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March 19, 2010
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CVHS students join teachers in rally to protest draconian budget cuts TAYLOR TOVREA Clayton Pioneer
HANK STRATFORD
MAYOR’S CORNER Ideas spring forth during Career Day I had the opportunity of participating in Career Day at Diablo View Middle School on March 10. Sherri O’Connor and Elisa Dudley organized the day, which included more than 60 speakers with a wide variety of careers. They included a photographer, a pilot for PG&E, an air traffic controller who drove up from Redwood City (I believe his kids were covering for him in the tower), an insurance broker, a forensic engineer (with pictures of accidents and structural failures), a civil engineer, a certified public accountant, an executive with AAA and a building designer. Many of the speakers brought PowerPoint presentations and handouts. I wanted to skip my classes and listened to the other speakers. I spoke in Jennifer Ruff ’s leadership class and Robert Nichols’ English/social studies class. I figured if I couldn’t bore them with the responsibilities of a mayor, I would try boring them with a discussion of carpet cleaning. My fail-safe was to discuss accounting. Fortunately, the students were great and we mainly talked about Clayton. I asked the students for suggestions of what I could write
See Mayor, page 10
Mike Dunn/Clayton Pioneer
STUDENTS LINE ALBERTA WAY ALONG THE ENTIRE LENGTH of Clayton Valley High School during a March 4 “disaster drill” in protest against cuts proposed by the District to close a $48.7 million budget gap.
See Rally, page 9
The egg clearly comes first for this local artist
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
gymnastics in Vallejo. Practice would last sometimes four hours and she began painting wooden eggs in the car while waiting. “It wasn’t enough time to come home and go back again, and I couldn’t stand just sitting there doing nothing.” Inspired by the Fabergé eggs created for the Imperial family of Czar Alexander III, each of Laurence’s creations begins with a single item that catches her eye--a blue glass bowl turned upside that might make a lovely base or a vintage rhinestone necklace found in a thrift store. Then, she begins to assemble things that go together – a set of crystal beads, a feather, perhaps a tiny bird or some gold braid from an old lampshade – and soon she has a vision. She chooses an eggshell – emu and ostrich shells are favorites – and goes to work, taking weeks, months, sometimes a year to complete a single egg. Every egg has a “surprise” at the center. There might be music, special lighting or another egg. Often, it’s one of her mother Varine Horton’s handmade porcelain dolls. Laurence is always on the lookout for things to use in decorating her eggs. Thrift stores,
POLICE CHIEF DAN LAWRENCE hands out “dollars” to students as part of the Jr. Achievement program in financial literacy at MDES.
See Egg Exhibit, page 3
TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
In a fitting tribute to spring, Sher Elegance, the decorated egg collection created by local
artist Sher Laurence, will be on display at the Clayton Museum beginning March 28. Laurence began decorating eggs more than 20 years ago when her daughter was taking
Jr. Achievement program brings financial literacy to MDES In Mrs. Rogers’ second grade class, Police Chief Dan Lawrence introduced the students to city government and public finance. Several students
“earned” $3 in wages for working in a donut shop. Minutes later, the tax collector made the See Jr. Achievement page 3
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID CLAYTON, CA PERMIT 190
Students at Mt. Diablo Elementary got a little smarter about money earlier this month when the Jr. Achievement Program sponsored their annual day of economics education. The program brought city officials and members of the business community to the classroom to talk about where money comes from and where it goes.
Students at Clayton Valley High School staged a protest March 4 to call attention to funding needs – just days before the Mt. Diablo Unified School District approved $48.7 million in cuts and sent out 200 pink slips. Clayton Valley was among schools statewide to hold a Day of Action “disaster drill” to get students and teachers out and shut down the school, ever so briefly, in a show of unity that the cuts are no longer tolerated. While hoards of people rallied in the streets in San Francisco and Berkeley, blackclad Clayton Valley students filed out into the front parking lot on Alberta Way. A group of students stood just outside the main entrance, waving handmade signs and parading around with duct tape over their mouths. Drivers of passing cars honked enthusiastically in support. “I was really proud of my kids who participated,” said
What’s Inside Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Church News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Community Calendar . . . . . . . . . . .16 Directory of Advertisers . . . . . . . . . .5 DVMS Reporter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Financial Sense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Food for Thought . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
LOCAL EGGERY ARTIST Sher Laurence brings her Fabergéinspired decorated eggs to the Clayton Museum on March 28.
Going Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Movie Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Police Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 School News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Senior Moments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Staying Fit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Teen Speak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Upcoming Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 What Really Matters . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Your Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
March 19, 2010
Around Town Creekside festival celebrates art, culture and nature
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
Tammy Slezak’s crocheted butterfly and hummingbird was the People’s Choice at the Creekside Arts Celebration.
“WINTER SOLSTICE” by Leo Schindler took second place for photography and was honored for “best composition” in the juried competition
Clayton
In keeping with the theme “A Community Comes Together . . . Art, Culture and Nature,” the Creekside Artists Guild brought dozens of artists, artisans, performers and ecologists to the Clayton Community Library in celebration of the library’s 15th birthday. This was the 7th annual Creekside Arts Celebration and the biggest one yet. Art sales topped $5,000 – $1,500 more than last year, reported event coordinator Arlene KikkawaNielsen. Twenty percent of each sale went to the Clayton Library to support art and environmental programs. Thirty artists participated in a juried exhibition of paintings, drawings, watercolors, threedimensional art and photography judged by members of the Contra Costa Arts and Culture Commission. Best of Show winner was Pleasant Hill artist David Brooks’ “Blues Run Deep” painting in acrylic. Local artists were well represented among the winners with Sandra Lim taking second in Painting and Drawing with her acrylic “Red Wall.” Clayton photographer Leo Schindler’s “Winter Solstice” was second in photography and Cathy Chatterjee took first in three-dimensional art for her ceramic vase. New to the celebration this year was the People’s Choice Award. Throughout the weekend, people attending were invited to vote for their own favorite piece of art. Local artist and Clayton resident Tammy Slezak, took the honor with a crocheted monarch butterfly and hummingbird symbolizing floating and flight. The work is painstakingly crafted of vintage threads and took three months to complete. “I have tried to elevate what has traditionally been
a utilitarian craft to the sphere of art,” said Slezak. The components were assembled like small quilts, she explained. “With the threads binding the piece together as community and cultural events bind us together. “The butterfly, hummingbird and bee are indicative of some of our local fauna,” she noted and “illustrate the beauty of our natural environment. The piece is both realistic and whimsical.” Danielle Velasquez and Elena Nielsen, students from the CVHS ClaytonArts Academy created 28 handmade origami award ribbons for the professional jury and the People’s Choice awards. “The awards were a work of art in themselves,” said event coordinator Arlene Kikkawa-Nielsen. While art lovers were browsing the exhibits, others were in Hoyer Hall beating time with Brazilian percussionists, or singing along with the CVHS show choir and Women’s Ensemble, kicking back with jazz duo Bonafide or mellowing out with local pianist and composer Jim Hudak. Throughout the weekend, there were poetry readings, ecology exhibits, drama improvisations, and story telling. Outside, the garden was blooming with Debbie DeSousa’s brightly colored flowers, all made from recycled materials. In the courtyard, several children including Cole and Meredith Edmonston were decorating rocks. “I’m making a Christmas tree,” said Meredith, 5. “I painted a ladybug and a tulip one too.” On Sunday, the weekend wrapped up with an open mic jam session led by Jim Hudak. See page 20 for more Creekside Arts Celebration photos.
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Meghan Pardi goes to any lengths to remember a friend Meghan Pardi put vanity aside and chopped off her 13inch long ponytail to donate to Pantene Beautiful Lengths to make free wigs for female cancer patients. The 25-year-old was inspired by fellow Clayton resident Jill Bedecarré, who died of cancer in 2007. Meghan is a longtime friend of Jill’s son, Justin. Jill was the assistant editor of the Pioneer from 2003 until her death. “When Jill was in chemo, I remember my mom telling me that she ran into her and she was wearing a beautiful wig, and she seemed to be glowing with it on. I thought that was so neat,” Meghan recalls. When Jill died, Meghan sang at her memorial and made a vow to grow out her hair and donate it in Jill’s name. “If my hair can help this company make wigs for people who are going through things that I cannot even imagine, then it is well worth it,” Meghan says. “Losing your hair must be a terrible feeling. Just getting a new haircut is terrifying.”
La Shawn and Toi Wells have a new granddaughter. London Riley Oseguera was born Jan. 9 and is the first child for parents Paul & Talita Oseguera of Oakland London weighed in at 7 lbs. 14 ozs.
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March 19, 2010
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Page 3
Around Town
Egg Exhibit, from page 1
A bit chili, but still a good day at Clayton Club The Clayton Club Saloon was bursting at the seams on Feb. 28 when more than 100 hungry locals gathered to watch the 6th annual Chili Cook-off judging. With mouths watering, they watched in suspense as five judges tasted and tested and tasted again, finally awarding the $300 first prize to chili champ Cal
“Hillbilly” Campbell for his signature meat chili. Second place and $200 went to Mark McCullah. Joe Johnson and John Barger tied for third, each taking home $100. The judging panel included Police Chief Dan Lawrence, City Council Members Howard Geller and Julie Pierce, Assistant to the City
Manager Laura Hoffmeister and Pioneer publisher Bob Steiner. After the awards, the hungry patrons made short work of the 17 crockpots. “By 3 o’clock, every bean and scrap
of meat w as gone and the bowls licked clean,” said Clayton Club owner Steve Barton. STEVE BARTON
Three have company at Disneyland bash
Bob Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
CHILI COOK-OFF contest judges present $300 check to first place winner. From left Laura Hoffmeister, Howard Geller, Dan Lawrence, Cal “Hillbilly” Campbell and Julie Pierce.
Pioneer goes whale watching in Maui
Clockwise from top: Marybeth Cook, Janet Fetz, Colin, John, Thomas and Sarah Cook celebrate family birthdays at Disneyland
The Pioneer went along on a whale watching trip in February with Micki McCabe Walls, Patti Pratt and Alison Bacigalupo. We saw lots of camera shy whales and soaked up the rays. Good trip.
Triplets, John, Sarah and Colin Cook celebrated their 10th birthday on Mar. 9 with a surprise trip to Disneyland. Also along for birthday celebrations were their twin cousins, Isabella and Francis who turned 4 on Mar. 6 and the triplets aunt and uncle, Heidi and Jaime Escudero (also celebrating a March birthday) and grand-
mother Janet Fetz from Indiana. The family spent two days at Disneyland eating Mickey ice cream bars, candy and fried chicken and watching the fireworks display. Mom, Marybeth Cook, was thrilled to pull it off. “With all the family members celebrating at once, it truly made the memory of a lifetime.”
garage sales and even the recycle bin can yield decorating riches. What might be junk to one can be a bonanza to Laurence. “I have old jewelry coming out my ears,” she says. “I see possibilities in everything.” “Friends bring me stuff all the time.” In the refrigerator is a goose egg from a neighbor up the road. “It’s a perfect shell, but, I have to eat the egg first,” she laughs. Art has been at the core of Laurence’s life since childhood when she would sit on the bed and paint. “I’d get paint all over my bedspread,” she says with a chuckle. Several years as a manicurist introduced her to the dremel, a rotary tool that led her into sculpture. All of her skills come into play in eggery, she notes. “It’s been a long process trying to figure out how to do it.” The museum exhibit will be the first time Laurence’s eggs have been on display. “I’m really excited to have people learn more about the art,” she says. The exhibit will include several framed canvas prints of her Fabergé inspired eggs. The prints will be raffled off to raise money for the Historical Society.
The exhibit begins March 28 and runs through May 24. The museum is open Wednesdays and Sundays from 2-4 p.m. and will be open Easter Sunday. The museum is at 1601 Main St. in downtown Clayton.
Jr. Achievement, rounds, collecting $1 for public service assessments. “Hey, don’t take my money. I worked hard for that,” groaned a chorus of outraged “taxpayers.” “The goal of the day is for students to go home and talk to their parents about money and careers,” says the program’s district manager, Jenni Beeman. The Jr. Achievement Program is a non-profit, world-
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Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
OPEN THE FRONT of this golden Christmas egg and hear “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing”
from page 1
wide organization that educates students in workforce readiness and financial literacy. Jr. Achievement develops the curriculum and provides all the materials. Volunteers from the community are trained to teach the sessions. The program is funded through events and donations. For more information on Jr. Achievement, visit www.ja.org.
