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Vol. 11, No. 47 YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER November 25, 2011

FOR MOVIE TIMES

SEE PAGE 5A

Calendar ............................ 19BClassifieds ......................... 11BCop Logs ............................ 18BEntertainment ................... 9BFood ...................................... 8BHoliday Gift Guide ............ 1BMilestones ........................ 17BOpinion ..............................16ASports .................................17A

Presents with presence

Unwrap our Holiday Gift Guide and discover ideas thatll make this season memorable for your family and friends. Page 1B

Mark yourcalendars Looking to hook up with charitable activities or seasonal entertainment? Check out our lineup of holiday events. Page 5A

Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that were here for something be-sides ourselves.

Eric Sevareid, journalist

The holiday season is upon East County, and members of the community are opening their hearts to offer support to local charity drives offer-ing aid to those in need. Local

businesses, schools, churches and municipalities are collect-ing food, toys, blankets and coats to make sure everyone has a warm, happy holiday.

As its been doing for more than 45 years, the Brentwood Regional Community Chest (BRCC) is collecting non-per-ishable food items and toys to bring the joys of the holi-days to 500 families. Barrels have been placed throughout the community, and all of the

Volunteers needed for charity events

by Samie HartleyStaff Writer

see Charity page 8A

Santa had his hands full with reluctant visi-tors Charles LeVeque, Jr., 3, and Raya LeVeque, 1, following the Holiday Parade in Brentwood last week-end. If your young-sters are also a bit shy about meeting Santa, they could be a winner in the Scared of Santa Photo Contest on thepress.net Facebook page. Submit your nominations between Dec. 5 and 11, and tell your friends to vote between Dec. 12 and 18.

Scared of Santa

Photo by Michele Chatburn

Remember: shop Oakley first

The holiday shopping season is offi cially here, but instead of battling shoppers in the malls and outlets, why not do your shopping without even leaving Oakley?

Last year, the City of Oakley and the Oakley Chamber of Commerce launched Oakley First, an initiative to promote patronizing local businesses. Now that the holiday shopping is in full force, local offi cials are asking the community to remember to shop in Oakley before venturing to neighboring cities.

Oakley isnt traditionally considered a retail hot spot even by Oakley residents. Ive lived in Oakley for fi ve years, but I dont know how much Christmas shopping Ive ever done here, said Oakleyite Jeanette Richards. I grocery shop here. I use the drug store. I eat at local restaurants, but when it comes to gift shopping, I normally head out to Brentwood, where I can fi nd more variety.

Oakley might not have a Streets of

Brentwood, Slatten Ranch or Lone Tree Crossing, but still offers a host of options for conquering your gift list. Everyone knows the day after Thanksgiving is Black Friday, when the bravest deal hunters wander sleep-deprived into the chilly November morning to load up and save big. But a new

post-Thanksgiving tradition is gaining

steam. Saturday, Nov. 26, marks the second annual

Small Business Saturday. No need to

rise at the crack of dawn or go through a series of pre-shopping stretches to prepare for warding off fellow deal hunters. Small Business Saturday is an opportunity to shop in your home town, take your time and enjoy its quaint atmosphere and boost the local economy.

Kevin Romick, Oakleys vice mayor and champion of the Oakley First campaign, emphasizes the benefi ts of shopping Oakley. It doesnt matter if you shop in a chain store or an independent business, wrote Romick in an e-mail. Buying local keeps the money local. Not only does 1 percent of the total state sales tax come back to our fair city to be used locally, when you buy locally,

but it is the primary source for making our community a great place in which to live, providing us with police services, street and landscaping maintenance, senior services, youth activities, parks, arts and community events and much, much more.

Romick urges residents to search Oakley for gift ideas before hitting the larger shopping centers out of town, remembering that its the thought that counts the most. But even if youre looking to surprise your recipients with the perfect gift, it might surprise them more that you did all your shopping in Oakley.

When we shop locally, we help fuel our economy, said Lynn Stahli, Oakley Chamber of Commerce offi ce manager. Its like a gift to the community.

To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

by Samie HartleyStaff Writer It doesnt matter if you

shop in a chain store or an independent business. Buying local keeps the money local.

Oakley Vice Mayor Kevin Romick

Timely talons serve Falcons

A last-minute blocked field goal attempt allowed the Falcons to live another day in the North Coast Section playoffs. Page 17A

A local credit union is making the holidays happier for those who need it most.

Crucial creditgo to news/WebExtras!

Californias lead-ing small-business association urges holiday shoppers to buy local.

Local largessego to news/press releases

Antiochs exposure to the Occupy movement was untraumatic.

Occupiedgo to multimedia/videos

visit thepress.net like us on facebook follow us on twitterScan QR code with your mobile device to access these websites.

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4A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY NOVEMBER 25, 2011

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Local protesters turn focus to banks

Members of a local MoveOn.org group protesting against income in-equality and other issues turned their attention to major fi nancial institu-tions Saturday.

Brandishing signs scolding big banks, about 30 people participated in the East County sector of the Oc-cupy Wall Street movement, picket-ing outside Wells Fargo and Bank of America on Somersville Road in Antioch. The protesters spoke out against major banking practices they felt are unfair.

Many cars passing by honked in support of the effort.

I think its wonderful to have that many people out here, local MoveOn.org representative Chris Flores said. Weve had really good sign-ups, but I think more people turned out than I thought. I love the positive feedback.

However, while Occupy rallies in Oakland and other big cities have made headlines for violence and van-dalism, those who coordinate these events in East County have made sure theres no reason for the police to be called.

Organizer Harry Thurston even made sure to stay on the sidewalk

during the rally, and not step onto the ramp leading to Bank of Americas ATMs. Thurston, who walked around leading cheers with a megaphone, said the Occupy movement is most success-ful when these protests are peaceful.

Protesters didnt physically con-front bank employees or customers, but simply stood outside the banks and raised awareness. Organizing members also passed out information showing the benefi ts of opening an account at a local credit union instead of a major bank, as well as how to do so.

This is not about destroying, its about fi xing, Thurston said. Change comes through peaceful, determined, purposeful need. We can only do things peacefully. Civil dis-obedience doesnt mean violence; it means peaceful requests for change. Thats how change will happen for the better.

Those who stood out and partici-pated on Saturday came from many walks of life, from students all the way to a World War II veteran. Los Meda-nos College student Red Westfi eld of Pittsburg said she had been following the Occupy protests in the news and was excited to hear of local events. She held a sign in front of Bank of America that read Outlaw corporate tax havens. She said she plans to at-tend more of the local Occupy ral-

lies, since it saves a trip to Berkeley or Oakland.

Now that its here in my home-town, Westfi eld said, I feel almost an obligation to come out and show my support.

The Occupy protesters gather together under the phrase We are the 99 percent. The members have spoken out against the statistic illus-trating that the richest 1 percent of Americans account for more than 40 percent of the countrys wealth. Many protesters express displeasure with the high price of health insurance, the war in Afghanistan, joblessness and the disproportionately low taxes paid by Americas richest citizens. Ac-cording to the California Department of Labor, 10 percent of Contra Costa County residents are unemployed.

These rallies serve as a way for people to have a voice and speak for what they believe in. Thurston not-ed at a previous rally that while the regular citizens who comprise the 99 percent might not have money or po-litical power, they do have strength in numbers.

I feel really good about it, get-ting people out here, Antioch resi-dent Jimmy Rumelhart said. Its bet-ter than sitting around and not doing anything.


A couple of Occupy protesters speak out against the business practices of big banks during a MoveOn.org rally on Saturday in front of Bank of America in Antioch.

Photo by Justin Lafferty

by Justin LaffertyStaff Writer

NOVEMBER 25, 2011 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 5A

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Youll shoot your eye out, kidIts that time of year again, with more

things going on than you can shake a can-dy cane at. Here are a few of the holiday goings-on you can choose from during the next two weeks, including some tradi-tional favorites such as the one-time only presentation of A Christmas Story and the familiar admonition in the headline above. Well be running updated lists sev-eral times between now and Christmas, so if your event isnt listed and youd like it to be, be sure to let us know so we can add it. E-mail items to Samie Hartley at [email protected].

