Julyfocus finallores

Delivered to Over 40,000 Homes and Businesses

• july 2013

• 4th of July Festivities .....................................page 3• Basic Estate Planning ....................................page 5• Little Free Library ....................................... page 10• Lone Pine, Historic 395 .............................. page 12

• Scholarship Winners ................................. page 16-17• Teen Book Review .......................................... page 22• Simplicity of Summer Produce ...................... page 26 • Community Announcements ........................ page 34

Photo by SusanWoodPhotography.com

www.ourcommunityfocus.com July 2013

Martinez • 3800 Alhambra • 925.370.6382VISIT US: www.lesschwabmartinez.com

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Keeping Pets Safe on Independence Day

4th of july in Martinez

Grand Sponsor / Crackling Finale

Sponsor / Starburst

Supporter / Oooooooh

Patron / Kaboom

6:30am

8:00am

9:30am

10:30am

7:15pm

Registration for Firecracker5K Fun Run

Start of Pleasant Hill’s 9th annualFirecracker 5K Fun Run

Start of Pleasant Hill’sfamous hometown Parade

Lots of games

Rootbeer floats, popcorn,Liveentertainment, Kids Petting Zoo

Party-in-the-Park: Burlap sack

races, Bean bag toss, Waterballoon toss, Tug-O-War,Watermelon eating, Rubberchicken toss, Family relay

(the band that putsa fresh spin on old classics) andFireworks over College Park HighSchool to follow (food available)

Cover2Cover

THANK YOU...to all the businesses and individuals who made this possible!

�

�

�

�

BUZZTONES

Jinx Jones & the KingTones

Buttons Z Clown

Watermelon

—music from the “greatfountain of musical gestationera”–mid 60s-mid 70s hits

—old time Rockabillyand Rock ‘n Roll fun

eating contest!

Fun entertainment ALLDAY on the stage & lawn!

Family fun ALL DAY atPleasant Hill’s 4th of July!

Fourth of July

in Pleasant Hill

Donor / Aaaaaaah

PLUS!Great food from:

Back 40 Texas BBQ (in the park)

Repicci’s Italian Ice (in the park)

Slow Hand BBQ (6:30 at CPHS)

Cold Stone Creamery (6:30 at CPHS)

American Melting Pot!

We the People...an

AAA Northern California,Nevada & Utah

Insurance Exchange

City Arms East, LLC

City of Pleasant Hill

Don & Norma Flaskerud

Patrick & Shirley CampbellFoundation

Pleasant Hill Coin& Jewelry Exchange

Pleasant Hill CrescentDrive Investors, LLC

Republic Services

Dan Chao Insurance Agency

Pleasant Hill Lions Club

Pleasant Hill Recreation& Park District

Rotary Club of Pleasant Hill

State Farm Insurance–Matthew Rinn Agency

William Patterson -Wright Way Management

Web Services

Advanced EyecareOptometry

Big Dave’s Bikes

BYOG–BuildYour Own Garment

C&M Party Props

Councilmember Jack Weir

Cresco Equipment

Daily Digital Imaging

David Deutscher Co.

Diablo Trophies & Awards

Far West Sanitation & Storage

Hillcrest Veterinary Hospital

Jim & Sandy Bonato

Kevin Down, DDS

Leading EdgePest Management

Minuteman Press

Natural Life Chiropractic

Pediatric Dentistryof Pleasant Hill

Putman, Berggren & TontiCertified Public Accountants

Rubios Mexican Grill

Safeway

Seel & Wright, LLC

VIP Smog Center, Inc.

Wences Restaurant

Back 40 Texas BBQ

Cold Stone Creamery

Concord Feed and Fuel

Councilmember DavidDurant / Network for Good

Donaghu Graphic Designs

Magoo's Grill

Mayor Michael Harris& Dawn Block

Pete Sabine, PrudentialCalifornia Realty

Rappicci's Italian Ice

Slow Hand BBQ

The Kensington

Allen and Sandy Vinson

Irvin DeutscherFamily YMCA

Zachary’s Pizza

Sisters Hillcrest Drycleaners

Discount Tax Corp. Contra Costa Animal Eye Care Mr. Lucky’s of Pleasant Hill Play it Again Sports

Join us in downtown Martinez this 4th of July for a hometown tradition on Main St. Over 40 parade entries by various community groups will march down Main St. beginning at Court St. to Alhambra Ave. • 8am - Flag Raising at Veterans Memorial Building, 930 Main St.• 8am-10am - Pancake Breakfast, Roxx on Main, 627 Main St.• 10am – Hometown Parade begins!Again this year we will have the Kids Decorated Bike Parade at the beginning of the main parade. Come with a decorated bike and meet at the parade staging area at Court & Main St.

The 4th of July holiday is a fun day to celebrate, but it could quickly turn scary if something happened to your four-legged family member. New activ-ity, crowds, firework flashes and noises can cause animals to tremble, hide, be-come highly stressed or even run away. While making plans this 4th of July, don’t forget to plan for the safety of your ani-mals too. Here are useful tips for dogs and cats from the Contra Costa Humane Society. In advance: • Make sure your animals are wear-ing ID tags with your current contact information and are micro-chipped and registered.• If your animal is sensitive to fireworks, talk to your vet about additional treat-ments like a Thundershirt or safe pre-scription drugs to help ease anxiety. • Make sure your dog is up to date on vaccines, flea, tick and heartworm pre-vention, and de-worming medications. Day of: • Keep your animals inside as much as possible, even cats who are predominant-ly outdoors. Close curtains, reduce lights and allow your animal to find a safe and secure place. If you are not at home with them, secure them in a safe crated area or room in the household where they can’t escape or injure themselves.• Play classical music or leave the TV or radio on low if you are gone. If you are picnicking or boating, remember: not all dogs can swim well, so your dog needs to be watched in the wa-ter. Consider purchasing a dog life vest at

a local pet store. Never leave an animal in a locked car on a hot day, even with the windows cracked. On a 90-degree day the interior temperature of a car can reach as high as 160 degrees in less than 10 minutes. If your animal should run away, contact your local animal control agency or shelter as soon as possible. Put up fliers with a photo and description of your pet, and put an ad on Craigslist or Petfinder about your lost animal. Also, contact local veterinary hospitals to see if your animal has been brought to them. Be aware that Contra Costa Animal Services is closed on Sundays and Mon-days. They can be reached at: 925-335-8300 (Martinez branch) and 510-374-3966 (Pinole branch). Antioch Animal Services can be reached at 925-779-6989. Have a safe and happy 4th of July. FormoreinformationabouttheContraCostaHumaneSociety,visitwww.cchumane.org,onFacebookorcallusat925-279-2247.


julIE SAyS

No, I am not talking about the 1975 Sidney Lumet heist-gone-wrong film starring Al Pacino as thwarted bank robber Sonny Wortzik. I mean a dog day afternoon as in a hot, hot, really hot summer day. To go back a few centuries, ancient Romans noticed that the Dog Star, Sirius, rose at almost the same time as the sun in the summer months. They believed this caused a double wham-my of scorching rays, resulting in the “dog days” of summer. Dog days were a time of evil, when earthly dogs went mad, wine spoiled, people became hys-terical and oceans boiled. It was appar-ently a time not only of evil, but also hyperbole. The Dog Star, prominent in the constellation Canis Major (Greater Dog), is the brightest star in the night sky. If you are familiar with Orion’s belt, just draw a visual line directly to the left and you can’t miss it. Sirius is 8.6 light years away from earth and the sun is about 8 “light minutes” (.000015 light years) away, so I doubt the Dog Star ever caused significant tempera-ture increases. Nonetheless, we seem to be stuck with the “dog day” expres-sion. I live with two dogs, and while they don’t go mad in the summer, they do pant a lot. One way to beat the heat on a dog day afternoon is make it a true “dog day” and head over to the huge off-leash dog park at the Pt. Isa-bel Regional Shoreline in Richmond. It’s much cooler on the coast, and not only that, you can get your furry friends a refreshing cup of Frosty Paws dog ice cream at Mudpuppy’s Sit and Stay Café on your way out of the park. If you aren’t familiar with Frosty Paws, it’s a frozen lactose-free and sugar-free treat – the perfect way to wrap up your dog day outing. If you’re not up for a ride to Pt.

Isabel, you can make your own stay-at-home version of doggie ice cream. Blend together a 32-oz carton of plain Greek yogurt (Greek yogurt is lower in lactose than milk or regular yogurt and tolerated well by most dogs, but check with your vet if you’re not sure) and a couple tablespoons of peanut butter. Whirl in a mashed banana or two if you like. Freeze in several little paper cups or an ice cube tray for smaller dogs. Once they are firm, pop them out of whatever mold you made them in and get ready for a happy canine. Another cool and easy-to-make frozen treat is a tasty chicken “pupsi-cle.” Version 1: Freeze small pieces of cooked chicken breast and sodium-free chicken broth in paper cups or ice cube trays for 2-3 hours. Let them sit out for a minute or two, remove from the molds and serve. Version 2: Take a Kong toy and tape off the small hole. Fill the Kong with sodium-free chick-

en broth, stand it upright and freeze the whole thing. Once it’s frozen, re-move the tape and let your dog enjoy it in a nice shady spot, licking out the broth as it melts (this one is good for a loooong time). And, just so you humans don’t feel left out, here is a fun treat for you and your favorite kids to enjoy with or without your pets -- ice cream in a bag. For each serving, put 1T sugar, ½ c. half-and-half and ¼ t. vanilla extract in a small plastic bag. Close it up and put the little bag into a larger plastic bag with ½ cup of rock salt (aka ice cream salt; available at most grocery stores next to the regular salt) and a bunch of ice. Put on your gloves and shake for five minutes. Add sprinkles and enjoy. We’re sure to have plenty of dog days ahead of us. Stay cool! [email protected].

Dog Day Afternoon By Julie Ross

PuBlISHERSBecky Coburn, Jennifer Neys,

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You need a Professional to get the best price for your home!

You need a Professional to navigate your purchase in this market!

I’m here for you and your Pets!

Suzanne Looker‘Your Pet Friendly Realtor’

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IT’S A SELLER’S AND BUYER’S MARKET


Foster A Dream Awards youth Scholarships

DRE #s — Don: 00971602, Norma: 00867031, :Erik 01891688


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Don and Norma’s listings...154 Doris Dr, PH – $450,000

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20 Current and Former Foster youth Aided in Their Pursuit of Higher Education Youth living in foster care face staggering statistics as they leave the foster care system. Fifty percent of fos-ter youth will not graduate from high school. Seventy percent of foster youth dream of attending college and only three percent enroll. Of those who en-roll, only two percent graduate. These statistics cannot be ignored. We need to assist foster youth in overcoming these obstacles by inspiring them to achieve and believe in their dreams. Foster A Dream launched their Dare to Dream Scholarship Program in 2006 with the goal of supporting foster youth to pur-sue higher education. Since the launch, they have awarded $170,000 to eighty scholars attending accredited vocation-al schools, colleges, and universities. To celebrate May National Fos-ter Care Awareness Month and honor the 2013 scholars, Foster A Dream hosted an awards dinner on May 30

at the Shell Clubhouse in Martinez, where twenty current and former fos-ter youth were awarded scholarships ranging from $500 to $5000, totaling $33,500. The scholars included youth who recently graduated from Deer Val-ley High, Rodriguez High, and other Bay Area high schools, as well as youth who will be continuing their education at local colleges like Diablo Valley Col-lege, San Francisco State University, UC Berkeley, and universities in Southern California and out of state. Community members, local busi-nesses and foundations sponsored all the scholarships. Scholarship funds are not disbursed to the scholars; instead, Foster A Dream commits to managing the scholarship by disbursing the funds directly to the school or third party to meet each scholar’s academic needs. Foster A Dream, a program of Volunteers of America Northern Cali-fornia Northern Nevada, was founded by a former foster youth in 2002, with the vision to build the hopes, dreams,

and futures of foster children and be a guiding source for a successful transi-tion into the adult world. Throughout the year, Foster A Dream hosts activi-ties that impact the futures of current and former foster youth. This June, they hosted their two-week career & aca-demic exploration camp called GetSet. Youth between the ages of 16 and 21 ex-

perienced the career world through cor-porate visits and hands-on job readiness tools and gained a positive boost of self worth as they entered the workforce. Formoreinformationandtofindouthowyoucanvolunteer,donate,orraiseawareness,[email protected].

Scholar Paul Castro, Program Director Tamara Earl, and Scholar JP Campbell.

Guests stand to congratulate the Dare to Dream Scholars.

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In order to protect your family and ensure that your wishes are carried out upon your incapacitation or death, there are four main estate-planning tools. Revocable Living Trust By setting up a Revocable Living Trust (a “Trust”), and transferring assets into it, you can avoid the extensive fees, delays, and complication of court-administered pro-bate. A trust also allows the appointment of a successor trustee who can automatically manage trust assets should the original trustor be incapacitated.Pour-over Will A pour-over will is a simple legal instrument that “pours” all of the personal property into a trust upon the death of the creator. All significant assets should already be held in the trust before the death of the trustor, but the pour-over will transfers all remaining property into the trust. A will is also where a parent nominates a guardian for any minor children.Advance Healthcare Directive The Advance Healthcare Directive has no financial consequences, but instead con-cerns the type and extent of medical service

rendered should you become physically or mentally unable to make health care deci-sions. The Advance Healthcare Directive appoints an agent who has the authority to carry out your health care wishes when there is a determination that you lack men-tal capacity to make your own decisions. Durable Power of Attorney A springing Durable Power of At-torney takes effect only when two doctors have declared in writing that a person lacks the ability to make their own financial deci-sions. It can be broad or narrow, but gener-ally appoints an agent who can file taxes, pay for healthcare, and file lawsuits on your behalf. The estate planning process seems daunting, but it is fairly straightforward and can be completed in two meetings with an attorney at a reasonable cost. Please call my office any time to speak with a licensed attorney, free of charge, about any estate planning questions you may have. DanielL.DuReeisathirdgenera-tionresidentofContraCostaCountyandalicensedattorneypracticinginWalnutCreek.Hispracticefocusesonwills,trusts,probate,andestateplanning.He canbereachedat(925)210-1400orvisitwww.DuReeLaw.com.

