DW Cover 040309 - Danville San Ramon€¦ · High school students have three weeks left to apply...

Women-to-Women NetworkGroup matches professionals with homebuyers

page 15

Town in mourningFuneral processions honor policeman from Danville page 5

Mailed free to homes in Danville, Blackhawk, Diablo and Alamo

Debating Measure CTrustee and school district critic face off

page 5

STATETOWN

of the

Danville facing challenges head on, Mayor Arnerich says in upbeat address

PAGE 12

Comprehensive Financial Services 2010 Crow Canyon Place, Suite 120San Ramon, CA 94583

925-866-7800

Retirement Planning Classes

City of DublinApril 22nd & 29th or

May 21st, 28th and June 4th

City of LivermoreMay 6th, 13th and 20th or

May 19th, 26th and June 2nd

For more information, please call 866-7800 or visit www.summitfingroup.com

Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through Securian Financial Services Inc. Securities Dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Summit Financial Group LLC is independently owned and operated. TR#42633 DOFU 01/2009

With over 40 years of combined experience in financial services and asset management, Summit Financial Group Advisors Don Ledoux, Steve Wilcox, Vanessa Staley and Nathan Bennett specialize in retirement strategies, wealth management and estate planning for families and business owners.

44 Church Street, Danville 925.820.7200

www.bridgesdanville.com

Wednesday Nights Build your own Flight Night $15

Live Entertainment Thursday, Friday and Saturday Nights

480 Hartz Avenue

925.820.7210

Easter Brunch3 Course Prix Fixe Menu

$26-$42

2 Course Children’s Menu $12

April 12th

10-2:30

Moshin Tasting

Thursday, April 9th

6:00-8:00pm

925-867-3488

Ultimate FitnessAcademy

Boxing is not only fun, but as a workout

is the best cardiovascular exercise.

You will train with the intensity of a

boxer, without the hurt.

Offered on a monthly basis.

Class size is limited, so sign-up now!

BOX YOUR WAY INTO A MILLION DOLLAR BODY!

Come Celebrate Easter with us

SPECIAL SERVICE TIMESAlamo

Saturday, April 11 – 6 pmSunday, April 12 – 9 am, 10:30 am, 12:00 pm

Services run about 1 hour.

San RamonSunday, April 12 – 10:30 am

NEW LIFE CHURCHOne Church --- Two Locations

Alamo & San Ramonwww.newlifeinfo.com

No Church Experience Required

Sunday 9:00 & 10:30am

1565 Green Valley RdDanville, CA 94526

www.rollhill.org

Rolling Hills Community Church invites you...

AS ER

ROLLINGhillscommunity church

Spring is here, and to mark the season we’ve introduced a

bevy of fresh, light desserts. Celebrate Passover with our flourless Strawberry Dolce,

or Easter with a classic Gâteau St. Honoré.

Yum...there’s something for everyone! Stop in for a free

sample.Alamo

215 B Alamo Plaza925.837.6337www.katrinarozelle.com

Spring Desserts

40% OFFVALUABLE COUPON!

CLIP ’N’ SAVEOne coupon per customer. Excludes custom framing and prior sales.

Webkinz, Melissa and Doug, and Crocs. Limited to stock on hand. Discount taken off regular price.

Valid through 4/21/2009

DW

Alamo: 820-4731

Any One Regular Priced Item

Livermore: 447-0471

HUGE SALEFEBRUARY 22 - MARCH 22

ALAMO PET STORE

www.alamopetstore.com

INCLUDING DOGS, CATS, REPTILES, AMPHIBIANS, SMALL ANIMALS & FISH

LIMITED TIME

SAVE UP TO

A

L

A

M

O

O N L Y I N

ONLY IN ALAMO PAGE

next monthly issue is MAY 8th.Contact Barbara Lindsey to reserve your spot [email protected] or 925-837-8300 x 226

StreetwiseASKED AT A DANVILLE MEXICAN RESTAURANT

A B O U T T H E C O V E RIn the midst of worldwide economic turmoil, the Town of Danville will be approving a 2009-10 budget with a $2.4 million reduction. That was the message delivered by Mayor Newell Arnerich during his State of the Town speech at the Crow Canyon Country Club. Cover design by Rick Nobles.

Vol. IV, Number 48

I never get around to dusting baseboards. The windows get done by my husband, and together we clean the rest of the house.

Ellen Dilleyretired teacher

First are the windows and screens. Then cleaning out the garage after the winter. I hate doing windows, but they have to get done. I can never get them streak free (to please my wife).

Larry Rogersretired construction

Which one? The garage, the garage, the garage. My neighbors could testify to that.

Carol Chiappettaretired teacher

I don’t know what is worse—cleaning screens and windows or cleaning out closets. Since it’s too difficult to decide, I’ll put it off again until next year!

Clare Daumretired teacher

The thing I find difficult to do is to update my e-mail address book and delete old files. That’s a good spring project.

Raelene Okohfamily childcare coach

What’s the spring cleaning job you always put off?Q:

COMPILED BY STAN WHARTON

The Danville Weekly is published every Friday by Embarcadero Publishing Co., 117 Town and Country Drive, Suite D, Danville, CA 94526; (925) 837-8300. Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Rates is Pending at Danville CA. The Danville Weekly is mailed free to homes and apartments in Danville, Blackhawk, Diablo and Alamo. Voluntary subscriptions at $30 per year ($50 for two years) are welcome from local residents. Subscription rate for businesses and for residents of other communities is $50 per year. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Danville Weekly, 117 Town and Country Drive, Suite D, Danville, CA 94526. © 2009 by Embarcadero Publishing Co. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.

Mother-daughter lookalike contest In honor of Mother’s Day on May 10, the Danville Weekly is again holding its Mother-Daughter Lookalike Contest, which was so popular last year. If mothers and daughters in your family bear a strong resemblance to each other, send a digital photo to [email protected] by Monday, April 20. Photos can be color or black and white; they need to be in JPG format, at least 300 dpi and no larger than 1 MB. Photos entered for previous contests are not eligible; only digital photos will be accepted. The staff at the Weekly will choose the finalists, and readers will be able to vote on which mother and daughter in the Danville area look most alike. First-place prize is a gift certificate for Bridges restaurant; second-place prize is a gift certificate to Strizzi’s. Photos of the winners will be published in the May 8 edition of the Danville Weekly.

Hospice shops hurting for donations As people begin to think about spring cleaning, Hospice of the East Bay is asking that they also think about open-ing their closets for a good cause. Kevin Campbell, general manager of Retail Operations for Hospice of the East Bay Thrift Shoppes, said donations are down, and the organization is currently looking for donations of gently used reusable items for their stores. “What we’re looking for is basically everything—clothing, furniture, appliances, books, housewares and jewelry—everything we sell in our Thrift Shoppes,” he said. Changes in the economy and lack of donations have meant sales at the shops have decreased by 10 to 15 per cent each month since January. Hospice has thrift shops in Alamo in the Longs Drugs shop-ping center; and in Danville at 444 Diablo Road next to I-680.

Education honor for Buchanan Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan (D-Alamo) was hon-ored Monday evening at the annual San Ramon Valley Education Foundation dinner in Danville, recognizing her 18 years of distinguished service on the San Ramon Valley Unified School District Board, prior to her election to the Assembly. “Joan’s on-going service and commitment to our stu-dents and schools is remarkable,” said Vanessa Chan, executive director. Each year the foundation honors an individual for excep-tional dedication to the students of the San Ramon Valley. During Buchanan’s 18 years on the School Board, she led a turnaround of the schools’ finances and her expertise in budgeting put the district on solid financial footing. She also spearheaded the facilities bond programs and master plans that have built state-of-the-art schools.

Realtors accepting scholarship apps High school students have three weeks left to apply for a scholarship being awarded through the Contra Costa Association of Realtors (CCAR). The CCAR Scholarship Foundation was formed in 1967 and has grown to become a preeminent organization for the disbursement of college scholarships in the state of California. In 2008, the Foundation awarded 20 students nearly $50,000 in scholarship grants. Application deadline is April 24. Visit www.ccarscholar-ship.com.

Corrections The Weekly desires to correct all significant errors. To request a correction, call the editor at (925) 837-8300 or e-mail: [email protected]

N E W S D I G E S T

Q U O T E O F T H E W E E K

“ ‘Visit’ means staying overnight. ”— Teen columnist Maria Shen about the importance

of visiting campuses before choosing a college. See her column on page 18.

N E W S F R O N T

‘...He knows how to make his case with carefully-

reasoned storytelling and plaintive questions...’

Town SquareForum

READ MORE/COMMENT

M-F 7:30 am – 6:00 pm Sat 9:00 am – 4:00 pm Sunday - Closed

696 San Ramon Valley Blvd. Danville, CA 94526Phone: (925) 838-0052 Fax: (925) 838-4630

[email protected]

The UPS StoreSycamore Square

Products and Service GuideShipping

Mailbox Rentals

B/W & Color Copies

Corporate Accounts

Notary Services

Business Services Packaging Services

Passport/ID Photos

Shredding Services

CARPET • HARDWOOD • LAMINATE • TILE • VINYL

VISIT OUR SHOWROOM OR Shop@Home WWW.DIABLOFLOORING.COM

FREE ESTIMATES

(925) 426-RUGS (7847)5600-D Sunol Blvd, Pleasanton, CA 94566

Diablo Flooring Inc. is here to bring the best possible pricing with the most beautiful and complete installation to the Bay Area. We are a small store which lets us give you the attention needed for a more professional experience. We cater to residential & commercial customers, designer, contractors, and developers.

DIABLO FLOORING, INC

WHERE SERVICE AND QUALITY MATTER

License #898787

$250Off*

*Minimum 1,000 sq. ft.Exp. 5-31-09

336 Diablo RoadDanville, CA 94526 Phone 925.837.4566

Fax 925.837.4676

Our experienced rehabilitation team is committed to providing outstanding results and excellent quality of care.

Patients are empowered through individualized programs to reach goals of increased independence and ability.

Patient families are also encouraged to participate in therapy sessions, caregiver education and training.

&EXPERIENCECOMMITMENT

Upon admission to Danville Nursing & Rehabilitation, our expertly trained in-house therapists tailor a unique, personalized therapy plan for each patient. This plan is aggressive yet flexible enough to maximize recovery speed.

SPECIALIZING IN SHORT-TERM

REHAB

NewsfrontS E R V I N G T H E C O M M U N I T I E S O F D A N V I L L E B L A C K H A W K D I A B L O A L A M O

by Geoff Gillette

As the application period rolls on for businesses to participate in the Town of Danville’s recently unveiled stimu-lus plan, officials have offered some changes to the plan to make it more easily available to business owners. At their March 17 meeting, Town Council members heard from Economic Development & Special Events Coordinator Jill Bergman who presented them with the changes to the plan. “Over the past few weeks the town has moved forward to refine the pro-gram,” she said. A major change to the stimulus plan is that where originally it had offered

one set of incentives to retain pre-exist-ing retailers and another set to draw in new retailers, those various incentives will be available universally. “They folded those two together,” Town Manager Joe Calabrigo said. “When we wrote the report we were thinking that perhaps existing retail-ers needed some different assistance than new retailers who were trying to get into the area would need. Council felt they didn’t want to differentiate between the two.” This means that all retailers within the use area are eligible for grants to help with marketing and promotion of their businesses or to pay for design

by Geoff Gillette

Naming a clear winner in Tuesday’s debate between opponents and pro-ponents of the proposed Measure C parcel tax ballot initiative may come down to whose numbers you believe. San Ramon Unified School District Board member Greg Marvel squared off with former teacher Mike Arata, one of the measure’s most vocal opponents, at the Crow Canyon Country Club in a debate sponsored by the San Ramon Valley Republican Women Federated. Town Councilwoman Candace Ander-sen moderated the affair, which allowed each person a 15-min-ute presentation out-lining their position on Measure C and then a five-minute rebuttal period. Once those were complet-ed, audience mem-bers could ask ques-tions on the issue. Right from the start, statistics were key to each side’s point. Marvel began the debate and spoke at length regard-ing the district’s strides in the past several years, attaining a degree of academic prominence as well gaining control of its spending. When he came onto the board, Marvel said, there were areas he saw that needed to be improved. “The 1998 bond measure which gen-erated $70 million from the taxpayers,” Marvel noted. “I think was being spent unwisely, foolishly and amateurishly.” Marvel went on to say that over the years since then the school board’s efforts have improved the district to the point where the SRVUSD is ranked No. 1 in districts of its size in the state, while California itself is the least well funded in the U.S.

“I used to be able to say ‘Thank God for Mississippi,’” Marvel said, “but I can’t say that anymore. We’re 51st in the state for funding students.” He then added, “Frankly what we’re doing in this state is starving education.” Marvel said with the state cutting more from the education budget to make up for a projected $8 billion shortfall, the school district will need the estimated $7 million raised by Measure C just to stay afloat. He said that of the district’s 2,400 teachers, 228 of them had received layoff notices, and there are still more

cuts to come. When Arata’s turn came up he, too, turned to figures. Using the school district’s budget fig-ures from the past 15 years he told the audience that the district has continu-ously outspent both its enrollment and

inflation in what he called “an unsus-tainable spending trajectory”, to the point where there is a $57 million dollar gap between where the district would be at parity with those figures and where it is today. “They talk about a $10 million defi-cit; they’d have to lose another $47 mil-lion to have parity with spending and enrollment growth,” Arata claimed. Arata then took aim at wasteful expenditures the district could have avoided, such as spending $40,000 on a consultant hired to prepare the district for putting the measure on the ballot, or spending $300,000 to hold a special election rather than holding the election either during the November presidential election or the statewide

Council restructures stimulus package

Agreement limits grant applicants, widens availability to services

Measure C debate done ‘by the numbers’

Both sides claim statistics support their stance on school parcel tax

IN MOURNINGThe motorcade accompanying Sgt. Ervin Romans heads south on I-680 for the Oracle Arena on Friday morning for services for the four policemen slain in Oakland on March 21. Above, firefighters suspend the American flag over Diablo Road for the funeral procession to pass under; residents on the sidewalks held their hands over their hearts in mourning. Romans, a Danville resident, was killed in the line of duty when he and other members of the Oakland Police Department SWAT unit entered a building where a suspect wanted in connection with the shooting of two other officers was said to be hiding out. The suspect opened fire through a wall, killing Romans and another officer.

