Happy New Year 2010

With the New Year just a few days away I want to take this opportunity to thank all of those who have contributed to my columns and stories over the past year.

This will be my 12th year writing on the East Contra Costa County area. I really enjoy having the opportunity to write for the Contra Costa Times/ East County Times/ Brentwood News/ Oakley News /Antioch News papers.

No one knows what the future will hold, but I hope I will continue to do the same in the future. Keep sending the story ideas along. Let me know of all that's happening in Oakley and the East County area.

If you are on Facebook why not "friend" me on my East County Networking page at http://www.facebook.com/oakleynow.

Hope you all have a great New Year!

East County program helps teens prepare for the future

What would it take for a runaway child to turn her life around from feeling hopeless and worried that she has no future, to a child with goals and a set plan for the future?
Guidance and a chance at an education, according to Career Pathways' organizer Stacy Vann. Career Pathways is an educational-based program, hosted by the Workforce Development

Board of Contra Costa County, which offers young people the chance to overcome adversity and develop skills that will help them turn their misfortune into a future. "Many of these individuals have overcome various obstacles, such as gang involvement, drugs, abuse, pregnancy, homelessness and more," Vann said.

The program was devised for teenagers like 17-year-old Deja, who just completed 14 weeks of classes to prepare her for the high school exit exam. After being in the foster care system and running away several times, Deja didn't have much hope in her future. She was scared and felt alone.

"She really didn't believe in anyone," Vann said. "She was angry and mean when she walked into our doors."

At first it took a while for Vann to even convince Deja that she should get involved in the Career Pathways program.

"She said she was too busy to get involved, but really she was scared to trust in the program," Vann said.

During the Workforce's summer youth program, Deja learned secretarial skills while earning a paycheck and receiving counseling from the Workforce staff. Afterward, she agreed to participate in the educational Career Pathways program.

"It is so easy to become a high school dropout," said Deja, whose last name is being withheld because she is still in the foster care system. "During the program I really learned how to buckle down and focus. The program has classes and more."

Career Pathways offers an all-day, Monday-through-Thursday class. During that time students learn the basics like math and English, that seem commonplace to high school students but not always to children like Deja.

"The program helped me to get ready for the high school exit exam so that I can go one with my education," Deja said.

Her hope is to go on to cosmetology school. Vann said that Deja was the valedictorian of her class of 25 students who participated in the Career Pathways program this fall. Of the 25 students, 17 participated in a graduation ceremony last week.

Not only has she settled in a good foster home, but Deja now also works for at a local grocery chain store and has kept her job since early September. Already her life is looking brighter.
"She is a completely different young woman," Vann said.

The Career Pathways program started in 2005 with the help of East Bay Career Advancement and the Workforce Development Board. The coursework of the 14-week program ranges from helping 16- to 24-year-olds get their high school diplomas, GED requirements and even help them with their first semester of college.

During her time as project organizer for the program, Vann said the program has help about 75 youths who were in serious need of support. She said that there have been so many children that have advanced through the program, but the one she remembers the most is a young man who graduated from the program last year.

DeRon Middleton, an Antioch resident, had done a lot to survive, even selling drugs. While going through the program, the mother of Middleton's son died in a car accident, making Middleton a single parent overnight with a whole host of other problems. While that would have thrown some youths back into their old patterns, Middleton kept up the new life he was forming and continued on with the program.

Vann said that the members of the Career Pathways' staff helped by enlisting him in the supplemental Proud Fathers program and Middleton continued to thrive. When he graduated from the program he had a culinary certificate and was able to enroll in a culinary arts program and continue his education. Now he works as a chef in a downtown Pittsburg restaurant.

"I wish you could have seen him when he first walked into the office and then see him as the nice young man and father he is today," Vann said. "He has a totally different attitude about his life and his goals."

Now that he has graduated, Vann said that the project coordinators will be working on setting up the program for fall of 2010. She said there is already a waiting list of students for next year's program and many more youth who could use more chances like the program that Career Pathways provides.

Antioch grad competes in Miss California

"When the pageant called they said that they wanted to have real women in the competition," Sabella said. "At first I thought it was a joke."

The call wasn't a joke. Over the next several months, Sabella went through several interviews and auditions to make sure that she would make a good contestant. As she continued on she found that the pageant representatives were no longer only interested in contestants who fit in a size zero or even a two, but women who represented all that a woman can be.

"That was fine with me because I am interested in promoting a positive body image," she said.

When all was said and done, Sabella was one of 170 contestants to compete for the Miss California seat. Once chosen, Miss California would then go on to represent the state at the Miss America pageant.

Sabella, who is a 2005 Antioch High graduate, wound up representing San Francisco's North Beach as a representative of the modeling company she works for. The company is called "Little in the Middle," which sells plus-size clothing.

"A lot of women have a problem getting clothes to fit them," she said. "These clothes come in real women's sizes," she said.

Little in the Middle is based in both San Francisco and Florida.

As part of her job Sabella attends modeling and fashion shows that many times feature special talks with girls encouraging them to have a positive self-image and showing them that there are clothes that can make them look good and feel good about themselves no matter what their size.

While growing up Sabella always wanted to be an entertainer. When she was 12 years old she was a budding singer and hoped to go to the Olympics for the Performing Arts. Two months before the competition Sabella developed nodules on her vocal cords. This caused her to go mute and left her unable to speak for a year.

"The doctor said that I might not ever be able to talk again, but I kept positive and kept thinking about what I wanted to do," she said.