Real Estate updateBy Nathan Hitchcock

Like a bull in a china shop, our local real estate market charges on, leaving in its wake the shattered dreams of distraught buyers who anxiously try to piece them back together. The pres-sure to successfully consummate a home purchase increases daily thanks to the compound effect of rising prices and ris-ing interest rates. With each passing day, buyers are getting less for their hard earned dollar. Both average and median prices are up about 25% in northern Contra Costa County, compared to the same time last year, and slightly under 20% in southern Contra Costa County. The increases are even more severe in the East Bay and

South Bay given their proximity to the Bay Area’s economic centers. Much of those gains, however, have come in just the last couple of months and point to the likelihood that year-over-year gains will be even higher in the coming months. In my hometown of Pleasant Hill, I recently had a front row seat to an exam-ple of documentable gains of over 11% in just six weeks. The data in this case were two almost identically sized, configured, and updated homes, located mere yards away from each other on equally desirable streets. In other words, it was a rare oppor-tunity for an apples to apples comparison. House #1 was listed in early April at $549,000 and was bid up to $585,000. House #2 was listed in late May, just two weeks after the closed purchase of House #1, for the identical asking price of

$549,000. But despite being nearly identi-cal in all respects to House #1, bidding for House #2 stopped at a jaw-dropping $650,000. As I dug into the recent sales data for more evidence of this phenomenon, I noticed an interesting trend. The market’s intense bidding activity is focused on three types of homes: 1) Homes that have all of those updates and improvements that magazines and HGTV are telling the American public they should want. 2) Major fixers that, cosmetically speaking, need extensive updating. Overly optimistic investors appear to be jumping into these projects in hopes of hitting it big. 3) Single level homes, thanks to the growing numbers of Baby Boomers for whom stairs are a deal-breaker. Receiving far less attention are those two-story and split-level homes in “so-so” condition. In most cases these are in pretty good condition, but either suffer from some minor deferred maintenance, have

dated bathrooms and kitchens, or are just plain poorly decorated. In one case, I located a home priced at $650,000 that offered a better location and 700 more square feet than the homes mentioned earlier, yet it was sitting with no offers after two weeks on the market. Although relatively well updated and meticulously maintained, it suffered from a “challenging color palette” that could easily be remedied with $5,000 of paint and carpet updates. So if you’re a homebuyer who wouldn’t mind doing a little updating to an otherwise solid home, give those less-than-perfect homes a long second look. It takes a concerted effort, especially when you’ve just finished touring a remodeled knock-out, but the decreased cosmetic appeal will leave you in a strong negotiation position and a below asking price offer will have a good chance of success. [email protected](925)825-1100.

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Ambassador Meeting –Ifinterestedinattending,contactusat(925)228-2345oremail:[email protected].

7/4 - Chamber Office Closed, Happy 4th of july

7/4 - 4th of july Parade -10aminDown-townMartinez.Activitiesbeginat8am.Visitwww.mainstreetmartinez.orgformoreinformation.

7/11 - Chamber Mixer -5:30-7:30pm.Boys&GirlsCluboftheDiabloValley,1301AlhambraAve,Martinez.GreatNetwork-ing,Food,Fun,RafflePrizes(bringaraffleprizeandhaveyourbusinessannounced!)

7/18 - Educational Series - Who is the SBDC Network and What Can We Do For you Today That We Have Already Done for 50,000 California Businesses?12pm-1:30pm.Doorsopenat11:30am.PresentedbyOscarDominguez,DirectorofContraCostaSBDC.CreeksideChurchMulti-PurposeRoom,444FigTreeLane(MorellotoMidhill)inMartinez.Chambermembersfree;non-members$20.BaglunchIncluded.PleaseRSVP(required)totheChamberat(925)228-2345oremail:[email protected].(A$10feewillbeassessedtomembersthatRSVPbutdonotattend.)

Please verify schedule at www.martinezchamber.com • 925-228-2345MARTINEZ CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Please verify schedule at www.pleasanthillchamber.com • 925-687-0700PlEASANT HIll CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

7/7 - Sunset by the lake -6-8pm.PleasantHillCityHallLawn.

7/10 – Mega 7-Chamber Business Mixer -5:30-7:30pm.Veteran’sHall,3780Mt.DiabloBlvd.,Lafayette.

7/12 - Ambassador Meeting -8-9am.PleasantHillCityHall.

7/17–RibbonCutting &GrandOpening -3:30pm.EdwardJones-AmyWasser,367CivicDrive,Suite8,PH.

7/17 – Mixer & Ribbon Cutting -5-7pm.Zachary’sPizza,140CrescentDr.,PH.

7/18 – Board of Directors Meeting -8-9am.PleasantHillCityHallCommunityRoom.

7/18 – Wine Tasting at Plaza Concerts - 5:30-8pm.(3rdThursdayofJuly,August&September).LocatedbetweenColdstoneCreamery&SweetTomatoes,CrescentDrive,PH.

7/21 – Sunset by the lake -6-8pm.Pleas-antHillCityHalllawn.

7/29 – Green Committee Meeting - 4-5pm.BackFortyTexasBBQ,100CogginsDrive,PH.

7/29 – Governmental Affairs Committee Meeting -5:30–7pm.BackFortyTexasBBQ,100CogginsDrive,PH.

7/31 – luncheon with Senator lois Wolk -11:30-1pm.BackFortyTexasBBQ,100CogginsDr.,PH.

CAlENDAR SPONSORED By

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Tribute VideosPersonalized PrintingMemorial Websites

Funeral Directors925-228-4700

4000 Alhambra Ave. Martinez, CA 94553

Keeping the Tradition

A brand new Round Table Pizza restaurant opened on June 8 at 716 Contra Costa Boulevard and brings with it some of the veteran staff from the Round Table Pizza for-merly at 85 Chilpancingo Parkway in Pleasant Hill. The old restaurant, which opened in July of 1981, was one of the longest serving restaurants in the East Bay and had recently closed. “It was time to give our loyal Pleasant Hill guests the convenience and ambience of a brand new restaurant,” says Heather Karachi, California RT Pizza Group, a fran-chisee that owns multiple Round Tables in the East Bay. In the tradition of Round Table, the new restaurant will focus on making a superior pizza with the best-quality ingredients. Round Table’s dough is rolled fresh daily, and its whole-milk mozzarella, smoked provolone, and aged cheddar cheeses are never fro-zen. Only the finest meats and vegetables ever see the top of a Round Table pizza. This restaurant also offers oven-baked pastas, artisan flatbreads and a lunch buffet which includes a variety of pizzas, garlic parmesan twists and a salad bar. The new restaurant can be reached at (925) 798-3355 and offers dine-in, carry-out, and delivery to the local area. This restaurant will continue to support the local com-munity by hosting fundraising events. About Round Table Pizza Founded in Menlo Park in 1959, Round Table Pizza has been a West Coast institu-tion for over 50 years. Round Table has grown to be a leader in the premium pizza market and focuses on serving the needs of families as one of the largest pizza chains in the nation. The company, known for making “The Last Honest Pizza,” has a system of over 435 franchised and company-owned restaurants operating in the western U.S., with corporate offices based in Concord.

Friday July 26 6:00 – 9:00pm BLUES & BREWS FRIDAY NIGHT PRE-PARTY FEATURING

THE BIGJANGLESaturday July 27 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm

BLUES & BREWS FESTIVAL www.bluesandbrewsfestival.comPlEASANT HIll PARK • 147 GREGORy lANE


Architectural Review CommissionJuly 4, 18City Hall, 100 Gregory LaneSmall Community Room, 5pmContact: 671-5209

City CouncilJuly 1, 15City Hall, 100 Gregory LaneCouncil Chambers, 7:30pmContact: 671-5229

Civic Action CommissionJuly 3City Hall, 100 Gregory LaneSmall Community Room, 6:30pmContact: 671-5229

Education CommissionJuly 24City Hall, 100 Gregory LaneLarge Community Room, 7pmContact: 671-5229

Planning CommissionJuly 9, 23City Hall, 100 Gregory LaneCouncil Chambers, 7:30pmContact: 671-5209

City Hall offices Closed on july 4.

City Calendar of Events

For Confirmation Visit: www.ci.pleasant-hill.ca.us

PlEASANT HIll CITy BuZZMayor’s Message

Michael G. Harris, OD, Mayor, City of Pleasant HillThe Fourth of July The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. I love the sights, sounds, and spirit of the celebration of our country’s Declaration of Independ-ence. My earliest recollections of celebrat-ing the 4th are from family vacations at a wonderful resort called Marin Town & Country Club. For a kid from San Fran-cisco, the warm and lush surroundings of Fairfax seemed like Shangri-La. My family, including all my aunts, uncles, and eighteen cousins, spent two weeks each summer at this enchanting retreat. And every vacation always oc-curred during the first two weeks of July. What a treat to celebrate our country’s independence with those you love in an environment close to nature. On the 4th, after the kids ate an early barbecue dinner, we piled into the back of my dad’s wood paneled station wagon and went into town for ice cream. (Those were the days before seatbelt laws.) At sunset, we returned for what I thought was the most spectacular fireworks show there ever was. Mind you, as an eight-year-old, a couple of bottle rockets and Kate Smith’s recording of “God Bless America” were pretty spectacular. In those days, we even got to set off our own firecrackers and run around with lighted sparklers. Thankfully, no one ever got hurt.

When our kids were young, we’d celebrate the Fourth of July on my sister’s block with our own little Fourth of July parade. We decorated tricycles, bikes, and wagons with flags and streamers and had a jolly good time watching the kid’s parade around the neighborhood. Now that the kids are grown, we cel-ebrate the Fourth of July with friends and neighbors in Downtown Pleasant Hill. Like many of you, we go to our home-town parade. I still love the marching bands and all the kids parading by, but I do miss the Marching Barbecue Dads. They certainly added a “special flavor” to this marvelous day. After the parade, I follow the crowd to Pleasant Hill Park for fun, food, and games. The games, the music, the food, and all the other activities make this event a delightful celebration for people of all ages. Dawn and I sponsor a petting zoo at the park and get a real kick out of seeing the delight on the faces of young children playing with the baby animals. I always struggle deciding what to eat, however, if there’s a pizza-eating or pie-eating contest, I’m always eager to participate. Later, we watch the city’s great fireworks display. Each year, the Fourth of July Commission somehow manages to put on a bigger and better celebration. As we enjoy the various Fourth of July activities, I’m reminded of two things. First, what a great country we live in. I’m thankful that our Founding Fathers had the wisdom and courage

City News

to make the bold move to take thirteen separate colonies and form one great na-tion. As I said before about our Founding Fathers and our veterans, we are “the land of the free because we are the home of the brave.” Secondly, I’m reminded of what a

great hometown Pleasant Hill is. So many people give tirelessly of their time and effort, not just on the Fourth of July, but also on so many other occasions, to make Pleasant Hill a fun place to live and raise a family. Happy Fourth of July everyone!

Safeway Fuel Station Expansion AstudysessionwasconductedattheJune20ArchitecturalReviewCommis-sionmeetingtoreceivepreliminaryinputonaproposalbySafewaytoexpandtheexistingfuelstationat701ContraCostaBoulevard.Thefuelstationcurrentlyhastwelveservicepumpsandtheapplicantisproposingto:addeightservicepumpsforatotalof20servicepumps;decreaseparkingspacesfrom454spacesto447spacesandreversethecirculationpatternforfuelstationingressandegresssothatcarswouldenterthefuelstationfromthesouthandextendtheon-sitequeu-ingareatoaccommodate12vehicles(3vehiclesineachofthefourrows).SincetheSafewayfuelingstationgrandopeninginFebruary2012,staffhasreceivedcomplaintsfromresidentsregardingthelackofadequatestackingatthesite,whichinturnleadstointernalcirculationissuesand/orblockingoftheintersectionatContraCostaBoulevardandGolfClubRoad.Inresponse,thecityhiredacon-sultanttoreviewthecurrentparkinglotlayout.Theresultsofthestudyshowtheseissuescanbeaddressedbyrevisingtheparkinglayouttoreversetheflowoftrafficintothefuelingareaandeliminateparkingstallstoaccommodatetheextrastack-ingcapacity.

100th Birthday of the County library and Discover & Go AttheJune3citycouncilmeeting,countylibrarianBarbaraFlynnspokeaboutthe100thbirthdaycelebrationofthecountylibraryonJuly21atPleasantHillPark.“Thisisagreatdaynotonlyforthelibrarybutforeverysinglecommunityinthecounty.Thisrepresents100yearsoflibraryservicetothecommunity,”saidFlynn.ThecelebrationwilltakeplaceatPleasantHillParkbeginningat12pmandcomeswithanafternoonofspecialperformances,music,andartsandcrafts.FlynnalsoupdatedthecouncilonthelibrariesDiscover&GoProgram.“Becauseofthewon-derfulDiscover&GoMuseumPassProgram,thelibrarywashonoredagainwithagrantintheamountof$84,000toextendtheDiscoverandGoProgramthroughthestate.ThefundingwillhelpthecountylibraryreachfurthernorthandalsoinSouthernCaliforniaandLosAngeleswiththeir90branches.ThedreamandgoalwasthatthiswouldbeaCalifornialibraryprogram,notjustacountyprogram.”Discover&GoCalifornia!aimstodeveloptheplatformsothatmorelibrariesinthestatecanjointhenet-workandbringtheirlocalmuseumsinasDiscover&Gopartners.Theprojectwillexpandfunctionalityoftheplatformtoallowmuseumsthroughoutthestatetobeable,toprovidepassoffersbeyondtheirownlocalgeographicregionthroughli-brariesinotherregionsinthestate.

Grant Goes to Chamber of Commerce Thecitycouncilapprovedaone-time$10,000granttosupporttheongoingbusinesseffortsofthePleasantHillChambertobothimproveandintegrateanewall-inclusivesoftwaresystemwithanewwebsitetomanageinformationtechnol-ogyandsocialmedia,andtoprovidefundingforthe11thannualArt,Jazz&WineFesttobeheldonOctober5&6,2013,indowntownPleasantHill.Thecityandthechamberhavebeencollaborativepartnersinbothpromotingandprovidingeco-nomicdevelopmentassistancetoPleasantHillbusinesses.Citycouncilrequestedthatthechamberofcommercesubmitaprojectandexpendituresreportdetail-ingtheuseofgrantfunds.ThereportisrequiredtobesubmittedtotheeconomicdevelopmentmanagernolaterthanDecember1,2013.


MARTINEZ CITy BuZZ

City Calendar of Events

In 1998 the City of Martinez and the Willows Theatre Company began exploring opportunities to bring live theatre to the Martinez community. The Willows was a well es-tablished community theatre, operating a main stage production facility at the

Willows Shopping Center in Concord. They had a solid reputation for qual-ity theatre and creative productions and were awarded many Shelly Awards over decades of productions. When the idea of live theatre in Martinez was brought to the city council, all of us were very excited about enhanc-ing the arts in our community and draw-ing people from all over the Bay Area. The Willows saw the potential of Mar-

Mayor’s MessageRob Schroder, Mayor of Martinez

All City Meetings at City Hall, 525 Henrietta Street, Unless Otherwise Indicated. For Confirmation Visit: www.cityofmartinez.org

City News

City Council MeetingJuly 3, 176:30-11pmContact: 925-372-3500

Design Review MeetingJuly 10, 243-5pmContact: 925-372-3500

Planning Commission MeetingJuly 9, 237-11pmContact: 925-372-3500

Zoning Administrator MeetingJuly 3, 173-5pmContact: 925-372-3500

Alhambra Coach Dave Silveira Honored AttheJune5citycouncilmeeting,aproclamationwaspresentedtorecentlyretiredAlhambraHighSchoolvarsityfootballcoachDaveSilveira.MayorRobSch-roderandtheMartinezCityCouncildeclaredJune5–7,2013,asDave Silveira DaysintheCityofMartinez.In1982DaveSilveirajoinedthestaffofAlhambraHighSchoolandserved34years.Hecoachedfootballandwrestlingthroughouthisca-reer,thustouchingthelivesofthousandsofstudents.Silveiraremarked,“WhenIcametoAlhambraitwasaverydesirablejobtohave.Ihadtheopportunitytore-alizeadream.I’mnotahomegrownMartinezresident,butMartinezhasgrowntobemyhome.I’vehadtheprivilegeofworkingwithalotofgreatpeopleatAlham-braHighSchool.Weallwanttobeapartofsomethinggoodandmeaningfulinourlifetimes,andIwasfortunatetodothatandbeapartofthelegacyatthehighschool.IhopetomakeMartinezmyhomeformanyyearstocomeandgivebacktothecommunity.”