Continued on page 6

GEOFF GILLETTE

Continued on page 8

Greg Marvel Mike Arata

N E W S F R O N T

MON-FRI 9-5 SAT 10-4

13 E. AIRWAY BLVD - LIVERMORE (925) 443-2284 www.NewLuxuryBaths.com

S H O W E R S

SAVE 25% ON ALL

SHOWER SYSTEMS Excludes shower doors Sale ends April 30, 2009

RESPON

SIBLE

Premium Fences

Decks

Retaining Walls

Arbors

Trellises

Ornamental Iron

Chain Link

Vinyl Ranch Rail

Repairs

Fence & DeckRestoration

575 Boulder Court, Pleasanton | BorgFence.com

925.426.9620

Serving you for over 10 years

Spring Special$300 off per foot for any Fence Restoration work

$200 off per foot on any fence style

Visit Our Beautiful Showroom!

Since 1980

925.837.0997www.indesign-interiors.com

Discover the Indesign difference-where Design becomes affordable!Manufacturer’s rebate. Limits and restrictions apply. ©2009 Hunter Douglas Inc. ® and TM are trademarks of Hunter Douglas Inc.

$100 REBATEPER WINDOW (10MAX)

SILHOUETTE® WINDOW SHADINGS

DISCOVER WINDOW FASHIONS THAT CANPROTECT YOUR DECOR.Silhouette® window shadings are constructed with soft fabric vanes suspended between two sheer fabric facings. They feel like a curtain and work like a blind. So revolutionary, they actually soften and control the incoming light and provide up to 99% UV protection – even blocking 87% of UV rays when the vanes are open. So you can keep your view and protect your furniture from fading without sacrifi cing privacy. OFFER VALID FEB. 1 – APR. 30

Rallying for educationAbout 400 parents, students and others from throughout the San Ramon Valley Unified School District community turned out Saturday morning at Measure C headquarters at Bishop Ranch to hear encouraging speeches and a band, and to pick up information packets and yard signs before canvassing precincts in support of the parcel-tax measure.

COURTESY PATRICIA BOYD

by Geoff Gillette

Members of the Danville Town Council examined a plan that would create more stringent rules regarding grants given out each year to help promote events occurring in town. At their March 17 meeting, council members discussed the plan put forth by staff that will take $50,000 and split it between two projects. The first would be to put $25,000 toward a “promotional vehicle” for the town that would update and replace Danville Life, a newspaper produced quarterly in conjunction with the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce. Economic Development & Special Events Coordinator Jill Bergman described the move as a way of creat-ing a unified branding for the Town of Danville. “The whole goal is to com-municate with one voice,” she said. Council members were on board with the first piece, and staff was expected to begin working with the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce to take bids to provide

the new promotions venue. The second portion of the plan is to break the remaining $25,000 into 10 mini-grants to be given to busi-nesses and organizations to help pro-mote events that would also be tied into the town. While the members of the council agreed that keeping resi-dents coming into the downtown is a good thing, the issue generated some debate and discussion regarding how it would be handled. Staff’s recommendation was to move from the way they have been allocating business promotion grant funding to a stricter set of rules that would be aimed more at events that would have a direct promotional benefit to the town. “This presents itself as a dra-matic change,” said Mayor Newell Arnerich. “Some of what we have funded in the past wouldn’t be approved.” Town Manager Joe Calabrigo said that they weren’t trying to drive fund-ing away from events but just to more selectively target those that do

receive the funds. “My recommenda-tion is to see you target these funds more stringently,” he explained. Arnerich and other council mem-bers expressed concern over how this would affect events that rely heavily on the town for funding and what a change in how the grants are made would mean. “There are certain events that happen that rely on Danville for funding. They get people down-town. Our goal for years was to get people downtown,” he said. After several minutes of discussion, council members directed staff to cap the funding for the new promotional vehicle at $25,000 and to approach the business promotion grant applica-tions on a case-by-case basis. Calabrigo said that the council decided to keep the process the same for this year, but to reap-proach it at a later date. “They’ll take another look based on demand and see if they want to be more selective in how they give the grants out,” he explained.

Council debates stricter controls on event promotion funds

and architectural work on facade improvements. In addition, the council is still working on how it will allow for some modification of ordinances to allow more outdoor seating at some local restaurants, letting the restaurants seat more cus-tomers. Councilwoman Candace Ander-sen said she was in favor of eas-ing the seating restriction, within limits. “I don’t mind relaxing this, as long as we make it clear to the businesses that this is a one-year thing. I know once the cows are out of the gate you can’t get them back in,” she said. Staff also pointed out that the dollars available to the business owners to provide facade improve-ments would doubly benefit the town. Calabrigo explained that not only would it help the business-es receiving the assistance, but it would also help out the local busi-nesses doing the work. “The way they (the council) dealt with it,” Calabrigo stated, “was that anything that is design related must be procured local-ly.” He said contracting work and other services would go to Danville companies as long as they were able to get within 10 percent of the low bid. Some concerns were voiced

about multiple applications being sought for a single property owner due to them having more than one client. “I just want to make sure it is spread around,” said Councilwoman Karen Stepper. Councilman Mike Shimansky agreed, saying that the town should stay with one applica-tion per property owner and then revisit the issue further down the road and see if they need to make changes. Another issue raised dealt with how the applications will be pro-cessed. “I’m really not interested in a first-in, first-out process. I’m hoping we get a lot of projects and don’t want them all done the first day. And I don’t want them all in the same place in town,” Stepper said. Bergman assured the council that they are still working on a method for disbursing the grants. Mayor Newell Arnerich sug-gested, “Maybe there’s a window of maybe two weeks or three weeks where we accept applica-tions but we won’t act until the end of that time.” Calabrigo explained that the application process began March 27. He suggested keeping it open until April 10 or 17. After further discussion the council agreed to keep applica-tion period open until April 10 and then make decisions as to which retailers will be given the grant funding.

Stimulus Continued from page 5

N E W S F R O N T

Unretouched clinical photo taken while frowning before and 14 days

after treatment with Botox® Cosmetic

Also Offering Botox® /Restylane® Treatments

Dr. David Melamed, MDDermatologist925-846-5614

FREE CONSULTATION

New clients onlyPleasanton374 St. Mary St.925 846-5614

San Ramon2701 Crow Canyon Blvd.925 837-6400

Lose weight...and keep it off!

NEW Botox® Service

$75 OFFBotox® Treatment

plus Free Consultation to new clients onlyNot valid with other offers.

Shauntrell lost weight on our program and you can too!

After

Before

EASTER BRUNCH at

Sunday, April 12, 2009 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Carving Station

Station

600 hartz avenue, danville • 925 838 1320www.fazrestaurants.com

The San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District responded to a two-story house fire at 220 Cross Road in Alamo at 10:04 a.m. Monday. A total of three engines, two trucks, one paramedic ambu-lance, one breathing support unit, two chief officers and one fire investigator were dispatched to the scene. The first crew arrived to find the second story heavily involved with fire. Firefighters immediately began an offensive interior attack and were able to contain the fire by 10:55 a.m. Fire damage was lim-ited to the second story and the attic area. The home was unoccupied at the time, and the fire was reported to 911 emergency dispatch by several neighbors. There were no injuries reported, and firefighters success-fully rescued two cats from the residence. The cause has been determined as a chimney fire that burned into the attic. The structure sustained about $350,000 in damage and

$100,000 in content loss. “It is essential that all chimney improvements be permitted by your local building department and inspect-ed for proper installation,” said Fire Marshal Christina Jamison. “There have been several chimney-related fires in our district over the past few months, many of which could have been avoided by proper construction, inspection and maintenance.”

San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District reminds residents to have their chimneys inspected by a licensed company and cleaned at least once a year. Also, remem-ber to allow ashes to cool before removing them from the fireplace, and dispose of ashes in an approved metal container outside the home. For more information, visit www.srvfire.ca.gov.

Chimney causes

house fire in Alamo

Damage limited to second story and attic

Fire destroyed the second story of this home on Cross Road on Monday morning.

Water flows down the gutter on Hartz Avenue from the Podva-Shuey House on the corner of School Street.

DOLORES FOX CIARDELLIGEOFF GILLETTE

by Geoff Gillette

Many residents have seen it over the last week or so—a nearly con-stant flow of water heading down Hartz Avenue from the Podva-Shuey House about a block down to the storm sewers. But the question is: Where is it coming from? Town Engineer Steve Lake says it’s coming from sump pumps that empty out onto the street. “They have a sump pump system to pick up ground water when it gets

to a certain level,” he explained. Lake said the pumps have been quiet for the past several months but when the area gets rainfall and the water table starts to rise, the pumps will start up again. He added that while it looks like it’s constantly flowing, it’s really only putting water out for short periods. “The pump goes on about every two minutes and stays on for only about 15 seconds,” he said. Currently the water is going into the storm sewers, but there are other

options that are being examined. “They (the owners) know it’s a problem and they are working on a permanent solution of discharging it into the sanitary sewer,” Lake stated. The sanitary sewer is where water from household uses goes. In order to have the discharge from the pumps go there, they will need permission from Central Sanitation Services. Once that is accomplished, Lake said, it is just a matter of redirecting the lines from the pump to go into the sanitary sewer.

Where is the water coming from?Pumps beneath Podva House send water down Hartz Avenue

Diablo ViewsB Y D O L O R E S F O X C I A R D E L L I

D anville Ink, a tattoo, piercing and jewelry salon, recently opened on Rose Avenue.

How will the drunken sailors find Danville? you might ask. But any-one who has ventured outside their home in the last few years—even in Danville—has surely noticed that tattoos have gone mainstream. True they haven’t gotten into my stream but then I didn’t even get my ears pierced until I was 30. Turns out Danville Ink is a busi-ness venture for a Blackhawk couple who made their living in the mort-gage profession. Keith Johnson, 42, and Hillary Marckwardt, 36, both Monte Vista grads, were ready for a new venture and looked around to see what Danville needed. Hillary said she got the tattoo idea from her Blackhawk moms’ group. “Some of the moms wanted to get tattoos but didn’t want to go to Berkeley or Oakland,” she said. Market research confirmed this sentiment. They searched for the best place to open shop, Keith said, and when a salon moved out of the old house on Rose Avenue and East Linda Mesa, they knew they’d found their spot. It’s the former home of Carmen DeVivi, who initiated the role of Father Christmas at the oak tree lighting in the 1970s. Now enlarged to 2,500 square feet, there is space for several tattoo stations and a piercing room that offer pri-vacy. Keith emphasized that they remodeled with sterility in mind using washable surfaces and emer-gency room flooring. The place seems homey, with a

fireplace and a comfortable couch, but still has edgy touches, such as a pillow decorated with a skull and a leopard-striped chair. Upstairs the atmosphere is upscale salon with soft tones and yummy scents. This is where the permanent makeup tat-tooing is done—eyeliner, lipstick and beauty marks. The owners and staff members were friendly as they went about their business, refilling the cabinets with jewelry and piercing ornaments. Tattoos should be chosen carefully, they all agreed. “What you get at 20, you maybe don’t want at 40,” said Keith. Tattoos can be removed by laser but a simpler solution to an unwanted tattoo is to have it rede-signed. “Our artists do unbelievable cover-ups,” Hillary said. “If someone has a tattoo and actually hates it, they can get something that means some-thing to them today.” Rob Robinson, one of the art-ists, said tattooing the name of a girlfriend is called “the curse.” He told the story of a guy who was get-ting his sweetheart’s name applied across the front of his neck, despite admonitions from the tattoo artist; sure enough, the girlfriend called right in the middle of the process and broke up with him. Some get names tattooed to try to save the relationship, Rob added, but it’s usually a bad idea. Children’s names are safer. Keith already had a small tattoo of his daughter’s name, which he has recently enhanced with flowers and flowers; Hillary has a sunburst on her ankle she acquired the day she turned 18 while attending Chico

State. (I note, in case my kids are reading, that “Mom” is another foolproof option.) The minimum cost for a tattoo is $80. Customers talk to the indi-vidual artist about the design, place-ment, amount of detail and price, said Hillary. Does it hurt? I asked. “It’s more of an annoying feeling,” she said, recalling that when she had her sunburst done, the ray hitting the ankle bone hurt somewhat. Danville Ink has been drawing customers from Danville, Alamo, San Ramon, Pleasanton and Livermore. “A lady who is 66 came in for her first tattoo,” said Hillary. An older man whose wife just passed made an appointment to get a tattoo with a heart and his wife’s name in it. “The tattoo thing is just fun,” said Keith, “forced on us by econom-ics.” Now they want their shop to be part of the community. They’ve joined the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce and have contributed to charitable causes with gift certif-icates, jewelry and tattoo collection purses. The shop’s tattoo artists double as walking advertisements. Keith said he purposely hired three personable guys who could frequent downtown to display their body art. As the weather warms up, keep an eye open for piercer Bryan Lindstrand and his “icon’s leg,” with likenesses of JFK, Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn. Then check out Tattoo Ink—at least for the jewelry.

—Dolores Fox Ciardelli can be e-mailed at editor@

DanvilleWeekly.com.

Tattoos? in Danville?

www.pascalcafe.comMonday-Friday-6 AM to 3 PM ~ Saturday & Sunday 7 AM to 3 PM

155 Railroad Ave., Danville ~ 925.838.7349

French Café & BakeryOrder traditional hot cross buns now

for your Easter celebration. Baked fresh every night in our kitchen.

Serving fair trade coffee

SOLAR In Danville!!!

Can Solar work for your home & family?Join your neighbors and bring a friend to the

“SOLAR In Danville!!!”Seminar sponsored by NextEnergy & SunPower.

April 21st, 7:00pm—9:00pm Sycamore Clubhouse1101 Greenbrook Drive, Danville

For More Info and to RSVP:

925-798-0600 or www.nextenergysolar.com

Name of Business: Fast-teks On-Site Computer Services Owners: Jim and Denise AsterPhone Number: 925-265-TEKS (8357)Hours: Monday - Saturday 6am-9pm; Sunday 7am-5pmProducts and Services: Fast-teks offer fast, on-site service for all major computer brands, troubleshooting, virus, worm, spyware, pop-up removal, DSL and cable setup, wireless networking, data back-up and recovery, training, Quickbooks expertise, Web development and technology consulting for home and business use.How did you get into the business? Jim was an IT manager for Johnson and Johnson for 6 1/2 years and before that worked for Shell’s IT department. He decided he was tired of working long hours for a corporation and was looking to be his own boss. Denise was

a homeworker but had once worked in the movie marketing industry. The couple decided that working with a franchise would be the best bet for them. “Franchises are the

small corporation with the big corporation strength” Jim said. That is when they found Fast-teks.Biggest misperception about the business: “People think that it’s too expensive to have a computer fi xed and just decide to go out and get a new one,” Aster says. “Actually, it’s too expensive not to come see us.” Aster said that for businesses, too much is tied up in computer systems these days, from inventory to client lists. “If a computer breaks down, the information can be lost for good.” He also said that the cost may not be as high as people believe and that they should look into fi xing the computer before putting down the money on a new product.

