www.claytonpioneer.com
August 21, 2009
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IT’S YOUR PAPER
Clayton police kick off trail patrols JULIE PIERCE
MAYOR’S CORNER Help thwart any damage to new park It’s nearly the end of August and many parents are looking forward to having the kids back in school. The city is looking forward to that day too, because the level of vandalism during school vacations is much worse than when the kids have more structured time. Several residents have written or called me to express dismay at seeing the disregard for our city’s parks and equipment. I agree but have been reluctant to make an issue of it for fear of making it worse. I don’t want to sound like a grouch, but it’s becoming a significant cost issue to repair the damage. We all need to work harder to stop this activity. I recently received an email that sums up the feelings many of you have expressed to me: “My husband and I love Clayton. We walk twice a day on the trail and into town, through the park and home again. We love to see children on the play equipment in The Grove. We love the concerts in the park and all of the things that make
See Mayor, page 17
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
Clayton Police will begin regular bicycle patrols of the city’s trails and streets this month. Officers Daren Billington, Allen White and Cpl. Rich Enea make up the new unit. Police say the bike patrols give officers an added advantage in spotting vagrants and graffiti-artists. TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
Clayton police will become a whole lot more visible this month, when the special Bicycle Patrol Unit takes to the trails. In a move designed to increase public safety along
Clayton’s 27 miles of walking trails, one of the two regular day shift officers will patrol on two wheels instead of four. Cpl. Rich Enea and Officer Daren Billington, under the supervision of program coordinator Officer Allen White, make up the special unit that requires officers to complete a three-day certification class.
According to Police Chief Dan Lawrence, plans for the unit have been underway for several months but were spurred on by the June 19 attack of a 10-year-old boy on the trail next to City Hall. The boy was reportedly knocked off his bike by an AfricanAmerican man dressed in lilac scrubs and dragged into the
culvert, where he was sexually molested. White has been seen astride his bike on the trails and at community events for several months, but it was only recently that the department reached the 100 percent staffing level that permits one daytime officer on full time bicycle patrol. Last week, White spent a
day preparing Enea and Billington for the certification classes. The three rode the trails, orienting themselves to the city streets from a different perspective. “We have to know exactly where we are all the time,” explained White. “If we call for
See Bike Patrol, page 2
National Night Out Clayton Valley High proves fertile ground for world champion Blue Devils binds neighbors together JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
Photo courtesy of Tanya Trowbridge
EMILY NUNN (LEFT) AND TANYA TROWBRIDGE of the Blue Devils display their Open Class World Championship gold medals Aug. 8 in Indianapolis. The Clayton girls are part of an eight-member contingent from Clayton Valley High on the undefeated Blue Devils B Corps.
What’s Inside Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Before the final chapter is written on the silver anniversary of Clayton Valley High School, you can add the names of eight students as world champions. The Blue Devils drum and bugle corps of Concord swept the Drum Corps International World and Open Class championships in Indianapolis. CV students Lucas and Olivia Hansen, Emily Nunn, Tanner Frey, Mason Case, Andre DeJong, Kyle Peterson and Tanya Trowbridge are members of the Blue Devils B Corps, which capped an undefeated season by winning the DCI Open Class championship. Peterson and Trowbridge are June graduates, while the others return to the Alberta Way campus this fall. For 16-year-old Nunn, it has
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been a fairy-tale season as a rookie in the B Corps. Nunn was a second grader at Mt. Diablo Elementary School in 2001 when she saw a flier for a baton twirling class. While she was taking the class, the Blue Devils Winter Guard gave a demonstration of color guard and she was hooked. Nunn joined the Winter Guard and then the Blue Devils C Corps, which she participated on from 2001-2007. She took off the summer of 2008 from the Blue Devils, concentrating on dance classes and the Winter Guard. This past winter, she returned to the Blue Devils and won a spot on the B Corps. After months of intense practices, the B Corps left by train July 22 to compete in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and
It may have been the 26th year as a national event, but on Aug. 4 Clayton celebrated its second National Night Out with four neighborhoods serving as meeting points. NNO focuses on building community relationships and crime and drug prevention through social gatherings that also involve local police departments. Herb Yonge, who is the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) coordinator as well as a volunteer for the Clayton police, fired up the community about the event. “I try to get neighborhoods that have had Neighborhood
See Blue Devils, page 4
See Night Out, page 6
Food for Thought . . . . . . . . . .19 Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Going Green . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Movie Review . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
ANDRÉ GENSBURGER Clayton Pioneer
Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Police Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Safety Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 School News . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
André Gensburger/Clayton Pioneer
SYDNEY, 7 AND CAMERON, 10, OKONESKI, grandchildren of Lowell Robison at National Night Out on Joscolo View.
Senior Moments . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Around Town Great hair day for Jenna Cooper Jenna Cooper, 5, and her mom Jody, recently had enough of the painful process of unsnarling the knots that tangled Jenna’s long wavy hair. One afternoon, she finally
said “Okay, mom, let’s just cut it off.” Hoping for this outcome, Jenna’s parents had started talking about the Locks of Love program several months ago
and Jenna thought it was the perfect solution. On Aug. 1, Jenna climbed up in the chair at Clayton Great Clips, and stylist Suzie, went to work to get all the knots out before cutting off 11 inches of Jenna’s hair. “It was a miracle that I hadn’t expected,” said Jody. Locks of Love is a nonprofit organization that provides wigs to children who have lost their hair from illness. For more information on the program, visit www.locksoflove.org. “My hair went to little kids that have lost their hair, Jenna explains. “I hope they like it as much as I did.”
Auva comes to Utopia
JENNA COOPER
Pioneer hits the Yukon
HOWARD GELLER AND DEBBIE MULLINS
The Pioneer trekked north to Alaska with Howard Geller and Debbie Mullins last month. This photo was taken as they crossed over the border into the Yukon Territory of Canada via a train ride along the Gold Rush Trail and were heading back into Alaska making their way back to Skagway.
August 21, 2009
Clayton Valley school fire considered suspicious ANDRÉ GENSBURGER Clayton Pioneer
A fire from an exterior trashcan burned a wall and part of a roof at Clayton Valley High School on Aug. 8, before being extinguished promptly by local firefighters. The fire, one of several during the past year, started in a trashcan resting against the wall and affected a small area of the school’s D block. The school has had its share of vandalism and is in the process of erecting a fence, part of the overall campus security improvements paid for by Prop. 55, reported trustee Gary Eberhart. The school had a $37,000 video camera system paid for in 2005, in part by a $27,500 donation from the Clayton Business and Community Association. The camera system was
installed in December 2006 and had some success in capturing vandalism offenders.
Since then, the system has fallen into disrepair – prompting a concern about its effectiveness.
Photo by Mike Dunn
FIREFIGHTERS
to extinguish the trash can fire that scorched part of ‘D’ Wing of Clayton Valley High on Aug. 8. USE A GARDEN HOSE
Bike Patrol, from page 1
AUVA DELILAH HAKIMI
Angela and Ash Hakimi, owners of Utopic Gardens of Clayton, welcomed the arrival of Auva Delilah, 8 lbs. 9 ozs on August 1.
help, we have to be very specific about where we are in relation to street locations. Things look different out here.” Public response to seeing a uniform on the trails has been positive, says White. “It’s good to know the trails aren’t ignored,” said Clayton resident Patty Crane, who walks the Cardinet Trail frequently with friend Lori Brooks. “Good to see you out here,” another pair said, waving as they rode by. Patrolling on a bicycle
12 years go were refurbished. The department furnished the helmets and shirts and the officers bought the shorts and shoes with personal funds. “This is very specialized duty,” White said. “It’s very physical and you have to really want to do it.” “This isn’t as easy as it looks,” a hot and tired Enea said at the end of the day-long exercise. “Driving is a lot easier.” However, on a bike, the officer has more interaction with the public. “It gets me out of the car and doing something besides writing tickets,” said White.
involves specialized skills. It’s not simply a matter of strapping on a helmet and hopping on the bike, White says. Balance at slow speeds is critical, he explains as he comes to a near standstill while keeping the bike upright. Apprehending a suspect can also be tricky from the seat of a bicycle. “You have to slide to a stop, drop the bike and draw your gun or a taser – all fast,” White noted. The costs for setting up the unit have been minimal. Bicycles purchased by the city
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Upcoming Events
ts r e c Cone Grove
in Th
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 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 8
Saturdays 6-8 p.m. Through Sept. 19 At the Gazebo in The Grove Aug 22 Diamond Dave
GREEK FESTIVAL
Oldies to today’s top hits
Opa! to the 31st annual Greek Food and Wine Festival set for Sept. 11, 12 and 13 at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church on Kirker Pass Road in Concord. Come, be Greek for a day with food, wine, live music and dancing. Enjoy the large kids’ area, Courtyard Café and authentic Greek food, wine and pastries by the Yiayias. Festival hours are Fri., 5-11 p.m., Sat. noon-11 p.m. and Sunday noon -8 p.m. Admission is $5; (FREE with the Pioneer ad running in the Sept. 11 Pioneer) children under 12 are free and seniors 55 and over are $3. Free parking. St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church (across from Sleep Train Pavilion), 1955 Kirker Pass Rd., Concord. For more information, call (925) 676-6967.
CLAYTON’S OKTOBERFEST The sixth annual Oktoberfest in downtown is set for Sept. 26 and 27. Sponsored by the Clayton Business and Community Association, the event runs 11 a.m.-8 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. Admission and parking are free. Oktoberfest hosts a traditional Biergarten with music starting at 12:30 p.m. each day featuring the Internationals, the only non-German band to be invited to the Munich Oktoberfest. Visitors can also enjoy performances by Bavarian dancers, street performers, puppeteers and marionettes. Concessions will include German beer, German foods and California wines. Activities for the whole family include carnival rides (starting Friday night) and arts and craft booths. The CBCA sponsors three main fundraiser events each
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year: The Art and Wine Festival in the spring, the Clayton Classic Golf Tournament in June and the Oktoberfest. Proceeds benefit charitable organizations, youth programs and scholarships. For more information, call 672-2272 or visit www.claytonoktoberfest.com.
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Blue Devils, from page 1 Nebraska en route to the annual DCI World Championships in Indianapolis. There, they met up with the A Corps, which had been on tour a month longer. At DCI, the Individual and Ensemble competition is held before the teams compete Friday and Saturday. Nunn decided to enter the individual competition, which is open to anyone from the World and Open classes. Annette Odello, part of the legendary family that founded the Blue Devils, choreographed Nunn’s sabre solo routine. The CV junior stunned her older, more experienced competitors with a performance that
earned her the I&E individual color guard gold medal. The Blue Devils B Corps put on stellar performances in the semi-finals and finals to grab the gold. The B Corps’ program was entitled “Pursuit,” featuring the music of Imogen Heap’s 2005 hit “Hide and Seek,” John Meehan and John Mapes. Rick Odello, brother of Annette and a 2008 DCI Hall of Fame inductee, is the director of the B and C corps. Their parents, Tony and Ann, founded the Blue Devils in 1957, a year before Clayton Valley High opened. This was a bittersweet year
for the Odellos and the Blue Devils. Their patriarch, Tony Odello, died in March, so the dual World Championships proved a fitting tribute and just rewards after both corps took silver medals in 2008. The Blue Devils A Corps has won 13 DCI World Championships, including at least three in each of the past four decades. “We’re happy, obviously, that we had a successful run at it and it’s nice to have an unblemished record through the whole thing,” Rick Odello said after the Indianapolis performance. “It’s a feeling beyond compare.” For more information on the Blue Devils, visit www.bluedevils.org.
August 21, 2009
Obituaries
Joyce Murdock 1929 – 2009 Clayton resident Joyce Murdock died July 14 in Rocklin. She was born in Los Angeles on Dec. 7, 1929, but grew up in Redwood City. She attended Washington State University and received a degree in teaching. She was a member and served as president of Kappa Delta Sorority. She was a resident of Clayton for nearly 50 years. She belonged to the Clayton Historical Society and the American Association of University Women and was director for many years for the Clayton Community
School. She also was a noon supervisor at Mt. Diablo Elementary School for more than 25 years.
Joyce enjoyed music, the theater, the outdoors (especially gardens) and animals. She loved to talk politics and about the history of people and places where she has traveled. She was also an avid 49ers fan. She was preceded in death by her husband, Stanley A. Murdock. Survivors include her children, Dale Murdock, Gary Murdock, Lynn Murdock Gossett and Mark Murdock; grandchildren Krystine, Noreen, Bryan, Corinne, Anna and Matthew; and great-grandchild Nathan. Services were held July 24 in Menlo, Wash.
Faye Marilyn Tompach 1935 – 2009
Photo courtesy Trowbridge family
CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH STUDENTS OLIVIA HANSEN, EMILY NUNN AND TANYA TROWBRIDGE THE BLUE DEVILS B CORPS COLOR GUARD which helped their team win the DCI World Championship Open Class gold medal in Indianapolis.
