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Vol. 12, No.15 YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER April 9, 2010

This Week

Plus: Calendar ............................ 27BClassifieds ......................... 18BCop logs .............................17AFood & Entertainment .. 12BHealth & Beauty .............. 10BMilestones ........................ 16BOpinion ..............................16ASports ................................... 1B

Clash of Titans

The Patriots shone in a show-down between the leagues two best teams. Now everyones angling to knock them off their pedestal. Page 1B

Proposal may keep Old River flowing

A local developer has ap-proached the Knightsen School Board with a proposal to convert the soon-to-be closed Old River Elementary into a charter school possibly as soon as September.

Brentwood resident Ron Nunn and a coalition of local supporters presented the idea to the school board during a special workshop meeting on March 31.

Were just kind of develop-ing the idea at this point, said Nunn, who has longtime roots in East County. But the prospect of a using a vacant school that is very nice, and the opportunity to pro-vide some alternative sites in East County, is appealing.

Knightsen School Superinten-dent Vickey Rinehart agreed that a charter in Knightsen could be a good option for students county-

wide, and cant deny the possible fi -nancial boon to her district that has struggled to make ends meet since opening Old River in 2008. The district owes an annual $265,000 on a bank loan that was secured to fi nish Old River School, and Rine-hart has said coverage of that loan through a lease with Nunns group would be a powerful incentive.

One of the obvious benefi ts to Knightsen would be to have the yearly payments on our loan cov-ered, said Rinehart. It would also be an advantage to other students who live in any area that touches Contra Costa County because they would be able to enroll in the char-ter. It (a charter) offers the possibil-ity of drawing kids from a variety of sources that might not otherwise be available.

Funded with public money, charter schools fall somewhere

by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer

see Old River page 15A

New season for Farmers MarketFor East County folk, sunnier

skies and warmer temperatures are a welcome harbinger of the Brent-wood Farmers Market. Those with a taste for down-home produce and downtown fun will be marking their calendars for Saturday morn-ings, when First Street (between Oak and Chestnut streets) is trans-formed into a marketplace, concert venue and community gathering spot.

The 2010 season of the Brent-wood Farmers Market kicks off to-morrow Saturday, April 10 from 8 a.m. to noon with a fl ourish thats sure to stun the taste buds. Chefs Sim and Mario from the Pacifi c Coast Farmers Markets Fresh and Sim-ple Cooking will be working their outdoor demonstration kitchen to

show hungry locals just how easy it is to prepare scrumptious meals us-ing the markets freshest ingredients. A free tasting will follow each 30-minute demonstration, and visitors will get to take home a printed copy of the recipes to test out in their own kitchens.

As always, the Brentwood Farmers Market features produce from dozens of local Harvest Time growers as well as other producers from the Bay Area. Throughout the year, market visitors will fi nd fresh fruits and vegetables, warm baked breads, locally produced olive oils and honey as well as home-grown fl oral arrangements. The roster of vendors changes each weekend, so visit www.pcfma.com for updated information.

The market is held every Sat-urday through Oct. 30 except Corn-Fest weekend, July 10.

Big crowds were commonplace at last years Brentwood Farmers Market. Fans of fresh food and the folks who provide for them will be back on First Street starting this Saturday.

Press file photo

Forty isnt typically a mile-stone that people fuss over too much. Usually the 50th anni-versary the golden celebration gets all the attention. But one Brentwood elementary school isnt waiting another decade for a reason to throw a party.

Brentwoods second elemen-tary school, Garin, turns the big 4-0 this year, and to celebrate, the school is pulling out all the stops, especially after the passing of one of the Brentwood Union School Districts most beloved icons.

Life is too short, and we never know what tomorrow will hold, said Principal Stacy Jos-lin. After the passing of (former Garin principal and BUSD super-intendent) Bill Bristow this past year, we realized that we are all

getting older, and we want to cel-ebrate each momentous occasion as it comes. Forty years is quite an accomplishment in itself. Were

Photo by Samie Hartley

Garin to go over the hill in style

by Samie HartleyStaff Writer

see Garin page 22A

It might seem like a trash can, but its a Garin School time capsule holding memo-ries and artifacts from 1984.

by Samie HartleyStaff Writer

Time for hope and prayer

A courageous kid and his family are doing their part. All thats left is for a providential donor to materialize. Page 4A

Dedicatedto diversity An upcoming event will expose visitors to the food, entertainment, arts and crafts that enrich our multicultural community. Page 3A

A recent bash honored the men and women who put their lives on the line.

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A Los Medanos athletic trainer was honored as one of best in the state.

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APRIL 9, 2010 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 3A

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Bank Owned two story condo with 2 bdrms and 2 ba, 1,354 sf. Cute in nice area. Wood deck that overlooks the courtyard. Good commute location. $157,080

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Cute 2 bdrm 1 ba home with 850 sf. Great starter home. Kitchen is updated with laminate floors. Updated Bathroom. Nice paint colors throughout. Covered patio. $95,150

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Preparations are under way for the 2010 Memorial Day ob-servances at Oak View Memorial Park in Antioch, and organizers want it to be picture-perfect.

In addition to a motorcycle caravan, dignitaries and special ceremonies, this years event will feature a continuous display of photographs of service members that the day is meant to honor: those who have passed away. Members of the public, service groups, military clubs and anyone else who has a picture of a former member of the armed forces are invited to contribute a photo of their loved one for the display. Special emphasis is being given to veterans of World War II.

Pictures can be e-mailed to nicholas.welzenbach@car-raigeservices.com. Prints can be dropped of at Oak Views of-fi ce, 2500 E. 18th St. in Antioch. Prints cannot be returned, so make a copy of one-of-a-kind photos.

The photo display will be part of an expanded event this year. Areas will be set aside around the cemetery to convey various aspects of Memorial

Day and what it means to be an American, and stations will be in operation teaching fl ag fold-ing and fl ag etiquette, fl ag history and military history.

The special displays will open at 9 a.m. and formal ceremonies begin at 10 a.m. The displays will remain in place after the ceremo-nies until noon.

The Brentwood Diversity Committee, some of which is seen here, is hosting a free Celebrating Heritage Is Living Diversity (CHILD) event this Saturday at Brentwood Elementary School, offering visitors an opportunity to learn about the things that make each culture unique, including food, entertainment, and arts and crafts. The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Brentwood Elementary School, 200 Grif th Lane. For more information, call 925-848-4860.

Emphasis on the CHILD

Photo by Kelly Chance

Committee seeks veterans pictures

Pvt. Armando Villa of Brentwood, who died during the Vietnam War, will be hon-ored in a special video display at the Memorial Day event in Antioch on May 31.

Press file photo

4A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY APRIL 9, 2010

Aaron comes home, waits for donor

For the past six months, Elizabeth Tanner and her young son Aaron have been living in Los Angeles in a rented apartment, waiting for the call that could save Aarons life news that a new heart and kidney have become available for transplant.

The wait continues, but now Elizabeth and Aaron are doing it at home in Brentwood, surrounded by her husband and two older sons. Doctors at UCLA Medi-cal Center agreed two weeks ago that Aaron was stable enough to go home and wait for the news with his fam-ily.

