IT’S YOUR PAPER www.claytonpioneer.com
June 25, 2010
925.672.0500
City budget balances with no cuts to services TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
Public can comment at June 29 meeting While the state grapples with a projected $19 billion deficit and other cities and agencies slash away at budgets already bloody with red ink, Clayton will plod into the next fiscal year flat-
lined – and with no cut to services. In his budget report to the City Council on June 15, City Manager Gary Napper likened Clayton to the turtle in the race against the hare. The city has always been lean, Napper said, displaying fiscal restraint even in the mid-decade heyday of big tax revenues and unbridled consumer spending. “While the finish line is never
reached for municipalities,” he said, “this turtle is not out of breath or relatively out of money.” RESERVE MAINTAINED At $3.66 million, the general fund accounts for 25 percent of the city’s total proposed budget of $14.6 million. The general fund budget, which covers city operations including law enforcement, is essentially the
same as last year’s $3.64 million. A property tax base less volatile than other Bay Area cities, a 2 percent increase in sales tax revenues and $239,306 in cuts in personnel costs helped keep the gap between revenues and expenses to a mere $18,410. Interest earnings from a trust account will cover the shortfall. According to Napper, the
See Budget, page 20
General Fund Operating Budget 2010-11 Engineering $96,261 Library $131,051
Community Park $159,122 Legislative $62,885
Admin/Finance $817,793 Public Works $127,595
Comm. Dev. $257,565 Gen. Services $177,105
Police $1,827,232
Dog park celebrates 10 year anniversary TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
HANK STRATFORD
MAYOR’S CORNER You’ve got questions? Mayor has answers. There are a few common questions that I am frequently asked, and today I will attempt to answer some of them. How is the city doing, financially? The 2010-’11 budget was recently developed and presented to the City Council. As part of the budget preparations, finance manager Merry Pelletier estimated that we will end the fiscal year on June 30 with an annual shortfall of about $2,000. Considering the annual
See Mayor, page 7
Shutterbugs Enter the Clayton Pioneer’s
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
THE OUTGOING BOARD MEMBERS OF THE K-9 COALITION, most of whom have been supporters of the park since the inception, were honored at the 10-year anniversary of the Clayton Dog Park. From left: Linda Pinder, Mary Buscaglia, Troy Lee, Peggy Eyres, Micki McCabe Walls. The park is city owned but maintained by volunteers and has become a popular canine play-date destination, especially since the addition of a small dog area last fall.
See Dog Park, page 2
Clayton woman rows toward Belarus JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
July 4 Photo Contest Cash Prizes Turn to Page 4 for contest details
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID CLAYTON, CA PERMIT 190
It was definitely the dog day of summer on June 5 when the Clayton Dog Park celebrated its 10th anniversary. Treats, Frisbees, tennis balls and swimming provided the fun for Clayton’s canines as city officials and volunteers gathered to recognize many of the park’s organizing volunteers. The day also marked the grand opening of the small dog area of the park, designed and constructed by Eagle Scouts Jason Baldree and Brett Nebeker. In 2005, Eagle Scout Trenton Wright built the shade structure over the picnic tables. Baldree and Nebeker used a similar design for the shade arbor over the small dog park. “We really liked seeing the
UC ROWING TEAM MEMBER, KARA KOHLER was named Pacific 10 Newcomer of the Year at UC last month and could be the next Clayton athlete to represent America in international competition.
What’s Inside Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 At the Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Church News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Brest, Belarus, is probably not on the wish list of many American teenagers as their summer vacation destination. However, Clayton’s 19-year-old Kara Kohler is working day and night to earn a July trip 5,888 miles away to the Belarus city on the Poland border. Kohler recently completed her freshman year at UC Berkeley, where she was a member of the women’s crew team and was named Pacific 10 Newcomer of the Year last month. Once school was over, she headed to San Diego and the U.S. Olympic Training Center with Cal teammates Elise Etem and Mary Jeghers.
Community Calendar . . . . . . . .17 Directory of Advertisers . . . . . . . .5 DVMS Student Reporter . . . . . .10 Food for Thought . . . . . . . . . . . .19 From the Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
They are trying out among of group of 16 top rowers under 23 years old from throughout the country for spots on the USA National under 23 team for the World U23 Rowing Championships July 22-25 in Brest. Kohler can become the latest Clayton athlete to represent America on the international stage. Diver Kristian Ipsen has won medals for the USA in China and Rome during the past year while bobsledder Chuck Berkeley and skier Daron Rahlves were both on the US Olympic team this winter in Vancouver. Winning the Pac 10 Newcomer of the Year award is certainly fitting for Kohler, since she never participated in
Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Photo Contest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Police Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Real Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Safety Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Senior Moments . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
the sport of rowing before visiting Cal during her senior year at Clayton Valley High School on the advice of a family friend. “I was looking for a college where I could swim when a friend suggested I check out Cal rowing. I eventually had an official visit there and met the coaches, team and observed a practice,” she recalls. Kohler was told that swimmers often made a successful transition to rowing, a sport that values tall athletes – Kohler is an athletic 6-2. “I wanted to go to a good school and play Division 1 sports. It was really daunting going to such a big school as
See Kohler page 12
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Tech Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Teen Speak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Time to Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Upcoming Events . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Your Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
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Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
K-9 COALITION CURRENT BOARD from left, Vickie Bogut, Sherry Guthrie, Debbie McEuen, Lori Rehn
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finished product,” said Nebeker, who plans to go to medical school. The park opened in 2000 on city-owned land off Marsh Creek Road. The city installed the fencing, a few benches, a table and trash cans. Local residents formed the K-9 Coalition to raise money to bring water to
board member Sherry Guthrie. Major improvements planned include bringing water to the small dog area at a cost of $10,000 and purchasing more play equipment. For more information on the park or to donate, go to claytondogpark.com
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June 25, 2010
The 24th annual CBCA Golf Classic was held June 14 at Oakhurst Country Club. This is one of the three major annual events sponsored by the Clayton Business and Community Association’s to raise funds to support community organizations and projects to enhance the quality of life in Clayton. One of the primary beneficiaries of this event will be the Clayton Valley High School golf teams. About 95 players played a scramble format with prizes given in the following categories: First place, low gross with a score of 58: Dan Lawrence, Allen White, Everett Williamson and Obie Anderson. Second place, low gross: Dan French, Dave Downing, John Silvester and George Bingham. First place, low net with a score of 61: Pete Laurence, Craig, Thomason, Ted Sudderth and David Washburn. Second place, low net: Bryan Bredell, Jim Brown, Mike Berry and Michael Linde. The long drive winner was Matt Mazzei Jr., while Everett Williamson Jr. won the putting contest. The team of Councilman Howard Gellar, Jack
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Sogomonian, Jim Lawrence and Bill West was recognized for having the “most golf ” or dead last. This year’s golf committee consisted of Dan Lawrence, Miles Bell, Eric Maldonado and Ted Sudderth.
DAN LAWRENCE, EVERETT WILLIAMSON, ALLEN WHITE and Obie Anderson (not pictured) took first place, low gross with a score of 58 in the CBCA Golf Classic.
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Clayton Market Update provided by George Vujnovich of Better Homes Realty ADDRESS
PRICE
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June 25, 2010
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Around Town Park bench dedicated to memory of Ray Casso Friends, family and fellow Rotararians of Ray Casso gathered in The Grove on June 19 for the dedication of a park bench in his memory. Sharing songs, laughter and a few tears, they remembered a man who “smiled so much his face must have hurt.” Casso was murdered in the Clayton Post Office 15 months ago. “To lose a family member to murder,” said Casso’s sisterin-law, Pam Geremia, “is beyond the beyond. The bench was a joint project of the Egads Group, an informal but close circle of Casso’s friends and the Concord/Clayton Sunrise Rotary Club where Casso was a member.
Page 3
s t r e ConcThe Grov in
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Saturdays 6 to 8:30 p.m.
At the Gazebo in The Grove July 3
Harvey & The Wall Bangers All the Greatest Hits
July 17
The Michael Paul Band Country & Southern Rock
July 31
Laurent Fourgo & His Orchestra The Big Band Sound
Aug. 14
Diamond Dave Oldies to today’s top hits
Aug. 28 East Bay Mudd Soul, Funk, R&B
Sept. 11 NATALIE TROST, NIECE OF MURDER VICTIM Ray Casso, honored her uncle’s strong influence as she addresses the crowd gathered to dedicate a park bench in his memory. Seated from left, daughter Robin Casso Gripe, Pam Gremia, Ray Casso, Jr., wife JoAnn Casso and son Rick Casso.
Tea and Treats for Scouts and Seniors The Sweets ‘n’ Tea party was hosted by troops 2782 and 1208 on Saturday May 22, 2010 for the seniors at Diamond Terrace. This event concluded an interest project for both troops in preparation for their Silver and Gold award projects. The party included homemade cookies and musical performances. Pictured from left are Rachel Siver, Krista Purser, Vanessa Martinez, Shaina
The Hit Waves All the Greatest Hits
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
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Smith, Veronica Smith, Kristyn Lorentzen, Clarice Roo, Valerie Senavsky and Amy Harris.
Support your local businesses & restaurants. Takeout or dine in before or after the concert. Moresi’s Chophouse 6115 Main St., 672 - 1333 Ed’s Mudville Grill 6200 Center St., 673-0333
What’s happening
Around Town? Send your news and photos of your births, engagements weddings, special recognitions, etc. to info@claytonpioneer.com.
La Veranda Cafe 6201 Center St., 524 - 0011 Canesa’s Brooklyn Deli 6054 Main St., 852 - 1650 Skipolini’s Pizza 1035 Diablo St., 672 - 1111 Village Market 6104 Main St., 672 - 0188 Johnny’s Int’l Deli & Cafe’ 6101 Center St., 672-1203 Cup O’Jo 6054 Main St., 672-5105
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Page 4
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
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Attraction to distraction to accident – so fast
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Monthly/Weekly Lawn & Landscape Maintenance Programs Lawn, Shrub & Garden Care Irrigation Repair Tree Service – ISA Certified Arborist on Staff
The law went into effect on July 1, 2008. During the past 23 months, Clayton police officers have made a continuous effort to educate the community by issuing 361 traffic citations to people observed using cell phones without a hands-free device while driving. Despite the law, there appears to be mass noncompliance among our population. Many people ignore the law on a daily basis. Therefore, the state Legislature is considering increasing the fine for cell phone violations and is also considering making the violation a “point violation” on your DMV driving record. The latter action would have a negative impact on car insurance premiums. On behalf of the Clayton Police Department, I encourage everyone who drives to pay full attention to the activity of operating your motor vehicle and not become distracted by outside and extraneous stimuli. Learn to ignore the attraction of screaming kids, the falling CD or the siren and focus on driving. If you have to use your cell phone while driving, use a hands-free device or pull to the side of the road. If you have questions about this issue or anything else, please call the Clayton Police Department at 673-7360, 9 a.m.5 p.m. Monday thru Friday.
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Distractions are a danger to safe driving, because a distraction is not recognized for what it is – except in retrospect. At the moment a distraction occurs, it is simply an attraction. An attraction is your attention being drawn somewhere else, not relevant to your immediate concern of safely operating a motor vehicle. Let’s say that a CD falls to the floorboard or shrieks erupt from the back seat loaded with children. Or maybe a siren wails suddenly from a side street. Your attention has not lagged, but it has been diverted – or attracted elsewhere. It is not until you miss the red light, ram the car in front of you or strike the curb that you can say to the police officer, “I was distracted!” Physiologically, your mind can be aware of a number of stimuli at the same time. However, we can only attend to one of those at a time. As a result, if we are driving, we need to focus our full attention on driving. The dropped CD, the screeching kids or the siren, as immediately demanding as they are, must be quickly relegated to lesser priority than the truck pulling out of a the parking lot to your left or the amber light turning to red directly in front of your car. To improve your driving, it’s helpful to recognize conditions that can foster a distraction. We need to learn to get a grip on our attention and keep it from reeling off in pursuit of something extraneous while we operate motor vehicles. Beyond sudden stimuli, there are other attractions that can distract us as well. Drivers who eat, read the paper, apply make-up or shave cannot pay full attention to the main task of operating their motor vehicles. Some attractions that distract us are illegal. Cell phone usage distracts us from focusing on driving and is the primary reason that the California Legislature passed a law prohibiting texting and using a cell phone without a “hands-free” device while driving.
Dan Lawrence is Clayton’s Police Chief. Please send your questions, comments or topics you’d like to see covered to DanL@cpd.ci. concord.ca.us
Rules Each individual may submit up to three photos, but only one of those photos can win a prize. Submit snapshot size prints – 3” x 5”, 4” x 6” or 5” x 7”. Photos must have been taken during this year’s July 4 Celebration in downtown Clayton. On the back of each photo, put your name, address, phone number and whether you are entering as an adult (over 12) or a child (12 and under.) IMPORTANT: Drop off your prints and a CD at the Clayton Pioneer office NO LATER THAN NOON MONDAY, JULY 5. Please do not e-mail photos. Photos will be judged on overall quality, composition and how well the image captures the spirit of the July 4 celebration. CASH PRIZES: Adults: First Place, $100; Second Place, $75; Third Place, $50. 12 and Under: First Place, $50, Second Place $30; Third Place $20. Winning photos will appear in the July 9 issue of the Clayton Pioneer.