SATURDAY, NOV. 26Christmas Tree Lot

Oakley Boy Scout Troop 152 launch-es its fourth annual Christmas tree lot at 3460 Main St. (behind Scheer Home Sys-tems). The Scouts provide quality Noble and Douglas fi r trees for sale, as well as fresh wreaths and charming ornaments. Delivery is available. The lot remains open through Dec. 18. For hours and more in-formation, call 925-625-5391.Holiday On Ice

Brentwoods popular outdoor skat-ing rink, back for the fourth year, is open seven days a week through Jan. 16. Come skate on a lighted ice rink protected from the elements by a magnifi cent tent. For hours and prices, call 925-513-1702 or visit www.brentwoodholidayonice.com.Streets of Brentwood Tree Lighting

Santa pays a visit to the Streets of

Brentwood at 6 p.m. for the annual tree-lighting ceremony. The celebration con-tinues with performances by the Liberty High School Chamber Singers, The Tap Dancing Christmas Trees and the An-tioch Music Academy concert band. For more information, visit www.shopstreet-sofbrentwood.com.

FRIDAY, DEC. 2 A Christmas Story

Liberty High School Playmakers present A Christmas Story at 7 p.m. at the Allan E. Jones Performing Arts Cen-ter, 850 Second St. in Brentwood. Relive all your favorite scenes as Ralphie seeks the holy grail of all Christmas presents, a

genuine Red Ryder 200-Shot Carbine Ac-tion Air Rifl e. Tickets are $5; $3 for chil-dren 12 and under.

FRIDAY, DEC. 2 AND SATURDAY, DEC. 3Madrigal Dinner

Resurrection Ministries, 1275 Fair-view Ave. in Brentwood, presents its an-nual Madrigal Dinner at 7 p.m. Enjoy an evening of feasting and merriment ap-propriate for folks 7 and older. Tickets are $35. Reservations must be made by Monday, Nov. 28. For tickets, call 925-634-5180.

The Liberty High Playmakers present their annual tale of Ralphies pursuit of a genuine Red Ryder 200-Shot Carbine Action Air Ri e on Dec. 2 only.

see Kid page 6A


FRIDAY, DEC. 2THROUGH SUNDAY, DEC. 4Brentwood Festival of Trees

Enjoy three days of Yuletide fun ben-efi ting local nonprofi t organizations. Held at the Shadow Lakes Event Center, 401 West Country Club Drive, guests are wel-come to enjoy music and munchies while admiring trees decorated by community organizations. The festival also includes a gala dinner and auction, a teddy bear breakfast with Santa and a brunch among

the trees. For tickets and more informa-tion, visit www.brentwoodfestivaloftrees.org or call 925-206-5087.

SATURDAY, DEC. 3Santa Paws

Dont exclude your pets from cel-ebrating the holidays. Homeless Animals Lifeline Organization has invited Santa to Pet Food Express, 5829 Lone Tree Way in Antioch, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to meet with your four-legged friends and pose for pictures. For more information, visit

Press file photo

Crystal Perez, left, and Marissa Moe enjoy some slippery fun at Brentwoods Holiday on Ice skating rink last year. The popular venue is open at The Streets of Brentwood from now through Jan. 16.

Kid from page 5A

see Kid page 7A


Advertisement

TRY AGAIN, AND AGAIN...Youve probably heard that old

saying, If at first you dont succeed, try, try again. Well, thats VERY true in real estate right now, especially if you are having trouble making your payments. There are a lot of programs out there, and if you got turned down, my advice to you is to try again! Ive had many people come to me that want to short sale their home because their lender turned them down for a loan mod. If its been more than a few months, I tell them to try again (if they truly want to keep their home). You never know what new program or new criteria your lender is using now.

This is also true for the government programs out there. For example, Ive written about the Keep Your Home California program in this space several times before. First, I reported about the creation of the program and encouraged people to call and see if they qualify. I heard from many of you that you did call, but werent eligible for one reason or

another, often because your lender wasnt participating.

Well, good news! Theyve opened up their criteria, and more lenders are now participating. They are now allowing borrowers to apply that did cash-out refis, who own more than one property, or co-signed for someone else. They are also increasing the length of help for unemployed borrowers to 9 months instead of 6 and theyll pay up to $20,000 in past-due payments, where the prior limit was $15,000.

For more info, Call 888-954-KEEP(5337) from 7 A.M. and 7 P.M. Mon-Friday, and 9 A.M. to 3 P.M. on Saturdays or their website at www.KeepYourHomeCalifornia.org.

If you have questions on this or any other real estate topic, call me at (925) 240-MOVE (6683). To search the MLS for free and view virtual tours of homes for sale, go to: www.SharpHomesOnline.com. Sharp Realty

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www.eccchalo.org.Santas Workshop

Come see Santa arrive on the Polar Express at Sand Creek Crossing, other-wise known as the Raleys shopping center in Brentwood. Festivities, which run from noon to 3 p.m., include face painting, a magic show, holiday crafts, train rides and photos with Santa. For more information, visit www.sandcreekcrossing.com.Holiday Home Tour

Hosted by the Liberty Union High School District Education Foundation, the tour visits homes lovingly decked out in old-world fi nery and festive holiday d-cor. To join the tour, meet at noon at Han-nah Nicole Vineyard, 6700 Balfour Road in Brentwood. Following the tour, partici-pants are invited to return to the winery for an evening of live and silent auctions, prize drawings, refreshments and live en-tertainment. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.educa-tionwins.org.Oakley Tree Lighting

Join Oakleys celebration of the sea-

son with the lighting of the citys 30-foot Christmas tree. The festivities include performances by local childrens choirs, make-n-take crafts, games and free re-freshments. Santa will be on hand for photo-ops with the kids, so bring your camera. The celebration begins at 5 p.m. at the Oakley Civic Center, 3231 Main St. For more information, call 925-625-7044.Antioch Lighted Boat Parade

Decorated boats glide down the Delta at 6 p.m. during this annual holiday event. Best-view locations are the Antioch Mu-nicipal Pier and along Second Street in the citys historic downtown district. For more information, e-mail [email protected] or call 925-325-9897.

THURSDAY, DEC. 8Holiday Bazaar

Discovery Bay Elementary School, 1700 Willow Lake Road, hosts its fi rst holiday bazaar from 4 to 8 p.m. Learn more about local vendors while checking items off of your gift-giving list. For more information, call 925-809-7540.

Check back next week for more holi-day happenings.

Kid from page 6A


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Brentwood schools have pledged to do-nate their collected goods toward the effort.

But collecting the goods is only half the job. The BRCC relies heavily on the helping hands of the community to sort and package the food boxes and toys for the pick-up event on Saturday, Dec. 17. Volunteers of all ages can help out at the sorting event on Friday, Dec. 16 starting at 6 p.m at Brentwood El-ementary School, 200 Griffith Lane.

Monetary donations, like for many organizations, are hard to come by, but were fortunate that people can help us with elbow grease instead of cash, said BRCC board member Rick Lemyre. Were always anxious about whether well have enough volunteers, so we invite the entire community to come out and help. Come one, come all.

Volunteers are also needed to work the pick-up event. For more informa-tion about how you can help, visit www.

Charity from page 1A

see Charity page 9A

Brentwood Regional Community Chest Co-president Kevin King cuts a ceremonial ribbon at last years Christmas Basket program. Co-president Dana Eaton (on Kings left) and Lill Pierce (in red), daughter of BRCC founder Rose Pierce, look on with other board and Chamber of Commerce members while volunteers sort food in the background. Help is needed for this years event on Dec. 16 and 17.

Press file photo

Advice From People Who Filed Bankruptcy on Th eir Homesby Joan Grimes, Esq.

Advertisement

Today I asked each person who came into my offi ce if they had any advice for people who are in default on their home loans. Here is their advice.

1. Seek Legal Counsel. Dont wait to fi nd out your options. Almost every person said they would have done things diff erently if they had understood the law applicable to their situation and the options available to them.

2. Dont borrow or take money from your 401k, IRA, Savings Account, Childrens Saving Account, Deferred Compensation to cure the default. Th e reason this is good advice is that money borrowed from a 401k must be repaid or it will be considered income to you. Yuck. If the money is just taken from the 401k or IRA, that is a distribution and you be taxed on the amount of the distribution plus there may be an additional penalty. Most importantly, 1099c income is not dischargeable in bankruptcy.

2. Dont borrow money from family to cure mortgage. Th e reason this is good advice is that family wants to be repaid irrespective of whether you fi le bankruptcy.

