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Vol. 10, No. 53 YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER December 31, 2010

FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A

Online Now!

www.thepress.netYour Hometown Website

The first step in helping the homeless is getting a grip on their numbers.

Counting on usgo to news/WebExtras!

The AAA is offering drinking drivers free New Years Eve tows and rides home.

Towing the Tipsygo to news/press releases

Theres always room on our website for our readers favorite viral videos.

Shadow puppetsgo to multimedia/videos

Plus: Calendar ............................ 15BClassifieds ......................... 10BEntertainment ................... 8BMilestones .......................... 6BOutdoors ...........................15ASports ................................... 1B

Timeless hours editing preverbal dominoes

Not so fast, A.D. 2010. Before you take your fi nal bow and stride off stage, your presence is re-quired at the podium. One more item remains on the awards ceremony agenda something to do with Dubious Distinction.

Ive seen sparkling copy grace my desk this year, from fabulous phraseology to hard-hitting headlines. But as a word junkie I crave the bloop-ers. Those grammatical gaffes, syntactic slapstick and logical lapses that stumble across my comput-er screen provide welcome decompression from the stress of editorial deadlines.

Hey, Ive even caught one or two before they made their way into print.

So brace yourself for the 2010 Blooper Reel Awards for the weirdest wordcraft never to have reared its ugly head in the pages of the Press:MOST PICTURESQUE TYPO Award

Second Runner-up: This years event con-

cludes with the crowing of the new queens.First Runner-up: The four-golfer scramble

format includes Closets to the Hole.And the award goes to: Since opening its doors

in 2009, the restaurant has been wowing thongs of customers.UNCLEAR ON THE CONCEPT Award

First Runner-up: Thank you for your timeless hours of help.

And the award goes to: Assisting him were scores of residents recruited as volunteers.GOD BLOWS A GASKET Award

The Delta was further threatened by the damning of the rivers.WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THIS MEANS Award

First Runner-up: Citizens and non-citizens re-siding in cities other than Antioch

And the award goes to: The driver lost control of his vehicle and collided with the roadway.WE DONT WANT TO KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS Award

The nursery donated a tree and soil for 10 families, which were planted on Saturday, March 27.GIVE US A MINUTE TO WORK THIS OUT Award

Second Runner-up: If you thought this last budget cycle was bad, this next one has no prom-ises of being any better, if not worse.

First Runner-up: Dont miss out on your dis-count by registering early.

And the award goes to: The treatment could be signifi cant in the battle against weight loss.YOU CAN SAY THAT AGAIN Award

Second Runner-up: Unique, one-of-a-kind pieces

First Runner-up: We have maintained a safe environment and plan to do so going forward in the future.

And the award goes to: Times have changed in the last fi ve years.

by Ger EricksonCopy Editor

see Timeless page 18A

Oakley takes on Rachels Challenge

Boy Scouts in Oakley and Discovery Bay are once again helping locals undecorate for the holidays.

In Oakley, Scout Troop 152 will happily haul away your tree for a suggested donation of $8. Pickups are scheduled for Jan. 1, 2, 8, 9, 14, 15 and 16 in Oakley. Just put your tree on the curb in front of your house by 9 a.m., place your donation envelope

under your doormat (cash dona-tion or a check made out to the Boy Scouts of America) and say a painless goodbye to the rem-nants of the season. For more information, call 925-625-5391.

In Discovery Bay, its Troop 514 that will be doing the work. Sponsored by the Town of Dis-covery Bay, Troop 514s effort is

Boy Scouts from Oakley Troop 152 recycle Christmas trees dur-ing last years fund raiser. Theyre offering the same service this year, while Troop 514 will be taking care of Discovery Bay.

Press file photo

see Tree page 18A

Dont toss the tree

Roger Macdonald admits he probably sends out more automated voice messages to his middle school parents than they want or deserve. But the OHara Park principal says that the one he has planned for next week is a message they will defi nite-ly want to hear.

This is going to be a good one, a positive message, something I hope parents will listen to, said Macdonald. It will be about the Rachels Challenge event, and we want all of our families to know about it and attend if they can.

Rachels Challenge is a pro-gram based on the fi nal school es-say of Rachel Scott, the fi rst person killed at Columbine in 1999. In that essay, the Colorado teen expressed the notion that one persons act of kindness can make a difference. Since then, her message of kindness and compassion has reached mil-lions of students and their families nationwide and abroad.

Prepared and presented by cer-tifi ed Rachels Challenge staff, the daytime portion of the program is highlighted by fi lm of other Chal-lenge events as well as interactive sessions that show how to maintain the positive momentum created by the school assembly. The evening portion is much the same, but in-vites parents and local leaders to participate in the spirit of the pro-gram and offers tips for continuing the feel-good message at home and in the community.

The Rachels Challenge event a joint venture of OHara Park and Delta Vista middle schools is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 6 on the OHara Park campus, 1100 OHara Ave. in Oakley. The all-day program begins with student assem-blies during school hours, followed by a 7 p.m. event for parents that in-cludes members of the Oakley City Council who earlier pledged city dollars toward the program the Oakley Police Department and lo-

see Challenge page 18A

by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer

Goodbye, 2010Like most of you, we at The Press enjoy easing our way out of the old year before rushing pell-mell into the new. So we invite you to join us in taking a brief glance back at what the year 2010 has wrought.

The stories weve chosen for this retrospective

arent necessarily the most important, just the most interesting or unusual

stories were proud of.

Were privileged to be a part of your life, and hope to continue that

relationship for many more years. We also hope 2011 will bring you the peace, happiness and prosperity that might have eluded you or your loved ones

during the travails of 2010. Whatever the new year

brings, well go through it together. Thanks for sharing

with it us, and enjoy our nal issues meander down

memory lane.

DECEMBER 31, 2010 LOOKING BACK THEPRESS.NET | 3A

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2827 Monument Blvd, Unit #22, Concord

This is a 3 bdrm, 2 bath 1265 sf home and lot size 6500 sf. Cute home located on a court with cathedral ceilings, fi replace in family room, new garage door, and walking distance to shopping. $160,000

3308 Streamwood Court, Antioch2 bdrm 1 bath 918 sf home with lots of large trees seeks new owner. Nice curb appeal, large lot, lots of op-portunity. Laminate fl ooring and carpet. $103,400

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Nice 2 bdrm 2 bath 1280 sf home. Lot size about 7651 sf. Needs a little TLC. Backyard has golf course view.

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1671 Bluebell Drive, LivermorePriced to sell condo with 3 bdrms 1.5 baths and 1217 sf has lots of potential. Partial upgrades have been started, granite counters, and larger patio space for entertaining. $157,000

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Oakley Council honors courageous cops

This article was originally published on June 18, 2010.

Three of Oakley fi nest were recently honored by the City Council for protecting the community through acts of honor, cour-age and commitment.

Mayor Pat Anderson delivered proc-lamations to offi cers Sean Eriksen, Lance Morrison and Rick Grubaugh at last weeks council meeting, honoring them for their out-standing work on the Oakley police force.

Eriksen received a proclamation for his selection as the citys fi rst Oakley Chamber of Commerces Offi cer of the Year. Anderson said she had the privilege of sitting at the same table as Eriksen at the Citizen of the Year awards dinner last month and is proud that Oakley has such dedicated offi cers.

While Eriksen declined to make a state-ment at the council meeting, at last months awards dinner, he said, Its good to be a cop in Oakley I love that every day I get to work with some of the best offi cers in the world. This is where (Oakley) I want to be, do-ing the what I love.

A member of the Oakley force since 2007, Eriksen was recently transferred to the investigations division as a detective.

Like Eriksen, Morrison also humbly accepted a mayors proclamation, which honored him for personally arresting 212

impaired drivers in 2009, which earned him acknowledgement from Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Anderson thanked Morrison for the valuable experience he brings to the fi eld and said she was blown out of the water when she learned of Morrisons impressive record: As we (the council) read our documents of the police actions, sometimes we look at it and go, Oh my gosh, theres so many of these drunk-driver or alcohol-related (incidents), and then on the other hand you look at this and say, Thank goodness we are catching them and getting them off the street to protect our citizens, and a large part of that is due to you. Thank you so very much.

