Most students at Deer Valley High School know Bill Leach as the guy in charge of the Visual Arts Department and the Antioch Unified School District's 2008 Teacher of the Year.
They haven't had the chance to see him sitting behind a set of drums rocking to the beat as he performs with his band The Clarences. On Saturday night, Leach and his band will perform and help out one of his favorite causes — Deer Valley High School.
The Clarences agreed to donate their talents to help support the school's Education Advancement Foundation. The foundation is hosting its third annual fundraiser with an evening of dinner, dancing and a silent auction at Lone Tree Golf Course.
Events like these are near and dear to the band's heart, Leach said, because not only is he a teacher, but two other members of the band, Molly Blue and Amanda White, are both special education teachers in the Oakland area.
"We really have a soft spot in our hearts for the young, creative students in our educational system," Leach said. Aside from performing after dinner, Leach will also serve as event host and auctioneer.
Leach describes The Clarences as a melody-driven, power pop rock band. Besides the three school teachers, the band consists of Robert A. Medeiros and Gary Delucchi. It blends basses, drums, glockenspiels, guitars, keyboards, percussion, synthesizers, tambourines and vocal harmonies. All of its music is original, with the exception of one song that it recently had to learn in order to apply as a contestant for NBC's America's Got Talent.
"It was an interesting weekend," Leach said. "We played a gig in San Jose, then piled into two vans and headed south."
The band is still waiting to hear whether it made the final cut, but while it was in the studio, NBC grouped about 10 acts, including The Clarences, and taped promotional spots for the new season.
"Out of the thousands of people auditioning, it was a thrill to be picked to be part of the promo reel. We really think America will love our band," Leach said.
Each band plays an instrument or two, as well as provides vocals for the band. The band has been performing together for about two years, but Leach himself only joined the group last summer.
The Deer Valley fundraiser raises money for various causes, including the leadership program, visual and performing arts departments, the school library and the technology advancements. Last year, the event paid for a new sound system, new information kiosks around the campus, improved library facilities, and many other improvements.
For more information on The Clarences, visit its Web site at www.theclarences.com.
If you go
WHAT: Deer Valley High School's annual fundraiser
dinner, Spring in the Valley
WHEN: 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Lone Tree Golf Course, 4800 Golf Course Road
INFO: While tickets are still available, there is limited seating and no tickets will be available at the door. Reservations may be made in advance by contacting Sue Wiser at 925-756-6700 for tickets at school, Wanda Hom at 925-779-0227 for other tickets. For donations and sponsorships, contact Deborah Miller at 925-354-7650.
This blog is dedicated to articles that have run in the East Bay Times (East Contra Costa County, California), Brentwood News, Oakley News, Antioch News, Pittsburg News written by community columnist and correspondent, Roni Gehlke.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
New Vietnamese restaurant specializes in pho
Name of business: Pho Vietnam
Type of business: Restaurant
Owners: Sandra La and Minh Trinh\
Founded: March 7, 2009
Address: 622 First St., Brentwood
Phone number: 516-5654
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Saturday
Number of employees: four
Products and services: Pho Vietnam specializes in pho, which is a beef noodle dish. Vietnamese food is known for its common use of fish sauce, soy sauce, rice, fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables. They also serve dishes that include pork chops, lemongrass chicken, garlic noodles and Thai items. They offer take-in and take-out menus.
How did you get into the business?: La and Trinh owned a restaurant in Livermore, but had lived in Brentwood for three years. They decided that they should open a restaurant where they live to get to know some of the residents.
"We've lived here all this time and never gotten to know our neighbors because we were always at work," La said.
Best part about the business: "When people are happy with the food and we get compliments from the customers," La said.
She also likes getting to meet all the people from the area.
Worst part about the business: La said that there are only so many hours in the day and she doesn't get to spend enough time with her 7-year-old and 8-month-old children.
Key to success: "What's important is that we deliver quality food at a little price," she said. "We also have to remember the customer is always right."
Biggest misperception about the business: "There are still a lot of people who haven't tried Vietnamese food," La said.
She said that some people believe that Vietnamese food is just like Chinese, but she said that the two cuisines are vastly different in style. "Vietnamese food uses a different kind of sauce than Chinese food."
Future plans: Even though the restaurant has just opened there are still things that La said she wants to accomplish. She said that she is interested in looking into offering a delivery service and she is in the process of getting a restaurant beer and wine permit.
Type of business: Restaurant
Owners: Sandra La and Minh Trinh\
Founded: March 7, 2009
Address: 622 First St., Brentwood
Phone number: 516-5654
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Saturday
Number of employees: four
Products and services: Pho Vietnam specializes in pho, which is a beef noodle dish. Vietnamese food is known for its common use of fish sauce, soy sauce, rice, fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables. They also serve dishes that include pork chops, lemongrass chicken, garlic noodles and Thai items. They offer take-in and take-out menus.
How did you get into the business?: La and Trinh owned a restaurant in Livermore, but had lived in Brentwood for three years. They decided that they should open a restaurant where they live to get to know some of the residents.
"We've lived here all this time and never gotten to know our neighbors because we were always at work," La said.
Best part about the business: "When people are happy with the food and we get compliments from the customers," La said.
She also likes getting to meet all the people from the area.
Worst part about the business: La said that there are only so many hours in the day and she doesn't get to spend enough time with her 7-year-old and 8-month-old children.
Key to success: "What's important is that we deliver quality food at a little price," she said. "We also have to remember the customer is always right."
Biggest misperception about the business: "There are still a lot of people who haven't tried Vietnamese food," La said.
She said that some people believe that Vietnamese food is just like Chinese, but she said that the two cuisines are vastly different in style. "Vietnamese food uses a different kind of sauce than Chinese food."
Future plans: Even though the restaurant has just opened there are still things that La said she wants to accomplish. She said that she is interested in looking into offering a delivery service and she is in the process of getting a restaurant beer and wine permit.
Artist Bill Weber opens a new gallery
AFTER PRESENTING shows for years at local galleries, artist Bill Weber will open a new gallery in Brentwood and will present his first show Saturday.
The Weber Gallery will partner with MCM Framing on Harvest Park Drive, where the gallery will be located.
For five years Weber hosted art shows in Brentwood featuring some of the biggest and brightest artists of today and the past.
"When the city closed their building that the previous gallery was in, I knew I had to find another location," Weber said.
The Harvest Park location offers enough room for Weber to continue to offer large showings of multiple artists at a time. For his opening the gallery will feature Castro Valley artist Bill Sala as the main artist, but there will also be works from Stanley Mouse, Frank Lloyd Wright, Maxfield Parish, Geoff Allen and a special piece by Albrecht Durer. All told there will be about 80 pieces displayed, Weber said.
