Your Local News Source Since 1963 SERVING LIVERMORE • PLEASANTON • SUNOL THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2010VOLUME XLVII, NUMBER 49

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Inside PET Of THE WEEk Monet is as pretty as a picture and is looking for her forever home. She arrived here last february as a shy kitty and has grown into an outgoing cat. She’s not a big fan of the shelter atmosphere and really needs a space to call her own. If you adopted Monet, you would be very lucky to own such a spirited and extraordinary kitty. Monet also holds the coveted honor of "Mayor of kitty City." To learn more about adoptable animals, call 925-426-8656 or visit www.valleyhumane.org. Valley Humane Society is located at 3670 Nevada Street in Pleasanton and 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

Photo - Karen Vizzard

Sean Hesler examines a sick child held by its grandmother. The child is one of 7 orphaned by the death of their mother. Unable to care for them, the grandmother is looking for homes to for them.

A young, natural-medicine doctor from Livermore returned to Haiti with his wife this week to provide medical help to pregnant women and children in a region where doctors and hospitals

Back to Haiti: Livermore DoctorReturns After Narrow Escape

are rare and often prohibitively expensive.

Sean and Sarah Preston Hesler are directors of a birthing clinic sponsored by a U.S. nonprofit organization. Last month, they

employed a ruse worthy of an ad-venture novel to escape the coun-try when Haitians were rioting and threatening strangers over suspicions that United Nations

(See HAITI, page 9)

Photo - Doug Jorgensen

Cubs and Boy Scouts from Troop 939 took part in the annual Livermore holiday parade. for more photos, see page 2.

The final session in a series of town hall meetings sponsored by Alameda County to possibly expand some of the uses allowed in the South Livermore plan will be held at 6 p.m., Dec. 14. town hall meeting at the Martinelli Event Center, 7986 Tesla Road, Livermore.

A major focus will be whether

final Meeting Looks At South Livermore Plan

(See PLAN, page 2)

"Two Dancers" by Greg Hawthorne is one of three proposed for purchase.

Pleasanton residents Nancy and Gary Harrington have pro-posed a 10-year public art acqui-sition plan for the city.

The Pleasanton City Council reviewed and approved phase one of the plan at its Dec. 7 meeting.

Phase one includes the pur-chase of three sculptures. Fund-ing has been provided by the Harringtons. Cost to the city would involve site prepara-tion, installation and/or signage. Staff estimates the cost would be around $7500 per sculpture. Funds are available in the city’s public art acquisition fund.

The Harringtons have pro-posed including several sculp-tures and murals. Their goal is to raise financial support through a process of collaboration with local businesses. As part of the funding campaign, the Har-ringtons are willing to match any donation of $3500 or more until sufficient funding for a particu-lar sculpture or mural has been achieved.

The three sculptures to be acquired under phase one are Two Dancers by artist Greg Hawthorne; Spiral Motion III by artist Jon Seeman, and Cobalt One-Two Kids by artist Dominic. This phase will serve as the start of establishing a sculpture walk within the downtown area. The sculpture walk is proposed to evolve over time as artworks become available and locations are identified.

Two Dancers will be located at the Firehouse Arts Center.

The Harringtons provided examples of some of the work that could be purchased. Prices range from $45,000 for a cast granite piece to $18,000 for fused glass pieces.

Councilmember Cheryl Cook-Kallio commented, “This is truly an exciting program for the city. The Harringtons have been truly

Pleasanton Oks 10-Year Public Art Acquisition Plan

(See ART, page 5)

An agreement has been reached with wind energy opera-tors owned by NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, to expedite the replacement of old wind tur-bines in the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area with new, larger wind turbines that are less likely to harm birds.

Golden Gate Audubon, Santa Clara Valley Audubon, Mt. Dia-blo Audubon, Ohlone Audubon, and Marin Audubon joined the Attorney General’s Office in

negotiating the agreement that addresses the state’s need for renewable wind energy and the state’s obligation to protect resident and migratory birds. Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced the agree-ment Monday.

The Altamont Pass Wind Resources Area in Alameda and Contra Costa counties is the site of the world’s first wind turbines. These units, constructed more than three decades ago, are now

outdated, inefficient and deadly to thousands of birds each year.

Under the agreement, NextEra will replace some 2,400 turbines over the next four years and will shut down all its existing turbines no later than 2015. The company also has agreed to erect the new turbines in environmentally friendly locations.

NextEra agreed to pay $2.5 million in mitigation fees, half to the state Energy Commission’s Public Integrated Energy Re-

search Program and half to East Bay Regional Park District and the Livermore Area Regional Park District for raptor habitat creation.

Rich Cimino, Ohlone Audu-bon Eastern Alameda Coun-ty Conservation Chairman, is pleased with the agreement. “I think at this point, it’s the best compromise.”

A 2004 study commissioned by the California Energy Com-mission found that the 5,400 old-

er turbines operating at Altamont Pass killed an estimated 1,766 to 4,271 birds annually, including between 881 and 1330 raptors such as golden eagles — which are protected under federal law — hawks, falcons and owls. The bird fatalities at Altamont Pass, an important raptor breeding area that lies on a major migratory route, are greater than on any other wind farm in the country.

In September 2005, Alameda

Agreement Will Reduce Bird Deaths

(See WIND POWER, page 4)

Wide Spectrum Contributes to East Bay Economic HealthBy Ron McNicoll

A report that calls for a co-operative effort among govern-ment, business, philanthropy and non-profit groups in solving the job, education, and social services problems of the East

Bay provides the public with a big-picture profile of what has happened to the area in the past 10 years, and shows trends that give hope in the current troubled times.

The report was issued last

week by the East Bay Economic Development Alliance (EBEDA) and the East Bay Community Foundation (EBCF). It was the first time that the two organiza-tions have issued a joint report.

The two organizations are

acting in concert because both job development and various human services are important for the residents of the East Bay. They are united in perceiving that there really is no separation between the efforts of business,

government, non-profits and phi-lanthropy to solve long-term eco-nomic problems for the region, which is comprised of Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

As a whole, the area sank a (See EAST BAY, page 4)

Pleasanton Mayor Jennifer Hosterman and Councilmembers Jerry Thorne and Cheryl Cook-Kallio took their oaths of office for the positions they will hold for the final time at Tuesday’s city council meeting.

Hosterman will serve two more years, Thorne and Cook-Kallio four years before they reach term limits.

All three thanked those who helped to re-elect them.

Hosterman stated, “I drove through downtown on my way to the meeting. It is truly lovely. We have a lot to be proud of and to be thankful for in Pleasanton.”

Over the next two years, Hos-terman said her focus would be

Pleasanton Mayor, Council-members Sworn In

in two areas. One will be main-taining the fiscal health of the community. She stated. “I am grateful to my fellow mayors for working with me on projects to help to create local jobs.”

A second focus will be deal-ing with pension reform. Hos-terman said there are plans to hold workshops. She invited the entire community to be part of the discussions concerning those reforms..

Cook-Kallio said that when she first ran four years ago, she wanted to have a conversation about Pleasanton. “All of the candidates should be congratu-lated. It is difficult to put yourself

(See PLEASANTON, page 5)

A program in the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School Dis-trict has found a way to provide excellent science teaching at no cost to the district.

The program, TOPS (Teach-ing Opportunities for Partners in Science) has been in use for many years. It was begun by the San Joaquin County Office of Education.

Retired Scientists Help Livermore Schools

Retired scientists from Law-rence Livermore National Lab-oratory (LLNL) and Sandia National Laboratories volunteer their time in science classrooms in Livermore and in San Joa-quin County. Every Livermore elementary and middle school has one of the volunteers, said Art Krakowsky, one of the vol-

(See SCIENTISTS, page 5)

Cities, Schools Dealing With Pension CostsBy Ron McNicoll

Growing concern about the future obligations of pension plans and post-retirement medi-cal coverage has surfaced in the Valley during the past few months.

Pleasanton City Council can-didate Karla Brown and may-oral candidate Cindy McGovern raised the issue of dealing with unfunded future liability during the campaign. McGovern also raised this issue in the past, as did Kay Ayala, when she was on the city council.

Pleasanton resident Bart Hughes has addressed the city council about his views on the topic. Hughes and Brown spoke to the council at its meeting Dec.

(See PENSIONS, page 4)

PAGE 2 - The Independent, DECEMBER 9, 2010

Photos - Doug Jorgensen

Dublin hosted its annual tree lighting ceremony last week. A special visitor included Santa Claus shown greeting youngsters. The recent rains provided a sparkling reflection of the brightly lighted tree. One young admirer stands in front of the tree, which is located at the Civic Center.

Photos - Doug Jorgensen

Livermore hosted the annual holiday parade and tree lighting last Saturday in the evening. A special visitor from the North Pole was on hand for the festivities. Equestrians were part of the annual parade. In the photo, at lower left, snowballs were the order of the day at Lizzie fountain, where the annual snow-day was held. Tossing a snowball is Sarah Ryan from Livermore.

MTC's Planning Committee, in conjunction with the Associa-tion of Bay Area Government's (ABAG's) Administrative Com-mittee, will consider MTC's Final Draft 2010 Public Participation Plan at a meeting to be held this Fri., Dec. 10.

This document lays out the steps MTC will take to involve residents in decisions affecting Bay Area transportation and land use policies and investments, and includes changes (indicated by strike-through or underscored text) in response to comments received from numerous groups and individuals on a revised draft, which was issued in Oc-tober. In particular, additional

MTC to Consider Public Participation Plan

detail has been added on how to participate in developing a re-gional plan that MTC is working on with ABAG for sustainable communities required under state law to reduce greenhouse gases. If approved on Friday, the Final Draft will be forwarded to the full MTC Commission for consider-ation on December 15.

To view MTC's Final Draft Public Participation Plan, the cor-respondence received in response to the revised draft plan, as well as a summary of comments and responses go to www.mtc.ca.gov/get_involved/participa-tion_plan.htm

The meeting will be held at 101 8th Street, Oakland.

or not a destination hotel should be allowed in the wine country. There is no proposal for one now. However, some residents have said it would help out the wineries, because for the most part, visitors who want to stay overnight must drive back to the freeway.

However, some residents said a destination hotel could be too much development for the area, bringing in more traffic that could cause parking problems, and pos-sibly even be growth-inducing.

The size of the footprint of such a resort, how close it could be to the urban growth bound-ary, and whether it would create pressure to bring a water line to it

were issues to be discussed.Others expressed concern

about some parking problems already present, and whether the county could do more to regulate parking.

At this final town hall meet-ing, staff will have reports sum-marizing previous contributions from participants. Reports will be available a few days before the meeting, but the exact date is not known, because the county counsel’s office is reviewing various issues that were raised in the discussions.

People who want to obtain the reports before the meeting may call senior planner Jana Beatty Weldon at 510-670-5400.

PLAN(continued from page one)

The Independent, DECEMBER 9, 2010 - PAGE 3

Arsenic - an element that triggers death for most Earthly life forms - is actually allowing for a bacterium to thrive and reproduce.

In a study that may prompt the rewriting of textbooks, a team of astrobiologists and chemists has found the first known living organism that can use arsenic in place of phosphorus in its major macromolecules. The new find-ings, published in the Dec. 2 Science Express, could redefine origins of life research and alter the way we describe life as we know it.

Oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorous are the six basic building blocks of life on Earth. These elements make up nucleic acids, proteins and lipids - the bulk of living matter.

The new study by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and led by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey has found that a bacterium isolated from Mono Lake may substitute ar-senic for phosphorus to sustain its growth.

Mono Lake, located in eastern California, is an alkaline and hypersaline lake with high dis-solved arsenic concentrations. It is believed to have formed more than 760,000 years ago from neighboring volcanic eruptions.

Felisa Wolfe-Simon, a NASA astrobiology research fellow in residence at the USGS and the paper’s lead author, has been studying possible arsenic based life forms at the lake for some time. Using samples from Mono Lake and a culture medium with reduced phosphorus levels,

she showed that that a strain of Gamaproteobacteria can not only survive using arsenic but can grow as well.

“We know that some microbes can ‘breathe’ arsenic, but what we’ve found is a microbe doing something new - building parts of itself out of arsenic,” Wolfe-Simon, said.

LLNL’s Jennifer Pett-Ridge and Peter Weber were able to identify low concentrations of arsenic found in individual cells of bacteria and extracted DNA. NanoSIMS is a tool that al-lows precise, spatially explicit, elemental and isotopic analysis down to the 50-nanomenter scale; it also offers a range of advantages for sensitive and high-resolution measurements.

“It turned out that the organ-ism was able to tolerate these

heavy metal concentrations (that are found in Mono Lake),” Pett-Ridge said. “Arsenic is right below phosphorous on the peri-odic table and it may have found a way to substitute arsenic for phosphorous in its biological makeup.”

Cultures of the Mono Lake samples produced flourishing colonies of the bacterium cells, as expected, when fed a steady supply of phosphorus, along with other necessities. When research-ers removed the phosphorus and replaced it with arsenic, however, the microbes continued to grow. Subsequent analyses indicated that the arsenic was being used to produce the building blocks of new cells.

“The team hasn’t yet estab-lished how the organism uses arsenic as a building block when

it’s a poison to most other life forms,” Pett-Ridge said. “It could be an ancestral trait or a unique kind of metabolism. Or it could be that it lives in an environment where arsenic is very high and it found a niche to survive.”

“This organisms’ metabolic lifestyle suggests that life based on non-typical elements may be possible,” Wolfe-Simon said. “This is important to scientists looking for clues to life on other planets.”

NanoSIMS not only measures the elemental concentrations, but also images them. It collects a picture of the image and identi-fies how much of a specific ele-ment is found in the sample. “We found that arsenic was higher in the cells than in the environment outside the cells,” Pett-Ridge said.

“It’s very difficult to make these measurements because the sample concentrations of arsenic are very low,” she said. “But it’s clear that the cells are incorpo-rating arsenic into them. There are not a lot of organisms on the planet that can do this. “

The next step is to conduct protein biochemistry to find out if there are specific enzymes that help transport arsenic into the cells. Other collaborators include NASA Astrobiology Institute, Ar-izona State University, Duquesne University, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource and BE-YOND: Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science at Arizona State University.

The LLNL NanoSIMS facil-ity began from a grant from the Department of Energy’s Office of Science Genomes: GTL pro-gram.

from Toxicity to Life: Arsenic Proves to Be a Building Block

PAGE 4 - The Independent, DECEMBER 9, 2010

EDITORIAL

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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.

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Senator John Kerry (D-MA), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told the committee that the heads of the nation’s three primary nuclear weapons laboratories have de-clared their support for President Obama’s updated, 10-year plan to maintain U.S. nuclear weapons.

Senator Kerry welcomed the support and said the verdict from the nation’s top nuclear weapons experts should help the Senate move forward in ratifying New START, the arms control agree-ment with Russia.

“This letter is the non-partisan gold standard when it comes to expertise on the effectiveness of our nuclear stockpile,” said Senator Kerry. “The directors’ strong support is a crystal clear affirmation that we are doing precisely what is needed to maintain a nuclear deterrent that is second-to-none.

"The administration is mak-ing good on every promise that President Obama has made on this critical issue."

In their joint letter to Senator Kerry and Senator Dick Lugar,

Altamont Project Honored The Altamont plant that transforms landfill gas into a

clean, renewable fuel is 2010 winner of the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award in the Sustainable Facility category.

The award is the state’s highest environmental honor. The facility produces up to 13,000 gallons a day of

liquefied natural gas from gas generated through the decomposition of waste at the Altamont Landfill. More than 2 million gallons have been produced since the plant opened in September 2009.

This is fuel that is near zero in its carbon content. “Converting the landfill gas into a sustainable, clean

alternative fuel source is the very essence of closed-loop recycling,” commented Waste Management (WM) execu-tive Duane Woods.

The facility is operated by WM and Linde North America in partnership with several public agencies.

We congratulate them on their prestigious award. May the Altamont project serve as a model and a beacon as the nation strives to tap major new sources of clean energy.

County renewed permits for the turbines. However, several Audu-bon Society chapters and Cali-fornians for Renewable Energy (CARE), a local environmental group, challenged the permits in a lawsuit under the Califor-nia Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

After a settlement failed to substantially reduce the large number of bird fatalities, Brown stepped in and brokered the agreement announced Monday.

Michael Lynes, Conservation Director with the Golden Gate Audubon Society, stated, “Our agreement sets an aggressive schedule for removing the old-generation turbines and replac-ing them with new-generation turbines that should substan-tially reduce impacts to birds. According to experts studying the Altamont Pass, the removal of the old turbines and replace-ment with properly-sited turbines may reduce impacts to birds by as much as 80%.”

Altamont Pass was heav-ily developed for wind power generation in the late 1970s and early 1980s, eventually including more than 5800 turbines cover-ing a 56 mile area. These lands at one time provided habitat for birds and still serve as an important migratory corridor for Golden Eagles and other raptors. According to a press release is-sued by the Aubudon Society, for much of the last decade, the Bay Area Audubon chapters and the operating wind companies have struggled to agree on ways to reduce impacts to birds, bats and other wildlife while fostering the environmental and economic benefits of wind energy genera-tion in the Altamont Pass.

The new agreement reflects the consensus of the Alameda County Scientific Review Com-

mittee that the only way to sig-nificantly reduce impacts to birds and keep wind energy generation in Altamont Pass is to remove the old-generation wind turbines and replace them with better sited, new-generation models. Whether or not the NextEra Energy Re-sources companies replace all of their turbines on the proposed expedited schedule, they have committed to ceasing all opera-tions of their old turbines by the end of 2015, three years before they are required to do so under their current permits.

“This agreement addresses the problem arising throughout the state: balancing the need for renewable energy genera-tion with subsequent impacts to wildlife,” said Bob Power, Executive Director of the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society. “We appreciate NextEra leading the way in the Altamont Pass to remove the old turbines and properly install new ones that should significantly reduce risks to birds. We are also mindful that impacts to wildlife will continue and the Audubon chapters will remain engaged in conservation planning and advocacy on behalf of birds and other wildlife in the Altamont Pass and throughout the Bay Area.”

Cimino added, “Ohlone Audubon is happy and pleased with this leap forward. There still remains a lot of work to be accomplished, including estab-lishing a monitoring program. In addition, the habitat conservation plan for the area still has to move forward.”

He concluded, “By 2015, with all the pieces in place, the Al-tamont area could be a showpiece for the world on how to manage large wind farms and reduce bird deaths.”

the ranking Republican on the Committee, the directors of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (George Miller), Los Alamos National Labora-tory (Michael Anastasio), and Sandia National Laboratories (Paul Hummert) write that the administration’s plan will sus-tain the “science, technology and engineering base” required to maintain the nation’s nuclear stockpile.

The directors said they are “very pleased by the update to the Section 1251 Report, as it would enable the laboratories to execute our requirements for ensuring a safe, secure, reliable and effec-tive stockpile.” The update was submitted by the President on November 17, 2010.

“We believe that the proposed budgets provide adequate support to sustain the safety, security, reliability and effectiveness of America’s nuclear deterrent within the limit of 1550 deployed strategic warheads established by the New START Treaty with ad-equate confidence and acceptable risk,” the directors wrote.

(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.)

Reduce foreign AidHoward and Emilie SeebachPleasanton

Letter to elected officials:It's obvious, we as a country,

and as citizens, are mired in financial difficulty.

Unemployment is too high,

WIND POWER(continued from page one)

Lab Directors Write in Support of New START

little economically in 2001, dur-ing the dot-com bust, then grew greatly in income overall before 2007, a period marked by the housing inflation bubble. When the bubble burst, with the nation recession’s commencement in 2007, the sharp decline began.

In a look at the future, the re-port offers suggestions on where the economy is headed next, and what role such institutions as the healthcare industry, social services, and even the arts has to play in maintaining the economic strength of the region.

Many of the report’s statistics are already known from past news accounts, but others may be surprising, because they have been reported little, especially in a context as large as that of the report.

Well-known has been the de-cline in housing sales since 2007. The worst year was 2009, with a $1 billion dip, after a high of $3.3 billion in 2005. The first half of 2010 showed upward movement compared to 2009, with a $21 million increase, which is a 25 percent rise.

FORECLOSURE IMPACTWAS LIGHTER ON VAL-

LEYIn the only statistical break-

down of specific cities in the report, a bar graph shows per-centage of East Bay housing foreclosures in 30 cities in 2010. Dublin is at the statistical median in 15th place at 0.6 percent of the total county share. Livermore is in 17th place at 0.5 percent, and Pleasanton is 24th at 0.3 percent of the East Bay’s total foreclo-sures. San Pablo leads the list at 2.2 percent, and Orinda is last at 0.1 percent.

Overall in the region, house values dropped only slightly in the decade, if measured in 2002 and then again in mid-2010. However, the chart shows a roller coaster ride between the first year and the last one.

In Alameda County, average home values were $475,000 in 2002. They hit a peak of $700,000 in 2007, plunged to around $500,000, and have re-bounded up to around $540,000. The county consistently has had higher housing values than Con-

tra Costa, but lagged behind the leader, San Francisco.

The East Bay population has been aging, which might have something to do with one aspect of a key rising industry: health care and social assistance. Those areas rose by 22 percent.

The population over 65 is pro-jected to increase by 82 percent, between 2000 and 2020. The number of older workers (ages 45 to 64) will increase by 40 percent. At the same time, the number of younger workers (from 20 to 44) will increase by only 2 percent.

With older workers from the Boomer generation staying on jobs longer, younger workers won’t have as much chance to move into the work force.

The biggest growth industry in the past decade has been edu-cational services, which is up by 111 percent. The report doesn’t break out statistics for different age levels of education.

However, the report does fo-cus on the need to graduate more students to pass the high school exit exam, and to show profi-ciency in third-grade reading, which is an important predictor of future scholastic and career success.

Gains have been made in the decade with East Bay third-grad-ers’ reading proficiency, as well as in passing the high school exit exam. However, the results are spotty, depending on which school district is involved. Clear-ly African American and Hispan-ic students, who are concentrated in urban districts, are not doing as well, says the report.

