JULY 2015 DIABLO GAZETTE

Diablo Gazette • JULY 2015 • Page 2 • www.DiabloGazette.com | www.fb.com/DiabloGazette • (925) 303-4779

From the Publisher DAVID KING

VACATION PLANNING IN 3 EASY STEPS My summer plans usually consist of: 1) work 2) squeeze in a vacation (always too short) and 3) get back to work. I let the family fill in the details. Whether you are planning a major vacation, a local getaway, or just some quick fun stuff to do, I think you will find this edition helpful, maybe inspiring.

Speaking of vacations, that is Horseshoe Bend in Arizona of the Colorado River on the cover, one of many Grand Canyon experiences you can consider. Photo was taken by CSK Photography. For a closer to home idea, visit the art exhibit at the aRt Cottage in downtown Concord – of beautiful artist renderings of various vacation destinations. You can read more about that inside this edition.

It’s sad but true; Don Bleu has left the airwaves. And I am honored that Diablo Gazette has the exclusive (well, at least the first) interview now that he’s out of work.

Don and I worked together at K101 in the 90’s. We once put a cow on the street at the Transamerica building to offer fresh cream in people’s coffee as a promotional stunt for one of my clients.

At the end of the show, “Great Radio”

Don said, although the Transamerica Building janitors were grumbling. Who knew a cow had to go so often?

Don is as successful, kind and funny in person as he is on the radio. I sincerely hope he lands back on the airwaves soon. After 35 years in the Bay Area, he had plenty to say of on celebrities, heartwarming and awkward moments in radio, and his thoughts for the future.

It’s all inside. Friend and Concord resident Carolyn McCardle is the new morning host on Big 103.7. She has some big shoes to fill, congratulations to her. Thanks to Andre Gensburger (of Concordian fame), photographer Micah, the writers, and advertisers who contribute to the creation, production, support and distribution of this magazine. We have increased our home delivery yet again for the third consecutive month. For (almost daily) updates of local interest be sure to like us at www.facebook.com/diablogazette.

David King David King Publisher Diablo Gazette

Release the Hounds, Windows 10 Readies WILLIAM CLANEY Computers USA

The release of Microsoft Windows 10 nears. Microsoft clarifies how to get Windows 10 and who will get it for free.

Microsoft will officially release Windows 10 on July 29, 2015.

My evaluation included installation, testing, and endless tinkering of Windows and it performed extremely good.

The installer is much improved, causes no glitches (that I encountered), and keeps you informed about what it is doing. The installation can take three hours or more to finish. When done it will automatically find and install all your existing apps arrange your settings, etc. without user intervention.

Who gets it for free?

If your operating system is a Genuine Microsoft Windows 7.x or Windows 8.x product your instantly qualify for the free upgrade.

New features include Unified Apps, Cortana, Microsoft Edge (Spartan),

Hololens, and a lot more. Perhaps the most important feature in the new O/S is the Unified Apps and app Store which allow developers to write an App once and use it for mobile smartphones, tablets and PCs. Cortana is your digital assistant. Ask Cortana anything, and most of the time you get an intelligent answer. Microsoft Edge is a new simplified and very secure browser. Hololens is a 3D world where everyone around you will have their own point of view. Xbox users, Steam game players, your dreams have come true.

Drop into a local computer store for demos.

Don’t want to DIY (do it yourself)?

Local computer professionals can assist with your upgrade, and I promise you will be thrilled with the result. As William Shatner (Capt. Kirk) once said of Priceline, “This is going to be big, really big.”

YOUR AD COULD BE RIGHT HERE!

Send request for ad rates to diablogazette@gmail.com or call 925-255-2123.

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Artist Getaway Art Show at aRt Cottage Samantha McNally and FROgard Butler met in Pacific Grove on a weeklong art vacation several years ago.

Painting together during the day, blogging together about art each evening, they enjoyed a new-found friendship at the beach doing what they both love.

While staying at Asilomar conference grounds that week, FRO and Samantha met Russian scientists, young men visiting California for a conference at

Asilomar, for scientists all over the world.

They had such fun, the young men and the two artists planned to spend a day in San Francisco the following week for a sightseeing excursion. It was a pleasure for all to enjoy each others company.

Neither FRO nor Samantha dreamed what a wonderful collaboration they would come up with for the future.

FROgard went on to buy a cottage in Concord and open an Art Gallery near

Todos Santos Plaza while Samantha founded Artist Getaway, and plans art vacations!

All of the artists who have been a part of an Artist Getaway are invited to submit paintings to aRt Cottage Gallery’s Artist Getaway Show in July. We will have paintings from our Artist Getaways in Murphys and Occidental, CA as well as lots of other places and subjects Artist Getaway Artists paint. The show lasts throughout the whole month of July, 2015 with a reception on from 6-9 p.m. on July 9. There will be wine, music,

appetizers and art. The public is invited to vote for a people’s choice award from 6-8 p.m., while the artists will vote for an artist’s choice award. The awards, ribbons and prizes will be presented at 8 p.m.

For more information, contact: Samantha McNally Artist Getaway www.samanthamcnally.com www.artistgetaway.com Photos courtesy of aRt College.

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Photos by Micah

Time for the Arts

by Deborah Ashley

New Art Happenings in July!

Herb Day is Sunday, July 12 at Rodgers Ranch Pleasant Hill 10-4 p.m.

D

Above, Micah did some volunteer work at Rodgers Ranch. Below, Rodgers Ranch Heritage House.

iablo Gazette photographer, Micah Nunez is always somewhere. Here are a couple of the more interesting places/events.

On June 12, he captured a rally at Todos Santos in downtown Concord staged

by Handicapped demanding 10 percent increase in services due to Governor’s cut in programs.

Micah also does volunteer work at Pleasant Hill’s Rodgers Ranch. Rodgers Ranch farmhouse was built in 1867 during California’s bountiful wheatgrowing past and is also one of the original homesteads of Pleasant Hill. It is open for viewing every Thursday from 9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. It is beautiful. If you enjoy Urban farming, you can attend sustainable living workshops here. Go to www.rodgersranch.org for more information.

This summer, if you are looking for something new and different to experience in the art world, there are many opportunities to check out some interesting art events happening around the area. It’s always a challenge for artists to create something that hasn’t been done before or to come up with innovative ways for getting exposure for their work.

But it is human nature to constantly push the envelope and forge new territory.

Starting this month on July 9, The Jennifer Perlmutter Gallery in Lafayette is presenting “Thursday Night Live” where there will be an artist painting on site in the front window of the gallery.

There will be two artists painting for about one and a half hours each, so you can watch as the artists work and see how each painting unfolds. Artists get asked all the time about their process, how they come up with ideas and how they go about making a painting, so this will be an exciting opportunity to watch as each artist works “live” to create a painting. There is also a new restaurant that opened right next door to the gallery with outdoor seating in the front courtyard, so you can have dinner with live entertainment from the painters!

To find out more about Thursday Night Live or the gallery, visit the website at jenniferperlmuttergallery.com.

Another venue where you can see a rotating exhibition of art is the new Sotheby’s in downtown Lafayette.

They have a beautiful new space that is showing a different artist about every six weeks. So many businesses are turning their spaces into art galleries, so there are plenty of places to see wonderful, high quality art. Sotheby’s is located at 3725 Mt Diablo Blvd, not too far from the reservoir.

Of course July includes all the events and celebrations that happen on the 4th.

Every town has something going on that usually includes fireworks. The very artsy community of Benicia is hosting a familyfriendly picnic in the park on First Street that starts at noon. The day will include lots of arts and crafts as well as activities for the kids and fireworks that start at 9:00.

And for something not so new and different, but simply fabulous, come up to the wine country to experience some of the concerts and performances at the annual musical event “Festival del Sole” held each July. The Festival is celebrating its 10th season this year, and it includes 10 days of concerts and dance performances from some of the world’s best performers. Many of the concerts are held at the Lincoln theatre in Yountville and others are in the intimate courtyard space at the Costello di Amorosa winery in the Napa Valley. The festival begins on July 17 and runs through July 26v.