All of the pieces vary in style. Sala offers his works of surreal paintings, which he describes as being similar to that of renowned artist Salvador Dali. Sala has been an artist for the past 50 years. Most of his work has been shown through galleries in Mendocino and Fort Bragg area. His prints, which will be for sale, are anywhere in size from 8-by-10 inches to 30-by-40 inches.
Weber said that Mouse is a great fan of Sala's work and wanted to be shown with him. Mouse is mainly remembered for his album cover work for rock bands such as the Grateful Dead, Journey, Rolling Stones and the Beatles.
Having the gallery also gives Weber the chance to feature legendary artist Frank Lloyd Wright. Weber said he was able to get part of Wright's collection from a friend who was interested in selling some of the works he had collected.
"Some of the pieces date back to 1893," Weber said. "They are mostly buildings he designed. There are about 10 altogether."
Weber said that a special piece that will be on display would be an Apocalypse Woodcut by legendary artist Durer that dates back to 1504. Durer was a German painter, printmaker and theorist.
Weber works with varied art forms himself. Over the lifespan of his art career, he has worked on murals, paintings, sculptures and digital art. He is perhaps best known for his murals that can be seen in personal homes and on city streets like in San Francisco. One of his most famous murals, which he calls "Jazz Mural," is located in San Francisco and encompasses two sides of a building. Other pieces range from building fronts to wall spaces in homes. He still is available to do murals and special painting projects.
He also has a series of surreal canvases that he has painted under the name of El Gallo. Each of the paintings has a different theme. Two of the most well-known are "Birth of a Planet" and "Energy Consuming Life." Reproductions of some of Weber's murals and art can be found in several books and publications.
The Weber Gallery's regular hours will be Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. A special artist reception for this show has been planned for April 11 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the gallery. For more information, call 925-634-7742.
If you go
WHAT: Weber Gallery grand opening
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. March 21; reception is set for 4 to 8 p.m. April 11 at the gallery.
WHERE: 700 Harvest Park Road, Brentwood
INFO: 634-7742
The Weber Gallery will partner with MCM Framing on Harvest Park Drive, where the gallery will be located.
For five years Weber hosted art shows in Brentwood featuring some of the biggest and brightest artists of today and the past.
"When the city closed their building that the previous gallery was in, I knew I had to find another location," Weber said.
The Harvest Park location offers enough room for Weber to continue to offer large showings of multiple artists at a time. For his opening the gallery will feature Castro Valley artist Bill Sala as the main artist, but there will also be works from Stanley Mouse, Frank Lloyd Wright, Maxfield Parish, Geoff Allen and a special piece by Albrecht Durer. All told there will be about 80 pieces displayed, Weber said.
All of the pieces vary in style. Sala offers his works of surreal paintings, which he describes as being similar to that of renowned artist Salvador Dali. Sala has been an artist for the past 50 years. Most of his work has been shown through galleries in Mendocino and Fort Bragg area. His prints, which will be for sale, are anywhere in size from 8-by-10 inches to 30-by-40 inches.
Weber said that Mouse is a great fan of Sala's work and wanted to be shown with him. Mouse is mainly remembered for his album cover work for rock bands such as the Grateful Dead, Journey, Rolling Stones and the Beatles.
Having the gallery also gives Weber the chance to feature legendary artist Frank Lloyd Wright. Weber said he was able to get part of Wright's collection from a friend who was interested in selling some of the works he had collected.
"Some of the pieces date back to 1893," Weber said. "They are mostly buildings he designed. There are about 10 altogether."
Weber said that a special piece that will be on display would be an Apocalypse Woodcut by legendary artist Durer that dates back to 1504. Durer was a German painter, printmaker and theorist.
Weber works with varied art forms himself. Over the lifespan of his art career, he has worked on murals, paintings, sculptures and digital art. He is perhaps best known for his murals that can be seen in personal homes and on city streets like in San Francisco. One of his most famous murals, which he calls "Jazz Mural," is located in San Francisco and encompasses two sides of a building. Other pieces range from building fronts to wall spaces in homes. He still is available to do murals and special painting projects.
He also has a series of surreal canvases that he has painted under the name of El Gallo. Each of the paintings has a different theme. Two of the most well-known are "Birth of a Planet" and "Energy Consuming Life." Reproductions of some of Weber's murals and art can be found in several books and publications.
The Weber Gallery's regular hours will be Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. A special artist reception for this show has been planned for April 11 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the gallery. For more information, call 925-634-7742.
If you go
WHAT: Weber Gallery grand opening
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. March 21; reception is set for 4 to 8 p.m. April 11 at the gallery.
WHERE: 700 Harvest Park Road, Brentwood
INFO: 634-7742
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Know someone who would make an interesting Neighbor Profile for the Brentwood News?
People are always calling and asking how to get a Neighbors Profile in the Brentwood News, Oakley News or Antioch News. For the purpose of the internet folks, let me just say that these newspapers only print local content. That means that neighbors that are spotlighted must be residents of Brentwood, Oakley, Antioch, Bethel Island Knightsen, Discovery Bay or Byron to be featured in the newspaper.
Each neighbor must have a news worthy feature about them. That can mean a lot of things. Perhaps the neighbor is a member of a non-profit group, or has won a special award. They might have establish a world record or is doing something good in their community. Check out some of the people features in the below posts.
If you think you have a good neighbors story send a request and I'll run it by my editor.
Also, Neighbors are different from business owners. I also do a weekly business column. Again the business must be located in Brentwood, Oakley, Antioch, Bethel Island Knightsen, Discovery Bay or Byron to be featured in the newspaper. There are some stipulations that I must follow for the business column, but if you think your business would make a good spotlight go ahead and e-mail a request.
There is no guarantees here. All final decisions on who is featured is made by the higher ups at the paper. It doesn't hurt to give a try.
Each neighbor must have a news worthy feature about them. That can mean a lot of things. Perhaps the neighbor is a member of a non-profit group, or has won a special award. They might have establish a world record or is doing something good in their community. Check out some of the people features in the below posts.
If you think you have a good neighbors story send a request and I'll run it by my editor.
Also, Neighbors are different from business owners. I also do a weekly business column. Again the business must be located in Brentwood, Oakley, Antioch, Bethel Island Knightsen, Discovery Bay or Byron to be featured in the newspaper. There are some stipulations that I must follow for the business column, but if you think your business would make a good spotlight go ahead and e-mail a request.
There is no guarantees here. All final decisions on who is featured is made by the higher ups at the paper. It doesn't hurt to give a try.
Brentwood sculptor finishes piece, prepares for show
Quoting the verses of Roman myth, Brentwood artist Miguel Flores explained where he came up with the idea of his latest completed sculpture, "Venus and Adonis." The sculpture was unveiled at the artist's home on Valentine's Day at a private party for relatives and friends. Creating the bronze art took 19 months of hard work and dedication to get it to come out just the way Flores wanted it.
