YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER

Vol. 9, No. 25 Including Surrounding Communities www.thepress.net June 19, 2009

Natio

nalAwardWinning Newspapers

THIS WEEK

Sharing the wealth Low-income families in West Contra Costa now get access to East Countys bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Page 4A

FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A

Dominating the diamond

Their league might be known as Little, but theres nothing small about these Goliaths accomplishments.

Page 1B

Hook up! Connect with the community.Sign in and manage your pro le from my content in the main menu at www.thepress.net. See page 5A.

Shepherds Gate, a group that provides comfort and shelter to battered and home-less women and children, has miraculously changed the lives of thousands of area families since opening its doors in 1984. Now the nonprofi t organiza-tion is looking for a miracle of its own.

Suffering the effects of a bleak economy and an overall decline in donations, the group (with campuses in Brentwood and Livermore) needs to meet a $150,000 shortfall by the end of June or face further cuts and reductions to an already lean budget.

Since the beginning of the year, we have seen a slow-down in donations because

of the economy, and with our regular slow season coming up, we know its going to be even

tighter, said Jennifer Harp, public relations manager for Shepherds Gate. Weve al-

ready cut staff hours and po-sitions and had to cut 30 beds (one of the residence halls) in Livermore. We just dont want to have to cut anything else.

But there is a light on the horizon. A group of business-men from the Tri-Valley area who wish to remain anony-mous have offered to match any community donations col-lected between now and the end of month, dollar for dollar, up to $50,000. Proceeds raised from the program will be chan-neled into the corporate coffers and used to support both cam-puses.

Harp is hoping that the accelerated fundraising chal-lenge will allow the Christian-based group to not only remain open, but eventually allow it to

Shepherds Gate seeks community supportby Ruth Roberts

Staff Writer

Children such as these have found peace and comfort at the Shepherds Gate facility in Brentwood. A recent decline in do-nations, however, has forced the group to make staff and pro-gram cuts, and more are on the way if the organization cant meet its budgetary shortfall by the end of the month.

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Harp

$2.9M maintenance tax approved

It pays to be a longtime Oakley resident. The City Coun-cil last week approved a $2.9 mil-lion street lighting and landscape maintenance tax, most of which will be paid by newer residents.

The tax, which the council routinely renews every year, is broken down into three catego-ries: the Zone 1 tax, for citywide parks, is nearly $1 million; Zone 2, for citywide street lighting, is nearly $190,000; Zone 3, for newer neighborhoods, is $1.75 million.

If you moved to Oakley be-fore 2004, you pay only $32 per year into the Zone 1 tax. If you moved in after that, you have been paying at least $211 annu-ally for the same park mainte-nance, with the tax increasing

each year with infl ation. But if you live in Shea Homes Summer Lakes neighborhood at the end of East Cypress Road, youre currently paying $462 (with a

possible maximum of $890).The Zone 2 tax is $15 for

residents in 9,000 of Oakleys older houses. Residents who moved to Oakley since 2006 pay

$47 annually, a tax that also in-creases with infl ation.

The biggest discrepancy

Crockett Park is one of the bene ciaries of the nearly $3 million spent each year by Oakley residents to maintain landscaping and lighting in the city.

Photo by Dave Roberts

by Dave RobertsStaff Writer

see Tax page 18A

Councilwomansuggests shuttingoff street lights

see Gate page 18A

Pizza promo takes a Table

A pizza chain chose its Oakley franchise as the spot to film its next national TV commercial.

Page 4A

Business ...........................21BCalendar ..........................23BClassifieds ........................15BEntertainment ................10BHealth & Beauty ...............8BMilestones .........................7BOpinion ...........................15ASports .................................1BWebExtras! .......................1B

INSIDE

JUNE 19, 2009 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 3A

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Huge Price Reduction! New Price at $849,000 gets it all! Now includes 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 $849,000

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3727 Dublin Blvd., Dublin

Please join us, Saturday, June 20thto attend a fundraiser flea market, 3361 Walnut Blvd.

This fundraiser is to help the Anthony Family in Knightsen. Mr. Anthony is a retired Veteran and has been a General Contractor for 25 years,

but hasnt worked in 9 months recovering from surgery. Mrs. Anthony was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, and now diagnosed with inoperable

brain cancer. They are parents of three beautiful daughters.

Visit www.hope4anthonyfamily.com for updates and their story.

Adorable doll house in established area of Antioch. Remodeled and ready for new owner! 3 bedroom, 2 bath 1315 square feet. Really cute! $125,000

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Teamwork solves thorny problem in Rose Garden

When Ron and Shawna Stroben moved into the Rose Garden develop-ment in Brentwood four years ago, they werent promised a, well, rose garden, but they were hoping for a little peace and quiet. So when students from nearby Freedom High School started using the communitys parks as meet-ing places, and fights began breaking out on the private greens, the Strobens and other members of the homeowners association begged everyones pardon and called on the police for some help.

Wed been having some issues with the Freedom kids, especially to-ward the end of the year, and the last days of school, and it was really frus-trating, said Shawna. So during one of our homeowners meetings last year, we decided as a group to try working with the police department to get this situation curtailed.

Brentwood Chief of Police Mark Evenson said he took the HOAs com-ments seriously and vowed to beef up police presence in the community. But because Neroly Road (where Rose Gar-den is situated) divides Oakley from Brentwood, dealing with an Oakley school in Brentwood territory was

tricky.Basically it is our jurisdiction,

and so when this situation came to our attention, we began working with the Freedom High resource officer as well as the school staff, said Evenson. We wanted to make sure that everyone was organized and ready to go and we met with the community to let them know that we had it covered and that we were able to keep a lid on it.

The lid was so tight, in fact, that for the first time in four years, said Shawna, graduation and end-of-the-year celebrations this year were non-issues for the Rose Garden commu-nity.

When they (the police depart-

see Teamwork page 10A

We were thinking to ourselves, OK, well see how long this lasts. But for the first time since weve lived here, there were no problems.

Shawna Stroben

by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer

Cameramen, actors and production staff took over Oakleys Round Table Pizza last week, blocking the parking lot with trailers, miles of cable and lighting equipment. Starbucks customers and baristas gathered on the coffee house patio next door after catching word the pizza chain was lming its next national television commercial scheduled to air in a few weeks, according to one crew member. While staff set up for lming inside the restaurant, an outside kitchen trailer, above, prepared modelesque pizzas in mobile ovens, carefully browning the toppings with blowtorches. After hours of shooting, the team left without leaving a trace, and the restaurant went back to cooking pizzas in ovens.

Lights, camera, pizza

Photo by Elizabeth Allen

4A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY JUNE 19, 2009

East County produce heads for West County

Aiming to improve the quality of nu-trition one locally grown apple at a time, the Richmond Childrens Foundation and Contra Costa County supervisors John Gioia and Mary Piepho have introduced the Richmond Farm 2 Table program, which provides low-income families in West County access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

Twice a month, freshly picked produce is trucked from Brentwood to EcoVillage Farming Learning Center in Richmond, where organizers sort, box and distribute the bounty of East County to locations in Richmond, including a school.

Residents are charged $50 per month for two boxes of produce, and that money is then used to subsidize boxes for lower-income families who cannot pay the basic fee. So far, there are 70 boxes going out, said Kathryn Lyddan, executive direc-tor of the Brentwood Agricultural Land Trust. Our goal is to reach 100 this sum-mer. Its a small project right now, but its only the beginning.

