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YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 10, No. 1 Including Surrounding Communities
www.thepress.net January 1, 2010
Natio
nalAwardWinning Newspapers
FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A
TO ALL OURPRESS READERS
ePress easy! Flip the online pages.Browse the pages of the Press
just as they appear in the hard copy at www.thepress.net. See page
7A.
Opponents of the proposed Delta 2-Gates project won the battle
if not the war last week when the Obama administration called for
the delay of the controversial test plan to save the Delta
smelt.
Were excited that they are slowing it down, but Im not super
surprised, said Mike Guzzardo, publicity chairman for the Discovery
Bay-based group San Francisco Bay and Delta Foundation (SFBDF). Its
a minor victory, but were happy.
The Federal Interim Act report, released Dec. 22, promises a
stronger working relation-ship between state and federal agencies
as it pertains to Californias drinking water and the declining
Bay-Delta environment. The 23-page report also calls for, among
other items, a re-evaluation of the scientifi c process and cost
ef-fi ciency behind the proposed 2-Gates program.
Federal agencies have undertaken inten-sive review and
permitting efforts on this project in recent months, reads an
excerpt from the re-port. As the reviews have proceeded, it has
be-come clear that the project purpose could most
expeditiously be advanced by fi rst proving (or disproving) the
underlying hypothesis that must be established for the 2-Gates
project to be effec-tive as a potential water supply
enhancement.
The 2-Gates project is a fi ve-year, $80 mil-lion, experimental
program designed to save the Delta smelt by rerouting them away
from the water pumps on Old and Middle rivers in Byron.
The project is a joint venture by the State Department of Water
Resources, the Federal Bureau of Reclamation and the Southern
Cali-fornia Metropolitan Water District, and would implement the
installation of gates at Old River
between Holland Tract and Bacon Island, plus a Connection Slough
between Mandeville and Bacon Island. The automatic gates would be
closed at various times of the year for as much as 20 hours per
day, depending on fl ood tides.
Over the past few months, local groups and organizations up and
down the Delta have lob-bied for a halt to the gates project. In
Discovery Bay, the SFBDF was able to extend the public comment
period on the project, and eventually hopes to force the Bureau of
Reclamation to provide an Environmental Impact Report for the
Discovery Bay and Delta regions.
Members of the SFBDF also met recently, along with Congressman
Jerry McNerney and Supervisor Mary Piepho, with the Army Corps of
Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation to discuss the 2-Gates
project.
Clearly this was all already in the works (the plans to delay
the project) before we had the meeting, said Guzzardo. But it was
still good (to meet) and it was a good fi rst step to-ward local
government and citizens working together to fi nd a solution.
Pete Lucero, public affairs offi cer for the
Obama orders delay in 2-Gates planby Ruth Roberts
Staff Writer Were excited that they are slowing it down ... Its
a minor victory, but were happy.
Mike Guzzardo, publicity
chairman, San Francisco Bay and Delta Foundation
see 2-Gates page 18A
Ally Jenkins, third from left, in back, returned home to Oakley
in October after undergoing a double lung transplant. Her story
appears this week on Page 5A as part of the Press annual Looking
Back retrospective.
Looking Back
Press File Photo
Petition blocks housing project
The Committee to Stop Rose-wood, comprised of more than 100
Oakley residents, has success-fully obtained enough Oakley vot-ers
signatures to put a temporary halt to the proposed Rosewood
Es-tates housing project off of Laurel Road.
Of the more than 2,250 signa-tures collected in 52 petition
book-lets in a period of three weeks, 1,925 were valid signatures
of registered Oakley voters more than 10 per-cent (1,400
signatures) of the regis-tered voter population needed for the
petition to be legitimate. Now that the petition has been validated
by the Contra Costa County Elec-tions Division, the Oakley City
Council must either rescind its Oct. 13 decision (to rezone 13.9
acres
from a general agriculture district to a planned development
district to accommodate the proposed 76-unit Rosewood Estates
housing project) or put the decision before the people in a special
election.
Committee to Stop Rosewood Chairman Brad Nix said while hed like
the decision to go before the people, he expects the council will
withdraw its decision and visit the topic at a later date.
Personally, Id love to see an election and let the people of
Oak-ley make the decision, he said. That way the people are truly
heard, but the council is scared of that because they know what
will happen if the people get a chance to vote. The people dont
want high-density homes in Oakley. The public is overwhelmingly
in
by Samie HartleyStaff Writer
see Petition page 18A
Calendar ..........................19BClassifieds
........................13BCop Logs
..........................15AEntertainment ................18BFood
.................................10BHealth & Beauty
...............8BMilestones .........................7BOutdoors
...........................8ASports
.................................1BWebExtras!
.......................1B
INSIDE
As weve done with the rst edition of the year for a decade
now,
this week the Press looks back at some of the stories that
graced
our pages over the last 12 months. As
always, the selection isnt meant to suggest what were the
most
important, but to provide a sampling of what went on in the
year just past.
As always, we consider it our privilege to
have been a part of life around here and
hope that 2010 brings prosperity, peace and happiness to all our
readers. Thanks for sharing with us, and
enjoy this stroll down memory lane.
FAREWELL 2009
-
JANUARY 1, 2010 LOOKING BACK THEPRESS.NET | 3A
1300 Central Blvd. Brentwood
Lori Abreu(925) 216-6317Owner/Broker www.DeltaRanches.com
Cerelle Carstairs(925) 382-4307
Real Estate Agent
Bank owned 3 bdrm 2.5 bath, 1414 sf cute home. Two story house
has dark wood, but kitchen is missing some appliances.
$280,000
Private secluded paved road leads you to this lush ranch
property. Large trees, green grass and your own vegetable garden.
Workshop in garage, 4 bdrms 2.5 baths, 2159 sf on 2.10 acres.
$539,000
Bank owned 4 bdrm 3 bath home 3361 sf. Two story home with tile
kitchen counters and floor. Great court location.
$299,900
Bank owned 3 bdrm 2.5 ba. 1741 sf two story home. Tile entry,
carpet in the living room and hardwood floor in the family room
with fireplace. Hardwood goes into cute country style kitchen.
$155,000
Bank owned 3 bdrm 2 bath, 1200 sf single story home. In nice
court location.
Bank owned 3 bdrm 2 ba. 1,053 sf single story home. Nice front
yard and back. Kitchen has nice counter tops and cabinets with
stainless steel appliances. Once listed, this will go fast. Coming
Soon
Home on 3.5 acres, barn, plus approved conditional sub-division
map by city of Oakley for two 1 acre parcels to be split off.
Almost 1200 sf of living space, featuring 3 over sized bdrms, and 2
ba. Priced at $349,000
1328 Tapestry Lane, Concord 3150 Crismore Drive, Oakley 14 Moore
Court, Oakley
501 Sir Lancelot Drive, Tracy 28 Chappelet Place, Oakley
6975 Mansfield Ave., Dublin 91 Lozoya Way, Oakley
Own beautiful delta land, 1 acre with tons of potential. Minutes
from boating, all usable land, owner to carry w/ the right offer!
Views of agricultural land around, great opportunity. $120,000
Private and secluded, yet close to everything. Across from
Bristow School w/views of Mt. Diablo. Ranch home w/3 bdrms, 2 ba.,
2,397 sf on 11.57 acres. Great for farmer or check w/city for
subdvsn opport. $2,000,000
0 E Cypress Road, Oakley 760 Minnesota Ave, Brentwood
Bank owned 3 bdrm 2.5 ba. 1,586 sf two story condo. Real nice
neighborhood. Carpet in fam rm and dining rm and bdrms. Tile in
kitchen with nice counter tops. Does have hoas. Coming Soon
8 Rainbow Circle, Danville
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Spacious 4 bdrm. 3 ba. 3,098sf. One story w/upper level bonus
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This article was originally published on Oct. 30, 2009.
The Brentwood City Council joined the County Board of
Supervisors (BOS) and the Oakley City Council in voting Tuesday to
provide local control over fi re protection in far East County.
By a 4-1 vote Councilman Bran-don Richey dissenting the
Brentwood council approved the creation of a locally based
governing board for the East Con-tra Costa Fire Protection District
(EC-CFPD).
This is the necessary next step for us to get the kind of
resources needed to protect our population and protect our fi
rst-responders, resident Steven Smith told the council prior to its
vote.
The new board will consist of nine members chosen proportionally
accord-ing to the population of the areas within the district. Four
will come from Brent-wood, three from Oakley and two from the
unincorporated areas of Knightsen, Bethel Island, Byron and
Discovery Bay. The ECCFPD is currently run by the BOS in
Martinez.