Councilmember Kevin Romick said Morrison was the fi rst on the scene to diffuse a volatile situation in his neighborhood last month, and Romick said he greatly appreci-

ated the offi cers quick response and profes-sionalism.

An unrelated chaotic incident earned Grubaugh acknowledgement from the city when he demonstrated exceptional action in the face of danger when he apprehended and arrested two suspects committing a takeover armed robbery. Grubaughs actions earned him a Sheriffs Commendation from Sheriff Warren Rupf for his courageous response.

After the proclamations were delivered, Councilmember Carol Rios expressed her gratitude. You do a wonderful job, she said, addressing the offi cers. We are so lucky to have the police force we have, and we really appreciate it from the bottom of our hearts.

Councilmember Bruce Connelley also acknowledged the honored offi cers as well as the entire force for keeping a cap on things and protecting the community. Vice Mayor

Jim Frazier offered his thanks with a simple thumbs up. Thank you guys, Frazier said. You guys rock.

Anderson reminded those in attendance that this years Friends of Oakley summer fundraiser, scheduled for June 26 at OHara Park, will donate all the proceeds to the Oak-ley Police Department so that it may build an auxiliary vehicle coverage structure to protect the departments motorcycle unit, and con-struct an animal detention area at the police station to safely hold stray animals until coun-ty animal control comes to collect them.

Anderson, who is a member of the Friends of Oakley, encouraged the commu-nity to stop by the event, which will feature police dog demonstrations and an opportuni-ty to thank offi cers personally during a meet-and-greet with local law enforcement.

To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

by Samie HartleyStaff Writer

Of cer Rick Grubaugh

was honored by Mayor Pat

Anderson and the Oakley City Council for his

quick actions in apprehending

and arresting two armed robbers.

Photo by Samie Hartley ERIKSEN MORRISON

4A | THEPRESS.NET LOOKING BACK DECEMBER 31, 2010

Dogs4Diabetics is a girls best friend

This article was originally published on May 7, 2010.

These days Ashley Bogdan is known around Adams Middle School as the girl with the dog.

Everyone wanted to come up and touch Bria and pet her, especially at first, said Ashley, 13. But now theyre getting used to her and its not such a big deal.

Bria is a medical alert assistance dog trained by the Dogs4Diabetics foundation, and seven weeks ago the Labrador retriever found a new home with Ashley and her family in Brent-wood.

The transition has been really easy, said Ashleys mom Stacey. Very smooth. Shes already like one of the family.

Ashley was recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, and it was during her initial stay in the hospital that the Bog-dans learned about the Dogs4Diabetics organization. Trained to alert when a diabetic goes low a term for a drop in blood sugar dogs like Ashley are able to recognize through their sense of smell when their human partners expe-rience a dip in their sugar levels; often before the owners recognize the signs

themselves.In Ashleys case, where shes re-

quired to check her blood sugar several times a day and administer insulin as needed, Brias arrival has been not only a comfort to the young teen, but a re-lief to her parents as well. I admit I was skeptical at first, said Jeff, Ash-leys dad. But it really works. Dogs are about 400 percent more attuned to smell than humans, and shes (Bria) been amazing.

When Bria senses that Ashleys levels are dropping, she picks up the brightly colored material attached to her collar called a bringsal which tells Ashley that she needs to check her blood sugar. Shes (Bria) caught me (going low) a few times, said Ashley. It really works.

Still in her training period, Bria will alert during the day, but hasnt yet graduated to nighttime duty. The Bria is Ashley Bogdans new constant companion. The Labrador was trained by

the Dogs4Diabetics organization, which teaches dogs to recognize and alert owners when an insulin-dependent diabetics blood sugar levels drop.

Photo by Ruth Roberts


see Friend page 16A

I just love her. I can hardly remember what it was like before she was here. Shes made this all a lot easier.

Ashley Bogdan


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This article was originally published on Jan. 29, 2010.

Henny and Penny will need to wait two more weeks to fi nd out if theyll be allowed to stay in a residential neighborhood in Brent-wood, or if theyll need to start a search for a new home from scratch.

The City Council Tuesday, absent Coun-cilman Erick Stonebarger, deadlocked 2-2 on whether to relax zoning ordinances to allow chickens but not roosters to be kept on lots of less than 20,000 square feet. Council-men Chris Becnel and Bob Brockman voted in favor of reducing the lot size required for keeping three chickens to 6,000 square feet, as long as the coop was at least 5 feet from the property line and 15 feet from neighboring structures. Councilman Brandon Richey and Mayor Bob Taylor voted to keep the current standards, resulting in a tie and automatically moving the issue to the next meeting for a tie-breaking vote by the full council.

With their diaper-clad chickens pres-ent, Kimberly Kennedy and her 12-year-old daughter Alexa watched as numerous speak-ers spoke in favor of the change, which would make it possible to keep chickens on more than half of Brentwoods residential proper-ties, according to an estimate given by Becnel. Only about two percent of the citys residential properties meet the current requirements.

Proponents of the change cried fowl

at assertions made in letters and e-mails op-posed to the change. The benefi ts of backyard chickens, they said, included educational op-portunities for children, a step toward more healthful slow food nourishment, an eco-nomic benefi t similar to the Victory Gardens of World War II and a link to Brentwoods agricultural roots.

Backyard chickens seem like a perfect way to preserve the past while allowing the community to reap the benefi ts, said Stacey Van Hook.

Other speakers said chickens were no worse than other domesticated birds, made little noise and slept at night, and did not pose the problems of odor, fl ies and fecal pollution presented by dogs. Claims that chicken-keep-ing would devalue properties werent true, some said, pointing to the fact that the birds are allowed in numerous other Bay Area cit-ies such as Pleasanton, San Ramon and Oak-land, where property values are higher than in Brentwood. Still others said worries that

chickens would attract predators were over-blown, as dogs, cats and outdoor pet food dishes are worse in that regard.

No one spoke against the change dur-ing the meeting except Richey, who cited per-sonal experience living next door to chickens. He said neighbors concerns were absolutely verifi ed. Chickens belong on farms and dont belong in our neighborhoods.

The meeting was punctuated with chicken jokes and laughter, and included a tongue-in-cheek query from Becnel as to whether Taylor, who donned a turkey suit in a fundraising pro-motion last year, could be objective making a decision about poultry. He also said that If the major problem we have is whether or not we allow chickens, I think were doing pretty well. I dont think they are a major threat to the health and safety of Brentwood.

Brockman said he didnt believe neigh-boring chickens would be bothersome. Its the roosters that are the jerks, he said.

Following the meeting, Taylor explained his no vote by saying that, as a former farmer, he had plenty of experience with chickens.

I have raised them, and sometimes chickens have issues, he said. They could pose a problem for code enforcement to keep tabs on how many birds were on a property, and cause trouble should they get out and run loose, getting into traffi c (he stopped short of saying they might try to cross the road) and being chased or eaten by dogs. I love chick-ens, but they belong in agricultural areas, he said.


Vote leaves chicken leftoversby Rick Lemyre

Staff Writer


Delta YMCA files for bankruptcyOakley donators out $1.8 million

This article was originally published on March 23, 2010.

The Mt. Diablo Region YMCA which includes Oakleys Delta Family location has fi led for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and Y offi cials are saying there will be no res-titution for the $1.8 million raised in commu-nity donations for the now defunct expansion at the OHara Avenue site.

There wont be any refunds, said Rick Callaway, YMCA board of director chair-man. If accounting has sent out any (re-fund) checks, they shouldnt have. If we had money, wed still be rocking and rolling; thats what people dont understand.

