Oakley Press_04.06.12

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Vol. 12, No. 14 YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER April 6, 2012

FOR MOVIE TIMES

SEE PAGE 5A

Business ............................. 17BCalendar ............................ 19BClassifieds ......................... 12BCop Logs ............................ 18BEast County Life ................ 1BEntertainment ................... 6BFood ...................................... 4BHealth & Beauty ................ 8BOpinion ..............................14ASports .................................15A

Rites of petition

Scribble an informed signature when that clipboard-toting petitioner collars you at your local storefront. Page 1B

Conflagration information Your local fire district has extended its contract with the firefighters union. Page 5A

Firm hold on ferocity

Falcons grappler Ricky Coster made his mark on the mat in a national competition. Page 15A

Progress continues on Highway 4

While contractors expand Highway 4 in Pittsburg and An-tioch, local transportation of-ficials received good news about clearing up a traffic problem along the thoroughfare in Brentwood.

Most of the visible progress on Highway 4 is taking place in Pittsburg and Antioch, where drivers are taking advantage of the new lanes. Eventually, all of Highway 4 from Pittsburg through Brentwood will be wid-ened to four lanes in each direc-tion.

Three of the five planned projects administered by Caltrans and the Contra Costa Transporta-tion Authority are underway: the freeway segments from Loveridge Road in Pittsburg to Somersville

Road in Antioch, from Somers-ville to L Street/Contra Loma Boulevard and from Contra Loma to Lone Tree Way.

Highway 4 spokeswoman Anna Reiss said the projects are running smoothly and reporting no major delays so far. I think were pretty well on schedule, Re-iss said. Nothing out of the or-dinary for a construction project.

According to widensr4.org, the main information hub for the project, the Loveridge segment will wrap up by the end of 2013. Contractors are now working on the overpass along the Loveridge Road exit, hoping to soon switch traffic over to the new bridge.

In a Wednesday press release, Reiss noted that the contractor working on that part of the high-

A low bid has been announced for a contractor to start work-ing on the Sand Creek Road/State Route 4 intersection, turn-ing it into a freeway exit much like those at Lone Tree Way and Laurel Road.

Press file photo

see Highway 4 page 22A

by Justin LaffertyStaff Writer

Downtown project manager hired

The Oakley City Council voted to hire a project manager to oversee the Downtown Re-vitalization Project, which includes construc-tion of new restaurants and retail space, road improvements and the creation of a public plaza.

The council voted 4-1 (Councilman Jim Frazier dissenting) at last Tuesdays meeting to hire a project manager from Ascent Builders, which is already in the process of building Car-paccios Italian restaurant.

Knowing that Manuels Five Star Res-taurants has selected Ascent Builders, Inc. as the general contractor for the construction of the Carpaccios restaurant, Ascent will be on site and has the construction management ex-pertise to assist with the coordination of the various other components of the Downtown Revitalization Project, wrote City Manager Bryan Montgomery in the council staff report.

Ascent Builders built Oakley City Hall

by Samie HartleyStaff Writer

see Manager page 22A

The Oakley City Council voted to hire a project manager to oversee the Downtown Revitalization Project. Despite the fencing around the construction site for the new Carpaccios restaurant, Oakley favorite La Costa remains open to customers.

Photo by Samie Hartley

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An optimal Earth Day agenda: enjoy Mt. Diablo while contributing to its preservation.

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Living wall enhances Brownstone Gardens

Bob Wiemholt, owner of Brown-stone Gardens in Oakley, knew that if he wanted to expand his event center and host more happenings, hed need to make some changes.

A sound wall surrounding the prop-erty was at the top of his to-do list, but rather than erect a slab of concrete, Wiem-holt decided to get creative and green by building a living wall made of grasses and plants. The first phase of the 8-foot wall was set up in March, and Brownstone Gardens will host a planting party on Sat-urday, April 7 to install all the decorative foliage. Experienced gardeners are invited to help out and plant a variety of grasses and flowering plants into the wall, which will create a cascading mural effect when the plants reach maturity.

A concrete wall would have been the easy solution, but thats just unsight-ly, Wiemholt said. This is a garden, so building an extension of the garden to block the sound seemed like a natural so-lution. Whats great about the living wall is that not only is it ecologically sound, but it absorbs the sound, which is better than a concrete wall, where the sound just bounces right back at you.

Wiemholt began researching living walls after being inspired by designs in Walnut Creek and San Francisco. While

traditional living walls are mounted onto the side of an existing structure, Wiem-holt has designed his wall as a freestand-ing structure featuring plants and green-ery on both sides. The wall is actually

two fences, currently spanning 135 feet, lined with gardening felt and filled in with soil. An intricate hydroponic drip system has been installed to keep the soil fertil-ized, and earthworms will be used to keep

the soil loose and viable. Ultimately, it will be home to approximately 6,000 plants.

While Wiemholt has done much of the work himself, he credits Carlos Her-nandez of Asahi Nursery in Brentwood as the green thumb mastermind who has been propagating the plants. I had the idea, and hes helping me make it hap-pen, Wiemholt said. Ive never seen a living wall like this one in all the research Ive been doing in the past few years, but I think the end result will be positive addi-tion to the venue.

Another advantage to living walls over basic concrete structures is that the wall reduces ground heat, and the plants produce oxygen, which will enhance the fresh feel of the Brownstone Gardens en-vironment.

Wiemholts daughter Kay-Kay Hines, who manages the facility, is look-ing forward to the planting party on Sat-urday. When we opened six years ago, we wanted to create a venue that was unique to the area, she said, and I think this liv-ing wall will enhance the aesthetics of our venue and create a special setting.

Brownstone Gardens is available for a variety of occasions, from weddings and birthday parties to corporate functions. For more information, visit www.brown-stonegardens.com. Those interested in participating in the planting party are in-vited to call 925-550-6094.

To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

Brownstone Gardens owner and operator Bob Wiemholt makes adjustments to the venues new living sound wall, which will be decorated with grasses and flowering plants this weekend.

Photo courtesy of Brownstone Gardens


When 7-year old Trinity Keefer lost her beloved Tigre, Collin Marfia under-stood. After all, hed recently been in a similar situation.

When Collin was born we bought him a stuffed tiger, and at the same time got two extras in case he lost one, said Jodi Marfia, Collins mom. And since he was little, he has taken that tiger every-where with him. But about a month ago he lost it at a sleepover and he was devas-tated. We had the other ones, but he had really glommed onto Ti-Ti and wanted only that one. Fortunately, it eventually turned up.

So when the Krey Elementary fourth-grader read in the newspaper about Trin-itys lost friend, he offered up a solution immediately. The picture (in the news-paper) of the tiger was super identical to the ones I had, said Collin, 9. So I told my mom I wanted to give her one of my extras to make her feel better.

Jodi then contacted the Keefers who live in Walnut Creek and set the plan in motion.

We ended up having to be out on the day the Keefers were going to come and pick up the new tiger, said Jodi. So we put it in a pink bag with a note written from Collin saying he knew how she felt and hoped this new tiger would help.

And help it did. Trinitys dad Tim who had posted lost posters around town in the hopes that Tigre would turn up said his daughter was overjoyed by the gift.

She was super, super psyched, said Keefer. She was really excited. It was a big, big deal when we lost Tigre. We had looked everywhere for it, but it was just gone.

And while Trinity is now the owner of a gently worn, but much-loved pet ti-ger, the bigger gift, according to Tim, was the gesture itself. Honestly, the whole thing couldnt have worked out better, he said. And what was maybe even better was the gesture the exchange of good-will. Wouldnt it be great if all problems could be solved that way?

Collins generous gesture is typical of her son, said Jodi: Hes just really sweet like that. Collin does things all the time like that without a second thought.

And how does it feel to be a hero?It makes me feel like Im a nice per-

son, said Collin. I was glad to do a nice thing and Id do it again.


4A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY APRIL 6, 2012

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A tigers tale of kindness

Collin Marfia, above left, donated one of his stuffed tigers to a Walnut Creek girl who had lost her own favorite tiger toy. Above right, Trinity Keefer with her new pet.

Photos courtesy of Jodi Marfia

by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer


Each year communities come together to create a world with less cancer

and more birthdays. At Relay For Life they celebrate the lives of those who

have had cancer, remember those lost, and fight back against this disease.