Although the report does not specify it, the Valley’s school districts have performed at a very high level on graduation rates and done well in third-grade reading proficiency.

On the down side in employ-ment, the region lost 30 percent of its manufacturing jobs, 43 percent of its information indus-try jobs, and 32 percent in the management sector. No reason is given for the decline.

ARTS MAKE BIGECONOMIC IMPACT

Non-profit arts and cultural groups have bolstered the East

Bay economy. The region has more than 1100 such organiza-tions, which is almost 10 percent of California’s total.

Alameda County grew from 550 to 820 arts groups between 2000 and 2008, for a 49 percent jump. In Contra Costa, the climb was by 41 percent, from 235 to 330.

Expenditures by arts groups in 2000 were a little above $100 million. By 2008, that rose to nearly $250 million. The report says that according to estimates from the Americans for the Arts, spending at the $250 million levels generates 7200 full-time equivalent jobs, $170 million in household income, and $10 mil-lion in revenue for East Bay local governments.

Beyond the non-profits’ gen-eration of jobs, there is also an impact made by for-profit arts businesses. Some 6432 busi-nesses employ 22,922 people in the region.

The report doesn’t specifi-cally cite Valley activity in its survey, which ended in 2008, the year that the Bankhead Theater opened. However, the report mentions the stimulus effect of theaters in other cities on their commercial districts. They in-clude Antioch, Oakland’s uptown district, Berkeley’s downtown arts section, and Richmond’s Iron Triangle neighborhood.

Len Alexander, executive director of the Livermore Val-ley Performing Arts Center, told the Livermore City Council on Nov. 22 that construction of the 2000-seat regional theater near Railroad Avenue would generate $20 million annually in economic stimulation across the region. There also would be creation of short-term and long-term jobs, he said. Alexander added that the Bankhead Theater generates $3 million in income for the area.

One of the biggest economic engines in the region has been the non- profits. They received $3 billion in contributions in 2008. Most of the money went to three specific sectors: human services (41.5 percent), education (16.8 percent), and health (15.4 percent).

Contributions came from government grants, individuals, corporations and foundations.

GREEN BUSINESSESEMERGING IN EAST BAY

Green jobs have grown in the East Bay from 23,312 in 1990 to 30,876 in 2008, a 32 percent climb.

Overall, the East Bay has “a balanced concentration of lower and higher wage employment opportunities,” states the report. One-half of the East Bay’s in-dustries pay a wage that is higher than average. One-half of the jobs also pay higher than the state average.

The biggest industries in the Bay Area are health care and social assistance at 12 percent, retail trade at 11 percent, and manufacturing at 9 percent. Some 8 percent are in management and technical services.

The average annual wage adjusted for inflation rose 44 per-cent between 2000 and 2009. The highest average salary increase took place in professional and technical services at $109,000 in 2009. Finance and insurance had the highest percentage increase at 110 percent between 2000 and 2009.

The report concludes with a look ahead. It calls for more economic growth to offset the op-portunities lost in the recession. Improving the lives of the one in five people who lived below the poverty line even before the recession is also recommended.

Quality child care and public schools are seen as keys to bet-ter economic performance. The shortfall on child care itself is large. The report has a bar graph that shows that among parents in the labor force for whom a licensed child care slot is avail-able, only approximately 36 or 37 percent could be assured of a place in 2009. That’s up by only 3 percent or so from 2003.

To meet the challenges facing the region, it is important for all sectors to cooperate in working toward the goals. It has worked in the past, when government, busi-ness, philanthropy, individual do-nors, and community groups join forces, concludes the report.

EAST BAY(continued from page one)

7, and were joined by another speaker, Dave Miller, during the audience address part of the agenda.

In response to their comments, Mayor Jennifer Hosterman stated from the dias that the city is al-ready planning to conduct work-shops that seek public input about pension and benefits reform.

Pleasanton school board members have been aware of contributions their district even-tually is expected to make for their employees. The district has allocated money over the past two years to deal with the fund-ing need..

The Independent talked to financial staff at the Pleasanton and Livermore city governments and school districts to see what lies ahead for them on the subject of future financial obligations. They have two obligations to retirees. One is for a contribution to a fund for retirement income, which is handled by CalPERS for cities and by the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) for school districts.

The other contributions to be made go for medical cover-age after retirement. The issue is the same for both funds: how much money does the employee contribute and how much comes from the city or district?

SUCCESS, FAILUREHINGED ON STOCKSDouglas Alessio, financial

services manager in Livermore, said that in the 1990s, when the state investments of cities’ money for retirement plans was doing well, cities sent in their estimated amounts for the year for invest-ment. The returns on the money were so great, some cities actu-

ally received refunds after the year was on the books.

In that context, many cities offered to pick up 100 percent of employee contributions. They offset the contribution by not of-fering much in the way of salary increase, said Alessio.

However, when the stock market started taking a dive in 2007, CalPERS investments lost approximately one-half of their value. CalPERS told the cities they were going to have to con-tribute a bigger share.

So the choice was clearly up to local governments. Should they continue to cover 100 per-cent of the cost, or start requir-ing a higher contribution from employees.

Resident Bart Hughes’ com-plaint with his city is that Pleas-anton should have seen the prob-lem coming, and acted sooner about a higher contribution from employees.

Hughes said that he wants the city to start action right away, by looking at the city pick-up of pay-ments in a contract negotiated by the Pleasanton City Employees Association. That contract is ex-pected to come to the city council in January.

In a reference to the earlier speakers at the Dec. 7 meeting, city manager Nelson Fialho pointed out that the city has an AA+ credit rating, a sign that it has done a responsible job of money management.

City finance director Em-ily Wagner told the Independent earlier Tuesday that the city is not afraid its AA bonding rate will go down. The city has a good ratio of unfunded obligations versus assests. In that context, the city

is funded about 75 to 80 percent, said Wagner.

With labor contracts coming due next year, there will be an opportunity to negotiate differ-ent terms concerning employee contributions, she said.PLEASANTON SCHOOLS

ACT ON FUNDINGIn the Pleasanton school dis-

trict, assistant superintendent Luz Cazares noted that accounting standards changes made five years ago now “strongly sug-gest” that school districts list unfunded liability on their books, even though the payments are not due yet.

It is not a requirement. How-ever, failure to list unfunded liability could result in having to pay a higher interest rate, if the district goes to borrow money, said Cazares.

The district listed nothing on the books in the first year it was aware of the policy. However, last year and this year, the dis-trict has set aside one-half of the amount. Next year it hopes to set aside the full 100 percent, which would be $640,000.

The money next year would come from the general fund. This year and last year, the district used federal stimulus money.

Although some residents might be concerned that those dollars don’t go directly to the classroom, the offsetting consid-eration is that the district needs to maintain its fiscal health. Districts that have not done that sometimes have had to declare a default, and have been taken over by the county schools.

In the Livermore school dis-trict, chief business official Susan Kinder said that the district has

no liability issues with STRS, which covers pensions.

On medical liability, the dis-trict pays a maximum of $7500 annually for a retiree. Kinder said that the medical plan was once a front burner issue. How-ever, now it’s on the back burner, with so many other things more important, in the light of the state budget crisis.

LIVERMORE SHIFTSON BENEFITS

Livermore city government has set up two different trusts, said Alessio. One is with PERS for pensions. Medical goes through PARS, another state fi-nance agency. That way the eggs are in two baskets, not one.

Starting last year, Livermore created a two-tier system on medical benefits. Previously hired employees are grandfa-thered in to the old system. New employees are paid on the basis of a defined contribution, instead of a defined benefit, as happened in the past.

In the defined contribution, the city is saying, “When you retire, for every month you are here, we will put a certain amount of money into the fund. Think of it as a 401 (k). It’s a savings ac-count for medical benefits.” They have no unfunded liability.

For the grandfathered em-ployees, who are on the defined benefit, the city has agreed to pay the medical premiums for life, whatever the amount is, said Alessio. The actuaries determine what the number is. The city sets aside the amount. “The liability is how much money we ought to be setting aside.”

PENSIONS(continued from page one)

home foreclosures are too high, our debts are too high, and excess amounts of labor are exported to other countries. We need to ad-dress this issue promptly.

One alternative may be to dramatically reduce our foreign aid to other countries. We are in a jam and need to cut back our expenses - just as we have to do at our homes.

Let us help ourselves by re-ducing foreign aid by at least one half. We can't go on helping other countries when our own citizens are hurting so much. Put that foreign aid savings in domestic programs relieving our debt, un-employment, foreclosures, etc.

What is your response to reducing foreign aid and using

those dollars to relieve some of our financial mess? We request your answer.

Economic BenefitsKathy StreeterLivermore

I was the Chamber of Com-merce President for 18 months in Hayward, and on committees interacting with the City for years. As a retired bank Vice President and Branch Manager, and as a past Rotary President and Assistant District Governor, I have had the opportunity to see many communities work with their local governments to improve the quality of life for their citizens.

Using the General Fund is

always a serious and conten-tious issue and never to be taken lightly.

In our current economic situa-tion, the banks are just beginning to recover from a very serious downturn and they are just now beginning to put their toe in the water for projects like ours. Banks are extremely conserva-tive institutions even in the best of times and they are more so now. But, they are willing to proceed with what they call “an abundance of caution” because this is a good project. And “an abundance of caution” is what pledging some General Fund monies in the unlikely event that all other resources have been exhausted is.

(More MAILBOX, page 5)

The Independent, DECEMBER 9, 2010 - PAGE 5

Photo - Mike Gallagher

Livermore Area Recreation and Park District photographer captured the visit of two Tule Elk to Sycamore Grove Park.

generous. Now they are giving the city an opportunity to par-ticipate. Their efforts enrich our community.”

PCAF CHECKThe Pleasanton Cultural Arts

Foundation (PCAF) presented its final check to the city at the council meeting.

PCAF was created to support-ing the building of the Firehouse Arts Center. Bill Butler, president of the PCAF Board, declared, “We have completed our mission and are winding down. With the Firehouse, we have a real gem in our downtown.”

PCAF has collected a lit-tle over $2 million in pledges. Checks for $750,000 have been presented to the city. On Tues-day, a check for $120,000 was donated. Butler noted, “Pledges will continue to be collected.” He encouraged people to continue to donate to the facility.

ART(continued from page one)

Anyone walking through Sycamore Grove Park Tuesday morning may have felt like it was already Christmas if they spot-ted some reindeer-resembling visitors.

Livermore Area Recreation and Park District ranger staff observed two bull Tule elk (Cer-vus elaphus nannoides) resting in the park. Although signs of elk, including tracks and droppings, have been found in the park in the past, this is the first time photo and video documentation has been obtained. Since 2007, LARPD staff members have re-corded several episodes of Tule elk visiting the South Livermore Valley, observing either signs or the animals themselves.

The Tule elk is one of three subspecies in California and is the smallest and lightest in color. The other two are the Roosevelt elk, which are the largest, and the Rocky Mountain elk. While individuals of these subspecies can vary in size depending on gender, age, health and resources, elk are generally two to three times larger than mule deer.

Elk, also known as Wapiti, roamed over much of California for thousands of years. Tule elk ranged from Shasta County south, throughout much of the Central Valley and west to the coast. However, by the early 1800s, elk numbers were begin-ning to decline.

Initially elk were taken by non-native people for their hides

and tallow. But by the mid-1800s, the influx of people into California due to the Gold Rush created a huge demand for meat. Additional pressures on elk populations included the spread of agriculture, the increasing numbers of livestock and habitat destruction. Elk nearly became extinct.

Steps were taken eventually to try and protect elk, even though it was unknown if any remained. Some isolated herds had survived in California. Today there are

reportedly more than 3,000 Tule elk in the state, in large part due to introduced or managed herds scattered around the state.

One small herd of Tule elk was centered in the Mount Ham-ilton area. Over the years they have spread into the Sunol wil-derness region. It is believed that some of these animals have been occasionally traveling up into the southern edge of the Livermore Valley. Their visits to the Liver-more Valley are unpredictable, but notable when they do occur.

Elk Spotted in Sycamore Grove

out there. It is not a comfortable position to tell people what you will do for them and not know how you will do it.”

Cook-Kallio said there are a lot of challenges facing Pleasan-ton over the next four years. The main issue will be the economy.

In a more reflective mood, Cook-Kallio said, You all know the toll this takes on your fami-lies. It means sometimes that the family takes a back seat to what you do for others.”

Thorne declared, “It’s time to get busy. There are a number of opportunities and challenges fac-ing us in the next couple of years that will be unprecedented in our history.” They will be impacted by the state of the economy and the decline in the belief in gov-ernment in general. He added that he thinks that long held beliefs on how local government ac-complishes things and how local

government is financed will be up for discussion. He stated, “I anticipate unparalleled public input and discussion.”

SCHOOL TRUSTEESIn a first, the council recog-

nized and thanked retiring Pleas-anton school district trustees. Pat Kernan and Jim Ott are leaving the board.

Kernen stated, “The 5 to 0 council votes on every school issue demonstrates your support for the district. It’s a great com-munity. In these tough times, we will have to work more closely together to accomplish things.”

Ott stated, “What makes Pleasanton a great community is the partnership between the city and the district.” He predicted there will be tough decisions to be made in the next few years about investing in schools. He declared, “Investing in schools today helps not having to invest in prisons in the future.”

PLEASANTON(continued from page one)

unteers.The Livermore school district

was given the opportunity to join the program because Livermore scientists who were teaching in San Joaquin also wanted to help out their hometown’s school district.

Krakowsky retired from LLNL in 1993, where he had worked in electronics engineer-ing and administration. He said he has always been interested in education. One of his degrees is in psychology, which is a good background for teaching.

Krakwosky’s partner in the classroom is teacher Terry Green-away. Sometimes Greenaway, who has a biology degree, is more advanced in the subject area of the day’s lesson, so he is the leader. Other times, Krakowsky takes over.

Krakowsky might lead a class in a look at a fish’s tail under a microscope, to teach about blood

circulation. Another time, he might lead a project on student-built electric motors.

Some of the scientists in TOPS have been interested in spreading the partnership concept to other school districts. They made presentations about the creation of pilot projects through the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, which Krakowsky said is the biggest and most prestigious technical organization in the world.

The institute was interested. However, its management was not able to create a nationwide program that could be main-tained, said Krakowsky.

Pauline Huber, a Livermore school district teacher on special assignment, works with TOPS. She said, “The program offers a phenomenal opportunity to work with the labs and businesses around us.” They contribute con-tent knowledge to courses.

The teachers share their peda-gogical skills with the scientists, so they know to ask questions in a class, solicit feedback, and make presentations, said Huber.

“This is generating enthusi-asm for science. The students know that they are in the real in-dustry of science. They look up to these scientists as role models,” said Huber.

A new job for TOPS will be to help the school district assemble science kits for third and fourth graders. The kits are the result of a $5000 “Bright Ideas Solar Schools Program” grant from PG&E, which was announced last week.

The students will be building solar electric houses, passive so-lar-heated houses and solar race cars. The idea is for students to demonstrate their understanding of transforming stored solar en-ergy into heat, light and motion, said Huber.

SCIENTISTS

I can understand the concerns being voiced, because this is a serious decision. But it is all too easy to hold on to a negative point of view and not really listen to the answers. It is too easy to talk to people with the same negative point of view and reinforce each other. It is too easy to look at today and be afraid of tomorrow. It is too easy to stand still.

This decision cannot be made based on exaggerated fear or a lack of understanding. It must be based on the economic risk ver-sus future rewards. The rewards of building the Regional The-ater (cultural, educational, and definitely economic) more than justify the moderate risk. The negative consequences of voting this project down are many.

This is one of those times of opportunity, when for the benefit of the entire Livermore Community, residents, business people, young people alike; for the future cultural, educational and economic advantages; and to take advantage of the current historical lows for both financing and construction costs, the Coun-cil must have the strength and vision to step up and approve this project with the current financing package.

Downtown BARTJo Schwan Livermore

I read Barbara Hickman's comments and felt my heart go out to the homeowners in BART's path. We all buy houses for dif-ferent reasons but if it were me, I would be devastated. My home is my life, love, passion and my investment. Hopefully I will be able to afford to stay in my home forever but if not, I would expect the sale of my home to keep me comfortable until the end. I would be in a state of panic at this point if I lived downtown.

And then I was thinking about the incentive to do anything to the house. It would seem to be a waste of money. BART won't be built for about 20 years, but if you planned to live in the house the rest of your life and knew you wouldn't get any returns, it would be terrible. And what about want-ing to take an equity line of credit to send your children to college. The bank would know that your home is of less value due to BART coming.

What is more important in our lives other than our family but our homes. It just breaks my heart. BART must not destroy the hopes and dreams of its citizens.

Big Thank YouR. Jo MolzExecutive Director for“Blankets For Kids”

To all “Blanket For Kids” (a 501©(3) foundation) volunteers and contributors:

Many thanks for your contin-ued support. Without each and every one of you we could not continue supplying soft, cuddly blankets for the many abused and neglected children in our and outlying areas. So many individuals and groups could be named, but some might be left out – So we thank ALL who have contributed time and money to “Blankets For Kids." With your help, we have been able to donate over 21,000 blankets in a little more than 7 years. That’s quite an accomplishment.

We supply Blankets to many organizations who deal with these children. And there is always a need. If you are interested in our Foundation, please call.

So, we at “Blankets For Kids” and the organizations we serve, Thank You!!!

Livermore DowntownPatricia GrimesLivermore

What kind of downtown do we want for Livermore? Projects currently under consideration would produce a downtown which is towered over by a 9 story theater building, along with huge blocks of condos, apart-ments and parking areas to sup-port this theater and the BART station. I suggest we aim for a more people-sized and friendly downtown area, with develop-ments like Blacksmith Square and the little street with the fudge shop – areas like J and K streets which are attractive rather than forbidding - a downtown more like Danville than Oakland.

The vision of the current city council will not enhance the downtown, it will destroy it. If we need a huge theater, then build it (and its associated condos, apartments and parking lots) north of 580, so it does not de-stroy the character of downtown. Build the BART station and its associated “village” at Isabel, where BART already owns the land, and the cost in dollars, con-struction and lost homes is lowest of all the proposed sites.

The council thinks nobody cares what they do to our city. Tell them that we do care.

Yes to Regional TheaterMaryann BrentLivermore

Do we want a regional theater in Livermore or not? Predictions of enhanced property value, increased tax revenues, a more diverse mix of downtown busi-nesses and new jobs seem like welcome assets for our city. Af-ter weighing the probable good against the risks, I say “yes” to the regional theater. You know, being born is risky too.

Open CampusMartha PriebatPleasanton

Having lived in the Livermore Valley for many decades, I have seen numerous changes; some good, others disappointing. One thing is certain, change keeps happening.

One change that could be good or bad, depending on its implementation, is the Livermore Valley Open Campus (LVOC) plan.

This is a proposal to use part of Livermore and Sandia laboratories as an open campus, linking them with industry and academia.

Now, LVOC will be a good change if it moves the labs away from nuclear weapons and into research on civilian science problems, like environmental cleanup.

Yet, this same proposal will be a bad idea if it funds research that supports more nuclear weapons.

I used to work at Sandia, and I know first-hand that Sandia and Livermore laboratories have many talented people, eager to work on projects that will enrich all our lives.

Linking these employees with the computing power at Sandia and Livermore, I can see a new day. Imagine our best and bright-est focused on solving problems such as cleaning up radioactive waste and improving air quality.

Let's ensure LVOC makes us proud of living in an era when science solves problems for pres-ent and future generations.

No ConnectionArcher FutchFormer MayorLivermore

I was surprised and disturbed to hear several speakers at the last Livermore City Council meeting proclaim that BART was coming to downtown Livermore because of the new Regional Theater. This is, of course, completely false.

In the first place, the theater will be completed and operating many years before BART breaks ground on its planned extension to Livermore.

Second, according to LVPAC estimates, no more than 10 per-cent of the theater's audience is likely to utilize BART.

The primary purpose of the downtown Livermore BART station is to provide city resi-dents, particularly those who live in the downtown, with easy access to the entire Bay Area. And, of course, the downtown/Vasco route is, of all the pro-posed routes, the only one that will qualify for Federal funding - without which, no extension can be built to Livermore.

PAGE 6 - The Independent, DECEMBER 9, 2010

Sam frost of the Pleasanton Rage U12 Orange Premier team takes one of several corner kicks. Photo - kevin DonahueThe Livermore Lasers U10G rec-plus finished an incredible

season with a second place finish in the Sunset Tournament. The Lasers finished first place in their league and made it to the playoffs in all three tournaments they played, winning one and coming in third in the other. Pictured are: (back row) coach Deana Bartolotto, Caroline Eckel, Emma Hyde, Lindsay Harnish, Caitlyn Quartaroli, and coach Eric Harnish; (front row) kalea Bartolotto, Alexah Nava, Lindsey Warren, Haylee kramar, and Madeline koning. Not pictured are team members Abby Harnish and Grace Groeniger.

Tri-Valley Aquatics 10 and under medley relay team included Amber fornoles, Claire Suen, Meghan Hogue, and Courtney Lau.

The Livermore Rec-Plus fusion Gunners U10 Boys were the champions of the Sunset Cup Tournament in Livermore this past weekend. This was the icing on the cake for the Gunners who have had an overall season record of 22 wins, 0 loses, 0 ties. This is a season these boys and coaches will never forget. Pictured are (front left to right) James Renouf, Zachary Hollingshaus, Zachary Parodi, Noah Rakestraw, Logan Hartrum, Branden Trevethan (back left to right) Assistant Coach Dean Shepherd, Dominic Shepherd, Jared Tavares, Roberto Iacomini, Thomas knierieme, Drew Marples, Cameron Meier and Head Coach Mario Iacomini.

Youth Soccer

The Pleasanton Ballistic United Soccer Club (BUSC) U13 Premier team ended league play on Sunday with a hard fought 2 to 1 victory over the visiting Rays 97. Ballistic scored first when Nick Tucker lobbed a free kick into the top of the area that was headed into the air by a Rays defender. Cameron Ritchie was in position to clean up the volley into the back of the net.

