Opening day plant sale Saturday for Walnut Creek's national treasure, the Ruth Bancroft Garden

I grew up in Walnut Creek but it wasn't until a couple years ago that I became aware of this national treasure in our town: the Ruth Bancroft Garden. The garden was once part of a 400-acre fruit and walnut farm, started by Hubert Howe Bancroft, the historian and publisher whose personal book collection became the nucleus of UC Berkeley's Bancroft Library.

In the early 1970s, his daughter-in-law Ruth Bancroft took three acres that remained of that farm and began her famous experiment in raising succulents and other plants suitable to our Mediterranean climate. Over the years, her garden became a home to an important collection of aloes, agaves, yuccas, and echeverias. As her garden gained notice from horticulturalists from all over North America, it inspired the Garden Conservancy, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving significant American gardens.

The Ruth Bancroft Garden also became a nonprofit and a model of exceptional garden design using water-conserving plants.

The Ruth Bancroft Garden celebrates its official Opening Day Saturday with its annual Spring Plant Sale. This will be the first of six plant sales this year, taking place from April through October. 

The garden has for sale this year an assortment of natives, succulents and other drought-tolerant plants, including large and small cacti, agave, aloe, dyckia and yucca. The garden will have horticultural specialists on hand to answer questions regarding  plant purchases.

The public is also invited to do more than buy plants Saturday. You can join a docent-led tour of the garden, where protective winter covers have come off, the cacti and succulents are glowing, and flowers are budding.

The garden, moreover, is kicking off its 2010 series of workshops, which coincide with the April-October Saturday plant sales and are designed to give the public tips on sustainable gardening. This Saturday's workshop, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., will cover composting.

Admission is free to the public during plant sales. Garden member admission is always free and is available at the door. 

The members-only sale takes place from 9 to 11 a.m., and the garden is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The garden is located at 1552 Bancroft Road. For more information, call (925) 944-9352 or visit the visit Ruth Bancroft garden website.

Sufism Reoriented says it, not the county, initiated the request for an EIR for its new sanctuary

In a February 26 post, I wrote that the Contra Costa County Conservation and Community Development Department has asked Sufism Reoriented to prepare an environmental impact report for its controversial plans to build a 66,000-square-foot sanctuary in the Saranap neighborhood. I had received two different versions over who made the initial request for the EIR: the county or Sufism Reoriented. 

When I spoke with county senior planner LaShun Cross, she told me that the county had come to the decision to ask for the EIR. She said the county concluded that it should require maximum scrutiny of the project’s environmental impact because of the project’s size and concerns expressed by residents.

Meanwhile, Sufism Reoriented leaders say it was their idea to ask for the EIR, even though though they believed a smaller environmental study would suffice.

They talked about asking for the EIR in in their March newsletter, a copy of which was shared with me on February 13. In that newsletter, they said they hoped the county "approves our request for an EIR."

After I published the February 26 post, a Sufism Reoriented representative contacted me to say his organization did "not put a distorting spin in our newsletter about who originated the EIR. ... we did indeed initiate the request to the County."

To assure me that this is how the EIR came about, the representative, Steve Sardella, attached a letter, dated February 3. It is addressed to Cross and comes from Marie Cooper, an attorney representing Sufism Reoriented on this project. This letter is also published on Sufism Reoriented's website. Two weeks after the letter was sent, Sardella said, the request for the EIR was approved. Here is the letter: 

Dear Ms. Cross:
I am writing on behalf of Sufism Reoriented, the applicant for the new sanctuary project. We request that the County prepare an EIR for the project even if staff would otherwise prepare a proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Planning Commission’s consideration.


As you know, an EIR must be prepared only when the record contains evidence that there may be unavoidable significant impacts. A Mitigated Negative Declaration is permitted when there is no such evidence. The studies conducted by our consultants have not revealed any unavoidable significant impacts. Experience at the existing sanctuary establishes that the new sanctuary will generate few vehicle trips. Also, the new sanctuary project proposes redevelopment of a developed site in a developed neighborhood. All these factors indicate that a Mitigated Negative Declaration would most likely be appropriate for the project.