Join your local Relay event. Visit RelayForLife.org or call 1-800-227-2345.

Together well stay well, get well, find cures and fight back.

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OAKLEYAPRIL 2829

at Freedom High School

BRENTWOODJUNE 1617

at Liberty High School

ANTIOCH/PITTSBURGJUNE 2324

at Los Medanos College

Fire district, union extend contract

The East Contra Costa Fire Protection District has reached an agreement to extend for one year its contract with firefighter union Local 1230 while awaiting the outcome of Measure S, the $197-per-year fire tax that will appear on the June ballot.

If Measure S passes, the district will hire additional firefighters and add paramedic firefighters to district engines. If the tax fails, the district must lay off half of its 48 firefight-ers, close three of its six stations, and restrict district medical services to the basic lifesaving level currently provided. Advanced lifesaving services in the district are now provided by American Medical Response paramedics un-der a separate agreement with Contra Costa County.

Local 1230 president Vince Wells said at Mondays ECCFPD board meeting that it didnt make sense to craft a new agreement now, not knowing how many firefighters the district will employ or what their training levels would be. Contract negotiations will re-sume in July once the fate of the tax is known, with particular emphasis on post-employ-ment benefits.

We understand that theres a major con-cern about hiring new firefighters with all the same current levels of benefits, he said, add-ing that the same concern exists countywide. We are in discussions about pension changes in all jurisdictions we serve, including East County. Local 1230 also represents firefight-

ers in six other Contra Costa County depart-ments.

Also at Mondays meeting, Fire Chief Hugh Henderson said work continues on a balanced budget service model that would be implemented should the tax fail and lay-offs be required. The model will show how resources would be deployed should the num-ber of stations in the 250-square-mile district be cut to three, as well as coverage maps and

estimates on the response times the scaled-back department would likely be able to pro-vide.

The balanced-budget service model will also include the impact that fewer EC-CFPD stations would make on mutual- and automatic-aid agreements with surrounding agencies. The district already draws assistance from nearby agencies about twice as often as it provides assistance in return, Henderson said.

by Rick LemyreStaff Writer

Firefighters Union Local 1230 Vice President Gil Guerrero Monday shows the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District board a sign urging approval of Measure S, a $197-per-parcel property tax the board has placed on the June ballot in far East County.

Photo by Rick Lemyre


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Assemblymember Joan Buchanan, far left, joined her colleagues in honoring Contra Costa County community leader Diane Bur-gis, center, as Woman of the Year for the 15th Assembly District during a recent ceremony at the state capitol. Diane exemplifies com-munity involvement and activism, Buchanan said. She has made her community proud and continues to be a respected leader. Since 2007, Burgis has served as executive director of Friends of Marsh Creek Water-shed and was instrumental in coordinating the fish ladder for salmon spawning in the creek. Diane is also a board member of the Delta Science Center and the California Delta Education Foundation.

Exec extraordinaire


Advertisement

TAX CREDIT REPAYMENTIf you bought a home between 2008

and 2010 and claimed the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit, or you know someone that did, you need to read this. You may be required to start repaying that credit, and the IRS is no longer mailing out reminder notices.

The credit of 2008 was really more like a no-interest loan than a true tax credit. There were other tax credits that came the following years that WERE true tax credits, but the 2008 vintage needs to be paid back in 15 equal install-ments, starting with your 2010 return. This will be on line 59b of your 1040 form.

If you sold the home you claimed a tax credit for, or even if you stopped using it as a principal residence, you have may to repay the credit, and this may apply whether you bought the home in 2008, 2009 or 2010. If that describes you, you should be attaching form 5405

to your return to repay the credit.This is a very complicated issue

as there were many different types of homebuyer tax credits, and the rules changed every year, and even dur-ing some years. For more info, got to www.irs.gov and search for First-Time Homebuyer Credit. They even have a webpage where you can look up your account to see if you are supposed to be paying your credit back, and what your balance is: https://sa2.www4.irs.gov/irfof-fthb/

I AM NOT A TAX EXPERT. PLEASE CONSULT YOUR OWN TAX EXPERT FOR SPECIFICS TO YOUR SITUATION.

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

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Still no plans for Easter weekend? Mark your calendar for Easter events near you:NOW THROUGH APRIL 7Easter Bunny Visits

The Easter Bunny holds court at Som-ersville Towne Center, 2556 Somersville Road in Antioch, greeting children and their families to wish them a hoppy Easter. For more information and visitation times, call 925-754-5230.FRIDAY, APRIL 6Good Friday Services

Good Friday services are held at St. Ignatius Church of Antioch, 3351 Contra Loma Blvd., at noon and at St. Johns Lutheran Church, 1360 E. Tregallas Road in Antioch, at 7 p.m.SATURDAY, APRIL 7Easter Egg Hunt

The Discovery Bay Easter Egg Hunt, sponsored by the Discovery Bay Lions Club, takes place in Cornell Park, 505 Discovery Bay Blvd., at 9:30 a.m. The event includes a visit from the Easter Bunny, activities and games, and an Easter bonnet contest. For more information, call 925-516-7234.Easter Egg Hunt and Celebration

The Antioch Salvation Army hosts an Easter celebration from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Salvation Army Antioch Corps office, 620 E. Tregal- l a s Road. Festivities include games, candy and an egg hunt. Participants are asked bring a donation of five cans of food as admission. For more information, call 925-778-0808,

ext. 14.Easter Egg Decorating

Little Miss Everything, 220 Oak St. in Brentwood, hosts an Easter Egg Decorating Party from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Each child gets six eggs to dye and decorate. Admission is $25 per child; $20 for Little Miss Everything VIP members. This is a pre-pay event, and registration is re-quired. For more information or to reserve a spot, call 925-513-4700.Easter Bunny Express

The Easter Bunny visits the Streets of Brentwood, 2565 Sand Creek Road, from noon to 3 p.m. The event features a train ride through the lifestyle center, a petting zoo and other fun activities. Bring your camera to capture all the fun. For more information, call 925-516-8500.SUNDAY, APRIL 8Easter Services

Hillside Church, 108 Hillside Road in Antioch, holds Easter ser-vices at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Nursery and toddler care are available for both. A spe-cial childrens program is held during the 10:30 service. An Easter egg hunt is sched-uled for 10 a.m. For more information, visit www.hillsidecares.org.

St. Johns Lutheran Church, 1360 E. Tregallas Road in Antioch, holds Easter services at 8 a.m. Easter breakfast is served at 9:15, and an egg hunt starts at 11. For more information, call 925-757- 3070 or visit www.stjohnsantioch.org.

Easter celebrations


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Prom is a staple of the high school experience a time to get dressed up and dance the night away. But for kids who are home schooled, proms are hard to come by.

Charmaine Abasolo decided when she began homeschooling her eldest daughter 10 years ago that she would put together a prom for home-schooled students if no such event existed in East County. To her dismay, when her daughter came of age there was still no event that provided homeschooled students that high school rite of passage. So Abasolo took her cause to the planning board.

Kids who are homeschooled still deserve the opportunity to take part in a milestone such as prom even if they dont attend a public school, Abasolo said. I want to provide that opportunity to stu-dents who want to go to prom. I went to prom when I was in school and I had a great time. Every kid should have the op-portunity to get all dressed up and spend the evening celebrating the approaching end of the school year.

Last November, Abasolo rallied mem-bers of the East Contra Costa Explorers, a support group for homeschool families, which she runs, to start brainstorming and

gathering ideas.And the support group didnt fail her.

One homeschool dad will be serving as DJ for the evening, while another homeschool family member will be taking care of the catering. Other families have pitched in money for venue rentals and decorations.

The Homeschool Prom will take place at the Brentwood Community Center, 35 Oak St., on May 18 from 7 to 11 p.m. The $50 admission covers a dinner of salad, pasta and dessert and dancing. The dance is open to homeschooled students between the ages of 14 and 18. Families from East County and beyond are welcome to attend.

Since homeschool families are par-ticular about the events their children take part in, Abasolo said, she has established some restrictions to assure parents that the prom will live up to its theme: an Evening of Elegance. There will be no rap or hard rock music played and no suggestive danc-ing allowed. To make sure everyone is com-fortable, parents are welcome to hang out and observe the prom as chaperones.