Brentwoods more than 12,000 acres of farmland produces a vast crop rang-ing from apples, melons and cherries to squash, onions and green beans. These farms have been the breadbasket of East County since the 1850s, Lyddan said. People want to know where their food comes from, and here is an opportunity

for West County residents to connect with East County farmers. I believe the market for this kind of thing is enormous.

She is excited to see the program fi -nally in action, especially after facing such challenging obstacles. When the community program was fi rst undergoing development last year, transportation of produce was a major concern. You can fi nd the produce and you can fi nd the con-sumer, but its a challenge to get it there, said Lyddan. We really wanted to link the two together.

For small farms, trucking produce is not cost effective. But as luck would have it, Lyddan said, Dwelley Farms already had an established truck route passing by Richmond. This also enables smaller farms in the area to participate by pro-viding Dwelley with produce it might not have available. Last month, G&S provid-ed cherries and Cecchini & Cecchini pro-vided asparagus.

Were a larger farm, with transporta-tion already going in that direction, said Patrick Johnston of Dwelley Farms. Its convenient, and less of a cost for us.

And the family is happy to help. Were always looking for ways to inform people of whats available in Brentwood, said Johnston. The program is a great opportunity for people to eat seasonally again. There are much more vitamins in fresh produce than vegetables in a can.

Established in the 1920s, the family owned and operated farm started growing

almonds and walnuts. Five decades later, the farm now produces a wide variety of fruits and vegetables made available to lo-cals at the Dwelley produce stand on Del-ta Road. Its all about freshness, said Johnston. You are getting something the day it was picked.

Another advantage of buying local is the selection. When you are at the gro-cery store, you may only have a box of peaches to pick from, Johnston added. Here at the stand, we have palettes to choose from.

Palettes indeed the stand currently features watermelons, cantaloupe, onions, cherries, raspberries, blueberries, zuc-chini, squash, peppers and pluots, and a plum/apricot hybrid.

We were one of the fi rst to grow pluots, said employee Dave Shipe, hold-ing a purple, palm-size fruit last Thursday during the after work rush hour. Right now, cherries are real popular, too, but we are just getting into corn season. We also have three types of green beans in season.

Three large baskets fi lled with Ro-mano, yellow wax and Blue Lake beans, to be exact. The farm also grows French fi let and cranberry bean.

With such a wide selection, the farm sees new faces every day. We are really busy during the week, said Shipe. Mon-day starts off slow but it really picks up.

Dwelley Farm produce stand employee Dave Shipe helps locals pick out cher-ries. Dwelley is participating in the new Farm 2 Table program, bringing East County produce to West County residents.Photo by Elizabeth Allen

by Elizabeth AllenCorrespondent

see Produce page 8A

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6A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY JUNE 19, 2009

Weber named Artist of the Year

Local artist Bill Weber has been named Artist of the Year by the Brentwood Art Society, and will be honored at the Art Wine and Jazz Festival on Aug. 29. Bill has done more than anyone else to bring art to Brentwood, said Brentwood Art Society President Jan Melloni. Through his connections in the art world, he has brought to our city the works of such notables as Diego Ri-vera, Frank Lloyd Wright, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Stanley Mouse and many others.

Weber, a former Brentwood Arts commissioner, was the curator of the citys art gallery at the Technology Center on Sand Creek Road. When the city closed the center and the gal-lery, Weber opened his own gallery, the MCM Framing and Weber Art Gallery at 700 Harvest Park Road in Brentwood. Here he intends to op-erate an art center, teaching fi ne art painting, sculpting, pencil drawing, pottery making and a host of other artistic endeavors.

In addition to his leadership in bringing art and artists to Brent-wood, Weber has been actively in-volved donating his time and energy staging the annual Brentwood Stu-

dent Art Show. Initially it was held at the citys art gallery, but more recently at spaces donated by local developers, such as the one recently donated by the builders of Sunset Plaza. He frames, hangs and juries approximately 120 student creations from K-8. Each grade is awarded fi rst, second and third prizes by a panel of professional artists selected and headed by Weber.

The student art show is a high-light of the year for students, said Mary Black, Assistant Superinten-dent of Curriculum for Brentwoods elementary school district. To see their creations framed and hang-ing in a professional art gallery is a source of immense pride and encour-ages the students to develop their ar-tistic skills.

Weber was also involved in the development of the art docent pro-gram in the public schools and gave personal instructions to students on the art of mural painting. The art do-cent program now has more than 140 members teaching art to the children in the Brentwood school system.

Bill is not only an accomplished artist whose works include the entire faade of a building at 606 Broadway

in San Francisco a notable land-mark he is also an accomplished sculptor, said Art Society member Ron Beatty. Bill was commissioned by the city to create a bronze statue of a farmer sowing seeds, depicting the origins of Brentwood. The statue has been in storage, pending the con-struction of the new civic center.

Weber is also a premier archi-tect and has designed wineries for local vintners, including the Azzu-lina Vineyard Estate in Livermore. In all, Bill Weber is Brentwoods Renaissance man: an artist, sculp-tor, architect, muralist, teacher and community art ambassador, said Brentwood Art Society Treasurer Joe Trebino. He is most deserving of this honor.

WEBER

Circus Vargas is doing its part to help those hit hardest by the economy and will allow those who are unemployed to bring their families at no charge to any of the seven locations that Circus Vargas will be performing at in the Bay Area now through Aug. 3.

The economy has hurt so many people lately and has affected our business as well, said Nel-son Quiroga, president of Tabares Entertainment, which operates Circus Vargas. As a family show, we are very sensitive to the economic situation and how it affects the local communities. We know that many people cant afford to take their families for entertainment like Circus Vargas, so we want to help.

Free tickets may be obtained only on the day of the show from the Circus Vargas Box Offi ce. To receive up to four general admission tickets, patrons should bring the layoff notice from their job or a stub from their unemployment check.

The big-top extravaganza Circus Vargas will per-form at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasan-ton June 18-22, the San Mateo County Event Center in San Mateo June 25-29, Great Mall in Milpitas July 2-6, Westfi eld Oakridge Mall in San Jose July 9-13, Eastridge Mall in San Jose July 16-20, Hilltop Mall in Richmond July 23-27, and Southland Mall in Hay-ward July 30-Aug. 3.

Tickets may be purchased on the Web at www.circusvargas.org, by phone at 877-468-3861 or at the circus box offi ce. Ticket prices vary from $20 to $50 for adults and $15 to $45 for children ages 2 through 10.

Free tickets toCircus Vargas

JUNE 19, 2009 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 7A

To Nate,

A Dad is a personwho is loving and kind,And often he knowswhat you have on your mind.Hes someone who listens,suggests, and defends.A Dad can be oneof your very best friends!Hes proud of your triumphs,but when things go wrong,A Dad can be patientand helpful and strong.In all that you do,a Dads love plays a part.Theres always a place for him

deep in your heart.And each year that passes,youre even more glad,More grateful and proudjust to call him your Dad!Thank you, Dad ...for listening and caring,for giving and sharing,but, especially, for just being you!

