2022 APRIL ~ Alamo Today & Danville Today News

editor @ yourmonthlypaper.com

April 2022 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 1

& APRIL 2022

BRINGING BACK THE NATIVES TOUR

GARDENS & HOMES BRIMMING WITH WAYS TO SERVE NATURE AND SAVE MONEY By Jody Morgan

This year’s 18th annual Bringing Back the Natives Tour (BBTN) offers more opportunities than ever before to view beautifully landscaped gardens planted primarily in water-saving, low-maintenance California natives. Energy conserving and cost-effective green home features are emphasized, especially during the two days of virtual touring April 16th and 17th. Bayside gardens welcome in-person visits on April 30th. Inland gardens are open in-person on May 1st. Informative talks are scheduled at many locations. Packed with smart ways to help nature thrive while saving money, the entire experience is free with registration at www.bringingbackthenatives.net. Wherever you live in the East Bay, and whatever size your garden encompasses (from a single container to several acres), you'll discover native plants appropriate to your site that support biodiversity and bring birdsong and butterfly wings to your home.

Poised to open a superb selection of gardens for the 2020 tour when COVID-19 panic set in, BBTN Founder Kathy Kramer was urged by friends to run the tour online. Despite a few glitches, the virtual presentation received rave reviews leading to an expanded four-day online tour in 2021. An enthusiastic 2020 participant comments: “We were able to view more gardens than we would have on a normal tour day...The Virtual tour is one of the silver linings in this weird time.” A review from a 2021 participant reads: “I was transfixed for the entire Stefanie Pruegel transformed her low-interest San Leandro lawn into a five hours. The lush native garden in three short years. Photo courtesy of Stefanie Pruege. presentations were outstanding, filled with information, entertaining, and visually spectacular.”

Doug Tallamy, New York Times bestselling author, opens the 2022 virtual tour with a talk focusing on his 2021 book: The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees. Oaks, and other keystone species, Tallamy explains, function like the keystone in a Roman arch, without which the entire structure collapses, because “a yard without keystone species will fall far short of the insect abundance necessary to sustain viable food webs, even if dozens of native plant genera are present.” Many native western oak species are diminutive enough for small yards.

Urging us all to choose plants for our personal landscapes that restore

See BBTN continued on page 17

Local Postal Customer

PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Permit 263 Alamo CA

ECRWSS

THE HEALING POWER OF HORSES GIVES SONRISE FAMILIES A GLIMPSE OF MIRACLES By Jody Morgan

SonRise Equestrian Foundation Kids for ages six and up, and SonRise Juniors for ages four to six, are back in the saddle after winter break. Established in 2005, the non-profit offers free programs to youngsters coping

Happy to be back in the saddle, a SonRise participant is assisted by volunteers Anna Leigh (L), Linda Florczk (C), and Jamie Deinhammer (R). Photo courtesy of SonRise.

with a wide range of physical, developmental, and emotional issues. In addition to therapeutic riding lessons taught by instructors certified by the Professional Association of Horsemanship International (PATH), SonRise extends the healing power of horses to children facing social and

See SonRise continued on page 15

EASTER EGG HUNTS

ALAMO ROTARY EASTER EGG HUNT

On Saturday, April 16th, beginning at 9am, the Alamo Rotary will host an event which will feature face painting, carnival games, balloons, lots of candy, and a visit by the Easter Bunny. Stop by Livorna Park located at 801 Livorna Rd. in Alamo to join in the fun. A suggested donation of $5/child is requested.

This is a non-profit event to benefit Alamo Rotary programs including Rotacare, roadside clean-up, school education materials, Meals on Wheels, and programs abroad for the impoverished.

DANVILLE EGGSTRAVAGANZA

Also on Saturday, April 16th, hop on down to Danville Community Center for a fun-filled morning of egg hunts, arts and crafts, face painting,

See Eggs continued on page 10

The Editors Serving the communities of Alamo, Diablo, and Danville

Volume XXII Number 4

3000F Danville Blvd. #117 Alamo, CA 94507 Telephone (925) 405-6397 Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher Editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Facebook: Alamo Today & Danville Today News Instagram:@AlamoandDanvilleToday

Volume XIII Number 4

The opinions expressed herein belong to the writers, and do not necessarily reflect that of The Editors. The Editors is not responsible for the content of any of the advertising herein, nor does publication imply endorsement.

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

3 Bed | 2 Bath | 1471 Sq Ft | .52 Acre Lot | 2 Car Garage | SOLD 2/8 | $1,805,000

: : 11 Leilani Lane, Alamo

PAGE 2 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • April 2022

Alamo Home Sold in 11 Days, All Cash!

WHAT’S THE MARKET LIKE? LOOK! PLEASE READ! Pending in 7 days on the market, 17 offers received 90% of the offers were hovering $1,600,000.

Sold Winning CASH offer $1,805,000 11 day close, Seller and I completely stunned.

This home was built in 1952 and was completely original inside NO UPGRADES. Located on a busy intersection the corner of Tice Valley and Crest. This home is Walnut Creek Schools.

I have been a full time Real Estate broker for over 36 Years. I have never and I mean never seen prices increase at the rate we are currently experiencing. Price increases are out of control and unpredictable.

As we are all experiencing these unprecedented increases make no mistake, No Realtor, Economist, Property Manager, Your neighbor, Your friend, or the guys on TV..."I will buy your house now" currently know what your home is worth or where the market is going in the future.

Time on the market will tell you what your home is worth. THAT IS THE FACT. If you sell your home without it hitting the market you are probably selling the home UNDER MARKET! The Alamo and Danville market is defying all the statistical data currently being produced. The extremely high property values across the bay are here in our neighborhoods!

DO NOT SELL YOUR HOME OFF MARKET!!!

Lastly, I can only tell you todays market and I do mean todays market is amazing if you are a seller and a nightmare if you are a buyer. 16 Buyers are still disappointed that they did not get this home. They are frustrated active buyers today! I spoke to 95% of the buyers.

Great people that just want a home in our area!

Don Magalhaes 925.786.1855 don@compass.com DRE 00897221

Results. Pure and Simple.

Call me today for your Real Estate questions and concerns. I will give you the TRUTH!

BOULEVARD VIEW

By Alisa Corstorphine, Editor and Publisher

Spring is here! I love the warmer weather, the bright, fresh, green new leaves, and the tulips and daffodils poking their heads out of the soil. We are lucky to live in an area that offers views of hills and trees, places to hike and explore, cultural activities, museums, and more. Many annual events have restarted after a long hiatus. It is good to reconnect with folks in our communities and share in our local experiences. I hope this month you get a chance to take part in the Sip & Stroll event, Shops & Hops, or one of the egg gathering or hiking activities listed throughout this issue.

Over the winter, I refreshed my garden soil in preparation of spring planting. I enjoy the fresh produce plucked from the backyard and am also grateful that there are venues where I can share any surplus. In addition to distributing any bounty amongst neighbors, White Pony Express and Monument Crisis Center, both in Pleasant Hill, offer drop off opportunities so folks in need can benefit from the excess. I encourage you to keep these organizations in mind as your gardens bloom and grow, as they are great assets to our communities.

My husband and I recently visited our daughter who is living in Denver, Colorado. Via a Craigslist posting she found an adorable rental home that was built in 1893 near the Washington Park neighborhood. I’m not sure how long the home has been a rental, or how many times the home has been added on, upgraded, or remodeled, but 129 years of wear and tear take their toll.

With spring in the air (a chilly seven degree air!) we wrote down and started tackling her to-do list. Chores and “to-do’s” always seem a little more fun when they are done with others. There wasn’t anything majorly wrong with the place, but it showed a little lack of TLC as it passed through various renters.

Near her home there is a non-profit “Tool Library.” I wish every community had one. The nearest ones to our area are in Berkeley and Oakland but they only serve their residents.

The location we went to had tools for gardening, woodworking, plumbing, building, fixing, cleaning, painting, and creating. Instead of purchasing a specialized drill bit for drilling one hole into a brick wall, we were able to borrow the tool for a week at no charge, except for a nominal annual membership fee.

In just a few hours of buckling down, we made significant improvements to her place. Small things, like a loose cabinet hinge or knob, just needed tightening. It’s not that it is difficult to do this, it just takes a screwdriver and a few seconds of time. It is the process of committing to tackling it, the “do it now.”

Much of the work was touch-up work necessitated by years of folks moving furniture in and out, and up and down stairs. While there was no intention of committing to a full interior paint job, a little spackle and some matched paint enabled the areas to look “ten-foot-good.”

Ten-foot-good is a term our family uses to refer to something that is “good enough.” The touch-ups weren’t perfect, there were still some smaller dings and the paint wasn’t 100% the same, but the work that was done gave a lightness, a freshness, and lifted spots that were a little dingy into something that felt revitalized.

Looking at her place with a “spring-eye,” it is time to look closer at my own! I’ll check out the Bringing Tri-Valley Trapper Back the Natives event for new ideas (see page 1), and then I too need to do a little spackling, touch-ups, raking, and planting so I can freshen-up our space. I know the effort will be worth it.

I hope you find time to tackle your projects, but also time to get outside and play, and enjoy this wonderful time of year.

Gopher/Mole Removal No Poison

925-765-4209

editor @ yourmonthlypaper.com

April 2022 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 3

VINEYARD STROLL & SIPPING TO SUPPORT COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS

On Friday, April 22nd from 4-7PM, the Danville-Alamo-Walnut Creek Branch of the American Association of University (AAUW) Women invites you to help raise money for one of their key programs, scholarships for women and girls in the San Ramon Valley.

This is an opportunity to support women and girls, while enjoying an evening in a local vineyard with fine friends, appetizers, and wine.

Your contribution will be used entirely for scholarships for college women from the San Ramon Valley. Your ticket includes: • Parking at the Town Lot at the Museum of the San Ramon Valley, with continuous courtesy shuttle to and from the event from 3:45-7:30PM • Wine tasting of current vintages from Sky Terrace Vineyards • “Springtime Sparklers” Quilt by Mary Mix and garden basket raffle opportunities • Gourmet appetizers and sweets from the members of DAW-AAUW Tickets are $40. Space is limited. Get your tickets soon at https:// daw-ca.aauw.net/2022apr or purchase (check or cash only) at East Bay Flower Company in the Danville Livery.

ALAMO DANVILLE NEWCOMER’S CLUB WELCOME COFFEE

Are you new to the area or are you a long-time resident who would like to make new friends, get involved in the community, and socialize with other women? If so, please consider joining the Alamo Danville Newcomer’s Club (ADNC) at a Welcome Coffee to be held on April 28th at 9:30AM. Come to this casual get-together to meet current and prospective members and learn about the many activities offered through the club.

Please RSVP to alamodanvillenewcomers@gmail.com if you would like to attend. Learn more about the club at www.alamodanvillenewcomers.com.

COMMUNITY INVITED TO LEND-A-HAND

SPEND A DAY HELPING DANVILLE SENIORS WITH HOME PROJECTS

Volunteers are being sought for the 18th annual LendA-Hand Day to be held on Saturday, April 23rd. This event is designed to help local Danville seniors with basic yard clean-up, such as mowing, raking, and weeding.

The Town of Danville, along with an estimated 150 volunteers, will join forces to provide this service and help neighbors in need. Volunteers ages 13 years and older are encouraged to register at www.danville.ca.gov/ volunteer.

Community members not able to help at Lend-A-Hand Day can still get involved with other upcoming volunteer opportunities.

The Town is seeking volunteers for upcoming special events, including Eggstravaganza, May 4 Be with You, Kids Night Out, and ongoing programs at the Danville Senior Center and the Village Theatre & Art Gallery. It’s a great chance to serve your community and get involved.

All volunteer opportunities are listed online. Visit www.danville.ca.gov/volunteer for more information.

For more information on Lend-A-Hand Day, contact Program Supervisor Leah Martinez at (925) 314-3431 or lmartinez@danville.ca.gov.

FRIENDS OF THE DANVILLE LIBRARY BOOK SALE

The Friends of the Danville Library will be hosting several pop-up used book sales to raise money for our local library! There will be books of all genres and for all ages. Most hardbacks will be priced at $2 and most paperbacks at $1. Recent publications will sell for $2-5. Cash and local checks only.

The sale will be held indoors in the Mt. Diablo Room of the Danville Library located at 400 Front Street, Danville.

The room will provide greater spacing than large books sales allowed in the past.

Upcoming book sale dates will be held April 30th, May st 21 and June 25th from 10am to 2pm each day. Come stock your shelves for spring-time reading!

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PAGE 4 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • April 2022

TAKE A BITE OUT OF CLIMATE CHANGE WITHEarth Music Inat Motion School Celebrate Day Celebrate Earth Day atSan SanDamiano Damiano WHITE PONY EXPRESS! PianoDay Pedagogy Celebrate Earth at San Damiano White Pony Express (WPE), the food rescue organization serving ConOur Earth...Our Future Our Earth...Our Future Piano Theory tra Costa County, is bringing attention to their mission to eliminate hunger Sunday, April 24 Earth...Our Sunday, April Future 24 Sight-reading and protect the environment with their spring campaign “Save the Planet Our 2:00 PM 5:00 PM Sunday, April PM 24 - Feed your Neighbor,” just in time for Earth Day on April 22.

2:00 PM -MTAC 5:00 Member

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Na- 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM For allfor agesthe whole family Fun and learning tions, food waste pollutes the air to the same extent Free! asFree! global road transport Fun and learning for the whole family | (925)family 326-6467 emissions. The U.S. discards more food than any other country in theFun world:andmusicinmotionschool.com Free! learning for the whole almost 40 million tons each year. Forty percent of the food we produce is • Informational booths • Tours thrown out. This food – produced and never consumed – wastes the water • Informational •• Tours • Informational booths Tours Celebrate Earth Day atbooths San Damiano and energy required to produce it and produces massive amounts of methane.

• Activities Kids Our Earth, Ourfor Future The good news is there’s a solution that not only prevents the dangerous • Activities for Kids • Activities for Kids environmental impacts of food waste, but it can also wipe out food inseSunday, April 24 | 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm curity for good. WPE’s Food Rescue Program (www.whiteponyexpress.org/ •Accepting Clothing Donations •Accepting Donations •Accepting Clothing Donations food-rescue) connects surplus food to those who need it most.

Free!

Fun and Clothing learning for the whole family!

• Informational Booths • Tours • Activities for Kids • Accepting Clothing Donations There are two ways the community can join the movement to protect the planet and end food insecurity: Our Earth...Our Future 1. DONATE: Every donation will be matched dollar for dollar up to $100,000 and will be used to deliver healthy, surplus food to those that need it most.

Sunday, April 24 2. VOLUNTEER: A core dynamic of the WPE model is engaging people’s 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM natural desire to be of service to others. Learn more at www.whiteponyexpress.org/volunteer.

San Damiano Retreat | 710 Highland Drive | Danville, CA 94526ice | (925) 837-9141 Enjoy cream and

Celebrate Earth Day at San Damiano

JEWELRY FUNDRAISER FAIRE

Enjoy ice cream and family Reduce waste: Bring for Free!

Fun Reduce and learning the whole waste: Bring Learn how the Enjoy ice cream and popcorn while browsing www.sandamiano.org Learn how the your old clothing popcorn while browsing Reduce waste: Bring indigenous peoples your old clothing Learn how the art exhibits created popcorn while browsing indigenous peoples donations.

Learn ways art exhibits created by by your old clothing cared for this land and donations.

Learn ways indigenous peoples local students.

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After a gap more than two years, Chromatica, the popular Danville chorus, how we continue to care some art of your own. for creation. th will showcase hits across the centuries at their May 7 concert. The concert will for creation. pm

Find a special Mother’s Day gift! The Alamo Women’s Club will be hosting a Jewelry Fundraiser Faire to benefit Club scholarships as well as projects to support the community.

The Faire will be held on Thursday, May 5th from 10-5pm and Friday, May 6th from 10-4pm.

A huge inventory of designer jewelry will be 50% off and beautiful costume jewelry can be had for only $5.

The Club is located at 1401 Danville Blvd., Alamo.

Covid safe protocols will be in place. All shoppers and staff are required to wear masks and distance while shopping.