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March 19, 2010
Celebrate spring with a Mt. Diablo hike In spring, Mt. Diablo offers one of California’s best wildflower shows. And the waterfalls in the upper reaches of Donner Canyon are icing on the cake this time of year. The Falls Trail begins at the end of Regency Drive on the eastern edge of Clayton. Take Donner Canyon Road to Cardinet Oaks Roads, to Falls Trail, to Middle Trail and back. The hike is 4.8 miles round trip, with a 1,200 feet change in elevation each way. There are some steep areas on Donner Canyon Road, but the Falls Trail is relatively easy. Mitchell Canyon does not have big falls, but is easier going and streamside. After a heavy rain; expect mud in lower Donner Canyon. Starting at Regency Drive (No. 1 on the map), you immediately cross Donner Creek just above where it merges with Back Creek in Clayton’s open space. It looks as though the creeks carved a gorge between Regency and Mountaire. The streets deadend across from each other, leaving the creeks un-culverted – a testimony to creek protection efforts in Clayton. Both creeks have been full lately and the lower reaches of the canyon are somewhat muddy. Mud is a good sign that waterfalls are booming in the canyon above. Follow Donner Creek across the lower foothills with their big valley oaks and non-native eucalyptus and up into the canyon for the first mile and a half. You’ll pass the charred remains of the old Hetherington cabin (2) and soon leave the creek bank to begin climbing more seriously. Before long, views will open up to the Mt. Zion quarries to the west, to Mitchell Rock a little to their south and to the urbanized Clayton Valley below. Turn around and stop often to see the quickly expanding view. You’ll pass the Tick Wood and Hetherington Loop trails (3) before reaching Cardinet Oaks Road. The wildflower show really gets going in March and April. But in winter, signs of the 1977 fire are more visible – blackened tree trunks and the ghostly groves of dead gray manzanitas surrounded by the red-trunked, new growth. At Cardinet Oaks Road (4), Back Canyon is to the west. In the distance, the Oakhurst development is visible east of Clayton Road. After climbing, Cardinet Oaks Road heads downhill and
gerous and damaging to the environment. Depending on the season, you’ll cross the creeks several times before joining Middle Trail (7) and taking the down slope back to Donner Canyon Road (4). Throughout the hike, you’ll enjoy the roar of the creeks. As a variation, climb up to Meridian Ridge Road (8) and then down the Meridian Point Trail (9) into Back Canyon (10). The Back Creek Trail ends where you parked, after passing more wildflowers and thicker chaparral. Or start at the Mitchell Canyon Trailhead (11) and ascend using the Coulter Pine Trail (12) to the Back Creek Trail (13). Enjoy an easier ascent on the Tick Wood Trail (14) to reach the Donner Creek Trail (3). However, there is a fee to park at Mitchell Canyon. Another option is to follow the Middle Trail (7) and the Falls Trail (6) in a counter-clockwise direction to avoid the steep ascent on Cardinet Oaks Road (4). Weather and terrain vary widely on the mountain. Hikers should dress in layers, bring a hat and wear sturdy walking shoes or boots. Carry a liter of water on short hikes and two liters on longer hikes. Don’t forget a snack and sunscreen. Photos by Scott Hein, Board Member of Save Mount Diablo, heinphoto.com CASCADING WATERFALLS IN THE UPPER Donner Canyon draw
hikers up the mountain in the early spring. crosses Donner Creek (5). Just past the creek, older manzanitas show the lovely red veins of living tissue twining around otherwise dead, gray branches. You’ll double back upslope in a short, steep section. The Falls Trail (6) cuts off steeply uphill and to the east (right) just above a turn in the road, near the 1,400 foot contour. But the trail quickly levels out. As the trail crests, the waterfalls become visible and the view stretches to Martinez and Benicia. On a good day, the water and falls will be clearly visible on three different branches of the creek – crossing the many layers of sedimentary and metamorphic rock visible the length of the trail. The twisted, rocky landscape appears almost volcanic. The first fall sometimes drops more than 25 feet. Even in December, the green fronds of the polypody ferns are visible on
the rocks and one of the season’s first blooms, the pink racemes of wild currants, can be spotted. Hikers should be sensitive, because the slopes are steep and erosion-prone. Stick to the main trail and avoid the temptation to climb down to the falls. It’s dan-
Article courtesy of Save Mt. Diablo. SMD’s mission is to preserve Mount Diablo's peaks, surrounding foothills and watersheds through land acquisition and preservation strategies designed to protect the mountain's natural beauty, biological diversity and historic and agricultural heritage; enhance the area's quality of life; and provide recreational opportunities consistent with protection of natural resources. For more on self-guided hikes, visit savemountdiablo.org.
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March 19, 2010
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Junior rangers can explore the wild
P.O. Box 1246 6200 Center Street, Suite H, Clayton, CA 94517 TAMARA AND R OBERT S TEINER , Publishers TAMARA S TEINER , Editor R ANDY W ENGER , Display Advertising P ETE C RUZ , Graphic Design B EV B RITTON , Copy Editor J AY B EDECARRÉ, Sports C HRISTINA S CARLOTT , Administrative Assistant
Mt. Diablo State Park has opened signups for the spring 2010 Junior Ranger Program. In the program, kids will learn about wildlife, geology and other topics. Each session includes classroom presentations, hands-on activities and a hike. Awards will be given at each stage of completion. Children 7-12, plus one accompanying adult, are eligible to participate. The five Saturday sessions begin May 1 and conclude June 5. Each session runs 1-4 p.m. The program is free, but a park entrance fee is required. For more information or to register, contact Steve Elliott at 362-8697 or SAE612@msn.com.
S TAFF W RITERS : Denisen Hartlove, Lou Fancher, Nicci Shipstead, Pam Wiesendanger, Mike Dunn, Harry Stoll We remember Jill Bedecarré - Her spirit is our muse
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Directory of Advertisers Auto B & C Auto Care & TireCenter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .676-4366 Clayton Valley Shell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-3900 Mike's Auto Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-1739 Children’s Services Music Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .946-2990 Construction and Trades Belfast Plumbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .457-5423 Closets and Kitchens Van Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .914-7557 Haddon Heating & Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .521-1380 LHI Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-9941 Smith & Bernal Roofing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0138 Tipperary Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-2679 Dentist Children's Dentistry of Walnut Creek . . . . . . . . . .938-2392 Mason, Christina D.D.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1559 Renner, Jason D.D.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-2800 Rissel, Richard D.M.D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-2800 Dining and Entertainment Clayton Club Saloon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-0440 Willows Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .957-2500 Financial and Insurance Services Benton, Mureleen - Ameriprise Financial . . . . . .685-4523 CD Federal Credit Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .825-0900 Ferrante Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .674-1755 Littorno, Richard - Attorney at Law . . . . . . . . . . .672-6463 Miller, Thomas C.P.A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .354-1385 Van Wyck, Doug - State Farm Insurance . . . . . . .672-2300 Funerals Ouimet Funeral Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-4242
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Page 5
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Gifts The Royal Rooster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2025
installation. If you want more flowers this year, call or email Nicole Hackett 673-1746, or gardengirl94517@yahoo.com.
WANTED Real Estate Agents Be Successful! Lynne French is expanding and interviewing for a few agents. Call her today (925) 672-8787.
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. Call Jim at 673-0300 or e-mail hairbyjim@sbcglobal.net. Anna’s Attic Volunteers
Health John Muir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .941-2244 Home and Garden Abbey Carpet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .686-9901 Clear Splash Pool Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-6245 Danmer Shutters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .202-1220 Floors to Go Danville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .820-8700 Pacific Coast Flooring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .609-2151 Michael B. Home Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .305-7716 Navlet’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .681-0550 Nichols Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9955 Utopic Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0055 Mailing and Shipping The UPS Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-6245 Motorcycle & ATV’s Contra Costa Powersports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .687-7742 Personal Products and Services Bella Mia Spa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .680-7792 Clayton Mind & Body Connection . . . . . . . . . . . .673-0686
Hospice of the East Bay – Anna’s Program Anna's Program, (formerly Hospice and Palliative Care of Contra Costa), is seeking dedicated, caring volunteers to provide home companionship and practical support for women with recurrent breast cancer. To volunteer at the Hospice of the East Bay thrift store at 5350 Clayton Road. Call store manager, Debbie at 674-9072 or Lamont Campbell at (925) 7665066.To apply for free training, call Hospice of the East Bay at (925) 887-5678 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.
Pet Services Monte Vista Veterinary Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1100 Rodie’s Feed and Country Store . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4600 Vet Tech Pet Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .899-7354
Clayton Historical Society Museum Greeter for two hours per month from 2-4 p.m. Wednesdays or Sundays. No experience or extensive knowledge of Clayton history is necessary. Call the museum at 672-0240 and leave your name.
Senior Services Aegis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .692-5853 Always Available Home Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .349-4854 Diamond Terrace Senior Retirement Living . . . . .524-5100
Clayton Community Library Needs volunteers. Minimum age 13. Minimum commitment is 6 months. Some training provided. Shelver - to shelve and sensitize library materials. Various days/times. Tutors - no prior experience necessary! You determine the grade level and subjects you are comfortable with and the days/times. Requires good communication skills, patience and a desire to help students in the community. Contact: Arlene @ 673-9777 or email: akikkawa@ccclib.org
Real Estate and Mortgage Services Cutrifelli, Wendy - Alain Pinel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 934-1111 Flannery, Patty - Diablo Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0541 French, Lynne - Windermere Real Estate . . . . . .672-8787 Kavanaugh, Mike - RE/MAX Town & Country . . .672-7800 Klock, Leigh - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . . .212-5593 Laurence, Pete - RE/MAX Realty . . . . . . . . . . . .890-6004 Lopez, Stephanie - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . .932-7329 Morucci, Kim - Intero Real Estate Services . . . . .280-8563 Vujnovich, George - Better Homes Realty . . . . .672-4433 Recreation Castle Rock Arabians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .937-7661 Clayton Valley Bowl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-4631 Clayton Valley Dance Academy . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0180 Diablo FC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-GOAL Oakhurst Country Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9737
Services, Other Air Cloud Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260-4119 x 2 Appliance Repairs by Bruce, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2700 Computers USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9989 Contra Costa Water District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .688-8044 Household Hazardous Waste . . . . . . . . . 1-800-646-1431 Net Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 672-6029 Next Energy Solar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-0600 Recycling Center & Transfer Station . . . . . . . . . .473-0180 Travel Cruise Adventures Unlimited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .935-7447 Travel to Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9840 Worship Clayton Community Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-9060 Eternal Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0295 St. Bonaventure Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-5800 St. John’s Episcopal Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8855
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
March 19, 2010
Upcoming Events March 28 Easter Egg Hunt Gather at the Clayton Community Gym at 12:30 for the annual Easter Egg Hunt and
April 16-19 Clayton Library Used Book Sale Sale begins Fri. Apr 16, 4-7 p.m. with a Members’ Only Preview. Buy a Library Foundation membership at the door and get first pick at the more than 15,000 titles. Sale continues Sat. from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sun. Noon – 4 p.m. Half price on Sunday with a $3-a-bag wrap up from 2-4.
April 24 Clayton Cleans Up
UTOPIC GARDENS
BBQ lunch. This free event with games, treats and photos with the Easter Bunny is sponsored by the YMCA, city of Clayton, Alain Pinel Realty, Isagenix and Clayton Community Church.
Bring family, friends and neighbors to City Hall at 9 a.m. to help spiff up the town before the Art and Wine Festival. Pick up trash on trails, in parks and around town.
Great event for families, homeowner associations, scouting groups and service clubs to show their civic pride. Gloves, trash bags and small tools will be provided. BBQ lunch at 11:30. For more information, call the Clayton Pioneer, 672-0500.
April 24 Clayton Library Murder Mystery Dinner Event Celebrating its 15th birthday, the Clayton Community Library will host this fun murder mystery dinner from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Community Meeting Room, 6125 Clayton Road. Tickets are $15 will be available at the library after Mar. 20.
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Because yellowjackets can swarm and sting repeatedly, the Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District offers a free service for yellowjackets to help protect public health. In our county, there are four types of yellowjackets – two that nest above ground and two that nest below ground. The Mosquito and Vector Control District’s free service is for the ground-nesting yellowjackets. “We only treat ground-nesting yellowjackets because we are not licensed to provide service in or to structural buildings and homes, and that’s where the above-ground yellowjackets tend to nest,” says supervisor Sheila Currier. Ground-nesting yellowjackets most commonly appear as the weather warms in spring. They build nests in abandoned rodent holes, railroad ties or in soil cavities underground. The queen begins the building process, laying eggs through the spring and summer to produce the colony. The colony members then chew wood from fences or structures into a paper-like pulp in order to expand the nest. There can be as many as 5,000 yellowjackets in a single colony. Yellowjackets eat smaller pest insects, so they can provide natural insect reduction in many landscapes. Because they can also do incidental pollination through this process, yel-
lowjackets can be viewed as beneficial. However, their principal source of food in the spring and early summer is meat to provide protein to the growing colony. That preference changes to fruit, soda and garbage in late summer as the colony’s dietary needs turn to sugar. That’s why these insects have gained a reputation for ruining countless picnics. Once yellowjackets make their presence known, the next step for homeowners is to identify the insects’ nest. One way is by spotting them as they enter or exit the nest in search of food. Yellowjackets will exit at dawn, returning to the nest repeatedly during the day until their final return at dusk to stay in the nest overnight. People tend to find nests by accident, usually disturbing them while doing yard work. Once you locate a nest, mark it by placing a garden tool, hose or any clearly visible object at the location. Homeowners must also draw a simple map describing the location before contacting the district for free yellowjacket service. To request service, visit ContraCostaMosquito.com or dial 771-6184. The district typically responds to the call within one business day. A state-certified employee will then visit the home, verify the nest location and treat the nest with a plantbased powder insecticide that should be left alone for one day. Twenty-four hours after the
treatment, the homeowner will be instructed to cover the nest with dirt and tamp it down. In cases where homeowners experience yellowjackets but cannot find a nest, it is possible the insects are only foraging for food and not setting up residence. These simple steps can reduce the risk of yellowjackets: Keep garbage cans covered with tight-fitting lids. Pick up fallen fruit. About 15 minutes prior to a picnic or outdoor barbecue, place a plate with samples of everything on the menu in the furthest corner of the yard to attract the yellowjackets away from the picnic. If yellowjackets have been a persistent problem, pheromone-baited traps purchased from hardware or home improvement stores can be installed following the last hard freeze of winter. The purpose is to capture the queen to minimize the establishment of new colonies. The trap should be located in the furthest location from the house. It should be checked regularly to maintain effectiveness. Woods is a community affairs representative for the Mosquito and Vector Control District. For more information or to schedule a free presentation for a community group, contact Woods at 771-6158 or nwoods@ccmvcd.net.
Five cities join forces to attract Google project LAURA HOFFMEISTER Special to the Pioneer
Clayton is among five East Bay cities joining forces to apply to be a test site for the Google Fiber for Communities project. The city has joined with Concord, Pleasant Hill, Martinez and Walnut Creek to ask local residents to help bring ultra-high-speed Internet connections to the region. The Diablo Valley area is interconnected with various infrastructures, and the joint approach builds upon that strength. According to Google, the project will provide Internet speeds “more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today.” The high-speed connection has many benefits for businesses, hospitals and schools, in addition to faster download speeds for residents. For example, with 1 gigabit per second, health clinics will be able to stream 3D medical images and households will be able to download a full-length HD movie in less than five minutes. Google plans to test the high-speed connections in different locations throughout the country. The five-city East Bay region is a prime candidate for the Google experiment because of the significant number of residents, medical and educational facilities, research and development companies and corporate offices. As a first step, Google is putting out a request for information to help identify interested communities. The company welcomes responses from members of the public as well as local governments. Google will collect responses until March 26 and will announce the target communities later this year. To nominate Clayton, Concord, Pleasant Hill, Martinez and Walnut Creek, visit google.com/appserve/fiberrfi/public/options.
