november 2014 community focus

IN THIS ISSUE bull MANGINI FARMS

bull VETERANS DAY

bull LINK BOTS

ourcommunityfocuscom

NOVEMBER 2014Reaching Over 40000 Homes amp Businesses

Pleasant Hill bull Concord bull Martinez bull Lafayette bull Walnut Creek bull Pacheco

3ourcommunityfocuscom bull november 20142 november 2014 bull ourcommunityfocuscom

EXPIRES 113014

One phone call to Total Property Solutions will take care of all your home improvement and repair needs We are a one-stop property solution comitted to protecting your most important investment your home Our dedicated team of professionals respond quickly to all home maintenance and improvement needs

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No job too big or small

Established Property Management and General ContractingCompany NOW offering our highly skilled technicians foryour Home Maintenance and Improvement Needs

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3490 Buskirk AvePleasant Hill CA 94523

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We also offerFREE Estimates

Over 550reasonsOver 550reasons

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MyEcoMulchcom

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MOVING amp STORAGE INC

Moving You On To Better Things

Residential amp Oce ExpertsFamily Owned and Operated Since 1975

Excellent - Experienced - Ecient

Relocation and Storage Services

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Home ImprovementsIncrease the Value of Your Property

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2310 ldquoDrdquo Bates Avenue (Near HWY 4)

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925-798-7525 bull 1-800-566-8534

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Knowledgeable Sales StaffLarge Selection in Stock

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Best Price in Town

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Showrooms also in Santa Clara amp Milbrae

BY NORMA FLASKERUD You may be busy planning for the holidays but also thinking about home improvements that boost your property value If you plan on stay-ing in your house for many years you may improve it to suit your own taste but if you are selling in the near future improvements with broad appeal make sense Floor coverings and paint always increase your homersquos value Carpeting is nice but hardwood floors are sought after An excellent hardwood-look laminate can be ap-propriate in lower priced homes Walls should be painted a soft beige with ceilings and trim in white Our stager provides exact color recommenda-tions The next tier of improvements is in kitchen and bathrooms Believe it or not old cabinets do not need replac-ing an excellent paint job plus new

hardware bring them up to date Add new counters if needed and new ap-pliances Granite and stainless steel while not required are still sought after in kitchens Bathrooms can be updated with minimal expense new hardware a new floor and a newly painted vanity can do it However a new vanity and counter a new floor new paint a new tiled showertub surround and new light fixtures create the wow factor that helps a house sell for top dollar A professional can repaint a stained or out-of-fashion colored tub Visit home improvement stores and see wonder-ful tile options including borders Using tile to jazz up a showertub wall or even the kitchen backsplash makes a wonderful impact Lastly keep landscaping in mind Consider the drought and make water-wise changes If moving or sell-

ing is on your horizon give us a call We would be happy to come by with advice specific to your home In closing the real estate market has cooled along with the outside temperatures but it wonrsquot stay cool until the warmth of spring Yearly we see a big demand for houses just after the New Year It continues through spring and into early summer when traditionally things start to slow down If you are anxious to sell you do not have to wait for school to be out win-ter months are effective due to high demand and low inventory and early spring is a great time to sell when the trees and flowers are blooming You can reach Don Norma and Erik Flaskerud at 925-676-5859 or email DonandNormagmailcom Reach Erik at 925-381-7276


BY JULIE ROSS To refresh your memory the Septem-ber ldquoJulie Saysrdquo column called for readers to send in fortune cookie messages they would enjoy seeing their loved and not-so-loved ones receive with the winning entry to be announced this month Before we get to the winner the following fortunes are a sampling of the cleverest andor most touching sentiments I received Reader Harriet Buckley has this mes-sage for her 95-year-old father ldquoThough your authoritative role may have waned your kind words and positivity speak vol-umesrdquo Isnrsquot that lovely It would probably be the most heart-warming fortune a dad could ever crack out of a cookie Christie Noble offered up one of her favorite sayings ldquoThose who judge donrsquot count Those who count donrsquot judgerdquo Itrsquos a message relevant to all of us I got a special kick out of Tracy

Woodwardrsquos entry ldquoPeople who live in glass houses should dress in the basementrdquo Tracy helpfully included the translation ldquoIf you are in the public eye you should ensure your private activities stay privaterdquo Politi-cians and celebrities take note Back in the heartfelt mode Cynthia Murdock offered up this fortune for a friend ldquoBreathe deeply of forgiveness and grace will followrdquo That is beautiful advice Cynthiarsquos fortune for not-so-much-a-friend ldquoBe careful not to ignore the truths lest you sink beneath the ashrdquo (Letrsquos all try to stay on Cynthiarsquos good side) One of the fortunes Pleasant Hill resident Paula Ota submitted brought to the forefront the gripping horoscopes vs fortune cookies controversy Which to believe -- the message meant to apply to everyone in the world born under a certain sign of the zodiac or the fortune in the one special cookie opened by your hands only Paula tells us ldquoWise man say horoscopes are for those who donrsquot like Chinese foodrdquo Well that clears it up once and for all

I have selected another of Paula Otarsquos submissions as the winning entry Like many of us Paula has a new pedometer and she has shared this brilliant and inspi-rational fortune ldquoA journey of a thousand stepshellipis one-tenth of your daily workoutrdquo Thank you Paula Paula will be awarded the grand (and only) prize of a $50 gift certificate to Mingrsquos excellent Chinese restaurant in Pleasant Hill Congratulations and thanks to every-

one who sent in fortunes I would like to conclude with a Thanks-giving-themed fortune ldquoMay you start a new diet on Thanksgiving Dayrdquo Is that a curse or encouragement You decide Happy Thanksgiving Enjoy the break And Paula when you grow weary of lefto-vers you can head over to Mingrsquos Good fortune to all You can reach Julie at julieakrosscomcastnet

Best Time to Buy

Joseph A Thibedeau DVM Louisa M Asseo DVM

925-676-1909wwwhillcrestvetcom

Family Pets andA Happy Hillcrest

Veterinary Hospital

Thanksgiving

When is the Perfect MomentJulie SaysHoroscopes vs Fortune Cookies

PUBLISHERSBecky CoburnJennifer NeysElena Hutslarinfoourcommunityfocuscom

ADVERTISING

Reba Bower925-348-1724Rebaourcommunityfocuscom

Katie Hall925-787-5382katieourcommunityfocuscom

COPY EDITORAlison Clary

SPORTSSport Story Submissionsinfoourcommunityfocuscom

GRAPHIC DESIGNTrish Heaney

CONTACT INFORMATIONCommunity Calendar calendarourcommunityfocuscom

Content amp General Inquiries infoourcommunityfocuscom

SUBMISSION DEADLINESAll articles must be sumbmitted by the 15th of each month

ONLINEwwwourcommunityfocuscom

2425

16

Honoringour Veterans

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List

Festive

FallRecipes

ShopLocalCoupons

Manginia LocalTreasure

independant amp locally owned

6680 Alhambra Ave Box 132 Martinez CA 94553(925) 335-NEWS (6397)

MISSION STATEMENTThe Community Focus is a free independent monthly publication dedicated to highlighting the vibrancy of the local businesses and residents while strengthening and building connections within our community

INSIDE

30COVERLou Mangini working the family farm

PHOTO BY Susan Wood

to

67

to

1921

to

PLAN INCLUDESTRUST AGREEMENTPOUR OVER WILLGUARDIANSHIP

TRANSFER OF REAL PROPERTYHEALTH CARE DIRECTIVE

LAW OFFICES OF LAUREN SMYKOWSKI

1255 treat blvd ste 300walnut creek ca 94597

wwwsmykowskilawcom

Inspection Traps

PAID ADVERTORIAL

11 Critical Home Inspection Traps to be Aware of Weeks Be-fore Listing Your Home for Sale East Bay ndash According to industry experts there are over 33 physical problems that will come under scru-tiny during a home inspection when your home is for sale A new report has been prepared which identifies the eleven most common of these problems and what you should know about them before you list your home for sale Whether you own an old home or a brand new one there are a number of things that can fall short of require-ments during a home inspection If not identified and dealt with any of these 11 items could cost you dearly in terms of repair Thatrsquos why itrsquos critical that you read this report before you list your home If you wait until the home inspector flags these issues for you you will almost certainly experience

costly delays in the close of your home sale or worse turn prospective buyers away altogether In most cases you can make a reasonable pre-inspection yourself if you know what yoursquore looking for and knowing what yoursquore looking for can help you prevent little problems from growing into costly and unmanageable ones To help home sellers deal with this issue before their homes are listed a free report entitled ldquo11 Things You Need to Know to Pass Your Home Inspectionrdquo has been prepared which explains the issues involved To order this FREE Special Report call toll-free 1-800-597-9215 and enter 1238 You can call any time 24 hours a day 7 days a week Get your FREE special report NOW to learn how to ensure a home inspection doesnrsquot cost you the sale of your homeThis report is courtesy of East Bay Residential Realty BRE 01245396 Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract Copyright copy 2013

Ribbon CuttingThe UPS Store

One of the newest businesses in Pleasant Hill The UPS Store celebrated its grand opening in June The store is owned by longtime Pleasant Hill residents Mark and Julie Hood and is located at 52 Golf Club Road (across from DVC) The UPS Store offers shipping printing mailboxes shredding faxing laminating live scan fingerprinting and much more ldquoAny service you need just come into The UPS Store and we will help you outrdquo Store hours are Monday through Friday 8am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 5pm Call 9253496115 for more info Thanks to Susan Wood Photography for the great picture

BY GLENN ALLEN There is a moment in every real estate cycle when you look back and say ldquoThat was truly the best time to buyrdquo The trouble is most experts disagree about what time is particularly good for buying Is it the moment when interest rates reach their cyclical lows Perhaps But what if home prices have reached their cyclical highs at about the same time Then maybe it was the moment some time earlier when home prices reached their lowest point relative to income levels and interest rates were declin-ing In the final analysis who knows the answer to this question The big mistake is waiting for precisely the right moment be-fore jumping into the real estate market The best time to buy a home as nearly every-onersquos heart and logical mind knows is when you have found one that truly meets your needs and itrsquos one you can afford You have enough to think about when searching for the right home and the right financing with-out dwelling on the perfect moment to buy The perfect moment is yours aloneBuy or Sell First Whether you should buy or sell first depends on many factors Depending on the circumstances there are different strategies that can be followed One of the most important considerations is the state of the real estate market If itrsquos hot

it can be difficult to near impossible to get an offer accepted that will be contingent on the sale of your existing home when com-peting against non-contingent buyers Itrsquos equally possible especially in a slower market that you could end up selling your home and then find it difficult to locate make an offer and close on the purchase of your next home before the buy-ers of your existing home have contracted to move into it Selling your home with a contingency that allows you to rent it back for a specific time period after the sale closes so that you can buy your next home is a possible solution You can even sell with the contingency that gives you a few weeks to locate your next home Itrsquos important to work with the buyers of your home doing all you can to time the handing over of keys to the house in a way that will work for everyone Every real estate transaction involves a careful combination of both sellersrsquo and buyersrsquo needs ndash no matter what the market looks like It is very important to pick the best strategy to help you accomplish your goals and give you the competitive advantage while minimizing or eliminating any risk The job of your Realtor is to offer choices and strategies to help you and your family with a new home purchase Glenn Allen REMAX Real Estate agent can be reached at glennTalkToGlenncom 925-709-1000 or visit wwwTalkToGlenncom

SAMUELSCONSTRUCTION

General Contractor Lic652185

MEMBER

Kitchens bull Bath RemodelingTile bull Cultured Marble

Granite bull Additions Windows bull Doors

Concrete bull FoundationsDriveways bull Patios bull Fences

ALL PHASES OF CONSTRUCTION

PLANS AVAILABLE

samcon60gmailcom bull 9252604448313 Gloria Drive Pleasant Hill

With years of remodels behind us we look forward to helping you make your house the home youve always wanted


am the wife of a veteran My husband Mark honorably served in US Special Forces for over 20

years he was combat deployed and endured both injury and permanent disability It is with the utmost respect and gratitude I recognize both his sacri-fices and those made by our two young children I believe our experiences as a veteran family equip each of us with a unique strength and compassion to help others Every Veterans Day we are prompt-ed to pause and acknowledge US veterans It is an important tradition our nation observes in honor and support of its service members Our country has learned many lessons from its past The heartfelt gratitude citizens and fellow veterans demonstrate to those who have served is remarkable However honoring and supporting a veteran is a year-round multi-stage multi-generational approach We needed our devoted family and friends to fortify us throughout Markrsquos service Since 2010 over 20 different benevo-lent organizations supported us after a 60 lb improvised explosive device (IED) ended Markrsquos decorated military career The following five benevolent organizations deliberately reached out to us Each one originated with unique strength and compassion from the heart of a veteran Each one is founded and operated (in part) by veterans or veteran families Further each one chose to establish a personal rapport with our family which continues today The Green Beret Foundation funded Markrsquos hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for the treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) TRICARE (military medical insurance) doesnrsquot cover the cost of HBOT for these invisible wounds The results from this non-invasive treatment are dramatic for Mark and many others Under the Green Beret Foundation umbrella Irsquom a member of the Steel Magnolias a nationwide sisterhood replicated after

the brotherhood of Green Berets ldquoSteel Magsrdquo share training and resources to support each other with life after ser-vice in Special Forces Also throughout a variety of communities many Steel Mags volunteer to mentor and lead young women The Station Foundation provided Mark and our 14-year-old son Shane a unique retreat in the rugged wilder-ness of Montana Together they honed their survival skills Whatrsquos more was the chance they had to restore their rela-

tionship after years of frequent separa-tions Operation Second Chance invited Mark to a once-in-a-lifetime Alaskan fishing trip For a soldier who needed some time to learn how to enjoy life again it was the perfect prescription without the side effects of medication A year later Mark and I participated as honorary hosts at a retreat in Montana We connected with other veteran cou-ples also navigating both marriage and the invisible wounds of war

Semper Fi Fund co-sponsors the Warrior Games where Mark and 200 ill injured and wounded service members rediscover and advance their abilities through athletic competition In the corresponding Family Program we spent a week at the Olympic Train-ing Center cheering on athletes from all branches of our military We also bonded with other families like ours each with their own unique story of triumph The Warrior Games is filled with hundreds of stories of inspirational soldiers like Justin He has two above the knee amputations Justin competed in wheelchair basketball cycling track and seated volleyball Yoursquoll be seeing a lot more of Justin He just signed on with the US Paralympic Volleyball team Irsquom proud to say our nine-year-old son Brady named Justin his sportrsquos idol Sentinels of Freedom in Moore County North Carolina granted our family a life scholarship when Mark was first injured And thank goodness they knew what to do because we had no concept of the affects of TBI and PTSD on our family or future Not only did the scholarship cover our house payment but we were also taken under the wing of Gen and Mrs Sidney Shachnow (US Army Special Forces Ret) who contin-ue to mentor and befriend our family These are only a few of the benevo-lent organizations that have generously helped us There are thousands more determined to assist veterans of all generations They work to provide in-novative approaches to a vital question How can we honor and support US veterans the men and women who sign their names on that dotted line and pledge with their lives to defend our lives through their selfless service and sacrifice This Veterans Day our nation will reflect and remember our veterans It is also a time to re-evaluate the effort each of us is making to personally know understand support and honor our military veterans throughout the year

This photo was taken by Dan Oldfield a retired veteran who graciously volunteered to shoot the Warrior Games the last two years He made sure each athlete received their photo so that they could see themselves the way their nation sees them--- as champions as competitors as individuals with fabulous abilities---NOT disabilities Pictured is the Vomund fam-ily Shane Colleen Mark Brady and their four-legged veteran Herco

Lance Corporal Andrew CrosnoUS Marines Corps has served two years

Spf Jillian OrsquoMalleyUS Army from 2003 - 2006 She did

2 tours of Iraq Joel and Jillian met and married in the Army

Major Craig W CreamerUS Marine Corps 1977-1994 He served

multiple deployments overseas including Korea Philippines Beirut and Lebanon

SGT Joel D OrsquoMalleyUS Army Enlisted 2003 and currently stationed at Fort Riley KS He served

2 tours of Iraq and 1 tour in Afghanistan

Lance Corporal Daniel WalshEnlisted in the US Marine Corps in 2013

Master Sergeant Mark Vomund 26 years of service 20+ years US Army Special ForcesUS Special Operations Command Deployments Classified

Chief Warrant Officer Five Edgar A CollinsUS Army since 1989 Has served 25 years

in Afghanistan Iraq Germany Bosnia and various places in US

Corporal Matthew WalshUS Marines Corps Enlisted in 2013 and

served two tours in Afghanistan

Everett L Minor - Sergeant US Marine Corps during WWII fought on Guadalcanal and

was a Sr Drill Instructor

Stephen V Hutslar - PFC US Army Combat veteran Vietnam 1966-rsquo68 ldquoHells Rangersrdquo

Making A Deliberate ChoiceHonoring and Serving our Veterans

Honoring and supporting a veteran is a year-round multi-stage multi-generational approach

I

LOCAL VETERANS

In Pleasant Hill The Contra Costa County Veterans Monument at Boyd Road and Contra Costa Blvd will be open from 10am - 2pm to mark the heroism of local veterans Questions about the monu-mentrsquos proud history will be answered and refreshments will be served to the strains of patriotic music All are welcome to com-memorate the service of our veteransIn Martinez We invite you to attend two Veterans Day ceremonies in honor and gratitude of veterans who have served our country At 10am the Veterans Commission will host a ceremony at the Pioneer Cem-etery on Carquinez Scenic Drive which will include bagpipe music prayer flag raising the Pledge of Allegiance and the playing of Taps At 11am an extended ceremony will take place at the All Veteranrsquos Monument at the corner of Alhambra Avenue and Berrellesa Street which will include more music messages from local officials and a 21 Gun Salute

In Concord Korean War Veterans Mt Diablo Chapter 264 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1525 will hold a ceremony at 11am at Hillcrest Park Major General Dan Helix US Army Ret will MC and local of-ficials will be in attendanceSee page 26 for Contra Costa Blue Star Moms 5K run info November 8

