Oakley Press_02.19.10

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N a t i o n a l A w a r d W in n in g N e w s p a p e r s Your Hometown Web Site www.thepress.net Vol. 10, No. 8 YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER February 19, 2010 This Week Feisty Falcons fall to Lions After a high-octane first half, Freedom’s hardcourt warriors ran out of gas. Page 2B Plus: Calendar ............................ 23B Classifieds ......................... 16B Cop Logs ............................ 14A Entertainment ................. 12B Health & Beauty .............. 10B Opinion .............................. 13A Sports ................................... 1B After 10 years of planning, the Oakley City Council will finally be presented with the Downtown Specific Plan during a public hearing at its meeting next Tuesday. Oakley has been working on the Down- town Specific Plan since January of 2000. The city plans to revitalize an 80-acre area downtown bordered by the canal crossing on Main Street, Gardenia Avenue, Home Street and the railroad tracks. The overall plan is to create a more pedestrian-friendly downtown featuring specialty shops, restaurants, cafés and civic facilities similar to those found in Walnut Creek, Benicia and Santa Cruz. The plan has evolved into a full-fledged plan in- cluding land use and revitalization strate- gies, capital improvements and development standards plus design guidelines for new con- struction and redevelopment. The plan calls for a realignment of High- way 4/Main Street to direct heavy through- traffic away from the social and commercial areas, and identifies the need for renovations and façade improvement of existing build- ings and other changes designed to meet Oakley’s 2020 vision. At the Oct. 13 council meeting last year, the council received the draft environmental impact report and, as only one member of the public spoke at the meeting, the council asked city staff to plan a presentation solicit- ing more public input. Last Tuesday, Oakley Senior Planner Ken Strelo led a discussion about the Down- town Specific Plan to inform the audience of 17 residents and business owners of what Oakley plans to do to rejuvenate the down- town area, including ideas gleaned from other City seeks Downtown Plan input Council to implement salary increase The Oakley City Council has reversed a January decision and will implement a $165-per- month pay increase for each of its members right away. At its Jan. 12 meeting, the council voted to postpone a de- cision on the salary increase, which was approved in 2006, un- til it reviewed the budget in June. At the Feb. 12 meeting, Finance Director Paul Abelson presented the council with a midyear bud- get review that showed there was money in the budget to imple- ment the increase now. Last year, the council declined to accept the increase, and instead donated it to Oakley’s inaugural Relay For Life effort. Mayor Pat Anderson said she put the ordinance to reinstate the increase back on the table so that council members had the option to donate their salary to local charities such as this year’s Oakley Relay For Life, which oc- curs in May, prior to the sched- uled June review. “I don’t think that this needs to be a big deal,” Anderson said. “If there are those of us that this increase, as it is called, will help us get through our monthly bud- gets, then so be it. If there are those of us who decide we wish to take that (money) and give it to a charitable organization, so be it.” The council voted 5-0 to reinstate the increase, allowing council members to do what they wish with the funds. Coun- cil members will now receive $465.40 per month, up from the previous $300. As they did in January, I don’t think this needs to be a big deal. If there are those of us that this increase, as it is called, will help us get through out monthly budgets, then so be it. If there are those of us who decide we wish to take that (money) and give it to a charitable organization, so be it. Oakley Mayor Pat Anderson by Samie Hartley Staff Writer by Samie Hartley Staff Writer Plans for the creation of a long-awaited pedestrian-friendly downtown area featur- ing specialty shops, restaurants and cafés could begin as soon as this summer, when the City of Oakley expects to receive control of Main Street, above, from Caltrans. see Downtown page 18A see Salary page 18A Photo by Richard Wisdom Prescription for placidity A longtime East County doctor has set his last bone and delivered his last baby. Page 3A Grimm consequences A new stage production offers a realistic take on traditional fairy tale scenarios. Page 10A Online Now! www.thepress.net Your Hometown Web Site Some shops are prohibiting the open carrying of sidearms on premises. Ban on packin’ go to multimedia/videos Students and parents sampled a buffet of career and college choices. Open house go to news/WebExtras! New statistics give an inside look at the state of housing in East County. Weekly briefing go to news/press releases

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Transcript of Oakley Press_02.19.10

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    Vol. 10, No. 8 YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER February 19, 2010

    This Week

    Feisty Falcons fall to Lions

    After a high-octane first half, Freedoms hardcourt warriors ran out of gas. Page 2B

    Plus: Calendar ............................ 23BClassifieds ......................... 16BCop Logs ............................14AEntertainment ................. 12BHealth & Beauty .............. 10BOpinion ..............................13ASports ................................... 1B

    After 10 years of planning, the Oakley City Council will fi nally be presented with the Downtown Specifi c Plan during a public hearing at its meeting next Tuesday.

    Oakley has been working on the Down-town Specifi c Plan since January of 2000. The city plans to revitalize an 80-acre area downtown bordered by the canal crossing on Main Street, Gardenia Avenue, Home Street and the railroad tracks. The overall plan is to create a more pedestrian-friendly downtown featuring specialty shops, restaurants, cafs and civic facilities similar to those found in Walnut Creek, Benicia and Santa Cruz. The plan has evolved into a full-fl edged plan in-cluding land use and revitalization strate-gies, capital improvements and development standards plus design guidelines for new con-struction and redevelopment.

    The plan calls for a realignment of High-way 4/Main Street to direct heavy through-traffi c away from the social and commercial areas, and identifi es the need for renovations and faade improvement of existing build-ings and other changes designed to meet Oakleys 2020 vision.

    At the Oct. 13 council meeting last year, the council received the draft environmental

    impact report and, as only one member of the public spoke at the meeting, the council asked city staff to plan a presentation solicit-ing more public input.

    Last Tuesday, Oakley Senior Planner Ken Strelo led a discussion about the Down-

    town Specifi c Plan to inform the audience of 17 residents and business owners of what Oakley plans to do to rejuvenate the down-town area, including ideas gleaned from other

    City seeks Downtown Plan input

    Council to implement salary increase

    The Oakley City Council has reversed a January decision and will implement a $165-per-month pay increase for each of its members right away.

    At its Jan. 12 meeting, the council voted to postpone a de-cision on the salary increase, which was approved in 2006, un-til it reviewed the budget in June. At the Feb. 12 meeting, Finance Director Paul Abelson presented the council with a midyear bud-get review that showed there was money in the budget to imple-ment the increase now. Last year, the council declined to accept the

    increase, and instead donated it to Oakleys inaugural Relay For Life effort.

    Mayor Pat Anderson said she put the ordinance to reinstate the increase back on the table so

    that council members had the option to donate their salary to local charities such as this years Oakley Relay For Life, which oc-curs in May, prior to the sched-uled June review.

    I dont think that this needs to be a big deal, Anderson said. If there are those of us that this increase, as it is called, will help us get through our monthly bud-gets, then so be it. If there are those of us who decide we wish to take that (money) and give it to a charitable organization, so be it.

    The council voted 5-0 to reinstate the increase, allowing council members to do what they wish with the funds. Coun-cil members will now receive $465.40 per month, up from the previous $300.

    As they did in January,

    I dont think this needs to be a big deal. If there are those of us that this increase, as it is called, will help us get through out monthly budgets, then so be it. If there are those of us who decide we wish to take that (money) and give it to a charitable organization, so be it.

    Oakley Mayor Pat Anderson

    by Samie HartleyStaff Writer

    by Samie HartleyStaff Writer

    Plans for the creation of a long-awaited pedestrian-friendly downtown area featur-ing specialty shops, restaurants and cafs could begin as soon as this summer, when the City of Oakley expects to receive control of Main Street, above, from Caltrans.

    see Downtown page 18A

    see Salary page 18A

    Photo by Richard Wisdom

    Prescription for placidity

    A longtime East County doctor has set his last bone and delivered his last baby. Page 3A

    Grimm consequences

    A new stage production offers a realistic take on traditional fairy tale scenarios. Page 10A

    Online Now!

    www.thepress.netYour Hometown Web Site

    Some shops are prohibiting the open carrying of sidearms on premises.

    Ban on packingo to multimedia/videos

    Students and parents sampled a buffet of career and college choices.

    Open housego to news/WebExtras!

    New statistics give an inside look at the state of housing in East County.

    Weekly briefinggo to news/press releases

  • FEBRUARY 19, 2010 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 3A

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    Beloved doctor takes down his shingleDr. Hugh Maiocco sits in a comfort-

    able leather chair chatting with a visitor in his Brentwood living room, his broad, ever-present smile accessorized by his sparkling eyes. Outside the picture win-dow to his right, green grass and fl ower-beds are bordered by a phalanx of tall trees ringing the property and serving as a visual barrier between his homes rural setting and rapidly encroaching subur-bia.