During that time she decided if she ever did get her voice back again she would become an entertainer, including singing, acting, as well as encouraging young people to keep a good self-image and have a positive attitude.

"She always spoke proudly of her curves and tried to encourage her peers to feel good about themselves as well, that being healthy was most important and not everyone can be what they see in all the glamour magazines, even if they starved themselves," Lia's mother, Jacque Sabella, said.

To that end Sabella is continuing to work on her career. She is writing her own music, which is meant to be inspirational. She has her own style of hip-hop and R&B. She is working on a Web site that will feature her music and inspirational content. She is also working on developing an afterschool program based on this same theme at a San Francisco school.

"Most kids don't know that there is help out there for them and someone to support them, someone who has gone through the same things they have," she said.

Sabella is one semester away from graduating from City College in San Francisco with her cosmetology degree. She not only models, but she is also working as a makeup artist for a company that does fashion shows throughout the city.

As for the Miss California contest, Sabella didn't make the final cut — Miss Sherwood, Nicole Johnson, won the crown — but she was happy to have had the chance to compete, she said. During her time there she met another plus-size model and already has become good friends with her.

DeLoach writes about legacy of African people

A rousing debate among friends sent Antioch's Ronald DeLoach, 61, on the path to writing his first book. The debate left each of the friends going back to doing some research and got DeLoach sitting at his desk and writing his feelings about the issue on his computer.
It took some time and a great deal of work, but when he finished his last page, DeLoach had a book on a subject he felt was important for people to read. The title: "Living Without a Name: A View through Black Eyes."

DeLoach was born and raised in Sacramento's Oak Park district, where he was one of the last to be drafted in California during the Vietnam War and served for two years in the military police.
Upon returning to the States, DeLoach majored in African studies at San Jose State.

Shortly after graduation, he became a San Jose police officer serving as an undercover narcotics officers, working in a street crimes unit as well as dealing with gangs and prostitution. Later he worked in intelligence dealing with black and Hispanic gangs on the streets and in prison.
He even had the chance to do some dignitary protection at one point protecting former President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore when they visited the San Jose area.
After 25 years on the force, DeLoach had served his time and was able to retire, taking his final commute home to Antioch, where he has lived for the past 13 years.

"I was having a conversation with the guys that I worked with about what was wrong and where black people were headed," DeLoach said. "It became an exercise after I retired. I'd open up a doc file to write my thoughts. This was a true person's endeavor."

In his book DeLoach questions who are black people and do black people exist as a race?
"Although much of their (black people's) connection to the African continent's history and culture is gone, including the names of approximately 85 tribes that comprise African-Americans, I attempt to answer those and other questions," he explained about his book.

The book traces humankind's beginning and destiny, from recognition of the soul, to a belief in a supreme being, to God, the state and the family. DeLoach says that slavery should be seen as the birth of a people, a people who are yet unnamed. He stresses the importance of family, education and history as a means of moving forward and gaining acknowledgment as a people. His goal is to make a plea for direction.

"This book is about the legacy of African people in America, their struggle for survival and their continuing search for identity," he said.

DeLoach said he came up with the name "Living Without a Name: A View Through Black Eyes" by talking with his sister, an assistant fire chief in San Jose.

"Her first thought almost was what I wanted to say, but I changed it to really fit what I was thinking."

DeLoach said that he would like young people of all cultures to read this book and understand what being black is.

"Color is not a root cause and a root reason for racism. Drop the reference and we can move away from racism," he said.

He also said that older folks should read this book so they can understand where African-American people are headed.

"We should name ourselves and define who we are. Don't just randomly stand up and claim discrimination until you really know what discrimination is," he said.

"Living Without a Name: A View through Black Eyes" is a 94-page paperback available through Dorrance Publishing Co., Inc. It can be found under ISBN978-4349-0361-7 at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Google Books and Markus Books in both Oakland and San Francisco.

Business Spotlight: Fresh ingredients are key for Antioch's Bella Cucina

Name of Business: Bella Cucina

Type of business: Italian restaurant

Owner: Essy Abtahi

Founded: October 2009

Address: 2376 Buchanan Road, Antioch

Phone number: 925-755-7530

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday

Number of employees: eight

Products and services: Northern Italian cuisine, featuring pasta, ravioli, chicken, fish and beef dishes. Menu features everything from individual pizzas, linguine aglio, fettuccini Alfredo, Capellini de pollo and Italian desserts. Bella Cucina offers eat-in, takeout, indoor and outdoor tables, catering and in restaurant parties.

How did you get into the business?: Abtahi's grandmother and mother were both in the restaurant business while he was growing up. Abtahi himself has owned 16 previous restaurants throughout the Bay Area. Aside from this new restaurant, Abtahi also co-owns another restaurant in the county. He opened the restaurant in Antioch because it is close to his home and he was interested in slowing down and working closer to home.
Best part about the business?: "The people who are happy with my food," he said. "Every time some comes to the window and tells the food was good makes me happy."

Worst part about the business?: Abtahi said he couldn't think of anything that is bad. He enjoys working in the restaurant business.

Key to success: "Make everything from scratch and with fresh ingredients," he said.
He also said that he is accommodating to his customers. "If they want something special I try my best to make it for them," he said.

Biggest misperception about the business: "It is important to make everything fresh," he said. Many times people don't like Italian restaurants or any restaurant for that matter because they make their food from canned products that they purchase from wholesale stores. Abtahi said that it is important to make everything from scratch and use fresh products.

"I cook may sauce from scratch and it can take 48 hours to three days for it to completely cook," he said. "A lot of times restaurants make cream sauce out of half and half. That is not a good way."

