Your Local News Source Since 1963 SERVING LIVERMORE • PLEASANTON • SUNOL THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2010VOLUME XLVII, NUMBER 47

Art & Entertainment....... Section II

Bulletin Board............... Section II

Classifieds...........................10

Editorial.................................4

Mailbox...................................4

Roundup..................................3

Short Notes.............................9

Sports......................................6

Obituaries................................9

Inside

The Livermore Amador Val-ley Transit Authority (LAVTA), operator of the Wheels bus system, will hold its 1st Annual “Stuff the Bus” Holiday Food Drive in cooperation with the Tri-Valley Haven Food Pantry and Open Heart Kitchen to ben-efit families in need this holiday season

The “Stuff the Bus” event will take place on Saturday, December 4, 2010 at the Lucky Supermarket located at 2000 Portola Avenue, Livermore from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

“One of the effects of the challenging economy has been the dramatic increase in the number of people who rely on the services of local area food banks. To help our Tri-Valley neighbors in need during this holiday sea-son, I encourage the public to come out and ‘stuff the bus’ with non-perishable food items and cash donations,” said Alameda County Supervisor Scott Hag-gerty, chair of LAVTA’s Board of Directors.

Wheels bus drivers, who vol-unteer their time to this event, will be on hand along with radio station 101.7 KKIQ to collect non-perishable food donations, distribute prizes, and help spread holiday cheer. Every “Stuff the Bus” attendee may also register to win a $50 Lucky Supermarket gift card and receive a special discount coupon from Mountain Mike’s Pizza in Livermore.

For a Wheels schedule and bus stop locations call Wheels Customer Service at (925) 455-7500 or visit us online at www.wheelsbus.com.

Photo - Doug Jorgensen

The Foothill High School girls varsity volleyball team celebrated the win over the San Ramon Wolves in the NCS championship game. Foothill came away with wins of 25-21, 25-14, 20-25, 25-22 to take the 2010 NCS championship. Caitlin Dewitt led the way, recording 26 kills. Foothill now boost a 34-4 overall record. They played in Menlo-Atherton Bears on Tuesday in the first round of the CIF State Girls Volleyball Chpionships, Northern California Division.

PET OF THE WEEk November is Adopt-A-Senior-Pet Month. Do you have a place in your home and heart for one of our homeless, senior pets? Nobody wants to spend the holidays alone, especially the senior citizens of kitty City. Tootsie was surrendered to us in January of 2010 and is still searching for her forever home. Tootsie is around ten years old and is very lonely here in her kennel. We also have Cupid, a ten year old declawed Siamese. To learn more about how heart-warming it is to adopt an older animal, call 925-426-8656 or visit the website www.valleyhumane.org. Valley Humane Society is located at 3670 Nevada Street in Pleasanton. It is open Tues- Sat from 11AM to 5PM

Find Out What's HappeningCheck out the

second sectionSection II is filled with infor-

mation about arts, entertainment and special events. There are education stories, a variety of features, and the arts and enter-tainment and bulletin board list

Residents Invited to 'Stuff a Bus'

Photo - Doug Jorgensen

Cottage Preschool held a Thanksgiving Feast last Thursday. The preschoolers, ages 2-5 years, prepared stuffing, turkey, pumpkin bread, vegetables, applesauce and orange ice to share with their families. They also prepared all the table decorations. In the photo, the students are entertaining their families with a song. The preschool is located at Trinity Baptist Church in Livermore.

Pleasanton Police Report Mountain Lion Activity

On Nov. 23, Pleasanton police officers responded to an area on Busch Road at the eastern edge of the city, where a deer carcass was located. Based upon the evidence at the scene, it was determined that a mountain lion killed the deer. There were no witnesses to the attack. However, there have been previous sightings of moun-tain lions reported in the general region between Mohr Avenue and the open space behind the City of Pleasanton Operations Service Center at 3333 Busch Road. There have been no reported attacks on people or pets thus far, according to the Pleasanton Police Department.(See LION, page 9)

The Livermore Area Recre-ation and Park District board of directors approved a six-month trial for off-leash dog training in one of its parks.

The off-leash site will be in an area known as the Meadow, a grassy part of Robertson Park about 3.5 acres in size located between the field house and the arroyo. District staff will post signs notifying the public of the pilot program’s guidelines.

The Meadow has been used by dog trainers in the past. However, recently, the district began en-forcing its rule that dogs be kept on-leash except in specifically designated areas.

Members of the Livermore Pet Alliance had requested an opportunity to demonstrate that it was safe to train off-leash when a dog is under voice control. They worked with the park district in

drafting rules that will be printed on signs in the Meadow.

Director Steve Goodman commented, “We have to try to see if it works. Hopefully, it will work and this won’t be a pilot program.”

Director Beth Wilson, who had been hesitant to approve the pilot program, stated, “I had some reservations about off-leash dogs. The dog owners have given us some good reasons to try it.”

The trial period will run through May 31. The Board will then evaluate feedback from the public and decide whether to make the area off-leash perma-nently.

The board also said good-bye to two of the directors. Scott Kamena and David Furst did not seek re-election in November. They will be replaced on the

LARPD Grants Trial Period For Off-Leash Dog Training

(See OFF-LEASH, page 8)

Photo - Doug Jorgensen

One recent rain shower ended with a rainbow lighting up the sky.

Much of Monday’s Livermore City Council was devoted to the citizens forum. The topics of focus included the downtown BART station and the 2000 seat regional theater.

Speakers provided reasons for and against both projects.

The BART Board of Directors has selected the downtown sta-tion along with a Vasco Road sta-tion as the preferred alternative to extend BART to Livermore.

The city council is in the process of reviewing the financ-ing plan for the regional theater, which would be built and oper-ated by the Livermore Valley Per-forming Arts Center (LVPAC).

LVPAC has proposed use of the general fund as surety for its financing obtained. The council has asked for information on the risk to the general fund and protections for it.

The financing does not look to the general fund as the source of debt service. The redevelop-ment agency (RDA) would be the source of funding from the city. It is estimated that the RDA would have enough money to pay the debt service and to fulfill its current obligations and projected costs including a new parking garage. LVPAC revenues are more than double the amount needed to meet their share of debt service.

At the outset, LVPAC has $10.5 million on hand to meet its obligations. It is anticipated the amount will grow to $60 mil-lion in 2043 when the financing concludes.

The regional theater is con-sidered to be a catalyst project for the downtown. It is projected to bring in a new hotel, shops,

Pleasanton has begun an update of its housing element. Some of the provisions to be in-cluded are the result of a lawsuit settlement with Urban Habitat.

The settlement requires that there be areas zoned for low in-come housing at a minimum of 30 units to the acre. The city must also develop a nondiscrimination policy and program with regard to housing.

The lawsuit filed by Urban Habitat challenged the city’s housing cap. In March of this year, Alameda Superior Court

Judge Frank Roesch ruled that the City of Pleasanton’s housing cap violates state law, because it limited the city’s ability to meet its regional housing numbers. The court ordered the city to complete re-zoning that is re-quired by state law so that it can meet its share of the region’s affordable housing. The Court’s ruling did not affect the City’s urban growth boundary.

In the current planning pe-riod, which lasts through 2014, Pleasanton has been assigned a regional share of 3277 units. In

addition, the city will need to accommodate the units it did not zone for during the last update, around 521 units for a total of 3,798.

A task force has been estab-lished to prepare the new housing element. Under the lawsuit settle-ment, a draft housing element must be submitted to the state by August 16, 2011.

Councilmember Matt Sul-livan commented, “The task force has its work cut out for it. It is important to reach out to the community and make sure there

is an understanding of what the housing element update is about. We are talking about provisions that will change the face of Pleas-anton with high density housing. There need to be neighborhood meetings to make sure that what we are doing is very visible.”

Director of Development Brian Dolan told the council the most substantial task facing the task force is designating sites for potential development. He added that in addition to the lawsuit settlement, there are new state requirements such as an analysis

of special housing needs includ-ing special populations such as the homeless, elderly, disabled, and large families. For example, the city would have to designate zoning districts where year-round emergency shelters for the home-less could be located.

New climate laws will also come into play in the new hous-ing element. Dolan explained that where housing is located could impact greenhouse gas input in the city.

Dolan added that the trend on

By Ron McNicollZone 7 Water Agency direc-

tors approved a one-year ex-tension for 40 untreated water contracts, most of them in rural Livermore.

The extension, approved unanimously by the board at its

meeting Nov. 17, will go to the end of 2011. That will allow staff enough time to research current contracts, and come up with com-mon language for all contracts, so they are all consistent.

The agency several years ago wanted to accomplish that. How-

ever, the staff attorney left. Now that a firm with water law experi-ence is in place with the agency, the task will be finished.

Staff will meet with both large and small landowners who have contracts, to ensure clear communication about the future

contract drafts. The staff expects to need one year to research the contracts and come up with a draft for board approval.

Zone 7 assistant general man-ager Kurt Arends told the Inde-pendent that the task is a little

Zone 7 Will Review Agricultural Water Contracts

(See ZONE 7, page 10)

Council Hears Concerns About Plans For Downtown

(See DOWNTOWN, page 4)

Housing Plan Could Change Face of Pleasanton

(See HOUSING, page 4)

PAGE 2 - The Independent, NOVEMBER 25, 2010

Two Livermore women have published the first book devoted exclusively to Tri-Valley hik-ing.

The book is Tri-Valley Trails: Hiking adventures in the greater Livermore, Amador and San Ra-mon Valleys. Its 185 pages cover 65 trails of varying lengths and levels of difficulty in 10 parks, ranging from Del Valle to Los Vaqueros, from Sunol to Las Trampas.

The publication has been a labor of love for authors Nancy Rodrigue and Jacky Poulsen. The two first met some 12 years ago and have hiked together many times since then.

The idea for a book was Ro-drigue’s. She knew there were no trail guides focused solely on Tri-Valley hiking and realized “how much I would have loved to have a book like that when I started.”

The idea grew on them as time passed and as they tried new and different trails. They learned more by walking with other experienced hikers and discuss-ing the possibilities. Then, one day they were sure. “We had no

idea how vast the opportunities are (for hiking) in this region,” Poulsen said.

The parks are listed alphabeti-cally in the guide. Some, like Del Valle and Sunol Regional Parks, are familiar names to many who live in the region. Others, like Finley Road and Macedo Ranch, may be new to all but the most experienced hikers.

Within each park, the easiest trails are listed first, the hardest last. A legend labels trails by level of difficulty. Flat trails are just that, like Sycamore Grove in Livermore. Easy trails are those with 100 to 500 feet of elevation gain and gradual slopes. Moder-ate trails have 500 to 1500 feet of gain and are 4-6 miles long. Strenuous trails gain 1200 feet or more and stretch 6-10 miles. They may have steep, sudden inclines and declines.

There are other reasons to choose a trail than the level of ex-ertion. The guide also categorizes hikes by different attractions like “Good spring wildflowers,” “Good for young children,” “Hikes with some local history”

and “Shady for hot days.”Each park is introduced with

a few paragraphs of overview on topography, views, flora and fauna and sometimes history. The overview is followed by directions, generally to each park and specifically to each trailhead.

A short summary in bullet form gives highlights of each trail. For Olive Grove Trail at Pleasanton Ridge, for example, the highlights are “valley and canyon views, ridgeline hiking, old olive grove.”

A similar summary then gives approximate details of each hike. For the same trail, it’s “distance 4.8 miles, time 1 ¾ hours, alti-tude gain 1050 feet.”

The distance is the authors’ best estimate. Altitude gain is the sum of all the hike’s uphill distances. Hiking time assumes a leisurely 25 minutes per mile, and the authors suggest that people using the guide recalibrate for their own speed after a couple of hikes.

The book’s maps are drawn by hand as conceptual guides, not

necessarily to scale. Rodrigue and Poulsen recommend hikers get official park maps found at most trailheads or print out maps available online.

Rodrigue and Poulsen see hiking as an enjoyable, healthy

pastime, and to keep it that way they recommend commonsense safety precautions. They advise carrying a map and compass or GPS. Take water and snacks appropriate for the length of the trail and weather. Dress in layers

for the season and time of day, and don’t forget sunscreen and a hat with a wide brim. Watch for changes of weather.

People who carry a map and stay on marked trails are unlikely

Trail book authors Nancy Rodrigue (left) and Jacky Poulsen walk at Del Valle Regional Park in warm sunny weather before the recent rains

Livermore Women PublishTri-Valley Hiking Book

(See BOOK, page 7)

VALLEY ROUNDUPThe Independent, NOVEMBER 25, 2010 - PAGE 3

Grant Workshops SlatedThe cities of Dublin, Livermore and Pleasan-

ton will co-sponsor two application workshops for all fiscal year 2011-12 Livermore Housing and Human Services grants, Pleasanton Housing and Human Services and Community grants, and Dublin Community Development Block grants. The workshops were designed for non-profit organizations that serve Tri-Valley residents.

Staff will discuss the application processes and distribute application packets at the workshops. Attendance at one of the scheduled workshops is mandatory in order to apply for City of Liver-more funding and is strongly encouraged for the cities of Dublin and Pleasanton. Both workshops will be identical in format and content. It is only necessary to attend one workshop.

The first workshop is slated for Tuesday, December 7, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Livermore City Council Chambers, 3575 Pa-cific Avenue in Livermore. A second workshop will be held on Wednesday, December 8 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Pleasanton City Council Chambers, 200 Old Bernal Avenue in Pleasanton.

To RSVP for attendance at one of the work-shops, please contact Sheryl Jenkins at (925) 960-4434, or email sljenkins@ci.livermore.ca.us.

Group Appeals DecisionTri-Valley CAREs (Communities Against

A Radioactive Environment), a Livermore, California based community watchdog group, filed its notice of appeal of an October 8, 2010 United States District Court decision denying the group’s challenge to an advanced biolaboratory located at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Tri-Valley CAREs sued in 2008 under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The group’s lawsuit requested that the District Court compel the DOE to produce a more thorough review of the potential environmental impacts of a terrorist attack on research at the facility. The group also sought a public hearing on the safety, security and impacts of the research conducted there.

The DOE gave LLNL the go-ahead to ge-netically modify and aerosolize (spray) lethal pathogens, such as live anthrax, plague, Q fever and botulism at the controversial bio-facility that was the subject of the litigation. The advanced biological agent research facility has a bio-safety level 3 designation (BSL-3) and is authorized to store and experiment with up to 50 liters of deadly pathogens.

Scott Yundt, Staff Attorney at Tri-Valley CAREs, said, “The Ninth Circuit gave clear orders to the DOE in 2006 that additional analysis of the threat of terrorism was needed for this facility’s environmental review in order to comply with the standards of the National Environmental Policy Act. The DOE failed to do so, releasing instead a warmed-over version of the same document the Ninth Circuit had deemed inadequate. This is why Tri-Valley CAREs filed a new suit in 2008 and why we are going back to the Ninth Circuit.”

Marylia Kelley, Executive Director of Tri-Valley CAREs, stated, “We have a moral as well as a legal obligation to move forward to protect the health and environment of Livermore and the Bay Area. If a release of virulent pathogens occurs, whether from an outside terrorist threat, a malevolent insider or any other reason, thousands of Livermore Lab workers and community mem-bers could be exposed to deadly bioagents.”

Lost Dollars, Empty PlatesCalifornia Food Policy Advocates (CFPA)

has released “Lost Dollars, Empty Plates: The Impact of CalFresh Participation on State and Local Economies.” CalFresh (formerly known as California’s Food Stamp Program) provides benefits to eligible, low-income Californians who cannot afford enough to eat. The report found that while CalFresh utilization has in-creased rapidly over the course of the recession,

Alameda County is missing out on an estimated $107,000,000 in federal benefits per year due to underutilization.

“Leaving these federal funds untapped doesn’t just hurt struggling households, it hurts our economy, as well,” said Tia Shimada, Nutrition Policy Advocate at CFPA and author of the re-port. “Every dollar in CalFresh benefits generates $1.79 in economic activity. Alameda County forgoes as much as $191,000,000 in annual economic activity because of low participation in CalFresh.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has con-sistently ranked California among the states with the very worst participation in federal nutrition assistance. Less than half of all Californians who are eligible for CalFresh actually participate. Advocates have praised recent efforts to increase access to CalFresh, but continue to call for key improvements.

George Manalo-LeClair, Senior Director of Legislation at CFPA, stated, “Some persistent problems remain. We still require more pa-perwork than every other state in the country. Compared to just about every other state in the nation, we still require more trips, by more family members, to CalFresh offices.”

Assembly Member Felipe Fuentes (D-Sylmar) will be introducing legislation to remove this excess paperwork and these excessive trips to the office. Specifically, the legislation would move California to the “simplified reporting” rules used in 49 other states and would end California’s costly and redundant finger print system, which requires all adult members of CalFresh households to come into a CalFresh office to provide a print.

The full “Lost Dollars, Empty Plates” report can be found at: http://cfpa.net/LDEP_2010/LDEP_2010_final.pdf

China Has Fastest ComputerThe release of the new Top500 List of the

world’s most powerful supercomputers puts Lawrence Livermore and other DOE/NNSA national laboratories in the thick of a global high performance computing competition.

The 36th edition of the Top500 List, the in-dustry standard for high performance computing (HPC), was released last week at Supercomput-ing 2010 (SC10) in New Orleans. The Top500 list appears twice a year in June and at the annual supercomputing conference in November.

China has emerged as a supercomputing power with HPC systems taking the No. 1 and No. 3 spots on the list with, respectively, the Tianhe-1A and Nebulae machines.

“The Tiahne-1A is a remarkable technologi-cal achievement and we congratulate China,” said Dona Crawford, Lab associate director for Computation. “The new Top500 list shows that high performance computing is now truly a global enterprise.”

Europe’s most powerful system is a Bull machine named Tera 100 built for France’s Com-missariat a l’Energie Atomique (CEA). Ranked No. 6, the system is dedicated to the French equivalent of the U.S. stockpile stewardship pro-gram. Germany’s JUGENE system BlueGene/P solution ranks ninth.

Despite the changes in the Top500 ranking, DOE/NNSA labs remain well represented. DOE/NNSA has 14 systems in the top 50 of the Top500. Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s (ORNL) Cray XT5 Jaguar, dropped from No. 1 to No. 2 on the list, a Cray XT5-HE system, owned by the University of Tennessee but located at ORNL is ranked No. 8. Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory’s Cray XE6 Hopper system made its first appearance on the list at No. 5.

The IBM Roadrunner system at Los Alamos National Laboratory is now seventh on the list and the joint LANL/Sandia National Laboratory Cray XE6 Cielo system in New Mexico is ranked No. 10. For the first time in almost a decade, the Livermore Lab had no HPC systems in the top 10 of the new list. LLNL’s BlueGene/L, which held the top ranking for seven lists between 2005 and 2008, is now No. 12.

However, the Lab is working with IBM to field Sequoia, a 20-petaFLOP/s system, scheduled for delivery in late 2011.

Amador Valley to Host Linguis-tics Tourna-ment

High school linguistics enthu-siasts are warming up their skills in preparation for a tournament next week in Pleasanton.

The tournament is being coor-dinated by Amador Valley High School student Ray Zhou. It will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Dec. 2 in the multipurpose room at Amador Valley, 1155 Santa Rita Rd.

Zhou said that the tournament is a competitive event for Pleas-anton students in preparation for the North American Com-putational Linguistics Olympiad (NACLO) in 2011.

Linguistics is the study of the science of language. Zhou said in a press release that the linguistics problems used at NACLO and Pleasanton Linguistics Olympiad teach students the diversity and consistency of language, while testing their logic skills and creativity.

After the tournament on Dec. 2, there will be an awards cer-emony at 4 p.m. Dec. 9 in the Amador Valley multipurpose room.

The tournament will host 16 teams and 64 participants.

Renovation of the Mount Diablo State Park Summit Visitor Center has been completed. To celebrate, the public is invited to a Grand Re-opening event on December 4, from noon to 4pm.

The project includes new ex-hibits, better access to the visitor information and sales areas along with facility upgrades. “We are excited to offer this renovation to our visitors,” said Roland Gae-bert, Park Superintendent. “We have added new hands-on exhib-its about the history, geology and flora and fauna of Mount Diablo. The inside has been renovated to the craftsman style matching the era of when the visitor center was built. A unique addition is the use of art work that dates from the 1940’s park museum.”

The renovation was funded by the California Department of Parks and Recreation through deferred maintenance funds al-located to the park in 2008. In ad-dition to the exhibit renovation, the Mount Diablo Interpretive Association (MDIA) raised over $28,000 from individuals and corporate donors. This funding added additional new visitor in-formation facilities and visuals.

Jim Mitchell, President of MDIA, declared, “We are pleased to partner with State Parks to assist with this renovation. The Summit Visitor Center hosts many thousands of visitors from all over the world. It is a historic facility in which the Bay Area takes great pride.”

The building that houses the Mount Diablo Summit Visitors Center was built by the Civil-ian Conservation Corps in the 1940’s. It is recognized as a

National Historic Landmark. It is built from fossil-laden sand-stone quarried in the Park. The navigation beacon on top of the Center dates from 1928 when it was installed on top of the moun-tain to assist with the early days of commercial air travel to San Francisco. The Summit of Mount Diablo was the starting point for the first survey of California and Nevada in 1851.

The Summit Visitor Center is located at the top of Mount Diablo in the park. California State parks supports equal access. Prior to arrival, visitors with disabilities who need assistance should call the park’s office at 925.673.2891.

Mount Diablo State Park was established in 1921 as one of the first state parks in California. Today, the Park’s visitor centers, trails and interesting historic sites host many thousands of visitors each year.

MDIA is a non-profit orga-

Photo - Doug Jorgensen

Tri-Valley Robotics teams competed in last Saturday’s FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Qualifying Tournament in Livermore. In the photo, members of the Flaming Flamingos make adjustments to their robot.

Newly Renovated Summit Visitor Center to Open Dec. 4

nization devoted to providing interpretive, scientific and educa-tional experiences for visitors to Mount Diablo State Park. MDIA produces the Park’s publications, develops interpretive displays and provides volunteers to the Park.

PAGE 4 - The Independent, NOVEMBER 25, 2010

EDITORIALS

(INLAND VALLEY PUBLISHING CO.)

Publisher: Joan Kinney Seppala Associate Publisher: David T. Lowell

Editor: Janet Armantrout

The Independent is published every Thursday by Inland Valley Publishing Company, 2250 First St., Livermore, CA 94550; (925) 447-8700. Application to Mail at Periodical Postage Prices Pending at the Livermore Post Office and additional mailing offices. The Independent is mailed upon request. Go to www.independentnews.com to sign up and for more information. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Independent, 2250 First St., Livermore, CA 94550.

Advertising rates and subscription rates may be obtained by calling (925) 447-8700 during regular business hours or by fax: (925) 447-0212.

Editorial information may be submitted by editmail@compuserve.com.

By Jeff GarbersonJohn Gray, author of 17 books

about couples, relationships and health, entertained a Livermore audience last week with funny stories about how couples com-municate with one another.

He also described how chemi-cals determine human behavior as well as making some medical claims for which it is difficult to find serious support.

He appeared at the Bankhead Theater as part of the Rae Dor-ough public speaker series.

As in his most famous book, Men are From Mars, Women are from Venus, Gray generated more than a few nods of recogni-tion – and knowing laughter from the audience — as he described stereotypical scenes in which a tired man comes home from work and becomes a couch potato while his wife stays busy and seeks human companionship and interaction.

He also produced frowns when he explained that men’s and women’s behavior toward each other and in response to stress and crises are fixed by the simple presence or absence of such chemicals as dopamine, testosterone and cortisol.

He left some audience mem-bers shaking their heads when he

claimed that everyone over age 40 has cancer and that the num-ber one indicator of heart disease is low testosterone level.

Gray, 59, earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Ma-harishi University as well as a Ph.D. through a correspondence course with a California school, Columbia Pacific University, which according to news reports was unaccredited and closed in 1999 by court order.

He has been criticized by some for lack of conventional training, but he has also been immensely successful. He has been a sought-after counselor and speaker since the 1992 pub-lication of Men are From Mars, a best-seller that led to related books on couples communica-tion, nutrition and health that have sold some 50 million copies worldwide. He also developed a line of nutritional products such as the 30-day Wellness Solution, with versions tailored for women and men sold via his online store at $179.95 each.

In his talk, Gray lay much of the responsibility for gender behavioral differences on our ability or inability to process do-pamine, the neurotransmitter, as well as other chemicals. He said he started researching the role of dopamine at age 46 when he was experiencing the tremors of early Parkinson’s disease, thought to be associated with low dopamine activity.

His research led him to con-clude that there are fundamental and unchanging differences in the ways that men and women process the chemicals that govern activities.

For example, he found, in-sufficient dopamine activity is common in boys, who are 10 times more likely to experience attention deficit hyperactivity disorder than girls. (Many ex-perts say the ratio is two or three to one.) He said that “new and different” experiences stimulate dopamine activity in males, and more dopamine means they are better able to solve problems and deal with crises.

The male drive toward the novel extends to sex, where men’s sexual appetites are sup-pressed by the hormone pro-lactin. Prolactin is produced in

men by intimate relations with a partner who is emotionally close, so as a result, sex drive is diminished, Gray said. By con-trast, in sex with a new partner, sex drive remains strong because no prolactin is generated. Thus men are driven chemically away from their wives and toward new conquests.

By contrast, women need a hormone called oxytocin to deal with stress and with crises. Oxytocin counteracts the effects of the stress hormone cortisol. Oxytocin production is stimu-lated by the familiar, not by new and exciting experiences. For example, regular touching stimu-lates it. Brushing hair is a “major, major stimulus” for oxytocin. So is seeing a baby in a stroller in the shopping mall.

Absent oxytocin produced in such ways, sacrificing yourself for others will do the trick, he told the women in the audience. “The only way you can lower your stress is to do nice things for him (your male mate.)”

An example is to clean the kitchen. The mandate to produce more oxytocin is why “your kitchen is never clean” – why a woman is driven to clean and clean again. “Self-sacrifice gen-erates the need to sacrifice more. You can’t sacrifice enough!” he said.

Oxytocin used to be sold on the open market in the U.S., he said. He claimed it was taken off the market because, following the high spirits that it produced, the drop in mood was dangerous and associated with increased rates of murder.

The sex hormones are also involved in determining gen-der-based behavior, according to Gray. Women become more like men in the workplace, and doing unwanted work for money stimulates the production of testosterone in women just as it does in men.

Women experience twice as much stress in the workplace as men, he said. However, tes-tosterone production does not lower their stress the way it does for men. Women return home in the evening to see their stress redouble, which they may deal with high levels of activity to generate oxytocin.

Another stress-reducing ap-

proach for women is to talk. Talking encourages the produc-tion of the female hormone es-trogen, which releases serotonin, which in turn increases oxytocin levels.

As for men, by the time they turn 50, their testosterone levels have dropped by half. Their estrogen levels also rise, which encourages them to talk more – which promotes more estrogen production.

Gray claimed that research at the National Institutes of Health found that the primary indicator of heart disease in men is low testosterone levels. This is one of the comments that generated puzzled looks from the audience, since major contributors to heart disease are well known.

For example, the websites for National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and the Mayo Clinic list such major risk factors as age, family history, smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes and lack of exercise — but not testosterone levels.

Similarly, there were sur-prised looks at his statement that “everybody over 40 has cancer” although not everyone will die from it. Personal experience aside – surely not everyone in the audience had cancer — an inquiry to the National Cancer Institute turned up statistics that contradicted his claim. NCI finds that cancer incidence even among the most vulnerable population, the elderly aged 75 and above, is between two and three per hun-dred for all cancers combined.

Questionable medical claims aside, Gray continued to charm his audience when he told stories about couple communications. Men love feeling that they have done something useful, he said. So women need to communicate their needs in a way that enables the man to feel successful.

Even with a simple job like going to the store for a head of cauliflower, he said, his wife made him feel as if he were mak-ing an absolutely vital contribu-tion to the night’s dinner. At the grocery store he received kudos from the employees for being such a good husband. When he returned home with the cauli-flower, his wife made him feel like a returning hero.

Review

‘Mars, Venus’ Author Entertains AudiencePro Hoops In the Valley

Meet the East Bay Pit Bulls.The Pit Bulls are a Valley based pro basketball team

owned by Deb Tennenbaum of Pleasanton. Their home court is the Las Positas College gym, where their opener took place last week. They play in the American Basketball Association (ABA), a global league with some 60 teams in the U.S., Europe and Asia. The level of play is comparable to the baseball minor leagues. Many of the players come from good college programs.

