Lafayette_Today_January_2016

Page 24 - January 2016 ~ Lafayette Today

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January 2016 Lamorinda Arts Council

By Fran Miller

In an area where youth sports reign supreme, artistic pursuits can sometimes get lost in the competitive shuffle. Making sure that artistic expression and appreciation receive equal billing in Lafayette, Orinda, and Moraga is the Lamorinda Arts Council (LAC), a group of passionate volunteers and donors who develop and produce events, partner with professional organizations and artists, provide financial support and awards, and advocate for a vibrant, local culture of visual and performing arts.

Originally founded in 1950 as the Orinda Arts Council, the LAC recently expanded to include support for all three Photo by Dale Kang towns. Its key contributions to the schools and community include programs such as Lamorinda Idol, the high school Visual Arts Competition, Art in Public Places, Orinda Library Gallery, school musicals, and much more.

Lafayette resident Casey Sasner’s daughter Michaela has participated for several years in the Lamorinda Idol competition, and Sasner has long been impressed with LAC’s devotion to local students. “Being involved with Lamorinda Idol over the past several years, we have an up-close view of the passionate commitment the Lamorinda Arts Council brings to promoting arts in the community,” says Sasner.

“I love that they bring the message to so many kids that visual and performing arts are not only valued, but treasured in Lamorinda.”

LAC president Lawrence Kohl, whose day job is conductor of the Pacific Chamber Symphony, oversees the 22-person volunteer LAC board. “We emphasize people and their personal contributions, and not money,” says Kohl.

“Board members and supporters participate as artists, patrons, volunteers, or as financial supporters. All are essential to what we do. We find where the artistic holes are in the community, and we fill them up. We find ways for the three towns to work together to promote the arts.”

LAC is perhaps best known for its popular Lamorinda Idol singing competition – a multi-month collection of auditions, performance workshops, community performances, and a final competition with cash prizes. Participants learn to choose music that highlights their talent, present themselves creatively, connect with an audience, and meet like-minded young.

LAC’s high school visual arts competition is another marquee event showcasing 2D, 3D, photography, and digital design. This competition also features cash awards, merit citations, and a month long public exhibit of entries at the Orinda Library Art Gallery.

Deborah Hovey-LaCour, Miramonte High School’s visual arts teacher, appreciates the role that LAC plays in her students’ lives. “Our communities are so focused on sports, and it’s great that such an organization exists to celebrate artistic expression with varied exhibitions and contests.”

See LAC continued on page 18

Local Postal Customer

PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Permit 21 Lafayette, CA

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Serving the Lafayette Community Teen Esteem: Engaging the Empowering Effects of Self-Respect By Jody Morgan

Teen Esteem was established in 1994 to equip adolescents and their parents with tools essential to making intelligent, well-informed, and often courageous choices when confronted with the plethora of pressures that can make being or raising a teenager intensely stressful. By encouraging each student to recognize his or her unique qualities as admirable attributes, Teen Esteem effectively builds a platform of self-

Dedicated Teen Esteem Volunteers like Adam, Tim, and Jill have presented tools for making informed and beneficial choices to over 150,000 local students.

respect and respect for others from which young adults, pre-teens, and even elementary school students can evaluate enticements to engage in harmful behaviors. Committed to addressing the lures proffered and the distress potentially produced by each emerging trend, the non-profit

See Teen continued on page 19

Lafayette Youth Commission Tri City Dances

The Lafayette Youth Commission will be holding three Tri City Dances for 7th and 8th grade students in the brand new Jennifer Russell Building at the Lafayette Community Center, 500 St. Mary’s Road.

The Lafayette Youth Commission (LYC) is a group of youth from 7th to 12th grade, appointed by Lafayette City Council to represent youth and address their concerns by creating safe and healthy options and community s e r v i c e opportunities.

They put on the annual haunted house at the Community Center, the Tri City dances, and high school rock concerts.

Volume X - Number 1 One of LYC’s big goals is to provide 3000F Danville Blvd #117 safe and fun Friday nights for youth in Alamo, CA 94507 the community, and the Tri City dances Telephone (925) 405-6397 have been part of that for well over a Fax (925) 406-0547 decade. editor@yourmonthlypaper.com The new building at the community Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher center was designed with events like The opinions expressed herein belong to the and do not necessarily reflect that of Lathis in mind. The old facility did not writers, fayette Today. Lafayette Today is not responsible have attached restrooms, so students for the content of any of the advertising herein,

See Dances continued on page 16

nor does publication imply endorsement.

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Page 2 - January 2016 ~ Lafayette Today

Host Families Sought for One Week Stay by Visiting French Students

Free tax preparation for the 2016 tax season is available starting February 2016 from AARP’s Tax-Aide and United Way’s Earn It, Keep It, Save It (EKS) programs. All tax preparers are trained and certified by the IRS. While both programs serve taxpayers of any age, Tax-Aide does not have an income limit in whom they can serve but EKS can only serve individuals whose incomes do not exceed $50,000.

For information, or to make an appointment for the Tax-Aide sites serving the Walnut Creek area, please call (925) 943-5851 Walnut Creek Senior Club site, (925) 405-6278 Walnut Creek Grace Presbyterian Church site, or (925) 979-5013 Walnut Creek St. Paul’s Episcopal Church site.

For general information and other site locations, call (925) 726-3199. For information on EKS sites call 2-1-1 or visit www.earnitkeepitsaveit.org.

To complete your tax return, Tax-Aide will need you to bring the following to the appointment: • Social Security Card or ITIN letter for all individuals to be listed on the return • Copies of all W-2s • 1098s and 1099s • Other income and deductions • Your 2014 Tax Return • Proof of medical insurance if you are not on Medicare

Hidden in Plain Sight: Human Trafficking in the Bay Area

Hidden in Plain Sight: Human Trafficking in the Bay Area will be presented by the Danville-Alamo-Walnut Creek and the San Ramon Branches of AAUW on January 21 from 7 to 9PM at the Veterans Memorial Building which is located at 400 Hartz Ave. in Danville. Everyone is invited to come learn about this modern form of slavery, what is being done to fight this crime, and what local agencies and non-profits are doing to rescue victims.

Find out what you can do to help!

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month in Contra Costa County.

Unfortunately, human trafficking is happening right here in our communities. Perhaps you read about the arrest last fall of a sex-trafficking ring based right in San Ramon and Danville. California is one of the top four destination states for human trafficking, and the Bay Area is one of the top destinations in the entire country. Human trafficking disproportionately affects girls and women, which is why AAUW has focused on this issue during the last decade.

A panel of experts from Contra Costa County and the Bay Area will give you a comprehensive view of this important issue on the local level.

Speakers include: Brian Wo – Co-Founder Bay Area Anti-Trafficking Coalition, Aron DeFerrari – Deputy District Attorney, Contra Costa County Sexual Assault Unit, Alexandra Madsen – Human Trafficking Prevention Coordinator, Zero Tolerance Initiative, Contra Costa County, Cynthia Peterson and Carly Devlin, Community Violence Solutions, and Matthew Malone, Detective, San Ramon Police Department who will bring a trafficking survivor who will attend as a guest.

Cost per person is $5. Reservation and payment are due by January 18.

You may pay online with your credit card at http://daw-ca.aauw.net/humantrafficking-2016/, or mail a check for $5/person with names of attendees to Danville-Alamo-Walnut Creek AAUW Program, PO Box 996 Alamo, CA 94507. Contact Charla Gabert, Programs Co-Chair, dawaauw@gmail.com, with any questions including late registration.

Thrift Shop Pieces Together Quilt Event

Assistance League® of Diablo Valley is a nonprofit, member volunteer organization dedicated to improving lives in our community through its 10 hands-on programs. Throughout the year, member volunteers at Assistance League Way Side Inn Thrift Shop, located at 3521 Golden Gate Way, in Lafayette, have collected quilts and related items in preparation for the Quilt event scheduled to begin Tuesday, January 12.

While quilting is an ancient art practiced in many cultures, quilting in America is relatively new. During colonial times, quilting was rare because women typically made clothes for their families by spinning, weaving, and sewing methods. Few colonial women had enough free time for quilting.

Toward the mid-1800s, mass production of textiles made fabric affordable to most families. Quilting became widespread and quilters began experimenting with combining fabrics into blocks, then merging the blocks together. As the pioneers moved west and settled new territories, the availability of manufactured goods was limited. Ingenuity and innovation encouraged pioneers to use and reuse materials to make badly needed bed-coverings.

Over the years, quilts, whether applique or piece, vintage or new, have enjoyed a balance of practicality, heritage and art. To this day, a valuable lesson endures: we need to continue this example of ingenuity and innovation by renewing our resources rather than by discarding and replacing them.

Venture through the Assistance League Way Side Inn Thrift Shop to find a selection of more than 50 beautifully crafted quilts, many of them hand pieced and hand stitched. You will also find fabrics, quilt frames, quilt books (some no longer in print) and thimbles, all donated.

If you have any quilt related donations, the dedicated thrift shop member volunteers will happily add them to this special event.

As with the early chapters of our nation’s history, our local community faces numerous challenges, as related by news accounts of those facing misfortune.

Your generous donations and purchases to the Assistance League Way Side Inn Thrift Shop will not only ease suffering, but they will restore hope.

To learn about Assistance League of Diablo Valley’s philanthropic programs that the thrift shop funds and its recently awarded GuideStar Exchange gold participation level status, visit diablovalley.assistanceleague. org or the GuideStar Exchange.

Family Bike Rides

Every Sunday – 9-11:30

Boulevard View

By Alisa Corstorphine, Editor

For the eleventh consecutive year, students from a large high school in the South of France are coming to Danville. Every visit by the students has been better than the last. The students will arrive on April 22nd and depart April 29th.

The teens stay with local families and have a full itinerary of activities during the days and only require your attention in the evenings and one weekend.

The visit is an ideal opportunity to experience another culture and hopefully consider visiting France in return. Anyone interested in hosting a student (or students!) is welcome to participate.

For more information or to find out about past year’s programs, please contact Martine Causse (teacher in charge of the group), at caussefly@wanadoo.fr or dachary.martine@orange.fr.

There are many happy local host families ready to discuss any questions with you (including the editor of this paper!). The local contact is Kevin Dimler, who can be reached at kevindimler@gmail.

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AM

Join BikeLafayette for its weekly Family Bike Ride from Stanley Middle School to Moraga Commons and back. The ride is recommended for people 7 years and up. Younger children are welcome in a bike trailer or on your bike.

The children will have fun playing at the Commons. Riders are usually back at Stanley by 11:15AM. You are encouraged to bring snacks and water.

For more information about BikeLafayette, visit www.facebook.com/ bikelafayette.ca.

I admit, I spend a little daily time on Facebook, mostly as a viewer rather than a contributor. As the website has matured and evolved, it has amassed a tremendous number of participants who reflect a wide cross-section of not only the USA, but the entire world. It’s a bit like the corner bar or corner market where people hang out and gossip, except it’s electronic and an unlimited number of people can join the conversation. If you enjoy people-watching, Facebook is a great place to take a snapshot of what’s current and common in society at a given moment.

About a year ago, someone shared a Facebook post from a group by the name of Humans of New York. The Humans of New York page (HONY) was launched in the summer of 2010 by a then 28 year-old photographer named Brandon Stranton. Brandon spontaneously started the page shortly after he was fired from his job in corporate finance. Brandon started HONY because he thought it would be “cool” to create an exhaustive catalogue of New York City’s inhabitants. He set out to photograph 10,000 New Yorkers and to plot their photos on a map. Somewhere along the way he began interviewing his subjects in addition to photographing them. And alongside their portraits, he started including quotes and short stories from their lives.

Taken together, these portraits and captions became the subject of a vibrant blog. HONY now has over 16 million followers on social media, and provides a worldwide audience with daily glimpses into the lives of strangers on the streets of New York City. This simple endeavor is turning into a defining calling for Brandon, something he never could have imagined would be so popular. What started as a pastime has blossomed into a chronicle of the human condition in NYC, and by extension, of all of us.

That original post someone shared with me was of a 13 year-old boy named Vidal. Vidal was photographed in his New York neighborhood of Brownsville. Vidal’s neighborhood has one of the highest crime rates in NYC. When Brandon took Vidal’s picture, he also asked him, “Who has influenced you the most in your life?” Vidal responded not with the name of an entertainer or sports star but said, “My principal, Ms. Lopez.” Brandon then asked, “How has she influenced you?” Vidal noted, “When we get in trouble, she doesn’t suspend us. She calls us to her office and explains to us how society was built down around us. And she tells us that each time somebody fails out of school, a new jail cell gets built. And one time she made every student stand up, one at a time, and she told each one of us that we matter.”

When I read that it gave me goose-bumps. That brief encounter between the two of them went viral and has changed many lives and opened many doors.

The principal, Nadia Lopez of Mott Hall Bridges Academy in Brownsville soon became well known for her transparent and honest way of dealing with the challenges of inner-city education. Ms. Lopez was at her lowest point, ready to call it quits that very day that Brandon’s post went viral. The outpouring of love and support she received was like a gust of wind that filled her wings and gave her the strength to continue fighting to improve those children’s lives.

As a result of the attention the Vidal post received, Brandon started an Indiegogo fundraising page, and sought to raise $30,000 to fund the entire Mott Hall Bridges Academy student body to visit Harvard. The fundraising also went viral, and they collected $185,000 in just a few hours. In all, they ended up raising $1,415,000 from 51,466 people in only 20 days, to endow the school with additional annual inspirational trips, scholarships, and more for the children.

There are amazing, strong, ordinary people all around us who make a difference in our lives. Our area contains many unique and interesting individuals who, like Vidal and Nadia, and the others shown on the HONY page, all make our world, and our neighborhoods, special. Maybe someone is doing something really well but feels like their efforts aren’t making a difference. How might a little recognition reaffirm their commitment to the hard work involved in making our community a better place? Do you have a story to share or know of someone’s inspiring story? Is someone you know making a difference? Send me your stories. Please contact me at editor@ yourmonthlypaper.com, so that I may gather your stories and feature the outstanding individuals who make our community such a wonderful place.

Lafayette Today ~ January 2016 - Page 3

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Page 4 - January 2016 ~ Lafayette Today

Lafayette Garden Club Meeting

The Lafayette Garden Club will hold their next monthly meeting on January 14 at the Lafayette Veterans Memorial Hall, located at 3780 Mt. Diablo Blvd.

Coffee will be served at 9:30AM with the meeting following from 10AM - noon.

Shari Bashin-Sullivan will be the speaker in January. Shari holds a masters degree in landscape design from the Conway school in Massachusetts. She and her husband founded Enchanting Planting in 1989. Located in Orinda, they design and build beautiful gardens throughout the East Bay. Shari will be doing a container planting demo/presentation for the meeting, so be sure to bring your container gardening questions. If you’d like to see some of Shari’s projects, you can view her website at www.enchantingplanting.com.

Guests are welcome! E-mail any questions to cpoetzsch@gmail.com.

