YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER

Natio

nalAwardWinning Newspapers

THIS WEEK

FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A

Room for improvement

The Heritage gridiron warriors arent satified with last seasons merely respectable results.

Page 1B

Weigh in! Add your two cents.Comment on news stories, letters to the editor and blogs at www.thepress.net. See page 20A.

Calendar ..........................23BClassifieds ........................14BCop Logs ..........................16AEntertainment ................10BFood .................................12BHealth & Beauty ...............8BMilestones .........................6BOpinion ...........................15ASports .................................1BTalk About Town ..............5AWebExtras! .......................1B

INSIDE

Vol. 7, No. 33 Including Surrounding Communities www.thepress.net August 14, 2009

CSD approves staff pay increases

The Discovery Bay CSD Board has approved raises for four of the towns district staff, agreeing to bring the salaries up to a low hourly rate based on the California Special District Associations (CSDA) guidelines.

The topic of salary in-creases was first brought before the board a year ago by General Manager Virgil Koehne, who has been vo-cal in his frustration over the boards reluctance to approve the staff raises as well as a benefits package.

I know this is probably a hot topic for the board, said Koehne at the Aug. 5

regular CSD meeting. But staff has in the past gone out to look at CSDA numbers and every year they put out a salary rate that a lot of us have based on similar posi-tions, and according to their survey all but one position is below the low average of salary surveys. I would like to recommend increasing the base salaries.

CSD President Ray Tet-reault said he was inclined to bring the raises along, calling it a pretty good bump.

My first thought was to maybe wait for the new GM, but thats going to be a good four to six months. But were not talking retroactive?

I was thinking retro-active (to November), an-swered Koehne.

Think again, said Tet-reault, who later agreed to a retroactive date of July 1.

Treasurer Dave Dove was in favor of bringing the sala-ries up to the average level, but Tetreault said the salary levels could be examined and

reestablished, if necessary, by the new GM.

Were going to approve the dollar amount of the low rate that is established, said Tetreault. The new GM could say its not high enough or whatever but this (cur-rent increase) will at least bring them up to what we per-ceive as acceptable.

Although the board ap-proved the staff raises, 5-0, it steered clear of addressing Koehnes previous request for staff benefits. A lot of them (other similar districts) have full benefits, and I realize the board will not go there said Koehne.

Well, a lot of those

by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer

see Increases page 22A

Students at Old River Elementary School in Byron got a chance to visit their favorite states without leaving the blacktop, thanks to members of the Discovery Bay CSD Board and General Manager Virgil Koehne, who put paintbrushes to pavement recently as they beauti ed and freshened up the campus for the new school year.

States of the school

Photo by Richard Wisdom

Community Services Dis-trict legal staff is examining a pair of board members at-tendance at Sheriff s Munici-pal Advisory Council (SMAC) meetings and whether payments they received from the CSD were proper.

CSD Board policy states that directors may receive $100 stipends for attending meetings conducted under the Ralph M. Brown Act open meeting law, or that have been previously sanc-tioned by the CSD Board as a whole and for which a written report is fi led. Qualifying meet-ings include regular CSD Board meetings, special subcommittee meetings, and county-level gath-erings of representatives from all

the advisory councils that advise to the Board of Supervisors on items of community interest.

The SMAC is a group of business people, staff from Rec-lamation District 800, citizens and other persons with an inter-est in Discovery Bay. The group was set up by Sheriff Warren Rupf in 2005 to provide an open discussion and an exchange of information about the Dis-covery Bay area, Rupf said. Its members were informally select-ed, according to Rupf, repre-senting a good cross-section of the community as best we could fi gure it out.

Rupf said the CSD Board was invited to participate in the meetings after he ended the practice of assigning deputies to

Council looks into SMAC payments

see SMAC page 22A

by Rick LemyreStaff Writer

Youve sold your case Were going to give them a raise; thats what its going to be.

CSD President Ray Tetreault

Schools get I.T. infusionA high-tech gizmo called Thin Computing is making the Byron school district a high-efficiency operation.

Page 10A

Lawmen get leg room

The Discovery Bay Sheriffs annex will soon open its doors, usher-ing in a new era in the towns law enforcement.

Page 3A

1300 Central Blvd. Brentwood

Lori Abreu(925) 216-6317Owner/Broker www.DeltaRanches.com

Cerelle Carstairs(925) 382-4307

Real Estate Agent

This property has an elegant tree lined drive, fenced pasture, RV parking, swimming pool and much more! There are 7 level acres, 7 acres for grazing or planting PLUS plans for a 2nd home. Call Lori for details. Price reduced to $599,000

ASK A

BOUT

OWNER

FINANC

ING!

Wonderful family home located in the desirable Daybreak area of Antioch. This 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath home is spacious and light and waiting for a new family. Priced at $233,000

PENDIN

G

Great deal, 5.98 acres with custom single story 3 bdrm. 2 ba. home located down private lane. Beautiful tile floors and loft upstairs. Mountains are surrounding this retreat in paradise. $610,000

Awesome Condo located in the Terraces at Dublin Ranch! 2 bed-room and 2..5 baths, 1428 square feet. Interior access to under-ground garage parking. Beautiful 3 story unit. $329,000

SOLD

This is a 5 bdrm. 3 ba. 3,662 sf home on a large lot with pool. Located in Deer Ridge, its close to schools.

Priced at $391,050

Priced to sell! Great opportunity, darling country 3 bdrm. 2 ba. home on private road surrounded by nice custom homes. Huge barn/shop on property. Close to town and shops. $360,000

Lg 4 bdrm. 3 ba. two story home on good size lot. Mostly tile floors downstairs, dk wood in kitchen & on staircase. Open floor plan. Bank owned. New sod in front and back yard. Nice court location. $369,900

Awesome home in the Lakes of Discovery Bay! Huge 3714 square foot home with granite countertops and island. 4 bedroom and 3 baths. Large, landscaped rear yard. $282,150

4901 Briones Valley Rd., Brentwood 4037 Moraine Ct, Antioch 9671 Deer Valley Road, Brentwood

3727 Dublin Blvd., Dublin 2800 Blue Oak Court, Brentwood 91 Lozoya, Oakley

427 Del Monte Court, Brentwood 6873 New Melones Cir., Discovery Bay

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. $200,000

Nestled in a nice neighborhood and close to schools is this 4 bdrm. 2.5 ba. 2,124 sf home with a pool. Nice deck and patio for entertaining. Priced at $650,000

0 E Cypress Road, Oakley 2250 Camino Brazos, Pleasanton

PENDIN

G

PENDIN

G

This two story, two car garage, 5 bdrms. 3 ba. home has 2,388 sf. Backyard has concrete patio for entertaining. Inside needs a little TLC. Priced at $184,000

2823 Sunflower Circle, Stockton

PENDIN

G

PENDIN

G

PREFERRED VENDOR: Dan Peterson, Home Mortgage Consultant, FHA Specialist with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. Free appraisal at close of escrow if you utilize Dan Peterson at 5611 Lone Tree Way, Suite 150, Brentwood. Please call his office at 925-516-3367.

PENDIN

G

Across from Liberty H.S. in the Safeway

Shopping Center

START THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR OFF RIGHT!

1135 2nd Street, Brentwood240-8734

www.TutoringClub.com

Reading Math WritingAlgebra & Geometry too!

CALL

4A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY AUGUST 14, 2009

DELTA FAMILY YMCAYour Community Partner

HEALTH & FITNESS

PEEWEE PROGRAMS

YOUTH SPORTS PROGRAMS

TEEN PROGRAMS

FAMILY PROGRAMS

SENIOR PROGRAMS

CHILD CARE SITES AVAILABLE IN ANTIOCH, OAKLEY, DISCOVER Y BAY & KNIGHTSEN

925 .625 .93331250 OHara Avenue, Oakley

$10 OFF FLAG FOOTBALL

Sign up now thru 9/10/09

*$99 offer includes any frame up to $130, single vision, ST28 lined bifocals or standard Instinctive no-line bifocals with scratch-resistant plasticlenses excluding Rayban and SunSpot Collection. Some special orders excluded. Additional charge may be applied for strong Rx. Bifocalsand/or progressives, specialty lenses and lens options are additional. **Offer includes any frame up to $100.00. FREE warranty andpolycarbonate lenses for any child 16 and under. See optician for details. Cannot be combined with another offer, vision care plan, packagepricing or prior orders. Participating stores only. Void where prohibited by law. Eye exams performed by independent state licensed Doctors ofOptometry. Offer ends August 29, 2009.

$49 FREE Impact andScratch-ResistantPolycarbonate Lenses FREE UV ProtectionFREE WARRANTY!KIDS EYEGLASS PACKAGE**CONTACT LENS OFFER

MKT CODE: NP

CALL 1-877-JCPEYES SHOP JCPEYES.com

covers breakage and scratches or until the eyeglassesare outgrown or the prescription changes

ACUVUE 2

After $20 Mail-In Manufacturers Rebate and 8 box purchase.Valid prescription required. See optician for details. Cannot be combined

with any other offer, vision care plan, package pricing or prior orders.Offer ends August 29, 2009.

$1549

$99COMPLETE PAIR OF EYEGLASSES*

FREE NO-LINEBIFOCALS!

LIMITED TIME ONLY!

Any frame up to $130 Scratch-resistant lenses Single vision, lined bifocals or

We Accept Most Vision Care Plans. Call today for your eye exam or bring in your RX.