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March 19, 2010
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com
Staying fit is fun – and, frankly, crucial
DAN ASHLEY
WHAT REALLY MATTERS Sometimes, I craft my column sitting quietly at my desk in my study at home. This time, I’m on my feet and on the move. I have a little workout room in my house. On the treadmill rests a jury-rigged shelf placed strategically across the safety arms – thereby allowing the use of my laptop computer. I write while I walk. Forty-seven calories burned since I wrote the first words. As has been widely reported, we are facing a crisis in this country that will have longterm, tragic and totally avoidable consequences for tens of millions of Americans. We’re really fat and getting fatter.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one-third of the adult population over the age of 20 in the United States is obese. But a far higher percentage than that is overweight. Most of us can lose five, 10 or 20 pounds. I’ve lost 14 pounds in the last two months, with another 10 to drop to get down to a very trim weight for my height and physique. This explains why I am typing away while my legs are marching along at 2½ miles an hour. Seventy-eight calories and counting, by the way. Staying as fit as possible requires each of us to demonstrate a little discipline and a reasonable amount of consistent effort. My boss, the news director at ABC-7, always keeps a variety of chocolates on his desk as a way to encourage the rank and file to wander in to say “hello.” For years, I would visit Kevin’s office every day and grab not one or two, but 10 or 12 pieces of candy. Do that everyday and you can imagine what one starts to notice on the scale. For the past few years, instead of chocolate
in the afternoon, I fix myself a snack plate of carrots, snap peas, a few pieces of fruit and a small handful of almonds. So now, I eat with more discipline and purpose during the workweek and allow myself some chocolate or a bowl of reduced-fat ice cream on the weekend. Combine that with four to five days of rigorous exercise each week and I can really tell the difference. One hundred fifty-seven calories vanquished, just to keep you updated. The links are well-documented between obesity and a host of terrible diseases – including cancer, heart disease and diabetes. We Americans are quite literally eating ourselves to death. In many parts of the world, they walk and ride their bicycles to get from one place to another and they don’t snack all day long. And what they do eat does not tend to include the large quantities of processed food that is a staple of the American diet. In parts of the world where a Western diet is becoming more prevalent, so too is a cor-
responding rise in obesity levels. Even more alarming is what is happening to America’s children. Twenty-five million kids are overweight or are in danger of becoming overweight. It makes me angry to see parents allowing children who are already heavy to eat fast food, doughnuts and ice cream. Part of the problem, of course, is that the foods that tend to be the worst for us also tend to be the least expensive. But even those with little means can make smart decisions that will improve the quality of the food they feed their children. Buy a bag of carrots for a snack instead of a bag of chips, for example. What Really Matters is that while politicians debate health care reform in Washington, each of us can take action to reform the way we care for our own health at home. It is a matter of life and death and we have significant control over it. Two hundred six calories burned and 2.51 miles walked. Finis.
Mark Leventhal’s blog about his “gap year” in Chile started out with simple stories about trouble with the turnstiles on the Metro and pondering the purchase of a new hat. But in an entry entitled “Terremoto en Chile,” the 19year-old began an introspective journal about the 8.8 earthquake that struck the South American country on Feb. 27. “I found myself waking … to a growing rumbling and trembling all around me. All of a sudden, I understood. For the enormous amount of shaking that there was on my every side, there was an equal certainty in my awareness about what was happening, as if I had previously been not asleep but patiently waiting and counting down the seconds, with full prescience, for the event to happen,” he wrote. Although hundreds were killed and more than 1.5 million Chileans were displaced by the quake, Leventhal’s Santiago dormitory wasn’t damaged. His memory of that night remains vivid. “I looked out the window of
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my room into the treacherous night sky to see a full moon eerily steady, in a sea of orange light, serene above the great cataclysm below,” Leventhal recalled. “It was like the eye of a great bird, far away, looking down upon our plight.” Leventhal arrived in Chile in late February after a visit in Clayton with his grandmother, Marie Sutton. In his blog, he describes the contrast between the two landscapes. “One of the first things that I noticed was that the landscape was very dry; the hills/mountains surrounding the city looked very rugged and barren. It was a stark contrast to the green hills I saw last week in Clayton.” Leventhal, who grew up in Berkeley, is spending time in Chile before attending Cambridge in the fall. According to Sutton, he wanted to learn Spanish to add to his German, French and Italian repertoire. Sutton speaks proudly of her grandson, who survived two bouts of cancer as a teen yet still graduated high school on time. “He’s zealous and very, very conscientious.” In a later blog entry, Leventhal tells of a moment of
self-discovery while donating supplies to the Red Cross. He bought as much deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste and toilet paper as he could carry and headed out to Nuñoa. Expecting some “great fanfare,” he instead quietly handed the supplies over to a harried woman. “I was shocked at the anticlimax of it all,” he wrote. “I could not peer into some great operation that was going on inside (which I was really curious about) but merely saw a door, two women and some bags, such commonplace sights.
“What I experienced, though, was so many millions times more important and meaningful,” he concluded. “It partly had to do with me being put in my place and made to realize the incredible egotism of my thoughts, but more so to do with the realization that I had seen how the world really works. Here people were just doing what they could, anonymously, to give practical help to those in such need.” For more of Leventhal’s blogs, visit markchile.blogspot.com.
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
DVMS kids show off their talents MIKE DUNN Clayton Pioneer
SUMMER ELGAZZAR has some fun during her routine at the talent show
Talent abounds at Diablo View Middle School, as evidenced by the sixth annual talent show – “Never Say Never.” The Feb. 25 show rocked with dancing zombies, ballet dancers, classic rockers and others. “We have 21 performances,” noted leadership teacher Jen Ruff. “We have some piano, instrumental, guitar. We also have dancing and a lot of singing this year.” Five girls made up as zombies danced to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” “We started thinking about it last year,” said Sammie Turpen, one of the dancers. “Then when he died, we said: ‘Let’s do it.’ It took six weeks of practice.” Talent show winners were: Most creative performance,
Photos by Mike Dunn
LAUREN IPSEN, performs “The Best Day” by Taylor Swift.
“Thriller” dance routine. Best dance performance, Kevin Trujillo and Charles Salazar. Best singing, Lauren Ipsen. Best instrumental performance, Jared Vance. Best leadership perform-
ance, “Boys.” Proceeds from ticket sales and other fundraising efforts went to “Let’s give a heart to kids in Haiti.” A thousand dollars helped create 100 survival kit backpacks for kids in an orphanage in Haiti.
Experimenting with drugs carries a hefty price tag SARAH ROSEN TEEN SPEAK As the buzz of Junior Prom surrounds CVHS students, I am reminded of former Clayton Pioneer student columnist Michelle Trosclair. In her final article, Trosclair managed what journalists strive for – to give readers something to ponder long after the words have been digested. Her article focused on the seemingly pervasive use of the drug ecstasy among CV students at last year’s Senior Ball. Trosclair’s words have resonated with me to this day, as I recall
how she admonished her classmates for using ecstasy during the ball while excusing her own ecstasy use as “experimental.” Trosclair’s public proclamation that she was “no thizz virgin” caused me to wonder if we understand enough about drugs to accept their use regardless of how “experimental” or recreational it may be. Do we dare acknowledge the price that comes with that high? Not the danger to our health, not the $10-$15 a pop – but the global price tag. The young farmers of the Cardamom Mountains in Cambodia are one example of how the ever-increasing U.S. demand for ecstasy has affected our world. These farmers turned distillers are paid pennies
a day to extract sassafras oil from the trunk and roots of these rare trees. This oil is the primary ingredient in ecstasy. Often, these farmers are set up by drug lords who think nothing of killing entire families if their product is seized or otherwise compromised. After weeks of dangerous and backbreaking work, these desperately poor people make about $50 for a liter of oil. The U.S. street value for a liter of this oil is $50,000-$60,000. This produces about 10,000 ecstasy tablets. The impact on the environment is staggering. Thousands of acres of rainforest are wiped out as trees are used to fuel the fires for the distilling process. This causes a highly toxic runoff in streams that are the life
source for tigers, pythons and jaguars, not to mention the rainforest itself. One can only imagine the disastrous effects this has had and will continue to have on the villages of people living downstream. As if this destruction were not enough to think twice before indulging in that “experimental” high, know that there are rangers – most young men with families – who put their lives on the line each day to restore the rainforest and its inhabitants to a life where health and safety can take precedent over greed and indulgence. Sarah Rosen is a sophomore at CVHS. You can e-mail her at sarah_rosen@claytonpioneer.com.
March 19, 2010
Don’t let spring slump drag you down
ROBBIE PARKER DVMS REPORTER Spring is approaching and thoughts of summer are starting to fill students’ minds. We’ve begun the last part of the school year and many are beginning to feel complacent. However, school is not over yet. My teacher reminds us we have about three months more to go and there is still a lot of work to accomplish. Yet kids are starting to say, “I forgot my homework” or are losing their drive for reaching for an A on tests. The lure of spring leading us to summer is almost too much. It becomes hard to pay attention and focus on the lecture. Frustration mounts and grades slip. Then progress reports are handed out and panic sets in. Students realize they’d better kick it into high gear. If students don’t listen and focus in class, it is going to be very difficult for them. Students can’t act like ostriches in the sand, hoping for summer and waiting for school to be over.
Instead, students have to remember to do all of those tricks that help keep them on track. Remind yourself that good grades offer you the best opportunities. You can’t really go anywhere without a proper education. Education is a necessity, especially now. If students want to live good lives and haves all the things they want, they have to take advantage of this privilege the privilege of education that so many take for granted. We forget how lucky we are to live to a country that offers so much opportunity. You just have to want it bad enough and go for it. Resist clock watching, thinking about how many minutes are left, and do your best. Never settle. Students should get back in the mindset of the beginning of the year. Write down homework, check school notes, pay attention and work hard. If you are struggling, see your teachers for help. Show them you are serious about doing well. Middle school is the preparation for high school, and high school is the preparation for college or life. In order to be successful, you have to hit each rung on the ladder. So if students have that third quarter slump, I say: Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get going. Robbie Parker is a seventhgrader at Diablo View. Send comments to Robbie@claytonpioneer.com
School News CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL More than 200 students and guests celebrated Mardi Gras a bit late this year at a fundraiser dinner to benefit CVHS’ instrumental music program. The theme was inspired by the group’s upcoming performance trip to the Heritage Music Festival in New Orleans.
DVMS students learn why math counts BEV BRITTON Clayton Pioneer
The Diablo View Middle School math team competed at the Diablo Region MathCounts Competition in Pleasanton on Feb. 27. The team included sixthgrader Annagail Grant, seventhgraders Monishaa Suresh and Emma Hall and eighth-grader Arthur Jones. All four had a 4.0
grade-point average for the fall quarter. DVMS and Foothill Middle School were the only two teams competing for the Mt. Diablo Unified School District. It was the first year that DVMS fielded a team, although Monishaa competed last year as an individual. MathCounts is an enrichment program sponsored by the California Society of
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tion, not a multiple choice,” he adds. “It helps the students to think logically and critically. They learn to work under time pressure, which helps them in their SAT kind of time-based exams.” Since MathCounts began in 1983, more than 7 million students have participated. The program helps schools set up a
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The CVHS Music Boosters transformed the multi-use room into a festive scene right out of the French Quarter. Cajun specialties highlighted the menu. Under the direction of Mundy Viar, students provided traditional band music, swing and Dixieland jazz. Greg Fogg, a junior orchestra and jazz band student, also played electric violin in a rock trio. “I chose two fun songs to play, ‘Kashmir’ by Led Zeppelin and ‘Beat It’ by Michael Jackson, and we played a song that I wrote, ‘Planet Red.’ I thought it was well-received by the audience and it was fun to play,” Fogg says. The Heritage Music Festival is one of a nationwide series of music festivals for scholastic groups. The trip will be an opportunity for 68 band and orchestra students to expand their performance skills in a city rich in music history. They will be evaluated by a nationally recognized panel in three categories: wind ensemble, jazz band and chamber orchestra. Members of Clayton Valley High’s four choirs also will be competing under the direction of Elizabeth Emigh. The tentative itinerary includes visits to Tulane University, the famous New Orleans Jazz Festival, a swamp tour or riverboat cruise and free time in the French Quarter. “I’m sure it’s going to be a great experience for all of the band students,” says Clayton resident Cassidy Wallin. The sophomore plays trombone in the orchestra and wind ensemble. ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI SCHOOL The Concord school is accepting applications for kindergarten through eighth grade for the 2010-’11 school year. For an application or more information, call 682-5414 or visit sfaconcord.org.
March 19, 2010
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Sponsors Rally, from page 1 needed for CVHS antidrinking program history teacher Jenny DeAngelis. “It made me feel less helpless to see so many of my students caring about our school, especially the Arts Academy kids.” The majority of the signbearing protesters were Clayton
Clayton Valley High School is seeking sponsors for its “Every 15 Minutes” anti-drinking program. “Every 15 Minutes” takes a proactive approach to educate students about making mature decisions when alcoholic beverages are involved. It has left a lasting impression with students about the consequences of driving under the influence. The March 30-April 1 program involves the entire CVHS student body, more than 100 parent and community volunteers, along with the Concord and Clayton police departments, the California Highway Patrol and various state, county, city and local agencies. In the past, the CVHS program has been partially funded by reimbursable mini grants from the California Office of Traffic Safety and the CHP. However, this year’s grant funding has been cut in half.
pay to keep your kids in sports,” he added. The district cuts included $31 million by reducing the school year and benefits, $8.4 million from special education, $4.5 million from programs such as adult education, $3.6
Mike Dunn/Clayton Pioneer
DIABLO VIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS Deldney Walls and Melaina Lloyd protest in front of CVHS before school. Arts Academy students, who continued protesting further down the street after the “all clear” sent students back to class. They accepted truancy as a sacrifice for the cause. “Parents and others need to know this is not about a bunch of people complaining; this is money coming out of their pockets,” said chemistry teacher Ken Cambier, who was holding a protest sign. “There will be more money that you have to pay to keep your kids in school. There’s more money that you have to
Tax-deductible donations may be sent to “Every 15 Minutes,” c/o CVHS, 1101 Alberta Way, Concord CA 94521. For more information, call Laurie McCann at 6720578.