    But the shift from neighboring farm fi elds to next-door dwellings isnt the only change taking place in the Maiocco household. After more than a half-centu-ry of practicing medicine in East County, helping health care make the transition from house calls to hospitals, Maiocco has fi nally hung up his stethoscope.

    I didnt want to retire, but the com-puter shot my legs out from under me, said the 83-year-old Maiocco. His unique method of keeping hand-written records had served him well, but he admits it was simply no longer appropriate for the times.

    But while bits and bytes might have been his downfall, they stand as per-haps the only thing he failed to master. Described as a Renaissance man by one of his dearest friends, the late Bill Bristow, Maiocco the athlete won Gold, Silver and Bronze medals in track at the

    1952 Pan American Olympics. As an art-ist, his paintings earned him an exhibit at the San Francisco Art Festival. As a psy-chologist, he was schooled at New Yorks Bellevue School of Medicine, and as a philosopher he spent a week at a Bud-dhist monastery in Shasta. During World

    War II, he took a month off of work to teach himself electronics and passed the Navys Radar program entrance exam with fl ying colors. He even owns a pat-ent for a simplifi ed system of music that eliminates the half-step progression rep-resented by the black keys on a piano.

    Maiocco says his lifelong yearning to learn stems from wandering away from his New York home and getting thoroughly lost at the age of 6. Rather than panic, he carefully reviewed his surroundings and how he had gotten there, and eventually made his way back.

    It turned out that fi nding my way home that day was a seminal life-chang-ing experience because it taught me a fundamental lesson about the nature of knowledge acquisition, Maiocco wrote in a recent magazine article. Studying many disciplines would also prove handy when he began practicing medicine in Brentwood in 1957.

    Ensconced in a small offi ce with doctors Abe Kaplan and Charles Duffy, Maiocco and his colleagues were forced by circumstances to treat virtually every kind of malady, as there was no other medical care for miles around. They needed to be versed in neurology, pediat-rics, trauma and internal medicine. They delivered babies, set fractures, had to understand that a neck injury might ac-tually be a stress-related condition, and even once treated a case of leprosy. Calls could come at any time Maiocco and his little black bag once made 27 house calls on Thanksgiving or even arrive on his doorstep.

    One time the doorbell rang and

    Hugh Maiocco stands by one of the paintings once shown in a San Francisco Art Festival show. The pioneer East County physician retired last month after more than a half-century of practice.

    Photo by Rick Lemyre

    by Rick LemyreStaff Writer

    see Maiocco page 15A

  • 4A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY FEBRUARY 19, 2010

    The Open Carry movement is gaining steam in Antioch as members meet regularly at local coffee shops to discuss what they can do to protect what they view as their Second Amendment rights to carry a rearm in public. Peets Coffee has banned people from carrying rearms on premises, but Starbucks still welcomes the group. Visit www.thepress.net to view a video report by Melinda Meza about how one group of citizens is taking a stand.

    Coming Friday to thepress.netLooking for a fun night out that will

    help support local charities? Buy your tickets now for the 12th annual Brentwood Police Offi cers Ball on Saturday, April 3 from 6 p.m. to midnight at the Brentwood Golf Club, 100 Summerset Drive.

    The black-tie affair features a cock-tail hour, dinner and live dance music by the Timebandits.

    Tickets are $80 per person and $150 per couple. All proceeds benefi t the Brent-wood Police Activities League, Brentwood Explorer Post 415, Brentwood Youth Commission and A Place of Learning.

    Seating is limited, so make your res-ervations now. For more information or to purchase tickets, call event chairman Offi cer Roger Wilson at 925-809-7768.

    Cops to have a Ball

    The Network of Care is hosting its fourth annual crab feed fundraiser on Saturday, March 13 at 5:30 p.m. in Veterans Hall, 757 First St. in Brent-wood. The event kicks off with ap-petizers, a traditional crab feed and a comedy show and features raffle prizes and a silent auction. All proceeds ben-efit The Network of Care, which pro-vides meals to families in crisis when a child is suddenly hospitalized. Tickets are $50. No tickets will be sold at the door.

    Founded in 2004, The Network of Care delivers meal and snack bags to 43 hospitals in California, including Sut-ter Delta Medical Center in Antioch. As of last year, the organizations volunteers have delivered more than 50,000 care packages to help families cope with the stress of an injured or ill child by providing the family a snack

    or meal bag, which allows them to stay by their childs bedside.

    For more information about the crab feed and to purchase tickets, con-tact Janet Frazier at 925-584-4086 or Jim Frazier at 925-250-6831. To learn more about The Network of Care, vis-it www.thenetworkofcare.org.

    Helping sick kids families

    An article in last weeks Press stated that unlike most other fi re districts, the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District does not employ paramedic fi refi ghters. The district does, however, contract fi rst-responder paramedic services with American Medical Response.

    Clarification

  • FEBRUARY 19, 2010 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 5A

    Relay For LifeTeam Trivia Night

    The East Contra Costa County Chap-ter of Project Linus is hosting its annual Make a Blanket Day on Saturday, Feb. 27 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

    Project Linus, a national nonprofi t or-ganization, makes and donates handmade blankets to children in need. The ECC Chapter meets monthly to gather quilts for donations and swap blanket ideas, but Make a Blanket Day is an opportunity to spread the word to the community about this worthy cause.

    This year, Project Linus plans to send blankets to comfort the children in Haiti as they recover from the aftermath of the dev-astating January earthquake. Blankets are also donated to local hospitals and shelters, such as Shepherds Gate in Brentwood.

    Participants are encouraged to bring their own sewing machines and supplies, cutting mats, rotary cutters, scissors, crochet hooks and something to work on. Quilt kits including thread, batting, backing fabric, fl eece fabric and fl annel will be available.

    Refreshments will be provided. Chil-dren 12 and older are welcome to attend the event with an adult. No pets, please.

    This years Make a Blanket Day takes place at Delta Community Presbyterian Church, 1900 Willow Lake Road in Discov-ery Bay. Project Linus regular meetings are held at the church on the fi rst Saturday of the month.

    For more information, call Chapter Coordinator Jeanne Akin at 510-459-7457 or e-mail [email protected].

    Linus blankets kids with comfort

    If youre in command of a wealth of useless facts and want to put your knowledge to the test, Team Trivia Night is made for you.

    Presented by the Relay for Life team Planning on a Cure, the event will be held Saturday, March 20 at Veterans Hall, 757 First St. in Brent-wood. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the game begins promptly at 7 p.m. A no-host bar serving wine, beer, soda and bottled water will be avail-able, as well as light snacks, coffee and dessert. Proceeds from the event benefi t the American Cancer Society

    and the 2010 Brentwood Relay for Life.

    Trivia teams must fi eld a team of eight to 10 people. Those without a team will be assigned one when they purchase a ticket the night of the event. Prizes will be awarded to the top teams. Trivia Night is open to anyone 18 or older, even those who havent committed to a Relay for Life team.

    Tickets are $15 and must be pur-chased at the Brentwood Press offi ce, 248 Oak St., by March 15. For more information, call 925-550-1182.

    Go Irishfor DCSS

    Celebrate St. Patricks Day early this year at a special dinner-dance fundraiser on Saturday, March 13, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at Brentwoods Eskaton Lodge, 450 John Muir Parkway in Brentwood. The event benefi ts the nonprofi t organization Delta Community Social Services. Dinner will be served from 6 to 7 p.m. Live music will be performed by Frank Lombardo.

    Tickets are $20 in advance; $25 at the door and may be purchased at Eskaton Lodge, Brentwood Chamber of Commerce, Health Hut, Weathervane Western Wear, SpeeDee Oil Change & Tune up, and Delta Community Services.

    The event is open to guests 6 and up. For more information, call Delta Community Services at 925-634-8275 or e-mail [email protected].

  • 6A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY FEBRUARY 19, 2010

    The Discovery Bay-based group San Francisco Bay and Delta Foundation (SFBDF) is hosting a town forum next month to update the public and local business com-munity on the controversial 2-Gates project and provide an overview of Californias ongo-ing water issues.

    The California Delta Water Meeting will be held March 1 at 6:30 p.m. in the Discov-ery Bay Elementary School gymnasium. The event features special guest speaker Supervisor Mary Piepho; Susanna Schlendorf, district di-rector for Assembly member Joan Buchanan; and Environmental Water Caucus representa-tive David Nesmith.

    The meeting will provide information on a variety of water-related topics, including a short history of the Bay and Delta, a sum-mary of major Delta water projects, water conveyance and storage, and will address con-cerns over a possible peripheral canal.

    According to SFBDF Publicity Chair Mike Guzzardo, The purpose of the meet-ing is to let the community know what a great job they have done so far with (fi ghting) the 2-Gates project, and give them a good overall picture of what is going on now and what is most likely going to happen in the future. We need to continue the outreach to the commu-nity, to let the public know that its not over.