JCPenney Optical

Antioch: The Orchard at Slatten Ranch (925) 779-1844

The Third World becomes a special world

The intent behind Ryann Newmans trip to the forests of Bosnia was to make a difference in the lives of others. But as Newman quickly discovered, the life that was most impacted was her own.

I went into this really wanting to make an imprint on them (the people of Bosnia), said Newman, 29. But the im-print, Ive learned, was really on me.

The Oakley resident and Los Meda-nos College student has recently returned from a month abroad: two weeks in Bos-nia followed by another two weeks in Cro-atia as part of a group called International Student Volunteers, Inc.

The nonprofi t organization offers vol-unteer opportunities to students around the world in a variety of conservation and community development projects. Travel with a purpose is how the program is billed, and whats different about the organization is that following a two-week volunteer stint, students have the option of continuing on for another two-week adventure tour in a nearby host country.

Newman, who chose Bosnia as her volunteer location largely because I wanted to go to a place where I wouldnt typically go, spent two weeks clearing for-ests, building bridges and restoring trails. And despite the fact that the war there ended nearly 15 years ago, Newman said the people and the countryside still bear

the scars of the confl ict.Its a gorgeous, gorgeous country,

said Newman. but you can still see the ef-fects of the war: bullet holes in houses and missing parts of roofs, things like that. At

fi rst they (local residents) couldnt under-stand why we were there the concept of volunteering because basically they work just to survive. But they were so kind to us, so accepting.

Newman and her 11 co-workers stayed in a tiny town called Kakanj and made the trek each morning up the mountain to the Mehoric forest, where they spent the day clearing the forest of garbage (they didnt understand that a plastic bottle buried 20 years ago is still there) and working side by side with forestry employees.

While the accommodations were primitive no toilets, hot water or show-ers the hospitality was fi rst-rate. Each day a woman who lived nearby would visit Newmans group, bringing them food and materials to help them get acclimated to their surroundings. Even the mayor got into the act, said Newman, periodically sending people from the village up to the mountain with additional supplies.

That was really appreciated, said Newman. Because it took us over an hour to get into town. People just couldnt do enough for us; they were so gracious. Ive made some friends there for life.

And with no TVs, iPods or computers to distract them, Newman and her group had plenty of time to make friends. We all became very close very quickly by shar-ing this experience, she said. We would spend hours just drinking coffee around the camp and talking. I had books that I brought and I didnt even get to them.

The fi rst couple of days were hard; I went in expecting hot water and showers and toilets, but got used to bathing in the

Ryann Newman, center, works on building a bridge in Mehoric, Bosnia. The Oakley resident spent two weeks this summer working in the forests of Bosnia as part of an international volunteer group.

Photo courtesy of Ryann Newman

by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer

see Third World page 19A

AUGUST 14, 2009 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 5A

Thousands of East County homeowners are needlessly losing their homes to foreclosure. If the value of your home is now less than your loan, if your adjustable monthly mortgage payment has increased or if you are behind on payments, Brule & Rooney can negotiate with your lender to stop foreclosure and modify the loan, often with low xed interest rates for 30 or 40 years and even reducing the balance owed! Your home is important.

Let Brule & Rooney, LLP, licensed local attorneys, represent your interests in negotiating a loan modi cation with your lender for a reasonable xed fee-- no surprises. Call now for a free 1/2 hour consultation with an attorney.

Danville Antioch

The Loan Fitness Counselors

925-934-7400www.BruleRooney.net

Feel like your home Feel like your home is sinking?is sinking?

Loan Modifi cation help Loan Modifi cation help is one call away!!is one call away!!

TALK ABOUT TOWN Have an item? E-maileditor@brentwoodpress.com.This weeks Gratuitous Detail Award goes to the Brentwood Police of cer who logged an in-cident involving a woman who pushed another womans head into a vehicle after she had grabbed the woman by her hairpiece. But who knows? Maybe some arcane Brentwood ordi-nance metes out special punishment for toupee transgressions.

In case you were wondering why re- ghters like Jimmy Laughlin, seen here at Balfour Road and Fairview Av-enue in Brentwood, were standing in traf c brandishing footwear recently, it was all part of the Fill the Boot fund-raising effort for the Muscular Dys-trophy Association. Members of the International Association of Fire Fight-ers have been doing the same thing all across the country in recent months, raising hundreds of thousands of dol-lars to help ght the dreaded disease, while at the same time making local gridlocks a bit more interesting.

Red means stop or is it yield? Driv-ers making a right-hand turn from Discovery Bay Boulevard onto Willow Lake Road recently might have felt like they passed into the Twilight Zone. It seems the county and Public Works Department are in a push-me-pull-you predicament as to whether the turn

from DB Boulevard onto Willow Lake Road should be controlled by a stop sign or a yield sign. Over the past few weeks the signs have changed so often that drivers have been stopped and ticketed for going through a stop sign that the day before was a yellow yield. Frustration abounds, but hope springs eternal that the powers that be will eventually become of one mind or at least one sign.

Citizens of Oakley and neighboring communities came out big time to support Ally Jenkins on Monday night during a fundraiser at Oakleys Black Bear Diner. Nearly $12,000 was raised

the sandwiches sold out in just two hours to support the Oakley teen stricken with pulmonary hypertension on July 27 and remains in intensive care at UCSF. Special T-shirts have been made to raise money for Allys trust fund. The shirts, which cost $15, are available at the Diner, located at 3201 Main St. Also on sale are special wrist-bands, and a custom-made Johnny Cash afghan blanket, on display at the Diner, is being raf ed off as well. The fund-raising continues all this month at Yogurt Pizazz in Brentwood. For more information, visit www.caringbridge.org/visit/allyjenkins.

Compiled by Press Staff

6A | THEPRESS.NET HISTORY AUGUST 14, 2009

Did you know that the YMCA practically invented basketball, volley-ball, softball, camping, adult educa-tion, Boy Scouts, Fathers Day and much more? Its true: the YMCA has been around for 165 years and more than 50 years in Contra Costa County.

My name is Bob Wollenzien and I have spent more than 35 years in the YMCA movement, recently taking on the responsibility of developing and expanding services in East County. Although the YMCA in East County is focused primarily in Oakley and An-tioch, were looking to reach out into the Pittsburg, Brentwood, Knightsen and Discovery Bay communities. The YMCAs current facility, slated for expansion, is located in Oakley and is available to all East County residents.

What are the needs of our com-munities? The YMCA is in the process of asking residents and business lead-ers that question. The Mount Diablo Region YMCA is conducting a needs assessment as it relates to a strategic planning process to help provide a direction for the YMCA over the next fi ve years. Although the YMCA does plan on running programs such as aquatics, youth sports, childcare, health and wellness in most if not all

of East County, programs such as job training, ESL, healthy cooking and affordable after-school programs could all be part of new opportunities and programs.

As you can tell from our mis-sion statement The Mount Diablo Region YMCA is a values-based as-sociation founded on Judeo-Christian principles, dedicated to enriching the lives of all people through programs that strengthen the spirit, mind and body the YMCA is a broad and diverse organization. Our programs are developed and created based on the needs of the people and commu-nity we serve thats what makes the YMCA unique. Program development has and will continue to be part of our history.

What are your needs and those of your community? If theres a gap, think about the Y. We will work with you to help meet those needs.

What can you expect in the next fi ve years? An Expanded YMCA facil-ity, diverse programs in ALL of East County, a YMCA thats the hub of the community, a safe place for children, teens, adult and seniors. Please contact us at 925-625-9333 for more informa-tion on the YMCA and its programs.

YMCA looks to the future

Advertisement

Lake Tahoe the odyssey of a name

How many know that a famous Brentwood-Byron pioneer, Robert Dean, was responsible for naming Lake Tahoe?

Dean was born in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. in 1831. Arriving in California in 1850, he fi rst tried his luck in the gold fi elds. By 1853 he was working in the Brentwood area as a haying hand on Dr. John Marshs huge Rancho Los Meganos. In 1854, Dean was collecting blueberries along the banks of the San Joaquin River near Stockton when a giant grizzly at-tacked. Only the arrival of friends saved his life. The bear was killed but only af-ter Deans abdomen was ripped open by the enraged beast. Dean spent the next six months recovering from his dreadful wounds.

Dean eventually returned to the gold fi elds, ran a hotel in the Sierras, and par-ticipated in the famous Comstock silver rush. He returned to Brentwood in 1870 and worked for the Balfour-Guthrie and McNear grain interests. As a business-man, banker and newspaper writer, Dean was well known throughout the county. This article is largely based on his per-sonal papers that were recently donated to the Contra Costa History Society. In his own handwriting, there is a detailed description of how Lake Tahoe received its name. These notes were the basis for a

short article that appeared in a 1908 edi-tion of Sunset Magazine

In 1852 the state legislature received word that a large, ill-prepared party of

immigrants were attempting to cross the Sierra. Money was hastily appropriated and the Democratic governor, John Bi-gler, quickly dispatched supplies to the

Sierra. Bigler and friends arrived in the Tahoe basin with the supply-laden pack train. In those early days, Lake Tahoe was informally known as Mountain Lake. The governor and his friends took the op-portunity to enjoy the valleys excellent fi shing and hunting.

Evidently the behavior of our poli-ticians has changed little in 150 years. Although in reality it was the California taxpayers who were responsible, the gov-ernor had few problems accepting the credit from the grateful immigrants. Big-lers large party then proceeded to Hang-town (later known as Placerville). A large, festive banquet was held in appreciation of the immigrants rescue. After the par-ticipants had swallowed numerous toasts, one of the governors friends proposed that Mountain Lake be renamed Bigler Lake. The well-oiled crowd enthusiasti-cally adopted this suggestion.