Bicyclist injured in Clayton Road crash TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
A 78-year-old Clayton cyclist was seriously injured last week when he crossed over several lanes of traffic and collided with an oncoming car. According to police, the man was eastbound on Clayton Road in front of City Hall when he inexplicably crossed over three lanes, passing through the left turn pocket at Heritage Drive and continuing eastbound in the westbound lanes.
An Infinity, also driven by a Clayton man, was coming up the hill westbound. The driver swerved sharply as he tried to miss the cyclist and crashed into a fence. The driver was not injured. The cyclist was thrown about 20 feet and was knocked unconscious, said Sgt. Scott Dansie of the Clayton PD. He suffered broken bones and a punctured lung and was taken to John Muir Medical Center. He was not cited. “Under the circumstances, he is paying a sufficient price,” said Dansie.
Clayton policeman spots suspect in booby trap case A Concord man wanted in Shasta County for attempted homicide was arrested at gunpoint by Clayton police on June 13. Wesley Jones, 49, is charged with attempting to kill his exwife by booby trapping their vacation home with a live grenade. Clayton Officer Rich Enea was patrolling the Clayton Station about 11 p.m. that Sunday when Jones drove by him. Enea recognized Jones from a prior DUI arrest.
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Jones was taken into custody and transported to Shasta County, where he is in jail on $500,000 bail. The parking lot in front of Safeway was evacuated during the arrest because of the possibility of explosives in Jones’ truck. According to Shasta County police, Jones’ ex-wife, Myra, went to check on a vacation home in Shasta County that she and Jones had owned together after hearing he had been there. As she opened the door, she heard something fall and could
see a string tied from the door handle to the grenade on the floor. She called police and the Shasta County bomb squad removed and detonated the grenade using a robot. According to local blog site Claycord.com, Shasta County Sheriff Sgt. John Hubbard said that in a monitored phone call between Jones and his ex-wife, Jones admitted to having knowledge of a booby trap being rigged to the front door of the residence.
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June 25, 2010
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Upcoming Events JULY 4 CELEBRATION
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 S TAFF W RITERS : Denisen Hartlove, Lou Fancher, Nicci Shipstead, Pam Wiesendanger, Mike Dunn We remember Jill Bedecarré - Her spirit is our muse
PIONEER INFO CONTACT US Tel: (925) 672-0500 Fax: (925) 672-6580 Tamara Steiner tamara@claytonpioneer.com Randy Wenger Randy@claytonpioneer.com Send ads to ads@claytonpioneer.com Send Sports News to sports@claytonpioneer.com Send Club News to clubnews@claytonpioneer.com Send Church News to churchnews@claytonpioneer.com
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CLASSIFIEDS Classified rates per insertion: Non-profit: $12 for first 30 words, $.20 each additional word Individual/non-commercial: $18 for first 30 words, $.30 each additional word Commercial: $48 for first 30 words, $.40 each additional word To place your classified ad over the phone, call the office at (925) 6720500 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Or, you may fax your typewritten ad and credit card information to (925) 672-6580. All classifieds must be paid for in advance by credit card (Master Card or Visa) We will not accept any ad that dis-
criminates on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, nationality, family status or disability. The Clayton Pioneer reserves the right to reject any advertising we believe is unsuitable. LET US KNOW Weddings, engagements, anniversaries, births and deaths all weave together as part of the fabric of our community. Please let us know of these important events. We ask only that the announcement be for a Clayton resident. You will find the appropriate form for your announcement on our Website. Attach your photo to the form. Make sure the image size you are about to send is at least 3 MB but not bigger than 6MB. The only format we accept is JPG. You can also mail or bring your print to the office and we can scan it for you. Also on our Web site are forms for submitting Community Calendar items and press releases for your organization. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Clayton Pioneer welcomes letters from our readers. As a general rule, letters should be 250 words or less and submitted at least one week prior to publication date. Letters concerning current issues will have priority. We may edit letters for length and clarity. All letters will be published at the editor’s discretion. Please include your name, address and daytime telephone number. We will not print letters from “anonymous.” E-mail your letter in a Word document to tamara@claytonpioneer.com. Letters MUST be submitted via E-mail.
Let your heart beat true ‘neath the red, white and blue on Main Street as we gather to celebrate Independence Day in Clayton Country the old fashioned way. The day begins early on July 4 with the Rotary Club pancake breakfast at 7 a.m. at Endeavor Hall. The parade begins at 10 a.m. with the Kiddie Parade -- a true Norman Rockwell classic featuring Clayton’s children, decked out in red, white and blue, with their decorated wagons, strollers, scooters, bikes and trikes, with the faithful family dog, all marching proudly down Main Street. The main parade with floats, local dignitaries and civic participants follows. The festivities are all emceed by ABC 7 News anchor, Dan Ashley.
JULY 9 Free Movie Nights Begin The first of the four outdoor movie nights at Clayton Community Church begins tonight with “Monsters vs. Aliens” shown on a giant screen with surround sound. Set up your lawn chairs in the church parking lot on Main Street by 8:30 p.m. Second in the series on July 16 is “Night at the Museum 2” followed by “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” on July 23. The series wraps up with the Academy Award winner “The Blind Side” on July 30.
July 4 Parade Entry Deadline Extended to June 30 There’s still time to get your entry into the annual July 4 parade if you submit your application by June 30. Entry forms, insurance requirements and parade rules are on the city’s Website at www.cityofclayton.org. Kids in the Kiddie Parade do not need an application. They just need to show up in red, white and blue well before the parade begins at 10 a.m. The city needs volunteers to help on the day of the parade anytime between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 4. To volunteer, call Laci Jackson at 673-7304 or email ljackson@ci.clayton.ca.us
CORRECTION In the June 9 issue of the Pioneer, the DramaMama story and caption on page two referred to Howard Geller as mayor. This is incorrect. Howard Geller is a member of the City Council The mayor of Clayton is Hank Stratford. We apologize for the error.
Breaking up is easy to do “I’m so tired of hearing people moan about how bad the banks are. Anyone who is sick of lousy bank service and hidden fees should bring all their accounts to Travis Credit Union. Everyone in my family has an account, including my 5-year-old. We’re all making money now.”
Gib, TCU member since 2008
Classified FOR SALE Pets for Sale Adorable bunnies for sale. Purebred mini Rex. Very soft. Make great kids’ pets. 5 weeks old. $45 each. (925) 360-5982.
SERVICES Guitar Lessons Kelby Madal, recent CVHS graduate and recipient of the 2010 CVHS Louis Armstrong Jazz Award, offers guitar lessons in our home in Dana Hills. $15/half hour. All ages, all levels. If you are interested, please call 925-672-2214
Gardening Services Garden care for your roses, perennials and ornamentals. Monthly pruning and fertilizing services. Plant suggestions and 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 NEEDED Help Fight Hunger Anna Chan – AKA: The Lemon Lady needs your help! Volunteers are needed to haul donated produce from Farmers' Markets to food pantries throughout the area. Weekly commitment appreciated. Please contact Anna at 6721988 or AnnaAndAva@gmail.com. Meals on Wheels Drivers 673-0300 or hairbyjim@sbcglobal.net. Anna’s Attic Volunteers Call 674-9072 or (925) 7665066. Hospice of the East Bay Call Volunteer Dept. at (925) 887-5678 or email volunteers@hospiceeastbay.org.
Yes. You can join.®
(800) 877-8328
Concord: 1257 Willow Pass Road Antioch: 5819 Lone Tree Way
www.traviscu.org
Clayton Valley: 5442 Ygnacio Valley Rd, Suite 10 Brentwood: 3111 Balfour Road, Suite N
NCUA—Your savings are federally insured to at least $250,000 and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government. Everyone who lives, works, worships or goes to school in our 12-county area is eligible to join. Certain membership requirements may apply.
Clayton Historical Society Museum Call the museum at 672-0240. Clayton Community Library. 673-9777 or email: akikkawa@ccclib.org
Page 5
Directory of Advertisers Auto Clayton Valley Shell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-3900 Mike's Auto Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-1739 Children’s Services Kid’s Choice Jumpers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .457-9543 Kidz Planet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .825-3012 Construction and Trades Belfast Plumbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .457-5423 Handyman Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .639-4209 LHI Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-9941 Smith & Bernal Roofing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0138 Sobotka Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-9300 Tipperary Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-2679 Dentist Children’s Dentistry of Walnut Creek . . . . . . . . .938-2392 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 Events Pacific Coast Farmers Market
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .825-9090
Financial and Insurance Services Benton, Mureleen - Ameriprise Financial . . . . . .685-4523 CD Federal Credit Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .825-0900 College Track Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .287-8900 Littorno, Richard - Attorney at Law . . . . . . . . . . .672-6463 Travis Credit Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-877-8328 Van Wyck, Doug - State Farm Insurance . . . . . . .672-2300 Fitness Traveling Trainers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .890-6931 Funerals Moore’s Mission Funeral Home . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-1100 Ouimet Funeral Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-4242 Gifts The Royal Rooster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2025 Home and Garden Abbey Carpet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .686-9901 Clear Splash Pool Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-6245 Diablo Lawnscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .381-3757 Floors to Go Danville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .820-8700 Nichols Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9955 Utopic Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0055 Waraner Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250-0334 Mailing and Shipping The UPS Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-6245 Pet Services Monte Vista Veterinary Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1100 Peace Of Mind Pet Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9781 Pet Suites Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .432-7387 Rodie’s Feed and Country Store . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4600 Real Estate and Mortgage Services Flannery, Patty - Diablo Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0541 French, Lynne - Windermere Real Estate . . . . . .672-8787 Kavanaugh, Mike - RE/MAX Town & Country . . .672-7800 Klock, Leigh - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . . .212-5593 Laurence, Pete - RE/MAX Realty . . . . . . . . . . . .890-6004 Lopez, Stephanie - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . .932-7329 Mazzei, Matt - Mazei Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .693-0757 Morucci, Kim - J. Rockliff Realtors . . . . . . . . . . . .437-1650 Robin’s Ranches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .550-2383 Vujnovich, George - Better Homes Realty . . . . .672-4433 Recreation All Out Sports League . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .510-282-4986 Castle Rock Arabians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .937-7661 Clayton Valley Bowl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-4631 Earthquake Arabians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .360-7454 Oakhurst Country Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9737 Senior Services Always Available Home Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .349-4854 Diamond Terrace Senior Retirement Living . . . . .524-5100 Seniors About Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330-5090 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 Recycling Center & Transfer Station . . . . . . . . . .473-0180 Travel Cruise Adventures Unlimited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .935-7447 Travel To Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9840
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Installations – Repairs Toilets Faucets Water heaters Garbage disposals Clogged drains
Belfast Plumbing Clayton Resident Credit Cards accepted: Visa, MasterCard, Discover
(925) 457-5423 www.belfastplumbing.com License. 906211
New legislation addresses current market issues I have a home that went Q into escrow before April 30, so I am eligible for the federal tax credit of $8,000. It is a short sale and it looks like it might not close by June 30, as required. Now I have to scramble for more money to close the deal. Do you know if this is happening a lot and is there any remedy? There are a few new things being proposed in the market, including one addressing this issue. There are an estimated 75,000 buyers of distressed properties who, through no fault of their own, are not able to meet the June 30 deadline for closing to get the homebuyer tax credit. A large part of this is due to the sheer volume of applications in the pipeline. A bipartisan group of senators passed a measure to extend the homebuyer tax credit closing date to Sept. 30. It is an amendment to HR 4213, a tax extension bill now in the Senate. Keep an eye out for that. Meanwhile, the Senate passed SB 1178, despite much lender opposition. It extends anti-deficiency protections to homeowners who have refinanced “purchase money” loans and are now facing foreclosure. Most homeowners didn’t know that when they refinanced, they lost their legal protections and now may be personally liable for the dif-
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June 25, 2010
ference between the value of the foreclosed property and the amount owed to the lender. This bill will preclude lenders from going back to sue the foreclosed borrower for this shortfall. There also have been some Federal Housing Administration (FHA) reforms implemented. The House defeated an amendment that would have increased the FHA down payment to 5 percent, up from 3.5 percent. They believed the proposed change would “unfairly have a harsh impact on AfricanAmerican and Hispanic borrowers, who traditionally have much lower accumulated wealth and have benefited from the opportunities offered by fully documented, standard FHA loans with low down payments.” The House also overwhelmingly passed legislation that would allow the FHA to raise the monthly insurance premium for responsible borrowers so they can lower the up-front premium that often puts a burden on cashstrapped borrowers at closing. Note that the FHA requires mortgage insurance. I am a seller of a home that Q is pending sale. The buyers have done inspections and asked me to have certain items repaired. I offered them a credit at the close to repair these items. They came back with an adden-
dum that asked me to credit them money for their closing costs. When we negotiated the offer, I denied their request for me to pay their closing costs. I never heard of this before. When I bought my house, I paid my own closing costs. Is this a new trend? This is something that has been going on for quite some time. It is most common on an FHA loan where the buyer is well-qualified but has little money to put down out of pocket. I know it can be confusing. Try to concentrate on the net you will be receiving. For instance, look at a $500,000 net offer vs. a $515,000 offer with 3 percent ($15,000) credit for closings costs. The net is still $500,000. The way the credit is structured has to do with what the lender requires to approve the loan. In the past, one could leave money to be held in escrow for repairs to be done after escrow closes. These days, lenders have stricter restrictions on how credits can be applied. Many lenders now sell their loans on the secondary mortgage market soon after the loans are originated. A lender might have difficulty selling a loan with a holdback until the work is complete. If a lender sees an addendum for credits for repairs, it usually will require the repairs be
A
LYNNE FRENCH
REAL ANSWERS done before close of escrow. Giving the buyer a credit for their closing costs (usually nonrecurring closing costs) is usually OK with the lender, up to a certain amount – often up to 3 percent of the sale price. Then the buyers can pay for their own repairs with their closing cost money. Closing costs are the miscellaneous fees that buyers pay at closing, such as title insurance, transfer taxes and loan origination fees. Nonrecurring closing costs are fees paid at closing that are on a one-time basis, such as title insurance and points. Recurring closing costs are paid on an ongoing basis, like homeowner’s insurance and mortgage interest. Congratulations on the sale. It sounds like you are almost there. 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 672-8787 or stop in at 6200 Center St. in Clayton.
