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October 14, 2011
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Clayton Valley High continues to lead the pack at UMDAF run JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
DAVE SHUEY
MAYOR’S CORNER
Keep charter school letters coming Congratulations and thanks to the Clayton Business and Community Association for another excellent Oktoberfest. Despite the weather and other cities’ attempt to pit their paltry little Walnut and other festivals against us, a great time was had by all and, just as importantly, the CBCA made a lot of money. And guess what, we get it all! That’s right, the CBCA donates the money raised to help our city, schools, citizens, fleas, ticks (just checking, some people stop
See Mayor, page 8 Mike Dunn/Clayton Pioneer
It’s Here
THE CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY TEAM enters the annual United Mt. Diablo Athletic Foundation Run/Walk in costume and this year’s theme was Super Heroes. Sophomore Ben Linzey of Clayton took the costume idea to heart and then covered the 5K Newhall Park course in 24:36.12, wearing cape and all.
For the third year in a row Newhall Park was taken over on an October Sunday morning by a horde of runners and walkers and volunteers as the United Mt. Diablo Athletic Foundation continued its efforts to raise funding to save sports in the six Mt. Diablo Unified School District high schools. And for the third time Clayton Valley High School won the trophy for having the most registered runners and walkers with 410 and Eagles alumnus Nathanael Litwiller, now of Sacramento State, blazed through the 5K (approximately 3.1 miles) course last Sunday in 15:35.12, one minute ahead of second-place finisher Danny Stalters. The top female finishers were high school juniors Ami Boucher of Northgate and Clayton Valley’s Emma Schoenstein. However the results of the
See 5K Run, page 12
Driver with prior DUI crashes into parked car TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
Your Clayton Almanac is inside this issue. Take it out and hang on to it. It’s full of valuable information on local merchants, a 2011-12 events calendar, a guide to Clayton’s trails and parks, a full listing of clubs and associations and contact numbers for government offices, churches and area support services.
Just before 2 a.m. on the rainy morning of Oct. 5, neighbors were jolted awake when a late model BMW speeding up Windmill Canyon Drive crashed into a parked car and flipped over. The crash was described by neighbors as sounding like a gas explosion. The driver of the BMW has been identified as Harrison Sanders, 21, of Concord. According to police, an intoxicated Sanders was speeding uphill on Windmill Canyon Drive when he lost control on
the curve, scattering trash cans at the curb of 3087 Windmill Canyon crashing into a 2008 Chevrolet Impala. The Impala, owned by Mark Warzecha of 3090 Windmill Canyon, was parked facing downhill. The BMW hit the front of the Impala, pushing it uphill about 50 feet uphill before flipping on its side in the driveway of 3089 Windmill Canyon. The BMW did not crash into the house, as was reported earlier in other media. Witnesses saw Sanders run from the crash scene, leaving his injured passenger in the car.
See Crash, page 8
Photo credit: ratstalker/Claycord.com
ALCOHOL AND SPEED COMBINED TO CAUSE THIS EARLY MORNING HIT-AND-RUN crash that left one man injured and totaled a parked car on Oct 5. The driver was later arrested.
Safari adventure is like Disneyland, with zebras Clayton photographer is dazzled by the South African bush
Until my amazing trip to Kruger National Park in South Africa, my exposure to wild ani-
mals had been limited to zoos, movies or periodicals like National Geographic. What I saw on my safari exceeded my wildest dreams. Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa, an area of approximately 8,000 square miles that extends along the northeastern part of South Africa bordering Mozambique to the east and Zimbabwe to the north. My 14-hour flight to Johannesburg, through Hong Kong, consisted of two legs.
Once I landed in Johannesburg, I boarded a small plane operated by a local airline for a 70-minute flight to the northeast section of the Kruger Park area. When I landed at the small airstrip in the middle of the African bush, I felt eerily at home. The scenery is strikingly similar to our open space around Mt. Diablo during summer – knee-high golden grass covered rolling hills with a variety of sparse brush, small trees and sandy trails. Little did I know that I was about to experience my first
Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Community Calendar . . . . . . .9 Clayton Cooks . . . . . . . . . . . .3 CVHS Reporter . . . . . . . . . . .8 Directory of Advertisers . . . . .5
Fashion Over 50 . . . . . . . . .19 From the Chief . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Fit with Levity . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . .5
Mind Matters . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Obituary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Robert Cohen, a Clayton-based freelance travel photographer, recently journeyed to Kruger National Park in South Africa. Thanks to his story – and his remarkable photos – Pioneer readers can have their own armchair safari. First of two parts. ROBERT COHEN Special to the Pioneer PHOTOGRAPHER ROBERT COHEN TRAVELED TO SOUTH AFRICA, bringing home amazing photos and memories to last a lifetime.
What’s Inside Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
amazing surprise. The 30minute ride to the safari lodge was in an open Land Rover, the same kind of vehicle that was to become my key transport and viewing platform while at the safari lodge for the next six days. We had barely driven for 15 minutes when the driver made a halting stop to avoid colliding with a large herd of zebra and impala crossing the road. It seemed as if someone was staging a Hollywood production and
See Safari, page 2
Sports Shorts . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Teen Speak . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Weather Words . . . . . . . . . .18
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
October 14, 2011
Around Town
Safari, from page 1
Students lauded for Doing the Right Thing
WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER ROBERT COHEN RECENTLY returned from a safari to South Africa where he captured this amazing shot of a mother zebra with her foal.
had released the animals on queue from a large hidden truck. Then, on both sides of the road, I saw elephants and giraffes walking slowly within a few yards of the road, nibbling at the small, sparse trees. Around them were water buffalo, kudu, and waterbuck. Not bad for the first 15 minutes of my safari, I thought. GOOD FOOD, BETTER SUNSETS
The rest of my stay proved to be just as magical. In fact, it was alike a grown-up Disneyland. Each day offered a new and awesome experience, even though the daily schedule was pretty much the same: I received a wakeup call at 5:30 a.m., then met with the guide and other guests for a half-hour of coffee and rusks, then I went out on two “game drives” that would last three to three and one-half hours each– one at dawn and the other just before sunset and continuing after nightfall. The afternoon game drive was known as a “sundowner” as the guide and tracker would stop the Land Rover for tailgate refreshments, allowing observation of the most glorious sunsets. Breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinners were all excellent. For the more adventurous foodies, a delightful selection of local game meats
such as springbok, impala and kudu were often included on the menu. I am not sure if it was the Waiver of Liability the safari lodge staff had me sign upon my arrival or the warning not to leave my room at night or in the early hours without an lodge escort, but I clearly got the impression that being on a safari was not without some element of danger. After spending six full days in the African bush and getting to observe the wildlife there, I have a new sense of the meaning of stress and survival. The African bush can be both a beautiful and harsh place. It is easy to see that the more vulnerable animals are on a constant watch for predators. What I previously perceived as being stressful in my own everyday life pales by comparison to what these animals endure without any refuge. To be continued.
CVHS Ted Hall and Sara Kommer with Mayor Shuey
DVMS students James Wood and Caitlin O’Leary with Mayor Shuey and principal Patti Bannister
MDES students Ryan Morimoto and Ellie Tsao with Mayor Shuey and their teachers
In a big shout out to kids who make good choices, the City Council recognized six Clayton students for doing the right thing as part of the citywide “Do the Right Thing” campaign. The program, described by Mayor Dave Shuey as “wildly successful” is designed to encourage six specific character traits: Responsibility, Respect, Kindness, Self-discipline, Integrity and Courage. Each school designs programs and projects around the traits as they rotate through the school year. The students recognized at the Oct. 4 council meeting were lauded by the council and their principals and teachers
for their “great responsibility.” Students recognized were Ryan Morimoto and Ellie Tsao from Mt. Diablo Elementary. Principal Irene Keenan said both were “model students,” and remarked specifically on Ryan’s “super sportsmanship.” Ellie was on a medical leave during the first part of the year, noted Keenan, and made up all the work she missed, coming back “even more advanced than she was when she left.” Diablo View Middle School students James Wood and Caitlin O’Leary were both recognized for successfully taking on big projects. James serves as a teaching
assistant in his art class. Principal Patti Bannister notes he is “always cheerful and could probably run the class by himself.” Caitlin was a principal organizer of the DVMS Back to School Night. “She just gets things done,” said Bannister. CVHS students Ted Hall and Sara Kommer were both recognized for their commitment to the charter school movement. Each gave moving presentations – Ted with a speech he gave when before the school board and Sara in song. “I Got a Feelin’,” she sang. “Next year’s gonna be a good year.”
Just passing through
Robert Cohen is a Clayton resident and freelance photographer specializing in travel photography, landscapes, architecture, and wildlife. His photography is available for purchase framed or unframed printed on archival quality canvas or fine art photographic paper and can be viewed at rcphotoart.com. Purchase inquires can be made at robert.cohen@rcphotoart.com.
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Last week’s Clayton Pioneer reported that an expedition to Mt. Diablo, in the 19th century described tarantulas as “attaining the size of a half grown mouse, possessing fangs the size of a rattlesnake’s, and delivering a bite generally considered fatal”. However, this tarantula obviously had not read the Pioneer, as he seemed to tolerate, even enjoy, his legs being petted by Nicole Royet and Daniel Clayton Cantine, Jr. A large crowd circled the tarantula and he was eventually coaxed back into the bushes.
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Ed and Denise Sauvé of Clayton have a new granddaughter. Brooklyn Rae, 7 lbs., 12 ozs. was born on July 27, arriving three weeks early. She joins her parents Kimberly and Chris Stewart and big brother, Clayton 2-1/2, in their San Rafael home.
Better Homes’ Jennifer Stojanovich passes broker’s exam Local Realtor Jennifer Stojanovich of Better Homes Realty in Clayton has received her California Real Estate Broker’s License. After eight years of being a Top-10 producer for Homes Realty franchise, Jennifer felt called to take her knowledge and experience to the next level to better serve her clients. Jennifer will continue to work at Better Homes Realty of Clayton as a Broker Associate. For all your Real Estate needs Jennifer can be reached at 925567-6170.
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PRICE
211 Clifford Ct...........................$525,000 1 Rhine Ct ................................$465,000 590 Mount Olivet Pl..................$529,000 4104 Coyote Cir .......................$205,000 1036 Pebble Beach Dr .............$690,000 479 Obsidian Way ....................$610,000 5604 Bettencourt Drive ............$415,000 1827 Yolanda Circle .................$453,200 3085 Windmill Canyon Dr ........$650,000 2905 Coyote Circle...................$283,000 11 Mount Lee Place .................$429,000 220 Condor Way ......................$415,000 1025 Mitchell Canyon Rd .........$460,000 507 Caulfield Ct........................$551,000
SF . . . . .2325 . . . . .1854 . . . . .2691 . . . . .1026 . . . . .3307 . . . . .2981 . . . . .1789 . . . . .2398 . . . . .2854 . . . . .1252 . . . . .2256 . . . . .1710 . . . . .3155 . . . . .2166
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October 14, 2011
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com
Around Town Pioneer Travels BUONGIORNO
from the Concord Police Department. We were there in spirit with Pamela and Brian as they visited the five villages of Cinque Terra on the northern coast of Italy. AWESOME, GARDEN CLUB
Pioneer senior staffer Pamela Wiesendanger and her husband Brian recently took a month-long trip to Europe to celebrate Brian’s retirement
The Garden Club visited this Awesome Nursery, Art Store & Cafe on Saturday 17 September. Members include Cathie Gernhardt, Carla Thompson, Ingela Nielsen, Dennis Kaump, Luis Thompson and Rory Richmond.
Bowron family doubles down Jamie and Alisa Laurence Bowron and big sister Genevieve welcomed twin girls to the family on August 1. Jamie and Alisa met while in college in Chico, married and moved their family Clayton, Jamie’s hometown, two years ago. Counting Alisa’s grandmother Beth Laurence, who moved here in 1954, and her parents Pete and Sher Laurence, Ainsley Victoria and Heidi Alexis and Genevieve will be the fourth generation of Laurences to grow up in Clayton.