ARE PART OF
Clayton resident Faye Marilyn Tompach, 74, died Aug. 11 of complications from surgery at John Muir Medical Center in Concord. Faye was born July 10, 1935, in Fresno, one of three children of Earl and Arna Phillips. She was a former San Leandro and Fremont resident and has resided the past five years in Clayton with her loving husband. She was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and greatgrandmother. She loved music, traveling, gardening, knitting and cross stitching. She also was a collector of dolls and teddy bears, but most of all her family was her passion. She is survived by her husband of three years, Norm
Tompach, and daughters Linda Rice of South Lake Tahoe, Bonnie Shelenski (Mark) of Beaverton, Ore., and Lisa St.Pierre (Mike) of Pleasanton. Daughter Jana Rice preceded her in death, as did her first husband Bill Rice. Other survivors include brothers Richard Phillips of San Leandro and Thomas Phillips (Cathy) of Los Angeles; five grandchildren, Greg, Drew, Amy, Stephanie and Emily; and two great-grandchildren, Takoa and Ezekiel.
She was immediately accepted as a loving grandma by Norm’s seven grandchildren after their marriage. A memorial celebration of Faye’s life will be at 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug 22, at Quimet Bros. Concord Funeral Chapel, 4125 Clayton Road. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers a memorial contribution to the N a t i o n a l Multiple Sclerosis Society, Northern California Chapter, 1700 Owens St., Suite 190, San Francisco, CA 94158.
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com As the Real Estate Market changes... It’s nice to know some things never change.
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 We remember Jill Bedecarré - Her spirit is our muse
PIONEER INFO 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)
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.
RESIDENTIAL BROKERAGE
(925) 932-7375
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SOLD Previous Clayton Garden Tour Home. 2350 sq.ft. sold quickly and thanks to everyone that stopped by the open house and saw this fabulous listing!
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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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.
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RENTALS 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
VOLUNTEERS WANTED Meals on Wheels Drivers 1 – 1 1/2 per week. Drivers and relief drivers needed for delivery of Meals on Wheels in East County. People are on the waiting list due to lack of drivers. A small amount of your time can make a big difference in someone’s life. If you can help, please call Jim at 673-0300 or email hairbyjim@sbcglobal.net. Anna’s Attic Volunteers Volunteers needed at the Hospice of the East Bay thrift store. The address of the store is 5350 Clayton Road. Call store manager, Debbie at 674-9072 or Lamont Campbell at (925) 766-5066. Hospice of the East Bay – Anna’s Program Seeking dedicated, caring volunteers to provide home companionship and practical support for women with recurrent breast cancer. Women served reside in Central or East Contra Costa. To apply for free training, call Hospice of the East Bay at (925) 887-5678 and ask for the Volunteer Department, or email volunteers@hospiceeastbay.org. Anna's Program is generously supported by the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Anna's Attic Thrift Shop, and other community donations.
Financial and Insurance Services Benton, Mureleen - Ameriprise Financial . . . . . .685-4523 CD Federal Credit Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .825-0900 Doug Van Wyck - State Farm Insurance . . . . . . .672-2300 Ferrante Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .674-1755 Richard Littorno - Attorney at Law . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6463 Fitness Snap Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .693-0110 Traveling Trainers for Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .890-6931 Funerals Ouimet Funeral Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-4242 Home and Garden Abbey Carpet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .686-9901 Blue Water Pools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .519-2013 Clayton Valley Frameworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6066 Clear Splash Pool Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-6245 Floors to Go Danville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .820-8700 Just Floors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .681-4747 Keenan Heinz Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .288-0159 Kitchen Make-Overs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7900 Nichols Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9955 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 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 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 Morucci, Kim - Intero Real Estate Services . . . . .280-8563 Rahimzadeh, Helen -Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . .932-7375 Vujnovich, George - Better Homes Realty . . . . .672-4433 Recreation Clayton Valley Bowl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-4631 Oakhurst Country Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9737 Senior Services Aegis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .692-5853 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 Travel to Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9840
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Parents and children discover the joy of making Music Together The ability to sing, dance and express oneself musically is a wonderful part of being human. Before recorded music, many homes had pianos, guitars or drums and people knew how to play them. Family gatherings, special moments and daily routines were frequently accompanied by homemade music. Children learned the basics of singing and dancing naturally, by watching parents and family members and joining in the fun. We are now more likely to be consumers of music than active participants in creating it, and many children are growing up without the early musical experiences they need to learn to sing in tune, keep a beat and participate with confidence and pleasure in making music. Music Together is an early childhood music and movement program that helps children develop their natural
quality supporting materials and parent involvement, Music Together inspires families to bring musicmaking back into daily life. This gives children the foundation for a lifetime of musical expression and enjoyment. An innovator in the field, Music Together began in 1987 as an educational project of the Center for Music and Young Children in Princeton, N.J., whose sole purpose is to do research REBECCA KOPCHICK has brought her on early childhood daughters Sophia, 3 and Elena, 18 music development. months, to Music Together classes in Out of this research Clayton since they were both infants. has come the underThey especially love playing the big standing that all childrum! dren are musical and can fulfill their musimusical abilities by providing a rich, stimulating musical envi- cal potential given the right ronment during the critical environment and the encourperiod between birth and age agement and example from 5. Through weekly classes, their parents and caregivers.
In Music Together classes, the focus is on the actual experience of music rather than teaching concepts or information about music. Research shows that children need to reach basic musical competency first – singing in tune and keeping a steady beat – before stepping into learning about music. They need to first unlock the code for the music of our culture and they do this by listening to and experimenting with music. Music Together of Concord holds classes in Hercules, Martinez, Concord and Clayton. The family-style classes offer a fun opportunity for the whole family to attend class, learning the same songs together and bonding through shared activities. Prior to the start of the fall semester, free demonstration classes will take place in late August/early September.
group of neighbors,” he said, explaining that they get together frequently. “The last one was July 4.” Organized by John Hunter, this group had materials available on a nearby table. “Lynn Christ and Sgt. Scott Dansie came by,” Hunter explained. “I’m making a short presentation on CERT.” Leah Rose, who organized the Samuel Court gathering, noted that some homes had experienced “issues” over the year. “We’ve had a few things going on,” she said. “One of the neighbor’s mailboxes was blown up and a flag burned.” She cited the proximity of the house to a trail and the higher incidence of teens wandering due to summer vacation. “It could also be because the economy is the way it is,” she added. “People get desperate.” While Clayton remains a safe place, Rose is taking no chances and installed a security system. Meetings like this also help get the neighbors coordinated to watch out for strange happenings.
drinks. “Eagle Peak is a long street,” she said. “I know every other house. This is a good way to bring people together.” “If we know each other, we become a tighter community,” said neighbor Dana Diaz. Her husband, Jim, used to be a reserve lieutenant with the Clayton police. “We know our neighbors,” Jim added, “but we didn’t meet Herb (Yonge) until the Evite was sent out for this event.” Cpl. Rich Enea and Police Explorer Matt McLaughlin also made the rounds during the event. “Where we get a lot of help is when neighbors call their neighbors,” Enea explained. “That’s what makes Clayton – people who know each other.” Chatting with the Westwood group, Enea explained that the police department had plans for dealing with vandalism and the park problems that were topics of conversations during the evening. That includes the use of police officers on bicycles. In what he called a “major offensive” to enforce park rules, Enea hoped that the added presence would be a deterrent to anyone who should not be there. From the turnout, the event seemed to be a success. Each group had some new faces while neighbors who already knew each other took the time to relax together and enjoy the fact that they reside in one of the top 100 places to live in the United States.
Night Out, from page 1 Watch meetings together in order to build better communication,” Yonge said. “Knowing one’s neighbors is one of the benefits. It’s also an opportunity to provide folks with educational materials on subjects such as home security, vehicle thefts, bicycle safety and fighting crime.” “It seems to alert the community as to the programs that (the police) have to offer,” said Lynn Christ, Clayton’s Police Department coordinator. “It seems they have an easier time contacting us as they have now seen a face to go with the department. The chief has an open door policy and the community enjoyed getting one on one time with him last year when he was visiting their neighborhoods.” FOUR UNIQUE GATHERINGS This year’s NNO locations were the Westwood Homeowners’ Association pool, Samuel Court, Eagle Peak Place and Joscolo View. Each neighborhood approached the event with its own style, some offering ice cream while others were more informational. Keith Haydon, fresh off the Planning Commission, acted as liaison for the Westwood event. “It’s important to establish good relations with the Clayton police,” he said of the neighbor-
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hood association. “I know most of them.” Backing up to the nearby shopping center, Westwood has seen its share of errant behavior and some vandalism. “There has been vandalism in the open space areas and in the park,” Haydon added, explaining that he hopes his CERT training will be useful in finding solutions. Neighbor Butch Kerr, his son Nick and another neighbor Peggy Eyres agreed with Haydon’s concerns. “Clayton needs more activities for teens,” Butch said. “A bike park would be good,” Nick added. “It would be nice,” Peggy said. “We have all that open space …” According to the conversation, local teens may want to build the necessary jumps themselves for a permanent bike park that would offer a central place to occupy them. Previously, unauthorized ramp structures had been removed by the city. OLD-FASHIONED FUN On Joscolo View, about 30 neighbors gathered – with Maria Arvizu bringing homemade ice cream. Lowell Robison and wife Vicki had grandchildren Sydney and Cameron Okoneski visiting from Oregon. “This is a nice
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BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER Karen Treppa coordinated the Eagle Peak Place meeting at the safe enclave off Eagle Peak Avenue. “We were going to do it last year,” she said, “but it fell through.” Odd-numbered houses were to bring dessert, while evennumbered houses supplied
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August 21, 2009
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com
The pen is mightier than the person behind the nib ANDRÉ GENSBURGER
DEAL WITH IT It’s a dying art form, I tell you. As I hold my Parker 51 fountain pen, with a 14k gold nib and pressed gold cap, this fine writing instrument screams out for me to improve my handwriting and be worthy of the device. And well I should, since the pen belonged to my grandfather during an age when everyone wrote nicely with either a fountain pen or a pencil. If you were educated, you learned to write with a fountain pen – often with some affect in style that made your handwriting distinctive. It takes skill to use a fountain pen. It takes patience to feel the pen and find the proper angle where the nib, angled flat, will glide across the paper leaving a perfectly even line of ink that looks unlike any other form of writing. It takes practice to twist it ever so lightly between fingertips to accentuate or decrease the thrust of the stroke, producing a varied flair on the handles of each letter, depending on your mood and intent. And, of course, it takes prac-
tice to avoid ink-stained fingers from badly held pens, coarsely refilled. I always imagined that a quill would be far more difficult to master, interrupted by the small reservoir built into the tip running out of ink and having to dip and retract before resuming exactly where you left off. The fountain pen offers another advantage. As a child of technology, I am used to my computer keyboard racing with my thoughts as fingers spit out the letters that convey to you every last dropping from my brain, free of edit or censorship, until I am forced to reread and reduce the contents. With a fountain pen, your writing speed is slowed, geared more to quality of letter formation than thought and this, in turn, requires you to slow down your thinking and attune your word choice to a higher level of accuracy. Be precise. Be concise. I remember my father, fountain pen in hand, writing a personal letter – only to discard the first few drafts due to error or an additional thought that needed to be included. Longhand with a fountain pen demands accuracy; there is nothing worse than a fountain pen letter riddled with deletions
and corrections. To use a fountain pen implies a level of skill. Such a person would never accept so poor a form of writing as that with errors and corrections. In fact, the rule used to be three errors on a page and you start over; but that rule was meant for people who spend their time justifying not rewriting the whole thing. When I taught school, I introduced my class to fountain pens. First they had to demonstrate neatness and accuracy with a pencil, followed by a ball point pen. This took several weeks. At last, having mastered a degree of skill with the cruder instruments, I would approve them for a fountain pen. To start them off, I purchased disposable fountain pens – all I could afford on a teacher’s salary. I delighted in their faces as they treasured this small plastic pen with a funny nib. And I reveled in the discipline they brought forth to master the technique that would allow them to use the device. Each day they would bring me their work, totally neat, free of errors. Most had rewritten several times to achieve that degree of accuracy. It was, for them, a point
of pride. Pleased, I would write their parents a letter urging that they invest in a less disposable, although affordable refillable fountain pen. When the students came to school next, most had a new pen, metallic barrels and refillable cartridges. They brought the boxes the pens came in and asked me, at recess, to guard their treasure against theft. Mathematical calculations on a sheet using a fountain pen are a sight to behold – spread out and neatly presented. Each student had gained two pieces of valuable insight. The first, the lesson in mathematics and the second, that presentation is as crucial as education. When we speak of educating our children, we often forget that education is more than just the content knowledge. Education is the acquisition of the skill of learning, the process of learning and the execution of learning and for that the pen is certainly a mightier incentive as they learn to deal with it.