Computer Pros Escape Corporate World

Your One Call Experts! Vista & Macintosh Pros

Call Today for an Appointment

265-8357www.fastteks.com

$25 offFirst Visit

Limited time off er!

Now Hiring Friendly,

Certifi ed Technicians!

[email protected]

special election on May 19. He accused the district of manip-ulating numbers to create artifi-cial shortfalls to justify asking for increases. In one example he said the district estimated an enrollment increase of 212 when the actual increase was more than 800. Rather than ask for more tax-payer funds, Arata claimed that the district could use several unen-cumbered funds to make up for any shortfalls. One such fund, “Unencumbered Board Reserves,” contains just under $5.6 million. Marvel and Arata clashed over many of the latter’s conclusions, Marvel calling them misleading or flat out “wrong.” “Mike makes it appear like California is rolling in dough. I wish that were the case,” Marvel said. He explained that Arata’s “spend-ing trajectory” was misleading as it didn’t take into account things like hiring a number of teachers in order to maintain class sizes or the number of new schools opening in the district and the costs of running them.

When Arata warned attend-ees that the board would use the Measure C funds to pay for teacher salary increases, Marvel said he would never allow that to happen and if it did he would resign from the board. “Get ready to resign then,” quipped Arata, “because those funds are fungible.” He said what will happen is that the board will take money for the raises from the general fund and then “backfill” with money from Measure C, effectively doing an end-run around promises of not using the tax dollars for salaries. During the question and answer session, Marvel was asked if schools would be closed if the par-cel tax does not pass. “I think we’ll have to close some schools. Not in Dougherty Valley. Probably some schools in Alamo and some in Danville. We won’t really know until 2010,” he responded. Another question had to do with what safeguards are in place to make certain the funds are used the way the district claims. Marvel said that a proposed oversight commit-tee will be formed to make sure the funds are spent appropriately and

within guidelines. Arata scorned the notion. “In fact, the oversight committee will merely ensure that money goes into column A, at the same time money will be taken from column B to give teacher raises,” he said. “The citizens oversight committee generally becomes a ‘crony com-mittee.’” Afterward both men spoke with attendees about Measure C and answered more questions. Both said they felt they had proved their case. Marvel felt he swayed some of the anti-tax voters in the room. “I think I convinced some peo-ple,” he said, adding, “What I’m hoping that people take away from this is that the parcel tax is a local initiative and 100 percent of the money that’s raised, if they choose to tax themselves, will go to keep-ing our libraries open, saving coun-selors and music programs.” Arata’s perception was different. “I think the reception in this group was good,” he said. “It’s a group with either direct Republican affilia-tions or Republican instincts. Those instincts lend themselves well to true fiscal responsibility, which is not what the district practices.”

Debate Continued from page 5

PerspectiveE D I T O R I A L S L E T T E R S O P I N I O N S A B O U T L O C A L I S S U E S I N O U R C O M M U N I T Y

Once again the Town of Danville has made headlines around the world, but this time it was due to a trag-edy. Sgt. Erv Romans, one of the four policemen slain in Oakland two weeks ago, was a Danville resident. Oakland Police Department’s loss and the family’s loss was also a loss for the Danville community. Danville rallied last week to express its grief, with police accompanying the funeral processions through town, both to St. Isidore Catholic Church in Danville and to the Oracle Arena. Firefighters positioned their equipment to hoist a flag over Diablo Road on Friday morning for the motorcade with the hearse to drive under it en route to the massive memorial services in Oakland attended by law enforcement from all over the country and Canada. Residents on the sidewalks held their hands over their hearts to honor their fallen resident as the cortege passed by. Of course his family members and friends knew Romans, a former Marine who had worked for the last 13 years as a police officer in Oakland. But most residents of Danville only heard of him after he lost his life along with three other police officers in the line of duty. Now we have been reading about his career on the police force, during which he worked for several years on the streets of Oakland fighting illegal drugs and associated crimes. The four officers have been eulogized as heroes after their tragic deaths, who gave their lives in the battle against crime. But Romans had already been recognized as a hero, having received numerous citations in the Marine Corps and with the Oakland Police. In 1996, he received the department’s highest honor, the Medal of Valor, for helping to save residents of West Oakland in a fire. Sgt. Romans was a team leader for SWAT, those brave officers who aggressively deal with the most dan-gerous situations. Now Danville residents are grieving for a resident most of us never knew. To think that he left his home in Danville for “another day at the office” and never returned is heartbreaking for all of us. But especially for his family and friends, and to them we offer our sincer-est condolences.

Code of ethics The Danville Weekly seeks to adhere to the highest level of ethical standards in journalism, including the Code of Ethics adopted Sept. 21, 1996, by the Society of Professional Journalists. To review the text of the Code, please visit our web site at www.DanvilleWeekly.com

Tear down the Vets Hall

Dear Editor: Once again I feel compelled to offer a rebuttal to your story about the “New Option for Vets Hall” as published in last week’s issue of the Danville Weekly. I totally disagree about there being a concurrence of opinion or acceptance of the version sav-ing the front of the building. Obviously some of the people felt it had “historical value,” but the “historical value” of the veterans buildings in both Lafayette and Walnut Creek DID NOT prevent them from being torn down—and it should not either here in Danville! If upwards of $7 million or $8 million is going to be spent on the upgrading of the building, it should be done in a manner that will give it the utmost in utility and not need enlarging or replacing for use by succeed-ing generations in the coming decades—after all, it was built in 1925 and has outlived its current usefulness.

Robert D. Myhre, WWII and Korean veteran

Yes on C for real estate values

Dear Editor: Thank you for your recent per-spective on Measure C. Renewing funding for our local schools is critical to our community. Local Realtors will confirm that high quality schools in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District are one of the major selling points that differentiate Danville real estate from other homes in places like Pleasant Hill, Concord or Dublin. Indeed, my husband and I bought our home seven years ago when I was pregnant with our first child. We made what we thought was a dif-ficult decision: purchase a beau-

tiful, brand new, upgraded home in Dublin Ranch or buy a much smaller, older, “fixer upper” in Danville. We rationalized that if we bought the Dublin home we could make a short 10-minute drive to Danville and still enjoy the downtown, the parks, the res-taurants. In the end we chose the Danville home. Why? The schools. This tired story can be shared by many Danville families. Measure C will not only ensure our children’s academic future but it will protect our real estate investments. Anyone in the Bay Area can come to Danville and enjoy the beauty and services around our lovely town but liv-ing at a Danville address is what entitles our children to the quality of schools we have become so proud of. I hope that members of the community will join me in voting Yes on Measure C.

Christina Bode, Danville

State loses on teacher pink slips

Dear Editor: Hi there! I am very concerned about my teachers getting pink slips, so I ask you, why do they do that? I mean, if we lose the teachers, then there will be more children in a class. That means that many of the children that need special attention don’t get it, so they don’t get the proper education that they need. That means that their parents are more likely to take them out of school because they can’t keep up. If they take them out of school, the taxes that they have to pay to get into school in the first place won’t be going to the state! So really, the state is losing money by giving out pink slips to teach-ers! I don’t know, that is just my opinion. Thanks.

Emily Robles, fourth-grader, Danville

The Danville Weekly encourages comments on our coverage or on issues of local interest. The deadline is 5 p.m. Monday for that Friday’s edition. Submit Letters to the Editor of up to 250 words to [email protected] or mail to 117 Town and Country Drive, Suite D, Danville, CA 94526. Include your name, address and daytime phone number so we can reach you. We reserve the right to edit contributions for length, objectionable content, libel and factual errors known to us. Anonymous letters will generally not be accepted. Submitting a letter to the editor or guest opinion constitutes a granting of permission to the Danville Weekly and Embarcadero Publishing Co. to also publish it online, including in our online archives and as a post on Town Square. For more information, contact Dolores Fox Ciardelli, editor, at 837-8300, ext. 229.

PUBLISHER Gina Channell-Allen

EDITORIAL Editor Dolores Fox CiardelliStaff Reporter Geoff GilletteEditorial Assistant Amory Gutierrez

Contributors Susan Astbury John A. Barry Don Colman Beverly Lane Jacqui Love Marshall Chris Scott Maria Shen Franklin Utchen Stan Wharton

ART & PRODUCTION Art Director/ Operations Manager Rick NoblesDesigners Trina Cannon Lili Cao Kristin Herman Manuel Valenzuela

ADVERTISING Advertising Manager Mary Hantos

Advertising Account Executives Andrea Heggelund Barbara Lindsey

Real Estate Sales Nancy Taresh

BUSINESS Ad Services Tracey Fordahl Sandy Lee

Business Associate Lisa Oefelein

Circulation Manager Bob Lampkin

Office Manager Kathy Martin

The Danville Weekly is published every Friday by Embarcadero Publishing Co., 117 Town and Country Drive, Suite D, Danville, CA 94526; (925) 837-8300.

Mailed at Standard Postage Rate. The Danville Weekly is mailed free to homes and apartments in Danville, Blackhawk, Diablo and Alamo. Voluntary subscriptions at $30 per year ($50 for two years) are wel-come from local residents.

Subscription rate for businesses and for residents of other communities is $50/year.

© 2009 by Embarcadero Publishing Co. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.

How to reach the Weekly

117 Town and Country Drive, Suite D, Danville, CA 94526Phone: (925) 837-8300Fax: (925) 837-2278Editorial e-mail: [email protected] Calendar: DanvilleWeekly.comDisplay Sales e-mail: [email protected] Classifieds Sales e-mail: [email protected] Circulation e-mail: [email protected]

Serving the communities of Danville, Blackhawk,

Diablo and Alamo

Sadness in town

ompassionate therapy

for change, helping

you move from merely

surviving to thriving.

C

145 East Prospect Ave Ste 218 | Danville | 925-648-4941

Dr. Sara DenmanLicensed Psychologist | PSY19808

Areas of Dr. Denman’s expertise include, but are not limited to: parenting challenges, eating issues, substance abuse,

anxiety, depression, past and present trauma, life changes, and all forms of PTSD including Veterans.

Community PulseP O L I C E B U L L E T I N & L O G O B I T U A R I E S B I R T H S & W E D D I N G S

Dorothea L. Murphy

Dorothea L. Murphy, a resident of Danville, died March 15 at the age of 94. She was born Feb. 8, 1915, in Lubec, Maine. She was 12 years old when her family moved to the Fruitvale District of Oakland for her father’s job transfer. During her married years, she lived in the Eastmont District of Oakland and later resided in assisted living in Danville. She received a bach-elor of arts in music from Holy Names College in 1937 and was a teacher for the Oakland public school district until she retired in 1977. A devout lifelong Catholic, she attended St. Elizabeth’s church and school, St. Bernard’s, St. Benedict’s and St. Cyril’s church in Oakland. While living in San Ramon she was visited by priests from St. Raymond’s. After mar-rying Joseph Michael Murphy of County Galway, Ireland, on Valentine’s Day in 1942, she had two sons: James (Jim) in 1942 and John (Jack) in 1944. She was passionate about traveling, playing music and spending time with her family and friends. She was preceded in death by husband Joseph and brothers Harold May and George May. She is survived by her sons Jim Murphy (Lori) of Pleasanton and Jack Murphy (Maureen) of Orinda; and two grandchildren. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated March 24 at St. Augustine’s Church in Pleasanton.

Marvin ‘Bud’ Lamson

Marvin “Bud” Lamson, a resi-dent of Danville, died March 16 at the age of 74. He was born Aug. 17, 1934, in Brimerton, Wash. He was raised in San Bruno and graduated from San Mateo High School. His child-hood passion was baseball, starring through high school and beyond. He attended San Francisco State, went on to the U.S. Army, and graduated from Infantry Officer Candidate School becoming a lieu-tenant. His career was largely spent in the automobile industry includ-ing working for Chrysler Corp. where he met his wife Janice, then later owning and operating a deal-ership in Napa. He loved family times, the Napa Valley, good food, boating and sports. He is survived by his wife Janice; children Darcie (Les) and Christopher (Luisa); and four grandchildren. A funeral Mass was celebrated March 21 at St. Isidore Catholic Church in Danville. Interment was at Queen of Heaven in Lafayette. Memorial contributions can be made to the Parkinson’s Institute, 675 Alamanor Ave., Sunnyvale 94085.

Mary Botwinik Spack

Mary Botwinik Spack, a resident of Danville, died March 20 at the age of 99. She was born April 6, 1909, in Kansas City, Mo. She was a teach-er, businesswoman, wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmoth-er. She was married to the late Henry M. Spack for 55 years. She is survived by her three daughters: Ilene Weinreb of Oakland, Barbara Spack of San Francisco, and Bari Winchell of Walnut Creek; seven grandchildren; and 15 great-grand-children. Funeral services were held March 22 at Oakmont Memorial Park in Lafayette. Memorial donations may be made to Hillel Foundation Jewish Student Center in Berkeley or Planned Parenthood of Northern California.

Bert Barber

Bert Barber, a former resident of Danville, died March 9 at the age of 78. He was born Jan. 12, 1931. He lived in Danville before retiring to Arnold in 1993. His career ranged over 25 years with UC Berkeley and Chabot Community College in Hayward. He enjoyed writing poetry, the outdoors, gardening and being with his beloved border col-lie “Yipper.”

Ervin Julius Romans II

Ervin Julius Romans II, a resi-dent of Danville, was killed in the line of duty March 21 at the age of 43. He was born Aug. 29, 1965, in Ironwood, Mich., and g r a d u a t e d from Luther L. Wright High School in 1983. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps where he received numer-ous awards and citations, which included nine Meritorious Masts, three Letters of Appreciation, Good Conduct Medal with one star, Special Achievement Award, Meritorious Unit Accommodation and the Navy Achievement Medal. After serving nine years in the USMC he began his law enforce-ment career as a police officer for the Oakland Housing Authority. He was then hired by the Oakland Police Department where he served as a Range Master, Sergeant of Police supervising the Crime Reduction Team, and as a Team Leader for the department’s SWAT Team. He received the department’s highest honor, the Medal of Valor, for help-ing save West Oakland residents in a fire. He was an avid outdoorsman and loved spending time with his family and friends.

He was the beloved husband of Laura “Nikki” Romans; loving father of Kristina Romans, Justin Romans, Kayla Romans, Kimberly Brown-Lawson, Cameron Brown-Lawson and Jaymes Silvera; trea-sured son of Chester and Sueko Romans; caring brother of Arthur and Tiffany Romans, and James Romans; and cherished uncle of Pamela and Johnathon Romans. A vigil was held March 26 at St. Isidore Catholic Church in Danville. Funeral services were held March 27 at the Oakland Coliseum. A Trust Fund has been established and dona-tions can be sent to The Romans Children’s Family Trust, C/O OPOA, 555 5th St., Oakland 94607.

William ‘Bill’ De Lima Jr.

