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November 2011
Serving the Lafayette Community
Healing Hoof Beats: High on a Horse By Jody Morgan High on a horse, children who have never walked experience the empowerment and freedom of motion. The repetitive rhythm of hoof beats allays anxiety. Therapeutic riding makes miraculous moments happen for children and adults suffering from a variety of psychological, emotional and physical problems including ADHD/ADD, Asperger’s Syndrome, Autism, Bi-Polar Disorder, Blindness, Brain Injury, Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Cystic Fibrosis, Depression, Developmental Delays, Down’s Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Scoliosis, Spinal Bifida, and Stroke. Hoisting a student with limited muscle control into the saddle and providing a safe experience takes at least four trained caregivers. In addition to the instructor who is responsible for determining the goals and plan of the lesson and the tack and horse to be used, a handler is required to lead the horse, and two side walkers are needed to stabilize the rider. As strength improves, students graduate to managing their horses with less assistance. Games, toys, songs, and pounds of posiEliana works on words with Instructor Karena tive reinforcement elicit Smith far right and Volunteer Amber Decorano. giggles from children who seldom smile in other situations. Reaching to put a ring
See Horse continued on page 13
Community Thanksgiving Breakfast The Lafayette Chamber of Commerce invites you to join city leaders, residents and the business community for breakfast as we have done for 31 years. The 32nd Annual Community Thanksgiving Breakfast will be held on Friday, November 18th, from 7am – 8:30am at the Lafayette - Orinda Presbyterian Church (LOPC), 49 Knox Dr. in Lafayette. Breakfast will be graciously provided by Spring Loaf Catering. This event is our way of bringing the community together before we all get too busy with the holidays. Our new congressman George Miller (redistricting) is this year’s
See Breakfast continued on page 24
Local Postal Customer
Lafayette seniors, family members, and caregivers attend Lafayette Community Foundation’s Liaison Committee for Seniors Symposium on Aging.
Addressing Senior Concerns By Fran Miller It is ironic that many of the traits that make Lafayette such an attractive place to live are the same traits that make Lafayette a challenging place to grow old. Open spaces, rolling hills, and large multi-story homes, aspects that draw young families to the area, all pose problems for the elderly. The curvy, narrow-road drive to Lafayette’s Community Center becomes an obstacle course to an aging driver. The large home with multiple stairs is problematic. Like the rest of the country, Lafayette is experiencing a graying of its population, and with it, the challenges associated with a larger retired population requiring specific services not readily available. Seniors, age 55 years and older, currently account for more than 30% of Lafayette’s population. This figure has increased steadily over the years from 26% in 2000 and 24% in 1990. By 2020, the figure is expected to rise to 35%. Taking the lead in addressing senior concerns is the Lafayette Community Foundation’s Liaison Committee for Seniors. Formed in 2007 under the leadership of community volunteer Marechal Duncan, the committee’s focus is to serve as a unifying catalyst by facilitating community action, education, and discussions that will enhance the lives of Lafayette’s senior population. In addition to Duncan, Committee members include Robin Bowers, Chris Coons, Sherrie Foley, Dick Holt, Margaret Isaacs, Lois Laine, Mei Sun Li, Ruth McCahan, Kathy Merchant, Mary Miller, Maureen Neumann, Anita Rama, Matt Shiner, Sandra Smith, Karen Strachan, and Kristine Watson. One of the Committee’s first actions was to thoroughly appraise and identify the extent to which Lafayette seniors’ current and anticipated future needs are being met. Utilizing the comprehensive Senior Needs Assessment findings, from a 2009 City of Lafayette Seniors Needs Assessment Task Force study (which included two community workshops, a telephone survey of residents, and interviews with community leaders and senior service providers), the Committee has placed emphasis on the oft-stated needs for increased transportation services, moderately priced housing, and a centrally located senior center. “Our Committee wants to take the lead in how to best serve the area’s seniors,” says Committee member Dick Holt, a longtime Lafayette resident who is himself experiencing life’s arc from young Lafayette resident to senior citizen. “With this assessment, we are identifying what is important to this Volume V - Number 11 growing portion of our population, and we are seeking 3000F DANVILLE BLVD #117 ALAMO, CA 94507 ways to address the concerns that were voiced.” Telephone (925) 405-NEWS, 405-6397 In a budget-strapped economy Fax (925) 406-0547 PRSRT STD where resources are not readily editor@yourmonthlypaper.com U.S. Postage available for the creation of a new PAID Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher senior center or senior housing Permit 21 opinions expressed herein belong to the writers, and do not Lafayette, CA development, the Liaison Committee The necessarily reflect that of Lafayette Today. Lafayette Today is is doing its best to address concerns not responsible for the content of any of the advertising herein, ECRWSS
See Seniors cont. on page 22
nor does publication imply endorsement.
Page 2 - November 2011 ~ Lafayette Today
HALL LANE HOLIDAY BOUTIQUE November 11th -13th Friday and Saturday 9am to 6pm Sunday 9am to 5 pm 3405 Hall Lane Lafayette Off of Brown Ave
Holiday crafts, gifts, quilts, and goodies. Free Hot Spiced Cider Sponsored by The Cotton Patch
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Celebrate the Joy of Remembrance at Hospice of the East Bay Tree of Lights Hospice of the East Bay invites the public to participate in its 25th annual Tree of Lights ceremonies to be held in 14 locations throughout Contra Costa in November and December. Each light on every tree is symbolic of a life and will shine in honor or memory of a beloved friend or family member. Please join any of the commemorative ceremonies to enjoy music, poetry, remembrances by family members and friends of Hospice, and the special moment when the tree lights up. • WALNUT CREEK: 1511 Mt. Diablo Blvd., behind Va de Vi Restaurant ~ Saturday, November 12, 5PM (Holiday program begins at 3:00PM, reception following) ~ Dedicated to Paul Valle-Riestra • ROSSMOOR: Creekside Clubhouse,1010 Stanley Dollar Drive, Walnut Creek ~ Monday, November 28, 5PM (Reception to follow) ~ Dedicated to Erica Weingarten • ORINDA: Orinda Village by Bank of America ~ Saturday, December 3, 4:30PM • PLEASANT HILL: Gregory Lane., near Cleaveland Road ~ Saturday, December 3, 5:30PM (Reception to follow) • LAFAYETTE: Corner of Mt. Diablo & Lafayette Circle East ~ Sunday, December 4, 5:30PM Proceeds from Tree of Lights ceremonies benefit our communities and the patients and families in 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. To sponsor a tree or to make a suggested donation of $25 per light, visit www.hospiceeastbay.org or send a tax-deductible check to Hospice of the East Bay, at 3470 Buskirk Avenue, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523. Please note which tree you are choosing to buy a light for and the name of the person being remembered or honored. For further information, call (925) 887-5678.
Perfect Pairing: Bach and Beaujolais The Gold Coast Chamber Players announce their fundraiser, Bach and Beaujolais, which will be held on Saturday, November 12 at 7:30PM. The ever creative GCCP will inspire all the senses with music and wine complemented by savory and sweet bites! Musicians from the 2012 Gold Coast Season will perform selections by J. S. Bach as guests enjoy wines from across California and choose from unique auction items. Tickets are $50 with the proceeds to benefit the GCCP educational outreach programs and concert programs. 2012 concert season dates are January 21, 2012 at 7:30PM, March 24 at 7:30PM, and June 3 at 2PM. All concerts and events are held at the Community Hall at the Lafayette Library. For your invitation to Bach and Beujolais and event details, visit our website at www.gcplayers.org or call (925) 283-3728. The Gold Coast Chamber Players were voted Best East Bay Chamber Group by the Contra Costa Times and continue to dazzle their sold out audiences with a welcoming and world class concert experience. Now in their 12th season in Lafayette and their 3rd at the Community Hall in the Lafayette Library, the Gold Coast Chamber Players have “mastered the art of intimate, welcoming entertainment” (San Francisco Classical Voice).
Lamorinda Peace and Justice The Lamorinda Peace and Justice Group meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 7 – 9PM in the fireside room of Lafayette Methodist Church, 955 Moraga Road, Lafayette. Our group is committed to working to support a healthy planet, a thriving local community, and a safe, equitable world for all. For more information, call 925-946-0563.
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Boulevard View By Alisa Corstorphine, Editor “Michel, Anne, vous travaillez? Euh, non, nous regardons la televsion. Pourquoi?....” I still remember that opening line from our junior high ALM textbook teaching us beginning French. The only other thing I remember from that class was connecting with a new French penpal, Michel Ouvrard. Through a class/teacher pairing, the junior high French students of Mme Amendola were matched with a class near Le Mans, France. Michel and I traded a couple letters, sent a few photos, and he created a handmade and colored map of France to show where he lived. I still have these momentos tucked in an old photo album. At the same time I was working on a Girl Scout Pen Pal badge and connected with a distant relative who was my age and living in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Eleanor was in Girl Guides, and thus we automatically had something in common. We exchanged quite a few letters and trinkets back and forth. Since this was way before the internet, each letter that arrived was an exciting surprise. My husband actually met her before I did, as he visited her in Zimbabwe when he was there on business and then again a few years later after she had moved to England with her husband. I finally got to meet her in person when she brought her husband and daughter to Oregon for a visit. Unfortunately, through her marriage and divorce, we lost track of each other. (Ironically two days before this paper went to press, and through internet sleuthing, I tracked her down again after a 20 year hiatus! I am excited to reconnect!) Penpals and chain letters used to be exciting ways to communicate with people who live far away. They were our connection to a wider world. In 1972 my grandparents were travelling through Europe. They were on a river trip on the Danube, traveling near Budapest, Hungary. There was a 17 year old Czechoslovakian boy named Pavel on the same boat with his brother and parents, and he heard my grandparents speaking English. Pavel wanted to speak to them but was very shy, because at that time he had only taken English courses for Amy and Pavel less than two years. He finally found the courage to speak to my grandfather Rudy. Pavel tried to speak English, and Rudy tried to speak Czech (which he had learned as a young boy before coming to America). Pavel and Rudy talked until the river trip ended. They exchanged addresses, and Rudy wrote Pavel a letter when he got home. Rudy and Pavel exchanged Christmas cards and another letter or two, but a short year later, Rudy suddenly passed away. My mother, Rudy’s daughter Angela, wrote and notified Pavel. However, she also told Pavel about our family and sent a photo. A new correspondence began! Pavel improved his English, and letters and packages criss-crossed the ocean. My parents were finally able to meet Pavel on a trip to the Czech Republic in 1999, and my daughter, Amy, was able to spend a few days in his “Bohemian Paradise” with him and his family this summer. When I was young, I can remember my mom always having samples of perfume, makeup, and little tubes of lipstick in a variety of colors. They came fairly regularly from someone we knew only by the name “Dorothy Fee.” Dorothy lived in England, and she had become “penfriends” with my mother when they were both teenagers. For 53 years their letters and packages crossed the Atlantic. A month ago they were finally able to meet for the first time when my mother visited England. They were overjoyed! Hopefully the instant-gratification of the internet will enhance rather than destroy the traditions of being “penpal” friends, because these friendships have brought me and my family so much joy and love over the years. It’s a great practice to encourage in our kids, and I hope that if you had a penpal, reading this will cause you to consider looking them up or write them a good, old-fashioned letter!
Lafayette Today ~ November 2011 - Page 3
Our Holiday Tradition Continues… 32nd Annual
Community Thanksgiving Breakfast Presented by the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce
Featuring Keynote Speaker Congressman George Miller, and Harpist Wendy Tamis
Friday, November 18, 2011 7:00 – 8:30am Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church (LOPC) 49 Knox Dr, Lafayette
$20 per person, $150 Tables of 8 Breakfast provided by Spring Loaf Catering
register online at www.lafayettechamber.org or call 925-284-7404 Reservations are required and guaranteed. Deadline for reservations is Wednesday, November 16
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Page 4 - November 2011 ~ Lafayette Today
Assistance League Thrift Shop
Swirl, Twirl, and Chat at Weekly Dance Social Toe-tapping music, twirling dancers, and the friendly buzz of conversation keep the atmosphere lively at the weekly Dance Social held Wednesdays 12:30 to 2:50PM at Lafayette Community Center. The longtime event is held in the big, bright Live Oak Room. There’s plenty of space for a sizable group to swirl, twirl, and socialize. The Dance Social specializes in ballroom, but any style of dance adds to the fun. The whole scene gets extra lively the first Wednesday of each month. Professional dance duo Karen and Michael DJ the recorded music, and they vary lessons from peppy Latin, to waltz, and to swing. Other weeks, Elroy Holtmann, Dance Social president and longtime Lafayette resident, presents ballroom music compiled by a professional DJ. Observers, all levels of dancers, music lovers, and friends from near and far are invited to join the fun. The new, smooth floor is ideal for dance, and tables are set up for friendly conversation. The Lafayette Community Center is located at 500 St. Mary’s Road. A map, additional Dance Social details, and any upcoming skip dates are posted at sites.google.com/site/lafayetteteadance. The event costs $2 for members of Lafayette Senior Center and $4 for non-members. It’s just $10 yearly to join the Center and enjoy the complete range of activities.
Assistance League® Way Side Inn Thrift Shop member volunteers agree that these uncertain economic times remind us to value those things that endure. The Shop is located at 3521 Golden Gate Way in Lafayette. The week of November 8 through 12 will usher in the Harvest Merchandise and Ski Clothing Promotions. Give warmth, color, and texture to your home with such items as festive dinnerware, decorative candles, and eye catching centerpieces, all available at a fraction of their retail value. Fall clothing to suit any occasion will also be available. For weekend getaways, the “Way Side Inn Ski Chalet” will offer you and your family a wide selection of ski apparel - coats, bibs, pants, gloves, hats, mufflers, turtlenecks, and goggles - everything you need for one of the best seasons ever on the snow-capped Sierra. From November 15 through 17 the shop will feature Christmas Merchandise and Ski Clothing. When you walk through the thrift shop door that week, the shelves will literally dance with Christmas merchandise such as ornaments, garlands, wreaths, Santas, and Christmas wrap. You will have the opportunity to rent a Santa Claus costume to delight those that are young and young at heart. Please call 925-284-4781 for rental details. With all of your holiday obligations nearly complete, the week of November 22 through 26 (excluding Thanksgiving Day) will continue the Christmas Merchandise Promotion by featuring “Quirky Sweaters,” all of which will promise to spread holiday cheer. This, coupled with any remaining ski apparel, will help us bid farewell to the remaining days of November and greet the final month of 2011. When you support Assistance League Way Side Inn Thrift Shop with your generous donations and much appreciated purchases, you continue a tradition that not only endures, it celebrates the human spirit. It’s not a matter of what you have; it’s a matter of what you have to give. To learn more about Assistance League of Diablo Valley and the eight philanthropic programs that the Way Side Inn Thrift Shop funds, visit diablovalley.assistanceleague.org.
