But these are the questions more than five months after the body of 47-year-old Roma Bhatia, a mortgage consultant, was found on a Saturday night just south of the Bollinger Canyon Road overpass off to the side of the northbound 680 freeway. The cause of death was listed as blunt force injuries from being struck by a vehicle. According to the California Highway Patrol, it’s still an active and ongoing investigation.

The mother of two teen-age boys had been a victim of domestic violence throughout her marriage, according to court records, and had been embroiled in a lengthy divorce and child custody fight. She had also been diagnosed with bipolar disorder but had moved back in with her family in the months before her death.

For a number of reasons I wrestled whether to even write something about this case. For starters, I had done some work on the case for the victim’s side of the family right after the death. I canvassed for possible witnesses and interviewed some people at the hair salon where she was last seen alive. I just asked that anyone who knew anything call the CHP. It’s not like the movies where I worked on the case around the clock. In the real world, you do what you can do within a budget.

A bigger stumbling block to writing about it was my fear of the subject matter attached to the story: Domestic violence. But the reason not to write about something –FEAR– is probably why we should confront and examine the subject. It seems like domestic violence wants to be whispered about and kept in the shadows, or as embattled San Francisco sheriff Ross Mirkarimi supposedly labeled it, a “private matter.” Domestic violence also happens in the suburbs.

Roma Bhatia was last seen, about three hours before her death, walking out of the Fantastic Sams hair salon, 11040 Bollinger Canyon Road, about 5:15 p.m. She had paid $87.85 out of a $100 bill for a tint, cut and moisturizer. Her body was found about 8:20 p.m. and her husband apparently called San Ramon police looking for her about two hours later. She was quiet at the salon but mentioned that she was going to spend Thanksgiving with her two sons, stylist Tina Tran told me. Her youngest son had apparently given her a ride to the shop.

A major question though is: Did she really walk the 2.7 miles at night from the salon down onto the freeway? Her sister and friends are unanimous that Roma was not a recreational walker and would never even pass up valet parking. In the days after her death I had asked the Safeway store near the beauty parlor to preserve any video they might have had from the parking lot, in case it might have shown her getting into a vehicle. I don’t know if the store had any such video or if they turned anything over to the CHP.

Another troubling aspect, to me anyway, is that the husband never seemed to be in the public eye after the incident asking the public for information to help in the case. We all grieve in different ways I suppose. The CHP lost valuable time on the case because the investigating officer was off for five days immediately after the case due to scheduled time-off.

So the real reason I bring up this case is to humanize the victim and to keep the case alive. All mothers are special. She must have been a strong person to raise a couple of boys and suffer in an abusive marriage.

Spencer Elrod Services

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Remember how eyeliner pencils used to be so hard that it would hurt to apply them? Or you would have to hold the eye in order to put it on, only to look at yourself an hour or so later and it all faded off to a hint of a line? By the end of the day you looked washed out and you would wonder where all your make-up had gone.

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Some of us just can’t get our eyebrows to look beautiful and natural. We have used many different types of cosmetics, like eyebrow powder, waxy eyebrow tints, and eyebrow pencils, just to name a few. Eyebrow powders look natural but always rub off and smudge. Eye pencils are still wonderful and work very well but if you are looking for extra fullness, then the Super Wear Brow Definer may be the product for you.

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During the years, I’ve stumbled on a number of these locations which have proven to be highlights of my travels. Let me share one of my favorites with you.

We left Helsinki, Finland by ferry and headed almost due east. It took only a few hours of sailing until we found ourselves docked at the colorful wharf of Tallinn, Estonia.

Estonia is now, as it was for years before Soviet domination, a free and prosperous nation. It is the northernmost country of the three which are usually bundled together by the term “Baltic countries.” The other two are Latvia and Lithuania. It was our intention to explore these three often-overlooked nations.

We spent a few pleasant days in and around Tallinn. The people there are extremely friendly and very open, teaching us a great deal of history about this area. Interviewing a number of tourist agents we eventually negotiated a deal with one for a car and driver who spoke the various native languages as well as English. It was our hope that he/she would know the three counties well enough to give us a history lesson along with our tour. We found our match in a jolly local who drove like the wind and talked incessantly.

Our travels began south out of Tallinn, traveling mostly along the coast. Latvia was next, with again great results, including some time spent in Riga, the capital. Topography was generally flat, with agriculture and fishing carrying the load.

As our guide drove south into Lithuania, he smiled and said, ”I have a pleasant surprise ahead for you. Let me tell you the story about our next stop.”

“There is a gentle hill about twelve kilometers ahead, just outside the city of Siauliai which has been considered a holy place dating back to the early eighteen hundreds. I do not know that much of the hill’s early history, but I have been a witness to its recent past.