William “Bill” De Lima Jr., a resident of Danville, died peace-fully March 23 at the age of 81. He was born Dec. 7, 1927. He served in the U.S. Navy and was a Farmers Insurance Agent for 50 years. He loved the outdoors, and especially loved being in a boat on a lake on a warm day with a fishing pole in his hand and a friend nearby. He was the beloved son of William and Edna De Lima Sr.; devoted husband of 60 years to Shirley; loving father to Nancy (Ron) Silva, Steven (Kathy) De Lima, Jim (Susan) De Lima, and Sherry (Rick) Luttrell; loving grandfather to 12 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. He leaves warm memories with his brother Kenneth and sister-in-law Beverly, his nephews and nieces, cousins, and many friends and neighbors. A graveside service was held March 27 at Oakmont Memorial Park in Lafayette. Donations to charity of your choice.

Marie Ruth Rantz

Marie Ruth Rantz, a resident of Danville, died March 25 at the age of 83. She was born Dec. 3, 1925, in South Bend, Ind. She met her future husband Robert (Bud) dur-ing WWII and they were married 63 years, which encompassed years in Chicago, Arcadia and the past 21 years in Danville. She was a caring mother for all of her girls, especial-ly Elizabeth’s twin, Barbara Rantz, who was physically challenged and passed away in July 2004. She was a member of Community Presbyterian Church in Danville, where she served as an usher for many years. She loved playing bridge both for the game and the camaraderie of her partners, and she avidly read novels and would complete almost one a day. She was the beloved wife of Robert Rantz; caring sister of Betty Klein; loving mother of Kathie Rantz and Elizabeth Rantz Stine; and proud grandmother to Suzanne and Robert Stine.

O B I T U A R I E S

Four teens cited at underage drinking party Teens who refused to leave a house where an underage drink-ing party was taking place found themselves talking to Danville police after the home’s resident called for help. Danville Police Sgt. Dan Hoffman said the incident occurred in the first block of Campbell Place around 9 p.m. Saturday night. Hoffman said dispatchers received a call from the teenage resident of the home who asked for help in getting some 30 other teens out of the residence. On arrival, the officer saw a number of juveniles running around inside the home and spotted several bottles of alcoholic beverages. The youths locked the doors, but the juvenile resident allowed the officer in. Apparently the juveniles had attended a party at the residence the previous night and returned on Saturday with alcohol. When the resident asked them to leave they refused, so he call 9-1-1 to request assistance. Hoffman said the officer spoke with several of the teens at the residence and cited four of them for possession of alcohol. Of the four cited, two were 17 and two were 18. The four were all from Danville and Alamo.

—Geoff Gillette

P O L I C E B U L L E T I N

Sunday, March 22

Monday, March 23

Tuesday, March 24

Wednesday, March 25

Thursday, March 26

Friday, March 27

Saturday, March 28

P O L I C E L O G

The Danville Police Department made the following information available from its incident summary report:

C O V E R

Danville is meeting its challenges head on, Mayo

STATE OF THby Geoff Gillette

W hile the economic waters are roiling at the county, state and federal levels, Danville Mayor Newell Arnerich says the town is navigating a course through the rough times and sees opportunities and challenges in the years ahead.

Arnerich offered up that message in the annual State of the Town speech, delivered to a packed house at the Crow Canyon Country Club on March 17. In the speech, delivered to members of the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce, Arnerich gave a balanced take on the current status of Danville, where the economic climate is affecting the town and where difficulties may lie.

Economic challenges

“One of our challenges will be the library,” he explained. “Our library has the largest circulation in Contra Costa County as part of the library system, and it was actually built by the Town of Danville. It is largely funded through our property taxes.” Arnerich said the problem is that the tax revenues are collected by the county and the town is working to recover those funds. “We are fighting to get that money back. And this year that money is not going to come back. It’s going to be a challenge in how we the council are going to keep the library open.” Danville currently contracts out around 60 percent of its services, primarily in the areas of police protection and maintenance. Arnerich said those fund costs are continuing to rise. At the same time, revenues brought in to the general fund through property taxes are falling. Currently in Danville there are 202 homes for sale with a median price of $929,000. Foreclosure numbers have risen, showing that Danville is not impervious to the trying times. Estimates are projecting a 3 percent drop in property tax revenues for the next fiscal year. “There are reductions everywhere,” Arnerich stated, “and it is having a ripple effect that is making us all look at things in a totally different way.” Arnerich said that the 3 percent drop is bad, but without careful planning, it could have been a lot worse. “I don’t want to pick on Antioch, but I just happen to know their numbers. In the city of Antioch, property taxes have dropped 20 per-cent,” he said. Another financial bullet the town will need to dodge is the potential loss of further state revenues. Lawmakers are looking at the possibil-ity of pulling more funds away from the cities in order to make up for an expected $8 billion shortfall in the recently approved budget. This could translate into a loss of millions of dollars. Arnerich said that while those figures are tiny on the state’s scale, for Danville it means a lot more. “In a city the size of Danville, when the state comes in and says I’m going to take $2 million, that’s an enormous amount of money,” he claimed. He added that fortunately, some years back the town adopted a much more conservative strategy toward spending. “Danville is one of the most cost-effective cities in Northern California,” Arnerich explained. “Last year was the first time since 1995 we reduced our budget. It was a forecast. This year it’s differ-ent.” In the coming budget planning sessions, the town will be look-ing at a budget reduced by $2.4 million. Arnerich said they will be discussing how they intend to plan for such a sizable loss of revenue. “It’s balancing capital,” he said. “It’s balancing hiring freezes and wage freezes. Nobody is unaffected. The economy is in unique cir-cumstances and we need to respond to that.”

Opportunities

Facing so many challenges in the year ahead has also opened the door to opportunities, which the town will be pursuing vigorously. The first is already in progress—a cooperative effort among the five Tri-Valley cities to engage federal dollars for a number of projects. “It’s about dollars, it’s about resources and the sharing of those and

Mayor Newell Arnerich lays out the challenges and opportunities that lie before the To

GEOF

F GI

LLET

TE

S T O R Y

r Arnerich says in upbeat address

HE TOWN

how it’s going to impact us,” Arnerich stated. He described the recent effort by the Tri-Valley mayors to meet with legislators in Washington, D.C., to seek out assistance for projects like road improvements in the I-580 corridor and a new emergency commu-nication system linking up 49 jurisdictions in Northern California. “It takes an effort way beyond Danville’s borders to be able to par-ticipate in things like that. It takes lobbying, and if you’re not in that arena you’re going to lose,” he said. Locally, the council is already examining ways to reduce spend-ing, including putting some contract services up for review. The council recently approved the hiring of a firm to look at the current police contract between Danville and the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Department. The consultant will look at the costs of using the service and compare it to hiring out their own police force or participating in a joint powers agreement with neighboring Orinda and Lafayette. A new stimulus package recently unveiled by the town is another way it is working to keep dollars flowing. The package will help a total of 25 businesses in the downtown retail district, allowing up to $7,500 in grant monies for building improvements. Other retailers will be able to avail themselves of workshops on marketing as well as meeting with consultants to help with branding so that more people become aware of the business district. In addition, the town has launched a Web site called Danville In-Style (www.danvilleinstyle.com), which will provide business owners a place to tout their services as well as make them available to popular Internet search engines such as Google and Yahoo.

Public safety

Arnerich lauded the town’s police services, saying that Danville has some of the lowest crime statistics in the area. “One of the things our Police Department is most proud of is when we saw three years ago traffic accidents were on the rise,” he said. “What Chief (Chris) Wenzel and his staff did is they went out there and enforced the laws and you can see the result. Accidents are down.” He did say they are still seeing high numbers in some areas. According to police, the No. 1 problem is speeding, closely followed by burglaries. Police have been seeing a steady stream of car and

home burglaries throughout Danville. Arnerich said burglary rates will vary with the economy, but he said that something that makes the figures high is convenience. “Burglaries are still 90 percent caused by convenience. Leaving cars unlocked, garage doors open.” He noted that another figure that tends to rise during a bad economy is DUI arrests. He said the average blood alcohol level in a DUI arrest is 0.15, nearly twice the legal limit, but that is increasing as well. One inter-esting statistic he pointed to was the age of many arrested for DUI’s. “The average age is 37,” he reported. “The perception is that it’s kids. It’s not kids, it’s adults.” Another public safety area the town has been looking at is parking. A new parking study was recently completed and Arnerich said it contained some interesting figures. “We found that 53 percent of the spaces are unoccupied on aver-age,” he said. The study also showed that 54 percent of the parking spaces in “old town” are on private property. Two other factors are being addressed. One is that many feel the two-hour time limit is not long enough. The town is examining this and may increase the limit on some spaces in town. The second factor is that many of the spaces in front of businesses are supposed to be used by customers but instead are being occupied by employees. “You know how we know that?” Arnerich asked. “We stood out there and watched.”

Community involvement

According to Arnerich, it is the programs and the special events in Danville that makes it a truly special place to live. He pointed to such efforts as the Street Smarts program, which helps educate school age children on vehicle safety; FundaField, the student led program to provide soccer fields for youths in Africa; and Traffix, a Measure J funded program beginning next fall that will provide bus services to some schools in the district. “Danville continues to have the most fantastic programs for every-one from children up to our seniors,” he said. “We are the provider for this area.” Residents also get the opportunity to participate in numerous spe-cial events during the year. Hot Summer Nights, the International Children’s Film Festival and the tree lighting ceremony are annual events. Arnerich said the town also pulls out all the stops for special circumstances like the massive gathering on the Town Green for the return of Capt. Sullenberger or Operation Welcome Home, the recent event held to honor returning Army Spc. Robert D. Maggio. “We’re so proud of the things we’ve been able to do to recognize the people of our town,” he enthused.

What lies ahead

One of the big things on the horizon for Danville is the upcoming renovation/reconstruction of the downtown Veterans Memorial Building. Many meetings have been held over the past few years regarding the property. At one point there was talk of razing the historic structure and constructing a brand new building elsewhere. Arnerich said after much discussion the veterans chose to remain downtown. Town officials worked with Contra Costa County to purchase the property, and now the town and the veterans are working together to renovate the existing building. “It is going to be the largest project we’ve ever done in the his-tory of Danville,” Arnerich said. The town will be putting $5 million toward the project, with the veterans providing the remaining $2 mil-lion of the estimated cost. Arnerich noted that a committee made up of town officials, veter-ans and seniors is working to get the project moving. “There’s a lot of people working on this,” he said. “We’re very fortunate we’ve got a great committee overseeing this and working on the designs, similar to what we did for the library. We’re expecting to see construction start a year from now.” Mayor Arnerich made it clear that Danville is a great place to be, while experiencing the joys of everyday life or facing tough economic challenges. He is confident that the town will stay on course.

Where money goes2008-09

Police services29%

Parks &recreation

12%

Generalimprovement

17%

Maintenance24%

Development & transportation

18%

School district29.63%

Other28.44%

Fire district16%

K-12 ERAF*13.59%

Town of

Danville7.7%

Town revenue

0

$5 million

$10 million

$15 million

$20 million

$25 million

2007-08

$29.6 million

Town spending

0

$5 million

$10 million

$15 million

$20 million

$25 million $26.4 million

$29 million

$27.3 million

2007-08 2008-09

2008-09

* ERAF, or Education Revenue Augmentation Fund, is a program in which the state takes additional property tax revenues in order to fill funding gaps for education.

Property tax breakdown2008-09

The Veterans Hall in downtown Danville is expected to be the largest project undertaken by the town in its history. A committee is currently examining various plans for the renovation of the historic structure.

own of Danville. Arnerich said the town’s prudent fiscal policies have allowed it to cut costs while still maintaining services.

CHRIS SCOTT / CALSPORTSPHOTO.COM

“ A perfect place to find extra-special goodies for the kid’s baskets” Nicole Snydler

Lots of toys and games

All your Easter needs

Custom gift baskets

Grab n’ go gift bags

Gift cards ~ Now available!

301 Hartz Ave.Suite 109

Danville, CA 94526

680

Dia

blo

Rd

.

Hartz Ave. At theclocktower

Stuff YourEaster Basket

AT THE CANDY SHOP

Support

Your Local

Merchants.

www.AtTheCandyShop.com

HARTZ

Magnifico! (Italian for “Can I have seconds?”)

406 Hartz Ave 925.831.3276 mangia-mi.com

You take it out, we take it off !15%off !

Phone-in your take-out order Tuesday through Thursday and we’ll take 15% off the entire bill with this ad*.

Fast. Fresh. Authentic.Now you can experience traditional Italian cuisine in downtown Danville. Everything is prepared daily using the freshest and finest ingredients. Enjoy lunch & dinner in our open kitchen bistro or take a delicious meal home to your family just like Nonna prepared.

Tuesday–Saturday 11:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. *Discount on to-go orders only. Beverages not included. Ad must be presented for discount.

411 Hartz Avein the historic Danville Hotel

838-8004

jewelry

books

antiques

aprons

silver

china

signs

costumes

linens

www.thepolkadotattic.com

April

20% OFF

20% off one regular-priced

item anytime in April with this coupon

The Polka Dot Attic

Baby & Doll Clothes and Doll Furniture

LivingP E O P L E & L I F E S T Y L E S I N O U R C O M M U N I T Y

by Dolores Fox Ciardelli

Kat Kiraly knew it would be a challenge to buy a house as a single woman. And she

never dreamed she could buy one in Danville although it has exactly the sense of community she was seeking. But in a few weeks she will be moving into a home in a neigh-borhood off San Ramon Valley Boulevard. “The experience is eye-opening,” said Kiraly. “I feel freedom and excitement I haven’t felt in years. It’s like a rebirth.” Kiraly, 48, is “nearly single,” and has been sharing a house in Pleasant Hill with her nearly ex-husband for four years until she could buy her own. She’s been working for several years with Ginny Mees, a Realtor who understands the spe-cial needs of single women. In January, Mees brought Kiraly to see a home in Danville she thought she would like and could afford. “I said, ‘Let’s make an offer,’” recalled Kiraly. “My heart was rac-ing, my palms were sweating. I’d done it once in the past —a condo in Hercules —but this transaction was so much bigger. But I felt like I was finding myself again.” During her years selling real estate, Mees has fallen into the niche of being a Realtor for single women as she helped friends, her sister and her widowed mother buy homes. Now she has founded the Women-to-Women Network to put together all the professionals need-ed for their transactions, including Realtors, mortgage brokers, CPAs, financial planners and insurance agents. “Single women are the fastest growing demographic of homebuy-ers in the country,” said Mees. The organization is spreading across the nation and Canada, with chapters run according to ZIP codes. Mees has secured the five ZIP codes in Danville, Alamo and San Ramon. “In those communities 31-35 per-cent of residents are single women,” Mees said. “Single women like to have this support network.” “As a single woman I bought properties on my own,” recalled Mees. “I bought a foreclosure in Pleasanton in 1991—I wanted a single family home with a garden.” The payments were high and

Mees also traveled a lot—100,000 miles a year. Her solution was to rent out a room to a good friend, which helped pay the mortgage. “And I needed somebody to be there for security reasons—and to make sure the plants got watered. It worked out great,” she explained. “Then my company relocated me to Missouri, where I bought, then I moved to Cincinnati, where I also

bought a home on my own.” Mees recalled purchasing a home in Ballwin, outside St. Louis. It was a safe neighborhood but it was mostly families. “There was no interaction,” she said. She wishes she’d had a Realtor who understood the needs of a single woman. Since 2000, Mees has lived in Danville with her husband and chil-

dren. She finds many single women are choosing the San Ramon Valley to buy a home and she is deter-mined to help. “A lot of these people are sin-gle moms who may be renting townhomes,” said Mees. “The way they buy is very different. They may not even know they can buy. Sometimes two single moms can buy together.”

