YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER

Vol. 8, No. 4 Including Surrounding Communities www.thepress.net January 22, 2010

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THIS WEEK

FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A

Primed forthe big day

Let our Wedding Planner help you sweat the details right now so you can relax on your wedding day.

Page 1B

Lion letdown at the line

Free-throw woes undermined the Liberty basketball squads effort to nullify the influence of Pittsburgs star guard.

Page 19A

Calendar ..........................15BClassifieds ........................24ACop Logs ..........................15AEntertainment ................14BFood ...................................8BMilestones .........................8AOpinion ...........................14AOutdoors ...........................6ASports ...............................19AWedding Planner .............1B

INSIDE

Camp Tracy revisitedNostalgia takes a stern turn on a tour of a prisoner of war interrogation camp right in our own backyard.

Page 9A

Piepho: Fight goes on in water war

County Supervisor Mary Piepho, speaking before a dozen people at a Brentwood Chamber of Commerce meeting last week, blasted state legislators for ignor-ing local concerns and passing legislation she believes will hurt the Delta.

Five water bills were ap-proved with strong backing by Southern California legislators in early November. They provide for a new Delta governing board that could approve a peripheral canal, require 20-percent water conservation in urban areas, in-crease monitoring of groundwa-ter, increase penalties for illegally taking water from the Delta and place an $11 billion bond for wa-ter projects on the November bal-lot.

Piepho helped organize su-pervisors from the fi ve Delta counties Sacramento, Yolo, Solano, San Joaquin and Con-tra Costa to get their concerns heard before the legislation was

approved. We had some signifi -cant success on the legislation that was proposed, she said. But, unfortunately, what ultimately got passed is still devastating to us. We continue to be engaged in the fi ght. And it is a fi ght. Frank-ly, its a war. Its a very unfortu-nate set of circumstances. While

we were listened to, we werent taken seriously. And its very un-fortunate. So we have a lot more work to do.

While combining the fi ve Delta counties has provided more clout than acting alone, its still no match for heavyweights such as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger

and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who have partnered for all intents and purposes to get more water south, said Piepho. Thats great if we have water to send. If the Delta is healthy, take it.

But the Delta isnt healthy, and we dont all have the water that we need. And to suck more water out of a failing structure doesnt do any of us any good, no matter where you live in this state. We do need a better water man-agement plan in this state. And we do need to have local govern-ment involved.

But local Delta government is also no match for the power of state Senate leader Darrell Steinberg, who spearheaded pas-sage of the water bills. We need to be working with good science, true science, peer-reviewed sci-ence not political science, said Piepho. And whats driving it right now is political science. Its been a political battle. Lines get drawn and the pressure (placed on legislators) being held hostage.

County Supervisor Mary Piepho discusses the issues at a Brentwood Chamber of Commerce meeting last week.

Photo by Dave Roberts

by Dave RobertsStaff Writer

see Piepho page 13A

A seal enjoys what appears to be the second half of its fresh sh lunch recently, unaware that photographer Stacey Chance is lin-gering nearby, camera at the ready. Seal and sea lion sightings are becoming more commonplace in Discovery Bay ever since they dis-covered what local anglers already knew: the shings pretty good. Sta-cey spotted this fellow in, appropriately enough, Seal Cove.

Seal meal

Photo by Stacey Chance

According to a recently released report from the Contra Costa County Sheriffs Offi ce, vehicle crime in Discovery Bay is down from last year and property crimes have nearly fl atlined, while violent crime remains low.

That is good news; Im very happy with the progress, said Crime Prevention Specialist Tony Fontenot of the vehicle and property reports. I credit most of this with public awareness; its key to the success of any community.

The 2007-08 statistics for violent crimes in Discovery Bay document six assaults with a deadly weapon reported in 2007, four in 2008 and fi ve in 2009. One rape was reported in 2008 and one in 2009. Strong-arm robberies were also low; only one was reported in 2008 and the same for 2009.

It looks to me like those numbers are low and

DB crime report released

by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer

see Crime page 13A

JANUARY 22, 2010 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 3A

Christopher Arthur, 18, receives a donation while playing his guitar for customers at the Discov-ery Bay Safeway where he works. At the request of the store manager, Arthur played during his entire four-hour shift last Sunday in an effort to raise money for earthquake relief in Haiti. He was very honored to be able to use his talent to help the victims in this hor-ri c disaster, said his proud mom, Vicky Zurita. When hes not writing music (he owns the copyright on a half dozen songs) or singing to shoppers, Arthur attends Los Medanos College, where he majors in criminal law.

Singing for Haiti

Photo by Jeannie Valentine

The Antioch Rotary Club is spearheading a city-wide effort to raise funds to provide relief for Haiti in response to last weeks devastating earthquake.

We are asking all the service clubs in town, as well as the Delta Realtor organizations, to join us in this ef-fort to give everyone in Antioch the opportunity to help in disaster relief for Haiti in this dire time of need, said Allen Payton, president of the Antioch Rotary Club.

Funds raised will be used to purchase tents, blan-kets, clothing, equipment, supplies and safe water fi lters through existing national and global organizations such as Life-Box.org.uk, ShelterBox.org and HydrAID.org.

The effort is being supported by the Delta-Antioch Rotary Club, International Orphan Relief Foundation and the Antioch Chamber of Commerce Community Foundation.

People can write a check to ACOC Community Foundation, write Haiti in the memo line and take it to any ECC Bank branch in Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Discovery Bay or Concord, or mail it to An-tioch Rotary, P.O. Box 692, Antioch, CA 94509.

For more information or to volunteer an organiza-tion, contact Gordon Gravelle at 925-706-7887 or Al-len Payton at 925-457-5324.

Rotarians rally support for earthquake victims

As news of Haitis devastating earthquake reached the world last week, communities and organizations across the globe began mobilizing humanitarian relief efforts.

Here in East County, two nurses from Sutter Delta Medical Center (SDMC) in Antioch reached out as well, deploying to Haiti over the weekend as part of the Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT).

As of last week, two of our nurses who are part of the DMAT team left for Haiti, said Angela Lombardi, communications and marketing manager for SDMC.

One of the nurses works in the surgery department and the other nurse works in our emergency depart-ment. We are very proud of their efforts.

The DMAT is a federal program comprised of professional medical personnel who provide medical care during disasters.

And while Sutters nurses remain on the ground in Haiti, the nonprofi t medical center continues to coor-dinate efforts here at home, gathering medical supplies such as casting materials for securing broken bones, bandages and medical kits for shipment to Haiti.

Sutter Delta is currently inventorying any surplus

Local nurses travel to Haiti, join humanitarian effort

see Nurses page 16A

by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer

4A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY JANUARY 22, 2010

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You are worth $1,700 annually to your government, and government offi cials will soon be counting on you to make sure the money keeps coming in.

That was the message from Tessie Zaragoza of the U.S. Census Bureau in a presentation last week to the An-tioch City Council. You as a resident can make your own check to the city, county or state by counting yourself, she said, in reference to tax dollars being allocated based on population. The census also will determine Congressional apportionment and help redraw political district boundar-ies.

A 10-question form will be sent to every residence in the country in mid-March. It will ask the name, relation-ship, age, gender and race of everyone in the residence as well as whether the residence is owned or a rental. It does not ask whether residents are in the country legally.

Census offi cials are expecting about two out of three households to mail back the questionnaire. If you dont mail it back, expect a census worker to knock on your door sometime this spring or summer in an attempt to get the information from you. If you refuse, you could be hit with a $100 fi ne for every question you dont answer or that you answer incorrectly, according to Zaragoza.

Two of the 10 questions pertain to race or ethnicity. One question asks whether you are Hispanic, Latino or of Spanish origin and provides boxes allowing you to specify whether you are Mexican, Mexican American, Chicano, Puerto Rican, Cuban or another category.