Measure H Park Project update ConstructionbeganlastmonthonworkatthreeMartinezparks:HiddenValley,NancyBoydandCappyRicks.MeasureHfundshavebeenallocatedfortheren-ovationoftheparks.Theimprovementsinclude:Nancy Boyd Park-Replacethepicnicandplaygroundareas.Therestroom,ballfield,tennisandbasketballcourtshaverecentlybeenconstructed/rehabilitated.Cappy Ricks Park-Reconstructtherestrooms,tenniscourtsandturf.Newpicnicareasandpathwayswillbeadded,alongwithrubbersurfacingundertheex-istingplayequipment.Hidden Valley Park-ProjectconsistsofADAcom-pliance,restroomreplacementandotherparkimprovements.Thecon-structionisexpectedtocontinueforninemonths.

Possible Fall Concert at the Amphitheatre Martinezcitystaffhasbeenexploringexpandeduseofthe1200seatJohnMuirAmphitheater,includingstartingaconcertseries.AtarecentParks,Recre-ation,MarinaandCulturalCommission(PRMCC)meeting,apartnershipbetweenthecityandthePrimeTimeEntertainmentwasdiscussedtobringaconcerttotheamphitheaterinlateSeptemberorearlyOctober,includinguseofalocalbandfortheopeningact.CitycouncilmovedforwardwiththePRMCCrecommenda-tionsattheJune19meeting.AnAdHocConcertSubcommitteewillhelpplanandsupportthedevelopmentandplanningofafallconcert.Issuestoworkoutin-clude:costsforthedifferententertainers,ticketpricing,conditionsattheamphithe-ater,productioncosts,useofaportablestage,leadtime,sponsorshipsupport,cityresponsibilities/liabilities,andconcernaboutconflictwithothercityevents.Con-certsattheamphitheaterwouldbuildaculturalpresenceinMartinezandhelpsupportthedowntownbusinesses.Theoverarchinggoalistobuildinterestinasum-mer2014concertseries.

Photo by Stahlberg

tinez as a different kind of venue than their traditional main stage. The Willows wanted to try something different, and they wanted to do it in Martinez. A con-tingent of us made up of representatives of the Willows and the City of Martinez traveled to Ashland, home of the Or-egon Shakespeare Festival. We wanted to see first-hand how they produced this amazingly successful series and to explore the economic benefit to the re-gion in and around Ashland. It was from this trip that the seeds of the John Muir Ampitheatre were sewn. Within a few short months a site for the new ampitheatre was selected, and city crews and community volunteers went to work grading the site, pouring concrete, extending utilities and assem-bling the bones of what became the new John Muir Ampitheatre. Its’ construction was truly a community effort, with much help from Shell Oil employees, past and present. The first performance of John Muir Mountain Days was held in July of 2000 and several more seasons followed. Since those performances, the John Muir Ampitheatre has been used as a venue for many different types of performanc-es, including live musical concerts and the annual graduation ceremonies for Vicente High School and Briones School. Although the John Muir Ampithe-atre is a lovely waterfront setting looking out over the Carquinez Straits, it does have several deficiencies that hold it back from being a truly active artistic venue. It lacks permanent lighting, seating, windscreens, and dressing rooms, and

its seating capacity needs to be expanded to accommodate more popular perfor-mances. It needs to be improved to be a “turn-key” venue that is ready to host an event with just a few days notice. Some funding is available to the city through the East Bay Regional Park Measure WW which was approved a few years ago. There has been discussion of using at least a portion of those funds to make improvements to the ampitheatre and to the waterfront area in general. At the recent city council retreat one of the goals and objectives for the com-ing year was a strong interest in better utilization of the John Muir Ampithe-atre. As a result, city staff opened discus-sion with Prime Time Entertainment regarding the possibility of offering a fall concert series. Prime Time Entertain-ment is a well known promoter in the San Francisco Bay Area and has pro-duced events for wineries, corporations and major hotels. They have also worked with a number of cities to organize, pro-mote and execute small and large con-cert events. The city council recently appointed an ad hoc committee of the council to work with Prime Time Entertainment and the Parks, Recreation and Marina Commission to hammer out the details of a fall concert series at the ampitheatre. No matter what events are held at the John Muir Ampitheatre, what is im-portant is that it is being utilized and the public is enjoying the wonderful Marti-nez Waterfront. It is an asset like no oth-er in any Central Contra Costa County community.


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A little Free library

local 4-H Shine at Fair

According to the Little Free Li-braries website (www.littlefreelibrary.org), mini, independent, give-one/take-one libraries are popping up all over the country, even all over the world--from Alabama to Angola--and there’s one in Martinez too! Last year, Martinez resident Art Rogers, who has owned his house at 3890 Serrano Street for the last 12 years, was inspired by a friend’s Face-book posting. “I noticed this quirky lit-tle mailbox sized ‘library’ stuffed with books,” he relates. So he investigated further. “When I followed the link, I discovered there was a whole under-ground of these mini-libraries.” Rogers’ love of libraries goes back to his youth growing up in a small town in central New York. He remembers escaping for hours into the musty shelves of a pot-bellied stove-heated library half the size of his living room. After discovering the little library movement, Rogers took action. “I thought of an old cabinet my father had built years ago and said to

myself, this would be a fitting tribute to him, and Martinez could use a little free library. So I put a roof on it, set it out in front of my house and filled it with books,” he said. At this point Martinez isn’t yet on the Little Free Library world map, but it will be, and you are invited to stop by to “get one/give one” or just browse and take what calls to the reader in you.

From LtoR, Anthony Cannon - Sr. Division/represented 4-H as the Livestock Masters showmanship; Lindsey Alford -1st year showman; Dylan Leonis-Cox - Jr.Division. Submitted by Susan Cannon

For the first time in County Fair history, all of the top three swine showmen were from Lamorinda 4-H. Showmanship is judged on the exhibitor’s abilities in following directions, eye contact, presenting the project animal to the judge, control, and answering questions about the swine industry. These members were the tops over seventy-three 4-H members exhibiting swine at the Contra Costa County Fair. All reside in Martinez.

Martinez resident Art Rogers in front of his “little free library”.


CCC looks to the Future Contra Costa Christian School (CCCS) is sailing forward with fresh wind in its sails and new leadership. Estab-lished in 1978, CCCS serves students in preschool through 12th grade in its prime location opposite Larkey Park. As CCCS continues to grow its academic reputation, the school is rapidly implementing a 21st century learning environment. Although this phrase is often associated with computer technology, this CCCS initiative is much more than just putting technology in the classroom. These learning environments will be used to prepare students for their future and give them the skills they need to be successful, both with and without technology in their hands. The first phase, beginning in the 2013-2014 school year, will support the implementation of 1:1 laptops for stu-dents in grades 7 and up. A transitional phase will culminate with all teachers and students on the Apple platform within three years. Immediate upgrades include expanding digital projectors to all classrooms and upgrading teacher computers to Apple laptops. The infra-structure to support these changes is also underway, including a major over-haul of the wireless access on campus. “Students need to be engaged and given opportunities to thrive within their different learning styles and inter-ests,” states Darren Price, the new head

of school who begins at CCCS this month. “Effective

21st century learning environments promote collaboration and communication skills in students so they can articulate their

learning and ideas with clarity and passion.

The environment should be exciting and challenging for

students.” Technology initiatives are often limited by financial costs. In an effort to promote community buy-in and obtain the needed funds to move this vision forward, CCCS teamed up with Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory’s fundrais-ing program and started selling apples for Apple. The concept was built around the purchase of Apple laptops for the teachers, although the initiative goes well beyond it. The fudge and caramel covered apples were hot sellers, and the school had wide participation by students. Each grade had a keyboard ther-mometer in their classroom, which they colored in every time they raised another $50. It was great motivation to see the CCCS keyboards filling up and moving us closer to the CCCS21 vision. Contra Costa Christian School has some very cool and exciting things happen-ing! Formoreinformation,visittheirwebsite:www.ContraCostaChristian.orgorcheckouttheirCCCS21Fundin-formation:www.cccss.org/cccs21fund.

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Part 6: lone Pine - At the Foot of the Moutain Gods Just north of Lone Pine, along Hwy 395, you will find a place of historic signif-icance that many people consider a tragic and difficult time in our nation’s history: the remnants of the Japanese internment camp known as Manzanar, now a Nation-al Historic Site. You’ll see a guard-tower, barbed wire borders and encampment foundations that are haunting reminders of the hardships endured by people who were not only interred here, but forced to build the encampment facilities that would be their home. Additionally, there is a museum with an array of exhibit ma-terial on the premises and testimonials to the site’s development, harsh life and courage exemplified by its inhabitants. Like me, you may be deeply touched. I hope you will pay homage by stopping for a visit. Lone Pine is at the hub of unusual geologic forces. Separated by only 70 miles, Mt. Whitney (14,455 ft.) and Death Valley (-200 feet) were formed when the mountain range to the west uplifted (called a horst) along parallel fault lines, and the ground beneath what is now Death Valley collapsed (called a graben). Earthquakes are not uncommon in the Si-erra Nevada range, as evidenced by a me-morial to victims of the major 1872 earth-quake located just south of Manzanar. Just a mile or so west of Lone Pine lies some of the most unusual rock formations you will ever see called the Alabama Hills

(mysteriously named after a Confederate warship called the CSS Alabama). The un-usual weathering properties of this range of ‘hills’ have been the backdrop for many Hollywood westerns. You can get a map of movie locations and roads through the hills at a store near the major Lone Pine intersection. The main dirt roads that cir-cumvent the area are safe for cars, but not all roads are safe for all vehicles. Plan on spending at least a half-day in and around the Alabama Hills on either side of the Whitney-Portal Road. If time is critical, there is a paved, loop drive south of the Whitney-Portal Road. Kids and adults will have fun imagining strange faces hid-den within the rocks and identifying the many movie locations. There are two interesting and note-worthy roads to consider taking for a spectacular view of the valley (not suitable for large RVs). The Whitney-Portal road

heads west out of Lone Pine to the depar-ture point for hikers intent on climbing the highest mountain peak in the con-tiguous lower 48 states. The turnaround at the end of the road is narrow with lim-ited parking. For another great view, trav-el south up Horseshoe Meadows Road (accessed from the Whitney Portal Rd. south). The road jackknifes its way up and over one of the highest passes on the east-ern Sierra into back-country ranch lands. These two roads require a healthy car, a mindful driver, good brakes and nerves of steel; the roads are narrow and the drop-offs are steep, but the views are exquisite and unparalleled. The Mt. Whitney Campground, with a veritable theater view of Mt. Whitney and supporting mountains, caters to those who crave more simple camping experi-ences (limited pull-through spaces, pit-toilets and no electrical hook-ups). Res-

ervations are encouraged for this prized location. Lone Pine is a last-chance ham-let with basic services and is the portal to Death Valley, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. This is a good place to eat, fill-up the gas tank, and re-stock water and supplies be-fore heading out to points east and south. I hope you have enjoyed reading about my grand journey from Virginia City to Lone Pine. Highway 395 is a high-way of extremes and contrasts: majestic alpine mountains on one side and un-ending desert on the other, the moun-tains imposing and majestic, the deserts demanding and unforgiving. Traveling down the leeward side of the Sierra Ne-vada requires careful planning, mindful-ness and a bit of daring, but the rewards are unimaginable beauty and unparalleled vista. Stop often, breathe the air, and walk among the sparse but heartiest plants on earth. Highway 395 is a journey to view our Earth’s past and future, where you glimpse the world recreating itself minute by minute. Books to consider:• Exploring the Eastern Sierra, California and Nevada by Schlenz and Flaherty• California’s Eastern Sierra Visitor’s Guide by Sue IrwinA must-have map: • Hwy 395, Carson City to Lone Pine.• Trip Advisor: Internet travel site that of-fers readers a chance to read-up on places to stay, eat and sightsee. ViewmoreofChristopher’sphotosatwww.VardasPhotography.com.

Historic and Beautiful 395: A Town-by-Town SeriesStory and Photos by Christopher Vardas


Dean Carr’s 6-Hour Tri-TipUpside Down Pear Polenta Cake INGREDIENTS

½ cup lemon juice½ cup soybean oil¼ cup white sugar¼ cup soy sauce¼ cup black pepper2 tbsp. seasoned salt¼ cup chopped garlic

¼ cup chopped dried onions4 lbs. tri-tipDIRECTIONSPlace all the marinade ingredients in a one-gallon zip lock bag. Shake until in-gredients are well mixed. Add meat. Let stand in the refrigerator for 6-24 hours. Yield: Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS3 bosc pears, ripe but still firm, about 1 1/2-1 3/4 pounds1/2 lemon, juiced6 tablespoons unsalted butter2 tablespoons corn syrup3/4 cup light brown sugar1 cup unsalted butter, softened1 1/2 cup sugar3 eggs2 1/2 cups flour3/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal/polenta1/2 teaspoon kosher salt2 teaspoons baking powder1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract1/2 teaspoon almond extract1 cup milkOPTIONAL GARNISH:1 cup heavy cream1/2 teaspoon sugar1/4 teaspoon vanilla extractDIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350º. Butter and flour the sides of a nonstick 9 x 13-inch pan. Peel pears, cut in half lengthwise and remove the core and tough stem. Acidulate pear halves (to minimize browning) by dipping them in mixture of one cup of water and the lemon juice; drain, cover with plastic wrap and set aside. In a small saucepan, heat six table-spoons butter, corn syrup and brown sugar and whisk until sugar melts and mixture is combined. Pour butter-brown sugar mixture into the prepared pan, spreading evenly across the bot-

tom. Cream one cup of softened butter and sugar together until they are lightened and light yellow in color, scraping the bowl often. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping often. Combine flour, cornmeal, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl; in a measuring cup, add the vanilla and almond extracts to the milk. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture alternately with the milk; end with the dry ingredients. Mix until well combined while frequently scraping bottom and sides of the bowl. Cut reserved pears lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices. As each piece is cut, shingle the slices in rows on top of the brown sugar mixture. Spoon batter on top of the pears and spread evenly. Bake until golden brown, about 50-60 minutes. Cake should spring back when touched, but center should still be slightly moist when tested with a toothpick. Rest for 15-20 minutes; run a knife around the edge of the pan before turn-ing out onto a platter for serving. Meanwhile, mix cream, sugar and vanilla; whisk to soft peaks. Serve cake with a dollop of whipped cream. Note: If cake cools too much and is difficult to turn out, warm the bottom of the pan slightly before flipping it over.Yield: 12-14 servings

Pair upWith La Sommelierre Maria Terry

Best of Summer Judging wine competitions is one of the best parts of my job. This year, I had the pleasure of judging the North of the Gate Wine Competition at the Sonoma-Petaluma County Fair run by Valery Uhl. The wines for this competition are limited to California wines made from grapes that are grown north of the Golden Gate Bridge. After personally tasting over 150 wines, this competition confirmed that Northern California has some of the highest quality wines in the world. Create an evening that features the “Best Of” wines from this year’s competi-

tion. The 2012 Handley Cellars Riesling from Anderson Valley was a shoe-in for the top white. The Anderson Valley has textbook growing conditions for Riesling. Low night and morning temperatures keep the acid levels high and lots of day-time sunshine ripens the grapes to their peak intensity. Riesling is my favorite cheese wine. Its ripe apricot flavor offers a lovely counterpoint to the pronounced flavor of monastery cheeses that have been washed in brine, wine, beer, or brandy. Additionally, it goes well with cooked, pressed cheeses like Swiss and Gouda. Arrange the cheese on a cutting

board with bright green and red grapes. Slice up some crunchy baguette and you have a beautiful, delicious starter. The Red Sweepstakes winner was the 2010 Trentadue, La Storia, Cuvée Evelyna, also from Alexander Valley. The wine is made from classic Bordeaux grapes and it is a crowd pleaser. It would be terrific with Dean Carr’s 6-Hour Tri-tip because its bright acidity will stand-up to the lemon in the marinade. Additionally, standard BBQ sides like potato or macaroni salad, baked beans and coleslaw will all match seamlessly with the herbal and dark berry

flavors. The grand finale to your evening and at the fair is the Best of Show wine, the 2012 Navarro Vineyards, Anderson Val-ley, Cluster Select, Late Harvest Gewürz-traminer. It is rich and honeyed, with a caramelized, floral-pear flavor that makes it perfect with the Upside Down Pear Polenta Cake found on my website. So, go on. Pair Up! MariaTerryisaCertifiedSom-melierandWineEducatorintheSanFranciscoBayArea.www.LaSommeli-erre.com.