YMCA offi cials announced last month that a continued downturn in the economy and a drying up of donations had caused the organization to close its Oakley and Clayton sites. On April 16, the organization announced it would be transferring the op-erations of its Pleasant Hill facility to the Berkeley-Albany YMCA, which will also take over some of the Mt. Diablo regions childcare facilities, but none of the Oakley programs. The last day for childcare in the

Ys Oakley facility will be June 3.The Berkeley-Albany YMCA is better

positioned to take this on, said Fran Gallati, president and CEO of the Berkeley-Albany YMCA. Were optimistic; our goal is to impact more kids and families and to do it in a more sustainable, long-term way. Were a pretty disciplined Y (Berkeley-Albany) and intent on achieving our goals.

In the wake of the site closures and re-cent bankruptcy announcement, plans for Oakleys 25,000-square-foot expansion at the OHara Avenue site were subsequently shelved, leaving city offi cials to question Cal-laways claim that there will be no refunding of the communitys donations.

Im not quite sure where we go at this point, said Oakley Mayor Pat Anderson. But I will say that I fi nd this very diffi cult

to understand or accept. We will open com-munications, we will do whatever we can, but we will not let this go. Im just incredibly dis-heartened.

Oakley Union School Superintendent Rick Rogers, who pledged $5,000 to the ex-pansion program, said he is not necessarily surprised by the developments and doesnt expect to see his contributions returned.

It was made in good faith at the time and its disappointing, but I think it is more unfortunate for the community because the idea was that it was a donation that was go-ing out to the community, said Rogers. But will I trust the Y again? Of course not.

Callaway said that despite the commu-nity pledges of $1.8 million, only $788,000 was actually collected for the Oakley expan-sion project, and because the Y had already spent $1.8 million on improvements such as utilities, paving and architectural drawings, there is no money left over to return.

We spent more than we took in, said Callaway. I have talked with Pat (Anderson) and everything I ever told her and the (city) council was what I was told. It is what it is; there is nothing illegal, immoral or unethical going on.

Perhaps, said Oakley City Manager Bry-an Montgomery: We dont agree that there is $1.8 million worth of an investment there. All those improvements were in the ground before any of those donations were solicited and received and those donations were for the new facility. The city will need to pursue our

interests through the bankruptcy trustee.Brentwood bankruptcy attorney Jim

Price echoed Montgomerys sentiments, say-ing that that the City of Oakley will most certainly be listed by the courts as creditors owed, but added, They will likely have to just get in line with everyone else.

Also in question for Oakley is the status of the three modules at the OHara Avenue site that were used as temporary facilities for the Y until the planned expansion was com-pleted. Anderson said that Y offi cials had originally said that the YMCA owned the portables, and that it was the organizations hope that they could leave at least one of the buildings on site for the citys use. Now Cal-laway is saying that the modules are encum-bered by fi nancing and will mostly likely be-come a part of the bankruptcy proceedings. In the meantime, the city is left in limbo, un-able to utilize the property it owns possibly until the courts render a judgment.

We are trying to fi gure out where we can go and what the process is, said Ander-son. Its incredibly frustrating; we can see it (the property) but we cant touch it.

Anderson added that she is fearful these recent develops are just another chap-ter in what looks to be an ongoing saga: I believe this is just going to get deeper and deeper as things develop. The walls are diffi -cult to climb but we will scale every one. To see that property just sitting there it aches. Its not right.



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2010 RECAPHome prices in East County are about the

same as they were at the start of the year. They bumped up a bit around the time of all the tax credits, then softened right when they expired, but since then theyve drifted back up to about where they were in January. So home sellers hoping for big price increases and home buyers hoping for another steep decline were equally frustrated.

Inventory is climbing, while the number of homes closing escrow is going down, but pendings are rising. So this is a bit of a mixed message. I think its due to fewer bank-owned homes on the market, and more short sales. Short sales tend to fall out of escrow more frequently than bank-owned homes, so thats why the pendings are up while the closings are down. It also has a lot to do with the tax credits pulling home buying activity forward into the early part of the year.

Nationally the big real estate stories are still shadow inventory and the legal problems associated with foreclosures (robo-signing, cant find the note, etc.). In a nutshell, we all

know there are a LOT of homes that really should be on the market as bank-owned homes, but the banks either wont, or cant foreclosure for one reason or another. The average time to foreclose is still climbing, while people stay in their homes for free. This cant continue forever, but so far, almost every government magic bullet program has been a dud. Short sales continue to get better and easier (relative to two years ago, when they were a nightmare). Im guessing that next year the bank-owned homes will continue to be released at a measured pace. I still encourage anyone who is in trouble on their home to apply for a loan mod (even if youve tried before) and if that isnt successful, try a short sale. Most of the time a short sale is better than a foreclosure, and right now the lenders seem to want to avoid foreclosures, so the window of opportunity is still open.

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The City of Brentwoods Housing Division is accepting a limited number of waitlist applications from income qualifi ed families who are interested in purchasing an aff ordable single-family home under the Citys First Time Homebuyer/Aff ordable Housing Program. Applicants must be fi rst time homebuyers, qualify as low income and have a good credit score (NO EXCEPTIONS). Waitlist may close at any time. Applications are available at the Com-munity Development Department, 118 Oak Street, Brentwood during normal business hours or on line at www.ci.brentwood.ca.us. For more information please contact Sylvia Elias, Housing Division (925) 516-5305.

City of BrentwoodAff ordable Housing Information July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011Maximum Aff ordable Sales Price (Rounded to nearest $1,000)

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This article was originally published on Aug. 6, 2010.

When Frank Beede woke up on Wednes-day morning, he had no idea hed be making headlines in East County let alone the entire country.

Beede, an Oakley resident and Freedom High School history teacher, thought it was just another day, but when he returned to the Freedom campus that afternoon to discuss a training course hed taken earlier in the day, he was greeted by a crowd of nearly 300 stu-dents, family, friends, school dignitaries, local offi cials and colleagues who gathered in the schools cafeteria to celebrate Beedes selection as the 2010 NFL Teacher of the Year.

The former Seattle Seahawk, who has been teaching at Freedom for three years, was kept fully in the dark about the honor. He didnt even know Principal Erik Faulkner had nominated him for the annual award that rec-ognizes former players who have gone on to make an impact in the classroom as a profes-sional teacher. Judging from the smile on his face as he walked into the room, he was genu-inely shocked by the lavish ceremony held in his honor.

You guys defi nitely surprised me, Beede said in disbelief as the crowd contin-ued to cheer and chant his name. Beede said his love of learning manifested in junior high when he was a student at Park Middle School

in Antioch. He went on to graduate from An-tioch High and Oklahoma Panhandle State before playing for the Seahawks as a guard for fi ve years, but teaching was always his ulti-mate career goal.

I left Antioch and went on to Cal (State Berkeley where he began his college career) and then I signed with the Seahawks, and I had a great time while I was there, Beede said. Now here I am, and I think Im at the place I always intended to be teaching and coaching. I really wish I had time to prepare something ahead of time, but all I can say is thank you, thank you, thank you so much.

Beedes brief remarks were anticipated by longtime friend and colleague Casey Lew-is, who described Beede as a gentle giant with a passion for lifelong learning.

Frank is a superb individual, said Free-dom High Assistant Principal Lewis. Hes received many awards and honors over the years, but he never let it go to his head. He never brags about his career in football. Hes the most humble and modest person I know. The students love him and the staff respects him. I know Im biased, but I cant think of anyone more deserving of this honor. Hes got a great attitude and hes a hard worker on the

fi eld and in the classroom.Keeping the press conference a secret

was a challenge for Lewis and Faulkner, who was the fi rst to know about the award in June, but it was worth it to surprise Beede.

Frank is a great guy. Hes a great teach-er, Faulkner said. When I found out he won, I formed a committee of only fi ve people and together we orchestrated this event, and its been a hard secret to keep, but we wanted to make this special for him and his family.

Frank embodies what you want in a teacher and he leads by example. Hes an in-spiration to us all. We are so proud of him and grateful to have him at our school.