He also said he only uses natural ingredients to make his desserts. "People like it better that way," he said. "Everything fresh."

Future plans: Abtahi said that everything is set up and going well in the new restaurant. He said that he is looking forward to the holiday season and is offering catering services for holiday parties and dinners. He also said special dinners are available at the restaurant as well.
— Roni Gehlke

Around Oakley: Best to check with city first regarding noise complaints

SOUND TRAVELS. I'm not saying this to give a science lesson or state the obvious, but just stating a fact. If one were to sit just about anywhere in Oakley when a train hits either the Big Break Road or the Cypress Road crossing gates and blasts its horn, it can be heard. The same can be said about other loud noises such as machinery and garage bands.

A garage band is exactly what it sounds like: a group of individuals who get together every so often to play musical instruments in their garage, or other location of their house, for the purpose of practicing and personal enjoyment. Nothing wrong with that. Just like any other hobby, everyone should have a chance to enjoy himself. Some have fancy equipment that could play sounds at different levels; for some, the only sound level is loud. Many teenagers, and adults as well, still like to jam with their friends. Again nothing wrong with that, except that sound travels.

Over the summer while enjoying the nice weather in the backyard, the sounds of a local garage band beating in the backyard became evident. Even though the musicians played into the night, long after the city's imposed end time of 10 p.m., it wasn't enough to bother me. I hadn't thought that maybe it bothered others though. During the past few months the band has kept up its practicing. For me it is only an unintelligible beat; for others, it appears the noise is a loud, unbearable whine.

While out searching for my missing cat a few nights back, I heard the sounds of the band beating in the background but didn't pay much attention. Since darkness comes early at this time of year, I found myself searching with my heavy-duty flashlight under the shrubs. Not long afterward an angry man pulled into my driveway and called out the window demanding if I knew where the band noise was coming from. It wasn't the first time I had heard my neighbors comment on the band, but it was the first really aggressive person who has approached me.

According to Oakley municipal code, any band that plays in a garage isn't doing anything wrong as long as it closes up by the 10 p.m. deadline. The code allows anyone to make complaints about the noise and to state a case to city officials that would enable them to make a decision to have the band stop or at the very least lower the noise.

For some, a 10 p.m. deadline is too late. This basically goes for any noise. Parents with young children and people who work various hours don't really care if 10 p.m. is the city's deadline for loud noise; some can't stand it any time.

Then there is the point of view of those who are making the noise. It is their house. Can't they do what they want? Don't they have the right to enjoy their hobby?

A balance needs to be found, and really that balance has to be amenable to all or trouble can ensue. In a situation like this it is easy for an argument to escalate and rage to get the better of normally calm individuals. These are the cases one hears about on the news when people get hurt because a situation got out of hand.

While everyone should be considerate with noise, whether it is from loud amps, machinery or even a barking dog, others need to realize that it isn't always the best answer to run out and get into a confrontation. This is part of the reason Oakley became a city. There are clearly defined rules to handle this exact situation, and the city officials are ready to take care of the problem and should be the first course of action, especially in this day and age when one doesn't know what they will run into if they go in fists first. Those interested can find an easy to read municipal code on the city's Web site at www.ci.oakley.ca.us.

Bretnwood alpaca business started with 4-H project

Name of business: Alpaca Direct

Type of business: Retail and e-commerce

Owners: Jim and Kelley Hobart

Founded: 2005

Address: 144 Continente Ave., Suite 170, Brentwood

Phone number: 925-237-2575

Web address: www.alpacadirect.com

Hours: Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p. m.; Thursday 7 to 9 p.m.

Number of employees: eight

Products and services: Direct importers of Alpaca apparel, including sweaters, socks, scarves and slippers. Peruvian Pima cotton pajamas, Peruvian jewelry, full-service yarn shop with more than 3,000 yarns in stock, spinning supplies and more than 130 colors of roving in stock. Roving is used to spin into yarn for hand spinners.

How did you get into the business: "We started raising alpacas in 2004 and decided to share the awesome qualities of alpaca fiber through a Web site we launched in 2005," Jim Hobart said. "Alpaca is warmer and stronger than wool, soft as cashmere, doesn't pill and is hypoallergenic."

Their relationship with alpacas started in the spring of 2004 as a 4-H project for their 11-year-old daughter.

"Our seven-acre ranch in Brentwood provided a nice reprieve from the fast pace of Silicon Valley, and alpacas seemed a good solution to create a viable home-based business to leverage our land and utilize Kelley's veterinary and nursing skills," Hobart said.

At the time Hobart was a veteran of the software industry, and had not found his niche in this new endeavor, but seeing those furry animals in his front yard provided a welcome departure from pressures of the dot-com world. Their journey quickly transformed from a 4-H project into a fast growing e-commerce alpaca product business. They opened their first retail outlet in Brentwood in September.

Best part about the business?: "Watching the business grow from our little ranch store to now supporting over 35,000 customers globally," he said. "Having great employees and involving the whole family in the operations."

Worst part about the business?: "Not a bad thing, but managing growth so that we can maintain our high service levels to both our local and global customers," Hobart said.

Key to success: "Listen to your customers. We have over 1,000 reviews on our Web site from customers. We support a local knitting group on Thursday nights and listen every week to ensure we're delivering an exceptional customer experience," he said.

Biggest misperception about the business: People think the business is a lot bigger than it is. Alpaca Direct does have a call center in Canada that relieves some of the call v olume. "We also have great staff and they work very hard, especially this time of the year," he said.

