Lafayette Today, February 2012

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A Community Garden and Outdoor Learning Center

in Lafayette By Lafayette Community Garden

Advisory GroupThanks to donations from

scores of generous community members and the dedication of a large number of volunteers during

the past three years, a Lafayette Community Garden and Outdoor Learning Center will be constructed during 2012. The goals of the garden are to provide a site for community members to:

• Collaboratively grow vegetables and native plants, using sustainable gardening practices,

• Learn about the flora and fauna of our local, riparian ecosystem and how best to preserve our beautiful habitat, and

• Have a central space where food that is grown in individual Lafayette gardens can be brought and distributed.

The advisory group welcomes all community members to become involved in the creation of this community space. Groundbreaking will occur during February on the three acre site owned by EBMUD. The site is adjacent to the Lafayette Filter Plant on Mt. Diablo Boulevard, across from the Lafayette Reservoir. Plans for the site include a parking area and fenced garden and education areas. The site will be “off the grid,” with the electricity for the water pump provided by solar panels.

Talented, enthusiastic Leah Ingram has been hired to be the garden manager. Leah is a graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s Landscape Architecture program and holds minors in land rehabilitation, soils science, and sustainable environments. She is looking forward to working with the community to make what is now a relatively unattractive parcel of land one that is rich, productive, and beautiful.

A Lafayette Garden and Outdoor Learning Center Open House is tentatively being planned for Earth Day, April 22, from 1 -3pm. Between now and then, we hope to do the building! Volunteer groups will be invited to help build beds, sheds and tables and move soil. Community members will also be asked to donate usable tools. Fifty members/families will be chosen to collaboratively grow vegetables and learn to farm sustainably during the growing season. Community members who do not have access to gardening are particularly encouraged to become involved. If you are interested in being one of the pilot garden members, go to the garden website, www.LafayetteCommunityGarden.org and click on the membership button. More information about the project can also be found at the website or by emailing [email protected].

Volume V I- Number 23000F DANVILLE BLVD #117

ALAMO, CA 94507Telephone (925) 405-6397

Fax (925) 406-0547 [email protected]

Alisa Corstorphine ~ PublisherThe opinions expressed herein belong to the writers, and do not necessarily reflect that of Lafayette Today. Lafayette Today is not responsible for the content of any of the ad-vertising herein, nor does publication imply

See Teen continued on page 21

February 2012 Serving the Lafayette Community

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See Kevin cont. on pg. 24

Feral Kevin By Fran MillerLong before sustainable food guru Michael Pollan wrote his best

seller The Omnivore’s Dilemma, in which he explored the complex subject of the industrialization of our food sources, a young and quixotic Kevin Feinstein was slightly ahead of the curve. As a college student at Florida State, Feinstein privately questioned the same subjects as related to the nation’s commercial food chain. With access to a relatively new information highway – the Internet – Feinstein Googled his way through the complex issues of agribusiness and in-turn, re-programmed how he felt about our food system.

Feinstein was a film major excelling in the technical aspects of his field of study. He assumed a career path in film would eventually lead him to California, but it was his transformation of consciousness, and the progressive food movement, which ultimately brought him to the state eleven years ago.

Growing up in Nashville, Tennessee, Feinstein, who now lives in Walnut Creek, had become accustomed to non-organic ways of eating. “We never had fruit, and I’d never seen a fruit tree,” says Feinstein. “Once in college, and with a myriad of

Kevin Feinstein, "Feral Kevin," displays a bounty of both edible and toxic mushrooms. His mushroom foraging classes explain how to tell the difference between the two.

Teen Esteem By Fran Miller

The statistics are startling. If a teen be-gins drinking at age 15, he or she has a 40% chance of be-coming an alcohol-dependent adult; 67% of these 15 year-old drinkers will ex-periment with elicit drugs. Alcohol, which can affect the natural development of the teen brain, is implicated in the top three causes of teen fatalities. And, one out of two eighth graders have experimented with alcohol.

The pressures faced by today’s youth can often lead to risky behaviors such as underage and binge drinking, drug use, prescription drug abuse, and sexual activity. And, the limited reasoning skills of an under-developed adolescent brain often lead to perilous choices, made without regard to consequences. The high-risk behavior of today’s youth requires the watchful eye and guid-ance of not only parents, but also community members and neighbors.

www.yourmonthlypaper.comPage 2 - February 2012 ~ Lafayette Today

Free Tax PreparationFree tax preparation for the 2012 tax season is available starting

February 2011 from AARP’s Tax-Aide and United Way’s Earn It, Keep It, Save It (EKS) programs. All tax preparers are trained and certified by the IRS. While both programs serve taxpayers of any age, Tax-Aide does not have an income limit to determine whom they can serve, but EKS can only serve individuals whose incomes do not exceed $50,000.

To complete your tax return, Tax-Aide will need you to bring to the appointment your Social Security card or ITIN letter for all individuals to be listed on the return, copies of all W-2s, 1098s and 1099s, other income and deductions, and your 2009 tax return.

For information or to make an appointment for the Tax-Aide, please call Walnut Creek Senior Club site at (925) 943-5851, Walnut Creek Grace Presbyterian Church site at (925) 405-6278, Walnut Creek St. Paul’s Episcopal Church site at (925) 979-5013, or drop into the Walnut Creek Rossmoor Adult Community, Hillside Clubhouse Vista Room for appointments made on-site on February 1st from 10am to 1pm. For general information and other site locations, call (925) 726-3199. For information on EKS sites, call 2-1-1 or visit www.earnitkeepitsaveit.org.

Lamorinda Peace and JusticeThe Lamorinda Peace and Justice Group meets on the fourth

Tuesday of each month from 7 – 9PM in the fireside room of Lafayette Methodist Church, 955 Moraga Road, Lafayette. Our group is committed to working to support a healthy planet, a thriving local community, and a safe, equitable world for all. For more information, call 925-946-0563.

Emergency Preparedness Neighborhood Captains’ Training

Join other Lafayette residents in becoming a neighborhood captain in the Lafayette Emergency Action Response Network (LEARN). This session is designed to help you organize your block or neighborhood in becoming self-sufficient for the first 72 hours following a major disaster. Attendance at a basic preparedness class (CERT or Red Cross class) is recommended, but not required, prior to attending this class. Bring paper and pencil. Written materials will be provided.

Classes will be held on February 8th from 7PM to 8:30PM at the Lafayette Community Center located at 500 St. Mary’s Rd. in the Elderberry Room (back parking lot). Classes are taught by the Emergency Preparedness Commission and are free.

Register by calling the Lafayette Community Center at 284-2232. The Lafayette Emergency Preparedness Commission can arrange classes

specifically for Lafayette homeowner, church, or service groups possibly closer to home. For more information, call the Commission at 283-3680 or email [email protected].

Meeting to Focus on State BudgetHelp solve the state budget deficit! Deana Davidson, President of the

American Association of University Women, Orinda-Moraga-Lafayette Branch (AAUW/OML), invites the public to the Tuesday, February 21st meeting at 9:30AM to experience the California Budget Challenge. Assemblyperson Nancy Skinner will host the program developed by Next10.org. Attendees will be provided with response clickers that will tally the groups’ “votes” about how much to spend on schools, prisons, the environment, and other state programs, as well as make choices to reduce state expenses. The meeting begins with coffee and socializing from 9-9:45AM followed by the Next 10 budget presentation and discussion. The meeting will be held at the Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church Cultural Center located at 1700 School Street in Moraga.

Xenophon Gala FundraiserPlease join Xenophon Therapeutic Riding Cen-

ter for its annual gala fundraiser, “An Enchanted Emerald Eve.” This year, the event will be held at Round Hill Country Club in Alamo on Saturday, March 17th at 6pm. The evening includes a sit down dinner, dancing, and silent and live auctions. Tickets are $100 each, and reservations are required. Please visit www.xenophontrc.org for more details and to purchase tickets or call 925.377.0871. Funds raised at this event will be used to support the overall cost of providing riding lessons to children with special needs.

Xenophon Therapeutic Riding Center is a non-profit organization located in a beautiful rural setting in Orinda. The center offers life-changing experi-ences for children with a wide range of disabilities, and it provides therapeutic horseback riding in a safe and secure environment. The children achieve goals that they never before dreamed possible. By focus-ing on enhancing their unique abilities and with a horse as their guide, there is no limit to what these children can achieve.www.SpecialtySales.com | 800.600.2262

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Local Families Needed For Exchange StudentsASSE International Student Exchange Programs (ASSE) is seeking

local host families for international high school boys and girls. The students are 15 to 18 years of age, and they are coming to this area for the upcoming high school year or semester. These personable and aca-demically selected exchange students are conversant in English, bright, curious, and anxious to learn about this country through living as part of a family, attending high school and sharing their own culture and language with their newly adopted host family.

For more information, call 800-733-2773.

Junior Achievement Needs YouJunior Achievement, a non-profit funded by foundations and businesses, offers

an exciting opportunity for you and your office to partner with local schools to educate students about business and financial literacy. By volunteering in the schools or hosting a Job Shadow, companies can increase outreach. Programs are offered to the schools at no cost. For more information, please contact Jenni Beeman at 465-1082, email [email protected], or visit www.janorcal.org.

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[email protected] Lafayette Today ~ February 2012 - Page 3

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Boulevard ViewBy Alisa Corstorphine, Editor

The other day I noticed a tattered, old, quilted comforter lying on one of our beds. We pulled the old quilt out from the cupboard when the nights became cold. I am sure my grandmother spent quite a long time perfectly cutting over 1,600 one-inch small squares, folding and ironing all four edges of each square, and then laying the tiny squares out in designs before hand-stitching them together. I can’t

even imagine the time it took to put something like this together. I once tried the old craft of rug hooking and managed to make a piece about 1’x2’; it took over a year. The quilt has seen better days. The white batting is showing through as well as the blue backing layer. As I examined it, I thought maybe I should put it in a box in the closet for “safe storage.” But then I thought that

Grandma would not want her masterpiece sitting in some box. She created the quilt to be used just like she made braided rugs to be walked on. These handcrafts were probably created during nights listening to the radio, sitting in front of a fire, or socializing with a group of friends. She made them with care and love, and she made them to be seen and used - not stuck in some box in a closet.

I mentioned Grandma’s quilt to one of my sisters, and it started her think-ing about the silver and china that was given to her when she and her husband were married. There were grand plans made by the young couple that included fancy dinner parties that never materialized, and the silver and china have sat in a cupboard for the last 22 years where they were “safe” from being dropped, broken, or chipped. After all that time, one plate recently saw the light of day when it was brought out for a special school project one of her children had. It was the first time the plate had ever had a food item placed upon it. Worries of the dishes being too fancy kept them packed away. But what is too fancy? When is it the right time to use something special? When we pack something away for the “right time,” does it ever get used, or is it just forgotten?

Another of my sisters just recently began bringing out the two sets of “spe-cial” china dishes that she has. She, along with her husband and two young children, will make a dinner together - maybe something as simple as spaghetti and meatballs with salad - and then turn the simple dinner into an occasion by turning on some classical or jazz music and serving the dinner on the china dishes in their dining room. Instead of waiting for a special event to use the dishes, they are making the event special by bringing the dishes out.

Many other treasured items can end up in the same “special” category: special heirloom jewelry, memorable baby clothes, a wedding dress. What do you have tucked away waiting for “the right time” to be used? (If you do decide that now is the right time, take a picture to remember the item in its original condition, then free it from that box or special storage spot and let it be used!)

I know Grandma wouldn’t want her labor of love packed away. Her quilt was created to be used and enjoyed, and we plan to enjoy many more nights made warmer by Grandma’s masterpiece.


If you find him and your name is drawn!$50 REWARD

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Linda Staaf our winner!Luther was hiding on page 7 last month.

Lafayette Luther is MissingHe has become lost in this paper.

City of Lafayette Current Volunteer Vacancies

• Downtown Street Improvement Implementation Committee (DSIMPIC)• Senior Services Commission • Environmental Task Force• Circulation Commission • Community Center Foundation• Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee Individuals interested in these volunteer opportunities may obtain an application from the City’s website www.ci.lafayette.ca.us or in person at 3675 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Suite 210, Lafayette.

Positions open until filled.

Lafayette Hiking GroupTo participate in hikes, meet in the parking lot out from Lafayette BART’s

main entrance at 8:30AM. We form carpools to the trailhead. Bring lunch or snacks, water, layered clothing, good walking shoes, sun protection, and money to contribute toward gas, bridge tolls, and parking ($3 local, more if further). E-mail questions to [email protected] 11 - Arrowhead Marsh, Oakland

Explore this peninsula between Oakland and Bay Farm Island. Bring your binoculars to view breeding ducks and shorebirds at their most colorful.

Easy flat, paved 3 - 4 miles. Leader: Ardith BettsFebruary 25 - Inspiration Point, Tilden Park

Follow paved Nimitz Way four miles along the ridgeline with great views of both San Francisco Bay and Contra Costa County. As this is a there-and-back hike, you may choose to turn back at any time.

Some moderate hills. Moderate 8 paved miles. Leader: Alison HillOne Week Host Families Needed for Students

High school students from the south of France will be coming to our area for one week, April 13th - April 20th. Host families are needed to take care of the students on the weekend and evenings. Weekdays the students will travel with their class to explore San Francisco. This is a wonderful opportunity to expose your family to another culture and language. Students have a varying command of the English language and are looking to improve their English skills! For more information, visit www.exchange-students-lecas.com or email teacher Martine Causse at [email protected].

San Ramon Valley Genealogical MeetingsThe San Ramon Valley Genealogical Society meets at 10am the third Tuesday

of every month, except August and December, at the Danville Family His-tory Center, 2949 Stone Valley Road, Alamo. A speaker is at every meeting. Everyone is welcome.

For information, call Ed at (925) 299-0881, or visit http://srvgensoc.org.

Tiny Tots Celebrates 30 YearsIn the past 30 years, Tiny Tots Preschool at the Lafayette Community

Center has seen hundreds of children walk through its doors. The program started as a summer program whose goal was to prepare preschoolers for Kindergarten. Next, a popular tot program for the littlest kids in our community was included. Now, Tiny Tots serves families year-round with programs for children ages 2 ½ through pre-kindergarten.

The year-round program was started by Sydney Dodds and Bonnie Fend. Sydney continues to teach science to young children, and her own grandchildren recently graduated from Tiny Tots. Bonnie is currently teaching at Sleepy Hollow Elementary School in Orinda. The warm and nurturing program they began years ago continues to thrive, mainly due to the wonderful staff. The teachers provide a stimulating environment and balance curriculum to gently guide young children to explore and learn at their own pace.

Whether it’s children playing happily at the tot lot, putting on an annual production of The Wizard of Oz, trick-or-treating, or selling sweets from their bake sale, Tiny Tots is more than a preschool. It’s a tradition at the Lafayette Community Center. Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra Delivers a

Full Dose of the “Mozart Effect”Some enthusiasts consider Mozart’s music to be so healing and powerful

they say that it can temporarily raise human IQ and even increase milk production in cows. At one time, the Florida legislature even passed a law that required Mozart to be played during state-funded childcare and education programs—all in pursuit of the fabled “Mozart effect.”

The Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra invites members of the community to decide for themselves on February 25th and 26th, when it will present Wondrous Wolfgang, an all-Mozart concert in honor of the composer’s 256th birthday.

The program includes the intense Symphony No. 25 in G minor, well-known as the theme of the Academy Award winning movie, Amadeus. The orchestra will also present the heart-rending overture to Don Giovanni as well the overture to Idomeneo, an energetic introduction to the opera’s stormy plot.

To round out the evening, two members of the orchestra will perform the delightful Concerto for Flute and Harp, an all-time favorite.

As always, Timothy Smith, CCCO conductor and musical director, will introduce each piece with educational stories and insights into the composer’s life and work.

The Saturday, February 25th show will be held at 7:30pm at Los Medanos College Recital Hall in Pittsburg. Tickets are $5 - $10 at the door. The Sunday, February 26th show will be held at 7:30pm at Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek. Tickets are $10 - $30 at the door, by phone at 925-943-SHOW, or online at www.LesherArtsCenter.org.


Meet the Marquis Who Gave Lafayette Its NameBy Julie Sullivan, Lafayette Historical Society (LHS)

Prior to 1857, Lafayette was known by a variety of names, some more colorful than others -- Dog Town, Brown's Corner, Brown's Mill, Acalanus, and Centerville. In 1857, the name was officially changed to La Fayette. Not until 1932 was the present day spelling adopted.

The LHS Speakers Series presents “Meet the Marquis: Who Was La Fayette and Why Are We Named After Him?” February 15th at 3pm at the Lafayette Library and Learning Center.

All the attention to La Fayette may make you wonder how many other cities in the U.S. were named in honor of the French marquis. Learn the surprising answer as you explore his adventures in the U.S. and his influence on politics in his native France. The presentation includes a showing of the 2010 PBS documentary, “Lafayette the Lost Hero,” which is told through the quest of a

present day descendant to learn the elusive story of her ancestor. To make reservations, call 925-283-1848 or visit www.lafayettehistory.

org. A donation of $10 for LHS members and $15 for non-members is requested. The presentation will be held in the Arts and Science Room in the Lafayette Library and Learning Center (Mezzanine level). Enter on the First Street side of the building.

In conjunction with the presentation, two local displays about La Fayette and his life are currently underway. At the library the history of the famous marquis has been organized by LHS board member Laura Torkelson. Bank of the West at 3583 Mt. Diablo Blvd. is hosting a display of paintings of the life of La Fayette on loan from the LHS archives (9am-5pm Monday-Thursday, 9am-6pm Friday and 9am-1pm Saturday).

Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (1757-1834), left France in early 1777 to seek service in the American Revolution, defying his family and King Louis XVI.

Lafayette reached Philadelphia at the end of July, 1777, and at age 20 he received the rank of Major General from Congress, reputedly making him the youngest commissioned regular general officer in the U.S. Army.

He was wounded in the battle of Brandywine in 1777, and later that year he led his first independent command. George Washington and the young marquis shared a long, personal friendship.

Lafayette became famous as a soldier and Revolutionary War hero. His travels between France and the United States and his relationship with Thomas Jefferson as well as Washington are well documented. It is said that upon Lafayette’s return to the U.S. in 1824 after being released from prison by Napoleon, he was met by “demonstrations of frenzied enthusiasm without precedent or parallel in American history.” He was a true rock star in his time.

Visit the LHS History Room in the Lafayette Library and Learning Center on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 10am – 2pm.

Charles Wilson Peale's oil-on-canvas portrait of Lafayette (wearing an American major general’s uniform) was commissioned by George Washington and was hung at Mount Vernon.

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Big Downtown Project ContinuesFor many businesses, shoppers and diners, the next several months will be somewhat challenging. After a delay in getting the Streetscape project

started, a crew has been hired by the city to work on the sidewalks and landscaping between Oak Hill Rd. and Mountain View. Most of the funding for this project came in a State Grant. The work includes removal of old sidewalks and curbs, to be replaced with pavers. Below is a proposed list of the remainder of work that needs to be completed, hopefully before the summer.

Phase 2 Postino to Bank of the West - Now - February 17 Phase 3 Lafayette Circle to Happy Valley Rd. - February 15 - March 19Phase 4 Happy Valley Rd. east to Baja Fresh - March 14 - April 6 Phase 5 Celias east to Chevron Gas Station - April 4 - May 1Phase 6 Happy Valley Rd. to CVS Pharmacy - April 4/26 - 5/22 Phase 7 Remainder to be completedFor more information, visit www.ci.lafayette.ca.us.

Assistance League of Diablo ValleyThe Assistance League of Diablo Valley is a nonprofit, member volun-

teer organization dedicated to improving lives in our community through hands-on programs.

When you step into Assistance League Way Side Inn Thrift Shop, located at 3521 Golden Gate Way in Lafayette, be prepared to see red if you do not take advantage of Valentine Merchandise that has “enveloped” nearly all of the shelves and displays. Capture the spirit with such pur-chases as plush toys, picture frames, decorative items, and even a limited supply of Valentine’s Day apparel.

The Pioneer Days & Western Roundup promotion will gallop into town starting on Tuesday, February 7th. Blue aproned volunteer sidekicks will help you rope Western boots, hats, belts, bandanas, books, pillows, purses, clothing, and even VHS tapes. Women’s handmade, three piece pioneer outfits that include a dress, bonnet, and apron will also be on the floor.

More leather goods will be available starting on Tuesday, February 21st with the Classic Coach and Dooney & Bourke Handbags promotion. You’ll need a place to store all of the money saved when you shop these promotions, so take advantage of these quality pieces that endure. This all-leather event will include handbags from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s, as well as briefcases, attachés, and other brand name items.

To learn more about Assistance League of Diablo Valley and its eight philanthropic programs that the Way Side Inn Thrift Shop funds, please visit diablovalley.assistanceleague.org.


The BookwormBy Joan Stevenson

I can hear the buzz from my home back in the stacks, and it is getting louder. It’s no wonder. When the Friends, Lafayette School District Parent Ed, and Lamorinda Moms all voice support for a speaker, it makes one pay attention…even a lowly bookworm. So,

I listened carefully, and this is what I learned. Peggy Orenstein, author of the groundbreaking bestseller Schoolgirls is Sweet Thursday’s guest author Thursday, March 8 at 7:30PM in the Community Room. Her latest book, Cinderella Ate My Daughter, reveals the dark side of pink and pretty in a wake-up call to parents: the rise of the girlie girl is not that innocent. As a new mother, Peggy Orenstein was blindsided by the persistent ultra-feminine messages being sent to a new generation of little girls from “princess-mania” to endless permutations of pink. She wondered, “How many times can you say no when your daughter begs for a pint-sized wedding gown? How dangerous is pink and pretty anyway? Being a princess is just make-believe, isn’t it? Does playing Cinderella shield little girls from early sexualization or prime them for it?” The author has done parents the great favor of having this important debate with herself on paper and in public. She has fashioned an argument with its seams showing and its pockets turned inside out, and this makes her book far more interesting...and more useful.

Now you procrastinators, listen up! If you meant to make a reservation for the visit on Sunday, February 12th from 4-5:30PM with renowned photographer Michael Collopy, there are some seats still available, but you must act now. This presentation, Architects of Peace: Stories and Portraits of World Figures, includes a mix and mingle reception with the photographer. The cost is $10, and reservations can be made by e-mailing [email protected].

The Writers Place, under the leadership of Gloria Lenhart, has been packing the library with aspiring authors. On January 22nd, two events were going on simultaneously. In the Arts & Science Room, three authors

from the California Writers Club drew about 40 people, and in the Willow Room, a Young Adult writers group drew 10! On February 14th from 7-8PM, come to Word + Pictures: How a Graphic Novel Comes Together. Nate Powell, Mark Long, and Jim Demonakos, the creative team behind the new graphic novel Silence of our Friends, will share their experiences and advice on teaming up to tell important stories through comics. On Wednesday, March 14th from 7-8PM, you are invited to join the cast and crew of Script Frenzy for a fun, fast, freewheeling presentation designed to help movie lovers become movie writers.

February is the month of romance, and the LLLCF billboard gives us wonderful choices to celebrate. Professor Charles Burack will read from his book of poetry, Songs to My Beloved, Thursday, February 9th 7-8:30PM. On Friday, February 17th from 1:30-2:30PM, the Contra Costa Performing Arts Society brings us Let’s Fall in Love, an afternoon of jazz. February is also Love Your Heart Month, and for women it is Red Dress Month - a reminder that heart disease is the number one killer of women. Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Cardiologist Dr. Earl Holloway will lead a heart care discussion including how to identify symptoms on Thursday, February 23rd at 6:30PM (reservations can be made by calling 510-869-6737).

On Sunday, February 26 from 1PM – 5M in the Homework Center, students can test their skills by taking a free Practice SAT Test. It is designed for high school teens and offered by Smart Cookie Learning in partnership with the Lafayette Library and Learning Center. This fully-proctored practice test will show students what to expect in a test-like environment. Students will receive a comprehensive analysis of their performance on the test, detailing individual strengths and weaknesses. Register at Smart Cookie Learning. This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Lafayette Library and Learning Center.

And finally, here’s some wonderful news worth celebrating. Toward the end of the year you successfully matched a $10,000 challenge grant. Yes, YOU and YOU and YOU! Together we made it happen with our gifts to the Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation. The Library Foundation funds 53% of all Library operating costs: hours, programs, and maintenance. All we really need is YOU!

[email protected] Lafayette – Tip of the Month

Chocolate is as popular as it’s ever been, and with Valentines Day upon us, we will undoubtedly see special, delectable chocolate treats in stores around Lafayette. Before grabbing something for your sweetheart or to accompany your child’s Valentine’s cards, you may want to take a moment to consider where the chocolate comes from and how it’s harvested.

Recently two documentaries were released that have exposed a dark side behind the sweet taste. One is called the The Dark Side of Chocolate and the other is Chocolate’s Child Slaves, part of the CNN Freedom Project (aired January 20, 2012). The films address the continued allegations of trafficking of children and child labor involved in cocoa bean harvesting. Both movies followed children stolen from homes or walking to school in Mali and driven across the border to the Ivory Coast where they were given machetes and put to work on plantations.

In 2001, the major chocolate producers (Nestle, Hersheys, Dove, Mars, etc.) pledged to end the use of child slaves by signing the “Cocoa Protocol,” but ten years later investigators are saying that hasn’t happened, and that at least 40% (and possibly up to 70%) of cocoa beans are being harvested by children along the Ivory Coast in Africa. The farmers say it’s normal, and the chocolate producers say they just can’t control the labor practices of their suppliers.

The good news is that there are now over 250 chocolate brands that are 100% Fair Trade Certified, which means the chocolate was harvested by adult workers that receive a fair wage and are treated ethically. Also look for Organic Certified, which means the workers weren’t exposed to an assortment of chemical pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers either.

Some good choices that can be found right in Lafayette:• For Valentine’s Day check out Divine Chocolate’s milk chocolate

hearts at Whole Foods or http://shop.divinechocolateusa.com.• Theo Chocolates offer boxes of delectable chocolates at https://

www.theochocolate.com/store.• Dagoba offers collections of chocolate bars at www.

dagobachocolate.com/products.asp.• Endangered Species Chocolates, an environmental hero of a

company, offers an adorable line of Valentine’s Day gifts at http://chocolatebar.com.

• Equal Exchange, sold at Global Exchange, and online offers a large range of options for chocolate combinations: www.equalexchange.coop/cocoa.

Learn about both documentaries on the Internet: CNN’s Freedom Project: http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/16/chocolate-explainer/ and The Dark Side of Chocolate: http://thedarksideofchocolate.org/.

While we’ve been talking about chocolate, understanding where any product is from, how it’s produced, and what’s in it, helps shed

light on how sustainable it is and empowers us to vote with our dollars!

To read real world success stories about how Lafayette residents and organizations are making choices to live more sustainably, visit sustainablelafayette.org.

Lafayette Today ~ February 2012 - Page 7

Hoop ShootWalnut Creek Elks Lodge 1811 hosted its 40th annual hoop shoot. Several

hundred contestants attended from the greater Bay Area for top prizes and a chance to move forward to the Central District competition.

Top winners from front left to right are: Shingo O’Flaherty, Stephanie Leighton, Sophia Leighton, Connor Moses, Clare Driscoll, Brianna Rodriquez, and Rick Trapp. Rear left to right are Mike Rittenhouse-Elks youth director, Connor Snarr, Jacob Corpus, Danielle Trapp, David Gamba, Jordan Allred, Kaitlin Miller, Connor Lawson, Emmy Dunn, Chase Bennett, and Garrick Gouveia-Elks ER.

www.yourmonthlypaper.comReal Estate choices to face on retiring– Should I Rent or Buy?By Art Lehman, Village Associates Realtors

As Baby Boomers retire, they often consider downsizing their home. This is especially true of “empty nesters,” whose children are grown and have moved away. The question is, what now? There are good arguments for both buying a retirement home or simply renting one from here on out.

It used to be that owning your own home was an investment that could be expected to appreciate over time. As we have learned, this is not necessarily the case. Given the state of the economy, it is unlikely that home buyers will see much appreciation in market values for some time. In some areas, in fact, it may be many years before the real estate market recovers to pre-crash levels. So let’s forget appreciation in this discussion. “Buying vs renting” is different for each person based on their situation.

Simply summarized: Major Benefits for buying: 1) After down payment, typically – but not always - have lower house payments; 2) Annual tax deductions help higher-income retirees; 3) Enjoy more control over a property than a tenant; 4) Create estate value for heirs. Major Benefits for renting 1) Takes less money to accomplish, and it’s faster to get into a retirement home; 2) Not tied down to one place – can move if you want; 3) Savings may do better in financial investments other than the real estate market; 4) Savings have more liquidity than being tied up in real estate; 5) Annual housing costs are usually much less than owning a property. Major Risks for buying: 1) Property values could decline

Page 8 - February 2012 ~ Lafayette Todayfurther; 2) Not easy to relocate if necessary due to illness, job, divorce, etc.; 3)Annual costs (PITI, maintenance, HOA fees, etc.) are usually much higher than renting; 4)Less liquidity – it can take a long time to sell a residence. Major Risks for renting: 1) Rent may go up over time; 2) Owner could sell out from under the tenants, forcing a move at the end of a lease; 3) Renters forego many tax breaks; 4) Stocks or mutual fund investments could decline in value while property values increase.

Which choice is better? It really depends on each Boomer’s circumstances. Retiring Boomers who have a nice financial nest egg and are in a higher tax bracket are generally better off buying a retirement home rather than renting. Those Boomers who have been financially hurt by the recession are likely in a lower income bracket and may have dings on their credit score too. They are probably better off renting. Remember, renting rather than buying a property preserves quick access to liquid investments that would otherwise be tied up in a real estate.