The district was created in 2002, con-
solidating the Bethel Island, East Diablo and Oakley-Knightsen
fi re protection dis-tricts into one district to serve all of far
East County. Because it is comprised of what used to be volunteer
districts, the district receives only 7 percent of the property tax
paid by its residents, while fi re districts elsewhere in the
county get about 12 percent. As a result of the un-der-funding,
ECCFPD engines have only two fi refi ghters aboard instead of the
industry standard three, and neither is a paramedic. Wages are also
higher in other areas.
In casting his no vote, Richey said the BOS was simply handing
the problem off.
The Board of Supervisors has been able to pass the buck on
inadequate fund-ing to the (new) fi re board, he said. I ap-plaud
the amount of work that has gone into this, but I cant support it.
I cant look a fi refi ghter in the eye and say, Ive got your
back.
Other councilmen said they agreed that the supervisors were
ducking the problem, but felt the issues of funding, staffi ng,
paramedic training and wages would never be solved in Martinez.
I dont think the county was ever go-
Locally run fire board approved
by Rick LemyreStaff Writer
see Fire page 10A
Turning 10 with a bangThis article was originally published on
July 10, 2009.
With fi reworks, parades and barbecues going on all over Contra
Costa County, folks celebrating the Fourth of July had plenty of
choices of events they could attend. Those who
stayed in Oakley were glad they did.We thought about going
to
Antioch, or maybe to the (USS) Hornet (in Oakland), but we didnt
want to fi ght traffi c, so we didnt, said Oakley
Thousands gathered at Freedom High School to watch the reworks
spectacle celebrating the Fourth of July and Oakleys 10 years of
cityhood. For more pho-tos from this event, visit thepress.net.
Photo by Rick Lemyre
see Bang page 10A
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4A | THEPRESS.NET LOOKING BACK JANUARY 1, 2010
888-703-68588100 Brentwood Blvd.www.billbrandtford.com
from our family to yours.
Happy Happy New Year New Year
Radio photography fries editors circuits
Sometimes things are so bad, theyre good. Had Rocky Horror
Picture Show been less campy, would it have achieved its cult
status? Doubtful. Would American Idol be a winner without its
wobbly throat-ed wannabes? Cmon.
The same is true for words. The gram-matical gaffes, syntactic
slapstick and logi-cal lapses that stumble across my computer
screen provide welcome decompression from the stress of editorial
deadlines. Hey, Ive even caught one or two before they made their
way into print.
So brace yourself for the 2009 Blooper Reel Awards for the
weirdest wordcraft never to have reared its ugly head in the pages
of the Press:UNCLEAR ON THE CONCEPT Award
Second Runner-up: A vehicle was stolen without the victims
knowledge.
First Runner-up: A woman reported that her daughter ran away
from home with-out permission.
And the award goes to: As one of the nations premier
photographers, his work has been featured in print, television and
radio.
INTRIGUING TYPO AwardSecond Runner-up: She also met some
of the cast from the Broadway show Mary Poopins.
First Runner-up: The nursery will be hosing a complimentary
class at 10 a.m.
And the award goes to: Marital arts dem-onstrations will feature
world champions in forms and weapons.
WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU GUYS ON? Award
An off-duty deputy spotted a trailer that had been reported
stolen by the Califor-nia Highway Patrol.
SOUNDS OK TO ME AwardGinger Bread House Fund Razor
GUINNESS RECORD FOR TOWING Award
A driver was stopped for expired regis-tration and found to be
unlicensed. The ve-hicle was towed for 30 days.
REVISIONIST HISTORY AwardRichie Unterberger presents rare
re-
cordings and fi lm clips of the Beatles, from the days before
their fi rst record contract to just before their breakup in the
late 1960s at the Antioch Library at 7 p.m.MOST IN NEED OF A HYPHEN
Award
Members of the police department have increased their efforts in
the area of intoxi-cated driving enforcement.
MOST IN NEED OF A SEMICOLON Award
Dont drink and drive, slow down, and drive safely.MOST IN NEED
OF A COMMA Award
The Singers performed 19 tunes starting with New York, New
York.
WORST SERVICE ORGANIZATION EVER Award
Second Runner-up: A donation will support a foundation for the
prevention of childhood obesity and local schools.
First Runner-up: Volunteers make sure that there is at least one
gift for each child, which will be wrapped prior to
distribution.
And the award goes to: Its efforts have led to the virtual
eradication of polio as well as literacy, clean water, health,
hunger and disaster relief programs.
GIVE US A MINUTE TO WORK THIS OUT Award
Second Runner-up: I cannot thank all of you so much.
First Runner-up: She was an unsung heroine and voted Citizen of
the Year.
And the award goes to: Injustice any-where is a threat to
injustice everywhere.
DRIEST SENSE OF HUMOR ON RECORD Award
I cant believe Ive been here for 25 years! I love interacting
with our wonderful staff, she quipped.
YOU CAN SAY THAT AGAIN AwardSecond Runner-up: With a unique
sound
all their own
First Runner-up: We have to do some-thing to change the future
direction of where this is headed.
And the award goes to: We proved to the nay-sayers who said it
couldnt be done that it could be done.
GETTING MIGHTY RESTRICTIVE Award
Runner-up: Learn all you need to know about having the best
wedding ever in down-town Brentwood from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
And the award goes to: The retreat cen-ter will hold a collage
workshop for those searching for inner peace from 1-5 p.m.
DOGGED DETERMINATION AwardThe man was determined to be
intoxi-
cated.WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THIS
MEANS AwardRunner-up: An unidentifi ed person
falsely reported that she was a victim of a crime that never
occurred.
And the award goes to: He started his commercial modeling career
before he was less than a year old.
WE DONT WANT TO KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS Award
The library invites you to end the sum-mer reading program with
a bang, a toot and a tinkle
And fi nally, theHOUDINI AWARD FOR MOST
CREATIVE CAMOUFLAGEThat evening, he turned himself into the
Antioch Police Department.
by Ger EricksonCopy Editor The Singers performed
19 tunes starting with New York, New York.
Winner of Most in Need of a Comma Award
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JANUARY 1, 2010 LOOKING BACK THEPRESS.NET | 5A
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Aaron awaits surgery
This article was originally published on August 7, 2009.
Aaron Tanner is a cherub-faced 4-year-old with a shock of
white-blond hair and a ready smile. On the surface, the Brentwood
boy looks like any other high-spirited, carefree preschooler, but
its there that the similarities end.
Aaron was born with a heart that func-tions only on the right
side. The condition kept the newborn in the hospital for six weeks
before he was declared strong enough for his parents, Elizabeth and
Kevin Tanner, to take him home.
But only a week later, the Tanners 2-year-old son Ethan suddenly
developed fl u-like symptoms. Unable to calm the agitated toddler,
they rushed him to the hospital, where he died a few hours later
from a rare heart dis-ease called Pertrophic Cardiomypathy; a
typi-cally genetic disease that often strikes without warning.
The Tanners now face yet another heart-breaking challenge: last
week, doctors discov-ered that Aaron who has undergone seven
open-heart surgeries since he was born must now undergo a
simultaneous heart and kid-ney transplant. Renal failure has placed
too much stress on the boys heart, and without the rare
double-transplant surgery, Aarons
by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer
see Surgery page 16A
Aaron Tanner, 4, is in need
of a heart and kidney transplant.
Photo courtesy of Laura Page
Ally update
This article was originally published on Nov. 6, 2009.
Theres a new saying around the Jenkins house these days: As Ally
goes, so do we.
When Allys up were all up, and when shes down, so are we, said
Vickee Jenkins of her daughter Ally, 15, who is recuperating from
double-lung transplant surgery. Were literally just taking it hour
by hour; its our new normal.
Last weekend the Oakley familys new normal got a bump up when
they brought Ally home following a nearly four-month stay at UCSF
Medical Center, where she was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension
in July. The incurable condition, which hinders the fl ow of blood
from the heart to the lungs, required a double lung transplant,
which she received from a donor in August.
And when the Freedom High School freshman arrived home, she was
greeted not only by friends and family, but by another present this
one straight out of an episode of Extreme Home Makeover.
Thanks to the efforts of a generous com-munity, the Jenkins home
had been refur-bished from top to bottom, including a new roof and
landscaped yard, fresh paint inside and out, as well as new
appliances, counter-tops, bathrooms, windows and doors, all
do-nated by volunteers who had given of their time, supplies and
labor to create a fresh start
by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer
see Ally page 16A
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6A | THEPRESS.NET LOOKING BACK JANUARY 1, 2010
Get Fit Now.There are a dozen reasons why you cant get to the
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Discovery BayContra Costa County
East County grabs its own bootstraps
This article was originally published on March 13, 2009.
