02/03/2011 - The Independent

The Independent, FEBRUARY 3, 2011 - PAGE 9Festival VolunteersThe 20th annual Livermore WineCountry Festival will be held April 30and May 1, 2011. This event attractsover 100,000 attendees. Volunteersare needed to help make the event asuccess. Festival hours are Saturday10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The wine pouringshifts are Saturday 10:30 a.m. (½hour to set up) to 2:00 p.m. and 2:00p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (1/2 hour to cleanup). Sunday 10:30 a.m. (½ hour toset up) to 1:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to4:30 p.m. (1/2 hour to clean up).The Livermore Downtown Inc.insurance carrier and the City ofLivermore require that all volunteersattend the Wine Country FestivalVolunteer Training Meeting whichis scheduled for Thursday, April 21stat 6:00 p.m. Those helping out at theevent, will be given a complementarycommemorative 2011 Wine CountryFestival wine glass and be invitedto our Volunteer Appreciation eventlater in the year.Download a volunteer agreementform at www.livermoredowntown.com. Forms must be returned no laterthan Monday, April 18th, 2011. Forinformation, call 373-1795.Nature ProgramThe Little Things is the themeof the Sun., Feb. 6 Livermore AreaRecreation and Park District rangerprogram.Meet Ranger Amy Wolitzer at 2p.m. at the Wetmore Road entranceto Sycamore Grove Park.When walking in the park peopleusually pay attention to big things liketrees, hills, mammals and birds, butmay not stop to look closely at thelittle things that are so important in theecosystem. Armed with magnifyingglasses, participants in this programwill take a short walk with lots ofstops. Good for all ages; dogs arewelcome. Canceled if raining.There is a $5 per vehicle parkingfee. A $2 donation is requested to helpsupport the programs. Participantsmay call 925-960-2400 for moreinformation.Free Ride Period ExtendedThe Livermore Amador ValleyTransit Authority (LAVTA)has extended its free trial periodon the Rapid (bus rapid transit).It now runs through February 11,2011. The three-week long freeride promotion was establishedto gain new riders and encouragecurrent Wheels riders to try thenew service. The Rapid connectspassengers to places such as theStoneridge Mall, BART, theLawrence Livermore and SandiaNational Laboratories and pointsin between.The new, faster service featuresfewer stops and more frequentservice than traditionalroutes and uses advanced technologyto provide speedier tripsthrough the 14-mile corridor.Major features include:• Rapid buses arriving every10 minutes during the busy morningand afternoon commute timesto maximize convenience• Transit signal priority whichallows buses to get through trafficsignals faster• New, modern bus shelterswith electronic signs that tellriders when the next bus will bearrivingThe Rapid buses and bus stopsare identified by a distinctivedesign and logo. In addition toimproved service and comfort,the Rapid reduces the impact onthe environment by decreasinggreenhouse gas emissions andfuel consumption through the useof clean hybrid electric buses.“I encourage residents to takeScouting DinnerThe San Francisco Bay AreaCouncil will host its InauguralFriends of Scouting Kick-Off Dinnerat the Oakland Marriott on Thursday,February 17, 2011. The Dinner willfeature two speakers: James D. “Jim”Rogers, CEO of KOA Kampgroundsof America, Eagle Scout and lifelongsupporter of Scouting and FormerNBA All Star, Two-Time DefensivePlayer of the Year and Eagle Scout,Mark Eaton. In addition to the speakersthe program will feature 2001-2002 Rotary International PresidentRichard King as emcee.One of the purposes of the inauguralFOS Kick-off Dinner event,in addition to hearing from greatspeakers and telling the Scoutingstory is to raise some significantdollars for Scouting. All the dollarsraised on February 17th will assistthe Boy Scout Council in its effortsto serve almost 20,000 youth duringthe year, of whom, many hundredsare deemed to be “at-risk." The dinnerhas been completely underwrittenwhich allows 100% of the moneydonated that night to go directly tobenefitting our children and investingin their future.For more information, including,renewing an exiting pledge, makingnew donation or to join us for awonderful evening please contact:Development Director Scott Evansat 510-577-9454 or email at scott.evans@scouting.orgadvantage of the free fares togive the new Rapid service a try.I believe they will find it a fastand convenient alternative tothe stress and expense of drivinga car with eco-friendly