IT’S YOUR PAPER www.claytonpioneer.com
September 14, 2012
925.672.0500
Ribbon-cutting signals a whole new chapter in school’s history Clayton Valley Charter High School opens with community support and good news for former district
HOWARD GELLER
MAYOR’S CORNER
Don’t miss election forum, Olympic celebration In November, Clayton will be holding an election for three seats on our city council. The three incumbents are running with two additional candidates that have filed for the positions. If you would like to learn more about the race, the Clayton Community Library Foundation and the Clayton branch of the AAUW will be hosting a “Clayton City Council Candidate Forum,” moderated by the League of Women Voters, from 7 to 9 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 1 in the Clayton Community Library Community Room. This event is free and open to the public. Local Heroes: At 5 p.m. on Sept. 15, Clayton is hosting a parade down “America’s Main Street” to honor Kristian Ipsen
See Mayor, page 6
DENISEN HARTLOVE Clayton Pioneer
Mike Dunn
CITY COUNCILMAN DAVE SHUEY (FAR LEFT) WATCHES AS CVCHS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DAVID LINZEY, Contra Costa Superintendent of Schools Joseph Ovick, CVCHS Governing Board President Neil McChesney and CVCHS Director of Operations cut the ribbon and declared Clayton Valley Charter High School officially open. Government officials, local dignitaries, students, teachers, parents and supporters filled the school’s amphitheatre and quad last Thursday to celebrate the success after a two year struggle to withdraw from MDUSD and become an independent, self governing high school.
With one snip of the scissors, it was official: the Clayton Valley Charter High School was finally open. Of course, students have already been in class for weeks, and the school’s original steering committee has been working for years to cut that ribbon – despite being dogged every step of the way by district officials, charter opponents and even other Mt. Diablo Unified School District schools. Flanked by local dignitaries, parents, students and teachers – and with the school’s amphitheater and quad brimming with supporters – CVCHS Executive Director David Linzey, Contra Costa County Superintendent of
See Charter, page 9
Clayton Theatre Company gears up for spring opening at Endeavor Young Clayton pair poised for more Olympic glory Kohler and Ipsen look to compete in Rio, but enjoy being back to ‘normal’ for now JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
Kristian Ipsen and Kara Kohler each won a bronze medal at the recent London Olympics, and while the homegrown Clayton athletes are already looking ahead to August 2016 when the Summer Games move south to Rio De Janeiro, another day a lot sooner is energizing their local fans. The City of Clayton will be throwing a victory celebration for the hometown heroes on Saturday, Sept. 15, complete with a parade, recognitions, photos and autograph-signings. It’s the least the community could do for these athletes.
Kohler and Ipsen were the youngest members of their respective American rowing and diving teams in London. In four years’ time they will be closer to the average age of the top competitors in their sports and each will have the experience of winning Olympic medals to call on in Brazil. ONLY MET ONCE Despite their shared experiences, however, Saturday will be the only the second time the two have actually met. Although the two Olympians have lived their entire lives in Clayton, they were never introduced until they were at a reception at the USA House in London a day after the conclusion of their competitions. Kohler laughs when she remembers the occasion. Ipsen and his 3-meter synchro diving partner Troy Dumais were having pictures taken with their
medals when Kohler, who is a half foot taller than Ipsen, walked up and gave him a big hug. “I think I may have scared him a little,” she says. “I was sure to tell everyone there that we both come from this little town of Clayton, California.” Ipsen said that the two had exchanged greetings on Facebook prior to the Olympics but it was the first time they met face to face. “I felt like I already knew him, reading all the stories in the Pioneer over the years,” Kohler said. One nice advantage of competing so early in the Games on Aug. 1 is that both Ipsen and Kohler were able to enjoy the rest of the Olympics without any pressure. Since rowing was held 25 miles west of London at Eton Dorney Kohler missed the opening ceremonies, which were held the night before her first event,
Throughout its 150-years history, Endeavor Hall has seen everything from church services to 4-H meetings; from fashion shows to dessert with Mrs. Santa. Back in the 1960s, it was the site of live drama – melodrama, that is. Old-timers will remember sitting at the long tables covered with newspaper, drinking pitchers of beer, pelting the over-thetop villains and heroines with popcorn and cheering and jeering the cheesy olios. Back then, the little building at the corner of Oak and Center Streets was was simply called the town hall and it’s about to see a return of live theatre. Next May, the Clayton Theatre Company, founded by local Thespians Roxanne Pardi and La Tonya Watts – will open their first show. And, yes, it’s a melodrama. “Every city should have a theatre company,” says Pardi. “It entertains, educates and elevates a community.” Pardi and Watts envision a small, intimate company – what used to be called ‘little theatre’ – with a budget that can be supported within the community.
See Olympians, page 12
See Theatre, page 16
What’s Inside Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Car Tuned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer
Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Church News . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Community Calendar . . . . . .14 CVCHS News . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Directory of Advertisers . . . . .5 Fashion Over 50 . . . . . . . . .17
Photo courtesy of Roxanne Pardi
LOCAL PERFORMING ARTS PROS, LA TONYA WATT and Roxanne Pardi have paired up to bring live theatre to downtown Clayton. “Kinda like Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland,” laughs Pardi. The Clayton Theatre Company will open with a popular melodrama in May.
From the Chief . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Mind Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Obituary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Performing Arts . . . . . . . . . .16
Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Sports Shorts . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Your Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
September 14, 2012
Around Town Marie Cogan marks 90th birthday with family Diamond Terrace resident Marie Cogan was joined by a few family members and die-hard Giants fans at McCovey’s in Walnut Creek recently to celebrate her 90th birthday and a Giants win. Pictured are (seated) grandson Justin Bedecarré, Marie, son-in-law Jay Bedecarré and his father John Bedecarré. Standing are grandson Jared Bedecarré, Ellen Herdegen and grandson Jason Bedecarré. Marie is the mother of Jill Bedecarré, Clayton Pioneer writer and ad sales manager, who died of breast cancer in June 2007.
JOEY ANCONA, 7, has been racing since he was 5. He lives in Concord with his parents Joe and Shari and sister Ava.
Regency Woods Classic Single Story Rancher! Backing to open space. 4 bedrooms, 2.5
HOPE O’BRIEN, 7, WALKED AWAY WITH THE FIRST PLACE TROPHY for the fastest Derby race time. Dalton Woest took second place and Jacob Huck came in a close third.
ANNOUNCER DAVE SHUEY REASSURES FAITH O’BRIEN as she readies for her second race of the day.
Nothing small about Joey Ancona’s win
158 Regency Drive
Kids and cars fill downtown for annual Derby
Joey Ancona, 7, of Concord, raced his way to the Quarter Midget National Championships in the Jr. Animal class at the 2012 Western Grand Nationals July 23-29, at Portland Quarter Midget Racing Association in Portland, Ore. He beat out 21 other competitors ages 58 to win the 30 lap A Main event and earn his first National Championship. A week after competing in the Western Grand Nationals, Joey traveled to Rio Linda, Calif., to compete in the 2012 Dirt Grand Nationals August 711 at CQMA. There he raced his way to two National Championships, winning both the Jr. Honda and the Jr. Stock 30-lap A Main Events.
More than 150 kids took a turn on the starting ramp last weekend as the Clayton Community Church hosted their 9th annual Labor Day Derby Race and Car Show. Excitement built as the kids climbed into the little cars, adjusted their helmets and leaned forward, ready for the starter to release them, two at a time, in a race down Main Street. Spectators lined the course, cheering the racers and sometimes groaning as a few of the kids crashed into the hay bales lining the course. Meanwhile, over 300 cars from classic to modern, custom to stock, were parked at five locations throughout the town. Katie’s Dreamland, with its bounce house, obstacle course, face painting and snack stand drew big crowds. Proceeds from T-shirt sales and raffle tickets for Katie’s derby car raised $3,000 towards the $50,000 goal to assist Clayton’s Katie Grace Groebner in getting the heart and lung transplant she needs to battle Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.
DEBBIE HERMENS HELD THE WINNING for the Katie’s Dreamland car which helped to raise funds for Katie Grace Groebner’s heart and lung transplant. Debbie donated the car to CCC to use in next year’s Derby.
TICKET
THE RED 1940 CHEVY in this photo took home a trophy for best in its class in the car show that drew more than 300.
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GEORGE VUJNOVICH Broker
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Helping friends, neighbors & newcomers buy and sell their homes since 1979
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202 Round House Place Delightful “Horseshoe” model!
P E N D I NG in a private setting. 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, approx. 1749sf with inside laundry & attached 2 car garage! Well maintained with neutral décor & upgrades. Laminate wood floors, upgraded windows & updated light fixtures! Kitchen features a new freestanding double oven with 5 burner gas range & dishwasher plus a large eating nook with bay window. Living room features a cozy fireplace, soaring ceiling with ceiling fan. Separate dining area. Private low maintenance yard offers privacy, deck, patio and small lawn areas. $399,000
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6160 Center St., Suite E, Clayton at the rear of the complex in a tranquil setting. 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, approx. 1595sf with inside laundry and 2 car attached garage! Upgraded carpet and flooring. Living room shares a two way fireplace with family room. Separate dining area. Spacious master with views of hills. Cozy patio looks out to hills. Walk to community pool & spa! $319,000
5450 Concord Blvd #G4 Desirable Ground Floor Single Story End Unit! 2 bedrooms, 1 bath & approx. 902sf. Open
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Clayton Market Update provided by George Vujnovich of Better Homes Realty ADDRESS
PRICE
148 Joscolo View.................$475,000 1003 Pebble Beach Dr ........$850,000 208 Mountaire Parkway .......$524,900 320 Mount Palomar Pl .........$575,000 1945 Eagle Peak Ave ..........$280,000 721 Acorn Drive ...................$825,000 21 Mount Tamalpais Pl ........$590,000 3510 Oak Hill Lane ..............$700,000 5736 Verna Way ..................$640,000 46 Tule Court .......................$428,000 111 Shale Cliff Court ............$585,000 5858 Pine Hollow Road .......$490,000 27 Rialto Drive .....................$609,000
SF . . . .2467 . . . .4076 . . . .2325 . . . .2177 . . . .1252 . . . .3079 . . . .1959 . . . .2282 . . . .2932 . . . .1749 . . . .2665 . . . .2257 . . . .2324
BED/BATH
SALE DATE
. . . . .4/3 . . . . . . . .9/4/12 . . . . .4/3.5 . . . . . .8/31/12 . . . . .4/2 . . . . . . .8/31/12 . . . . .4/3 . . . . . . .8/31/12 . . . . .2/2.5 . . . . . .8/27/12 . . . . .5/3 . . . . . . .8/24/12 . . . . .4/2 . . . . . . .8/23/12 . . . . .4/2 . . . . . . .8/17/12 . . . . .3/3 . . . . . . .8/16/12 . . . . .3/2.5 . . . . . .8/14/12 . . . . .4/2.5 . . . . . . .8/9/12 . . . . .4/3 . . . . . . . .8/8/12 . . . . .4/2.5 . . . . . . .8/6/12
September 14, 2012
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Around Town
Meals on Wheels: good food and something more for area seniors
Pioneer readers see the world CARRIBEAN ISLANDS
ARCTIC CIRCLE
independent in the home she’s been in for 40 years. “It would be hard to manage anything heavy,” Alexander says, contemplating what she would do without the non-profit organization. “I would have to make do.” Meals on Wheels is the only no-cost or very low-cost program in Contra Costa County that provides a hot, nutritious meal to a senior’s door. It is funded through the Older Americans Act, grants and primarily private donations. Some clients donate towards their meals if possible, but the program is based on need, not income.