DISK AND PAPER SHREDDING FUNDRAISER

The GFWC Danville Women’s Club will be holding a shredding event at its clubhouse located at 242 W. Linda Mesa, Danville, on April 23rd, from 9AM to noon.

The charge will be $15 per banker’s box of papers and $15 per hard drive destruction. If you have less than a banker’s box of records, an estimate will be given as to the cost of shredding. You may witness the shredding of your records and hard drives if you choose.

The event is a fundraiser called Shredding for Scholarships. Five $1,000 scholarships are given to seniors from our four local high schools, plus Del Amigo.

For additional information, please email danvillewc@gmail.com.

THE STORY OF JAMES WITT DOUGHERTY

A FREE VIRTUAL PROGRAM

The Museum of the San Ramon Valley is presenting a free online program on April 21st at 11:30AM titled “The Story of James Witt Dougherty.”

The Dougherty name adorns a valley, a major road, hills, shopping areas, and schools -- both elementary as well as high school. Obviously there must be a reason this name has become such a prominent part of our valley.

The Dougherty family has been in the United States since the 1700’s, immigrating from Ireland. James Witt Dougherty traveled from the deep south to make his fame and fortune in what was to become the Dougherty Valley. Learn about his many and varied exploits.

Our presenter will be noted local historian and author Beverly Lane.

To attend this free online presentation visit www.museumsrv.org and go to the “Events” section or call 925-837-3750.

The Museum of the San Ramon Valley is located at 205 Railroad Ave. in Danville. The museum is open Tuesday-Friday 1PM-4PM, Saturday 10AM-1PM, and Sunday noon-3PM. For more information visit museumsrv.org.

CHROMATICA IS B-A-C-K!

be at 7 at Holy Shepherd Lutheran Church, located Moraga Rd in Orinda.

• Activities forat 433 Kids Vaccination certificates and masks will be required.

San Damiano What do Mozart, Brahms, Bernstein, PaulRetreat Simon, Harold Arlen, Victor Young, •Accepting Clothing Donations 710 Drive, They Danville, CA 94526 and Lili Boulanger allHighland have inDamiano common? all wrote pieces that were huge hits San Retreat San Damiano Retreat in their time.

Brahm’swww.sandamiano.org German with its lovely “Wie Lieblich…” to 710From Highland Drive, Requiem Danville, CA 94526 Highland Drive, Danville, CAattracted 94526large audiences Paul Simon’s710 “Bridge over Troubled Water, ” their music 925-837-9141 www.sandamiano.org and created special memories.

Chromatica’s May 7 concert remembers these and www.sandamiano.org 925-837-9141 a number of other pieces in unusual and expressive arrangements.

925-837-9141 Lili Boulanger, the younger sister of famed pianist and teacher Nadia Boulanger who died tragically young at 25 and won the prestigious Prix de Rome at 18, produced some extraordinary music. These concerts will feature her “Hymne au Soleil” (Hymn to the Sun) and “Renouveau” (Spring) that also include spectacular piano accompaniment featuring Julie Rieth, Chromatica’s outstanding accompanist.

Enjoy ice cream and Reduce waste: Bring Learn how“Chichester the Bernstein’s Psalms,” sung in Hebrew, remain among his bestwhile choralbrows popcorn your old clothing indigenous peoples works.

“In Flander’s Fields” is a poignant ode to those who perished in the art exhibitsGreat created b donations. Learn ways cared for this land and local students.

SeeofChromatica continued on page 23Create living sustainably. how we continue to care some art of your own OIL PAINTING DEMONSTRATION for creation.

Join the Alamo Danville Artists’ Society (ADAS) for their April 2022 meeting with oil painter Randall Sexton. The meeting will be held Tuesday, April 12th at 7:30pm at the Alamo Women’s Club, located at 1401 Danville Blvd., Alamo.

Sexton is nationally known for the use of color and expressive brushwork Sanscenes.

Damiano Retreat in his oil paintings of “everyday” Raised in rural Connecticut, Sexton 710 Highland Drive, Danville, CA 94526 moved to San Francisco in 1980 after completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Connecticut. www.sandamiano.org The Bay Area has proven to be home, where Sexton has earned a great 925-837-9141 reputation for being an educator as well as a fine artist. He taught classes in drawing, painting, and composition at the San Francisco Academy of Art until 2005. He now leads private workshops around the country and teaches as a freelance instructor at Pixar Studios in Emeryville.

Acknowledged by jurors and artists alike, Sexton has garnered national awards for his paintings.

Learn more at adas4art.org.

editor @ yourmonthlypaper.com

April 2022 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 5

*This is a non-profit event to benefit Alamo Rotary programs including Rotacare, roadside clean-ups,school education materials, Meals on Wheels, and programs abroad for the impoverished.

PAGE 6 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • April 2022

HELP WHITE PONY EXPRESS GATHER ITEMS FOR REFUGEES FLEEING UKRAINIAN CRISIS

Bay Area nonprofit White Pony Express (WPE) invites help in collecting medical supplies, non-perishable food items, and new high-quality clothing to aid the more than one million civilians who have fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion. The United Nations estimates the refugee figure could reach as high as four million people.

WPE is working with non-profit and business partners to ship items to trusted organizations serving the refugees streaming into neighboring countries like Poland. Learn more here at www.whiteponyexpress.org/supportukraine.

WPE is a food and goods rescue organization with a mission to eliminate hunger and poverty by distributing their area's abundance to those in need.

Eve Birge, WPE's executive director says, “Our work is to give all we can, in all the ways we can, to all the people we can. With the support of our community, we can provide essential items for our friends from Ukraine who are in desperate need. There is enough abundance in our county to make a significant contribution to this effort. Our organization was built to gather this abundance and distribute it.”

FOOD AND ITEM DONATIONS

If you have non-perishable food donations, please drop them off at WPE’s distribution center located at 3380 Vincent Rd #107, Pleasant Hill, sevendays-a-week, between 8AM and 4PM. No appointment is necessary.

For donations of medical supplies, over-the-counter medications, new clothing, shoes, toiletries, and other goods, please schedule an appointment for drop-off by emailing GSOP@whiteponyexpress.org or calling Steve at 925-322-0604 x113.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

WPE welcomes new volunteers to help host food and clothing drives, raise funds to purchase boxes and pay for shipping, and help sort, package, and label boxes. Executive director Birge states, "At WPE, the careful way our volunteers handle, pack, and deliver items is important as it conveys our respect and love for those we serve. If ever there was a time these refugees need to feel loved, respected, and cared for, this is it."

To volunteer, visit the WPE website www.whiteponyexpress.org/volunteer or email volunteer@whiteponyexpress.org.

2022 HIKE FOR HOPE

Hope Hospice has opened registration for its 2022 Hike for Hope fundraiser hike, which will take place on Saturday, May 14th, at Del Valle Regional Park in Livermore. Registration remains open through the event day, but interested parties are encouraged to sign up by April 15 for a T-shirt guarantee. Register at TheHikeForHope.com, or call (925) 829-8770 on weekdays from 9AM to 4PM. Hope Hospice is also seeking event sponsors. A Friends & Family sponsorship is also available to individuals who would like to honor the memory of a loved one. Anyone interested in sponsoring should connect with Hope Hospice prior

See Hike continued on page 22

WOMEN WHO DARE!

ART BY WOMEN INSPIRED BY WOMEN FROM HISTORY AND TODAY

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Village Theatre Art Gallery has partnered with the Bay Area Studio Artists painting group (BASA) to show art by women, inspired by women, in an exhibition titled “Women Who Dare.” The exhibition will be on view at The Village Theatre Art Gallery located at 233 Front St. in Danville, from now until May 20th.

“Women Who Dare” fittingly includes imagery portraying women who are recognized as trailblazers, leaders, and innovators of their time. Visitors to the gallery might recognize contemporary women and girls who dare to challenge societal norms to achieve their dreams in present times, as well as the familiar faces of influential women from history. The paintings

See Dare continued on page 27

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A FUN EVENING OF SHOPS AND HOPS

A BEER STROLL THROUGH DANVILLE

On April 28th from 6-9PM, enjoy a fun-filled evening of craft beer sampling and shopping during the Annual Danville Shops & Hops event.

This craft brew stroll benefits the educational and community programs of the Museum of the San Ramon Valley.

Participating downtown Danville merchants will host craft brewers and offer small bites while local breweries will pour their creations.

Your $25 ticket includes a commemorative glass, beer tasting, small bites, and entertainment. A “Designated Driver” ticket is $10 and includes small bites and a non-alcoholic drink. Tickets can be redeemed for beer glasses at the corner of Railroad & Prospect Avenues from 5:30-7pm the night of the event.

The event promises to sell out early, so reserve your tickets now by visiting www.museumsrv.org and clicking on “Events and Programs.”

Mark your calendars for this great event !

SRV GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY

The San Ramon Valley Genealogical Society (SRVGS) was organized in 1985 to provide its members with resources, assistance, and educational opportunities that help them successfully research their ancestry. The group publishes a monthly newsletter and offers monthly meetings of small groups with common interests to discuss their specific areas of research. Classes are offered for the beginning researcher and those interested in genetic DNA. You are invited to join the Tuesday, April 19th, 10am ZOOM meeting with a presentation by Annette Burke Lyttle entitled “Our Quaker Ancestors: Their History and the records They Left.” Annette owns Heritage Detective, LLC, providing professional genealogical services in research, education, and writing.

She loves helping people uncover and share their family stories. Annette speaks on a variety of genealogical topics at the national, state, and local levels. She has a master’s degree in English and a bachelor’s degree in Journalism, and is president of the Association of Professional Genealogists.

To become a member of SRVGS, visit srvgensoc.org and click on the “Join SRVGS” tab on the left side of the home page. To attend this meeting as a guest, please email your request to Steve Watty at president@srvgensoc.org.

DANVILLE STOMPERS

Danville Stompers offers country line dancing lessons for beginners under the direction of Rhonda Hurles. The fee is $10 per lesson, and the group typically meets the fourth Sunday of the month at I Can Do That studio in downtown Danville from 4 - 6PM. Upcoming dates are April 24, May 15, and June 26.

Join the NextDoor Danville Stompers group at nextdoor.com/g/kp1qkywym or visit them on Instagram under “danvillestompers.”

PHOTOGRAPHERS WANTED FOR JURIED EXHIBIT: CLICK!

Photographs can transport viewers with the magic of light and shadows, perspective, and composition. The camera is an enchanting tool that can take viewers on a journey from unexplored vistas to intimate spaces, ultimately offering a new peek into the ordinary and the extraordinary. Since the early 19th century, the camera has been used to record a moment in time - the Village Theatre Art Gallery wants to see the moments photographers are capturing today.

The Village Theatre Art Gallery is seeking photographers to share the view through their lens for the 12th annual juried exhibition, “CLICK!” The call for entry is open to emerging and established photographers who reside in the USA. Photographers may upload up to three images of original photography.

For entry information, visit www.danville.ca.gov/vtart and apply online at www. callforentry.org. The deadline for entries is April 22nd. The Exhibition will be held June 9th through August 12th.

The Village Theatre and Art Gallery is open to visitors Wednesday through Friday from noon to 5PM, Saturday from 11AM to 3PM, and Monday and Tuesday by appointment only. The Art Gallery is closed on Sundays. Admission is free, and donations are appreciated.

For more information, contact Visual Arts Coordinator Marija Nelson Bleier at 925-314-3467 or mnelsonbleier@danville.ca.gov.

editor @ yourmonthlypaper.com

April 2022 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 7

DUDUM REAL ESTATE GROUP W H E R E R E A L E S TAT E I S S T I L L P E R S O N A L

ACTIVE

ACTIVE

PENDING - REPRESENTED BUYER

SOLD

1915 83RD AVENUE, OAKLAND 3 BEDS, 2 BATHS, 1,526 SF, 5,400 SF LOT

995 VICTORIA COURT, LAFAYETTE 3 BEDS, 2 BATHS, 1,519 SF, 0.39 ACRE LOT

5 HIDDEN VALLEY ROAD, LAFAYETTE 5 BEDS, 3 BATHS, 2,724 SF, 0.24 ACRE LOT

200 EL DORADO AVE #4, DANVILLE 2 BEDS, 2 BATH, 924 SF

OFFERED AT $650,000 MEREDITH & BONNIE KUMMELL | 925.984.1344

OFFERED AT $1,789,000

OFFERED AT $1,588,000

BRYAN HURLBUT | 925.383.5500

KORY MADGE | 925.366.9899

SOLD FOR $585,000 MEREDITH & BONNIE KUMMELL | 925.984.1344

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

1117 CORRIE LANE, WALNUT CREEK 3 BEDS, 2.5 BATHS, 1,417 SF, DUET

702 BUENA VISTA PLACE, WALNUT CREEK 2 BEDS, 2 BATHS, 1,136 SF, 3,496 SF LOT

817 ASHLEY LANE, WALNUT CREEK 6 BEDS, 4.5 BATHS, 5,200 SF, 0.47 ACRE LOT

3985 N. PEARDALE DRIVE, LAFAYETTE 6 BEDS, 6 BATHS, 6,578 SF, 0.94 ACRE LOT

SOLD FOR $700,000

SOLD FOR $975,000

SOLD FOR $4,120,500

SOLD BY BRYAN HURLBUT | JULIE DEL SANTO

SUZY PECK | 925.200.2988

KORY MADGE | 925.366.9899

DON & PAMELA COLOMBANA | 925.878.8047

925.383.5500 | 925.818.5500

SOLD - REPRESENTED BUYER

SOLD - REPRESENTED BUYER

SOLD - REPRESENTED BUYER

SOLD - REPRESENTED BUYER

7510 OXFORD CIRCLE, DUBLIN 2 BEDS, 2.5 BATHS, 1,346 SF

725 AVALON WAY, LIVERMORE 5 BEDS, 2 BATHS, 1,576 SF, 6,129 SF LOT

617 PARKHAVEN COURT, PLEASANT HILL 4 BEDS, 3 BATHS, 2,324 SF, 0.25 ACRE LOT

400 VERNAL DRIVE, ALAMO 4 BEDS, 3 BATHS, 3698 SF, 0.22 ACRE LOT

SOLD FOR $900,000

SOLD FOR $1,425,000 MEREDITH & BONNIE KUMMELL | 925.984.1344

SOLD FOR $1,700,000

SOLD FOR $2,599,000

DON & PAMELA COLOMBANA | 925.878.8047

DON & PAMELA COLOMBANA | 925.878.8047

KORY MADGE | 925.366.9899

ALISON J. PETERSEN 925.984.7214

BONNE WERSEL 510.304.3303

BRYAN HURLBUT 925.383.5500

DANI O’CONNELL 925.786.2176

REALTOR® | DRE#01177737

REALTOR® | DRE# 01173288

REALTOR® | DRE# 01347508

BROKER ASSOCIATE DRE# 01892167

DON & PAMELA COLOMBANA 925.878.8047 925.482.4142

EVA ELDERTS 925.726.9409 REALTOR® | DRE# 02039328

REALTORS® DRE# 01979180 / 01979181

KORY MADGE 925.366.9899

MARGY LYMAN 925.963.6380

REALTOR® | DRE# 01345227

REALTOR® | DRE# 02067680

DRE# 01882902

WWW.DUDUM.COM

DANVILLE

MEREDITH & BONNIE KUMMELL 925.984.1344 925.980.9952

SCOTT & FONIA HUMPHRIES 925.298.2249 925.998.4444

REALTORS® DRE# 00905114 / 01364056

REALTOR® / BROKER DRE# 02078065 / 01019063

WALNUT CREEK

LAMORINDA

BRENTWOOD

SUZY PECK 925.200.2988

WENDY RAMER 925.899.1989

REALTOR® | DRE# 01224695

REALTOR® | DRE#02013702

SIERRA TAHOE

©2022 The information herein was obtained by sources deemed to be reliable by Dudum Real Estate Group. Dudum Real Estate group has not independently verified the information contained herein and therefore, assumes no legal responsibility for its accuracy. Buyer should investigate any matters or items disclosed, identified or about which they have concerns to their own satisfaction. DRE Lic. 01882902

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

PAGE 8 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • April 2022

“Celeste’s level of integrity supersedes all others.”

