Antioch Press_3.20.09

YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER

Vol. 9, No. 12 Antioch, California www.antiochpress.com March 20, 2009

Natio

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THIS WEEK

Small stature, big hearts

These Diablo Vista students really care and theyve got the documents to prove it.

Page 9A

Local soccer scores grant

The nurturing alliance on the sidelines forged by parents and coaches earned a local league some much-needed funds.

Page 4B

Curtain goes up on Proof An award-winning and timely play explores the dynamics of hope and despair.

Page 4A

FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A

This is the second of a three-part series on the efforts of two far East County towns to retain their heritage and remain rural and small in the face of regional growth and changing lo-cal politics. Part one (last week): Setting the stage (log on to thepress.net); this week: The changes play out; part three: Looking ahead.

The East Contra Costa towns of Byron and Knightsen are both more than 100 years old, small, and like it that way. Residents of both feel threatened by nearby develop-ment and are alarmed that the area they represent has been recently cut in half and their representative councils replaced. Theyre suspi-cious of county government, of their neighbors in Discovery Bay and of District III Supervisor Mary Nejedly Piepho, who falls into both categories. And they each recently

packed a local meeting room, bring-ing together for the fi rst time some disconcerted residents, their recently displaced representatives, their new-ly appointed representatives, and

Piepho.Back in 2005, Piepho, along

with District V Supervisor Federal Glover, had been directed by the full county Board of Supervisors

(BOS) to form an ad hoc commit-tee to improve consistency among the countys 11 municipal advisory councils (MACs). Most were set up in the late 1980s and early 1990s to provide the county supervisor in their district with recommendations on matters of concern in their unin-corporated communities.

The MACs were a hodgepodge of roughly similar organizations ranging in size from fi ve to nine members. Some had elected repre-sentatives; others were appointed. Some got administrative assistance from the county; others didnt. And there were no consistent criteria for drawing boundaries.

Over the next two and a half years, new policies, procedures and boundary guidelines were created, discussed in public meetings and adopted by the full BOS on Dec. 16, 2008. Most MAC boundaries were untouched, Knightsen and

Residents of the small East County town of Byron are con-cerned that their towns heritage and ambience is threatened by future development.

Photo by Stacey Chance/Discovery Bay Studios.com

by Rick LemyreStaff Writer

see MACs page 21A

Emotion, commotion and the metamorphosis of two local MACs

Council urged to support DeltaBill Worrell, an Antioch resident

with the Sportsman Yacht Club, this week asked the City Council to attend a meeting Monday night in Brentwood concerning the Bay Delta Conserva-tion Plan, which, he said, will be our last chance to stop the Peripheral Canal. Once this is approved, our governor, also known as the Delta Terminator, will ram the canal down our throats. Im appalled at the lack of (local) politi-cal opposition to the canal.

Councilwoman Martha Parsons agreed with Worrells concerns about the canal hurting local water quality. It seemed that someone drank the Kool-Aid, she said. The governor took us out the equation. He may do whatever he wants by making the declaration of the drought as he did. I have written let-ters. But beyond that, Im not sure what we can do other than storm Sacramento.

I do feel your pain.The meeting will take place 6-10

p.m. Monday, March 23 in the Brent-wood Community Center, 730 Third St. For more information, go online to www.water.ca.gov/deltainit/bdcp.cfm.

In other business at Tuesdays meet-ing: Former City Councilman Allen Payton told the council Tuesday night that a city creek in the vicinity of A Street and Wilbur Avenue has become severely pol-luted. He provided photos to the council showing gray, brackish water contain-ing litter and debris and told the council that, fortunately, the photos dont con-vey the sewage-like stench rising from the creek.

When you see this, its rather dis-turbing, said Payton. I encourage you to go down there and check out what this is. Theres an old truck torn apart and a huge pile of trash. Something The City Council has been asked to look into con-

ditions in this creek off Wilbur Avenue, which reportedly smells as bad as it looks.

Photo by Allen Payton

by Dave RobertsStaff Writer

see Council page 13A

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INSIDE

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MARCH 20, 2009 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 3A

Scout aids alma mater

A plan to upgrade the Delta, which some local offi cials and residents fear will lead to a peripheral canal that will hurt local water quality, will be unveiled from 6 to 10 p.m. on Monday, March 23 in the Brentwood Community Center, 730 Third St.

The focus of the meeting, one of 12

held throughout California, is to get pub-lic input on the environmental impact of the proposed Bay Delta Conservation Plan. The open-house format features issue-focused information booths and re-corder stations for submitting comments.

For more information, go online to www.water.ca.gov/deltainit/bdcp.cfm.

Delta meeting Monday

Its no secret that Eagle Scouts are all about honor, responsibility and build-ing character, and Oakley resident Mike Lumsden is no exception. But this week-end as the Eagle Scout candidate puts the fi nishing touches on some items he con-structed for Laurel Elementary School, hell be building something else as well; a permanent place in the hearts of a grate-ful staff.

The value of what Mike is doing for us is huge, said Anne Allen, principal at Laurel Elementary. And the funny part is that the project he chose, he felt wasnt big enough. But for us, especially at this time with the budget and everything, its really big for us. Hes done a beautiful job.

Mikes take on the project is a little

less verbose. Its been a pretty cool thing, said the Freedom High School se-nior. When I chose my project, I wanted to do something to give back to Oakley, to my community, to make it more local. So I went to Laurel, since I went to school there. It was fun to go back and Im glad I was able to help.

The job that Mike took on for his Eagle Scout project was constructing two new equipment boxes for the kindergar-ten playground. Complete with screens in the bottom to weed out sand and dirt, the current boxes are 15 years old and be-ginning to show their age. The new boxes will provide plenty of room for balls and other outdoor toys.

Mike also built four bookshelves for the school library, which little by little has

by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer

Marion Merrill had always toyed with the idea of writing a book, but it wasnt until a dog bit her in the face that she realized there was no better time than the present to make her dream a reality.

As a groomer and lifelong pet lover, Mer-rill was accustomed to working with animals, but for whatever reason, a rottweiler snapped at her during a grooming session, leaving bite marks on her left cheek and a gash near her left eye.

While the incident was terrifying, the Knightsen resident decided to use the ex-perience as an opportunity for a story. Ive always been curious about animals and why they behave the way they do. Im not sure what that dog was thinking that day, but I used my curiosity to fuel my imagination and use that experience to enhance my writing.

Merrill has dabbled in creative writing for many years. When she was young, she dreamed of writing a book, only to be dis-couraged by a teacher in high school who said her writing wasnt worth publishing. While she was temporarily discouraged, Merrill took a creative writing course in college, which reig-nited her passion for the written word.

She put her college career on hold to raise a family, but she never gave up on her love of writing. As she explored avenues to improve her skill, she came across a Web site for aspir-ing writers, blogit.com.

Within the cyber community, Merrill be-

gan posting some of her works. She took the feedback from her Web friends and continued to hone her craft. While some colleagues had suggested she compile her work into a book, she never gave it serious thought until she was attacked by the dog at work.

It was a scary moment for me, she said. I took some time away from work and writ-ing, but it made me realize that you dont know what will happen tomorrow. I was lucky. I had a bite mark right near my eye. It could have been much worse. It made me want to write the book while I knew I had the chance. I wanted to have something for my daughter.

At the suggestions of her supporters in

Taking writing for a ride

see Scout page 20A

by Samie HartleyStaff Writer

see Ride page 22A

First-time author Marion Merrill of Knightsen will host a book signing for her book Notes of an Everyday Cowgirl on March 28 at Horsetown Tack in Brentwood.