However, the new sanctuary has generated controversy among a significant minority of our neighbors, and we want to make sure that all the issues they raise are fully vetted. An EIR would also give the County decision makers more flexibility to weigh and balance evidence and arguments, allowing them to arrive more easily at the best possible decision in this matter.


We understand that preparation of an EIR would involve more time and effort than would preparation of a Mitigated Negative Declaration, and Sufism Reoriented confirms its commitment to pay all reasonable processing costs, including those associated with an EIR. We also understand that the decision regarding what document to prepare lies solely in the County’s hands. We make this request to alert the County to our position, confirm our agreement to pay costs, and explain why an EIR would be appropriate.

New cupcake shop for Broadway Plaza

Is this news of pressing community concern? Dunno. I just felt like putting pictures of cupcakes up on this blog.

The cupcake craze continues with the opening of Frosting Bake Shop, in Broadway Plaza

This Mill Valley shop has opened its new location next door to Banana Republic. The shop's website say it  bakes cupcakes fresh every day, using the finest natural, organic, farm-fresh ingredients. Its 11 flavors include Black and White (chocolate cake topped with vanilla buttercream); Chocolate Obsession ("decadent" Callebut chocolate cupcake topped with chocolate ganache frosting); Razzleberry, Carrot, Lemon Twist, Mocha, and Juliana Banana."

Cupcakes are $3 each. You can also order sampler packs of four, six or 12 cupcakes.

Shave your head for a good cause: to help kids with cancer

The Walnut Creek Police Department is coordinating a special fundraising event on May 4 to help a special group of kids: those diagnosed with cancer. Members of the department are  asking people to shave their heads to show solidarity with kids who are in treatment, or to sponsor someone--man or woman--who is willing to do so.

The police department is holding this event at Civic Community Park to raise money for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which has raised more than $83 million since 2000 with this unique head-shaving testimonial.  The police department has a goal of raising $100,000.

"More than 160,000 kids are diagnosed with cancer each year. Despite tremendous progress, cancer remains the No. 1 disease killer of children in the United States and Canada," says Sgt. Lanny Edwards. "We're out to help change that."

Just the other day, as Claycord.com reported, Chloe, a 7-year-old girl in our community died on April 3 after being diagnosed just six months ago with a brain tumor.


Edwards says that participants find that shaving their head is a small sacrifice in comparison to what these children endure, and want to raise money to help find a cure for children with cancer now and in the future.


The Walnut Creek-sponsored event will be held from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the community center, 1375 Civic Drive . The head-shavings will commence from 4:30-8:30 PM. The police department is coordinating this fundraiser and encouraging other law enforcement organizations, firefighters, businessmen, clubs, teams, groups, etc to come participate.

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation makes grants to research institutions to find new cures for childhood cancer, and to find treatments to ensure a better quality of life for patients and survivors.

The foundation funds research projects conducted by established pediatric cancer experts, as well as younger professionals who will be the experts of tomorrow. Funds also enable hundreds of local institutions to participate in national pediatric cancer clinical trials, offering the best available care for every child.

For more information, visit the event website, or contact Sergeant Lanny Edwards with the Walnut Creek Police at (925) 256-3596.

1515 Restaurant can stay open until 1 a.m.

The City Council voted 4 to 1 to allow 1515 Restaurant and Lounge to keep its 1 a.m. closing time, despite concerns raised by city staff and the police department about late-night incidents that required police response.



The council’s decision came after son and father owners Tony and Jack Dudum spoke about the value their North Main Street establishment brings to downtown. “We’ve tried best to obey the rules,” Tony Dudum said. “We are a destination, one of the premiere spots of the city.”


Family members, friends, and regular customers also came out on a Tuesday, “away from American Idol” and “family," Tony Dudum said, to sing the praises of the Dudums and 1515.


The City Council allowed the Dudums to stay open until 1 a.m. for a six-month probationary period. City staff wanted that closing time to be rolled back to 12:30 a.m. In their report, staff said the restaurant didn’t do well enough to be granted the 1 a.m. closing time permanently. There were eight incidents requiring a police response. These incidents include an assault, two thefts, someone being arrested on a warrant, another patron being arrested for public drunkenness, and the restaurant's valet parking cars in handicapped spaces. In February, 1515 employees were caught drinking in the back of the restaurant.