The Rays tied the game before the end of the first half. Ballistic's game winning goal came when Chudi Atuegbu switched the ball into the area and Cameron Ownen's shot was deflected off the keeper, only to have Mitchell Wilson collect the trash and score.

As usual, a great team effort with amaz-ing saves by Ballistic keeper Omeed Ziari, and standout defensive efforts by Jeffrey Klei, Nick Tucker, Max Gershman and Tylor Silva. The midfield was well controlled by Geoffrey

Wiederecht, Jackson Still, Ryan Racer and Sam Molz. Carsen Paynter and Nima Habibi kept the pressure on up top.

Pleasanton Rage Grey Division 3 U13 played in a regional State Cup qualifier match against MSC Top Gun from Folsom, in Davis on Saturday, coming away with a 3 to 1 victory. Rage scoring was led by Megan Shackley who connected on a 50 yard free kick from just inside the midline with a deflection assist from Erin Overland. Adding to the scoring for Rage were forwards Avery Jones and Jazmin Merchant who each added a goal.

Precise passing by midfielders Gaby Cabrera, Amanda Chun and Erin Overland set up many of the scoring opportunities. De-fense was led by their goalie Dalia Shafi who stopped numerous hard shots and defenders, Megan Shackley, Miranda Spring, Alyssa

Chau and Bailey Sanchez. Top Offensive Players: Gaby Cabrera, Amanda Chun and Erin Overland Avery Jones and Jazmin Merchant Megan Shackley; Top Defensive Players: Megan Shackley, Miranda Spring, Alyssa Chau and Bailey Sanchez goalie Dalia Shafi.

In a must win game the Pleasanton Rage U12 Orange Premier team pulled together to accomplish their goal beating SCA 2-0. The first half started with a fantastic goal from forward Sam Frost who placed the ball perfectly over the goalie's head. The Rage controlled the better part of the first half; Jordyn Salinas was tough as nails and passed beautifully throughout, while Hunter Vice and Mia Banducci did a great job of controlling the midfield.

On defense the awesome speed of Sadie Gozier, quick reactions of Rachel Rice, and

the strength of Ariana Nino kept the SCA in check most of the game, when the ball did come too close to the Rage's 18 yard box, goalie Juliet Allen was there with several spectacular saves. The 2nd goal was a team effort starting with a cross by Sara Broacha, a rebound off the post by Megan Von Sosen, and an opportunity to pick up another goal by Sam Frost who seized the moment and scored again.

Livermore Fusion SC's under 12 maroon team secured second place in the Norcal Soccer's fall league with a 1-1 tie of the Mill Valley Rockers. Fusion scored soon after the kickoff when Amy Moussa delivered a long throw-in to the mouth of the Rockers' goal. Laura Duterte put her right foot on the ball and knocked it past the keeper. The teams played defensively for the remainder

The Independent, DECEMBER 9, 2010 - PAGE 7

By Patricia KoningWhen Junction Avenue K-8

teacher Robert Bell decided to start an afterschool Futsal Club, he was hoping that 15 or 20 kids might join. Instead, over 100 kids showed up for the first meeting.

“I was absolutely thrilled, especially that a third of the stu-dents turning out are girls,” says Bell, who teaches third grade in the dual-immersion program. “We have a large Latino popu-lation with a lot of passion for soccer. Futsal, which is a lot like soccer, is a healthy, inclusive sport that’s easy to play.”

Bell learned about futsal last year when his 10-year-old son played it in the off season from soccer. He joined an adult team and was hooked.

Futsal is essentially indoor soccer without walls. Played on a basketball-sized court, the ball moves quickly because of the hard surface. Futsal is played with five players on each side.

“I think futsal is more fun for the kids than soccer,” says Bell. “Because of the smaller field of play, each player comes into contact with the ball more often. There are more dribbles, passes, and goals. Many of the greatest soccer players in the world, like Messi and Ronaldhino, honed their skills at futsal.”

After trying to hold Futsal Club with 100 kids, Bell split the club into three groups—el-ementary school girls, elemen-tary school boys, and middle school—with each meeting on a different day. About 90 students have been consistently attend-ing.

“We love this club,” says Junction principal Jamal Fields. “It’s good exercise and fun, plus it’s a great way to bring students together and help them connect to the school.”

Assistant Superintendent Cindy Alba comments that the Futsal Club will help build a sense of community at Junction, which became a K-8 school last year after the closure of Portola

Elementary School. Futsal can be played indoors

or outside—all that’s really nec-essary are goals and a delineated field of play. That low cost is important to Bell. “This is a low-income school,” he says. “Many of our families can’t af-ford indoor soccer clubs.”

Right now the club is impro-vising with makeshift plastic goals and cones to define the court boundaries. Bell hopes to create a more formal futsal court with goals, benches, nets, and a stained surface, which would run about $5,000 including equip-ment and labor.

An initial fundraiser selling Futsal Club t-shirts has generated about $250 in profit. The project has generated a lot of inter-est—Livermore School Superin-

tendent Kelly Bowers purchased a T-shirt and the Junction Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is considering paying for the stain and goals. The PTA also may hold a future fundraiser specific to the Futsal Club.

The court would be complete, says Bell, with a surface designed for futsal. At $20,000, this goal is beyond the reach of the PTO or grass roots fundraising, so he’s pursuing grants. “I’d like to create something that the whole community can enjoy,” he says. “Maybe one day we’ll have adult games on the weekends and a futsal little league.”

Anyone interested in learning more about Junction’s Futsal Club can contact the school at 925-606-4720.

Junction Avenue futsal Club Takes Off

of the game with Stevie Sobers aggressively intercepting Rockers' passes into Fusion's backfield. After a foul was called just outside the 18-yard line, the Rockers tied the score late in the game with a fine free kick lofted over the arms of Fusion's keeper. Fusion continues play in late January with the final rounds of the Norcal State Cup.

CYO BasketballSt. Michael's/St. Charles (SM/SC) 6th

grade Spartans CYO team #604 lost to Catholic Community of Pleasanotn (CCOP) #601 20-16 in a hard fought CYO basketball game Sunday afternoon. The Spartans were down 8-18 at the end of the 3rd quarter but outscored their opponents 8 to 2 in the final quarter led by the hard playing of Patrick Schwartz, who scored 6 points and pulled down 5 rebounds during the game. Kavan Bagatelos added 4 points and had 2 steals with PJ Kalcic fought hard with 3 steals and strong defense.

• • •The 5th Grade Boys St. Isidore's Team

522 defeated SM/SC Lightning Bolts, 33-14. The Lightening Bolts played a strong game and, showing significant improvement. Junior Saulovich was the high scorer with 8 points and the leading rebounder with 6. Devin Dominick and Francis Contarciego each scored 2 points. Alex Gonzalez scored the first basket of his career. Joey Stangl collected 5 rebounds and Trevor Kerby 4 rebounds. Raymond Borden played a terrific game on offense and defense. Travis Hirbod was the high scorer for the St. Isidore's team. Carson O'Reilly had 6 steals.

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

Club Penguin, hosted St. Isidore. While the score remained close for the first half, SM/SC was ultimately defeated 25-8. For

the mentally and physically tough St. Isidore, Colton and Andy were high scorers with eight and six points respectively, while Jake and Michael showed hustle on the defense. SM/SC more than made up for their lack of hoops with optimism and perseverance, and offensively Brandon Harvey scored four points while Xavier Pelican and Logan Finch each nabbed two. On defense, Forest Bishop showed his mettle with four steals and two rebounds in the first half alone, while Brandon Harvey demonstrated defensive toughness and agility with five rebounds and three steals for Club Penguin.

• • •SM/SC 408 Gladiators took on St.

Isidore 404 (6-22). Jonathan Nguyen and Nathan Findley scored for the Gladiators, while Jonathan Mulrooney and Wyatt Moseley played great defense. However, St. Isidore's Liam Vettire and his teamates were determined and eventually won 22-6.

• • •The 1st/2nd grade CYO SM/SC girls

played an energized game today. Monarchs Top Players: Sonia Fletcher, Erin Schrader, and Karlie Geissbuhler; Shooting Sharks Top Players: Camille Wigginton, Wyatt Nostrand and Haiden Arruda.

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

riors played the 2BN1 Dominators. For the Warriors, Brandon Pillon was an aggressive rebounder. Brendan Paterson battled tough defensively and Dylan Cole was quick with many steals. For the Dominators, Max Thorpe attacked the boards and Thomas McKnight scored many hoops. Reef Swee-ney hustled at both ends of the court.

Holiday Climbing CampHoliday Climbing Camp will be of-

fered at the Valley Rock Gym, operated by the Livermore Area Recreation and Park District. The Holiday Climbing Camp offers participants a chance to try out the gym at a time when it is not open to the public, so campers will have the indoor rock walls all to themselves.

Rock gym staff will provide formal group instruction that focuses on movement, technique, belaying, equipment and knots. There will be a 15-minute break each day, so campers are encouraged to bring a snack.

The four-day Holiday Climbing Camp is open to ages 7 to 14 and costs $115, including equipment rental. Camp will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Monday, Dec. 20, through Thursday, Dec. 23, at Valley Rock Gym, 2455 Railroad Ave., Livermore. To register for the camp, call 925-373-5700 or visit www.larpd.dst.ca.us. Register by Dec. 13 to ensure a spot in the camp.

Tri-Valley Aquatics Tri-Valley Aquatics's swimmers stepped

up their game this past weekend at the Pa-cific Swimming 14-under Junior Olympics Championships, sending 12 swimmers with individual events to the meet. They swam a total of 60 races setting 22 new team records with 31 new personal best times. After a bunch of tough morning races, 4 swimmers

participated in 16 of the finals races later in the afternoon. Congratulations to TVA’s 2010 Winter JO Team: Hannah Bergh, Connor Daly, Jonathan Feldman, Amber Fornoles, Thomas Gjerde, Meghan Hogue, Chris Jhong, Courtney Lau, Jason Lau, Tyler Lu, Jordan Reznick, and Claire Suen.

Finalists included: Hannah Bergh (14) – 100 Free, 200 Free, 1650 Free; Connor Daly (12) – 200 Free, 50 Back, 100 Back, 200 Back, 100 IM, 200 IM, Connor had to swim his 200 free 3 times in one day: Prelims where he tied for the last spot in finals, a swim-off which he won to get into finals, and the finals swim; Chris Jhong (10) – 100 Free, 200 Free, 100 Back, 50 Breast, 100 Breast, 100 Fly, 100 IM, 200 IM; Jason Lau (12) – 50 Fly.

Best Times included: Hannah Bergh – 100 Free, 200 Free, 200 IM; Connor Daly – 200 Free, 50 Back, 100 Back, 200 Back, 100 IM, 200 IM; Jonathan Feldman (14) – 50 Free, 100 Free, 100 Fly; Amber Fornoles (10) – 50 Breast; Thomas Gjerde (13) – 50 Free; Meghan Hogue (10) – 50 Back, 50 Breast; Chris Jhong – 100 Free, 200 Free, 100 Back, 50 Breast, 100 Breast, 100 Fly, 100 IM, 200 IM; Jason Lau – 50 Free, 50 Fly, 100 Fly, 200 IM; Tyler Lu (10) – 50 Free; Claire Suen (8) – 50 Back, 50 Free

New Team Records included: Connor Daly – 200 Free, 50 Back, 100 Back, 200 Back, 100 IM, 200 IM; Jonathan Feldman – 100 Free, 100 Fly; Meghan Hogue – 50 Breast; Chris Jhong – 100 Free, 200 Free, 100 Back, 50 Breast, 100 Breast, 100 Fly, 100 IM, 200 IM; Jason Lau – 50 Fly, 100 Fly; Claire Suen – 50 Back, 50 Free; Lee Evan - 50 Back

Tri Valley also swam 14 relays. Relay-only Swimmers included: Free 10-U Girls – Maddy Foster, Tessie Scavone; 11-12 Girls – Olivia Cano, Emily Chong, Sophia Krafcik, Annika Landreth, Hannah Tsui; 13-14 Girls – Shelby Diehl, Alex Torrez, Katie Tsui; 10-U Boys – Mattias Blanco, Cole Reznick; 11-12 Boys – Timmy Lau, JJ Nelson; 13-14 Boys – Kyle Chong, Evan Lee, Caleb Wagner. The 10-U Boys placed Top 8 in both their 200 Free and 200 Medley Relays.

Livermore AquacowboysThe Livermore Aquacowboys had 15

swimmers qualify individually for the meet and another 21 swimmers participated in the relays in the 14 and Under Winter Junior Olympics held in Pleasanton Dec. 3-5

The Livermore Aquacowboy swimmers in individual events were Sydney Magann, Sarah Swanson, Brianna Reynolds, Allie Clark, Taylor Brennan, Haley Hamza, Katie Kulp, Cat Elliott, Shahini Ananth, Matthew Hayes, Alexander Gonzalez and Trent Trump.

LAC scored the most team points ever earning the team its highest placement in the standings. Trent Trump was the 2nd place finisher in 13 and 14 boys high point stand-ings. Katie Kulp was the 4th place finisher in the 13 and 14 girls high point standings. LAC had four individual finalists in a total of 19 events: Haley Hamza, Katie Kulp, Alex Gonzalez, and Trent Trump.

New Best Times were achieved by Sarah Swanson, Allie Clark, Haley Hamza, Katie Kulp, Cat Elliott, Matthew Hayes, Alexander Gonzalez and Trent Trump.

California GymnasticsCalifornia Gymnastics Academy team

was one of the top teams at the NorCal Level 5 State Womens' Gymnastics Cham-pionships.

Level 5 finished in second place out of 49 teams.

Results: Rachel Slywester: 10G All-Around Champion with a score of 37.35; Uneven Bars (9.4) and Floor Exercise (9.45) Champion; 3rd Place on NorCal Level 5 Team (Top six regardless of age division)

Emily Balicanta: 10D State All-Around Champion with a score of 37.225; Balance Beam (9.6) Champion

Naomi Chin: 9B State All-Around Champion with a score of 36.7; Vault (9.025) and Balance Beam (9.3) Champion

Jasmyn Cheng: 10C State All-Around Champion with a score of 36.6; Balance Beam (9.125) and Floor Exercise (9.5) Champion

Katie Heckart: 10G 4th Place AA, Vault, Floorl Baylee Hill: 12C 5th AA; Chloe McGlynn: 12C 9th AA; Maya Frank: 9A 5th AA

LEVEL 6 STATE MEETNicole Delfino: Jr D State All-Around

Champion with a score of 37.20; Uneven Bars (9.5) and Floor Exercise (9.475) Champion, 5th place on NorCal Level 5 State Team (Top six regardless of age division)

All Valley DiversAll Valley Divers went to Mission Viejo

to compete in the Chris Vonk Memorial Diving Invitational on Dec. 3 to 5. Here is how they did:

Nicolette Culver, 8 -9 girls 1 meter Nov-ice 67.00, 17th place; Darby Culver, 9 under boys 1 meter JO 96.10, 6th place; 8-9 boys 3 meter Novice, 86.75, 3rd place; Annemarie Hancock, 9 under girls 1 meter JO, 95.65, 8th place; 7 under girls 3 meter Novice, 51.50, 3rd place; Jackson Gabler, 11 under boys 1 meter JO, 136.50, 12th place, 10 – 11 boys 3 meter Novice, 130.00, 2nd place;

Anatoly Nazarov, 11 under boys platform JO, 131.35, 7th place; 11 under boys 1 meter JO, 182.75, 3rd place; 11 under boys 3 meter JO, 182.85, 3rd place; Lottie Goddard, 11 under girls platform JO, 128.75, 5th place; 11 under girls 1 meter JO, 164.75, 3rd place; 11 Under girls 3 meter JO, 169.80, 5th place

Anthony Epshteyn, 12 – 13 boys 1 meter JO, 188.15, 6th place; 12 – 13 boys 3 meter JO, 200.30, 8th place; Haley Brott, 14 – 15 girls platform JO, 152.90, 14th place; 14 – 15 girls 1 meter JO, 231.55, 18th place; 14 – 15 girls 3 meter JO, 234.60, 19th place; Melissa Parker, 16 – 18 girls 1 meter JO, 283.00, 16th place; 16 – 18 girls 3 meter JO, 294.80, 12th place

LNLL RegistrationLivermore National Little League is

having a walk-in registration on Dec. 9 at Mt. Mikes Pizza on Vasco Rd. from 6:30pm-8:00pm. This is the final registration before

tryouts. More information on the website eteamz.com/lnll or call 443-5655

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.

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. 22, 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.

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.

Lacrosse CoachGranada High School is looking for a

head varsity boys lacrosse coach. Please contact Clark Conover AD cconover@lvjusd.k12.ca.us or call 925-606-4800.

Basketball TournamentThis December will mark the fifth an-

nual year for the Holiday Classic Basketball Tournament, organized by the Livermore Area Recreation and Park District. The tournament is scheduled for Dec. 17 to 23 in the gymnasium at the Robert Livermore Community Center.

The event is open to youth basketball teams from third to seventh grades, broken down into two tournaments. One tournament will be held Dec. 17, 18 and 20 for boys and girls in third through fifth grades. The second tournament will be Dec. 21, 22 and 23 for boys and girls in sixth and seventh grades.

Team registration is due by 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 13. Registration is $215,

which includes Holiday Classic T-shirts for the team. Each team plays a minimum of three games.

The tournament will feature a snack bar, and admission for spectators is $3 for adults and free to those younger than 18. The Robert Livermore Community Center is located at 4444 East Ave., Livermore. Registration forms are available on the Youth Sports page of the LARPD website. For more informa-tion, contact Michael Sa at 925-373-5733 or msa@larpd.dst.ca.us.

Bowling NewsDuane Moschetti bowled a 771 series

in the Practice Kings & Queens league with games of 266-227-278 (135 pins over series average) at the Granada Bowl in Livermore. Also Mark McCreary shot 812 (134 pins over average) with games of 266-299-247 in the Cheyenne league last Friday.

Jeremy Stuber bowled a 279 game (75 over) in the Generation Gap. Gerald Cain rolled 110 over series with games of 247-258-193 in the Tues. Match Point. Also Clint McFaddin bowled a 241 game, Joe Lemke a 230 and Dustin Wade a 228 game. Gil Criste bowled 269 in the 4 Seasons Mod. Guys & Dolls, Nick Block a 268, Maria Lockridge 267, Dave Drab 258 and Alex Holland a 248. Joe Delise bowled 278 in the Cheyenne league.

Senior bowler, Dorothy Poorman rolled 78 pins over average for a 208 game in the Monday Primetimers. Mike Miller bowled 233, Horold Hunt 229, and Frank Cerros a 222 game. Linda Helbacka bowled 50 over average for a 194 game in the Sirs & Sirettes league.

PGSL Registration 2011 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 the website). Late fee of $25 applied after 11/30/10. For more information or ques-tions, email Christine Tanis at christine.t@pleasantonsoftball.org.

Player Evaluations and Tryouts:Players in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, &

8th grades, please read the following infor-mation 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 session is mandatory for all players. Following those evaluations, we will have tryouts for our “Black” Divisions. The 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, there will not be a Player Evaluation Sessions this year. There will be 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 information and a detailed schedule for all of these sessions will be posted on the league web site in mid-December (www.pleasantonsoftball.org).

East Bay Pit Bulls Basketball

continued its perfect home win-ning streak with a come from behind, 92-87 win over one of the top power ranked teams in the ABA, Sacramento Heatwave.

The Pit Bulls had all 5 starters in double figures, led by Mario Malave with 20 points and 15 rebounds, Kevan Martone with 17 and 7 and Jordan Boreman filing up the stat sheet with 14 points, 5 assists 7 rebounds and 2 steals.

The next Pit Bulls home game is Thursday, December 9 at 7 p.m. The team plays its home games at Las Positas College, 3000 Campus Hill Drive, Liver-more.

Go to the website www.east-baypitbulls.com or send an email pitbullaccountrep@yahoo.com to purchase tickets.

Pit Bills Perfect At Home

Photos - Doug Jorgensen

Students in both photos practice their skills at playing futsal.

PAGE 8 - The Independent, DECEMBER 9, 2010

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS Of THE SEASON

Alameda County received three top awards from the Cali-fornia State Association of Coun-ties in its annual awards program for 2010.

Alameda County’s New Be-ginnings Initiative for At-Risk Youth, a public-private partner-ship with the Aramark Corp. food service company, received a CSAC Challenge Award. The initiative provides paid jobs at three Fresh Start Cafes to youth who have been in the juvenile justice system and foster youth.

Two other County programs received CSAC Merit Awards. They are:

The Teen, Senior and Com-puter Gadget Connection, a pro-gram led by the Alameda County Library that helps local teens earn school-required volunteer credits by teaching seniors basic computer skills.

Youth Uprising, a one-stop center created by Alameda Coun-ty to provide youth and young adults with tools in health and wellness, arts and expression, leadership development, life skills and career and education programs.

“These awards are a gratify-ing tribute to Alameda County’s commitment to youth and our ongoing efforts to find ways to help young people contribute to the richness of our community,” said Susan S. Muranishi, Alam-eda County Administrator.

Aki Nakao, Director of Al-ameda County’s General Ser-vices Agency and a key player

in launching the three Fresh Start Cafes, said: “These awards recognize three areas where our County has created effective part-nerships with other agencies and individuals to address important needs in our community.”

New Beginnings provides a much-needed boost in the lives of at-risk youth – those who have been in the juvenile justice system and those who are tran-sitioning away from foster care – by providing paid jobs and vo-cational training to prepare them for productive lives as adults.

Currently, there are three Fresh Start Cafes: one at the Al-ameda County Recorder’s Office in Oakland, one at the Alameda County Juvenile Justice Center in San Leandro and one at the Castro Valley Library.

Officials at the Alameda County Library, say the “Com-puter Gadget Connection” is helping to bridge a generation gap and providing important skills to people of all ages.