Future plans: Hobart said that he plans to keep growing their customer base and expand their product line to deliver unique products that are of exceptional quality while delivering remarkable service with every customer transaction.
— Roni Gehlke

Around Oakley: Gingerbread a joy through the eyes of a child

By Roni Gehlke
HOME VALUES may be down this year, but that hasn't stopped a determined group of Oakley preschoolers from going on a building binge. They don't expect to close any sales, but there are definitely sweet rewards for their labors.

It took more than a week for the youngsters at A Child's Place Preschool to build their "gingerbread community" as part of their holiday treat this year.

"Lots of learning and fun going on this week with colors, counting and fine motor coordination, while making our gingerbread community," said Carolyn Hays director and owner of the preschool.

Along with their building, the little ones had a chance to count cereal and candies, as well as name the colors that went into designing their works of art. While those are normal skills learned at preschools, these kids learned some skills that are even tough for most adults to learn: getting the buildings to hold together.

Building gingerbread houses has been the bane of my existence for the last several Christmas seasons. Sure it looks easy and there are lots of kits for sale, but getting the buildings to stand in the square shapes is another story altogether. Even so, these children and their amazingly patient caregivers were able to build houses that not only stood on their own, but stayed that way long enough for the houses to be completed and entered into the Contra Costa Times community gingerbread contest.

Lucky for these preschoolers they had a secret weapon. The knowledge of several years of testing their building skills from the staff at A Child's Place. One of the tricks of the trade they learned was that it takes a very thick set of powdered sugar and water to hold the building together. Sometimes even adding some vanilla frosting to the mix helps strengthen the frosting "glue." The only problem with that it just tastes so darn good, so getting toddlers to understand the white sweet stuff goes on the houses and not in their mouths was a little difficult.

Parents at A Child's Place donated various kits, candies and decorating items for the gingerbread houses. Many of the houses looked like the original houses that became famous by the Brothers Grimm when they published their fairy tale collection which included "Hansel and Gretel" in the 19th century. Even so there were some children who showed their budding architectural skills by building some flat-top adobes and two-story duplexes.

Of course gingerbread houses can look like whatever the designer wants them to look like, as long as they are made of gingerbread. The original gingerbread cookies were carved works of art that served as a sort of storyboard that told the news of the day, bearing the likeness of new kings, emperors and queens or religious symbols. The finished cookie might be decorated with edible gold paint or flat white icing to bring out the details.

Following the Christmas holiday traditions was the theme at A Child's Place over the past couple of weeks. Bringing back tradition of her childhood, Hays offers a hot chocolate social. Parents and children from the preschool were invited to meet and enjoy hot cocoa and Santa Claus for the evening.

The children also had a chance to decorate a Christmas tree with child safe ornaments. This is a special tree where the children get to decorate it over and over again. The dress-up room, which usually holds doctors' uniforms and firemen outfits were filled with wise man hats, elf outfits and black boots.

There was even a gift-wrap room where kids could learn to wrap up gifts for the holidays. A big change from what the kids are doing today as they busy themselves with unwrapping the presents. Too bad we all can't be preschoolers again. They just have the most fun.

No matter what you celebrate this time of year — Christmas, Kwanzaa or Hanukkah — take the time to see them through a child's eyes and have a great day.

Roni Gehlke is an Oakley resident. Reach her at ourbackyard@comcast.net.

Brentwood coffeehouse offers brews for every taste

By Roni Gehlke
Name of Business: Code Brew Coffee and More

Type of business: Coffeehouse

Owners: Dr. Jose Fuentes and Dr. George Lau; CFO Wuolfran Sanchez

Founded: November 2009

Address: 2485 Sandcreek Road, Suite 140, Brentwood

Phone number: 925-513-3500

Hours: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday

Number of employees: 11

Products and services: Code Brew offers its own blends of brewed and roasted coffee on site during business hours. Also available are soup and sandwiches, including breakfast sandwiches, all day. They offer eat-in and takeout service. Code Brew has free Wi-Fi services available in a comfortable setting. There is also a free conference room that seats eight where groups can order off the menu.

How did you get into the business: Dr. Fuentes lives in Antioch. He and Dr. Lau were visiting The Streets shopping center and realized that center didn't have a coffee place, Sanchez said.
"Everything went quickly from there," Sanchez said. "The came up with a plan, picked out a location and contacted me to help them set the new business up."

Best part about the business?: "I love dealing with the customers and seeing them smile in the comfortable surroundings," Sanchez said.

He also likes that the whole business is family friendly offering a children's area where they can play while their parents enjoy their coffee.

Worst part about the business?: Sanchez he didn't see anything that could be a worst thing about the business.

Key to success: "Customer service is always the key," he said. "Making people comfortable and having a good product is also as important as the customer service."
Biggest misperception about the business: "Some people think that we are a brewery because they don't read the rest of the name and see we are a coffee place," Sanchez said. "Others believe we are a chain store but right now this is the only store we have available."

Future plans: Over the next several months, Sanchez said that they hope to have more music nights with local bands and karaoke. They are always looking for good acts to perform. They also are looking for local artists to display and sell their work at their location. Interested parties should contact Code Brew Coffee and More.
— Roni Gehlke

Playing Santa a labor of love for Selders

By Roni Gehlke

Occupation: Consultant with Robert Selders and Associates Consulting in Brentwood and Americap Property Solutions in San Ramon

Marital status/family: Selders is married to Cecilia Selders and they have two children, Julie and David. The Selders lived in Oakley for nine years before moving to Brentwood 21 years ago.