Sons In Retirement Las Trampas Branch

As the new year begins you may be thinking of activities you would like to pursue. Sons In Retirement (SIR) Las Trampas Branch 116 welcomes guest to socialize with us at 11AM on Monday, January 18th at our monthly luncheon at the Walnut Creek Elks Lodge at 1475 Creekside Dr, and learn of our membership activities which include book discussions, bridge, computers, dine-outs, dominoes, fishing, golf, hiking/walking, investments, poker, travel, wine tastings, and more fun things. In addition we have special golf events and bridge tournaments during the year where wives, partners, and guests are invited.

If these are activities you like to do, then you may find even greater enjoyment in doing them with the friendly group of retirees in the SIRs organization. For more information about our activities for retired men, please visit www.Branch116.org.

Please call (925) 322-1160 for lunch reservations. The cost for lunch is $15.

Water: Our Precious Resource

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The League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley will be hosting a film showing and discussion about water shortage issues on January Gopher/Mole Removal 9, 3 – 4:30pm.

No Poison The film is titled Last Call at the Oasis. Water is Earth’s most valuable resource. It’s needed by 925-765-4209 all living things, but it is possible that in the future there won’t be enough to sustain life on Earth. This film examines current water availability and distribution systems, and introduces viewers to individuals who are trying to improve access.

The event will take place in the Cedar Room of the Lafayette Community Center, 500 St. Mary’s Road, Lafayette. All are invited. The event is free and light refreshments will be served. To learn more, visit www.lwvdv.org.

Hollywood Director Judges Local Video Contest

The Lafayette Youth Arts Society (LYAS), a local student-run arts organization, recently opened the 3rd Annual Writing and Photography Contest for Lafayette middle school students. This year, the LYAS expanded the photography segment of their contest to include a video contest, where students can submit one minute-long videos that respond to the given contest

Lafayette Hiking Group

Bring lunch or snacks, water, layered clothing, good walking shoes, sun protection and money to contribute toward gas, and parking.

Saturday, January 16, Inspiration Point, Tilden Park

Meet in the parking lot out from Lafayette BART’s main entrance at 8:30am. Walk the ridgeline Nimitz Way Trail in Tilden Park enjoying views of San Francisco, the Bay, and Contra Costa County - weather permitting.

The trail is mostly paved, with some gravel. The length of the hike may vary. The hike is an easy, 6 - 8 miles with leader Alison Hill.

Wednesday, January 27, Lafayette back roads

Meet at the EBRPD parking lot on Olympic Blvd at Pleasant Hill Rd. at 9am.

Enjoy a loop hike including parts of the Lafayette-Moraga Trail, back streets and little used roads, and the Reliez Station Walkway. There is one steep uphill and another downhill, all paved. The hike is a moderate 4 – 5 miles with leader Alison Hill.

For questions email LafayetteHiking@comcast.net.

Lost Dog!

$50 REWARD

If you find him and your name is drawn!

He is very small, so you will have to look hard if you want to find him.

Lafayette Luther is Missing He has become lost in this paper.

Send a letter telling us where you found him, along with your name and address to:

Lost Dog! Lafayette Today, 3000F Danville Blvd #117, Alamo, CA 94507

Lillian Polkinhorn is our winner!

Luther was hiding on page 11 last month!

Meeting Featuring The Empathy Gap

Do men lack empathy? On January 19, the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Orinda-Moraga-Lafayette (OML) Branch, will show the new, thought-provoking 70 minute film, The Empathy Gap by Diane Bell-Rettger. It examines the “masculine script” that boys and men are taught by popular culture, and suggests ways to help men think of women as equals. Hopefully, this will lead men who need it to break with regressive gender norms to live happier and healthier lives. Social time begins at 9:15AM, and the film will start at 9:45AM. The meeting will be held at Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church, 1700 School Street in Moraga. Bring a friend to join the discussion!

It’s “Sister-to-Sister” Super Sunday Time!

Parents, it’s time to register your middle school daughter for Sister-to-Sister’s three Super Sunday sessions on February 7, February 28, and March 13. Sister-to-Sister is a community outreach program Ad Ideamiddle for and high school girls in a supportive environment to address of the AAUW-OML that connects Alamoaspects and of adolescence. The program equips girls with the both the empowering and Danville, the challenging Lafayette Today confidence and the skills they need to make positive choices in their lives.

High school girls have been preparing for the sessions this fall in trainings conducted by AAUW. X 5”while deconstructing cultural messages and stereotypes They acquire leadership and facilitation 3” skills Danville Today as well as the pressures of being a girl in today’s190.00 culture. They eagerly anticipate meeting their “little w learned discount sisters” and sharing what they have at 142.50 the Super Sunday Sessions that begin in February.

As the younger girls share what’s bugging them, they discover they are not alone and have a lot in common Today 155.00 with all girls. They become friendsAlamo as they share their stories and strategize solutions. They are often surprised w discount 116.25 to hear how much better life is in high school as the older girls address their questions and concerns.

To learn more about Sister-to-Sister, visit AAUW’s website at oml-ca.aauw.net/s2s/. Registration is now Lafayette 180.00 open and is available online. Deadline is 2/1/2016.

Questions can be directed to w discount 135.00at (925) 997-0118.

Laura Wittenberg at (925) 788-0901 or Valarie Burgess

Left to right LYAS members Samantha Swan, Charlie Keohane, Uma Unni, Zoe Portnoff, Isabel Rurka, and Sophia Benveniste.

prompts. Brian Horiuchi, a Hollywood director and writer, will be judging the video contest. Horiuchi has been writing and directing feature films, television, music videos, and web projects for over ten years. Most recently, he wrote and directed the feature film Parts Per Billion, starring Josh Hartnett, Rosario Dawson, Gena Rowlands, Frank Langella, and Alexis Bledel.

Inspiration for the video contest came from increasing interest in video-based social media, such as Vine, a short-form video sharing social medium where users share six-second videos, says LYAS team member Isaac Douglas. “We noticed how popular Vine had become with middle schoolers in recent years, and we wanted to encourage kids to create content instead of just consuming it.” Isaac Douglas, who is in charge of the video segment of the contest, is a sophomore at Acalanes High School and a member of the LYAS leadership.

“Most kids have smartphones which can take videos, and that’s all you really need to enter our contest. Of course, if you have a film camera, that’s great, but we aren’t going to expect that from all of our contest participants,” says LYAS Vice President Zoe Portnoff, a junior at Campolindo High School.

The deadline for all entries is January 31, 2016. For more information about the LYAS and the 3rd Annual Writing and Photography Contest, visit www.lyas.org.

Lafayette Community Garden

The Lafayette Community Garden and Outdoor Learning Center is accepting applications for individual or family memberships for the 2016 season. The season opening is March 12.

For more information, visit www.lafayettecommunitygarden.org. To apply for membership, download and fill out a membership form, and send it to the address on the form. If membership is full, you will be put on a waiting list. For questions, call 925-946-0563.

Classes Start Feb. 8

The Writing Studio is a unique program that provides classroom instruction and one on one sessions for students in grades 4-12. Young writers step into a world of creative storytelling and essay based expository writing projects and develop strong writing skills in the process.

The Writing Studio

3455 Golden Gate Way, Suite A, Lafayette (925)385-0211 www.lafayettewritingstudio.com



AAUW-OML is offering merit-based scholarships to graduating senior women at Acalanes, Campolindo, and Miramonte High Schools. One $5,000 and two $1,000 scholarships are available to seniors who maintain at least a 3.0 GPA and are committed to community service.

Two steps are required to complete the application. First fill out the online application form at oml-ca.aauw.net/scholarships/highschool-application/.

Submit it online.

Second, mail in a packet, including two letters of recommendation and official transcript from the school, and the essay. Both the online application and mail-in packet must be received by March 2.

We are a social organization of retired and semi-retired men who enjoy our leisure time with friends and activities. Our activities are golf, bowling, bocce ball, table pool, travel, fishing, computers & technology, bridge, poker, pinochle, investing, wine tasting, walking, astronomy, stamp collecting, etc.

We meet for lunch at 11AM the third Wednesday of this month at Holy Trinity Culture Center, 1700 School Street, Moraga. Our guest speaker on January 20th will be Susan Sperry discussing early Moraga ranch life. For attendance and membership info, call Tyler at (925) 284-5561.

Please visit our website at www.branch174.sirinc2.org.

Lafayette Today ~ January 2016 - Page 5

American Association of University Women Events

Scholarship Applications

Lamorinda Branch

8:45:44 AM

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Kaplan Practice SAT/ACT Test

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Present this coupon at point of purchase for 10.00 off your one-time combined purchase of 50.00 or more.

1 coupon per family. Not valid on previous purchases, other coupons and/oron promotions.

No cash substitutes. May not be used on payment of account. Pandora, Brighton, Boy Scouts, Estee Lauder, Clinique, Lancome, Fragrance Dept., TOMS and UGG excluded.

Expires Jan. 31, 2016

Lafayette  Moraga  Danville  Montclair  Orinda  Countrywood  Clayton Rd.

It’s January and back-to-the-books time. Before your 2016 calendar fills Sonoma  Auburn  Stockton (Now at Lincoln Center)   up, ask yourself: Is my student prepared for the new college entrance exams?

There is a practice test that your student can take that will help you find the answer to that question, and it might be the best $35 you spend.

The test is a product of Kaplan TEST PREP and is designed to highlight the test-taker’s strengths and weaknesses. The AAUW Scholarship Committee Please to:or email: ads@lamorindaweekly.com has scheduled two tests. But that’s not all. What makes this test so valuable is reply a week so later, parents and students return to receive their scores and participate in an interpretive discussion. Space is limited, so register today.

Phone: 925 - 377 - 0977 • Fax: 800 - 690 - 8136 date Kaplan’s scheduled SAT/ACT practice tests dates are: • Miramonte High School, 750 Moraga Way, Orinda ~ January 30 test ~ February 10, 2016, Artwork designed by Lamorinda Weekly is subject to copyright follow up ~ Student check-in is 8:30AM at Miramonte High School library ~ Cost is $35. • Campolindo High School, 300 Moraga Road, Moraga ~ February 20 test ~ March 3 follow up ~ Student check-in is 8:30AM at the Campolindo High School library ~ Cost is $35.

Bring #2 pencils, a calculator, a snack, and water. Be prompt, doors close at 8:45AM. For more information and to register for the test, visit the website at Miramonte: oml-ca.aauw.net/mhs/ or at Campolindo: oml-ca.aauw.net/chs/.

The American Association of University Women has been empowering women as individuals and as a community since 1881. For 134 years, we have worked together as a national grassroots organization to improve the lives of millions of women and their families.

Public Forum on Downtown Creek Plan

The City of Lafayette will be holding a second community workshop on Lafayette’s Downtown Creek Plan on Tuesday, February 2nd at 7pm at the Lafayette Library’s Community Hall. The City is providing another formal opportunity for residents and businesses to comment on their Downtown Creeks Plan. This workshop will foster the sharing of ideas on options for creek enhancements and be a time to discuss priorities.

In September, the City began work on the Plan. Producing this Plan fulfills one of the recommendations of Lafayette’s Downtown Specific Plan which was adopted by the City Council in September of 2012. A consultant team with expertise in landscape architecture, civil engineering, and environmental restoration is developing the Plan under the guidance of the City Creeks Committee.

Will Elder, Chair of the City Creek Committee, said the primary purpose of the Downtown Creeks Plan is to provide a long term vision for creek restoration opportunities and public visual and physical access along creeks while protecting property from creek damage and supporting downtown economic development. Our consultants have found that much of the native creek vegetation is being overtaken by invasive plants that can lead to creek bank erosion, said Elder. Preliminary recommendations involve removing these invasive plants, reintroducing native riparian vegetation, and repairing creek bank erosion.

“Some of our initial concepts for creek enhancements involve designing stormwater retention features adjacent to the creeks, establishing creek overlooks where roads bridge over a creek, and developing a series of public spaces connecting some of the majestic oaks that remain along our downtown creeks.”

For more information, contact Steven Goetz at sgoetz@ci.lafayette.ca.us or visit www.lovelafayette.org/creeksplan.

Page 6 - January 2016 ~ Lafayette Today

The Bookworm

By Joan Stevenson

“New Year, New You: 2016” boldly declared the Lafayette Library and Learning Center flyer.

Ah, yes, ‘tis the time of making resolutions, figuring with a clean slate, your whole world can be brighter. But did you know that January 17th is a little known holiday called, “Ditch New Year’s Resolution Day”? If you are struggling to keep your New Year’s Resolution, the library might be just the answer for you.

If your number one goal is to reduce the stress in your life, then join Dr. Marshall Zaslove, a Board certified psychiatrist with over 40 years of daily meditation experience, in an exciting workshop which will get you started on your rewarding journey through the wonders of accurate meditation. Dr. Zaslove will discuss the astonishing new research on meditation’s health benefits, pain relief, and stress reduction. This is a free program for adults 18+, and no registration is required. The lecture will take place January 14 from 6:30 – 8PM in the Arts and Science Room, If your resolve was to relieve your aches and pains, and you think you have tried everything, The Gokhale Method might be just what you need. This approach uses Primal Posture and movement to help you re-establish your body’s structural integrity and regain a pain-free life. Sounds interesting? There will be two workshop session on Wednesday, January 20 at 11AM and Thursday January 21 at 6PM. Join us for a free 90-minute introductory workshop.

If your stress in life comes from dealing with tech devices, come to the Arts and Science Room on Thursday, January 28 at 6PM to hear how to “Cut the Cable Cord: A beginner’s guide to services and devices,” with our own, Orlando Guzman. There’s never been a better time to cut down on the ever growing expenses of the cable companies and their dominion over your household. Spend an evening learning about the different types of devices and services available and how to best choose what’s right for you to either decrease or get rid of your cable bill entirely. He will discuss what “smart” TVs are, demonstrate several pieces of hardware (Roku, Amazon Fire, Amazon Echo), and show you what paid services (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon

www.yourmonthlypaper.com Prime, Vudu) and free services (PBS, Crackle, IndieFlix, etc.) are available.

Bring your questions and concerns.

Finally, if you simply have too much on your plate, Science Café presents Dr. Christine Carter on Wednesday, January 13 at 7PM to tell us, “How to Achieve More by Doing Less”! She is a sociologist and senior fellow at the UC Berkeley Greater Good Science Center, and the author of The Sweet Spot. Presenting the latest research on productivity and elite performance, Christine Carter, PhD, demonstrates a sweet paradox: by doing less we can actually accomplish more.

Using surprising science and lively anecdotal evidence, Carter offers a practical game plan for mitigating stress by working with our brain’s innate hardwiring to increase happiness, balance and ultimately, success.

Savvy shoppers always find great gifts at The Friends Corner Book Shop, but the incredible bargains available at the Book Sale in December made for a very busy day. When the doors finally closed, the grand total was $1,887.50.

Thank you, thank you, Friends. Your efforts make many the exciting programs at the Lafayette Library and Learning Center possible.