Alice in Wonderland comes to Main St. JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
Clayton Valley High School’s annual homecoming game next Friday night in Gonsalves Stadium against Concord High promises plenty of exciting football action between the arch-rivals. But if CVHS Rally Commissioners Kylee Homecillo and Megan Mayhew have anything to say about it there will be lots of fun activities and excitement leading up to the game, including a parade down Clayton’s Main Street next Wednesday afternoon at 5 o’clock. The two senior commissioners came up with the theme of Alice in Wonderland for 2011 Homecoming, reports CVHS Associated Student Body public relations person Sarah Okimoto. “They’ve been thinking about this theme for a couple years,” Okimoto explains. Each of the four classes at the high school will have a float in the parade carrying out the Alice theme. The Senior Men and Senior Women groups will also have floats. The high school rally band, cheerleaders and varsity football team will all be in the parade, along with the MultiCultural Club, Fencing Club and Public Service Academy. The announcement of the Homecoming Queen and King will take place Friday evening before kickoff of the varsity game, slated for 7 p.m. following a junior varsity clash between the Minutemen and Eagles. Concord High was eliminated from the 2009 North Coast Section playoffs by Clayton
THE CVHS UGLY EAGLE will join Alice in Wonderland on Main Street at the CVHS Homecoming parade on Oct. 19
Valley but then ran the table last fall to win the school’s first-ever boys NCS championship. The two teams figure to be among the top contenders for this season’s Diablo Valley Athletic League championship and are meeting in the second week of the league season. All next week the CVHS student body will have Spirit Days with different themes for dress daily including Royalty, Twins, Mix and Match, Crazy Hair and on Friday class colors (red, white and blue for freshmen, white for sophomores, red for juniors and blue for the senior class of 2012). Faculty Advisor Christine Reimer and her students are also prepping for a spirit rally during fourth period on Homecoming Day. The five finalists for Homecoming Queen and King will be on the field at Gonsalves Stadium for the announcement of the 2011 royalty winners as voted on by the student body next week. There will be a reserved section for CVHS alumni attending the game.
Page 3
Clayton Cooks This month’s reader favorite comes from Habib Jacifi, owner of Fiore Restaurant in the Vineyard Shopping Center and was the winning recipe in the Mayor’s Healthy Cookoff hosted by the city of Clayton last month. Mayors and chefs from 15 cities gathered in the Grove to cook up a healthy brunch using ingredients all from that morning’s Farmers Market. SAFFRON FRITTATA Serves 4 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 bunch of scallions, chopped 2 cups firmly packed baby spinach leaves, washed and drained 6 eggs, preferably free range and organic Good handful of mushrooms SHRIMP 8 shrimp medium size 2 teaspoons olive oil pinch of saffron pinch of salt pinch of pepper
EGGS Heat a tablespoon of the oil in a large non-stick pan. Add the scallions and half of the spinach. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, until they soften. Tip into a colander and press down to squeeze out the excess moisture. Lightly beat the eggs, and then add in the spinach mixture and stir well. Reheat the pan adding tablespoon of olive oil, pour in the egg mixture and cook, stirring gently until well set on the base. Slide onto a large plate for serving or cut into wedges and serve from the pan. Add shrimp (optional) Heat a 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large non-stick pan Saute shrimp and add saffron, salt and pepper Serve on top of Frittata Mix remaining spinach with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar, season lightly and serve with the frittata and some honey oat bread.
Have a favorite recipe you’d like to share? Send it along with a photo and a little bit about its history to tamara@claytonpioneer.com
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3095 Windmill Canyon Drive, Clayton $579,000 Oakhurst – 5BD plus office/den & 3 baths in this delightful 2,879 s.f. home upgraded to please. 1BD/BA & office on the main level. Sleek hardwood floors, beautiful baths. Premium flat lot backs to open space.
$569,000 1456 Yosemite Circle, Clayton Clayton Woods – Enjoy a light, bright, large kitchen at this 3BD/3.5BA with updates. Master suite w/fireplace, 2 closets, Jacuzzi tub, skylight & patio. Flat large lot has finished, detached garage, 4 car gated drive & RV pkg.
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2997 Bella Drive, Concord $399,000 Central Concord – Completely solar home w/4BD/3BA has a loft & laundry room. Built-in cabinets & surround sound. Custom touches & ceiling fans, dual zone HVAC. Near to BART & downtown.
316 Ahwanee Lane, Clayton $679,000 Oakhurst – Former model home on prime lot has solar power to reduce PGE costs! 4BD/2.5BA offers stylish dining, living & family rooms w/2-way fireplace. Entertainer’s dream - full Tiki Bar with sweeping views.
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r mere Community Ser vic e d n i e Day W WE NEED YOUR HELP! Please drop a non-perishable food item to our office bin or look for a grocery bag on your doorstep by October 20. We will pick up and deliver these goods to on October 21.
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Page 4
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
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MDUSD officials divided over charter school application DENISEN HARTLOVE Clayton Pioneer
On October 7, Superintendent Steven Lawrence sent a memo to District parents outlining the $2.4 million in required budget cuts if the charter is approved. The Charter proponents’ response to the superintendent’s memo was swift. “Both the timing of the superintendent's ‘News Update’ and the content make it clear that the Superintendent has no interest in working with the Charter,� they wrote in a public statement. “Remember, the District's own staff report previously estimated the District would save
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approximately $1.7 million from closing CV. What is the actual per ADA cost of operating the school, and why won’t the District disclose this figure?� Board President Gary Eberhart defended the memo. “The fact is that because we’ve approved the charter, we have to now start budgeting for $2.4 million dollars less – it’s two different things,� he said. “They’re not really related.� In what was described by one board member as a “weird coincidence,� the same day that Lawrence’s memo went out, Board Member Cheryl Hansen added an item to the Oct. 11 agenda to rescind the conditional
approval previously granted, clearing the way for full approval. Charter proponents previously described the 56 hurdles the District required as political maneuvering by the board. Since then, however, the two sides have met repeatedly in an effort to reach consensus. Despite the apparent turmoil within the board, Eberhart sees the charter continuing to move forward. “We have come to the conclusion that [CVHS] is going to be a charter school,� he said. For the outcome of the Oct. 11 board meeting, Google Clayton Valley Charter High School and click on their Facebook page.
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October 14, 2011
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com
Page 5
Letters to the Editor Education choice should be parents’
P.O. Box 1246 6200 Center Street, Suite H, Clayton, CA 94517 TAMARA
AND
Mayor Shuey is correct that “The District’s ‘approval with conditions’ was, in effect, a defacto denial” of allowing the charter school conversion. Though I agree with his recommendations of hitting the “like” button on the CVCHS Facebook page or emailing the MDUSD members, this does not go far enough. If the members of the MDUSD refuse to allow parents the freedom to choose what form of school we want to have for our children, let’s remove these obstructionists by election or recall, and replace them with pro-charter school candidates. Let’s put ballot initiatives at the local or state level that would make it easy to convert into charter schools. The status quo may suit the MDUSD and teachers’ unions, but it hurts our children. Union
R OBERT S TEINER , Publishers
TAMARA S TEINER , Editor P ETE C RUZ , Graphic Design P EGGY S PEAR , Copy Editor J AY B EDECARRÉ, Sports PAMELA W IESENDANGER , Administration S TAFF W RITERS : Denisen Hartlove, Jay 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 Send ads to ads@claytonpioneer.com Send Sports News to sports@claytonpioneer.com Send Club News to clubnews@claytonpioneer.com Send Church News to churchnews@claytonpioneer.com
Send School News to schoolnews@claytonpioneer.com
CLASSIFIEDS Classified rates per insertion: Non-profit: $12 for first 30 words, $.20 each additional word Individual/non-commercial: $18 for first 30 words, $.30 each additional word Commercial: $48 for first 30 words, $.40 each additional word To place your classified ad over the phone, call the office at (925) 6720500 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Or, you may fax your typewritten ad and credit card information to (925) 672-6580. All classifieds must be paid for in advance by credit card (Master Card or Visa) We will not accept any ad that discriminates on the basis of race, color,
sex, religion, nationality, family status or disability. The Clayton Pioneer reserves the right to reject any advertising we believe is unsuitable. 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 Website are forms for submitting Community Calendar items and press releases for your organization.
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In the last issue of the Pioneer the pastor of the Clayton Community Church said that they were the only buyers willing to develop the acreage in question. As the pastor knows, that is not accurate. They bought it from a seller that was willing to develop it with more than twice the commercial area than the tiny portion now proposed by the CCC. But the city turned down that plan because it didn’t include enough commercial
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.
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bosses and the politicians they are beholden to would fight viciously to maintain the status quo, but I think taking on these thugs for our children’s future is worth the fight. There is no guarantee that converting to a charter school will be successful, but many outperform public schools at a fraction of the cost as “Waiting for Superman” documents. It is irrelevant whether CVCHS will be successful. The point is that we the parents, and not the MDUSD or powerful special interest union bosses, should have the say in how our children are educated. Mayor Shuey, if the MDUSD continues to drag their feet, I implore you to use stronger measures to bring about the change that the citizens of Clayton demand. We will follow your lead for reform. - Kevin Kitcey
usage. Angered by the city’s rejection, he offered it to the CCC without even putting it on the market. While the CCC purchase was in escrow, there were at least two other offers to buy it and develop it for the commercial usage it is zoned for. As the pastor knows the city of Clayton’s Redevelopment Agency offered to buy it with a 10 percent profit to the church. The developer of Flora Square also offered to buy it. Both were willing to build it as the 2-story commercial called for in the Town Center Specific Plan. Both offers were turned down verbally and publicly by the pastor, but if either had been accepted they certainly would have built as per the Town Center Specific Plan, complete with adequate parking and many other benefits to the citizens of Clayton. The Flora Square commercial parcel, the Creekside project and this parcel have all had multiple offers to develop them as commercial. When the economy rebounds, this parcel will have no trouble attracting a buyer willing to develop it for the 2-story commercial use that Clayton needs. - Sher Laurence
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Page 6
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Short Sales aren’t short
City offers reward for reporting vandalism The City Council, fed up with the increasing costs of vandalism, will begin immediately paying a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the apprehension of anyone “causing willful damage to city-owned property.” The rewards program does not require that the violator be arrested and convicted. An admission of guilt or plea to a lesser offense is all that is needed. The city can recover the cost of the reward along with the cost of damages.
Since June 2010, vandals have hit public property more than 40 times. This summer, vandals kicked out the slats in the gazebo in The Grove and sprayed graffiti over the new play equipment at Lydia Lane Park. Anyone with information that could lead to the identification of vandals is asked to call the Clayton Police at (925) 673-7350. Reports can be confidential and the identity of witnesses will not be publicized.
September 30, 2011
LYNNE FRENCH
REAL ANSWERS Q. I am a first-time buyer and I am attracted to short sale properties. They often look like a better bargain. My hesitation comes from friends of mine who have told me horror stories about waiting for many months and never getting the home. Being a first-time buyer I don’t have a point of refer-
ence. Do you think it is a good idea for me? A. This can be a confusing time for a first-time buyer. Of course the first thing you need is a qualified local Realtor that you trust. This Realtor needs to know how to evaluate the short sale property you are considering to see if it has a good chance of actually closing. One of the things they need to find out are what bank the loan is with. That bank will be accepting a short payment. Some banks are easier to deal with than others. Is there more than one loan on the property? Second mortgages and equity lines are harder to negotiate than the first loan. Is there a
sale date already scheduled on the court house steps? When is it? Is there time to complete the sale? Is the seller really in a “hardship” position to qualify for a short sale? Is the listing agent experienced in completing short sale transactions? There are new statistics out that show that a lower percentage of short sales are being bought by first-time buyers than ever before. Buying a home is usually exciting for the buyer, but especially for the first-time buyer. In this market with low prices and low interest rates this is especially true. With the uncertainty of a long wait, though, much of the excitement wanes.
To deal with this uncertainty many buyers are putting in offers on multiple short sales and buying the first one that is approved. This may not be illegal but it definitely isn’t ethical. I don’t approve of this tactic. In fact some sellers and listing agents are dealing with this by insisting that the buyer puts a refundable deposit into escrow when accepting the offer. You will need to weigh the advantage of a possible lower purchase price on a short sale with a non distressed property that is a sure thing. Is the wait time worth it?
See Real Estate, page 13
No arrests yet in attack Fall is a time for vivid changes on carnival worker Police are sifting through leads and conflicting information in the attack on a carnival worker that occurred after Oktoberfest on Sept. 25. According to Police Chief Dan Lawrence, the woman was at the carnival workers’ encampment near the Main Street tunnel around 9 p.m. when she was attacked by several Hispanic men, possibly as many as 10. The men reportedly beat and kicked her, breaking her nose and causing her to lose consciousness. The woman’s boyfriend, also a carnival worker, broke up the fight and the attackers fled. Several ran and others drove away in a 2002 black Audi.