And for Elizabeth, the joy is indescribable. You know, we drove past Lowes a few days ago, and Aaron looked at the sign and said Mommy, were home. And for me that was so great to know that we are really home after being gone so long. It was so hard just seeing the boys and my husband on the weekends. This is so, so much better.

Aaron was born with a heart that functions on only the right side. Doctors discovered last summer that Aar-on who has undergone seven open-heart surgeries since he was born needed a simultaneous heart and kidney transplant. Renal failure has placed too much stress on the boys heart, and without the rare double-transplant surgery, Aarons chances of survival are low.

The family has been waiting for a donor for the double transplant procedure and Aaron has been at the top of the donor list since December. Doctors say a proper match could take as long as six months to a year, and since Aarons condition appears to be stabilized although he goes to UCSF Medical Center three days a week for kidney dialysis the best medicine, for the mo-

ment, appears to be at home. Should the family get the call that a donor has materialized, a medical air fl ight company will whisk Aaron and Elizabeth from Byron Airport to Los Angeles within the four-hour window of time. If theyre in San Francisco at a medical appoint-ment when the call is made, theyll fl y out of SFO.

Im a nervous wreck, Im terrifi ed and Im over-ly cautious, said Elizabeth. But Im still happy to be

home and Aaron is happy and playing and not so scared. It (coming home) was the right thing to do.

But doctors have imposed some restrictions. Aaron must avoid crowds and public places where he might compromise his immune system. Elizabeth has ad-justed by taking Aaron with her to the grocery store at

The Tanners pose for a recent picture at home in Brentwood. Aaron and his mom, Elizabeth, arrived home a few weeks ago from UCLA Medical Center. They are still awaiting word on a double organ donor for Aaron.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Tanner

by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer

see Tanners page 14A

APRIL 9, 2010 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 5A

Congressional forum in BrentwoodOpportunities to participate in local government abound

Candidates hoping to unseat 11th Dis-trict Congressman Jerry McNerney will discuss the issues at the fi rst-ever congres-sional forum to be held in far East County. The event will take place Monday, April 26 at The East Bay Pentecostals Church of Brentwood, 605 Harvest Park Drive.

Participants will include Tony Ama-dor, Elizabeth Emken, Brad Goehring and David Harmer responding to pre-selected questions plus questions posed by the candi-dates and members of the public. The event will be moderated by Republican Women Federated of Eastern Contra Costa County and TEA Party Patriots. The forum will be-gin at 6:30 p.m. and is expected to conclude at 8:30.

Town-hall meeting to focus on budget

A town-hall meeting to discuss the impact of Contra Costa Countys 2010-11 budget and expected cuts to services has been scheduled for Monday, April 12 from 6 to 8 p.m., at The Commons at Dal-las Ranch dining hall, 4751 Dallas Ranch Road in Antioch.

The economy continues to lag and revenues to the county are way below ex-pectations, said District 5 Supervisor Fed-eral D. Glover. This will be the third year

in a row in which the Board of Supervisors will have to order cuts in all departments. Each year the budget cuts get more diffi cult. This will be an opportunity for the public to voice their ideas, concerns and priorities.

Also in attendance to discuss the bud-get challenges will be County Administrator David Twa, Director of Employment and Human Services Director Joseph Valentine and Health Services Director Dr. William Walker.

Antioch to fill commission vacancy

The City of Antioch is considering candidates to fi ll a seat for a four-year term on the Economic Development Commis-sion. The function of the seven-member commission is to address economic devel-opment issues within the city and make recommendations to the City Council and staff regarding policies, regulations, mar-keting, development strategies and plan-ning activities designed to enhance the citys economic base and create quality jobs.

Candidates must be either city resi-dents or owners/operators of a business lo-cated in the city. Regular meetings are held on the fi rst Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. Members of the Economic Development Commission are required to fi le an annual Statement of Economic Interest.

Applications must be received in the offi ce of the city clerk no later than 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 22.

Brentwood Youth Commission openings

The City of Brentwood is seeking stu-dents 11-18 to serve as commissioners on the Brentwood Youth Commission. The two-year terms begin July 1.

Founded in 1999, the Brentwood Youth Commission is made up of 10 students who care about the Brentwood community and have the drive to make our community the best possible place for youth. The Youth Commission has organized youth-oriented events such as a middle school social, teen survey and participates in various city events. Members of the Youth Commission represent middle and high schools and must reside within Brentwoods city limits.

Applications may be obtained at the following locations: Bristow, Doug Ad-ams and Edna Hill middle schools; Lib-erty, Heritage and Freedom high schools, the City of Brentwood Parks and Rec-reation Department offi ce, or online at www.ci.brentwood.ca.us (click on the link for Youth Commission).

Completed applications must be re-ceived at the Parks and Recreation De-partment offi ce, 101B Sand Creek Road, by 5 p.m. Friday, April 16. Applicants are encouraged to attend the next Youth Commission meeting on April 12 at 7 p.m. in the citys Council Chambers, 101 B Sand Creek Road.

For additional information, call 925-516-5444.

The Knightsen community joined the Knightsen Town Advisory Council (KTAC) and Contra Costa County Dis-trict 3 Supervisor Mary Nejedly Piepho to celebrate the recent designation of a Heritage Tree and the completion of a sidewalk project.

Also in attendance were Knightsen Elementary School District Superinten-dent Vickey Rinehart, East Contra Costa Fire Protection District Chief Hugh Hen-derson and former KTAC Chair Seth Cockrell.

It was a great opportunity to cel-ebrate and recognize two signifi cant achievements in the Knightsen commu-nity, said Piepho. I am thrilled that we could fi nd a way to complete the down-town Knightsen sidewalk project with the use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, American Recov-ery Reinvestment Act funds and county local road monies. I am also extremely pleased that we could preserve a piece of the history in the Knightsen community by preserving the landmark eucalyptus as a Heritage Tree.

The sidewalk renovation began with a search for funding in late 2006. The Knightsen Garden Club was successful in 2008 in securing a CDBG funds in the amount of $50,000. An additional $50,000 in CDBG funds were secured under the American Recovery Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the remainder of the project was funded by the Public Works Department.

The project included the replacement of approximately 250 feet of deteriorating irregular concrete to provide a safe and accessible pedestrian route along Knight-sen Avenue. The work began in late July of 2009 and was completed ahead of schedule.

The application to designate the 84-inch diameter eucalyptus tree, located at the intersection of Delta Road and Bar-

tels Drive, as a Heritage Tree was received from KTAC by the Department of Con-servation and Development on June 30, 2008. The application was recommended 4-1 by the East County Planning Com-mission at its November 10, 2008 meet-ing. The Heritage Tree status was unani-mously approved by the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors on April 21, 2009.

The tree is believed to have been plant-

ed more than a century ago by Knightsen founder George W. Knight, who used it to mark his land. The Swainsons hawk, a threatened species, is believed to be nest-ing in the tree. The Heritage Tree project was a response to concerns that arose last spring when the tree was pruned, and the desire for its preservation as a community landmark and an object of ecological and historical signifi cance.