Students interested in participating in the prom must reserve their tickets by Sun-day, April 15. Donations for the event are welcome.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call Abasolo at 925-516-0555 or e-mail [email protected].


Homeschool students to get proper prom


APRIL 6, 2012 EDUCATION THEPRESS.NET | 9A

Trevors Weekly Mortgage MattersBy Trevor Frey

Annual Percentage Rate

Advertisement

e annual percentage rate, or APR, for either a rst time home buyer, or an individual looking for their next home, is truly one of the most useful tools setup in their favor its purpose was to allow consumers to shop for credit by comparing the ne print, according to an article in United States Banker. e annual percentage rate is important as it allows consumers to compare apples to apples, or even apples to oranges if, of course, we consider apples to equal xed rate loans, and oranges to represent adjustable rate mortgages, or ARMS. It is essential when comparing loans/interest rates and should not be overlooked.

As part of e Federal Truth in Lending Act of 1968, the annual percentage rate is calculated much di erently than the actual note rate and can always be found on your Truth in Lending disclosure. While the note rate simply represents the yearly rate at which your lender will collect interest for permitting you to borrow money for a speci c length of time, your APR represents the total cost of credit on a yearly basis a er all charges points, appraisal, credit report, processing, and document fees etc. are taken into consideration. It is typically higher than your actual interest rate because it includes these additional items and assumes you will keep the loan for the full term.

Lets look at how APRs are calculated. For our illustration we will assume a note rate of 5.50% on a xed rate loan. On a 30

year term, and a loan amount of $150,000, the monthly payments would be $851.68. In order to calculate the APR for this loan we would rst subtract out the fees: $1500 (one point), $425 for the appraisal, $500 for processing and $16.50 for a credit report.

$150,000 minus $2441.50 equals $147,558.50. is new gure of $147,558.50 would re ect on our Truth in Lending disclosure as the amount being nanced, when in fact we are borrowing $150,000here is where APR comes into e ect.

We take the new gure of $147,558.50 and use it as our present value/loan amount to determine the true cost of the loan. By working the equation backwards until we receive the same $851.68 monthly payment as if the loan amount were still $150,000, we come up with our annual percentage rate. In this case, our APR is 5.65%, the true cost of borrowing the amount of the loan being applied to the actual purchase, a er paying all the fees.

Remember, although the note rate is what you calculate your monthly payment o of, and is the gure youll compare with your neighbors at the dinner table, the APR is the gure you should be most interested in. It is the only way to truly compare the cost of one loan versus another, and was put in place to protect you. As always, I welcome all questions and or concerns pertaining to real estate lending on my cell phone, 925-726-1444, or via email, [email protected].

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For the third time in three years, a Brentwood Elementary School Odyssey of the Mind team has earned a spot at the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals. The team placed second at the recent Califor-nia State Odyssey of the Mind competition at Heritage High School, ad-vancing to the World Finals May 23-26 at Iowa State University in Ames. Coached by Patty Schneider and Stephanie Goldman, team members are fourth-graders Josh Goldman, Patrick Schneider, Avery Morton, Erika Henderson, Jalena Wouters and Emily Redman.

Brentwood makes Odyssey threepeat


Oakley Councilmember Randy Pope is sponsoring scholarships for two Oakley students for the 2012 Advocacy Workshop Day for Stu-dents. The all-day event will be held Tuesday, April 17 at the state Capitol in Sacramento. Attendees will be joined by students across California for the annual Day of Advocacy hosted by the California Federation of Republican Women.

The purpose of the event is to provide students soon to be voters with exposure to the inner work-ings of the state legislature, featuring in-sights on how public policy and legisla-tion affects their daily lives and how they can exercise their rights as voting citizens.

Following an opening welcome ses-sion, students will break into workshops led by elected officials. A portion of the students day will be spent visiting the floor of one of the legislative houses and/or role-playing the parts of legislators at-tempting to pass a piece of legislation.

Students will then rejoin their host

clubs for a joint luncheon and guest-speaker presentation. Following the close of the program, students will meet with

local legislators and their aides to further discuss leg-islative issues.

This is the only event of its kind that Im aware of, said Pope. Im excited to be able to help our stu-dents have the opportunity to participate and interact with representatives from our state government. These students are our fu-ture leaders.

Tuition scholarships are available for the event,

including lunch. Oakley residents in grades 11-12 are invited to submit appli-cations for the scholarships. The applica-tion will consist of an essay entitled My Rights and Responsibilities as a Voting Citizen. The essay should be in APA format, typed double-spaced in 12-point font, and one to two pages long. Appli-cations must e-mailed to [email protected] by noon on April 12.

For more information, e-mail [email protected].

Councilmember to offer scholarships

Robert Burns Construction is currently working on the 2012 Slurry Project, which consists of repairing failed areas of asphalt, sealing cracks, applying a top coat slurry seal and striping in two residential neighbor-hood. Door hangers have been provid-ed to all affected residents, advising them of the schedule for their street and supplying contractor contact in-formation.

The first neighborhood slated for the work is located on each side of Neroly Road between Oakley Road and Regal Court. Around April 12, the contractor will transition to the

other neighborhood, located north of Main Street and encompassing Teresa Lane, Charles Way and Miguel Drive.

The latter neighborhood includes the first phase of SierraCrete remedia-tion that the city has undertaken. On streets with SierraCrete, the severely cracked pavement sections will be ex-cavated to native material and then reconstructed with traditional base rock and asphalt. In areas where the asphalt has not failed, the SierraCrete will be left in place.

For more information, call Jason Kabalin at 925-625-7040 or Nancy Marquez at 925-625-7007.

Project paves the way

The Oakley City Council is seeking the communitys help in determining Oak-leys direction during the next two years. A Strategic Planning Meeting will be held Tuesday, April 24 at 7 p.m. in Freedom High School, 1050 Neroly Road.

The event features two sessions on the following topics:economic de-velopment, downtown revitalization,

planned growth, traffic safety, public safety, parks, streetscapes, recreation and community outreach.

Department directors will brief attendees on the background and con-text of the topic and gather input. For more information, call Assistant to the City Manager Nancy Marquez at 925-625-7007.

Strategic Planning Meeting

Please recycle this paper


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U.S. Sen. Mark DeSaulnier and As-semblymember Joan Buchanan have com-mended the California Department of Parks and Recreations recent announcement that it will contribute funds toward road repairs on upper Mt. Diablo Scenic Boulevard in time for the Amgen Tour of California bicycle race through Mt. Diablo State Park.

We are pleased to see State Parks come to the table and acknowledge their responsi-bility in helping to ensure a safe and smooth approach to the driveway of Mt. Diablo State Park for residents, bicyclists and park enthu-siasts alike, said DeSaulnier. Secretary John Laird and State Parks Director Ruth Cole-man are to be commended for their willing-ness to address this issue head-on. Indeed, we look forward to taking the next steps together with all parties to help forge a long-term shared maintenance agreement.

This section of Mt. Diablo Scenic Boulevard has been left in disrepair for far too long. The contribution from State Parks is critical to breaking the impasse so we can get to work fixing the road, said Buchan-an. I look forward to working with all the stakeholders to ensure that this entrance point to Mt. Diablo State Park is safe, ac-cessible, and best able to serve all members of the community.

Mt. Diablo Scenic Boulevard is a private road jointly owned by individual landowners in the community of Diablo, located at the base of the Mt. Diablo State Park. The state has a longstanding road easement with the property owners for access to the park, which attracts significant visitor and bicycle use of the road.

The last one-mile stretch of Mt. Diablo Scenic Boulevard, which leads directly into the park, is in serious disrepair due to the in-ability of the state and local residents to come to an agreement over who is responsible for maintaining the roadway.

Given the protracted stalemate and the upcoming Amgen Tour, DeSaulnier and Bu-chanan convened a community meeting to address the short- and long-term needs of the road. In attendance at the meeting were sev-eral stakeholders, including the Diablo Com-munity Services District, state park officials, Save Mount Diablo, Contra Costa County, Athenian School, local area homeowners as-sociations and individual property owners.

State Parks announced at the meeting that it would commit funds from a special fund set aside specifically for state park road repairs. Discussions are now underway be-tween all the parties toward crafting a long-term shared maintenance agreement.