NICCI SHIPSTEAD Clayton Pioneer
GERMANY
Swaying palm trees, white sand beaches and good company… the stuff of great vacations. This summer, we tagged along with the Grohs family (Jeff, Paula, Dan and Jackie) and Kayla Sawyers on their trip to the Carribbean Island of Sint Maarten
Page 3
David and Nancy Woltering spent several weeks traveling in Germany this summer, cycling, hiking and visiting with friends in Ebern where David studied while in college. David took along the Pioneer and visited with the Burgermeister of Ebern at City Hall where they shared stories of small town life. “It’s a lovely town,” says Nancy. “It has a lot of the same sensibilities as Clayton – lovely caring people that care about their town in both places.” David Woltering is the community development director for the city of Clayton.
It may not be dinner at Chez Panisse, but when Dolores Alexander is asked to review her latest meal, she has this critique: “I can’t complain,” she says. Alexander, a Concord senior, receives her dinner from Meals on Wheels, the non-profit program providing nutritious meals right to her door, delivered by volunteers. “The meals are pretty good,” Alexander says, adding that, “I used to cook for myself.” But even if the meals that come aren’t something she cares for, she still doesn’t complain. A prepared meal helps her stay
See Meals, page 13
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83-year-old Dolores Alexander of Concord remains independent in her home with the assistance of volunteer drivers delivering a nutritious, prepared meal to her door through Meals on Wheels.
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Clayton Valley Shell Full Service Auto Care Sue Elliott (right) crossed one more thing off her “bucket list” last month when she and friend Ruth Schleifer of Montclair headed North to Alaska. The two traveled from Ketchikan in the southeast all the way to Coldfoot, the northern-most truck stop above the Arctic Circle. “We actually rode on the Dalton Highway, or the ‘Haul Road,’ that was built after they discovered oil and built the pipeline,” Sue said. On the way, they found time to stop at the Mindenhall Glacier in Juneau to catch up on local news in the Pioneer. “Alaska is truly an amazing state,” she said. “It is so big and remote and absolutely beautiful.”
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1938/1944 Holly Creek Place, Concord Buy one or both ½ acre sites adjacent to private Holly Creek neighborhood. Build 2 high-end spec homes or one personal dream home! Lots are roughly graded, have drainage & shared well. Zoned SFR & horses allowed.
195 Mount Wilson Way, Clayton $579,000 Dana Hills – Expansive 2,152 s.f. ranch home has 4BD/2BA, is open & bright, rich paint tones & high ceilings. You will love the bay window in the living room & 3-car garage + RV parking. Close to clubhouse!
0 Wanda Way, Martinez $199,000 Alhambra Valley – Level .69 acre parcel is located in an upscale area and offers panoramic views and lots of privacy. Building pad, utilities at street, ready to go - sewer, city water. Build your dream home!
5205 Myrtle Drive, Concord $619,000 Ayers Ranch Horse Property – Nearly an acre w/arena, stalls, storage & sweeping views of Mt. Diablo & Clayton Valley, particularly from the dining area. Enjoy 3BD/2BA with 2,000 s.f. including a Florida room.
Clayton Resident & Broker Owner
1595 Lower Trail Ride, Clayton $100,000 Concord Trail Ride – Just over an acre with building pad and utilities, this beautiful lot is fenced and surrounded by mature pine trees. Ride your horses right onto the mountain & enjoy the tranquility
1893 Newell Avenue, Walnut Creek $569,000 Regular Sale & Great Location – Here is an opportunity to buy a well-maintained, single-story 3BD/2BA fixer on a corner lot. Enjoy tree-lined streets and pool in the backyard. Close to downtown & shopping.
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Learn to Ride www.CastleRockArabians.com
Equestrians out of the smallest rider Making
Brenden Mann Foundation Grant will fund downtown Concord bicycle officers
Personal attention, gentle horses •
RIDING LESSONS
•
BIRTHDAY PARTIES
•
SCOUT BADGE PROGRAM
September 14, 2012
Photo courtesy of city of Concord
BICYCLE OFFICER TODD STROUD TALKS WITH PAUL AVELLA and sons Anthony (with helmet) and Ashtyn in Todos Santos Plaza in downtown Concord.
The Concord Police Department has been awarded a $45,500 grant by the Brenden Mann Foundation to fund downtown bicycle officers through the end of the year. In addition to ensuring public safety, the officers will also collaborate with business owners, downtown stakeholders and other City departments to resolve quality of life issues. The grant will fund two bicycle officers who will work as a team Thursday through Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m. Evening bike patrol activity will be largely proactive and focused on the immediate downtown area. Until earlier this year, the police officer assigned to the downtown was assisted by a community service officer, which is a civilian position. The loss of Redevelopment funds resulted in
the elimination of this position on July 1. Two school resource officers have been working downtown during the summer months to fill the gap, but will be unavailable once the school season starts again. The Concord Police grant coincides with a Brenden Mann Foundation grant recently awarded to Central County Homeless Outreach. This grant allows outreach workers to focus efforts on the downtown every Thursday evening to offer shelter to the homeless and lessen their impact on local businesses. The Brenden Mann Foundation is a private foundation dedicated to strengthening families and communities. For more information about the program, contact Sgt. Russ Norris, (925) 671-3311, ext. 43
Concord looking for ideas to improve downtown
Contractors Lic #879423 Arborist Lic WE-7372A
The city of Concord is looking for ways to improve the downtown area and is asking residents and businesses to share their great ideas at an Ideas Fair on Sat., Sept. 22 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at the Concord Senior Center, 2727 Parkside Circle. Participants are asked to help identify the strengths of the downtown as well as suggesting opportunities for improving the success of the area. Concord’s downtown is wellloved, with over 200,000 people visiting Todos Santos Plaza every year for the summer music programs, community events
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and farmers’ markets. At the Ideas Fair, the public is invited share their future aspirations for downtown, what downtown should look like in five to ten years and how the city will know if the changes made to the downtown are successful. Parking, transportation, economic development, housing and infrastructure issues will be discussed. “The feedback from the Ideas Fair will become part of the Downtown Specific Plan,” says Planning Manager Carol Johnson. “All residents, property owners and businesses in Concord will benefit from a
Photo by Andre Gensburger
strong, vibrant and sustainable downtown that serves to attract additional investment in the community. We hope people will turn out for the Ideas Fair
LEIGH KLOCK
because we need their input to make the plan a success.” To attend the Ideas Fair, RSVP to Johnson at carol.johnson@ci.concord.ca.us or call (925) 671-3369.
STEPHANIE LOPEZ
Realtor®, DRE#01874255
Realtor®, DRE#01370548
925.212.5593
925.932.7329
1248 Oak Knoll Drive
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www.3506DaviCt.com
SOLD
3510 Alberti Court
Almost new! Pristine 3 bedroom 2.5 bath plus huge upstairs bonus! Fantastic location convenient to shopping, entertainment, and transit routes! Offered at $269,000
3399 St. Mary's Road
Gorgeous 4 bedroom 2.5 bath home with vaulted ceilings upstairs and down! Fabulous courtyard & lush landscape. spectacular double shower in master suite! Offered at $290,000
112 Mt. Whitney Way Prime Lafayette location - downtown & 10++ schools just steps from your front door! 3 bedrooms 2 baths - gorgeous custom kitchen! Soaring plank ceilings & huge master suite! Offered at $760,000
SOLD
We have buyers! This is the lovely single level Clayton home you have been waiting for! Updated and fresh inside and out! Large bedrooms, formal living & dining rooms, family room. Approx .25 acre lot and great view of Mt. Diablo! Offered at $589,500
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September 14, 2012
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Obituary
Edward J. O’Doherty P.O. Box 1246 6200 Center Street, Suite H, Clayton, CA 94517
March 22, 1970 – August 25, 2012
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Directory of Advertisers Auto Clayton Valley Shell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-3900 Business Services Rising Moon Marketing & Public Relations . . . . .672-8717
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AND
R OBERT S TEINER , Publishers
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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
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CLASSIFIEDS Classified rates per insertion: Non-profit: $12 for first 30 words, $.20 each additional word Individual/non-commercial: $18 for first 30 words, $.30 each additional word Commercial: $48 for first 30 words, $.40 each additional word To place your classified ad over the phone, call the office at (925) 6720500 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Or, you may fax your typewritten ad and credit card information to (925) 672-6580. All classifieds must be paid for in advance by credit card (Master Card or Visa) We will not accept any ad that 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. 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.
Edward J. O ’ D o h e r t y, “Ed,” died on August 25 at the age of 42. Ed was born and raised in Woodside, New York. He graduated from St. John’s Preparatory School. He lived in Clayton and was a member of the Carpenters Local Union 152. He enjoyed spending his free time playing hockey with his son and riding bicycles with both children. Ed is survived by his wife of 18 years, Wendy, and children Michael and Addisen, and his
mother Maura; a sister and brother-in-law, Michelle and Brian O’Sullivan, and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his father, Eamonn O’Doherty. Services were held in New York and on Sept. 8 at St. Bonaventure Church in Concord. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in his name to his children’s school, The Woodrose Academy, 4347 Cowell Road, Concord.