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Seven awards and honors were presented at the 9th Annual Awards Tea held by Soroptimist International of Martinez at Haute Stuff Restaurant in Martinez. The Violet Richardson Award was awarded to Ashley Baughman for her community service related to the environment. She attends New Leaf Academy in the Martinez Unified School District. The Women’s Opportunity Award was awarded to yulonda Ellis. This award helps women enter or re-enter the workforce or enroll in training to further their career potential. Alexandria Manuli and Nhan “Gigi” Vo received the Rose Gaff-ney Scholarship Award upon graduation from Alhambra High School and plan to continue their educational pursuits. Ann Kelt was honored with the Ruby Award for her forty plus years converting text documents into Braille for the blind. On behalf of the Contra Costa County Child Services Department, Rhonda Smith accepted more than thirty fleece blankets to be given to young children as they transition to foster care. Pat Eileen Fisher was honored with a Founder Region Fellowship by her club members. The Fellowship organization awards grants to women in the final year of doctoral studies. Soroptimist International is a service organization for women who work to im-prove the lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world. For more information on Soroptimist International of Martinez, visit www.soroptimist-martinez.org.

Club President Linda Larson, second from right, congratulates Ashley Baughman, Nhan “Gigi” Vo, Alexandria Manuli, Ann Kelt, and Yulonda Ellis.

The Pleasant Hill-Martinez branch of American Association of University Women (AAUW) presented college scholarship and Tech Trek camp awards to eight local students. It is the mission of AAUW to break down barriers for women and girls by promoting education and supporting personal and professional growth. Four seniors were recognized for ex-celling in grades, community service and leadership ability and were each awarded a $1,000 AAUW scholarship. This year’s recipients were Laura Lejano and Gigi Vo from Alhambra High School and Taylor Williams and Kelsey Hults from College Park High School. Laura will attend UCLA for chemical engineering/pharmacy. Gigi will attend UC Santa Cruz and is interested in child psychology. Taylor is off to UC San Diego and will major in electrical engineering. Kelsey is headed to UC Davis and has an interest in biological sciences. This branch of AAUW strongly supports its local scholarship fund in many ways. Two traditional events are the September Italian Festa held at Viano

Winery and a Silent Tea Party, which the membership generously supports. Tech Trek, a program of AAUW California started in 1998, is a science and math camp aimed at encouraging girls who will be entering eighth grade in the fall to consider careers in science, math, engineering, or technology. Campers are exposed to programs in fields such as as-tronomy, engineering, chemistry, marine biology, and environmental studies. This year four girls from Martinez and Pleasant Hill will attend the Tech Trek camp June 23 - 29 at the Sonoma State campus. The following local seventh grade outstanding students were chosen because of their passion for math and science: Hayley Ward (Martinez Junior High School), Emma Swanson (Pleasant Hill Middle School), Adrianna Vinogra-dov (Sequoia Middle School), and Masha Marchenko (Valley View Middle School). Congratulations to all of these excep-tional young women. TofindoutmoreinformationaboutthePleasantHill-MartinezAAUWbranch,pleasevisitthewebsite:aauw-pleasanthill-martinez.org.

Tech Trek camp girls: Adrianna Vinogradov (Sequoia Middle), Hayley Ward (Martinez Junior High), Masha Marchenko (Valley View Middle) and Emma Swanson (Pleasant Hill Middle).

Scholarship recipients: Laura Lejano (Alhambra High School), Kelsey Hults (College Park High School), Taylor Williams (College Park High School) and Bach “Gigi” Vo (Alhambra High School).


Pictured LtoR are Dawn Block, Ethan Ely, Kendall Stuscavage and Michael Harris.

Tikkun Olam WinnersWells Fargo Gives to MEF

PHCF Community Grants

Two outstanding College Park High School seniors are proud win-ners of this year’s Block-Harris Tikkun Olam Scholarship. Established in 2003 by Dawn Block and Mayor Michael Harris, these $1,000 scholarships rec-ognize two graduates who demonstrate the true spirit of Tikkun Olam (“re-pairing the world” in Hebrew). This year, Kendall Stuscavage and Ethan Ely are recognized for making our world a better place, in addition to being high achievers, with GPAs north of 4.0. Ranked second in her graduating class, Kendall will attend UC Berkeley in the fall. Her contributions to mak-ing the world a better place include mountains of volunteer work at a pre-school camp and as a swim coach, peer tutor and founder of a nonprofit running program for local youth. Ever the athlete, her efforts also helped raise

money for Special Olympics and the CPHS cross country program. Ethan ranked third in his graduat-ing class and plans to major in en-gineering at UCLA. His high school years were filled with accomplishments like Boy Scout/Eagle Scout service projects, acting as troop guide, and revamping the College Park music library. You could also catch him as cabin leader for Valhalla’s Outdoor Ed-ucation program and then representing Pleasant Hill in the Boys’ State Com-petition. Another one of his wonderful gifts is music, which he readily shares with the world at large by leading his wind ensemble percussion section and performing in an adult ensemble. We congratulate Kendall and Ethan for being exceptional students who truly embrace the spirit of Tikkun Olam!

The Pleasant Hill Community Foun-dation (PHCF) is proud to announce its 2013 Community Grant awards. All of these organizations provide recreational, educational and cultural services to the residents of Pleasant Hill. Community Grant Chair Adrianne Roe said, “We received requests to fund such a wide variety of projects this year. We are very happy to be able to support new projects like the Rodgers Ranch Urban Farm & Teaching Garden as well as long-rooted establishments in our community like the Pleasant Hill Library.” All of these grants were provided from donors who generously gave to our Annual Giving Campaign last fall. A full listing of the award recipients follows:• College Park High School – Grad Night• Friends of Rodgers Ranch – Brochures with new name of Rodgers Ranch Herit-age Center• JFK University – Life Skills Workshops for their LEAP (sports psychology) classes• Meals on Wheels – New brochures to promote program• Pleasant Hill Library – 50 nonfiction books to support educational, recrea-

tional and cultural interests• Pleasant Hill Middle School – Laptops to support Spanish-language classes• Pleasant Hill Senior Center – Micro-phone headset for the hearing impaired for use in exercise classes• Pleasant Hill Teen Center – Wii interac-tive game system• Rehabilitation Services of Northern California – Professional grade shade canopies for the Mt. Diablo Center• Rodgers Ranch Urban Farm & Teaching Garden – Soil, shade cloth and supplies for the Urban Farm• Sequoia Middle School – New video camera and supplies to produce anti-bullying service announcements• Walnut Creek United Methodist Church – Tutors for Pleasant Hill Elementary School’s English as a Second Language students• Fair Oaks Elementary School – Art and music program provided by AAUW, pro-vided by Mary Walters Memorial Fund FormoreinformationonthePleas-antHillCommunityFoundationandtheworkwedointhecommunity,pleasevisitourwebsiteatwww.PHCommuni-tyFoundation.org.

Wells Fargo continues a long tradition of supporting the Martinez community and Martinez Education Foundation (MEF) by making a generous donation in the amount of $10,000.00 to MEF. Since 1994 Wells Fargo has contributed $130,500.00 to MEF. MEF would like to recognize Wells Fargo as an outstanding corporate citizen for their continued support of Martinez public schools and Martinez students. MEF encourages Martinez businesses, parents, teachers, students and other com-munity members to patronize Wells Fargo and express their appreciation and thanks the next time they do business with any Wells Fargo team member.

LtoR are: Wells Fargo’s Mt. Diablo Region President Bob Ceglio, Wells Fargo District Manager Ashoo Vaid, Superintendent of Martinez Unified School District Rami Muth; MEF President Cheryl Vereschagin and MEF

Board members Larry Lippow and John Fuller.


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local Bentley Athletes Earn Top Awards By Chuck Nan

HOME TEAM

One comfort for a high school sports coach is knowing a star player will return for another season. At Bentley School in Lafayette, that will definitely be the case for 2013-14. The small yet successful Division IV prep school held its annual athletic award ceremony on May 23, and the recurring theme of the night was that many recipients in a multitude of sports have eligibility remaining. At Bentley, most athletes, regardless of grade level, are playing at the varsity level. With a student body of 325, the school fields few JV squads. Still, the past two years has seen a rise in the success of several athletic programs. A core of Martinez and Pleasant Hill residents earned some of the school’s most prestig-ious awards in their respective sports, and three of them will return to compete next year.Sydney Babiak (Golf) It is not often a sophomore garners the top award in any discipline at the prep level, however, Sydney Babiak is no ordinary girl. The 4.3 GPA honor student, who would like to play Division I golf and major in engineering, was the selection as the 2013 Bentley “Female Athlete of the Year.” Babiak has taken home many honors along the way. Not bad for a solo partici-pant (no formal team) in the fall during the girl’s season and then as a female on the boy’s team in spring, where team-mates voted her “Most Valuable Player.” She scored the second-lowest net average in the league, which earned her First-Team All-BCL honors, to the dismay of many male opponents who fell victim along the way. Back in the fall, Babiak won the BCL girls championship in resounding fashion -- by 29 strokes. She shot a tidy 76 and was the only entrant to break 100 on the day. Babiak wasn’t finished as she contin-ued along the path to the NCS Division II (golf has only two divisions) match and won the crown by shooting a 74. That put her in the Bentley record book as its first NCS champion ever, in any sport. It also qualified her for the Division I Tourna-ment of Champions.

Babiak receives great support from her personal coach Jenny Park-Choi, who is a former LPGA player.jack Coburn (Baseball) Jack Coburn earned the reputation as one of the toughest pitchers to face in the BCL. Although his season record was 3-5, Coburn was a workhorse for the Phoenix as he notched six complete games in 10 appearances, logged 51 innings of work and struck-out 43. He also had one save. The junior was an offensive threat too as he complimented teammate Brian Huitt in many categories. He had a batting average of .410, a .561 on-base percentage (2nd in BCL), 25 runs, 25 hits and was an impressive 20-of-21 in stolen bases (95.2%, 2nd in BCL). It’s no surprise that the honors start-ed to flow for Coburn when the season finished. He was named Second-Team All-BCL by the coaches and he received the stellar honor of being selected as the junior class “Male Athlete of the Year.” Earlier in the evening (now former) head coach Scott Gibson had awarded him the 2013 “Coach’s Award” for his leadership and dedication.Brian Huitt (Baseball) Catcher Brian Huitt’s abilities behind the plate were critical to the Bentley baseball team earning a berth in the NCS Division IV playoffs for the first time since 2008. He was also a key factor in 2013 being the Phoenix’s first winning season (12-11) since that year. In fact, the

Bentley athletes LtoR: Jack Coburn, Sydney Babiak, Riley Hough and Brian Huitt.

team enjoyed quite a turnaround from the previous season, which saw them win zero league games. This year, they won three. The Phoenix played in the rugged BCL, which is documented as the tough-est Division IV prep league in California. Huitt, a junior, had a monster year offensively as his numbers reflected: .435

batting average (4th in BCL), .541 on-base percentage, .768 slugging percentage (2nd in BCL), 25 runs, 30 hits, 8 doubles, 6 triples, 20 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. Along with Coburn, the pair combined to one of the best one-two punches in the circuit. The Martinez resident was selected as Honorable Mention All-BCL by the coaches in his role as catcher. At the awards assembly, Huitt earned top honors as the 2013 baseball team’s “Most Valuable Player.”Riley Hough (Girls Soccer) Pleasant Hill’s Riley Hough, a so-phomore, was selected as “Most Valuable Player” of the Bentley girls soccer team. One of the leaders on head coach Sean Kwasnicki’s team, Hough led the way to three wins in 13 games this past season. Hough played center midfielder and was named a Second-Team All-BCL selection. It was her second season on the varsity squad, which will have a hole to fill next season since she won’t be returning to Bentley for her junior year.

College Park Fall SportsThe fall sports season begins this summer!

In fact, practices and tryouts start on August 19, except football which begins August 12.

For more information, please contact the coach of the sport you are interested in.

Cross Country - Gil Llacuna - [email protected] Football - Bill Kepler - [email protected]

Girls Golf - Pam Thurston - [email protected] Tennis - Jacquae Hilton - [email protected]

Girls Volleyball - Na Vo - [email protected] Water Polo - Lance Hurtado - [email protected] - Interm

Boys Water Polo - Steven Mayers - [email protected]

All athletes must complete an Athletic Clearance Form before tryouts. This form must be signed by your

doctor after July 1 for 2013/2014 sports. Schedule those appointments now for sometime in July or early August. Visit Mt. Diablo District’s website at http://permit.mdusd.

k12.ca.us and use the search tab to locate Athletic Clearance Forms.


AAA Softball ChampionsTRuTH Takes Third

Skeet Tourney Champ

HOME TEAM

The 11U Bulldogs took first place in the Martinez Youth Softball AAA Division June 8 at Hidden Lakes Park. On June 17, they played their first Tournament of Champions game in Pinole against East County, winning easily with a score of 24-9. The Bulldogs ad-vanced to win the next round vs Antioch, 11-1. They faced Walnut Creek in the champi-onship and dominated again with the score of 10-0 to become the undefeated AAA District 4 Champions. The team displayed a strong force on the mound as well as the plate with with Kiana Abalos and Kaila Angel both hitting home runs. Coaches are Troy Nilson, Craig Miller and Tony Aguilar. Players are: Kira Nilson, Makayla Clauson, Kiana Abalos, Sophia Aguilar, Bella Lera, Sheridan Todd, Kaila Angel, Lexi Pico, Sarah Shepherd, Reese Miller, Collette Sanders and Alexis Nunes. Story and photo submitted by Liz Abalos.

