brentwood press_12.03.10

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Vol. 12, No. 49 YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER December 3, 2010

This Week

FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A

Heritage falls to De La Salle

The Patriots played their hearts out, but it wasnt enough to topple one of the best teams in the nation. Page 1B

Plus: Calendar ............................ 23BClassifieds ......................... 15BCop Logs ............................19AEntertainment ................. 11BHealth & Beauty ................ 8B Milestones ........................ 10BOpinion ..............................18AOutdoors ...........................21ASports ................................... 1B

So you thinkyou know ...

Fancy yourself an expert on your hometown? Youll find our website photo contest a rewarding challenge. Page 6A

Liberty students and alumni took the stage for the In the House extravaganza.

Talent toutedgo to news/WebExtras!

A mobile mammography clinic will provide low-cost digital screenings.

Breast healthgo to news/press releases

Skaters laced em up and took a spin on the an-nual Holiday on Ice rink.

Ice is nicego to multimedia/videos

Print more on thepress.net. Didnt get a book? Call 634-1441

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Tanners give thanks for the gift of life

When the phone call came on Black Friday morning, it was just one more testament to what Elizabeth Tanner refers to as an ongoing state of grace.

For this all to happen on Thanksgiving weekend, of all things it was just too much to be a coincidence, said Tanner. When I got the call asking if we wanted to meet, we didnt even think about it. We just jumped in the car and went.

The long-hoped-for call was from John Trinwith, grand-father of the 5-year-old boy whose heart and kidney were donated to Aaron Tanner last

summer. Visiting family for the Thanksgiving weekend in Brent-wood, Trinwith had been keep-ing tabs on the Tanners story from his home in Washington, and through a series of inquiries learned that his grandson was the donor for young Aaron, who had been on an organ donor list for more than a year.

I had been hoping to meet with the Tanners and was hop-ing it could be when I was here in Brentwood for Thanksgiv-ing, said Trinwith, who was able to reach the family through a local contact. It was just too much of an opportunity to pass up.

The Tanners recently met

with the fam-ily who do-

nated a heart and kidney to young Aaron Tanner, right, last summer.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Tanner

Thanksgiving is over, but hundreds of East County resi-dents continue to give thanks to the organizers of Street Feast, a regional holiday celebration for those who needed a helping hand to make it through last weeks festivities.

Organized by Willys Bagels and Blends, Cornerstone Fellow-ship, GTK Tactical and a host of other community organizations and volunteers, the inaugural event at Town Center in Brent-wood offered free home-cooked turkey dinners with all the fi xings as well as free clothes to anyone who stopped by on Thanksgiving Day. Organizer Pastor Billy Rie-der of Cornerstone Fellowship estimated that more than 400 East County residents received a boost of support at the event.

The folks who came were surprised to fi nd more than just food being offered, Rieder said. Bounce houses were set up for the kids, a live band provided

music, and one of the Oakland Raiders mascots came to hand out prizes. Many people com-mented on the festive atmo-sphere.

The event also featured a video game station, childrens activities and a clown who deliv-ered stuffed animals to the chil-dren who came for dinner.

Ryan Richardson of Willys Bagels and Blends said one of the highlights of the event was watching the children running around, smiling and laughing as they played in the jump houses or showed their artistic side at the coloring tables.

According to volunteer Dena Jeglum of Antioch, hun-dreds of volunteers from East County rallied to make the in-augural event a success. Some families even arrived in shifts during the event so that they could enjoy Thanksgiving at home and with the communi-ty at Street Feast. Toward the end of the event, volunteers contacted East County Mili-tary Families and Friends, the Warrior Watch Riders and lo-cal law enforcement personnel to offer them free meals for the holiday.

Jeglum said the people who stopped by the event for a free meal and clothes were over-whelmed with gratitude: They

Community opens heart at Feastby Samie Hartley

Staff Writer

see Feast page 26A

Kevin Kazazz, a member of Cornerstone Fellowship, serves big helpings of turkey at the inaugural Street Feast event on Thanksgiving Day.

Photo courtesy of Dena Jeglum

see Thanks page 26A

by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer

SpecialdeliveryThe burglary of a special-ed classroom spurred fellow students to action. Page 12A

DECEMBER 3, 2010 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 3A

Family mourns loss of beloved horse

The weekend theft of a custom go-kart along Highway 4 near Discovery Bay might have resulted in the death of one familys prize mustang, and the owners of the horse are of-fering a $5,000 reward for information per-taining to the tragic accident.

I dont give a damn about the go-kart, but we would like to know what happened, said Heather Pastorini, whose horse Sweet-heart died Thanksgiving weekend. We can replace the go-kart but we cant replace a member of our family. We are grief-stricken.

Sometime in the early morning hours of Nov. 27, thieves cut the locks of the Pastorin-is horse stable and storage property on High-way 4 across from Regatta Drive and stole the familys go-kart, valued at $800. Obviously ea-ger to leave the scene, the robbers left the gates where seven other horses were also boarded open, and its believed that Sweetheart and another horse escaped.

According to Heather, the Pastorinis ranch mates who share the property went to the stables on Saturday morning and saw that the gates were open and the go-kart gone.

Our ranch mate showed up Saturday morning and noticed that the locks had been cut and that one of their horses Amber was limping, said Pastorini. So he quickly did a head count and noticed that my horse was missing.

Calls to the California Highway Patrol

(CHP) confi rmed that a horse was struck and killed by a car on Highway 4 that evening, and Pastorini said that conversations with neigh-bors who happened on the scene that evening and CHP offi cers leads her to believe that a fi rst car struck Sweetheart and drove away. Shortly after that, its believed that another car struck the horse that was already down and most likely mortally wounded. But from that point, the details are sketchy.

I cant confi rm it, said Pastorini, but someone at the scene that night said that a

second car hit Sweetheart when she was down in the road and fl ipped the car, and that the driver of the fi rst car contacted the CHP the next morning saying that they thought they may have hit a horse. I dont hold anything against anyone who might have been involved in the accident; in fact, my heart breaks for them. I can only imagine how horrible it was for them. I would just love to know if anyone had any information to help solve the other part of the issue.

The CHP accident report has not yet

been released, but Dan Barrett, deputy direc-tor for Contra Costa County Animal Services, who was on the scene, described the incident.

We got a call that came in from the CHP at 2:20 a.m. that a horse had been hit by a car and was dead in the roadway, said Bar-rett. We went out there and took pictures for the owners to identify and then removed the remains. It was very sad, but things like this happen more than you think, and its a big concern, especially with an animal that size.

There is, however, one piece of good news stemming from the tragedy. Pastorini has learned that the horse that was also in-jured in the accident will be all right.

Amber was clipped on her hind quarters but made it back to the stable, said Pastorini. It looks like she is going be OK. That was a bright spot this week.

And as the Pastorinis work through their loss, they remain hopeful that information will surface from someone who saw what hap-pened or has since spotted the go-kart.

Its likely that whoever stole the go-kart likely travels that stretch of road regularly, or may have seen it there before, said Pastorini. Any information at all means we could fi nal-ly fi nd out what happened and who might be responsible for the theft and the negligence.

Im sad for us and Im sad for Discovery Bay. But for now Im just trying to celebrate the time we had together. She was my baby.

Those with information on the incident should call 408-515-1339.

To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

Sweetheart, with owner Heather Pastorini, was struck and killed by a vehicle on Highway 4 during the Thanksgiving weekend.

Photos courtesy of Todd and Heather Pastorini


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4A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY DECEMBER 3, 2010

East County residents deck their halls

While Christmastime for some resi-dents means large Santa decorations and enough lights to double an energy bill, others turn their attention to the inside of their house as part of local holiday home tours.

The home tours also represent a more festive chance to give back, one of the major draws for Glenda Cohn. The Brentwood resident is participating in this weekends Liberty Union High School District Holiday Home Tour, which ben-efi ts the districts educational foundation.