According to Lawrence, the case will be a tough one to solve. The woman was drunk and uncooperative “unable to participate in a genuine way” the night of the attack. She was more cooperative the next day, providing the police with the names of possible attackers. But, there apparently were no witnesses and she and the boyfriend have given several versions of the story. “They’re all over the map,” Lawrence says. Lawrence is asking anyone that might have seen something that night or that has any information to please call police at (925) 672-7350.
But many of those changes take place inside
Cooler weather and wetter days signal the change of seasons. October is already upon us and as our environment changes we begin contemplation of transformation ourselves. I really enjoy this time of year because the scenery is vivid with fall colors. So are our dreams and ideas, and we can embrace the changes we want to happen in our lives – even if they are scary, like Halloween. So, who and what will you be? As a fitness educator I practice healthy habits fairly ritualistically. I eat clean and healthy, exercise consistently and medi-
tate daily. My morning mediation is essential to energizing my mind, body and spirit for the day ahead. Usually I concentrate on one particular thought for the day. Today it happened to be Transformations. The idea of Transformations is defined and expressed by guided meditative principles. The lesson or idea expressed in each teaching is meant to provoke intense internal thought. We are like precious metals, as they must undergo extremes of temperature, folding and pounding to get to an end product that is infinitely superior to the impure ore mined from the earth. Now, as a personal trainer and fitness expert, I know from experience that no matter what I
do to with the outside of a person’s physique, unless I can get them to make some internal changes, we are destined to fail. I don’t like to fail and neither should you. True and lasting transformations begin within. It starts with your internal desire to want change. Start from the inside out. Makes sense, right? Consider this: If you wanted to reduce flatulence you wouldn’t insert a stopper to prevent the gas leak now, would you? Rather you just cut down on the beans and broccoli for awhile and make a wiser decision to switch to something just as nutritious but less noxious and noisy. Physical as well as mental transformations are difficult and
ILIMA HEUERMAN
FIT
WITH
LEVITY
not to be undertaken lightly. Understand that there is a timely process to everything. There are ups and downs, some stops and surely some great restarts. Any transformation requires words to action, so tag on a little patience and determination and be whatever you aspire to be. Ilima Heuerman holds multiple fitness certifications. Her new fitness center, Levity, will open in the spring in downtown Clayton. Email Ilima at IlimaHeuerman@levityfitness.com
October 14, 2011
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Page 7
Obituary
on Valley Shopping
e Clayt New in th
Gordon Alan Easton
Bridal Gowns
Aug. 18 1949– Oct. 1, 2011 Clayton mourns passing of its human ‘encyclopedia’ Gordon Alan Easton, a fifth generation Clayton resident, died Oct. 1 at the age of 62. A descendent of the Matheson, Russelmann, Frank and Rasmussen families, Gordon was always proud of his Clayton roots. He was a walking, talking encyclopedia of Clayton’s history, and of his family and the many families that his ancestors married into. As a kid, he was always on the lookout to make a buck. (And even then he was reluctant to spend one.) He raised laying hens and sold eggs around town for 50 cents per dozen. Occasionally his mother would receive a phone call from an unhappy customer because he hadn’t “candled” the eggs and some poor cook had ruined a batch of cookies or a cake. He was also a pigeon fancier and raised exotic homing and racing birds. One Saturday when he was about 11 years old, he begged his mother to drive him to Manteca to buy a “whoopde-do” roller. She said no. He shrugged his shoulders and walked out the door. By nightfall he still hadn’t returned. Finally he arrived, with his prize in a cage in his hand. He had hitch-hiked to Manteca and back in a day to get what he wanted. That was typical
GORDON ALAN EASTON
Gordon stubbornness. His father, Martin Alan Easton, taught him a healthy respect for firearms safety, training, care and accuracy. Gordon was a lifetime member of the NRA. He also had an affinity for black Labrador retrievers. An avid reader, Gordon read about a book a day. His favorites were history and historical fiction, biographies, factual and fictional legal intrigue, and murder mysteries. As a member of Clayton Valley High School’s graduating class of 1967, he was in Auto Shop class the first year Bob Harvey taught. Gordon had
artistic skills but channeled his energy into a fascination with all things related to the internal combustion engine. It was not unusual for him and some friends to come home from school on Friday afternoons, switch an engine from one car to another and still make it in time to “cruise the Creek” or the Antioch cruise path that went around Hazel’s drive-in. On a Sunday morning, one never knew what car would be parked in the driveway; his mother would say something like, “Where is your Chevelle and what’s that Impala doing outside?” And he’d answer, “I met this guy and we traded
‘pinks’ at the car wash last night.” Gordon has a permanent “seat” at the Clayton Club where he met with his friends to play dice and share their camaraderie. He placed a high value on his friendships. As a lifelong friend, Bob Joaquin and his family occupied a special place in his heart. He and Bob could spend hours telling stories and reliving hunting trips, riding around the ranch in Gordon’s Jeep, working cattle or just enjoying each other’s company. Their bond was as close as any two brothers’. He was predeceased by his adored mother, Phyllis Frank Easton. He leaves his father, Martin Easton, sisters Janet Easton, Susan Ellison, Lois Henley and her husband, Bob; a son, Brett Alan Easton and his wife, Renee’; a grandson, Dominic Alan Easton; and cherished nieces Sandy “Smiley” Tesch Wilkins and her husband, Ryan Wilkins, and Paula “Squirt” Tesch. At his request, there will be no services and his ashes will be scattered privately at his favorite place, Mt. Diablo. A barbeque in his honor is planned for a later date at the Clayton Club Saloon. Memorial donations may be made to Live Oak Cemetery Association, 1034 Pine Hollow Court, Clayton, CA 94517, or the Clayton Historical Society, P.O. Box 94, Clayton, CA 94517.
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Be safe, not spooked this Halloween DAN LAWRENCE
FROM
THE
CHIEF
Time flies. It is already that time of year to dress up, wear a costume and be someone or something else. This year, Halloween falls on a Monday night. Halloween parties and trick-or-treating activities will be the norm, as usual. Trick-ortreating is always fun, but this activity can become dangerous because of a number of factors, such as darkness and unsafe costumes. By taking a few simple precautions, trick-or-treating can be a safe and fun practice this year. I want this month’s article to serve as a reminder about several basic safety tips that can prevent
accidents and injuries from occurring. These basic tips have been provided in past years, but are always relevant. Parents should make sure that children eat dinner before setting out. Ideally, young children of any age should be accompanied by an adult. If this cannot occur, instruct your children to travel only in familiar areas and along an established route. Make sure they have a watch that can be read in the dark, and have them carry a cell phone. Although tampering is rare, tell your children to bring the candy home to be inspected before consuming anything. Look at the wrapping carefully and toss out anything that looks suspect. Establish a return time. When Trick-or-Treaters go out, they should walk on sidewalks, if available, not on the streets. Look both ways before crossing streets, checking for cars and trucks. Carry a flashlight to
light your way. When selecting a costume, try to wear light colored or reflective costumes so you are more visible. Use or buy only fire-retardant materials for costumes. Costumes shouldn’t be so long as to create a tripping hazard. Visit homes that are familiar and well lit. Remain on the front porch to receive your treat. There should be no reason to go inside a home. Be cautious of animals and strangers. Homeowners should make sure that the front yard is clear of hazards, such as children’s toys, hoses, Halloween decorations, or flower pots that might cause young ones to trip. Change burned out light bulbs. Pets get frightened on Halloween. Protect them from cars or inadvertently biting trick-or-treaters by bringing them inside your home. When decorating your home, use safe lighting and make the path to the front door safe and well lit. Although candy is
Center
the “normal” treat that many trick-or-treaters receive, there are many healthy food alternatives for trick-or-treaters that include packages of low-fat crackers with cheese or peanut butter filling, packaged fruit rolls, mini boxes of raisins, and single-serve packets of low-fat popcorn that can be microwaved later. The Halloween holiday is a fun time and should be an enjoyable experience for everyone in the Clayton community. If you have questions about any of these common sense precautions or wish to report any suspicious activity associated with Halloween, please call the Clayton Police Department at 925-673-7350.
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
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
October 14, 2011
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It seems like today everybody is using the Internet. No matter where you go or what you do, there will always be a way to chat with your friends or post pictures and videos online. America has certainly moved into the cyber-generation, and is quickly evolving every day. Social networking is a fantastic way to be in touch with your friends and family. According to its website, Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Who can blame them? Setting up an account is easy, available to anyone with Internet access, and of course, it is free. Lately, social media sites such as Facebook are becoming popular communication tools between teachers and students. However, a bill nicknamed “The Facebook Law” was enacted in Missouri during July of this year. It inhibits teachers in Missouri from “friending” any current or former students on Facebook. The bill, because of previous
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ROBBIE PARKER
CVHS REPORTER misconduct cases, was aimed at preventing teachers and students from communicating privately. However, due to outcries from teachers and the public, the law was recently changed to narrow its restrictions. Now, the law focuses on school districts creating policies that handle teacher-student online interactions. Many school districts are currently following their lead and are starting to create their own policies. Just placing the threat of los-
ing their jobs can scare off teachers from using Facebook. Nevertheless, social networking is still a great tool for conversing, and can still be used by teachers in a positive way. The sheer numbers alone show how many are using this way of communication. Maybe some teachers find it easier use Facebook to give information to students. “Class pages,” created by teachers, can help students get more involved. Students can post questions or answers they have regarding lectures or homework. Teachers can also interact or even hold group discussions with all students who “like” the page. This connection between teachers and students can motivate and help improve learning. However, if teachers choose to use forms of media such as Facebook, they have to take into consideration the impact of what they are posting. Teachers have their personal life shared on their accounts. Images and
selective text may or may not be appropriate to share. By “friending” their teacher, a student can see anything that teacher may post online. One-on-one communication via private chat creates an opportunity for misconduct. Whether or not this topic becomes an issue in MDUSD, it all comes down to common sense and good judgment. Communication between teachers and students is vital to academic success; but there is still a line between what’s appropriate and inappropriate. Teachers are instructors and mentors, not “friends” on the Internet. The way I see it, teachers and students should keep one-on-one interaction in the classroom, and off the web. Robbie Parker is a freshman at Clayton Valley High School. Send comments to Robbie@claytonpioneer.com
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CV’s new dress code is a turn-off to students Many changes greeted students upon their return to Clayton Valley this fall, most notably, the multiple new faces in the office. Just one vice principal, Sharon Brockman – who started at CV only last year – has returned for the 2011-2012 school year. Joining the Ugly Eagles’ staff this year is Principal Sue Brothers, Vice Principals Lorne Barbosa and José Espinoza and Student Services Coordinator Nina Crossland. Improvements such as the new picnic tables in the quad and the encouragement of student feedback and commentary on struggling departments have accompanied their arrival, but only one change has caught the attention of most students: the new dress code. Clayton Valley’s policy on clothing has been historically lax; a reality students have become accustomed to. The introduction of the new, stricter code caused 450 girls, nearly a quarter of the student population, to be found in violation on the first day alone. The new code was not greeted with open arms. “Leadership
had voted on a new dress code last year and then the new administration just changed it again this year,” said Alex Tate, a senior who has already been “dress-coded” twice this year, “and they added rules that I find unreasonable.” The leadership’s dress code included rules for tube tops and other backless and strapless tops, midriff revealing tops, sagging pants, revealing garments such as “wife beater” tank tops for boys traditionally worn as underwear, sole-less footwear such as slippers and apparel that references drugs or alcohol, is demeaning, or is sexually suggestive. However, the only changes the administration has implemented are a measurement requirement for the length of shorts (must be finger length when arms are held relaxed at one’s side with finger curled) and the diligent enforcement of these new policies. Many girls complain that the restrictions are hard to accommodate while staying in style. Tate expressed a particular frustration concerning shorts, stat-
ing that most stores she frequents don’t carry lengths long enough to satisfy the new rules. Though at one point, whether because of a grudging acceptance of the new order of things or the cooling weather, the anger surrounding the new dress code and its unfamiliar enforcers appeared to have fizzled out for the most part, the rapid approach of homecoming has reignited concern amongst the student body. An online debate broke out in the senior class about whether the homecoming dance would even be worth attending with the risk of rules being enforced by the new administration as strictly as they have been at school. One female student expressed concerns about people getting kicked out or the dance getting shut down altogether, and suggested that it might be a good idea for students to find an alternative location to celebrate. While some agreed, others pointed out that for many this will be their last opportunity to attend a homecoming dance, and that assuming it will be bad and not going as a result could be a decision
TAYLOR TOVREA TEEN SPEAK you might regret for the rest of your life. Really, when it all comes down to it, they’re just clothes. You shouldn’t let restrictions to your wardrobe effect your high school experience. When we look back on our time at Clayton Valley 20 years from now we’ll probably hate what we wore anyway. Would shorts two inches shorter really make your day any better? I’d say it’s time to cut the new administration some slack; they’re only doing their jobs. Now if they ever ban sweatshirts or jeans then we have a problem. For full dress code visit Clayton Valley’s website: cvhs.mdusd.org Taylor Tovrea is a senior at Clayton Valley High School. She is a regular contributor to the Pioneer. You can Email her at taylor@ claytonpioneer.com
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Mayor, from page 1 reading already), charities and sports groups. They are the community’s Santa Claus. If you want to be a part of this amazing group go to http://claytoncbca.org and join up. We’ll keep the light on for ya! And I waited a paragraph before bringing up our crusade to convert Clayton Valley High to a charter school. But this is about our future and that of our children so I will keep pleading for your continued support. On Oct. 11, the school board will hear an update on the meet-andconfer efforts we have had with staff on the conditions they are seeking to impose on the petition. They will also, hopefully, agree to place the matter on their Oct. 25 agenda to review our submittals and unequivocally approve or deny our petition. This needs to happen by the end of October so that we will have time to plan and open for the school year 2012-13. But, there is opposition from staff and some members of the school board and we need you to rally and show up in support on both
days. Check the Clayton Valley Charter High School Facebook page for details and show up in force. In the interim, we still need you to send an email to the school board members with a copy to me indicating your support for this charter. Their emails are: gary@mdusd.net; sherry@mdusd.net; mayolk@aol.com; lynnedennler@gmail.com; cherylhansenmdusd@yahoo.co m; lawrences@mdusd.org. Please do this so the charter is approved and you can stop reading about it in this column! The FBI has completed its 2010 crime analysis for cities and Clayton came in 18th for safest cities from 10,000 to 100,000 population in California. While we were higher last year in the number of crimes, from the glass is half full perspective, Clayton solves 65 percent of violent crimes, which ranks us first among county police agencies – with second place a distant 30 percent success rate.