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What is small, tube-shaped, serves no purpose and is found only in humans, wombats and some apes? It’s your appendix. And it’s something I always consider for anyone who comes to the emergency department with right lower abdominal pain. Your appendix is a blind tube attached to your bowel that real-
ly has no purpose and is of no concern until it becomes obstructed. When this occurs, suddenly your appendix is very important. If the blind tube becomes obstructed, it leads to increased intraluminal pressure, followed by inflammation, then infection, and, if not recognized early, subsequent rupture. This is the time when you become really sick, and we don’t like the situation to go that far. Doctors aren’t sure why it becomes obstructed. Your appendix can be plugged by lymph tissue or stool, and foreign bodies can also obstruct it, though rarely. Surgeons have found ingested teeth, crowns, chewing gum, shot gun pellets (presumably from eating a shot animal), parasitic worms, fruit pits and even a tongue ring stud (like we need another reason to dissuade this practice).
Seven percent of the U.S. population has had their appendixes out. This incidence is less in areas where folks ingest a high fiber diet, so go out and get your bran flakes. Although most of those events occurred when the patient was 6-10 years old, I have seen folks as young as 2 and as old as 80 with appendicitis. The classic presentation of appendicitis is right lower abdominal pain that slowly progresses over 2-3 days. One may have nausea and loss of appetite as well as a low-grade temperature (100 F). However, I have diagnosed this problem in patients with a wide variety of complaints and presentations. In medicine, the “classic presentation” does not mean the “typical presentation.” So, make sure you see your doc if you notice anything unusual. To identify this issue, your doctor will perform a physical
exam. If his/her suspicion of appendicitis is high, the doctor will obtain blood work and either a CAT scan or an ultrasound. Xrays do not help with the diagnosis of appendicitis. Often times, one of these studies can either rule in or rule out the diagnosis. If the study is positive, then you have appendicitis and require surgery. If the appendix is not seen as a problem on one or both of the studies, appendicitis is less likely but not entirely ruled out. In this scenario, you doctor will typically tell you to go home and return within 12-24 hours for a repeat exam. This is not uncommon, particularly early in the course of the disease. The treatment of choice for appendicitis is surgery. It will not get better on its own or with antibiotics. Once removed, your appendix does not grow back.
See Health, page 11
The European River Cruise Tour Experts
For reservations or information call
(925) 672-9840 Clayton Station Shopping Ctr. *Book a select 2011 Avalon Waterways Europe cruise to receive $750 (air-inclusive) or $500 (land/cruise) off per person. Offer available on select dates of select cruises listed above. Junior Suites excluded. Booking must be made, under deposit, and discount applied by August 31, 2010 for travel at select times in 2011. Applies to new 2011 bookings only; offer will not be applied to pre-existing bookings. Offer reliant on space availability and may be withdrawn at any time. Not combinable with any other offer other than Journeys Club member benefit. Full cancellation penalties will apply. Additional restrictions may apply.
CST #2033054-40
June 25, 2010
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com
Page 7
Volunteers needed for Save Mount Diablo restoration team Residents can enjoy the peace and tranquility of Marsh Creek this summer while making a difference. If you don’t mind getting a little dirty for a good cause, you can join Save Mount Diablo’s Diablo Restoration Team (DiRT) for hands-on volunteer opportunities. Save Mount Diablo acquires
land for preservation and turns it over to park agencies for everyone to enjoy. Before that happens, though, volunteers help clean it up, build fences, construct trails, plant native flora, water, restore habitat, remove debris from creeks, weed non-native plants and other tasks. DiRT is working on Save
Mount Diablo’s Marsh Creek IV native plant restoration project. Last year, DiRT volunteers planted 14 different species with more than 500 native plants. Now, they need weeding and watering to make sure the project is a success. Volunteers will be carrying 1-gallon jugs (8 lbs.) to each of the planting sites, walking on uneven ground.
Mayor, from page 1 budget is about $3.6 million, being that close is great. The 2010-’11 budget is to a large degree status quo from the previous year. We are expecting reductions in some tax revenues, which are offset by increases in others. The budget is balanced and there is no plan to reduce services to our community. All city employees took pay reductions of more than 4 percent and other concessions totaling about $239,000 in the 2009-’10 fiscal year. If we do the same for the 2010-’11 fiscal year, we will be fine. The public hearing for final adoption of the budget will be made at a special June 29 council meeting. What’s going on in the city regarding development? In the downtown area, a project referred to as Creekside Terrace is moving through the planning process and is expected to come before the City Council on July 6. This project is on Oak Street, where Permco and Mind & Body Spa used to be located. The two old modular buildings on the site are in disrepair. The proposed building has retail on the ground
for street maintenance and parks. This money cannot be used for operating expenses. How do you like being the mayor? It has been an honor to serve as mayor this year. It definitely takes up more time and I feel more pressure. I have to admit that some weeks I wish I had a free evening and at times it is a challenge balancing work with city responsibilities. But the opportunity to try to do some good in the community and the opportunity to be involved in many of the great things that happen here make it worthwhile. Are you planning to run again for City Council? It is hard to believe that four years are almost up. Yes, I am planning to run again in the fall. If the residents of Clayton are willing, I would be honored to serve another term. The other council member who is up for re-election is vice mayor David Shuey. I was glad to hear that Shoe is planning to run again. His legal training is helpful as the council considers various legal matters and he always has the best interest of the city in mind.
floor and 7-8 residential units on the second. The original developer ran out of money and the city’s redevelopment agency is sponsoring the project. Recently, potential developers contacted the city about building the project. This is the outcome we are seeking. Also in the downtown is the property owned by Clayton Community Church. The church has submitted plans to the city. However, since an environmental impact report is required, I don’t expect this project to come before the Planning Commission until early 2011. Meanwhile, Flora Square has new owners and we are hoping to see completion of the building and occupancies soon. As was mentioned in a previous column, we expect to see some landscape improvement projects starting around town in the near future. We are planning a small tot lot at Lydia Lane Park. We are also planning a neighborhood street paving project along with repaving old Marsh Creek Road later this summer or early fall. These improvements are funded with money designated
If you have questions, please email me at hank_stratford@yahoo.com.
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Wear long pants and sturdy shoes. Bring water, sun protection and a hand trowel if you have one. DiRT provides gloves.
Workdays are 9 a.m.-noon July 11 and 31, Aug. 21, Sept. 11 and Oct. 2. Meet at 3240 Aspara Dr., Clayton. To RSVP
or for more information, call 947-3535 or email gphillips@savemountdiablo.org
David Ogden/Save Mt. Diablo.
SAVE MOUNT DIABLO’S DIABLO RESTORATION TEAM (DiRT) members water native plants on the rolling grassy hills along Marsh Creek.
Love, defined No matter how much we think we understand the word love, kids have a much better grip than we do. A group of professional people posted this question to a group of 4 to 8 year olds. “What does love mean?” The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. When my grandma got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her
toenails anymore. So my grandpa does it for her now all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. Rebecca, 8
When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouths. Billy, 4
Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other. Kari - age 5
Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French Fries without making them give you any of theirs. Chrissy, 6
Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired. Terri, 4
Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK. Danny, 7
Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen. Bobby, 7
Page 8
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
June 25, 2010
Eagle Scout project takes lessons of war to heart NICCI SHIPSTEAD Clayton Pioneer
The first Contra Costa County war memorial for fallen soldiers of recent Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts is being installed at Baldwin Park in Concord. Julian Houghtby, a recent Clayton Valley High School grad, took on the honorable project proposed by Contra Costa Blue Star Moms for his Eagle Scout project. Houghtby will be the second of five founding members of Troop 317 to be awarded Eagle upon completion of the monument, a tribute to Contra Costa’s Gold Star Moms. Blue Star Moms is open to parents with current or veteran children serving in the Armed Forces.
Transition to the golden elite honors mothers of fallen heroes. Devlyn Sewell, Blue Star Moms’ liaison to Gold Star Moms, was inspired by the granite etching honoring service dogs at the Concord police station. Sewell submitted her idea, hoping an Eagle Scout would recognize the value of a post-Vietnam era memorial for service members killed in combat. “I was looking for something I could feel strongly about,” Houghtby said. However, becoming an Eagle Scout was not something he gave a lot of thought to before this project began. “When we started getting work done, then it seemed really cool,” Houghtby said. Sewell commissioned
Police Log ACCIDENTS 3:36 p.m. June 7, Clayton Rd./Mitchell Canyon Rd. Accident with injuries. 2:44 p.m. June 7, Peacock Creek Dr. Accident with injuries. 6:30 p.m. June 9, Center St./Morris St. Non-injury accident. 4:12 p.m. June 10, Clayton Rd./Mitchell Canyon Rd. Noninjury accident. 7:36 a.m. June 14, Marsh Creek Rd./Regency Dr. Noninjury accident. 1:13 p.m. June 14, Clayton Rd./Heritage Trail. Accident with injuries.
ARRESTS 9:46 p.m. June 5, Center St./Marsh Creek Rd. A 33-yearold Pacheco man arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol after officers responded to a call from a citizen. He resisted arrest by running from officers but was apprehended after a short foot pursuit. 12:01 p.m. June 6, Clayton Rd./El Camino. A 29-year-old Concord man arrested for driving on a suspended license after being stopped for a vehicle code violation. 12:10 a.m. June 8, Oak St./Douglas. A 49-year-old
Houghtby for a simple design, noting the importance of materials chosen due to recent vandalism of a local Vietnam memorial, where brass plates were stolen. But on a family trip to Singapore in April, Houghtby was inspired by a dramatic, park-size mosaic water-feature sculpture in Sentosa. On the plane home he declared, “I know what I’m going to do.” Houghtby enlisted friends, Scouts and family to create gold stars on red, white and blue background mosaic stones enhancing the concrete walkway to the Baldwin Park flag pole outside the Senior Center. Concord is considering engraving names of the fallen soldiers on the flag pole. Alternately, an engraved plaque will be welded to the monument.
Bill’s Ace Hardware, Western Tile Concord, Dal Tile and Central Concrete donated materials. The Concord Garden Club will provide plantings per the design. Sewell praised Houghtby’s detailed proposal drawings above the stringent Eagle Scout criteria. Houghtby will explore interests in psychology, philosophy and 3-D art at Diablo Valley College this fall. Meanwhile, Contra Costa Blue Star Moms plans to send 500 care packages all around the world for the 4th of July. At $100 each, donations are gratefully accepted.
Walnut Creek man arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol after being contacted by officers responding to a call for service. 12:05 a.m. June 11, Kirker Pass Rd./Olive Dr. A 26-yearold Antioch man arrested for driving on a suspended license after being stopped for vehicle code violations. 11:13 a.m. June 11, Mountaire Pkwy./Marsh Creek Rd. A 42-year-old Clayton man arrested for possession of controlled substance, drug paraphernalia, syringe and a dangerous weapon after being contacted by officers on patrol. 1:21 a.m. June 12, Mitchell Canyon Rd./Pine Hollow Rd.
A 28-year-old Concord man arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol after being stopped for vehicle code violations. 7:42 p.m. June 12, Clayton Rd./Marsh Creek Rd. A 38year-old Concord man arrested for possession of controlled substance and drug paraphernalia after being stopped for vehicle code violations. 11:02 p.m. June 13, Clayton Rd./Washington Blvd. A 49year-old Concord man arrested for attempted murder and possession of explosive device after being recognized as wanted in Shasta County.
Donations can be mailed to Contra Costa Blue Star Moms, California Chapter 20, P.O. Box 6379, Concord, CA 94524 or visit ccbluestarmoms.org.