Page 7
Club News During the August meeting of the Clayton Valley Garden Club, members showed their appreciation to R&M Pool, Patio and Gardens for all of the support the business has provided to the club for the past 10 years. Roy and Melanie Alarcon of R&M are shown with the new plaque.
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Buyers can get a good deal buying ‘as is’ but it can take extra effort In our current market many of the sales are “as is” sales. “As is” refers to a property that is to be sold in its present condition. Usually the seller won’t warrant the condition of the property. The buyer takes responsibility for correcting any defects. “Short sale “ transactions are usually “as is” sales. This is when the seller owes more on the property then the market will bear. In this case the seller has no money for repairs and the bank they owe the money to usually won’t pay for any repairs. Probate and foreclosure sales are often “as is” sales. In both cases, the seller acquired the property through adverse conditions. In the case of a probate sale, the previous owner died and the property is being sold to settle the estate. With a foreclosure sale, the previous owner stopped making mortgage payments and the property is being sold by the lender. In these situations, you may be buying from a seller who doesn’t have any knowledge about the property condition. There may or may not be reports available. Even if the seller has reports, have the
property thoroughly inspected by qualified professionals before you buy. The benefit of buying “as is,” even if the property is in poor condition, is that you’ll pay a lower price than you would if the property was in better condition. The costs that are determined by the sale price will be lower. And your property taxes might be lower. Another benefit is that you’ll be in control of rehabilitating the property, so the fix-up work will reflect what you want in the home – not someone else’s taste. However, you’ll need to pay for the improvements. Carefully investigate the renovation costs so that you don’t overpay for a rundown property. “As is” buyers who are planning to make big modifications to the property should check with the local planning department to make sure that their plans are realistic. Some cities have strict design review requirements that homeowners must satisfy before renovating their homes. In addition, plan on the project costing more than you anticipate it will. Often buyers buy “as is”
regarding a specific item, rather than buying the entire property on an “as is” basis. Let’s say the deck is dry rotted and termite infested and needs to be replaced. The seller is willing to have the work done, but the buyers don’t want the deck replaced as it is. They want to expand it and add French doors leading from the kitchen to the deck. It’s unreasonable to expect sellers to pay for buyers’ remodeling projects. However, most sellers will reduce the sale price by the amount of the seller’s deck replacement bid if the buyers take the deck “as is.” The buyers get a lower purchase price and they gain control over the project. Of course, they have to pay for it. For buyers who are short on cash, it might be better to ask the seller to give cash credit at closing (called a closing cost credit) for the amount of the seller’s deck bid. The sale price in not reduced, but the buyers receive cash at closing that can be used for the deck work. Make sure to check with your lender regarding a closing cost credit. Most lenders will allow such a credit, but there are limitations.
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For instance, the total amount of the credit can’t exceed 3-6 percent of the purchase price. And it usually can’t exceed the total amount of the buyers’ nonrecurring closing costs (closing costs paid on a one-time only basis, like mortgage points). Buying “as is” is not recommended for first-time buyers, or for any buyer who can’t cope with the additional workload and stress that goes along with remodeling. This article first appeared in the August 8, 2008 issue of the Pioneer. In the past year, the number of homes on the market for sale “as is” make this information even more pertinent and worth repeating. 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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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
August 21, 2009
Community service tops list of Garden Club goals ANDRÉ GENSBURGER Clayton Pioneer
The Clayton Garden Club would have you believe that, as an old Chinese proverb goes, “Life begins the day you start your garden.” At first glance, it sounds like just another quaint fortune cookie sentiment. Yet as you dig deeper into the club, its members and what they have achieved, you find that at the root level, the proverb is an entrenched philosophy that spans most of the lives of the membership. Club president Linda Cruz is a good example. “I always had a love for life, plants and animals,” she said. “I wanted to be a farmer, except my farm animals would be pets.” Contrast that to her 38 years with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, followed by two years at the Clayton Post Office before finally allowing herself the dirty hands worthy of a true garden impresario. “I think most members join
the club as we have a common interest in gardening and want to learn more by sharing ideas and knowledge with each other and learning from our monthly speakers,” she said. “The many activities that we do together as volunteers helps us build a bond of friendship that I think is what makes the club great,” noted club officer Bob Beitler. “We work hard on our projects like the plant sales, library beds, downtown planters and middle school garden.” Beitler considers himself a “late bloomer in the world of gardening,” despite having a huge garden in the mountains of Colorado as a boy. “My real interest in gardening began when Penny and I built a potting shed/greenhouse. I kiddingly refer to it as the Taj Mahal of potting sheds since it didn’t come in a kit and is built better than our house,” he said. “Just watching the increased number of butterflies, birds, bees, etc. in my yard from the plants I have planted since join-
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ing the club makes me realize how with a little effort and the right knowledge, we can create some great microclimates.” EDUCATING THROUGH GARDENING
Diablo View Middle School students got a new way of looking at their lives through a garden built in 2007 from $500 donated by the club. Other support came from Clayton Business and Community Association and hours of volunteer labor. Garden club member LeeAnn Sanders had asked DVMS special ed teacher Kim Lewis if she could come into the class once a week to teach life science. Sanders’ idea was to build raised beds so students with special needs could have hands-on experience. Crossroads Recycled Lumber of North Fork, just south of Yosemite, donated reclaimed lumber from old growth redwoods from the Scotia Lumber Mill. For the past two years, the school project has received additional grants of $2,000 from the Clean Water Program under the Watershed Project for the successful garden education program. Through all the compassionate acts and donations, they have built storage sheds for tools, obtained gloves, enhanced the garden beds and added security fencing. The project features worm and compost bins. Recycling is kept in the storage sheds and helps fund field trips and cooking projects. CURBING AN INFESTATION On Aug. 5, club members Cruz, Peggy Arundell, Bob
Frost and Tina Frost worked with Lewis to clear a raised bed that was infested with nut sedge. About 6 inches of top soil, plants and roots with nuts attached had to be removed. The remaining soil was leveled
treatment is called solarization and is preferable as no toxins are used. New soil will need to be brought in to replace the infested material. Future control involves removing small sedge plants before they have five-six
about our recent planned project of building elevated garden beds that give access to wheelchairs one woman stated, ‘I could really get into that’ and was very eager to learn more about the club.”
Photo courtesy of the Clayton Valley Garden Club
AMONG THE MANY TO BENEFIT from Clayton Valley Garden Club efforts is Diablo View Middle School where members spent a back-breaking four hours clearing a raised bed for the garden education project. From left: Bob Frost, Tina Frost, Linda Cruz, Kim Lewis and Peggy Arundel
and watered thoroughly. Twomilliliter clear plastic was laid down to seal the soil. The plastic will remain on the soil for about eight weeks. The wet soil and heat from August and September sun, along with the clear plastic, should destroy weed seeds and any remaining nuts – which are actually tubers from the sedge. This
leaves, which would be every few weeks during the summer. BUDDING INTERESTS Club projects usually attract outside interest. “We are a small club with about 50 members,” Cruz said. “As we grow and get new younger members, we get new energy and new ideas. When I was informing people
The spirit of volunteerism binds club members together. Nicole Hackett, who writes for the Pioneer under the moniker Garden Girl, is another greenfingered convert. With a little help from her mother-in-law, she found herself drawn into the foliage.
See Garden Club, page 14
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Free Family Fun Clayton Community Church presents the Sixth Annual
In association with Insurance Management Corp.
Sat., Sept. 5, 2009 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This event is intended as an opportunity for family fun. Kids age 7-14 can register. There is NO fee to participate. Register by August 29th to get a free t-shirt and run in two races.
e! e r F e c Kids Raprovided!r, cona Carstoabrueild your ownurreac. e c
sh nt If you wi tact Doug LaVe 50 racers. o 1st 2 ed t
Entry limit
For event info contact: Doug LaVenture (510) 816-4221, dlav42@yahoo.com
For registration info contact: Gaylynn LaVenture 673-5337, gaylynnlaventure@yahoo.com
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Registration form available online at www.claytoncc.com
August 21, 2009
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com
Socially active seniors age at slower rate; stay healthy longer
KELLY FERRO
SENIOR MOMENTS Solitude seems to speed the effects of aging, and an active social life may help elderly people fight off many of these signs. Older adults who seldom participate in social activities experience a faster rate of motor function decline than those with an active social life. Researchers found that each point decrease in a person’s social activity score was associated with a 33 percent faster rate of motor function decline. Motor function decline such as decreased muscle strength, coordination and dexterity is commonly associated with aging and related to dementia, poten-
tially disabling falls and even death. Although motor function decline is a growing public health concern, researchers say little is known about factors that contribute to the problem or what interventions may help slow its progression. Being active as we age is critical, yet social contact and activities become seemingly less available. There are avenues in which to find ways to become more active, including going to restaurants, playing bingo, volunteering, visiting friends or family and attending a religious service. Local senior centers offer numerous activities and outings, from lunches to classes, dances and trips. Getting out to meet people is key; making new friends along the way is an added benefit. Often as we age, our circle of friends becomes smaller. Losing a partner can inhibit our social outings. The sense of loneliness and loss often makes it harder to get out. Many people become complacent and only leave their home when absolutely necessary.
Activities such as dining, which would normally be a time of socialization, become mundane – with no conversation. Thus, eating may become less important. Healthy eating and socialization often go hand-inhand. Volunteering is also a great example of socialization. Getting out and giving back brings one a sense of community. Keeping in touch with the world around you and the people in it is an important part of keeping physically and mentally active. Check out local hospitals, schools and community centers for opportunities to give back. What you have to offer could be a great benefit to others as well as to yourself. Feeling productive and good about oneself is priceless. We may not always feel like being social and some alone time is good, but don’t let the lack of socialization risk your health.
Page 9
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Be vigilant – wildland fires are always a threat While spending time with my 5-year-old recently, I was reminded of the dangers of the area we live in and how we are susceptible to wildfire danger. My son and I were at a church function and, as we were sitting down outside, we began to hear sirens. Over the next 20-30 minutes, both of us stood on Clayton Road and watched several fire engines zoom by – heading to a brush fire on Marsh Creek Road. While it was exciting to watch my son be enthralled by the fire trucks, his questions and chatter about where they were heading made me realize the threat of where we live. It was a good reminder that we need to be vigilant. LIVING NEAR WILDLAND We live in what fire protection authorities call a Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). More Americans are building homes and living in the WUI – the zone where homes are intermixed with wildland vegetation. One government-sponsored study estimates that 44 million homes in the lower 48 states are located in
areas that meet or intermingle with wildland vegetation. In the 1990s, 1.7 million new homes were built in the WUI in California, Oregon and Washington alone – bringing the total of homes contained in the WUI in these three states to nearly 7 million. According to the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Website, there are more than 4,000 properties that are considered Priority Hazard Zones (PHZs) in Contra Costa County. They are at the greatest risk of wildfires. The properties are considered PHZs due to their close proximity to open space, topography, degree of slope, density of homes, amount of vegetation (both native and ornamental), lack of emergency vehicle accessibility and other conditions favorable to fast-moving and destructive fires. Natural wildland fires are generally caused by lightning, while some fires are caused by sparks from falling rocks. Volcanic activity such as Mount St. Helens, although rare, cause
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SAFETY ZONE wildfires as well. Unfortunately, human activity is the primary cause of wildland fires. Examples include (but aren’t limited to) sparks from cars, cigarette butts being tossed out of moving vehicles, fireworks, arson and embers from campfires. BE READY TO EVACUATE If you are advised or ordered to evacuate during a wildland fire, do so immediately. Follow directions of emergency officials and make sure to take any necessary prescription medications or medical equipment with you. Wear sturdy shoes or boots, non-flammable clothing, hat and gloves. Lock your home and follow the designated routes or a safe route away from fire hazards. If you’re caught in a wildfire and you find yourself trapped in the path of a raging wildfire, you
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Page 10
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
August 21, 2009
Clayton Sports Otters win league championship in final race JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
For Dana Hills swim team coach Kelly McCabe, the Contra Costa Swim League meet was the most exciting she has coached. After 537 races over two days in Pleasant Hill, the championship came down to the 538th and final race, the 15-18 boys freestyle relay. “I have never been so proud to coach a team and be part of such an exciting meet,” McCabe said. The Dana Hills Otters have been members of the prestigious recreational swim league since 1996 but had never finished higher than second place in the team standings at league meet. “Our team was more focused on winning league rather than city this year,” McCabe explained. The Dana Hills 15-18 boys A free relay of Josh Harmon, Patrick Keane, Michael Chiok and Derek Anderson set a meet and pool record to take first, while the DHST B relay of TJ Brassil, Nick Fong, Zachary Harmon and Chris Mills finished sixth. Those results were enough to wrest the team championship away from LMYA, which entered the final relay ahead by 13 points. The drama had been heightened in the next-to-last event when the Otters’ record-breaking girls relay was disqualified, allowing LMYA to maintain the team lead into the final race before the Otters claimed their first league championship with 765 points to 762 for LMYA. “The CCSL meet was a
Photo by Joern Weigelt
THE DANA HILLS OTTERS CELEBRATE THEIR FIRST CONTRA COSTA SWIM LEAGUE the “We’re No. 1!” cheer for the team. watershed event for DHST,” club president Grant Bazan said. “The league is brimming with talent, yet through its excellent swimmers, coaches and parents, Dana Hills finally prevailed.” According to McCabe, the 15-18s played a huge role in the team’s success at league meet. Keane was the older boys A division high-point winner, while Ashley Jennings (A) and Paige Reilly (B) were each second high
point for 15-18 girls. The 15-18 boys medley relay of Anderson, Keane, Harmon and Chiok broke the team record. Keane set meet and pool marks in the 100 IM and 100 breast, while Anderson set meet and pool standards in the 100 back. Ryanne Boland (A) and Samantha Schauman (B) were 6 and under high-point winners. Niklas Weigelt (7-8 A), Alina Weigelt (9-10 A) and Justine Trimble (11-12 A) were all high-
TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP.