Speaking of crimes, why do some normally law abiding wonderful citizens lose their minds when they are smoking or walking their dogs? I am talking about those citizens that will come down for Clayton Cleans Up and spend the morning picking up trash but don’t bat an eye when they throw their used butts on the ground. I am also talking about those citizens who love to get out and enjoy our miles of gorgeous trails but don’t think twice about not picking up behind their dogs. And it shouldn’t matter whether the dog’s business is on the trail or in the grass on the side, it should all be picked up. Come on people! And before I get 500 emails from those smokers and dog-owners that do pick up, I said “some” people. Take that righteous indignation and email the school board as noted above. And my non sequitur quote for the month from Yogi Berra, “You got to be careful if you don’t know where you’re going, because you might not get there.” Contact the Mayor shuey@rankinlaw.com.
at
Crash, from page 1 He was later arrested at Safeway in the Clayton Station when he turned up drunk and disheveled, asking to use the phone. Owner of the Impala, Mark Warzecha, lives at 3090 Windmill Canyon says the impact broke the frame of the Impala and the car is totaled. Sanders was on probation for a previous DUI and was driving on a suspended license. He is charged with driving under the influence causing injury and hit and run. According to Sanders’ Facebook page, he in employed by Lunardi’s Market in Walnut Creek. He lists his interests as “whiskey, fast cars . . . and good times.”
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October 14, 2011
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com
Clayton Community Calendar PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. OCT. 19 FOR THE OCT. 28 ISSUE. ITEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO calendar@claytonpioneer.com
IN CLAYTON Oct. 15, 22, 29 Farmers Market 8 a.m.-noon Saturdays, Diablo Street between Main and Center streets, downtown. pcfma.com.
EVENTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Thru Oct. 15 “Once Upon a Time” Fantasy Forum Actors offers a tuneful combination of “Little Red Riding Hood” and Goldilocks.” Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. lesherartscenter.org, 943-SHOW. Thru Oct. 30 “Edward II” Butterfield 8 Theatre Company presents the story of a king controlled by his passions. $10-$18. 1835 Colfax St., Concord. b8company.com, 800-8383006. Thru Oct. 31 “Chess, the Musical” Willows Theatre Company offers this adventure from the composers of “Mamma Mia!” 1975 Diamond Blvd., Concord. willowstheatre.org, 7981300. Thru Nov. 13 “Little Shop of Horrors” Contra Costa Musical Theatre presents the comic story of a down and out floral assistant. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. lesherartscenter.org, 943-SHOW Oct. 15 The Voice of Africa A San Francisco-based African band, raising funds for Global Women Intact. 8 p.m. Del Valle Theatre, 1963 Tice Valley Blvd., Walnut Creek. 943-SHOW. Oct. 16 California Symphony Featuring conductor Nicholas McGegan and Beethoven’s Fifth. 4 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. 943-SHOW.
Oct. 30 Halloween Pet Costume Professional photo for pet in costume. Lots of prizes. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Rodie’s, 8863 Marsh Creek Road, Clayton. Free. 672-4600. Nov. 18-19 Diablo Ballet Featuring the company’s first world premiere by Val Caniparoli set to the music of “A Phoenix Story.” 7:30 p.m. Nov. 18. 2 and 7:30 p.m. Nov. 19. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $23-$49. lesherartscenter.org, 943-SHOW.
FUNDRAISERS Oct. 15, 16 Used Book Sale Most books $1; children’s books 50 cents. Proceeds go to Diablo View Middle School. Sat. 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sun. 12 – 4 p.m. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road.
Oct. 27-Nov. 13 “The Storytelling Ability of a Boy” Center REPertory Company presents the West Coast premiere of a turbulent, wickedly funny and tough tale of two teenagers. Strong language and situations. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $20-$30. centerrep.org, 943-SHOW. Oct. 29 Sing for the Season Initial meeting to prepare to sing with Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church for the Advent and Christmas season. No singing experience needed. All faiths welcome. 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 1601 Mary Drive, Pleasant Hill. 672-4848. Oct. 29 Contra Costa Wind Symphony “Haunted Halloween Pops.” 3 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $6-$22. Free for children in costume. lesherartscenter.org, 943-SHOW.
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Oct. 28, 29, 31 Haunted House You are invited to be scared. 7 – 9:30 p.m. Diablo View Middle School, 300 Diablo View Lane, Clayton. $5 adult; $3 child/student.
Oct. 31 Ghost Walk Bring a flashlight; costumes optional. 8 – 10 p.m. Endeavor Hall, 6008 Center St., Clayton. Free.
Oct. 25 Reading and Discussion of “Disrupted” Julie Anderson Love, Presbyterian pastor and cancer survivor, conducts reading and discussion of her memoir, “Disrupted.” 7:30 p.m. Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church, 1578 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton. Free. cvpres@sbcglobal.org or 672-4848.
Your
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Oct. 28 Fall Festival Carnival games, booths, basket raffle and book fair. Non-scary costumes welcome. 4 – 7 p.m. Highlands Elementary, 1326 Pennsylvania Blvd., Concord.
Oct. 21-Nov. 19 “Weekend with Pablo Picasso” Center REPertory Company’s Bay Area premiere of the story of the most prolific and influential artist of the 20th century. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $38-$43. centerrep.org, 943-SHOW.
Oct. 22 Explore Our Galaxy Astronomy program through Mt. Diablo Astronomical Society. Weather dependent. Bring kids, binoculars, warm clothes, snacks, water. 6 p.m. Enter park at least 45 minutes earlier. Northgate entrance. Program free; $10 park entrance fee. mdas.net or 837-2525.
Let Us
Oct. 22 Light the Night Walk Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. 7 p.m. Civic Park, 1375 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek. lightthenight.org/sf or 877-LTN.WALK.
Oct. 29 Rotary Goes Hollywood Clayton Valley Sunrise Rotary dinner, dance and auction. Costumes encouraged. 5-10 p.m. Centre Concord, 5294 Clayton Road, Concord. $50. rotaryauction@gmail.com, 566-8166.
Oct. 23 Murder Mystery Dinner Sponsored by the Clayton Valley Woman’s Club. Featuring Clayton Mayor Dave Shuey and Vice Mayor Howard Geller, Concord Mayor Laura Hoffmeister, Clayton Chief Dan Lawrence, real estate agent Lynne French, Chris “Mac” McCormick of Ed’s and Moresi’s Chophouse and Rocco Biale of Rocco’s. 4 p.m. Boundary Oak, 3800 Valley Vista Road, Walnut Creek. $45. RSVP by Oct. 4 to Aleta at 672-9448.
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Oct. 19 CVHS/Panda Express Bring in a flier from claytonbands.org and Panda Express will donate 20 percent of the purchase to the Clayton Valley High School Music Boosters. 39:30 p.m. 2280 Oak Grove Road, Walnut Creek.
Oct. 21-Nov. 5 “Things You Shouldn’t Say Past Midnight” Diablo Actors Ensemble showcases this racy, screwball bedroom comedy. 1345 Locust St., Walnut Creek. diabloactors.com.
Oct. 22 Willows Youth Conservatory Meet and greet. Hear about youth education programs. Open to all students interested in the performing arts. 5:30 p.m. Willows Theatre, 1975 Diamond Blvd., Concord. 798-1300.
Page 9
You don’t need an appointment. A notary is on staff when the store is open Store Hours Mon - Fri 8 am - 7 pm Sat 9 am - 5 pm
AT THE LIBRARY The Clayton Library is at 6125 Clayton Road. Programs are free unless otherwise noted. 673-0659 or claytonlibrary.org. Wednesdays Book Buddies A volunteer will read stories for children of all ages. 1-2 p.m.
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Tuesdays through Nov. 29 Patty Cakes Story time for babies to 3-year-olds. 11 a.m. Thursdays through Nov. 17 Picture Book Time Story time for ages 3-5. 11 a.m. Oct. 14-16 Fall Book Sale Sponsored by the Clayton Community Library Foundation. Member preview 4-7 p.m. Oct. 14; memberships available at the door. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. Noon-4 p.m. Sunday. 672-3672.
Acknowledging your story is the purpose of our story. Since 1973, The Neptune Society of Northern California has honored cremation wishes and celebrated life stories.
Oct. 17 thru Nov. 17 Clayton Reads Fourth annual Clayton Reads featuring “Baking Cakes in Kigali” by Gaile Parkin. Free copies at library while they last. Oct. 18, 25, Nov. 1, 8, 15 Paws to Read Encourage students to read through reading aloud to a dog. Registration required. Maximum three sessions. Grades 1-5. 4 p.m.
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Oct. 24 An Exploration of Rwanda Presented by Saint Mary’s College professors Jennifer M. Pigza and Jim Losi and two assisting students. 5:30 p.m.
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Oct. 26 African Tales For the whole family with renowned storyteller Yolanda Rhodes. 7 p.m.
GOVERNMENT
1855 Olympic Blvd., Ste. 110, Walnut Creek, CA 94596 (925) 944-5100
1st and 3rd Tuesdays Clayton City Council 7 p.m. Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304 or ci.clayton.ca.us. 2nd and 4th Tuesdays Clayton Planning Commission 7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304 or ci.clayton.ca.us.
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PROMISING ALZHEIMER’S STUDY A new animal study from Japan suggests that vitamin D may be a defense against Alzheimer’s disease by removing amyloid beta, a toxic, protein-like compound that builds up in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. Even more amazing, the lab animals that received vitamin D in the Japanese study were able to remove a significant amount of amyloid beta literally overnight. It seems the vitamin may somehow regulate production of transporter proteins that ferry the across the blood-brain barrier and out of the brain. Pretty exciting stuff. D-BUG THE FLU Getting plenty of this vitamin may make venturing out of your house a little less scary this flu season. In a study done during flu season, people who had higher blood levels of vitamin D were half as likely to get hit with the bug – or any other viral infection of the respiratory tract, for that
matter. Not only were the D lovers in the study less likely to get sick compared with people who had lower D levels, but the high-D group also tended to be out of commission for fewer days when they did get hit. Researchers aren’t totally sure why D helps, but it could be that the nutrient’s inflammation-suppressing powers help reduce the severity of infections Many grown-ups lack vitamin D – especially in the winter months. Are you ready to make sure you get your fill? Try these strategies: Go fishing. Canned salmon supplies a whopping 530 international units (IU) of vitamin D for each 3-ounce serving. Or open the canned tuna for 360 IU of vitamin D from a 3-ounce serving. Seek fortification. Grab the orange juice that’s been fortified with vitamin D and you’ll add an additional 100 IU of the sunshine vitamin to your day with each cup you drink. Crack an egg. If you like scrambled eggs, you’ll garner 20–26 IU of vitamin D per large egg.
