At the February 18, 2014, meeting of the Orinda City Council, Supervisor Andersen presented Councilmember Steve Glazer with a plaque, thanking him for his service on the Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority Board.  Steve had served on the CCSWA  Board for the past 4 years. Amy Worth, Orinda City Councilmember is replacing Steve on the Board. Click here for more information at CCSWA.  

Discovery Counseling Center is offering a youth version of Mental Health First Aid designed specifically for those adults who work with children aged 12 to 18 on March 19th and 20th from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  A one-day 8-hour adult specific training course will also be offered on Saturday, April 5th from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

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Contra Costa County has declared the Month of March to be Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month. The National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse is leading a coordinated effort by several prevention agencies and organizations to sponsor activities aimed at raising awareness about the abuse and misuse of prescription drugs, promoting prescription drug safe storing and disposal, and encouraging the use of medications only as prescribed.  

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Michel Stricklesse  and his wife, Fernande Bellens, who are Rotarians in two different Clubs in Brussels, Belgium, were visitors to the Rotary Club of Moraga recently.   

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Forest Home Farms Historic Park &  

Glass House Museum Activities for March

Come to Forest Home Farms Historic Park and the Glass House Museum for Fun on the Farm from 10:00am to 2:00pm the second Saturday of each month. On these days you can step back in time to explore the site, enjoy tours, and participate in a free activity from days gone by.

If you're a high school student and reside or attend school in Congressman Miller's district, you can participate in the first annual Congressional Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Academic Competition.  

Seeking Volunteers to Represent District 2

Supervisor Andersen is looking for volunteers from her district to fill seats on the following committees:

Supervisor Andersen is looking for volunteers from her district to fill the following positions:

Alcohol and Other Drugs Advisory Board - click here 

In Home Support Services Public Authority Advisory Committee -  click here 

Mental Health Commission (1 Consumer Seat) -  click here 

Alamo Municipal Advisory Council (1 Alternate Seat and 1 youth representative-Alamo resident) -  click here 

County Service Area P-5 Citizens Advisory Committee (1 Reg. & 2 alt. seat - Residents of: Roundhill, Regency Woods and Windsor Green)

Link to the Application: Click here for more information

CHP Start Smart event at the Monte Vista High School Theatre in November 2013. Photo by Kevin Wong

After a successful event in November in Danville, Street Smarts is hosting another "Start Smart" presentation from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on April 2nd at the Dougherty Valley Performing Arts Center, 10550 Albion Road in San Ramon.

"Start Smart" is a two-hour driver safety education class presented by the California Highway Patrol to new and future teenage drivers and their parents/guardians. At the event, CHP officers will discuss collision factors associated with teen drivers, collision avoidance techniques, and driver/parent responsibilities. Parent and child attendance is strongly recommended.  Supervisor Andersen attended it with her 16 year old son shortly before he got his license and both found it very impactful.  (Note: The presentation contains extremely graphic images.)

The April 2 event is free and open to teens/parents in the San Ramon Valley and beyond. To register, click here. For more information, please contact Cathy DeLuca, Street Smarts Coordinator, at 925-314-3382 or email by clicking here.  

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• Kaiser Permanente received the Legacy Award for its contributions to healthcare as well as recognition of the industrial accomplishments of Henry J. Kaiser in the mid-twentieth century and the ongoing environmental stewardship at Kaiser Permanente's  medical facilities.
• Youth radio received the Catalyst Award for its educational support programs, job training, and use of media to raise awareness of issues affecting young people.
• Techbridge received the Business and Education Partnership Award for its groundbreaking partnership with local companies to inspire East Bay girls in careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Other "field specific" awards were given to:  

• Aspera (Information/Communication Technology)
• Boehringer Ingleheim (Advanced Manufacturing)
• Soraa (Clean Technology) 
• Meyer Sound (Engineering and Design)
• Children's Hospital and Research Center of Oakland (Life Sciences)
• Back to the Roots (Food)

To learn more about the East Bay EDA click here .  

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There will be maps, saddles, branding irons, barbed wire and beef displays in the museum. Each saddle will include a story of its owner. Art work showing landscapes and ranch life will be shown. On Saturdays ranchers will come to the museum and talk with visitors about ranching.  Several special events are planned, included a branding demonstration and ice cream social, a Cattle-women's Association program on beef, and opportunities to try using a lasso.

Tuesday through Friday: 1 - 4pm
Saturday: 10am - 1pm
Sunday: Noon to 3pm

Free to members, modest fee for non-members - Donations Welcome

Discovery Counseling Center is offering a youth version of Mental Health First Aid designed specifically for those adults who work with children aged 12 to 18 on March 19th and 20th from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  A one-day 8-hour adult specific training course will also be offered on Saturday, April 5th from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

Mental Health First Aid is a public health program given in the form of an interactive 8-hour course that presents an overview of mental illness and substance use disorders in the United States and introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems, builds understanding of their impact, and gives an overview of common treatments. Those who take the course learn a five-step action plan encompassing the skills, resources and knowledge to help an individual in crisis connect with appropriate professional, peer, social, and self-help care. Participants earn a Mental Health First Aid certificate upon successful completion of the course. The goal is to have this training offered several times a year in the San Ramon Valley and to create a community-wide dialogue around mental health that will help remove barriers to treatment for those facing mental health challenges. For more information or to register, please click here.   

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Contra Costa County has declared the Month of March to be Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month. The National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse is leading a coordinated effort by several prevention agencies and organizations to sponsor activities aimed at raising awareness about the abuse and misuse of prescription drugs, promoting prescription drug safe storing and disposal, and encouraging the use of medications only as prescribed.