AAUW Discusses Images of Women Used in Advertising
The public is invited to the Tuesday, November 15 meeting of the American Association of University Women, Orinda, Moraga, Lafayette Branch (AAUW, OML). Diane Bell-Rettger, AAUW member, will present Jean Kilbourne’s 50 minute film, Killing Us Softly 4, and lead a timely discussion about how advertising images affect girls and women today. Do these images alter our self-esteem as well as our physical health? How can we take action against demeaning ads? Join the AARP Tax-Aide Call for Volunteers th Do you like working with people? Are you good with numbers? Contra conversation on November 15 ! Meetings start with a social get-together AM at 9 , followed by the fi lm, discussion, and adjournment at 11:30AM. The Costa County AARP Tax-Aide is looking for volunteers to become members of a team providing free tax preparation for individuals of all ages. Volunteers meeting will be held at the Serbian Orthodox Cultural Center located at are trained by Tax-Aide and become IRS Certified tax counselors. Other 1700 School Street in Moraga. Email questions to dianebell@rettger.com. volunteer positions are available. For information or to apply, call LaVerne Nunset Boulevard Gordon, District Coordinator, at (925) 726-3199. Orientation is in November, Willows Theatre Company presents the West Coast premiere of Dan Gogand classes for tax counselors start in January 2012. gin’s Nunset Boulevard. This time, the nuns think they’ve been invited to perform at the Hollywood Bowl. Instead, they’re actually booked into the Hollywood Bowl-A-Rama. Lunacy ensues. Dan Goggin, creator of all seven Nunsense musicals, directs. The show will run November 14, 2011 – January 15, 2012 at the Willows Theatre mainstage, 1975 Diamond Boulevard in If you find him and your name is drawn! Concord (in The Willows Shopping Center.) Guaranteed fun for the Holidays! He is very small, so you will have to look hard if you want to find him. Tickets are $28-34 at www.willowstheatre.org or (925) 798-1300.
Lost Dog!
$50 REWARD
Lafayette Luther is Missing He has become lost in this paper.
Send a letter telling us where you found him, along with your name and address to:
*****NOTE: NEW ADDRESS***** Lost Dog! Lafayette Today, 3000F Danville Blvd #117, Alamo, CA 94549
Nanette Ramos is our winner! Luther was hiding on page 9 last month.
Daughters of the American Revolution “Family Quilts” was the theme for the most recent meeting of the Acalanes Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). Members displayed their family quilts and shared stories about the qulit’s history. If you are interested in joining DAR and can prove a direct ancestral link to a Revolutionary War patriot, please call Pat Peterson at 925-284-9590 or email her at pat_ p94549@yahoo.com.
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Lafayette Today ~ November 2011 - Page 5
Lafayette Community Center The holidays are upon us, and Lafayette Community Center has classes to help you prepare. Start off with Holiday Wine Tasting on November 17th to ensure that the wines you choose are perfectly matched to the meal you are serving. Next, try something new such as preparing a Thai meal for your out-of-town guests. Our class offers five classic and tasty Thai dishes to adorn your holiday table. Our Thai Cooking class will be held on December 13th. Finally, round out your feast with a Holiday Hors d’ Oeuvres class on December 21st. Instead of just serving boring chips and dip, make your holiday party shine by adding both savory and sweet appetizers and snacks to your festivities. To learn more about these classes and other classes offered at the Lafayette Community Center, please call 925-284-2232 or visit www.lafayetterec.org. Did you forget a present? Come by the Santa’s Bag Boutique December 2nd-4th to peruse our local vendors’ wares. There is always something delicious to taste and something beautiful to behold. Children and adults alike can find a treasure or two for someone special or even for you! For times and information, call Judy Gregerson at 510-918-2280 or email santasbag@comcast.net. The Lafayette Community Center is also available for rental on Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays accommodating parties and events with guests up to 225. We have a commercial kitchen and a patio overlooking Las Trampas Creek available with your room rental. Give the gift of fun, friendship, and knowledge. Classes at the Lafayette Community Center are an affordable option to give as a gift for that hard-to-shop for person on your list. We have many children and adult classes to offer including art, sports, cooking, yoga, dance, and music just to name a few. Starting December 5th, visit us at 500 St Mary’s Road or call us at (925) 284-2232 to purchase a gift certificate that the recipient can apply towards any of our many wonderful classes or workshops.
One Year Anniversary Celebration Friday, November 11th from 5-8 Everyone Welcome!
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Guest Conductor will Lead Diablo Symphony in Walnut Creek Concert Pianist Brenda Vahur and trumpet virtuoso Leonard Ott will perform with the Diablo Symphony and guest conductor Timothy Smith on November 27 in Walnut Creek in a concert featuring works written by famous composers at the beginning of their careers. Works by Shostakovich, Straus, Rachmaninoff, Schuman, and Barber—all composed before they were 30 years old—will be performed by the symphony, which celebrates its 50th anniversary next year as the oldest group of professionally trained musicians in Contra Costa County. The concert will also feature Heroic Fanfare, a work by Scott Copeland, a young, budding composer, who is also a trumpet player. He began composing while in high school. He wrote Heroic Fanfare in 2008 when he was a 21-year-old undergraduate student at the University of Michigan. The concert will begin at 2PM in the Lesher Center for the Arts located at 1601 Civic Drive in Walnut Creek, where tickets are on sale ($12 youths, $18 seniors, $20 regular). Tickets may also be purchased by phone (925) 943-7469 or online at www.lesherartscenter.com.
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Page 6 - November 2011 ~ Lafayette Today
The Bookworm By Joan Stevenson What does this graphic have to do with the library? Allow me to introduce you to the latest advancement in a mobile library. Let’s say you are about to board BART on your way to the airport and from there on to New Zealand. Then you remember you left your book at home. Don’t worry. Our library has thought of everything. Here is how it works. 1) Download a free QR code reader to your phone from snapngo.ccclib.org 2) Scan the code from a library poster on a BART train or wherever you see the code posted. 3) Select an audiobook to download, and enjoy the ride! There you have a mobile library 21st century style! The November programs focus on two topics of great importance. The first, presented by the UC Berkeley Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) on Thursday, November 17th from 1:30PM – 3PM, will address Medicine in an Era of Health Care Reform. The talk is given by Michael Thaler, M.D., a physician and author of over 200 scientific and clinical articles. In this lecture, he will examine the practical and ethical aspects of this new medical paradigm and how it relates to patient protection and affordable care, the contrasting twin goals of ongoing health care reforms. The cost is $10 general admission at the door and free for OLLI members with ID. Reserve your spot at www.olli.berkeley.edu. The Commonwealth Club presents Fighting for America’s Economic Future on Tuesday, November 29th from 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM in the Community Hall. The speakers are Jennifer Granholm and Dan Mulhern. The impact of the recent economic crisis was felt nowhere more intensely than in Michigan, the heart of American manufacturing. Jennifer Granholm was the state's governor from 2003 to 2011, manning the front lines of a series of battles that began in Michigan before spreading across the country. Join us for an exclusive conversation with Governor Granholm and her husband and co-author, Dan Mulhern, as they discuss Michigan's unique struggles, how the state weathered the economic storm, and what advice they can offer other policy makers and citizens. The cost is $12 members, $22 non-members, and $7 students. For
www.yourmonthlypaper.com reservations, call 415-597-6705 or visit www.commonwealthclub.org. As we tiptoe closer to the holidays, our programs edge toward discussions of food! On Thursday, November 17th at 7:30PM, the Friends of the Lafayette Library are delighted to host a conversation about “emotional eating,” why we do it, how we can recognize it, and how we might change it. Dayna Macy, the author of Ravenous: A Food Lover's Journey from Obsession to Freedom, offers the personal and reflective side to the story of eating for emotional reasons. Macy confronts her complicated relationship with food delicious morsel by morsel. She visits a chocolatier, a sausage maker, and many other places, and she delves deep into the meaning of her cravings. Joining Dayna is Dr. Ed Abramson, an international authority on the psychology of diet and health and the author of Emotional Eating: What You Need to Know About Starting Another Diet, gives insight into the behaviors that lie behind our eating habits and hands us the necessary tools to take charge of our emotions and to manage our weight. On Friday, November 18th from 6-8PM you can savor wonderful food and wine guilt free when you attend Books & Beaujolais, a beautiful event for a life changing cause: Project Second Chance. Books & Beaujolais, a Taste of France in Lafayette, will begin with samples of Beaujolais wine and light appetizers, followed by a discussion with author Ellen Sussman about her new book, French Lessons, and book recommendations by Ron Shoop, a representative from Random House. There will be a drawing for prizes, including a bag of French-themed books. Tickets are $25 each, and all proceeds benefit Project Second Chance, the Library's adult literacy program. To purchase your tickets send a check payable to Project Second Chance, Inc., 1750 Oak Park Blvd., Pleasant Hill, CA 94523, or for credit card payment, call (925) 938-7250. Visit ccclib.org/psc for more information, or call the PSC office at (925) 927-3250. On Tuesday, December 13th, 6:30PM – 8PM join me in the Community Hall to welcome author, advocate and veteran Luis Carlos Montalvan as he tells his story, Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him. His dog Tuesday will be at his side. Author Lee Woodruff wrote “The collision of man and dog, and the unbreakable bond they form, made my heart leap. Everyone should read this book to better understand not only the ravages of war, but the amazing capacity of the human spirit to rebound. I dare anyone to read this book and not believe in the power of love to heal.” Reserve your spot by calling 925283-6513 x101 or by email at reserve@LLLCF.org. The cost is $5.
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Lafayette Today ~ November 2011 - Page 7
Sustainable Lafayette – Tip of the Month
Local Authorized Dealer As the holidays approach, we can look forward to family gatherings, holiday parties, and the lights being lit up along Mt. Diablo Blvd. One thing we may not look forward to is rising energy Just Floors bills from PG&E. The primary culprit is colder temperatures and increased use of natural gas to heat our homes. In fact, for the average California home, 31% of the total annual energy use is for 1051 #B Detroit Avenue heating. In the winter the percentage is much higher. Concord, CA 94518 At the Back Entrance to Costco Fortunately there are many simple things that you 925-681-4747 can do to save money on your heating bills and JustFloorsConcord.com reduce your contribution to global warming. Lic. #708486 Make Sure Your Thermostat is Optimally Set: You can easily save energy in the winter by setting the thermostat to 68°F when you’re at home and awake, and lowering it when you’re asleep or away. Each degree that you lower your thermostat will cut your heating bill by 3-5 percent. Turn the temperature down further at night (PG&E recommends 55 degrees) and when you’re away for more than four hours. Do you wish your thermostat was as easy to use as an iPod? Now it can be. Apple veterans have designed the simplest, coolest thermostat ever – called the Nest Learning Thermostat (www.nest.com). Wear a Sweater: Clothes are one of the most efficient forms of insulation and were helping people stay warm long before there was artificial heating. Wear a sweater and thick socks around the house. Temperature variations are a natural part of life. Let the Sun Shine In: Create your own greenhouse effect. Open the drapes and shutters on sunny days to help warm your home. Close the drapes at night to help insulate the house from the cold outside air. Clean or Replace Your Furnace Filter: Inspect, clean, or change your system's air filters regularly (monthly), following manufacturers instructions. Dirty filters hamper airflow and overwork the furnace. Have Your Furnace Tuned Up: A heating system can waste up to 50% FREE Estimates. Most estimates will be sent of the energy it uses if it’s not operating efficiently. Gas furnaces should out the day after viewing your project. ideally be tuned up every two years. A simple tune-up can improve a Schedule your estimate today! furnace’s efficiency by 5%--saving about nine therms of gas per year and with a corresponding drop in emissions. • Kitchen and Bathroom Remodels Keep Fireplace Dampers Closed: For safety, be sure the fire is out • Crown Molding, Casing, Baseboard and the ashes are cold before closing a damper. Consider installing a • Window and Door Installation glass door because the fireplace is a major source for heat loss in the • Tile and Hardwood Installation home. Try not to use the fireplace and heating system at the same time. • Drywall Installation and Repair Seal the Cracks: The gaps you can find around the windows and • Decks and Fences doors of the average American house add up to the equivalent of a hole • Toilet and Faucet Installation in the wall that measures 10 inches by 10 inches. Use weather stripping • Handyman Projects and caulk to seal leaks around windows, doors, heating ducts, and plumbing. Also, check any interior utility closets to see if there is cold hwconstruction2005@hotmail.com air coming through them into your home. Free Estimates Consider Additional Insulation: If you live in an older home that License # - 963083 - Licensed, Bonded and Insured has not been extensively remodeled, then you would likely benefit from
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additional insulation in the attic. Right now there is a program called “Energy Upgrade California” where you can add insulation, upgrade your furnace, repair your ducts, etc., and receive generous rebates and incentives to help pay for your upgrade. The program ends in March. Learn more at https:// energyupgradeca.org/. Monitor your energy use over the winter using your PG&E SmartMeter System, which allows you to view your hourly electric and daily gas energy usage data. Just go to pge.com and create an account. To read success stories about how others in Lafayette are conserving energy and reducing their contribution to global warming, visit www. sustainablelafayette.org.
Widowed Persons Support - Grief and the Holidays Grief and the Holidays is a special meeting of WPS (Widowed Persons Support) held on Saturday, November 12 from 10AM to noon. We will meet at Saint Stephens Church at 66 Saint Stephens Drive in Orinda. Exit Highway 24 at Saint Stephens Drive, and remain on that street till you reach the church. This workshop is designed for newly and not-so-newly bereaved persons, although it is open to other interested adults. Holidays can still have their joy if we plan for them. We help show you how to take charge of your holiday experience. For more information, please call Jan at (925) 210-0333.
Coping With Grief During the Holidays The holiday season - that period from Thanksgiving to New Year's - is a time to give thanks, to rejoice and spread good cheer. For many, however, the holidays can be a time of grief. Hospice of the East Bay is offering a workshop for people who have experienced the death of a loved one and find the holiday season to be a sad and stressful time of the year. It will be offered at Hospice's administrative offices located at 3470 Buskirk Avenue, in Pleasant Hill on Tuesday, November 15 th from 6 - 8 PM. “This time of year we are expected to gather with family and friends and be in the holiday spirit. We are expected to be thankful, generous, and to feel like celebrating,” says Joe Lumello, Bereavement Program Director for Hospice of the East Bay. “This can place a tremendous amount of pressure on us, especially if we are grieving the death of a loved one and trying to make sense of our new lives without those we love in it.” For further information and/or to register, please call Bereavement Services at Hospice of the East Bay at (925) 887-5681. Pre-registration is required. Bereavement Services are provided free of charge to all community members in need; however, donations are greatly appreciated.