Proudest civic achievement: About 20 years ago, Selders was the Brentwood City Planner and worked with the Brentwood City Council to develop planning and zone ordinance codes.
"Over the years there have been changes to the codes, but the original intent still stands," he said.

About 25 years ago when Selders' children were in Scouts, Robert's wife made him made him a Santa suit so that he could play Santa for their children and their friends. "I always enjoyed playing Santa," he said.

About 10 years ago, Selders started to fill in as Santa for the downtown Brentwood Holiday Parade. He also participates in the Discovery Bay Parade, the Brentwood Police Department family holiday party and visits senior rest homes throughout the area.
"I like to work with the nonprofits and never charge," he said.

Regarding the senior rest homes, he said: "I just enjoy doing it and watching the old folks get a big kick out of having me there," he said.

Of all his experiences as Santa, Selders remembers one time after the Brentwood Holiday Parade when a young girl, who used to go to school with his daughter, sat on his lap and asked "Santa" to bring her father home from where he was stationed in Sri Lanka, India. "You never want to make promises you can't keep as Santa, but that one was one promise I just couldn't do anything about and stuck with me," he said.

Future achievement: Selders said that now he works mostly in the private sector, so his concentration is on consulting about future development in the area. While he is working on this as part of his livelihood, he does see it as a responsibility to do the best for the community that he has enjoyed living in all of these years.

Groups and organizations involved in: In past years Selders has been a member and past president of the Rotary Club, held a position on the Brentwood Chamber board of directors, as well as held the position of president when the Chamber started the CornFest. He is a past citizen of the year of Brentwood as well.

Hobbies: When he isn't working and playing Santa, Selders enjoys camping and fly-fishing.
What was the last book you read: Selders said that most of his reading these days has to do with technical work of his business and hasn't had a chance to read a book in a long time.
Favorite movie: His favorite move is "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" which stars George Clooney, John Goodman and Holly Hunter.
— Roni Gehlke

Antioch author recounts lonely journey through despair

By Roni Gehlke

The man who adored her suddenly showed his dark side and changed drastically. For 10 years he was in and out of jail and mental hospitals.

Johnson lived through the nightmare without the support of those she thought would always be there for her. Now 25 years since that dark period of her life started, she is finally able to tell her story, and hopes that in the words of her book people in similar circumstances can find help.

Johnson's book, "From Visions of Grandeur to Depths of Despair: Help! Is Anyone Out There," delves into one woman's journey of living with a husband with bipolar disorder, or as many people know it, manic depressive behavior. She writes the book under a pen name, Norma Lou Johnson, and changes the names of those involved to protect her daughter. Otherwise, all of the experiences are exactly they way they happened, she says.

While in hindsight, Johnson said there were probably clues that her husband was bipolar, she didn't start seeing signs until he was in his 40s. "He had bouts of depression while he was in Bible college, but they didn't seem like much at the time," she said. "It wasn't until 1985 that he started to get real bad. He was arrested and jailed and then moved into mental facilities several times."

At the time, no one really knew what was going on, according to Johnson. She was told that her husband had a chemical imbalance and then he was given heavy medications to try to fix the problems. Worse were the responses from friends and people who should have been more forgiving of her husband's behavior.

"He was a pastor, and his friends were pastors. They all pulled away saying his behavior was evil and God had turned against him," the Antioch resident said. That was why she added the words "Help! Is Anyone Out There" to the title of her book.

In 1996, Johnson's husband died in a mental hospital after a severe psychotic episode, leaving Johnson and her family devastated. Friends suggested that Johnson write a book about what had happened to her and her family during those 10 years of her husband's illness, and at the time she toyed with the idea, writing down her thoughts and ideas.

Then one day she was watching television and a talk-show host was talking about a situation similar to her husband's. The host said she didn't believe a word of the excuses being made for bad behavior and didn't believe there was any such thing as bipolar disorder.
Johnson knew it was time to get serious about writing her story. She didn't want other families to go through what she had and not have the support they needed. She also wanted people to understand that you can separate the person from the disease.

"But above and beyond this, I want the readers to know that God is totally sufficient to comfort, care for and support all the victims of mental disorder," she said.
Johnson shows through the book that while others thought that God had turned his back on her husband, she knew that wasn't the case. In turn, she never turned her back on God.

To make her dark nightmares worse, a few years later she discovered that her two sons were also bipolar, and both died as their father had at age 43. Her sons died within 15 months of each other. She doesn't go into this information in her book, but the emotional impact of what she lived through shows through on the pages within the story.

Johnson moved to Antioch in 2000, the year she married Vern Johnson. The two had first met at age 16. At the time, Vern Johnson had wanted to marry Lois, but it wasn't meant to be until years later. Since marrying, the couple have been active in the community and their church.
Copies of her book are available through Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com and xulonpress.com/bookstore or by calling 866-909-2665. She also will be speaking and signing books at the Antioch Senior Center on Jan. 27.