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Celeste Pacelli Broker Associate | DRE 01862387 | 925.395.1511 celeste@celestepacelli.com | celestepacelli.com

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See more of my 70 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ reviews on Zillow!

Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01527235. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been verified. Changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footage are approximate.

editor @ yourmonthlypaper.com

April 2022 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 9

STUDENT NON-PROFITS: SELFLESS OR SELFISH

By Olivia Brandeis, Monte Vista High, freshman

Empty tubs of Ben and Jerry’s, tear stained tissues, and “Driver’s License” on repeat. No, this isn’t a high school breakup, it’s college admissions season.

For most high school students, college admissions season isn’t the shower of acceptances seen on TV shows and in movies. Increasingly, it’s become college rejection season.

As acceptance rates keep decreasing, it seems that being conventionally “smart” isn’t enough to get into a top school. With Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) acceptance rate dropping to just 3.96% this year, ambitious students have been foraging for a “silver bullet” to guarantee acceptance at such prestigious universities. Many have found their panacea in starting non-profit organizations.

“Non-profits in general are very valuable contributions to society,” Monte Vista (MV) counselor Krisin Tegeler said. “The purpose is to help different causes where there is a specific need, so it can be a very powerful force.”

MV senior Ronit Batra is one of many high school students to start a non-profit. During early months of the pandemic, he chose to start his non-profit Help SOAR to bolster the devastated restaurant industry. Help SOAR’s underrepresented mission inspired Batra to start his own organization rather than joining an existing non-profit. “It is deeply gratifying to speak one-on-one with the people you are serving,” Batra said.

Unfortunately, the passion Batra exudes isn’t ubiquitous among all students who start non-profits. Problems arise when students start these organizations out of selfishness rather than selflessness.

Nowadays,“Founder and CEO” is a highly coveted title among overachieving high school students. Some will start their own non-profits just to flaunt it in lengthy resumes and college essays. For many, this title doesn’t come without a cost: a price that’s paid by existing non-profit organizations. To legitimize their organizations, high school founders will often seek funding and media exposure. A TED Talk or two, features on local and even national news, and a GoFundMe page thrown into the mix might seem impressive to colleges, but the impacts seen by established non-profits in the same field are inevitable.

Efforts for exposure directly compete with existing non-profits which rely heavily on media attention to obtain funding. As their name suggests, non-profits have no profits, so with diverted funding and a dwindling clientele, non-profits are put in a vulnerable state, where some even have to disband entirely.

While some non-profits are forced to dissolve, student non-profits often do so voluntarily. Many students-started non-profits have expiration dates that read, “Welcome to [insert Ivy League here].” “Students need to be very cautious because there’s a shelf life,” Tegeler said. Without intention to continue fostering non-profits in college, the communities that are helped by these organizations are abandoned. If similar organizations are driven out, participants are truly left with nowhere to go, making the entire operation counteractive. Funding, media attention, and resources poured into organizations result in nothing but acceptance letters for the chair-people and devastation for the people they are supposed to serve.

The detriments of non-profits started purely out of self-interest don’t even stop there. Buzzwords like “helping the underserved” or “supporting marginalized communities” are used to garner pity points while exploiting the groups they claim to help. Minorities are treated like pawns in the college admissions process, whilst organization founders play a metaphorical game of chess hoping to checkmate their competition.

The consequences extend beyond people involved with self-serving non-profits, they also affect well intentioned students. “What is happening is admissions offices are seeing this as a cliche,” Tegeler said. Students who are truly passionate about their organization’s cause are harmed. With the surplus of students starting non-profits, it’s hard for admission officers to tell who is truly altruistic, instead labeling most or all student non-profits as selfishly established.

On the surface, student non-profits are altruistic, but many are like fireworks. A spark can create flashy displays of light and noise, but the impacts are quickly fleeting. The over-saturation of student-started non-profits is a sad consequence of the gamification of the college admissions system, where getting into a top college is the priority, no matter the carnage. When non-profits serve no other purpose than a couple of sentences in a Common App essay, it’s time to reevaluate who the organization truly serves. To put it briefly, a non-profit should be about fulfilling a mission rather than securing an admission.

SONS IN RETIREMENT

SAN RAMON VALLEY BRANCH #128

Looking for things to do in your retirement? Consider joining Sons in Retirement (SIR) San Ramon Valley Branch #128. There are monthly luncheons with interesting speakers and good fellowship. In-person luncheons occur on the third Wednesday of each month at 11AM at The Bridges located at 9000 S. Gale Ridge, San Ramon. The next luncheon will occur on Wednesday, April 20th.

The speaker this month will be Sonia Lo, former CEO of Crop One Holdings.

Sonia has been recently appointed to the board of directors for urban-gro, Inc. urban-gro, Inc. is a fully integrated architectural, engineering, and cultivation systems integration for commercial cannabis and food-focused controlled environment agriculture facilities.

Sonia is also the Founder and Managing Director of Chalsys LLP, an advisory and direct investment firm which has invested over $120 million in 15 global growth stage companies. Prior to Chalsys, Ms. Lo was co-founder and

CEO of eZoka Group, a UK-based internet startup that was sold in 2002. Ms. Lo is a former Director of Global Content for Google.

SIR 128 offers its members many fun activities to participate in including investing, book groups, fantasy football, technology, wine tastings, golf, bocce ball, bicycling, hiking, and more.

If you’re interested in attending the luncheon/meeting as a guest, please email membership@sir128.com. To learn more about the group, visit www.SIR128.com.

LAS TRAMPAS BRANCH #116

SIR Las Trampas Branch 116 continues to expand its social activities for semi-retired and retired men. Members live in Alamo, Danville, Concord, Lafayette, Moraga, Pleasanton, and Walnut Creek. Come join the group to make new friends and social connections that are so important to have during retirement years.

The robust and well organized nine-hole and 18-hole golf programs are in full swing. Play is at Boundary Oak and other courses in the area. Many members also hone their skills in golf clinics with individual attention from

See SIR continued on page 23

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PAGE 10 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • April 2022

CATCH UP ON SOME “Zs”

POSITIVE PROGRESS

By Jaime Kaiman, Monte Vista High, Junior

April is here, and so much progress has been made in our society in the last three months. I mentioned in my last article that mask mandates were lifted in the majority of public places, and now the mandate has also been lifted in schools. At first, I was skeptical of the mask mandate being lifted at my school because it still felt like it was too soon. But then I asked myself, “If not now, then when?” We’ve been living through the pandemic for the past couple years, so it makes sense that things would have to return back to normalcy at some point. Additionally, I was worried about whether or not I would get ridiculed for continuing to wear my mask with the mandate being lifted. I was pleasantly surprised to find that people respected my choice, as I respected theirs.

Last month, I was incredibly lucky to be able to take a trip around Southern California with my choir class. Honestly, if you would’ve asked me at the start of the year if I thought we would be allowed to go on field trips as big as that one, I would’ve laughed and said “absolutely not.” I was happy to be able to get that opportunity this year. Not only was the trip a big deal for my choir class, but we’ve also been lucky to take smaller field trips as well. We’ve gone to multiple locations to showcase songs we’ve been practicing, and we’ve had the chance to listen to other choirs sing too.

I’ve seemed to notice a bit of a parallel between the weather and the state of our society. The past few years have felt so gloomy. Last year, the wildfires quite literally changed the color of the sky and made it look like the world was burning (which it was, both physically and metaphorically). However, it now feels brighter and more enticing to just lounge outside in the sun rather than to waste time surfing on my phone sprawled out on the couch inside. The weather is just another sign that things are looking up.

It’s astonishing to make a list of everything I’ve been able to do this year in comparison to the last two years. It just goes to show how much progress we have all made to get to where we are today. Although the Covid virus is still very much prevalent, it feels a little less intense. It’s nice to be able to adjust back to normalcy, no matter the rate you choose to go at.

SAN RAMON VALLEY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY By Jamie Westgate, Principal

The month of March came and went in a hurry!

Now that masks are optional, and many Covid restrictions have been relaxed in our county, we’re resuming a lot of our favorite traditions. This past month, our 2nd grade students melted the hearts of their moms with a sentimental on-campus tea party.

Each child in the class invited his/her special guest for this dressy event and showered them with love and attention. The highlights of this time together were the reading of poetry, viewing hand-drawn portraits, and listening to a sweet performance of songs. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room!

Also, resuming this past month was our long-standing tradition of the 8th grade play. Every year, our entire 8th grade student body collaborates to produce and perform a theatrical event. It’s considered their “final gift to the school.” We have many true thespians in this group! After spending a week with them on our Washington D.C. trip, I had a sneaking suspicion they’d select a play that kept us laughing all throughout! We will miss this group of Eagles after they leave our nest, but we’re enjoying every last second of what they bring to us.

Coming up, we’re excited to bring back the SRVCA Family Carnival to be held on Saturday, April 30th. This on-campus event will provide one of our first opportunities to bring all families back together since the pandemic began. We’re anticipating a lot of joy-filled laughter, sticky cotton-candy smiles, and winners to special activities to be held at this highly popular event. This gathering is open to all, so come check out our community from 4-7PM on our campus at Community Presbyterian Church in Danville.

In addition to our carnival, we’re also looking forward to Spring Break, Easter vacation, and documenting our progress through standardized testing. Hold on… it’s going to be a fast race to the finish line of our 20212022 school year!

MONTE VISTA HIGH

By Dr. Kevin Ahern, Principal

March was very busy at Monte Vista (MV), and both students and faculty are happy to take the first week of April off for a well-deserved spring break.

There have been a lot of happenings over the past few weeks, and there is a lot to come in the final eight weeks of the school year.

The month kicked off with MV’s Winter Musical 9 to 5. All four performances played to full houses, and the outcome was nothing short of excellence. Thanks to MV’s Visual Arts and Performing Arts teachers, Chris Connor, Rosalind Neisinger, Ryane Siegel, and Ed Cloyd and their incredible group of students for putting together another outstanding production.

MV Choir followed up with a set of concerts beginning with the Chambers and Acapella Cabaret Concert which was held at the Village Theater in Danville and followed by their Spring Concert held at the Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church. The MV Choir will also be performing the National Anthem at the Oakland Coliseum on April 19th when the A’s play the Baltimore Orioles.

MV’s Instrumental Music Program also added their own slate of events in March which culminated in the Area Band Festival which included musicians from all of our feeder schools in addition to MV’s own. MV’s Music Program’s next endeavor will be on April 23rd at the Large Ensemble Competition which will be held at Inderkum High School in Sacramento.

MV’s Women’s Basketball concluded the winter athletics season in awesome fashion by claiming their first NCS Championship since 2009. They had a convincing win over James Logan High School. We are proud of this team of young women who worked hard to earn this title.

Spring athletics season is now underway with MV’s teams competing across the board.

There were many other events and happenings around campus and the community that made a comeback in March. For the first time since 2019, MV Athletics Boosters held their Crab Feed Fundraiser at the Danville Community Center. The event was well attended and fun for all. Huge shout outs to MVAB President Bridgit Pelley and the many volunteers who made this event such a success.

MV’s senior class hosted our first ever Talent Show on March 31st. There were many amazing acts and it was wonderful to see our students’ hard work turn into a great event.

It has been an awesome run for the Mustangs in 2022. We look forward to the home stretch when we return from Spring Break and make the final run towards graduation.

VETERAN SERVICES BRING THE “OFFICE” TO YOU

The Contra Costa County Veterans Services Office is removing barriers by opening a virtual office space. The virtual Veterans Office can give you close to an in-person experience.

Veterans can learn about and apply for benefits, access VA health care, receive referrals for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder therapy, and much more. Visit the office website at www.contracosta.ca.gov/vets during open office hours for oneon-one assistance. Hours of operation are Mondays through Thursdays from 9am to noon and 1pm to 4pm, and on Fridays 9am to noon.

Staffing the virtual office are Veterans Service Manager Sidney Jones, an Air Force Veteran, and Veteran Services Representative Buck Carmichael, a Marine Corps Veteran. Both have long-time experience connecting vets to critical services.

For more information, please call the Veteran Services Office at 925-313-1481.

Eggs continued from front page

and more. Egg-hunts are organized by age, so every child has an equal opportunity to find eight treasure-filled eggs. The time slot you register for is for the egg-hunt only; families are encouraged to come experience all the fun-filled activities for the duration of their enrollment window. Take your little one’s picture with the Spring Chick and Spring Bunny.

Pre-registration is required. For time slots and more information, register at www.danville.ca.gov/recguide or call the Danville Community Center at (925) 314-3400.

editor @ yourmonthlypaper.com

April 2022 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 11

REAL ESTATE ECONOMICS: INFLATION, INTEREST RATES AND THE WAR IN UKRAINE By Joe Gatti

What a change in perspective a month can make! A month ago our main focus was how our local area fared just before the beginning of the spring market with the issues of inflation and interest rates as our main concern. Fast forward a month and we have a third variable: the world economy is dealing with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the economic fallout that will further contribute to inflation, interest rates, and now oil prices, along with supply chain disruptions. How does this affect our local housing market? In the short term, the path forward will see further market volatility and the uptick in interest rates will likely push buyers to find homes sooner rather than waiting.

As of this writing, the inflation level was at 7.9%. The last time US inflation was at this level was 1982, making it a 40 year high. Between December of 2021 and mid-February 2022, markets anticipated the Federal Reserve's need to raise rates in order to curb inflation, and rates increased a full percentage point during that short eight-week period of market trading. On March 16th, the Federal Reserve did their part, raising their federal funds rate by .25%, while communicating that six more raises could occur in 2022. Mortgage rates don’t exactly follow the federal funds rate. They do follow the 10 year treasury yield, which spiked upon the Fed’s announcement, reaching 2.246%.* As a result, the national average interest rate went up to 4.45%.** The current raise in interest rates does not appear to be having a dampening effect on local buyer demand; to the contrary, it is creating more of a fury for buyers to speed up their home buying process and to get into contract in order to lock-in their interest rate before it goes up further.

Now, how does Russia and Ukraine affect all of this? Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has affected mortgage rates but not in the way you might think.

When there is a global geopolitical event like the beginning of a war, investors tend to run to safer, more conservative investments -- away from equity growth stocks and towards treasury bonds and real estate in places that are considered safe and very far away from any war zone. When Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24th interest rates actually went down. However, the negative and indirect impact that will affect our housing market will be in oil prices and supply chain disruptions, which translates to higher gas prices and higher prices for basic goods. When this is combined with high inflation, consumers can be impacted to an extent that over a long period of time it impacts their interest and ability for mortgage borrowing.

So, inflation, Federal Reserve decisions to curb inflation, and Russia’s war and its consequences, are the causes for our current state of affairs. What will our local real estate market look like in the next few months? It will result in a boost of effort from buyers who are currently qualified to purchase a home and do so now. By historic standards, a 4.45% interest rate is still very low. The last time inflation reached our current level (1982), the interest rate was 16.04%! Home inventory in our local area remains low and buyers are still relocating from urban areas like San Francisco and Silicon Valley for larger and more private homes in our area. If this inflationary and higher rate environment continues and labors on, going from months into a year and beyond, there will be a point where differences will be evident. As of now, we’ll need to be prepared for a continually changing economic market that is impacted by geopolitical affairs.

I hope you found this article helpful. I’ve been serving our real estate community for 10 years. Ron Gatti, my business partner and father, has been a full-time real estate professional for over 40 years, all in the greater Danville area. We both are Associate Brokers with Compass out of the 15 Railroad office in downtown Danville. If you have any real estate questions during this extraordinary time or have questions about this article please email GattiRealEstate@gmail.com or call Joe Gatti at 925-588-3590. Our services are here for you! *Fox Business, “Here’s How the Fed’s Rate Hike Could Impact Mortgages,” by Lucus Manfredi **https://www.bankrate.com/mortgages/mortgage-rates

As Danville Natives, We Know Danville and the San Ramon Valley.

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Dream Westside Danville Location! This home combines single-story Danville Rancher charm and serene backyard privacy near restaurants, shops, entertainment, schools, and the Iron Horse Trail.

137 Gaywood Rd, Westside Alamo

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3 Bd | 2 Bth | 2,800 SqFt | .64 AC | $2,695,000

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Pending

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Truly one of a kind Westside Alamo home on .64 of an acre lot! The main home’s expansive, flat backyard, features 2 separate cottages: an ADU (approx. 620 Sq Ft) and a Pool House/Studio (approx.

