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August 7, 2009
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Ipsen takes silver in Rome JULIE PIERCE
MAYOR’S CORNER Residents, city need to trim water usage Whew! It’s been hot and dry. That makes for a very high fire danger and severe drought restrictions from the Contra Costa Water District (CCWD). I’m sure you are all working hard to meet the 15 percent reduction target issued by CCWD. However, the district says usage was down only 7 percent district-wide for May, so we have to keep reducing. The penalties for overuse include a quadrupling of the bill and even shut-off of exterior water. So, brown lawns will be the badges of honor that demonstrate our sincere efforts to conserve as we get through the even hotter months to come. CCWD restrictions on the city are even tougher than for homeowners. We have the same 15 percent target for indoor city facilities as residential customers do, but our outdoor target is 45 percent. Ouch! So you will see most of our lawns go brown too. The City Council adopted a Water Drought Management Plan at the May 5 meeting. Our
See Mayor, page 15
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
PROUD
GRANDPARENTS,
(from left) Irene and Joe Cleary and Skip and Linda Ipsen pre-
pare for Kristian’s return from Rome on Aug. 6 where the 16-year-old and his diving partner, Troy Dumais, took the silver medal in 3-meter synchronized diving at the World Cup. Photo at right: Troy Dumais and Kristian Ipsen.
Paired with three-time U.S. Olympian Troy Dumais, Clayton’s Kristian Ipsen took the silver medal in 3-meter synchronized diving at the FINA World Championships in Rome last month. Olympic champions Qin Kai and Wang Feng of China defended their world championship with 467.94 points,
compared to 445.59 points for Ipsen and Dumais. It was the first world championship for Ipsen, a 16-yearold student at De La Salle High School. He began training in March with 29-year-old Dumais, a 26-time national champion. “I was pretty confident during prelims,” Ipsen told Sports
Illustrated. “In finals, I was more nervous because I’ve never had a meet this big. But Troy calmed me down.” Ipsen was still traveling in Italy and unavailable for comment for the Pioneer. His whole family was at the competition, including his
See Ipsen, page 16 Photo courtesy of the Ipsen family
Claytonians show civic pride through trail volunteer efforts ANDRÉ GENSBURGER Clayton Pioneer
Clayton’s trail system has landed the city on any number
of “great places to live” lists. As far back as 1988, Clayton received Walking magazine’s award as one of the five most walkable small cities in
America. And twice in the last three years, Money magazine listed Clayton in its top 100 places to live, touting the 27mile trail system among the
André Gensburger/Clayton Pioneer
MONIKA MAYTUM, LEFT, WITH SCOUTS NICK SWIATKO, Ted Hall and Anthony Maytum clear debris on the Donner Trail as part of their service to Clayton’s Adopt-A-Trail program.
What’s Inside Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Church News . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Clayton Sports . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Community Calendar . . . . . . .15
city’s other charms. So it was no surprise that when the Trails and Landscape Maintenance Committee (TLC) put the city trails up for “adoption,” there were no shortage of volunteers. The Adopt-A-Trail program has garnered both financial support and volunteers. Families and individuals, scout troops, local businesses and civic organizations have stepped up to the plate to adopt segments of Clayton’s trails. For Boy Scout Troops 484 and 262, their Adopt-A-Trail service goes beyond doing a good deed; it develops a life skill that they hope will help them in their adult life. “We keep the trail free from litter and natural debris,” said Ted Hall, the 15-year-old scout in charge for Troop 484 and senior patrol leader. “I run these trails for cross country at Clayton Valley,” he added. “Some trails have logs, poles, leaves and sticks.”
Crossword Solution . . . . . . . .16 Deal With It . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Directory of Advertisers . . . . . .5 Food for Thought . . . . . . . . . .18 From the Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
The troops adopted the Donner Trail that extends from Regency Drive to downtown Clayton. As for trash, he noted: “This trail is not so bad.” According to Hall, the Clayton trails are heavily used. “I don’t think I’ve ever gone for a run without seeing someone else,” he reported. A FAMILY AFFAIR Under the Adopt-A-Trail program set in place earlier this year, each trail can have two adopters – one financial and one for clean-up, explains TLC member David Disend. The trails are divided into 11 segments, each needing both financial and clean-up support. The Pauline family of Clayton filled both roles by being the first to sign up for the program. They sponsor the most heavily used trail, the Cardinet Trail, which runs from
See Adopt-A-Trail, page 6
Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Movie Review . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Paws and Claws . . . . . . . . . .14 Police Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
State grabs local taxes to balance budget; city hit hard TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
After months of agonizing over how to cover a $26 billion shortfall in the state’s budget, the governor finally signed a budget package last week that dips heavily into local tax revenue to close the gap and left local governments scratching their heads trying to figure out exactly how much local tax revenue would be lost to state “borrowing.” The amount is sure to be over $150,000 loss to the gener-
See Budget, page 4
Tech Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Teen Speak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Upcoming Events . . . . . . . . . . .4 Weather Words . . . . . . . . . . . .7
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
August 7, 2009
Around Town City celebrates County mayors battle for healthy meal prize Troop 363’s Forget the budget issues. Of Pierce came in second. duce supplied by Concord’s greater community interest for The cook-off was the vision market to create a dish first Eagle the county is whether their of Cindy Gershen, chef and farmers’ on the spot that met the mayors can cook. owner of Sunrise Bistro in ‘healthy eating’ criteria – low Gathered on July 23 in Walnut Creek. Through her salt, low sugar, high fiber and Scout Todos Santos, the mayors of restaurant, Gershen launched a high protein. nine cities along with trusty assistants pitted their skills against each other in order to win the trophy for the first annual Mayors’ Healthy Meal Cook-off Challenge. Concord Mayor Laura Hoffmeister and Martinez Mayor Rob Schroder served as hosts. Hoffmeister won first place, while Clayton Mayor Julie
Wellness Challenge earlier this year. She challenged local restaurants to replace prepared foods and sugar in their diets with healthy choices such as fiber-rich fruits and vegetables. She is now taking her challenge county-wide. Each mayor brought his or her protein choice (poultry, beef, fish, tofu) and used pro-
Cpl. Richard McEachin honored by Knights
Sous chefs were provided by Mt. Diablo High School’s Serendipity hospitality training program. The mayors had one hour, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., to prepare their culinary masterpieces. Martinez plans to host the event next year. - Mike Dunn Mike Dunn/Clayton Pioneer
Chuck Spink, Faithful Navigator Knights of Columbus, of the Todos Santos Assembly #2286, Richard McEachin and Clayton Police chief Dan Lawrence.
Photo by Wentling Studio
JULY 18 WAS “MICHAEL MCCANN DAY” in Clayton, marking his achievements in scouting.
On behalf of the Clayton City Council, Mayor Julie Pierce declared July 18, 2009, as “Michael McCann Day.” As the first Eagle Scout of Troop 363, Michael was celebrated at a special Eagle Court of Honor at Crossroads Covenant Church in Concord that same day. Since Troop 363 is relatively new to the Clayton-Concord area, Michael held higher rank and age than his fellows. “While
See Scout, page 14
Mike Dunn/Clayton Pioneer
MAYOR JULIE PIERCE’S GAZPACHO AND ITALIAN BREAD SALAD aced out 7 other mayoral entries and came in second to Concord Mayor Laura Hoffmeister in the Mayor’s Healthy Meal Cook-off Challenge on July 23.
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Officer Richard McEachin was honored by the Knights of Columbus as Clayton’s Officer of the Year at the Knights’ annual Blue Knight luncheon on June 19. The award is highly prized because the recipients are chosen by their peers. “I appreciate that they appreciate the work that I do,” McEachin said. “I’m very honored to receive it.” “The selection isn’t necessarily based on statistics – the number of citations or arrests.” said Clayton Police Chief Dan Lawrence, “It’s based on the quality of the officer’s work and professional demeanor.” In the four years since joining the department, McEachin has become the “natural, unofficial leader among the officers,” says Lawrence. “As a
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Send your news and photos of your births, engagements weddings, special recognitions, etc. to info@claytonpioneer.com.
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result, they confide in him and respect what he has to say.” McEachin recently led the department’s effort to change the police cars from white to the more traditional black and white. “I’ve always known he’s a good man and I’ve known that forever,” says mom Janice McEachin of her son’s award. “I’m glad other people see that, too.”
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August 7, 2009
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Around Town Chaparrel Springs gets ice cream party
s t r e ConecGrove
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Aug 29 Replica They were all screaming for ice cream as Chaparral Springs neighbors gathered for an ice cream social provided by Dreyer’s Ice Cream last week. Debby Bruno moved to her Indianhead Dr. home just 18 months ago. In February, she saw an announcement for the “Dreyer’s Slow Churned Neighborhood Salute” essay contest and entered. “My essay was simple,” says Debby. “I just thought it would be a great way to meet all, my new neighbors.” The contest convinced Dreyer’s who provided the ice cream and all the fixin’s for the party.
EDEN SWINT gets her cheek painted at the ice cream social
DEBBY BRUNO wrote the winning essay in the Dreyer’s Ice Cream ice cream social contest.
Pioneer goes to Italy
80s rock tribute band
Sept 19 Harvey & The Wall Bangers Rock, R&B, Country and Oldies Sponsored by the city of Clayton, CBCA and Allied Waste Services
Local Food To Go
The Aszklar family recently went to Italy for a month and took the Pioneer along. The trip began and ended in Rome where they visited Tamara’s family. The month-long trip included stops in Florence, Venice, Pisa, Lucca, Pistoia, Montecatini, Sienna, San Gimignano. Pictured in Vatican City in front of St. Peter’s Basilica (where Tamara’s mother was baptized) are Tamara, Jon and Jordan Aszklar.
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Page 4
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
August 7, 2009
Magazine editor doesn’t gloss over the small stuff DENISEN HARTLOVE Clayton Pioneer
Susan Safipour triumphs daily over the stresses of her exciting but hectic life. She makes it look easy as she balances a career as editor of Diablo Magazine – that takes her daily from brainstorming sessions to black-tie galas, fashion shoots to food competitions – with the life of a suburban mom and wife. A typical day may include hours in Diablo’s office overlooking Highway 24, off-site events, swim meets, attending (and sometimes organizing) tournaments with her professional tennis player husband and organizing a class outing for her son’s school. The pace might send others over the edge into gibbering fits. But through it all, Safipour seems so serene that a visitor to her Oakhurst home can be forgiven for wondering if there’s something in the air. “I have to be killer organ-
BRIGHT SIDE
around, it’s pretty fabulous.” Safipour made her first magazine, including quizzes and articles, in third grade. The magazine only lasted a few issues – more than some professional glossies today – but Safipour’s passion continued. After college, she headed to Rawlins, Wy., for her first “real” journalism job. “That is as far as you can get from New York City on the spectrum of life,” she said with a laugh.
Having grown up in midtown Manhattan, Safipour is used to being driven, tense and deadline oriented. She’s not sure where or when she learned the art of calm, whether from a Native American teacher in New Mexico or finding she had family support during a long ago time of crisis. Nevertheless, the lesson stuck. “At some point, I just said, ‘That’s not the way you should live your life,’ ” she said. “If you start just thinking about the schools and the state of the world, you can decide it’s pretty awful. But if you stop and look
JET SET TO SWEATER SET Coming from an upper class life of boarding schools and celebrities passing in the halls, the budding young reporter was nonetheless in her element at a local newspaper – covering everything from school board meetings to traffic accidents. Today, Safipour fits in wherever she goes, whether the twin set and khakis crowd of the suburbs or the glitter and glamour of black-tie events. Longtime friend Pamela Kan describes her versatility.
ized. It’s kind of no joke – I have to keep 3 million trains on the track,” she said. Barney Fonzi, her boss at Diablo Publications, is impressed by the calm she exudes. “It amazes me sometimes,” he confessed of watching her go from one event or task to the next. “She’s always present in all those places.” LOOKING ON THE
Upcoming Events LABOR DAY DERBY AND CAR SHOW The Sixth Annual Great Labor Day Derby and Antique Car Show is Sat., Sept. 5. Kids from 7-14 race free in one of the official soapbox derby cars or a homemade custom car. More than 250 kids are expected to try their hand at driving on a course that stretches along
Denisen Hartlove/Clayton Pioneer
COMMUNITY OUTREACH Safipour sees a big part of her job as editor of Diablo Magazine as finding solutions to the concerns of her community. But she prefers to stay out of politics. “I’m not an editorial writer. My job is to be fair to all sides, air issues and look for solutions.” Yet she finds the impact of the recession on schools com-
Main Street. For more Derby information, call Doug LaVenture (510) 816-4221, or email dlav42@yahoo.com. Show your antique or classic car in the car show or just come to admire the spectacular entries. Register from 8-10 a.m. For more car show information, call Don Holmes, 689-8759. See ads on page 10
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STAYING SUPER-ORGANIZED is what keeps life in balance for Diablo Magazine’s editor, Susan Safipour.
pelling and plans to focus on education in an upcoming issue. “It used to be that the parents in our public schools did those things to make the schools go from good to great,” she said of grass-roots efforts to support schools in the face of
Budget, from page 1
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“She can throw a dress on and be with a group of socialites, and she can run home and put jeans and a T-shirt on and go down to the bar in Clayton and have a blast, or put on her tennis clothes and be absolutely fiercely competitive. She just has this ability to just really fit in to just about any group with ease.” While Safipour describes her job as “super fun,” coming home can be a relief. “I just think Clayton is like an oasis. I love the magazine and meeting new people and writing about stories that I care about,” she said. “But then you drive up Ygnacio Valley Road and by the time you get to your house, you’re a long way away.” Although she described her cooking as “a pretty tragic situation,” a love of food and community makes downtown Clayton one of Safipour’s favorite places to be on Saturday mornings. “Summer in Clayton is heaven with those foods fresh at our local market,” she rhapsodized, singing the praises of fresh corn, tomatoes and strawberry-ollaberry pie. “And, of course, it is so fun to run into Clayton friends at the farmers market.”