Diablo Valley Volleyball Club’s 18 TRUTH took 3rd place at the Southern California Volleyball Association (SCVC) tournament in Anaheim June 14-16. They entered the tournament ranked #12 out of 66 and went undefeated into the fi-nal pool play on Sunday. Their only losses were to Manhatten Beach and SCVC, the #1 ranked team, and they took them to 3 games, nearly pulling off a major upset. This was a great warm up for the Junior National Tournament in Reno, Nevada, on June 27-June 30, when 36 of the top qualifying teams in the country competed in the open division. This team has some of the best play-ers in the Bay Area representing eight dif-ferent high schools. Alex Kalustian -1st Team All-League DVAL College Park HS; Bryan Lee -1st Team All-League Cam-polindo HS; Matt D’Angina - 1st Team

All-League DVAL Clayton Valley CHS; Yize Dong - 2nd Team All-League DFAL- Campolindo; Ryan Genn - MVP EBAL- Amador Valley; Eric Sprague - MVP Bay Counties - Bentley HS; Ben Sebastian MVP MCAL - Drake; Gabe Domecus MVP TCAL - SPSV & nominated to the All- American Senior Team AVCA; Nelson Fisher - MVP DVAL- College Park; Derrico Kwa - MVP Deer Valley High School and voted the Contra Costa Times Player of the Year. Six of these players have committed to playing at the collegiate level in the fall of 2013: Gabe Domecus - Ohio State; Eric Sprague - UCLA; Ben Sebastian - UC Irvine; Bryan Lee - UC San Diego; Ryan Genn - UOP; Nelson Fisher - Holy Names. Derrico Kwa will be attending UC Santa Barbara and will be looking into options to play as well.

InMay,theGrantHammonNSSAMemorialskeetshootingtournamentwasheldattheUnitedSportsmenIncorporatedRangeinConcord.Grant’sfa-voritegunwasthe20gaugeandeachyearthe20gaugechampion’snameisaddedtotheplaque.Thisyear’s20gaugegunchampwas14-yearoldNickBallentineofMartinez.Heshotaperfect100,hisfirst100straightinthe20gauge.NickispicturedwithKarenHam-mon.Submitted by Larry Myers.

Back Row: Nelson Fisher, Bryan Lee, Eric Sprague, Front Row: Matt D’Angina, Yize Dong, Alex Kalustian, Derrico Kwa, Gabe Domecus, Ben Sebastian, CoachSteve Siegmann. Not Pictured: Ryan Genn.

AlHAMBRABaseball Second-Team:AnthonyTaliaferroandAngeloMartinoGold Glove:EthanLittle

SoftballMost Valuable Player:NicoleCurryMost Valuable Pitcher:ErinEnkeFirst-Team:HaileySparacino,KyleePe-rez,JazzanaMcIntosh,CaraDiMercu-rioandBellaGonsalvesSecond-Team:CourtneyKellyHonorable Mention:K.K.Boyd,MadelineCervantesandShelbyClemons

Men’s GolfSecond-Team:ZachHammer

Men’s lacrosseHonorable Mention:JulianArchuleta

Women’s lacrosseSecond-Team:MariaGarciaHonorable Mention:JessicaSmolin,AnaMendozaandBeccaHansen

Men’s TrackSecond-Team:JoelTrimbrell

Women’s TrackFirst-Team:SelinaHeafkeSecond-Team:AllieTrimbrellMen’s VolleyballHonorable Mention:AriAmini

COllEGE PARKBaseballCo-MVP:JoeDeMersFirst–Team:TrevorLarnach,NickOar,KevinWildesSecond–Team:ScottHroza,JeffMitchellHonorable Mention:AnthonyBaleto,WillieMaciver

SoftballFirst-Team:KendallMarshSecond-Team:NicoleHughes,KatieOchoa,NataliePerssonHonorable Mention:SophieDamianakes

Men’s GolfCo-MVP:DimitriSalidoFirst-Team: DominicSalamone,MaxCreamer,AndyTrippSecond-Team:BrooksWilliams,JaredYokumHonorable Mention:MitchellLane

Men’s lacrosseHonorable Mention:DanDauer,JacksonLewis,AlexStephenson

Women’s lacrosseSecond- Team:VictoriaPeleras,PilarSoderHonorable Mention:EmmaEdel-son,MariannaRumpf,CassidyVaughn

Women’s TrackFirst-Team:KendallStuscavage,May-ukoButterfield,JamieBusbySecond-Team:OliviaRay,KatrinaGuytincoHonorable Mention:JackieRose

Men’s TrackFirst-Team:RayJackson,MaxAssael,TJTamuraSecond-Team:AndrewTaboneHonorable Mention:ParkerMason,TimmyJackson

Men’s VolleyballMVP: NelsonFisherFirst-Team:NickHorton,AlexKalustian,CharlesLiuSecond-Team:DevinHumm,KevinFortneyHonorable Mention:NoahFisher,MattHutchison

Men’s TennisFirst-Team:MaxTsukanovSecond-Team:SamAnderson

Spring 2013 All-league Selections


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Fans of blues music and cold brews won’t want to miss this 4th annual event in Pleasant Hill Park! On Friday, July 26, from 6-9pm, come down for the pre-party concert featuring The Big Jangle. Single purchase beer and wine will be available as well as food. On Saturday, July 27, from 12pm to 6pm, enjoy an afternoon where tasty brews combine with a talented lineup of local blues artists including The Candye Cane Band, Chris Cain, Caroompas Room and more. Attendees have the opportunity to sample beers from over 25 breweries, en-joy food from local restaurants, browse goods from local craft vendors and listen to great music in a relaxing park setting. VIP Tickets from 12pm-5pm for the craft beer tasting are $55 and are only available in advance. General admission is $35 pre-sale or $45 at the door and includes a commemorative glass and unlimited tastings from1pm to 5pm. Music can be enjoyed noon to 6pm for FREE. Proceeds will support the Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park District’s Teen Center and the Pleasant Hill Chamber of Commerce. Fordirections,acompletelistofbandsandbreweriesortopurchasetickets,visitthewebsite:www.bluesandbrewsfestival.com.Ticketsmayalsobepur-chasedatthePleasantHillRecreationandParkDistrictofficeat147GregoryLane.

Blues and Brews Festival Pleasant Hill Education Initiative Naming Contest

Submit Your Entry Today! The Pleasant Hill Education Initiative (PHEI) was launched in February 2013. The initiative’s goal is to establish a community-wide volunteer effort to enhance the quality of education for students in Pleasant Hill. The group is now looking to rebrand the name of the organization and is asking the public to submit names. The PHEI Steering Committee will vote on the entries and the winner will be awarded a $100 gift card to a Pleasant Hill restaurant.Contest entries should:• Be fairly short• Be easily memorable/recognizable for marketing purposes• Ideally include a ‘Pleasant Hill’ reference in the name• Represent the PHEI goal of bringing

our community to-gether to enhance local education• Include an optional tagline and/or logo or graphicThe objectives of the

PHEI are to:• Provide more educational opportunities for students• Prepare students for college or career opportunities after high school• Establish volunteer driven enrichment programs• Make learning more fun and enjoyable for students EmailormailyourcontestentrybyJuly15toMartinNelisatmnelis@ci.pleasant-hill.ca.usorCityofPleasantHill,100GregoryLane,PleasantHill,94523.ThewinnerwillbecontactedafterJuly23,2013.Ifyouhavequestionsorrequireadditionalinformation,call(925)671-5229.

Photos by TodGomes.com


In November of 1900, the county supervisors put a call out for bids to build a courthouse for no more than $100,000. In March, architectural plans by the Cunningham Brothers were accepted but had exceeded the limit. A second call for bids went out not to exceed $145,000 for the courthouse and $30,000 for a jail but were also rejected. With community support, bids went out a third time. The architectural plans of Havens and Toepke were chosen and construction went to Pacific Construction Company. This plan specified granite and a grand and elegant complex. Martinez resident John Swett said, “The new courthouse and jail should be built to last 50 years.” With the laying of the first corner stone on December 14, 1901, the local newspaper headline reported “Impressive Scene Last Saturday. Thousands of People Present from All Parts…” Conducted by the Martinez Grand Lodge of Masons, the countywide celebration began with a procession from the Masonic Hall and

included the Masonic Widows and Or-phans, home band, members of the board of supervisors, Board of Education, the County Horticultural Commission, the state senator, the state assemblyman for the area and every major Contra Costa official. Citizens enjoyed music, orations, and a display of the contents of the copper casket. A time capsule box was installed into the cornerstone containing photos of Martinez; copies of the San Francisco Chronicle for September 7 and 8, 1901, that described the shooting of President McKinley; local newspapers; a state reader and a grammar book. Civic festivities continued with a reception and luncheon. Under the watchful eye of Sheriff R.R. Veale, the new courthouse and jail were built by inmate chain gangs and super-vised by twenty professional stonecutters. The Vermont granite was hauled to the site where the huge, individual blocks were cut. The old brick courthouse was demol-ished in February of 1902. On May 30, 1903, the Contra Costa

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The 1903 Courthouse with the dome.

The Courthouse today.

Gazette headlined: “New Court House is Dedicated. Impressive Exercises Held at Martinez Last Friday. Much Credit Due to the Volunteer Firemen for the Big Suc-cess of the Day’s Program. Dance in the Evening Well Attended.” The story began: “Yesterday witnessed the dedication of Contra Costa’s beautiful and substantial new courthouse and the ceremony, which was most impressive, was raptly listened to by a throng of people from all parts of the county and variously estimated at from 8,000 to 10,000. There were visitors here from all parts of the state, men of promi-nence who came from long distances, and all were unstinted in their praise of the new building, many of them pronouncing

it the finest by far in the entire common-wealth. There are many larger ones, but none of better design or finish, nor will any equal it in convenience of interior arrange-ment.” In January of 1966, the 1901 Court-house was officially renamed the Finance Building. The dome survived the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and was finally removed only after it was weakened by the Bay Area quake of 1957; it had lasted for 56 years. The bell, shipped from New York, was used to call the court into session to announce that verdicts had been reached and to sound the alarm for a fire. Removed with the dome, the bell is now displayed in the Martinez Museum.


Slaughterhouse-Five Now that summer is here, a lot of people are probably looking for good books to read and I thought I’d recom-mend one of my favorites, Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut. It’s a satire on the absurdities of war and is one of the funniest books I have ever read. Along with being hi-larious, Slaughterhouse-Five is also considered a landmark in American literature and addresses important issues that will make readers think long after they have finished the book. Slaughterhouse-Five tells the story of Billy Pilgrim, a fatalistic American soldier in World War II with little train-ing, strength, or even a proper uniform. Billy has become “unstuck in time” as a result of his abduction by aliens and does not experience life chronologically. Instead, he jumps back and forth in time and space and, as a result, you read about different parts of his life in the order that Vonnegut chooses rather than the order in which they occur. This may sound confusing, but it actually adds to the story because you experience Billy’s life as he does and gain a better understanding

of the character. The main plotline of the book centers on Billy’s time as a prisoner of war leading up to his ex-perience at the bombing of Dresden. Through flashbacks to Billy’s time before the war and flash-forwards to his life after the war, Vonnegut tells Billy’s somber story, from his stay in a mental ward to his survival of a disastrous plane

crash. The fact that Billy knows every-thing that will happen to him makes the hardships he suffers all the more tragic, but Vonnegut’s wit makes even the harsh-est calamity seem amusing. As opposed to many other authors of literary significance, Vonnegut writes with a simple, no-frills style in short chapters that make the book easy to read, and each chapter is like a joke with a punch line at the end. Though morbid at times, the book is generally hilarious and meaningful and addresses important issues with wit and humor that make you glad you read it. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys satire, science fiction, or dark comedy, or to anyone who just wants to read an entertaining book that their English teacher will approve of.

Read My Mind© Book Reviews by Michael G. Harris, OD

Teen Book Review By Zane Dundon, Rising Senior, De La Salle HS

The Racketeer by john Grisham Wow! What a joyride! That was my reaction to John Grisham’s latest legal whodunit, The Racketeer. From its open-ing sentences until its final pages, this book is a spectacular suspense thriller. The twists and turns will keep you won-dering what’s really going on. And once you think you’ve figured it out, some-thing new happens that sends you in a totally different direction. Even though I figured out some of the twists and turns, I could not put down this page-turner until it’s improbable ending. Our hero (or maybe he’s our villain) is Malcolm Bannister, a small town African-American lawyer accused of money laundering under the Racketeer

Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act simply because he was the lawyer for the real criminals. He is disbarred, divorced, and sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. When we meet Mal-colm halfway through his prison term, he is one angry dude. He’s determined to get even with the federal gov-ernment and the FBI for taking his life away just because he worked unknow-ingly for crooked clients. In prison, Mal-colm helps fellow prisoners with their legal problems and earns a reputation as a “jailhouse lawyer.” He’s even managed

to get several prisoners new trials and released. After a well-known federal judge and his secre-tary are murdered execution style in a remote hideaway and the mysterious contents of the judge’s safe go missing, Malcolm claims he knows who the killer is. Malcolm also knows that Federal Rule 35 is the key to his freedom.

This rule provides that a convict who provides key evidence in the convic-tion of the perpetrator of another crime can have his sentence reduced or even commuted. Following some tough negotiations with the FBI and the At-torney General’s office, Malcolm agrees to disclose the killer’s name in exchange for his freedom. When the documents are finally signed, Malcolm reveals the compel-ling story of a former inmate, Quinn Rucker, who told Malcolm that he had murdered the couple. The FBI finds Quinn with thousands of dollars of cash of unknown origin in his possession. Witnesses claim they saw Quinn in the small town near the murder site around the time of the killings. After ten hours of relentless interrogation, Quinn finally confesses to killing the judge and his secretary.

Bingo! Malcolm is released. To protect him from revenge from Quinn‘s gang, Malcolm gets a new face and a new identity, Max Reed Baldwin. Then the FBI gets word that the gang somehow learns about Malcolm’s new identity. Now, dear reader, you are really worried about Malcolm/Max safety! But, wait! Here comes another twist. With his new identity, Max enlists the help of a mysterious woman to form a docu-mentary film company. The company launches a film about corrupt DEA agents and starts interviewing relatives of drug dealers killed by DEA agents in drug busts. But what does this have to do with Quinn’s confession and the search for the missing contents of the judge’s safe? And how do Max and his girlfriend end up in Jamaica? Will the gang kill Max? Will Max somehow get his revenge on the Feds? I’m not going to give away the end-ing to this thrilling joyride; you’ll have to find out yourself. But I must warn you - once you pick up The Racketeer, you won’t be able to put it down until you find out what really happens. I hope you enjoy this devilish whodunit by an author who knows how to tell a great story and keep you on the edge of your seat.