Tennenbaum plans to involve the community in putting on halftime shows. She wants the Pit Bulls to do a lot in the way of supporting education.

Tickets to the games are an affordable $10 adults, $5 youth. We wish the Pit Bulls success, both in the ABA play and in financing the team. We’re thrilled by this addition to the Valley’s sports scene.

Democrat Who Survived On a day when his Democratic Party went down in flames,

Congressman Jerry McNerney won narrowly.Much more than your average politician, McNerney

has worked hard to maintain a close relationship with his constituents. He has tried sincerely to fulfill the ideal of representative government. These efforts no doubt con-tributed to his 2000-vote victory margin.

We congratulate Congressman Jerry McNerney. If he’d lost the election, the real loser would have been the 11th Congressional District.

restaurants and residential devel-

opment in the downtown. There would be short and long term job creation, $20 million in annual economic stimulus across the region, and an enhancement of the quality of life and education opportunities. The cost of con-struction is at the lowest point, $60.7 million, down $18 million from the original estimate.

Speakers who were opposed to both projects attempted to link them together. Concerns about the theater mainly related to us-ing the general fund to back the financing of construction of the theater. Some suggested that now was not the time to proceed with construction of the theater.

There were objections to BART in the downtown as dis-ruptive, noisy and having a nega-tive impact on property values. They wanted BART to remain on the freeway.

LVPAC executive director Len Alexander pointed out that the theater and BART are not linked. He also commented on demands by some that LVPAC board raise the money to build the theater. Alexander said that the board has already raised $11.4 million and will have to raise $29 million. As for BART, he said that BART will have a modest impact on the theater - 5 to 10% of attendees might use it. The major impact is for residents of new Downtown housing who can use BART to access jobs across the Bay Area. Alexander pointed out that BART would not be com-pleted until many years after the theater is in operation

Shelia Cooper, a former teacher and principal, said she held the arts in a high place in her personal value system. She opposed the “risky” financial agreement between the city and LVPAC. She argued that using the general fund would further endanger police, fire and library services. “LVPAC must raise the money, not borrow it.”

John Phillips was concerned that residents were told RDA money would be used for the theater, not general fund money. The council should let residents vote on whether they want the theater or not.

Another resident wanted to make sure that all of the identified impacts that could be mitigated are mitigated prior to the start of the theater. He suggested that there could be a problem with the start date planned by LVPAC of Dec. 2012.

John Stein suggested that the council delay any decision regarding the theater until a risk analysis had been conducted on how the general fund might be impacted. He also wanted to weigh the risk of changes in construction cost by waiting two years to build the theater.

Ron Garen, who moved to Livermore from San Jose, said

the large theater there struggles continuously, yet it has a much larger area from which to draw its audience. “We’ve been told Livermore will draw from the surrounding area. I am concerned about how people will get to the theater.” He went on to call a downtown BART station a detri-ment to the small town feeling. There will be negative impacts from years of construction and trains running every eight min-utes through neighborhoods.

Others expressed similar con-cerns about BART. Nancy Mul-ligan was among those who said if BART couldn’t remain on the freeway, then she didn’t want the extension to Livermore.

Patricia Grimes said the ur-banization of the downtown seems to be based on the regional theater. You (the council) want BART to support the theater, along with blocks of high rise condos. “I don’t think the the-ater will be successful. Our hard earned money will have to pay for it. If LVPAC can’t find financ-ing, that means its not a viable project.”

Her point was countered by Kathy Streeter, a former banker. Streeter agreed that using the general fund is a serious and contentious issue. “Banks are just beginning to put their toes in the water for projects. They are proceeding with financing using an abundance of caution.” Pledg-ing the general fund money will give the banks confidence. The city needs to base its decision on the economic risk versus the cul-tural, educational and economic rewards and whether the rewards justify moderate risks. Streeter stated the theater will benefit the entire community. There is no better time now to build the the-ater with historical low interest rates and construction costs.

Barbara Mitchell said she has been pleased with the direction the city has taken, until recently. “You should listen to people who do not want city money used for this theater. We don’t want to be on the hook for money in the future.”

Charley McHenry called him-self a theater geek, who is also a pragmatist. She urged the council to keep BART on 580. She expressed concern about the regional theater, urging the council to delay it until a more solid economic foundation is in place. “The timing is wrong,” she stated.

Linda Jeffrey Sailors noted that people feel strongly about the two projects. They don’t want BART in the downtown. They want the council to reconsider and be careful gambling with general fund money without first conducting a marketing study to determine the potential success of the theater.

Sally Dunlop spoke in favor of the regional theater. She said

that intertwining BART and the theater is incorrect. There ap-pears to be a belief that blocking the theater would stop BART from coming downtown. That is not the case.

Nancy Bankhead, long-time resident, stated, “Everyone said the Bankhead Theater wouldn’t work. It has. There was always supposed to be two theaters. Linked together, they will be great.”

Bob Baltzer said that the proposed financing is like co-signing a note with a business partner with whom you’ve had a prior experience that has worked out well. “I believe LVPAC will make good on what it has said will happen.”

Jean King pointed out that the city’s Commission for the Arts is under economic development. It is well known that the economy is impacted positively by the arts. The Bankhead has been a stimulus for the downtown. In the future, the regional theater will help to attract high tech companies. People who work in that industry tend to like the arts. That will help grow the local economy.

LVPAC representatives have pointed out that most economists agree that getting out of this deep recession requires job creation and future investment. The re-gional theater provides both at the lowest cost to date for both construction and financing. The theater would provide not only an $11 million fee to the City for credit enhancement, but also would stimulate additional dol-lars for the general fund through increased economic activities throughout the downtown. The increased shop and restaurant de-velopment around the Bankhead is an example of such growth.

Mayor Marshall Kamena concluded the segment stating, “It’s important to hear differing opinions. All five of the council-members live here and are happy when we do things that please residents. The arts center will be back before us.”

the part of the state is to push for realistic sites that could actually support development. He noted that one city listed numerous second units as a way to meet its affordable housing number. It was not considered a practical solution.

Senior Planner Janice Stearn estimated that the city would have to rezone approximately 47 acres to meet its assigned housing numbers. She told the council that it is best to provide more acreage to “give us a little more of a cushion.”

Dolan listed some of the sites that could be rezoned for hous-ing. They include land around the BART stations, other Hacienda Business Park sites, the surface parking lot at Stoneridge Shop-ping Center, land off of Stan-ley Blvd., the Bernal property currently zoned for office and commercial, and old quarry land in East Pleasanton that is within the city’s boundaries. These and other sites will be studied by the task force. Land near the BART stations has already been

rezoned, he added. Councilmember Cindy Mc-

Govern said she is concerned that without the housing cap, there could be a greater economic impact resulting from increased development. She wanted to fol-low the economic costs of the additional units, in such areas as services and infrastructure. She added, when you talk about homeless shelters, you are talk-ing about services we will have to fund.

McGovern also wanted to make sure that open space and how people move around (walk-ing, bike riding, driving) are taken into account when sites are selected. She asked if the city could include development guidelines with the 30 units per acre.

Dolan replied that guidelines could be included.

At one point, McGovern com-mented, “I wish an initiative would go on the ballot that allows local jurisdictions to take control of housing elements.”

Councilmember Cheryl Cook-Kallio said that the rezoning

could change the complexion of the city at some point in time. She reminded the community that the housing element is about zoning. “The city doesn’t build anything. If you want your voice to be heard, you need to attend the meetings.”

The next meeting of the task force will be held Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. at the operations center on Busch Road.

Dolan added that zoning is not an entitlement. However, if the level of zoned density isn’t built on a site zoned, another site would have to be found to make up the deficiency.

Sullivan said that growth management will be critical. It will be important to come up with growth policies that dovetail with the housing element.

Councilmember Jerry Thorne said his concern was that there are a number of task forces meeting (Hacienda, Growth Management, and the Housing Element). It was his hope that staff makes sure the final products of each of the task forces are compatible.

DOWNTOWN(continued from page one)

HOUSING(continued from page one)

(Opinions voiced in letters published in Mailbox are those of the author and do not neces-sarily reflect the opinion of The Independent. Letter Policy: The Independent will not publish anonymous letters, nor will it publish letters without names. Abusive letters may be rejected or edited. Frequent letter writers may have publication of their letters delayed.)

Make It HappenJoseph BrunicardiPleasanton

I am a Bay Area actor and I wanted to take a minute to send you this letter to talk to you about the Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center (LVPAC) Theater plans. For the last 9 months I have been playing Tony in Tony ‘n’ Tina’s wedding as Part of the San Francisco cast. Since it is a dinner theatre show I get a lot of time with the audience and I have found that a lot of the patrons are in fact from the East Bay. Aside from this I work as Events Coor-dinator for Concannon Vineyard, and have been recognized by

tasting room customers as Tony. These two things tell me that people from the Bay Area and, even more so, people from Liver-more are coming into the city to experience theatre.

From a business standpoint this means people are taking their hard earned money and spending it in San Francisco instead of other parts of the Bay Area. This problem can be fixed and would be fixed by the realization of the LVPAC dream. A 2,000 seat the-ater would bring in big Broadway shows and bring people from all over the Bay Area to the Liver-more Valley and surrounding areas; thus assisting the economy in our backyard. So I guess what I am trying to say is if you are not already, you must get behind this project and see what you can do to make it happen.

The Arts are a very important part of society and as an actor they hold a very special place in my heart. Thank you so much for your time.

Pardon a Turkey

Lucas NelsonLivermore

While President Obama is pardoning two turkeys for Thanksgiving, every one of us can exercise that same presiden-tial power by choosing a nonvio-lent Thanksgiving observance. It shows our compassion for an innocent animal and our concern for our family's health. It's a most fitting way to give thanks for our own life, health, and happiness.

The 270 million turkeys killed in the U.S. each year have nothing to give thanks for. They breathe toxic fumes in crowded sheds. Their beaks and toes are severed. At the slaughterhouse, workers cut their throats, and dump them into boiling water, sometimes while still conscious.

Consumers, too, pay a heavy price. Turkey flesh is laced with cholesterol and saturated fats that elevate the risk of chronic killer diseases. Labels warn of food poisoning potential.

This Thanksgiving, I won't be calling the Poultry Hot Line, or wondering how that turkey lived and died. Our Thanksgiving din-ner may include a "tofurky," len-til roast, mashed potatoes, corn stuffing, stuffed squash, chestnut soup, candied yams, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and carrot cake. An internet search on vegan Thanksgiving and a visit to my local supermarket will provide me more recipes and delicious turkey alternatives than I can possibly use.

Military SpendingBeverly KingLivermore

Government representatives and the media say the reasons for the latest election outcome is the economy. In all the budget talk, little was said about military spending, yet military spend-ing is more than 50 percent of the budget. We are in two wars, have bases all over the world and give military aid to others. Yet we say we want world peace, a contradiction most of the world recognizes.

History demonstrates that huge armies do not insure peace. If we mean what we say about peace, the first thing to do is reduce military spending, which in turn reduces the size of the military. Without so may tax dol-lars going into military spending, more money would be available

(More MAILBOX, page 10)

The Independent, NOVEMBER 25, 2010 - PAGE 5

PAGE 6 - The Independent, NOVEMBER 25, 2010

Photo - Doug Jorgensen

A driving rain didn't dampen Granada High School's team effort in a 19 to 13 win over Freedom High in NCS Division I varsity football playoffs. Granada's George Atkinson led the victory with 109 yards on 20 carries. He scored the winning touchdown in double overtime from nine yards out. It was his second six-pointer of the game. Granada will take on College Park this Saturday, Nov. 27 in the next round of the playoffs. kickoff is 7 p.m. at Granada. In the photo above, Garrett Steward (23) tackles Freedom's running back.

College Park (photo at left) reached the next round of the playoffs with a 21 to 13 win over Foothill High School. Foothill defenders Griffith Gates (45) and Kevin Phicnggsai (55) take aim at the College Park running back.

The Independent, NOVEMBER 25, 2010 - PAGE 7

Letter of IntentCaitlin Neal has signed her National

Letter of Intent to accept a scholarship and play Softball at Fresno State University under Head Coach Margie Wright starting in the fall of 2011.

Caitlin is currently a senior at Foothill High School in Pleasanton but spent her last 3 years at Granada High in Livermore. Caitlin is a 3 year varsity letter winner and starting catcher who has earned EBAL All League Awards and has batted over .325 consistently during her high school and club ball career. Caitlin has been verbally committed to Coach Wright at Fresno State since her sophomore year in high school.

Last summer her club ball team partici-pated in the first ever ESPN Rise Premier Girls Fastpitch National Softball Tournament in Southern California. During that same summer she batted .407 for the season with 29 singles, 5 doubles and 19 RBI’s. Caitlin is a natural leader on and off the field and is excited to join the team at Fresno State.

Caitlin chose Fresno State over several other division one schools and when asked why she chose Fresno she said, “I loved the girls and their dedication to the team and I think Coach Wright’s passion for the game is amazing.”

She added, “Without her leadership and experience on the field the program would not be as successful. I am very excited to play for Fresno they are Top 25 Division 1 program and I hope to have the opportunity to bring another NCAA National Championship Trophy home to Fresno State.”

Edge GymnasticsEdge Gymnastics team members

completed at the Level 5, Zone 6 Cham-pionships. In the 11-12 Age Group Sophia Kalliaras placed third in the All-Around. Sarah Fletcher placed third on Vault.

In the 10yr Age Group, Hannah Skepner placed first on Vault and Bars. Samantha Foon placed second on Beam.

In the 9yr Age Group, Samantha Fred-rickson placed first in the All-Around, Beam and Floor and second on Vault. Stephanie Lowe placed third in the All-Around and first on Bars. Amy Noda placed second in the All-Around and first on Beam. Jennifer Dawson placed second on Beam and Floor. Skylar Relova placed second on Floor.

In the 8yr Age Group, Michella Diebe-now placed second on Vault.

Edge Gymnastics, Level 5 Team, placed seventh.

Pleasanton RagePleasanton Rage U13 Orange: Playing

a physical game in the pouring rain, Pleas-anton Rage U13 Orange continued its streak with a decisive 3 to 0 win against a division rival, Castro Valley United Green. The first goal was scored by Makenna Elias on an incoming corner kick. Elias got the assist on the next goal scored by Malissa Shadle. Carley Robertson sent the ball into the net for the final score of the game. Keeper Sophia Brown made some key saves and shored up a defense that played tough, including impres-sive efforts by Julia Densmore and Hanna Mallie. Top Offensive Players: Makenna Elias, Malissa Shadle, Carley Robertson; Top Defensive Players: Julia Densmore, Hanna Mallie.

Livermore FusionLivermore Fusion SC's under 12:

Tied for second place in Norcal Soccer's Gold Region 2-3-4 Fall League, Livermore Fusion SC's under 12 Maroon squad battled Santa Rosa United's Tremors in Santa Rosa last Saturday. With a win, Livermore Fusion would have clinched sole possession of sec-ond place. The Tremors scored first in extra time in the first half despite the good play of the Fusion defense: keeper Ashley Morton and backline Jessica Mahabali, Amy Moussa, Adriana Sblendorio and Amy Silva.

Late in the second half, Fusion got the tie after dominating the play for most of the half. A strong lead pass from Marissa Pletschette to Ashley Morton lead to a crossing shot that Selina Cardoza struck off her right foot past the Tremors' goalie. With the tie, Fusion can secure second place in two weeks with a win or tie over the Mill Valley Rockers on the Fusion's home field.

CYO BasketballThe St. Michael's/St. Charles (SM/SC)

8th grade Wolfpack CYO basketball team remains on top with a solid victory over Catholic Community of Pleasanton (CCOP), 33-19. The Wolfpack dominated the boards with 36 total rebounds and created 18 turn-overs. Cutting down their own turnovers, playing unbeatable defense and moving the ball well keeps them moving past each opponent that approaches. Shooting 100% in the first half, Sarah Partridge went 4 for 4, had 3 steals, a rebound, a jump ball and a

blocked shot ending the day at 75%, sinking 6 out of 8 for 12 points. Kelly Borden put up 15, dropped in 8 points, brought down 4 rebounds, a steal and had the only assist in the game. Center, Jessica Elfin added another 5 points to the scoreboard and had 5 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. A much more aggressive Brandi Meyer came alive down the stretch with a steal, 3 rebounds and putting in an additional 4 points for the Wolfpack. Kirah VanTrease rounded out the scoring with 4 points, pulled down 4 boards, a blocked shot and created a turnover for CCOP.

• • •SM/SC 6th grade Spartans CYO basket-

ball team #604, downed St. Joan of Arc #606 35-24 in an exciting game Sunday. Frank Gomez led SM/SC with 14 points, 3 steals, and 5 rebounds. Jacob Murdoch added to the totals with 13 points, 2 rebounds and 8 steals. PJ Kalcic and Zachariah Eme contributed points and steals and helped round out the tough defense.

• • •The SM/SC 5th grade girls Swoosh team

remains undefeated in league play bringing home another win, this time over St. Isidore, 22-8. Getting banged up at the top of the key, but hanging tough, was Point Guard, Katie Fournier with 2 steals and creating two turnovers and not allowing her opponents to score against her. Also on the defensive side was Forward, Emily March, with 2 rebounds, a jump ball and a blocked shot down low to keep St. Isidore out of shooting range. Shooting 67% from the field, Point Guard, Nicole Bartels scored 8 points, had a steal, created a turnover and drove hard against her opponents to get the ball in the key for teammates to score. Chelsea Warner was 2 for 6 and Katie Gomez was 2 for 8, together adding 8 more points on the board. Steal-ing the spotlight on defense with 4 steals, 2 rebounds and 5 blocked shots, Katie Marcel proved she owned the key and also putting up 8 attempts and sinking 6 more points for the Swoosh. A complete team effort scored another victory for the Livermore 5th grade girls.

• • •The 5th grade boys SM/SC Infernos

defeated the SM/SC Lightning Bolts 37-8. The Infernos played a strong game with Brandon Williams and Zac MacDonald as high scorers and Tommy Latkowski with good rebounds. The Lightening Bolts played a consistent game with Tyler Doyle and Joshua Esteva scoring 4 points each while Joey Stangl and Junior Saulovich collected multiple rebounds.

• • •It was an exciting game for the 5BA #56

SM/SC and #52 St. Isidore boys teams. The score remained close until the third quarter when St. Isidore took the lead with a score of 17 to 11. St. Isidore played hard and won with a score of 31 to 24. High scorers for the SM/SC team were Trenton Green with 6 points, Kaine Montez with 5 points and Michael Thaete with 5 points.

• • •4th grade boys basketball SM/SC (#46)

Wolverines took on St. Isidore (#42). The Wolverines held St. Isidore to just 8 points in the final 2 quarters but it wasn't enough to overcome a slow start and 18 point deficit at the end of the first half. Final score: St. Isidore 33, Wolverines 25. Kevin Lee led the Wolverines in scoring with 8 points. Nick LaRosa had a strong all round game with 5 steals, 2 assists, and 2 points. St. Isidore's Z. Isaac led all scorers with 10 points.

• • •SM/SC CYO 4th grade boys' team, aka

Club Penguin, was defeated by St. Joan's, 24-9. The first half was especially exciting, but St. Joan's ultimately pulled ahead. Carson Griffey, Jake Putnam, and Devon Shah led St. Joan's in scoring, while Brendon Patino and Jacob Pita were defensive stars for the win-ning team. For Club Penguin, the scoreboard could not reflect the team's heart, spirit and determination. Logan Finch, Xavier Pelican, and Eric Valdez scored hoops for SM/SC. Defensive kudos go to Drew Braudrick and Brandon Harvey, who claimed steals and rebounds galore.

• • •SM/SC 408 Gladiators -SM/SC 405

(2-12). SM/SC Gladiators' Cameron McGee scored the team's only basket. Wyatt Mose-ley, Jonathan Mulrooney and Nathan Findley all displayed great skill. Joseph Fields scored for SM/SC 405 with Ian Partridge and Grant Dufeck recovering many rebounds sending them to a 2 to 12 win.

• • •SM/SC 4th grade Celtics played St.

Raymond's For the Celtics, highlights were Peyton Gibbs 4 points, Riley Parkerson 2 points, Drew Arruda 2 points and amaz-ing rebounds from Manav Patel, Trevor White and Ethan Payne. Final score was St. Raymond's 28, SM/SC 8.

• • •SM/SC boys 3rd grade team (322) the

Warriors played St. Joan Arc (325). Scoring were Douglas Wynne 2 points, Quinn Ayres 6 points, and Rylan Myhre 2 points. Great defense played by Austin Weinshelbaum and Dylan Breesch. The score at half time was Warriors 2, St. Joan 7. The boys played a great second half. They came back to a final score of Warriors 10 St. Joan 13.

• • •The SM/SC 1st/2nd grade 2BN4 War-

riors played the 2BN3 Cobras. It was a fast paced and physical game. Both teams played with heart and determination. For the War-riors, Deven Aggarwal was strong underneath the hoop pulling down several rebounds. Jacob Bryant and Billy Spence played an aggressive defensive game. For the Cobras, Jaxson Mosby had several steals.

• • •The 1st/2nd grade CYO girls played

an energized game today. Everyone played

well. Monarchs' Top Players: Kylie Black (offense), Emma Kello (defense), Olivia Turner (all-around); Shooting Stars' Top Players: Brooke Allen (offense), Mack-enzie Kauffman (defense), Megan Allen (all-around)

• • •1st and 2nd grade Shooting Sharks

played a great game against The Lakers - Top players for Shooting Sharks: Camille Wigginton, Wyatt Nostrand and Indianna Stoneberger. Top players for The Lakers: Shane Waechtler, Alexander Alamillo and Wesley Brinkman.

Pleasanton Seahawks The Pleasanton Seahawks swim team

competed at the PASA Closed Short Course Invitational on November 13 & 14 turning in new times and cuts.

Lifetime Best Times (LTB): Cassidy Booe, Kevin McLaughlin, Tony Shen and Elise Cox each swam 4/6 LTB

100% Lifetime Bests: Anna Winegarner, Ashleigh Anderson, Tim Yao, Rishab Nair, Audrick Antonio

New Junior Olympic times: Nja Zuniga - 200 IM & 100 back; Laurel Heckman - 100 back; Will Rose - 200 IM, 400 free

New Far Western Cut: Miranda Heck-man- 100 back

New Pacific Reportable Time: Wolf Lachance – 200 IM

New Sectional Cut: Jason Chen – 200 free; Tony Shen – 200 free

Top-10 Age Group Swims: Cate Mac-Gregor - 4 events; Lillian Sun - 5 events

Livermore AquacowboysThe Livermore Aquacowboys hosted

last weekends swim meet at Las Positas College. There were 24 swim teams with 532 swimmers in attendance. Livermore Aquacowboys had a great meet with many improved times.

New Best Times were achieved by Gabriel Akins, Nathan Boas, Taylor Bren-nan, Evan Carlo, Tori Carroll, Jenna Chew, Allie Clark, Nick Coltrin, Taber DaCosta, Alden Dean, Cat Elliott, Megan Fairbanks, Christopher Gonzalez, Christopher Gonza-lez, Michael Grant, Haley Hamza, Andrew Hayes, Matthew Hayes, Megan Hill, Jared Hill, Mia Hocking, Bella Hocking, Katie Kulp, Romane Lagouche, Josh Ledbetter, Nic McConn, Desiree McConn, Franco Moufar-rej, Sofia Moufarrej, Victoria Moufarrej, Kylie Neubauer, Daiki Nishikawa, Sophia Piper, Brianna Reynolds, Adrianna Rocha, Ben Rocha, Rachel Roddy, Morgan Roddy, Collin Rodgers, Brendan Schierloh, Sarah Swanson, Shelby Swanson, Jared Tovera, Trent Trump, Collin Trump, Turner Zischka, and Tucker Zischka.

For more information, please contact us at 925-443-7700, at www.lacswimming.com, or find the team on Facebook.

Bah Humbug Run/WalkThe San Ramon Parks & Community

Services sponsors annual San Ramon Bah Humbug 5K Run & Walk, on Saturday, December 4. This very flat and fast 5K (3.1 miles) certified course will follow through the weekend-quiet and monitored streets of Bishop Ranch Business Park.

The event is for levels of runners and walkers, and those who love to dress up in holiday costume. “Bah Humbug” proceeds will go directly back into the San Ramon Parks & Community Services programs:

Trophies will go to the top male and female finishers, and medals will be awarded three deep in designated age groups for both male and female participants (check application or Web site for age-groups). Costume awards will go be given for the “Most Grinch-Like,” “Holiday Spirit,” and “Group Theme.” All participants who wear holiday garb will receive a special “Bah Humbug” Tree Ornament.

Race-day registration, entrance fee is $40 for everyone. Participants will receive the Bah Humbug long-sleeved T-shirt, and plenty of before and after-race goodies and beverages.

Check-in and race day registration opens at 7:30 a.m., at Bishop Ranch II, Corner of Camino Ramon & Bollinger Canyon Rd., in San Ramon (East side of freeway 680)—same location of the races’ start and finish lines. Both, the run and walk will begin at 9:00 a.m.

Online registration is also available on Active.com.

For more Bah Humbug 5K Run & Walk information and/or an application, contact Brad Morris at the San Ramon Parks & Community Services, 925-973-3367. Timing and results of this event will be provided by On Your Mark Events.

Grizzlies BaseballNorCal Grizzlies Baseball is now holding

evaluations for positions on the 2011 spring tournament teams - ages 9U through 14U.

Evaluations take place at the indoor training facility in Livermore.

Teams will compete in 14 tournaments beginning in February and ending in July. Practices are twice a week during the eve-nings. Sessions will be conducted by both individual team coaches and other instructors covering all aspects of the game.

For additional information, contact Tom Graham at 922-5050 or tomg@norcalgriz-zlies.org or visit www.norcalgrizzlies.org.

Phantom LacrosseRegistration for Spring 2011 lacrosse

season is now open and teams are forming for boys and girls ages 8 to 14. Practices begin

in late January and the season runs through mid May. Teams must be formed by the end of November, so register early to ensure your placement. Register online or find informa-tion on club programs and costs by visiting www.phantomlacrosse.org.

Baseball CampLivermore High Varsity Baseball Coach

David Perotti is hosting a winter baseball camp on December 20-22. Each camper will receive individual instruction from coaches and Livermore High players, a snack each day and a camp shirt. The 5-12 year old camp costs $125 and runs from 9:00-12:00 everyday. If you sign up before December 15th (post marked), pay only $105. The camp is being held at Livermore High Var-sity Field. For more info to sign up please contact David Perotti at (925) 586-2811 or dpperotti@yahoo.com or check website www.eteamz.com/lvb

Youth Basketball LeagueRegistration is now open for Lay-Ups - a

youth basketball program offering leagues for children in kindergarten through 2nd grade. The 8-week season begins Jan. 22nd, 2011. There are several locations available. Lay-Ups is an introductory and non-competitive basketball program. All the components of the program are geared toward making each participant feel successful. The players use smaller, age-appropriate sized basketballs. The hoops are lowered to 8'. The games are played 4-on-4 so each player has more opportunity to touch the ball. The registra-tion fee is $95, which includes the 8-week season, a Lay-Ups t-shirt, and a Lay-Ups basketball. Register on-line at www.Lay-Ups.com, or call (503) 799-9293 for further information.

Player in Bowl GameGeorge Atkinson of Granada High

School, Livermore, will play in the 2011 U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Saturday, January 8, 2011, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The annual East vs. West match-up will be televised live on NBC at 1:00 p.m. EST. It will feature the nation’s top 90 high school football players.

“George is a talented athlete whose ex-emplary leadership and teamwork qualities have made him a standout at of Granada High School,” said Col. Derik Crotts, Director of Strategic Communications, Marketing and Outreach, U.S. Army Accessions Command. “The strength, dedication, leadership and teamwork skills necessary to succeed on the football field are the same qualities mirrored in Army Strong Soldiers. We are proud to honor all of our U.S. Army All-American Bowl players and congratulate them on their selection.”

Atkinson was selected by the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Selection Committee, which consists of All American Games’ network of regional directors, Rivals.com and Tom Lemming. U.S. Army All-American players are eligible for the U.S. Army Player of the Year Award, the Anthony Muñoz Line-man of the Year Award, the Pete Dawkins Game MVP Award, and the Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard U.S. Army Awards.

As a result of George Atkinson being selected to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, his head coach Tim Silva is invited to travel to San Antonio and attend the U.S. Army Coaches Academy, an elite three-day learning experience featuring NFL and NCAA coaches, as well as participate in game-week activities.