The Asian Art Museum turns 50 in 2016, and on Wednesday, February 1- at 2PM WOW presents the Golden Jubilee lecture which highlights ancient and contemporary masterpieces. Learn what makes a work of art great and why a masterpiece stands the test of time.

On Thursday, January 21 at 7PM the Friends welcome Karen Lynch, author of Good Cop, Bad Daughter. Ms. Lynch is a native San Franciscan who joined the San Francisco Police Department in 1981. Recounting the story of San Francisco’s first women cops, she reflects on life with her bipolar mother and comes to realize her chaotic past unwittingly provided the perfect foundation for her chosen career. Books will be available for purchase at the event. Come the following week on Wednesday, January 27 at 7PM, and join our lively discussion group which meets on the 4th Wednesday of each month. This month’s selection, Good Cop, Bad Daughter, is part of a special collection available only at the Lafayette Library. Please drop by the Information Desk to pick up this book.

So here are the tools your library offers to help you succeed with your New Year’s Resolutions. What are you waiting for? A year from now you may wish you had started today!

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Yes, You’ve Heard This Song Before

By Ruth Bailey, Lafayette Historical Society

Lafayette Today ~ January 2016 - Page 7

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Half a century ago, January (1966) dawned with......wait for it.....a report on the Traffic Plan Our products are all-natural, free of synthetic chemicals, and crafted in-house. for downtown Lafayette. Sound familiar? Here’s how the January 7, 1966, Sun article ran: “The Lafayette Chamber of Commerce heard a report yesterday on the status of the downtown Lafayette Spoiltheoneyoulove:yourmother,yoursister,yourbeloved, your teenager or yourself. Give the gift of relaxation! traffic plan. Mark Kermit, county traffic engineer, estimated that [they] had as much as six months to Januaryspecial:anyFrenchVichyShowertreatment$130 work out ...the best solution to the community's needs.

“In the plan, which was sent to the State Highway Commission, there is a blank spot over the Call today for an appointment 925-6959-SPA (772) www.sagestudiospa.com downtown Lafayette area. The rest of the $60 million corridor plan from Orinda to Walnut Creek to Gift certificates available accommodate BART tracks in the median has been fixed. Because of the protest at the public hearing held by the Division of Highways and signed by about 2,000 petitioners, the county and state officials are working toward an acceptable compromise.

“Kermit said the county has considered seven detailed plans. Of these, three had the most merit. Plans are on public display in the county Public Works Dept. office and may be view at any time, he said. Copies of the maps will be made available to the Chamber, which plans to invite leaders of civic groups for a representative opinion as to the best traffic solution. There will be a public hearing January 27 at 9AM to consider the traffic and circulation plan already officially adopted by the county Planning Commission.” [One is inclined to say Thanks for asking our opinion.]

“The largest protest to the current traffic plan proposal is that it would make ‘islands surrounded by traffic of the Stanley and Lafayette schools.’ Jack Marchant, chair of the Chamber's Roads Committee, said that Lafayette School isn't up to building codes and it might be feasible for the district to sell that site and build another school elsewhere. He said that the Lafayette General Plan calls for a municipal complex in the school location.

‘Whenever there is growth, there are squawks,’ he said, recalling that the advent of the bus service to Lafayette had raised a furor.

“Everyone agrees that there is the need for a major interchange in the downtown area.

Kermit said that since the rest of the corridor relocation was fixed, county and state officials could now concentrate on solving Lafayette's problems. The county staff is analyzing all of the plans. ‘Four have been found to have drawbacks of some kind, but the other three have merit,’ Kermit said.

“Asked by The Sun why the DOH is continuing to appraise houses in the area, Kermit said some of the BART's facility is fixed in location. Residents along Orchard Road, on the west side, said that the DOH appraisers had told them they would be back in 60 days with an appraisal. They will be given a maximum time of June 2 to leave their homes they...were told.

“In answer to Dr. Ralph Ligon's question as to the urgency of action by the board, Kermit said that the trains will run in 1969. Construction will start in 1967. [BART service to central Contra Costa County began on May 21, 1973.] He felt that the maximum time the committee could have to arrive at a traffic and circulation plan would be six months, but the Chamber regarded this as tomorrow.”

Okay, back to real time. Wake up--it's 2016. You could hardly have missed the signs now posted around town regarding Lafayette's current Downtown Congestion Reduction Study. According to the official description, “The goal of the study is to develop meaningful solutions to address traffic congestion, primarily in Downtown Lafayette. The City is excited to announce that a web-based survey is now available for anyone who wishes to provide comments, questions, and/or ideas to resolve traffic congestion and improve the overall transportation system in Downtown Lafayette. Thanks in advance to survey participants, whose feedback will provide valuable information for the future of Lafayette transportation “This study, funded by the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) and the City of Lafayette, is taking a comprehensive look at how to deliver solutions that solve Lafayette’s numerous transportation challenges, mainly in the downtown core. We recognize that a great deal of work has been done over the years to address congestion in this area. These studies have considered ways to alleviate traffic congestion and parking issues, provide better transit service, improve the pedestrian and bicycle network, and enhance safety. Some projects have been successfully implemented, but many have not because of high costs, unattractive trade-offs, and/or a lack of community consensus.

“We recognize that transportation issues in Downtown Lafayette are complex with no “quick-fix” solutions. We will build on the previous recommendations, and go a step further to consider a wide range of solutions, from additional incremental improvements to potential ‘moonshots’ or ‘game changers.’ We will evaluate the strategies and projects holistically and use a range of performance metrics to better understand the combined costs, benefits, and trade-offs. The performance metrics will consider how well the strategies reduce congestion, improve travel times and delay, reduce auto trips, increase active modes of travel such as walking or biking, and improve safety. This comprehensive analysis will help us to build consensus around a set of feasible strategies and projects most preferred by the community. The City of Lafayette will then seek ways to fund and implement these measures.”

[Your intrepid reporter will do her best to stick around for the 2065 edition of the Downtown Lafayette Traffic Plan. Happy New Year, everybody!]

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Page 8 - January 2016 ~ Lafayette Today

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Throw a Wine Tasting Party

By Monica Chappell

Hosting your first wine tasting is a rite of passage for wine enthusiasts. It’s up there with learning how to spit. All you’ll need is a theme, some nibbles, and plenty of glasses.

The Theme: First, it helps to have a theme like Bargain Bordeaux, Aromatic Whites, or Napa versus Sonoma Merlot. Next, consider your guests. Are they just discovering wine, or are they bona fide aficionados? The number of guests is up to you, but, as a hosting newbie, we recommend sticking to a manageable five to 10 guests and the same number of wines: enough to engage in a lively dialogue about the wines without getting rowdy.

Here are other essentials to consider when planning and hosting your first wine tasting party.

The Nibbles: Where there is wine, there is food. Your guests will expect you to provide a little nosh. A selection of salami, cheese, olives, and dried fruit works well, or, you can commit to wine-friendly appetizers.

The Glasses: Make sure you have enough stemware. For a party with five wines and five people, have 10 glasses on hand. Guests who like to have extra glasses are welcome to bring more.

Hosting a tasting is a lot like a study group. You’ll need to provide pens and paper for your guests to rate or jot down their impressions of the wines.

If it’s a blind tasting, ask your favorite wine merchant for paper wine bags to hide the identity of the bottles. Provide each guest with a paper cup as a spit cup. Also set up dump buckets on the table so there is a ratio of one for every two guests. Vases work great for this.

Lastly, put on a smart outfit, and snazzy music, and have fun!

Monica Chappell writes and teaches about wine. For wine class information, please email wineappreciation101@gmail.com.

New Year’s Resolution – Get Involved in Local Government

By Candace Andersen, Contra Costa County Supervisor, District 2

In my role as County Supervisor, I often encourage others to apply for positions on local boards and commissions. I began my local government career serving in Morgan Hill 24 years ago as a member of both its Parks and Rent Stabilization commissions. It was a role that made me realize the great impact one person could have on the policies implemented by local officials. The work done by those who serve on local boards and commissions is very important. In the spirit of this New Year, consider adding a New Year’s resolution of volunteering your time and getting involved in our local government to help shape the future of our community.

All of our local cities, towns, and the County have many commissions, committees, and task forces that advise the City Council or Board of Supervisors on matters relevant to the community. Board members and commissioners generally serve as unpaid volunteers, but the rewards can be so gratifying: members meet other residents with similar interests leading to new friendships, they learn about their city or town, and they make decisions that truly impact the community. Serving on a board or commission requires significant personal commitment, so applicants need to consider their time, personal availability, and energy before volunteering.

A sampling of some city or town committees includes Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Community Center Foundation, Crime Prevention Commission, Design Review Board, Emergency Services Task Force, Parks Commission, Planning Commission, and Senior Services Commission, just to name a few.

To see a list of all volunteer positions available to residents, for more information, or to apply, visit your city’s website or call the city clerk’s office. I always encourage citizens to get to know their mayor and council members. They provide great insight into the needs of the community and can help direct you to where help is needed most.

If you want get involved on the State level, the Governor also appoints citizens to more than 100 state advisory bodies. These boards and commissions are responsible for advising the Governor, the legislature, and state agencies. Many citizens possess specialized professional knowledge and experience that would be of great value to the state. Some state committees include; Actuarial Advisory Panel, Earthquake Authority Advisory Panel, Horse Racing Board, Commission on Judicial Performance, Landscape Architect Technical Committee, and Veterinary Medical Board, to name just a few. A list of possible appointments and applications are available on the state website at http://gov.ca.gov/m_appointments.php.

At the County level, my office is seeking motivated residents to serve on a variety of Contra Costa County citizen advisory boards. These voluntary boards usually meet monthly and advise the Board of Supervisors on a variety of issues. They provide a key communication link between the community and county government.

Here is a list of positions available on County boards and commissions.

• Aging, Advisory Council on • Agricultural Task Force Committee • Airport Land Use Commission •Alcohol and Other DrugsAdvisory Board • Arts and Culture Commission • Bicycle Committee, Countywide • Commission for Women • Developmental Disabilities Area Board • Early Care & Education, CCC Local Planning Advisory Council for • East Bay Regional Park District, Advisory Committee • Economic Opportunity Council • Equal Employment Opportunity, Advisory Council on • Homelessness Advisory Board • In-Home Support Services Public Authority Advisory Committee • Managed Care Commission • Workforce Development Board Applications are available on the County’s website at www.contra.napanet.net/ maddybook/. For more information, call (925) 335-1900.

I’m confident that as you donate your valuable time, you will not only make a difference wherever you serve, but who will also enjoy and benefit from your volunteering experience.

My office is here to serve the residents of Contra Costa County District 2, which includes San Ramon, Danville, Alamo, Walnut Creek, Saranap, Parkmead, Lafayette, Moraga, Canyon, and Orinda. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if we can provide you with additional information on this topic or on other County issues. I can be reached by email at SupervisorAndersen@bos.cccounty. us or by phone at (925) 957-8860.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Walking the Reservoir

Lafayette Today ~ January 2016 - Page 9

By Jim Scala

Papillion’s B r e n d a , a special reservoir lady.

On a sunny December m o r n i n g Brenda, Jil, and I met at the reservoir. Jil Plummer’s newest book, Remember to Remember, is about Brenda’s life before she became proprietor of Papillion, Fiesta Square’s famous coffee shop. Chanbopha, her Cambodian name, was Americanized to Brenda. Jil’s books deal with emotions and how people overcome seemingly impossible challenges and rise to new heights. Brenda’s life story reveals that children, given a chance, can rise above impossible odds.

At age six, in a Khmer Rouge Prison Camp, Brenda soon learned that rats are okay to eat when the other choice is to starve. Later, at age 12, she and her family walked to a refugee camp in Thailand. There they shared a hut with another refugee, Liu, and together they survived another nightmare. In 1987, Brenda made her way to the United States. When Liu learned where pretty young Chanbopha had gone, he came here and found her. They were eventually married. Now, with three daughters, two in college and a teenager at home, if Brenda and Liu don’t prove that children can rise above the most terrible odds, tell me, who does?

Let them serve you at Papillion, their specialty coffee shop in Lafayette’s Fiesta Square. They have created a friendly, calm ambiance that reflects Brenda’s warm smile and easy going personality. Her smile brightens my afternoon tea – let it brighten yours.

Come to Papillion where you can buy Remember to Remember autographed by Jil and Brenda. Meet them and read the story, and you’ll agree with Brenda’s comment, “Whenever I walk the reservoir, I feel good inside.” You will too.

Make a New Year’s resolution to improve mental health! Recent studies of the mental health of seniors has yielded important results. Those who did modest weight-lifting, in addition to regular exercise, showed improved mental ability test scores that were verified by brain scans. Put this research finding to work while walking the reservoir.

• Hold a three-to-five-pound weight in each hand down at your side. Raise one up to shoulder height and count one, lift it over your head, count two, back to shoulder for three, back to your side is four. Do the other arm starting with five and continue to 100. Take a short rest and repeat until you’ve done it four times – two with each arm.

• Walking 150 minutes weekly – three reservoir walks – is essential for optimum health and works synergistically with the weight program.

A special fisherman. Dan Sullivan was fishing near the dam in his kayak when he landed a large-mouth bass over eighteen inches long. He inspected the fish and threw it back. I was waiting at the dock when he returned and asked, “Why didn’t you keep that bass? It would have made a great family dinner?”

He said, “I never keep reservoir fish.” He lands trout, catfish, and bass regularly and fishes most weekends except during tax season. Dan’s an accountant and tax season leaves him no time to fish. I asked, “Why don’t you keep your catches? It looks like you hook some excellent fish.”

He told of the day when he took his young son Connor and daughter Camryn fishing. Camryn caught a 21-inch trout that she wanted to keep and Connor wanted to throw back. I explained to Connor that it was her fish and she got to decide.” A few minutes later he heard five-year-old Connor explaining to the flapping fish that all living things have to die. Dan added, “Ever since then Conner’s words echoed in my head, and I’ve never taken a fish out of the reservoir. But I do enjoy a nice fish dinner.”

Foxes, Geese, Herons, and River Otters. James excitedly commented, “I saw more herons than I’ve seen in a long time.” In early December morning flocks of geese and pelicans were coming and going signaling a new winter season. On the same day, Bill saw a red fox from the paved trail. Since they’re usually seen on the rim, his sighting suggests they’re more active.

River otters are difficult to spot. Stand on a fishing dock, be patient, and you’re bound to see one in the reeds. One morning Toni saw four.

Weather station on the dam. Small instruments transmit rainfall, temperature, wind speed, and humidity information. When it rains, the accumulated amount appears the next morning in the Contra Costa Times along with the temperature.

Let me hear from you at jscala2@comcast.net.

www.yourmonthlypaper.com | 925.405.6397

Under Arrest: Tales of Classical Music’s Most Notorious Felons

Although the connection between classical music and notorious crimes may seem obscure, Gold Coast Chamber Players’ Crime and Punishment will expose the criminal lives of composers. Crime and Punishment is a radical departure from typical chamber music concerts, many of which focus on particular eras, countries, or composers. Prepare to have your expectations turned upside down and to guess which crime is connected to which composer!