Happy Fathers Day.We Love you the MOSTEST :) Tracy, Kyleen and Shane

Poem courtesy of www.theholidayspot.com/fathersday

Happy Fathers Day

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TURN $8K TAX CREDIT INTO MONEYA month or two ago I told you

about the federal tax credit of up to $8,000 available to first-time home buy-ers. While it was better than nothing, it wasnt having the intended immediate impact on housing that its authors had anticipated. The problem is that a tax credit can only be used when you file your taxes. So it wasnt helping buyers get into homes now who needed that money to come up with their down pay-ment or closing costs.

So recently the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has issued new rules whereby a home buyer that quali-fies for this credit can monetize the credit. This means that they can get the benefit of the credit now, instead of waiting until later. The home buyer can choose to use the money towards their down payment, or closing costs, or even to buy down their interest rate to a lower rate.

The home buyer will have to fill out

some forms to certify that they do, in fact, qualify for the credit, that they dont have any current wage garnishments, etc. There are several sources that will be allowed to monetize this creditfrom your lender, to other non-profit agencies. This will actually be a 2nd loan on the property for an amount up to the amount of the tax credit. There may or may not be payments due on this 2nd loan, or pay-ments can be deferred until some point in the future. If the payments begin within 36 months, they will be calculated into the buyers qualifying debt ratios. FHA has also put caps on how much the buyer can be charged for this process. Check with your preferred mortgage professional for more details.

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

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Now our Sundays are just as busy as our Saturdays. Id say 60 percent of customers on the weekends are from out of town.

Last Thursday afternoon, while West County resident Omar Carrillo was busy picking out a watermelon, just across the aisle, Dana Hanson of Vallejo was fi lling a plastic bag with tomatoes.

I think people in urban areas value that connection, said Lyddan. Its im-portant to make direct connections be-tween farmers and urban areas. People want to know where their food comes from. They appreciate its story.

Lyddan hopes the Richmond pro-gram will gain a new identifi cation for Brentwood while creating an additional market. Im very passionate about food and farming, she said. I think its a fan-tastic program, and farmers deserve to be called heroes.

For more information, visit www.harvest4you.com or call the Brentwood Agricultural Land Trust at 925-634-6738.

Produce from page 4A

Resurrection Ministries Lutheran Church in Brentwood will be ordaining and installing Pastor David Prill as the new associate pastor on June 20 at 4 p.m. The community is invited.

Prill will be associate pastor in charge of children and youth ministries. He will also assist in a variety of other pastoral tasks at Resurrection.

Prill received his bachelors degree in Christian education leadership and youth ministries (DCE studies) from Concordia University in Irvine, and received his masters of divinity degree from Concordia Lutheran Seminary in St. Louis. He interned at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Warner Robbins, Ga. for a year.

Prill is married to Christa, whom he met at Concordia University. They have been married for three years. Christa received her masters degree in social work from Saint Louis University. Dave and Christa share a variety of physically active pursuits as well as a love of a good cup of coffee.

Resurrection Ministries is located at 1275 Fairview Ave., on the corner of Sand Creek Road and Fairview Avenue.

Resurrection hires pastor

OK, Ill admit it. Ive been known to fall for a scam or two. When a particular pop-up ad promised to make my wrinkles disap-pear for $3.95, I signed up for it. Ill tell you what did disappear: $85 out of my checking account!

Apparently, by purchasing the trial size for $3.95, Id also agreed to the auto-ship pro-gram. When I called the company and demand-ed my money back, they told me I needed to fi rst ship the product back to them. I did as they asked: I called a week later to ask the status of my refund.

They told me my refund had been denied. I had not followed the special instructions for returning the product. I asked them to explain the special instructions, as this was the fi rst I had heard of them, but they told me a manager had to explain them.

Long story short: I fi nally recouped some of my money, but my wrinkles were even worse from all the frowning I was doing dur-ing this whole ordeal, and I also broke out in a nice pimply rash that required me to fi nally buy some expensive cortisone ointment. Any-way, you might assume I learned my lesson from this nightmare.

Youd be wrong.While leaving the grocery store, I was

approached by two young men in a car. Hey, lady! I can take all those dents out of your SUV for $200. We were out here doing a dent repair job and I have all the tools in my trunk. It would cost you $800 at least in a body shop.

Wow, I thought. Sounds a little too good to be true, but I have wanted to get all those ugly dents fi xed. Now, let me fi rst ex-plain how I got the dents in the fi rst place. Its called let your husband drive your big beast of an SUV when hes used to driving a small Nissan sedan. From my vantage point in the passengers seat, I sensed he was cutting it too close when he tried to park in front of my brothers house, in front of my brothers truck. The sound of scraping metal confi rmed my fears. Whats that noise? my husband asked as my brothers side view mirror snapped off.

I was stuck with the delightful task of go-ing up to the door and informing my brother

about the damage to his truck. Lets just say we all needed a cocktail.

OK, so back to the parking lot: I called my husband and told him that these nice men were willing to follow me to our house and take out all the dents. My husband was leery, especially when I told him they wanted cash only, but he told me to bring them by.

Well, they parked their car and started pulling tools out of the trunk: two rubber mallets, a crow bar, some rags and a can of aerosol spray of some sort. The guys worked fast and with fl air, pounding here and there and using a crow bar to try and pull out the major dents.

Then they performed the big fi nale! They

lit the contents of the aerosol can on fi re and pointed the fl aming torch at my SUV! My kids loved it! Then they quickly applied a thick coat of wax all over the work they had done. The guy with the MOM tattoo on his arm told me to leave it there for an hour, then buff it off.

Do the words smoke and mirrors sound familiar? We paid them their $200 and they sped away. An hour later, we decided to buff off the wax. You guessed it. Every dent and scratch was still there, and maybe even a bit worse! I felt the pimply rash returning on my face. I think Ive fi nally learned my lesson this time. Really Wait, whats that on TV? Something about reversing the aging process I gotta go.

JUNE 19, 2009 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 9A

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ment) said they were going to work with the school and start policing the area more heavily, we were thinking to ourselves, OK, well see how long this lasts. But for the first time since weve lived here, there were no problems. The officers patrolled up and down the streets (especially on the last day of school) and were so courtesy and kind. I cant tell you how comforting it was to have them there. We cant thank them enough for taking such wonderful care of us.

The pleasure, said Evenson, is all theirs. Its very nice of them (the ho-meowners) to say such nice things, but really were just doing our job. But I

will say that the officers who were out there did a great job.

Now that we have a handle on the situation, we will, of course, continue to be a strong presence out there and make sure we have an eye on things. But its nice that everyone is happy and that its all kumbaya.

For Shawna, the success of the police presence in her community has given her more than a warm and fuzzy feeling; it has also reinforced her be-lief in teamwork. I cant tell you how much it has meant to the homeowners to be remembered and to have been taken seriously. The success of all this just tells you that teamwork definitely works; it really does.

Teamwork from page 3A

JUNE 19, 2009 EDUCATION THEPRESS.NET | 11A

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LUHSD Educational Foundation representatives Richard Wisdom, center, and Felix Golden present a check to LUHSD Board President Joanne Byer, left.