In the final analysis, much of it comes down to personal preferences. Many retiring Baby Boomers simply do not want to be tied down to one location. They would rather rent homes in different locations during their retirement years. Others desire the security of property ownership. As we have recently learned, owning a home is not for everyone, nor should it be. And Boomers may be the first generation in quite a while to abandon traditional home ownership during retirement in favor of mobility and more freedom.

If you have any questions on selling or buying a home in the area, please contact me at 925 200-2591 or by email at [email protected]. Please feel free to email a topic for the next article too. If you’d like a free automatic email update of current listings and sales visit my website to sign up www. artlehman.com. Advertorial

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Warm UpBy Monica Chappell

When winter weather swirls in, nothing could be cozier than a toasty mug of mulled wine. Mulled wine, the vine’s version of a classic hot toddy, is a traditional treat in many Old World countries and has been warm-ing people for centuries. These are wines that have been sweetened, spiced, and slightly heated - offering a delightful alternative to traditional coffees, ciders, and toddy’s on a cold winter’s night. Mulled wine is one of my favorite winter drinks because it is hot, sweet, and

possesses a very special power – it makes you beautifully warm inside. Pick Your Potion

While red wine and apple cider are the most traditional of the spiced winter warmers, you can also use white wine, hard cider, or ale. The primary spice combinations for mulled wine almost always include cinnamon sticks and whole cloves. Nutmeg, star anise, allspice berries, cardamom pods, slices of fresh ginger, orange slices, and lemon zest are also good additions. The trick to infusing the wine without making it cloudy and gritty is to use whole spices rather than ground versions.Mix it Up

The mixture should be brought to a very gentle simmer over low heat and should not be boiled – that would cause the spices to turn bitter and make the alcohol evaporate. And, gee, that is the last thing in the world we want, right? To really allow the flavors of the spices to infuse into the wine, allow the mixture to simmer on the stovetop for at least half an hour. Mulled Wine Recipe

1 bottle of dry red wine (Merlot can stand up to heat and zing of spices)1 teaspoon almond extract2 cinnamon sticks (plus additional sticks for garnish) 3 whole cloves1 star anise 1 Tablespoon honeyPour wine into top of a double boiler and warm over medium heat. Add

remaining ingredients and stir until honey dissolves. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently, stirring occasionally. Ladle into mugs, garnish with an orange slice or cinnamon stick, and serve.

Monica Chappell is a local wine writer and educator. For a list of upcoming wine programs, visit www.wineappreciation101.blogspot.com.

At Red Feather, we believe that everyone needs a break from their stressful daily routine. We are located at the end of Greenville Road in Livermore.

Come out to our family owned and operated winery and taste some of our fabulous wines and enjoy our breathtaking views!

Tasting room open weekdays by appointment and weekends 11am-6pm.For private parties please call 510-861-2722

5700 Greenville Rd, Livermore • www.redfeatherwinery.com


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Deep KnowledgeBy Daniel A Barnes, CFA

Deep Knowledge is valuable. In human relationships, its known as “understanding.” In the arts it’s known as “technique.” In sports, it’s “the fundamentals.” And, on Wall Street, and with regard to investing, it’s known as having “an edge.” Only through deep knowledge can you have an intuitive understanding of something that is not commonly already known.

We admire and wonder about the seasoned fatherly man, full of wisdom and patience. We think of the kind aging beauty of a lady who always seems to understand us and our predicaments and know the right thing to say. We wonder (I wonder!), “How does she know? How did she get to this point of human understanding?”

We gape in awe at the performance of Meryl Streep, or the tenacity of Tim Tebow, the perfection of Katarina Witt, or the craft of an author like Michael Lewis. How about the perfection of a pre-scandal Tiger Woods?

Artists practice their craft. And athletes are also artists. They practice the “fundamentals” of their craft better than others. They practice tirelessly, hour after hour, turn after turn, shot after shot. They gain and attain an understanding of their craft, which far exceeds the understanding of others. And the arts extend far beyond just the fine arts and athletic arts, they also include the professional arts. Who isn’t ready to suspend their disbelief when the see a surgeon perform precision work on a knee, or on a brain, or on a heart? Talk about understanding the details of their craft! And they had better understand them -- or the patient dies.

While some of this mastery is attributable to “freakish” acts of generosity by genetics and our maker, most of the mastery comes from dedication and hard work. The professional knows, either intuitively or consciously, how to do it better, say it better, show it better.

In 2000, I was hired as a Senior Analyst of a research firm focused on the PC supply chain that extended from Taiwan, through Silicon Valley tech companies, and to the end markets. I wasn’t much of an expert about anything regarding technology, so I decided to focus deeply on one area. For two months, I put together a fabrication (Fab) capacity model which demonstrated the total production (supply) of DRAM chips for the next three years. It was a lot of work. But when I finished my model, and then compared the supply figures to the worldwide demand figures, it showed that DRAM would be

oversupplied for the next 2½ to 3 years. The implications were simple and powerful, the price of DRAM memory wasn’t going to improve for a long time, hence those companies making DRAM were not going to deliver good financial performance for a long time. My investment in understanding and acquiring “deep knowledge” about the DRAM industry paid off. I had created an “edge.” I knew something not widely understood. More importantly, this experience showed me the value of deep research in a practical (money making) sense.

“Teach a little and they learn a lot. Teach a lot and they learn nothing.” That is the motto of my dance teacher Mirabai Deranja. Mirabai is a professional dancer. She has a mathematical mind (which I appreciate). First, she studied astronomy, then she pursued her passion for dance. Recently we were having a lousy private lesson. My brain was fried. But then, I showed her a basic walking step I had learned from another teacher lately with a lot of contra-body motion.

Suddenly Mirabai said these words: “Your back leg, the angle is wrong. Slide it on the inside of the toe, not the outside. It looks terrible on the outside.” And suddenly, everything changed. My technique was off. That change of 20 degrees in the angle of my trailing leg made all the difference. Just like with the pitcher who needs to release the ball at a slightly different angle or the actor who needs to inflect more to show understanding or the analyst who needs to see beyond what is popular, I improved my dance technique enormously with just a small correction in technique. That improvement came from understanding the proper angle on the trailing leg in the basic tango “walk.” It’s this understanding of the fine details that is “deep knowledge.”

I’ve always been driven by research. The understanding of the details differentiates the average from the elite. From precious metals and the unscrupulous printing of money to the coming energy crisis and rebuilding of infrastructure and biogenetics, the economy is going to grow leaps and bounds in some ways over the next decades. I believe that thinking and researching deeply about some of those areas is a way to develop an “edge,” an advantage to protect client assets and grow wealth. If you have significant thoughts about what the future portends in your area of expertise, I’d be happy to engage with you in a conversation. There’s a lot of work to be done to identify the opportunities that the great recession will create. I can’t wait.

Barnes Capital LLC is a Registered Investment Advisor. We manage trusts and retirement income portfolios. Financial planning is an integral part of our process. We protect client capital using municipal bonds and high-quality companies which raise their dividend every year. We add Gold to portfolios for diversification. Call Daniel at 925-284-3503 and visit www.barnescapital.com Advertorial

Cinema Classics and Music NotesThe ReiversBy Peggy Horn

In his acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize in Literature on December 10, 1950, William Faulkner stated that a writer’s duty is to “help man endure by lifting his heart, by reminding him of the courage and honor and hope and pride and compassion and pity and sacrifice which have been the glory of his past.” Mr. Faulkner was faithful to this brilliant

statement of the writer’s duty in his picaresque novel from 1962 entitled, The Reivers, for which he received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. The 1967 movie, The Reivers, is based on this book.

The movie, set in 1905, stars Mitch Vogel as eleven year old Lucius Priest, who becomes a reiver or thief when, with his older friend, Boon Hogganbeck (Steve McQueen), and his relative, Ned McCaslin, he steals his grandfather’s Winton Flyer automobile and absconds to Memphis, Tennessee. During his first foray into the world of crime, Lucius is confronted with courage, honor, hope, compassion, pity, and even sacrifice. Although facing some of these virtues renders him a hero, other adventures during the journey lead him eventually to tears of regret. How Lucius grapples with the consequences of his actions is a powerful point in the movie.

The Reivers, is comical, charming, memorable, and dark all at once. The filming of one of the horse races was, for its time, innovative and new and even today constitutes beautiful cinematography. But the

movie’s most important attribute is how it delves into life’s dilemmas and, however difficult these issues are, handles them with tenderness, warmth, and even humor. Since most people learn best with laughter, these humorous aspects are easily absorbed. The Reivers, is available for purchase inexpensively online.Music Notes

Nowadays downloading music is easy, and the spectrum of music available is gigantic. So, from time to time your monthly paper DJ would like to include a song, an album, or even a concerto for your consideration. In keeping with the Southern mood of “The Reivers,” this month I recommend an album released in 2010 by Paul Lenart and Billy Novick, entitled, Dixieland – New Orleans Jazz. This album has both traditional and less well known jazz pieces, all of which sound fresh and fabulous.

www.yourmonthlypaper.comProject Management By Evan Corstorphine, Portable CIO

2012 has begun with a roar, and we’re as busy as ever. I’m grateful that we continue to acquire new customers in our primary vertical market, which is healthcare IT services. We’ve worked very hard to develop the expertise to support the medical arena, and it’s great to see the market respond. One of the particular ways we have differentiated ourselves is in the way we approach these implementations and organize the work. It’s all about consistency and good project management.

We’re surrounded by the fruits of project management. It’s what builds our bridges, roads, houses – everything of importance our society relies upon. It’s what ensures the right things happen at the right time, by the

right people and in the right place. It requires organization, documentation, great communication, and a structured and methodical approach. As a consumer, you should demand effective project management.

Every entity, whether it’s a medical office, a business office, or a home en-vironment, has its own set of complexities. The most frequent mistake I see consultants make when approaching these challenges is to get too close and lose the proper perspective. It can be easy to get wrapped up in interesting little technical eccentricities. However, when someone requests service from Portable CIO, they’re not just asking for a ‘guy to turn a screwdriver.’ What people want is for someone to come look at the whole picture, weigh the options from the business or homeowner’s perspective, and advise them according to industry best-practices. In other words, what people want is a knowledgeable consultant, not just a technician. This is never as apparent as when we have the privilege of helping a company with a large project. And, it’s a key reason why firms should think twice about using “one man shops,” or individual consultants, instead of companies like ours who have teams with decades of expertise. One-man shops simply do not have the depth to address the many levels and types of support tasks necessary to keep your operation healthy. They’re frequently overwhelmed, and they usually flame-out because they get caught in the churn of the urgent.

A good project methodology is flexible enough to be used on simple projects, but its resilient enough to manage the most complex. Portable CIO follows an eight step planning process: Concept, Charter, Plan, Design, Build, Test, Implement, and Maintain. Sometimes these steps are combined

or abbreviated depending on the situation, but the basic structure persists. It isn’t an accident that fully half of the process is spent plan-ning and organizing what tasks are to be done, before anything is purchased, as-sembled, or coded. We be-

lieve and practice the mantras “Go slow to go fast,” and “Sometimes you have to go backwards to go forwards.” Oh, there’s also, “Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should!” but that’s another article!

I think the “Charter” phase is the most important part of the project, and it is often overlooked. In the charter phase, we coordinate with the key decision maker of a project; the project sponsor. We ensure they’re onboard with the effort and all that is involved. Projects require consistent customer involvement, both financially and politically. If you try to do a big project without their active involvement, you’ll get to the end, and they won’t be happy because their expectations were allowed to go astray. It’s a challenge to keep people engaged, and projects die because of benign neglect. Without consistent, informed support, a project is doomed.

The next time you’re spending your time and money on anything technical for your office or home, ask yourself these questions. 1) Have I clearly articu-lated what I am trying to accomplish to the consultant? 2) Have I been asked to prioritize my needs? (ie, everything cannot be a top priority) 3) Is there a clearly communicated plan for addressing my needs? 4) Have the costs been clearly outlined? 5) Has a repair vs. replace decision been discussed? 6) If the project scope changes, is there a process by which you will be informed of any subsequent changes in cost? If you cannot answer yes to these questions, maybe it’s time to slow things down and get another opinion.

Are you planning a new business? Moving your office? Building a new home or planning a complete remodel? If so, a consultation with Portable CIO would be a great way to ensure the right things happen at the right time, and your project goes as smoothly as possible. Give us a call at 925-552-7953, or email [email protected]. Advertorial

Page 10 - February 2012 ~ Lafayette Today

What is Your Antique Worth?Most everyone has a few treasures on a shelf or in the attic, but who has wondered

what value they might actually have? In an event very much like the popular television program Antiques Roadshow, The Gardens at Heather Farm will help locals discover the monetary value of their jewelry, antiques, and other collectibles. The annual Antique

and Collectibles Appraisal Event is open to everyone from amateurs to serious collectors. The event will be held Sunday, March 11th from Noon to 5pm at The Gardens at Heather Farm located at 1540 Marchbanks Drive (off Ygnacio Valley Road) in Walnut Creek. The cost for entry and appraisal of the first three items is $15. There’s a $5 charge for each additional item.

All proceeds benefit The Gardens at Heather Farm, its educational programs and demonstration gardens. For more information call The Gardens at Heather Farm, (925) 947-1678 or visit www.gardenshf.org.

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Estate Planning 2012:Teaching Old Dogs a New Trick By Robert J. Silverman, Attorney at Law

In 2012, law surrounding core estate planning - having up-to-date Living Trusts, Wills, Powers of Attorney, and Health Care Directives – remains largely unchanged, but it remains as vital as ever. However, a powerful new trick is available to us old dogs. By the way, for the purposes of this article, you qualify as an “old dog” if you are old enough to pay taxes!

The essence of the “new trick” (which is a bit of a misnomer since it’s perfectly legal, and no smoke and mirrors are involved) is that: a) 2012 Fed-eral Estate & Gift Tax (collectively known as “transfer tax”) rules provide an extraordinary opportunity for shifting wealth from one generation to the next; and b) the window to take advantage of this unprecedented opportunity is scheduled to close at or before the end of this year.

The focus of this article will be to summarize this extraordinary opportunity and explain why it’s so critical that people - particularly those with larger es-tates - understand and consider implementing one or more opportune strategies before the window closes.

I’ll start by giving you some background for context, including transfer tax rules that: a) applied in the recent past; b) apply now; and c) are scheduled to apply starting January, 2013. Transfer Tax Background & Current Rules:

1) In the 1990’s, the Estate Tax exemption – amount of net assets you can own on your death without being subject to tax – was in the $600,000’s, with any excess over that amount taxed at a top tax rate of 55%.

2) Between 2001 and 2009, the Estate Tax exemption increased periodi-cally from $1 Million to $3.5 Million, with a top tax rate of 45% (and Estate Tax was temporarily repealed for 2010).

3) From 2001 through 2010, the Gift Tax system provided that (with some notable exceptions that are beyond the scope of this article) the aggregate lifetime amount you could give away to any number of individuals – e.g. to your children and/or grandchildren – without being subject to Gift Tax was $1 Million.

4) On Dec. 17, 2010, legislation bumped up the Estate Tax exemption to $5 Million for 2011 and $5.12 Million (indexed for inflation) for 2012, with a top tax rate of 35%.