Teen volunteers in the pro-gram parlay training in library services and basic computers into teaching older adults a wide range of computer and internet skills. The program has become so successful that, at any given time, there are up to a dozen trained teens and a waiting list of seniors wanting their assistance.

Teens gain an understanding of the important role of teaching, and participating seniors learn in a comfortable setting that fosters accomplishment and self-esteem.

Youth Uprising, located in a 25,000-square-foot building in East Oakland, grew out of challenges faced by Alameda County following racial unrest in 2005 at Oakland’s Castlemont High School. County officials responded by bringing together a coalition of community-based organizations that led to the cre-ation of this one-stop center ad-jacent to the school that provides youth and young adults: Com-prehensive health and wellness education, arts and expression, leadership development, and life skills, and career and education programs.

Today, Youth Uprising in-volves more than 5,100 members from eight cities in the county. In surveys of Youth Uprising par-ticipants, more than 77 percent said the program helped develop long-term career paths and 81 percent felt more hopeful about their lives.

The $1.8 million program is jointly funded by the County and various philanthropic, individual donors, and community founda-tions.

County Receives Top Awards

Relive an old-fashioned holi-day by visiting Forest Home Farms Historic Park in December with no admission fee.

Saturday, December 11, 10:00am – 2:00pm— Shop for unique gifts from over a dozen artisan vendors at our Holiday Market. Enjoy entertainment including sheep dog demonstra-tions, carolers and a Victorian Santa. Delicious food will be available for purchase. The Vic-torian Glass House Museum will be specially decorated for the holidays. Farm tours are at 11am and 1pm. Glass House Museum

Tours at 10am, 11am, 12 noon & 1pm. Tours are $5 per person or $8 for both tours taken on the same day.

Saturday, December 18, 10:00am – 2:00pm— The Vic-torian Glass House Museum will be specially decorated for the holidays and open for tours at 10am, 11am, 12 noon & 1pm. Tours are $5 per person

Forest Home Farms His-toric Park is located at 19953 San Ramon Valley Blvd. in San Ramon.

For more information call (925) 973-3284.

Holiday Events Planned At forest Home farms

Photos - Doug Jorgensen

Lights were turned on last friday at Deacon Dave Rezendes’s home at 352 Hillcrest Ave in Livermore, Casa del Pomba. A candelight procession was held followed by a blessing of the lights. Then the more than 350,000 lights were turned on. Visitors can walk through the display, which is open from 6 pm to 9:30 pm Sunday through Thursday, and 6 pm until 10:30 pm friday and Saturday. There is no admission charge. All the donations collected in the coin toss, ponds, and at the door are for Santa’s Secret Service. Visit www.casadelpomba.com for more information.

Photos - Doug Jorgensen

Visitors to the annual Holidays in the Vineyards in Livermore Valley Wine Country took care of Christmas shopping, while sampling local vintages. Looking at the crafts in the Wente Vineyards Estate Winery's barrel room is Lori Burnett.

Weekend festivities Light Up the Valley

Photos - Doug Jorgensen

The menorah in Livermore was lit last Saturday. In the lower photo, Livermore Mayor Marshall kamena begins the ceremoney. In the upper photo, those in attendance held lighted candles as part of the event.

The Independent, DECEMBER 9, 2010 - PAGE 9

Andrew Miland kappadahlAfter a long and hard-fought

battle with cancer, Andy passed away in Atlanta, Georgia on De-cember 5, 2010 at the age of 71.

Andy was born on September 23, 1939 in Alameda, California to Miland and Louise Kappadahl. He grew up in Livermore, and graduated from Livermore High School in 1957. He served in the United States Navy and worked as a civilian in Vietnam and in other countries all over the world as a construction project man-ager. At the time of his death he had resided in Atlanta, Georgia for the past several years. Over the course of Andy’s life, his career would take him to almost every part of the world, but when time allowed for it, and when he

was physically able, he loved hiking, camping, fly-fishing and enjoying the great outdoors.

Andy is survived by his wife, Linda, a resident of Atlanta, Georgia, his son David Kap-padahl, his daughter, Allison Kappadahl, his sister, Linda Kap-padahl Stedman, his grandson Evan Kappadahl, his nephew Jason LaVance, his cousins, Matt Silva, Fran Silva, Steven Leal, Christopher Leal, and his aunt, Frances Leal. Andy’s family is grieving and we will miss Andy very much, however, we take comfort in knowing his suffering is over and he is at peace.

Andy’s wife Linda has planned a memorial service in Atlanta, Georgia which is scheduled for

Friday, December 10, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. at the Dunwoody Baptist Church. Andy’s family is planning a celebration of his life in Livermore at a date and time to be announced this com-ing Spring.

Citizens Police AcademyThe Livermore Police Depart-

ment is now accepting applications for its 19th Citizens Police Academy. The academy will run from February 2, 2011 – May 25, 2011 with a gradua-tion ceremony on May 27, 2011. The academy sessions will be held every Wednesday evening from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Livermore Police Department. There will be one day long session held on a Saturday or Sunday during the academy. Ap-plicants must be at least eighteen years of age, live or work in the City of Livermore, not have any prior felony convictions, and not have had any misdemeanor convictions within the last three years. There are no physical requirements, and no costs involved for the participants.

The Citizen Police Academy is a program designed to educate members of our community about the various roles of the Police Department, introduce them to the law enforcement community, and give them an inside look at how the department operates on a daily basis. Participants will be presented with a variety of topics including; patrol op-erations, communications, evidence collection, hiring and recruitment, traffic, animal control, laws of arrest, search and seizure, investigations, crime analysis, terrorism, and many others. Each session will be taught by a member of the Livermore Police Department with expertise in the field. The sessions are designed so that participants get involved ask-ing questions and doing hands on activities. A tour of the Department is included in the first session.

In addition to the Wednesday evening sessions, participants will be able to go on a ride-a-long with a patrol officer spending several hours working the streets of Livermore. Participants will have an opportu-nity to spend several hours with a dispatcher listening in as emergency calls are received and dispatched. The Saturday or Sunday all day ses-sion will include time spent on the firing range where the participants will get to shoot a variety of weapons deployed by patrol and SWAT team members. The SWAT team and K-9 program will each put on extensive demonstrations, and the participants will be allowed to do role-playing with the SWAT team to see what a SWAT team member might experi-ence during a critical incident.

Anyone interested in attending the spring Citizen Police Academy must complete an application by January 7, 2011. Applications can be obtained from the kiosk at the Livermore Police Department, from the com-munity section of the department’s website www.livermorepolice.org, or by contacting Sergeant John Hurd at (925) 371-4857.

Each Citizen Police Academy is limited to 30 students. The depart-

ment puts on two academies per year, spring and fall.

Laurel Creek WalkPleasanton Naturalist Eric Nicho-

las will lead wild walk around Laurel Creek on Saturday, December 18 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. This will be the first guided hike in this area of Pleasanton.

Participants will learn about local wildlife, plants, habitats, tracking, and much more. Plan to get dirty on this trek. Bring water, a sense of adventure, and dress with the weather in mind. Children under the age of 15 must be accompanied by an adult during the entire hike.

Meet at Laurel Creek Park, 5875 Laurel Creek Drive in Pleasanton.

Fee is $6 for residents/$9 for non-residents. For information call, the Department of Parks and Community Services, 931-5340.

Nature ProgramsThe Livermore Area Recreation

and Park District ranger staff has two programs planned for the upcoming weekend.

The Geminid Meteori Shower will be the topic of the Sat., Dec. 11 event. Meet Ranger Glen Florey at 8 p.m. at the Wetmore Road entrance to Sycamore Grove Park. The Geminid shower peaks earlier in the night than most, so if the skies are clear some spectacular multi-colored meteors will be visible. This program includes about a mile walk into the park to get to the darkest part of the sky. Please dress warmly and wear comfortable walking shoes. Canceled if raining.

Mistletoe Magic is the topic for Sun., Dec. 12. Meet Ranger Amy Wolitzer at 10 a.m. at the Wetmore Road entrance to Sycamore Grove Park. A kiss under a sprig of mistletoe in a doorway is nice, but a kiss under mistletoe growing from the boughs of an enormous oak is a magical ex-perience. Join this three-to-four-mile walk up into the hills of Sycamore Grove in search of this strange para-sitic plant. Along the way, learn about the natural history of mistletoe as well as its role in folklore and legends. Canceled if raining heavily.

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.

Senior ExerciseThe City of Pleasanton will pres-

ent a new roster of exercise classes in 2011, absorbed from the recent departure of the QUEST program at Las Positas College.

Specifically designed for partici-pants aged 50 and up, the following classes will begin during the week of Tuesday, January 4 at the Pleas-anton Senior Center, 5353 Sunol Boulevard:

Zumba Gold (Fast Fitness); Fit for Fifty (Slower Paced Fitness); Yoga; Beginning Line Dancing; In-termediate Line Dancing; and Gentle Exercise (Sittercise).

For more information on class dates and fees, please call (925) 931-5365.

Job's DaughtersThere is a youth group for girls

ages 10-20 right here in Pleasanton, the Masonic youth group called Job’s Daughters. It was founded in 1920 to provide an opportunity for young women to work together to learn about themselves and to help others.

Job’s Daughters is open to girls ages 10 to 20 who have a Masonic Heritage.

For 90 years, Job’s Daughters has been actively promoting friendship and service. The organization was founded by Mrs. Ethel T. Wead Mick in Omaha, Nebraska. The group takes it name from the Book of Job and in particular to a reference in the 42nd Chapter that says, “And in all the land were no women found so fair as the Daughters of Job.”

Meetings follow a long tradition of order where members learn how to run an efficient meeting and speak publicly. Meetings are held twice a month. Activities and events are planned by the members with the assistance of adult volunteers.

Job’s Daughters is an organiza-tion dedicated to meeting the needs of today’s young women and their challenges of tomorrow.

There are conventions, mystery trips, mystery dinners, trips to the zoo and other amusement parks...even Disneyland.

There are also several opportuni-ties for scholarships to assist with continuing education.

Job's Daughters also believes in community service and special projects. The national project sup-ports HIKE (Hearing Impaired Kids Endowment). Over the last 25 years, the organizatoin has raised thousands of dollars to provide kids with hearing assistance. The 2010 State project was Camp Taylor. It is a summer camp for kids with heart disease. Job's Daughters was able to provide enough backpacks with supplies for this year and next year. The 2011 State project is "Freedom Dogs." It is a program that provides soldiers who have PTSD with service dogs that help them get back to a normal life.

Girls interested in creating life-long friends and reaping many other benefits such as developing a strong sense of self-esteem, confidence in public speaking and the ability to un-dertake any task, please contact Mrs. Staci Whitlock at 925-462-7644.

An informatoin sessoin will be held Sunday, December 12th at 2pm at the Pleasanton Masonic Center at 3370 Hopyard Rd.

Through September of this year, DUI related injury colli-sions have increased 36% from the same time period in 2009 in the City of Livermore.

In an effort to stop the increase in DUI collisions and injuries caused by those collisions, the Livermore Police Department will increase its impaired driver enforcement and education dur-ing the month of December and the upcoming holiday season.

“Our goal is to eliminate impaired driving within our com-munity,” said Sergeant John Hurd who supervises the Traffic Unit. “In order to be successful in our efforts to eliminate impaired driving in Livermore we need all community members to assist us

peacekeepers had introduced cholera to their country.

To get past hostile roadblocks that were stopping other vehicles and sometimes attacking oc-cupants, they dressed in scrubs and masks to rush a perfectly healthy volunteer to the hospital by ambulance as if she were a cholera patient.

The ruse worked to get them past a roadblock where Haitians attacked and stoned the bus be-hind them. They never learned what happened to the other bus’s occupants.

Sean, a 2002 graduate of Livermore High School, and Sarah, from the midwest, were newly licensed naturopathic doc-tors when they arrived in Haiti in late October. They had been in-spired to go there by “Mountains Beyond Mountains,” the power-ful account of Paul Farmer’s efforts to bring medical care to Haitian poor.

As students at Southwest Col-lege of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Ariz., the Heslers sought out opportunities to provide simi-lar kinds of help to the needy in Mexico. Both spent hundreds of volunteer hours in communities south of the border. They would put word out on the street about a health clinic next day and find dozens of kids at the door in the morning.

During medical school, Sean served two years as president of Naturopaths Without Borders and received the Outstanding Leader-ship Award from his peers. Sarah was head of the student govern-ment and president of Naturo-paths Without Borders at a time when Sean was a director. They married last year in Carmel.

After graduating and obtain-ing their licenses, they were hired to head a Haitian birthing clinic that was supposed to be completed and ready to operate. When they showed up in late Oc-tober, it proved to be still under construction as well as waiting for delivery of 40 beds and other furniture and supplies.

Their employer is an Oregon nonprofit midwife organization called Moma Baby Haiti, which offers free medical care in an ef-fort to lower brutally high rates of illness and death among pregnant women and infants. They empha-size natural delivery rather than the Haitian custom of injecting drugs to force rapid births in order to clear crowded birthing rooms.

The Moma Baby Haiti model involves midwives who will care for the mothers and infants for the first six weeks of life. Then the Heslers will take over. “We’re not trained in neonatal care,” Sean says. “We discuss boundaries with the midwives because some pregnant women have illnesses apart from their pregnancies.”

The area where the Heslers work is a cluster of eight villages in the north, near Cap Haitien, Haiti’s second largest city after Port au Prince. Villagers number about 75,000. They speak Creole, which means the Heslers and other U.S. staff need translators.

The medical challenges are huge. Haiti’s infant and maternal

mortality rates are the worst in the western world. Inadequate nutrition and poor hygiene are widespread. People are gener-ally too poor to afford medical help for childbirth or childhood diseases. Hospitals turn patients away who can’t pay up front. Folk medicine is common, with mixed results.

A Catholic hospital has a doc-tor on duty one day a week but charges too much for many local residents. For those who can pay, a single nurse, not particularly skilled, is on duty.

For much of their first three weeks in Haiti, Sean did almost everything except medicine. He drove vehicles, delivered supplies and served as security guard for women at the clinic with construction workers com-ing and going. There were no physical attacks but plenty of comments and catcalls. “There’s not much respect for women there,” he said.

However, he was able to practice medicine for one day. Others in the Mama Baby Haiti group managed more, including delivering four babies.

The medicine the Heslers learned in Tempe is not so much the high tech interventionist medicine taught in conventional medical schools as the lifestyle approach practiced in some health maintenance organiza-tions such as Kaiser’s preven-tive medicine clinics. It seems especially suited for a poverty-stricken third world that has no access to sophisticated equip-ment demanding high levels of maintenance and training. Even refrigeration of medicines, taken for granted in most of the U.S., can’t be assured.

The naturopathic approach emphasizes nutrition and hy-giene, personal care and close relationships between doctors (or mid-wives) and patients.

The Heslers often recommend multivitamins, especially in the face of widespread malnutri-tion. They practice acupuncture, which is also supported by many mainstream medical organiza-tions, and botanical medicine, or herbalism, which is generally not, although botanical chemicals are found in many medicines.

Sean is convinced that natural medicine works and works well, especially in the third world. Perhaps because nutritional stan-dards are so low, perhaps because patients respond positively to the first medical attention they have ever received and the doctors seem genuinely to care about their welfare, the results can be “miraculous,” he says.

Legally, the Heslers are pri-mary care doctors licensed in the state of Arizona to prescribe and administer drugs like an-tibiotics and undertake minor surgery. There are restrictions; for example, they can’t prescribe narcotics. If a patient arrives with serious injuries or a life-threaten-ing illness, Sean says, they will stabilize and transport the victim to a hospital – not unlike what might happen in a small U.S. clinic.

Returning to Haiti on Monday, they found that the furniture

had still not been delivered to the birthing clinic. “It’s just as bare as before,” Sean wrote in an email.

In addition, medicine has not been available to local residents during their absence. “This is the brutal irony of violent protests, worse than our Haitian friends had ever seen…driving us out, when we’re most needed,” he added.

However, the need remains – the cholera epidemic continues, with more than 2,000 deaths. The Heslers are determined to stay at least another year.

Their escape by ambulance was hair-raising but just one more adventure. They found that the U.S. embassy was actively unhelpful, not only declining help when they asked for it but later demanding lists of petty administrative details by repeated telephone calls as they were mak-ing their escape.

By contrast, Chileans and Uruguayans from a nearby Unit-ed Nations mission went out of their way to make them safe.

“With all the ups and downs of the past weeks, I wouldn’t trade (the experience) for anything,” he says. “With all the things that could go wrong, and some-times did, I learned a lot about myself.”

In the longer term, it may be possible for Mama Baby Haiti to set up birthing clinics in other countries. In the meantime the need is urgent where they are. The Heslers hope for more medi-cal volunteers. Their operation needs basic supplies like baby blankets, toothbrushes, tooth-paste and soap, and nutritional supplements. Money is the most versatile because Moma Baby Haiti can apply it to the latest needs.

Those interested in contribut-ing can do so via the website, http://www.mamababyhaiti.org/, where they can also learn more about the organization and its needs.

HAITI

Photo - Karen Vizzard

Sean and Sarah Preston Hesler, walking into Morne Rouge, one of the villages they are serving in northern Haiti.

in the fight against driving while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.”

The Alameda County “Avoid the 21” Holiday Enforcement Campaign begins December 17th and continues through Janu-ary 2nd. Livermore PD Traffic Officers will adjust their work hours to be on patrol during the night and early morning hours throughout the campaign.

The Livermore Police Depart-ment will host the Avoid the 21 “Strike Night” on the evening of December 17 More than 200 law enforcement officers from across the county will stage in Livermore to discuss impaired driving enforcement strategies. The deputies and officers will

then deploy throughout Alameda County in search of impaired drivers. This high visibility en-forcement will include officers patrolling in cities other than where they are employed.

If citizens observe a driver they suspect may be impaired, they are asked to safely call 911 and report their observations. It is important to provide a detailed description and last known lo-cation of the vehicle. Citizens should only follow the suspected impaired driver if they can do so safely.

DUI Enforcement focus in December

PAGE 10 - The Independent, DECEMBER 9, 2010

LEGAL NOTICESfOR INfORMATION

PLACING LEGAL NOTICES

CONTACT BARBARA @ 925 243-8000

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 94551This 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 PorrataThis 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.

fICTITIOUS BUSINESSNAME STATEMENT

fILE NO. 445237The following person(s) do-ing business as:Lizard Patch Designs, 5338 Bianca Way, Livermore Ca 94550 is hereby registered by the following owner(s):Jenny Mostek, 5338 Bianca Way, Livermore Ca 94550This 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/:Jenny MostekThis statement was filed with the County Clerk of Alameda on November 23, 2010. Ex-pires November 23, 2015.The Independent Legal No. 2898. Publish December 2, 9, 16, 23, 2010.

fICTITIOUS BUSINESSNAME STATEMENT

fILE NO. 445288-455289The following person(s) doing business as:1)Play The Game Products, 2)Torture Me Again, 301 Earhart Way, Livermore Ca 94551 is hereby registered by the following owner(s):CFL International, Inc., 301 Earhart Way, Livermore Ca 94551This business is conducted by:a CorporationRegistrant has not yet begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed.Signature of Registrant:/s/:Guillermo IglesiasThis statement was filed with the County Clerk of Alameda on November 24, 2010. Ex-pires November 24, 2015.The Independent Legal No. 2899. Publish December 2, 9, 16, 23, 2010.

fICTITIOUS BUSINESSNAME STATEMENT

fILE NO. 444977-444978The following person(s) doing business as:1)Jess Catering, 2)William Jess Caterer, 1568 Cheryl Drive, Livermore Ca 94550 is hereby registered by the following owner(s):William K. Jess, 1568 Cheryl Drive, Livermore Ca 94550This 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/:William K. JessThis statement was filed with the County Clerk of Alameda on November 16, 2010. Ex-pires November 16, 2015.The Independent Legal No. 2902. Publish December 9, 16, 23, 30, 2010.

fICTITIOUS BUSINESSNAME STATEMENT

fILE NO. 445229The following person(s) doing business as:SusanPrep 1856 Third St., Livermore Ca 94550 is hereby registered by the following owner(s):Susan Larik, 2377 College Ave., Livermore Ca 94550This business is conducted by:an IndividualThe registrant began to trans-act business under the ficti-tious business name (s) listed above on August 2, 2010Signature of Registrant:/s/:Susan Larik

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Alameda on November 23, 2010. Ex-pires November 23, 2015.The Independent Legal No. 2903. Publish December 9, 16, 23, 30, 2010.

STATEMENT Of ABANDONMENT

Of USE Of fICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAMEfILE NO. 403660

The following person(s) has (have) Abandoned The Use of The Fictitious Business Name:Wild Smiles, 4200 East Av-enue Suite 100, Livermore Ca 94550The Fict i t ious Business Name Statement was filed on November 19, 2007 in the County of Alameda.The Name of the Registrants are:Klifford Todd Kapus DDS, 1476 Maplewood Drive, Liver-more Ca 94551Renee Kapus, 1476 Maple-wood Drive, Livermore Ca 94551Signature of Registrant:/s/:Klifford Todd and Renee KapusThis statement was filed with the County Clerk of Alameda on December 3, 2010. The Independent Legal No. 2904. Publish December 9, 16, 23, 30, 2010.

fICTITIOUS BUSINESSNAME STATEMENT

fILE NO. 445533The following person(s) do-ing business as:Wild Smiles, 4200 East Ave #100, Liver-more Ca 94550 is hereby registered by the following owner(s):Tri Valley Orthodontics LLC., 7605 Mines Road, Livermore Ca 94550This business is conducted by:a Limited liability com-panyThe registrant began to transact business under the fictitious business name (s) listed above on December 3, 2010Signature of Registrant:/s/:Cynthia GomezThis statement was filed with the County Clerk of Alameda on December 3, 2010. Ex-pires December 3, 2015.The Independent Legal No. 2905. Publish December 9, 16, 23, 30, 2010.

