code: private String dateToExplicitTimestamp( Date date )
      {
          DateFormat df = new SimpleDateFormat( "yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ssZ" );
          return "TS: " + df.format( date );
      }
docs: Converts a given date to an explicit timestamp string in local time zone.
  
  @param date a timestamp to convert.
  @return a string representing a timestamp.