Official S m and Rep og Check air Statio n
general fund and an estimated $1.57 million in redevelopment funds, says Mayor Julie Pierce. “We’re waiting for the final numbers to come from the League of California Cities. Exactly how the city will cover the general fund shortfall is uncertain. The gap is equal to the annual budget for the library or to one police officer. If the city were to lay off an officer, however, they would lose $100,000 in state COPS grant money. The move would end up costing the city two officers, not just one. “It’s a complete mess,” says Pierce. The hit comes on top of the 4.8 percent reduction in staff costs already made to balance the city’s 2009-10 budget. In 2004, voters rebelled against the state’s continuing
diversion of local tax revenues by passing Proposition 1A. The measure, however, allowed for the state to borrow from the states in an emergency. The loans must be paid back within three years. The city has no confidence, however, that the loans can ever be repaid, Pierce said. “And this isn’t just a one-time thing, the state’s going to be taking our money for years with no balanced budget in sight. It’s a giant Ponzi scheme,” lamented the mayor at the June 30 Council meeting. Although legislators left the local gas taxes alone, the city has yet to receive their gas tax payments from the state for the first half of the year, leaving the fate of the re-paving project set for this year still up in the air. “We won’t start the project until the
budget cuts. “And now it seems like they’re having to do it to get them back to good.” In the meantime, Safipour intends to continue sharing her sense of calm optimism wherever she goes. “You just try to take a few breaths and not stress,” she said. “You just try.”
money’s in the bank,” said Pierce. The $1.57 million hit to the Redevelopment Agency budget is just about all the funds available this year after bond repayments, says Pierce. There will be nothing left for economic development, downtown revitalization or capital improvements. The revenue grab comes despite a court decision earlier this year that declared redevelopment money off limits to the state. “Sacramento thinks they have found a way to word it so that they can get around the court decision,” said Pierce. The California Redevelopment Association plans to bring suit to block the latest diversion. At the Aug. 4 City Council meeting, City Manager Gary Napper will report on what needs to be cut to close the general fund gap. The Council meets in Hoyer Hall at the library at 7 p.m.
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August 7, 2009
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Page 5
Directory of Advertisers
ES I P O C C O L O RL Y 2 9 ¢
P.O. Box 1246 6200 Center Street, Suite H, Clayton, CA 94517 TAMARA AND R OBERT S TEINER , Publishers TAMARA S TEINER , Editor A NDRÉ G ENSBURGER , Reporter and Feature Writer P ETE C RUZ , Graphic Design B EV B RITTON , Copy Editor R OBERT H ELENA , Sports B ETH N EUDELL , Advertising Sales C HRISTINA S CARLOTT , Administrative Assistant
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Always plenty of convenient PARKING Clayton Valley Shopping Center
CONTACT US Tel: (925) 672-0500 Fax: (925) 672-6580 Tamara Steiner tamara@claytonpioneer.com André Gensburger Andre@claytonpioneer.com Beth Neudell beth@claytonpioneer.com Send ads to ads@claytonpioneer.com Send Sports News to sports@claytonpioneer.com Send Club News to clubnews@claytonpioneer.com Send Church News to churchnews@claytonpioneer.com
Send School News to schoolnews@claytonpioneer.com
CLASSIFIEDS Classified rates per insertion: Non-profit: $12 for first 30 words, $.20 each additional word Individual/non-commercial: $18 for first 30 words, $.30 each additional word Commercial: $48 for first 30 words, $.40 each additional word To place your classified ad over the phone, call the office at (925) 6720500 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Or, you may fax your typewritten ad and credit card information to (925) 672-6580. All classifieds must be paid for in advance by credit card (Master Card or Visa)
S V I CnEt necessar y R E S RY intme N O T A No appo
5442 Ygnacio Valley Road, Suite 40, 925-524-9030
We will not accept any ad that discriminates on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, nationality, family status or disability. The Clayton Pioneer reserves the right to reject any advertising we believe is unsuitable.
LET US KNOW Weddings, engagements, anniversaries, births and deaths all weave together as part of the fabric of our community. Please let us know of these important events. We ask only that the announcement be for a Clayton resident. You will find the appropriate form for your announcement on our Website. Attach your photo to the form. Make sure the image size you are about to send is at least 3 MB but not bigger than 6MB. The only format we accept is JPG. You can also mail or bring your print to the office and we can scan it for you. Also on our Web site are forms for submitting Community Calendar items and press releases for your organization.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Clayton Pioneer welcomes letters from our readers. As a general rule, letters should be 300 words or less and submitted at least one week prior to publication date. Letters concerning current issues will have priority. We may edit letters for length and clarity. All letters will be published at the editor’s discretion. Please include your name, address and daytime telephone number. We will not print letters from “anonymous.” E-mail your letter in a Word document to tamara@claytonpioneer.com. Letters MUST be submitted via E-mail.
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Just Floors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .681-4747 Keenan Heinz Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .288-0159 Kitchen Make-Overs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7900 Pans on Fire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .600-7267 Sparkle Pools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260-5025 Utopic Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0055 Window Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-1930 Mailing and Shipping The UPS Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-6245 Personal Products and Services Donna Plavetzky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2000
SERVICES Caregiving Services Caregiver looking for work. Will clean, run errands, provide companionship and bathing assistance. $15/hr, Four hour minimum. References available. Call Leesa at (925) 708-8508
Perfect Tan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8261 Roberta Claire Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .625-1123 The Makeup Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .408-8010 Pet Services Aussie Pet Mobile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-738-6624 Monte Vista Veterinary Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1100 O’Brien Family Pet Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .899-7354 Rodie’s Feed and Country Store . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4600
HELP WANTED Administrative Assistant P/T ~ Administrative Assistant. Must be computer literate, have accounting skills and be highly detail oriented. Call Sara Rodenburg 672-4600
Real Estate and Mortgage Services Flannery, Patty - Diablo Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0541 French, Lynne - Windermere Real Estate . . . . . .672-8787 Kavanaugh, Mike - RE/MAX Accord . . . . . . . . . .383-6102 Laurence, Pete - RE/MAX Realty . . . . . . . . . . . .937-0150 Lopez, Stephanie - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . .932-7329 Miller, Linda RE/MAX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .765-4765
Real Estate Agents Be Successful! Lynne French is expanding and interviewing for a few agents. Call her today (925) 672-8787.
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www.prostoneworld.com Clayton (925) 594-1660 fax (925) 524-0708
RENTALS Room for rent One bedroom and private bath available for rent in Clayton four bedroom home, quiet cul-de-sac, large garden, pool, female only, no pets, no smoking, $550 per month, call 925-683-8952 South Lake Tahoe Vacation Rental Great location, sleeps 6 to 8 comfortably. Pictures and home details can be found at www.tahoehansenhouse.com. Still have questions, call Debbie Hansen at (925) 766-8961
Morucci, Kim - Intero Real Estate Services . . . . .280-8563 Vujnovich, George - Better Homes Realty . . . . .672-4433 Recreation Clayton Valley Bowl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-4631 Oakhurst Country Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9737 Senior Services Diamond Terrace Senior Retirement Living . . . . .524-5100 Services, Other Appliance Repairs by Bruce, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2700 Comcast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-877-634-4434 Computers USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9989 Recycling Center & Transfer Station . . . . . . . . . .473-0180 Shopping Donna’s Quilting Loft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0401 Pacific Coast Farmers Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .825-9090 The Royal Rooster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2025 Travel Cruise Adventures Unlimited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .935-7447
Page 6
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
August 7, 2009
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REAL ESTATE A home protection plan, also called a home warranty, is a service contract that covers the major systems and appliances of a home. If you order a protection plan at the time you buy a home, most warranty companies won’t require a property inspection. Contracts typically run for one year. Most plans are renewable at the owner’s option. When a malfunction occurs that involves a system covered by the warranty, the homeowner calls the warranty company and requests a service call. The cost of a service call varies from $55 to $100 per visit, depending on your location. The warranty company assigns the call to a technician, and the company absorbs the cost of the system repair or replacement. Don’t assume you can call any contractor to fix a malfunction. Most companies won’t
expect the pool equipment to be covered, write this into your contract. Otherwise, the seller may only provide a standard coverage policy. Seller home warranty coverage is also available to protect against system malfunctions during the listing and sale periods. The cost is charged on a per diem basis (usually less than a dollar a day), and it’s paid for by the seller at closing. There may be a waiting period of a couple of weeks after the application is submitted before the policy goes into effect. A number of different companies offer home warranty plans. Regardless of who pays for the policy, the buyers should request that the plan be one of their choice. Before selecting a plan, review sample contracts from various companies. You want a plan that promises to cover “pre-existing conditions” that weren’t known to the sellers or their agents. Pre-existing defects that are known will be excluded from coverage. Read the fine print carefully. Even though the electrical sys-
tem is covered, a problem that is the result of a power outage or wiring that’s not up to current building code requirements might be excluded from coverage. Watch out for policy limitations, such as on furnace repairs. Ideally, you will want a policy that will pay for a new furnace, if necessary, at no additional cost to you. A home protection plan shouldn’t be considered an alternative to having the property thoroughly inspected by licensed professionals. System defects discovered during the buyer’s inspections usually won’t be covered by a home protection plan. Who will repair these defects should be agreed upon by the buyer and the seller before closing. Lynne French is the broker/owner of Windermere Lynne French & Associates and a Clayton resident. For any real estate needs or questions, contact her at 672-8787, Lynne@LynneFrench.com or stop in at 6200 Center St. in Clayton.
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cover a claim unless their contractors complete the repairs. Most protection plans cover the plumbing, heating, electrical and hot water systems of the home, as well as built-in appliances and a free-standing stove and dishwasher, if they are included in the sales agreement. Some policies cover roof repairs, but usually up to a limit of about $1,000. A standard policy with this kind of coverage costs $350$590. Additional coverage for a pool and spa, air conditioning, washer, dryer and refrigerator is available at an additional expense. With some companies, roof coverage is only included for an extra fee. Either seller or buyer may pay the cost of the home protection – it’s negotiable. Buyers and sellers often agree to split the cost of a protection plan. If the sellers aren’t offering to pay for a home warranty and you’d like them to, include this request in writing in your offer to purchase. Be specific about what kind of coverage you want. For instance, if you
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Adopt-A-Trail, from page 1 the Clayton Library to Lydia Lane Park, crossing three bridges. “It was obviously to give back to the community,” said Jake Pauline, whose company Black Diamond Electric provides the financial sponsorship. “The trail is always pretty clean,” said his wife Cristina, who runs on the trails. She attributes this to the strong sense of civic pride from Clayton residents living near the trail. “Our lovely trail system and our community’s volunteer spirit are among the major reasons our town was chosen as one of the best places to live in the nation,” said Mayor Julie Pierce. The trail program is augmented by Measure B funds, with the goal of providing a venue for volunteers to help Clayton maintain and enhance the popular trails. The annual fee to participate as a financial sponsor is $1,000. For clean-up adopters, it’s $200. Markers are installed at each trail segment with the names of both the financial sponsor and the cleanup volunteers. “In this age when cities have had to cut back services, one of
the ways for residents to give back is through volunteer efforts,” Jake said. “These trails are a huge bonus for Clayton.” “If everyone can stretch out a bit,” Cristina added, “we can keep the community looking beautiful. That’s a great attitude to have.” Jake grew up in Clayton and his parents still live here. He and Cristina bought their home in Clayton a few years ago. “We also get repaid in better property values,” Jake said of community service. “And we teach our children the value in giving back to the community. Clayton is a great place to live. People choose to live in Clayton.” THE PRIDE OF VOLUNTEERING Nick Swiatko of Troop 262 has been a scout for 2½ years, since moving to Clayton from San Leandro. “My friends got me into it,” said the 16-year-old, who enjoys the hiking and camping activities as well as pitching in on the trail. “Leaving the debris is bad for the environment,” he said, “because it makes walking difficult and poses a fire hazard.”
André Gensburger/Clayton Pioneer
THE PAULINE FAMILY, Johnny, Julia, Cristina, Jake and Analisa were the first to adopt a Clayton trail.
So far the trail maintenance has not taken them a lot of time, but Hall believes that is because they are at the start of the program and still organizing what needs to be done. Anthony Maytun, 11, and his mother Monika are also part of Troop 484. Monika wanted her son to understand how lucky he is to be living in a place like this. “I hope he will teach it to his kids as well one day,” she said. “We have to give back to the community.” “The Adopt-a-Trail program fosters civic pride through vol-
unteerism, philanthropy and cleanliness,” said Disend. “It’s not all about the merit badge,” Swiatko said. “It is about giving back to the community.” Other Adopt-A-Trail participants include CD Federal Credit Union, the Clayton Business and Community Association, Girl Scout Troops 429 and 31895, Kinder Care and Jeff Waldron. Both financial sponsors and elbow grease are needed. To adopt a Clayton trail, call 673-7369.