NOTICE Of PETITION TO

ADMINISTER ESTATE Of:

VERNA MARIE PAYNE Case No. VP10539371

1. To all Heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent credi-tors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of:VERNA MARIE PAYNE2.A PETITION fOR PRO-BATE has been filed by: STEPHEN ANDREW PAYNE in the Superior Court of Cali-fornia, County of Alameda County3.THE PETITION FOR PROBATE of Will and for Letters Testamontary4.THE PETITION FOR PRO-BATE requests that: STE-PHEN ANDREW PAYNE be appointed as EXECUTOR.5.THE PETITION requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in

the file kept by the court.6.THE PETITION requests limited authority be granted to administer the estate under the Independent Administra-tion of Estates Act. (This au-thority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important ac-tions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The Independent administration authority will be granted un-less an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.7.A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows:Date:January 4, 2011 TIME: 9:30am DEPT: 201 at:Superior Court of California, County of Alameda2120 Martin Luther King, Jr. WayBerkeley, Ca 947048.IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person

or by your attorney.9.IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within four months from the date of first issu-ance of letters as provided in Probate Code section 9100. The time for filling claims will not expire before four months from the hearing date noticed above.10.YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (Form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special No-tice form is available from the court clerk.11.Attorney for Petitioner: Ralph Kokka (SBN 143519)Patton Martin & Sullivan, LLP6600 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 250Pleasanton, CA 94566925 600-1800

The Independent Legal No. 2901. Publish December 9,

16, 23, 2010.NOTICE Of INVITING BIDSNotice is hereby given that sealed competitive bids will be accepted in the office of the GSA-Purchasing Department, County of Alameda, 1401 Lakeside Drive, Suite 907, Oakland, CA 94612 NET-WORkING/NORTH COUNTY BIDDERS CONfERENCE RFQ #900794 for 2011 Ford Crown Victoria Police Inter-ceptor, Tuesday, December 14, 2010, 10:00 a.m. – Gen-eral Services Agency, 1401 Lakeside Drive, Room 906, 9th Floor, Oakland, CA NET-WORkING/SOUTH COUNTY BIDDERS CONfERENCE RFQ #900794 for 2011 Ford Crown Victoria Police In-terceptor, Wednesday, De-cember 15, 2010, 2:00 p.m. – Castro Valley Library, 3600 Norbridge Avenue, Chabot Room, Castro Valley, CA Responses Due by 2:00 pm on January 21, 2011 County Contact : Tudor S. Mosu (510) 208-9614 or via email: Tudor.Mosu@acgov.

org Attendance at Networking Conference is Non-manda-tory. Specifications regarding the above may be obtained at the Current Contracting Opportunities Internet website at www.acgov.org. 12/9/10CNS-1997930#The Independent Legal No. 2900. Publish December 9, 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 holidays. Saturdays from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm, dogs and cats are available at the Pleasanton 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 Ra-

mon 11 to 3. TVAR at (925) 803-7043 or visit our website at www.tvar.org.

4)fOUND

fOUND AN ANIMAL? fREE SECTION. Call Barbara 925 243-8000 to let 33,000 house-holds know!

AUTOMOTIVE10)AUTOS WANTED

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 - 8 6 6 - 9 1 2 - G I V E . (CAL*SCAN)

S E L L Y O U R U S E D CAR HERE. Call Barbara at 925-243-8000 0R www.independentnews.com Pay by Credit Card for any Clas-sified or Display ads.

EMPLOYMENT56) ADULT CARE

CAREGIVERS NEEDED for elder care.

Light housekeeping errands transportation

meal prep personal care. Please fax resume

925 371-8118

60) BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

BE 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.

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

LEGAL NOTICES/CLASSIFIEDS www.independentnews.com

Photos - Doug Jorgensen

Livermore School of Dance performed “Holiday Treasures from Around The World,” at the Bankhead Theater in Livermore. The evening featured a selection of diversified dance from around the world including holiday, classical, and contemporary styles of dance and music. Performances included jazz, tap, hip hop and lyrical/contemporary styles of dance. Look for more photos on The Independent website, www.independetnews.com

Get a jump start on your new year’s resolutions by signing up early for fitness classes starting in 2011. The Livermore Area Recre-ation and Park District has team ed up again with Real Fitness to offer a variety of classes to the Livermore community.

Livermore’s Biggest Loser class, with the slogan “The Road to Wellness, One Step at a Time,” is back with two available ses-sions. The popular program, which began in April 2009, received the 2010 California As-

sociation of Recreation and Park District's Award of Distinction for Best Innovative Program for a large district. More than 250 have participated in the program to get in shape and get healthy.

The Biggest Loser program includes group training, progress tracking, nutritional guidelines, weekly weigh-ins and challeng-es. The 10-week program meets twice weekly and kicks off with a weigh-in, body measurements and “before” photograph. Cost

is $163.For anyone interested in just

workouts without the added extras of Livermore’s Biggest Loser, Real Fitness for Real People is just the thing. These workouts include both cardio-vascular and resistance/strength training. This class ideal for those who have been in the Biggest Loser program for a while or for anyone who already does some physical activity. The program meets twice weekly for 10 weeks.

Price ranges from $89 to $134.Real Fitness Boot Camp is

offered for those who don’t have much time to fit in a workout but still want to get in shape. This early morning group work-out will kick-start your day with high-energy cardiovascular and resistance training. Build strength, gain lean muscle mass and get rid of unwanted body fat. Some level of fitness is highly recommended. Cost is $80-90.

Classes are taught by Certi-

fied Trainer Debbie DeLisle. All programs are held in the gym-nasium at the Robert Livermore Community Center, 4444 East Ave., Livermore. Participants are encouraged to wear comfort-able workout attire and bring a towel and water bottle. Non-scuff athletic shoes only are permitted in the gym. Locker rooms and shower facilities are available for use.

Specific dates and times of these fitness classes can be

viewed on page 29 of the online Winter/Spring 2011 Classes & Programs Brochure. The first ses-sion starts on Jan. 3. Space is lim-ited for these popular programs, so early registration is advised. Early registration opens Monday, Dec. 13. Participants may view the brochure and sign up online at www.larpd.dst.ca.us. Regis-tration is also taken by phone at 925-373-5700 or in person at the Community Center.

Variety of fitness Classes Offered Through LARPD

The Independent, DECEMBER 9, 2010 - PAGE 11

A L L C A S H V E N D I N G ROUTE! Be Your Own Boss! 25 Machines + Candy All for $9995. Vend3 877-915-8222. All major credit cards accepted. (CAL*SCAN)

71) HELP WANTED

INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS WANTED

for Senior Home Health Care Must Have

Experience Senior Solutions, Inc.

925 443-3101

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)

EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECH. Must be H.S. grad ages 17-34. No experience needed. Paid training, ben-efits, vacation, regular raises. Call Mon-Fri. 1-800-345-6289. (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)

Driver - NEW PAY PLAN with Quarterly Bonus Incen-tive! Lots of freight. Daily or Weekly Pay. Van and Re-frigerated. CDL-A, 6 months recent experience. 1-800-414-9569. www.DriveKnight.com (CAL*SCAN)

ASAP! New Pay Increase! 34-40 cpm. Excellent Ben-efits. Need CDL-A & 3 months recent OTR. 1-877-258-8782. w w w . M e l t o n T r u c k . c o m (CAL*SCAN)

CLASSIFIEDS

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

33,000 HomesDirect mail

toLivermore, Dublin,

Pleasanton & SunolCall Barbara925 243-8000

76)HELP WANTED/SALES

AVAILABLE TO TRAVEL? Earn Above Average $$$ Selling with Fun Successful Business Group. No Experi-ence Necessary. Paid Train-ing. 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.

MOVING SALESaturday December 11th,

8:00am to 1:00pm5388 Carnegie Loop, Liv.EVERYTHING MUST GO!

Refrigerator, Ping Pong Table, TV, Desks ETC.

MOVING SALE!SAT 8am-4pm

1191 Bannock St.. Livermore

Furniture, Refrigerators, Washer/Dryer, Table/Chairs,

TV’s, Beds, Weight/Lifting Equipment, Tools, More!

118) fREE/GIVEAWAY

GOT OLD JUNkfREE/GIVEAWAY

SECTIONCall 925 243-8000 Barbara

120)HEALTH/MISC.

HIP REPLACEMENT SUR-GERY: If you had hip re-placement surgery between 2003 - present and suffered problems requiring a second revision surgery you may be entitled to compensation. Attorney Charles Johnson 1-800-535-5727. (CAL*SCAN)

125)HOUSEHOLD GOODS

Place your household items here for sale. Call

925 243-8000 or go on-line at

www.independentnews.com

127) LOST/fOUND

LOST or FOUND AN ITEMfREE SECTION

Call Barbara 925 243-8000

LOST kEYS - Livermore Area

925 895-7188

140)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/ANNOUNCEMENTS150)ANNOUNCEMENTS

HOLIDAY BOUTIQUE Saturday December 11,

9am-3pm. 638 Enos Way, Livermore. Lots of unique gifts! Finish your Christmas shopping here!

HOME HOLIDAY BOUTIQUE

COME SHOPSAT Dec 11th 12pm-4pm

2632 Cowan Way Livermore

GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFTS!

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 or 800-321-CSLB (2752). Unlicensed 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.independentnews.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

By advertising with The Independent

you reach over 33,000 homes and businesses

with your message. To place an ad, call Barbara

925 243-8000

165) HOUSE/ROOMS/RENT-ALS TO SHARE

RENT YOUR EMPTY LIV-ING SPACE. Advertise in The Independent and reach over 33,000 homes and busi-nesses with your message. To place an ad, call Barbara 925 243-8000

172)LOTS & ACREAGE/OUT Of STATE

OWNER MOTIVATED to sell all inventory in Arizona. 36 acres - $19,900; 78 acres - $29,900; house + 15 acres - $179,900. Many locations. Something for everyone. Call for details. Make offer. Of-fered by AZLR. 1-866-571-5687. (CAL*SCAN)

By Advertising with The Inde-pendent reaching over 33,000 homes and businesses with your ad placement. Call Bar-bara 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

annuity payments. Call J.G. Wentworth. 1-866-SETTLEMENT

(1-866-738-8536). Rated A+ by the Better Busi-ness Bureau. (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.SouthEasternHS.com (CAL*SCAN)

185)SCHOOLS/EDUCATION

ATTEND COLLEGE ONLINE from Home. *Medi-cal, *Business, *Paralegal,

*Criminal Justice. Job place-ment assistance. Computer

available. Financial Aid if qualified. SCHEV certified.

Call 888-210-5162 www.Centura.us.com

(CAL*SCAN)

195)T IMESHARES/RE-SORTS

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)

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LEGAL NOTICES/CLASSIFIEDS www.independentnews.com

10 Tips on Moving with PetsBy Cher Wollard

Moving a household requires planning, consideration and dis-cipline. Moving the non-human members of a household requires these same traits multiplied.

You can’t sit Fido down and have a heart-to-heart conversation about what the move will entail. But, with a little effort, you can make the move more comfortable and less stressful for both of you.

How? Follow a few sensible tips from expert movers and animal lovers:

1. Plan in advance. According to advice from Stevens Worldwide Van Lines, pre-

planning is the key to an easy transition. Short moves—within the same or to a nearby town – may be

relatively straightforward. But longer moves require serious con-sideration of how and when your pet will be transported, and what will happen during the move.

Your home is going to be a tumble of boxes and bubble wrap during the final moving days, so you may consider boarding your pet with a friend, a pet sitter or at a kennel, where there will be less commotion.

Otherwise, make sure the animal is secure during chaotic periods when doors may be left open.

Attend to food and water, trying to stick as close to the normal routine as possible.

If your pet is traveling with you to your new home, he or she gets “packed” last and “unpacked” first. If your pet is not used to using a crate, introduce him/her to it ahead of time. If you are driving to your destination and your pet is not used to traveling in a car, practice with short trips in the weeks before your move.

If you are moving far away, consider whether your pet will travel with you or via air cargo. If your pet is going to fly, either with you in the cabin or in cargo, make sure you are clear about airline rules before making reservations. Most airlines will allow very small crated pets and service dogs to travel in the cabin.

Small animals in crates may travel on buses and light rail. Only service dogs are allowed on Amtrak.

2. Put someone in charge. During packing and unpacking, and especially while in transit,

make sure someone responsible is for watching out for your beloved pet. If he/she will be sent via air freight, assign a responsible friend or family member to drop off and pick up your pet from the airport on time. Airlines will only hold onto animals for a few hours before transporting them to a kennel at the owner’s expense.

3. Investigate rules and regulations. Different states – even different municipalities – have different

laws regarding admission of animals. Most states require dogs – and sometimes cats – to have proof

of current rabies vaccination. Some states require health certificates less than 10 days old.

Many states restrict exotic animals, such as monkeys, large snakes, ferrets and certain kinds of birds. If you are moving to California, check with the state Department of Food and Agriculture at www.cdfa.ca.gov or 1-916-654-0881 for regulations. Other states have similar bureaus

Horses and ponies coming into California must have a current health certificate, including evidence of a negative Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA or “Coggins”) test within 6 months prior to entry.

Health certificates are recommended for all animals, but are only required for cats and dogs if coming here from a rabies quarantine area.

4. Make an appointment with your veterinarian. You want to be sure your pet is healthy enough to travel and is

up-to-date on necessary vaccinations. Get copies of his/her medical records and ask for a health certificate.

If your pet is going to be shipped by air, discuss with your vet whether sedation is advised.

5. Records and identification. If your dog or cat escapes your yard on an adventure, chances are

he/she will return home before mealtime. But if an animal gets loose while traveling, the chances of being found are greatly diminished.

Many states require dogs, and sometimes cats, to have rabies tags affixed to their collars. Your pet should also wear an identification tag. Birds and lizards should be banded. Carry registration papers for horses and ponies.

6. Creature’s comforts. Dogs and cats traveling by air can be transported in carriers or

portable kennels. “Select a portable air-transport kennel that’s large enough for your

pet to stand and move around a bit,” advises Allied Van Lines.Smaller animals and birds can be shipped in special shipping con-

tainers available from pet stores or airline freight departments. (They can travel in their cages if you are driving to your destination.)

If your pet is traveling by air, give him/her food five to seven hours before departure and water about two hours in advance.

Be sure to arrive at the airport early. Exercise your pet on a lease at the airport and administer any medications or sedatives.

If your pet is traveling with you on a plane, it must be in a small carrier that fits under your seat (check with your airline).

If your pet is traveling in cargo, make sure a responsible person will be at the pickup point on time.

Birds, fish, turtles, snakes, rabbits, hamsters or gerbils can usually travel via air express.

Tropical fish should be packed for shipment by pet suppliers. If that’s not possible, you can transport fish in their aquarium by placing it in a corrugated carton, padded with crush paper. Remove about half the water along with any equipment, such as aerators or heaters, that might shift and break the glass.

7. Security. For air travel, make sure the latch on the crate is secure. Attach

the lease to the outside of the crate. Label the crate clearly and make sure your pet is wearing an identification tag. Enclosed crates should be marked as “Live animal” plus your name, address, phone number and any special handling instructions (i.e. “This End Up”).

If you are driving to your destination, keep your pets on leases outside of the car. Try never to leave them alone, locked in a vehicle. If you must, park in the shade and crack several windows for cross ventilation.

8. Plan the path to your new home. If you are traveling by car or truck, remove water containers from

crates and cages to avoid spills. Make sure the carriers are fixed in place so they won’t tip or slide around during the drive.

Don’t allow dogs to put their heads out windows. Don’t lock your pets in the car without cracking the window.

Plan plenty of stops for exercise and potty breaks. Make sure the hotels, motels or camp grounds where you plan to stay allow pets. If you are camping, bring a stake to attach the lease to.

Travel sometimes has an adverse effect on birds. Keep the cage covered while on the road, so the bird remains calm.

Keep strangers, especially children, away from your pets. Even gentle animals can behave unpredictably in unfamiliar surround-ings.

9. Helping pets feel at home. Your new home will be strange and possibly frightening to your

pets. Keep them inside until they are used to their new surroundings. A familiar toy or blanket can help ease fears. Make sure to feed them the same food they are used to, and stick to old routines.

Fish will need new water and probably neutralizing chemicals to avoid shock.

10.Finding a new vet. Find a new veterinarian as soon as possible after you have moved.

If your previous vet did not give you a recommendation, check with the American Animal Hospital Association at 1-800-2522242 or the Humane Society in your new community.

Then you and your pets can happily settle into your new home.Cher Wollard is a Realtor with

Prudential California Realty, Livermore.

PAGE 12 - The Independent, DECEMBER 9, 2010

A small flock of Old English BabyDoll Southdown Sheep were grazing the weeds in the vineyard at Rodrigue Molyneaux Estate Winery during Holidays in the Vineyards festivities last weekend. The miniature sheep, Batteate Baby Dolls, are a heri-tage breed originating from Eng-land from the days before refrig-eration when a small animal was desired as not to waste meat.

Today, they have found their place in the vineyard. Because of their small size (24” at the shoulder), they are perfectly suited to graze between the rows and under the vines. They are contained with a portable, solar

Th e L ive rm ore Va l l ey Joint Unified School District (LVJUSD) has been proactively securing grant funding in order to continue to move forward with school programs in lean budget times. LVJUSD has been award-ed the following new grants to enhance student opportunities in education:

$5,000 PG&E Bright Ideas Solar Schools Program Grant. The LVJUSD elementary science specialists and TOPScience Part-ners will work on developing and assembling 3rd and 4th grade kits for inquiry based activities and demonstrations. Students will demonstrate their understand-ing of energy in multiple forms including the idea that electrical energy from stored and solar sources can be converted to heat, light and motion. This will entail building of solar electric houses, passive solar-heated houses and solar racer cars.

For further information on the PG& E Bright Ideas Grant,

Volunteers are invited to take part in the second annual Christ-mas bird count in eastern Alam-eda County.

The Ohlone Audubon Society and the Alameda Creek Alliance are sponsoring the event on Fri-day, December 17th in eastern Alameda County.

The count area is in the vi-cinity of Sunol, Pleasanton and Livermore, and includes five East Bay Regional Parks, significant San Francisco watershed lands, and birding hotspots such as lower Mines Road, Sunol Wilder-ness, Del Valle Reservoir, and the Springtown area in Livermore.

Rich Cimino, the count com-piler, invites backyard birders to participate by counting bird spe-cies and submitting information to him. He can be contacted at 925-353-0266.

The Christmas Bird Count is an annual nationwide volunteer-based bird survey effort coordi-nated by the Audubon Society to promote bird conservation and assess long-term trends in winter bird populations. In the largest citizen science effort in the world, tens of thousands of volunteer birders and scientists armed with binoculars, bird guides and checklists will take part in Christmas bird counts throughout the Americas from mid-December through early January. Audubon and other organizations use data collected in this longest-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations and to help guide conservation actions.

“Our bird count will involve volunteers, ornithologists, and agency staff in bird conservation and monitoring, and will promote stewardship of bird populations and habitats within the Alameda Creek watershed,” said Rich Cimino, Conservation Chair of

powered electric fence and pro-tected with a Livestock Guard-ian Dog (LGD). Bonnie is an Anatolian/Akbash cross and has been raised with the sheep since she was old enough to leave her mother. As opposed to her fellow working dogs used for herding, the LGD’s job is simply to protect the sheep.

Using targeted grazing to con-trol vegetation in the vineyard is a perfect way to get the job done without harmful chemicals, fossil fuels, and causing emissions. The sheep also work the ground with their small hooves and fertilize as they go. It’s a match that’s made in heaven!

contact Teacher on Special As-signment, Pauline Huben at (925) 606-3204 or email phuben@lvjusd.k12.ca.us.

$250,000 Competitive En-hancing Education Through Technology (EETT) Federal Grant to Enhance the Use of Data to Improve Student Achievement. LVJUSD has been awarded $250,000. It is one of only two districts in Alameda County to receive this highly competitive grant. This grant is designed to help the District use data effectively for college and career readiness by improving student achievement and clos-ing the achievement gap. The funding will support and expand current district efforts through the acquisition of state-of-the-art technology, curriculum and professional development.

For further information on the EETT Competitive Grant, contact Assistant Superintendent, Cindy Alba at (925) 606-3224 or email calba@lvjusd.k12.ca.us.

$13,000 East Bay Tri-Val-ley Community Collaborative Grant (Career Technical Edu-cation). LVJUSD has worked with the Tri-Valley Educational Collaborative (TEC) and been awarded start-up funding toward the development of a viticulture pathway, as an extension of the Livermore High School agricul-tural science program. The pri-mary goal of the collaborative is to develop a multi-tiered program that strengthens career explora-tion/awareness and Career and Technical Education (CTE) path-ways in high wage, high skill oc-cupations for students in middle school proceeding to high school and on to post secondary educa-tion throughout the region.

For further information on the East Bay Tri-Valley Com-munity Collaborative Grant, contact Director of Curriculum/Special Projects, Melinda Hall at (925) 606-3202 or email mhall@lvjusd.k12.ca.us.

the Ohlone Audubon Society, and the initiator of the new Christmas Bird Count. “We’re very excited with the response and concern from interested citizens.”

Birders and volunteers with any level of experience can par-ticipate and are assigned to teams based on their bird identification

Livermore School District Receives Several Grants

skill level and endurance. The count circle is divided into over two dozen sections, each with a leading birder with specific knowledge of the area.

To get involved, visit websites ohloneaudubon.org or www.alamedacreek.org.

Volunteers Can Sign Up to Take Part in Bird Count

Bonnie is shown with several of the Old English Baby

Small Sheep keep Weeds In Check in Vineyards

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2010

Art, Community, & EducationTHE INDEPENDENT • SECTION II

The Pleasanton Library is hosting a series of documentary films at the new Firehouse Arts Center.

Afghan Star, the final film in the series, will be screened on Dec. 16.

The film begins at 7:00pm. Doors open 6:15pm. Seating on first-come, first-served basis.