I dont mind doing fundraisers for any of the schools locally, so thats what I enjoy, Cohn said. I like the holiday sea-son, I like to decorate my house, I like to bring people out and just be festive.

Cohn said she enjoys decking out her Colonial-style house with decorations appropriate to that time period, taking tour participants to a different era. She said she toyed with the notion of asking a friend to dress in colonial garb, but shes keeping that idea in reserve for now.

The tour will start at Cohns Hanna Nicole Vineyards, 6700 Balfour Road, at noon on Saturday. The festivities also fea-ture a silent auction, door prize drawings and live entertainment. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door. For tickets and more information, visit education-

wins.org.On Sunday, six Discovery Bay resi-

dents show off their dcor as part of the Discovery Bay Holiday Home Tour, which benefi ts the Discovery Bay Com-munity Presbyterian Churchs community projects.

Discovery Bay resident Tina Duncan said this will be her fi rst year participat-ing in the event after she helped out over the past six or seven years. She enjoys the

challenge of thinking about Christmas shortly after the last trick-or-treaters stop by. Its a really well-run event, and I love to see houses that are decorated for the holidays, Duncan said.

She has toured houses in past events to gather ideas about how to decorate her own house. Duncan, whose grandfather used to dress up as Santa for mall appear-ances, said one of her favorite decora-tions is a special old-fashioned doll of St.

Nick on her kitchen table. Duncan also treasures her nativity scene, something she and her daughter contribute to every year.

Tour participants will meet at the church, 1900 Willow Lake Road, at 12:30 p.m. Tickets are $20. For more informa-tion, call 925-513-1939 or 925-634-0184.

The Antioch Womens Club holds its 56th Antioch Holiday Home Tour on Dec. 12 in Rivertown. Five houses and three businesses will participate in the tour.

One of the historic houses belongs to Connie Komar. This is the second time Komar has done this, though shes been involved with the Womens Club for four years. I love to decorate. I go overboard, Komar said. It was nice to have people come in and look and appreciate it.

Komar said her house is more than 100 years old, so she has lavished it with antiques to give it an old-fashioned feel.

The tour, which runs from noon to 4 p.m., is followed by a reception from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Hall at Sixth and E streets. Tour goers can start wherever they wish, but participant Liese McCause said Teazz Salon, 606 W. Sec-ond St., is a good starting point. Tickets are $25 and proceeds go to the Womens Club efforts for scholarships for local high school students.

For information, call McCause at 925-777-1831 or Komar at 925-522-8663.


Many East County residents have been decorating their houses in the Christmas spirit for upcoming holiday home tours.

Photo courtesy of Karen Rarey

by Justin LaffertyStaff Writer


Its time to hang the twinkling lights and garland, install the snowmen and create a spec-tacular winter wonderland. The Brentwood Advisory Neighborhood Committee (BANC) is seeking homeowners within the Brentwood city limits whose front yards capture the spirit of the season. The winner of this special version of BANCs Home of the Month Program will receive a yard sign stating the homes winning status, plus a gift basket and parking pass at The Home Depot. If you know of a home youd like to nominate for the Home of the Season Con-test, visit the citys website at www.ci.brentwood.ca.us and click on the link for BANC. Nomina-tions will be accepted until Dec. 13, and the win-ning home announced on Dec. 20. For more in-formation, call BANC at 925-516-5366.

Home of the SeasonAny new house built or remodeled in the last 20 years is required to have a smoke detec-tor installed in every sleeping room and in the

hallway adjacent to the sleeping rooms. Start-ing in July of 2011, as the result of a bill signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger this past May, California homeowners will be required to install a carbon monoxide detector.

Senate Bill 183 requires any house with a fossil-fuel burning appliance, fi replace or attached garage to install a carbon monox-ide detector. The intent of the new law is to protect against the loss of life and injury. Each year in California, more than 40 people die as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Carbon monoxide is referred to as the silent killer because its an odorless and color-less gas, said Oakley Building Offi cial Brent Smith. These deaths are entirely preventable.

With the purchase of a $20 to $30 carbon monoxide detector, you can ensure that the carbon monoxide would be detected prior to the build-up of dangerous levels.

The law takes effect July, 2011 but peo-ple should think of installing them now. This is the time of year we are not opening our windows and allowing fresh air in the house, and its also the time of year that we typically run our heaters more.

Carbon monoxide detectors are inexpen-sive and easy to install you can purchase and install them in less than an hour. Smith said carbon monoxide detectors should be placed at least fi ve feet above the ground adjacent to sleeping rooms on each level of the house.

For more information about how to pro-tect your house, call the Oakley Building Divi-sion at 925-625-7005.

Detectors save lives

Project Second Chance, the Contra Costa County Library adult literacy program, is train-ing volunteer literacy tutors to help adults learn to read, write and spell better. Training begins Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and continues Jan. 29 and Feb. 5 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Although no previous teaching experience is required, all 14 hours of training are required.

Registration opens Monday, Dec. 15. For more information, visit www.ccclib.org/psc or call 925-927-3250.

Help an adult learn to read

Members of The Rock Church in Brent-wood are busily working on their 2010 Christ-mas Outreach Project. This year the church plans to provide food, Food Maxx gift cards, clothing and toys for 600 Brentwood resi-dents.

On Sundays, Dec. 12 and 19, The Rock Church will suspend its regular services to host an event that will aid families and indi-viduals in need. Members of the congregation will come together to serve meals, give away clothing and toys, and share the joy of the holiday season. Santa Claus and a few other special guests are also scheduled to make a visit to surprise the children.

The church is asking residents to donate toys, clothes, jackets and shoes for recipients of all ages. Monetary donations (tax deduct-ible) are also welcome. Checks may be made out to The Rock Church and include Christ-mas Outreach Project 2010 in the memo.

Another way to help is to donate items to the church that can be sold or auctioned off, such as cars, stereo equipment and musical instruments.

Volunteers are needed to help sort and hand out clothing and toys, serve meals and visit with guests. For more information about how to get involved, call Associate Pastor Sal Bono at 925-634-4842.

Christmas cheer spread


Advertisement

SHOULD WE TAKE OUR HOME OFF THE MARKET DURING THE HOLIDAYS?

Every year about this time I hear this question. There is a myth out there that home selling activity completely shuts down after Thanksgiving and picks up again in January. The truth is that homes sell all year round. Ive had some of my best months in December.

If you arent that motivated to sell, you dont have a deadline to meet, and showing your home during the Holidays is too much of a hassle, go ahead and take your home off the market. However, if you do have to sell your home, and you do have a deadline to meet, then leave it on the market. It certainly isnt going to sell if you take it off the market!

Here are some reasons why the Holidays are a great time to be on the marketSome people take more time off of work, giving them more time to go look at homes. While there are fewer buyers looking, those that are looking are serious buyers. The lookey-loos go home, leaving the serious ones. These are usually the buyers that are getting relocated

who are usually your best buyers because they have a deadline to meet and often com-pany financial support so they are non-con-tingent buyers. Many buyers want to get their family settled before school starts up again in January. Also, when does your home look better than when you have it all cleaned up and decorated for the Holidays? Lastly, con-sider that many other sellers will take their homes off the market, so the buyers have fewer homes to choose from.

If you absolutely, positively do not want to move until after the Holidays, that is still not a reason to avoid being on the market now. If you get an offer asking you to move out December 20, you can counter-offer a new date or just refuse the offer altogether.

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

Doubles trouble courts disaster

Be careful what you wish for. Ive always told my husband he needs some friends. I have a great circle of friends who truly make my life more joyful. Though I dont have a lot of extra time to socialize, I value my Saturday coffees and occasional

lunches or happy hours. I thought he could benefi t from having a few close friends, too.