Photo by Samie Hartley

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Students step up to serveRolling out of bed at 8 a.m. on a Satur-

day isnt uncommon for many East County residents. For a select few high school stu-dents, rolling out of bed at 8 a.m. would be several hours too late.

Several students from local East Coun-ty high schools recently participated in U.S. Marine Corps Leadership Reaction Course training, one facet of the Delayed Entry Program in which high school seniors pur-sue their quest to join the nations most elite fi ghting force. And the sacrifi ces they make are nothing short of extraordinary. Reveille means being on the clock by 5 a.m. at the latest.

These arent your typical Saturday-morning-MTV-watching, PS2-playing teen-agers. Once a month, Marine Gunnery Sgt. David Martinez and his staff lead a select group of seniors through a rigorous morn-ing of exercises designed to test the stamina, intelligence and determination of students who have decided to choose life as a Marine as their career.

The Delayed Entry Program (DEP) prepares these kids for recruit training af-ter graduation. The Leadership Reaction Course specifi cally prepares them for the group problem solving aspect of The Cru-cible facing each of them during boot camp. According to Martinez, These exercises are similar to The Crucible they will face during recruit training, minus the sleep deprivation

and one meal per day. It keeps them moti-vated, and allows us to evaluate their lead-ership qualities and their determination.

The days activities are also used to emphasize the Adopt a Junior program, in which DEP students inform and encourage high school juniors to consider joining the Marine Corps.

Last Saturday, March 14 in Dublin, students performed four exercises in groups of six to eight. Each task presented a differ-ent set of circumstances simulating what the

kids will face in The Crucible and possibly on the fi eld of battle. Leadership, problem solving, teamwork, strength and endurance are all attributes needed to complete the mission.

Not all exercises can be accomplished; one mission in particular was not solved by any of the four teams. But the process used to attempt the exercise is as important as the success or failure of the mission.

see Serve page 19A

by Kenneth LeeCorrespondent

A squad of delayed entry Marine recruits work an exercise in problem solving similar to what theyll soon face in boot camp.

Photo by Kenneth Lee

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Heritage to host statewide Odyssey

Eight schools will bask in their home-court advantage as they represent Brentwood at the Odyssey of the Mind state competition at Heritage High School in April.

Odyssey of the Mind is an international scholastic competition in which students from kindergarten through college work to creative-ly solve problems in six divisions. Students were presented with a series of problems for which they had months to prepare solutions. Some categories involved building a bridge or car while other divisions presented problems to be solved in the form of skits.

Eleven Brentwood schools sent 31 teams to the regional competition on Feb. 28 at Col-lege Park High School in Pleasant Hill, and teams from Brentwood, Loma Vista, Garin, Krey and Marsh Creek elementary schools, Adams and Edna Hill middle schools and Heritage High School have advanced to the next level of competition.

Susan Wallace, parent-coach of one of the Brentwood Elementary teams, said the students who participate in Odyssey of the Mind get to explore their creativity and develop skills they can use in the real world. Teams of seven students are assigned a coach to help them talk through their problem, but the coach is prohibited from providing solu-tions to the problem or helping build or de-sign any component to solve the problem.

The kids pick which problem they

want to solve and then they fi gure out how they want to solve it, said Wallace. Its all kid generated. They come up with the idea and then they practice and go through trial and error to see what works. Its a great pro-gram because there is no one way to solve the problem. Its so fun to see what they come up with.

Joy Towse, a parent and Odyssey coach for two teams from Loma Vista, said the Odyssey experience is rewarding for all who participate.

The competition is excellent for all stu-dents because they get to practice life skills and think outside the box, Towse said. There is a

great emphasis on cooperation and sports-manship and its a great opportunity for stu-dents to learn how to work together.

Youve got seven personalities work-ing together to solve a problem, and that can be a diffi cult situation, but these kids have to learn to work together. As a hands-on par-ent, it is hard not to jump in and help when they get stuck, but thats all part of the ex-perience. They talk it out and try different things and fi nd a way to achieve their goal in their own way, and they come up with things that adults would never think of. Its amazing how creative these kids are.

Teams who placed fi rst through third

at regionals were invited to participate in the state competition, to be held April 3 at Heritage High School, 101 American Ave. in Brentwood. The event start time was not scheduled as of press time.

For a full list of results from the Bay Area regional competition, visit thepress.net.

For more information about the com-petition, visit www.odysseyofthemind.com. Winners from the state competition will ad-vance to the world competition at Iowa State University in May, when competitors from the United States will go up against students from Japan, China, Canada, Germany, Hun-gary, Lithuania, Singapore and Poland.

Brentwood and Loma Vista elementary schools will send teams to the Odyssey of the Mind state competition in April. The Brentwood team, above left, will participate in the Earth Trek competition, featuring the talents of, from left, Hannah Eelsing, Veronika Wallace, Allyson Russell, Cole Zanarini, Niko Zanarini, Frankie Re and Cody Rohrbacker. The Loma Vista team, above right, will compete in the Teach Yer Creature competition, featuring, back row, McKenzie Hill, Kiara Towse, Katie Strock and Peyton Hamblin; front row: Alexander Cervantes Skye Dumlao and Sierra Bingham.

Photo courtesy of Joy Towse

by Samie HartleyStaff Writer

Photo courtesy of Susan Wallace

MARCH 20, 2009 EDUCATION THEPRESS.NET | 7A

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Is the bottom of the real estate market here yet, and does it matter to you? First, it would be helpful to look at a quote from one of the foremost economists of the past century The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable - John Kenneth Galbraith. No one can predict accurately when the market will reach its exact bottom. We can all make our educated guesses, but thats all they are. Consider how badly the experts missed predict-ing how bad things would get right now.

Now, Im not saying its not important whether or not we are at the bottom. I give it A LOT of thought, myself. But whether it matters to you or not depends on your situation. Are you looking to buy a home to live in? Then it prob-ably matters a great deal, but it depends what kind of buyer you are. Did you just transfer here, and youve got your family holed up in a hotel? Will you lose out on your relocation benefits if you dont buy a home in the next 60 days? And do you plan on being in this area for the next 10 years? Then go find the best home you can buy and do it. Or maybe you arent in such a hurry.

Youve been renting for a while and dont have a hard deadline to meet. But you could buy a decent home for not much more than your rent payment, and youd like to have a place you can call your own. Well, nows a good time to go get a deal, so go have a look. Or maybe you love where you are renting, and you are paying below-market rent, and on top of that, you might get transferred out of the area within a year or two. Then maybe you shouldnt be looking at homes at all, no matter if this is the bottom or not.

My point is that whether we are at the bot-tom of the market is just one factor in your deci-sion to buy, if you are looking to buy a home to live in. If you are looking to buy a property as an investment at the exact bottom so you can flip the house at a profit shortly after, good luck with that

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

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Staff at Gehringer Elementary School in Oakley showed solidarity during last weeks statewide Pink Friday. The event was designed to demonstrate support for the thousands of California teachers who have received pink slips as a result of the states massive budget cuts and their own districts shortfalls. The Oakley Union Elementary School District has issued notices of possible layoffs to 36 employees throughout the district.

Pink but positive

Photo courtesy of Gehringer Elementary

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Congratulations to Antiochs Diablo Vista Elementary School Students of the Month, recognized for exemplifying the character trait of Caring: Kindergarten Kaeli Garvey, Kamille Lakes, Jeslyn Atienza, Andrew Vargas, James Colston III and Qamar Rahmany. First grade Kelechi Orji, Nia Purnell, Anthony Morado-Ramirez, Cesar Paredes, Tobee Russell and Faith Hassan. Second grade Molly Brodowski, Grace Rovner, Carina Leon, Gabrielle Brodowski and Maselina Letuligasenoa. Third grade Madison Downie, Standish Gile, Nicholas DeMasi, Anna Diekmann, Teadora Fritzler and Christian Pickron Jr. Fourth grade Pamela Sunga, David Romero, Jasmine Verduzco and Abigail Roman. Fifth grade Layla Dulay, Elexis Lawson, Cayla Dulay and Leslie Layola. Prep class Students of the Month are Carina Riso and Andre Julian.