5) Starting in 2011, the Gift Tax exemption increased from $1 Million to $5 Million!

6) The new, dramatically higher Estate Tax and Gift Tax exemptions and lower tax rates apply only through the end of 2012. If no new legislation is enacted by the end of this year, on January 1, 2013, the Estate Tax exemption decreases to $1 Million, with any excess taxed at a top 55% tax rate, and the Gift Tax exemption will also go down to $1 Million. Extraordinary Planning Opportunity:

Estate Tax and Gift Tax are widely unpopular, and the trend for decades has been to maintain or increase applicable exemptions. Nevertheless, what will happen in 2013 and beyond is difficult to predict. What is certain is that the Gift Tax exemption is at an unprecedented level of more than $5 Million (more than $10 Million combined for a married couple), but in less than a year, it’s scheduled to drop precipitously to $1 Million.

Thus, if you have sufficient wealth to comfortably afford to make substantial gifts to loved ones before the end of this year or before new legislation passes, whichever comes sooner, there’s a compelling argument to do so. At the cur-rent 35% Estate Tax rate, for every $1 Million in assets you can gift and thus remove from your taxable estate before you die, your loved ones potentially benefit by avoiding tax liability of $350,000 upon your death. At the scheduled top tax rate of 55% for 2013, that potential benefit is $550,000! Moreover, all of the future income and appreciation of whatever amount you gift grows in the estates of your loved ones (rather than remaining in your estate and being subject to Estate Tax upon your death).

Quite a few different kinds of viable strategies exist to take advantage of the opportunity. These include those that allow gifts to be controlled rather

than given outright (with no strings at-tached) and also those that involve gifting non-liquid assets. The “bottom line” is that there’s truly no time like the present to ex-plore these strategies that will potentially result in radically low-er transfer tax liability, and thus acting now will ultimately provide much more for your loved ones.

Mr. Silverman is an attorney with Buchman Provine Brothers Smith LLP, 1333 N. California Street, Suite 350, Walnut Creek, CA 94596; (925) 944-9700; [email protected]. His practice emphasizes Estate Planning, Trust Administration & Probate, Real Estate, and Business. Mr. Silverman offers a free introductory consultation.

This article is intended to provide information of a general nature, and should not be relied upon as legal, tax, financial and/ or business advice. Readers should obtain and rely upon specific advice only from their own qualified professional advisors. This communication is not intended or written to be used, for the purpose of: i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code; or ii) promoting, marketing, or recommending to another party any matters addressed herein. Advertorial

Contra Costa County Library Launches Discover & Go

Looking for something fun, educational, and free to do with the family? Have guests coming into town and want to show off the area’s cultural highlights? The Contra Costa County Library announces Discover & Go, an exciting new service providing library cardholders residing in Contra Costa County with free passes to local museums and cultural institutions.

A first of its kind, Discover & Go provides access to passes that can be printed online rather than traditional physical passes that must be picked up and returned to the Library. Each Discover & Go pass expires immediately after the reservation date – no returns required and no possibility for overdue fines! This unique program allows library users to make reservations online by date or by venue and immediately print out a pass or print later for free at any Library. Customers without Internet access can reserve a pass by telephone or in person.

Library cardholders can reserve up to two passes at one time from the following list of destinations:

•Asian Art Museum • The Marine Mammal Center• Bay Area Discovery Museum • Museum of Craft and Folk Art• Beat Museum • Museum of the African Diaspora• Bedford Gallery • Oakland Aviation Museum• Blackhawk Museum • Oakland Museum of California• California Academy of Sciences • Pacific Pinball Museum• California Historical Society • San Jose Museum of Art• California Shakespeare Theater • San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles• Cartoon Art Museum • The Tech Museum• Charles M. Schulz Museum • Town Hall Theatre• Contemporary Jewish Museum • UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive• Exploratorium • USS Hornet Museum• Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse • Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum• Habitot Children's Museum • Yerba Buena Center for the Arts• Lindsay Wildlife Museum • Zeum: San Francisco's Children's MuseumExhibit-related recommended reading lists hand-selected by library staff

will be available from the Discover & Go website at discover.ccclib.org.To learn more about Contra Costa County Library, visit ccclib.org or call

800-984-4636.

To share your story,advertise, or see past issues,visit www.yourmonthlypaper.com.


Park It By Paul Matthew Peterson, Specialty Sales Classics

First, let me introduce myself. I am, by definition, a genuine dyed-in the-wool car nut. I have ‘the disease’…What started as a positive activity after school in the early

70’s working in my Uncle Butch’s garage in Minnesota, has since taken me all over the country, put hundreds of classics in my driveway over the years, and landed me with a DREAM JOB for a car guy: I sell collector cars for a living...in California.

Specialty Sales Classics is the largest consignment dealer of collector cars in California and 4th in the nation. They’ve been at this since 1978 and have seen a lot of trends come and go over the years. I’m one of the lucky people they’ve hired to locate, consign, and sell collector cars. I walk into a sea of classics every morning. With numerous showrooms in the SF Bay Area and over 250 vehicles in inventory, it’s seriously ‘car-guy heaven’ around here.

Classic cars have always been a fabulous hobby and harmless enjoyment for the entire family. Maybe having a classic car could be a restoration project for dad and the kid or a cool Sunday cruiser the whole family can ride in to the park. These wonderful old cars still fill that role, and they create new family memories in the process.

Collector cars have also historically been a good investment if, like any invest-ment, one does his or her homework before deploying any cash. Over the years the stock market has seen its fair share of victims, and real estate, once the best place to park your investment capital, has also become riskier than ever. I’m noticing a trend towards tangible assets and investments, with classic cars falling into that category.

We’ve seen a lot more clients coming into our showrooms recently looking for collector cars whose motivation is investment rather than an emotional tie to a certain car. Instead of looking for the car they drove to high school, the one like dad used to have or the Camaro they got married in, they are seeking a car solely on its investment potential. “Show me all the big block convertibles you have. I was told they are good investments,” is heard as often these days as, “I’ve always wanted one of these.”

A collector car sale has usually been driven by passion, emotion, desire, nos-talgia, and lots of other factors that a wise buyer tries to avoid when making any purchase. In the past few years, however, these cars are being bought with no more emotion involved than buying 1,000 shares of Apple. And they’re purchased for the same reasons...to have a safe, profitable place to park one’s money.

Like the entire economy, collector car prices have dipped in recent years. If a car was purchased within the past five years, you may have to keep it a while longer to see your investment ‘pan out.’ NOW is the time to find that dream car or dream investment in the classic car world. Prices and the market are going back up, and there are many, many great buys to be had right now. Always buy quality over price.

My humble advice: If you’ve been waiting to ‘pull the trigger’ on a classic car investment, don’t wait any longer. Next year you’ll be paying more for the same cars.

Find the type and make of classic you want, and then buy the best example of that particular car you can find. Don’t be afraid to pay more for a top quality car; restoration costs are NOT down currently, but restored car prices are. Buy one you can enjoy TODAY instead of trailering it from restoration shop to restoration shop for the next three years.

We have a beautiful 1954 Chevrolet Bel Air in our Benicia showroom that is a perfect example of a great car to invest your capital in because it has a top quality restoration already completed. If you already owned a nice, completely original ’54 Chevy, and had this level of work done to it, you’d be spending $15k more than our asking price, just for the restoration...not counting the cost of a nice car to start with.

You can buy these wonderful classics right now for 60 cents on the dollar. Pick one out, do your research, and fill your garage with a tangible investment…a classic car. You’ll thank me in 10 years…and possibly every time you take the car out for some exercise. Check out our entire inventory at www.SpecialtySales.com, and if you have any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected], or call 800-600-2262. Advertorial

René Aguirré

Shop Talk from Urban Suburban Kicking off 2012 with Team Urban!By René Aguirré

Are you enjoying this weather as much as we are? Beautiful warm days are so deceiving at this time of year! We promise you need to get ready for the rain, but where is it? A little bit of snow in the Sierras here and there is not our usual winter. Though enjoying the extra Vitamin D, remember to prepare for the weather. We could get the heavy rains at any time in the next few weeks. Windshield wipers, brakes, and heaters all need

to be checked from time to time. I feel silly telling you about winter prep and maintenance with all this sunshine, but the weather could change quickly!

ABS braking systems – Regardless of if you are staying locally or heading to the Sierras, we want to remind you to take extra caution on the roadways. December brought many freezes, waking up to frost on the windows and black ice on the streets. The ABS braking systems on our vehicles do not always act accordingly in these situations. Many of you might have thought something was really out of whack when trying to stop in these unusual conditions. Trying to stop quickly and getting a rough response? Still find yourself sliding around? I wish I had better news for you, but the simple answer is to take extra precautions by going slower on these colder mornings, and giving yourself extra time to get to your destination. Should you find yourself in a slide, remember to turn into the slide, do not stomp on your brakes, and ease your foot off the gas. In some cases, you may need to press the gas to straighten yourself out. Each situation is different, and all we can tell you is stomping on your brakes will make it worse, not better.

Now for the fun stuff! Most years, Team Urban will sneak away for holiday cheer, visiting family or childhood friends, sometimes as far away as Massachusetts.

Team Urban kicked off the holidays attending the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce mixer at Bank of the West. We enjoyed catching up with our local business owners like Karen & Larry Blodgett of Blodgett’s Abbey Carpet & Flooring. They have done quite a bit of work over there to bring in American made products, good quality brands, and lots of styles to choose from. We use them for all of our flooring needs at home and at work!

This year, we changed our holiday celebrating up a bit. Krysten’s cousin, a premier saxophone player from Massachusetts, flew in to spend some time with us and get to know the music scene. We introduced him to musicians and producers near our home in Niles, a few music circles in Lafayette, and of course the San Francisco scene. Krysten took Tucker out on the town with his sax in tow, getting him up on stage with “The W-BEEZ” at the Boom-Boom Room in the Fillmore District, and to many other popular venues across San Francisco. Krysten and I do our best to visit San Francisco to appreciate all it has to offer, but I am still always surprised at the all local talent we have right in our backyards. Over the holidays, we celebrated with our families and our Team Urban family by taking the Niles Train of Lights and enjoying a spread put together by Krysten. Without the snow, our usual trek to Bear Valley is on hold! It was nice to stay local, spending time with friends, family, clients, and our neighbors.

As we move forward into 2012, we continue to improve our services at the shop for you. We continue to expand the services we have to offer. Now, I am offering my services to assist in buying used cars. We have had a lot of clients over the years bring in cars for safety checks and to get my opinion on their purchase. Recently, more of our clients are asking if we can do the leg work. This year, we have decided to begin offering these services. So, if you are looking for a used vehicle, let us know, and we can help you out from locating and doing a safety check to determining its’ value!

If you have any questions about this or any other Shop Talk issues, call US today at 925-283-5212 or visit our website www.urbansuburban.com. Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 7:30am - 5pm. At Urban Suburban we work on all makes and models, foreign and domestic. Urban Suburban - not just SUVs anymore! We provide free shuttle service to the local area. Advertorial


Five: Manage your landscape water use: know your landscape watering needs. How much water is being applied? Adjust your controller often as weather conditions change. Install a new “Water Smart” controller. Set your controller to water early in the morning when evaporation rates are low and the wind is calm. Water deep and less often; this will allow water to get into the root zones. Avoid overwatering and run-off. Good water management saves thousands of gallons!

Six: Mulch! Mulch reduces water loss and prevents weed growth. Mulch often! Regularly mulch around your trees, shrubs, and ground covers, and cultivate your soil regularly to allow water to penetrate more easily.

Seven: Make saving water important to you! Every drip counts! Get involved in your garden. Use licensed landscape professionals to assist you in water-wise design and implementation of your garden.

A hot tip from your local Landscape Architect: Investing in a water-wise plant-ing and irrigation design for your new or existing garden can save you thousands of dollars over time. The savings can well exceed the cost of the design itself!

Gardening Quote of the Month: “The frog does not drink up the pond in which he lives.” - Native American Saying

If you would like me to write on any particular subject, email your ideas to [email protected] or for design ideas visit www.jm-la.com. Advertorial

Life in the Lafayette Garden Water-Wise DesignBy John Montgomery, ASLA, Landscape Architect

I was holding breath that we would get some rain this season. I was starting to turn blue! I’m glad it’s here, finally, and I hope it keeps coming! Over the years I have implemented into my practice water-wise landscape design. I am a 5th generation native Californian and have been designing landscapes here for over 35 years. Over the years, living in and out of drought conditions, I have

learned to stay the course of good water-wise landscape design. As residents of Lafayette, it is vital to conserve water as a habit. It seems we should know better by now, but we get fooled from season to season when we experience many years of El Nino. With global warming concerns, it is time to get smart and stay smart. Here are seven practices I always implement into my designs, and these are some of the same practices you can implement into your new or existing landscape no matter what the fore-cast might be.

One: Start with your soil. Thriving soil with good organ-ics is the foundation of a water conserving landscape. How much water you need to keep your landscape alive is directly equivalent to the amount of compost in your soil. Compost increases permeability and capacity to hold water, thus reducing the amount needed for irrigation and thus lowering your watering bills.

Two: Use Plants and Landscapes for Summer-dry Climates of the San Fran-cisco Bay Region (EBMUD book). The types of plants noted have adapted to summer dry conditions, and once established, they can survive dry summers with little or no water. There is an old gardener’s adage: “right plant – right place.” Appropriately designed planting requires less watering, pruning, fertilizing, and spraying, thus lowering operating costs and use of resources. Minimize your lawn area. One thousand square feet of turf can use about 10,000 gallons of water per dry season. If you absolutely need a lawn minimize, the size and place them where they will be used for relaxation and play.

Three: Cluster your plantings by water needs. This method is known as hydro-zoning. In a hot sunny location, group sun-loving, low water use plants and then design the irrigation system to water that cluster of plants. The same goes for shade areas. Hydro-zoning can more easily match plant requirements thus saving water. Hydro-zoning allows you to separate your irrigation valves so each zone can be managed more accurately. This method can save you an unbelievable amount of water.

Four: Design and install high efficiency irrigation systems. Use bubbler and drip irrigation where possible so that water can be applied directly to the root zone. Minimize spray irrigation where possible. Use the newest irrigation technology; MPR (matched precipi-tation rates) sprinkler heads, bubbler, drip, micro-sprays, soaker lines, and upgrade to a new controller. There are many choices that offer high technol-ogy that uses historical weather data, solar and moisture sensors, rain sen-sors, and some can detect problems like a broken sprinkler head. I was able to adjust my controller last summer to save 15% water consumption. With new technology I believe you could easily save 25-50% of the water you use for your landscape now!

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Gardening with Kate By Kathleen Guillaume

At the end of last month we finally got some rain in this rainless winter. My fruit trees loved that deep soak of water after months of dryness. The rain brought my thoughts back to my garden. My to-do list included the winter chores of cleaning up beds and pruning my roses. It also included picking up every leaf, no matter what plant it was under. As I started working, I noticed that the wonderful deep

soak of rain seemed to have forced every bare branch to start pushing out the beginnings of leaf buds. I can taste spring, it is so close now.