JULIAN HOUGHTBY DIRECTS FRIEND AND FELLOW CVHS GRADUATE CODY DUNCAN in mortaring specially designed Contra Costa Gold Star Mom mosaic tiles for his Eagle Scout project honoring fallen soldiers in a memorial installation at Baldwin Park in Concord.
Clayton CERT makes organizational changes
BURGLARIES/THEFTS 9:30 a.m. June 5, El Camino Dr. Residential burglary. 9:20 a.m. June 6, Tiffin Dr. Petty theft. 5:16 p.m. June 6, Tiffin Dr. Petty theft. 11:01 a.m. June 7, Roundhill Ct. Identity theft. 3:25 p.m. June 10, Zinfandel Cir. Identity theft. 9:30 a.m. June 11, Mt. Whitney Way. Vehicle burglary. 3:21 p.m. June 10, Regency Dr. Residential burglary. 5:36 p.m. June 11, Mt. Whitney Way. Petty theft. 3:37 p.m. June 15, Main St. Petty theft. 3:40 p.m. June 17, Heritage Trail. Petty theft.
VANDALISM 2:37 p.m. June 11, Marsh Creek Rd.
HERB YONGE
SAFETY ZONE The City of Clayton Citizen Corps Council (C5) made several organizational changes at the June 7 meeting. C5 is responsible for the oversight of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) for the city. Previous to the changes, Clayton was divided into three zones – with a zone coordinator for each zone. Recognizing the size of the city and the number of trained CERT members, about 200, the group decided to
Club News
WOMAN’S CLUB PRESIDENT KATHY HESTER, left, and Blue Stars Moms chair Kathleen Horvath display the items collected to donate to the troops.
have one zone for the entire city. With this new structure, we can staff CERT with the necessary leadership in the event of an emergency as well as for ongoing training and administrative support. CERT will now have leadership in the four units that make up the CERT organization. Rich Veal will head up the Operations Unit, which is responsible for the deployment of personnel, including search and rescue, fire suppression and medical operations. Veal is a retired firefighter, CERT instructor and a member of C5. Harun Simbirdi will chair the Logistics Unit. He will direct equipment procurement, which includes medical supplies, food, water and necessary radio equipment. He will manage the CERT cache and have the necessary supplies on hand to meet the needs of operations. Simbirdi
See CERT, page 17
CLAYTON VALLEY WOMAN’S CLUB The club celebrated its 37th birthday with a brunch at the home of club member Priscilla Manlove on June 8. Fifty-eight club members and guests were in attendance. Guests included members of the Mt. Diablo Woman’s Club in Concord. President Kathy Hester introduced two charter members in the audience – Della Kimball and Joan Reed. The event also included party games and Reed’s presentation on the history of the U.S. flag. Members honored Blue Star Moms by donating items requested by our service personnel serving overseas. The group collected $325 in food and drink items, along with $505 in mailing fees. The club’s next fundraiser is a Murder Mystery Dinner at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 19 at Oakhurst Country Club. Tickets are $45 and include dinner and the Murder Mystery featuring local celebrities such as Nicci Shipstead of the Clayton Pioneer; police chief Dan Lawrence; Laura Hoffmeister, assistant to the city manager; and Joel and Christy Harris, former owners of Clayton Books. For more information and reservations, call 969-9885. A special Bunco social meeting will take place at 4:30 p.m. Aug. 17 at Diamond Terrace, 6401 Center St., Clayton. Regular meetings will resume in September, at 10 a.m. the second and fourth Tuesdays. The group meets at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 1092 Alberta Way, Concord. For more information, call Shirley Boyd at 672-1163 or Joan Reed at 672-2471.
June 25, 2010
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Seeking out the basics about Internet searches In my last column, I began a tutorial on basic Web browsing and using the address bar. Now, it’s time to move on to the search bar. When you search for something, like your lost keys, you are trying to locate some thing, some place or some address you don’t know or only know a little about. The search bar is not the address bar. It is the bar used to search the Web for something I know something about, but I don’t know its address. Or, if I don’t know who is providing the goods or services I want, I will use the search bar to locate information about the address. There are several search bars. For example, Google search, Yahoo search, Bing, AltaVista, AOL, Lycos, Excite, Windows Live Search are searches that show up as bars on your browser. You may have multiple search bars, but they all find complete details
WILL CLANEY TECH TALK of a subject and find an address to use in the address bar. It’s like using an index in a book to find the page number. If you don’t know the address for the address bar, do a search. The search company will help you locate the address for the address bar. (Remember: The address bar is one line down from the window name.) The last primary function a browser does is retrieve and
display your request. If you know the address of the Web page, put it into the address bar. If you do not know the name of the page, search for it in the search bar and the browser will retrieve your request. If you requested a search, the browser will retrieve relevant facts about your search request. Among the facts will be the address of the person, place or thing you requested. Insert the found information into the address bar, press enter and you will be whisked away to the Web page. To summarize, a search will return addresses of Web pages similar to the page you desire. A Web search finds addresses. The address bar takes you to a specific Web page. Will Claney is the CEO of Computers USA! in the Clayton Station. Contact him at 925-6729989.
Page 9
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SENIOR MOMENTS The elderly population is large and growing, and many seniors live alone. In 1987, 8.5 million elderly lived alone; by 2020, 13.3 million elderly will live alone. More than 77 percent of the elderly living alone are women. While women who live alone are far more likely to be widowed, men are more likely to be divorced or never to have married. Loneliness often comes to people who do not prepare for a good retirement. Many do not think about a day seemingly so far down the road. Retirement tends to sneak up on you and it can cause great distress if you are not prepared. If you are fortunate to find a community that cares, you will not need to worry about the frightening conditions of
loneliness. Social services, churches, lodges, schools and senior living communities are dedicated to helping care for the elderly. If you are lonely, learn to keep busy. Write letters, visit people and take up a hobby that interests you. Keeping involved in things that get your attention can soon grow into a significant project to occupy your time and gives you a sense of purpose when times seem lonely. Another option is to get involved in community affairs. Many times, people find themselves staring out a window or sitting in a chair. This does not promote well-being. Getting involved will give you a sense of purpose. One way to help others it to look for and strive to cure the loneliness of someone else – it will cure your own as well. Avoid daydreaming, sleeping too much or watching too much television. Daydreaming in moderation can be fine and TV can be a life-saver on occasions, but don’t use this in
place of socializing with people and getting out of the house. To run away through sleep is just like running away with alcohol – it only makes matters worse. Fight the tendency to sleep too much, as this can only lead to more loneliness down the road. Loneliness is often caused by wanting people to do something for us. When we do things for other people, we are never lonely. Loneliness generally occurs at specific times of the day or during specific holidays, birthdays and anniversaries. Choose to be happy, collect good thoughts, join a social group or go to church. Plan ahead for times when you may be lonely. Being active and busy will provide an effective means of dealing with thoughts of being alone. Life is too short to let it pass you by. Live it to the fullest – you’ll be glad you did.
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Page 10
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
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While sitting at my brother’s baseball game, it occurred to me how various people have an influence on our lives. Watching his coach give him tips from the sideline, I realized how much he is positively influencing my little brother. My brother looks up to him and wants to please him. He hangs on every word the coach says. He listens better to his coach about baseball than he does to anyone in our family. As his coach encourages him to choke up on his bat or throw harder, he is at the same time giving my little brother an unspoken confidence. Similarly, my family continually influences me. My parents are always helping me seek out what is important and guiding me in making good decisions. Another person in my family who has had a great influence on me is my grandfather. After enduring many hard-
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ships in his life, he is wise in making decisions. I often find myself looking for advice from him. He inspires me and gives me great ideas for everything I do. He often gives me suggestions on how to better my writing or helps me through life’s dilemmas. He influences me to make the right decisions and not have to learn the hard way. Many achievements I have made were because of him, and he influences me to do beyond my best. When I think about it, some of the most influential people in my life have not been anyone famous; they just cared about me and wanted to see me do well. Although there are many people who can provide teenagers with influence, it might not always be beneficial. Despite all the positive influences many can have around them, the impact from some people can also be negative. At school, it’s often friends and peers who are influences – which sometimes makes it difficult. The pressures of fitting in can cause people to forget who their friends are or turn some into bullies. The pressure of those negative influences usually leads to bad decisions and affects one’s life. So choose friends carefully; make sure
June 25, 2010
Students solve geography puzzlers
ROBBIE PARKER DVMS REPORTER they will lead you in the right direction. Influence can be helpful or hurtful. I know I am lucky to have my family and friends to help guide me. I urge people to stay away from bad influences, especially those who will try to persuade you to do things you would not normally do. Instead of letting others persuade you to be someone you aren’t, make a decision to seek out those around you who are positive influences. I look at my brother and I know he is being guided in the right direction. His coach’s influence will continue beyond his last game this season, as will my grandfather’s impact upon me. Look to people such as coaches, family members or teachers to help guide you. Seek those who will influence you and motivate you to make good decisions. Most of all, look to yourself because you know what is right and wrong. Robbie Parker is a seventhgrader at Diablo View. Send comments to Robbie@claytonpioneer.com
Fifth-grader Charlie Wullenweber won Mt. Diablo Elementary School’s sixth Geography Bee by knowing which states border Arkansas. Charlie has played with a wooden U.S. puzzle for years and knew all the states and their capitals by the time he was in kindergarten. He would practice writing the states in alphabetical order, then by the number of letters in the name, then by the color of the puzzle piece. “He and I share a love of looking at maps and our family was always quizzing him about what states were where,” says Charlie’s mom, Lois. Fifteen fifth-graders competed in the bee. Second-place winner Caitlin O’Leary was in
Diahnn Goldsmith’s class, and third-place winner Mark Kassicieh was in Sheri Crane’s class. Charlie represented Daniel Buitrago’s class. The contest began with a state capital quiz. Each child took a turn until someone got an answer incorrect – which took awhile. Then the students heard the name of the capital and had to say the state. Next they asked fun facts about the states, based on a study guide, such as “What state has the chicken as its state bird?” (Delaware) And, in case you’re still wondering, six states border Arkansas – Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas Tennessee, Oklahoma and Missouri.
MDES GEOGRAPHY BEE WINNER CHARLIE WULLENWEBER with fifth grade teacher, Daniel Buitrago.
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Don’t underestimate the value of AP classes As the school year draws to a close, some students have more on their mind than just how to spend their free time. Amid the commotion, students must think about courses for the next year. After filling out course selection cards, some Clayton Valley students know that squeezing in their desired classes will be difficult. In a previous issue of the Clayton Pioneer, there was an article entitled “Music programs are taking a hit as focus shifts to Advanced Placement classes.” This article stated that the music program at CVHS is suffering due to students choosing Advanced Placement (AP) classes over band/choir. I agree that students are under pressure to increase their GPA, but it’s untrue that students are only taking AP classes to “rack up percentage points.” Students are given minimum requirements that they must complete to graduate. For example, we
SARAH ROSEN TEEN SPEAK must take four years of English, three years of math, etc. These are classes we would be taking regardless of our post-high school plans. The difference is that we wish to enhance our education by taking AP classes. In doing that, we gain higher GPAs as well. In an AP English class, the curriculum is of a higher caliber and it’s taken by students who want to go beyond the basics. It’s more rewarding to be in class with
peers who have similar goals for that subject. For those who expect to attend a UC school or other academically challenging university, these classes are critical for providing the rigor we need to survive in college. It’s been said to me that band/choir classes are equally as important as AP classes in college acceptance. But the truth is that the majority of colleges are more interested in applicants who have taken the most rigorous program available. Their intent is to choose students who will be successful in college, and the number of AP classes is a prime indicator. Unless the student intends to study the arts after high school, universities only require one year of visual or performing arts. Many students, including me, will do whatever it takes to get into the college of their choice, even if that means cutting out music electives. The article argues that fierce
competition has eliminated “wellrounded students with a broad base.” My peers and I who are expecting to attend college take a wide range of subjects – math, science, English, history and foreign language – plus we participate in activities outside of school such as athletics and youth groups. We volunteer at libraries, food banks, animal shelters and as youth coaches. Our summers are filled with enrichment classes, internships, athletic and music camps and travel. It’s true that the competition for admittance to universities is greater than ever, but schools are not looking for single-minded automatons. The reality is that students are probably more wellrounded today than in my parent’s time, and are better off for it.
Sarah Rosen is a sophomore at CVHS. You can e-mail her at sarah_rosen@claytonpioneer.com.