In addition to concerts every evening, there are lunches, wine tours and special events held throughout the week at many of the different wineries around Napa.

The festival is truly a spectacular week of extraordinary performances and in the beautiful setting of the wine country. For a full calendar of events or to learn more about the festival, visit the website at festivaldelsole.org.

The bay area is overflowing with art, music and cultural events to keep us interested, engaged and excited about some of the best of the arts anywhere in the world.

Deborah Ashley has 20 years of teaching experience in piano violin and art and teaches ages 5 through adult. She offers private piano and violin lessons as well as private and group art classes. Contact Deborah at deblovesart@aol.com, or 925 588-5226.

Tuesday Night Blues Comes back to Todos Santos Plaza

Above, on June 12 2015 there was a gathering at Todos Santos for disabled citizens. They asked for a one-time 10 percent increase from the governor in order to keep some of the programs that have recently been cut.

Photos by Micah Nunez/Diablo Gazette

Concord’s popular Tuesday Night Blues series begins every Tuesday evening in July on the Todos Santos stage and runs through August 11. Off the Grid will bring its selection of food trucks to the plaza for Blues, Brews & BBQs and restaurants around Todos Santos Plaza will roll out the red carpet for blues fans.

Delta Wires launches the series from 6:30 to 8 p.m on July 7 with an evening of high-energy harmonica and horns. In addition to great blues, visitors will be treated to Cool Concord Cars, a vintage car show, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Auto enthusiasts show off everything from lovingly restored cars from the mid1900’s to Chevys from the ‘50s and custom wheels from more recent years.

The rest of the Blues Series include David Landon (July 14), Alvon Johnson (July 21), Loose Blues (July 28), Charged Particles (Aug. 4), and finishing with Concord’s own Blues Diva Annie

Sampson (August 11).

Todos Santos Plaza also hosts the Thursday Music and Market series through Sept. 17. The Farmer’s Market is in the plaza from 4 to 8 p.m. with music from 6:30 to 8 p.m. On Saturday, July 4, a series of Independence Day events will include a pancake breakfast at 7:30 a.m., Police Officer’s Association 5K Fun Run at 8 a.m., and Concord’s July 4th parade at 10 a.m. Festivities continue a few blocks away at 4 p.m. at Mt. Diablo High School with a family carnival followed by fireworks at 9 p.m.

Todos Santos Plaza is located in downtown Concord on Willow Pass Road between Mt. Diablo and Grant streets.

Free parking is available in two municipal garages. For more information, call the downtown hotline at (925) 671-3464 or visit www.cityofconcord.org.

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The Diablo Gazette’s

CALENDAR OF EVENTS HOLIDAYS/CELEBRATIONS National Hot Dog Month (red) National Ice Cream Month (white) National Blueberry Month (blue) July 4 Independence Day

FUNDRAISERS

American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Concord When: July 11-12, 2015 10am10am Todos Santos Plaza Sign up TODAY: www.relayforlife.org/ concordca Kealoha.pomerantz@cancer. org or 415-515-8626 Wine and Cheese Fundraiser supporting Shakespeare in the Park- July 11 from 7p.m. to 11 p.m. Join us for a wine and cheese fundraiser to support performances of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in one of the City’s parks this summer at Steeltown Coffee & Tea at 695 Railroad Avenue. Performances are scheduled for late July and early August at the new park in Old Town. Proceeds from the fundraiser will help defray production expenses for the free performances. Performances and fundraiser presented by theatreCORE in association with the Pittsburg Arts and Community Foundation. Performance(s): Saturday, July 11 at 7-10 PM Ticket(s): $26 Pancake Breakfast - Supporting Veterans of foreign Wars – 2nd and 4th Sundays includes eggs, pancakes, sausage, beverage. 8 – 11 a.m. Willow Pass Road, Concord $5, $3 Children under 12. www. vfwpost1525.org NorCalPoodleRescue is having their annual Pooches and Pals Picnic Fundraiser on July 12, 11am to 2 pm at Lafayette Reservoir, Lafayette, Ca. Bring your BFF! All dogs are welcome. Enjoy the doggie costume contest, doggie games, hot dogs, sides, dessert, beverages. Reservations required by July 8th at norcalpoodlerescue.net. All proceeds benefit NorCalPoodle Rescue doggies. $20 per person (children under 12 and all dogs free).

Dine and Donate July 18 Dairy Queen will donate 20 percent of all sales to Relay For Life.

OUTDOORS:

•MARTINEZ: - Friday’s on the Main & Market featuring a Farmers Market 4p.mp - 8 p.m. and Cool Cars & Music 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. on the 600 & 700 blocks of

Main. Free •DANVILLE: First Sunday of every •Month: Cars ‘n Coffee, On the First Sunday of every month, automotive enthusiasts gather in the parking lots of the Blackhawk Automotive Museum to share their vehicles and admire the other fabulous classics, exotics, rods and anything else with wheels and a motor.

There is no fee for Cars & Coffee. Come when you want, leave when you want, but know that early arrivals do get the parking space they prefer. Also, the Museum opens at 9am on Cars & Coffee Sundays.

8am-10am , Blackhawk Museum • 3700 Blackhawk Plaza Circle • Danville, CA 94506 p:925.736.2280 • f:925.736.4818 • museum@blackhawkmuseum.org, http:// www.blackhawkmuseum.org/carsncoffee. html •SAN FRANCISCO: Gray Whale Migration Season, Numerous locations along the Pacific coast Thru – 5/31/15, Paid boat tours or Free from shore .

Watch some 20,000 gray whales migrating from the Arctic to Baja, Mexico. Tour boats leave San Francisco, Half Moon Bay, Moss Landing and Monterey during this season. Or, watch them from on shore. http://www.hiddensf.com/ gray-whale-migration-california.html Concord: Todos Santos Park Music and Market Series, Thursdays 4 p.m.-8 p.m.

2151 Salvio St. Tuesday Night Blues Series Todos Santos Park, 6:30-8p.m.

Clayton: Concerts in the Grove Saturday’s 6p/m/ to 8:30 p.m.

Twilight Hikes on Mount Diablo - Common Poorwill Bird Walk Fridays July 3 and July 31 at 7PM. Denise Wight leads a four-mile, two hour hike starting at Mitchell Canyon, listening for the Poorwill and local owls. Hikers may also discover interesting nocturnal wildlife.

Limited to 15 people. Bring flashlight, binoculars, and water. Fee $6/vehicle.

Meet at Mitchell Canyon trailhead at 96 Mitchell Canyon Road. Reservations required. For more information: blkittiwake@yahoo.com. Vounteers from Mount Diablo Interpretive Association.

Pleasant Hill: Sunset by the Lake Summer Concerts: Every other Sunday 6-8pm by the lake at City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane Downtown Plaza Concert Series - Third

Thursday of the month, Downtown Plaza 6:60-8:30 pm 6th Annual Blues and Brews Festival July 17-18 from 12-6pm, Pleasant HIll Park 147 Gregory Lane Walnut Creek: Summer Concert Series and Block Party Thursdays 6-8:30 p.m.

Stanfords Parking lot 1300 South Main st. Broadway Plaza Sculpture in the Garden Ruth Bancroft Garden transforms into an outdoor gallery. 1552 Bancroft Road, Walnut Creek $8 - $10. www.ruthbancroftgarden.org

CLUB/SUPPORT GROUP EVENTS

•CONCORD: 4th Friday: Concord Ducati Bike Night, 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on the fourth Friday of each month at Lazy Dog Café, 1961 Diamond Blvd, Concord.

925/849-1221 http://norcaldoc.com Clayton Valley Garden Club - 7p.m. July 9, Diamond Terrace 6401 Center St., Clayton. It’s All About Vegetables! CVGC member Rory Richmond will discuss ways to use vegetables in your diet daily and the trends he sees in the commercial produce industry. Contact: www.claytonvalleygardenclub.org

FAMILY EVENTS

July 4th Concord - Fireworks & Celebration Pancake: Breakfast, Stars and Stripes, 5K fun run/walk, parade, festival, fireworks.