However, the person who had the most diffi culty keeping the secret was Beedes wife of 10 years, Kim. When she was fi rst informed about the award a few weeks ago, she was glad her husband was at work because she couldnt help jumping up and down.

These last two weeks that Ive known about this whole thing has been really hard for me because I know not to brag about him, Kim said before the ceremony. But now that the day is fi nally here, I feel like I want to shout it from the rooftops because Im so proud of him.

Franks youngest children Frankie, 9, and Kendall, 8, were so excited the morning of the presentation that they woke up at 6 a.m. and went to their parents bedroom.

For a minute I had to jog my memory

Beede named NFL Teacher of the YearFrank Beede receives a hug from wife Kim moments after learning hed be selected at the 2010 NFL Teacher of the Year. Beede, a former Seattle Seahawk, teaches U.S. and world history at Freedom High School. He also works with English as a Second Language students.

Photo by Richard Wisdom


see Beede page 18A

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Garin celebrates fabulous 40th birthdayThis article was originally published

on May 7, 2010.

Brentwood is the place for me; Brent-wood has some history, sang the members of the Garin Choir during the elementary schools spring carnival, but whether they knew it or not, the students were making some history of their own.

The student performance was just one of the many highlights during Garins 40th Birthday Bash held last Friday. In honor of the Brentwood Elementary School Districts third school, local dignitaries and school of-fi cials past and present shared their favorite Garin memories with an audience of more than 200, while students of all ages mingled with their teachers and mentors, talking about the good old days.

Forty years old, mused former Garin Principal Betty Dailey. Isnt it fabulous 40? Isnt that the saying? Well, Garin School, youre still in your prime. Happy birthday, Garin!

Well-wishers enjoyed carnival games and a barbecue dinner provided by the Brentwood Rotary Club. Guests were also treated to a plethora of photo collages of Garin memo-ries as well as photo albums that included class photos from the past two decades.

When Garin opened its doors in 1970, it consisted of only four classes, and Bill Bristow served as principal. Bristow passed away last

year, but his daughter Judith Arata told the audience that he would love to have seen the celebration.

This school was the fi rst school my father built in his administration, and he was ever so proud of the innovative design and thought that went into the actual building, Arata said. At the time, it was quite something for Brent-wood, and I was fortunate enough to be in the fi rst class that attended Garin. I celebrate 40 years with you. My brother attended Garin, and his daughter now attends Garin, and we are so thankful that the tradition continues with Stacy Joslin and her fi ne staff.

Joslin, who has been the principal at Ga-rin for three years, said she was honored to be part of the Garin legacy and looks forward to the future. But before they embraced the fu-ture, birthday bashers took a moment to travel into the past, as the Garin time capsule, cre-ated by Wanda Grosecloses 1984 fi fth-grade class, was opened after being sealed for nearly 26 years. Groseclose was joined on stage by a dozen of her 1984 students who helped bury the time capsule on the outskirts of town on Payne Avenue, where Groseclose used to live, which is coincidentally now owned by the Bris-tow family.

All those years ago, who would think that the future held this for us? Groseclose told the audience. This is one of the greatest days of my life to see all of these former stu-dents of mine. Theyre all my children as far as Im concerned. That was the kind of teacher I was. I was the mother type more than any-thing else. So I really do love all these people

who are up here with me today and I am so grateful for this opportunity to see them all. Some of them came up from L.A. Some of them came down from Oregon, and all places in between.

Grosecloses husband Clark and Brent-wood Mayor Bob Taylor, whose son Paul was in Grosecloses 1984 class, peeled off the masking tape that was meticulously wrapped around a metal garbage can to reveal a trea-sure trove of memories that delighted and surprised Grosecloses former students. A Mi-chael Jackson poster, a Tom Jones eight-track, and a Care Bear were among the artifacts stowed away in the capsule. Students also re-discovered a Cabbage Patch Doll, a BeeGees backpack, a Burger King crown, an Avon

catalog and two Rubiks Cubes. Newspapers, magazines, tennis shoes, hair barrettes and a class photo album were also found inside.

More than 40 items had been carefully packed in the capsule, but Groseclose con-fi ded that she was glad one item was not in-cluded: My husband is so relieved because we lost a little dog about this time (when we buried the capsule), and he is so glad it wasnt in there!

Joslin announced that Garin students will be assembling a 2010 time capsule, but the date and location of its burial have yet to be decided.

To view video highlights of the 40th Birthday Bash and a photo slideshow, visit www.thepress.net.

Carlos Ortega covers his face in surprise as he and members of his former fth-grade class look through a photo album they found in the time capsule.

Photos by Samie Hartley



Since we started publishing photos of people Seen with The Press in various locales 10 years ago, weve received hun-dreds of submissions from all over the world featuring our paper and the great folks whove carried it with them on their travels. Weve been Seen with readers on every continent in-cluding twice in Antarctica but this year we got our very rst submission not featuring a human when Oakleys Mark Hollister discovered a wolf spider apparently horning in on the action. For those of you whose photos havent run yet, hang in there. Well get to them all eventually.

Seen in the Animal Kingdom


Maiocco finally takes down his shingle

This article was originally published on Feb. 19, 2010.

Dr. Hugh Maiocco sits in a comfort-able leather chair chatting with a visitor in his Brentwood living room, his broad, ever-present smile accessorized by his sparkling eyes. Outside the picture window to his right, green grass and fl owerbeds are bor-dered by a phalanx of tall trees ringing the property and serving as a visual barrier be-tween his homes rural setting and rapidly encroaching suburbia.

But the shift from neighboring farm fi elds to next-door dwellings isnt the only change taking place in the Maiocco house-hold. After more than a half-century of practicing medicine in East County, helping health care make the transition from house calls to hospitals, Maiocco has fi nally hung up his stethoscope.

I didnt want to retire, but the com-puter shot my legs out from under me, said the 83-year-old Maiocco. His unique meth-od of keeping hand-written records had served him well, but he admits it was simply no longer appropriate for the times.

But while bits and bytes might have been his downfall, they stand as perhaps the only thing he failed to master. Described as a Renaissance man by one of his dear-est friends, the late Bill Bristow, Maiocco the athlete won Gold, Silver and Bronze medals in track at the 1952 Pan American Olympics. As an artist, his paintings earned him an exhibit at the San Francisco Art Fes-tival. As a psychologist, he was schooled at New Yorks Bellevue School of Medicine, and as a philosopher he spent a week at a Buddhist monastery in Shasta. During World War II, he took a month off of work to teach himself electronics and passed the Navys Radar program entrance exam with fl ying colors. He even owns a patent for a simplifi ed system of music that eliminates the half-step progression represented by the black keys on a piano.

Maiocco says his lifelong yearning to learn stems from wandering away from his New York home and getting thoroughly lost at the age of 6. Rather than panic, he carefully reviewed his surroundings and how he had gotten there, and eventually made his way back.

It turned out that fi nding my way home that day was a seminal life-chang-ing experience because it taught me a fundamental lesson about the nature of knowledge acquisition, Maiocco wrote in a recent magazine article. Studying many disciplines would also prove handy when he began practicing medicine in Brentwood in 1957.

Ensconced in a small offi ce with doctors Abe Kaplan and Charles Duffy, Maiocco and his colleagues were forced by circumstances to treat virtually every kind of malady, as there was no other medical care for miles around. They needed to be versed in neurology, pediatrics, trauma and internal medicine. They delivered ba-bies, set fractures, had to understand that a neck injury might actually be a stress-related condition, and even once treated

a case of leprosy. Calls could come at any time Maiocco and his little black bag once made 27 house calls on Thanksgiv-ing or even arrive on his doorstep.

One time the doorbell rang and there was a man whose throat had been cut in a fi ght, he recalled. We had to in-tegrate our families into what we did.

Maiocco speaks proudly of his fam-ily, especially Carol his wife, whom he met in New York and for whom he took the long way home from school just for her company and a cup of hot chocolate. I could not have done any of this without Carol, he said. She is the family glue.