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June 25, 2010
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com
Games keep cats occupied – and fit
ELENA BICKER
PET PALS Cats are often depicted as creatures who lounge about, snoozing all day. But cats can become bored by their daily routine just like people. Cats, particularly those who
stay indoors, are prone to listlessness and weight gain without adequate stimulation and activity. Fortunately, ordinary play can get most cats out of their rut. Playing with your cat can help reduce stress, provide exercise, prevent behavior problems and help strengthen the bond between you and your cat. There are a variety of toys for cats, such as wands, food toys and balls. Toys don’t have to be expensive. Feathers, balled-up paper or foil or a length of string can be found around the house. Use your imagination. Make a wand by attaching string or ribbon to a stick. Place a brown bag on its
side and rustle it. Mix and match to discover your cat’s favorite toys, introducing new items periodically to keep your cat interested. Playing with your cat should simulate the different stages of hunting: stalking, chasing and pouncing. Wiggle, toss and bounce toys to imitate prey movements. If your cat enjoys lying in wait, dangle a toy or scurry it past his favorite hiding place to start the game. Help your cat enjoy the thrill of the hunt and chase, but be careful not to jerk toys away until the cat is clear of any attached thread or string. Prevent frustration by letting
Beulah and Zodiac are ARF’s Adoption Stars
ZODIAC
BEULAH Beulah is a big, active girl who will need an adopter who can devote extra time during these early months to continue to socialize her and introduce her to all the sights and sounds of this big world. She has a lot of excess energy and will likely need a variety of mental and physical exercise multiple times per day. Attending a puppy training class would be a great way to teach her the skill necessary to be a well-mannered adult dog. The adoption fee for adult dogs is $225 and includes 60
percent off one 7-week dog training session. Zodiac is a girl who is always on the lookout for a cold lap to warm. She is outgoing and very social. She loves being the center of attention and will do anything to get your affection. 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.
Health, from page 6 The technique your surgeon will most likely perform is the laparoscopic removal of the appendix. This still requires you to go to the operating room. But as opposed to the open technique, your hospital stay and recovery times are very short.
Unfortunately, at times the surgeon will need to do the classical “open” technique, particularly if the appendix is ruptured. This is another reason to get in to be evaluated by a physician early if you have abdominal pain.
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 animals? ARF volunteers are making a difference! For more information see our website, www.arf.net, or call 925.256.1ARF.
Dr. Birdsall is the Medical Director of the Emergency Department and Chief of Staff of John Muir Hospital in Concord. He lives in Walnut Creek with his wife, Dr. Marian Birdsall, and two children. Please email him at David.Birdsall_md@johnmuirhealth.com
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your cat catch the toy. Some studies suggest a treat after playtime completes the hunting cycle. If your cat seems disinterested in playing at the moment, try at different times of the day. Cats are primarily nocturnal, so try playing before bedtime. A variety of textures, sounds, movement, tastes and smells make toys more appealing. Using catnip can also enhance play. Keep playtime special by putting toys away afterward. Limit sessions to no more than 10 or 15 minutes. Play with multiple cats individually, so each can enjoy your full attention. Some cats get very excited when having fun, so don’t use your hands or feet as playthings. Rough play can result in a painful bite or scratch. Toys that attach to your hands, such as gloves with toys on the fingers, can still encourage cats to view your hands as something to attack, even if only for amusement. If kitty does get carried away and bites or scratches you, immediately stop the game and leave the room. Your cat will learn that inappropriate behavior ends the fun. Don’t hit your cat. It can make him or her fearful of you and can result in true aggression. Watch your cat’s body language for signs of boredom, excitement or frustration. Because your cat wants to continue playing with you, he or she will start reading your body language as well – inviting play and learning when to calm down. Best of all, while keeping your cat mentally and physically fit, you’ll be sharing good times, which is a great way to become best friends. For more information, visit the Resources & Links section at arf.net.
Page 11
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Page 12
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
June 25, 2010
Clayton Sports
MDSA finishes season at Davis World Cup JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
Mt. Diablo Soccer Association tournament teams participated in seven competitions during March, April and May and capped the busy schedule at the 24th annual Davis World Cup on Memorial Day weekend. MDSA had 12 teams entered at Davis, and 10 reached the final day’s play. The youngest team of all, under 10 boys MDSA Chivas FC, brought home a title after winning seven games. Davis World Cup finalists from MDSA were the U10 girls Stampede, U12 boys Strikers FC and U14 boys Mud Dogs. Taking third place were girls teams U10 Strikers, U12 Destruction and U16 United FC, while the U12 boys United and U14 girls Vortex placed fourth to round out a fine performance for the local AYSO program. Chivas had opened tournament play in March by winning the PHMSA Soccerfest and then took third at the Pacifica Fog Classic before their World Cup exploits. Their route to the Davis title necessitated Chivas defeating three teams who had won the Pacifica Fog Classic,
Comstock Shootout and Concord Cup XVII. Chivas won its first four games in lopsided fashion before meeting Davis Supernova in the quarterfinals. The game ended in a draw and went to a penalty kick shootout. Victory was assured by a gamesaving dive by Chivas goalkeeper Tyler Hanson to block a shot during the shootout. In the semi-finals, Chivas met the favored PHMSA Celtics. Goals by Ricky Barba, Dillon White and Luke Mingham coupled with Luca Giannini marking Celtics’ best striker allowed Chivas to advance to the finals. The finale pitted Chivas against host Davis Fire in the third game of the day for each team. The game went to double overtime, by which time all the players were exhausted. Niklas Weigelt scored two goals in the extra periods, while the Chivas defense led by Christian Villa and Hanson helped withstand relentless attacks from the Fire for a 6-4 victory. In Concord Cup XVII, which MDSA co-hosts with Diablo FC and Concord AYSO, 3-1 proved a lucky score. Two MDSA teams made it to
See MDSA, page 13
Kohler, from page 1 Cal, but I’ve been able to hang,” Kohler says rather matter-of-factly. “The only people I knew at the school were Sam Walker (a fellow 2009 CVHS grad who was a standout as a freshman on the Cal soccer team) and a girl from my swim team (Crow Canyon Sharks). I had to learn how to budget my time and have more personal responsibility.” RIGOROUS REGIMEN The rowing team members train year-round. As soon as she started school last fall, she
was immersed in fall rowing where the team does much longer competitive rows – up to 5,000 meters – than in the regular spring season, when races are 2,000 meters. Kohler quickly established her credentials and earned the sixth seat in the varsity eight boat. “Lefthanders usually are naturally placed on the port side of the boat,” Kohler explains. Her performances on the ergometer (rowing machine) were strong from the start at Cal and were also used to help her gain an invite to the USA National team
Photo courtesy MDSA
MDSA CHIVAS FC WON SEVEN CONSECUTIVE GAMES including one in a shootout and another in double overtime to claim the U10 boys title at the 24th annual Davis World Cup. The local team includes, front row from left, Dillon White, Ryan McGhehey, Noah Banderas, Ricky Barba; back row, coach Brian Hanson, Tyler Hanson, Ian Grimmond, Luke Mingham, Niklas Weigelt, Christian Villa, Luca Giannini and coach Pete Mingham.
selection camp. The Cal women’s team gained special notoriety this year as their coxswain, Jill Costello, led her team while battling cancer. The Golden Bears won their third straight Pacific 10 championship and then finished second to Virginia in the NCAA meet near Sacramento on Lake Natoma. Rowing is the oldest intercollegiate sport since Harvard and Yale held the first college race in 1852. Cal head coach Dave O’Neill was named conference Coach of the Year and four members of the Bears also got All-America honors. Kohler was named to the second team All-America squad,
Photo courtesy of Rowing World
CLAYTON’S KARA KOHLER (left) and her teammate and Serbian Olympian Iva Obradovic are part of the Pac 10 champion Cal Berkeley women’s varsity eight crew which was featured on the cover of the July issue of Rowing News. Kohler is currently trying out in New Jersey for the USA U23 rowing team.
quite an achievement for a novice rower. IN THE POOL AT EARLY AGE Kohler was a swimmer since she joined her three older sisters, Stacie, Kylie and Lindsay, on the Dana Hills Swim Team as an OtterPup when she was 3. When she was a freshman at Clayton Valley, Kohler became a member of the new Crow Canyon Sharks swim team. “We only had eight swimmers, but I really liked coaches Ethan Hall and Dave Cottam,” she says in explaining why she chose that yearround US Swimming program rather than one closer to home. Kohler swam with the Sharks throughout high school while competing for the Eagles varsity for four years. She hoped to continue her swimming career in college before rowing entered the picture. Following her grueling sessions at the Olympic Training Center in San Diego (four hours a day in the water), Kohler headed to Princeton last week to continue the selection camp. She is shooting to gain a seat in the 8 boat for the USA. Cal teammate Jeghers was on the U23 team last year that finished second to Great Britain in the 2009 World Championships. The championships feature 600 athletes from 40 countries. “I’m feeling good about my performance so far,” Kohler said before departing for Princeton and training on Lake Mercer in New Jersey. She has taken to heart the advice of her college coach O’Neill. “He has lots of international experience and told me to keep doing what I’m doing and everything will be fine,” the freshman protégé says. Announcement of the American team will be made July 9 and then the team will prepare for that special summer trip to Belarus.
Gittleman headed for New York with Bronco baseball team
Photo courtesy of Gittleman family
DIABLO VIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL
STUDENT
EVAN GITTLEMAN is a
member of the Martinez Bulldogs U12 Bronco baseball team which won the 680 Corridor League Silver Division Championship at Twin Creeks Park in Sunnyvale earlier this month. The trek to the championship included a quadruple-header (four games) on the final day capped by an 8-0 victory in the finals. The Bulldogs attended the Eagles Baseball Academy at Clayton Valley in preparation for an upcoming 96-team U12 tournament in Cooperstown, N.Y. during July 4th week. Gittleman is an honors student at Diablo View as he readies for seventh grade. Last fall he was a starting offensive lineman for the undefeated Clayton Valley Falcons Pee Wee football team which won the Turkey Bowl.
Submit Sports Items Online You can now submit competition results, ideas for stories and Sports Shorts on our Website. Go to www.claytonpioneer.com. On the left side of the page, under “Sports Items” you will find links to the proper forms.
June 25, 2010
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Clayton Sports Little League president earns Hall of Fame recognition for football exploits JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
Kevin Confetti has served the local baseball community for the past seven years on the board of directors for Clayton Valley Little League. During the last two seasons, he’s been president of the baseball and softball organization – but it’s doubtful any of the players or coaches in CVLL realizes they are being led by a Hall of Fame member. Confetti is a proud new member of the Pittsburg High School Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2010 inducted last month. Confetti and his family were on hand to be installed with six other players, a contributor and the undefeated 1954 “Go Go Boys” Pittsburg High team. Clayton Valley High School varsity football coach Herc Pardi was one of Confetti’s coaches at PHS. He is effusive in his praise of Confetti, a center and defensive lineman for the Pirates. “He is one of the best twoway prep football players I ever coached. He was an outstanding leader, a great technician and very physical.” Pardi added: “He played with great passion and flat-out loved Pirate football.” Confetti and his classmates
Photo courtesy of Confetti family
CONCORD RESIDENT KEVIN CONFETTI is president of Clayton Valley Little League and was recently honored for his talents on the football field with induction to the Pittsburg High School Football Hall of Fame. The Confetti family was out in force for the ceremony. Front row from left, daughters Krista and Kayla; back row, son Masen, father Dominic, Kevin, mother Francine and wife Susan.
from 1982-’85 won four straight league football championships during their freshman, junior varsity and two varsity seasons. Confetti went on to play college football for UC Davis before his career was cut short by a knee injury. He returned to Pittsburg to coach two undefeated Diablo Valley Athletic League JV champions and the 1991 North Coast Section championship varsity team, the last time De La Salle was denied an NCS title. As a junior, Confetti was a member of the DVAL tri-cham-
pion Pirates at defensive tackle. As a senior co-captain for head coach Larry Rodriquez, he played center on offense and nose guard on defense. The team was DVAL co-champs and went on to defeat Clayton Valley 15-12 in the NCS 3A championship game. He was a two-way All-DVAL and All-East Bay selection and was chosen to play in the Cerebral Palsy Contra CostaAlameda All-Star Game. He was also nominated for the 35th North-South Shrine Game and was first team All-Northern
California center. Confetti is a risk manager for the University of California. He and his wife Susan will celebrate their 18th anniversary in August at their Concord home. Their oldest child, Masen, will be an eighth-grader at Pine Hollow Middle School in the fall while twins Kayla and Krista enter fifth grade at Highlands Elementary. His parents, Dominic and Francine, were on hand to enjoy the ceremony as well. Pardi is part of the Pittsburg High Hall of Fame nominating committee and points out that several other inductees have local roots. The late long-time Clayton resident Vince Evola (1942-’44) and two retired CVHS coaches and teachers, Pete Carpino (1954-’55) and Tom DiMercurio (1953-’54), are members of the Pittsburg Hall of Fame. Pardi’s father, Herk, is part of the Hall of Fame for his play in 1937-’39. The senior Pardi lived in Clayton for nearly 40 years and was represented by his son at his 2000 posthumous induction. Clayton Valley High School unveiled its first all-sports Hall of Fame class at the start of its 50th anniversary year in 2008 and will induct its second class this fall.
Page 13
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.
Sports Shorts STRIKER CAMP BY DIABLO FC FOR LOCAL SOCCER PLAYERS The first of two sessions for the Diablo FC Striker Camp is June 27-July 1 in Concord. Diablo FC technical director Marquis White, a former MLS and international professional player, will teach boys and girls 8-14 years old shooting techniques, heading, crossing, dribbling for speed and attacking skills as well as show how all players can become more dynamic. All skill levels welcome. The second session runs July 19-22. To register, visit diablofc.org.