Caring at Diablo Vista

Antioch High School will be hosting a Guitar Hero contest in its large gymna-sium on Friday, March 27 at 7 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Antioch High School Boosters. Proceeds from the fund-raiser will help purchase a sound system

for Antioch High Stadium.All ages are welcome challenge

your friends and family. The evening fea-tures raffl e and contest prizes sponsored by Best Buy, and a snack bar will be pro-vided. Admission is $7.

Calling guitar heroes

The Deer Valley High School Edu-cation Advancement Foundation will host its third annual gala dinner event on March 21 from 6 to 11 p.m. at the Lone Tree Golf Course Event Center. This years theme is Spring in the Val-ley.

The evening begins with cocktails and appetizers, and features a per-formance by the DVHS Jazz Band, a formal dinner, live and silent auctions and a performance by one of the Bay Areas foremost pop bands, The Clar-ences. Proceeds from the event benefit programs at Deer Valley High School, including the Leadership program, Vi-sual and Performing Arts Department and the library.

The Clarences drummer, Bill Leach, is chairman of Deer Valleys Vi-sual and Performing Arts Department. His band mates are Amanda White and Molly Blue, special education teachers in the Oakland area; professional mu-sician Robert A. Medeiros; and audio recording specialist Gary Delucchi.

The Clarences recently auditioned for NBCs Americas Got Talent. Band members are still waiting to hear if they made the final cut, but while they were in the studio, NBC grouped about 10 acts (including The Clarences) to tape promo spots for the new season. Out of the thousands of people audi-tioning, it was a thrill to be picked to be part of the promo reel, said Leach. We really think America will love our band.

The Clarences were recently of-fered a one-hour, live radio broadcast at Stanford University, and will also donate their time to the American Can-cer Society in a Relay For Life benefit at Los Medanos College on June 27. For more information about these per-formances or to see and hear the band, go to www.theclarences.com. For tick-ets and more information about the Deer Valley fundraiser, call Sue Wiser at 925-756-6700, Wanda Hom at 925-779-0227 or Event Manager Deborah Miller at 925-354-7650.

The Clarences to play

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When the Brentwood City Coun-cil voted to cease funding for the Police Activities League (PAL) after-school pro-gram, Youth Liaison Offi cer Roger Wil-son was ready with a backup plan.

Last summer as the economy took a turn for the worse, I began to anticipate that things would get tough for the PAL program, said Wilson, and I began to think of ways to keep the program alive even if we didnt get money from the city. I wanted the program to come back stron-ger than ever, with an increase in offi cer involvement in the program.

The fi rst step to revitalize the pro-gram will begin in April with the initiation of the PAL After School Golf Program. For eight weeks, students will have the op-portunity to learn and improve their golf skills each Wednesday afternoon. On the ninth week, they will play in a nine-hole golf tournament alongside members of the Brentwood PD.

Wilson said the program will help fi ll the void left by the absence of the Af-ter the Bell program, which gave middle school students a place to do homework and receive help with their studies after school.

This is our fi rst program since the budget cuts, Wilson said. Its important for us to have an after-school program

so that we can help keep at-risk kids off the streets. These kids havent gotten into trouble yet, but instead of hanging around with nothing to do, they can come out to the golf course and become involved with an activity and have some fun.

The PAL Golf Program will begin at 2 p.m. with an hour of study hall. College students Jon Colburn and Eric Dejesus, who are members of the Brentwood Po-lice Explorers, will be on hand to help stu-dents with their homework and then from 3 to 5, the mentors will coach the students on their golf game.

Colburn said he was excited when Wilson presented him with the idea of being a program instructor. I hope to teach these kids not only how to play the game, but how to use the game as a chance to better their life skills, Colburn said. I want them to walk away educated from each class, realizing how golf can mature them for off-the-course experi-ences, too.

Colburn, a 2007 graduate from Lib-erty High School, has played golf for many years and now works part time at Shaldow Lakes Golf Course, where the program will be held. He also starred on the Liberty golf team all four years of high school. He said playing golf can be helpful not only physically, but mentally as well.

Golf can bring out the best in a per-sonality, and from personal experience, I

can say Ive matured quite a bit through the game. It teaches you honesty, dedica-tion, motivation and overall maturity. For the at-risk kids, learning these traits could do them really well.

Wilson said he is grateful to Colburn and Dejesus for donating their time to the program. Through the help of these vol-unteers and Shadow Lakes for providing the kids a place to play, the program has cost PAL nothing at this point. However, Wilson said the program still needs golf clubs, and is hoping community members can help with donations.

If the program is a success, Wilson

said there will be additional installments of the golf program in June and August. While the golf program will run only one day per week, Wilson is working to fi nd other activities to fi ll the rest of the week. Hes currently working to organize a PAL martial arts program and bowling league.

This fi rst session of the PAL Golf Program is open to 10 students, and space is still available. Applications are available at Adams, Bristow and Edna Hill middle schools. The program begins Wednesday, April 1.

For more information or to donate golf clubs, call Wilson at 925-809-7768.

PAL program comes back swingingMARCH 20, 2009 EDUCATION THEPRESS.NET | 11A

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12A | THEPRESS.NET MARCH 20, 2009


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were building a bright future.

needs to be done about this. Theres a sewer pipeline Im wondering if theres a crack in that. It does smell like that in this waterway.

The only council member to respond was Parsons, who said that the problem might be in the State of Californias ju-risdiction rather than a city responsibility to clean up. Iris Archuleta provided an update on the Youth Intervention Network, which is working with 18 Antioch families with at-risk teens in an effort to help them stay out of trouble and lead productive lives. The group has 82 volunteers who will aid those families and others.

Sponsored by the Vesper Society, the network will solicit referrals for other at-risk Antioch families in November. The group also plans to expand its efforts to Oakley and Brentwood in coming years. Antioch Police Captain Allan Cantando provided an update on the Police Athletic League, which provides recreational op-portunities for 175 students. Recently the students have skated at the Brentwood ice rink, snowmobiled in Truckee, bowled at Delta Bowl, taken golf lessons at the Lone Tree Golf Course and will participate in a leadership program in Sacramento.

For more information, e-mail [email protected], call 779-6875 or go online to www.ci.antioch.ca.us/city-gov/police/pal.htm. A city employee union representative complained that city administrators were not meeting the union halfway on efforts

to reduce the city budget, choosing to lay off fi ve employees rather than discuss pay cuts to retain employees. Business owner Ken Tournage asked for the citys help to prevent the demolition of a burned-out building adjacent to his business, which he fears will lead to water running off into his building. Mayor Jim Davis said that he was recent-ly in Washington, D.C. lobbying federal representatives for $40 million in funding for Highway 4, among other issues. Davis read a proclamation honoring the NAACP on its 100th anniversary. The groundbreaking ceremony for the Antioch Community Center at Prewett Family Park will start at 10 a.m. this Sat-urday, March 21 at the park, 4701 Lone Tree Way across from Deer Valley High School. Attendees are asked to RSVP Lonnie Karste by e-mail at [email protected]. Chamber of Commerce President Devi Lanphere announced that a climate ac-tion event will be held 8:30 a.m. on Tues-day, April 14 at Lone Tree Golf Course. In addition, teams are being solicited for the Great Race of Antioch, which will be held April 5, May 2 and 9. For more infor-mation, go online to www.antiochcham-ber.org. The next Coffee with the Cops event will be held this Saturday, March 21 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Antioch Police Station, Fourth and L streets. The next council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 24 at 7 p.m. The next Quality of Life Fo-rum will be held Saturday, April 4.