At Tuesday’s meeting, Chief Joel Bryden suggested that these types of incidents are typical of downtown bars and restaurants that stay open late. He said that these types of incidents are more of what you’ll find at a bar, where the chief service is to serve alcohol, not a restaurant, where food is the focus.


He added that 1515 does do a good job running its business. His department’s concern about letting 1515 stay open until 1 a.m. instead of 12:30 is that there will be “30 more minutes of potential problems that we in the police department are going to have to deal with.”


Lt. Mark Covington said the police department is at its limit in the number of calls they can handle among the downtown’s late-night bar scene. “We can’t deal with any more additional calls.”


The Dudums and their supporters complained that they were being singled out and “set up for failure.” Some even suggested that officers were showing at the restaurant at random times and making customers feel uncomfortable.


This debate about 1515 comes as the city wrestles with how to balance public safety and against the desire to encourage commerce in Walnut Creek and to keep the downtown a happening Bay Area destination for dining and entertainment.


Four of the council members voted to allow 1515 to stay open until 1 a.m. They said the didn’t want to unfairly penalize for 1515 for violations that may be just as common or more common at other establishments. They also didn’t want to roll back the business’ hours at this one establishment when the results of an Alcohol Task Force study on the downtown bar scene is pending.

Councilman Kish Rajan said: "I fully appreciate the needs of our police department and am committed to improving the environment downtown to support them in their mission. In my view, that is best achieved by looking at the downtown as a whole, and our overall alcohol/ closing time policies. We need a clearer set of policies that better balance the needs of our police with our desire for a successful business climate"


Only Councilman Bob Simmons said he would not support the 1 a.m. closing time. This is because, he said, back in September, the police department presented a list of incidents at 1515 that required police response. The council’s position was zero-tolerance and that 1515 shouldn’t return after the probationary period “with another sheet of incidents" He added: "Tonight we have more.”


He also objected to supporters’ claims that some of the incidents were “not so bad.” I reject that notion,” he said. “We want the city to be known as a safe place for people to come and enjoy.”

Walnut Creek woman gravely injured in Hercules crash

A 30-year-old Walnut Creek woman was reported to be brain dead after a crash last Friday afternoon on Highway 4 in Hercules.

California Highway Patrol officers told the Contra Costa Times that Marie Kalamantis, 30, lost control of her 1997 Infiniti while driving east on Highway 4 east of the Franklin Canyon Golf Course. The crash threw her from her car; she was not wearing a seat belt.



The investigation is continuing. No signs of drugs or alcohol were found at the crash. On Tuesday, Kalamantis was reported to be hospitalized at a regional trauma center while surgeons prepared to harvest her organs.

My $2,374 cut-thumb emergency room bill

A few weeks back, I wrote about the surprisingly speedy service I received at John Muir Medical Center's emergency room. This was on a Sunday evening after I went in for a thumb I sliced with a potato peeler. The bleeding wouldn't stop after several hours, so I figured I had to go to the emergency room to have a doctor look at it. 

I feared that a cut thumb would be very low on the emergency department's priority list, and that I'd end up sitting in the waiting room for hours.  Instead, I was seen right away. My wound was cleaned out, I received a bandage, and I was out of the hospital in an hour. I've since learned that John Muir, yes, has instituted a new system for managing the flow of its patients in its emergency room. It identifies easy to treat patients, like I was that night, and gets them into an exam room as quickly as possible, to be seen, treated, and discharged. This system helps keeps the emergency room from backing up and lets the staff focus on more serious cases.

The bill came, and I was curious, to say the least, that the total bill is for $2,374. For an hour's service. Wow!

I'm not freaking out about it because my private health insurance covers all of that amount, except for the $100 co-pay that I paid at the time of treatment. My initial thought upon receive this bill: My health insurance damn well better cover this ER visit.

That's because for the past year or so, my family and I have been picking up a huge share of my employer-provided Health Net medical coverage--to the tune of $1,400 a month. We chose this somewhat more costly Health Net route because we wanted to maintain continuity of coverage for my husband who has a chronic health condition.

