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YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 11, No. 49
Christmas Program bounces back by Samie Hartley
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December 9, 2011
Gifting tips from A to Z
Staff Writer A week after hundreds of toys and food items were stolen from the Friends of Oakley Christmas Basket Program, President Jim Frazier is breathing a sigh of relief. “There has been an outstanding outpouring of compassion from this community,” Frazier said. “Even in this economy, so many selfless acts have been made to help our program.” Frazier can’t supply an official total for the amount of food and toys donated since the robbery last Tuesday, but he said “it’s a lot.” Friends of Oakley volunteers have been making the rounds collecting donations from barrels placed throughout the city, and Frazier has been traveling as far as Lafayette to pick up donations of toys. Last week, when Friends of Oakley volunteers arrived at Almond Grove Elementary, where the Friends were storing donations in the gym, they discovered that nearly all the donated toys and half the donated food was missing. The loss broke the hearts of the many volunteers who came out to help wrap on Tuesday, but two days later, volunteers had more than enough to keep them busy. “This is what it was supposed to be like on Tuesday,” Frazier said as he made the rounds to the various gift-wrapping stations piled
Volunteers, from left, Renee Nguyen, Dylainie Nathlich and Dax Morgan wrap toys for children 8 to 10 at the Friends of Oakley giftwrapping event last week.
Photo by Samie Hartley
with toys. “Oakley isn’t going to let some thief keep us from bringing Christmas to families in need.” The Friends of Oakley has registered 300 families this year to receive a holiday meal. Toys will also be provided to the 800 children in these families, and gift bags are being made for 200
local seniors. While many students from Freedom High School leadership came out to help with the gift wrapping last Thursday, Renee Nguyen of Heritage High School in Brentwood said she
by Samie Hartley Staff Writer
Photo by Samie Hartley
Oakley Mayor Jim Frazier, seen here with State Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan, State Sen. Mark DeSaulnier and La Clinica CEO Jane Garcia, puts some muscle into cutting the ribbon at the grand opening celebration of La Clinica Oakley, which opened to the public on Dec. 2.
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Visions in the fog Two colors of the holiday season match the colors of our winter landscape. Page 8A
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Some things are worth the wait, and for Oakley, Christmas came early this year with the opening of La Clinica in the Cypress Square Shopping Center. It took four years, but now Oakley is home to the newest La Clinica facility, which offers an array of health care services to those carrying little or no insurance. For Oakley resident Paulina Maffia and her children, the opening of La Clinica in her hometown is a blessing. A graduate of UC Berkeley, Maffia and her family, like many
Key caregiver
go to news/WebExtras! Antioch’s Kaiser Permanente has been named one of the nation’s top hospitals.
Stranglehold on success
see Program page 26A
La Clinica opens after four-year wait
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Our Holiday Gift Guide dials you in to ideas for perfect presents – and local shops that sell them. Page 1B
in East County, fell on hard times and lost their medical insurance. Rather than going to a doctor, she would ignore pain until it became unbearable and a trip to the emergency room was the only option. She was thrilled to discover the La Clinica in Pittsburg. But the joy didn’t last. The Maffia family suffered a second blow to their finances, and the 45-minute trip to Pittsburg, creeping through construction traffic, became too costly. But now that La Clinica has come to Oakley, Maffia can provide her family with proper care. see La Clinica page 26A
Our wrestling preview explores the upcoming battle for mastery on the mats. Page 19A Calendar ............................ 19B Classifieds ......................... 13B Cop Logs ............................ 18B Entertainment .................11A Food .................................... 10B Holiday Gift Guide............ 1B Milestones ........................ 17B Opinion ..............................18A Outdoors ............................. 8A Sports .................................19A
FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A
Wizards of wealth Brilliant boughs go to news/press releases
A conference held in Atlanta attracted the nation’s premier financial advisors.
go to multimedia/videos
Oakley’s festive Christmas tree blazed with light at the annual celebration.