Liberty Union High School District Educational Foundation representatives Richard Wisdom and Felix Golden recently presented the Board of Trustees with a check to fund the foundations annual Spring Grant Awards. Two projects at Heritage High School were selected for funding, including materials for theatrical and lighting effects for the Theater and Drama Department, and a mini recording studio for the band and recording arts classes. Purchase plans are designed to support and expand many areas of study,

including music, drama, applied and fi ne arts, technology, and school to career academies. The new technology will also enhance the mass communications classes of the law, government and public services academy at Heritage.

Board President Joanne Byer was pleased to accept the award on behalf of Heritage High School teachers Hillary Pedrotti, Chris Fallows and Steven Ernest. This funding is really special, said Byer, because it helps teachers create wonderful projects that might otherwise not be possible.

Heritage gets grants

12A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY JUNE 19, 2009

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The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors recently approved an allocation of $929,719 Community Development Block Grant-Recovery funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

I am thrilled that we found funding for the Knightsen Sidewalk project and the Brentwood Veterans Hall, said Supervisor Mary Piepho. Both projects have been community driven, and were pleased to see them moving forward. The Knightsen Sidewalk project will replace approximately 250 feet of deteriorating, irregular concrete along Knightsen Avenue between 3055 Knightsen Ave. and A Street. The funding for the Knightsen Sidewalk project is in addition to funds already secured by the Knightsen Garden Club.

The monies allocated to the Brentwood Veterans Hall will help to reconfi gure bathrooms to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), construct an

ADA ramp, replace windows to be energy effi cient, and install solar panels.

The Delta Family YMCAs plans for its new building in Oakley also got a boost from the stimulus funds. Of the $929,719 approved by the supervisors, $100,000 is ticketed for the Oakley facility, managed by the Delta Family YMCA. The funds will pay for construction of a new 25,000-square-foot building to replace the current facility at the same location at 1250 OHara Ave.

The YMCAs presence in East County is going to grow with its new building, said Supervisor Federal Glover, whose district includes Oakley. The services it provides, which includes childcare, workout facilities and YMCA recreation programs, benefi t all of East County.

Another East County recipient of the federal grants is Opportunity Junction, a job-training program in Antioch, which will also undergo remodeling.

Stimulus dollars flowing

Mary Nejedly Piepho, District III Coun-ty Supervisor, has relocated her Brentwood Offi ce to the Sand Creek Business Center.

Supporting and enhancing the Buil-ding and Planning Department, Employ-ment and Human Services, and the Health Services Department in far East County has been a top priority for me, said Pie-pho. This action puts us one step closer to a central location with more services for far East County residents.

Piephos new address is at 181 Sand Creek Road, Suite L, Brentwood, CA 94513. The offi ce is open Monday through Thursday and by appointment. Due to re-cent staff reductions, the offi ce is not staf-fed full-time, so constituents should call prior to dropping by.

Piephos East County Field Represen-tative is Karyn Cornell, whom you may call for more information or for an ap-pointment time at 925-240-7260.

Supervisor relocates office

JUNE 19, 2009 THEPRESS.NET | 13A

Trevors Weekly Mortgage MattersBy Trevor Frey

MHA CHECK UP

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Th e Making Home Aff ordable (MHA) program was fi rst announced on February 18th with guidelines released to lenders through the United States Treasury on March 4, 2009, and, according to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner in a press release dated May 14 2009, In just over two months, the Making Home Aff ordable program is up and running, helping our economy recover and making a diff erence in the lives and livelihoods of thousands of American homeowners. As of this writing, the program includes fourteen mortgage loan servicing companies, including the fi ve largest. Between said servicers and loans owned or securitized by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, more than 75% of all mortgage loans in the country are now under the Making Home Aff ordable blanket.

So with roughly four months of operating under our belts, just how is the program performing?

Of course you will always fi nd stories on both sides of the fence but according to struggling home owner Nicholas Tekpertey, In February, I was facing foreclosure, Making Home Aff ordable changed my situation, and gave me my home back. All homeowners who are worried about their mortgage payments should do what I did. Call your lender. See if you qualify. Th is program is real, and this program works. To further back Mr. Tekperteys personal experience are Fannie Maes and Freddie Macs actual fi gures. Since the launch of Fannie Maes new automated underwriting system 233,000 eligible refi nance applications have been underwritten using (DU) Refi Plus an

automated system set in place April 4, 2009 specifi cally for the Making Home Aff ordable program, it is the fi rst step taken before the fi le physically is reviewed by an actual underwriter with over 51,000 of those applications having loan-to-values between 80 and 105%. Freddie Mac has also seen success with over 1500 Home Aff ordable closed and delivered to the government entity.

Don Bisenius, Executive Vice President of Freddie Mac, was pleased to announce updated guidelines aimed to further the success of President Obamas MHA program, stating on June 5th, We are responding to consumers desires to have more refi nancing options. As an added benefi t, we are expanding the program and providing greater fl exibility in fi nancing closing costs. Freddie Mac is committed to doing everything we can to bring the benefi ts of the Administrations Making Home Aff ordable program to as many borrowers as possible. Freddie Mac is now following what Fannie Mae put into play from the start...allowing borrowers who attempt to participate in the program to work with any lender, not just their current servicer.

Overall the Making Home Aff ordable program is slowly but surely showing positive results. For further information on said program and to see if qualify to refi nance up to 105% of your homes value please do not hesitate to call me directly, or write in at tfreymortgages@yahoo.com. You can also visit www.makinghomeaff ordable.com or call me directly on my new cell phone, (925) 726-1444.

14A | THEPRESS.NET JUNE 19, 2009

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JUNE 19, 2009 THEPRESS.NET | 15A

OPINIONEDITORIALS, LETTERS & COMMENTARY Nat

ional Aw

ardWinning Newspapers

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

Contractors wont work under PLAsEditor:

An additional and little discussed trap in union-only Project Labor Agree-ments (PLAs) is the potential withdrawal liability contractors face when they sign a PLA and contribute to a union pension plan (commonly referred to as a multiem-ployer plan).

When the job under a PLA is com-plete and the open shop contractor stops contributing to the union pension plan, it is

considered a withdrawal. If the plan has unfunded vested benefi ts allocable to the employer, the plan will assess withdrawal liability. The plan determines the amount of liability, notifi es the employer of the amount and collects it from the employer. If the plan is severely underfunded, the withdrawal fee could exceed the amount the employer paid in during the period he worked under the PLA and for a pen-sion benefi t the employee will likely never receive!

As you negotiate your PLA, non-union companies should have the option not to pay retirement benefi ts into union pension plans if they have an equivalent plan. This will protect these companies from unfunded pension liability and protect workers from losing retirement benefi ts.

Sean CadiganOakley

Survivors Day stalwartsEditor:

As coordinator of National Cancer Survivors Day for the City of Oakley, I profoundly express my gratitude to all our sponsors for the third consecutive year: Mr. Gorilla Rilla (aka Mark Acasio), Lucky Store, Oakley Centro Mart, Los Charros Restaurant, Casa Del Palmar Market, Ala-dinos Pizza, Eric Cabral and our additional

new sponsors for Quest for a Cures third event: Starbucks, Fed Ex Kinkos, Maria Chi Show La Tino, the Ohl family, Coping Magazine, vocalist Jazlyn Ohl, Hannah Socorro Rios, and Hugh Carpenter.

Subsequently, this 22nd anniversary was celebrated around the world. We were blessed to have T-shirts printed by S&M Enterprises in Antioch with the Universal logo and sponsors.

