Alamo • Danville • Blackhawk • Diablo • San Ramon
VALLEY
THE
SENTINEL always for the community VOl 22, nO 6
Find out what’s new in the Valley at
www.valleysentinel.com
Arts • Activities • Auto • Business • Gardening • Seniors and more...
June 2017
www.valleysentinel.com
SPOTLIGHT
Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year Honored by Rotary Club of Danville
Athletes nominated from all four SRVUSD high schools The Rotary Club of Danville has named San Ramon Valley High School water polo standout, Lexi Liebowitz, as outstanding female athlete of the year 2016-2017. See Athlete
ECRWSS
Postmaster: Dated Material
PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID DANVILLE, CA PERMIT NO. 70
page 11
Sentinel Newspapers, Inc. 542 San Ramon Valley Blvd., Ste A P.O. Box 1309 Danville, CA 94526 925-820-6047
Once again, The Viet Nam Veterans of Diablo Valley have outdone themselves with their heartfelt remembrance program in Oak Hill Park for Memorial Day. This year is the 50th anniversary of the Viet Nam War, and members presented fellow Viet Nam Veterans with commemorative pins honoring their service. These Memorial Day events are a moving tribute to those who paid the ultimate price.
Rrrrribit...a popular song in Hollywood, regardless of location by James Hale
The Pacific Tree Frog (Pseudacris regilla), also known as the Pacific Chorus Frog, ranges from the tip of Baja California, along the west coast through California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia to extreme southern Alaska. Their range extends eastward into Nevada, Idaho, and Montana. This small frog with a big voice frequents a variety of habitats from sea level to high into the mountains above 11,600 feet. The Pacific Tree Frog may be found in grasslands, woodlands, lakes, ponds, seasonally ponded wetlands, marshes, reservoirs, slow streams, and even roadside ditches, chaparral, and desert oases. They are usually found among low plant growth near water. Since 1986, the taxonomy of the Pacific Tree Frog has undergone a very confusing and controversial history. Grand choruses
of the Pacific Tree Frog may be heard throughout Contra Costa County. Many populations thrive in backyard ponds. The Pacific Tree Frog grows to over two inches from the snout to the urostyle at the tail end. Males are usually smaller, and have a dark gray patch on their throats, the round vocal sac, which stretches out when the males call the females at their breeding sites. A black or dark brown eye stripe that stretches from the nose, across the eye, and back to the shoulder is diagnostic. They may be a variety of different colors, ranging from green, tan, reddish, gray, brown, and cream, to black, with a pale or white belly. A rare recessive “blue morph” is known. Pacific Tree Frogs are able to change
color seasonally to better match their environment. They may change from light color phases to dark phases in a few minutes. Small bumps cover the skin, which may have dark and spotty markings on the back and sides. Long, slender and muscular legs are capable of propelling this little frog great distances for its size. Their toes are long, slightly webbed, and ending in round, sticky pads or discs used for climbing and sticking to surfaces. The breeding season for the Pacific Tree Frog varies according to the local geographical conditions, however, generally extends from early winter to spring. It begins when the males migrate to the breeding pools and call to lure the females to the water to mate. The Pacific
This month’s Special Sections:
Education page 7
Fitness & Beauty page 8
Tree Frog is the most commonly heard frog on the Pacific Coast with its two-parted kreck-ek or ribbit. Hollywood movie producers frequently use its voice for nocturnal background sounds, regardless of location. I’ve heard Pacific Tree Frogs erroneously calling in Africa, Europe, Asia, and other areas, See FROGS page 15