YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ward Winning News al A pa
Vol. 9, No. 45
Including Surrounding Communities
www.thepress.net
Home makeover welcomes Ally back by Ruth Roberts Staff Writer
There’s a new saying around the Jenkins house these days: As Ally goes, so do we. “When Ally’s up we’re all up, and when she’s down, so are we,” said Vickee Jenkins of her daughter Ally, 15, who is recuperating from double-lung transplant surgery. “We’re literally just taking it hour by hour; it’s our new normal.” Last weekend the Oakley family’s new normal got a bump up when they brought Ally home following a nearly four-month stay at UCSF Medical Center, where she was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension in July. The incurable condition, which hinders the flow of blood from the heart to the lungs, required a double lung transplant, which she received from a donor in August. And when the Freedom High School freshman arrived home, she was greeted not only by friends and family, but by another present – this one straight out of an episode of “Extreme Home Makeover.” Thanks to the efforts of a generous community, the Jenkins home had been refurbished from top to bottom, including a new roof and
Photo by Richard Wisdom
Ally Jenkins stands alongside contractor Jack Staricco from Staricco Construction (in costume – it was a Halloween homecoming) and his team, which helped remodel the Jenkins home to make it a more sterile environment for the Oakley teen, who is recovering from double lung transplant surgery. landscaped yard, fresh paint inside and out, as well as new appliances, countertops, bathrooms, windows and doors, all donated by volunteers who had given of their time, supplies and labor to create a fresh start for the Jenkins family. “We’re all completely overwhelmed by all this,” said Vickee. “Not just the house, but the outpouring of love and support we have had. It’s very difficult to put
into words. We’re just so grateful.” And as for Ally, she’s just happy to be home, especially now that her new room has been made over in teal and black zebra décor. “It’s what I’ve always wanted,” she said. “It feels so good to be home,” she said. “I love being here after living in the city for so long. Going for walks, sleeping in my bed. I like it a lot.” The plot for the home make-
over was hatched months ago, following a conversation between Vickee and a friend regarding Ally’s upcoming surgery. “It was right after we had finished meeting with the transplant doctors where they were telling us about what to expect, and they were going down a list of things that Ally couldn’t tolerate and one of those things was mold,” said Vickee. “And I started freaking out because I had a guest bathroom with a lot of mold. So later I called a friend of mine whose husband is in the business, and asked if he could give us a quote on what it would take to fix the mold, and it snowballed from there.” More like an avalanche. Dozens of volunteers with myriad talents and connections came in and out of the house over the course of the next few months, making the improvements and fine-tuning the details right up until the day the family came home. “Oakley’s a little community but they all came together on this,” said Jim D’Amico, owner of Black Bear Diner and one of the contributors to the Jenkins makeover project. “There were so many
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November 6, 2009
THIS WEEK
Kayla mourned
The death of a beloved young woman has made a powerful impact on the many people whose lives she touched.
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Rumor has it Talk About Town gives you our insider’s take on Brentwood Mayor Bob Taylor’s “poultry in motion” campaign to provide turkeys to those in need.
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Falcons hold heads high
see Ally page 22A
Garamendi wins easy victory for Congress by Dave Roberts Staff Writer John Garamendi, who touted himself as the “proven Democrat” after having served as state senator, state assemblyman, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, state insurance commissioner and lieutenant governor, added a new political title Tuesday: congressman representing the 10th Congressional District. Garamendi won an easy 55-to-41 percent victory over Republican candidate David Harmer. A majority of independents voted for Harmer, but they were not enough to overcome the 18-point registration advantage that Democrats hold over Republicans in the district. Harmer, a conservative lawyer from San Ramon making his first bid for elective office, won most of the southeastern portion of the district, which sprawls from Dixon in the north, Walnut Grove in the east, Livermore in the south and El Cerrito in the west. A majority of Oakley and Knightsen residents voted for Harmer. Garamendi won just about everywhere else, including Antioch and Pittsburg. Garamendi will be a reliable vote for the
Democratic agenda in the House of Representatives. He supports government-run health care, the proposed cap-and-trade legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and wants to pull the troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan. On a more local level, he opposes construction of a peripheral canal in the Delta. “I’m very excited about winning this election so we can finally solve these problems,” he said in his opening remarks at the Oct. 26 forum. “This is a good time for America because we finally have a president who wants to get things done in the right way.” Garamendi expanded on that in his closing remarks: “We are in an extremely important time in America’s history. We are faced with problems that are very difficult and complex. I’ve had the good fortune of working on every problem that will be before Congress. I will support a public option (for health care). Social Security is the foundation for the retired people in America. “I support financial regulation for the financial industry. Education is fundamental to the economy. Our educational system is failing. see Congress page 22A
They didn’t win the game, but their coach’s post-mortem was filled with praise for their gritty effort.
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INSIDE
Photo by Dave Roberts
John Garamendi, seen here at the dedication of a park bridge in Oakley several months ago, was elected to represent the 10th Congressional District Tuesday.
Business .............................6A Calendar ..........................23B Classifieds ........................16B Entertainment ................10B Food .................................12B Health & Beauty ............... 9B Opinion ...........................16A Sports ................................. 1B Talk About Town ..............5A WebExtras! ....................... 1B
FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A