So my husband decided to get back into tennis after a 15-year hiatus spent child rearing and working hard to feed all the hungry little mouths. He

joined the Diamond Hills Tennis Club and instantly got back into it. It was easy. I work at the gym, and one of the perks is a full membership including tennis for my entire family. To my husbands surprise he was still quite good, so he quickly became a popular player, making friends and getting invites to barbecues and outings with the tennis people.

I dont play tennis. I know nothing about it, but thats OK. My comfort zone is on the aerobic fl oor, teaching step. I was OK with his practices and matches until they

started confl icting with my step classes and my Saturday coffees, plus he was at the gym a lot. I began feeling as though he was moving in on my turf! All my gym friends soon became his gym friends. He became friends with the director of the gym. I used to be able to say, Hey, I know the director. Ill pull a few strings for ya. Now my husband was telling me he could pull a few strings for me!

He was asked to play on a mixed doubles team mixed meaning men and women. The team began winning. A lot. Why couldnt I be happy for him? I tried to say supportive things, but Ill be honest: I was jealous that he was getting all the attention at MY gym!

When I arrived to teach a class, the front desk gals would ooh and ahh about him. Your husband is SUCH a good tennis player! they would gush as they handed me a gym towel. I wanted to throw up in it. I felt like I was disappearing into the shadows of his larger-than-life status AT MY GYM!

I never went out to the courts to cheer him on. That just isnt me. Call me shallow, but the thought of standing there jumping up and down chanting his name sounded so demeaning. Then came the ultimate insult. He told me his doubles partner was like his second wife. What man says this to his

HANGIN INTHERE

VICKI MCKENNA

see Doubles page 21A


Another History Mystery solved

New information about Knightsens history has been revealed as a result of Novembers History Mystery contest, but the winner isnt from East County. Ed Kreyenhagen, a resident of Coalinga, was able to shed some light on the mys-terious message sent to Adeline Knight in 1910.

Kreyenhagen, who has relatives who formerly lived in Knightsen, confi rmed what local historian Carol Jenson sus-pected: the postcard was written by Essie Knight to her sister Adeline. In the mes-sage, Essie refers to their sister Amy, who Essie reported made it to Coalinga. Krey-enhagen has made an educated guess, which impressed Jensen, as to why Amy ventured more than 150 miles south.

Ed Kreyenhagen now pieces the clues together, Jensen said. What is Amy doing in Coalinga? She is 25 or 26 years old and married. She has three children. Coalinga is a boom town in 1910 with the development of the oil industry. There is a Harvey Rook, plumber, listed in the Coal-inga Business Directory of 1910.

Amy married Harvey Rook in Sept. 5, 1902. Kreyenhagen suggests that the great big auto that Essie refers to in her message is not the Rook family car, but a vehicle owned by an oil company

friend who was bringing friends to visit Coalinga. Jensen said there is a record of an auto party group arriving in Coalinga on Oct. 26, 1910. Essies postcard was postmarked on the same day.

This small piece of information can be added to the legacy of the Knight family, which settled in present day

see History page 9A


Half Price Wednesdays

$5 Admission$5 Skate Rental

through Jan. 12Not valid Dec. 22 & 29

Knightsen in late 19th century. George W. Knight married Christina Chris-tensen on March 2, 1885. Jensen said they contributed the land, which would become Knightsen, and combined their last names to name the town (Georges last name plus the last three letters of Christinas maiden name). The spelling indicated Danish heritage, but thats no excuse for the town being misspelled on the front of the postcard.

In Essies message, she refers to

Geo. Kreyenhagen believes the nick-name refers to George Knight, but Jen-sen hypothesizes that Geo is actually George Duff, who would later marry Adeline after the two were reacquainted when Addie returned to Knightsen fol-lowing her divorce from Cohen Mecum. Jensen likes to think of Essie as a match-maker, bringing the childhood friends back together.

Stay tuned next week for the Decem-ber installment of History Mystery.

History from page 8A

Be their guest

Edna Hill Middle School invites theater goers to Be Our Guest at a performance of Disneys Beauty and the Beast over the next two weekends at The Theatre at Edna Hill. The curtain goes up Fridays, Dec. 3 and 10, at 7 p.m.; and Saturdays, Dec. 4 and 11, at 1 and 7 p.m. The produc-tion features 90 actors and singers plus beautiful sets and costumes. Tickets are $5 and may be purchased at the door, or in advance by e-mailing [email protected]. or calling 925-513-6440.

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New driveway gives students safer access

Local offi cials and community well-wishers braved freezing temperatures this week to christen the long-anticipated new driveway at Excelsior Middle School.

It was a little chilly, but nice, said Gaby Hellier, Byron Union School Dis-trict CBO, of the early morning event. Were very happy its here.

The construction project, begun last summer, is located behind the middle school and feeds into Byer Road. Located on 1.7 acres sold to the school district by longtime resident Joseph Duarte, the new driveway will offer drop-off and pick-up access away from busy Byron Highway.

The most important part of this proj-ect was the safety issue, because what hap-pens right now is that when people come down the Byron Highway, people have to

cross the highway to come in, and its dan-gerous, said Hellier. Now people will be driving onto Byer Road from either direc-tion and can pull in and drop off or pick up and exit onto the Byron Highway.

The project was paid for with Mea-sure C dollars a $19,700,00 bond passed in 2006 to improve the quality of educa-tion in the Byron district. District projects already completed or slated for comple-tion include the installation of districtwide

technology, the development of the Excel-sior campus tie-in project, the expansion of the kindergarten area at Discovery Bay Elementary School and improvements to the Timber Point Elementary parking and drop-off locations.

As allocated by state law, Measure C dollars can be used only for the construc-tion, reconstruction, rehabilitation or re-placement of school facilities and not for administrator or teacher salaries.

Left, Principal Charles Miller and school site manager Danielle Story take a test walk on the new entrance prior to the ribbon cutting. Above, school of cials and community members came out this week to christen the opening of Excelsior Middle Schools new driveway. The ribbon was cut by Joseph Duarte, who sold a portion of his Byron property to the school district for the construction of the driveway.

Photos by Richard Wisdom


DECEMBER 3, 2010 THEPRESS.NET | 11A

12A | THEPRESS.NET EDUCATION DECEMBER 3, 2010

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Discovery Bay CommunityPresbyterian Church proudly presents six of Discovery Bays finest homes

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Musical Entertainment and Refreshments will be served at the church following the tour.

For information & ticket purchase Delta Community Church: 634-0184

Alice Cramer at 634-8470 Bev Lyman at 513-1939

Special-ed students wowed by WEB

Christmas came early for the students of Lori Bradys special-education class this week when a group of Bristow Middle School students surprised the class with a brand-new video game console.

The nine students in Bradys class used to have access to a 40-inch fl at screen TV on which theyd play Nintendo Wii for hours. But that all ended in October, when the class-room was burglarized and the game system and TV vanished in the night.

I couldnt believe it, Brady said. By the time I got to my classroom in the morn-ing, the police had already been here dusting for prints and investigating the scene. I didnt want to scare the students, so I just told them the system was missing. I wasnt sure how wed replace the TV or the system, but the WEB kids came through for us.

WEB (Where Everybody Belongs) is a program focused on welcoming and transi-tioning new students in the sixth and seventh grades to Bristow. But WEB students also spend each Friday lunch period with Bradys students, and when they heard about what happened, the WEB leaders went to friends and family asking for donations to replace the system.

WEB advisor Robert Doctorelo said the students raised approximately $400, which they used to buy a new game console and multi-sport video game. The remaining

money raised was given to the class in the form of a gift card.

Yahoo! cheered Christian Gattis as he jumped up and down after unwrapping the gift. This is so cool! he added, offering a big grin and two thumbs up.

Brady, who was able to borrow a smaller TV for the classroom, said she was especially touched by the WEB students gesture, since her special-ed students are a part of county-sponsored program separate from the Brent-

wood Union School District.When I heard what the students had

done, I was so overwhelmed all I could do was cry, Brady said. I couldnt help it. I cant believe these students did this for us. They are so generous and kind to these kids.