Hes also proud of his daughter Ruth, a championship swimmer in school and fearless sandlot football player who now lives in Escalon; and his son Robert, a na-tional champion sprinter in college and a Stanford grad, now living in Florida.

He also maintains strong relation-ships with his friends, including Kaplan, with whom he has enjoyed breakfast ev-ery Tuesday for more than 40 years and plays tennis every week.

Professionally, however, Maiocco is

proudest of having helped so many people for so long, and helped to usher in an era of modern health care in East County.

We were pioneers; we were isolated, he said. There were no specialists around here then. The isolation, however, also helped them become better doctors.

We saw everything, he said. We had tremendous freedom because there was no one else.

Maioccos contributions to area medicine go beyond his role as a coun-try doctor. He was a founding father of Delta Memorial Hospital, ran immuniza-tion clinics, served on the County Men-tal Health Board and as chief of staff at Pittsburg Hospital. He worked as the fi rst family practitioner in Brentwood for John Muir, helping bring the John Muir Medi-cal Center to the city. A few years ago he joined Muirs staff, and it was from Muir that he retired last month.

When I was with Muir, I was in heaven, he said. They let me keep work-ing on paper, gave me a wonderful nurse. I was able to continue concentrating on being a doctor.

Kaplan said the community will miss Maiocco a great deal: I think its a pity hes retiring. The kind of doctoring he did is important. You talk to people, not a computer. People would wait two hours to see him and they didnt mind, as long as they got to see him. Its a real loss and it didnt have to be.

For his part, Maiocco said his only re-gret is that he hasnt written a book about it all. Hed like to document his adventure through life, and hed like to spread the word about the cure for the one thing that causes him the most pain.

People have not found the fi re of love to weld together the opposites of humankind, and therefore they continue to kill each other physically, emotionally, spiritually, even culturally, he said. The answer is always love. Find the friendly answer, and do what love tells you to do.


by Rick LemyreStaff Writer Hugh

Maiocco stands by one of the paintings once shown in a San Francisco Art Festival show. The pioneer East County physician retired last month after more than a half-century of practice.

Photo by Rick Lemyre

Brentwood captures Playful prize once again

This article was originally published on Aug. 27, 2010.

Brentwood has once again captured national attention by being named a Playful City by the non-profi t group Ka-BOOM! The program honors cities that prioritize play and ensure that children are healthy by providing the time and space for play.

Of the 118 cities nationwide to earn the designation, San Francisco and Red-wood City are the only others in Northern California.

This is our joy, said Park and Rec-reation Department Director Craig Bron-zan. Just thinking of all the facilities weve

built, and then seeing the community use them, and then having an outside agency recognize what we do, it doesnt get any better than that.

Mayor Bob Taylor said hes proud

that Brentwood is setting a good example for others.

Through the Playful City USA pro-gram, other communities across the coun-try will now look to Brentwood as a role model, he said. These cities and towns will examine our best practices and look to replicate them in their communities. I take a tremendous amount of pride in knowing that what were doing here in Brentwood will improve the lives of not only our chil-dren, but children elsewhere as well.

Each of the 2010 Playful City USA communities demonstrated creative com-mitments to the cause of play, KaBOOM! CEO and co-founder Darell Hammond said in a press release announce the award. A primary goal of Playful City USA is to encourage cities and towns to share creative ideas, concepts and programs in an effort

to increase play opportunities for children. Brentwood offers the community a unique opportunity with its Wellness Policy, a community-wide aspirational goal which promotes physical activity and education as the benefi ts of living a healthy lifestyle.

An extreme misconception exists in our country that play among children is a luxury when, in fact, its an absolute neces-sity. For decades this notion dominated our actions, and we continue to see the dam-aging results: a monumental lack of play spaces for children and skyrocketing child-hood obesity rates. Brentwood refused to adhere to the status quo and realized all children deserve a municipal commitment to the cause of play. Playful City USA communities serve as beacons for the rest of our nation that an investment in chil-dren is an investment in our future.

by Rick LemyreStaff Writer


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Senses set adrift in ocean of greyThis article was originally published on Jan. 22, 2010.

Dont get me wrong. Anything this hazardous to a motorists health shouldnt be treated in solely rhapsodic terms. But a confession is in order: Ive got the foggiest notion.

East County folk are treated to microclimates of fog as varied as Northern Californias microclimates of grape growing. When the tsunami of marine layer batters Mt. Diablo and fl oods its foothills, when tule reeds adorning the Delta shoreline are veiled in vapor, when wizened sycamores drift wraithlike in and out of tendrils of mist along Marsh Creek, some of us leave our ignition keys on the kitchen counter, bundle up and take a stroll in the neighborhood. Others

turn the key and head for the hills.Last Saturday I awoke to fi nd my Brentwood

neighborhood sleeping snugly beneath a blanket of grey. Curious about the blankets breadth and depth, I threw together my hiking gear, brewed a thermos of weapons-grade coffee and struck out for Round Valley Regional Preserve. My goal: the parks summit, 1,220 feet above sea level, where an archipelago of boulders protrudes from a sea of grasses, and the skeletal limbs of a bent blue oak I call Old One frames the high ridges of Morgan Territory and twin peaks of Mt. Diablo.

From the look of the parks parking lot, I wasnt the only maven of murk in town. A handful of hikers, cyclists and horseriders were lacing, gearing and saddling up for East Countys Annual Unoffi cial FogFest.

Long before I reached the summit it was clear that the brand of grey gripping the region was no tule fog rising from the reeds; it was an inversion fog a big ol cloud stooping to our level, pancaking an enormous swath of real estate. When I got to the top, that evocative panorama Id been banking on was choked in fog harder to see through than lead lingerie on Lois Lane.

Inversion fog can hang around with the persistence of an annoying party guest especially when above it hang sheets of altostratus preventing the Sun from burning it off. That was the state of the sky the morning of Saturday, Jan. 16.

Normally, the higher you rise into the atmosphere, the more the temperature falls. But in an inversion, the higher you rise, the more the temperature rises with you. Warm air overrides cool. And absent that normally warm air rising from the surface and stirring the lower atmosphere, the inversions cool surface air leaves the lower atmosphere unmixed, stable, fogbound for a long time. Sprinkle the surface with moisture from earlier rain and fog, and voil! Youve got yourself all-day grey.

I had perched on Round Valleys peak many times and knew what to expect: a view 15 miles north to the Solano hills; Mt. Diablo eight miles west; the Ohlone Wilderness beyond Livermore, 25 miles south; and the Sierra Nevada Range 100 miles across Central Valley. But when I arrived at the summit on that misty morning, my fi rst impression was disorientation, as if Id been teleported into downtown San Francisco on a busy workday but could hear only silence. The vista that morning was the visual equivalent of a soundproof booth. I commandeered the boulders and from my grand altitude saw nothing beyond 60 yards.

As the hours passed and the haze began to dissipate, the spidery veins of oak branches spilling down the summits north slope came into focus. Above, the Suns faint disc slipped in and out of view like the searchlight of a ship inching its way into a fogbound harbor. The wind freshened and the high ridges of Morgan Territory three miles southwest materialized above the roof of rippling grey. Northwest, Diablos deep blue peaks began breaking through the gloom. Ah, fi nally.

And then, just as abruptly, the vision vanished. Fog fl owed over the summit like a tide, drowning the horizon. I had caught sight of an achingly sharp-edged shore beyond a formless ocean, and just as swiftly it had been snatched from me. Was it real or had I dreamed it?

I stayed a while in the silence and stillness, hoping the pale wafer of Sun would reappear, hoping the northwest breeze would scatter the fog from the summit, hoping to reaffi rm the existence of that dark and distant shore. But another notion, perhaps a wordless voice from Old One, told me the vision Id been given was suffi cient for a day for a lifetime. It was more than enough to have seen less

than enough. I tipped my hat and turned my back to the tree, disappeared into the fog and began my descent toward the cool and lucid air of earth.


Viewed from the summit of Round Valley Regional Preserve, inversion fog descends to reveal the ridges of Morgan Territory Regional Preserve.