Chiropractor Coflin Chiropractic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0500 Construction and Trades Appliance Repairs by Bruce, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2700 Belfast Plumbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .457-5423 Black Diamond Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .777-3440 Burkin Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 672-1519 Cheyenne Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .566-8226 Copa Painting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-2202 Diablo View Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .822-5144 Iron Horse Concrete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .595-3951 Ken Mitolo Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2460 Steffan Smith Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .914-0497 Tipperary Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-2679 Dentistry Perfect Smiles Family Dentistry . . . . . . . . . . . . . .331-7665 Dining and Entertainment Clayton Club Saloon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-0440 Ravioli’s Italian Market Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-3819 Subway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .693-0621 Events Greek Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .676-6967
Classified Reporter for the Clayton Pioneer Reporter/feature writer needed to cover events, news and people for Clayton and the Clayton Valley. Must be a local resident and have good community connections. Excellent writing skills using AP style guide. Some comfort with a camera helpful. Send summary of experience and writing sample for a news story and a feature or personal profile to tamara@claytonpioneer.com.
WANTED Tutors Needed Diablo Valley Literacy Council, English tutors. Tutor training class begins Sept. 22. Go to dvlc.tripod.com, call 685-3881 or email dvlc4esl@gmail.com. Computer Tech Growing business has position for onsite pro computer tech in Contra Costa County. Must have experience in Windows and Mac OS, network repair and troubleshooting. ComputersUSA! 672-9989. Rodie’s Feed & Pet Supply Seeking part-time Administrative Assistant. Strong math, computer and phone communication skills required. Must be able to work Thursdays and Fridays, eight hours each. Email resume to nicole@rodiesfeed.com. No phone calls please.
Oktoberfest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .claytonoktoberfest.com Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market . . . . . . . . . . .800-949-3276 Financial and Insurance Services Held, Chris - Morgan Stanley Smith Barney . . . .930-3815 King & Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465-2565 Littorno, Richard - Attorney at Law . . . . . . . . . . . .432-4211 Prosperitas Wealth Management . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7700 Van Wyck, Doug - State Farm Insurance . . . . . . .672-2300 Funerals Ouimet Funeral Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-4242 Home and Garden Abbey Carpet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .686-9901 Clear Splash Pool Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-6245 Diablo Lawnscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .381-3757 Flooring City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .680-8220 Just Floors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .681-4747 Navlet’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .681-0550 Nichols Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9955 Utopic Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0055 Waraner Bros. Tree Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .831-2323
Come join Mazzei Realty! Currently interviewing and hiring new and experienced real estate agents. Call 693-0757 for details.
Waraner Tree Experts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250-0334 Mailing Services The UPS Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-6245
Real Estate Agents Be Successful! Lynne French is expanding and interviewing for a few agents. Call her today 6728787.
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Pet Suites Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .432-7387
Art Clayton Valley Art Collaborative (CVAC) is looking for computer savvy individual for specific projects. Appreciation for art and creative people necessary. CVAC collaborates with wide range of community organizations, individuals and businesses in East Bay. Contact Candace Bass at 673-7036 or kndbass@aol.com.
Foresight Optometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4100 Pet Services Monte Vista Veterinary Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1100 Rodie’s Feed and Pet Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4600 Real Estate and Mortgage Services French, Lynne - Windermere Real Estate . . . . . .672-8787 Klock, Leigh - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . . .212-5593 Laurence, Pete - RE/MAX Realty . . . . . . . . . . . .890-6004 Lopez, Stephanie - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . .932-7329 Mazzei, Matt -Mazzei Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .693-0757 Vujnovich, George - Better Homes Realty . . . . .672-4433 Recreation and Fitness
Help Fight Hunger Anna Chan – AKA: The Lemon Lady needs your help! Weekly commitment appreciated. For more info and contact numbers, go to thelemonlady.blogspot.com. Meals on Wheels Drivers 1 – 1 1/2 hours per week. Drivers and relief drivers needed for delivery of Meals on Wheels in East County. Call Jim at 673-0300 or hairbyjim@hotmail.com.
Castle Rock Arabians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .933-3701 Clayton Valley Bowl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-4631 Earthquake Arabians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .360-7454 Kali Ball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .276-0845 Senior Services Diamond Terrace Senior Retirement Living . . . . .524-5100 Montecito - Oakmont Senior Living . . . . . . . . . . .852-6702 Services, Other Computers USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9989
Hospice of the East Bay Help needed at Hospice of the East Bay Concord Thrift Shoppe located at 5350 Clayton Road, Concord. 674-9072. For information contact Carmen Siems, volunteer coordinator at 887-5678 or carmens@hospiceeastbay.org.
Net Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6029
The Clayton Historical Society Museum needs a greeter for two hours per month from 2-4 p.m. Wednesdays or Sundays. Call the museum at 672-0240 and leave your name.
Cruise Adventures Unlimited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .935-7447
Clayton Community Library Needs volunteers. Minimum age 13. Minimum commitment is 6 months. Some training provided. Contact: Arlene at 673-9777 or nielsenjanc@aol.com.
Recycling Center & Transfer Station . . . . . . . . . .473-0180 The Maids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-6243 Specialty Shopping Candles Make Scents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .405-7199 Travel
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Page 6
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September 14, 2012
Don’t let persistent barking make you growl The Clayton Police Department receives many complaints from residents about a neighborhood dog’s continual barking. Although I have addressed this problem in the past, I would like to revisit the issue. Most dogs probably have no reason to bark while their owner(s) are home. However, many dogs who “nuisance bark” do so because they are lonely or bored while their owner is away from home. Both of these problems are probably solved the moment the dog’s owner returns home. Since the dog owner never hears the nuisance barking, he or she does not experience the problem, but their neighbors do. Many times the continual nuisance barking leads to a frustrating situation for
neighbors who may be trying to sleep, especially if it occurs at 3 a.m. Continual nuisance barking is a violation of the county’s Animal Services Ordinance 416-12.202. The City of Clayton contracts with Contra Costa County Animal Services to investigate and resolve these issues. The police department is usually the first to receive a report of a barking dog and frequently responds to nuisance barking complaints. We receive between three to five calls on average each week from frustrated residents who report a situation involving a continual barking dog while their neighbors are away. These calls are usually from residents who are experiencing this problem at night, or
West Nile Virus gains traction in east county DAN LAWRENCE
FROM
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on the weekends. Although these investigative calls take officers away from other duties, our goal and policy is to keep the peace and to assist citizens in maintaining good neighborhood relations. Typically, when the police dispatcher receives a call about a barking dog occurring after hours, a Clayton officer is dispatched to investigate. The officer will try to contact the dog’s owner if at home, and if not, leave an informational card for
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GETTING MARRIED I am writing this column as a single man. By press time, Debbie Mullins and I will be Mr. and Mrs. Geller. Our wedding day will have passed. We wish we could have invited the entire town to celebrate our joyous occasion. Since that wasn’t possible, we shared our day with our family and closest friends. Thanks to all of you who have wished us many more years of happiness. E-Mail comments to the Mayor at Councilmangeller@aol.com.
Nola Woods is the CCMVCD Community Affairs Representative.
See Chief page 8
Labor Day fire chars 150 acres
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Photo: Jennifer Jay
THE POND ON THE OAKHURST GOLF COURSE WAS A SOURCE OF WATER for firefighters from three agencies who responded to a grass fire at the Concord Naval Weapons Station between Kirker Pass and Bailey Roads on Sept. 3. According to Contra Costa Fire Marshall Louis Brochard, the fast moving fire was in a fairly inaccessible area and burned about 30 acres before firefighters could get to it. In all 150 acres were charred but no homes were ever threatened, Brochard said.
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Mayor, from page 1 and Kara Kohler, our Bronze Medal Olympians. There will be several dignitaries on hand to recognize our Olympians, including Congressman George Miller. The parade will end at The Grove Gazebo where our Olympians will receive proclamations and a Key to the City. Our Olympians will stay around to sign autographs and to take photographs with fans. This event will be followed by our last summer concert, featuring East Bay Mudd. Since this band usually brings in more than 2,000 people, we are expecting an even larger crowd attending this combined event. I suggest you get to the park at 4 p.m. sharp to secure your spot. Bring your cameras. This is going to be a night to remember. Parking on Main Street will
not be allowed the day of the parade between 2 and approximately 6 p.m. Main Street will also have some closures during the parade. The section between Morris and Marsh Creek Roads will be closed from 4 p.m. until after the concert. Old Marsh Creek Road from Clayton Road to Center Street will also be closed from 4 p.m. until after the concert ends. This will allow for overflow concert seating. Access to the city parking lot on Main Street, as well as the church property, will not be allowed during the parade. It will be opened once the parade passes. GETTING THE FACTS OUT At our last city council meeting, Neil Mc Chesney, president of the Clayton Valley Charter
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This year’s West Nile Virus (WNV) outbreak is the most aggressive since the mosquitoborne illness was first discovered in the United States in 1999, and
the most serious WNV outbreak the nation has ever seen. The hard-hit part of the country is the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas. In that state, 888 people have been diagnosed with the virus so far this year, and the WNV season has not yet reached its traditional end. In Contra Costa County, WNV infections in mosquitoes, birds and chickens are dramatically exceeding 2011’s year-to-date totals. That has turned an already busy virus season into a challenging season for the Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control District. The bulk of the WNV activity is in eastern Contra Costa County, with all of the samples of mosquitoes that have tested positive and more than half of the positive birds coming from Brentwood, Antioch, Oakley, Knightsen and Discovery Bay. Brentwood is the hardest hit among these cities as all but one of the mosquito samples has come from the same area of the city. That has prompted the district to focus efforts on specific areas at highest risk. Eastern Contra Costa County isn’t the only place where WNV can be found, however. Dead birds have tested positive for the virus in Martinez, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek and El Sobrante as well. That has district employees searching for mosquito sources from one end of the county to the other. And it is exactly why the public’s help is so important. Dump out any amounts of standing water to eliminate mosquito sources. This includes paying close attention to how much water is used for sprinkler systems. Over-watering yards and other vegetation forces runoff into catch basins and storm drains where the water accumulates and attracts mosquitoes that can transmit WNV. Carefully monitoring outdoor irrigation amounts is an important step to reducing the risk of WNV. Reporting neglected swimming pools and spas is also key to preventing WNV because one neglected swimming pool can produce more than 1 million mosquitoes and can affect people as far as five miles away. Residents who see neglected or green pools or hot tubs should visit www.contracostamosquito.com or call the district at 925-771-6183. Anonymous calls are accepted. When mosquitoes are present, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend repellents featuring the active ingredients DEET, Picaridin or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus to prevent mosquito bites. Wearing clothing with long sleeves and pants can also help reduce the amount of exposed skin that can be bitten. The WNV season typically lasts into September and possibly October, depending on how quickly the weather cools in the fall. That means there are many more weeks ahead when vigilance is vital. Working together to prevent mosquito outbreaks will go a long way towards keeping our families and neighbors healthy.