For the next 10 years, Bigler Lake went unchallenged. With the outbreak of the Civil War, Bigler was revealed as a strong Southern, pro-slavery sympa-thizer and an active participant in a plot to separate California from the Union. In 1862, Dean was the manager of a popu-lar resort hotel beside Bigler Lake, and a staunch Republican and strong Lincoln supporter. He became increasingly upset that this beautiful lake was named after

Lake Tahoe would be known today as Bigler Lake if not for the efforts of Brentwood-area resident Robert Garwood Dean, seen here in around 1920 with his wife, Jerusha. Dean led the effort to change the lakes name because of the pro-slavery, pro-Southern posture of its original namesake, Gov. John Bigler.

Photo courtesy of Contra Costa History Center

William MeroJohn Marsh Historical Trust

see Tahoe page 8A

AUGUST 14, 2009 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 7A

School Band RentalsFlute, Clarinet, Sax, Trumpet, T Bone, etc.

Music Lessons Voice, Guitar, Piano, Drums, etc.

Sales & ServiceInstrument Repair, Music Books, etc.

Gills Music www.gillsmusic.net 22 888882008 GOL

D MEDALAWARD

Since 1979

757-2323 331 Sunset Dr., Antioch

(Next to Highway 4)

516-2330 3860 Balfour Rd.,

Brentwood

/0%..)'(437%%+%.$3s,/#!4)/.3.%!2"902/&%33)/.!,!&&/2$!",%

2%6)4!,):%9/52"/$97)4(/542%7/2+).'9/52

3#(%$5,%

||

Franchises Available | MassageEnvy.com | Convenient Hours

$ *

Introductory 1-HourMassage Session

(555) 555-5555555

49

Open 7 days. M-F 8am-8pm, Sat 8am-8pm, Sun 8am-8pm

*Valid for first one hour session whichconsists of a 50-minute massage and time

for consultation and dressing. Pricessubject to change. Rates and servicesmay vary by location. Additional localtaxes and fees may apply. 2009

Massage Envy Limited, LLC.

BRENTWOOD

* Valid for first one hour session which consists of 50 minute massage and time for consultation and dressing. 2009 Massage Envy Limited, LLC.

CONVENIENT HOURSMon-Fri 9 am-9 pm Sat 9 am-8 pm Sun 10 am-6 pm MassageEnvy.com

BRENTWOOD2465 Sand Creek Road, Suite 112The Streets of Brentwood between AT&T and ULTA

(925) 516-1818

Advertisement

MORE PHANTOM INCOME ISSUESIve been doing more research into the

issue surrounding tax owed on phantom income in regards to cancelled debt. This is where you may owe ordinary income tax on any debt you owe that is cancelled. This is something of a hot topic these days with all the people going through short sales, foreclosures, or loan modifications. [Ive mentioned this many times before, but its worth repeating. There is an exclusion to paying this tax if you are insolvent, which means your debts exceed your assets.]

I discovered two items of interest recently. One I should have been aware of, the other was not quite so obvious.

The first one is that cancellation of debt income is NOT just for mortgage debt. So this means if you have HOA dues that are forgiven, or property taxes, or any other bill that is cancelled or forgiven, you may have phantom income tax due. I think most of us in real estate assume that the phantom income situation deals only with the loans on your home, but it is much

broader than that, unfortunately. So this can apply at any point in your life if you have a car loan cancelled, student loan forgiven, etc. There is an exclusion if the lender intended to cancel this debt as a gift to you. So if your debt was owed to a relative, you might be able to make the gift exclu-sion work if that was their intent, but that may cause other wrinkles in regards to their estate and gift taxes.

Ill talk about the second issue I just discovered in my next article. It is some-thing that may cause the phantom income tax issue hang over your head for years to come.

Please see the appropriate tax/legal expert for advice in regards to your specific 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

Not sure 50s so niftyFor all you youngsters out there and

by youngster I mean anyone under the age of 49 this column might not interest you. Its a horror story really, because the day you wake up and realize you are a half-century old, you are consumed by a spine-tingling, blood- chilling, nauseating sensation.

Fifty sneaks up on you. Cliches like Where did the time go? and Is this it? suddenly apply to your life! I guess spending 20 years raising kids, trying to keep your marriage together and juggling bills and mortgage payments keeps you in such a frenzy of activity that

one day you wake up and youre old! I have about two weeks left before the fateful day of reckoning.

My teenagers are reveling in the glory of it all. They know I am petrifi ed. They count down the moments and love to twist the knife. Can you believe youre going to be fi fty, Mom? they ask with cruel delight in their eyes. Can you be a grandma at 50?

Yes, I secretly say to myself, but pray that my daughters dont make it so. Yet.

My sons try to make me feel better by saying I look good for my age. Dont you hate that little add-on? What should 50 look like, anyway? Phyllis Diller? I fi nd Im spending more time staring at my face in the mirror with my reading glasses on. As I view the fright fest, I vow to get a second job and get all the expensive treatments avail-able at my dermatologists offi ce. I make a note to buy really good vitamins and apply sunscreen daily.

My husband turned 50. He doesnt seem concerned at all! I guess men like wrinkles and dry skin. Perhaps its a sign of power and hard work. He still whistles and

seems content with himself. (I must say he did stop whistling for a moment the day he received his AARP card in the mail).

I want to know who gave my name to the Scooter Store. Why do I keep getting their e-mails offering free fi nancing for a Scooter Chair and a free Handy Grabber? What is a Handy Grabber? Why, its that clever claw-like contraption that allows you to grab things like, oh I dont know, maybe denture cream off the counter while sitting in your Scooter Chair! Ahhhhh!

Im beginning to glance over my shoulder, expecting to see the grim reaper standing there. In a panic, Im wearing younger and younger clothes. I expect that soon Ill be shopping at The Childrens Place. Seriously, last week I bought a beach cover-up at Justice for Girls in size 16 (their largest size.) Pathetic! I am fi nding younger and younger men attractive. I fl irted with a 20-year-old kid at a skate shop. He was probably really creeped out. Hey, can I be arrested for that?

At 50 you are also encouraged to put yourself through a lot of grueling and hu-miliating medical tests. Katie Couric scared the heck out of me with her story about her poor husband dying of colon cancer. Tragic. So I thought I would get it over with. I know I had the delightful procedure done at a hos-pital, but quite honestly I think it was really Roto-Rooter! By the way, I will never eat lemon Jello again, as that is the only thing you can eat the day before the procedure. I ate two large serving bowls of it. Blah!

My 7-year-old daughter recently put it all in perspective for me. I still lie with her at night before she falls asleep. I dont mind. I love gazing at her soft and dewy line-less face. Her long lashes and rosy lips. As I was admiring her, she asked, Can you look this way? I want to see your beautiful face. As she dozed off I realized that to her, I will always be beautiful, no matter how old I am. Maybe turning 50 isnt so scary after all.

HANGIN INTHERE

VICKI MCKENNA

a Lincoln hater and active Confederate sympathizer.

During the long evenings, sitting around the hotels fi replace, the hotel resi-dents discussed the bloody events on the Eastern battlefi elds. Dean and his guests decided that the least that they could do for the Union cause was to rid California of this monument to Biglers rebel memory.

After a few drinks to lubricate their imaginations, they agreed that the best name would be the one used by the Na-tive Americans who lived near the lake. The next day, Dean visited Captain Jim, leader of the local Walker River Indians. Captain Jim told Dean that the tradi-tional name for the lake was Tahoo or

big water. When Dean reported back to his friends and guests, the Indian name was adopted by unanimous consent. It was decided that the lake would now be known as Lake Tahoo.

With the approval of his friends, Dean wrote to the Republican editors of the Sacramento Union, at that time one of the most infl uential newspapers in the state. The newspaper embraced his sug-gestion and published a fi ery editorial supporting the new name for the Sierra lake. Other pro-Union newspapers took up the cause. The patriotic and gener-ally pro-Union public very quickly ac-cepted the new name. However, there was one slight accident. Due to a typo in the Unions original editorial, the lake now became known throughout California as Lake Tahoe rather than Lake Tahoo.

However, as it turned out, the fi ght over naming Lake Tahoe was far from over. After the Civil War, the Republican Party split over nominating a gubernato-rial candidate. John Bidwell was defeated at the 1867 Republican nominating con-vention by an unpopular candidate from Southern California. The Republicans were in disarray, which led to a subse-quent sweep of the state house and legis-lature by a resurgent Democratic Party.

Revenge was sweet for the jubilant Democrats. One of the fi rst items on their political agenda was to erase the Republi-can insult to the memory of their beloved Bigler. After a short but intense lobbying campaign, the legislature overwhelmingly passed a bill offi cially renaming the mag-nifi cent body of water Bigler Lake.

Offi cial state documents and maps were soon published referring to the giant lake as Bigler Lake. Nevertheless, the general public wisely ignored the com-mand of the state legislature. Within a few years the Bigler Lake name was forgot-ten. The Republican-dominated federal government also ignored the Democratic name change. On federal topographic and geologic maps, Lake Tahoe continued as the primary, recognized name.

In 1870, Dean returned to Brentwood and was made superintendent of the old Marsh Rancho, where he had once worked as a haying hand. He also became a suc-cessful banker and grain shipper, build-ing warehouses in Brentwood and Byron. Perhaps his most enjoyable personal ac-tivity was as a part-time correspondent for the Byron Times. He wrote a gossipy, weekly column (the Rye-patch Gang) that poked fun at the foibles of the local citizens. He was proud of his historic role in naming Lake Tahoe. On April 14, 1920 Dean died, a famous and beloved local pioneer who had seen the transition of California from a primitive, raw frontier to a state fi lled with prosperous farms and modern cities.

