caregiver. Learn how to sculpt with paper and design by folding at this monthly workshop led by expert origami sculptor Charles Esseltine.

1/8 – Book discussion group. 6:45-7:45pm. In celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday, we will discuss TheAutobiographyofMartinLutherKing,Jr. published in 1998, ed-ited by Clayborne Carson professor of history at Stanford University. According to Mr. Car-son, “…here at last is Martin Luther King, Jr.’s unforgettable chronicle of his life and times. Years in the making, and woven together from thousands of recordings and documents, in-cluding letters to his family and diary entries, this book is an unprecedented literary event…one that gives us a poignant new picture of the student and son, husband and father, minis-ter and world leader, who was Martin Luther King, Jr.”

1/26 - Pajama Time 6:30pm. Curl up with a warm story and a cool craft. Don’t forget to wear your jammies! Ages 3 - 6 years old.

ForChildren’sProgramsquestionscontactLeaStone,YouthServicesLibrarian,925-646-9900.ForAdultProgramsquestionscontactCath-erineOliver LibraryAssistant,AdultServices(925)646-9921.


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Acupuncture Wellness

Advanced Hearing Aid CenterArchitectural Wood Products

Aspire Pilates CenterA Wee Change

BCI Cabinet DesignBest Western Plus John Muir Inn

Big Air Heating and Air ConditioningCantrell’s Computer Sales & Service

Coldstone CreameryCollege Park Athletic Boosters

Connolly & Taylor

Corral Construction, Co.Country Waffles

Dallimonti’sDiablo Futbol ClubFlaskerud- Re-Max

Foster A DreamGrocery Outlet

Hagin’s AutomotiveHeritage Soccer Club

Hillcrest Veterinary HospitalHire My Husband

Hitchcock RealtyHome Detailers HousekeepingIrving Deutscher Family YMCA

Jennifer L. Martin D.D.S.Kobe Japan

Land Home FinancialLes Schwab Tires

Matthew C. Rinn, State Farm InsuranceMassage Envy

Minuteman PressMoulding Company

Myra Nissen HomeopathyParkway Smiles Dentistry

Payless Painting/Quick ChangePleasant Hill Rec & Park

Ron Jones, Sterling RealtySamuels Construction

Senior HelpersSmokey D’s BBQ

Tracy Tamura InsuranceUPS Store – Virginia Hills

Waters Moving and StorageYouth Homes Thrift Shop

THanK yOu aDVErTISErS!

1/31/13

Winter CleaningSpecial

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ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION

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Boutique Sale

Blood Pressure Screening

Raffles

Class Registration Discounts

Live Music

Sweet Treats & Goodies

Photobooth

“Mini Fit” Class Demo’sin the Dance Studio

C A L L 7 9 8 - 8 7 8 8 F O R M O R E I N F O R M A T I O N

1:25 pm Line Dance

1:45 pm Zumba Gold

2:15 pm Fit for Life

2:45 pm Dance for Joy

3:15 pm Weight & Strength

From Rendering to Reality! We hope you will join us!

Get in a quick workoutwhile you try a new class!

1:00 pm Ribbon Cutting

2:00 pm Presentations & Video

Senior CenterSenior CenterPleasant HillPleasant Hill

Saturday, January 5th 1:00 – 4:00 PM

233 Gregory Lane Pleasant Hill

Saturday, January 5th 1:00 – 4:00 PM

233 Gregory Lane Pleasant Hill

G R A N D O P E N I N G A N D O P E N H O U S E

january 2013

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