A study by the Harvard Business School in 2004 found that one of every five homebuyers in the coun-try was a single woman. “Twenty-two percent of home-buyers out there are single women, compared to 9 percent single men,” said Mees. “Women by our inherent nature are nesters. We want security. It’s empowering for women.” The group of women being helped by the network of profes-sionals is called the Independent Women of Danville, San Ramon and Alamo, using the term “inde-pendent” rather than “single.” “We’ve wrestled with this and introduced it to focus groups,” Mees said. “We sort of made a commitment to ‘independent’ in our marketing materials.” Mees said she herself has seen the “good, bad and the ugly” hav-ing been single, married, divorced and single again, and now happily married. “I can encourage women (going through a divorce) that it’s not the end of the world,” she said. “It feels like it but you will get through it.” She recently helped another Danville woman who had been married with a child. “All of a sudden, the husband walks out. She’s a single woman after 10 years of being happily married,” Mees said. “You need a group of professionals who can help you see things without the emotion of the moment.” In 2009, she reported, 30 percent of foreclosures were on women. “They didn’t get the right advice,” she said. Her group is planning monthly seminars to help address home-buying problems. Her first meeting, held April 1, was on how to buy a home in this market. The next free seminar presents Marcey Donnelly, owner of Got Mess? She will talk about “how to organize your home so it doesn’t organize you,” from 7-8:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 6, at the Keller Williams office in the Rose Garden. Everyone is welcome, said Mees, although they are geared to single women. The June topic is on homeowners insurance and how to protect your assets. For more information about the Women to Women Network or Independent Women of Danville, San Ramon and Alamo, visit sin-glewomenhomeowners.com.

Homes for independent womenWomen-to-Women Network matches professionals with women homebuyers

Ginny Mees, founder of Women to Women Network to provide help for women buying homes, looks over promotional materials in downtown Danville. Mees gathers together professionals who understand the special circumstances and needs of independent women.

DOLORES FOX CIARDELLI

Keller Williams Danville Recently moved to a beautiful and

spacious new location in this wonderful shopping center so we can better serve

our clients and agents. If you are thinking about buying or selling and

want a strong national company with a dynamic and growing local office, stop by or give us a call. Keller Williams is the 4th largest real estate company in

the United States.

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (925) 855-8333www.kw.com

Camino Ramon & Sycamore Valley Rd, Danville (Just off I-680)

www.rosegardenshops.com

THE ROSE GARDEN

www.Amicis.com

Amici’s East Coast Pizza

Amici’s offers authentic, thin, crisp-crust Pizzas and a casual Italian

menu of freshly made pastas and salads, all available for takeout and delivery as well as dine-in at

our new Danville location. Check out the menu or order online at

FREE DELIVERY (with mimimum order)

Open 7 Days for Lunch & Dinner

Stella LunaAt Stella Luna, we offer customers

of all ages the unique opportunity to create your very own mosaic candle.

Choose among a wonderful assortment of waxes and scents to design the candle that best suits your luminous

personality. No time to create? Stella Luna carries a wide variety of unique

candle products in addition to our make-your-own candles. Walk-Ins are

always welcome!

(925) 984-2950www.stellalunacandles.com

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday SundayWineHalf Price on selected bottles with dinner

FREE Appetizer (“Quesadillas” or “Queso”) with dinner when you show us your current Danville ID

Mojitos$5.00 at the bar starting at 4pm


TequilaTequila Tasting every last Thursday of the month paired with food

Live Music7pm to 9pm

Live Music7pm to 9pm

BrunchComplimentaryMomosa with brunch11:30am-3 pm

KidsHalf price (one kid per adult entrée)

Girls NightHappy Hour menu extended to ladies from 4 pm to closing at bar


710 Camino Ramon, Danville CA 94526 925.406.4032 www.amarantarestaurant.com

Not valid with other promotions. Promotions can not be combined. One promotion per table. All promotions valid until August ’09.

Spring / Summer 2009 Stimulus package!

Dog Bone AlleyDedicated to dogs, cats and the

people who love them. We offer high quality pet foods, collars and leashes from sporty to chic, treats and toys to delight your pet, gifts to delight the pet lover. Stop by and see us soon.

Pets are always welcome. Open Mon.-Sat.10-7 and Sun.10-6.

(925) 552-0410

www.dogbonealley.com

at the Rose Garden on Saturday, April 11th from 10:30am-12:30pm.

Easter Egg Hunt from 11am-12pm AND the Grand Prize Gift Basket will be awarded to the person who fi nds the Golden Egg at 12pm.

Come visit the Easter Bunny too!

WWW.ROSEGARDENSHOPS.COM

Easter Event

Want to advertise on this page?

Call Barbara Lindsey to reserve your space todayat 925.837.8300 x226

Publishes on the fi rst Friday of every month.

April 6, May 1, June 5, July 3, August 7, September 4, October 2,

November 6 and December 4

M arilyn Mattson has a big job ahead of her. As pres-ident-elect of the Contra

Costa Academy of Fine Art, she wants to expand the scope and efforts of the organization, whose current stated mission is “to nurture the art spirit and provide the art education required for producing the highest level of every student’s artistic potential. To create the first art academy in the East Bay.” Mattson’s own potential is noteworthy. She has a BFA from UCLA, a lifelong commitment to the arts, and has studied several genres under a variety of teachers, including Beth Batchelor. Artist Beth Batchelor founded the Academy in 2001, and at age 91, she is still going strong. Mattson characterizes her as a “visionary ... teacher of teachers.” Batchelor was also a co-founder of the Alamo Danville Artists Society, ADAS. Look for a profile of this lively nonagenarian in a future column. The Academy currently has about 50 members and offers classes in donated space at Richards Crafts in Alamo, and the community room in the Alamo Plaza’s Safeway. Mattson credits both entities for their gener-osity and gives a special nod to Dick

Defosse, owner of Richards. “He’s an incredible supporter of the arts,” notes Mattson. “He donates food, space, art supplies.” Among the Academy’s teachers are Leroy Parker, an art professor at San Jose State; abstract artist Noel Williams, a teacher at Orinda Academy; and sculptor Christian Rousset. But Mattson wants to do more, such as develop the first compre-hensive art academy in the East Bay, to help bring together vari-ous groups that collectively involve at least 1,900 artists in the area, according to Mattson’s count. “There needs to be a home for the arts in the East Bay. Although there’s Civic Arts in Walnut Creek, it’s kind of limited ... just for class-es. This is a larger view: to have a real 24-7 location.” As to finding that location, how-

ever: “I’ve been trying for years,” says Mattson. Her efforts include writing to various Realtors “with seemingly acres of unleased prop-erties ... I don’t get a response.” Another approach is asking potential patrons of the arts to donate properties. She has attended Town Council meetings with that goal in mind. “The general man-ager at the time said, ‘Well, maybe you can use the community center at Oak Hill Park.’ I haven’t heard anything.” Mattson’s research has led her to other parts of the country where ideas such as hers have been put into practice. Three examples are Boulder and Golden, Colo., and Corpus Christi, Texas. “All have vibrant arts communi-ties, and they’re all housed under one umbrella,” she says. Mattson

believes that “it’s not inconceivable for (local arts groups such as ADAS and the California Watercolor Association, currently headquar-tered at Gallery Concord) to have a home together as a consortium.” In Mattson’s vision, such a home might combine a framing shop, a coffee shop, space for events, and work space for artists. In keeping with the Academy’s current and primary focus—teach-ing—Mattson envisions “artmo-biles,” vans sponsored by corpo-rations, complete with necessary supplies, that would take teachers from school to school. A compel-ling idea as the recession worsens and schools look to eliminating art curricula to help balance budgets. Mattson has years of experience in writing grants, and she plans to apply that experience in seeking

funds to expand the purview and reach of the Contra Costa Academy of Fine Art. One such grant went to the Hirshhorn Foundation, based in Baltimore. “They said, we just need $400,000 in hand, and they’d come up with a million,” Mattson notes wryly. Marilyn Mattson is clearly frus-trated by obstacles she encounters in her quest to take the Academy beyond its current status. “But that doesn’t mean we won’t continue,” she says. “It is my dream to find a prominent family in Contra Costa, passionate about the arts, that is willing to provide the initial finan-cial backing for the art center and leave a legacy for years to come.”

—John A. Barry is a writer and aspiring artist. To share anything art-related, call him at 314-9528

or e-mail [email protected].

Fine Art president wants to create creative places

L I V I N G

Car

den

West Sc

ho

ol

Success for every child, every day

School Tours Every Wed. & Sat.10 am to 12 noon

or by appointment at (925) 463-6060 or www.cardenwest.org

4576 Willow Road, [email protected]

Providing high academic standards for over 30 years

in Pleasanton

5 0 0 H a r t z Av e n u e | 9 2 5 . 5 5 2 . 5 2 3 8

NEW! Bar Menu & House Infused Cocktails

Large Selection of Wines by the Glass or Flight

Lunch Monday — Friday

Make a Reservation at amberbistro.com

501 Hartz Ave., Danville (925) 831-2828

Spaghetti & Meatballs Sunday $11 Adults / $7 Kids

Includes House Salad, Bottomless Basket of Homemade Bread and Kids Gelato

Make a Reservation at www.TheBasilLeafCafe.com

The Basil Leaf Cafe – Dining Value in Danville

Art SpaceB Y J O H N A . B A R RY

The Y FilesB Y M A R I A S H E N

N o one really wants to say they judge by first impres-sions. Unfortunately,

most do. At least, I did. When it comes to people, I at least try to look beneath the surface. When it comes to colleges, it is harder for me to realize that, like people, they too have more than just their rankings. As I talk to any upperclassmen about college, they inevitably say, “It’s really not about the college standing—it’s about finding the right fit.” Fit: it’s a word I hear a lot when it comes to colleges. What is “fit” and how do you find the right one? That’s the question for which I can never get a straight answer. Some tell me it’s an instinctive feeling. You just know that you’ve found the fit when you step on the right college campus. Others rely on more empirical evidence. They are the ones who tell me to maximize my higher education by finding the school that is both economical to go to and offers the right amount of grade inflation to get me into grad school. Neither advice has done me any good. So, take it from a person who’s going through the process right now. Don’t rely too much on college pamphlets, Web sites, or word of mouth. Go visit the col-lege. And by “visit” I don’t mean go to the campus, take a few pictures with statues, and get a tour. “Visit” means staying over-night. Many colleges have pro-grams where prospective students are paired with a student host. You can stay overnight with them, eat at the campus dining halls,

have them show you the campus hotspots and nightlife, and, of course, you can sit in on one of their classes. I can’t emphasize enough the sway current students have over me when I visit a college. They give me the run-down on the col-lege, usually very fairly assessing its pros and cons. They speak from experience, warning me about certain professors or certain bad residence halls. They also alert me of the good stuff I never considered. For example, one of the col-leges I visited had a thriving underground movie-download network. Illegal? Yes. Good for dorm get togethers? Yep. Also, I see potential downsides to the daily life of the college I’m con-sidering. In some residence halls it’s impossible to get a cell phone signal and students have to run outside to make a call. Naturally, these aren’t the details that make or break a college. However, the commitment of having to dedicate the next four years of my life to the same place does make me want to find out as much as I can before I make my final choice. One of the most important rea-sons for the college visit is that it usually leads to a change of heart. I have come to love col-leges I wasn’t even considering before. On paper, I was not highly impressed by some of the smaller schools to which I applied. They seemed provincial and isolated compared to some of the univer-sities close to busy cities. After visiting, however, I was pleas-antly surprised by the vibrant

atmosphere I found, the friendly faces, and the sheer diversity on campus. I write this column on the computer of my host’s roommate at a small college in Southern California. Later, I’m going to sit in on an International Political Economy class since I’ve told my host I’m interested in study-ing International Relations. Afterwards, I’m going to a psy-chology class, for which I’m told the professor is hilarious. For two days here, I’m able to experience the life of a college student. And I’ve learned more from staying here than from all the college information I’ve read, all the Web sites I’ve visited, and all the cur-rent students I’ve Facebooked. It seems too obvious to say that one can find out the most about a college by visiting, but so many people make their decisions with-out ever setting foot on campus. Most people love the campuses they end up at regardless, but going on college visits made me realize just how many excellent schools I would have overlooked. So, a word from the wise(ish): During spring break, go visit as many colleges as you can and make the visits produc-tive by staying overnight, sitting in on classes, and getting a student to give you a personal tour.

Maria Shen, reporting on Generation Y, is a senior at

Monte Vista High School. She founded Contra Costa County’s

Young Bohemians creative writing club and is editor of

Voicebox, a literary magazine. E-mail her at youngbohemians@

gmail.com.