August 7, 2009
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com
Page 7
Business and art meet over lunch at La Veranda NICCI SHIPSTEAD Clayton Pioneer
If you can hold a pencil, you can draw, asserts Cassandra Antkowiak. The Mt. Diablo Adult Education (MDAE) art instructor teaches how to break the world down into shapes – circles, squares and modified forms, lights and darks. “If you have an attitude, ‘I can’t – it’s not good,’ I’ll have to beat you,” she chides. “(Teaching) is most exciting when I can pull you through the knothole of a problem.” Antkowiak shared her experience at Art and Lunch on the Veranda on July 20. The event generated from coordinator Candace Bass’ concern for MDAE class funding when Measure D failed. MDAE’s Lifelong Education program is designed for adults 55+. If space is available, adults under 55 may enroll. As a loyal customer of La Veranda Café, Bass learned that owner Anis Maamari used to manage a restaurant in San Francisco near many art gal-
Nicci Shipstead/Clayton Pioneer
MT. DIABLO ADULT EDUCATION ART INSTRUCTOR Cassandra Antkowiak reaches for Michael Yashar’s sketchbook during an Art and Lunch community event at La Veranda Café on July 20.
leries and that they share a passion for the art community. Bass, an artist and former educator, feels compelled to support small business and civic organizations. “Art is something that unites people and ends up supporting
the community as well,” Bass notes. “Many important people in my life are small business owners.” Along with Antkowiak, Bass invited Arlene Kikkawa-Nielsen to represent the Creekside Artists Guild (CAG) at the
lunch. Nielsen presented a background of the fledgling community art group. CAG encourages emerging and experienced artists, with active and passive members practicing paint, collage, graphics and wood, textiles. The
Forecasters say conditions indicate an El Nino winter WOODY WHITLATCH WEATHER WORDS Welcome back, El Nino? In its most recent weather forecast discussion, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration states, “El Nino conditions are present across the equatorial Pacific Ocean.” Longer-range model forecasts indicate that El Nino conditions will continue to intensify and last through next winter. The term El Nino refers to a large scale ocean/atmosphere phenomenon linked to the warming of oceanic waters in the equatorial Pacific area. It was first documented centuries ago by fishermen along Peru’s coastal waters. Since the warming often occurred during the Christmas season, Peruvians called this event El Nino, meaning “the Christ child.” Scientists studying El Nino discovered that Peru’s warm water events were linked to changes in atmospheric pres-
sure patterns that stretched across the Pacific from South America to Australia. This change in pressure pattern is called the Southern Oscillation. Since pressure patterns drive winds and winds drive ocean currents, scientists were able to link El Nino events and Southern Oscillations. In fact, El Nino’s are commonly referred to as El NinoSouthern Oscillation events (ENSO). Normally, equatorial Pacific winds blow east to west. In Peru, this means winds blow off-shore and surface ocean waters are moved away from the coast. This results in the upwelling of cooler sub-surface waters along the coast. When the winds change direction and upwelling stops, coastal waters become warmer than normal, and El Nino arrives. The change in air circulation during an El Nino phase of ENSO also results in sea surface temperatures warming across the equatorial Pacific as well as near the coast of Peru. Meteorologists now look at sea
surface temperatures in the central Pacific to determine the strength of an El Nino event. Both the Southern Oscillation and warmer than normal sea surface temperatures have dramatic affects on jet stream patterns throughout the world. For example, the subtropical jet stream over the Atlantic tends to be stronger during El Nino events. This inhibits formation of hurricanes, and the number of named Atlantic hurricanes tends to be lower than normal during El Nino events. A strong El Nino can affect weather half a world away. ENSO events differ in strength, duration and location. So while it is true that El Nino causes changes in jet stream patterns, it is not true that the effects of El Nino events are the same in any geographic region – like the Bay Area or California. For example, the drought of 1976 occurred during weak El Nino conditions and the heavy rains of 1998 came during a strong El Nino. Generally, moderate and
strong El Nino’s result in rainfall patterns highlighted by wetter than normal winters over the southern tier of states, including California, and drier than normal winters over the northern tier of states, including the Pacific Northwest. It is too early to tell what the effects of this developing El Nino will be on weather patterns in the Clayton area. If this El Nino does turn out to be a strong event, there is a good chance we’ll see above normal rainfall – especially in the late winter and early spring periods. In that case, Bay Area water managers and residents will certainly say “Welcome back El Nino!” For more on El Nino and the Southern Oscillation, visit http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/precip/CWlink/MJO/ enso.shtml. Woody Whitlatch is a meteorologist with PG&E. Email your questions or comments to clayton_909@yahoo.com
group also includes musicians, poets, authors and illustrators. CAG meets 7-8:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month in the Clayton Library story room. Collaborating with local business, CAG opened a temporary gallery, Creekside Jo’s Gallery, at Cup O’ Jo with access next to Royal Rooster. The gallery displays original artwork for sale by local artists and is open Saturday during the farmers market and Concerts in the Grove series and Wednesday night’s Classic Car Nights. Bass is organizing the next Art and Lunch event for a Monday afternoon in the fall. “Artists or those interested in art may join our mailing list,” she adds. For information about upcoming Art and Lunch events, contact Bass at kndbass@aol.com or 673-7036. For MDAE’s Lifelong Learning programs, visit www.mdusd.k12.ca.us/adulted/lifelong_learning. For CAG, visit
www.creeksideartists.org.
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Page 8
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
August 7, 2009
Friendly reminder – Leash law
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With wonderful weather during this time of year, many dog owners find time to wander the trails and enjoy walks with their four-legged friends. Since the Clayton Police Department reinstituted our police bicycle program, where trained officers patrol the trails on bicycles, we have noticed that there are a few dog owners who do not comply with the city’s leash ordinance. In addition to providing for a safe environment on the trails, our bicycle officers will also be educating trail users who are walking unleashed dogs. The ordinance that the city adopted is Section 416-
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4.402 of the Contra Costa County Animal Ordinance, “animals at large;” known to many as the leash law. The ordinance states that dogs are required to be “under effective restraint by a leash” at all times. This means that the dog must not just be on a leash, but the handler must have effective control of the dog on the leash. This ordinance doesn’t allow for verbal control off leash and is for the purpose of controlling dogs while in public area, such as streets, sidewalks, trails and other public open spaces. Our bicycle officers carry their ticket books with them
ARRESTS July 10, 1:57 p.m., Oakhurst Dr. and Clayton Rd., a Clayton woman, 50, was stopped for a vehicle code violation and issued a citation for driving with a suspended license. July 12, 8:56 p.m., Lydia Lane Park, a Concord man, 22, was contacted about being in the park after hours and issued a citation for possession of marijuana. July 15, 12:01 a.m., Clayton Rd. and Washington Blvd., a Sacramento woman, 27, was stopped for a vehicle code violation and issued a citation for driving with a suspended license. July 15, 9:14 p.m., Clayton Rd., a Concord man, 44, was contacted for panhandling and arrested on an outstanding warrant. July 16, 10:54 a.m., Concord Blvd., a Concord man, 26, was issued a citation for driving with a suspended license after being stopped for a vehicle code violation. July 16, 10:05 a.m., Clayton Rd. and Glazier Dr., a Clayton man, 22, was stopped for a vehicle code violation and was arrested for an outstanding warrant. July 16, 10:42 p.m., Clayton Rd. and Heritage Trail, a Concord man, 19, was stopped for a vehicle code violation and issued a citation for driving under the influence. July 17, 12:23 p.m., Clayton Rd. and Claycord Ave., a Concord youth, 16, was con-
tacted regarding a verbal argument and arrested on an outstanding warrant. July 18, 6:32 p.m., Miwok and Eagle Peak, a Clayton youth, 15, was contacted regarding suspicious circumstances and issued a citation for the possession of marijuana. July 21, 4:38 p.m., Clayton Rd., a Concord woman, 32, was arrested and charged with forgery and attempt to defraud. July 23, 1:44 a.m., Main Street, a Concord male, 21, was arrested for battery of an officer and resisting arrest after the officer broke up a fight. July 24, 1:30 a.m., Clayton Rd. and Kirker Pass, a Martinez woman, 18, was stopped for an erratic driving pattern and arrested for driving under the influence. BURGLARIES/THEFTS July 12, 7:55 p.m., Keller Ridge. Residential burglary July 17, 9: 23 a.m., Clayton Rd. Attempted burglary July 20, 6:35 a.m., Yolanda Cir. Attempted burglary July 22, 6:55 p.m., Main Street, Petty Theft July 25, 1:55 p.m., Clayton Rd. Grand Theft July 29, 8:45 a.m., Mountaire Cir. Vehicle burglary VANDALISM July 10, 2:29 p.m., Oak Street July 10, 4:25 p.m., Clayton Road July 11, 11:44 a.m., Heritage Trail July 18, 10:30 p.m., El Molino July 24, 3:00 a.m., Samuel Ct.
and may issue citations to people who violate the leash law. As with many laws, there are a few exceptions to being on a leash – if the dog is on the private property of its owner; the dog is on private property with the consent of the owner of the private property; and areas clearly designated as “offleash dog run areas.” It is important to note that being on private property does not relieve the dog owner, or person in custody of the dog, of exercising effective and appropriate restraint to assure that the dog cannot injure people or property. Although I recognize that most dog owners observe the leash requirement, this article is intended to be a reminder that dogs are to be kept on leash at all times. Extendableretractable leashes are functional ways to allow your dog to roam, nip at the air and exercise while still on a leash. The city does provide an off-leash, fenced and gated dog park across from Diablo View Middle School, adjacent to the trail between Regency Drive and Marsh Creek Circle.
Dogs4Diabetics (D4D) is an innovative, local nonprofit training dogs to detect and alert low blood sugar levels in insulin-dependent diabetics. The dogs use their astonishing sense of smell to achieve something advanced medical equipment still can’t accomplish. Based in Concord, D4D provides certified assistance dogs, client training and lifelong follow-up to its clients at no cost. Accompanying their human partner throughout the day and sleeping by their bedside at night, the dogs allow diabetics to sleep soundly, drive safely and live more independently – eliminating the fear of sudden, severe and debilitating drops in blood sugar levels. “Dogs for Diabetics gave me a guardian angel I can see,” says program graduate Kristin Wilson.
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Parking is easy at Clayton Community Park. This is the only approved off-leash dog area in the city. Remember: Leashing your dog protects your friend and those around you. Owners are also reminded to be responsible in scooping up after their pets at all times. The city does not pick up animal waste along trails or sidewalks. Your cooperation is requested in using the trails, parks and open space responsibly. Keep them clean for all of us to enjoy. Feel free to contact the Clayton Police Department at 673-7350, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, if you have further questions.
Dan Lawrence is Clayton’s Police Chief. Please send your questions, comments or topics you’d like to see covered to DanL@cpd.ci. concord.ca.us
D4D is funded by individual donations, grants and sponsorships. This year’s summer fundraising event, the second annual D4D Walk/Run/Raise for the Dogs, will be 8 a.m.-noon Saturday, Aug. 22. It starts and ends at Sports Basement, 1881 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek. The event will feature a 5k course for walkers and a 10k course for runners. Pre-registered walkers will receive Tshirts and be entered into a grab bag drawing. All walkers will enjoy a silent auction, a 10 percent discount at Sports Basement and the chance to win a Wii with Wii Fit for the largest collected donation more than $1,000. For more information or to register, please go to the website at www.Dogs4Diabetics.com/news.
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August 7, 2009
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com
Starting a school year from the bottom up
LENDING A HAND TO SPORTS , MUSIC Gaining approval of the Mt. Diablo Unified School District (MDUSD), the foundation set
KNOWLEDGE
TEEN SPEAK “Well, I was born in a small town And I live in a small town Probably die in a small town Oh, those small communities” – John Mellencamp, “Small Town”, 1985 With its 11,200 population, Clayton was recently named No. 87 in Money magazine’s “America’s 100 Best Small Towns.” Our proud little town also topped the “Clear Days per Year” portion of the article, with an average of 161 days of blue sky loveliness. Thus, it’s with great pride for my town that I assume my job as one of the Clayton Pioneer’s high school columnists. I have two goals for this upcoming year: that I will be able to meet my deadlines with a minimal amount of procrastination and that I will be able to provide readers of all ages with relevant and insightful perspective on the life of a high schooler, while
3 fireplaces, a gourmet granite kitchen, beautiful formal dining room, to its Master Suite with his & hers walk-in closets, this home is filled with casual elegance. Located 3 doors from Mt. Diablo state park it has awesome views from there to over Clayton to the Sacramento River & Napa hills beyond. A 9-Hole putting green, it’s own regulation horseshoe pit, granite outdoor kitchen with Bar and BBQ, a 9’x12’ inground Spa, a burning pit, Barn, rose garden, room for a pool, and it’s own
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Clayton Valley THE CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM is just one of the programs cut by the loss of athletics within the district. The United Mt. Diablo Athletics Foundation hopes to restore these sports with a per use fee and fundraising
out to raise $200,000 before the start of the new school year. “Last year, the cost for district-wide athletics was reported to be about $1.2 million and MDUSD is contributing nothing to that amount this year,” said Jeff Adams, a foundation board member. “Without the
$200,000 foundation target, contribution amounts paid by families would have been significantly higher and it is unclear whether the MDUSD board would have reinstated athletics for 2009-2010.”
See School Cuts, page 13
Chronicling high school, one quote at a time CADY LANG
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With a new school year slated to start the last week of August, parents and students are anxious about the programs that had been cut and whether any gains have been made toward restoration. The last school year ended after months of budget cuts that resulted in the loss of 4th grade music, high school athletics, vice principals, class-size reductions and much more – prompting an outcry from parents demanding some salvation. With the formation of groups, some progress has been made toward the restoration of certain projects, most notably high school athletics. Sports are relying upon a combination of student participation fees and some heavy fundraising by the new United Mt. Diablo Athletic Foundation.