302 Sq Ft).

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First time on market in 49 years! The single level home centers on a kitchen/great room design with single beam volume ceiling and skylights. Moments away from the Iron Horse Trail, Downtown Danville, and award winning schools.

Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01527235. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been verified. Changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made without notice.

No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footage are approximate.

PAGE 12 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • April 2022

HER SIDE OF THE STORY

TALES OF CALIFORNIA PIONEER WOMEN

The Museum of the San Ramon Valley is celebrating Women’s History Month with an exhibit that illuminates the hardships, joys, and life of pioneer women in California. These women will tell, in their own words, the story of traveling by land and sea to settle in California prior to statehood.

In 1900, The Association of Pioneer Women of California formed and collected the reminiscences of women who arrived in California before 1854 in a single ledger. This incredible document, filled with over 800 handwritten stories of California pioneer women, and in the collection of The Society of California Pioneers, is the basis for this exhibition. Together, the ledger and exhibition create a more complete and balanced understanding of our shared history, by highlighting the voices of women who traveled to California.

The ledger, however, does not represent all women. As such, an important section of the exhibition is comprised of diverse portraits of unidentified women.

These women represent the thousands of pioneers whose stories were never recorded; each one had a story to tell which is lost to time.

This exhibit runs through May 22nd.

The Museum of the San Ramon Valley is located at 205 Railroad Ave. in Danville.

The museum is open Tuesday-Friday 1PM-4PM, Saturday 10AM-1PM, and Sunday noon-3PM. For more information visit museumsrv.org or call 925-837-3750.

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QUICK TRIPS

SHEEP SHEARING

By Linda Summers Pirkle

WANTED: Individuals who like to work with animals, have patience, and can learn the skill of sheep shearing. Benefits include working outdoors, being your own boss, and traveling. The shortage of professional sheep shearers worldwide is creating a niche market for motivated and hard working women and men.

Sheep shearing is not for everyone. Australian shearing pro Mike Pora, in a podcast by the American Sheep Industry Association, reported that casually shearing sheep for an hour is roughly equivalent to running five miles in terms of the physical toll on the body. “You’re doing about 40 miles a day in an eight-hour day of shearing. Over a week its about 280 miles (physical toll) on your body. It’s hard.

What we hear all the time is that it’s not as easy as it looks. A good shearer makes it look easy,” Pora says. As a professional shearer, a 10- or 15-year run is typical. Shearers

MEALS ON WHEELS FRIENDLY HELPER PROGRAM

The Meals on Wheels (MOW) Diablo Region Friendly Helper Program (FHP) assists seniors with their everyday errands, such as grocery shopping and picking up medications at a local pharmacy. This pilot program makes it easier for seniors to remain at home. “With most of our seniors sheltering-in-place, MOW Diablo Region can now provide another essential service that our seniors truly need,” said MOW Diablo Region Health and Wellness Division Manager, Cynthia Black.

The guidelines below determine if a senior is eligible for the Friendly Helpers Program: • Seniors must be a participant in the existing Friendly Visitors or Friendly Callers program.

• Seniors must provide at least a four-day notice before the errand is to be completed.

• Weekend errands may be available with a seven-day notice.

• If the volunteer pays for any item on behalf of the senior, the volunteer must be reimbursed at the time the item is delivered (cash or checks only).

• There is a $50 limit on all purchases.

• MOW Diablo Region requires all seniors and volunteers to adhere to the Contra Costa County Department of Health guidelines pertaining to COVID. For more information on the Friendly Helper Program, visit www.mowdiabloregion.org/get-involved, or contact Eileen Stephens at estephens@mowdr.org, or 925-482-2622, or Tuyet Iaconis at tiaco-nis@mowdr.org or 925-891-4872.

DANVILLE COMMISSION VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT

The Town of Danville is looking for residents interested in serving on one of several commissions seeking new volunteers. The following commissions are in the process of accepting applications for two and four-year terms beginning July 1, 2022.

• Bicycle Advisory Commission - Youth Commissioner (2 year term) • Bicycle Advisory Commission – 5 regular members (2 and 4 year terms) • Contra Costa County Library Commission – 1 regular and one alternate member (4 year terms) Applications are available on the Town website at www.danville.ca.gov/ Commission-Recruitment. The deadline to file an application is 4PM on Monday, May 16th. Applicants have the options to interview with the Town Council on May 31st and June 21st.

For additional information, contact City Clerk Marie Sunseri at (925) 314-3401 or msunseri@danville.ca.gov.

are in high demand and Pora joked, “If you can hold a hand piece and have a heart beat you can get a job in Australia from August until December (shearing season).”

In 2019, Le Dorat, a French village of 1,700 inhabitants located 40 kilometers from Limoges, hosted the World Championship of sheep shearers. Shearers from 34 countries and all five continents flocked to Le Dorat for the chance to compete. Every two to three years since 1977, sheep shearers from all over the world compete in the World Championship. The next World Championship is scheduled for 2023 in Scotland.

In an Atlas Obscura (www.atlasobscura.com) article “How a Tiny New Zealand Town Became a Global Center of Sheep” by George Pendle, the author describes a shearing competition this way: “Competitors line up in front of a number of catching pens into which the sheep are ushered. From here they grab their sheep, flip them, and shear them as quickly as possible while their wool-handlers sweep up the cuttings and help arrange the shorn fleeces. It’s sweaty, backbreaking work requiring muscle and finesse in equal measure. The fleeces are judged for evenness of length, the amount of skin attached to wool, and so on. If second cuts are needed, if the wool does not come off in one fell swoop, shearers are docked penalty points. If the fleece wool is mixed with belly wool they are penalized again. If the sheep is roughly handled or cut that’s another penalty point. It’s a mixture of weightlifting, wrestling, and hairdressing.”

You won’t have to go to Australia, New Zealand, or Scotland to learn about sheep shearing. The Forest Home Farms Historic Park in San Ramon is hosting Sheep Shearing Day on April 23rd. The day will include sheep shearing demonstrations and sheep dog demonstrations, as well as tractor rides, wool spinning activities, lace making, and a self-guided tour of the historic Glass House.

On a recent visit to the Forest Home Farms Historic Park I met Patsy Galati, the contractor whose sheep graze on the property. Patsy’s engaging personality, wry sense of humor, and hilarious farm stories would make her the perfect candidate for her own podcast. I was not surprised to learn that Patsy names most of her flock of 60 plus sheep. There is Rosie, Airplane, and Marshall to name just as few, and each has a story. Patsy’s beloved sheep herding dogs also play an important role in keeping the flock safe and will be earning their keep on the annual shearing day.

Sheep Shearing Day at Forest Home Farms Historic Park will be held Saturday, April 23rd from 10AM-3PM. The farm is located at 19953 San Ramon Valley Blvd. in San Ramon. Tickets are available online at SRHF.org. Take time to visit the thoughtfully curated gift shop on site. Please leave dogs at home.

Linda Summers Pirkle is a long-term Danville resident. To share your “Quick Trips” ideas, email Coverthemap@gmail.com.

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April 2022 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 13

Divorce Workshop

Are you considering a divorce, or in the midst of a divorce?

Attend our live workshop and get insights from a Family Law Attorney, Marriage & Family Therapist, and a Financial Advisor.

Join us on the second Saturday of ever y month, from the comfor t of your own home, in a safe and no obligation online workshop. There is no better way to educate your self on the various options available to you as you work toward building a strategy for your future emotional and financial success.

Registration is required. To reserve your seat, and for more information, please visit www.secondsaturdayeastbay.org or email divorceteam@summitadvisor s.com.

Hosted by Jeneen Slack, Financial Advisor, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst™ and Certified Financial Planner™.

Financial Advisors do not provide specific tax/legal advice and this information should not be considered as such. Please consult your tax/legal advisor regarding your own specific situation. Securities and investment advisory services offered through Securian Financial Services, Inc. (“SFS, Inc”) Member FINRA/SIPC. Summit Financial Group (“SFG”) is independently owned and operated. 2000 Crow Canyon Place, Ste 450, San Ramon, CA 94583.

Jeneen is a registered rep and investment advisor rep of SFS, Inc. Jeneen has purchased a license and been selected by Second Saturday (“SS”) to run the SS East Bay Workshops. Neither SFG nor SFS, Inc are affiliated with creator of SS workshops, WIFE.org. SFG and SFS, Inc are not affiliated with nor endorse any tax/legal or family therapy professional guest speakers. TR# 4423652 DOFU 3/2022

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS APPROVES VISION ZERO

By County Supervisor Candace Andersen

In early March, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to implement the Vision Zero program.

Vision Zero is an international movement that seeks to end fatalities on roadways. A primary principle of Vision Zero is that the loss of human life and health should not be considered acceptable or inevitable on our roadway network. Therefore, the road system should be designed in a way that such events do not occur. Since human error is considered inevitable, the transportation system should be designed so that the consequences of collisions do not lead to death or severe injury.

Vision Zero advocates for a safety-first approach when looking at transportation issues. Safety should not only be one of the factors, but the most important one. The proposed policy is a change in the mind-set of agencies that while fatalities and major injury collisions are tragic, they are inevitable. Rather, Vision Zero seeks to reverse that thinking, instead establishing that all fatal and serious injury collisions are preventable through a “Safe Systems” approach.

The “Safe System” addresses the five elements of a safe transportation system: safe road users, safe vehicles, safe speeds, safe roads, and post-crash care.

The County launched the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) in August 2020. The TAC is made up of representatives from the bicycling community, County Public Works, the County Department of Development and Conservation (DCD), the County Health Department, the California Highway Patrol, the Contra Costa County Transit Authority (CCTA), and 511 Contra Costa.

The TAC met four times between August 2020 and April 2021 and produced two documents that are intended to be taken as a single volume: the Systematic Safety Analysis Report (SSAR). The SSAR outlines the framework for where, when, and how crashes are occurring on unincorporated roadways. Staff noted nearly 2,255 traffic collisions which resulted in injuries from 2014 to 2018 and 252 accidents that resulted in people

being killed or severely injured. Accidents on freeways were not included.

Trends within priority corridors were identified by staff and collisions with severe and fatal outcomes were prioritized to address these collision trends. The plan includes a holistic and data-driven approach, where the County and partner agencies implement studies and programs to help people move more safely using the “three E’s:” Engineering, Enforcement, and Education. The “Safe System” emphasizes infrastructure improvements such as redesigned roads, more sidewalks, traffic circles, and more signage.

The Vision Zero Final Report fulfills the requirements for a Local Road Safety Program (LRSP) and allows Public Works to continue to apply for the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) and One Bay Area Grant (OBAG) grants. The county’s Vision Zero program applies only to the unincorporated roadways, with all cities looking at adopting their own programs.

For more information on the County’s Vision Zero policy, or to get involved, please visit Contra Costa County’s Vision Zero webpage at www. cccounty.us/visionzero.

My office is here to serve the residents of Contra Costa County District 2, which includes Alamo, Blackhawk, Canyon, Danville, Diablo, Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda, Rossmoor, San Ramon, Tassajara Valley, and parts of un-incorporated Walnut Creek. Please contact us if we can provide you with additional information on this topic or on other County issues. I can be reached at SupervisorAndersen@bos.cccounty.us or (925) 957-8860.

DANVILLE POLICE OFFER ‘EXCHANGE’ ZONE

Residents who purchase items via online services such as Craigslist have a designated neutral ‘Exchange Zone’ in the upper parking lot of the Danville Town offices to conduct their business. Signage is installed, and the Danville Police Department has designated parking spaces at the Town of Danville offices, 510 La Gonda Way, for residents to conduct transactions in a constantly video-recorded space. With proximity to police headquarters and video recording, the goal is to have an atmosphere of safety and assurance for would-be buyers while dissuading criminals from using online merchandising for criminal purposes.

To learn more, contact Sargent Ron Hoekwater at (925) 314-3700 or rhoekwater@danville.ca.gov.

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PAGE 14 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • April 2022

VALLEY VIGNETTE By Beverly Lane

JOHN AND MARY ANN JONES HOMESITE

Pioneers Mary Ann and John Jones came early to California in 1846, two years before the Gold Rush. Their trek over the Sierras was a challenging one as they managed to get to California just before the early snow storm which trapped the Donner Party. Living at first on the Chiles Ranch north of the bay, that January Mary Ann had a baby named Josephine. In her later writings, she never mentioned her pregnancy during that daunting trip.

In 1847, the family traveled through Alamo and she provided the earliest English description of the area in her diary. Her husband stopped the wagon, saying “Mary, look! Did you ever see anything so beautiful?” As she wrote later: “On every side, the valley and surrounding hills were covered with thick, velvety clover, and with wild oats standing waist high, waving and rippling in the summer breeze, like the bosom of a lake. After we talked a while, my husband said “If I live and can get a home here, I am going to have it.’”

The Jones family lived in San Jose and did some gold mining, then returned to Alamo in 1850 just as California became a state. Evidently, John didn’t forget the lovely landscape they had seen. They purchased Mary Ann Smith Jones Francisco and Maria Garcia’s large adobe (built in 1849) on a knoll near San Ramon Creek and grazing rights to ranch property which extended west to the hills. John became the first postmaster in 1852 and Mary Ann served as his deputy. At the post office, which was located in their home, they would accept a letter and money for postage (three cents in 1853), then mark the envelope paid.

Alamo means poplar or cottonwood tree in Spanish. Because of its location and fine weather, Alamo grew early. An important road John M. Jones from the Oakland redwoods stretched through Moraga and Tice Valley to Alamo.

Mary Ann applied her considerable energies to schooling children and began a Cumberland Presbyterian church and organized religious camp meetings. John served as postmaster until 1861. He also belonged to the Alamo Masonic Lodge, served as County Assessor for two years, and was the County Schools Superintendent. The first high school in the county, the Union Academy, was built at the border of Alamo and Danville where he was a trustee. Union Academy was a boarding high school with a highly regarded curriculum. The school stood from 1860, until it burned down during the summer of 1868.

John Jones died in 1870, leaving the intrepid Mary Ann to carry on, running their 1,300 acre ranch and raising eight children. A charter member of the Danville Grange when it began in 1873, she was a supporter of womens suffrage all her life. She passed away at age 93 after writing a lengthy story of her life.

On September15, 1985, the SRV Historical Society held a tea and dedicated their plaque #9 in honor of the pioneer Jones family. It may be found on the CVS store building at 3158 Danville Blvd. in Alamo.

Sources: Virgie V. Jones, Remembering Alamo; F. J. Hulaniski, History of Contra Costa County, 1917; Beverly At the Historical Society plaque dedication: Virgie Jones, former Alamo Lane with Sharon Burke, Historic Tales of Alamo, Museum of the San Ramon Valley archives. postmistress Bertha Linhares, Ann Kaplan.

DISCOVER DIABLO

Save Mount Diablo’s (SMD) Discover Diablo program offers an annual series of free activities that include hikes, family walks, rock climbing events, trail runs, mountain biking events, property tours, and more. Join SMD in exploring the Bay Area’s beautiful wild lands and open spaces!

Discover Diablo is a public outings program led by staff and volunteer naturalists that offers various outdoor activities including guided interpretive family walks, hikes, and property tours. These events are open to any and all trailblazers looking to get out in nature. All hikes are free but in order to create the best experience and least impact on the environment, capacity is limited and advanced registration is required.

Property tours are led on SMD conserved sites. These are unique opportunities to explore privately-held lands that are otherwise closed to the public. Join these tours to learn more about the special ecological and cultural features of each conserved site.

The goal of Discover Diablo is to connect people to nature through outdoor recreation and to build awareness of both the land conservation movement and the importance of permanently protecting open spaces.

Through this program, the aim is to reach new audiences, grow the membership base, and spark a passion for Diablo’s wild, natural lands in the youngest of trailblazers.

To learn more visit savemountdiablo.org/ activities.

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April 2022 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 15

emotional issues in Team Equine. They also pair teen volunteers with peers experiencing stressful situations in Helping Hands. Traveling Tails mini-horses and ponies visit children with life-threatening conditions as well as children in special needs classes at local schools. Although saying good-bye to the Castro Valley property SonRise called home for 16 years was difficult, the welcome extended by everyone at Brown Ranch on Tassajara Road in Pleasanton has made the transition a remarkably positive experience.