3. Dont juggle credit cards to pay mortgage. Th is is good advice because in many instances the cash advances will cause problems in a bankruptcy. In addition, depending on the type of real estate debt you have, a short sale or foreclosure may be possible without a bankruptcy. However, if you run up your credit cards trying to keep the house, a bankruptcy may be inevitable.

4. Dont leave house until property foreclose or short sale is complete. Almost every person that has left their home prior to

the foreclosure or short sale being completed regrets the decision. Once you stop paying on the mortgage, your rent is free with the exception of paying the Homeowners Dues and keeping insurance on the property. Further, since youre still responsible for the maintenance of the property until the foreclosure or short sale you might as well enjoy it and save some money. No reason to pay rent any sooner than necessary.

5. Dont let your cultural pride stand in the way of you making sound fi nancial decisions. Th e economy of your parents generation is not the same as today.

If you do not have suffi cient income to pay your bills as they come due and owing, you should seek legal counsel before withdrawing any monies from a retirement account, savings account or taking a loan against your home or car. Th ese are diffi cult times, but do not miss the help and protection provided by the Bankruptcy Code and California law by waiting too long. Just because this ship is underwater does not mean that you should give up your life vests that you will need to keep you afl oat!

THIS INFORMATION IS NOT PROVIDED AS LEGAL ADVICE AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON IN MAKING ANY DECISION REGARDING A VOLUNTARY DEFAULT, SHORT SALE, FORECLOSURE OR BANKRUPTCY. THIS INFORMATION IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR OBTAINING TAX & LEGAL ADVICE REGARDING AN INDIVIDUAL SITUATION. GRIMESBKLAW.COM (925) 323-7772

2011 Joan Grimes


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FOR INFORMATION CALL US AT 925-371-2628 OR 925-371-5056

LOS VAQUEROS MARINA BUILDING & BOAT DOCKS CLOSED FOR RESERVOIR

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Shoreline fishing will continue to be available along the reservoirs south shore, and bait and tackle sales will continue from the south side

entrance kiosk. Trails that are not in the closure areas, including the Miwok Trail that connects Round Valley Regional Park to Morgan Territory

Regional Preserve, will remain open to the public.

More information about the expansion can be found atwww.ccwater.com

A special visit from Santa

The holidays are here in all their frenzied glory, but for some children, the sounds of the season can be overwhelm-ing.

We understand the angst that all families with children having special needs feel when confronted with a mall Santa, said Lisa McBride, founder and executive director of the Special Kids Foundation.

And this year, for the fi fth season in a row, East County families of special-needs children are getting an early Christmas present courtesy of the Special Kids Foun-dation and Smith Family Farm: a private audience with Santa.

A Visit with Santa will be held Sat-urday, Dec. 10 from 9 to 11 a.m. at Smith Family Farm, 4430 Sellers Road in Brent-wood. The event will be exclusively open to families and children with special needs and includes a free 4x6 framed photo with Santa. The pictures will be printed and framed onsite while families enjoy the beauty of Smith Farms. The farm will open to the public at 11 a.m.

We are so excited to be able to pro-vide a holiday gift to families challenged by having a special-needs child, and pro-vide them with some one-on-one time with Santa, said McBride. No one leaves this incredible event without being changed forever by that incredible, warm, yummy

feeling that comes from watching the mag-ic that Christmas creates.

Through parent support programs and community events since 2006, the nonprofi t organization has been dedicated to promot-ing the education, awareness and success of all families with children of special needs. Monthly support group meetings, e-mail contact, monthly newsletters and a variety of annual events such as the Santa visits, as

well as bowling leagues and baseball and soccer organizations, are the backbone of the community-oriented organization.

We have so many supporters, pro-fessional and private individuals who em-brace what we do and help us in so many ways with our goals and plans, said Mc-Bride. We feel very blessed.

For additional information, visit www.spkids.org or call 925-516-9690.

Christopher Empringham enjoys a quiet visit with Santa during last years Special Kids event at Smith Family Farm in Brentwood. This seasons event open to all East County families and their children with special needs is held Dec. 10 from 9 to 11 a.m.

Photo courtesy of Lisa McBride

by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer

Services set for ForbesJeffrey Bryant Forbes

Jeffrey Bryant Forbes, born Feb. 23, 1952 in Columbus, Ohio, entered into rest on Nov. 7, 2011 at Sutter Delta Memorial Hospital in Antioch. At his side were his sister, Melanie; niece, Erica Roanhorse; and brother-in-law, Ed Meindersee.

Jeff served in the U.S. Army in Fort Knox, Ky. and was awarded the Expert Badge (M-16) and a Na-tional Defense Service Medal.

He is preceded in death by his father, Howard L. Forbes; and sister, Jennifer Forbes-Tope; and is survived by his mother, Sheri Forbes-Humphries; brothers, Mark and Greg; sisters, Sylvia, Becky and Melanie Forbes; and many nieces and nephews.

The family will hold a memo-rial service in his honor on Nov. 29 at 2 p.m. at the Sacramento Valley National VA Cemetery in Dixon, Calif.

For the past 17 years, the Brentwood Rotary Clubs Dictionary Project has been providing third-graders with their personal dictionary. Before long, the club could be sending a dictionary home with students whose parents still have the dic-tionary they received when they were in third grade.

A couple of years ago, Vicki Sexton took over from Brett Morey what has be-come a signature program of the Brent-wood Rotary. At that time, the dictionar-ies were coffee-table-size books, so large that only eight of them would fi t into a box, creating a mass of nearly 200 heavy boxes to lift and stack. Each of those dic-tionaries cost more than $9, so donations were needed from parent/teacher associa-tions to purchase enough.

I was mentally and physically ex-hausted by the time the fi nal dictionary had been delivered, Sexton said. My back felt like it was breaking. I was de-termined to fi nd a better way of doing it the next year.

Thanks to the discovery of a compa-ny called Project Dictionary, which helps other Rotary clubs with similar proj-ects, this year the club was able to secure smaller, paperback dictionaries that cost only $1.75, and as a fi rst-year customer the Brentwood group got an additional 50 percent off the price. The PTAs did not need to contribute, and the students got books that were easier to use and fi t nicely into their backpacks.

Sexton said she fi nds the work very satisfying. Third graders are still in-

nocent and excited about learning, she said. None of them have a cavalier at-titude; some of them begin looking up words before sitting down. The majority of them are thrilled to get their book. Thank-yous are heartfelt. Just thinking about them can bring tears of joy to my eyes.

Its also a reminder of Rotarys motto, Service Above Self, she said. Each year the club discovers again that we serve ourselves through the service we give to others.

For more information, visit www.brentwoodcarotary.org, call 925-240-0144, or e-mail [email protected].

Rotarys dictionary reduxNOVEMBER 25, 2011 EDUCATION THEPRESS.NET | 11A

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Los Medanos College (LMC) is offering a special career training opportunity with a unique, focused Early Childhood Education Ca-reer Academy during the colleges spring 2012 semester.

The academy will prepare stu-dents for a job as an early childhood assistant teacher by satisfying the California Commission on teacher credentialing assistant teacher re-quirements in just one semester. The program is free to those who qualify for a Board of Governors fee waiver and meet certain English requirements.

Information about the pro-gram will be available at a free in-formational session on Monday, Nov. 28 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the LMC Library Community Room (L109), 2700 E. Leland Road in Pittsburg. To reserve a space, RSVP to www.losmedanos.edu/careerad-vancement, e-mail David Wahl at [email protected] or call 925-439-2181, ext. 3214.

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Trevors Weekly Mortgage MattersBy Trevor Frey

Th anksgiving Dinner

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Th anksgiving is one of my favorite holidays for two reasons the food, and the fellowship. Im not too sure how your family celebrates turkey day hopefully it involves a lot of smiles and a football game or two but in my family each person is responsible for a dish. One person brings desert, one person brings the cranberries, and whoever is hosting is responsible for the turkey. Add all of it up, sprinkle in laughs and love, and you have one heck of a Th anksgiving celebration. Of course, on the fl ip side of the coin, without everyone showing up Th anksgiving isnt quite the same; the day just wouldnt be complete without each dish being represented at the table. So what does any of this have to do with real estateeverything!

Without an excellent team of people in your corner your real estate transaction will not be the holiday it should be. In no particular order you have your Realtor (desert), your lender (cranber-ries), and your escrow offi cer (turkey). No matter how you slice it, or try to get by without one, it is impossible for your transaction to be the same without all parties on the same page and present at the dinner table.