With these kinds of ER costs, I can imagine the person who would be reluctant to go in for something like a cut thumb--or even something more serioius--if they had to pay much higher out-of-pocket costs.
Of course, the health care reform bill was just signed last month. I know I should be more of a health care policy wonk. If I were, I might understand how the health care overhaul might reduce this kind of cost for an emergency room visit--to my insurance company or to me.

According to HealthReform.gov, the health care reform is supposed to make health care "affordable and accessible for everyone." The argument is that by expanding health insurance to all Americans, "and creating caps on the health care expenses that people pay out of pocket, health insurance reform will make health care affordable to everyone.  ... Premiums are high, in part, because of the 'hidden insurance tax' of more than $1,000 for unpaid costs of care of the uninsured."

If any health care policy wonks--pro and con--want to chime in. If you have suggestions of anyone to bug, who might be able to tell me whether health care reform will reduced the costs of a cut-thumb visit, please let me know.

Walnut Creek schools about ready to make their fundraising goal

(In case you hadn't heard. ... I received notice about two weeks ago, and kept meaning to publish it.) 

The Walnut Creek Education Foundation says that it was only $7,612 away from making their fundraising goal of $724,000.  According to Liz Davis, the foundation president, this fundraising feat was accomplished even though only 45 percent of parents in the districts donated to the foundation.

WCEF's participation rate is a bit lower than foundations raising money for districts in Lamorinda (Oh, those Lamorinda overachievers!). The foundations for these districts also ask for much more money overall--twice or nearly twice as much as Walnut Creek--and more money from each individual family.

WCEF asks for $500 per family, while the Lafayette Arts and Science Foundation, with a fundraising goal of $1.5 million and a 53 percent participation rate, asks for $500 per child.  The foundations for the Orinda and Moraga schools ask for $550 and $600 per child, with fundraising goals of $1.5 and $1.3 million, respectively. The Education Foundation of Orinda enjoys a 68-percent parent participation rate.

The $$$ raised by WCEF support art, music, and PE, and librarian hours in the elementary schools; a counselor, librarian hours, and a "visiting artists" program at Walnut Creek Intermediate; and an academic counselor, librarian, and leadership class at Las Lomas High.

Project Downtown: Ideas for reinvigorating Walnut Creek’s “heart”

The Walnut Creek City council will consider Tuesday night whether to once again levy the annual assessments on downtown businesses that go into a fund to help make downtown improvements. This discussion takes place against the backdrop of larger questions of how Walnut Creek can bolster its economy as the region, the state, and nation try to dig themselves out of the Great Recession.

The downtown is, yes, an important part of the city's economic engine. So, how is the city going to increase the numbers of people who want to do business here, shop here, eat here, have fun here? How is the city going to make its downtown a place that people want to be?

The group charged with the task of devising these strategies is the Downtown Business Association. The association administers the funds that come from those assessments on salons, restaurants, and shops that lie within the Downtown Business Improvement District. In existence for five years, the district levies assessments of anywhere from $125 a year for a small second-floor business to $1,000 a year for a ground floor business of more than 10,000 square feet.

The association also receives money for downtown improvement projects from the Downtown Parking and Enhancement Fund, which consists of revenues generated from downtown parking meters. The fund has provided $650,000 to the business assocation for over three years.

With that money, the association has made some visual improvements to downtown--banners, energy-efficient lights on Locust Street trees. It has also instituted some programs that may be desirable or not, depending on your point of view, such as the valet parking program.

Finally, it has also helped sponsor some popular events, such as Walnut Creek on Ice, the Wine Walk in September to raise money for Walnut Creek schools, and the November 2009 Semi-Annual Sidewalk Sale that included 29 participating merchants.

Earlier this year, the business association spent around $7,000 to hire a so-called "destination guru" to help come up with a brand and logo to promote Walnut Creek. At a February 10 meeting with the Downtown Business Association, Roger Brooks of Destination Development International made some interesting comments and suggestions about how he sees Walnut Creek's future.