Clayton resident
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High School board, provided a Power Point presentation with facts that the Clayton Valley Charter High School did not cost Mt. Diablo Unified School District $1.7 million. I find it very sad the MDUSD has misled principals and teachers, who in some cases have also mislead their students. The facts are in and the creation of CVCHS will actually add between $150,000 to $500,000 for MDUSD to use at the other high schools. Neil and others are trying to get this information out to the public. They hope to dispel the doubts MDUSD has created. FRUITY MESS Thanks to those of you who e-mailed me about the problems with the fruit-bearing plum trees outside the post office. The USPS and the owners of the building have been notified and will make every attempt to clean up the sidewalks and remove any remaining fruit before it drops. They also said they will take measures next year to prevent the trees from bearing fruit, such as replacing them with a non-fruit bearing variety.
September 14, 2012
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Page 7
Surprise! Co-signers may not help obtain a loan Q. I have a very low credit score due to a previous job loss. I am now gainfully employed and I have a cosigner. Will this do the trick to get me qualified to buy a home with a low interest rate? A. This is a common misconception among borrowers that cosigners or co-borrowers with excellent credit will somehow “offset” a borrower with weak credit. Each of the three credit bureaus ascribes a credit score to every borrower, and lenders correlate to the middle of those three scores. If there is more than one borrower, lenders correlate to the lowest of the middle scores. So if a borrower has a 625 middle score, and a co-borrower has an 800 middle score,
Scores affect the rates significantly these days. For an FHA loan, a 625 score vs. an 800 score will increase the rate by at least 3/ of a percent. For a conven8 tional loan it would increase it by 5/ of a percent (depending on 8 the loan to value).
LYNNE FRENCH
REAL ANSWERS interest rates and pricing will all correlate to the 625 score. The best solution in this instance is for the co-signer to qualify on their own, if they have enough income. In this case, take the 625 borrower off the loan and just put them on title.
Q. My wife and I are buying a home. In your opinion, should I pay points to buy down the rate on my loan? A. These days my answer would be no. Currently the yield curve is relatively flat. Paying a point (1 percent of the loan amount) will only lower the interest rate about a quarter of a percent. It would take about 71 months (almost six years) to make up for the point with savings
resulting from the lower payment. In 2008 the “yield curve” was much steeper and paying a point would have lowered the rate as much as half of a percent. In this case it would have made sense to pay the point. A good rule of thumb would be to pay a point if you can make it up in less than four years. Have your loan professional do a calculation for you. Q. With all the problems with the real estate market, do you really think the goal of home ownership is something people will continue to strive to attain? A. Rather than answer with my bias as someone in the real estate industry, I would rather
look at an independent survey by the Pew Research Center. Despite recent housing woes, 81 percent of U.S. adults believe buying a home is the best longterm investment a person can make. One of the comments was: “Owning a home is part of the American dream and something that people aspire to.” Homeownership topped the list of long-term financial goals for Americans, according to the study. Respondents rated homeownership, along with living comfortably in retirement, as more important than sending children to college or leaving offspring an inheritance. Even with our uneven recovery, many economists believe that the worst of the housing cri-
sis is probably over. Homeowners in the survey were more positive about the financial wisdom of owning a home than were renters. Among renters, the desire for home ownership remains strong though. According to the survey’s findings, 24 percent of the renters surveyed said they rent out of choice and 81 percent said they would like to buy. Send your question and look for your answer in a future column. Email Lynne@LynneFrench.com. French is the broker/owner of Windermere Lynne French & Associates and a Clayton resident. For any real estate needs or questions, contact her at 672-8787 or stop in at 6200 Center St., Clayton.
To succeed, kids need to know how to play
The school year has just begun at many colleges campuses and there are already a number of freshmen who are struggling. They are struggling with sharing with others, being respectful and kind to others, controlling their impulses and making poor decisions, not understanding consequences to their actions, and having significant separation anxiety. While it may sound as though I am describing my toddler and his peers, I am actually talking about 18 year-old adults. For so many years, these students have been drilled to achieve and have received high marks in the process. Yet, once they get to college, they fall apart because
ification, negotiate conflicts, solve problems, be flexible, think through plans, share goals, and tolerate disappointment and failure. • Direct, teacher-initiated learning, rather than learning through the trial and error of play, has been shown to limit
problem-solving skills and diminish creativity. To make it in college or in the workforce, students need to have cognitive, emotional, and relational skills that go beyond the textbook or the lab. By letting kids play during their preschool years, we are giving them
the life skills and necessary tools to succeed during their college years and beyond. Stephanie T. Ho is a licensed psychologist. She has a private practice office in Walnut Creek and works at UC Berkeley. She can be reached at stephanie.ho.phd@gmail.com.
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Chief, from page 7 the dog owner describing their responsibilities pursuant to the county’s dog barking ordinance. If the dog continues to bark, the one reporting the noise is referred to Animal Services in order to address the nuisance barking. The process includes the following steps: First complaint: A strongly written letter is sent to the dog owner with information about the county’s dog barking ordinance and possible legal action if the barking continues. This step usually resolves most dog
• Early play with blocks enhances later mathematical thinking. • Play inspires children to use more frequent and complex oral language. • Pretend-play experiences lead to increased in children’s phonemic awareness – an ability to differentiate speech sounds – which is one of the best indicators we have about how well a child will learn to read. • In play, children transform the real into the imaginary, which is the same type of thinking to associate words and numbers with ideas for symbolic thought. Symbolic thought then enhances academic learning in reading and math later on. • Play enhances the ability to self-regulate – which is the ability to control one’s actions and thinking. In play, children must regulate their own behavior in different ways. Through play, they learn to take turns, delay grat-
barking issues. Second complaint: If the problem is not resolved, an Animal Services officer will make personal contact with the dog owner in order to reinforce the county’s dog barking ordinance. The Animal Services officer will also confirm if the victim is willing to pursue further legal action. Subsequent complaints: It the problem continues, Animal Control may issue a citation, and refer the dog owner to the District Attorney’s office for possible further action.
Although enforcement of barking dog laws seems to be a trivial matter to many, I can assure you that victims of nuisance dog barking feel just the opposite. I hope this article is useful and helpful for both dog owners and victims of continual nuisance barking. To find out more information, or if you have other animal issues, please contact Animal Services at 925-3358300.
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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they do not have the life skills to go along with their study skills. My son will be going to preschool next year and despite the plethora of skills-based preschool academies around here, he will be going to a school where he can play his little heart out, have fun and, ironically enough, learn what he needs to know. Our decision was guided by our parental instincts as well as the research that play-based pre-schools are important for children to develop the required skills for successful life management in the future. Here is what the scientific research says about the benefits of letting children play in pre-school: • A longitudinal investigation of High Scope, a play-based pre-school curriculum, found that participating children had higher levels of academic and social competence in later childhood and adolescence. At age 40, they showed higher earnings, higher employment rates, and higher educational attainment.
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Don’t let overloaded backpacks weigh down your youngster It’s the start of a new school year, and with all the concerns and worries we parents have, there is one that always stands out to me. As I was walking my daughter up the hill to school at Mt. Diablo Elementary I noticed most of the children wearing backpacks, some of them straining as they walked. Many of the backpacks look too big or too heavy, have loose straps, or generally don’t look comfortable. I even noticed a young boy who was leaning forward trying to stay upright (like an Olympic skier leaning forward on a jump). I know first-hand the permanent damage that comes from improper posture and strain to the spine. Therefore, let me share some tips from the American Chiropractic Association: • Make sure your child’s backpack weighs no more than 5 to 10 percent of his or her body weight. A heavier backpack will cause a child to bend forward in an attempt to support the weight on his or her back,
DAN COFLIN YOUR HEALTH rather than on the shoulders, by the straps. • The backpack should never hang more than four inches below the waistline. A backpack that hangs too low increases the weight on the shoulders, causing a child to lean forward when walking. • A backpack with individualized compartments helps in positioning the contents effectively. Make sure that sharp or bulky objects are packed away from the area that will rest on the child’s back. • Bigger is not necessarily better. The more room
there is in a backpack, the more your child will carry – and the heavier the backpack will be. • Urge your child to use both shoulder straps. Lugging a backpack around by one strap can cause a disproportionate shift of weight to one side, leading to neck and muscle spasms, as well as low-back pain. • Wide, padded straps are very important. Nonpadded straps are uncomfortable, and can dig into a child’s shoulders. • The shoulder straps should be adjustable so that the backpack can be fitted to the child’s body. Straps that are too loose can cause the backpack to dangle uncomfortably and cause spinal misalignment and pain. If the backpack is still too heavy, talk to your child’s teacher. Ask if your child could leave the heaviest books at school, and bring home only lighter hand-out materials or workbooks. Although the use of roller packs – backpacks on wheels –
has become popular in recent years, the ACA is now recommending that they be used cautiously and on a limited basis by only those students who are physically unable to carry a backpack. Some school districts have begun banning roller packs because they clutter hallways, resulting in trips and falls. If you or your child experiences any pain or discomfort resulting from backpack use, call your doctor or chiropractor. Doctors of chiropractic are licensed and trained to diagnose and treat patients of all ages and use a gentle type of treatment for children. In addition, doctors of chiropractic can prescribe exercises designed to help children develop strong muscles, and offer instruction in good nutrition, posture and sleeping habits.
Dan Coflin is a doctor of chiropractic. Call him at 672.6500 or email coflindc@gmail.com with questions or comments.
Car computer systems today aren’t just silly gadgets Since the early 1970s, cars have been using computer of some type to control engine functions. The early computers were very basic. They controlled the amount of fuel injected into the cylinders, did slight adjustments on spark timing, and they monitored the exhaust, making sure the air-fuel mixture was correct. Modern computers monitor much more, and impact almost all the systems in your car. These computers control fuel injection timing, ignition timing and valve timing. This is done by monitoring engine inputs, or signals. Engine inputs to the computer can be the coolant temperature, intake air temperature, engine RPM, vehicle speed, transmission gear or throttle position, among others. These inputs are used to make necessary corrections in ignition timing, valve timing and fuel injection timing. These calculations are made thousands of times a second to keep the engine running at its most efficient.