    The 2-Gates project, a fi ve-year experi-mental program designed to save the Delta smelt by rerouting them away from the water

    pumps on Old and Middle rivers, was delayed in December by the Obama administrations Federal Interim Act report which called for among other items the re-evaluation of the 2-Gates program.

    The fish protection project is a joint venture by the State Department of Water Resources, the Federal Bureau of Reclamation and the Southern California Metropolitan Water Dis-trict, which if successful would implement the installation of gates at Old River between Holland Tract and Bacon Island, and Connec-tion Slough between Mandeville and Bacon Island. The automatic gates would be closed at various times of the year for as much as 20 hours per day, according to some reports.

    The SFBDF has in recent months suc-cessfully managed to slow the 2-Gates project

    by extending its public comment period. The group hopes to eventually force the Bureau of Reclamation to provide an Environmen-tal Impact Report for the Discovery Bay and Delta regions.

    The next step, said Guzzardo, is the public meeting, an event he hopes will garner support and educate the community at large: We just want people to understand what is going on and that there is still a lot of work to be done. The 2-Gates project is a short-term strategy to a much bigger picture. This is not just a Discovery Bay issue.

    Discovery Bay Elementary School is lo-cated at 1700 Willow Lake Road. For more information, call 925-354-3800 or visit www.nodeltagates.com.

    To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

    Effort to scuttle 2-Gates continuesby Ruth Roberts

    Staff Writer

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    Beautiful single story situated in the summer lakes community. 3 bed, 2 bath. Lots of upgrades, Spacious floor plan, layout great for entertaining guest. Large corner lot. $250,000

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    PENDIN

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    After completing its Phase I Pilot Proj-ect, the City of Antioch has begun Phase II of its $4.65 million Building and Street Light Energy Effi cient Retrofi t Project.

    Seven city buildings have already been retrofi tted with energy-effi cient fl uorescent lighting and, beginning this month, work will begin on retrofi tting more than 8,700 high-pressure sodium (HPS) street, park and pub-lic parking lot lights with induction lighting.

    The project, managed by Honeywell, is believed to be the biggest project of its type in the country. In addition to saving taxpay-ers more than $500,000 in annual energy costs and reducing CO2 emissions by more than

    1,800 tons per year, with tax-exempt fi nanc-ing the project will pay for itself over a 10-year period, and Honeywell has guaranteed the annual energy savings.

    Since the service life of induction lamps averages approximately 20 years compared to four years for current HPS lighting, the citys maintenance costs will also be reduced, .

    The project, utilizing more than $600,000 in Department of Energy-American Recov-ery & Reinvestment Act block grant funds, has not only created job opportunities for local contractors, but will also provide im-proved lighting, a 20-percent reduction in the citys greenhouse gas emissions, budget-neu-

    tral project costs with guaranteed savings and a 10-year fi nancing repayment period, and a 10-year guarantee on lighting parts.

    The six-month street and park light ret-rofi t work is scheduled to begin in mid-Feb-ruary and be completed in July. Lighting will be installed simultaneously in southeast and downtown Antioch. Crews will utilize boom trucks to perform the retrofi ts and will place barricades in the neighborhoods in which they will be working.

    For more information about Phase II of the Building and Street Light Energy Ef-fi cient Retrofi t Project, call Ken Warren at 925-779-7035.

    Antioch lighting goes energy efficientThe City of Antioch is accepting ap-

    plications for a seat on the Police Crime Prevention Commission, which makes rec-ommendations to the City Council on crime prevention and programs that improve com-munity safety.

    Commissioners, who meet on the third Monday of the month, are involved in pub-lic presentations, coordination of Neigh-borhood Watch programs and community events. Completed applications must be re-ceived in the offi ce of the City Clerk no later than 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 11.

    City seeks commissioners

  • FEBRUARY 19, 2010 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 7A

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    DATE YOUR 4506-TLiar loans. You may have heard of them.

    Thats where you could just tell your lender how much you made, and they didnt verify what you told them. Sounds crazy now, but at the time it was all the rage. They even had a NINJA loan, which stood for no income-no job-no assets. Gee, is it any wonder our real estate market tanked?

    Well, the lenders are now going overboard to verify and check everything, which is mostly a good thing so we hopefully dont have a repeat of this real estate meltdown. One of their tools is Form 4506-T. This is the form theyll ask you to sign where you authorize your lender to obtain a copy of your tax returns from the IRS. So even though you gave them a copy of your returns, they wanted the right to go get a copy of the real document. In the past, this was more of a threat to keep people honest and not doctor up their tax returns. But now this is more of a standard practice to check.

    There are two key areas on this form you should pay attention to. The first is where there are 4 boxes to fill in for what year of returns they are asking for. The other is the date next to the signature line. Ive heard of some lenders who ask

    you to sign this form, but tell you to not fill in the four boxes for what year return they can obtain, and also to not date the bottom of the form. The IRS will only honor the form if its signed within 60 days of the IRS receiving the form. But if you dont date the form, and the four boxes arent filled out, the lender (or the secondary investor who buys your loan later) could conceivably retain this form, and then surreptitiously check your income anytime they want during the life of your loan. So my advice is to date that form (and all forms) when you sign them, and try to limit the number of tax returns they can get copies of to just the ones that are required to apply for your loan. Note that I am NOT telling you to hide info from your lender. Im saying you should only give them what they are requesting, not a blank document which gives them the ability to get confidential information about you for years to come.

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

    Dana Eaton, Kevin King, Rick Lemyre and Lill Pierce of the Brent-wood Regional Community Chest recently took delivery of a $2,500 check from the Streets of Brentwood. Similar checks went to the Heritage High School Band Boosters and the Ron Nunn Elemen-tary School Parents Club. The Streets Community Partnership program devotes a portion of sales from all stores in the lifestyle center to local charities. The latest partner is the Liberty High School Band Boosters, which, like Heritage, is helping to send students to the Paci c Rim Festi-val in Hawaii in March. Libertys band will be performing at the Streets this weekend. Because of the expected rain, youll nd them at the An-chor Blue location and in the space closest to The Rave Theater.

    Straight from the Streets

    Photo by Traci Nobil

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    Every day, at least one person comes into my offi ce complaining that they have made all of their payments under a trial loan modifi cation, but there has been no permanent modifi cation. According to the latest numbers, only 4% of all trial modifi cations under HAMP have become permanent. Th e Treasury indicated in December, 2009 that it would start fi ning lenders for failing to complete loan modifi cations, but we have seen little improvement yet.

    Borrowers are told a host of explanations as to why there has been no permanent loan modifi cation on their loan including missing paperwork, the loan is with a negotiator or simply that the loan modifi cation takes time. While all of these explanations may be true, the result is that borrowers throughout the country are left in limbo not knowing whether they should try to stay or make preparations for leaving the home. To make matters worse, most borrowers know that the loan modifi cation documentation signed by them warns that foreclosure may be immediately resumed from the point at which it was suspended if this trial modifi cation plan terminates and no new notice of default, notice of intent to accelerate, or similar notice is required. What should they do?

    In order to reduce some of their anxiety, I ask them to work through a simple 3 step process to see if any loan modifi cation really makes any sense for them.

    Step 1- What are the terms of the loan modifi cation being off ered? Th ere are many types of loan modifi cation/forbearances being off ered by lenders. However, the one most helpful to borrowers is HAMP which stands for Home Aff ordable Modifi cation Program. Lenders are not required to participate in this plan. However, the biggest lenders including Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase Bank, Wells Fargo Bank, Citibank and American Home Mortgage Servicing are participating. Th e program lowers the interest rate to 2% for years 1-5 and increases the interest rate over the next 3 years until it is fi xed in year 8 at approximately 4.5% -5.0% for the remaining term of the loan or in some instances extending the loan term to a 40 year loan. If the trial period is not for a HAMP loan modifi cation, you should immediately contact the lender and apply for HAMP loan modifi cation.

    Step 2- Can you pay off the principal balance? A good rule of thumb is that a borrower can payoff 2-2.5 times their gross household income in a home loan over the course of their working life and go on vacation and have a child or two. Th erefore, if a familys average gross household income is $100,000, they should not have a home loan which exceeds $250,000. Th is is assuming a 30 year fi xed loan. If a borrower has less than 30 years remaining work time, the amount should be reduced accordingly. If you determine that you are never going to own this property, is this the best use of your money? If you didnt have this huge mortgage payment plus property taxes, insurance and maintenance, could you be putting away more money into retirement or maybe saving for a home you could actually own.

    Step 3- Is the loan modifi cation payment less than I would pay in rent? Assuming, the above calculation shows that you will not be able to pay off the balance of the loan over the course of your remaining work career, is the loan modifi cation payment still less than I would pay in rent? Depending on where you live, the loan modifi cation payment may still be less than rent you would pay in your immediate area.