For more information on the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and its related events visit www.usarmyallamericanbowl.com & www.goarmy.com/events/aab.

Fastpitch Try-outsLady Hustle will be holding try-outs

for their 18 Gold, 18A, 16A and two 14A softball teams on December 4th and 5th from 9am-2pm. Try-outs will be held at Robertson Park and Double Diamond Sports Academy in Livermore. Please go to www.ladyhustle-fastpitch.com to register and obtain more information. Any questions, you may call Teresa Borchard 925-785-0846.

Bocce kits for RentFollowing the debut of two new bocce

courts at the freshly renovated Bothwell Park, the Livermore Area Recreation and Park District is now making bocce ball kits available for rent to the public.

Bocce ball kits can be checked out for a week at a time from the Robert Livermore Community Center. The kits are available at the front counter from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Rental for one week is $20, plus a $40 refundable deposit by credit card or cash – a total of $60. The $40 deposit is refundable if equipment is returned in good condition. Kits are rented on a first-come, first-served basis; reservations are not available in advance. Rental of a bocce ball kit does not guarantee a bocce ball court will be available.

The Robert Livermore Community Cen-ter is located at 4444 East Ave., Livermore. Bothwell Park is located at 2466 Eighth St., Livermore. For more information, call

925-373-5700.

Swim MeetThe City of Pleasanton’s Dolores Bengt-

son Aquatic Center will be the host site for a large swim meet in the coming weeks.

The Pleasanton Seahawks Swim team will host a three-day swim meet that begins on Friday, December 3, and continues through Sunday, December 5. The meet is expected to draw about 2,000 swimmers and specta-tors who will begin to arrive each morning by 7:00 a.m.., with competition beginning at 9:00 a.m.

The city of Pleasanton has been working closely with both organizations to develop plans for a both a successful competition and reduced impact on the neighborhoods surrounding the Aquatic Center, located at 4455 Black Avenue near Santa Rita Road. Congested traffic conditions are anticipated on Santa Rita Road and Black Avenue each morning as the swimmers begin to arrive for the day’s competition. City staff has developed a traffic flow system for the Aquatic Center to facilitate competitor drop-off, and participants have been noti-fied of pre-designated parking locations that would reduce the impacts on the surrounding neighborhoods.

For more information, please contact Frances Steuer-Silva at (925) 931-3422.

Bowling NewsIn the 4 Seasons Heating & Air League

Alex Holland bowled a 266, 253 and 194 for a 713 series that was 149 pins over average. The action took place at the Granada Bowl in Livermore. In the Practice Kings & Queens League Rick Dunn rolled a 198, 207 and 236 for a 641 series that also was 149 pins over average. Chuck Anderson in the Family Affair League rolled a 278 game that was 101 pins over average. Mark McCreary in the 4 Seasons Heating & Air bowled a 248, 290 and a 278 for a 816 series.

Austin Stuber in the Generation Gap League bowled a 200 game. Tim Piper in the Getaway Fours League rolled a 288 game, David Pendleton 253, Dale Mellberg 250, Aaron Fick 246, Lee Pettus 245, Fortune Lapina 235, Bill Deuell 234, John Easley 232, Ralph Soto 224, Mark Miranda 204, Mark Duguid 195 and Amy Alexander 168. Scott Lowe in the Match Point League bowled a 249 and Sheryl Common 234. Nick Block in the 4 Seasons Heating & Air League rolled a 253, Lloyd Block 251, Gil Criste 248 and Pat Braga 235. Craig Truscott in the Practice Kings & Queens League bowled a 288, Derek Schaffer 237, Graham Scott 233, Jason Barrett 216, Candice Moschetti 212, Danny Nothwang 208, Mark Kaiser and Dennis Sheehan 200. Gene Bruihl in the Cheyenne League rolled a 288, Gabe Donohue 258 and Dave DeBus 256. Jeremy Stuber in the Early Years Fun Time League bowled a 279 and Frank Danneil 237. Ron

to get into trouble, but the authors advise caution on steep parts of trails. Hikers should watch for poison oak in many of the parks. Wild animals are rarely a problem, but in May and June, the book recommends staying on cleared trails and keeping dogs leashed because that’s “when rattlesnakes first come out of hibernation…are blind, or almost so, and…more aggressive than usual.”

Photos in the book are by Barbara Mallon, prize-winning photographer from Livermore, and the small format and black and white printing don’t do her work justice. Whether there will be a future edition is unclear. Rodrigue and Poulsen have dis-cussed the possibility but “there are no plans,” they say almost in unison.

Shaffer in the Family Affair League rolled a 245 and Van Henson 213.

Senior Bowler Dwayne Childress in the Monday Primetimers League bowled games of 235, 214 and 170 for a 619 series, John Foscalina 230, John Waite 224 and Dave Phipps 211. Garry Rodrigue in the Sirs & Sirettes League rolled a 223, Norm Taas-evigen 222, Dick Greene 217, Jim Harvey 212, Ron Knott 213, Don Tunison 200 and Billy Culbertson 182. Clint McFaddin in the Donna's Mixers League bowled a 244, Bill Nawrocki 221. Betty Winn 213 and Rose Nel-son 203. Otis Farris in the Friday Primetimers League rolled a 216, John Foscalina 211, Ron Knott 200, Gwen Ulibarri 191, Chuck Edeal 190 and Jim Truscott 177.

Youth Bowler Payton Giambrone in the Generation Gap League bowled a 279, Eric Smyth 253, Justin Agness 247, Shawn Donohue 238 and Curtis Agness 230. Cody Cakebread in the Family Affair League rolled a 230, 161 and 225 for a 616 series.

PGSL Registration2011 Registration is now open for

all divisions in the Pleasanton Phantom Girls Softball League. All girls living in Pleasanton , Dublin and Sunol are eligible to play. Two ways to register: 1) Online at www.pleasantonsoftball.org; 2) Mail-in: PGSL, P.O. Box 911 , Pleasanton , CA 94566 (download a registration form from our website). Late fee of $25 applied after 11/30/10. For more information or ques-tions, email Christine Tanis at christine.t@pleasantonsoftball.org.

PGSL Player Evaluations and Try-outs: Players in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, & 8th grades, please read the following information carefully: In an effort to continue to improve our players’ experience, PGSL will be holding Player Evaluation Sessions for ALL players in 3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th grades. Attending a player evaluation ses-sion is mandatory for all players. Following those evaluations, we will have tryouts for our “Black” Divisions. Our goal for these sessions is two-fold: 1) to make sure all players are assigned to the correct level of play for their skill level and experience and 2) to balance the teams in each age group to the best of our ability to balance competition and maximize everyone’s enjoyment. For 7th & 8th grade players, we will not have Player Evaluation Sessions this year, but we will have Black Division Tryouts for those wishing to be considered for that division. All Player Evaluation Sessions and Black Division Tryouts (all age groups) will be held in January 2011. Additional informa-tion and a detailed schedule for all of these sessions will be posted on our league web site in late November or early December (www.pleasantonsoftball.org).

Pleasanton Ballistic United Soccer Club U9 Elite 2 team captured the Nor Cal State Cup Finals with a 1 to 0 win over the Red Stars. Elite 2 played an aggressive game with no substitutes. Top Offensive Players: Bryce Lombardi, Addison Orr, Brendan O'Sullivan; Top Defensive Players: John Wilner, Cole Bartolo, Dylan Silva, Preston Sim. Goalie Griffin Myers recorded many saves for the shutout. The team is pictured celebrating the victory.

They wrote the book for the pleasure of doing it and will be content to get their expenses back. “We’re not in this to make a lot of money,” Poulsen says. “The motivation from the beginning was to spread the word about the great hiking” in the Tri-Valley.

“It was such a fun thing to do,” Rodrigue says.

The book is being sold for $15.99 plus tax at Sunrise Moun-tain Sports in Livermore, Towne Center Books in Pleasanton, Rakestraw Books in Danville and the Rodrigue Winery in Livermore. It can also be ordered through the publisher, Lulu Press, online at http://www.lulu.com/, or from the authors by emailing them at the address trivalley-trails@yahoo.com

Photo - Doug Jorgensen

The Livermore Aquacowboys hosted a swim meet last weekend at Las Positas College. There 24 teams with 532 swimmers on hand for the competition.

BOOk(continued from page 2)

The East Bay Pit Bulls profes-sional basketball team opened its inagural season with a 113 - 107 win over the visiting Mid Valley Titans.

The Pit Bulls will play Sun-day, November 28th at 5pm at Las Positas College. They will be hosting the Shiuoka Gymrats from Japan.

Las Positas College is located at 3000 Campus Hill Drive in Livermore.

Pit Bulls Win; Play Sunday

Caitlin Neal

PAGE 8 - The Independent, NOVEMBER 25, 2010

The Livermore Public Library has been awarded a $2,400 grant as part of the Lawrence Liver-more National Security Commu-nity Gift Giving Program to fund a series of teen programs entitled “Totally Amazing Careers in Science.”

These programs are designed to fill the gap of information that teens, ages 12 to 18, need about colleges and careers in the field of science, and will assist teens in identifying the pathways and

By Patricia KoningThe Rotarian Foundation of

Livermore presented a check for $34,000 to superintendent Kelly Bowers during the Nov. 16 meeting of the Livermore Board of Education. The money, the proceeds of the Foundation’s gala fundraiser last year, will be used for equipment for the Livermore School District’s visual and per-forming arts programs.

“It’s not often that any chari-table group gives us north of $30,000 from a single event,” said Board President Stewart Gary. “This is a huge sum to go towards things we couldn’t otherwise fund.”

The donation will be used for the musical instrument repair and replacement program; for a kiln and video equipment at Granada High School; and for computers for digital photography classes at Livermore High School.

“We want to buy durable items that will be in use for many years and that will benefit hundreds of students,” explained John Gordon, president of the Rotar-ian Foundation of Livermore. “Rotary has many close ties to arts in our community, so there is a real sensitivity to keeping the arts alive in our schools.”

At the Board meeting, Grana-da High School teacher Keith

The Alameda County Conser-vation Partnership is hosting a workshop entitled “Eat a burger, Save a Bat?”

The workshop will cover a variety of steps that ranchers are taking to protect their family ranches and the natural resources these ranches provide for. Many of these practices are low-cost or can help the operation’s bottom line. The goal of information to be provided is protecting range-land water, wildlife and private property

It will be held Saturday, De-cember 4th, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Bosco’s Bones & Brew in Sunol. Advance reservations are needed.

Guest speakers will include

Rotarian Foundation Donates $34,000 for Performing and Visual Arts in Livermore Schools

Pickering-Walters presented the members of the Rotarian Founda-tion with a DVD of homecoming skits that was created using the equipment. “This is to show our appreciation for your generos-ity,” he said.

The money was raised at the Rotarian Foundation’s annual black tie gala fundraiser, held in November 2009. To give attend-ees a taste of what their contribu-tions would support, Livermore School District music coordi-nator Randy Watson, Granada music teacher Tom Jones, and Livermore High School drama teacher Carol Hovey arranged student performances during the gala.

This year, the Rotarian Foun-dation’s annual fundraiser is a holiday party for needy children that will raise money for youth programs in Livermore. “We’re changing direction this year, in response to what we see as the needs of the community,” said Gordon.

He expects up to 200 children to attend the party, which will be held at Veteran’s Hall on Dec. 19 from 1 to 4 pm. There will be refreshments, games, gifts for all of the children, and a visit from Santa. The Rotarian Foundation is working with several local nonprofit organizations to iden-

tify the underprivileged children who will be invited to attend.

The Rotarian Foundation is seeking sponsors for the event. “We’re targeting both individuals and businesses,” said Gordon. “For $50, you can sponsor a child to attend the party. We are also looking for volunteers to help at the party.”

Major sponsorships are avail-able in amounts ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. For more in-formation, contact Dave Bedford (925-980-8143) or Mike Thomp-son (925-449-0612). Donations can be made through PayPal on the Rotarian Foundation web-site (www.rotarianfoundation livermore.org).

Gordon says the Rotarian Foundation hopes to make the holiday party an annual event. If it is successful, the Foundation will likely expand the party to include more children next year.

In 1987, the Livermore Rotary Club and the Rotary Club of the Livermore Valley jointly estab-lished the Rotarian Foundation of Livermore with the goal creat-ing opportunities for Livermore organizations that enrich lives and build the community. The Foundation emphasizes youth programs. For more information, visit www.rotarianfoundation livermore.org.

Library Receives Grant to Fund Science Program

local rancher Tim Koopmann, Dan Taylor of Bat Conservation International, and a representa-tive of the California Rangeland Conservation Coalition. Topics will include:

• How a salamander and a but-terfly helped save a local ranch, and what the family is doing in return

• The hows and whys of ripar-ian pasture management from a rancher’s perspective

• A win-win effort to repair stockponds for cows, frogs and salamanders in Alameda Coun-ty

• How wildlife escape ramps for troughs can help local wildlife and improve production

• Other wildlife-friendly, low-

cost measures that are eligible for Farm Bill funding

• And, why eating burgers is good for bats

The cost is $15 - includes your choice of burger, chicken sandwich, or eggplant parmesan for lunch.

Please contact Pete Van Hoorn at (925) 371 - 0154 ext. 123, provide name, contact informa-tion, number of attendees, and lunch choice for each attendee. RSVP required by November 30th. Please do NOT RSVP with Bosco’s!

The workshop sponsored in part by the Bureau of Reclama-tion and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.

Workshop to Focus on Protection of Family Ranches and Natural Resources

Environmental monitoring of operations at Lawrence Liver-more National Laboratory in 2009 indicates no adverse impact to public health or the environ-ment from Laboratory opera-tions. The findings are presented in the Laboratory’s Environmen-tal Report 2009.

The report summarizes the Lab’s regulatory compliance with environmental standards and requirements, describes LLNL’s environmental protection and remediation programs, and pres-ents the results of environmen-tal monitoring for the main Laboratory site and Site 300, the Laboratory’s experimental test facility near Tracy. Monitoring samples were taken from air, water, vegetation, foodstuff, soil and wastewater on site and in surrounding communities.

In addition, the report docu-ments the actions the Laboratory has taken to comply with federal, state and local environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Resource Con-servation and Recovery Act, and National Environmental Policy Act, among others.

The following is a summary of findings in Lawrence Liver-more National Laboratory’s Environmental Report 2009. The complete report may be accessed on the Web at https://saer.llnl.gov. It also is available in the

environmental repositories of the Livermore and Tracy public libraries.

Air at the Laboratory and throughout the Livermore Val-ley and in the Tracy area is monitored by some 65 instru-ments at 38 separate locations. In 2009, radionuclide and beryllium concentrations in air were well below the levels that would cause concern for the environment or public health.

Data indicate LLNL has good control of its discharges to the sanitary sewer; discharges to surface water and groundwater do not have any apparent envi-ronmental impact. At both the Livermore site and at Site 300, remediation activities continued to meet regulatory milestones,

removing contaminants from groundwater and soil vapor that resulted from past operations.

The impact of LLNL opera-tions on surface soil in 2009 was insignificant. Vegetation and Livermore Valley wine were sampled for tritium, and the concentrations in most off-site vegetation samples were below the lower limit of detection. For Livermore Valley wines pur-chased in 2009, the highest con-centration of tritium was just 0.77 percent of the EPA’s standard for maximal permissible level of tritium in drinking water.

Annual radiological doses at the Livermore site and at Site 300 in 2009 were found to be well be-low the applicable standards for radiation protection of the public.

Two methods are used to assess radiological dose. One assesses maximum dose to a hypothetical person living for a year, 24 hours a day, in a location near the Lab where that person would receive the highest possible radiation dose through the air. The other method assesses collective dose to the population living within 80 kilometers of the Laboratory. The maximum radiological doses that could have been received by individual members of the public from releases to the air from Livermore site and Site 300 operations in 2009 were just 0.042 percent and 0.0000027 percent of the federal limit, respectively - more than 8,000 times smaller and 100 million times smaller, respectively, than the dose members of the public receive annually from natural

background radiation. The col-lective doses from LLNL op-erations in 2009 were more than

Lab Monitoring Finds No Adverse Impacts from Operations750,000 times smaller than those caused by natural radioactivity in the environment.

Photo - Doug Jorgensen

The changing seasons have added the brilliant colors of fall to area vineyards.

board by Laureen Turner and David Hutchinson. The retiring directors were presented with plaques of appreciation.

Furst, who spent 8 years on the board, thanked staff mem-bers for all of the work they did on behalf of the district and the board. “You made my time on the board smoother than it might have otherwise been.”

Kamena, who served 9 years as a board member, compli-mented both the staff and fellow board members. He said of board members, “I respect all of you. I am confident that the decisions we made we believed in our hearts were the right thing to do. We have been able to disagree

and move on with no hard feel-ings.”

He continued, “My goal as a board member was to figure out ways to deliver the facilities and services people wanted with the limited means we have. I am grateful that board members in-dulged me when I wanted to try new things.” Of general member Tim Barry, Kamena said the most important thing he has done for the district is to build up its re-serves. Without the reserves, the district would have been in much worse shape.

At last Wednesday’s meet-ing, the board also received an informational report on the City of Livermore’s proposed Telecommunication Ordinance

OFF-LEASH(continued from page one)

and Policy.Both LARPD and the City

currently provide space for cell towers in publicly owned land in exchange for monthly lease pay-ments. The proposed ordinance and policy will allow telecommu-nications companies to work with the city more easily through the design and approval process.

The proposed ordinance and policy includes city-owned prop-erty and facilities that LARPD manages and maintains. The city will share lease revenue with LARPD for facilities built on LARPD managed parkland owned by the city. LARPD must approve any cell towers proposed for location on district property.

skills they need to reach their career goals. The two weekend workshops, to be held in May at the Civic Center Library, will feature experts from several dif-ferent science fields who will talk about their careers, provide a hands-on activity to demon-strate how science is integrated into their career, and answer questions.

As part of the “Totally Amaz-ing Careers in Science” program,

current science resource materi-als, DVDs, and reference materi-als for science career exploration and learning will be provided. These materials will be available for teens to check-out during the “Totally Amazing Careers in Sci-ence” workshops and for public use once the workshops have concluded.

Further program details will be forthcoming on the Library’s website located at www.liver-more.lib.ca.us.

By Ron McNicollPleasanton’s “community

of character” is in the national spotlight with the publication of a book about the link between school cultures and strong char-acter.

Author Samuel Casey Cart-er chose Harvest Park Middle School as one of a dozen schools that illustrate how a strong school culture helps kids mature socially and intellectually.

The book’s title is “On Pur-pose: How Great School Cultures Form Strong Character.” Carter wrote it while serving as a fel-low at the Center for Education Reform in Washington, D.C.

The center advocates the cre-ation of more charter schools, vouchers for parents to use at schools of their choice, and merit pay for teachers. It tracks politics centered on those issues in the various states, with its observa-tions published on its web site.

Despite the group’s charter school advocacy, Carter said that there are excellent public school districts such as Pleasanton’s that also focus intensely on improving students’ lives. Harvest Park is a perfect example.

Harvest Park even stood out above all the other Pleasanton schools, which also emphasize community of character, primar-ily because of its unified spirit of faculty, students and parents, he told The Independent in a phone interview.

In the book, Carter illustrated this “one big family” atmosphere by talking about a mother who was undergoing treatment for cancer. The woman said that she

New Book Devotes Chapter To Pleasanton School

knew that her child would “not miss a beat” because of the fam-ily-style cohesion at the school.

The community of character does not stop at the school bound-ary. The whole community is involved in it, which impressed Carter greatly.

Although Pleasanton’s fami-lies are well-off for the most part, that kind of financial support and family striving for academic excellence “is not the key to the story. In Pleasanton, it’s deeply interesting that the community took leadership. The community said, ‘This is what we value, and now we can figure it out (how to get there),’” said Carter.

Although Harvest Park prin-cipal Jim Hansen was important in changing the culture at the school, it goes beyond one person at the top. The change occurs when all of the faculty, students, support staff and parents become involved. That was what Hansen accomplished at Harvest Park.

Now that Hansen has become principal at Amador Valley High School, Carter expects the same cultural change there, with good prospects for further spread throughout the district.

One thing underscored in Carter’s book is the relationship between treating students well and the ability to learn more. The author quotes Harvest Park math teacher Randy Lomas as saying, “It matters not what they learn here. What matters is who they become. And it’s our job to help them do that well.”

Lomas goes on to say, “Great problem solvers learn how to solve problems they don’t know

how to solve at first. That’s really what teachers do in a great school culture. They help children learn how to live a life that has not yet been lived.”

Another math teacher, Jana Halle, says that clear definition of right and wrong are impor-tant for children. It’s part of the character trait of responsibility. “Life is better when you are held accountable,” she says.

One seventh-grader is quoted in corroboration of that view, saying, “If we act like children, we are treated like children. But mostly the teachers push us to push ourselves more. Not by making it scary, but by making it fun to do more.”

The chapter discusses Har-vest Park’s approach to dealing with bullying, which is an issue throughout youth education. At Harvest Park, students are given language to overcome that situ-ation. For example, students are encouraged to say, “Can you use another word, please?” if some-one is using foul language.

Bullies are known as sharks at Harvest Park. Signs are posted designating “shark-free zones” to remind kids about treating people courteously.

Carter has plans for a future book, a sequel to “On Purpose.” It will be about the implementa-tion of “On Purpose,” by examin-ing tools to help create schools with great character. He also hopes to work with his three young daughters, ages 7, 9, and 11, on a children’s book.

More information about “On Purpose” is available at the web site of the Center for Education Reform, which is co-publisher of the book.

The Independent, NOVEMBER 25, 2010 - PAGE 9

Calli Marlene VaughnCalli Marlene Vaughn, age 35,

born Feb. 14, 1975 in Livermore, CA, passed away Nov. 1, 2010 in Mesa, AZ. She was a dedicated e m p l o y -ee/Global m a n a g e r a t AT&T for nearly

20 years, former president of HISPA, and a role model for school age mothers. She earned a bachelor's degree in science and business management.

Calli was an extremely kind spirit who saw the good in every-one. She was happy, loving and the most caring person who you will ever meet. She was beautiful inside and out. She loved playing soccer for ten years and watching her daughter's sports, enjoyed swimming with the Aquacow-boys and later in the pool she designed (it was her favorite place). She liked photography, music, hosting celebrations, and travelling.

Calli is survived by her loving daughter and best friend, Cynie; mom, Marlees Carter; dad, Mi-chael Vaughn; two sisters, Lori and Heidi; loving brother, Danny; two half siblings, Kelly and Michael; six nieces and neph-ews, god children and numerous relatives in Switzerland. She was very loved and will be missed by her family and friends, as her smile and gentle soul touched so many lives.

Please come and pray with us at a memorial mass at 1 p.m. on Wed., Dec. 1 at St. Michael's Catholic Church, 458 Maple St., Livermore, followed by a recep-tion to share memories of Calli.

William C. Miller, Jr.Bill, a life-long Livermore

resident, passed away quietly

o n N o v . 18 , 2010 following a brief ill-ness . His w i f e and daughters were by his s i d e . H e was 64.

Born in Hayward on April 7, 1946 to Gertrude and William Miller, both deceased, Bill was an active boy with a love for the outdoors. He was involved in the Boy Scouts. His only sib-ling, Judy Goltz, preceded him in death.

After graduating from Liver-more High School in 1964, he served in the US Navy from 1966 to 1972. He served on the USS Oklahoma while stationed in Japan from 1970 to 1972. In 1970, he was awarded the Good Conduct Award - Electronics Technician Second Class. His wife, JoAnn joined him in Japan. It was while they were there that they welcomed their first daughter Tiffany in 1971. Back in Livermore, in 1976, they welcomed their second daughter, Heidi.

Bill earned an Associates of Arts Degree in computer science from Chabot College in 1980. He retired from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in 2008 after 34 years of employ-ment in the Industrial Electronics Department.

Bill is survived by his wife of

42 years, JoAnn, his daughters Tiffany Miller of Fairfield and Heidi Miller of Livermore, and granddaughter Madalynn Jones, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

An avid train enthusiast, Bill was a member of the Pacific Locomotive Association and enjoyed spending his weekends volunteering at the Niles Canyon Railroad. He was also a member of the Livermore Heritage Guild and Native Sons of the Golden West. He volunteered when his daughters were in 4H and was the leader of the Buena Vista 4H rabbit group.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Mon., Nov. 29 at Callaghan Mortuary, 3833 East Ave., Livermore.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the American Lung Association.

Medicare EnrollmentCongressman Jerry McNerney

(CA-11) reminds seniors that they have until December 31, 2010 to take advantage of the open enrollment pe-riod for Medicare’s prescription drug plans. During the open enrollment period, seniors can choose to enroll in or modify their existing prescrip-tion drug plan.

“Medicare prescription drug plans are an important part of the overall Medicare program and can save seniors money,” continued Rep. McNerney. “I have been a strong supporter of lowering prescription drug prices for our seniors and I will continue advocating for this coverage.”

Seniors can contact the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 24 hours a day at 800-633-4227 or visit http://www.medicare.gov to find out about the costs and coverage levels each plan offers. Prescription drug plans adjust their costs and coverage levels yearly and the open enrollment period is the only time of year seniors can enroll or change their plan.

Residents of the 11th Congres-sional District can contact Rep. McNerney’s Stockton office at 209-476-8552 or Pleasanton office at 925-737-0727 if they have questions about Medicare prescription drug benefits or the open enrollment period.

Winter Camp

Vacationers ages 6-12 can join the fun at Alviso Adobe Community Park in Pleasanton for a winter camp that is all about nature, with some very cool history woven in. Crafts, skills and games are all included. Camp runs Wednesday through Friday, December 29-31 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Call (925) 931-5340 for more information.

Nature ProgramsHoliday Guilt Trip is the topic

of a Sat., Nov. 27 Livermore Area Recreation and Park District ranger program. Meet Ranger Glenn Florey at 10 a.m. at the Wetmore Road en-trance to Sycamore Grove Park.

Eat too much, hike to the top of the hills in Sycamore Grove Park and ease the guilt. Please dress in layers and wear comfortable walking shoes.

Holiday Birds Is the Sun., Nov. 28 program. Meet Ranger Pat Sotelo at 8 a.m. at Veterans Park, 5211 Ar-royo Rd.

At this time of year, we often have birds on our minds – especially the ones that are stuffed, cooked and served with a side of mashed potatoes. Be that as it may, this program will focus (but not feast) on fowl during this stroll through Veterans Park’s bird-rich riparian woodland. This birdwalk will last about two hours. Bring binoculars and field guides, plus there will be a few to lend. Begin-ners are encouraged to attend.

There is a $5 per vehicle parking fee. A $2 donation is requested to help support the programs. Participants may call 925-960-2400 for more information.

Pet SittingA professional pet sitting and dog

walking service, Kelly Cares Pet Sitting, now has service to cover the Livermore, Pleasanton and Dublin area. Kelly Deakin provides care as a pet sitting professional.

Kelly Cares Pet Sitting provides a variety of services for dogs, cats and other household pets, including dog walks, in-home overnight sit-ting, as well as caring for your home including mail pick up and watering of plants.

More information is available by calling (925) 518-3144 or emailing Kdeakin@comcast.net.

Holiday BoutiqueHoliday shoppers seeking an af-

fordable alternative to the mall should head to the ‘Crafty Ladies’ Holiday Boutique on Friday, November 26 and Saturday, November 27 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The boutique will be held in the church hall of All

Saints Church at 911 Dowling Street in San Leandro.

This marks the second year that the ‘Crafty Ladies’ headed by textile artist Pam Blades, have hosted the holiday boutique. “This collective of home artisans offers a broad range of gift items that all feature a very individual look, quality construction, and affordability,” according to Ms. Blades, a graduate of the California College of the Arts in Oakland whose whimsical table runners, blankets, and placemats are designed from fabric that she collects from around the world. Each piece makes a gift of a functional piece of art.

Shoppers will find hand dyed silk scarves, original artwork, jewelry, knit scarves and hats, holiday orna-ments and decorations, handmade gift cards and tags, and food gifts such as homemade limoncello and ‘Herbes de Oakland,' an offshoot of the traditional ‘Herbes de Provence’ made with dried marjoram, thyme, savory, basil, rosemary and sage grown in the Oakland hills.

For more information, please call Pam Blades at (510) 483-4111.

Office OpensTeam 292-SOLD has officially

opened its doors at their new office in Livermore. Team 292-SOLD’s team leader, Tammy Pryor, is well recognized and valued in the world of Real Estate with her dedication to the local, state and national associations regarding real estate.