I bought a few great new plants for my garden. I heard at a Lafayette Garden Club Plant Talk Group that Navlet’s Garden Center had bareroot blueberries. The plants are very hard to find in a bareroot state except for at a big box store where the root stock is so young that it would take four years in my garden to bear fruit. These plants were hearty stock, so I figured that my garden needed, absolutely had to have, three more to join the ten that already reside there. Blueberries like acidic soil and good drainage. So, I created a mini raised bed by banking up an area 8” higher than the surrounding soil. You can do this by forming a large mound with sloping sides, or you can use rocks or bricks to make a circle that will hold a smaller amount of raised soil. I buy a Rhodie/Acid planting mixture and mix that half-and-half with the existing soil in my garden, then I prune back the branches so that the roots have a better chance to get established. I bought a Sunshine and two high bush varieties. That bright blueberry taste is already sensed on my tongue.

You can mix food producers with shrubs and flowers. You don’t need a special veggie bed. One beautiful and lush looking food item you can intersperse now with your other plantings is Sugar Snap Peas (those wonderful peas you eat shells and all) and/or Snow Peas. If you don’t like peas, you haven’t tries these freshly picked at their peak from your garden.

Tree of the SeasonCoast Live Oak, Quercus agrifoliaBy Blaine Brende & Joe Lamb

If you have a coast live oak in your yard you will understand that its Latin name, Quercus agrifolia, is appropriate. Agrifolia means spiny leaves. And though the tree

retains green leaves throughout the year, it also sheds dead leaves, many dead leaves, and they are less than friendly on bare feet. If you are lucky enough to have a mature coast live oak in your garden, you are well aware that its sculptural quali-ties more than compensate for the ongoing maintenance this big beast requires. I find comfort in the manner wherein old trees twist into their strangely beautiful form, their rugged bark accentuating, in counterpoint, their grace and openness. The generous shade offered by their broad crowns seems to invite one to lounge against their trunks and think about things that are never on TV.

Agrifolia became the dominant tree of the costal plain, not because it’s beautiful, but because it’s tough. Though plagued by several diseases and pests, the continu-ing ubiquity of live oaks over the millennia is testament to their ability to resist diseases and fight off pests. Several fungal diseases, with the generic names “twig blights” and “oak branch dieback,” attack the crowns of live oaks. Brown patches in your oak’s canopy are most likely from these fungal diseases. An aesthetic debit, they rarely pose a serious threat to the life of the tree. Unsightly deadwood can be pruned out. Though these diseases come from water-borne fungi, they often occur in oaks weakened by drought stress.

It is common knowledge that over-watering coast live oaks is a good way to kill the tree. Too much summer water promotes the growth of oak root fungus, a common soil fungus that can turn lethal in soggy soils. Less widely appreciated is that summer watering of oaks can make them more disease- and insect-resistant IF, and it is a big IF, they are watered correctly. Correct summer watering of coast live oaks requires placing a soaker hose in a circle around the tree at least ten feet from the trunk and running the water for about two hours–sunset is a good time. It is important to water the tree not more than once a month: once in July, once in August, once in September, and once in October. Over-watering can kill oaks

by stimulating parasitic fungi. Judicious watering during dry summers gives the tree a boost but doesn’t encourage root diseases. It’s better not to water oaks at all than to over-water them, and lawns, grown under the canopy of the oaks, are a common cause of over-watering. One way to make your oak (and the many creatures it supports) happy is to turn lawn under the canopy over to native, drought-tolerant plants. This saves water and reduces the likelihood your oak will get a root disease. Oaks also appreciate a layer of mulch. Mulch helps aerate the soil and improves the environment for beneficial soil creatures.

Given that the current stewards of the coastal plain seldom burn the woodlands, most of our oak forests have built up a significant load of dead wood. To prevent a crown fire, like the one that ravaged the East Bay in 1991, it is important to make all landscape trees and shrubs more fire safe. At Brende and Lamb it is our fervent hope that all current players in the ongoing drama of the oak woodlands act to maintain a healthy ecosystem in which coast live oaks, and the many creatures that depend on them, continue to appear center stage.

Unfortunately, we a starting to see a few cases of Sudden Oak Death (SOD) in the East Bay, concentrated mostly in forested parklands. The SOD pathogen infects susceptible oaks during spring rainstorms. It is difficult to prevent an oak from being infected, but there are steps to reduce the probability of infection, such as the application of Agrifos in Autumn. Further, California bay trees can be a host to SOD, where it occurs as a leaf disease. Infected bays don’t die, but they can spread the spores to oaks as water drips from the bay leaves onto the trunk of an oak. Studies show that pruning back Bay trees to give a 10 foot separation from your oaks can significantly lower the infection rate. At this time, preventative action is the only way of treating the disease. It takes two years for an infected tree to show any sign of infection, and once infected there is no way to cure the disease.

The best place to find current information on SOD is the California Sudden Oak Task Force at www.suddenoakdeath.org.

If your trees need a little TLC, please call 510-486-TREE (8733) or email us at [email protected] for a free estimate. Additionally, go to our website www.brendelamb.com to see before and after pictures, client testimonials, and work in your neighborhood. Advertorial

This is kind of like those people who don’t like tomatoes until they have tasted a home-grown tomato. Both varieties of peas like to be planted in cool enriched soil, and you can grow them easily from seed packet or buy six packs at your nursery. They do need something to climb. In a regular garden setting, I like those bamboo teepee like structures. Whatever trellis method you select, you will need it to be a minimum of 4’ high. Just dig down 6 to 8” and amend soil with some rich planting mix. If planting from seed follow package directions; they germinate and can be seen breaking through the soil in about 10 days. Place Sluggo in a circle about 10” out from the plantings, as slugs like them too. Repeat this periodically as they mature. They like moist, NOT wet soil, so make sure the area you plant them doesn’t get overwatered. The foliage is beautiful, and they have a smaller flower than the floral sweet pea. They are slow at first, and the little stems have to be tied up until they start producing the tendrils that allow them to cling to trellis material...then they just start taking off.

If you want a wonderful seed catalog, you should get the Seed Savers Exchange Catalog of Heirloom Seeds, Books and Gifts. Go to www.seedsavers.org and click on the catalog then on Vegetables. Even if you don’t want to plant anything from seeds, the photos are worth a trip to your computer as they are beautiful glorious color filled photos and a reminder of the things that filled your Grandparents or Great-Grandparent’s gardens. It is also a reminder of how little or few choices we are offered by agribusiness when we could fill our tables with glorious foods.

You can develop mini gardens of heirloom plants by sharing with friends and neighbors; maybe one of your neighbors has the perfect conditions for tomatoes, and you have the perfect conditions for beans and squashes, or chard and rhubarb. You can create an abundance of food by creating your own food and garden exchange between friends and or neighbors’ veggie and herb gardens. Also look to the classes at your local nursery, classes at The Garden at the Times (Contra Costa Times) or the Gardens at Heather Farms. There are plenty of resources and they are all waiting for you to tap into them.

Happy Gardening.


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Troop 32436 Called “True American Patriots”By Jen Stedman

Fourth grade Junior Girl Scout Troop #32436 hosted a school-wide holiday card making event for all Girl Scouts and others who wanted to join in at Lafayette Elementary School in November to support deployed members of our military overseas. They created a banner that contained many good wishes and heartfelt support for our soldiers. In all, two boxes of cards with beautiful sentiments were made, with additional cards created by Lafayette Elementary Boy Scouts Pack #220. These were delivered to the Blue Star Moms for inclusion in Holiday Care Packages.

Several members of the military responded to the girls over the holidays, thanking them for their care and support. One member in particular, Sgt. John King, currently deployed in Kuwait, thanked the girls for being “true American patriots.” In thanks for their hard work and efforts, he generously sent the girls a beautiful American flag flown that was flown over Camp Arifjan, Kuwait on December 20th in honor of Girl Scout Troop #32436, Lafayette, California, on behalf of 3rd Army USARCENT Special Troops Battalion and Sgt. John King, in great appreciation for their support and service to the United States Armed Forces while deployed in support of Operation New Dawn.

The troop performed their first formal flag ceremony at Lafayette Elementary School using this special flag on Thursday, January 19, 2012, with the help of Dave D'Angelo, a veteran of the US Navy.

Montelindo Garden Club Speaker

On Friday, February 17th, Garth Jacober, owner of Mt. Diablo Nursery in Lafayette (www.mtdiablonursery.com), will speak on camellias. Mr. Jacober is a master gardener and camellia expert. He has worked in garden-ing and landscaping for over thirty years.

The program will be held at 10:30AM with a social hour beginning at 9:30AM. The event will be held at the Orinda Community Church located at 10 Irwin Way in Orinda. The public is cordially invited.

For more information on the Montelindo Garden Club visit www.montelindogarden.com.

Share Your News and Events With Us!Contact us at 925.405.6397

[email protected]


One Great Way to Stop DepressionBy Michael Anne Conley, MFT

A few years ago positive psychologist Martin Seligman and his team of researchers discovered an important antidote to feeling down in the dumps.

In a study he describes as exploring practical components for relieving depression, Seligman aligns with some wisdom from the Dalai Lama.

In The Art of Happiness, the Dalai Lama writes that ultimately, the path to happiness is simple:

When you do something and it makes you happy, do it more. Then he says, when you do something and it makes you unhappy, do it less.

Since Seligman’s study offered a key to doing something that leads to feeling more content, I wondered why wouldn’t everyone do it, whether you’re feeling depressed or not? So I experimented myself, and now I recommend it to clients.

The researchers created six exercises, one that was not linked to measuring happiness and five that were. Study participants were randomly assigned to do one of these exercises for one week. The researchers then tracked symptoms of depression and life satisfaction over a period of six months.

Of the six exercises, one of them is something you can do with nothing more than paper and pen or even your mobile device. The results, as Seligman reports, and I’ve experienced myself, are very beneficial.

At the end of each day before going to sleep, write down three things that went well during the day and why.

It might be as small as, “It was great to finish that project today, because I’d been working on it for so long,” or “My teen smiled instead of frowning when I took her to her friend’s house.”

The positive psychologists found that people in this assignment group didn’t just reduce their depression. They were more likely to experience higher satisfaction in their life as well — and they were very likely to continue the exercise on their own beyond the initial week. Unlike other techniques

for reducing depression, then, this simple exercise is self-maintaining. You don’t need anyone else to remind you, because the benefits of doing the exercise are themselves a motivator for doing it again. This practice has become known as the Three Blessings Exercise.

There is the other side of this, according to the Dalai Lama: If you do something and it makes you feel unhappy, stop doing it. Easier said than done, huh? Yet if grumbling about your in-laws leads you to feeling more disgruntled, what would it be like to stop lending your voice to this expression? If you realize that saying “yes” to every request that comes from the homeowners association, PTA, or your church community leaves you feeling resentful, why not find out the results of saying “no” the next time around?

Does this sound familiar? You commiserate with someone else about the bad things that have been going on in your lives, and it just stirs each of you into more negativity instead of relieving your suffering? This type of talk is called “co-rumination,” and it was first identified about 10 years ago in research on adolescent girls, where mutually dwelling on problems actually increased depression and anxiety. From my experience as a therapist, I know that adults can fall into this trap too.

Of course this doesn’t mean that problem solving with a friend is bad, or that pretending to be perky to the exclusion of everything else is good. It’s just an encouragement to balance what you talk about, so that you don’t focus your sharing time on how awful life or other people are to the extent that you feel worse more often than not.

If nothing else, celebrate the good. Join me in writing down those three good things each night this week before you put your head on the pillow. It could work wonders!

Michael Anne Conley is a health educator, marriage and family therapist and the director of Stillpoint Integrative Health Center at 953 Mountain View Drive in Lafayette. She has offered holistic approaches to habit change and addiction issues for 27 years. You can learn more at 925-262-4848 or wellnesslafayette.com. Advertorial

Ask Dr. HappyBy Bob Nozik, MD Dear Dr. Happy,

I am a 50 something divorced woman. Friends tell me I’m attractive, but I haven’t had a steady boyfriend for over three years. Also, I seem to have lost my zip. I’ve had a checkup by my family MD recently, and she tells me I’m in good health. Help! What can I do to get my enthusiasm for life back? ~ No Zip

Dear No Zip,I’m glad you had the good sense to get a physical exam, and that everything

physical is fine. What you describe sounds to me very much like depression. Why is this the case now when you haven’t suffered from depression before? From your note, I suspect it may have something to do with sadness over your perceived loss of youth. If so, you need to understand that every age has its pluses and minuses. Sure, you may not have the blush of youth anymore, but now you have more wisdom and better knowledge of how things in life work than when you were younger. Here’s what I recommend, No Zip. Ask your physician for a recommendation for someone to evaluate you for depression. If that’s what you have, a course of therapy or antidepressants might do wonders for getting your zip back. Even if you are suffering from depression, because you haven’t suffered from it before suggests that once you are better, you may not need it for very long.Happiness Tip

Yes, I am afraid that at age 50 the bloom of youth has indeed faded. While our society has been youth-oriented in the past, it is not so much anymore. The key here is for ‘No Zip’ to apply the happiness key of acceptance. Once she truly accepts her age, she’ll discover that being older is not as bad as she imagined. I’ve noted some of the actual advantages to aging already. But in addition, all of the studies of happiness at different ages clearly show that happiness actually increases as we age. So, by simply accepting her age, ‘No Zip’ is likely to discover the gift of greater happiness there waiting for her.

Please send questions/comments for Dr. Happy to [email protected].

Fair Weather Provides Great Opportunity to Visit Lafayette Reservoir

The Lafayette Reservoir is an all-year, day-use area. It can be a place for solitude or socializing. The fair weather has inspired many to head out to the Reservoir which provides access for fishing, boating, picnicking, hiking, biking, dog walking, geocaching, playground romping, rollerskating, and more.

In February the park is open from 6:30am - 6pm. Daily parking is $6 and short-term parking is $1 per hour. Annual parking passes are also available.

For hiking the Rim Trail provides a dirt covered path 4.7 miles long, and the Lakeside Trail provides a 2.7 mile hike on a paved path.

Fishing for rainbow trout, bluegill, crappie, black bass, and catfish either from the shore or by boat is available. A fishing licnse and daily fishing access permit are required. Bait and tackle as well as fishing access permits can be purchased at the visitors center. For fishing licenses visit www.dfg.ca.gov.

For more park information call 925-284-9669 or visit www.ebmud.com.

A boater fishes for rainbow trout, bluegill, crappie, black bass, and catfish which populate the lake.

[email protected] Lafayette Today ~ February 2012 - Page 177. Pre-operative Appointment: A thorough preoperative evaluation is then

done, and every step of preparation, surgery day, and post operative care is care-fully explained. We schedule a mammogram, lab work, and EKG. Our surgery fee is an all-inclusive package with medications, garments, and dressings.

8. Surgery Day: When the day arrives, my patient is ready. We go over the plan together once again. Although the surgery usually takes an hour, the patient spends the day at our fully accredited private surgery center in Lafayette in the comfort and safety of our caring staff. The day of surgery is really only the mid-point of our patient relationship. We often arrange for our local and out of town patients to stay and be cared for by one of our nurses in a local hotel.