Around Oakley: Community groups ready for holiday season

HARD TO BELIEVE but now that Thanksgiving is past, it is less than a month until Christmas. Oakley is just like other communities gearing up for the big day with local groups and organizations working on raising money and promoting their activities during the holidays.
Keep in mind before running out and buying your Christmas trees that the Oakley Boy Scout Troop 152 once again will be hosting a Christmas tree lot behind Scheer Home Systems downtown.
It will feature fresh-cut Noble and Douglas fir Trees from Washington, as well as wreaths and garland. Scheer Home Systems is located at 3460 Main St., across from O'Hara Avenue. The trees will be on sale starting today. The Scouts are providing local delivery to both homes and businesses. For more information, call 625-5391.
In other holiday news, Oakley is preparing for its annual tree-lighting ceremony, set for Saturday, Dec. 5. Remember that the annual event has been moved to the City Hall offices at 3231 Main St.
The festivities will begin at 5 p.m. with free refreshments, arts and crafts, performances by the Freedom High School choir and the Oakley Union Elementary School District chorus.
Santa will be on hand for photos, so don't forget to bring your own cameras. Those attending can also join in singing Christmas carols and watch the lighting of a 30-foot grand Christmas tree. For information, call 925-625-7041 or coelho@ci.oakley.ca.us.
Many local and statewide food banks are reporting that this is going to be a rough holiday season for donations to help the needy. They are asking for any help community residents can offer. That includes donation of even the smallest amount of canned or dry foods.
Last year, the Friends of Oakley started the city's first official Christmas Basket program for needy families. Last year, the Brentwood Regional Community Chest was instrumental in helping Oakley form its own group.
The Community Chest gave financial support to get the program off the ground. It allowed the Friends of Oakley to help 125 families by providing them with holiday meal fixings, canned foods and wrapped gifts.
This year the group is hoping to provide 250 families with support in the same way. According to organizer Pat Anderson, it has doubled the number of families it will serve as the need for food on the table is ever greater within our community, not only from the displacement of families but from families whose ability to provide is greatly constricted in this challenging economy.
If donations allow, it plans to reach out further into the senior community and provide holiday meals.
Funding for the Oakley Christmas Basket program will come from proceeds from fundraising efforts, local businesses and service provider contributions. Its budget is $10,000, and the group reports that it is halfway there.
Local schools and businesses will host donation barrels with signs that read "Friends of Oakley — Toys for Oakley Families and Friends of Oakley — Food for Oakley Families," which will accept nonperishable boxed or canned foods and toys.
Friends of Oakley is a community foundation that returns 100 percent of the toys and food goods donated to registered families in the city that are in need.
To help the group, look around for one of its barrels and make a donation or check out its Web site at friendsofoakley.webs.com for more information.

Morrison and Noonan star in magic show Saturday at Antioch's El Campanil Theatre

Classical magic and illusion will come to life at the El Campanil Theatre in downtown Antioch Saturday night when Brentwood's Peter Morrison and Las Vegas performer Timothy Noonan share the stage for a one-night performance, "An Evening of Comedy Magic and Las Vegas Illusions."
While independent acts, Morrison and Noonan have shared the stage many times in each of their 15-year careers. They are both considered corporate entertainers offering shows at many of the major corporations' events over the years. Morrison works in a classical style, offering many of the longtime favorite sleight-of-hand acts. Over the years he has spent months and sometimes years perfecting his act.
"It isn't unusual to spend five years working on one single trick to make it look real," Morrison said.
Morrison first started performing magic at the age of 5. He loved to perform and built a hobby out of his magic. While he was working in the sales industry he worked his magic into his demonstrations and sales meetings. He would entertain at corporate events for his company.
"One day someone told me I should be doing this full time and I decided to do it," Morrison said.
He quit his sales job and just took a leap of faith. Apparently it worked well for him. Morrison does about 60 to 80 corporate events annually. He generally customizes his show to work with whatever type of group he is performing for.
He has won many awards for his magical talents and has just come from working at the world-renowned Magic Castle in Hollywood.
At this weekend's show, Morrison will show a lot of classical small object magic with plenty of audience interaction. Morrison also includes music in parts of his show creating unique routines.
Noonan has a little different performance, adding a Las Vegas atmosphere to his show. Born into the entertainment industry, Noonan's father was actor Tommy Noonan, who starred in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and "A Star is Born," with Marilyn Monroe and Judy Garland, respectively. After a childhood of acting, Timothy Noonan began his performance career in the theme park industry in New York.
Later Noonan moved his career into illusion shows and played across the country and in Japan. He starred in the "Wizard's Secrets," a closeup illusion show that ran at the Las Vegas MGM Grand Hotel for more than 3,000 performances. He then took his own illusion show, "Experience the Magic," on a six-month tour throughout Japan.
Currently, Timothy can be seen at trade shows and corporate events worldwide, performing his comedy magic, illusions and mind reading show, "Inside Your Mind." Noonan is also the author of "The Amazing Journey: Secrets to Living a Magical Life."
As an illusionist Noonan conjures objects from thin air and performs feats that defy the laws of nature. He also adds music and audience participation to his show.

If you go
WHAT: "An Evening of Comedy Magic and Las Vegas Illusions"
WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch
INFO: 925-757-9500 or www.elcampaniltheatre.com
COST: $10 youths under 18; $22 seniors; $25 adults