point runners-up. At the league meet, swimmers can compete in each of the five individual strokes – with the top scorer from all events winning high-point honors. With 225 swimmers, Dana Hills was second to host Pleasant Hill Dolfins in the number of entries. McCabe lauded other Otters for their league meet performances. “Jack Skow dropped two seconds in freestyle and quali-
Coach Kelly McCabe, at center in white polo shirt, leads
fied for county with a 19.53, placing second overall. Niklas Weigelt dropped four seconds to almost beat an undefeated swimmer in IM. He went from a best time of 1:24 to 1:20.09.” She also mentioned Boland, who was seeded seventh in backstroke, swam a best time and took first overall while qualifying for county. Niklas Weigelt broke the 1998 7-8 boys team records in 25 breast and 100 IM. The 7-8
girls 100 free relay with Brooke Johnson, Gabi Mancini, Camille Cline and Sarah Hamilton lowered the 1993 mark with a time of 1:03.31 and the 13-14 free relay of Megan Coppa, Sara Abele, Samantha Boeger and Nikki Palmer broke the 2005 record with a time of 1:44.97. The 6 and under girls 100 free relay with Emily Hamilton, Katie Mirabella, Rylie Velez and Boland established a pool record with 1:24.71.
Ipsen conquers fear to take silver at World JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
Photo courtesy Ipsen family
KRISTIAN IPSEN (LEFT) AND HIS PARTNER TROY DUMAIS captured the silver medal for the United States at the FINA World Championships in Rome in the men’s 3-meter synchro springboard diving event, finishing behind the Olympic gold medalists from China.
The United States had its worst-ever showing in Olympic diving last year in Beijing. Just 11 months later, the U.S. team bounced back from the medal-less Olympics at the 13th FINA World Championships in Rome and a young high school student from Clayton played a pivotal role in the turnaround. Kristian Ipsen, a 16-yearold who started his junior year at De La Salle this week, helped the U.S. diving team to its best showing in the World Championships since 1991. He
combined with 29-year-old Troy Dumais to win America’s first medal with a second place in the 3-meter synchronized springboard. Ipsen rose up the USA Diving ladder in recent years, but he had never been under as much pressure as he was during the final round of the World Championships July 18. There, he faced the world’s best synchro teams, including the Olympic gold medalists from China. The Americans were first after the preliminary round, as the Olympic champs experienced a rare bobble when one of the Chinese divers almost
fell off the board due to high winds. “I’m used to diving outdoors, something the Chinese don’t do. But it was windy even for me,” explained Ipsen, who trained in Walnut Creek for many years. By finishing first in the prelims, Dumais and Ipsen dove last in the finals where teams do two easier, compulsory dives and four harder, optional dives. The Americans did their compulsory dives very well. At that point, perhaps where he was and what he was doing hit Ipsen for the first time. “I was pretty nervous.” This manifested itself in Ipsen
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being tight. “He didn’t set himself up and was a little short on the takeoff,” says Ipsen’s Diablo Divers coach Phil Tonne. “Kristian did a phenomenal job once he was off the board to pull off the dives. It was pretty amazing.” In synchro diving, you dive in tandem with your partner. The majority of the judges are looking at how the two divers perform together. Dumais is a three-time Olympian and this was his sixth World Championship meet. After the first optional
See Ipsen, page 11
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August 21, 2009
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com
Please help the Pioneer to cover the local sports scene. Send competition results, story ideas, announcements, sports shorts, etc. to sports@claytonpioneer.com. Please attach a high-resolution photo whenever available.
Page 11
Clayton Sports
Oakhurst junior tennis aces opponents ROBERT HELENA Clayton Pioneer
With more than 100 kids involved, Oakhurst Country Club has built an up and coming competitive junior tennis program in Clayton. “Ten years ago, there wasn’t a junior tennis program,” notes tennis director Calvin Thompson. The junior tennis program provides instruction for all skill levels and is geared for the kids to have fun and improve. The program also hopes to provide a path for those who want to play at the high school and college level. “I think it’s fun,” says sec-
ond-year tennis player Gaby Bacigalupo. “I like playing other clubs and see how I do against them.” The club has a year-round, after-school junior tennis program and an extensive summer program that includes various camps. The age groups for camps vary from 4-18 year olds, and outside tennis instructors are brought in to handle the demand. TEAMS MAKING ADVANCEMENTS This year, the club had five teams – Boys 12, 15 and 18 and Girls 15 and 18 – competing in U.S. Tennis Association
(USTA) sponsored leagues. The teams are open to nonclub members as well. The Boys 15 qualified for the sectionals in Clovis, which includes the top 16 teams in Northern California. They made it there by finishing second in league play behind Crow Canyon Country Club. “We were a pretty good team. We worked hard,” says Brandon Sovik, a Boys 15 player. “We knew we were good once we won a few matches.” The Boys 18 also had a winning season. “We have a good core of young players,” boasts Thompson. FINDING THE COMPETITIVE EDGE
RECOGNIZING KEY PLAYERS According to Thompson, those interested in playing at the collegiate level need to take up the sport by age 12 or 13. Diablo View Middle School
student Sovik, 12, is one such player and is ranked in the top 40 in Northern California. Sovik played up and was a key member of the 15-year-old boys’ team. He used to play hockey but now plays tennis full time. “I’m all tennis, all the time,” says Sovik, who practices five days a week for two-three hours per day. On the girls’ side, Emily Humphrey is considered a standout. She just turned 12 and played on the Girls 15 team. Although the team did not make playoffs, Humphrey was invited to play for Crow Canyon Country Club in its playoff push. Final confirmation that the program has truly arrived is reflected in the success of players who have come through the program, such as Mike Riser. He is currently the No. 1 player at UC Davis. Building competitive teams requires qualified direction and coaching at the top. Thompson seems to have the resume to fit the bill. He played tennis on scholarship for the University of Nevada, later transferring to
not wilt!” The pair scored higher on that dive than any team besides the Chinese on any dive in the entire competition. Veteran Dumais and the young Californian got the silver medal. Buoyed by this performance, Team USA went on to win three more silvers. Following the diving there were photos, a medal ceremony and press conference with the international media. “They mostly asked about our age difference,” says Ipsen. “It was all pretty surreal.” Reality didn’t really hit him until he met up with his parents, Kent and Yvette, and 13-
year-old sister Lauren. “My dad has traveled with me to most meets, but my mom usually stays home since Lauren has so many activities.” Following the meet, the Ipsens visited Lake Como, Venice and the Amalfi Coast as the athlete took a break from diving, including missing the U.S. Nationals for the first time since he was 8. When he got home, waiting for him was the latest Sports Illustrated magazine with its two-page photo spread, featuring Ipsen and Dumais in a dramatic mid-air dive. Nothing surreal about that.
Tennis is considered an individual sport, and Thompson compares it to baseball. “If you’re trying to get a college scholarship, the school is not going to care if your team won or lost. They are going to care what your ERA was. Same thing in tennis. How many matches did you win?” To be competitive, a tennis player has to commit to the sport, be smart, have discipline and possess problem-solving skills to figure out the opponent. Being a good athlete also helps. “It’s similar to basketball,” Thompson reports. “Quick stop, change directions and being fairly fit.” Parents also need to be on board to drive the kids around. It’s not much different that some of the club soccer and traveling baseball commitments.
Robert Helena/Clayton Pioneer
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA RANKED for his deadly forehand.
PLAYER
Brandon Sovik is known
Ipsen, from page 10 dive, the U.S. team dropped to sixth place, then moved up to fifth after four dives. That’s when Dumais and Tonne talked to Ipsen with the same message: “Relax, loosen up.” “They were very calm and told me to run around the warm-up room, stretch and get rid of the extra adrenaline,” Ipsen recalls. The advice paid off. In the fifth dive, the team’s most difficult, Ipsen scored 8.5 from the judges – even higher than
Dumais. The Americans moved up to second. That put all the pressure on their final dive, a reverse 2½ with 1½ twists. “We do this last because we’re confident in it,” Ipsen notes. The television announcer (you can watch on YouTube) called it: “The final dive of the competition … All down to this for the silver medal … The Americans have done it when it counted … They were under pressure and they did
Robert Helena/Clayton Pioneer
AT JUST 12 YEARS OLD, Emily Humphrey is making her mark in the older divisions.
Long Beach State, an NCAA Division 1 top 20 team at the time. Thompson also ran the Spare Time Tennis Academy in Sacramento for sectional and nationally ranked juniors. After that, Thompson was the head pro at the University Club in Palo Alto. He still competes in tournaments. Thompson feels good about where the program is going. “We built it up enough to now we rent out the Clayton Valley High School courts,” says Thompson, who credits CV coach Rich Ortega for his support as well. Thompson’s goal for the program going forward is to make team tennis a fun event, more family-oriented and less individualist.
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
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August 21, 2009
Clayton swimmers help bring Junior Olympics water polo gold for 680 Drivers ROBERT HELENA Clayton Pioneer
www.diablovalleykids.com 2875 Willow Pass Rd., Concord
Less than 5 miles from Clayton
In case you haven’t noticed, there are five gold medals in Clayton. The 680 Drivers U14 Girls water polo team captured the gold medal in the Gold Division at the 2009 S&R Sport Junior Olympics Water Polo Championships. The four-day championship event featured teams from all over the country. The 680 Drivers includes girls along the 680 corridor from San Ramon to Clayton, with Clayton residents Taylor Ryle, Casey Adams, Riley Shaw, Sara Johnson and Kimberly Anderson. The 680 Drivers is a nationally ranked, year-round water polo club team that practices primarily at Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek. “We’re
Photos courtesy of the 680 Drivers
THE 680 DRIVERS Clayton.
CLUB WATER POLO TEAM
ranked in the top 12 nationally,” says coach Todd Halvorson. The road to gold started off rocky. The team was placed in a difficult draw within the prestigious Platinum Division. They were knocked out of the P l a t i n u m Division on the first day with a 10-2 loss to S o u t h e r n California powerhouse CHAWP and a close 4-3 loss to Chicago. Once in the Gold Division, DEFENSIVE STAR KIM ANDERSON leads the team 680 got off to a to a Junior Olympic gold medal. fast start with a
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7-4 win over the Peninsula Area team SOLO and an 11-8 win over Irvine. Day three started with a frustrating 5-2 loss to Davis that forced the team to battle out of the losers’ bracket. The team bounced back with an 11-6 victory over the Houston water polo club and a 5-4 win over La Jolla. The gold medal game was a rematch with Davis. “They just didn’t play well in the first game,” says Halvorson. “So I told the girls that are very few times in water polo or in life when you get another chance to fix your mistakes.” This time around, tough defense led by Johnson and Anderson combined with a constant counter attack by Erin
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Livingston to leave Davis treading water as the 680 Drivers took the gold medal game 7-5. Last summer, most of the girls began in the non-competitive 680 Drivers Clinics. Only a year later, they started on a nationally ranked team. “I think that’s remarkable what these Clayton girls have been able to accomplish and come together,” says Halvorson. The 680 Drivers was launched four years ago when four club teams, East Bay Water Polo, Danville Water Polo, Alamo Water Polo and Danville Boulevards, combined. The club has more than 120 girls spread over five age groups this year. The year-round program is broken down by seasons. In the fall, winter and spring, the team focuses on fundamentals, practicing two hours, twice a week. The summer program is when it really cranks up. They practice two hours, four times a week, combining fundamentals with conditioning and toughness. To improve competitiveness, the younger age groups play against the older age groups. Water polo players have to be able to tread water and swim. The skill set bears similarities to basketball and soccer. “Like basketball, you handle the ball with one hand and there are certain plays you run,” Halvorson notes. “Soccer is similar with skills at the positions.”