Impasse resolved over Diablo repairs

The Special Kids Foundation hosts its sixth annual Wine & Chocolate Festival on Saturday, May 12 from 5 to 9 p.m. at Hannah Nicole Vineyards, 6700 Balfour Road in Brentwood.

Among the featured vintners are Hannah

Nicole Vineyards, Cline Cellars and Quady Winery. A variety of chocolate delicacies will be available along with hors doeuvres, raffle prizes and dancing under the stars.

Admission is $50. For more informa-tion, call 925-360-4672.

Spotlight on wine and chocolate


Discovery Bay residents Bob and Wendy Phillips made sure their Hometown Weekly Newspaper was in their baggage when they made the trip to Jamaica last February. Above, a local musician was happy to provide extra pizzazz to the picture, taken in Negril Bay. Thanks, Wendy and Bob, for giving the Discovery Bay Press an entertain-ing taste of the Caribbean.

Seen in Jamaica


Cant attend? Join the conversation via Twitter @SutterDelta#kidshealth

Your kids enjoy supervised play while you participate in an informative conversation led by pediatricians

Susan Adham, M.D. or Irmeen Ashraf, M.D.

My Child Has Itchy, Dry Skin. . . Could it be Eczema?Learn how to recognize and treat eczema, a common skin condition. Symptoms include dry, red, itchy patches on the skin which break out in rashes when scratched. Dr. Adham, Tuesday, April 17 Dr. Ashraf, Thursday, April 26 12:00 - 1:00 pm 12:30 - 1:30 pm

Easy Lifestyle Changes to Fight Childhood ObesityChildhood obesity is at epidemic levels and putting our childrens health at risk. Learn lifestyle changes you can make to prevent obesity now and as your child grows up. Dr. Ashraf, Tuesday, May 8 Dr. Adham, Thursday, May 17 12:00 - 1:00 pm 12:30 - 1:30 pm

Quench Your Childs Thirst to Prevent DehydrationHow much water should your child drink? What are the early warning signs of dehydration and heat stress? Symptoms can indicate under-lying serious health issues and lead to long-term problems. Learn to recognize the signs. Dr. Adham, Tuesday, June 5 Dr. Ashraf, Thursday, June 28 12:00 - 1:00 pm 12:30 - 1:30 pm

Learn N Play with Sutter Delta and the Little Gym

To reserve your FREE space, please call (925) 634-0034.

One of the largest all-volunteer ser-vice projects in California this year is set for Saturday, April 28, when tens of thousands of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), some dressed in those dis-tinctive yellow vests and T-shirts, will work side by side with other caring com-munity friends and neighbors, providing service and a helping hand at hundreds of projects throughout the state.

This years annual Mormon Help-ing Hands Day of Service encompasses at least five projects in East County:

West Antioch residents can con-tribute to landscaping, platform assem-bly, public bench repairs and painting from 9 a.m. to noon at the Contra Cos-ta County Fairgrounds, 1201 W. 10th St. For more information, call Linda Thayne at 925-586-1344, Brian Smith at 925-754-5899 or Carlos Saro at 925-261-9479.

East Antioch residents can help with painting, weeding and general cleanup from 9 a.m. to noon at Learner-Centered School, an Antioch charter school. For more information, call John Dimsdale at 925-756-2457 or Vince Feh-ring at 732-801-3668.

Discovery Bay, Byron and Brent-

wood residents will be scraping and painting railings, repairing planters, weeding and cleaning up trash from 9 a.m. to noon at the east end of Valley Green Road in Brentwood. For more information, call Roy Manning at 925-858-5145 or Paul Krey at 925-634-3276.

Oakley, Knightsen, Bethel Island and north Brentwood residents can join forces with Friends of Marsh Creek Watershed to clean the creek bed, banks and trails along Marsh Creek from 9 a.m. to noon. The group meets at the parking lot on East Cypress Road and Main Street in Oakley. For more infor-mation, call Phil Somerhalder at 925-625-0509, Jeff Peterson at 925516-8348 or Bill Taylor at 925-625-5167.

Simply put on some old work clothes, bring your enthusiasm and come out to one of the sites, where equipment will be provided. To find a project in a specific town other than the those listed above, visit www.mhhcali-fornia.org, click on the golden Califor-nia icon and then click a blue balloon to locate a project near you.

To learn more about worldwide Mormon Helping Hands humanitarian service projects, visit www.mormon-newsroom.org/article/helping-hands.

Volunteers needed for Day of Service


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

of Contra Costa County.

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

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Letters to the editorBank settlement falls short

Editor:The ink is barely dried on the Con-

sent Judgment, and already it appears Bank of America has engaged in unfair, deceptive and fraudulent actions against its customers.

After 49 state attorneys general and the federal government sued the five largest loan servicers (Ally/GMAC, Bank of America, Citi, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo), a Joint State-Federal Mort-gage Servicing Settlement was reached inthe largest consumer financial protec-tion settlement in U.S. history, providing $25 billion in monetary sanctions and relief to homeowners.

Bank of America has the largest financial obligation under the settle-ment at $11 billion. During negotiations, however, Bank of America insured that it minimized its responsibility under the agreement by apparently moving (without consent or knowledge) the loan mortgage of qualifying clients to Green Tree Finance, a carefully concealed subsidiary.

As a result, Bank of America re-duced the number of customers eligible for mortgage relief and will not provide refinancing services to former clients under a key provision of the settlement: Refinancing of Underwater Homes.

To assist homeowners who are not delinquent on their payments but can-not refinance to lower rates because of negative equity, the banks must offer refinance programs totaling at least $3 billion. The banks will be required to notify eligible homeowners of the avail-ability of these programs. To be eligible, a borrower must be current on mortgage payments, have a loan-to-value ratio in excess of 100 percent, and must have a current interest rate in excess of 5.25 percent. The refinanced rate must reduce monthly payments by at least $100.

Walter Investment Management

owns Green Tree Finance, while Walter Investment Management is owned by Bank of America. Through a complicat-ed web of ownership, Bank of America owns Green Tree Finance and, therefore, should provide eligible ex-customers with mortgage relief required by the settle-ment.

The settlement does not provide im-munity or release for criminal conduct, and complaints for wrongdoing by the banks may be filed with California Attor-ney General Kamala Harris.

Cynthia RuehligAntioch

More than barely adequate fire coverage needed

Editor:East Contra Costa Fire is asking

us to approve a 10-year, $197 parcel tax with up to 3 percent annual CPI escala-tion. By year 10, that tax could be as much as $257.04, and then they run out of money again. Should we approve it?

I have attended the ECCFPD town hall meetings as well, asking probing questions of the fire chief and a fire district board member. I have examined the internalfinancial projectionsof the district and have concluded that it will indeed be faced with multiple station closures without additional funds this coming year. The question remains: should we approve the tax and what will be the consequences of failure?

First, some hard facts: Our fire district has a much lower pay scale than Contra Costa Fire, which serves a large part of the county. East Contra Costa Fire serves 250 square miles and

has seen tax revenues decline from $12 million in 2008 to less than $8 million today. The district receives from 5 to 9 cents of property tax revenues com-pared to 12 to 14 cents in communities served by Contra Costa Fire. This is a structural problem related to Prop. 13, and the district board is unable to make necessary changes.

Most will agree that our current fire safety coverage is barely adequate, with the Discovery Bay Boulevard station already closed. What will happen to fire insurance premiums if our clos-est station becomes Brentwood? The choices are clear. Take a gamble and hope the Board of Supervisors solves the problem or approves the parcel tax as proposed.