benefits,and will consider using it moreoften after the trial period ends,”said Scott Haggerty, AlamedaCounty Supervisor and LAVTAchair.For more information aboutthe Rapid, visit www.trivalleyrapid.comor call (925) 455-7555.A portion of the funding forthe Rapid free trial ride promotionis sponsored by 511.org. 511is a free phone and web servicethat provides Bay Area transportationinformation.Reflections on Your Future Aimed at 7thAnd 8th Grade Girls and Their ParentsSeventh and Eighth gradegirls and their parents are invitedto the 7 th annual Reflections onYour Future event to be heldat Granada High School in theStudent Union, 400 Wall Street,Livermore, on February 24, 2011from 7:00pm to 8:30pm.Sponsored by the Tri-ValleyRegional Occupational Programand the Dublin, Pleasanton andLivermore school districts, Reflectionson Your Future is anintroduction to the GetSet (GirlsExploring Technology, Scienceand Engineering Together) programoffered to high school girlsin the three districts. GetSet isan extra-curricular enrichmentprogram designed to encouragegirls to pursue their interests inTechnology, Science, Math andEngineering.Reflections on Your Futurewill showcase a preview of theGetSet program and then, usingthe GetSet model, offer hands-onworkshops. Students may chooseto attend one of three workshops:Food Science: Fat Facts, Chemistry:Heat and Light, Hands-OnRobotics: Basic robotics skills.Parents are welcome to stay for apresentation on “How to PrepareYour Child For Success In HighSchool.” Advanced registrationwith choice of workshop (pleaserank choices 1-3) by February 17is required.For additional informationand to register please contactKathy Schults, GetSet Contactand Career Education Specialistat Granada High School, (925)606-4783, or email kschults@lvjusd.k12.ca.usSpeed EnforcementDuring the month of February,the Livermore Police Departmentwill renew our focus on aggressivelyenforcing speeding laws. Police willbe specifically targeting neighborhoods,school zones, and secondarythoroughfares that have experiencedspeed related crashes. he nation.In 2010, speeding was the primarycontributing factor in 29% of theinjury collisions occurring in the Cityof Livermore. A total of 64 injurycollisions occurred on Livermore’sroadways that were directly attributedto the at-fault driver travelingat a speed that was unsafe. Speedhas consistently been determined tohave been the top primary contributingfactor for collisions occurring inLivermore. By reducing instancesof speeding, the goal is to greatlyreduce the likelihood of collisionsoccurring.During this enforcement campaign,officers will be out targetingand ticketing speeding drivers. Ifyou are caught speeding, you will bestopped and ticketed – No excuses.Book EventsTowne Center Books events:Lunch w/cookbook author StephanieO'Dea, Feb. 8 11:30 social 12:00lunch. Stepanie is the author of MakeIt Fast Cook It Slow and More Make ItFast Cook It Slow. $25.00 book andlunch (either book) and $10.00 lunchonly. Reservations required.Read It and Eat with Elena Shapiro,Mon. Feb. 28 11:30 social; 12:00lunch. Elena is the author of 13, RueTherese which will be here at theend of the week. $30.00 lunch andbook; $15.00 book only. Reservationsrequired.Reserve a space at 925-846-8826or orders@townecenterbooks.com.Towne Center Books is located at 555Main St., Pleasanton.Self-Defense SeminarApproximately 50 girls from theGirl Scouts of America participatedin a free self-defense seminar on Sat.,Jan. 29 at United Studios of Self Defensein Livermore. The girls rangedin age from approximately eight to 14,and also included many of the parentsof the girls who chose to benefit fromthe class as well.The two hour course coveredsome of the basic elements of aself-defense situation, includingapproximately 12 scenarios such asdefenses against choke holds, wristgrabs, being pinned against a wall,and other common situations thatthey may be confronted with.This was the fourth such seminarthat United Studios of Self Defensehas hosted in Livermore in the lastyear. Similar events were held atUSSD’s other 11 locations in theBay Area.USSD was chosen by the GirlScouts to host this event due to theirreputation in the martial arts industry.USSD’s instructors are professionallytrained on a weekly basis on how todeal with various situations. TheirThe Give Kids A Smile Event is planned forSaturday, Feb. 12 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.Give Kids a Smile is an eventhosted by volunteer dentists nationwidein conjunction with theAmerican Dental Association.This event is an