Event starts at 7 a.m. , Todos Santos Plaza, downtown Concord. $5 Breakfast; $30 Race. www.starsandstripesrun.com or www.concordjuly4th.com Clayton - Pancake Breakfast and Parade - Clayton Valley Sunrise Rotary pancake breakfast 7 a.m. at Endeavor Hall, 6008 Center St., Main Street Parade at 10 a.m.; Breakfast $6 adults; $4 kids.

•Thursday Night Music and Market Series takes place in Todos Santos Plaza Concord when Zydeco Flames opens the season with its authentic re-creation of the sounds and feel of Louisiana’s Mardi Gras.

•Meadow Homes Spray Park Now Open at 1351 Detroit Ave., Concord Vacation Bible School First Presbyterian Church Concord , July 20 - 24 from 9 12 noon.

July 23 Mayors’ Healthy Cookoff - Contra Costa County Mayors and chefs from their respective cities compete to prepare the best healthy meal. 4 p.m Todos Santos Plaza, Concord. www.wellnesscitychallenge.org Moonlight Movies July 10 & 17; Clayton Community Church presents: “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day;” July 17 “Big Hero 6”. Activites begins at 7:30 pm, movies start at 8:45 pm. 6055 Main st. Free admission

HOME & GARDEN/FARMERS’ MARKETS

Pacific Coast Farmers Market Association: Concord Tuesdays, 10am to 2pm, yearround, rain or shine, Todos Santos Plaza.

•Concord Thursdays, 4pm to 8pm, Todos Santos Plaza.

Clayton, Saturdays 10am - 2pm Martinez, Sundays, 10am to 2pm, yearround, Main St. and Estudillo.

Pleasant Hill Saturday, May 3rd through November 15th, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Downtown Plaza (in front of Jack’s Restaurant)

http://www.pcfma.com http://www. pcfma.org Walnut Creek Sculpture in the Garden Ruth Bancroft Garden transforms into an outdoor gallery. 1552 Bancroft Road, Walnut Creek $8 - $10. www.ruthbancroftgarden.org Diablo Valley Farmers Market Saturday 9a.m. - 1 p.m. Shadelands Busienss Park, N. Wigett Lane and Mitchell Dr. Walnut Creek Contra Costa Certified Farmers Market Sundays 9 am - 1 pm, Year Round, WalnutCreek, North Locust St between Giamona and Lacassie St. (925) 431-8361 http://www.cccfm.org

VISUAL ARTS/THEATRE/ MUSIC

Concord Pavilion Concerts: •July 7 - Smashing Pumpkins and Marilyn Manson; •July 9 - Van Halen and Kenny Wayne Shepherd; •July15 - Chicago and Earth, Wind, & Fire; •July 18- Sublime with Rome and Rebelution; •July 21 - 5 Seconds of Summer; •August 4 – Fall Out Boy, Wiz Khalifa & Hoodie Allen July 12 Botanica: All Things Plant Life is a national juried show that asks artists to explore the diverse world of flora. This will be one of the Bedford’s largest exhibitions, with over 100 artists from across the country. Botanica opens at Bedford Gallery in Walnut Creek July 21 Walnut Creek Concert Band, presents Summer “Pops” Concert at the Lesher Center under the direction of Harvey Benstein. 7:30 pm. Performance includes “Symphonic Dances from Fiddler on the Roof”, Goldman’s, “Chimes of Liberty”, Persichetti’s “Divertimento for Band”, Music from “The Lord of the Rings” and a special appearance by Oakland virtuoso violinist, Jeremy Cohen. www.walnutcreekband.org. Tickets are available through the Lesher Center for the Arts Ticket Office or by calling 925943-7469, or online at www.Lesherartscenter.org. Ticket Prices: Adult $17.00; Seniors and Students $14.00.

July 25 Don Friesen-Pittsburg California Theatre- His kids think he’s fun. His wife thinks he’s an idiot. Audiences think he’s hilarious! Don is a modern suburban dad just trying to raise his kids and get through the day with a bit of money in the bank and a scrap of dignity intact. With a unique style that can best be described as frenetic and engaging, Don captures the irony of parenting, marriage and everyday absurdities through characters, voices, parodies and some of the best written routines around. Friesen has recently taken his smart, savvy, and highly-caffeinated comedy to the stage at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, CA, for the taping of his new Showtime one-hour special titled “Ask Your Mom.” Performance(s): 8:00 PM Ticket(s): $17/ advance and $20/door - Reserved Seating

GOVERNMENT

•Concord City Council, 1st, 2nd and 4th

continued on page 12

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A Walk Through Time

with Misty Bruns, Docent at the Clayton Museum

The Tarwater Ranch -159 years ago Gabriel Tarwater married Martha Jane Auberry-Larrison on April 2, 1849 in Ray Co, Mo. He was the stepfather to Martha’s daughter from her first marriage, Nancy Jane Larrison.

Their other children were: John Henry, From left to right- Charles Augustus Tarwater, holding daughter Mildred William, Jacob, Tarwater, wife Eva Tarwater, standing on the porch Josephine Tarwater, Dotson (Doddson), Martha Jane Auberry-Larrison-Tarwater and her husband Gabriel Tarwater.

Joseph, Josephine Gabriel grew grapes and walnuts at the and Charles.

Tarwater ranch.

Gabriel was a farmer and settled on Gabriel and Martha are buried in land in Clayton, CA in 1856. the Alhambra cemetery in Martinez, In the 1870’s the Tarwater ranch California.

The plot is easy to find but no house was built. The Tarwaters acquired headstones remain. acreage on the north side of Walnut Avenue and Oak Grove Road. At the time Photo and information courtesy of the area was called the Ygnacio Valley Jennifer Kerr and Charles Kerr-Great and was part of rural Concord California.

Grandson of Gabriel and Martha The area is now part of the city of Walnut Tarwater Creek California.

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Free Teen Financial Boot Camp Learn How to Get the Stuff You Want You’ve just been transported into the future with your friends. Some of you have just graduated from college or technical school. You already have families of your own. You’ve just started your first full-time, professional job. You’re earning money and have bills to pay. Now you have to select housing, transportation, food, household necessities, clothing, day care, and other wants and needs. Lots of choices to make. Oh, and you need to build a budget based on your income and debt.

Welcome to Mad City Money!

“If I buy an expensive car and house, I can’t afford clothes and food.”

That’s the lesson learned from one teenager who participated in Mad City Money, a simulation and financial boot camp for high school students that teaches basic money management in a safe, fun setting.

Face it-a presentation on budgeting likely will put teens to sleep. Yet the 3 1/2 hour hands-on simulation appeals to teens (14-19) and gives them a taste of the real world-complete with occupation, salary, spouse, student loan debt, credit card debt, and medical insurance payments. Teens get an instant family and then move about the stations to purchase housing, transportation, food, clothing, household necessities, day care

and other needs.

What’s included in the simulation? A mall for “wants,” a pushy car salesperson, a commission-based realtor, and the Fickle Finger of Fate. You guessed it- life happens. And in addition to several other merchants, there’s a credit union for financial services.

Bottom line: Teens learn that erasers and calculators are important tools for creating a monthly budget. “It’s like a puzzle,” said one teen. “You have to use all the pieces and they all have to fit.”

The financial boot camp is Friday, July 10 from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill and Tuesday, July 21 at Paradise Skate Roller Rink in Antioch. Refreshments, prizes and a drawing for an iPad Mini will be provided.

Headquartered in Vacaville, California, Travis Credit Union is a not-for-profit cooperative financial institution with branch locations serving those who live or work in Contra Costa County. Currently, Travis Credit Union is the 13th largest credit union in California with more than 167,000 members and more than $2.4 billion in assets. It is one of the leading financial institutions in Solano, Contra Costa, Yolo and Merced Counties.

themoviemaverick

by Jason Rugaard, www.moviemavericks.com

Jurassic World

Jurassic World’s director Colin Trevorrow was hand-picked by Steven Spielberg to continue the series. It’s no wonder then that World closely resembles that first film’s style, and sense of fun.