Page 9
also writing with integrity. To ensure I’ll always have a topic, I’ve decided to begin this column with a quotation (most likely literary, as I have a pronounced fetish for books) that will serve as a sort of prompt. Inspiration or current events will then control the direction of the column. I’d love to have readers submit quotations. It’d be an excellent way to receive input. There will be times when my choice of topic or views may be considered offensive to some readers – it’s inevitable. However, I can strive to write with integrity, not stooping to rabidity or slander. After all, this column shouldn’t serve as a soap box for me to preach my opinion. My objectivity in a matter will only strengthen my credibility. I hope that I will present my views respectfully and clearly, provoking thought but not necessarily irritation. It is crucial to me that I write with clarity, and most importantly, with rationality, leaving behind clichés and sweeping generalizations – things that
School News
Rachel Gittleman and dad Dylan, left, join Serafina Celentano and dad Joe at the Mt. Diablo Elementary dance.
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would negatively characterize the column. In her final column, Michelle Trosclair sagely gave me advice about three elements of this column: that a topic would not always come easily; that the response received would not always be kind; and that I should never underestimate the power of the written word. I believe I am ready to face this challenge. Armed with my arsenal of quotations and a notebook, I look forward to writing this year’s column. However, Trosclair did not include another important fact: that I will be following in her footsteps, which will be hard to fill. For the two years that she has written the column, I have read her strong, purposeful and often wry observances. Now it’s my turn to write a column for the Clayton Pioneer; I can only hope that my columns will provoke as much thought as hers did. Cady Lang is a senior at Berean Christian High School. She would like to major in English and eventually pursue a career in writing. Email her at cady@clayton pioneer.com.
MT. DIABLO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL More than 225 people attended a father/daughter dance near the end of the school year at Mt. Diablo Elementary School. Uncles and grandfathers were welcome too. The event featured a DJ, with sweets, water and juice provided by school parents. “The dance was far more than I had hoped for,” says Heidi Celentano, who planned the event. “As the couples arrived, they were directed onstage to have their photo taken. They then proceeded to the dance floor to dance, dance, dance. At the end of the dance, we had a small raffle – giving away nail polish, hair glitter, etc. The girls were delighted and the dads were all smiles.” Celentano says many fathers expressed sincere gratitude for the wonderful event. “It was very heartwarming.” The fundraiser created a new tradition for the school, while giving children an opportunity to bond with their parents. “I would rate this event beyond successful and look forward to planning the next one,” says Celentano, who is scheduling a mother/son dance as well.
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Page 10
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
August 7, 2009
Clayton Sports Boys of summer power their way to district win ROBERT HELENA Clayton Pioneer
“His bat was strong all the way through. I didn’t realize how good he was during the regular season. He was the best first baseman in the entire district,” says Temple. “I was shocked. I didn’t know I could do that either,” Nelson adds. According to Temple, Nelson could also pick it. “When Freitas handles ground balls from short, the ball he throws must be coming at least 70 miles per hour and Garrett was scooping them up with no problem.” Even though the team banged its way to sectionals, the pitching was no joke either. Freitas, Smith and Wraa took up most of the slack, with Temple referring to them as “The Big Three.” The coach was particularly impressed with Wraa’s work on the mound. “Tanner Wraa was tremendous. He beat Albany and closed out Alameda,” says Temple.
Led by a ferocious hitting attack, the 12-year-old boys’ Clayton Valley Little League All Star Team out-slugged longtime nemesis Alameda All Stars and the defending regional champion Albany All Stars to capture this year’s District 4 championship and a trip to sectionals. “I didn’t know how big it was to beat Alameda,” says firstyear All Star manager Jim Temple. “But the parents and players made sure I knew.” Over the years, Alameda always carried big sticks and rained on CVLL’s parade. “It was great to finally beat them,” says Garrett Nelson, CVLL All Star first baseman. “Alameda’s first six hitters are just maulers. Their seven, eight and nine hitters are also good, so there’s no weakness,’’ says Temple. The only option for Temple and coach Kevin O’Leary was to outscore them. “It’s insurmountable to think of beating Albany and beating Alameda twice,” Temple notes. At sectionals, they were three outs away from capturing the title but came up short.
CVLL ALL STARS. Top row: Manager Jim Temple, Cole Temple, Bentley Griffin, Jonathan Allen, Jack O'Leary, Ryan Freitas and Coach Kevin O'Leary. Bottom row: Jacob Lunsford, Riley Smith, Garrett Nelson, Ken Cuneo, Stefan Mercurio, Tanner Wraa and Greg Hudgens.
A DEEP TEAM The CVLL 12-year-old group was widely considered to be oozing with talent. Some of the athletes play on competitive traveling teams, and their nucleus consist of CVLL stalwarts
Ryan Freitas, Riley Smith, Jonathan Allen and Tanner Wraa. Displaying a potent hitting attack up and down the lineup, the team rolled to double digit run production throughout the
tournament. “Everyone contributed, especially the bottom of the lineup as they got on base and scored a bunch of runs,” says O’Leary. An astonishing six different players went deep. Freitas,
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Smith, Allen, Wraa, Nelson and Cole Temple all connected on some big flies at various times throughout the championship run. “All the players contributed in one way or another, including
guys like Stefan Mercurio, Jacob Lunsford, Jack O’Leary, Kenny Cuneo, Bentley Griffin and Greg Hudgens,” O’Leary adds. Temple noted the high level play of Nelson, the slick fielding, power hitting first baseman.
AIMING FOR REGIONALS At sectionals, the team won its first game and went up against the Napa All Stars, prevailing 8-4 behind the pitching of Freitas. “We hit and held them down with Freitas, and Riley Smith closed it out,” says Temple. Napa moved to the losers’ bracket but fought its way out and into a rematch with CVLL,
See Boys, page 13
August 7, 2009
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com
Page 11
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DIABLO FC 95 UNDER 14 BOYS SOCCER TEAM vaulted to the #14 National ranking on the heels of their second-place finish at the prestigious Surf Cup XXIX tournament in San Diego. The team includes, front row: T.J. Hogan, John Ballard, Esteban Berumen, Kash Choudhary, Johnny Luna-Lima, Jose Robledo, Joey Brauer, Edgar Damian Ramirez, Sam Giambalvo and Juan Velazquez. Back row: coach John Badger, Mikey Guerrero, Sho Silvan, Mario Matute, Isaiah Dargan, Jared Thieme, Ryan Ringelstein, Patrick Holst and Derek Wilcox. JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
The old ABC “Wide World of Sports” theme was “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.” The Diablo FC 95 under 14 boys team experienced both those emotions in a matter of minutes in the championship game of Surf Cup XXIX in San Diego. Surf Cup is the most prestigious invitational youth soccer tournament in the country, and the local team navigated its way through a minefield of top-ranked opponents to reach
OUTSIDE BACK MIKEY GUERRERO was a key part of the success local Diablo FC 95 under 14 boys soccer team enjoyed at the recent Surf Cup in San Diego.
the final. Playing the No. 1 U14 boys team in the United States, West Coast FC, Diablo FC took all West Coast could dish out for three quarters before the Southern California team converted a penalty kick to take a 10 lead. With less than 30 seconds left in stoppage time of the championship game, coach John Badger’s team scored off a corner kick and pandemonium broke out on the sideline. This pushed the deadlocked finale into Golden Goal overtime. Before a minute had passed in OT, West Coast scored to claim the championship 2-1. The Diablo FC 95 boys came home with an impressive Surf Cup finalist trophy and the satisfaction of knowing that they played toe-to-toe with the top-rated team in America. With these impressive results at Surf Cup, Diablo FC vaulted to No. 14 in GotSoccer National rankings. In just nine days, they played the Nos. 1 (twice), 2, 5, 8 and 29 nationally ranked teams. The Sunday before Surf Cup, they played the No. 2 team, Milan FC of Hilmar, in the championship game of the NorCal Premier Spring League. They lost 1-0 at Ygnacio Valley High School despite dominating possession and scoring opportunities. They also lost 1-0 to No. 9 Santa
Clara Sporting in the CYSA State Cup finals in May. Midfielder John Ballard and outside back Mikey Guerrero of Clayton were key components of the Diablo FC team effort at Surf Cup. TJ Hogan of Concord scored the only goal on a breakaway in the semi-final match against South Coast Bayern Netrippers, the 8thranked team in the country. The lone goal in a 1-0 victory propelled Diablo FC into the championship. That followed another 1-0 quarterfinal win as Diablo FC eliminated host San Diego Surf Academy. Exactly a year earlier, the Diablo FC 90 boys, with local players Garrett Biel and Harjan Cheema, were playing in the USYSA national championship final four in Arkansas. That U17 team achieved the No. 1 ranking in the country last summer. In the Surf Cup championship finals, Diablo FC had a rematch with West Coast FC, whom they played in the final preliminary game the previous day after both teams had already clinched berths in the quarterfinals. Based on the previous meeting, Diablo FC got what they expected: a tough, defensive battle in the championship game. West Coast had given up only two goals (in the same game) in 11 previous games in
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
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Clayton Sports
Juniors softball team two-time champs ROBERT HELENA Clayton Pioneer
This year’s Clayton Valley Little League Juniors softball team was truly in a league of their own. The Juniors, made up mostly of 13- and 14-year-old girls, won the District 4 Tournament of Champions and District 4 All Star Tournament Championship. In league, they dominated by going 21-0 and won all three games enroute to capturing the TOC banner. This same team represented CVLL in the All Star Tournament and promptly won the district championship as well. In the All Star Tournament, they made it to the sectional final but lost to Dixon. The Juniors were the only CVLL girls’ softball team for this age group, due to a lack of players. “I think there were four or five girls who couldn’t play this year because we had to take the first 15 girls who signed up,” says manager Erik Fjellbo. Since there wasn’t a “house” league to compete in, the regular season consisted of interleague play against teams from towns including Martinez, Pinole, Pittsburg and Antioch. The turning point this season for the Juniors was their performance in a mid-season All Star Tournament in Antioch. The tournament consisted of All Star Teams from cities around the Bay Area. After the Juniors won the tournament, Fjellbo knew he had something special. The strength of the Juniors was balance. “Solid on both sides. Good hitting and good pitching. Our base running was exceptional,” says Fjellbo. On championship runs, total team contributions must occur as well. “A lot of times, our top players came through but, more importantly, the nonfull time players stepped up. A total team effort,” says Fjellbo. The team was led by Ashley Allen, Ashley Daniels, Andrea Partida and Kayla Fjellbo. “Ashley Allen was our best position player and hitter,” says Fjellbo. Offensively, the team was strong. “Our top of the order would get on base and Ashley Allen and Ashley Daniels would hit home runs – or they would just hit the ball really hard,” Fjellbo reports in a matter-of-fact tone. Complementing the potent offense was the equally impressive pitching staff. Daniels was considered the “power” pitcher, Fjellbo the “control” pitcher and Partida the “off speed” pitcher.
JUNIORS WIN 2 DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS. Back row: Kathy Mason, Taylar Rivera, Lexie Wenrich, Kayla Fjellbo, Adrianna Chan, Jessica Mason, Ashley Daniels. Front row: Tommi Boyd, Ashley Allen, Julia Arteaga, Danielle Oxman, Jennifer Lyons, Andrea Partida. Manager - Erik Fjellbo; Coaches - Enrique Arteaga and Dave Cooney.
“Our approach would be to start off with a control pitcher, followed by a power pitcher and ending with an off speed pitcher,” says Fjellbo. “This kept opposing teams off-balance.” Having the same team for All Stars turned out to be a huge advantage when they entered the All Star Tournament. “Most All Star teams only had a few days to get together and gel as a team,” says Fjellbo. “We were together for three months already.” In addition, Fjellbo anticipated the potential of the team by signing them up to play in high-level tournaments during the season. “Little League is good to get the reps, while tournaments allow you to play at a higher level,” he notes. This talented team has a good future. Fjellbo believes 10-12 girls will play at the high school level. At the start of the season, Fjellbo set some objectives. Make the weaker players better and improve the skill level of the better players. “We went 28-3, so I think we exceeded those objectives.” Fjellbo says the key to this successful season was that all of the girls continued to improve throughout the year and supported each other through good and bad plays. “I’ve been coaching baseball and softball for over 12 years, and this was one if not the most talented team I’ve ever coached,” says Fjellbo. Coaching the same team to two district championships in the same year is quite a feat, but maybe a little bittersweet for the local baseball and softball
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community. After 12 years of coaching, Fjellbo is going out on top – hanging it up and
heading to the stands. He now plans to cheer his kids at the high school level.
Sports Shorts Tryouts for Bears Softball Association, Fall 2009 season. The Bears is a fast pitch travel ‘A” softball league for girls ages 10-18. CVHS Varsity Field, Aug 16, 18 and 19; 9 a.m.-1 p.m. for
all teams on Sunday; 5 8 p.m. for all teams on Tues and Weds. For additional tryout information go to www.bears-softball.com or email morleykn@sbcglobal.net; (910) 7154294.
CVLL Farm B Champions
After a slow 5-4 start in the first half of the season, the CVLL Minor B ‘A’s got on a roll to finish 9-0 undefeated in the second half. This propelled them to a CVLL Championship banner and a trip to the Tournament of Champions. The ‘A’s came up short against the Alameda league champs but nevertheless had a tremendous season. The ‘A’s were managed by Brian Orvis. Top Row: Coach Tony Williams and Coach Gary Siegrist. Middle Row: Team Manager Brian Orvis, Kyle Glantz, Cole Warner, Jared Siegrist, Nick Lilly, Henry Waller and Mark Anderson. Bottom Row: Colin Cox, Kevin Orvis, Ross Gruen, Dylan Lofgren, Derrek Gardner and Christian Barragan.