annual centerpieceto National Children’s DentalHealth Month. It is designedto provide education, screening,treatment and preventative careto children of low-income familieswho do not have access tocare. The event raises awarenessof the epidemic of untreateddental disease occurring here andacross the country.Among those participatingwill be Wanlan Xiao, DDS.According to the Center forDisease Control, nearly 1 in 4children, aged 2 to 11 years old,have untreated cavities in theirinstructors are trained by professionalsin psychiatry, medicine, theFBI, and many other professionalsin various industries. United Studiosof Self Defense is the world’s largestmartial arts organization, with over200 schools nationwide, which iswhat enables them to receive thistype of unique instruction.Paws to Read Registration"Paws to Read, a program wherechildren read to dogs, has begunits new. Paws to Read, a programsponsored by the Livermore PublicLibrary and the Valley HumaneSociety, is based on studies whichshow that reading with trainedtherapy dogs can improve a child’sself-esteem and confidence, as wellas encourage a child to read more.This program has proved to be verypopular, with youngsters perfectingtheir reading skills.The Winter program series willtake place on Wednesday evenings,January 19 through March 9, 2011,with two sessions between 7 and 8p.m. Sessions will be approximately25 minutes long and will be held inthe Livermore Public Library CivicCenter Storytime/Craft Room. Registrationis underway. Children mayregister for up to three sessions duringthe Winter series, as space allows.Drop-ins may be accepted on a firstcome, first served basis. Participatingchildren should not be fearful of dogsor have allergies to pets.For more information or toregister, please call the LivermorePublic Library’s Children’s Desk at925-373-5500, ext. 5504.Disaster AssistanceThe program Aftershock!: TeensPrepare for Disaster Assistance willbe presented from 1:30pm-3:00pm onSaturday, February 26 at the LivermorePublic Library Civic Center,1188 S. Livermore Avenue. Thereis no charge for this event.At Aftershock!, teens will learnfirst aid for earthquake and fire disastersthrough a special AmericanRed Cross training course designedfor teens. Other topics include firstresponse topics and techniques, anda look at teen volunteer opportunitieswith the American Red Cross.This program is part of LivermoreReads Together, a community-widereading program featuring JamesDalessandro’s book, 1906: A Novel,about the San Francisco earthquakeand fire. The community of Livermoreis encouraged to join theirbaby teeth. While poor diet andoral hygiene certainly play a role,cavities are actually caused by adisease called caries, which isfive times more common thanasthma.The event will be open to allkids without dental insurancewho are between the ages of 3 to14 years old. During this event,the child will be screened by adentist, may have his/her teethcleaned, may have fluoride appliedto the teeth, and/or mayhave sealants placed. If there areany dental emergencies, an effortwill be made to treat the emergencyon the day of the event ora referral may be made to a clinicthat can treat the emergency.Due to the need for signedneighbors by participating in theLivermore Reads Together free eventsfor children and adults during themonth of February 2011. Copies ofbooks and event schedules are availableat all Livermore Public Librarylocations. Livermore Reads Togetheris sponsored by The Friends of theLivermore Library. For additionalevents check the library’s website atwww.livermore.lib.ca.us.Valentine CraftsValentine craft sessions will beavailable at the Livermore Library.Create a Valentine craft to give tothat special someone or to decorateyour home. All craft times will beon a drop-in basis and craft assistantswill be on hand to help you at varioustimes throughout the craft time.The Civic Center Library will hostthe program on Wednesday, February9, 12:30-5:30 p.m., located at 1188S. Livermore Avenue.Crafts will be offered at theRincon Branch Library on Friday,February 11, 3 to 5 p.m., located at725 Rincon Avenue, next to the MaeNissen pool.All ages are welcome to thesefree library programs. ContactYouth Services at (925) 373-5504, orRincon at (925) 373-5540, for moreinformation.DUI EnforcementWhether the $5,000 Super Bowlrings eventually go to the PittsburghSteelers or the Green Bay Packers,law enforcement agencies in AlamedaCounty are cracking down on drunkdrivers on Sunday, Feb. 6.Avoid the 21 plans DUI patrolsthroughout the county. “These arespecialized units, dedicated solely tolooking for impaired drivers,” warnedLt. Ava Garavatti of the Livermorepolice, campaign coordinator.