This is a thrill ride tuned to perfection by a team of high function craftsmen and a capable cast that turns the ordinary into extraordinarily good. Plus, its great to hear that excellent theme music from John Williams reinterpreted by Michael Giacchino here, again blaring through theater speakers.

Chris Pratt leads as Owen Grady, a head-strong Raptor ‘whisperer,’ who forms a strong bond with a quartet of dinos that are earmarked for government military use. The Ingen executive out for militarization is Vic Hoskins (Vincent D’Onofrio), seeing dollars and effective killing machines, he secretly strikes a deal to use the Raptors as soldiers.

Meanwhile, the scientists in the control lab have cooked up a bigger, scarier monster in the form of a species they call Indominus Rex. Inside the operational theme park universally attended by 20,000 guests a day, Indominus Rex is on the loose.

Somewhere among the guests are Zach and Gray, the nephews’ of World’s highest ranking executive Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard). With the Rex on the run, the park is shut down, but the adventurous boys decided to stay out in the wild. This leads to Claire recruiting Owen to aid her in rescuing the kids from the clutches of rampaging creatures and other predators.

There is little room for ingenuity in sequels, but Jurassic World comes up with a few new twists, does a nice job of acting as a direct follow-up to the original, and has some new creatures that are sure to frighten younger audience members. Even though this is a Jurassic movie, the film it most closely resembles is Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in that its darker, faster and has nearly continuous action set-pieces that make for a break-neck experience. I loved Jurassic World for serving as a swift two-hour throwback to the summertime blockbusters of my youth.

Director: Colin Trevorrow Stars: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard,Vincent D’Onofrio

If you want

BREAKING NEWS Don’t read a newspaper!

Claycord.com

is where you get the news first!

If you want local features, people stories, with photos and videos from our team on the street, then be sure to read

www.DiabloGazette.com

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resident tales

Sponsored by the Diamond Terrace 55+ Retirement Community, Clayton

A Manhattan Escapade

by Marge Crawford In the autumn of 1953, my home was a small room in a big brownstone building in the center of New York City (Manhattan, as it is alternately known). I soon became good friends with the other graduate students living there. We were all there to earn a Special Education of the Deaf degree. As time passed and spring of 1954, was unfolding, Manhattan experienced a sudden heat wave. The temperature rose to the high nineties on a daily basis. The heat accumulated in the concrete and radiated out of it all night.

There was nowhere to go to get cool!

One evening we gathered in a top floor room and were griping about the heat, hoping to think of a cool place to sleep.

We opened the one huge window and felt the stirring of some cool air. Outside the window there was an expanse of flat roof edged by a low parapet. We stepped on that roof and breathed a collective sigh of relief. We had found our cool haven!

As we relaxed, planning to spend the night up there, our friend Mary, who had trained show-horses and taught gymnastics to kids, went off the parapet and clambered up on top of it. She began walking along its length, seemingly as sure-footed as a mountain goat. We all watched in dread, expecting her to fall to her death. Soon we heard a police car’s wailing siren coming ever closer to our building. Mary hopped down from the parapet and returned to our huddled group of friends. She explained that the wailing siren had convinced her that her antics were getting the unwanted attention of people in the surrounding building who had probably thought she was a potential suicide-minded person and had reported her to the police.

Finally, we were all able to settle down for our first comfortable sleep in ages. But our adventures were not quite finished: A great crack of thunder wakened us.

“Heat lightening” turned the night sky a strange yellow. The thunder rumbled

and soon, great, jagged lightning bolts sliced the skies. The thunder’s clamor was louder than any puny traffic noise we had complained of heretofore. It echoed and reverberated back off the walls of the surrounding buildings. Then, a deluge of rain began pouring down on us! We all

jumped to our feet, grabbed our bedding and got ourselves into a tumbling mass of arms and legs that squeezed through the window, inside once more. We were soaked. Our ears rang from the nonstop boom, crash, and bang of the thunder.

Our vision was all wonky from the

lightning as if thousands of flash bulbs had assaulted our eyes. We stumbled along to our own rooms, dried ourselves off and crawled into our dry, comfy beds, thankful that we were inside that ugly, but sturdy, old brownstone.

A Tale to Tell

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bookends

by Chadwick H Saxelid

Read more of Chad’’s book reviews at http://bit.ly/McHguP

“The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry”

by Gabrielle Zevin

Being a voracious reader, one that loves to be surrounded by books, when not rummaging through bookstores, I always get an extra spark of enjoyment whenever I read a story about a reader.

Or a writer. Or, in the case of Gabrielle Zevin’s short, quirky, and bittersweet novel, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, a cranky bookseller.

I just love reading stories about book people.

The reasons for Fikry’s crankiness are painful and easy to relate to. A tragic car accident has claimed the life of his beloved wife.

Overwhelming grief and depression have so clouded his mind and heart he has lost all interest in running his bookstore; its sales are beginning a lethal downward spiral into bankruptcy.

Making it even worse, the new sales representative for a small publishing house tries to push a September romance memoir titled The Late Bloomer on him. Fikry hates memoirs.

He also hates children’s books, contemporary novels, and, worse of all, genre fiction.

The only thing A.J. Fikry believes he has going for him is a rare edition of Tamerlane, Edgar Allan Poe’s first published work. He decides that

auctioning off the book will net him just enough money to drink himself to death in isolated peace, without having to worry about his finances.

Fate, random or divinely ordained, has other plans for Fikry, though. He awakens to find that his edition of Tamerlane has been stolen, his apartment cleaned, and an abandoned toddler sitting in his store.

These events turn out to be just the thing needed to knock Fikry’s mind and heart out of the destructive rut they had become stuck in. They are also the starting point of an almost three hundred page love letter to the contagious delights of reading, and the joys of talking about it with others, that is sure to delight any bookworm.

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is also a great book to recommend to non-reading friends and relatives that have expressed interest in finding out what it is about reading books that you enjoy so much.

At one point Fikry says, “You know everything you need to know about a person from the answer to the question, What is your favorite book?” This novel is certain to be on a great many readers list of favorite books.

I put it on mine.

Cyclist Explores Summer Routes Gilroy Hot Springs and Uvas Reservoir Loop:

For those interested in an out of town ride, I strongly recommend the route starting in San Martin that encompasses the Gilroy Hot Springs loop and the Uvas Reservoir loop.

The route has one major climb – the start of Gilroy Hot Springs loop on Roop Rd. After that climb is over, there are descents, flats and small rollers during the remainder of the ride. You will pass farmlands in between the two loops, while the Gilroy Hot Springs loop is quite forested (and stunningly beautiful), while the Uvas Reservoir loop has water views.

There are four levels of difficulty: a 35-mile route, 100K (62.6 mi.), 100 miles and a 200K (121.9 mi.). It can get hot in this part of the world during the summer, so pick your day carefully. For those interested in getting more detailed route information, check www.tierrabella.org .

Happy Cycling.

Article courtesy of www.thediablocyclist.com – Matt Larson

Diablo Gazette • JULY 2015 • Page 10 • www.DiabloGazette.com | www.fb.com/DiabloGazette • (925) 303-4779

farmerfresh

by Debra Morris, Pacific Coast Farmers Market http://www.pcfma.com/concord

A Plethora of Peppers Peppers of all kinds are one of summer’s favorite vegetables. Versatile and easy to work with, peppers come in flavors from mild and sweet to five-alarm hot and spicy. Peppers were domesticated in Mexico.

As early as 6000 years ago, red peppers were used in tropical South America as a spice to disguise the taste of bland or unpalatable food. An antioxidant, chile is also useful in preserving food. Chile peppers are called ‘chile’ in Mexico and Central America and ‘aji’ in South America and the West Indies. You’ll notice that we spell chile peppers with an “e,” not with an “i.” Chile refers to hot peppers, whereas chili refers to the stew/soup-like bean and meat concoction.