In conclusion, I extend my heart for the appreciation, support and labor to the Ibarra family, Evelyn Scapacasa, Cindy Logo, the Womens Cancer Research Center, Alma Loos, Victoria Rios for the posters, Pilar and Dominico Gustavino for the pink roses, Sonia and Peter Rios for the cleanup and to the City of Oakley for its support.

Lupe Linda Rios

Reduce expensive bureaucracyEditor:

The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano recognizes that major steps are necessary to address a budget shortfall in excess of $20 billion. We know that the state needs to continue efforts to remove waste and redundancy from government operations. One step that would help the low-income people we serve would be eliminating the statewide Fingerprint

Imaging System (SFIS) and moving to a six-month paperwork reporting system for food stamps and CALWORKS.

SFIS is the system employed by the state to detect the attempt by an individual to obtain benefi ts by fi ling food stamp applications in more than one county. Only four states use this system, and Californias auditor found that the Department of Social Services has never demonstrated the results produced by this costly and redun-dant fi nger imaging system.

Now is the perfect time to pull the plug on this obsolete system and use the savings to avoid more painful cuts to needed services. The state pays $8 million a year to the contractor who operates the system. Ending SFIS would save those funds and the additional money the state pays to administer the system.

The administration has proposed eliminating CALWORKS entirely, in spite of the fact that each dollar in the small state contribution is matched by more than three federal dollars. Instead, the state could save money by moving to six-month reporting for the CALWORKS program, providing California with millions in an-nual grant savings and giving administra-tive relief to overworked counties.

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.

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

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see Letters page 17A

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The June 5, 2009 front page article in the Oakley Press, on the citys budget defi cit, quoted the Oakley city manager as saying the city was doing very well regarding the citys budget for the 09/10 fi scal year. The previous paragraph listed a series of cost savings the city had undertaken, and in particular, replacing the full-time

city attorney with a part-time city attorney.

This is a rep-etition of a similar

comment by Councilmember Anderson in the Press, when it was announced that City Attorney Alison Bar-rett-Green was leaving city employment as a cost saving to the city.

Whats wrong with both of these statements is that they are conclusionary statements that omit signifi cant contrary facts. What they really do is serve to hide a series of bad judgment calls by the City Council.

A quick review of the numbers shows the problem pretty clearly: Ms. Green was paid approximately $113 per hour for her salary and benefi ts. (Less, by the way, than the city manager makes.) So letting her go appears to have saved a lot of money, but lets calculate that sup-posed savings.

First, her severance agreement called for her to be paid her full salary for seven months following her departure, which the city has been paying since Feb. 1 (about one week after her January meeting with the council), while getting zero benefi t for that money.

Second, she was replaced in February, part-time by retired Antioch City Attorney Bill Galstan, who charges Oakley $100 per hour and has run up a bill, as of the fi rst week of June, of $20,000. Thats on top of her sal-ary!

Third, recall that as reported in the Press, at its 4/10/09 meeting, the city hired a private law fi rm at $350 per hour to look into issues regarding the proposed Hillcrest eBART station and the City of Antioch (see agenda item 3.10 on the citys Web site). The city hasnt received a bill yet, so we cant tell you the total cost of that decision. (Full-time city attorneys are hired to save money by doing research like that and to minimize the use of outside counsel. Oakleys former law fi rm charged annual amounts higher than Ms. Greens salary.)

But Mr. Galstan and/or the city believed that he has a confl ict, so the Oakley City Council is paying even more taxpayer money out as a result of its supposed fi r-ing of the city attorney to save money! (Worse, the issue with Antioch is a political issue, not a legal issue, and it is the responsibility of the councilmember represent-ing Oakley on the regional transportation authorities and ePAC to resolve those. Since January, that has been Councilmember Frazier. Oakley should never sue over this type of issue, as it only wastes taxpayer funds and destroys the regional goodwill that is vital to East Countys continued success in transportation issues.)

Sadly, the costs to the Oakley taxpayers still arent over. As part of the severance agreement, Oakley tax-payers also may have to absorb the cost of a $100,000 loan the city made to Ms. Green to enable her to buy a house in Oakley at the top of the housing market. Ms.

Green took the loan because the council wanted her to live in Oakley and she could not sell her home before moving. Accommodating the councils desire left her with two mortgages. (You can see the loan discussion on the city Web site under the 11/26/07 agenda, item 3.6, and on the 4/10/09 agenda at item 3.4: the agreement to forgive the loan.)

So where are the savings? The clear answer is: there are only high costs to the taxpayers; no savings. In his 4/10/09 staff report, Mr. Galstan refers to it as only eventual savings, since clearly there are no savings now.

I add to the above that Ms. Green is an outstanding lawyer whom I have known professionally for several years. Her ethics and work habits are exemplary.

The councils tally of bad judgment calls so far:1. Treating a good employee very shabbily, at a large

dollar cost to the city, and sending a horrible message to the remaining city employees.

2. Falsely claiming to save money by letting the city attorney go.

3. Hiring an ex-Antioch city attorney with obvious confl icts.

4. Needlessly hiring an expensive law fi rm to handle a political issue.

So, if there were no savings, what was the real reason the city attorney (who by all accounts was doing a great job) was let go? See the next edition of the Press for that discussion.

Mr. Nix is a former Oakley Councilmember and Oakley Inc. member who represented the city for 10 years on regional transportation committees. He has practiced law for 27 years.

GUEST COMMENTPART 1 OF 2

Why Oakleys city attorney was forced outby Brad Nix

16A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY JUNE 19, 2009

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Celebrating, remembering and fighting backIt 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.

But despite the personal nature of my own thoughts, it was impossible to be alone. Cancer had impacted the lives of all who were there even for the shortest time, and the positive force of so many people

sharing the same cause, in the same place, at the same time worked its way into every step I took.

The effort of the hundreds of volunteers who played music, counted money, signed up walkers, hung banners and emptied trash bins helped in a transformation that is, in a word, remarkable. They not only changed 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 fight against cancer. It was an affirmation of life that will stay with them long after cancer is only mentioned in history books. Thank you for that.

ONDEADLINE

RICKLEMYRE

Photos by Richard Wisdom

Participants join together in support, above, as they take a lap during the Survivors Walk at last weeks Relay For Life event at Liberty High School. Heritage High School student Ethan Watts, right, takes a Relay break but manages to show his sup-port in more ways than one (bra rentals were a popular fundraising tool) as fellow coed Lauren Howard looks on. Far right, Oliver Gernsey, right foreground, enjoys a laugh as he and the rest of Team Swisher relax in the shade.

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18A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY JUNE 19, 2009

reopen the resident quarters that were closed, and possibly reinstate staff.

Normally, we are able to budget and plan for the slower times, but because we are a month-to-month organization that runs an already very tight ship, its been impossible to make up the shortfall, said Harper, who added that the group has been forced to borrow on its modest cred-it line recently to meet payroll expenses. Were just hoping that this community matching challenge will help.

Esther Pfi rrmann is hoping so, too. For the past 60 days, the 38-year-old single mom has found a haven for her-self and her toddler son at Shepherds Gate. A history of drug and alcohol abuse combined with an unhealthy fam-ily environment brought Pfi rrmann to the Brentwood campus. But its the love and support she has experienced from the staff and residents since moving there, she said, thats keeping her there.