CLAYTON VALLEY FALCONS FOOTBALL, CHEER SIGNUPS The Clayton Valley Falcons football program for boys and girls ages 7-14 and cheer program for boys and girls 5-14 are accepting signups at cvaafalcons.com or in person 1-4 p.m. Sunday, June 27, at Mountain Mike’s Pizza, 5258 Clayton Road, Concord. Call 927-7377 for more information.
DIABLO FUTBOL PRE-SEASON AYSO SOCCER CAMP Diablo Futbol Club professional coaches will present the first MDSA pre-season camp for AYSO players getting ready for fall soccer league Aug. 9-13. The 9 a.m.-noon sessions will concentrate on a single skill each day. The camp is at the Boatwright Sports Complex in Concord. For more information, visit diablofc.org.
Correction In the June 11 issue, the listing was incorrect for the St. Bonaventure 8th-grade sprint medley relay team members. The quartet that set a record time of 1.57.86 at the CYO sectional championships in Livermore was Kayla Dickerson, Jordan Johnson, Francesca Panella and Megan Coppa.
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925-689-2800 championship games and each won 3-1. MDSA United defeated Millbrae Green Machine for the U12 boys red division title after earlier winning the Area 2C/2D AYSO Select Tournament and PHMSA Soccerfest. MDSA United FC girls toppled Pacifica United Incredibles for the U16 crown at Concord Cup. United FC was also runner-up at the Soccerfest. Besides the nine MDSA teams who placed at Davis World Cup, the U12 girls Velocity were second at Comstock Shootout and third at Pacifica while the U16 MDSA Impact girls were second at the Area Select Tournament.
MDSA is still accepting players to the wait list for its 30th anniversary fall season. For details, visit mdsoccer.org.
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Clayton Community Gym springs back to life with sports and more
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June 25, 2010
JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
As the first All Out Sports League camp wraps up at the Clayton Community Gym, city officials are optimistic about the new arrangement. “I am thrilled to have All Out Sports as our partner to provide a program of activities at the gym,” says Councilwoman Julie Pierce. “All Out Sports will help to fulfill our goal to provide activities for Clayton’s youth and all ages of community residents. I’m looking forward to a strong and successful partnership.” The city was left in a lurch when the Mt. Diablo Region YMCA abruptly declared bankruptcy earlier this year. The Y had programmed and operated the gym since the joint school district and city facility opened in September 2003. Last month, Casey Copeland, president of All Out Sports League, jumped into a new arrangement with the city to operate after-school and weekend activities at the gym. “Casey is very enthusiastic about bringing not only sports programs but enrichment programs as well,” says Councilman Joe Medrano. “I believe All Out Sports will be a great asset to the city. Now we just need to support them as a community by participating in their programs.” The first summer AOSL Mega Camp for basketball finishes this week, with several more sports and enrichment programs getting underway next month after the gym undergoes its annual floor refinishing by Mt. Diablo Unified School District personnel. A LOVE OF SPORTS Copeland founded the private, non-profit All Out Sports League more than two years ago in Brentwood after spending nearly two decades in the mortgage business. The former San Diego State football player’s organization has been successfully offering sports leagues and camps in Brentwood and Antioch. “I know this is where I belong and this is what I should be doing,” Copeland says. “There’s hardly a sport I haven’t played with joyful intensity.”
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
LED BY PRESIDENT CASEY COPELAND, ALL OUT SPORTS LEAGUE has signed an agreement with the city of Clayton to fill the recreation void left with the collapse of the YMCA.
He outlined his vision to Clayton city manager Gary Napper and a City Council subcommittee of David Shuey and Medrano. Copeland proposed operating the gym with All Out Sports League programs, plus supervising ongoing uses such as CYO basketball and adult volleyball and basketball leagues. The group hammered out an agreement that was presented to the City Council on May 18 and formally ratified June 1. VARIETY OF PROGRAMS After the gym floor refinishing is complete on July 12, Copeland’s group will be in full operation. Offerings will include an adult beginners golf program, a co-ed volleyball league starting July 15, an over 40 men’s basketball league starting July 18, youth basketball leagues beginning July 20 and a Sunday afternoon youth flag football league for boys and girls that starts Aug. 8. Copeland is collaborating with the local competitive soccer club, Diablo FC, to put on a soccer camp for boys and girls of all skill levels July 1923 and there will be a youth volleyball camp Aug. 2-6. Summer Enrichment Camps will be held July 5-Aug. 13 for middle school students with Science Adventures and Young Entrepreneurs. Young
Master Minds offers these programs at youngmasterminds.org. AOSL has also arranged a Musical Theatre Workshop July 12Aug. 16 at Endeavor Hall and a 3D modeling and animation class July 19-23 in the gym. “I feel a parent who enrolls their child in a program should know the answer to three important questions: Is my child learning something? Am I getting my money’s worth? And can I trust that coach/teacher to work with my child?” Copeland says. “We’re giving great answers to those questions. Parents who drop off their kids at one of my events know that they will get their money’s worth and the child has learned valuable skills from a trusted adult,” adds Copeland, whose resume includes experience as a motivational speaker on athletics and education. A COMMUNITY EFFORT Active community fundraising was needed to construct the Clayton Community Gym. “When Oakhurst was approved, the developer dedicated the current gym site to the city to be used as a youth center,” Pierce says. “With the generosity of the Clayton community and the perseverance of a dedicated Raise-A-Gym committee,
we worked with the school district to build the Clayton Community Gym.” The school district turned the gym over to the YMCA at 3:30 p.m. on school days plus all day on weekends and charged them about $5,000 a month for utilities and janitorial services, whether any programs were going on in the gym or not. When the YMCA declared bankruptcy, it left the city with about $100,000 in unreimbursed school district expenses. “We still have to work out expense allocations to the city with the school district, but we did not want the community to suffer by placing summer programs on hold,” Medrano notes. Copeland said he has been working with Napper and MDUSD Assistant Superintendent Pete Pedersen. “The district will be billing us for the time we are actually using the gym,” Copeland said last week. “We will provide the district with a schedule two weeks in advance and those are the hours we will be billed for.” For a complete list of AOSL programs at the Clayton Community Gym, to register for programs or to become a partner, please visit alloutsportsleague-clayton.com.
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June 25, 2010
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Page 15
Lindsay Museum wildlife rehabilitation budget cuts less than anticipated
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NICCI SHIPSTEAD Clayton Pioneer
The city of Walnut Creek approved a challenge grant for the Lindsay Wildlife Museum on June 16. The wildlife rescue hospital and community education facility had feared the city would cut funding from $75,000 to $50,000 this fiscal year, followed by an additional 50 percent cut in the next. “Well, it turned out better than we expected,” said Chris Bernard, Lindsay’s operations director. The city approved a $75,000 matching grant for the next two fiscal years. Loren Behr, Lindsay’s development department and executive director, will create community donation challenges to ensure the highest level matching-grant funding. The museum’s wildlife hospital is the oldest and one of the largest rehabilitation centers in the United States. It treats more than 5,000 injured and orphaned wild animals each year. The hospital is a pioneer in wildlife rehabilitation and developed many now-standard protocols across the country. An ongoing program, Save a Hospital Patient, provides the opportunity to sponsor a favorite species with daily treatment costs. A California quail can be treated at $8 per day, the gray fox averages $15 daily, while bobcats and barn owls require $22 each day. With an average overall cost of $75 for
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LINDSAY MUSEUM’S WILDLIFE HOSPITAL WORKER OWAIN PER-LEE examines a mourning dove. The wildlife hospital is the oldest and one of the largest rehabilitation centers in the U.S. treating more than 5,000 injured and orphaned wild animals each year.
each patient, treatment costs often run much higher depending on the severity of the injuries, the species’ special needs and the length of time required for a full recovery. Clayton made the rescue organization’s headlines in July 2008 when a 3½-month-old coyote was found alone, weak and hobbling in the middle of the road and brought in to the hospital. He was very thin and covered with fleas, ticks, burrs and fox tails. He also had diarrhea and was vomiting. After treatment with antiparasitic drugs and nutritious food, he steadily gained
strength and was transferred to Fresno Wildlife. There, he was raised with a surrogate mom and other orphaned coyote pups. By that November, the coyote pup was deemed ready to survive on his own and released back into the area he had been found. Total approximate cost of care: $500. The goal of Lindsay Wildlife Museum’s rehabilitation center is to provide the best medical and husbandry care within resources to regional wild animals in need. Care takes place on and off site at the homes of trained volun-
Church News CONCORD UNITED METHODIST CHURCH All children 3 years old to sixth grade are welcome to participate in the church’s Summer Bible Camp June 28-July 2. “Galactic Blast” is a cosmic adventure praising God. Hours are 1-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday. The camp is free, with a $15 fee for a campout on July 1. Registration forms are available in the church office, at 1645 West St, Concord. For
Clayton/Concord Location:
more information, call 6855260. CLAYTON VALLEY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH The church will host the Lacey Presbyterian Church Youth Choir of Lacey, Wash., for a concert at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 10. The choir is on a West Coast tour to share their love of God through mission work and music. The touring group is made up of 12 high school students
Clayton History
who sing regularly in worship as well as at community events. Their music ranges from standard choral literature to musical theater to contemporary Christian music with accompanying rhythm section. The concert is free and open to the public. An offering will be collected, with proceeds benefiting earthquake victims in Haiti. The church is at 1578 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton. For more information, call 672-4848.
From the Archives
teers. About 350 volunteers donate 60,000 hours of service in the hospital each year. Caitlin Leyden of Concord began volunteering in the rehabilitation center two months ago. Leyden began researching volunteer opportunities with animals during high school for her senior project. She began six months of orientation and rehabilitation volunteer training as soon as she met the age requirement. Leyden, now 19, just finished her first year at Diablo Valley College. With hands-on service in the rehabilitation center, mostly feeding baby birds, Leyden says her impatient patients recognize when feeding time begins with the first bird. Erupting in an earsplitting chorus of “cheep, cheep, cheep” through the entire process, they remind her not to be slow or stingy with the dropper. The next Orientation to Volunteering, a free 1½-hour class, is scheduled for Aug. 11. Registration is strongly recommended. To become a rehabilitation volunteer, attend the 3-hour Introduction to Wildlife Rehabilitation on Oct. 23 for a member price of $65. This class is prerequisite to the 16hour wildlife rehabilitation core curriculum at no extra cost.
The Charles Trette house In 1880, Charles Trette and his family moved to Clayton and bought the blacksmith shop on the corner of Oak and Main Streets. Their house, pictured above, was located on the southwest corner of Diablo and Center Streets. The original structure was modified several times, once by carpenter Ed Babendorf, and another time by Dutch Trette, the son of Charles. These renovations gave the house a new porch and a new addition to the structure. Fifty years after Charles Trette purchased the blacksmith shop, he finally left the business in the hands of his oldest son Rudolph “Dutch” Trette. Dutch sold the shop to local real estate broker and Clayton resident Nan Wallace who had the building moved from its corner to the lot next to Endeavor Hall. In 1981, the house was moved to Nortonville where it stands in the Black Diamond Regional Park. By Sarah Minter
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Time to work on the ‘bucket list’
PEGGY BIDONDO
TIME
TO
GO
In 2003, Patricia Schultz wrote a book called “1,000 Places to See before You Die.” Then in 2007, Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman starred in “The Bucket List,” a movie about two men who are terminally ill and create a list of things they want to do before they “kick the bucket.” It was then that I decided I needed to compile a list of places to see and things to do during my lifetime. While I have been able to cross off a number of items on my personal list, there was one activity that continued to elude me – the zip line. The opportunity to participate in this adventure came when a friend asked me to join her on a trip to Costa Rica last November. Since Costa Rica was a destination on my list, I jumped at the chance to travel there. Little did I know that in addition to the zip line, I would engage in a couple of other adventures that had not yet made it to my “bucket list.” The origin of the modern
zip line is difficult to trace, but some experts claim it is rooted in the similar technique that climbers in the Tyrolean Alps used to move between rock pillars and cliffs. This mountaineering technique then migrated to other parts of the world. Modern canopy tours, as they are also called, were invented in the 1970s when the rain and cloud forest canopies were the last remaining frontiers of botany, zoology, entomology and ecology. Many early canopy tourers were graduate students doing research in the forests. Soon entrepreneurs saw the entertainment value and the commercial canopy tour was born. The ultimate goal was to help raise awareness and consciousness about the rainforest’s fragile ecosystem. The zip line I experienced is in the northwest province of Guanacaste, on the slopes of the Rincón de la Vieja volcano and near the town of Buena Vista. As any traveler to Costa Rica will tell you, the roads are largely unpaved, pot-holed and rocky. And, you will need to cross streams and rivers to reach any destination. Once we arrived, it was a heart-pounding, exhilarating ride of a lifetime with 11 platforms and 10 cables – gliding through the top of the trees of the semi-humid tropical forest enjoying the adrenaline to the maximum. If you are capable of looking around while you are traveling on the top of the trees, you can also view the
After zipping through the rainforest canopy in Costa Rica, I can now cross this experience off my “Bucket List.”