Photos by Ger Erickson

TAKE ITOUTSIDE

GERERICKSON

Fog condenses to form droplets on twig tips of the blue oak known as Old One.


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ability to wake up at night and alert is the final lesson for Bria and will come within the next few weeks. For now, the Bogdans continue to wake Ashley up themselves at night to check her levels.

Nighttime monitoring is especially important, because a hypoglycemic episode can lead to unconsciousness or even a coma if not treated quickly. Nighttime alerts are the last thing to come, said Carol Edwards, program director for Dogs4Diabetics. How to teach a dog to wake up to a smell is like us waking up when we smell something like a pot of coffee brewing.

What happens is that when some-one goes low, the brain jumps into ac-tion and dumps a bunch of chemicals into the blood stream, which emits odors. The first of those comes through the breath and then it begins to seep through the pores and thats what alerts the dog Its amazing. Every time I see it, its still miraculous to me.

And to the Bogdans.I told Ashley that when she was

diagnosed (with diabetes) something good would come out of all this, said Stacey. And in many ways the experi-ence has been priceless. The camarade-rie with other families that we have met through the program has been wonder-ful. I tell Ashley that now she is an am-bassador for the organization, and she really is.

Founded in 2004, Dogs4Diabetics is a nonprofit organization that pro-

vides trained dogs to families free of charge. The dogs are received from Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael and retrained for diabetic alert work as well as other organizations, including Tony LaRussas Animal Rescue Foun-dation. The cost of training each dog is approximately $25,000 and is paid for through private and corporate dona-tions.

Dogs are matched with their own-ers through a series of training sessions and general compatibility. Its about matching personality and dog with lifestyle, said Edwards. Every person is different, just as every dog is differ-ent. Generally speaking, Labs seem to have the best temperament for this kind of work, although I suppose any dog could do it. But as a rule, Labs have a good work ethic. They like to be with humans and they like the job.

For the Bogdans, life has changed a great deal over the past few months, and most of it has been for the good thanks to Bria. They say that a dog is mans best friend, said Stacey. Well, in our house we say that a dog is a girls best friend, and she (Bria) really is.

I just love her, said Ashley. I can hardly remember what it was like before she was here. Shes made this all a lot easier.

For more information on Dogs-4Diabetics or for volunteer or donation information, call 925-246-5812 or visit www.dogs4diabetics.com.


Friend from page 4A

Brentwood re ghters with the help of countless passing mo-torists once again led the charge to support Jerrys Kids in the Fill the Boot campaign bene ting the Muscular Dystrophy As-sociation. Requesting donations on local street corners last week, the re ghters collected a whopping $21,787, outpacing the second-high-est effort from Walnut Creek, which collected $12,617. Altogether, the men and women of International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1230 raised $61,800, beating last years total by more than $14,000. Above, re ghter Tom LoCoco and a pair of colleagues pass the boot at Empire Avenue and Lone Tree Way. Congratulations to everyone involved in collecting and donating.

Beneficent boots



Trevors Weekly Mortgage MattersBy Trevor Frey

Winter Tire Pressure

Advertisement

According to Motor Trend magazine you lose about 1 pound per square inch, or 1psi, in tire pressure for every 10 degree drop in outside air temperature: the colder the weather the fl atter the tire. In our case it isnt the molecules found within our tires that will be constricting, its the guidelines set forth by Fannie Mae for any would-be home buyers. From December 13th forward new guidelines will be in place that can positively, or negatively, aff ect ones ability to purchase a home. First, the good news

Gift funds will now be allowed for all conventional purchases. Previously gift funds were only allowed through an FHA loan, which is why the FHA product has been so prevalent in east Contra Costa County. Many fi rst time buyers could not save for their down-payment, but could make their projected mortgage payment. Now, those same buyers can look to conven-tional fi nancing as a very viable option as the funds for their down payment can 100% be a gift for conventional fi nancing as well. Great you say! Dont get too excited, onto the bad news

Th e debt-to-income ratio, or DTI a percentage found by dividing a would-be buyers monthly debts by their monthly gross income threshold is being reduced from 55% to 45%. Th is 10% decrease is coupled with the fact that the debts being counted against a would-be buyers debt-to-income ratio is increasing. Before the

change any debt that had less than 10 pay-ments remaining a car loan with a $2,000 balance and $500 payment would not be included in that buyers debt-to-income ratio. No longer is this the case and any car loan, deferred student loan, or credit has to be counted against a buyer regardless of payments remaining. And the hits just keep on coming

Th e waiting period for buyers who lost their home through foreclosure and are looking to once again become homeown-ers has increased: what was a four year waiting period has turned into a seven year waiting period. Th is change will have many distressed homeowners once again leaning towards a short-sale versus a letting their house go into foreclosure. Th e Fannie Mae waiting period for purchasing aft er a short-sale is being changed to two years versus the seven year waiting period aft er a foreclosure.

Before attempting to steer through the real estate world this winter make sure to check in with your trusted Realtor and lend-er. As a change in tire pressure this winter will aff ect your ability to safely navigate the road, a change in lending guidelines will dramatically aff ect your ability to purchase a home.

If you have any real estate lending related questions or concerns, dont hesitate to write me at [email protected] or call me directly on my cell phone, (925) 726-1444.

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because when I looked up and saw their faces, I thought it was Christmas morning, Kim said. They are so excited for this day and we could not be more proud.

Frankie and Kendall attended the cer-emony along with Franks eldest children, Justin and Travis, and his mother, sister and grandmother. As Frank took the podium to share a few words, his family gently wiped away tears, unable to contain their pride.

Sandy Gregory and Paul Johns of the Seattle Seahawks were also on hand to pres-ent Frank with the offi cial NFL Teacher of the Year award and a grant for $5,000. The NFL also donated $5,000 to Freedom High School as part of the honor.


Beede from page 10A

GETTING MIGHTY RESTRICTIVE Award

The facility presents a seminar for seniors on falls and how to prevent them from 5:30-7 p.m.SURELY YOU DIDNT MEAN THAT Award

The nonprofi t organization helps disad-vantage children ages 7 to 17.TYPOS THAT ACTUALLY WORK Award

Second Runner-up: The silence was almost defi ning.

First Runner-up: Keeping up with items that collect into piles makes cleaning and mop-ing a breeze.

And the award goes to: I decided to bring this rouge organization under control.LIGHTNING-FAST POLICE WORK Award

A subject was contacted during a traffi c collision on Second Street.MOST BLATANT RACIAL PROFILING

AwardA black boys BMX bike was found on the

sidewalk.NOT EASY TO VISUALIZE Award

Second Runner-up: About 700 residences came out to the concert.

First Runner-up: What has changed is todays recession-minded economy.

And the award goes to: Reascend the mon-eys we have already paid.BEST MALAPROPISM Award

Second Runner-up: As most of my equity is in my home, its been a disparaging month.

First Runner-up: Maybe youre fatigued, have a headache and chock it up to too much sun or beer.

And the award goes to: To exasperate the situation ITS A SQUEEZE Award

First Runner-up: Exhibit spaces (10x10) are available for $30.

And the award goes to: The thief entered multiple backpacks in the locker room.MOST AMBITIOUS CLAIM Award

Learn all you need to know about being the best tennis player ever.MOST DYNAMIC OPENING SENTENCE Award

Hello, not that all, or any of you, for that matter, want to hear from me, but IN A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN Award

Second Runner-up: I am not going to allow people to tell stories about what the truth is.

First Runner-up: These are criminals who want to hide behind the race card, which is tumbling down one after the other like a row of dominoes.

And the award goes to: But fear not. I did fi nd a solution, a fi x, a magic potent, the prever-bal silver bullet.MOST SOPHISTICATED HOUSEHOLD TECHNOLOGY EVER Award

While doing some of my spring cleaning, my doorbell rang.WORST CARNIVAL ATTRACTION EVER Award

There will be a concussion stand at the event.