I found myself at somewhat of an emotional bottom, said Pfi rrmann, who was previously employed but forced to quit after the birth of her son two years ago. I had a lot of issues and had resorted back to drug abuse briefl y and I really just felt like I was slowly dying, both spiritually and mentally.

But coming here was the best thing that ever happened to me. When I got here, the comfort and calm that I felt for someone who previously had no hope at all well, it was just such a blessing. If not for this place, I dont know what I would have done.

Neither does Elizabeth Cabrera, and she along with the other resi-dents is doing what she can to keep the facility open.

We help all we can by turning off the lights, not letting the water run, things like that, said Cabrera, 28. I love this program; its helped me so much. I had a vicious cycle of alcohol-ism and relapse and I had wiped myself clean of everything good in my life. If I hadnt come here, I dont know where I would have ended up.

For twenty-fi ve years, Shepherds Gate has helped more than 9,000 wom-en and children get back on their feet through professional counseling, drug, alcohol and abuse recovery programs plus job-skills training and placement programs. Both campuses are currently at capacity, a total of nearly 100 women and children, following the closure of the one residence hall in Livermore. The program receives no government fund-ing and relies solely on community do-nations and support.

Sometimes people see these beau-tiful houses (the Brentwood facility was donated by Signature Properties) and forget that our need is ongoing, said Harp. But times are hard at the mo-ment, and because we are short right now, we need that cash in hand. Were limping along, but the next level would be cutting back on our capacity (of what we can handle) and we certainly dont want to do that.

There are lots of ways people can help if they cant make a monetary do-nation. They can volunteer and help spread the word as well. We remain op-timistic. Were hopeful we can meet our goals.

To make a donation to Shepherds Gate or explore volunteer opportuni-ties, call 925-443-4283, or visit www.shepherdsgate.org.

Gate from page 1A

between longtime and newer residents occurs with the Zone 3 tax. It applies to 26 neighborhoods in Oakley; if you dont live in one of them, you pay nothing into this tax. If you do live in one of them, how much you pay depends on where you live and again, newer residents usually pay more.

Residents in the 128 houses in the California Sunrise neighborhood pay the least: $27 per house annually. The 1,277 houses in the Vintage Parkway area live in the fi rst Zone 3 tax district (set up in 1985) and pay $58. Residents in 12 other neighborhoods pay somewhere between $100 and $200.

The potentially most expensive Zone 3 neighborhood is, again, Summer Lakes with a possible maximum tax of nearly $1,500 per house. But that has been re-duced in the coming year to $400 which gives the dubious prize of Oakleys high-est Zone 3 tax neighborhood to Magnolia Park, which pays $1,170 per house. Other expensive neighborhoods are Reserve/Stonebrook, with a potential of $636 (but which has been reduced to zero in the coming year); South Oakley, which pays $423; and Cypress Grove, which pays $365.

Despite all the taxation, the city does not take in enough money to pay for all of

the maintenance costs. Offi cials are spend-ing $86,000 from the $600,000-$650,000 that the city gets from the gas tax on light and landscape maintenance instead of the road maintenance for which the fund is intended.

In addition, the reserve funds are be-ing drawn down in Zones 1 and 2, because nearly $110,000 more will be spent in the coming year than is expected in revenue. And that worries Councilwoman Pat An-derson, who suggested darkening some areas of Oakley.

Hard to see, diffi cult to watch as our fund balances go down in these districts because of the economic times, she said at the June 9 council meeting. We are now dipping into the reserves to take care of things. And thats what our reserves are for. But too many dips and there wont be anything left. I know we are very diligent in how we watch and take of this. (But) its slightly frightening.

We might want to consider a reduc-tion in street lighting. Safety is of impor-tance. But there might be some areas in the city with every other light off, or what-ever that might be, as long as it doesnt cause too much diffi culty. Safety, again, is something wed have to look at. But it may be something that were going to have to resort to. I hope not, but (these are) tough times.

Tax from page 1A

With a hazy Mt. Diablo in the background and rain clouds hover-ing overhead, this local corn eld revealed its dramatic dimen-sion when photographer Stacey Chance happened by. Far East Countys early corn is already being harvested, and those Brentwood Diamonds should be in plentiful supply soon. Remember: Buy Fresh, Buy Local!

A-maize-ing sunset

Photo by Stacey Chance/DiscoveryBayStudios.com

The City of Oakley continues to evolve. From the time I began my law enforcement career 22 years ago to to-day, things have changed drastically. Some would argue things were better back in the good ole days when our streets carried more farm equipment than passenger cars. Instead of homes and businesses, the roads were lined with orchards and crops.

With the growth, our roads have been improved to carry the addition-al traffic volume. The police depart-ment has grown to keep pace with the increase in population. Part of that growth has been the addition of a traffic safety unit. You will recognize this as the traffic enforcement motor-cycles riding about town and making enforcement stops. Coupled with these motor officers, members of the Oakley PD have increased their efforts in the area of intoxicated-driving enforce-ment.

These two efforts combined have provided tangible results. Traffic acci-dents are declining; more importantly, injuries resulting from those accidents are declining as well. In a year-to-year comparison, collisions have declined approximately 25 percent. Injuries

in those collisions have declined ap-proximately 30 percent. Due to the increased enforcement efforts, overall speed is decreasing in many areas of town.

I often hear the comment, Why arent you out arresting real crimi-nals? or Dont you have anything better to do? when it comes to our ef-forts in traffic safety. These folks will never understand the experience of removing from a car a young persons mangled body, needlessly killed in a traffic accident. They will never de-liver the horrible news to a parent, let-ting them know their son or daughter will not be coming home. Simply put, if our enforcement efforts eliminate these experiences, then my answer is, No, we have nothing better to do!

When I see a group of 40 or 50 Oakley residents, I fully believe at least one of them is alive and well due to the efforts of your police department. There is no good day to get a ticket or arrested for DUI. Those enforcement measures are performed in an effort to save lives and limit injuries. As the years go on, we will continue to work with the community to reduce the in-cidents of injuries and fatalities on our roadways. Please join us in these efforts. Dont drink and drive; slow down; and drive safely.

Traffic safety in Oakleyby Chris Thorsen

Oakley Chief of Police

20A | THEPRESS.NET JUNE 19, 2009

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D MEDALAWARD

Second-year driver Zack Beard, driv-ing the Power Up Concrete Pumping #77, brought Antioch Speedways main event fi eld to the green fl ag with his heart pumping, since it was his fi rst time in that position.

The second-generation driver and son of Cameron Beard had paid attention to head ref-eree Peggy Holbrooks words of advice: hold the line going into Turn 1, with thunder com-ing behind you. Beards car bogged at the start and he heeded Holbrooks advice, allowing the freight train to rush by without incident.

Dakota Albright, driving his ART/Ka-wasaki #35jr, jumped into the lead going into Turn 1 as he pulled away from the fi eld on the newly enlarged and upgraded Antioch surface. Albright was celebrating his recent graduation from Turlock High as he raced with the ham-mer down.

Fourth-starting Jason Sneep, driving the Lonnie Lopez #11x Bailey/Suzuki blasted into the lead in Lap 3, with Albright on his bum-

per, followed by fi fth-starting Chris Glass.The new changes in the racing surface

provided the racers with several different lines of racing, not the same old one-groove racing. All the drivers were searching for the grooves as the race progressed.

