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YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 13, No. 48
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December 2, 2011
of Special Thanksgiving homecoming Cream the court by Rick Lemyre Staff Writer For wounded Iraq war veteran Ricky France and his family, Nov. 5 was a roller coaster ride. The home he and wife Shannon rented in Loomis had been lost to foreclosure and, unable to find an affordable replacement, they and their five children faced homelessness in four days. Arrangements to move to a shelter had been made, and movers had arrived to take their belongings to storage. That’s when the phone call came: The Military Warriors Support Foundation (MWSF) was on the line to tell the Frances they were being given, mortgage-free, a fivebedroom house in Brentwood. “He was speechless and I was crying,” Shannon recalled. “I
kept thinking, ‘I’m not going to be homeless!’” The family, including Jon, 15; Destiny, 9; Erreanna, 8; Arhvia, 6; and Micah, 5, moved into the six-year-old house the day before Thanksgiving. “It’s beautiful; amazing,” said Ricky this week. “I’m still amazed and shocked.” Founded in 2007 by retired Gen. Leroy Sisco, the MWSF provides a variety of services aimed at helping veterans transition from the military to civilian life. In March of 2010 the organization embarked on its most ambitious effort, to give 1,000 wounded veterans free houses to within five years. “One of our biggest hurdles is convincing people that it’s real,” said see Homecoming page 15A
The opening tipoff isn’t far off, and our BVAL Basketball Preview spotlights the stars and sizes up the teams. Page 1B
Photo courtesy of JP Morgan Chase Bank
Wounded Iraq veteran Ricky France and wife Shannon stand inside their new Brentwood home with their children. From left are Arreanna, Arhyia, Micah, Destiny and Jon. The family was given the house, free and clear, by the Military Warrior Support Network and JP Morgan Chase Bank.
Foundation gives the gift of smiles by Ruth Roberts Staff Writer It was a morning of smiles all around, but for seven East County kids, those smiles will now last a lifetime. Sheffield Orthodontics recently placed braces on local teens as part of the Smiles for a Lifetime program. The national nonprofit organization provides free orthodonture to patients who can’t afford treatment. “It was a great week,” said Dr. Robert Sheffield. “The kids were so happy. There were lots tears from the parents and me. It’s such a life change for these children.” For the Hankins family – one of the recipients of the program – it was a day they’ll never forget. “As a dad, every time Asia and I discussed braces I would feel as though I was letting her down,” said Carlos Hankins in a letter to Sheffield. “When Asia told me she received a
Photo courtesy of Sheffield Orthodontics
Smiles for a Lifetime recipient Stephan White poses with Dr. Robert Sheffield, far right, after receiving his new braces. Stephan was one of seven local children who were recently awarded free braces and ongoing orthodontic care through the nonprofit organization. scholarship, she had tears of joy in her eyes, which brought tears of joy to mine … I am so grateful to your foundation.” Bringing smiles – and the occasional tears of joy – to local families is the impetus behind the program. Local dentists Drs. Wendy Herman and Bill Morrice provided free den-
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tal care for the seven recipients, and Dr. John Gilbert, an oral surgeon, volunteered to do wisdom-teeth extractions for two patients. This year, Sheffield is planning to offer 12 orthodontic scholarships, which includes free bands and ongoing treatment. As part of the scholarship pro-
Laptop largesse go to news/WebExtras!
A computer distribution program is giving digital literacy a boost.
gram, recipients agree to continue the good will by paying it forward to another group or organization that helps those in need. “As a family we created a program to serve some of the underprivileged in various communities,” said Hankins. “The name of the program is Project HELLO, which stands for Helping Everyone Live Life Optimistically. It has been nearly 10 years since our program’s conception and sometimes we feel like giving up, but your generosity has motivated us to continue providing these services in these challenging times.” The East County board of directors for Smile selects children from the local area through an application process. Nominations are currently being accepted, and Sheffield encourages anyone with a need – or anyone who knows a child with a need – to apply. see Smiles page 12A
Wise workforce go to news/press releases
Shell Oil has donated $10K to a Los Medanos College industrial training program.
Holiday atrocity Oakley’s Christmas Basket event suffered a blow when a burglar made off with $4,000 worth of toys and food. Page 3A
Manual for merriment
Hook up with seasonal charities and entertainment by checking out our lineup of December events. Page 8A Arts .....................................10A Business ............................. 25B Calendar ............................ 27B Classifieds ......................... 20B Cop Logs ............................ 26B Entertainment ................. 15B Food .................................... 14B Milestones ........................ 12B Opinion ..............................16A Sports .................................19A FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A
Black bargains go to multimedia/videos
Local shoppers braved the cold – and fellow shoppers’ elbows – on Black Friday.