The story behind the sculpture is a familiar tale to mythology and Shakespeare fans. Venus, the goddess of love and keeper of cupid, is hit by one of cupid's arrows right before she lays eyes on Adonis, a young mortal.
"The goddess Venus tries to restrain her lover Adonis from going off to the hunt. She clings to him, imploring him not to go, but Adonis looks down at her impassively," Flores said, explaining the tragic love story found in Ovid's "Metamorphoses." "The story ends tragically. During the hunt the mortal Adonis is fatally gored by a wild boar."
For Flores creating the bronze took a great deal of concentration and trial and error. Over a nearly two- year period, he cast a clay mold and then had a special bronze mold made to set the final bronze sculpture. While working on the sculpture, the clay mold kept breaking, he said. Each time, Flores repeated the work of putting the clay pack together or restarting from scratch. Each time he would add more detail to the original piece.
"You can see the added detail in the Adonis' shoelaces here," he said pointing to the feet of the sculpture. All together, Flores says there are seven replicas of the mold.
"I was really very impressed with Miguel's 'Venus and Adonis,' " said local artist and gallery owner Bill Weber. "It turned out really great. I'm hoping Miguel will be one of the artists we feature in the new gallery. I really like all of his work."
Flores began his artist career when he was in second grade and continued to work on his art over the many years since. At 74 he has completed many different forms of art in his lifetime, including sculptures and paintings. He also worked as an actor in off Broadway plays in New York, did modeling and spent a great deal of time taking singing lessons to become a better singer. He grew up playing the violin.
Over his lifetime Flores produced art of many different medias. In the 1960s he worked with the very popular erotic or pop art. While touring Paris he visited Monet's home and became interested in the artist's style of art and did many impressionist paintings. He has worked on many different commissioned pieces of art and even spent some time working as a commercial artist.
The city of Brentwood and the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce use one of Flores' paintings as part of their logos. The painting of downtown Brentwood can be seen on both the city and the chamber's Web sites.
More of Flores' art can be seen on the Artists Open Studio Tour on May 16 and 17. Artists throughout Brentwood, Oakley and Discovery Bay open their homes and studios for visitors to come and take a look at their art.
Flores doesn't yet have a buyer for the "Venus and Adonis" work and hopes it will still be on display during the Artist Open Studio Tour.
The story behind the sculpture is a familiar tale to mythology and Shakespeare fans. Venus, the goddess of love and keeper of cupid, is hit by one of cupid's arrows right before she lays eyes on Adonis, a young mortal.
"The goddess Venus tries to restrain her lover Adonis from going off to the hunt. She clings to him, imploring him not to go, but Adonis looks down at her impassively," Flores said, explaining the tragic love story found in Ovid's "Metamorphoses." "The story ends tragically. During the hunt the mortal Adonis is fatally gored by a wild boar."
For Flores creating the bronze took a great deal of concentration and trial and error. Over a nearly two- year period, he cast a clay mold and then had a special bronze mold made to set the final bronze sculpture. While working on the sculpture, the clay mold kept breaking, he said. Each time, Flores repeated the work of putting the clay pack together or restarting from scratch. Each time he would add more detail to the original piece.
"You can see the added detail in the Adonis' shoelaces here," he said pointing to the feet of the sculpture. All together, Flores says there are seven replicas of the mold.
"I was really very impressed with Miguel's 'Venus and Adonis,' " said local artist and gallery owner Bill Weber. "It turned out really great. I'm hoping Miguel will be one of the artists we feature in the new gallery. I really like all of his work."
Flores began his artist career when he was in second grade and continued to work on his art over the many years since. At 74 he has completed many different forms of art in his lifetime, including sculptures and paintings. He also worked as an actor in off Broadway plays in New York, did modeling and spent a great deal of time taking singing lessons to become a better singer. He grew up playing the violin.
Over his lifetime Flores produced art of many different medias. In the 1960s he worked with the very popular erotic or pop art. While touring Paris he visited Monet's home and became interested in the artist's style of art and did many impressionist paintings. He has worked on many different commissioned pieces of art and even spent some time working as a commercial artist.
The city of Brentwood and the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce use one of Flores' paintings as part of their logos. The painting of downtown Brentwood can be seen on both the city and the chamber's Web sites.
More of Flores' art can be seen on the Artists Open Studio Tour on May 16 and 17. Artists throughout Brentwood, Oakley and Discovery Bay open their homes and studios for visitors to come and take a look at their art.
Flores doesn't yet have a buyer for the "Venus and Adonis" work and hopes it will still be on display during the Artist Open Studio Tour.
Friends open new recording studio in Antioch
Name of business: Block Lock Records & Recording Studios
Type of business: Independent record label and music recording studio
Owners: Harvey Johnson, president and CEO, and Ron Dumas, vice president of marketing
Founded: Originally 2006 in Hayward; relocated to Antioch in 2008
Address: 621 W. Second St., Suite M526, Antioch
Phone number: 925-755-7624, 510-205-4029 and 510-967-4201
Hours: Record Label: Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Recording Studio: 24 hours by appointment
Number of employees: three
Products and services: They provide independent record releases by hip-hop, R&B and gospel recording artists. They also provide a music recording studio time in which they charged by the hour. As part of their services they also offer song writing and music composition.
How did you get into the business? Johnson is a national recording artist on major record labels, including Elecktra Records, Fantasy Records and Roc-A-Fella Records. Johnson is also a song writer and producer for national R&B and hip-hop artists. He has experience as a ghost writer for several prominent national hip-hop artists.
"For me the natural progression was to label ownership. The recording studio came about because of the need for a place for artists with minimal budgets and those just starting out in the industry to have a place to record professionally in East County," Johnson
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said.
Dumas started as a DJ in Oakland and a studio session consultant.
Best part about the business: "On the record label side it would be the ability to release music independently, minus the 'red tape' and hassles, as well as greater artistic freedom," Johnson said. "On the recording studio side, it would be seeing an artist's vision and ideas become a tangible product."
Worst part about the business: "Touring and being away from family. Being an independent label you don't have the large marketing budgets of the major labels. You really have to push five times as hard to get your product heard and placed in stores," he said.
He also said that another bad part is the treatment you get from some of the local radio people if you don't have a big label name or artist behind you.
"The worst part about the recording studio side, is that there is no worse part as we love being around creative and artistic musical minds," Johnson said.
Key to success: "Being easy to work with. Nobody likes a 'jerk.' Being creative.
Being brave enough to be yourself and not follow trends," Johnson said.
Biggest misconception about the business: "That life is like what you see in music videos," he said.
Future plans: Johnson and Dumas' goal is to promote their artist, including their current release by or signature artist Jenuine J.A. and the release "The Burden of Proof." They are also working on release their 10 year-old artist Ky-Rizzle's CD, which is yet to be titled. In April of 2009 they will be opening Block Lock Recording Studios to the public and starting to book studio time. The studio is currently open to artists on their label only.