    Loan Modifi cations are diffi cult. Most of these loans were made with little or no documentation and now the lenders seem to be requiring full loan documentation at the beginning, middle and whenever they feel like it until they decide a loan modifi cation is granted or denied. If you are in a forever trial modifi cation, I urge to continue a dialogue with the lender seeing if any new programs have become available which may help you. In 2010, we expect lenders with the assistance of the federal government to roll out additional loan modifi cation programs. I recommend calling the lender at least once a week. Continue to ask if there is anything new available. A 4% permanent loan modifi cation rate is not good, but if it improves, you do not want to miss the modifi cation which may allow to retain your home.*Th is information is not provided as legal advice and should not be relied up in making any decision regarding a voluntary default, short sale, foreclosure or bankruptcy. Th is information is not a substitute for obtaining tax & legal advice regarding an individual situation. 2010 Joan Grimes

    Th e Forever Trial Modifi cation

  • With just a week to go before the cur-tain goes up at Heritage High School, Chris Fallows is pretty pumped about his drama departments latest venture, and under-standably so.

    Im sitting in my offi ce right now sur-rounded by 10-foot glass stained windows and they are quite stunning, said Fallows, describing the work of his tech crew, who built the Plexiglas casements. Theyre modeled after the Tiffany-style windows and theyre spectacular.

    Spectacular is an adjective the theater director also uses to describe his students acting and vocal chops for the upcoming production of Stephen Sondheims musical Into the Woods.

    We have some very talented students this year, said Fallows. Sometimes I just look at them and wish I had been as good as they are when I was in high school. Some of them are really quite inspiring.

    Based on Bruno Bettelheims The Uses of Enchantment, Into the Woods blends some familiar characters from Grimms fairy tales Rapunzel, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and Jack and the Beanstalk and brings them into the lives of a baker and his wife, who are desperate to reverse a family curse that has left them childless.

    Its a fun play, said Fallows. The fi rst act ends with happily ever after. The princesses get their princes and the baker gets his kid. But the second act is about what happens after happily ever after: its tough having a baby, princes dont always act how you want them to, and its really funny to watch as reality is injected into the fairy tale.

    While most school musicals boast ap-proximately 40 to 60 cast members, Into the Woods employs only 19. The down-sized cast allows for more in-depth charac-ter development, said Fallows, and a chance

    10A | THEPRESS.NET EDUCATION FEBRUARY 19, 2010

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    by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer

    see Woods page 15A

  • FEBRUARY 19, 2010 THEPRESS.NET | 11A

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    I woke up yesterday morning with severe neck pain that radi-ates down my right arm to my hand and I can barely move my neck without producing the shooting arm pain. Or, for the last few months, Ive had this nagging pain in my neck and when I look up, my arm goes numb. Or, Every time I bend my head to the left , my left arm goes numb. Ive noticed when I lift weights, I can only curl 15 lbs with my left arm compared to 35 lbs with the right. Th ese are common histories describing a classic pinched nerve in the neck. So, what is a pinched nerve? To answer this, lets fi rst look at what a nerve is.

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    Th ere are two types of conditions that commonly pinch nerves, which generally occur at diff erent times of life those with a herni-ated disk (younger > older patients) and those with arthritis (older > younger patients). A combination of the two conditions producing the pinching eff ect on the nerve can also occur making the diagnosis process a little trickier. Th e following diagram helps explain these conditions:

    In the diagram to the left, the nerves come off the spinal cord. Those in the neck region go down the arm and those in the low back go down the legs. The spinal cord is the highway that brings information from the nerves in the arms, legs, trunk, etc., to the brain where information is processed. The bony spine houses and protects the spinal cord and skull protects the brain but there is no bony protection for the nerves. Nerves bring information to the brain allowing us to feel, taste, smell, see, and move our legs and arms to perform complex movements like dancing, running, gymnastics, and so on. Information is constantly going to and from the brain to allow us to function normally. The nerve can get pinched anywhere along its course, including the wrist (carpal tunnel syndrome), elbow (cubital tunnel syndrome), shoulder (thoracic outlet syndrome), and/or neck (herniated disk and/or arthritis). This results in a slowing down of information transmission to/from the brain and numbness, pain, throbbing, as well as weakness in strength can occur.

    The nerves exit the spine through holes that can be narrowed if the jelly central part of the disk herniates outward and into the nerve pushing it against the bone that makes up the hole through which it exits the spine. A bone spur (as shown in the diagram to the left, coming off the left facet joint) pushing into the nerve or the thickening of the ligaments that run inside the spinal canal (eg., ligamentum fl avum) can also crowd these sensitive nerve structures and cause similar symptoms.

    Congratulations to the following Students of the Month at Orchard Park Elementary for exemplifying Caring, the Pillar of Character for the month of January. In the front row, from left, are Zaki Her-awi Khoja, Daniel Villapando-Ayala, Katie Gross, Trinity Cardoza, Wesley Clark, Alison Lazzerini, Devondre James, Eduardo Marin and Gianna Spi-nelli; back row: Amy Johnson, Carlos Gutirrez, Jorge Luna, Ruby Gonza-lez, Kaliyah Huddleston, Auroa Gularte, Mary Borlongan, Emily Mendoza and Alisha Barrick. Not pictured is Andreus Santoleri.

    Caring at Orchard Park

    In an effort to bring the comforts of home to our troops, the Antioch Mili-tary Family & Friends is partnering with the Contra Costa County Law Enforce-ment Training Center Class 165 to host a Care Package Drive for soldiers serving abroad.

    Food items such as coffee packets, Cup O Noodles, and fruit rollups help sol-diers remember the fl avors of home. Hy-giene products such as disposable razors,

    deodorant and toothpaste are also needed. Clothing items are also welcome, as well as small, hand-held games such as crossword puzzles, yo-yos, and Nerf footballs.

    The Drive takes place on Saturday, Feb. 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Golden Hills Community Church, 2401 Shady Willow Lane in Brentwood.

    For more information and a com-plete list of donation options, visit www.academylegacy.com.

    Send troops a bit of home

  • FEBRUARY 19, 2010 THEPRESS.NET | 13A

    Cackle raising hacklesEditor:

    Over the last few weeks we have been reading about the most ridiculous city issue that I ever expected would take place in the City of Brentwood. The fact that Brent-wood, which promotes its agricultural heri-tage and surroundings, has nothing to do with reality and that is, Brentwood is a city and our City Council has done everything in its power to do away with its rural-type lifestyle and image that Brentwood was once known for.

    When you publish the fact that only 3 percent of Brentwood properties are 20,000 square feet or larger makes it even easier to understand and it sends a very clear message that this is a city and you dont raise farm animals, like chickens, within a city.

    For anyone to imply that the e-mail messages circulated by opponents (con-cerned citizens) were fi lled with scare tactics and lies is nothing but bull and to imply that the citys Land Use Subcom-mittee and Planning Commission are experts in the fi eld of keeping chickens in a residential neighborhood is a misleading lie. As they arent experts in this area.

    Documentation was received and presented to the City Council and to the residents of Brentwood that clearly stated the facts of raising chickens in a residen-tial community and the problems and costs that it creates for a city. The message was very clear that keeping chickens in a residential neighborhood was not a recom-mended practice under any circumstances.

    Pro-hen advocates need to spend their time looking for a location in the country to move to and to stop wasting the time of the City Council and the residents of Brentwood. The amount of time that has already been spent and wasted on this ridiculous issue in a time of city money crunching and the rising crime rate prob-lems clearly speak for themselves and the urgency they require.

    The majority of the Brentwood City

    Council members did an outstanding job of looking at this matter very objectively as to what was best for the city long term and for the majority of the residents of Brentwood and we thank them for that. As expected, two council members contin-ued on their path of political destruction and hopefully in the very near future the residents of Brentwood will send a clear message and let them retire to a Chicken farm in the country, where they belong.

    Johnny MerrillBrentwood

    More perilous than poultryEditor:

    I was sorry that the three council members chickened out on voting not to permit chickens on lots under 20,000 square feet. I would like to ask the person who started this controversy if she would prefer a couple of mature, male pit bulls next door instead! Preferably with their doghouse close to the property line.

    Beth PforrBrentwood

    First things firstEditor:

    On Sunday, Feb. 14 I was watching TV when my doorbell rang. At the door was a young man asking me if I would sign a peti-tion to widen Balfour Road between Heri-tage High School and Deer Valley Road.

    I thought it was a good idea till I read the fi ne print. The reason for the petition is to move the Urban Limit Line to allow development past Heritage to Deer Valley. This would allow up to 1,300 residential units and other developments. I take excep-tion to the tactics these developers are using to get their petition signed. (I am sure these developers are paying for each signature.) They told another neighbor that the peti-tion would get the City of Brentwood tax revenue that the City of Antioch wanted.

    The facts are: we do not need any more uncontrolled growth in Brentwood. We have plenty of empty homes, sub-standard fi re protection, limited police resources, limited water sources, teachers that are losing their jobs. I doubt that the citizens of Brentwood believe we need more homes or development without fi xing the problems we are already have.