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million from reducing support staff hours and $1.2 million through minimizing graduation requirements and summer school. “We need more money for the schools. They are cutting everything and it’s really annoying,” said CVHS junior Shelby Heifetz, who is blind. “I don’t get that much special treatment. I get money for my Braille stuff and tools that keep me in school.” DeAngelis called the Day of Action a success compared with Pink Friday, held last year on
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March 13. That protest consisted of wearing the color pink, representing pink slips, but it went largely unnoticed by the student body. However, many students were disappointed that the rumored plan of evacuating to the nearby Lucky store was abandoned in favor of staying on campus to protest. Others complained about being forced to stand out in the chilly wind for 15 minutes with nothing to do. “At first I thought that it was going to be a legitimate effort, but it turned out to be pointless,” said sophomore Zoey Dow. “All we did was stand around. Overall, it was a disappointment.” Though not in the ClaytonArts Academy, junior Greg Fogg and his friend Tyler Falls continued the protest offcampus. “We figured that going in front of Lucky in the median and yelling at cars to honk would grab more attention,” Fogg said. Looking ahead, Cambier expressed concern for cuts to programs for students who aren’t college-bound. “The welding, the machine shop, the auto shop, the metal shop – if all those go, this not only affects just a few teachers, it affects everybody,” he said. School board members said the layoff notices are preliminary and will be finalized when the district has a better idea of the final state budget in May. Meanwhile, the district voted to move forward with a $348 million facilities bond measure in June. It would help fund solar projects and facilities improvements. Mike Dunn contributed to this story.
Page 9
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A picture-perfect vacation doesn’t always need to include a camera PEGGY BIDONDO
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Before you head out on vacation, decide whether you want to bring a camera. If you are traveling with someone who is constantly taking pictures, they can supply you with all the memories you’ll need. We have a friend who is a great photographer and will take 4,000-5,000 shots during a two-week vacation. His wife edits them and puts them on a CD that he mails to everyone on the trip, thus saving the rest of us the chore of lugging along a camera, charger, extra batteries, converter, etc. On a recent trip to Costa Rica, a travel partner accidentally placed her digital camera in a puddle of water and did not realize it until it was too late, thereby ruining the memory card and losing all of her pictures. Fortunately, others were able to send her some of theirs. And for the rest of the trip, she had the wonderful freedom of not having to worry about recording every single moment for posterity. Sometimes, it’s best to just buy the postcard. But if you still want to be an amateur
shutterbug, you’ll want to be prepared, protect your equipment and take perfect pictures. If you decide to carry a camera, it’s important to also carry spare batteries – especially ones that are hard to find. Check your camera thoroughly before you leave on a trip to make sure everything works, even the spare batteries. You will need to pack enough memory cards to store all your photos or find a way to empty your cards as you go. If you are not dragging along a laptop to transfer images, burn them onto a CD or email them home, you can usually find a cyber cafe that will have the technology to allow you to download, edit, email or post them to a Website such as Shutterfly or Snapfish. Never leave your camera in the sun or in the car’s glove compartment. Also never leave your camera unattended, even if it’s locked in your car. If you have a new camera or haven’t used yours in a while, consider bringing the manual or copying a few important instruction pages. To take perfect pictures, always look for beautiful natural light. The best natural light occurs right before, after and during sunrise and sunset. The colors keep changing and the
Mayor, from page 1 about in this column. Several suggested that I write about Career Day, which obviously I thought was a good idea. A couple of students suggested that I encourage the kids in town to share their ideas with the city and to let the kids know that they should not be intimidated about sharing their thoughts and ideas.
Some ideas for Clayton included more festivals – a kids’ festival, a Greek festival, a school festival. One girl suggested that the Art and Wine Festival be expanded to the size of Walnut Creek’s. One boy wanted a rugby field. He didn’t know if we had any rugby teams in the area, but he liked the idea. A hot dog eating contest was
landscape will look different every few minutes. For best results, turn off the flash at sunset to avoid highlighting elements in the foreground. Consider taking several shots from the same spot over the course of the sunset. Most photographs can be improved by filling the frame with the subject. Fill the frame and focus on the subject, not the frame. Don’t get too close or too far away. Be creative and use foliage, angles of architecture such as arches, bridges, columns and other elements of the environment. Change your angles to best capture depth and texture. Shoot through something such as fishnets on a wharf or a lace curtain with a view of a village street. Instead of taking the same shot of a landmark as every other tourist, walk away from the crowd and get a one-of-akind photo. Also consider zeroing in on small-scale scenes like a plate of wonderful looking food, a wine label, espresso in a beautiful cup or a lovely flower. Putting people in your photos will enhance them and will give a sense of scale to a landscape shot. Don’t be shy about photographing locals, but always ask people first – especially if you are photographing children. Approach people gen-
suggested. I’m not sure I know what “field days” are, but many students liked the idea of a citywide field day. Several of the students wanted more fundraisers. One suggestion was a citywide cleanup day where people would spread out across town to pick up garbage and debris, followed by a barbecue. Fortunately, that one is already scheduled for April 24. We have a wonderful group of kids in town, which is a great
Dan Rosendich Mention the Clayton Pioneer & receive a
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tly with a warm smile and ask or gesture if you may take their picture. You may want to consider buying something from them if they are a vendor. In certain cultures, a tip is appropriate if the person is a waiter, doorman or artist. Act appreciative, grateful and happy about the experience. They may even offer to take pictures of you with your camera.
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.
reflection on their parents. I really enjoyed the time I spent at the school. I applaud Sherri and Elisa for organizing the day and the school administrators and teachers for cooperating. I was impressed with the number of speakers who took time out of their workday to share their careers with the students. I’m not sure who reads these articles, but I am interested in hearing suggestions and ideas from our residents, regardless of age. Please send email to hank_stratford@yahoo.com.
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Page 11
Reasons for selling homes vary with time LYNNE FRENCH
REAL ANSWERS I am starting to research my competition in the real estate market before I decide to sell my house. What are people’s reasons for selling at this time? In a normal market such as we had 1998-2002, the main reason for selling was a growing family, a shrinking family, divorce, death, job transfer, etc. There have always been people, because of changes in their circumstances, who couldn’t afford their mortgages and had to do some sort of “distressed sale,” but it was a much smaller percentage that these last few years. The California Association of Realtors has released a
Q A
2009-’10 survey of California home sellers. Changes in family and employment status as well as adjustments to monthly mortgage obligations played significant roles in homeowners’ decisions to sell their homes in 2009. According to the report, 67 percent of sellers in California did so as a result of difficulties related to meeting their mortgage obligation. Job loss was cited by 18 percent; 15 percent noted payment increases and 30 percent had difficulty meeting monthly obligations. In 2008, one in five sellers cited inability to meet mortgage payment and 11 percent sold due to financial difficulties. The number of distressed properties has grown. If you price your home at a fair market value, you should do fine
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because there are a lot of interested buyers right now. I tried to do a loan modification and I believe I was swindled. I paid $3,200 to a company I found on the Web with good references. After three months, they said they couldn’t do it and stopped returning my calls. I don’t know if there is anything that I can do to get my money back. You very well could have been scammed. You didn’t say if this was a Realtor, a loan agent, an attorney or lay person you found online. There are new rules pertaining to “advance fees” being paid before services are performed. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, in partnership with the Loan Modification Scam Prevention Network, l a u n c h e d PreventLoanScams.org, a new Website to deter loan modification scams. This site was developed simply to report alleged scammers. Complaints filed online are added to a national complaint database and forwarded to the appropriate law enforcement agencies for review. They estimate they will assist approximately 50,000 homeowners affected by scams. Good luck.
Q
A
I am a buyer waiting to Q close on a short sale. I did this once before, but the terms on the first one were not acceptable to the seller so they just let it foreclose. It seems that the
Police Log TWO WEEKS ENDING MARCH 11, 2010 ACCIDENTS Mar. 11, 2:48 p.m., Mt. Zion Dr., Non Injury. ARRESTS Feb. 27, 1:27 a.m., Marsh Creek Rd./Diablo Pkwy. DUI Alcohol, Clayton man, 57. Feb. 28 3:32 a.m., Clayton Rd./Tara Dr. Public Intoxication, two Concord men, 22 and 24. Feb. 28, 3:53 a.m., Keller Ridge Dr. Residential Burglary, Bay Point man, 45, and a Walnut Creek woman, 28.
Mar. 4, 12:47 a.m., Main St. DUI Alcohol, Concord man, 44. Mar. 4, 9:48 p.m., Main St. Public Intoxication, Concord man, 27. Mar. 6, 9:08 p.m., Mt. Etna Wy. Domestic Battery, Clayton man, 42. Mar. 7, 12:05 a.m., Nottingham Cir. Threats w/Intent to Terrorize; False Imprisonment, Clayton man, 46. BURGLARIES/THEFTS Feb. 26, 4:30 p.m., Heritage Trail. Petty theft. Feb. 28, 7:19 a.m., Main St. Vehicle burglary.
Mar. 4, 4:02 p.m., Shell Cir. Petty theft. Mar. 5, 9:30 a.m., Mt. Wilson Wy. Petty theft. Mar. 6, 4:22 a.m., Clayton Rd. Grand theft. Mar. 9, 3:10 p.m., Mt. Trinity. Petty theft. Mar. 9, 5:04 p.m., Clayton Rd. Petty theft. Mar. 10, 2:30 p.m., Marsh Creek Rd. Grand theft. Mar. 11, 9:53 p.m., Forest Hill Dr. Residential Burglary. VANDALISM Mar. 3, 8:40 a.m., Bigelow St. Mar. 3, 8:57 a.m., Bigelow St. Mar. 3, 11:00 a.m., Mountaire Pkwy. Mar. 5, 7:54 a.m., Alexander Ct. Mar. 6, 12:25 p.m., Peacock Creek Dr.
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banks are not doing what is logical. Is this situation ever going to ease? The Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program (HAFA) is supposed to go into effect April 5. There are mixed reviews on it, but I am feeling hopeful. As you know, in a short sale, the servicer of the loan allows the borrower to list and sell the mortgaged property with the understanding that the net proceeds of the sale will be less than what is due. With the new program, the servicer may not require a cash contribution or a promissory note, as they sometimes do now, and they must forfeit the ability to pursue a deficiency judgment against the borrower. These are terms that we Realtors are always working to negotiate on during a sale. The HAFA program simplifies and streamlines the short sale process by providing a standard process flow, minimum performance timeframes and standard documentation. Shortening the time it takes to complete a short sale makes all the sense in the world.
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A
Send your question and look for your answer in a future column. Email Lynne@LynneFrench.com. French is the broker/owner of Windermere Lynne French & Associates and a Clayton resident. For any real estate needs or questions, contact her at 672-878 7or stop in at 6200 Center St., Clayton.
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March 19, 2010
Clayton Sports Clayton soccer player Lam off to the Ivy League JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
“I’m buying lots of winter clothes now,” Kristin Lam says from her Dana Hills family home while discussing her decision to choose Dartmouth College to continue her education and soccer career next fall. The senior was a defender for the Carondelet High School soccer team that recently reached the semi-finals of the North Coast Section playoffs before losing on penalty kicks to four-time defending champions San Ramon Valley. The Cougars won the 2009’10 East Bay Athletic League championship to earn the No. 2 seed for NCS playoffs. EBAL is generally considered the top girls soccer league in Northern California. Every NCS champion since 1982 came from EBAL or Carondelet, which joined EBAL two years ago. This year, however, Castro Valley beat SRV in the finals. During Lam’s sophomore year and her first season on varsity, Carondelet won the Diablo Valley Athletic League championship before departing for EBAL in an NCS realignment. Coach Rick Morin says Lam exemplifies what a student athlete should be. “She was an outstanding defender on a team that gave up very few scoring opportunities. (She’s) on the quiet side but a great competitor. She had a very good senior year for us,” he said of the performance that earned her AllEBAL mention. Lam drew up a list of potential colleges during her junior year. Her Mustang Spirit club team was going to compete in November 2008 in the Surf College Cup, so she emailed several college soccer coaches including those from Boston University, Dartmouth, Brown, UC San Diego and Claremont McKenna. She told them she would be playing in the tournament and hoped they’d take a look at her during this college
showcase event in San Diego. Lam carries a 4.2 grade point average, so she was looking at schools with excellent academic reputations. She is thinking of a major in biology, with an eye on a pre-med track. Following the tournament, she heard back from several schools and began getting information on them. Last March, her team played in Las Vegas and she was again observed by Dartmouth and Boston U coaches, among others. During spring break 2009, her dad, local oral surgeon Rick Lam, took her on a tour of East Coast schools. They visited Dartmouth, Boston and Brown and met the coaches. While Lam says she loves Boston and its history, she “wasn’t in love” with the idea of attending school in a major city. On the other hand, two hours northwest of Boston is Hanover, N.H., home of Dartmouth, a liberal arts college founded in 1769. Lam immediately took to the secluded campus. She also liked the all-female coaching staff headed by Scotland native Angie Hind (“nice accent”). Hind played for the Scottish national women’s team for three years. Last summer, the Spirit team was in the Far West Regional tournament in Lancaster, Ca., when the Dartmouth coaching staff offered her a spot on the team. She verbally committed then and last October made her official visit to the campus. She was accepted in December on early decision. The Clayton girl began playing recreation soccer with the Mt. Diablo Soccer Association when she was 5 on a team with neighbor and friend Emily Cremisio. She joined the Mt. Diablo Soccer League competitive program when she was 11 and played for coach Scott Booth (now Clayton Valley High School varsity coach) on MDSL Revolution until her freshman year, when Booth stopped coaching her team and she joined Mustang.
Photo courtesy of Neal White
KRISTIN LAM HAS CONCLUDED her high school soccer career for Carondelet and is looking forward to starting her collegiate career this fall in New Hampshire for Dartmouth College in the Ivy League.
This time, younger Moita honored at state wrestling meet JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
For the second consecutive year, Clayton was represented on the medal podium at the
Photo courtesy of the Moita family
JOEY AND VINCE MOITA COMPETED at the state wrestling meet in Bakersfield earlier this month.
state high school wrestling meet by a member of the Moita family. This year, sophomore Joey placed fourth in the 103-pound weight class – the same bracket where older brother Vince placed third a year ago. Vince, who moved up to 112 pounds for his senior season at De La Salle High, wasn’t able to repeat his 2009 performance. He lost a pair of close, highscoring matches to finish out of medal contention in the meet at Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield. Joey and Vince both claimed North Coast Section titles the week before the state meet. In Bakersfield, Joey began with three consecutive victories on Friday – including a technical fall and two shutouts. His third win was a thrilling 2-0 decision as he scored the matches’ only points as time expired in the first period with a takedown. He then held off his Turlock opponent for two more periods. In the Saturday semi-finals, he faced the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the state, Nahshon Garrett of Chico, and narrowly lost 4-3. Garrett went on to win the title. The younger Moita recorded an 11-9 win that earned him a spot in the third-place match.