Troops tell us the most cherished items in the packages are the personal letters of appreciation from Americans Please help the Blue Star Moms with OPERATION POSTCARD What takes five minutes of your time can brighten a day of the men and women serving our countrybull Any card will do even an index card with a hand drawn picture on the front and a message on the backbull No need to stamp them as we include them in our care packagesbull Ideas for beginning your message ldquoDear American Herordquo ldquoDear Friendrdquo ldquoDear Pa-triotrdquo ldquoDear Servicepersonrdquo ldquoDear US Protectorrdquo ldquoHello from (Your Town or State)rdquo Tell them about yourself toobull Ideas for the message Thank you for keeping our country safe thank you for your service we are thinking of you you are in our prayers we are proud of you and what you are doing please know that you are not forgotten etc (just examples)bull If you include your name and address often you will hear backbull Keep the messages positive bull Mail cards to East Bay Blue Star Moms PO Box 2537 San Ramon CA 94583Many of the same thoughts behind Operation Postcard can be used to let those who have returned and are recovering from injuries know that they are in our thoughts and that their sacrifice is acknowledged and appreciatedReach Out to a Recovering SoldierSends cardsletters to A Recovering American SoldierCO Walter Reed Army Medical Center 6900 Georgia AvenueNW Washington DC 20307-5001

Veterans Day Events In the MailSupport Our Local Heroes on 1111 Send a Letter to Show You Care

By Colleen Vomund

Photo by Susan Wood


Architectural Review Commission Nov 6 20City Hall 100 Gregory Lane Small Community Room 5pm Contact 671-5209

City Council Nov 17City Hall 100 Gregory Lane Council Chambers 730pm Contact 671-5229

Civic Action Commission Nov 5City Hall 100 Gregory Lane Small Community Room 630pm Contact 671-5229

Planning Commission Nov 18 25City Hall 100 Gregory Lane Council Chambers 730pm Contact 671-5209

Education Commission Nov 26City Hall 100 Gregory Lane Community Room 7pm

City Hall closed for Veteransrsquo Day on November 11 and November 27 amp 28 for the Thanksgiving holiday

For Confirmation Visit wwwcipleasant-hillcaus

Enjoy the Abundance of Activities As the days grow shorter and the nighttime temperatures drop you may not be venturing out in the community as much as you did in warmer months However there are many activities and events in Pleasant Hill that will surely entice you to put on a sweater or jacket and get out and enjoy our wonderful townAnnual Harvest Fair Join me at Pleasant Hill Elemen-tary School on Friday November 7 2-7pm for the Fall Harvest Fair which will showcase the talents of PHE fami-lies and local small businesses You will be able to purchase everything from handmade crafts homemade jams jewelry to other home-based busi-ness products Bring your family and friends and together we can enjoy an afternoonevening of shopping while supporting PHE and our local commu-nity Turkey Trot Trail Run The 39th Annual Turkey Trot Trail Run will take place on November 23 at 9am You can experience the tradition of this 84-mile race in the beautiful hills of Briones Regional Park Winners take home a turkey for Thanksgiv-ing dinner This is no ordinary Turkey Trot and is not for beginning joggers Pre-registration closes 1119 but you can also register the day of the race at 730am For more info or to register call (925) 682-0896 or emailsgeorgepleasanthillreccom Get stretching and be ready for this fun challengeLight up the Night Holi-day Celebration This is something a bit less chal-lenging than the Turkey Trot Everyone is invited to join Santa at the 7th annu-al Light up the Night Holiday Celebra-tion on Crescent Drive in Downtown Pleasant Hill on Wednesday December 3 5 - 8pm

The lighting of the cityrsquos 25-foot decorated tree next to the clock tower building on Crescent Drive takes place at 6pm Music dance performances and caroling will be on two stages at the Downtown Plaza next to Sweet Tomatoes Enjoy free horse-drawn car-riage rides cookies hot chocolate and coffee Search for the ldquoElf on the Shelfrdquo at nine different merchants in Down-town with lots of prizes for the win-ners Families can have pictures taken with Santa and his merry elves and look out for Frosty Rudolph and other costumed characters Stroll through the holiday crafts fair on Crescent Drive with lots of wonderful holiday gifts on sale If you wish to be a ven-dor call Allison Klippel at 788-9677 The City of Pleasant Hill Down-town Pleasant Hill and the Pleasant Hill Chamber of Commerce jointly organizes this event For more infor-mation call (925) 671-5229 or email mnelispleasanthillcaorg Off the Grid Have you been to the Wednesday night Off the Grid event If you have not I urge you to come out to the City Hall grounds where Trelany Road is closed off on Wednesday nights 5 - 9pm You will encounter hundreds of people socializing milling about and enjoying delectable food and drink from ten food and beverage trucks Off the Grid will continue year-round rain or shine but will close for two weeks over the Christmas and New Year holidays More often than not you can find me there Irsquom easy to spot Irsquom 6rsquo3rdquo and usually the only person wearing a suit and tie (Hint look near the Lucky 13 beer truck)Last But Definitely Most Important Donrsquot forget Election Day is November 4 I urge you to do your homework on the issues and candi-

Mayorrsquos MessageCity News

Tim Flaherty Mayor of Pleasant Hill

City of Pleasant Hill City of Pleasant Hill

dates and cast your vote As to our local election I favor those candidates who actually show up to organize and participate in civic and community events and organizations I support those who lead by example through volunteerism and service in civic groups and foundations that strengthen our community and en-hance the quality of life for everyone in Pleasant Hill I guess I am a bit old-fashioned and still enjoy the act of voting on

Election Day at my poll-ing place However many if not most people now cast their vote by absen-tee ballot Starting this year rather than trekking to the post office or the County Election Office you can now drop off your vote-by-mail ballot

at City Hall in a metal drop-off box during normal city business hours City staff will be able to provide you with the coveted ldquoI Votedrdquo sticker for those who drop off their ballots And you will save the cost of postage

Public Meetings

Chamber Calendar

Update on the Pleasant Hill Library Task Force An update on the Pleasant Hill Library Task Force was given at the Octo-ber 6 city council meeting The task force was established at the March 10 city council meeting in order to ldquoexplore the need for and feasibility of constructing a new library building serving the residents of Pleasant Hillrdquo To date the elev-en-member task force includes County Librarian Jessica Hudson City Council-members Jack Weir and Michael Harris with Harris also serving as chair of the committee and Supervisor Karen Mitchoff as vice chair The task force members are evaluating various sites around the city for a new library facility including a possible new two-story facility on the southwest corner of Pleasant Hill Park due to the central location and access to downtown However issues and concerns would need to be worked out with the Pleasant Hill Recreation amp Park District Other District sites to consider are the Winslow Center and the School House property Another possibility is the Frank Salfingere Park adjacent to the community center Task force members recently toured other newly built local libraries to evaluate the layout of each facility Among other items their analysis has deter-mined the need for a new 20000+ sq ft facility comprised of a main library area with adult collections and a childrenearly learning area along with a teen area community meeting rooms public technology and staff workrooms County Li-brarian Jessica Hudson said ldquoFlexibility (of stacks furniture and equipment) was key in everything we looked at Pleasant Hill library sees about 1200 people a day so having flexible spaces and adequate parking to meet the anticipated in-crease in usage is very importantrdquo Community outreach FAQs are currently being developed and will include such questions as Why does Pleasant Hill need a new library building How will a new library building support education in Pleasant Hill The FAQs will be published on the city website and various media outlets In addition town hall meetings will be scheduled in the near future ldquoIt is a tricky undertaking in a city like ours that is largely built out and where there is not a lot of available land for creating the kind of facility that I think our city both deserves and desires It is easier to fund and get the com-munity excited about the prospect and concept of a multi-use facility It is well worth ensuring that we are looking at the most comprehensive set of options or opportunities and what that will do is enhance the likelihood that we get a library here that meets the needs of the communityrdquo said Councilmember David Durant Future analysis will include how the new library would be funded and how other facilities are funded and asking for continued public input in the com-ing months and years ldquoOur (Pleasant Hill) library is one of the most highly used branches in our entire county library system Itrsquos only beat out by Walnut Creekrdquo continued Jessica HudsonBuskirk Avenue Widening Project Completed The two-phase project took eight years to fully complete from design ap-provals funding public meetings and bids to groundbreaking on May 2 2013 ldquoThis project was a really good balance between what the community wanted and also meeting the objectives of the city I think we ended up with a very nice projectrdquo said City Engineer Mario Moreno Although approximately 15000 vehicles use the corridor on a daily ba-sis ldquoWe only had about four to five complaints during this entire time over 18 months regarding traffic Thatrsquos a great accomplishmentrdquo continued City Engi-

neer Moreno The $128 million dollar project was funded with Measure J Grand money Rule 20A funds and Traffic Mitigations Funds The project extended and realigned the roadway south of the existing Crossroads Shopping Center intersection ultimately creating a transportation corridor with increased capacity improved operations and enhanced circula-tion The project was completed on time and on budget Lucky Supermarket Closing The supermarket located at 155 Crescent Plaza in Pleasant Hill will close on November 8 No official word on who will be moving into the spacePleasant Hill Tree of Lights Hospice of the East Bay invites the public to participate in the 28th Annual Tree of Lights ceremony on Thursday November 20 530 pm at Gregory Lane near Cleaveland Blvd Reception to follow at the Teen Center The ceremony is dedicated to Margherita Dominica Molino owner of Molinorsquos Ravioli who passed away earlier this year For light dedications donations sponsorships and event questions call (925) 887-5678 or visit wwwhospiceeastbayorg

680 Business Clubs Business Building Networking meet twice monthly Please call the Chamber office for more informationWednesdays - Off the Grid Food Trucks 5-9pm Trelany Road PHSaturdays through 1115 - Farmersrsquo Market 9am-1pm Trelany Road PH 1112 ndash Business Mixer 5-7pm Chateau III 175 Cleaveland Rd PH1117 ndash Green Business Committee meeting 4ndash5pm Location TBD 1117 ndash Government Affairs Committee meeting 530ndash7pm Back Forty BBQ 100 Coggins Drive PH1120 ndash Pleasant Hill Hospice Tree of Lights Ceremony 530 pm 147 Gregory Lane PH1127 ndash Thanksgiving Office Closed

City News Continued

searsHOME SERVICES

bull Kitchen Remodelingbull Cabinet Refacing

bull Counter Topsbull Flooring

bull Windowsbull Entry Doors

bull Over 100 years in Businessbull Please call for a

FREE Consultation

Offering expert advice and plenty of options

Leisa Christensen9256996918

Leisa ChristensenSales Project Consultant

LeisaChristensensearshomeprocom

Support your local businesses and

VOTEwwwourcommunityfocuscom 20142014


PHOTO BY STAHLBERG

City Council Meeting Nov 5 19City Hall 525 Henrietta Street 7-11pm Contact 372-3500

Design Review Meeting Nov 12 26City Hall 525 Henrietta Street 3-5pm Contact 372-3500

Planning Commission Meeting Nov 25City Hall 525 Henrietta Street 7-11pm Contact 372-3500

Zoning Administrator Meeting Nov 5 18City Hall 525 Henrietta Street 3-5pm Contact 372-3500

City Hall closed on November 11 for Veteransrsquo Day and November 27 amp 28 for the Thanksgiving Holiday

For Confirmation Visit wwwcityofmartinezorg

111 - Hospice Tree of Lights 5pm Morello Avenue north of Arnold Drive Join us for the 27th Annual Martinez Tree of Lights Ceremony For more information call the Chamber or Kathy Kavanagh at 925-887-5678

116 - 10th Annual Chamber Business Expo 4-7pm Crowne Plaza Hotel 45 John Glenn Drive in Concord Free to the public Presenting Sponsor Astound Business Solutions Call the Martinez Chamber 925-228-2345 for more informa-tion and to reserve your booth

1111 - Office Closed - Veteransrsquo Day

1113 - Chamber Mixer 530-730pm Hosts Soroptimist International of Mar-tinez Charrsquos Flower Shop and Sauciersquos Bakery Mixer at Sauciersquos 712 Main St Martinez Great networking food fun raffle prizes (bring a raffle prize and have your business announced)

1127 amp 1128 ndash Office Closed - Thanksgiving Holiday


Rob Schroder Mayor of Martinez

City of Martinez City of Martinez

Public Meetings

Chamber Calendar

Joe DiMaggio Centennial Celebration A group of Martinez residents in collaboration with members of the Sons of Italy of Diablo Valley are kicking off the launch of the Hometown Hero Proj-ect with a celebration of the100th birthday of Martinezrsquos favorite son Joe DiMaggio Proceeds from the Centennial Celebration event will benefit the res-toration of the Joltinrsquo Joe a boat given to Mr DiMaggio by the New York Yan-kees in 1949 and subsequently donated to the City of Martinez in 1991 The centennial birthday bash will take place on Tuesday November 18 at the Shell Clubhouse 1635 Pacheco Blvd in Martinez The event will start with a social hour at 530pm followed by a catered Italian dinner at 630pm The celebration will also include live music of the era an auction of rare Joe DiMaggio memorabilia a silent auction and a cake auction ldquoThe boat is almost near completionrdquo says John Wendt Sons of Italy mem-ber ldquoWorking with the Carpenters Local 152 wersquove put in nearly 3000 hours of volunteer time to restore the boat and are excited to soon present the Joltinrsquo Joe in its full glory to the citizens of Martinezrdquo Helping spearhead the Hometown Hero Project is Martinez Councilmem-ber Lara DeLaney ldquoI am amazed at all the work love and dedication these men have contributed to this projectrdquo says DeLaney ldquoThe city was given a valuable piece of history and it needs to be showcased and preserved in a museummdasha Joe DiMaggio museumrdquo The cost to attend the Centennial Celebration event is $56 per person $100 per couple checks payable to ldquoJoltinrsquo Joe Restoration Trust Fundrdquo Send to Centennial Celebration PO Box 51 Martinez CA 94553 before November 13 2014 For reservations and more information contact Sons of Italy member Anne Mobley at 925-788-8824Holiday Light Parade The City of Martinez Recreation invites families club companies and or-ganizations to participate in the annual light parade Friday December 5 630pm Vehicles wagons bicycles and people decked out in lights will lead Santa from Martinez City Hall to the Main Street Plaza The city will provide pa-rade light wands to the first 600 children to register for the parade Before and after the parade participants can enjoy a variety of activities throughout the downtown including snow park skating air jumps crafts and more Everyone is welcome to participate For more information or to participate please call Martinez Recreation at 372-3510Martinez Tree of Lights Hospice of the East Bay invites the public to participate in the 28th Annual Tree of Lights ceremony on Saturday November 1 5pm at Morello Avenue north of Arnold Drive The ceremony is dedicated to Eloise Chavez and Herb Thurman For light dedications donations sponsorships and event questions call (925) 887-5678 or visit wwwhospiceeastbayorgMerry Christmas Martinez Yoursquod better watch out Jennifer Oertel was in the holiday spirit at the Oc-tober 15 city council meeting Shersquos dreaming of bringing Christmas cheer back to the city of Martinez by adorning Alhambra Avenue and Main Street She pre-sented her decorating campaign in front of supportive city council members She proposed a downtown treasure hunt and a storefront window decorating competition in which businesses would decorate their window and the public could vote on their favorite Her Facebook page (Merry Christmas Martinez) suggests ways the public could help by volunteering to decorate or by donat-

ing lights and garlands She already has several downtown businesses on board with the decorating project and she and her team want to commence the orna-menting the last two weeks in November ldquoI think Martinez can be the destina-tion place for holidays since we have the small town appeal and we have a cute and historic downtown Irsquod love to make Martinez the December destinationrdquo said Oertel

I have had the opportunity to work on many capital improvement projects throughout the city while serving on the Martinez City Coun-cil These include the Marina Vista Streetscape Improvement installation of outdoor dining platforms repaving major entrances into town upgrades to the city water system construction of the Martinez Waterfront Amphithe-atre opening of the Campbell Theatre in downtown removal of the blighted ferry landing pier installation of new launch ramps and construction of the Ferry Plaza at the marina Although there are many projects in the planning stage or in process the revitalization of the Martinez Water-front is likely to be the one project that will have the greatest impact on the economic development and quality of life to the entire Martinez community This includes the rebuilding of the aging marina and the development of landside amenities Martinez is the only city in Central Contra Costa Coun-ty with a waterfront and we must make it a place where people from all over the Bay Area will come to stay the night dine hike sail boat fish kayak see a concert fly a kite photograph bird watch picnic or attend a semi-professional baseball game The recent passage of SB 1424

which grants the lands at the Martinez waterfront to the city forever allows us to attract private investment for the construction of water-side and land-side amenities such as a restau-rant hotel boat sales and storage and other recreational activities In the past we have not been successful in attracting that private investment because the lease with the State Lands Commission had a finite expiration date Who would invest millions of dollars in improvements without the security of knowing their investment would have time to generate a return The next step in this revitalization process is to plan improvements the community wants at the waterfront and decide where those improve-ments should be located This ldquomaster planningrdquo will also take into account a future water ferry landing rebuild-ing of Waterfront Park ball and soccer fields Martinez Waterfront Amphithe-atre improvements the Martinez Yacht Club and the Sea Scouts Abandoning the existing marina slips and scaling back in order to alle-viate the cost of dredging to only pro-vide a launch ramp and day dock facil-ity is NOT the answer That plan will not alleviate the need to dredge and will only reduce the cash flow to sup-port maintenance of the waterfront

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City News Continued

All marinas throughout the delta straits and San Francisco Bay require dredging simply because they are on waterways that carry large amounts of silt The most recent dredge of the marina cleared the silt from the launch ramp to the mouth of the marina with some work at the guest dock and B dock We were able to perform that maintenance dredge thanks to a grant from Shell Oil Company not money from the general fund Several years ago the Department of Boating and Waterways required

the city to set up a Marina Enterprise Fund This fund is completely separate from the general fund and is where all receipts generated from the marina are deposited and all bills are paid This fund cannot pay for any expenses or capital improvements in any part of the city except the waterfront Aban-doning the marina slips will not free up money to pave the street in front of your home Funds for paving projects come from the half- cent sales tax of Measure J gas taxes the general fund and state and federal grants