As a thank-you to the WEB students, Brady invited them to participate in her classs Los Posadas celebration.

The following WEB students helped

raise the money to buy the game system: Melanie Brum, Madeline Bustos, Arianna Casabonne, Kellie Chudzinski, Nick Dob-bertin, Amanda Duong, Adriana Ghiozzi, Gabie Giavich, Nick Larson, Erin Palmer, Brett Peterson, Jenna Rodrigues, Janae Ro-driguez, Hannah Simmons, Jake Strauss, Abby Swan, Dani Tamura, Kaya Troye, Me-gan Vernoy, Lexi Wallen, Hailey Winton and Natalie With.


by Samie HartleyStaff Writer

Photos by Samie Hartley

Above, Lori Bradys students Michael Alexander, Saraih Buendia, Jonathan Chellsen, Abigail Coronado, Christian Gattis, Matt Hall, Franco Rospiglosi and Aaron Zhang, seen here with the Bristow Middle School WEB leaders, received a special gift this week from their peers. Left, Michael Alexander shows his excitement in response to the unveiling of a new video game sys-tem donated by the Bristow WEB leaders.


Its a Matter of LawBy Amy Alvis & Barbara A. Frantz

INCORPORATE IN NEVADA?NOT SO FAST!

Many clients who come to our firm hear from someone that incorporating in Nevada is the way to go. Its private, there are no state taxes, and its kind of sexy.

However, before you file those papers, think again. California tax laws may change your mind.

The reason to file in a particular state most often is motivated by tax issues. Most people believe that they wont have to pay state income tax if they have a Nevada Corporation. The California Franchise Tax Board will determine if you do business primarily in California or not. If your federal tax return shows any nexus or connection with California, you will be taxed by California in accordance with the proportion of revenue that you receive in California.

Say, for example, your sales reps are in Nevada, but your main office and your home are in California. The Franchise Tax Board, in an audit, has the ability to look to see where your credit card and gas card charges are from. If it looks like you live in California, and it looks like your business is operating out of California, they can charge you California taxes. The amount of taxes you pay to California is also affected by the percentage of revenue you receive from California sales in relation to other states. So somebody with an internet business where the goods are shipped from a manufacturer

in Florida to somewhere outside the state of California would not be subject to California tax. But if you are shipping from California, you are subject to California tax.

There are many exceptions to the rules, and specific circumstances that can change the result. Thats why its good to see an attorney who can help you sort out which state is best for incorporation. Our firm will walk you through the decision making process to make sure you accomplish the result that you want.

To find out more about business law or corporations, call Barbara Frantz at Alvis Frantz and Associates, A PC at (925) 516-1617.

HAVE A LEGAL QUESTION YOU WANT TO SEE ANSWERED HERE? Go to our website and Contact Us.

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New Antioch council makes first cuts

Antiochs City Council voted unani-mously on Tuesday to cut $700,000 from its budget, a move that would put the city in the black for next fi scal year. But more tough decisions will be made in two weeks to ensure Antiochs solvency for the next few years.

City Manager Jim Jakel, who will decide where to make the reductions, said they would be proportional to the Antiochs expenditures 71 percent per-sonnel, 25 percent supplies and services, and the remainder transfers to various programs.

Jakel said its too early to tell if slic-ing roughly $500,000 from the citys work-force would mean layoffs, but that its a possibility. He could either make across-the-board cuts or eliminate entire depart-ments to balance the budget. Declining revenue has made these reductions neces-sary.

Without the $700,000 in immediate cuts, Antioch would be operating at a pro-jected $2.18 million defi cit in fi scal year 2011-12.

Were way past bone right now, Jakel said. Were looking at core opera-tions and just functioning at this point.

Finance Director Dawn Merchant, during her presentation at Tuesdays meeting, said the city should spend only

what it takes in. The budget picture looks a little rosier now than it did a couple months ago, as Merchants department re-examined city fi nances recently and found $1.57 million more in city coffers than projected.

Councilmembers will return on Dec. 14 to brainstorm more ways to keep An-tioch afl oat. Among the ideas considered in Tuesdays meeting were requiring em-ployees to pay into their retirement funds, and cutting back on money contributed to departments such as Recreation, which would likely need to increase fees to cover the costs of operation.

Merchants staff report also raised the possibility that the City Council would consider imposing a parcel tax.

Public employees representatives Rol-lie Katz and Carl Carey pleaded with the council to make sure the cuts stay fair; that the city dip more into its reserves to help keep things running. My group, at least, has been decimated, and I know of other groups in the city that have done so as well, said Carey, assistant director of the Public Employees Division of Operat-ing Engineers Local 3. Our ranks have been thin to the point where we hardly have enough people to do the job. We

are asking that you are fair and equitable across the board.

Jakel emphasized that city employees are not the enemy, but something must be done. City services are vital, and offi -cials need to fi nd a way to keep fi nances in check while still giving city employees the motivation to come to work.

Members of the public also spoke out and offered ideas on to save money. Ralph Hernandez, a former councilman, said that requiring employees to chip in for their retirement would save the city about $2 million. Allen Payton, another former councilman, said Antioch should look into closing Prewett Water Park. It costs $120,000 annually for the city simply to maintain it money that could help a police force that has taken numerous cuts.

Its bloody, theres no doubt about that, said newly-sworn-in councilman Gary Agopian. The plea I think I would make is that we all be responsible adults and support what we need to do. This isnt a shell game; money isnt being hidden mysteriously. It is a moving target and I accept that.

In addition to potential reductions, the council also examined whether or not Antioch should obtain earthquake insur-ance, which the city discontinued last year at a savings of $150,000. Merchant said she wasnt sure about the cost to re-enroll now.


by Justin LaffertyStaff Writer

Antioch City Councilman Brian Kalinowski watches a presentation by nance di-rector Dawn Merchant describing the citys grim nancial situation.

Photo by Justin Lafferty


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Antioch historian and lifelong resi-dent Elizabeth Rimbault is working to correct what she feels has been a long-over-looked mistake.

When William Wiggin Smith founded Antioch in 1851, he staked out a portion of land near the river as his own, calling it Smiths Point. Smith, who according to Rimbault was a master carpenter, built three houses on the land. But a legal snafu after Smiths death in 1898 changed the name to Rogers Point a moniker that has stuck ever since.

Rimbault, who recently transcribed Smiths diary into a book, wants the city to issue a proclamation to change the name back, honoring Antiochs founding father. The area is located near the end of Fulton Shipyard Road.

We spent the entire 1900s calling it Rogers Point, and its like everything that Smith did or contributed to the commu-nity was just kind of wiped off the face of the earth, Rimbault said.

Rimbault noted that Smith is the only one with the legal claim to that land, and reverting his name would be the proper thing to do. She said Smith received the fi rst United States Land Title to the point, something echoed with celebration in the founders diary.

In his role of clergyman, Smith trav-

eled often to his congregation in Stock-ton.

The land was actually named for Smiths wife, Jane Crocker Croswell Smith, whose name was on the deed. He decided to do that in homage to the womens suf-frage movement, Rimbault said.

Many times, the citys founder would come back to Antioch to fi nd people on his property. W.W. Smith kept going back to San Francisco to ratify his claim, but it took 17 years to get an offi cial document entitling the Point, to him.

Thursday, November 18, 1869, this is OUR Thanksgiving Day, enjoyed upon our own land, Smith wrote in his diary.

According to Rimbault, Smiths son, William Moody Smith, attempted to gain power of attorney while his father was near suffering from dementia and near death. Because the land had been so hotly contested in the past, the judge decided not to approve William Moodys request, but to grant a conservatorship to the founders daughter, Sarah.