August 7, 2009
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Page 13
Clayton Sports CVLL 12-year-old Boys, from page 10 softball All-Stars make it to the District Finals
ROBERT HELENA Clayton Pioneer
CVLL’s 12 year old All Star Softball team represented the league very well in this year’s California District 4 International Tournament. Teams from Antioch, Pittsburg, East County, Continental/ Walnut Creek, Pinole/Hercules and Martinez Little Leagues also participated. The District tourney was hosted by Pinole/Hercules LL. CVLL All Stars immediately jumped to the Winners Bracket with wins over Antioch (16-10) and Pinole/Hercules (24-7). In a
game decided in the last inning, CVLL suffered a difficult 3-1 loss to its rival Martinez. A great rebound win against Continental/Walnut Creek (155) offered another shot at Martinez in the Championship game. CVLL battled admirably but lost 6-1. The All Stars showed plenty of firepower, played the game right, and displayed outstanding sportsmanship throughout the Tournament. The team was made up from players from four Major Division teams: Bandits, Heat, Force and Thunder. The team was coached by Rick Ortiz.
School Cuts, from page 9 A similar program has been initiated by Concord High School music director Gary Coartney. The Mt. Diablo Music Education Foundation is an association of interested parents, teachers and community members working together to assure music education’s future in the district. The foundation is in its early stages but hopes to raise enough funds to save 4th grade music and prevent the cuts to 5th grade music during the next school year. THE BUDGET SLASHING CONTINUES
Meanwhile, budget cuts have already forced the district to slash more than $50 million over the last five years, with the prospects of even more cuts ahead. The current state budget cuts from K-12 schools may have been included in the last round of district cuts that antic-
ipated the governor’s June budget revise. “The governor’s proposal is what we use to budget, so if (the cuts) are the same, then there should be no impact,” MDUSD trustee Paul Strange said with hesitation. “I think the larger issue is that (the state) will cut further in September through October.” “I am simply worn down from the constant battles over the last two years,” said trustee Gary Eberhart, “and all of the budget cuts and all of the people telling me that I’m not doing my job well or I don’t understand the needs that kids have or I don’t have respect for this group or that group, or, or, or, etc … “I don’t believe that people understand the gravity of the cuts that have been made yet,” he added. “The vast majority of the cuts won’t be realized until the fall when the kids come back.”
12-year old Tanner Wraa was outstanding both hitting and pitching..
WEATHERING STATE CUTS With school-age children in the district, Eberhart, Strange and trustee Sherry Whitmarsh know the frustrations as parents. “The bad news is the state budget craps (sorry for being not so PC, but it’s the way I’m feeling right now) on education yet again,” Whitmarsh said in a sentiment shared by many in education. The board newcomer has had to face many tough decisions since replacing April Treece in November. “The new budget also allows schools to reduce the school year, but we would have to negotiate that with our bargaining units,” she added. “I won’t know how it makes me feel until I know what the impact is,” Strange said. Still optimism remains. “In my view,” said Adams, “we as a foundation have accomplished quite a bit to restore athletics for our students in just four
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Napa took control early with a 3-0 lead and never looked back, winning 7-0 over our local lads. “They also had two really good pitchers, and we just couldn’t hit,” says O’Leary. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Napa wins the western regional. You have to tip your hat off to them. They are an impressive team,” Temple says. “Napa was a good team with good coaches,” adds Nelson, who had a great experience. “I thought the coaches did a great job coaching us and they had a lot of experience.” The team will deliver a District 4 championship banner to Ed’s Mudville Grill, where memory of these boys of summer will last for quite some time.
months. We have commitments or collections totaling about $105,000 as I understand it. With the needed generous help of businesses, service clubs, other groups and individuals in the community … we are confident that the foundation will be able to raise the remaining $90,000 or so of its target $200,000. But we do need the support of the community throughout the district to succeed.” Parents also will be required to pay a fee per sport. Football would run $300 per athlete, while girls’ golf would cost $50 per athlete. The foundation has a fundraising gala scheduled at the Pavilion Sept. 19, as well as a 5K fundraising run in October at Newhall Park. For more information on the athletic association, visit www.unitedmtdiabloathletics.org. For information on the music foundation, contact Coartney at neophonic@astound.net.
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TOP FROM LEFT: Coach Rick Ortiz, Jenelle Stephens, Kristina Arteaga, Kayla Taylor, Abby Burton, Daisy Agers, Kassidy Pedrani, Coach Mike Treppa. BOTTOM FROM LEFT: Manager Enrique Arteaga, Jordan Bluth, Nellie Duncan, Kyra Ortiz, Lyndsay Treppa, Arianna Robertshaw, Cristina Mason.
this time for all the marbles – the sectional championship and a trip to regionals. Since CVLL won its first two games at sectionals, the team had to lose twice to be eliminated. With the pitching depth and potent hitting, Temple liked his chances. Wraa was the first hurler to be given the ball to close it out. Wraa pitched his team to a 3-2 lead heading into the later innings. CVLL was now only three outs away from winning the sectional championship, but it wasn’t to be. Napa led off the top of the 6th with back-toback home runs to take a 4-3 lead and an eventual victory by the same score. Now, CVLL would have to play Napa again the next day.
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Turn mealtime into playtime for your dog Sometimes people are simply too tired or busy to go for a walk or play fetch with their dogs. In this case, use the “Nothing in Life is Free” approach adapted for sitting down or multi-tasking. To jump start the process, throw out the food bowl. Next, measure your dog’s daily food allotment into a plastic container or two. Spot no longer gets free room and board. He earns his food by doing something for you. He can sit, spin, shake, lie down quietly, look at you when you say his name, bring a ball back to you, go potty in the right spot, etc. When he does, reinforce his effort by giving him a little food by hand or tossing it on the floor. I have an 8-month-old Labrador retriever nicknamed Wild Man. Young labs can never get enough stimulation or food. In the morning, I measure out three cups of dry food. I take the kibble, my breakfast and a cup of coffee to the breakfast table. Next, I ask Wild Man to
sit. When he does, I toss a handful of kibble onto the floor. While he hunts for it, I eat three bites of cereal. When he finishes, he returns for more. I ask for a sit. When he sits, I give him a handful of kibble by hand and throw one piece across the room. He runs to get it. I have a sip of juice. I call him, he runs back and I give him another handful of kibble. I say his name, he looks at me and I throw kibble on the floor again. While he has a treasure hunt, I finish my cereal. When I’ve finished my breakfast but still have some of his left, I go outside with my coffee. I put the rest of his food into a doggie puzzle toy like a Squirrel Dude, Buster Cube or empty plastic water bottle. I ask for a sit and reinforce the sit by giving him the food toy to play with while I get dressed. Before leaving for work, Wild Man has run, hunted, practiced come, down, sit and watch. Most importantly, we enjoyed our time together. Under-stimulation can have
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CRYSTAL The adoption fee for adult cats is $50. Meet your forever friend at Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation, 2890 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, during adoption hours: 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Noon to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The primary caretaker must be present to adopt. ARF also encourages kids 16 and younger and canine family members (dog adoptions only) to be present during the adoption process. Would you like to be part of the heroic team that saves the lives of rescued dogs and cats? Can you share your talents to connect people and animals? ARF volunteers are making a difference! For more information see our website, www.arf.net, or call 925.256.1ARF.
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serious side effects for both of you. Too much free time is apt to cause the old dog to slump into inactivity and obesity or the adolescent to become wildly creative. People often refer to this creativity as destructive behavior. In extreme cases, it can result in serious conditions like obsessive-compulsive disorder requiring costly professional intervention. Prevention saves time, trouble and money. Combine this exercise with the cookie toss recall, as described in the June 12 Pioneer, and you’ll have a better behaved dog who actually listens to you.
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August 7, 2009
There are many reasons why people love to keep parrots as companion pets. Their amazing intelligence and ability to use human speech is probably the most compelling. Their beautiful colorful plumage and affectionate nature with their caregiver give even more reasons. Many par-
rot species live well beyond thirty years and form a very strong bond with their caregiver. Pet parrots require more care than most people might think. They need daily interaction with their caregiver and lots of toys to prevent boredom. It is essential for owners to become informed about nutrition, to understand the parrot’s basic instinct to forage and how to train them using positive reinforcement. Their diet should consist of a good quality pellet food, fresh fruits and vegetables, and access to clean water. Parrots
are susceptible to disease from unclean cages so that generally, the cage floor should be cleaned daily and the cage itself weekly. It’s just like getting a new puppy. Training your baby parrot takes a commitment. The time spent with your parrot will truly enrich your life with joy and companionship. To find out if parenting a parrot is right for you, come to an all-day Parrot Behavior and Training Workshop at Rodie’s Feed and Country Store on Sat. Sept 19. Cost is $125 per person and includes continental breakfast, BBQ lunch, 20
Scout, from page 2 Mike was in Troop 363, he and Brian Fogg were usually the oldest; any boys their age or older dropped out,” explains Michael’s mother, Laurie GageMcCann. “He never had older Scout mentors and had to work on his own toward advancements.” Nevertheless, Michael earned 26 merit badges in 10 years of scouting, exceeding the required 21 toward the prestigious rank. Kristy Johnston, one of Michael’s youth leaders from Clayton Community Church (CCC), said Michael makes scouting look cool. “He can fit in anywhere.” Michael completed his Eagle Scout project for CCC, organizing and leading the construction, painting and delivery of
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three heavy-duty rolling storage carts for the portable children’s program. In addition to many service projects and fun and challenging activities, Michael fulfilled a promise he made to his father, Alan, when he was a young Cub Scout. Although he felt like quitting, he persevered and became “the mentor and example to younger scouts,” his mom said. The mayor’s proclamation states that scouting has “levels of accomplishment, with the ultimate being the coveted and rare Eagle Scout Award.” It commends Michael for his contribution to the betterment of the community and recognizes his accomplishment. According to the Website usscouts.org, “Only 2-5 in 100
percent off all bird supplies, goodie bags and raffle prizes. For ticket info, call 672-4600 or email sdrill@earthlink.net.
that join Scouts make Eagle – that’s less than 1 percent.” At the Court of Honor, Clayton resident Roger Haserot fastened his Eagle Award for the first time in 50 years to outline the character qualities and responsibilities of an Eagle Scout. “As a marked man, your achievements will follow you throughout your life,” Haserot asserts. “The leadership and sense of honor you have developed will mean more than a certificate and a ribbon; you will have opportunity to be of service to your fellow man.” Michael graduated from Clayton Valley High School in June. The water polo team captain was awarded MVP, and his classmates voted him “Most Likely to be Heard Without a Microphone.” He plans to attend UC Santa Cruz in the fall, majoring in anthropology.
- Nicci Shipstead
August 7, 2009
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Page 15
Clayton Community Calendar PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. AUGUST 10 FOR THE AUGUST 21 ISSUE. ITEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO calendar@claytonpioneer.com
EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT
In Clayton Aug. 7 Moonlight Movie/“Fireproof” Bring lawn chairs and blankets. Free. 8:45 p.m., 6055 Main St. 673-9060. Aug. 8, 22, 29 Concerts in the Grove Bring lawn chairs and blankets. Aug. 8: In Disguise, jazz/blues/R&B. Aug. 22: Diamond Dave, classic to modern crooners. Aug. 29: Replica, ’80s rock. Free. 6-8 p.m., The Grove Park in downtown Clayton. Aug. 12, 19, 26 Classic Cars and Rock & Roll Classic cars on display, plus a DJ. Free. 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays. Main and Diablo streets, downtown Clayton. Aug. 29 CVHS class of ’79 reunion 7 p.m.-midnight, Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Dr., Clayton. For tickets, visit www.cvhs1979reunions.com. There will also be a family picnic at Clayton Community Park on Aug. 30. Saturdays through October Clayton Farmers Market 8 a.m.-noon Saturdays, Diablo Street in downtown Clayton. www.pcfma.com or 800-949-3276.
Close by Aug. 8-9 Concord Diablo Japanese American Club Food, cultural and martial arts demonstrations. Free admission. 19 p.m. Aug. 8 and noon-8:30 p.m. Aug. 9, 3165 Treat Blvd., Concord. Free parking at Ygnacio Valley High School. www.diablojaclub.com. Through Aug. 9 “Broadway Heat” Diablo Actors Ensemble’s musical revue of the hottest shows on Broadway. $10-$25. 1345 Locust St., Walnut Creek. 866-8114111 or www.diabloactors.com. Aug. 14-27 “Hair - The American Tribal Rock Musical” Follow the adventures of a tribe of hippies as they challenge the mores of the ’60s. Willows Theatre Mainstage, 1975 Diamond Blvd., Concord. 798-1300 or www.willowstheatre.org. Through Aug. 15 “The Jungle Book” From Poison Apple Productions. $15. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. 943-7469 or www.poisonappleproductions.com. Aug. 17-Sept. 13 “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” The Tony Award-winning musical comedy celebrates the mania of competition. Willows Cabaret at the Campbell Theatre, 636 Ward St., Martinez. 798-1300 or www.willowstheatre.org. Aug. 19-21 “Maids and Matrons” A screwball comedy about a dysfunctional family’s preparation for the biggest wedding of the season. Cast includes Sue Beck of Clayton. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. 943-SHOW. Aug. 24 Diablo Valley Masterworks Chorale Auditions 6 p.m., Diablo Valley College Music Building, Room 101, Pleasant Hill. 228-8690 or www.masterworkschorale.net.
