Luxury Real Estate

By Jim Walberg of Caribbean Islands Realty

Jim Walberg and a small group of Rotarians in Danville, are promoting information, and support regarding this international tragedy.

It started about two years ago when the International Committee for the Danville/Sycamore Valley Rotary Club heard about the needs of a hospital in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - Panzi Hospital. All our committee heard about was the need for equipment and supplies. We are unaware of main patients of the hospital - women who had been raped and mutilated by the Congolese soldiers in the on-going civil war.

As we learned more about the horrible situation in the Congo we got more involved in how we could better support, not only the Panzi Hospital needs, but also Heal Africa

Heal Africa is a small, grass-roots organization is lead local program directors and is training and equipping new leaders for the long-terms needs of Africa, rather than just solving short term issues. They are leading the way in addressing this ignored holocaust.

Two of the members of our Rotary’s International Committee took on the role of getting the word out regarding this issue that is not easily addressed because it is so horrific. Melanie Prole and Leslie Baxter spear headed the showing of documentary “The Greatest Silence - Rape In The Congo” in the Town of Danville last month. It is a very disturbing documentary. Anyone who watches it will be moved beyond belief to take action. It is easy to ignore issues because of ignorance, but it is impossible to ignore them when you become fully aware of them.

The next step that Melanie and Leslie took was organizing a simple Bowl-A-Thon at the Danville Bowl. The idea was to have teams of four sign up with the entrance fee being at least $500. Well, it was held yesterday and over $6,000 was raised. We are still looking for more community partners to participate in donations. 100% of them will be used to support the Panzi Hospital program. We were so delighted that some of our high school kids from Rotary’s Interact Club formed a team and raised money.

We now have a copy of this documentary and are looking for more venues to share it with; churches, schools, community service organizations, and more. If you have places you would like to have preview this documentary please contact me. Also, please review the links that are a part of this article and see if there is room in your budget for some type of financial support. Any will be appreciated. Contact me for details of how you can get involved.

By Garey De Martini of Hill & Co Real Estate

San Francisco, CA – February 10, 2009 – The property was extraordinary to begin with. Now, after more than a year of seismic upgrades and extensive remodeling, the former church has been transformed entirely into a stunning home, with enormous windows, hand-painted ceilings, warm hardwood floors and top-of-the-line appliances and amenities.

Once a church condemned by the City as no longer inhabitable, the home has been completely redone. Its interior has a modern sensibility about it, in breathtaking contrast to its Gothic Revival architecture. Some rooms, as you would expect, are enormous. Others are surprisingly intimate.

It is a remodel of remarkable scale and vision. Siamak Akhavan, owner of the home and a partner of BMP Construction, is delighted with the results and would be happy to live in the property. But he has engaged the Hill & Co. team of Woodruff & Miller, who represented him on the purchase, and asked them to facilitate a sale should a buyer be interested.

This is a one-of-a-kind property, and it will require a very special buyer. The public rooms give new meaning to the word “spacious”. The home includes a 5+ car interior parking area, spectacular stained glass windows and its own tower, with a custom steel and transparent plexiglass spiral staircase leading to a deck with 360 degree views.

Just a couple of years ago the building was in serious disrepair and abandoned. While occupying a desirable corner in one of San Francisco’s most vibrant neighborhoods, its prospects were bleak. Now, it is a true showcase. It is without question one of San Francisco’s largest, most extraordinary and stunning homes.

For more information and photos visit www.CastleOnThePark.com

Hill & Co.

Founded in 1956, Hill & Co. Real Estate is a San Francisco brokerage long associated with the City’s finest properties. With three offices and nearly 100 full-time agents, the company enables clients to successfully navigate San Francisco’s complex real estate market. Two additional Hill & Co. offices provide property management and rental services. For more information, visit www.hill-co.com.