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Timeless from page 1A

cal business supporters.We spend so much time pounding

(school) content into our students, but its also important to raise well-rounded, compassion-ate students, said Macdonald. If their school environment is not a positive, safe place to be for them, why bother with the rest?

The idea for the Oakley event, said Macdonald, came directly from the students: They (the leadership class) came to me and asked if we could do this. Some of them had heard about Rachels Challenge from their friends, and they wanted to bring it to Oakley. Theyve done a great job on this; theyve defi -nitely taken the lead.

Erin Gonzalez, OHara Parks leader-ship teacher, agreed. Throughout the school

year, her classes have undertaken a variety of projects and programs designed to send the message to students that stepping up and helping those in need is important. The Rachels Challenge event is just one ongoing example of OHara Parks campus code.

My goal for the leadership program has been to help make OHara Park a school where our students can learn both inside and outside the classroom, said Gonzalez. By encouraging our kids to express themselves with school spirit, be creative with campus activities and step up by helping others in the community, they are learning a different set of skills than those that typically come from the classroom. This (Rachels Challenge) is just one example.


Challenge from page 1A

a green one, and mulch made out of the trees will be used in and around Discov-ery Bay.

The pick-up dates are Jan. 1, 2, 8 and 9, and the suggested donation is $15 to $25 per tree. Donations should be placed in a sealed envelope (and a plastic bag, if its raining) and attached to the bottom of the tree with a rubber band. Checks can be made payable to BSA Troop 514.

Place the tree at the curb the day of the pick-up. Scouts will make morning and afternoon pick-ups of trees left out no later than 2 p.m.

For safety reasons, the Scouts cannot accept trees with tinsel, fl ocked trees, trees with nails, artifi cial trees, wreaths with metal wires or trees with metal attached.

All donations are used solely to fund Discovery Bays own Boy Scout programs, including summer camps and merit-badge-earning opportunities.

Tree from page 1A

This article was originally published on Jan. 29, 2010.

About 350 people came together on Sunday for a rare glimpse into the sometimes opulent, sometimes shadowy past of the Byron Hot Springs, also known as the top-secret World War II prisoner interrogation center called Camp Tracy.

The occasion was a visit to the former resort by Army Maj. Alex Corbin, author of the book The History of Camp Tracy: Japanese WWII POWs and the Future of Interrogation. The guest of the East Contra Costa Historical Society (ECCHS) and the Tracy Historical Society, Corbin reveals how the former resort, whose natural sulfur springs and mud baths attracted celebrities such as Clark Gable, Charlie Chaplin and Mae West in the 1930s, was put to another use in the 1940s: gently wresting military secrets from Japanese soldiers and sailors in an operation so secret that its existence was virtually unknown until just a couple years ago.

Corbin, a military intelligence offi cer

whose duties have included helping to clean up Iraqs Abu Ghraib prison following the 2004 prisoner abuse scandal, discovered the existence of the Camp Tracy operation while doing research for his masters thesis. Painstaking research through declassifi ed materials and a nationwide hunt for former soldiers stationed there uncovered the fact that, unlike the harsh coercive tactics used in Iraq, the work at Camp Tracy utilized kindness, friendliness and cultural understanding to glean important information about Japanese morale, ship armaments and military installations.

Threats and physical coercion were not necessary, Corbin told the crowd gathered in the rubble-strewn lobby and peering down from the second-fl oor balcony. Courtesy and kindness overcame the most reticent prisoner.

Also on hand was 94-year-old former Lt. Al Nipkow of Walnut Creek, an interrogator at Camp Tracy. This is very traumatic for me, he said. Its been 70 years since I served here, and to come back to this shell is unbelievable.

Nipkow said he was never given specifi c orders to keep the camps operation a secret; knowing it was top secret was enough to make those who worked there

clam up. Some of the eight living Camp Tracy veterans, in fact, were still reluctant at fi rst to talk about their experience, Corbin said.

When they did start talking, they spoke of their admiration for the Nisei, American-born descendents of Japanese immigrants who worked hand-in-hand with their Caucasian counterparts to question the POWs. Corbin said many of the Nisei worked while their families languished in internment camps, yet still did their duty to their country.

The camps innovative tactics included the preparation of home-cooked meals by Japanese chefs, allowing POWs to use the resorts spas and mud baths, and placing electronic eavesdropping devices throughout the building while housing prisoners two to a room (sometimes with a Nisei pretending to be a prisoner) to encourage conversation, which was then recorded.

The events hostess was historian Carol Jensen, an expert on Byron Hot Springs, who conducted tours of the building and grounds. The ECCHS garnered nearly 50 family memberships, something Jensen said showed the keen interest that abounds in far East County history. The Hot

Springs, which are fenced off most of the time, will most defi nitely be the scene of another such event in the future.

As for that future, the current owner of the Hot Springs, Dave Fowler, was on hand at a meet-and-greet event at Byrons Wild Idol following the event. Hes developed plans to rebuild the original hotel and return the site to its previous splendor. The project, however, is currently stalled at the county level, seeking permits.

by Rick LemyreStaff Writer

Left, some of a crowd of 350 spills out of the former main building of Camp Tracy, the once-and-future Byron Hot Springs resort.


Secret world of Camp Tracy revealed

OOAKLEYOAKLEYPRESS

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2B | THEPRESS.NET LOOKING BACK DECEMBER 31, 2010

Freshman sports saved for this yearThis article was originally published on Aug. 6, 2010. The goal of raising $48,000 to save freshman sports in

the coming school year has been reached, according to Jeff Kurtz, one of the leaders of the fundraising effort.

Liberty Union High School District (LUHSD) offi -cials might make it offi cial at their next board meeting, ac-cording to Gene Clare, LUHSD assistant superintendent.

The board and Superintendent Mr. (Jerry) Glenn have indicated that because theres such a good effort by the parents and the community that at this point, theyll take formal action later, but all indicators are that freshman sports will be here this school year, said Clare.

About two-thirds of the goal had been reached as of Sunday, said Clare as he watched Liberty High School Principal Tim Halloran get repeatedly dunked in a tank to raise money at a daylong event sponsored by Tailgaters Sports Bar & Grill. But fundraising proceeds from a variety of businesses that were tallied Monday at the district offi ce put the effort over the top.

Bill Lohr, a co-owner of Tailgaters, donated the res-taurants proceeds on Sunday along with money from the dunk tank, a silent auction, raffl e and other activities. A variety of other East County businesses have also donated some of their profi ts to the cause.

Theres 600 kids in jeopardy of not being able to play sports, said Lohr on Sunday. Thats 600 kids with nothing to do after school. ... Sports are important; keep them out of trouble.

In addition to keeping kids out of trouble, sports help bond them with their schools community, according to Clare. Freshman sports is the lead-in for the young peo-ple; connects them up with high school, he said. Its ex-

tremely important for young people to get connected and get involved in activities such as sports their freshman year, so they have a good four years of high school. It connects them to the high school experience.

In between dunks, Halloran cited the motivation that sports provide for kids to keep up their studies or risk losing eligibility to participate. A lot of students, a lot of athletes, do better in school with sports just because they have to maintain grade point average, he said. So they generally get better grades. If thats the reason they come to school,

thats what gets them to school.Scheduled to follow Halloran in the dunk tank were

Heritage Principal Andy Parsons, Freedom Principal Eric Faulkner and Assistant Superintendent Eric Volta. The fundraiser included student athletes battling in a hot-wing eating contest.

Donations are still being accepted for this and other educational programs in the district. To make a donation, go online to www.educationwins.org, the Web site of the LUHSD Educational Foundation.

by Dave RobertsStaff Writer

It took a small village of local businesses, sports boosters and directors to save freshman sports. From left are John Ambrose, Scott and Ryan Richardson, Jeff Baxter, Pat Cruickshank, Jill Reynolds, Bill Lohr, Josh Aldrich, Linda Matteri, Jeff Kurtz, Keith McKnight, Karen Rarey, Eric Metz, Christine McKnight, Aaron Meadows, Diann and Jon Lei, and Janet Hannigan.