The Community Center is currently under construction and scheduled to be completed at the end of this year.

Recreation and Park updatesEngraved Bricks Are Still Avail-able For Purchase! Did you know you can still pur-chase an engraved brick to be displayed on the meandering walkway/entry into the Senior Center? The deadline for the 4th installment order will be JULY 19th. Pick up an order form at the Senior Center or print one out online at www.pleasanthillrec.com. A portion of all brick purchases go toward the Senior Center’s fundraising efforts for furni-

ture. Dog Obedience Training Training your dog is the key to hav-ing a happy, healthy and well-rounded canine companion. Teach your dog the simple household commands of “watch me, sit, down and stay.” Class is for dogs five months and older with current rabies vaccine. Pre-registration required. Call 682-0896 or register online at www.pleas-anthillrec.com.

Pleasant Oaks Renovation By Zac Shess, PH Rec and Park Board Member

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Construction work began last month on the $3.4 million renovation of the 11-acre Pleasant Oaks Park. The renovated park will feature new grass turf for five baseball diamonds and two large soccer fields, ADA-compliant walkways, addi-tional landscaping, and the paving of two surrounding parking lots. Tracy-based Goodland Construction was awarded the contract by the Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park District and is expected to fin-ish the project in the fall. “We’re excited to begin the work on the park,” said Bob Berggren, district general manager. “Pleasant Oaks was great already and this renovation will not only enhance the facility, but also expand the capacity of those who can participate on it.” The project will increase the number of baseball fields from four to five, all with new dugouts and backstops. The two-tiered field at the park’s south end will also be leveled, which will enable the fifth baseball diamond as well as a large soccer field to be built. The latter will accommodate older children and adults. An updated playground and picnic area as well as new landscaping also round out the improvements.

The renovation represents the fourth and final significant project funded by the District’s Measure E bond passed in 2009. The other projects included the completion of the new Teen Center and Senior Center as well as the new Com-munity Center, scheduled to open at year’s end. “When it’s done, Pleasant Oaks Park will be one of the jewels of the commu-nity,” said Bobby Glover, chairman of the district’s board of directors. “It will be a great facility to accommodate the grow-ing number of children participating in activities such as baseball and soccer, as well as the families watching them play.”

Saturday, July 13 – August 3 • 10am-10:50am, Old School House parking lot (corner of Wendell Lane & Oak Park Blvd) • 4 weeks: $85 District Resident, $100 non-resident Derby Day Friday, July 19, 2pm at the PH Aquatic Park, 147 Gregory Ln. All ages

are welcome! Test your engineering skills and design a boat out of card-board, recyclables and duct tape. All boats will compete in races across the pool. Wear your swimsuit and prepare to get wet! Pre-registration required by July 17. For rules and more informa-tion, call 680-0896.

Photo by TodGomes.com

Ground breaking ceremony on May 30. Photo provided by PHR&PD


In the MixBy Paul Cotruvo, Cover2Cover

“Summer’s here and the time is right for danc-ing in the streets.” That classic Martha and the Vandellas’ line couldn’t be more appropriate for the month of July. The wonderful thing about this time of year is that all the local music festivals and series are in full swing. Whether it is Concord’s “Music and Markets” in Todos Santos Square in downtown Concord, Clayton’s “Concerts in the Grove,” Lafayette’s “Rock the Plaza,” or Pleasant Hill’s “Summer by the Lake” series, there is something for everyone. Not only do these series feature some of the best local music around, they are free! If you go to your community’s website, there will be links for finding free music in your area. I think one of the best music events of the year will be Pleasant Hill’s “Blues and Brews” on July 27 in the Pleasant Hill Park at the corner of Gregory and Cleve-land. Still in its infancy (only its 4th year), this festival always features some of the best local talent and touring acts around, and this year will be no exception. Headlining this year’s show is The Candye Kane Band, an award-winning national touring band that will be sure to have you up on your feet. Candye

has a big and brassy blues voice, writes great tunes (with hilarious and some-times bawdy lyrics), is a great storyteller, and has a solid band behind her, led by young killer guitarist from Mountain View named Laura Chavez. Laura has been around the South Bay music scene and was the guitarist with San Jose’s Lara Price. I had the pleasure of sharing the stage with her a few years ago for a blues jam in Redwood City, and she is no doubt one of the hottest guitar-ists around, reminiscent of Stevie Ray Vaughan. Sharing the headliner spot as well is the phenomenal Chris Cain Band. This will be the third year in a row for the band. They are a huge fan favorite and if you have never seen them, you will soon be a fan too. Chris is a master of improvi-sation and his jazz-tinged, blues soaked guitar and several other instruments will have you up on your feet! This year’s festival will also feature some great local bands including Mar-tinez’s own Caroompas Room featuring the incredible Jim Caroompas. Jim’s mu-sicianship and vocals are second to none. Pleasant Hill’s resident Jinx Jones and the Kingtones will be bringing some blues, jazz and rockabilly, and the legendary Frankie G. and The Conviction from the east county will be bringing their high energy and powerful brand of blues.

PAul’S PICKS FOR july

Opening the show will be Red Eye Revue featuring many local musicians playing their own brand of the blues. And again, the music part of this festival is free! There will be plenty of food and drink vendors to get you through the 6-hour show! All you will need is a blanket or chair. The music begins at 12:00pm. I want to give kudos to all the com-

munities for providing this live music for us to enjoy. I try and go to as many events as possible, and I have noticed the crowds are getting bigger. So I think the word is getting out that Contra Costa rocks!!!! Hope to see you at one of these shows.Quote of the Month:Without music, life would be a mistake.Friedrich Nietzsche

July 7: Spinout, Pleasant Hill Summer by the Lake Series, 100 Gregory Ln., 6:00pm

July 12: Wonderbread 5, Dan’s Bar, 1524 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek, 10:00pm

July 18: The Jeff Magidson Blues Band, Armando’s, 707 Marina Vista, Martinez, 8:00pm

July 20: Sin Silver, Rocco’s Pizzeria, 2909 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek, 8:00pm

July 26: The Big Jangle, Pleasant Hill Park, 7:00pm - 9:00pm

July 27: 4th Annual Blues and Brews, Pleasant Hill Park, 12:00pm – 6:00pm

July 27: Loose Blues, Dallimonti’s, 1932 Oak Park Blvd., Pleasant Hill, 9:30pm

1918 Oak Park Blvd, Pleasant Hill 925-705-7065/7066 (PHONE) • 925-705-7067 (FAX)

www.kobejapanrestaurant.com

99¢ per piece of Sushi or Sashimi99¢ per skewer • $4.95 Sake Bomb for two

Many more oers...

FREE MEALUp to $30 for your

Birthday Hibachi Dinnerwww.kobejapanrestaurant.com

Sign up for our Birthday Club on our website and get a

Friday and Saturday 10pm - Midnight99¢ LATE NIGHT SPECIAL

Dallimonti’s Restaurant

1932 Oak Park Boulevard, Pleasant Hill. 925-944-5224

www.dallimontis.com

• A Family Tradition Since 1982 • Open for Lunch & Dinner• Reservations & Take Out Available • Small Banquets Welcome

• Full Bar & Wine List • A Touch of North Beach in your Neighborhood

LIVE MUSIC EVERY SATURDAY FRIDAY KARAOKE NIGHT • GRAB THE MIC AND ROCK OUT

Come for the food stay for the music!

7/6 T.J. the DJ • 7/13 Stan Erhart Band7/20 The Famous Three-O • 7/27 Loose Blues

15C Vivian Dr Pleasant Hill, CA(Behind Jack in The Box)

925-798-5561Hours: Mon-Sat 10 AM – 4 PM

shop for bargains, shop for foster children

Youth Homes Auxiliary Thrift Shop raises money in support of the

needs of young people in the care of Youth Homes, Inc.

SENIOR 5% DISCOUNT EVERYDAY


CREEK MONKEYTAP HOUSE

WE CATER!Do you have a big event coming up?

Don’t want to cook?

Let CMTH take care of all your catering needs!

611 Escobar St. Martinez, CA 94553925.228.8787 phone • 925.228.8769 fax

We Offer A Variety Of Fresh And Healthy Ingredients, Many Locally Sourced. Snacks Or Full Meals,

Pick Up, Drop Off Or Full Service.Starters • Salads • Sandwiches • Entrees • Desserts

For more information on our catering menu & booking details, please call General Manager Kevin Sharp

at (925) 250-6904 or Email: [email protected]

WE CATER!

[email protected] • www.CreekMonkey.com

Visit www.pleasanthillconcerts.com for all concert information. Sponsored by Pleasant Hill Civic Action Commission

Series SponsorsCity of

Pleasant Hill

ConcertSponsors

Casey Strand

Chiropractor

FOOD & Funevery concert!

Sheila’sDaycare

On the lawn by the lake at Pleasant Hill City Hall Gregory Ln & Cleaveland Rd

LIVE Music

6-8pm!

Free!

Jul 7 Covey Pizza

Jul 21 Zachary's Pizza

Aug 4 Kinder’s BBQ

Aug 18 Kinder's BBQ

Sep 1 Taqueria Los Gallos

The following restaurants aretentatively scheduled to sell food:

Aug 4...Dave Martin House Party

Aug 18...Cover2Cover

Sep 1...Gumbo Stew

Join us for all the

concerts this summer!

Ice cream and shaved ice available

for purchase at all concerts!

Jul 7...Spin Out

Rockabilly/Oldies

Jul 21...Patrõn Latin RhythmsLatin, Mambo, Salsa, R&B


THE GARDEN

Congratulations to all grads out there, whether it’s from high school, college, trade school, whatever!! Good luck in the fu-ture to you all, and here’s to reaping the benefits of hard work! Dog days of summer kick into high gear in July as tomatoes and corn be-come as plentiful as weeds in a well-watered garden with honeybees work-

ing overtime. Summer eating is scan-dalously plentiful and inspired by the bounty of California produce in daz-zling colors and textures. Farmers’ mar-ket tables are literally bowing in the centers, so laden are they with this boo-ty, and workers put on a brave perfor-mance to keep up with picky shoppers. Heirloom tomatoes are abundant, and the mere loveliness of market displays conjures salubrious appreciation. Ev-ery year so many more varieties come out that the choices are enough to make

Simplicity of Summer ProduceBy Lesley Stiles

Free Form Tart

Fresh Peach Cake

Roll out a sheet of puff pastry and place on a baking sheet. Slice up about 4 cups of fruit and place in the middle of the puff dough. Roll up sides around fruit leaving a bit of a hole in the center. Brush all with egg wash and sprinkle with rough sugar. Chill for about an hour. Bake at 425* for about 20 minutes or until the dough is nice and brown and the fruit is bub-bling up around the hole.

Preheat oven to 375* and grease and flour a nine-inch baking pan.Cream butter and sugar together. Add vanilla and eggs. Sift together dry ingredients and add to wet ingredients. Add fruit and nuts. Mix together. Spoon into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. This cake is rich and nice by itself or you can frost with a powdered sugar glaze.

5 tablespoons butter, softened2 eggs¾ cup sugar½ cup flour1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract1 teaspoon each – baking powder, baking

soda, kosher salt2 teaspoons freshly ground cinnamon2 cups peeled and chopped peaches1 cup fresh blueberries½ cup chopped toasted walnuts

Ingredients:

Directions:

Directions:

Saturdays, 9 am-1 pm • Rain or Shine

CITY OF PLEASANT HILL

Your Food,Your Community,

Your Farmers’ Market

Stonefruit is here in all its summer glory! Peaches from Zaiger Farms are really sweet right now, and Apricots and Nectarines are here too!

J&M Farms has lots of greens! Organic Romaine lettuce & mixed salad greens, peas, carrots, summer squash, beans & onions.

Pick up some locally-grown starter plants from Pleasant Hill’s own Myers Homegrown Heirlooms. Leafy greens, tomatoes, pumpkins, and more!

Crescent Dr. at Downtown Plaza

In Season:

your head spin. As a rule, the lighter the color the higher the sugar content and the lower the acid ratio. I love the Mr. Stripey varieties, hanging on the vine like a green-eyed beauty, as well as the Purple Cherokee and Marvel Stripe that are full of flavor and juice. Great for slicing with fresh mozzarella and basil drizzled with a bit of impeccable extra virgin olive oil and a crack of sea salt. Breathtaking in its simplicity. Perfectly composed elongated purple and white striped eggplants bosom buddy up against luminous peppers and vibrantly alive basil, rendering any recipe almost useless with the simple knowledge that this stuff sautéed together with olive oil and garlic is going to be beyond mouth-watering. I am personally invoking the infield fly rule and calling out anyone that does not get their naturally nutri-tious fill of zucchini this month. White nectarines crescendo in harmonic uni-son when sliced up with pluots and strawberries and plopped into plain yo-gurt with a drizzle of honey. I will say, once again, I can’t stress the importance of buying organic berries and fruits, but especially berries. They are close to the ground and get a lot of wicked stuff soaked into them when they are not or-ganically grown. Just saying. We have so many great outdoor activities in our sweet valley all sum-

mer, and they all beg for a nice picnic at some point. Farmers’ markets can be an oasis of abundance of choices for stok-ing your interior fire of creativity. From fresh fruits to baked goods to basic veg-gie items lusciously prepared by hand, even the least of cooking aficionados can compete for the most perfectly composed al fresco meal of the event. For me, anyway, it just doesn’t get much better than good live music, good fam-ily and friends and stellar food to com-plete me, and we have that every week, all summer, leading to one of many rea-sons we have such marvelous affection for the Diablo Valley. As mercury soars and we start living for sundown, don’t forget to hydrate, enjoy each other, be grateful and live life to its fullest every day. P.S. Once again, Pleasant Hill will be competing in the Mayor’s Healthy Cook-Off. Mayor Michael Harris and I will be defending our title as last year’s winners on Thursday, July 18, at To-dos Santos farmers’ market, starting at 4:30pm. Come out and cheer us on! LesleyStilesisagraduateoftheCaliforniaCulinaryAcademy,sustain-ablecatererandschoolgardeneduca-tor.ContactLesleyatlesleystiles@com-cast.net,www.lesleystiles.blogspot.comandvisithernewwebsite:www.lesley-stilesfoods.com.


Helping to Fight HungerBy Jason Olson, Grocery Outlet, Pleasant Hill

Hunger is a reality for over 50 million people in the United States; that’s one in seven Americans. To create awareness of this issue and help neigh-bors in need, the Pleasant Hill Grocery Outlet is kicking off our third annual Independence from Hunger food drive, a month-long, company-wide campaign. During the month of July, we’re encour-aging our customers to donate food and money to support St. Vincent De Paul and Christ the King Church to help neighbors in need over what is tradition-ally a slow donation period. Over the past two years, more than $500,000 has been raised company-wide in cash, gift cards and food donations towards this effort. We are proud to take up the chal-lenge again to help combat hunger in our community. As local business owners, we are always looking for ways to make a difference in the lives of our neighbors. We have a dream that one day everyone will gain independence from hunger.