Amongst the composers – J.S. Bach, Johann Rösenmuller, Alessandro Stradella, and Carlo Gesualdo – lay scandal, intrigue, and mystery. The concert will be held on Saturday, January 23 at 7:30PM at the Lafayette Library Community Hall, 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd. in Lafayette. A pre-concert talk with Kai Christiansen will start the evening at 7PM. Ticket price includes complimentary champagne, a pre-concert talk at 7PM, and a reception with the musicians following the performance. Tickets are available at www.gcplayers.org and by phone at (925) 283-3728. Seating is limited, please reserve early.

Page 10 - January 2016 ~ Lafayette Today

Sustainable Lafayette Tip of the Month

Science Fair Projects with an Environmental Theme

There’s something about the words “Science Fair” that strikes dread in the heart of elementary school parents. Even people who are not intimidated by scientific or engineering concepts have trouble figuring out science fair projects that are age-appropriate for their children and that they can supervise while the kids really do most of the work on their own. Anyone who’s been to a science fair recognizes the projects untouched by the hand – or brain – of a child.

Sustainable Lafayette proposes that Lafayette schoolchildren consider environmental themes for their science fair projects, and we are glad to help provide resources to help parents and kids pick ideas that are educational in a lasting way. And fun…maybe that’s even more important when it comes to learning about the world around us and why it’s worth preserving.

We will be visiting all four elementary school science fairs, which begin toward the end of February, and awarding ribbons to all the projects with environmental themes. We will invite the best ones to be displayed at the Lafayette Earth Day Festival on April 24.

Not surprisingly, the internet is a great place to find science fair projects with environmental themes. What’s great about most of the websites we’re recommending is that you can filter for the age of the student and complexity of the project.

My favorite website for science fair projects is http://www.education.com/ science-fair/environmental-issues/. I found it to be the easiest to navigate. The experiments were described clearly, and the materials were easily obtainable.

UC Davis Mondavi Institute

My oldest daughter Lindsay is the General Manager of an intimate and elegant new Hollywood Regency style wine bar in Orinda. Lindsay’s immersion into the wine and culinary world, her organization skills, and her gracious personality are a good fit for keeping up with the savvy and sophisticated Bay Area clientele. She’s excited to bring great wines and unique beer to the venue. Although I am by no means a wine connoisseur, Lindsay has asked me to attend some of the wine tastings from different venders and wineries. What fun! The wines are as unique as the stories from each winemaker. One thing I discovered is that many of the wineries hire graduates from the Viticulture and Enology department at UC Davis.

I recently toured the world renowned Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science at the UC Davis campus. The facility includes the Sensory Building, Good Life Garden, Jess S. Jackson sustainable winery, a brewery, and a food and milk processing facility. The winery is the first teaching and research winery anywhere in the world to be awarded a LEED Platinum certification which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and Platinum, the highest level of this certification by the Green Building Council.

The buildings are as beautiful as they are remarkable. The UC Davis winery was the first zero carbon footprint winery, the world’s most water-efficient winery, and the world’s most self-sustainable winery.

My favorite of the rooms we visited on our tour was the Special Collections Room in the Jess. S. Jackson Winery which is where the wine donated to the Department of Viticulture and Enology is stored. Floor to ceiling wine bottles from some of the most renowned wineries in the world are used for tasting and experiments by students in the program. The shiny, distinctive floor is made of recycled wine bottles, and the ceiling is made of recycled wood taken from a 1928 aqueduct near Chico.

The UC Davis Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science is known for creative and interesting events. I spoke to Amina Harris, Executive Director of the Honey and Pollination Center at UC Davis RMI who mentioned the center will host “The Feast: A Celebration with Mead and Honey” on Saturday, February 6 with mead tastings and a four course Mediterranean inspired menu.

Two esteemed chefs; Ann Evans, author of the Davis Farmer’s Cookbook and Kathy Riley, caterer and past chef at Zuni Café in San Francisco; are creators of the delicious menu. Guests will begin the evening at 6:30PM with mead cocktails; the fermented blend of honey, water, and often fruits, yeast, or spices; and end the evening festivities with an impressive after dinner mead flight.

• Tours of the UC Davis Robert Mondavi Institute are offered Monday –Fri-

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

I particularly liked the one about Energy Efficient Windows which asked the questions: Have you ever wondered why rooms with thick curtains tend to stay warmer in the winter? Any student interested in reducing his/her family’s carbon footprint or who simply wants to help the family save a little money on the heating bill can learn about insulating windows.

Another great resource is http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fairprojects/Intro-Environmental-Science.shtml. The website’s environmental science fair project ideas explore topics such as air quality, water quality, and the effects of climate change. The description of each experiment estimates how much time it requires – you need to start some of these at least two weeks in advance of the science fair – and how much the materials will cost.

Many of the experiments on http://www.sciencefairadventure.com/ EnvironmentalScience.aspx are pretty simple. How about creating your own little oil spill in a deep baking dish and then having to clean it up (with cotton balls)? Makes an environmental disaster such as Deepwater Horizon or Exxon Valdez really come to life. Between Richmond, Martinez and Benicia, we have several giant oil refineries in our vicinity, so this is a relevant project.

Sustainable Lafayette will post more science fair project ideas on its website – sustainablelafayette.org – as Science Fair season draws closer. Our website is a great resource for ideas and inspiration on transforming your home and community into more sustainable places with enhanced quality of life for current and future residents.

Andy & Wendy Scheck Selected as Lafayette’s 2016 “Marquis” Business Persons of the Year

Andy and Wendy are the byline! The husband and wife team are the publishers of the local newspaper, the Lamorinda Weekly.

Back in 2007 when it seemed like printed news was going to vanish with the wave of online publications, this couple took a “leaf of faith” and started a small business providing the Lamorinda community with an old fashioned way to get news. The content has provided Lafayette, Orinda, and Moraga with timely pieces on the most important issues facing the Lamorinda area.

The “Marquis” Business Person of the Year Annual Dinner will be held on Friday, January 29 beginning at 6PM at the Lafayette Park Hotel & Spa. The evening also includes the introduction to our 2016 Board of Directors, our incoming President Dennis Garrison, and the “State of the City” address by Mayor Mark Mitchell. Reservations can be made online by visiting www.lafayettechamber.org or by calling the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce at (925) 284-7404.

925.934.3743 • 925.934.1515

www.dumploadsonus.com • www.erecycleonus.com 1271 Boulevard Way, Walnut Creek Monday-Friday, 8-5 • Saturday 9-1, Sunday, closed day during regular business hours 8AM-12PM and 1PM -5PM, excluding holidays.

General tours are offered by students, and more specialized tours are led by senior faculty and staff. Tours last from 45 to 75 minutes. The fee is $5 for student led tours and $10 for faculty led tours. Call Cindi Bradshaw at (530) 752-5233 or visit their website at rmi.ucdavis.edu. They are located at 1027 Sensory Building, Robert Mondavi Institute, 392 Old Davis Road in Davis.

• Burgers and Brew, a brew pub located at 403 3rd Street in Davis, is a great place to meet the locals. We tried the Banana Bread Brew from the UK which was a light and delicious accompaniment to our lunch. Their phone number is (530) 750-3600.

• For more information on the “Feast: A Celebration with Mead and Honey,” contact the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science at (530) 7549301 or email aharris@ucdavis.edu. Their website is honey.ucdavis.edu/events.

Inspired by the many wonderful places to visit in the Bay Area, Linda Summers Pirkle organizes day trips, either for groups or for friends and family. To share your “Quick Trips” ideas email Coverthemap@gmail.com.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Your Neighbor’s House

Lafayette Today ~ January 2016 - Page 11

By Erin Martin, Village Associates Real Estate

The end of the year is such a busy time. I hope everyone had a moment to come up for air and enjoy ringing in the New Year. Over the holidays my neighbor put his home on the market. Naturally, during the first open house my husband and I went next door to check it out. We were curious about the floor plan, what updates they had made, and bottom line how their home compared to our house. We were being nosey neighbors. This is a term I use affectionately, and I love it when neighbors come to visit homes I am holding open. I think that nosey neighbors show potential buyers that this is a neighborhood where people take pride in ownership and care about their real estate investment.

My husband and I are very invested in the sale of our neighbor’s home because it provides a data point for how much our home is worth in the current market. For some of us this is important because we want to know how much equity we have in our home, or for others it helps to evaluate if it is a good time to sell. Home values are determined by comparison sales in the area. The condition, fixtures, square footage, lot size of recent sold homes helps realtors, appraisers, and buyers determine a home’s value. The bottom line is that it only helps us if our neighbor has a successful sale.

Buyers are investing in a neighborhood and not just a home, so there are some important things you can do to help your neighbor in selling their home and ultimately yourself. The most important thing you can do to assist your neighbor is help ensure your neighborhood shines as brightly as possible. Keep your yard tidy and pull garbage bins off of the street. If you have animals be conscious of open house times and schedules, and keep animals inside. It can be stressful for animals when open houses draw more cars and traffic. Sellers have an obligation to disclosure a loud barking dog or a failing fence, so neighbors just need to seem, well, neighborly. I used my neighbor selling his home as a good excuse to encourage my husband to trim back our hedge and to encourage my kids to thin out all their bikes and toys littering our yard. I am hopeful that potential buyers did not hear me yelling at them to turn off the television and get outside and help me.

I am looking forward to the New Year in Lafayette real estate. It is always exciting to see how the spring market unfolds.

Please feel free to call or email me with your real estate questions or for a free home evaluation. I can be reached at (925) 951-3817 or by email at erin@erinmartinhomes.com.

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Assistance League of Diablo Valley’s TeleCare Connects with the Homebound

Since 1971, member volunteers of TeleCare, a philanthropic program of Assistance League® of Diablo Valley, have been making daily reassurance calls, Monday through Friday, to those in our community who are homebound. As the chapter’s longest standing philanthropic program, TeleCare empowers the clients, no matter what their ages, to remain in their homes. What ensures this is a daily confidential journal kept for each client that member volunteers consult prior to the phone calls then update accordingly. Last year alone, member volunteers devoted 765 hours to connecting with homebound clients.

Unfortunately, many clients are socially isolated and don’t have anyone to check on them daily. Statistics indicate that loneliness can cause a 20% decline in health, a number that increases for seniors, the elderly and the homebound. TeleCare not only offsets that statistic, it ultimately serves as a safety net for clients and their families especially if volunteer callers are unable to reach the client.

At a recent regular chapter meeting, Ruth Finlay, former member of Assistance League of Diablo Valley since 1975 and current TeleCare client, dropped in for a visit to say, “Thank you, TeleCare; you start my day.” She added that if it weren’t for TeleCare member volunteers, some of the homebound would never receive phone calls.

If you live alone or know someone who does, a daily phone call would be a great way to stay connected with life and make new friends. Other TeleCare activities include attending an annual holiday party to meet fellow clients and member volunteers face to face, as well as receiving greeting cards from the Assisteens®, an auxiliary where kids learn to participate in a community service at a young age. So make that call to get you or someone you know connected.

For more information about TeleCare, please phone 925-934-0901. To learn about Assistance League of Diablo Valley’s other philanthropic programs, funded by its thrift shop in Lafayette, and its recently Left, TeleCare member volunteer Sally Sprague interviews former member awarded GuideStar Exchange gold participation level status, please visit diablovalley.assistanceleague.org. and TeleCare client Ruth Finlay (right) at a recent chapter meeting.

Page 12 - January 2016 ~ Lafayette Today

Technology Matters

By Evan Corstorphine, Portable CIO

Ever since the first personal computers were introduced in the late 1970’s, we’ve become locked into a reflexive pattern when it comes to purchasing new gear. We seem to buy the same sorts of devices and all the same software, over and over. We want nothing but the biggest, fastest computer with the most storage and RAM that our money can buy. But what if buying that size and capacity didn’t matter any longer? We’re seeing a shift in the way all of these pieces fit together, and I want to explore it with you, because the computing model is rapidly changing.

The shift in the way we use our devices has been gradual, but we’re seeing it accelerate. The confluence of widespread WiFi availability, an explosion of useful e-Commerce websites in every conceivable industry, and of course all of the social networking and related websites has redefined the way we compute and access information. The result is that most people simply don’t need a full-fledged computer to do the majority of the tasks they find important any more. These days, they only need a way to get to the web to view websites, a way to read their email and to view files they may receive, and perhaps a way to occasionally print. Anything else they need can usually wait until they are around a “real” computer. When you consider that all your typical office productivity applications (such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint) are all available in online versions from the internet, it frees you to consider entirely different hardware for your business or home. Really, we can re-think the whole equation.

In the past, it wasn’t unusual for a company to need a large file server, a separate email server, a big backup system, and some database or application servers. Every four or five years, we would replace it all. A little over 15 years ago, a guy named Larry Ellison correctly predicted, “The network is the computer,” and he was right. As network connectivity has exploded across the globe, so have the providers of internet-based applications. Whether it’s ‘Google’ or ‘Bing’ to search for information, “Office 365” or “Google Docs” for email, word processing and spreadsheets, or “SalesForce.com” or “Zoho” for Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, there is an application

www.yourmonthlypaper.com for just about everything we used to do locally on our personal computers and servers. The concept of a local server is rapidly becoming obsolete.

These days, we have clients with several hundred employees who don’t have a single server or application locally hosted at their company. One hundred percent of their daily work is accomplished through online websites, file storage, and email. In addition to safeguarding client data, our effort now is to concentrate on network capacity, stability, and redundancy. It’s a complete shift.

Where does this leave us with our expensive laptops, desktops, and servers? In my opinion, it leaves us with lots of excess computing capacity.

For the most part, I think we’re using our expensive computer hardware as glorified web-terminals. If everything can be done through a website, why can’t we re-think how we structure our computing environment and where we invest our resources?

One of the services that we are developing is called “IaaS,” or “Infrastructure as a Service.” It enables our clients to outsource their entire computing infrastructure, including all of their networking and the very machines they use. Instead of our clients buying expensive computers that are currently being used for email, office apps and websites, we can provide modern-day web terminals or portable ChromeBooks to access 100% of what our clientele need through the internet. If you could do everything you currently do now but on a $250 ChromeBook instead of an $800-$1,200 laptop with the same quality of experience, wouldn’t you? If you could eliminate the capital expense of a server and its maintenance while improving data reliability, stability, and employee access, wouldn’t you? We’ve been studying this closely and cannot find much other than high-end graphics design or 3D/CAD modeling which is still best done on a strong local computer. For everyday office use, we can migrate, securely, all other typical office functions to the internet and still maintain our client data integrity and redundancy.

Obviously, we cannot switch it out overnight! New companies have an advantage, because they can start out in the new model instead of retrofitting an existing infrastructure. Every situation is different, but anything is possible if you create a plan. If being on top of this fundamental shift in computing intrigues you, please contact us and let’s chat. We’re excited about what the future holds and would love to bring you along with us.