It should be noted that the act re-naming the water body as Bigler Lake has never been offi cially rescinded by our state legislature. Therefore, diehard Dem-ocrats will probably continue to enjoy the great snowboarding at Bigler Lake. The few remaining California Republicans will likely prefer the skiing at Lake Tahoe.

Source: personal papers and scrap-book of R.G. Dean, Contra Costa History Center archives.

8A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY AUGUST 14, 2009

A wholehouse in the$200 s? You can do this.

Grand Opening August 29th

In the future, homes will be smarter. Theyll support your

plugged-in lifestyle. Theyll emphasize efciency; with built-in at

screen TVs. Theyll feel bigger by focusing on space you actually use.

Theyll be as intelligent as todays new home buyer.

summer lake in oakley . text: smartspaces to 99222 . hellofuturespaces.comPrices subject to change without notice. See Sales Associates for full details. 2009 Shea Homes.

Tahoe from page 6A

Brentwood children can show their creative side during a free 45-minute pro-gram on Wednesday, Aug. 19 at the First Five Center, where participants will make musical crafts and enjoy a hands-on en-counter with percussion instruments.

Scientifi c studies have repeatedly proven that exposure to music benefi ts children. A 2003 Chinese study found im-proved verbal skills in musically-trained grade-school children, while the Dana Arts and Cognition Consortium an-nounced in 2008 that young musicians also demonstrate improved mathemati-cal skills. A Brown University study con-ducted with 4-to-6-year-olds reinforced

these fi ndings, revealing that children who participated in a year of music lessons showed greater improvement in literacy, math, verbal memory and attention to de-tail than those who did not take lessons.

The First Five program is sponsored by the Friends of the Brentwood Library and is designed for children in grades K through six, although younger children are welcome if accompanied by an adult.

First Five Center is located at 760 First St. at the corner of First and Maple streets, and the show starts at 4 p.m. For more information, call the Brentwood Li-brary at 925-516-5290 or visit www.ccclib.org.

Music magic at First Five

AUGUST 14, 2009 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 9A

22 888882008

GOL

D MEDALAWARD

George Edwin Chip Overturf IV, a senior at Freedom High School and member of Oakley Troop 298, earned his Eagle Scout rank on July 17. For his Eagle project, he led the effort to create a community garden at St. Albans Church in Brentwood. His court of honor will be held in August. Please join his parents, George and Kathy Overturf, his friends, family and troop in congratulating George on this important milestone in his life.

Wings earned

10A | THEPRESS.NET EDUCATION AUGUST 14, 2009

8650 Brentwood Blvd.at Balfour Road

Mix & match any of the above services or experience all four for $130.

O er expires 8/5/09. Services must be rendered prior to 9/15/09 to take advantage of summer special pricing.

516-3600

Summer Getaway Specials One Hour Massage $50 One Hour Facial $50 Spa Pedicure $25 Cut and Style $25

SKIN CARE ANTI -AGINGMASSAGE THERAPY HAIR SALON

$99 FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR PLUS JOINING FEE. Register for class on Monday, August 17, 2009. Get unlimited classes now through December 2009. Other restrictions may apply.AUG. 17 JAZZERCISE CLASS SCHEDULE 9:00amBRING A FRIEND ON AUGUST 17CONVENIENCE ISNT IT GREAT!Once you have signed up for Jazzercise, you may take unlimited classes for the rest of the year.

MondayAugust 17,

2009

640 Harvest Park Dr. Suite DCindy Anderson 240-6658

jazzercise.com (800)FIT-IS-IT

www.harvestparkbowl.com5000 Balfour Road BrentwoodCall for more information

(925) 516-1221

FALL LEAGUES FALL LEAGUES NOW FORMING!!NOW FORMING!!

Specialty Leagues: Texas Holdem Ladies Only Youth/Adult & Transformer League for Kids!

Youth Adult Seniors

Sign Up Sign Up Today!Today!

Individuals, Couples & Teams Individuals, Couples & Teams are Welcome!!are Welcome!!

Byron schools get high-tech upgrades

Last month as students soaked up the dog days of summer, staff at the Byron Union School District (BUSD) were hopping onto the Information Highway.

What weve had here in Byron (school district) is an un-standardized (computer) program, said BUSD Su-perintendent Eric Prater. All weve really had is an aging system with no plans to upgrade or improve.

But thanks to a forward-thinking school board and Measure C bond dollars, the district now boasts $1.3 million in computer upgrades, along with a technology called Thin Computing.

Thin Computing is a system-based server that re-places the PC (personal computer) and accompanying CPU (Central Processing Unit). With Thin Computing, users simply plug into an outlet, which in turn connects them to a server. The only physical items needed are a monitor, keyboard and mouse (referred to collectively as virtual desktop technology). So with no individual CPU connections, management and service issues are more easily handled; the logic being that it is more cost-effec-tive to manage a few servers rather than thousands of desktop PCs.

And, said Prater, should an individual component of the desktop technology such as a keyboard or monitor break down, the entire system can be replaced for less than $200.

Economically its a no-brainer and was a critical piece of the component, said Prater, who estimates the district saved nearly double the cost of the upgrades with Thin Computing. If we had gone with CPUs, the cost of setting up and tending to them (individual comput-ers) would have been impossible. This is a cost savings in

many ways.Over the past few months, WYSE Technology Inc.

has been installing the new technology at all three cam-puses, including a server at each site, three new computer labs (with 10 times the current storage capacity) at Excel-sior Middle School, and subsequent labs one each at Discovery Bay Elementary and Timber Point.

In addition, each of the districts 100 classrooms will provide four permanent virtual desktops. The district has also purchased instructional stations for all the teachers, which includes digital projection cameras that operate much like regular overhead projectors. Students will also be able to create their own central storage fi les, which al-low them to log on at any of the schools sites to access their personal fi les and information.

We are one of the fi rst school districts in the state to invest in this technology and were pretty excited, said Prater. Its pretty snazzy.

Currently 75 percent on line, the rest of the system is expected to be up and running within the next few weeks.

But for the students in Louise Colberts math lab at Excelsior, the new technology has already begun to make a difference. This (new math computer program) is easier for me, said seventh-grader Alma Vidrio as she worked on one of the new upgraded computers. It helps me get better at math and I can go at my own pace.

We are so happy to have it (the new lab and upgrad-ed programs) as a math support, said Colbert, who is also the districts technology coordinator. This helps fi ll in the gaps for the kids, and is also a confi dence builder.

For Praters part, hes satisfi ed that the $1.3 million of the $19.7 million Measure C dollars have been imple-mented in the spirit of the bond language.

When I came on board with the district (in 2008), the board asked me to re-calibrate the intent of the bond

itself, said Prater. Measure C was designed to improve the infrastructure both technically and physically of the district, and the (school) board felt that we would im-prove access for students and teachers by bringing the district into the 21st century technologically.

So thats what we did. We improved a two-lane country road and turned it into an eight-lane highway an information highway. Its pretty cool stuff.

Alma Vidrio, foreground, works on one of the new upgraded computers during a math lab at Excelsior Middle School.

Photo by Ruth Roberts

by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer

AUGUST 14, 2009 EDUCATION THEPRESS.NET | 11A

22 888882008

GOL

D MEDALAWARD

Photo courtesy of Sarah Singrin

Heritage English teacher Elizabeth Cruz-Hurtado, center, stands with Liberty TLC teachers Karen Cailotto and Kandy Aldana outside her new classroom.

When Elizabeth Cruz-Hurtado en-tered Liberty High School as a ninth-grader, she didnt think of herself as a good student, and had no college aspi-rations. She thought shed follow in her familys tradition and go straight in to the job market.

The teachers at Libertys Teaching and Learning Career Academy (TLC) changed all that for me by helping me believe in myself, Liz told a group of academy students, and they can change it for you, too. I know I can help my fam-

ily more with a career I love and a college degree.

Cruz-Hurtado attended one of LUHSDs career academies that provide small educational communities on campus and focus studies to prepare students for college and career aspirations. Thriving in this environment, Cruz-Hurtado became active at school and received eight schol-arships, including a Brentwood American Legion Scholarship, a Brentwood Kiwanis

Liberty graduate returns to serve local students

see Liberty page 19A

AUGUST 14, 2009 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 13A

F R I D A Y6:30pm-9:30pm: The Cross Towne Band Classic Rock

S A T U R D A Y10:00pm-12:00pm: Jungle Rooster Classic Rock 12:30pm 2:30pm: The Grind-

ers Classic Rock 3:00pm 5:00pm: Garageland Rodeo Country, Rock5:30pm 7:30pm: Ralph Woodson Experience Hendrix Tribute

8:00pm 10:00pm: Zebop Santana Tribute

S U N D A Y :12:30pm 2:30pm: Replica 80s music revisited

3:00pm 5:00pm: Hot for Teacher Van Halen Tribute

Friday (Carnival only) 5pm-10pmSaturday 10am-10pm

Sunday 11am-5pmOHara Park (Cypress & OHara)

September 11th-13th

Oakley Almond Festival

Fun for all at the Oakley Almond Festival!Fun for all at the Oakley Almond Festival!Fun for all at the Oakley Almond Festival!For FREE ESTIMATES, Call Skip (925) 437-1173

GMHConstruction S I N C E 1 9 8 0

Complete Kitchen & Bath RemodelingRoom AdditionsCustom Cabinets & Cabinet Refacing

Granite Marble Tile Countertops Tub & Shower Surrounds Cultured Marble Bath Tubs Shower Pans Tub & Shower Walls

To view our work, go to www.gmhconstruction.com

Veterans come together in classroomThe two men couldnt be much differ-

ent. One is a robust fellow of 39 who soars well above 6 feet tall, tips the scales at 325 pounds, and whose face exudes confi dence and strength. The other is a diminutive 91-year-old whose fragile frame is bent by the years, and whose knowing eyes gaze out from a weathered face lined with age.