After 30 years of war and Taliban-rule, pop culture has returned to Afghanistan. Afghan Star - a Pop Idol-style TV series – is searching the country for the next generation of music stars. Over 2000 people are audi-tioning and even three women have come forward to try their luck. The organizers, Tolo TV, believe with this program they can

The Firehouse Arts Center’s Harrington Gallery will host an exhibit of inter-national children’s art, “Celebrations Around the World,” from the permanent collection of Paintbrush Diplomacy. The exhibit will be on view December 11, 2010-January 12, 2011.

The Firehouse Arts Center is located at 4444 Railroad Avenue in downtown Pleasanton, Calif.

Paintbrush Diplomacy seeks to promote peace and understanding through the universal language of art and encourages awareness of international issues through art exchanges and exhibits of works by children ages 5-18.

In conjunction with the exhibit, the Firehouse Arts Center will host Young @ Art for children ages 5 to 11 years on Saturday, December 11, 2010, from 10:00-11:45 a.m. The children will visit the Harrington Gallery to view the exhibit. They will then go to the Center’s art studio to create an art piece themselves. The fee for the program is $12 for Pleasanton residents and $15 for non-residents. Registrations may be completed at (925) 931-5340 or online at http://online.activecommunities.com/pleasanton, Code 49828.

Also complementing the exhibit will be a presentation by Paintbrush Diplo-macy’s executive director, Louise Valeur on Wednesday, December 15, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. She will speak about the organization’s mission to create peace through the paintbrush by facilitating international student exchanges and coordinating a university diplomat program for college students studying abroad. The suggested donation is $5 with student admission free of charge.

Harrington Gallery hours are Wednesday-Friday 12:00 noon-5:00 p.m., Saturday 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., or one hour prior to each Firehouse Arts Center performance and during intermission. A donation of $2.00 is suggested.

Detailed information about Paintbrush Diplomacy is available at http://paint-brushdiplomacy.org.

More information about the Firehouse Arts Center may be found at www.firehouseartscenter.org.

“move people from guns to music.”However, in a troubled country like

Afghanistan, even music is controversial. Considered sacrilegious by the Mujahid-deen and outright banned by the Taliban (1996-2001), music has come to symbolize freedom for the youth. While the conflict still rages many of those taking part are literally risking their lives.

This documentary follows the three month process from the regional auditions to the final in Kabul. Behind the scenes at all times, we gain unprecedented access to the lives of contestants, fans and producers alike.

Mir Tamim Ansary, Afghan American au-

thor of the critically acclaimed memoir West of Kabul, East of New York, and the recent history of Islam, Destiny Disrupted, has lived a life in two worlds. “In 1948, when I was born, most of Afghanistan might as well have been living in the Neolithic Age. It was a world of walled villages, each one inhabited by a few large families, themselves linked in countless ways through intermar-riages stretching into the dim historical memories of the eldest elders.”

Mir Tamim Ansary is an author and com-mentator on Afghanistan.

There is no admission charge. The Fire-house Arts Center is located at 4444 Railroad Avenue, downtown Pleasanton.

Pictured at left is “Global Family” by Shrevashe Chakraborty, age 9, India.

Paintbrush Diplomacy Opens at the

Harrington Art Gallery

Documentary Film Series to Screen 'Afghan Star'

2 THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2010 Art & Entertainment

By Patricia KoningOn Sunday, Dec. 19, dancers from Tiffa-

ny’s Dance Academy (TDA) will have the opportunity of a lifetime—opening for the Rockettes’ Radio City Christmas Spectacular in San Jose. A total of 29 dancers will per-form, ranging in age from five to 18 years.

“This is going to be such a wonderful experience for these dancers,” says Tif-fany Henderson, co-owner of TDA with her husband Paul. “This is the biggest audience they’ve ever performed before and in the largest venue. It’s also good exposure to precision dancing, which is where a lot of professional dancers work.”

The group includes dancers from the TDA Performing Company and students from the

more recreational classes. They have been practicing their routine, choreographed by Tiffany to instrumental holiday music, for the past three months. The TDA dancers are the only opening act for the 6:30 pm show on Dec. 19.

The opportunity came about after dancers from the TDA Company performed in the New York City Dance Alliance competition in Santa Clara in March. Joe Lanteri, execu-tive director of the New York City Dance Alliance, has been selecting opening acts for Rockettes’ shows at competitions across the country.

On Dec. 6, TDA dancers had another unique opportunity when they performed

Tiffany’s to Open For the Rockettes

(See TIFFANY'S, page 4)

Photos - Doug Jorgensen

Dancers prepare for their opening number (top photo). In the lower photo, Tiffany Henderson adjusts the hat of one of the young performers.

THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2010 3Art & Entertainment

‘Tis the season for butterflies - “Madama Butterfly” that is. Puccini’s ever-popular and tragic love story of a U.S. Naval officer and a Japanese Geisha seems to be the “production du jour” as many companies are performing it this opera season. Livermore Valley Opera (LVO) is no different in that respect, as this emerging regional opera company, now in its 19th sea-son, will bring it to the Bankhead Theater this March.

“Madama Butterfly” is a staple of the standard operatic repertoire for companies around the world. It is the most-performed opera in the United States, where it ranks as Number One in Opera America’s list of the 20 most-performed op-eras in North America. Yet Liver-more Valley Opera’s “Butterfly” will have a distinctive character in its production of the Puccini masterpiece. LVO is bringing a fresh, out-of-town perspective with director Brian Luedloff who hails from Colorado, by way of Chicago, Boston, Vermont and many other east coast locales where he has directed and staged numerous operas.

“Livermore Valley Opera is excited about bringing a fresh vi-sion to the Bay Area, that of rising talent, Brian Clay Luedloff,” says

Sara Nealy, LVO’s Executive Di-rector. “Mr. Luedloff serves as Di-rector of Opera Theatre at Univer-sity of Northern Colorado where he has directed several operas including ‘Pirates of Penzance,’ ‘Hänsel und Gretel,’ ‘The Bartered Bride,’ ‘The Impresario,’ ‘le Nozze di Figaro,’ and ‘la Cambiale di Matrimonio.’”

However, it was nationally-known soprano and voice coach, and member of LVO’s Advisory Council Erie Mills, whose own 25-year opera career includes per-

formances with the Metropolitan Opera and San Francisco Opera, who first suggested Brian Luedloff to direct.

“As a director, he is able to get the artists to become their charac-ters,” explains Mills. “He is kind, thorough, and very respectful of the music. It is a rare stage director who can get what he wants without the singers even knowing it’s his idea. They think it’s their idea. It all works toward a more integrated production. I personally can’t wait to see what Brian does with “Ma-dama Butterfly.”

Though LVO’s production will not be Luedloff’s first “Butterfly,” his vision for the March production will be unique – maybe even rare - in comparison to productions that most opera fans have seen. Nealy explains.

“LVO will be producing a much layered ‘Madama Butterfly,’ one that honors the spirit of the opera by striving for a cultural authentic-ity that will infuse our production with energy representing the clash of cultural values that is at the heart of ‘Butterfly.’ Through his directing and staging, Luedloff will bring to life the old-world Japan in which geisha Cio-Cio San (“Butterfly”) lives, with its rich and graceful traditions.”

A Rare 'Butterfly,' Fresh Approach by LVO’s Director Luedloff

Luedloff’s approach to creating an authentic 19th century Japan is infused into every feature of pro-duction: music, staging, set design, lighting, costuming and even the singers’ individual movements.

“We start with Puccini’s won-derful music which, while very Italian and romantic, uses idioms of Japanese music,” explains Lu-edloff. “We also consider all visual elements, from the scenic design to authenticity of costumes. For example our performers will wear kimonos as they should be worn, one side folding over the other to create smooth line in movement. Color and patterns become very important, particularly for the gei-sha, whose kimonos represent sta-tus and hierarchy, and our kimonos will reflect that authenticity.”

Luedloff will be just as par-ticular concerning the movement of everyone on stage. “The cloth-ing and footwear of 19th century Japan necessitates a specific kind of movement, with limitations in the size of a step a woman might be able to take, and a sense of bal-

ance depending on the thickness and weight of a slipper.”

No detail will be sacrificed for the sake of cultural authenticity.

“We want the audience to feel the indirect, subtle and graceful movement of the people of Naga-saki in contrast with the impulsive, confident movement of the hedo-nistic American Navy Lieutenant who has entered their world,” adds Nealy. “These subtleties, along with the singers’ and orchestral voices, will tell the tale on another level.”

Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” will be performed Saturday, March 12, 8pm; Sunday, March 13, 2pm; Saturday, March 19, 8pm; Sunday, March 20, 2pm.

Pre-opera talks are offered one hour prior to each performance. Ice Cream & Opera – Children’s Opera Learning Adventure part of both Sunday matinees.

Tickets are available through the Bankhead Theater online at www.livermoreperformingarts.org or on the Livermore Valley Opera’s website at www.livermo-revalleyopera.com

Brian Clay Luedloff works with an opera singer.

4 THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2010 Art & Entertainment

The Livermore-Pleasanton Youth Outreach Symphony (LPYOS) was founded by John Ingram of Pleasanton and Liver-more High School student Robert Shi. It is a nonprofit charity orga-nization with the only to entertain the underserved and disadvantaged fellow citizens in the whole Bay Area. The targeted audience includes retired veterans, nursing home patients, hospice patients, children hospital patients, cancer hospital patients and special needs groups.

Ingram is the conductor of the new symphony. When asked about Mr. Ingram, Robert comments, “Mr. Ingram is an extremely

Youth Symphony with Mission of Community Outreachdedicated conductor. He is very friendly to the musicians and takes great responsibility for every single rehearsal and performance.”

The LPYOS has recruited tal-ented young musicians from Liver-more and Pleasanton. It enrolls the interested high school and junior high school students with at least moderate instrumental abilities. A typical LPYOS musician can earn 30-40 community service hours each year through rehearsals and performances. LPYOS currently has 32 regular members, many of whom are state and county honor bands students. The program has two seasons each year: early Sep-tember to late December in the

fall and winter, and early Febru-ary to late May in the spring. The LPYOS rehearsals are weekly on Wednesday from 7 PM to 8:30 PM in Ingram’s Concert Hall.

In the works now are two Christmas concerts which feature Christmas music and classical music. The LPYOS will present its first concert at the Livermore VA Rehab Center at 7 PM on De-cember 10, 2010. All VA hospital residents and Tri-Valley military personnel and families are wel-come. Admission is free. For more information about the organization and their performance schedules, please refer to www.lpyos.org.

selections from the Nutcracker at First Republic Bank’s holiday party at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. Sixty dancers from the cast of Tiffany’s production of the Nutcracker performed for two hours.

Last year, Tiffany was contacted by an event coordinator from First Republic Bank looking for dancers to perform at a customer apprecia-tion holiday party. “About 35 of our dancers performed and had a really great time so we expanded the cast this year,” says Tiffany. “I love giving my dancers opportuni-ties to perform in many different venues. I don’t want them thinking dance is only about competition and trophies.”

In mid-November, six TDA dancers performed at another First Republic Bank event, this time at the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco. In keeping with the mu-seum’s Degas exhibit, the dancers performed as figures from Degas’ iconic ballerina paintings. Also on Dec. 6, dancers from the TDA Newport Beach studio performed as swans at a First Republic Bank event at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon restaurant in Beverly Hills.

On Dec. 18, TDA will stage its annual production of the Nut-cracker at the Chabot Theater in Hayward with shows at noon and 3 pm. The cast includes over 300 dancers between the two shows. “We’ve added Mother Ginger on stilts,” says Tiffany. “Each year we have to keep coming up with creative parts for the younger kids, like the dancing Christmas trees.”

In October, TDA celebrated its 10th anniversary. Tiffany is pleased with the success of the studio. “Through the recession we’ve been hiring. We are always looking for dance teachers,” she says. “We have more kids taking more classes and we’re doing more performances throughout the community.”

TDA has added several new programs recently. The Hip Hop Crew, a track within the Perform-ing Company, has about 100 danc-ers including many male dancers. Another popular new program is the Company “Lite,” offered in Livermore and Pleasanton.

“The Company Lite is for danc-ers who want to participate in the Performing Company but with a lighter course load,” says Tiffany. “It gives dancers and their families a chance to try out the Company and balance dance with other ac-tivities.”

In Company Lite, dancers take about three hours of dance classes each week, compared with six to eight hours for the regular Perform-ing Company. Both the Company Lite and Performing Company par-ticipate in two competitions each year, but the Performing Company also attends in two conventions.

For more information on TDA, visit www.tiffanydance.com. For more information on the Rock-ettes’ show and to order tickets, visit http://www.radiocitychrist-mas.com/nationaltour/. TDA danc-ers are performing at the Dec. 19, 6:30 pm at the HP Pavilion in San Jose.

TIFFANY'S(continued from page 2)

The Pleasanton PTA Council held its eighth annual Reflections Arts Recognition Program on Dec. 1 at the new Firehouse Art Center.

Pleasanton students, from kin-dergarten through 12th grade, en-tered their work in six categories: photography, visual arts, literature, musical composition, dance chore-ography, and film/video produc-tion. There were 310 young artists from eight Pleasanton schools who submitted entries for this year’s program to their local PTA or PTSA sponsored program.

From these 310 entries, Reflec-tions Committees at each school identified students in each cat-egory and age level to represent each school at the Council level. Over 60 entries were submitted to the Pleasanton PTA Council for recognition and were showcased on December 1 at the Firehouse Arts Center. These students were awarded certificates by Parvin Ah-madi, Pleasanton Unified School District Superintendent, and Jodie Vashistha, Pleasanton PTA Council President, at Wednesday’s ceremo-ny. Also in attendance were Joan Laursen, School Board Trustee-Elect, Valerie Arkin, School Board Trustee, and Jim Hansen, Amador Valley High School Principal.

Entries advancing to the next level, Peralta PTA District, were announced at the event.

“Pleasanton PTA Council was extremely happy to be have been able to hold our annual Reflections Arts Recognition Program at the

Firehouse Arts Center this year,” said Jodie Vashistha, Pleasanton PTA Council President. “The Fire-house Arts Center is perfect for live performances so for the first time in our history, we were able to have a select number of students present their entries to our audience. Our live presentations included Saloni Wasnik, a dancer from Fairlands Elementary, Brendan Hwang, a violinist Hearst Elementary, Esther Forest, a film maker from Walnut Grove, and Sandhya Kalavacherla, from Harvest Park Middle School who read her literature entry.”

She added, “We are extremely grateful to our sponsor Bay Area Academy of Music for helping to make our change of venue pos-sible; the staff at the Firehouse Arts Center, and the Pleasanton PTA Council Reflections Com-mittee, Eileen Armstrong, Susan Marceno and Diane Van Wagner whose coordination made the night such a huge success.”

Advancing Entries are: Pho-

tography: Rylee Galletti, 2nd GR, Hearst; Zara Fatteh, 4th GR, Hearst; Varsha Ramakrishnan, 7th GR, Har-vest Park Middle School (HPMS); Hayden Mitchell, 11th GR, Amador Valley High School (AVHS).

Literature: Sudiksha Gudipati, 1st GR, Vintage Hills; Stacy Si-manuki, 5th GR, Alisal; Sandhya Kalavacherla, 6th GR, HPMS; Da Eun Kim, 10th GR, AVHS

Visual Arts: Mahika Sharma, Kindergarten, Fairlands; Sophia Kang 4th GR, Mohr; Lucille Bell, 7th GR, HPMS; Linyan Tian 10th GR, AVHS

Musical Composition: Hannah Jang, 1st GR, Hearst; Brendan Hwang, 4th GR, Hearst; Logan Kane, 9th GR, AVHS

Film/Video Production: Amala Rao, 2nd GR, Hearst; Esther For-est, 3rd GR, WG; Varsha Ramak-rishnan, 7th GR, HPMS

Dance Choreography: Mahika Shamra, kindergarten, Fairlands; Saloni Wasnik, 5th GR, Fairlands

Reflections Arts Winners Move on in Competition

The 3rd Annual Christmas Show will be presented by American Legion Post 237 on Dec. 12.

The festivities will begin at 1:30 p.m. at the Veterans Hall in Pleas-anton. The show will include fun, mystery and excitement starring The Magic of the Islands. Special guest will be Santa Claus.

Admission is $10; children under 5 admitted free when accompanied by an adult.

Proceeds benefit veterans programs. For tickets and information, call 784-6808. The Veterans Hall is located at 310 Main Street, downtown Pleasanton.

Christmas Show Presented by American Legion Post

John Ingram

THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2010 5Art & Entertainment

Amador Friends of Music an-nounced plans for the Amador Valley High School (AVHS) Win-ter Concert, featuring four award-winning concert bands and the Jazz B Ensemble. The concert will be held on Tuesday, December 14, at 7pm in the Amador Theater at 1115 Santa Rita Road, Pleasanton.

The Marching Dons recently earned their place in school history by earning their highest placement ever in the Western Band Associa-tion’s 5A Championships, receiv-ing 4th place recognition with a score of 90.55 for their field show entitled American Voices. Class 5A hosts the largest ensembles in the circuit.

“I am immensely proud of the

The annual Ravenswood Victo-rian Yuletide celebration is set for this Sunday, December 12. Festivi-ties are from noon to 4 p.m.

There will be a variety of crafts for children. Café Art will provide a ceramic ornament that can be personalized and fired later at the Studio. Livermore Military Sup-port Admission will help children write Christmas notes on cards to troops in Iraq. Livermore Pleas-anton Pediatrics will make picture frames and Thomas Marcel, D.D.S will give out balloons and present a special craft.

Parents can shop for unique gifts, decorations and jewelry in the Gift Shop . A family photo with St. Nicholas and Mrs. St. Nicholas can be taken by professional pho-tographer Maggie Cruzer (with yours or her camera) as children receive a small gift.

Scooby, the miniature horse will provide rides around the estate in his cart.

There will be continuous en-tertainment featuring the Unitar-ian Universalist Band, Livermore High School Chamber Choral,

The Livermore Interfaith Christ-mas Choir and Art Display will be presented Sunday, December 12 at 1501 Hillcrest Ave., Livermore from 6 to 9 p.m.

The schedule is follows:6 - 6:45: Christmas Art Display

and Instrumental Music. 7-8:15: Choir Performances,

which will include numbers from the Unitarian Universalist Church, St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Livermore High School

St. Michael’s Catholic Church will host an Advent-Christmas Concert on Fri., Dec. 10 at 7:30 p.m.

Featured will be the Golden Gate Boys Choir and Bellringers along with the St. Michael’s Music Ministry.

Maestro Duane Carroll and the Contra Costa Wind Symphony celebrate the holiday season on December 13 in a concert of carols and other festive music featur-ing the Contra Costa Children’s Chorus, a harpist, a vocalist, a guitarist, a celebrity narrator, and an audience sing-along.

The performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church, 49 Knox Drive, Lafayette. Admission is free.

Directed by cofounder Iris La-manna, the chorus will sing “Three Noels,” a medley of Christmas selections, “Ding Dong! Mer-rily on High,” and “Silent Night.” Guest guitarist Julio Reyes will accompany the singers in “Mary Had a Baby.”

Vanessa Anderson, a member of the chorus for 11 years and a senior at San Ramon Valley High

Livermore High School Tri-M Chapter 4792 will present its Sec-ond Annual Toys for Tots Benefit Concert on Tuesday, December 14, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. in the Livermore High School Theater. Featured in this free winter concert will be Livermore School District music students as well as a special per-formance by the Tri-Valley’s own Vintage Brass Quintet. Please bring a new and unwrapped toy to help spread holiday cheer. Refresh-

A Festival of Carols featuring traditional Christmas music as well as some unusual arrangements will be held at 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12, at Centerpointe Presbyterian Church, 3410 Cornerstone Court.

Performing the music will be the Centerpointe choir and the

Holiday Performances and Events Are Planned

work that my students do each and every day,” said Jon Grantham, Director of Bands at Amador Val-ley High School. “It is a pleasure to teach such fine young people. The community should be proud of how well they are represented by the members of the AVHS March-ing Band.” Leading the ensemble of 221 students are drum majors Kathy Yuh, Nick Park and Eric Butler, and colorguard captains Laura Bjork and Olivia Foort.

Amador Friends of Music (AFM), is a non-profit 501(C)(3) organization which provides orga-nization, fundraising, and volun-teer support to the music program. For more information, go to ama-dormusic.org.

School, will sing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” In ad-dition to singing with the chorus, Anderson has performed in local theater productions.

Shannon Polley, now in her fifth year as the wind symphony’s harpist, will perform “Harp Christ-mas.” A senior at Monte Vista High School in Danville, Polley has been studying the harp since age 5.

Dick Callahan, the public ad-dress announcer for the Oakland Athletics, UC Berkeley football, and St. Mary’s basketball, will narrate “The Night Before Christ-mas.”

Carroll will lead the wind sym-phony, now in its 31st season, in selections including “Holiday Rhapsody,” familiar carols, and Leroy Anderson’s popular “Sleigh Ride.” The audience will be invited to join the chorus in a sing-along.

Choir, Pleasanton Handbell Choir and the LDS Church along with audience participation singing favorite Christmas Hymns.

The final number of the evening will be the Hallelujah Chorus sing along.

This is a great opportunity to join together and share the Spirit of Christmas through music. Holiday refreshments will be served fol-lowing the performances.

Asbury Bell Ringers and dance programs by Triple Threat Per-forming Arts and Trinity Arts Dance Academy.

There will be homemade baked goods, hot cranberry apple cider, hot chocolate, coffee and ice cream cones available for purchase. Do-cents will lead tours of the cottage museum, which has been decorated

for the holidays. Meet the bobbin ladies from the Lace Museum and watch them make lace.

There is no admission charge. Ravenswood Historic Site is at 2647 Arroyo Rd., Livermore.

Any questions about the event or volunteer opportunities, please call Valarie Huff, Yuletide Chair-man at 925-292-4112.

ments will be provided.Tri-M Music Honor Society

is an organization composed of students dedicated to music as well as academics and community service. Twice a year, Livermore High School Tri-M holds benefit concerts to help organizations such as Toys for Tots. This year, to cre-ate a community amongst music students, new chapters were cre-ated at several middle schools and Granada High School.

church’s handbell choir as well as accompanists on strings. The program includes traditional carols as well as special readings of the Christmas season, including the Nativity story from Luke 2.