Pacific Ocean and a diversity of flora and fauna as birds and howler monkeys watch you glide your way to the next platform. This was followed by a ride in a quarter-mile half pipe water slide that went down the mountain and through the tropical forest. This was actually a lot more intimidating than the zip line. After a horseback ride and hike to a beautiful waterfall, the day ended with a mud bath and a much-needed dip in three hot spring pools. And that was just the first day! We also decided to do a scuba/snorkel trip down the coast and ended up helping the captain rescue some Olive
Ridley turtles from a fisherman’s net. All in all, a trip to remember and another item crossed off the bucket list. Travel Tip: Place a fabric softener sheet in your suitcase when packing. It will absorb odors and dampness and keep clothing fresh. It is most beneficial in warm, humid climates and while at sea. 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.
June 25, 2010
Understanding incapacity and guardianship issues with aging parents Adult children need to pay close attention to not only their parents’ physical health, but also their mental health. Advanced age or illness can impair their intellectual wherewithal to manage dayto-day activities. If people observe a parent’s declining mental condition, they may have to make an emotionally difficult decision to have him or her declared incompetent. A judge will then appoint a guardian to oversee his or her affairs. The legal definition of capacity varies from state to state, but generally it’s the mental ability to adequately function. More specifically, it’s the ability to continue to live in the manner to which one is accustomed. A person is presumed competent unless a judge declares a person incompetent. One barometer of whether someone is able to adequately function is the person’s ability to understand basic financial matters. Another is whether a person is able to adequately attend to his or her own health needs. If you’ve made the gutwrenching decision to have an incapacity determination and the judge agrees your parent is no longer competent, the court will appoint a guardian. The guardian will be responsible for managing the person’s affairs. Usually, a child or adult grandchild is appointed guardian. But the guardian doesn’t have to be a family member. In some states, a person can designate whom he or she wants to act as guardian.
Websites educate parents on films for kids School’s out and the summer movies are marching in with animated comedies and action flicks such as “Prince of Persia,” “Shrek 4,” “The Karate Kid” and “Toy Story 3.” If you’re a typical harried parent adjusting to summer camps and activities, these movies can mean a couple hours of downtime and a much-needed break. But how do you decide which movies are appropriate for your kids? Few of us have the time to check out a movie personally before taking the kids. The “parental guidance” in PG and PG-13 means that parents have to rely on their own instincts and knowledge of what their children can handle when choosing summer entertainment. I can
DON PEDRO CRUZ
AT
THE
MOVIES
recall my disbelief while watching a couple walk into the theater with a 6- or 7-year-old to see “United 93,” the R-rated film about the 911 hijacking a few years back, so it’s clear that some of us need a bit more guidance than others. A Google search will reveal a number of Websites dedicated to
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reviewing current and past movies with kids in mind. Many of them rely on users to share their opinions about various topics such as violence, language and how role models are depicted. Some are monitored and edited by a support staff and others provide their own content by professional writers. I often rely on commonsensemedia.org to help me make decisions about movies for my 9year-old. Common Sense Media is a not-for-profit organization that employs its writers and staff from grants and donations and does not have any connections to movie studios. The kid-friendly staff reviews movies, music, video games, television shows, Websites, books and even smart phone apps. Registered users of
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the site can offer their own reviews and comments, as well. The site is easy to navigate and provides comprehensive information on what you can expect from a particular movie, or you can plug in your child’s age and find movies that should fit his or her development. It’s a great site to help you make a decision when your kid is begging you to see the latest action flick that all his friends have seen. If you prefer to see what other parents have to say, I recommend IMDB.com. The Internet Movie Database is quite popular and most movies listed there include a parents’ guide. Scroll down past the synopsis and credits to find the link. While the site itself is not geared toward kids, I have found the
IMDB parents’ guide to be a great quick look into how much violence, sex and profanity you will see in a movie such as “The Karate Kid.” While user-generated content might not always be reliable, my experience with the site is that it is typically accurate and detailed. Although these resources can’t make the decision about what movies your kids should see for you, they can help you balance your knowledge of your own kids and your values to navigate through this year’s CGIfilled, 3-D blockbuster, summer movie season. Don Pedro Cruz is a local freelance writer and graphic designer. Send your comments to dpvc2000@gmail.com
RICHARD LITTORNO FINANCIAL SENSE The guardianship will specify if the guardian has been appointed for the management of all aspects of the person’s life or if there’s a narrower applicability, such as for only financial matters. The guardian will owe a duty of care and will be held accountable by the court for showing that actions taken are appropriate. Sometimes an elderly parent knows he or she needs assistance and asks for it. This is an ideal circumstance, because you can avoid the expense and emotional toll of a guardianship proceeding – and the person will receive the needed help. Here are a few areas where children can help elderly parents: Bill paying. If a child is unable to write checks and pay the parent’s bills, a bank or other professional firm can be hired to provide the service. The expense may be worth the increased sense of control he or she feels by delegating the work and freeing up time and energy for other things. Powers of attorney. If a parent consents to giving a child or another trusted individual power of attorney over his or her financial and health care matters, the result is similar to what is achieved through the guardianship process. The difference is that the parent still is treated as legally competent to make decisions, though he or she is providing someone with the legal right to act on his or her behalf. Joint ownership. A parent could add someone as joint owner of his or her accounts to provide that person rights similar to those of his agent under the power of attorney for property and the trustee under the living trust. While the agent and trustee are merely managing assets on the parent’s behalf, the joint tenant is treated as a joint owner of the property. Richard A. Littorno is an attorney specializing in estate planning. He has offices in Clayton and Pittsburg. Send your questions to Richard@LittornoLaw.com.
June 25, 2010
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com
Page 17
Clayton Community Calendar PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. JUNE 28 FOR THE JULY 9 ISSUE. ITEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO calendar@claytonpioneer.com
CLAYTON EVENTS Saturdays through October Farmers Market 8 a.m.-noon Saturdays, Diablo Street between Main and Center, downtown Clayton. No markets Sept. 4 and Oct. 2. pcfma.com or 800-949-3276. July 3, 17, 31 Concerts in the Grove 6-8:30 p.m., Grove Park, downtown Clayton. July 3: Harvey and the Wall Bangers play the greatest hits. July 17: The Michael Paul Band plays country and Southern rock. July 31: Laurent Fourgo and His Orchestra offer the Big Band sound.
FOURTH OF JULY Volunteers: Help is needed between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 4. Contact city clerk Laci Jackson at 673- 7304 or ljackson@ci.clayton.ca.us. Pancake Breakfast: 7-10 a.m. at Endeavor Hall. $5 adults, $3 children. Hosted by Clayton Valley Sunrise Rotary Club. Parade: Begins at 10 a.m. To be in Kiddie Parade, arrive early in patriotic dress.
ENTERTAINMENT Through June 26 “Godspell” Contra Costa Christian Theatre presents the musical based on the Gospel According to St. Matthew. Dell Valle Theatre, 1963 Tice Valley Blvd., Walnut Creek. $18, with group, student and senior discounts. 943-SHOW or ccchristiantheatre.org.
Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr., Clayton. $45, includes dinner and the murder mystery with local celebrities. 969-9885. Sept. 20 Friends of Camp Concord Golf Tournament Hosted by Dan Ashley at Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr., Clayton. friendsofcamp.com.
AT THE LIBRARY The Clayton Library is at 6125 Clayton Road. Most programs are free. 673-0659 or claytonlibrary.org. June 26 Prenatal Yoga Candice Garrett talks about yoga, pregnancy, birth and her book, “Prenatal Yoga: Finding Movement in Fullness.” 2 p.m. RSVP for a 2:30 p.m. demonstration on breath awareness and yoga. Bring your own mat. alturl.com/mdw2 or ccclib.org/programs/index.html. Tuesdays through Aug. 17 Patty Cakes Storytime for babies to 3 year olds. Child attends with caregiver. Drop in 11 a.m. Tuesdays. Thursdays through Aug. 19 Picture Book Time Storytime for 3-5 year olds. Child may attend without caregiver. Drop in 11 a.m. Thursdays. July 14 Shell Crafts 4-5 p.m. Teens can create projects using shells. July 21 Bubble Mania 4-5 p.m. Teens can cool off and blow a few bubbles. July 21 Tree Frog Treks This program introduces children to the natural world with the help of rescued “animal ambassadors.” Meet rainforest animals and learn about their wild, wet worlds. All ages welcome. 7 p.m. July 28 Fun with Duct tape 4-5 p.m. Teens can make a wallet or card holder with duct tape.
FOR PARENTS
“Godspell,” plays at the Dell Valle Theatre through June 26. Through June 26 “The Noel Coward Celebration” The Bay Area premiere of an evening of song and sparkling repartee. Center REPertory Company, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $18-$45. centerrep.org or 943-7469. June 26-Aug. 1 “Avenue Q” The Willows Theatre presents an adult-oriented musical featuring puppets and live actors, based on “Sesame Street.” Campbell Theatre, 626 Ward St., Martinez. $30. willowstheater.org or 7981300. Through Sept. 16 Music and Market Series Concerts at noon Tuesdays through June 29, 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays July 6-Aug. 3 and 6:30 p.m. Thursdays through Sept. 16, Todos Santos Plaza, downtown Concord. ci.concord.ca.us or 671-3464.
July 20 Developmental Screenings/Art Activities Free developmental screenings and referrals for children 1 month to 5 years old. Child development specialists will be available to answer questions about each child’s development. Plus arts, crafts and group social play activities. Sponsored by We Care Services for Children. 12-4 p.m., Concord Library, 2900 Salvio St. 685-0207.
MEETINGS June 29; July 6, 20 Clayton City Council 7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 6737304 or ci.clayton.ca.us. July 13, 27 Clayton Planning Commission 7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 6737304 or ci.clayton.ca.us.
CLUBS
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 Meets 7-9 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month, 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 6721863. 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. 566-8166 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 639-1987 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. 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. 672-2727. 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.
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.
Coming Soon
FUNDRAISERS
Clayton Valley Garden Club Meets 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month, Diamond Terrace, 6401 Center St., Clayton. Contact Nancy at 673-3522 or claytonvalleygardenclub.org.
July 2-5 Festival Americana American music, arts, crafts, food and drinks. A fundraiser for the John Muir Health Foundation. 4-10 p.m. July 2, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. July 3, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. July 4 and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. July 5, Hilton, 1970 Diamond Blvd., Concord. $7 adults, $3 children. 827-2000 or concordhilton.com.
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. Meetings begin again in September. Call Joan at 672-2471.
Clayton Almanac
Sept. 19 Murder Mystery Dinner Sponsored by the Clayton Valley Woman’s Club. 4:30 p.m.,
Clutch Busters Square Dance Club Meets 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Willow Pass Community Center Hall, 2748 East Olivera Road, Concord. Contact Karen at 686-3774.
CERT, from page 8
With the new organization, there will be only one rally point for CERT members – the fire station at the intersection of Clayton Road and Center Street. With one rally point, CERT should have sufficient personnel to deploy to perform necessary activities in an emergency. CERT will continue to have two, six-week training sessions a year. They will continue to conduct a two-hour class twice a year for those wishing to have a basic knowledge of emergency preparedness. The spring CERT class graduated 28 participants, and the fall class is scheduled to begin Sept. 15. To
was in the first Clayton CERT class in 2007 and is a member of C5. Pat Russell will direct the Planning Unit. Russell will direct training, coordinate CERT classes and certification. He will also recruit instructors as necessary. Russell is one of six certified CERT instructors in Clayton. The instructors also have assisted neighbor communities to meet their CERT training needs. Sue Elliott will manage the Administrative Unit. Elliott will
provide oversight and coordination of CERT member communications, skills inventory of CERT members as well as oversight of the Clayton CERT Website (claytoncert.org) and other administrative responsibilities. She is a member of C5 and a CERT graduate. The four committee chairs will report to Herb Yonge, the C5 chair. Veal will serve as vice chair. Yonge reports to police Chief Dan Lawrence, who in turn reports to the city manager and City Council.
register, call 673-7355. In the next several weeks, the unit chairs will be staffing their units so as to perform all of the duties necessary to carry out the CERT mission. We encourage present Clayton CERT members to volunteer to assist in one or more units within the new organization. To volunteer, call 673-7355 or email Sue Elliott at ClaytonCERT@yahoo.com. Herb Yonge is a volunteer with the Clayton Police Dept. & a member of the city of Clayton Citizen Corp Council, CERT Team. He can be reached at 673-7355 or by email at hlyonge@att.net.