After W.W. Smiths death, the land

was re-appraised for probate hearings, but somehow the name of someone as-sociated with Smiths estate, John Rog-ers, became the offi cial name on the title. Rimbault surmised that Rogers might have purchased the land through the pro-bate hearings, but shes not entirely sure of what happened.

In those days, if you own it, you name it, she said. Somewhere along the line, Rogers becomes the owner.

Rimbault was hoping that City Coun-cil would issue a proclamation this month, closer to the land claim date, but Antioch Mayor Jim Davis said the council wouldnt have time to give the issue its proper due right now. At the last meeting earlier this month, Davis asked that the matter be put on the agenda in early 2011.

I think its an attempt to correct a moral wrong that has been done in history toward Smith, Rimbault said.

Since no signage would need to be changed, a proclamation would come at no cost to Antioch, Rimbault said. Shes hop-ing for some form of offi cial notice from the city, which owns the land that is now fenced-off, and for any future references to the area be made as Smiths Point.

Rimbault hopes that doing so would enhance awareness of the founder, to whom she referred as a Renaissance Man, and maybe spark a more interest in An-tiochs history.


Seeking to right a historical wrongby Justin Lafferty

Staff Writer

This area of Rogers Point, which a local historian is trying to get reverted to Smiths Point in honor of the citys founder, has been owned by Antioch since the 1980s and is fenced off.

Photo by Justin Lafferty

18A | THEPRESS.NET DECEMBER 3, 2010

OPINIONEDITORIALS, LETTERS & COMMENTARY National

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

Adapting to educations paradigm shiftby Walter Ruehlig

A contingent of Antioch leaders, representing our school, City Coun-cil, business and community sectors,

recently returned from a grant-funded trip to Nashville, Tenn. to see firsthand

a city that has come together full-bore for career-based education.

Our delegation, which included Superintendent of Schools Dr. Donald Gill and Mayor Jim Davis, toured some of Nashvilles academies and heard details of a successful blueprint from a mayor who walks the reform talk. He stressed that a city really has three main priorities: education, safety and economic vitality, and that engag-ing youth can affect all three. Good schools keep kids off the streets. They help real estate prices. They attract businesses, industry and the well-to-do.

The takeaway was twofold: we realized that in many ways we are al-ready doing things in Antioch that are ahead of the pack regionally and na-tionally. We also realized, though, that we can push yet further and broader.

Nashvilles model is intriguing and provocative. It has a wall-to-wall concept. There is a citywide al-liance of school, council and business partners. They offer no opt-out, as

every student has to elect a pathway. Lest you consider that restricting, con-sider that this city-county of 600,000 offers an astonishing 49 academy choices. There is, then, literally a seat at the table for every student.

The proof, as always, is in the pudding. Strikingly, Nashville test scores, graduation rates, college ad-missions and attendance all confirm a positive direction.

Obviously, Antioch is not the size of Nashville. We have unique needs and different funding mechanisms. Nevertheless, the trip stirred ideas. We here have, of course, come along ways on our current path of what is now called linked education and was, in previous incarnations, called vocational education, career tech and alternate pathways. We have medical, law and criminal justice, performing arts, EDGE (Environmental Design for Green Energy), business and space and science academies.

The exciting thing with these theme-based schools is that we have gone beyond just throwing into the elective mix some vocational class. Firstly, the curriculum at our acade-mies is rigorous. We are University of California, A-G requirement, driven. Our goal is to prepare all of our students to have the option of either transitioning to college or to entering workforce training.

Also, our curriculum is integrated.

For example, a Law and Criminal Justice Academy student might study To Kill a Mockingbird in literature, write legal briefs or essays in composi-tion, discuss or debate constitutional law in history, and use algebraic for-mulas to determine a drivers speed by the brake marks.

Originally, our intention was to build out to where 50 percent of our student body could elect academies. Nashville has us thinking, though. Its a heady venture weve been on, with the sky the limit. Attendance is up at our academies. The Dozier Libbey Medical Academy hit 820 API last year, and the Delta Performing Arts Academy shot up an incredible 78 points. An emphasis on unstint-ing expectations, targeted interests and smaller learning environments is working.

Of course, this is part of an over-all reform movement which emphasiz-es parent involvement, teacher morale, aggressive staff recruitment, standard-ized curriculum objectives, early-on interventions, best teaching practices, teacher mentoring, pacing guides and periodic data-driven assessments.

Rigor, relevance and relationship, after all, form the paradigm of the future. This is the information age, and critical thinking and collaboration skills are crucial objectives if we are to not lose out to our global competi-tors. We have been losing ground for

decades as places like South Korea, Singapore and Finland outpace us. Thirty percent of our kids drop out. We score 17th for industrialized na-tions in math-science scores and ninth in overall college readiness.

For those lamenting the good old days, remember that even in the 30s and 40s, 70 percent of our kids didnt graduate. In the 60s, our educational crisis bannered Why Cant Johnny Read? In the 90s, a presidential com-mission called us a Nation at Risk. The problems have been there; it is just higher stakes now.

This is certainly a race we cant afford to lose not in Antioch and not in America. The agricultural and fac-tory-based educational system devel-oped in the Henry Ford days, where 10 to 15 percent of the students (gener-ally white, male and middle class) were educated for business leadership, the rest for basic citizenship, wont work in this global, tech-driven economy. It takes a new seed to raise a new crop.

Linked education has shown that it can play a major role in that break-through promise. As a unified commu-nity committed to our youth, we can make this happen. Antioch can have parents knocking on the door to get in to our community. We can blossom into a true destination point.

Walter Ruehlig is vice president of the Antioch Unified School District Board of Trustees.

Bad role modelsEditor:

Should activists Dolores Huerta and Rigoberta Menchu have addressed Deer Valley High School students? I think not.

Dolores Huerta, co-founder and fi rst vice president emeritus of the United

Farm Workers of America, AFL-CIO (UFW) and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, seeks to motivate people to organize sustainable communi-ties to allow social justice. Social jus-tice is a Marxist theory touting economic equality (redistribution of wealth) for all classes in society. The UFW backed the recent Take Our Jobs campaign, which urged people to apply for agricultural jobs held by undocumented workers.

Rigoberta Menchu rose to fame in 1982 when a series of her taped inter-views became the basis for a ghostwrit-ten autobiography. In 1999, however, anthropologist David Stoll published Rigoberta Menchu and the Story of All Poor Guatemalans, citing numerous ex-amples of inaccuracy on key points; e.g., she couldnt have been forced to watch her brother burned to death because she was elsewhere at the time, and secondly, no rebels were ever burned to death in the town. (Her brother was executed for be-ing a rebel.)

Stolls book caused a clamor for the Nobel Foundation to revoke her award.

Menchu initially denied she had fabri-cated anything but later relented and said she may have exaggerated certain aspects of her life story.

Barbara ZivicaAntioch

Special deliveryEditor:

I would like to thank a good Bethel Island neighbor, who having discovered my mis-delivered package of Christmas cards on their porch, brought them to my home and propped them against my front door, three days after the company claimed they had been delivered to me. We learned two lessons: #1. People still do nice things for other people, and #2. Wayne took some time off around the Thanksgiving holiday.

Marguerite LawryBethel Island

Haze over PerkosEditor:

As a longtime customer of Brent-woods Perkos Caf, I was puzzled like many other customers by the abrupt no-

tice of closure by the current franchisee for what was posted on the locked front door as a remodel that would last from four to six weeks.

The friendly staff was given about a weeks notice, and as I was informed, not even a formal layoff; just a ton of ques-tions. I contacted Randy Brooks (presi-dent of Dynaco Food Concepts) about purchasing the franchise, which he ad-vised me had been taken back from the current holder. He informed me that they were in negotiations with their Stockton/Sacramento operator to reopen the unit within the next two months after an ex-tensive remodel, rehire and retraining of staff we will have a Grand Opening to launch our new Farm Fresh theme

From my conversation with him, I believe it is the companys intent to rehire the staff in case theyre wondering whats going on and in the dark. I hope someone in the Kiwanis organization reads this, as I know they have their regular breakfast meeting there.