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City Council Nov 4 11 25Civic Center 1950 Parkside Drive Council Chambers 630pm Contact 671-3495

Housing and Economic Development Nov 24Civic Center 1950 Parkside Drive Garden Conference Room 530pmContact 671-3495

Design Review Nov 13 27Civic Center 1950 Parkside Drive Council Chambers 530pm Contact 671-3495

Planning Commission Nov 5 19Civic Center 1950 Parkside Drive Council Chambers 7pm Contact 671-3495

Zoning Administrator Nov 5 19Civic Center 1950 Parkside Drive Council Chambers 9am Contact 671-3495

For Confirmation Visit wwwciconcordcaus

Kitakami Sister City Visit The City of Concord recently concluded an inspirational four days of hosting a Sister City delegation of 50 visitors from Kitakami Japan commem-orating a bond of friendship established 40 years ago when the hearts of two mayors enjoined the spirits of two cities That bond was reinforced and cement-ed when Mayor Toshihiko Takahashi and I signed a mutual proclamation reaffirming out commitment to this affiliation fostering mutual friendship goodwill and international understand-ing By the way throughout this entire visit I was enormously grateful to our fantastic interpreter Naoko Inoguchi I met the delegation when they first arrived and from that moment there was effective communication despite the language barrier friendly gazes laughter and happy talk What a wonderful feeling of joy peace good-ness faith and understanding I felt so privileged to be the spokesperson for our city and to initiate a full schedule of activities that would leave some of our guests near exhaustion by the time they were ready to go back to San Francisco for their return flight home There is more to be said about the significance of the Sister City program but for those not able to be a part of this celebration let me give a few of the highlights The visits take place every

five years with the two cities alternat-ing in sending a city delegation This is organized under the auspices of the Concord Ambassadors a volunteer non-profit group headed by former Concord Mayor Mike Pastrick ably as-sisted by a team of dedicated Concord citizens with special yeoman assistance from our retiring and beloved city clerk Mary Rae Lehman Upon arrival at Concord City Hall the delegates were royally entertained by a student choir from the Calvary Christian School who sang a welcome song in Japanese followed by a stirring rendition of ldquoIrsquom an American Kidrdquo The infectious enthusiasm of the children was shared by the audience and signaled that the opening event was a huge success This was followed by a buffet luncheon hosted by the City of Concord The delegation visited the John Muir National Historic Site and found many photo-ops next to the bronze statute of our famous environ-mentalist John Muir One of the highlights of the sched-ule was a visit to the Brendan Theater where the delegation was able to view for the first time a sculpture crafted from 10000 handmade origami paper cranes that Concord residents folded as a gesture of humanitarian support for the victims of the tsunami which struck Japan in March 2011 I cannot think of

Mayorrsquos Message

City News

Tim Grayson Mayor of Concord

City of Concord City of Concord

Public Meetings

Chamber Calendar

City Clerk Honored Concord City Clerk Mary Rae Lehman has retired after 23 years of service Many speakers including Senator Mark DeSaulnier Assemblymember Susan Bonilla and District Attorney Mark Peterson thanked her for her dedication at the October 14 city council meeting All three have served as members of the Concord City Council and as mayors and they cited many examples of Lehm-anrsquos stellar customer service and positive attitude as she assisted them in their years on the council Former mayors and councilmembers Guy Bjerke Mike Pastrick and Colleen Coll City Attorney Mark Coon and Assistant City Manager Scott Johnson also spoke in appreciation of Lehmanrsquos vital contributions to the city Lehman rose from mail delivery person starting in 1991 through the ranks to her current position as city clerk and administrative services coordinator From 1997 to 2002 she served as the executive secretary to the city council and city manager In 2002 Concord voters elected her to the city clerk posi-tion In 2010 voters decided that the city clerk should be appointed by the city council instead of elected and Lehman accepted the appointment

116 ndash Business Expo 2014 4-7pm Crowne Plaza Hotel 45 John Glenn Drive Concord See ad on page 23

1111 ndash Real World Business Law Breakfast Workshops ldquo Yoursquore Online - Should I Worry About Hackers Bootleggers and Other Evilsrdquo with Mark Olson of The Olson Law Firm 8-9am 2280 Diamond Blvd Ste200 Concord Members free non-members $10

1118 ndash Womenrsquos Group at the Food Bank 6-8pm Food Bank of Contra Costa amp Solano 4010 Nelson Drive Concord Chamber members free

1125 ndash Real World Business Law Breakfast Workshops with Mark Olson of The Olson Law Firm 8-9am 2280 Diamond Blvd Ste200 Concord Members free non-members $10

a more heartwarming visible symbol of compassion and support which took thousands of hours to complete and was a tangible expression of shared hu-manity It is interesting to note that last spring Kitakami students and some resi-dents were able to view the 30-pound sculpture via Skype I also want to thank and commend Walter Eichinger general manager of the Brendan Theater who not only opened his theater to the artwork unveiling but also let us hold five dif-ferent events in support of the Sister City program and provided food for all of them He is an example of the best among our stakeholders and I want to take this opportunity to extend my personal heartfelt appreciation for all of his efforts Another interesting sidelight is that the delegation was joined by Ron Leone Jr son of our vice mayor Ron Leone Ron Jr is the current English language teacher in Kitakami and travelled with the delegation for this special celebra-tion Ron Jr was able to use some of his Japanese language skills much to the

delight of his parents Vice Mayor Leone and his lovely wife Maria During the gift exchange Mayor Takahashi presented the city with an ornate tea set contained in an artistically appointed lacquered box It is a gift of extraordinary beauty I took note of the fact that Japan has a proud tradition of taiko drumming and like our Native Americans who continue this proud tradition of Native American music and drumming we recognized the similari-ties and gave Mayor Takahashi a set of gift drums made by the Og-Lala Lakota Sioux nation Mr Richard Flittie a former Concord resident was on hand to assist in making the special presentation A special honored guest was Con-sul General of Japan Masato Watanabe who brought us greetings from Japan and emphasized the importance of these hands-across-the-ocean relation-ships It was a time of enlightenment and enrichment for all of us As has been stated ldquoPeople are the same all over the worldrdquo and nothing reinforces this more than Sister City programs

City News Continued

BART to charge for parking at Concord stations A $1-a-day fee-to-park is in effect at the Concord and North ConcordMar-tinez BART stations The new fee began Monday October 27 at the downtown Concord BART station and will begin on Wednesday November 12 at the North ConcordMartinez station Riders can pay for parking using the Clipper Card cash or the regular blue BART card at an Add Fare machine at the station To use the Clipper Card for payment riders must sign up in advance at wwwBARTgovparking to link their Clipper Card to BARTrsquos parking payment program To get a Clipper Card visit wwwClipperCardcom Once a Clipper Card is issued riders submit an application to link it to BARTrsquos parking program (called EZ Rider) and receive a hangtag by mail to place in the car Riders are encouraged to sign up right away Revenue generated from the new parking fees will be placed in a special ac-count to be used only for programs to improve station access including shuttle and feeder service to stations as well as much needed station rehabilitation and modernizationBaldwin Dog Park closed for maintenance The Baldwin Dog Park at 2700 Parkside Circle in Concord is closed for reno-vation through Tuesday December 2 The project will improve the condition and durability of the natural grass turf in preparation for the winter season The turf areas will be aerated seeded organically fertilized and top-dressed with organic mulch to generate the best possible results in the shortest period of time to limit the inconvenience to the community An eight-week closure period should be sufficient if weather conditions remain favorable Concordrsquos Newhall Parkrsquos ldquoPaw Patchrdquo and Walnut Creekrsquos dog park are both scheduled to remain open during Baldwinrsquos annual maintenance period For more information contact the cityrsquos Park Maintenance Division (925) 671-3444Unveiling Common Core - The Unanswered Questions Denise Pursche Lisa Ackerman Jeanne Wisniewski and Sally Wood pre-sented Common Core Debated last April 2014 in Pleasant Hill You can find the debate on YouTube ldquoTen Little Fingers Common Core Debatedrdquo This school year is Californiarsquos first ldquoofficialrdquo year of implementation of Common Core State Stan-dards and they present another Common Core panel ldquoUnveiling Common Core - The Unanswered Questionsrdquo in Concord on November 7 7-9pm at the Calvary Temple Church 4725 Evora Rd Please plan to attend an informative event with Dr Sandra Stotsky (English language arts professor) Dr James Milgram (mathematics professor) and Kevin Snider (Pacific Justice Institute) Both Dr Stotsky and Dr Milgram were included in the Common Core Validation Committees Find out why both refused to sign off on the standards (three others did the same) Kevin Snider chief council for Pacific Justice Institute will discuss opting your kids out of the high stakes test Register online at Eventbritecom and search Unveiling Common Core The Unan-swered Questions

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Chateau on Broadway is a senior living community that is equal parts care and caring In an environment that not only fosters relation-ships between residents but also promotes a high level of involvement on the part of our attentive and caring staff you know that you will always be both cared for and cared about at Chateau on Broadway

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Come Home to Friends and Family at Chateau on Broadway

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The Holiday Festival Is Back FREE (see ad on page 18)December 10 5ndash830pm at the NEW Pleasant Hill Community Center 320 Civic Drive PH PH Recrsquos annual Holiday Festival is back and better than ever Get into the holiday spirit with a variety of activities sure to delight the whole family Meet Princess Elsa in the FROZENcopy -inspired kingdom Chat with our famous Talking Christmas Tree Enjoy youth holiday performanc-es Participate in arts amp crafts Ride the Holiday Express train Take photos with strolling characters Shop in holiday marketplace Enjoy hot cocoa sweet treats and food court And visit the big man himself Santa Claus Our gener-ous sponsors Republic Services PH Rotary Club PHBA and Downtown PH UPS StoreTeddy Bear Tea (2ndash10 yrs)Wednesday November 12 PH Senior Centerrsquos Dining Room 233 Gregory Lane PH Dress up in your party clothes and bring your parents for tea and cookies Receive your very own Teddy Bear Pre-registration required by November 1 Parents must also reg-ister Admission $10$9 (Dist Res)Holiday Boutique ndash FREENovember 22 9am ndash 2pm at the Senior Center Get an early start on your holiday shopping Visit our Holiday Boutique and choose from a huge selection of handmade items including baby items quilts scarves jewelry and much more Quality hand made items at affordable prices39th Annual Turkey Trot Trail Run in Briones Regional Park (all ages)November 23 9am This is no ordinary Turkey Trot Get ready for a fun chal-lenge Experience the tradition of this annual 84-mile race in the beautiful hills of Briones Regional Park Winners take home a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner This race is not for beginning joggers Pre-registration closes 1119 Race day registration starts at 730am For more info or to register call (925) 682-0896 or email sgeorgepleasan-thillreccom

Breakfast with Santa (1ndash10 yrs with parent)December 13 Live Music by Paul Cotruvo PH Senior Center Chateau Room 233 Gregory Lane Santa will take time off from his busy schedule to join you and your family for a morning of holiday cheer breakfast and live entertainment Must pre-register by 1210 Two seatings available Children under 12 months free and registration not required with a parent or sibling Admission $850$750 (Dist Res)Get your perfect tree at the Dolfin Tree LotNovember 27 ndash December 24 Winslow Center Parking lot 2590 Pleasant Hill Road Hours Mon-Sat 9amndash9pm Sun 1230-9pmNew Yearrsquos Eve Celebration (21+ yrs)December 31 in the Chateau Room at the PH Senior Center 233 Gregory Lane Come dance your way into 2015 to the sounds of Cover2Cover Let us take care of your New Yearrsquos Eve dinner plans as a VIP or come just for the dance party No host beer wine and cocktails Visit pleasanthillreccom for details Space is limited Tickets available November 1 Online ticket sales will be available on this date VIP Ticket $85 | Dance Party Ticket $50Celebrate the Holidays at Pleasant Hill Recreation amp Park District Planning a holiday party Big or small Pleasant Hill Rec has the perfect venue for your holiday celebration Contact Ryan Herriman Facilities Coordinator at (925) 676-5200 or email him at rher-rimanpleasanthillreccomGet your Holiday shopping done with Tiny Tot Morning CareLet the caring staff at Pleasant Hill Recreation amp Park District watch your children (walking ndash 36 months) while you run holiday errands or simply give yourself some time off Your tot will enjoy indoor games story time snack time and outdoor playground time with their friends Snack provided Pre-registration required Location New Community Center Call (925) 682-0896

PH Rec amp ParkUpcoming Classes and Events


Softball ChampsCP X-Country Seniors

DVC Womenrsquos Polo

Seniorsrsquo Final Shot

Pictured LtoR Andrew Willis Will Cefali Kai Barnes Rami Basha Dylan Carroll Ryan DeBoer Jack Diggs Matt Cary and David Griswell

The Roadrunners took home the championship trophy in Pleasant Hill Rec and Parkrsquos Thursday night softball championship The Roadrunners defeated the Bears their long time friendly rival

College Park cross-country has nine graduating seniors We wish them good luck in their next adventure

DVC Womenrsquos Water Polo moves to 18-0 on the season with an impressive 20-2 victory over Sacramento City College on Wednesday October 15 Pictured is Beverly Ayers passing to Alyssa Jenkins (2) Photo by Zachary Dalton DVC Inquirer

Capping years of treading water together College Parkrsquos senior polo players call time-out for their final photo Photo by Carolyn Diggs

AHS X-CountryViking FootballDVC AthleticsBulldogs Win Medals and ShirtsVictorious Over Eagles2013-2014 Transfer List The Alhambra Bulldog Cross Country team attended Hayward High Schoolrsquos Farmer Invitational on Saturday Septem-ber 20 Every athlete ran either the 2 or 3-mile course and the top 20 finishers in each race were awarded Farmer Invita-tional t-shirts Those that raced the 3-mile distance became familiar with the course which will be the site of this yearrsquos North Coast Championship races in November At 930am the freshman girls raced over two miles San Leandrorsquos Karen Young quickly took the lead followed by Bulldog Marissa DrsquoAtri After 15 miles DrsquoAtri passed Young on the final hill and sprinted the last straightaway to cross the finish line in first place winning by 13 seconds in 1247 She was the first to take home a shirt for Alhambra When the clock struck 1000 it was time for the boysrsquo freshman 2-mile race Alhambrarsquos Dylan Gregory improved his best time to 1138 and finished twelfth overall for the second shirt In the junior varsity boysrsquo 3-mile race three Bulldogs claimed the prestigious shirts Noa Nabeshima ran a competitive race to take 3rd while Robert Viano was not far back at 7th place Trevor Oliviera-Smith also placed among the top 20 with a 17th place finish Senior Allie Timbrell returned for

the first time from a stress fracture that prevented her from running for months She completed the 3-mile varsity girlsrsquo distance in a good time of 1949 to take 12th place as well as another shirt Saturdayrsquos final race featured the varsity guys racing three miles Michael Viano started out in a group of 30 runners and moved up throughout the race In the final 100 meters he competed with Mira-montersquos Andrew Lewis for the finish line placing 11th and earning the Bulldogs last shirt Viano also improved his course time significantly to 16 minutes and 15 seconds an impressive 3-mile time Story and photo submitted by Joel Timbrell

BY RICH HAMILTON In a game that featured 51 com-bined first half points followed by a scoreless second half the Diablo Valley Vikings were able to hold off College of the Siskiyous Eagles with a 27-24 road victory This win comes one week after suffering a narrow defeat at the hands of Modes-to 28-27 Siskiyous jumped out to an early 10-0 lead behind the efforts of a 34-yard Grimmett Taylor field goal and 54-yard touchdown pass from Kaden Culp to Michael Benton-Ferguson Dia-blo Valley concluded the first quarter with a 9-play 75-yard drive that ended with a 2-yard touchdown by Jake Villa Siskiyous started the second quarter with a bang taking only 48 seconds to hit a 48-yard touchdown pass from Culp to Kendrick Murphy Three minutes later the Eagles were able to tack on another touchdown a 14- yard pass from Culp to Tyler Kretschman to go up 24-7 This is where Diablo Valley turned the tables scoring three touchdowns in a matter of 3 minutes and 8 sec-

onds Adam Wood hit Marcus Arm-strong-Brown with a 5-yard pass with 920 remaining in the half followed up by Jake Villarsquos 2nd rushing touchdown

of the day with 710 remaining in the half Fifty-eight seconds later Adam Wood would run

in the final score of the day to give the Vikings a 27-24 lead

that they would not relinquish Wood finished the afternoon

completing 28 of 44 passes for 299 yards and one score Wood remains in the top 5 statewide with a 646 completion percentage Marquis Waters added 71 yards on 10 carries to pace the Vikings run game Efrain Montalvo hauled in eight catches for 68 yards Marcus Armstrong-Brown had five catches for 61 yards and one scoreBoth defenses pitched a second half shutout with Marcell Frazier of Siski-yous DJ Moffitt and Hanani Aiono of Diablo Valley finishing with a pair of sacks each Diablo Valley moves to 4-1 on the season Diablo Valley returns home to face San Francisco on Friday October 31 at 7pm

Front Row (LtoR) Mariana Perez Brendan Sullivan Back Row Carrie Hunter Paul Ramstad Emily Dowey Trace Bechter Kenny Olden Selena Seliba Brandon Kim Photo by Andrew Barber

BASEBALLBen Krauth - KansasJohn York - Saint MaryrsquosNate Sax-Simmons - Saint MaryrsquosDavis Strong - Saint Maryrsquos Luke Van Holten - ConcordiaRon LaCour - UC Santa BarbaraRiley McIntyre - CSU ChicoChristian Gazdar - Biola UniversityJesse Scholtens - Wright StateSpencer Marx - UC BerkeleyNick Gavello - University of Tennessee Martin

FOOTBALLTui Talia - OregonSiua Taufa - Utah StateSione Tupouata - Texas AampM KingsvilleGabe Newman - Fresno StateKitione Kulu - Texas AampM CommerceMarquise Hatcher - IdahoDerrick Johnson - Concord University (WV)Robert Johnson - Univ of Incarnate WordNarsquoim McGee - San Diego StateAlex Richardson - Mt UnionMustaffa Vercher - MidlandWallace Dean - Nevada-RenoJoe Teo - Texas AampM KingsvilleNiko Fortino - Southern ArkansasKelepi Folau - Alabama BirminghamCyole Baker - Missouri Southern StateTeddy Baker - Univ of Southern CaliforniaDakota Schakelton - UNLVGaetano DeMattei - Hawaii ManoaShane Ertz - ColoradoDebon Nock Solgado - UC Davis