“Between World War I and World War II this area was invaded by the Russians and incorporated into the nation then known as the Union of Soviet Socialistic Republics. As part of the occupation, the Soviet regime discouraged any form of religious activity. The hill at that time contained a number of religious symbols, but the local Russian commander had it completely bulldozed – thereby destroying any remnants of religious life.

“One year, and I’m not sure which one, as Easter approached three white crosses appeared on the hill. In keeping with the current law, the Soviet military commander sent a squad of soldiers up to remove the religious symbols. The next morning, when he awoke, he saw not three, but three sets of three crosses. Once again, the area commander had the offensive crosses removed. And, you’ve guessed it by now! On the third day there were twenty seven crosses. Out of frustration, the commander placed a squad of soldiers on the hill overnight, but no one or nothing appeared. After several nights of this he hoped his point was made. He gave up, and removed his guards.

“The next morning almost fifty crosses as well as many flower arrangements greeted him.

“Figuring it wasn’t worth the effort, he surrendered, but we did not. Each night the display grew larger and larger. More and more crosses appeared, now taking on some artistic license. Different types of wood appeared, stone mounds and flower arrangements were added, and on and on it went.”

His story ended here, and our visit to the Mount of Crosses began. On the day we visited the site with our guide, there were almost seventy thousand such displays. Giant crucifixes, statues of the Virgin Mary, and hundreds of tiny carvings and rosaries were placed all over the hill. The Soviet Socialistic Republic has been disbanded with only Russia remaining. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, as well as the other countries which were once under one rule, are now free. Perhaps one of the most prominent reflections of the individual spirit lives on here on this mound. By the last count, there are over one hundred thousand crosses on the hill. It has become a magnificent symbol of freedom for these people.

Off the beaten path – somewhat difficult to find – not on most tour agendas. Yet visited regularly by people of faith, including the pope and other religious leaders. A place well worth seeking out.
P.S. The three little white crosses near the stairs, at the top of the mound, are my contribution.

At first glance you may think the Acura ZDX is the sister car to the Honda Crosstour. The truth is they are quite different and built on different platforms. The ZDX is built on the Acura MDX foundation, versus the Honda; sitting on the Accord under-belly. I suspect that buyers of the ZDX will be responding more to it on an emotional level versus a space logic. Think empty-nesters. The coupe-like rear-end takes a big bite out of your rear cargo space.

The styling from the front is big and bold with a hint of upscale chic. The face of the ZDX is aggressive with an Acura-beaked grille. Diamond-shaped headlights morph into the front fenders and a large Acura logo is framed in the grille. The ZDX features a panoramic glass roof, hidden rear door handles, and pronounced fender flares.

The 2012 Acura is available in three trim levels: Base $46,905, Technology $51,405, and Advance $57,455. All three models come with a 3.7-liter VTEC V6 that generates 300 horsepower and 270 pounds of torque and is mated to a 6-speed automatic with Sportshift. Standard on the ZDX is Acura’s exclusive Super Handling All-Wheel Drive™ (SH-AWD®) system providing outstanding cornering ability as well as excellent all-season capability.

The interior design of the ZDX is titled a “2+Freedom,” which translates into plenty of room for the front occupants, adequate cargo space for weekend vacations, and comfortable rear passengers’ space for two adults. The ZDX does seat five; however, Acura recommends to keep the trip short. A new manufacturing processes allows the ZDX leather to precisely follow the complex lines of the instrument panel, center console and door panels.

The interior on my fully-loaded Advance edition was two-tone with beautiful lines as the center console flowed into the dash with elegance. The cabin area with rich leather appointments gives the 2012 Acura ZDX a warm, comfortable, and airy feel. The cabin is well lit due to the extensive use of LED lighting along with natural light shining through from the panoramic sunroof.

The ZDX is tuned to provide an ideal balance of precision handling, road isolation, and damping. For its size and mass, the ZDX feels surprisingly light and agile. The suspension is made up of front Macpherson struts and rear multi-link that uses specially-tuned coil springs, dampers, and anti-roll bar for a quiet luxurious ride and handling.
Room for improvement:

• Rear declining roof line does compromise space for the rear passengers

Cool Features:

• Rich with advanced technology features on upscale models
• Push button start
• Cool Sports-coupe design

The standard safety equipment for the 2012 Acura ZDX model includes ACE™ is an exclusive body design that enhances occupant protection and crash compatibility in frontal crashes. ACE™ utilizes a network of connected structural elements to more-evenly distribute crash energy throughout the front of the vehicle. This enhanced frontal crash energy management helps to reduce the forces transferred to the passenger compartment and can help to equally disperse the forces transferred to other vehicles in a crash.