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Page 8 - November 2011 ~ Lafayette Today
Events at The Ruth Bancroft Garden (RBG) • Docent Training starts November 19th • Succulent Holiday Centerpieces Saturday, November 19th, 2pm– 4pm • Winter Survival at RBG Saturday, December 3rd, 10am – Noon The Ruth Bancroft Garden announces it’s 2011-2012 docent training program. This program is an opportunity for community members to learn more about drought tolerant gardening and plants, interpretive skills and public speaking, and to contribute to The Ruth Bancroft Garden as a docent. Trainees will be learning from renowned local specialists in the fields of succulents, natives, trees, ethno-botany, interpretation, and natural history. Upon conclusion of the training, docents are certified to lead tours through the garden and introduce the public to the water conserving plants, geology, and local history. The docents at the Ruth Bancroft Garden play a The Saint Mary’s College Museum of Art vital role, interpreting the flora of The Garden to thousands of visitors per on view through December 18 year. The benefits of becoming a docent include a free garden membership The Comprehensive Keith: a Centennial Tribute and ongoing docent enrichment educational opportunities. More than 100 of the 180 paintings in the Museum’s William Keith (1838 – 1911) collection are on The cost of the docent training is $100. Scholarships are available, students view, including magnificent landscapes from the 1860s to the first decade of the 20th century: the High Sierra, Yosemite, oak-laden Berkeley hills, the Bay, Donner Lake, Mt. Shasta, the Northwest can earn college internship credit for becoming a RBG docent, and no one and Alaska. will be turned away for lack of funds. The eight, four-hour sessions will begin In the New Galleries Masks & Costumes from the Ethnographic Collection November 19, with sessions occurring about twice per month until April 2012. Many of the masks, costumes and body adornments, from Africa, Oceania, Asia and the Americas, For more information, visit www.ruthbancroftgarden.org, or email Volunteer and originally had ceremonial uses. Masks were the inspiration for the changes in Western art forms in the early 20th century, influencing Picasso, Matisse, Klee and other major European artists. Communications Manager Freya van Dien freya@ruthbancroftgarden.org. The Succulent Holiday Centerpieces Demonstration will be held Saturday, Reflections in Time: Photographs by Stanley Truman from the Permanent Collection November 19th from 2-4pm. The cost is $20 RBG or Garden Conservancy Stanley Truman (1903-1993) first turned to photography in the 1920s to illustrate his medical school Members; $25 General Admission. research articles. Today, the doctor affectionately called ‘the Marcus Welby of Oakland’ is best known for technical mastery of black and white fine art photography. From the coast to the deserts to the Gold Come and learn how to design beautiful, creative, and long lasting Country, missions and ghost towns, Truman’s sumptuous and dramatic photographs chronicle the succulent centerpieces that are sure to delight your guests this holiday history, landscape and flora of California. season! Instructor Charlotte Blome’s arrangements have been displayed For the holidays: unique, affordable gifts in the expanded shop! at the Neiman Marcus and Polo stores, and she often did floral designs stmarys-ca.edu/museum . Tel. 631-4379 . Public Hours: Wed. – Sun., 11 AM – 4:30 PM Adults $5, K-12 grades free, members free . Closed November 21-27 for the Lyric Opera, The Art Institute of Chicago, and Harpo Studios of Oprah Winfrey. At this demonstration, Charlotte will show her step-by-step process for several unique arrangements. Materials will include succulents, Junior Achievement Needs You California native plants and commonplace items. Charlotte’s basic tips will Junior Achievement, a non-profit funded by foundations and businesses, provide you with the basics for making high-quality arrangements. Please offers an exciting opportunity for you and your office to partner with local schools bring your own container for an in-class arrangement consultation. After the to educate students about business and financial literacy. By volunteering in the class, unusual cut plant materials available only at RBG will be for sale. schools or hosting a Job Shadow, companies can increase outreach. Programs Winter Survival at RBG will be held Saturday, December 3rd from10am are offered to the schools at no cost. For more information, please contact Jenni to noon. The cost is $20 for RBG or Garden Conservancy Members; $25 Beeman at 465-1082, email info@janorcal.org, or visit www.janorcal.org. for General Admission. Come see how we survive the wet and cold winters at RBG. Each year we install an elaborate system of covers Dumploads OnUs to protect our precious collection of plants. Learn what specializes in types of covers we use for which plants and why we use providing the ultimate the materials we do. We will also discuss plant weather junk removal solution. tolerances, microclimates, and other factors that require We’ll haul away just Y O U R J U N K R E M O V A L S P E C I A L I S T S about anything - from old household junk to construction and you to assess a plant’s winter survival on a case-by-case yard waste. The only items we are unable to accept are basis. A specialized tour of RBG’s winter covers with Head hazardous Gardener, Andrew Wong, will help you to understand the materials. We • Computers peculiarities of winter survival. Bring questions about your make getting • Cables garden’s winter challenges for a discussion on techniques rid of your for the average home gardener. Sponsored by the Contra • TVs unwanted Costa Water District. • Monitors junk as easy Register for these events by calling the office at (925) 944925.934.3743 • 925.934.1515 • Servers as 1-2-3; www.dumploadsonus.com • www.erecycleonus.com 9352 or find more information at www.ruthbancroftgarden. • Phones we load, we 1271 Boulevard Way, Walnut Creek org/rbgarden/pages/programs.html. All of these events will • Printers sweep, and Monday-Friday, 8-5 • Saturday 9-1, Sunday, closed be held rain or shine at The Ruth Bancroft Garden: 1552 •Copiers then we haul Bancroft Road in Walnut Creek, CA 94518. • Fax Machines • Power Supply Units • Discs and Tapes away. It’s that easy! The Ruth Bancroft Garden is a foremost example of the Plus we do it • Scanners • Printer Cartridges and Toners • And More... art of garden design with drought-tolerant plants, and it is with a smile! known as one of the finest dry gardens in the world. The Garden displays an expansive collection of plants through exceptional garden design. The Ruth Bancroft Garden, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization that owns the garden and raises the funds necessary for its preservation.
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Lafayette Improvement Association’s 100 Anniversary
th
Public is Invited November 11 By Julie Sullivan, Lafayette Historical Society (LHS) “Living history” is the way Clyde Long, president of the Lafayette Improvement Association (LIA), describes Lafayette’s historic Town Hall. On Friday, November 11th, LIA is holding its one hundredth anniversary celebration beginning with a gathering of 100 lighted candles at 7pm outside Town Hall, located at 3535 School Street. Residents of Lafayette and nearby communities, as well as their families, will have an opportunity to view the recently renovated building and learn more about Lafayette’s beginnings. School Street will be closed between Moraga Road and First Street during the celebration. Parking will be available on the Lafayette School playground. There is no charge for the event, and reservations are not necessary. In the old fashioned spirit, cake and cider will be served in Town Hall’s modern first floor lobby and bar area. Former officers and board members of the Lafayette Improvement Association, as well as members of the Chamber of Commerce and civic officials are invited, but Long places emphasis on having Lafayette families join in the celebration. “We want the community to be aware of what a wonderful building Town Hall is,” he says. LIA began as the Lafayette Improvement Club, when a group of citizens gathered at the McNeil Pioneer Store on November 11, 1911. In 1912 interest gathered in building a community hall, and in 1913 land was donated by Frank and Rosa Ghiglione. On May 2, 1914, a grand ball celebrated the completion of the Town Hall. Over the years the “Improvers” directed their efforts to maintaining the town plaza as a park, building a new post office, and the formation of a water district. In 1944 LIA incorporated and no longer sponsored social events. Gradually the organization changed its focus to alerting the community to important issues and providing a forum for discussion. By 1953 LIA’s membership had grown to 375 families. In 1961 LIA, in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce, fought to get BART routed along the Route
Not All Assets are Created Equally By Kyra Kizirian There are several different types of life insurance policies - Term Life, Variable, Life, Universal Life, and Whole Life. Most people understand Term Life. A term life policy is set-up for a specific fixed term i.e. (10-year, 15-year, 20-year, 25-year and 30-year. This term often matches coverage for a specific goal such as family protection, mortgage protection, business key person protection, business loan protection and business succession planning. At the end of the term, the policy ceases and you no longer have life insurance coverage. This is which it is considered temporary insurance. Term Life insurance tends to be more popular because it is has a low-cost. In this article I’m going to highlight some of the features and benefits of owning a Whole Life policy, which is considered as permanent insurance, as part of your portfolio. It wasn’t that long ago that Whole Life policies were considered something our grandparents purchased. The demand for Whole Life slowed down as Universal Life and Variable Life policies gained popularity. However, in recent years with the volatility of the market and people’s flight to safety, we are seeing Whole Life regain popularity. It’s almost as though we’ve come full circle. So why Whole Life? Not all assets are created equally. Whole Life is considered its own separate asset class. It is a conservative, versatile, financial tool with guaranteed returns based on life expectancy, not stock market returns. Additionally returns can often be higher than the guaranteed return rate. Having a Whole Life policy is an important part of diversifying one’s portfolio, and also provides a way to fund important expenses as well as pass assets on to the next generation through a death benefit. In addition to the special tax features not available anywhere else, there is the added benefit of having a professional money manager. Financial planners and estate planning attorneys often recommend including Whole Life as part of a “wealth transfer strategy” because of the
Lafayette Today ~ November 2011 - Page 9 24 freeway. In 1968 LIA supported bringing the issue of incorporation as a city to a vote. Feeling that its original purpose was now being fulfilled by the newlyincorporated city, in 1978 LIA changed its structure from a general membership, which numbered 750 families, to a board of directors. As the LIA minutes state, a volunteer watchdog/political action group representing the entire community was no longer needed. Today, Long describes LIA as stewards of the Town Hall Building. LIA recently redefined its mission to “preserve the important places in our community,” leaving the door open for other important historic sites in the future. The November 11 celebration is the kick-off of a campaign to raise an endowment fund to maintain Town Hall for future generations, which will culminate in a 100-year celebration of the Town Hall building in 2014. LIA officers are Clyde Long, President, Mary McCosker, Vice President and Secretary, and Carter Wells, Treasurer. Board members are Dean Coons, Janice Peacock, Jeffrey MacAdam, Karen Crawford, and Nancy Flood. For more information about the Lafayette Improvement Association, go to www.lia-ca.org. The information about the history of LIA was excerpted from The Improvers of Lafayette by Andrew H. Young, published in 1981 by the Lafayette Historical Society. To learn more, call 925-283-1848 or visit www.lafayettehistory.org. LHS History Room in the Lafayette Library and Learning Center is open Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, 10am-2pm. added value of providing a valuable tax solution for families, their estate, as well as their business. Both Whole Life and Universal Life have an added feature of cash accumulation which can often be borrowed against to help fund important life expenses such as education funding, college tuition, home improvements, business expenses, or just about anything you need. Because it’s your money the accumulated cash value can be accessed at anytime and can also be used to offset premiums. This makes owning a Whole Life policy much more versatile. People ask me where should I put my money? With concerns about volatility, safety, and planning for ones future, and that of their family, I always recommend owning a Whole Life Policy as part of ones’ portfolio and planning process. Additionally, I strongly recommend a review of ones existing policies and overall portfolio to make sure that the plan is still in lines with ones’ goals. With the upcoming holidays approaching, if you are looking to give a gift that keeps on giving, you may want to consider purchasing a Whole Life policy for your children, grandchildren, nieces, or nephews. The premiums are very low for younger children and remain level. Plus, this is an excellent way to tuck some money away for college, educational funding, a wedding, or even for them to purchase their first home. For business owners or highly compensated professionals and executives, Whole Life provides a way to subsidize your retirement plan and put more money away. There are a variety of strategies out there that may make sense for your particular scenario. Remember there are no guarantees in life unless it’s Whole Life. Please watch this four-minute YouTube video on this subject from CNCB: www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6aOtufVats. If you would like more information on various strategies or have a technical question regarding your life insurance I would be happy to set up an appointment to discuss your options. Please call Kyra Kizirian, President of Kizirian & Associates, an Independent Insurance Broker-Agent. California Insurance License #0F92417. I provide insurance solutions for both families and business. I can be reached at 925.216.1674 or Kyra@KyraKizirian.com. Visit our website at www.KyraKizirian.com. Advertorial
Page 10 - November 2011 ~ Lafayette Today
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Short Sales Revisited! By Art Lehman, Village Associates Realtors
More and more, even in our area, short sales are becoming all too commonplace. Just to explain, a “Short Sale” is a sale where a lender agrees to take less than the full amount due on the loan on the property. If there is Sunday Worship 11am more than one lender, it is the junior lender (as measured by time of filing at Chapel of Santa Maria Church, Orinda Visitors Welcome of the deed of trust) who is in the greatest danger and should be willing to 925.386.6393 take less than the full amount due. The reason for this is that, if there was info@saintjohnsanglican.org a foreclosure by the holder of the most junior lien, they would not get the www.saintjohnsanglican.org • http://anglicanchurch.net full payment. If there was a foreclosure by a senior lender, such as the holder of the first, the junior lienholder(s) could get GRADES K-12 foreclosed out, potentially getting nothing. Pre-Algebra • Algebra 1 & 2 • Geometry Pre-Calculus & Calculus Institutional lenders understand this, and usually they do not want to SAT/ACT Preparatory take a property back as a foreclosure into their Real Estate Owned (“REO”) Individualized Instruction department, since this is an expensive process and looks bad on their record HOMEWORK HELP FOR ALL LEVELS with the regulators. They will usually work with you, but you have to find the right person to talk to. Be persistent to reach the highest authority level 3435 Mt. Diablo, Blvd. NOW you can. If the junior lienholder is a hard money lender, friend, or family Lafayette OPEN! member, you may find it difficult or impossible to negotiate with them. A (Golden Gate Way at Mt. Diablo Blvd) Flat monthly fee phone call will usually tell you where they stand. (925) 283-4200 Unlimited visits, drop in as needed. A seller has other options to a short sale, such as: (a) the seller/borrower www.mathnasium.com may be able to negotiate a “Short Payoff” without a sale of the property; essentially a restructuring of the debt; (b) the seller/borrower may ask the 1 FREE WEEK OF TUTORING & HOMEWORK HELP lender to accept a “Deed in Lieu” wherein the lender agrees to accept a Must present coupon. New students only. Exp. 1/31/12 10/7/11 conveyance of the property in satisfaction of the loan; (c) a seller/borrower
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Ready for the Holidays? By Monica Chappell Uncork Thanksgiving! Wine adds a perfect festive touch to holiday meals, but selecting what to drink on Thanksgiving can be daunting. So how do you choose the right wine for the big dinner? Here's an easy answer: No single wine will work perfectly with your meal, so serve a few. Matching wine with roast turkey is pretty easy, but the side dishes are another story. These dishes usually range from sweet to savory and have different tastes that make selecting one wine difficult. So, what to do?
Serving Tips • Serve several types of wine with the meal. Try at least two, preferably a red and a white. • Serve approachable wines, that is to say, wines that are ready to drink now not next Thanksgiving. • Serve all the wines for the meal at the same time, and let family and friends choose what they want. • And in honor of this uniquely American holiday, serve wines from the US. With all 50 States producing wine (yes all 50), it shouldn't be too difficult to find something you like.