While America as a whole awaits the trickle-down of benefi ts
from the govern-ments massive economic rescue effort, a
pair of East County organizations are do-ing what they can to
help out right now.
It was the perfect storm of circum-stances, said Dennis
Reynolds, Pastor of Harvest Time Church in Brentwood, whose Day of
Compassion brought hun-dreds to his facility on Sunday. There
Photo by Rick Lemyre
Melissa Perez, seen here handing out bags of food at Harvest
Time Churchs Day of Compassion in March, was one of many volunteers
who provided as-sistance to those in need.
by Rick LemyreStaff Writer
see Bootstraps page 18A
Judge puts brakes on Oakley development
This article was originally published on Oct. 9, 2009.
The Contra Costa County Superior Court has halted Oakleys plans
to de-velop thousands of acres of farmland as part of the East
Cypress Corridor Spe-cifi c Plan, ruling that the environmental
impact report (EIR) for the project is still incomplete.
Last week Judge Barry Baskin ruled in favor of Greenbelt
Alliance, a San Francisco-based environmental group that sued the
city in order to protect the agricultural land that it claims would
be sacrifi ced as part of the development.
Inexplicably, the City failed to con-sider a reasonable range of
mitigation measures or potentially feasible alterna-tives to lessen
the impact to important farmland, Baskin wrote in his ruling.
Greenbelt Alliance has been chal-lenging this project for
several years. The group initially challenged the EIR in 2006,
suggesting that the city failed to ap-prove a complete EIR,
violating the Cali-fornia Environmental Quality Act in the process.
The court ruled in 2007 that the city was in compliance for the
most part,
but it needed to do more to protect air quality and prime
farmland. The council voted to approve a second EIR this past
March, which Greenbelt Alliance chal-lenged in July.
The judge ruled that the new EIR addresses the air quality
matter, but ad-equate mitigation must be made to make up for the
farmland that would be lost.
City Manager Bryan Montgomery said the ruling is disappointing,
but the city will work with developers to comply with environmental
regulations and move the project forward: We thought land
preservation was adequately covered in the EIR, but the judge ruled
otherwise. The land in question isnt prime farmland. There are no
crops growing there. Its mainly used as a grazing area for
cows.
Montgomery said hes unsure how the city will proceed in light of
the new ruling. It might appeal the ruling or con-duct a third EIR,
but city staff will need to meet with developers fi rst.
Greenbelt Alliance Field Representa-tive Christina Wong said in
a press release last week that she was pleased with the judges
decision: This is a huge victory for the Bay Area and the state,
because cities will have to protect farmland. They
see Cypress page 18A
by Samie HartleyStaff Writer
-
JANUARY 1, 2010 LOOKING BACK THEPRESS.NET | 7A
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MORE GOOD NEWS ON TAX CREDITI reported to you a few weeks ago
that
the 2009 homebuyer tax credit was not only extended through next
year, but also enlarged to include more than just first-time home
buyers. You may also qualify for this credit if you have owned
another home and have occupied it as a principal residence for at
least 5 consecutive years out of the past 8 years. This means you
could have sold a principal residence as long as 3 years ago and
have been renting ever since and still qualify for this credit. In
fact, you dont even need to sell the old home AT ALL. You can keep
it as a rental.
But most news reports are calling this a move-up credit,
implying that you can only qualify for this credit if you are
buying a more expensive home than the one you sold, but that is not
true. There are no stipulations regarding the amount of the new
home versus your old home. The only stipulation on price is that
the new home cant cost more than $800,000.
So this credit can apply to move-up, or move-down buyers. And
with the economy
still on shaky ground with high unemploy-ment, there may be more
move-down buyers than ever before that may benefit from this
credit.
The credit is 10% of the purchase price, up to a maximum of
$8,000 for those that havent owned a home during the past 3 years,
and $6,500 for those that have (these numbers are for joint filers,
single tax filers get about half the amounts), and there are income
phase-out limits, as well, over $145K and $245K AGI. The date
stipulations are that you must close escrow after Nov. 6, 2009 and
before Apr. 30, 2010. This can be extended to June 30, 2010 if you
are in contract by Apr. 30, 2010. In addition, the new home must be
used as a principal residence for the next 3 years, or the credit
becomes repayable. Please consult a tax professional for specifics
to your situation.
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
This article was originally published on March 27, 2009.
As Ian Halter cautiously maneuvers through a deserted mine
shaft, he fails to notice the creature lurking behind him.
Ian, watch out, warns his friend Paul Boat-wright as he
annihilates the blood-hungry stalker, saving his friend from being
the main course of a zombie feast.
Thanks, Ian mumbles as the two friends continue to scout and
kill the walking dead while playing Resident Evil 5.
Ian, 15, and Paul, 19, have been playing video games together
for years, shooting enemies in Halo, racing each other on Mario
Kart and channeling their inner rock star while playing Rock Band,
but this is the fi rst time theyve actu-ally played face to
face.
The two met online through a Nintendo fo-rum four years ago and
decided to play games to-gether via Xbox Live, an option through
the game system that allows gamers to play with people any-where in
the world in real time.
For Ian, this means waking up at 4 a.m. in Brentwood in order to
play with Paul, who lives at Yongsan Army Garrison in Seoul, Korea,
at 8 p.m.
Xbox unites friends a half-world away
Heritage High School sophomore
Ian Halter, right, performs Judas
Priests Pain Killer on Rock Band with friend Paul
Boatwright, who is from Korea. Ian and
Paul met for the rst time in March after
playing video games online for four years.
Photo by Samie Hartley
by Samie HartleyStaff Writer
see Xbox page 12A
-
8A | THEPRESS.NET LOOKING BACK JANUARY 1, 2010
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Secret winter enshrouds the summit
The world I knew was gone, obliter-ated by an ocean of white and
wind. Vis-ibility was down to 30 yards. Ice crystals
fi ner than grains of sand, driven by cur-rents swirling from
the southwest, began striking my face. I lowered the brim of my hat
a notch, turned and looked east. Home was 10 miles across the
foot-hills and 3,800 feet down I assumed. Because my watch
read 6:57 a.m., I also assumed the sun was beginning to fl ood
East County with the dawn of Feb. 14, 2009. But that world was
gone, no match for the white and wind on the summit of Mt.
Diablo.
Theres a winter thats kept secret from most East County folk.
Its not the winter we see from afar once or twice a year when our
communal mountain gets dusted with snow, metamorphosed for a few
days if were lucky into a vision of alpine splendor. We gaze
admiringly at that distant winter and snap our photos till rain and
sun dispel the reverie. But when the mountain is wreathed in
another form of white the cloud factories that engulf Diablos
Summit and North Peak like a sea surging over volcanic islands
inside those cloudworks is forged a secret winter: pale and
severe.
My alarm had gone off a 3 a.m. and Id taken a look out the
window. High in the south, a half Moon was slipping behind
scattered swift clouds like a soldier dodging enemy fi re,
advancing from cover to cover. The hike was on. A hundred minutes
later I was pushing off from the Donner Canyon trailhead. In the
south-
west towered the silhouette of Eagle Peak. Bald Ridge rose due
south against the backdrop of a crown of mist clarifi ed by
moonlight. I traced the mist southeast as it condensed to obscure
the upper eleva-tions of the Summit and North Peak. A breeze with a
hint of menace funneled down the canyon, inspired me to unscrew
TAKE ITOUTSIDE
GERERICKSON
see Outside page 9A
Wind-whipped ice razors hanging horizontally along stems of
chamise accen-tuate the pale and severe landscape of the Mt. Diablo
Summit Trail.
Photo by Ger Erickson
This article was originally published on Feb. 20, 2009.
-
JANUARY 1, 2010 LOOKING BACK THEPRESS.NET | 9A
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my fl ask and grab a swig of bourbon. Per-haps the wind would
gather strength and drive the clouds from the mountaintop.
At the 1,700-foot level of Meridian Ridge, the fi rst patches of
snow began spattering the trails shoulder. The Moon was still with
me, drifting in and out of tendrils of vapor that rose and
dissolved like steam from a kettle. Only when I made the turn east
toward Prospectors Gap did I begin to lose the Moon behind the wall
of Bald Ridge. Vega burned hot white high overhead, nearly bright
enough, I fantasized, to navigate by. Northeast, the horizon
skirting Olympia Summit betrayed the subtlest paling of blue. I
checked my watch. Less than an hour till sunrise.