You can reach us at info@theportablecio.com, or 925-552-7953. Advertorial

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Applying good technology choices that you won’t revisit.

Serving Bay Area businesses and residents since 2001

925-552-7953

helpdesk@theportablecio.com www.theportablecio.com

Lafayette Today ~ January 2016 - Page 13

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Winter Pruning

By Blaine Brende & Joe Lamb

New Year, New Home At Merrill Gardens

Now is a great time to prune your trees to protect them against winter storms. A judicious pruning can reduce the likelihood of branches falling and causing damage to person or property. Evergreens, such as cedars, and many species of deciduous trees, such as valley oaks, can be pruned in the late fall and early winter, and now is by far the best time to prune pines. Monterey pines can only be pruned between October 1 and February 15 without attracting pine beetles. These potentially lethal beetles, which can smell sap from long distances, go dormant in the winter.

Some species of beetles carry pine pitch canker, an increasingly common fungal disease that disfigures pine trees and sometimes kills them. If your tree has dead tips scattered throughout the canopy, it probably suffers from pine pitch canker. To prolong the aesthetic life of the diseased tree, prune out the infected tips when the beetles are dormant.

Even healthy trees require occasional pruning to keep them safe and beautiful. Many trees are subject to branch and column failure. Thinning the crown reduces the windsail effect of the canopy and thereby reduces the risk of the tree failing in a windstorm. Removing weight from the ends of heavy branches reduces the likelihood that those branches will break.

Pruning trees for safety is a craft requiring study and Join us to celebrate the new year and enjoy experience. A well-pruned tree should not only be safer, it should look beautiful. At Brende & Lamb we take great the benefits of the retirement lifestyle at Merrill Gardens. pride in both the science and the art of pruning. Each plant has a natural growth pattern. Our trimmers are expert at From our Anytime DiningSM to Active LivingSM programs accentuating the shape given the plant by nature. Within the bounds of what is healthy for each species, Brende & Lamb and more, you are sure to start your year off right! works to make trees as beautiful as possible. Our trimmers are well practiced in aesthetic pruning and are attuned to the artistic flow inherent in tree forms. The form may be weeping, as with Willows and Chinese Elms. In some species, Call today and ask about our such as Monterey Cypress, branches ascend at acute angles studio rate specials!* to the trunk, giving the tree an upswept look. Branches in the coast live oak bend and twist, forming complex arcs.

Each tree species has a unique form and flow.

When necessary, trees and shrubs can be reduced in (925) 854-1858 size, but crown reduction requires a good eye; a poorly reduced tree looks like a thicket of stubs. Topping is almost 1010 Second Street always a bad idea. However, the crown of many trees can Lafayette, CA 94549 Lic #079200358 be reduced by cutting back long branches to the crotches *Call for details. merrillgardens.com formed by shorter branches growing in the same direction.

If the branch doesn’t fork, we cut back to the lowest growth Retirement Living • Assisted Living • Memory Care point that will neither create a thick stub nor undermine the arching quality of the branch. When a tree or shrub has 1 12/29/15 2:46 PM been reduced in this way, it’s difficult to detect the cuts or tell 122815a_Lafayette_Today_New_Year_Home_A.indd that the branches have been shortened.

Sometimes the form of trees needs to be modified to capture or accentuate views. View pruning requires restraint and a willingness to compromise. In view work, the beauty of the view and the beauty of the tree often seem to be in conflict. Many pruners focus solely on the view and simply hack back the tree.

However, more than the tree’s beauty is at stake. Topping stimulates production of water sprouts, and it also causes disease and rot - all of which make the tree more, not less, dangerous. However, view problems can often be solved by looking at tree-and-view as an aesthetic unity, as two elements that complement and frame each other. Sometimes, lightly bringing the tree back without cutting into major branches can prevent further encroachment on the view.

To recover even more of the view, we create “windows” by selectively removing branches not essential for the tree’s natural form. We can enlarge these by removing small branches that rise or drop into the view. Thinning above and below the window creates an overall feeling of openness, rather than an abrupt gaping hole. The image of Mount Diablo framed by the trembling needles of a well-windowed Redwood proves that nature and civilization can complement each other - as can aesthetics and practicality.

If your trees need a little TLC to protect them against winter winds, or if your property could use a little fire protection, please call 510-486-TREE (8733) or email us at bl@brendelamb.com for a free estimate. Additionally, go to our website www.brendelamb.com to see before and after pictures, client Advertorial testimonials, and work in your neighborhood.

Studios from $3,195 per month

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Page 14 - January 2016 ~ Lafayette Today

Serving the Bay Area with honesty and integrity since 1973

Since 1973

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In Loehmann’s Shopping Center (next to Lucky’s)

Gardening with Kate

By Kathleen Guillaume

Finally with some rain under our belts and a growing snow pack in the Sierras, we can all breath a tempered sigh of relief. The air feels like winter, and my camellias are opening their flawless blooms and are loaded with enough buds to guarantee a visual feast until spring blooms open. Sometimes gardeners take camellias for granted with a ‘seen that, ho-hum’ attitude, but the varieties available really warrant a second look at this

prolific bloomer.

Once when touring a home I saw an espaliered Camellia sasanqua “Hanajiman” laid out in an informal pattern covering a stone wall. With its open apple blossom type blooms it was stunning. Of course that led to the purchase of the very same to be trained along my garage wall. This loose slightly weepy form is perfect for an espalier. I planted it out 8” from the wall and spayed the form of branches out, removing all branches that grew toward the wall and all that extended toward me. I used an adhesive tie back to secure it to the wall in a loose fan form. It is so easy: all that is required is an occasional snip of a branch which has ideas of being anything but horizontal to keep it on the right path.

The sasanqua varieties have smaller leaves than the hybrids you are most use to.

These varieties are fall through early winter bloomers What is glorious about the more familiar japonica varieties is that they are winter bloomers, a blessing when gardens have so little color. Camellias are shallow rooted which makes them good foundation plants, but they do need air circulation and should not be against structures unless espaliered. No plant should be up against a residential structure as it holds moisture against a wall that will lead to deterioration, and you want to keep all irrigation away from foundations. Camellias like an acid soil which we can usually amend to, like to be planted high to encourage good drainage, and do not like wet soil...just slightly moist. They need all blossoms that have been spent and fallen to be raked up, and the ground below them needs to be kept very clean as their one weakness is a blight that comes from the deterioration of old blossoms lying about the soil.

2395 Monument Blvd., Suite J Concord (925) 680-4433 (Across from Costco Gas Station, next to Harvest House)

Because they have deep rich evergreen glossy foliage, they bring beauty to any garden year round. All information available on the subject states that camellias like filtered light, yet if you have ever walked in the Camellia Grove in Sacramento’s State Capital Park, you will see full grown trees standing well on their own in all of their glory. If you want to err toward caution and don’t have filtered light, a morning sun side of the house will do.

January is always the time to dream your way into the spring and summer garden that is on your horizon. Think of what you will remove and what you will add, devote time for catalog and online research, consider buying bare root fruit trees and roses, and shop for camellias. It is always best to look at a plant when it is in bloom as the bloom pattern and bloom size and color never quite look like what they do on a tag. Treat yourself to an online view of Camellias; you will be surprised at the varieties and blossom shapes and colors which range between so perfect they look artificial to the open loose petalled varieties. They also do well in pots which give you a means of moving them out of harsh summer sun while still allowing them to take center stage in winter light.

Happy Gardening.

Montelindo Garden Club

The next Montelindo Garden Club meeting (third Friday, September thru May) will be held on Friday, January 15th at 9AM at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 66 St. Stephens Drive, Orinda. Visitors are welcome.

The topic for January’s meeting is Form and Foliage, and the speaker will be Sarah Malone.

For more information, visit www.montelindogarden.com.

Search and Rescue

The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team needs volunteer members to respond to missing person incidents, disasters, and other critical incidents. Team members are on call 24/7 year-round. The program provides required training; including wilderness traveling, first aid, map and compass usage, tracking disaster response, and search skills; and may also include special training for canine, equestrian, technical, mountain bike, or other rescue skills.

For information and applications, visit www.contracostasar.org or call 925-646-4461.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Life in the Lafayette Garden

Lafayette Today ~ January 2016 - Page 15

Right Plant – Right Place

By John Montgomery, ASLA, Landscape Architect #4059

With California’s cycle of drought the introduction of drought tolerant, native, Mediterranean, and Australian-based plant material has infiltrated the main-stream landscape design styles. The days of junipers, oleanders, Monterrey pines, ivy, and oh yes, agapanthus are long gone. When I interview my clients one of the questions I ask is, “What plants do you absolutely hate?” The above list always contains the unmentionable plants of the 60’s drought genre.

With the awareness of California’s sensitive water issues, our firm has integrated water-conserving measures into our design styles as a general practice.

As a result of this new style our landscapes are being planted with a much more diverse and drought tolerant plant palette. Nursery growers are cultivating a broader spectrum of plant species as well as sub-species and cultivars. What that means in common terms is we have a better assortment of plants to be creative with. These new selections are not only showing up in boutique nurseries like Orchard Nursery in Lafayette, but are also showing up at Ace and Home Depot.

The result is a landscape style that I call “California Casual” which enhances the home environment with color, texture, and fragrance. The overall look is a mix of mildly manicured plants and structure in the background, an open sprawling look in the foreground and interesting focal points for directed interest.

“California Casual” is a much more relaxed landscape style in comparison to the landscapes of the East Coast, Europe, and landscapes of the 50’s and 60’s.

Background planting is so important because it is what shows off the color, texture, and focal interest. Some good examples of background plantings are Choisya ternata - Mexican orange, Pittosporum tobira ‘Marjorie Channon’ Variegated mock orange, Laurus ‘Saratoga’ – Laurel, Ceanothus var. – California lilac, and Abelia grandiflora to name a few.

Creating a focal point of interest is very important to creating landscape style.

You’ve seen landscapes that you can’t exactly put your finger on it why you don’t quite like it. Well it’s because what you are seeing is a mix of one of these and one of those and two of these and three of those. Everything is homogeneous! Boring!

A landscape needs interest! Create a focal point by bringing your attention to a beautiful multi-trunk tree, gloriously blooming shrub, or even a small break in the change of texture. And you don’t need just one focal point; turn a corner and there, a surprise! Make it fun!

Now is what really brings the “California Casual” style together is color, texture, and fragrance. Use lots of colorful perennials, grasses, and smelly stuff. It brings shocking beauty to your own backyard. Lavender, Catmint, Germander, Hardy Geraniums, Hellebores, and Day Lilies add vivid color in an open-sprawling manner when set off by that structured background. Ornamental grasses can add the dramatic texture that will set any landscape apart from the homogeneous one. With a wide selection of flax, sedges, fescues, iris’ and sub-tropical grasses available, a planting design can have drama from spring to late winter with arching blades in various color schemes to whimsical movement of the seed heads.

Bring on the fragrance! Daphne, Lilac, Gardenia, Mexican Orange, Citrus, Lavender, and Jasmine can delight your senses from winter to fall. Fragrance adds pleasure to your landscape experience.

A hot tip from your local Landscape Architect: Announcement! We will be holding our annual “Life in the Garden Tour” fundraiser in the spring of 2017.

Call for details

925.939.8300 solartechnologies.com Lic. #932914

The drought has been very detrimental to our client’s gardens this year, and they will need another year to rehabilitate. We hope the drought will end with all of the wonderful rain we are receiving.

Keep your fingers crossed for a good wet year with plenty of snow. We look forward to seeing you on the tour in 2017.

Gardening Quote of the Month: The most noteworthy thing about gardeners is that they are always optimistic, always enterprising, and never satisfied.

They always look forward to doing something better than they have ever done before. - Vita Sackville-West, 1892 – 1962 If you would like me to write on any particular subject, email your ideas to jmontgomery@jm-la.com or for design ideas visit www.jm-la.com or www.

Advertorial houzz.com/pro/jmla/john-montgomery-landscape-architects.

Page 16 - January 2016 ~ Lafayette Today

Advice Can Add Value on Many Levels

By George M. Noceti, CRPS -Wealth Advisor and Paul A. Noceti, Financial Planning Specialist with The Integra Group at Morgan Stanley ®

In today’s Internet-enabled, do-it-yourself world, many investors are opting to go it alone. They pick their own stocks, bonds, and funds; choose their own strategies; and make their own buy-and-sell decisions.

While this self-directed approach may work for some, it may not be the wisest course for many.

Investment Complexity May Require Professional Advice

Investors today can choose from more than 5,000 publicly traded stocks, in excess of 7,000 mutual funds, 1,200-plus exchange traded funds and several thousand bond issues – and that’s just those listed in the United States.1 Then, there are the alternative asset classes that includes commodities, real estate, hedge funds and private equity.

The breadth of the public securities markets and the complexity of alternative investments require a high level of experience, and this is the value provided

www.yourmonthlypaper.com by a professional Financial Advisor. In addition, qualified Financial Advisors may have access to sophisticated strategies, institutional quality research and risk management tools that are generally unavailable to untrained individuals.

Discipline and Objectivity – The Hallmarks of Successful Investing

There are a number of classic mistakes that retail investors inevitably fall prey to: overreacting to market news, selling an investment too soon or holding it too long, trying to time the market, or under- or overestimating risk. A qualified investment professional is trained to identify the conditions that lead to these reactions and may help you avoid these missteps.

Objective, third-party advice can also help you maintain a disciplined investment strategy because it requires that you set achievable goals, implement trading guidelines and establish rules for buying and selling securities.

Investment publications, blogs, and television and radio shows are filled with stories about investors overpaying in a bull market and panic selling during a market correction. A Financial Advisor is more likely to view such situations dispassionately and offer a more balanced and long-term perspective.

A Professional Can Offer a Comprehensive Approach

Professional advice’s added value is its holistic approach to investing, taking into account life events, shifting goals, changing economic and market environments, tax events, insurance issues, and legacy planning needs. So if you are currently managing your own investment portfolio, you may want to consider tapping into a Financial Advisor’s experience. It may make a big difference in achieving your long-term goals.

For further information on how our advice can better help you plan for retirement, as well as a complimentary Medicare Review, Social Security Review, and Financial Plan Review, please contact us at George M. Noceti, CRPS® -Wealth Advisor at (925)746-2982, via email at george.noceti@morganstanley.com, or visit our website at www.ms.com/fa/theintegragroup. Connect LinkedIn: George M. Noceti, CRPS® Follow me on Twitter: @GNocetiMS. Tax laws are complex and subject to change. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice and are not “fiduciaries” (under ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code or otherwise) with respect to the services or activities described herein except as otherwise agreed to in writing by Morgan Stanley. Individuals are encouraged to consult their tax and legal advisors (a) before establishing a retirement plan or account, and (b) regarding any potential tax, ERISA and related consequences of any investments made under such plan or account.