Your Realtor is like that loving aunt or uncle that is always interested in what you are interested in. Th eyll DVR shows that theyd never heard of before you mentioned them just to make sure they understand what youre into. Th eyll hop on the internet and check out your favorite teams stats before showing up for Th anksgiving to make sure theyre educated about your life. Th ey get you, know what you like, and will do everything in their power to put you in your dream house.

Your lender is like that well off grandpar-

ent who you know has money, but who you also know will ask a million questions before they cut you a check. Th ey want to know how youve spent your money in the past, why you feel you can handle their loan, and most importantly, how you plan on living the remainder of your life to ensure youre able to pay them back. While you know they always have your best interest at heart, you can sometimes become frustrated because they ask soooo many questions about your fi nances. At the end of the day however a relationship is there that cannot be broken.

Your escrow offi cer is like that protecting parent that never intervenes but is always watch-ing from the sideline. Th ey never judge, take sides, or make opinions, they simply observe and make sure everything is moving along smoothly. Nothing happens without their blessing, they watch over all of the money, and they make sure all parties are treated equally. Without this parent in your transaction, simply put, the transaction would be chaos.

So before purchasing your home ask your-self this question, could I sit-down with all of the people working for me and enjoy a Th anksgiving type family dinner? If the answer is yes then you have the right team of professionals on your side. If the answer is no then you should re-read this article and think about who exactly is at your table. Aft er all, its all about the food and the fellowship.

As always, I welcome all questions and or concerns pertaining to real estate lending on my cell phone, 925-726-1444 or via email, [email protected].

22 000002010

GOL

D MEDALAWARD


Contra Costa District III Supervisor Mary Piepho is seeking qualifi ed, motivated candidates to serve on the following county advisory committees:Integrated Pest Management Advisory Committee

The committee advises the Board of Supervisors on pest management and pesticide use on county-owned or county-maintained properties. Applicants must live or work in Contra Costa County and have some knowledge of integrated pest man-agement. The board meets six times a year in Concord.

Applications are due by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 5, and may be mailed to Of-fi ce of the Clerk of the Board, 651 Pine St., Martinez 94553; faxed to the clerk of the board at 925-335-1913; or e-mailed to Tan-ya Drlik, IPM coordinator, at [email protected] Citizens Advisory Committee, Discovery Bay

Openings are available for one seat in The Lakes development; one seat in the Centex development; and one seat in the Edgewater development.

The committee makes reports and recom-mendations to the Board of Supervisors on extended police protection services. Applicants must reside within Discovery Bays P-6 zones 500-504. The committee meets on the second Monday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at 1800 Wil-low Lake Road in Discovery Bay.Alcohol and Other Drugs Advisory Board

The board, for which one seat is open, as-sesses family and community needs regarding treatment and prevention of alcohol and drug

abuse. The board meets on the fourth Wednes-day of the month at 3:45 p.m. at the Alcohol and Other Drugs Services Division, 1220 Mo-rello Ave., Suite 200 in Martinez.Fish and Wildlife Committee

The committee, for which one seat is open, advises the Board of Supervisors on fi sh and wildlife issues in Contra Costa County. The committee meets on the third Wednesday of the month at 3 p.m. at the Road Mainte-nance Division lunch room (squad room), 2475 Waterbird Way in Martinez.Countywide Bicycle Advisory Committee

The committee, for which one seat is open, provides input to the county and its cities on bicycle projects for Transportation Development Act (TDA) funds. The com-mittee meets once a year.Byron Municipal Advisory Council

The council, for which one seat is open, advises the Board of Supervisors on land issues and planning matters affecting the community of Byron. Applicants must re-side within the Byron Municipal Advisory Council boundaries.

The council meets on the third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at Excelsior Middle School, 14301 Byron Highway in Byron.

Applications may be downloaded from the countys website, www.contra.napanet.net/maddybook, and submitted to the clerk of the boards offi ce, 651 Pine St., Martinez, CA 94553. The phone number is 925-335-1900.

For more information, including on how to apply, call Lea Castleberry at 925-240-7260 or e-mail [email protected].

County seats open


Donation barrels for the annual Brentwood Regional Community Chest (BRCC) Christmas Basket program are now out and about in a location near you. Below are the merchants, business-es and public places where youll fi nd the Christmas paper-wrapped barrels that support the annual effort to feed and provide toys for more than 500 lo-cal families now in its fourth decade. Look for the barrel marked with Com-munity Chest and Toys for Tots, with whom the BRCC is partnering once again.

BRENTWOODActus Chiropractic, 9030 Brentwood Blvd., Suite DBrentwood Self-Storage, 190 Sand Creek RoadCentro Mart, 7820 Brentwood Blvd.Bank of the West, 4540 Balfour RoadECC Bank (Bank of Ag), 740 First St.Chamber of Commerce, 8440 Brentwood Blvd., Suite CWilleys Bagel & Blends, 1155 Second St., Suite DFire Station 54, 739 First St.Rubia Salon and Spa, 2440 Sand Creek Road, Suite 1Creekside Church, 4501 OHara Ave.Charlies Subs 6660, Lone Tree Way, Suite 1ECC Bank 390, West Country Club DriveBrentwood Auto NAPA, 7885 Brentwood Blvd.U.S. Post Offi ce, 18 Oak St.Community Center, 104 Oak St.City Hall, 104 Oak St.Bank of America, 241 Oak St.Prudential Real Estate, 2510 Sand Creek RoadLos Medanos College, 101 Sand Creek RoadMonthly Grapevine, 9040 Brentwood Blvd., Suite BHarvest Park Bowl, 5000 Balfour RoadFood Maxx, 4440 Balfour RoadEskaton Lodge, 450 John Muir ParkwayMarsh Creek Apartments, 7251 Brentwood Blvd.Brentwood Police Station, 9100 Brentwood Blvd. John Muir Health, 2400 Balfour RoadFirst Bank, 6590 Lone Tree WayDrive Esterkyn, 1145 Second Street, Suite FDainty Center/Willow Wood School, 1265 Dainty Ave.Monkey Wrenches, 8130 Brentwood Blvd.Brentwood Bike Company, 7750 Brentwood Blvd., Suite CPatelco Credit Union, 5601 Lone Tree Way, Suite 100BYRONU.S. Post Offi ce, 3345 Bixler RoadDISCOVERY BAYECC Bank (Bank of Ag), 14804 Highway 4, Suite A,Fire Station 59, 1685 Bixler RoadU.S. Post Offi ce, 3352 Main St.

Donation locations

People of all faiths and ages are invited to rediscover the joy, peace and love of Christmas in the mag-nif icent ly yet simply told musi-cal journey back to Bethlehem. The Brent-wood Community United Method-ist Church will present its annual Christmas cantata, Lead Me Back to Bethlehem, on Sunday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. Admission is free; dona-tions are accepted. The beautiful sanctuary of Brentwood Com-munity United Methodist Church, 809 Second St., is the perfect set-ting for this family event. For more information, visit brentwoodumc.com/upcoming-events.html or call 925-634-3093.

Christmas cantata


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16A | THEPRESS.NET NOVEMBER 25, 2011

OPINIONEDITORIALS, LETTERS & COMMENTARY National

AwardWinning NewspapersHave you got something to say? Visit www.thepress.net and let your thoughts be known.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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of Contra Costa County.

No part of this publication may be reproduced for commerce or trade without written permission from the publisher.

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Louder than bullyingEditor:

Last Saturday morning, Nov. 19, I sat under a lovely tree in a garden built to sur-round the labyrinth that is part of Kaleido-scope Cancer Support Center (behind the Byron United Methodist Church) and had a discussion about bullying with 30 other people of all ages.

The discussion came about through the heartfelt effort of Ally Warren Oldknow, who heard of six teenage suicides taking place in the month of September that were all the direct result of bullying. She spent time honoring these young people with her private ceremonies, each on the date the suicide took place.

It didnt feel enough for her, though, and she wanted to do more; she wanted to make a grander, more signifi cant statement. Along with her grandmother, Jan Page, who brought Kaleidoscope forth from her own survival of two bouts with cancer, Ally designed a gathering and labyrinth walk she called Love Is Louder.