There is also a body control computer. The function of this is to make sure all the windows, doors, locks, lights, seat adjustments, sunroofs and tire pressures are correct and monitored, to keep them working as they should. If you have a navigation system on your vehicle, this obviously has another computer system. There is also a computer for the transmission. This one tells the transmission what gear to use according to engine load, road resistance and surface conditions. Another computer handles antilock brakes and traction control, monitoring the turning of the wheels. If you have cruise control this is yet another computer system, to keep the vehicle traveling at a set speed by changing the throttle position. All these computers are tied together by a system called a bus. This keeps the systems talking back and forth. Here is one example of how the bus keeps
everything rolling along smoothly: Say you are driving along Highway 50 to Lake Tahoe. It’s cold outside so you set the heater control to 80 degrees. Sensors in the back of the passenger compartment check the temperature of the air and find out it’s colder than 80 degrees, so the computer opens the heater valve little bit more and opens the vents in the floor. Now the people in the back seat are nice and warm. As you’re driving it’s snowing, and the road is wet. You have activated the cruise control to maintain a steady speed. All of a sudden your front right wheel hits some ice and you begin to slide. Before you can do anything about it the traction control computer adds braking to that wheel. The engine control computer slows the engine RPM, the transmission computer shifts gears and the vehicle slows down just enough so the right front wheel can regain traction. Your brake lights flash, alerting drivers
GARY TAYLOR CAR TUNED behind you of a change in speed. Now your vehicle is back under full control. The only thing you notice is the dash light for both A.B.S. and traction control is now on, telling you they’re doing their job. If your vehicle did not have all these computers the story would be different. When your front right wheel hit the ice and lost traction, the right side of the vehicle would have slowed down while the left side kept traveling at the same speed. This would have put you into a hard right turn and possibly off the road. So whether we know it or not, the computers in our automobiles keep us heading where we need to go. Gary Taylor is service manager at Clayton Valley Shell. Call him with questions at (925) 672-3900
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Page 9
KVHS plugged in as ROP class There was no disguising the excitement of Clayton Valley Charter High School Executive Director Dave Linzey as he reviewed the first few weeks of school and laid out his goals: “This year is off to a fantastic start as teachers are primed to implement powerful learning environments based upon student engagement, positive relationships and a technology focus. “We have purchased new LCD projectors and document cameras to aide teachers in the classroom and the new policy of a ‘failure free zone’ has been implemented. All students are required to complete work with their best effort or they must ‘do it over,’ as mastery learning is the expectation.
APRIL WINSHIP
CVCHS NEWS “Professional development will be a continuous theme of our great school as our teachers grow as professionals and enthusiastically embrace the charter school’s model of instruction based upon Rigor/Relevance/Relationships, as they prepare your students
for college and the careers of the 21st Century.” KVHS: Governing Board President Neil McChesney reported on KVHS radio station that the MDUSD School Board voted unanimously to allow CVCHS to operate a ROP class at KVHS through the end of the 2012-2013 school year. “The CVCHS Governing Board formally resolved to keep the radio program alive,” he said. “We want to grow the program and truly utilize this unique asset for its intended educational and community purposes.” MDUSD trustees asked district staff to continue investigating the value of the station, should the district decide to sell it in the future.
MDES needs community support to offset cuts
STUDENTS OF MOUNT DIABLO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL and their parents paint the goal raising thermometer red to show $46,000 has already been raised towards the goal of $150,000. The thermometer is visible from Clayton Road as encouragement to all school families and the community to donate and prevent school services from being cut.
There are no teachers’ aides in the classrooms this year at Mount Diablo Elementary School. Fundraising efforts last year fell short of the dollar amount needed to supply aides and other Parent Faculty Clubfunded programs may be threatened. MDES PFC is looking to the community to raise $150,000 dollars to prevent loss of staff or cuts to programs like reading intervention or supplies. Just $1 per day or $180 per child for the school year will preserve the level of excellence in education at Mount Diablo Elementary. These monies go directly to MDES programs. To donate, go to the Parents and Community tab, MDE Education Fund link at mtdiabloelementary.mdusd.org
Online resources: Check out the new look and content of the CVCHS website at www.claytonvalley.org. To view your students homework and class assignments click on “Departments,” then “Teacher and Staff Directory.” Click on your student’s teacher, then the class period to find your students assignments. Every parent/guardian should have received a letter in the mail with information on how to access your student’s grades and attendance. If you have not received such a letter, please contact CVCHS main office. Volunteering: If you would like to volunteer your time and join “April’s Army,” see the “Volunteer” tab and complete the online CVCHS volunteer form. Happenings: Clayton’s Oktoberfest is around the corner and the Clayton Business and Community Association (CBCA) needs volunteers for both days. CVCHS clubs and sports programs receive generous CBCA donations throughout the year, so students are encouraged to give a little time to support this downtown Clayton event. Sign up online at www.claytoncbca.org or contact Marcy at marcy8882@yahoo.com. Homecoming is Friday, Sept. 28. For more information about Clayton Valley Football visit www.claytonvalleyfootball.com.
LESS COST FOR MDUSD MDUSD officials had estimated that with the charter’s approval, its already strained budgets would have to endure a further cut of $1.7 million because of loss of revenue due to the decreased number of students in the district. But according to the county, the district’s hit may not be as bad as its officials fear because many administrative expenses –
such as utilities, phone systems, basic maintenance, payroll preparation, and guidance counselor salaries – now come directly out of CVCHS’s own budget. In a presentation to the Clayton City Council on Aug. 21, McChesney explained the calculations. According to the county analysis based on the district’s 2010-11 costs for running the school, not having to provide the same extent of administrative services should save MDUSD as much as $146,439. The district isn’t ready to embrace those new figures quite yet. In an email message, Superintendent Steven Lawrence said, “We believe the numbers we have provided in our budget projections are accurate, according to Education Code regulations.” He added the district intends to have the state’s Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team conduct a separate analysis of the charter’s impact. “Our goal is to ensure we provide accurate information to the MDUSD school board and community,” he said. The CCCOE analysis includes rental income the district is likely to get for the charter’s use of the school property, an amount that is still in contention. Charter officials hope to pay around $350,000 (the number used in the calculations); district negotiators have demanded an amount of up to $500,000, but are waiting to make a final offer until officials can finish compiling the costs of running the campus last school year. In light of these lease negotiations, and the potential for more cuts by the state in November, Linzey has budgeted conservatively. Teacher salary schedules remain the same as last year, and athletics and music departments are encouraging
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Charter, from page 1 Schools Joseph Ovick, CVCHS board president Neil McChesney and Director of Operations Pat Middendorf last week made the ceremonial cut and opened a whole new chapter in education in the East Bay. What began as an idea being bantered across a kitchen table became one of the most hardfought battles in recent history in the cash-strapped MDUSD. The charter steering committee first had to gauge and gain support from the school community and the city of Clayton, then fight off allegations that creating the charter school would cripple other schools in the district. Vehemently opposed by the district, the charter movement – led by Middendorf and McChesney – became the little movement that could, chugging through when the district first opposed the charter, then approved it with 56 conditions, then denied it again. Undaunted, steering committee members then turned to the county board of education, who approved the charter last January. But the best news came just last month, when the Contra Costa County Office of Education, after analyzing the fiscal impact the charter conversion would have on MDUSD, determined that the district shouldn’t be as hard hit as feared.
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CVCHS SUPPORTER DAVE SHUEY adds a copy of the April 29, 2011 Pioneer to the time capsule that will be dug up in 10 years. The front page of that issue was the first major story on the charter school effort. Other items include a flash drive with the full charter document, a now iconic CVCHS blue t-shirt, and a letter from Congressman George Miller congratulating the organizers.
their boosters to raise funds. Although they’re not allocated into the school’s budget, charter officials are writing grant applications as well. Despite the belt-tightening, Linzey says he is hopeful because CVCHS can put more of the money it does have into instructional programs for both students and teachers, and allocate less towards district-wide administrative costs. Many students have already taken advantage of the studentfocused programs, the first being the summer orientation for incoming students, and another one being a teacher training before school started. BUMPY, BUT HOPEFUL, OPENING Budget angst notwithstanding, CVCHS officially opened with only minor bumps and plenty of community support. Nearly 200 parents, faculty, and community members showed up for a work party prior to the first day of school, painting, replacing broken furniture in
the cafeteria with trophy cases, and sprucing up classrooms before students arrived for the fall quarter. The opening was not 100 percent glitch-free. Complaints about registration and cafeteria lines were heard for the first few days, with some students left standing in line for their lunches when the bell rang to return to class. Linzey, whose office faces directly onto the main courtyard, stepped in to add another cafeteria line, and soon after the campus was quiet as students returned to their classrooms. Managing nearly 2,000 teenagers – along with teachers, administrative support staff and responding to a community hoping for miracles – isn’t a job for the faint of heart. But Linzey feels ready to face it all with the help of an involved community. “I’ve got no problem with accountability,” he told a meeting of the school’s parent faculty club in early September. “I’ve grown smart about only making promises I can deliver.”
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
September 14, 2012
Sports Fall means soccer; local youth programs flourishing If you go by any large patch of grass in the area this fall chances are there will be young soccer players practicing or playing a game, which means that officials and coaches from Mt. Diablo Soccer Association and Diablo Futbol Club are busy with the sport they love. MDSA is embarking on its 32nd year providing AYSO recreation soccer in Clayton and Concord while Diablo FC provides the competitive soccer program in the area for the fifth year under its current banner and 21 years overall since starting in 1991. Brian Lizzarago, Regional Commissioner of MDSA, is overseeing his first fall season for the program. “We are an allvolunteer organization. AYSO’s vision is to provide world class youth soccer programs that enrich children’s lives. We are guided by the AYSO mission statement to develop and deliver quality youth soccer programs which promote a fun, family environment based on AYSO’s six philosophies: everyone plays, balanced teams, open registration, positive coaching, good sportsmanship and player development.” For the fall season, MDSA has 152 teams with approximately 1300 players ranging in age from four to 18 years. Lizzarago says the spring select and coed programs feature about 900 players. The majority of MDSA teams kicked off fall season last weekend with games at a variety of fields in Clayton and Concord. Teams range from under 5 through U19. Mt. Diablo World Cup is the culmination of the fall season. The Cup is held the last three weekends of October and includes all fall teams in the
Mike Dunn photo
SOCCER PLAYERS CAN BE FOUND IN ABUNDANCE AT AREA PARKS AND SCHOOL FIELDS THIS SEASON with the beginning of fall league last weekend. Diablo FC 99 Blue players Jasmine Kellogg (left) and Lauren Robinow worked out at Newhall Park on a recent afternoon under the watchful eye of coach Dean Weise. Mt. Diablo Soccer Association and Diablo FC have nearly 200 teams of boys and girls from four to 18 years of age currently playing in fall leagues.