Bruce HallDiscovery Bay

City of Brentwood City Manager and City Council City Hall 150 City Park Way Brentwood, CA 94513 Phone: 925-516-5440 www.ci.brentwood.ca.us

City of Antioch City Manager and City Council City Hall Third and H streets Antioch, CA 94509 Phone: 925-779-7000 www.ci.antioch.ca.us

City of Oakley City Manager and City Council City Hall 3231 Main St. Oakley, CA 94561 Phone: 925-625-7000 www.ci.oakley.ca.us

Town of Discovery Bay Town Manager and Community Services District 1800 Willow Lake Road Discovery Bay, CA 94505 Phone: 925-634-1131 www.todb.ca.gov

County Supervisor, Dist. III Mary N. Piepho 3361 Walnut Blvd., Suite 140. Brentwood, CA 94513 Phone: 925-240-7260 [email protected]

County Supervisor, Dist. V Federal Glover 315 E. Leland Ave. Pittsburg, CA 94565 Phone: 925-427-8138 [email protected]

State Sen. Mark DeSaulnier Seventh State Senate District State Capitol Room 2054 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: 916-651-4007 1350 Treat Blvd., Suite 240 Walnut Creek, CA 94597 Phone: 925-942-6082 www.dist07.casen.govoffice.com

Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan 15th District P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249 3231 Main St., Oakley, CA 94561 Phone: 925-679-2715 www.democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a15

Gov. Jerry Brown Constituent Affairs State Capitol

Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: 916-445-2864 www.gov.ca.gov/interact#email

U.S. Rep. John Garamendi 10th Congressional District 420 W. Third Street Antioch, CA 94509 Phone: 925-757-7187 Washington office: 228 Cannon HOB Washington, D.C. 20515 Phone: 202-225-1880 www. garamendi.house.gov/contact

U.S. Rep. Gerald McNerney 11th Congressional District 2222 Grand Canal Blvd., Suite 7 Stockton, CA 95207 Phone: 209-476-8552 Fax: 209-476-8587 Washington office: 312 Cannon HOB Washington, D.C. 20515

Phone: 202-225-1947 Fax: 202-225-4060 www.mcnerney.house.gov

U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240 San Francisco, CA 94111 Phone: 415-403-0100 Fax: 415-956-6701 www.boxer.senate.gov

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein 1 Post St., Room 2450 San Francisco, CA 94104 Phone: 415-393-0707 Washington office: 331 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Phone: 202-224-3841 www.feinstein.senate.gov

President Barack Obama 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington, D.C. 20500 Phone: 202-456-1111

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Visit Your Hometown Website www.thepress.net THEPRESS.NET | 15A APRIL 6, 2012

Follow sports on Twitter! Scan QR code with your smart phone.

Locals revel in rain

Wind, rain and cold forced the cancellation of four events Saturday at the Deer Valley Invitational, but the in-clement weather made little impact on the Wolverines.

Deer Valley finished first in 10 events and garnered 138.5 points to lead all teams. Junior ZeJohn Parker (200-meter dash), senior Jusufu Haines (300-meter hurdles) and senior Shawn Simms (long jump) joined junior LaShall Hamlin (100 and 200 meters) and senior Audrena Harlan (long jump) all finished first in individual events.

The Wolverines boys distance med-ley and 4x400-meter relay team of Isa-iah Reed, Simms, LaVelle Hamlin and Tajae Smith took first along with the 4x200-meter boys team and the girls 4x400-meter relay team of Hamlin and sophomores Lauren Tolliver-King, Kourtney Burney and Sasha Newman.

Senior DMetrius Cooper (200), junior Dylan Winn (1600) Harlan (100)

and the girls 4x100-meter, 4x200-meter and distance medley relay teams fin-ished second.

Reed (400), freshman Albert How-ard (200) and the boys second 4x400-meter relay team of junior Deonta Johnson, Adonis Johnson, Davon Bird-en and senior Narav Wright finished third for Deer Valley.

It rained, we persevered, and we were able to get a meet in, which is about the best we can do, said Wol-verines head coach Bernard Stephens. This is the third meet of our year. We have been rained out of virtually every-where else. It makes it real difficult. The kids want to run, but it makes it really hard to do anything when the weather doesnt cooperate.

Liberty finished with a team score of 36, good enough for sixth place. Sophomore Cody Mayer was a bright spot, finishing first in the boys 1600 and 3200-meter races with times of 4 minutes, 39.25 seconds and 10:25.71 to secure the Lions only two first-place

see Rain page 19A

Heritage Highs swimming and div-ing team has put a stranglehold on the Bay Valley Athletic League title for quite some time.

The boys are going for their fourth straight BVAL victory while the girls are taking aim on a three-peat. The Patriots field several talented athletes who are ex-pected to excel not only against league foes, but in the North Coast Section meet as well.

Heritage faced some of the top com-petition from around the state at a recent meet in Mission Viejo, near Irvine. The girls placed fifth overall and the boys ninth.

Haley Rose Love earned first place in both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle races, setting school records in both events. Erica Knudsen, another talented swimmer, placed seventh in the 50-yard freestyle. Madison Applegate, who will attend UCLA next year, finished second in the 200-yard free-style and third in the 100-yard butterfly.

The girls 400-yard freestyle relay team of Love, Applegate, Knudsen and Emilee Troy claimed first at the Mission Viejo meet.

Sophomore Walker Thaning set a

school record in the 100-yard backstroke, completing it in 54.65 seconds. Head coach Craig Carson said Brandon James, as well as Carter Haines, Jake Mattheiessen and Spencer Wichmann, are expected to excel this season.

Were looking stronger than last year by quite a bit, Carson said. Hope-fully were going to do well at North Coast. Were headed in that direction.

Deer ValleyThe Wolverines also look strong so far

this season. Head coach Kiel Olff said he was impressed with his teams performance at last months Mt. SAC Invitational in Southern California, where both the girls and boys placed 11th among 17 teams from around the state.

Some of the more notable perfor-mances included the girls 200-yard freestyle relay team, which placed fifth, junior Corey Maiers fourth-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke, freshman Stanley Wus eighth-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke and the boys 200-yard medley relay team, which finished eighth. The Talens twins Vicky and Tricia also turned in several strong finishes.

Patriots to rule pool

Freedom wrestler Ricky Coster has two more years of high school ahead of him, but has already made an impact on the national level.

The sophomore earned an invite to the National High School Coaches As-sociation High School National Wres-

tling Championships this past weekend and delivered a good performance.

Coster defeated Andrew Leier from North Dakota in the first round of the 126-pound bracket. Next, he bested Pennsylvanias Nicholas Buckle in the second round. Coster fell from the main bracket in the third round, when he was

BVAL well-represented at wrestling nationals

Press file photo

Freedoms Ricky Coster, a sophomore wrestler, turned in an impressive sev-enth-place performance at the National Wrestling Championship meet.

see Nationals page 19A

see Pool page 20A

Photo by Angelo Garcia Jr.

Freedoms Jesse Padilla puts his pedal to the metal in the 400-meter race at the Deer Valley Invitational. The Falcons placed seventh at the event.

by Kyle SzymanskiCorrespondent



16A | THEPRESS.NET SPORTS APRIL 6, 2012

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Oakley is partnering with Biddy Sports to offer basketball for children 4 through 6. Children learn the funda-mentals of basketball, develop social skills in a fun, safe and family-oriented environment and are introduced to team sports. Sessions are held Saturdays, April 14 through May 19 from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Oakley Recreation Build-ing, 1250 OHara Ave. The fee is $60 for Oakley residents $70 for non-residents and includes a T-shirt and award. The registration deadline is April 9, and vol-

unteer coach training is held April 10.The class provides non-competitive

basketball in which children participate at their own level and ability. No scores are kept. Participants take part in an hour of fun group warmup, practice with their team and play a game. Par-ents can get involved by volunteering to coach their childs team. All training is provided; no experience is required. To register, call 925-625-7041 or visit the Oakley Recreation Department offices at 3231 Main St.

Biddy b-ball in Oakley

For the latest news and scores, follow us at Twitter.com/ thepress_sports.

APRIL 6, 2012 SPORTS THEPRESS.NET | 17A

Multi-talented Panther a volleyball natural

Jared Mlekush has been a jack-of-all-trades throughout his four years at Antioch. He has played basketball and golf, and his senior season has featured forays on the volleyball court.

But athletics are only part of Mlekushs story. Away from the school, hes active in First Family Church, which occupies a great deal of his time.

Im pretty heavily involved with my church group, Mlekush said. We go on what I guess you would call field trips. We do stuff where we go hiking and stuff like that. Ive been going to church since I was a baby.

Mlekush picked up volleyball this year through the influence of friends on the team. His previous experience in the sport was limit-ed: his sister Akasha, also an Antioch graduate, played volleyball as a Panther and Jared would occasionally hit the ball around with her.

Mlekushs participation in organized, competitive volleyball, however, is limited to this season. While hes relatively new to the game, his coach, David Driskell, said his leap-ing ability and strong hitting skills have made him a natural talent.