Wines to Try Riesling - Look for a dry or semi-dry style. These wines have a perfect balance of fruit and acidity that will complement sweeter Thanksgiving foods. Sauvignon Blanc - These wine work well due to their medium fruit and citrusy finish, making they a very versatile food wine. Chardonnay - I'd leave this one off my list, but I still want to be invited to Thanksgiving, so all I can say is, stay away from the big, oaky, high-alcohol Chardonnays. They can easily overpower what should be the star of the show - the turkey. Pinot Noir - My first choice for a red wine. With most Pinots fruit is the dominant flavor with just enough acid and tannin to give the wine a nice balance. Zinfandel - This is the All-American grape and can be made into wines of varying styles. Go with a lighter, fruitier style of red Zinfandel. Stay away from the high-alcohol versions.
may even prefer to allow a foreclosure under some circumstances; OR (d) bankruptcy. You are strongly advised that you seek all legal and tax advice by knowledgeable professionals in making these decisions. For your information, a California law, effective as of July 15, 2011, requires that the holders of all loans secured by 1 to 4 unit residential properties must give up their rights to pursue the Sellers for any loss suffered by them as a result of a Short Sale after the short payoff is approved (in the “Term Sheet”) and the transaction closes. This protection is lost, however, if a Seller commits fraud with respect to the sale of the real property, or causes “waste” (damages the real property), in which case the lender(s) may seek damages against the Seller, and any participating third party. This law does not immune you from the tax implications that a short sale may trigger. Once again, make sure an attorney and/or tax advisor has reviewed your situation. For those residents who are considering selling their home or would simply like more in-depth information, I can provide a customized home value report and a strategy for how to make a home worth more. The detailed information I provide helps homeowners better understand the value of the investment they have made in their home by detailing key factors such as a home’s value based on current market conditions and amenities, recent home sales in Lafayette, and listing prices of other homes that home buyers may be considering in the neighborhood. You can call me at 925 200-2591or email me at art@artlehman. com. If you’d like a free automatic email update of current listings and sales, visit my website to sign up at www.artlehman.com or call! Also, if you have any topics for future articles, please let me know! Advertorial Cabernet Sauvignon - For the Thanksgiving table look for a lighter version of this bold and often expensive wine. I would put Cabernet in the Chardonnay category as noted above. Regardless of which wine you choose, remember the style to look for is medium-bodied, fruity, and without a lot of oak.
Not Convinced Yet? Join us for an informative evening on Friday, November 17th, 6:308:30pm at the Lafayette Community Center. In our Entertaining with Wine class, you’ll discover some new and fun wines suitable for the holiday wine line-up. During class, we’ll also sample a few traditional holiday foods. You'll have less then two weeks until the big Thanksgiving meal, so get crack’n. To register on-line visit www.Lafayetterec.org. Monica Chappell teaches wine appreciation classes in Lafayette, Walnut Creek and Danville. For upcoming classes go to www.wineappreciation101.blogspot.com.
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Occupy Wall Street’s Got it Right By Daniel A Barnes, CFA
At least in spirit, the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement is essentially right. It’s right in its assessment that there is something fundamentally wrong in how the pie is divided between consumers, employees, shareholders, upper management, and the federal back-stopping that FDIC insurance provides. Certainly my perspective is myopic. It’s a very large movement, and I see things from a specific, privileged, vantage point. But I do have a few degrees in political science, and I’m darned happy to see the movement of this OWS mob. You see, I think their sensibilities are on target. We all know the numbers, or sense them, of the economic changes of the last 30 years. The blue collar worker has been in relative decline compared to the economic elite since 1970, which was the relative high water mark of the blue-collar worker. (Point to note, the “1%” so often quoted recently, comprises those households with household income above $360,000 in 2010.) Finally, our blue collar has noticed enough to do something about it. Of course, it’s 2011, and the economic disfranchised includes not just the blue collar guy - it’s also the white collar guys, the underemployed and the unemployed, and the rest of us who have benefited less, or not at all, by the distributive mechanisms of the economic pie for several decades. OWS is certainly not going to roll back the “progress” of global capitalism. That heartless beast that marches on to its own secular drumbeat. But let’s point a populist gun at one of the worst offending areas; a constituency from whence many of today’s 1% made their millions: Banking.
Banking is Part of the Public Trust Banking, due to the government backstop of deposit insurance, is not a purely private enterprise. Banking is a part of the public trust. In Latin, res publica, means loosely “public affaire.” With res being a singular noun for a substantive or concrete thing, and publica meaning of, or pertaining to, the public or the state. Hence the literal translation is the public thing/affair. Banking is a public affair. Banking didn’t start out as a public affair, but it became one when the federal government stepped in and began to insure deposits (FDIC insurance). As soon as deposit insurance was established, the banking became a public matter. And in 2008 we discovered it was actually a very public matter as the US Government needed to save the banking system from national and perhaps global collapse.
Banking should be BORING In providing a service, lending and deposit savings, the business of banking should get back to what it used to be: “boring.” Like government service, this is an industry that shouldn’t create any opportunity for individual contributors to make “millions,” in a year, let alone tens, or even hundreds of millions. As one astute client said, the OWS movement asks, “We bailed you out, what guarantee can you give us, that you won’t blow up again?”
Banking Should be Like Government Service, Including Military Service The government is in the business of providing for the safety and well-being of the citizenry, as the politicians so clearly articulated. Banking is a required part of that safety. Banking didn’t use to enjoy the governmental guarantee. But that was in an age where their were routine banking/financial panics, and banks closed their doors, and people lost all their savings. We decided long ago that that isn’t the type of society that we want. The social contract includes the underwriting of deposits, and therefore the government has a right, and a duty, to regulate banking as an industry. I portend that the government abdicated that obligation, and that is the core problem in banking. As the movie Bank Job as well as the real life fall of Barings Bank due to “rogue traders” showed, anytime a corporation is under shareholder (including management compensation contracts tied to bank performance), imprudent risk-taking can easily prevail. It is that risk-taking that leads to the billion dollar profits and the tens of billion dollar losses. If it weren’t for this profit pressure, banks wouldn’t be considering raising a $5 transaction costs on their customers. The bottom line is the corporate practices are NEVER GOING to CHANGE, unless THEY ARE FORCED TO. The OWS movement understands this truism intuitively. Our social contract needs to be redefined, with Banking receiving an “asterisk.” It is properly, a quasi-public/private enterprise, essential but not
Lafayette Today ~ November 2011 - Page 11
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Cinema Classics The Next Voice You Hear By Peggy Horn To honor the celebration of Thanksgiving later this month, I have chosen a film that is serious and uplifting entitled, The Next Voice You Hear, (1950). The movie stars James Whitmore as Joe Smith, “An American,” and Nancy Davis (who in real life would later become Nancy Reagan) as his wife, Mary Smith. Together with their son, Johnny, and Mary’s Aunt Ethyl, they form a typical hardworking American family at a time set contemporaneous with the filming of the movie, five years after the end of World War II. The houses are modest but well kept, and the lifestyle is homey and pleasant, and Joe, Mary, and Johnny exhibit the typical American sense of humor as they go about their daily chores. Life is on its ordinary course until one night, at eight thirty p.m., the voice of God comes over the radio and into their lives. Over the next several days, the Smith family and the world at large come to know the voice of God and come also to a better understanding of forgiveness and love. One of the messages the voice of God imparts is that the people of the world should count their blessings. In the movie, this message has a definite and positive impact in improving the attitudes of the Smith family and other characters. It’s a sweet film that avoids the opportunity to sermonize but plants good thoughts and kindness in the minds of the viewers, and for me, at least is a refreshing, cleansing cool breeze for my psyche. If you would like to see it, the movie is available inexpensively for purchase online. fundamentally different than a public utility. Your thoughts? Barnes Capital LLC is a Registered Investment Advisor. We manage trusts and retirement income portfolios. Financial planning is an integral part of our process. We protect client capital using municipal bonds, high-quality dividendincreasing companies and precious metals, which have protected wealth in every epoch spanning five millennia of bankruptcies, inflation and other forms Advertorial of attrition. Call 925-284-3503 and visit www.barnescapital.com.
Page 12 - November 2011 ~ Lafayette Today
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Shop Talk from Urban Suburban And the Economy Continues... By René Aguirré School has started, long vacations have ended, we are well into fall and we have already had more than one rain event. I don’t know about you, but I feel as though life is moving along way too quickly! We have made many changes in our personal lives to accommodate for the economy. The credit card industry, insurance companies, our banks, and many other corporate entities we deal with on a regular basis have added multitudes of fees to accommodate for the newly implemented percentage caps and other laws the government has René Aguirré imposed. Everyone wants a larger piece of our pie. What are we to do? Take a deep breath. That is it, plain and simple. Each of us has many things in life to be thankful for. Come back to present, remember where you are right now, not five minutes from now, but right now. Life is pretty good all the way around. Choose wisely. Choose what? Every day we are presented with a myriad of choices- what to wear, what to eat, what to drive, what to buy, and what to fix. If we spend a little more time thinking about these things instead of doing the usual routine, you might be pleasantly surprised to find a cost savings appear right in front of you. We have many opportunities to exercise preventative maintenance measures to save money over the long term. If you have to spend money, think about where you are spending it. If you spend money in San Francisco, who does that benefit? If you spend your dollars here, we see the benefit go right back to our school systems and other local programs. Plus, spending our dollars in Lafayette keeps our local economy positive for everyone. Businesses can continue to donate and support local fundraising efforts if we continue to support them. Will we ever be off of this roller coaster? I often wonder this myself. We are stressed by what ifs. What if I lose my job? What if I cannot find a job? What if...? These questions distract us from moving forward and putting our energy into accomplishment. Focusing on one step forward at a time may seem slow, but it is how we get to where we are going anywhere in life. Any which way we travel, it is always about the journey and not just the destination. It is the experience of the journey. This holds true for everything we do in life. Team Urban around town. We enjoyed our time with Krysten’s family at the end of the summer. We took her parents to Bonneville to watch my inaugural run on the Bonneville Salt Flats. While I was gearing up the motorcycle for my maiden run, her parents enjoyed cruising around the salt flats in a dune buggy. I am very pleased to say I managed to get to 162 mph for my top speed! It was such a fantastic experience! I have a few pictures from Tech Inspection on our website under Rene’s Fun; be sure to check them out. After Bonneville, we took a tour through the southwest- Lake Powell, northern Arizona, Death Valley, and finished with a ride through Yosemite. After that, Krysten’s brother, his wife Jenny, and nine month old daughter Summer came to town. We had a great time touring Santa Cruz and San Francisco with them. It was such fun showing all these fantastic sites to our family for the first time. Summer is a redhead just like Krysten- they are definitely going to have their hands full! Team Urban is gearing up for the holidays. Stay tuned for happenings around the shop and around town with me, Krysten, Stella, and the cow! We love the holidays around here and, we love having you a part of them. If you have any questions about this or any other Shop Talk issues, call US today at 925-283-5212 or visit our website www. urbansuburban.com. Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 7:30 am - 5pm. At Urban Suburban we work on all makes and models, foreign and domestic. You drive it, we fix it! Urban Suburban is Your Dealership Alternative! We provide free shuttle Advertorial service to the local area.
Peace on Earth: The Lafayette Gallery Winter Show
Lic# 1100014354; Bay Area Entertainment
The winter holidays can provide a much needed respite from the hectic lives we all lead - a time to reflect on the bounty of our blessings, the richness of our lives, and our universal hope for peace on earth. Peer in the window of the Lafayette Gallery, and you’ll find a winter wonderland of sparkling jewelry, handcrafted ornaments, elegant ceramics, and an array of prints, paintings, and sculpture. The Lafayette Gallery Winter Show 2011 has a superb collection of reasonably–priced holiday gifts for your loved ones. Why buy something mass-made in China when you can get a one-of-a-kind items handmade by local artists? The show takes place now through December 30th. A free reception will be held Friday, December 2, from 6:30 – 8:30PM. The gallery is located at 50 Lafayette Circle in Lafayette and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11AM - 5PM. For more information, visit www.lafayettegallery.net or call 925-284-2788.
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Exploring Bluetooth By Evan Corstorphine, Portable CIO
Lafayette Today ~ November 2011 - Page 13
Dawn King
Bookkeeping Services If you have a new cell phone or a laptop, you’ve probably seen a little symbol Full-charge bookkeeping services. 20 years’ experience. that looks like an edgy bow-tie on its edge. • QuickBooks Setup • Cash Flow Planning It helps to understand what Bluetooth is and where it came from. • A/R, A/P, Bill Payment • Online Remote Services Bluetooth was developed in 1994, and quickly adopted as a substitute • Bank Reconciliation • Paperless Office Solutions • Financial Statements for infrared senders and receivers. The problem with the infrared senders www.DawnKingBookkeeping.com and receivers is that they can only be used in a line-of-sight manner. For instance, your television remote is most likely infrared, and when some925.933.0553 thing blocks the signal, you can’t change the channels. At my house, our dog likes to stand in front of the DVR at just the wrong times! Bluetooth uses a radio signal instead of line-of-sight. What makes Bluetooth so nifty is that the little radios can be installed in so many different devices. The radios are ultra low power and provide a signal range of about 30 feet. That means many people can use Bluetooth in a relatively small area without interfering with each other. There are many uses for Bluetooth. Some of my favorite uses have something to do with telephones, because I use my phones a lot. Many newer cars have built-in Bluetooth systems that can connect to my telephone. It’s convenient to use the car’s microphone and speakers to have a telephone call, and I like it when the system automatically turns down the music when a call comes in. At my office, I’m trying to eliminate the wires crisscrossing my desk by making better use of my Bluetooth headset. Being a bit of a tinkerer, I’m trying to cobble something together that integrates my PC’s audio output (music), my need for two-way communications (using Skype with my Webcam to talk to my kids), and my plain old analog telephone. Each piece individually works OK, but when the whole thing is put together, it’s a little rough. I’m sure either I’ll figure it out, or someone is going to invent a little box I can plug everything into at once, and it will sort out the connections so they work right when I need them. Bluetooth can also be used for light-duty data networking between PC’s or Mac’s. You may already be using a little Bluetooth sender/ receiver for your keyboard and mouse. I just bought a new model made by Logitech, and the USB sender is smaller than a quarter and is barely noticeable when plugged into the side of my laptop. Game consoles, such as PS/3 and XBox are beginning to adopt Bluetooth for the communication between the controllers and the main console. We’ll even find Bluetooth at the doctor’s office, where some of the health measurement devices (blood pressure, temperature, heart rate) transmit their data back to a PC which is connected to the health records system. Needless to say, my iPad and iPhone have Bluetooth built in, and I like to use my headphones with them for listening to music or making a call. I have a Bluetooth enabled Jawbone handsfree headset I use when I’m on the phone and in my car, and also a lightweight Bluetooth stereo headset made by Motorola which is easy to use when listening to music or internet radio broadcasts. My only complaint is that the headsets run out of batteries sooner than I’d like, so recharging them is a pretty regular chore. If I forget, or I over-use the headset in a single day, I’m pretty much stuck without it until everything is recharged and back to full strength. Still, I think Bluetooth is a great technology, it’s here to stay, and it will only get better with time. I’m sure there will be devices designed with better battery life, and when that happens, they’ll have removed my only real complaint about using the technology. We’re very fortunate to live in an age of unimaginable technical creativity. If you have a need for Bluetooth technology and need help integrating it in your environment, give us a call at 925-552-7953 or email us at helpdesk@theportablecio.com. We’re happy to help. Advertorial
Horse continued from front page over a pole is a demanding exercise for some. For others following a series of commands or verbalizing is the challenge. Some children utter their first words to encourage their horse to move. Peggy James, co-founder of ENN Reins in Motion, explains there is a muscle in the groin stimulated by riding that acts as a building block for improving core strength, which in turn permits the diaphragm to be raised. Without core strength, the rest of the body can’t function adequately. In place of a saddle, many students use a bareback pad permitting the heat of the horse to work on the rider’s muscles. Stirrups of any length can be added and adjusted to properly distribute the rider’s weight on the horse’s back. Therapy horses have to endure the jouncing of unbalanced riders and require regular chiropractic care. Suffering from spina bifida, Gary needed six people to hold him in place at first, but he now sits tall in the saddle. Gary laughs and raises both hands responding to a verse of “If you’re happy and you know it.” Peggy and co-founders Dave West and Katy Kempton talk with parents to review goals after each session. They share observations on each other’s students. Volunteers are encouraged to contribute their ideas. Owner Cathy Cerro’s generosity gives Reins in Motion a home at RanAt SonRise, Danielle Coburn praises Charlie's ascent into the cho Cerro, a fullsaddle. Program Director at Xenophon, Danielle still volunteers service equestrian at the center that introduced her to therapeutic riding.