6A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY APRIL 9, 2010

Something old, something new in Knightsen

Knightsen residents and county of cials, above left, help Supervisor Mary Piepho cut a ribbon dedicating the new side-walk theyre standing on in the towns downtown area. Above right, a newly installed plaque now adorns Knightsens oldest living resident: a tree planted by George Knight in 1885.

Photo courtesy of Marion Murphy Photo by John A. Gonzales

Advertisement

PRINCIPAL REDUCTIONS?!The banks, at the prodding of the gov-

ernment, have come out with multiple plans to modify mortgage payments over the past several years, but theyve met with limited success. Many experts say that if they really want to head off the coming flood of fore-closures, what we need is across-the-board principal reductions in mortgages to the value of the home. [Yes, I realize this could be construed as rewarding someone who got into debt over their head, but thats whole dif-ferent discussion.] Seems like none of the big banks were ready to take that step as a general policyuntil now!

Bank of America just announced a limited plan to consider writing down certain mortgag-es. If you have a BofA loan, dont get too excited just yet, as there is a lot of fine print to qualify. BofA will be scouring their loans to see who might qualify, and they will be contacting those borrowers directly, so theyve asked people not to call BofA and flood their phone lines.

Here are the details: The loan must have originated from Countrywide, and it is either a sub-prime loan, an option adjustable-rate

loan, or a prime loan that has a fixed-rate for two years before adjusting significantly higher. The loan must be at least two months behind, and the loan balance must be at least 120% of the homes value. There are also some complicated rules regarding if there is a 2nd mortgage, and whether or not your 1st mort-gage is a portfolio loan. If approved, you have to keep your account current for the next 5 years, or the balance could go back up. Also, if you sell the home within 5 years, youll have to repay part of the forgiven balance.

They are just putting their toe into the water on this process. If its a success, they (and other banks) may expand it. However, if borrowers who are now current start default-ing in droves to try to qualify for the principal reduction program, look for them to shut the program down in a hurry!

If you have questions on this or any other real estate topic, call me at (925) 240-MOVE (6683). To search the MLS for free and view virtual tours of homes for sale, go to: www.SharpHomesOnline.com. Sharp Realty

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The crash heard round the campusLiberty High Schools junior and se-

nior classes this week were escorted out to Ohmstede Field for what they expected to be another boring assembly. Little did they know many of their fellow classmates and friends had been killed.

The Every 15 Minutes event, held

with the assistance of the Brentwood Po-lice Department, was a simulated drunk-driving accident involving four Liberty students Felix Navarro, Lindsay Hull, Jason Fancey, and Kayla Russick and 24 other students who had been killed in simulated accidents earlier that day.

The program began with the somber announcement of deaths read by a Brent-wood police offi cer, a school counselor

and a leadership student. Just seeing the reactions on the students faces was emotional enough, said Zachary Ma-songsong. Judging by the tears shocked expressions, you would have sworn a fam-ily member had just died.

Fancey was chosen to be the student responsible for driving under the infl u-ence of alcohol. He had sped head-on into an oncoming car, ejecting his best

friend Russick through the windshield, killing her on impact.

In the oncoming car was driver Hull along with her bud Navarro. Both stu-dents were badly injured. Hull suffered broken bones, a collapsed lung and mas-sive neck injury. Navarros liver was lac-erated and windshield glass was plunged

by Haylee MatteriCorrespondent

see Crash page 18A

Photos by Haylee Matteri

Of cials read a classroom announce-ment re-garding the death of a student. Fire ghters use the Jaws of Life to extract a pair of accident victims dur-ing the Every 15 Minutes program at Liberty High School this week.

APRIL 9, 2010 EDUCATION THEPRESS.NET | 9A

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The Liberty Union High School District Board of Trustees recently recognized a pair of students for out-standing academic performance and leadership.

Liberty High School senior and class president Chelsea Revel has earned a 4.13 grade point average and is ranked fifth in her class of 412. She is a member of the National Honor Society and the California Scholar-ship Federation. Revel has partici-pated in Libertys leadership program and was named Pre-calculus Student of the Year and Calculus Student of the Month.

Revel played on the Lions varsity girls soccer team for three years and was named to the All-League Second Team.

She has played on the EDYSL competitive soccer league and coached Little Lions Soccer. Revel has been involved in church leadership, plans on attending a university in Southern California and hopes to study medi-cine.

Heritage High School senior Kev-in Harrity was also recognized by the LUHSD board for outstanding ac-complishments as a student, athlete and leader.

Harrity has maintained a 4.0 grade point average while serving in Heritage student government for four years.

He is currently the Associated Stu-dent Body vice president and member of the California Scholarship Federa-tion.

Harrity tutors fellow students in disciplines ranging from algebra to calculus and statistics. He has played varsity baseball for four years and varsity basketball for two. Named an NCS Scholar Athlete all four years at Heritage, Harrity plans to major in en-gineering at UC Berkeley and become a mechanical engineer.

Contributed by Sarah Singrin

District board salutes stellar students

Congratulations to the following stu-dents who earned fi rst-quarter academic honors at Trinity Christian School in Oakley:

High Honor RollBen Evans (3.91)

Honor RollEvan Corona (3.72); Trevor Dunning

(3.7)Andrew Topete (3.58)

Honorable MentionAngel Ramirez (3.0), Joey Domin-

guez (3.02), Morgan Bonner (3.05), Shi-ane Ebel (3.08), Esteban Pult (3.08), Brendon Dellinger (3.13), Alexa Fortier (3.21), Dominick Johnson (3.22) and Kei-lyn Mazariegos (3.43).

Trinity rolls out honors

LUHSD Board President Ray Valverde recently congratulated Liberty student Chelsea Revel, far left, and Heritage student Kevin Harrity for their outstanding success as schol-ars, leaders and athletes.

Photos courtesy of Sarah Singrin

10A | THEPRESS.NET EDUCATION APRIL 9, 2010

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Odyssey champs challenge community

If youre smarter than a fi fth-grader or just think you are a group of Brentwood Elementary School stu-dents have a challenge for you.

On April 29, the schools two state-championship teams in the recent Odyssey of the Mind contest will compete against community organizations and business-es to help raise funds for their trip to the Odyssey of the Mind world competition this May in Lansing, Mich.

The teams, comprising 13 students and fi ve coaches, have been recently knocking on the doors of local busi-nesses and groups, challenging them to pit their problem-solving abilities against the fi fth-graders impressive skill sets.

This is just a great way to pause and have a little fun and hopefully raise some money for the trip, said Mary Black, Brentwood Union School District director of curriculum. These kids have worked so hard to get this far and we want to be able to help them the rest of the way.

Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving oppor-tunities for students from kindergarten through college.

The local event, to be held at the new Edna Hill Middle School theater from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., will pit teams of adults against the state champs in a series of spontaneous problem-solving challenges. The problem will be presented to each team, and their job will be to come up with as many possible answers/solutions as they can in three to fi ve minutes. The teams with the most so-lutions will be declared the winners.

Were asking community groups to register a team, and then each team will go against the kids, said Black.