Pryor and her team strive to bring the most professionalism to the busi-ness and handle each client as though they were a personal friend. Pryor said it’s all about helping clients and being completely honest about the industry.

Team 292-SOLD helps home buy-ers and sellers in the San Francisco East Bay Tri-Valley areas (Livermore, Pleasanton and Dublin to San Ramon, Danville, Alamo and Blackhawk, out to Hayward, Castro Valley and San Leandro).

Team 292-SOLD's new location is at 2602 Old First Street, Livermore.

Mayors' ReportA special one-hour edition of

Tri-Valley Mayors' Report, taped on location at the Martinelli Event Center at Garre Vineyard and Winery in Livermore, will begin airing on Channel 30 on Monday, November 22. Mayors from the cities of Dub-lin, Livermore, Pleasanton, and San Ramon will discuss topical issues relating to the Tri-Valley. The show, which will run for two weeks, will air Monday – Friday at 8 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

“Twice a year, we have the all the mayors on the set together to focus on issues relating to the cities in the Tri-Valley,” said host/producer, Carolyn Siegfried. “Among the top-ics that are discussed include election results, the impact of the passage of various propositions and measures that have an effect on the Tri-Valley as well updates about transportation projects and funding. There is a lot going on in the 580/680 corridor,” Siegfried added.

Appearing on Tri-Valley Mayors' Report are Dublin Mayor Tim Sbranti, Livermore Mayor Marshall Kamena, Pleasanton Vice Mayor Jerry Thorne (filling in for Mayor Jennifer Hoster-man) and San Ramon Mayor Abram Wilson.

For a complete schedule of air dates and times, visit the Tri-Valley TV web site www.trivalleytv.org. In addition, Mayors' Report will be available via Video on Demand at our web site. You can also follow Tri-Val-ley Community TV on Twitter.

Nominations Open for Dublin Awards

The City of Dublin is accepting nominations for the 2010 Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year and Organization of the Year.

The purpose of these awards is to recognize outstanding individuals and groups who have contributed to

the quality of life in Dublin this past year. Nomination criteria for both the Citizen and Young Citizen of the Year Awards are based on the Dublin Pride – Integrity in Action Program’s 10 Characteristics: Responsibil-ity, Respectfulness, Caring, Giving, Positive Attitude, Trustworthiness, Cooperation, Doing One’s Best, Hon-esty, and Self-Discipline. The Young Citizen of the Year recognizes the volunteer service of Dublin’s youth in 1st – 12th grade.

All nominees will be recognized at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 and then invited to attend a recognition event to be held at the Shannon Community Center on Friday, February 18, 2011, where the winners will be announced. The Organization of the Year will receive a $500 cash prize, and a $300 donation will be given to each the Citizen and Youth Citizen of the Year’s favorite non-profit organization.

Nomination can be completed online at the City’s website, www.dublin.ca.gov, or by calling the City Clerk’s Office at (925) 833-6650. The nomination deadline is end of day on Thursday, January 27, 2011.

Toys, Comic Books, Collectibles

Toy Havoc will host the Tri-Val-ley Toy, Comic Book and Collectible Show on December 5, 2010 at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton,

Early bird attendance will be 8 AM – 10 AM with a $10 per person admission; General Admission will be 10:01- 4 PM with $3 adults and $1 children under 12 years of age; fairground parking will be $8 for the show.

Featured guests for the show include Kathy Garver- Best known for her staring role as “Sissy” in CBS Prime Time Television Series “Family Affair;" C. Andrews Nelson – bestknown for having played Darth Vader in the Special Edition re-release for the original Star Wars Trilogy as well as the Rebel Assault II and Dark Force games for Lucas Arts.

This show will have tons of toys, plenty of comic books and collect-ibles that you can complete or start your collection.

Dealer space is still available for the show. For more information, please contact Ed Hussain 209-380-247 / ed@toyhavoc.com or Robert Humes 925-980-5967.

Park ProgramsEast Bay Regional Park District

has a variety of programs planned in the coming weeks:

BACKPACKING – KEEPING WARM IN THE WILDERNESS: Garin Regional Park, 1320 Garin Avenue, Hayward. 10 am, Saturday, December 4 to 3 pm, Sunday, Decem-ber 5 #25619. Overnight backpack adventure teaches comfort in cool weather. Hike 3 miles each day; enjoy green hills and misty valleys hiking through Garin Historical Park and Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Park. Learn survival techniques and how to set up tarp shelters. Enjoy great backpack recipes and campfire cookery. Food provided. 12+yrs. Registration is required. Fee: $74 (non-res. $82)

ARDENWOOD HISTORIC FARM, 34600 ARDENWOOD BLvD., FREMONT.

Varietiey of classes and pro-grams, go to www.ebparks.org for information.

MONARCH BUTTERFLY WALKS: 11 am Saturday, November 27, Sun November 28, and 1:30 pm Saturday, December 11, 18; Join us on a tour of Ardenwood’s monarch butterfly over-wintering site. Search for clusters of butterflies hanging from the branches of eucalyptus trees and learn about the mysterious migra-tion of these majestic insects. These half-mile walks last approximately one hour and are suitable for all ages. Meet at the Granary.

CHRISTMAS AT ARDEN-WOOD: 10 am - 4 pm, Sat and Sunday, December 4 & 5. Celebrate the holiday season in Victorian style! Visit the beautifully decorated Patterson House, sing Christmas carols, search for the Yule log, and visit Father Christmas. Listen to live musical performances and enter our home-made “Christmas Cookie” baking contest (bring your cookies & recipe with you). The day also includes an abundance of Christmas crafts, music, and country kitchen treats. Fee: $8/adults, $6/seniors (62+yrs.), $5/children (4-17 yrs.), children 3 yrs. & under are free.

CHRISTMAS TOURS OF THE PATTERSON HOUSE: Patterson House Staff & Docents; 1 pm, 2 pm & 3 pm, Thu-Friday, December 9-10 & 16-17 11 am, Noon, 1 pm, 2 pm & 3 pm, Sat-Sunday, December 11-12 & 18-19. The Patterson House Museum has been transformed into a Victorian Christmas fantasy. Celebrate the holiday season 1900s style. Enjoy a docent-led tour of the farm’s elegantly decorated centerpiece. Fee: $4/adults & seniors, $3/children (3+yrs.) (plus farm admission).

A CHRISTMAS EVENING

AT THE PATTERSON HOUSE: 5-8:45 pm, Friday, December 10; The Patterson House Museum will be elegantly lit in all of its Victorian splendor! Each room is a journey into Christmas past filled with holiday music and cheer. Tickets are available in advance from www.regerec.com. Fee: $5/adults & seniors, $3/children (3+yrs.) in advance. Tickets also available at the door, $6/adults & seniors, $4/children.

NEW YEAR’S DAY BUTTER-FLY WALKS: 11:30 am and 1:30 pm, Saturday, Jan 1; Start the year off right with an inspiring visit to a monarch butterfly over-wintering site. Discover the amazing migration of these tiny creatures and how they survive the long cold season in our eucalyptus trees. Spotting scopes will be used to view these magnificent creatures up close and personal. Meet at the Granary.

BLACK DIAMOND MINES REGIONAL PRESERVE: 5175 Somersville Road, Antioch.

HAZEL-ATLAS SILICA-SAND MINE TOUR: Various times, week-ends Mar-Nov; Explore the under-ground through a guided tour; learn its history, geology, and the methods used to mine the sandstone. Ninety-minutes, advanced reservation tours are offered 2 p.m., weekends March through November. A 10 a.m. tour is available to groups of ten or more on weekends (not available for on-line registration.) First come first served tours are offered at noon and 3 p.m. 7+yrs. Registration is required for 10 a.m. & 2 p.m. tours. Fee: $3

HAZEL-ATLAS MINE OPEN HOUSE: Noon-4:30 pm, Saturday, November 27; Free self-guided tours will let you explore nearly 1,000 feet of cool underground workings in this restored 1930s-era silica sand mine. This is the last Saturday the mine will be open for the season. 7+yrs

TILDEN REGIONAL PARK BOTANIC GARDEN, BERKE-LEy:

DOCENT-GUIDED GARDEN TOURS: 2 pm Saturdays, 11 am and 2 pm Sundays; Learn about California native plants on free, docent-guided tours at the beautiful, naturalistic, 10-acre Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Regional Park. The garden is located on Wildcat Canyon Road at South Park Drive in Tilden Regional Park (South Park Drive is closed November through March to protect migrating newts). Info: www.nativeplants.org or (510) 544-3169.

THURSDAY MORNING PLANT SALE: If the Regional Parks Botanic Garden is open and it is not pouring rain, the volunteers usually sell plants Thursday mornings between 9-11

a.m.at the potting shed (the Juniper Lodge) through the end of the year. The garden is located on Wildcat Canyon Road at South Park Drive in Tilden Regional Park (South Park Drive is closed November through March to protect migrating newts). Info: www.nativeplants.org or (510) 544-3169.

COyOTE HILLS, Fremont. OPEN HOUSE AND GIFT

EXTRAVAGANZA: 11 am - 3 pm, Friday, November 26; Make na-ture-themed gift cards and stocking stuffers; enjoy hot, spiced apple cider and handmade treats; or participate in an insider’s tour of our facility and its exhibits. Watch wildlife videos and join in exhibit-based scavenger hunts with special prizes! Enter the raffles at noon, 1, 2, and 3 p.m. Unique gift items will be on sale in our Visitor Center.

OHLONE VILLAGE SITE OPEN HOUSE: 10 am - noon; 1-4 pm, Saturday, November 27; Visit a more than 2,000-year-old Ohlone vil-lage site where you’ll be introduced to the beauty and vibrancy of Ohlone cultures past to present. Enjoy cultural demonstrations. Meet at Tuibun Vil-lage Site. Disabled accessibility can be arranged with prior notification; call (510) 544-3220 or email chvisit@ebparks.org

OHLONE VILLAGE SITE WORKDAY: 10 am - 3 pm, Sunday, November 28 #25436; Help prepare a more-than-2,000-year-old village site for winter storms by repairing and replacing structural elements on reconstructed house frameworks, and cleaning and weeding the site. Snacks, water, soda, gloves, tools and a presentation about the site’s significance provided. 12+yrs. Reg-istration is required.

HOMEMADE HOLIDAY: 11 am - 3 pm, Saturday, December 11 Come get crafty and make handmade gifts for your loved ones! We’ll use both new and recycled materials to create gift tags, soap, crocheted bowls and more – good for Earth and heart! Par-ent participation is required. 8+yrs. Fee: donation of $3 per project

SUNOL REGIONAL WIL-DERNESS

M O O N - O F - T H E - L O N G -NIGHT LUNAR ECLIPSE LUNA-CY HIKE: 10pm - 12:15 am, Monday, December 20 # 25523; Celebrate the cosmic coincidence of a lunar eclipse on (nearly) the winter solstice! Take a short hike on a long night and watch the full moon bloom red at midnight! Registration is required.

NEW YEAR’S EVE FLAG HILL HIKE: 3:30 - 7pm, Friday, December 31; Bundle up to toast the New Year!

Catch the jolly good sunset from the top of Flag Hill and nature’s hoopla on the way down. Bring a trail dinner. Funny hats provided. 7+yrs

OTHER PARKS:MONDAY BIRDING: 9 - 11:30

am, Monday, November 29, De-cember 6; Easy birding walks of about two miles, mostly flat terrain. November 15: Sunol. Meet at the Green Barn. Sunol Regional Wilder-ness Southeast end of Geary Road, Sunol, CA 94586. November 29: Lake Del Valle. Meet at the Marina. DEL VALLE REGIONAL PARK , 7000 Del Valle Road, Livermore, CA 94550. December 6: Shadow Cliffs. Information: (510) 544-3249. Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area, 2500 Stanley Boulevard, Pleas-anton, CA 94566

WEDNESDAY WALK: Discover the natural and human history of our beautiful parklands and improve your health on a fast-paced hike. Hikers of all ages and abilities are welcome. Wear sturdy footwear, bring water and dress for the weather - we walk rain or shine. Hikes begin at 9:30 a.m. For a flyer with more information, please call (510)544-3282 or check the hiking page at www.ebparks.org. December 1–Coyote Hills: A moder-ate hike on the Meadowlark trail at the edge of the marsh. Meet at the Visitor Center parking lot.

COYOTE HILLS REGIONAL PARK , 8000 Patterson Ranch Road, Fremont. December 15–Garin/Dry Creek: A moderate three and one half-mile hike along the creek, followed by a potluck lunch. Meet at the Barn. Garin Regional Park, 1320 Garin Avenue, Hayward. De-cember 29–Mission Peak: Round out the year with a very strenuous eight-mile climb up the east side of this landmark. We’ll begin at Sunol Regional Wilderness.

VASCO CAVES REGIONAL PRESERVE TOUR: 9 am - 2 pm, December 4 #25484, December 18 #25487; 9 am - 2 pm, Sunday, Decem-ber 5 #25485, December 12 #25486 9 am - 2 pm, Wednesday, December 29 #25489. This is habitat for eagles and various nesting and migrating rap-tors hunting bountiful prey in robust restored grasslands. Archaeological sites contain Indian rock art, part of a complex reaching back nearly 10,000 years. This Preserve is accessible through guided tours only, staging from Round Valley Regional Pre-serve aboard District-provided bus transportation. 10+yrs. Registration is required. Fee: $30 (non-res. $34). Round Valley address: 19450 Marsh Creek Road, Brentwood, CA. Contact EBRPD for meeting point.

Although these incidents are rare, residents are reminded that they do occur in rural surround-ings, particularly in areas that are adjacent to open space. Caution must be exercised if a mountain lion is spotted and the Police Department should be notified immediately by calling (925) 931-5100, or 911 if the sighting involves imminent danger.

The Pleasanton Police Depart-ment offers the following rec-ommendations to ensure public safety:

• Avoid hiking or jogging alone in parklands or rural areas. Mountain lions in particular, are most active during the early morning, evening, and nighttime hours.

• Never approach a mountain lion. If confronted by one, do not run! Instead, face the animal, stand upright, wave your arms, and make noise in an effort to scare the animal off.

• Do not feed deer; it is illegal in California and doing so attracts mountain lions.

• Deer-proof landscaping by avoiding plants that deer like to eat.

• Trim brush to reduce hiding places for mountain lions.

• Install motion-sensitive lighting around the house.

• Don’t allow pets outside dur-ing times when mountain lions are most active, dawn, dusk, and at night.

• Bring pet food inside to avoid attracting raccoons, opos-sum, and other potential moun-tain lion prey.

Mountain lions are more like-ly to avoid people and retreat into rural areas in most instances.

For further information, please visit the City of Pleasanton web-site at www.ci.pleasanton.ca.us and click on the Police Services tab. For specific information about mountain lion sightings and encounters, please visit the California Department of Fish and Game website at www.dfg.ca.gov/news/issues/lion, or www.dfg.ca.gov/keepmewild/docs/li-onbrochure.pdf.

LION(continued from page one)

PAGE 10 - The Independent, NOVEMBER 25, 2010

LEGAL NOTICESFOR INFORMATION

PLACING LEGAL NOTICES

CONTACT BARBARA @ 925 243-8000

FICTITIOUS BUSINESSNAME STATEMENT

FILE NO. 444473The following person(s) doing business as:The Bracelet Bar, 252 Main St., Pleasanton Ca 94566 is hereby registered by the following owner(s):Nancy K. McKain, 94 Wind-ward Common Unit 2, Liver-more Ca 94551This business is conducted by:an IndividualThe registrant began to trans-act business under the ficti-tious business name (s) listed above on May 1, 2010Signature of Registrant:/s/:Nancy K. McKainThis statement was filed with the County Clerk of Alameda on November 1, 2010. Ex-pires November 1, 2015.The Independent Legal No. 2890. Publish November 11, 18, 25, December 2, 2010.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESSNAME STATEMENT

FILE NO. 444391The following person(s) do-ing business as:BR Travel Services, 211 Wildrose Com-mons #6, Livermore Ca 94551 is hereby registered by the following owner(s):Barbara Ann Roby, 211 Wil-drose Commons #6, Liver-more Ca 94551

This business is conducted by:an IndividualThe registrant began to trans-act business under the ficti-tious business name (s) listed above on October 12, 2010Signature of Registrant:/s/:Barbara Ann RobyThis statement was filed with the County Clerk of Alameda on October 28, 2010. Expires October 28, 2015.The Independent Legal No. 2893. Publish November 18, 25, December 2, 9, 2010.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESSNAME STATEMENT

FILE NO. 444824The following person(s) doing business as:Sunshine Natural Products, 819 Rincon Ave., Livermore Ca 94551 is hereby registered by the following owner(s):Maria Lourdes Rodriguez, 3636 Montrose Pl., Livermore Ca 94551Hector Rodriguez, 3636 Montrose Pl., Livermore Ca 94551This business is conducted by:Husband and wifeThe registrant began to transact business under the fictitious business name (s) listed above on September 20, 1995Signature of Registrant:/s/:Maria Lourdes RodriguezThis statement was filed with the County Clerk of Alameda on November 19, 2010. Ex-pires November 19, 2015.The Independent Legal No. 2894. Publish November 18, 25, December 2, 9, 2010.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESSNAME STATEMENT

FILE NO. 444688The following person(s) do-ing business as:JC Nails SPA, 4555 Hopyard Rd. Ste C9, Pleasanton Ca 94588 is hereby registered by the following owner(s):Van NGO, 6237 Wade Ct., Pleasanton Ca 94588This business is conducted by:an IndividualThe registrant began to transact business under the fictitious business name (s) listed above on November 5, 2010Signature of Registrant:/s/:Van NGOThis statement was filed with the County Clerk of Alameda on November 5, 2010. Ex-pires November 5, 2015.The Independent Legal No. 2896. Publish November 25, December 2, 9, 16, 2010.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESSNAME STATEMENT

FILE NO. 445057-445058The following person(s) doing business as:1)Apoyo Re-search, 2)Apoyo Soft, 4451 Arabian Rd., Livermore Ca 94551 is hereby registered by the following owner(s):Rodin Porrata, 4451 Arabian Rd., Livermore Ca 94551This business is conducted by:an IndividualRegistrant has not yet begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed.Signature of Registrant:/s/:Rodin Porrata

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Alameda on November 18, 2010. Ex-pires November 18, 2015.The Independent Legal No. 2897. Publish November 25, December 2, 9, 16, 2010.

NOTICE OF INVITING BIDSNotice is hereby given that sealed competitive bids will be accepted in the office of the GSA-Purchasing Depart-ment, County of Alameda, 1401 Lakeside Drive, Suite 907, Oakland, CA 94612 NETWORkING/NORTH COUNTY BIDDERS CON-FERENCE RFQ #900788 for Electric Vehicle – Nissan Leaf, Wednesday, Decem-ber 08, 2010, 10:00 a.m. – General Services Agency, 1401 Lakeside Drive, 11th Floor, Room 1107, Oakland,

CA NETWORkING/SOUTH COUNTY BIDDERS CON-FERENCE RFQ #900788 for Electric Vehicle – Nissan Leaf, Thursday, December 09, 2010, 2:00 p.m. – Dub-lin Public Library, 200 Civic Plaza, The Program Room, Dublin, CA Responses Due by 2:00 pm on January 14, 2011 County Contact: Ev-elyn Benzon (510) 208-9622 or via email: evelyn.ben-zon@acgov.org Attendance at Networking Conference is Non-mandatory. Information regarding the above may be obtained at the Alameda County Current Contracting Opportunities Internet website at www.acgov.org.11/25/10CNS-1990938#The Independent Legal No. 2895. Publish November 25, 2010

ANIMALS2) CATS/DOGS

ADOPT A DOG OR CAT, for adoption information contact Valley Humane Society at 925 426-8656.

Adopt a new best friend: TVAR, the Tri-Valley Animal Rescue, offers animals for adoption every Saturday and Sunday, excluding most holi-days. Saturdays from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm, dogs and cats are available at the Pleas-anton Farmers Market at W. Angela and First Streets. Two locations will showcase cats only: Petsmart in Dublin noon to 4 and the Pet Food Express in Livermore 1 to 4. Sundays, cats are at Petsmart in Dublin 1 to 4, and PetCo in San Ramon 11 to 3. TVAR at (925) 803-7043 or visit our website at www.tvar.org.

FOUND AN ANIMAL? FREE SECTION. Call

Barbara 925 243-8000 to let 33,000 households know!

6)LOST

LOST A FAMILY PET? FREE SECTION. Call Barbara 925 243-8000.

AUTOMOTIVE10)AUTOS WANTED

DONATE YOUR CAR: Children’s Cancer Fund! Help Save A Child’s Life Through Research & Support! Free Vacation Package. Fast, Easy & Tax Deductible. Call 1-800-252-0615. (CAL*SCAN)

DONATE VEHICLE: RE-CEIVE $1000 Grocery Cou-pon. Your Choice. Noahs Arc - No Kill Animal Shelters. Advance Veterinary Treat-ments. Free Towing, IRS Tax Deductible, Non-Runners. 1-866-912-GIVE. (CAL*SCAN)

LEGAL NOTICES/CLASSIFIEDS www.independentnews.com

difficult, because agricultural water contracts evolved from the 1960’s, when the South Bay Aqueduct (SBA) started deliver-ing water to the Valley. “Now it’s hard to come in, and try to put a structure around these historical relationships that developed.”

Most of the 8129 acre feet of Zone 7’s untreated water goes to the small, family operated vine-yards in South Livermore, and the two major wineries, Wente Vineyards and The Wine Group, owners of Concannon Vineyard.

Other rural contractors in-clude the City of Livermore, which uses its entire allotment of untreated water to irrigate the Springtown golf course, and the Altamont Landfill, which uses water to settle the daily dust of its operation.

Seven of the contractors have direct turnouts from the SBA. They are Livermore, the landfill, Wente, the Wine Group, Alameda County, the Norman family prop-erty, and Signature-Ruby Hills.

The others are subcontractors tied into distribution systems from some of the seven turnout contractors. Wente Vineyards alone has 40 subcontractors to whom it wheels water.

The State Department of Wa-ter Resources (DWR) bills Zone 7 for water taken at the SBA turnouts. In turn, Zone 7 bills the seven turnout contractors. Any of those seven who are wheeling water to other users collect the small users’ shares as reimburse-ment on the bill from Zone 7.

The arrangement with the small users, many of whom are

South Livermore winegrowers, is a straight pass-through of the water cost. The contractors don’t make a profit off the wheel-ing. However, the turnout firms may charge for the overhead necessary to deliver the water to the small customers. Overhead involves such things as electric-ity for pumping the water and maintenance of machinery to deliver the water.

Jarnail Chahal, a principal engineer at Zone 7, said that all 72 untreated water subscribers are contacted annually, and asked how much water they will need for the coming year. They cannot take more than their contractual amount. If they use less, they pay only for amount used.

The price is determined each year, because the cost of the wa-ter from the state Department of Water Resources fluctuates each year. Past reports have shown that typically it might cost about $100 per acre foot, but can be more or less in a given year. Treated water for urban use is much higher, go-ing now for approximately $900 per acre foot, which is the price that Zone 7 charges the Valley’s four water retailers.

An acre foot is the amount of water that would cover one acre to a depth of one foot. In urban terms, it can support two households for one year. In agri-cultural terms, it takes about 1.5 acre feet to irrigate an acre of certain varieties of grapes with water-conserving drip irrigation, but more than that if spray irriga-tion is used.

The Livermore City Council endorsed staff recommendations for the recycled water master plan update conceptual alterna-tives and screening criteria.

The council added several criteria of its own.

The city is in the process of creating a two-phase recycled water master plan. The goal is to identify an implementable, long-term action plan to reduce existing potable water use by supplying recycled water when appropriate and to expand the recycled water system. The plan would also optimize the exist-ing and future recycled water system.

Phase one of the process will establish conceptual alternatives and screening criteria.

Screening will be used to rank the conceptual alteratives as to their ability to achieve the city’s goals for the use of recycled water. In phase 2, the three most viable alternatives will be studied

ZONE 7(continued from page one)

in detail and an implementation strategy will be developed.

The concepts are all midterm to long-term projects that could be altered, delayed or cancelled. The city is looking at ten alter-natives.

The first would maximize use in the existing recycled system. Alternatives 2 to 7 would ex-pand the use of recycled water throughout the city boundar-ies and adjacent communities. Routes considered in these op-tions include Ruby Hill, North Livermore, Springtown, Cal Water East, Cal Water South, and southeast Livermore vineyards.

Options 8 to 10 would de-velop a satellite recycled water facility, groundwater recharge, and potential regional water trades/transfers.

Criteria include looking a potential recycled water demand within each alternative. Ease of implementation operational im-pacts and preservation of open

space are other criteria. Alter-natives preserving more acres as agricultural or open space would receive higher ranks under criteria 5.

Other criteria look at potable water offset, potential funding, and untreated water offset among others.

Councilmember John March-and, president of the Tri-Val-ley Water Retailers, suggested that recycled water in North Livermore be used only for ag-ricultural purposes. He said any alternative should make sure that the groundwater is protected. He proposed that stream recharge be used as opposed to direct injec-tion; that would provide environ-mental enhancement by allowing year-round stream flow.

Marchand also said that the city should work with Zone 7 to coordinate storage opportuni-ties.

One of the benefits of using recycled water is the reduction in

cost of pumping the water to the Bay via the Livermore Amador Water Management Agency pipe-line, declared Marchand. That will save the city money.

AIRPORT LEASEThe council approved a plan

to negotiate a ground lease for corporate hangars at the Liver-more Airport with Tri-Valley Aviation, LLC. The agreement would include phased construc-tion of corporate hangars.

Asked what type of planes would be placed in the hangars, airport manager Leander Hauri replied, “There will be medium size corporate aircraft that are already on the field, as well as stage 3 quieter aircraft (jets).”

The proposal is for construc-tion of six hangar units in two buildings.

vICE MAyORJohn Marchand was appointed

to serve as vice mayor. He re-places Doug Horner, who took on the role of vice mayor over the last year.

Livermore Updating Recycled Water Plan

to pay down out debt, repair and improve the infrastructure, and provide for the common good, all peaceful measures. Concentrat-ing on peaceful means creates a far better chance for peace than does an aggressive and expensive military.

ResponseGordon EggersFormer Marine2nd vice CommanderPost # 47 American Legion

In respose to the Nov. 18, 2010 entry about "Voting" by Terrence Sullins: He complained about a poll worker violating his "civil rights" when he clearly was commiting a gross violation of the Federal Flag Law which states that the US Flag is to be flown, hung, draped, etc. but not as an article of clothing! The poll worker obviously tried to get Mr. Sullins to surender his ballot, it is not legal to vote while committing a crime. Mr. Sullins--you owe that poll worker an apology--in fact--you owe us all an apology. I honor you for your prior service, you were wrong on this.

On a different note, the new theatre proposed by the city council is truly an indifferent project. We have a new theatre already (Bankhead). We should take that land, approx. 100,000 sq.ft. lot and build a " Boys & Girls Club"--two story conc-trete and steel building approx. 150,000 sq.ft. to contain various workshops for plastics, wood-working, metal fab and motor vehicle areas, complete kitchen for general usage and cooking instruction, computer labs, class-rooms for general education ( teachers - real easy to find-tons

of people that just want to share their knowledge, paid by cof-fee and donuts) general offices, storage--plenty of parking there already--let's get the kids off the street and into a place to play, learn, and grow to be model citi-zens and not drug, gang, violent offenders we see all too often.

Extra areas outside for various outdoor games and instruction outdoors(want to learn about landscaping? How to shops?). Adults also--it's a real drag to sign up at Las Positas for one class of CAD/CAM, or just im-prove your language skills--we could build and equip the "Boys & Girls building for 1/10th the costs previously stated" use the remaining funds for other projects, such as restoring the Springtown Library, fire stations, schools, new city personnel as firefighters, police, out-patient clinics,parking structures for the proposed BART station and the list goes on.

Voting RightsSean LovensLivermore

After reading Terrence Sul-lins' "Voting" Mailbox letter (11/18/10), I was disappointed to hear about his experience on election day at the Lomitas Ave polling place. A poll worker asked him to turn in is ballot because of the "Proud Tea Party Patriot" shirt he was wearing. He eventually cast his ballot without incident. I am not a poll worker and without knowing the full story, my guess is the worker overstepped the interpretation of CEC § 18370 which states people shall not do "electioneering with-in 100 feet of a polling place." This is an unfortunate incident and I'm sorry Mr. Sullins feels his

civil rights were violated. What is very telling though about his complaint is the assumption that the poll worker is a "liberal." Did Mr Sullins see other voters wear-ing similar "liberal" clothing not being harassed? I'm curious how Mr. Sullins deduced this worker was a liberal in the first place? I would encourage Mr. Sullins to sign up to work the polls in the next election. Then he will be able to ensure all citizens are allowed to vote without harass-ment and all poll rules are applied equally.