center in Livermore. James, a PATH Certified Instructor, turned to therapeutic riding when traditional therapies failed to help her son. “As soon as I had him on a horse, I had his full attention.” Reins in Motion has been chosen as the 2011 Santa Charities Project (http://santascharities.org/). Founded in 1969, North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) now the Professional Association of Therapeutic Riding (PATH) provides training and guidelines for equine- Gary Cooper sits tall in the saddle with help left to right of assisted programs around Julie Burke, Peggy James and Kayla Sheppod leading. the globe. Knowledge essential to teaching therapeutic horsemanship runs the gamut from how to interact with the autistic brain to how to strengthen the core of a cerebral palsy patient. Excellent equestrian skills are only one of the many requirements. Caregiver for a bright, outgoing teenager confined to her wheelchair as a spastic quadriplegic, Crystal Marks believes five months of therapeutic riding did more for her charge than 15 years of physical therapy. Aileen was face down on the horse’s mane when she started riding at Hoof Prints on the Heart. Karena Smith, Aileen’s PATH Certified Instructor, reports: “After a few months, Aileen’s core strength has dramatically improved and she now sits upright
See Horse continued on page 21
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Page 14 - November 2011 ~ Lafayette Today
Fall Pruning
By Blaine Brende & Joe Lamb
Now is a great time to prune your trees to protect them against winter storms. There are three kinds of tree failure: branch, column, and entire tree. Judicious pruning reduces the likelihood of all three kinds of failure. Selective removal of weight from leggy branches makes it much less likely that a branch would fall, causing injury or damage to property. It takes a lot of “in tree” experience to identify branches with weak crotches and/or with unsafe weight distribution. Thinning the canopy to reduce friction from the wind greatly reduces the odds of a column breaking or of the entire tree falling over. When done correctly, a tree pruned for safety should still look natural, even after 30% of its foliage is removed. Many evergreens, such as cedars, cypresses, and redwoods, and many species of deciduous trees, such as valley oaks, can be pruned in this time of year. Late fall and early winter are by far the best times to prune pines. Unless there are compelling safety reasons, Monterey pines should only be pruned between October 15th and February 15th. The timing for pruning is restricted because sap from pruning cuts attracts bark beetles that are destructive to pines. These beetles become dormant during the fall and winter months. Some species of beetles carry pine pitch canker, an increasingly common fungal disease that disfigures pine trees, and sometimes kills them. If your tree has dead tips scattered throughout the canopy, it probably suffers from pine pitch canker. To prolong the aesthetic life of a diseased tree, prune out the infected tips before February 15th. Now is also a good time, if you haven’t already, to make your landscape more fire safe. It is not uncommon for the East Bay to experience hot, dry, and gusty winds in the fall due to sinking air from the bay combining with inland high-pressure systems. The Oakland Hills fire of 1991 occurred on October 20th, and its precursor, the 1923 Berkeley Fire, started on September 27th. Removing dead wood, breaking up fire ladders, and limbing vegetation back from your home can greatly improve the chances of your home surviving a wildfire. Brende & Lamb knows how to fire prune your landscape in a way that improves fire safety, without sacrificing the natural aesthetic. Clearing some under-story trees and removing dead wood usually enhances the natural feel of a landscape by making it look more like a mature forest. Pruning trees for safety is a craft requiring study and experience. A well-pruned tree should not only be safer, it should look beautiful. At Brende & Lamb we take great pride in both the science and the art of pruning. Each plant has a natural growth pattern, and our trimmers are expert at accentuating the shape given the plant by nature. Within the bounds of what is healthy for each species, Brende & Lamb works to make trees as beautiful as possible. Our trimmers are well practiced in aesthetic pruning and are attuned to the artistic flow inherent in tree forms. One form is weeping, as with Willows and Chinese Elms. In some species, such as the Monterey Cypress, branches ascend at acute angles to the trunk, giving the tree an upswept look. Branches in the Coast Live Oak bend and twist, forming complex arcs. Each tree species has a unique form and flow. When necessary, trees and shrubs can be reduced in size, but crown reduction requires a good eye; a poorly reduced tree looks like a thicket of stubs. Topping is almost always a bad idea. However, the crown of many trees can be reduced by cutting back long branches to the crotches formed by shorter branches growing in the same direction. If the branch doesn’t fork, we cut back to the lowest growth point that will neither create a thick stub nor undermine the arching quality of the branch. When a tree or shrub has been reduced in this way, it’s difficult to detect the cuts or tell that the branches have been shortened. If your trees need TLC to protect them against winter winds, or if your property could use a little fire protection, give us a call for a free estimate. Additionally, go to our website www.brendelamb.com to see before & after pictures, client testimonials, and work in your neighborhood. Blaine Brende & Joe Lamb (510) 486-TREE (8733). Advertorial
Gardening With Kate By Kathleen Guillaume How lucky we have been? We have had cool nights in the 30s and 40s which have allowed the trees to turn color to reds and golds and oranges. Yet, we have been blessed with warm afternoons. I look around my garden, and my leonotis “Lion’s Tail” is blooming like crazy with its blazing orange whorls. This has let me share some great fall bouquets with friends as I marry the leonotis with fading hydrangeas that have tones of green. The cupheas are still blooming as well. My “Mouse Ears Cuphea” is providing nectar to native bees which cover it each day. I also have several salvias, “Indigo Blue” with its ten-inch spires and “Limelight” which along with my Blue Lonicera keeps my Allen Hummingbirds happy. These long blooming, late summer perennials will keep flowering until the first frost. As soon as the rains settle in, you can add these and other spring and summer and fall blooming perennials to your garden. They aren’t spectacular when you buy them in the nursery. In fact they are easy to walk by and discount immediately. However, if something is blooming profusely when we buy it, by the time we plant it we will get maybe two weeks of blooms if we are lucky. Growers know we buy those splashes of color, and to please us they manipulate plants with forced feeding and special light source regimens just to give us what we want. However, if you want a truly beautiful garden next year that is low maintenance, take some time to talk with your nurseryperson, and tell them what you want. They are great resources. They will show you the unimpressive near dormant perennials that will make your heart sing next year. By planting once the rains start, these great varieties get their roots well established so they are deep and able to handle low water situations next summer. Walk through your garden, and allow yourself the task of eliminating any plant that has gotten woody, or rangy, or has failed to perform even if it
looked lovely with those bunches of blooms when you bought it. These are the things the recycling bin was made for. Be real...you paid $4 to $12 for these plants years ago, and you get depressed and feel inadequate every time you pass them. No plant should have that much power, it is your garden: you are the “Decider.” You will feel better even if you leave that space blank. Autumn is the time to just enjoy the bounty, slowly clean up beds, and plan for next year. It is the time to add shrubs and trees. Shrubs should be selected for contrast either in color or texture to bring interest. Be sure that you pay attention to the growth pattern; I favor dwarf varieties that will be very slow growers (less pruning throughout the year). Be cautious when selecting and placing trees. If they will eventually get 20 feet wide, make sure they are placed at least 18 feet away from any structure. Never plant a tree anywhere near your sewer lateral, water, or underground gas lines. Some trees are invasive, with their seeds sprouting everywhere (like Privet). Some have invasive roots that lift walks and patios and can undermine foundations. No matter how lovely it looks, do some research. Think of food producing trees. In two months the bare root fruit trees will hit the nurseries. Think about where in your landscape you could use a solid producing fruit tree; plan now so that the area is cleared and ready when the trees hit the nursery. Ask your nursery for a person familiar with fruit trees to prune the bare root before you take it home. I just got my delivery of daffodils. I picked “Green Eyes” and some similar varieties, all with small cups with intense color. I am already dreaming of spring. Happy Gardening.
Lafayette Garden Club The Lafayette Garden Club meets at 9:30AM on the second Thursday of each month at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church located at 1035 Carol Lane in Lafayette. The program for November 10 is called Re-use and Recycle in the Garden. Join us as Matthew Levesque will teach us garden design with re-cycled materials. For more information, e-mail annward@annward.com.
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Life in the Lafayette Garden Spruce Up the Tired Garden By John Montgomery, ASLA, Landscape Architect #4059 Let’s talk Tired Gardens! You know what I’m talking about. You look out into your Lafayette garden with a huge sigh and see uninspired plantings that you have looked at for years. The gardener continues to prune plantings that are clinging to the edge of survival. Once glorious flowering shrubs and perennials have been reduced to woody stalks that seem to suffice because they are still alive. It may be a single small area or it could be the balance of your front and back yards, but something needs to be done. What do you do when your garden is tired? In some cases it is wise to design a new Master Plan and start anew, and in other cases it makes sense to “spruce up.” Instead of bulldozing the entire garden, you can “spruce up” what you have! The fundamental criteria for a “spruce up” are that you are happy with the basic functionality of your hardscape and garden layout. Maturity brings radical changes to landscapes that are often welcomed. It also brings other changes that are not. Trees finally provide shade cover and shade out once sun-loving plants. Lack of care and poor maintenance practices have taken their toll. Hedges and shrubs have become overgrown, hiding the house and blocking good views. These changes give cause for a “spruce up” although the overall context of a “well-designed” landscape may still prevail.
Lafayette Today ~ November 2011 - Page 15
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Within the life of your Lafayette home, an owner’s uses will change for many reasons; kids grow-up or a family matures and changes. Lifestyles evolve and change. Once busy families had no time to work in the garden but are now retired and have time to play. This brings a whole new reason for the landscape to be spruced up. These changes call for careful consideration and should be well thought out. They should be logical and creatively resolved. Updating landscape projects are challenging yet satisfying when properly executed. In addition to our full spectrum of landscape design services, we offer garden consultations that cover a wide range of solutions for sprucing up an existing landscape. Our consultation service is intended to provide clients with simple and doable solutions that satisfy their need for a beautiful and inspiring garden without the need of a master plan. Our basic consultation includes a site visit to assess the condition of your garden; we provide practical recommendations for planting, irrigation, drainage and soil problems. Whether you are tired of a small planting bed or your whole yard, we can provide solutions to “spruce up” your tired garden. Especially in today’s economic climate, in many cases it makes sense to “spruce up” your tired Lafayette garden instead of completely gutting it. Consultations for sprucing up may reach beyond just the planting and may include solutions for updating hardscape elements; sitting areas, benches and seat walls, arbors and trellises, play courts and kid zones, water features and sculptures, etc. Adding dramatic landscape lighting or adding colorful pots and décor around the entry for the holidays can make all the difference to inspire a tired garden. Like the design of a new landscape project, a garden “spruce up” should be well thought out and planned before executing. A hot tip from your local Landscape Architect: Whether you are interested in a “spruce up” or Master Plan, now is a great time to design and execute your proj-
ect; while fall and winter set in think ahead to spring and be ready to implement your project so you can enjoy your yard during the summer months. G a r d e n ing Quote of the Month: Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. - Melody Beattie If you would like me to write on any particular subject, email your ideas to jmontgomery@jm-la.com or for design ideas visit www.jm-la.com. Advertorial
Page 16 - November 2011 ~ Lafayette Today
Case Study on Avoiding Unintended Consequences By Robert J. Silverman, Esq. This month’s article features the same hypothetical families as last month’s article. But this time, you’ll see how careful planning enables them to avoid the harsh unintended consequences that resulted from their poor planning.
Hypothetical families and facts: Family #1: Judy has two adult children, John and Jane. Judy’s primary assets are a $1 million home, with no mortgage; and a $200,000 bank account. Family #2: Bob has two adult children, Bill and Betty. Bob’s primary asset is his $1 million 401K. Judy and Bob married, lived in Judy’s home, and largely maintained separate assets. They download basic Will forms from the internet and signed them. Judy’s Will stated all her assets would go to her children, in equal shares, and Bob’s Will stated his assets would go to his children, in equal shares. A) Judy took out a home equity credit line, adding Bob to the title as a “joint tenant,” as required by the bank. B) For convenience, Judy added her son, John, as a signer on her bank account. C) Bill and Betty are the beneficiaries designated on Bob’s 401K.
Harsh unintended consequences: 1) Judy’s $1 million house. Joint tenancy titling’s “right of survivorship” (“R.O.S.”) feature trumps Judy’s Will. So, upon Judy’s death, Bob will become sole owner. 2) Judy’s $200,000 bank account. Joint accounts work like joint tenancy. Thus, John will became the sole owner on Judy’s death. 3) Bob’s $1 million 401K. ERISA (federal law governing 401Ks) requires a written spousal waiver for a non-spouse beneficiary designation to be valid. Since Judy never signed a waiver, she is entitled to all of it on Bob’s death.
Alternative, efficient planning for Judy and Bob: 1) Judy’s $1 million house. Judy and Bob could work with their attorneys to establish a post-marital agreement, detailing their respective rights and obligations in connection with the house (e.g. regarding current and future occupancy, ownership, liability and expenses). The agreement might state that if Judy dies first, Bob can live in the house and
Ask Dr Happy By Bob Nozik, MD Dear Dr. Happy, What can a barely average person do to be happy? I’m a 15 year old girl, and I’m loaded with personal flaws. I have below average looks, average grades, I’m shy, have few friends, and I’ve never even had a boyfriend. My folks are blue collar, and I don’t have money for stylish clothes, shoes, or anything. I can’t even afford an iPhone. My folks and my older brother are okay, I guess; they love me and treat me okay. But when I look around, I see that everyone else has it better than I do, and I feel bad about myself and don’t think I’ll ever be happy. ~Hopeless
Dear Hopeless, You seem to have painted yourself into a put-down corner. I’m going to suggest several ways out for you to consider. 1) Stop comparing yourself negatively with others. This is a classic error and one used primarily by those with self-esteem problems. 2) Question the truth of your negative selfevaluations. Example: “…everyone has it better than I do.” Everyone? Perhaps rephrase this to: “Some people I know have more advantages than I, but many others have less.” 3) Discover your personal strengths, and arrange your life to use them more whenever possible. Don’t know your strengths? Visit www. authentichappiness.org, and take the free Values In Action (VIA) test. It ranks in order 24 character qualities (like curiosity, creativity, forgiveness, kindness, and more). Using more of the qualities where you are strong will help you increase your self-esteem, effectiveness, and happiness. But, Hopeless, I suspect that you would benefit by seeing a good therapist. Discuss this with your parents, and then ask your school nurse who she would recommend.