FUNDRAISERS Aug. 8 Clayton Valley High School Car Wash To support the instrumental music program. 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Mountain Mike’s, 5358 Clayton Road, Concord. $10.
Mayor, from page 1 top priority will be to keep our trees alive, but many of the other shrubs will likely suffer or even die with the cutbacks in watering. Fortunately, we can take the 45 percent reduction off of our total outdoor irrigation rather than off each meter, so we can choose where we want to focus our precious quota of water for the year. In an effort to stretch our supplies, city maintenance staff has already tapped into the well used to water the library grounds. It has ample supply, so we’re able to use it to also irrigate the medians and public landscaping on Clayton Road from the library to Mitchell Canyon Road, including the Oak Street grassy knoll. We have also resurrected an abandoned city well on High Street to irrigate the downtown
planters and The Grove park. We will add a pump so we can use it to water the future (afterthe-drought) plants on Daffodil Hill and the Town Center entrance sign area. The city will be examining alternative landscaping to grass/turf when the opportunity to replant is permissible. The Trails and Landscaping Committee will be involved in this redesign policy for public landscaped areas that are within the Landscape Maintenance District. We’re trying to keep the Community Park fields playable, though they won’t be lush. We are already studying the feasibility of replacing the turf at the playfields with synthetic grass. The quality has improved dramatically in the short time since we installed the small area under the statue
Aug. 8 Civic Arts Education Benefit Concert A fundraiser to purchase pianos for Civic Arts’ music programs, featuring pianist and composer Justin Levitt and friends. 8 p.m., Sherman Clay Pianos, 1441 Locust St. Walnut Creek. $10. 9435846. Aug. 9, 23 Breakfast with the Veterans of Foreign Wars 8-11 a.m. the second and fourth Sundays. $4 adults, $2 children under 12. Veterans Memorial Hall, 2290 Willow Pass Road, Concord. Aug. 24 Golf Tournament Oakhurst Country Club and Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano team up to fight hunger and food waste. Fees: 7 a.m.-1 p.m. $75 per player; 1–3 p.m. $55 per player; after 4 p.m., $35 per player. Oakhurst will donate a portion of the green fees to the Food Bank. To book tee time, call 672-9737, ext. 201. Sept. 5 Moonlight on the Mountain Celebrate Save Mount Diablo’s 38th anniversary. Dinner, live music, entertainment and auctions at China Wall on Mt. Diablo. 410 p.m. $250. RSVP at 947-3535. www.savemountdiablo.org.
AT THE LIBRARY The Clayton Community Library is at 6125 Clayton Road. Most programs are free. 673-0659 or www.claytonlibrary.org. Aug. 8 ACT Practice Test 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sponsored by Kaplan. Register at 1-800-kap-test or www.kaptest.com/college. Aug. 11, 18 Patty Cakes Stories for babies to 3 year olds; child attends with caregiver. 11 a.m. Aug. 13 Picture Book Time Stories for 3-5 year olds; child may attend without caregiver. 11 a.m. Through Aug. 17 Summer Reading Program For kids age 2 through 5th grade or 6th-12th graders. Includes prizes. Parents and caregivers of babies from birth to 2 years can earn prizes in the early literacy-building Baby Reading Program. Readers 18 and up can submit a book review at ccclib.org or at the Clayton library for a chance to win a Booklover’s Bag of goodies. Aug. 19 ACT vs. SAT Test Results Workshop 6:30-7:30 p.m. Sponsored by Kaplan. Register at 1-800-kap-test or www.kaptest.com/college.
AT THE YMCA Clayton Community Gym is at 700 Gym Court. For more information on the YMCA call 692-2364.. Basketball Camp: 9 a.m.-noon Aug. 10-14. For those entering 1st-6th grade. Teaming with Showtime Basketball, campers will learn teamwork, improve skills and master new drills. $165. 8891600. Summer Day Camp: 9 a.m.-4 p.m., with extended care hours available. Days full of fun activities, crafts, sports and weekly fieldtrips. Clayton Community Gym. $115 a week for Clayton residents, $125 non-residents. 692-2364. Open Gym Hours: 5-7 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Showtime Basketball Practices: 7-9 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Free and open to all.
in The Grove. It might be a better alternative as it would require far less water and maintenance and it would also allow year-round play on the fields. Local sports teams would surely like that. Similarly, we all need to be thinking about whether we want to replant the same vegetation or whether this might be the time to make changes to our own landscapes to preserve water. Many of the alternative landscapes are also less labor intensive – making for less yardwork. You might decide to have no lawn at all, but instead a variety of attractive hard-scapes and colorful, but drought-tolerant plants that can be watered with water-efficient drip systems. While we’re talking about preserving landscaping, I want to add a note of caution. Many folks have commented to me with concerns over the grass in The Grove. The combination
of our very hot weather lately and the blankets and plastic liners that people are setting out so early on concert days is taking a toll on its health. We’ll be able to keep it watered with the well water and the maintenance crews are aerating it after every concert, but the blankets left out all day make it burn and it takes a long time to regenerate. So let’s all try to protect the grass in The Grove. Speaking of concerts, the next one is 6-8 p.m. this Saturday. In Disguise will be playing classical jazz of the ’40s through the R&B and pop hits of the ’80s. I hope to see you there! Don’t forget the farmer’s market 8 a.m.-noon on Saturdays. Brentwood corn is in and plums are at their peak too. As always, you can contact me by email at: Julie_Pierce@comcast.net. Let me know what you think.
MEETINGS Aug. 11 Clayton Planning Commission 7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304 or www.ci.clayton.ca.us.
CLUBS Clayton American Association of University Women Meets 10:30 a.m. Aug. 22 for an informational coffee for prospective new members. Membership open to women with AA or higher degree. Contact Audrey at 798-6406 or Lola at 680-8345. Clayton Business and Community Association Meets 6:30 p.m. the last Thursday of the month, except holidays, Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr., Clayton. Call Sue at 672-2272. Clayton Valley Garden Club Meets 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month. Aug. 12 meeting is at R&M Pool, Patio & Gardens, 6780 Marsh Creek Road. Bring gloves and learn about potting plants for fun and profit. Contact Dorothy at 672-2526 or visit www.claytonvalleygardenclub.org. Contra Costa Blue Star Moms Meets 6 p.m. the fourth Monday of the month at a location to be announced. Members have sons and daughters in uniform. Contact Becky at 286-1728 or ccbluestarmoms.org. Contra Costa Chess Club Meets 7-9:30 p.m. Thursdays, Starbuck’s, 1536 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton. Players of all ages and skill levels welcome. Contact Mike at 639-1987 or www.uschess.org. Contra Costa Mineral and Gem Society Meets 7:30 p.m. second Monday of the month, Centre Concord, 5298 Clayton Road. 779-0698 or http://ccmgs.org. Creekside Artists Guild Meets 7-8:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month, Clayton Library Story Room, 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton. All artforms and both emerging and experienced are welcome. Contact Arlene at 673-9777 or nielsenjanc@aol.com. Or www.creeksideartists.org. Diablo Valley Macintosh Users Group Meets 6:30-9 p.m. the third Tuesday of the month. Bancroft Elementary School, 2700 Parish Dr., Walnut Creek. 689-1155 or www.dvmug.org. Rotary Club of Clayton Valley/Concord Sunrise Meets 7 a.m. Thursdays, Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr., Clayton. Includes breakfast and a speaker. Contact Chuck at 689-7640 or www.claytonvalleyrotary.org. Scrabble Club Meets 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. second and fourth Saturdays of the month, Carl’s Jr. Restaurant, 1530 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton. All ages and skill levels welcome. $3 fee. Call Mike at 639-1987 or www.scrabble-assoc.com. Sons In Retirement (SIR) Meets 11:15 a.m. first Thursday of the month, Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr., Clayton. 429-3777. Widows/Widowers Meets for dinner, brunch, theater, etc. This is not a dating service nor is it a grieving class - just a way to meet other people. Contact Lori at 998-8844 or lori@lorihagge.com.
BUSINESS Aug. 31, Sept. 1, 2 and 4 Sample Classes for Music Together A music and movement program for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and the adults who love them. 6 p.m. Aug. 31, Pajama Class, Martinez. 10:15 a.m. Sept. 1, Hercules. 9 a.m. Sept. 2, Concord. 10:15 a.m. Sept. 4, Clayton. Visit musictogetherofconcord.com or call 946-2990 to reserve a free place in class.
Send your calendar announcements to calendar@claytonpioneer.com. Free listings must be from a non-profit, school, club or government agency. Business events are $25 for the first event and $10 for each additional. Call the office at (925) 6720500 with your business event listings.
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Church News
ST. BONAVENTURE’S CATHOLIC CHURCH Thirty-one youngsters from the Bay Area are currently taking part in the two-week long Joy of Singing Choral Camp at St. Bonaventure’s Catholic Church in Concord, led by Barbara Wolpman and Jenny Matteucci. The camp will conclude with a musical production of “Malice in the Palace - The Story of Esther” on Saturday, August 8th and Sunday, August 9th at 7pm in the church at 5562 Clayton Road. All are welcome and admission is free.
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Websites offer cash for creativity Just a few years ago, it was difficult to make money through the Internet unless you sold goods on EBay. Nowadays, there are plenty of opportunities online for creative, patient people who want to add to their income. While these Websites won’t make you rich overnight, they can provide a little relief in these trying economic times. On eHow.com, you get rewarded by sharing your knowledge with others. People submit short “how to” guides to the site and are paid based upon the popularity of their articles. The beauty of eHow is that you can write guides on just about anything. Some of the most popular articles include “How to Start a Rock ’n’ Roll Band” (find a drummer first), “How to Avoid Mosquito Bites” (wear long pants) and “How to Read Body Language” (it’s all in the hips). The best articles on eHow are not very long but are wellwritten and include pictures or videos. However, submitting an interesting article doesn’t guarantee you a cash flow. You need to promote your article by giving it
an attractive title and strategically placing keywords so it can be picked up by search engines. You will get more hits if you are specific – for example, “How to Check the Battery in a Chevy Corvette,” rather than “How to Inspect a Car.” eHow will start paying you when your income reaches $10. The Website only works with PayPal, so be sure to get an account with that service first. Docstoc.com, which stores more than 3 million public documents, provides another way to get some extra dollars. People can upload a variety of documents to Docstoc and get paid when people click on the ads nearby. The Website supports Microsoft documents like Word, Excel and PowerPoint, as well as Adobe PDFs. Docstoc is especially useful if you have some templates lying around and want to put them to work. Your sample homework exercises, budget spreadsheets or example resumes can help teachers, businesses and jobseekers. Students who’ve recently graduated can upload their class notes and help other people conquer geometry. This allows you to
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WILL CLANEY TECH TALK September is almost upon us, which means it is time to think about the technology you’re taking back to school. Today, it is more important than ever to think about your personal computer needs and not depend on the classroom for help. Educational cutbacks have affected IT spending disproportionately, and therefore, there will be little or no help from the classroom. Due to the economy, poor judgment, lack of budget planning and questionable procurement procedures, educational computer budgets have experienced cutbacks. Scores of Dell computers that the procurement geniuses purchased are sitting around unused and in disrepair. I suppose if you like your support coming from Bombay and don’t mind changing hard drives or updating software by yourself, you could get some of these computers running enough to get by. But I wouldn’t count on it. So it will be up to you, the intelligent individual, to bring the technology and support you need to the classroom yourself. Obviously, you will need a notebook computer because of its portability and power. The handheld iPhones, Blackberrys and Palms aren’t
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yet powerful enough to be real computers, so I don’t consider them for the classroom. However, they are great communication devices. A notebook computer has all the features, power, storage and communications any student could need. The choice of notebooks isn’t really difficult; just get one that works well. In my opinion, HP and Samsung are not the best notebooks. They are difficult to work on when they fail, and they offer the worst support and most expensive parts in the business, so I would cross them off your shopping list permanently. Now, with the list pared down somewhat, you should consider Dell. Yes, Dell. Their sales and support are not the best, but they produce one of the finest mass market devices. Next, I would consider Acer, a little known name, but they recently purchased Gateway Computers and have been a big technology leader in Taiwan for years. They offer good support, bang for your buck, and they are durable. They are a great fit for a col-
lage student, in my opinion. My top recommendation is the IBM ThinkPad, which recently changed its name to Lenovo ThinkPad. They offer fabulous service, great value and near-English support. Most professionals in the computer business value their partnerships with Dell, Acer and Lenovo, as do I. The only remaining item is price. You should be paying around $850 for a really good notebook. There are a few below that cost, like the Acer, that are good, but they are really for the high school graduate or collage entry student. If you have a sophomore or above, I recommend the Lenovo or the Dell. Just remember, support is important, and little will be found on campus. So having a local professional that communicates well could be essential to your well being. Just remember, “If your computer runs good, so do you.” Will Claney is the CEO of Computers USA! in the Clayton Station. Contact him at 925-6729989.
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AdSense, Google allows you to place its ads on your personal Website or blog and earn revenue from them. AdSense is unique because Google’s ads change based on your site. Since the ads are relevant to your Website, people are more likely to click on them. A good example of a site that uses AdSense is Coffeedetective.com. This Website is a resource for coffee lovers and contains articles on gourmet coffee, coffee makers and review of different brands. Google ads are placed in strategic areas around the site – for example, ads for gourmet coffee brands are located after the corresponding article. In order to make money off these Websites, you need to be patient and willing to spend time putting together interesting content. Mark Freeman is a student at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, studying economics and English. He enjoys creative writing and is a reporter for the school paper. Questions/comments can be sent to mfreeman543@gmail.com.