SonRise Executive Director Alana Koski remarks, “We are so grateful to be at Brown Ranch. Our new facility is such a beautiful, quiet, and therapeutic environment and the community has been so welcoming. We look forward to serving many children here in the future.” Lessons began at Brown Ranch on March 15th following an Open House to introduce members of the community to the Brown Ranch space specifically dedicated to SonRise programs. All of the SonRise horses have adapted well to their new surroundings.

Jamie Deinhammer, who has worked with SonRise in several capacities, currently volunteers as a horse handler and hopes to complete her own horse’s training for therapeutic riding soon. Her horse is now recovering well from SonRise volunteers Ingrid Sartin (L) and Sandra Gallo (R) with Traveling Tails miniprevious health problems. She reports, “My own horse is much happier at Brown horse, Blackie. Photo courtesy of SonRise.

Ranch. He settled in nicely and has a great paddock. The owners and caretakers are wonderful, and they take such great care of all the horses. He’s got a little more pep in his step, his coat, and weight have improved and he’s got more energy!”

“Horses have emotions,” Jamie explains. “Assessing the horse’s demeanor before each lesson, and how ready the horse is to manage the instructor’s plan for that day is part of my responsibility as a volunteer horse handler.” Therapy horses need to remain impervious to distractions and calmly bear the often-unbalanced weight of riders with special needs. Deinhammer notes, “I am amazed at how gentle these 1,000-pound animals can be with small children. I have worked with all kinds of other animals and I have never seen another connection like the one these horses have with the SonRise children.”

PATH Certified Instructor Haley Matthews concurs. “Seeing the connection between a child and a horse is a beautiful thing. The horse is a silent partner that somehow manages to reach areas of communication that are deeper than words.” She continues, “Often a child’s first words relate to a horse.

A boy who was basically non-verbal reached down and touched the horse and said, ‘Like horsey.’” Some moments are filled with pure joy. “When a girl with cerebral palsy who had always walked with a stilted gait felt the smooth motion of a horse for the first time, she felt as if she’d been freed to move like everyone else. In fact, she responded as if she was suddenly able to fly.”

Jamie has a personal reason to celebrate SonRise miracles. Her five-year-old niece has a rare genetic disorder that has already led to two major surgeries, regular PT, and OT. “Riding a horse helps her gain flexibility and core strength, which is critical for her to walk someday. For me, watching her ride and seeing the joy on her face is the best!”

See SonRise continued on page 26

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PAGE 16 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • April 2022

CLIP NOTES

By Jody Morgan

Despite their beauty and versatility, few native California plants were offered by nurseries in the 1920s when Lester Rowntree launched her campaign to make them available to home gardeners. She spent years traveling the length and breadth of the state to study plants throughout the growing season in their natural habitats.

A proficient self-taught gardener, she made extensive notes on cultural conditions and common companions within plant communities, which she translated into practical advice on taming wild species for home yards. Lester promoted conservation along with appreciation of California flora in numerous articles and two books: Hardy Californians (1936) and Flowering Shrubs of California (1939).

Titling the closing chapter of Hardy Californians “How to Grow Them,” Lester emphasizes that understanding all components of places where a species is found in the wild is essential to successfully cultivating them in a garden. “A plant is more susceptible to its surroundings than we think. Root companionship, plant associates and gregarious proclivity are not mere phrases,” she insists. “If we know and value the fact that California contains within its borders such diverse spectacles as the desert in early spring, a Redwood grove in late spring, a Sierra peak in late summer, and a bespangled coastal bluff more or less gay all the year round, and each of these sights a masterpiece in its own way, we must also realize the incongruity of lumping together, in any one exposure, characteristic representatives of these distinct regions.”

Lester’s grandsons, Lester B. and Rowan A. Rowntree, introduce the 2006 edition of Hardy Californians with a biographical sketch of their beloved grandmother. “From her earliest field seasons, Lester voiced alarm over the threats to California’s native flora.” They quote her call to action in “A Plant Hunter Writes About Her Profession” (House and Garden 70, no. 2, 1936): “I began to notice that wherever man settles down the wildflowers disappear. Industries, new roads, the irrepressible real estate ‘developments’ and the spread of agriculture crush or crowd them out. Rescue work must and should be done if some of California’s most precious species, even genera, are to survive.”

By 1939, Lester sensed her campaign gathering momentum. She opens the

WALNUT CREEK GARDEN CLUB

You are invited to visit meetings and to become a part of the Walnut Creek Garden Club! You’ll find friendly members with varying interests, including: • Creating and improving gardens with new plants and techniques • Supporting garden education in local schools • Supporting local environmental charities with community grants • Learning about the fun of arranging flowers • Volunteering to help local gardens, fundraisers, and plant sales The group meets the second Monday of each month at 9:30AM, September through June, at The Gardens at Heather Farm, 1540 Marchbanks Dr., Walnut Creek. The next meeting will be held April 11th.

Just in time for Easter, Steven Brown will work his magic with spring’s colorful floral arrangements. Steven brings years of teaching floral design experience and is Chair of the Environmental Horticulture/Floristry Department at CCSF. The public is invited to attend.

ANNUAL FUNDRAISER LUNCHEON AND SPEAKER

The Club will hold its annual Fundraiser Luncheon and Speaker event on Thursday, April 21st from 11:30am-2pm at the Crow Canyon Country Club located at 711 Silver Lake Dr. in Danville. All funds raised go towards the club’s Community Outreach Grants.

The featured speaker will be TV host, journalist, and environmentalist, Doug McConnell. Doug has hosted and produced many series, specials, and news reports on commercial and public television including Bay Area Backroads, now OpenRoad. The show is the longest-running television series in Bay Area broadcast history.

You are invited to join for a lovely lunch in a beautiful setting, with prize opportunities, as well as a terrific speaker, all for a good cause.

Tickets are $55. For more information, call Jan at 925-933-5861 or visit www.WalnutCreekGardenClub.org.

If you are interested in joining the Club or for more information, please visit www.walnutcreekgardenclub.org.

final chapter of Flowering Shrubs of California: “Most American-born shrubs, like American-born musicians, have been obliged to make their debuts in Europe and to work gradually homeward, marking time until their native public is ready to welcome them with open arms. Now at last we California gardeners are beginning to look about, literally in our own back yards, beginning to give these prophets without honor an opportunity.”

In 1940, James Roof founded East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Berkeley. In 1965, as the website of the California Native Plant Society relates: “An eclectic mix of nature lovers, gardeners, and plant experts came together as The Bay Area Group to save Tilden Park’s native botanic garden.” Continuing as the original chapter of the California Native Plant Society (CNPS), the group offers locally sourced native plants for sale at Native Here Nursery in Tilden Park. Plants propagated from fully permitted collections made by trained volunteers are carefully displayed according to the East Bay habitats where they thrive.

In the opening chapter of Hardy Californians, Lester Rowntree laments: “I wish there were a word one could use instead of the acquisitive-sounding ‘collecting’ which has such a vampirish and predatory ring. Intelligent collecting is a conservation measure; indeed the work is legitimate only when done with knowledge and forethought and when the motive is the preservation of the plants themselves.” When San Francisco officials refused her request to save the rare Franciscan manzanita from possible extinction before Laurel Hill Cemetery was leveled for housing, Rowntree resorted to an unorthodox procedure. She snuck into the graveyard at night to rescue the shrub, subsequently admitting to Roof, “I garnered it ghoulishly in a gunnysack.”

Co-published in 2020 by Winter Badger Press and CNPS, Beauty and the Beast: California Wildflowers and Climate Change, intersperses the breath-taking photography of Rob Badger and Nita Winter with a remarkable range of essays advocating conservation of California’s flora from the different perspectives of over 20 contributors. CNPS Executive Director Dan Glusenkamp begins: “The state is home to 25 percent of the plants that occur north of Mexico, more plant species than any other state in the United States. Moreover, a third of these plants are found nowhere else on Earth!” He urges action to preserve the state’s remarkable biodiversity. “California’s unique landscape needs you.”

LAS TRAMPAS RIDGE HIKE FOR PREVENTION

SUNDAY, APRIL 10

Take a Sunday morning hike with your East Bay community while raising awareness for breast cancer prevention at the third annual “Ridge Hike for Prevention.”

Starting and finishing at the Museum of the San Ramon Valley in downtown Danville, you will choose either a rigorous 10.5 mile hike up the Las Trampas Ridge starting at 7:30AM, a 6.5 mile hybrid walk/hike up the Iron Horse and Camille Trail starting at 9:30AM, or a six mile walk on the Iron Horse Trail starting at 10AM. All hikers/walkers will be supporting the Breast Cancer Prevention Partners’ (BCPP) efforts to stop breast cancer before it starts by fundraising a minimum of $250.

At the finish line there will be an event EXPO and all participants will be treated to lunch/beverages provided by local restaurants. Partnering with the Town of Danville, all proceeds from this event will benefit the BCPP’s mission of eliminating our exposures to toxic chemicals and radiation in our environment.

Register and learn more at https://bit.ly/3fkwKRO.

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ADVANCED ESTATE PLANNINGDO YOU NEED IT?

By Robert J. Silverman, Esq.

Last month, my article focused on presenting a concise outline of core estate planning documents, including what they accomplish and why they’re important. For a very large majority of people, core planning is all they need. But it is not exactly rare, particularly for residents in our nearby affluent areas, for folks to have “advanced planning” needs. Moreover, my experience suggests that many who need advanced planning are not aware of that need.

Here, I’ll do my best to address the following: a) what is advanced planning? b) how do you know if you need it?, and c) if you need it, what does it entail?

Essentially, advanced planning is planning that enables people who have a very high net worth to legally and tax-efficiently transfer their assets to loved ones and/or charities during their life and/or upon their passing.

How do you know if you need advanced planning? It’s not a simple question. The central issue in advanced planning is federal estate tax mitigation. So, let’s start by examining the most basic rules in this rather complex federal tax system.

Each taxpayer has a “unified” gift tax exemption and estate tax exemption of $12,060,000 per person, indexed annually for inflation (so, that amount is doubled for a married couple). This means one can give away during one’s life and/or upon one’s death up to this amount without incurring any federal gift tax or estate tax (“transfer tax”) liability. There are some exceptions under which one can give away a certain amount of assets without using any exemption, but they are beyond the scope of this article.

Once a person gives away more than the amount of the exemption, transfer tax is due at the flat rate of 40%! So far, you might be in the vast majority who quickly conclude that there’s no way you will ever have $12 Million in net assets (or that you and your spouse will never have more than $24 Million in net assets) and thus, advanced planning will never have any impact on you or your loved ones. If so, I urge you to read further.

The current law “sunsets” at the end of 2025, so if no new legislation is enacted by then, the exemption will be cut by 50% - i.e. it will become about $6.5 Million, inflation indexed, in and after 2026. Even these lower exemption limits will only affect taxpayers who have among the very highest net worths in the country. Nevertheless, a fairly significant number of people in our area currently have, or during their lifetime may have, a net worth at or approaching this level.

So, it’s difficult to set any hard and fast rules about whether advanced planning is desirable or necessary. Many factors help with this analysis, including: age/life expectancy, current net worth, present and projected future income, health, loved ones and their situation, philosophy, type of assets, project asset growth, spending habits and plans, potential long-term health care expenses, and potential income tax (and if real estate is involved, property tax) implications.

If advanced planning may be prudent for you, what does it entail? First, your estate planning attorney, financial advisor, and CPA should help you evaluate: a) how much should you gift and to whom, b) when should you make these gifts, c) what assets are optimal to gift, and d) what specific strategy(ies) is optimal.

Most robust advanced planning strategies involve one of several kinds of specialized irrevocable trusts in which donors/taxpayers can shift assets to loved ones - in a highly tax-favorable manner - when, and in the manner, they wish. |Estate Planning | Trust Administration & Probate | Real Estate | Business| Please contact me to request a complimentary: i) “Estate Planning Primer”; ii) Real Estate titling brochure; iii) introductory meeting. I am an attorney with R. Silverman Law Group, 1910 Olympic Blvd., Suite 330, Walnut Creek, CA 94596; (925) 705-4474; rsilverman@rsilvermanlaw.com.

This article is intended to provide information of a general nature, and should not be relied upon as legal, tax and/ or business advice. Readers should obtain specific advice from their own, qualified professional advisors.

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April 2022 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 17

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BBTN continued from front page

biodiversity and connect them as wildlife corridors in a nationwide Homegrown National Park, he remarks: “In the past, we have asked one thing of our gardens: that they be pretty. Now they have to support life, sequester carbon, feed pollinators, and manage water.” The tiniest garden matters in the overall ecological scheme. Tallamy notes in Nature's Best Hope: “Even if your neighbors refuse to add productive plants to their yards and just stick with the barren lawn designs that now dominate our landscapes, your property will still provide some of the food that more mobile species require.”

Several gardens available for in-person touring are previewed in virtual programs running 10am - 3pm, April 16th and 10am-3:30pm, April 17th. Time for Q&A interaction is included. Pause and replay repeatedly at your leisure.

Before purchasing her San Leandro home in 2016, Stefanie Pruegel was a regular BBTN tour participant. She recalls, “I remember seeing one garden in Oakland where the owner talked about a bird journal she had and that she at first observed very few bird species, but with more native plants, the variety of birds also grew. That was a huge motivator for me.” Good-bye

Installed in 2018, Stefanie Pruegel's rainwater catchment tanks take the worry out of California's ongoing drought. Photo courtesy of Stefanie Pruege.

lawn, welcome wildlife! By 2019, Stefanie had a native plant habitat ready for the BBTN tour. One visitor wrote: “I was so impressed by how she transformed her yard not only into a beautiful garden, but also a haven for wildlife.” Several visitors were pleased to learn what could be accomplished in a yard like their own.

Gradually, Pruegel added water and energy saving features to her home.

The rainwater catchment system installed in 2018 with three 1,000-gallon tanks captures enough roof runoff even during severe drought years to

See BBTN continued on page 24

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PAGE 18 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • April 2022

WHY DO YOU HAVE LIFE INSURANCE?

By Peter T. Waldron, Managing Partner of Waldron Partners

It’s safe to say that no one ever wants to think about losing a loved one. The fact that I must think about it every day both desensitizes me to the thought while also making me keenly aware of its impact. With life insurance, however, the impact of loss can be limited to emotional and not financial, if done properly. But why do we have life insurance? Let’s explore why people buy life insurance and its impact on a comprehensive financial plan.

Many people buy their first insurance policy around the time they have their first child (because that’s what adults do, right?). Others buy it because their college friend is an insurance agent or because they’ve gone through a loss and realize that they too need to consider the end and how life will be once they are gone. Another reality is that many folks have it as coverage through work. But the truth is, no matter how they come by their life insurance, many people buy it without any consideration for proper planning, even though the consequences of poor planning can be detrimental.

With a proper financial plan, you can establish a level of certainty that the amounts of life insurance you have are sufficient. While owning life insurance is a great first step, with planning you will peel back the onion of your financial life, unearthing your wealth and the objectives you have planned for your future. The concept of planning around a premature death can be either oversimplified or made to be overcomplicated. We have found that the easiest way to make a determination is to subtract your objectives (standard of living/ mortgage/college/vacation home) from your resources (income/assets). If the result is a deficit, you need life insurance, and if the result is a surplus, you may not need it. In the event there is a premature death, if that deficit is still present, then your survivors will not have the funds they need to support their objectives, and, conversely, if the surplus still exists, then your survivors will just have more, which is most often not a bad thing.

The idea of adulting is rarely fun with all the responsibility that it entails.

And, making awkward decisions about life insurance isn’t always top of mind.

After all, who really wants to think about death? But as we have illustrated above, proper planning is necessary so that you can objectively assess your situation and ensure that your loved ones are taken care of financially if something happens to you prematurely.

To schedule a complimentary review of your financial situation, please contact me at 925-708-7397 or email peter.waldron@lfg.com.