DVC WOMENrsquoS SOCCERKrista Bartzi - San Francisco StatePamela Ramos - Holy NamesHaley Paxton - San Francisco StateKatarina Gentry - Brooks InstituteWendy Magarin - Sacramento StateRaina Saunders - CSU East Bay

MENrsquoS WATER POLOBlake Fahey - UC Santa BarbaraDaniel Usedom - Santa Clara Michael Hawkins - UC DavisBora Dimitrov - St Francis (NY)Elad Gunya - California BaptistMitchell Youhanna - Univ of the PacificJackson Haley - UC DavisMarko Sadikovic - Gannon Univ

Edoardo Cuomo - FordhamJake Sherman - UC Davis

WOMENrsquoS WATER POLOCaroline Howard - California BaptistOlivia ldquoPeachyrdquo Vicencio - Sacramento StGhitta Ferrara - New York University

MENrsquoS SWIMMING Jacob Reynolds - UC Santa CruzDan Patterson - University of the PacificMitchell Youhanna - Univ of the PacificCharlie Nanfria - Biola UniversityRiley Hagan - Hawaii

WOMENrsquoS SWIMMING Emily Saccullo - University of the PacificKeiko Segimoto - HawaiiEmily Rollo - Santa ClaraAllison Gargalikis - UCLA

MENrsquoS BASKETBALLJermaine Edmonds - MontanaTom Witzel - Humboldt StateJohn Ocon - Ottawa University (KS)Justin Yeargin - Mars Hill University (NC)AB Najee - Mayville State (SD)Connor Jean - Loyola MarymountDevon Pouncey - Pacific University (OR)

DVC CROSS COUNTRY amp DVC TRACK amp FIELDMenBrian ldquoScoopsrdquo Avolicino - Sacramento StDylan Winn - Humboldt StatePongwisit Monthonsophon - UC BerkeleyAnthony Carillo - CSU East Bay

WomenAmy Prindle - UC Berkeley Lauren Suniga - San Francisco State

VOLLEYBALL Kelsey Draper - Boise State

TENNISMenThomas Galpin - University of Southern CaliforniaAndrew Hotama - UC Berkeley

WomenChristie Lee - UC BerkeleyNatalia Kusumo - Cornell

Bulldog Marissa DrsquoAtri finishes first and takes home a t-shirt for Alhambra High School


VOTEMATTHEW

RINN

Paid for by Matthew Rinn for Contra Costa Community College District 2014 FFPC1348942

PUTTING STUDENT SUCCESS FIRST

A Trustee of the Contra Costa Community College District Governing Board

Debbie BillecciSheriffrsquos Forensic Manager

for City Council

Solving Problems for MartinezPaid for by Debbie McKillop for Martinez City Council 2014 5462 Degnan Drive Martinez CA 94553 925-812-6160 ID No 1367954 Photography by Robert Perry of Martinez

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Re-elect Michael Harris for City Council 2014 2300 Heritage Hills Dr Pleasant Hill CA 94523

mharris4PHgmailcom Paid for by Pleasant Hill Police Officers Association PAC 1312500

P l e a s a n t H i l l R e c R e a t i o n amp P a R k D i s t R i c t rsquo s

Holiday Festival is Back

Wed December 10 500-830 pm

Pleasant Hill Community Center

320 Civic Drive

Experience the Magic

Join us for a magical evening of holiday funFor further details call (925) 682-0896

pleasanthillreccom

Frozencopy-inspired wonderland with

Princess Elsa Famous Talking Christmas

tree Holiday performances Holiday Express

train Hands-on arts amp crafts Photos with strolling characters Hot cocoa

treats and food court Holiday marketplace The big man himself Santa Claus

ou Mangini and his brother Eugene own the iconic farm at the corner of Pleasant Hill Road and Taylor Boulevard Once a year they host ldquoFarm Dayrdquo for the Pleasant Hill Elementary 3rd grade classes This yearrsquos event was held on

Friday October 10 At the request of Lou Mangini the Community Focus was there to cover the event This year there were a few 4th graders mixed in with the 3rd grade classes for a total of about 120 kids With the help of several volunteers Lou and his team set up several tables with each station offering a twenty-minute presentation on different aspects of farming crops and the impact farming has on our everyday lives They have a station where kids get to see how butter is made with milk straight from a cow Then they get to try the butter on a cracker Another shows what bees do and the vital role they play in our lives Another shows what cotton looks like from the blossom and all the different products that cotton produces At one station each kid gets to learn how to plant flowers and they get to plant some of their own to take home A final station teaches the kids about pruning trees and bushes The volunteer explains ldquoItrsquos like getting a haircutrdquo I asked one of the teachers Renee Bryan what she thought of it all ldquoTo get 20 kids this age to stand still listen and be quiet is just amazing But they do it The

Old Mangini Had a FarmA Pleasant Hill Treasure

By Russell Carroll Photos by Susan Wood

Continued on page 20

L


FOR MARTINEZPAID FOR BY ROB SCHRODER FOR MAYOR 2014 100 GREEN STREET MARTINEZ CA 94553 - ID NO 9617454 - (925) 708-1469

MenesiniRe-Elect Criminal

Prosecutor ampCouncilmember

for City Council

Paid for by Mke Menesini for Martinez City Council 1320 Thomas Drive Martinez CA 94553 ndash ID No 1288444 ndash (925) 519-6908

Experience Matters

MikeC

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

kids are just fascinated by it allrdquo Another teacher Maryann Croy said ldquoThe kids love coming here every year I think part of it is because the farm is right here in Pleasant Hill Lou is a neighborrdquo Lou serves each kid a hot dog chips and a drink for lunch A highlight for the kids at the end of the day is getting to pick a pumpkin and take it home I asked Lou what his favorite part of the day is and he laughed and said ldquoThe smiles on the kidsrsquo facesrdquo It was a great visit well organized presented and received I thor-oughly enjoyed myself Later in the weekend I got the chance to sit down alone with Lou and ask him some questions What a treat this experience turned out to be Me Lou how long have you lived here on the farmLou I was born here in 1923Me How long had your family been hereLou My dad bought the place a few years before I was born At first it was just a barn He separated it in two half for the horses and half for the familyMe Was it a farm at that timeLou Mostly orchard We had to clear it and then start planting crops We cleared it with a team of horses and a plow Me What was the area like then Lou Well the only road that existed then was what Pleasant Hill Road is now It was a narrow gravel road and was the only road between Lafayette and Martinez Both of those cities were each about 5 miles away Not much traffic If we saw 4-5 cars in one day we knew something was going on somewhere Our favorite part of the day was when the mailman delivered He didnrsquot come every day Only when we had mailMe When you werenrsquot working on the farm what did you doLou We hunted a lot We would just walk down the road out there and shoot

ducks Me What is your favorite memory of being a kid on the farm Lou Driving around in an old Model T I must have been 14 years old or so and just loved driving that carMe How much land do you and your brother have hereLou Started out with about 32 acres and is now down to about 17Me What crops do you grow hereLou We got corn tomatoes squash peppers and a few other thingsMe Have you given any thought to retiringLou Retire I canrsquot retire I am a farmer As long as my health stays good I will be farming hereMe OK Lou Last question and itrsquos the big one Here you are on 17 acres of flat land which is probably one of the most desirable pieces of land for development in Contra Costa County I am certain you have been approached time and time again to sell it Why havenrsquot youLou Well because then I have to find a new place to live With simple logic like that itrsquos hard to argue with Lou Mangini He is in good spirits and apparently good health as well He enjoys laughing and has a keen sense of humor Oh by the way he has been known to enjoy a beverage I can only hope that I am in as good as shape when I am 92 Lou Mangini is a true Pleasant Hill treasure You can contact Russell Carroll at russcarrollemailgmailcom and Susan Wood at wwwsusanwoodphotographycom

Continued from page 19 Continued from page 20


Lou with Chad Godoy Agricultural Commissioner for CC County


SUE NOACKfor Pleasant Hill City Council

Paid for by Sue Noack for Pleasant Hill City Council 2014 FPPC 1366987

Find us on Facebook307 Meadowood Ct Pleasant Hill CA 94523

SueSueNoackcomwwwSueNoackcom

SUE NOACK9252784525

Working Together for Pleasant Hill

ELECTED OFFICIALSKaren Mitchoff ndash Contra Costa County SupervisorTim Flaherty ndash Mayor Pleasant HillKen Carlson ndash Vice Mayor Pleasant HillDavid Durant ndash City Council Member former Mayor Pleasant HillDr Joseph A Ovick ndash County Superintendent of SchoolsMatt Rinn ndash Board Member Contra Costa Community College District former chair of the Pleasant Hill Chamber of CommerceBobby Glover ndash Board Member Pleasant Hill Recreation amp Park DistrictZac Shess ndash Board Member Pleasant Hill Recreation amp Park District

ORGANIZATIONSPleasant Hill Police Officersrsquo AssociationCentral Labor Council of Contra Costa County AFL-CIOCity of Pleasant Hill Public Works Public Employees Local 1Contra Costa Building and Construction Trades CouncilInternational Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 302

COMMUNITY MEMBERSJohn Hanecak Past Council MemberMayor Pleasant HillDiana Vavrek Pleasant Hill Planning CommissionSteve Wallace former Pleasant Hill Planning CommissionerKelly St Germain Pleasant Hill Education Commission Chair

Jennelle Towle Kelly Civic Action CommissionRobert W Abbott PLS Pleasant Hill Planning CommissionLiz Kim Principal Strandwood ElementaryHoward and Vangie Jordan Jordan Consulting amp InvestigationsJason Olson Pleasant Hill Grocery OutletPaul Bonnar AttorneyJeff Eide Volunteering SpecialistJill amp Jordan OlivierAllen R Vinson Legal Counsel for School Districts Chairman Pleasant Hill 4th of July CommissionSandra W Vinson University of California Office of the PresidentHeidi Taylor AttorneyLeanne Hamaji Co-Founder Foundation for Pleasant Hill Education (FPHE)William Patterson Webmaster for Pleasant Hill July 4th websiteSue Fine and Paul VierbickasPatricia Eidson Pleasant Hill Resident and PHMS momDr Keith amp Becky Keck DoctorFaye DonaghuAllison KoerberKathleen Srange Teacher College Park High SchoolDiana Bartlett Board Member z Foundation for Pleasant Hill EducationTelzey Gourley Board Member Foundation for Pleasant Hill Education Sequoia Elementary parent

PROUDLY ENDORSED BY

Twenty-two walkers representing Paddock Bowl in Pacheco relayed for 24 hours straight at Martinez Junior High School on July 25 and 26 walking 300 miles to help ldquoSpare a Life and Strike out Cancerrdquo With sponsorship from Paddock Bowl owner Ron Rutherford a large and well-organized silent auction donations and contributions obtained through team members a restaurant fundraiser with Tahoe Joersquos and other various activities Team Paddock Bowl raised $11000 quickly increasing their team fundraising club level from Platinum to Jade

Relay for LifeShellMEF RunPaddock Bowl Walks 300 MilesAnother Successful Event

Front row L to R Teri Kula Dale Drewry Sue Harbrecht Chrissy Winters Gina Drewry Debra Arens and Lindy Lutz Back row L to R Joe Quisito Debbie Oxley Paula Handler Nicole Kirby Char Brown Edrianna Rosales Jack Sutton Johanna Higginbotham and Brad Lutz Not pictured Jinger Barron Kate Erly Richard Leong Geralyn Norris Linda Norwood Laura Quisito and Lisa Quisito

The12th Annual ShellMEF 5K10K Run for Education on Sunday October 5 raised $66000 for the Martinez Educa-tion Foundation (MEF) According to their website ldquoMore than 780 runners and walkers competed in the event with 95 runners participating in the eventrsquos second 10K with a route that spun off from the 5K and went up the hills to Carquinez Scenic Drive Kevin Selby of Martinez a frequent first-place finisher at past runs again came in first in the menrsquos 10K category and Kate Manning of Walnut Creek came in first in the womenrsquos category Will Allan of Martinez won the menrsquos 5K competi-tion and Noreen Searls of Martinez won the womenrsquos event More than 100 people volunteered to make the event a success including dozens of students from Martinez Junior High School and Alhambra High School and many Shell refinery workers

ldquoThe 10K course extends out Car-quinez Scenic Drive past the historical cemeteries and along the river for some sweeping vistas All ages participate in the run and prizes are awarded for the overall winners as well as for various age groups Entrance fees and corporate sponsorships aggregate to make the Run For Education the largest annual fundraiser for the Martinez Education Foundation with Shell the primary sponsor Over the years the Run for Edu-cation has become a much anticipated community event that demonstrates tremendous local support for all schools of the Martinez Unified School Districtrdquo The 11th Annual ShellMEF 5K10K Run for Education raised $50000 for the Martinez Education Foundation MEF is a community-based partnership of energetic volunteers committed to pro-viding resources to enhance educational opportunities for our children

5K RunWalk Top 10 Results Will Allan Martinez 16311 Gregory Smyers Lafayette 19126 Donovan Heinlein Pleasant Hill 20248 Joey Friedman Martinez 2531 Jordyn Eglite Martinez 21237 Jack Fuller Martinez 21437 Noreen Searls Martinez 21546 Aaron Hern Martinez 22079 Bill Hermens Concord 22118 Issac Frierson Martinez 2227510K RunWalk Top 10 Results Kevin Selby Martinez 39445 Kevin Searls Martinez 40281 Joe Ridout San Rafael 40589 Mark Hernandez Martinez 42459 Unknown Participant 43187 Adam Welcome Lafayette 43419 Kate Manning Walnut Creek 44133 Mark Ross Martinez 44207 Tony Scardina San Jose 44353 Sienna Nervo Martinez 46085

Hospice of the East Bayrsquos

Tree of LighTsCelebration for 2014

Please Join Us

Martinez - saturday November 1 500 pm Morello Avenue

north of Arnold Drive Dedicated to Eloise Chavez amp Herb Thurman

Pleasant Hill - Thursday November 20 530 pm gregory Lane near Cleaveland Dedicated to Margherita Dominica Molino


In the GardenThe Trek of a Lifetime Part Three

Pair UpTurkey TraditionsBY MARIA TERRY Thanksgiving is all about traditions and each family has their own time-hon-ored recipes The sommelierrsquos chal-lenge is finding one wine that goes with everything on the plate The good news is there is usually an abundance of peo-ple so there are often multiple wines Here are a few of my favorite Thanks-giving recipes paired with some classic wines Chilled shrimp is a popular appetiz-er to serve before the real eating begins Add an extra bit of flavor by serving it alongside this zesty Green Goddess Dressing The fresh delicate flavor of shrimp is excellent with a lively Sauvi-gnon Blanc The bright burst of vinegar and herbal flavors of the dressing will echo the substantial acid and inherent herbal flavors of the wine If you prefer a wine with a little less acid and some-times a touch of sweetness try a Chenin Blanc Either will work wonderfully When the group sits down to the main course bigger more complex wines often arrive at the table But complexity does not always mean more tannin Less tannin in a wine improves its ability to pair with food Merlots which have less tannin than Cabernet

Sauvignon can be a great option for the demanding Thanksgiving plate The soft round nature of Merlot along with its red-tinged dark fruit and moderate acidity goes well with most dishes from turkey and savory gravy to the ever-dif-ficult to pair with sweet-tart cranberry sauce Vegetables can also be difficult with wine This recipe for Brussels Sprouts Green Bean amp Wild Mushroom Sauteacute brings together three historic vegetables along with diced potatoes and bacon fat The slight loamy char-acter of the mushroom contrasts with the Merlotrsquos fruit and reflects its earthy notes Bacon fat and butter are always welcome as they soften the astringency of the wine tannins If you skipped the cranberry sauce at dinner Pear-Cranberry Pie with Oatmeal Streusel will provide you with your cranberry fix Cranberries mixed with sweet Anjou pears contribute to the perfect blend of sweet and tart Top with vanilla ice cream and donrsquot even try to serve with wine choose a spiced cran-berry hot tea instead The tearsquos flavors will be spot on with the dessert and will gently calm your very full stomach as well So go on Pair Up Maria Terry is a Certified Sommelier and Wine Educator in the San Francisco Bay Area wwwLaSommelierrecom

Green Goddess DressingINGREDIENTS1oz anchovies2 whole green onion choppedfrac14 cup coarsely chopped parsley12 tbsp tarragon chopped1frac12 tbsp tarragon or white wine vinegarfrac12 cup mayonnaisefrac12 cup sour creamPinch of sugar to tasteSalt and pepper to tasteDIRECTIONSPat anchovy of excess oil and place in blender Puree until fine Add remaining ingredients and blend Yield 1 cup

Pear-Cranberry Piewith Oatmeal StreuselINGREDIENTSStreusel34 cup regular oats12 cup packed light brown sugar12 teaspoon ground cinnamon14 teaspoon ground nutmegDash of salt2 tablespoons chilled butter cut into small piecesFilling3 cups (12-inch) cubed peeled Anjou pear (2 large)2 cups cranberries fresh or frozen and thawed23 cup packed light brown sugar2 12 tablespoons cornstarch 1 unbaked 9-inch deep-dish pie crustDIRECTIONSPreheat oven to 350degStreusel combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mix-ture resembles coarse mealFilling combine pear cranberries 23 cup brown sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl toss well to combine Spoon pear mixture into pie crust sprinkle streusel over pear mixture Bake at 350deg for 1 hour or until bubbly and streusel is browned Cool at least 1 hour on a wire rackYield about 12 servings