Duane WilsonBrentwood

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A sampling of recent law enforcement activity reported by East County police de-partments.BRENTWOODNov. 17, 2:11 a.m. On Sand Creek Road at Fairview Avenue, a subject stopped for a ve-hicle code violation was found to be driving a stolen vehicle and was in possession of sus-pected methamphetamine.Nov. 17, 10:40 p.m. Two subjects were con-tacted at their residence on Minnesota Av-enue regarding illegally parked vehicles. Fur-ther investigation revealed that three of the vehicles were stolen.Nov. 17, 12:35 p.m. At a school on Second Street, a subject involved in a physical alterca-tion with another student struck the school principal while being restrained. Both stu-dents were arrested and released to their par-ents on Juvenile Affi davits.Nov. 17, 2:56 p.m. An unidentifi ed person used the credit card information of a resident of Coconut Place to purchase items on the Internet.Nov. 17, 3:01 p.m. On Lone Tree Way, a sub-ject was found to be too intoxicated to care for his own safety. He was arrested and taken to the Martinez Detention Facility.Nov. 17, 9:46 p.m. On Balfour Road at Guth-rie Lane, an unidentifi ed driver struck a stop sign, knocking it over, and fl ed the scene.Nov. 18, 1:11 a.m. On Nancy Street at Brent-wood Boulevard, a subject stopped for a ve-hicle code violation was found to be driving without a license.Nov. 18, 7:52 a.m. An unidentifi ed person stole a vehicle parked on Charisma Way.Nov. 18, 12:03 p.m. At a school on American Avenue, a subject pushed another subject af-ter he was told to leave the cafeteria. He was arrested and released on Juvenile Affi davit.Nov. 18, 5:50 p.m. On Lone Tree Way at the Highway 4 Bypass, a subject stopped for ve-hicle code violations was found to be driving on a suspended license.Nov. 18, 8:41 p.m. An unidentifi ed person forged the signature of a resident of Coconut Court to create a false lease agreement for a rental property.Nov. 18, 8:59 p.m. On Winding Creek Ter-race, two subjects were involved in a heated argument over marital problems.Nov. 18, 11:50 p.m. On Brentwood Boule-

vard, a subject stopped for vehicle code vio-lations was found in possession of suspected methamphetamine. He was arrested and tak-en to the Martinez Detention Facility.Nov. 19, 11:12 a.m. A resident of Valley Green Drive turned in nine boxes of ammu-nition for destruction at police headquarters.Nov. 19, 2:34 p.m. A resident of Wintergreen Drive moved a neighbors garbage can so a visitor could park his RV in front of the neighbors residence.Nov. 19, 4:40 p.m. An unidentifi ed driver struck a vehicle parked on Second Street and fl ed the scene without leaving contact infor-mation.Nov. 19, 7:41 p.m. On Handel Way, a subject brandished a knife during an argument, and a second subject obstructed offi cers during the investigation. Both were arrested.Nov. 20, 2:29 a.m. A driver struck a telephone pole on Minnesota Avenue at Grant Street and fl ed the scene. He was apprehended, found to be DUI, and arrested.Nov. 20, 10:20 a.m. On Balfour Road at Min-nesota Avenue, a subject stopped for vehicle code violations was found to be driving under the infl uence of a controlled substance. He and his passenger were arrested and taken to the Martinez Detention Facility.Nov. 20, 12:31 p.m. On the Highway 4 Bypass at Sand Creek Road, a driver responsible for a three-car rear-end collision was found to be DUI. He was arrested and taken to the Martinez Detention Facility. Two subjects in-volved in the collision were transported to the John Muir medical facility for minor injuries.Nov. 20, 3:45 p.m. A shoplifter fl eeing from a business on Lone Tree Way dropped her purse on the scene.Nov. 20, 4:20 p.m. An unidentifi ed person stole mail from the mailbox of a residence on Edgefi eld Street.Nov. 21, 1:19 a.m. On Oak Street at First Street, a subject stopped for vehicle code vio-lations was found to be driving under the in-fl uence of alcohol. He was arrested and taken to the Martinez Detention Facility.Nov. 21, noon A driver broadsided another driver on Balfour Road at Fairview Avenue.Nov. 21, 2:03 p.m. A resident of Montana Street turned in a rifl e for destruction at po-lice headquarters.Nov. 22, 7:54 a.m. An unidentifi ed person

vandalized a vehicle parked on Southwood Drive. Estimated damage: $1,000.Nov. 22, 1:21 p.m. An unidentifi ed person stole a backpack blower from the driveway of a residence on Anjou Parkway.Nov. 22, 4:09 p.m. An unidentifi ed person stole the mailbox from a residence on Finn Way.Nov. 22, 5:30 p.m. A subject entered a busi-ness on Lone Tree Way in defi ance of a tres-pass warning.Nov. 22, 6:38 p.m. A subject broke into a resi-dence on Grovewood Loop and stole a vehi-cle from the residence. The subject eventually returned the vehicle, was arrested and taken to the Martinez Detention Facility.

To view the Brentwood Police Depart-ments public logs on the citys Web site, visit www.ci.brentwood.ca.us/department/pd/reports/index.cfm.ANTIOCHNov. 26, 2:36 a.m. Offi cers of the Antioch Police Department responded to the report of a shooting on Peppertree Court at Lemon-tree Way. Upon arrival, offi cers found on the corner of on Peppertree Court at Lemontree Way a 26-year-old male Antioch resident suf-fering from a gunshot wound to the face. In-side an apartment on Peppertree Court, a 16-year-old female Antioch resident was found to have sustained two gunshot wounds one to the arm and one to the leg. Both victims were taken to area hospitals and treated for non-life-threatening injures. The investiga-tion into this incident is ongoing. Those with information should call the Antioch Police Department at 925-584-5246.

For information on law enforcement in Antioch, visit www.ci.antioch.ca.us/city-gov/police.OAKLEYNov. 15 On East Cypress Road at Main Street, a subject was cited for driving without a license.Nov. 15 A juvenile was reported as a run-away from the 900 block of Almaden Circle.Nov. 15 Vehicles were towed from the 1600 block of Ponderosa Drive, the 1100 block of Chianti Way and from East Cypress Road at Main Street.Nov. 15 Misdemeanor vandalism was re-ported on the 100 block of Courtland Court.Nov. 16 Vehicle accidents with injuries oc-

curred on Charles Way at Main Street and on Empire Avenue at Oakley Road.Nov. 16 On Laurel Road at Main Street and on Main Street at OHara Avenue, subjects were arrested for driving under the infl uence of alcohol.Nov. 16 Misdemeanor battery occurred on the 200 block of West Cypress Road.Nov. 16 A residence on the 1800 block of Santa Fe Street was burglarized.Nov. 16 On the 2300 block of Main Street, a subject was arrested for public intoxication.Nov. 17 A subject on the 1700 block of Ponderosa Drive was found in possession of marijuana for sale.Nov. 17 On East Cypress Road at Main Street and on East Cypress Road at Sellers Avenue, subjects were cited for driving with-out a license.Nov. 17 A vehicle was towed from Laurel Road at Main Street.Nov. 17 Arrest warrants were served on the 2000 block of Rubens Way, the 4800 block of Bayside Way, the 4900 block of Dawson Drive and the 500 block of OHara Avenue.Nov. 17 On Empire Avenue at Main Street, a subject was arrested for DUI.Nov. 17 A business on the 6000 block of Tazetta Drive was burglarized.Nov. 17 Residences on the 100 block of Malicoat Avenue and on the 5100 block of Teakwood Drive were burglarized.Nov. 18 Credit card fraud was reported on the 100 block of Monet Drive.Nov. 18 Vandalism was reported on the 300 block of Hazelnut Lane.Nov. 19 A subject on the 1100 block of OHara Avenue was found in receipt of sto-len property.Nov. 20 Vehicle accidents with property damage occurred on East Cypress Road at Main Street and on Big Break Road at Main Street.Nov. 20 Misdemeanor battery was reported on the 900 block of Main Street, on the 700 block of Walnut Ranch Way and on the 1900 block of Hemlock Drive.Nov. 20 Domestic violence with injury to a spouse took place on the 1800 block of Ham-burg Street.Nov. 20 Malicious telephone calls were made to a resident of the 100 block of Zin-fandel Court.