The other question focuses on race, providing 15 boxes to choose from. The fi rst is White, the second box is Black, African American or Negro. The third is American Indian or Alaska Native. There are also boxes for Asian Indian, Japanese, Native Hawaiian, Chinese, Ko-rean, Guamanian or Chamorro, Filipino, Vietnamese and

Samoan. Another option allows you to specify if youre from another Asian or Pacifi c Island race. And the last op-tion allows you write in some other race.

Although Zaragoza assured the council and those in attendance that the individual data is confi dential and can-not be accessed by any governmental agency, one person at the meeting was concerned that the aggregated data could be used to round up and incarcerate residents feared to be a threat to the government.

Did they say that (the census was confi dential) to the Japanese in 1942 when they used the census to locate every Japanese individual and put them in concentration camps? asked Willie Mims. So Im not sure, based on their history, that the census is as safe as she says. Also Gen-eral Shermans march to the south was done not to destroy armies but to destroy economies. He used the census of the South to locate those teeming communities to destroy them. History does not say its safe.

In 2003 the Department of Homeland Security asked the Census Bureau for information on all of the Arab populations in the United States. And they received detailed information on all of the populations with 1,000 or more of these citizens in their towns. Suppose we have another 9/11 what are they going to do, round them all up? That is my concern.

Zaragoza said that while aggregated census data be-comes a public record, the Census Bureau itself did not work with other federal agencies to identify Japanese resi-dents during World War II. I understand the fear that be-cause this is a public record, people might say it might not be utilized in a positive way but in a negative way, she said. Unfortunately, those things happen. But the other 99 per-cent of the time its benefi cial for the city and the country.

If youre looking for a job, the Census Bureau plans to hire 1,500 enumerators in Contra Costa County. To sched-ule an employment test, call 866-861-2010.

To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

Uncle Sams counting on you

East County residents gathered Monday at Antioch High School for the city and school districts second annual celebration of the life of civil rights pioneer Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The event included speeches, performances by a choir and mime troupe, and awards for student winners of the What is Your Dream art contest.

Dr. King honoredby Dave Roberts

Staff Writer

JANUARY 22, 2010 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 5A

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Calling all meat mavens

Its time to fi re up the barbecue grill and put your secret recipes to the test at the annual Brentwood PAL Barbecue King Cook-off.

Keeping with tradition, the cook-off will take place at Harvest Park Bowling Center on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 7. Grill masters from around the Bay Area will battle to see who fi res up the best ribs, tri-tip and chicken. There is also a chili cook-off competition this year. The winners take home $100 for fi rst prize.

The entrance fee for the barbecue cook-off is $100 (meat will be provided by Brent-wood Fine Meats); the chili cook-off fee is $30.

There is also a desserts competition for those who prefer to work with sugar instead of smoke. The winner of the dessert competi-tion will take home $50. Entering the dessert contest is free. For more information about en-tering the competition, call Greg Robinson at 925-487-6383 or Jeff Schults at 925-890-8296.

While a panel of judges will determine the winners, everyone is welcome to sample the lip-smacking barbecue goodies from 1 to 3 p.m.

Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 the day of the event for adults, and $15 for kids under the age of 12. Family passes (two adult meals and up to three kid meals) are also

available for $60.All proceeds from the event will be donat-

ed to the Brentwood Police Activities League and the East Contra Costa Historical Society. Last years event raised $3,500.

When the barbecue is over, stick around for the big game and enjoy the Super Bowl Sunday Bowling Special. Games are only $2 each and shoe rentals are free.

Brentwoods own Gorilla Rilla, a recent inductee into the Pro Footballs Ultimate Fan Association Hall of Fame, will also be making the rounds during the cook-off, so make sure to stop by and say hi.

Barbecue King Cook-off tickets are avail-able at Harvest Park Bowling Center, 5000 Balfour Road; Brentwood Fine Meats, 3877 Walnut Blvd; and the Brentwood Press offi ce, 248 Oak. St.

For more information, call Harvest Park Bowling Center at 925-516-1221.

Cat sh Jack Simmons tends to his barbecue ribs at last years Barbecue King Cook-off. This years event will be held on Sunday, Feb. 7.

Photo by Richard Wisdom

The Brentwood Chamber of Com-merce will host its annual awards dinner on Saturday, Jan. 30, honoring Brentwood Press Editor Rick Lemyre as 2010 Citizen of the Year, and Harvest Park Bowl, the 2009 Business of the Year.

The event runs from 6:30 to 9 p.m at Nines, 100 Summerset Drive in Brent-wood. Tickets are $55. Meal options in-clude chicken Wellington or smoked sir-loin. Reservations are required.

Lemyre was selected Citizen of the Year for his involvement in countless com-munity organizations, including Brent-wood Diversity Committee, the Kiwanis Club and the Brentwood Regional Com-munity Chest.

Likewise, Jim and Ann Wangeman, owners of Harvest Park Bowl, were select-ed for their charitable work, lending their business and time to a variety of fundrais-ing groups and organizations including the Brentwood CornFest, the Strike Out Hunger Drive program and the Barbecue King Cook-off, which benefi ts the Brent-wood Police Activities League and the East Contra Costa Historical Society.

For more information about the awards dinner, call the Brentwood Cham-ber of Commerce at 925-634-3344 or visit www.brentwoodchamber.com.

Chamber awards dinner

6A | THEPRESS.NET OUTDOORS JANUARY 22, 2010

9th Annual Brentwood PAL BBQ King Cookoff& Fundraiser

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Senses set adrift in ocean of greyDont get me wrong. Anything this hazardous to a

motorists health shouldnt be treated in solely rhap-sodic terms. But a confession is in order: Ive got the foggiest notion.

East County folk are treated to microclimates of fog as varied as Northern Californias microclimates of

grape growing. When the tsunami of marine layer batters Mt. Diablo and fl oods its foothills, when tule reeds adorning the Delta shoreline are veiled in vapor, when wizened sycamores drift wraithlike in and out of tendrils of mist along Marsh Creek, some of us leave our ignition keys on the kitchen counter, bundle up and take a stroll in the neighbor-hood. Others turn the key and head for the hills.

Last Saturday I awoke to fi nd my Brentwood neighborhood sleeping snugly beneath a blanket of grey. Curious about the blankets breadth and depth, I threw together my hiking gear, brewed a thermos of weapons-grade coffee and struck out for Round Valley Regional Preserve. My goal: the parks summit, 1,220 feet above sea level, where an archipelago of boulders protrudes from a sea of grasses, and the skeletal limbs of a bent blue oak I call Old One frames the high ridges of Morgan Territory and twin peaks of Mt. Diablo.

From the look of the parks parking lot, I wasnt the only maven of murk in town. A handful of hikers, cyclists and horseriders were lacing, gearing and sad-dling up for East Countys Annual Unoffi cial FogFest.

Long before I reached the summit it was clear that the brand of grey gripping the region was no tule fog

rising from the reeds; it was an inversion fog a big ol cloud stooping to our level, pancaking an enormous swath of real estate. When I got to the top, that evoca-tive panorama Id been banking on was choked in fog harder to see through than lead lingerie on Lois Lane.

Inversion fog can hang around with the persistence of an annoying party guest especially when above it hang sheets of altostratus preventing the Sun from burning it off. That was the state of the sky the morning of Saturday, Jan. 16.

Normally, the higher you rise into the atmosphere, the more the temperature falls. But in an inversion, the

higher you rise, the more the temperature rises with you. Warm air overrides cool. And absent that normally warm air rising from the surface and stirring the lower atmosphere, the inversions cool surface air leaves the lower atmosphere unmixed, stable, fogbound for a long time. Sprinkle the surface with moisture from ear-lier rain and fog, and voil! Youve got yourself all-day grey.

I had perched on Round Valleys peak many times and knew what to expect: a view 15 miles north to the

Viewed from the summit of Round Valley Regional Preserve, inversion fog descends to reveal the ridges of Morgan Territory Regional Preserve.