Type of business: Independent record label and music recording studio
Owners: Harvey Johnson, president and CEO, and Ron Dumas, vice president of marketing
Founded: Originally 2006 in Hayward; relocated to Antioch in 2008
Address: 621 W. Second St., Suite M526, Antioch
Phone number: 925-755-7624, 510-205-4029 and 510-967-4201
Hours: Record Label: Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Recording Studio: 24 hours by appointment
Number of employees: three
Products and services: They provide independent record releases by hip-hop, R&B and gospel recording artists. They also provide a music recording studio time in which they charged by the hour. As part of their services they also offer song writing and music composition.
How did you get into the business? Johnson is a national recording artist on major record labels, including Elecktra Records, Fantasy Records and Roc-A-Fella Records. Johnson is also a song writer and producer for national R&B and hip-hop artists. He has experience as a ghost writer for several prominent national hip-hop artists.
"For me the natural progression was to label ownership. The recording studio came about because of the need for a place for artists with minimal budgets and those just starting out in the industry to have a place to record professionally in East County," Johnson
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said.
Dumas started as a DJ in Oakland and a studio session consultant.
Best part about the business: "On the record label side it would be the ability to release music independently, minus the 'red tape' and hassles, as well as greater artistic freedom," Johnson said. "On the recording studio side, it would be seeing an artist's vision and ideas become a tangible product."
Worst part about the business: "Touring and being away from family. Being an independent label you don't have the large marketing budgets of the major labels. You really have to push five times as hard to get your product heard and placed in stores," he said.
He also said that another bad part is the treatment you get from some of the local radio people if you don't have a big label name or artist behind you.
"The worst part about the recording studio side, is that there is no worse part as we love being around creative and artistic musical minds," Johnson said.
Key to success: "Being easy to work with. Nobody likes a 'jerk.' Being creative.
Being brave enough to be yourself and not follow trends," Johnson said.
Biggest misconception about the business: "That life is like what you see in music videos," he said.
Future plans: Johnson and Dumas' goal is to promote their artist, including their current release by or signature artist Jenuine J.A. and the release "The Burden of Proof." They are also working on release their 10 year-old artist Ky-Rizzle's CD, which is yet to be titled. In April of 2009 they will be opening Block Lock Recording Studios to the public and starting to book studio time. The studio is currently open to artists on their label only.
Around Oakley: Help city recapture the past
Oakley will celebrate its 10th anniversary as a city in a little more than three months, but it can trace its roots back to the late 1800s. In an effort to preserve the history of the new city, officials are asking lifelong residents to check out their attic and storage boxes to see whether they have any old photographs or memorabilia from Oakley's past.
Perhaps there is an old photo album with family pictures that might show some of Oakley's landscape in the background or maybe some old newspaper clippings of past events that others might find interesting. Public information officer Reggie Decker said Oakley has a rich history, and wants to preserve the past in perpetuity.
Sharing memories with the city won't mean you lose possession of them. If there are photos involved, the city will scan and return them to the owners. They are also asking for longtime residents who might have old stories to tell about Oakley to set up an appointment to have the memories recorded on video.
The city is also interested in taking pictures of things with historical emphasis. For example, there are several properties throughout town that have old farm equipment in storage that were once used on orchards and grape vineyards. The city will even come out and take photos if necessary.
People often have items they don't realize have any historical value. Sometimes something as simple as a picture taken of a relative in front of a downtown business, an old farm or just by the old train station can have historical promise. That can be especially true if the area where the picture was taken no longer exists.
Think about the changes on Main Street in just the past 20 years. Imagine what it was like in 1930, 1950 or even as recently as 1980. For more information on how to make your mark in Oakley's history, contact Decker by phone at 625-7152 or e-mail at decker@ci.oakley.ca.us.
] [ ] [
The Oakley Girl Scouts are out selling their cookies again this weekend, and they are asking everyone to come out to the Lucky store both Saturday and Sunday. Mackenzie Myers, 9, and Paige Tadlock, 10, from Girl Scout Troop 32412 were out in front of Raley's last weekend doing brisk business.
"People like the cookies and are buying them," Mackenzie said.
This year, the girls are hoping to raise enough money to go to camp in Calaveras County. This is a hard time financially for some families, and the more cookies they sell the more money they will have to help the girls who can't afford the trip and supplies.
"Even if you don't like cookies, you can do a gift of caring," Paige said. "All it takes is $4, and we'll send the box of cookies to food banks, Red Cross and to the military."
According to the girls, the new cookie for the year is the dulce de leche. The cookies were inspired by the classic confections of Latin America, and they are rich with milk caramel chips and stripes.
For more information, go to the Girl Scouts' Web site at www.girlscoutcookies.org.
Perhaps there is an old photo album with family pictures that might show some of Oakley's landscape in the background or maybe some old newspaper clippings of past events that others might find interesting. Public information officer Reggie Decker said Oakley has a rich history, and wants to preserve the past in perpetuity.
Sharing memories with the city won't mean you lose possession of them. If there are photos involved, the city will scan and return them to the owners. They are also asking for longtime residents who might have old stories to tell about Oakley to set up an appointment to have the memories recorded on video.
The city is also interested in taking pictures of things with historical emphasis. For example, there are several properties throughout town that have old farm equipment in storage that were once used on orchards and grape vineyards. The city will even come out and take photos if necessary.
People often have items they don't realize have any historical value. Sometimes something as simple as a picture taken of a relative in front of a downtown business, an old farm or just by the old train station can have historical promise. That can be especially true if the area where the picture was taken no longer exists.
Think about the changes on Main Street in just the past 20 years. Imagine what it was like in 1930, 1950 or even as recently as 1980. For more information on how to make your mark in Oakley's history, contact Decker by phone at 625-7152 or e-mail at decker@ci.oakley.ca.us.
] [ ] [
The Oakley Girl Scouts are out selling their cookies again this weekend, and they are asking everyone to come out to the Lucky store both Saturday and Sunday. Mackenzie Myers, 9, and Paige Tadlock, 10, from Girl Scout Troop 32412 were out in front of Raley's last weekend doing brisk business.
"People like the cookies and are buying them," Mackenzie said.
This year, the girls are hoping to raise enough money to go to camp in Calaveras County. This is a hard time financially for some families, and the more cookies they sell the more money they will have to help the girls who can't afford the trip and supplies.
"Even if you don't like cookies, you can do a gift of caring," Paige said. "All it takes is $4, and we'll send the box of cookies to food banks, Red Cross and to the military."
According to the girls, the new cookie for the year is the dulce de leche. The cookies were inspired by the classic confections of Latin America, and they are rich with milk caramel chips and stripes.