COP LOGSFROM EMERGENCY SERVICES DISPATCH LOGS A shoplifter fl eeing from a business on Lone Tree Way dropped her purse on the scene. Nov. 20, 3:45 p.m. in Brentwood


Pfc. Elijah Weber, son of Wil-liam and Tamara Weber of Discovery Bay, recently com-pleted basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego. He successfully completed 12 weeks of training designed to challenge new Marine recruits both physi-cally and mentally.

Elijah and his fellow recruits began their training each day at 4:30 a.m. by running three miles and performing calisthenics. In ad-dition to the physical conditioning program, Elijah spent numerous hours in classroom and eld as-signments, which included rst aid, uniform regulations, combat water survival, marksmanship, hand-to-hand combat and assorted weap-ons training. They performed close order drill and operated as a small infantry unit during eld training.

Elijah also received instruction on the Marine Corps core values: honor, courage and commitment, and what the words mean in guid-ing personal and professional con-

duct. Elijah and his fellow recruits ended the training phase with the Crucible, a 54-hour team effort in problem solving. Elijah will be sta-tioned at 29 Palms and continue his training as a Data Network Specialist.

Trevors Weekly Mortgage MattersBy Trevor Frey

Winter Tire Pressure

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According to Motor Trend magazine you lose about 1 pound per square inch, or 1psi, in tire pressure for every 10 degree drop in outside air temperature: the colder the weather the fl atter the tire. In our case it isnt the molecules found within our tires that will be constricting, its the guidelines set forth by Fannie Mae for any would-be home buyers. From December 13th forward new guidelines will be in place that can positively, or negatively, aff ect ones ability to purchase a home. First, the good news

Gift funds will now be allowed for all conventional purchases. Previously gift funds were only allowed through an FHA loan, which is why the FHA product has been so prevalent in east Contra Costa County. Many fi rst time buyers could not save for their down-payment, but could make their projected mortgage payment. Now, those same buyers can look to conven-tional fi nancing as a very viable option as the funds for their down payment can 100% be a gift for conventional fi nancing as well. Great you say! Dont get too excited, onto the bad news

Th e debt-to-income ratio, or DTI a percentage found by dividing a would-be buyers monthly debts by their monthly gross income threshold is being reduced from 55% to 45%. Th is 10% decrease is coupled with the fact that the debts being counted against a would-be buyers debt-to-income ratio is increasing. Before the

change any debt that had less than 10 pay-ments remaining a car loan with a $2,000 balance and $500 payment would not be included in that buyers debt-to-income ratio. No longer is this the case and any car loan, deferred student loan, or credit has to be counted against a buyer regardless of payments remaining. And the hits just keep on coming

Th e waiting period for buyers who lost their home through foreclosure and are looking to once again become homeown-ers has increased: what was a four year waiting period has turned into a seven year waiting period. Th is change will have many distressed homeowners once again leaning towards a short-sale versus a letting their house go into foreclosure. Th e Fannie Mae waiting period for purchasing aft er a short-sale is being changed to two years versus the seven year waiting period aft er a foreclosure.

Before attempting to steer through the real estate world this winter make sure to check in with your trusted Realtor and lend-er. As a change in tire pressure this winter will aff ect your ability to safely navigate the road, a change in lending guidelines will dramatically aff ect your ability to purchase a home.

If you have any real estate lending related questions or concerns, dont hesitate to write me at [email protected] or call me directly on my cell phone, (925) 726-1444.

For Tickets & Information:Leona Darr Willis Box Office | 715 Central AvenueHistoric Downtown Tracy, CA209.831.6TKT (6858) | www.atthegrand.org

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Andy and Jeff Save ChristmasNovember 26 2826th - 7 pm27th - 2 pm & 7 pm 28th - 2 pm

December 18 191 pm & 6 pm both days

Cinematic Treasures SeriesHow the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)Sunday, December 5th - 2 pm

A Christmas Carol (1984)Sunday, December 12th - 2 pm

The Nutcracker

Herb and Dawn Walters of Brentwood are proud to announce the graduation of their son, Bryce Walters, from the U.S. Army basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C. on Nov. 18. While in boot camp, Bryce earned an award in physical tness. He is currently at-

tending Advance Individual Training at Fort Bragg, N.C. for Psychological Operations. Bryce was a 2010 gradu-ate of Heritage High School, where he was a member of the football and track teams. He was also a member of Explorer Post 415 for the Brent-wood Police Department.


Getting Divorced:Support Obligations Never Go Awayby H.F. Layton

I was sitting in court one morning waiting for my case to be called. Before the judge called my matter, she heard the case of a man who was accused of not paying his child support for a signifi cant period of time. His defense seemed plausible enough: He had, in fact, paid his support. Th e judge asked for proof of his payments. He stated that he was able to prove some of his payments, but not others. Th e reason: He had a garage fi re and most of his cancelled checks were destroyed in the fi re. Th e judge credited him for each payment which he could prove that he made; but each payment for which he could not provide payment, the judge ordered him to pay it (he would say, pay it again), plus interest at the rate of ten percent (10%) per year.

Support obligations never disappear. Th ey do not go away. Th ey are not usually forgotten. And the state legislature has made it very diffi cult for the person that owes child support to become free of that obligation without paying it and providing proof of the payment. Other civil judgments fall off the books if they are not renewed between 7 and 10 years aft er the judgments are entered. Civil judgments are also subject to other equitable doctrines which could prevent their enforcement if too much time has passed since they were entered. But these defenses to the enforcement of support judgments are not available to those who have been ordered to pay child support.

So, what should someone do who is ordered to pay child support? First, make

sure that you make your payment. Second, keep proof of that payment. And third, do something that very few family law attorneys will ever advise you to dodemand that the person to whom you have paid support fi le with the court (and record with the county recorder) a document entitled Satisfaction of Judgment. Th is document costs little to prepare and relatively little to fi le and record. But once it is recorded, it becomes a permanent record, a record which is the only way to prove that you have made all of your support payments (even if someone demands payment 50 years later).

In addition, one could request that an installment judgment such as child support, be satisfi ed as of a certain date. Th at is, one may ask the other party that all payments have been made as ordered to and including a certain date, even if other payments may come due at a later date. But whatever else one does, that person should ensure that proof of the child support payment is retained until the satisfaction of judgment is fi led and recorded.

H. F. Ferdy Layton. 8660-B Brentwood Blvd., Brentwood, California (925) 240-1040.

H. F. Layton 2010Th is information is not provided as legal advice.

Th is information is not a substitute for obtaining legal advice regarding your particular situation.

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Soroptimist International of Antioch, part of Soroptimist International of the Americas, joins Soroptimists in more than 120 countries and territories worldwide of-fering programs that improve the lives of women through three distinct platforms: economic empowerment, elimination of violence and gender equality.

The organizations major project is the Soroptimist Womens Opportunity Awards, which disburses more than $1 million each year to head-of-household women who wish to make a better life for themselves and their families by improv-ing their education, skills and employment prospects. Soroptimist also sponsors the Live Your Dream campaign in recognition of the power of women and their dreams.