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LIVE HEALTHY Eat right, quit smoking, limit alcohol and get plenty of exercise. No mystery here, but critically important to your overall health and can significantly reduce your risk. Despite a healthy lifestyle, if you have a family history of breast cancer, that adds to your risk. So, it’s crucial to know if any of your close relatives have had the disease. Know the warning signs. Learn how to do a breast self-exam and do it at the same time every month, starting in your 20s. Have a mammogram every year after you turn 40.
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Removing temptation does make a difference. Recognize negative thinking patterns. There are a million varieties, but they all come down to the same issue: not existing in the here and now. Remember that anything you do happens one step at a time, starting today. Aim for 4 slip-free weeks. Once you’ve established a pattern, you can slip now and then and it won’t affect your overall success or motivation. But earlier slips interfere with forming a new habit. So for the first month, try extra hard to stick to your goals. If necessary, remind yourself that you will be allowed to deviate eventually. Sticking to something with no slips for 4 weeks is doable; doing it for life with no slips isn’t.
RUN, WALK OR SEND MONEY Great work has been done to improve the treatment of breast cancer and researchers are working tirelessly towards a cure. In order to continue their intensive and innovative research, they need the support of organizations, such as The American Cancer Society. The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) and the Susan G. Komen Foundation to help fund their work To learn more about breast cancer, go to the American Cancer Society website, www. cancer.org.
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MAGIC NUMBER In the recent study, otherwise healthy people who dropped from walking 10,000 steps to about 1,000 steps daily had higher insulin resistance and weaker cardiovascular fitness after just 2 weeks of cutting back. Basically, in just 14 days of fewer steps, their hearts started to process oxygen less efficiently, and their blood couldn’t break down sugars as well. Pretty rapid decline! START COUNTING So 10,000 steps a day might seem like a lot, but don’t worry: Every step counts. Walking around the yard, heading to the post office, or dropping in on a neighbor – it all adds up. Make your goal doable. If you stick a 3-year-old on a two-wheeler and tell him to ride, he’s going to fall off and refuse to get back on for a long time. Make your immediate goal something you know you can do – if it’s just a 10-minute walk, fine Get in your face. The best way to do something regularly is to have constant reminders to do it. Have walking shoes at home and at work. Put a chart on your fridge. Keep your goal in sight. Put it in writing. You can have the best intentions in the world, but a funny thing happens as time passes. You don’t want to walk one morning, and then at the end of that week, you’ve walked five times instead of six or seven, and you tell yourself that’s still pretty good. Soon, three times a week is still pretty good, and you don’t remember your goal of at least five walks a week. That’s why it’s vital to write down your goals. Avoid temptation. Whatever your guiltiest habit is, get everything related to it as far from yourself as possible.
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
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Worms can be your dog’s worst friend Many tiny creatures set up shop in your pet’s intestines Along with the Halloween aberrations out this month the creatures that live in our pet’s intestines are horrifying. These grotesque parasitic worms and singled-celled organisms drain the body of valuable nutrition by causing diarrhea, weight loss and intestinal bleeding. Some of these parasites can even invade the human body. Puppies and kittens have the highest rate of these invaders with outdoor animals and hunters following close behind. The ascarid worms include roundworms, hookworms and whipworms. Roundworms are transmitted through the placenta, mother’s milk and feces. After fecal ingestion, the eggs hatch in the small intestines, the larvae burrow through the walls, migrate to the lungs then are coughed up and swallowed, completing their journey by attaching to the wall of the small intestine. This gruesome process, called Visceral Larval Migrans, can occur in people too. In humans the larvae can create muscle pain, blindness and neurological problems. Hookworms cause Cutaneous Migrans. After the eggs are excreted in feces they hatch in a moist environment such as your lawn. The microscopic larvae then burrow into the skin of animal paws and human feet and travel through tissue to their final intestinal destination. Whipworms live in the recesses of the colon and are hard to treat. There are many treatments from liquids to powders. The Center for Disease Control reports a 14 percent incidence of human ascarids. To prevent disease in pets and people, the CDC recommends monthly strategic deworming. These monthly tablets for dogs or spot-ons for cats also prevent
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PET PALS the cardiac cousin, heartworm. Singled-celled organisms include giardia, tritichomonas, coccidia, toxoplasmosis and cryptosporidium. There are many species of giardia affecting humans, horses, cattle, cats and dogs. Scientists presently think that cat/dog species are not infectious to humans. The trophozoite, the live form, lives in the small intestines causing watery diarrhea. These trophozoites appear as slow moving “big-eyed tear drops with tails” on microscopic exam. Transmission is through water contamination. Powders and pills will treat. A close relation to giardia is
Tritrichomonas foetus. The fast moving Tritrich lives in the feline large intestine causing colitis symptoms of soft stool with blood stained mucous. Cats become infected in the litter box after stepping in feces then licking their paws. The round coccidia oocyst damages the small intestinal lining causing watery diarrhea, often bloody. These oocysts are easily seen on routine fecal tests. The common dog/cat species, Isopora, is not transferred to humans, but the smaller species, toxoplasmosis and cryptosporidium, are. Pregnant women are warned to avoid contact to feline feces because toxo can cause birth defects. But by wearing gloves while gardening and having another family member change the litter box you can live safely with your cat. Cryptosporidium is a hearty protozoan. The healthy animal or human with a good immune system will fight off this infection. But if immune suppressed individuals drink contaminated water they will develop watery bloody diarrhea, which may cause death.
Box and Otter are ARF’s Adoption Stars
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Meet your forever friend at Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation, 2890 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, during adoption hours: Noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday, 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The primary caretaker must be present to adopt. ARF also encourages kids 16 and younger and canine family members (dog adoptions only) to be present during the adoption process. Would you like to be part of the heroic team that saves the lives of rescued dogs and cats? Can you share your talents to connect people and animals? ARF volunteers are making a difference! For more information see our website, www.arf.net, or call 925.256.1ARF.
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There are many tests to identify these monsters. Check with your veterinarian if you suspect your dog or cat may be infected. Here are some helpful websites for more information: Companion Animal Parasite Counsel (www.capcvet.org); Tritrichomonas: (www.cvm.ncsu.edu/docs/personnel/ gookin_jody). Marybeth Rymer, DVM, can be reached at Monte Vista Animal Hospital, Concord. 672-1100.
5k Run, from page 1 run and walk event really relate more to raising funds and public awareness for the ongoing effort to maintain athletics for the boys and girls in MDUSD. Towards that end UMDAF added features to this year’s event. “For the first time we had 14 vendors displaying their businesses and organizations,” event co-chair Marci Finley explained. She and her cochair Linda Flower were nervous about the turnout as only 900 participants had registered as of Saturday night before the event. “We had a 50% increase of registrations the morning of the event,” Finley said in a relieved voice afterwards as she announced over 1350 took part, slightly down from last year’s total. She was grateful for the volunteers from the six schools, Diablo Futbol Club and other groups who helped out, starting setting up in the dark at 6 a.m. There were also three dozen sponsors including long-time foundation supporters Conco Companies and Mike’s Auto Body along with new major sponsor SunPower Solar. The event is much more than a run as the six high schools were represented with cheer squads, school mascots, parents, teachers, coaches and young athletes, many wearing their uniform jerseys or team t-shirts. Clayton Valley, College Park, Concord, Mt. Diablo, Northgate and Ygnacio Valley teams have been relying on UMDAF to raise much of the $1.2 million needed annually to keep sports going since MDUSD cut off funding before the 20092010 school year. The 5K Run was followed later in the morning as the early fog burned off by the always popular 5K Fun Run/Walk and then the kiddie run. Clayton Vice Mayor Howard Geller and Concord Mayor Laura Hoffmeister fired the starting gun with UMDAF President Pat Middendorf, Concord Vice Mayor Ron Leone and Councilman Bill Shinn looking on.
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com
Club News
Opportunity is Knocking on Your Door!
CBCA moves to finish Daffodil Hill Project GARY CARR Special to the Pioneer
Group also steers holiday funds to needy After throwing another successful Oktoberfest, the Clayton Business and Community Association took a deep breath and got on with more business at its Sept. 29 meeting at Oakhurst Country Club. The Daffodil Hill landscaping project at the corner of Marsh Creek and Clayton Roads is moving forward, with CBCA prepared to spend an additional sum on the final planning, grading and planting phase, according to president Ed Hartley. Scheduled for the October meeting is a vote on a “not to exceed” figure, which the membership must approve because of the size of the expenditure. One member of the Hill committee speculates that the cost of the final step could be in the range of $15,000 to $20,000 – all of it coming from CBCA, and not from the city of Clayton. “That’s why we pray for a successful Oktoberfest,” quipped another member, referring to the previous weekend’s fundraiser. In order to help defray part of the cost of finishing the Daffodil Hill project, one suggestion was selling one or both of the antique tractors that CBCA purchased to display in celebration of Clayton’s agricultural heritage. The tractors, to be sure, are a hot-button item for those on either side of the issue of what constitutes appropriate “public art.” Howard Geller, chair of the concert committee, reported that the Summer Saturday Concert Series was successful in raising more than $14,000 in donations simply by passing the plastic water jugs for audience members to drop their coins in. Much of this money will go to help seed next
year’s concerts, Geller said, and he praised the generosity of the concertgoers. The bulk of the funding comes from a city grant and CBCA. Geller also said that a subcommittee is looking into a second concert series to be held on five Wednesdays during the summer, pending agreement by downtown merchants and the city. Less controversial than tractors was the report that CBCA would expend funds to upgrade the doors on the downtown storage shed, located behind the Museum. The shed houses equipment the association uses for fundraising events. At the meeting, the group voted to donate $4,000 to Christmas For Everyone, a nonprofit volunteer organization serving people in need during the Christmas season in Contra Costa County. Hundreds of CFE volunteers collect and organize clothing and toys to be given away, obtain food, and prepare meals, including a traditional Christmas dinner at a local church. CFE volunteers pro-
Page 13
vide free transportation to the dinner and deliver food and gifts to the homebound. Nominations for next year’s slate of CBCA officers were presented by John C. Rubiales, chair of the nominating committee. Rubiales also took nominations from the floor. Voting will take place at the Oct. 27 meeting. Nominees are: President Keith Haydon (unopposed); Treasurer - John Garrett and Cecilia Hartley; Secretary - Gitty Hatanbiki (unopposed ); 1st Vice President, Programs – Cindy Bonner, David Johnson, Jennifer Giantvalley; 2nd Vice President, Membership – Marcy Busse, Jim Diaz, Sandy Johnson.
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The topic is “The Responsibility of the Catholic Citizen in a Free Society. Cash awards at the state and international levels. The Knights of Columbus, Concord Council Regional Essay Competition is open to all Catholic students in grades 4-7. The topic is “Ways I Share My Time, Talents and Treasures at Home, School and in My Church Community.”
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Real Estate, from page 6 Q. My house just sold. Hurray! It will close in 45 days. I am leaving the state. What are some tips for getting ready for the move? A. Congratulations on the sale! Here is a list of tips that I hope will help you. 1. Interview three moving companies. On an interstate move the charges are by weight and mileage. Compare prices, of course, but also quality. Get referrals from your Realtor and friends. The mover should visit your home in person and give you a written estimate. 2. If possible be flexible in your timing. Certain times of the year and days of the week are more expensive. Summer weekends are the most expen-
sive. If your delivery date is flexible and you don’t have enough stuff to fill a moving van, consider sharing the truck with another homeowner’s load. Consolidation can be cheaper. 3. Begin to de-clutter immediately. Taking less stuff is cheaper than taking more, obviously. Make piles in a designated area for items to recycle, donate, throw away, sell, etc. 4. Check your insurance coverage. Are your items covered while in transit? If not you should get more than the basic free coverage that the moving company provides. You don’t necessarily have to buy it from the moving company. This coverage is probably cheaper from your insurance company. Often
boxes you packed yourself aren’t insured for breakage. 5. Find used boxes and packing materials. Movers sell used boxes and sometimes friends have them. Use pillows and towels to wrap fragile belongings. Fill suitcases and laundry baskets with unbreakable items. 6. If you have large collections of books you might save money by mailing them. 7. A guide for tipping the movers is $5 per mover per hour. Send your question & look for your answer in a future column. Email: Lynne@LynneFrench.com. Lynne French is the Broker/Owner of Windermere Lynne French & Associates and a Clayton resident. For any real estate needs or questions contact her at 925-672-878 7 or stop in at 6200 Center Street, Suite E, in Clayton.