The study in contrast came together last week in Fran Curtis classroom at the Joseph A. Ovick School in Brentwood. Sponsored by the Contra Costa County Offi ce of Educa-tion, the two men were there not because of their differences, but for something they had in common: war.

The elder man was Retired U.S. Army Sgt. Vincent Silva, a survivor of World War IIs infamous Bataan Death March of 1942 and prisoner of the Japanese for three and a half years. Students sat transfi xed as they heard stories of torture and abuse at the hands of his captors. Delivered in detail that surprised the students, Silvas message was also more upbeat than they expected.

He remembered everything, even though hes 91, said Lavonce Juarez. And he kept giving us a positive message, telling us to stay in school.

Chris Maldonado said he was surprised that Silva wasnt bitter toward all Japanese, considering the torture he had endured. He said that not all Japanese were bad, he said. It was just the people they were fi ghting at

the time.The younger of the two men was Army

Reservist Maj. Eric Boettcher, who recently returned from Iraq with his second Bronze Star. As the chief of operations of the Mosul Reconstruction Operations Center, Boettcher assisted the Mosul government with its re-building efforts and oversaw humanitarian as-sistance. Hes been deployed to various parts of the world four times (twice to Iraq), but nevertheless impressed the students with how ordinary he was.

Hes just a regular guy, said Julie Es-quivel. He has to have a job here, too, and take care of his family.

Boettcher said he told the students about his experiences because he believes its his duty.

My calling and my responsibility as a re-turning veteran is to tell them the real stories, the real successes our soldiers do out there, he said. What American troops accomplish is done with not only the spiritual support of those at home, but the materials donated to the cause as well. Much of what is sent over-seas contributes to the troops well being by allowing them to provide day-to-day needs to the people of Iraq, and in order to keep the donations fl owing, he said, I need to get out and tell my story. He credited the East Coun-ty community for the many donated supplies that he and his unit used to help the people of Mosul.

The classroom meeting was actually the second for the two veterans. The previous weekend, they had been the guests of Brent-

wood Caf owner Paul Boulos, who hosted a welcome-home breakfast for Boettcher that was also a thank-you meal for Silva. It was there that Curtis, himself a veteran of Viet-nam, met the men and invited them to his classroom.

I think they (students) were really shocked at the education level of the two, Curtis said. In addition to the exhortations to stay in school, the students education will also benefi t from the visit via Silvas donation of a copy of his book Senso Owari, which docu-ments his ordeal. Curtis will use the book in his English class as an alternative selection for Character-based Reading, in which students are presented with real-life challenges that will or can be altered by their choices in life.

Penny Cannon contributed to this story

by Rick LemyreStaff Writer

Students at the Contra Costa County Of ce of Educations Joseph A. Ovick School are awed by the story of Bataan Death March survivor Sgt. Vincent Silva, left. Silva, along with four-tour Iraq veteran Maj. Eric Boettcher, right, visited their Brentwood classroom last week.

Photos by Richard Wisdom

Construction

FAIRVIEWHEATING &

AIR CONDITIONINGService Repair

Installation625-4963

Lic.#533790

Landscaping & Design

Painters

634-2221

Residential, Commercial & Industrial

30 Years Experience

Pest Control

Tree Service

RWIZARD1 PHOTOGRAPHY

Family portraits, & events

Call Richard Wisdom at 925 - 634 - 7539 for scheduling info.

Photography

General Contractor

Handyman

Landscapers

Plumbers

Housecleaning Pools & Spas

Heating & Air

Lawnmower Services

Heating & Air Landscaping & Design

Handyman

, .

Mom says thanksEditor:

I want to take this time to thank everyone who participated at the Black Bear fundraiser (for Freedom student Ally Jen-kins). Jimmy and Brenda, we love you! And all those who helped them you mean everything to us.

Ive received pictures today from the evening as well as pictures from Freedom today as students sported their pink and white T-shirts and wristbands. Again, all of this is so overwhelming and humbling to Jeff, Corey and me. I refer to all of you here at UCSF as my prayer warriors. My strength. I lift all of you up in prayer and Im so grateful to each and every one of you.

I cant wait for the day to bring my baby home. I can picture it now. Driving across the Bay Bridge on a beautiful sunny day. Looking at Ally smiling, breathing in the air. Reaching our town of Oakley with our wonderful friends, family and neighbors there. I cant wait to hug each and every one of you!

Pray for a miracle!Vickee Jenkins

OakleyFor more on the fundraiser and Ally,

see Talk About Town on page 5A.

Calling for a gate debateEditor:

I was told last weekend about the two-gates Fish Protection Project to install two large water gates within the next 90 days, which will automatically close two of the key waterways between Bethel Island and Discovery Bay, six hours at a time, twice a day during the winter.

My husband and I live in Discovery Bay a Delta waterfront community. We are here because we love the Delta. Our weekends and vacations involve traveling by boat to various areas of the Delta Bethel Island, Stockton, Sacramento and we can continue down to San Francisco or beyond. Unlike people who jump in their cars on weekends to go on an outing or for a drive,

our waterways are our roads that take us to our weekends on the water. We chose to build our retirement home in Discovery Bay due to its access to the beautiful Delta.

But these gates will cut off our access! Currently we have year-round 24x7 access from Discovery Bay to the Delta and beyond. But once these two gates are in po-sition, the only route from Discovery Bay to elsewhere in the Delta requires larger boats to go through the Bacon Island Bridge, which only operates from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and breaks periodically.

Today, if we miss the bridge hours or if the bridge has a maintenance issue and cant open (which happens several times a year), we can take a different route. And in the evening, we can get still home by going from the San Joaquin channel down Old River to Discovery Bay. But these are the waterways these gates are going to block!

Plus adding big obstructions to heavily traveled waterways is a bad idea. These are some of the best waterways for skiers and wakeboarders. And the only route between Discovery Bay and Bethel Island. And there are safety questions. Will there be suffi cient notice of the gates being closed? Are the gate openings wide enough that there will be no damage to big boats coming through the opening during storms or in the fog, at night? Has the effect on the levee walls due to holding back the tide been studied?

And economic questions. Will our home values decrease due to obstructed access to the Delta? How will marinas in this area be affected? And the neighboring community of Bethel Island depends on Discovery Bay patrons for its economy: res-taurants, marinas. What will be the impact to that area due to limited access to areas on the other side of these gates for bass fi shing and other events? Many questions.

The stated goal of this project is to protect the endangered smelt, but Im strug-gling getting that keeping fi sh from their fresh water spawning grounds is protect-ing them in some environmentally friendly way. Whats impacting them is the poor water quality and getting caught in the pumps. The best option is to shut down the pumping stations a few times in the winter during spawning season, which also im-proves the Delta water quality dramatically. But the water companies want more water, not less pumped out.

We need answers to questions about boater safety, reliability (will they stay open all summer reliably?), usability (since hours of operation cannot be posted), etc. before this project proceeds. Most importantly, there needs to be a reliable plan for 24/7 ac-cess to Discovery Bay!

Jan McCleeryDiscovery Bay

Impediments to important workEditor:

I am responding to the letter by Frank Visintin entitled Money better spent on

Red Cross. Mr. Visintin states that the DBPOA is being audited by the IRS. Yes, Frank and I wonder who called and asked them to audit us (hmm). Also, if you are a consultant, you should know that money from the DBPOA cannot be given the Red Cross.

Mr. Visintin asks, what does the DB-POA do? The DBPOA is governed strictly by the CC&Rs that every homeowner signs when they purchase a home in the associa-tion. There is no rocket science here. Read your copy of the document, Frank.

He brings up the recent resignations from the board. The board members, who are volunteers, are elected for a two-year term. Several board members resigned be-cause of the constant barrage of harassing e-mails with unfounded accusations against the board by a small group of residents, Mr. Visintin in particular. The treasurer resigned because she moved from Discovery Bay to a new job location.

As a result of the time and money it has cost the association to answer frivo-lous charges, many that date back to the 1980s and 1990s, we have had to manage our budget by cutting inspections in half, yet complaints continue to come in from residents and they are frustrated with the lag time in receiving a response. Our cost for insurance, which is required by the state, is between $10,000 and $14,000 per year. We also spend a lot of money on witness fees, mailing fees and legal fees generated by this band of malcontents. This has a serious impact on the ability of the board to serve the association as they are elected to do.

I recently attended a court proceeding as an observer. During a break, I was con-fronted by Mr. Tony Sellers in the restroom. He proceeded to make threats and slander-ous accusations toward me of a personal nature. A gentleman who knows Mr. Sellers apologized to me for his behavior. Mr. Sellers then proceeded to run out of the restroom and leave the premises. This is just one example of what the board has had to deal with on an ongoing basis.

It is clear that the actions of the above-named individuals are aimed at bankrupt-ing the DBPOA and seeing it dissolved. They do not speak for the majority of the association members and I hope that those who appreciate the efforts of the DBPOA will speak out against these malcontents. It is time the hard-earned money of the association members went to what it was intended per the CC&Rs. Be sure to vote in the upcoming elections. If you do not vote, there may be further cuts.