Sneep pulled away from the fi eld and it looked like he would prevail easily. Glass, driving the Red Hawk Casino #9, had other ideas, as he kept Sneep in sight and worked the whole speedway surface to catch him. Glass efforts were rewarded in Lap 13, as he got around Sneep and held on for the win. After the race, Glass attributed his victory to his ART/Suzuki, which got faster as the laps went by.

Albright drove the best race of his three-year career to fi nish third, followed by Paul-son, Corso, R. Hoover, Manning, Nunes, Soto, Holbrook, J. Hoover, Rogers, Beard and Buffa.

Contributed by Steve Hazelton

Smooth as Glass

The second annual Bushido Open Karate Tournament will be held Saturday, June 20 at Deer Valley High School start-ing at 7:30 a.m. with ticket sales and com-petitors registration.

Competitors under 18 spearhead the event at 9 a.m., followed by adult compet-itors. Traditional Forms divisions will be followed by Weapons and Creative forms. Grand Championships will be held imme-

diately following each groups division.The Bushido Opens fi rst-ever Kata

competition begins at 10:30 a.m., followed by Padded Stick Fighting divisions at 11. Demonstration and awards will take place at 12:30 p.m., and Sparring competition at 1. At 2 p.m., the Self Defense competi-tion begins.

For more information, visit www.thebushidoopen.com.

Get your kicks Saturday

4B | THEPRESS.NET SPORTS JUNE 19, 2009

Nice catch

Photo courtesy of Robert Capp

Fishing largemouth bass on the Delta has been wide open. Biagio Capp,11, caught this 11-pound, 26-inch largemouth bass while shing the docks in Discovery Bay. Biagio was using his new Shimano Clarus rod with an Ocuma Epixor EB30 real and (of all things) a banjo minnow. The ght went on for about 10 minutes, and after Biagio hauled in his prize, he released it to ght another day. Biagio shes largemouth and striper four to ve days per week. Watch out, FLW, youll be talking about this kid soon.

Jordan Sabella and Alexandra Kovalick were recently named Antioch High Athletes of the Year. Sabella has earned a 3.91 GPA and was a three-sport starter his senior year. As captain of the Panther tennis team, he was No. 1 on the team ladder and went undefeated in league his senior year. He played all four years on the varsity tennis team, and this year was named to the All-league First Team. Sabella made it to the nals in the BVAL tournament and led his team to the NCS playoffs. He also played two years of varsity soccer and was a kicker on the football team his senior year. Kovalick has earned a 3.70 GPA and ran four years track, qualifying for NCS in 2007, 2008 and 2009 in the 4x400-meter relay, and in 2008, the 110-meter hurdles. As a wrestler, she was captain of the girls squad, fth in Northern CIF Regional and placed second at NCS.

Stellar Panthers

Photo courtesy of Joy Motts For the second consecutive summer, the Golden State Warriors will hold a fi ve-day basketball camp at Oakleys Freedom High School. This years sessions run from Monday, June 22 to Friday, June 26. The camp will focus on individual skill development, the importance of fundamentals and the development of a healthy team attitude for boys and girls 8-16 of all skill levels and abilities.

The staff at Warriors Basketball Camp is made up of current high school and college coaches, as well as current and former local college players. Most sessions of Warriors

Basketball Camp also feature appearances by current and former Warriors players and coaches. In the past year, appearances have been made by Warriors players Kelenna Azubuike, Marco Belinelli, Corey Maggette, Anthony Morrow, Ronny Turiaf, C.J. Watson, Brandan Wright and legends Nate Thurmond, Al Attles and Jim Barnett, plus assistant coaches Keith Smart, Russell Turner and Stephen Silas.

For complete details on Warriors Basketball Camp and to sign up online, log on to www.warriors.com or call 510-986-5310.

Warriors coming to Oakley

LIST OF Bank-Owned Properties

No hassle No obligation

Call Todd Now! 925-301-7788 or go towww.myfreehome ndersite.com

JUNE 19, 2009 SPORTS THEPRESS.NET | 5B

Mon.-Fri. 7am-7pm Sat. 9-5 ALTERATIONS LEATHERS DRAPERIES

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(925) 757-59401860 A Street Antioch

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22 888882008

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22 888882008

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Diamond Hills Sports Club and Spa in Oakley will host the United States Ten-nis Associations Open Adult/Pro Tennis Tournament from Thursday, June 18 to Sunday, June 21. Matches start at 1 p.m. There is no charge for admission.

This is the fi rst Open-level tennis

tournament held in the Oakley-Brent-wood-Antioch area, featuring the top 32 adult tennis players in Northern Califor-nia. Singles and doubles events will play for a combined $5,000 in prize money.

Diamond Hills Sports Club and Spa is located at 1510 Neroly Road.

USTA comes to Oakley

6B | THEPRESS.NET SPORTS JUNE 19, 2009

coaching Little League teams for the past seven years and managing for the last four, said this is the best team hes had since the AAA minor league team he had a couple years ago that went 19-1. A lot of the players on that team are now playing for the Giants.

The kids know how to win and to play up to their potential, said Knight in a phone interview last weekend. They have had a great year. I am looking forward to seeing what they can do in the Tournament of Champions. Thats where the team kind of proves how good the year really was.

Regardless of how the tournament goes, its clear that the Giants are winners.

The good thing is they all enjoy playing to-gether they all have fun together, he said. I dont see any attitude they just enjoy being together.

Giants from page 1Bpoint because he kept at it all night. I shooed him off and he went onto greener pastures.

You have to know where the bears are. If youre in a lush canyon, youre gonna have bears. If youre in a rocky wasteland moonscape, youre just not going to have any bears.

For current information on where bears have been a problem and just about anything related to hiking/camping in the Sierra, Najarian recommends going online to www.highsierratopix.com.

Perhaps the most intriguing of the four trips she leads is the one that allows you to climb to the top of Half Dome but approach it from the high country rather than from the valley fl oor, thus avoiding the 5,000-foot vertical ascent. Her hike allows you to get there in the late morning before the cable ladder to the top of the Dome becomes packed in the afternoon with valley hikers.

Even if youre a seasoned hiker, there are advantages to participating in a guided tour. The guide will provide the wilderness permit, tents, cooking gear and fuel, food, water fi lter, group fi rst-aid kit and a bear-proof canister. Newbies will be shown how to use a compass and topographical map to fi nd their way in the wilderness, how to pack light, cook and plan meals and learn natural history.

On the down side, its $625 per person for a four day/three night trip. Its also not recommended for couch pota-toes. Youll need to be in good enough shape to carry a 35-pound pack while hiking three to six miles per day, often up-hill and at a high altitude. There are mosquitoes, especially in July and around sunrise and sunset, and the temperature can dip into the 20s at night in the high country.

REI Adventures Weekend Getaways are scheduled for Thursday through Sunday nearly every week through Sept. 20 in Yosemite Valley and the high country. For more infor-mation, go to www.rei.com/adventures. For Najarians Web site, go to www.sierraspirit.biz.

Backpacking from page 1B

JUNE 19, 2009 MILESTONES THEPRESS.NET | 7B

Diehard Baseball Academy is o ering the ultimate program to prepare young baseball players for next level of competition. We are o ering elite baseball training for the entire summer, or you may elect to have your child participate for only a portion of the summer months.