This is a great way to make a significant impact on a local level.We’re making it easy to join the IndependencefromHunger cause:• Look for specialty-marked food items that St. Vincent De Paul and Christ the King have designated are in need for the community. Purchase these items and put them in the collection bin at the front of the store.• Tell a Grocery Outlet cashier that you would like to make a cash donation. All moneys raised go directly to St. Vincent De Paul and Christ the King in the form of cash or product.• Pick up information at the Pleasant Hill Grocery Outlet store about hunger, food insecurity and local/national resources for people in need. FormoreinformationaboutPleas-antHillGroceryOutletandIndepen-dencefromHunger,visit:www.grocery-outlet.com/PleasantHill-CA/orvisittheFacebookpageathttps://www.facebook.com/pleasanthillgroceryoutlet?ref=hl.

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The hot summer weeks have arrived and this means cooling off in the water! But summer-fun in the water should carry concerns for safety with it. Who can deny that heart-sinking feeling when reading about a drowning in the news-paper – maybe a child who fell into the backyard pool, young friends swept away in the canal, or an adult not surfacing after being knocked off a raft on a rafting trip. Most of the drownings we read about could have been prevented. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chil-dren aged one to four have the highest drowning rate of all age groups. In that age group overall, one in three deaths are caused by drowning. That’s a sobering fact. Following a supervised romp in the pool, it’s important to clear the area of pool toys to remove the temptation for youngsters to return to the pool unsuper-vised. Pools should be fenced on all sides with self-locking gates to prevent unsu-pervised entry.

Summer is a great time to enroll the kids in learn-to-swim programs at the Recreation & Park District’s pool or pri-vate lessons at one of the local swim clubs. Following lessons, it is still imperative that attentive poolside adult supervision be followed. For all ages, it is much safer to swim where there’s a lifeguard and to always swim with a buddy. If you enjoy above-surface water-sports such as canoeing, jet skiing, river rafting, or kayaking, don’t forget to wear a life jacket; these jackets save lives. The CDC reports that following watercraft accidents, 90% of the people who drown were not wearing life jackets. One thing you don’t read about in the paper is the need for storing pool chemi-cals safely. Make sure that chemicals are stored separately in a dry place, away from heat or direct sunlight. Never mix chlorine-based products. This is especial-ly important where any mixture with an acid could produce deadly chlorine gas. One thing we can rely on in Central County – summers are hot….and the best relief from the high temperatures is to jump in the pool. Let’s ensure we don’t forget about water safety. Next month we’ll return to tips on preparing for an earthquake.

Water Safety TipsBy Jim Bonato, Pleasant Hill CERT Program Manager

$3 offFREEValid at Pleasant Hill Grocery Outlet only. One coupon per person. Minimum purchase excludes dairy and alcohol. Not valid with any other offer. No cash value. Duplicated coupons will not be accepted. Coupon must be surrendered at time of purchase. Limit 1. Only one coupon may be used at point of sale. Plus CRV. Expires 07/31/13.

Valid at Pleasant Hill Grocery Outlet only. One coupon per person. Minimum purchase excludes dairy and alcohol. Not valid with any other offer. No cash value. Duplicated coupons will not be accepted. Coupon must be surrendered at time of purchase. Only one coupon may be used at point of sale. Expires 07/31/13.

a $50 minimum purchase a $25 minimum purchaseCrystal Geyser Water, 35pk.

1671 Contra Costa Blvd. Pleasant Hill, CA925-676-3660

8am -9pm Every Day!

Jason & Kathy OlsonIndependent

Owners/Operators

July 1st - 31st

Donate cash and/or food and help us fight hunger. All donations go to St. Vincent de Paul.

® FROM HUNGER

Grocery Outlet Presents


Pleasant Hill Senior Activities

Martinez Senior Activities818 Green St. (925) 370-8770

233 Gregory lane (925) 798-8788

7/4 - 4th of July Pancake Breakfast & Boutique 8-10am.Allyoucaneatpancakesplusmore.Afterbreakfast,shopatourboutiquesalefilledwithlotsofhandmadetreasures.Adults:$5,Children(5-10):$3,4andunder:Free!

7/11 – 8/15 – Tango for Seniors 11am-12pm.LearnAmerican&Argen-tineTangofrombasicmovesandpatternstounderstandingthemusicandlanguagebetweenpartners.This6-weekcourseendswitha“blacktiedressup”danceonthelastclasswitharaffleforachancetowin1-hourprivateinstructionfortwo.Partnersarenotrequired.PHSeniorCenter:DanceStudio,6classes.$48/$43(Member).

7/15 – Art of Cubism 2-4pm.ExperienceandpaintlikePabloPicasso.CreateoriginalartworkinthestyleofPicasso,oneofthemostprolificandsuccessfulartistsofthetwentiethcentury.Additional$10artsupplyfeecollectedinclass.Instructor:JalehAlavi&BahramKhamjani.PHSeniorCenter:Arts&CraftsRoom.$30/$26(Member).

7/25 - Wake Up! You’re Snoring 5pm.Thisclinicisfreeandwillprovideinfoonthecausesandeffectsofsnoring,plustipsandadviceonhowtocontrolyoursnoring.Thisworkshopishelpfulforanyonewhostrug-gleswithsnoring,whetherit’salightormoderateproblemyoucanhelpthroughlifestylechanges,orifyouhaveamoreseriousconditionsuchassleepapnea.Call798-8788toRSVP.PHSeniorCenter,Arts&CraftsRoom.

We Specialize In One-on-One Personal Advice. We Care!

Linda J. WeihofenReverse Mortgage Specialist

925.348.4267 • [email protected]

SENIOR CALENDARS SPONSORED BY:

Helping you to understand the NEW Reverse Mortgage

7/14 – Pancake Breakfast 8am – 11am.Thisdeliciousbreakfastincludespancakesortoast,sausage,eggs,orangejuiceandcoffee.Everyoneiswelcome.Cost:$3.50foradults/$2forchildren10andunder.Handmadecrafts,perfectforgifts,willbeonsaleduringthebreakfast.Bingo!–Ongoing1pm-3:45pm.Thursdayafternoons.ComeplayBingoandbringafriend!Webeginsellingcardsat12pm.

7/12 & 7/19 - AARP Driver Safety Training Program (2 consecutive Fridays) 11am – 3:30pm (witha30minutebreak).This8-hourclassroomcourseisdesignedformotoristsovertheageof50tohelprefineexistingskillsandde-velopsafe,defensivedrivingtechniques.Cost:$12forAARPmembers/$14non-members.Checkwithyourinsurancecompanyfordiscountsgivenuponcoursecompletion.Classesfillup,calltoregisterearly:(925)370-8770.Givecheckspayableto“AARP”toinstructoronfirstdayofclass.

8/2 - C.E.R.T. (Community Emergency Response Team) – 10:00am - 12:30pm.Don’tbeScared…BePrepared!Weareofferinga2-hourpersonalemergencypreparednessclasspresentedbytheC.E.R.T.team.Inthisinformationalseminar,youwilllearnhowtoprepareyourselfandyourfamilytobereadywhenamajordisasterstrikes.Topicstobecoveredwillinclude:basicsuppliesyouneed,equipmentyoushouldhaveandplansyoushouldmaketoinsureyouarereadytomeetthischallengingtime.Pleasecalltheofficetoregisterforthisseminar.Note:Therewillbeafreedrawing(emer-gencypreparationkitvaluedat$100)forthosewhoattendthisimportantandinformativeseminar.Drawingwillbeheldaftertheseminar,youmustbepresenttowin.

Hula for Exercise (NEW CLASS) Mondays - 5:30-6:30pm and Thursdays - 10:30-11:30am.Basichand,footandbodymovementsofthehulasettoHawaiianmusicwillbetaught.Youwilllearnahulasongpersession.Wearcomfortableclothingandbringwater.RosemarieRamos,Hulainstructor,isfromHawaiiandhasover20yearsofdancinghula,performing,teachingHawaiiancraftsandsharingheralohainthecommunity.ClassesheldatCenter.Fee:$40(8weeks).CallCentertoregister:(925)370-8770.

Volunteer and project registration is now open for the 9th Annual Com-munity Service Day on Saturday, Sep-tember 28. Churches, schools, neighborhoods, businesses...find a project and regis-ter for it on the city website at www.pleasant-hill.net/CSD. Volunteers of all ages can sign up online at www.pleas-ant-hill.net/csd. All volunteers receive a free pancake breakfast (served up by the Lions Club) at Pleasant Hill Park on the morning of the event. The first 600 volunteers to register at the park receive a free event T-shirt plus snacks and drinks to take with you to your project sites. Senior Residents – Do you need help at home with yard work? The Senior Center and PH Civic Action Commission are exploring the possibility of assisting seniors in need of yard work and other outdoor chores at their residences. If you are interested in receiving assistance from Commu-nity Service Day volunteers or have any

questions about this project, please call Dana at (925) 798-8788 or email her at [email protected]. Formoreinformation,[email protected](925)671-5229.

Community Service Day


Third Graders Hold Mock City Meeting

SUPREME OIL CHANGE

Offers valid on most cars and light trucks at participating Meineke locations. Discounts apply to regular retail pricing. One offer per service per vehicle. Offers cannot be combined with other specials or warranty service. Coupons have no cash value and must be presented at the time of estimate. See the center manager for any additional details. ©2013 MCCCI

My Money. My Choice. My Meineke.®

Make Meineke Your One Stop For Complete Auto Repair

& Maintenance

• Air Conditioning • Batteries • Belts • Brakes • Cooling System Service • CV Joints • Exhaust • Oil Change • Shocks & Struts • Tires • Transmission Fluid Service

• Wheel Alignment • Wheel Balance & More!

TUNE UP SERVICESUPREME BRAKE SERVICE

ENGINE LIGHT ON? TIRES

Per axle. Rotor labor included if applicable. Parts extra. Service must include any parts or service required to restore the system to proper operating conditions.

Additional parts & service available if needed at extra cost. Additional shop supply &/ or disposal fees may apply. Expires 5/31/13.

*Includes up to 5 qts standard motor oil and standard filter. Additional disposal and shop supply fees may apply. Special oils and filters are available at an additional cost. **Rotation service for vehicles with TPMS available at additional cost. Expires 5/31/13.

SUMMER MAINTENANCE

• Oil and Filter *

• 23-Point Inspection• Air Pressure Check

• Tire Rotation**

• Top off Fluids• Balance Check all Tires

INCLUDES:

$22995Plus Tax

$5995Plus Tax

Additional parts & services, shop supply &/or disposal fees may be extra. Not responsible for low batteries that fail during testing. Code scan includes code read only. Fees will apply for diagnostic service. See manager for complete details. Expires 5/31/13.

THE PURCHASE OF 4 OR MORE TIRES

Discount applies to regular retail pricing. Minimum purchase of $150 before tax required. Not valid with any other offers. Must

present coupon at time of estimate. One offer per vehicle. No cash value. Additional offer details below. Expires 5/31/13.

Free scan includes scan tool hook-up and code reading. Additional diagnostic service at additional expense is likely. Additional offer details below. Expires 5/31/13.

Martinez2425 Pacheco Blvd.

(On the corner of Shell Ave and Pacheco Blvd, across the street from Shell service station)

(925) 335-9868 *Subject to credit approval. See participating center for details.

SPECIALFINANCING

TERMSAVAILABLE*

www.meineke.com Nationwide Lifetime Warranty

Mon. - Sat. 7:30am to 6:00pm

FREE CODESCAN READ

CHECKENGINE

LET MEINEKE READ yOUR CODE

• Premium or Ceramic Lifetime Warranty Pads

• Installation

• Measure Rotors• New Shims• Clean & Adjust

(Where Appropriate

INCLUDES:

Excludes Platinum and Iridium Plugs. Includes Replace Spark Plugs, Inspect Plug Wires, Scan Engine Light Codes, Inspect Fuel Injection System, Inspect Rotor and Distributor Cap (if present), Test Battery, Check and Adjust Tire Pressure.

4 CYLINDER

$59Plus Tax

6 CYLINDER

$79Plus Tax

8 CYLINDER

$99Plus Tax

Oil change includes up to 5 qts. of standard motor oil & a standard filter. Flush service includes standard fluid & universal coolant. Special oils, filters & fluids available at additional cost. Additional disposal &/or shop supply fees may apply. Expires 5/31/13.

$25995Plus Tax

• Cooling System Flush• Oil Change• Fuel Induction

• Injector Cleaning• Transmission Flush• System Inspection

INCLUDES:

20% OFF

Recently, Pleasant Hill Mayor Michael Harris hosted one hundred third graders from Strandwood Ele-mentary School who conducted a mock city council meeting in the council chambers at City Hall. Student Mayor Marshall Miclea presided over the proceedings as the five council mem-bers, ably assisted by their staff, heard testimony from various members of the “Strandwood public” about a number of critical issues, ranging from food at school to field trips. Councilmembers Annika Altman, Emi Szakats, Doug Lingenfelter, and Is-abel Gutierrez joined Mayor Miclea on the dais. City Manager Sompors Virak, City Clerk Jordon Segall, City Attorney Catelyn Johnson, Police Chief Trevor Lau, Public Works Director Klaryssa Medina, Finance Director Tyler Martin, and Public Information Officer Olivia Louthan supported the council. The council considered agenda items and heard arguments for and against items from other members of

the third grade classes. Mrs. Wilson’s class discussed “Should Strandwood al-low a snack shack for younger grades?” Speaking in favor were Grace Barna-cal and Alexandra Coeshott. Speak-ing against were Alexis Nguyen and Lindsay Reed. Mrs. Bittner’s class discussed “Should Strandwood serve better food in the cafeteria?” Speaking in favor were Mikayla Alexander and Alex Pope. Speaking against were Josh Nachand

and Sabrina Mattos. Ms. Guncheon’s class discussed “Should Strandwood add more field trips to third grade?” Speaking in favor were Katherine Erb and Lauren Stone. Speaking against were Kieran McCaig and Maddy Wil-son. The parents in the audience agreed that the council and all the presenters did a terrific job. Mayor Harris com-mented that he saw many future leaders in these third graders.

Showrooms also in Santa Clara & Milbrae


PAID ADVERTORIAl

Check your lightsBy the Hagins Staff

Includes 5 quarts of standard chevron oil Replace oil filter and oil filter gasket Top off under hood fluids Check tire pressure and reset maintenance light Complimentary Visual Vehicle Inspection

*Coupon must be presented at service counter and can’t be combined with any other discounts / offers.

Call M-F 8am-5pm or scan the QR code below for an appointment

When was the last time you checked the lights on your vehicle - and not just the brake lights? Vehicles today have numerous ex-terior lights that should be checked once every month and replaced as needed. One car we have in the shop today has 19 exterior light bulbs. Your vehicle’s light circuits may include: head lights, brake lights, corner mark-er lights, turn signals and even license plate lights. Most people do not realize the number of lights their vehicle has until someone points out that one is not working. If this someone is a police officer, he may be issuing a “fix it” tick-et, which could carry a fee. Does your mechanic check your vehicle lights when you take it in for service? If your vehicle is serviced by

Hagin’s Automotive, we will check your lights during every service. Often overlooked is that lights op-erate in groups. If a brake light is out, there are at least two other brake light bulbs that have been operating for the same amount of time. It stands to rea-son that the other two bulbs will fail soon. Replacing all three at the same time is recommended and will save you multiple trips to the auto repair facility. The same can be said for head-lights; they operate simultaneously, so if one goes out both should be re-placed in the interest of saving time and money. Foranyquestionsregardingyourvehicle’slightsoranyotherautomo-tiverelatedquestions,pleasegiveusacallat925-812-5115.