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The 2009 U14 Junior All Stars capped off another great season for Clayton Valley Little League. Led by coaches Dave Dunkley, Greg Cannedy and an impressive lineup of top baseball players, including some tournament players, the Juniors All Stars rolled to the District 4 championship game. They displayed a balanced attack, with dominant pitching by J.T. McGrane and Carter Newton. The big composite was led by power hitters Joe Essayan, Zack Newton and Matt Jacobson. “We had good
pitching combined with timely hitting,” says Dunkley. In their first game against East County, the Juniors were ready to make a serious run. Displaying all facets of the game, pitching, hitting and fielding, they won 13-3. In the second game, the Juniors encountered a little more resistance, but their stellar pitching and timely hitting prevailed with a 4-0 shutout over the Walnut Creek All Stars. Rolling right along, the team posted its second consecutive shutout. This time, the Juniors spanked the Concord American All Stars 10-0. During this tremendous run,
See CVLL, page 13
CVLL JUNIORS ALL STARS
CAP ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN.
Top Row L-R: Coach Greg Cannedy, Pat Cremin, Joe Essayan, J.T. McGrane, Zack Newton, Carter Newton, Sean Cremin, Coach Rich Newton and Coach Dave Dunkley. Bottom Row L-R: Matt Jacobson, Austin Cannedy, Jeremiah Stielow, Eric Dunkley, Jacob Falls, Drew Walker and Jeff Ferrell.
August 21, 2009
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Page 13
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Dana Hills dominates, Oakhurst makes strong showing at Concord City Meet
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Photo by Joern Weigelt. Courtesy Dana Hills Swim Team.
THE DANA HILLS SWIM TEAM’S 13-14 RECORD-BREAKING MEDLEY RELAY was named outstanding girls relay a the Concord City Meet. From left, Samantha Boeger, Sara Abele, Nikki Palmer and Megan Schussman.
Robinson added: “We had a great City Meet, with almost all the swimmers either making it to finals (A and B) or achieving personal best times.” Oakhurst had 68 swimmers STRONG SHOWING in the meet while Dana Hills FROM OAKHURST had 176, the most of the nine Clayton’s other entry in the recreation teams from Concord Concord meet, the smaller and Clayton. Oakhurst Country Club Orcas, Among the swimmers who enjoyed “outstanding performbrought a big smile to coach ances across the board.” A Robinson’s face was 7-year-old proud Orcas coach Jane Sarah DeBack, winner of the 7-8 girls B division high-point award with a first place in backstroke and second in butterfly. Joining her as B division champs for the Orcas were Emily Neelon (13-14 breaststroke), John Safipour (9-10 fly), William Lingua (6 and under freestyle), Jacob Hanson (11-12 individual medley) and Serena Connel (7-8 IM). Lindsay Treppa capped the Oakhurst Photo by DeBack family. Courtesy Oakhurst swim team. effort with the A SARAH DEBACK won the 7-8 girls B division gold medal Division high point award at Concord in 11-12 girls 50-yard City Meet. The Oakhurst Orcas swimmer back and secondwon the backstroke event and took sec- place finishes in 100 ond in the butterfly in her age group. IM and 50 fly.
CVLL, from page 12 the Juniors out-whacked and out-pitched their opponents 273. This initial run brought CVLL to the quarterfinals and their first showdown with the South Oakland All Stars. South Oakland won the quarterfinal game. The Juniors would now have to play an extra game to reach the championships. But they rebounded and won a hard-fought game against a good Pinole Hercules team, 3-2. This set up another meeting with South Oakland for the championship trophy. The game was close in the early innings, but South Oakland put it together for an 8-0 win. According to Dunkley, South Oakland’s pitcher was a beast. “It was hard to watch as the opposing team, but it was fun to watch how good he really was.” The Juniors gave a spirited effort, given that top pitchers McGrane and Newton were unavailable in the championship game. They had reached their pitch count limits in that extra game.
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When the team was put together, Dunkley had high expectations. “I think we had a strong team with strong pitching. We had a lot of depth, so I thought we could go deep into it,” he says. “It depended how much pitching we had at the end.” Many on the team started out with CVLL tee-ball. Now, the next stop for the majority of them is high school baseball.
DEDICATION PAYS OFF Dana Hills entered the City Meet on a high note, having won the Contra Costa Swim League meet for the first time the previous weekend. “Going into City Meet, everyone had personal goals to achieve and coming off taper week, everyone was ready to swim lifetime bests,” said Dana Hills coach Kelly McCabe. “We had an amazing turnout at city this year with many best times, records broken and quite a few highpoint winners.” “City meet was by no means an easy win for DHST, as the final score might indicate,” club president Grant Bazan added. “Our swimmers and coaches raised their performance as is done every year for this meet, setting many personal bests, several meet records and DHST team records. One factor that certainly played a role in our win this year is the economy. We actually managed to increase our membership to its largest in almost a decade, while other teams experienced losses in membership.” Among the “big swims” coach McCabe spoke of at City Meet were by Alex Brown (seeded 4th in girls 7-8 back but took first with a best time of 20.05), Camille Cline (seeded 4th in 7-8 fly but took first and qualified for county with 17.53) and Jordan Aszklar (9-10 boy dropped 50 seconds in his 50 fly, from 1:47 to 58). The Dana Hills relays were outstanding, including the 1314 girls medley relay breaking the meet record by more than four seconds with Megan Schussman, Nikki Palmer, Sam Boeger and Sara Abele awarded the meet’s outstanding girls relay for that performance. The boys outstanding relay award went to the 15-18 DHST medley relay of
Derek Anderson, Patrick Keane, Michael Chiok and Mike Peevler, who also set a meet record. Keane and Anderson each set a pair of individual 15-18 records. Keane established marks in the 100 IM (bettering his 2008 time) and 100 breast. Anderson bested Keane’s 100 back record and also the 100 free standard. The Dana Hills 15-18 boys set meet records in both relays, with Josh Harmon joining Keane, Anderson and Chiok for a free relay record. The DHST 13-14 girls accounted for three records, including Schussman in the 50 back and the quartet of Palmer, Abele, Boeger and Megan Coppa besting the 200 free relay mark. Nine of the 10 meet records set at Concord Community Pool were by Otters. Those taking individual high-point honors included Sarah Mirabella (9-10 B), Kyle Gregerson (7-8 B), Jake Siegrist (11-12 B), Ryanne Boland (6 & under A), Alina Weigelt (9-10 A), Justine Trimble (11-12 A), Palmer (13-14 A), Ashley Jennings (15-18 A), Niklas Weigelt (7-8 A) and Keane (15-18 A). Dana Hill claimed its seventh straight City Meet title in a row and 17th in the past 18 years since first winning the meet in 1992. The only team to interrupt the DHST dynasty was Springwood in 2002.
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Page 14
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Advertise with the Pioneer 672-0500
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August 21, 2009
Keep your cat indoors and happy with these ‘green’ tips The argument that cats are “naturally” outdoor animals no longer seems valid. With more than 81 million cats in American households, nature might not be able to survive outdoor cats. The Audubon Society estimates that cats kill a billion birds a year in the United States. Add in the deaths of another 250,000 smaller mammals, ranging from shrews to bats, and the inability to discriminate between vermin and endangered species, and cats create a significant impact on
the environment. While cats might look like miniature lions prowling their backyard savannahs, their bodies are poorly equipped to handle the modern hardships of life in the wild. The average life expectancy of outdoor cats is roughly half that of indoor cats. An increase in traffic, predators, infectious diseases, parasites and poisons all factor into early cat deaths, making it an easy decision for owners to keep their animals indoors. Cats seek the outdoors pri-
marily to breed, defend territory and explore. Spaying or neutering can help control biological urges and cat owners can make their homes more stimulating for cats by imitating nature’s offerings. Many cats enjoy viewing the world from different angles, inspiring cats to climb trees or creep through tall grass. While walking on the kitchen counter might not be acceptable, consider providing a cat tree (a pole with perches at varying heights) or allowing the cat a special shelf in the bookcase or on top
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start with but once comfy with his new family he will be friendly and affectionate - he already likes to be held. 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
Garden Club, from page 8 “I can remember the first plant’s name that I ever learned,” Nicole wrote on the site’s biography. “The year was 1994. The plant was sea pink, and my future mother-in-law identified it for me when we were on a ‘yard walk.’ That was the beginning.” In 1996, she started working at her in-laws’ new business, a pool and patio supply store occupying a former nursery in Clayton. Club vice president Dorothy Brandt attributed her father’s organic gardening practices to bringing out her interest. During her youth in Michigan, she enjoyed a six-month garden
season. “I have a vegetable garden, but it’s tiny compared to what we had growing up,” Brandt said. CULTIVATING MEMBERSHIP While based in Clayton, the garden club welcomes members from a wider area. Members hail from Martinez and Pittsburg as well as Concord and Clayton. The primary requirement is a passion for gardening. “It is like planting a seed. We can start with a project and it will grow and people really will get into participating,” Cruz explained. “The Clayton Valley Garden Club was formed to bring together people in our area with a common interest in gardening and to develop that interest,” she added of the club motto. “One business owner downtown said the town came to life
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.
when the garden club started to fill the planter boxes with flowers and maintain them. Jennifer Jennings, a neighbor walking her dog one morning while the club had a work party downtown, was overheard saying how she always wondered who took care of the nice planter boxes downtown and how nice it was to give back to the community in this way.” According to Beitler, the club overwhelmingly responded when he asked for butterflyattracting plants for his granddaughter’s preschool, Pixie Playschool. “I received so many responses from club members offering plants that I realized how great it was to be a part of the CVGC,” he said. “The preschool is a co-op and many kids in the Concord/Clayton area have gone to this school.” The preschool enrichment class used the plants as their farewell gift to the school. The
ELENA BICKER
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of the upper cabinets. Make appropriate locations attractive to cats by providing cushions or clearing an area just for them. Boxes with cut-outs or even an empty brown bag can provide interesting hiding places. Moving the box or cat tree to different locations can add variation and interest. Cats can use branches from pruned trees (bark intact) for scratching posts. Cat dancers (sticks or poles with string and a toy attached) and tossed crumpled paper satisfy predatory drives and create bonding time between cats and their owners. Growing wheat grass in a planter can add fresh greenery to the home as well as provide a tasty treat for felines. Opening a screened window or door can provide novel fragrances and visual as well as auditory stimulation. A window box or sill can make windows more inviting, as can a bird feeder strategically placed for easy viewing. Consider an attached cattery, which can be as simple as a small screened area attached to a window or as elaborate as several screened areas connected by 8-inch diameter pipes. If the great outdoors still beckons, try teaching a cat to walk on a harness and leash. A morning constitutional can provide controlled interaction with the outdoors. Making cats “green” not only increases the number of years we can share with our furry companions but also helps preserve our ever-shrinking world of wildlife.
Elena Bicker is the Executive Director of Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation. She can be reached at (925) 256-1ARF (1273)
butterfly area will be enjoyed by many kids for years to come. The city of Clayton has helped the club as well. With current water restrictions, the downtown flower beds were in danger of not getting watered. The city reconnected an old well to the watering system to use for the planter boxes. This fall, the club plans to treat areas of the library beds that have become infested with Bermuda grass, much as they are doing at Diablo View Middle School. Like all their projects, success depends on the spirit and level of volunteers who come out to make a difference. The club is having its first plant sale on Oct. 3, with vegetables, color bowls and herb gardens available to buy. You can guess where the proceeds will go. For more information, call 6722526 or visit claytonvalleygardenclub.org.
August 21, 2009
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Page 15
Clayton Community Calendar PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. AUGUST 31 FOR THE SEPT. 11 ISSUE. ITEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO calendar@claytonpioneer.com
EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT
In Clayton Aug. 22, 29 Concerts in the Grove Bring lawn chairs and blankets. Aug. 22: Diamond Dave, classic to modern crooners. Aug. 29: Replica, ’80s rock. Free. 6-8 p.m., The Grove Park in downtown Clayton.
Replica. Concert in the Grove, Aug. 29
Starts Aug. 31 You’re Invited Coupon Books
Sept. 15 with Luz at 672-1982 or argyriou@sbcglobal.net.
Includes coupons from many local restaurants. Proceeds benefit the Parent Faculty Club at Mt. Diablo Elementary School. $20. Buy five and get one free. Pre-order by emailing marydm64@yahoo.com.
Clayton Business and Community Association
Sept. 5 Moonlight on the Mountain
Clayton Valley Garden Club
Celebrate Save Mount Diablo’s 38th anniversary. Dinner, live music, entertainment and auctions at China Wall on Mt. Diablo. 4-10 p.m. $250. RSVP at 947-3535. www.savemountdiablo.org.