He came up with the idea that Mt. Diablo Boulevard is our town's "Mason-Dixon Line." He also threw out the suggestion that we call the area north of this Mason-Dixon Line our "International District" because of all the "ethnic" restaurants operating there.

OK, the business association says Brooks' firm has made a total of 23 recommendations for improving downtown, which range from improving signage in private parking lots to large capital projects, such as building gateways and plazas. A written report is due in several weeks. Let's hope that some of those recommendations are not as interesting as the "Mason-Dixon," "International District" ideas.

Brooks idea about the "gateway" to Walnut Creek? The business association agrees, as it says in its report to the city council: "Whether coming off Mt. Diablo Boulevard from Highway 24 [seen here] or Main Street off Highway 680, there is no indication of where downtown begins. Not only does a gateway help identify to visitors that ‘there is a there there,’ gateways h elpproduce a ‘mall’ or collective mentality among the businesses residing behind the gateway."

In its report, the business association also says it "believes a larger, holistic strategy is needed and that questions remain, such as how should these recommended improvements be prioritized."

Other events on the association's radar? 

--A signature culinary event scheduled for August.

--Creating a special program called "Cruising the Creek "

--A cultural festival, such as a film festival or something like Concord's Japanese Festival.

Happy Easter! And, take my pink purse, please!

If you celebrate Easter, I hope you have a lovely day with your family. It's supposed to be cloudy today, and it might even rain.
Don't eat too many chocolate Easter eggs. 

Meanwhile, I've decided that I'd love to give my pink purse to someone who really wants it. It's a nice big bag, and I like big bags, but I'm not adventurous enough in terms of fashion to carry around a purse the color pink.

One reader who commented on my first pink purse post was enthusiastic about getting one of her (his) own. Dear Anonymous April 2, 12:18 p.m.: It's yours if you want it. But if Anonymous April 2, 12:18 p.m. doesn't see this offer, someone else can e-mail me and we can make arrangements for a delivery.

I have not used the purse. It's still got all its tissue paper stuffing inside. It's an Isaac Mizrahi Live brand. It comes with a a detachable clutch bag, which is, yes, also pink. It also comes with one of those flannel storage bags that you can place it in to protect it when you're not using it.

So, anyone who wants the pink purse, e-mail me at crazyinsuburbia@gmail.com. If I get multiple requests, I'll probably have to select the recipient on a first come first serve basis.

Blondes on a plane! My son swears he is NOT making this up ...

My 12-year-old son had a little adventure this morning as he was taking his seat on a Southwest Airlines flight bound for San Diego. He was flying to San Diego for spring break, to spend the week with his aunt and uncle. 

He was just settling into his seat at the front of the plane when he became aware of a commotion involving a female passenger, a young blonde woman. This blonde, who was in the company of another blonde, was trying to shove her carryon bag into one of those overheard compartments.

All of a sudden, Blonde No. 1 let out a big, scary scream. 

A flight attendant came speeding down the aisle, asking: "What's wrong? What's wrong?"

The poor flight attendant, as well as the passengers, were thinking of all the worst-case scenarios that can happen on an airplane these days.

For purposes of full disclosure, I should add that my son is himself a blond. So, he has nothing against blondes. He also lives with a wanna-be blonde--me. 

I should furthermore add that he was flying all by himself. It wasn't the first time he has traveled on an airplane by himself, but it was the first time he had to get through security and to the gate by himself. He just turned 12, so he's no longer eligible to have Mom and Dad accompany him through security and up to the gate. He's no longer going to wear one of those unaccompanied minor passes hanging around his neck. And, he can no longer expect airline staff to make sure he's safe in the terminal or that he gets to the gate and catches the plane. 

I add this background about my son because he was perhaps feeling nervous about traveling this morning--truly on his own for the first time. But knowing him, and his young male pride, he would never admit that he was feeling tense... 

But maybe, the blonde letting out her scream heightened whatever tension he was feeling.

Anyway, everyone's eyes were on the blonde as the flight attendant reached her. "What's wrong? What's wrong?'

The blonde's reply? My son swears on it, though he knows it's almost too good to be true:

"I broke a nail."

Yes, she said that, my son says

And, yes, sometimes, the truth is stranger and more amusing than fiction. Or a good blonde joke.