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
October 14, 2011
Clayton Sports CVHS girls volleyball busy right up to playoffs JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
inexperienced but are working hard to get better every day in every practice,” new coach Dave
The players on the Clayton Valley High School girls varsity volleyball team say “Coach Hobson” when they address their coach, just like they’ve done for five years. Yet Dave Hobson is a first-year head coach moving up from the junior varsity. It just so happens he replaced his wife and fellow Eagles alumnus Lisa Hobson, who stepped down after four years at the helm. The Eagles lost their head coach and six players from last year’s squad as All-DVAL honorees Camille Condit, Marissa Hobson (the coaches’ daughter), Amber Minor and Kristin Hardesty along with fellow starters Sierra Andrus and Kristina Duncan all graduated. That squad qualified for the North Coast Section Tournament for the first time since the 2006 Eagles. “We are trying to make NCS this season. Last year’s team made it and we’re working hard to reach our goal. We are very
Hobson says. Hobson is in his fifth year with the CVHS volleyball program and his team is
halfway through the league schedule as it continues with Diablo Valley Athletic League
matches through Nov. 3, driving to gain a NCS berth for the tournament that begins Nov. 9.
Photo by Mike Dunn
SENIORS MUST CARRY THE EXPERIENCE AND LEADERSHIP LOAD for the Clayton Valley High volleyball team as they enter the second half of the DVAL season in the coming weeks seeking a North Coast Section berth. The Eagle seniors include, from left, Emily Ly, Katrina Buhagiar, Christa Rohrbach, Andi Lineweaver, Victoria Darrow and Natalie Buhagiar.
Senior outside hitters Andi Lineweaver, Christa Rohrbach and Katrina Buhagiar and classmates middle blocker Vicky Darrow and setter Emily Ly provide experience and leadership. Sophomore Kayla Taylor and junior Lauren McCarthy also return. Top newcomers to the squad are Megan Elms, Hannah Gleeson, Jordan Bluth and Natalie Buhagiar. Also contributing to the Eagles fortunes are Cat Buenrostro, Megan Sarkissian, Sydney Runyon, Julie Barker and Ariana Bermudez. Hobson sees Northgate and Berean Christian as the top contenders for DVAL supremacy this season with Clayton Valley “working to lead the next tier of teams. We are pretty inexperienced, but this team has great heart and is very scrappy. Things are looking good.” All of his assistant coaches are also graduates of CVHS. Thuan Nguyen and Josh Armstrong assist on varsity and coach the JV team and Lucas Nakamura handles the frosh squad.
Strong non-league results prep Eagles for DVAL football schedule no picnic as coach Herc Pardi says the Eagles drew the top three teams in the league right out of the gate in rapid fire succession this month. The Eagles match up at Diablo Valley College this Friday against College Park before hosting local rivals Concord High in the CVHS Homecoming Game next week on Oct. 21 and then
JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
Clayton Valley High School’s freshman, junior varsity and varsity football teams all came through their non-league schedules with 4-1 records and are ready to go in Diablo Valley Athletic League play starting this week. And entering the DVAL is
traveling to play Northgate under the lights in Walnut Creek for the first time ever Oct. 28. Clayton Valley had its only bye in the schedule last week. “Our mid-season goal is to get healthy!” Pardi said as his team tried to get practice in during the season’s first extended rains. Starting quarterback Mateo Gomez and defensive lineman Brendon Steely have
been out since the Antioch game in early September and were on the mend along with sophomore Justin Rogers and guard Saldy Santos who were felled in the final pre-season game. Pardi also mentioned many other players had smaller nicks and bruises that got to heal up without a game. College Park didn’t have a winning non-league record but
figure to challenge for league honors after reaching the Division I North Coast Section quarterfinals in 2010. The game with Concord will be another traditional battle as the defending NCS Division II champion Minutemen have changed from a pass-happy offense a year ago to a running attack led by junior Olito
Thompson who rushed for over 1000 yards in the first five games while scoring 11 touchdowns. The homecoming game starts at 7 p.m. in Gonsalves Stadium. The Eagles are seeking another NCS playoff berth just as they’ve done in seven of the past eight seasons including as finalists in 2008 and 2003.
Local youth soccer teams win fall tournaments same weekend the MDSA Rush boys had to go past overtime to win a penalty kick shootout for the U10 championship. In the preliminary rounds of the Fowler Tournament in Concord, the Strikers defeated Castro Valley 3-0 and Sunnyvale 1-0. “The team came together nicely and played strong. We were worried about the girls being tired and they proved us wrong with high-intensity performances,” coaches Bassam Altwal and Bob Stuart said. The Strikers also took third in the Soccer by the Bay Tournament in August with a shootout win in the consolation final. Diablo FC 99 Black Jabulani defeated Piedmont Highlanders 4-0 and ACC Black Mambas 5-0
JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
Fall soccer not only means league games galore but also one weekend a month for tournament play. Teams from Diablo Futbol Club and Mt. Diablo Soccer took advantage of the September break from league play to earn medals at tournaments in Concord and Castro Valley. The 15th annual Bob Fowler Memorial Tournament found a pair of local teams, under 17 girls MDSA United FC and U12 girls Diablo FC 99 Black, grab championships. The U12 girls championship game came down to a battle between two local teams with Diablo FC 99 Black edging MDSA Strikers 2-0 in overtime. Venturing to the Castro Valley Footie Fest the
See Soccer, page 15
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com
Page 15
Clayton Sports
Name: Casey Adams Age: 16 Team: CVHS Water Polo Sports: Water Polo, Soccer ular at NCS with appearances every year since 2007 and coach Dennis Bledsoe always aims for his team to improve during the season culminating with the DVAL tournament at the end October and NCS
Sports Shorts MT. DIABLO WORLD CUP SOCCER KICKS OFF THIS WEEKEND The third annual Mt. Diablo World Cup kicks off this weekend and continues through the end of October. All under 10, 12 and 14 girls and boys teams participating in Mt. Diablo Soccer AYSO fall program take part in the Cup. Each team randomly drew a country name and will represent that country throughout the World Cup. Previous to the fall 2009 inaugural Cup only the top teams in each age group were allowed to compete in the MDSA playoffs. Games will be held throughout Clayton and Concord. To follow the Cup visit mdsoccer.org. HALLOWEEN KICK OR TREAT CLASSIC HAS RECORD FIELD OF TEAMS
Over 100 teams have been accepted to the 13th annual Halloween Kick or Treat Classic hosted by Diablo FC Oct. 29-30 in Concord. Boys and girls under 9, 10 and 11 teams will be playing soccer for two days and also participating in the annual Halloween Costume Contest which brings out some very creative and scary looks. For more information visit diablofc.org. CLAYTON GYM WINTER YOUTH BASKETBALL, VOLLEYBALL SIGN-UPS All Out Sports League is still taking sign-ups for winter basketball and volleyball at Clayton Community Gym. The basketball pro-
Soccer, from page 14 finals without giving up a goal. Many of the girls from the local teams have played on different teams together and they were hoping to meet in the U12 finale. It was a hard-fought game with play going from end to end. Both teams had some great chances to score but the defenses held tough. Neither team was able to score during regulation action. Jabulani took the lead in the first overtime when Brianna Simeone found the mark after receiving a pass in front of goal and hitting a solid shot. Kaitlyn Linzey added a goal on a shot from the edge of the penalty box in the second overtime for the 2-0 final score
playoffs next month. Adams was All-DVAL and second team All-NCS as a sophomore (she was also CVHS Most Inspirational player the past two seasons) and is one of the players filling the void left by
Do you know a young athlete who should be recognized? Perhaps he or she has shown exceptional sportsmanship, remarkable improvement or great heart for the sport. Send your nomination for the Rocco’s Pioneer Athlete Spotlight today to sports@claytonpioneer.com.
gram includes Friday practices and Saturday games. League games are Dec. 3 through Feb. 11 with a two-week break during the holidays. The non-competitive volleyball program includes stretching, training and games with everyone playing. The seven-week season runs Dec. 3 through Jan. 28. The summer and fall programs sold out so signup now by visiting alloutsportsleague-clayton.com for more details. DIABLO FC U8 ACADEMY WINTER SOCCER PROGRAM COMING The 11th annual Diablo FC Winter Soccer Academy is now accepting registrations. The program for boys and girls 5-12 years of age is held Jan. 6-Feb. 16 on Mondays and Thursdays from 5-6 p.m. at Willow Pass Park in Concord. Camp Director Brian Voltattorni says the Academy is a developmental soccer program that teaches basic dribbling, juggling, passing and shooting skills to players of all ability levels from novice to players on competitive teams. For complete details and to register visit diablofc.org. LOCAL GIRLS TRAVELING VOLLEYBALL TEAM FORMING The Blaze girls traveling volleyball team is taking registrations for tryouts for its 2012 season. Girls 11 to 18 years old are invited to tryout on Sunday, Nov. 13, at Clayton Community Gym. Tryouts are $20 per player and open to anyone. The team is sponsored by All Out Sports League and will practice at the Clayton gym on Sunday mornings. The team coached by Shauna Reed will play in tournaments throughout Northern California and Nevada. For tryout and team information contact coach Reed at shauna@reedbsi.com or visit alloutsportsleague-clayton.com.
to Jabulani. MDSA United FC won Concord Cup in the spring and, despite being shorthanded during part of the weekend due to injuries, were able to come together to win the Bob Fowler Classic. Coach JC Araujo credited outstanding performances by goalkeeper Emily Lucot and defenders Ashley Osborne, Stephanie Semple, McKenna DeLong and Kenzie Nortune as the main contributing factor in United only allowing three goals in four games. Nicole Merrit, Amanda Gomez, Megan Elms and Serena Soltero shared in the scoring as MDSA United FC drew 2-2 with Sierra Alliance, defeated Pleasanton Rage White 3-0, East Diablo Arsenal 1-0
and then in the finals beat Sierra Alliance 3-1 in a rematch of their opening-round game. MDSA Rush U10 boys coached by Troy Amerine competed in the Castro Valley Footie Fest as the only AYSO Elite team in their bracket yet came away with the championship. Rush won three straight games to get into the finals—- 4-1 over Benicia Arsenal, 2-0 vs. Alameda Islanders and 3-1 against East Bay United Bay Oaks Sting Gold. The championship game was against the Fresno Diablos and it ended 1-1 after overtime. With a gamewinning penalty kick goal by Gabriel Espinal, MDSA Rush took the championship medal in Castro Valley.
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in Saturday’s preliminary rounds. “Defense has always been a strength of this team, but the midfield and offense are really coming around with some great passing and ball control,” said coach Chris Linzey. “It feels good when we play as a team,” added assistant coach Rama Kampel. This was Jabulani’s fifth tournament of the season including a runner-up finish at Soccer by the Bay and two fourth-place finishes to go with the Fowler championship. The Strikers defeated Piedmont and Diablo FC blanked Sunnyvale Xtreme in the semi-finals by identical 2-0 scores and each arrived at the
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graduated DVAL MVP Allyson Hansen, who is at UC Davis. Adams plays club water polo for 680 and also is on varsity soccer for the league champion Eagles. Not one to let down in the classroom, Adams carries a 4.0 grade point average and has been a member of California Scholarship Federation dating back to middle school. The Clayton Pioneer congratulates Casey Adams and rewards her achievement with a gift certificate to Rocco’s Ristorante & Pizzeria.