U10 through U14 age divisions The World Cup is a tournament with brackets for each division and then knockout rounds to determine the champions. The winning teams from each age division then compete at the AYSO Area 2-C Cup. MDSA U16 and U19 boys
Eagles tennis team largely veteran crew Girls tennis coach Rick Ortega and his assistant Marc Albano welcomed back a veteran crew of players this fall for Clayton Valley Charter High School and the team is looking to challenge for the Diablo Valley Athletic League championship. Chloe Kim earned allDVAL first-team recognition as a sophomore last fall and is currently playing No. 1 singles for the Eagles. Seniors Olga Ivanova, Xenia Ivanova and Sarah Orr are right behind her for top singles positions. Orr and Ivanova were second-team allleague in 2011. All-DVAL honorees Natalia Solano-Rojas (singles) and Michelle Howard (doubles) both have graduated and are now at Diablo Valley College.
Madison Daniel teamed with Howard in doubles last year as a sophomore all-DVAL duo. Senior Laura Valenzuela and freshman Erin Wardle are on the roster too. The tennis team has a “no-cut” policy and new players were still joining early this month. Albano says that CVCHS is projected to finish second to Northgate in league play “except by us.” Eagle alum Albano is in his second year with the girls program assisting seventh-year head coach Ortega. The DVAL double roundrobin schedule began last week and concludes Oct. 18. The DVAL tournament will be hosted by Northgate Oct. 2426. North Coast Section singles and doubles are Nov. 13-14.
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and girls play in a league with teams from Pleasant Hill, Concord, American Canyon, Richmond, Stockton and Manteca. Three years ago AYSO added an elite program called Extra Play. “We have multiple teams ranging from U10 to U19 that play at a competitive level against opponents from all over Northern California and Northern Nevada,” Lizzarago adds. Lizzarago says the annual MDSA Volunteer Appreciation Dinner will be held in November. Spring Select tryouts will be held following the World Cup and is open to all fall league players. Diablo FC teams are busy all year and this summer they took part in top level tournaments including Surf Cup, NHB Cup, California Invitational Bakersfield, Pleasanton Rage Showcase, Diablo FC Summer Classic, Santa Clara Sporting Invitational, Santa Cruz Breakers Cup, California Cup, US Club Soccer Regionals, Davis College Showcase and US Club Soccer Nationals in Chicago, just to name a few. Director of Coaching Brian Voltattorni is a former club player who coached his alma mater, De La Salle High School, to five North Coast Section championships including three in a row from 2009-2011. He is now devoted full-time to his Diablo FC duties leading a professional coaching staff that includes a number of current college coaches (Cal Berkeley,
St. Mary’s College, UC Merced, Merritt College) and former professional and international soccer players. Diablo FC’s long-time goalkeeper coach Henry Foulk not only is the Cal men’s keeper coach but also is on Jürgen Klinsmann’s United States Men’s National Team staff. “The next three months are going to be very exciting for all our teams at Diablo FC. Our coaches and players have had a
busy summer preparing for the fall season and have won a number of tournaments all over the state as a result. This includes championships and top four finishes in many of the state’s top events,” Voltattorni says. Diablo FC teams kicked off a very competitive fall season last weekend for its 36 teams in the U9 through U18 age groups. The club also has U23 men’s and women’s teams during the spring and summer and a suc-
cessful Academy program for players from five to eight years of age. “We have teams playing in US Club Soccer and CYSA leagues. Our older teams are playing in the National Premier Leagues in the U14-U18 age groups. The NPL NorCal Division is one of 11 leagues across America created to provide a national development platform with the highest level of competition in given geographic areas to elevate and change the competitive youth soccer landscape in this country. Diablo FC is the only club in Region IV to have a team in every age group. “Our U13-U18 boys will also be competing in the Western College Developmental Association and will compete against the top clubs in the Western Region in Las Vegas on the Thanksgiving weekend. This is one of the bigger soccer showcase events in the country with over 100 college coaches recruiting as well as members of the US National coaching staff present to watch the players.” Voltattorni adds, “Our U15-U18 girls will be traveling to San Diego on Thanksgiving weekend to participate in the Carlsbad Nights and Surf Cup Showcase, which will also feature over 100 women’s college coaches present.” The U8 Diablo FC Academy just began its fall season with Voltattorni, Brazilian Olympian Tafa and District 4 Coaching Director Steve Shott providing instruction for players five to eight years of age twice a week at Boatwright Sports Complex. The 12th annual Diablo FC Winter Academy begins in January for boys and girls of all skill levels from five to 12 years of age. For more information on MDSA visit www.mdsoccer.org and for Diablo FC go to www.diablofc.org.
Photo courtesy Diablo FC
THE DIABLO FC 98 BLUE UNDER 14 BOYS WON FOUR CONSECUTIVE GAMES to capture the under 14 championship at the Walnut Creek Summerfest tournament. The local team defeated the host Walnut Creek Crew 98 in the finals 4-1. The champs include, front row from left, Alex Delgadillo, Austin Ramirez, Dylan Gois, Kevin Garcia, Kyle Timmons, Landon Elfstrom, Diego Cordova, Pablo Hernandez; back row, coach Dave Lonestar, Evan Lonestar, Casey Smith, Zachary Lamb, Gabriel Dusauzay, Adrian Ortiz, Mitchell Campos, Taylor Heuerman, Cade Hermeston, Scott Lorentzen, Ryan Anchondo and manager Jorge Cordova.
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
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Sports
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Clayton Valley water polo has been synonymous with success and the Eagles boys and girls teams this year expect to maintain that tradition with head coaches from opposite ends of the experience spectrum. The girls team is coming off two seasons where they were eliminated from the North Coast Section playoffs by identical 9-8 scores. Dennis Bledsoe returns to lead the Eagles as he’s done since the program began. For the boys, Nick Ballew is the first-year coach and he inherits a team which lost seven of its 12 athletes to graduation, including a trio of all-league players. Bledsoe, who has retired from teaching but continues to lend his talents to coaching the newly named Clayton Valley Charter High water polo and swim teams, says, “This should be a good year for the girls polo team. We placed second in the league last year to Northgate. Clayton and Northgate look to be at the top of the league again with College Park, Concord and Ygnacio Valley going after third place.” He hopes to win league this year and advance to NCS again as the Eagles have done in the every year of past decade except 2005 and 2006. The core returnees are juniors Kimi Anderson, Noel Creamer and Sara Johnson and seniors Sara Abele, Casey Adams, Julia Arteaga, Michelle Lutz, Bailey Rogers and Taylor Ryle. Team members who should add to the success of the season are Amanda Calimlim, Maggie Dombrowski, Tracie Kreiss, Briana Parham, Julia Sil-
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SHOOTING FROM POINT BLANK RANGE is Clayton Valley Charter player Sara Abele in a pre-season game against Liberty of Brentwood. The Eagles are looking for their sixth straight invitation to the North Coast Section playoffs. verberg, Katie Van Tuyl and Quincy Winship. Abele, Ryle and Adams were first-team all-Diablo Valley Athletic League last year as juniors while Arteaga and sophomore Johnson were second-team allleague. Anderson was honorable mention all-DVAL. Cheyenne Colomb and Jackie Svoboda also earned league honors as seniors in 2011. Athletic director Greg Fister says, “The Clayton Valley aquatics program (water polo and swimming) is a direct result of the continued dedication and leadership of Mr. Bledsoe. Our students are better people because they have known Dennis Bledsoe.” Assisting Bledsoe is returning junior varsity head coach Kelly Cadwallader. New boys coach Ballew
takes over the defending DVAL championship team but terms it “a big building year. The team is focusing on conditioning as well as strengthening their level of play.” His team goal is to win DVAL and earn a bid to NCS. Ballew’s challenge includes filling the vacancies left by league MVP Christo Lopez and all-DVAL seniors Tommy Butler and goalie Taylor Wingard. His top returning players are senior Jared Deely and juniors Jack Brown and Kenny Cuneo. Delly and Brown are team captains. Brown was first-team allDVAL as a sophomore. Top varsity newcomers are sophomore Tanner White and freshman Scott Meylan, who just concluded a successful club summer season. Michael Fryer,
Garrett Blatter, Clark Blatter, Grant Meylan, Jordan Tate, Max Renner, Nick Bazan, Alex Jennings, Devin McHugh and Liam Calkins are also contributing to the Eagles efforts this year. Clayton Valley grad Danny Boessenecker is also new to the boys staff but, like Ballew, brings playing and leadership experience to the team. JV coach Kristen Cadwallader is returning for the second year. Clayton Valley Charter practices and plays its home matches at Concord Community Pool. League matches begin next week. The teams will be taking part in tournaments intermingled with league matches until the DVAL tournament Oct. 23-27. NCS playoffs Oct. 31-Nov. 10.
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Clayton Valley Charter High School girls volleyball coach Dave Hobson says, “Our goal is to make North Coast Section playoffs. We are focused on that goal and won’t be satisfied with anything less.” Hobson makes the statement for a team that lost six seniors to graduation and has been to NCS only twice in the last eight years (2010 and 2006). He is counting on a pair of all-Diablo Valley Athletic League honorees and another player returning from injury to lead his Eagles. Megan Elms was first-team all-DVAL as a junior libero and had 21 digs last week as CVCHS evened its pre-season record at 2-2 with a three-set victory over Antioch. Kayla Taylor was second-team all-league as a sophomore middle hitter and is now an upperclassman in her third varsity season. She leads the team in blocks and kills. Adding to the Eagles experience is senior Lauren McCarthy who is returning from an injury and is second in blocks. Sophomore Hailey Pascoe and freshman Jessica Stratton are outside hitters new to varsity. Pascoe had seven kills and five aces against Antioch. Stratton is second to Elms in digs on the team.