AT THE LIBRARY
Aug. 26 Classic Cars and Rock & Roll Classic cars on display, plus a DJ. Free. 6-8 p.m., Main and Diablo streets, downtown Clayton.
The Clayton Community Library is at 6125 Clayton Road. Most programs are free. 673-0659 or www.claytonlibrary.org.
Sept. 2 How to Nail an Interview
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.
Judith Marshall speaks on "How to Nail an Interview" at 7pm. She will provide tips and strategies on how best to interview for a job.
AT THE YMCA
Sept. 5 Derby and Antique Car Show
For more information, contact Jennifer at 692-2364 or jbeck@mdrymca.org. To register, visit www.medrymca.org or call 889-1600.
Kids 7-14 race free in soapbox derby cars, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. in downtown Clayton. Register by Aug. 29 to get a free T-shirt and two races. Contact Doug at 673-5337 or dlav42@yahoo.com. Or visit www.claytoncc.com. Register for car show 8-10 a.m.; contact Don at 689-8759.
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 24-28. Summer Day Camp
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. 24 Diablo Valley Masterworks Chorale Auditions 6 p.m., Diablo Valley College Music Building, Room 101, Pleasant Hill. 228-8690 or www.masterworkschorale.net.
Through Aug. 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. 7981300 or www.willowstheatre.org.
Fun activities, crafts, sports and fieldtrips. $115 residents; $125 non-residents. Extended care hours available.
Sept. 26-Oct. 31. Youth Soccer, Tee-ball and Volleyball Leagues Soccer, preschool-third grade. Tee-ball, preschool-first grade. Volleyball, fifth-eighth grade. $113 residents; $123 non-residents.
Nov. 7-Dec. 19 Youth Basketball, Flat Football Leagues Basketball, preschool-fifth grade. Flag football, first-sixth grade. $113 residents; $123 non-residents.
Aug. 31-June 17 Middle School After-School Program Indoor/outdoor activities, homework help, healthy snack, monthly special events. $220 a month for three days a week, $300 for five days a week.
NATURE Aug. 22; Sept. 13, 26 Lime Ridge Peak Hike
Sept. 5 E-Waste Recycling 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, VCR/DVD players, floppy diskettes and most items with circuit boards and that plug into a wall. Free for Contra Costa residents; bring proof of residency such as a valid ID. 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Mt. Diablo Recycling Center & Transfer Station, 1300 Loveridge Road, Pittsburg. 692-2224.
Sept. 12 Contra Costa Master Gardeners Garden Walk Six gardens in Walnut Creek, Martinez and Pleasant Hill showcase ways to landscape without lawns. Master gardeners will answer questions and provide demonstrations. $15; no children under 12. Fee includes admission to the drought-tolerant plant sale. To buy tickets before Aug. 31, mail a check made out to CCMG Association to CCMG Garden Walk, 221 Virginia Circle, Martinez, CA 94553. Or contact Gail at gail.campbell@sbcglobal.net or 945-7738.
Through 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.
FUNDRAISERS Aug. 23 Breakfast with the Veterans of Foreign Wars
Meet at 9 a.m. at the Lime Ridge access parking lot across from the Boundary Oaks club house, 3800 Valley Vista Road, Walnut Creek. Learn about the plan to allow Nextel to use the peak of Lime Ridge for expanded communications facilities. www.savemountdiablo.org.
Aug. 30 Star Mine Under the Stars Meet at 6:30 p.m. at #43 Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve on Frederickson Lane, before the turn to Contra Loma Regional Park. Registration required at 1-888-EBPARKS option 2, 3 course #22061.
Oct. 4 Mt. Diablo Challenge A 10.8-mile timed bike ride, climbing Southgate Road to the summit. Prizes in several categories, plus food and beverages at the summit. $55. Proceeds benefit Save Mount Diablo’s land conservation efforts. Register at www.savemountdiablo.org or www.active.com.
CITY MEETINGS Aug. 25; Sept. 8, 22 Clayton Planning Commission 7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304 or www.ci.clayton.ca.us.
Sept. 1, 15 Clayton City Council 7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304 or www.ci.clayton.ca.us.
8-11 a.m. the second and fourth Sundays. $4 adults, $2 children under 12. Veterans Memorial Hall, 2290 Willow Pass Road, Concord.
Aug. 29 Motorcycle Run/Car Show
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.
Meets 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month. Sept. 9 speaker is Sarah Rodenburg from Rodie’s Feed and Country Store, presenting “Birds in the Garden.” Contact Dorothy at 672-2526 or visit www.claytonvalleygardenclub.org.
Clayton Valley Woman’s Club Guests welcome at a barbecue lunch, 11:30 a.m. Aug. 25, Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 1090 Alberta Way, Concord. The group meets 9:30 a.m. for coffee, 10 a.m. meetings, second and fourth Tuesdays of the month, Holy Cross Church. Call Joyce at 672-3850.
Clutch Busters Square Dance Club Meets 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Women’s Club, 1700 Farm Bureau Road, Concord. A beginners’ class starts Sept. 10; first night is free. Contact Dorothy at 754-8117.
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.
Diablo View Middle School Parent Faculty Club Meets 9 a.m. Sept. 8 to review and adjust the budget for the school year and discuss the challenging fiscal year ahead. Community Room, DVMS, 300 Diablo View Lane, Clayton.
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.
Ygnacio Valley Republican Women Federated Meets 10:15 a.m. Sept. 16 at Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr., Clayton. Guest will be Bill Mayer, editor and publisher of PipeLineNews.org. Lunch is $22. RSVP at 672-5061 or jngcabot@pacbell.net.
CLUBS
BUSINESS
Clayton American Association of University Women
Aug. 31, Sept. 1, 2 and 4 Sample Classes for Music Together
Continental breakfast, New York steak BBQ lunch by the Pinole Fire Department, poker run, raffles. Proceeds benefit the Contra Costa Blue Star Moms. 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Fernandez Park, 635 Tennent Ave., Pinole. www.ccbluestarmoms.org; click on upcoming events.
Meets 10:30 a.m. Aug. 22 for an informational coffee for prospective members at the home of Lola Rohrs, 3440 Mc Kean Dr., Concord. There will also be a new members lunch 11:30 a.m. Sept. 19, La Veranda, 6201 Center St., Clayton. Membership open to women with AA or higher degree. Contact Audrey at 798-6406 or Lola at 680-8345. RSVP to the lunch by
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.
Safety, from page 9
or connect the garden hose to outside taps. Close windows, doors, vents and window coverings. Turn off propane tanks and place patio furniture and plastic play sets inside. Shut off utilities (if possible), open your fireplace damper, move flammable furniture into the center of the home, turn on a light in each room to increase the visibility of your home, seal attic and ground vents
The second is to have a family evacuation plan and to know the quickest ways out of your area in the event of a wildfire. For detail on each of these and other important items to prepare your home, visit www.claytoncert.org/wildfire. Awareness that we live in a PHZ and WUI should be at the top of our minds. We all should do our best to get informed and
should immediately take the quickest path or route away from the fire. If there are warnings of a threatening wildfire and you’re sure you have time, tune to local radio and television stations for reports and evacuation information. Confine pets to one room
and make plans to care for your pets in case you must evacuate. Most evacuation shelters do not allow pets, so arrange temporary housing at a friend or relative’s home outside the threatened area. If you are sure you have time, place lawn sprinklers on the roof
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with precut noncombustible coverings and gather fire tools. Take your disaster supplies kit and tell someone when you left and where you are going. BE PREPARED Preparing your home is important. The first step is to create a 100-foot defensible space around your property to reduce the fuel that make fires worse.
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to prepare our homes/properties to minimize the risk associated with living in this area. Watch for activities that could lead to a fire and report anything that looks suspicious. For more information, visit www.claytoncert.org. Clayton resident Harun Simbirdi is a member of the City of Clayton Citizen Corp Council, part of the CERT. Email him at simbirdi@yahoo.com
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
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Students approach back-to-school with excitement and a little angst With the end of the summer nearing, kids and teens are lamenting the final days of summer vacation. Inevitably, the school year is approaching. The summer before starting middle school is sort of like standing on train tracks. You know the train is near and there is no stopping it, but you must not move. The closer it gets, the
more frightened you become of what’s coming your way. That is exactly how I felt about entering the sixth grade last year. For most, the hardest part is just trying to fit in and have a decent reputation. I was hoping for good teachers and to see my friends often. I was worried about making it on time and finding all of my classes.
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August 21, 2009
Robbie Parker/Clayton Pioneer
KIMBERLY DENNIS, EMILY WRIGHT, AND BRETT WAGNER compare schedules at Diablo View Registration Day.
Many kids were able to alleviate some of their concerns at the annual Diablo View registration day. Students received their class schedules, took pictures and saw which friends made it into their classes. Just knowing this helps take away some of the anxiety. “It’s cool that I will get to see some of my older friends,” incoming sixth grader Allyn Moise said of the ups and downs of a new school. “The day will also be more overwhelming, and I have to be more responsible in class and do my homework too.” Although most worry about the challenges of middle school, they will find DVMS isn’t as difficult as imagined. “You just have to stay organized, because it really helps to stay on top of everything,” noted seventh grader Ashley McNulty. While McNulty will miss the relaxation time of summer, she is happy to start another year. She looks forward to being part of Leadership and working as the school treasurer/secretary. “Even though you have
ROBBIE PARKER DVMS REPORTER homework, sports and clubs, I am excited to be back at school,” she said. Meeting new people, seeing old friends and learning new concepts are the best parts of school. I am excited to see what challenges this year will bring. Now that I am in the seventh grade, I feel more comfortable and know what to expect. As long as DVMS students stay organized and work hard, they have nothing to fear. Robbie Parker is a sixth-grader at Diablo View. Send comments to Robbie@claytonpioneer.com
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STUDENT REPORTER The bell rings. Students begin to groan at the sound of the start of another school day. Some rush to make it across campus to geometry on time, while others saunter over to class – soaking up the last few minutes of freedom before the late bell rings. I hear the bell and start walking to my first-period class, parting ways with my friends. This is a routine morning at Clayton Valley High School. Although only attending for one year thus far, I have found my experience at this school to be enjoyable and memorable. I think of school as being more than just everyday classes. I enjoy my favorite classes and grin and bear it through the less
appealing ones. There are people to meet, rallies to attend and clubs to join. I find it interesting that I can walk past a group of drama students working on a skit and also see the cross country team warming up before a big meet. There are so many talented students at CV, and everybody seems to have their own style and niche. Feeling the energy as our football team kicks off in the NCS game is truly unforgettable. School spirit explodes from the stands in a way that we often don’t experience on campus. All of the sports, performances, clubs and events add something to the high school experience. I definitely do not regret attending the Homecoming Dance. I spent the day getting ready with my girlfriends and danced all evening as a new freshman. But much of the behavior that I witnessed had me thinking, “Don’t people get arrested for this stuff ?” It was eye-opening and informative, to say the least. I’m glad I tried out for the soccer team, even though I was cut in the final round. I’ll just have to work that much
harder to make it next year, and I learned a tremendous amount that week. I enjoyed my freshman year at CVHS, and now I feel prepared as I
School News MT. DIABLO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Prep night will be 4-8 p.m. Wed., Aug. 26, in the Multi-Use Room, 5880 Mt. Zion Dr., Clayton. 4-5:30 p.m. for families with last names beginning A-L. 5:30-7 p.m. for last names M-Z. 7-8 p.m. for families not able to make the assigned time slot. To receive your student’s class assignment, turn in the completed forms that were sent out. If you did not receive a parent packet, call 672-4840. The first day of school is Monday, Aug. 31. For additional information, visit www.mdusd.k12.ca.us/mountdiabloelementary. *** Sales begin Monday, Aug. 31, for the 2009-’10 You’re Invited Coupon Books, which include coupons from many local restaurants. Proceeds benefit the Parent Faculty Club. Cost is $20. Buy five and get one free. Pre-order by emailing marydm64@yahoo.com. DIABLO VIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL The Back-To-School BBQ will be at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, at the school, 300 Diablo View Lane, Clayton. Includes tri-tip, chicken and all the fixins’, with entertainment by band members and DramaMama Productions. Purchase tickets early and reserve a spot on the lawn. Contact Alison at abacigalupo@comcast.net or 408-7457 or Sharon at SharonMcNulty123@hotmail.com or 673-9333.