“It’s a no-brainer to designatea completely sober person to driveeveryone else home safely from theevent,” she remarked. “It costs nothingand saves lives routinely. Justdo it before you leave for the party,because alcohol tackles everyone’sgood judgment.”Avoid the 21, named for the numberof law enforcement agencies inthe county, will hit the roads againfor St. Patrick’s Day.The California Office of TrafficSafety funds it through the NationalHighway Traffic Safety Administration,which advises motorists to dial911 on their cell phones to reportdangerous drivers.parental permission and otherdocumentation, during the eventonly children who are registeredin advance can be seen. If you orsomeone you know is interestedin participating in this event,please visit our website at www.winning-smiles.com for moreinformation or give us a call at925-373-7311 to schedule forthe event.Christopher P. SeymourWith heavy hearts we announcethe passing of Christo p h e r P.Seymour onJan. 22, 2011.H i s w i f e ,mother, father,siblingsand children,and motherin-lawSonjawere by his side.Chris was a sweet, gentle,kind soul. He touched manyhearts during the forty-sevenyears he was with us. Our loss isheaven’s gain. He is survived byhis wife Jean, his children Amberand Bradley, his much lovedand cared for grandson Vaughn,his parents Charles and GwenSeymour, his siblings JonathanSeymour and Becka Hudsonand countless other relatives andfriends who loved him dearly.Chris adored his family, heloved to cook and nothing madehim happier than to help anotherperson. He took on many newchallenges in a positive way, andwas a wonderful caring father tohis two children and his grandson.Chris’ children loved manythings about their father, but oneof his qualities that really stoodout was his love for people. Christreated everyone with kindnessand love and always felt the goodin everyone.The Memorial Service tocelebrate Chris’ life was heldon Saturday, January 29, 2011at Valley Community Church inPleasanton.Arrangements by CallaghanMortuary.Paula Louise ThompsonPaula Louise Thompsonpassed away on Sunday, January23, 2011, after a valiant battlewith cancer.At her request,nos e r v i c e sw i l l b eheld.She wasa Livermoreresident.P a u l awas bornOctober 10,1954 in Astoria, Oregon to Richardand Sally Thompson.At age two, the family movedto Southern California wherePaula grew up. After graduatingfrom El Modena High School in1973, Paula moved back to Astoriaand spent several years withher loving grandmother, ChristineKauttu. Paula then joinedthe Navy in January 1978. Afterproudly serving in the Navy forten years, she joined the Reservesfor another seven years where shewas called to active duty duringDesert Storm.Paula lived in the state ofWashington up until six years agowhen she moved to Livermore tobe close to family. She enjoyedcooking, word puzzles, road tripsand life in general. She had asense of humor and twinkle in hereyes that caught one by surprise.She will be dearly missed by allthose that came to know her.Paula is survived by her lovingparents Richard and JoanneThompson, twin sister PamelaBurk, sister Claudia Moore,brother David Thompson, andher ever loving dog, Ginger.Douglas Melvin OlsonDouglas Melvin Olson wasborn on Dec. 7, 1955, in Oakland,CA to Melvin and Louise Olson.Doug passed away on Thursday,Jan. 27, 2011 just two weeks afterbeing diagnosed with pancreaticcancer. He was a Livermoreresident.Doug touched many livesthrough his love and compassion.Doug graduated from MarinaHigh School. He took welding atChabot College in Hayward andbegan his career at NUMMI inFremont, Ca in 1985 and workedthere until the plant closed in2010. He loved his job and wasdevastated when the plant shutdown. He worked at Kraft Foodsthru Kelly Services from Oct.,2010 to Jan 13, 2011 when hediagnosed with cancer.Doug loved fishing, camping,boating, hunting and crosswordpuzzles. He loved taking hisfamily on trips. He was a wonderfulhusband and father.He is preceded in death byhis parents. He is survived byhis loving wife Julie, devotedchildren, Doug 17, and Sarah15, both attending Granada HighSchool. stepsons, Marshall andMichael, sisters, Janet Adelsonand Judy Harper, half sister,Kathy Martinez, nieces ReneeSpisak and Stephanie Harper andnephew Brian Harper. He willremain in our hearts forever.Funeral Services were heldon Wed. Feb 2 at Callaghan’sChapel in Livermore. Burial wasat Lawn Crest Memorial Park inRedding, CA.