Council from page 1A

14A | THEPRESS.NET BUSINESS MARCH 20, 2009

Cleaning and Scotchgard TM

Brides to have their own day outIf you or someone you know is planning a wedding this

year, circle March 28 on your calendar. Thats the day the Brentwood Downtown Coalition is hosting A Brides Day Out a one-stop shopping fair designed to showcase the downtowns bridal-friendly shops and businesses.

The day will shine on more than 20 local businesses specializing in everything from fl owers, photos and hair to jewelry, formal wear and event planning. Raffl e tickets will sell for $1 each and will include prizes such as a case of wine from the Co Co County Wine Company, or a $200 discount on jewelry from Crme de la Gem.

The idea behind the fi rst-time event, said Annette Beckstrand, co-owner of His and Her Formal Wear, is to show customers that they can shop locally and still shop well very well.

Our biggest focus is to show people that they dont have to drive over the hill anymore for top-quality wedding items and services, said Beckstrand. Its all right here. Were so excited to show people that we have everything here in downtown. Why would they go anywhere else?

Pink, of course, conjures up images of femininity, but has also come to represent the fi ght against breast cancer.

In support of the search for a cure, A Brides Day Out will donate a portion of the raffl e ticket proceeds to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Customers who attend and book three or more ven-dors on the day of the fair will also receive an additional 5-percent discount on top of whatever initial discount an individual business offers.

If the client doesnt have anything except the guy, then she can come to A Brides Day Out and book everything at a great discount, said Ashley Dicksa, owner of Creative Events by Ashley. Its a great way to make a grand sweep and get it all taken care of at a terrifi c price.

And even if youre not altar bound, but have a special event, prom or family celebration in your future, A Brides Day Out can handle that, too.

Those other kinds of special occasions also use the same services, said Donna Ross, owner of Crme dela Gem. So this is a great event for anyone looking down the road at a special event. Its also a wonderful way to support the downtown and its vendors. We look forward to a great day.

A Brides Day Out will be held March 28 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in downtown Brentwood. Admission is free. For more information, call 925-634-5900, or visit www.creativeeventsbyashley.com.


When Doctors Get Back Pain & Sciatica, This Is What They Do

Finally, A Breakthrough In The Treatment Of Back & Neck Pain And Sciatica Caused By Bulging, Herniated Or Squashed DiscsWe believe the greatest back pain break-

through of our century that this doctor has seen is NOT surgery, but a little-known, state-of-the-art technology thats safe, painless and has recently become available in Brentwood.

Brentwood When a local doctor came to consult with me about low back pain and sciat-ica down his leg, he told me hes seen too many patients whove had surgery and he wanted to avoid it at all cost. He had seen 3 or 4 patients that I had treated and the amazing results they had received and he was asking me if I could help him.

You see, after I treat a patient, I always send a medical report of ndings to their doctors, keep-ing them informed of the patients progress. I also encourage the patient to report back to their physician for a visit and to show-off their new-found health to their doctor.

This doctor had several patients come back to him from our of ce after treatment to do just that and he came to me with his own condition.

Ive successfully treated Dentists, Nurses, Chiropractors, Therapists, just to name a few. Ive treated even more of their staff. I havent treated a spine surgeon yetpride is a funny thing, but Id be honored at the opportunity.

Doctor or not, every person entering our of- ce undergoes a thorough history, extensive ex-amination, and review of spinal lms. We then determine the cause of their pain, whether they are a good candidate for non-surgical spinal de-compression and then I consider the severity of the case and decide on acceptance of their case.

Do You Have A Disc Problem?If you experience any of the following in your

back or neck, chances are your pain is due to a disc bulge, herniation or degeneration: A vice squeezing your back Sitting causes back or leg pain Stabbing pain at the belt line or in your neck Cant turn over in bed without hurting Numbness in your toes or ngers Fire down your legs Searing pain radiates into your arm Prickling in your thigh

Finally, Some Good NewsIf youve been suffering with back pain or

arm/leg pain caused by a disc bulge, disc hernia-tion or squashed or compressed discs.

Its all because of 14 recent medical studies on spinal decompression.

Until recently, the only advice for many of you suffering in pain was to try what youve been told: Try exercising Try physical therapy Try pain medications Try muscle relaxers Try pain shots Try dangerous back surgery Just live with it

If youre like most, none of these have worked for you or you are afraid of what could happen if you do try some of these. Exercising makes you hurt more, pain medications and muscle relax-ers cover up the problem and give you side ef-fects. Pain shots can cause more pain, dont work or dont last very long nor FIX the problem, back

surgery didnt work or made you worse. Or maybe you were one of the lucky ones that back surgery actually helped, but now the problem is back with a vengeance.

Whatever your situation, you owe it to your-self to check into a Breakthrough Computerized Non-Surgical Treatment for back pain and sci-atic or leg pain caused by a bulging, herniated or squashed disc or discs.

Warning: Decompression is NOT like old fashioned traction or hanging upside down which can send you into severe spasms and

squeeze the discs even harder!

It has helped hundreds of people who were suffering just like you. This new treatment ma-chine Im calling my squashed disc machine.

Dr. James Martin D.C.

How Do Discs Go Bad?Over time the discs in your back tend to get

squashed or compressed, especially if youve played certain sports when younger or have a job that requires lots of sitting or standing in one place for long periods of time. Car ac-cidents, lifting things, very physical jobs just to name a few.

Its kinda like a cookie with cream lling, and the cream lling will start to ooze out from between the sides of the cookie if pressure is applied on top of the cookie (like gravity on our spines).

Eventually this happens to a lot of us. Sta-tistics are something like over 80% of Americans will suffer with back pain sometime in their life.

Back to my new computerized squashed disc machine. Youre probably wondering how this new machine works.

How Does This Machine Work? Havent you ever had the thoughtGosh, if

somebody could just pull me apart...I would feel a whole lot better. Yeah, I know you have. And it kinda makes a bit of sense.

Well someone else, actually a medical manufac-turer, back pain specialists, neurosurgeons and en-gineers have come up with just that. A machine that gently pulls you apart, stretches the disc to a certain point that causes a drop in pressure inside the disc (like a little vacuum in the middle the cream lling) causing the cream lling to suck back in!

In my clinic, Ive successfully treated hundreds of patients with spinal decompression so theres no reason your back problem should be any different.

In fact, Im so con dent we can help you, Im

willing to back it upbut not with empty promises.

I GUARANTEE you will only be accepted into our program IF YOU QUALIFY for the treat-ment AFTER having THE MOST THOROUGH AND COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT YOU HAVE EVER HAD or I will buy you lunch! (I havent bought one yet!)

Yes! I am very confi dent, but I cant help EVERY-BODY. You see, theres a very small percentage of folks we cant help. Heres what a couple applicants said after I told them both I couldnt help them:

I was treated very nicely. The doctors have lis-tened to me and they didnt rush me out of the offi ce, despite the fact I wasnt a candidate. The exam I had was super, the best Ive had anywhere. The doctor explained things to me that no one else ever has.