I came to the fi nal assault of the gap and found snow I could
sink my feet into. The trails rocky outcrops normally make its long
and steep track slow going. But 2 inches of tacky snow smoothed
over the bumps, allowed me to sail up through the bottom of the
cloudbank to the saddle between Diablos twin peaks, 900 feet be-low
the Summit. The wind had gathered strength but was not driving the
clouds from the mountaintop as Id hoped. The mountaintop had seized
the wind and was twirling it around its head like a rodeo artist
his lariat.
I cut right and let North Peak Trails narrow course hoist me
across the warp of the Summits east face. The snow had deepened and
the drop-off to my left into the impenetrable white was sharp.
I
reined back my pace. At the trails fi rst switchback I caught a
faceful of ice dust ricocheting off rock and tree. The foliage was
straight out of sci-fi . It had rained up here before the mercury
had plunged. With nowhere to run and hide, the wind-whipped
moisture had been frozen, like the victims of Pompeii, in mid
stride. Spreading sideways from a thousand stems of chamise glinted
blades of ice like barbers razors.
Farther up, bracketed by the Summit Trails sheltering chaparral,
I spotted coy-ote track laced with blood and wondered who was doing
the bleeding the predator or some prey spirited away in the lethal
sanctuary of jaws. The prints peeled off into the manzanita just
below the summit of the Summit. I turned north toward the home
stretch and in two minutes planted my walking stick, fl aglike, in
4 inches of snow at 3,849 feet above sea level. No more up to
go.
I stood in a world suffused with limitation: No tourists would
be motor-ing to the Summit today. The only track up here would be
made by predators and prey, the tire tread of park rangers and
cleat pattern of hikers. No sweeping pan-oramas would be gained no
sight of the Sierra or Farallons or Lassen. No sight of anything 40
yards away. I had caught a glimpse of our secret winter, but what
secrets it had revealed to me beyond its severe indifference to my
comings and go-ings I cannot say. I pulled my stick from the snow
and began my descent toward the world I knew.
Outside from page 8A
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12A | THEPRESS.NET LOOKING BACK JANUARY 1, 2010
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While most of his peers at Heritage High School are still
snuggled in a deep sleep, Ian is awake before the sun rises, cozied
on a leather couch, chatting with Paul half a world away, using a
headset that hooks up to the Xbox so that they can talk as if they
were on the phone.
Ive always woke up early, Ian said, so this doesnt even bother
me. Its nothing. I get up and we play until I have to get ready for
school.
Ians mom Kim said she doesnt mind the ar-rangement as long as
Ian is ready to go to class in the morning and keeps up with his
studies, which hasnt been a problem. She knew Ian and Paul had
become good friends over the years, but she was surprised when Ian
asked if Paul could come to visit during spring break.
Ian came up to me one day and asked, Mom, is it OK if Paul comes
over? I didnt even believe him.
Paul, who resides with his parents at the U.S. military
headquarters in Korea, won a ticket to the United States at a raffl
e during this years Su-per Bowl. While Paul has family in the
States, he doesnt have any cousins his age, so he thought of the
idea to use the ticket to come visit Ian. Arrange-ments were made
for Paul to come out for a week in March to spend time with the
Halter family in California.
Once I saw the travel itinerary and spoke with Pauls dad, it
wasnt a problem, said Kim. I felt like I already knew Paul, since
Ian has talked about him so much over the years.
While Ian and Paul had become best friends over the years, they
never thought theyd have the opportunity to meet. We joked about
it, Ian said, but it didnt seem like a possibility. So when he told
me about winning the raffl e, it was cool that he
said hed come out here. Its been fun. It was excit-ing to fi
nally meet him.
Paul lived in the States for a few years when he was younger, so
he didnt suffer from culture shock when he arrived only a little
jetlag after the 10-hour fl ight.
The Halters took Paul on a tour of Brent-wood, including a trip
to the Streets of Brentwood, where the boys quickly made their way
to Game Stop, a haven for gamers.
Back home, we dont always get the games on the release date, so
I have to wait for it, Paul said. Even if I order it online, I dont
have it by the time it comes out, so everyone has it before me. I
get jealous waiting for it while everyone is playing.
One game Paul didnt have to wait for was Resident Evil 5, which
Ian picked up before Paul arrived. The boys skillfully zapped the
zombies in the games story mode in just two days, conquering the
game within a week of its release.
While the two friends spent most of their time playing video
games, the Halter family also took Paul sightseeing to Mt. Diablo
and spent a day in San Francisco.
Kim said she made sure the boys took a break to chalk up three
meals a day, but they seemed more than content to spend hours
upstairs battling it out on Xbox, Game Cube or Playstation 2.
Im so glad that they had a chance to meet, Kim said. Its amazing
that they were able to be-come such good friends by playing Xbox
while theyre in separate countries. Theyve been friends for so
long, so its nice that this all worked out. Theyre pretty lucky.
Theyve been having a blast.
She smiles as the sounds of cheers and laugh-ter come from the
game room upstairs. The zom-bies must be losing.
Xbox from page 7A
-
JANUARY 1, 2010 THEPRESS.NET | 13A
-
14A | THEPRESS.NET LOOKING BACK JANUARY 1, 2010
Every 15 Minutes scares students straight
This article was originally published on April 24, 2009.
Only two cars occupied the faculty park-ing lot on April 14 at
Heritage High School. Juniors and seniors looking to ease back into
their academic routine following the Easter holiday huddled
together on the temporary bleachers, happy to miss fi rst period.
As the wind whipped across their faces, a circle of 25 fi gures in
white hooded sweatshirts stood at the center of the lot, holding
down a blue tarp.
As music slowly projected from the speakers, the ghostly fi
gures lifted the tarp, re-vealing a head-on collision. A body lay
on the hood of one of the cars while cries for help came from the
other. Every 15 Minutes had arrived at Heritage High School.
While other schools in the Liberty Union High School District
have hosted the program before, this was Heritages fi rst
en-counter with the educational two-day presen-tation designed to
teach students about the realities of drinking and driving. On the
fi rst day, students watched as local law enforce-ment and safety
teams worked to rescue the victims portrayed by their peers.
Once the tarp was lifted, Steven McIn-tosh was already dead on
the hood of the car that had collided with the vehicle piloted by
Jacob Chappelle, who portrayed the drunk driver. McIntoshs driver,
Erika Gamble, remained in the car, blood cascading down her face.
Chappelles passengers, Camila Vil-laneuva and Kara Babo, could be
heard beg-ging for rescue crews to extract them from the
crumpled remains.Despite the gruesome scene, students in
the audience could be heard chuckling dur-ing the rescue
efforts. Students sitting in the stands cheered as Offi cer Roger
Wilson frisked Chappelle before cuffi ng him. It wasnt until the
coroner came to bag McIntoshs body that the gravity of the scene
began to sink in, but even after Principal Andy Parsons ex-plained
the purpose behind the grim imagery the crowd had just witnessed,
most students climbed down from the bleachers dismissing the event
as hokey since they knew it wasnt real.
Program organizer Debbie Sabatte said the students reaction was
to be expected. Kids are desensitized to it (displays of
vio-lence), so we changed the traditional format
to make it as real as possible. They laugh it off and try to
dismiss what is happening as a coping mechanism, but its the
funeral that has the greatest impact for a lot of students.
The following morning, Heritage juniors and seniors assembled
the school gymnasium, where their chirping conversations rose above
the melancholy music of Sarah McLachans Angel. Their chatter was
quashed as the sound of bagpipes echoed off the walls and six young
men in suits escorted a casket to the center of the gym.
Following the casket, a procession of family members placed
roses on the casket. After they took their seats, family members fi
nally got an opportunity to see footage from the previous days
crash. As the whimpering voice of Villaneuva echoed in the room,
cry-
ing for her mother, loved ones began to put their arms around
each other as they watched the scene unfold.
When the video was over, the crowd anxiously looked around,
waiting to catch a glimpse of the living dead. As Mariah Careys
mournful ballad One Sweet Day seeped from the speakers, the student
participants descended from the bleachers in rows of two.
Once the students took their places at the front of the gym,
selected participants were asked to read their letters to their
fami-lies aloud.
Brittney Maday was the fi rst to speak as her mother and father
stood behind her.
Dear Mom and Dad: Every 15 minutes someone is killed in an
alcohol-related inci-dent. Today I was that someone. Im sorry I
didnt tell you I love you before I left, she read calmly before
breaking into tears. Im sorry I didnt hug you.
While this was the fi rst Every 15 Minutes program at Heritage
High School, Sabatte has been organizing the event at high schools
for seven years. Her children are no longer in high school (her son
graduated from Heri-tage last year) but she said she will continue
to bring the program to students in hopes that she can prevent a
real tragedy from oc-curring:
I hope that through this program, I can keep just one student
from drinking and driving. Just one. If I can save one kids life,
thats all that matters. I might even be saving my own children by
keeping these kids from drinking and driving.