For more information, go to the Girl Scouts' Web site at www.girlscoutcookies.org.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Around Oakley: City loses its only doctor
Oakley no longer has a doctor in town. Last month, the only doctor's office in town closed.
When Dr. Laavanya Raju came to Oakley several years ago, she was the first to open a doctor's office in far longer than anyone could remember. It was a long struggle, and quite an accomplishment, on the part of the Oakley Chamber of Commerce and the Sutter Delta Memorial Foundation.
A lot of credit for bringing Raju to Oakley goes to John Slatten. At the time, Slatten was sitting on the foundation board, and after hearing the goal of finding a doctor through the chamber, he offered his help.
A new doctor, Raju was assisted by Sutter Delta in opening her office. Unfortunately, for personal reasons, Raju closed her office in the Oakley Town Centre shopping plaza last month, leaving Oakley once again without its own doctor. Raju moved to Southern California with her husband.
Unfortunately for Oakley residents, there are no immediate plans to bring another doctor to Oakley, according to Alfred Scott, a Sutter Regional Medical Foundation director.
"That is not to say that there will not be opportunities in the future," Scott said.
He said, however, that the group prefers to have three doctors to an office.
It was hard enough to get one doctor in Oakley. Is it feasible to bring another doctor to town?
One of the things Raju had going for her is that she's a woman. As politically incorrect as it may
be to say, there aren't many women who work out of the Sutter regional medical offices, according to Scott.
Scott said the group was lucky that around the time Raju left, another female doctor came to the area. Dr. Fatima Memon joined the group in January and is already very busy. She is presently working out of the Antioch facility on Lone Tree Way in the Blue Rock Center.
Many of Raju's patients were transferred to Dr. Derek Johnson at Sutter's Brentwood facility, Scott said. Although it may not seem that far away, having to leave Oakley for medical appointments could be a problem for someone who does not have transportation, especially when ill. Even someone with a common head cold may not want to travel all the way to Antioch or Brentwood for a doctor's visit, even if they have transportation.
"It has to be very rare for a city of almost 35,000 not to have even one doctor," Oakley City Manager Brian Montgomery said.
A working group has been discussing a clinic for the uninsured, and Sutter has been involved.
"My hope is that the medical office stays, and a new doctor comes in," Montgomery said. "I know the working group coordinators are trying to get another meeting together soon."
While the clinic would serve the uninsured, patients with insurance would still need to have a doctor in Oakley.
Bringing a new doctor to Oakley needs to once again rise to the top of the city's list of priorities.
When Dr. Laavanya Raju came to Oakley several years ago, she was the first to open a doctor's office in far longer than anyone could remember. It was a long struggle, and quite an accomplishment, on the part of the Oakley Chamber of Commerce and the Sutter Delta Memorial Foundation.
A lot of credit for bringing Raju to Oakley goes to John Slatten. At the time, Slatten was sitting on the foundation board, and after hearing the goal of finding a doctor through the chamber, he offered his help.
A new doctor, Raju was assisted by Sutter Delta in opening her office. Unfortunately, for personal reasons, Raju closed her office in the Oakley Town Centre shopping plaza last month, leaving Oakley once again without its own doctor. Raju moved to Southern California with her husband.
Unfortunately for Oakley residents, there are no immediate plans to bring another doctor to Oakley, according to Alfred Scott, a Sutter Regional Medical Foundation director.
"That is not to say that there will not be opportunities in the future," Scott said.
He said, however, that the group prefers to have three doctors to an office.
It was hard enough to get one doctor in Oakley. Is it feasible to bring another doctor to town?
One of the things Raju had going for her is that she's a woman. As politically incorrect as it may
be to say, there aren't many women who work out of the Sutter regional medical offices, according to Scott.
Scott said the group was lucky that around the time Raju left, another female doctor came to the area. Dr. Fatima Memon joined the group in January and is already very busy. She is presently working out of the Antioch facility on Lone Tree Way in the Blue Rock Center.
Many of Raju's patients were transferred to Dr. Derek Johnson at Sutter's Brentwood facility, Scott said. Although it may not seem that far away, having to leave Oakley for medical appointments could be a problem for someone who does not have transportation, especially when ill. Even someone with a common head cold may not want to travel all the way to Antioch or Brentwood for a doctor's visit, even if they have transportation.
"It has to be very rare for a city of almost 35,000 not to have even one doctor," Oakley City Manager Brian Montgomery said.
A working group has been discussing a clinic for the uninsured, and Sutter has been involved.
"My hope is that the medical office stays, and a new doctor comes in," Montgomery said. "I know the working group coordinators are trying to get another meeting together soon."
While the clinic would serve the uninsured, patients with insurance would still need to have a doctor in Oakley.
Bringing a new doctor to Oakley needs to once again rise to the top of the city's list of priorities.
Oakley Pioneer Benches under an old oak tree.
Several years ago an Oakley resident put two benches under an old oak tree along downtown's Main Street as a memorial for his wife. Before dying his wife had always wanted to put a bench under the old tree and place plaques on it honoring the pioneering families of Oakley. She never got to see her wish come true however, as she died the day before the benches were placed under the tree. She at least knew that her wish had finally been granted before she died. Since the benches were placed under the tree, several other families have placed plaques on the benches. Here are the benches and their plaques.
New book mines rich history at Black Diamond
Just along the outskirts of Antioch lies a piece of coal-mining history. From the 1860s to the turn of the 20th century, the Mount Diablo Coal Field was the largest coal-producing region in California and once boasted five thriving communities. The coal mine, the communities and the area's change to ranching are featured in the new book that was released Monday.
The underground mining museum at Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve in Antioch will celebrate the start of its season with an open house from noon to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday with free, self-guided tours for visitors ages 7 and older. Copies of the newly released "Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve," a book of historic photos, will be available for purchase.
In 1973, the coal mine and the area around the site was purchased by the East Bay Regional Park District and turned into a historical landmark. Parent, a 30-year veteran of the park district, has been a staff member at Black Diamond Mines Preserve since 1977, and is the supervising naturalist at the park. Until recently, Terhune was a staff member as well, taking entrance fees at the park's front gate entrance. She is presently a volunteer. The authors have heard lots of stories and memories from people who have passed through the gates at the preserve.
"This book was something that I've wanted to do for years," Parent said.
It wasn't until she was approached by Arcadia Publishing that she actually had the opportunity to make her wish come true. "They were looking for someone who could write a history and provide pictures."
Descendants of the former coal and sand miners, as well as many of the thousands of visitors to the preserve, have often expressed an interest in a book chronicling the history of the Mount Diablo Coal Field, Parent said.
"This publication is the first to exclusively focus on the comprehensive history of this specific region, including the transition from active coal mining to ranching and sand mining, and its ultimate acquisition by the East Bay Regional Park District," she said.