Photo by Ger Erickson

see Outside page 7A

TAKE ITOUTSIDE

GERERICKSON

JANUARY 22, 2010 OUTDOORS THEPRESS.NET | 7A

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Solano hills; Mt. Diablo eight miles west; the Ohlone Wilderness beyond Livermore, 25 miles south; and the Sierra Nevada Range 100 miles across Central Valley. But when I arrived at the summit on that misty morning, my fi rst impres-sion was disorientation, as if Id been teleported into downtown San Francisco on a busy workday but could hear only silence. The vista that morning was the visual equivalent of a soundproof booth. I commandeered the boulders and from my grand altitude saw nothing beyond 60 yards.

As the hours passed and the haze began to dissipate, the spidery veins of oak branches spilling down the summits north slope came into focus. Above, the Suns faint disc slipped in and out of view like the searchlight of a ship inching its way into a fogbound harbor. The wind freshened and the high ridges of Morgan Territory three miles southwest materi-alized above the roof of rippling grey. Northwest, Diablos deep blue peaks began breaking through the gloom. Ah, fi nally.

And then, just as abruptly, the vision vanished. Fog fl owed over the summit like a tide, drowning the horizon. I had caught sight of an achingly sharp-edged shore beyond a formless ocean, and just as swiftly it had been snatched from me. Was it real or had I dreamed it?

I stayed a while in the silence and stillness, hoping the pale wafer of Sun would reappear, hoping the northwest

breeze would scatter the fog from the summit, hoping to reaffi rm the existence of that dark and distant shore. But an-other notion, perhaps a wordless voice from Old One, told me the vision Id been given was suffi cient for a day for a lifetime. It was more than enough to have seen less than enough. I tipped my hat and turned my back to the tree, disappeared into the fog and began my descent toward the cool and lucid air of earth.

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Outside from page 6A

Photo by Ger Erickson

Fog condenses to form droplets on twig tips of the blue oak known as Old One.

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Beloved mine supervisor dies

John Waters, generally acknowledged as the heart and soul of the unique mining history museum and related programs at Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve in Antioch, died Jan. 13 in Oakland after a long battle with cancer. He was 68.

John was a true Renaissance man, said Pat OBrien, the East Bay Regional Park Districts general manager. He not only managed Black Diamond Mines, he recreated the essence of the mining experience, and even saved the mines from certain closure during the early days of our attempt to have a mine park.

We probably wouldnt have that park if it werent for him, said Ted Radke, the park district board member who represents the area. John became very prominent in the mining profession. He was renowned for his work on converting a hazardous site into a public benefi t.

Waters created the parks Underground Mining Museum, which preserves and displays artifacts from the regions coal and silica mining eras within the actual sand mine tunnels.

Waters was born in Seattle, Wash. His father was an offi cer in the U.S. Air Force, so the family moved frequently to duty stations throughout the United States. Waters graduated from high

school in Littleton, Colo., then attended the University of Colorado, majoring in geology. Although he did not graduate, Waters later became a member of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, based on his professional

accomplishments. He was also a federally certifi ed mine safety instructor.

As a young man in search of adventure and experience, Waters traveled

by Ned MackayCorrespondent

see Supervisor page 31A

Mine Supervisor John Waters, right, the driving force behind the East Bay Regional Park Districts Black Diamond Mines mining museum and programs, died of cancer on Jan. 13 at the age of 68.

Photo courtesy of EBRPD

Local, military and world his-tory buffs will get the opportunity this Sunday to explore the formerly top-se-cret world of the Byron Hot Springs known as Camp Tracy during World War II during a walk-and-talk visit to the former POW interrogation camp.

The East Contra Costa Historical Society and Tracy Historical Society are co-sponsoring an afternoon with U.S. Army military intelligence officer Maj. Alex Corbin, author of The His-tory of Camp Tracy: Japanese WWII POWs and the Future of Strategic In-terrogation. Corbins book, written from declassified material from the National Archives and Records Ad-ministration, includes interviews with WWII veteran interrogators and other published memoirs from Japanese pris-oners of war. The book sheds light on the shadowy wartime past of the for-mer resort, where captured Japanese soldiers and sailors were brought for questioning.

Guest speakers will include Brent-wood resident Tom Lococo, who served at Camp Tracy as a corporal, and Al Nipkow of Walnut Creek, a former lieutenant who worked as an interroga-tor at the facility.

Unlike the tactics of coercive in-terrogation that caused an interna-tional uproar in recent years, the staff of Camp Tracy used innovative tech-niques such as electronic eavesdrop-ping and creative lines of questioning and persuasion to get vital military information from detainees. Winner of the Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Archival Research Award, some ob-servers believe Corbins book provides insight into how the United States might successfully obtain information from a hostile enemy without the type of methodology that triggered outrage at Iraqs Abu Ghraib prison.

This weekends event is a follow-up to the showing of a Japanese documen-tary on the Byron Hot Springs/Camp

Tracy, which was presented last year at Delta Cinema in Brentwood. The event is free for members of both historical societies. The cost of annual member-ship in ECCHS is $15 per person, or $20 for the whole family. Annual mem-bership in the Tracy Historical Society is $10 for individuals and $15 for fami-lies.

For directions to the event or to make reservations, call Virginia Karlberg 925-513-1281 or e-mail vkarlberg@hotmail.com. Membership forms will also be available at the event.

To comment, visit www.thepress.

JANUARY 22, 2010 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 9A

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Tours and talks of a secret pastby Rick Lemyre

Staff Writer

A Senior Health Fair will be held at Scout Hall on Bethel Island next week, bringing together more than two dozen agencies and other providers.

The event will include free health screenings, and information will be provided on health insurance, Medi-care, free legal services, veterans benefits and services, mental health, home care, special phone equipment and more.

The event is set for Tuesday, Jan. 26 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Scout Hall is located at 3090 Ranch Lane on Bethel Island. The event is free.

Senior healthfair coming

A photo of the prisoner inter-rogation center Camp Tracy (Byron Hot Springs Resort) taken secretly during WWII. Note the sound-proofed and blacked-out windows.

Photo courtesy of Carol Jensen

10A | THEPRESS.NET EDUCATION JANUARY 22, 2010

Should I Stay or Should I Go?By Joan Grimes

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To say that these are diffi cult times in the real estate market would be an understatement. Th e melt down began with an extended boom fueled by cheap money followed by a rapid contraction of the credit supply. Th is lethal combination has led to an unprecedented decline in housing values. I have no doubt that the real estate market will come back and thrive. However, in the meantime, does it make fi nancial sense to stay in a home that is underwater; where the value may not come back for 10-15 years and you may only be paying interest on the loan? What is a person to do?

Th e mortgage industry and government would like us to feel a moral obligation to repay our debts. Th e argument goes that we are sending the wrong message to our children and community if we default on a loan where we had the ability to make the payments. Never mind that Wall Street banks and investors are voluntarily defaulting on offi ce building, hotels and commercial properties across the nation. Morgan Stanley recently decided to stop paying on fi ve San Francisco offi ce buildings and no one is saying they have a moral obligation. It was a strategic decision to let the properties go rather than invest more money.

A decision to voluntarily or strategically default on a loan can be a very emotional decision. However, if we take the emotional side out of the equation, what does it look like from a purely fi nancial and legal standpoint? From a legal standpoint, there are three questions when contemplating a default on a home loan. Th ey are the following: 1) how will default aff ect my credit? 2) will there be any personal liability from the default? and 3) will there be any tax liability? In addition, from a fi nancial standpoint, how does the continuing payment of this debt aff ect other areas of my life?

As a general rule, under California law, a short

sale or foreclosure can remain on a persons credit for up to 7 years. Personal liability on a home loan is determined by the character of the loan at the time the loan was originated and then by the manner in which the lender chooses to foreclose. Generally, a loan or loans used to purchase a 1-4 unit property occupied by the borrower will have no personal or tax liability unless it is excluded loan product such as many types of governmental loans such as VA loans. On the other hand, home loans which were not used to purchase a 1-4 unit property occupied by the borrower such as refi nances, lines of credit or loans on investment properties, may have both personal and tax liability.