Our baseball summer program will take place at Freedom High School in Oakley, California from June 22 through July 24 from the hours of 9:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. For less than $2 per hour, your child will receive six hours of daily professional baseball training and mentoring. We will work with players ages 9-18. Players will be broken into age appropriate groups. We strongly encourage players of all skill levels to participate in our summer program.

We will be o ering a three week and ve week program, and either option will consist of a thorough evaluation of each player with each player having individually designed program based on the assessment.

*5 Week summer program $300*3 Week summer program $200

For more information, please call 925-382-9045To sign up, please call 925-813-4788

1st ANNUALDIEHARD BASEBALL ACADEMY

SUMMER BASEBALLPROGRAM

Led by Ron Perkins & Gary Alexander, Head Baseball Coach of the 2009

NCS Division 1 Champions, the Freedom Falcons and a host of other

professional baseball instructors

DIANA LEE CORREAJan. 8, 1949-June 16, 1994

In memoriam Marine-bound grad

Derek Allen Gaffett of Brent-wood will be 18 on July 22. He has just graduated with honors from Liberty High School, and on June 14, entered the United States Marine Corps. We, as his fam-ily, want him to know how proud and happy we are and that we are behind him all the way, as are all the friends he has made in Brentwood. We love you and will always be with you! We have seen you grow from our little man into the wonderful young man you are today. We Love You!From your proud Mom, Mark, Kyle and Dezi, too!

University grad

Stephanie C. Webber, daughter of Jim and Mary Webber of Brent-wood, graduated from Liberty High School in 2005. Stepha-nie graduated on May 9 from the University of South Da-kota, where she majored in psychology and minored in criminal justice. She earned a nal GPA of 3.2. Stephanie is now living in Sioux Falls, S.D., working as a unit coor-dinator at the South Dakota State Pris-on. Congratulations, Stephanie!

8B | THEPRESS.NET HEALTH & BEAUTY JUNE 19, 2009

Imagine a beautiful smile to last a lifetime!

When you imagine their future

Dr. John I. Esterkyn Caring for our communities smiles

for more than 20 years!2390 Country Hills Dr., Ste. 101, Antioch | 754-31971145 Second Street, Ste. F, Brentwood | 513-9320

Voted Best of Brentwood2003 through 2008 www.eastcountybraces.com

22 888882008

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Blood Drive at DBDelta Community Presbyterian

Church, 1900 Willow Lake Road in Dis-covery Bay, is hosting a Red Cross Blood Drive on Saturday, June 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Those giving blood must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and bring a picture ID.

To make an appointment, log on to www.helpsavealife.org (Sponsor Code: Disco Bay), call 800-GIVE-LIFE or call the church at 925-634-0184. Those without an appointment are welcome, and may just stop by and wait their turn. Child care and refreshments will be provided.

10B | THEPRESS.NET FOOD & ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 19, 2009

Sat & Sun Sat & Sun 8-11:30am8-11:30am

Serving Breakfast

Serving Breakfast

Serving Breakfast

Serving Breakfast 513-24995879 Marina Road

Discovery Bay Marina www.BoardwalkGrill.net

Happy HourMon-Fri 4-7pm

$5 Appetizer Menu

Proud sponsor of the 3rd Annual Discovery Bay Proud sponsor of the 3rd Annual Discovery Bay Paddle for Fame World Record Event on 6/27 Paddle for Fame World Record Event on 6/27

and What a Country Challengeand What a Country Challenge

Join us Join us for Fathers for Fathers

Day!Day!

Open daily at 11am

Marlene Howell, owner of Imagination Preschool in Oakley, kicked off her schools summer session this week with a visit to the new Red Robin restaurant at the Streets of Brentwood (Sand Creek Road and the Highway 4 Bypass). Much to her surprise, she and her young charges were the rst customers in the place, an honor commemorated by her signing of the ceremonial rst dollar that will forever adorn the wall behind the register. Above, from left, are Morgan Llewellyn, Jacob Johns, Logan Howell, Marlene Howell, Brandon Howell and Orion Howell marking the occasion with Dagoberto Gonzalez of Red Robin. Its unknown who the fellow in the background is, but hes clearly enjoying himself as well. The much-anticipated Red Robins hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Red Robin early birds

Photo courtesy of Marlene Howell

PISTACHIOSPISTACHIOSLOCAL HONEY, OLIVE OILLOCAL HONEY, OLIVE OILDRIED FRUITS, NUTS, GOURMET ITEMSGift Baskets Made To Order, All Occasions

COUNTRY STORECOUNTRY STOREOPEN SATURDAYS 9:00-3:00

(925) 634-49131291 Apricot Way, Brentwood

www.gurskyranch.com

PISTACHIOSPISTACHIOSLOCAL HONEY, OLIVE OILLOCAL HONEY, OLIVE OILDRIED FRUITS, NUTS, GOURMET ITEMSGift Baskets Made To Order, All Occasions

COUNTRY STORECOUNTRY STOREOPEN SATURDAYS 9:00-3:00

(925) 634-49131291 Apricot Way, Brentwood

www.gurskyranch.com

Construction

FAIRVIEWHEATING &

AIR CONDITIONINGService Repair

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634-2221

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Family portraits, & events

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

Photography

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PlumbersLicense ChildcareHousecleaning

Pools & Spas

Heating & Air

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120) Pets

Jazz up your party, wedding or restaurant.

The Delta Jazz Trio makes special events

even more special!

or visit

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P/T-F/T needed at

24) Employment

31) DOMESTICS 60) Items for Sale

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. 800-617-7600

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225) Cottages Rentals

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222) Condos for Rent

Oakley

212) Out of Area Prop.202) Houses for Sale

16B | THEPRESS.NET PUBLIC NOTICES JUNE 19, 2009

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 nega-tive 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. ASAP# 3122560 06/- 12/2009, 06/19/2009, 06/26/2009 Oakley Press No. 03-0477 Publish Dates: June 12, 19, 26, 2009

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 OB-TAINED BY OR PROVIDED TO THIS FIRM OR THE CREDITOR WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. As re-quired 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 obliga-tions. ASAP# 3122849 06/12/2009, 06/19/- 2009, 06/26/2009 Oakley Press No. 03-0477 Publish Dates: June 12, 19, 26, 2009

Sale: 7/- 2/2009 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: $434,528.17 The purported property address is: 27 GROVE CT OAKLEY, CA 94561 Asses-sors Parcel No. 034-160- 080 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, directions to the location of the property may be obtained by send-ing a written request to the bene ciary within 10 days of the date of rst pub-lication of this Notice of Sale. 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: 6/12/2009 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 nega-tive 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. ASAP# 3124308 06/- 12/2009, 06/19/2009, 06/26/2009 Oakley Press No. 03-0477 Publish Dates: June 12, 19, 26, 2009

COSTA County, California; Date of Sale: 7/- 2/2009 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: $456,801.30 The purported property address is: 4865 Claret Ct Oakley, CA 94561 Assessors Parcel No. 035-332- 022-9 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, directions to the location of the property may be obtained by send-ing a written request to the bene ciary within 10 days of the date of rst pub-lication of this Notice of Sale. 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 sa