Brussels Sprouts Green Bean amp Wild Mushroom SauteacuteINGREDIENTS12 pound chanterelles or other mush-room cleaned and diced into bite size pieces4 slices lightly smoked bacon sliced crosswise into 14-inch lardons4 medium-size Yukon gold potatoes about 1 pound in 12-inch dice12 large onion in 12-inch dice2 large garlic cloves minced34 pound green beans trimmed and cut into 34-inch lengths12 pound Brussels sprouts quarteredSplash of brandy or Amontillado sherry14 to 12 teaspoon minced thyme2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oilKosher salt and pepper to taste12 cup chopped toasted walnutsDIRECTIONSIn a large nonstick skillet over medium heat cook bacon until crispy Move bacon bits to a paper towel-lined bowl and reserve Leave some bacon fat in the pan and pour the remainder in a small heat-proof container Season the potatoes to taste and add to the hot skillet Stir occasionally until partially cooked about 3-4 minutes Remove potatoes from pan Add the onion sauteacute for 1 minute and then add the garlic When garlic is aromatic add green beans Brussels sprouts and sherry Add more bacon fat if needed Cook 2 minutes then add the mush-rooms and thyme plus the butter or olive oil to add richness Season with salt and pepper to taste Continue to cook stirring and tossing until beans Brussels sprouts and mushrooms are tender-crisp about 3 minutes more and then return potatoes to pan to fin-ish cooking about 1-2 minutes more Everything should finish cooking at the same timeGarnish with walnuts reserved bacon bits and serveYield 8-10 side-dish servings

BY LESLEY STILES With legs quiver-ing and lungs burning we conquer yet another summit After 350 miles of hiking we reach the commanding Cruz de Faro or Cross of Light symbolizing that which is no longer of service to us and can be released to the cross Worries troubles anxieties and anguish can be transferred to a rock and left under the cross Accom-panying this release of worldly worries the cross also represents a guiding torch to those who have passed this life before us easing their souls away from sorrow into joyous eternity leading some to leave a ribbon or gift assuring them all is fine down here no need to worry about us Traversing the seemingly endless Meseta we accrue plenty of time to transfer cares to our rocks along with wondering how much a rock can absorb This amazing rose quartz rock a luminous cross etched in its center crossed my path perfect for the long awaited experience of surrender along with a ribbon carried for 350 miles for Kate and Riley hoping to ease their worries of family sorrows accumulated in the past year Precariously stepping down the mountain which was more difficult than crawling up we covered terrain that returned us to astoundingly beatific pre-cious villages with winding stone streets and gorgeous stone houses that sported planter boxes overflowing with scarlet geraniums greeting us at every curve Looking over each valley to cathedral spires in the distance seemed surreal and almost unattainable but there we were looking for shelter and food a place to wash out our clothes and a glass of wine to complete the day Scaling two 4200 foot peaks over six or seven hours we crossed into Galicia through the mystical magical village of OrsquoCebreiro Images of lost civilizations flashed before us guiding us closer to the completion of our journey Galicia was settled originally by Celts only to be con-quered by Spaniards leaving many Dru-idic traditions intact As we trudged into

Fonfria looking for a nightrsquos rest we came upon the only Albergue available in town and found a room along with a meal July 25 is the Feast of St James and our hosts had a fiesta planned complete with Aruzo and incantations Aruzo is white lightning liquor in a pot with apple juice apples oranges peppercorns coffee beans a whole lot of sugar and some other secret ingredients Our hostess Angela of Celtic and Spanish ancestry held forth at the ceremony mixing the cauldron and light-ing it on fire issuing incantations meant to release fears that hold us back from anything in the year ahead Lights out pot ablaze singing and shouting we pass a delightfully amazing evening that culmi-nated in savoring the torte de St Jacques an almond and orange tart breathtaking and intoxicating We used every ounce of that ceremony to complete a brutally hilly blazing-sun twenty miles to Sarria which represents the last 100 kilometers of the Camino where many people commence their journey and the government awards anyone completing a minimum of the last 100 km of the trail with the Compostela or certificate of completion Our trip changed overnight as all the ldquoshort timersrdquo crowded the trail as we followed the sunrise out of town the next morning A few mornings later as we started out with headlamps chasing the sun the final day on our path into Santiago arrived Mixed emotions logically rise to the surface as thirty-five days of backpack-ing come to a close Passing by a huge Albergue on the outskirts of Santiago I emotionally tumbled into the enormity of our adventure Tears filled my eyes as I found Santiago in my focus at last Sorrow and joy blended into a luscious souffleacute of adventure and liberation permeating every cell as the amazing cathedral ap-peared on the horizon Santiago greeted us with live music scattered about the old town along with fireworks and crowds of raucous party people celebrating the last day of July and signaling the end of the feast of St James in the village where his body lies beneath stones in the enormous and hallowed cathedral

After completing the trail with a trip to the ldquoend of the worldrdquo Finnistere on the Spanish Pacific Ocean with a coastline rivaling our Big Surrsquos I reflected on many wonderful new friends met on the trail with uncountable lessons on survival and endurance in my heart The Camino De

Santiago a journey for the books and one recommended highly by this unbound-edly grateful pilgrim I vow to use the steely strength I gathered physically and emotionally to embrace new as well as old challenges in my life overcoming and assisting where I may Buen Camino

As autumn begins to fully engulf the Diablo Valley it becomes obvious that the sexy fruits of summer are on the wane Apples are everywhere in every shape size and flavor palette from tart to sweet pleasing all involved Grapes are massive in their bulk at year-round farmersrsquo markets and come in just as many varieties Thomcord is a really interesting mix of a Thompson seedless for the sweet no-seed person crossed with the Concord grape Persimmons have gained enormous popularity in the past several years mostly due to the availability of Fuyu varieties They are plentiful and grown in over thirty countries for business as well as pleasure Divided into astringent and non-astringent varieties both types have equal beauty and magnificent taste value Non-astringent Fuyu persimmons flat and sort of squat looking are translucent orange orbs with calyx intact at stem end and should be eaten crunchy as you would an apple Cut firm Fuyus Chocolate Fuyu or Jiro into crunchy romaine and crisp spinach greens Add with creamy chevre toasted almonds and orange segments for a fabulous holiday salad Newer to the party are the mas-sively astringent varieties mainly Hachiya which need to be eaten when totally soft Theyrsquore especially good when super ripe and used for baking in cookies and bars Persimmons are extremely generous with healthy agents fiber vitamins C K A and iron are present in every one you eat Hachiya are full of tannins and will cause brutal pucker up if eaten totally unripe Leave on a counter or if you are in a hurry place in your freezer till solid and defrost for instant gratification and yummy cook-

Persimmon CookiesINGREDIENTS1 cup butter or coconut oilfrac34 cup molasses sugar (from Trader Joes) or turbinado or brown sugarfrac34 cup granulated sugar2 eggs1 14 cups persimmon pulp (about 2 large or 3 small persimmons)2 12 cups wheat flour2 teaspoons kosher salt1 teaspoon baking soda2 teaspoons fresh ground cinnamonfrac12 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg1 cup chopped and toasted walnuts1 cup raisins (the dried Thompson Seed-less grapes from the farmersrsquo market are awesome)DIRECTIONSPreheat oven to 350 and spray cookie sheets with canola oil or line with parch-ment paperMix flour salt soda and spices together and set asideCombine butter and sugars and beat until smoothAdd the egg and persimmon pulp and beat wellAdd the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until incorporatedAdd the raisins and nuts and mix until incorporatedDrop by spoonfuls onto the cookie sheets and bake for 10 to 12 minutesThese cookies are cake like and will seem too soft but pull them out anyway as they will be nice and moist Yield 50 Cookies

PersimmonsPlentiful and Gaining Popularity

ies Persimmon pudding is a seasonal treat not to be missed

1918 Oak Park Blvd Pleasant Hill 925-705-70657066 (PHONE) bull 925-705-7067 (FAX)

wwwkobejapanrestaurantcom

Sign up for our BIRTHDAY CLUB on our website and get a FREE MEAL

Up to $30 for your birthday Teppanyaki DinnerPlease go to our website wwwKobeJapanRestaurantcom

and click Sign-Up for Our Birthday ClubSpecial Oers


Dallimontirsquos Restaurant

1932 Oak Park Boulevard Pleasant Hill 925-944-5224

wwwdallimontiscom

bull A Family Tradition Since 1982 bull Open for Lunch amp Dinnerbull Reservations amp Take Out Available bull Small Banquets Welcome

bull Full Bar amp Wine List bull A Touch of North Beach in your Neighborhood

Come for the food stay for the music

NOVEMBER MUSIC 111 Famous Three-O bull 118 The Business1115 TuneRiders bull 1122 The Big Jangle bull 1129 Lumberyard

DONrsquoT FORGET OUT SUNDAY BAR SPECIALS bull MONDAY $600 BBQTUESDAY FREE TACOS bull SELECT WEDNESDAYS OPEN MIC

In the MixWhere Everybody Knows Your NameBY PAUL COTRUVO A change is gonna come After 32 years Ron and Christy Dallimonti have decided to retire and sell Dal-limontirsquos a Pleasant Hill institution where many locals go to chat relax and have a little fun The little Italian restaurant is also known as ldquoThe place where everybody knows your namerdquo (with homage to Cheers) but I am old enough to remember when it was simply called ldquoRJDrsquosrdquo Not only has Dal-limontirsquos been a great restaurant but it has also served as a wonderful venue for the local music scene I remember many years ago when they started having music Friday nights would consist of the infamous Cleve Jones who would entertain four hours straight with just his vintage

Fender Stratocaster and a stool (and a flow of shots of tequila) Cleve would pack the place Occasionally Ron would bring in a band mainly just for New Yearrsquos Eve but a seed was planted I will never forget my first solo gig at Dallimontirsquos It happened to be on the same night as the OJ Simpson car chase I was just about to start my set when a customer leaned over and said in a quiet yet stern voice ldquoYou arenrsquot thinking of starting are yourdquo After assessing the situation (Irsquom a runner not a fighter) and curious as well to see where OJ was headed I started an hour late But the acoustic solo gigs soon gave way to karaoke on Friday nights and bands on Saturday nights Ron and Christy definitely had something going on in our little area Over the years there have been so many great bands The Famous Three-O (and the Famous

Paulrsquos Picks

Trio) Lumberyard Mixed Nuts Loose Blues Cover2Cover Tamson-Donner Band etc They provided great listening and fun dancing Over the years Dallimontirsquos became a musicianrsquos hangout as well You just never knew who was going to show up and sit in A few years ago I stopped in for a nightcap and was entertained by members of Counting Crows Night Ranger Gregg Allman Tower of Power and Huey Lewis and the News All in the same night And even though Ron and Christy are taking a well-deserved rest from this crazy business I know the music will live on And Irsquom sure Ron will poke

his head in and sing a few tunes with whatever band is rocking that evening On November 26 the night before Thanksgiving the band Cover2Cover will play a thank you show with a plethora of other local musicians sitting in to honor and give thanks to Ron and Christy for providing such a fun venue for us musicians Get there early and stay late because that night is going to rock Thank you Ron and Christy for all the wonderful yearsQuote of the Month ldquoMusic is the language of the spirit It opens the secret of life bringing peace abolishing striferdquo - Khalil Gibran

November 7 Ken Cooper Back 40 BBQ 100 Coggins Drive Pleasant Hill 6pm

November 14 Sin Silver amp The Avenue Armandorsquos 707 Marina Vista Martinez 8pm

November 22 The Big Jangle Dallimontirsquos 1932 Oak Park Blvd Pleasant Hill 930pm

November 26 Cover2Cover Dallimontirsquos 1932 Oak Park Blvd Pleasant Hill 8pm

November 28 Lumberyard Dallimontirsquos 1932 Oak Park Blvd Pleasant Hill 930pm

Tires Alignment Brakes Battery StrutsShocks Tire Air Pressure

No purchase necessary must present coupon

FREE PRE-TRIP CAR CHECK

wwwlesschwabmartinezcomVISIT US AT

3800 Alhambra Martinez bull (925)370-6382

SUPPORTING OUR LOCALORGANIZATIONS

Dwayne GlemserManager


Proudly Sponsored by Les Schwab Martinez

Hospice of the East Bay invites the public to participate in the annual Tree of Lights ceremonies for both Martinez and Pleasant Hill For twenty-eight years the Tree of Lights ceremonies have offered residents throughout Contra Costa a way to celebrate and memorialize the lives of their friends and loved ones In addition the funds raised allow Hospice of the East Bay to offer end of life care for everyone in the community regardless of insur-ance status or ability to pay Ceremonies include music reading of memorial names refreshments and the magical moment when the tree is lightedhelliprain or shineMartinez Tree of Lights This yearrsquos tree lighting will be held on Saturday November 1 at 5pm at the majestic oak tree located on Morello Avenue north of Arnold Drive and will be dedicated in memory of two Martinez residents Eloise Chavez and Herb Thurman Join Martinez Mayor Rob Schroder city council members Main Street Martinez supporters and Martinez residents as the East Bay sky is brightened this holiday season Learn more at wwwMartinezHospiceTreecomPleasant Hill Tree of Lights The magnificent oak tree located on Gregory Lane near Cleaveland Road will be lit on Thursday November 20 at 530pm This yearrsquos tree light-ing will be in honor of longtime Pleasant Hill resident Margherita Domi-nica Molino A reception will follow immediately at the Pleasant Hill Teen Center located at 147 Gregory Lane How to Dedicate a Tree Light Lights can be dedicated for a minimum gift of $25 Donors of $100 or more have the option of having their name listed in the tree lighting program Tax-deductible tree sponsorships range from $250 to $10000 Proceeds from Tree of Lights ceremonies benefit patients and families under the care of Hospice of the East Bay Established in 1977 Hospice of the East Bay is a not-for-profit agency that helps people cope with end of life by providing medical emotional spiritual and practical support for patients and families regardless of their ability to pay For light purchases donations sponsorships and event ques-tions please call (925) 887-5678 or visit wwwMartinezHospiceTreecom or wwwPHHospiceTreecom To learn more visit wwwhospiceeastbayorg

On Saturday October 11 an estimated 500 visitors toured the seven vintage homes on the Historic Home Tour organized by the Martinez Historical Society All the homes were in the Arlington Way neighborhood west of downtown Martinez The European opulence of the 1927 home of retired opera singers John and Marcia Hetzler was particularly charming with its former attic converted into a guest suite complete with intriguing niches dormer windows and a recessed sleeping nook In Ned and Elaine Seawellrsquos 1922 Craftsman home a newly refurbished kitchen designed by local architect Eileen Tumlin had just been installed Visitors enjoyed look-ing at ldquobefore amp afterrdquo pictures showing the transformation of the1950s kitchen to the current 2014 design Jack Vosneyrsquos home was a romantic 1920s English Cottage with its front gable clad in trumpet vines Inside was a reconstructed kitchen which appeared vintage but actu-ally had a new farm sink new butcher block counters and newly-installed glass-fronted cabinets antiqued to look as if they were 90- years old Tour goers enjoyed strolling through Marc and Amelia Hunterrsquos 1923 Craftsman after reading about it in the October issue of the Community Focus The newly restored house had been featured in the winter edition of American Bungalow magazine a first for a Martinez home The garden of Citrus Salon owner Candice Gliato and her husband Travis illus-trated how giant timber bamboo could be utilized as a screen to create privacy between adjacent homes The 1922 house of Corrine Christiansen a New Leaf Academy educator was nota-ble for its greatly increased size following an addition which utilized modern materials and construction methods to create a large home while making the house look like an original throughout Both of this yearrsquos mayoral candidates in Martinez participated in the Tour Incum-bent Rob Schroderrsquos 1928 Spanish Revival house in impeccable condition was on the Tour And challenger Gay Gerlack was the greeter at the 1937 Shell Clubhouse where visitors began the Tour ldquoIt is impossible to list all the people who participated in the Tourrdquo said Carolyn Duncan chair of the Home Tour Committee ldquoIt takes a community to put on an event of this magnituderdquo The sponsors who made the Tour possible were as follows Shell Martinez Refinery Cole Real Estate Shell Chemical Company Republic Services Shell Western States Federal Credit Union US Bank Haginrsquos Automotive Bisio Dunivan Dolanrsquos Lumber Doors amp Windows Best Western Plus John Muir Inn Matthew Rinn- State Farm Insur-ance Les Schwab EcoMulch and City of Martinez

Celebrate the Joy of RemembranceLarge Turnout for Historic Home Tour

NOVEMBER SPECIAL

2 Eggs with your choice of 12 waffle or 2 flapjacks

and 2 strips of baconor 2 sausage links or 12 ham

$699 All Day Everyday

PLEASANT HILL2390 Monument Blvd

687-4100Kohls Shopping Center

Country Cookinrsquo at itsOld Fashioned Best

BREAKFAST amp LUNCH


Introducing Robots to Kids Linkbots on the Loose at Valley View Middle School

On Campus

AHS Homecoming Falcons Clean Up

Performing Arts amp Holiday Feast

King and Queen Parade Down Main Community Service Day SuccessBY JAKI JONES Getting kids engaged and work-ing collaboratively while teaching them math and computer programming skills is happening at the new Linkbot Robo-Play Club at Valley View Middle School in Pleasant Hill Shauna Hawes the computer tech-nology teacher and Christina Tkachuk the math and AIMS teacher are faculty advisors to the 35 plus mixed-grade club members Every Wednesday after school groups of students can be seen at com-puters or huddled over their Linkbots Linkbots are modular educational robots that can be accessorized and linked with other robots and programmed to move Linkbots were developed at UC Davis and support STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) education Hawes was first introduced to the idea of bringing robots into a middle school classroom two years ago ldquoIn early 2012 I presented at a STEAM (STEM + Arts) Conference and dropped in on Dr Harry Cheng from the UC Davis CSTEM program as he was speaking about cor-relating Common Core math with robot-ics for younger students such as middle schoolers That got my attentionrdquo A year later she attended a two-day intensive C-STEM Robotics Academy training at UC Davis where she was trained on how to engage students on critical thinking and collaborative learning and how to integrate computing and robotics into