He was defeated there by Micah Perez of San Diego 6-4. Vince, who heads to Brown University in the fall, started the state meet with a technical fall win. He then was upended 9-7 by Kenny Mai of North
Torrance. Mai eventually finished eighth. The older Moita had to begin wrestling his way back into contention. He scored a pair of lopsided victories but then came up against Hermilio
Esquivel of Orland and was edged 9-8. Esquivel went on to finish sixth. Luke Sheridan of De La Salle, a junior, took third at 171 pounds. The Spartans finished 10th in the meet.
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Clayton Sports
Help the Pioneer 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.
Cardiac Bulldogs end season with fine showing in CYO playoffs finals JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
The St. Bonaventure eighth-grade Bulldogs concluded their basketball season by reaching the finals of the East Diablo CYO National League playoffs, where their high-wire act came to an end just short of claiming the championship. Coaches Dave Dunkley and John Moore lauded their team, which was 7-3 during the regular season, including three overtime victories. “We found ourselves down several times in the fourth quarter, only to battle back for a win or to force overtime. Win or lose, the team battled to the last shot,” Dunkley explained. By finishing third in the regular season, the Bulldogs were seeded behind Holy Rosary and undefeated Good Shepherd. “The team showed steady improvement during the season and really started playing like a team in the second half,” Dunkley said. “By the end of the season, they were playing with more confidence and expected to win each time out.” True to their nature, St. Bonaventure was in a tight contest with Holy Rosary in the playoff semi-finals. “Both teams played great and battled to the end,” Dunkley described. Holy Rosary missed a three-pointer at the buzzer and the Bulldogs won, 44-42.
Page 13
Sports Shorts CLAYTON VALLEY LITTLE LEAGUE JAMBOREE The third annual CVLL Jamboree begins at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 20, at the Clayton Valley High School Little League fields and parking lot. The event features nine teams of Majors baseball and Juniors softball. Each team will play several shortened games throughout the day as a warm-up for the season. The Jamboree was started two years ago by CVLL president Kevin Confetti and Deborah Meylan. Softball was added to the event last year. CVLL Opening Day begins at 11 a.m. Sunday, March 21, at the CVHS gym. Players 5-14 will line up in their uniforms for a parade. For more information, call Meylan at 673-1548.
DANA HILLS SWIM TEAM
Photo courtesy of Melissa Kirmsse
THE BULLDOGS, front row from left: Omari Bailey, Josh Kirmsse, Justin Doig, Will Burton. Back row, coach Dave Dunkley, Eric Carlson, Jon Caldwell, Andrew Freeman, Joey Marks, Kevin Cuff, coach John Moore, Clayton Martin and Alex Pishny.
In the finals, St. Bonaventure faced Good Shepherd, the unbeaten regular season champs. Good Shepherd jumped out from the tip-off and built a 16point halftime lead. Down but not out, St. Bonaventure rallied to within seven points late in the game but weren’t able to get any closer and lost 5240. “The team was upset at losing but realized how far they came from the first game they played together, which we lost to Good Shepherd by 25 points,” Dunkley concluded. “All in all, everyone improved their individual skills as well as their ability to play as a team.”
Surprise hold brings end to Lawson’s MMA bout JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
Local mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Eric Lawson carried a five-match winning streak and a large number of supporters into sold-out San Jose Civic Auditorium for his Strikeforce bout against Wayne Phillips of San Jose. After dominating the action during the first of three fiveminute rounds, Lawson got caught in a surprise submission arm bar move by his opponent and had to retire with half a minute remaining in the opening round. “I pretty much was dominating the first round when in a scramble I got caught in an arm bar and my excited opponent didn’t stop when my joint was locked out and kept going, resulting in my elbow popping and hyper-extending,” Lawson explained. Lawson says he gets caught in that position often in practice but can always slip his arm out of arm bar attempts fairly easily. “When you fight, however, the MMA gloves we wear make it really easy for your opponent to
lock your arm and that was the surprise element I didn’t see coming.” Coming into the fight, Phillips (3-3) had lost three bouts in a row while Lawson had won his past five Strikeforce fights, bringing his career record to 9-2. He had been out of competition, however, since last April when he won a first-round TKO victory. He then needed surgery for torn cartilage in his knee, accounting for his lack of matches in nearly a year. Notes on the bout from Strikeforce described how chants of “Let’s go Lawson” erupted as the local fighter came out early to seemingly take control of the match. “A loss is just more motivation going into my next fight,” Lawson noted. “My arm will heal, so overall I’m walking away from this experience a smarter and improved fighter.” Following the abrupt end to the fight, Lawson had an MRI on his elbow. He reports it showed “slight tears but will heal to 100 percent in about two-three more weeks – so, no biggie.”
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REGISTRATION
Dana Hills Swim Team is holding sign-ups March 21 and 24 for the recreation swim season, which runs April to August. Boys and girls 18 years and younger of all swim abilities are invited to register for the Otters, who won the 2009 Concord City and Contra Costa Swim League championships. Sign-ups are noon-4 p.m. Sunday, March 21, and 7-9 p.m. Wednesday, March 24, at the Dana Hills Cabana on Mountaire Parkway in Clayton. New swimming orientation is April 5-9 and official practice starts April 12. For more information, contact Glen Kaplan at glenkap@yahoo.com or visit DanaHillsOtters.com.
MT. DIABLO SOCCER
FALL REGISTRATION
Mt. Diablo Soccer AYSO Region 223 continues registration for its 30th fall league 5:30-8 p.m. Tuesday, March 30, at Mountain View Elementary School, 1705 Thornwood Dr., Concord. For this day only, an early registration fee of $95 is available, for a $15 savings. Additional sign up dates are noon- 3 p.m. Saturdays, April 10 and 24, at Mountain View. MDSA, the area’s largest youth sports organization where everyone plays, is for girls and boys ages 5-18. Fall season begins with practice in August, followed by games and the season-ending Mt. Diablo World Cup in October for U10, U12 and U14 age groups. For more information, visit mdsoccer.org.
DIABLO FC
COMPETITIVE TEAM TRYOUTS
Diablo FC competitive team tryouts for the 2010-’11 season will be in April for the older age group teams. Boys and girls born between Aug. 1, 1991, and July 31, 1996, can try out for Under 15 through Under 19 Diablo FC teams. There is no charge to tryout. For more information or to preregister, visit diablofc.org.
CYSA STATE CUP
AT
BOATWRIGHT FIELDS
Diablo FC 92 girls, ranked among the top 20 under 17 girls teams in the United States this season, will be featured at the CYSA State Cup games played March 20-21 at the Boatwright Sports Complex in Concord. Diablo FC 92 Blue, another U17 girls team from the local competitive club, is also taking part. In addition, U15 boys teams will play at Boatwright. Further rounds of State Cup are scheduled at Boatwright April 10-11. There is no charge to attend. For the complete schedule, visit diablofc.org.
JOHN HALLETT MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT A benefit golf tournament is scheduled at Boundary Oak Golf Course in Walnut Creek on Friday, June 25, honoring the memory of Capt. John Hallett, a Concord native killed last August in southern Afghanistan. Hallett is survived by his wife, three young children, his parents and two brothers. He was involved locally with youth soccer, basketball, swimming and Clayton Valley Little League. Proceeds from the tournament will go to the nonprofit Wounded Warriors, which provides programs and services to severely injured service members during the time between active duty and transition to civilian life. For more information, to register or to contribute, visit johnhallett.com.
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
March 19, 2010
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Each morning, Clayton resident Maury Komins enters his kitchen and brews some coffee. Cup in hand, he walks the three of four feet to his home office, which melds with the kitchen. He’ll review the day’s schedule and maybe check emails while enjoying that first cup. It is in this place that Maury most definitely feels at home. As a Closets and Kitchens Van Go designer, Komins prides himself on helping his customers achieve their vision of “home.” “Recently, a client of mine told me that ever since we’d remodeled their kitchen, his coffee tasted better. I truly understood what he meant by that statement,” Komins notes. “Several years ago, my wife and I did our own combination kitchen reface/remodel. My wife hated the tile and grout countertops – the basic cookie cutter look of the whole kitchen,” he adds. “We
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redesigned it and made it our own.” Closets and Kitchens Van Go, a mobile showroom, is the brainchild of Bay Area interior designer David Feinstein. “The van contains kitchen cabinets, closet set-ups, hardware and materials – everything you need to create,” Komins says. “By bringing the materials into your home, you’ll be able to see exactly how they’re going to look in your lighting, with your furniture, etc.,” he adds. “A showroom is going to display products to highlight what they want you to see, not how they may actually look in your home.” Komins applies his bachelor’s degree in design and illustration from Maryland Institute College of Art toward the design of kitchens and closets. He helps clients create a project that will work with their existing environment. “As an artist, my goal is to get to the heart of my client’s true style and lifestyle,” he says. “By understanding how they live and use their kitchen, it
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
MAURY KOMINS BRINGS DESIGN and function together in his Closets and Kitchens Van Go kitchen and storage solutions.
helps me to design a well-placed area that’s going to fit their needs as well as their sense of style.” Komins touts the cost-savings convenience of Closets and Kitchen Van Go’s one-stopshopping. The company has its
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When an injury or illness strikes, it sometimes is hard to know what kind of treatment is needed and whether it’s best to go to your personal physician, an urgent care center or an emergency room. Your personal physician is often the best choice for an evaluation. He/she has your records, knows you and your medical history and can ensure follow-up care if needed. If you are unable to see your personal physician or you experience an acute injury or illness, urgent care centers or the emergency room are other choices. John Muir Health has four urgent care centers in Contra Costa County – in Concord, Walnut Creek, Brentwood and San Ramon. Calling for a same-day appointment is encouraged as this has significantly reduced wait times, but the centers do take walk-ins. John Muir also has emergency depart-
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ered “green.” “Nothing we use is harmful to the people who will be living and breathing with them every day,” Komins states. Recycled glass countertops are one of the firm’s popular green products. “We also have bamboo for cabinetry and closets, which is considered to be more eco-friendly while offering a very unique, modern look.” While kitchens are the glamour projects, closets make up a larger percentage of Van Go’s business. “You can double the space of your existing closet with a good, professionally installed closet organizer,” Komins says. “We also do a lot of garage storage projects. People tend to forget about garage options.” As a Clayton local, Komins says the common denominator on every job is him. “These are my neighbors and I’m going to be checking in on every job, making sure things are going well and that the customer is happy.”
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ments available 24 hours a day, seven days a week in Concord and Walnut Creek. The Walnut Creek campus recently expanded its emergency department, and the Concord Campus will open an expanded emergency department later this year. Urgent care centers are designed to treat different illnesses and injuries than emergency rooms. Generally speaking, a medical condition is considered an emergency if a reasonable person believes it can threaten life, limb or eyesight without immediate treatment, or if there are painful symptoms that require immediate attention to relieve suffering. Examples of emergency conditions include severe bleeding, chest pains, no pulse, loss of consciousness, inability to breathe, spinal cord or back injury, severe eye injuries, suicidal thoughts and hallucinations. At an emergency room, patients with the most severe, life-threatening problems will be treated first. Urgent care centers treat urgent problems that will ultimately allow patients to return home and follow up with their personal physicians. In general terms, an urgent condition is an injury or illness that won’t cause disability or death if it isn’t treated immediately, but it requires professional attention to keep it from developing into a greater health threat. Such conditions include minor injuries/wounds, upper respiratory symptoms, mild/moderate pain, rashes and urinary symptoms. When it comes to your health, it really is
better to be safe than sorry. If you’re concerned about your condition, call your personal physician or 911, or go to an urgent care center or the nearest emergency room. Dr. Birdsall is an emergency room physician and chief of staff at John Muir Medical Center/Concord. Dr. Ahn is medical director of urgent care services for John Muir Health.
John Muir Emergency Services Locations John Muir Urgent Care Center/Concord, 2700 Grant St., Suite 200. 677-0500. John Muir Urgent Care Center/Walnut Creek, 1455 Montego Way, Suite 205. 939-4444. John Muir Urgent Care Center/Brentwood, 2400 Balfour Road, Suite 120. 308-8111. John Muir Urgent Care Center/San Ramon, 2305 Camino Ramon, Suite 100. 866-8050. Note: The urgent care centers are open 9 a.m.-9 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekends and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. holidays. The San Ramon location is closed on Sundays. John Muir Medical Center Emergency Department/Walnut Creek, 1601 Ygnacio Valley Road. 939-5800. John Muir Medical Center Emergency Department/Concord, 2540 East St. 6742333.