Even aft er considering the legal issues, we still need to think about a voluntary default from a fi nancial point of view. Is being house poor causing you to not properly fund your retirement, your childrens college education or preventing you from paying bills as they come due or taking your family on vacation?

In conclusion, a voluntary default may be the right decision for you just as it was for Morgan Stanley. It was a business decision for Morgan Stanley and it should be for you too. Th is is a complicated area of the law, but a real estate or bankruptcy attorney should be able to make to an analysis of your particular situation fairly quickly which will allow you to decide if a voluntary default is the right decision for you and your family.

Law Offi ce of Joan M. Grimes 2950 Buskirk Avenue, Suite 140, Walnut Creek

3105 Lone Tree Way, Suite A, Antioch8660 Brentwood Blvd., Suite B, BrentwoodPhone (925) 323-7772 Fax (925) 407-8373

Th is information is not provided as legal advice and should not be relied upon 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

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By the time shed made it to the fourth round of the geography bee, Katelyn Cun-ningham was feeling the pressure that is, until she heard the fi nal question.

I was nervous; the suspense in the room was crazy, said Katelyn, an eighth-grader at Excelsior Middle School in Byron. But once they asked the question, I just knew it; I knew I was going to get it right.

The question what present-day state bordered by Montana to the north and South Dakota to the east, was the fi rst to give women in the vote in 1869 and Kate-lyns subsequent answer Wyoming made her the 2010 school-wide winner of the Na-tional Geographic Bee, setting her on the fast track to future state and national com-petitions.

I was surprised that I knew as much

as I did, said Katelyn of her recent win. I used to be really bad at geography until I had Mr. (Ben) Foleys history class in sev-enth grade. He taught us a lot, and I guess

by Ruth RobertsStaff Writer

Geography champ knows where its at

see Winner page 11A

Katelyn Cunningham is Excelsior Middle Schools National Geographic Bee winner.

Photo courtesy of Charles Miller

some of it sunk in.Foley, who is also the organizer of the

schools annual bee, said he wasnt surprised by his former students geographic know-how.

I had Katelyn in history class last year and I gave a lot of map quizzes and she always did really well, said Foley. She downplays her knowledge a bit, but Im not surprised she did so well.

Foley is surprised by some students geographical ignorance and blames the edu-cation system, in part, for letting its learn-ers down. Its always interesting to see who comes out of the woodwork as a good geog-raphy student, because most of it (learning) happens at home, said Foley, who has been organizing Excelsiors bee for four years. It doesnt always come from the school, unfor-tunately, because the California state stan-dards dont really emphasize learning where places are in the world, and our society as a whole doesnt really emphasize geographi-cal locations.

But I do believe that knowledge of any kind, in general, makes you a smarter person and a better thinker. Thats one of the reasons we do this (geography bee): to stimulate a little interest in geography, and the kids really seem to like the competi-tion.

The National Geographic Bee is an annual event for students in grades four through eight and is designed to encourage teachers to include geography in the class-room while fostering student interest in the subject.

Excelsiors geography bee was open to the entire student body and presented ques-tions ranging from U.S. geography and U.S. cities to continents and the geography of ex-tremes: questions about the highest moun-tains and longest rivers.

Should Katelyn pass the written test she took last week, shell progress to the state-level competition held in Sacramento in April. If successful there, Katelyn will move on to the fi nal, national level emceed by Jeopardy host Alex Trebeck in Wash-ington, D.C. this May.

For now, shes still basking in her vic-tory and enjoying the spoils of her success. I dont know how I did on the written test. Im still waiting to hear, said Katelyn. But even if I dont go on, thats OK. I got a med-al and that was cool. I had a lot of fun.

To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

JANUARY 22, 2010 EDUCATION THEPRESS.NET | 11A

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Winner from page 10A

Freedom to hold future Falcon clinic

Kindergarteners through eighth-graders are invited to attend the annual Future Freedom Falcons Basketball Cheer Clinic from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, Jan. 26-28, in Free-dom High Schools upper gymnasium. Participants will perform during half-time at the Falcons varsity basketball game against Antioch High on Friday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m.

Participants will be grouped accord-ing to age and be taught cheers by the

schools varsity cheerleaders and coach-es. Every girl will receive a performance T-shirt, pom-poms, snacks and waters. Parents are welcome to observe. All pro-ceeds from this fundraising clinic benefi t Freedoms cheer program. Admission is $50.

Registration forms are available in the front offi ce at Freedom High School, 1050 Neroly Road in Oakley. For more information, call adviser Leslie Runzler at 510-304-2000.

12A | THEPRESS.NET EDUCATION JANUARY 22, 2010

22 888882008

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D MEDALAWARD

Congratulations to Antiochs Mission Elemen-tary students who earned Merit Awards for exemplifying the character trait of Caring for the month of December: in the front row, from left, are Felmon Smith, Victor Ezeibe, Daisy Sto-ver, Meishalee Monge-Rodriguez, Isaiah Mendez and Wesley Moroschok; center row: Michelle Silva-Marin, Luke Fernandez, Karlo Tambot, Meya Mor-rison, Antionique Wilson, Cythaly Zetina, Gabby Daugherty, Carina Ortiz and Danile Lucido; back row: Abbigayle Ortiz, Matthew Romo, Diana Ro-driguez, Colin Huie, Mariana Fernandez, Trinity Huerta, Michell Lopez, Maria Chavez-Valadez and Kyshawn Wydermyer.

Mission of caring

JANUARY 22, 2010 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 13A

For heavens sake, they are meeting at three in the morning talking about water in the state. Who can even concentrate?

Its ridiculous whats happening in Sac-ramento. We are all watching this train wreck happen, not just on water but on policy, pe-riod. Its ridiculous, its juvenile, its ineffec-tive and its ego driven. And we, frankly, as a society shouldnt stand for it, and should require the crystal clear light of bright public interests be at the table and its not.

Piepho is particularly concerned about the plan to build a peripheral canal that would draw fresh water out of the Sac-

ramento River in the north Delta and send it south, bypassing much of the rest of the Delta. The Peripheral Canal, as they are proposing it, is the size of the Panama Canal 40 miles long, two football fi elds wide, she said. Its devastating. It sucks the air right out of the room.

But the people in Sacramento arent thinking about that. They are thinking what committee assignment, what political payback they are going to get if they vote yes. They are not thinking about the im-pacts on the Delta. They continue to look at it as a plumbing fi xture, which its not. And they are continuing to look at their own self interests.

In her hour-long discussion, Piepho also provided a heads-up that far East County residents will likely be asked to pay more in taxes to improve fi re protection. Currently only two of the eight fi re sta-tions in the East Contra Costa Fire Protec-tion District have three fi refi ghters on duty. Property taxes would need to be raised to get three fi refi ghters and paramedic service at all stations, she said.

Control of the district was recently transferred from the county to a far East County governing board that includes the cities of Oakley and Brentwood. (Brent-wood) City Council member Brandon Richey said, Its the county handing off a

problem, said Piepho. While thats true, it isnt in a negative way.

Its a stark reality that for the county to come out here and say, Raise revenue for the fi re district is that going to pass? Who trusts the county? Youre going to get more trust and accountability by hav-ing local people operating the books and sending that message that we need to raise revenue to this district and how are we go-ing to do that. Its the only way to solve this problem.

She said the new governing board is scheduled to hold its fi rst meeting in Feb-ruary.

To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

Piepho from page 1A

have continued to stay that way, said Fontenot.

The crime trend report for Discovery Bay for 2006 through 2009 shows there were 56 vehicle crimes reported in 2009; down signifi cantly from the 90 reported crimes in 2006, 96 crimes in 2007 and 70 crimes in 2008. Vehicle crimes tracked in the report include burglaries, recovered stolen vehicles, tampering, and grand and petty theft.

Fontenot believes the downward trend in vehicle crime is due in large part to the implementation of simple deterrents such as locking car doors and removing valuables from view.