The book features more than 200 photographs that have been donated to the park district over the years. The women spent months going through the pictures and sorting out information to add to the book.
Terhune was charged with scanning the photos, which she said took several months to complete.
"It was a real privilege to be able to work on this project with Traci. She really had so much experience and information about the park that she had gathered and achieved over the years," Terhune said.
"It was really an interesting project," Parent said. "There were so many pictures, and we needed to confirm all the dates of the photos and find out who the people were in them. There were some with misinformation that we needed to have corrected, and some images were even printed in reverse.
Parent said Terhune brought many of her own skills to the book. She not only knew how to scan all the photos but was able to do all the typesetting and writing of the story. Parent said the book "offers current and future generations of readers a window into a vital part of Contra Costa County history."
Highlights of "Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve" include not only the images that capture a lost way of life but also show how the Mount Diablo Coal Field served as the major energy source for Northern California until superseded by higher-quality coal from Washington and emerging energy sources. It also includes what went on after the mine closed and how many of the families went on to ranch in the area.
At the park, Parent is responsible for maintaining the historic resources of the preserve, including artifacts, photographs, oral histories and demographic files of former coal field residents and sand mine employees.
After many years of research conducted in her spare time, Parent published an award-winning book called "Rose Hill: A Comprehensive History of A Pioneer Cemetery" that records the grave sites and individuals interred at the historic site.
All author proceeds from the publication of this book will be donated to Rose Hill Cemetery Fund. The fund supports ongoing restoration and repair projects for this pioneer cemetery.
Both authors will be on hand this weekend at the season opening of the Hazel-Atlas mine in the preserve. During the grand opening, visitors can explore the 900 feet of underground mine, including the new additional section opened last year.
The underground mining museum at Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve in Antioch will celebrate the start of its season with an open house from noon to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday with free, self-guided tours for visitors ages 7 and older. Copies of the newly released "Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve," a book of historic photos, will be available for purchase.
In 1973, the coal mine and the area around the site was purchased by the East Bay Regional Park District and turned into a historical landmark. Parent, a 30-year veteran of the park district, has been a staff member at Black Diamond Mines Preserve since 1977, and is the supervising naturalist at the park. Until recently, Terhune was a staff member as well, taking entrance fees at the park's front gate entrance. She is presently a volunteer. The authors have heard lots of stories and memories from people who have passed through the gates at the preserve.
"This book was something that I've wanted to do for years," Parent said.
It wasn't until she was approached by Arcadia Publishing that she actually had the opportunity to make her wish come true. "They were looking for someone who could write a history and provide pictures."
Descendants of the former coal and sand miners, as well as many of the thousands of visitors to the preserve, have often expressed an interest in a book chronicling the history of the Mount Diablo Coal Field, Parent said.
"This publication is the first to exclusively focus on the comprehensive history of this specific region, including the transition from active coal mining to ranching and sand mining, and its ultimate acquisition by the East Bay Regional Park District," she said.
The book features more than 200 photographs that have been donated to the park district over the years. The women spent months going through the pictures and sorting out information to add to the book.
Terhune was charged with scanning the photos, which she said took several months to complete.
"It was a real privilege to be able to work on this project with Traci. She really had so much experience and information about the park that she had gathered and achieved over the years," Terhune said.
"It was really an interesting project," Parent said. "There were so many pictures, and we needed to confirm all the dates of the photos and find out who the people were in them. There were some with misinformation that we needed to have corrected, and some images were even printed in reverse.
Parent said Terhune brought many of her own skills to the book. She not only knew how to scan all the photos but was able to do all the typesetting and writing of the story. Parent said the book "offers current and future generations of readers a window into a vital part of Contra Costa County history."
Highlights of "Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve" include not only the images that capture a lost way of life but also show how the Mount Diablo Coal Field served as the major energy source for Northern California until superseded by higher-quality coal from Washington and emerging energy sources. It also includes what went on after the mine closed and how many of the families went on to ranch in the area.
At the park, Parent is responsible for maintaining the historic resources of the preserve, including artifacts, photographs, oral histories and demographic files of former coal field residents and sand mine employees.
After many years of research conducted in her spare time, Parent published an award-winning book called "Rose Hill: A Comprehensive History of A Pioneer Cemetery" that records the grave sites and individuals interred at the historic site.
All author proceeds from the publication of this book will be donated to Rose Hill Cemetery Fund. The fund supports ongoing restoration and repair projects for this pioneer cemetery.
Both authors will be on hand this weekend at the season opening of the Hazel-Atlas mine in the preserve. During the grand opening, visitors can explore the 900 feet of underground mine, including the new additional section opened last year.
Veteran survived war, Hurricane Katrina to rebuild life in Antioch
When Antioch's Roger Craig first came to California a couple of years ago this was supposed to be his starting-over point. After coming home as an Iraq-Kuwait War veteran, he decided to work in construction in Louisiana. Everything was going well for the single dad until Hurricane Katrina hit his home parish and his family lost everything.
While one would think that jobs in the construction field would be available after the hurricane, Craig said they were not, leaving him to look for an alternative. During his time in the military he met other veterans who had moved to California and settled here. At the time construction jobs in California were plenty, which convinced Craig that California was the place to be. Unfortunately, soon after he came to California, the housing market bottomed out and there were no construction jobs here either.
That didn't get Craig down, though. With the help of his friends, Craig looked for yet another alternative. He liked California and being close to friends, so he decided to stay and look for a new profession. During his search he came upon an idea about opening a different type of retail clothing store.
"I don't believe in looking back," Craig said. "I have to look forward for my kids' sake."
On Sept। 11, Craig opened his new business on A Street called Fabulous Finds. The premise behind the business is to offer closeout bargains on clothes for men, women and kids. The items he sells are not used,but overstocks from famous retailers like Macy's, Dillards, J.C. Penney and Sears. The clothing and accessories come in all sizes, even extra large.
Craig has taken his business one step further than offering clothing. He also has found a source for camping items, home goods and pet supplies.
"The one thing I really like about this business is that I get to give back to the people who need it, "Craig said. "People shouldn't have to go broke to be able to afford really nice clothing."
Craig said that starting up a business is never easy, but he believes his key to success will be finding the best products he can find, at the best prices available. He is always looking for new items to offer. When he found that several of his customers were looking for larger sizes, he went out and found the sizes they needed. He is also working on bringing in more electronic items and camping, home and pet supplies.
"The nice thing is this isn't a thrift shop; everything here is new, just over-stocked," he said.
Fabulous Finds is at 1706 A St. at the shopping center on the corner of A and East 18th streets. The store is next to Mr. Pickles. Hours for the store are Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call Fabulous Finds at 978-9909.
While one would think that jobs in the construction field would be available after the hurricane, Craig said they were not, leaving him to look for an alternative. During his time in the military he met other veterans who had moved to California and settled here. At the time construction jobs in California were plenty, which convinced Craig that California was the place to be. Unfortunately, soon after he came to California, the housing market bottomed out and there were no construction jobs here either.