Jack ParkerDiscovery Bay

It can always be worseEditor:

I came within minutes of losing my husband of 35 years to bladder surgery gone wrong. Its been two years and 11 months since this nightmare began and

seven months since his surgery.I walked him in that morning with my

gut telling me to take him home; do it an-other day. I, of course, did not. From start to fi nish it all went wrong; things I never imagined. After 11 hours, his surgeon said he was fi ne and wouldnt be out of recovery for hours. He told us there was nothing we could do and to go home get some sleep. Fifteen minutes after I arrived home (a 40 minute drive) I received a call requesting me and my sons to return. Hed taken a turn for the worse.

I was informed he wouldnt make the night. I ran in the ICU room to them trying to save his life. I have never cried so many hours or days in my entire life. He was on life support for weeks, only to come home and three days a week have kidney dialysis, home nurse, ER stays, etc.

Hes a proud and private man and not once has he complained through these seven months of hell. To end it all, as of today he fi nished up months of chemo. I feel he has angels looking after him; we were told Friday hes a walking miracle. But never say to yourself it couldnt get worse because Im here to tell you it can.

See, I was grocery shopping last week and behind me was a young man in his early 20s. After conversing with him, he is one of our heroes, a soldier who came home para-lyzed. My heart sank as I thought to myself: hes just a baby. His smile lit up the aisle. How dare I complain when there is always someone worse off than I?

ClaraLynn Locklin-RoblesOakley

Organized and fighting backEditor:

Many residents of Shadow Lakes and Brentwood Hills celebrated the 26th annual National Night Out (NNO) on Aug. 4. They participated in neighborhood porch vigils, walks, barbecues and socials. NNO (www.nationalnightout.org/nno/about) is designed to strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnership and to send a message to criminals that communi-ties are organized and fi ghting back.

We would like to thank Mayor Taylor, Police Chief Evenson, Council Member Becnel, CSO Michele Keady and Brent-wood police offi cers for taking time out of their demanding schedule to support our NNO efforts. They attended all of our NNO neighborhood gatherings and spent time talking to the residents.

We would also like to thank the many residents who participated. We all had a great time! Shadow Lakes/Brentwood Hills Neighborhood Watch. The Steering Committee co-chairs are Dani Colbasso, Aida Handt, Jennifer Fernandez, Linda Nakaji and Laurel Wilson. You may e-mail SLBHNW at shadowlakeswatch@yahoo.com.

Linda NakajiBrentwood

AUGUST 14, 2009 THEPRESS.NET | 15A

OPINIONEDITORIALS, LETTERS & COMMENTARY National

AwardWinning NewspapersHave you got something to say? Visit www.thepress.net and let your thoughts be known.

The Press Newspapers are adjudicated in the the cities of Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, and the Delta Judicial District

of Contra Costa County.

No part of this publication may be reproduced for commerce or trade without written permission from the publisher.

BRENTWOOD PRESS & PUBLISHING CORPORATIONNational Award Winning Newspapers

Founder & President Jimmy ChamouresPublisher & General Manager Greg Robinson

Executive Editor Rick LemyreProduction Manager & Webmaster Lonnie de Lambert

Business Manager Heather ReidSales Manager Ed Feldman

Main Office / Brentwood248 Oak St. Brentwood, CA 94513

Phone 925-634-1441 Fax 925-634-1975Web site: www.thepress.net

Advertising 925-634-1441, ext. 115Classifieds 925-634-1441, ext. 142

Editorial 925-634-1441, ext. 111Circulation 925-250-1405

Editorial e-mail editor@brentwoodpress.com

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

16A | THEPRESS.NET AUGUST 14, 2009

NO ForeclosureFor FREE information,

Call 925-301-7788 or email todd.chambers@prurealty.com

Save Your Credit - Short Sale Your Home - No Foreclosure!

SAVE YOUR CREDIT!Short Sale Your Home!

Best of Brentwood AttorneyRetired Superior Court Judge

JOHN M. ALLEN

1210 Central Blvd, Suite 115, Brentwood (925) 240-2700

JOHN M. ALLENATTORNEY AT LAW

Serving East Contra Costa County

Personal Injury Business Litigation Real Estate

Construction Wills & Trusts Mediation/Arbitration

Probate Litigation DUI

Dentistry Built On TrustFREE Cosmetic Consult/2nd Opinion Implant Restoration Mercury-Free Fillings

Minimal Radiation with Digital X-Ray Convenient Saturday Appointments

Comm

itted to Your D

ental Health for a Lifetim

e!

Meet Dr. Paul Lee, who earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree from University of California, San Francisco. His goal is to maintain each patients healthy smile. He is Committed to your dental health for a lifetime.

lphaDENTAL

925-706-0500Convenient Location

5115 Lone Tree Way(Next to Hwy 4 Bypass)

www.LeeAlphaDental.com

FREE ProfessionalTeeth Whitening Kit

$350 ValueUpon completion of patient exam, x-ray and cleaning

$259Zoom Special

$499 Regular Price

A sampling of recent law enforce-ment activity reported by East County police departments.

BRENTWOOD

Aug. 3, 8:01 a.m. An unidentified per-son left annoying text and voice mes-sages on the cell phone of a resident of Holly Oak Court.Aug. 3, 9:33 a.m. At a residence on Oak Street, patio chairs and a fire ex-tinguisher case were damaged, and a fire extinguisher was stolen.Aug. 3, 3:27 p.m. Two unidentified subjects stole two sandwiches and two sodas from a business on Sand Creek Road.Aug. 3, 3:51 p.m. On the Highway 4 Bypass at Sand Creek Road, a vehicle was struck by an unidentified driver who left the scene prior to providing the required personal information.Aug. 3, 8:15 p.m. On Brentwood Bou-levard at Nancy Street, a subject was found to be intoxicated. He was ar-rested and taken to the Martinez De-tention Facility.Aug. 4, 9:08 a.m. On Boulder Street, an unidentified person stole a sub-jects camera and credit card. Antioch police recovered the victims property and have taken three suspects into custody.Aug. 4, 4:49 p.m. An unidentified per-son entered a residence on East Coun-try Club Drive and stole a computer.Aug. 4, 8:32 p.m. An unidentified per-son attempted to obtain credit at the Pleasant Hill Kohls using the name of a resident of Turnhouse Court.Aug. 4, 10:38 p.m. On Minnesota Av-enue at Windmeadows Drive, a subject

was assaulted by an unidentified per-son demanding his bicycle.Aug. 5, 1:30 a.m. An unidentified per-son threw a garbage can at a vehicle parked on Arlington Way, causing damage.Aug. 5, 7:34 p.m. An unidentified per-son cut and removed exhaust pipe from a vehicle parked on Balfour Road.Aug. 5, 8:35 p.m. An unidentified per-son attempted to pass a forged $100 bill at a business on Lone Tree Way.Aug. 5, 11:58 p.m. On Gregory Lane at Brentwood Boulevard, a subject stopped for a vehicle code violation while riding his bicycle was found to have a non-citable warrant and was transported to the Brentwood Police Department, where he was found to be in possession of a controlled sub-stance. He was arrested and taken to the Martinez Detention Facility.Aug. 6, 12:15 a.m. On Balfour Road at Brentwood Boulevard, a subject stopped for vehicle code violations was found to be driving on a license suspended for DUI. He was arrested and released on a Notice To Appear.Aug. 6, 12:40 p.m. A subject arrest-ed for shoplifting from a business on Lone Tree Way was found to have pri-or arrests and was taken to the Marti-nez Detention Facility.Aug. 6, 2:32 p.m. A resident of Charmstone Court reported receiving fraudulent checks from an unidenti-fied person after making contact with him on Craigslist.Aug. 6, 3:14 p.m. On Hudson Drive at Balfour Road, a driver struck a bicy-clist in the crosswalk.Aug. 6, 3 p.m. On Second Street, a subject was found in possession of

three small plastic bags of suspected marijuana for sale. He was arrested and released to a family member.Aug. 6, 5:33 p.m. On Lone Tree Way, an unidentified person struck a vehicle with a shopping cart.Aug. 6, 6:59 p.m. On Windsor Way, a subject stopped for vehicle code vio-lations was found in possession of a controlled substance, and resisted or-ders by officers. The passenger in the vehicle was found to be unable to safe-ly care for himself. Both were arrested and taken to the Martinez Detention Facility.Aug. 6, 11:28 p.m. On Birch Street at First Street, a subject arrested for out-standing warrants was found in pos-session of metal knuckles.

To view the Brentwood Police De-partments public logs on the citys Web site, visit www.ci.brentwood.ca.us/de-partment/pd/reports/index.cfm.

ANTIOCH

Aug. 4, 11:19 p.m. A 25-year-old An-tioch resident was driving through the intersection of East 18th Street and Cavallo Road when she was startled by a loud boom. She thought she might have run over something in the road-way and pulled into the Save Mart on East 18th Street. She saw gasoline leaking from her car and called the Antioch Police Department. Upon arrival, officers found a bullet hole in the rear of her car. She did not see anyone in the area when she heard the noise, but neighbors reported hearing several gunshots and cars speeding away. No suspects were identified, and the woman was not injured.