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JUNIOR KAYLA TAYLOR (15) BLOCKS AN ANTIOCH SHOT for the Clayton Valley Charter High School volleyball team as the Eagles evened their early-season record at 2-2. Taylor was second-team all-DVAL as a sophomore. Hailey Pascoe (left) and Sarah Williams (9) were also at the net.
Seeing plenty of action for the Eagles are defensive specialist Sydney Runyon, opposites Hannah Gleeson and Ariana Bermudez, setters Jordan Bluth and Cat Buenrostro. Bluth and Buenrostro lead the team in assists. Julie Barker, Megan Sarkissian, Alysha Gasowski , Morgan Giacobazzi and Sarah Williams are contributing to the varsity team. The Eagles finished 6-6 in
DVAL last year and 13-22 overall. Hobson says Northgate “seems to be the top team with Berean Christian up there as well.” Concord finished third last year ahead of CV with both Concord and Northgate reaching NCS Division II while Berean went all the way to the Division IV semifinals at sectionals. Hobson adds, “We will be battling to try and get past Concord this year.” Clayton Valley girls volleyball
has been a family affair for Hobson. He’s been with the program for six years, the first four as assistant coach to his wife Lisa Barbieri Hobson, who happens to be a member of the CVHS Hall of Fame. Both Dave and Lisa Hobson are Eagle alums. DVAL volleyball play begins Tuesday when the Eagles host Berean. League play continues until Nov. 1 with section playoffs running Nov. 7-17.
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
September 14, 2012
Sports UTOPIC GARDENS
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‘NEVER MORE PATRIOTIC’ Ipsen says he loved participating in both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. “The whole thing was awesome,” he said in an interview with the Pioneer last week as he drove to get a tattoo soon after returning from a family vacation at Lake Tahoe. “All the divers on the team get the five Olympics rings tattooed. I’m going to have them put on my forearm.” He said he “never felt more patriotic” than when he marched into the Olympic Stadium for the Opening Ceremonies “all dressed up, hearing chants of ‘USA’ from the stands. It was pretty amazing!” Kohler missed that experience but was there for the Closing Ceremonies. “That really capped it,” she said. “Everyone was relaxed and having a good time. It stirred some emotions and when they said ‘See you in Rio’ I thought ‘I can’t wait.’” She said she collected “notable athletes’ autographs” on an American flag during the ceremonies. Both Claytonians were isolated with their teammates and coaches until they competed but were heartened that they had family, friends and coaches in London cheering them on. Kara’s parents Caryl and Mike and sister Stacie were at her races along with boyfriend and fellow rower Ryan Monaghan. Cal rowing coaches Dave O’Neill and Mike Teti were part of the USA coaching staff in London.
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For Ipsen, not only were sister Lauren and parents Kent and Yvette in London but also all his diving coaches. Karla Helder was his first coach before Phil Tonne mentored him through the beginning of his college career. Stanford diving coach Dr. Rick Schavone was part of the U.S. staff since Ipsen and Stanford alum Cassidy Krug were on the American squad. WHAT’S NEXT? Both Kohler and Ipsen are looking ahead to this school year when the can return to a more routine college life. Kohler took off the last year at Cal to train for more than 13 months in Princeton, NJ, with U.S. Olympic rowing hopefuls. The Clayton Valley High School grad is now back at UC Berkeley for her junior year, looking towards graduating in spring 2014. Ipsen began his freshman
year at Stanford last fall after graduating from De La Salle High in May 2011. He didn’t attend Stanford for the spring quarter in order to concentrate on his Olympic quest. Due to NCAA regulations he had to move off campus but was able to train with Krug and Dr. Schavone at Stanford. Now he is days away from resuming his studies at Stanford. College swimming and diving is a winter sport and Ipsen hopes to defend his NCAA three-meter championship and also compete for the platform and one-meter titles. He’ll be doing this with an eye towards Rio as he looks to “perfect his current 3M dives” while also adding more difficult dives to his repertoire. He is still undecided about how much national and international diving he’ll do in the next year. Kohler has resumed off-season training with her Cal crew teammates and is looking towards winning a national championship next spring. The
Two locals key members of Cal women’s soccer team
Photos courtesy GoldenBearSports.com
THE CAL WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAM HAS A LOCAL FLAVOR AGAIN this season with Clayton Valley High grad Samantha Walker (12) and Clayton resident Mekenna deBack (18) playing key roles for the Golden Bears. Walker is a versatile senior who played in 58 games before this season. She was a two-time league MVP for the CVHS Eagles and also starred for many years with Diablo FC and DVSC club teams. deBack is in her third season at Cal. Before moving to Clayton she started at Miramonte High in Orinda and completed her high school and club soccer there. She has scored goals in all three of her seasons in Berkeley. The Bears host Penn this Friday and then begin conference play Sept. 21 against visiting Arizona. Cal has gone to the NCAA tournament for eight consecutive years.
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Golden Bears won the Pac-10 (now Pac-12) conference championships in Kohler’s first two years when she took up rowing after enrolling at Cal in the fall of 2009. Kohler made the Olympics in the quad sculls, which requires each rower to use two oars. She has really enjoyed the experience and is looking to explore more sculling in the coming years, even though many “experts” are already expecting her to be part of the USA women’s 8 boat in Rio. Kohler is still be eligible for the 2013 Under 23 World Championships and is mulling over trying to make the U.S. team in single or pairs sculls next summer. She was part of the U23 gold medal 8 boat in 2011. But for now, after the excitement of this Saturday’s celebration dies down, both of these young athletes will settle in to be average college students. “It’s going to be nice living on campus and having a normal schedule,” Ipsen says.
U8 SOCCER ACADEMY FALL SESSION ACCEPTING PLAYERS
Diablo FC’s renowned Soccer Academy is taking signups now for its summer session which runs on Mondays and Wednesdays at Boatwright Sports Complex through Oct. 24. Boys and girls 5-8 years of age can participate in the U8 Academy with local instruction from Brazilian Olympian Tafa, Diablo FC director of coaching Brian Voltattorni and District 4 coaching director Steve Shott. Registration and more info are available at diablofc.org.
ST. BONAVENTURE CYO BASKETBALL, CROSS
CLAYTON VALLEY SEEKS 2013 HALL OF FAME
WINTER YOUTH BASKETBALL LEAGUE COMES TO CLAYTON GYM Registration for the popular winter youth basketball league at Clayton Community Gym is now open. Basketball for girls and boys from 4-15 begins Dec. 15 and player evaluation day is Nov. 30. Registration is being taken online until Nov. 15 at alloutsportsleague.com. Call 2035626 for more info.
NOMINATIONS
COUNTRY LATE SIGNUPS
Late signups for boys and girls in second through eighth grades for the St. Bonaventure cross country and basketball CYO programs may still be taken. For more info call 672-5774 or visit stbonaventurecyo.com.
5K RUN & WALK TO BENEFIT HS SPORTS OCT.
Fun Run and Walk at Newhall Park in Concord, on Sunday, Oct. 7. Competitive and fun runners and those looking for a nice Sunday walk are encouraged to sign up. All proceeds support high school athletic programs at the five Mt. Diablo Unified School District high schools and Clayton Valley Charter. Sponsors are also being sought for the event, which is sponsored in part by Diablo FC. For more information and to register online visit unitedmtdiabloathletics.org.
can be sent via e-mail to Dee Billeter at deebilleter@ yahoo.com or Bill Nelson at mommanelson5@yahoo.com. Include a mailing address and an application form will be mailed to you. The induction takes place May 18, 2013 at Centre Concord.
7
United Mt. Diablo Athletic Foundation is holding its largest fundraiser, the fourth annual 5K
CVHS Athletic Hall of Fame committee is accepting nominations for the 2013 induction class. This will be the third class for the Hall, which began during the school’s 50th anniversary year in 2008. Individuals can nominate student athletes and coaches for the Hall of Fame. The requirement is that the nominee was a CVHS grad or coach in the years 1960-1999 who was all-league in at least one sport. Requests for a nomination form
5TH ANNUAL DIABLO FC BENEFIT GOLF TOURNAMENT OCT.
12
Benefitting field development and financial aid scholarships, the fifth annual Diablo FC golf tournament will be held Friday, Oct. 12, at Diablo Creek Golf Course in Concord. Golfers, sponsors and tee prize donations are being solicited. Email golftournament@diablofc.org or visit diablofc.org for more information.
September 14, 2012
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Page 13
Get clicking with your cat Resort, Spa, Salon
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PET PALS Someone once told me it was impossible to train a cat. Believe it or not, with a little work, training felines can be fun and rewarding. We all have things that we would prefer our cats do (or not do), but how can we communicate these desires to our independent feline companions? That’s where the clicker comes in. Most pet owners are familiar with clicker training for dogs,
but this simple tool has been used to train all kinds of animals, from mice to whales. The sound a clicker produces signals to your cat that what she’s doing is correct, making a repeat performance of the good behavior more likely. Start by associating the “click” with the cat getting a treat. If your cat isn’t foodmotivated, try rewarding with a toy or another high-value item. Click, and give a treat or toy. Teaching your cat this association is called “priming.” Cats have relatively short attention spans (and you don’t want to overfeed), so limit your sessions to a few minutes and practice only a few times a day. After
about 20 rounds of priming, your cat will begin associating the sound with a reward. The clicker can be used to train all types of behavior, from sitting to pawing a high-five. Clickers can also reinforce any good behavior, like using a scratching post correctly. All you need to do is sound the clicker and reward the behavior. Why use the clicker instead
of just saying “good cat?” While verbal praise is good, the clicker is a clearer communication tool because it produces a consistent, distinct sound. Clicker training is also great when the whole family wants to be involved, because its consistency eliminates any discrepancy between personal training styles. It’s a fun and fascinating technique to try, so pick up a clicker at your nearest pet store, check out some videos and books on clicker training, and start clicking with your cat. Elena Bicker is the Executive Director of Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation. She can be reached at (925) 256-1ARF (1273)
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that perfect adopter who can shower him with the love and the socialization that he missed out on. Attending a Basic Manners training class would be a fabulous way for Dorado to boost his confidence through
Meals, from page 3 A “typical” Central Contra Costa senior is 83-85 years old and no longer drives. Thirty percent live in Pittsburg and Antioch by themselves; overall 59 percent of the seniors live on $1,000 a month or much less. Sharon Fitzgerald, the Meals on Wheels program manager, calls her service “the last resort” for many seniors who need nutritious, ready-to-eat meals. Still, it is not enough. She adds that all of the Meals on Wheels routes are full, and unfortunately there are long wait lists for seniors needing meals. Her program already serves nearly 800 seniors each day in central Contra Costa County. There is a large need for substitute drivers for the cities of Pittsburg, Antioch and Bay Point with 13 routes and 300 seniors. The staff makes the
deliveries when there aren’t enough drivers. Fitzgerald says that they have had many volunteer drivers from Clayton and “it has been terrific. We need substitute drivers as desperately as we need permanent drivers.” Greg Manning is part of a group of volunteer drivers recruited from St. Bonaventure Church. He said what he most appreciates about Meals on Wheels is that the service allows people to stay in their home. “Some are very, very frail; they need this service,” he says. Manning has been on a regular route for about a year, and fills in as a substitute on other routes. He likes getting to know the seniors, “Some of them want to chew your ear.” And it’s a two-way street. “I look forward to seeing them,”
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Alexander says about the volunteer drivers. The round-trip route starting from the Concord Senior Center takes about an hour-and-ahalf. Keeping track of special meals and weekend and holiday deliveries takes a little longer, Manning says. June Matthews’ father receives meals and she appreciates the daily check-in. “I’m at work all day,” she says. “If my dad doesn’t answer the door they call me right away. It helps to know someone else is looking out for him, too.”. Contact Sharon Fitzgerald, Meals on Wheels program manager, at 925-937-8607 or sfitzgerald@mowsos.or . Learn more at www.mowsos.org.