Non-CandidateBrentwood, Ca

I thought Id write a note to you and all of those potential patients who have serious doubts (as I had) about your decompression treatments. Actually, I thought your procedure was more of a psychological placebo designed for everyone, instead of a non-surgi-cal process that could repair injured vertebral discs. Imagine my surprise when you advised me that my condition was too severe for your procedure to cor-rect. To me, that refusal added worlds of credibility to your program. It showed me that you are only there to help patients; not just to take their money. I assure you that I will recommend you to anyone I know or meet that suffers from spine and/or disc pain. I can do this knowing full well that they will be treated right.

Non-CandidateAntioch, Ca

And thats why Im offering a limited time ----------------->

Most Serious Back Pain Sufferers Are Very Skeptical Of This New Procedure, As Skeptical As I Was When I Purchased My First Decompression Machine, So If You Are SkepticalSee What Some Of Our Patients Who WERE Good Candidates Have Had To Say About Our Program:

I had excruciating back pain and pain down both legs to my feet. I had been suffering for 2 years. I tried everything. I now look forward to every day and Im even back on the golf course. If youre think-ing about spinal decompression, dont wait, Do it Now!!

Doug Brook-RetiredI had excruciating back pain and was worried

I would need surgery. I tried acupuncture, acupres-sure, chiropractic, and pain medications. Dr. Martin has given me my life back. I couldnt walk and was in excruciating pain. I now have no pain and I have my mobility back.

Bonnie Salmon Owner Scooters CafI had lower back pain and leg numbness so bad

I could not sleep properly. Its wonderful to be able to sleep all night without pain and to stand straight and walk without both legs going numb.

Marcia Penick RetiredI had severe back pain and was losing ability

to function. My problem started 13 years ago and it got severe In the last 2 months or so. After the fi rst treatment, the numbness in my left leg and foot went away.

Burna McClelland- Rancher

I had unrelenting back pain, gloom and disap-pointment as I had several doctors who were unable to help me. Spinal Decompression is really amazing! I have gone through a transformation of pain, gloom and disappointment to a new value, new hope and a new lease on life.

Herb Olsen RetiredI had serious back pain. I was taking several

pain medications when I started the program. After the 5th treatment, I woke up feeling thirty fi ve again! It was amazing. I am now off all pain drugs and am totally pain free.

John Marek Pet Care I had severe leg pain and numbness in both feet

and could not walk without a cane and the leg pain would not change no matter how I layed down to sleep. Ive had this problem for 40 years. Dr. Martin has made a believer out of me. My wife and my dog Bongo says thank you! I can now walk him again.

Angelo MirabellaRetiredI heard about spinal decompression on the ra-

dio. I had back pain for 3 or 4 years and tried different back therapies and back surgery. Spinal decompres-sion has helped me even after back surgery and I sleep better at night. If someone has back problems, they should try spinal decompression.

Rick Wright Farmer I had really bad neck pain and couldnt move

my head hardly at all. It hurt so badly that I couldnt eat without throwing up. I started feeling better very quickly after starting treatment on the decompres-sion machine and soon I felt no pain at all!

Carly Brown StudentI had pain for over twenty years and it kept get-

ting worse. I was so sore I could hardly move. Dr. Martin and his staff have helped me. After only three treatments I was feeling better and now I feel great! If you are thinking about spinal decompression, go for it.

Clifton W. Stratham -Retired

CALL TODAY!925-516-5855

HealthSource 2200 Sand Creek Road, Suite BBrentwood, California 94513

MARCH 20, 2009 THEPRESS.NET | 15A

The FREE 19-Point Squashed-DiscQualifying Assessment

Thats right, no charge and we wont try to sell you anything. But you will fi nd out if you are a candidate for this revolutionary new therapy. You wont be left wondering if its something that could have eliminated your pain.

During your assessment, well check out your: ligaments, muscles, hips, pain index, refl exes, discs, tendons, spine, pelvis, x-rays, MRIs, fl exibility, motion, balance & nerves

Expires 3/27/09

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City adds injury to insultEditor:

Has anyone ever heard of the Norte-nos and the Sotenos? Well, weve been told they are competing Brentwood Latino gangs who like to mark off their turf by painting graffi ti on buildings down Diablo alley.

When the victim property owners fi le a report with the Brentwood police, the po-lice notify Brentwood Code Enforcement, which sends the property owners a Cour-tesy Notice. The notice is fi lled with legalese informing them that they have seven days to paint over the graffi ti, and not just trace the affected area but paint the entire section (of the building) that has been tagged.

The notice goes on to explain that fail-ure to comply could result in administrative or criminal citations, plus any attendant fees. It is $100 for the fi rst citation, $200 for the second and $500 for the third and subsequent ones, cumulative each day the violation continues.

So there it is, citizens: the victims of a crime in Brentwood are forced by the authorities to spend their money to repair damage made to their property. Whats a little paint, you may ask? Last December my wife spent $400 painting her garage and fence. Last May she spent $250, and has been doing this periodically for the past eight years.

We have installed a light on the property. We have notifi ed the police; we have told them where and when the taggers congregate; and they already know who they are. We understand that it probably isnt a high priority, but we could use a little help from them.

Last, why do bureaucrats feel com-pelled to send mean and threatening letters excuse me, Courtesy Notices to property owners (read taxpayers) who have already been victimized? Tagging is a crime against the community, not just the property owner. Doesnt the community have some obligation to rectify the damage instead of just socking it to the property owner?

If the police dont have the resources to protect our property, arent there kids available who need community service hours to paint over the graffi ti? Come on, Mr. Mayor and city offi cials, there have got to be other options. Help us.

Ron BeattyBrentwood

Not a majority opinionEditor:

The Parent Club Board of Marsh Creek Elementary School would like to take this opportunity to voice our absolute support of the Marsh Creek administra-tion and the BUSDs policy for rainy-day recess at the school.

It is the boards opinion that both the school and district have our childrens safety as a top priority and they would never deliberately put our children at risk. These children are being supervised just as well while in their classrooms playing games and projects the teachers have set aside specifi cally for rainy days as they would be on a sunny day running around on what is approximately a couple of acres of grass and playgrounds.

We are disappointed that the Brent-wood Press would use such a misleading headline by implying that this is a major concern of parents at Marsh Creek School, when in fact only the parents of two students have voiced their dissatisfaction with the rainy-day lunch policy. Please keep in mind that there are over 600 students at Marsh Creek.

Thank you.Jennie Fetz, President

Winnie Kubik, Vice PresidentAnnette Alvarez, Secretary

Jamie Stewart, TreasurerLibby Deming, Historian

Diana Rhode, Year Book CoordinatorAmy McClellan, Public Relations

Professionalism, courage and character

Editor:I have worked in the Oakley school

district since 2001 and served as the districts superintendent since 2003. Dur-ing this eight-year period my respect and fondness for the community and the school district has continued to grow. When I fi rst arrived in the district I was told by many veteran employees that Oakley was a sup-portive and special place. Eight years later, I can say this was a gross understatement.

In any working environment the qual-ity of the organization is often driven by the character and quality of the employees. It is also driven by the relationships of co-workers management and non-manage-ment alike. Like a marriage this relation-ship can be tested. And we all know the true test of any relationship is not in the good times, but in the bad times.

Now is clearly a bad time. Unlike

most other districts, Oakley did not have to make cuts last year. Unfortunately, this year the cuts were unavoidable. It was necessary for us to send release or layoff notices to 36 employees, both certifi cated and classifi ed.

As I hand-delivered all but three of the notices, my admiration for the profes-sionalism, courage and character of our staff members grew to a new height. A response by one teacher, upon receiving her layoff notice, typifi ed the attitude of nearly all affected employees. When informed that she would be the 14th teacher to be re-hired, she responded, Well its better than 15th.