Peter T. Waldron, California Insurance License #0E47827, is a registered representative of Lincoln Financial Advisors, a broker/dealer, member SIPC, and offers investment advisory services through Sagemark Consulting, a division of Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp., a registered investment advisor, Waldron Partners, 3201 Danville Blvd., Suite 190 PO Box 528, Alamo, CA 94507. Waldron Partners is not an affiliate of Lincoln Financial Advisors. Insurance is offered through Lincoln Marketing and Insurance Agency, LLC and Lincoln Associates Insurance Agency, Inc., and other fine companies. This material is for use with the general public and is designed for informational or educational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, tax, or direct investment advice. Lincoln Financial Advisors does not offer legal or tax advice. CRN-4576566-031922

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MOUNT DIABLO BEACON LIGHTING

A joint proclamation was recently signed at the Veterans Memorial Building in Danville to light the beacon on Mount Diablo to honor veterans on Pearl Harbor Day, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day from sunset to sunrise, beginning in 2022 and every year thereafter.

Many people and groups came together to add additional days to the scheduled Mount Diablo beacon lightings.

Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors and The American Legion engaged with California State Parks, Save Mount Diablo and elected representatives to ensure the Mount Diablo beacon is lit these additional days.

Charles Lindbergh originally lit the Mount Diablo beacon in 1928 to assist in

See Lighting continued on page 27

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April 2022 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 19

TECHNOLOGY MATTERS

SECURITY STEPS EVERYONE SHOULD TAKE

By Evan Corstorphine, Portable CIO, Inc.

We’re at an interesting point in time on the world stage. Because the internet reaches into everyone’s smartphone as well as their family room, things happening across the world can impact us here at home. For example, there have been various government spokespeople warning about the possibility of massive “Russian cyber attacks” against US targets.

I imagine those attacks would be in retaliation for the US sanctions regarding Ukraine. My response is, what’s new?

The open secret in the security community is that we’ve already been at war with the Russian cyber criminals for the past several years. Among other actors, the Russian (and Ukrainian) hacker community is making quite a good living sending their nasty ransomware into our mailboxes, websites, and computers. From what I read, it seems China is more interested in espionage and large-scale hacks of government and major commercial institutions. Based on what’s already been happening, I’m not sure how the climate for computer and data security can get a lot worse.

One of my old bosses admonished me to never bring him a problem without at least one possible solution. As such, I will once again lay out what everyone should be doing, whether you use PCIO, another firm, or you have the chutzpah to do it yourself!

1. Passwords. You’ve heard it all before, and you may have ignored the advice. Please, use a different password for every online account you visit. It should be at least 12 characters and use UPPER case, lower case, numb3rs, and #punctuat!on$ to create a secure pa$$word that is d!fficult to gu3ss and h@rd3r to cr@ck. A longer password is better if the website will allow it. Some don’t, and are very old-school about what characters they’ll allow in a password, or they limit you to a shorter than recommended length. Do the best you can.

2. Are you drowning in passwords? Breaking news: everyone else is, too. To wrangle the multitude of passwords you use for your online access, I recommend you adopt a password manager. All the popular managers have an iPhone or Android app, as well as browser plug-ins so that your cache of passwords are readily available when you go to your favorite websites. My family uses LastPass because they have a good family plan. Another good one is 1Password, and another is called Keeper. Look at all of them and pick

one that feels right for you. All three are robust and having one (and using it!) is going to make having different passwords on every website a lot easier to manage. Yes, it’s a little work up front, but it’s well worth it.

3. Use MFA (multi-factor authentication). An example of this is the six or eight-digit code that gets sent to your cell phone that you then must enter into a website so you can login. Another form of it requires that you download an “authenticator” application from the Apple or Google App store. When using an authenticator, you open the app on your phone when you’re trying to login to a website. The app will then show you a temporary code for the website you’re logging into, and you enter that code on the website to login.

It sounds more complicated than it is. It’s a simple extra step that ensures it’s truly you that’s accessing that website.

4. After all these years I shouldn’t have to write this, but here I go again: buy antivirus, and don’t use the free products. We recommend Webroot Antivirus. We do not recommend any antivirus company’s “Internet Security” version of their software. I know that seems counterintuitive in a discussion about security. Suffice it to say that your computer needs to stay secure and still be usable. Every Internet Security software we’ve tried is akin to giving your PC or Mac a lobotomy.

5. Finally, if you have a network at home, ensure that all your network-attached devices are not using their default passwords. Those default passwords are usually very basic, such as “password” or “admin,” or ones that are equally basic. Equipment to change includes your router, network switch, access point, cameras and camera system, and your network printers. Any of these devices can be compromised by an outside actor and used as a springboard to get onto your home computers or to install malware, ransomware, keyloggers, etc.

If you follow these steps, you’ll be far less likely to get zapped by a hack, ransomware, or other malware-based malady. Nothing is guaranteed in life, however, in my experience, these items are the low-hanging fruit that the bad guys are exploiting. As usual, if you need help securing your world, our helpful and cheery staff are just a phone call or email away! Call 925-552-7953 or email support@pcioit.com.

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To advertise call 925.405.6397

KIWANIS CLUB OF SAN RAMON VALLEY

The Kiwanis Club of San Ramon Valley meets every Thursday at noon at Black Bear Diner located at 807 Camino Ramon in Danville. The Club organizes the Kiwanis 4th of July Parade in Danville and many other exciting events.

The Club has an interesting and informative weekly program speaker and specializes in fun and entertaining camaraderie. There is no charge for a guest lunch. For more information, email info@srvkiwanis.org, or visit www.srvkiwanis.org.

LOCAL ROTARY CLUBS

The Rotary Club of Alamo meets virtually on Wednesdays at 12:15PM. For information about the group, visit alamorotary.org, email alamorotary@hotmail.com, or call 925-718-6601. The Danville Rotary Club meets virtually every Monday at noon. Learn more at danvillerotary.org. If you are interested in the Danville/Sycamore Valley Rotary Club, contact Daniel Kodam at daniel@ dsvrotary.com, call 925-336-0000, or visit dsvrotary.com. The Rotary Club of San Ramon Valley meets via Zoom every Wednesday night from 7PM-8:30PM. For more information, call Valerie Munoz at 925-683-6310 or visit www.sanramonvalleyrotary.com. The Rotary Club of Dougherty Valley/San Ramon meets via Zoom on Wednesdays from 5:30PM-6:40PM. For more information, call 925-998-2924. Rotary Club of San Ramon meets via Zoom every Thursday between noon and 1:15pm. For more information, visit sanramonrotary.org, or email chris@gallagherwealth.

DANVILLE LIONS CLUB

The Danville Lions Club meets at 5PM on the first Tuesday of the month and also at 6:30PM on the third Wednesday of the month. The group is looking for like-minded people who wish to volunteer their time for good causes to join the club. The group is a dinner-time club and meets at restaurants for dinner and business meetings in Danville. Danville Lions raise funds and provide services to those in need, both locally and worldwide, through fun and gratifying projects. Lions are well known for successful initiatives in vision health. Please visit www.e-clubhouse.org/sites/danvilleca to learn more or contact Club president Diana Gaines at 925-719-1553.

EXCHANGE CLUB

The Exchange Club of San Ramon Valley meets for lunch the second Wednesday of every month at Faz Restaurant, located at 600 Hartz Avenue in Danville. Sign-in and social time begin at 11:30AM. The meeting starts promptly at noon and ends promptly at 1PM. The one-hour program features guest speakers and business networking. Guests are welcome with luncheon reservations. The cost is $20 for members and first time guests and $23 for returning guests. For reservations and information, please contact Karen Stepper at 925-998-8865 or coachstepper@yahoo.com.

PAGE 20 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • April 2022

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LOVE TO GARDEN? WANT TO LEARN HOW BEST TO PROTECT YOUR SKIN?

ALAMO IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION (AIA)

By Roger Smith, President JOIN NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

Join your Neighborhood Watch and protect yourself and your neighbors.

Contact your Sheriff’s Office and participate in a neighborhood meeting to get started. Email CSU@so.cccounty.us, to reach the specialist in your area for crime prevention information, Neighborhood Watch guidance, and community events.

You can provide crime tips by contacting any of the following: • Office of the Sheriff Investigation Division - (925) 313-2600 • Office of the Sheriff Dispatch - (925) 646-2441 • Anonymous Voice Message - (866) 846-3592 • E-mail - tips@so.cccounty.us Do not call 911 unless you have an emergency or a life-threatening situation.

APRIL IS “CALL 811 BEFORE YOU DIG” MONTH

April means spring weather and more outdoor activity, including backyard excavation projects such as landscaping. That makes now a good time “to remind everyone of the need to continue raising awareness about the potential dangers of excavation without first dialing the nationwide Call Before You Dig 811 number,” said Dave McCurdy, president and CEO of the American Gas Association. McCurdy continued, “Excavation damage remains the number one threat to pipeline safety and reliability all year long.”

The 811 hotline is a free service that allows people to obtain information about what may be buried beneath the excavation surface area, including natural gas pipelines, electric power lines, and other infrastructure. Homeowners and professionals may not always be aware of the importance of marking utility lines before excavation, but calling before a digging job, even small projects such as planting trees and shrubs, can help prevent undesired consequences.

Call 811 from anywhere in the country a few days prior to digging, and your call will be routed to your local One Call Center. Tell the operator where you’re planning to dig and what type of work you will be doing, and your affected local utilities companies will be notified about your intent to dig. In a few days, they’ll send a locator to mark the approximate location of your underground lines, pipes, and cables, so you’ll know what’s below, and be able to dig safely.

You’ll avoid injury, expense, embarrassment - and potentially a very inconvenient day in the dark for you and your neighbors.

For more information on your local One Call Center, or to make an online request for utilities to be marked, visit www.call811.com or call 811 or 800-642-2444.

ALAMO CERTIFIED FARMER’S MARKET NEWS!

With spring here and summer around the corner, the Alamo Farmers Market will be booming with the return of some of your Sunday favorites including Resendiz Farms (stone fruit, cherries, melons, and nuts), Alpine Blue (blueberries, cherries, and walnuts), Delfa’s Garden (home garden grown veggies, fruit, flowers, and herbs), Honest Fish Farms (organic and pasture-raised pork and chicken), Oki Shaved Ice, and the Fruit Tree (organic smoothies, vegan baked goods, and almond milk)!

In addition, there will be a market celebration on May 15th with a kid’s zone (balloon artist, snow cone station, games, and more) as well as a raffle for the “big kids” (aka adults) for a free market basket of goodies from your own Alamo Farmers’ Market! Make sure to stop by the market and see what Alamo Farmers’ Market has in store for you and your family!

If you have any questions or would like to make some vendor/market suggestions, feel free to call or text Market manager Heather at 669-237-5564.

The Market is open rain or shine on Sundays from 9AM – 2PM in Alamo Plaza, off of Danville Blvd., near Bank of America.

AIA SERVING OUR COMMUNITY

Now in its 67th year, AIA, a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization, has the longest history of serving our community and helping shape it into “the place where we love to live!” Please watch for your upcoming AIA 2022 Annual Report, ballot, and membership form to arrive in May. Visit www.

AlamoCA.org for information on AIA, articles of interest to local residents, membership forms, and more.

By Jerome Potozkin, MD

Recently, I saw a new patient named Melissa.

When I asked her what she did for fun she told me that she loved to garden. In fact, she was part of a gardening club. It always amazes me how many people love to garden. For me, the thought of gardening simply conjures up teenage memories of chores I had to do such as mowing the lawn, raking leaves, and pulling weeds. Nonetheless, in this area gardening is a very popular hobby. Melissa came to me for a skin cancer screening that is recommended once a year. Fortunately, she had nothing worrisome on her skin. However, she did mention that she and many of her friends have all types of skin issues related to their passion. That was the inspiration for this month’s feature.

My first recommendation should seem obvious: use sunscreen liberally.

I recommend using a sunscreen that is SPF 30 or higher, broad spectrum, and water-resistant. Make sure you apply to all sun exposed areas. Don’t forget your ears, neck, and hands if you do not wear gloves. Protect your lips with a lip balm that has an SPF 30 or more. Remember, sunscreen doesn’t last all day, so reapply every two hours. To minimize your exposure, avoid gardening when the sun’s rays are strongest between 10am and 2pm.

Protective clothing such as gloves, hats, long sleeves, pants, and shoes that cover your feet are also recommended. There are many things in your garden that can irritate, injure, or cause allergies. You are exposed to sap, thorns, and spines which can all cause problems. Protective clothing is a great way to avoid these problems.

Our gardens are havens for all sorts of little critters, many of which are invisible to the naked eye. Protective clothing can help prevent bug bites.

Another precaution I recommend is spraying your clothing with insect repellent. Since insects are most active at dusk and dawn, avoid gardening during these times. When you are finished gardening be sure to check yourself for ticks. Shower immediately and change into clean clothes.

Lastly, I recommend avoiding contact with citrus containing foods before gardening. If citrus does get on your skin be sure to wash immediately.

Citrus exposure can cause a phytophotodermatitis. Phytophotodermatitis is one of my favorite fancy big words in dermatology. It simply means that exposure to sun after the skin has been in contact with lime, lemon, orange, or grapefruit juice can cause a wicked blistering dermatitis. In a case like this, you may want to see a dermatologist.

Most gardening related skin problems will resolve on their own. You can treat itchy or irritated skin with an over-the counter cortisone cream.

For itchy eyes, you can take an over-the-counter antihistamine. If you have an injury or skin problem that isn’t healing or getting worse, it is best to see a board-certified dermatologist.

Dr. Jerome Potozkin is a Board Certified Dermatologist specializing in minimally and non-invasive cosmetic procedures. The practice is accepting new patients and can be reached at (925) 838-4900 and www.MyBeautyMd.com.

Advertorial

EBRPD TRAILS CHALLENGE

Every year over 10,000 people participate in the free, self-guided hiking and bicycling programs to explore the East Bay regional parks and to keep fit outdoors.

The 29th annual Trails Challenge is sponsored by the Regional Parks Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, and East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD).

The 2022 Guidebook includes 20 detailed trail descriptions available for all levels of fitness. There are trails open to hikers, bicyclists, dogs, and equestrians, and some trails are wheelchair accessible. To complete the challenge, hike five of the 20 trails or 26.2 miles of trails within the EBRPD. You can submit your log online or by mail by December 1, 2022 and receive a commemorative pin, while supplies last.

All 20 featured trails are available on the AllTrails app. Download the

See Trails continued on page 23

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April 2022 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 21

925-831-8310 Meet Dr. Yvonne Hyland & Her Family Dr. Hyland has been in private practice since 2000. She received a DDS degree from Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas, Texas. Following dental school, she pursued a hospital-based General Practice Residency at the Veteran’s Medical Center in West Los Angeles for two years. Realizing this was not the end of her formal education, she completed a successful three-year post-graduate surgical residency in periodontics. Dr. Hyland’s experience and professional skills excel in every aspect of dentistry from general cosmetic procedures to complex surgical cases. She has placed thousands of successful dental implants and is highly trained in all phases of gum disease therapy, tissue and bone grafting procedures, and wisdom teeth extraction.

Dr. Hyland understands the desire to provide the very best care for the entire family. As a resident of Alamo, she strives to meet community needs by providing unparalleled services for those seeking the finest complete dental care in one location. In her spare time, Dr. Hyland enjoys spending time with her husband Terry, two sets of twin boys, and their three rescue dogs adopted from ARF.

Open Monday - Thursday and the first two Saturday’s of each month.

Meet Dr. Kiranjot Dyal Dr. Kiranjot Dyal graduated from the University of California, Davis, with a Bachelor of Science in Molecular and Cellular Biology. Thereafter, she attended Western University of Health Sciences, College of Dental Medicine to earn her degree in Dental Medicine (D.M.D.) and further extended her studies by completing a general practice residency at UCLA- Harbor Medical Center, where she earned the “Resident of the Year” accolade. Dr. Dyal’s passion for growth in her dental skills shows as she continues educating herself through various classes and up to date courses.

Dr. Dyal’s goal as a dental provider is to provide compassionate care for her patients and make them feel as stress-free as possible in the dental chair. She believes that knowledge is power and understanding what treatment is needed, why it's necessary, and how it can be prevented in the future is extremely important in bettering the overall oral health of her patients and the general public. Dr. Dyal strives to build a trusting and genuine relationship with her patients and their family and friends to create a comfortable dental home for the community she treats.