George and Paul Noceti may only transact business in states where they are registered or excluded or exempted from registration www.morganstanley.com/ Transacting business, follow-up and individualized responses involving either effecting or attempting to effect transactions in securities, or the rendering of personalized investment advice for compensation, will not be made to persons in states where they are not registered or excluded or exempt from registration.© 2014 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC. Advertorial

Brainwaves by Betsy Streeter Lic# 1100014354; Bay Area Entertainment

Dances continued from front page

would need to exit the building to use the restroom during the dance. The new building features attached restrooms and drinking fountains, making the event more secure and chaperoning the events much easier. The new facility is larger as well, so more participants can attend the often sold-out dances.

All three dances will be open to 7th and 8th graders from Lafayette, Moraga, and Orinda. January 15th and February 19th will be standard dances with $5 tickets (plus a canned food donation). The March 11th dance will feature a fun inflatable, and tickets will cost $12 (plus a canned food donation). Door open at 7:30PM and the dance ends at 10PM. Dress code and inappropriate dancing policies are listed at our website (www.lafayetterec.org) and will be strictly enforced.

Scottish Country Dancing

Come dance every Thursday evening, year-round. No partner is required and no Scottish ancestry is required. Adult beginner classes for Scottish Country Dancing take place each week with free lessons at 8PM. More experienced dancers also begin at 8PM. Once a month Ceilidh dancing will take place as well. Dancing will be held at the Danville Grange, located at 743 Diablo Rd in Danville. All dance nights are drop-in. The first beginner lesson is free, afterwards the cost is $8/night or $6/night if attending a 10week session paid in advance.

Call Witsie at (925) 676-3637 or Kathleen at (925) 934-6148 for more information. For children’s classes ages 7 and up, please contact Cathy at (925) 284-9068 for dates and fees.

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Energy Matters

Deadlines and Victories

By Mark Becker, GoSimpleSolar

The fourth quarter of 2015 was a record-breaking quarter for installation of solar PV systems in the state of California. In November, there were 5,942 solar PV projects completed and approved for interconnection to the grid in PGE territory alone. In last months article, I discussed the factors that are driving this installation volume. The ramifications of this volume of installation are far-reaching. At the current rate of installations, a “trigger cap” for the new regulations is going to happen much sooner than expected. The trigger date for changes is July 17, 2017; the trigger cap is 5% solar penetration into the PGE grid. PGE expects that the 5% trigger cap will happen during the summer of 2016.

The final design and impact of “Net Metering 2.0” is still to be determined. Hopefully PGE and the solar industry will progress from their entrenched policy positions and recognize that a balance must be struck; solar needs the grid, and the grid consumers (and the planet) need solar.

Consensus is that those who connect their solar during Net Metering 1.0 (current regulations) are going to reap greater financial return than those who “go solar” after the “NEM 2.0” changes. It’s not a certainty, but by all indications, lesser solar returns for some consumers will be the result under NEM 2.0.

Breaking News: I’m more than halfway thru writing this article, instead of starting over and rewriting I’ll simply continue with an update: The Net Metering 2.0 initial ruling has been published. A big win for consumers is that new solar customers under NEM 2.0 (upon final approval) will still get full retail value from their solar. Unfortunately, new customers under NEM 2.0 will be subjected to new interconnection application fees. Also, “Time of Use” rates are going to be imposed on customers in a few years. However, “Time of Use” rates are typically already advantageous to the customer and the utility if a properly designed solar PV system is installed. There are other nuances that may slightly reduce the value of solar PV under NEM 2.0, but in general, as is currently proposed, it’s a HUGE WIN for the California consumer. Unlike a recent Nevada ruling, new legislation in California can not retroactively damage someone’s financial returns for a solar PV system; these rulings grandfather anyone who goes solar during the time periods of NEM 1.0 and 2.0 into 20 years of these defined benefits.

Even bigger news, nationally: Extension of the Federal Tax Credit for homes and business is another big win for the American economy, jobs, and consumers. I believe it’s becoming an accepted belief that renewable energy is a critical element of a cohesive homeland security policy. The Federal Tax Credit was extended in its current form with the first planned credit percentage step-downs starting in 2019. It’s hard to describe how important this legislation is to the renewable energy industry. It’s also very important to give credit to both political parties who have proven this is not a partisan issue.

Another matter related to Homeland Security is that of the security of our electric grid. Simply do a Google search on “Iranians and U.S. grid.”

Your research will find that our grid has been subjected to cyber attacks. The attackers “have the capability to strike at will,” according to intelligence experts. One of the best ways to damage our economy is to cripple our utility grid. The real problem with cyber attacks is that it’s very hard to prove from where they came.

There’s a headline on Solar Industry News that reads as such: “New Products help owners and managers collect solar plant data in fine detail.”

Consumers: Data, for data’s sake, is useless. Extreme data detail serves to confuse the average consumer. With upgrades to traditional technology, the granularity of too much data is unnecessary, and the products that can generate such granularity of data simply add complexity to an otherwise very safe investment. Simplicity and reliability get the job done, for decades. Solar, done right, is a wonderful investment.

Mark Becker is the President and business owner of GoSimpleSolar, by Semper Fidelis Construction Inc, CSLB 948715. GoSimpleSolar is one of the very few solar PV installers utilizing both licensed roofers and licensed electricians for installation work, project managed by a solar PV NABCEP professional. For more information visit www.GoSimpleSolar.com. Advertorial

Lafayette Today ~ January 2016 - Page 17

Lafayette Juniors Win State Awards for Their Charity Work

The Lafayette Juniors were awarded first place from the state of California on behalf of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) for their fundraising and membership programs for charity. The Lafayette Juniors are part of the GFWC, a 125-year-old international service organizations made up of more than 500 clubs and 80,000 women who are dedicated to volunteering their time to make the lives of others better. GFWC Clubs, including the Lafayette Juniors, routinely seek to raise awareness of issues from domestic violence to disaffected youth and homelessness through community service, fundraising, and participation in local, state and national legislation.

“It is an honor to present the Lafayette Juniors first place awards for their fundraising and membership efforts,” says Cary Farrago, President Elect of GFWC’s Mount Diablo District. “Each year individual Women’s Club’s are evaluated for their volunteer service work. The Lafayette Juniors won first place in their Club category from both the Mount Diablo District and the State of California because of their creative, unique fundraising, and for their ability to attract and retain Juniors club members that care deeply about people in need and are called to act on their behalf.”

The Lafayette Juniors continue this long tradition of offering service to others in need and in this spirit recently held their 22nd Annual Rummage Sale at Lafayette’s Our Saviors Lutheran Church to benefit Youth Homes, Diablo Ballet, Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, and Lamorinda Spirit Van. “This year our rummage sale raised a record amount,” says Christy Mack, President of the Lafayette Juniors. “The sale’s success was made possible because of the dedication of our members as well as the generosity of community members and local businesses who continually support our events.”

The Juniors next fundraising event will be their 17th Annual Kitchen Tour on Saturday, May 14, 2016 from 10AM to 3PM. Tickets for this self-guided tour will go on sale in early March. To find out more about the Lafayette Juniors and their upcoming Kitchen Tour, please visit www.lafayettejuniors.org.

About the Lafayette Juniors

Founded in 1953 by Lafayette resident Betsey Young, the Lafayette Juniors is a non-profit organization made up of local women who come together to raise funds and offer service in support of other non-profits that serve children, families, and seniors as well as other people in need throughout Contra Costa and neighboring counties in the San Francisco area. Over the past 16 years, Lafayette Juniors have raised more than $600,000 for Bay Area non-profit groups.

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Page 18 - January 2016 ~ Lafayette Today

Give from Your Heart, but Use Your Head

By Robert J. Silverman, Attorney at Law

During the holidays, generosity is widespread.

Many people make gifts to loved ones and charities.

On the surface, gift-giving is simple and straightforward. Without considering certain financial, tax, and control factors, however, it is easy to make a mistake about the timing, type and/or amount of a prospective gift. Ultimately, it may or may not be wise to make the gift at all.

Below, I’ll give a few examples of common gift-giving mistakes, some of which can be painful.

• Mistake #1: Giving an amount that leaves you vulnerable to a lower quality of life. I have worked with generous clients who concentrate so much on what they would like to give to loved ones that they lose sight of, or convince themselves to sacrifice, their own financial wellbeing. People are living longer. Future financial markets, your long-term health needs and the circumstances of an intended donee are never certain. So, unless you are extraordinarily wealthy, you are well advised to be conservative when making (irrevocable) gifts.

• Mistake #2: Failing to take advantage of federal estate and gift tax rules. Federal estate tax and gift tax rules render certain gifts tax neutral. It is wise to seek advice about these rules so you can give in the most tax efficient manner. For example, if you give more than $14,000 (in cash and/or the value of other assets) to any individual(s) during a calendar year, you are required to file a federal gift tax return; and the excess you give to anyone over $14,000 reduces the federal estate tax exemption available on your death.

Additionally, you are able to give (pay) an unlimited amount to healthcare providers and educational institutions for the benefit of a loved one as long

Church Provides Community Care

Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian’s Stephen Ministry has 25 trained lay people who provide ongoing, one-on-one Christian care to those in our congregation and in the community who are experiencing transitions in their lives. LOPC Stephen Ministry is confidential and is provided at no cost. A Stephen Minister is...

• A congregation member with a gift for listening, • A lay person who has received 50 hours training in providing emotional and spiritual care, • A committed caregiver who listens, cares, prays, supports, and encourages those who are hurting, and • Someone who will “be there” for his or her care receiver, meeting faithfully for about an hour each week, for as long as there’s a need.

Stephen Ministers are available for those who are dealing with illness or hospitalization, loneliness, aging, being shut-in, separation due to military deployment, death or serious loss, separation or divorce, disabilities, or grief and anxiety.

If you know of someone who would benefit from the ongoing confidential, no cost, spiritual, and emotional support of a Stephen Minister, contact Jean Lee at (925) 943-2237, or visit www.lopc.org/ care_stephen_ministry.asp.

Advertise in Your Community!

Lafayette Today is a hyperlocal paper delivered exclusively to the Lafayette, 94549 zip code.

Reach out to over 12,000 LOCAL homes and businesses.

925.405.6397

www.yourmonthlypaper.com

www.yourmonthlypaper.com as the payments are made directly to the provider.

• Mistake #3. Missing the opportunity to designate a charitable organization(s) as beneficiary of your retirement plan (e.g. IRA or 401K).

If you’re charitably inclined, you should consider designating one or more charities as beneficiary of your retirement plan rather than as beneficiary of your living trust. Charities enjoy a tax-exempt status. So, when a charity withdraws funds from the retirement plan it inherits from you, it pays no income tax and therefore enjoys 100% of the plan funds. Alternatively, when your loved one is the beneficiary of your retirement plan (assuming you funded it with pre-tax dollars), your loved one will pay federal and state income tax on the amounts he or she withdraws, and will thus enjoy as little as about 60% of the plan funds.

• Mistake #4: Making lifetime versus testamentary gifts of appreciated assets. Elders are often inclined to make lifetime gifts of highly appreciated assets, such as a principal residence, vacation home or investment property, to children or other loved ones. However, if your loved ones instead receive such appreciated asset on your death, they receive a major income tax benefit known as a “step-up” in income tax basis. This allows the inheritor to sell the asset and pay no income tax on the sale. Alternatively, if you gifted the same asset during your life and your loved ones sold the asset, they would step into your shoes and be liable for income tax just as you would have been if you had sold the asset. Accordingly, it behooves you to talk to your tax advisor to determine how compelling the basis “step-up” will be if you keep an appreciated asset and gift it on your death (e.g. through your living trust) rather than during your life.

• Mistake #5: Gifting to minors into a custodial account. Many people make substantial gifts to minors into custodial accounts without realizing that the minor for whom the account is established will irrevocably own and control the funds upon reaching 18 - the age of majority (or as otherwise set up when establishing the account - in California, no older than 25). Instead, by creating an irrevocable trust for the minor, you can meaningfully control the disposition of funds to the child before and after he or she reaches a certain age(s) and/or satisfies certain conditions that you, the donor, deem necessary or appropriate. You can name a trustee and successor trustees in whom you have confidence to manage and distribute the funds prudently to the beneficiary.

Upon request, I’ll be happy to provide you, on a complimentary basis, any or all of the following: i) an “Estate Planning Primer”; ii) a brochure on alternative methods of holding title to property; iii) an introductory meeting.

Mr. Silverman is an attorney with R. Silverman Law Group specializing in estate planning, trust administration and probate, real estate, and business taxes. They are located at 1855 Olympic Blvd., Suite 125, Walnut Creek, CA 94596; (925) 7054474; 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.

Advertorial

LAC continued from front page

The bulk of LAC’s support continues to take place in Orinda, where the Council was originally formed more than 60 years ago. Ongoing projects include: • Distribution of art books for Orinda first and second graders, and sketchbooks for third graders, • Financial support for after school drama programs at Miramonte, Orinda Intermediate School and the four Orinda Elementary schools, • Art liaisons to each Orinda school, • Financial support for the Lamorinda Acalanes Union Film Festival, • Support and facilitation of the annual OUSD Arts Ambassadors Exhibit & Reception in the Orinda Library Art Gallery, • Coordination for the hanging of artwork by prestigious local artists in the Orinda Library Art Gallery and student artwork in the Children’s Area, • Participating on Orinda’s Art in Public Places Committee, and • Partnering as an organizer and beneficiary with the Orinda Jazz Festival.

For more information on the Lamorinda Arts Council and its programs and how you can participate as a volunteer or donor, visit www.lamorindaarts.org.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Your Personal Nutritionist

Lose Your Weight Forever This New Year the Healthy Way

By Linda Michaelis RD, MS

Happy New Year! Have you been using this time as a motivator to drop the weight you have been struggling to lose all year? You have the best of intentions to lose weight or exercise more as the New Year begins, but somehow life happens, and you often find yourself going back to your old ways.

Try a different approach this New Year. Instead of making a diet and weight loss resolution, focus on improving your health by making weekly nutrition and fitness goals. Decide which goal you will work towards for the coming week. Log your progress and check in with yourself at the week’s end. This is the process that I follow when I work with my clients. I hold their hand as they make these changes that often seem daunting at first.

Don’t look at this year’s resolution as a temporary change; look at it as a lifestyle change. Making too many changes at once can cause you to burn out before the end of January and cause you to break your commitment. Instead of changing your entire way of living all at once, try making these small changes everyday.

Work your way SLOWLY to a healthier you.

Try some of these nutrition and fitness goals for the coming year, and you’ll see how great you feel.

1. Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. Every day have at least two cups of veggies. Add veggies to your egg white omelet, and have a soup with veggies or a salad at lunch. Have a piece of fruit at lunch and one after dinner.

Did you know the new recommendation is that half your plate should be veggies and fruit and the other half should be a ½ cup of grains and 4 ounces of protein?