In addition to the professionalism ex-hibited by those most dramatically impact-ed by the required cuts, all other employees should be acknowledged as well. In order to minimize the impact on the children in the district, employees overwhelmingly agreed to three unpaid furlough days for each of the next two years (superintendent included). This unselfi sh act put children before self and meant the district did not have to come up with another $400,000 in personnel/program reductions.

After our successful Measure H campaign in 2004 I wrote a letter to the newspaper acknowledging my great appre-ciation for the support of our community. I now write you, our community, so that you can appreciate the quality of individu-als that service this community, and most importantly, our children.

I cannot tell you how proud I am to say that I am the superintendent of such a supportive school district and community.

For more information on the impact of the state budget, please visit our Web site at www.ouesd.k12.ca.us

Rick RogersSuperintendent

Oakley School District

Thanks for thoughtfulnessEditor:

We want to thank the person who found and returned to us the application for a bond for our granddaughter. You saved us a lot of paperwork in trying to fi nd it. Thank you so very much for taking the time to return it to us. We are grateful for your thoughtfulness.

Joe and Bette FreitasClayton

Challenges of new Vasco construction

Editor:Recently Alameda County has begun

construction in the fi nal leg of Vasco Road between the Contra Costa County Line and Livermore. While normal commute traffi c fl ows on this portion, construction is done with minimal impact on current traf-fi c, as the new road is separate.

The most recent achievement for the

Contra Costa side of Vasco is the acquisi-tion of $10 million from our taxes. This will be spent to widen and add a lane to a portion of Vasco Road near the Brushy Creek area. This improvement has been debated for several years due to the past fatal accidents occurring on Vasco.

However, after Supervisor Greenberg and Glover, along with the City of Brent-wood, placed delineators along the entire stretch several years ago, fatalities have decreased overall. It was known that the delineators were not a permanent solution; however, they were effective, within costs and could be placed immediately.

A concrete barrier was fi rst recom-mended but it was not only too costly; the roadway lanes were not designed wide enough to accept the added barrier design. In fact, the area outside the fog line is lighter than the actual roadway lane, thus creating new problems for a permanent barriers immediate implementation. This would have required demolition and new replacement of a lane in this area while traffi c continued to fl ow.

Several times the suggestion of a separated two-lane roadway in each direc-tion has been brought up. This would allow for construction and commute traffi c to run independent from each other at the same time without confl ict. In my opinion, it would also be cost effective and allow faster and easier emergency services to a needed zone. This would create a much safer and separated roadway that would be accommodating for years to come without hodge-podge patched areas.

Why the current type of design was chosen could only be answered by our current government leaders. Instead, you will see construction in some areas that will merely be lanes added or widened from the existing roadway. While a barrier and extra lane is added at areas to create a safer roadway ultimately, the construction will dramatically affect the commute traffi c in these areas while in progress. The areas at the fog line must be reworked, thus creating an even more narrow area for commuters to navigate during the construction period.

It is very important for all Vasco Road drivers to pay close attention during this construction period. Please practice only safe driving skills. Hopefully this next seg-ment of construction will not be too long. More importantly, I pray this widening instead of separating of the roadways will not result in unnecessary accidents or delays to emergency services during construction.

To all, please be careful during this new construction. We are fi nally getting something improved on Vasco and should be thankful. Complete relief to Vasco will eventually come. I hope its only at a mon-etary price and not a human one.

John A. GonzalesKnightsen

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Special times captured with thrifty eye

Sometimes a hobby is merely a pastime and some-times, if youre lucky, it becomes your livelihood. For Steve Nosanchuck, owner of Visual Productions Pho-tography in Brentwood, the hobby did in fact become the paycheck and for the past 20 years, its also remained his passion.

Ive always had a camera in my hand, ever since high school, back in the days of fi lm, laughed Nosan-chuck, an Oakley resident and current president of the citys Chamber of Commerce. When I started out, I would call my work environmental portraits, which is a fancy way of saying I dont have a studio. But I kept with it; its always been what I love.

Today, Nosanchuck has a real studio on Oak Street, and his environmental portraits are now bonafi de loca-tion shoots. He also specializes in studio portraits, wed-dings and special events high-quality packages with reasonable price tags. In todays tepid economy, said Nosanchuck, customers want to know they are getting the best deal for their dollar.

It is tough today, especially in this market, but people can still stretch their photographic budget, spend locally and get a beautiful package, he said. Im a lot cheaper than the national photographers the high schools use. For a couple of hundred bucks, even $75 for an 8x10 portrait, you can walk out with some beautiful pictures.

Right now, Nosanchuck is getting a lot of senior portraits. They graduate from high school only once, and if I get the mom to cry I know Ive done a good job, he said. Hes also being called for a lot of last-min-

ute weddings. Im not sure why Im getting the wed-dings so late, but I think part of it is that couples realize how important their wedding photos are. Theres no take two at a wedding, and they want to be sure theyve got someone who knows their job.

So what does a pro-spective client need to know when hiring a photogra-pher? Plenty, according to Nosanchuck.

Well, you need to fi nd someone you enjoy working with and fi nd someone who will do what you want, he said. If your vision is to have a formal sitting, or wear jeans and roll around on the fl oor, you need to know your photographer is willing to work with you. After all, it will be a piece of art hanging in your home and youve got to get someone who understands that.

I think with todays digital cameras, most photog-raphers have similar technical skills, but you should look at some of their work and see how they light the back-grounds, how they create a photo and how it fi ts with your ideas.

In the end though, the perfect photo is a matter of

personal taste. You never know for sure which picture is going to be the one, said Nosanchuck. Everyone has their own idea and own vision of what they want to see. For me, if the client is happy, so am I.

Visual Productions Photography is located at 317 Oak St., Suite B in Brentwood. For more information, call 925-634-9914 or visit www.vpphoto.com.


Oakley resident Steve Nosanchuck, owner of Visual Productions Photography in Brentwood, is also president of the Oakley Chamber of Commerce.

Photo by Ruth Roberts

Trevors Weekly Mortgage MattersBy Trevor Frey

Any given day you pick up the paper, like right now for instance, or you turn on the TV and take a minute to catch up on current events. However you collect your news, the odds are aft er reviewing any type of housing information you are no longer in the best of spirits. Whether its actual hard fi gures or another economists dreary out-look on the near future, no one has anything positive to say about the real estate market.

To ensure I blend in with the masses and keep the trend alive, lets put some bad news out there but then break it down to see just how bad it really is. Last month new home construction nationwide slowed by nearly 3%, hitting the lowest mark of new single-family housing starts this country has seen in nearly twenty years. Couple that with home prices that just continue to deteriorate, and you instantly have two negative indicators for the housing mar-ket. Or do you?

National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) president Sandy Dunn said aft er reviewing these fi gures, Th e actions that home builders are taking right now to keep a lid on new production are slowly but surely helping to bring supply and demand back into balance and put us on the road to much healthier housing market. Sure you say, but she gets paid to spin things positively, why should I believe her? While that might be half true, in a time like this

it should come as second nature to dive deeper, ask the right questions, and then determine for yourself whether the news is positive or negative.

Less building points to a slower economy, and a slower economy means less pressure on infl ation, which in turn brings lower interest rates. Lower interest rates along with falling prices contributes to homes being more appealing to the masses, where now 55% of homes sold between April and June of this year were aff ordable to families earning the national median in-come, a feat that hasnt been achieved since 2004. Combine that with fi ft een straight months of reductions in the number of new homes for sale and its clear that things are beginning to turn around. Slowly yes, but a turn around none the less.