When I fi rst came out here, everything was unlocked: cars, homes, everything, said Fontenot. But then I started letting people know that was a red fl ag to thieves and that in most cases when something was taken from their cars it was because it was unlocked and they had their valuables sitting on the seat. Now Ive noticed that theyre starting to lock their cars, but are still leaving stuff in it, and thieves are breaking the windows to grab items. Ive got the locking part down; now we need to work on the stuff in the cars.

But other procedures such as the

implementation of neighborhood watch programs, e-mail crime updates and good old-fashioned face-to-face time with residents has also played a role in the reduction of community crime.

Ill walk door to door and talk to people or see them on the street and let them know if there is something going on in their neighborhood, said Fontenot. And most of the time they are surprised to hear something has happened on their street. Sometimes its just a matter of being aware.

Property crimes which include residential, commercial and vandalism were up slightly from 2006 (136 reported cases) to 2009 (156 reported cases), but could be due to a number of factors.

Well, the truth is that the slight increase could be because more people are reporting crimes, said Fontenot. A lot of times people dont report things because theyre ashamed because they left their house or car unlocked and feel responsible. But the number-one thing people tell me is that they dont want to call and bother our guys with something little like graffi ti or a broken car window. But I tell them that its our job to come out; how else will we know what is going on? I think that idea is starting to sink in.

And in fact, the number of residential crimes was actually down in 2009 (42) from the previous year (50); 70 percent of residential burglaries occurred during weekday, daylight hours, and involved houses accessed in most cases from unlocked side garage doors and open windows.

All in all, said Fontenot who came back to Discovery Bay in July after budget cuts last year reassigned him to another location the community is safe, secure and will continue to be so.

The people out here in Discovery Bay are great, said Fontenot. They are interested and willing to help. You are always going to have little things (in a community) that are going to happen; were not a perfect world.

I think the offi cers and I are making a difference out here, but we can do only so much; the residents are the ones really making the difference. Theyre the ones that know their town.

To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

Crime from page 1A

Topsy-turvy justiceEditor:

It has become quite apparent that Kirbie Bell, Fred Hoskins, George Van Hasselt, Frederick Muhammad and Councilman Reggie Moore are quite determined to take over the Antioch Po-lice Department by creating a draconian Civilian Police Oversight Committee. Apparently, Moore believes the civil rights of law-abiding citizens should be sacrifi ced in order to protect the crimi-nal behavior of individuals who are terrorizing Antioch neighborhoods.

Given their despicable and insidious opinions of our police offi cers, in the event any of the above individuals or their family members become a victim of a violent crime and are in desperate need of law enforcement intervention, please do us all a favor and call East County Democrats, LULAC, NAACP and the ACLU for assistance. Not only am I confi dent they will come to your aid, but I am also certain they will be more than happy to assist your assail-ant in fi ling a discrimination complaint against you in federal court for having them arrested.

Gary GilbertAntioch

Recall the DBPOA boardEditor:

There has never been a group of people in the history of Discovery Bay that has been the subject of more con-troversy, more discourse, more litigation than the Discovery Bay Property Own-ers Association, the DBPOA.

Over the years the DBPOA had assumed more and more power over our property, our lives. The elections that were supposed to determine the future direction of the DBPOA have become a formality. Those in power just appoint their like-minded buddies, who in turn run unopposed at an annual election and as a result it is not possible to

change anything. Many people have lost their right to vote!

In recent years the DBPOA decided to impose monetary fi nes on many prop-erty owners. Fines that have come to tens of thousands of dollars and with-out any due process the law requires. When a property is sold or refi nanced, the DBPOA enters a claim into escrow for money owed and the title companies collect the money or the escrow does not close. The CC&Rs do not authorize monetary fi nes!

Today the DBPOA has an austeri-ty budget of $80,000 when membership dues account for only $41,000 per year. The rest is made up from huge fi nes and fees charged for their approval of just about anything.

The money is spent on the contract secretary, Vicki Laganowsky ($35,000+), Bob Lyman ($10,000+), liability insur-ance for the directors, the staff, and the largest item is legal fees. During the last four years they started three major law-suits and burned through over $100,000 in savings. The last one was over the location of a curb cut. The DBPOA lost the lawsuit. The court ruled that the DBPOA should have submitted the issues to independent third-party media-tion before they sued.

At this point the DBPOA is broke. The IRS also has an undisclosed issue against the association. The DBPOA does not have the money to pay the judgment, and the legal fees. There is no disclosure. They even stopped sending out newsletters and often meet in secret. There are lawsuits pending.

We want to recall the directors and start a dialogue with the property own-ers. We want to cancel all the fi nes and release all the liens that were recorded without due process required by law. We need to restore our voting rights!

We want to ask the property owners regarding the future direction of the DBPOA and try to resolve the outstand-ing legal issues. We need your support to

help us make a better community.This is a grass-roots effort. Be sure

to attend the DBPOA Board meeting scheduled for Feb. 3 at the Discovery Bay church.

Please support the recall. Sign the petition to force a recall election of the current directors.

Anthony Steller, Sr.Discovery Bay

Oakley needs effective Planning Commission

Editor:The Oakley Planning Commis-

sion was abolished by the City Council early in 2009 under the guise of cost savings. The only money that may have been saved was staff time in preparation for Planning Commission meetings. On every issue before the commission, we were given a pre-digested package of staff work and advised to vote for it.

Based on prior experience, I believe that an applicant for a project should fi rst meet with the planning commis-sioners, explain the project and its objectives, and receive guidance on what is needed to make the proposed proj-ect acceptable. Usually more than one working meeting would be necessary to develop the project into a plan accept-able to both the planning commission and the applicant.

The role of city staff should be to facilitate the process, provide technical guidance, and help with the details as delegated by the commissioners. The foregoing outlines the role of an effec-tive Planning Commission that leads the process, determines key project param-eters and utilizes staff for technical guidance and development of details.

In an ideal situation, the Council would trust the Planning Commission to act in the best interest of the citizens and support its decisions. The Planning Com-missions role in a city has no credibility if it is expected to merely rubber stamp

staff work already done, while being sub-ject to the whims of the political clique running the city. Oakley deserves to have an effective Planning Commission that operates in a leadership role.

Don ScheerFormer Oakley Planning Commis-

sioner

Pitching in for KidsEditor:

The Offi ce of the Sheriff and the Oakley Police Department would like to express our sincere thanks to the volunteers and participants in this years East County Cops for Kids Christmas Program. We placed toy barrels at the offi ces of Dr. Todorvic and Dr. Pierce, the Discovery Bay Yacht Club, Delta Sun Times, The Lakes, and the Sheriff s Annex. The people of Discovery Bay responded by donating countless un-wrapped toys.

We would like to thank United Sa-fari International, Ro Sweet, Kay Bordi and all of Discovery Bay Splashers, as wells as the Discovery Bay Lions Club for adopting us as one of their charities for 2009. With the help of the Discovery Bay Sheriff s volunteers, we served a spaghetti dinner to 200 people. Each of the 125 children received toys, stuffed animals, and photos with Santa Claus.

The Luckys Supermarket in Oakley donated a bag of groceries to each fam-ily. We gave away 27 bicycles refurbished by inmates at the Marsh Creek Deten-tion Facility, six Christmas trees and two laptop computers complete with tech support. Additional thanks to the Contra Costa County Peace Offi cers Alliance, Bay Commerical Bank, Mikes Beef and Brew, Kinders Meats, Edible Arrange-ments, Lexus Nexus, Safeway Discovery Bay, Costco and the Boy Scouts. We are looking forward to a bigger program in the 2010 Christmas season.