The fun of the spontaneous (questions) is that you nev-er know what youre going to get and what the kids will come up with.

Examples of a problem might be; You have been sent to the local jail for a crime you did not commit. You have a friend Jane who is very clever at getting things in

to you and past the guards. What would you ask Jane to bring you, and how would it help you get out of jail? Another example might be a storyline problem in which someone starts a story and each team member adds a sentence.

The teams hope to raise a total of $20,000 to subsi-dize the trip to the world competition in Michigan. The event, an Olympics for the mind, will include more than 800 international teams.

And there are ways to contribute without participat-ing in the fi fth-grader challenge. The following local busi-nesses will be contributing a portion of their proceeds to the Odyssey trip. Fliers needed to take advantage of some of the offers are available at all elementary schools in Brentwood and at the BUSD offi ces. Wednesday, April 14 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Yogurt Pizzazzs Balfour Road and Streets of Brentwood shops. Wednesdays, April 14, 21 and 28, all day Scrum-did-dly-umptious in downtown Brentwood. Saturday, April 17 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Brentwood Bazaar at Brentwood Elementary School. Thursday, April 22 from 2 to 8:30 p.m. Panda Express Night (fl ier needed). Saturday, May 1, all day Willys Day at Willys Bagels and Blends Second Street and Balfour Road locations in Brentwood. Wednesday, May 12 from 2 p.m. to closing Rubios (fl ier needed).

Businesses unable to participate in the challenge event but desiring to contribute to the trip can do so by calling Mary Black at 925-513-4902 or mailing a check to Brentwood Union School District, 255 Guthrie Lane, Brentwood, 94513, Attention: Linda Hanson. Checks should be made payable to BUSD-OM.

To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

Its knuckle-biting time for Brentwood Citizen of the Year Rick Lemyre as hes challenged to participate in an Are You Smarter Than a Fifth-grader? fundraiser by Brentwood Elementary Schools Odyssey of the Mind teams.

Photo by Ruth Roberts

by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer

APRIL 9, 2010 THEPRESS.NET | 11A

Heritage High SchoolH i g h l i g h t s

Courtesy of the Parents Club of Heritage High School

81'(567$1',1*$1'*(77,1*$/21*:,7+

14A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY APRIL 9, 2010

Trevors Weekly Mortgage MattersBy Trevor Frey

Offi cially coined in 1968, Cali-fornias Golden State nickname is truly fi tting based on our states his-tory; Californias modern development can be traced back to the discovery of gold in 1848. With that said, fi rst-time buyers defi ned as someone who has not owned a home in three years have a golden opportunity in the form of a brand new tax credit! Just like the gold rush of 1848, this credit will not be around forever. Once the program is out of money its overfi rst come, fi rst served.

Th e Bill (AB183) was signed on March 22nd, 2010, and allocates $200 million in funds for fi rst time buyers in the State of California. Of that amount, according to Governor Schwarzeneg-ger, $100 million will go for buyers of new, unoccupied homes; the other $100 million will go to fi rst time buyers of existing homes. In order to qualify for the credit, a fi rst-time home buyer must purchase the home as an owner-oc-cupied home, and they cannot buy the home from any relative, and they must live in the home as their primary resi-dence for at least the next two consecu-tive years starting from the date of close of escrow.

Th e actual tax credit will be 5% of the purchase price, up to a maximum

credit of $10,000, and must be applied in equal installlments over the buyers next three years California state income tax fi lings. If the buyer sells, or moves out of the home within two years following the close of escrow, any of the total tax credit already claimed by the buyer in any California income tax fi ling must be forfeited back to the State of California.

With the Federal tax credit set to expire on May 1st, 2010, Californias new tax credit could not have come at a better time. First time buyers who sign purchase agreements between May 1st and December 31st of 2010, and close escrow by August 1st, 2011, are eligible. But remember, this is a fi rst come fi rst served deal were talking about. Aft er James W. Marshall found gold at Sutters Mill an estimated 300,000 migrated to California. Bringing it back to modern times, when a similar California state income tax credit was available last year, with a $100 million limit, 10,659 fi rst-time buyers used up all the money in the fi rst four months. Dont miss out this time, if you qualify!

If you have any real estate lending related questions or concerns, or wish to speak with a Streamline expert, dont hesitate to write me at tfreymortgages@yahoo.com or call me directly on my cell phone, (925) 726-1444.

A Golden Opportunity

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off-hours and keeping visitors to a bare minimum. And when Aaron celebrates his fi fth birthday this week, it wont be the big bash he wants, said Elizabeth, but a celebration all the same.

Well, of course he wants a big par-ty, hes 5, she laughed. But I cant have him out and around so many people, so well have to keep it more low-key. Well stay home, have some presents and pizza. Itll be good.

And as the family prepares to cel-ebrate Aarons birthday, the community continues to celebrate the Tanners with fundraisers to help defray medical ex-penses not covered by insurance, plus the familys ongoing struggle with the threat of foreclosure. A loan modifi cation snafu in October placed the Tanners in arrears with Bank of America for tens of thou-sands of dollars. Elizabeth said she is working with a bank representative and hopes to soon reach an agreement that is reasonable and possible.

But for the Tanners, certain things are simply more important. We saw the car-diologist last week and he said he didnt see any big changes in Aaron from when he saw him in June, said Elizabeth. So if we can just hold on, well be OK. Ev-ery night we have a bag packed and were ready to go. Wherever we go, we take the bag with us. We know we are going to get that call and we are ready. Right now its about being together and keeping things as normal as we can. Time with each oth-er is the most important thing we have,

and were not taking a minute of it for granted.

Upcoming fundraisers for the Tan-ners include a benefi t called Everyday Superheroes, hosted by the Womens Networking Alliance on June 6 at the Santa Clara Convention Center. For more information on the event, visit www.wnacommunity.com or call 408-448-61631. A list of additional upcom-ing events in support of Aaron can be found on the familys Web site, www.saveabrokenheart.com.

To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

Tanners from page 4A

Aaron, above, is happy to be home with his family as he waits for news of his double organ transplant surgery.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Tanner

between private and public schools, and their traditionally smaller class size and range of studies make them attractive to students. Charter schools typically have more leeway in their curriculum than pub-lic and private schools (although they are required to adhere to state benchmarks and testing schedules) and are generally believed to offer a more intensive, rounded education for both gifted and struggling students.

Nunn said possible plans for the charter school, which would initially serve grades K-4, would include a variety of programs unique to area public schools, including bilingual in-struction for every student. The charter could also provide job opportunities for teachers recently laid off due to district budget cuts.

A new charter school in East County (currently there are two, both located in Antioch) has the potential to open myriad opportunities to students throughout Con-tra Costa, including those who are home-schooled or simply unsatisfi ed with their cur-rent schools. Students from any district could move to the charter without permission from local districts and take their state-funded dol-lars with them.

Since California gives school districts an annual per-student subsidy based on the size of the school district, many school districts are alarmed by any loss of students and the nearby Byron Union School District is no exception.

The idea of having a charter school a stones throw from The Lakes community is

not a welcoming thought, said Byron Super-intendent Eric Prater of the Discovery Bay development located within walking distance of Old River. I believe in competition as an important aspect to improving any organiza-tion; however, these are dire times and every student is vital to the success of our district.