Athlete
Junior captain Casey Adams is a starter on varsity water polo for the third year hoping to help the Clayton Valley High girls back to the North Coast Section playoffs. The Eagles have become a reg-
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With a veteran varsity squad filled with returning players, Clayton Valley High girls tennis coach Rick Ortega expected that his team would have about a .500 record, winning as many matches as it lost. “That was our expectation but certainly not our aspiration,” Ortega says. Having won six of nine Diablo Valley Athletic League matches through last week it appears the Eagles are achieving their aspirations and headed for a winning season. Senior Natalia Solano-Rojas is playing number one singles and sophomore Chloe Kim is at No. 2 and they’ve been leading the way this year. Berean Christian and Northgate are the teams vying for the top spot in league standings and an automatic berth for the Nov. 8-12 North Coast Section tournament. The league leaders are the only schools to best the Eagles in DVAL matches. CVHS concludes league play with a pair of matches next week and then readies for the DVAL Tournament Oct. 24, 26 and 27. Ortega is in his second year as head girls coach after serving on the staff since 2006. Last year he said he had to move some players up to varsity before they had the necessary experience but he is working to establish a “successful, hard-working program” where there will be a natural progression from junior varsity to varsity. He is assisted by Mike Katches and recent CVHS alum Marc Albano, who also helped out last spring with the boys team that Ortega coaches. The staff has a varsity lineup filled with returning players but missing three graduates from the 2010 team including All-DVAL first team Tatiana
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SENIOR NATALIA SOLANO-ROJAS of Clayton is playing No. 1 singles for the CVHS tennis team this fall. She split a pair of matches last week as the Eagles won two DVAL matches as they get ready for the league tournament Oct. 24, 26 and 27.
Guzman, who is now at Saint Mary’s College, as well as Janelle Partida and Hayley Atwood, who are both at DVC. Partida was second-team AllDVAL a year ago. Filling singles spots for the Eagles behind Solano-Rojas and Kim are twins Olga and Xenia Ivanova, Erica Ploetz and Sarah Orr. Playing on the top doubles team is Madison Daniel and Michelle Howard. Also playing doubles are Rose Peterson, Andrea Partida, Preet Nijjar and Ilyse Fuller.
Another NCS Tournament bid goal for both Clayton Valley water polo teams JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
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Clayton Valley High School water polo has a rich tradition and this fall’s teams are looking to continue that trend as the boys and girls have set reaching the North Coast Section Tournament as their goal. This weekend each team is competing in an invitational tournament to gain experience against top teams and prepare for the season-ending league and section tournaments. Coach Dennis Bledsoe’s girls were NCS quarterfinalists a year ago and hope to make their fifth straight trip to the Section competition next month, even without graduated superstar Allyson Hansen. The boys have missed out on NCS only once in the past eight years and second-year coach Craig Johnson wants to make that one in nine this fall although his task is made tougher after his league champs lost seven players to graduation including standouts Kenny Johnson, Derek Anderson and
Kevin Adams, who all earned post-season laurels. Johnson has another strong core of seniors to lead the charge to a repeat DVAL crown with Cristo Lopez, Dalton Klock, McKay Blatter, Tommy Butler, Troy Lakin and goalie Taylor Wingard along with sophomore standout Jack Brown. Juniors Aaron Colimlim and Jared Deely plus sophomores Kenny Cuneo, Grant Meylan and Jordan Tate round out the varsity squad. The Eagles are in the Amador Tournament this Saturday and wrap up DVAL action next Wednesday at College Park. The DVAL tournament will also be at College Park on Oct. 25 and 27 with the finals at Concord Community Pool on Saturday, Oct. 29. NCS is Nov. 512. For the CVHS girls the team has had to adjust to life without the record-setting Hansen, who is now on scholarship at UC Davis. Senior Cheyenne Colomb and juniors Casey Adams and Taylor Ryle are returning AllDVAL players filling the void for
the Eagles. Sara Abele, Kimmi Anderson, Sara Johnson, Aqieda Bayat, Maggie Dombrowski, Shelby Jennings, Michelle Lutz and Julia Silverberg lend varsity experience while top newcomers to the varsity are Julia Arteaga, Bailey Rogers, Jackie Svoboda and Noel Creamer. Coach Bledsoe began coaching at Clayton Valley in 1966 and has continued for the past dozen seasons since retiring as a teacher in 1999. His junior varsity coach is Kelly Cadwaller who played at Ohio State. Bledsoe is looking for steady improvement through the league and tournament schedule so that “we can do well in the NCS.” The Eagles lost last week to Northgate in what figures to be the key league match. They are entered in the Western States Tournament in Modesto this Friday and Saturday, a key tune-up for the DVAL Tournament Oct. 25-29 and then NCS which starts Nov. 5.
The fourth annual Clayton Reads program takes place from Oct. 17 – Nov. 17 as city readers will take on “Baking Cakes in Kigali” by Gaile Parkin. This Clayton Community Library event is part of the Contra Costa Libraries “One City, One Book” program, which encourages everyone in a community to focus on one book with reading, discussions and presentations. The novel takes place in Rwanda some years after the 1994 genocide. It features Tanzanian Angel Tungaraza, who runs a cake baking business. Her customers come from a variety of backgrounds including genocide survivors, mentally ill former child soldiers, embassy officials and white volunteers. Angel listens to everyone, providing hope and help. Parkin, the author, was born and raised in Zambia. She has lived and worked in many different parts of Africa, and spent two years as a volunteer in Rwanda, teaching at the university and counseling survivors of the genocide. Beginning Oct. 17 and continuing while supply lasts, readers can pick up a free copy of the book at the library. The Clayton Community Library Foundation, which sponsors the event, only asks that readers pass the book along to another reader when finished. Library staff has planned related programs, including a presentation from Saint Mary’s College called “Rwanda: an African Storytelling Family Program, as well as documentaries and book discussions. The free programs are listed in the At the Library section in the Community Calendar of the Clayton Pioneer (page 9) and in a flyer available at the library. Karen Hansen is the librarian at the Clayton Library.
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Theatre
Love and Cold War intrigue over a chess board LOU FANCHER Clayton Pioneer
Take the Cold War, world class chess champions, the music of ABBA, a plot that’s part political contest, part love story, a six-piece band, 20-plus cast members and Grammy Award winning Tim Rice, and what do you get? If you are the Willows Theatre Company, the answer is “Chess: The Musical.” The production, composed by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, arrived on the Concord mainstage bearing a history of bumps and bruises, but adorned with what Executive Director David Faustina calls “a breath of fresh air.” He and Artistic Director Eric Inman believe the complexity and integrity of the show will find new life through a strong cast and technical innovation. “It’s a musical that needs to be genuine in nature, with our real stamp on it,” Faustina said. The “stamp” meant redesigning and pushing the playing space of the stage three additional feet, putting the orchestra on risers to achieve full sound, and using projections to convey the 27 locations written into the script. “We have a screen built into
David Mamet pushes buttons with ‘Race’ at A.C.T. A.C.T.’s 2011–12 season continues with the West Coast premiere of David Mamet’s sly and searing comedy “Race,” directed by Irene Lewis. A hilarious, biting, and unsettling legal thriller that played to captivated audiences on Broadway, “Race” boldly confronts some of the most incendiary issues of our time, including sex, race, and power. When Charles, a white executive, is accused of sexually assaulting a black woman in a hotel room, he seeks representation from a top-drawer firm. His arrival triggers an explosive conversation between the two partners: Jack, who is white, and Henry, who is black. Susan, the young black associate newly hired at the firm, lingers on the sidelines, patiently waiting for her moment to arrive. The issue of guilt or innocence is just one of the treacherous topics up for debate in this enthralling web of tangled sexual and racial politics. Hailed as “the greatest American playwright of his generation” by the “New York Times,” Mamet is one of the most prolific and controversial voices writing in the theater today. “As with all of Mamet’s work, “Race” gives four actors a feast of verbal sparring and coded innuendo that only this particular writer could achieve,” says A.C.T. Artistic Director Carey Perloff. “This play packs an incredible punch, and I can’t wait to add it to the pantheon of great Mamet that A.C.T. has produced over the past decade.” “Race” plays at the American Conservatory Theater Oct. 21–Nov.13. Tickets, starting at $10, are available at (415) 749-2228 or www.act-sf.org.
the set design to help tell the story,” Inman explained. “There are beautiful collages of imagery that will take you from the 1956 HungarianBudapest riots up to 1984 in Italy.” The plot, which involves a thick web of lies and espionage wrapped up in a romance, tells the story of the American/Soviet Union conflict through the lens of the 1972 “Match of the Century” between the chess world’s Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky. “The real game is not the chess game, it’s between the KGB and CIA agents. All the other players are just pawns in a political contest,” Inman said. Even a brief outline of the main story lines takes five minutes for him to describe, but the production’s heft does not intimidate either Inman or Faustina. “It really is everybody taking a risk that we may not have done for some time,” Faustina admitted. “It shows the power of having that big stage back. It’s a culmination of all the components we’ve been put-
Photo credit: Judy Potter
JOSEPH BRUNICARDI AS FREDDIE TRUMPER, LENA HART AS FLORENCE VASSY AND ZACHARY FRANCZAK AS ANATOLY SERGIEVSKY bring the sounds of ABBA to the Willows Mainstage opening Oct. 7
ting in place.” Inman said that doing a piece of theater that is emotionally raw helps him balance the season’s offerings. “Part of my job is to have an overall story to tell the audience throughout the season. For 2012, coming up in January, it’s a love story. That will be the first season I got to pick everything,” he said, with obvious pleasure at taking the helm after the departure of
Richard Elliot in 2010. More than anything, Inman is making a name for himself through the musical direction of his theater company. With “Chess,” the score is diverse, offering seven part harmonies structured like the best choral arrangements of Mozart and guitar riffs that kick into ABBA’s 1980s syncopated sensibilities. “It’s very conversational. [Music Director] Rachel
Robinson has taken the six piece band and the cast and has created a round, complete sound,” Inman said. Faustina has been working hard to improve the theater’s sound quality and to ensure the “high-powered orchestration will give audiences a visceral experience.” “We’re going to be doing works that need fine tuning to become blockbusters,” he said. Inman, with the last word, pushed all the talk of risk aside with a comment as apropos to the Willows company as it was to the production: “We’re getting to the core of what humanity is. It’s all these characters, fighting for their lives.” “Chess” runs through Oct. 30 at the Willows Mainstage, 1975 Diamond Blvd, Concord. For ticket information call (925) 798-1300 or go to www.willowstheatre.org.
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Grammy Winner Laurie Lewis headlines benefit for students GARY CARR Special to the Pioneer
The Mt. Diablo Music Education Foundation has hit a high note. In partnership with Brendan Theatres, MDMEF is bringing Grammy winner Laurie Lewis, one of the top women in bluegrass in California, to a benefit concert on Saturday, Oct.15 on the rooftop of the Brendan Theatre parking garage in downtown Concord. The outd o o r
concert begins at 1 p.m. with the family bluegrass band, Oak Grove. At 3:30 p.m., Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands take the stage to show why bluegrass is a top-notch draw in traditional American music. Parents and kids are encouraged to bring their instruments and play along with Oak Grove in a Contra Costa hootenanny. Oak Grove leader Bob Schwartz is thrilled to be on the bill with bluegrass legend Lewis. “Laurie is a highly celebrated artist, and getting her for this fundraiser is a real coup for the music found a t i o n ,” he says.
A raffle will be held between performances to benefit MDMEF. One of the prizes is a flight around the Bay Area in a small plane. “The Mount Diablo Music Education Foundation was formed to raise awareness of the cuts to the music programs in the Mt. Diablo School District and to solicit donations to support music education for our students,” says MDMEF president Joan Miller. “Support for the school music programs is even more important since the fourth and fifth grade instrumental music programs have been eliminated.” The Brenden Theatres third floor parking area is located at 1985 Willow Pass Road in Concord. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12 and are available at the door. Some seating is provided, but attendees are advised to bring their own chairs. Information is available at www.mdmusicfoundation.org or from Miller at JoanDooDah@aol.com.
