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April 09, 2010
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Spring brings another season for Clayton Valley Little Leaguers JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
HANK STRATFORD
MAYOR’S CORNER Disaster plan takes some thought For about as long as I can remember, I have heard warnings that the Bay Area will experience a major earthquake within the next 30 to 40 years. At first, I thought this timeframe was fixed and each year that passed meant the likelihood of a major earthquake increased. After hearing the prediction for several years, I realized that the timeframe never seemed to change. So how do you motivate yourself and your family to prepare for an event that may happen tomorrow or may never happen in your lifetime? It would be a lot easier if we knew that in November, there was going to be a specific emergency. We would then have seven to eight months to prepare in a very specific way. Earlier this year, we saw the
See Mayor, page 7
Photo by Mike Dunn
PHILLIES T-BALL PLAYERS PRACTICE THEIR SIGNS. From left, Robbie Harris, Josh Sullins, Jayce Ramey, Luke Cuneo, Aidan Nolan-Blasingame, Kodiac Muratori, Owen Sheridan and Adam Rychtecky. Their manager, Jason Ramey, is enjoying the efforts of the 5- and 6-year-old first-time players at opening ceremonies for Clayton Valley Little League.
MDES custodian takes a cut for the team TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
pleased. Daughter Holly and granddaughter Hanna, 3, watched the makeover from the sidelines. Hanna had never seen her grandpa without his beard and it was a tough sell. “This is going to take some getting used to,” Holly said. “I miss the beard.”
For the Spell-a-Thon fundraiser, students received donations from friends, neighbors and family members based on the number of words they spelled correctly in a test. In addition to the “extreme makeover” event, all students were rewarded with a popsicle
party for their efforts and the class at each grade level which raised the most money received a root beer float party. “This ‘fun’draiser was a winwin for everyone – including the PFC, the students and
See Haircut, page 2
See Little League, page 14
KQED honors ‘Lemon Lady’ as hero MIKE DUNN Clayton Pioneer
Clayton’s Anna Chan, the “Lemon Lady,” has added another award to her growing collection.
Every 15 Minutes hits home with CV students TAYLOR TOVREA Clayton Pioneer
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID CLAYTON, CA PERMIT 190
Students recently raised more than $20,000 for the Mt. Diablo Elementary School Parent Faculty Club, which was more than enough to pay for Bob Biles’ shave and haircut. The popular custodian had been growing his bushy black beard for more than 15 years when principal Bob Dodson asked him to volunteer for an “extreme makeover” as a reward to the students for their fundraising efforts. The students cheered as Franco Garcia and Angelique Brown of Great Clips snipped away at Biles’ beard and shoulder length locks. The makeover was complete when Biles stepped behind the parked school bus to change into a new suit and tie donated
by Men’s Warehouse. The students chanted “Move that bus; move that bus” in a takeoff of the popular TV show “Extreme Makeover.” “I feel younger, lighter,” said Biles, sporting a jaunty new fedora. Not everyone was as
Spring is here and that means baseball is too. Clayton Valley Little League marked the beginning of its 47th season with two special events in March. Almost 100 baseball and softball players took part in the third annual jamboree the week before the start of the regular season. The event featured shortened baseball games and full length softball outings. The 300 spectators (and the players between games) enjoyed a delicious barbecue lunch prepared by Greg Ferrell and his volunteer crew, including a cousin who flew in from Southern California to assist with the preparation of tri-tip, ribs, chicken and brisket. Ferrell is the father of four CV Little Leaguers past and present and has been the master chef for all three jamborees. Deb Meylan termed the jamboree one of the best Little League days of the year. “Everyone is happy – the players, parents, coaches and
Photo by Mike Dunn
THE EVERY 15 MINUTES PROGRAM left CVHS students pondering the impact of drunk driving.
What’s Inside Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Church News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
On March 30, 21 members of the Clayton Valley community were “killed” in accidents caused by drunk drivers. The living dead left their classes as their deaths were announced, leaving nothing but a headstone in the quad to fill the void they left behind. Their absence on campus was punctuated by an eerie heartbeat broadcast throughout the day to symbolize the lives that are affected by drunk driving every 15 minutes.
Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Community Calendar . . . . . . . . . . .16 Directory of Advertisers . . . . . . . . . .5 DVMS Reporter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Financial Sense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Food for Thought . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 From the Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Though car accidents, many due to driving under the influence, are the leading cause of death for 15- to 20-year-olds, most teens feel immune to this statistic. The two-day Every 15 Minutes program is designed to eliminate those feelings of indifference and immunity toward drunk driving by displaying the harsh reality of such an accident with victims the student body cares about and can relate to – their peers. Under the gaze of the sophomore and junior classes as well as the white-painted faces of the
See 15 Minutes, page 10
Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Movie Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Obituary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 On the Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Parenting Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Police Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Mike Dunn/Clayton Pioneer
ANNA CHAN stands at the podium at KQED studios.
On March 24, she was recognized for her leadership and strong commitment to community service in conjunction with Women’s History Month at
See Lemon Lady, page 2
Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 School News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Tech Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Teen Speak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Theatre Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Upcoming Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 What Really Matters . . . . . . . . . . . .7