In short, this creates an educational arms race of sorts in the Far East County in fairness, long-term goals in the Byron district refl ect a desire for innovation that in-cludes the exploration of charter schools. But once the genie is out of the bottle, it will be very diffi cult to get it back in, and we are ex-ploring this option with extreme care.

Rinehart agreed that the presence of a charter in the area could draw students away from her own district. Since the type of char-ter being proposed is one in which the charter school acts as its own entity, any funding re-ceived would stay with the charter instead of being distributed throughout the district. And although the charter school would be super-vised and overseen by the Knightsen district, it would remain fi nancially independent.

For Rinehart whose small district cur-rently receives state funding for its special-education students, as well as a rural-school grant and county dollars for its small school district should the district increase in size due to the addition of the charter school, it stands to lose hundreds of thousands of dol-lars in annual support.

So for us, the fi nancial benefi t is a bit of a mixed bag at this point, said Rinehart. The leasing of Old River is a benefi t, but an-other possible negative is that when you spon-sor a charter you are responsible for monitor-

ing the charter and the kids, and for that you get 1 percent of the income, which could be $10,000 to $12,000 a year. But it takes an unbelievable amount of time to do ongoing assessments, start testing, oversee the payroll you are in essence acting as an auditor and you have to be accurate and timely.

The next step in the process is the presen-tation of a petition to the Knightsen School Board, which Nunn hopes will take place at the next regular board meeting on April 14. Once the petition is presented, the district has 30 days to analyze the petition, hold a public hearing on it, and respond to Nunn and his

group with an acceptance or rejection.Now there is a huge time crunch in get-

ting the charter written and meeting the re-quirements at the state level for funding and other items, said Nunn. This is all still in the formative stages, but well see if we can get it done.

For more information on the proposed charter, call the Knightsen School District at 925-625-0073. The Knightsen School Boards next meeting is scheduled for April 14 at 6:30 p.m. at Knightsen Elementary School, 1923 Delta Road.

To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

Old River from page 1A

A local grassroots group is exploring the possibility of converting Old River Elementary School, above, to a charter school. The Knightsen school is sched-uled to close at the end of the school year due to the districts nancial dif culties.

Photo by Ruth Roberts

APRIL 9, 2010 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 15A

Solution: Yes on FEditor:

If you are not part of the solu-tion, you are part of the problem. For the safety of Brentwoods children and families, we must fi nish American Av-enue and widen Balfour Road.

The county is broke and has ignored numerous requests. As long as the south side of Balfour to Deer Valley is out-side of Brentwood control, the City of Brentwood cannot do any of these road improvements. Putting Brentwood in control by supporting Measure F in June is the only way these roads will be fi xed.

Do not listen to the opposition and become part of the problem that risks the bloodshed of Brentwoods children and families. Vote Yes on Measure F in June and be part of the solution for the safety of Brentwoods

children and families.Fred GarciaBrentwood

Keep Brentwood in controlEditor:

As a resident of Shadow Lakes, I am most concerned that we in Shadow Lakes and those in Deer Ridge are being sacrifi ced by partial truths from oppo-nents of Measure F. If we do not sup-port Measure F and Antioch develops these areas, we risk losing our ability as Brentwood residents and voters to have any input as to what is proposed in the new neighborhoods to our west.

Our two neighborhoods will be most affected, as we are the adjacent neighbors and will be most impacted by the quality of the building and road improvements. The landowners in Measure F have agreed to no apart-ments. They will have to go through all environmental approvals. They will have to go through the Brentwood Planning Commission and the Brentwood City Council for approvals, but only if this Measure F passes.

This is the only way we can guarantee Brentwood control. Antioch can have a land measure like this one or larger. An Antioch measure would move their city limit west from Deer Valley Road to our doorstep. It is not if but when they will come if we do not pass Measure F. What input and control will we have as non-resi-dents of Antioch if this happens? None!

The only way we can have input and control is to keep Brentwood in control by supporting Measure F in June.

Dan PetersenBrentwood

Cause and effect flip-floppedEditor:

Ms. Kristine Stoker got it all backward in her letter to the press on April 2. Her statement was If stop-ping development is such a good idea, why have property values collapsed at the same time that development has shut down?

Property values collapsed because the borrowers who were given loans that they were unable to pay had to go into default or foreclosure. The lenders had to do something with all those properties, so they lowered the prices to make them more attractive to poten-tial buyers. Developers were forced to lower their prices to compete and most of them stopped building rather than sell houses cheap.

You got the cause and effect backward, Ms. Stoker. I too am proud of Brentwood. But I am not blind to the overcrowded streets, the over-paid school administrators, under-paid teachers and overall congestion brought about by bad planning. If you really want more development in our city, then make the developers build new streets, widen the Highway 4 Bypass and widen Balfour road before they build all those houses.

Bill SumnerBrentwood

Animal welfare what you can do

Editor:I am writing in response to Erica

Calderons letter (Caring for animals is sign of humanity, April 1) regarding the high number of abused, neglected

and abandoned animals in this country.This is a huge problem and I would

like to share a few ideas as to how to make a difference in the lives of ani-mals. If you are planning to add a new pet to your family, check out the ani-mals available at an animal shelter or a rescue organization rather than buying from a breeder or pet store. Two rescue groups in East County are HARP (Homeless Animals Response Program) and HALO (Homeless Animals Lifeline Organization). They hold adoption events at pet supply stores on weekends, or you can go to their Web sites to see animals available for adoption.

If you have pets, be sure to have them spayed or neutered. The Contra Costa County Animal Shelter provides low-cost spay/neuter services and some East County veterinarians do low cost spay/neuters as well. (Well-Pet Veteri-nary in Pittsburg and Abbey Veterinary in Antioch are two that I am aware of.)

Keep up with current animal welfare legislation and contact your government representatives about supporting humane animal laws. Both the Humane Society and the ASPCA have very informative Web sites. You can even e-mail your representatives directly through their Web sites. Donate to an animal welfare organization or volunteer at an animal shelter or rescue group. Report any suspected animal abuse or neglect to Contra Costa County Animal Services.

I believe we can make a difference.Heidi Vaughn

Brentwood

I have read the proponents commentary with their appeal to the residents of Brentwood to move the Urban Limit Line (ULL) so that they may build on their land west of Heritage High. They claim in moving our 2006 voter-approved ULL (adopted by our city in 2008) for them, they will bestow on Brentwood millions

of dollars in revenue, amenities and road improvements.

They say its about control for Brentwood residents how so if you embed the entire plan

you envision for our western border in the Measure itself ? We have a border, we have control, we have a General Plan were voting to stop their development plan.

You see, we too have lived in Brentwood for upward of 20 years, and weve been attempting to pre-serve our agricultural heritage and small-town charm since we arrived. We wanted a town that was different from every other cookie-cutter town in the area: a sense of community, less congestion, more quality.