Recycle E-waste at Pittsburg station Contra Costa Waste Services is hosting a free E-waste event on Saturday, Sept. 5, in Pittsburg. Acceptable items include televisions, monitors, computers, computer components, printers, fax machines, telephone equipment, cell phones, toner cartridges, MP3 players, power cables, video game systems, digital cameras, copiers, audio visual equipment, VCRs/DVD players, scrap metal, floppy diskettes, steel and alloy rims, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, and most items containing circuit boards or that plug into a wall. No hazardous waste, which includes paint, car batteries, household batteries, fluorescent bulbs, furniture or garbage. Items can be dropped off 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at 1300 Loveridge Road, Pittsburg. This event is for all Contra Costa County residents. Please bring a valid photo ID. For more information, call 6922224.
Ipsen, from page 1 grandparents on both sides. “It was exciting to not only see my grandson win as an individual but to see him bring back a silver for the United States,” says grandfather Skip Ipsen. “The U.S. has not done very well in diving as far as bringing medals back home for several years,” he adds. “They lost to the Chinese, who have been winning everything for years. But the gap is getting much closer. They just dove wonderfully as a team.” Being very close in height and weight helps Ipsen and Dumais maintain synchronicity. Their success began in April, when they won gold at the USA Spring Nationals in Ft. Lauderdale. Locally, Ipsen competes for Diablo Divers and is heavily favored to defend his North Coast Section title and help DLS in the team championship race.
August 7, 2009
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Page 17
There is no such thing as a bad mood – only cognitive constructivism ANDRÉ GENSBURGER
DEAL WITH IT I’ve been in a foul mood all week. I am often asked whether this is a bad thing and my answer surprises many people. In fact, my bad mood is a good thing, as is yours. The assumption that a mood creates or destroys the ambient phase of life is a mistaken assumption. Certainly it is no fun to look at someone’s dour expression. A bad mood, however, is really a problemsolving challenge since it usually has a cause and effect component. And as such, my bad moods are merely gateways to finding solutions to problems that have soured my mood. I say this quite lightly, I
readily admit. I am not a malicious person prone to selfindulgent whims of negative melodrama; quite the contrary, I try to live my life in peace, enjoying those things that I can before my time to live and breathe expires. Quite honestly, I do my very best to remain positive. These days, that can be quite a challenge. The reason why my bad mood is not a bad thing lies in the fact that by nature I am a problem-solver. I like puzzles; I like to find solutions, especially solutions that benefit those around me as much as me. Again, a bit of a challenge these days, I know. Have you ever had a troubling day at work, then gone to sleep only to relive your problem in your dreams where, by some amazing illogic, the solution presents itself to you? The next morning, your prob-
lem is solved. In fact, the expression “Sleep on it” refers to this very phenomenon that has been studied extensively and reported on in a variety of scientific journals. What it lacks is a name. Let’s call it “moodulation,” the art of reversing problem-induced moods through dream therapy. I am one who partakes in moodulation whenever possible, although totally subconsciously. Problems that arise during the day, whether personal or work-related, transform through figurative imagination into macabre dreamplays that manage to spill out a practical, real-world solution that I not only recall upon waking up but can safely employ. It doesn’t get better than that. Right now, my mood is reflective – seeking answers to
daily issues that need to be resolved. While moody, my mind is processing the two dozen or so scenarios that could exist based on choices that I could make. I can pass through the options available, analyze them and incorporate or dispel them as appropriate. So far there has been a lot of dispelling, but that is OK; the processing of a solution leaves me feeling warm, enjoying the inner solitude. And I have no doubt that it will be short-lived; it almost always is. I expect to dream one night soon and my mood will pass as the solution presents itself in blinding simplicity. I think I can deal with it at that point.
André Gensburger is a staff reporter and feature writer for the Pioneer. His email address is andre@claytonpioneer.com
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Theatre Diablo Theatre Company and Company C Ballet team up in this Broadway favorite
It’s a good ‘Hair’ day as 60s musical opens Aug.14 It’s the musical that outraged your parents in the 1960s and had a smashing return to Broadway this year. Now the Willows Theatre in Concord presents “Hair – The American Tribal Rock Musical” Aug. 14Sept. 27 in Concord. Peace, love, rock and roll, the Age of Aquarius. The tumultuous 1960s were a time of emotional and political upheaval, but all across the country people were singing a new song of hope and peace. Follow the adventures of a
tribe of hippies as they challenge the mores of the time. In keeping with the spirit of the original show, this production contains mature language and nudity. “Hair” features hits such as “Let the Sunshine In” and “The Age of Aquarius.” It’s truly a musical celebration, no matter what decade you hold dear. The Willows Theatre Mainstage is at 1975 Diamond Blvd., Concord. For tickets, call 798-1300 or visit www.willowstheatre.org.
Roasted Garlic Onion Jam Pizza Made with Roasted Garlic Onion Jam – serves 4 – 6
By any definition, ‘Spelling Bee’ is a hoot In the early 1940s, the Broadway musical was just coming into its own, attracting an array of talented innovators like choreographer Jerome Robbins and composer Leonard Bernstein. Their first musical collaboration spawned the 1944 hit Broadway musical, On the Town, about three sailors on leave in Manhattan, which Diablo Theatre Company (formerly Diablo Light Opera Company) is bringing to the Lesher Center in Walnut Creek in September. Bernstein was the hot-shot young conductor from the NY Philharmonic and used On the Town as an avenue to feed his life-long desire to bring music to the masses and write works that incorporated a contemporary American sound. Robbins’ Broadway musical career was launched with the show and the two of them worked together again on such classics as West Side Story. It’s a funny, exuberant show with memorable songs (“New York, New York” and “I Can Cook, Too”) and great dance numbers. Director and choreographer Mindy Cooper is bringing in some experts—pro-
fessional dancers from Company C Contemporary Ballet—to handle the boldest dance moves. “It’s going to be the coolest, most innovation show we’ve ever done,” says Daren A.C. Carollo, Diablo Theatre’s artistic director, who hopes this collaboration leads to other with Company C. The 1949 film version of On the Town, starring Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Ann Miller has become an American movie classic, what the New York Times calls “one of the freshest, most exhilarating musicals turned out by the old MGM regime.” The stage version has enjoyed recent revivals on Broadway, in London, and in regional theatres, including the exciting one Diablo theatre Company and Company C are putting together for the Lesher Center. “On the Town” opens on Sept. 11 and is scheduled to continue through Sept. 26. Tickets cost $29 to $44 and can be purchased by calling (925) 943-SHOW (7469) or at lesherartscenter.org. For more information visit dloc.org.
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1 thin pizza crust (12” Boboli) 3 Tbsp. STONEWALL KITCHEN Roasted Garlic Onion Jam ½ Cup Blue cheese (of Feta, Goat or any cheese) Preheat oven to 450° F Spread the Roasted Garlic Onion Jam evenly over crust Sprinkle cheese over entire top of the pizza. Bake 8 – 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the jam begins to bubble.
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“Hilarious.” Can I have a definition, please? The Willows Theatre presents the d-e-l-i-g-h-t-f-u-l musical comedy “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” at the Willows Cabaret in Martinez Aug. 17-Sept. 13. This Tony Award-winning musical is fast becoming a national favorite. Recently closing on Broadway after nearly 1,200 performances, this comedy celebrates the mania of competition, as the funniest, most loveable and uproariously nerdy contestants compete for the title. “The 25th Annual Putnam
County Spelling Bee” lines up all the usual suspects for the competition: the spunky overachiever, the ultra-pressured only child, the weirdo, the outcast, last year’s winner and the out-ofplace runner-up. Through song and humor, we delve into the lives of six children who all have a love of spelling. Anyway you spell it, this musical is one hilarious and heartwarming night of theater. The Willows Cabaret at the Campbell Theatre is at 636 Ward St., in Martinez. For tickets, call 798-1300 or visit www.willowstheatre.org.
Page 18
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
August 7, 2009
Cognac: the connoisseur’s brandy
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Cigar smoke, an overstuffed armchair and a candle-heated liqueur evoke visions of Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot trying to unravel a mystery. The main ingredient in that scenario is cognac, an aged distillation of wine that has great taste (and snob appeal). I recently taught a cooking class on classic French cuisine. As I assembled the recipes for the coq au vin and crêpes suzette that were to be flambéed at our “Evening in Paris” dinner, I wondered about the details of cognac and proceeded to do a little sleuthing of my own. Grape cultivation and winemaking originated in the Near East in what was Mesopotamia, now largely Iraq. Social rituals involving wine drinking evolved to great heights in Greece and Italy. But the northern reaches of Europe were out of luck since grapes did not flourish in those climates and importation of wine was an iffy proposition. Not only was it costly, but the wine might spoil before reaching its destination. Beer, fermented from grain, ruled the day in places like England, Germany, Ireland, Belgium and Holland. Natural fermentation of grain and fruit juices limits the resulting product to no more than a 15 percent alcohol content – akin to a sturdy California wine these days. However, back in the cradle of winemaking, Arabs developed the art of distillation. Heating wine to draw off part of the moisture concentrated the alcohol. The result was a high-alcohol liquid originally referred to as the “water of life.” The first distillations from wine or fruit juices were principally for medicinal purposes. They soon expanded in popularity as a vehicle for socializing – along with so many of the social ills and opportunities that over-imbibement brings. Distilled spirits were more
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cognac. You’ll only anesthetize your nose and you won’t be able to smell anything of significance for a while. Instead, take a small sniff and consider the aroma – floral, fruity, spicy? Sip a tiny bit, not enough to fill your mouth. A little bit of the cognac will allow you to ferret out the flavor nuances without burning out your taste buds. The highlight of our “Evening in Paris” dinner was the coq au vin. Traditionally, this dish took hours to make. Nowadays, it’s possible to get all of the subtle flavors and richness without the time (and without most of the fat). One of the key elements of the dish is flambéing the cognac. While impressive for tableside presentation, it’s also essential for coq au vin since the rapid burning off of the volatile alcohol infuses the dish with flavor while losing the bitterness of the raw, high-proof cognac.
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CLAYTON VALLEY GARDEN CLUB Volunteers weeded and cleared excess growth from the beds at the Clayton Community Library during a work party in June. Those helping were Nancy Harvey, Bob Frost, Peggy Arundell, Nancy Westman, Shannon Seven, Linda Cruz and Dawson Coggins, who was visiting from Alabama. The beds were done in 1999 and won a national award. But 10 years have
passed and the soil needs replenishing and some of the opportunistic plants have
overgrown and need to be thinned out to allow other varieties to grow.
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Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook the bacon until crisp, about 4-5 minutes, and transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 T. of the bacon fat. Meanwhile, dredge the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour and shake off the excess. Place chicken pieces on a rack or piece of wax paper. To the pan used for the bacon, add 2 T. olive oil. Add a few pieces of the chicken. Don’t let the pieces touch (this
See Food, page 19
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stable and could be transported easily. Brandy was one of the first distillants popularized in Europe. The Dutch referred to it as “brandywine.” But beer brewers were not to be outdone. Once distilling equipment was obtained, brewers began to make various whiskeys from their grain. Just as wine had its oenophiles who sought complex and fancy wines, connoisseurs began to differentiate among the various types of brandies. One well-known brandy is cognac, from the Cognac region of France. Another, Armagnac, can be named only if the entire product comes from and is made in the Armagnac region of France. Family dynasties were founded on brandy-making such as the Jas. Hennessy & Co., which today produces more than 50 million bottles and supplies just a little less than half of the world’s supply of cognac. Cognacs carry designations such as V.S., V.S.O.P., Napoleon and X.O, and these relate to the aging of the brandy. While it’s not certain how French Emperor Napoleon became linked to cognac, one story goes like this: When Napoleon went off to war, he ordered that all of his cognac be sealed in oak casks. When he returned 6½ years later, he uncorked the casks to find that the brandy had aged beautifully. Instead of being clear and fiery, it had an amber color and mellow flavor. Hence, Napoleon cognacs must be at least 6½ years old. V.S. means Very Special and is aged 2½ years. V.S.O.P. is Very Special, Old Pale and is aged 4½ years. X.O. is Extra Old, aged at least 6½ years. When tasting cognac, don’t adopt the same technique as you might with wine. Let the cognac breathe before tasting. The rule of thumb from experts is half a minute per year of age. So if you’re going to taste a 20-yearold cognac, wait 10 minutes. Don’t take a deep sniff of
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Nancy Harvey, left, Dawson Coggin, Peggy Arundell, Bob Frost and Nancy Westman helped clean up the library garden beds.
This fall, garden club volunteers plans to use a solarization technique on the Bermuda grass, replenish the soil and replant with more drought-tolerant plants. That effort will be led by Harvey, who is a master gardener, and designer Sharon Peterson. Only well water is used for the library gardens. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN The Clayton AAUW invites interested women to an informational coffee at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 22. AAUW promotes equity for women and girls, lifelong education and values a diverse membership. The group is open to women with an AA or higher degree. The Clayton chapter offers 12 interest groups, ranging from “Gourmet Food” to “Great Decisions.” The coffee will at the home of Lola Rohrs, 3440 McKean Dr., Concord. For more information, contact Lola at 6808345 or lolarohrs@msn.com or Audrey at 798-6406 or melaud@comcast.net.