Happiness Tip Teenage years are a tough time for almost everyone. Teens are not children anymore nor are they adults; it’s just an awkward time for many. Still, it is important that they not become depressed while moving towards adulthood. I’m concerned that ‘Hopeless’ is descending into helplessness and, yes, hopelessness. Because of this, seeing a therapist could play a large role in helping her redirect her life to a healthier mental direction.
www.yourmonthlypaper.com pay all property-related expenses until he moves out permanently or dies, but that he will have no equitable ownership interest; then when Bob moves out or dies, the home will be owned by John and Jane, as Judy wishes. Whether or not they establish a post-marital agreement, Judy and Bob could deed their respective legal interests in the home to a joint living trust (or separate living trusts, if they desired). The home will not be subject to probate in either Judy’s or Bob’s estate. The trust(s) can be drafted to customize Judy and Bob’s arrangements per their wishes. 2) Judy’s $200,000 bank account. By establishing a living trust, and retitling this account in the trust, a successor trustee (trust manager) can be chosen by Judy to quickly and easily access the account on Judy’s incapacity or death. And the trust would dictate that upon Judy’s death, the account will be distributed equally to John and Jane. 3) Bob’s $1 million 401K. Judy can choose to sign and submit a written waiver, and Bob can sign and submit to the institution administering the 401K a proper beneficiary designation (naming Bill and Betty, in equal shares). The above scenario also illustrates added complexity associated with blended family planning, but many tools are available to help such families plan prudently. One such tool is life insurance. It can allow the desired amount and type of assets to be made available on the first spouse’s death so that both the surviving spouse and the deceased spouse’s children are taken care of. For example, Judy might prefer to leave Bob a “life estate” in her house (so he is not displaced by John and Jane, and he is not solely dependent on his 401K), but she may not want her children to wait until Bob dies to receive the bulk of their inheritance. If she purchases life insurance to go to her children, this creates an opportunity to accomplish both of her goals. Likewise, Bob might feel more comfortable leaving some or all of his 401K for Judy (in case she needs it to maintain her lifestyle without being forced to sell her house) if he owns a life insurance policy naming his children as beneficiaries. Mr. Silverman is an attorney with Shapiro Buchman Provine Brothers Smith LLP, 1333 N. California Street, Suite 350, Walnut Creek, CA 94596; (925) 944-9700; rsilverman@sbllp.com. His practice emphasizes Estate Planning, Trust Administration & Probate, Real Estate, and Business. Please call for a free introductory consultation. This article is intended to provide information of a general nature, and should not be relied upon as legal, tax, financial and/ or business advice. Readers should obtain and rely upon specific advice only from their own qualified professional advisors. This communication is not intended or written to be used, for the purpose of: i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code; or ii) promoting, marketing, or recommending to another party any matters addressed herein. Advertorial
Brainwaves by Betsy Streeter
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Not Just a Headache By Michael Nelson, M.D.
Lafayette Today ~ November 2011 - Page 17 when nothing else has worked. I’m also not a big fan of over the counter medications that contain caffeine. These usually are designated as “something Migraine.” I would like to point out that Excedrin and Excedrin Migraine have exactly the same ingredients. The caffeine is a double edged sword which may help, or hurt, your migraine. If you need four Excedrin every day, it’s time to see your doctor. Other red flags are headaches that wake you up at night, a progressively worsening headache, any new headache over the age of 60, and headaches with neurological symptoms. Thank you for taking the time to learn about migraines. Neurologists are headache specialists, and we would be happy to assist you. The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not meant to replace proper medical care. Michael Nelson, M.D. is a board certified adult neurologist who has been serving general neurology patients in the East Bay for the past nine years. His office is located at 970 Dewing Ave, Suite #300 in Lafayette. He can be reached at (925) 299-9022 to schedule and appointment and can also be found on the web at www.michaelnelsonmd.com. Advertorial
Migraines are the most common neurological condition. About 15% of the population have migraines, and migraines are three times more common in women. I know, childbirth, menstrual cycles, menopause, and yes, migraines. You can blame your parents because migraines are strongly genetic. As a neurologist, I will see the most severe cases. Interestingly, neurologists themselves have a higher percent chance of migraines than the general population; the thought is that is what led them to neurology. Luckily, I am not in that group. Nearly everyone has experienced a headache of some variety. My grandmother said she had never had a headache in her life; it must have been the clean living. Because headaches are so common, many of my patients feel that others don’t understand how severe the pain of a migrane is. Because most headaches are mild, and may be the result from too many beers the night before, most people believe a headache is something that you just need to suffer through. The seriousness of headaches is not helped by popular culture. There’s the old movie excuse CONTRA COSTA ONCOLOGY of “oh, not tonight dear, I have a headache.” It ranks up there with having the “vapors.” I have had patients request for me to write letters to their boss explaining that it is not just a headache that they can work through. It’s probably good if your boss has migraine headaches, because then they will understand. The problem of not understanding migraine severity is compounded by there being absolute no objective evidence that someone is truly having a headache. This is true of a lot of neurology. I frequently say, “It’s not like breaking your arm which we can see on an x-ray, and I can tell you when to expect it to be better.” I frequently get MRI scans for my migraine patients but have to warn them that it will probably be normal. This reassures most patients, but some still feel strongly that the headache must be from something. Why do I get MRI’s ordered on patients that I am 99% sure will be normal? It’s the other one percent I worry about. There are many treatment options for headaches. This is why I enjoy the challenge of headache treatment. There is almost always something that hasn’t been tried. Sometimes it is not plan A or plan B, but plan G or plan H that finally works. Once we find something successful, it usually continues to work, sometimes for years. Interestingly, family members tend to respond to the same medications. Some prescribed medications actually worsen headaches. There are two medications that I wish would be removed from the market; Fiorinal and Fioricet. I call these the F-words. Both may make you feel better because there is a barbiturate in them. There is also AT CONTRA COSTA ONCOLOGY, we are committed to providing WALNUT CREEK caffeine, so you can have your upper with the highest quality care. Specializing in comprehensive cutting-edge treatment your downer. Unfortunately, they very easily SAN RAMON programs for all forms of cancer and blood disorders, our nationally recognized cause rebound headaches (headaches due to CONCORD oncology experts and specialized oncology nurses are dedicated to providing the pain medication wearing off). Because the ROSSMOOR the best possible care experience. We understand the wide array of concerns barbiturate (butalbital) is addicting, you are and challenges faced by you and your family, so we ensure the most sophisticated DANVILLE [ Opening this Fall ] at risk for having a seizure if you take more levels of medical oncology and hematology care, while providing you with the than six of these pills a day and then suddenly contracostaoncology.com utmost support, compassion, and respect. stop. Before you write a letter, I am okay with 925.939.9610 someone who only uses one or two per month
With Them
my story Continues.
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Page 18 - November 2011 ~ Lafayette Today
Tired and Depressed? It Might Be a Thyroid Problem. By Dr. Michael Ruscio Why do so many people have symptoms of low thyroid function (AKA hypothyroidism), yet their lab tests are normal? They know something is wrong but the doctor says it’s all in their head. A study published in Alternative Medicine Review sheds some light on this subject. (To view this study type ID# 10956378 into the search box at www.pubmed.com). The summary of this study reports there are a few, fairly common factors, that derange thyroid function but do so in such a way that will not be detectable on standard lab tests. Standard lab test usually miss common thyroid problems. This is because most standard tests are checking for major imbalance (think disease), but they miss the minor imbalances that chronically plague many women. The symptoms of low thyroid function are fatigue, high cholesterol, weight gain, cold hands and feet, depression, dry coarse skin and hair, forgetfulness, and always being cold.
Inflammation causes poor thyroid function. A direct relationship was found between inflammation and decreased levels of thyroid hormones. In fact, when healthy subjects were injected with inflammatory compounds they developed symptoms of hypothyroidism. Inflammation is now being recognized as a major contributor to many diseases.
Toxic metals decrease thyroid hormone. It is well know that people toxic with metals like lead or mercury have hypothyroid symptoms. In fact, in another study it was shown that a key thyroid enzyme can decrease in function by 90% after exposure to toxic metals. Heavy metal toxicity is also more common than you would think as power plants and industrial pollution have greatly increased environmental levels.
Time to Winterize the Skin By Dr. Kelly Hood Along with the car and the house, we need to winterize the largest organ of the body, the skin. Here are some things to do to keep your skin at its’ best during the upcoming cold months.
Moisturize The most important skin care tip for winter is to moisturize. Cold air and dry room heaters combine to dry the skin. Itching can ensue. For best results, Dr. Kelly Hood, Lafayette apply moisturizer within three minutes of showering. New moisturizing rinses are now available that can be applied in the shower while you are still wet. The best moisturizers contain urea and lactic acid - they moisturize and exfoliate. Beware of deodorants and creams that contain alcohol, as they can be drying. Also avoid perfumed products, perfume contains alcohol.
Increased levels of liver toxicity cause hypothyroid symptoms As the toxic burden on the liver increased, less of the active form of thyroid hormone (T3) was made.
Soy may be causing your hypothyroid symptoms Healthy subjects who consumed a high soy diet for three months developed symptoms of hypothyroidism. After returning to a normal diet their symptoms returned to normal. Even as little as 128mg of soy per day caused hypothyroid symptoms in one study performed on a group of women.
High levels of stress hormones also caused symptoms of hypothyroidism. This further reinforces what we have all noticed for decades. When some people are under high amount of stress, they tend to gain weight, partially due to the decreased function of the thyroid.
Low calorie diets decreased thyroid function Men who reduced calories a meager 15% below needed intake showed an unfavorable shift in thyroid hormone levels. How does this work? It’s a prehistoric survival mechanism. When food was scarce (AKA eating low calories) the body would slow down its metabolic rate to keep you alive. The slower your metabolism, the less fat you burn. So what can you do? Performing a cleanse is a great way to begin. I would recommend doing so under the supervision of a doctor so that you have the resources needed to address any of the above in more detail. In our office we have developed a fun and effective cleanse program, our award winning 28 Days to Health cleanse. I invite you to stop by the office to find out what approach is right for you. For more info, visit Dr. Ruscio’s YouTube page, www.youtube.com/michaelruscio, view his recent newsletter, http://conta.cc/oAVgXB, or email DrRuscio@movepastyourpain.com. Dr. Michael Ruscio is the director of Functional Medicine at Johnson Chiropractic Group, 115 Town & Country Dr., Suite E in Danville. 925.743.8210. Advertorial trogen) can be used to spot treat brown marks. Chemical peels and prescription bleaching agents are also an option. To have your skin evaluated by a board certified dermatologist and have a treatment specifically designed for your skin, contact Dr. Kelly Hood, 970 Dewing, Suite 301, Lafayette, 925-283-5500, khoodderm@yahoo.com or Dr. Shanny Baughman at Alamo Oaks Dermatology, 3189 Danville Blvd, suite 130, Alamo, 925-362-0992, shanny.derm@ gmail.com. Advertorial
Sunscreen Although there are fewer hours of sunlight during the winter, damage from the sun is still a concern. Sunscreen should have UVB and UVA protection with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 30. The perfect combination is a moisturizer with sunscreen and tint. Remember that the sun’s rays are reflected off the shiny surface of snow and ice and can be as harmful as the summer sun.
Remove Brown and Red Spots Now that it is not so hot and sunny, it is time to improve the appearance of your skin. Several modalities are available to treat brown and red discoloration. Rosiness and red lines (telangiectasias) are commonly treated with the Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) laser. This laser specifically targets brown and red pigment so as not to injure normal skin. Resurfacing laser treatments can improve tone and texture of brown areas by gently removing the top layer of affected skin. Cryosurgery (liquid ni-
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Dr. Shanny Baughman, Alamo
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For the Holidays, Go for Satisfaction By Michael Anne Conley, MFT How do you engage with the holidays of this season? Do you claim enthusiasm as your birthright? Do you hold an attitude of take ‘em or leave ‘em, finding pleasure here, but shrugging there? Is your heart filled when a holiday has a spiritual or religious connection, but left wanting around the secular? Many people enter the months between Halloween and New Years with mixed feelings. This can have as much to do with expectations of how we think we’re supposed to feel than anything else — so we can push ourselves into performance and forget acceptance. For instance, do you find this time filled with pressures and stress, especially when it comes to maintaining traditions? If this is true, how do you manage if your internal rhythm right now just doesn’t match the expectations that you or your family members have? What do you do if your needs at this time don’t fit with your typical way of navigating the holidays? Do others have difficulty if you experiment? Can you let yourself shift how much you extend yourself toward others? Is it okay to change how you’ve always done things? Can you talk honestly with your family and friends about what each of you wants and needs this year? For many people, holiday expectations are linked to complications of another sort. For example, the last months of a year usually involve more socializing, often accompanied by increased drinking and overeating. Do you find yourself preparing to deal with people where alcohol created difficulties in the past? Can you make sure you have a “Plan B,” so that self-care comes first? Or perhaps you’ve made dietary changes this year. In what ways can you take care of your needs and navigate well meaning but intrusive questions? Then there are holidays when grief holds sway. Perhaps this is your first holiday without a loved one who died during the past year. What are your plans to take care of yourself? If you experienced the death of a loved one in the past at holiday time, the same need for self-care could be helpful. In
Your Personal Nutritionist By Linda Michaelis, RD. MS. Holiday Nutrition Survival Plan When we think about the holiday season, a few holiday parties with the family usually come to mind. In reality, the holidays are often a non-stop free-for-all of holiday parties where we often (over) indulge ourselves. As I tell my clients, we need to have a plan to deal with this madness, just as we need to have plans during the year. I work with my clients and walk them through holiday nutrition strategies. We often look at the schedule of events and role play as if we were in attendance at one. On the day of a party, I encourage my clients to get an extra 15 minutes of aerobic exercise so they can afford a 200 calorie splurge at the party and stay at the same weight. You need to pre-plan your party dining so you don’t arrive starving or unable to resist the urge to overeat. Before you go to a party I suggest you have a good snack such as a cup of hearty soup or cottage cheese to avoid arriving famished. Once you arrive at a party, check out all the offerings, from appetizers to desserts. This can be easily done by nonchalantly cruising through the kitchen and asking the chef or hostess what is planned. At that point you can come up with a strategy to survive this feast with little damage. Plan to have a few appetizers and a small dessert. If it is a sit-down dinner, pile your plate with extra veggies, and request a small portion of side and main dishes. If this is not possible, simply move food around the plate, take small bites, and savor each item slowly. This should not be a time to fill up and stuff yourself. Though we often get wrapped up in the food, holiday parties should be a time to visit and catch up with family members. Focus on “working the room” and having great conversations with each guest rather than just filling up. If there is a buffet, walk down the line one time and notice what’s offered, then decide how to tackle it. Do not just eat salads - eat foods you love, but take smaller portions, and leave room for dessert. Eliminate bread and butter and mashed potatoes; save those calories for brownies or pecan pie! Make sure that
Lafayette Today ~ November 2011 - Page 19 situations of separation or divorce, there is also grief that goes hand-in-hand with letting go of activities that once were shared together and now must be re-negotiated. If, for any reason, this holiday time includes sadness for you, can you give yourself permission to grant your own wishes, rather than performing to meet the expectations of others? If being reflective is more true to your needs at this time, being content with this can bring you satisfaction. In addition, during difficult economic times, we are also invited to adapt our expectations to new conditions. If your holidays involve gift giving as part of your family’s ritual, can you discuss new ways to give? This could mean giving each other qualitative time, sharing stories and meals, which can support connection rather than creating more financial pressure from overspending. It seems that so many of us expect that we should be happy during the holidays, and it is truly wonderful when we are. If you are greeting these fall months with a sense of fun and enjoyment, this is a gift. You also give yourself a valuable gift when you accept the wave of whatever state that you’re in, when you hold yourself softly, especially if life has taken some turns. Whether the exuberance of the season is speaking to you or not, when you know that you’re managing yourself as best as you can with the resources you have right now, you are giving yourself — and those you encounter — a most valuable and satisfying gift. How do you plan to take care of yourself during the holidays this year? I invite your comments and questions at 925-262-4848 or maconley@ wellnesslafayette.com. Michael Anne Conley is a health educator, marriage and family therapist, and the director of Stillpoint Integrative Health Center at 953 Mountain View Drive in Lafayette. She has been offering holistic approaches to habit change and addiction issues for 27 years. You can learn more at wellnesslafayette.com. Advertorial
Share Your News and Events With Us! Contact us at 925.405.6397 editor@yourmonthlypaper.com www.yourmonthlypaper.com you eat at least four ounces of protein such as salmon, shrimp, filet, tri-tip, etc. to avoid coming home hungry and totally sabotaging your eating plan. If you chose to drink cocktails, I suggest you alternate consuming the drink with sips of sparkling water to cut your liquid caloric intake in half. What about those wonderful homemade goodies that appear at the office? Again, we have to have a quick plan in place. Consider this. Instead of having a sandwich with chips for lunch, substitute some sliced meat with coleslaw, pickles, or a hearty bowl of soup with a side salad topped by a lite vinaigrette dressing. Afterwards you can enjoy that delicious pumpkin bread someone brought in. If you eat too many goodies at work, the same restraint would apply for the evening meal. I’d suggest a grilled piece of meat with an artichoke and a large serving of asparagus. Essentially, decrease the fat and starch for the meals to make up for the dessert items. This is a sure-fire technique to keep your weight stable. Yes, you have to stay focused, and remember the “whoops” that you had during the day, but you can balance it out. Lastly, how can you serve your holiday guests without going off-track? It is my job to help you come up with delectable menus that will keep you in control with the endless meals you need to prepare for guests. I suggest you have on-hand a big pot of bean soup or chili. Roast some chicken and veggies. Do not overdo the desserts, and keep breads like bagels and loaves of french bread to a minimum. Prepare one or two dessert dishes that will serve your guests and leave no leftovers. You do not want to be left with quantities of foods that call your name! Definitely send home any extra goodies with your guests to remove any temptations. If the holiday season causes you to lose control, I am here to help you maintain your weight or help you continue your success with weight loss. I am glad to inform you that many clients are being reimbursed by their insurance companies for the services I offer. Linda is located in her office in Alamo. She welcomes your call to discuss your nutrition concerns. Please visit www.LindaRD.com for more information, past articles, helpful tips, recipes, and Linda’s blog Advertorial or call (925) 855-0150.