    Robert SchriverBrentwood

    Brentwood shelter compassionate and smart

    Editor:I am writing in response to Todd

    Sperrys letter regarding building an animal shelter in Brentwood. I agree that Brent-wood should look into the possibility of building its own animal shelter, as Antioch has done.

    The Antioch shelter is funded by the City of Antioch and so, although residents

    of other cities can adopt pets from the shel-ter, only residents of Antioch can surrender pets there. Residents of Brentwood who need to surrender an animal must go to the county shelter located in Martinez. It seems to me that if a shelter were located here in Brentwood, those who are forced to give up a pet would be more likely to do so in a re-sponsible manner by taking it to the shelter rather than dumping or abandoning it.

    Due to the economy, Brentwood, like other cities, has had a large increase in the number of homeless animals, and building a shelter here, especially with a low-cost spay/neuter program, would certainly be a big step toward alleviating the problem.

    Heidi VaughnBrentwood

    Bureaucrats guarding the henhouseEditor:

    The age old conundrum: Which came fi rst, the chicken or the egg? New conun-drum: Do we elect dumb people to offi ce or do they get dumb after we elect them?

    Case in point: The Brentwood City Council ignores the recommendations of its own Land Use Subcommittee and Plan-ning Commission to allow smaller lot size owners to have three hens. Instead it sides with the uninformed opinion of one local resident that hens are bad news. Goodbye hens, goodbye agrarian roots of our small town, and hello dumb City Council. Oh well, they are politicians.

    And elected offi cials are not the only ones. The parents chosen to chaperone the dance at Excelsior Middle School stopped the eighth-graders from grinding at a school dance. Instead of thanking them for their diligence, the school principal chastised the parents for being too tough on the students.

    This principal is obviously in training to become a school superintendent. The most overpaid job in the entire educational system. Obviously we citizens need to be more diligent about who we elect to offi ce.

    And maybe it is time to look at combining the numerous school districts out here into one administrative unit. The poor teacher pay is a disgrace that we all need to remedy and the high-priced district superintendents need to be ashamed of themselves for their greed.

    Bill SumnerDiscovery Bay

    Paramedics on duty in East CountyEditor:

    In a recent article in the Oakley Press about the new East Contra Costa Fire Board, it was stated There are no paramedics in the district. Although the fi re district does not employ paramedics, AMR has been providing fi rst responder paramedics in the district since 1992.

    These are state-licensed paramedics with 25-30 years experience responding in quick response vehicles (QRVs) sta-

    tioned out of three East CC fi re stations: Station 95 in Bethel Island, Station 52 in Brentwood and Station 57 in Byron. These advanced life-support QRVs, along with many paramedic ambulances, make up a fl exible system that provides paramedic services to all residents within the ECCFP District. And further, no taxpayer money is needed to fund these units.

    As a local taxpayer and 23-year resident of Oakley, that is important to me. So rest assured, East County residents, when you call 911, you do have paramedics responding. Visit any of these stations and see for yourself.

    Richard HodgeOakley

    City Council goes above and beyondEditor:

    I want to take time to thank the members of the Oakley City Council: Pat Anderson, Jim Frazier, Carol Rios, Bruce Connelly and Kevin Romick. Our City Council works very hard and puts in many long hours. I have personally seen them in service and we are fortunate to have dedicated people that care so much for the community on this council.

    Just two weeks ago I went to an evening meeting with Vice Mayor Frazier in Oakland, where we spoke to help bring a much-needed health clinic to Oakley. Recently, Vice Mayor Frazier and Coun-cilwoman Rios came to foreclosure-pre-vention workshops, fi ghting to help keep families in their homes. Council members volunteered at Christmas to raise money and food and fed hundreds of people and provided Christmas gifts to these families.

    I know the council members even donate their little council pay to commu-nity charities. These are just some of many examples of the council members giving extra time to serve the community.

    Thank you and God bless them in their work!

    Fr. Olman SolisPastor, St. Anthonys Church

    Thanks for backing snack shackEditor:

    The Liberty High School mens soccer program had a very successful fundraiser again this year. In times of budget cuts its so wonderful to live in a community that supports student athletes.

    We would like to thank the follow-ing businesses who donated so generously to the snack shack this year: Quik Stop Market (Bob Bach), Apex Securities & Asset Management LLC (Treva Black), Starbucks and Safeway.

    Thank you to the following individuals who also donated items for the snack shack: Connie and Don Dutra, Cathy Fancey, Da-vid Marcovsky, and Bob and Kim Schriver.

    Many thanks to the parent volunteers

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

    of Contra Costa County.

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

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    A sampling of recent law enforcement activity reported by East County police de-partments.

    BRENTWOODFeb. 5, 3:07 a.m. On Dainty Avenue, a subject involved in a domestic dispute was found to have a non-citable misde-meanor warrant and was in possession of a controlled substance. He was ar-rested and taken to the Martinez Deten-tion Facility.Feb. 5, 10 a.m. An unidentifi ed person peeked through the back window of a residence on Chamomile Lane.Feb. 5, 3:09 p.m. A vehicle rear-ended another vehicle on Balfour Road at Cortona Way.Feb. 5, 10:59 p.m. A subject contacted while sitting in his vehicle on Mead-owgate Way admitted to driving while under the infl uence of alcohol. He was arrested and taken to the Martinez De-tention Facility.Feb. 6, 1:35 a.m. On Brentwood Bou-levard, a subject walking in traffi c was found to be intoxicated and unable to care for himself. He was arrested and taken to the Martinez Detention Facil-ity.Feb. 6, 1:17 p.m. A subject caught steal-ing items from a business on Lone Tree Way was placed under citizens arrest by loss prevention offi cers.Feb. 6, 4:05 p.m. On Brentwood Bou-levard, a subject was found to be under the infl uence of a central nervous system stimulant. He was arrested and taken to the Martinez Detention Facility.Feb. 6, 9:07 p.m. An unidentifi ed per-son stole a bicycle from a residence on Cornsilk Court.Feb. 7, 1:16 a.m. On Shady Willow Lane at Amber Lane, a traffi c stop led to the discovery of two loaded fi rearms in the vehicle. One of the fi rearms had been stolen in an Antioch residential bur-glary. Three subjects were arrested and taken to the Martinez Detention Facil-ity. A fourth was released to his parent on a Juvenile Affi davit.Feb. 7, 2:32 a.m. On Balfour Road at Minnesota Avenue, a subject stopped

    for a vehicle code violation was found to be driving a vehicle displaying false registration tabs.Feb. 7, 9:15 a.m. At a shopping center on Lone Tree Way, an unidentifi ed per-son broke open a maintenance key lock-box, entered the maintenance room and stole the keys to all shopping centers vacant storefronts.Feb. 7, 2:03 p.m. An unidentifi ed person cut the electrical wire to seven street-lights at a park on Regal Drive.Feb. 7, 5:16 p.m. On Brentwood Boule-vard, a subject stopped for vehicle code violations was found to be driving with-out a license.Feb. 7, 9:13 p.m. On Brentwood Boule-vard at Applewood Common, a subject stopped for vehicle code violations was found to driving under the infl uence of alcohol. He was arrested and taken to the Martinez Detention Facility.Feb. 7, 9:15 p.m. On Brentwood Bou-levard at Balfour Road, a subject con-tacted during a traffi c stop was found to be in possession of suspected mari-juana, had an outstanding warrant for his arrest and provided false identifi ca-tion. He was arrested and taken to the Martinez Detention Facility.Feb. 8, 12:02 a.m. An unidentifi ed per-son threw a rock through the window of a residence on Winesap Drive.Feb. 8, 12:27 a.m. On Brentwood Bou-levard at Central Boulevard, a subject stopped for a vehicle code violation was found to be driving on a suspended li-cense.Feb. 8, 5:24 a.m. An unidentifi ed per-

    son broke the passenger-side window of a vehicle parked on Legend Lane and stole a cell phone.Feb. 8, 8:19 a.m. An unidentifi ed per-son stole a locked vehicle parked on Ash Street.Feb. 8, 9:22 a.m. On Balfour Road at Hudson Drive, a subject was found to be in possession of a handgun and am-munition.Feb. 8, 10:12 a.m. An unidentifi ed per-son broke into a residence on Simba Place and stole a laptop and paper-work.Feb. 8, 11:12 a.m. A vehicle fi re blocked the roadway on Balfour Road at Brent-wood Boulevar. Firefi ghters put out the fi re, and the vehicle was towed from the scene.Feb. 8, 2:30 p.m. An unidentifi ed person made numerous annoying phone calls to a resident of Paradise Lane.Feb. 8, 4:31 p.m. A subject attempted to cash a fi ctitious check at a business on Brentwood Boulevard. He was arrested and taken to the Martinez Detention Facility.Feb. 8, 4:43 p.m. A resident of Country Glen reported an unfamiliar person in the backyard of a residence across the street.Feb. 8, 4:54 p.m. A resident of Hillsbor-ough Way reported that his wallet has been stolen at an unknown location.Feb. 8, 5 p.m. A purse was stolen from an unlocked vehicle parked on Crocket Drive.Feb. 9, 2:05 p.m. On Marjoram Drive at Chili Court, a chain-link fence was cut apparently in order to gain access to railroad tracks and cars.Feb. 9, 2:58 p.m. A vehicle pulling a vehicle containing hazardous materials struck the curb on Brentwood Boulevard at Spruce Street, continued northbound and struck a second curb on Spruce Street, struck a stop sign, continued northbound through two parking lots and struck a third vehicle, which was pushed into a business sign. The hazmat load was removed and all vehicles were towed from the scene.Feb. 9, 3:50 p.m. A realtor securing a