March 19, 2010
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Page 15
Fitness isn’t about easy answers While there are no firm rules with regard to fitness, this week I will offer my answers to three questions people frequently ask about fitness. 1. How much exercise does a person need? The answer varies depending on what you’re trying to accomplish, but the general guideline is to shoot for some exercise activity three to five times per week, 30-60 minutes per session. Once you start feeling the difference, you will find that this number is easy to hit. We all have weeks that get away from us, where we’re so busy at work, the kids have five team practices and the season finale of a favorite show is on. So if Friday arrives and you’ve only worked out once, it’s OK. Don’t get discouraged or give up. Simply try to get back on track next week. 2. What is the best time to exercise? Many studies
MIKE MONAHAN
STAYING FIT address this topic and the conclusions vary. For our purposes, the best time is the time that you can find to set aside each day. As long as you can make it part of your scheduled activities, it’s a great time to exercise. Perhaps it’s before work to get your blood pumping in preparation for the day ahead, or maybe it’s after the kids are dropped off at school. Many people exercise during a favorite TV show, because most gyms have TVs near the
equipment. If you’re going to watch the show anyway, why not exercise while you’re watching and get two things done at once. 3. How fast can I lose weight and how much can I lose? The answer varies from person to person, depending on what type of exercise you are doing and what other changes you are making (sleep, diet, etc). Everyone has a different body and genetics play a big role. If forced to answer, I would say a reasonable amount of weight to lose in the first month of a program is five to ten pounds, with an additional five to eight pounds in the second and third months. Sure, you can lose 12 pounds in two weeks going no-carb on one of the many diet plans out there, but there is a reason a lot of those books are in the bargain bin at the bookstore. These
National legislation can affect your estate plan RICHARD LITTORNO FINANCIAL SENSE
amendment, but it’s important to review your plan to make sure it will achieve your objectives. BEWARE OF INCOME
On Jan. 1, a one-year repeal of the federal estate tax went into effect – throwing many estate plans into disarray. The repeal also applies to the generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax, while the gift tax lives on with a top rate of 35 percent (10 percentage points lower than in 2009) and a $1 million exemption (same as in 2009). The future of the estate tax remains uncertain. Changes may even have been signed into law by the time you’re reading this. But one thing is certain: It’s critical to review your estate plan to assess the impact of current tax laws and to prepare for what the future might bring. If you die while the estate tax is repealed, there’s a risk that your estate plan will not work as expected. It’s common for estate plans to call for the establishment of a family trust (for the benefit of children or other descendants) and a marital trust (for the benefit of the spouse). Some plans contain formulas that automatically allocate the amount that is exempt from estate tax to the family trust, with the balance going to the marital trust – which is shielded from estate tax by the unlimited marital deduction. If there’s no estate tax, this type of formula may place your entire estate in the family trust, effectively disinheriting your spouse. This is easily avoided with an
TAX ISSUES
Another thing to watch out for is a tax law change that’s attached to the estate tax repeal: a modification of the carryover basis rules that has significant income tax implications. Previously, the income tax basis of most inherited property was “stepped-up” to its date-ofdeath fair market value. Recipients of such property could sell it immediately without triggering capital gains taxes. For 2010, the automatic step-up in basis is eliminated, though estates can allocate up to $1.3 million to increase the basis of certain assets plus up to $3 million to increase the basis of assets left to a surviving spouse. For those with substantial amounts of appreciated assets, the potential income tax liabilities imposed on their heirs may offset some or even all of the estate taxes they save because of the repeal. To soften the blow of the modified basis rules, consider leaving highly appreciated assets to your spouse or donating them to charity or a charitable remainder trust – and leaving other assets to your family. Be sure you have good records to support any expenses that increase your basis in an asset. TRANSFERS MAY BE TAXABLE Consult your estate planning advisor before you transfer any
assets to trusts this year. Another change Congress made for this year only imposes gift tax on certain transfers that weren’t previously taxable. Before, it was possible to place certain assets in a trust to take advantage of your beneficiaries’ lower income tax rates, while also avoiding gift tax by structuring the transfer as an “incomplete gift” (by retaining the right to change beneficiaries, for example). With the estate tax repealed, Congress apparently was concerned that taxpayers could use this technique to avoid both gift and estate taxes, so the law treats these transfers as taxable gifts in 2010. Be aware that the literal language of this provision appears to impose gift tax on transfers to charitable remainder trusts. Arguably, Congress didn’t mean to do that, but exercise caution pending further guidance.
The Pioneer -- It’s your paper!
plans do not usually result in permanent results. I always preach moderation. Moderate diet and moderate exercise will produce good results for most people. I also beg you not to judge your success using a scale. The best way to gauge your results is by how your clothes fit, how your energy has increased and how your positive outlook has improved. You may find that your pants are loose, but your weight is the same. In that case, you probably replaced some fat with muscle because muscle weighs more than fat. Few of us are professional athletes or actors who are able to spend hours working out in preparation for a game or role. Our goal is to make fitness a welcome part of our already hectic routines. Mike Monahan is owner of Snap Fitness in Clayton. He can be reached at 693-0110.
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LOOKING AHEAD TO 2011 Uncertainty remains about what will happen next year. Absent Congressional intervention, the pre-EGTRRA tax regime will return in 2011. That means gift, estate and GST taxes with top rates of 55 percent and $1 million exemptions. Only the GST tax exemption will be adjusted for inflation. One way to address this uncertainty is to make the most of the annual gift tax exclusion this year. The exclusion, which allows you to give up to $13,000 ($26,000 for married couples) to
See Financial, page 17
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Page 16
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
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Clayton Community Calendar PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. MAR. 29 FOR THE APRIL 9 ISSUE. ITEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO calendar@claytonpioneer.com
EVENTS/ENTERTAINMENT March 19 “Survival of the Fittest” Fashion Show Hosted by Clayton Valley High School’s Senior Women. $5. 7 p.m., CVHS large gym, 1101 Alberta Way, Concord. March 19-21 “The Vagina Monologues” V-Day Lafayette presents Eve Ensler’s play to benefit the Gretta Foundation. 8 p.m. March 19-20, $50. Soroptimist 2 p.m. matinee March 21, $40. Reception and open seating one hour prior to each performance. Lafayette Veterans Hall, 3780 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette. grettafoundation.org/vday.htm. For tickets to Soroptimist event, contact Jay-Marie at 586-9132 or jmgins@pacbell.net. March 20 Astronomy Program An informal discussion of planets and stars sponsored by the Mt. Diablo Astronomical Society. Free, but there is a park entrance fee. 6:30 p.m., lower summit parking lot at Mt. Diablo. mdas.net. March 20-21 Quilt Show Sponsored by the Guild of Quilters of Contra Costa. $6, or $10 for both days. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. March 20 and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. March 21, Centre Concord, 5298 Clayton Road. 6839094 or contracostaquiltguild.org. March 21 Flock of Flutes Chamber Concert The group celebrates its 12th anniversary with Gustav Holst’s dynamic work, “The Planets.” 6:30 p.m., Civic Arts Education Shadelands Campus, 111 N. Wiget Lane, Walnut Creek. 9435846.
Through April 15 Diablo View Middle School/H&R Block The Parent Faculty Club receives $25 for every return prepared through the program. Parents can receive $25 off tax returns. Faculty and staff are offered a flat rate, while student returns are free. Coupons at the school office, 300 Diablo View Lane. Or hrblock.com/cmpgn/office/schoolhouse.html.
EASTER March 28 Egg Hunt Free. 12:30 p.m., Clayton Community Gym, 700 Gym Court. 889-1600.
CLASSES/SEMINARS March 24 Emergency Preparedness Seminar An overview on emergency preparedness sponsored by the Clayton Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Free. 7 p.m., Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. RSVP at 673-7355. Starts April 7 Community Emergency Response Team Training A six-week session on fire suppression, medical operations, light search and rescue and disaster psychology. 6:30 p.m., Endeavor Hall, 6008 Center St., Clayton. 673-7355 or claytoncert.org. April 22 “Memory Makeover Boot Camp” Learn from longevity specialists how to keep your mind sharp, unlock your creative power, remember names and even be able to find your keys. Free. 7-8 p.m., Diamond Terrace Retirement Community, 6401 Center St., Clayton. RSVP at 524-5100.
MEETINGS March 23 Clayton Planning Commission 7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 6737304 or ci.clayton.ca.us. March 23 Mt. Diablo Unified School District 7:30 p.m., 1936 Carlotta Dr., Concord. mdusd.org. April 6, 20 Clayton City Council 7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 6737304 or ci.clayton.ca.us. March 27-April 27 Save Mt. Diablo Art Exhibition Opening reception, 5-10 p.m. March 27. Gallery open noon-4 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. Kevin Milligan Gallery and Wine Bar, 408 Hartz Ave., Danville. 309-4648 Through March 28 “Glorious Sunset” Onstage Theatre’s audience participation mystery by Lafayette resident David E. Harris. $15-$18. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. 943-SHOW.
AT THE LIBRARY The Clayton Library is at 6125 Clayton Road. Most programs are free. 673-0659 or clayton-library.org. April 16-18 Spring Book Sale The Clayton Community Library Foundation’s semi-annual, pre-owned book sale. 4-7 p.m. April 16 for foundation members; memberships can be purchased at the door; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. April 17; noon-4 p.m. April 18.
April 1-May1 “Noises Off” Diabolically constructed, relentlessly clever and mercilessly hilarious. Center REPertory Company, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $14.50-$41. CenterREP.org or 943-7469.
April 21 Free and Low-Cost Job Training Seminar An overview of East County programs, presented by Opportunity Junction. 2 p.m.
Through April 18 “8-Track: The Sounds of the ’70s” A non-stop cascade of ’70s song by the Willows Theatre Company. 636 Ward St., Martinez. 798-1300 or willowstheatre.org.
Clayton Business and Community Association Meets 6:30 p.m. the last Thursday of the month, except holidays, Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr., Clayton. Call Sue at 672-2272.
May 20-June 26 “The Noel Coward Celebration” The Bay Area premiere of an evening of song and sparkling repartee. $18-$45. Center REPertory Company, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. CenterREP.org or 943-7469.
FUNDRAISERS March 24 Spaghetti Feed Sponsored by the Clayton American Association of University Women. $10 for adults, $5 for children 6-12. Wine and beer available for purchase. 5:30-8 p.m., Endeavor Hall, 6008 Center St., Clayton. Contact Judy at 672-4620.
CLUBS
Clayton Valley Garden Club Meets 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month, Diamond Terrace, 6401 Center St., Clayton. On April 14, Jeanne King will talk about irises. Contact Nancy at 673-3522 or claytonvalleygardenclub.org.
Special Museum Exhibit now through March 24 at the Clayton Museum, 6101 Main Street. Hours: Sunday and Wednesday from 2-4. Website: www.claytonhistory.org:
Dressing Up For Going Out Hats, Gloves and Accessories from the 1930s and 1940s From the Collection of Sue Fletcher Concord Stompers Square Dance Club Meets 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Mt. Diablo Women’s Club, 1700 Farm Bureau Road, Concord. Call Jennie at 672-9676 or angelfire.com/id/stompers. Contra Costa Chess Club Meets 6:30-9:30 p.m. Thursdays, Starbuck’s, 1536 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton. Players of all ages and skill levels welcome. Contact Mike at 639-1987 or 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 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 artists welcome. Contact Arlene at 673-9777 or nielsenjanc@aol.com. Creeksideartists.org. Diablo Valley Democratic Club At 7 p.m. April 28, Gloria Hill, family advocate for the Contra Costa County Mental Health Department, will discuss mental health services in the county. Ygnacio Valley Library, 2661 Oak Grove Road, Walnut Creek. 946-0469 or dvdems.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 dvmug.org. East Bay Prospectors Club Meets 7 p.m. the fourth Wednesday of the month, Gold Pan California, 1021 Detroit Ave., Unit D, Concord. Clayton resident Doug Junghans is president. eastbaygpaa.webs.com or 672-1863. Knights Of Columbus, Concord Council 6038 Meets 7:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month, except holidays, Cauchi Hall, St. Agnes Catholic Church, 3966 Chestnut St, Concord. Contact George at 685-9547 or visit kofc6038.org. Rotary Club of Clayton Valley/Concord Sunrise Meets 7 a.m. Thursdays, Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr., Clayton. Includes breakfast and a speaker. Contact Chuck at 689-7640 or 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 6391987 or scrabble-assoc.com. Sons In Retirement (SIRs) Meets 11:15 a.m. the first Thursday of the month, Crown Plaza Hotel, 45 John Glenn Dr., Concord. The chapter no longer meets at Oakhurst Country Club. 429-3777.
Clayton Valley Woman’s Club Meets 9:30 a.m. for coffee, 10 a.m. meetings, second and fourth Tuesdays of the month, Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 1090 Alberta Way, Concord. At 10:30 a.m. March 23, Dan Ashley of ABC7 will speak on “Ratings and Responsibility: The Challenge of Television News.” Call Joan at 672-2471.
Soroptimist International of Diablo Vista Meets 12:15 p.m. the first, second and third Wednesdays of the month, September-June, Sizzler, 1353 Willow Pass Road, Concord. Clayton resident Sue Manning is president. 6722727.
Clutch Busters Square Dance Club Meets 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Mt. Diablo Women’s Club, 1700 Farm Bureau Road, Concord. Contact Dorothy at 754-8117.
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.
March 19, 2010
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com
Page 17
Math, from page 8
Church News CLAYTON COMMUNITY CHURCH David Bruckner, president of Jews for Jesus, will be the special guest for a “Christ in the Passover” presentation. Services will be at 9 and 10:45 am. Sunday, March. 21. The church is co-sponsoring the city Easter Egg Hunt with the YMCA. It will begin at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, March 28, at the field in front of the Clayton Community Gym, 700 Gym Court. On Easter Sunday, April 4, come celebrate the risen Lord at 9 and 10:45 a.m. Nursery-second grade classes will be held as usual; third-fifth grades will start in their regular classrooms. Junior high and high school students are to join their families in the main gathering. The church meets at Diablo View Middle School, 300 Diablo View Lane. For more information, call 673-9060.
math club by providing free materials. “Being part of the math club is an extra credential on their resumes which shows their interest and perseverance,” says Suresh, who was the inspiration for the DVMS club. Once the students are involved with the club, participating in the competition is the
second step. According to Suresh, the current sixth- and seventh-grade participants are eager to go back to MathCounts next year. DVMS teacher Dave Peters is also excited to return next year to coach these students along with new math whizzes. For more information, visit mathcounts-ca.org.
d and risen ucifie r for c s, yo u s u! e J Good Friday, April 2, Worship at 7 pm Easter Sunday, April 4 Breakfast 9:30 am, Easter for Kids 10 am, Worship 11:15 am 5554 Clayton Rd., Concord (in the Farm Bureau building)
www.EternalLifeLutheranChurch.org
(925) 524-0295 William Kant, Pastor
Member of WELS (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod)
CLAYTON VALLEY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Holy Week begins with the procession of palms at the 10:30 a.m. service on Sunday, March 28 and ends with a traditional Easter service with special music and communion at 10:30 a.m. at the church. For a schedule of Holy Week services and more information, call Clayton Valley Presbyterian at 672-4848. The church is at 1678 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton. CROSSROADS CHURCH The church will celebrate Easter with a 9 a.m. service. There will be a baptism celebration at 10 a.m., followed by an Easter brunch. The church is at 5353 Concord Boulevard, Concord. For more information, call 798-5905.
MATH COUNTS PARENT COACH Jayashree Suresh; students Monishaa Suresh, Emma Hall, Annagail Grant, Arthur Jones, and coach Dave Peters.