9. Recovery: The process is defined and clear from the detailed preoperative visit. You will be awake the night after surgery and can resume mild activities immediately. If one of my nurses stays with you the first night, you will be kept comfortable, and I am available for you if you have any questions or concerns after the procedure. We follow our patient’s progress frequently after surgery with visits at one week, one month, and six months.

10. Continued Care for Breast Health: I want to see you every year (at no charge) for a breast exam. We remain available to you and hope to see you on a regular basis for your skin care, injectable, laser, plastic, and cosmetic surgery needs.

My goal as a woman surgeon is to help each woman feel great in her body. This may or may not involve any surgery at all. It is about what a woman wants. If you have any questions or concerns about your breasts or think it may be time for a change, it would be my pleasure to take the time for an in-depth consultation with you.

Barbara Persons, MD is a Board Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon by The American Board of Plastic Surgery. She is avail-able at Persons Plastic Surgery, Inc. 911 Moraga Rd, Suite 205, Lafayette 925 283 4012 or [email protected]. Advertorial

Breast Surgery – Is it Time for a Change?By Barbara Persons, MD, Persons Plastic Surgery, Inc.

Breast augmentation is a cosmetic surgical procedure that enables each woman to achieve the breast size and shape she desires. Despite the popularity of this proce-dure, it requires a highly trained surgeon with extensive technical skill and a true sense of artistry.

This is why I recommend that prospective clients consult with a plastic surgeon who is Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Additionally, I am fortunate to have spent an additional year specifically on aesthetic and reconstructive breast surgery, called a “Fellowship,” in addition to my eight years of surgery and plastic surgery training - including chief resident years in both specialties.

Once a woman has had a breast augmentation, she will likely require or desire revision 5, 10 or 15 years later. She may want or need a revision after weight change, having children, or wanting to go from saline to silicone, or she may sim-ply have a desire to be smaller or larger. Nearly every clinic day, I see a woman who has had breast implants done at another time, in another place who wants to look better naked. Yes, naked. A breast revision can certainly help in this regard, and it may mean that one or both implants needs to be removed and replaced. A breast lift may be indicated at the time of revision if excess tissue has developed, lowering the breast. The achievement of exceptional breast revision results requires more thought, planning, and accuracy than the original augmentation procedure. It may also be more expensive.

Despite a durable outer silicone shell on all implants, a deflation or rupture can occur. Deflation of a saline (salt water) implant is easily recognized as it happens fairly quickly and results in a visible difference in the size of the breast. This is not dangerous, because the implant is filled with salt water which is the same as intravenous fluid. A loss of integrity of a silicone implant is also not dangerous and is usually more subtle as the silicone gel remains in the breast pocket. If there is a deflation of a gel implant, the feel of the implant could change (harder or softer). It is important to consult with a plastic surgeon at your earliest convenience to get the implant removed and replaced. Waiting could allow more scar tissue to develop, which can then make it difficult to recreate a natural look.

As our bodies change due to age, pregnancy, and natural weight gain or loss, our desired breast size and shape will also change. An implant that looks attractive on a 120 pound 22 year old may look less proportional on a 35 year old mother of three at 150 pounds. Getting the beautiful or younger look back will require a change. The new cohesive gel implants are lighter than saline and they feel more natural. The implant location below the breast tissue or below the chest muscle (pectoralis) can also improve the look.

The shape of the breast can lose its natural fullness. If a patient wants to go from a larger implant to smaller one, or if excess breast tissue has developed, a mastopexy or breast lift may be necessary to reposition the breast. The exact type of breast lift needed is something I can discuss with you at your consultation.

At Persons Plastic Surgery, we follow a 10-step program to generate consistent results and high patient satisfaction. These steps include:

1. Pre-Consultation Information: The patient is given information about me, our process, surgical options, and a video.

2. Consultation Discussion: This type of procedure is about your goals and desires. We will have a frank and candid conversation, and I will spend most of this time listening. We talk about current size, and desired shape and size. We go over the patient’s medical history and perform an examination.

3. Examination: I evaluate the patients breasts, to go over her shape and how we may, or may not, be able to meet her goals.

4. Photos: We go over photos of my patients to assess what shape and size is right and how we can achieve this result.

5. Homework: The patient and her friend, husband, or partner have a few fun assignments to pick the right look and for the patient and I to agree about the desired result.

6. Scheduling Surgery: Our Patient Care Coordinator will schedule the procedure, go over any additional questions, discuss costs, and ensure the best possible experience.

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Stroke Support GroupThe Stroke Support Group Of Contra Costa County will hold its

monthly meeting on Monday, February 13th at 7pm in the Concord Room at John Muir Medical Center-Concord Campus located at 2540 East Av-enue in Concord. The speaker will be Anne Sigmon, a stroke survivor, and her topic will be “Travel (Even to the Wild) After Stroke.”

After the program, attendees will break up into three coping groups: stroke survivors without aphasia, stroke survivors with aphasia, and caregivers and families of stroke survivors, each group led by a trained professional.

For further information about the Stroke Support Group, contact Ann Dzuna at 925-376-6218. Meetings are free and open to the public.

www.yourmonthlypaper.comPage 18 - February 2012 ~ Lafayette Todaycould be used as a liquid face cleanser, or an acne soap with salicylic acid would also help. Keep in mind that the treat-ment will control, but not cure, the condition. Prescription strength products will help if you aren’t improving. Rosacea is best treated with prescription creams or oral medications. Avoiding known triggers helps too. If some of the redness seems permanent, a few treatments with an IPL- Intense Pulsed Light machine or a vascular laser can easily be done by your dermatologist.

Intermittent redness is caused by overuse of retinoids, winter dryness, and/or impetigo. Topical retinoids (Retin A, Refissa, Renova, and others) usually cause dryness, redness, and flaking when first applied. Over time most people’s skin adjusts and becomes less irritated. This is less likely when over the counter strength retinols are applied. Winter dryness due to forced air heat, colder weather, and wind can all dry our skin, particularly in sensitive areas such as around the nose. Impetigo is caused by a superficial skin infection in open, raw skin.

Retinoid overuse appears as redness, flaking, peeling, and sore, raw skin. Winter dryness looks much the same. Impetigo appears as red, raw, skin with dried on yellowish, honey-colored crusting.

The triggers and treatment of intermittent redness are several fold. For retinoid overuse, remind yourself that the full benefit of retinoids takes at least two months to appear, so start out slowly, using a lentil size amount of product on your entire face, and apply it only three nights weekly. After a month, you can apply it nightly, if tolerated. If your skin is still sensitive around your nose, avoid that area all to-gether. Avoid scrubbing your face, and avoid cleansers with microbeads, ground up apricot pits, etc. To protect your skin from winter dryness, use a moisturizer and sunscreen daily. And, follow the advice about avoiding microbead cleansers and overscrubbing your face. Impetigo is triggered by close contact with someone who is infected, usually a small child. Careful hand washing, using separate towels and washcloths, and applying mupirocin (Bactroban) easily clears up the infection.

To have your skin evaluated by a board certified dermatologist and have a treatment specifically designed for your skin, contact Dr. Kelly Hood, 970 Dew-ing, Suite 301, Lafayette, 925-283-5500, [email protected] or Dr. Shanny Baughman at Alamo Oaks Dermatology, 3189 Danville Blvd, suite 130, Alamo, 925-362-0992, [email protected] Advertorial

What Should I Do for Redness Around My Nose?By Dr. Shanny Baughman

Redness in the fold by your nose can be a bother, especially when you don’t know why it’s there. I will help you to try to figure out the cause of the redness, then I will direct you towards specific treatments. I like to divide causes of redness into two categories- chronic-ongoing, or intermittent- infrequent. If you just became aware of redness around your nose, think back to when

you first noticed it and how long it has been present. Chronic redness is caused by seborrheic dermatitis or rosacea. Seborrheic der-

matitis is also known as seborrhea, or sebderm. It occurs on areas of the skin rich on sebaceous glands (oil glands). The precise cause is unknown, but Malssezia furfur, a normally occurring yeast on our skin, helps contribute to the condition. Rosacea is an inflammatory condition of the skin that occurs in light skinned people of Northern European ancestry. Blushing and flushing is more frequent and lasts longer in people with rosacea, until their skin becomes permanently red.

Seborrheic dermatitis appears as redness, with flaky skin, greasy scales, and itching or burning. It is symmetrical, and it may also develop in your eyebrows, around your ears, and on the scalp and chin. In babies it is called cradle cap, but it can occur at any age. Rosacea appears as redness in the central face, with dilated blood vessels, and sometimes with red bumps and pimples. Rhinophyma, a lumpy, red, enlarged nose, may develop in advanced forms.

Triggers of seborrheic dermatitis include cold weather, seasonal change, dif-ferent water, and different soaps. Rosacea triggers include extreme heat or cold, eating spicy food, drinking hot caffeinated beverages, or drinking alcohol.

Treatment of seborrheic dermatitis responds best to a combination approach. I recom-mend over-the-counter products that are available at most drug stores or even grocery stores to begin with. Start with a mild topical steroid to control inflammation such as Aquanil HC lotion, an emollient lotion with hydrocortisone 1%, or 1% hydrocortisone ointment. I generally do not recommend 1% hydrocortisone cream because other added ingredients might increase, rather than decrease, inflammation. An antifungal shampoo such as Nizoral, Selsun Blue, or Head and Shoulders Intensive Treatment

Dr. Kelly Hood, LafayetteDr. Shanny Baughman, Alamo

Lic# 1100014354; Bay Area Entertainment

Brainwaves by Betsy Streeter Hearing Loss Association Come to meetings of the Diablo Valley Chapter of Hearing Loss

Association of America at 7pm on the 1st Wednesday of the month at the Walnut Creek United Methodist Church located at 1543 Sunnyvale Ave., Walnut Creek Education Bldg., Wesley Room. Meeting room and parking are at back of church. All are welcome. Donations are accepted. Assistive listening system are available for T-coils, and most meetings are captioned. Contact: [email protected] or 925.264.1199 or www.hearinglossdv.org.

[email protected] Personal Nutritionist By Linda Michaelis, RD. MS.A Sneak Peak Into Two Case Studies

Here we are after the madness of the holidays, and I would like to share with you a couple of cases that I have seen in my office in the last month. I hope you can gain some insight for yourself and your family.David

David was referred to me by his physician for dia-betes. His blood sugars were in the 400 range, and now

when he thinks back, he ignored the symptoms of frequent thirst, urination, blurred vision, and dizziness. Please do not ever disregard these symptoms because if quickly taken care of, you can prevent diabetes. When I get a call from a frantic newly diagnosed diabetic like David, the first thing I always tell them is to stop drinking juices, sodas, and smoothies.

David is on the road as a salesman and says he felt that colas and juices kept his energy up. I explained to him that he has become addicted to the sugar in these drinks, and when his blood sugar drops every couple of hours, it spurs him to reach for another sugar laden beverage. David will now replace these beverages with sugar-free drinks such as Vitamin Zero.

In order to go to the next step, I reviewed David’s food diary and could see he was not consuming anywhere near enough protein and fiber in his meals which helped to explain why he succumbed to the bad habit of resorting to sugar. I concluded he needed to eat more frequent meals, every few hours, that would be balanced with protein and fiber. This would help prevent his cravings for sugar. We discussed his likes and dislikes and came up with an initial plan. For breakfast he agreed to substitute his typical two slices of wheat bread and butter with two slices of 100% whole wheat bread and peanut butter, a serving of Kashi Go Lean cereal, or two hard-boiled eggs with a toasted 100% whole wheat English muffin with butter. He agreed to take in his car a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack of beef or turkey jerky, cottage cheese, or even a serving of almonds with an apple which is a low sugar fruit. For dinner he will keep his servings of starches to a minimum. We focused on a one-cup serving of brown rice, whole wheat couscous, whole wheat

pasta, or legumes (like beans or lentils) which could be combined with two cups of tasty sautéed veggies with herbs and a serving of protein. I promised him that before long he would be able to have a couple of cookies and a glass of wine with dinner if he began a 30 minute morning and evening walking program. Walking burns excess sugar and always lowers your blood sugar.

I am communicating with David every other day through e-mail and via phone and guiding him to make the best food choices. I have had fabulous results in the past with such a program, and I am glad to tell you that after working with David for a month his blood sugars are in the low 200’s, and we will continue working together to get them in the normal range.Susan

As a parent of a college-aged student, I advise you to take a keen interest in your child’s nutrition which often falls short. Susan, who was referred to me for weight loss and low energy, has a diet typical of students newly liv-ing off campus - a constant dosage of frozen pizza, bagels, and Top Ramen along with too much coffee and sugar.

When I see this pattern unfold with my college students, one of the first things I do is educate them on how to read food labels for important facts such as protein, fiber, fat, and sugar content. After educating her, Susan and I went on a tour of Trader Joe’s and Safeway where I showed her some delicious, easy-to-prepare meal options that will provide the energy she needs to get through a demanding day. Based on Susan’s taste, we came up with several simple dishes she could prepare such as black beans with salsa, quinoa or whole wheat couscous with veggies and pot stickers, baked potatoes topped with broccoli and cheese or chili, scrambled eggs with veggies and whole wheat toast, oatmeal with brown sugar and raisins, and chicken Caesar salads. Susan is very inspired by our work together and is now e-mailing me her food diary. We have also set up a schedule to talk on the phone every few days.

I am glad to inform you that both of my clients were covered by health insurance.

Please feel free to call me at (925) 855-0150 or e-mail me at [email protected] and tell me about your nutritional concerns. Refer to my website www.lindaRD.com for past articles, recipes, and nutrition tips. Advertorial

Doctors Receive Patients’ Choice Award By Diablo Valley Oncology

The recognition of the Patients’ Choice Award reflects the dif-ference that a particu-lar physician has made in the lives of their patients. The honor is bestowed to physicians who have received near perfect scores as voted by their patients. Of the nation's 830,000 active physicians, only 5% were accorded this honor by their patients in 2011.

All seven physicians at Diablo Valley Oncology recently received this prestigious award. They are physicians Matthew Sirott, Robert Robles, Jewel Johl, Tiffany Svahn, Gigi Chen, Esther Catalya, and Sachin Ka-math. These medical oncologists, hematologists, and radiation oncologist were rated by their patients on various components of care such as ease of appointment, promptness, courteous staff, diagnosis accuracy, amount of time they spent with the patient, their bedside manner, and follow-up care. They received the highest scores, a perfect four star rating by their patients. In fact, the practice has more doctors recognized than any other oncology practice in the area.

Dr. Svahn, the group’s breast cancer specialist, has received the award four years in a row. One comment from a patient’s review states: “Dr. Svahn represents everything that is good about the medical profession. She is brilliant, very well trained, thorough in her exams and the questions she asks, but most important, she is a very caring human being. She made me feel as if we were partners in getting me well. I highly recommend her!”

Another patient wrote: “Dr. Catalya really listened to me - she created a plan to go after my cancer. I am now cancer free - one year later. I cannot thank her enough.”

To view the complete Patients’ Choice “MD report card” profile of each physician, go to www.patientschoice.org.