For full coverage of the Every 15 Minute program at Heritage
High School, including videos and audio slideshows and the
com-plete article, visit thepress.net.
by Samie HartleyStaff Writer
This article was originally published on June 19, 2009.
It was a cool and windy night in the An-tioch High football
stadium for the June 10 graduation ceremony in which the
graduates
tossing of a beach ball and doing a series of stand-up waves
provided more entertainment for their rowdy families and friends
than the speechifying on the stage.
The families and friends in the stands got into the act as well
when the microphones died in the middle of the Boys and Girls
Quartets performance of the National Anthem, pick-ing up where the
singers left off and fi nishing a couple of notes ahead of them to
boot.
The festivities began with the graduates marching onto the
football fi eld the boys in black robes with gold sashes and the
girls in gold robes with black sashes waving as they steadily
gained yardage from the end zone to midfi eld.
Behind and above them was the score-board, which was blank, but
should have at least given the grads seven points for having
achieved this signifi cant touchdown at the end of the fi rst
quarter in the game of life. The yardage marker could have read:
miles to go before they sleep.
As the grads fi led in, the people in the stands of all ages,
races, creeds and colors cheered, waved, clapped, smiled, laughed,
took pictures, and held up signs reading DU CUT, Congratulations,
Jordan, Go (drawing of an apple) (drawing of a bomb),
and Congratulations Bernie, adding in a footnote that Bernie had
grown up so fast.
Before the grads, families and friends could enjoy the just
desserts of their diplo-mas, they had to digest the main course of
were-going-to-miss-high-school-but-are-ea-ger-for-whats-next
speeches from the valedic-torians, salutatorians, class and school
board presidentorians, principalorian and superin-tendentorian,
some of whom fought bravely against the wind to keep their tassels
from turning into propellers and fl ying their mortar boards to
Oakley and beyond.
The chill might have added an extra twist to the tongue twister
street sweeper say that 10 times fast in School Board President
Walter Ruehligs stump graduation speech. It came out as sweet
streeper a couple of times as he quoted Martin Luther Kings advice
that even though they may end up as street sweepers they should be
the best street sweep-ers they can be.
The grads then fi led up to the stage, re-ceived their diplomas,
had their pictures taken and fi led back down some of them
throw-ing their arms in the air in relief and exulta-tion while
others looked more contemplative, as if plotting their game plan
for the second quarter of life.
by Dave RobertsStaff Writer
Antioch High graduates set for game of life
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A happy graduate resembles the Statue of Liberty as she
celebrates her liberation from Antioch High.
Photo by Dave Roberts
Heritage High School students watch as the body of Steven
McIntosh is re-moved from the scene at the Every 15 Minutes
presentation in April.
Photo by Stacey Chance
-
JANUARY 1, 2010 THEPRESS.NET | 15A
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A sampling of recent law enforcement activity reported by East
County police departments.BRENTWOODDec. 18, 7:06 p.m. An unidentifi
ed person entered a locked vehicle parked on Sand Creek Road and
vandalized it. Nothing was taken.Dec. 18, 8:03 p.m. A subject
entered a business on Lone Tree Way with the intent to commit a
theft. He attempted to leave with merchandise but was detained by
an-other subject, whom he battered. He was arrested and taken to
the Martinez Deten-tion Facility.Dec. 19, 12:32 a.m. At a
checkpoint on Sand Creek Road, a subject was found to be driving on
a suspended license.Dec. 19, 3:16 a.m. On Brentwood Boule-vard, a
subject stopped for a vehicle code violation was found to be
driving without a license.Dec. 19, 8:27 a.m. On Bypass Road at
Bal-four Road, a subject stopped for vehicle code violations was
also cited for driving a vehicle displaying expired
registration.Dec. 19, 11:25 a.m. An unidentifi ed per-son stole the
front license plate off a ve-hicle parked on Balfour Road.Dec. 19,
11:55 a.m. An unidentifi ed person purchased items in Florida using
the iden-tity of a resident of Rutherford Circle.Dec. 19, 7:22 p.m.
An unidentifi ed person threw a brick through the right rear
win-dow of a vehicle parked on Brentwood Boulevard.Dec. 19, 8:28
p.m. Four subjects in posses-sion of stolen alcohol were observed
run-ning from a business on Second Street. One of the subjects was
also found to be in pos-session of a butterfl y knife. All four
were arrested and released to their parents.Dec. 20, 3:16 a.m. On
Minnesota Avenue, a subject contacted in the street following the
report of a domestic dispute was found to be intoxicated. He was
arrested and tak-en to the Martinez Detention Facility.Dec. 20,
4:17 a.m. On OHara Avenue at Lone Tree Way, a subject stopped for
ve-hicle code violations was found to be driv-ing under the infl
uence of alcohol. He was arrested and taken to the Martinez
Deten-tion Facility.
Dec. 20, 7:59 a.m. An unidentifi ed person stole an unlocked
bicycle on Brentwood Boulevard.Dec. 20, 10:36 a.m. It was
discovered that a vehicle parked on Country Glen Lane had been
stolen during the previous evening.Dec. 20, 2:27 p.m. On Crocket
Drive, an unidentifi ed person struck a parked vehicle and fl ed
the scene.Dec. 20, 3:33 p.m. An unidentifi ed per-son entered an
unlocked vehicle parked on Marigold Drive and stole a wallet and
checkbook.Dec. 20, 9:58 p.m. At a business on Lone Tree Way, an
unidentifi ed person detained for theft bit the person detaining
him and fl ed in an unknown direction.Dec. 20, 10:52 p.m. Offi cers
of the Brent-wood Police Department responded to the report of
gunshots fi red in the vicinity of Sunrise Drive and found a
subject in pos-session of an assault rifl e and another in
possession of a fi rearm that had been re-cently discharged, plus a
controlled sub-stance for sale. Three other subjects in the group
were found to be intoxicated. All were arrested and taken to the
Martinez Detention Facility. Both weapons were confi scated.Dec.
21, 9:50 a.m. An unidentifi ed person removed the rooftop furnace
and air con-ditioning unit from a business on Brent-wood
Boulevard.Dec. 21, 4:27 p.m. An unidentifi ed per-son threw a rock
through the window of a business on Central Boulevard, causing it
to shatter.Dec. 21, 4:34 p.m. Three pairs of snow skis were stolen
from a business on Lone Tree Way.Dec. 21, 6:11 p.m. At a residence
on Cen-tral Boulevard, a subject found in violation of a protective
order was arrested and tak-en to the Martinez Detention
Facility.Dec. 21, 6:34 p.m. A resident of Jericho Court reported
that an unidentifi ed person was harassing her by phone and
e-mail.Dec. 21, 8:38 p.m. An unidentifi ed person stole the
catalytic converter from a vehicle parked on Balfour Road while the
owner was at work.Dec. 22, 12:25 a.m. On Woodfi eld Lane at
Whispering Oaks Court, a subject stopped
for vehicle code violations was found to be driving on a license
suspended for DUI. It was also discovered that the subject had an
outstanding warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and taken to
the Martinez Detention Facility. Dec. 22, 9:04 a.m. Two Brentwood
residents invested money in an interest-accumulating CD with a
company that had contacted them by telephone. They asked for their
money back when they did not receive monthly statements on time. So
far, they have not received their money back and are unable to
contact the company.Dec. 22, 3:04 p.m. Offi cers responded to the
report of a suspected marijuana grow operation at a foreclosed
property on Lynn Drive. No product was located; however, equipment
indicative of a marijuana grow operation had been left behind.Dec.
22, 5:56 p.m. In a restaurant park-ing lot on Sand Creek Road, a
driver who collided-head on with another vehicle fl ed the scene
prior to police contact, but was located in Antioch and found to be
intoxi-cated. He was arrested and taken to the Martinez Detention
Facility.
To view the Brentwood Police Depart-ments public logs on the
citys Web site, visit
www.ci.brentwood.ca.us/department/pd/reports/index.cfm.OAKLEYDec.
14 A vehicle accident with injuries occurred at Vintage Parkway at
Walnut Meadows Drive.Dec. 14 A suspicious circumstance was reported
on the 4300 block of Chenin Lane.Dec. 14 Incidents of misdemeanor
bat-tery occurred on the 1800 block of Babbe Street and the 100
block of Simon Ranch Road.Dec. 14 Grand theft from a vehicle was
reported on the 100 block of Susie Court.Dec. 14 A petty theft took
place on the 3200 block of Main Street.Dec. 14 A residence on the
1700 block of Isleton Court was vandalized.Dec. 15 A stolen vehicle
was recovered on Bedford Lane at Hagar Lane.Dec. 15 A subject was
found in posses-sion of an unlawful weapon on West Cy-press Road at
Rose Avenue.