    residence on Winged Foot Road was confronted by the former tenant and was pushed to the ground.Feb. 9, 4:17 p.m. An unidentifi ed per-son punched the door lock of a vehicle parked on Heritage Way and stole a wallet taken from the glovebox.Feb. 10, 11:37 a.m. An unidentifi ed per-son made entry through the unlocked rear window of a residence on Country Glen Lane, stole jewelry and fl ed on foot when the security alarm sounded.Feb. 10, 1:30 p.m. On Eagle Rock Ave-nue at John Muir Parkway, an unknown driver struck a fi re hydrant and fl ed the scene.Feb. 10, 2:50 p.m. An unidentifi ed per-son cut a chain link fence, entered the ball fi elds on Sunset Road and stole ap-proximately 1,000 feet of copper wire.Feb. 10, 4:09 p.m. At a business on Bal-four Road, a subject who stole a bottle of alcohol valued at $15.98 was arrested and taken to the Martinez Detention Facility.Feb. 10, 9:13 p.m. On the railroad tracks North of Elizabeth Way, two unidenti-fi ed subjects assaulted and robbed an-other subject at gunpoint.

    To view the Brentwood Police Depart-ments public logs on the citys Web site, visit www.ci.brentwood.ca.us/department/pd/reports/index.cfm.

    ANTIOCHFeb. 4, 9:00 a.m. A subject entered the Rite-Aid pharmacy on East 18th Street and handed a note to an employee stat-ing that he had a gun and demanding that the employee provide him with narcotics. No weapon was seen. An identical robbery was committed at the store a month earlier. Surveillance vid-eo identifi ed the suspect as 46-year-old Antioch resident George Lee Smith. A search warrant and arrest warrant were served at his residence on Feb. 11 at 10 a.m. Smith was taken into custody with-out incident and evidence of the crimes was located. Smith was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on two counts of robbery, burglary and narcot-ics violations.

    COP LOGSFROM EMERGENCY SERVICES DISPATCH LOGSA vehicle pulling a vehicle containing hazardous materi-als struck two curbs, a stop sign, continued through two parking lots and struck a third vehicle.

    Feb. 9, 2:58 p.m., Brentwood

  • FEBRUARY 19, 2010 EDUCATION THEPRESS.NET | 15A

    to fi ne tune the production.The good thing about a small cast

    like this is that you get to work closely with the kids and spend some real time on their roles, said Fallows. It also gives them more time on stage and more time to shine.

    The Broadway play isnt the only popular production the drama department has tackled in the four years since Fallows has been directing. Past performances in-clude Oliver and Macbeth, as well as an upcoming childrens version of Alice in Wonderland. Fallows talented teams have earned the department a reputation for quality productions and have helped bolster more than the actors confi dence.

    Since we are entirely self-sustaining, our goal is always to end a show in the

    black, said Fallows. We set our budget based on what we hope our ticket sales will be. The fi rst few years we sold a lot of candy bars to make ends meet, but now were at a place where we can support ourselves. Weve also been fortunate to have the sup-port of the community as well, and that has helped to keep us afl oat were getting a good reputation and fi lling the house. Its very exciting.

    Into the Woods will be performed in the Heritage High School theater on Feb. 25, 26 and 27, and March 5, 6 and 7. All productions begin at 7 p.m. with the excep-tion of the March 7 performance, which begins at 2 p.m. Tickets $12 for general admission; $10 for students are available 30 minutes before show time.

    To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

    Woods from page 10A

    Photo by Richard Wisdom

    Makeup artist Sarah Tofoya transforms Rachael Londono into an Evil Stepsister.

    Appointments for kindergarten registra-tion in the Brentwood school district for the 2010-11 school year may be made by calling the designated area school: Brentwood Ele-mentary, 925-513-6360; Garin, 925-513-6370; Ron Nunn, 925-513-6380; Loma Vista, 925-513-6390; Krey, 925-513-6400; Pioneer, 925-513-6410; and Marsh Creek, 925-513-6420.

    Registration will be conducted Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, March 2, 3 and 4. Children entering kindergarten must be 5 years old on or before Dec. 2, 2010. Parents must bring to registration:

    Documentation of birth (birth certifi cate, passport or baptismal certifi cate). Complete and up-to-date immunization re-cord. Proof of residency (picture ID and two original documents such as vehicle registra-tion, property tax bill or rental/lease agree-ment).

    A physical exam is requested for kinder-garten and required before the start of fi rst grade. An oral exam is requested for kinder-garten and required by May 31 of the kinder-garten year.

    Kindergarten registration

    Freedom High School will host its inau-gural Falcon Festival on Wednesday, Feb. 24 from 5 to 8 p.m. In keeping with the schools mission statement to be the center for knowl-edge and pride in the community, students and staff are working together to focus on Falcon pride and community outreach.

    Falcon Festival will showcase student ac-complishments and extra-curricular activities factors that build a sense of community on campus and allow students to fl ourish in these challenging times.

    Community members are encouraged to roam the campus and participate in games and activities racing with Freedoms fastest sprinters on the track, learning how to play water polo in the pool, competing in skill games with the wrestling team, pitching balls at recycled cans to increase environmental

    awareness or learning about other cultures.Falcon Festival kicks off with a prepaid

    catered dinner provided by Kinders; enter-tainment is provided by the Freedom band and choir. The event also features a raffl e, sponsored by the Athletic Boosters, for a Nin-tendo Wii.

    Meal tickets, which cost $10, are on sale in the Administration Offi ce (A Offi ce) and at home basketball games. Tickets are also available through e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at 925-625-5900, ext. 3002. Participants are encouraged to buy meal tickets in advance. Activity tickets will be sold at the event, but prices have not been set at this time.

    Freedom High School is located at 1050 Neroly Road in Oakley. For more informa-tion, call the school at 925-625-5900.

    Falcon fest takes wing

    there was a man whose throat had been cut in a fi ght, he recalled. We had to in-tegrate our families into what we did.

    Maiocco speaks proudly of his fam-ily, especially Carol his wife, whom he met in New York and for whom he took the long way home from school just for her company and a cup of hot chocolate. I could not have done any of this without Carol, he said. She is the family glue.

    Hes also proud of his daughter Ruth, a championship swimmer in school and fearless sandlot football player who now lives in Escalon; and his son Rob-ert, a national champion sprinter in col-lege and a Stanford grad, now living in Florida.

    He also maintains strong relation-ships with his friends, including Kaplan, with whom he has enjoyed breakfast ev-ery Tuesday for more than 40 years and plays tennis every week.

    Professionally, however, Maiocco is proudest of having helped so many people for so long, and helped to usher in an era of modern health care in East County.

    We were pioneers; we were isolated, he said. There were no specialists around here then. The isolation, however, also helped them become better doctors.

    We saw everything, he said. We had tremendous freedom because there was no one else.

    Maioccos contributions to area medicine go beyond his role as a coun-try doctor. He was a founding father of

    Delta Memorial Hospital, ran immuniza-tion clinics, served on the County Men-tal Health Board and as chief of staff at Pittsburg Hospital. He worked as the fi rst family practitioner in Brentwood for John Muir, helping bring the John Muir Medi-cal Center to the city. A few years ago he joined Muirs staff, and it was from Muir that he retired last month.

    When I was with Muir, I was in heaven, he said. They let me keep work-ing on paper, gave me a wonderful nurse. I was able to continue concentrating on being a doctor.

    Kaplan said the community will miss Maiocco a great deal: I think its a pity hes retiring. The kind of doctoring he did is important. You talk to people, not a computer. People would wait two hours to see him and they didnt mind, as long as they got to see him. Its a real loss and it didnt have to be.

    For his part, Maiocco said his only regret is that he hasnt written a book about it all. Hed like to document his adventure through life, and hed like to spread the word about the cure for the one thing that causes him the most pain.

    People have not found the fi re of love to weld together the opposites of humankind, and therefore they continue to kill each other physically, emotionally, spiritually, even culturally, he said. The answer is always love. Find the friendly answer, and do what love tells you to do.