Before the labyrinth walk, Ally read her story to us, and her words were inspiring. At the age of 15, Ally has the empathy and the self empowerment to take a horrible situa-tion and put her feelings into action that is positive and healing. She set the stage at the labyrinth for all of us to take part in her vi-sion to take steps to make the world a better place. As we walked the labyrinth, we were each of us in our own process, and after-ward, we gathered to share as we wished.

The defi nition of bullying is to in-timidate or to push around. I think that quite a lot of people see bullying as an overt action against someone else that results in physical pain, or at least the fear of it the to push around part. The anti-bullying laws broaden the defi nition to include cyber-bullying and rumor-spreading. But what about the intimidation that occurs in subtle ways through offensive language, jokes told, and other forms of intimidation?

As we sat under the tree, slowly but as

surely as the breezes blew through the leaves, one by one people started to open up about their experiences. One adult saw how her developmentally disabled charges are essen-tially bullied by the reactions of the public as they walk through stores.

One high school student talked of what it feels like to have other students make fun of the tone of her voice. One adult bravely, and sincerely, admitted that he had been a bully when he was younger, and talked about how sad and sorry he felt about it now.

We talked about words and how they can carry so much weight. The same word that can be used to describe something wonderful and loving can be used in a de-rogatory way to put someone or something down.

Perhaps people arent aware of the con-notation of what they are saying when they use slang. Its something we all need to think about, especially those of us who are older, and may have a different frame of refer-ence for words. As fast as our techno-world moves, words fl y through cyber-space and change meaning day-to-day.

We cannot be habitual about our word usage and have our children absorb it and think its OK. Because its not. It is not OK to use a word of reference for a person or a group of people to put someone or some-thing down or even to describe something negatively. There are a whole bunch of words out there fi nd one that says what you mean without demeaning anyone.

I was pleased to hear teenagers rec-ognize that when a teacher intimidates by making demeaning comments about the high intelligence of a student in front of the class, it is indeed bullying. On a grand scale.

What does this say to the particular student and to the class at large that a teacher belittles a student for being intel-ligent? I want to think that the teacher has enough awareness that he would never belittle a student who was having diffi culty. What makes it OK to belittle someone who isnt? What makes it OK to belittle anyone, at any time?

I hope the people who took part in the Love Is Louder celebration will be vigilant and empowered to speak up when they see or hear bullying. For that matter, I hope that everyone will. I wonder if there is any loneli-ness as great as being singled out and made fun of, or made to feel less than because of who you are. Even if it is not a direct slur, or a slur directly at one individual, the effects are devastating on an emotional level.

The other side of not bullying is to not allow anyone else to do it either. In any way. Ever.

Kate RileyDiscovery Bay

A message from Mayor TaylorEditor:

The Mayor of Brentwood wishes to

extend to the citizens of Brentwood a warm message for this holiday season. The times are indeed very challenging, but your city continues to rise above the fray in a most positive manner. The city is still on stable footing and is proceeding forward to contin-ued success.

The city has opened our new city hall and expects to open civic center in early 2012. Our downtown has a different look with a new fountain, wider sidewalks, and renders a warm, friendly atmosphere.

I wish to thank our citizens for con-tributing to making our city a wonderful place to live and raise and enjoy our most treasured gifts, that being our families and friends. Thank you to our public safety per-sonnel, who keep us safe and are there on call when we need their assistance. We must not forget our service persons, who guard our country and sacrifi ce their lives in order to keep our country the nation of freedom.

The Mayor and family wish you a very fulfi lling holiday season. May God bless our country and our city in the year of 2012.

Mayor Robert Taylor

Show support as you shopEditor:

I would like to share some news with our community in ways to support our troops, military families and returning veterans. Our group, East County Military Families & Friends, was started by a Blue Star family in 2005 when their only child went to war in 2004. We pack boxes with letters from the community, welcome home our heroes and support one another while we wait for our loved ones to come home.

The support continues with a Peer to Peer center ready for transitional support for the whole family. As the holidays ap-proach (should I say, are here) we are busy with our Holiday for our Troops crafters and vendors fair Dec. 10 and are provid-ing gift wrapping for donations the entire month of December. All of these events will be held at the Somersville Towne Center Mall in Antioch.

This year there will also be a patriotic tree honoring those who serve and our mili-tary families. The public is invited to place an ornament or memento in honor of their service member. We remember you always and are waiting for your safe return.

Our organization is 100 percent volun-teers and we are grateful for all of you who donate and support our organization. We will be moving into our new location at 505 Second St. in Antioch on Jan. 1, 2012. What a great way to begin the new year, continu-ing support for our veterans.

If I may end with this appeal to remember us as you prepare to donate to a charity: we are a 501c3 fully tax-deductible organization, and 100 percent of your dona-tion will go to the services we provide to our veterans and military families. Please keep us in mind; we work very hard for every-

thing we receive and are very grateful.Thank you for a wonderful year in

service to our military families, troops and veterans.

Josie and Jeff Monaghan Antioch

An attitude of gratitudeEditor:

No mistaking me and Thanksgiving sentiments; I thoroughly admire the holidays message. I fi nd it, though, a telling remark on the vagaries of life that we need a day to re-mind us to be thankful.

I guess that appreciation amnesia stems from nature seeking the path of least resistance. As rivers run down, not up, hill, so to moan, to complain, to whine is the more beaten path of the human condition. The less traveled attitude of gratitude seems the direction we need pointers on.

Growing up, my older stepsister, who as a child fl ed the Soviet occupiers of East Ger-many, oft posed this provocative reminder of relativity. How many of us, she asked, would willingly put all their troubles into a brown paper bag and then throw them up in the air with all our neighbors bags, randomly col-lecting what rained down? Our lot is, in truth, often better than what we credit it to be.

I offer, then, my own humble account-ing:

How generously I note how serious life can be; how stingily I see the ironies, remembering, after all, that since nobody gets out of this Big Tent alive, we may as well just enjoy the show. Is it so diffi cult to grin and bear it?

How generously I disparage our na-tional political strife and intrinsically messy democracy; how stingily I trumpet that were not rioting in the streets, blowing each other up, or displaying our bloodied former leaders in refrigerated market stalls.

How generously I wake up decrying an assortment of age-related aches and pains; how stingily I praise the simple miracle of rising vertically and ambulating.

How generously I bemoan diminished reading sight; how stingily I exult not being blind, deaf or mute.

How generously I curse being a working stiff; how stingily I sing the blessings of hav-ing a job to report to; a loving family to feed; and a son at college eager to make something of himself.

How generously I sigh over lost home value; how stingily I admit that my abode would be a veritable mansion in Japan or Eu-rope; its blessedly not foreclosed; and, unlike 40 percent of the worlds population, I enjoy indoor plumbing. All of this, no less, nestling in a region without snow storms or humidity stifl ing misery indexes.

How generously I lament Antiochs hunger for downtown development match-ing Brentwoods and Pittsburgs; how stingily

see Letters page 21A

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As the seconds ticked away in Friday nights playoff game between California and Freedom high schools, Falcons head coach Kevin Hartwig could only watch.

Grizzlies senior kicker Brandon Brown, who had boomed kickoffs into the end zone all night, scrambled to line up for a game-winning 30-yard fi eld goal.

Both teams were out of time outs. There was no more coaching left to do.

As time expired, Brown got a good foot on the kick, but it was Freedom se-nior lineman Justin Lees hand that was the deciding factor. Lee blocked the po-tential game-winning kick, putting an exclamation point on a 29-28 comeback victory for the Falcons in the fi rst round of the North Coast Section playoffs.

We just rallied together as a team in the second half, Freedom senior Stephen Rodriguez said. I knew we could do it.

Rodriguez, at quarterback, proved to be the difference. Trailing 28-22 in the fourth quarter, Rodriguez hit senior wide-out Jordan Sheppard for a 41-yard pass, taking the Falcons to the California 12-yard line. Rodriguez called his own num-ber for the go-ahead score, running it in for a touchdown.

An extra point by sophomore An-

thony Cantabrana gave Freedom the 29-28 lead.

The win was a huge step forward for the Falcons, who felt slighted by garner-ing only a No. 8 seed from the NCS fol-lowing a 9-1 regular season.

We wanted our respect, said junior receiver Darrell Daniels, recently named the Bay Valley Athletic League MVP, and we got our respect.

At one point before halftime, Free-dom trailed the Grizzlies 21-7, and the outlook seemed bleak. The Falcons started the game disastrously, fumbling the ball on the second play from scrim-mage and allowing California to rack up a quick 14-0 lead.