Voters, if you buy Measure F, you are buying the landowners development agreement: 1,300 homes, 35

acres of stores and 4,030 more residents. The local con-trol they tout becomes their control to make millions, amending our current General Plan for this area to twice the houses, one-third the parks and open space, tying the hands of current/future councils, planning commissions and residents and engulfi ng our western hills.

If you check the landowners there, youll fi nd Fre-mont and San Jose entities own most of that property. The developer consultant they hired also championed the ability to build in Antiochs Deer Valley in the fi rst place and is attempting to break the ULL in San Ramon yet he asserts no confl ict of interest. Do you think these supporters have your best interest at heart? Hardly.

Bottom line: If you acquire 740 acres in the western hills to develop 560 acres (76 percent), how on earth will that alleviate the problems of congestion, tapped services, overcrowded schools, east/west Balfour Road safety and the American Avenue calamity? It wont.

Simply put, the amenities they suggest are inappro-priate for the geographical area they profess to safe-

guard. They lead you to believe Antioch or others can come right in and build there. Not true. Its outside the ULL, only open to the same parcels it has now agri-cultural.

When the economy does recover, Brentwoods al-ready approved 4,000 housing units and up to 1 million square feet of commercial space should yield millions of dollars of improvements. We dont need Measure F to direct developer or general funds for our road and service enhancements theyre already in the works.

We arent anti-growth unless you go outside our Urban Limit Line, you bind us to your development agreement, and frankly when your plan defi es common sense. Measure F will ruin Brentwoods great planning. Its patronizing claims offer uncertainties, not actuals. Dont be fooled by these developers attempt to snatch our western hills for their wealth and future enjoyment not in Brentwood theyll be long gone and well be stuck on Balfour or the Bypass, yet again.

Kathy Griffi n, Claudia Gemberling, Bob and Kim Schriver, Patrick MacIsaac, Dick VrMeer, Johnny Mer-rill and Gretchen Klaus

E-mail them at measuref-failsthetest@comcast.net.

16A | THEPRESS.NET APRIL 9, 2010

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A sampling of recent law enforcement activity reported by East County police de-partments.

BRENTWOODMarch 26, 8:43 a.m. A wallet was discov-ered in front of a residence on Brentwood Boulevard.March 26, 10:58 a.m. An unoccupied ve-hicle on Hedge Avenue was found to have been stolen in Concord. The owner was contacted and the vehicle released to her.March 26, 11:51 a.m. An unidentifi ed per-son stole three bottles of perfume from a business on Sand Creek Road.March 26, 3:50 p.m. An unidentifi ed per-son tampered with an ATM machine at a business on Second Street in attempt to defraud customers.March 26, 8:40 p.m. On Brentwood Boule-vard at Chestnut Street, a subject stopped for vehicle code violations was found to be driving on a suspended license. A pas-senger in the vehicle was found to have a warrant for his arrest. The driver was cited, and the passenger was arrested and taken to the Martinez Detention Facility.March 26, 7:50 p.m. An unidentifi ed per-son kicked down two doors of a residence on Marina Way, broke a mirror on the residents vehicle and fl ed the scene.March 27, 5:09 a.m. An unidentifi ed per-son cut and removed copper wires from light pole junction boxes on Armstrong Road at Wright Way.March 27, 2 p.m. A subject involved in a minor collision in a parking lot on Brentwood Boulevard was found to have a no-bail warrant for his arrest, and was driving under the infl uence of alcohol. He was arrested and taken to the Martinez Detention Facility.March 27, 5:29 p.m. At a business on Lone Tree Way, a subject was found in possession of prescription medication but was lacking the prescription. He was also found to be under the infl uence of a cen-tral nervous system depressant. Another subject was found to be under the infl u-ence of a central nervous system stimu-lant and in possession of pepper spray. Both were arrested and taken to the Mar-tinez Detention Facility.

March 27, 7:12 p.m. An unidentifi ed per-son stole a license plate from a vehicle parked on Balfour Road.March 28, 1:36 a.m. A resident of Glad-stone Drive reported that an unidentifi ed person was continually yelling racial slurs through the common wall of their resi-dence.March 28, 2:58 p.m. An unidentifi ed per-son stole golf clubs from the driveway of a residence on Albertine Lane.March 28, 5:54 p.m. On Sand Creek Road, a subject was contacted regarding a disturbance and found to be too intoxi-cated to safely care for himself. He also lied about his identity and was found to have an outstanding warrant for his ar-rest. He was arrested and taken to the Martinez Detention Facility.March 28, 10:22 p.m. On Lone Tree Way at Gann Street, a subject stopped for ve-hicle code violations was found to be on parole and in possession of hydrocodone. He was arrested and taken to the Marti-nez Detention Facility.March 29, 1:38 p.m. A subject contacted regarding suspicious activity near copper wire at a light post on Brentwood Boule-vard lied about his identifi cation. He was arrested and taken to the Martinez De-tention Facility.March 29, 3:48 p.m. An unidentifi ed per-son removed the screen of an open win-dow at a residence on Harmony Street and stole jewelry and a TV.March 29, 8:26 p.m. An unidentifi ed per-son entered a residence on Legend Lane by unknown means and stole a Sony Play-Station 3 and an Xbox 360 game station.March 30, 9:37 a.m. Potentially hazardous materials were identifi ed on Sand Creek Road at Fairview Avenue. HAZMAT re-sponded and collected an unidentifi ed substance.March 30, 11:47 a.m. It was discovered that a vehicle parked on Bayonett Court had been broken into four days earlier and that a laptop computer and other electronics had been stolen.March 30, 1:45 p.m. On Harvest Park Drive at Brentwood Boulevard, a subject stopped for a vehicle code violation was found to be driving under the infl uence of

alcohol. He was arrested and taken to the Martinez Detention Facility.March 30, 3:52 p.m. Two subjects caught shoplifting at a business on Lone Tree Way were arrested and released to their parents on Juvenile Affi davits.March 30, 4:07 p.m. A subject attempted to cash a fraudulent check at a business on Sand Creek Road.March 30, 4:30 p.m. On Montana Street, two subjects were involved in a verbal dis-pute regarding their marriage.March 31, 9:35 a.m. An unidentifi ed per-son entered an unlocked vehicle parked on Windy Springs Lane, removed the ga-rage door opener, entered the garage and stole several tools.March 31, 10 a.m. At a school on Birch Street, a subject entered a locker room during P.E. class and stole cash, two iPods and a cell phone from six backpacks. The cell phone and iPods were located and re-turned to the owners. The case is under investigation. March 31, 10:01 a.m. An unidentifi ed per-son entered a vacant residence on Chris-tensen Street and stole several tools.March 31, 11:33 a.m. Offi cers responded to an alarm at a residence on Augusta Drive and discovered that the residence had been burglarized.