To put it in perspective on a local level, Contra Costa County assessor Gus Kramer has recently been quoted saying, Ive never felt more compelled and stronger about advising anyone and everyone who ever thought about getting into real estate to do it now. Bottom line, dont settle for what you read, read between the lines and come to your own conclusions about just how bad things are!

If you have any real estate lending related questions or concerns, dont hesitate to write me at [email protected] or call me directly at 510-798-0060.

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Congregation Bnai Torah of Antioch (www.bnaitorah.50megs.com) invites you to RUNNING FROM FATE: The Book of Jonah and the Psychology of Avoidance, an interactive lecture by Dr. Josh Gressel (www.joshgressel.com).

What does it mean to run from our fate? What can cause us to return to the path which is ordained for us?

Sunday, March 29th, from 10:00 11:30 a.m. Somerset III Club House in Brentwood. Attendees must RSVP to Matt Cordova (650-759-6939 or [email protected]) by March 25th.

Part of the Outreach in the Delta series. Supported by a joint grant from the Jewish Community Federation of the Greater East Bay and The Jewish Community Foundation.

Congregation Bnai TorahCongregation Bnai Torah

been running out of book space. Light-weight and portable, the bookshelves will fi t on top of existing shelves, making room for additional books.

But theres more. Not wanting to leave the new shelves bookless, Mike hosted a fundraiser for Laurel Elemen-tary at Barnes & Noble last week, rais-ing nearly $500 for the school. His plan is to sit down with the school librarian for suggestions and then purchase the books himself.

I can say is that it was a very success-ful book fair and everyone here at Barnes & Noble enjoyed hosting his book fair, said Shannon Skinner, community rela-tions manager for Barnes & Noble in An-

tioch. Mike is a very inspirational young man and we are very impressed with all that he has accomplished.

All in a days work for the young 17-year-old who comes by his scouting tal-ents naturally. Both his father and older brother are Eagle Scouts. Mike, who is a member of Oakley Troop 298, expects to be completed and signed off on his Laurel School project within a couple of weeks, and can then look forward to an Eagle Court of Honor and high school gradu-ation in the next few months.

Were in pretty good shape (regard-ing the Laurel project), said Mike. The Eagle project was fun and challenging and a good experience. Im also happy to be graduating. Life is good; its all good.

Scout from page 3A


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T.S. No. GM-172698-C Loan No. 0359281111 YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED 4/6/2006. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PRO-TECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUB-LIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NA-TURE OF THE PROCEED-ING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAW-YER. A public auction sale to the highest bidder for cash, cashiers check drawn on a state or national bank, check drawn by a state or fed-eral credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan associa-tion, or savings association, or savings bank specifi ed in Section 5102 of the Finan-cial Code and authorized to do business in this state, will

be held by the duly appoint-ed trustee. The sale will be made, but without covenant or warranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, pos-session, or encumbrances, to satisfy the obligation se-cured by said Deed of Trust. The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the property address or other common designation, if any, shown herein. TRUSTOR: CHRIS-TINE STAYDUHAR, A MAR-RIED WOMAN Recorded 4/14/2006 as Instrument No. 2006-0116119-00 in Book , page of Offi cial Records in the offi ce of the Recorder of Contra Costa County, Califor-nia, Date of Sale:4/13/2009 at 10:00 AM Place of Sale: At the Court Street entrance to the County Courthouse, 725 Court Street (corner of Main and Court Street),

Martinez, California Property Address is purported to be: 5163 GRASS VALLEY WAY ANTIOCH, California 94531-0000 APN #: 056-180-016 The total amount secured by said instrument as of the time of initial publication of this notice is $450,367.75, which includes the total amount of the unpaid balance (including accrued and unpaid interest) and reasonable estimated costs, expenses, and advanc-es at the time of initial publi-cation of this notice. ETS Ser-vices, LLC Date: 3/16/2009 2255 North Ontario Street, Suite 400 Burbank, California 91504-3120 Sale Line: 714-730-2727 Omar Solorzano, TRUSTEE SALE OFFICER ASAP# 3011254 03/20/2009, 03/27/2009, 04/03/2009 An-tioch Press No. 06-1617 Publish Dates: March 20, 27, April 3, 2009

Byron were halved, the Discovery Bay CSDs referral area grew slightly, and all sitting MAC members would see their terms end in two weeks.

Those are the basic facts. The details surrounding them are less clear.

Kathy Leighton sits in a red leather sofa cradling a mug of hot coffee. The spacious family room in her Byron home fairly drips country ambience, from the stone fl oor and the wood-burning fi replace to the wall-mounted black-powder rifl e and the massive wooden bar. The former Byron MAC member, a descendant of far East County pioneers, has been involved in virtually every facet of Byron her whole life, and is the areas most noted historian as well.

Leighton is also known for being critical of Mary Piepho. A former supporter, Leighton believes Piepho is on a course that will ultimately lead to Discovery Bays expansion at By-rons expense. There are many indications of that, she said, and given a few minutes, and she can tick off a list of 16.

John Gonzales can tick off a list of 18. A stalwart Knight-sen proponent for 20 years, Gonzales is a former member of the Knightsen Town Advisory Council (KTAC, as Knightsens MAC is called). His stocky build, shaved head and jet-black moustache are ubiquitous in town, and many of his concerns mirror Leightons.

Before the MAC reorganization took place, the two lists already contained perceived Piepho failings on ZIP Code boundaries, sanitation district business, meeting notifi cations, the local historical society, school locations, dates on maps, in-vitations (or lack thereof) to events, code enforcement, broken sidewalks and boat storage. And for every fact offered in sup-port of suspicions of an ulterior motive, Piepho can deliver a fact of her own supporting her actions or pointing out similar shortcomings. As time passed, points of contention shot back and forth until the many facets of the many issues began to blur together into a morass of suspicion and mistrust.

When it comes to the MAC boundary issue, the public record does little to help sort things out. A records request made to the county for all materials related to the reorganiza-tion yielded more than 500 documents yet left several holes. There are agendas, but no record of when they were distribut-ed. There are no e-mail messages on the subject, either, making it impossible to know if residents claims of inadequate notice for meetings are true. There are no records of who attended various meetings, or which agencies were represented. For three months leading up to one week before an August, 2008 ad hoc committee meeting to fi nalize the reorganization plan, there is no record of any activity taking place. And there are no minutes for several meetings, including a key, April 21, 2008 session to which county offi cials and all the MACs were to be invited, and at which the fi nal shape of the MAC reorganiza-tion was discussed.

Lara DeLaney of the County Administrators offi ce, which provides staff for the supervisors, said that although keeping minutes at meetings was the common practice, it is not required by law. In this case, she said, no formal min-utes were taken.

Piepho said that the points discussed at the meeting are

refl ected in the subsequent changes made in the draft reorgani-zation policy. The entire process was lengthy and public, allow-ing plenty of time for participation and questions, she added, and both MACs could have involved their communities more.

Whether the Is were dotted and the Ts crossed is one thing, she said. But its important to be introspective as well. They (the advisory councils) certainly shoulder the responsibil-ity for the community being informed because that is the role of the ACs (advisory councils).

Ironically, both sides agree that the re-organization was needed. Other than the boundary issue (and KTACs bound-aries are being reviewed) they also agree that the fi nal product is basically a good thing. Its the same way with several of the other disputes: the results are often less disagreeable than the process through which they were achieved.

She treats you like youre not big enough to mean anything, said Gonzales. It doesnt matter how much you scream.

I get the feeling that they think were all hayseeds, said Leighton.

They (adversaries) made it crystal clear they had no in-tention to work with my offi ce, said Piepho, adding that the screaming was meant to discredit me personally and be punitive.