The choir is led by director and organist Katie Walda. The

handbell choir is directed by Betty Gail Hunt.

A reception will follow the concert in the church’s worship center. For additional information, please see the church’s web site, www.centerpointechurch.info, or call 925-846-4436.

Studio Seven Arts will feature the colorful handmade jewelry from Octavia Bloom at a special trunk show at the gallery on Dec. 11.

Octavia Bloom’s founder and designer Jenny Christiansen, a na-tive of Pleasanton who now lives in Montana, creates fresh and original jewelry pieces that are expressive and circular, like Mandalas. Jenny began in the jewelry business with a very small collection of hand-crafted jewelry, inspired mainly as a hobby, but things changed quickly and expanded rapidly when her line was discovered then picked up by Anthropologie. She has grown Octavia Bloom steadily since 2005, named partially for the famous street in San Francisco.

“It’s great to be back in my childhood home for the 2010 holidays and the Studio Seven Arts special Saturday Trunk show

will showcase Octavia Bloom’s freshest and boldest designs in the gallery,” said Jenny Christiansen, owner and designer of Octavia Bloom jewelry. “My collection, with all unique pieces appeals to both dressy holiday looks and for modernized casual with a style-first attitude.”

The trunk show is on Saturday Dec. 11th, from 10am to 2:00pm. Highlighted will be custom hand

crafted pieces that are exclusive to Studio Seven Arts. These include necklaces and earrings. More information about the event is available by calling Jan Mahood of Studio Seven Arts at (925) 846-4322 or go to www.studios-evenarts.com

The gallery is located in the heart of downtown Pleasanton on Main Street.

Tickets are $15 adult, $10 senior/student, $5 children 12 and under, and $35 for a family ticket.

St. Michael’s is located at 458 Maple St., Livermore.

For tickets or information, call 925-447-1585 x18.

Amador Valley High School Performs Winter Concert

Wind Symphony Presents Concert

Interfaith Christmas Choir and Art Display This Sunday

Ravenswood to Host Yuletide Celebration

LHS Concert to Benefit Toys for Tots

Festival of Carols Set for Sunday

Handmade Jewelry Featured in Trunk Show

Golden Gate Boys Choir, Bellring-ers Perform Concert

6 THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2010 Entertainment & Community

Livermore High School’s latest production is an adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice. The play is being performed by a cast of twenty-four, supported by a tech crew of five.

Performances are December 9, 10, 11 at 8 p.m. in the Livermore High Theatre.

The cast includes Elizabeth Bennet (Emily Serdahl) and Mr. Darcy (Skyler Jones); Mr. Bennet (KJ Brown) with no male heirs and five daughters to marry off; Mrs. Bennet (Maria Oliveira). Her daughters meet the eligible gentlemen of Hertfordshire, England on a quest to find a suitable match. Besides Elizabeth, there are Jane (Elise Ebbing-haus), Mary (Shea Tanner), Lydia (Abby Peterson), and Kitty (Alyssa Proudfoot). Gentlemen entertained as suitors include: Wickham (Tyler Campbell), Pastor Collins (Steven McCloud), Bingley (Ryan Church) whose sister, Caroline (Emily Persson), quite disapproves; as does Darcy’s aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh (Bronwyn Hagerty).

Supporting cast members include: Colonel Fitzwilliam (Austin An-drade), Mr. Gardiner (Matt Sebastiao), Mrs. Gardiner (Nicole Blair), Georgiana (Carrin Whitehurst), Charlotte Lucas (Rachel Lackey), Sir William Lucas (Matt Calder), Lady Lucas and Housekeeper (Debbie Watson), Officer, Male Servants, Dance Partners (Andrew Kolb-Gou-veia, Gabriel Pasillas, Bahram Sherwani, and Dylan Spooner)

All seats are reserved. Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased at www.livermorehighonline.com or at the door.

The Bennet family is pictured in the top photo (back) Mrs. Bennet played by Maria Oliveira; (middle) daughters Jane played by Elise Ebbinghaus, Elizabeth played by Emily Serdahl, and Mary played by Shea Tanner, and Mr. Bennet played by KJ Brown, (front) Lydia played by Abby Peterson and Kitty, Alyssa Proudfoot. In the lower photo are Elizabeth Bennet is played by Emily Serdahl (left), Mr. Darcy by Skyler Jones.

Livermore High Presents 'Pride and Prejudice'

Santa Claus will be at Fire Sta-tion #18 in Dublin on Saturday, December 18 from 11:30 am - 3:30 pm as part of the Holiday Toy Drive.

Have a picture taken with Santa on the antique fire engine, learn the latest holiday safety information, have some milk and Otis Spunk-meyer cookies, sing holiday carols, and listen to firefighters read their favorite holiday story, “A Firefight-er’s Night Before Christmas!” A $10 donation is suggested. All pro-ceeds will go towards supporting the Alameda County Firefighters Holiday Toy Drive. The station is located at 4800 Fallon Road, Dublin. For more information or to make a donation, call Aisha Knowles at 556-4584 or email aisha.knowles@acgov.org.

New and unwrapped toys, gift cards and monetary donations can also be made through December 24. The Alameda County Fire Department, Alameda County Firefighters Association and the City of Dublin are sponsoring the holiday toy drive, which will go to such groups as the U.S. Marine Corps, Tri-Valley Haven, Toys for Tots, and Shepherd’s Gate of Livermore.

Donations can be made at the following locations: Station #16, 7494 Donohue Dr.; Station #17, 6200 Madigan Rd.; Station #18, 4800 Fallon Rd.; ACFD Dublin Fire Prevention Office, 100 Civic Plaza; and Dublin Senior Center, 7600 Amador Valley Blvd. For information, call 833-6606.

New Gifts and Toys Needed For

Tri-Valley FamiliesTri-Valley Haven’s Holiday

Program helps low income and homeless families, and survivors of domestic and sexual violence, celebrate the holidays by provid-ing them with gifts and food. The program will serve over 950 Tri-Valley families (5,000 individuals) this year.

Support of the local com-munity is needed to make this event a success. Tri-Valley Haven is requesting donations of cash, gift cards, new toys, and gifts for teens, women, men and seniors, to meet the needs of the Tri-Valley community.

New, non-violent gifts and toys may be dropped off at Tri-Valley Haven’s Holiday site at: Discov-ery Church, 5860 Las Positas Rd. (behind the 7/11 on Vasco Road) in Livermore on Friday, December 10 from 9 am – noon and 1 – 4 pm. For additional information, please call Christine at Tri-Valley Haven at (925) 667-2707.

Santa Claus at Fire Station

THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2010 7 Art & Entertainment

This Saturday, December 11, the Bothwell Arts Center’s Downtown Art Studios, an “open working space” center for visual artists, kicks off its monthly Second Saturdays Open Studios with a “Holiday Art and Secondhand Supply Deals” event, introducing artists who have already signed up for space and works by several friends of the Bothwell. The event is scheduled for 11-4pm at 62 So. L Street (near KFC and the Railroad Station).

The property is owned by the City of Livermore, who wanted to add more activity to the Downtown Cultural Arts District and offered it to LVPAC’s Bothwell Arts Center at reduced rent for use as art studios. Bothwell staff, volunteers, and artists, along with significant help from Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center staff, have worked diligently since shortly after ArtWalk to clear, clean and renovate the interior.

“It’s going to be an ongoing project,” says Linda Ryan, Manager of the Bothwell Arts Center and co-Manager of the new Downtown Art Studios. “We’re at the point where artists can move in and start working. We’ll keep working to create a more fun and creative environment.” Future plans include installing blinds, painting the storage area, renovating the office and walk-in refrigerator room, as well as creating colorful “Van Gogh-ish” murals on the lower window areas outside.

Ryan is joined by Co-Manager Carol Edwards and Arthur Barinque. A long-time Bothwell volunteer and House Manager at the Bankhead Theater, Edwards has worked as the ArtWalk Artist Coordinator for 3 years, and taught arts & crafts to seniors for several years. Barinque brings a graphics design and urban art style to the mix. Barinque has been intensely involved in diverse downtown arts from assistant curator at Ryan Fine Art gallery, to curating exhibitions and is the creator of Breakdance Competitions at It’s All About Dancing, the third of which is set for January.

Downtown Art Studio Members who will start settling in to create by Saturday’s event include Nova Starling, Joanna Crawshaw, Dale Myers, Holly Consol, Arthur Barinque, and Kathy Hill.

The Bothwell Arts Center is a project of the Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center. At its main site on 2466 8th Street, sup-ports musicians, visual artists, dancers, acting troupes, singers and more by providing inexpensive space rental in a friendly environment. The Bothwell’s other fund-raisers include Art-Walk in October and the New Orleans Bash at the Bothwell, coming up in 2011. Volunteers looking for a way to help can contact info@bothwellartscenter.org. LVPAC is a not-for-profit corporation.

by Nancy O’ConnellHandel’s Messiah was per-

formed by the Pacific Chamber Symphony on Fri., Dec. 3 at the Bankhead Theater in Livermore. This masterpiece has been pre-sented to audiences more times than any other work in the clas-sical music repertoire since its inception over 250 years ago. In 1741 Handel himself conducted it from the harpsichord, as was then the custom. Orchestras were directed by the first violinist or by the keyboard artist. There was no conductor wielding a baton. Han-del composed over 200 pages of the musical score in just 24 days! According to the program notes, he said after finishing the orchestra-tion, “Whether I was in the body or out of my body when I wrote it I know not.”

Kathy Streeter spoke briefly before the performance, asking for contributions from the audience. She pointed out that only 60% of the expenses are raised through actual ticket sales. Then the four soloists appeared with Maestro Lawrence Kohl, and the magic began. The two women soloists were dramatically dressed – the alto, Erin Neff, in a lavender gown which shimmered under the bright stage lights; the soprano, Marnie Breckenridge in a rich, red evening dress. Throughout the chorus and the orchestra the women wore bright blouses of reds, greens and blues over long black skirts. One felt almost sorry for the men in black tuxedos, white shirts, and black bow ties.

The house was nearly full. Some families brought their chil-dren, who were quiet and attentive. The Pacific Chamber Symphony was small, as it would have been in Handel’s time.

The harpsichord added texture to the music, but was heard most clearly in certain recitatives when accompanying the soloist with the basso continuo, the first cellist,

Nina Flyer, playing the lowest note of the keyboard part.

After a brief orchestral overture, the tenor, Thomas Glenn, sang his first recitative, “Comfort Ye My People.” His voice carried to the back of the theater, and he enun-ciated each word. His sixteenth notes were in tune and he leapt an octave interval with ease. Glenn recently graduated from the Adler Fellowship program with the San Francisco Opera. His career is filled with promise

The chorus , t r a i n e d u n d e r the direction of Rober t Lappa , entered, singing “And the Glory of the Lord.” The sopranos sang with great feeling. Their high birdlike voices charmed the audience. When the altos had a few bars alone, their voices carried well, as did the men’s.

When Torief Borsting, baritone, entered with his bass recitative, “Thus Saith the Lord,” he executed his difficult passages with ease. Erin Neff, mezzo-soprano, sang the alto solos and captivated the audience. There was a magnifi-cent quality to her voice. In her aria, “O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion,” the violins had some tricky leaps and running sixteenths. Using uniform bow-ing, they played their parts skill-fully. Maestro Lawrence Kohl, using only his expressive hands to conduct, gave careful and pre-cise cues as he brought the aria to a close. When conducting the small chamber orchestra, his mo-tions were restrained, but when he brought in the full chorus, he gave big, generous arm movements so that even the men in the last row of the chorus would have no difficulty in following his cues.

A Bass solo followed. Just be-fore the close of this solo, a man in the chorus fainted and fell off of the platform, striking his head. Men from backstage came out. A violinist put down his instrument and rushed to help. For a moment men in black tuxes surrounded the figure on the floor of the stage. Then two men supported him as they led him off.

Throughout the intermission people speculated that the stage lights were very hot, and the strain of having to stand motionless in a black suit or tux for over an hour had caused the fainting spell.

During the intermission, while everyone worried about his fate, refreshments were served. The talented Cantabella Children’s Honors Choir with their high, clear voices entertained those in attendance.

Maestro Kohl announced after the intermission that the man was going to be “just fine.”

Marnie Breckenridge, soprano soloist, in “Rejoice Greatly, O

Daughter of Zion” had a glorious quality to her voice. The orchestra never overshadowed her. It was sensitively attuned to her every nuance.

Later, the tympani and two trumpets joined in for the famous Hallelujah Chorus. Maestro Kohl turned to the audience and brought everyone to their feet. Some peo-ple had even brought their musical scores so that they could sing every word, but the house was too dark. No one in the audience could see their score, or even their programs. A dim lighting would be very much appreciated by all. (Even in Davies Symphony Hall, there is enough light during the performances so that everyone can glance at his or her program.) The only word heard from the audience on Friday night was Hallelujah!

A short Part III followed fea-turing five more numbers. When the bass, Mr. Borsting, sang “The Trumpet Shall Sound” the first trumpet, Ron Blais, was heard. He played very well with good phras-ing and intonation.

The final chorus, complete with trumpets and tympani, filled the entire theater with sounds of tri-umph and glory. The enthusiastic audience rose to give the perform-ers a standing ovation.

All four soloists were superb. We are fortunate to have this professional symphony appear in Livermore. With the Bankhead Theater and its excellent acoustics we can look forward to more per-formances of outstanding quality. For the next Pacific Chamber Sym-phony concert in January, reserve your tickets early.

Review

The Miraculous 'Messiah'New Downtown

Art Studios Grand Opening Kicks Off With Inaugural

Monthly Second Saturday Event

This year marks the 25th an-niversary of the Ohlone Chamber Singers, performing during the holiday season at Old Mission San Jose. Performances are Saturday, December 11, 8 pm and Sunday, December 12, 4 pm.

The choir, accompanied by chamber orchestra, performs Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Mag-nificat.” Considered to be one of the grandest illustrations of Bach’s

genius, this five part choral and or-chestral piece was first performed on Christmas Day in 1723.

As in previous years, the au-dience joins in singing favorite Christmas carols as part of the performance. The concert ends with Bob Chilcott’s special ar-rangement of “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” originally performed by the King’s Singers in Cam-

bridge, England. Old Mission San José is

located at 43300 Mission Blvd., Fremont. Tickets are $10-$15 and can be purchased at 510-659-6031; www.smithcenter.com

Contact Jackie Whitehouse at 510-659-6158 or jwhitehouse@ohlone.edu for more information.

Old Mission Performance by Ohlone Chamber Singers

8 THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2010 Art & Entertainment

ART/PHOTO EXHIBITSLivermore 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.

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 Sta-tion 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.

One-of-a-Kind art jewelry from newest Gallery member, Ethereal Designs, at a Trunk Show on December 11th from 11-7pm at Ryan Fine Art Gallery, 171 So. J Street, Livermore, gallery hours 12-6 Thursday-Friday and 12-4 on Saturdays. www.lindaryanfineart.com.

First Ever Second Saturday Open Studios Event at the new Bothwell Arts Center's Downtown Art Studios: Holiday Art and Secondhand Supply Deals, 11-4pm on Saturday, December 11th, 62 So. L Street, Livermore.

Harrington Art Gallery exhibit, Look of Jazz, Saturday, January 29, 2011 – Tues-day, February 22, 2011. Gallery Reception Saturday, January 20, 2011, 3 to 5pm. Bay Area artists such as Chester Elmore, Joan Finton and James Gayles will be featured in an exhibit that celebrates jazz and how it can inspire visual artists. This exhibit will be held in conjunction with our annual Campana Jazz Festival, February 17-20, 2011. Firehouse Arts Center, 4444 Railroad Ave., Pleasanton. 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, Pleasanton. Information at poetryoncan-vas@mac.com.

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.

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

New World Music Academy is holding its 5th Annual Winter Recital on December 11. It will start at 11:00am. The Recital is held at the Academy location, 1258-H Quarry Lane, Pleasanton. There will be a food drive to support Alameda County Food Bank in lieu of an admission fee. For additional information, please contact the Academy at 925-462-5400.

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

Concert with the Bay Bells, Dec. 12, 3:30 p.m. Dublin Senior Center. The Bay Bells annual appearance continues with their performance of Silver Bells. Bay Bells have been entertaining audiences through-out the country for the past 25 years and represent over 200 years of musical experience featuring over 100 bells and chimes. It is true holiday entertainment the whole family will enjoy. Call (925) 556-4500 for more information. Adults:

$10 Youth (under 12): $5 Children (5 and under): $3.

Third annual Ohlone College Music De-partment’s Christmas Extravaganza, Saturday, December 11, 2pm, featuring all four of Ohlone’s wind ensembles under the direction of Maestro Tony Cle-ments: the award winning Ohlone Wind Orchestra, the Ohlone Community Band, the Mission Peak Brass Band, and the Ohlone Tuba Ensemble - one of only two such ensembles in California. The pro-gram includes arrangements of Christmas carols and other holiday favorites. “The Night Before Christmas” is a special treat, featuring a special guest doing the narration. Smith Center at Ohlone Col-lege, 43300 Mission Boulevard, Fremont. Tickets $10 - $15; 510-659-6031; www.smithcenter.com. For more information contact Jackie Whitehouse at 510-659-6158 or jwhitehouse@ohlone.edu.

The Cool Tones Big Band to perform at the Pleasanton Public Library on Sun., Dec. 12 from 2 to 3 p.m. Library programs are free and open to everyone. The Friends of the Pleasanton Library are sponsor-ing the program: Call Penny Johnson at 925/931-3405 for information. 400 Old Bernal Ave., Pleasanton. No registration required.

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 or information www.livermoreperformin-garts.org or 925-373-6800.

Ying Quartet, 8 p.m., Sat., Jan. 8, Del Valle Fine Arts Concert, Bankhead Theater, 2400 First St., Livermore. Tickets or information 925-373-6800, www.liver-moreperformingarts.org.

Cypress String Quartet, Sun., Jan. 9, 3 p.m. Firehouse Arts Center, 4444 Railroad Ave., Pleasanton. www.fire-housearts.org

Diavolo, cinematic experience of dance and gymnastics, Fri.-Sat., Jun. 14 and 15, 8 p.m. Bankhead Theater, 2400 First St., Livermore. www.livermoreperformin-garts.org or 925-373-6800.

Tingstad & Rumbel - American home-style music, Fri., Jan. 14, 8 p.m. Firehouse Arts Center, 4444 Railroad Ave., Pleasanton. Tickets or information www.firehouse-arts.org

Rodgers & Hammerstein with Hart, Sat., Jan. 15, 8 p.m. and Sun., Jan. 16, 2 p.m. Firehouse Arts Center, 4444 Railroad Ave., Pleasanton. www.firehousearts.org

Al Jarreau, 8 p.m. Jan. 28, Dougherty Valley Performing Arts Center, 10550 Albion Rd., San Ramon, 973-3343 or SanRamonPerformingArts.com..

ON THE STAGEBah 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

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.

Firehouse Kids, TBA, Sat., Jan. 8, 11 a.m. Firehouse Arts Center, 4444 Railroad Ave., Pleasanton. www.firehousearts.org

Through the Eyes of Faith, featuring Faith Alpher in a moving and funny one woman show. Sun., Jan. 9, 2 p.m. Bank-head Theater, 2400 First St., Livermore. Adult content. 925-373-6800, www.livermoreperformingarts.org.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Tri-Valley Repertory Theatre musical comedy production. Performances weekends Jan. 21-Feb. 6, 2011, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays. Bankhead Theater, 2400 First St., Livermore. Call 462-2121 or go to www.trivalleyrep.com for information.

Cabaret, Pacific Coast Repertory Theatre, Jan. 21-22, 27-29 8 p.m. and Jan. 23 and 30, 2 p.m. Firehouse Arts Center, 4444 Railroad Ave., Pleasanton. www.firehousearts.org

The Lion in Winter, Jan. 21-Feb. 12, Village Theater, 233 Front St., Danville. Presented by Role Players Ensemble Theatre. www.danvilletheatre.com

COMEDYBig Fat Year End Kiss Off Comedy Show

XVIII, Will Durst & Friends Dec. 30, 7 p.m. Bankhead Theater, 2400 First St., Livermore.

DANCEThe 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 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@

The public is invited to the artists’ reception for the Diablo/Alameda Branch of the National League of American Pen Women (NLAPW) “Believe/Achieve Art Exhibit.”

The exhibit will be at the John O’Lague Galleria and the Hayward City Hall Dec. 3, 2010 to Feb. 9, 2011.

The reception will be held Dec. 17, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. There is no admission charge.

Artists participating are Natica Angilly, Kazumi Cranney, Evelyn Glaubman, Elizabeth Hack, Leona Nichandros, Dori Pendergrass, Char-lotte Severin, Pallavi Sharma and Barbara Spanskie.

Hayward City Hall is located at 777 B Street.Pen Women writers will be performing original works at the reception.

Music and refreshments will be provided.NLAPW began in 1897 in Washington D.C., when three well known

professionals in the fields of writing and art were denied access to the press club because they were women. They formed their own organiza-tion of 17 women of achievement in letters, art and music composition for networking and support. Presently about 4000 meet for support and inspiration.

"Mendocino Matilijas" watercolor on Yupo paper by Charlotte Severin.

Reception Set for Pen Women Exhibit

THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2010 9 Art & Entertainment

World class guitarist, Gary Hoey, is heading back to Livermore after his visit during Guitar Player LIVE! in September. He will be perform-ing at the Sapphire Restaurant and Lounge, bringing his Ho Ho Hoey’s Rockin’ Holiday Show to town.

Gary’s “Ho Ho Hoey” series of Christmas CDs and on-air station visits during the holiday season have become an annual staple at hun-dreds of radio stations nationwide. Moreover, his live interpretation of “Ho Ho Hoey” continues to grow new fans each year. So much so that Hallmark’s musical greeting cards feature two of Gary’s “Ho Ho Hoey” classics.