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Clayton farmers market vendors help local resident feed the hungry ANDRÉ GENSBURGER Clayton Pioneer
Clayton’s popular farmers market vendors are giving back to those less fortunate. With Clayton resident Anna Chan, a one-woman activist for the hungry gathering excess fruit and vegetables from residents as well as businesses, the vendors who cover both the Concord and Clayton markets have graciously donated excess food items to the causes she represents. Billal Sidiq, owner of East West Gourmet Food and a vendor at the Saturday market in Clayton, believes that helping out fosters good relationships. “I like to show everyone that I am a Muslim vendor,” Sidiq said, “and I donate to the Jewish Community Center (JCC).” In addition to giving Chan excess produce, Sidiq donates food to anyone trying to promote peace and goodwill. “I
André Gensburger/Clayton Pioneer
ANNA CHAN RELIES ON GROUPS LIKE THE CLAYTON FARMER’S MARKET for their excess fruits and vegetables which she collects and delivers to local food pantries. In the past year she has collected thousands of pounds produce for distribution to the needy.
always give to people holding fundraisers,” Sidiq said. “I’ve done three to four fundraisers to help Afghanistan.” Describing how he enjoys having “Islamic and Jewish fundraisers where Jews and Muslims sit down together to share a meal” because of the global relationships it can form,
Sidiq says that it comes down to giving back. “He is super, super friendly,” Chan said of Sidiq. “He is a hard-working entrepreneur. He just expanded his contacts with Costco and Whole Foods. His company started in Concord – at the Concord and Clayton farmers markets. Now they are
expanding to Southern California, where he is working on building a kitchen to accommodate larger customer orders.” Chan happily recounts the vendors who have donated and is delighted with the response she gets from Clayton and Concord as well as the Walnut Creek and Martinez farmers markets. “I had three friends of mine help me at the Walnut Creek and the Martinez farmers markets,” she said. “We drove away with over $3,000 worth of produce. Yes – $3,000! The produce was divided among several area pantries.” Chan will receive an award on Sept. 11 from the Walnut Creek Garden Club for her work. With all the publicity that has come since she started knocking on Clayton doors last year, Chan launched a blog as a conduit for people interested in helping. For more information, visit thelemonlady.blogspot.com.
PEGGY BIDONDO
TIME
TO
GO
Once you decide where you want to go on vacation, your next decision will be whom to take with you. Solo travel is the ultimate in flexibility. Since you have total control over your travel, it is fairly easy to change your travel plans if you decide you want to stay longer in a particular place. However, unless you have traveled to a destination before or done a lot of research, you may not have enough local knowledge to know where to go and what to do. Plus you will likely be driving on your own and missing the scenery as you try to navigate through a country with no signage. We once ended up inside the
size usually travel in vans that are not spacious and have no restrooms. Large group travel can be 2530 travelers or more. In most cases, a group of this size doing a land tour has a tour director and a motor coach driver who manage every detail and handle any situation or problem, including schlepping your luggage for the entire trip. You stay in larger hotels with many amenities. They arrange for advance tickets and special tours so that you never stand in line at a museum or historical site. You have local guides in every city you visit; they know the best places to eat, shop and the times to avoid crowds. The motor coaches are luxurious, air conditioned and contain a restroom. Your fellow travelers can be from many states or countries and you have the opportunity to compare travel experiences. One of the biggest advantages can be
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Consider the advantages of group travel options walls of a little Italian town where no vehicles were allowed and actually got stuck between two buildings trying to find our way out. While this created one of those great travel memories, it caused a lot of needless stress – and a lot of yelling and hand signs from the locals. Small group travel is usually for 12-24 travelers. This allows you the freedom and flexibility to stay in smaller, more intimate places like B&Bs, guest houses and boutique hotels. You can enjoy a meal in the home of a local family and have more personal encounters with local residents. The camaraderie that builds among the group creates lifelong travel friendships, but it can also be difficult to get away from particular members of the group. If you are concerned with responsible travel, a smaller group makes a minimum impact on a site you visit. Groups of this
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in the savings from group discounts, early bookings and frequent traveler programs. A group tour has a tight schedule in order to fit in everything you want to see and do. Punctuality is a must! On our last trip, we left behind a couple of sisters in Madrid because they were not at the appointed place at the appointed time. Once they caught up with the group via taxi, they never let it happen again. Travel Tip: When planning a vacation, visit www.whatsonwhen.com to help you decide when to go. This Website covers more than 680,000 events in 150 countries and lets you search by month, destination or theme, so you can organize your trip according to your interests. Recently retired, Clayton resident Peggy Bidondo now has the time to indulge her passion in travel planning and writing. Send your questions and column ideas to Peggy Bidondo at timetogo@claytonpioneer.com.
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Mayor, from page 1 Clayton a great place to live and raise a family. However, it makes me frustrated and even angry at the way the younger teenagers behave. Since The Grove has been open, less than two years, they have vandalized the children’s play area and the park benches and even the lights have been broken. They never use the trashcans; they throw their garbage on the ground for someone else to pick up. They jump their skateboards on the benches and the gazebo. What makes me frustrated is that we as a community indulge this behavior.” These residents make a good point. While we want our kids to have a good time, we can’t stand
idly by and watach them destroy our community’s property. We have repeatedly replaced several of the seats on the swings and boards on the park benches due to abuse. We’ve frequently had to clean the play surface and sidewalks in The Grove to remove gum and gooey, melted Silly String. The low fence at Endeavor Hall has been kicked in and broken several times. Sprinkler heads continue to be broken off purposely, and graffiti has been appearing along the trails as well. The City has added new recycling containers next to the trash receptacles in The Grove, so there’s no excuse for trash on the ground. It
is a misdemeanor to litter. We all love The Grove and we are really glad our kids have found it a lovely place to be. It’s becoming a regular gathering place for our middle-school kids, especially on Friday afternoons and evenings. It’s great to see them having a good time. But as parents and grandparents, we need to remind our children that having fun does not mean destroying the park for others, littering or rowdiness that drives the younger children from the play area. The Grove park fund was planned to accommodate routine wear and tear, but the state’s thefts from our General Fund budget leave no money for these excessive and constant vandalism repairs. We don’t have the resources
for full-time park attendants, so I’m asking that we all become better community watchdogs. When you see vandalism taking place, please pull out your cell phone and call the Police Department at 673-7350. That’s the non-emergency number and the dispatchers will take your call and direct it to an officer on duty. I’ve done it and they respond as quickly as they can to have a constructive chat with the offenders or issue citations if they observe offenses. If you feel comfortable, have a chat with the perpetrators yourself, particularly if you know them. It’s our park and we all need to stop the damage from happening. As always, you can contact me by email at Julie_Pierce@comcast.net. Let me know what you think.
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
August 21, 2009
Get swept away by this captivating first novel SUNNY SOLOMON FOR THE BOOKS Hang on folks, here comes the best read I’ve had this year. If Carolyn Wall’s second novel, already in the works, is anywhere near as good as “Sweeping Up Glass,” it will also be a “must read.” At first, “Glass” appears to be a story narrowly confined to the life of Olivia Harker of Aurora, Ky., a small mountain town in depression-ravaged
Police Log TWO WEEKS ENDING AUGUST 13 ARRESTS July 30, 3:30p.m., Concord Blvd. and Kirker Pass Rd., a Bay Point man, 19, was issued a citation for driving with a suspended license after being stopped for a vehicle code violation. Aug 1, 2:08 a.m., Clayton Rd. and Kirker Pass Rd., a Concord man, 19, was arrested on an outstanding warrant after being questioned for crossing the street illegally. Aug 2, 1:40 a.m., Clayton Rd. and Tara Ct., a Clayton woman, 22, was stopped for driving erratically and having possibly committed a hit and run and was arrested for driving under the influence with a suspended license. Aug 3, 7:40 p.m., Peacock Creek, a Clayton woman, 37, was arrested and charged with domestic battery. Aug. 8, 12:01 a.m., Condor Pl., a Clayton woman, 34, was arrested and charged with domestic battery. Aug. 10, 10:03 p.m., Marsh Creek Rd., a Concord woman, 19, was issued a citation for driving without a license and possession of marijuana after being stopped for a vehicle code violation. Aug. 11, 11:50 p.m., Clayton
Pope County. But the captured reader soon realizes that Olivia’s story is hauntingly wide in scope. What a pleasure to recommend a novel that excels in character development, setting and plot. I’ve never been to Kentucky, but when Olivia speaks on page one, I’m in, hook line and sinker: “There’s nobody on this strip of mountain now but me and Ida, and my grandson, Will’m. While I love the boy more than life, Ida’s a hole in another sock.” Wall doesn’t waste a word. By those two sentences, the reader knows that location is important, Will’m is beloved and Ida probably represents a
Road, a Pittsburg man, 27, was arrested for driving under the influence after being stopped for a vehicle code violation. Aug. 12, 11:12 p.m., Kirker Pass Rd. and Clayton Rd., a Concord man, 50, was issued a citation for driving outside the limits of his restricted license after being stopped for a vehicle code violation. Aug 13, 1:09 a.m., Clayton and Peacock Creek, a Martinez man, was arrested for driving under the influence after being stopped for a vehicle code violation. Aug. 13, 6:07 p.m., Main St., a Clayton youth, 15, was issued a citation for possession of marijuana and tobacco.
bottomless pit of misery. This novel has been compared to Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.” The comparison is not entirely off, but Wall’s story of Olivia’s family, from Ida, her dangerously neurotic mother, to Tate Harker, her decent, hard-working father, can stand on its own. How do we love those who are truly unlovable and find the honesty and courage to love and care for those who are just beyond our reach? Olivia’s life is an attempt to come to terms with a reality that seems determined to beat her down. In addition to Olivia’s story, Wall has created Aurora, a black and a white town, with its own
murderous history – a history in which Olivia finds her family more deeply and dangerously entwined than she could have imagined. Tate Harker, for all his decency, has his own secrets. These secrets create enemies. Both secrets and enemies not only outlive Olivia’s father but remain unknown to Olivia until the silver-faced wolves (brought to Big Foley Mountain by her grandfather 65 years before) are mysteriously and methodically hunted down and killed. The wolf killers are also hunters of another type, a group of men who meet behind locked barn doors and have enough rifles and rope to match their hate. Olivia and her grand-
son Will’m are not their only prey. The dark part of Aurora has silently suffered and as close as Olivia has become with some of the black families, they have kept their worst stories to themselves. Olivia’s threats come from within her family, as well. Will’m’s mother abandoned him when he was still a baby but returns to Olivia when he is 11, announcing it is time for Will’m to come to California and live with her. It is a dreadful standoff. Olivia thinks of Solomon splitting the baby and the mother who loves the child enough to let go. “Only I can’t let go, and that makes me the wicked one.” She continues: “If I shout he
can’t go, that he’s mine because I’ve raised him – he’ll be like a piece of old cloth we’re ripping in half.” Olivia, her family and fellow inhabitants of Aurora are characters whose originality and depth will stay with the reader long after their secrets are unearthed and their lives changed forever. Wall, an Oklahoma resident, has written a fine first novel and it should endure within the body of American literature. Sunny Solomon holds a Master of Arts in English and Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. She is a poet and published author. Email her with questions or comments at memorie3@yahoo.com
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BURGLARIES/THEFTS Aug 1, 10:23 a.m., Mt. Zion. Petty theft Aug. 7, 5:27 p.m., Lydia Ln. Petty theft Aug 8, 6:43 a.m., Main St. Petty theft Aug. 10, 7:33 p.m., Kirker Pass Rd. Grand theft Aug 12, 6:25 a.m., Mountaire Pkwy. Vehicle burglary Aug 12, 7:08 a.m., Bloching Cir. Vehicle burglary Aug. 12, 10:07 a.m., Mountaire Pkwy. Petty theft
VANDALISM Aug 1, 11:24 a.m., Westwood Park
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“Flushable diapers are better for the environment than disposable diapers that can sit in landfills for years.”
Sewer pipes in many older homes have been infiltrated by roots, the No. 1 cause of sewer back-ups. Flushed materials can get stuck on those roots and cause a clog. Flushable diapers are slow to disintegrate and can make this problem worse. Just because it goes down the toilet doesn’t mean it was successfully flushed.
“Disposable wipes offer quick and convenient clean-up.”
Since disposable wipes began growing in popularity, sewer lines around the country have been clogged with them. The sewer system is no place for disposable wipes (even those labeled “flushable”). Put them in the trash, not in the toilet.
“Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs) save energy and last longer than incandescent bulbs.”
CFLs contain small amounts of mercury and must be handled with care and disposed of as hazardous waste. It is illegal in California to put them in the trash. Bring them to the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility for safe disposal. For more information, go to www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/index.htm#fluorescent.
“Antibacterial soaps help reduce the spread of harmful germs.”
Most antibacterial products contain triclosan, a toxic chemical that can harm the water environment. If it goes down your drain, it will end up in the Bay because wastewater treatment plants cannot remove all traces of triclosan from the water. The American Medical Association and the Centers for Disease Control both say washing your hands in hot soapy water is just as effective as using an antibacterial product.
“Musical greeting cards will delight recipients.”