Bell peppers are a cultivar of the species of plants called Capsicum annuum, as are the jalapeño and pimento. Colors range from green, red, yellow, orange, and, more rarely, to white, purple, and brown depending on when they are harvested. Because they are unripe, green peppers are less sweet and slightly more bitter than the reds, oranges, and yellows, which all taste similar. They are all high in vitamin C, vitamin A, and

potassium.

Chile peppers are from the same species, but from different cultivars. They also come in many different colors, and are very high in nutrients. Chile pepper heat is measured in Scoville Units. Developed by Wilbur Scoville in 1912, Scoville Units measure chile pepper heat in multiples of 100, with the bell peppers at zero and the habanero at over 300,000 Scoville Units.

The substance that makes a chile hot is called capsaicin, also known for its ability to improve one’s health by increasing blood circulation and metabolism.

Pure capsaicin comes in at over 16 million Scoville Units! Capsaicin is found in its highest concentrations (about 80% of the total amount) in the ribs of the pepper, and because of their proximity, the seeds are also highly concentrated. Removing the ribs and seeds will reduce the heat of the chili pepper. Capsaicin is also distributed in smaller amounts throughout the flesh of the chile pepper, and because it’s distributed unevenly it’s common for some areas of a pepper to be hotter than others.

So whether you like mild bell peppers or go for the super-hot habanero or ghost pepper, they’re at their peak through the summer months.

Balsamic Roasted Red Pepper Bruschetta 1 pint of grape tomatoes, diced 3 roasted red peppers (or one 2 pound jar), diced 1 bunch of basil, chiffonade 1/3 cup of aged balsamic vinegar (a good vinegar is key) 1/2 cup of olive oil, divided 6 cloves of garlic, minced and divided 1/4 teaspoon of salt 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes 8 ounces of marscapone 1 baguette (I used whole grain), sliced In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, roasted red peppers, basil, balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup of olive oil, half of the minced garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes.

Refrigerate for one to two hours to allow flavors to meld together. When ready to serve, set the broiler to low. Combine olive oil and the remaining half of the minced garlic. Brush baguette slices with the garlicky olive oil mixture. Broil baguettes until tops of bread are browned. Immediately before serving, spread a layer of marscapone on the baguette slices and top with roasted red pepper and tomato salad.

Parks Appointments Made by Concord City Council At its meeting on June 23, the Concord City Council made appointments to the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Commission. Incumbents Mark Sinclair and Kandi Lancaster were reappointed to the commission for a four-year term ending June 30, 2019.

The Parks, Recreation and Open Space Committee advises the City Council on matters related to public parks, open space, recreation and youth; reviews and recommends Council action to develop, modify, and/or improve City parks; promotes recreation and park programs, assesses park and recreation needs, and recommends capital improvement projects and fees.

Diablo Gazette • JULY 2015 • Page 11 • www.DiabloGazette.com | www.fb.com/DiabloGazette • (925) 303-4779

A LifeTIME of Smiles

by Robert H. Waldman, D.D.S. If It Isn’t Broken…

Understanding The Value Of Preventative Care That’s what I hear 20 times a day!!! I’m ok with that!

What I am NOT ok with is: •When people say I’m not going to the dentist because nothing hurts, so I don’t need to get my teeth cleaned!

•When people say I don’t want to get my teeth cleaned because then I might need additional work and I don’t have the money… They are making assumptions.

•When people say I can’t go the dentist because I don’t have insurance and it’s expensive… Have they discussed this with their Dentist??????

Preventive care at your Dentist is the most cost effective, value orientated service most Dentists provide.

People may want to have their preventative services discounted and feel it is a lot on money for not a lot of time being spent with them. The truth is you are getting a huge value for this time spent. Your Dentist is not making a substantial financial profit from this service, however, he or she is profiting from the knowledge that they are helping You stay HEALTHY!!!

Many people do not understand that a dental office has overhead. They assume that when they go to the dentist and pay approximately: •$110 for their prophylactic cleaning (basic cleaning if the patient does not have periodontal disease), •$65 for their dental exam, (that is when your Dentist or Hygienist exams your gums, tongue, teeth.. (meaning the entire inside of your mouth) and usually does a cancer screening exam as well, just to state a few things involved in this exam •$75 for 2 x-rays (if needed) Many people feel they are paying their Dentist’s personal check book $175$250 for this approximate 60 minute appointment. Well the truth is yes, they are paying $175- $250 for this 60 minutes of time, however, this fee is: •paying for the time of the Dr. and Dental Assistant or Hygienist •paying the staff of the office •paying for the supplies used to treat your teeth •Paying for the supplies used for complete sterilization for the treatment room and instruments

•Paying for dental equipment, dental instruments and x-ray equipment •Paying for rent, water etc.

So you see, you cannot judge the fees your dentist charges for service by time alone.

I’m a firm believer that the 80% of my time spent preventing disease from “breaking” down your teeth is the best time spent for my patients, it helps them save money in the long run, but even more important it helps them stay healthy and avoid costly treatment in the future.

I’m a firm believer in not waiting until it breaks, not waiting until it hurts. If you wait that long chances are you have waited too long and the cost to “fix it when it has broken” now becomes excessive.

Even in these serious economic times, preventive dental services are cost effective and contrary to popular belief you don’t need dental insurance to get your teeth cleaned! If you have lost your insurance, or don’t have dental insurance and are having some economic difficulties, call your dentist. Most dentists would love for you to call them and share this information with them.

I bet you may be very surprised at how your dentist can help you so that you can get your teeth cleaned and your mouth examined. Your dentist is your friend!!!!

Many diseases are not preventable but MOST DENTAL DISEASE IS PREVENTABLE!!!

As a dentist I treat every patient to help PREVENT DISEASE and if disease is present, I try and cure the disease.

Please remember to always swish, floss, brush and swish again and continue to see your dentist at least every six months or as often as your dentist prescribes.

Being a dentist is not a job it is a PASSION. Have a great July 4th.

-Dr. Rob

Ask Robert H. Waldman, D.D.S. your questions at 925-682-6940, DrRob@ RobertHWaldmanDDS.com or www. roberthwaldmandds.com.

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Diablo Gazette • JULY 2015 • Page 12 • www.DiabloGazette.com | www.fb.com/DiabloGazette • (925) 303-4779

CALENDAR Tuesdays, 6:30 pm, Council Chambers, 1950 Parkside Dr, Concord. Or watch online at http://www.ci.concord.ca.us/ citygov/agendas/council/ Concord Planning Commission 1st and 3rd Wednesdays 7 p.m. Concord Chamber, Concord Civic Center 1950 Pakside dr. www.cityofconcord.org •Clayton City Council, 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, 7pm. Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Rd, Clayton. http://ci.clayton.ca.us •Martinez City Council, 1st and 3rd Wednesdays. City Hall, 7 pm, 525 Henrietta Street, Martinez. Or Listen online at http://www.granicus.com/streamingMediaHelp/minimumSystem.htm, http:// www.cityofmartinez.org •Walnut Creek City Council, 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, 7 pm. Or watch online at http://www.walnut-creek.org/services/ citizen/granicus.asp •Pleasant Hill City Council, 1st and 3rd Wednesdays, 7:30 pm, Council Chambers of the Pleasant Hill City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill. Or follow online at http://www.ci.pleasant-hill.ca.us/media/

CLUBS

•American Association of University Women - Concord Branch www.aauw-concord.org •American Legion Post 171 - 5 p.m. third Tuesdays, Veterans Memorial Hall, Concord. 687-1427.

•B2F Business Networking Group - noon first and third Thursdays. 998-8844.

•Beachcomber Singles - Social and service activities for active adults age 45 and above. For more information call (510) 799-2207, Or visit our website: www. beachcombersingles.org/ •British Club - 11:30 a.m. first Wednesdays, Zio Fraedo’s, Pleasant Hill. 6827978.