Keeping active helps 99-year-old Antioch Red Hat Society 'queen' stay young

ALL OF HER adult life Flora Lavy has donated her time to organizations and clubs of one form or another. So when she moved to the Quail Lodge a few months back and saw that the senior residence didn't have a Red Hat Society on the premises she decided she would start one herself. She wasn't about to let anything stand in her way, including the fact that she will be celebrating her 99th on Dec. 26.
"I was with the Red Hat club for 10 years in Bethel Island and thought it would be fun to bring it to these ladies here," Lavy said.
For nearly 40 years, Lavy was a resident of Brentwood, but for a brief time while her home was being built by her sons in Brentwood she lived with one of her sons in Bethel Island. At that time, around the early 1970s, she became active in the Bethel Island community and continued to participate in groups there while living in Brentwood.
"I didn't have to work, so I helped out with whoever would let me," Lavy said.
Lavy raised four sons while her husband Robert "Mickey" Lavy worked as a taxi driver. When she moved to Bethel Island she became involved with the Bethel Island Women's Club. She was an active member and even held the position of president in 1997 at the age of 87. She was also an active member of the Bethel Island Lions Club where she helped to plan the trips to Reno. Sometimes the group trips she set up required two buses because so many members attended, Lavy said.
"I didn't really want to be president or in charge of any of the clubs I belonged to. I just wanted to help out," Lavy said.
For many years Lavy helped to build the senior community center in Brentwood. She helped on fundraisers and activities in getting the club off the ground.
Lavy was born in 1910 in Stephens County, Georgia, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She said that she could clearly remember World War I, which started in 1914 and ended in 1918. As a young girl one of her most treasured memories is riding a horse and buggy around her home.
In 1942 she and her husband and her four boys set out for California where there was more opportunity. Her husband didn't serve in the World War II and wound up doing well driving his taxi during that time. When her boys, Richard, Gerald, Joe and Carl, were young she made all of their clothes as well as her own. She loved sewing and could pick up fabric for much less than purchasing clothes.
When they first moved to California they ended up in the San Diego area. It wasn't until her sons moved to Northern California that she and her husband came to live in East County. The Lavys found a nice piece of property in Brentwood. Her sons were in the building industry and helped her and her husband build their home where she lived until moving to Quail Lodge just a few months ago. Lavy's husband died 36 years ago.
About 10 years ago Bethel Island started a Red Hat Society group. The national club celebrates life over 50. Women from all walks of life belong to the group who believe that silliness is the comedy relief of life. The group bases it beliefs on sharing a bond of affection, forged by common experiences and enthusiasm about where life has taken them.
The woman who starts the group automatically is picked as "queen" of the group for one year. Lavy says she will be queen for a few months but then it will be someone else's turn, because, she really isn't interested in being in charge.
The club hosted its inaugural lunch a couple of weeks ago where 10 ladies signed up for the group and a few more sat in to see what it was all about. There were also members from the Bethel Island group in attendance who presented Lavy with a crocheted doll, which naturally was dressed in red with a red hat. All of the women who attend the club each wear a red hat that they have either made themselves or purchased at one of the many Red Hat Society stores or shops around the area.
The ladies are planning several outings and lunches at various local restaurants. Lavy says that she likes getting involved in groups like the Red Hats.
"You have to stay active to stay as sharp as I am at 98 years old," she said.

Around Oakley: Missing traffic signs can cost you big time

IN OUR DAY-TO-DAY world it is easy to let our mind wonder or become distracted while driving from one place to the other on our daily routine. The kids arguing in the back seat, trying to remember what exactly was on the shopping list as you head to the store or even talking on the phone legally through a headset can all distract your attention.
Sometimes we forget to check our speed limit or fail to notice that a new stop sign has been put up.
I was reminded of this a few weeks ago while picking my son up from the movie theater in Brentwood. The afternoon wasn't anything special. I hadn't even thought about it at the time, but it was the first time I had taken the Laurel Road exit off the new bypass and just did what came naturally. I was thinking of a million things, my teenage son was talking about the movie he had just seen with a friend, and I stopped at the red light.
A car was coming over the overpass after coming off the eastbound entrance to Laurel Road. I waited for the car to pass and then made my right turn on the red. I didn't realize I had done anything wrong until I was pulled over by the Oakley police officer right after I had made the turn. Apparently there were two signs on the exit ramp informing me that I wasn't allowed to make a right turn on the red light. I had totally missed them. I can't say that the signs were obstructed from view, since apparently according to the officer, there are no trees or anything in the way. I just had my own blinders on with too much going on in my head.
In the past few months there has been a lot of talk that there are a lot of tickets being given out all over California for various reasons. I don't have any facts or figures, but I'm sure a good percentage of those tickets are given out for the simple reason that drivers aren't paying attention. The culprit isn't always because we were talking on our cell phones or because we intentionally set out to disobey the traffic laws, but because we all live fast-paced lives and have our mind on many different things at once.
The Oakley officer who pulled me over was very nice, if not a little disbelieving that people could miss the sign that was right in front of their faces. Of course, me being the curious type, I told him that I write a column for the paper and was interested in the statistics for the "no turn on red" sign at that intersection.
He said that the sign is probably there because it is a little difficult to see a car coming over the overpass from the other direction.
The officer also told me about one in 12 drivers coming off that intersection makes the turn on red. At least I wasn't the only one to make the mistake of turning. Another well-known problem coming off the bypass and Laurel Road is speeding. I did a little impromptu survey and found that most people believe the speed limit coming onto Laurel from the bypass is 45 miles per hour, when actually it is only 35 miles per hour.
With ticket costs and related fees, my ticket came to $222. That fee may vary I understand depending on city rules and other issues. I can go to traffic school to take care of the ticket for $271.
Of course, I could have my day in court and contest the ticket, but there is really no point since being preoccupied with life is no excuse for not following the rules in the contract I signed when I got my driver's license. So the moral of the story is keep your mind on your driving and watch for the signs because you never know when some out-of-the-ordinary traffic sign will wind up costing you big time.