Aug. 8, 1:58 a.m. Officers of the An-tioch Police Department responded to the report of a fight and an in-jured man on Gardenia Court. Upon arrival, officers found a 29-year-old male Pittsburg resident unconscious at the scene suffering from injuries to his face. He was transported by ambu-lance to the hospital. It was discovered that the man had been dealt extensive head injuries and was in critical con-dition. Antioch Police have identified 30-year-old David Moreno Stokes as the person responsible for the assault. Stokes is currently on parole for cor-poral injury to a spouse or cohabi-tant. He is believed to be at large in the Bay Area and has an extensive vio-lent criminal history. Shannon Marie Kaiser, 30, was identified as the owner of the house where the crime took place. A search of the house revealed approximately 45 grams of metham-phetamine and paraphernalia used to prepare methamphetamine for distri-bution. Antioch police were also able to determine that Kaiser transported Stokes from the scene. Kaiser refused to disclose this to police, and misled police about many aspects of this case, including the identity of Stokes, whom she has known for many years. She has been charged with possession of meth-amphetamine for sale and for aiding and abetting a felon. Those who spots Stokes should contact their local juris-diction by calling 911, and those with information regarding this case should contact Antioch Police Det. Mellone at 925-779-6930.

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

COP LOGS On Lone Tree Way, an unidentifi ed person struck a vehicle with a shopping cart. Aug. 6, 5:33 p.m. in BrentwoodFROM EMERGENCY SERVICES DISPATCH LOGS

LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICESLEGAL NOTICESLEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICESLEGAL NOTICES

18A | THEPRESS.NET PUBLIC NOTICES AUGUST 14, 2009

NOTICE OF TRUSTEES SALE T.S. No.: 09-02300 Loan No.: 1008090095 YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED 5/23/2006. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLA-NATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PRO-CEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. A public auction sale to the highest bidder for cash, cashiers check drawn on a state or na-tional bank, check drawn by a state or federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, or savings association, or savings bank speci ed in Section 5102 of the Financial Code and autho-rized to do business in this state will be held by the duly appointed trustee as shown below, of all right, title, and interest conveyed to and now held by the trustee in the hereinafter described property under and pursuant to a Deed of Trust described below. The sale will be made, but without covenant or war-ranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the note(s) secured by the Deed of Trust, with interest and late charges thereon, as provided in the note(s), advances, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, interest thereon, fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee for the total amount (at the time of the initial publi-cation of the Notice of Sale) reasonably estimated to be set forth below. The amount may be greater on the day of sale. BENEFICIARY MAY ELECT TO BID LESS THAN THE TOTAL AMOUNT DUE. Trustor: ADRIANNE L. HAMPTON, AN UNMARRIED WOMAN Duly Appointed Trustee: Atlantic & Paci c Foreclo-sure Services, LLC Recorded 6/1/2006 as Instrument No. 2006-0173021-00 in book , page and rerecorded on --- as --- of Of cial Records in the of ce of the Recorder of Contra Costa County, California, Date of Sale: 9/3/2009 at 10:00 AM Place of Sale: At the Court Street entrance to the County Court-house, 725 Court Street (corner of Main and Court Street), Martinez, California Amount of unpaid balance and other charges: $449,786.94 (Estimated) Street Address or other common designation of real property: 4948 WESTWOOD WAY ANTIOCH, CA 94531-000 A.P.N.: 056-081-013 The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incor-rectness of the street address or other common designation, if any, shown above. If no street address or other common designation is shown, direc-tions to the location of the property may be obtained by sending a written request to the bene ciary within 10 days of the date of rst publication of this Notice of Sale. Pursuant to Califor-nia Civil Code 2923.54 the undersigned, on behalf of the bene ciary, loan ser-vicer or authorized agent, declares as follows: The mortgage loan servicer has obtained from the commissioner a Final Order of exemption pursuant to Section 2923.53 that is current and valid on the date the notice of sale is led; and The timeframe for giving notice of sale speci ed in subdivision (a) of Section 2923.52 does not apply pursuant to Section 2923.52 or 2923.55. If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidders sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee, and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a re-turn of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, or the Mortgagees Attorney. If you have pre-viously been discharged through bank-ruptcy, you may have been released of personal liability for this loan in which case this letter is intended to exercise the note holders rights against the real property only. THIS NOTICE IS SENT FOR THE PURPOSE OF COLLECTING A DEBT. THIS FIRM IS ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT ON BEHALF OF THE HOLDER AND OWNER OF THE NOTE. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED BY OR PROVIDED TO THIS FIRM OR THE CREDITOR WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. As required by law, you are hereby noti ed that a negative credit report re ecting on your credit record may be submitted to a credit report agency if you fail to ful ll the terms of your credit obligations. Date: 08/14/2009 Atlantic & Paci c Foreclosure Ser-vices, LLC 1610 E. Saint Andrew Pl., Suite 150F Santa Ana, CA 92705 Auto-mated Sale Information: 714-730-2727 or www.lpsasap.com for NON-SALE information: 888-313-1969 Tai Alailima, Foreclosure Manager ASAP# 3222146 08/14/2009, 08/21/2009, 08/28/2009 An-tioch Press No. 06-1617 Publish Dates: August 14, 21, 28, 2009

NOTICE OF TRUSTEES SALE TS # CA-09-279509-CL Loan # 0040021818 YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED 1/23/2007. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLA-NATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PRO-CEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. A public auction sale to the highest bidder for cash, ca-shiers check drawn on a state or na-tional bank, check drawn by state or federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, or savings association, or savings bank speci ed in Section 5102 to the Financial code and authorized to do business in this state, will be held by duly appointed trustee. The sale will be made, but without covenant or war-ranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances,

to pay the remaining principal sum of the note(s) secured by the Deed of Trust, with interest and late charges thereon, as provided in the note(s), advances, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, interest thereon, fees, charg-es and expenses of the Trustee for the total amount (at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale) reasonably estimated to be set forth below. The amount may be greater on the day of sale. BENEFICIARY MAY ELECT TO BID LESS THAN THE TO-TAL AMOUNT DUE. Trustor(s): JESSICA WHEELER AND RICHARD WHEELER WIFE AND HUSBAND AS JOINT TEN-ANTS Recorded: 1/25/2007 as Instru-ment No. 2007-0024000- 00 in book xxx, page xxx of Of cial Records in the of ce of the Recorder of CONTRA COSTA County, California; Date of Sale: 9/- 3/2009 at 10:00 AM Place of Sale: At the Court Street entrance to the County Courthouse (corner of Main and Court Street), 725 Court Street Martinez, CA 94553 Amount of unpaid balance and other charges: $334,119.63 The purported property address is: 983 WALNUT DR OAKLEY, CA 94561 Asses-sors Parcel No. 035- 353-004 The under-signed Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the property ad-dress or other common designation, if any, shown herein. If no street ad-dress or other common designation is shown, please refer to the refer-enced legal description for property lo-cation. In the event no common address or common designation of the property is provided herein directions to the lo-cation of the property may be obtained within 10 days of the date of rst publi-cation of this Notice of Sale by sending a written request to Aurora Loan Ser-vices 327 South Inverness Drive Engle-wood CO 80112 Pursuant to California Civil Code 2923.54 the undersigned, on behalf of the bene ciary, loan servicer or authorized agent, declares as fol-lows: [ 1 ] The mortgage loan servicer has obtained from the commissioner a nal or temporary order of exemption pursuant to Section 2923.53 that is cur-rent and valid on the date the notice of sale is led; [ 2 ] The timeframe for giving notice of sale speci ed in sub-division (a) of Section 2923.52 does not apply pursuant to Section 2923.52 . If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidders sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee, and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, or the Mortgagees Attorney. Date: 8/10/2009 Quality Loan Service Corp. 2141 5th Avenue San Diego, CA 92101 619-645-7711 For NON SALE information only Sale Line: 714- 730-2727 or Login to: www. delityasap.com Reinstate-ment Line: 619-645-7711 Quality Loan Service, Corp. If you have previously been discharged through bankruptcy, you may have been released of per-sonal liability for this loan in which case this letter is intended to exercise the note holders rights against the real property only. THIS NOTICE IS SENT FOR THE PURPOSE OF COLLECTING A DEBT. THIS FIRM IS ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT ON BEHALF OF THE HOLDER AND OWNER OF THE NOTE. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED BY OR PROVIDED TO THIS FIRM OR THE CREDITOR WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. As required by law, you are hereby noti ed that a negative cred-it report re ecting on your credit record may be submitted to a credit report agency if you fail to ful ll the terms of your credit obligations. ASAP# 3194292 08/- 14/2009, 08/21/2009, 08/28/2009 Oakley Press No. 03-0477 Publish Dates: August 14, 21, 28, 2009