But in the second half, Freedom picked up momentum on the Grizzlies (7-4). With roughly 30 seconds remaining in the third quarter and California leading 21-13, a Grizzly punt returner fumbled in his own territory. The Falcons scooped the ball up and took it to the end zone on the fi rst offensive play, a 44-yard run by Rodriguez.

Freedom tried to tie it up by going for the two-point conversion, but Cali-fornia snuffed out the Falcons reverse to senior receiver Jordan Sheppard.

Grizzlies sophomore quarterback Cameron Owen led California right back

Falcons top California, prepare for De La Salle

NCS showing offers bright future for BVAL

Though no Bay Valley Athletic League cross country runner will advance to the state meet in Fresno, the future looks bright for the league after a solid showing at Saturdays North Coast Sec-tion Championship Meet.

Many of the top fi nishers from the BVAL still have a year or two remain-ing at their high schools. Heritage junior Noah Pea placed 11th in the boys race and came close to qualifying for the state meet. Pea completed the three-mile track at Hayward High in 16 minutes, 5 seconds. The fi nal state qualifi er, seventh-place Ty-ler Menniti of Granada, fi nished at 15:56.

For the fi rst half mile of the race, he was amongst the top three, but as the pace picked up, he fell back into the second pack, Patriots head coach Kevin Bain wrote in an e-mail. The fi ve individuals that made state were all seniors. Noah is a junior and I know, with his passion for running, he will do even better next year.

Santa Rosas Michael Tomasi claimed a victory in the boys race with a time of

15:37.After Pea, the next local fi nisher

was Liberty senior Jesus Morales, in 20th. Deer Valley senior Dylan Winn placed 30th. Freedom junior Joey Fajardo fi n-ished 32nd and teammate Michael Valdez, a senior, came in 42nd. The fi rst Pittsburg runner to cross the line was senior Gabriel Rodriguez. Antioch sophomores Randy Thomas and Jorge Sandoval led the Pan-thers, fi nishing 74th and 75th.

As a team, Heritage fi nished 11th, Freedom 13th, Deer Valley 14th, Pittsburg 17th, Liberty 18th and Antioch 20th.

Meanwhile, in the girls race, Deer Valley sophomore Jessica Siemens fol-lowed up her BVAL meet victory with a 21st-place fi nish against the sections top runners. Siemens fi nished in 19:28.

She ran very well at BVAL and has run awesome all season, Wolverines head coach Dave Bartholomew said. She really ran up against some competition (at NCS), but she worked her heart out. Theres noth-ing but better to come from her.

Freedom junior Lisa Tilcock, another Deer Valley sophomore Jessica Siemens, seen here at the BVAL Championship Meet, led all league runners at the recent North Coast Section meet.



see Future page 19A

see Falcons page 19A

Liberty junior forward Erin Morgan prepares to elevate for a layup during a game last season. Learn more about the Lions and oth-er local basketball teams in The Press Bay Valley Athletic League basketball preview issue, which will hit newsstands Dec. 2. Included are team previews for boys and girls squads as well as features about promi-nent athletes.

Headed for the hoop

Press file photo


18A | THEPRESS.NET SPORTS NOVEMBER 25, 2011

The fi rst round of the North Coast Sec-tion football playoffs gave Antioch a rare sec-ond chance. After losing to Pittsburg in the regular season fi nale, the Panthers were given another shot on Saturday.

While the playoff game was a lower-scor-ing affair than the previous one, the result was the same. Pittsburg beat Antioch 19-13, end-ing the Panthers season and advancing to a second-round playoff date against Berkeley.

This time at Antioch is like no other, said senior receiver Josh Oseguera. This team represents the togetherness that the school has. Nobody knows that. Ive never been a part of something like this.

Antioch (6-5) scored fi rst when a couple of senior captains connected on a 12-yard touchdown pass. Quarterback Troy Amate hit receiver Anthony Borrelli over the mid-dle to open up a 7-0 lead. But the Panthers gave the Pirates a golden opportunity later in the quarter when a bad snap on a punt gave

Pittsburg (8-3) the ball inside of the 10-yard line. Pirates senior running back Mister Cot-ton took advantage of the mistake, scoring on a four-yard run.

A shovel pass from senior quarterback Malik Watson to senior running back Feao Vunipola gave Pittsburg the 13-7 lead at half-time. The missed extra point gave the Pan-thers the chance to take the lead when they scored in the third quarter on a pass from Amate to senior receiver Jeremy Bittle, but Antioch missed a PAT of its own, keeping the score tied at 13.

Watson snuck in from two yards out with eight minutes to go in the fi nal quarter to give Pittsburg the lead. Another missed PAT gave Antioch a chance to win. But the Panthers couldnt score on their ensuing possession and were forced to punt. Pittsburg never gave them the ball back, winning 19-13.

We played very well, Antioch head coach John Lucido said. Our guys respond-ed very well to the adjustments. They played very well tonight; Im proud of them.


Pirates wash out Panthers

Photo by Angelo Garcia, Jr.

A host of Panthers try to take down Pittsburg senior fullback Feao Vunipola on Saturday night. The Pirates advance to play Berkeley in the second round.

The Heritage High football team wasnt about to exit the North Coast Section play-offs without a fi ght.

Early in the fourth quarter on Saturday, Heritage trailed Monte Vista by 28. A comeback bid fell short, however, as the Patriots were dis-missed from the postseason by a 42-36 loss.

Im proud of the guys, Heritage senior linebacker Jacob Catala said. I love these guys and Im sad that it had to end.

For most of the game, the Mustangs (7-4) looked poised to cruise to victory. With rough-ly 10 minutes remaining, senior quarterback Jeff Lockie found sophomore receiver Marco Zamora for an 18-yard touchdown, giving Monte Vista a 42-14 lead. The pass was Oregon-bound Lockies fi fth score of the night.

When Heritage (5-6) got the ball back, it drove 68 yards for a touchdown ending in an 11-yard run by junior Mason Sergent. After the two-point conversion failed, the Pa-triots trailed 42-20.

After Heritages defense forced a three-and-out, Patriots junior quarterback Antho-ny Carter managed another drive, fi nishing with a pass to junior receiver Carson Cleverly for a 24-yard score with 2:44 remaining.

A two-point conversion sliced Monte Vistas lead to 42-28.

Coach was always telling us: play until the scoreboard winds down, no matter what, said senior running back Jorel Avila, who ran for 56 yards and two touchdowns. Thats what we did; we just played and had fun, and before you know it, we were in the game.

Heritage recovered the onside kick and drove down to a second-and-goal situation at the 5-yard line. From there, senior receiver Ke-jhan Clayton took the handoff and pounded it in for a touchdown. Cleverly, the holder on placekicks, was able to turn a muffed hold into a successful two-point conversion. With just over a minute remaining, the Patriots were within striking distance, trailing 42-36.

However, when the Patriots rolled the dice again on the onside kick, luck wasnt in their favor. The Mustangs recovered the bouncing ball, and killed the clock on runs by junior running back Zack Chang.

Pats fall to Mustangs

Photo by Kevin Bartram

Heritage QB Anthony Carter, seen here earlier this season, threw for 174 yards and one touchdown against Monte Vista.


by Michael DixonCorrespondent

NOVEMBER 25, 2011 SPORTS THEPRESS.NET | 19A

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down the fi eld on the ensuing drive, cul-minating in a 31-yard touchdown pass to senior halfback Armani Washington.

A 30-yard fi eld goal by Cantabrana put the Falcons back within striking dis-tance, setting up Freedom for Rodriguezs fi nal score.

Now the Falcons face their toughest

task all season De La Salle. Freedom travels to Concord on Friday to take on the Spartans (9-1), who havent lost to a Northern California team in 222 consecu-tive games.

Weve got to play them, Hartwig said. Whether we play them now or play them at the Coliseum, weve got to play them.


Falcons from page 17A

Photo by Kyndl Buzas

Freedom senior

Stephen Rodriguez scores the go-ahead

touchdown against

California on Friday night.

impressive runner who wont graduate this year, fi nished 23rd, three seconds behind Siemens. Fellow Falcon Olivia Herrera, a sophomore, claimed 24th, and teammate Fionna Lehman came in at 29th.