As a side note, as an Atheist I'm curious if Mr. Sullins thinks my civil rights are being violated by forcing me to cast my ballot on church property? The Lomi-tas Ave polling place is also my polling place and is located at the Saint Charles Borromeo Catholic Church. Whatever happened to schools and public buildings serving as our polling places?

Reconsider DecisionsBarbara HickmanLivermore

At last Monday's Livermore City Council meeting there were so many people to speak at the Citizens Forum that Mayor Ka-mena lowered the limit for each speaker from three minutes to two minutes. Since I'd prepared a three-minute piece, I wasn't able to say it all. Here is what I'd planned to say, in full:

I consider all of you friends, or perhaps former friends, so I feel I can be honest with you all. You guys are really messing up. What are you thinking?! First you take away the library from the folks in Springtown. I know, you gave back one day a week, but that's not much of a compro-mise. I understand the need to cut expenses, but I don't understand why you chose to cut library ser-vice. You're all educated people, so you know that reading isn't an option in life - everyone needs to read, and you've taken away the opportunity for many of those Springtown residents. Sure, they can take a bus to the main library if they need to do research for a school paper on any day but Tuesday. But taking a bus isn't easy. Have any of you taken a bus from Springtown to the main library? You've been very unfair to those people. Please reconsider your decision on that.

Next, you decided that BART should run through our down-town, thereby lowering prop-

erty values for a large number of people. I don't want BART downtown and you all do, so I lost that one. But when it was pointed out that because of your decision many people are left in the very bad position of owning a home that you've made essen-tially worthless, it was obvious that you hadn't thought ahead.

Those people in the BART route area can't sell their homes because no one will buy a house knowing BART is coming, so the value will go down. Then, in 10, 15, maybe 20 years BART will take those homes through emi-nent domain, giving the owners current-market-value, which by then will be near nothing. These people will be left with no home and no money to buy another. Those that aren't in the path of BART won't even be bought out by eminent domain; their prop-erty values will diminish because BART trains will be roaring past their neighborhoods, causing noise and shaking many times each day.

If any of you lived in that area you wouldn't have been so quick to approve BART to downtown, would you? Put yourselves in their position; what would you do if the City Council had done that to you? Again, please recon-sider your decision on BART to downtown.

And lastly, you all know that I'm not against the regional theater; I think it would be fine. I do object to it being 9-stories tall, when it doesn't have to be; that's my objection. But I can't believe that you're considering risking the city's General Fund to provide collateral for the LVPAC loan for the theater. I can't believe that they've asked you to do this, especially after promising they wouldn't! If banks and loan companies won't take the risk, it must be a bad investment, so why would you even consider it? This is such an inane idea! You're all mature, responsible adults. Please don't risk our city's financial future on this one project. Please come back with a resounding "no" to this unreasonable request!

Please take some time to think before you make these important decisions for our city. We might not be among those who put up the money to get you elected, but we're the ones who voted for you. Don't make us regret that.

keep BART on 580Kevin Ellis

LivermoreAs a 27 year Livermore resi-

dent, I have watched Livermore develop from a suburban bed-room on the outskirts of the Bay Area into a spectacular community of wineries with a beautiful downtown and many parks, including Lake Del Val, while managing to keep its small town flavor. For these reasons, I am against bringing BART to the downtown area. Specifically, bringing BART into the heart of our City will:

Turn Livermore into a Re-gional commuter hub with thou-sands of people using it to reach the trains every week day

Result in an enormous vol-ume of traffic over city streets as people comb the apparently limited parking being planned

(continued from page 4) for the downtown station Bring increased crime directly

into the heart of LivermoreCost an estimated extra $2.71

billion dollars over the cost of a single station on 580 median at grade to Isabel The difference is paid by taxpayers regardless of the agency and branch of govern-ment that funds

Increase noise levels in and around Livermore where the trains run above ground.

Disrupt neighborhoods and businesses over large areas for six years as the underground section is built.

Place an unsightly rail yard adjacent to 1st Street

A new Livermore BART sta-tion will primarily serve people who live in the Central Valley. Keep BART on 580.

The City of Dublin is honored to be hosting this year’s Sentinels of Freedom Welcome Home Cer-emony and Reception.

This year’s event will take place on Monday, December 27, 2010, at 5:30 p.m. in the Com-munity Room of the Dublin Li-brary located at 200 Civic Plaza in Dublin.

The event will honor all cur-rent military personnel who are home on holiday leave who reside in Dublin, Danville, San Ramon, Blackhawk or Alamo.

Dublin Mayor Tim Sbranti will be in attendance to honor these deserving troops, as will representatives from the Town

of Danville and the City of San Ramon. There will be a short program with a Proclamation of Special Recognition presented to each of the honorees, followed by a reception of coffee and cookies. The public is invited to attend to honor the troops.

All those families who have military serving from these areas are encouraged to submit an In-formation Request Form.

Forms may be submitted on-line at the City of Dublin website www.dublin.ca.gov, obtained by contacting the City Manager’s Office at 833-6650, patricia.parks@dublin.ca.gov (for Dublin residents) or contact the City for more information.

Dublin to Host Sentinels Of Freedom Ceremony

The Livermore Public Library invites teens and adults to meet San Francisco herstorian and author, Trina Robbins. This free event takes place on Sunday, December 5, 2010 from 2:00-3:30 pm, in the Craft Room of the Civic Center Library.

Trina has been writing adult and teen books and comics for over thirty years. She will talk about her career and most recent and soon to be released young adult graphic novel series, The Chicagoland Detective Agency, answer questions and sign books that will be available for pur-

chase.Trina’s vintage style, exten-

sive research into the history of women in comics and San Francisco life-style is clearly identifiable throughout her many works.

This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Livermore Library.

The library is located at 1188 So. Livermore Ave. For further information, please visit TEEN SPACE on the library’s website: www.livermore.lib.ca.us or call Sandy at 373-5504.

Teens Invited to Meet 'Detective Agency' Author

The Independent, NOVEMBER 25, 2010 - PAGE 11

SELL YOUR USED CAR HERE. Call Barbara at 925-243-8000

0R www.independent-news.com Pay by Credit

Card for any Classified or Display ads.

EMPLOYMENT56) ADULT CARE

CAREGIVERS NEEDED for elder care. Light housekeeping er-

rands transportation meal prep personal care. Please

fax resume 925 371-8118

60) BUSINESS OPPORTUNITYBE WARY of out of area companies. Check with the local Better Business Bureau before you send any money or fees. Read and understand any contracts before you sign. Shop around for rates.

71) HELP WANTED

INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS WANTED

for Senior Home Health Care Must Have

Experience Senior Solutions, Inc.

925 443-3101

EMT FREE TRAINING plus pay, benefits, vacation, regu-lar raises. HS grads 17-34. Help others. Gain financial security. Call Mon-Fri 1-800-345-6289. (CAL*SCAN)

ABLE TO TRAVEL. Hiring 8 people. No experience necessary. Transportation & Lodging furnished. Paid training. Work and travel entire USA. Start today. www.ProtekChemical.com 1-208-590-0365. (CAL*SCAN)

TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD call Barbara 925 243-8000

or go on-line at www.independentnews.com Also available pay by Credit Card for Classified and Display Ads.

72) HELP WANTED/DRIVERS

Company Drivers (Solos & Hazmat Teams) *GREAT PAY * GREAT MILES * CDL-A Required. We also have dedicated & regional positions available. Call 866-789-8947. Swift (CAL*SCAN)

Company Drivers (Solos & Hazmat Teams) *GREAT PAY *GREAT MILES *CDL-A Required. We also have dedicated & regional positions available. Call: 866-448-1055 SWIFT. (CAL*SCAN)

REGIONAL CDL DRIVERS NEEDED! Gordon Trucking, Inc. Sign on bonus in some areas! Current Openings on our NCA Fleet. Home weekly available! Consistent Miles & Time off! Full Benefits, 401k. We have lots of Freight! www.TeamGTI.com 1-888-832-6484 EOE. (CAL*SCAN)

CLASSIFIEDS

**************Reaches

33,000 HomesDirect mail

toLivermore, Dublin,

Pleasanton & SunolCall Barbara925 243-8000

76)HELP WANTED/SALES

TRAVEL, WORk, PARTY, PLAY! Now hiring 18-24 guys/gals for exciting travel job. 2 wk pd. training. Hotel/Transportation provided. Re-turn guaranteed. Call today/start today. 877-724-3713. (CAL*SCAN)

Available to Travel? Earn Above Average $$$ Selling with Fun Successful Business Group. No Experience Neces-sary. Paid Training. Lodging, Transportation Provided. 1-877-646-5050. (CAL*SCAN)

MERCHANDISE109 )EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

NEW Norwood SAWMILLS-LumberMate-Pro handles logs 34” diameter, mil ls boards 28” wide. Automated quick-cycle-sawing increases efficiency up to 40%! www.NorwoodSawmills.com/300N 1-800-661-7746 ext 300N. (CAL*SCAN)

115)ESTATE/GARAGE/YARD SALES

RAIN OR SHINE! Call Bar-bara 925-243-8000 or go to www.independentnews.com before 8am Tuesdays to get your ad in for the next edition.

118) FREE/GIVEAWAY

GOT OLD JUNkFREE/GIVEAWAY

SECTIONCall 925 243-8000 Barbara

125)HOUSEHOLD GOODS

Place your household items here for sale. Call 925 243-8000 or

go on-line at www.independentnews.com Also you can pay by Credit Card for Classified

and Display Ads.

127) LOST/FOUND

LOST or FOUND AN ITEMFREE SECTION

Call Barbara 925 243-8000

143)WANTED TO BUY

WANTED DIABETIC TEST STRIPS. Cash Paid. Un-opened, Unexpired Boxes Only. All Brands Consid-ered. Help others, don’t throw boxes away. For more infor-mation, Call 888-491-1168. (CAL*SCAN)

NOTICES/ANNOUNCEMENTS 155)NOTICES

“NOTICE TO READERS: California law requires that contractors taking jobs that to-tal $500 or more (labor and/or materials) be licensed by the Contractors State License Board. State law also requires that contractors include their license numbers on all adver-tising. Check your contractor’s status at www.cslb.ca.gov or800-321-CSLB (2752). Un-licensed persons taking jobs less than $500 must state in their advertisements that they are not licensed by the Contractors State License Board.”

REAL ESTATEThe Federal Fair Housing Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and state law prohibit advertisements for housing and employment that contain any preference, limitation or discrimination based on protected classes, including race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin. IVPC does not knowingly accept any advertisements that are in violation of the law.

157)APT/DUPLEX/HOUSE/RENTALS

GOT A HOUSE FOR RENT? Let the 33,000 households/businesses that receive the Independent know about it. To place an ad go to www.in-dependentnews.com or call Barbara at 925 243-8000

160)BOAT/RV and RETAIL

LOOkING FOR RETAIL OR

STORAGE SPACE?Great Location Off Hwy 580

On Kitty Hawk RoadFor Details Email:

Pmatharu@lagmail.net

162)HOMES FOR SALE

70+ CALIFORNIA bank-owned homes sell ing by auction November 29th - December 4th. Don’t miss this sale! Get all the details at www.CaHouseAuction.com or call 1-866-504-0811. (CAL*SCAN)

By Advertising with The In-dependent, you can reach over 33,000 homes and busi-nesses with your message. To place an ad, please call Barbara at 925 243-8000

165) HOUSE/ROOMS/RENT-ALS TO SHARE

RENT YOUR EMPTY LIV-ING SPACE Advertise with The Independent rand reach over 33,000 homes and busi-nesses with your message. Call Barbara 925 243-8000

172)LOTS & ACREAGE/OUT OF STATE

By Advertising with The In-dependent, you can reach over 33,000 homes and busi-nesses with your message. To place an ad, please call Barbara at 925 243-8000

SERVICES

177)BUSINESS SERVICES

ADVERTISE YOUR HOME, property or business for sale in 240 California newspapers. Reach over 6 million readers for ONLY $550! Call this newspaper or visit: www.CAL-SCAN.com (CAL*SCAN)

ADVERTISE YOUR JOB Opening in 240 California newspapers. Reach over 6 million readers for ONLY $550! Call this newspaper or visit: www.Cal-SCAN.com (CAL*SCAN)

DISPLAY ADVERTISING in 140 Cal-SCAN newspapers statewide for $1,550! Reach over 3 million Californians! FREE email brochure. Call (916) 288-6019. www.Cal-SCAN.com (CAL*SCAN)

181)FINANCIAL SERVICES

CASH NOW! Cash for your structures settlement or annu-ity payments. Call J.G. Wen-tworth. 1-866-SETTLEMENT (1-866-738-8536). Rated A+ by the Better Business Bu-reau. (CAL*SCAN)

NEED CASH NOW? Did you carry back a NOTE for prop-erty sold? We buy NOTES secured by Real Estate, Top $ Offer! Call for a Free Quote Today! 408-234-2354. (CAL*SCAN)

Do You Receive Payments On A NOTE? NEED CASH NOW? Full & Partial Buy-Outs. Call Safeway Capital Toll-Free 866-241-9922. (CAL*SCAN)

185)SCHOOLS/EDUCATION

HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA! Graduate in 4 weeks! FREE Brochure. Call Now! 1-866-562-3650 ext. 60 www.S o u t h E a s t e r n H S . c o m (CAL*SCAN)ATTEND COLLEGE ONLINE from Home. *Medical, *Busi-ness, *Paralegal, *Criminal Justice. Job placement as-

sistance. Computer avail-able. Financial Aid if quali-fied. SCHEV certified. Call 888-210-5162 www.Centura.us.com (CAL*SCAN)

195)TIMESHARES/RESORTS

SELL/RENT Your TIME-SHARE For CASH!!! Our Guaranteed Services will Sell/Rent Your Unused Timeshare for CASH! Over $78 Million Dollars offered in 2009! www.SellaTimeshare.com (877) 554-2098 (CAL*SCAN)

200)TRAVEL/VACATIONS

All inclusive guided 10-day tour COSTA RICA only $995 plus taxes and fees. A f fo rdab le tou rs s ince 1952. FREE 28-page bro-c h u r e . 1 - 8 0 0 - C a r a v a n o r C a r a v a n T o u r s . c o m (CAL*SCAN)

LEGAL NOTICES/CLASSIFIEDSwww.independentnews.com

What Is There to Be Thankful For?By Cher Wollard

Despite gloomy headlines, there is much to be grateful for in the current housing market.

The latest figures from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development show continued signs of stabilization. (See www.hud.gov/scorecard).

And the local market is looking even better than the national scene.So this Thanksgiving, here are 10 Real Estate Reasons to Give

Thanks:1. The market is normal.Home prices have stopped declining this past year – in fact, Bay Area

prices are up. Nationally, homeowners added $95 billion in home equity in the second quarter of this year.

New housing starts for single family homes have held steady for several months. The National Association of Home Builders Housing reports more prospective buyers are looking at new homes.

And the quality of that traffic seems to be getting better,” said NAHB Chairman Bob Jones. “Meaning that more people appear to be serious about buying in the near future.”

As for Livermore, 273 resale homes were on the market at the begin-ning of this week. The average time on market is currently about 43 days. This looks pretty normal.

Of course, many of those listings are short sales or bank-owned, and more foreclosed properties may be headed to the market. But we are well past the Big Stall of 2008, when twice as many properties were on the market for nearly twice as long.

Nor are we anywhere near the Crazy Days of 2004-07, when we dipped below 50 homes on the market and everything sold so fast no one had time to think. In contrast, this looks like a market to be thank-ful for.

2. Interest rates are at 60-year lows. Interest rates on mortgages at the lowest point since the National

Association of Realtors started tracking them.That’s good news for buyers, as well as folks who have equity in their

homes and are looking to refinance. HUD reports 8.3 million homeowners have refinanced into low-cost loans since April 2009.

That’s an estimated $15.2 billion in annual borrower savings to be grateful for.

3. Affordability remains highAccording to the California Association of Realtors Affordability

Index, more first-time home buyers can afford to purchase an entry-level home in the state now than last quarter, or even than last year.

The Index hit 66 percent in the third quarter of 2010, up from 64 percent a year earlier.

”With interest rates at historic lows, which have led to lower monthly mortgage payments, affordability continues to remain at near record-high levels in California,” said C.A.R. President Beth L. Peerce.

Even the Bay Area – always the least affordable region in the state – has a current affordability index of 51, about double the low point in 2006.

4. Foreclosures are down. Nationally, foreclosure filings were down 4.39 percent in October

from the previous month and down 0.04 percent from the year before, according to RealtyTrac ‘s U.S. Foreclosure Market Report.

That decline may be due in part to the freeze caused by the “robo signing scandal.”

But in California, the change appears more dramatic and sustained. Foreclosures fell nearly 12 percent between September and October, and were down more than 22 percent from the year before.

Part of this trend may be due to the new Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program and the improved Home Affordable Mortgage Program designed to assist struggling homeowners.

HAMP provides incentives for lenders to modify mortgages of ho-meowners in danger of foreclosure. The program had a rocky start, but between April 2009 and the end of August, 3.73 million modification arrangements were initiated.

HAFA, in effect April 5, 2010, through Dec. 31, 2012, is designed to streamline the process of getting lender approval for short sales or deed-in-lieu as viable alternatives to foreclosures.

Reducing foreclosures gives homeowners, lenders and the community reason to be grateful.

5. VA benefits are extended.In October, President Obama signed the Veterans’ Benefit Act of

2010, which exempts more veterans from paying loan funding fees when obtaining VA-backed mortgages.

This represents a substantial savings—VA loan funding fees are generally 2.15 percent of the loan value for no-down payment VA mortgages.

Previously, the fee was waived for veterans who qualified for disability compensation from the VA. The new law extends that benefit to veterans who have gone back into active military service and draw military pay instead of retirement or disability compensation.

6. Many buyers are able to take advantage of significant tax ben-efits.

About this time last year, Congress extended federal tax credits for first-time homebuyers. In early 2010, the state followed with credits for both first-time buyers and buyers of new homes.

These incentives incited a steep increase in home sales. While the space quieted with the expiration of the credits, the flurry helped to clear out inventory and jump-start the market.

The lucky buyers who participated not only acquired beautiful new homes, they will see rewards in April.

In addition to the tax credits, they will be eligible for other tax ben-efits that nearly all homeowners are entitled to: exemptions on mortgage interest, property taxes and other expenses.

7. Energy savers receive tax benefits.The Obama Administration also enacted significant tax credits for

installing solar energy or small wind turbines on your residence, replac-ing old appliances with more efficient models, and other energy-saving strategies.

Consult your tax advisor to see what benefits you may be eligible for this year. Then figure up your savings, in taxes and energy costs, and add that to your list of reasons to be thankful.

8. Consumers have easier access to information about real estate.Since the advent of the Internet, consumers have had direct access to

significant information about agents, property values, mortgages, insur-ance, real estate law, even the Multiple Listing Service.

The amount of information continues to multiply. Now it is more important than ever that consumers consider carefully the source of all that “information.”

Every blogger on the Internet is not knowledgeable. Everyone with a web presence is not scrupulous. Some of your Facebook “friends” may be looking to sell you a bridge.

Caveat emptor as the saying goes – be wary and check your sourc-es.

The Department of Real Estate (www.dre.ca.us.gov) and the Califor-nia Association of Realtors (www.car.org) both offer valuable, accurate and trustworthy consumer information.

9. The future of mortgages is more secure. Another thing consumers have to be grateful for – although it may

not seem like it – is that it is harder to obtain financing than they used to be.

“Our financial crisis started one lousy mortgage at a time,” Elizabeth Warren told Rolling Stone magazine in an interview earlier this year.

Now Warren is heading up a new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that will, among other things, help protect consumers from dangerous and misleading mortgages.

Financial institutions and the economy also are jeopardized by lax lending standards. “There is way less risk in the mortgage market today, which will eventually put a bottom on the risk for lenders,” said Linda Grassi, broker with First Priority Mortgage.

While today’s super-tight restrictions may relax, Grassi does not see a return to the era of “anything goes.”

“Everything is documented thoroughly. We have real underwriting guidelines again,” Grassi explained. “Loans are more in line with what people actually can qualify for. It’s almost impossible to commit fraud. We’re getting back to old-fashioned guidelines – back to like it was in the late ‘80s.”

And that, she says, will further stabilize both the housing industry and the economy at large.

10. We get to live in this vibrant community, in this amazing state, in our wonderful country.

That’s a lot to be grateful for!Cher Wollard is a Realtor with

Prudential California Realty, Livermore.

.

PAGE 12 - The Independent, NOVEMBER 25, 2010

The City of Pleasanton will host the Annual Hometown Holiday Celebration on Satur-day, December 4, from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. along Main Street in downtown Pleasanton. The centerpiece of this free event is a parade followed by the lighting of a holiday tree in front of the Museum on Main.

The parade always kicks off with one of Pleasanton’s award-winning high school marching bands from either Amador Valley High School or Foothill High School. The band is followed by dozens of holiday inspired entries including Pleasanton’s own Bal-loon Platoon, the Pleasanton City Council, hundreds of Cub Scouts and Brownies, local car clubs and dog clubs, and much more.

The tree lighting ceremony will take place immediately fol-lowing the parade. There will be a special appearance by Santa Claus. The mayor will lead the countdown to the tree lighting. There will be a community sing-along.

Main Street will close to vehicular traffic at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 4. Parade viewers are encouraged to shop

and dine in historic Downtown Pleasanton after staking out their viewing turf.

In the event of rain, a parade cancellation telephone hotline will be implemented and up-dated each hour after 2:30 p.m. on parade day, December 4. The Cancellation Information Phone Line is (925) 931-5352.

The Livermore Holiday Sights and Sounds Parade marches off at 6 p.m. on Dec. 4 traveling from M Street to McLeod St.

The parade will be followed by the annual tree lighting cer-emony of “Bruce Sprucetree” at the corner of First St. and So. Livermore Ave.

Special guest will be Santa Claus.

For more information call Livermore Downtown Inc. at (925) 373-1795.

The Dublin 27th Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Cer-emony will be held Thurs., Dec. 2 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the fountain plaza area of the Civic Center.

There will be entertainment

and caroling. Cookies and hot chocolate will be served. The Dublin Unified Elementary School Choir will perform as those in attendance keep a look-

The biggest holiday display in Livermore is set to open on Fri-day, December 3 at 6:30 pm. This holiday tradition is now in its 28 year. The front yard of Deacon Dave Rezendes’s home at 352 Hillcrest Ave in Livermore, Casa del Pomba, is visited by tens of thousands of guests each year.

The theme each year changes. It is always kept a secret until opening night ceremonies. On December 3, the home and yard will be dark as a candlelight procession makes its way down the blocked off street. Members of the community are welcome to join the procession, which will feature the St. Michael’s choir leading Deacon Dave to his home. The Handbell Choir from Asbury United Methodist Church will also perform. There is a blessing of the lights, the theme is announced, and the lights are turned on. At that time, guests are invited to walk through the yard.

Members of the non-profit group Good News Bears will help Deacon celebrate his special night by serving refreshments. Visitors wishing to support the group are invited to bring a new stuffed animal or cash donation to help them meet the ever-in-creasing need for “stuffed love”

The Valley Real Estate Net-work (VREN) 4th Annual Helping Hearts Holiday Party is planned for Wednesday, December 8 at the Marriott in Pleasanton.

This annual event is designed to raise funds for several Tri-Valley agencies including Hope Hospice, Ryan Comer Cancer Resource Center at ValleyCare, Open Heart Kitchen, the Valley Humane Society and AXIS Com-munity Health.

Best of all, for every dollar raised from the event, the Tri-Valley Community Foundation will match the funds two to one.

According to Roy Dronkers, vice president of VREN, the event is “the best holiday party in the Tri-Valley.” Guests are treated to fabulous appetizers, a DJ and a live band, drawings to win great prizes and networking with friends and business as-sociates.

The cost for the event is $20 for an advance ticket purchase

out for a special visitor from the North Pole.

Please bring a new or gently used warm coat. Call (925) 556-4500 for more information.

The Danville 34th Annual Lighting of the Old Oak Tree will take place the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 26, 2010, from 5:15-8:30 pm along Diablo Road near the Old

Oak Tree.From 5:15-6:15pm, gather at

the tree for holiday refreshments and music and sing along with the San Ramon Valley High School Chorus under the direction of Ken Abrams. Then, from 6:15-6:30 the ceremonial lighting of the tree by Father Christmas and Snow Angel will occur. Fi-nally, from 6:30-8:30 the magic continues with holiday music, entertainment and refreshments located at various businesses throughout downtown Danville.

Please contact Martha Hu-sak, Event Coordinator for the Danville Area Chamber of Com-merce, at 925-837-4400 x14 for more information.

San Ramon/Bishop Ranch Tree Lighting will take place Thurs., Dec. 2 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Bishop Ranch 1.

Live music will be provided by local school choirs. There will be sleigh rides and photo opportunities with Cinderella and her carriage. A variety of vendors will be selling refreshments.

One Warm Coat and the Con-tra Costa food bank will also be on hand accepting donations.

at shelters, hospitals, and emer-gency services. Find out more about Good News Bears www.goodnewsbears.org

Last year, the theme was “Christmas Is….”. Visitors en-tered the driveway under an 18’ revolving tree of lights. Throughout the display, volun-teers created vignettes showing what Christmas means to them. The first scene depicted a fam-ily in the living room watching classic holiday cartoons such as Frosty the Snowman. A frazzled husband and wife shopped in another scene. Ice skaters rotated in one corner of the yard, while nearby, the reason for the season, the birth of Christ, was shown in the manger. Guests were invited to share what Christmas meant to them and the responses were posted in the entry to share with all.

More and more LED lights are added each year. As usual, each light in the yard is a prayer for peace, and for the safety of our military. Approximately 30 volunteers work hard throughout the year to put on the display. They are from many faiths, and welcome guests of all faithsThe crew members love to share the spirit of the holidays, and are often on hand to answer any

questions. Just look for anyone wearing a red “Casa del Pomba” ball cap or jacket.

Deacon Dave opens his yard from the opening on December 3 until January 1. The hours are 6 pm to 9:30 pm Sunday through Thursday, and from 6 pm until 10:30 pm Friday and Saturday. The gates may be closed during inclement weather, although every effort is made to leave the lights glowing. There is no ad-mission charge. All the donations collected in the coin toss, ponds, and at the door are for Santa’s Secret Service. This program has provided a visiting Santa, carolers, and gifts to area nursing homes, shelters, and hospitals for over 50 years.

Visit www.casadelpomba.com for more information on the display, Santa’s Secret Service, and Deacon Dave’s family his-tory. Unforgettable Memories is providing the opening night sound system; and Festo the entry automation, Good News Bears the refreshments.

Take East Avenue to Hillcrest, and then follow the glow! It’s worth the trip and sure to make your season bright. Check out the webcam at www.casadel-pomba.com/webcam.htm.

and $25 at the door. The event begins at 6 p.m. and goes until 10 p.m.

“We have ra ised about $184,000 for local charities since we began this event in 2007 and we want to keep giving back to the community,” Dronkers said.

Several local businesses have donated time and resources to make this event happen this year too.

Coordinating the event this year are: Roy Dronkers, of K e l l e r Wi l l i a m s R e a l t y, www.dronkers .com; Dave Dronkers of Dronkers Bev-erage Solutions, www.bevex-cel.com; and Marcia Hoffman o f H o f f m a n C o n s u l t i n g , mhof24@sbcglobal.net.

Charles Donaldson of 360 Web Studios created the website, www.360webstudios.com; Marla Tipton of Tipton Designs created the flyers, e-blasts and tickets, www.tiptondesigns.com; and Kathleen Butler of The Stone

Group handled the public rela-tions, www.stonegroupinc.com; and Leon Gundersen of Select Imaging in Dublin printed the tickets.

Don Cruz, Chris Scovill and David Stark will entertain guests with the evening’s music. The facility is provided by the Pleas-anton Marriott Hotel and The Tri-Valley Community Founda-tion is supporting the event with matching funds.