Don’t judge college by its cover

B Y D O N C O L M A N , T H E E V E RY D AY W I N E G U Y

The Wine Guy

Wine geek and proud of it

When I started writing these articles, I found myself doing tons of research on

grapes, regions, climates, winemak-ers, barreling, etc. I was always try-ing to find easy ways to learn about the wines, taste and then track the ones that I had sampled. In this day and age, the natural spot to start was the Internet. There is no shortage of information on the Internet; how-ever, the one thing that was lacking is knowledge. I found Web sites, many of them free, that would track your wine cellar, help you decide on scents and tastes but all of them required two things. First, a computer. Although we have one of those, it is not exactly good for my marriage to be tasting nice wine and having great food while typing on a com-puter in my office. I learned that the hard way. Second, they all required a password and an e-mail address. Given I have a hard enough time remembering birthdays, the last thing I need is one more user I.D. and password (which must contain at least one capital letter and a “&” or “%”) not to mention the extra spam that began to clog up my e-mail. Then I found the De Long’s Web site (www.delongwine.com). De Long’s is not about being online and registering, but rather about ordering information that you can then use to reference grapes and track wines the good old fashioned way—with pen and paper. After a bit of research I decided to order: Wine Notes tasting book and the Wine Grape Varietal Table. First, the Wine Notes tasting book. This book is a perfect way to track wines in addition to guid-ing you through the different scents and tastes of the wine. Each page is dedicated to one bottle of wine. It not only tracks the date, location,

tasting partner(s), cost and food you paired it with, but also walks you through the three most important parts of wine tasting: the look, the nose and the palate. At the back of the book, there is a cheat sheet that helps you to identify different terms that should be associated with the specific wine you are drinking and helps to ensure that wine is true to its varietal. All of this for under $7. The Wine Grape Varietal Table is my favorite part of what I ordered. Imagine, if you a will, a large peri-odic table for wine. The ironic part of this—it brings back memories of high school chemistry, which I liked so much I decided to take it twice! This table has everything. It lists 184 of the most common grapes and sorts them (both reds and whites) from light to full body on one axis and mild to acidic on the other axis. In addition, it tells you which region of the world the grapes come from and what are the correct characteris-tics of the wine. Although I wanted to hang it my living room (I thought it would look nice next to the family portrait), I was given strict instruc-tions that it would be better suited to our family room or my office. At $25 it is great conversation piece and fun to have close by as you are tasting wine. If you are looking for a unique gift for a wine enthusiast (or your-self) either one of these De Long’s wine tools will fit the bill and is sure to be enjoyed. Buy a cou-ple and keep them on hand—and the next time you need to bring something to the wine lover who has everything—you will be glad you’ve got it. Even if it makes you feel like a wine nerd—be a geek and be proud of it. I am!

Don Colman, the Everyday Wine Guy lives in Danville

and can be reached at [email protected]

O F N O T E

Famous speeches ring through the halls San Ramon Valley Christian Academy celebrated American history

when its third-grade students recited Famous American Speeches. The speakers spanned history from George and Martha Washington to Amelia Earhart. Students also read biographies and are writing research papers in class. The Academy is currently accepting K-8 applications for the 2009-10 school year. Visit www.srvca.org or telephone 838-9622.

2008 Winners

The Weekly wants photos of mother-daughter look-alikes.Mothers and daughters can be so much alike in mannerisms, personality, thoughts and, of course, appearance. With Mother’s Day coming right up, the Danville Weekly is holding its second Mother-Daughter Look-Alike contest.

If you think you and your daughter could be twins, send a digital photo to [email protected] by Monday, April 20. Photos can be color or black and white, need to be in JPG format, at least 300 dpi and no larger than 1 MB. Photos entered for previous contests are not eligible; only digital photos will be accepted.

The staff at the Weekly will choose the finalists, and readers will be able to vote on which mother and daughter in the Danville area look most alike. First-place prize is a gift certificate for Bridges restaurant; second-place prize is a gift certificate to Strizzi’s.

Two of a kind

Mother’s Day

May 10, 2009

Photos of the 2009 winners will be published in the May 8 edition of the Danville Weekly.

Two of a kind

SportsA L O O K A T T H E L O C A L S P O R T S S C E N E

Friday, April 3

Swimming Monte Vista at Livermore

San Ramon Valley vs. Cal High, 4 p.m.Baseball Monte Vista vs. Livermore, 3:45 p.m.San Ramon Valley at Cal High, 4 p.m.Women’s Lacrosse Monte Vista at Amador, 7 p.m.San Ramon Valley at Carondelet, 7 p.m.Men’s Lacrosse Monte Vista vs. Amador, 7 p.m.San Ramon Valley vs. De La Salle, 7 p.m.Men’s Tennis San Ramon Valley vs. Livermore

Monday, April 6

Golf De La Salle Tournament at Diablo, 9:30 a.m.

Tuesday, April 7

Golf Monte Vista at Livermore at Wente, 3 p.m.

Softball Monte Vista at Cardondelet, 4 p.m.

Men’s Lacrosse San Ramon Valley at Torrey Pines

Wednesday, April 8

Baseball Monte Vista at De La Salle, 3:45 p.m.

Thursday, April 9

Golf Monte Vista vs. De La Salle at Round Hill, 3 p.m.

Softball Monte Vista vs. Amador, 4 p.m.San Ramon Valley vs. Carondelet, 4 p.m.Women’s Lacrosse Monte Vista at La Costa, 3 p.m.Men’s Lacrosse San Ramon Valley at Poway

Friday, April 10

Baseball Monte Vista vs. Amador, 3:45 p.m.

Men’s Lacrosse Monte Vista vs. Foothill, 7 p.m.

Friday-Saturday, April 10-11

Track and Field Arcadia Invitational

P R E P S C H E D U L E

by Tanner Himmelman

Men’s baseball

This last week at San Ramon Valley was one of the worst in school history. The baseball team went 0-2 losing early in the week to Foothill High School, 11-5. People in the baseball world found out that star player Alex Palsha was human, playing below par for

what seems the first time in his high school career and giving up 10 runs against the Falcons. The Wolves played their EBAL rival De La Salle Spartans and again the pitching was poor, but the hitting was not there either. The Wolves were shut out 6-0. What made the loss even worse is that the Wolves’ head baseball coach for more than 25 years was coaching for the Spartans. He was

coaching at a field named after him because it was a home game for the Wolves. At least the wolves ended the week on a positive note beat-ing Livermore decisively, 7-2. The Wolves started the season undefeated in non-league play, but the EBAL is the best league in Northern California and the Wolves have started slow in league.

S A N R A M O N V A L L E Y H I G H S C H O O L S P O R T S W R A P U P

Parent photographers Send a jpeg to [email protected] of the best action shot from your child’s game for consideration for our Sports page. Remember to include caption information: who, what, when, where—and the score.

Edge Gymnastics team takes first Level 7 gymnast and Alamo resident Nadine Vomund competes on bars

during the Black Tie Invitational on March 8. She placed first on the vault and her 36.8 All Around score earned her second place. Her team, Edge, placed first in the team competition and hosted the meet at its brand new gymnastics training facility in Dublin. Edge Gymnastics Training Center is open to children ages 16 months and up.

Wolf trapCole Pickavance of San Ramon Valley High School fights his way out of a sand trap at Round Hill Country

Club playing against Monte Vista High on March 24. The Mustangs won the tight contest, 194-195.

CHRI

S SC

OTT/

WW

W.C

ALSP

ORTS

PHOT

O.CO

MCH

RIS

SCOT

T/W

WW

.CAL

SPOR

TSPH

OTO.

COM

Going for it on Opening DaySaturday was Opening Day for the San Ramon Valley Little League, and the fields at Los Cerros Middle

School were swarming with hundreds and hundreds of players, some 50 teams with ages 6 to 13. As teams were introduced, they ran out onto the field. The first pitch was tossed out by George Olson, founder of SRVLL more than 50 years ago. See more photos at www.DanvilleWeekly.com.

CalendarAuthor VisitRakestraw Books The bookstore will host numerous authors in the month of April including: Jordan Mackay and Robert Holmes, creators of “A Passion for Pinot,” at 7 p.m., Monday, April 6; Jay McInerney, author of “How It Ended,” at 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 21; Mary Roach, author of “Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex,” at 7 p.m., Wednesday, April 22; Nina Planck, author of “Real Food for Mother and Baby,” at noon, Friday, April 24; Franz and Kurt Wisner, authors of “How the World Makes Love,” at noon, Wednesday, April 29; and Tom Killion, author of “Tamalpais Walking: Poetry, History, and Prints,” at 7 p.m., Thursday, April 30; all at the bookstore location at 522 Hartz Ave., Danville. Reservations are recom-mended for all events; call 837-7337.

ClassesCitrus Pruning at Sloat Garden Center Join Elizabeth Ruiz who will discuss citrus pruning at 10 a.m., Saturday, April 4, at Sloat Garden Center, 828 Diablo Rd., Danville. She will talk about how and when to prune citrus trees. Cost is $5. Call 743-0288.

ClubsAmador Valley Quilters Meeting This club will host guest speaker Ellen Edith with a presentation called “Funny Story Quilts” from 1:30-4 p.m., Saturday, April 4, at Pleasanton Middle School, 5001 Case Ave. Note this meeting is one week earlier than usual. Catholics@Work The club will host guest speaker Frank Allocco, head basketball coach at De La Salle High School, at its monthly meeting at 7 a.m., Tuesday, April 14, at Crow Canyon Country Club, 711 Silver Lake Dr., Danville. Cost is $20 for mem-bers; $25 for non-members, includ-ing breakfast. To register (and to pay online), visit www.catholicsatwork.org.Danville Lions Club This club meets at 7 p.m., on the first and third Wednesday of every month, at the Brass Door, San Ramon. For informa-tion, call Tom Jackson at 984-1541. Danville Women’s Club This club meets for lunch, a program and a business meeting on the third Thursday of every month, September-May and on the first Thursday of June, at the clubhouse, 242 Linda Mesa Ave., Danville. Dues are $30 annually with a $5 initiation fee for new mem-bers. Call 837-1165. Exchange Club Luncheon Speaker John Coleman, EBMUD director, will be the guest speaker at the Exchange Club of San Ramon Valley’s April monthly luncheon meeting at

noon, Wednesday, April 8, at Faz Restaurant, 600 Hartz Ave., Danville. Cost is $16 for members; $20 for non-members. Call 275-2412. Girl’s Lunch Out Spa Day Alamo Women’s Club will host guest speaker Donna Smilow from Premier Medical Aesthetics & Healing from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 22, at the clubhouse, 1401 Danville Blvd., Alamo. She will talk about “Combining Inner and Outer Beauty. Our Spirit with Science.” Cost is $20; including make-up demos and lunch. Call Pat at 837-8530.

Events15th Hats Off America Run and Walk The 15th annual Hats Off America Red T-Shirt 10K/5K Run or Walk will start at 10 a.m., Saturday, April 4, at Sycamore Valley Park, 1101 Holbrook Dr., Danville. Cost is $35 per person, including a T-shirt and lunch. Proceeds benefit Gold Star Families. Rain or shine. Call 855-1950. Free E-Waste Collection Event Don’t know what to do with that old computer, monitor, or TV? Drop them off at one a free E-Waste Collection Events from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., on the first Saturday of every month, at DVC, San Ramon Campus, 1690 Watermill Rd. Call (510) 351-7511 or visit www.noewaste.com. The Battle of Forest Home Farms-Civil War Day Witness the battle of Forest Home Farms from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday, April 18, at Forest Home Farms, 19953 San Ramon Valley Blvd., San Ramon. Cost is $5 for adults and $3 for children; pre-registration is required. Call 973-3284.

Fundraisers‘Hats Off to Spring’ Youth Homes Auxiliary presents “Hats Off to Spring” annual fashion show and luncheon starting at 11 a.m., Saturday, April 18, at Crow Canyon Country Club, 711 Silver Lake Dr., Danville. Tickets are $40, including lunch. There will be a live auction and drawing. Proceeds benefit Youth Homes Auxiliary. Reservations are due by April 3; con-tact Sandy Weber at 949-7571 or [email protected]. ‘Touch of Heart’ Luncheon Family Stress Center will host the “Touch of Heart” luncheon from 12:30-2 p.m., Thursday, April 9, at the San Ramon Marriott, 2600 Bishop Dr. Keynote speaker will be Kelly Corrigan, author of “The Middle Place.” Tickets are available by calling Jennifer Stasch at 827-0212, ext. 107. Proceeds benefit Family Stress Center. Book Sale Friends of the Danville Library will host a book sale from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (9-10 a.m. members

only), Friday, April 17; 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday, April 18; and noon-4 p.m., Sunday, April 19; all at the Danville Library, 400 Front St. Call 837-4889. Family Pancake Breakfast San Ramon Senior Center Foundation will host a Family Pancake Breakfast from 9-11:30 a.m., Sunday, April 5, at the San Ramon Senior Center, 9300 Alcosta Blvd. Cost is $4 for adults; $2 for children. Proceeds benefit the Senior Center. Call Angela Merjano at 973-3250.

HealthNutrition and Cancer Treatment Learn to maximize your nutrition dur-ing and after cancer treatment by learning what to eat, even when you don’t feel like it, ways to hydrate, and get your specific nutritional issues addressed from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Monday, April 6, at the Wellness Community, 3276 McNutt Ave., Walnut Creek. This event is free. Call 933-0107.

HolidayEaster Egg Hunt Alamo Rotary will host an Easter Egg Hunt starting at 10 a.m., Saturday, April 4, at Livorna Park, at the corner of Livorna and Miranda. All children under 12 are welcome. Parents should bring their cameras. Visit www.alamorotary.org. Egg Hunt at Blackhawk Plaza Little ones are invited to decorate eggs, hunt for the golden egg, participate in story time and hear musical enter-tainment from Sandi and Stevie from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturday, April 4, at Blackhawk Plaza, Danville. G.R. Doodlebug’s Calico Critters Mom, Mrs. Fisher Cat will be there too. This event is free. Call 736-2751.

Kids and TeensJunior Ranger Program Mt. Diablo State Park presents its spring Junior Ranger Program for children ages 7-12, plus one accompanying adult. Sessions are held at various locations in the park. The five sessions are from 1-4 p.m., Saturdays, May 2-June 6. To register, call Steve Elliott at 362-8697. Kids Circle and Teen Talk - When Mom or Dad Has Cancer This is a program for families with school-age children when a parent has cancer. It meets from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturday, April 11, at the Wellness Community, 3276 McNutt Ave., Walnut Creek. Each workshop has an activity-based group for children, a support group for teens and a group for parents. This group is free. Call 933-0107.

Pam Donkin to Kick Off Kidz Reads Singer Pam Donkin will kick off the Kidz Reads 2009 program for the Danville, San Ramon and Dougherty Station libraries at 4 p.m., Tuesday, April 7, at the Danville Library, 400 Front St. Kids may play an instrument or sing a song at this musical. Call 837-4489.

Lectures/Workshops‘Dialogues’ Lecture Series Contra Costa Jewish Community Center is hosting a lecture series, “Dialogues,” featuring guest speakers at 7:30 p.m., at Contra Costa JCC, 2071 Tice Valley Blvd., Walnut Creek. Mark Yudof on Thursday, April 2, and Noah Alper on Thursday, May 21. Call 938-7800, ext. 0 or visit www.ccjcc.org/dialogues. Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer Group For those in or just starting treatment will meet from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., every Tuesday, April 7-July 21, at the Wellness Community, 3276 McNutt Ave., Walnut Creek. Guest oncology experts along with group support provide tools to assist in cop-ing and sharing experiences. This group is free. Call 933-0107. Parent Lecture with Walter Mayes Back by popular demand, Walter M. Mayes will speak on “Diversity in our Schools and Families,” at 6:45 p.m., Tuesday, April 14, at Seven Hills School, 975 N. San Carlos Dr., Walnut Creek. Cost is $15; educators are free. Call 974-4981. Stress Reduction and Guided Imagery This workshop will help those with cancer and their caregiv-ers learn to focus and relax the mind and body to experience relief from negative emotional states from 6-8 p.m., Tuesday, April 7, at the Wellness Community, 3276 McNutt Ave., Walnut Creek. This event is free. Call 933-0107.