If he would have started as a freshman or even younger than that, hed be going some-where on a volleyball scholarship, Driskell said. Hes picked it up that well.

That observation is echoed by his team-mates, who feel hes a natural at the sport. Out-

side hitter Robert Smith has been a teammate of Mlekush in basketball since they were fresh-men, but has played volleyball for four years, and is impressed by his teammates mental and physical tools.

He listens, he knows how to talk, and how to act and work hard when he plays, Smith said. Hes picked it up very well. Hes strong and tall and mentally smart about the game.

Senior opposite hitter Muhammed Ikharo said when Mlekush started playing volleyball, his skills were noticeably unrefined. But after a few weeks of practice and work with Driskell, he became one of the teams better players.

He has a determination to win in any sport, Ikharo said. No matter whats happen-ing, hes still trying and pushing other players. He never gives up.

In addition to his natural athletic ability and drive, Mlekush has impressed his coaches with a strong attitude and academic standard. Driskell said he couldnt remember ever attend-ing an academic awards ceremony in which Mlekush didnt receive some kind of honor.

Following graduation, Mlekush plans to go straight to a four-year school. Ideally, hes looking to the state of Washington, as that would give him a chance to be closer to his grandparents, who live a short drive from the University of Washingtons campus.

I applied for an ROTC scholarship with the Navy, Mlekush said. If I get that, then Ill be going to a four-year like Washington or Washington State.


by Michael DixonCorrespondent

Antioch senior Jared Mlekush elevates to dink a shot over a pair of Pittsburg defenders during a league game earlier this week.

Photo by Kyndl Buzas


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Facing competition theyll likely meet in the North Coast Section playoffs, the Deer Valley boys volleyball team ex-celled in their Logan Bailey Invitational.

The home-court Wolverines finished third to De La Salle and St. Patrick/St. Vincent in the Saturday tournament. Deer Valley is off to another hot start, as the team held a 14-2 record after the invitational. Both losses were inflicted by St. Patrick/St. Vincent from Vallejo.

To date, the Deer Valley varsity team has done exceptionally well, head coach Lou Panzella wrote in an e-mail. We are getting better with every match and every practice. The more touches of the volleyball we have, the better we be-come.

At the Logan Bailey Invitational, the Wolverines toppled Granada and North-gate in pool play, then defeated Placer and Mission San Jose in the gold division playoffs. Deer Valley then faced the St. Patrick/St. Vincent Bruins, ranked No. 14 in the state by MaxPreps. The Bruins won the first match 25-22 and finished off the Wolverines with a 25-23 victory.

De La Salle defeated St. Patrick/St. Vincent in the finals.

While Panzella has been pleased with what Deer Valley has accomplished so far this season, he still feels the team is a work in progress. The Wolverines field only one senior starter opposite hitter Noah Labonte but compensate for their lack of experience with size. Labonte, juniors Marcus Lee, Brandon Guardamagni and Jeff Brown, sopho-more Thio Grigley and freshmen Jared Stark and Jordan Ewert are all taller than 6 feet.

Our success for the remainder of this season and into the playoffs, Pan-zella wrote, will depend upon our im-proving our on-court communication skills, ball control and team blocking, and more consistent yet aggressive serv-ing. We need to become a more consis-tent and better digging and scrambling team.

Every other Bay Valley Athletic League team save Liberty competed in the Logan Bailey Invitational. Pittsburg placed 18th, Freedom 19th, Heritage 21st and Antioch 22nd.

In the bronze division playoffs, Pitts-burg defeated Concord and Freedom but lost to Clayton Valley. Heritage lost to Granada and rallied to beat Antioch and Concord. Antioch lost to Clayton Valley and Heritage.

Wolverines stay hot at home tourney

Local reels in big prizeBrian Carpenter of Bethel Island

weighed a five-bass limit totaling 18 pounds, 3 ounces Saturday to edge the competition at the EverStart Series West-ern Division event at Russos Marina in Oakley. Carpenters three-day total of 15 bass weighed 67 pounds, 6 ounces, earn-ing him the $30,420 first-place prize.

Ive followed the tide all week, said Carpenter. I had a pretty good pattern I would follow, putting on close to 60 miles a day. I would follow the tide in and hit a bunch of spots, and then follow it back out and hit some more spots. Then I go flipping in the afternoon. Its worked out solid for me, and Im able to hit over 30 different spots a day doing it.

The cold, rainy weather really had

an effect on the fishing today, though, Carpenter added. I caught at least 25 fish the first two days, but I only caught 15 today. The wind was blowing around 25 miles per hour, and it was brutal. I couldnt get to some of my spots today.

Other East County natives who fin-ished in the top 10:

Second place: Phillip Dutra, Antioch 15 bass, 67 pounds, 5 ounces $10,430.

Fourth place: Charley Almassey, Oak-ley 15 bass, 63 pounds, 10 ounces $7,822.

Sixth place: Salvador Herrera, Dis-covery Bay 15 bass, 57 pounds, 10 ounc-es $6,084.

Complete results can be found at www.flwoutdoors.com.

Contributed by Joe Opager

David Carpenter of Bethel Island

holds up two of his prize bass

at the FLW EverStart

Series Western Division

tournament in Oakley.

Photo courtesy of David A. Brown/

FLWOutdoors.com


APRIL 6, 2012 SPORTS THEPRESS.NET | 19A

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finishes.Under the weather conditions and

everything, the performance that really stands out is the one by Cody Mayer, said Liberty head coach John Ambrose. He ran a tough race there in the 1600. Between the wind, the rain and the cold, it just isnt ideal.

Junior Nicholas West (long jump) and senior Alisa Hansen (3200) finished in second place for the Lions. Junior Erin Morgan tied for second in the long jump with a final effort of 14 feet, 8 inches.

Freedom tallied 33 points for a sev-enth-place finish. The Falcons failed to win any events, but senior Adrian Perez finished second in the boys 400 with a time of 50.60. Freshman Madison LaPi-erre (200), junior Mariah Walker (400), junior Lisa Tilcock (1600) and senior Camille Braun (discus) all finished in second. Walker also finished third in the girls 200. Senior Michael Valdez (3200) and sophomore Joe Mixon (100) fin-ished third for the Falcons.

Heritage junior Megan Neuhoff tied Morgan for second place in the long jump. Both girls final jumps measured 14-08. Junior Ian Johnson took sec-ond in the boys 300-meter hurtles with a time of 46.41. Junior Jason Brown (1600) finished third. Sophomore Sa-mantha Cross finished third in the girls discus competition with a final throw of 48 feet, 1 inch.

The Patriots nine points earned them eighth place.

Antioch junior Lindsay McGrath won the girls 400 with a time of 61.39 for the Panthers only win of the day. Senior Jeremy Bittle secured third place in the long jump with a final jump of 18-05. Junior Raquel Bragg finished third in the girls 400.

Panthers head coach Meia Tezeno was impressed with her teams early-season performance, considering An-tioch is still developing as a track and field team. The Panthers finished with zero team points. For our team, we had a lot of newbies that have never done track before, said Tezeno. For some of them, it was their very first meet. It was kind of crazy in the beginning with the weather, but 99 percent of our team was able to make it. They competed well for the first time.

Pittsburg struggled Saturday, fin-ishing 12th with one point, but junior Rebecca Garner won the girls discus competition with a final throw of 65 feet, 2 inches. The Pirates also won third place in the girls 4x100-meter relay. Ari-ana Larson, Crystal Rodriguez, Stepha-nie Maddox and Alexa Mahdi finished behind Deer Valley and Vallejo.


Rain from page 15Adefeated by Tyler Marinelli of Georgia in a 10-2 decision. Marinelli eventually went on to claim second place in the 126-pound bracket.

But Coster continued to find success in the consolation bracket. He earned a 7-5 victory over Brandon Hill from New York, pinned Minnesotas Dylan Her-man and then beat Franklin Wepner from North Carolina in a 2-0 decision.

Coster lost to Marylands Matthew Pente, but redeemed himself with a vic-tory over Travis Roper from Pennsylva-nia to claim seventh place.

Three of Costers five pins came against previous state champions, and he also earned a medal for most pins in

the fastest time.Freedom also sent Richard Jones

to the national tournament. Competing in the 126-pound juniors bracket, Jones went 1-1 before withdrawing due to a shoulder injury.