•Circle of Friends - second Mondays, Walnut Country Club, Concord. 9988844.

•Clayton Valley Garden Club- 7p.m. second Wednesdays, February-November. Diamond Terrace, 6401 Center St., Clayton. Contact: www.claytonvalleygardenclub.org •Clutch Busters Square Dance Club - 7:30 p.m.-9:30 pm Thursdays, New dancers and those wanting brush-up are welcome.

Willow Pass Community Center, 2748 E Olivera Rd, Concord. 686-3774.

•Concord Art Association - 12:50 p.m. second Tuesdays, Concord Library. 6465455.

•Concord Diablo Rotary - 12:15 p.m.

Wednesdays, Crowne Plaza Hotel,

continued from page 5 Concord. dirk@wentlingstudio.com 685.7760 •Clayton Valley/Concord Sunrise Rotary Club- 7 a.m. Thursdays, Oakhurst Country Club, Clayton. 689-7640 or www. claytonvalley-rotary.org.

Clayton Valley Garden Club - 7p.m. July 9, Diamond Terrace 6401 Center St., Clayton. It’s All About Vegetables! CVGC member Rory Richmond will discuss ways to use vegetables in your diet daily and the trends he sees in the commercial produce industry. Contact: www.claytonvalleygardenclub.org New Meeting Place for Clayton Valley Woman’s Club --Starting August 11 Clayton Valley Woman’s Club will be meeting at St. John’s Episcopal Church, located at 5555 Clayton Road, Clayton. CVWC meets at 10a.m. on the second Tuesday of each month. New members are always welcome. For more information please call Sheila at 925-672-7947. www.claytonvalleywomansclub.org.

•Concord Garden Club - 9:30 a.m. third Tuesdays, Bethel Baptist Church, Concord. 687-2334.

•Concord Lions Club - 7 p.m. third Tuesdays, La Tapatia Mexican Restaurant, Concord. 687-3594.

•Concord Mystery Book Club - 2:30 p.m. second Sundays, Concord Library, 6465455.

•Concord Senior Club - ballroom dancing, 1 p.m. Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and 8 p.m. second Saturdays. 2727 Parkside Circle, Concord. 798-4557.

•Contra Costa Genealogical Society - 7 p.m. second Thursdays, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Concord. www.rootsweb.com/~cacccgs.

•Contra Costa Mineral & Gem Society - 7:30 p.m. second Mondays, Centre Concord. 429-2748 or www.ccmgs.org.

•Creekside Artists Guild Meets 2nd Wed. each month @ 7-8:30pm. Clayton Library Story Room, 6125 Clayton Rd., Clayton.

Arlene 673-9777, akiksen@aol.com •Concord United Methodist Women Monthly Meeting 510-758-4837 •Diablo Numismatic Society - 7 p.m. third Thursdays, Veterans Memorial Hall, Concord. 825-0649 or xsteamerx@aol.com.

•Diablo Toastmasters, every Thursday 7 – 9 p.m., Sizzler Rest., Concord. http:// www.diablotoastmasters.org.

•Diablo Valley Democratic Club - 7 p.m. third Wednesdays, Ygnacio Valley Library, Walnut Creek. 946-0469 or http:// www.dvdems.org.

•Diablo Valley Macintosh Users Group - 6:30 p.m. third Tuesdays. Bancroft Elementary School, Walnut Creek. 689-1155 or www.dvmug.org.

•Diablo Valley Mustang Assoc meets 7:00 pm second Wednesdays each month at Fuddruckers Concord. All Mustang afficiados invited. Nancy Russell 925-8255994. www.dvma.org •Diablo Valley Wings, Chapter P of the Gold Wing Touring Association - 12:15 p.m. third Tuesdays, Sizzler, Concord.

686-3774 or http://www.GWTA-CADVW.org.

•East Bay Prospectors Club - 7 p.m. fourth Wednesday, 1021 Detroit Ave., Unit D, Concord. 672-1863 or www.eastbaygpaa.webs.com.

•Ellen’s Guild - 10 a.m second Tuesdays, Family Stress Center, Concord. 672-5409 or www.familystresscenter.org.

•Hope Academy Concord Open House, Third Thursday of each month, 9 – 9:45 a.m. Reservations required: Judy Davies 687-7555; 5353 Concord Blvd. www.hopeacademyconcord.org •Kiwanis Club of Greater Concord - 8:15 a.m. Wednesdays, Buttercup Grill and Bar, 4301 Clayton Rd., Concord. 3725348.

•Knife Throwing Club/Diablo Impalement Arts Group:We throw anything with a point on our 40 foot multiple target range, Wed, Thurs, Sat & Sun-part of the Diablo Rod and Gun Club, 4700 Evora Rd. Concord,(925)709-9199 www.throwzini.com/events.html •Knitting Group - 2 p.m. first Sundays, Concord Library. 646-5455.

•Knights Of Columbus, Concord Council 6038 •Knights of Pythias, Lodge #162 meets on the 2nd Tuesday and 4th Thursday of each month.

For more information and membership call Herb Lederman at (925) 631-0229or email: Herbleder_KOP@Yahoo.com Meets 7:30 p.m. first Tuesday of the month, St.Bonaventure Church, 5562 Clayton Road, Contact Rayce at 683-9717 or rayce@aol.com.

•Mt Diablo Metal Detecting Club and have Meets at the Elks Lodge in Walnut Creek. 1475 Creekside Dr. 730 pm www.mdmdc.com meets on the second Wednesday.www.mdmdctreasurehunting.com.

•Mt. Diablo Branch, California Writers Club (CWC). Contact jeaniegpops@comcast.net. Novelist Joshua Mohr will present “Plarachterization: Intersection of Plot and Character” at the next luncheon meeting on Saturday, June 13, 2015 at Zio Fraedo’s Restaurant, 611 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill. The cost is $20 for CWC members, $25 for guests. Reservations are required, and must be received no later than noon on Wednesday, June 10th.

Contact Robin Gigoux at ragig@aol.com, or phone 925-933-9670.

•Soroptimist International Diablo Vista - 12:15 p.m. first, second and third Wednesdays, Sizzler, Concord. 672-2727 •National Marine Corps Business Network: www.nmcbn.com/ We normally meet the second Tuesday of each month.

Contact 925-680-8714.

•Odd Fellows - 3 p.m. second and fourth Tuesdays, Pacheco Lodge 117, Concord.

682-7358.

•Pleasant Hill Walnut Creek Mothers’ Club, http://www.phwcmothersclub.org •Rising Stars Toastmasters. This group was created for job seekers. For more information, contact Derrick Smith at (925)

381-4551 or go to risingstarstm.toastmastersclubs.org.

•Snowchasers Ski Club - Snow skiing and Snowboarding- First and Third Wednesdays of each month. Snowchasers meets 7:30 pm Sizzlers Concord.Contact iSteve and Rosalie Rhodes,925-228-8145. www.snowchasers.org •Toastmasters International - 7 p.m.

Mondays, Montecito of Concord, 6827211. Also, 7:15 p.m. Tuesdays, John Muir Concord Campus. Toastmasters can help! Our local club, Word Weavers, meets Mondays, 7:00 to 8:15 p.m. at 4756 Clayton Road, Concord 686-1818. www. toastmasters.org.

•Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1525 - 9 a.m. second Saturdays, Veterans Memorial Hall, Concord.

Support Groups •Al-Anon Family Group - 7:30 p.m.

Mondays, St. Martins of Tours Anglican Church and Preschool, Concord. 9326770 or www.ncwsa.org.

•Alcoholics Anonymous - 939-4155 or www.aa.org.

Bereavement Support Group -1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month, 4:30 - 6:00 pm. pre-registration. Call (925) 887-5681 The Bridge A bi-weekly program that provides support in a safe place where children, teens, adults grieving a death can share their experiences using art, play, journaling, music and conversation.