Sgt. Sandra DouglasSheriff s Delta Station

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

14A | THEPRESS.NET JANUARY 22, 2010

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City of Brentwood City Manager and City Council City Hall708 Third St.Brentwood, CA 94513 Phone: 925-516-5440webmaster@ci.brentwood.ca.usCounty Supervisor Mary N. Piepho1200 Central Blvd., Suite BBrentwood, CA 94513 Phone: 925-240-7260 dist3@bos.cccounty.usState Sen. Mark DeSaulnier Seventh State Senate DistrictState CapitolRoom 2054Sacramento, CA 95814

Phone: 916-651-4007 1350 Treat Blvd., Suite 240Walnut Creek, CA 94597Phone: 925-942-6082www.dist07.casen.govoffice.comAssemblywoman Joan Buchanan15th District P.O. Box 9428-001549Sacramento, CA 94249740 Third St., Brentwood, CA 94513 Phone: 925-513-8558www.democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a15Gov. Arnold SchwarzeneggerConstituent AffairsState Capitol

Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: 916-445-2864 www.gov.ca.gov/interact#emailU.S. Rep. Gerald McNerney 11th Congressional District 2222 Grand Canal Blvd., Suite 7 Stockton, CA 95207 Phone: 209-476-8552Fax: 209-476-8587Washington office:312 Cannon HOBWashington, D.C. 20515 Phone: 202-225-1947Fax: 202-225-4060www.mcnerney.house.govU.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240

San Francisco, CA 94111Phone: 415-403-0100 Fax: 415-956-6701www.boxer.senate.govU.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein1 Post St., Room 2450San Francisco, CA 94104Phone: 415-393-0707Washington office:331 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Phone: 202-224-3841www.feinstein.senate.govPresident Barack Obama1600 Pennsylvania Ave.Washington, D.C. 20500Phone: 202-456-1111 Fax: 202-456-2461

GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

JANUARY 22, 2010 THEPRESS.NET | 15A

A sampling of recent law enforcement activity reported by East County police departments.BRENTWOODJan. 7, 2:54 p.m. A restraining order viola-tion was reported by a resident of Wildcat Court.Jan. 7, 3:53 p.m. A resident of Central Bou-levard sent a cashiers check for a snowboard to a seller on Craigslist, never received her property.Jan. 7, 4:30 p.m. An unidentifi ed person used the credit card of a resident of Mead-owbrook Drive to purchase $302 in gift cards over the Internet.Jan. 7, 6:30 p.m. On Brentwood Boulevard at Village Drive, a subject stopped for ve-hicle code violations was found to be under the infl uence of a central nervous system stimulant. A probation search of his resi-dence revealed a small quantity of metham-phetamine. He was arrested and taken to the Martinez Detention Facility.Jan. 7, 9:20 p.m. On Second Street at Maple Street, a passerby was approached by six unidentifi ed subjects, one of whom pointed a gun at him and stole his wallet.Jan. 7, 10:32 p.m. On Indiana Avenue at Wal-nut Boulevard, a subject stopped for vehicle code violations was found to be unlicensed. He was cited and released on a Notice To Appear. The vehicle was impounded.Jan. 8, 5:19 p.m. On the Highway 4 Bypass at Balfour Road, the passenger of a vehicle stopped for vehicle code violations was found lying on the vehicles rear fl oor and under the infl uence of central nervous sys-tem stimulant. He was arrested and taken to the Martinez Detention Facility.Jan. 9, 12:30 a.m. On Lone Tree Way at Canada Valley Road, a subject stopped for a vehicle code violation was found in pos-session of a loaded shotgun and suspected methamphetamine. He was arrested and taken to the Martinez Detention Facility.Jan. 9, 9:29 a.m. A subject knocked loudly on the front door of a residence of George Court and yelled at someone inside.Jan. 9, 5:36 p.m. On Brentwood Boule-vard at Lone Tree Way, a subject stopped for vehicle code violations was found to be in possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested and taken to the Martinez De-

tention Facility.Jan. 10, 12:47 a.m. An unidentifi ed person threw an object through the front window of a residence on Grovewood Loop and also damaged a front door handle.Jan. 10, 2:07 p.m. An unidentifi ed person sent an annoying text message to a resident of Lone Oak Road.Jan. 10, 3:55 p.m. On Brentwood Boule-vard, a subject was injured when a vehicle fell on top of him. He was transported to Sutter Delta Medical Center.Jan. 10, 5:55 p.m. Dogs at a residence on Wintergreen Drive were reported to be barking for approximately three hours.Jan. 10, 9:28 p.m. An unidentifi ed person fi red one shotgun round into the garage door of a residence on Torrington Drive and fl ed.

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.ANTIOCHJan. 14, 9:14 p.m. A 19-year-old security guard for the Casa Blanca Apartment com-plex on Claudia Court was conducting his rounds when two black males wearing ski masks jumped out from behind some bush-es and confronted him. One of the subjects struck the guard in the head with a pistol, knocking him to the ground. One subject demanded his property while the other went through his pockets. Both fl ed into the com-plex. The victim suffered a small laceration to the right side of his head. He was treated at a local hospital and later released. The suspects are still outstanding and the inves-tigation is ongoing. Those with information regarding this case should call the Antioch Police Department at 925-778-2441.Jan. 14 The Contra Costa County District Attorneys Offi ce fi led charges against 24-year-old Gregory Rossignon for the mur-der of 18-year-old Demariay Weathers in Pittsburg on Oct. 23, 2009. Rossignon was arrested on Oct. 30 and has remained in custody on a probation violation.OAKLEYJan. 4 Vehicles were towed from Empire Avenue at Holly Drive and West Cypress Road at Orchard Park Drive.Jan. 4 On Picasso Drive at Rembrandt

Court, a subject failed to obey a traffi c of-fi cer.Jan. 4 A business on the 2500 block of Main Street was burglarized.Jan. 4 Grand theft from a vehicle was re-ported on the 4800 block of Bayside Way.Jan. 4 Identity theft occurred on the 200 block of Woodglen Place.Jan. 4 Fraud was reported on the 4900 block of Empire Avenue.Jan. 4 Misdemeanor vandalism was re-ported on Laurel Road at Quail Valley Run.Jan. 5 A vehicle was recovered on Edge-wood Drive at Teakwood Drive.Jan. 5 On the 4500 block of Main Street, a subject was found to be under the infl uence of drugs.Jan. 5 On the 500 block of Woodmont Place, a subject was charged with violation of probation.Jan. 5 Arrest warrants were served on the 2100 block of Megan Drive and the 100 block of Francis Court.Jan. 5 A case of sexual battery occurred on the 300 block of Lorenz Drive.Jan. 5 On the 100 block of Gary Court, a subject attempted to evade police.Jan. 5 Forgery was reported on the 2500 block of Main Street.Jan. 6 On the 1700 block of Gateway Drive, a subject was charged with posses-sion of dangerous drugs.Jan. 6 The disturbance of a barking dog was reported on the 1000 block of Quail Valley Run.Jan. 6 Grand theft from a building was re-ported on the 1000 block of Neroly Road.Jan. 9 A vehicle was stolen from the 100 block of Pamela Court.Jan. 9 A sale of dangerous drugs took place on East Cypress Road at Frank Hen-gel Way.Jan. 9 A vehicle accident with property damage occurred on Gamay Circle at Mal-lard Lane.Jan. 9 On the 5600 block of Main Street, on Delta Road at Main Street, on Hagar Lane at La Vista Drive, and on East Cy-press Road at Picasso Drive, subjects were charged with driving under the infl uence of alcohol.Jan. 9 A subject was found in possession