To purchase a ticket, visit the website at www.vrenholidayp-arty.com

For more information, contact Wendy Tannenbaum at 925-548-1980 or wendy@diversifiedmg.com or Cathy Dean at 925-200-4130 or cdeanhomes@comcast.net

The Marriott is located at 111950 Dublin Canyon Road, Pleasanton, CA, 94588. To con-tact the Marriott, call 925-847-6000 or visit www.marriott.com

Communities Planning Holiday Festivities

Photo - Doug Jorgensen

The Balloon Platoon is a regular entry in Pleasanton's holiday parade.

Photo - Doug JorgensenA candlelight procession is held before the lights are turned on at Deacon Dave's home.

Christmas Display Grand Opening Set for Dec. 3

'Best' Holiday Party Raises Funds for Local Nonprofits

Photo - Doug Jorgensen

GourmetWorks in downtown Pleasanton was all spruced up for the holidays. Visitors stopped by to see the windows during the Magical Holiday Evening last week.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2010

Art, Community, & EducationTHE INDEPENDENT • SECTION II

Members of major Tri-valley non-profit organizations will be treated this year to a free perfor-mance of Valley Dance Theatre’s annual full-length production of the Tchaikovsky’s classic The Nutcracker.

The special Community Per-formance is made possible by corporate, family and individual sponsors. The production will take place on Wednesday, December 15, 2010 at the Bankhead Theater,

2400 First Street in Livermore.Tri-Valley nonprofit organiza-

tions, such as Shepherd’s Gate, Dublin Senior Center, Easter Seals Bay Area, Valley Humane Society, Hope Hospice, The Taylor Family Foundation and Alameda County Food Bank, will be given free tick-ets to the mid-week performance of the 2010 Nutcracker.

Valley Dance Theatre’s profes-sionally staged production of The Nutcracker is the second largest n

the Bay Area, drawing audiences of more than 7,000 annually.

Highlighted this year by Taeko drummers and a large Chinese Dragon, the public performances will be accompanied live by the Livermore-Amador Symphony pit orchestra. Cantabella Children’s Chorus and Tri-Valley Repertory Theatre’s Broadway Chorus will add vocal artistry to selected per-formances.

The Community Performance

complements Valley Dance The-atre’s other outreach activities such as free local performances and scholarship opportunities that promote dance appreciation in the Tri-Valley.

“It is a worthwhile cause,” says Karin Bunnell, Board President of the Valley Dance Theatre and a resident of Pleasanton, explaining that the Community Performance is made possible through the support of local corporation and

families. School Performances are also offered at reduced rates to local schools. “It is part of our tradition.”

This year, a total of eight The Nutcracker performances will be open to the general public. Evening performances will take place De-cember 11, 17, 18 and 19, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. Matinee performances will be on December 11, 12, 18, and 19, 2010 at 2:00 p.m.

Valley Dance Theatre to Host Nonprofits for 'Nutcracker' Performance

A Chinese dragon and Taeko drummers will highlight this year’s “The Nutcracker” by

Valley Dance Theatre.

(continued on page 3)

2 THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2010 Art & Entertainment

The Bothwell Arts Center’s newly created Downtown Art Studios announces its soft opening on Friday, November 26 during Art Crawl from 6-9pm. With open and semi-private working space, the new studios will offer local visual artists affordable creative space in easy walking distance to coffee shops and boutiques in

The Pleasanton PTA Council will hold its eighth annual Reflec-tions Arts Recognition Program on Wednesday, December 1, 2010, at the new Firehouse Arts Center in Pleasanton. The reception and showcase will begin at 6:30pm with the ceremony to follow at 7pm.

The National PTA Reflections Program is an arts recognition and achievement program for students. It provides opportunities for students to express themselves

New Art Studios Opening at Art Crawl

creatively and to receive positive recognition for original works of art inspired by this year’s theme, “Together We Can…”

“Pleasanton PTA Council is very excited to be having our an-nual Reflections Arts Recognition Program at the Firehouse Arts Cen-ter this year,” said Jodie Vashistha, Pleasanton PTA Council President. “We are grateful to our sponsor Bay Area Academy of Music for helping to make that possible. PTA

feels very strongly that the arts are an important part of our children’s education, but budget cuts make it increasingly difficult to include any art in the curriculum. Our hope is that holding the ceremony at the Firehouse Arts Center will help to increase community aware-ness of the importance of arts education.”

Local students, from Kindergar-ten through 12th grade, entered their work in six categories: photogra-

phy, visual arts, literature, musical composition, dance choreography, and film/video production. More than 310 young artists from eight Pleasanton schools submitted entries for this year’s program to their local PTA or PTSA sponsored program.

Reflections Committees at each school identified students in each category and age level to represent their school at the Council level. Over 60 entries were submitted to

the Pleasanton PTA Council for recognition and will be showcased on December 1st. Entries advanc-ing to the next level, Peralta PTA District, will be announced at this event.

This is a free event and the community is invited to attend. For more information or to RSVP to the event, please contact Diane Van Wagner at vanwagners@comcast.net. Attendance capacity is limited to 220.

Annual Arts Recognition Program to Be Held at the Firehouse Arts Center

Livermore’s lively downtown.Art Crawl offers an evening of

art in a dozen locations in down-town Livermore. Some locations offer wine tasting or refreshments as well. Look for Art Crawl maps at the following locations: Ryan Fine Art Gallery & It’s All About Dancing, 171 South J Street;

Panama Red Coffee Company, corner of 1st and K Streets; and the Bothwell Arts Center’s new Downtown Art Studios at 62 So. L Street.

The new studios will also be accessible to the public through an Open Studios on Second Saturdays program. On the December 11, Second Saturday, Downtown Art

Studios will host its first annual Holiday Art Deals event offering deals on artworks, secondhand art supplies and more, from 11-4pm.

The Bothwell Arts Center is a project of the Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center, a not-for-profit corporation, dedicated to providing inexpensive working, rehearsal, classroom and perfor-

mance space to those in all walks of art, and is managed by Linda Ryan, director of ArtWalk through the Bothwell and coordinator of Art Crawls through her own gal-lery, Ryan Fine Art.

Ryan can be contacted at lry-an@livermoreperformingarts.org or at 925-447-2787.

Area residents can enjoy a double dose of Faith in January with two shows featuring Faith Alpher.

Faith Alpher will present her one woman show at the Bankhead Theater in Livermore on Sun., Jan. 9 at 2 p.m.

“Through the Eyes of Faith,” is a celebration of diversity. In the show Alpher portrays over 20 char-acters including a Jewish mother, Catholic nun and a Black hip hop dancer in an autobiographical journey.

“My show is about never giv-ing up, never giving in,” declared Faith. “My life has been filled with people who have shaped my journey to be what it is today and where it is heading tomorrow.”

Faith is a native of Teaneck, New Jersey.

She is a professionally trained actress, comedian, master of cer-emonies/host, singer, radio person-

ality, wife and mother of three.“I love performing and feel-

ing what the audience is feeling. I look back on my life and thing, gee, did that really happen? Was

my wedding really like an urban United Nations conference? Jew-ish dancing? Irish blessing and a soul train line?” she asked, adding, “My show is dedicated to those

who have encouraged me, heard my heart, wiped my tears and kept me laughing.”

Currently, Faith is a DJ for KKIQ radio.

Following the show at the Bankhead, there will be an ‘After Party’ for all at Casa Orozco in downtown Livermore.

Faith’s husband Daniel Alpher is directing the show. Faith has written, produced and will perform the show.

Tickets for the Jan. 9 show are available at www.livermoreper-formingarts.com. The Bankhead Theater is located at 2400 First St., Livermore.

TELEVISION APPEARANCEIn May Faith filmed for the

Oprah Winfrey Network, (OWN). The show is called “Searching for…”, a documentary style show.

A sneak peek will be aired on

the Oprah Winfrey Network on Saturday, January 1 at 4:00 p.m. ET/PT. . Faith Alpher is one of those stories. Go to http://press.discovery.com/us/own/programs/searching/ for a photo of Faith.

A screening party at the Vine Cinema in Livermore is planned for 3pm. Families are invited to come together and watch the show.

According to the Oprah Win-frey website, “Searching For...” is a docu-series following the real-life work of Pam Slaton, a Profes-sional Investigative Genealogist, stay-at-home mom and New Jersey housewife.

"Viewers are in for an intensely personal and emotional ride as cameras follow Pam and her clients through the step-by-step journey of “Searching For” a lost loved one. Each searcher’s story is vastly different and the outcomes are highly unpredictable and emo-tionally charged."

Faith Alpher Brings One Woman Show to Bankhead; Appears on Oprah Winfrey Network

FAITH ALPHER

THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2010 3Art & Entertainment

All seats to The Nutcracker are reserved. Tickets are $33, $27 and $24 for adults and $18 for students 17 years and younger. They may be purchased online at www.bankheadtheater.org or by phone at 925-373-6800. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the theater box office, 2400 First St., Livermore, Tuesday-Saturday, 12 noon-6:00 p.m., and for two hours prior to show time.

More information is available www.valleydancetheatre.com.

Valley Dance Theatre brings full-length repertory classical ballet and contemporary dance productions to the East Bay Area. For thirty years, the company has thrilled audiences with its full-length performances of Tchai-kovsky’s The Nutcracker featuring costumes crafted by professional, award-winning designers and accompanied by the Livermore-Amador Symphony. A second production is presented in the summer.

The Livermore-Amador Sym-phony opens its 48th season with “Three Cheers For Beethoven!” on Saturday, December 4, 2010, at 8pm at the Bankhead Theater in downtown Livermore.

The all-Beethoven program features three inspiring works: Egmont Overture, Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Piano and the Symphony No. 5.

The Egmont Overture will tell an emotional story of a martyr’s death. The “Triple Concerto” will offer audiences the unusual op-portunity to hear three instrumental soloists – violin, cello and piano – play together in a rarely performed Beethoven composition.

T h e L i v e r m o r e - A m a d o r Symphony’s performance of Beethoven’s Triple Concerto will feature three soloists: Anthony Doheny, Marilyn Thompson, and

Aaron Daly and Charlotte Kallerman perform in Valley Dance Theatre’s 2009 production of “The Nutcracker.”

Stephen Harrison. The piece is un-usual because it places three solo instruments with full orchestra, instead of just one.

The Bankhead Theater is locat-ed at 2400 First St., Livermore.

A pre-concert talk by Dr. Arthur Barnes, LAS Music Director, and the soloists, Anthony Doheny, Stephen Harrison, and Marilyn Thompson, begins at 7 pm.

Tickets are adults $22-$28; se-niors $20-$26, youth $10. Tickets are available through the Bankhead Theater. Call (925) 373-6800, or online at www.bankheadtheater.org. Ticket office hours are Tues-day through Saturday, noon to 6pm, and on performance days, two hours prior to show.

More information about the symphony is available at www.li-vamsymph.org or by calling (925) 373-6824.

Pleasanton’s Civic Arts Stage Company, in collaboration with the San Francisco Shakespeare Festi-val, invites the public to the Pleas-anton Public Library on Sat., Dec. 4 for a preview of their upcoming Amador Theater production of The Princess and the Pea.

Based on the famous fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, this 11:00 a.m. program will feature scenes from the play performed by

youth cast members, all of whom are drawn from the Pleasanton community. Afterwards the cast, along with the Costume and Set Designers, will discuss the play and hold a question-and-answer period with the audience.

This free program is best suited for children ages 5 and older. No registration is required.

The full stage production of The Princess and the Pea will be

performed December 10-12 and 15-19. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.civicartstickets.org or call the Amador Theater box office at (925) 931-3444.

For information on other li-brary activities and events, see the library website at www.ci.pleasanton.ca.us/library/pro-grams-and-events.html, or call the Children’s Desk at (925) 931-3400 extension 8.

Symphony Opens 48th Season with All Beethoven Program

Soloists are Anthony Doheny, Marilyn Thompson, and Stephen Harrison.

Sneak Preview of 'Princess and the Pea'

NUTCRACKER(continued from front page)

4 THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2010 Art & Entertainment

Audiences are invited to enjoy a symphony performance and take music home with them, too, at Chabot College’s Wind Symphony Concert and CD release celebra-tion on Wednesday, Dec. 1.

The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. It will take place in the Reed L. Buffington Visual and Perform-ing Arts Center. To celebrate the symphony’s first CD, a release party will be held in the Building

“Whether I was in the body or out of my body when I wrote it I know not.” That’s what Handel is reputed to have said when asked about the experience of writing the Messiah. Whatever the experience actually was like, it must have been extraordinary. The entire 260-page work, including orchestration, was written in only 24 days.

On December 3, the Pacific Chamber Symphony, conducted by Lawrence Kohl, will present Handel’s Messiah in the Bankhead Theater in Livermore. Robert Lappa is directing the chorus in preparation for the performance.

The Messiah was first per-formed as part of a series of programs presented between De-cember of 1741 and March of 1742 in Dublin, Ireland. It was immedi-

Paintings by Linda Sargent Beach of Livermore are on exhibit at a show at her alma mater, Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pa.

Beach’s paintings are being exhibited at Wilson’s Bogigian Gallery through Dec. 3. They are part of a two-woman show, Alumnae Artist Showcase, also featuring Wilson alumna, Libby Manchester Gilpatric, of Portsmouth, Rhode Island.

Beach is an active board member of the Livermore Art Association and Pleasanton Art League and an associate member of the Pastel Soci-ety of the West Coast and the Sierra Pastel Society. Her work has been exhibited in group and juried shows in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Beach’s current work is comprised of landscapes that depict a sense of distance and evoke a mood of quiet contemplation. Beach says, “I am as eager to capture the warmth of a color-washed setting sun on a western sky, as the myriad of reflections in the cool waters of New England. This variety of surroundings and the perspectives gained from my career as an art educator continues to nourish and challenge my creativity.”

Beach is a native of Cohasset, Maine, and received a bachelor’s degree from Wilson in 1971 before earning a master’s degree in art education from Central Connecticut State University. She has studied a wide variety of media in locations such as Canyon Road in Santa Fe and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

The art exhibit is being presented by Wilson’s Department of Fine Arts and Dance.

ately recognized as a masterpiece, and was an instant success.

In addition to being an enor-mous musical achievement, the Messiah was a great humanistic success.

Originally commissioned for a benefit performance for a Dub-lin charity, it was subsequently performed over thirty more times with Handel himself conduct-ing, with the proceeds going to a foundling hospital. One writer stated that, ”Perhaps the works of no other composer have so largely contributed to the relief of human suffering.”

The Messiah is now one of the most widely performed works in all of musical literature.

The Pacific Chamber Sympho-ny’s interpretation of the Messiah

700 Community Student Services Center directly after the concert.

Admission to the concert and party is $20, which includes VIP concert seating, a free “Live in Concert” CD, and wine, coffee, and desserts served at the party. General admission for the concert only is $10.

Tickets are available at the door and through the Chabot College Foundation, (510) 723-6936, and

the School of the Arts Office, (510) 723-6829.

The concert will feature the Wind Ensemble and Wind Sym-phony performing works by C.L. Barnhouse, David Gillingham, Percy Grainger, John Mackey, Jim Territo, and Frank Ticheli.

Chabot College is located at 25555 Hesperian Boulevard in Hayward.

Pacific Chamber Symphony To Perform 'Messiah'

adheres closely to the original version of 1742. The instrumental forces are modest, which is consis-tent with 18th century practice. But the chorus, as in Handel’s time, is greatly expanded beyond what was customary in the 18th century.

There will be a special recep-tion in the lobby during the inter-mission, with entertainment pro-vided by the Cantabella Children's Chorus Honors Choir.

Tickets are $39/$34/$29 for adults, and $7 for students, and can be purchased by phone at 925.583.2310 or online at www.livermoreperformingarts.org/cal-endar.

The Bankhead Theater is lo-cated at 2400 First St. in downtown Livermore.

Chabot Wind Symphony Concert and CD Release Scheduled

Local photographer Sue Evans has created a 4 X 6" desktop calendar for 2011 that showcases the beauty of the entire Tri-Valley area. The calendar is in a clear acrylic case that opens and serves as the stand for the images. There are 12 individual “pages” so you simply slip the image to the back as the months progress. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to help Open Heart Kitchen in Livermore. The calendars are available for $9.75 each. For business gifts the calendars can be customized with logos; a discount is available on orders of 100 and over. They can be purchased through the website www.PhotographyBySueEvans.com or at The Berry Patch in downtown Pleasanton. For information, email SueEvansPhotography@comcast.net or call 925-989-4113.

Local Artist in Exhibit

Stillwaters by Linda Sargent Beach

Pictured are Robert Lappa (left) and Lawrence Kohl (above).

THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2010 5Community

The 2011 Sycamore Grove Park calendar showcases some of the unique beauty of this regional park.

Created by the Livermore Area Recreation and Park District (LARPD) park ranger staff, the first calendars printed were for 2009. The 2011 calendar features new glossy color photos taken throughout the 774-acre park. All photos were taken by LARPD Park Rangers Amy Wolitzer and Glen Florey. The LARPD Foundation has supported production of the calendar in the past.

Monthly photos include the almond orchard in bloom, colorful wild-flowers, local wildlife and the golden hills in the upper portion of the park. The calendar also indicates Park District happenings and times the park is open throughout the year.

The calendars are on sale now. Proceeds will help benefit open space programs and facilities.

Calendars are $10 each or $6 when purchased along with an annual Sycamore Grove parking pass. Calendars can be purchased at the Rob-ert Livermore Community Center, 4444 East Ave., or by mail or phone at 925-373-5700 (plus a $3 shipping fee). Order forms and a calendar preview can be found online at www.larpd.dst.ca.us.

Soroptimist International of Livermore will host the organiza-tion’s 27th annual Holiday Home Tour on Sunday, Dec 5. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Five homes will be decorated for the holidays.

The tour begins by obtaining a map at Alden Lane Nursery, 981 Alden Lane, Livermore. While at

the nursery, there will be an op-portunity to win baskets, flowers, tree decorated with cash, etc.

Tickets are $25, which is tax deductible. Cash or check only.

Proceeds benefit women and children though local projects and charities.

Tickets are available at Proc-tor’s in downtown Livermore, Alden Lane Nursery and from any Soroptimist member.

Tickets may also be purchased the day of the tour.

For information, call 449-4079 or 443-5450.

New Sycamore Grove Calendar Now Available

Holiday Home Tour Helps Support Soroptimist Projects

Pictured are Judy Irwin, Joyce Nuss, Bonnie Schmidt, Anita Thompson, Amelia Benko, Courtney Michels, Delma Kline, Linda Draghi, Charlotte Newman, and Chris Wilson.

Christmas Concert at Our Savior - Our Savior Lutheran Ministries, 1385 South Livermore Avenue, Livermore, will present “Gentle Stranger in the Manger,” a concert of Advent and Christmas music, on Sunday, December 5, at 4:00 pm. in the sanctuary. The concert is a gift to the community. It will feature Our Savior’s choirs, handbell and brass ensembles, strings and woodwinds, and contemporary ensemble. In addition, there will be several sing-along carols with organ, brass, timpani and bells.

Valley Humane Society pres-ents Walkin’ in a Winter Wonder-land, a Holiday Home Tour on Sunday, December 5, 2010 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in downtown Pleasanton.

There will be a home tour, unique shopping opportunities, treats and live music. Tickets are $35 per person. Proceeds go to support the programs of Valley Humane Society, a nonprofit ani-mal rescue organization.

Each of the featured homes on the tour is unique and is located near downtown Pleasanton. The tour begins at 4444 First Street, across from Wayside Park. Park and stroll down the street, stopping to enjoy a peek into some of Pleas-anton’s most beautiful homes, all decked out for the holidays. Car-olers, raffle prizes, refreshments, and unique shopping opportunities complete the festivities.

For more information and to

purchase tickets to the Holiday Home Tour, contact Valley Hu-mane Society at (925) 426-8656 or www.valleyhumane.org. Valley Humane Society is located at 3670 Nevada Street, Pleasanton and is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tickets can also be purchased at Towne Center Books, Murphy’s Paw and The Wine Steward in downtown Pleasanton. Tickets will be available for purchase the day of the event at 4444 First Street.

Valley Humane Society is an animal welfare organization advo-cating responsible pet ownership. It is the only no-kill facility in the area to accept animals by private surrender. Valley Humane Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organiza-tion that receives no government funds, tax dollars, or money from national humane organizations.

Holiday Home Tour- Walkin’ in a

Winter Wonderland

6 THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2010 Education

By Patricia KoningFor the Roddy family, home-

schooling is about anything but staying home. To study volca-noes, Karen Roddy took her three daughters— Hannah, Morgan, and Rachel —on a road trip to Mt. Lassen, Crater Lake, and Mt. St. Helen's. When the girls were studying Italian civilization and culture, the family spent three months in Italy.

So when it came time to learn French, the natural choice was to send the girls to France. “I took two years of French in high school. I don’t remember much,” said Karen. “I want them to have a true immersion experience. My goal is to have a fluent child at the end.”

After researching exchange programs, she found En Famille, a French organization that arranges six-month linguistic and cultural exchanges for young children. En Famille’s program appealed to Karen because of the focus on language immersion.

After learning about En Famille last June and attending an informa-tion meeting in San Luis Obispo, Karen moved quickly to enroll Hannah, who is 14, in the program. En Famille focuses on 9 to 11 year olds; at 15 children usually age out of the program. According to the En Famille website, “young children adapt and integrate more easily than adolescents. They soak up and accept their second culture without the slightest difficulty.”

First, families in two different countries are matched with each other. En Famille places exchanges in Germany, France, Ireland, Brit-ain, Spain, Canada, and the United States. The children are usually the same gender, within 12 months of each other in age, and share com-mon interests.

The two children become ex-change siblings for 12 months, spending six months in each coun-try. In August, Hannah traveled to France to live with her exchange family and Romane, 10-year-old Rachel’s exchange sister, traveled from France to Livermore to live with the Roddy family.

In February, Hannah will return home with her exchange sister Camille for the second half of their exchange. That same month, Rachel and Romane will travel to France to complete their exchange year.

The En Famille program has strict rules for the exchange. Dur-ing the first week, the exchange family can speak with the visiting child in his or her native language. In the second week, the visiting child can speak in his or her native language. However, the host fam-ily must speak only in the target language. By the third week, all communication is in the target language.

The visiting children are limited to a 30-minute phone call home and one letter each week. They are not allowed any electronic communication with home—so no email, facebook, blogs, or anything else. “It seems pretty tough, but the focus is on achieving fluency in six months,” says Karen. “It re-ally only works if the immersion is complete.”

When Romane arrived, no one in the Roddy family spoke much French so following the immersion rules was not difficult. A family friend fluent in French met with Romane during that first week to talk about any issues. Romane knew very little English, as she’d been studying German in school.

Three months into the exchange, she converses quite easily in Eng-

lish, with a few stumbles over vocabulary. “Sometimes, there are words I just can’t remember,” she explained. “Like ‘tired,’ I think they had to tell me the word ‘tired’ a hundred times in one day.”

The Roddy girls have embraced the challenge of living in a foreign country. “They’ve done hard things in their lives, like swimming from Alcatraz to San Francisco,” said

Karen. “We wouldn’t have con-sidered this program if they were not totally enthusiastic. Hannah told me she really wanted to learn French and that she could survive anything for six months. Now she’s having the time of her life—she’s learned to windsurf and has trav-eled to so many great places.”

One of the biggest adjustments for Hannah is attending a regular

school for the first time in her life. Karen made the decision to homeschool before Hannah was born. “I’d never even heard of homeschooling. As I was re-searching options, it just made sense,” she explains. “We take an eclectic approach. I have not tried to recreate school at home, but at the same time, we’re very focused on academics. We use a variety of resources, including tutors.”

Last year, she founded the nonprofit Outstanding Academic Opportunities (www.oaopp.com) to provide high school and middle school course work to Bay Area homeschooling families.

When Rachel travels to France, she’ll also attend school with Ro-mane. “I’m a little nervous, but I’m pretty sure it will be okay,” she stated.

With Romane in the family, Karen has continued her expe-riential style of teaching, which has been especially effective in overcoming the language barrier. To study the California Gold Rush, she took the girls to gold country for some hands-on learning. Ro-mane had a hard time understand-ing how ice could carve rocks, rather than rocks carving ice, until she saw Yosemite’s Half-Dome in person.

Weather permitting, the Roddys plan to take Romane to the Grand Canyon in December to fulfill her last wish of a place she’d like to see before returning to France.

Thirteen-year-old Morgan’s exchange hasn’t been planned yet. However, Karen is hoping she can start in February so all three girls can finish the program by early 2012. She plans to have the girls work with native speakers to maintain their French fluency at home. Longer term, she hopes the family can spend a year in France after Morgan and Hannah finish high school.

En Famille is currently seeking families in the United States to par-ticipate in exchanges with French, German, and Spanish families. For more information, visit www.enfamille.com. To see Rachel and Romane’s blog about their exchange, visit http://romane-et-rachel.over-blog.com (in French). To see Hannah and Camille’s blog, visit http://camilleandhannah.wordpress.com. Blogs from other exchanges can be found on En Famille’s website.

Roddy Sisters Learn French Through Immersion Exchange Program

Rachel Roddy and her exchange sister Romane on a trip to Alcatraz.

On a Bordeaux vacation, Hannah Roddy and her exchange sister Camille climbed the Dune du Pyla, the largest sand dune in

THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2010 7 Community & Entertainment

The Lawrence Livermore Na-tional Laboratory kicked off Na-tive American Heritage month in November by hosting students from the Mathematics, Engineer-ing and Science Achievement (MESA) program.

MESA is a nationally recog-nized, innovative program that en-courages educationally disadvan-taged students to prepare for and graduate from a four-year college or university with a math-based degree in areas such as engineer-ing, the sciences, computer science and mathematics. MESA partners with all segments of California higher education as well as K-12 institutions.

Through MESA, students de-velop academic and leadership skills, increase educational perfor-mance and gain confidence in their ability to compete professionally. MESA has particular interest in students from those groups with the lowest numbers advancing to four-year and graduate level programs.

This year’s visitors of MESA were from the Community College Engineering program.

“It is wonderful to see such bright students coming from the MESA program and visiting the Laboratory,” Darlene Yazzie, AIAG Chair, said. “We were honored to have them onsite as we kicked off Native American heritage month.”

This year the engineering stu-dents had a chance to visit the Na-tional Ignition Facility, the Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry

and the National Atmospheric Re-lease Advisory Center. They also had spoke with a panel of scientist and engineers about science at the Laboratory.

The visiting undergraduate students are currently majoring in engineering or science, and hail from colleges throughout Califor-nia, including University of the

Pacific, Fresno State University, University of California, San Jose State University, Sonoma State University, and the University of California Santa Cruz.

“This is the second year we have brought MESA students to the Laboratory. We are hoping this year that many of them will apply

for the Laboratory’s science and engineering summer positions” said Steve Grey, LLNL’s American Indian Program manager.

Each year MESA hosts a lead-ership conference in the Bay Area and the Laboratory has been pleased to participate. This year Laboratory staff addressed a

Students from the Community College Engineering program of MESA (Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement) recently visited the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

MESA state wide science directors at their annual meeting.

The MESA visit was hosted by the LLNL Director’s Office of Strategic Diversity and the Lab’s American Indian Activity Group (AAIG).

For more information about MESA, go to the Web at http://www.ucop.edu/mesa/about/index.

Lab Plays Host to MESA Program

Take the Charles Dickens’ holiday classic, set the story in 2010’s cyber-crazed world, bring on a band of musical and spiritual creatures, spice with imaginative reggae rappin,’ rock n’ roll and hiphop, and you have “Scroogie,” Cal State East Bay’s December family production.

Performances are set for 8 p.m. Dec. 10, and 3 and 7 p.m. Dec. 11 in the University Theatre, 25800 Carlos Bee Blvd., Hayward.

Students who participated in the summertime “Dramatic Activi-ties for Children” class wrote the outline for the script that theatre faculty A. Fajilan and Darryl V. Jones have refined into a holiday show.

Scroogie’s ghosts and business partner have been morphed into pop images that gently remind us of the true meaning of the season.

“I hope the new script and holiday message will make the audience aware that we are all the creators of our communi-ties,” said Fajilan. “We are the ones who can proactively change our circumstances when we are guided by empathy, kindness and compassion. Of course, we all need a little help, so let’s engage all social participants.”

Contributing to the perfor-mance are Sierra Dee, musical associate; Amy La Faille, associ-

ate choreographer; Cat Howser, scenery; Dannia Ciolo, costumes; and Alena Samoray, lighting. The cast includes Joe Loper, Kristian Stovall, Salvador Valladolid, Di-ana Rais, Nick Vincent, Kyung H. Ji, Sami Jo Guida, Marie Ibarra, Keri Kudrov, Josh Fellion, Hen-drix Erhahon, Cynthia Kihn and Sara Prince.