That didn't get Craig down, though. With the help of his friends, Craig looked for yet another alternative. He liked California and being close to friends, so he decided to stay and look for a new profession. During his search he came upon an idea about opening a different type of retail clothing store.
"I don't believe in looking back," Craig said. "I have to look forward for my kids' sake."
On Sept। 11, Craig opened his new business on A Street called Fabulous Finds. The premise behind the business is to offer closeout bargains on clothes for men, women and kids. The items he sells are not used,but overstocks from famous retailers like Macy's, Dillards, J.C. Penney and Sears. The clothing and accessories come in all sizes, even extra large.
Craig has taken his business one step further than offering clothing. He also has found a source for camping items, home goods and pet supplies.
"The one thing I really like about this business is that I get to give back to the people who need it, "Craig said. "People shouldn't have to go broke to be able to afford really nice clothing."
Craig said that starting up a business is never easy, but he believes his key to success will be finding the best products he can find, at the best prices available. He is always looking for new items to offer. When he found that several of his customers were looking for larger sizes, he went out and found the sizes they needed. He is also working on bringing in more electronic items and camping, home and pet supplies.
"The nice thing is this isn't a thrift shop; everything here is new, just over-stocked," he said.
Fabulous Finds is at 1706 A St. at the shopping center on the corner of A and East 18th streets. The store is next to Mr. Pickles. Hours for the store are Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call Fabulous Finds at 978-9909.
Veteran's mom dedicated to serving families, soldiers
WHEN JOSIE MONAGHAN'S son, Joseph, first came to her two weeks before boot camp and told he had joined the military, she was, to say the least, surprised. He hadn't told her of his decision to join after meeting with a recruiting officer on his high school campus. Rather than worry herself sick, she decided she needed to be proactive and seek some support. That was the beginning of what would become the Antioch Military Families and Friends group.
"I didn't have time to prepare myself to let him go yet," she said. "I had to put on my big mom boots and suck it up for his sake. I encouraged him and accepted his decision."
Joseph received his orders for deployment in February 2003. Distraught, Monaghan went searching for support groups to help her deal with her emotions. She found an organization in Concord called Blue Star Moms. She attended a few meetings, but visiting Concord was hard because of work and her volunteer commitments.
"Through his (Joseph's) courage I was able to stop, take a good look at where I was and where I needed to be. I wanted my son to be as proud of me," she said.
Monaghan read an e-mail अबाउट a film director who was in Antioch to interview mothers of service members who went off to war. She received the e-mail late and didn't think she was in time to be interviewed but decided to reply anyway. In the end, 57 Antioch mothers were interviewed and it wound up that Monaghan was one of three from Antioch chosen to be in the documentary.
"This film started me on this path that I am on now. I met some of the mothers from the film whose children were killed. My heart changed forever. I felt the call, my responsibility or whatever you want to call it, to do whatever I needed to do to honor the memory of these children," she said.
The film was called "My Child — Mothers of War." The group will be showing the movie again at 3 p.m. March 21 at Calvary Chapel Church, 1771 Vineyard Drive, Suite 2 in Antioch. Admission will be free.
After the she finished interviewing for the documentary, Monaghan planned and held the first Antioch Freedom Walk, during which 13 members of the community walked from her home on G Street to downtown Waldie Plaza on Second Street. On Sept. 11, 2008, the group help its third Freedom Walk with more than 100 people in attendance.
The Antioch Military Families and Friends officially started in 2005 when it participated in the Antioch Fourth of July Parade. At the time Monaghan's son and his squad from his first tour came to her home on leave.
"I told them that they needed to bring their uniform and make sure they had all their parts, because they would be honored by the city; it was a surprise. They found out as we got to the staging area that it was actually the parade. You should have seen the smiles on their faces. They were all like little kids grinning in awe," she said. "The crowd came to their feet and cheered and clapped so loud. My husband drove and I was in front with him. What a moment to last a lifetime. I want them to have these types of memories for the rest of their lives."
Monaghan said this was the start of the Antioch Military Families and Friend's journey. Since then, the members have been invited to attend and participate in several events. Along with participating in these events, the group's main goal is to support, encourage and honor the troops, service members, wounded warriors, veterans and especially "our hometown heroes," all year long until they all come home. To this effort the group has been putting together care packages to send to the troops. Most recently they prepared Valentine's Day packages. Monaghan said they don't need a holiday or special occasion to send packages. Once a month they get together and send packages overseas.
Aside from showing the movie in March, the group will also host a Spring Boutique fundraiser in May and a community care package drive on Armed Forces Day for local resident Ron Jett and his drive to honor his father's service in Vietnam. They will also be working on ceremonies for Memorial Day and Flag Day.
Monaghan's son, Joseph, served his tour of duty and is now home, but Monaghan isn't stopping her service to the military families. "Yes, our son is home and well, and for this I am and will be forever grateful," she said. "I think of all of these many, many mothers across the world who mourn the loss of their child, in many cases it was their only child. I will never forget, everything I do is for them and for those who have fought in battle and who have made it back, for those who are not whole, be it body, mind or spirit," she said.
Monaghan said that donations are always welcome. The group hosts an ongoing care package drive at East County Insurance on Tregallas Road, behind the Antioch Post Office in the 19th Hole shopping area. Or they can e-mail Monaghan at josiemonaghan@aol.com.
"I didn't have time to prepare myself to let him go yet," she said. "I had to put on my big mom boots and suck it up for his sake. I encouraged him and accepted his decision."
Joseph received his orders for deployment in February 2003. Distraught, Monaghan went searching for support groups to help her deal with her emotions. She found an organization in Concord called Blue Star Moms. She attended a few meetings, but visiting Concord was hard because of work and her volunteer commitments.
"Through his (Joseph's) courage I was able to stop, take a good look at where I was and where I needed to be. I wanted my son to be as proud of me," she said.
Monaghan read an e-mail अबाउट a film director who was in Antioch to interview mothers of service members who went off to war. She received the e-mail late and didn't think she was in time to be interviewed but decided to reply anyway. In the end, 57 Antioch mothers were interviewed and it wound up that Monaghan was one of three from Antioch chosen to be in the documentary.
"This film started me on this path that I am on now. I met some of the mothers from the film whose children were killed. My heart changed forever. I felt the call, my responsibility or whatever you want to call it, to do whatever I needed to do to honor the memory of these children," she said.
The film was called "My Child — Mothers of War." The group will be showing the movie again at 3 p.m. March 21 at Calvary Chapel Church, 1771 Vineyard Drive, Suite 2 in Antioch. Admission will be free.