STEM classroom teaching and after-school programs She also purchased two Linkbots ldquoI walked out of the train-ing trying to figure out how I would get more robots and how I would imple-ment this programming experience to support and supplement my students with their math and math confidence What I also brought home was a very clear vision that if I had experienced math in the context I was now seeing I would have learned the concepts and seen a purpose to learning themrdquo she continued Hawes wrote grant requests to DonorsChooseorg and the Pleasant Hill Education Foundation and with funding received she was able to purchase 15 more Linkbots (at about $200 each) and accessories (wheels and snap connec-tors) ldquoTesoro has awarded MDUSD a grant for after-school STEM clubs so I am in the process of ordering more materials to supplement the ones wersquove already purchasedrdquo she said And what do the students have to say about this hands-on high energy club ldquoI get to use the Linkbots to do cool thingsrdquo said one 7th grader ldquoI like learning about robots overall and how they workrdquo said another ldquoI think the coolest thing is being able to move the robotsrdquo added another Several community members are also involved in the fruition and success of the club Mike Morehead College Park

and PH Middle School parent is one of the founders and community advisors of the club Steve Iribarne past Valley View Middle School and CP parent currently works as a robot programmer CP stu-dent Max Morehead is a student coach and CP student Gavin Olson stops by to help when available A culminating activity will be at the 2015 C-STEM Day at UC Davis next May

when teams of students will participate in the RoboPlay Challenge Competition Here Valley View students will have an opportunity to showcase their real-world problem solving skills in a competitive environment For more information about how you can support STEM in Pleasant Hill schools contact cpstemboostersgmailcom

Holiday FeastCPHS Choir Presents First-Ever Renaissance Holiday Feast The Choir Department at College Park High School presents an elegant dinner concert November 14 and 15 6pm recreating the traditional holiday celebrations of the Renaissance Attendees will journey back 500 years to merry England in the days of olde with an evening of magic music mayhem and a marvelous meal - all in a candlelit castle setting An unforgettable night of intimate Renaissance music convivial traditions wassailing and general revelry - huzzah Ticket price includes all entertainment and a gourmet traditional full-course dinner Seat-ing by town crier at 6pm main course served at 630pm Early bird pricing (before November 1 adults $35 students $18 children 10 and under $10 (babes in arms free) For tickets information and menu visit wwwcollegeparkchoirscomFall PerformancesAlhambrarsquos ldquoTo Kill a Mockingbirdrdquo Alhambra High School is currently rehearsing the play To Kill A Mockingbird Performances are November 12 13 14 and 15 at 7pm Tickets can be purchased online or at the door Visit httpsahsbulldogstoremyschoolcentralcomCollege Parkrsquos ldquoAppointment with Deathrdquo College Park Drama presents Agatha Christiersquos Appointment with Death in the newly upgraded multi-use room offering better seating and acoustics The play di-rected by College Park parent Chrissey McCooey runs for five performances Novem-ber 1 6 7 and 8 at 7pm and November 5 at 4pm Tickets are $5students and staff $8seniors and $10general admission Group discounts are available For more information call Joan Lopate at 925-682-7670 x 3245 or email lopatejmdusdorg

More than eighty College Park High studentsathletes showed school pride when they turned out to help tidy their campus during Pleasant Hillrsquos Community Service Day in September Many of Coach Huffrsquos freshman football team worked tirelessly to pull weeds pick up trash and move a 600lb tire covered in black wid-ows (nicknamed the black widow maker) Devoted alumni also showed up with their trucks to help haul large items to a dumpster donated by Republic Services In all the 10th Annual Community Service Day had about 1000 volunteers work-ing on 23 projects all over the city Submitted by Mike Scharff

Alhambra Highrsquos Homecoming Queen Mariah Strykers and Homecoming King Josh Evans wave to the parade bystanders along Main Street in Downtown Martinez Photo submitted by Kerry Cusack

Students in the Linkbot RoboPlay Club at Valley View Middle School listen as Mrs Shauna Hawes faculty advisor shows them how to run a program already written to make the robot move and turn

7th grade students in the Linkbot RoboPlay Club at Valley View Middle School watch as their Linkbot moves to the pro-grammed commands

8th grade students in the Linkbot RoboPlay Club at Valley View Middle School are working on the computer program designed to make the robot move


Saturday November 8th1030 - 530

925372-9330925372-9330

CustomerAppreciation Day

Join us for snacks and storewide sales

Antique CornerAntique Corner2 Floors

20 DealersAntique amp Collectibles

Vintage amp Fun Finds

500 Ferry Street Martinez

Womenrsquos Quality Consignment

1630 CONTRA COSTA BOULEVARD SUITE A bull PLEASANT HILL

9258088765 bull thedejavuboutiquecom

MON-FRI 11-7SAT 11-6

Start your holiday shopping now $10 o every $50 spentMENTION THIS AD

Holiday Frolicamp Snow Park

Presents

For more information call(925) 228-3577 or visit wwwmainstreetmartinezorg

in Downtown Martinez

Friday Dec 5100pm-900pm

Saturday Dec 61000am-900pm

Sunday Dec 71000am-500pm

Sponsored by

Join us for

Holiday Shopping Fun


Gather your shopping buddies and get a head start on holiday shopping in downtown MartinezWear your pajamas and get a complimentary downtown shopping bag

For more information call (925) 228-3577 or visit wwwMainStreetMartinezorg

Participating stores will have special deals and treats Have breakfast at a downtown restaurant Free parking on the weekends

Sat Nov 229am to 100pm

at participating downtown Martinez businesses

A big day for Small BusinessesItrsquos the fourth annual Small Business Saturdayreg when people across the country come out and shop to support their favorite local businesses

Look for special incentives offered by American Express when you use your American Express card to shop small

Shop downtown Martinez for a unique holiday shopping experience wwwMainStreetMartinezorg

Earlier Than The Bird

JOIN US FOR SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAYreg

SAT NOV 29TH

A Snow Sledding Hillamp Iceless Ice Skating

SHOP LOCALLYrestaurants bull automotive bull health amp beauty bull pet services bull business services bull home repairs bull finance bull insurance

Spending money in our community supports our community

Time to ChangeSecond Open Enrollment SeasonBY COLLEEN CALLAHAN The second open enrollment period for individual health insurance starts on November 15 Peo-ple who have coverage directly with an insurance company or through Covered California have an opportunity to make changes Additionally for those of you who did not apply earlier in the year and have been without coverage now is the time to get covered Remember the law requires that everyone have health insurance If you do not have it you could be subjected to a penalty at tax time Applications submitted November 15 and December 15 have an effective date of January 1 2015 Please remember that Covered California is the option if you qualify for advance premium tax credits or for assistance with things like copays Those with earnings higher than 400 of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) might consider applying directly to an insurance company

If you are currently on a COBRA plan consider the options in the marketplace Your deductible will start again on January 1 so moving to a new plan might be more cost effective and you wonrsquot lose any deductible credit The benefits are more uniform than in the past Basic plans are called Bronze the highest level of benefit is found in the Platinum plan and Silver and Gold plans are in the middle It is important to check to see if your physician is contracted All company websites have a tool that allows you to search for contracted physicians and hospitals If you would like comprehensive help from an agent you will need to find one that has taken training with Covered Cali-fornia The Covered California website has a ldquoFind an Agentrdquo tool Of course you can always call me I am certified and my office is in Pleasant Hill Colleen Callahan Insurance Services is located in Pleasant Hill Contact her at 925-363-5433 or ccallahancallahaninsurancecom

Trust AdministrationMust be Methodical BY DANIEL DuREE I have previously written about the creation of a revocable living trust to avoid probate but this month I will discuss the management of a living trust after the creators have passed away This process is known as trust administration From Revocable to Irrevocable After the last creator (or settlor) of a trust passes away the once revocable trust is now ldquoirrevocablerdquo because the settlor was the only person who had the power to revoke or amend the trust Thus the trust becomes a legal entity separate from the settlor and the IRS requires a taxpayer iden-tification number The successor trustee (now acting trustee) requests a taxpayer ID number from the IRS and will use this number to open an account in the name of the trust

Notification to Beneficiaries Under most trust agreements the suc-cessor trustee is required to notify the ben-eficiaries that they have an interest in the trust There is often a requirement that the successor trustee provide an accounting of trust assets to the beneficiaries although this may be waived in the trust documentSuccessor Trustee Added to Title When the settlor of a revocable trust passes away the successor trustee must add their name to trust assets and remove the name of the settlor While the settlor of a trust is alive assets are held in the fol-lowing format ldquoSettlorrsquos Name trustee of Settlorrsquos Name Revocable Trustrdquo When the settlor passes away the successor trustee must notify various institutions of this fact and add their name to the title of the assets Title will now be held as ldquoSuccesor Trusteersquos Name trustee of Settlorrsquos Name Revocable Trustrdquo By doing this the succes-sor trustee will be able to gather the assets

THE LAW OFFICE OF DANIEL L DUREE

TRUSTS bull WILLS bull PROBATE

9252101400

Estate Planning Attorney

Please call today for a complimentary consultation

at my office or in your home

1535 North Main Street Suite 240 bull Walnut Creek wwwDuReeLawcom

turn them into cash and distribute them according to the terms of the trust This must be done for both financial accounts as well as real propertyPayment of debts and Distribution After all the assets have been gathered and debts of the settlor (including taxes) are paid the successor trustee will distrib-ute the assets according to the terms of the trust Trust administration is not a complex process but it must be done in a methodi-

cal fashion Even though there are some specific requirements involved a revocable trust administration is vastly preferable to the probate process both in terms of cost and duration If you have any questions about revocable living trusts or estate plan-ning I am happy to assist you Daniel L DuRee is a third generation resident of Contra Costa County and a li-censed attorney practicing in Walnut Creek He can be reached at (925) 210-1400 or visit wwwDuReeLawcom

Promotions not to be combined or valid with other offers


BY TONYA AMOS If yoursquore ready to add more exercise to your life but canrsquot fit it into your busy schedule add move-ment to your work-day Changing a few elements of how you conduct business will burn calories create healthier joints and impact your overall wellbeing Here are ways to move your body while on the clock Hoof it to work (or at least to your bus stop or BART station) Wear com-fortable shoes so that you can walk bike or if yoursquore really ambitious roller skate Adding a short walk to your com-mute can make a big difference when done five days a week Take the stairs instead of the elevator Yoursquoll get some great leg hip and glute work while getting your heart rate up Get up frequently Sitting in a chair for hours on end is rough on your joints and metabolism Getting up to take a short walk every hour helps you ldquore-setrdquo Sit on a ball Swapping out your chair for part of the day activates the core muscles which encourages good posture and helps support the spine Make sure the ball is slightly deflated so you donrsquot fall Answer the phone standing up

This insures that you stretch your legs frequently and are on your feet for part of your long workday Take a walk at lunch A short brisk walk around the block before settling back to your desk works wonders Take your meeting on the road Instead of sitting with co-workers over coffee take a break or have a meeting while walking Yoursquoll boost both your body and brainpower With forty hours a week making a few changes at work adds up to better health Yoursquoll be pleasantly surprised with your improved fitness and will be stronger by the end of the quarter To-nya Marie Amos is a fully certified Pilates instructor For more information please call (925) 680-4400 or go to wwwAspire-PilatesCentercom

Tropical Pilates RetreatMarch 7th - 14th 2015

7 Nights Relaxation for Body amp MindPilates Cooking amp Spanish ClassesThis is your chance to escape

wwwMexicoPilatesRetreatcom

Finding TimeExcercising While on the Clock

BY KEVIN ARNDT Last month I talked about con-sistency being the secret to fitness success No mat-ter what stick to a workout plan and donrsquot miss a day Not every workout is going to be your best but it is always progress How-ever there is a caveat what are your goals Working with athletes I usually see high effort Sometimes they come in flat but for the most part they want to be a standout in their sport so they come into the gym knowing they need to out-work their competition Howev-er not everyone trains like an athlete Nor do they always need to I ask any client of mine ldquoDo your actions align with your goalsrdquo The general population doesnrsquot have to out-work their competition in the gym so workouts require a dif-ferent mindset If your goal is to just move more then going to the gym and doing a quick strength training routine or a 30-minute walk will meet your goals But are you trying to fit into a pair of pants that you wore 30 pounds ago or are you trying to get a six-pack If this is the case then ask yourself ldquoAm I doing the necessary

workrdquo If you have aggressive goals you need to have aggressive actions You canrsquot be a millionaire by only work-ing one hour a day and you canrsquot get a celebrity beach body with minimal effort This will never work NEVER In order to reach an aggressive goal you need to be spot-on with your nutrition exercise and recovery And be consist-ent A person has to look in the mirror and be honest with who is looking back Is this goal what you really want or something you only think you want If it is something you know you want then go for it Give it everything you have It will be worth the effort But if it is something you only think you want you will be miserable and chances are you will discourage yourself because you are not fully bought into your goal This isnrsquot an excuse for you to not work hard and eat right This is to help you understand that getting fit and healthy isnrsquot always about looking a certain way but rather feeling a certain way and itrsquos one more approach to making exercise and health a part of who you are and not something you have to do Exercise and good health should always be enjoyable Kevin Arndt is an athletic trainer at Forma Gym in Walnut Creek You can reach him at KevinFormagymcom

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that makes your nances go fartherIf yoursquore buying a home or even if yoursquore re nancing a current loan you deserve a nice housewarming gift to go with it Thatrsquos why for a limited time SAFE Credit Union is o ering lender credits toward closing costsmdasha savings of up to $3000 for you Plus you get the bene ts of historically low rates and local decision making from one of the regionrsquos leading lenders Now therersquos a welcoming o er safecuorghomeloans

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Martinez Senior Activities

Pleasant Hill Senior Activities

818 Green Street Martinez 925-370-8770

233 Gregory Lane Pleasant Hill 925-798-8788

91 Gregory Lane Suite 11 bull Pleasant Hill CA 94523 bull 9256870700 wwwpleasanthillchambercom

Itrsquos Your BusinessConsumers are more likely to do business with a company

P L E A S A N T H I L L C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E

Ann LukeExecutive Director

if itrsquos a member of their local chamber of commerce

ldquoItrsquos hard to believe this year is getting close to

being over 2015 will be here before we know it

Be sure to check the Chamberrsquos online calendar

so you donrsquot miss our events happening in

November and in December too

Our November Business Mixer will be on the

12th at Chateau III located at 175 Cleaveland

Road Pleasant Hill

We look forward to seeing you thererdquo

Welcome New Members

Land Home Financial Services Inc Angela Warren (800) 672-9470Connolly amp Taylor Richard Munoz (925) 228-4700Kim Miller-Hershon Coaching amp Consulting Kim Miller-Hershon (925) 331-0656Studio A Dance Instruction Inc Aggie Eidson (925) 691-0505LaHaye Team Mary Anne LaHaye (925) 899-3900Contra Costa Association of Realtors Heather Schiffman (925) 295-9232Mountain Mikersquos Pizza Happy Singh (925) 363-3494Cosmetic Dental Spa Ricardo Perez (925) 687-2299Childrenrsquos Dental Fun Zone Camila Borrero (925) 689-5800DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse Carrie Mokros (614) 872-1134Mark Gebhardt Photography Mark Gebhardt (925) 408-8175

Susan Wood Photography

Resources to Propel Your Business

BUSINESS RUNWAY 2014

Presented By

FREEWorkshop

Attracting amp Retaining Customers

Customer ServiceOrganizing Your Oce amp Workforce

Social Media amp MarketingNetworking

Wednesday December 10 2014Pleasant Hill City Hall Community Room

100 Gregory Lane Pleasant Hill 1130 am ndash 130 pm

(Registration amp Networking begins at 1100 am)

For more information contactPleasant Hill Chamber of Commerce

(925) 687-0700

httpsbusinessrunway4eventbritecomRegister Online

Includes Lunch

What are you doing to grow your business

Nov2 amp Dec 7 - Pancake Breakfast 830-1030am All ages welcome PH Senior Center Chateau Room Enjoy a stack of pancakes or French toast eggs sausage and orange juice and coffee At the Dec Pancake Breakfast be sure to bring the young ones and make a special holiday craft Adults (11+) $5 Children (5-10) $3 4 amp under Free

Nov 7 - Vagabond Players presents ldquoThe Cemetery Clubrdquo1pm PH Senior Center Chateau Room A comic and cathartic play about friendships the future and new possibilities this play has an important moral Fear life a little less and embrace the unknown Tickets $7 presale or $12 day of (based on availability) No refunds on tickets

Nov 13 ndash CMP Series presents ldquoMaintaining Your Mental Health During the Holidaysrdquo 2pm PH Senior Center Dining Room Think yoursquore going crazy Yoursquore not alone Learn coping strategies to help preserve your sanity during the craziness of the holiday season Presented by the Advisors on Aging CMP Series is sponsored by The Chateaus of Pleasant Hill For more info call Dana Krider Care Manager at 798-8788

Dec 4 ndash Taste of the Vine Holiday Edition 3pm Senior Center Chateau Room This is a special holiday Taste of the Vine with live music wine food and you can even get some of your holiday shopping finished Premier Designs Jewelry will be selling items and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Senior Center Sponsored by the Chateaus of Pleasant Hill Tickets $10 presale or $15 day of (based on availability) No refunds on tickets

Nov 9 - Pancake Breakfast 8-11am Breakfast includes pancakes or toast sausage eggs orange juice and coffee Everyone is welcome Cost is $400 for adults$200 for children 10 and under

Nov 7 - Annual Holiday Bazaar 9am-2pm Handmade crafts baked goods jewelry white elephant plants cards holiday decorations and more Lunch will be available between 1130am to 1pm Tickets $400 advanced sales $450 day of the sale

Nov 14 - Vagabond Players presents ldquoCemetery Clubrdquo Doors open at 130pm and play begins at 2pm A comedy about three long-time friends who have become widows within the past year and once a week they gather to visit their husbandrsquos graves Cost $10 members $12 non-members Light buffet to follow performance Tickets must be pre-purchased deadline is Friday Nov 10

Nov 20 ndash Bingo Thanksgiving Special $50 regular games amp prizes

Dec 7 - Clarinet Fusion Holiday Performance 230pm Afternoon begins with a holiday party buffet appetizers wine non- alcoholic punch Doors open at 130pm buffet begins at 145pm with performance at 230pm Tickets $11 members $13 non-members Deadline to purchase tickets is Monday Nov 24

Online catalog bitlyCAE-Fall2014facebookcomCivicArtsEducation

CivicArtsEd(925) 943-5846

Discover all that Walnut Creek Civic Arts Education has to offer mdash like arts classes workshops events and more for the whole family