Dec. 15 On West Home Street at Lan-dis Avenue, a subject was
cited for driving without a license.Dec. 15 Vehicles were
burglarized on the 1900 block of West Summerfi eld Court and the
1700 block of Teresa Lane.Dec. 16 Vehicles were stolen from the 800
block of Stonegate Circle and the 5300 block of Sunrise Meadows
Lane.Dec. 16 On the 5500 block of Bridgehead Road, a subject was
found to be under the infl uence of drugs.Dec. 16 Arrest warrants
were issued on the 1100 block of West Cypress Road and the 200
block of West Bolton Road.Dec. 16 A strong arm robbery was
report-ed on the 1100 block of OHara Avenue.Dec. 16 On Hazelnut
Drive at Vinewood Drive, and East Cypress Road at Machado Lane,
subjects were arrested for DUI.Dec. 16 An incident of battery took
place on the 1000 block of Neroly Road.Dec. 17 A stolen vehicle was
recovered on the 700 block of Almond Drive.Dec. 17 A subject was
found in posses-sion of dangerous drugs on the 4600 block of Live
Oak Avenue.Dec. 17 A fatal accident occurred on Ner-oly Road at
Saddle Drive.Dec. 17 Identity theft was reported on the 4000 block
of Live Oak Avenue.Dec. 18 A case of fraudulent documents was
reported on Carol Lane at Main Street.Dec. 19 An adult was reported
as miss-ing from the 400 block of Rocky Mountain Way.Dec. 19
Subjects were arrested for DUI on Live Oak Avenue at Main Street,
on Main Street at Vintage Parkway, and on Empire Avenue at Main
Street.Dec. 20 A vehicle accident with injuries was reported on
Empire Avenue at Gamay Drive.Dec. 20 Subjects were arrested for DUI
on Main Street at Norcross Lane, and on Harvest Drive at Harvest
Circle.Dec. 20 Residential burglaries were re-ported on Brown Road
at Laurel Road, and on the 2100 block of Truman Lane.Dec. 20 On the
700 block of La Brea Way, a subject was arrested for public
in-toxication.
COP LOGSFROM EMERGENCY SERVICES DISPATCH LOGS Subjects were
found in possession of an assault rifl e, a fi rearm that had been
recently discharged, and a controlled substance for sale.Dec. 20,
10:52 p.m., Brentwood
-
16A | THEPRESS.NET LOOKING BACK JANUARY 1, 2010
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Call 513-8688 to schedule your FREE consultation! Tom Hathaway,
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chances of survival are low.Aaron is currently at UCSF
undergo-
ing tests as everyone just tries to fi gure out what they are up
against, said Laura Page, executive director of Kids Helping Kids,
who recently heard of the Tanners plight. This surgery is so rare
that they have teams within teams of doctors working on this. Were
just trying to get the word out and do what we can to help.
Help will be coming in part through a fundraiser, to be held
sometime next month, that Page is organizing. According to Page,
the Tanners medical bills are stacking up, and because of the debt
they incurred with the death of Ethan, the family is facing
foreclo-sure on their home.
Aaron takes eight different medications a day to regulate his
heart and blood pres-sure, and to prevent water from building up
around his heart, said Page in a recent e-mail. Just one (of the
medications) costs $7,000 a month. They have a cap on their
insurance, which they are dangerously close to (before this recent
hospital stay and proposed sur-gery). They really need our prayers
and big miracles.
Aaron and his mom are expected to re-main at UCSF for the next
few weeks as doc-tors develop a plan and Aaron undergoes kid-ney
dialysis. He will also be given a medication designed to ease the
blood fl ow and keep his blood pressure in check.
Despite her sons dire situation, Elizabeth remains strong and
optimistic.
Aaron is in good spirits, as always, she wrote in a blog earlier
this week. He is a bit sleepy, but is still able to give the staff
a run for their money. We are waiting and praying. I cant thank
everyone enough for their sup-port and prayers, blogs and notes of
love and encouragement. It feels like our whole com-munity is
really pulling for us and I know God hears our prayers; you can
feel it, its so evident in all that is happening.
For those able to help the Tanner family, a few options are
available: a fund has been set up at the Bank of Agriculture on
Balfour Road in Brentwood; you may donate online at the Network for
Good Web site,
www.net-workforgood.org/donation/expressdonation.aspx?orgid@=208836568
and type Aaron Tanner in the donation fi eld; and to help with the
September fundraiser, call Laura Page at 925-759-4806.
Surgery from page 5A
for the Jenkins family.Were all completely overwhelmed by
all
this, said Vickee. Not just the house, but the outpouring of
love and support we have had. Its very diffi cult to put into
words. Were just so grateful.
And as for Ally, shes just happy to be home, especially now that
her new room has been made over in teal and black zebra dcor. Its
what Ive always wanted, she said.
It feels so good to be home, she said. I love being here after
living in the city for so long. Going for walks, sleeping in my
bed. I like it a lot.
The plot for the home makeover was hatched months ago, following
a conversation between Vickee and a friend regarding Allys upcoming
surgery.
It was right after we had fi nished meet-ing with the transplant
doctors where they were telling us about what to expect, and they
were going down a list of things that Ally couldnt tolerate and one
of those things was mold, said Vickee. And I started freaking out
because I had a guest bathroom with a lot of mold. So later I
called a friend of mine whose husband is in the business, and asked
if he could give us a quote on what it would take to fi x the mold,
and it snowballed from there.
More like an avalanche. Dozens of vol-unteers with myriad
talents and connections came in and out of the house over the
course of the next few months, making the improve-ments and fi
ne-tuning the details right up un-til the day the family came
home.
Oakleys a little community but they
all came together on this, said Jim DAmico, owner of Black Bear
Diner and one of the contributors to the Jenkins makeover proj-ect.
There were so many people involved I couldnt possibly name them
all, but everyone did their part.
And for now, the Jenkinses are doing their part, working on
relaxing and being together. Vickee said that Ally is sleeping well
and ad-justing to her regime of medications. She add-ed that Ally
would begin catching up on her schoolwork through Independence High
later this month, and hopes to be back on campus at Freedom High by
the fi rst of the year.
Ally is a burst of energy, said Vickee. She tires easily but
when shes awake, shes full out. I look at her and I still cant
believe it. I can still see her on life support in the hospital and
now shes home jogging. Its all so amaz-ing.
And life changing. With a new awareness, appreciation and
gratitude to the 12-year-old girl whose lungs Ally received and the
new life shes been given, Vickee said the family has a new cause:
organ donation.
When Ally was in the hospital she asked her doctor that if
something happened to her could she donate her lungs, said Vickee.
And the doctor looked right at her and said that by the time she
died she would be a little old lady and her lungs would be too
old.
But she (Ally) has thought a lot about why this has happened to
her, and we all want to encourage and bring awareness to how
im-portant it is to be a donor. The ending of our story would not
have been so happy without the gift of a donor. It wouldnt have
been the same at all.
Ally from page 5A
-
JANUARY 1, 2010 LOOKING BACK THEPRESS.NET | 17A
Its a Matter of LawBy Barbara A. Frantz
HAPPY NEW YEARS CHEERS TO NEW ALLIANCESBased on my recent
activities it looks
as though the economy is improving. Well, maybe not the economy,
but certain business enterprises. As I have always maintained, this
was not a recession, this is a new economy. The old ways of
conducting business are now producing results in some cases but not
in most. So, my recommendations throughout the year involved giving
my readers new ways of doing business. And I decided that it was
important to take my own advice, so I have joined forces with Amy
Alvis, of Living Trusts by Amy. Amy has been an attorney for 12
years, and has been a local resident for 8 years.
We will now be able to provide legal representation in broader
areas (estate planning and business advice), and there will now be
additional support to insure your matters are handled timely,
efficiently and with the integrity you have come to expect from my
office.
Combining estate planning with business representation allows us
to pro-vide legal services for both individuals and businesses, and
to provide for both simple and more complex representation in these
areas. I will still be reviewing your con-tracts, leases, and
assisting in the purchase
and sales of your businesses, but now this office can also
review your personal issues and provide you the friendly down to
earth touch that differentiates our office from typical legal
offices.
Well be at the same location for now, and you can still count on
Kathy answering your calls in her helpful manner. Our new name will
be Alvis, Frantz and Associates, a Professional Law Corporation.