As in past years, attendees are encouraged to bring donations of non-perishable food items to do-nate to the Alameda Food Drive.

Admission is $15 for adults; $10 for youth (13-18), seniors (55+) and alumni; and $5 for CSUEB students and children (3-13); or $30 for a family (one to two

adults and two to three children). Purchase tickets at the University Bookstore. Or make reservations at http://class.csueastbay.edu/the-atre/Ticket_Reservations.php or by calling (510) 885-3118.

Modern Twist to Classic Holiday Dickens' TaleCampus parking is $2 per hour

at meters, or $5 per day, per vehicle from 5 p.m. Friday to midnight Sunday, payable at kiosk machines that take dollars and quarters.

8 THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2010 Art & Entertainment

Wente Vineyards Estate Winery will be presenting paintings by local artist Larry Gipson from December 1, through January 25, 2011. An artist’s reception will be held on December 12 at the tasting room, 5565 Tesla Road, Livermore, from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Larry is a member of the Tracy, Livermore and Pleasanton Art Leagues. He has shown his work in various locations throughout the Tri-Valley and Fremont area. The artist has won numerous awards in juried shows, including purchase awards from the City of Livermore and City of Tracy. Larry will be showing paintings of local and Yosemite scenes. There is no admission charge. Plein Aire Painter is shown above.

ART/PHOTO EXHIBITSArt Crawl, Friday, November 26 from

6-9 p.m. evening of art in over a dozen locations in downtown Livermore. Some locations offer winetasting or refresh-ments as well. This upcoming Art Crawl features the soft opening of the Bothwell Arts Center’s Downtown Art Studios, 62 So. L. Look for Art Crawl maps at the fol-lowing locations: Ryan Fine Art Gallery & It’s All About Dancing, 171 South J Street; Panama Red Coffee Company, corner of 1st and K Streets. More information is available at www.lindryanfineart.com

Exhibition of Fine Art Photography, featuring Park Images by Walter Davies. Swirl on the Square, through November 28. Images created in regional, state and national parks and botanical gardens. Swirl, Blacksmith Square, 21 So. Liver-more Ave., Livermore. Open Thurs.-Sun. for lunch and evening fare. Call 447-1400 for hours.

Livermore Art Association Gallery, located in Carnegie Park, offers art classes, unusual gifts, painting rentals, art exhibits and information pertaining to the art field, 2155 Third St., Livermore. The gallery has been open since 1974 and is run as a co-op by local artists. Hours are Wed.-Sun. 11:30-4 p.m. For information call 449-9927.

The Wild Vine, Livermore artist Lenore Kreit, presents "Works in Life Drawing" from Oct.-Nov. A life-long artist, her work includes extensive life drawings & paintings in an expressionistic style as well as abstracts. Kreit exhibits throughout the Tri-Valley Area, Berkeley & Oakland areas. Wild Vine Art Gallery & Wine Lounge, 2187 First St., Livermore.

National Watercolor Society exhibit, paintings from the 89th Annual Exhibi-tion. October 19 – December 2, Firehouse Arts Center, 4444 Railroad Avenue, Pleas-anton. Information at 925.931.5355.

Oils by Mary Kay Feit, Exhibit on display through Nov. 30. Wente Vineyards Estate Winery Tasting Room, 5565 Tesla Rd.,

Livermore 925.456.2305 , wentevine-yards.com.

Artists Bob and Sharon Gardner, showing their works at the Livermore Art Associa-tion Gallery in Carnegie Park the month of November. Bob creates pottery, such as bowls, teapots and sculptural pieces. Sharon weaves, knits and uses other textiles techniques. Their works will be on display the entire month. LAA Gallery is open 11:30-4:00 Wednesday-Sunday, and is located in the historic Carnegie Building at 2155 3rd St. Livermore. The Gallery is the perfect place to find unique handmade gifts made by local artists. Admission is free. For more info call the Gallery 925-449-9927.

Las Positas College artists, exhibiting work at the Livermore Library Gallery throughout the month of November. The exhibit, “The Dynamics of Paint,” includes paintings in a variety of media, styles, and subjects. Artists exhibiting are Liliana Choy, Cynthia Dawn, Soussan Farsi, Sabin Cristian Filip, Christine Gold-enhar, Carol Hart, Linda Hopwood, Gina Kaiper, Hilary M. Kauffman, Verna Me-deiros, Svetlalna Oleynikova, Alejandro Rodriguez, Gloria Sayers, Usha Shukla, Lisa Turnquist, Nicole Wakeman, and Jason Zadwick. The Livermore Library, at 1188 S. Livermore Ave., is open seven days a week. For more information about the exhibit, contact Hilary Kauffman at h1kauf@sbcglobal.net

Livermore Art Association, Winter Holi-day Celebration Art Show at Dougherty Station Community Center in San Ramon. The show features more than 30 art works by 20 local artists including metal works, paintings and photography. All art is for sale. The show will run from November 1st to December 17th. The Dougherty Station Community Center is located at 17011 Bollinger Canyon Road, San Ramon. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

Paintbrush Diplomacy, December 11, 2010 – January 12, 2011, International

Children’s Art Exhibit Works from the permanent collection of Paintbrush Diplomacy, an organization that seeks to connect the world one paintbrush at a time. Promoting peace and understanding through the universal language of art, the organization encourages awareness of international issues through art exchanges and exhibits of works by children ages 5-18. Harrington Gallery at the Firehouse Arts Center, 4444 Railroad Ave., Pleas-anton. www.FirehouseArts.org

MEETINGS/CLASSESFigure Drawing Workshop, every Friday

9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Artists bring their own materials and easels. Open to all art-ists. Professional artist models (nude). No instructor. Students under 18 need written parental permission to attend. Cost $20 per session. At the Bothwell Art Center 2466 8th St. Livermore. Coffee, tea and refreshments are available. Call or email Barbara Stanton for more info about the workshop, 925-373-9638 - microangelo@earthlink.net.

Art Critique and Coffee, every Friday, 10 a.m. at Border's Cafe, Rose Pavilion, Tickets and information at Pleasanton. poetryoncanvas@mac.com.

WINERY EVENTSHoliday Preview, Tamas Estates and Wente

Vineyards, Nov. 26, 27 and 28, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Taste special releases, tour the winery, browse new holiday merchan-dise. Wente Vineyards Vineyard Tasting Room, 5050 Arroyo Road, Livermore 925.456.2405, wentevineyards.com.

Fall open house, Thomas Coyne Winery, Nov 26, 27 and 28 noon to 5 p.m. at the historical tasting room at 51 E. Vallecitos Road, Livermore. Three new wines will be released: 2009 Viognier, California, 2008 Confluence, and 2006 Port, California. A selection of fine fruits and cheeses will be served. The winery will be collecting food for Open Heart Kitchen during the November Open House. They especially need 4oz juice boxes, tuna pouches and individual-serving cheese and crackers and granola bars for the weekend bag lunch program.

Holiday Preview Weekend, Murrieta's Well, Fri.-Sun. Nov. 26-28, 11 a.m. - 4:30 p.m . Wine country gifts, seasonal cheer, and the blends of Murrieta's Well. Attend our Holiday Preview weekend with fam-ily and friends to kick start the season of sharing. Information at 925.456.2395 or www.murrietaswell.com. Murrieta's Well, 3005 Mines Rd., Livermore.

Prelude to Christmas, Nov. 26, 27 and 28, noon to 5 p.m. Fenestra Winery, 83 Vallecitos Rd., Livermore. Decorated for the holidays. Taste holiday foods along with Fenestra wines. Normal tasting fee applies. 447-5246 or www.fenestrawin-ery.com.

Charles R Vineyards is dusting off a couple of library wines. A two pack of the '07 Primitivo an '06 Syrah is now available for club members for just $45. Club mem-berships available. 8195 Crane Ridge Road. in Livermore. Tasting room is open Friday-Sunday Noon to 4:30pm. Come on Friday's and you will be sure to find our winemaker Randy behind the bar.

Thanksgiving Weekend, Stony Ridge and Crooked Vine, Nov. 26, 27 and 28. Port, Cheese & Chocolates & Shopping. 4948 Tesla Rd., Livermore,

MUSIC/CONCERTSMusic every Saturday in the tasting room

from 12 to 4; open every day if the gate is open and for sure on Fridays, Satur-days and Sundays 11 to 5. Red Feather

Winery, 5700 Greenville Rd., Livermore. Information at 449-1871 or www.red-featherwinery.com

Chris Bradley's Jazz Band, plays at The Sunol Jazz Cafe (In the Center of Sunol) the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month 7:30-9:30 p.m. The band features real Jazz from the 1920's, 30's, 40's.

Blacksmith Square Saturday Concerts, Thomas Coyne Winery, John Christopher Cellars, Swirl Tapas Bar and Victorian Olive Oil present live music in the Square, 3 to 6 p.m. Wine tasting (fee waived with purchase), food at menu prices. No outside food or adult beverages. Corner of South Livermore Ave. and Railroad Ave. downtown Livermore.

David Lanz – Pianist, Sat., Nov. 27, 8 p.m. Firehouse Arts Center, 4444 Railroad Ave., Pleasanton. www.firehousearts.org

Roger McGuinn, acoustic guitar, 7:30 p.m. Sun., Nov. 28. Firehouse Arts Center, 4444 Railroad Ave., Pleasanton. www.firehousearts.org

Student Recital, 8 p.m. Dec. 1. Las Positas College Performing Arts Center, 000 Campus Hill Dr., Livermore. Performing Arts Events Line at 925.424.1100 or go to www.laspositascollege.edu/perform-ingarts

Pacific Chamber Symphony, concert Fri-day, December 3, 8 p.m., an interpretation of Handel's Messiah. Chorus and soloists including Marnie Brekenridge (soprano), Tom Glenn (tenor), Erin Neff (alto), and Torfel Borsting (bass). Bankhead The-ater, 2400 First St., Livermore. Tickets and information at 925-373-6800, www.livermoreperformingarts.org

Livermore-Amador Symphony, Dec. 4, Three Cheers for Beethoven! con-cert, Bankhead Theater, 2400 First St., Livermore. 8 p.m “Three Cheers for Beethoven.” Prelude talk 7 p.m. Tickets and information at 925-373-6800, www.livermoreperformingarts.org.

Christmas Concert at Our Savior - Our Savior Lutheran Ministries, 1385 South Livermore Avenue, Livermore, will pres-ent “Gentle Stranger in the Manger,” a concert of Advent and Christmas music, on Sunday, December 5, at 4:00 p.m. in the sanctuary. The concert is a gift to the community. It will feature Our Savior’s choirs, handbell and brass ensembles, strings and woodwinds, and contemporary ensemble. In addition, there will be sev-eral sing-along carols with organ, brass, timpani and bells.

Asbury Christmas Concert – Asbury United Methodist Church will hold its 14th Annual Christmas Concert at 7 p.m. on Sunday Dec. 5, in its Sanctuary at 4743 East Ave. in Livermore. All of Asbury’s vocal choirs, the Asbury Band and the bell choir will be performing. Asbury’s pipe organ will also be part of the evening’s musical offerings. The concert is open to the public. A free will offering can be made at the door. There will be a punch and cookie reception immediately fol-lowing in the Chapel building. For more information call Jean Braun at 449-4168, the church office at 447-1950 or e-mail: JoanneP@asburylive.org

Pleasanton Community Concert Band, holiday concert Sun., Dec. 5, 2 to 3:15 p.m. Firehouse Arts Center, 4444 Rail-road Ave., Pleasanton. Free. Donations appreciated.

Taylor Eigsti, “Best of the Bay” pianist, Tues., Dec. 7, 7:30 p.m. Bankhead The-ater, 2400 First St., Livermore. www.livermoreperformingarts.org or 925-373-6800.

Orchestra/Band Concert, 8 p.m. Dec. 8. Las Positas College Performing Arts

Center, 3000 Campus Hill Dr., Liver-more. Performing Arts Events Line at 925.424.1100 or go to www.laspositascol-lege.edu/performingarts

Advent Christmas Concert, Fri., Dec. 10, 7:30 p.m. Golden Gate Boys Choir and Bell Ringers. St. Michael’s Music Ministry, 458 Maple St., Livermore. $15 adults, $10 seniors/students, $5 children, $35 family. Tickets email st-michaelsmusicministry@yahoo.com or call, 447-1585 ext. 18.

Vocal Jazz & Combo Concert, 8 p.m. Dec. 10. Las Positas College Perform-ing Arts Center, 3000 Campus Hill Dr., Livermore. Performing Arts Events Line at 925.424.1100 or go to www.laspositas-college.edu/performingarts

Motown Holiday Revue with Top Shelf, Dec. 11, 8 p.m. Firehouse Arts Center, 4444 Railroad Ave., Pleasanton. www.firehousearts.org

Instrumental Jazz Concert, 8 p.m. Dec. 11. Las Positas College Performing Arts Center, 3000 Campus Hill Dr., Liver-more. Performing Arts Events Line at 925.424.1100 or go to www.laspositascol-lege.edu/performingarts

Bay Bells, Sun., Dec. 12, 3:30 p.m. Dublin Senior Center. $10 adults, $5 age 12 and under, $3 age 5 and under. Bay Bells is one of the nation's longest running hand bell ensembles and features over 100 bells and chimes. Sign-up in advance by calling (925) 556-4500 or reserve your seats on-line at www.DublinRecGuide.com - refer to Activity # 24454. Tickets may also be purchased at the door if space permits.

San Ramon Symphonic Band, Dec. 17, 7 p.m. “In Dulci Jubilo” Holiday Christmas Concert. Dougherty Valley Performing Arts Center, 10550 Albion Rd., San Ramon, 973-3343 or SanRamonPerform-ingArts.com..

Chanticleer, “A Chanticleer Christmas,” Thurs., Dec. 23, 7:30 p.m. Bankhead Theater, 2400 First St., Livermore. www.livermoreperformingarts.org or 925-373-6800.

Hot Club of San Francisco, “Best of the Bay,” sizzling, swinging New Year’s Eve celebration. Fri., Dec. 31, 8 p.m. Bankhead Theater, 2400 First St., Livermore. Tickets and information at www.livermoreper-formingarts.org or 925-373-6800.

ON THE STAGEMuch Ado About Nothing, by William

Shakespeare. Las Positas College pro-duction in the Black Box theater in the Las Positas College Center for the Arts. Performance dates are November 26 and 27 at 8 p.m. and November 28 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $8 for students and seniors. For informa-tion about purchasing tickets, access the LPC Performing Arts website at www.laspositascollege.edu/performingarts. For more information about the show or auditions, contact Ken Ross at kross@laspositascollege.edu. Auditions will be on August 23 and 24 from 7-9:30 p.m. in the Center for the Arts, 3000 Campus Hill Drive, Livermore.

Bah HumBug! Scrooge’s Christmas Carol, Dec, 3-12, Presented by San Ramon Community Theater at the Front Row Theater, 17011 Bollinger Canyon Rd., San Ramon, 973-3343 or SanRa-monPerformingArts.com.

The Princess and the Pea, Civic Arts Stage Company, Dec. 10, 11, 17 and 18, 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 11, 12, 18 and 19, 2 p.m. Amador Theater, 1155 Santa Rita Rd., Pleasanton. Ticket information www.firehousearts.org

THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2010 9 Art & Entertainment

Comedian Tommy Davidson will be performing at Tommy T’s in Pleasanton, November 24th – 28th. Best known as one of the original stars of the hit television show In Living Color. Tommy’s range from stand-up comedy and acting to versatile music ability have earned him a reputation as a solid performer. Shows are Fri., Nov. 26 at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.; Sat., Nov. 27 at 7 and 10 p.m. and Sun., Nov. 28 at 7 p.m. Tommy T’s is located at 5104 Hopyard Road, Pleasanton, information or tickets at (925) 227-1800 or http://

Firehouse Kids, The Princess and the Pea by Civic Arts Stage Co., Sat., Dec. 11, 11 a.m. Amador Theater, 1155 Santa Rita Rd., Pleasanton. www.firehousearts.org

The Little Engine That Could, Dec. 18-23, Presented by Bay Area Children’s Theater at the Front Row Theater, 17011 Bollinger Canyon Rd., San Ramon, 973-3343 or SanRamonPerformingArts.com.

COMEDYTeen Improv, “Holiday Shorts: A Long

Winter’s Tale,” during the first act of the show suggestions from the audience will inspire holiday-themed games, scenes and additional audience interactions. The audience will then vote for which short scene Creatures of Impulse will make into an entire improvised “play” during the second act. Thurs. and Fri., Dec. 2 and 3, 7:30 p.m. Firehouse Arts Center, 4444 Railroad Ave., Pleasanton. www.firehousearts.org

Big Fat Year End Kiss Off Comedy Show XVIII, Will Durst & Friends Dec. 30, 7 p.m. Bankhead Theater, 2400 First St., Livermore.

and a large Chinese Dragon who will perform during the Chinese segment of the ballet. Public performances will be accompanied the Livermore-Amador Symphony pit orchestra. The Cantabella Children's Chorus and Harmony Fusion will add vocal entertainment to selected performances.

Friday Night Dance Parties, themed parties each Friday night from Salsa to Swing, includes a group dance lesson at 8:15. $15 cover charge, 8:15 dance lesson, 9:00-10:30 for dance parties. It's All About Dancing, 171 So. J Street, Livermore. 925-449-9292, or studio@itsallaboutdancing.com.

New Performance Group, combines dance, gymnastics and acrobatics. Four hours of week of training to start. Two dance classes as well as tumbling and flexibility class. Information, contact gymfinityjuli@yahoo.com or shellypop@sbcglobal.net. Dance Studio @ Gymfinity.

Brinda Dixit, Bharatanatyam Aranget-ram or Solo Dance Debut, Sun., Jan. 2, 4 p.m. Bankhead Theater, 2400 First St., Livermore. Free admission. Event includes live music, refreshments and dinner.

AUDITIONS/VOLUNTEERSAuditions, 30th Annual Sunol Repertory

Theatre Melodrama, Tuesday, Nov. 30th in the Sunol Glen School Auditorium at 11601 Main St. in Sunol from 6:30 p.m. -8:30 p.m. Auditions are for those actors 16yrs and above. For more information go to www.Sunol.net/srt. Performances are Fri. & Sat. in March. Rehearsals are Tues. & Thurs. from 7-9 p.m. starting Jan. 4, 2011 through March 3, 2011.

Auditions, All Shook Up, Tri-Valley Rep-ertory Theatre, Inspired by the music of Elvis Presley. A new musical using 24 Elvis Presley tunes – but not based on his life story. Auditions Mon., Nov. 29, 7:30 p.m. and Thurs., Dec. 2, 7:30 p.m. at 1048 Serpentine Lane, #303, Pleasanton. Call-backs, by invitation only, Saturday December 4th at 11:00am. Performance dates: April 22-May 8 at the Bankhead Theater, Livermore. Please prepare a brief song (16-32 bars). Bring sheet music; accompanist provided. Please bring a picture and resume, stapled together. Be prepared to dance. Information at www.trivalleyrep.org

Solo Piano Competition for young art-ists, sponsored by Las Positas College Music Department, open to ages 14 through 24. The winner will perform George Gershwin’s, “Rhapsody in Blue” at the May 4, 2011 Orchestra Concert as part of the inaugural season for the new Barbara Fracisco Mertes Center for the Arts. The application deadline is February 10, 2011. The selection will take place in February. To request application forms and information, contact Music instruc-tor Mary Campbell, (925) 424-1118 or mcampbell@laspositascollege.edu.

Livermore's 2011 Regional Talent Com-petition is now accepting applications. Top winners in each of two categories - youth (17 and under) and adults (18 and over) - will each take home $2,500. This competition will feature singers, dancers, bands, pianists, magicians, comedians and other types of performances. Aspiring performers from anywhere are invited to audition and compete. Information and applications for auditions are avail-able at LivermoresTalentCompetition.com. Applications must be received by December 31, 2010.

MOVIESClassic Film Series, Vine Cinema and

Alehouse, 1722 First St., Livermore. Schedule: Dec. 9: Gone with the Wind; and Jan. 13: Star Wars. All movies begin at 7 p.m. Information at www.VineCinema.com or 447-2545.

Documentary film, Afghan Star, Dec. 16. Pleasanton Library hosting at the new Firehouse Arts Center. No reservations are required. Admission is free. Doors open 6:15 p.m., film at 7 p.m. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. (Info on movie www.afghanstar.com.) For more information, call Penny Johnson, 931-3405. Firehouse Arts Center, 4444 Rail-road Avenue, downtown Pleasanton.

Going Places: A Classic Film Series, shown the first Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. in the Pleasanton Library's meeting room through June 2, 2011. The program is a partnership of Las Positas College and the Pleasanton Public Library proudly pres-ent. Candy Klaschus, film historian and Coordinator of the Humanities Program at Las Positas College, is the host. There is no admission charge. 400 Old Bernal Ave., Pleasanton. 931-3400. No registra-tion required.

CHORALCarols by Candlelight, the Foothill High

choirs are kicking off the holiday season with a caroling concert on Wednesday night, Dec. 1st. It will feature desserts and drinks available during the concert. This is a fund-raiser to help pay for the classroom piano accompanist. Wed., Dec. 1, 8 p.m. Foothill High multipurpose room. $10 including dessert. 4375 Foothill Road, Pleasanton, (925) 461-6600

Valley Concert Chorale, Holiday con-cert, “Carols of Comfort and Joy,” two performances. Sat., Dec. 4, 7:30 p.m. Asbury United Methodist Church, 4743 East Ave., Livermore. and Sun., Dec. 5, 3 p.m. Trinity Lutheran Church, Pleasanton. Ticket information at www.valleyconcer-tchorale.org

The New Dimension Chorus Holiday Show on December 5, at 3:00 p.m. at the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, located at 38451 Fremont Blvd., Fre-mont. The program features Featuring Northern California’s Premier Men’s A Capella Chorus, Voices in Harmony and the Northern California Champion Sweet Adelines’ Chorus, Harmony Fu-sion. Will-Call Ticket orders, for $10.00 ($5.00 for children 12 and under), can be placed by calling Dave Rail at (408) 267-1649. Tickets are also available at the door for $12.00.

Choral Concert, 8 p.m., Dec. 7. Las Positas College Performing Arts Center, 3000 Campus Hill Dr., Livermore. Perform-ing Arts Events Line at 925.424.1100 or go to www.laspositascollege.edu/per-formingarts

Sing it yourself Messiah, Valley Concert Chorale. Fri., Dec. 10, 7:30 p.m. Trin-ity Lutheran Church, Pleasanton Ticket information at www.valleyconcertcho-rale.org.

Cantabella Children’s Chorus Annual Winter Concerts, Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day, Saturday, December 11, 2010, at 1:30 P.M. featuring the training and performing choirs and introducing the new Honors Choir, and at 4:00 P.M. the performing choirs and the new Honors Choir. At Our Savior Lutheran Ministries, 1385 South Livermore Avenue, Liver-more. Children aged kindergarten through high school will perform choral music, accompanied by dancers and chamber musicians. Repertoire includes dance-

themed numbers and pieces from African, German, English, Catalan, Hebrew and American Folk Song traditions. Audience participation, too. Tickets at the door: adults $15, children 10 and under $10; in advance online: adults $12, children 10 and under $8, at Cantabella.org.

OPERATosca, Opera San José continues its 27th An-

niversary Season with Puccini’s Tosca. In Italian with English Supertitles The story of a popular opera diva brought down by the chief of Rome’s secret police, Tosca always leaves its audiences startled and breathless by the searing beauty of Puccini’s melodies. Eight performances are scheduled from November 13 through 28 at the California Theatre, 345 South First Street in downtown San José. Tickets are on sale at the Opera San José Box Office, by phone at (408) 437-4450 or online at www.operasj.org. Tosca is made possible, in part, by a Cultural Affairs Grant from the City of San José.

Met Opera Theater-casts, 10 a.m. simultane-ous viewings and 12 encore rebroadcasts of Metropolitan Opera productions at Dublin's Regal Cinema, 6:30 p.m. Wednes-days - Schedule: Dec. 1: Donizetti's "Son Pasquale;" Dec. 11, Jan. 5: Verdi's "Don Carlo;" Jan. 8, 26: Puccini's "La Fanciulla Del West;" Feb. 12, Mar. 2: Glass's "Nixon in China;" Feb. 26, Mar. 16: Gluck's "Iphigenia in Tauride;" April 9, 27: Rossini's "Le Comte Ory;" April 23, May 11: Richard Strauss's "Capriccio;" April 30, May 18: Verdi's "Il Trovatore;" May 14, June 11: Wagner's "Die Walkure."

MISCELLANEOUSAll Breed Cat Show, Nov. 27-28 at the

Alameda County Fairgrounds, Pleasan-ton. Presented by Fog City Cat Club. Over 55 breeds including judging of zoo (200) competing cats. Lots of vendors with gifts, toys, supplies, cat trees, beds, artwork, clothing, jewelry & more. Pedi-greed kittens for sale, rescue kitten and cat adoptions, household pet cat judging too. 707 338-1261 or 916 812-3132. www.fogcitycatclub.com

Dublin Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony, Thurs., Dec. 2, 7 to 8 p.m. Musical performance by the Dublin Unified Elementary School Choir, refreshments and a visit from a special guest from the North Pole. Dublin Civic Center, 100 Civic Place, Dublin. Free admission. (925) 556-4500.

Campus Speech Tournament, 1 to 5 p.m. Dec. 3. Las Positas College Performing Arts Center, 3000 Campus Hill Dr., Livermore. Performing Arts Events Line at 925.424.1100 or go to www.laspositas-college.edu/performingarts.

Old Fashioned Holiday Workshop and Visit with Old St. Nick, Sat., Dec. 4, 2 to 4 p.m. Dublin Heritage Park & Museums,

Donlon Way. $5 per person (photos with Old St. Nick are $5 each). Create holiday gifts including orange pomanders, spiced pine cones, popcorn & cranberry garland and gingerbread ornaments. Festivities also include a holiday sing-along, cookies and hot cider. Old St. Nick will be on hand for visits and photographs. Please call (925) 452-2100 for more information.

Holiday Book Sale, Friends of the Dublin Library, Sat., Dec. 4, noon to 3 p.m. at the Dublin Library, 200 Civic Plaza, Dublin. Selection of hardcover books in excellent condition, ideal for gift giving. Choose from children’s books, holiday books, gourmet cookbooks, photographic collec-tions, collectible books, games, and more. Most items are specially priced to stretch holiday budgets. For information, contact the Dublin Library (925) 828-1315

Holidays in the Vineyards (Saturday & Sunday), noon to 5 p.m. Dec. 4 and 5. Festive event hosted by area wineries: wine tasting, food, entertainment, gift ideas. www.lvwine.org

Holiday Sights and Sounds Parade and Tree Lighting, Dec. 4; 6 p.m. downtown, Livermore. Livermore Downtown Inc. (925) 373-1795.

Holiday Tea, Sat., Dec. 11, 12:30 p.m. and Sun., Dec. 12, 12:30 p.m. Dublin Heritage Park and Museums, Donlon Way. $25 per person Luncheon served in the holiday glow of this historic setting. The menu includes finger sandwiches, savory sweets , tea and punch. Tables seat four, but larger parties can be accommodated. Register early to avoid disappointment. Call (925) 452-2100 for more information.

Ball at the Mall, Fri., Dec. 31, Stoneridge Shopping Center, Pleasanton. Presented by Pleasanton North Rotary as a fund-raiser for children in the community. Live music, piano bar, premium no-host bar, champagne at midnight, souvenir glass, hors d’oeuvres and more. Information and tickets at www.ballatthemall.org.

2011 San Ramon Art & Wind Festival Poster Art Contest, open to San Ramon middle and high school students. The win-ning piece of artwork will be featured on festival posters, postcards and t-shirts. It will also be framed and hung in one of the Community Centers in San Ramon. The student who created the winning art work will also receive a $200 savings bond, second place a $100 savings bond and third place winner a $50 savings bond. Prizes are provided by the San Ramon Arts Foundation. All entries will be displayed in the Lindsay Dirkx Brown Art Gallery located at the San Ramon Community Center during the month of May 2011. The contest entry form and info can be found online at www.artandwind.com. Entries are due by January 7, 2011. For more info, call (925) 973-3366.