NOTICE OF TRUSTEES SALE TS No. 09-0025993 Title Order No. 09-8-082225 Investor/Insurer No. 1699455529 APN No. 037- 234-027-3 YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST, DATED 08/12/2005. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLA-NATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PRO-CEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. Notice is hereby given that RECONTRUST COMPANY, N.A., as duly appointed trustee pursuant to the Deed of Trust executed by: JOHN W. BLACK, A MARRIED MAN, AS HIS SOLE AND SEPARATE PROPERTY, dat-ed 08/12/2005 and recorded 08/25/05, as Instrument No. 2005- 0321939-00, in Book , Page ), of Of cial Records in the of ce of the County Recorder of Con-tra Costa County, State of California, will sell on 08/27/2009 at 10:00AM, At the Court Street entrance to the County Courthouse (corner of Main and Court Street), 725 Court Street Martinez, CA 94553 at public auction, to the highest bidder for cash or check as de-scribed below, payable in full at time of sale, all right, title, and interest con-veyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust, in the property situated in said County and State and as more fully described in the above referenced Deed of Trust. The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 100 CONCANNON COURT, OAKLEY, CA, 94561. The under-signed Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street ad-dress and other common designation, if any, shown herein. The total amount of the unpaid balance with interest thereon of the obligation secured by the property to be sold plus reasonable estimated costs, expenses and ad-

vances at the time of the initial publica-tion of the Notice of Sale is $345,056.10. It is possible that at the time of sale the opening bid may be less than the to-tal indebtedness due. In addition to cash, the Trustee will accept cashiers checks drawn on a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or fed-eral credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan as-sociation, savings association, or sav-ings bank speci ed in Section 5102 of the Financial Code and authorized to do business in this state. Said sale will be made, in an AS IS condition, but without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regarding title, possession or encumbrances, to satisfy the indebt-edness secured by said Deed of Trust, advances thereunder, with interest as provided, and the unpaid principal of the Note secured by said Deed of Trust with interest thereon as provided in said Note, plus fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts creat-ed by said Deed of Trust. If required by the provisions of section 2923.5 of the California Civil Code, the declaration from the mortgagee, bene ciary or au-thorized agent is attached to the Notice of Trustees Sale duly recorded with the appropriate County Recorders Of ce. DATED: 06/10/2009 RECONTRUST COM-PANY, N.A. 1800 Tapo Canyon Rd., CA6-914-01-94 SIMI VALLEY, CA 93063 Phone: (800) 281 8219, Sale Information (626) 927-4399 By: Trustees Sale Of cer RECONTRUST COMPANY, N.A. is a debt collector attempting to collect a debt. Any information obtained will be used for that purpose. ASAP# 3202031 08/07/2009, 08/14/- 2009, 08/21/2009 Oakley Press No. 03-0477 Publish Dates: August 7, 14, 21, 2009

NOTICE OF TRUSTEES SALE TS No. 09-0031261 Title Order No. 09-8-096278 Investor/Insurer No. 97873792 APN No. 037-241- 002-7 YOU ARE IN DE-FAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST, DAT-ED 02/07/2006. UNLESS YOU TAKE AC-TION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. Notice is hereby given that RECONTRUST COMPANY, N.A., as duly appointed trustee pursuant to the Deed of Trust executed by: PAMELA V JONES, dated 02/07/2006 and re-corded 02/17/06, as Instrument No. 2006-0051360-00, in Book , Page ), of Of- cial Records in the of ce of the County Recorder of Contra Costa County, State of California, will sell on 08/27/2009 at 10:00AM, At the Court Street entrance to the County Courthouse (corner of Main and Court Street), 725 Court Street Martinez, CA 94553 at public auc-tion, to the highest bidder for cash or check as described below, payable in full at time of sale, all right, title, and interest conveyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust, in the proper-ty situated in said County and State and as more fully described in the above referenced Deed of Trust. The street address and other common designa-tion, if any, of the real property de-scribed above is purported to be: 63 KENWOOD COURT, OAKLEY, CA, 94561. The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. The total amount of the unpaid bal-ance with interest thereon of the obligation secured by the property to be sold plus reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale is $458,021.01. It is possible that at the time of sale the opening bid may be less than the to-tal indebtedness due. In addition to cash, the Trustee will accept cashiers checks drawn on a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or fed-eral credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan as-sociation, savings association, or sav-ings bank speci ed in Section 5102 of the Financial Code and authorized to do business in this state. Said sale will be made, in an AS IS condition, but without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regarding title, possession or encumbrances, to satisfy the indebt-edness secured by said Deed of Trust, advances thereunder, with interest as provided, and the unpaid principal of the Note secured by said Deed of Trust with interest thereon as provided in said Note, plus fees, charges and ex-penses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. DATED: 06/- 18/2009 RECONTRUST COMPANY, N.A. 1800 Tapo Canyon Rd., CA6-914-01-94 SIMI VALLEY, CA 93063 Phone: (800) 281 8219, Sale Information (626) 927-4399 By: Trustees Sale Of cer RECONTRUST COMPANY, N.A. is a debt collector attempting to collect a debt. Any information obtained will be used for that purpose. ASAP# 3205239 08/07/2009, 08/14/- 2009, 08/21/2009 Oakley Press No. 03-0477 Publish Dates: August 7, 14, 21, 2009

NOTICE OF TRUSTEES SALE TS No. 09-0031917 Title Order No. 09-8-098685 Investor/Insurer No. 138474317 APN No. 035-425- 013-6 YOU ARE IN DE-FAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST, DAT-ED 04/21/2006. UNLESS YOU TAKE AC-TION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CON-TACT A LAWYER. Notice is hereby given that RECONTRUST COMPANY, N.A., as duly appointed trustee pursuant to the Deed of Trust executed by: KYLE D ROSENSTIEL, A SINGLE MAN AND DIANA Y ANDREGO, A SINGLE

WOMAN, AS JOINT TENANTS., dated 04/21/2006 and recorded 04/28/06, as In-strument No. 2006-0133493-00, in Book , Page ), of Of cial Records in the of ce of the County Recorder of Contra Costa County, State of California, will sell on 08/27/2009 at 10:00AM, At the Court Street entrance to the County Court-house (corner of Main and Court Street), 725 Court Street Martinez, CA 94553 at public auction, to the highest bidder for cash or check as described below, payable in full at time of sale, all right, title, and interest conveyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust, in the property situated in said County and State and as more fully described in the above referenced Deed of Trust. The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 1418 DRAKE COURT, OAKLEY, CA, 94561. The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. The total amount of the unpaid balance with inter-est thereon of the obligation secured by the property to be sold plus reasonable estimated costs, expenses and ad-vances at the time of the initial publica-tion of the Notice of Sale is $368,931.52. It is possible that at the time of sale the opening bid may be less than the to-tal indebtedness due. In addition to cash, the Trustee will accept cashiers checks drawn on a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or fed-eral credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan as-sociation, savings association, or sav-ings bank speci ed in Section 5102 of the Financial Code and authorized to do business in this state. Said sale will be made, in an AS IS condition, but without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regarding title, possession or encumbrances, to satisfy the indebt-edness secured by said Deed of Trust, advances thereunder, with interest as provided, and the unpaid principal of the Note secured by said Deed of Trust with interest thereon as provided in said Note, plus fees, charges and ex-penses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. DATED: 06/- 19/2009 RECONTRUST COMPANY, N.A. 1800 Tapo Canyon Rd., CA6-914-01-94 SIMI VALLEY, CA 93063 Phone: (800) 281 8219, Sale Information (626) 927-4399 By: - Trustees Sale Of- cer RECONTRUST COMPANY, N.A. is a debt collector attempting to collect a debt. Any information obtained will be used for that purpose. ASAP# 3206989 08/07/2009, 08/14/- 2009, 08/21/2009 Oakley Press No. 03-0477 Publish Dates: August 7, 14, 21. 2009

NOTICE OF TRUSTEES SALE TS No. 09-0036885 Title Order No. 09-8-112064 Investor/Insurer No. 1704586524 APN No. 035- 491-012-7 YOU ARE IN DE-FAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST, DAT-ED 07/25/2007. UNLESS YOU TAKE AC-TION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. Notice is hereby given that RECONTRUST COMPANY, N.A., as duly appointed trustee pursuant to the Deed of Trust executed by: MICHAEL J. MAGEE, AN UNMARRIED MAN, dat-ed 07/25/2007 and recorded 08/03/07, as Instrument No. 2007- 0223983-00, in Book , Page ), of Of cial Records in the of ce of the County Recorder of Con-tra Costa County, State of California, will sell on 08/27/2009 at 10:00AM, At the Court Street entrance to the County Courthouse (corner of Main and Court Street), 725 Court Street Martinez, CA 94553 at public auction, to the highest bidder for cash or check as de-scribed below, payable in full at time of sale, all right, title, and interest con-veyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust, in the property situated in said County and State and as more fully described in the above referenced Deed of Trust. The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 243 ALMONDTREE LANE, OAKLEY, CA, 94561. The under-signed Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street ad-dress and other common designation, if any, shown herein. The total amount of the unpaid balance with interest thereon of the obligation secured by the property to be sold plus reasonable estimated costs, expenses and ad-vances at the time of the initial publica-tion of the Notice of Sale is $262,027.03. It is possible that at the time of sale the opening bid may be less than the to-tal indebtedness due. In addition to cash, the Trustee will accept cashiers checks drawn on a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or fed-eral credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan as-sociation, savings association, or sav-ings bank speci ed in Section 5102 of the Financial Code and authorized to do business in this state. Said sale will be made, in an AS IS condition, but without covenant or warranty, express or implied, regarding title, possession or encumbrances, to satisfy the indebt-edness secured by said Deed of Trust, advances thereunder, with interest as provided, and the unpaid principal of the Note secured by said Deed of Trust with interest thereon as provided in said Note, plus fees, charges and ex-penses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. DATED: 06/- 28/2009 RECONTRUST COMPANY, N.A. 1800 Tapo Canyon Rd., CA6-914-01-94 SIMI VALLEY, CA 93063 Phone: (800) 281 8219, Sale Information (626) 927-4399 By:-- Trustees Sale Of-

NOTICE OF TRUSTEES SALE TS No. 09-0044592 Title Order No. 09-8-135658 Investor/Insurer No. 148678284 APN No. 037-280- 039-1-01 YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST, DATED 01/25/2007. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLA-NATION OF THE NATURE OF THE