2010-11
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Page 18
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
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AGASTACHE
Herbs can be quite a surprise ads and light pasta dishes. in your Clayton Valley landSalvia elegans ‘Honey scape. Mellon’ was introduced a couple They are fulfilling ground- of years ago. The smaller seleccovers, lovely container selec- tion of sage is great in any tions and dramatClayton Valley ic bloomers worlandscape or thy of any sunny container. Both bed or border. of these sages Today’s herbs are are happier plantused for more ed in sun with than culinary some shade durneeds; they can be ing the day. used to beautify OPT FOR and accessorize OREGANO your garden. Oregano is Sage is a NICOLE HACKETT another surprise Clayton Valley favorite used in GARDEN GIRL as both a practical herb to grow sauces and meaty as well as a gardishes. Beyond its kitchen use, sage can be func- den beauty. Three varieties tional and handsome in your come to mind instantly. Kent Beauty is the first one landscape or containers. Sage is found in nurseries every gardener needs to grow. under the name Salvia officinalis. This tender evergreen has oval, Four different kinds are excep- clear gray leaves lining wiry tional in our area. The tradition- stems. Use Kent Beauty in a al Salvia officinalis, or common container or hanging basket. The blossom is an iridescent sage, is the exact type you would buy at the grocery. Gray leaves pinkish-gray, chambered-shaped are covered with a light pile – flower that resembles the bloom like lightweight flannel pajamas. of Spanish lavender. Kent Purple Sage is the selection of Beauty is fabulous as an ornaculinary sage with dark pur- mental and has a minor plish-green foliage. Tri-color oregano-scented undertone. sage has a variegation of cream You probably would not put and olive green, with pink new Kent Beauty directly into your growth and stems. Golden var- dish, but you can comfortably iegated sage has yellowish green use it as a garnish. Oregano vulgare ‘Aureum’ has leaves. All of these sage plants are tight, yellowish gold leaves that evergreen and bloom heavily would make a great groundcovduring the summer months. er in a full to part sun garden. Unlike some other herbs, you Plant around stepping stones. are encouraged to let your sage When leaves are crushed by bloom. Light lavender, two- footsteps, they will release an lipped flowers stand 4-5 inches herby smell into the air. But if you are using this oregano as a above the stems. This evergreen will reach 18 ground cover, you probably inches tall and about 24 inches won’t want to use it in your wide, making it an excellent bor- kitchen. It also makes a premium der plant or foliage accent in a container combination. Any trickle over the side of any comselection blends nicely with bination planting in a container. The yellowish leaf will add that other perennials. touch of contrast and brighten up the other plants in the pot. TROPICAL FRAGRANCE White Anniversary is a varieSalvia elegans are taller, wider selections. Salvia elegans gated selection of oregano with Pineapple has foliage that smells cream and green, oval-shaped exactly like pineapple. You don’t leaves. Pale mauve flowers are have to imagine the fragrance it very butterfly-friendly. This oregano is a poweris right there under your nose. This perennial grows 4 feet house in the kitchen. It is tall and wide. Bright shrimpy- extremely herby and will satisfy pink blooms appear in late July any oregano need you may have. and last through October. While Plant White Anniversary in full this perennial is dying back, the to part sun and give regular flowers are still there. water. It is successful in the Hummingbirds adore this ground as well as in containers perennial, and the flowers are and makes a great flopping the perfect shape and color. plant to cascade over rocks. Pineapple sage is a nice addition to teas or snipped onto fruit sal-
FRESH OREGANO
AWASH IN COLOR Agastache is a large family of perennial herbs that thrive in Clayton Valley’s full sun and clay soil. This drought-tolerant plant has a color for every palette. Whether your garden needs blue, pink or orange, there is an Agastache for you. Agastache has a sweet, mintlike fragrance that complements teas, punches, salads and baked goods. Acapulco Salmon and Pink is a varied colored perennial whose bloom opens as orange and mature to a pink. It looks like sherbet. This perennial is fantastic and will reach height of 18 inches to 4 feet tall, depending on the selection. Agastache will occasionally re-seed, so keep your eyes open for any new plants popping up. MAKE TIME FOR THYME Thyme is a huge family of wonderful, ornamental ever-
greens. These plants have everything going for them. They are Clayton Valley hardy and tough as nails. You can walk on them, so they make superb groundcovers. Or plant in containers, hanging baskets, you name it they really have a spot everywhere. All thyme is great for cooking. Some taste like lemon, others lime. Some are variegated but most are green. Thyme bloom clusters of lavender or pink. Some grow flat and some can be 6 inches tall. Thyme is versatile, lending flavor to soups, meat dishes and salads. It is quite functional and super easy to grow. Planting dashes of herb throughout your landscape makes your yard not only beautiful, but also purposeful. Nicole is the Garden Girl at R&M Pool, Patio, Gifts and Garden Contact her with questions, comments or suggestions at gardengirl@claytonpioneer.com
Pioneer Photo Album “The afternoon of June 23, 2009 was pretty warm and my daughter and family had just arrived for the summer. We all took a walk to ‘The Grove’. Our granddaughter, Sienna Jamaica Gaetano absolutely loves the water feature. We can’t wait to take her there again this summer.” - Walt & Nancy Hoffman
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.
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June 25, 2010
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com
Kidz Planet offers well-rounded child care CLINT BRANDOW Special to the Pioneer
Most families today are faced with placing their kids in child care. For parents in the Clayton/Concord area, Kidz Planet Learning Center provides year-round care for children age 6 weeks to pre-K. There are also summer programs for children up to 11 and after-school programs for K-5th graders. “Our philosophy and teachers set us apart,” says director Irina Grinshpan. “Providing an environment that nurtures the natural curiosity of children lays a strong foundation for future learning.” Teachers average more than 10 years experience and understand that children begin learning at a young age. “I have worked in different organizations. Other schools teach within a box. If a child is not in that box, there is no alternative strategy,” says teacher Jody Davis. “At Kidz Planet, each child is prepared for the next level according to her or her needs.” Kidz Planet features break-
fast, lunch and two snacks prepared fresh daily, along with extras such as music, fitness and Spanish. After-school programs include transportation from local schools. Potty training is provided. Kidz Planet follows the National Network for Child Care guidelines for quality child care. Staffing ratios are vital. Adult
supervision provides safety and engagement on an individual basis. Discipline teaches rather than criticizes the child. Services cover nutrition, preventative health care and a host of others. At Kidz Planet, bright, open classrooms are designed to enhance learning. “Parents worry about their children when they are away,” says
Kidz Planet is at 5100 Clayton Road, Concord. For more information, visit kidz-planet.org.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF CHILD CARE. At Kidz Planet, physical fitness, music and Spanish are included in all programs along with other special services.
Will the real maraschino cherry please stand up?
LINDA WYNER
FOOD
FOR
THOUGHT
What’s an ice cream sundae, a Manhattan or the decades-old Shirley Temple mock-tail without the cherry? Yet I’ve avoided maraschino cherries for years because of how they’re made and what they contain. The short list of ingredients is enough to deter me: red food coloring No. 2, preservatives, artificial flavors and corn syrup. One pundit refers to them rather graphically as the culinary equivalent of an embalmed corpse. But if we step back for a moment and look at the history of this maligned garnish, we can then take a giant leap forward and figure out a worthwhile solution. Cherries have been around for millennia. A branch of the rose family, cherries were likely first cultivated in Turkey and parts due east. Up until modern times, the challenge has been a way to pre-
Grinshpan. “Our job is to minimize that worry.” One parent, who has used various child-care organizations around the country, appreciates the extras at Kidz Planet – such as brushing teeth after every meal, the after-school pickup and homework club. Kidz Planet is hosting an open house 1-4 p.m. Sunday, July 18, with refreshments and kids activities. The facility is also offering a free week of child care to new families.
serve the abundance of a cherry tree beyond the few weeks a year it bears edible fruit. Several hundred years ago, peasants along the Dalmatian Coast (now Croatia) figured out how to enjoy small, bitter marasca cherries year-round by pickling them in sea water and storing them in a liqueur they called maraschino. Although popular in France and elsewhere in Europe in the 1800s, the maraschino cherry didn’t make it to American shores until later in the 19th century. Soon, cherries properly preserved in booze were popping up in all sorts of alcoholic concoctions. In 1910, the New York Times ran a story that captures the maraschino craze: “A young woman engaged a room at a fashionable hotel and, after ordering a Manhattan cocktail, immediately sent for another. Soon she was ordering them by the dozen. The management interfered and someone was sent to expostulate with her – also to find out how she had been able to consumer so many cocktails. She was found surrounded by the full glasses with the cherry gone.” With Prohibition and the widespread restriction on alcohol came the demise of those maraschinos and their transformation into the sickly sweet orbs
commercially produced today. A decade or so ago, a university research lab transformed itself into Ground Zero for the revived and revitalized maraschino cherry. Oregon State University in Corvallis is so committed to the maraschino, it offers a course called Maraschino Cherry 102 that examines the “historical, technological and scientific aspects of maraschino cherry production.” OSU owes its success in the field to Professor Ernest Wiegand, who found that calcium salts added to the brining solution will firm up the softer, local Bing cherries. On the other hand, the good professor also perfected the bleaching of cherries so they could absorb any color, hence green, blue, yellow and pink in addition to the expected cherry red. In my view, it’s time to close the “better living through chemistry” chapter and figure out how to home-cure and can maraschinos. The first step will be to brine ripe cherries. A brine, generally a salt-and-sugar solution, can be enhanced with other flavors as well. The second step is to immerse the brined cherries in a jar with a flavorful liquid for at least two weeks.
See Food, page 20
Page 19
What we offer: » age specific programs » a stimulating environment » experienced teachers » trained staff » a low teacher/child ratio » four nutritious meals » music, gym, & Spanish language time included in Get a FREE week of child care & tour of Kidz-Planet each program! Schedule your appointment today!
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Page 20
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
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Budget, from page 1 city’s reserve for contingencies of $5.1 million puts Clayton in an enviable position relative to other small cities in the state. The coming year will see several major improvement projects, including $842,000 for street repaving and $492,000 for expansion of the Community Park parking lot – which will provide 100 additional parking spaces for the heavily used park and ball fields. With the lifting of water use restrictions by the Contra Costa Water District, the city will begin to restore landscaping that succumbed to the drought. The highest priority will be given to the area surrounding the Clayton fountain.
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June 25, 2010
IMPACTED BY STATE GRABS The Redevelopment Agency
budget has been severely pummeled by shrinking property tax revenues, state “sleight of hand” take-aways and debt service. Redevelopment Agency funds come from incremental increases in property taxes as real estate values go up. Affordable housing programs get 20 percent of these incremental revenues and the rest is available for economic development and urban renewal projects. In fiscal year 2008-’09, the state appropriated $350 million from local redevelopment agencies – Clayton’s share of this grab was $405,000. Then in May 2009, Clayton coughed up another $2 million, covering the payment with $1.4 million from the capital improvement budget and borrowing the rest from the city’s affordable housing fund.
Complete budget information and Napper’s report are available at www.ci.clayton.ca.us. From the home page, click on Agendas and Minutes, then on June 15.
City of Clayton Budgets 2010-11
Recycling Center & Transfer Station
Other Funds $4,054,742
Total $14,585,073
General Fund $3,656,609
25%
28%
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12%
Capital Improvements $1,764,300
35% Redevelopment Agency $5,109,422
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Revenues 2010-11
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General Fund, 33%
Expenditures 2010-11
RDA, 10%
Landscape District, 8% Street Lights, 1%
1300 Loveridge Road, Pittsburg
General Fund, 34%
Gas Tax, 3%
RDA Projects, 44%
RDA Housing, 3%
Gas Tax, 3%
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These hits – combined with the debt service of previous bond issues, declining property values and increasing expenses – have left the Redevelopment Agency upside down by $338,510 and the fund balance at only $1,019,561. In recent years, redevelopment money has paid for construction of the public parking lot next to Endeavor Hall and to acquire the land for the Flora Square building and the Creekside Terrace project currently before the Planning Commission. The city has scheduled a special meeting for 7 p.m. June 29 at the library to hear public comments on the proposed budget.
RDA Project, 39%
Stormwater, 1% Misc. Funds, 3%
Landscape District, 8% Grant Fund, 1%
Stormwater, 1% Measure C, 4%
Grove Park, 1%
Grove Park, 1%
Street Lights, 1%
Grant Funds, 1%
Food, from page 19 HOME-CURED MARASCHINO CHERRIES 2 qts. water 1 T. pickling salt (no subs.) 4 lbs. sweet cherries, pitted 4 lbs. sugar 3 c. water Juice of one lemon 1 oz. red food coloring (opt.) 1 c. Luxardo maraschino liqueur 1 oz. pure almond extract Combine two quarts water and pickling salt in a large saucepan. Heat and stir until salt is dissolved. Let cool for about 10 minutes, then pour over the cherries. Cover and allow the cherries to remain at room temperature overnight. Drain the brine off the cherries the next day and discard. Rinse the fruit and set aside. Combine 3 c. water, sugar, lemon juice and red food coloring in a medium saucepan and cook just to the boiling point, stirring constantly, to dissolve the sugar. Pour the hot liquid over cherries. Cover and let the cherries marinate 24 hours. Drain the marinade off the cherries, reserving the juice. Bring the juice to a boil and reduce it to a somewhat syrupy consistency. Add the almond extract and maraschino liqueur. Pour over the cherries. If you know how, perform a “water-bath” canning of the jars to allow you to keep your prepared cherries on the shelf. Otherwise, store the mixture tightly covered in the refrigerator. It takes about two weeks to achieve the full flavor. Be patient – it will be worth the wait. 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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