Well be having an open house on Tuesday, January 26, 2009 at 5:30
pm at our offices at 9030 Brentwood Blvd., Suite B, Brentwood,
California. Well be serving fun foods and beverages. We look
forward to meeting with you sharing our celebration.
If you have any questions, please call Barbara at 925-516-1617
or Amy 925-301-7195.
Advertisement
The information above is not a substitute for seeking legal
advice. Barbara Frantz, local resident for 16 years, has 32 years
of legal expe-rience, offering proven solutions for business owners
to increase revenues and achieve their long range goals, and now
also providing solu-tions to protect what you have worked so hard
for. For a free special report on Who to contact when a loved one
passes, please call the office at 925-516-1617 or email Barbara at
[email protected]. Law Offices of Barbara A. Frantz, All Rights
Reserved.
Freedom graduate earns Silver StarThis article was originally
published on April 24, 2009.
When Nick Eslinger played quarterback for the Freedom Falcons,
he never threw a football while on his knees. For the 10 men who
were with him in Iraq last Oct. 1, though, its a good thing he
could do it with an explo-sive device.
I saw a hand come up over the wall and toss a grenade, which
landed about six to eight feet away and rolled toward my soldiers,
said Eslinger, who at the time was a fi rst lieutenant and platoon
leader with the Armys 2nd Bat-talion, 327th Infantry Regiment,
101st Air-borne Division. Without hesitation, Eslinger dove on the
grenade, pinning it between his chest and the ground. He grabbed it
with his hand as he rolled over, came to his knees, and threw it
back over the wall a second before it blew up.
There was no thought involved, Es-linger said by phone this
week. It was over before I knew what had happened.
Then again, it wasnt quite over, at least not for Eslinger. Word
of what he had done spread, and on March 16 he was awarded the
Silver Star, the countrys third-highest award for gallantry, by
Army Chief of Staff George W. Casey, Jr.
Its a weird thing to be called a hero, Eslinger said, adding
that he had been raised to be thankful and humble and not give a
lot of thought to his own exploits. It was a big surprise that such
a high-ranking offi -cer (Casey) would take time out of his busy
schedule, Eslinger said.
And what did the Armys top command-er have to say? Eslinger
chuckled.
Im not sure you can use this in the pa-per, but he said, That
took a lot of balls, Eslinger said. He said, You have more cour-age
than most of the soldiers I know. Im very honored.
Eslinger, 25, graduated from Freedom in 2002, and from West
Point Military Academy
(which he attended on a scholarship) in 2007. While in high
school, he was a standout on the football and golf teams, and he
credited his training as a Little League shortstop with giving him
the dexterity to fi eld and dispatch that potentially deadly
grounder.
Eslinger said the realization of what he had done took some time
to sink in.
It really came later that night, while I was talking with my
platoon sergeant, he said. It hit me that I could have died
tonight; my soldiers could have died tonight. His pla-toon
commander, in order to make sure Es-linger didnt dwell on the
episode and allow it to affect his future actions, put him right
back to work.
Eight hours later I was back out on pa-trol looking for the
terrorist who had thrown the grenade, Eslinger said. It took even
longer for his mother, Donna Behnke, to get a feel for what her son
had done, but that was only because Eslinger didnt tell her about
it right away.
I didnt fi nd out about it until our con-gressman called to
arrange for an interview, said Behnke, who, along with Eslingers
father Bruce, is now a resident of Texas. He never mentioned
it.
Behnke said Eslinger had been a high achiever all his life. In
addition to athletics, he served as a peer counselor at Freedom.
Hes always been service-oriented; he liked to serve other people,
she said. I would rather he not have jumped on a grenade, but Im
very proud to be his mom. I worry a little bit more now, but I do
walk on air sometimes.
Behnke said Eslinger is currently at Ft. Benning, Ga., where hes
training as a mem-ber of the 75th Rangers. Moving to the elite
special forces is just the next step in a career he credits his
parents with making possible.
Id like to thank my parents for all the support theyve given me
as I chase my dreams, he said. I feel very honored to re-ceive the
Silver Star and all the attention Ive received. My soldiers
challenge me every day, hold me to their standards, and trust me as
their leader. Being a platoon commander is the best job in the
whole world.
by Rick LemyreStaff Writer
1st Lt. Nick Eslinger receives the Silver Star from Army Chief
of Staff George Casey on March 16. While on patrol in Iraq last
October, Eslinger dove on a grenade, rolled over and threw it back
where it had come from, saving the 10 soldiers who were with
him.
Photo courtesy of Donna Behnke
-
JANUARY 1, 2010 THEPRESS.NET | 19A
-
20A | THEPRESS.NET JANUARY 1, 2010
Mann & Associates
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925-634-8811
Wow, this home is a real beauty once you open front door you
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Built in BBQ. This home is in immaculate condition. $530,000
This is a beautiful 4 bedr - 3 bath two story home with a great
floor plan. Large kitchen, breakfast nook and seperate
formal/living room. $279,900
Best buy! Single story 3 bedr - 2 bath home with cozy fireplace
in family room. Large breakfast area in kitchen.
$112,900
Wow! Best buy! Single story 3 bedr - 2 bath with cozy fireplace
in family room.
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Wow! Best buy! Single story 4 bedr - 2 bath with great spacious
floor plan.
$165,000
Nice single story home. Spacious family room, living room with
fireplace. Nice kitchen with eat in area. 3 Bedroom 2 bath, private
office space. Hardwoodflrooing,large family room and living, newer
roof. Close to schools, shopping. $180,000
Wow! Best buy! Great single story 3 bedr -2 bath on a corner
lot. With cozy fireplace and seperate living/dining room, you will
love this one!
$188,900
Big house with a big yard and a pool. Located on a court. Needs
some work but its worth it. Great commute location, close to
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Best buy! 2 Story 4 bedr - 2.5 Bath with open floor plan,
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family room and ktichen. Large office downstairs with french doors,
loft area upstairs.
$250,000
Hard to find 2 story, 4 bedroom, 2 bath home, 2 bedroom/1 bath
downstairs, 2 bedroom/1 bath upstairs.
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Single story 3 bedr 2 bath, the great room features a cozy
fireplace, media niche and vaulted ceilings. The spacious kitchen
has a breakfast bar and eating area, you will love this one!
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Huge price reduction ! Build your dream home on this custom10
acre parcel. 1 acre building pad cut into 9 acres of mature syrah
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Contra Costa.
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In proposed new Brentwood Blvd. plan to be zoned 4 acres
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Long time tenant would love to stay. Great opportunity for future
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-
2B | THEPRESS.NET SPORTS JANUARY 1, 2010
Hundreds run, walk for health, schoolsThe 33rd Annual Holiday
Run and Walk
for Health at Contra Loma Regional Park in Antioch on Dec. 12
featured 351 runners. The event will help provide funds for local
schools and libraries.
The Holiday Run and Walk for Health features a 1-mile run/walk,
a 3-mile run/walk, a 10-kilometer run and kiddie dashes for
children 7 and under. Awards are made to overall winners and
age-group winners in each race. The race-day activities also
includ-ed a Health Fair featuring vendors providing health
screening services, health information and healthy food and
drinks.
The top overall fi nishers in the 1-mile race (for children 12
and younger) were Alan Alltop of Walnut Creek, who fi nished fi rst
among the boys with a time of 6 minutes, 31 seconds, and Kristen
Black of Antioch, who fi nished fi rst among the girls with a time
of 7:24. Blacks time was the seventh fastest re-corded by a child
12 and younger in the 1-mile events history, dating back to
1991.
Finishing fi rst overall in the 3-mile race were Tony Palermini
of Antioch in the mens division with a time of 16:50, and Lisa
Pen-zel of Oakland in the womens division with a time of 21:08.
In the 10-kilometer race, Juan Gomez of Livermore fi nished fi
rst among men with a time of 36:13, while Carmen Regalado of
Antioch fi nished fi rst among the women with a time of
46:47.
The Holiday Run and Walk for Health is sponsored by the Kiwanis
Club of the Delta-Antioch and Assemblymember Tom Torlak-son, a
co-founder of the event.
I am so pleased that 351 people and their family members braved
the rainy weath-er to participate in this years Holiday Run and
Walk on our Contra Loma Regional Park courses, said Torlakson. My
thanks go to all of the volunteers and sponsors who make this great
kickoff to the holiday season possible. In addition to helping send
a healthy message to our children and our community, the Holiday
Run is a great way to support our local schools and libraries.
The Holiday Run and Walk is an excit-ing way for our club
volunteers to serve the children in our community, said Kiwanis
Club of the Delta-Antioch President Tique Lee Caul. This annual
event is one of our clubs major community activities. I want to
thank all of our runners, volunteers and event sponsors for
contributing to the Holiday Run and Walks continued success.