PAGE 22 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • April 2022

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ARE YOU FEELING TIRED AND WIRED?

By Dr. Niele Maimone, DC

Feral Cat Foundation

Kitten and Cat Adoptions Saturdays 11 -3 | Sundays Noon-3 Petco 2005 Crow Canyon Place, San Ramon AM

PM

PM

All cats will be spayed or neutered, receive FVRCP shots, feline testing, microchip Learn more at feralcatfoundation.org 925-829-9098 Hike continued from page 6

to April 15 so that their company logo/family name can be included on the event T-shirt. Details are available at TheHikeForHope.com.

Money raised through registrations and peer-to-peer supporting donations benefits patient care and helps keep grief support, dementia education, and family caregiver resources available to the public at no charge.

The community’s participation helps Hope Hospice care for more than 2,000 East Bay neighbors each year.

Route options (volunteer trail guides are stationed along the routes for safety) include a 2.6 miles: easy out-and-back lakefront route that can be shortened to your comfort level, and 4.4 miles which adds a moderate incline loop.

Start anytime between 8:30 and 9:30AM. When you finish, enjoy a free barbecue lunch sponsored by MCE Corp.

A tax-deductible registration donation requested is $35 adult, for participants age 18 and up, $15 youth, for participants ages 13–17, and free for kids 12 and under (registration still required to get a shirt).

A new $80 family package includes registration for two adults and two youth Hope Hospice is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has served the Tri-Valley and neighboring East Bay cities since 1980.

HopeHospice.com. Tax ID 94-2576059.

FAMILY CAREGIVER EDUCATION SERIES

In my practice today, I see 75% of my patients whose symptoms are rooted in chronic stress. The reason why is simple: we live lives mired in chronic stress that our bodies just aren’t biologically designed to handle.

Your body is pre-programmed to react to stress in a way that protects you from danger. This “fight-orflight response” is a conventional system based on the idea that stress is temporary. When you encounter danger, your adrenal stress response kicks in to help you escape it and then you get to relax and recover. However, stress doesn’t just appear in isolated incidents in modern life. Instead, it’s everywhere, all the time, and we’re so busy that we rarely have enough time to recover before the subsequent stressors show up. As a result, stress hormone production in the adrenal glands is constantly churning, leading to actual damage to the body’s delicate hormonal balance.

Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, is often the villain. Excess cortisol can throw your whole endocrine system off-balance. If you’re suffering from fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, burnout, or a host of other similar symptoms, you may have some level of adrenal dysfunction or full-blown adrenal fatigue.

COMMON SIGNS OF ADRENAL FATIGUE

Adrenal fatigue develops over time in response to chronic stress. The longer it goes, the more likely you will develop symptoms. If you’re used to a stressful lifestyle, your body may be telling you a different story.

Some of the more common symptoms of adrenal fatigue include exhaustion, insomnia, anxiety, intense irritability, brain fog, and weight gain. Adrenal fatigue and adrenal stress can create a long and varied list of symptoms because these issues are intertwined with other hormonal imbalances.

Women in their 40s and beyond who find themselves tired, tense, and stressed-out usually suspect their symptoms are caused by perimenopause.

But even when women are on the cusp of menopause, adrenal stress can be the driving force behind more challenging symptoms.

All hormones are connected to and affect one another, but “major” hormones like cortisol have the most significant impact on hormonal balance.

As stress hormone levels become imbalanced, other parts of your endocrine system are disrupted, amplifying symptoms and creating further problems.

This adrenal connection to other hormones helps explain why the effects of stress can show up in such a variety of unpleasant ways. First, taking care of your adrenal problems makes it easier to resolve other hormonal imbalance problems — including menopause symptoms.

HOW DO I RESTORE MY ADRENAL HEALTH?

Most women suffering from adrenal fatigue experience symptoms that usually fall into one of three categories along a spectrum of fatigue: “wired,” “tired and wired,” or “tired.” As adrenal imbalances worsen, women may move through these stages until they reach the point of near exhaustion.

Your type of adrenal fatigue determines what kinds of symptoms show up and how you will find relief and restore healthy adrenal function.

Conventional medicine has not recognized the pivotal role of adrenal health in overall health. If you complain of stress-related symptoms, they may tell you it’s all in your head. Alternative doctors are usually well-versed in simple steps to restore healthy adrenal function. At Align, we offer specialized testing and regimens to get you back to your balanced self. With the proper diet, supplements, exercise, and other lifestyle changes, we can help put you back on track.

Dr. Niele Maimone, DC of Align Healing Center in Danville, has been active in natural health and wellness since 1999. For more information or to set up a consult call 925-362-8283 or visit www.alignhealingcenter.com. Advertorial

If you’re caring for an elderly family member, Hope Hospice is available to help with a free education series, now offered as interactive classes through Zoom. Recordings of past events are available on their website, too. Register at HopeHospice.com/family. For questions, call 925-829-8770.

• April 14, 10–11:30AM | “Living With Dementia: New Diagnosis and Next Steps” Hearing a doctor confirm that memory issues you, or a loved one, have been experiencing are, in fact, early symptoms of dementia would understandably be cause for concern. While it may only be natural to think about the worst-case scenario, receiving a dementia diagnosis early on is actually a good thing—it gives you and your family more time to plan for the challenges that lie ahead. Dementia specialists will share resources and strategies to help prepare for the changes that a dementia diagnosis will bring.

• May 12, 10–11:30AM | “End-of-Life Issues: Hospice and Palliative Care” End-of-life care refers to both the medical care and the emotional support that patients and families receive when death is imminent. Hope Hospice clinical staff will share general information about what to expect in the final days of life, transitioning to comfort care, selecting hospice services, and making funeral arrangements.

editor @ yourmonthlypaper.com

April 2022 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 23

SIR continued from page 9

golf pro Pete Asselin at Diablo Creek Golf Course in Concord. Why pay exorbitant country club dues when you can play with a great group of fellows for a lot less? Upcoming is the Annual Monterey two-day Golf Event to be held May 18-19 at Fort Ord’s Bayonet & Black Horse Golf Courses. A Banquet dinner will be held there on Wednesday, May 18th. If you are not currently a member of branch 116 but wish to participate in this golf event, email jbarstow@aol.com, or call 925-938-2744.

There are two different book groups that meet monthly and enjoy a great time sharing ideas.

A very active fishing group takes place with participation from SIR members in the area. The pickleball group meets at 9:30AM every Friday at Heather Farms Tennis Courts in Walnut Creek, and the third year of bocce ball starts in April.

The bridge group currently meets every other Tuesday at 10AM at Diablo Country Club. Put on your shoes and take an easy hour-long walk every Friday at 9AM with the Amiable Amblers walking group.

If you wish to learn more or become a member of SIR Las Trampas Branch 116, please visit https:// sirinc2.org/branch116, or call 925-322-1160. Come join the group and have some fun!

Chromatica continued from page 4

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Tel: (925) 328-0255 Chromatica was founded in 2011 and now TEXT us at (925) 328-0255 24/7 includes 20 men and women singers. Led by David Email: staff@caldermcare.com P. Huff, an outstanding director and operatic tenor drwilliamting.com who has sung both in New York and San Francisco *Welcoming new Medicare patients and accompanied by the exceptional pianist, Julie Rieth, it seeks to perform challenging pieces at a high level of professionalism. NATIONAL AGING IN PLACE COUNCIL Chromatica returns to its normal concert schedule of May and November performances this year. November performances will celebrate Chromatica’s tenth SEMINARS T h e National Aging in anniversary with a special program.

Tickets are $25 for adults, $10 for students, and children 10 and under are Place Council invites you to admitted free. For concert tickets and to find out more about Chromatica, visit attend a free seminar series. www.chromaticachorale.org. Tickets for all concerts are also available at the door. The upcoming series is titled, “What to Look for When Hiring For a more personal look, you can find Chromatica on Facebook. a Caregiver.” The series will ke Aging in Place from a universally Trails continued page 20 known and widely utilized begin on April 14 th and will be free app, sign up,adults and log in.via Theneducation, go to www.alltrails.com/lists/ebrpd-trailsder American collaboration, advocacy, challenge-2022 and click on “Copy to my lists,” followed by “Continue in held at Brave Church located at 20801 San ervices.

These events FREE of‘Plan. charge are solely forRamon Valley Blvd.

App.” The featured trails willare show all under ‘Lists’ in ’ The appand indicates in San Ramon from 10-11:30 am. ses. where you are on the trail, enabling easy return to the trail if you stray from Every second Thursday of the month from 10-11:30 am additional it. You can also record your hikes, and share your photos and comments seminars will be held. On May 12 th, the topic will be "Stages of Cogwith other park users. th Visit www.ebparks.org/trails-challenge to download the 2022 Trails nitive Decline," and on June 9 the topic will be “Medicare & Vet Challenge Guidebook, trail maps, the Trails Challenge Log Form, or to Assistance.”

To register or for more information, call Christine at 925-495-0330. submit your Log Form.

CATIONAL SERIES

SF BAY AREA CHAPTER

PANEL SPEAKERS

PAGE 24 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • April 2022

BBTN continued from page 17

satisfy her landscape needs. Solar panels added in 2021 with a Smart Panel offering flexible use of stored power along with energy-efficient heat pump hot water heater (2020) and ductless mini-split heat pump for heating and cooling (2020) have reduced Stefanie’s monthly PG&E bill to $14. Her goal is getting as close to a zero-impact lifestyle as possible. The completed projects have generated a sense of empowerment. She remarked during the East Bay Green Home Tour: “Most eco-actions aim to be ‘less bad’ but I wanted to see if I can actually give back, make something better than it was before.” Witness her success on the virtual tour April 16th and in-person on April 30th.

Anne Chambers and Ed McAlpine first opened their Moraga garden to BBTN attendees in 2019. Anne writes: “We loved encouraging others to take the leap into natives, and talking about what we enjoy about the garden, and how we too started as novices (despite our many years of attending the tour) but have learned quite a bit over the last three to four years since converting to natives.” Asked why their garden was a 2019 favorite, a participant explains: “The variety of plants, the layout, and the pond were all wonderful. The time spent creating this garden and the artistic and personal spirit of it were evident.”

On the April 17th virtual tour and in-person tour on May 1st, Anne and Ed proudly describe their new Green Home features. The Tesla solar panels installed in May 2021 integrate solar collection and dummy-glazed tiles in an aesthetically pleasing replacement of the old tile roof. Anne reports: “Several neighbors have walked by and asked us how we like them, and one even asked to take photos of the roof.” Saved since going solar from suffering any adverse effects from five power outages each lasting more than one hour, Anne and Ed are eager to share their experience.

At Bob and Stephanie Sorenson’s Orinda property on Lauterwasser Creek, garden visitors will be able to ask Audubon Society experts Michael Strom and Karen Sorenson about the 53 species of birds previously counted there and those they are recording May 1st. Bob grew up in Orinda and took a course in native plants at Merritt College in 1986 when he and his wife returned to raise their family. They move d into t heir current home in 1988.

“I initially thought the creek was native, but when I started to examine it, I realized it had probably been heavily grazed by cattle and the understory was 90% exotic.

That’s when I started to remove the exotics and add local natives where appropriate,” Bob relates.

Bob Sorenson's bridges across Lauterwasser Creek beckon Over the years, he’s visitors to commune with nature. Photo courtesy of BBTN. relied on Native Here Nursery in Berkeley and plants he’s propagated from natives already on site for horticultural material. Large lawns left in place while his children were young have recently been replaced by lush habitats of native plants that welcome birds, butterflies, and bees. Bob potted 100 Valley Oak seedlings (Quercus lobata) to give tour visitors, but squirrels claimed many of the freebies for themselves.

Not to be missed by Alamo and Danville residents, Patricia Ramsay and Shawn O’Leary's Alamo garden showcasing locally appropriate plants demonstrates how quickly a native planting can become a peaceful sanctuary.

Installed in the fall of 2020, a year after the couple moved in, the garden was designed by Kelly Marshall whose own Clayton property is also on the May 1st tour. Patty remarks: “The home came with two lawns that needed

See BBTN continued on page 27

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YOUR PERSONAL NUTRITIONIST

RESTRICTING WHAT YOU EAT CAN LEAD TO OVEREATING

By Linda Michaelis RD, MS

I write my articles based on patterns I see with clients that I am working with in my practice.

It is quite common to see clients restrict themselves at restaurants and social events and then end up coming home and snacking from one food to the next, because they were not satisfied and still feel hungry. Despite the opportunity to taste new foods or eat food we love at social events, we often will limit what we eat for fear of appearing to overeat and then when we return home we compensate by overeating.

Consider the following typical scenario. Diane went to lunch with her friend to Roam Burgers and ordered a hamburger with a side salad. She really wanted to order their famous sweet potato fries but thought she was more prudent substituting a salad for the fries. If I was sitting next to her I would have suggested ordering the fries instead of the salad and perhaps eating only one side of the bun. Diane knew she was going hiking with her husband in the afternoon and needed to realize she should have some carbs before a late afternoon hike.

Still being hungry after lunch, Diane walks through the door and pours herself a large bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios with almond milk and, in addition, proceeds to eat a few handfuls of nuts and a cup of berries. She then left for her hike. After a two hour hike her husband suggests they go to get pizza, because of course he is hungry. Despite feeling as if she screwed up by eating too many snacks earlier, Diane caves in and eats too much pizza.

This a great example of restricting yourself that then leads to overeating.

Here is my advice to Diane. Lunch is the best time to have a higher fat and carb meal, especially if you are planning to go hiking later in the day where you will burn many calories. If Diane would have enjoyed the hamburger and fries, which she really wanted, she could have had a yogurt and a sprinkle of berries before the hike if she felt hungry, or possibly taken a Lara or Kind Bar on the hike. Then, at the pizza parlor, she could have had a slice or two of pizza with a side of salad or maybe shared a salad with her husband.

Diane easily consumed more calories from snacking when she got home after lunch compared to having an order of sweet potato fries that she desired in the first place.

Everyday you should think ahead and plan your meals based on your schedule, especially if there is a restaurant or social event to attend that may offer tempting foods. Be prepared to balance out the event by having meals with high protein and fiber earlier in the day. If the event is a dinner, for breakfast have an egg white omelet with veggies and for lunch have chicken or tuna lettuce wraps. If you attend a lunch event, especially a buffet, assess your hunger level at dinner time and then either go without dinner or have a light meal such as a chicken salad, yogurt and berries, or cottage cheese and veggies.

Please do not save all your calories for dinner. Often if you do then you will almost certainly overeat and gain weight.

If you feel you are out of control with food, let me take you by the hand and set up a nutrition plan for you based on your lifestyle and health needs.

Stop feeling guilty about eating so called “fattening foods,” and learn how even “forbidden foods” can become your friends.

Please contact me if you feel that you need an objective nutritionist to create a successful plan. Nutritional counseling can be covered by health insurance companies including Aetna, ABMG, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield, CCHP, Cigna, Sutter, UHC, and others. I am happy to call on your behalf and see what coverage your plan offers. Please visit my website www.LindaRD.com to learn more about my services. Feel free to email me at lifeweight1@yahoo.com, or call me at 925-855-0150 to tell me about your nutritional concerns and see how I may help you.

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April 2022 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 25

INCREASE STRENGTH, BALANCE, POSTURE, AND BONE DENSITY, WHILE REDUCING YOUR JOINT & BACK PAIN AND TYPE 2 DIABETES IN 15 MINUTES ONE TIME A WEEK By Roger Pelphrey, OsteoStrong Danville

Sounds too good to be true doesn’t it? That is what Stacii thought when she first heard of OsteoStrong. Stacii, a 60-year-old very healthy and active woman, found out that she had osteoporosis during a routine checkup with her doctor. Stacii’s doctor, who is very up to date on the latest technologies in biohacking and physical medicine approaches to solve many of our aging issues, highly recommended that she begin OsteoStrong sessions to eliminate her osteoporosis.

When Stacii first came in she was very skeptical that 15 minutes once a week would truly work. Stacii decided to commit a year to OsteoStrong and see what could happen. She said that if she does not lose bone density, she would be happy.