November 15 Civic Arts Fall Open HouseDiscover what Walnut Creek Civic Arts is all about Come down to the Shadelands Art Center for an exciting day of arts exploration from 11 am-3 pm on Saturday Nov 15 Explore free hands-on arts activities for all ages yummy refreshments and more 111 Wiget Lane Walnut Creek

Stay for the 2nd annual Kathy Nelson Arts Excellence Awards Reception hosted by the Friends of Civic Arts Education Foundation from 3-5 pm Enjoy short musical performances wine and appetizers RSVP to the foundation at 939-2787

Heather Farm Preschool is expandingBeginning in January our arts- and nature-based preschool is expanding to add afternoon sessions for ages 3-5 To learn more call Doug Rowe at 943-5899 ext 2471

Register today for holiday workshops late fall classesAll of our unique Makers Series Workshops begin late November and December and many late-fall classes begin in November Register by calling (925) 943-5846

Create with us this winterWinter quarter classes begin in January with fresh ways to explore your creativity You can even give the gift of arts education for the holidays Registration opens Dec 1

Connect with usConnect with us

Create with usCreate with us

1922 Oak Park Blvd Pleasant Hill bull 925-566-8971Wencesrestaurantcom

Brunch bull Lunch bull Dinner

Join us for our Early Bird specials Monday-Thursday 3-6pm amp Friday 3-5pm

New exciting menu to choose from

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FREE CHIPS AND SALSATACO TUESDAY SERVED ALL DAY

authentic mexican restaurant

Open 7 Days Mon - Sat 11AM - 9 PM bull Sundays 10AM - 8PM

40 Golf Club RD Pleasant Hill 9256762420 bull WWWELTAPSCOM

SUNDAY BRUNCH SERVED 10 AM - 2 PM


Spear-headed by the Pleasant Hill Library and Childrenrsquos Librarian Patrick Remer the Pleasant Hill Education Initiative launched Pleasant Hill Reads last month when everyone in town was encouraged to read one wonder-ful story on the theme of invention and innovation The aim was to bring the community together to read and explore one great book that could be enjoyed by children teens and adults With input from kids families educa-tors and Initiative partners this yearrsquos selection was The Invention of Hugo Cabret written and illustrated by Brian Selznick The Initiative provided copies of this book to many 5th graders in Pleas-ant Hill schools Print or e-book copies were also available to check out at the library Friends of the Pleasant Hill Li-

brary Pleasant Hill Education Commis-sion Pleasant Hillrsquos Rotary and Lions Club Strandwood PTA Sequoia Parent Association and individual donors pro-vide broad support for this program ldquoWith our 2014 funding we were able to purchase almost 400 giveaway copies for nearly half the fifth graders in Pleasant Hill Additional copies are being distributed to school libraries and even more library copies are avail-able for check out at the Pleasant Hill Libraryrdquo said Remer Here are some great quotes Remer has overheard from his school visits thus far ldquoI LOVE THAT BOOKThis isnrsquot even the biggest book that I have Look what Irsquom reading right nowYou just made it my birthdayhellipIrsquom already on page 120 and my friend is tooItrsquos really goodrdquo

BY GIGI CHEN MD An electronic cigarette (e-cig or e-cigarette) is a battery-powered vaporizer that simu-lates tobacco smoke by producing an aerosol that resembles smoke A heating element vaporizes a liquid solution known as e-liquid E-liquids usually contain a mixture of propylene glycol vegetable nicotine and flavorings E-cigs are designed to look like cigarettes right down to the glowing tip When the smoker puffs on it a mist of liquid flavorings and nicotine that looks something like smoke is let off The smoker inhales it like cigarette smoke and the nicotine is absorbed into the lungs The nicotine inside the cartridges is very addictive In a recent study through Memorial Sloan Kettering cancer patients who smoked were enrolled in a tobacco treat-ment program and their smoking history was evaluated At the beginning of the study it was noted that the patients who used e-cigarettes were more dependent on nicotine than those who didnrsquot use them They also had tried quitting more times in the past and were more likely to be diagnosed with cancers of the lung head and neck At the conclusion they found that the number of those who kicked the habit was the same in both groups Other studies give a mixed picture Some conclude that e-cigs can help

people give up the tobacco habit while other studies suggest that the artificial cigarette carries its own set of health risks Presently there is no government oversight of the e-cigarette and because the FDA has not approved it there is no way for public health departments the medical community or consumers to know what chemicals they contain or what the health implications might be Researchers conclude that questions remain about the long-term safety and effectiveness of e-cigarettes and that more controlled research is needed Medical practitioners advise all patients to quit smoking traditional com-bustible and electronic cigarettes by us-ing FDA-approved cessation medications andor smoking cessation counseling Join Dr Chen and Dr Michaela Straznicka at ldquoShine a Light on Lung Cancerrdquo on November 13 7ndash 9pm at the Lafayette Library and Learn-ing Center This event will focus on the unique issues facing lung cancer patients and will include information on new screening guidelines clinical trials new treatment options and survivorship is-sues To register please call 510-390-0095 or go online at wwwShineALightOn-LungCancerorg Gigi Chen MD is a medical oncolo-gist and hematologist with Diablo Valley Oncology and Hematology Medical Group She sees patients in Pleasant Hill Rossmoor and San Ramon For more information or to schedule an appoint-ment please call 925-677-5041 or visit wwwdvohmgcom

What Are E-Cigs

PHEI Events

Can They Help You Quit Smoking

5th Graders ReadRead My Mindcopy

Comfort Reading amp MoreBY MICHAEL G HARRIS OD Just like some food is ldquocomfort foodrdquo some books are ldquocomfort read-ingrdquo Thatrsquos the way I feel about Anna Quindlen and her books Fellows you may be asking yourselves ldquoWho is Anna Quindlenrdquo Well if you donrsquot know just ask your wives Annarsquos books have sold over 1 million copies She has written award-winning columns for Newsweek and won a Pulitzer Prize while a columnist at the New York Times One of her latest books Lots of Candles Plenty of Cake is her memoir about her past her present and her wishes for the future As with her other books A Short Guide to a Happy Life and Loud and Clear Anna has a warm and friendly way of describing life and all its bless-ings When I read one of her books I feel like Irsquom wrapped in a snug blanket in front of a cozy fireplace listening to a friend Annarsquos family and friends become your family and friends (I feel I know her so well I have no problem referring to her by her first name) As a member of the ldquosandwich generationrdquo I under-stand all too well the issues she deals with having an elderly parent and chil-dren starting their own families She accepts aging and all its trappings with humor and grace She realizes that life is not ldquoabout how we look but about who we arerdquo Now that Irsquove celebrated yet another birthday one of my favorite quotes from her book is by Satchel Paige ldquoHow old would you be if you didnrsquot know how old you wererdquo No matter how old you are I think we can all relate to that When I read one of Annarsquos books I feel both my age and

my youth I also feel warm and happy I think you will too In addition to writing ldquocomforta-blerdquo nonfiction Quindlin has graced us with a new novel Still Life With Bread Crumbs This is the charming story of a famous photographer whose best years are behind her or so she thinks In her 30s our heroine Rebecca Win-

ters became famous for a series of photographs of her home life the most fa-mous being rdquoStill Life with Bread Crumbsrdquo Now that shersquos 60 Rebecca decides to leave the madness of Manhattan and her old life behind She moves to a rdquorusticrdquo cottage in the countryside The book fol-lows her journey through its ups and downs as she eventually finds a new life Yes I know this is ldquochick

litrdquo but even you guys might enjoy this one Have you ever wished you could go back in time and revisit an ear-lier version of yourself Well thatrsquos exactly what happens to Greta Wells in Andrew Sean Greerrsquos The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells We first meet Greta in 1985 when she is suffering from depression and with good reason Her lover Nathan has left her and her twin brother Felix has just died After consulting several doctors she decides to undergo electroconvulsive therapy (formerly known as electroshock thera-py) to relieve the depression But it has a most unusual side effect It sends her back in time After the first treatment Greta wakes up in her room but her room looks different Shersquos the same person surrounded by the same peo-ple but shersquos been transported back to 1918 After her next treatment she wakes up still rounded by the same people but itrsquos 1941 just before Pearl Harbor is bombed All three of her lives seem equally real Which one will she choose Which one will make her happy Which life would you choose

Childrenrsquos Librarian Patrick Remer with students in Mrs Hewgleyrsquos 5th grade class

Honest amp Reliable

877- 586-8302Please Contact Mike Hammer bull Owner amp Operator

Providing Superior Services throughout the East Bay for over 20 years Lic 672344

wwwHammersHeatingandACcom

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bull ALL MAKES amp MODELSbull ALWAYS PROMPT amp RELIABLE

CALL US FOR ALL OF YOUR HEATING amp COOLING NEEDS

925-229-2779

BY JIM BONATO It has been two months since we were shaken from a sound sleep to find many of our homes creaking and shud-dering from the shock of the 60 magni-tude South Napa earthquake The largest quake since Loma Prieta this one rocked the Napa Valley and its neighboring cities for 20 seconds and resulted in over $400 million in damage to residentsrsquo homes businesses and the wine industry While Loma Prieta affected the whole Bay Area region the Napa quake was more local-ized and tested the preparedness of local public agencies utility companies first responders medical facilities businesses and residents Over 250 people were treated at hospitals in Napa and Vallejo ndash mostly for cuts from broken glass and bruises One person lost her life from a severe head injury caused by a falling television Four homes were destroyed reportedly due to a broken gas line Facades from brick buildings crumbled and unreinforced masonry fell damaging both the build-ing of origin and those next to them Storefront windows popped out or raggedly cracked as far south as Vallejo Homes were tossed off their foundations and a total of 156 homes and businesses were red-tagged as they were too badly damaged to be safely occupied In the

Fern Place neighborhood of Vallejo every brick chimney either collapsed or was on the verge of collapsing There were 150 reported gas leaks and 144 broken water mains the latter being tragic during a drought year and could have severely impacted fire districtsrsquo ability to fight fires had they occurred in large numbers Over 69000 PGampE cus-tomers lost power Road pavement on several roads in three counties buckled and cracked making driving hazardous So what lessons can we learn from the Napa quake with respect to our homes and families Letrsquos take a look at some low-cost smart measures to reduce damage and injuries Are our homes bolted to the foundation Have we reinforced our walls in the crawl space to resist lateral shaking Are the gas lines leading to our water heaters and gas stoves flexible Do we have a wrench at hand to turn off the gas to our homes if we detect a gas leak Have we installed child proof latches to the kitchen cabinets to prevent our dishes glasses and food from cascading to the floor Have brick features of our homes been retrofitted or reinforced The most common injuries from quakes are caused from falling objects and broken glass Have we adequately secured tall cabinets books cases heavy artwork and televisions to prevent them from falling potentially on people Does each of us have a pair of gloves shoes

2014 Napa EarthquakeWhat Lessons Can We Learn

and a flashlight stored under our beds in case a quake occurs while wersquore sleep-ing Do we have first aid supplies handy Have we taken a recent first aid class to learn how to stop bleeding and how to properly bandage wounds if we ever needed to If we are displaced from our homes do we have emergency ldquoGo-Kitsrdquo for each family member hellipand pet

Hopefully we can all answer ldquoyesrdquo to these simple steps If not we hope every-one will make these small improvements to their homes and personal readiness As we learned in Napa those who were prepared were very glad they had taken the time Jim Bonato is the Pleasant Hill CERT Program Manager


925-827-12001936 Linda Drive Pleasant Hill CA 94523

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113014

Fall CleaningSpecial

Aspire Pilates CenterBay View Yacht ChartersBig Air Heating and Air ConditioningCarlton Senior LivingCold Stone CreameryColleen Callahan Insurance ServicesConcord Chamber of CommerceCountry WafflesDallimontirsquosDasbiotics 3D PrintingDebbie Billecci McKillop for Martinez City CouncilDiablo Valley Oncology

Dorothy Englund for PH City CouncilDowntown Pleasant HillEcoMulch East Bay Residential RealtyEllinwood ExterminatorsEl TapatioFlaskerud - REMAX TodayForma GymGay Gerlack for Martinez MayorGlenn Allen Team ndash REMAX Haginrsquos AutomotiveHammerrsquos Heating and ACHillcrest Veterinary HospitalHire My HusbandHome Detailers Housekeeping

Jack Weir for PH City CouncilJackrsquos Restaurant amp BarJennifer L Martin DDSKobe JapanLaw Office of Daniel L DuReeLaw Offices of Lauren SmykowskiLes Schwab TiresMain Street MartinezMartinez Auto BodyMatt Rinn for CC Community College District 2014Maureen Ingalls - REMAX AccordMichael Harris for PH City CouncilMike Menesini for Martinez City CouncilMoulding CompanyMt Diablo Solano Oncology Group

Nonirsquos Pet Boutique amp GroomingPleasant Hill Chamber of CommercePleasant Hill Rec amp ParkRob Schroder for Martinez MayorSafe Mortgage LendingSamuels ConstructionSenior HelpersSears Home Services ndash Leisa ChristensenShell Western States Credit UnionSue Noack for PH City CouncilSuzanne Looker Pacific Union InternationalTotal Property ManagementWalnut Creek Civic Arts AssocWaters Moving and StorageWencersquos Restaurant

bull Call for Same Day Appointments

bull Mon Tue Fri Sat and Sun

bull 9am - 6pm and Some Evenings

bull Drop in nail trimming Sunday amp Mondays

bull Located in and Backed by Central Bark Downtown Martinez

melonie jackson bull 925-822-7858821 Escobar St Martinez

One Dog At A TimeOne Dog At A Time

925-939-1160 bull 1581 Oak Park Boulevard bull Pleasant HillwwwPleasantHillCollisioncom bull email phcollisionaolcom

Collision Repair amp Painting bull Frame Straightening Insurance Claims bull Glass bull Customs

COLLISIONCOLLISIONPleasant Hill

Local Quality You Can Trust

Make Some Plans Business Directory

Advertisers

october 31 november 2 november 7 november 18

november november 6

november 4 november

november 19

november

november 1

november 7 november 15 amp 16

november 8

november 22

november 20

november 8

november 28

Martinez FarmersrsquoMarket Sundays10am-2pm Year Round Main St between Castro amp Ferry St Visit wwwpcfmacom

Pizza for Pets11am - 9pm Bring the flier found at wwwcchumaneorg and Round Table at 1938 Oak Park Blvd PH will donate 20 of the proceeds to CC Humane Society Flier required

Donate Blood with the American Red CrossDownload the American Red Cross Blood Donor App visit redcrossbloodorg or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment

Bedford Gallery Craft Fest10am-4pm Local vendors will sell handmade crafts including jewelry home goods ceramics artisanal food and more Held at Lesher Center for the Arts wwwbedfordgalleryorg

Gourmet East Bay andFood DrivesVisit httpwwwfoodbankccsorgeventsupcoming-eventshtml for the many November Food Bank events that will help feed children and families throughout the holiday season

Unveiling The Common CoreThe Unanswered Questions 7- 9pm Calvary Temple Church Concord Tickets through Eventbritecom and search ldquoUnveiling Common Core - The Unanswered Questionsrdquo

Joe DiMaggioCentennial CelebrationLaunch of the Hometown Hero Project Shell Clubhouse 1635 Pacheco Blvd Martinez Social hour at 530pm amp Italian dinner at 630pm

CERT Speaker Series Floods presentation by Mike Boucher Senior Hydrologist with the Contra Costa County Flood Control amp Water Conservation District Pleasant Hill Community Center 320 Civic Drive 7pm

Mt Diablo BranchWriters ClubLuncheon Zio Fraedorsquos 611 Gregory Ln PH Check in 1115-12 lunch at 12 speaker 1-2pm $20members $25guests Reservations required Robin Gigoux at ragigaolcom or 9259339670 cwcmtdiablowriterswordpresscom

Shop and Adopt1030am - 230pm Chicorsquos 1401 Mt Diablo Blvd will donate 10 of pre-tax sales to CC Humane Society Dogs and cats will be on site to find new forever homes Visit wwwcchumaneorg

A Heart for Christmas100 free Christmas show and musical light tour 1185 Pine Lane Clayton Open Wed-Sun from Nov 28-Dec 28 Visit AHeartForChristmascom for showtimes and directions

Pleasant Hill Garden Study Club SpeakerKathy Echols ldquoCollecting Seeds and Morerdquo Guests welcome and free 7pm at Pleasant Hill Community Center 320 Civic Drive PH 9259444898 or wwwphgsccom

East Bay Artists GuildCome see the new exhibit at the Pleasant Hill Senior Center Now through December come view the fine art created by artists in our community 233 Gregory Lane

Candy Swapwith Blue Star MomsDr Jennifer Martinrsquos office will be collecting candy to donate to the Blue Star Moms to send to troops serving in the military 401 Gregory Lane Suite 126 Pleasant Hill

Kiwanis FundraiserBoutiqueSaturday 9am - 430pm and Sunday 10am ndash 4pm 750 Allen Street Martinez

Really Big Bag of Books $5 buys a grocery sack of almost-new books at the Friends of the Martinez Library sale 740 Court St Martinez 11am-4pm general public 10am members

Haunted HouseAre you ready for the Zombie Apocolypse This is our 10th and final haunted house One night only 630-930pm 2116 Olympic Drive Martinez Admission is free Questions Concordwlsgroupgmailcom

Society of American MagiciansAssembly 112 meets the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 7pm Veterans of Foreign Wars 1919 Wendell Lane PH Open to all 9254511292

40 november 2014 bull ourcommunityfocuscom

L ght UpThe NIGHTThe NIGHT

in DowntownPleasant Hill

Join the merchants City of Pleasant Hill and Pleasant Hill Chamber of

Commerce for a fun night of holiday lights shopping and of course Santa

Holiday Arts amp Crafts Fair (starting at 400pm)

FREE hot chocolate coffee and cookies

25-foot Holiday Tree lighting at 600pm

Costumed characters on Crescent Drive

Entertainment on Plaza near Pasta Pomodoroand Downtown Plaza Stage

(between Sweet Tomatoes and Jacks Restaurant)