August 7, 2009
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Page 19
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Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says the state must shut down half of the 200 state parks to conserve money that can be applied to the state budget deficit. Although he has yet to name the 100 parks to be closed, Mt. Diablo State Park may be in jeopardy since it appeared on an earlier list of potential park closures. Suggestions that the park is self-sufficient through revenue generated by towers at the summit and programs that are run through outside agencies are exaggerated, said supervising ranger Dan Stefanisko. While the revenues are good, he believes they fall short of what is needed. “Mt. Diablo is not self-sufficient,” he said. “Not many parks are.” Alluding that revenue generated exceeded 50 percent of the cost of park operations, Stefanisko is hopeful that the mountain can be spared in the final chop list from the state. “They can cut from the vacant park positions that have not been filled,” he suggested. Several ideas have been bandied about, including raising day fees and camping fees to
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offset budget requirements. But for now, park officials are awaiting word from Sacramento regarding options. It costs money to close a park. Minimal support staff must be present to ensure that the land is not abused by trespassers. Furthermore, if the park is to be reopened at some point, maintenance items need to be handled. “At this point, I tell me staff that we at least still have a job,”
Stefanisko said. Mt. Diablo borders three cities with two entrances. A closure would also affect services in those cities, from gas stations to restaurants patronized by park visitors. In addition, clubs that use the mountain would no longer have that opportunity. One such club is the Mt. Diablo Astronomical Society, which hold stargazing parties monthly where amateur astronomers
bring their telescopes to share with the public the magnificent evening sky from that height. Park closures are expected to be announced after Labor Day. Stefanisko believes letter-writing campaigns to the state Legislature pleading the case for Mt. Diablo to remain open will help. “You know with all the cuts taken place prior to this, we’ve been running on fumes forever,” he noted.
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Silly antics can’t hold together ‘G-Force’ digital fuzz balls. The animation is decent, the pace is fast and the wisecracks are nonstop. But guinea pigs, or maybe a computer, could have written the script. String together dumb wisecracks and bad puns, then add fart jokes, a slapstick fall or crash every five minutes, some explosions and car chases – you’re done. I can’t say it’s a bad movie, just very paint-by-numbers, down to the obligatory dance number as the credits roll. The story, about an elite squad of trained secret agents who happen to be intelligent animals, is just a platform for you to watch
Agent Juarez (voice by Penélope Cruz) and Agent Darwin (voice by Sam Rockwell) in Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures' G-Force.
Food, from page 18 minimizes the likelihood of steaming the meat instead of browning it). Cook chicken until evenly browned on all sides. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate and repeat with the remaining pieces. When all pieces have been browned, return the reserved chicken to the pan. Turn off the heat, or move the pan off the stove. Carefully pour the cognac
over the chicken. After a minute to allow the residual heat to cook off some of the alcohol, light a long kitchen match and ignite the cognac. Be careful to stand as far away from the pan as possible to avoid singeing your hair. When the flames disappear, stir in the wine, tomato paste and garlic. Cover the pan and bring to a simmer over medium-
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all the cute things CGI is capable of these days. I was fascinated watching all the hairs move around realistically on the faces of the characters and kind of grossed out by the wriggling nose of the mole, who is also a computer genius. I think I briefly fell asleep around the time the lead guinea pig gives his fellow animals a pep talk about how special they are, even though they are just regular “pet store rodents.” By the time one intelligent guinea pig calls another intelligent guinea pig crazy because he’s talking to the intelligent fly, I was looking at my watch to see how much more I had to endure. I recommend you send the kids to this one with a baby sitter. It will be worth the money to not have to sit through it yourself. I was annoyed that during the film, there were several
scenes of mean kids abusing the little rodents. While it was meant to show how nasty the kids were, it might inspire some mischievous kid to copycat with real animals. While the guinea pig characters were annoyed that they were being abused, they shrugged it off easily. They are highly trained secret agents, after all. Real animals are not so lucky. A number of animal advocate groups have issued warnings to parents not to rush out and buy guinea pig pets after their kids get infatuated with them at the movie. Guinea pigs can be great pets for the right people, but think carefully before buying or adopting one. My 9-year-old son, who has had guinea pigs for a couple years, agrees. He says that guinea pigs are for people who have a lot of time, not for those just looking for a cute toy that may become boring. Guinea pigs need to be handled regularly so they are used to human contact, he says, or they will “turn to the dark side.”
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low heat and cook, turning the chicken once or twice, until tender and beginning to fall off the bone – about 50 minutes. About half-way through the braise, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil and mushrooms. Sauté until slightly softened and deeper colored. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper and add to the chicken.
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Check your brain at the door for another summer kids’ movie, this time with CGI talking guinea pigs in “G-Force.” This one aims low, at younger kids who don’t yet have any appreciation for plot and just want to laugh at the funny animals. Tickets sales for this movie beat out the new Harry Potter movie for top spot on its opening weekend but talking guinea pigs get tiresome pretty fast. And it’s not just guinea pigs. There are talking moles, mice and even insects. It’s almost sad to see the human actors having to play straight to these little
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When the chicken is cooked and the sauce has slightly thickened, taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Top with parsley before serving. Buttered noodles make a nice accompaniment. Linda Wyner, a local attorney and foodie, owns Pans on Fire, a gourmet cookware store and cooking school in Pleasanton. Direct your suggestions or questions to lwyner@claytonpioneer.com
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Summer is all about salvia. These-drought friendly, hardy, long-lived plants are sensational in Clayton Valley gardens and landscapes. Hues of blues and purples, roses and reds, and salmon and white will reach for the sun all summer long. If your yard or garden lacks summertime color, check out this fabulous family of perennials. Salvia will satisfy your urges for flower power, while respecting our current water conditions. Salvia Indigo Spires is a landscape staple in any Clayton Valley garden. Stunning spires of indigo blue stand tall above this semi-evergreen perennial. Indigo Spires’s foliage can reach almost 4 feet tall and wide. The stacks of two-lipped blooms will stretch to about a foot long. This salvia is bold and dramatic. Your garden will not know what hit it. But don’t take this perennial lightly; it is too finicky to relocate if you plant it in too small of a spot. You will be absolutely amazed by this perennial’s rapid growth. SMALLER VARIETY AN OTHER OPTION
Indigo Spires has a brother who is more containable in your Clayton Valley landscape. Mystic Spires was developed a few years ago to satisfy gardeners with smaller locations. It has all the attributes of its parent, but with half the eventual size. Mystic Spires reaches
sal for som e su via mm er
about 2 feet tall and wide. The foliage and the bloom are the same. Mystic Spires and Indigo Spires need full afternoon sunshine. They like to dry out between watering. These salvias are versatile, lending themselves nicely to tropical-inspired gardens, cottage-looking gardens and even Asian-influenced settings.
for a summertime display that will make your friends jealous.
PRETTY IN PURPLE If you have an area that calls for a cascading perennial and you are tired of the old standby verbena, consider the salvia verticillata Purple Rain. Arrow-shaped DON’T FORGET HOT LIPS Salvia microphylla Hot Lips is green leaves billow over stone another fun, full-sun selection. walls, while the fuzzy purple This perennial has an exception- flowers stand up toward the ally long blooming season, easi- sun. Purple Rain is a continuous ly stretching from May through bloomer when regularly pruned. October with occasional shearDuring the ing. winter, this Hot Lip’s perennial is flowers are small dormant, so yet abundant. frost is never a The blooms are problem. Snow two-lipped and could fall on bi-color in red this salvia and it and white. would still Hummingbirds bloom in the adore this perensummer. nial. Believe it or This salvia not, some should be con- SALVIA MICROPHYLLA Clayton Valley sidered more of HOT LIPS residents do a shrub than a not have full sun applications in perennial. As the years go by, their yards or gardens. Salvia has Hot Lips will reach a solid 4 feet some relatives that like partial tall and wide. sun. Salvia buchananii is a fabuInstall this shrubby perennilous, bright magenta bloomer al on a hillside mixed with spring flowering rock rose and with dark reddish-green foliage. Australian tea trees. Dot in a This perennial is perfect for crape myrtle or two, surround someone with full morning sun. Salvia buchananii’s blossoms with trailing purple lantana and are large, furry and vivid. It has you will have a hill that will thrill quite a color! You must be a all spring and summer long. pink person to enjoy this selecSalvia Christine Yeo is similar tion. Salvia buchananii will in growth to Hot Lips, but it has accessorize piles of heuchera blue blossoms that contrast Palace Purple, adding a colorful greatly with bright yellow comblast. Or pair with your panion plants. Add Christine Rozanne geranium for multiYeo to your black-eyed Susan
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hued interest. Salvia guaranitica Black and Blue is the Indigo Spires for part sun areas. It has impressive blossoms that get their name from their black bottoms and cobalt blue, two-lipped faces. This salvia can easily reach 4-5 feet tall and almost as wide. If you have a shady corner, Black and Blue Salvia is the perennial for you. Salvia splendens Dancing Flames looks like coleus, so the foliage is awesome. Speckled yellow and green leaves surround this perennial, which will eventually reach 2 feet tall and wide. The bold red blooms appear sometime in August and are a contrast to the foliage. Dancing Flames needs to be planted in a shady, sheltered location. The winter is hard on this evergreen, but the plant is well worth the risk. Summer is not the time to settle for a garden without blossoms. Salvia is just one of the families to install to stretch your blooming season.
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August 7, 2009
Nicole is the Garden Girl at R&M Pool, Patio, Gifts and Garden Contact her with questions, comments or suggestions at gardengirl@claytonpioneer.com
Tel: (925) 672-4433
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6160 Center Street, Suite E, Clayton 94517 CLAYTON!
CLAYTON!
Ironwood/Windmill Canyon at Oakhurst Country Club! Gorgeous “Cypress” Model on a view lot overlooking
Oak Hollow at Oakhurst Country Club! Prime golf Course Lot backs to 4th fairway! 3 bedrooms, 2.5
hills, valley & City below. 4 bedrooms, plus a den/office, 3 baths, approx. 2680sf with 2 car garage. Downstairs bedroom and full bath + den/office. Gourmet eat-in kitchen. Family room with fireplace. Spacious master suite with balcony overlooks sweeping views! Private lot offers brick trimmed aggregate patio & hardscape, lush-mature landscape & a cascading waterfall with pond! $629,000
baths, approx. 1,911sf, inside laundry & 2 car attached garage! Gleaming hardwood floors in living & dining rooms. Family room with marble tile floors and fireplace! Kitchen offers tile counters & island with cozy eating nook. Spacious master overlooks golf course & oak dotted hills. Patio features exposed aggregate and brick in-lay.
WALNUT CREEK!
Tucked Away Lakewood Home! 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, approx. 2,161sf & inside laundry. Gourmet kitchen features slab granite counters, custom cherry cabinets, stainless steel appliances, recessed lights, skylight and garden window! Open living room with Pergo flooring, open wood beam ceiling, fireplace and slider to deck with gorgeous views! Large yard with meandering paths
$465,000
NG I D PEN
$675,000
NG I D PEN
Dana Hills! Tucked away at the end of the court backing to greenbelt! With great views of Mt. Diablo. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, approx. 2,141sf, 2 fireplaces & 2 car garage! Awesome yard perfect for summer fun! Sparkling in-ground pool with water feature. Separate above ground spa & covered gazebo. Large lot with mature landscaping provides privacy! $574,000
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CLAYTON!
George Vujnovich of Better Homes Realty
Falcon Ridge at Oakhurst Country Club! Fantastic “Serenade” model backs to open space! 5 bedroom, 3 baths + den, approx. 3,079sf, 3 fireplaces & 3 car garage! Private paradise lot features freeform pool with built-in spa & waterfall, custom patio and nature fencing that allows yard to blend into open space! $799,000 WALNUT CREEK!
ING D N PE
CLAYTON!
Hamptons at Waldon! Superb 1st Floor Single Level Unit! tucked away at the back of a small quiet complex in a wooded setting! 2 spacious bedrooms, 2 updated full baths, approx. 1144sf, inside laundry, fireplace & a detached 1 car garage! Updated kitchen boasts slab granite counters & stainless steel appliances! Dining & living room feature upgraded laminate floors, tile fireplace & a slider to cozy deck. Within walking distance to BART & Iron Horse Trail, plus $365,000 just minutes to downtown & freeway access.
ADDRESS 145 Widmar Pl 30 Mount Hamilton Ct 5915 Wallace Dr 21 Mount Teton Pl 1816 Eagle Peak Ave 1881 Eagle Peak Ave 904 Deer Pl 738 Bloching Circle 604 Golden Eagle Pl 451 Obsidian Way 2901 Coyote Cir 8 Donner Creek Ct 1043 Kenston Dr 1132 Peacock Creek Dr 112 Mount Etna Dr
PRICE $595,000 $570,000 $540,000 $495,000 $509,000 $495,000 $779,000 $615,000 $602,500 $630,000 $375,000 $248,000 $575,000 $737,000 $260,000
SALE DATE
SF
BED/BATH
7/24/09 7/22/09 7/17/09 7/16/09 7/16/09 7/14/09 7/10/09 7/10/09 7/10/09 7/10/09 7/10/09 6/26/09 6/25/09 6/22/09 6/19/09
2810 2141 2095 1823 1877 1877 3079 2325 2481 3005 1554 1457 1761 3268 1442
4/2.5 4/2.5 3/3 3/2 3/2.5 3/2.5 5/3 4/2.5 4/3 4/3 3/2.5 3/2.5 4/2 5/3.5 3/2