Antioch senior Kyle Clark, a 220-pound wrestler, was able to make the trip to Virginia Beach, Va. thanks to a communitywide fundraising effort. But Clark was not able to taste victo-ry at nationals. He lost his first-round match 9-6 to North Carolinas Chase Warren.

After receiving a bye in the opening round of the consolation bracket, Clark fell to Minnesotas Justin Wheaton in a 7-4 decision.

Nationals from page 15A

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So far, Deer Valley has defeated Clay-ton Valley, College Park, Antioch and Pitts-burg.

Olff will count on some of the afore-mentioned athletes for NCS success, as well as Andrew Wayne, Solomon Abuda and Matthew Satyadi, who will attend UCLA next year. Diver Isabella Navarro has a great chance to make her fourth straight trip to the section meet this season.

LibertyThe Lions appear to be in good shape

to send several swimmers to NCS this season. Senior JT Sarmento, who has ac-cepted a water polo scholarship to Pacific, will be a force in many events, namely the 200-yard or 500-yard individual medley. Logan Trudell, who competes in the free-style events and the 100-yard backstroke, has also been a solid contributor. Twins Jer-emy and Jacob Fio have been forces in the shorter freestyler races.

Head coach Cindi Coats said the team seems more united this year than in seasons past.

The Lions also field some talented girls with a shot at NCS, such as Rosie Doria, who competes in the 50 and 100-yard free-style events. Morgan Stremsel has shown promise in the butterfly. Diver Traleena Martinez, a senior, should do well this year. The Liberty girls swim team is young: the roster features only two seniors, three ju-niors and 27 freshmen.

FreedomFirst-year head coach John Edwards

is hoping to build a program that can com-pete with Heritage and Deer Valley. So far, the Falcons are off to a good start. Free-dom defeated Antioch in its first league meet, and boasts several promising athletes who could go on to NCS.

Im very impressed, Edwards said. We have a very versatile team. Theres a lot of hard workers and weve had some im-pressive swims.

Sophomore Emily Too has been strong in several events and junior Emily Harris has done well in the 200-yard free-style. Both are part of a talented relay team that includes senior Emily Pels and junior Sierra McIntyre.

Edwards noted that seniors Zach Ir-win and Stephen Rodriguez would be key performers for the boys team. The Falcons appear set for the future as well, due to tal-ented sophomores Chris Warren, Christian Henry, Cameron Ott-Bales and Dustin Strain.

According to coach Krista Plumlee, two of Freedoms promising divers Gen-evieve Pascale and Sabrina Castor have improved by leaps and bounds.Antioch

The Panthers swimming roster has more than doubled in size over last years, from 17 to 38. Head coach Tiffany Ramirez, also a teacher at the school, has been en-

couraging swimmers to come out for the team and tell friends. The word-of-mouth approach could lead to more success.

Antiochs boys team is led by junior freestyle swimmer Nate Huizar. Other tal-ented male athletes include sophomore Juan Medina (butterfly, freestyle), junior Dillan Roby (freestyle, breaststroke), soph-omore Eric Nooteboome (freestyle) and se-nior Tanner Fuhrman (breaststroke, back-stroke).

Amanda Loomis, a senior, has been named the girls team captain. Ramirez identified several girls who show potential for success, including senior Christine Que-can (backstroke, freestyle), junior Shannon McMillan (breaststroke, backstroke) and junior Rachel Harrison (butterfly, freestyle).Pittsburg

Head coach Suzy Farmer believes that what the Pirates lack in experience they make up for in enthusiasm.

Pittsburgs roster includes several first-year swimmers, and Farmer appreciates their eagerness to learn and improve. The coach has been impressed by sophomore Sam Whipple, junior Marissa Mota (free-style, breaststroke), junior siblings Cam-eron and Caitlyn Mosely (freestyle, breast-stroke) and senior Don Lopez, who started swimming this season but has improved noticeably.

Sophomore Rashon Rogers as well as seniors Lucia Arias and Nicollette Velasco have also made progress. Theres been a lot of good swims, Farmer said. and lots of learning of techniques. They have a good attitude, though.


Pool from page 15A

Photo courtesy of Lori Love

Heritages Haley Rose Love, center, takes the plunge at a meet in Mission Viejo.


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Now that the reduced capital gains rates are set to expire along with the two-year extension of the Bush tax cuts, homeowners with gains on personal residence sales that exceed the exemptions may get stuck with a higher capital gains rate in 2013 than they would if they sold now. This could be a factor in a decision to sell sooner rather than later.

The long-term capital gains rate is scheduled to return to the pre-Bush rates, generally 20 percent, and while theres a good chance that the lower rate will be extended again, there is no guarantee, said Robert Kerr, Senior Director of Government Relations for the National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA). Taxpayers with high incomes are even less assured of this eventuality.

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Young grapplers earn titlesMembers of the Golden State Wres-

tling Club have been earning medals and heralding a bright future for the sport in East County.

At a recent meet at Dallas Ranch Middle School in Antioch, Ayemere Oiy-emhonlanplaced first in the Cadet Division freestyle competition. Anthony Richardson claimed first in the freestyle competition in the Rookie Division. Oseyiomon Oiy-emhonlan, Daniel Doan and Gavin Lewis earned second place in the Novice Division. Three other Golden State grapplers took third: Isaac Cota (Junior Division), Robert Goodman (School Boy) and Jesus Alvarez (Cadet).

At the Cadet, Junior and Folkstyle state championship at Selland Arena in Fresno, a host of Golden State wrestlers earned awards. Lilian Bolanos placed fifth overall in the girls Junior Division. Upsetting No. 2 seed Marie-Noel Candido of theModestoWres-tlingClub by a pin in the first round. In the finals, Candido pinned Desiree Rosales of the California Wolverines Club.

Cadet Tristen Tate, in the 130-pound division, went 4-2 with four pins. Junior Tan-ner Sterud, a 170-pound wrestler, finished 2-2 with two pins.

Contributed by Rich Madrigal BOLANOS

Stories at thepress.netVisit www.thepress.net to read

these stories: Brentwoods Zach King, a PGA ap-prentice, recently claimed a title in a PGA Pro Series event in Daly City. Freedom announced its winter ath-letes who excelled in the classroom, earning GPAs over 3.50. The Diablo Valley Volleyball Clubs 12U girls team brought home the hard-ware at a tournament in Brentwood.


way will close a portion of North Park Boulevard at Loveridge Road on Monday, April 9. Access to and from Loveridge Road via North Park Boulevard will be closed for about six month. Signs will be installed to direct drivers to North Park Plaza.

The stretch along Somersville is due to be finished in the middle of next year. Some of the most noticeable recent changes are the new on and off ramps in the westbound direction at Somersville. As with the vicin-ity of Loveridge Road, workers are hoping to bridge westbound drivers over to the new lanes so they can continue work on the older lanes.

Contractors should finish in the L Street/Contra Loma area by mid-2015. Earlier this year, workers closed off the G Street exit for good. Reiss said in order to accommodate new on-and-off ramps at the L Street/Contra Loma exit, the project called for the elimination of the G Street exit.

For the stretch of freeway near Lone Tree Way and A Street in Antioch, Reiss said the job has been advertised and bids

are scheduled for opening on April 18.Meanwhile in Brentwood, Mayor Bob

Taylor excitedly announced that a low bid-der has emerged to turn the Sand Creek Road/State Route 4 intersection into a normal highway exit. Bay Cities/Myers has agreed to take on the job for $23.5 million, roughly $3 million under engineers projec-tions.

Taylor estimated that a groundbreak-ing would be held in June. Work will take roughly two years to complete. Instead of dealing with a standard intersection and traffic lights, drivers on southbound State Route 4 will be able to drive past Sand Creek Road all the way to Balfour Road without stopping.

In the current configuration, You can get in a long wait there, Taylor said. The only thing it can do now is improve. Its go-ing to get better, better and better.

The low bid ensures that no additional money will be needed from federal, state or county sources. In December, local trans-portation officials declared the project to be fully funded.