Taking care of your aching feet Years of wear and tear can be hard on your feet. So can disease, poor circulation, improperly trimmed toe nails and wearing shoes that don’t fit properly. Foot problems can be the first sign of more serious medical conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, and nerve and circulatory disorders. Practice good foot care by checking your feet often or having a member of your family check them. Podiatrists and primary care doctors are qualified to treat most foot problems. Sometimes the special skills of an orthopedic surgeon or dermatologist are needed. Maintaining the blood flow to your feet also helps keep your feet healthy. Do this by putting your feet up when you are sitting or lying down, stretching if you have had to sit for a long period of time, walking or having a gentle foot massage. Soaking your feet in a warm bath can also help keep the
KELLY FERRO
SENIOR MOMENTS blood circulating. Try to avoid pressure from shoes that don’t fit right. Don’t expose your feet to cold temperatures or sit for longs periods of time, especially with your legs crossed. As with any health issues, not smoking is key to keeping a healthy blood flow throughout your body – all the way to the tips of your toes. Wearing comfortable shoes that fit well can prevent many foot ailments. Many people
today are wearing the same size they wore as young adults. However, our shoe size often changes as we age. Here are some tips for getting a proper shoe fit: Have your foot measured. The best time to do this is at the end of the day, when your feet are largest. Most of us have one foot that is larger than the other, so fit your shoe to the larger foot. Don’t select shoes by the size marked inside the shoe but by how the shoe fits your foot. Buy a shoe that is shaped like your foot. During the fitting process, make sure there is enough space for your longest toe at the end of each shoe when you are standing up. Make sure the ball of your foot fits comfortably into the widest part of the shoe. Don’t buy shoes that feel too tight and expect them to stretch to fit.
Your heel should fit comfortably in the shoe with a minimal amount of slipping. Walk in the shoes to make sure they fit and feel right. Having a comfortable and well-fitting pair of shoes can be half the battle to keeping your feet healthy. Try many different types and styles to see what works best for you and your feet. If you have a common foot problem, such as athlete’s foot, dry skin, corns, calluses or bunions, check with your doctor for what types of treatments may be available. Whether it be your primary doctor or a podiatrist (foot specialist), there are many sources of information and help available for whatever may be ailing your feet. Take the time to care for your feet. You’ll be glad you did. Kelly Ferro is a marketing director for Aegis Living. Send comments or questions to kelly.ferro@aegisliving.com
Now more than ever, you deserve 110 years of strength and stability on your side. Today’s economy gives us all cause for concern and we realize that one of the most important messages you can hear right now from Ameriprise Financial is this: we are strong, stable and committed to safeguarding our clients’ dreams. Call me today, I can help you understand your options and give you the guidance you need to weather turbulent times.
Mureleen Benton, CFP®, Financial Advisor 5356 Clayton Rd., Suite 211 Concord, CA 94521 (925) 685-4523 Mureleen.M.Benton@ampf.com CA License #0692378 Financial planning services and investments available through Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., Member FINRA and SIPC. © 2009 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.
Join us for Holy Week and Easter Services March 28, Palm Sunday The Blessing of the Palms and Holy Eucharist at 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. April 1, Maundy Thursday Remembering the Last Supper with a Holy Eucharist & Foot Washing at 7:00 p.m. April 2, Good Friday A contemplative service of Prayers around the Cross at 7:00 p.m.
Financial, from page 15 any number of recipients free of any transfer taxes, probably won’t be affected by future legislation. Other strategies include making taxable gifts while the tax rate is only 35 percent and making gifts to your grandchil-
dren while there’s no GST tax. Of course, these strategies might backfire if Congress retroactively increases the gift tax rate and reinstates the estate and GST taxes. Uncertainty about the future of gift, estate and GST taxes
makes estate planning a challenge, but there are additional techniques you can use to hedge your bets. For example, you can design your will or revocable trust in a way that maximizes the benefits of qualified disclaimers or powers of appointment, enabling your spouse or others to direct your assets in the most tax-efficient manner.
Your advisors can help you review your plan and make any adjustments necessary to ensure that it continues to meet your expectations. Richard A. Littorno is an attorney specializing in estate planning. He has offices in Clayton and Pittsburg. Send your questions to Richard@LittornoLaw.com.
April 4, Easter Day Vigil/Sunrise Eucharist, 6:00 a.m. with our Folk Band Easter breakfast following. Holy Eucharist, 8:00 a.m. Coffee and breakfast treats, Easter egg hunt following. Holy Eucharist, 10:00 a.m. with Choir and Organ Coffee and egg hunt following.
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GOOD FRIDAY - April 2 9:00 a.m. 11:15 a.m. 12:15 p.m. 3:00 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m.
Morning Prayer (Ch) Stations of the Cross (G) Ecumenical Prayer Service (C) Solemn Liturgy in English (C) Solemn Liturgy in Spanish - (C) Solemn Liturgy in English - (H)
HOLY SATURDAY - April 3 9:00 a.m. 7:30 p.m.
Morning Prayer (Ch) Easter Vigil: Bilingual (C)
EASTER SUNDAY - April 4 Masses in English: 7:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. (C), 9:15 a.m., 11:15 a.m. (H) Mass in Spanish: 12:45 p.m. (C) No 5:00 p.m. Mass on Easter (Ch) – Chapel, (C) – Church, (G) – Garden, (H) – Parish Hall
Page 18
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
You just ‘cain’t say no’ to Oklahoma Clayton residents Hannah and Marcella Newton have gone sweeping down to Walnut Creek to join Contra Costa Musical Theatre’s production of “Oklahoma.” Many of the show’s songs have become favorites, including “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning,” “The Surrey with the Fringe on Top,” “People Will Say We’re in Love” and “Oklahoma.” The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical is set during the turn of the century in the Oklahoma Territory. The famous opening scene introduces the audience to cowboy Curly McLain riding through corn “as high as an elephant’s eye” on his way to visit farm girl Laurey Williams. Both are smitten but are too proud and stubborn to admit it.
CLAYTON SISTERS MARCELLA AND HANNAH NEWTON appear in “Oklahoma” at the Lesher Center starting March 26.
They flirt and tease each other but can’t seem to speak their real feelings, which leads to Laurey going to the big box social with her Aunt Eller’s brooding ranch hand, Jud Fry. Meanwhile, local cowboy Will Parker receives a big welcome upon his return from Kansas City, providing an excuse for one of the most exuberant dance numbers in Broadway history. This musical tackles class issues between the farmers and the cowmen in the still-developing, rugged landscape of a state in its infancy as characters struggle to find hope, love and the fulfillment of the American Dream. “Oklahoma” plays March 26-April 25 at the Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. Tickets are $40-$45, with discounts for seniors, youth and groups. For more information, call 943-SHOW or visit lesherartscenter.org.
March 19, 2010
Book Review
Two books dig deeper into Alice’s adventures SUNNY SOLOMON
FOR
THE
BOOKS
While one book strives to explain how Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) came to write such a wacky and riotous tale as “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” another book brings depth to the Alice character. “Alice I Have Been” is an intriguing biographical novel of Alice Liddell and begins when Alice Hargreaves, nee Liddell, at age 80, reflects on her recent trip to America in celebration of Carroll’s 100th birthday. Melanie Benjamin’s novel is a fictional account of Alice as a child, a young woman and finally an octogenarian looking back on a life fuller than most. Benjamin captures our attention with Alice’s relationship to the shy, stammering young Oxford (Christ Church) don who teaches mathematics while preparing for the deaconate. Dodgson, a good amateur photographer, has a talent for taking pictures of children – with a preference for little girls. Alice recalls a picture-taking afternoon when, after Dodgson
looked at her “with an intense look, almost as if he were afraid I might disappear,” she felt herself “blush, wondering why I felt so strangely.” Such an avocation raises all sorts of red flags for today’s reader. Benjamin picks up each flag and gives it her own spin. Alice’s father is dean of Christ Church and Dodgson becomes friendly with the Liddell family. For a period of time, he is a frequent and welcome visitor at the deanery. Dodgson, who has a natural affinity for children and especially young girls, entertains Alice and her sisters with stories, riddles and games while visiting at their home or, accompanied by their nurse, on wonderful outings where the stories never stop. With complete approval from Mrs. Liddell, Dodgson also takes photographs of the three girls. The image of Alice, photographed as a scantily clad waif, remains in the reader’s mind. Alice reflects on that picture: “That seemingly lovely summer afternoon, when between the two of us, we set out to destroy Wonderland – my Wonderland – forever.” It is a provocative and disturbing memory. At some point in time, the relationship between the Liddells
and Dodgson is severed. Through research and imagination, Benjamin suggests an explanation in the voice of a young and then mature Alice. How she struggles to make sense of her life beyond the role of Alice in Carroll’s Wonderland makes for some magical reading. Meanwhile, “The Mystery of Lewis Carroll,” a biography by Jenny Woolf, is a slower-paced book that nevertheless holds the reader’s attention while Woolf digs deep to flesh out the real Carroll. It’s not an easy task and often Woolf, well aware of Carroll’s modern psychological assessment, seems to be trying too hard. In the end, we’re glad she did, for she renders a remarkable job of shedding a bright light on the social mores of 19th century Victorian life, thereby leveling the playing field when it comes to judging Carroll. Woolf ’s telling is straightforward and earnest. Her strong body of evidence supports her belief that Carroll’s life ought not to be looked at through a 21st century lens that reflects sexuality in almost everything it takes in. Read “Alice I Have Been” for a lively love story based on fact and conjecture. Then try “The
Mystery of Lewis Carroll” for a fresh approach to an old and loved storyteller. And why not treat yourself to a reading of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” Is the story dated? I think not. Pay attention to Mock Turtle’s singing of the Lobster Quadrille. There you will find the present day Sam I Am of “Green Eggs and Ham.” Imagine, Dr. Seuss following in the footsteps of Lewis Carroll. Sunny Solomon holds a Master of Arts in English and Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. She is a poet, published author and the reviewerat-large for Clayton Books. Email her with questions or comments at memorie3@yahoo.com
Movie Review
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A Tim Burton “Alice in Wonderland” with Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter should be a slam dunk. Burton’s offkilter imagination and Depp’s quirky bouncing-off-the-walls acting style make you wonder why it hasn’t happened before. Perhaps the CGI technology really had to catch up to properly create the wild otherworldliness that Wonderland (or Underland as we come to find is its correct name) fills inside Burton’s head. The slithery-flying Cheshire cat, the cockeyed, manic March Hare, the swollen-headed Red Queen and all the fantastic locations from the books by Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) have never had the
chance to be brought to life on film with as much vitality as today’s animation technology allows. Numerous movies based on the nonsensical stories have been produced since 1903, but modern computers can now make imagination obsolete. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is debatable. Burton’s movie is not really the story from Carroll’s book, but rather a kind of sequel. Alice returns to Underland as a young woman with vague memories of her earlier adventures as a girl. Rather than face the restrictions of male-dominated, turn-of-the-century British society and an arranged marriage, Alice Kingsley (Mia Wasikowska) flees down the rabbit hole into a dream world. There, the desperate citizens fear war between the Red and White queens and have been awaiting Alice’s return so she can fulfill her destiny. It seems they have just as many expectations of what she should do as her normal world peers. It’s a strong feminist statement that Alice’s normal life is all about becoming a wife and accepting her place as a
Walt Disney Pictures
CGI technology helps bring Alice’s wonderland to life in Tim Burton’s new movie.
woman, while the Underland expectations for her are to bear arms and armor and fight against injustice. In both worlds, she must find the strength to choose for herself and buck what people think she should do. The wonders are wondrous and the adventure is adventurous, but the movie unfortunately falls into the same mold as many other recent adventure films – with the young and powerless hero finding the strength
to stand up to the queen, monster, wizard or god du jour. Alice’s self-empowerment is a compelling enough story, however, it is almost impossible for Depp’s Mad Hatter not to steal every scene he’s in, which is many of them. I expected to see a lot of similarity with some of his previous roles, such as Willy Wonka, but the Mad Hatter Depp creates is perfectly solid, if one can be solid and bonkers at the same time. Few others could fill the hat the way he does and he brings silliness and pathos to the part convincingly. While a great performance, he overshadows the pale Alice a bit too much and her story loses some of its impact. The PG film has a few scary and slightly gory scenes, including a tiny Alice walking across severed heads floating in the Red Queen’s moat. Don Pedro Cruz is a local freelance writer and graphic designer. Send your comments to dpvc2000@gmail.com
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March 19, 2010
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com
Page 19
Pets now have their own vacation spot at Pet Suites Inn Planning a vacation? Don’t put it off because there isn’t anyone to feed the dog and cat. Pets now have their own spa resort right over the hill. Josie Van Fleet’s new Pet Suites Inn opened to rave reviews from the pet set on March 5. On hand to cut the ribbon were Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce and
city officials. “We have been trying to make this happen for about five years. We are glad to be here now and we think it has turned out very cute. Pet Suites Inn is in a converted warehouse at 671 Willow Pass Road in Pittsburg. There are runs and play areas for both
big and small dogs and complete beauty and grooming facilities. Fido and Fifi not only get a great vacation, but they come home smelling good, too. Pick up and drop off services are available.
For more information call Pet Suites Inn, (925) 280-6475.
Mike Dunn/Clayton Pioneer
JOSIE VAN FLEET (CENTER) IS JOINED by Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce members and city officials as she cuts the ribbon at the grand opening of Pet Suites Inn in Pittsburg.