of burglary tools on Ponderosa Drive at Se-quoia Drive.Jan. 9 Felony vandalism occurred on the 900 block of Stonegate Circle.Jan. 10 Juveniles were reported as run-aways from the 5000 block of Pitta Court and the 1900 block of Chardonnay Drive.Jan. 10 Incidents of battery were reported on the 100 block of West Home Street and the 2900 block of Main Street.DISCOVERY BAYDec. 1 Incidents of vandalism were re-ported on the 1700 block of Surfside Place and on the 5200 block of Riverlake Road.Dec. 2 Grand theft from a building oc-curred on the 4800 block of South Point.Dec. 5 A vehicle parked on the 2200 block of Cypress Point was burglarized.Dec. 10 Grand theft from a vehicle was reported on the 5000 block of Almanor Drive.Dec. 11 An arrest warrant was served on the 4000 block of Regatta Drive.Dec. 11 Misdemeanor battery occurred on the 800 block of Discovery Bay Boulevard.Dec. 13 An vehicle parked on the 2300 block of Cherry Hills Drive was burglar-ized.Dec. 14 A residence on the 4100 block of North Anchor Court was burglarized.Dec. 18 An arrest warrant was served on the 5600 block of Schooner Loop.Dec. 21 Misdemeanor battery was report-ed on the 1300 block of Shell Court.Dec. 21 On the 4800 block of Discovery Point, a subject was arrested for public in-toxication.Dec. 22 Credit card fraud occurred on the 2000 block of Largo Court.Dec. 23 On Newbury Lane at Preston Drive, a subject was found in violation of a custody order.Dec. 23 Grand theft was reported on the 5600 block of Schooner Loop.Dec. 26 Felony vandalism was reported on the 1700 block of Cherry Hills Drive.Dec. 29 A residential burglary was report-ed on the 100 block of Edgeview Court.Dec. 30 An assault with a deadly weap-on occurred at Harbor Drive and Marina Road.Dec. 30 Petty theft from a building oc-curred on the 4900 block of Cabrillo Point.

COP LOGSFROM EMERGENCY SERVICES DISPATCH LOGS On Brentwood Boulevard, a subject was injured when a vehicle fell on top of him. Jan. 10, 3:55 p.m, Brentwood

16A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY JANUARY 22, 2010

Diversify Your PortfolioToo oft en, our busy lives make it easy to set

aside our personal goals. But when welcoming a new-year, we usually take these goals off the shelf, reprioritize them and rededicate ourselves.

Keeping this in mind, especially in light of todays economy, I recommend that you look at your investments with a fresh eye. To minimize risk, be sure to invest in a number of diff erent asset classes. By diversifying your portfolio, youll be prepared to take advantage of all market trends and participate in the performance of multiple sectors of the economy.

Another smart diversifi cation strategy includes investing in Private Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), which might also help you put more cash in your portfolio and your pocket over time. Use the Cash for Sustainable Growth

By investing in a Private REIT (a non-publicly traded REIT), you can set the wheels in motion for a 6-7 percent annual dividend yield that is paid monthly and a 12-15 percent projected annual total return. Use the monthly dividend check to help fund your retirement income; or choose the option of reinvesting the dividends to compound your returns by purchasing additional shares.What is the Upside of Investing in Multifamily Private REITS?

Like any REIT, multifamily Private REITs off er a good long term investment along with a way to insulate your portfolio from the eff ects of volatile market forces. In addition, they off er a less risky bet than some other asset classes, since they are backed by real property.

But why do multifamily Private REITs off er even more upside in our current economy than other, commercial REITs?

According to a recent study by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, Th e State of the Nations Housing, 2009, the aging

of the echo boomers (kids of age 2-19) will support housing demand over the next 20 years.

Th is, coupled with the aging baby boomer population, which is likely to turn to multi-family living to avoid ownership costs and maintenance, seems to create a compelling argument for investing in multifamily Private REITs like those off ered by Burpee Del Simone LLC.

Right now, real estate investment trust companies are purchasing multifamily units in the top 50 US metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) for about 25-50 percent of what they were just 2-5 years ago.

Rental properties that are near public trans-portation and live-work communities, especially in a variety of up-and-coming metropolitan areas across the US, off er the best opportunity for growth.

At Burpee Del Simone, were known for in-novative strategies and alternative investments, like multifamily Private REITs, that can enhance your ability to maximize consistent, stable returns.

For more information and a complimentary investment analysis, please feel free to contact me at 925-472-6688 or visit our website at www.burpeedelsimone.com.

Robert BurpeeLPL Financial ConsultantBurpee Del Simone LLC925-472-6688advisor@burpeedelsimone.comTh e opinions voiced in this material are for general

information only and are not intended to provide specifi c advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which investment(s) may be appropriate for you, consult your fi nancial advisor prior to investing. All performance ref-erenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. All indices are unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly.

Asset Allocation does not ensure a profi t or protect against a loss.

Securities off ered through LPL Financial Member FINRA/ SIPC

Roberts Investment UpdateBy Robert Burpee

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medical supplies that might be of use for those providing the much-needed medical services in Haiti, said Lombardi. We will then give those supplies to our greater Sutter East Bay Region, which is coordinating with identifi ed organizations to make the ship-ments to Haiti.

Sutter Health (Sutter Deltas parent organization) has also donated $1.25 mil-lion to aid victims of the earthquake, and in the weeks ahead, the Northern California network of doctors will work with other not-for-profi t hospitals and health care services to send trained medical personnel to support

the relief efforts.We fi nd it diffi cult to comprehend the

staggering human tragedy that continues to unfold in Haiti following last weeks pow-erful earthquake, said Patrick Fry, Sutter Health president and CEO. Devastating events such as this compel us to look beyond our local Northern California communities to the overwhelming needs of our global community.

The next several days, weeks and months will likely be overwhelming for the people of Haiti. Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone impacted by this devas-tating natural disaster.

To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

Nurses from page 3A

Drs. Michael Pound and Todd Frig-ard will be providing exams and adjust-ments to the general public on Wednes-day, Jan. 27 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at their Antioch offi ce, 501 W. Third St., in an ef-fort to raise money for the victims of the Haiti earthquake.

In a country where AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis are rampant, children in Haiti now face even more dangers, such as lethal infections, broken bones, malnutri-tion and internal injuries. Doctors realize that Haitian kids lives will be unimag-inably diffi cult in the days and months

to come, and are calling for help of any kind.

Its an opportunity for people to give as much as they can afford, said Pound. Not everyone can fl y to Haiti to provide aid, which is why we organized a local event for people to come together and feel better physically and mentally.

Although appointments are not nec-essary, they are strongly encouraged due to the expected high demand. For more information or to make an appointment, call 925-754-1727 and mention this ar-ticle.

Chiropractors adjustto raise quake relief

JANUARY 22, 2010 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 17A

Trevors Weekly Mortgage MattersBy Trevor Frey

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Th e Good News: Last Friday (January 15th) Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced that from February 1, 2010 until February 1, 2011, or until otherwise extended or withdrawn by the FHA Commissioner, the 90 day anti-fl ipping regulation on FHA insured loans will be removed. Before this announcement investors were not allowed to sell homes they had owned for less than 90 days to any FHA buyerscutting all FHA buyers out of another slice of an already lean housing market pie. Th e Better News: Th e new regulation comes with very tight guidelines to ensure predatory lending does not take place, which is a great thing for potential buyers. If a home comes back onto the market within 90 days of last being sold, and new sales price is more than 20% of what the current owner paid an investor comes in and buys a distressed home for $180,000, then fi xes it up and puts it back on the market for $225,000 (which is a 25% increase in price) then two separate, independent, appraisals are required. For the fi rst time ever a home inspection will also be REQUIRED BY THE LENDER for these properties that carry a price more than 20% higher than the last sales price. Last but not least, quoting directly from HUDs news release, All transactions must be arms-length, with no identity of interest between the buyer and the seller

or other parties participating in the sales transaction.Th e Best News: Th is huge change is a sign of the times and a move that will only help to stimulate and recreate our local housing market and neighborhoods. Areas such as east Contra Costa County, where both prices and inventory are currently low, has recently become a mecca for investors who are outbidding the vast majority of fi rst time buyersfi rst time buyers whose only means of homeownership is FHA fi nancing. With these investors now able to buy, fi x, and sell (all within 90 days) to the FHA fi nanced fi rst time buyer, a whole new market is now available to the people who wish to make a house out of their home purchase. Quoting HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, FHA borrowers, because of the restrictions we are now lift ing, have oft en been shut out from buying aff ordable properties. FHA has an unprecedented opportunity to fulfi ll its mission by helping many homebuyers fi nd aff ordable housing while contributing to neighborhood stabilization.