2. Switch to 100% whole wheat. If you’re still eating white bread and pasta switch to whole grains. Whole grains contain more fiber and nutrients and will keep you fuller for a longer period of time. Clients enjoy Trader Joe’s 100% whole wheat pasta, quinoa, couscous, barley, legumes, and brown rice.

3. Portion control. Work your way to smaller portions, and this will help control your calories. If you typically use a big dinner plate and fill the whole

Teen continued from front page

is able to provide accurate and timely information to give every individual with whom they connect a better chance to maximize personal potential and avoid making damaging decisions.

Emphasis on academic achievement and success in competitive sports begins taking its toll on children as early as pre-school. Lacking belief in their own talents or feeling excluded by their peers causes youngsters to give up on life.

Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for children aged 10-14. Depression is diagnosed in 1 in 20 children aged 9-17. Prescription drug abuse (with 47% of teens reporting their knowledge of ease of access to these substances) is an escalating problem. But simple recitation of horrifying statistics is not the approach that has won Teen Esteem the praise of students, parents, teachers, and administrators.

One education professional writes: “The presentation was exactly what I hoped for: honest and realistic, but with hope and practical help for parents. I liked that it wasn’t just a ‘shock’ value presentation, but gave parents tools of how to talk to their students, and things they could actually do.” Students find Teen Esteem’s message reassuring. Here are a few of their comments. “You guys inspired me to respect myself.” “I know I am not permanently damaged by my past.” “I really got the chance to hear that I deserved a fresh start, and that I had better chances.” “It was a moment when I considered myself for once to be happy with myself.”

How does Teen Esteem translate the discouraging message inherent in delivering a discourse dependent on unadulterated facts into an insightful and encouraging formula for success? The organization’s focus on the positive begins with founder Linda Trumbull’s personal dedication. “I am passionate about helping kids realize that their value is not based on performance, and that they deserve to be treated with respect,” she explains.

Equally dedicated volunteers train to discuss issues teens face with a constructive emphasis on decision-making based on belief in one’s own personal worth. Topics covered include substance abuse, relationships, eating disorders, communication, sexual assault, stress, anxiety, depression,

Lafayette Today ~ January 2016 - Page 19 plate, try using a smaller size plate. We always eat more when there is a pile of food on our plate.

4. Limit the sweets. You do not have to avoid sweets. The key is moderation.

If you enjoy dessert and sweets several times a day, make a goal for yourself to limit sweets to either once per day, or a few times a week. Instead of randomly eating sweets during the day I teach my clients to have their sweets after a meal which will prevent cravings for sweets.

6. Swap out the soda and juice. These beverages are loaded with sugar and greatly contribute to your daily calories. And let’s be honest: most people don’t only drink a can a day. Imagine how many extra pounds in one year are contributed from soda alone. I show my clients many beverages that are popular and have no calories.

7. Begin a walking program. Commit to a daily walk, either first thing in the morning or after dinner. I teach my clients about interval training which shocks the metabolism and causes us to burn calories much faster.

8. Schedule your workouts. Just like you schedule a doctor’s appointment or a lunch date with a friend, schedule your workout on the calendar and make it a part of your routine five times a week. I teach my clients how to set up their meal plan based on their exercise schedule for the day.

9. Plan YOU time. Make sure you are taking care of your basic needs such as eating and sleeping. It will then be easier to listen to what your body needs in terms of food and exercise. Often I can see that when my client is having a problem with overeating it is because they have not gotten enough sleep or they are overwhelmed with family and work and use food to get through these stressful times.

10. Practice mindful eating. Since you have vowed not to diet this year, practice being mindful when you are eating. Listen for your hunger and fullness signals, and respond appropriately. Don’t eat when you are not hungry, yet don’t let yourself get to the ravenous point either. When eating, stop midway and ask yourself if you are still hungry. If not, stop and save the rest for another time. I take a lot of time to practice this technique with my clients.

GOOD NEWS! HEALTH INSURANCE WILL PAY FOR NUTRITIONAL COUNSELING - Aetna, ABMG, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Health Net, Hill Physicians, Sutter, and other major companies. Please refer to my website www.LindaRD. com for past articles and information about services. Feel free to call me at (925)855Advertorial 0150 or email lifeweight1@yahoo.com. and internet/social media. As fast as new trends in experimentation with alcohol and drug use emerge, their pace is outstripped by the proliferation of innovative technological temptations.

Facebook was launched in 2004, a decade after the founding of Teen Esteem. No one tweeted on Twitter until 2006. The free instant messaging application KIK was founded in 2009, making anonymous chats including both messages and photos possible with no traceable recordings for parents to monitor. In 2010, Instagram and Ask.fm emerged. Snapchat began in 2011, Whisper and Tinder in 2012.

Following the cyberbullying induced suicide of 14-year old Hannah Smith,

See Teen continued on page 20

Lic# 1100014354; Bay Area Entertainment

Page 20 - January 2016 ~ Lafayette Today

Why Teenage Boys and Girls Need the HPV Vaccine

By Gigi Chen, MD

January is cervical cancer awareness month, so what does that have to do with the Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine?

First of all, HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the US today and can cause health issues that affect the genital areas, mouth, and throat of men and women. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate there are approximately 9,300 men and 17,500 women affected each year by cancers caused from HPV. Diagnoses we most often seen are oropharyngeal cancer in men and cervical cancer in women.

The HPV vaccine will help protect boys and girls from developing the HPV infection. Specifically, the vaccine will help protect boys from developing genital warts (and other HPV related cancers) and protect girls from developing cervical cancer and genital warts. The CDC recommends that the HPV vaccine (series of three shots) be given to children between the ages of 11 and 12 years of age, but it may be given beginning at age nine years, well before becoming sexually active. This recommendation is endorsed by the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine.

If children are not vaccinated when younger, it is recommended to have “catch up vaccines” for males through age 21 and females through age 26.

It is also important to point out that the vaccine does not protect against all types of HPV that can cause cervical cancer, therefore girls still need to have regular Pap tests.

Most people do not know they are infected with HPV because they never develop symptoms or health problems. Others learn they have HPV when they develop genital warts or more serious problems.

Medical research and development continue to give us effective advances in disease prevention that help us all.

Dr. Chen is a Medical Oncologist with Diablo Valley Oncology. She sees patients in Walnut Creek, San Ramon and Pleasant Hill and can be reached at (925) 677-5041. Advertorial

Teen continued from page 19

UK Prime Minister David Cameron urged parents and teenagers to boycott Ask.fm as well as similar sites which permitted online abuse. Quoted in the Daily Mail from his interview on BBC Breakfast on August 8, 2013, Cameron recognized his own responsibilities. “All of us as parents are going to have to, and I say this myself … I am going to have to spend more time talking with my children about the Internet, about what’s safe, about what isn’t safe, about what they want to do.” Cameron refers to growing up with parents who strictly limited his television viewing noting, “The off Teen Esteem Presentation Coordinator button is a great regulator.”

Amethyst Thomas keeps her discussions Modern technology complicates upbeat and informative. the process, but thankfully for parents in the San Ramon Valley, Teen Esteem provides hands-on sessions on installing parental controls on phones, tablets, computers, and kindred devices. As one parent writes: “The presentation let us know we have to become bold and educated about how our kids are accessing media and how to guide them.

Our job is not to control them like robots but to influence their hearts.”

Amethyst Thomas, Teen Esteem Presentation Coordinator, points out that Internet dangers can entrap even a very young child. “When parents hand a small child a cell phone without parental controls,” she warns, “the child can easily

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Robotic Surgery for Prostate Cancer Speeds Patient Recovery

By Stephen Taylor, MD

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men, second only to lung cancer. There are no symptoms of prostate cancer in its earliest, most curable stages.

The combination of the digital rectal exam and the prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening tests have allowed for the earlier detection of prostate cancer. Approximately 90% of prostate cancer patients can now be discovered at potentially curable stages.

Not every patient with prostate cancer needs to be treated. There are several types of prostate cancer, and many men with the slowest growing type do not require immediate treatment. However, there are some types that are more aggressive, can be life threatening, and do require treatment to prevent spread, before it becomes incurable. Men with this type are faced with a decision on which treatment to choose. They have a choice between one of the various forms of radiation therapy or surgery to remove the prostate gland in its entirety. There have been significant advances in both radiation treatments and surgery. Calypso beacons can be placed inside the prostate to help localize the exact boundaries of the prostate during radiation treatments which helps to prevent radiation damage to surrounding organs such as the bladder and rectum. This significantly reduces the risk of side effects.

Robotic surgery has revolutionized the surgical treatment of prostate cancer. It is a minimally invasive procedure which removes the cancerous prostate gland in its entirety and local lymph nodes when indicated. It usually involves one night in the hospital, minimal pain, minimal scaring, and rapid return to normal function. There is still a small risk of incontinence (2%) and risk of impotence.

I found a nodule in the prostate of a 56 year old patient on rectal examination. His PSA was normal at 2.1. He had a prostate biopsy which showed he had prostate cancer, the slow growing type (Gleason 6). He was normally sexually active and a long distance runner. Because of his young age, he decided to have surgery rather than active surveillance. He had a robotic radical prostatectomy where the nerves for erection were preserved. The final pathology revealed a more aggressive type (Gleason 7), but no spread outside the prostate and all lymph nodes were free of disease. He is now one year after surgery, fully continent (no leakage), potent, and able to engage in sexual activity. His PSA level is undetectable. He just finished a 100 mile run where he raised $5,000 for prostate cancer research!

Advances in treatment of prostate cancer, with robotic surgery and new forms of targeted radiation therapy, allow men quick recovery, minimal risk of permanent side effects, and return to a normal life with high chances of being cured of their disease.

Dr. Stephen Taylor is a Urologist with Pacific Urology. He specializes in robotic urologic surgeries and prostate, kidney, and bladder cancers. He treats patients in Walnut Creek and Concord and can be reached at (925) Advertorial 937-7740 or by visiting www.PacificUrology.com. find something inappropriate.” Whatever the device, she admonishes, “Giving a child a device without parental controls is like giving that child a loaded weapon.”

Gone are the days when cell phones were simply a handy alternative to finding a payphone. One local parent wrote after a Teen Esteem presentation, “All your speakers were great. They have opened my eyes and ears to what I’ve totally ignored. Too busy with work, life situations; shame on me!”

Parents in the small town of Canon City, Colorado became aware this November of just how much they were missing on their offspring’s devices when over a hundred high school students were caught in a sexting scandal. Using “vault apps” that looked like innocent calculators, they were collecting nude photos of classmates and trading them like baseball cards. School administrators quelled the call for prosecuting the worst offenders on charges of child pornography, but issued a stern warning that repeat offenders would face criminal charges.

See Teen continued on page 21

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A Path to Happiness

By Barbara Persons, MD, Persons Plastic Surgery, Inc.

Recently, a doctor friend was interviewing college applicants at an Ivy League school. When asked what the participants wanted to be, two separate candidates confided: plastic surgeon or investment banker.

What on earth, I thought...wow! These aspirations might seem similar: two careers, each offering the hope of success and prosperity. Shouldn’t we all pursue such dreams? I offered the best advice I could. “I know very little about investment banking,” I said, “but from my perspective as a plastic surgeon, I believe there is another choice you must make first.” I explained that long before mastering the field of surgery, a person must first choose to become a physician. I explained that this path means caring for people and finding joy in it.

Any medical student will tell you that the moment they entered training, family and friends began asking for counsel. I am sure that most of my colleagues will remember those first years of medical school; everyone asked us for advice, and we probably gave it, thinking we already knew so much.

That kind of enthusiasm shouldn’t change over the years, but unfortunately it sometimes does. So when I was asked recently about how to choose a career, I found myself answering a bigger question. Is it possible to dedicate oneself to something truly loved? And does that choice include a commitment to service and compassion?

The answer is yes.

For me, going into medicine was a calling. I became a physician for two reasons. The first was simple: a sense of duty. The second is one I hold dear: the wonder of forming relationships with people in their time of need. Some might describe it as a sacrifice; holidays, weekends, nights, and personal time are dedicated to help patients. But it has never felt like a sacrifice to me. Being a physician is honorable, and it offers me purpose. It gives me great pleasure, and although it is not always easy, there is at least one person each day who sends me home feeling good about what I do. Sometimes my job is challenging, but

Teen continued from page 20

As far as some of the websites noted above are concerned, the instantly disappearing images, messages and video chats they offer are actually traceable, even if they can’t be readily accessed by unsophisticated Internet users. Amethyst cautions, “The power of anonymity leaves lasting scars.”

An inappropriate photo of someone under 18 traced to your device can lead to a child pornography conviction that puts you on a sex offender list and may result in time spent in jail. Or it may deeply wound a friend. “Never text anything you wouldn’t want your mother to see,” is sage advice. As one student comments, after participating in a Teen Esteem presentation, “Yes, I do not want to send pictures anymore, and I do not want to settle anymore.

I also respect myself a lot more and have higher goals.”

Ignoring the warning signs is only too easy for parents who are busy and stressed themselves and believe their children are enjoying the benefits of growing up in a privileged community. But as with confronting cancer, early intervention can be critical to achieving a favorable outcome. Turnbull speaks from decades of experience when she advises, “An important message for parents is: if you see red flags, pay attention to them and don’t let your pride get in the way of getting help. Acknowledge the symptoms before the problem blows up.”

Dangers continue to come in many forms. “Kyle’s Story” illustrates how easily experimentation with a substance can escalate into abuse, addiction, and inability to function. Kyle, feeling alone and isolated in middle school, happily accepted a friend’s offer to try a bit of weed. He liked the false sense of empowerment he got. In high school he discovered alcohol, and then an accident during his junior year introduced him to prescription pain medication. By college he was dealing to support his habit. His life was in a downhill spiral when his parents finally got him into a long-term rehabilitation program. Unfortunately, “Kyle’s Story” (absent the somewhat happy ending) is far from unusual.

Knowing that there is no safety in ignorance, Teen Esteem has reached more than 150,000 students and 10,000 parents through classroom presentations, assemblies, parent presentations, and workshops. Originally focused

Lafayette Today ~ January 2016 - Page 21 the most difficult moments pale in comparison to what patients feel when they are in pain or chronically ill.

In my experience, many doctors forget the idea of what it feels like to be a patient. Separating ourselves can be a way to keep an even keel, but this risks alienating the very people we are trying to help. It is tempting to believe that work is better left at the office. “Don’t take your patients home with you,” I have been told. And although it is important to maintain a good balance between my personal and professional life, I do, ultimately, take my patients home with me.

I think about patients in my car as I drive home, I reflect on them in the evenings, and I look forward to seeing them when I wake up in the morning. Medicine is part of who I am, and I don’t think of it as a job or occupation. Rather, it is something I have chosen because I believe in it. This perspective has actually helped me be a more energetic surgeon and a more complete person. It is thus that I think those of us with a stronger sense of calling are more resilient to that which is challenging in our profession. We enjoy what we do. It informs us, shapes us, and makes us better people.