Diablo Valley Oncology is located at the California Cancer and Re-search Institute in Pleasant Hill. The cancer center is the largest free-standing, non-hospital based facility in Contra Costa County. The center brings together medical oncology, hematology, radiation, chemotherapy, diagnostic imaging, clinical trials, and supportive care services – all in one convenient location. Satellite offices in Rossmoor, San Ramon, and Brentwood. For more information visit www.diablovalleyoncology.md or call 925-705-4493. Advertorial

Humor, Heart, and Hope: Laughter Through the Cancer Journey

Join the Cancer Support Community for an uplifting symposium designed to bring the joy of laughter to those living with cancer and their family and friends. The program will provide a laughter-fueled, learning-filled look at how humor can enrich life. The program will also cover how to tap the positive power of humor in inviting more humor and happiness in life while living with cancer.

The symposium is presented by the Cancer Support Community San Fran-cisco Bay Area and John Muir Health. It will be held Saturday, March 3rd from 9am – Noon at the Veterans Memorial Building, 3780 Mt. Diablo Boulevard in Lafayette. The event is free, but reservations are required. Please call (925) 933-0107 no later than March 1st to reserve a space.Is Food a Problem for You?

Overeaters Anonymous offers a fellowship of individuals who, through shared experience and mutual support, are recovering from compulsive overeating. This is a 12-step program. The free meetings are for anyone suffering from a food addiction including overeating, under-eating, and bulimia. The group meets Wednesdays at 6PM at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Lafayette. Visit www.how-oa.org for more information.



Multiple Symptoms of Multiple SclerosisBy Michael Nelson, M.D.

There are few neurological conditions that have as many potential symptoms as multiple sclerosis. As a medical student doing their neurology rotation, if you wanted to sound smart, you could give multiple sclerosis as a diagnosis to almost any neurological symptom. These symptoms include vision loss, numbness,

weakness, dizziness, hearing changes, bladder changes, fatigue, memory loss, incoordination, slurred speech, swallowing trouble, burning sensation, word finding difficult; well you get the idea. These multiple symptoms also lead to a lot of anxiety in patients that look up their symptoms on the internet and then become convinced they have multiple sclerosis (MS).

Let me give you an example. You wake up in the morning, and your hand is asleep. You become concerned and search “hand numbness” on the internet, and multiple sclerosis comes up. You then read about fatigue and memory loss as other symptoms of multiple sclerosis, and the next thing you know you are dialing my office for an urgent appointment. While I generally feel that the internet is helpful in medicine, this morning it has lead you astray. It can’t separate simply sleeping on your hand verses having a serious neurological condition. Common symptoms like fatigue and memory loss add to the trouble. Who isn’t tired or occasionally forgets things?

Most symptoms of multiple sclerosis come on over several days and leave over several weeks. They are constant during this period. Because the symptoms come from a plaque forming in a specific part of the brain or spinal cord, they follow neurological patterns consistent with those locations. It is more common to have an entire leg go numb rather than just your big toe. Another example is change in vision. The vision change of multiple sclerosis is most commonly optic neuritis which leads to decreased vision in one eye. Don’t forget about the timing pattern. If you have symptoms for thirty seconds, it’s not going to be multiple sclerosis.

The other important consideration of multiple sclerosis is the multiple part

of the name. This refers to have two events separated by time and location. For example, a young woman had optic neuritis two years ago and is now coming to my office with entire right leg numbness. She probably has multiple sclerosis. Now I do realize that I am giving the older definition of multiple sclerosis and MRI technology combined with a lumbar puncture can greatly predict the chance of having multiple sclerosis after one event. My point is that a single event is harder to diagnosis and more likely to be innocent.

Your age will also help judge your chance of having multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis is most commonly diagnosed in women aged 20-40 and men aged 30-50. So, if you are old enough to live in Rossmoor, and you have a new neurological symptom, it is probably not going to be multiple sclerosis.

Hopefully this article will provide some education into the puzzling world of neurology. Proper diagnosis of any of the above symptoms should be made by a neurologist. Neurologists are medical specialists who treat multiple sclerosis and other neurological diseases. If you would like to learn more about multiple sclerosis or contribute to its cure, please visit the MS Society website at www.nationalmssociety.org.

Michael Nelson, M.D. is a board certified adult neurologist who has been serving general neurology patients in the East Bay for the past nine years. His office is located at 970 Dewing Ave, Suite #300 in Lafayette. He can be reached at (925) 299-9022 to schedule and appointment and can also be found on the web at www.michaelnelsonmd.com. Advertorial

Community Center Offers Dancing Opportunities for all Ages

Over at the Lafayette Community Center, dancing is a passion, and there is a chance for all ages can get in the groove this winter! The Center is offering classes for people of all ages and even events for youths and teens.

Adults can try their hand at Belly Dancing, Line Dancing, or even Jazzercise. In addition to these classes, we are offering Ballroom Dance Date Night every Friday night! Each week you will learn a new style from Rumba to the Foxtrot all while being guided through the steps by our talented instructor Doris Bergman. This can be a romantic single date night or fun group date night opportunity. Ballroom Dance Date Nights are held every Friday night from 7:30-8:30 through March 30th.

Do you have an 8th grader who is looking for a way to have fun meeting other 8th graders in the Lamorinda area? The Lafayette Youth Commission’s annual 8th Grade Tri-City Dance is a unique opportunity for your child to meet other 8th graders in the Lamorinda area and spend hours dancing and socializing. The 8th grade Tri-City Dance is for all Stanley, Joaquin Moraga, and Orinda Intermediate 8th graders and will be held on Friday, February 24th from 7:30-10pm. All LYC events are alcohol and drug free and supervised by the commissioners, parent volunteers, and numerous City staff members. Tickets are only $5 and are available at the Lafayette Community Center.

Daughters, grab dad and come have fun at the Mardi Gras themed Father/Daughter Dance on Friday, March 2nd! Come dressed in your favorite Mardi Gras colors, and prepare to boogey down with Dad to all your favorite songs. Dances like the limbo, the Macarena, and the YMCA as well as current hit songs will get your toes a tappin’. Punch, coffee, and cake will be available ,and all daughters will take home a completed craft project.

For more information, call 925-284-2232 or go to www.lafayetterec.org. The Lafayette Community Center is always offering new dancing opportunities, so make sure to check in every season to see what we have in store!

Weekly Dance SocialDance for joy at weekly Social, or just come to chat; all are welcome.

Twirl, chat, and tap your feet to the beat at the weekly Social for all-level and all-style dancers, music lovers, and observers Wednesdays from 12:30 to 2:50PM at Lafayette the Community Center. The longtime event, with continuous, professionally recorded music, is held in the big, bright Live Oak Room. Tables are set up for friendly conversation, and friends, visitors, and newcomers are especially invited to chat and watch, or dance, or both. The Dance Social specializes in ballroom, but any style dance adds to the charm.

The whole scene gets extra lively the first Wednesday of each month when professional dance duo Karen and Michael DJ music and vary lessons from peppy Latin, to waltz, and to swing. Other weeks, Elroy Holtmann, Dance Social president, and longtime Lafayette resident, presides as DJ.

The Lafayette Community Center is located at 500 St. Mary’s Road. A map, additional Dance Social details, and any upcoming skip-dates are posted at sites.google.com/site/lafayetteteadance.

Fees for the event are $2 for members of Lafayette Senior Center, and $4 for non-members. It costs just $10 a year to join the Center and enjoy the complete range of activities available.

Shop LocalShopping local matters.

The top 10 reasons are: 1) It keeps dollars in our economy; 2) It fosters what makes us unique; 3) It creates local jobs; 4) It helps the environment; 5) It nurtures our community; 6) It conserves tax dollars; 7) It creates more choice; 8) It takes advantage of local expertise; 9) It invests in entrepeneurship; and 10) It makes us a destination.

The continued efforts of Try Lafayette First are reflected in downtown banners. Visit www.trylafayettefirst.org for updated information about the importance of shopping local and local resource options.


The “Case” for Athletic ScreeningBy Drew Nash, M.D. 1-to-1 Pediatrics

Greetings from Danville! As 1-to-1 Pediatrics ap-proaches its first anniversary, I want to reach out and give thanks to all of the individuals and families who have supported me during my transition. My unique hometown style pediatric practice is thriving in the his-toric A.J. Young house on San Ramon Valley Boulevard. Even with this success, there is some misinformation

floating around regarding what 1-to-1 Pediatrics is all about. Suffice it to say that unless information comes from me or my office directly, it might not be accurate. My practice has remained an in-network provider for most commercial PPO and HMO insurance plans. As a supplementary option, my office continues to offer services not traditionally available in the primary care realm such as in-home newborn care, house calls, educational seminars and support groups. Practicing this way is a breath of fresh air - both for me and the families I care for.

One of the “hot topics” in adolescent medicine is screening of the competitive athlete prior to participation. What level of evaluation is necessary to minimize the risk of life-threatening events? Many of the cardiac dysrhythmias that can result in death can be detected with screening not available (or practical) in most primary care settings.

Recently, many professional athletes have been sidelined with concussions for prolonged periods of time. This is the result of better understanding and con-sensus by the medical community regarding management of these injuries. The adolescent athlete represents a more complicated situation as they often don’t

exhibit physical symptoms of concussion after a head injury. Consequentially, when teenagers do experience headaches and other post-concussive symptoms, they may have suffered a substantially greater degree of brain trauma than an adult with equivalent symptoms.

Over the past few years, several tragic outcomes of sports related head injuries have garnered national media attention. “Second impact syndrome” can cause death or severe morbidity in athletes who sustain recurrent head trauma before an initial injury has sufficient chance to heal.

The newest offering of 1-to-1 Pediatrics is the Comprehensive Athletic Screening Evaluation (CASE). This examination tool is designed to screen the competitive athlete for potential cardiac, neurologic, and orthopedic problems which might put the adolescent at risk for both injury and tragedy. CASE includes a detailed, relevant history of the athlete and their family for risk factors and “red flags,” a physical examination with detail focused on the cardiac, neuro-logic and orthopedic systems, a 12-lead electrocardiogram with computerized interpretation, and baseline neuro-cognitive testing. In the event of a head injury or suspected concussion, the athlete can be retested and followed over time. By having this baseline testing performed, the clinician can more accurately deter-mine when the concussed athlete is ready to return to play.

As an integral part of the community, 1-to-1 Pediatrics is offering CASE to all athletes in the community aged 12 and over. You need not be a regular patient here to obtain this level of screening and reas-surance. Call the office at 925-362-1861, email [email protected] or visit our website www.1to1pediatrics.com to find out more and schedule your child’s CASE. Advertorial

Get S.M.A.R.T.A Teen Esteem tool to use when mak-

ing a difficult decision or avoid a difficult situation: Get S.M.A.R.T.

S – Say no. Be comfortable using this super important tool!

M – Make up your mind about your values. Do it now, not later!

A - Accountability. Make friends with those who support you and your values!

R – Respect. No one wants to be treated with disrespect. Treat others with respect, even if they don’t act like they want it!

T – Think beyond the moment. It could save you from broken dreams and LOTS of heartache.

Teen continued from front pageNever before has the adage, “It takes a village to raise a child,” been more apt. Teen Esteem is that village.

Teen Esteem was founded in 1994 by Linda Turnbull out of concern that many young people were lured to risky behaviors that could potentially lead to negative lifelong repercussions. Executive Director Turnbull and her team of four part-time staff members, a board of directors, trained volunteer speakers, and community volunteers work together to equip, educate, and empower teens and their parents on issues related to health, well-being, self-respect, and respect for others.

Through volunteer speakers and ongoing interaction with school administrators, counselors, law enforcement, doctors and parents, Teen Esteem has the ability to ac-curately access current youth culture and trends, and in turn, relevantly address high school and middle schools students throughout the Tri-Valley area with their “Healthy Choices” presentations. Teen Esteem speakers are young adults, trained to deliver an informative, dynamic, and memorable message. The parent education team includes community professionals who, through informational events, equip parents as to how they can best prepare their child for the turbulent adolescent years.

A presentation example includes the “teacup analogy” exercise: three volunteer students each choose a cup- a red plastic cup, a chipped ceramic coffee mug, or a fine china teacup. They are asked to describe what their cup is used for, how they feel about it, how long they will keep it, and if it is special. Resulting dialogue is reflective of how the students view themselves and how they allow others to treat them: Party cup: flashy, pretty, no worth, disposable, easily forgotten. Chipped mug: dependable but replaceable, boring, not special, temporary. Fine china teacup: special, unique, having great worth, deserving respect and protection. A presenter then asks the group of students if they know others at school who view themselves as one of the various cups. The students are then informed that they are all teacups - special, unique and valuable – and that each student deserves the very best in life.

“Self esteem and self image are difficult issues to discuss amongst teens in a manner to which they’ll listen,” says Teen Esteem Program Developer Heather Small. “The teacup analogy really works for us.”

More than 140,000 students have heard the Teen Esteem message since 1994, and more than 10,000 parents have been reached through parent education events. “The most valuable feedback we receive is from students thanking us for the in-formation we provide,” says Turnbull. “This indicates that our presentation is not only relevant and crucial to their world, but it is an encouragement and reminder for them to be informed and to think through their choices.”

Small quotes the following testimonial from a high schooler who was influ-enced by the Healthy Choices presentation: “The speakers brought to my atten-

tion the types of pressures I would face in high school and ways to avoid making poor choices. I was able to keep my commitment to myself, not engage in risky behavior and stay focused on what was important to me. At graduation, two of my peers approached me to tell me how much they respected the choices I made throughout high school, and that they wished they had been able to do the same. Both of them had a lot of baggage they were dealing with due to some of the poor choices they had made.”

Turnbull cites a desire to double the number of students reached each year, and their new multi-media assembly project will help to achieve this goal. “With community grants from the San Ramon Kiwanis Club and the Diablo Country Club Foundation, we have been working for the past three years on this project,” says Turnbull, who acknowledges the need for $10,000 in order to complete and facilitate additional assemblies. “Our new multi-media assembly will engage students with video footage, live testimonies regarding high-risk choices related to drugs, alcohol and prescription drug abuse, and the subsequent consequences,” says Turnbull. “Our cast will include parents, law en-forcement, medical personnel, young adults, and a moderator. The audience will experience how some choices can lead to tragic endings with devastating impact on family and friends. Our ultimate goal is to get kids thinking about how choices they are making can impact them today and in the future in either a positive or negative way. Choices made today will determine their tomorrows!”