To view the Brentwood Police Depart-ments public logs on the citys Web site, visit www.ci.brentwood.ca.us/department/pd/reports/index.cfm.ANTIOCHApril 4, 3:11 a.m. Izuchukwu Onyeago-cha, 22, and Fatima Amerson, 32 both Antioch residents were southbound on Auto Center Drive when their vehicle hit the curb, crossed the sidewalk and grass and struck a large concrete pillar. The car fl ipped over and came to rest on its roof on Costco Way. Upon arrival, offi cers ar-rived found the vehicle engulfed in fl ames and the female passenger still inside. The driver had gotten out of the vehicle under his own power. Some offi cers worked to get the passenger out of the car as oth-ers fought the fl ames with extinguishers. Offi cers were able to extract the passenger and she and the driver were transported to John Muir Hospital. The driver sustained

a moderate hand injury and the passenger multiple serious injuries. The passenger is listed as critical but stable. Alcohol is be-lieved to be a factor in the incident, which is under investigation.April 4, 11:06 a.m. Oakley resident An-thony Romero, 18, was driving north-bound on Lone Tree Way at a high rate of speed and failed to observe the red light at the intersection of Davison Drive. His vehicle struck two vehicles, causing minor damage to one and major damage to the other. Romero fl ed the scene on foot but was tracked down and captured near the scene of the incident. He and all four pas-sengers in the second vehicle were taken to a nearby hospital. The two passen-gers in the fi rst vehicle declined medical assistance at the scene, but did go to the hospital on their own. Romero was taken to the Martinez Detention Facility under suspicion of felony DUI, felony hit and run, and a probation violation.April 5 Antioch police discovered infor-mation that 22-year-old Antioch resident Javonee Deshaun Lumford was respon-sible for the March 25 murder of a 16-year-old boy in Antioch. On the night of April 5, Antioch and Brentwood police offi cers stopped and arrested Lumford without incident as he drove away from a house in the 2100 block of Thomas Road in Brentwood, where Lumfords mother lives. A short time later, Antioch SWAT members and Brentwood police served a search warrant on the home, searching for evidence related to the murder. No signifi cant evidence was located on the premises. When interviewed by Antioch police investigators, Lumford admitted to shooting into the car as it drove away. It appears he was just an onlooker and it is unclear why he was compelled to shoot at the car. Lumford was booked at the Contra Costa County Jail for a warrant charging murder. He also was booked for a separate warrant held by the Brentwood Police Department, charging him with possession of a fi rearm by a felon. Lum-ford is on parole for robbery.

For information on law enforcement in Antioch, visit www.ci.antioch.ca.us/citygov/police.

COP LOGSFROM EMERGENCY SERVICES DISPATCH LOGS On Montana Street, two subjects were involved in a verbal dispute regarding their marriage. March 30, 4:30 p.m., Brentwood

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deep into his chest and what was left of his arm.

Firefi ghters, police offi cers and medi-cal personnel arrived at the scene within a matter of 15 minutes. Fancey was escort-ed to a squad car while Russick was taken off the hood by a group of fi refi ghters af-ter being pronounced dead. Hulls car was in shambles, trapping her and Navarro inside. After pulling Navarro out of the car and laying him on a body board, the EMTs pulled Hull from the car and put her in an ambulance, which sped away to the nearest hospital. Navarro was airlifted out, but did not make it. That left only Fancey, whom offi cer Bell escorted out of the car to administrate a fi eld sobriety test. Fancey wobbled and swayed and ad-mitted, I cant do it. He was handcuffed and arrested for DUI.

The silence was almost deafening. According to Summer Rodriguez, a fi ve-year veteran of the Every 15 Minutes pro-gram, The emotional impact on the stu-dents follows them way past high school. I still have students who graduated a cou-ple years ago who are still affected by the program.

Amanda Blum was in tears one of her closest friends had just been killed by a drunk driver. Felix is one of my best friends. I was just with him not too long ago and now hes gone.

When asked what the programs impact on the campus would be, Brent-wood police offi cer Justin Lou, the pro-gram director, said, It causes a ripple

effect, changing students judgment and letting them share that with others. Ac-cording to Lou, the program has helped move the drunk-driving death rate from every 15 minutes to approximately every 30 minutes. Thats better, he said, but thats still not great, and this program is and will continue to be an eye-opener for

students.The funeral for Russick and Navarro

was to be held the following day after press time for this week attended by the junior and senior classes along with fam-ily and friends.

For a slide show of the event, visit www.thepress.net.

Crash from page 8A

Photo by Haylee Matteri

A CalStar helicopter arrives to evacuate an injured student at Liberty High Schools Every 15 Minutes Program this week.

Choose the change you wantEditor:

Hard times are a windfall for would-be politicians. Time and again the rally cry of theyve gotten it wrong rings out across paid-for ads during political seasons, and the more diffi cult the times, the greater the mileage the claim gets. During times of diffi culty the populace gets desperate for relief and begins to fall into an anything but this mindset and simply votes for a change of guard.

I dont know that there could have been a more blatant case of this than in 2008 when the winning campaign slogan was simply Change. Complex, multi-faceted problems had been so success-fully simplifi ed to a singular cause there was no need of a measurable or identifi -able direction for the change. Change was just accepted as the cure for an ambiguously defi ned, overly generalize problem completely obscuring the very real possibility that change could also be for the worse, much worse.

My goal in this letter is not to shed opinion on whether the political turmoil of this past year has resulted in change for the better or the worse, but rather to make a call for accountability the change offered.

My concern is more in the number of surprises, the sheer number of as-tonished voices I heard over what came about as a result of the fi nal vote a year ago last November. I am stunned at just how many people, everyday citizens and experts, dont understand what exactly really changed or what it means. Most dont know what its really intended to mean, including myself. My dismay has been in the number of shrugged shoulders and rolling eyes followed by statements of not much we can do. Nothing could be further from the truth. As a matter of fact, only we can do it.

If you feel you have a solid handle on what is changing, where it is going and you like it, then stand up and do ev-erything you can to make sure it stays on track. If you are dismayed, feel betrayed or never liked what was happening to begin with, then stand up and get things back on track. But by all means possible, avoid being the apathetic turd those who would do you wrong count on you to be.

We need to stop being the children of abusive, divorced political parents, running to one every time the other beats us. Stand up and decree your emancipation. Dont let because Im running against the candidate you dont like be the reason to vote for someone.

There is a TEA Party event this Sat-urday, April 10 in Fresno that will have 20 speakers, with nine being candidates for California offi ces including gover-nor, senator and congressperson. (www.forms.centralvalleyteaparty.com/pdf/april10_fl yer.pdf) There will be 60-plus information booths. Go. Participate, regardless of your views. Ask these candidates questions. Have them explain why they should get your vote. Im not endorsing the event, only offering it as an option.

Dont stop there even if you go. Write, read, question and talk to keep the conversation going. Its time we take our home back from what has become the two largest self-interested special in-terests to call themselves our custodians: our Democratic and Republican parties.

There have been a lot of close elec-tions lately, and that is something that doesnt look like it is going to change any time soon. You do matter.

Steve CichoszDiscovery Bay

Assistance thats not taxingEditor:

I wanted to thank the Eastbay Works Career Center in Brentwood for

the fi ne job they do in assisting low-income people in fi ling their tax forms. Rene and her fi ne staff of volunteers were knowledgeable, professional, pa-tient and kind as they helped my elderly mother. We are very grateful.