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Page 20 - November 2011 ~ Lafayette Today
November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month By Gigi Chen, MD This year, more than 44,000 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and nearly 38,000 will die of the disease. It is estimated that more than 200,000 patients worldwide die of pancreatic cancer each year. 95% of pancreatic cancers are exocrine tumors because they begin in the cells that produce enzymes for digestion. Less than 5% are endocrine tumors. This disease has claimed the lives of many public figures including actor Patrick Swayze, opera tenor Luciano Pavarotti, and recently, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Apple, Inc., Steve Jobs. Pancreatic cancer can be difficult to diagnose. Many patients tend to have vague abdominal pain or back pain for a few months before the diagnosis is made. Other symptoms include weight loss, jaundice (yellowness of skin), and blood clots. Risk factors can include smoking, physical inactivity, chronic pancreatitis, and family history. Selected mutations involving breast cancer such as BRCA mutation and hereditary pancreatitis have been associated with familial pancreatic cancer. For exocrine pancreatic cancer, once it is diagnosed, about 20-25% of cases can be removed with surgery. Surgery is the only potentially curative treatment. Chemotherapy or chemotherapy plus radiation are considered after surgery. For pancreatic cancer that is localized but not able to be removed, chemotherapy or a combination of chemotherapy and radiation can be used. Radiation is helpful in controlling pain from tumor invasion. In metastatic disease, chemotherapy is the mainstay of treatment. Supportive care, nutrition, and pain control are all important in treating pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor is a rare form of pancreatic cancer. Surgery to remove the cancer is a common treatment. At this time, there is not a standard treatment for advanced neuroendocrine tumor. Two targeted drugs, Affinitor and Sutent, were recently approved by FDA to treat advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor. We would encourage clinical trial participation to help us find better treatment options for this rare tumor. Lifestyle modifications that can decrease pancreatic cancer risk include consuming diets rich in fruits and vegetables, keeping blood sugar under control, and maintaining a healthy body weight as well as being physically active. Gigi Chen, MD is a Medical Oncologist and Hematologist with Diablo Valley Oncology. She sees patients in Pleasant Hill and Walnut Creek/Rossmoor. For more information, call 925-677-5041 or go to www.DiabloValleyOncology.md where you will find Northern California’s most comprehensive online cancer library. Advertorial
The Many Faces of Ovarian Cancer Come and experience the Many Faces of Ovarian Cancer, an event focusing on one of the most commonly misdiagnosed cancers in women. Join an engaging panel of medical experts, as they offer insight into the latest information on treatment options, family history, and early detection. We we’ll also explore the unique needs and issues of ovarian cancer survivors. Cancer specific nutrition will be discussed with an emphasis on holiday cooking. The event will be held November 15 from 6-8PM at the Lafayette Library and Learning Center’s Art and Science Room. To register, please call (925) 677-5041.
Stroke Support Group The Stroke Support Group of Contra Costa County will hold its monthly meeting in the Ball Auditorium at John Muir Medical CenterWalnut Creek Campus, located at 1601 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek on Monday, November 14 th from 7-9pm. The speakers will be David O’Grady Ph.D. and Susan O’Grady Ph.D. talking on a topic entitled “Marriage After Stroke: Protecting and Strengthening Your Relationship.” After their talk, attendees will break up into three coping groups: stroke survivors without aphasia, stroke survivors with aphasia, and caregivers and families of stroke survivors. For further information about the Stroke Support Group, contact Ann Dzuna at 925-376-6218. Meetings are free and open to the public.
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Lafayette Today ~ November 2011 - Page 21
Lasers – A High Tech Approach to Radiant Skin! By Barbara Persons, MD, Persons Plastic Surgery, Inc. Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation (LASER) is the scientific definition of a laser, and it is the science that separates and distinguishes a laser’s use in medicine from its role in science fiction. Unlike other spa-type facial treatments or off-the-shelf products from the cosmetic counter, the use of a laser for facial rejuvenation is an FDA-approved and has been scientifically proven to achieve specific results. In fact, facial rejuvenation using laser technology is one of the fastest growing areas of skin care treatment. Everyday normal exposure to the sun, pollution, and other factors in our environment all contribute to the natural aging process. Some of us are also guilty of neglecting to care properly for our skin by forgetting to use a quality sunscreen or not taking the time to moisturize or care for our skin daily. All of these factors bring many patients (both female and male) to my practice for consultations on how to bring back a more youthful appearance along with a desire to repair damage that occurred to their skin. This month’s article will highlight some of the ways these technologies can help you achieve such goals. The Cutera Laser Genesis is a 1064 Nd:YAG laser that provides immediate and long-term results for the patient who suffers from sun damage, fine lines, age spots, hyper pigmentation, and redness (caused by spider veins, rosacea or acne). Laser Genesis improves the appearance of the skin by targeting heat to the sub-dermis, which stimulates collagen formation. This new collagen works to improve a patient’s tone and texture, both immediately and over the next few months. Because this laser targets the deeper dermis and not just the epidermis, it is also safe for darker skin types. A Laser Genesis treatment takes approximately 15 minutes. A series of 4-6 treatments, with one every 5-6 weeks, is recommended for optimal results. Photo-facial treatments, such as those delivered by the Cutera Limelight, an IPL (Intense Pulse Light), is a popular anti-aging regimen to treat fine lines and brown spots. IPL technology produces high intensity light that is pulsed deep into the skin, causing blood vessels in the epidermis to constrict and lessen the appearance of redness and fine lines. Like a laser treatment, IPL also stimulates the body’s natural production of collagen and results in skin that looks smooth and hydrated. IPL can reduce the appearance of pores, lighten brown spots, minimize tiny facial veins, and ease redness caused by acne and rosacea. Each treatment takes approximately 15 minutes, and most patients experience no downtime. The improvement in skin tone and textures becomes more evident over the course of several weeks. A series of 5-6 treatments every 3-4 weeks is indicated for optimal results. One of my favorite applications of the Cutera Limelight IPL is on the hands. Freckles, while cute as a child, as an adult become age spots and cause hands to look their age. The Limelight is effective in lightening the spots on the hands while firming the skin. The end result is a more youthful appearance. The Cutera Pro Wave 770 is a highly effective IPL technology for hair removal. This hair removal system uses a cooling tip for comfort. The larger tip size allows for rapid treatments, enabling each procedure to take about 1/3 the time of traditional technologies. Optimal results can be achieved in 4-6 treatments. The Fractionated Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Laser remains the gold standard in ablative laser resurfacing. This more aggressive laser treatment is ideal for patients with significant sun damage and deep wrinkles around the eyes and mouth. For many patients, it is often suitable to incorporate the CO2 laser in conjunction with a facelift and/or blepharoplasty. The CO2 laser is ablative, which means it works by destroying the damaged or discolored skin and utilizes the body’s natural ability to regenerate skin cells to produce the desired results. The fractional part means that a microscopic pattern of resurfacing is applied. This leaves tiny areas of treated and untreated skin which allows faster healing. Accordingly, the procedure requires two weeks of recovery time, but remarkable results are generally evident after the first of two recommended treatments. Laser treatments are not meant to be a substitute for facial surgery. At Persons Plastic Surgery we offer the entire spectrum of cosmetic services. From medical esthetician services with Brad King to laser services and plastic surgery with Dr. Persons, we can meet your needs at any stage of your life. Barbara Persons MD owns Persons Plastic Surgery, Inc. located at 911 Moraga Rd. in Lafayette. Please call 925-283-8811 or email drbarb@personsplasticsurgery.com. Advertorial
Horse continued from page 13 and balanced on the horse, her legs have relaxed and stretched down and her muscle tone, breathing and stamina have improved. She rarely needs to rest over the 30 minute period and now carries on a conversation with her volunteers during her ride, interspersed with humor and laughter!” Five-year old Eliana was enchanted by the horses she encountered on the beach at Daly City. Her mother, who heard about Hoof Prints from friends, watches proudly as Eliana concentrates on using words to describe and choose objects from Karena’s basket. Donette Phillips, Executive Director, hopes someday Hoof Prints will be able to integrate a full range of therapies at the Hagemann Ranch site the center leases from the City of Livermore Xenophon, a PATH Certified Center, was founded in 1993 by Judy Lazarus with one horse and two children. Xenophon moved to the land in Orinda it leases from PG&E in 1996. “Anyone who starts a program does everything,” Judy notes. In August, after three years of planning, the new covered arena opened. Donations of skilled labor and materials supplemented fundraising. Danielle Coburn, Program Director, hates to tell prospective families that the waiting list is two years long. Each year Xenophon holds a horse show awarding all participants a trophy. “One boy slept with his under his pillow.” Mari Parino, Executive Director, outlines the process of training a therapy horse. Experienced riders evaluate the horse’s ability to bear unbalanced weight, tolerate multiple humans in their personal space and deal with strange objects before introducing them to a disabled rider. Therapy horses come from varied backgrounds. Some are donated. Others are rescued. Some are shared by owners involved with the programs. Volunteers are a huge part of the program at every center. Xenophon provides training so that every team functions the same way. Consistency is critical for the horses as well as for the students. Horse handlers need extensive equestrian experience. Side walkers must have patience and strength.
Opening March 29, 2011, Leaps & Bounds at Leap of Faith Farms in Walnut Creek is the newest program in our area. Mariah and Jim BradfordUrban realized their dream by purchasing the property. The response of their boarders to the concept of adding a therapeutic riding program was overwhelming. A single e-mail elicited $10,000 in donations. As Executive Director Steve Woods explains, “ If you go into a teenager’s room, the walls are covered with photographs of friends and activities. This program gives our kids photos to post on their walls.” Word-of-mouth alone netted 20 clients and 22 volunteers. SonRise Equestrian Foundation reflects founder Melanie Buerke’s personal experience with the healing power of the horse - as a child when her father deserted the family and as an adult when her mother was battling cancer. While all of the programs described above are non-profits offering scholarships and never turning away a client in need, only SonRise offers services free to every student. In the Saddle SonRise lessons occur at Charles Wilhelm Training in Castro Valley. Brushing, tacking up, and unsaddling their mounts, as they are able, connect the students with their horses. Charlie’s family applauds his success. When he contracted Cerebral Palsy as a baby, they were told he would not survive. “Every day is a gift,” says his father. Happy in the saddle, Charlie asks, “What’s next?” Melanie received both the Jefferson and Threads of Hope Awards in 2010 for her work. Read about additional SonRise programs addressing the needs of youth at risk and children in hospice care, hippotherapy at Xenophon and Leaps & Bounds, programs for veterans and other equine-assisted activities at Reins in Motion next month. Websites to visit: ENN Reins in Motion: www.ennetwok.org/RIM, Hoof Prints on the Heart: www.hotharc.org/, Xenophon: www.xenophontrc.org, Leaps & Bounds: www.leapoffaithfarms.com, SonRise Equestrian Foundation: www.sonriseequestrianfoundation.org.
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Page 22 - November 2011 ~ Lafayette Today
Events for Lafayette Seniors All classes are held at the Lafayette Senior Center (LSC) located at 500 Saint Mary’s Rd in Lafayette unless otherwise noted. Space is limited. Please call 925-284-5050 to reserve a spot. Annual Membership fee: $10 per person. General Event fee: Members $1; Non-Member $3. Special Concerts fee: Members $3; NonMembers $5. Ongoing Caregiver Support Group: Members: no charge; Non-members $1.
Our mission is to provide personalized care, help maintain independence and enhance our client’s quality of life on a daily basis.
Heartfelt & Supportive At All Times... www.excellentcareathome.com
An Attitude of Gratitude – Its Positive Impact on Health and Longevity Tuesday 11/15 • 10:30 –
Noon • Elderberry Room, LCC When centenarians are asked how to ‘hit the 100 mark,’ most say “attitude” and reducing stress. Learn how developing an attitude of gratitude can enrich your life, reduce stress, and help you live a long and joy-filled life. Presented by Jean Tokarek, Eldercare Services.