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Stop bullying for our kids’ sake Parents are not supposed to outlive their children; it just does not seem to be the natural order of things on this earth. I cannot imagine being the parent of a child who has died by their own hand, a child who has committed suicide. My heart broke when I heard the news that yet another young person, Jamey Rodemeyer – a 13-year-old from New York state – ended his life because of bullying that he encountered as a result of questioning his sexual orientation. His death is one of many teen suicides in the last few years that has come to national attention and thrown the spotlight on the effects of bullying. Bullying, especially cyberbullying on social networking sites, affects lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) children and adolescents in devastating ways. LGBT youth have to deal with harassment, threats and violence directed at them on a daily basis. Mental Health America reported that they hear anti-gay slurs about 26 times a day, or once every 14 minutes. LGBT teens are at higher risk for developing mental health issues and for suicide because their distress is a direct result of the hatred and prejudice around them, not because of their identity orientation. Bullying of LGBT teens is less likely to be reported and LGBT teens are at higher risk for dropping out of school. When bullying takes place, it affects everyone. Mental Health American also reported that for every LGBT youth who reported harassment, four heterosexual youth reported harassment or
STEPHANIE HO MIND MATTERS violence for being perceived as gay or lesbian. Bullying of all kinds must be stopped; our children’s lives depend on it. Here are four recommendations from the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN) to stop antiLGBT bullying and make schools safer for everyone: 1) Adopt a comprehensive anti-bullying policy that enumerates categories such as race, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and gender expression/identity. Enumeration is crucial to ensure that anti-bullying policies are effective for all students. Policies without enumeration are about as effective than having no policy at all when it comes to anti-LGBT bullying and harassment, according to GLSEN’s 2007 National School Climate Survey. 2) Require staff trainings to enable school staff to identify and address anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying, and harassment effectively and in a timely manner. 3) Support student efforts to address anti-LGBT bullying and
harassment on campus, such as the formation of a Gay-Straight Alliance or participation in events such as the National Day of Silence and Ally Week. 4) Institute age-appropriate, inclusive curricula to help students understand and respect difference within the school community and society as a whole. New research is suggesting that there are multiple factors influencing who becomes a bully, who becomes a victim, and who becomes both. Usually these youth struggle with family relationships, social skills, poor impulse control, lack of coping mechanisms, self-confidence, and other mental health issues before
JUDITH MARSHALL
FASHION OVER 50 Yes, you can wear jeans at any age. The trick is knowing how to make them work for you. Now that higher-rise styles are available, you can avoid the low-rise spillover (muffin top.) Try on a number of styles by different manufacturers – fits vary in the same size. One brand to try is Not
WOODY WHITLATCH WEATHER WORDS
ning to the library or the post office. Wash them in cold water, inside out, on the delicate cycle and not too often. Hang them by the hem while still damp, and don’t make a crease if you iron them. Here’s another thing – these are not your “muck-out-thestalls” jeans, so they’ll cost you more. But they’ll be sleek and fashionable. They’ll look great with silk blouses and Technicolor shirts, tucked in so as not to lose the silhouette. Once your waist is defined, you elongate the leg. And who doesn’t want mile-long legs? Live long and pester! Judith Marshall is a former professional model and author of “Husbands May Come and Go but Friends are Forever.” Send comments to Judith.Marshall@att.net.
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Can I wear jeans at my age? Your Daughter’s Jeans available at Nordstrom. They’re cut for mature women. Very dark blue or black works best for Fall. Please, no embellishment – no rhinestones, no embroidery and especially no back pocket emphasis unless you’re a size 2. Straight legs or boot cut look the newest. A boot cut is slightly wider at the hem and can balance wider hips, but be wary of too much flair — unless you want to relive the disco era. Be careful of a baggy seat. Check out your rear end in the mirror. Have them hemmed to the right length – either past your ankle with a small break for flats, or at your ankle with heels. Forget the sneakers, unless you’re just run-
they either bully and/or become a target for bullies. More attention needs to be focused on addressing these underlying issues and getting youth the help they need sooner. If you or someone you love needs immediate support and crisis intervention, visit thetrevorproject.org or call the Trevor Lifeline at 866-488-7386.
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Meteorologists make weather forecast decisions based on their knowledge of fundamental meteorological principles and their interpretation of atmospheric models. A forecaster must meld the results of many models into site-specific predictions of upcoming temperature, wind and precipitation patterns. In the early 20th century scientists theorized that it should be possible to forecast weather from calculations based upon numerical solutions to the natural laws of physics. The number of equations that needed to be solved simultaneously is astronomical, so it wasn’t until the early 1950s that computer-based numerical models were tested. The early computer models were crude with respect to their ability to solve equations and provide realistic output. They therefore had very limited value for real time weather forecasting. By the late 1970s, operational forecast models were able to predict large scale jet stream and surface weather patterns in 12-hour time increments out to 84 hours. Current forecast models can predict future weather conditions on a variety of scales. These scales are defined by the size of the grid squares that the model equations are solved at. The four basic space scales are known as micro, meso, synoptic and global. Microscale modeling is the smallest space scale. Grid sizes can range from a few inches to several hundred feet. Microscale grids are used to model phenomena like turbulent air flow around buildings. Small scale grid spacing is most commonly used in air pollution models to study local pollution effects of smoke stacks. Mesocale modeling involves the study of atmospheric phenomena that has grid sizes of less than a mile to several miles. The meteorological events typically of interest in mesoscale models include sea breezes and thunderstorms. A good example of mesoscale wind flow modeling for the Bay Area can be found on the internet at w w w. m e t . s j s u . e d u / c g i bin/wind/windbin.cgi. Synoptic scale weather is a term applied to large scale weather systems spanning several hundred to several thousand miles. Equations are solved on horizontal and vertical grids. Horizontal grid sizes for synoptic models range from several miles to tens of miles. Vertical grids extend from the earth’s surface to the top of the troposphere (about eight miles above the surface). Typical weather phenomena modeled on the synoptic scale include weather fronts and hurricanes. Synoptic scale models
See Weather, page 19
October 14, 2011
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com
Page 19
Book Review Est.1972
Divorcee hits rock bottom then cleans house Romance, Babe Ruth, and Nabokov
able to convince the court in their small town that Barb is an unfit mother, and gains custody of their two young children. Leslie Daniels’ debut novel, Cleaning Nabokov’s House, is a wonderfully frank novel about the small joys, hidden sadness, and completely ridiculous insights of a mid-life divorcee. What a perfect finale to the summer reading list. As she begins her new life, about the only things Barb has going for her is her meager part time job answering correspondence for a local dairy. That, and the sheer dumb luck she stum-
Barb Barrett is having a bad year. After years dancing around the soft porn edges of marital abuse and in a dazzling moment of clarity, she leaves ‘the experson’ as she calls him, more out of fatigue than actual courage, and strikes out on her own. This bold maneuver has its immediate downsides. First, she doesn’t really think her exodus through and gets arrested for “camping” with her children far beyond the bounds of camping season. Second, the experson is
Weather, from page 18 forecast weather patterns that can last from months to years. For example, weather phenomenon like El Nino and La Nina are predicted by global scale models. Global scale models are also used to study climate change. Weather forecasting is both a science and an art. Meteorologists rely on the results of science based synoptic scale models to make day to day forecast decisions. The art portion of the forecast comes from choosing the right model.
predict hour-to-hour and day-today weather phenomena. This model scale is used to make the weather forecasts most people are accustomed to seeing. Several operational synoptic scale models are available, and each model is run several times per day. Each model has a unique method for solving the billions of equations necessary to produce a forecast, and model solutions can vary significantly. One of the greatest challenges for a weather forecaster is choosing which model, or combination of models, has the best chance of verifying. Global scale models have horizontal grid scales of hundreds of miles. They are used to
Woody Whitlatch is a meteorologist with PG&E. Email your questions or comments to clayton_909@yahoo.com
CYNTHIA GREGORY
FOR
THE
BOOKS
bles over like a naughty curb when she buys what turns out to have been the house where, according to legend, Nabokov lived when he wrote Lolita. While cleaning her house one day to avoid the devouring ache of missing her daughter, Barb discovers what appears to be a pack of index cards containing the notes of a novel. She knows of the famous writer who occupied her house. It seems possible that the writing belonged to him, was somehow lost in the back of a bureau, and left behind. The narrative of the notes focuses on baseball and love, a Babe Ruth tale of romance. With a job that she doesn’t love nor hate, a manuscript of possible literary importance, an agent, and a plan to win her children back, Barb’s life begins to take on more meaning than it has for a long empty stretch of years. Nothing happens magically in Daniel’s novel. In fact, the pacing and transitions of Barb’s transformation are slow and tangible. Barb turns out to be you or me,
Smith & Bernal
Roofing
and we love her for her goof-ups as much as her strengths. With an unexpected gift of cream from the dairy, as a practical matter, she makes butter. She allows five year old Darcy to steal her pocketbooks and then borrows them back for important meetings. She encourages son Sam to express his culinary talents despite the fact the boy’s father thinks he’s going to grow up to be a fatty. We love that Barb has one pair of dress slacks that she calls ‘the pants’ and which she dons to impress both literary attorneys and university faculty of the importance of the found manuscript. We love that she finds meaning in writing letters about ice cream. We especially love that she recruits athletes from the local college to staff an exclusive ‘spa’ catering to the very special needs of Lake Onkwego’s matrons and which incidentally, generates the cash flow necessary to bankroll the recovery of her life. What we love most of all is that when Barb wins back her children from the ex, she does so with a generous helping grace, and without a drop of malice. We like to see our heroines win, but not too easily. And in this, Cleaning Nabokov’s House delivers. It is a classic tale of redemption and is every bit as satisfying as bowl of homemade ice cream on a late summer’s day. Cynthia Gregory writes book reviews, award-winning short stories and a blog. Visit her at www.twogirlstakeonlove.com or write ceegregory@aol.com
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October 14, 2011
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GARDEN GIRL Autumn is officially here and it is time to fall back into your landscape and garden. Most gardeners may know, and others may have to be reminded, that fall is the best time of the year to install foundation trees and shrubs – while some sun still shines. Trees are the most popular fall planting. Trees can be of the standard, or a multi-trunk shape. Standard means the tree is shaped how you would think a tree should be. Multitrunk trees look like shrubs at first, then grow as tall as a small tree. Standard tree shapes are very successful when used in flat areas, and along fence or property lines. Multi-trunk shape trees are best planted in focal areas and on slopes. Chinese Pistache is a group of deciduous trees that are the best performers in our Clayton Valley landscapes. Some are found male and others are female, and like some birds, the male selection has the better fall color. The male varieties are sold under the
name Keith Davey. The female selection has a pretty fall berry that is very attractive to the bird life. Purple Pony Plums have spring blossoms followed by burgundy foliage. It is a sterile selection and will not drop that messy, slippery fruit, like the flowering plums trees that are planted along our town’s roads. The foliage of this small tree adds a pop of vertical color to the landscape. It is also well used in the front landscape to contrast with house color. If you need privacy, Laurus Saratoga is an evergreen that matures with more height than width. This tree is great to block neighboring windows from peering in to your yard or garden. Arbutus Marina is a useful selection for a slope or a focal area of the landscape. Marina is an evergreen with dangling pink flowers all through the summer, and deep cinnamon color, peeling bark that command attention as this tree takes shape. Allow one-third of the trees height to remain naked, so you can really appreciate this tree’s legs.
ple leaf shrub with an unusual layered growth. Please don’t shear this evergreen, its shape is half of its appeal. Westringia is a group of evergreen shrubs, most having blue-gray leaves. Some flowers are white and others are periwinkle. This family has a variegated member that will pop if you have one of those landscapes with black micro-bark. Carpenteria Elizabeth is a shade- and acid-loving evergreen. This shrubs bloom is super feminine with white clusters of simple shaped flowers. Hills and slopes need different shaped shrubs. You look up at these installations; therefore they need to have a pretty underside. Correa Dusky Bells has that arching, sprawling shape that looks great on a slope. The bloom hangs down like fuschias, and are only enjoyed by looking up at them. Grevillea Low Form is an evergreen that also sprawls nicely along hillsides. Both of these mentioned selections need no fertilizer. Dr. Hurd Manzanita’s eventual height works well on slopes. You can expect fourto six-feet of height and width, evergreen foliage and nice legs. It too needs no fertilizer. For those hillside owners that need some different foliage, use the Smoke Bush
SHRUBS DRESS UP HILLSIDES , WALKWAYS Shrubs are the supporting cast to foundation plantings. They support the shape of the home, walkways, hillsides and property lines. Loropetalum Purple Majesty is an excellent, pur-
called Royal Purple. This is a large shrub that will reach 10feet tall and wide. The leaves of this deciduous shrub are dark purple, and really set off the other colors on a hill. As the Smoke Bush grows, treat it like a small multi-trunk tree, and clean up the leave towards the bottom – its legs are worth seeing. The ground should be a little softer with the October rain that we have recently received. Our usual planting instruction still apply when installing in the fall. Please use a planting mix or soil conditioner with each installation. Dig holes wider than deep, and remove the chunkiest of the clay. Water new installations until established. One more thing: it is a good idea to apply some Cloud Cover, or Wilt Stop to any tender plant now. Don’t be caught in the cold when the chilly weather arrives. Nicole is the Garden Girl at R&M Pool, Patio, Gifts and Garden and the 2011 Clayton Valley Garden Club president. Contact her with questions, comments or suggestions at gardengirl@claytonpioneer.com
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