June ChristieBrentwood

Appreciating the appreciationEditor:

Please tell the local people in Brent-wood Thank You. We have received some very nice gift boxes demonstrating their appreciation of the service that our soldiers are rendering here in Afghani-stan. Also, I have attached an article talking about the unit which you have so

graciously sent packages to in Afghani-stan.

1st Lt. Jason C. Green267th Gun Truck Security Escort Co.

AfghanistanEditors note: The article to which 1st Lt. Green refers can be found at www.thepress.net/bookmark/6957659

Super supeEditor:

I would just like to say thank you to Supervisor Mary Piepho and her staff for all their help. We would not be where we are today without it. Its really nice to know that someone is not only listen-

APRIL 9, 2010 THEPRESS.NET | 19A

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Letters from page 16A

see Letters page 21A

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22A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY APRIL 9, 2010

the third oldest school in the district. We are hoping to reach more people who will be able to participate (this year) rather than waiting 10 more years, when people may be harder to locate.

Joslin said the 40th birthday is also an ideal milestone to acknowledge because in this time of massive education budget cuts and economic gloom, people need a reason to celebrate, have a good time and remember the happiness that comes from teaching chil-dren and the success of those who have come through our halls.

Over the years, those halls have changed. Todays Garin barely resembles the school that opened in 1970, and to highlight the changes, the 40th birthday celebration will feature a Walk Through Time display, a col-lection of photos and artifacts marking each decade of Garins existence. Alumni are invit-ed to sign and share their favorite moments on the Memory Wall, and visit the Find Your Face Display of class photos.

In keeping with the birthday theme, the celebration will feature games, music, snacks, and of course, cake.

We want this to be an event not only for Garin alumni but for the entire community, Joslin said. The school has physically trans-formed over the years, but the Garin spirit remains the same. Ive been principal for only three years, but Im always meeting up with people who have attended Garin, and people always have such great memories to share, so this is a party for everyone because Garin is very much a part of the Brentwood com-munity. So many people have dedicated their lives to this school.

While more than 30 classrooms current-ly occupy Garins First Street campus, Wanda Groseclose remembers when there was only one. Groseclose, who taught at Garin for 21 years, said Garin started off as a school for fourth- and fi fth-graders. She shared a large open-space classroom with three other teach-ers, which made her job exciting yet challeng-ing.

When I fi rst came to Garin, the main

building wasnt divided into classrooms as it is now, Groseclose recalled. The four of us shared this one big room we each had our own corner. Open space classrooms were all the rage at that time, but as education evolved, as it always does, that method went out the window, so we put up walls, and then we had six classrooms.

Groseclose stayed in Room 1 until she left Garin in 1995, but her decades of service to Garin and the school district remain preva-lent in the BUSD. Groseclose helped co-au-thor American Music Through Time, a mu-sical performed by fi fth-grade students, which originated at Garin but is now performed at the BUSDs seven elementary schools. While Grosecloses musical has helped hundreds of Brentwood students travel through time via song, a class project she put together 26 years ago will help birthday guests do some time traveling of their own.

In 1984, Grosecloses fi fth-grade class as-sembled a time capsule that was buried near her residence on Payne Avenue.

Although she and her husband moved to another Brentwood neighborhood a few years back, Groseclose always planned to retrieve the capsule one day, reassemble her 1984 class and open the capsule and the birthday party seemed like an ideal time to do it.

When we buried it, I fi gured wed wait 25 years and then open it, Groseclose said. One of my former students lives next door to my daughter and he told me that itd been 25 years already, and I just couldnt believe it. Then I heard that Garin was going to have this big party to celebrate the 40 years and people had been asking about the time cap-sule, so I got in touch with the right people and were going to open it up as part of the event.

Amy Ardzrooni, one of the celebration organizers, was thrilled when she found out that Groseclose knew where the capsule was buried, ending weeks of searching done by the party planners. I was really excited to fi nd out that a class from 20-some years ago buried this time capsule, but no one had any idea of where it was, Ardzrooni said. I was

afraid it was buried somewhere on campus and that the district had built over it by now. I was worried itd be under layers of concrete and thered be no way for us to get it out.

Groseclose said she buried it on her property for that very reason. Luckily, the new owners, the Bristow family, were more than willing to allow a group to search for the capsule and dig it up. A sprinkler system had been placed over top of the capsule, so a few pipes were cracked along the way as part of the excavation, but in the end, the capsule was located though it wont be opened till the night of the birthday celebration.

Groseclose has forgotten whats in the capsule, but looks forward to reuniting with her students at the birthday celebration and rediscovering the memories of 1984. I en-couraged the kids to choose items that were synonymous with the times, she said. Each student brought in an item and we placed it in this large metal garbage can and taped it up really well, so everything should be protected.

I believe we put in some newspapers and magazines as well. I think 1984 was the year that Michael Jackson recorded We Are the World. I know there has got to be some-thing Michael-Jackson-related in there. He

was extremely popular at that time.The time capsule is currently resting in

Joslins offi ce, but shes been able to resist the temptation to open it. Luckily, its sealed up nice and tight, so I cant sneak a peek, but I cant wait to see whats inside. I remember the big hair and the neon clothes of the 80s, but there could be all kinds of things in there. Its going to be a lot of fun.

Now that the capsule has been located, the next challenge is locating the students from Grosecloses 1984 class. So far, Ardz-rooni has located about a third of the class, but is still working on tracking down the rest. Groseclose has also joined the search. If you were in her 1984 class or know someone who was, e-mail Ardzrooni at garinartdocent@gmail.com.

The Garin 40th Birthday Celebration will be held at Garin Elementary School, 250 First St., on Friday, April 30 from 4 to 8 p.m. Wristbands for access to carnival games are available in advance for $8, or on the day of the event for $10. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Garin Parents Club to benefi t Garin programs. For more informa-tion, e-mail info@garinparentsclub.com.

To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

Garin from page 1A

Linda Mitchell and Kathy Leighton look through a scrapbook from the former Byron Hot Springs School during the East Contra Costa Historical Societys 2010 Opening Day cele-bration at the Byer-Nail Museum on March 27. Visi-tors enjoyed not only displays from the Hot Springs known as the interrogation center Camp Tracy during World War II and one of the main themes of this years museum displays but viewed artifacts from the ill-fated Donner Party, WPA paintings of East County pioneer John Marsh, and a 1920 magi-cians costume from the Brentwood Theater (now the Delta Cinema). Also on hand was a restored 1947 Dodge re truck used by the Byron Fire De-partment and boasting a sparkling new paint job donated by Vornhagen Body and Paint in Brent-wood. The museum is open every Saturday and third Sunday of the month, April through October, from 2 to 4 p.m. For more information, call Dave or Joyce at 925-679-1024. For a video and more pictures of the days festivities, visit wwwthepress.net.

Museum opens for 2010

Photo by Richard Wisdom

Photo courtesy of Wanda Groseclose

Students from Wanda Grosecloses 1984 fth-grade class at Garin Elementary School pose with their time capsule before its placed in the ground. The capsule was recently un-earthed and will be opened at the Garin 40th birth-day celebration on April 30.

APRIL 9, 2010 THEPRESS.NET | 23A

24A | THEPRESS.NET APRIL 9, 2010

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