If you have any real estate lending related questions or concerns, or wish to speak with an FHA expert who can close your FHA loan within 30 days, dont hesitate to write me at tfreymortgages@yahoo.com, or call me directly on my cell phone, (925) 726-1444.

GoodBetterBest

The Brentwood Press stowed away in the luggage of Brentwood resident Claire Keith on her vacation to China, where, as you can see here, the locals lined up patiently for a chance to see it. Actu-ally, Claires new pals have been patiently lined up for quite a while: Theyre the world famous Terra Cotta Warriors in Xian. Thanks, Claire, for sneaking your Hometown Weekly Newspaper through that vaunted Peoples Republic security.

Seen in China

18A | THEPRESS.NET COMMUNITY JANUARY 22, 2010

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Just when you gured the news from August was all in: Norman and Julie Escovers house at 1721 Latour Ave. was named the Brentwood Advisory Neighborhood Committees Home of the Month for August, 2009. Scheduling and pa-perwork snafus caused a delay in the announce-ment, but dont diminish the accomplishment: The home features over owing ower boxes, a tex-tured walkway and ornamental bushes. A large urn adorned by dainty, colored owers is nestled atop a rock pedestal for all to see. The neatly mani-cured lawn and profusion of color make this home a visual delight.

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January 22, 2010

Liberty falls short on free throwsThe Liberty boys basketball team

might be winless in its fi rst fi ve league games, but its getting closer. The Lions lost by seven points to Pittsburg also previously winless in BVAL play Friday night.

Although the Lions came up short, 56-49, the vocal Liberty crowd was treat-ed to a close contest, in which the home team led most of the fi rst half. The games outcome wasnt certain until the fi nal minutes.

The difference was the third quar-ter. Liberty scored only fi ve points in the frame and saw the Pittsburg lead expand from one point at halftime to 11 at the end of three periods. While Liberty put an impressive 16 points on the scoreboard in the fi nal period, it wasnt enough to overcome the Pirates.

Free throw shooting and turnovers made the difference. The Pirates shot 11 for 16 from the line. While 69 percent free throw shooting is nothing to write home about, the Lions shot an abysmal 46 per-cent (13 for 28). They also consistently struggled against the Pittsburg press, which caused several turnovers that re-sulted in easy points for the Pirates.

The biggest difference in the game is free throw shooting, said Lions Coach Jon Heinz. We lose by seven points and

shoot 13 of 28 from the free throw line. Your goal is to shoot at least 70 percent, and if we shoot 21 of 28, thats 75 per-cent. For a young team, what killed us were mental mistakes. To me, free throw shooting is mental. Missed free throws,

and we turned the ball over too much with our good guards.

My freshman guards (Brandon Whites) ankle is bothering him a little, and my sophomore (Darren Meeks) got hurt. We are a little injured right now. I

give my guys credit; they played hard and tried to really execute the game plan.

Pittsburg guard, senior Erick Dar-gan, led all scorers with 25 points. Meeks was the only Liberty player to score in double digits, fi nishing with 11.

Who stole the show tonight? Erick Dargan, the league MVP (from last year), and he played like it, said Heinz. The league MVP scores 25, and thats the dif-ference in the game. When there are two even teams, the team with the superstar usually wins, and we dont have a super-star. We have a good, cohesive team. Ev-erybody scored that played. We have 10 guys on our roster; nine of them scored. We had a good team effort. The superstar got us tonight. Give him credit; hes a heck of a ballplayer.

On beating the press, Heinz said, The biggest thing is just decision mak-ing. Basketball is just as much mental as physical. We let their pressure get in our head a little bit. Thats what happens when you start a freshman at point guard. It came down to the third quarter; we lost 15-5. We play them even in that quarter and we win the game by 3. It just comes down to free throws and turnovers.

Liberty lost 51-59 to Deer Valley Tuesday the Wolverines third league win in a row. Tonight, Jan. 22, Liberty travels to Antioch. On Tuesday they host Freedom. All games start at 7 p.m.

To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

by Michael DixonCorrespondent

Freedom takes down Heritage in opener

Freedoms wrestling team beat Heritage 47-27 in the league opener last week, but the match wasnt quite as lopsided as the score indicates, according to Falcon Coach John Parsons.

The dual meet went pretty much as planned, he said. We are young but the guys wrestled real tough. Heritage has a handful of real tough kids. Fortunately, we matched up real well with our tough kids and their tough kids. I dont think the score was indicative of how close it was. They forfeited a couple of matches at the end, which padded the score a little bit.

Several matches stood out, he said, beginning with the 103-pound bout that Freedoms Ricky Leyva, a sophomore fi rst-year varsity wrestler, won 9-8 over James Vigil, who has more wrestling experience than Leyva. He (Leyva) was winning pretty good and the kid (Vigil) started coming back a little bit. Maybe a few more seconds he would have pulled out a win. He (Leyva) is getting more confi dent in himself and thats starting to show in his wrestling.

The 130-pound bout featured the Austins Free-doms Austin Estrada and Heritages Austin Dizon who have both been wrestling since middle school. Estrada

won 7-2. It was a match that we looked forward to and it worked out in our favor, said Parsons. That was kind of a punch to the gut to Heritage when they lost that one.

The heavyweights, usually the last to wrestle, were fi rst this time and the 285-pound bout didnt last long. Freedoms Nick Pierce pinned Will Oliver just 47 seconds into the contest. Making the win even more impressive is the fact that Pierce was coming off shoulder surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff and bone spurs.

Nick came out and took it to him right away, said Parsons. It was nice to see Nick come out and start the season off on the right foot. I anticipated his return, but I was a little apprehensive how his shoulder would hold up. When theres 600 pounds (of wrestlers) rolling around, it doesnt take much to break stuff.

Pierce actually wrestled and trained through the in-jury last season. Throughout the season he would keep complaining his shoulder was sore, said the coach. We would ice it and take it as easy as you can on a kid whos 6-2, 285 pounds. During the summer he kept complain-ing and fi nally decided he had to get it checked out. They found the tear and bone spurs. They were able to go in and fi x it all up and, Heaven willing, he will be healthy the rest of the year. Hes a senior and the heart of the lineup, so its real important that we keep him out there.

Sandwiched between tournaments this week, Free-dom took on Pittsburg Wednesday, the results of which were not available at press time. The Falcons next home meet is against Deer Valley at 7 p.m on Jan. 27.

To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

by Dave RobertsStaff Writer

Libertys Peston Cole attempts to score in the rst quarter of a loss to Pittsburg Friday. Free throw shooting and turnovers made the difference.

In a 130-pound battle of the Austins, Freedoms Austin Estrada put Austin Dizon of Heritage on his back for near fall points in a bout Estrada won 7-2.

Photo by Richard Wisdom

Photo by Richard Wisdom

20A | THEPRESS.NET SPORTS JANUARY 22, 2010

Lion wrestlers tune up at InvitationalFor a squad such as the Liberty Li-

ons wrestling team, elite competition is an indispensable part of preparation for the annual run at a North Coast Section championship and a strong showing at the state championships. Tournaments such as the recent Doc Buchanan Invita-tional in Clovis shed light on the teams post-season aspirations, and the work that needs to be accomplished in the fi nal weeks of the season.

The Lions sent six wrestlers to Clovis for the Doc B. While only one of the six placed in the prestigious event, each won at least one match and showed promise while wrestling against some of the best competition in California. Last seasons top 15 programs in California competed at the invitational, and the seedings for each weight bracket resembled projected seedings for the state championships in March.

According to head coach Greg Chappel, the invitational gives a fair es-timation of the competition at the state level. Thats a good sign for junior Jesse Baldazzo, who worked his way back through the consolation bracket after losing his opening match to fi nish eighth in the fi eld. Baldazzo won three consecu-tive matches in the consolation bracket, including an overtime victory over the third-seeded wrestler, Travis Arreguin of Healdsburg, who fi nished ahead of