Police activity prompts city to want to roll back hours that 1515 Restaurant can serve alcohol

Tony and Jack Dudum, the son and father owners of 1515 Restaurant and Lounge, will be in front of the City Council Tuesday, once again to deal with the issue of 1515's  closing times. In September, the City Council said they had to stop serving alcohol at 1 a.m. They wanted to be able to serve alcohol at their North Main Street bar and restaurant until 1:45 a.m. 

The Dudums went to the city Planning Commission and Council last summer, asking for permission to extend their hours and to be able to provide live entertainment and dancing. At that time, they could only serve alcohol until 12 a.m. downstairs and 11:30 p.m. upstairs. After listening to the Dudums say that the extended hours would bring them additional revenue and allow them to serve loyal night-owl customers, the City Council on September 15, 2009 came up with a compromise. It said that 1515 could serve alcohol until 1 a.m.

However, this extension was subject to a six-month probationary period. The period is up, and the question stands whether the Dudums should be able to serve alcoho past 1 a.m.

Unfortunately for the Dudums, the city says their restaurant didn't do so well during the six months. There were eight incidents requiring a police response. These incidents include an assault, two thefts, someone being arrested on a warrant, another patron being arrested for public drunkenness, and the restaurant's valet parking cars in handicapped spaces. In February, 1515 employees were caught drinking in the back of the restaurant.

In the fall, the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Department also suspended 1515's liquor license for 15 days. This suspension stems from a July 23, 2009 violation in which 1515 was found to have been serving alcohol past its designated closing time. In lieu of the suspension, 1515 agreed to pay a fine of $3,000.

Walnut Creek Community Development staff say in their report to the City Council that some of these incidents are not unique to 1515, but are typical of any downtown bar or lounge that focuses on serving alcohol. "With increased consumption of alcohol in the later hours, midnight to 2 a.m., the customers engage in more activities that require police intervention," the report says. "At 1515 Restaurant and Lounge, the six-month probationary period with a later closing time of 1 a.m. has coincided with an increase of police incidents."

The question about 1515 's closing time comes as the city wrestles with the question of how to balance public safety against the desire to encourage commerce in Walnut Creek and to keep the downtown a happening Bay Area destination for dining and entertainment. Right now, there is a lot happening in downtown. Walnut Creek is "over-saturated" with serving alcohol. State Alcoholic Beverage Control guidelines say that nine establishments in the downtown would be satisfactory to serve the public's need for alcohol. Walnut Creek has 99. 

The Walnut Creek police try to regulate businesses' alcohol use by staggering their alcohol cutoff hours. While some owners find these regulations unfair, the city says it considers each establishment's request to on a case-by-case basis. 

With regard to 1515, city staff is recommending that the business stop serving alcohol at 12:30 a.m. Staff says 1515 should also be barred from providing most live entertainment, except for solo musicians, and from offering reduced-priced drink promotions. 1515 can hold special events, which could include dancing, but it must receive advanced written notice from the police chief. Finally, 1515 must maintain a monthly gross ratio of food to alcohol sales of 65 to 35 percent.

Flags flying again at Ygnacio Valley library

Ygnacio Valley Library is once again flying the American and California flags after the automatic flag pole, which had been malfunctioning for quite some time, was converted to a manual flag pole. 

Cindy Brittain, the senior community library manager for the Walnut Creek and Ygnacio Valley Libraries, said a mechanism in the automatic flag pole was "jammed up." This is according to a  contractor that Contra Costa County hired to fix or convert the pole.

A reader told me that the flag pole has not been flying flags for quite some time. Brittain says that she could not find any record at the Ygnacio Valley Library on when the flag pole ceased to work. The previous library manager, who had been working there since the 1990s, didn't have any idea either.

"Most people, including some of the library staff, didn’t notice the flagpole. It kind of blended in with the nearby tree until we got the tree limbs trimmed back last year," Brittain says.

The flag pole went up the same time as the library in 1975. It could sense dark and rain and automatically take in the flags at night or wet weather. "When the sun came out again, so did the flags," says Brittain.
 