Awareness Month activities include; Parenting Conference Seminars at local High Schools, Teens Tackle Tobacco Conference Workshops, Police Officer Trainings, screening and discussion of the documentary, "Behind the Orange Curtain" in Orinda, San Ramon and Concord, and the "ENOUGH! Rally" on the South Steps of the Capitol in Sacramento on March 24th. The NCAPDA was founded by San Ramon Valley resident April Rovero, who tragically lost her own son Joey because of a lethal mix of alcohol and misused prescription drugs. April has devoted her life to helping educate the community, change laws, and raise awareness so that others not face what she had to. For information about these events, visit the website of The National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse by clicking here, and then click on Media Center and Events.  To register for the Rally, click here. Or contact April directly at info@ncapda.org or 925-980-5490.

• City of Walnut Creek, City Hall Lobby, 1666 North Main Street, Walnut Creek
• Town of Danville, Police Department, 510 La Gonda Drive, Danville
• City of Lafayette, Police Department, 3675 Mt. Diablo Blvd., #130, Lafayette (no liquids)
• Town of Moraga, Police Department, 329 Rheem Boulevard, Moraga
• City of Orinda, Police Department, 22 Orinda Way, Orinda
• City of San Ramon, Police Department, 2401 Crow Canyon Road, San Ramon

Click here for more information about pharmaceutical disposal.  

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Michel Stricklesse  and his wife, Fernande Bellens, who are Rotarians in two different Clubs in Brussels, Belgium, were visitors to the Rotary Club of Moraga recently.  Michel is an architect attending a convention in Las Vegas, and came to the Bay Area to visit friends Jim and Linda Campbell of Moraga.  They became friends after meeting at the 2009 Rotary International Convention in Birmingham, England, and have remained in contact ever since.  In 2009, Jim Campbell was serving as Governor of Rotary District 5160, which then encompassed 67 Rotary Clubs from San Ramon to the Oregon border. 

The Belgians brought and presented their Rotary Club banners to President Nora Avelar, and received banners from Rotary Club of Moraga, which were also signed by Cliff Dochterman, a Moraga member and the 1992-1993 President of Rotary International (World President).   

Michel and Fernande have three grown children and three grandchildren. She will be President of her Rotary Club in 2015-2016.   He is a principal in the architectural firm Cabinet d'Architecture & d'Expertises in Brussels. Click here to visit the Moraga Rotary website.   

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Forest Home Farms Historic Park &  

Glass House Museum Activities for March

Come to Forest Home Farms Historic Park and the Glass House Museum for Fun on the Farm from 10:00am to 2:00pm the second Saturday of each month. On these days you can step back in time to explore the site, enjoy tours, and participate in a free activity from days gone by.

The theme for Saturday, March 8, 2014 will be Mystery Gadgets and Tools. Over the years the patent office has been busy recording the latest ideas to make work in the kitchen and around the farm easier. See if you can guess what some of the objects in our collection were used for, and try using a few of these hand-powered devices.

Tours of the restored Victorian Glass House Museum will be held at 10am, 11am, 12pm and 1pm and tours of Forest Home Farms Historic Park, including the tractor museum, at 11am and 1pm. Each tour lasts approximately 45 minutes and the fee is $5 per person or $8 for both tours taken on the same day. Children ages 2 and under are free.

Scout Day on the Farm will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on March 29th. This day is designed for both Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts to have a fun time at Forest Home Farms Historic Park while completing requirements toward merit badges, belt-loops, try-its, patches, and pins. Activity stations will include historic property tours, animal care, old-fashioned games, organic gardening, machines and equipment. Activities are perfect for many different scouting levels including: Brownies, Junior Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts. Pre-registration is required and can be completed online by clicking here using activity #89403. Cost is $12 for residents and $15 for non-residents. Ages 6-12. Space is limited.  

For more information about Forest Home Farms Historic Park call (925) 973-3284 or  click here. Forest Home Farms Historic Park is located at 19953 San Ramon Valley Blvd., just south of Pine Valley Road in San Ramon.   

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The Danville Police Department has received some complaints of students moving garbage cans (resulting in the inability for the trash to be removed by the solid waste provider), vehicles parked across driveways (limiting access to residents' access to their home), or in unsafe locations. When a problem does occur and the Danville Police are called, the offending student is notified and the problem corrected.  The Danville Police also educates student drivers on responsible driving and parking habits.   Young drivers are encouraged to park safely and treat neighborhoods respectfully.  

There are hundreds of young drivers arriving and leaving the area around SRVHS every day. Even with the large volume of traffic, incidents requiring police involvement are comparatively low.  Much of the credit belongs to respectful student drivers who are courteous and understanding of their surroundings.  In addition, SRVHS students are also strongly encouraged to participate and take advantage of the "Carpool to School" and "Student Transit Ticket" incentive programs offered through the 511 Contra Costa Transportation Demand Management Program click here  for more information.

Students are eligible to receive incentives such as gas cards for carpooling, and free transit tickets for riding County Connection buses.  Last year, approximately 61 SRVHS students participated in the 511 School Carpool program, and 70 students participated in the Transit Ticket program.  For more information or to participate in these valuable programs, please contact the San Ramon Valley's 511 Contra Costa representative at (925) 973-2650, or click here.

Any person with questions regarding parking near the high school is encouraged to contact School Resource Officer Vince Richards at (925) 314-3700 or click here to email.   

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If you're a high school student and reside or attend school in Congressman Miller's district, you can participate in the first annual Congressional Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Academic Competition.  

To enter the contest, you just need to create and exhibit a software application, or "app," for mobile, tablet, or computer devices on a platform of your choice.

How to get started:

1. Brainstorm it.

2. Code it.

3. Demonstrate it.

4. Explain it.

5. Submit it.