DANCEDance Concert, 8 p.m. Dec. 4. Las Positas

College Performing Arts Center, 3000 Campus Hill Dr., Livermore. Perform-ing Arts Events Line at 925.424.1100 or go to www.laspositascollege.edu/per-formingarts

Holiday Treasures From Around The World, Livermore School of Dance, Dec. 5, 1 and 5 p.m Bankhead Theater, 2400 First St., Livermore.

The Nutcracker, Valley Dance Theatre 30th Annual Production, December 11, 17, 18 & 19, 2010 - 7:00 p.m; December 11, 12, 18, & 19, 2010 - 2:00 p.m. Bankhead Theater, 2400 First Street, Livermore. All seats are reserved. Adults $24, $27 & $33; Students 17 and younger $18. Purchase online at www.bankheadtheater.org, by phone at 925-373-6800 or in person at the theater box office. Highlighting the 30th annual full-length production of the Tchaikovsky's holiday classic The Nutcracker will be Taeko drummers

10 THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2010 Community

By Patricia Koning This fall, the coaches of the

Mavericks Fastpitch Softball team came up with an innovative way to inspire the team while helping in the fight against breast cancer. In September, the team began conducting a pledge drive, “Strike Out Breast Cancer,” to benefit the ValleyCare Health Library and Ryan Comer Cancer Resource Center in Pleasanton.

The Mavericks collected pledges based on the number of strikeouts the team’s pitchers delivered in the Bay Area Bash tournament, held in Hayward at the end of September. The team collected nearly $2,000 for the Pleasanton facility, which will be used to provide prevention, early detection, education, and support for cancer patients.

The team members also swapped their usual teal jersey for pink in the Think Pink tourna-ment in Modesto, the weekend of Sept. 11 and 12. The team was the special runner-up in the crowded U16/U18 age group, earning 31 runs and allowing only two runs

The Livermore Flagpole, which served the community as a land-mark for 99 years at the corner of First St. and Livermore Avenue, continues to serve the commu-nity.

The flagpole was removed in 2004 after long cracks were found at the top and bottom of the pole. The pole was cut into four sec-tions and put into storage. A reas-sembled segment, measuring 60 feet, was placed at the southeast corner of Carnegie Park. It is used as a flagpole next to the Veterans’ Memorial.

The Livermore Heritage Guild was given additional sections. Some of the wood has been used by local woodcarvers to create items of interest. Sections were cut into various sizes and made available to the public as souvenirs.

Recently, Kyle Gorrie contacted the Livermore Heritage Guild to create a flagpole display for an Eagle Scout project to be carried

out by Boy Scout Troop 939. They created a display to show the grain and number of rings in the wood. They used a three foot section, cut-ting it at an angle, sanding it, then built a stand to display it. In addi-tion, the troop conducted research on the history of the flagpole.

The finished work is on display at the Carnegie Building, 3rd and J Streets, Livermore. The building is open Wed.-Sun. 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call 449-9927.

before the upper-bracket champi-onship game.

The Mavericks usually partici-pate in two tournaments a month. On their off weekends, they often perform community service proj-ects such as volunteering at a local bone marrow drive. Over Labor Day weekend, they hosted an ice cream social for the heroes residing at Livermore’s Veterans Hospital.

Members of the Mavericks are Samantha Caravas, Marissa Cordisco, Renee Dobson, Sara Journey, Greta Kohlmoos, Skyler Kriz, Halle Niklewicz Jamie Orr, Selena Shang, Marina VanVliet, and Ashley Weiler. The coaches are Coach John Niklewicz, Glen Cor-disco, and Charlie VanVliet; the team manager is Greg Dobson.

The Mavericks were the 2009 Western Pacific Champions and competed in the Western Summer World Series in Portland, Oregon. For more information on the Mavericks, visit http://mavericks-fastpitch.com.

The Valley Christian High School Cheerleading Team also combined sports with breast cancer

awareness and fundraising. During the month of October, which is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the team wore pink ribbons in their hair.

At the Oct. 22 game against

Berean Christian, the cheerleaders donated their proceeds from the regular 50/50 raffle to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. In the 50/50 raffle, half of the money raised

through ticket sales goes to the holder of the winning ticket and half goes to the cheerleading team to help pay for competition fees and travel.

Fighting Cancer, One Pitch at a Time

Scouts Create Special Flagpole Display

Scouts pictured, left to right, are Max McKernan, Cole Kraft, Levi Matsushima, Henry Robbins, Ky le Gor r ie , and Dan ie l McKernan. One other Scout, Nicolas Trebes also worked on the display but is not pictured. The Scout leader in the back is Mr. Sam Steele.

Team members present check to ValleyCare Foundation.

THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2010 11 Community

Las Positas College students won 24 awards at the Journalism Association of Community Col-leges NorCal Conference on Nov. 6 at San Jose State University.

“My co-adviser Nolan O’Brien and I were especially gratified that all students who attended the conference with us competed in at least one contest,” said Mass Communications faculty adviser Melissa Korber.

Las Positas College students gain practical journalism experi-ence through the student maga-zine “Naked,” student newspaper “Express,” and Radio Las Positas. The publications and radio station support the award-winning Mass Communications program which offers a Certificate of Achieve-ment, a Certificate of Completion in Radio, and transfer classes to four-year colleges.

Following are the conference award winners: Julian Lim, of Tracy, Editor in Chief of “Express” and “Naked,” 1st Place for Profile Feature Story, 1st Place for Photo Illustration, 1st Place for Bring-in Advertisement, 1st Place for On-the-spot Editorial Cartoon, 2nd Place for On-the-spot News Judgment/Layout, Honorable Mention for Student-designed Advertisement, Honorable Men-tion for Editorial Cartoon, Editor Recognition Certificate

Jeff Bennett, of Livermore, Express Staff, 3rd Place for Sports Feature Photo, 4th Place for Sports Feature Photo, General Excellence for Video Journalism, two awards, General Excellence for Online Photo Essay, Honorable Mention for Sports Action Photo

Army Pfc. Daniel R. Stark graduated from the Field Artillery Automated Tactical Data Systems Specialist Advanced Individual Training course at Fort Sill, Lawton, Okla.

As members of the Army's field artillery team, the course is designed to train soldiers as specialists to operate the advanced field artillery tactical data systems for both cannon and multiple launch rocket systems. The specialists play a critical role in the safe, accurate, and lethal delivery of the field artillery's various fire support systems used to support infantry and tank units in combat. Skills training included methods of computing target locations using computers or manual calculations, ammunition handling techniques, and operating and performing maintenance on related equipment, vehicles, generators, and artillery tactical and data systems.

He is the son of Micheal S. Stark of Livermore, and Linda L. Kelly of Winters. The private is a 1998 graduate of Granada High School, Livermore.

Army Pfc. Kevin J. Calhoun has graduated from Basic Combat Training at Fort Sill, Lawton, Okla., as an Honor Graduate and received a Letter of Commendation.

The soldier's academic and military accomplishments were a direct result of energetic application of sound judgment and newly acquired technical knowledge. The soldier's attention to detail, ap-pearance, cooperative spirit, military bearing, and military courtesy were commendable and exemplary, and contributed to the Battery Cadre of the 19th Field Artillery Regiment's successful mission accomplishments.

During the nine weeks of Basic Combat Training, the soldier studied the Army mission and received instruction and training exercises in drill and ceremonies, Army history, core values and traditions, military courtesy, military justice, physical fitness, first aid, rifle marksmanship, weapons use, map reading and land navigation, foot marches, armed and unarmed combat, and field maneuvers and tactics.

Calhoun, a cannon crewmember, is the son of Paul J. and Sharon L. Calhoun of Pleasanton.

Jeff Bennett and Kish Singh, both of Livermore, 2nd Place for Inside Page Layout, Tabloid; Brittney Barsotti, of Livermore, Honorable Mention for Editorial , Honorable Mention for News Feature; Meradith Loggins, of Livermore, Radio Las Positas, 1st Place for Web/Broadcast News Adam Foster, of Sunol, Radio Las Positas. 2nd Place for Web/Broadcast News; Brenda Cruz, of Pleasanton, Executive Editor “Naked,” Honorable Mention for Opinion Story;

Matt Burris, of Livermore, Express News Editor, Honorable Mention for On-the-spot Opinion Writing; Mackenzie Luther, of Pleasanton, Honorable Mention for On-the-spot News Story; James

Rose, of Castro Valley, Honorable Mention for Infographic; Kelly Sheeran, of Livermore, Honorable Mention for News Story; Jon Lytle . Honorable Mention for Profile Feature Story

The following students from the “Express” staff also participated in the event: Trevin Smith, of Castro Valley, Arts and Entertainment Ed-itor; Courtney Sipel, of Livermore, Features Editor; Andre Principe, of Dublin, Sport Editor; Darshan Dixit, of Livermore, Staff; and Shaun Packer, of Hayward, Staff.

Las Positas College is located at 3000 Campus Hill Drive in Livermore.

Teachers and students at Arroyo Seco Elementary School used to see a lot of used Capri Sun drink pouches get thrown away. Once they signed up to send them to a company called TerraCycle, the school began earning two cents for every one of those pouches and became part of a nationwide

Las Positas College student Julian Lim, a resident of Tracy, is the winner of seven awards and one certificate at the recent Journalism Association of Community Colleges NorCal Conference. Lim serves as Editor in Chief of both the Las Positas College student newspaper and magazine. Photo credit: Alton Richardson.

effort that has just reached an impressive milestone of keeping 50 million pouches out of land-fills. The school has done such an exceptional job of collecting drink pouches that TerraCycle and Capri Sun are recognizing it as one of the America’s Best Brigades for being in the top 100 collectors

nationwide. In addition to keeping the

equivalent of the weight of 20 school buses or 480 football fields out of landfills, Capri Sun and TerraCycle have paid one million dollars to schools and non-profits in return for the recycled drink pouches.

The school has collected al-most 41,000 pouches and earned $808.90 as part of a free nation-wide program that pays schools and non-profits to collect non-recy-clable waste that would otherwise go to a landfill.

More than 70,000 schools and community groups around the

country have signed up to help collect almost 30 different kinds of products and packaging Terra-Cycle accepts. The participating organizations will collectively earn over 2 million dollars this year.

Any interested organizations can learn more or sign up for free today at www.terracycle.net.

LPC Students Bring Home Awards in Journalism

Arroyo Seco Elementary Among Top Recycling Schools

12 THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2010 Community

(Organizations wishing to run notices in Bulletin Board, send information to PO Box 1198, Livermore, CA 94551, in care of Bulletin Board. Include name of organization, meeting date, time, place and theme or subject. Phone number and contact person should also be included. Deadline is 5 p.m. Friday.)

Christmas Boutique and Pancake Breakfast, Sat., Dec. 5, 9 a.m. to noon. Hosted by the Livermore Cresta Blanca Girl Scouts. Open to the public. Breakfast is $6. Fellowship Hall of the First Presbyterian Church, 2020 Fifth Street, Livermore. For more information contact Valerie at 925/577-9052.

The Rotarian Foundation of Livermore is currently accepting grant applications. The Rotarian Foundation of Livermore’s purpose is to make substantial charitable gifts to deserv-ing projects in the Livermore area. To date the Foundation has funded grants in excess of $800,000 to support the local community. All grant applications must be received not later than December 1st. The grant applications will be submitted to the Board of Directors meeting in February, 2011 with distribution by April 2011. You can download the grant application and outline at www.rotarianfounda-tionlivermore.org or contact Chris Mohammed, 925.290.8180.

Seniors, Thurs., Dec. 2, 10 a.m. to noon. Browse holiday shopping at the Robert Livermore Community Center, 4444 East Ave., Livermore. Free gift wrapping on items provided by Visiting Angels of Livermore. Questions, call Dana at 373-5760.

Livermore Amador Valley Garden Club will meet Thursday, December 9 at the Alisal Elementary School multipurpose room, 1454 Santa Rita Rd., Pleasanton, at 6:30 pm (pot luck) with program at 7pm. Jenny Papka, co-director of Native Bird Connections, will speak on "Inviting Birds into the Garden." Her non-profit organization focuses on wildlife education with non-releasable wild birds and employs her twenty years' experience working with native species from mountain lions to hummingbirds including over 30 species of raptors in captivity. Visitors welcome. For more information visit www.lavgc.org

Ohlone Audubon meets December 7 at 7:30 pm at Pleasanton Middle School Library, 5001 Case Ave. Jerry Ting will showcase 40-50 Alameda County bird species, followed by the members slide shows (up to 10). Holiday cookie exchange. No admission charge & refreshments served. For more information call 510-507-3383.

Clothing Drive - Warm men's clothing for homeless veterans, plus men's and women's business attire for Wardrobe for Opportunity. Please bring to Tri-Valley Unity prior to 10 a.m. service, 2260 Camino Ramon, San Ramon, or call Michele to make other arrangements, (925) 829-1239.

Livermore Library Board, regular meet-ing 7 p.m. Thurs., Dec. 2 at the Civic Center Library, 1188 So. Livermore Ave. An agenda will be posted at the library 72 hours prior to the meeting.

Valley Spokesmen Bicycle Touring Club, Sat., Nov. 27, 47 miles Shannon Center in Dublin to Castro Valley on way to Moraga Commons, meet 10 a.m., Peter Rathmann, 336-0973. Sun., Nov. 28, 25 miles Heather Farms to Diablo junction and back, meet 10 a.m. Alma Schiefer, 330-2228. Wed., Dec. 1, 25 miles explore the mysteries of Sunol, meet 8:30 a.m. at Shannon Center in Dublin, Peter Rathmann, 336-0973. Club meeting Wed., Dec. 1, election of officers, Round Table Pizza in Dublin. 6:30 p.m. Nonmembers welcome. www.valleyspokesmen.org. Anyone planning to go on a ride is asked to call the leader for details on where to meet and what to bring.

Pleasantonians 4 Peace is sponsoring a candlelight Vigil in front of the Museum on Main, 603 Main Street, downtown Pleasanton, Wed., December 8, 7 p.m. Patricipantse will reflect on the human and monetary costs of the war, honor veterans who have sacrificed, and visualize ways of moving beyond this conflict to a more peaceful world. A Peaceful War Protest will be held on the fourth Wednesday of the month, December 22 between 5 - 6 at the corners of First and Neal Streets. Please join us if you can. Call Cathe Norman at (925) 462-7495; Matt Sullivan at mjs7882@gmail.com; or kdowding@pacbell.net. www.Pleasantonians4Peace.org

Pleasanton Senior Center VIP Travel, Wed., Dec. 8, Nunset Boulevard, presented by American Stage Tours in Martinez. Includes

lunch, show and motorcoach transportation: $78 per person members, $79 per person nonmembers. Leave Pleasanton 10:45 a.m., return approximately 6:45 p.m. Cathedral of Christ the Light, downtown Oakland, Fri., Dec. 17, lunch along the Carquinez Straits, followed by tour of Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Walnut Creek. Price includes tour, lunch and motorcoach transportation, $78 per person. Sign up at the travel desk, 5353 Sunol Blvd., Pleasanton.

Potluck dinner celebrating election victories and the season hosted by the Jerry McNerney Campaign, the TriValley Demo-cratic Club, the San Ramon Valley Democratic Club and the American Muslims and Friends Democratic Club on Sat., Dec. 12, 6:30 p.m. at the IBEW Hall, 6250 Village Pkwy., Dub-lin. The McNerney Campaign is bringing the main dish. Please bring appetizers, des-serts and beverages. Speakers include Rep. McNerney and other elected officials. www.trivalleydems.com.

Senior Support Program of the Tri-Val-ley is looking for Volunteer Drivers to transport seniors to their medical appointments. The Senior Transportation Program supplements existing public and paratransit services by providing rides via volunteer drivers. Vol-unteers must have a valid driver’s license, a registered vehicle, carry automobile liability insurance, and have a clear DMV record. Please contact Jennifer Cullen for more information at (925) 931-5387 or email: ja.cullen@yahoo.com. Funding for this program is provided by Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC).

Retired Public Employees under CALP-ERS, meeting Dec. 2 for Christmas Party at Emil Villa's Hickory Pit, 3064 Pacific Ave., Livermore. 10:30 a.m. $14 includes tax and tip. Limited space so the first 30 will be honored. Deadline to register is Fri., Nov. 26. Call Muriel Springer, 447-1920.

Bird walk, Fri., Nov. 26, 9:30 a.m. John Muir National Historic Site. Over 100 species of birds have been identified at the site. Meet at the visitor center, 4202 Alhambra Ave., Martinez. Bring water and binoculars (of available). Wear good walking shoes. If rains heavily, the walk will be cancelled. Informa-tion, call 228-8860.

2010 Giving Tree Holiday Giving Tree, sponsored by the Livermore Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association (LPD CPAAA). The tree will be placed in the Livermore Police Department lobby through December 15. The lobby is open 9 am – 5pm Monday – Friday. The Police Department is located at 1110 S. Livermore Avenue. Donors select a tag from the tree in the lobby and bring the new unwrapped gift (with the tag attached) back to the chimney – the LPD CPAAA will do the rest. Monetary donations cannot be accepted. However, gift cards are always welcome. For more information, please call the Livermore Police Department Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association contact at (925) 371-4710.

Boutique, Ladies Auxiliary of the Fleet Reserve Association Unit 287 Livermore is holding a Crafters' Boutique on December 4, 2010 at the Veteran's Hall 522 South L Street, Livermore from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The proceeds are going to our servicemen and women serving overseas.

Holiday Boutique Vendors, Donlon Elementary is hosting a Holiday Boutique on Saturday, December 11th and is looking for merchants. This event is a fund-raiser for the Donlon Parent Faculty Club and all proceeds will benefit the classrooms. The event will run from 10 am to 2 pm and is held in the school's multipurpose room. To reserve a space, go to donlonboutique2010@gmail.com. The cost is $20 per half table or $40 for an entire 11 foot table. Space is limited.

Daughters of the American Revolution, Josefa Higuera Livermore Chapter, meets 9:30 a.m. on the first Saturday of the month between Sept. and May at the Asbury United Methodist Church, 4743 East Ave., Livermore. DAR is a women's service organization. The women are descended from a patriot of the American Revolution and are dedicated to pa-triotism, preservation of American history and securing America's future through education. Information, contact Maris at 443-3087.

Widowed Men and Women of Northern CA., Lunch in Pleasanton, Nov. 30, 11:30 a.m., RSVP to Roselyn by Nov. 26, 999-9936.

Daughters of the American Revolution,

Jose Maria Amador Chapter, Pleasanton, volunteer women's service organization de-scended from a patriot of the American Revo-lution. Dedicated to patriotism, preservation of American history and securing America's future through better education. For more information, contact anarcisco@comcast.net or phone 510-507-5509.

Disability Action Network is a group of people with all kinds of disabilities who are working together to make change in the community. The group works on health care, housing, access, attendant programs, transpor-tation, and other issues affecting people with disabilities. The group is a project of CRIL, Community Resources for Independent Living. CRIL serves people with all disabilities and seniors with disabling conditions, providing assistance with housing, personal assistant services, benefits, assistive technology, advo-cacy, and peer counseling. CRIL’s mission is to advocate and provide resources for people with disabilities to improve the quality of life and make communities fully accessible. For more information, please call Jessica Lehman at (510) 881-5743 x5937.

Birthright Pregnancy Support Service, looking an office volunteer to assist clients weekly on Wednesdays 10-2, and substitute office volunteers for all days. Also looking for a volunteer CPA to assist annually with reviewing books and other related assistance. For information on a variety of volunteer op-portunities, please call John Kupski evenings at 606-8230. We are presently open M-Tu-Fri 10 am-2 pm, Thurs. eve. 6-9 pm, and we are anxious to reopen on Wed. Birthright offers free pregnancy tests, guidance, adoption and medical referrals, baby and maternity clothing, and more. Livermore office at 1520 Catalina Ct., just behind the Granada Shopping Center, or call 449-5887. 1-800-550-4900 Hotline number is staffed 24 hours a day. All Birth-right services are free and confidential. www.birthright.org

Toastmasters, Amador Valley group meets at Mimi's Cafe, 4775 Hacienda Dr., Dublin, 7 a.m. Thursday mornings. Learn to communi-cate more effectively, improve presentation skills and leadership potential. Contact Hal Brown, 462-2412, for information.

Livermore Military Families is a support group for families in Livermore, who have a loved one serving in the Military. It is a safe place to come and share the joys, tears and fears they have with others who understand what they are going through. All family members are welcome to attend meetings. Meetings are held on the 3rd Thursday of each month at the home of Cindy Gavello, 2851 Tahoe Drive, Livermore from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Pleasanton Newcomers Club, open to new and established residents of the Tri-Val-ley. Activities include a coffee on the first Wednesday of the month, a luncheon on the second Wednesday of the month, bunco, Mah Jongg, bridge, walking and hiking groups, family activities and monthly adult socials. Information, call 215-8405 or visit www.PleasantonNewcomers.com.

Good News Bears, nonprofit with a mis-sion to distribute stuffed animals to social services, emergency services, medical facili-ties and anyone who needs a hug. Based in Livermore, the group reaches around the Bay Area and the world. Volunteers needed to hold collections of gently used teddy bears and other stuffed animals, assist with fund-raising and deliver the animals to organizations supported by the group. Meetings 2nd Thursday of the month, 6:30 p.m. at the Livermore Police Sta-tion. Log on to www.goodnewsbears.org or call 373-7982 for more information.

The Bingo Ranch, 3070 Pacific Ave. in Livermore and is open Mondays, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturdays. Buenas Vidas Youth Ranch has been running Bingo for 16 years and is now working with Christensen, Arroyo Seco and East Ave Schools, and Excep-tional Needs Network and All American Sports Academy Teams. Come play Bingo and support the kids in Livermore. Call 925-606-7777 for more information.

Livermore Lioness Club welcomes new members at their regular monthly meeting on the first Tuesday of each month, at 6:30 pm. Participating in the many activities of the group is a great way to meet local people. The Lioness is a service club, sponsored by the Livermore Lions Club, that helps many worthy causes in our community. Lioness’s main focus are

women, children and family issues, in addition to helping the blind. For information please call 925-443-4543.

Ravenswood Historic Site, operated by the Livermore Area Recreation and Park District. Ravenswood, is a restored Victorian country estate. The public is invited to join free tours noon to 4 p.m. the second and fourth Sun-days of each month except December, with the last tour starting about 3:15 p.m. Also available on tour days are a gift shop featuring unique Victorian gift items and the Ravenswood Prog-ress League’s Tankhouse Tea Room. Special events each year include the Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Social on the second Sunday in August and Victorian Yuletide the second Sunday in December. Ravenswood is located at 2647 Arroyo Rd., Livermore. For more information, call 925-443-0238 or visit the LARPD Web site at www.larpd.dst.ca.us.

RELIGIONCongregation Beth Emek, 3400 Nevada

Court, Pleasanton. Information 931-1055. Tri-Valley Cultural Jews, affiliated with

the Congress of Secular Jewish Organizations (csjo.org). Information, Rabbi Judith Seid, Tri-Valley Cultural Jews, 485-1049 or East-BaySecularJews.org.

First Church of Christ, Scientist, Liver-more, has services at 10 a.m. every Sunday and at 7:30 p.m. on the second Sunday of each month. Sunday School for students (ages 3-20) is held at 10 a.m. every Sunday. The church and reading room are located at Third and N Streets. The Reading Room, which is open to the public, features books, CDs and magazines for sale. For information, call (925) 447-2946.

Faith Chapel Assembly of God, 6656 Alisal St., Pleasanton, Sunday School for all ages 9:30 a.m., Worship 10:30 a.m., Children’s Church 11:15 a.m. Women's Bible study Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Please call office at 846-8650 for weekly programs.

Our Savior Lutheran Ministries, 1385 S. Livermore Avenue, Livermore. Sunday worship at 9 a.m.; Sunday School and Adult Bible Study at 10:30 a.m.; contemporary service 11 a.m. (Connected). For information, call 925-447-1246.

Asbury United Methodist Church, 4743 East Avenue, Livermore. 9 a.m. Sunday wor-ship. Information 447-1950.

Calvary Chapel Livermore, Sunday Services 10:30 am and 6:00 p.m. 545 N. L Street Livermore. (925) 447-4357 - www.calvarylivermore.org.

St. Matthew's Baptist Church, 1239 North Livermore Ave., Livermore. Services on Sunday at 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. Adult Sunday school 9:30 a.m., Children's Sunday school at 9:30 a.m. Prayer each Wednesday at 7 p.m. fol-lowed by Bible study at 7:30 p.m. 449-3824.

United Christian Church, celebrating 50 years in the Tri-Valley. 1886 College Ave. at M St., Livermore; worships on Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. Children’s program on Sunday morning and first Fridays. The com-munity is welcome. United CC is an Open and Affirming ministry. Call 449-6820 for more information.

Bible Study, offered Wednesdays, 7:30 to 8:30 PM at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6100 Paseo Santa Cruz, Pleasanton. Refreshments served at no cost. 925-305-9468.

Trinity, 557 Olivina Ave., Livermore. Services on Sunday at 8:30, 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. with Sunday school or Bible study for all ages at 9:45 a.m. Bible study for adults and activities for all ages on Wednesdays at 6:45 p.m. 447-1848.

Granada Baptist Church, 945 Concan-non Blvd., Livermore. Services: Sunday school 9:45 a.m., worship 11 a.m., Tuesday Bible study, 10 a.m. to noon. All are welcome. 1-888-805-7151.

Tri-Valley Unity Church, 2260 Camino Ramon, San Ramon. Class for children, ages 1-10, during church service, 10 to 11:15 a.m. Ongoing adult classes and small groups. All are welcome. (925) 829-2733. www.trival-leyunity.com

Meditation Study Group, Practice new meditation methods, based on teachings of Shinzen Young, using audio, video and hand-outs, 7:15-8:30 p.m., on the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month, at Tri-Valley Unity's Gathering Place, 7567 Amador Valley Blvd., #120, Dublin. Contact Gayle at gstaehle@comcast.net

Spiritual Reiki Group The Japanese system of Reiki is a spiritual practice which uses meditations, chanting, visualizations, and hands-on energy group work so that we can connect to our true nature. No prior Reiki experience is necessary. On the first and third Saturdays of every month, 10-11:45 a.m. at Tri-Valley Unity's Gathering Place, 7567 Amador Valley Blvd., #120, Dublin. Contact Gayle at gstaehle@comcast.net.

Community Bible Study Class, book of Luke will be the topic of study in Pleasanton at Valley Bible Church. CBS is a non-denomina-tional Bible study ministry open to all women, with a special children's program for ages 0-5 years old. The class meets on Thursdays from 9:30-11:30AM beginning 9/9/10 and goes until 5/12/11. More information about the CBS program and registration available by contacting Sharon at 925-399-5072, or email bobsharonmerrill@gmail.com.

Granada Baptist Church, 945 Concan-non Boulevard, Livermore. Services: Sunday school – 9:45 a.m.; worship service – 11 a.m. All are welcome. 1-888-805-7151.

Seventh-day Adventist Church, 243 Scott Street, Livermore. 925-447-5462, ser-vices on Saturday: Sabbath school 9:30 a.m., worship 11 a.m. www.livermoresda.org/ All are welcome.

The Catholic Community of St. Charles Borromeo, 1315 Lomitas Ave. in Livermore hosting an Advent Celebration on December 3rd at 7:00 to 9:00 pm with storytelling, song and dramatic effects that nationally known actor Michael Reardon brings to his one-man production of Jesus’ birth. “The Advent Nar-ratives” – The Nativity Story; this will be a telling of the Christmas story. Yuletide fun and refreshments will round out the evening in Borromeo Hall. Tickets are on sale now, $5/child & $8/adults (13 years & older). Sales will help cover actors' fee. Seating is on a first come basis. Contact Julie at upcatholic@aol.com or 447-3539 ext 114 for tickets.

Stepping Stones on Grief Journey, Grief Ministry bi-monthly sessions, Catholic Community of Pleasanton. Dec. 9, 23, Jan 13, 27, Feb., 10, 11 and Mar. 10, 24, 7:30 p.m. St. Elizabeth Seton, 4001 Stoneridge Dr., Pleasanton. No preregistration required. Open to all regardless of religious affiliation. Please call Mary Hagerty, 846-5377, for more information.

A Joyful Christmas concert featuring vocalist Dinah Chapman and concert pianist Clayton Foor. Sunday, Dec. 12, 1 pm at Tri-Val-ley Unity, 2260 Camino Ramon, San Ramon. $20 at the door. Come early for pre-concert festivities 11:30-1:00: Christmas basket raffle and holiday refreshments. (925) 829-2733, www.trivalleyunity.com