She adds that she had no idea there was such a thing as an automatic flag pole until she started looking into why the Ygnacio Valley Library flag pole had no flags.

Because the contractor could not fix the faulty mechanism, the county decided to convert it to a manual flag pole.

"It will take us a little time to raise and lower it each day but at last the flags are flying again," Brittain says.

UPDATE: Photo of man in plastic painter’s suit robbing Chase Bank in Palos Verdes Mall

UPDATE: Here's the photo of the robber, in the painter's suit and brandishing a Taser, who robbed Chase Bank in Palos Verdes mall Friday afternoon.

Hmm. This scary photo looks like something out of a post-2010, -apocalyptic cautionary tale.
Anyway, Walnut Creek police are looking for a man, brandishing a Taser gun, who robbed the Chase Bank Friday afternoon. It was the second robbery at Chase in the last two months.

Police say the man entered the bank at about 2:48 p.m. Friday, approached a teller, pointed a Taser at the teller and other employees, and demanded cash.

The man took an undisclosed amount of cash, as well as property belonging to other employees. He left the scene in a white Toyota minivan with a dark-colored roof rack. An eagle-eyed witness spotted the license plate, and reported that it was similar to 5AGW668.

Police searched the area, but couldn’t find the robber.

The robber is described as a white male, about 30 years old, 5 foot 8 to 6-feet tall, about 175 pounds and with an average build. During the robbery, he was wearing a white plastic painter’s suit, dark baseball cap, white painter’s hat and orange-tinted sunglasses.

This bank in the Palos Verdes mall was also robbed on January 19.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Walnut Creek Police Department at (925) 943-5844.

My new pink purse: Think I'm ready for Walnut Creek prime time?

I'm putting my son on an airplane tomorrow morning, and he'll be off to off to visit his aunt in San Diego for the week, which leaves me with an entire Saturday with time on my hands.  

Maybe I'll take out my new pink purse and go get a manicure and pedicure. Believe me, it's time!  I do need to get my legs and eyebrows waxed, but damn, with hubbie laid off, that bit of feminine maintenance might have to wait until the U.S. economy recovers. Sorry everyone. 

Of course, I could take my new pink purse to a movie matinee. That shocking pink could light up the theater! 

Then, I might do some window shopping around those boutiques that I never go into. But with a new pink purse, I might be ready for such a bold fashion move! In the evening, my husband and I, mindful of our budget, of course, could find see if any of our downtown restaurants has Saturday Happy Hour. And, yes, my new pink purse will go along. According to Diablo magazine's February guide to East Bay bars, Vic Stewart’s has Tuesday–Sunday drink specials from 4:30 to 7 p.m. which include martinis, well drinks, and house wines for $5 a pop. 

Or, if we're not in the mood for alcohol, we'll just hit Caspers. I think my pink purse will fit in just fine. 

If it matters, I didn't buy the purse for myself.  You may have guessed that I'm not a pink purse kind of gal. It was sent to me, by some company that hopes I will write about it in a positive way. Well, here I am writing about it. Actually, I think it might officially be a diaper bag, because it was sent by a company that is promoting baby products.  

So, I don't see myself as a pink purse kind of gal, but it may be time to expand my horizons. It might be time to start hauling around all my stuff--wallet, pens, notebooks, camera, phone, bad magazines, Excedrin, lipstick--in this big pink purse. As you can see, Britney Spears apparently has a pink thing when it comes to her handbags.  

Walnut Creek writer, father, PTA president: We need to stop coddling our children

I ran into Walnut Creek writer and dad R.J. Lavallee at last weeks' Community Coordinating Council meeting, a gathering of PTA presidents and representatives from the schools in the Walnut Creek School District. The discussion was homework. The district is in the midst of drafting a new policy that should answer the questions: How much? What should it cover? Is it even necessary?

Lavallee seemed to be the lone voice in the room, saying he didn't mind homework being assigned on weekends or over holiday break. 

Gasp! Including one from yours truly.

In his latest essay, "Protecting Children, published on his website, Bent Spoon Media, Lavalle admits: "I had made a passing comment to the district superintendent that maybe I was too much of a hard ass, thinking kids almost don't have enough homework."