    To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

    Maiocco from page 3A

  • 16A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY FEBRUARY 19, 2010

    22 888882008

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    Exp. 3/31/10The next phase of State Route 4 (SR

    4) widening through Pittsburg and Antioch is one step closer to realization as bids for the construction project were opened on Wednesday, Feb. 10. Construction is expect-ed to begin in May. The apparent low bid-der is O.C. Jones and Sons, Inc. whose bid of $64,937,452.60 is signifi cantly lower than the estimated cost of $91,000,000.

    The project, a joint venture between the Contra Costa Transportation Authority and Caltrans, will widen SR 4 to eight lanes three

    mixed-fl ow lanes and one high-occupancy-ve-hicle lane in each direction from just west of the Loveridge Road interchange to west of the Somersville Road interchange. The project in-cludes reconstruction of the Loveridge Road interchange as well as a median wide enough to accommodate future mass transit.

    This is one of fi ve construction projects that will widen SR 4, its interchanges and affected local roadways from approximately 0.8 mile west of Loveridge Road to approxi-mately 0.7 mile east of Hillcrest Avenue.

    Highway 4 bids 30 percent low

    Free tax preparationIf you earned less than $52,000 in

    2009, you can get your taxes prepared for free through the Earn It! Keep It! Save It! Contra Costa campaign, in which IRS-cer-tifi ed tax preparers help you get the return you deserve. You might also qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit, which could mean a refund of up to $5,657.

    Earn It! Keep It! Save It! Contra Costa will fi le your taxes electronically, so you can get your refund in about a week. Last year,

    47,000 Bay Area families fi led their taxes with Earn It! Keep It! Save It! saving hun-dreds of dollars in tax preparation fees and rapid refund loan fees.

    There are 19 free tax sites in Con-tra Costa County. The service is spon-sored by the Family Economic Security Partnership and run by the Community Housing Development Corporation. For more information, dial 211 or visit www.earnitkeepitsaveit.org.

    who helped run the snack shack during home games: Heather Rainsford, Connie Dutra, Cathy Fancey, Lynn Watts, Regina McCarthy, Ana Avalos, Valerie Raude-baugh, Mr. Corona, Martha and Hector Estrada, and Mr. Bulilian.

    We also had many students who helped this year too: the entire JV soccer team, Cara and Callie Rainsford, and Noah Bisp-ing. Special thanks to the Liberty Booster Club for allowing us to use the snack shack.

    A very special thank-you to our wonderful coaches who have dedicated their time and energy into making Liberty mens soccer an outstanding program: Alfredo Zamora, Mike Rainsford, Chris Strabley and Hector Torres. This is a very exciting year in Liberty mens soccer, as the varsity boys made it to NCS for the fi rst time. Good luck, Lions, and thank you for a great year!

    Teri StevensonParent Coordinator

    Letters from page 13A

  • FEBRUARY 19, 2010 THEPRESS.NET | 17A

    Trevors Weekly Mortgage MattersBy Trevor Frey

    Advertisement

    what happens? When can I purchase a home again? How long will it aff ect my credit? Is it worse than a foreclosure? Can the bank come aft er me for the diff erence between the sales price and my current loan? Th ese ques-tions according to Professor Wachter, a real estate and fi nance professor at the Wharton School of Business, are the kind of conversation thats going on at cocktail parties, at swimming pools. Okay, maybe not swimming pools in the middle of our record setting winter season, but come on, you know where Im going with this. Yahoo short selling my home and over 315,000,000 results appear, 1.7x the 186,000,000 results you receive when searching 2010 Winter Olympics. Its a fact short sales are on the minds of the people, and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has taken notice.

    On December 16, 2009 FHA re-wrote and actually created based on current market circumstances their borrower eligibility guidelines for short-sellers looking to once again own a home. Th ese changes went into eff ect immediately, and for any past hom-eowner that has gone through a short-sale, these changes are huge!

    If you stayed current on every bill you had including your mortgage for

    the last twelve months while going through the short-sale process you can purchase another home the day aft er your short sale closes. According to FHAs Mortgagee Letter 09-52, as long as you did not pursue a short-sale agree-ment simply to take advantage of de-clining market conditions, and purchase at a reduced price a similar or superior property within a reasonable commut-ing distance then you are eligible for an FHA insured loan. However, if you were late on your mortgage, late on any revolving debt, or in the process of foreclosure while going through your short sale then all bets are off . Poten-tial buyers in cases such as this have to wait a mandated thirty-six months (three years) before purchasing a home through FHA.

    So while many of the original ques-tions in this column remain a mystery solved only on a lender-to-lender case-by-case basis, we now have a nationally recognized policy for how shortly aft er a short-sale you can purchase a home.

    If you have any real estate lending related questions or concerns, or feel you might be eligible based the purchase based on the above information, dont hesitate to write me at [email protected] or call me directly on my cell phone, (925) 726-1444.

    Shortly Aft er a Short Sale

  • 18A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY FEBRUARY 19, 2010

    NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGNotice is hereby given that the Planning Commission of the City of Brentwood will, at 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the normal course of business permits on March 2, 2010, hold a public hearing to consider the following:A rezone (RZ 10-003) to amend Chapter 17.485 of the Brentwood Municipal Code by adding text to reestablish the Agricultural Overlay Zone within a portion of the Planned Develop-ment 35 (PD-35) zone, located gener-ally south of Lone Tree Way, west of Fairview Avenue, north of the EBMUD aqueduct and east of Henry Hart Drive.Applicant: City of Brentwood Said hearing will be held at the City Council Chambers, 101B Sand Creek Road, Brentwood, California.Further information may be obtained from Associate Planner Debbie Hill [(925) 516-5135 or [email protected]] in the Community Development Department of the City of Brentwood, 118 Oak Street, Brentwood, California 94513.Before any court challenge of Planning Commission decisions, you are required

    to appeal the decision to the City Coun-cil no later than the time period pro-vided under the Citys Municipal Code. In addition you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspon-dence delivered to the Brentwood Planning Commission at, or prior to, the public hearing. Brentwood Press No. 02-1273 Publish Date: February 19, 2010

    NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGNotice is hereby given that the Planning Commission of the City of Brentwood will, at 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the normal course of business permits on March 2, 2010, hold a public hearing to consider the following:An application for a conditional use permit (CUP 09-025) to allow the estab-lishment of an approximately 78-foot high simulated tree pole, wireless telecommunication equipment and as-sociated ground-based equipment, and a variance (V09-005) to allow the pole to exceed the maximum height limit of 35 feet, to be located on the TownCen-tre Self Storage property at 345 Town-

    Centre Terrace (APN 013-010-086). Applicant: Cortel, LLC Said hearing will be held at the City Council Chambers, 101B Sand Creek Road, Brentwood, California.Further information may be ob-tained from Assistant Planner Tim Nielsen [(925) 516-5151 or [email protected]] in the Community Development Department of the City of Brentwood, 118 Oak Street, Brentwood, California 94513.Before any court challenge of Planning Commission decisions, you are required to appeal the decision to the City Coun-cil no later than the time period pro-vided under the Citys Municipal Code. In addition you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspon-dence delivered to the Brentwood Planning Commission at, or prior to, the public hearing. Brentwood Press No. 02-1273 Publish Date: February 19, 2010

    NOTICE OF TRUSTEES SALETrustee Sale No. 74-31891-2 Title Order No.E840591 APN 071-031-009-5 The

    mortgage loan servicer has obtained a nal order of exemption pursuant to CA CIV. CODE 2923.53 that is cur-rent and valid as of the date that the Notice of Trustees Sale was led or given. YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED 11/02/2005. UN-LESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDINGS AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. On 03/11/2010 at 10:00AM, HOUSE-KEY FINANCIAL CORPORATION as the duly appointed Trustee under and pursuant to Deed of Trust Recorded on 11/04/2005, as Instrument 2005-0429777-00 of of cial records in the Of ce of the Recorder of CONTRA COSTA County, California, executed by: BRIAN E. MC-CARTHY AND JENNA R. MCCARTHY, HUSBAND AND WIFE AS COMMUNITY PROPERTY WITH THE RIGHT OF SURVI-VORSHIP, as Trustor, HOUSEHOLD FI-NANCE CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA as Bene ciary (Original Lender) and HOUSEHOLD FINANCE CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA, as current Servicer/