I shouldnt do any part of my job, in their view, she said in December. I cant be proactive, I cant respond to the com-munity, I cant make a board order, I cant hold a meeting that meets with their approval.

The resulting breakdown of communication, coupled with the holes in documentation, has not helped allay any sus-picions.

Even if her intent is positive, because of the secrecy, I have to think that where theres smoke, theres fi re, said Leigh-ton. You almost sound petty making a big deal out of all this

stuff (individually), but theres always another little thing. It stacks up.

One point illustrative of the push-me-pull-you nature of the disputes is the turnover of the two MACs memberships. The day following the passage of the new MAC policy, Leigh-ton and all the other MAC members were sent letters from Piephos offi ce saying their service would end in two weeks, at the end of the year, and inviting them to re-apply if they wished. The move came as a surprise to some, who lit up the blogoshpere with accusations that it was a punitive move on Piephos part.

But the fact that MAC terms would coincide with that of their supervisor had been written in the emerging policy since its inception. Piepho had just won re-election in June, so the fact that her fi rst term was ending was clear as well. There should have been no surprise, she said; the information had been before them since 2007.

Still, opponents say, the point wasnt discussed, and after more than a decade of service, a phone call would have been nice. To send a form letter, followed by a press release announc-ing the vacancies in their former positions, showed a lack of respect.

And then came February, and people from all sides were converging on their respective town halls for the fi rst meet-ings of their new MACs. In the Byron Library Club, beneath the Byron Museum sign, Linnea Juarez, the lone re-appoin-tee from the previous MAC, grasped the gavel and called the meeting to order.

In Knightsen less than a week later, more than 100 peo-ple, 10 percent of the population, jammed the Knightsen Gar-den Club to overfl owing. Taking the lead was Linda Weeks, KTACs only re-appointee. She rapped the meeting to order with a rubber mallet that served as her gavel, and laid it close in front of her. She would soon be using it again.

Photo by Richard Wisdom

Julie Kameny and her daughter Emily, 8, enjoy some time with their horse, Shawnell a typical scene in bucolic Knightsen, where horses still outnumber people.

MACs from page 1A

22A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY MARCH 20, 2009

Look here rst! Having a community event?Post it for free on the community calendar at www.thepress.net.

cyberspace, Merrill began to compile her writ-ings on her greatest passion, the creatures she grew to know and love in her childhood in South Dakota horses.

Horses are a part of me, said Mer-rill, who with her daughter keeps those large pets on their ranch in Knightsen. I need a horse to play with. If I dont have a horse, it seems like something is missing in my life. Riding horses takes away the monotony of the day. Most importantly, my love of horses is something that I can share with my daugh-ter. I wrote this for her. This book is for her to celebrate our love of horses.

After three months of writing, Merrill produced two short stories, six haikus and 14 poems for her fi rst book, Notes of an Everyday Cowgirl, which she self published through Lulu.com. Her works detail the radi-ant beauty that horses possess, the feeling she gets when she rides, and her overall love for the majestic mammal shes come to adore.

In her poem Our Four-Legged Friends, she writes: How you make us smile, no mat-ter how sad we may be. Even if we are cranky, you look so lovable, so sweet.

As she talks about her journey to becom-

ing a published author, she brushes her fi ngers along the glossy 50-page collection, staring at the cover with amazement. I still cant believe it. When I got the fi rst copy, it was like the angels were singing. I just kept thinking Yes! Yes! Yes! I did it. I fi nally did it!Dreams are possible. They really do come true.

Now that she is a published author, Mer-rill plans to continue writing, hoping to pub-lish a young-adult novel for her 10-year-old daughter.

Merrills in-progress projects have a sci-ence fi ction edge with a blend of fantasy and supernatural elements. As an animal lover, one of her favorite elements to include in her stories is shape-shifting humans transform-ing into animals or expressing an animalistic alter ego. She plans to send her transcript for her novel Golden Hills out to publishers by the end of the year.

In the meantime, Merrill will host a book signing for Cowgirl at Horsetown Tack, 6675 Brentwood Blvd. in Brentwood, on Sat-urday, March 28, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Notes of an Everyday Cowgirl is avail-able for purchase at www.lulu.com for $26.70.

For an excerpt from Notes of an Every-day Cowgirl, visit thepress.net.

Ride from page 3A


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2B | THEPRESS.NET SPORTS MARCH 20, 2009

Dont see your team?If youd like to see your favorite team more often in our sports pages, just send us a short write-up, prefer-

ably with photos, describing how the team is doing. This could be an article on a recent game or tournament, the season so far, or a description of an outstanding or special athlete. E-mail your articles and photos to [email protected]. Space limitations might prevent us from publishing every last submission, but well try to squeeze in everything we can.

LMC hoopster named MVP Krey golftourney

Brentwoodgolf camp

Los Medanos College freshman Tyree Murray was recently recognized for his consistent skill on the court and named the 2009 Most Valuable Player of the Bay Valley Conference basketball league.

The Deer Valley High School graduate scored an average of 21 points per game and sank 92 three-point shots this year, a record in Northern California com-munity college competition. Murray was also honored as First Team All State guard.

LMC Coach Derek Domenichelli described Tyrees advantage: As an incoming freshman, Tyree made a great adjustment to the college game. His high level of maturity helped him succeed as a student/athlete. His mental toughness and strong work ethic were key to his success as Most Valuable Player of the BVC.

Domenichelli should be applauded in his own right, as he has been named Coach of the Year of the Bay Valley Conference for the second time (the fi rst was in 2005). His LMC team has recorded six 20-plus-win sea-sons in the last seven years, including a 25-win season in 2008 and a 23-win season in 2009.

Domenichelli played basketball at Cal State East Bay, where he earned his masters degree in physical ed-ucation. Following three years of coaching at Pittsburg High School, he has just completed his eighth season coaching at LMC.

During his tenure at Los Medanos College, Coach Domenichelli has established that our student athletes and our basketball program, under his skillful leader-ship, will perennially be among the best in Northern California, said LMC President Peter Garcia.

Other players winning awards included Pittsburg Highs Jeremy Knowles and Joe Simpson (All-BVC First Team) and Brian Benoit (All-BVC Honorable Mention).

Contributed by Barbara H. CellaDeer Valley High School grad and LMC freshman Tyree Murray is the 2009 MVP of the Bay Valley Conference basketball league.

Krey Elementary School in Brentwood will be holding its fourth annual Golf Tournament on Friday, May 8 at Shadow Lakes Golf Club. The prizes include a chance to win $10,000 in the putting contest, a golf trip to Pebble Beach and a set of golf clubs. Raffl e prizes include hotel stays at the Peppermill and Atlantis, movie passes, and gift certifi cates to Cabanas in the Garden. Every hole will feature something unique and fun.

The tournament is an important fundraiser for Krey Elementary. In past years, proceeds have helped purchase items such as computers and instructional materials that directly benefi t the students. To register or be a sponsor, call tournament chairman Ryan Agrella at 925-584-8938.

The Spring Break Junior Golf Camp for ages 6 to 12 will be held March 23 through 27 from 10 a.m. to noon at Brentwood Golf Club. The camp includes 9 hours of in-struction, snacks, contests and prizes, an exhibition by long-drive champion Vince Howell, drinking water, etiquette video, cou-pons and golf balls. The cost is $100. For more information, call 925-516-3400.

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4B | THEPRESS.NET SPORTS MARCH 20, 2009

Two East Bay U10 boys soccer teams joined forces to win the re-cent Cabernet Indoor Soccer Championship in Livermore. Members of EDYSL U10 Arsenal Green and DYSL Del-ta Barcelona came together to go 10

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