Lafayette Senior Services Annual Holiday Music Concert and Fund Raiser Friday 12/9 • 1:30 – 3:00 • Live Oak Room, LCC Join us for a festive afternoon of splendid music featuring a performance by Rossmoor and Moraga Community Chorus, light refreshments, caroling, and an opportunity to win any of several raffle prizes. Funds raised will go to support our Lamorinda Spirit Van program. Bring friends, and call us at 2845050 so we can plan accordingly. Fundraiser admission fee $5/ $3 for members, group discounts available. Raffle Tickets $1 each or $5 for seven raffle tickets.
The World Wide Web - Practical Knowledge for Today, and Is It All Still Good? Tuesday 12/13 • 10:30-Noon • Elderberry Room, LCC The explosion of the internet and the World Wide Web has deeply impacted our everyday lives with even the most reclusive unable to avoid its influence. Edward Zeidan from Nerd4Rent in Lafayette will help us to understand their basic underpinnings and to most expeditiously use these tools to feed our curiosity, plan anything, tease our fancies, and stay in touch. He will bring us up to date on features non-existent only a few years ago which could, with wisdom, enhance the quality of our lives.
Hearing Screening-Is Your Hearing Not What it Used to Be? Wednesdays 11/16, 12/14 • 10:30, 10:50, 11:10, 11:30, 11:50 & 12:10 Dr. Mimi Salamat, Ph.D. Audiology, in partnership with Lafayette Senior Services, is presenting hearing screening by appointment.
Self-Discovery and Aging, Creative Writing Workshop Fridays 11/18, 12/2, 12/9 • 1:30 – 3:30PM • Elderberry Room, LSC Write to explore issues around aging, emotion, and perception–or get support to write on any topic! Workshop sessions include writing prompts, feedback and encouragement, and information about the world of writers, writing, and publishing. Bi-Monthly Caregiver Support Group Mondays 11/28, 12/12 • 1:30– 2:30PM • Sequoia Room, LSC Caring for frail older adults in the home often creates great stress and emotional anguish for spouses and family members. Licensed Geriatric Care Manager Carol Shenson, M.A., CMC, offers a bi-monthly support group for family members who will be or are involved with the direct care of an older relative. Drop-ins welcome. Lamorinda Dance Social Every Wednesday • 12:30 – 3PM • Live Oak Room, LSC Enjoy afternoon dancing every Wednesday, and learn some great new dance moves. On the first Wednesday monthly, professional dancers Karen and Michael will provide a dance lesson and live DJ services, playing your favorites and taking requests. $2 Members/ $4 non-members. Positive Living Forum (a.k.a “Happiness Club”) Thursdays 10/13, 11/10, 12/8 • 10:30 – noon Positive Living Forum features eminent speakers on a wide range of topics that will stimulate and guide participants towards a more ideal and positive life experience. Drop-ins are welcome. Moderated by Dr. Bob Nozik, MD. Lafayette Senior Services Commission - The Commission meets on the 4th Thursday of the month at 3:30 – 5:30PM at the Lafayette Senior Services Center. View agendas at the City of Lafayette office or at www.ci.lafayette.ca.us.
• Free in-home assessments • Regular home visits ensure the right care plan • Hourly care for you • Live-in care • Fully bonded and insured • Geriatric care mgmt. • Elder referral and placement 3645 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Suite D Lafayette, CA 94549 (beside Trader Joe’s)
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Seniors continued from front page in a viable manner. A large portion of assessment respondents indicated that their biggest challenge is lack of awareness about senior programs and resources – an issue that is easily and readily remedied through community education. To this end, the Committee has hosted a series of senior symposiums, intended to provide information and create a dialogue. Topics have included “Aging in Place in Lafayette,” and “Secrets of Dynamic Aging, Finding New Paths and Staying Engaged.” The symposiums have covered a wide variety of topics such as home services, new monitoring technologies and elder law, and are geared not only to seniors, but also to adult children and caregivers. Speakers have included the 72-year old Houston Robertson with “Shifting Gears - Freedoms of Aging in the 21st Century,” and Dr. Bob Nozik, aka Dr. Happy speaking about, “Happiness - if not now - when?” Mary Bruns, the Coordinator for Lamorinda Senior Transportation, has also shared her transportation knowledge. “One senior worry that is consistently mentioned is the desire to age in place,” says Holt, who suggests that those interested in senior issues mark their calendars for the next senior symposium to be held October 12, 2012. “Lafayette seniors have a strong desire to stay in their homes as long as possible. Our symposiums address this particular concern, and we invite guest speakers who can offer tips on making this a practical and feasible option.” Offering the same educational services on an ongoing basis through the years has been the City of Lafayette’s Senior Services Department. Located at the Community Center offices on St. Mary’s Road, a walk past their office window reveals a colorful array of event flyers promoting upcoming workshops and classes. It’s a cheerful gathering spot, run by Senior Services Coordinator Maureen Neumann, who readily provides referrals and assistance. Information on the Lamorinda Spirit Van (available to seniors for errands to local stores and businesses, hair and medical/dental/ physical therapy appointments in the afternoons) can also be found here. Despite the obstacles faced in navigating the area, seniors love Lafayette and have no desire to leave. The Senior Needs Assessment indicated that 90% of respondents felt that the quality of life here is good to excellent – most residents, of any age, would agree. For more information on the Liaison Committee for Seniors, visit www. seniors@lafayettecommunityfoundation.org. For more information on Lafayette’s Senior Services Department, visit www.ci.lafayette.ca.us.
Mended Hearts The John Muir Chapter of Mended Hearts will hold its monthly meeting on Thursday, November 10 at 7PM in the Pleasant Hill Room at John Muir Medical Center-Concord Campus located at 2540 East Avenue in Concord. The speaker will be Gwen Gates B.S., Sr. Community Health Programs Representative, U.C. Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Center. Mended Hearts is a national organization providing support for cardiac patients, their families, and caregivers. For further information about Mended Hearts, contact Nancy Mitchell at (925) 943-7549.
Is Food a Problem for You? Overeaters Anonymous offers a fellowship of individuals, who through shared experience and mutual support, are recovering from compulsive overeating. This is a 12-step program. Meetings are for anyone suffering from a food addiction including overeating, under-eating, and bulimia. The fellowship is free. The group meets Wednesdays at 6PM, at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Lafayette. See the website for additional meetings and more information at www.how-oa.org.
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In Gratitude By Mary Bruns, Program Coordinator - Lamorinda Senior Transportation, An Alliance of Transportation Providers “Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They (Left to right) Eddie, Bob, Mal, Paula, somehow already know what you John, Dave, Reigh, Marlys, Doreen, Mauna. truly want to become. Everything Missing Volunteers: Alicia Chan, John Otto, Lisa Strahan, and Cathy Tanaka else is secondary.” ~ Steve Jobs The driving force and joy behind Lamorinda Senior Transportation is to help seniors improve the quality of life and maintain their independence by making transportation available to essential activities of daily living: grocery and sundry shopping, errands, medical, physical therapy, dental appointments, hair appointments, and social outings. During this month of Thanksgiving, it’s a pleasure to say “Thank you” to such a wonderful team of drivers, volunteers, Mike and dispatchers who make the Lamorinda Spirit Van Program possible. We recently got together – Senior Services and Transportation staff, volunteers, volunteer drivers, and Lafayette Senior Commissioners – for our annual celebration of accomplishments and appreciation. I went home filled with happiness and joy from the warmth and camaraderie of Steve our gathering. Neale Donald Walsch says, “It is easy to make a buck. It’s a lot tougher to make a difference.” These are the folks who are generously giving of their time and making a difference. We are close to implementing a two-van program, so I’m especially grateful to cities, foundations, service groups, and individuals who donate to our program. We were recently notified that we are to be a recipient of a grant from the Lafayette Community Foundation who has supported us each year. This year in anticipation of increased expenses for the Lamorinda Spirit two-van program, LCF has increased the level of their support. This financial assistance makes it substantially easier to maintain and increase service delivery levels. An informational event, “GETTING AROUND: Senior Transportation Today and Tomorrow,” took place on October 26 at Rossmoor with a huge turnout. Seniors and adult children of seniors saw the video, Taking Charge to help each of us evaluate when it’s important to give up the car keys. Presentations were made by the DMV, the CHP, an Occupational Therapist, and representatives from local senior transportation programs. Appreciation goes to the Senior Mobility Action Council who sponsored this informative event, particularly to Tighe Boyle, Earle Ormiston, Jaime
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Lafayette Today ~ November 2011 - Page 23 Ray, Sandy Warren, Elaine Welch, and moderator, Paul Branson. More appreciation goes to: • Lafayette Today for printing our monthly articles • The Central Contra Costa Transit Authority for donating a second van • Republic Services / Allied Waste of Contra Costa for maintaining our vehicles • Alicia Chan for providing Accounting expertise • John Otto for providing graphic art • Lisa Strahan for accompanying our Wednesday shoppers • Cathy Tanaka for providing help with monthly mailings and event support • Lafayette and Moraga City Councils, Orinda Community Foundation, Bright Star, Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, Lafayette Garden Club, Orinda Woman’s Club, Federal Transit Administration and Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and individual donors for providing funding for this program • Our passengers who are willing to try a new way to get around town • The City of Lafayette staff, Lafayette Senior Services and the Lafayette Senior Services Commission for providing support • Our partners: Contra Costa Yellow Cab and DeSoto Company, Senior Helpline Services Rides for Seniors, and Orinda Seniors Around Town • Gretchen Hansen, Rossmoor Transportation and Shirley Hyuck, Pleasant Hill Senior Van for their assistance in getting started “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” ~ Winston Churchill
Lamorinda Senior Transportation An Alliance of Transportation Providers *Call each program for information, opportunities to volunteer and to make tax-deductible donations. Volunteer drivers are always appreciated.
Lamorinda Spirit Van
283-3534
Serving Lamorinda seniors. $10 round trip.
Contra Costa Yellow Cab and DeSoto Company 284-1234 20% discount for Lamorinda seniors. A taxi is often an economical alternative to owning, insuring, and maintaining a car.
Volunteer Driver Program Volunteers driving their own cars provide free rides for seniors.
Orinda Seniors Around Town
402-4506
Serving Orinda seniors with rides for appointments and errands.
Senior Helpline Services Rides for Seniors
284-6161
Serving Contra Costa seniors with rides to medical appointments Monday through Fridays and to grocery shopping on Saturdays. Ask about reassurance phone calls.
ARCHITECT JOHN ROLF HATTAM - ARCHITECT Specializes in modest budget, new and remodeled residences. Over 200 completed projects. AUTHOR: Houses on Hills and Other Irregular Places. Also, National Parks from an Architect’s Sketchbook Call for a brochure: 510-841-5933. 737 Dwight Way, Berkeley.
LESSONS
ST. PAUL’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH in Walnut Creek cordially invites you to join us for Christmas Service on December 24th at 4pm, 8pm, 10:30pm, and 11pm, and December 25th at11am in our Historical Chapel. www.stpaulswc.org.
MUSIC INSTRUCTION with Robbie Dunbar. Bach to Beatles and beyond. Piano, guitar, other instruments. All ages and levels welcome! I travel to your home. Decades of experience, including Masters of Music Composition. Also PIANO TUNING. (925) 323-9706, robbiednbr@gmail.com
Lafayette Today Classifieds Reach over 11,500 homes and businesses in Lafayette Help Wanted, For Sale, Services, Lessons, Pets, Rentals, Wanted, Freebies... $35 for up to 45 words. $5 for each additional 15 words. Send or email submissions to: PO Box 1335, Lafayette, CA 94549 or editor@yourmonthlypaper.com. Run the same classified ad in our sister papers “Lafayette Today” or “Danville Today News” and pay half off for your second and/or third ad! Payment by check made out to “The Editors” must be received before ad will print. Your cancelled check is your receipt. We reserve the right to reject any ad. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Name_________________________________________ Address___________________________________________ # of Words_______________
www.yourmonthlypaper.com
Page 24 - November 2011 ~ Lafayette Today
A Stellar Record of Volunteerism
By Fran Miller
Alan Wandesforde has never sought reward for any of his various volunteer activities. As an active leader in both Masonic and Scouting activities, his goal has always been to simply give back a bit of what has been given to him over the years. “There have been many who have shared their time and efforts to help me as a young man grow and become successful and I think it’s important to try to do the same,” says the Lafayette resident. But despite his effort to maintain a low profile, his stellar record of volunteerism has been recognized with the recent presentation of one of Boy Scout’s highest honors - the Daniel Carter Beard Masonic Scouter Award. The award recognizes members of the Masonic Lodge who act as role models and provide dedicated service to the young men in the Boy Scouts of America, and it is presented to a Master Mason who has displayed outstanding dedication to the Scouting program. The Freemasons have long been strong supporters of the Boy Scouts of America Boy Scout Troop 243 Scoutmaster Alan Wandesforde, center, was a recent by endorsing the development of Scouting units, serving as volunteers, and assisting recipient of the Daniel Carter Beard Masonic Scouter award. their Masonic lodges in forming and sponsoring Scout units. The relationship between In addition being Scoutmaster for Lafayette’s Boy Scout Troop individual Masons and Scouting has existed since the founding of Scouting in America. 243, Wandesforde is a Chapter Advisor for both Jobs Daughters and the John Muir Martinez DeMolay Chapter (a young men’s fraternity sponsored by the Masonic Order which teaches the same basic values as scouting). Wandesforde first joined DeMolay in 1970 and rose to the office of Master Councilor, which is similar to Senior Patrol Leader in scouting. Upon reaching the majority age for DeMolay, he joined the Masonic lodge. Wandesforde earned his Eagle Scout rank in 1974 with Troop 243, and later he became Assistant Scoutmaster when his son joined the same troop. (His son subsequently earned his Eagle within 243, and was the troop’s first ‘legacy’ Eagle Scout.) Wandesforde was recently appointed Troop 243’s Scoutmaster, a role previously held for several years by John Coleman The recent award came as a surprise to Wandesforde, “I have never worked with the Scouts or other youth groups for recognition or awards. I am incredibly honored to receive such an award. In doing my best to prove worthy of this distinction, I know it will inspire me to continue to return that which has been given to me.”
No More No Burn Days SPARE THE AIR
USE GAS LOGS
Breakfast cont. from front pg.
Open Tues thru Sat 10 to 6 Sunday 11 to 5 Closed Monday
Danville 925.648.0293
Alamo 925.820.8492
3426 Camino Tassajara
3189 Danville Boulevard
featured guest speaker and our Chamber President Steve Cortese will take care of the MC duties. This event is held each year in the loving memory of Barbara Bupp, who organized the first breakfast 32 years ago. Let’s begin the holiday season in a significant and meaningful way. Reservations can be made by calling the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce at 925-284-7404 or by visiting our website at www.lafayettechamber. org. Cost is $20 per person. For more information, contact Jay Lifson, Executive Director, Lafayette Chamber of Commerce at 925.284.7404.