Stacii’s DEXA scan on August 2020 was a -2.8 (osteoporosis). Stacii had another DEXA scan completed in January 2022, and her bone density is now a -1.7, meaning she has moved from osteoporosis to osteopenia. Over the next year Stacii anticipates her bone density to continue improving and to be completely out of osteopenia.

Stacii is one of many members who have come to OsteoStrong apprehensive but hopeful that it is every bit as effective as it claims. Just like many others, Stacii experienced the incredible results that OsteoStrong sessions can provide by simply attending weekly, 15 minutes sessions over the course of a year.

Amy, an Olympic hopeful for the 2024 Olympics Track and Field team, came to OsteoStrong in November 2020 looking to get the edge in her sport and to recover from a major injury she suffered earlier in the year. Amy wanted to regain the strength she had lost from her injury and increase in strength and balance, which is key for her to compete at the highest level. To Amy’s astonishment, not only did she increase in strength, but she has also had dramatic improvements in her hammer throw, setting personal records and moving towards her goal of representing the US in the 2024 Olympics.

Jack, a 92-year-old man, came to OsteoStrong hoping to improve his posture.

Over the course of the years, he had become very kyphotic and had severe pain in his mid to lower back. After his first session he noticed a little improvement and had to adjust his rear-view mirror in his car. Over the next eight weeks, he had to make an adjustment to his rear-view mirror each week. Over the course of six months, he has had a 16% improvement in his posture. Not only is Jack standing taller, but he will tell you he has had a dramatic improvement in strength. Jack’s favorite part is that he can now stand during his church service without pain.

YOU MUST BE ASKING, WHAT IS OSTEOSTRONG?

OsteoStrong works for people of all ages and levels of activity to promote skeletal strength which impacts the entire body in many ways. The process is known as Osteogenic Loading. Osteogenic Loading is supported and recommended by the National Osteoporosis Foundation, the International Osteoporosis Foundation, the World Health Organization, and American Bone Health, just to name a few.

We have members from 11 years old to 97 years young and everything in between. We have professional athletes that are looking to get the edge, and more seasoned individuals who want to improve in certain aspects of their life.

Sessions are quick, painless, and results are measurable and happen quickly.

Do you want to learn more about OsteoStrong and see if it is right for you? We always begin with a Complimentary Virtual Appointment (CVA). During the CVA you will learn: • The science behind what we do and how you can effectively improve your foundation; aka skeletal system • How osteogenic loading is the ONLY proven way to increase bone density • How our members have increased their strength, balance, and posture • How our members have decreased their back/joint pain and reduced there A1C’s for those who are diabetic To book your CVA visit OsteostrongDanvilleBlackhawk.as.me/virtual, call 925-967-2809, or use the QR code above.

WE HAVE A SPECIAL OFFER FOR YOU

Book and complete your CVA during the month of April and get: 1. The rest of the month of April for free 2. A lifetime discount on your membership 3. Money back guarantee Want to hear more stories like Stacii’s? Scan the QR code at left and enjoy.

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OPEN MONDAY TO SATURDAY MONDAY—FRIDAY: 9 - 6 SATURDAY: 9 - 4

925.202.2846 HELP! VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO GIVE RIDES TO SENIORS AND VETERANS

Mobility Matters is a nonprofit agency that gives rides to seniors and veterans in Contra Costa County. Volunteer drivers are needed to escort seniors to medical appointments and grocery shopping. Volunteers must be 25 to 75 years old.

Please call Mobility Matters at (925) 284-2215 for more details. You can learn more about Mobility Matters at www.mobilitymatterscc.com.

TELECARE CONNECTS WITH THE HOMEBOUND

Since 1971, member volunteers of TeleCare, a philanthropic program of Assistance League® of Diablo Valley, have been making weekday reassurance calls to seniors and the homebound in our community. Clients can anticipate a friendly exchange of ideas with trained volunteers who provide high quality, consistent communications. If a client cannot be reached, family members will be notified.

This service is free! Make that call to get you or someone you know connected! For more information, call 925-9340901. To learn about Assistance League of Diablo Valley’s other philanthropic programs, please visit www.assistanceleague.org/diablo-valley.

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

Neighborhood Watch is a community action and problem-solving program, and one of the most effective means available for resolving issues within the community. Through organized problem-solving activities, your block can remove crime from your neighborhood and address community issues of concern.

The Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff will be hosting meetings via Zoom. If you have any questions or are interested in finding out more information, please email the Community Services Unit at csu@so.cccounty.us.

PAGE 26 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • April 2022

PICOSURE LASER

By Dr. Barbara Persons

Sun damage, wrinkles, and acne scars; who needs them? PicoSure® laser is fast, effective, safe, and requires little to no downtime for you. You can be back to work after a lunchtime procedure, and it is okay to get this treatment in the summer. In fact, I get my yearly Fraxel treatment on my birthday, July 5th!

With PicoSure® laser, say “hello” to rejuvenated healthy skin, stimulate collagen and elastin production, and gain a glow with the laser revitalization.

For best results, four to six treatments are recommended, four weeks apart.

PicoSure’s® pressure-wave technology uses a unique wavelength of light (755nm) and a specialized lens to convert laser energy into gentle pressure.

This pressure “squeezes” cells, activating the natural cell signaling process that creates new collagen and elastin without burning or damaging the skin.

This process can also reduce unwanted pigmentation during the course of treatment. The skin is left looking healthy, bright, and revitalized. Because PicoSure® utilizes pressure wave instead of heat, patients of all skin types can be treated and experience very little downtime.

Do you have a tattoo that you no longer love? Say goodbye! PicoSure® removes unwanted tattoos faster and more effectively than ever before. Over the course of approximately six or seven treatments, lasers remove the ink by targeting the ink’s pigment with a high intensity light beam, causing

SonRise continued from page 15

www.yourmonthlypaper.com it to break into smaller molecules. The ink is then absorbed by the body naturally, fading the tattoo until it is no longer visible. Like other cosmetic procedures, individual results may vary, but our team’s dedication to your satisfaction won’t!

Ready to look as good as you feel? Call our office, and let’s discuss your goals to healthy, revitalized skin! Treatment packages are available.

Barbara L Persons, MD, FACS is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and owns Persons Plastic Surgery, Inc., located at 911 Moraga Rd, Suite 205 in Lafayette. She can be reached at 925-283-4012 or info@ Advertorial personsplasticsurgery.com.

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Progress takes time, but as SonRise volunteer Marcia Kellam relates, “The expressions of the children we work with at SonRise when they are successful is a cause for celebration. You’d think we were having a birthday party, whether it’s the child’s ability after months of trying to pull back on the reins or sit up in the saddle without support.”

In the Saddle and In the Saddle Junior lessons partner one child, one instructor, and one horse in 45-minute sessions. Volunteer side-walkers keep riders from slipping. Lessons are tailored 100% to what each child needs. Matthews notes, “Many children are fearful of mounting a horse for the first time. One girl just sat in the car. We started by getting her to pet the minis. Finally, after four weeks, we got her on a horse. I was worried that she would jump off, but by the time we got to the round pen she was smiling and happy.”

SonRise volunteer Sandra Gallo explains, “After each child completes their lesson, instructors and volunteers sit down together to share and record their observations about each child’s lesson and what they have learned. This is helpful for the instructor that gives the child their next lesson. It is a wonderful time to The SonRise Open House welcomed waiting list participants to meet the minis and get to know each other and bond.” She adds, “I am so impressed with the SonRise horses. Photo courtesy of SonRise. organization. They are so detail-oriented and safety conscious. The staff is very kind and are dedicated to understanding what each child needs. The horses are so well trained.”

Horses have an innate ability based on their evolutionary history as prey animals living in herds to read body language and emotions and respond with non-judgmental feedback. Spending time in their company and caring for them has proven beneficial in equine-assisted learning and psychotherapy programs. SonRise offers Team Equine, a working ranch program supervised by adult volunteers, to children facing social and emotional challenges.

Activities including chores, horse science, riding, and arts and crafts provide positive role models and build solid, supportive relationships.

Helping Hands recognizes the value of fostering healthy peer relationships with the guidance of adult mentors in small, team-building groups. Teen volunteers partner in learning ranch chores with teens facing difficulties at home, bullying, high-functioning special needs, and other challenges.

Traveling Tails brings a welcome gift most young recipients never thought to wish for to patients at George Mark Children’s House. Gallo writes: “When we visit George Marks it is truly magical. The ponies/minis will put their heads on a child’s arm or in their lap and stay there for five or more minutes.

The calming effect that these animals have on the children is so heart-warming. We often say these horses have been given a special gift.”

Kellam recalls, “During one visit to George Marks, Treasure (the pony) seemed drawn to a girl in a wheelchair who couldn’t move. Treasure put his nose up to her face and stood very still. When we went on to visit another child, it seemed that Treasure wanted to return to the first girl. Only her eyes showed how happy the pony was making her. I took her arm and helped her pet him.”

Traveling Tails also visits special needs students at local elementary schools and campers at Taylor Family Foundation’s Camp Arroyo and hopes to be back at Oakland Children’s Hospital soon.

Lauren Zherebnenkov, SonRise Family Coordinator, writes: “The very first day of SonRise lessons at Brown Ranch, I drove in right when our team of volunteers was walking over to meet the very first rider. They were all wearing black SonRise T-shirts, their volunteer nametags, and had huge smiles on their faces. I’ll be honest, I teared up a little bit seeing them there. Our team was back and ready to serve! And our kids were coming back! I’m so thankful God brought us to this new chapter for SonRise. I’m so thankful for our dedicated volunteers who have followed us to our new facility and helped us in this transition. And I’m so thankful we get to serve these amazing kids and their families.”

Save these dates! On May 16th, 4:30-8pm, Gianni’s Italian Bistro in San Ramon is donating 10% of sales and 100% of tips to SonRise. On September th 24 , beginning at 5:30pm, Blackhawk Country Club hosts Wine & Equine with auctioneer Frank Hanna and emcee Mike Nicco. Mini-horses Blackie and Windy will be dressed up for the occasion. Marcia and Sandra already know how to get them up to the ballroom in the elevator.

Learn more about SonRise at www.sonrisekids.org. Helping Hands has limited openings. All other SonRise programs currently have waiting lists.

editor @ yourmonthlypaper.com

BBTN continued from page 24

regular watering. In addition to the water issue, we realized they didn’t serve much purpose for us.” Recalling the smaller native garden they loved at their Pleasanton home and appreciating the proximity of their Alamo property to open space, Patty and her husband wanted a yard that “would be hospitable to our wildlife neighbors, and would provide a place for us to relax

The burbling fountain at Patricia Ramsay and Shawn O'Leary's Alamo garden brings birds flocking. Photo courtesy of Patricia Ramsay.

and enjoy our outdoor spaces.” Low-maintenance natives give them time to sit and watch the birds flocking to their burbling fountain and feeding on their California fuchsia that bloomed well into November.

When Kathy Kramer founded BBTN in 2005, native plant resources and advice on plants suited to local conditions were extremely limited. Now the BBTN website offers extensive lists for nurseries featuring natives and designers dedicated to creating gardens incorporating primarily native plants. This year’s schedule along with photos and descriptions of the 50 gardens on tour is also posted. Generous sponsors make free tours possible, but contributions from attendees are also essential. Donate on the website or at gardens open during in-person tours April 30th Bayside and May 1st Inland, running 10am-5pm both days.

Dare continued from page 6

range from colorful and lively portrayals to quiet and reflective renderings of women who cared deeply and lived boldly and bravely.

The Village Theatre and Art Gallery is open to visitors Wednesday through Friday from noon to 5PM, Saturday from 11AM to 3PM, and Monday and Tuesday by appointment only. The Art Gallery is closed on Sundays. Admission is free, and donations are appreciated. Please visit www.danville.ca.gov/vtart to confirm hours and health guidelines, as these may change.

For more information, contact Visual Arts Coordinator Marija Nelson Bleier at 925-314-3467 or mnelsonbleier@danville.ca.gov.

Lighting continued from page 18

the early days of commercial aviation. The beacon shone from the summit of Mount Diablo each night until December 8, 1941, the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

It was not relit until December 7, 1964, when Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander in Chief of Pacific Forces during World War II, attended a ceremony on Mount Diablo’s summit in commemoration of the survivors of Pearl Harbor. He suggested lighting the beacon every December 7th to honor those who served and sacrificed.

Save Mount Diablo, California State Parks, the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors Chapter 5, and California State University–East Bay (Concord Campus) organize the annual lighting ceremony of the Beacon every December 7th in honor of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

To advertise,to share pictures, or a story idea, please contact us at 925.405.6397 or Editor@YourMonthlyPaper.com

April 2022 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • PAGE 27

THE EYE OPENER

CORNEAL INFECTIONS

By Gregory Kraskowsky, O.D., Alamo Optometry

Patients are always asking me what can happen to the eye if they sleep with their contact lenses in place.

I tell them it is best if you do not find out, but a corneal ulcer is the likely answer. Since this condition causes pain, extreme light sensitivity, and decreased vision, the exact reason is not as paramount as getting the proper diagnosis and treatment.

To understand what can go wrong with the cornea, we must first understand the structure itself. The cornea is the clear front part of the eye covering the iris and it is where the contact lens rests while it is on the eye. It is made of clear collagen and does about 2/3 of the focusing of the eye. It contains no blood vessels and is one of the most highly innervated tissues in the body with nerves. Therefore, just the slightest insult will cause the eye to be red, painful, and light sensitive.

The good thing about the cornea is that is does heal quickly, and usually with proper and aggressive treatment, the patient will start to feel some relief in 24 to 48 hours. The cornea has many ways to keep infections away, so thankfully infections do not occur that often. However, your susceptibility increases with contact lens wear and contact lens wear non-compliance. In addition, eyelid inflammation and disease can set the stage for corneal compromise and infection.

The most common cause for infection is due to poor compliance with contact lens wearing, improper disposing of your lenses, and/or sleeping in your lenses.

Usually, the infection forms and progresses overnight as the cornea becomes compromised and more susceptible to bacterial infections from normal bacteria on and around the eyes and eyelids. Patients will then wake up with a red, painful eye and will usually call the office first thing in the morning. Corneal infections need to be treated quickly and aggressively. Treatment consists of high dose antibiotic drops and follow-up within one to two days. Without proper treatment, the condition can deteriorate very quickly and can lead to permanent decreased vision depending on the exact location and area infected. The patient cannot wear their contacts for about a week, so this is a great example of why a reliable pair of back-up glasses is mandatory for all contact lens wearers. We will see the patient back in the office until the infection resolves and then they can start wearing their lenses again. Our office policy is that once a corneal infection is related to sleeping in your lenses, the recommendation is to not do so going forward. Wearing your lenses daily is not a problem but sleeping in them is not allowed. Most patients are fine with this considering the pain and associated issues with the infection.

Chronic lid conditions such as blepharitis can also lead to corneal infections. As your lids are closed while sleeping, the bacteria on and around the lids and lashes more easily falls off and gets into the eye. Once these bacterial excretions get in the eye, the corneal defenses are weakened, paving the way for an infection. That is why it is particularly important to remove all makeup at night and to keep the eyelids and eyelashes as clean as possible.

Patients that come into the office for a corneal infection usually present the same. They are all wearing dark sunglasses and often a hat, have a tissue handy for the constant tearing, and covering their face because of light sensitivity.

Regardless of the exact cause or diagnosis, these infections need to be treated.

Again, the “good” thing about these patients is that they are in a decent amount of pain so they will seek care very soon after the onset of their symptoms. We are happy to see you in the office on the same day to start the healing process.

Dr. K. at Alamo Optometry is your hometown eye doctor for outstanding service, vision care, and designer eyewear. He can be reached at (925) 8206622, or visit his office at 3201 Danville Blvd., Suite 165, in Alamo. For more information, visit our newly updated website at www.alamooptometry.com, and Advertorial “Like” us on our Alamo Optometry Facebook page.

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PAGE 28 • ALAMO TODAY & DANVILLE TODAY NEWS • April 2022

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Coldwell Banker is a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdraw without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. Exact dimensions can be obtained by retaining the services of an architect or engineer. This is not intended to solicit property already listed.