Heritage freshman Ann Jellica Nub-la was the fi rst Patriot to cross the line

at 39th. Antioch junior Savannah Sell-ers came in 55th. Senior Cora Williams from Liberty placed 60th. Pittsburg senior Crystal Keppel led the Pirates with a 67th-place fi nish.

Freedom fi nished 10th, Deer Valley 13th, Heritage 16th and Antioch 17th.


Future from page 17A


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The Bay Valley Athletic League has chosen its standout athletes of the fall season that will be part of its all-league team.

Freedom junior receiver Darrell Dan-iels was named the leagues football MVP. So far this year, Daniels has hauled in seven touchdown passes and racked up 486 receiv-ing yards. As a linebacker, he has made 21 tackles and one interception.

Pittsburgs senior fullback Feao Vuni-pola and senior linebacker Dhari Curtis-Webster are the BVALs outstanding offen-sive and defensive players, respectively.

Deer Valley sophomore Jessica Siemens, who claimed a victory in the BVAL Cham-pionship, was named the girls cross country MVP. Heritage junior Noah Pea, the boys race winner at BVAL, is the boys MVP.

Megan Conder, a Heritage sophomore, was named girls golfs top athlete. Conder claimed the individual title at the league Meet of Champions in October.

Freedom senior Nadean Hurtado, the singles champion at the BVAL Tournament, earned the tennis MVP nod.

Heritage senior libero Ashleigh Reed, who notched 312 digs this season for the Patriots, is the leagues top volleyball player. Liberty senior Paige Lange rose above the competition to become the BVAL MVP in water polo.

In boys water polo, the top honor was shared standout Heritgage goalie Ty Elder and Libertys prominent scorer JT Sarmento were both named MVPs.

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

Fall athletes chosen as BVALs greatest

NOVEMBER 25, 2011 THEPRESS.NET | 21A

into dependence, just like the cycle of life. I am speaking out to generations ahead. We all have something in mind of what our reti-rement or senior days will look like, but this is the here and now.

The adult day care is scheduled to be ta-ken away in December of 2011 due to budget cutbacks. This is going to put so many seniors and families in anonymous situations of what to do next. Senior care is always going to be a must, so lets make sure some of it will be left in our days to come, because we dont know what our future holds.

Please hear my words, and help take a stand by keeping this in mind and making yourselves and others aware of this.

Lindsay JacksonBrentwood

I toast the Highway 4 expansion, beckoning eBART and ferry, new marina ramp, and A and L Street remakes.

How generously I focus on blight; how stingily I acknowledge that we sit on the Delta, boasting gorgeous parks, a handsome community center and golf course event center, career-themed schools and an hour or so proximity in any direction to world-class cities and stunningly gorgeous recreational areas.

How generously I dwell on crime; how stingily I note that Americas crime rate is the lowest since 1968 and that Antioch went down last year 16 per cent in violent crime and on all indices except burglary.

Surely, brothers and sisters, we all have untold presents. Is the arithmetic too hard to take a few of the 86,400 seconds gifted us in a day to count our blessings? Thanksgiv-ing, after all, is not just the last Thursday in November. It is a state of mind.

In the grand scheme of things, Meister Eckhart seemed to have had it right: If the only prayer you said in your whole life was thank you, that would suffi ce.

Walter RuehligAntioch

Save senior careEditor:

Imagine waking up with your left side paralyzed. Youd probably be devastated who wouldnt be just like anyone else with a distinguished disability in-born or brought on?

Our country sometimes forgets and tends to neglect the weak or the ones who are not loud enough to speak up for their rights, or are unable to. Such are our elderly/seniors, and its very unfair. Theyve done their share to make our country what it is today. Why take away or cut back some of the benefi cial things that are left to them now?

I am writing this in hopes I can make people aware of the cutbacks that have hap-pened and are happening now to our seniors, by providing my story. Before I begin, our country isnt good right now, I understand, though I think we can fi nd alternative, more positive ways around this recession, instead of targeting our disabled, since they have had numerous cutbacks already.

My grandma is 73 years old and had a stroke 12 years ago; she must have assistance with her daily routine due to her left side being paralyzed, and is happily able to still live on her own. She goes to an adult day care with another 60 other seniors who have similar disabilities.

Now I dont know if you have ever been in a group of people with the same qualities, similarities, lives, but it can really bring a person hope and conformability in getting through. Also a weight or break off your loved ones shoulders for a while. At these centers, or at least the ones that are left, they provide entertainment such as dancing (you can only imagine how cute they must look), in-group and individual therapy, entertain-ment, socialization, daily meals, and a nurse abroad. Wouldnt you want your mom, dad and grandparents, etc. taken care of like this, to be able to enjoy themselves at least two to three days out of the week?

Honestly, we are all going to get old and are going to need assistance one day to some degree; your independence will slightly turn

Letters from page 16A


Deer Valley senior pitcher Ricky Delgado, pictured with father Rick, mother Annmarie and sister Annie, recently signed his letter of in-tent to attend one of the countrys premier baseball schools Cal State Fullerton. The hard-throwing Delgado went 5-2 last season, chalking up one save, a team-high 58 strikeouts and a 2.50 earned run average. Sev-eral colleges expressed interest in Delgado, but he chose to become a Titan because of the schools storied history on the diamond.

Freedom senior third baseman Brianna Simpson will continue her softball career at Texas Southern University. Simpson, seen with her father and mother, Greg and Tracy Pitts, signed her letter of intent to become a Tiger on Monday. She hit .405 for the Falcons last season and swiped 12 bases. Simpson chose TSU because of its softball team and its excellent criminal justice program.

Future looks bright for spring players


The Brentwood Oakley Youth Football Jr. Pee Wee team defeated the Southwest Washington Jets 22-6 in Gilroy to win the Pop War-ner Northwest Regional Championship. The Falcons advance to the Best of the West Championship in Temecula this weekend against the San Marcos Cavaliers.

Falcons fly high

Photo courtesy of Amy Goldston The Delta Patriots Starts West team overcame a 13-point de cit to beat the Tracy Buccaneers 15-13 to claim the DYSA NorCal Championship. The Delta Patriots Starts West players are Joseph Storey, Damian Taylor, Jesse Glenn, Antonio Fratus, Mateo Barrera, Ron Hogan, Tearryck La Marque, Ryley Wolfe, Corbin Cardwell, Ethan Holsenbeck, GioWilson, Dominic Guay, Anthony Orgo-glio, Dayton Dumag, Hunter Holguin, Dorian Hale, Trevor McCurry, Lukas Phil-pott, Bradley Gliedt, Cole Pedreira, Roger Siebe, LaMorris Thomas, Jason Cach, Drake Daley, James Llarena, Tyler Cannada, Nathan Esquivel, Diego Florance, Keene Sample, Michael Banderas, Brady Fritts, Garin Estrada and Elias Card.

Delta Pats earn Super winPhoto courtesy of Eric Yunck

The East County Pee Wee Lions continued their dominating ways, beat-ing the No. 3 seeded West County Spar-tans 33-0 and advancing to the 2011 Diablo Valley Youth Football Confer-ence Turkey Bowl. It was the Lions second consecutive playoff shutout.

The Lions got things started on the opening kickoff, as Ronnie Rivers returned it for a touchdown, but a pen-alty on the Lions put the ball on the 5-yard line. Baylei Coston ran it in from there to put the Lions ahead 6-0. Abel Ordaz ran in the extra point to make it 7-0.

On West Countys first possession,

defensive tackle Branden Macahilig pressured the Spartans quarterback and Michael Tapia intercepted the ball, returning it to the 10-yard-line.

From there, Ordaz connected with Coston on a 10-yard touchdown pass to put the Lions up 13-0. On the ensu-ing kickoff, the Lions stripped the ball

from the Spartans return man and re-covered the fumble.

Rivers scored from 46 yards out and the rout was on. Rivers also ran for a 59-yard touchdown and flashed a 70-yard punt return for another score. De-fensively, the Lions blew up everything the Spartans tried to do. The defensive line, led by Devin Walden, Richie Ka-basinskas, Michael Puckett and Ma-cahilig blew through the Spartans line and made play after play.

The Lions now take on the No. 1 seeded Clayton Valley Eagles for the conference championship on Saturday.