Like me, that meeting prompted Lavallee to reflect, not so much on the debate surrounding school work that's assigned to kids to do at home, but on the bigger questions it provokes--about  education, society, parenting, and family life in America.

"Bottom line, what do we expect public education to provide?" Lavallee asks. He goes on to say that he doesn't think that "public school is the place for [his sons] to learn right from wrong, or how to resolve conflicts, or how to be a child. ...

He continues:

 "Focusing on the expectations that parents have of today's public education system may help right a few of the ills in today's ailing schools. For me, I try to remember why public education was even created in this country. We are supposed to be preparing our children for life outside of the home, life as an autonomous person. Where I know my thoughts greatly diverge from some of my parenting peers is that I fully believe we have come to a point where we overly coddle our children. The modern concept of childhood – of sheltering children from difficulty, and immersing children in a sugary-sweet start to their upbringing – is very recent, and very Western, and in my opinion is adding to the slipping test scores in our system."

Lavallee also provides some interesting historical on the concept of public education in America, a notion that goes back to Thomas Jefferson, and on how some see public education as fulfilling a nation- and economy-building role in the United States.

Check out Lavellee's "rant" as he calls it, on homework and public education. You can also check out some of his other essays on parenting and kids and technology.  Lavallee is the author of a book on kids and technology, IMHO (In My Humble Opion): a guide to the benefits and dangers of today's communication tools.

With the exception of Rossmoor, Walnut Creek is slacking off on the Census

I filled out our family’s U.S. Census form and mailed it back. What a good citizen I am. I guess.

I happen to be a census geek, digging around different data tables, trying different queries. The census is a  goldmine for data about the United States and local communities. It provides a picture of who we are, where we come from, and how we live. 

Cities are particularly keen on making sure the census gets accurate numbers of the people who live within their borders. There are big bucks at stake, which are especially crucial for geographic areas in these tough economic times.

“When you fill out your 2010 census form, you help determine how more than $400 billion a year is distributed to communities," the census website says. On Walnut Creek’s website it reads: “Census participation is important, especially in today's tight economic environment, because per-capita federal funding is tied to census count. Our community stands to lose about $11,450 in federal funding for each person who goes uncounted.” 

So far, on National Census Day, Walnut Creek’s participation stands at only 59 percent. We might have our very civic-minded residents of Rossmoor to thank for scoring just a bit better than the 52-percent national participation rate. According to the Contra Costa Times, more than 75 percent of households in the Walnut Creek retirement community already have mailed back their 2010 census forms, the highest rate of any Bay Area neighborhood.

The city as a whole is doing a bit better than those bigger slackers in San Ramon (52 percent); Danville (57 percent); Pleasant Hill (55 percent); Martinez (57 percent); and Concord (51 percent). But we’re not keeping up with those Lamorinda overachievers: Lafayette, 61 percent; Orinda, 61 percent; and Moraga, 63 percent. You can view this map to see how communities are doing. 

Those Lamorinda numbers are up there with the top five states in census participation rates: the Dakotas, North and South; Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Iowa. (To be snarky, one might say that there’s not a lot else to do in some parts of those states than to fill out a Census form. )You can view maps showing regions and communities and their participation rates at the U.S. Census website.

Starting in May, federal census workers will start walking the streets, visiting the homes of those who have not completed their forms.

If you didn’t receive a Census form in the mail, and want to avoid that visit and participate in this once-in-a-decade count, you can pick up forms in the City Hall lobby, 1666 North Main Street.  

  

What’s your best April Fools Day prank?

Or best prank ever?

Not sure I can top Google’s Topeka move this morning. There are a few pranks I’ve pulled, not necessarily for April Fools Day. I couldn't describe most of them, because you would have had to have been there. They definitely are part of an inside joke.

For the most part, I’m not that good at pulling pranks because I start to giggle.

This morning, our boss, with a very serious tone and straight face, announced that an important deadline had been moved up to Wednesday.  It nearly caused my cubicle mate to stalk out of the room in a huff. Well, no, that’s a joke. My cubicle took the news calmly but there was a tremor of fear and annoyance in her voice.  

April Fools!