On StagePreview of ‘Three Tall Women’ Role Players Ensemble Theatre will host a free preview of “Three Tall Women” at 8 p.m., Thursday, April 16, at Village Theatre, 233 Front St., Danville. The showing is free, but donations will be accepted. Call 820-1278 or visit www.danvilletheatre.com.

ScholarshipsDanville-Alamo Branch of the AAUW Scholarship Danville-Alamo Branch of the AAUW is offering schol-arships to local women. Applicants must have resided in the San Ramon Valley school district boundaries dur-ing high school and must be at least a college junior as of September 2009. Applications are online at www.aauw-da.org. Deadline is April 6.

SeniorsFree Tax Help For seniors 60 years and older, free tax help for middle or low incomes is available Tuesdays until April 11. Appointments are made every half hour from 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. For an appointment, call Betty at 314-9612. Prime Time Prime Time for sea-soned citizens meets from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., every Tuesday, at Community Presbyterian Church, 222 W. El Pintado, Danville. Activities include line dancing, English handbells, ceramics, wood carving and more. A home-cooked meal is served at noon for $4. Rides are provided by County Connection Link for $4 round trip; call Gloria at 837-5229. For information, call Ruth Ann at 820-6387.

SpiritualEaster Services San Ramon Valley United Methodist Church will host Easter services including Maundy Thursday at 7 p.m., April 9, in the sanctuary; Good Friday Service in the sanctuary at 7 p.m., April 10; Easter Morning Sunrise Service in the court-yard at 6:30 a.m., Sunday, April 12; and more Easter services at 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m., Sunday, April 12; all at the church, 902 Danville Blvd., Alamo. Call 837-5243.

VolunteeringAmerican Red Cross Public Blood Drive American Red Cross is hold-ing a public blood drive from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Friday, April 10, at the Grange Hall, 743 Diablo Rd., Danville. Call (800) 448-3543 or visit www.BeADonor.com.

Law Offices of Terence Daniel Doyle The Family Law GroupFamily Law Family Law Mediation Revocable Trusts and Decendent’s Estate Administration

Terence Daniel Doyle David J. GoldeRichard D. GrossmanVirginia L. EkelundDaniel T. Quane

Our Website Contains Complimentary Printable

Articles, Educational Materials and Resource Links Covering

Family Law, Estate Planning and Decendents Estates

Hoppin’ down the bunny trailAlamo Rotary will host a free Easter Egg Hunt starting at 10 a.m.

(sharp!), Saturday, April 4, at Livorna Park, at the corner of Livorna and Miranda in Alamo. All children under 12 are welcome. Parents should bring their cameras. Visit www.alamorotary.org.

FILE PHOTO

W E E K E N D P R E V I E W

BULLETINBOARD

115 AnnouncementsADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS

in 111 alternative newspapers like this one. Over 6 million circulation

every week for $1200. No adult ads. Call Rick at 202-289-8484. (AAN CAN)

PREGNANT? CONSIDERING ADOPTION? Talk with caring agency

specializing in matching Birthmothers with Families nationwide.

LIVING EXPENSES PAID. Call 24/7 Abby’s One True Gift Adoptions

866-413-6293 (AAN CAN)Danville Community Band Concert

East Bay Singles Party Learn more: call 925-888-4392Easter Egg HuntHacienda SchoolLivermore Lioness ClubSenior Health Fair - FreeStress Mgmt Troubled TimesStress/Pain/FM Support BLR/MFT

130 Classes & Instruction

EARN $75 - $200 HOUR Media Makeup Artist Training. Ads, TV,

Film, Fashion. One week class. Stable job in weak economy. Details at http://www.AwardMakeUpSchool.com

310-364-0665 (AAN CAN)HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA!

Fast, Affordable & Accredited FREE Brochure. Call NOW!

1-800-532-6546 Ext. 97 http://www.continentalacademy.com (AAN CAN)

PALMISTRY CLASSES and READINGS

www.palmistryschool.com, www.partyp-almist2.com.925 2499154

133 Music LessonsSINGING LESSONS FOR ALL AGES!

Voice Studio of Cherie Michael Call 925-462-4419

for further information and to reserve your weekly lessons.

HARP LESSONS FOR ALL AGES Try Something New!

Call Bennetta Heaton (925) 820-1169

- located in Danville -

135 Group Activities“GIRLS NIGHT IN”CROSSFIT SAN RAMON!

FREE CROSSFIT CLASSESGirl’s Lunch Out! Spa DayLock & Key Singles DanceSEWING CAMP! www.KidzKraftz.com

140 Lost & FoundFound a Cat

FOR SALE

SOLD

201 Autos/Trucks/Parts

Donate Vehicle Receive $1000 Grocery Coupons, Your Choice. Noah’s Arc, No Kill

Animal Shelters. Advanced Veterinary Treatments. Free Towing, IRS Tax

Deduction. Non-Runners. 1-866-912-GIVE. (Cal-SCAN)

Donate Your Car Children’s Cancer Fund! Help Save

A Child’s Life Through Research and Support! Free Vacation Package. Fast,

Easy and Tax Deductible. Call 1-800-252-0615. (Cal-SCAN)

Chevrolet 1993 Suburban K1500 4WD - $4950 OBOChrysler 2001 PT Cruiser/BRA - $40Chrysler 2001 PT Cruiser/BRA - $40Ducati 2008 1098 S - $16,500

Jeep 1989 Wrangler Sahara 51267 miles,4.2L,$2700,

[email protected] 1989 Wrangler Sahara 1989 Jeep Wrangler Sahara - 51267 miles,4.2L,$2700, [email protected] 2003 Miata MX5 Shinsen - $11,500

210 Garage/Estate SalesPleasanton, 696 Merlot Court, Sunday, Apr 5; 7a - 11a

Pleasanton, 7000 Valley Trails Dr, April 4, 8-3 NEIGHBORHOOD GARAGE SALE - April 4 8am-3pm. Hundreds of

houses. More items than imaginable for sale. Valley Trails neighborhood. Hwy 580 to Hopyard to Valley Trails.

Pleasanton, 7264 Valleyview Ct., 4/4 8-3

neighborhood court salePleasanton, 7862 Foothill Rd.,

April 4, 7:30-2pm GARAGE SALE-household, toys,

clothing, miscellaneous. No early birds please.

215 Collectibles & AntiquesCameo Depression GlassRoyal Doulton figurine - $45Western Railroad Photographs - $10 each

220 Computers/Electronics

DIRECTV Satellite TV Special Offer:

Save $21/month for one year, Free HD-DVR, Plus 3 Free months of HBO/Starz/Showtime! Call Expert Satellite

1-888-246-2215 (credit card required) (AAN CAN)







GET A NEW COMPUTER Brand Name laptops & desktops Bad or NO Credit - No Problem

Smallest weekly payments available. It's yours NOW - Call 800-803-8819

(AAN CAN)GET A NEW COMPUTER!

Brand Name laptops & desktops Bad or NO Credit - No Problem

Smallest weekly payments avail. CALL NOW 1-800-816-2232

(AAN CAN)

230 FreebiesFree Washer & Dryer?

that's Right - Absolutely Free! Delivered to Your Door. Brand Names,

Brand New! Units are Going Fast! Log on now for Details! WWW.

SUPERFREEWDSTORE.COM (AAN CAN)

Tired of the Laundromat? You can own a Brand Name, New

Washer & Dryer - Free! Units are Going Fast!

Log on now for Details!! WWW.SUPERFREEWDSTORE.COM (AAN CAN)Garage Sale - FREE

240 Furnishings/Household items

Washer and Dryer Can’t afford a washer and dryer? Yes You Can! New - Brand Name Washer and Dryers - No Cost!!! Quantities are

Limited. Log on Now for Details: www.FreeOfferWD.com (Cal-SCAN)

1940’s Cavalier cedar chest - $1503 piece kitchen carving set - $10Argenta Sofa leather - $699MEDIA CABINET - $375.00Oversized Log Rocking Chair - $250.

245 MiscellaneousCottage Inspired Landscaping - $16.95Non-stick stove top grill - $20RED WORMS FOR COMPOSTING - $25.00ScrapbooksSTAGING A HOME TO SELL

Tractor 2001 New Holland LB115B

Loader+Backhoe 4WD , Heater+AC, price $5700 for details and pictures contact me at [email protected],

(252)3601434

MarketplaceDanville Weekly

Call Monika Harris 417-0424Registered Veterinary Nurse www.furryfriends.tv

Furry FriendsPet Sitting Services

Accommodating Healthy and Special

Needs Pets

Trained professional, daily visits, basic home care, reliable & caring.

Pet Care/Grooming/Training

REAL ESTATEMike FraciscoREALTOR

®

Fracisco Realty & Investments

Residential, Commercial & Property Management

direct: 925-998-8131www.MikeFracisco.com

direct: 925-426-3886cell: 925-487-1427e-mail: [email protected]

Tony LeavensREALTOR®

Hometown GMAC Real

Estate

Alamo, CA 888.830.8722

GuaranteedLowest PricesOne call is all it takes to buy any new car for the lowest price in the market. Guaranteed.

www.InsideTrackAuto.com

™

Automotive Sales

Commercial/Residential

(925) 846-0400www.HoneyDoHandypersons.com

LIC# 922264

Receive $25 offService of $250

or more for 1st time customers

Handypersonssm, Inc.

$30 Off 2 hours or more of service.When you mention this ad. Not valid with any other offer.

“The tool I recommend most? The telephone.”Use it to call Mr. Handyman.

RICHARD KARNTV star and “home improvement guru.”

www.mrhandyman.com/ca/walnutcreek

925-933-4433Fully Insured-General Liability and Workers’ Compensation.

LIC#807495

Computer HelpTri-Valley PC MEDIC2007-08 Pleasanton Weekly

"Best Computer Repair"2006 Diablo Magazine"Best of the East Bay"

Ken Cook"I Make House Calls!"

Tune-up/Repair/Upgrade/TrainingMore info/rates: www.trivalleypcmedic.comM-F 8a-8p / Wknds & Hols 9a-6p

Lic #011068 ~ PCC, PDA & BBB

Call 485-9040 or 989-7722

Computers

NEED HELP WITH QUICKBOOKS?

No job too big or too small!!!Over 23 years experience

in all aspects of bookkeeping.

Call Linda 925.918.2233

Accounting/Bookkeeping

Personal Training

Landscaping Service

FREE ESTIMATES

Complete Maintenance

COMPETITIVE EDGEGen Contractor - Molding, Windows and Doors. Complete Kitchen & Bath

Remodels. Add’ Alterations Visa & Mastercard Accepted

925-736-4513 ~ #788080

General Contracting

Fresh news delivered directly to your inbox

Danville’s top stories & hot picks

INVESTMENT REAL ESTATE

COMPANYMike Carey, Broker 925.963.0569 Cell

NASTY GROUT“MAGICALLY RESTORED”

GROUT WIZARD®(925) 866-5000

GROUT WIZARD®

Tired of Moldy, Missing, Dirty, Cracked Grout? We will Clean, Seal, Repair, Re-Grout, Change Grout Color, Re-Caulk

and Eliminate Mildew.FREE ESTIMATES

10% OFF YOUR JOB WITH THIS AD

Pool Services

5513 Sunol Blvd.925.846.2789

PleasantonPoolCenter.com

PLEASANTONPOOL CENTER10% OFFNext Purchase

Some restrictions apply. Exp 7-5-09.

OVERHEAD STORAGE48"x 48"

$200 InstalledHolds 250 lbs., Over 35 cubic feet,

White steel rack

GARAGE FUSION925-735-1900

Fresh news delivered directly to your inbox

Danville’s top stories & hot picks

Joanna Jensen Realtor®

925.699.5041

Have you been declined for a refinance, owe more than your home is worth,

or had a reduction in income?Give me a call. I’d like to show you how I can help

potentially reduce your mortgage payments and credit cards.

Painting

Scott’s PaintingInterior & Exterior

Protect and freshen up your home.

Scott Smiley (925) 918-1874Licensed Bonded & Insured

Lic# 505856

“Get the Personal Touch”

Mention this ad and save 10%

OVERHEAD STORAGE8 Feet x 4 Feet $300 Installed

Holds 600 lbs., Over 115 cubic feet, White steel rack

GARAGE FUSION925-735-1900

fogster.com THE TRI-VALLEY’S FREE CLASSIFIED WEBSITE TO RESPOND TO ADS WITHOUT PHONE NUMBERS GO TO WWW.FOGSTER.COM

For Market Place Ads Contact Karen(925) 600-0840 x122

[email protected]

No phone number in the ad?

GO TO fogster.com

for contactinformation

fogster.comTHE TRI-VALLEY’S FREE CLASSIFIED WEBSITE TO RESPOND TO ADS WITHOUT PHONE NUMBERS GO TO WWW.FOGSTER.COM

MARKETPLACE the printed version of 250 Musical InstrumentsWANT TO FORM/JOIN “GEEZER” BAND - $N/A

260 Sports & Exercise Equipment

Yakima Cargo Rack Yakima Cargo Rack, like new. (Used on one summer trip) 4x8 but can be easily shortened to 4x4 in size.Comes with

Yakima ski rack.925-462-6041

KID STUFF

330 Child Care Offered

Child Care Would like to care for your child in my Pleasanton Home. Full Time, Monday - Friday. Can take any age, including

infant. Please call Jane at 925-426-1960

345 Tutoring/LessonsFRENCH, SPANISH TUTORING

Math & Chemistry Tutoring Retired Scientist now enjoying

TUTORING STUDENTS of all ages in math, algebra, pre-calculus, geom-

etry, & chemistry CALL DOUG @ 925-858-5842

425 Health Services

ONLINE PHARMACY Buy Soma, Ultram, Fioricet, Prozac,

Buspar $71.99/90 $107/180 Quantities,

PRICE INCLUDES PRESCRIPTION! Over 200 meds. $25 Coupon Mention

Offer: #71A31. 1-888-661-4957. tripharmacy.net (AAN CAN)

Suffering with anxiety or depression? Think no one under-

stands? Lucinda Bassett does. Get her free tape that will stop the suffering

without drugs or alcohol. Call 800-652-9619. (AAN CAN)

EMPLOYMENT

550 Business Opportunities

100% Recession Proof Be Your Own Boss! Your Own Local

Vending Route. Includes 25 Machines and Candy for $9,995. MultiVend LLC,

1-888-625-2405. (Cal-SCAN)

560 Employment Information

$$$HELP WANTED$$$ Earn Extra income assembling CD cases from Home. CALL OUR LIVE

OPERATORS NOW! 1-800-405-7619 ext. 150 http://www.easywork-greatpay.

com (AAN CAN)

$600 WEEKLY POTENTIAL$$$ Helping the Government PT. No

Experience, No Selling. Call: 1-888-213-5225 Ad Code L-5. VOID in Maryland and South Dakota.