FREE Carriage rides FREE parking

Wednesday December 3 00ndash800pm5

Brought to you by City of Pleasant Hill

and the Pleasant Hill Chamber of Commerce

Downtown Pleasant Hill

ldquoElf on the Shelfrdquo

Holiday Treasure Hunt

Pick up your holiday treasure map

follow the highlighted stores and see

if you can find our Elf on the Shelf

helpers that are hiding in the

participating merchants

City ofPleasant Hill

Located at Crescent Drive at Contra Costa Boulevard

For more details call 800-762-1641 or 925-671-5229


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BY NORMA FLASKERUD You may be busy planning for the holidays but also thinking about home improvements that boost your property value If you plan on stay-ing in your house for many years you may improve it to suit your own taste but if you are selling in the near future improvements with broad appeal make sense Floor coverings and paint always increase your homersquos value Carpeting is nice but hardwood floors are sought after An excellent hardwood-look laminate can be ap-propriate in lower priced homes Walls should be painted a soft beige with ceilings and trim in white Our stager provides exact color recommenda-tions The next tier of improvements is in kitchen and bathrooms Believe it or not old cabinets do not need replac-ing an excellent paint job plus new

hardware bring them up to date Add new counters if needed and new ap-pliances Granite and stainless steel while not required are still sought after in kitchens Bathrooms can be updated with minimal expense new hardware a new floor and a newly painted vanity can do it However a new vanity and counter a new floor new paint a new tiled showertub surround and new light fixtures create the wow factor that helps a house sell for top dollar A professional can repaint a stained or out-of-fashion colored tub Visit home improvement stores and see wonder-ful tile options including borders Using tile to jazz up a showertub wall or even the kitchen backsplash makes a wonderful impact Lastly keep landscaping in mind Consider the drought and make water-wise changes If moving or sell-

ing is on your horizon give us a call We would be happy to come by with advice specific to your home In closing the real estate market has cooled along with the outside temperatures but it wonrsquot stay cool until the warmth of spring Yearly we see a big demand for houses just after the New Year It continues through spring and into early summer when traditionally things start to slow down If you are anxious to sell you do not have to wait for school to be out win-ter months are effective due to high demand and low inventory and early spring is a great time to sell when the trees and flowers are blooming You can reach Don Norma and Erik Flaskerud at 925-676-5859 or email DonandNormagmailcom Reach Erik at 925-381-7276






Best Time to Buy




Veterinary Hospital

Thanksgiving



ADVERTISING










2425

16


DVCTransfer

List

Festive

FallRecipes

ShopLocalCoupons





INSIDE


PHOTO BY Susan Wood

to

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to

1921

to





wwwsmykowskilawcom

Inspection Traps

PAID ADVERTORIAL







SAMUELSCONSTRUCTION


MEMBER





PLANS AVAILABLE




























I

LOCAL VETERANS





By Colleen Vomund

Photo by Susan Wood

















Public Meetings

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City News Continued
















Mayorrsquos Message

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NO JOB TOO SMALL

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november 4 november

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november 22

november 20

november 8

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Best Time to Buy




Veterinary Hospital

Thanksgiving



ADVERTISING










2425

16


DVCTransfer

List

Festive

FallRecipes

ShopLocalCoupons





INSIDE


PHOTO BY Susan Wood

to

67

to

1921

to





wwwsmykowskilawcom

Inspection Traps

PAID ADVERTORIAL







SAMUELSCONSTRUCTION


MEMBER





PLANS AVAILABLE




























I

LOCAL VETERANS





By Colleen Vomund

Photo by Susan Wood

















Public Meetings

Chamber Calendar




City News Continued

searsHOME SERVICES





FREE Consultation








PHOTO BY STAHLBERG















Public Meetings

Chamber Calendar







US










Best Mechanic

City News Continued
















Mayorrsquos Message

City News



Public Meetings

Chamber Calendar








City News Continued


Hire My Husband

925-969-0133








NO JOB TOO SMALL

MONTHLY SERVICE


















bull FREE Checking















Founder



Lic No 5005347

CALL TODAY







































VOTEMATTHEW

RINN





for City Council


C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K







320 Civic Drive



pleasanthillreccom











L





for City Council


Experience Matters

MikeC

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K











SUE NOACK9252784525






PROUDLY ENDORSED BY









Please Join Us



























wwwdallimontiscom








Paulrsquos Picks




















NOVEMBER SPECIAL







BREAKFAST amp LUNCH



On Campus















925372-9330925372-9330













Presents






Sponsored by

Join us for













SAT NOV 29TH










9252101400


















NMLS 466072


loanloanA home





2819APR

$3000UP TO


$1299

4


















Road Pleasant Hill


Welcome New Members





Presented By

FREEWorkshop








(925) 687-0700


Includes Lunch





































What Are E-Cigs

PHEI Events








Honest amp Reliable








925-229-2779

















9259398733

FREEESTIMATES

cwtreeservicecom

BUCK CHESHIRE


bull Hospitals



BUCK CHESHIRE

LicPR6202


TERMITE SPECIALISTS



113014


















Advertisers


november november 6

november 4 november

november 19

november

november 1


november 8

november 22

november 20

november 8

november 28






































































I

LOCAL VETERANS





By Colleen Vomund

Photo by Susan Wood

















Public Meetings

Chamber Calendar




City News Continued

searsHOME SERVICES





FREE Consultation








PHOTO BY STAHLBERG















Public Meetings

Chamber Calendar







US










Best Mechanic

City News Continued
















Mayorrsquos Message

City News



Public Meetings

Chamber Calendar








City News Continued


Hire My Husband

925-969-0133








NO JOB TOO SMALL

MONTHLY SERVICE


















bull FREE Checking















Founder



Lic No 5005347

CALL TODAY







































VOTEMATTHEW

RINN





for City Council


C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K







320 Civic Drive



pleasanthillreccom











L





for City Council


Experience Matters

MikeC

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K











SUE NOACK9252784525






PROUDLY ENDORSED BY









Please Join Us



























wwwdallimontiscom








Paulrsquos Picks




















NOVEMBER SPECIAL







BREAKFAST amp LUNCH



On Campus















925372-9330925372-9330













Presents






Sponsored by

Join us for













SAT NOV 29TH










9252101400


















NMLS 466072


loanloanA home





2819APR

$3000UP TO


$1299

4


















Road Pleasant Hill


Welcome New Members





Presented By

FREEWorkshop








(925) 687-0700


Includes Lunch





































What Are E-Cigs

PHEI Events








Honest amp Reliable








925-229-2779

















9259398733

FREEESTIMATES

cwtreeservicecom

BUCK CHESHIRE


bull Hospitals



BUCK CHESHIRE

LicPR6202


TERMITE SPECIALISTS



113014


















Advertisers


november november 6

november 4 november

november 19

november

november 1


november 8

november 22

november 20

november 8

november 28





























































Public Meetings

Chamber Calendar




City News Continued

searsHOME SERVICES





FREE Consultation








PHOTO BY STAHLBERG















Public Meetings

Chamber Calendar







US










Best Mechanic

City News Continued
















Mayorrsquos Message

City News



Public Meetings

Chamber Calendar








City News Continued


Hire My Husband

925-969-0133








NO JOB TOO SMALL

MONTHLY SERVICE


















bull FREE Checking















Founder



Lic No 5005347

CALL TODAY







































VOTEMATTHEW

RINN





for City Council


C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K







320 Civic Drive



pleasanthillreccom











L





for City Council


Experience Matters

MikeC

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K











SUE NOACK9252784525






PROUDLY ENDORSED BY









Please Join Us



























wwwdallimontiscom








Paulrsquos Picks




















NOVEMBER SPECIAL







BREAKFAST amp LUNCH



On Campus















925372-9330925372-9330













Presents






Sponsored by

Join us for













SAT NOV 29TH










9252101400


















NMLS 466072


loanloanA home





2819APR

$3000UP TO


$1299

4


















Road Pleasant Hill


Welcome New Members





Presented By

FREEWorkshop








(925) 687-0700


Includes Lunch





































What Are E-Cigs

PHEI Events








Honest amp Reliable








925-229-2779

















9259398733

FREEESTIMATES

cwtreeservicecom

BUCK CHESHIRE


bull Hospitals



BUCK CHESHIRE

LicPR6202


TERMITE SPECIALISTS



113014


















Advertisers


november november 6

november 4 november

november 19

november

november 1


november 8

november 22

november 20

november 8

november 28














































PHOTO BY STAHLBERG















Public Meetings

Chamber Calendar







US










Best Mechanic

City News Continued
















Mayorrsquos Message

City News



Public Meetings

Chamber Calendar








City News Continued


Hire My Husband

925-969-0133








NO JOB TOO SMALL

MONTHLY SERVICE


















bull FREE Checking















Founder



Lic No 5005347

CALL TODAY







































VOTEMATTHEW

RINN





for City Council


C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K







320 Civic Drive



pleasanthillreccom











L





for City Council


Experience Matters

MikeC

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K











SUE NOACK9252784525






PROUDLY ENDORSED BY









Please Join Us



























wwwdallimontiscom








Paulrsquos Picks




















NOVEMBER SPECIAL







BREAKFAST amp LUNCH



On Campus















925372-9330925372-9330













Presents






Sponsored by

Join us for













SAT NOV 29TH










9252101400


















NMLS 466072


loanloanA home





2819APR

$3000UP TO


$1299

4


















Road Pleasant Hill


Welcome New Members





Presented By

FREEWorkshop








(925) 687-0700


Includes Lunch





































What Are E-Cigs

PHEI Events








Honest amp Reliable








925-229-2779

















9259398733

FREEESTIMATES

cwtreeservicecom

BUCK CHESHIRE


bull Hospitals



BUCK CHESHIRE

LicPR6202


TERMITE SPECIALISTS



113014


















Advertisers


november november 6

november 4 november

november 19

november

november 1


november 8

november 22

november 20

november 8

november 28






















































Mayorrsquos Message

City News



Public Meetings

Chamber Calendar








City News Continued


Hire My Husband

925-969-0133








NO JOB TOO SMALL

MONTHLY SERVICE


















bull FREE Checking















Founder



Lic No 5005347

CALL TODAY







































VOTEMATTHEW

RINN





for City Council


C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K







320 Civic Drive



pleasanthillreccom











L





for City Council


Experience Matters

MikeC

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K











SUE NOACK9252784525






PROUDLY ENDORSED BY









Please Join Us



























wwwdallimontiscom








Paulrsquos Picks




















NOVEMBER SPECIAL







BREAKFAST amp LUNCH



On Campus















925372-9330925372-9330













Presents






Sponsored by

Join us for













SAT NOV 29TH










9252101400


















NMLS 466072


loanloanA home





2819APR

$3000UP TO


$1299

4


















Road Pleasant Hill


Welcome New Members





Presented By

FREEWorkshop








(925) 687-0700


Includes Lunch





































What Are E-Cigs

PHEI Events








Honest amp Reliable








925-229-2779

















9259398733

FREEESTIMATES

cwtreeservicecom

BUCK CHESHIRE


bull Hospitals



BUCK CHESHIRE

LicPR6202


TERMITE SPECIALISTS



113014


















Advertisers


november november 6

november 4 november

november 19

november

november 1


november 8

november 22

november 20

november 8

november 28






























































bull FREE Checking















Founder



Lic No 5005347

CALL TODAY







































VOTEMATTHEW

RINN





for City Council


C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K







320 Civic Drive



pleasanthillreccom











L





for City Council


Experience Matters

MikeC

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K











SUE NOACK9252784525






PROUDLY ENDORSED BY









Please Join Us



























wwwdallimontiscom








Paulrsquos Picks




















NOVEMBER SPECIAL







BREAKFAST amp LUNCH



On Campus















925372-9330925372-9330













Presents






Sponsored by

Join us for













SAT NOV 29TH










9252101400


















NMLS 466072


loanloanA home





2819APR

$3000UP TO


$1299

4


















Road Pleasant Hill


Welcome New Members





Presented By

FREEWorkshop








(925) 687-0700


Includes Lunch





































What Are E-Cigs

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november november 6

november 4 november

november 19

november

november 1


november 8

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for City Council


Experience Matters

MikeC

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K











SUE NOACK9252784525






PROUDLY ENDORSED BY









Please Join Us



























wwwdallimontiscom








Paulrsquos Picks




















NOVEMBER SPECIAL







BREAKFAST amp LUNCH



On Campus















925372-9330925372-9330













Presents






Sponsored by

Join us for













SAT NOV 29TH










9252101400


















NMLS 466072


loanloanA home





2819APR

$3000UP TO


$1299

4


















Road Pleasant Hill


Welcome New Members





Presented By

FREEWorkshop








(925) 687-0700


Includes Lunch





































What Are E-Cigs

PHEI Events








Honest amp Reliable








925-229-2779

















9259398733

FREEESTIMATES

cwtreeservicecom

BUCK CHESHIRE


bull Hospitals



BUCK CHESHIRE

LicPR6202


TERMITE SPECIALISTS



113014


















Advertisers


november november 6

november 4 november

november 19

november

november 1


november 8

november 22

november 20

november 8

november 28


















































SUE NOACK9252784525






PROUDLY ENDORSED BY









Please Join Us



























wwwdallimontiscom








Paulrsquos Picks




















NOVEMBER SPECIAL







BREAKFAST amp LUNCH



On Campus















925372-9330925372-9330













Presents






Sponsored by

Join us for













SAT NOV 29TH










9252101400


















NMLS 466072


loanloanA home





2819APR

$3000UP TO


$1299

4


















Road Pleasant Hill


Welcome New Members





Presented By

FREEWorkshop








(925) 687-0700


Includes Lunch





































What Are E-Cigs

PHEI Events








Honest amp Reliable








925-229-2779

















9259398733

FREEESTIMATES

cwtreeservicecom

BUCK CHESHIRE


bull Hospitals



BUCK CHESHIRE

LicPR6202


TERMITE SPECIALISTS



113014


















Advertisers


november november 6

november 4 november

november 19

november

november 1


november 8

november 22

november 20

november 8

november 28




































































wwwdallimontiscom








Paulrsquos Picks




















NOVEMBER SPECIAL







BREAKFAST amp LUNCH



On Campus















925372-9330925372-9330













Presents






Sponsored by

Join us for













SAT NOV 29TH










9252101400


















NMLS 466072


loanloanA home





2819APR

$3000UP TO


$1299

4


















Road Pleasant Hill


Welcome New Members





Presented By

FREEWorkshop








(925) 687-0700


Includes Lunch





































What Are E-Cigs

PHEI Events








Honest amp Reliable








925-229-2779

















9259398733

FREEESTIMATES

cwtreeservicecom

BUCK CHESHIRE


bull Hospitals



BUCK CHESHIRE

LicPR6202


TERMITE SPECIALISTS



113014


















Advertisers


november november 6

november 4 november

november 19

november

november 1


november 8

november 22

november 20

november 8

november 28















































On Campus















925372-9330925372-9330













Presents






Sponsored by

Join us for













SAT NOV 29TH










9252101400


















NMLS 466072


loanloanA home





2819APR

$3000UP TO


$1299

4


















Road Pleasant Hill


Welcome New Members





Presented By

FREEWorkshop








(925) 687-0700


Includes Lunch





































What Are E-Cigs

PHEI Events








Honest amp Reliable








925-229-2779

















9259398733

FREEESTIMATES

cwtreeservicecom

BUCK CHESHIRE


bull Hospitals



BUCK CHESHIRE

LicPR6202


TERMITE SPECIALISTS



113014


















Advertisers


november november 6

november 4 november

november 19

november

november 1


november 8

november 22

november 20

november 8

november 28















































925372-9330925372-9330













Presents






Sponsored by

Join us for













SAT NOV 29TH










9252101400


















NMLS 466072


loanloanA home





2819APR

$3000UP TO


$1299

4


















Road Pleasant Hill


Welcome New Members





Presented By

FREEWorkshop








(925) 687-0700


Includes Lunch





































What Are E-Cigs

PHEI Events








Honest amp Reliable








925-229-2779

















9259398733

FREEESTIMATES

cwtreeservicecom

BUCK CHESHIRE


bull Hospitals



BUCK CHESHIRE

LicPR6202


TERMITE SPECIALISTS



113014


















Advertisers


november november 6

november 4 november

november 19

november

november 1


november 8

november 22

november 20

november 8

november 28























































NMLS 466072


loanloanA home





2819APR

$3000UP TO


$1299

4


















Road Pleasant Hill


Welcome New Members





Presented By

FREEWorkshop








(925) 687-0700


Includes Lunch





































What Are E-Cigs

PHEI Events








Honest amp Reliable








925-229-2779

















9259398733

FREEESTIMATES

cwtreeservicecom

BUCK CHESHIRE


bull Hospitals



BUCK CHESHIRE

LicPR6202


TERMITE SPECIALISTS



113014


















Advertisers


november november 6

november 4 november

november 19

november

november 1


november 8

november 22

november 20

november 8

november 28






























































Road Pleasant Hill


Welcome New Members





Presented By

FREEWorkshop








(925) 687-0700


Includes Lunch





































What Are E-Cigs

PHEI Events








Honest amp Reliable








925-229-2779

















9259398733

FREEESTIMATES

cwtreeservicecom

BUCK CHESHIRE


bull Hospitals



BUCK CHESHIRE

LicPR6202


TERMITE SPECIALISTS



113014


















Advertisers


november november 6

november 4 november

november 19

november

november 1


november 8

november 22

november 20

november 8

november 28


















































What Are E-Cigs

PHEI Events








Honest amp Reliable








925-229-2779

















9259398733

FREEESTIMATES

cwtreeservicecom

BUCK CHESHIRE


bull Hospitals



BUCK CHESHIRE

LicPR6202


TERMITE SPECIALISTS



113014


















Advertisers


november november 6

november 4 november

november 19

november

november 1


november 8

november 22

november 20

november 8

november 28
























































9259398733

FREEESTIMATES

cwtreeservicecom

BUCK CHESHIRE


bull Hospitals



BUCK CHESHIRE

LicPR6202


TERMITE SPECIALISTS



113014


















Advertisers


november november 6

november 4 november

november 19

november

november 1


november 8

november 22

november 20

november 8

november 28













































november 2014 community focus

Documents

property value

home improvementsincrease

homes value

service property management

improvement needs

quality service

repair needs

total property solutions