The Bridge program starts and ends with each school year, running for approximately 9 months. pre-registration. Call (925) 887-5681 •Cardiac Care Support Group - 7 p.m. second Thursdays, John Muir Walnut Creek or Concord. 947-5206.

•Hearing Loss and Cochlear Implant Wearers Support Group - 7 p.m. first Wednesdays, Walnut Creek United Methodist Church. HLAADV@hearinglossdv. org or 264-1199.

•HIV/AIDS Support Group - 7-9 p.m. 2nd & 4th Thursdays, John Muir Concord.

674-2190.

•Leukemia Society Family Support Group - 7 p.m. first Thursdays. 947-4466, ext.

32797.

•Living with a Mental Illness? Join NAMI Connection Peer-led support group. Saturdays 1:00 - 2:30 pm Held at John Muir Behavioral Health Center 2740 Grant Street Concord. Call 925-942-0767 or www.namicontracosta.org •Nar-Anon - 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, John Muir Concord. http://naranoncalifornia. org.

•Pet Loss Support Group, Second Tuesday of the month, 5:30-7PM. (925) 8875681. Pre-registration required.

•Rainbow Community Center - Check Website for services. 3024 Willow Pass Road, Suite 200, Concord. www.rainbowcc.org.

•Retired & Senior Volunteer Program 472-5777.

•The Stroke Support Group of Contra Costa County will hold its monthly meeting on June 8 at the Ball Auditorium at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek from 7-9PM. Speaker is Eileen Nevitt, LCSW. For more details contact Ann Dzuna at 925-376-6218. Meetings are free.

Understanding Grief Class Thursday, 6:00 - 8:00 pm June 11 Visit our Website for Full Printable Calendar at www.DiabloGazette.com

Diablo Gazette • JULY 2015 • Page 13 • www.DiabloGazette.com | www.fb.com/DiabloGazette • (925) 303-4779

WhatReallyMatters Bay Area Bleu Blues

by Dan Ashley, ABC-7 News Anchor

Watch Dan’s live newscasts at http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/live

The Kindness of Strangers and Friends

Well, we did it. The first annual Rock the CASA charity concert came off with barely a hitch. On Saturday night, June 20th, Eddie Money rocked the Lesher Center for the Performing Arts for the benefit of Court Appointed Special Advocates and Friends of Camp Concord for my Rock the CASA charitable foundation.

After months of planning and intense amounts of work to make it happen, I walked into the wings after my opening remarks as the event got under way and looked at my stage manager and said, “We’ve got a show!” She echoed with a huge grin, “We’ve got a show!” It was the culmination of a process that began more than two years ago when I dreamed up the idea of forming my own non-profit charity to support the two above-mentioned causes, both of which I proudly serve as a board member. The first link in the chain was to apply for 501-c3 non-profit status which is no small undertaking. In fact, many people give up it is such a challenge. After that was achieved, I was ready to begin putting together an event in earnest and that required money… and money required a headliner. I’ve known legendary rocker Eddie Money for years and thought he would be a perfect entertainer for the inaugural event for a number of reasons.

First and foremost, everyone knows who he is and knows his songs so there would be no need to educate potential ticket buyers about who it is I am asking them to plop down hard-earned money to come and see. So I gave him a call a few months ago and asked if he would be willing to appear, he said yes, so I got to work with his booking agent to sort out the details.

Once I had an act, then came fundraising. Putting on a full-production rock concert in a 785 seat theater would require corporate underwriting if I was going to make any money for the charities the whole endeavor was designed to support. Over the years, my role as a television news anchor in the Bay Area has given me so many opportunities to meet important people and to be involved in causes and events that they support.

Those contacts would be crucial now.

My many friends in the local media, television, radio, and print, could not have been more supportive and signed on right away to help publicize the event and the cause. Over the following months, I would reach out to people I knew in the corporate world and ask for their support for Rock the CASA and I was humbled by the response. With very few exceptions, corporate officers signed up to help sponsor this worthy event and they did so with great excitement and generosity. It

was both gratifying and very touching.

With a headliner and financial support locked in, we were off to the races planning a special evening for the benefit of Friends of Camp Concord and Court Appointed Special Advocates. Once again, I was able to tap friends and acquaintances to be a part of the team of people it requires to stage such an event and, once again, I was deeply moved by the level of commitment and support to make it happen. So many people donated their time, or reduced costs, in order to be a part of what turned out to be a very special inaugural event that it enabled us to stage a really elaborate production with several bands, live video, two different pre-show receptions, and so much more.

Was it perfect? No,of course not. We learned a few things that we’ll adjust next time but, in the main, the whole night was terrific.

If you will indulge me, let me publicly thank some of the key sponsors who made this night possible with their generous support.

-The San Jose Sharks Foundation, -Wells Fargo Bank -John Muir Health -Taube Philanthropies -Mount Diablo Recycling There are many other sponsors who made very kind donations and I am incredibly grateful for their support as well. And a special thanks to Invision Communications for donating their highly-skilled services to organize and execute the production that evening, Rod, Ming, Drew— you guys made it possible for us to Rock the CASA! Finally, big thanks to the media sponsors who jumped in with both feet.

-ABC-7, -Big 103.7, -Diablo Magazine, -The Contra Costa Times And last, but by no means least, my dear friend Andre’ Gensburger, with the paper you are reading right now, who is always so supportive, community minded, and kind.

Rock the CASA was a big success because of the kinds of my friends and also of so many people whom I did not know personally, until now. My deepest gratitude to all. But enough praise, back to work! The next charity concert is only eight months away, March 5th 2016.

Stand by for more to come!

Diablo Gazette Is it the end of an era? Don Bleu signed off on Friday, June 26 on station Big103.7 after 35 years of waking up the Bay Area with his brand of comedy, crew, and Bleupers. With his last day being on Friday, I was able to catch up with him on Saturday to see how he’s doing. “I’ve assembled a coffee table, I vacuumed, and I’m bored to death.” He says.

Leaving was not a retirement plan for Don. It was a business decision by management, an amicable split fortunately, as iHeart Radio owns Big 103.7 and 6 other Bay Area stations. “I intend to do something with iHeart in the future. I don’t know if that means a radio show or some other production sort of thing. The decision to let me go is a business decision … which I understand. That’s the nature of the business.”

Basically, he’s saying that the cost to produce his show was not being offset by the ad revenue. It was not meeting bottom line expectations.

“Sometimes you don’t have the luxury to ‘let’s try to make this work better.’ It just comes down to dollars and cents,” he acknowledges.

Don Bleu started as a part time DJ as a junior in college in Grand Forks, North Dakota in 1966. He took a summer radio job in Fargo. Don had a choice to go back to school, or accept a full time job in Minneapolis. He took the job. His wife was pregnant, and as soon as she delivered the baby and left the hospital, she flew to Minneapolis, a place that she’d never seen before. “That’s the career of a DJ.” Don came to the Bay Area in 1980 to KYUU, and then moved on to K101, which became Star 101.3.

Finally, Don moved to Big 103.7 in 2011.

Thirty-five years in radio in the Bay Area is a long time. He has accomplished much during that time: Host of “The Gong Show” in 1988-1989; Co-host of Discovery Channel’s “Know Zone” in 1995. He’s won five Northern California Emmys for Outstanding Achievement - commentary/analysis for Channel 5’s Evening Magazine. He was also inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame in 2007.

There have been plenty of memorable radio moments as well. During the NFL Players’ strike in 1987, Dwight Clark and Joe Montana called in to his show from the car and announced that they and several other players were crossing the picket lines and going to play in the upcoming weekend’s game.” That was monumental news for the Bay Area.

“Another time, a woman had called into the show looking for her mother, who had given her up at birth. For some reason she thought her mother was in the Bay Area and had a name. We announced the name. Somebody called in and said ‘I know her’. Later, we got (the mother) in our studio, and got her daughter on the phone. As they were talking, meeting for the very first time on air, we opened the

studio door. We had flown her daughter in from Salt Lake City. So they actually met person to person on the air. It was lots of tears. Those kind of human moments are pretty amazing…. pretty amazing.”