Highway 4 from page 1A

Photo by Justin Lafferty

Drivers exit the new westbound offramp at Somersville Road in Antioch, one of the newest changes brought about by the Highway 4 widening project.

and the new fire station on OHara Avenue. Despite the prior relationship between the builders and the city, Frazier wanted to seek applicants for the project manager position rather than going with Ascent just because the firm is already on site.

Yeah, theyve done a good job, but in this economy, weve got great people in our area who are losing their homes, Frazier said. They (residents) pull their business licenses here, and I think we owe them the opportunity to do a project in their own city. Ascent may have the best proposal, but

I want to show the residents that we made the effort.

The other councilmembers, concerned that a lengthy hiring process would delay the completion of Carpaccios and its anticipated opening this fall sided with Montgomery.

The city had planned to oversee the project itself, but the state-mandated elimi-nation of Oakleys redevelopment agency increased the city staffs workload to the exclusion of the downtown projects over-sight.

Frazier also found himself in the mi-

nority later in the evening when the coun-cil opted to give Ascent Builders the green light to build the adjacent retail space next to Carpaccios.

This time Frazier was joined by Coun-cilman Randy Pope, who agreed that the retail project should go out to bid. Mont-gomery told the council that putting Ascent in charge of the project would allow for the simultaneous completion of Carpaccios and the surrounding retail space.

Mayor Kevin Romick said it would be advantageous to build the retail area despite the lack of a secured tenant, allowing pro-

spective businesses to assess the setting be-fore committing to locate there.

Pope favored keeping the citys integri-ty intact above all. This is a public project and weve been using Ascent a lot. I want to avoid any type of favoritism. If Ascent is giving us the best bang for our buck, then their bid is going to win, and theyll get to do it anyway, but we owe it to our own in-tegrity to no show favoritism.

The council ultimately voted 3-2 to al-low Ascent Builders to move ahead with the retail project.


Manager from page 1A

Cops crack down on distracted driversHow often do you see drivers texting or

talking on hand-held cellphones and wish theyd be stopped and cited? April is Cali-fornias second annual Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and once again drivers will find law enforcement agencies in Con-tra Costa County joining in a statewide zero-tolerance enforcement effort to curb illegal cell phone use and texting violations. A ticket for violating either the hands-free or no-texting law costs a minimum or $159, and subsequent citations cost $279.

Distracted driving puts everyone on the road at risk. It joins speeding and alcohol as leading factors in fatal and serious-injury crashes. As a result, law enforcement across the state, including the Brentwood Police Department, is increasingly cracking down

on cell phone use and texting. This month, the Brentwood PD joins hundreds of police and sheriff departments, plus the California Highway Patrol, in operations targeting dis-tracted driving.

Our officers take distracted driving very seriously, said Brentwood Police Chief Mark Evenson. If you havent heeded all the safety messaging to put down your phone and just drive, be forewarned. Is that text message or cell phone call worth the costly citation?

Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes involving serious injury. Drivers under 20 comprise the highest proportion of distrac-tion-related fatal crashes. Studies show that texting while driving can delay a drivers re-

action time as severely as the blood-alcohol content of a legally drunk driver.

Changing the dangerous, illegal habit of using hand-held cell phones or texting while driving isnt easy, said Christopher J. Murphy, director of the Office of Traffic Safety. But recent studies show that Cali-fornias call and texting laws have made a big difference cutting deaths by nearly half. But half is not enough.

Studies show that there is no difference in the risk quotient between hands-free and hand-held cell phone conversations. Both can result in inattention blindness, which occurs when the brain isnt seeing what is clearly visible due to the drivers focus on the phone conversation and not on the road.

The following are simple measures you

can take to minimize distraction in the ve-hicle: Turn your cell phone off or put it out of reach before starting the car. Create a voicemail message alerting callers that youre unable to take calls when driv-ing. Do not call or text anyone who might be driving, such as during the commute to and from work or school. If you need to make an important call or respond to a text message, pull over to a safe place to do so. If going cold turkey is too much of a stretch and you just cant turn your phone off, consider using one of the available mo-bile phone apps that hold calls and incom-ing texts.

Community Outreach program You, Me, We=Oakley! seeks submissions from local middle and high school students for its essay competition that addresses the theme Creating a Welcoming World.

The first-prize essay earns a $200 award; $100 for second prize and $50 for third. Es-says must be submitted by 5 p.m. on June

1. Submit entries to You, Me, We=Oakley! Coordinator Gabriela Baos-Galvn, City Hall, 3231 Main St. or e-mail [email protected].

Essays must address the following two questions: why is creating an inclusive com-munity important, and how can we go about creating an inclusive community in Oakley?

Interested participants must be stu-dents currently enrolled in a high school or middle school in Oakleyorbe a middle or high school student currently residing in Oakley.

Essays must be at least 500 words and include the students name, school and phone number. Only one essay per student

is allowed.All entries can be used by the You, Me,

We=Oakley! program either on the web-site or for promotional or educational pur-poses. Winners will be announced on the website. For more information, visit www.youmeweoakley.org or call Baos-Galvn at 925-625-7011.

Essay contest spotlights Welcoming World

APRIL 6, 2012 THEPRESS.NET | 23A


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APRIL 6, 2012

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T H E P R E S S

Petitions aplenty for November ballotA guide tothe fine print

Whats the common denominator between the state legislature and the entrance to your local grocery store? Petition drives, thats what.

As the countdown to the high-stakes Nov. 6 election proceeds, proponents of ballot initiatives galore are standing sentinel at stores across East County, soliciting shoppers signa-tures on measures theyd like to see on the bal-lot. Issues range from the hot-button topics of immigration, abortion and marijuana to the more technical matters involving taxes, educa-tion and health insurance.

Its unlikely youll learn enough from the people thrusting petitions at you to make an informed decision about whether to sign them. So The Press has provided the following boiled-down version of what many of the peti-tions in circulation are all about.

Provided by the attorney generals office, the write-ups below presented in alphabeti-cal order by topic give you a chance to digest what the measures propose in the comfort of your own home. Then, the next time youre approached by a man with a clipboard and a ballpoint pen, you can quickly sign or decline and get back to thinking about what to get for dinner.ABORTION

The Attorney Generals official title and

summary for the measure is as follows: PRO-HIBITS ABORTIONS FOR FEMALES UNDER 18 WITHOUT PARENTAL NOTIFICATION AND WAITING PE-RIOD. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.

The measure would change the Califor-nia Constitution to prohibit abortion for an unemancipated minor until 48 hours after her physician notifies her parent/legal guardian in writing. It would provide exceptions for medi-cal emergency, parental waiver or parental abuse documented by a notarized statement from law enforcement, protective services or certain adult relatives. It would permit a judge to waive the notice if the minor appears per-sonally in court and proves her maturity, or

if the waiver is in her best interest. It would require physicians to report specific abortion information to the Department of Public Health. And it would allow physicians to be sued for violating these provisions up to 12 years after an abortion.

According to the legislative analyst and director of finance, the fiscal impact on state and local government would be potential un-known net state costs of several million dollars annually for health and social services pro-grams, court administration and state health agency administration.

The proponent of this measure, John Smith, can be reached at john.smith.jsjs@

see Petitions page 2B

2B | THEPRESS.NET EAST COUNTY LIFE APRIL 6, 2012

MORE COUPLES TURN TO MEDIATION WHEN FACING DIVORCE

If youve ever faced a divorce, custo-dy dispute, or other interpersonal conflict, you probably experienced pain during and perhaps after the conflict resolved. Conflict becomes even more painful when we attempt to resolve it through adversarial means. These many include threats, passive-aggressive behaviors such as refusal to talk about con-tentious issues, and the inherently adversarial process of litigation.

Unlike adversarial approaches where parties fight, make arguments and present evidence to support their arguments for a judge to make a ruling, mediation approaches conflict resolution as a problem to be solved with the help of a neutral, non-judging party. The role of a family law mediator is to serve as an impartial facilitator assisting couples to work together to achieve a solution to their conflict. The family law mediator will not make a ruling or any decision for the par-ties, but rather, through problem solving and a lot of give and take, couples are guided to make their own decisions together on how they resolve their conflict.

In highly disputed matters, mediation requires problem-solving processes in order to reach a settlement. The idea is to attack the problems, not each other. In other situa-tions however, mediation may simply provide couples guidance when they have already essentially reached an agreement on most issues but need help completi

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