Lindsey Vonn and Derecho are ARF’s Adoption Stars
Easy does it with doggie play dates mouth, or a stalking dog, is not ready to meet another dog. Try another time when the dog is more relaxed, perhaps after his evening meal. Canine manners are the opposite of Western human manners. Polite dogs do not look other dogs in the eye. They arc when they meet, exposing their flanks to the other dog, then greet noseto-tail for a “doggy handshake.” When introducing dogs onleash, approach leisurely, at an angle, stopping occasionally so that the dogs can communicate with each other. They should meet nose-to-tail to avoid potentially upsetting face-toface greetings. Calmly but immediately separate the dogs if either exhibits signs of anxiety, such as licking lips, pulling ears back, turning their head away or freezing. Meetings should end on a neutral, if not a happy, note. Positive experiences create positive feelings. Do not force one dog to greet another if either
ELENA BICKER
PAWS
AND
CLAWS
Many people want their dogs to meet and play with other dogs. While it’s tempting to bring them to the dog park and let them mix and mingle, dog parks can be the canine equivalent of a singles’ bar or New Year’s Eve in Times Square – overwhelming. The majority of dogs like some other dogs, but few dogs want to play with everyone. Then there are those who don’t want to play with anyone. Knowing your dog’s preference is important in helping navigate dog-dog meetings. One-onone introductions are generally the best. Keep initial introductions on neutral territory and limited to just a few seconds. Depending on the personality of the dogs, they might meet on-leash or off-leash, but never introduce dogs while one is on-leash and the other is free. Introductions are more easily managed when both dogs are leashed. But if stressed, leashed dogs may see fighting as their only defense so take care to keep both dogs feeling safe and comfortable. Before introducing the dogs, observe their stance and movements. Loose body movements, wide tail wagging and open mouths usually indicate contentment and ease. Upright ears and a stiffened body and tail indicate curiosity or arousal. Approach the other dog only if both dogs are calm. Overexcited dogs greet rudely, and a dog with a closed, puckered
is showing signs of reluctance. Unpleasant introductions can affect a dog’s perception of other dogs for a lifetime. If both dogs appear relaxed and the introduction area is enclosed, drop the leashes. Remove pinch, slip and martingale collars during play to prevent injuries. Leashes can be removed once dogs are familiar with each other. Have periodic time-outs to keep dogs from getting overexcited. Always supervise dogs while they play, not only for safety’s sake, but also for the joy of watching a new friendship bloom. The Animal Rescue Foundation periodically offers classes on dog-dog, dog-cat and pet-new baby introduction. For more information, visit Animal Programs at arf.net. Elena Bicker is the Executive Director of Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation. She can be reached at (925) 256-1ARF (1273)
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LINDSEY VONN Lindsey Vonn is patiently waiting for her forever family! Her new family should provide her with plenty of opportunities for mental and physical exercise. Attending training classes will be a great way for her to learn the skills she’ll need to become a well mannered companion. The adoption fee for adult dogs is $225 and includes 60% off one 7-week dog training session. Derecho is an awesome guy who loves to be cuddled and also shows a little independence. He loves to have his head rubbed. 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 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The primary caretaker must be present to adopt. ARF also encourages kids 16 and younger and canine family members (dog adoptions only) to be present during the adoption process. Would you like to be part of the heroic team that saves the lives of rescued dogs and cats? Can you share your talents to connect people and ani-
mals? ARF volunteers are making a difference! For more information see our website, www.arf.net, or call 925.256.1ARF.
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Page 20
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
NICOLE HACKETT
GARDEN GIRL This past weekend, a young girl came into the nursery looking for flowering plants. She mentioned that a friend of hers grows a daisy garden. Wow, that’s a great idea.
Everyone can recognize a daisy, and creating a daisy garden would be a fun, youthful activity. Spring is here, so get the family together and let’s get planting. Daisy-shaped flowers come on plants that are easy to find in nurseries. They are sun-loving and extremely hardy. As you plan your daisy garden, find a sunny location – preferably an area that receives at least six hours of sun. The condition of the soil is also important, so prep the site with a nitrogen-rich soil conditioner. Blooming plants will need extra help from fertilizer and, eventually, deadheading.
GERBERA A DAISY STAPLE Gerbera daisies are feminine, sturdy perennials that do wonderfully in Clayton Valley landscapes. Their blooms have large faces with dark centers. They come in many shades of red, orange, yellow, pink and white. The flowers stand on sturdy stems, making them an excellent cut flower for indoors. Gerbera daisies are smaller plants, so keep them toward the front of a daisy garden. During the heat of the summer, Gerbera daisies will slowly go to sleep. Don’t worry about losing them; they return in early spring to bloom all over again. There is a new strain of Gerbera daisies called the Jaguar series. This wild-looking Gerbera will be outrageous in your garden, so look for it. FROM PINK TO PUMPKIN Arctotis is a hybrid daisy that grows like a cozy blanket of
Est.1972
Smith & Bernal
flowers. This plant has gray leaves and bright flowers of pink, orange, yellow and red. Two favorite selections are Pink Sugar and Pumpkin Pie. This groundcover daisy is robust and may cover other plants, so consider its spread when installing. The Arctotis will reach 3 feet in width and about 18 inches in height. The flowers are very butterflyfriendly. They open during the day and close in the evening. Shasta daisies are crisp and clean. This flower has white petals and yellow centers. Shasta daisies are found in nurseries under the name leucanthemum. There are many heights and petal counts to consider. Leucanthemum Becky is a favorite. This simple flower was the perennial of the year in 2003. Becky Shasta daisies are tall and will grow wide with age. Expect 3 feet of height and soon 3 feet of width. Leucanthemums will go dor-
March 19, 2010
mant during the early fall. When I say dormant, I mean gone. Prepare yourself to see soil, rather than the plant. But as soon as spring begins, the leaves return and the plant thrives. BLACK-EYED SUSAN IS PURE GOLD
Summer is still daisy time. Rudbeckia goldsturm or Blackeyed Susan is fabulous July through September. The yellow petals of this daisy-shaped flower contrast with the dark centers. This perennial reaches 2 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide. The Rudbeckia would be a great medium-sized plant in a daisy garden. The Rudbeckia goldsturm is easy to divide after the third year of growth. Dig up a chunk and share with a friend or transplant to a different sunny area of the landscape. Coneflowers are also great, drought-friendly perennials. These large plants thrive in full sun and aren’t picky about soil.
Butterflies can’t resist the large, cone-shaped heads. Coneflowers are called Echinacea. They are many selections to consider, but a couple easy-to-find favorites are purpura and Ruby Giant. All Echinacea get tall, with most reaching 30-36 inches high, so plant these perennials in the back of the daisy garden. Asters are another family of daisy-shaped flowers to seek. These perennials will not be at the nursery until June. They bloom late season, which is nice, since some popular perennials take a break when the weather is so hot. The idea to install a daisy garden is a great one. Gardeners of all ages appreciate this simple, youthful flower. Have fun this spring. Nicole is the Garden Girl at R&M Pool, Patio, Gifts and Garden Contact her with questions, comments or suggestions at gardengirl@claytonpioneer.com
Roofing Tile repairs Reroof Ventilation Gutter Cleaning Inspections Bird abatement
Creekside Arts Celebration
Photos by Mike Dunn
Free Roof Check-up (925) 672 0138 Clayton resident Lic. Number 727021
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Kristin Hembree performs with the Diablo Taiko group
Clayton Library Foundation members Joyce Atkinson and Shirley Boyd
Meredith Edmonston, 5, got her very first library card while visiting the Creekside Arts Celebration.
Rock painting was a major attraction for Melissa Cox and Maris Degener both 11, both from Clayton.
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Pioneer Photo Album Paul A. Johnson took this photo of a full moon rising over Peacock Creek Drive in June of 2007.
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In keeping with our motto, “It’s Your Paper,” the Pioneer is proud to spotlight our reader’s photos. Send in your cute pets, funny kids, great landscapes, favorite sites in town or whatever makes your heart beat a little faster. Email your photo in a hi-resolution jpeg or tiff format to album@claytonpioneer.com with a description of the photo, where and when it was taken and a little about why you like it. Include your name and phone number. Then look for it in the next Pioneer.
March 19, 2010
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com
Page 21
Do your homework before installing solar panels
Sponsored by
NextEnergy Solar By Doug Hamilton Before calling solar companies and getting estimates, homeowners can do a basic assessment to determine solar viability. Knowledge of your roof and your electrical usage, two key solar components, will help you understand the proposals contractors will present and assist you in choosing a competent and qualified solar installer. TAKE IT TO THE TOP The first thing to do is assess the condition of your roof. If it is in very poor condition, consider re-roofing before or dur-
ing solar installation. Many homeowners with fair roofs elect to re-roof just the area under the solar array with an eye toward re-roofing the rest of the home in the future. This is a great alternative for frugal homeowners, allowing them to apply their energy savings to future home projects. A 2,000 sq. ft. home with normal electrical usage could install a 3 kilowatt system, or about 18 200-watt panels. Typically, you will need about 250 sq. ft. of space. Keep in mind that vents and pipes in the roof will alter where modules can be installed. Larger homes, less efficient homes and homes with higher usage will need double or triple the space. The ideal direction for maximum solar production is south. However, any direction between true east and true west can achieve high energy production, depending on the type of solar module installed. Make sure you
have clear space facing a direction within this spectrum. If you have two smaller sections, the system may be split between two different directions. Once you’ve determined that you have a roof face in the west to east spectrum, look to see if trees or other obstructions shade that area for sizable portions of the day. Early morning and late afternoon shade is not a problem, because those are low-production times. For best performance, the section should be clear from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Some shading is OK, and your solar contractor can find the best place on your roof. Shading can also be offset by using higher efficiency modules that maximize sunlight. Solar installers can install on any type of roof, but some are more complicated than others. Composition shingle is the easiest and lowest cost on which to install. Flat or curved cement tile or flat tar and gravel are more expensive installations
with medium difficulty. Curved ceramic, light ceramic and slate tile are difficult. Installation options should be carefully discussed with the solar contractor. CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS Your actual electrical usage will determine the amount of power your solar electric system should produce. Solar contractors will refer to this as the size of the system. Because PG&E charges most customers depending on which tier of electricity they accumulate, the size of the solar array has a direct impact on the number of
years it will take for the system to pay for itself. Typically, solar makes smart financial sense for homeowners with average electric bills more than $200. However, many homeowners are also focused on the green aspects of energy generation. In either case, if you own the solar system, your energy is free once you reach your payback date. High electrical usage of $250-$700+ per month (1,0002,000 kilowatts per month and up) means you are offsetting a more expensive tier, leading to a faster payback on the solar array.
It is common for these homeowners to see payback in five to seven years. Smaller usage homeowners in the $100-$200 per month range (500-900 kilowatts per month) require a smaller, less costly system. However, the energy tiers being offset are less expensive and lead to a slightly longer time to recoup your investment. A payback period of seven to nine years is standard. Hamilton is a senior solar consultant with NextEnergy Solar in Concord. For more information, email doug@nextenergysolar.com.
Examples based on a typical 3-5 bedroom home in your area. All NextEnergy solar electric systems are customized,so actual prices will vary. Your new electric bill plus the cost of your system could be LOWER than your current electric bill, meaning savings from day one!
Buttermilk perfect for baking – whether it’s chicken or cupcakes
LINDA WYNER
FOOD
FOR
THOUGHT
As a kid, I recall my dad having a glass of buttermilk just about every night. I looked at the thin liquid with little flecks of yellow, smelled its sour tanginess and wrinkled up my nose. Though I don’t think I’ve ever sipped a glass, I use buttermilk all the time in the kitchen. When I ask students in a cooking class to describe buttermilk, I inevitably hear that it’s a rich milk full of fat because it contains butter. The reverse is the case, although with modern production methods I can see where there’s confusion. Traditionally, buttermilk is the liquid left behind after churning out the butter. Those little flecks I used to see were fat globules leftover from extracting the butter. Today, commercial buttermilk is low-fat milk to which a culture has been added. This brings about a thickened liquid similar to half-and-half or even heavy cream in consistency. But it has far fewer calories – less than 100 in a cup compared to nearly 160 in a cup of whole milk – and 75 percent less fat. Buttermilk has its place in folklore. In Ireland, a glass of buttermilk is said to cure a hangover when it’s heated with a clove of garlic. American Colonists thought drinking buttermilk would immunize them against poison oak and poison ivy. Pioneer women washed their faces with it, believing it would result in a smooth, creamy complexion. American pioneers also used buttermilk in baking. Its acidity
helps activate baking soda to leaven baked goods. It’s perfect in today’s muffins, pancakes, cornbread, salad dressing, marinades and sauces. I soak chicken in buttermilk for 20 to 30 minutes to impart flavor and tenderness and as a base to adhere spices and breading for sautéing or baking. There’s nothing easier than ranch dressing made with buttermilk. It’s far fresher and lacks the preservatives and additives of store-bought dressing. BUTTERMILK RANCH DRESSING ¼ c. buttermilk 2 T. mayonnaise (reduced-fat OK) 1 T. champagne vinegar or white-wine vinegar ¼ tsp. garlic powder ¼ tsp. onion powder ¼ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. pepper ½ tsp dried basil flakes 1 T. minced green onion tops or chives (optional) Whisk together the buttermilk, mayonnaise and vinegar in a medium bowl. Whisk in the dry ingredients until evenly combined and add green onions or chives. Serve over salad greens or use as a dip with veggies. There’s a lot of hoo-ha over cupcakes these days, and red velvet in particular. I’ve had good success with the following recipe: SOUTHERN-STYLE RED VELVET CUPCAKES ¼ c. butter, softened ¾ c. white sugar 1 egg ½ c. buttermilk 1 T. red food coloring ½ tsp. vanilla extract ¾ tsp. baking soda 1½ tsp. distilled white vinegar 1 c. all-purpose flour 1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder ½ tsp. salt Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 12-cup muffin pan or line with paper baking cups. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg, buttermilk, red food coloring and vanilla. Stir in the baking soda and vinegar. Combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt; stir into the batter just until blended. Spoon the batter into the prepared cups, dividing evenly. Bake 20-25 minutes or until the tops spring back when lightly pressed. When cool, frost with cream cheese frosting or other frosting as desired. If you don’t have liquid buttermilk on hand, buttermilk powder is an acceptable alternative. Look for Saco Cultured Buttermilk Blend and use as directed. For example, 1 T. powder + ¼ c. water = ¼ c. cup buttermilk. For a tasty baked chicken dinner, mix up a cup of the reconstituted buttermilk and add 2 tsp. Tabasco sauce. Dip the chicken pieces, then dredge them in flour seasoned with dried herbs (oregano, basil, thyme), garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bake in a preheated 425 oven for about 15 minutes, then turn the chicken over and reduce heat to 325. Bake until the juices run clear, 35-45 minutes more. Pans on Fire is hosting a Buttermilk Biscuit Contest on Saturday, May 15. Entry fee is $10, but audience participation is free. Help judge the winner and taste the entries with your choice of butter and jam or homemade country sausage gravy. Visit pansonfire.com or call 600-7267 for details. 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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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
March 19, 2010
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