“Anything that didn’t work out the way you had hoped?” I had asked.

“Yeah, this job,” he says with a chuckle.

“We just try to do fun stuff. I remember when the Girl Scouts were being sued

by ASCAP/BMI saying they can’t use any of the campfire songs because they weren’t paying royalties. At that time the station was right across from the Transamerica building, so we got a bunch of girl scouts, and built a fire and we were singing campfire songs in front of the Transamerica building. The security people came out and said ‘you can’t have a fire.’” They shut down the stunt.

Don is known for his “Bleupers in the Morning” prank calls on listeners. Once, John Mayer had turned the table. “John was scheduled to do an interview on my show. Before it started, I could hear John yelling at his manager in the studio, ‘I don’t want to do this. I am a big star, I have three hits. I’ll do it for $10,000!’ I became concerned. During the on-air interview John was being very difficult, giving me short answers and nothing else. I was dying. About halfway into the interview, John let me off the hook by saying, ‘Hey Don, you’ve been Bleupered in the Morning’. He’s (John) a funny guy… yeah, he got me good. That’s one of my more memorable moments.” Don recollects. Bay Area listeners remember many, many more moments.

Don ends our interview just as classy as we all know him to be, “It’s been an incredible ride and a joy to entertain the people in the Bay Area for 35 years and I would like to do it some more”.

Diablo Gazette • JULY 2015 • Page 14 • www.DiabloGazette.com | www.fb.com/DiabloGazette • (925) 303-4779

JENNIFER STOJANOVICH See her ad on page 6.

Backyard July 4th Celebration!

Celebrate your new home with a backyard barbecue!

Nothing speaks independence like owning your own home. If you’ve rented for most of your adult life, the freedom to paint walls, barbecue on the patio or hang party lights in trees is a special feeling. As July 4 rolls around, here are some ideas to celebrate you new home:

BYOM cookout

If you’ve just bought your home, you may be a little cash poor. That doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate with your friends and family. Just invite all guests to a potluck and have them bring their own meat (BYOM) to barbecue and a side dish or dessert to share. Everyone loves to share a favorite recipe and no one will mind helping foot the bill. Just make sure you have hot coals or a big enough gas grill for everyone to cook on.

Plan a few extras that won’t break the bank like watermelon wedges and iced drinks.

Decorate the yard

Get your kids in on the action too! Let them decorate with hanging lanterns, flags or pendants or red, white and blue streamers. Create table centerpieces from citronella candles (to keep those pesky mosquitos away), small buckets with flowers or patriotic wreaths, hang bunting swags on the fence or porch rails.

If you haven’t done your landscaping yet, choose red, white and blue flowers to put in pots, hanging baskets or your flowerbeds for the big day. Add garden décor such as pinwheels and flags, and stars and stripes of any sort.

Most of all, celebrate your freedom.

Owning your own home is special and it’s part of the American Dream, so celebrate that! Compliments of Virtual Results.

Diablo Gazette • JULY 2015 • Page 15 • www.DiabloGazette.com | www.fb.com/DiabloGazette • (925) 303-4779

Understanding Sun Safety Dr. Neepa Makim Pediatrician John Muir Medical Group

Concord Police Recognized for Saving Lives The City of Concord recognized fifteen employees of the Concord Police Department for their efforts to save lives of many members of the community.

The following are the employees of the Concord Police Department who were recognized: Officer Matt Cain – CPR Lt. Darrell Graham – CPR Officer Kevin Halm – CPR Sergeant Greg Rodriquez – CPR Detectvie Christine Magley – CPR Master Officer David Kasid – CPR Master Officer Timothy Elsberry – CPR on a baby who fell in a pool

Officer Paul Dukart – CPR on a baby who fell in a pool Sgt. Michael Kindorf – Stopped excessive bleeding on an assault victim Officer Carleen Vinum – CPR Cpl. Christopher Blakely – CPR Officer Chris Guckert – Save a suicidal woman who had a gun to her head Officer Bryan Franmks – Saved a suicidal woman who had a gun to her head Thank you and congratulations to all of the officers for a well deserved recognition.

Living in Northern California, we are blessed with year-round sunshine and a generally temperate climate. While it’s wise to be thinking of sun protection year-round, it’s the summer high temps that have most people whipping out their trusty SPF. As a pediatrician, I see a sizable amount more sunrelated visits in the warmer months. So here are a few important things to remember as we soak up some rays.

The singular most important part of

sun protection is covering up. Hats and sunglasses are a must. On very warm days avoid bringing young infants and children out between 10 AM - 3 PM when the sun’s rays are harshest. Photoprotective clothing is also now more widely available and has a UPF factor 15 to 24 for good protection, 25 to 39 for very good protection, and 40 to 50 for excellent protection. But you don’t need to go out and buy any special clothing. As a general rule, the tighter weave, darker colored clothing will provide a better sun protection.

Most of my patients ask about sunscreens. What type is best? How to apply? This can be incredibly confusing given the wide variety of options available. First, try to avoid sunscreen in infants less than 6 months of age. If they will be in direct sunlight and there is no way to keep them covered, apply SPF 15 to areas where they will be exposed but very sparingly.

Everyone else should wear at least an SPF 15. Fairer complexions and those who tan/burn easily may have to start at a higher SPF. Also, a higher SPF does not mean it works longer. Apply at least 15 to 30 minutes before going outside so that the sunscreen has time to work and then reapply every 2 hours. If you are going to be in the water, reapply right after as sunscreen will be washed off. This applies even for those sunscreens labeled “water-resistant”. An adequate amount of SPF for a teenager is 30 mL or a shotglass size for the body. When it comes to what type of sunscreen is best, stick with inorganic sunscreens such as Zinc oxide and/or Titanium dioxide. Some preparations come in colors that kids find fun.

So get outside, enjoy the beautiful outdoors with your family. But just keep in mind that with a few simple tips everyone can keep their largest organ safe and healthy for many years to come!

www.JohnMuirHealth.com

Diablo Gazette • JULY 2015 • Page 16 • www.DiabloGazette.com | www.fb.com/DiabloGazette • (925) 303-4779

Disneyland® Resort Diamond Celebration

For 60 years, there’s been one place where friends and families shine together … smiles sparkle … and dreams really do come true. And beginning May 22, when the Disneyland® Resort Diamond Celebration got underway, those dreams are coming true in amazing and unforgettable new ways.

This summer is the perfect time to gather the grandparents and kids and plan a family trip to the Disneyland Resort. Work with your local travel agent to plan your trip so you get the most out of the magical events featuring all things Disney and technology. Prepare to be dazzled by these exciting new entertainment experiences.

Bigger, brighter and more vibrant than any other parade in Disneyland® Resort history, Paint The Night flows like a neon river of fantastic floats, Disney Characters and costumed performers.

Disneyland® Forever takes Disney magic to new heights with a mix of breathtaking pyrotechnics and jawdropping visual effects that combine

LAUGH BYTES:

to create an immersive street-to-sky spectacular beyond anything you’ve ever imagined.

World of Color: Celebrate! The Wonderful World of Walt Disney, an all-new version of the popular nighttime spectacular, takes you on an incredible journey of imagination filled with neverbefore-seen surprises and larger-than-life special effects.

And that’s only the beginning, because both Parks and the entire Disneyland®

Resort will shine brighter than ever with a shimmering sprinkle of Diamond Celebration “pixie dust” that sparkles both day and night. So whether you come to relive fond memories or experience the dawning of an exciting new era of Disney magic, this summer is the time to be here.

After all, there’s nothing like a Disney celebration—and there’s no better place on the planet to celebrate than at The Happiest Place on Earth!

The Longest Password Ever!

During a recent password audit by a company, it was found that an employee was using the following password: “DocSleepySneezyBashfulDopeyGrumpyHappySnowWhiteSacramento.”

When asked why such a long password, the employee said “Hello! It said it has to be eight characters and at least one capital.”

– Anonymous, FB