The Pleasant Hill Chamber of Commerce Green Committee is hosting free tours in July and August for anyone interested in seeing how our trash and recyclables are

managed after they're collected from our curbside carts. The tours are about 30 minutes long. RSVP to [email protected] or call 925-671-5806.

TRANSFER STATION AND RECYCLING FACILITY TOURS

Tour the Pleasant Hill/Concord Recycling Center located at 1320 Galaxy Way

in Concord.

• Thursday, July 11 at 10 am• Thursday, July 18 at 10 am• Thursday, July 25 at 10 am

Do you want to to see where recyclables from schools and businesses are sorted and bailed before being sent out for processing?

This is also a general public redemption facility for pre-sorted recyclables.

Tour the Contra Costa Transfer and Recovery Station located at 951 Waterbird Way

in Martinez.

• Tuesday, August 6 at 10 am• Wednesday, August 14 at 1 pm• Thursday, August 22 at 10 am

See where the garbage trucks that empty our trash carts and dumpsters consolidate their contents into larger trucks for hauling to the

Antioch land�ll. The general public can also drop o� materials here for waste disposal or recycling.

VISIT TO SEE HOW THEY MANAGE ALL THE WASTE WE PRODUCE.

It’s so much easier to recycle today than it used to be. You no longer have to take labels off bottles, flatten everything, or schlep it clear across town to be recy-cled. Now just put it in the recycle bin in-stead of the trash bin. How hard is that? Almost everything can be recycled these days ---all papers, metals, glass, and plastic. Pleasant Hill even recycles plastic bags, rigid plastic items like buck-ets, crates, trays and plastic toys, as well as peripherals like a mouse, keyboard or speakers. Since the materials get washed mul-tiple times during the recycling pro-cess, a little food clinging to the pet food can doesn’t make it unrecyclable; it just makes it messier for the workers in the recycling facilities. Don’t put half full jars of mayonnaise in the recycle bin, but don’t think you have to choose between putting everything in the dishwasher be-fore recycling or not recycling at all. Re-cycle it! It’s quite eye opening to tour the

transfer station where the garbage trucks that collect our curbside trash dump their contents for consolidation into a bigger trailer for hauling to the Keller Canyon Landfill. The quantity of waste we pro-duce is overwhelming! Public tours are

scheduled for August (see ad below). In July, tour the Pleasant Hill recy-cling facility where recyclables from com-mercial accounts get sorted and baled in preparation for the trip to various desti-nations: Bay Area mills for steel, North Carolina for PET bottles (aka PETE or recycle symbol “1”), US wheel manu-facturers for aluminum, China for card-board and paper, and a variety of addi-tional processors for other materials. Why not recycle? Recycling might

be the easiest way to make a difference without changing your lifestyle. Our parents and grandparents made the tran-sition to flush toilets; can we make the transition from trash dumpster to recycle bin? Recycle it! LizFisherisamemberofthePleas-antHillChamberofCommerceGreenBusinessCommittee.VisittheGreenCommitteewebsitehttp://pleasanthill-chamber.com/greenbiz.phporfollowusonFacebook.

Why Not Recycle?By Liz Fisher

Tour of the recycling facility. Photo by SusanWoodPhotography.com Recyclables. Photo by SusanWoodPhotography.com


Stretching is part of a well-rounded fitness regi-men, but it’s often done too early in our workout or ap-proached too aggressively. Depending on how and when it’s done, stretching can feel wonderful or like absolute torture. Begin your workout using gentle movements to get your core temperature up. Once your body is a bit warmer, begin some very gentle stretching to mobilize the joints that have been stuck in strange align-ment all day (or night). These dynamic movements should be slow and gentle, but begin to take your body through the range of motion needed during your given fitness activity. Static (grab-bing and holding), ballistic (bouncing), or aggressive stretching before your workout can not only cause tearing to the tissues you are trying to stretch, but decrease power and muscular control during your upcoming activity. Now that your body is ready for ac-tivity, go for your regular workout. Your hard work has elevated your body tem-perature nicely, giving the connective tissue (fascia) and muscles an increased ability to lengthen with ease. That means you’re better able to stretch after working out, making it more effective to lengthen the muscle groups you’ve just worked, as well as those needed for good posture. Want an added bonus?

Gentle stretching after work-ing out may also help pre-vent muscle soreness. So before your work-out, keep your warm-up smooth, dancer-like, and dy-namic. After your workout, think more assertive, gentle stretching. Remember to al-

ways follow your little voice to keep you safe. If you over stretch, you are often sorry later. With injury, recovery time, and discouragement, you will be less than enthusiastic to try it again. Think “Yum” whenever you stretch, and ease into feeling great. TonyaMarieAmosisafullycertifiedPilatesinstructorwithover1000hoursoftraining.Formoreinformation,contactpleasecall(925)680-4400orgotowww.AspirePilates-Center.com.

Stretching - Are you Being Too Aggressive?

By Tonya Marie Amos, Aspire Pilates

Pilates for Athletes • Pilates for Dancers Modern Dance

SUMMER INTENSIVES:

Core Strength to take your game to the next level.

JENNIFER L. MARTIN, D.D.S.

Specialist in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics

401 GREGORY LANE, SUITE 126PLEASANT HILL, CA 94523

925.676.8485 FAX 925.676.0288www.drjennifermartin.com

Take Care of your BladderBy Linda Adams, LVN

July is Bladder Cancer Awareness Month. The symptoms of bladder cancer may be similar to symptoms of other bladder conditions and it is important to be aware and understand the differences.The most common symp-toms of bladder cancer include: • Blood or blood clots in the urine • Pain during urination • Urinating small amounts frequently• Frequent urinary tract infections If you experience any of these symptoms, you should see your doctor who will complete a thorough medical history and examination. You may then be referred to a urologist, a physician who has special training in managing diseases of the bladder. But what if you are just experienc-ing urinary urgency or urinary in-continence? Through simple behavior modification, you can lessen the sever-ity of your symptoms. Here are a few self-care tips to help with these very common issues. Regulate your fluid intake with a consistent and constant daily consump-tion. Many people with bladder control problems reduce the amount of liquids they drink because they fear urinary frequency, urgency and incontinence. This practice actually makes those symptoms worse. However, I recom-mend limiting your intake 2-3 hours before bedtime if nighttime voiding is a

problem. Eliminate bladder irritants such as caffeine, carbonated beverages, artifi-cial sweeteners (particularly aspartame), spicy foods, citrus juices and fruits, and alcohol. Also, prevent constipation through use of

dietary fiber, fluid intake and exercise. Smoking cessation and weight reduc-tion are also recommended. Avoid using the bathroom when you do not have an urge. This is called “just in case” voiding and can create your desire for increased frequency. Pelvic floor strengthening called Kegels (with or without biofeedback), done daily and correctly, can reduce and even prevent certain problems. The recommended number of Kegels varies, but 60-80 per day has been proven to reduce bladder frequency symptoms. In most cases urinary incontinence can be treated and controlled, if not cured. If you are having bladder control problems, see your doctor or seek a specialist in urinary incontinence and bladder dysfunction. LindaAdams,LVNhasdedicatedhercareertohelpingpatientstakecon-troloftheirincontinence.SheworkswiththeurologistsatPacificUrologywhere,together,theyhavecreatedacontinenceprogramthatisspecificallydesignedtoreduceand/oreliminatethecausesofincontinence.

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On June 8, Sean Hennessy, Clayton Simmons and Ethan Ely earned the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest advancement rank in Boy Scouting. The cer-emony took place at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Pleasant Hill. Sean’s Eagle Service Project was a sensory table for a Highlands Elemen-tary School kindergarten class. Its purpose is to help kids learn by teaching them to use their senses. Things such as water, sand, and ice can be used in it. Clayton held a two-day project to benefit Highlands Elementary School. He led volunteers to build two art-easels for a kindergarten class to be used for paint-ing and drawing. Ethan’s project revamped and reorganized the College Park High School music library. He purchased three unfinished wood bookcases and involved 50 volunteers to finish the bookcases, remove items from the Mu-sic Library, sort through the hundreds of music scores and other materials, in-stall the new shelves and finish sorting and cataloging the music scores. The boys’, all seniors, will be heading to college in the fall. Ethan will be at-tending UCLA, Sean will be attending Ithaca College in New York and Clayton will head to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. All three boys have been friends since their days at Valhalla Elementary.

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Control and Prevention, more than 5,300 cases of West Nile were reported in 2012, with 243 deaths. West Nile is spread only via the bite of an infected mosquito. Inci-dents of Lyme disease, spread via ticks, have increased as well, with more than 32,000 confirmed and probable cases reported in 2011, up from 22,000 in 2010. Mosquito Squad has developed unique

pest control techniques that eliminate mos-quitos and ticks effectively without causing harm to beneficial species or natural eco-systems. Services provided by Mosquito Squad have been approved by both the fed-eral and California EPA. A portion of all proceeds are donated to Malaria No More with the goal of eliminating malaria deaths in Africa by 2015.

Three New Eagle Scouts

Eagle Scouts from LtoR: Ethan Ely, Clayton Simmons and Sean Hennessy.


Community AnnouncementsAnnual Fishing Derby - Martinez Kids ages 5-12 are invited Saturday, July 6, 10am - noon for a morning of free fishing at the Martinez Marina. Bring your fishing rod. We will supply the bait! All participates receive a prize. A parent or guardian must accompany all children to sign photo/liabil-ity release. Register by July 3 by contacting Mar-tinez Recreation (925) 372-3510. Space limited to 40 children. No fishing license is required.

County Library 100th Birthday Celebration Come celebrate on July 21, 12- 5pm at Pleasant Hill Park, 147 Gregory Lane. Performances by: Comedic Juggler Thomas John; Maori Mo Ake Tonu Dance Troupe; Diablo Valley College’s Rock Rhythm & Blues; Antioch Music Academy; Con-cord Kung Fu Academy and Diablo Taiko.Activities include: Contra Costa County Animal Services Dog Adoptions from 12-3pm; Contra Costa County Sheriff’s SWAT Team; East Bay Parks Mobile Visitor Center; Lawrence Hall of Science; U.S. Postal Service; Diablo Valley Stamp Club; Dr. Jim Hale Wildlife Biologist; Spare the Air and the Contra Costa Chess Club.

Diablo Vista Chorus Auditions Now audition-ing women of all ages to sing a cappella four-part harmony. Attend weekly rehearsals at 7:15pm on Tuesdays at 860 Bancroft Rd. (near Treat) in Wal-nut Creek. Ability to read music is not required, learning tapes provided. Director Randy Meyer includes weekly vocal production instruction at rehearsals, and chorus provides show and performance opportunities. Visit www.diablovis-tachorus.net.

Bark For Life Dog lovers are invited to “take a bite out of cancer” at the third annual Bark for Life of Pleasant Hill. This cancer-fighting fundraiser will be held from 9am - noon on Sat., August 3 at the PH City Hall gazebo park. Dogs are important caregivers for many cancer patients, and this is a way to honor them while raising money for the American Cancer Society. At the Bark, people walk their dogs on a leash around a small track while special events are held for dogs and their masters with prizes for the winning dogs and a goodie bag for each. The Bark For Life is an exten-sion of the Peasant Hill Relay For Life, which was held on June 1 and 2. The event raised $55,000 and donations will be taken through August 31. To support the Bark, register your dog for $25 and then solicit donations from your dog-loving family and friends. For more information and to register, go to www.relayforlife.org/barkpleasan-thillca. Or call 925-944-4898 or e-mail to [email protected].

Kitty Corner Give cats their independence! Thousands of adult and senior cats in our county need homes yet are often forgotten this time of year due to kitten season. Adopt an adult or senior cat and give them freedom and love. Kitty Corner, 609 Gregory Lane - a Contra Costa Humane Society free roam shelter - will have special open hours from 11am - 4pm Mon. July 1 – Fri. July 5 (including the 4th). Kitty Corner’s normal hours are Sat., Sun. and Mon. from 12-3pm. For infor-mation or a gallery of CCHS’ animals visit www.cchumane.org or call 925-279-2247.

Hillcrest Congregational Church Offers Inter-faith Summer Kidz Camp Hillcrest Congrega-tion Church, 404 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill, will host a second year of the very successful camp from August 12 – 16. “An Interfaith Experience: The Elephant in the Room,” will explore values within Christianity, Judaism and Islam through stories, songs, crafts, food and special projects. Children of all faiths ages pre-K through middle school are invited to attend. The cost of the one-week camp is $25. Call 925-689-8260 to register. Visit www.hillcrest.ucc.org to learn more about the church.

Martinez Library $5.00 Bag-of-Books Sale Returns! Saturday, August 3. Sponsored by Friends of the Martinez Library to benefit adult and children’s library programs. Shoppers may fill a grocery sack with their choice of quality used books. Sale hours: 10am-4pm for FOML members; 11am-4pm for general public. Martinez Library, lower level, 740 Court Street.

National Night Out - Martinez On August 6 from 6pm-10pm, partner with the Martinez Police Department to celebrate America’s Night Out Against Crime. Turn on your porch light and join a local block party or neighborhood celebra-tion. Have a great time while learning more about crime prevention. To set up a block party or celebration, contact your designated Neighbor-hood Policing Area officer at the Martinez Police Department: (925) 372-3400.

The Pleasant Hill Historical Society Meetings Please join us and help preserve Pleasant Hill’s

history at 7pm on the 4th Thursday of each month at Rodgers Ranch, 315 Cortsen Rd. Sum-mer meetings will be July 25 & August 22.

Vallejo Shakespeare in the Park This summer Vallejo Shakespeare in the Park, in partnership with the Greater Vallejo Recreation District and the City of Martinez, presents King Lear, directed by Clinton Vidal. Performances will be held at the John Muir Amphitheater in Martinez, at 1pm on August 3 and 4. Bring a picnic lunch. Arrive early to get a good spot. For more information call 925-872-8539.

Rodgers Ranch Round Up Days – For children ages 7-12. Register at [email protected] or call Denise Koroslev (925) 387-0158. Space is limited. Session 3 - August 6: Cooking and Clean-ing – A farmer’s day was planned around prepar-ing meals and cleaning. Do laundry in a washtub, beat rugs, visit a bee and chicken farm, cook and make crafts. Session 4 – August 8: Apples and Harvest Time – Apple games and crafts, make apple treats and apple prints, learn about “apple” people and healthy facts about apples.

NEW Toastmasters group in Pleasant Hill. We want to thank Carrington College for be-ing partners on this venture. Please join us on Fridays, 12:30-1:30pm @ Carrington College, 380 Civic Drive Suite 300, Pleasant Hill. Link to Event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/613971238613187/ or www.FaceBook.com/InspiredSpeakers


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Dr. Bob Schaefer Chiropractic & Weight LossFlaskerud - RE/MAX Today

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