The annual number of Teen Esteem presentations is relative to the number of volunteer speakers available. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Heather Small at [email protected]. For more information on Teen Esteem and how you can help, visit www.teenesteem.com, where you can also sign up for their newsletter. For weekly parenting tips and resources, “like” them on Facebook. Teen Esteem will be presenting at the The San Ramon Valley PTA Parenting Con-ference, February 25th; visit www.srvcouncilpta.org for more information.


a song in your heart! Light refreshments will be served. Call Lafayette Senior Services at 284-5050 to let us know you are coming. $3 Members/ $5 Non-Members Self-Discovery and Aging, Creative Writing Workshop Alternate Mondays 2/13, 2/27, 3/12, 3/16, 3/26 • Noon – 2pm • Arts and Crafts Room, Lafayette Community CenterWrite to explore issues around aging, emotion and perception – or get support to write on any topic! Workshop sessions include writing prompts, feedback and encouragement, and information about the world of writers, writing, and publishing. Take a seat around our table!Bi-Monthly Caregiver Support Group Mondays 2/13, 2/27, 3/12, 3/26 • 1:30–2:30PM • Sequoia Room, LSCCaring for frail older adults in the home often creates great stress and emotional anguish for spouses and family members. Licensed Geriatric Care Manager Carol Shenson, M.A., CMC, offers a bi-monthly support group for family members who will be or are involved with the direct careLamorinda Dance Social Every Wednesday • 12:30 – 3PM • Live Oak Room, LSCEnjoy afternoon dancing every Wednesday, and learn some great new dance moves. On the first Wednesday monthly, professional dancers Karen and Michael will provide a dance lesson and live DJ services, playing your favorites and taking requests. $2 Members/ $4 non-members.Positive Living Forum (a.k.a “Happiness Club”) Thursdays 2/9 (Cedar), 2/9, 3/8 (Elderberry) • 10:30am – noonPositive Living Forum features eminent speakers on a wide range of topics that will stimulate and guide participants towards a more ideal and positive life experience. Drop-ins are welcome. Moderated by Dr. Bob Nozik, MD. Lafayette Senior Services Commission - The Commission meets on the 4th Thursday of the month at 3:30 – 5:30PM at the Lafayette Senior Services Center. View agendas at the City of Lafayette office or at www.ci.lafayette.ca.us. Free Legal Assistance for Older Adults 3/2 10am or 11am • Alder Room• Landlord/Tenant Problems • Medi-Cal Issues • Durable Powers of Attorney • SSI Overpayment • Rights of Nursing Home & Long-term Care Residents. Call 925-284-5050 to schedule an appointment.

Heartfelt & Supportive

At All Times...

www.excellentcareathome.com

Our mission is to provide personalized care, help maintain independence and enhance our client’s quality of life on a daily basis.

• Free in-home assessments ensure the right care plan for you• Fully bonded and insured• Elder referral and placement

3645 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Suite DLafayette, CA 94549(beside Trader Joe’s) 925-284-1213

• Regular home visits• Hourly care• Live-in care• Geriatric care mgmt.

Events for Lafayette SeniorsAll classes are held at the Lafayette Senior

Center (LSC) located at 500 Saint Mary’s Rd in Lafayette unless otherwise noted. Space is limited. Please call 925-284-5050 to reserve a spot. Annual Membership fee: $10 per person. General Event fee: Members $1; Non-Member $3. Special Concerts fee: Members $3; Non-Members $5. Ongoing Caregiver Support Group: Members: no charge; Non-members $1.Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Programs (HICAP) for Medicare Beneficiaries and their FamiliesHICAP provides free and objective counseling and advocacy services to Contra Costa Medicare beneficiaries and their families who need assistance with Medicare enrollment and with issues involving Medicare and associated insurance programs, including prescription drug coverage.Appointments (held in the Alder Room) are available 3/7 10am or 11am or 2/21, 3/20 10am, 10:45am or 11:30am.Fall Awareness – Maintaining Your Independence Tuesdays 2/21, 2/28, 3/6, 3/13 • 10:30am-Noon • Elderberry RoomTake part in this series and learn how to stay strong to stay on your feet! 2/21: Risk Factors for Falling, Individual Health Concerns, Strengthening Exercises2/28: The Activity Pyramid, Creating an Exercise Agenda, Balance Exercises3/6: Home Assessments, Medication Management, Stretching Guidelines3/13: Osteoporosis – Maintaining Strong Bones, How to Fall (and Get Up), Strength TrainingBox lunches will be served after class. You must register in advance to attend the classes. Fee for the 4-class series, lunch, Theratube exercise band, and exercise booklet is $15 Members/ $18 Non-Members.Digital Camera and Photo Management Wednesday 2/29, 10:30am - Noon • Elderberry RoomYou’ve got your digital camera. You’ve taken some pictures. Now what? Learn the basics of how to take photos efficiently, download them to your computer, organize, view, and print them. Veterans’ Benefits Wednesday 3/28 • 10:30am-Noon • Elderberry RoomIf you are a Veteran, you should be aware of the benefits available to you. The Contra Costa County Veteran Services Office provides assistance to the men and women who served in the Armed Forces of America, their dependents and survivors, and the general public, in obtaining benefits from the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA), Dept. of Defense (DOD), California Dept. of Veterans Affairs (CDVA), and other programs for veterans and their families. Anne Randolph WorkshopAnne Randolph, RPT, has been practicing physical therapy for 32 years. She provides outpatient therapy in Lafayette and specializes in the care of those 55 and over. Please call (925) 284-5050 to register. • Posture - Friday 2/24 • 11:30am-12:30pm • Sequoia RoomNot only does poor posture not look good, it can lead to discomfort, pain, and other problems. Discussion, demonstration, and exercises will be offered to improve your posture, decrease your pain, and help in the never-ending fight against gravity. Free Memory Screening Following Randolph WorkshopCauses of memory loss include simple age related decline to more serious conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. Often memory can be improved with early diagnosis and intervention. Appointments are required; please call 284-5050. Appointments: 12:30, 12:50, 1:10pm

Let’s Fall in Love! An Afternoon Jazz Piano Event at the Library Friday 2/17 • 1:30pm-2:30pm • Community Hall, Lafayette Library and Learning Center, 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd.Celebrate Valentine’s Day with an afternoon of jazz performed on the library’s beautiful Steinway piano. Let the talented musicians of the Contra Costa Performing Arts Society bring music to your ears -- you’ll leave with

Congratulations to Susan Skilton (53) and Don Tatzin (59) for coming in first in their respective age groups for the 2011 United States Masters Swimming “Go The Distance” event!

Susan swam 944.20 miles! Her nearest competitor completed 930.18 miles. Susan finished 26th

overall – men and women – all age groups.

Don swam 1,731.15 miles! His nearest competitor completed 1,516.59 miles. Only two swimmers completed over 1,500 miles in 2011. Over 2,800 swimmers participated in 2011.

Don also was number one in the nation for the third straight year (2009, 2010, and 2011).

See www.usms.org for more details.

Way to go – Susan and Don!

[email protected] Out and About vs. Staying Home Alone By Mary Bruns, Program Coordinator Lamorinda Senior Transportation, An Alliance of Transportation Providers

At the last Senior Mobility Action Council Meeting, a local attorney addressed the importance of Senior Transportation, saying that the biggest challenge for seniors was overcoming the tendency to become increasingly isolated and thereby vulnerable to financial predators who phone or stop by. Other participants echoed the attorney’s concern for the well-being and mobility needs of seniors who have given up their car keys. This group advocates for senior transportation, for funding for senior transportation, and for volunteer drivers.

Lafayette, Orinda, and Moraga are fortunate in having senior transportation programs in place which you or your older friends and relatives can use and enjoy. In the picture, you see a large group

of seniors turning out for the annual Lafayette Senior Services Holiday Concert which benefits the Lamorinda Spirit Van Program. We encourage you to take advantage of the Lafayette Senior Services schedule of events and to use the Lamorinda Spirit Van to meet your transportation needs. The more active you stay, the healthier, stronger, and safer you will be.

Our two-van program is successfully underway, and due to our expanded schedule, we are experiencing a greater influx of calls for our service. We are excited to see this growth, and we are learning to manage the more complex logistics.

Additional volunteer drivers for the van program as well as for the Senior Helpline Services Rides for Seniors and the Orinda Seniors Around Town programs will help our tri-city community meet the challenge of an aging population. Four additional volunteer drivers would allow the Van Program to offer rides all day Monday through Friday. Additional drivers for Senior Helpline Services and Orinda Seniors Around Town will allow them to accept more clients.

Volunteerism is a key component in creating a vibrant healthy community. As we mentioned last month, consider what you would like your legacy to be – to Lafayette, to Lamorinda, to Contra Costa County, and beyond. As you step up to the plate to give a ride to a senior who no longer drives, you are paving the way for services to be in place when you need them.

There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness. - Dalai Lama.

Volunteerism is “Kindness in Action.”


Lafayette Today ClassifiedsReach over 11,500 homes and businesses in Lafayette - Help Wanted, For Sale, Services, Lessons, Pets, Rentals, Wanted, Freebies... $35 for up to 45 words. $5 for each additional 15 words. Send or email submissions to: 3000F Danville Blvd #117, Alamo, CA 94507 or [email protected]. Run the same classified ad in our sister papers “Alamo Today” or “Danville Today News” and pay half off for your second and/or third ad! Payment by check made out to “The Editors” must be received before ad will print. Your cancelled check is your receipt. We reserve the right to reject any ad.

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ARCHITECTJOHN ROLF HATTAM - ARCHITECT Specializes in modest budget, new and remodeled residences. Over 200 completed projects. AUTHOR: Houses on Hills and Other Irregular Places. Also, National Parks from an Architect’s Sketchbook Call for a brochure: 510-841-5933. 737 Dwight Way, Berkeley.

LESSONSMUSIC INSTRUCTION with Robbie Dunbar. Bach to Beatles and beyond. Piano, guitar, other instruments. All ages and levels welcome! I travel to your home. Decades of experience, including Masters of Music Composition. Also PIANO TUNING. (925) 323-9706, [email protected]

Lamorinda Senior Transportation An Alliance of Transportation Providers

*Call each program for information, opportunities to volunteer and to make tax-deductible donations. Volunteer drivers are always appreciated. Lamorinda Spirit Van 283-3534

Serving Lamorinda seniors with rides to the C.C. Café for lunch in a social setting, grocery and sundry shopping, errands, medical appointments, physical therapy, other appointments, etc. $10 round trip. Call to register or for more information.Contra Costa Yellow Cab and DeSoto Company 284-1234

20% discount for Lamorinda seniors. A taxi is often an economical alternative to owning, insuring, and maintaining a car.Volunteer Driver Program Volunteers driving their own cars provide free rides for seniors.Orinda Seniors Around Town 402-4506

Serving Orinda seniors with rides for appointments and errands.Senior Helpline Services Rides for Seniors 284-6161

Serving Contra Costa seniors with rides to medical appointments Monday through Fridays and to grocery shopping on Saturdays. Ask about reassurance phone calls.

The Best is Yet to Be ForumThe Best is Yet to Be forum features speakers on positive aging. Topics include

progress on Alzheimer’s, planning tips for old age, achieving dreams, and Veteran’s benefits. In addition, a free senior information fair will be held.

The fourth annual event is set for 8:45am to 1pm, Friday, February 17th, in Walnut Creek. An entertainment bonus will be provided by Lucille Ball, as por-trayed by Sheilah Morrison, a talented community theater performer.

A free senior information fair will be held throughout the morning next door to the forum. Sixteen exhibitors will describe their varied services, and they will furnish prizes, pamphlets, and gifts.

The events will be held at Heather Farm Community Center located at 301 N. San Carlos Drive, Walnut Creek. The nonprofit Diablo Valley Foundation for the Aging is

sponsoring the event, and it will donate proceeds to the Walnut Creek Seniors Club.“Our goal is to give seniors and their families information as well as some

entertainment that will enrich their lives,” said Robert Kain, the foundation’s executive director.

The speakers include Kiki Douveas who will describe how older adults can achieve their dreams, based on her return to college after 37 years in the restaurant business. Richard Hemingway’s topic is “Strategic Planning for Successful Aging.” Men who served in the military, their spouses, and relatives will learn what veteran benefits may be available in attorney Michael Young’s talk, entitled “What Happens If You Don’t Die.” Dr. Adam Rochmes will describe progress in Alzheimer’s research and treatment.

Lunch is included in the $20 admission. For tickets at the door, the admission is $25. To register, visit www.dv-fa.org or call (925) 945-8040.


Kevin continued from front pageinformation at my fingertips, I started to explore food-source related issues, and it literally changed my life.”

He has since made his living as “Feral Kevin,” local forager and food educator in the fields of ethno botany, organic gardening, mushrooms, nutrition, and more. As Feral Kevin, he leads edible wild plant tours and forays, and he teaches a crash course in mushroom foraging. He can also be hired for custom walks, talks, classes, tours, and birthday parties. He says that foraging has become quite popular, and while trendy at the moment, the practice is the base of cultural change in how we view food.

Feinstein cautions that there are rules to foraging, and when asked if he saw the true-story film “Into the Wild,” in which Christopher McCandless (as played by Emile Hirsch) dies after eating poisonous berries, he allows, “McCandless did not know what he was doing. He was naïve.”

Feinstein’s classes ensure that naiveté is transformed into enlightenment; he concedes that indeed, eating the wrong thing can be perilous, and he cautions against picking near parking lots and roads due to mercury in the soil. In his wild mushroom classes, he teaches a system for approaching the daunting subject. “There are so many types of mushrooms, and most of us have had zero exposure to them as children, and yes, if you eat the wrong one, it could be deadly.” says Feinstein.

In his new book, The Bay Area Forager, Feinstein and his co-author Mia Andler (Director of the Vilda Foundation for Nature Connection), make the case that foraging promotes sustainability, helps fight the spread of invasive plants, and helps to reduce food waste. Feinstein concedes that it is getting more and more difficult to forage, as it is illegal without permission from landowners. In his classes, he invites foraging enthusiasts to join him for guided tours of local edible wild plants in the hills east of the Caldecott tunnel, where participants can sample items that most people don’t know are edible – all with approval from the landowner.

“Kevin is often ahead of the wave, so to speak,” says nature educator Andler. “He tends to already be researching and experimenting with whatever most people will catch onto in a few years.” Andler calls on Feinstein when she needs to identify a plant she’s never seen, or find out about the dangers of a certain pollutant. “He holds so much useful information for us as a society; he really is an amazing resource. He is unique in his knowledge, but also in the fact that he has also lived and truly experienced most of it and is able to teach it in an engaging and effective way.”

Feinstein’s also spends one day a week maintaining the edible garden at Merriewood Children’s Center in Lafayette, where he shares his knowledge and enthusiasm for the natural world with young people.

“Our kids benefit greatly from Kevin,” says Mim Bazell, Merriewood’s owner and director. “He helps them to see the direct impact their actions can have on the environment. Whether it's building a greenhouse out of recycled bottles, mucking out the chicken coop, turning the compost, or pruning trees to help guarantee a fruitful season, Kevin helps the children see that by helping to sustain the land, we ourselves are enriched, or, at least, very very messy!”

When asked how he practices what he preaches, Feinstein says he promotes the purchase of organic produce and local grass-fed beef. He encourages shopping at local farmer’s markets and buying the best organic fresh foods one can afford. He hopes to one day be able to grow more of his own food and perhaps some day create a foraging park where he can practice regenerative harvesting techniques. “Sustainability is not an option,” says Feinstein. “It’s a necessity.”

For more information about Feinstein’s classes, or to purchase The Bay Area Forager, visit www.feralkevin.com.

Documents

Lafayette Today, February 2012