Art league president hopes to heighten awareness of the arts

Occupation: Artist and current president of the Discover Art League. Jose-Ochoa is a retired real estate and travel agent. Since her retirement she has been working full time on her art. She offers art classes at different locations.
Marital status/family: Jose-Ochoa moved to the United States in 1983. Before that she lived in Venezuela. For the past five years she has been married to Arthur Ochoa, a lifelong resident of Brentwood. She has two children from her previous marriage: a daughter, Laura Magid, who lives in Boston; and a son, Michael Magid, who lives in Los Angeles and works as a comedian/sitcom writer and a soccer coach.
Proudest civic achievement: Jose-Ochoa said she is very happy to be an active member of her church where she volunteers often helping with art classes and art projects for the children. Last Mother's Day she helped 40 of her church's children make cards.
"It was so much fun. These kids created things I wouldn't even imagine for Mother's Day cards," she said.
She likes to help people, young and old, learn more about the arts whenever she gets the opportunity.
She has also won several awards by entering her art in local festivals, fair and art contests.
Future achievement: Earlier this month she was elected president of the Discover Art League. She has been a member the league for five years. She was surprised and honored to be elected for the position.
"This will give me more of an opportunity for me now as president to do what I like to do, which is to increase interest of art around the area," she said.
Jose-Ochoa said she especially wants to see more art in the schools in the area and hopes the league can be part of that.
By the next few meetings Jose-Ochoa hopes to put a survey together to see exactly what direction the members of the league would like to see the association go in the future.
Discover Art League's goal is to enable people to discover art through education, appreciation and participation. That fits right into Jose-Ochoa's plans for the future.
Groups and organizations involved in: Aside from the Discover Art League, Jose-Ochoa also belongs to Latinas Club Forever. She is a charter member of this group that started about eight years ago. The idea behind the Brentwood club is to bring Latino women together no matter what country they are from. The ladies get together to share music, food and culture. They go on day trips and occasionally invite their husbands and families along to join in on the fun.
Hobbies: Jose-Ochoa said that her biggest hobby is painting. She works in oils, acrylics and three-dimensional art. She does both landscape and portrait work. She also enjoys photography and often takes a lot of pictures while traveling — another of her hobbies — to use for future painting projects.
Jose-Ochoa also enjoys collecting all types of music. Currently she listens to a lot of classical music because it puts her in the right mood for painting. She also enjoys environmental music like sounds of the ocean and rain.
Lately she has been enjoying spending time on Facebook where she can keep in touch with family in Venezuela and posting photos and copies of her paintings.
What was the last book you read: Currently she is reading "Angels and Demons" by Dan Brown. Jose-Ochoa enjoys reading books in Spanish. One of her favorite authors is Isabel Allende. Her favorite book by this author is "The House of Spirits" ("La Casa de los Espíritus").
"I am a fan of anything history and am very curious about women who lived in the 16th and 17th century," she said, noting she also likes science fiction and paranormal books.
Favorite movie: Jose-Ochoa said she has many favorite movies, including "Mongol," which is the story of the early life of China's Genghis Khan. She is also very fond of "The Big Fat Greek Wedding" and many science fiction movies.

Business spotlight: New Brentwood business features custom carts, electric vehicles

Name of business: Custom Carts & Neighborhood Electric Vehicles
Type of business: electric vehicles
Owners: Jack and Sandra Howell
Founded: 2009
Address: 2440 Sandcreek Road, Brentwood
Phone number: 925-642-7612
Hours: Every day from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. or by appointment
Number of employees: three
Products and services: Neighborhood electric vehicles and golf carts. Models include California Roadster, Hummer H3, 1939 Ford Roadster and Cadillac Escalade. The vehicles are manufactured by American Custom Golf Cars Inc. Low-Speed Vehicles (also referred to as NEVs or Neighborhood Electric Vehicles). They are manufactured primarily for use on public streets, roads and can go as fast as 35 miles per hour. Purchase of these vehicles qualifies for a federal tax credit of $5,335. The tax credit ends on Dec. 31, 2009.
How did you get into the business: A couple of years ago Jack Howell purchased a "tricked-out" golf cart and really loved the way it looked, but hated the way it operated. When he went out to look at a new model, he found American Custom Golf Cars Inc. When everyone commented on his new golf cart, he enjoyed telling them about it so much that he decided to contact the company and find out about becoming a retailer for the business. Now he is the lead distributor in the area.
Best part about the business?: "There are a lot of advantages to driving these vehicles," Jack Howell said. "For one thing they are pollution-free. They can be driven on roads up to 35 miles per hour and can be used for quick trips to the store or to visit friends and relatives. And of course they can be used as golf carts when playing golf."
Howell said that American Custom Golf Cars Inc. has been in business for 25 years and is a leader in the golf cart industry.
Worst part about the business?: "There really isn't a worst part. Everyone thinks these carts are so cute," he said.
Key to success: "Our customers and customer service," Howell said. "Our customers refer other customers."
Howell said that when a customer purchases a vehicle he helps them through all the steps to get to know their new vehicle. "The national excitement around the tax credit has brought a lot of people in to purchase the new vehicles," he said.
Biggest misperception about the business: "Most people just think these types of cars are just used on golf courses, but these are street legal vehicles that can be used on streets up to 35 miles per hour," Howell said.
He also said that when people see the roadsters with the tops on and with them off that they think they are two different vehicles when they are just one vehicle.
Howell also reported that when the tax credits for these vehicles first came out they were running a little slow on the paperwork. He said all the problems have been worked out and credits are coming in right away.
Future plans: The new 39 Ford Roadster will be out in a few weeks and will include doors and a rumble seat. Howell said that he would be keeping up with the new models as they come in stock.