Contributed by Ingrid Gregerson

East County Pee Wee Lions ready for Turkey Bowl

Photo courtesy of Ingrid Gregerson

Photo courtesy of Annmarie Delgado

NOVEMBER 25, 2011 THEPRESS.NET | 23A

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2B | THEPRESS.NET HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE NOVEMBER 25, 2011

Decorations go frugal and festive

Its hard to believe, but its time once again to deck the halls and welcome another holiday season with twinkling lights and

boughs of holly.

But transforming your home into a festive winter wonderland neednt be expensive. Chances are you already have all you need to make the season merry and bright. The problem is youve been using the same decorations for years and your style has gone from traditional to typical. With a few creative touches, however, you can transform your home with simple, economical decorating options.

Christmas bulbsWhether you celebrate Christmas,

Hanukah or Kwanza, Christmas bulbs can be used in your home to bring a fun, festive touch to your dcor and you dont even need a tree. You can get a variety of 100-bulb ornaments at Home Depot for

$35. Try arranging a variety of bulbs in a large votive as a centerpiece. Or set some candles of varying heights and widths on a tray and ll in the remaining space with tiny, shiny bulbs. How about gathering up your candlestick holders and resting bulbs upside down in the grooves? Shiny bulbs will re ect the lights but wont set

your sleeve on re when you reach for the sweet potatoes. And if one should fall and break no worries. You have 99 more.

RibbonChances are you already have an

arsenal of ribbon at your disposal, but if you dont, Michaels art and craft store sells

a 20-yard spool of ribbon for about $10. Michaels also stocks a library of colors, fabrics, widths and designs to choose from. Transform your throw pillows by wrapping them in a ribbon-made bow. Use ribbon to dress up a white candle or tie bows

S A M I E H A R T L E Y

see Decorations page 10B

An assortment ornaments in a decorative bowl makes an easy and inexpensive centerpiece for your holiday table.

.

Photo by Keith Hinkle

ON THE COVER: A pair of visitors enjoy the decorations at Glenda and Neil Cohns home during last years EducationWins Holiday Home Tour. This years event will be held Saturday, Dec. 3.

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Hot hardware on the dcor scene

A shotgun-shell wreath? Sounds like a gag gift, but its actually a quick-selling bit of holiday dcor at local hardware

stores this year.

We have a lot of hunters, outdoorsy types out in the area, said Dorene Hewins, a supervisor at Brentwood Ace Hardware on Brentwood Boulevard, where shes worked

for the past ve years. Its a neat little gift to decorate the house with.

The sticker price hovers around $75 but thats a small sum to pay compared to what some locals spend to spruce up their homes for Christmas. According to Hewins, tabs for holiday decorations range from $100 or less to upward of $1,000, depending on the size of the home and budget.

It adds up if you think about the lights,

J E N N I F E R W A D S W O R T H

see Dcor page 4B

A wide array of decorations are available at Ace

Hardware stores in Brentwood,

Antioch, Oakley and Pittsburg,

including this lineup

of sparkling snowmen.

Photo by Jennifer Wadsworth

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the clips, the lawn ornaments its really up to you and how much work you want to put into it, said Hewins, her bright red hair spilling out of a sparkly Santa hat. We get all types here.

But one thing a lot of folks are snatch-ing up in a hurry this year: LED holiday lights. Theyre pricier, sure, but theyre also longer lasting and more energy ef cient than their incandescent counterparts.

ACE has offered them for a few years now, but this is the rst season some sets have come with replacement bulbs, Hewins noted. Target, Home Depot, Kohls and Lowes also sell them.

The LED lights come in styles such as snow akes, icicles, multicolored and, of course, plain white. Since the LEDs shine so brightly, the white lights give off a blueish tint. Think of the headlights on some newer cars, Hewins said. Thats kind of what these look like.

If that blue-white glow isnt your thing, Hewins suggests sticking to the colored LED lights, which the packaging says saves 75 percent more electricity. Otherwise, grab a box of incandescent those have a pretty decent lifespan if you pack them carefully.

But the most popular items this year aside from the staples lights, hangers and power cords are eye-catching gems like a sparkly faux mistletoe sprig fastened to a st-sized crystal.

These are selling like hotcakes, Hewins said. And theyre beautiful. They come with a little tag that tells the mistletoe story. They cost about $14 each and can hang from a tree, an entryway or anywhere else in the house.

At Target, Kohls and other area chains, fake pine trees are a big seller despite their higher price. Thats true at ACE, too, Hewins said: I think people are investing more in this because it pays off in the long run. Not just for the tree but for other decorations people want stuff they can re-use next year.

In her own house, Hewins displays her mini holiday village annually. Other long-lasting trimmings good for more than one use include window stickers, lit-up reindeer lawn orna-ments, blow-up Santas and snowman-shaped poinsettia stands.

People are buying a lot of durable items because they know they can use it again, Hewins said. I leave some of mine up all year.

As the economy picks up, Hewins has noticed an increase in spending for decking the halls, the eaves, the trees and banisters. A few local stores say the same that they expect people to spend more this year compared to 2009 and 2010, when the nation was in the thick of a credit crisis.

Its getting back to normal, Hewins agreed.

To kick-start the season, ACE will host holiday parties in which customers can take 20 percent off all purchases from 5 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 1 at the Brentwood, Antioch, Pittsburg and Oakley branches. The event includes visits from Santa Claus, refreshments and games for the kids.

Its a great way to get some ideas, advice and a little help shopping for your decora-tions, Hewins said. Its a lot of fun.


Dcor from page 3B


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Festival of TreesBy the time the Festival of Trees lights up the Shadow

Lakes Event Center on Friday, Dec. 2, organizers Mary Black and Nancy Torres expect the inaugural affair to have surpassed even their ambitious expectations.

The excitement for this just continues to grow, said Black. And we are so encouraged by the response. People are doing some fabulous things with their trees. Its going to be a wonderful event.

Running three days and highlighting four special events including a Gala Dinner and Silent Auction, Teddy Bear Breakfast, Sparkling Wines and Twinkling Trees open house and Brunch Among the Trees all proceeds from the Festival of Trees will bene t local nonpro t and service organizations.

More than 30 decorated trees of varying sizes, shapes and themes will ank the perimeters of the Shadow Lakes Event Center. Themes include Home for the Holidays, Im Dreaming of a Wine Christmas, An Old-Fashioned Victorian Christmas and Winter World of Sports.

Placed rst on display, the trees will later be made avail-able for purchase through a silent auction. Holiday wreaths, centerpieces and mantelpiece items will also be available for purchase. And throughout the three days, the public can enjoy the trees and holiday items during speci ed viewing hours.

There are going to be a range of trees for just about everyone, said Black. There are tall ones and short trees,

elaborate designs and whimsical ones. People are really nd-ing their niche with this and coming up with some amazing decorations.

Live entertainment will also be provided throughout the festival, including the Brentwood Burnished Brass, Delta Jazz Trio, Elegant Touch of Strings, harpist Renee Roberge-Anderson and the Brentwood Community Flute Choir. University of the Paci c Conservatory music students Alivia Logan and Johann Axel Schram Reed will be performing, as will local musicians Susan Stuart, Dorothy Strauch and Laura Carreon.

Tickets for the open hours are $10 and available at the door or online at www.brentwoodfestivaloftrees.org. Open hours are Friday, Dec. 2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 3 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 4 from noon to 6 p.m.

Tickets for the special festival events must be purchased in advance. Admission includes the Gala Auction on Friday, Dec. 2 from 6:30 to 10 p.m.; Teddy Bear Breakfast on Saturday, Dec. 3 from 9 to 10:30 a.m.; Sparkling Wines and Twinkling Trees on Saturday, Dec. 3 from 7 to 9 p.m.; and Brunch Among the Trees on Sunday, Dec. 4 from 9 to 11:30 a.m.

Tickets are also available at the following locations: The Brentwood Press, 110 Magazine, Co. Co. County Wine Company, MJs, Shadow Lakes Golf Club & Event Center, and at each of the Summerset clubhouses. For more information, call 925-206-5087 or 925-584-6311.


Season from page 5B

Peggy Valley and husband Jay McLaughlin have already decorated their Discovery Bay home, which will be part of next weekends EducationWins Holiday Home Tour.

Photo courtesy of Karen Rarey

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Adapting to these uncertain economic times, many of todays shoppers want to give gifts that will be used, but still want

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emotions. Personalizing a useful item can

take it from ordinary to extraordinary.

BackpacksAlthough toys and games typically

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Download - Oakley Press_11.25.11

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