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DECEMBER 31, 2010 LOOKING BACK THEPRESS.NET | 3B

Sponsored by Black Bear DinerTHE PRESS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

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AWARD

Splitting the uprights

This article was originally published on Nov. 12, 2010.

Gianna Lucido always wanted to fi nd a spot on Antioch Highs varsity football team. A spot on Freedom Highs team ended up fi nding Trisha La Fleur.

Lucido, daughter of Panthers head coach John Lucido, grew up in a football-centric household. Not caring much for the powder-puff version of the game, she earned a spot on the freshman football team as a cornerback and kicker. The senior worked her way up to Antiochs varsity team this season at the same time her father was named head coach.

Lucido took over the kicking job from Dallas Butterfi eld, her former teammate on

the girls soccer team.As soon as I got to high school, I saw an

opportunity and I took it, Lucido said. Ive always been in the stands, watching it and looking up to people, but now its a whole new experience, actually being out here.

The Thursday before Freedoms season opener, the teams starting kicker became in-eligible. Falcons head coach Kevin Hartwig was scrambling for a reliable substitute. Junior receiver Jordan Willis told Hartwig about his friend, a soccer player who had no gridiron experience, but an incredible leg.

That Monday, Hartwig was introduced to La Fleur. After a short but impressive try-out, the 4.0-GPA sports medicine student be-came Freedoms kicker.

She didnt miss, Hartwig said, recalling that tryout.

For the full story, visit www.thepress.net.

Antiochs Gianna Lucido, left, and Freedoms Trisha La Fleur have taken different routes to becoming their teams starting kicker.

Photo by Kyndl Buzas

by Justin LaffertyStaff Writer

4B | THEPRESS.NET LOOKING BACK DECEMBER 31, 2010

Deer Valley golf is a family affair

This article was originally published on Oct. 15, 2010.

Deer Valley Highs 2010 varsity girls golf season will mark the end of an era. Senior and No. 1 player Haley Edwards graduation will end a decade of dominance at Deer Valley, where she or a member of her family has been the teams top player.

The situation is more unique than usual because of the head coach, Andria Edwards. Coach Edwards is the mother of Alexis and Ashley, who graduated in 2003 and 2008, respectively. Alexis went on to play golf at Brigham Young University and Ashley is a junior at Oregon. Andria is also the aunt of sisters Brittany and Haley Edwards. Brittany graduated Deer Valley in 2009 and Haley is set to graduate in 2011.

Its a great feeling, coach Edwards said. Ive watched my own daughters and Ive watched my nieces grow and to handle things in a mature way. Its been a joy. Its nice to see them develop. Its not one clone right after the other. They all have different things that they need to work on.

The coach identifi ed Alexis as the most athletic of the group, due to her prowess in softball, as well. She said Ashleys strengths are her patience and her touch on and around the greens, which enables her to save good scores on bad holes. Brittany was the most te-nacious of the four, picking the game up late compared to most players at her skill level. Haley was described as the one with the most natural ability, having played since seventh grade.

Theyve all contributed to someone that theyve worked with, said the coach of her

daughters and nieces. Theyve been able to express themselves with their teammates, and help them out. It hasnt just been the Edwards dominance; theyve been part of the team.

Haley has been the leader of a Wolver-ines team that is 7-0 this season and as of Monday possesses a 54 game winning streak, dating back to 2007.

While Haleys graduation will bring an end to her familys dominance of East County golf, her coach can already see her infl uence, as well as that of her sister and cousins. The Edwards girls knowledge of golf helped the coach tutor lesser experienced players on how to manage games. As coaches are not allowed to actively coach their players during matches, Haleys input has been valuable. Haleys heir apparent is sophomore Taylor Coover, the teams No. 2 player. Her scores are already close or equal to the current No. 1, and the coach detects Haleys infl uence on her.

The last in line, Haley has been a domi-nant golfer but her athletic ability is not limited to golf. She had also been a swimmer for most of her life but stopped after her sophomore season to focus on golf. Additionally, after she played middle school volleyball, varsity head coach Lou Panzella tried to persuade her to play for his team. She decided to follow in the footsteps of her family and play golf.

Speaking of her fascination for the game, Haley said, Its always different; you never have the same lie or the same putt. You never have the same anything. It just has a lot of ups and downs.

Haleys hope is to follow Brittany to Southern Utah University, where she would major in advertising and minor in photogra-phy, while also playing golf. Brittany is cur-rently a sophomore and one of the Thunder-birds top players.


by Michael DixonCorrespondent

Bell takes toll on Lions

This article was originally published on Nov. 19, 2010.

Freedom Highs varsity football team came into Fridays Bell Game needing a vic-tory against Liberty to have a shot at making the playoffs. When the dust settled at the Li-ons Ohmstede Field, the Falcons got that win decisively, prevailing 49-10.

This was our season it was make or break. We had a good week; we came out pre-pared and had a complete win, said Falcon coach Kevin Hartwig. Beating your rivals fi ve years in a row, thats great, thats hard to do. I feel happy for the seniors.

The Falcon offense struck on the fi rst play when senior running back Timazray Shepherd took a screen pass from sophomore quarterback Dante Mayes; 75-yards later, after weaving his way through the Liberty defense, Shepherd was in the end zone and Freedom led 7-0.

Liberty junior kicker Kyle Rainsford cut the Freedom lead to 7-3 with a fi eld goal. That was answered when senior running back Damora Cooper fi nished the ensuing Falcon drive with an 11-yard touchdown run.

Liberty senior running back Shawn Vasquez scored on a 42-yard run sandwiched between two more Freedom touchdowns one when sophomore fullback Tyler Saude

recovered his own fumble in the end zone, the other when Mayes hit junior receiver Stephen Rodriguez on a 20-yard touchdown strike.

Trailing 28-10 and driving at the end of the fi rst half, any hope Liberty entertained for a comeback was demolished when senior quarterback Devyn Parsons injured his ankle. Lions head coach Nate Smith said it could be a broken bone, but he wasnt sure at the time.

That was a big blow to us., said Smith. We knew all year that that was the one guy that we couldnt afford to lose.

Mayes also completed his fi rst 11 passes and was 16 of 19 for the game. Shepherd was lethal as a receiver out of the backfi eld, catch-ing four passes for 107 yards. Cooper was steady as usual, running for 98 yards.

It feels great just coming in here with my seniors. I did it for them, said Mayes of his four-touchdown performance.

In his fi nal game, Parsons was seven of nine for 117 yards before being knocked out. Libertys win-loss record (3-7, 1-4) was nearly identical to last years, yet the improvement was obvious. But Smith feels his team needs to take another step. We started to learn how to compete in the BVAL this year, he said. Now weve got to learn to really be a force. I dont think weve learned to fi nish things in the BVAL yet.

The Falcons fi fth consecutive Bell Game victory gives them a 9-4 overall series lead.

For video highlights, visit www.thepress.net.

Freedom head coach Kevin Hartwig holds the Bell Trophy as Falcon players celebrate their victory over the Lions.

Photo by Kyndl Buzas

by Michael DixonCorrespondent

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6B | THEPRESS.NET MILESTONES DECEMBER 31, 2010

Irene FurgursonIrene Cuba Furgur-

son, a resident of Antioch and lifelong resident of Contra Costa County, passed away peacefully Sunday, Dec.12 surround-ed by her loving family.

Born on Sept. 4, 1927, Irene is survived by her loving husband of 63 years, Everard Corky Fur-gurson; fi ve children, Linda Pico, Patricia Ricketts and Nancy Byrns of Antioch, Gary from Charlotte, N.C. and Steve (Maureen), from Brentwood; and sister, Julie McCullough of Pittsburg. She also leaves behind 10 grandchildren, fi ve great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. Her parents, Ralph and Louise Cuba, and sisters Edith Tonso, Frances Vetrano and Margaret Chase predecease her.

Irene lived her life through her children and grandchildren, whom she

oakley press_12.31.10

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