After the she finished interviewing for the documentary, Monaghan planned and held the first Antioch Freedom Walk, during which 13 members of the community walked from her home on G Street to downtown Waldie Plaza on Second Street. On Sept. 11, 2008, the group help its third Freedom Walk with more than 100 people in attendance.
The Antioch Military Families and Friends officially started in 2005 when it participated in the Antioch Fourth of July Parade. At the time Monaghan's son and his squad from his first tour came to her home on leave.
"I told them that they needed to bring their uniform and make sure they had all their parts, because they would be honored by the city; it was a surprise. They found out as we got to the staging area that it was actually the parade. You should have seen the smiles on their faces. They were all like little kids grinning in awe," she said. "The crowd came to their feet and cheered and clapped so loud. My husband drove and I was in front with him. What a moment to last a lifetime. I want them to have these types of memories for the rest of their lives."
Monaghan said this was the start of the Antioch Military Families and Friend's journey. Since then, the members have been invited to attend and participate in several events. Along with participating in these events, the group's main goal is to support, encourage and honor the troops, service members, wounded warriors, veterans and especially "our hometown heroes," all year long until they all come home. To this effort the group has been putting together care packages to send to the troops. Most recently they prepared Valentine's Day packages. Monaghan said they don't need a holiday or special occasion to send packages. Once a month they get together and send packages overseas.
Aside from showing the movie in March, the group will also host a Spring Boutique fundraiser in May and a community care package drive on Armed Forces Day for local resident Ron Jett and his drive to honor his father's service in Vietnam. They will also be working on ceremonies for Memorial Day and Flag Day.
Monaghan's son, Joseph, served his tour of duty and is now home, but Monaghan isn't stopping her service to the military families. "Yes, our son is home and well, and for this I am and will be forever grateful," she said. "I think of all of these many, many mothers across the world who mourn the loss of their child, in many cases it was their only child. I will never forget, everything I do is for them and for those who have fought in battle and who have made it back, for those who are not whole, be it body, mind or spirit," she said.
Monaghan said that donations are always welcome. The group hosts an ongoing care package drive at East County Insurance on Tregallas Road, behind the Antioch Post Office in the 19th Hole shopping area. Or they can e-mail Monaghan at josiemonaghan@aol.com.
Around Oakley: Oakley loses only doctor
Oakley no longer has a doctor in town. Last month, the only doctor's office in town closed.
When Dr. Laavanya Raju came to Oakley several years ago, she was the first to open a doctor's office in far longer than anyone could remember. It was a long struggle, and quite an accomplishment, on the part of the Oakley Chamber of Commerce and the Sutter Delta Memorial Foundation.
A lot of credit for bringing Raju to Oakley goes to John Slatten. At the time, Slatten was sitting on the foundation board, and after hearing the goal of finding a doctor through the chamber, he offered his help.
A new doctor, Raju was assisted by Sutter Delta in opening her office. Unfortunately, for personal reasons, Raju closed her office in the Oakley Town Centre shopping plaza last month, leaving Oakley once again without its own doctor. Raju moved to Southern California with her husband.
Unfortunately for Oakley residents, there are no immediate plans to bring another doctor to Oakley, according to Alfred Scott, a Sutter Regional Medical Foundation director.
"That is not to say that there will not be opportunities in the future," Scott said.
He said, however, that the group prefers to have three doctors to an office.
It was hard enough to get one doctor in Oakley. Is it feasible to bring another doctor to town?
One of the things Raju had going for her is that she's a woman. As politically incorrect as it maybe to say, there aren't many women who work out of the Sutter regional medical offices, according to Scott.
Scott said the group was lucky that around the time Raju left, another female doctor came to the area. Dr. Fatima Memon joined the group in January and is already very busy. She is presently working out of the Antioch facility on Lone Tree Way in the Blue Rock Center.
Many of Raju's patients were transferred to Dr. Derek Johnson at Sutter's Brentwood facility, Scott said. Although it may not seem that far away, having to leave Oakley for medical appointments could be a problem for someone who does not have transportation, especially when ill. Even someone with a common head cold may not want to travel all the way to Antioch or Brentwood for a doctor's visit, even if they have transportation.
"It has to be very rare for a city of almost 35,000 not to have even one doctor," Oakley City Manager Brian Montgomery said.
A working group has been discussing a clinic for the uninsured, and Sutter has been involved.
"My hope is that the medical office stays, and a new doctor comes in," Montgomery said. "I know the working group coordinators are trying to get another meeting together soon."
While the clinic would serve the uninsured, patients with insurance would still need to have a doctor in Oakley.
Bringing a new doctor to Oakley needs to once again rise to the top of the city's list of priorities.
When Dr. Laavanya Raju came to Oakley several years ago, she was the first to open a doctor's office in far longer than anyone could remember. It was a long struggle, and quite an accomplishment, on the part of the Oakley Chamber of Commerce and the Sutter Delta Memorial Foundation.
A lot of credit for bringing Raju to Oakley goes to John Slatten. At the time, Slatten was sitting on the foundation board, and after hearing the goal of finding a doctor through the chamber, he offered his help.
A new doctor, Raju was assisted by Sutter Delta in opening her office. Unfortunately, for personal reasons, Raju closed her office in the Oakley Town Centre shopping plaza last month, leaving Oakley once again without its own doctor. Raju moved to Southern California with her husband.
Unfortunately for Oakley residents, there are no immediate plans to bring another doctor to Oakley, according to Alfred Scott, a Sutter Regional Medical Foundation director.
"That is not to say that there will not be opportunities in the future," Scott said.
He said, however, that the group prefers to have three doctors to an office.
It was hard enough to get one doctor in Oakley. Is it feasible to bring another doctor to town?
One of the things Raju had going for her is that she's a woman. As politically incorrect as it maybe to say, there aren't many women who work out of the Sutter regional medical offices, according to Scott.
Scott said the group was lucky that around the time Raju left, another female doctor came to the area. Dr. Fatima Memon joined the group in January and is already very busy. She is presently working out of the Antioch facility on Lone Tree Way in the Blue Rock Center.
Many of Raju's patients were transferred to Dr. Derek Johnson at Sutter's Brentwood facility, Scott said. Although it may not seem that far away, having to leave Oakley for medical appointments could be a problem for someone who does not have transportation, especially when ill. Even someone with a common head cold may not want to travel all the way to Antioch or Brentwood for a doctor's visit, even if they have transportation.
"It has to be very rare for a city of almost 35,000 not to have even one doctor," Oakley City Manager Brian Montgomery said.
A working group has been discussing a clinic for the uninsured, and Sutter has been involved.
"My hope is that the medical office stays, and a new doctor comes in," Montgomery said. "I know the working group coordinators are trying to get another meeting together soon."
While the clinic would serve the uninsured, patients with insurance would still need to have a doctor in Oakley.
Bringing a new doctor to Oakley needs to once again rise to the top of the city's list of priorities.
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