The Soroptimist Ruby Award: For Women Helping Women (formerly the So-roptimist Making a Difference for Women Award) acknowledges women whose ex-traordinary personal or professional work improves the lives of women and girls work such as spearheading an effort to open a domestic violence shelter, starting a mentoring program for at-risk girls, or lob-bying companies to provide on-site child care. The Ruby Award program enables lo-cal Soroptimist clubs and the Soroptimist organization to thank these women and encourage others to explore ways to assist

women and girls.The program begins on the club lev-

el, where the type of recognition varies. Award winners at the club level are eligible for additional awards at other levels of the organization. The fi nalist receives a $5,000 donation to the charity of her choice.

Although Soroptimist clubs are free to honor a woman for a lifetime of good work, the majority of the work should have occurred within the past two years. Previous award winners, Soroptimists and Soroptimist employees are not eligible for the award.

Former recipients include domestic violence expert and advocate Elaine Weiss; former U.S. Congresswomen Patsy Mink and Patricia Schroeder; novelist and for-mer district attorney Linda Fairstein; Prin-cess Diana; former child actor and U.S. Ambassador Shirley Temple Black; former Philippines President Corazon Aquino; and marine biologist Dr. Sylvia Earle.

Those interested in applying for this award should call Chairperson Judi Parent-Smith at 925-348-5508 or e-mail [email protected].

A 501(c)(3) organization, Soroptimist relies on charitable donations to support its programs. For more information, visit www.soroptimist.org.

Contributed by Lori Anzini

Soroptimist seeksRuby nominations


Discovery Bay authors Trisha and John Parker will be hosting an informal and in-formative event for adults looking to get the most of out their retirement. The event takes place at Barnes & Noble in Antioch on Monday, Dec. 13 at 6:30 p.m.

Regulars on ABCs The View From The Bay and authors of The Best of Our Lives: Sharing the Secrets of a Healthy and Happy Retired Life, the couple will be on hand to sign copies and discuss their book. A portion of sales will benefit the Delta Council PTA.

The Parkers discussion is designed for adults planning for retired life and those already retired who look to get the most

out of retirement. The couple will conduct an informative and entertaining discussion about the joys and challenges of retired life, and share effective and practical strategies for making the retirement years an amazing and rewarding time of life.

Among the topics to be discussing are managing retirement finances, senior health and fitness, bargain travel tips and second careers. The Parkers motivational presenta-tion is based on the latest research, expert advice and their personal experiences.

Barnes & Noble Booksellers is located at 5709 Lone Tree Way. Call 925-978-1053 for additional information. The event is free and open to the public.

Local authors talk retirement


OOAKLEYOAKLEYPRESS

2 02010

22 888882008

GOL

D MEDALAWARD

Wishing geese a warm winterThe last of the geese went by the other day.

The late ones. The big dark geese. Headed south noisily.

I used to envy them, somehow. They go down there to the warm coastal areas where the jacks swim and the nights are chilly but livable this

time of year. If theyre espe-cially sensitive geese, theyll keep going until there are mangos and palm trees and the language of the people is Spanish.

But they cross over here in their long, languorous Vs, and all we can do is look up and wonder what our lives would be like if we could go along. To fly over the farms and valleys, to coast along on the rising thermals, to sail

down the long way to warmth and sand and com-fort, how nice it might be.

But if we did that, wed miss the snow, and the fire in the fireplace when the work was done in the evening. Wed miss how the snowy world

looks just at dusk when the snow is an alpen-glow orange and tells us secrets it has saved for us all these years. If we went to the winter-feeding grounds, we wouldnt be able to appreciate how splendid the spring will be with the basking rays of sun on our necks and the swelling of the buds in the fruit trees. To truly appreciate warmth, we must first get cold, and thats evidently a part of our lives that the geese wont ever get to share.

Of course, they seem quite content to sail on down the southern winds to the warm places, leaving us to wrap ourselves tighter in thicker clothes and dream of sandy beaches and snorkels. Have a good winter, geese. Eat a crab or two for me. You see, Ill be here for you to honk at when you head north again in the spring. Ill be right here, living in the same place. Cold or hot, windy or still, my world and my responsibilities are here, and Ill be right here taking care of them.

Its my way of doing things, and Im used to it.

Slim Randles is a regular contributor to the Press website, www.thepress.net. Slims latest book, Sweetgrass Mornings, is available at www.unmpress.com.

HOMECOUNTRY

SLIMRANDLES

See more columns by

Slim Randles,Ger Erickson,

Vicki McKenna and others

on our website, thepress.net.


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Brentwood residents Mel and Marilyn Chaplin and the Brentwood Press are seen from the deck of the Queen Victoria at their stop in Istanbul. Mel and Marilyn were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary with a cruise that included stops in Rome, Venice, Athens, Ephesus and Istanbul. Happy anniversa-ry, Mel and Marilyn, and thanks for taking your Home-town Weekly Newspaper along.

Seen in Istanbul

To celebrate Bill Morgansteins 40th birthday, a group of his friends from Discovery Bay took him and their Hometown Weekly Newspaper camping at Finnon Lake near Placerville. Everyone split into teams and played Survivor for the weekend. At left, the birthday boy holds a copy of the Discovery Bay Press and the ritual Immunity Idol.

Seen atFinnon Lake


LEGAL NOTICESORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME

PETITIONER OR ATTORNEY: Maria Remedios Rodrigo Cuenca, 190 Cleaveland Road, Apartment 25, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA, 725 Court St., Martinez, CA 94553PETITION OF: Maria Remedios Rodrigo Cuenca FOR CHANGE OF NAME ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CASE NUMBER: N10-1759TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: 1. Petitioner: Maria Remedios Rodrigo Cuenca led a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present Name: a. Maria Remedios Rodrigo Cuenca to Proposed Name: Marian Remedios Rodrigo Cuenca Present Name: b. Selena Maria Lourdes Rodrigo Cuenca to Proposed Name: Selena Marian Rodrigo Cuenca 2. THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. NOTICE OF HEARING a. Date: 12/17/10 Time: 9:00 a.m. Dept. 60 Room 102 b. The address of the court is same as noted above. 3. a. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: BRENTWOOD PRESSDate: October 20, 2010 Judith A. Sanders, Pro tem Judge of the Superior CourtBrentwood Press No. 02-1273Publish Dates: November 26, December 3, 10, 17, 2010

Photo by Jennifer Birkland

Above, a clothing store was set up at Cornerstone Fellowship and guests were allowed to shop for clothes at no cost. Right, guests at Street Feast were treated to a free Thanksgiving meal with all the x-ings, including hearty slices of pumpkin pie.

Agreeing to meet at the home of a friend of Trinwith, the Tanner family, in-cluding Aaron and his two brothers, fi nal-ly got the opportunity to thank Trinwith and his family for their amazing gift.

On the way to meet John, Aaron asked if we were going to meet the little boy he got his heart (and kidney) from and I said no, but youll meet his grand-father, said Tanner. Were going to tell him everything when hes a little older. Its too much for him to understand right now.

But for the rest of the family, the emotional meeting was an experience theyll never forget.

We all got out the car, hugged each

other and just started crying, said Tan-ner. We didnt even know what to say, so we just held onto each other. How can you thank someone for such a gift?

For Trinwith, who is just beginning to come to terms with the loss of his grand-son, meeting the Tanners has played an integral role in the healing process. Its really hard to describe what it felt like, said Trinwith. I tear up just thinking about it. But there is a great sense of pride and satisfaction in knowing we did the right thing (in donating the organs).

He (Aaron) was good. I expected to see a sickly looking child but he is kind of chubby and looks great It just goes to show that prayers really do get an-swered.

As for the Tanners, the full impact of the meeting has yet to sink in, but what does sink in is that the family continues to be touched by miracles. The doctors had said when Aaron had the surgery that it (the organs) was just the most perfect match imaginable, said Tanner. Every-thing that has happened to us has been a continuous example of how God moves in our lives.

To meet John was wonderful. There is not a moment that this has been going on that we have not thought of them and been heartbro

brentwood press_12.03.10

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tanners story

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