(AAN CAN)

DATA ENTRY PROCESSORS Needed! Earn $3,500-$5,000 Weekly

Working from Home! Guaranteed Paychecks! No Experience Necessary!

Positions Available Today! Register Online Now!

http://www.DataPositions.com (AAN CAN)

Driver - West Coast Regional New Hiring Area! Newest equipment on the road. Competitive Pay. Run

the Western 11 States. On Site - Full Service Maintenance Shop. Reasonable

Home Time. Western Express - 22 yrs. old. Good MVR, EOE, CDL-A, 1 yr.

OTR. Call Edna Today! 1-866-863-4112. (Cal-SCAN)

Electricians Needed Great pay and benefits, 30 days vaca-tion/year, retirement & raises. No experi-ence needed, HS grads ages 17-34. Call Mon-Fri 1-800-345-6289. (Cal-SCAN)

Make $384 Daily! Data entry positions available Now!

100% Legit! Internet access needed. Income isguaranteed! No experience required. www.datahomeworker.com

(AAN CAN)

MOVIE EXTRAS NEEDED Earn $150 to $300 Per Day. All Looks,

Types and Ages. Feature Films, Television, Commercials, and Print. No

Experience Necessary. 1-800-340-8404 x2001 (AAN CAN)

MOVIE EXTRAS NEEDED NOW! Earn $100 - $300/day. No Experience

Required. All Looks Wanted - FT/PT. Call Now1-800-605-5901

(AAN CAN)

BUSINESSSERVICES

605 Antiques & Art Restoration

Antique Furniture Restoration & Repair

“A Labor Of Love” 925-462-0383

624 FinancialCASH FOR GOLD

We buy Gold, Silver, Plat. Get Cash NOW!

Highest Payouts - Satisfaction Guaranteed 1-877-548-1550 (AAN CAN)

For unsecured debts of $7,500 or MORE, call the Debt Relief

Group, an Attorney Listing Service today! Understand your options. FREE

- No Obligation Consultation. Call 1-888-648-8546 (AAN CAN)

For unsecured debts of $7,500 or MORE, call the Debt Relief

Group, an Attorney Listing Service today! Understand your options. FREE

- No Obligation Consultation. Call 1-888-648-8546 (AAN CAN)

645 Office/Home Business Services

Classified Advertising In 240 Cal-SCAN newspapers for

the best reach, coverage, and price. 25-words $550. Reach 6 million

Californians!. FREE email brochure. Call (916) 288-6019. www.Cal-SCAN.com

(Cal-SCAN)Display Advertising

In 140 Cal-SDAN newspapers state-wide for $1,550! Reach over 3 million Californians! FREE email brochure. Call (916) 288-6019. www.Cal-SDAN.com

(Cal-SCAN)News Release?

Cost-efficient service. The California Press Release Service has 500 current

daily, weekly and college newspaper contacts in California. FREE email

brochure. Call (916) 288-6010. www.CaliforniaPressReleaseService.com

(Cal-SCAN)

HOME SERVICES

715 Cleaning Services

Andrea’s Cleaning Trustworthy,Prof.,Reliable,

Affordable.Ref’s avail. 14yrs exp

925-339-2461

Best Cleaning by Beatriz My housekeeper, Beatriz, has an open-ing. Reasonable, reliable, honest. Call

Cindy for a reference. (925) 736-6800.

751 General Contracting

MAHDevelopment.com DIAMOND CERTIFIED! Remodels/Room

Addtns/CstmHms/BBQs/Sunrms/Solariums/Kitchens&Baths-CALic GC #913049-20+ yrs exp-BBB, NARI &

NKBA-Free est! 925-580-1673

757 Handyman/Repairs

AFFORDABLE HOME REPAIRS

Twww.A-ZCompleteHomeRepairs.net

925-989-6179 / 510-733-5582Calhoun Construction

761 Masonry/Brick

BRIAN KELLER CONCRETE/MASONRY

Concrete,Brick,Block,Stone. Beautiful Workmanship Licensed

925-846-1193

771 Painting/Wallpaper

JOE’S PAINTING & HANDYMAN Free Est. / Reasonable Prices

No Job Too Small!!! 925-200-7333 Lic#624542

801 Apartments/Condos/StudiosDublin, 2 BR/2 BA - $1550Dublin, 2 BR/2 BA - $1675Dublin, 2 BR/2 BA - $1555Pleasanton, 1 BR/1 BA - $1050Pleasanton, 1 BR/1 BA - $995Pleasanton, 1 BR/1 BA - $719-928Pleasanton, 2 BR/2 BA - $1195

Pleasanton, 2 BR/2 BA Nestled in the eastern hills of the Pleasanton valley, Plaza de la Vista Apartments is a quiet well established community complemented by a neigh-borhood park, beautiful lake, waterslides, spectacular hillside views and minutes from everything Downtown Pleasanton has to offer. (925) 846-4460

San Ramon, 1 BR/1 BA - $972/month

805 Homes for RentPleasanton, 3 BR/2 BA Beautiful view home of Mt. Diablo in excellent Pleasanton Heights down-town neighborhood. Walk to great schools and downtown restaurants. Vaulted ceiling livingroom and outside gardens. New paint, carpet, central air and heating. Two car garage.

809 Shared Housing/Rooms

ALL AREAS - RENTMATES.COM Browse hundreds of online listings with

photos and maps. Find your roommate with a click of the

mouse! Visit: http://www.Rentmates.com. (AAN CAN)Room for Rent Great Location

Looking for F to share 3 Bd rm 2 bath w/ pool & housekeeper

1/3 utlities 925-735-1985

825 Homes/Condos for Sale

300 Foreclosed Homes Northern CA homes selling by auc-

tion April 14-19 valued from $50k to $835k. Get all the details at www.

HudsonAndMarshall.com or call 1-866-518-9061. (Cal-SCAN)

Sonoma, CA 3BD/2BA manufactured home. Very good condition. $30K. Buyer must

transport. Central heat/air, new paint, woodstove, skylights. Approx. 28x14 ft.

Available April. 415-531-3799. (Cal-SCAN)

Danville, 5+ BR/3 BA - $999,000Pleasanton, 5+ BR/4+ BA - $2,995,000

840 Vacation Rentals/Time SharesAptos/Seascape: 3BR/2BA Fully equipped Walk to beach, no pets.(925)962-9506 or (831)689-9784

850 Acreage/Lots/StorageBuyer’s Market New Mexico. Ranch Dispersal. 140 acres - $89,900. River Access. Northern New Mexico. Cool 6,000’ elevation with stunning views. Great tree cover includ-ing Ponderosa, rolling grassland and rock outcroppings. Abundant wildlife, great hunting. EZ terms. Call NML&R, Inc. 1-866-360-5263. (Cal-SCAN)Colorado Bank Foreclosure 35 AC $29,900. Enjoy 300 days of sunshine. Rocky mountain views, utili-ties. Excellent financing. 1st come, 1st serve!! Call Today 1-866-696-5263 x4938. (Cal-SCAN)

855 Real Estate ServicesForeclosed Home Auction Northern California. 1000 Homes Must Be Sold! REDC / Free Brochure: 1-800-653-7072. www.USHomeAuction.com . (Cal-SCAN)

MIND& BODY

REAL ESTATE

Situated on a flat .49 acre lot, with 4297 sq.ft. Tuscan Beauty was built in 2003. All the bells and whistles. $1,499,900

Built in 2002, Plantation Style Home high on ridgeline. 4 beds 4 baths expandable by 2400 sq. ft. Large guest cottage. 4 Car Garage with

full bath Much More. $2,950,000

West Side Alamo 5 BedroomAlamo 8.2 Acres Commanding Views

Updated Home and guest house on 1.7 acre parcel. Horse Set Up, Work Shop, Pool

and more $1,645,000

A perfect “10.” 5 bedroom 3 full bath remodel. 2,953 sq. ft. Stainless and granite kitchen, on .23 acres. Walk to Greenbrook School, backs Iron Horse Trail. $1,049,000

Danville El Pintado Loop

X6000 X5000

X9000

24 Hour Free Audio Tour (866) 374-0607

www.The Combs Team .com

Visit www.thecombsteam.comNancy P. Combs Joe Combs

Professionals You CanCount on!

Call Joe and Nancy

925-989-6086

X7000

Read Joe and Nancy’s Real Estate Blog http://thecombsteam.blogspot.com

Greenbrook Area Remodel

DANVILLE5 Bedrooms

16 Hermosa Court $2,100,000Sun 1-5 Prudential CA Realty 577-4911

DUBLIN4 Bedrooms

4917 Redwood Avenue $655,000Sun 1-4 Hometown GMAC 858-5400

5 Bedrooms4613 Persimmon Drive $705,000Sun 1-4 Hometown GMAC 858-5400

LIVERMORE3 Bedrooms

978 Dana Circle $519,000Sun 1:30-4:30 Alain Pinel Realtors 398-6706

PLEASANTON2 Bedrooms

515 St. John $380,000Sat/Sun 1-4 Keller Williams Tri-Valley Realty 337-8807

3 Bedrooms1778 Magnolia Circle $459,900Sun 1-4 Keller Williams Tri-Valley Realty 924-0444

2860 El Capitan Drive $529,500Sat 1-4 Alain Pinel Realtors 846-6500

4 Bedrooms321 Diamond Court $1,125,000Sun 1-4 Remax Accord 200-94001608 Cindy Way $1,229,000Sat/Sun 1-5 Alain Pinel Realtors 785-77771624 Cindy Way $1,329,000Sat/Sun 1-5 Alain Pinel Realtors 785-77771640 Cindy Way $1,349,000Sat/Sun 1-5 Alain Pinel Realtors 785-7777836 Piemonte Drive $1,599,000Sun 1-4 Keller Williams Tri-Valley Realty 980-02731988 Via Di Salerno $1,777,000Sun 1-4 Keller Williams Tri-Valley Realty 980-02732562 Glen Isle $659,000Sat/Sun 1-4 Hometown GMAC 426-38262140 Tanager Court $799,000Sat/Sun 1-4 Alain Pinel Realtors 462-76535855 San Juan Way $899,000Sun 1-4 Keller Williams Tri-Valley Realty 397-4244

5 Bedrooms827 Sunny Brook Way $1,379,000Sat/Sun 1-4 Alain Pinel Realtors 846-65001632 Cindy Way $1,449,000Sat/Sun 1-5 Alain Pinel Realtors 785-77775862 Sunset Creek Court $1,899,900Sun 1-4 Alain Pinel Realtors 463-2000

Real EstateO P E N H O M E S T H I S W E E K E N D

We Find Homes for Our Furry Friends Too!Realtors Helping Homeless Pets

All animals available at the East Bay SPCA in Tri-Valley

3 year old female domestic long hair. Sweet temperament with

a very soft beautiful coat.

4 year old Tortoiseshell domestic short hair. Gentle disposition, likes all kinds of people. Great for fi rst

time cat owner or for family or both.

8 year old male Pointer. Well trained, calm & polite around other dogs. Best suited to a home with older

children/adults.

3 year old female domestic short hair. Playful independent cat with attitude. Loves affection. She would do best in

an adult-only home.

4 year old male domestic short hair mitted. Big mellow boy who does

well with kids, other cats & seems to like dogs too. Great family pet.

4 year old female American Pit Bull Terrier. Gets along well with other dogs and is best suited to a home

with older children/adults.

2 ½ year old male Rottweiler/Shep-herd. Gets along well with children

and other dogs. Very playful & needs more training.

Gina Piper

10 year old male Flame Point Sia-mese. A member of Club Second

Chance with a discounted adoption fee & a discount card for pet stores & other pet services. Plays well with

other cats and family members.

4 ½ year old Austalian Shepard/Basset Hound. Loving and snuggly

best suited for older children/adults. OK with some dogs, No cats

5 year old female Hound/LabLoves people and will respond well to training included in the adoption

fee. Good family pet.

8 year old female domestic short hair. Suitable for quiet home with laps and cuddles. Member of the Club Second Chance with a discount adoption fee discount card for pets stores & other

pet services.

5 year old ShepherdLoves people and other dogs,

but no cats allowed! With a little training she will be a great member

of any household.

Willow

Caterina

Panser

Sophia

Garfi eld

Maribel

Bronco

Big Boy

Byron

Cher

Pia

Chelsea

KELLER WILLIAMSREALTY

Climbs toTh ird Largest Real Estate Franchise in the United States

Keller Williams Realty, Inc. recently announced at its annual convention in Orlando, FL that it is now the

third-largest* real estate franchise in the United States, surpassing RE/MAX International.

“The success of Keller Williams Realty can be directly attributed to the hard work and perserverance of our

associates and the soundness of our economic and organizational models,” said Mark Willis, CEO of Keller

Williams Realty, Inc. “While others might be looking at this market and seeing fear and uncertainty, we

have always approached it as our opportunity to shine and grow. And that mindset has paid off.”

The company has continued to gain ground for the last three years, outpacing pervasive downward

trends in the real estate industry. Keller Williams Realty increased its associate count by 52%, while

market share at its offi ces increased 83% and agent gross commission income went up 35%.

Keller Williams Realty has 679 offi ces operating in the United States and Canada. In 2008, the company

shared more than $30 million in profi ts with its associates through its profi t sharing program. “Through

profi t share, our phenomenal coaching and training and technology offerings, we are offering agents

their own ‘bailout plan’ for this market.” Willis added. Locally, the dynamic Keller Williams Danville offi ce

is mirroring the strong national trend.

Founded in 1983, Keller Williams Realty, Inc. has 74,000 associates in the United States and Canada. The

company has an agent-centric culture that emphasizes access to leading-edge education and promotes

an economic model that rewards associates as stakeholders and partner.

For more information contact Kristin White, Danville Manager at 925.855.8333, [email protected].

Rose Garden Shopping Center760 Camino Ramon, Suite 200, Danville 925.855.8333

Corner of Sycamore Valley Road & Camino Ramon*According to Steve Murray of REAL Trends, a leading source of analysis and information in the residential real estate industry

DW Cover 040309 - Danville San Ramon€¦ · High school students have three weeks left to apply...

Documents

Transcript of DW Cover 040309 - Danville San Ramon€¦ · High school students have three weeks left to apply...