Becoming a board certified plastic surgeon took more than an a decade of training. But along the way, I was a doctor to my patients. I find comfort in the fact that simply caring for people is something I still do on a daily basis. Over the years, I have watched our healthcare system transform and policies evolve. Many of us feel swept up in the changes; we are not sure what to predict and how it will affect us. I hope that whatever system emerges will allow doctors to follow their calling, as I have done. I hope that if we have been called to serve, we will be able to do it.

How will that happen? Who among us should choose this path? These are difficult questions. In the end, however, I have begun to recognize that even the most complex questions have a simple answer. For me, the answer is taking care of my patients and finding joy in it. I am so grateful to have found my calling, for it is one that inspires and rewards me in equal measures. I am a surgeon, but I am also a physician; both are roles I am honored to fulfill.

Dr. Barbara Persons is a Plastic Surgeon and owns Persons Plastic Surgery, Inc. located at 911 Moraga Rd, Suite 205 in Lafayette. She may be reached at 925.283.4012 or drbarb@personsplasticsurgery.

Advertorial com. on the San Ramon Valley, Teen Esteem’s reputation for excellence is now bringing them requests to take their formula for success beyond the tri-valley.

If you haven’t already been privileged to meet with Teen Esteem volunteers, visit their website at www.teenesteem.org, and learn about how you can help make our community the safe place we want to inhabit.

Teen Esteem has these Suggestions for Parents Top 7 things you can do today to protect your child:

1. Set up parental controls on your child’s personal device (cell phone, tablet, iTouch, iPad, etc.)

2. Disable Safari (or the internet) on your child’s hand held device 3. Disable Location services on all devices 4. Remove your child’s computer from his/her room 5. Check the History on all devices (if it has been deleted – that is a red flag) 6. Change your child’s Apple ID (& yours if your child knows it) and require that they talk to you first before making any purchases or downloads on their device 7. Make sure your kids have privacy settings set on all social media (and don’t allow anonymous sites)

Top 7 things you can do THIS WEEK to protect your child:

1.Enforce “no screens behind closed doors” rule (hand held devices, computers or TVs) 2. Implement the “leave your device at the door” policy with your kids’ friends 3. Set up parental controls on your child’s and/or family computer 4. Set up parental controls on your TV (TiVo, Netflix, etc.)

5. Determine what kind of filter you want to use to protect your family 6. Talk to your child and discuss your family rules and why you have them in place 7. Role play refusal skills

Page 22 - January 2016 ~ Lafayette Today

Events for Lafayette Seniors

All classes are held at the Lafayette Senior Center (LSC), located at 500 Saint Mary’s Rd in Lafayette, unless otherwise noted. Space is limited.

Please call 925-284-5050 to reserve a spot. Unless otherwise mentioned, events are free for members and $10 for non-members.

Cooking Basics: Soups and Chowders 1/26 • 2:00PM – 3:30PM • Byron Park, 1700 Tice Valley Blvd, Walnut Creek - Who doesn’t love the smell of a hearty batch of soup simmering on the stovetop? These one-dish meals are the ultimate comfort food on a cold winter’s night. Come taste Chef Mike Weller’s scrumptious recipes, and watch as he demonstrates these easy-to-prepare soups and chowders. There will be plenty of taste-testing during this fun and informative class, and you’ll go home with your own set of recipes! Space is limited; reservations required by Wednesday, January 20. Call Lafayette Senior Services: 284-5050.

Discovering Opera: Bizet’s Carmen 2/11 • 1:30PM - 3PM • Arts & Science Room, Lafayette Library - Carmen, one of the most brazen seductresses in all of opera, snares the innocent soldier Don José—for a while. But she pushes him over for the dashing bullfighter Escamillo, and Don José takes it out on her by stabbing her to death outside the bullring. French composer Bizet’s music brilliantly captures the Spanish atmosphere with famous arias including Carmen’s bewitching “Habanera” and Escamillo’s rousing “Toreador Song.”

Lecturer Bradford Wade will give a guided tour of Carmen, with a description of the plot interspersed with musical examples. This lecture is given in conjunction with Opera San Jose’s production of Carmen, February 13-28, 2016.

Anne Randolph Physical Therapy Presentations: Parkinson’s

1/27 • 11:30AM – 12:30PM • Cedar Room, LSC - Anne Randolph, RPT, has been practicing physical therapy since 1977. She provides outpatient therapy in Lafayette and specializes in the care of those 55 and over. Living with Parkinson’s disease (PD) can be challenging, but there are things you can do to maintain your quality of life and live well. Learn about the stages of PD and how to optimize your physical ability as long as possible.

Valentine Exchange/Sing-Along 2/10 • 11:45AM – 12:15PM • Cedar Room, LSC - Celebrate Valentine’s Day with the darling preschool little ones you see bouncing around the Community Center on a daily basis. Share their joy and enthusiasm by singing along with them to favorites such as “You Are My Sunshine” and “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” all the while enjoying cookies and punch. Valentine cards will be provided for you to exchange with your little buddies. Wear pink or red if you’re able!

Smart Driver 4-Hour Refresher Course 2/4 • 9AM – 1:45PM • Elderberry Room, LSC - This abbreviated refresher course is for those who have taken an AARP driving course within the last four years. Refine your driving skills; develop safe, defensive techniques; and possibly lower your insurance premium.

Max: 25 pre-paid registrants. To reserve your spot, send check, made payable to AARP, to Lafayette Senior Services, 500 St. Mary’s Rd., Lafayette, CA 94549.

Important: Prior to sending check, please call 284-5050 to determine space availability. $15 AARP Members • $20 Non-Members of AARP. Apple Basics 1st & 3rd Thursdays 1/21 11AM – 12:30PM • Cedar Room, LSC - This on-going series covers topics such as the technology needed for wireless communication, your Apple ID, iTunes, iCloud, and the basics of iPad and iPhone usage. Topics for future sessions will be determined by participants’ input and needs. There will be time for Q&A at the end of each class. Please note: this series deals with Apple devices only.

Lamorinda Dance Social Wednesdays • 1 – 3:30PM • Live Oak Room, LSC - Enjoy afternoon dancing every Wednesday, and learn some great new dance moves. On the first Wednesday monthly, professional dancers Karen and Michael will provide a dance lesson and live DJ services, playing your favorites and taking requests.

• 28th Anniversary Celebration: 2/3 • 1:00-4PM • Live Oak Room, LSC - Celebrate the 28th Anniversary of Lamorinda Dance Social, formerly known as Tea Dance. Live music will be played by the popular MoodSwing Orchestra. Enjoy classic big band dance hits of the 1930s and ‘40s including such favorites as “Take the A Train,” “In the Mood,” “Harlem Nocturne,” and other great orchestral hits by Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, and Artie Shaw. Delicious refreshments will be served. The event is hosted by Karen Lile and Michael Arntz who will grace the dance floor and offer a group dance lesson at 1:45PM.

Words of Wisdom...From the Philosophical to the Lighthearted 3rd Tuesday Monthly 1/19 • 10:30AM–noon • Elderberry Room, LSC Share your opinions with us in a freewheeling exchange of ideas: from current events to philosophy to the inspirational. There may be agreement or there may

www.yourmonthlypaper.com be different opinions -- it’s all in the spirit of learning, sharing, enrichment, and good humor. Our “elder perspective” frequently sounds a lot like wisdom!

Reservoir Walking Group Tuesdays and Thursdays • 9AM – 10:30AM • Meet at reservoir center bench on the dam - Led by Jim Scala, Lafayette Today’s “Walking the Reservoir” columnist. Join us for camaraderie, fresh air, and enjoyable exercise, all in magnificent surroundings. Optional bonus: at the end of the walk, Jim will lead you through easy yoga poses and breathing exercises in the most beautiful outdoor yoga studio: the band stage overlooking the water. Increase your balance and fitness, both physical and mental, and leave each week feeling uplifted and radiating that overall sense of well-being! Please call (925) 284-5050 or email seniors@lovelafayette.org to add your name to the email notification list. Bring quarters or a credit card for the parking meter.

Annual senior (62+) passes may be purchased at the reservoir visitor center.

Positive Living Forum (“Happiness Club”) 2nd Thursday monthly 1/14 • 10:30AM – noon • Elderberry Room, LSC - Brighten your day with Dr. Bob Nozik, MD, Prof. Emeritus UCSF and author of Happy 4 Life: Here’s How to Do It. Brighten your day and take part in this interactive gathering which features speakers on a wide range of topics that guide participants toward a more ideal and positive life experience. Drop-ins welcome!

Free Peer Counseling 2nd Tuesday monthly • 10AM - noon • Alder Room, LSC - Contra Costa Health Services offers free one-on-one counseling with senior (55+) counselors who use their life experiences to help other older adults cope with life changes, problems, crises, and challenges. Confidentiality is strictly observed. Appointment required. Please call Lafayette Senior Services to sign up for one of the 60-minute appointments: 284-5050.

Lamorinda Nature Walk and Bird-Watching Wednesdays • 9AM - noon • Alder Room, LSC - Experience nature at its finest along our local trails. Delight in the beauty that unfolds around each bend, all the while learning to identify a variety of birds. Bring a water bottle; binoculars will be helpful if you have them. Join us every Wednesday or whenever you are able. For more information or to place your name on the route email/phone list, call Lafayette Seniors Services, 284-5050.

Hearing Screening • Alder Room, LSC - Please call Lafayette Senior Services at 284-5050 to make an appointment. Minimum of two sign-ups required in order for hearing screenings to take place.

Drop-In Mah Jongg! Every Tuesday • Noon–3PM • Cedar Room, LSC - Calling all Mah Jongg players! Bring your card and mah jongg set, and join us every Tuesday afternoon. This group is for all levels.

‘As The Page Turns’ Book Club 3rd Tuesday Monthly 1/19 • 1PM - 2:30PM • Elderberry Room, LSC - Looking for a good book to discuss with others?

Join this informal group of booklovers and enjoy enrichment, lively discussion, fellowship, and refreshments. The group is of mixed gender, and everyone gets to participate in the discussions as well as the selection of books to read. Please call Lafayette Senior Services for the book title of the month: 284-5050 Document Your Life Story Dates and times TBD • LSC - If you have wanted to write about the stories, memories, and experiences of your life but haven’t known where to start, wait no longer. The instructor will guide you through the process of leaving a living history for future generationswhat a gift! These are not drop-in classes but are meant to be taken as a complete course. There will be optional outings to St. Mary’s College for their creative writing reading series, “Afternoon Craft Conversations.” For more information or to place your name on the interest list, call Lafayette Seniors Services, 284-5050 or email seniors@lovelafayette.org.

editor@yourmonthlypaper.com

Lafayette Today ~ January 2016 - Page 23

2015 Accomplishments and 2016 Goals

By Mary Bruns, Lamorinda Senior Transportation

In January, we often review the past and think about our goals for the coming year.

As you look back over 2015, what stands out in your mind as your accomplishments?

Consider your relationships; your health; your finances; your personal contributions to your family, friends, neighborhood, and community; as well as the goals you had for 2015. Neale Donald Walsch “would like you to know that yearning for a new way will not produce it. Only ending the old way can do that….to bring in the new, we must make room for it.” Thomas F. Woodlock adds: “Times of stress and difficulty are seasons of opportunity when the seeds of progress are sown.”

Looking forward, what would you like to accomplish in 2016? Henry Ford suggests: “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.”

The Lamorinda Spirit Van Program sets goals at the beginning of the fiscal year which runs from July through June. These goals focus on providing increased service to the Lamorinda community – measured by the number of rides delivered, the number of individual passengers served, the number of drivers available to drive our vehicles, and the ability to secure adequate funding. Since the results of our efforts are not entirely within our control, we focus on doing those activities which over time increase funding, drivers, passengers, and rides. Our chief accomplishments in 20142015 were increasing the number of passengers served to 125 individuals (up from 107 in 2013-2014), gaining 5310 operational funding and a CDBG fuel grant for 2015-2016 and 2016-2017, being approved for a new 5310 funded mini-van in 2016, maintaining 13 volunteer drivers, and continuing to provide morning, lunch, and afternoon rides Monday through Friday and Sunday morning rides to church.

The Senior Mobility Action Council (SMAC), a workgroup of the Advisory Council on Aging that focuses on mobility for older adults and mobility management in Contra Costa County, made the following accomplishments in 2015.

• Organized, developed, and implemented the “Mobility Challenges” event at John Muir with 18 active SMAC members involving the collaboration of 12 agencies.

• Launched and significantly contributed to the update of “Way to Go Contra Costa,” a brochure that provides information about Contra Costa transportation providers.

• Advocated for Senior Transportation funding at Senior Rally Day in Sacramento.

• Attended CCC Board of Supervisors’ Meeting and advocated for the approval of the Transportation, Water, and Infrastructure Committee’s Report which recommends additional funds to support better coordination and accessible services for senior and disabled transportation.

• Increased DMV Senior Ombudsman program awareness.

• Launched SMAC newsletter which provides information for the community on transportation resources and information.

SMAC Goals for 2016 include: • Continuation of 2015 goals including advocacy for the following:

Lamorinda Senior Transportation An Alliance of Transportation Providers

Volunteer Drivers – Needed, Valued, and Appreciated Cars | Trucks | Vans | Boats | Real Estate

Call 7 days a week. Tax deduction. All transfer documents handled.

Free pick-up. Running or not in most cases.

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We will accommodate your schedule, travels, and vacations.

You will be helping your friends, family, and community!

Lamorinda Spirit Van

283-3534

Takes Lamorinda older adults to errands, appointments, grocery shopping, special events, and to lunch at the C.C. Café. Call early to reserve your ride. WE LOVE TO SAY “YES!” Wheelchair and walker accessible.

Mobility Management in Contra Costa; city-based transportation programs; increased volunteerism in senior transportation; legislation that supports, preserves, and encourages senior mobility; and making it safer for senior pedestrians. Provide leadership and support at conferences, workshops, and committees related to Senior Mobility.

• Continue to publish SMAC newsletter.

• Educate Older and Disabled Adults about Measure J expansion/ reauthorization, a potential source of funding for senior transportation.

• Support the California Senior Legislature (CSL) endeavors, the developing event aimed at educating people how to effectively advocate for senior transportation issues on local and state levels, and the project engaging JFK University students in researching the cost of aging in Contra Costa County. Develop advocacy talking points.

• Mobility Management – Distribute the revised “Way to Go, Contra Costa” and post it on the SMAC page of the ACOA website.

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Contra Costa Yellow Cab and DeSoto Company

284-1234

Orinda Seniors Around Town

402-4506

Senior Helpline Services Rides for Seniors

284-6161

County Connection LINK Reservation Line

938-7433

20% discount for Lamorinda seniors.

Volunteer drivers serving Orinda seniors with free rides to appointments and errands.

Volunteer drivers serving Contra Costa seniors with free rides to doctors appointments during the week. Grocery shopping on Saturdays.

Older adults often have “age-based” disabilities. By describing your disability, you can become eligible for this service – providing you with additional transportation options.