Also included safety features are: multiple-threshold front airbags, dual-chamber side airbags with a front passenger side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS), front seats with active head restraints, knee bolsters for front occupants, side curtain airbags with rollover sensor and front seatbelts with an automatic tensioning system with integrated load limiters. In addition, the 2012 ZDX has a Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) along with an anti-lock braking system (ABS), with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist.

In Summary – The 2012 Acura ZDX offers an original twist to the crossover concept. The merging is of distinctive sport coupe-like styling with a high-level of refinement with Acura’s confident durability record and high resale value. It is bold, unique, comfortable, and very powerful. The ZDX will not be for everyone; however, if you are looking for a vehicle that stands out from the crowd and can reliably and with confidence take you on the snowy weekend trips, then the 2012 Acura ZDX is worth putting on your to-buy list.

Specifications
2012 Acura ZDX Advance

Base price: $56,670 as driven: $57,455 (including destination)
Engine: 3.7-Liter 6 cylinder
Horsepower: 300 @ 6300
Torque: 270 foot pounds @ 4500
Transmission: 6-Speed Automatic with Sportshift
Drive: All Wheel-Drive
Seating: 5-passenger
Turning circle: 38.4 feet
Cargo space: 26.3 cubic feet
Curb weight: 4,462 pounds
Fuel capacity: 21 gallons
EPA mileage: City 16 / Highway 23
Wheel Base: 108.3 inches
Warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles bumper to bumper
Also consider: BMW X6, Cadillac SRX, and Infiniti FX 35

1. What is the only word in the English language that ends with the letters “mt”?
2. Where were the 1936 Summer Olympics played?
3. Hitler coined his oppressive society as the Third Reich. What was the First Reich?
4. In what movie did Paul Newman play “Fast Eddie Felson” and win an Oscar for doing so?
5. Cher sang a song devoted to “Gypsies, Tramps and who?
6. What two countries fought in the 1600s in the “Bishop’s War?”

April Answers

1. Alvin Dark
2. Buddy Ebse
3. Jose Feliciano
4. Jack Kemp
5. Edie Hart
6. Fibber McGee and Molly

WIN LUNCH ON BEN!
The first person to email or mail, no calls please, the correct answers to all of the above questions will win a $25 gift certificate for The Uptown Cafe in downtown Danville, compliments of Ben Fernandez! Entries must be received by May 20, 2012. In the event of a tie, the winner will be drawn at random. Please email your answers to info@aliveeastbay.com, or mail to ALIVE East Bay, 3200 A Danville Blvd., Ste. 204, Alamo, CA 94507.
Employees and family members of employees of ALIVE East Bay are not eligible. Restaurant may be changed without notice.

I doubt that you were surprised. How could you be? With out-of-control spending in Washington having ballooned our national debt to nearly 16 trillion dollars—that’s sixteen TRILLION, with a “T”—we all knew that “oversights” like this were probably common. We just don’t want to believe it. I don’t know about you, but for me it’s a bad dream where I keep repeating, “This can’t be happening. There’s no way they would do this.” But they do, do it—and they just keep on doing it.

I grew up in the 1960s—the era of Vietnam and “flower power,” when mistrust of big government became mainstream. Maybe you weren’t around yet but some of us remember the revelations of $400 hammers and thousand-dollar toilet seats—all products of the “military-industrial complex.” This propensity to spend without limit is nothing new, but the problem is, it’s getting worse, as that glaring “T” number above bears witness.

One thousand, thousand is one million. One thousand, million is one billion. A thousand billion is one trillion. To get a picture of what a trillion dollars looks like, a stack of $1,000 bills, four inches high, is one million dollars. A stack of $1,000 bills 358 feet high is a billion dollars. With a trillion, your stack is 67.9 MILES high. You’d have to be launched ten times higher than the space station orbit—over 1,086 miles into space—just to see the top of a stack of $1,000 bills. hat is our current (and growing) national debt.

Just how much debt is that, really?  It translates into over $50,000 dollars for every citizen—every man, woman, child, infant—in the United States. Is that a lot? The Treasury Secretary of the United States, Timothy Geithner, apparently doesn’t think so. He recently appeared on Meet the Press and spoke of our national debt as if it were little more than a modest nuisance—something that will be handled in due time.

I know I’ll get some flack for saying this, but my 1960’s upbringing won’t allow me suppress it, so here goes: Thank God for the Tea Party! They were the ones that most recently started shining some light into the filthy, black hole of unaccountable government spending.

As the GSA debacle unfolds, we shouldn’t be surprised to learn about legions of other “public servants,” caught in the act of shredding, burning or erasing the telltale tracks of outrageous waste.

I’ve always heard that trust is something you earn. But when those “T” dollars are thrown around, without so much as a faint appreciation of the fact that it came to them by way of the sweat of your (and my) brow, to my way of thinking, the GSA and their ilk have yet to earn even one red cent’s worth.