Greeting cards with music or sound effects are powered by “button-cell” batteries that can contain mercury, silver, cadmium, lithium and other heavy metals. These and other batteries must be disposed of as hazardous waste. It is illegal in California to put them in the trash. Bring unwanted batteries to the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility for safe disposal.
“Products made with nanotechnology have antibacterial and odorfighting properties.”
Nanotechnology involves particles on an ultra-small scale (a nanometer is one billionth of a meter). Nanotechnology that uses silver (nanosilver) is being added to socks and other clothing because silver kills odor-causing bacteria. But silver is also highly toxic to aquatic life, even at low concentrations. Research at UC Davis has found that laundering can wash off the nanosilver particles, sending them down the drain. These particles may survive the treatment process and enter waterways, where they could harm aquatic organisms.
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August 21, 2009
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Page 19
Summertime watermelon, sweet, juicy and good for you
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Hope you celebrated on Aug. 3 with a handful of napkins to catch all that sweet juice running down your chin as you chomped on a big ol’ slice of summer’s coolest, wettest fruit – watermelon. National Watermelon Day wasn’t created by Congress, so it was probably some producer’s idea to set aside one day a year to honor the fruit. Nevertheless, it’s a great excuse to enjoy this sweet and tasty melon that’s more than 90 percent water. Citrullus lanatus is related to cucumbers, pumpkins and squash. (Those other “veggies” are really fruits, too.) It’s likely that melons originated in the Kalahari Desert in Africa. Based on hieroglyphic depictions in ancient buildings, Egyptians began cultivating them about 5,000 years ago. The Moors introduced the melons to Spain and the rest of Mediterranean Europe. Seafarers introduced watermelons to China about 1,000 years ago, and now that country is the largest producer in the world – way ahead of U.S. production. It’s believed that African slaves were the first to bring the fruit to the United States. A recent version of the Guinness Book of World Records acknowledges Bill Carson of Tennessee for his 262pound goliath watermelon. The rest of us will normally find watermelons up to 45 pounds,
with some of the smaller varieties as light as a pound. There are more than 1,200 varieties of watermelon grown in nearly 100 countries. Most watermelons here have mottled green skin and pink to red fruit with black or brown seeds. Americans seem to prefer the seedless variety; pricey orange or yellowfleshed melons are a bit of a novelty. When choosing a watermelon, look for a pale or butter yellow spot on the bottom. This indicates ripeness. You can pat it and listen for a hollow sound, but the rind color is a better indicator. Although it looks sturdy, the thick rind is rather fragile (as you would know if you ever participated in a watermelon battle). The fruit is pretty nutritious. A two-cup serving has 80 calories and yields about 30 percent of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin A, 25 percent of Vitamin C and huge amounts of lycopene. Tomatoes have been getting a lot of press for lycopene, but watermelons have four times as much. We’ve been holding kids and teens cooking classes all summer at Pans on Fire. They seem to love to get in the kitchen and cook, so here are a few kidfriendly watermelon recipes from the National Watermelon Board. Nothing says that grown-ups won’t find them tasty as well.
WATERMELON PIZZA 1 watermelon slice, 8-10 inches around, 1-inch thick 1 c. strawberry preserves ½ c. white chocolate chips ½ c. raisins ½ c. chopped walnuts 1 c. sweetened shredded coconut Drain watermelon slice in a colander or on a paper towel for about 20 minutes to remove excess moisture. Spread preserves over one side of the watermelon and arrange the chips, raisins and walnuts evenly. Sprinkle with coconut. Slice into six pieces and serve.
FROSTED WATERMELON “COOKIES” Seedless watermelon cut into ½- to ¾-inch thick slices Vanilla-flavored Greek yogurt* Granola or similar cereal Use cookie cutters to cut shapes out of the slices. Using a spoon or offset knife, “frost” each shape with some yogurt and sprinkle with granola. You can also pipe the thick yogurt into designs using a pastry bag.
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Adults can enjoy making watermelon jam or this pickle recipe adapted from “The Los Angeles Times Cookbook.” WATERMELON RIND PICKLES 4 c. watermelon rind 1 T. salt 2 c. white vinegar 4 c. sugar 1 cinnamon stick, broken 1 tsp. whole cloves 1-inch piece fresh ginger (optional) Cut watermelon rind into 1inch by 2-inch pieces. Remove the green skin and pink flesh. Place rind in a large pot and add enough boiling water to cover; add salt. Simmer until tender. Drain and chill in cold water for one hour or overnight. Place cinnamon, cloves and ginger in a cheesecloth and tie it well. Place the spice packet, sugar and vinegar in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook five minutes. Drain and add the rind; simmer for about 10 minutes. Rind should be translucent. Remove and discard the spices. Follow canning supply instructions to safety can the rind and syrup. 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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Movie Review
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DIRECTOR LOUIE PSIHOYOS (center) and his crew attached cameras to remote control helicopters and balloons in their attempts to reveal the secrets of “The Cove.”
The film focuses on the fishing village of Taiji, Japan, the world’s premiere exporter of dolphins and porpoises to aquariums and zoos around the world. There, fishermen have learned to expertly herd thousands of dolphins and trap them every year. When captive dolphins can fetch about $130,000 a head, it’s easy to understand why the fishermen guard their operation so vehemently. However, what
for the plight of modern dolphins. O’Barry caught and trained dolphins for the popular ’60s TV show “Flipper,” which made the world fall in love with these unique mammals. That fascination continued into the lucrative, trained dolphin shows of today. O’Barry recounts how he slowly began to see the intelligence of these creatures and came to regret capturing them. But it wasn’t until after
“Flipper” was off the air that he had an awakening to what he had started. He claims that Cathy, one of the five female dolphins who portrayed Flipper, became seriously depressed in captivity and committed suicide in his arms. The next day, O’Barry was arrested while trying to free a dolphin from a nearby aquarium. He has made it his life’s mission to end the practice of capturing dolphins. While the documentary spends time interviewing several sympathetic voices, from surfers to scientists, about dolphin intelligence, it isn’t all about tree hugging, Mother Earth types. Equal time is devoted to revealing the dangers of mercury poisoning to people who consume dolphin meat and how the fishing and whaling industry in Japan has worked to secretly disguise dolphin meat as other kinds of seafood to make a profit. The fact that dolphin meat is highly toxic, with thousands of times the acceptable levels of mercury, doesn’t seem to deter the government from planning to use it in mandatory school lunches all over Japan. “The Cove” does a good job of mixing the historical background and scientific details of the case with the high drama of a “Mission: Impossible” style operation to gather hard evidence about the slaughter. The cameras follow director Louie Psihoyos as he recruits help for this secret mission to get cameras into the cove at Taiji. With Japanese police following their every move and angry locals blocking access, the team has a difficult time. Their passion for
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‘Cove’ a serious look at plight of the dolphins happens after a select few of the trapped herd are flown off to various aquariums is what causes producers of this film to call Taiji “the little town with a really big secret.” The central figure is Ric O’Barry, a man who was, at one time, the top dolphin trainer in the world and blames himself
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From its title, “The Cove” could be any kind of film – from a tragic love story to a slasher flick with a crazed, knifewielding maniac trapping innocent teens in his seaside hunting grounds. This documentary, about massive dolphin slaughter in a small town in Japan, actually has elements of both.
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the cause drives them to risk imprisonment to expose this secret to the world. Psihoyos says he wanted to capture and expose something “that will make people change.” He cites how the revelation that whales “sing” led to the “save the whales” movement and he hopes to inspire people to action in that same way. The images he captured are horrific and if you are on the fence about becoming a vegetarian, this film might just push you over. However, the fact that the filmmakers were successful in bringing some exposure to this bloody secret gives hope. “The Cove” provides a Website for those wishing to help end the annual practice of mass dolphin slaughter in Japan. For more information, visit www.savejapandolphins.com or www.takepart.com/thecove.
Don Pedro Cruz is a local freelance writer and graphic designer. Send your comments to dpvc2000@gmail.com
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Hens and chicks love the heat, perfect for Clayton Gardeners have been loving Consider a cobalt blue or onyx succulents this summer. The basin. interest in these unique, fleshWhen installing any of these textured perennials is astound- succulents, the soil has to be ing. addressed. All succulents need Once overwell-drained soil, looked, succubut this is nearly lents have taken impossible with the front row of our native clay nursery aisles soil. Soil amending and point-ofis crucial to the purchase areas. survival of your Everyone wants succulents. Use a them, and who high-quality garcan blame them? den soil mixed Succulents with sand, perlite, are often humus or sulfur. referred to as Or, purchase NICOLE HACKETT hens and chicks, bagged soil for GARDEN GIRL cacti and succueven though not all succulents lents and leave the fall under that name. I want to mixing to the experts. focus on the vast family of However, the bag of Miracle Echeveria. Grow potting soil that you This Mexican native is quite bought for your pansies, with at home in our Clayton Valley built-in moisture control, will containers and borders. not do if you are planting sucEcheveria thrives in our heat culents. and loves our low humidity. PLENTY TO SHARE Most Echeveria selections can Echeveria Deranosa has a simtolerate about six hours of sun. ilar look to the elegans, with compact blue-green rosettes THE FLAVOR OF MEXICO Echeveria elegans is the most and powdery blue tones colorcommonly found of the hens ing the fleshy leaves. Some and chicks. This perennial has rosettes are small, while others tight, tiny rosettes of whitish- are large. The flowers of sumgray leaves that mound and mer spike upward and gently spread, reaching about eight turn their heads down, pointing inches tall and as wide as there is their yellow flowers toward the room to spread. Echeveria ele- ground – creating little hooks gans can also be called Mexican of blooms. snowball or Mexican rose. Perle von Nurnberg is an Enjoy this hardy Echeveria Echeveria with slightly differin a bowl-shaped or other shal- ent colored foliage. The flesh low container. Use a vessel with on this hen and chick is graya dark color to contrast with the green with an amethyst overMexican rose’s whitish cast. tone. Perle von Nurnberg’s
rosettes are larger, and the tips of the bushels are pointed. Perle von Nurnberg will grow and create a large pile of succulent to enjoy. You will be tempted to share this selection with other succulent-loving friends. Echeveria can be propagated by using entire broken rosettes, or just a leaf. It is almost a simple as rooting a geranium. One trick to remember is to let the rosette or leaf heal before you plant. That means you should use a dried piece of succulent. Once you remove your intended piece, leave it out of soil for a day or so and then plant in the chosen medium. Be aware that some Echeveria introductions are patented and propagation is illegal. OPTIONS ABOUND Nodulosa is a unique bi-colored variety of Echeveria. This selection has gray-green leaves with distinctive maroon stripes down the center and along the margin. The flower spikes can reach 30 inches tall, while the blossoms are peach and white. Haagai Tolimanensis is a topheavy succulent. It has round, fleshy leaves that are mostly amethyst with olive green overtones. The growth piles on top of itself, making the Haagai Tolimanensis heavy and risky to move. Short stalks of flowers top this perennial during the summer, and the bloom is a dark pinkish-orange. Hummingbirds love this selection.
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Echeveria gibbiflora v. metallica is a great-shaped, interesting perennial. The smoky amethyst foliage broadens at the base to support the multi-stemmed blooms. Note that this selection will need some shade. All of these need protection from frost. When the weather calls for temperatures in the upper 20s, you need to protect your succulents. Containergrown selections can be picked up and brought near the home, in the shelter of overhangs or eaves. Better yet, place your succulents in the garage or garden shed. If they are planted in the ground, cover the succulents with frost fabric and spray with a cloud cover or wilt-stop product. Another foe of the succulent is too much winter rain water. If we have another El Nino year, you may lose your succulents to drowning. As a precaution, root some cuttings indoors this winter to replace any lost by rain. Nicole is the Garden Girl at R&M Pool, Patio, Gifts and Garden Contact her with questions, comments or suggestions at gardengirl@claytonpioneer.com
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ADDRESS 6022 Mitchell Creek Pl 93 El Portal Place 106 La Encinal Ct 3087 Windmill Canyon Dr 252 Stranahan Circle 6008 High Street 400 Chupcan Pl 5205 Keller Ridge Drive 705 Condor Place 5593 Coronado Court 145 Widmar Pl 30 Mount Hamilton Ct 5915 Wallace Dr 21 Mount Teton Pl 1816 Eagle Peak Ave
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SALE DATE
SF
BED/BATH
8/8/09 8/7/09 8/5/09 8/4/09 8/4/09 7/31/09 7/31/09 7/28/09 7/24/09 7/24/09 7/24/09 7/22/09 7/17/09 7/16/09 7/16/09
2200 2427 2390 2532 1663 2148 1749 3079 1026 1646 2810 2141 2095 1823 1877
4/2.5 3/2.5 4/2.5 5/2.5 3/2.5 4/2.5 3/2.5 5/3 2/2 4/2 4/2.5 4/2.5 3/3 3/2 3/2.5