The Holiday Run and Walk for Healths grant awards for libraries
and schools will be made at an Awards Breakfast at 7 a.m. on
Tuesday, Jan. 26 at the Lone Tree Golf Course and Events Center in
Antioch. For more information, visit www.holidayrun.org or call
Martha Parsons at 925-890-2665.
The Kiwanis Club of the Delta-An-
tioch meets on Tuesdays at 7 a.m. at Dennys restaurant, 4823
Lone Tree Way in Antioch. You can learn more about the club at
www.delta-antiochkiwanis.org.
The top local fi nishers in each race by age group included
(full results are available at www.holidayrun.org): 1-mile
Run/Walk: Overall Female Kristen Black (Antioch), 7:24; Females Age
1-6 Cataliya OConnor (Antioch), 10:08; Females age 7-9 Camille
Dyars (Antioch), 8:44; Females Age 10-12 Kristen Black (Antioch),
7:24. 3-mile Run/Walk: Overall Male Tony Palermini (Antioch),
16:50; Males Age 10-12 Alex Robinson (Antioch), 23:09; Males Age
13-15 Nick Wedl (Antioch), 22:12; Males Age 16-18 Thomas Plowright
(Brentwood), 17:09; Males Age 19-24 Tony Palermini (Antioch),
16:50; Males Age 30-34 Jeff Bilodeau (Brentwood), 20:11; Males Age
35-39 Chris Hoye (Oakley), 32:37; Males Age 45-49 Mark Luna
(Antioch), 23:16; Males Age 50-59 Grant Kiba (Brentwood), 22:25;
Males Age 60-69 Paul Murphy (Oakley), 23:42; Males Age 70 and up
Bob Hall (Antioch), 56:48; Females Age 1-9 Maddy Hoye (Oakley)
34:23; Fe-males Age 10-12 Megan Bonwell (Antioch), 27:55; Females
Age 13-15: Stephanie Siemens (Antioch), 22:43; Females Age 16-18
Fiona James (Antioch), 23:05; Females Age 25-29 Melissa Madrigal
(Antioch), 30:45; Females Age 30-34 Tina Bilodeau (Brentwood),
25:42; Females Age 45-49 Joyce Stephenson (Antioch), 29:11; Females
Age 50-59 Kristy Sarconi (Antioch), 31:56; Females Age 60-69 Janan
Roybal (Antioch), 30:54; Females Age 70 and up Patricia Brown
(Antioch), 49:44. 10-Kilometer Run: Overall Females: Carmen
Regalado (Antioch), 46:47; Males Age 14-18 Paul Matejcek (Antioch),
36:48; Males Age 30-39 Jason OConnor (Antioch), 41:53; Males Age
60-69 Den-nis Tracy (Brentwood), 44:58; Females Age 14-18 Cora
Williams (Brentwood), 46:59; Females Age 19-29 Carmen Regalado
(An-tioch), 46:47; Females Age 30-39 Maria Bruno (Brentwood),
50:15; Females Age 50-59 Jenny Everard (Antioch), 56:28.
Athletic League championship for the fi rst time in the young
schools history, posting a 14-1 league record (19-4 overall). In
the fall Molsberry did likewise with the Heritage girls tennis
team, which also won the BVAL championship for the fi rst time,
posting a 14-1 league record (16-1 overall). Freedoms Bob Harris
and Antiochs Kaitlyn Simmaro won the individual titles. Freedom
teams dominated on the diamond this year. The girls softball team,
led by ace pitcher and power hitter Hannah Williams,
fi nished 23-4 overall and were undefeated in league play.
Unfortunately, the Falcons lost the NCS championship game 2-0 to a
tough Livermore team. The boys baseball team went all the way,
however, beating De La Salle 3-0 in the Oakland Coliseum on the
strength of Freedoms star lefty Billy Wardell, who threw a
one-hitter and went 10-1 on the season. Wardell twice scraped
himself up off the dirt after suffering inju-ries in playoff games
to get the wins. Deer Valley dominated in most of the fall sports.
The girls golf team went undefeated
in league play and won the BVAL team title, although Lauren
Condor of Heritage three-peated as individual champion. The Deer
Valley girls water polo team shared the league title with Liberty.
The Wolverines girls volleyball team had another powerhouse year,
going undefeated in league play (24-12 overall) and making it into
the third round of the NCS playoffs. And Deer Valleys football team
was near-ly unstoppable all season, going 11-0 before fi nally
falling in a surprising 0-26 loss to Pittsburg, a team they had
beaten earlier
35-33, in perhaps the most exciting game of the BVAL season. The
fi nal chapter has yet to be written on the winter sports now
underway, but excit-ing things will be happening. Liberty,
Heri-tage and Deer Valley are fi elding strong girls basketball
teams. The Deer Valley, Freedom and Heritage boys basketball teams
have posted winning preseasons. In soccer, the Freedom and Liberty
girls have kicked off their seasons strong, but there looks to be
more parity in boys play this year so far.
To comment, visit www.thepress.net.
Highlights from page 1B
Assemblyman Tom Torlakson addresses the runners before the
be-ginning of the 1-mile race.
Photo courtesy of Craig Cheslog
-
JANUARY 1, 2010 LOOKING BACK THEPRESS.NET | 3B
Remarkable Relay for LifeThis article was originally published
on June 19, 2009.
It all seemed so random: There was a Star Wars Storm Trooper,
boys wearing bras, people receiving back rubs; a jogger checking
his watch, an older woman resting on a bench, footballs and soccer
balls sailing about; the driving jazz emanating from the
stage, the soft glow of hundreds of luminaria.
There was, of course, a uniform purpose to all the activity
going on at Liberty High Schools Ohmstede Stadium last weekend:
cancer. More specifi cally, the hundreds of people circling the
track, handing out food,
selling glow sticks and manning booths festooned with signs like
the one that read Save the Ta Tas! were there to support survivors
of the dreaded disease, remember those who had succumbed, and raise
money for a cure.
Locals mustered nearly 100 teams to take turns walking during
the 24-hour event, and many more, such as I, did so on their own.
For me, it was in remembrance of my mother, Barbara, and nephew,
Matthew, who were taken by cancer, and to bolster my cousin Karen
and friend Carol, whose battles continue.
The hundreds of volunteers who played music, counted money,
signed up walkers, hung banners and emptied trash bins not only
transformed Ohmstede Stadium from a football fi eld into a joyful,
energy-fi lled venue, they brought the community together as a
whole, no mean feat. Previously, the CornFest had been the big
social event of the year in Brentwood. That celebration of food,
family and fun is still the best such event around, but in my mind,
the Relay For Life and its mission to celebrate, remember and fi
ght back might just have supplanted it as the premier, go-to event
each year.
Event chair Jeff Schults and his co-chair Joy Benson, along with
the tireless work done by many others this year and in previous
years, have made it so. Together they raised more than $200,000
this time around, a remarkable achievement.
More importantly, theyve all provided a way for people to
demonstrate the true meaning of community in all the wonderfully
diverse ways I saw last weekend. For all who were there, and who
saw the powerful good that can come from uniting for a cause, the
event meant more than just the money it contributed to the fi ght
against cancer. It was an affi rmation of life that will stay with
them long after cancer is only mentioned in history books. Thank
you for that.
The 2010 Relay For Life will be held May 1 and 2 in Oakley, June
12 and 13 in Brentwood, and June 26 and 27 in Antioch. For more
information, visit www.relay.acsevents.org.
ONDEADLINE
RICKLEMYRE
-
4B | THEPRESS.NET SPORTS JANUARY 1, 2010
The East Bay Stars continued their dominance on the diamond with
a 4-0 performance in the Super Series 19U Wood Bat Only Tournament
in Sacramento, taking the team to a 12-0 record. Comprised of local
players 15 to 18 years of age, the Stars scored an impressive 23
runs while their solid defense and pitching allowed only three. In
the front row, from left, are Coach Mark Leasure, Ryan Morris,
Jason Gregory and Justin Chase; back row: Coach Steve Brown, Coach
Ken Leasure, Jack Sawyer, Scott Harris, Austin Evanski, Robert
Ramos, Dylan Fahkimi, James Shropshire and Ryan Heinle.
Stars wield the wood
Photo courtesy of Mark Leasure
Brentwoods NorCal Titans baseball club has been a success both
on and off the eld. The Titans now eld ve teams in four age
divisions (9U, 10U, 11U and two 12U teams) elding not merely
top-level athletes, but diligent students 21 of its players have
earned Honor R