    Lender, WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUC-TION TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CASH (payable at time of sale in lawful money of the United States, by cash, a cashiers check drawn by a state or na-tional bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings association, or savings bank speci ed in section 5102 of the Financial Code and authorized to do business in this state). At: THE COURT STREET ENTRANCE TO THE COUNTY COURTHOUSE, 725 COURT STREET (CORNER OF MAIN AND COURT STREET), MARTINEZ, CA, all right, title and interest conveyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust in the property situated in said County, California describing the land therein: AS MORE FULLY DESCRIBED IN THE ABOVE MENTIONED DEED OF TRUST. The property heretofore described is being sold as is. The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 2740 CAPISTRANO ST, ANTIOCH, CA 94509. The under-signed Trustee disclaims any liability

    for any incorrectness of the street ad-dress and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be made, but without covenant or war-ranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust, with interest thereon, as provided in said note(s), advances, if any, under the terms of the Deed of Trust, esti-mated fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust, to-wit: $326,987.01 (Estimated). Accrued interest and ad-ditional advances, if any, will increase this gure prior to sale. CONDITION OF SALE: The successful bidder will be required to pay county documentary transfer tax, any city tax, and any other applicable taxes or fees (including, but not limited to, the fee for record-ing Preliminary Change of Ownership report) to the auctioneer at the time of sale. If the Trustee is unable to convey title for any reason, the successful bidders sole and exclusive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee and the successful bidder

    shall have no further recourse. The bene ciary under said Deed of Trust heretofore executed and delivered to the undersigned a written Declaration of Default and Demand for Sale, and a written Notice of Default and Election to Sell. The undersigned caused said Notice of Default and Election to Sell to be recorded in the county where the real property is located and more than three months have elapsed since such recordation. DATE: 02/16/10 HOUSEKEY FINANCIAL CORPORATION P.O. BOX 60145 CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA 91716 For Sale Information: (714)730-2727, www. delityasap.com or www.prioritypost-ing.com TO NOTIFY TRUSTEE OF BANK-RUPTCY FILINGS, PLEASE FAX FACE PAGE OF BANKRUPTCY PETITION TO (909) 397-3914 Betty Schwab, Trustee Sales Of cer HOUSEKEY FINANCIAL CORPORATION MAY BE ACTING AS A DEBT COLLECTOR ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED MAY BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. ASAP# 3453654 02/19/2010, 02/26/2010, 03/05/2010 Antioch Press No. 06-1617 Publish Dates: February 19, 26, March 5, 2010

    LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICESLEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICESLEGAL NOTICESLEGAL NOTICES

    residents Paul Seger and Brad Nix spoke against the implementation of the increase. Seger once again asked the council to use the available funds to reinstate the Plan-ning Commission, which was eliminated last year. He said the commission plays an essential role in community development projects and is needed for consultation on upcoming agenda items. Seger also said it would be wrong for the council as a whole to donate the peoples money to a charity, as it would be an act of socialism.

    Councilwoman Carol Rios said she felt slighted by Segers comments. I am a public servant. I take offense at the thought that this is public money. This is earned money. We spend many, many hours (doing council business outside the council chambers). No one has any idea of how many hours we spend going to meetings, being at events that were re-quested to be at. Gladly out of our hearts, we serve. This is a job that is done out of the heart and we do it because we love our city.

    Vice Mayor Jim Frazier agreed with Rios on the long hours that are required of council members. He told the council that he has taken time off work to attend meetings and spends his own money to pay for accommodations when he attends meetings out of town, never seeking reim-bursement.

    Nix, like Seger, opposed the imple-

    mentation of the increase and told the council it should hold with the January decision and wait until the budget review in June.

    Frankly, I urge you not to go for-ward, Nix said. Stick with your decision in January. Kudos to any of you who vote to do so and refuse this increase. Shame on you to any of you who accept it. This is wrong. This is very, very wrong.

    You should not be giving yourself a pay increase, particularly this much when youve got employees having that much of a pay cut. Next year are you going to ask for another 5-percent pay cut so that you can give yourself another 5-percent pay raise? This is insane. Public servants should not be profi ting when everyone else is suffering. This is ill conceived.

    Anderson responded during the deliberation period by reading from a newspaper article quoting Nix following the Nov. 13, 2006 meeting at which the council voted for the salary increase. Nix was mayor at that time and supported the increase.

    This item is already in the budget, Anderson explained. Were not sudden-ly doing a raise; its already budgeted in there, and we are trying to make a deci-sion as to whether we should continue in abeyance or whether we move it (the fund-ing) into the council salary.

    Councilman Bruce Connelley said Nixs comments contradicted the ordi-

    nance Nix signed as mayor in 2006. As the increase was approved and in the budget, and the matter at hand was deciding what to do with those funds, Connelley accused Nix of making a mountain out of a mole-hill. According to Connelley, the Oakley City Council receives the lowest salary of all the city councils in Contra Costa County, and after 10 years of cityhood, it was time to give the council a raise.

    City Manager Bryan Montgomery also weighed in on the situation, saying he was taking a moment to be politically incorrect and defend the council.

    If theres anything abhorrent about that (the proposal to reinstate the in-crease), its abhorrent to somehow mis-lead the public that youre giving yourself a salary raise. Thats not true. Its a lie. For someone to stand at that pulpit and to say that is inaccurate and that same person is the one who signed the ordinance, Mr. Nix.

    So I think its time we start creating some civility in what the discussions are with the City Council. We get complaints all the time that were not communicat-ing with the public. Well, its very diffi cult to communicate to the public when there are so many people out there misleading the public on what the facts are. So I, for one, am not going to continue to sit in this chair and allow people to stand before this body and disrespect you (the council) and tell stories about what the truth is.

    As the public comment period was closed, Nix didnt get a chance to address the council a second time. In an interview with Nix this week, he clarifi ed his com-ments. I have always supported the sal-ary increase, he said, but I voted for it when the economy was doing well and the council was moving full speed ahead, taking in a lot of late-night meetings. But now there have been layoffs and salary cuts for city staff. Dont take a pay raise for yourself with these cuts going on. Its the wrong time to instate the increase. I have no opposition to the pay increase. The council should be paid more, but this isnt the right time. I would say put it off until June and look at it then or suspend the increase to next year.

    Following the council meeting last Tuesday, Montgomery approached Nix while he was talking with a friend in the lobby, and the two exchanged heated words regarding what happened in the council chambers during the salary in-crease discussion. Nix repeatedly asked Montgomery not to take cheap shots at him during public meetings; Montgomery said Nix needed to stop misleading the public, reiterating what he said during the council meeting. The brief confrontation ended when Montgomery walked away and returned to his offi ce.

    The next City Council meeting is scheduled for next Tuesday, Feb. 23.

    To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

    Salary from page 1A

    Bay Area cities downtown districts.Strelo said the Specifi c Plan is a guid-

    ance document that lays the groundwork for the improvements needed to make downtown fl ourish. Since the specifi c plan serves as a blueprint, there would be op-portunities to amend the 102-page docu-ment when necessary. Everyone wants to see downtown improved, and wed like to get this plan approved as soon as pos-sible, said Strelo. We dont want to get hung up in the details. Those details can be amended later.

    Community Development Director Rebecca Willis said the fi rst step to im-proving downtown is council approval of the Specifi c Plan. Once the plan is ap-proved, city staff may begin seeking out-side funding for the project. While city redevelopment funds are dedicated to the project, federal funding and grants would help get the project moving.

    One of the obstacles to getting the ball rolling is that Caltrans retains control over Main Street, so the city must go through the state before making improvements. However, Willis said she is confi dent that the city will gain control of Main Street by the end of the year possibly as early as this summer. The remaining issue is the process of acquiring and removing prop-erties along Main Street to make room for the Highway 4/Main Street realignment.

    Oakley Chamber of Commerce Pres-ident Steve Nosanchuck expressed con-cern that some existing businesses would not be around by the time the project is complete and that the city would need to lure a new generation of business owners. What scares me, said Nosanchuck, is that were going to throw a big party and no ones going to show up.

    He said some business owners who have approached him about starting a business downtown are discouraged by

    the uncertainty of the projects comple-tion date. Some business owners have gone elsewhere to a more predictable lo-cation, which doesnt help the downtowns existing image.

    We want our slogan to be Shop lo-cal. Shop Oakley, but thats hard to do when theres no place to shop, Nosan-chuck said. Right now our slogan is more like Come to Oakley on your way to someplace else.

    Resident David Huerta said hed like to see more of a mixed-use downtown plan that incorporates residential and commercial areas, but whatever the coun-cil decides, the important thing is to make the downtown a destination a place where people will want to hang out for a few hours. There is a lot of potential here, Huerta said, but right now, were at ground zero.

    Peter Connell, pastor of down-town Oakleys Cornerstone Pentecostal

    Church, said he appreciated the vision of the specifi c plan, but wanted to know what the city would do to help the existing businesses in downtown.

    Strelo said the plan lacks specifi c de-tails for helping existing businesses, but the city is working on a faade improve-ment program that will give money to lo-cal business owners who want to improve signage and the appearance of their store-fronts.

    He encouraged the audience to speak out during the councils public hearing on Tuesday, Feb. 23. While Strelo said he would incorporate such comments into his staff report, the public is also encour-aged to express their view to the council at any time.

    The Feb. 23 council meeting will be held