Doors for the performance open at 5:00pm, with the option of a buffet dinner prior to the show, served from 5:00-7:00pm. Points North featur-ing Eric Barnett, will be opening from 7:00-8:00pm. Gary Hoey will be on from 8:00-10:00pm. Seating is limited, buffet seating is tables of four, every attempt will be made to seat your party together, first come, first served. Tickets for the performance are $15 general admission, or $35 for a buffet dinner and performance. Sapphire Restaurant and Lounge is located in Downtown Livermore, 2300 First Street.

Buy tickets online through the Bankhead Theater ticket of-fice, 2400 First Street, online at www.bankheadtheater.org, or call 925.373.6800.

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/VOLUNTEERSSolo Piano Competition for young artists,

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 informa-tion, please contact Music instructor Mary Campbell, mcampbell@laspositascol-lege.edu, (925) 424-1118.

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.

Concerto competition, Prometheus Symphony Orchestra of Oakland is sponsoring a concerto competition for Bay Area string, wind and percussion players age eighteen years or younger. The competition will be held on Tuesday evening February 1, 2011. The winner will perform with the orchestra on Sunday, May 22, 2011, and will receive a $200.00 award. Contestants are to perform from memory a complete concerto or work for solo instrument and orchestra. The application deadline is January 25, 2011. Applications are available by calling (925) 447-3659 or online at www.promethe-ussymphony.org.

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.

CHORALSing 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.

25th Annual Christmas at the Mission, Ohlone Chamber Singers conducted by Dennis L. Keller. Saturday, December 11, 8 pm and Sunday, December 12, 4 pm. Accompanied by chamber orchestra, perform Johann Sebastian Bach’s "Magni-ficat" and numerous familiar carols. The concert ends with a special arrangement of Chilcott’s "The Twelve Days of Christ-mas," previously performed by the King's Singers. Old Mission San Jose, 43300 Mission Boulevard, Fremont. Tickets: $10-$15 available at 510-659-6031, www.smithcenter.com or at the door.

OPERAMet 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. Wednesdays - Schedule: 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."

MISCELLANEOUSHoliday 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.

Livermore Interfaith Christmas Choir and Art Display - Sunday, December 12 – 1501 Hillcrest Ave., Livermore - 6 - 9 pm. 6 - 6:45 Christmas Art Display and Instrumental Music. 7-8:15 Choir Performances, which will include num-bers from the Unitarian Universalist Church, St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Livermore High School Choir, Pleasanton Handbell Choir and the LDS Church along with audience participation singing favorite Christmas Hymns. The final number of the evening will be the Hallelujah Chorus sing along. This is a great opportunity to join together and share the Spirit of Christmas through music. Holiday refreshments will be served following the performances.

3rd Annual Christmas Show presented by American Legion Post 237 on Dec. 12 at 1:30 p.m. at the Veterans Hall, 301 Main St., Pleasanton. The show will include fun, mystery and excitement starring The Magic of the Islands. Special guest will be Santa Claus. Admission is $10; children under 5 admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Proceeds benefit veterans programs. For tickets and information, call 784-6808.

Celebration of Light, Fri., Dec. 17, 5 to 7 p.m. at Hacienda School, 3800 Stoneridge Dr., Pleasanton. Students will present plays and activities from ancient civiliza-tions around the world. The focus will be on astronomy. Weather permitting, there will be telescopes to view the sky. The public is invited to attend. cmachi@headsup.org.

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.

Livermore Reads Together, the 2011 book is “1906” by James Dalessandro. Novel centers on the 1906 San Francisco earth-quake and fire. Month long celebration will be kicked off on Sunday, January 23, 2011 at 2 p.m. with a presentation by the author, James Dalessandro. A reception will follow featuring famous San Fran-cisco food treats and turn of the century music by Greg Pane. Variety of events planned during the month of February at the Civic Center Library, 1188 So. Livermore. Information available at www.livermore.lib.ca.us

Guitarist Performs His Rockin' Holiday Show

10 THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2010 Community

During the month of November, Livermore’s Christensen Middle Schools, boys 7th grade basketball team organized a food drive to help the Open Heart Kitchen (OHK). During the morning students would drop-off items at their school. All players collected canned goods and nonperishable food items to be donated to OHK. Pictured are Scott Newby, Jullian Ghereben, Brennon Dillard, Cory Cathrea, and Brett Wilkinson, at Open Heart Kitchen after the delivery. Not pictured, but who were a great help in making this a success food drive, are Trevor Valone, Sooraj Saxena, Isaiah Campbell, Doug Anderson, Dylan Medeiros, Michael Darden, Austin Welier, and TJ Calva.

Las Positas College student Adam Neylan of Livermore won First Place in Open Programmed Oral Interpretation at a recent forensics competition among colleges including Stanford Uni-versity, Pepperdine University, and UCLA.

“This was the toughest compe-tition of the season,” said director of Forensics Janet Brehe Johnson. “The Talk Hawks faced the fierce competition with grace and poise, and advanced into several final rounds. They all came home stron-ger competitors for having been up against some of the nation’s best performers in forensics,” she noted.

“Thirty-seven colleges, most of which are four-year colleges and universities, competed in The Robert Barbera Invitational

Tournament at CSU Northridge on November 20 and 21.”

Since October, the Las Positas College Talk Hawks forensics team has won two First Place in Community College Sweepstakes awards at tournaments. Following is a list of the individual award-winners at the recent tournament:

Katie Johnson, Livermore: Finalist Open Duo Interpretation and Finalist Open Poetry Interpre-tation; Adam Neylan, Livermore: First Place Open Programmed Oral Interpretation and Finalist Open Programmed Oral Interpretation; Salim Rawazi, Dublin: Finalist Open Poetry Interpretation; Bran-don Rogers, Livermore: Finalist Open Duo Interpretation; Lanea Warren, Pleasanton: Finalist Open Prose Interpretation and Finalist Open Informative Speaking.

The Las Positas College Talk Hawks win awards at a statewide forensics tournament. Top row from left to right: Salim Razawi, Dublin; Brandon Rogers, Livermore; Adam Neylan, Livermore; Jenella Presley, Livermore; Lanea Warren, Pleasanton. Bottom row from left to right: Katie Johnson, Livermore; Jordan Adelman, Livermore; Director of Forensics Janet Brehe Johnson; Megan Sinclair, Hayward. Photo - Courtesy of Las Positas College

Talk Hawks Bring Home More Trophies

Soroptimist International of the San Ramon Valley is holding its seventh-annual She’s All That conference for middle school girls on Feb. 12 at San Ramon Valley High School in Danville.

Registration is open now at www.soroptimist-sr.org. The cost is $30 for those who sign up by Jan. 22 and $35 after that. Complimen-tary admission is available to those who cannot afford to attend. The conference will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lunch is included.

“The She’s All That conference started as a way to help middle school girls address issues most affecting their lives,” said So-roptimist conference marketing chairperson Robyn Forman of San Ramon. “More than 2,000 young girls have attended over the years and the feedback we’ve received has been both positive and gratify-ing.” As in previous years, parents will be invited to attend as well as the girls but will participate in a separate program.

This year’s event features Chevron Talent Management Advisor Chris Howard who will help break the ice for the girls and set the tone for the day. Howard has been lauded as a role model for confident, vibrant, and em-powered young women and girls and frequently presents in front of large audiences. She will share her passion for helping others to better the lives of women and children locally.

Following Howard’s presen-tation, the girls will select three workshops from a list that includes sessions on talking to boys, self defense, relating to parents, deal-ing with mean girls, yoga, social savvy and personal style.

Registered Nurse Amy Sluss will serve as keynote for the par-ents. Her talk is entitled Raising Confident Daughters and will emphasize the challenges today’s young women face and contrast them to what their parents may have faced in prior generations. The emphasis will be on how par-ents can support their daughters.

Parents will also choose three workshops including presenta-tions on nurturing the preteen soul, healthy relationships, teen empowerment, and cyber safety. A “Live Your Dream” expo with informational exhibits will supple-ment the workshops for both par-ents and daughters.

Forman, a Business to Business marketing consultant who owns her own company, says she truly believes this event makes a differ-ence in the lives of young girls. “If we wait until high school to reach these girls, it’s too late,” she states. “They need to feel comfortable in their own skin and we believe She’s All That will help them get there.”

Forman says that attendees come from throughout the Tri-Val-ley and LaMorinda regions and that often girls attend with their friends. “She’s All That is a day that combines learning with fun for parents and children. It is very gratifying for the Soroptimists that we can contribute to the commu-nity by helping to turn these girls into vital and productive young women.”

For more information please visit www.soroptimist-sr.org/ or go to Facebook at http://bit.ly/SISRV-Facebook and Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/sisrv/

Conference Invites Middle School Age Girls

THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2010 11 Community

Officers with the East Bay Eco-nomic Development Alliance (East Bay EDA) celebrated the pub-lic/private partnership’s first two decades on Thursday, December 2, by asserting that several factors – including the region’s burgeon-ing “green” industries and its pen-chant for innovation – suggest the East Bay is well poised to bounce back from the economic downturn of the past several years.

“The spirit of collaboration that energizes this partnership – and has consistently helped us lever-

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Community Founda-tion, the philanthropic arm of the residential real estate services com-pany, announced that it has raised more than $105,000 for Habitat for Humanity, the nonprofit organiza-tion that helps low-income families build their own homes.

The donation was the result of a month-long community-wide raffle held throughout Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage’s 58 Northern California offices. Entitled “Homes and Hope,” this year's campaign was the 12th annual fund-raiser by Coldwell Banker for Habitat for Humanity.

“Thousands of our agents, man-agers and staff came together to make this year’s raffle a huge suc-cess,” said Rick Turley, president of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in the San Francisco Bay Area. “They donated their time, money and resources, and because of them we are going to be providing homes and hope for many deserving Habitat for Humanity families throughout Northern California in 2011.”

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage agents, managers and staff purchased tickets on behalf of their clients, family, friends and themselves, which were in turn en-tered into a drawing for a number

The Livermore Knights of Columbus presented a check for $2,025.01 to St. Michael School benefiting the Science Camp Program. Tom Silvey (Grand Knight) and Paul Hendrickson (Program Director) delivered a check to the principal, Sister Emmanuel Cardinale, O.P and five students from their 6th Grade Class. The money was raised with the specific purpose, to offset the funds needed to send each 6th grade student to Science Camp. Each year the Knights of Columbus run Pancake Breakfasts to raise funds to donate to the community. This benefit, one of many, represents the Knights of Columbus commitment to supporting our local community. Other beneficiaries include Veterans, Vocations, Birthright, and Christmas Food Baskets. You will see a Red Banner at the corner of Fourth and Maple when a Breakfast is being held. A special thanks to all in the community who supported this worthy cause. Nationally, the Knights of Columbus, last year alone, raised and donated more than $151 million to charitable needs and projects. Knights of Columbus also volunteered more than 69 million hours of their time to charitable causes.

of prizes including a $5,000 cash prize donated by Princeton Capi-tal, trips to Spanish Bay and the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, a $500 Target gift card, an Apple iPad and iPod Shuffle, and myriad other prizes donated by generous com-panies and individuals throughout Northern California and beyond.

Coldwell Banker is the only national real estate firm to embrace Habitat for Humanity as its official corporate charity. The company has funded and built numerous Habitat homes since the beginning of its affiliation with the nonprofit organization in 1993. In Northern California alone, the Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Community Foundation has rais-ing more than $2 million through the efforts of its sales associates, managers, staff and clients. The Coldwell Banker team has also volunteered more 43,000 hours and participated in the construc-tion of 127 Habitat for Humanity homes.

To learn more about Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage’s Habitat for Humanity fund-raising efforts or to make a financial con-tribution, please contact your local Coldwell Banker Residential Bro-kerage office or call 925.275.3085. All proceeds benefit local Habitat for Humanity chapters.

Coldwell Banker Tops $105,000 for Habitat for Humanity

age State and federal resources on behalf of our communities – will serve us well as we lead the way out of the economic difficulties of the past several years,” said Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, chair of East Bay EDA.

East Bay EDA was formed in 1990, amid another period of troubled economic times. The collaboration it has built between business, government and the nonprofit sector has proven to be a potent force in helping businesses,

jump starting new industries and promoting economic growth in Alameda and Contra Costa Coun-ties.

“We look back and see the fruits of our labors in the resources we helped obtain for the dredging of the Port of Oakland and, more recently, to assist workers and suppliers affected by the NUMMI plant closure,” Carson said. “We look forward to harnessing our col-lective resources to take advantage of numerous economic opportuni-ties that should not be missed.”

The 20th Anniversary Event at the Jack London Market in Oak-land not only served to highlight past successes and underscore bold new initiatives, it also provided the chance for a formal public introduction to Karen Engel, East Bay EDA’s new Executive Direc-tor who took over for Bruce Kern, who led East Bay EDA for 20 years before he retired earlier this fall.

Engel was joined by Nicole Taylor, President and CEO of the East Bay Community Foundation,

in presenting the 2010 East Bay Indicators report, which the two agencies produced to provide a glimpse of the current state of the East Bay economy and to identify economic challenges and oppor-tunities.

The event also featured free food, live music and a holiday gift fair. A video presentation also was featured highlighting East Bay EDA’s accomplishments in helping to grow businesses, attract capital and create quality jobs.

East Bay EDA Celebrates 20th Anniversary with Positive View for Future

12 THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 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.)

Family Christmas Posada Celebration, Sat., Dec. 11, 7 to 8 p.m. Pleasanton Veterans Hall, 301 Main St., Pleasanton. Posada fol-lowed with refreshments and music/singing & Pinatas. For Info, call: Jorge Victoria (925-462-6723). Free admission, donations accepted.

Holiday Boutique, Donlon Elementary in Pleasanton hosts its annual Holiday Boutique on Saturday, December 11, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the school's multipurpose room. Admission is free. Shop from over 30 handcraft artisans for jewelry, hand built wooden dollhouses, festive holiday decor, baby and toddler toys, sand carved agates, knit and crochet gifts and wearables, gift package adornments, girls' hair clips, ornaments, tablecloths and runners -- and so much more, all handmade. Raffle (over 30 prizes). Holiday Treats Table. All proceeds benefit Donlon PFC in its support of our classrooms. Location is 4150 Dorman Rd., Pleasanton. For more info, contact don-lonboutique2010@gmail.com.

Peddler Shoppe has gifts for the holidays. Shop on Sunday, December 12, from 10:30 AM until 12:30 PM. The Peddler Shoppe is located in the Pleasanton Senior Center, 5353 Sunol Blvd., Pleasanton. It features one of a kind hand crafted items, lovingly made by Tri Valley seniors. All profits are returned to the community.

New Year's Eve Party, Dec. 31, Liver-more-Pleasanton Elks Lodge 2117, 6:30 p.m. no host cocktails, 7:30 p.m. dinner followed, champagne toasts at both east and west coast midnight times, music by DJ Felope, bingo games after dinner. $35 per person. Prepaid reservations required by Mon., Dec. 27, RSVP to 455-8829.

Livermore High School Choral Boosters "Holiday Bingo Blast," Sat., Dec. 18, Bingo Ranch, 3070 Pacific Ave., Livermore. Early session at 3:45 p.m., regular session at 6:30 p.m. Free goodie bags to the first 150 to buy-in. Holiday caroling by the LHS Chamber Choir between sessions.

Valley Spokesmen Bicycle Touring Club, Sat., Dec. 11, 20-40 miles Monthly Feather Pedals ride, meet 9:30 a.m. at Blackhawk Plaza, Danville, Karin Ball, 408-406-2286 or Alma Schiefer, 330-2228. Sat., Dec. 11, 20 miles Danville Farmers' Market, meet 10 a.m. at Heather Farms, Randy Huey, 518-8439. Sun., Dec. 12, 47 miles, Dublin to Moraga loop, meet 9 a.m. at Shannon Center, Peter Rathmann, 336-0973. Anyone planning to go on a ride is asked to call the leader for details on where to meet and what to bring.

Disability Action Network (DAN) meet-ing, second Thursday of each month at 2:00 pm, Livermore CRIL office, 3311 Pacific Ave., Livermore. The Disability Action Network is a group of people with all kinds of disabilities who are working together to make changes in the community. The group works on health care, housing, access, attendant programs, transpor-tation, and other issues affecting people with disabilities. For more information, please call Jessica Lehman at (510) 881-5743 x5937.

M.L. Hummel Club, San Francisco Chap-ter, meets second Saturday of each month at 1 p.m. at member's home. Guests welcome. Topics include sharing of Hummel figurine news and information. For information, contact Joan Mumma, club secretary, 447-5164 or www/mumma.org/hummel/

Widowed Men and Women of Northern CA., Bunko and optional dinner in Dublin, Dec. 15, 1 p.m. RSVP by Dec. 12 to Jeanne, 361-6110. Happy hour in Pleasanton, Dec. 6, 5:30 p.m., RSVP by Dec. 14 to Marge, 828-5124. Friendly bridge, Dec. 18, 1 p.m., RSVP by Dec. 14 to Ruby, 462-9636. Mexican Brunch in Pleasanton, Dec. 19, 11 a.m., RSVP by Dec. 17 to Hilda, 398-8808.

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 work-

ing 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

Livermore-Amador Genealogy Society, meeting 7:30 p.m. Tues., Dec. 14. L-AGS members will be the guest speakers sharing interesting ancestors, interesting incidents in research, break-throughs, how to share research, etc. They will share some of the interesting things they have found during their research. Others will tell how they share their research with family and friends. Congregation Beth Emek, 3400 Nevada Court, Pleasanton. For additional information contact: Richard Finn, Program Chairperson Email: program@L-AGS.org

Sentinels of Freedom Welcome Home Ceremony and Reception, hosted by Dublin on Monday, December 27, 2010, at 5:30 p.m. in the Community Room of the Dublin Library located at 200 Civic Plaza in Dublin. The event will honor all current military personnel who are home on holiday leave who reside in Dublin, Danville, San Ramon, Blackhawk or Alamo. All those families who have military serving from these areas are encouraged to submit an Information Request Form. Forms may be submitted online at the City of Dub-lin website www.dublin.ca.gov, obtained by contacting the City Manager’s Office at (925) 833-6650, patricia.parks@dublin.ca.gov (for Dublin residents) or contact your City for more information.

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.

Pleasantonians 4 Peace, 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, Cathedral of Christ the Light, downtown Oak-land, 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 Tri-Valley 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., Dublin. 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).

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.

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.

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.

ClutterLess Self Help Support Group, (CL) is a nonprofit, peer-based, self-help sup-port group for people with difficulty discarding unwanted possessions. Meetings in Room 7 at 7 p.m. every Monday 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the St. Mary & St. John Coptic Orthodox Church. Room 7, 4300 Mirador Drive, Pleasanton. Just come or call our one of the volunteers: 925-200-1943, or go to www.ClutterLess.org.

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.

Caregiver Support Group, meets 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Learn new coping strategies and ways to better care for yourself. No fee to attend. Hope Hos-pice Inc., 6377 Clark Ave., Suite 100, Dublin. 829-8770, www.HopeHospice.com.

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.

Learn Scottish Country dancing at the Livermore class of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society, San Francisco Branch. Lively reels and jigs, graceful strathspeys. All ages. Adults Mondays 8 to 9:30 p.m. Livermore Veteran's Hall, 522 South L St., Livermore; youth or adult Fridays 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Valley Dance Theatre School, 2247 Second St., Suite B, Livermore. Call Margaret Ward, 449-5932 or Sheena MacQueen, 447-1833.

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.

Sunday Bingo, All regular game pay-outs $250. Free game guarantees payout of $350.

Flash games for a chance to win up to $1,199. One session of speed. Free bagels and coffee. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. Session begins at 4:00pm. Must be 18 years old. Bingo Ranch, 3070 Pacific Ave., Livermore. 606-7777. Proceeds go to LVCS/CCEF

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.

RELIGIONUnitarian Universalist, 1893 N. Vasco

Rd., Livermore. 10:30 a.m. Sunday service. Information 447-8747.

Congregation 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.

Holy Cross Lutheran Church Sunday Service 9:30 a.m. 1020 Mocho St., Livermore. Information, 447-8840.

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.

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.

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

Advent-Christmas Concert presented by St. Michael’s Catholic Church on Fri., Dec. 10 at 7:30 p.m. Featured will be the Golden Gate Boys Choir and Bellringers along with the St. Michael’s Music Ministry. Tickets are $15 adult, $10 senior/student, $5 children 12 and under, and $35 for a family ticket. St. Michael’s is located at 458 Maple St., Livermore. For tickets or information, call 925-447-1585 x18.

A Festival of Carols featuring traditional Christmas music as well as some unusual arrangements will be held at 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12, at Centerpointe Presbyterian Church, 3410 Cornerstone Court. Performing the music will be the Centerpointe choir and the church’s handbell choir as well as accompanists on strings. The program includes traditional carols as well as special readings of the Christmas season, including the Nativity story from Luke 2. A reception will follow the concert in the church’s worship center. For additional information, please see the church’s web site, www.centerpointechurch.info, or call 925-846-4436.

Livermore Interfaith Christmas Choir and Art Display - Sunday, December 12 – 1501 Hillcrest Ave., Livermore - 6 - 9 pm. 6 - 6:45 Christmas Art Display and Instrumental Music. 7-8:15 Choir Performances, which will include numbers from the Unitarian Universalist Church, St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Livermore High School Choir, Pleasanton Handbell Choir and the LDS Church along with audience participation singing favorite Christmas Hymns. The final number of the evening will be the Hallelujah Chorus sing along. This is a great opportunity to join together and share the Spirit of Christmas through music. Holiday refreshments will be served following the performances.

The deaf community is invited to worship at First Presbyterian Church in Livermore, where ASL transla®tion will be provided every Sunday during Advent at 10:30 A.M. The church is located on the corner of 4th and L streets.

Lady of Guadalupe Celebration, Sat., Dec. 11, 10 a.m. St. Augustine Church, 3900 Bernal Ave., Pleasanton. Information email Maria Espinoza, at the following mariaespi-nozanarayan@gmail.com.