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Page 14
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
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Clayton Community Calendar PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. SEPT. 19 FOR THE SEPT. 28 ISSUE. ITEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO calendar@claytonpioneer.com
IN CLAYTON Sept. 15 Final Concert in the Grove East Bay Mudd. Nine-piece cover dance band. 6 – 8:30 p.m. Grove Park, downtown Clayton. Free. Sept. 15 Olympic Celebration Clayton honors hometown Olympians Kara Kohler and Kristian Ipsen. Parade on Main Street and celebration in the Grove. 5 p.m. Downtown Clayton. Sept. 15, 22, 29 and Oct. 13, 20, 27 Farmers’ Market 8 a.m. – noon, Saturdays, Diablo Street between Main and Center streets, downtown, pcfma.com/clayton. Oct. 1 Candidate Night The Clayton Community Library Foundation and the Clayton Branch of the AAUW will be hosting a “Clayton City Council Candidate Forum” moderated by the League of Women Voters. 7 – 9 p.m. Clayton Community Library, Community Room, 6125 Clayton Road. Free and open to the public. Oct. 5 – 7 Oktoberfest Sponsored by the Clayton Business and Community Association. Music by The Internationals, biergarten, food, arts and crafts, carnival. 6 – 10 p.m. Friday, carnival only. 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Saturday. 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sunday. Downtown. Free. claytonoktoberfest.com. Oct. 13 Trail Trials The “Devil Dares You,” Halloween-themed competition for horse and rider. Awards, costume contest, raffle and barbecue. Camping available. Concord Mount Diablo Trail Ride Association, 1600 Trail Ride Road, Clayton. cmdtra.org. Email cmdtra@yahoo.com for registration information.
EVENTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Thru Sept. 29 My Way A musical tribute to Frank Sinatra. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $49-$53. diablotheatre.org. 9437469. Thru Oct. 6 “The Last Romance” Are you ever too old to find love? Diablo Actors’ Ensemble, 1345 Locust St., Walnut Creek. $10-$25. diabloactors.com. Thru Oct. 7 “Lucky Stiff” A musical murder mystery farce by Center Repertory Company. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $38$47. centerrep.org. Sept. 14 Summer Concert John DeMers as Frank Sinatra. 6:30 p.m. Montecito, 4756 Clayton Road, Concord. Donations benefit the Alzheimer’s Association. Respond by Sept. 14. 852-6702. Sept. 14-16 Greek Festival Greek food, wine, music and dancing. Fri. 5 – 11 p.m. Sat. 12 – 11 p.m. Sun. 12 – 8 p.m. St. Demetrios, 1955 Kirker Pass Road, Concord. $5 adults; $3 seniors; free children under 12. ccgreekfest.com. 676-6967. Sept. 14 – Oct. 5 Off the Shelf and On Stage An evening of one acts, including new plays, comedies and dramas. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $10-$22. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469. Sept. 20 Lindsay Aline This three-octave soprano shares her inspiring story and breathtaking music. 7:45 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $25. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469. Sept. 23 Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra Presents Seven Wonders of the World. 7:30 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $10-$30. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.
Sept. 30 California Symphony Moody conducts Rachmaninoff. 4 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $20-$65. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.
FUNDRAISERS Sept. 19 Yogurt Shack Organized by Mount Diablo Elementary Parent Faculty Club. Mention MDES and Yogurt Shack donates 25 percent. 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Located at 5438 Ygnacio Valley Rd, Concord. 673-5555. Sept. 22 Wine and Whiskers Dazzling night of specialty wines, delectable hors d’oeuvres, irresistible silent auction and ARF’s lovable dogs and cats. 5 – 8 p.m. Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation, 2890 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek. $80. Contact Judy Bentley at jbentley@arf.net. Sept. 30 By the Kids, For the Kids Musical review by Youth Theatre Company that benefits the Civic Arts Education scholarship and Monument Crisis Center. 5 p.m. Shadelands Art Center, 111 N. Wiget Lane, Walnut Creek. $10. youththeatrecompany.org. 943-5846.
AT THE LIBRARY The Clayton Library is at 6125 Clayton Road. Programs are free unless otherwise noted. claytonlibrary.org or 673-0659. Wednesdays Book Buddies A volunteer will read stories for children 3 and older. 1-2 p.m. Tuesdays thru Nov. 27 Patty Cakes Story time for babies to 3-year-olds. Child attends with caregiver. 11 a.m. Thursdays thru Nov. 15 Picture Book Time Story time for 3 to 5-year-olds. Child may attend without caregiver. 11 a.m. Sept. 15 Practice SAT Princeton Review administers practice SAT test. Get personalized score report. Bring calculator, water, snack and pencils. 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Registration required. ccclib.org or 673-0659. Sept. 22 SAT Scores Review Strategy session for students and parents to pick up scores and learn how to increase scores on real SAT or ACT exams. 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Sept. 19 College Finances Joy Maloles Keehn, financial advisor, discusses what to consider when establishing a college savings goal, strategies to reach goals and 529 college savings plans. 7 p.m. Registration required. ccclib.org.
2nd and 4th Tuesdays Clayton Planning Commission 7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 6737304 or ci.clayton.ca.us.
CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS Alzheimer’s and Dementia Support Group Meets 6 p.m. fourth Wednesday of the month, Montecito, 4756 Clayton Road, Concord. 692-5838. Claycord 4-H Meets 6:45 p.m. second Tuesday of the month, Farm Bureau Hall, 5554 Clayton Road, Concord. Clayton Business and Community Association Meets 6:30 p.m. last Thursday of the month except holidays, Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr., Clayton. Call Sue at 672-2272. Clayton Valley Garden Club Meets 7 p.m. second Wednesday of the month, February through November. Diamond Terrace, 6401 Center St., Clayton. claytonvalleygardenclub.org. Clayton Valley Woman’s Club Meets 9:30 a.m. second Tuesday of the month except July and August, Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 1092 Alberta Way, Concord. 672-9448. Concord Mt. Diablo Trail Ride Association Meets 6 p.m. first Saturday of the month for a potluck. Open to members and guests. CMDTRA, 1600 Trail Ride Road, Clayton. cmdtra.org or cmdtra@yahoo.com. Contra Costa Chess Club Meets 6:30-9:30 p.m. Thursdays, Starbuck’s, 1536 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton. Players of all ages and skill levels welcome. ccchess.com or contact Mike at 639-1987. Creekside Artists Guild Meets 7-8:30 p.m. second Wednesday of the month, Library Story Room, 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton. All artforms and both emerging and experienced artists welcome. Contact Arlene at nielsenjanc@aol.com, creeksideartists.org or call 673-9777. Diablo Valley Democratic Club Meets 7-9 p.m. third Wednesday of the month, Ygnacio Valley Library, 2661 Oak Grove Road., Walnut Creek. dvdems.org, 946-0469. Knights of Columbus Meets 7:30 p.m. first Tuesday of the month, St. Bonaventure Church, Ministry Center, 5562 Clayton Road, Concord. Art 6721850, shanone@comcast.net or Chuck 849-5466, cecooper3@comcast.net. MOMS Club of Concord/Clayton Meeting dates vary. 331-0674, concordclaytonmomsclub@hotmail.com or concordclaytonmomsclub.webs.com. Oakhurst Business Network Meets 5 – 7 p.m. first Thursday of the month for social hour. Hosted hors d’oeuvres, cash bar. Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Dr., Clayton. oakhurstcc.com.
Tuesdays Sept. 25 thru Nov. 6 Paws to Read Encourage children to read. Children in grades 1 – 5 read out loud to a dog. Sign up for maximum of four sessions. 4 p.m. or 4:35 p.m. Registration required.
Rotary Club of Clayton Valley/Concord Sunrise Meets 7 a.m. Thursdays, Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr., Clayton. Includes breakfast and a speaker. claytonvalleyrotary.org or 566-8166.
Sept. 26 Library 101 for Teens A chance to ask librarian Doug Thomas questions. 7 p.m. Registration required. ccclib.org or 673-0659.
Scrabble Club Meets 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. second and fourth Saturdays of the month, Carl’s Jr. Restaurant, 1530 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton. All ages and skill levels welcome. $3. scrabble-assoc.com or call Mike at 639-1987.
Oct. 3 Immigration Consultation Ms. Spojmie Nasiri, attorney specializing in immigration law, provides free legal consultations by appointment. 6 p.m. Go to Reference Desk or call 673-0659.
Soroptimist International of Diablo Vista Meets 12:15 p.m. second, third and fourth Wednesdays of the month, September-June, Sizzler, 1353 Willow Pass Road, Concord. Contact Nicole at 692-2224.
Oct. 4 Dinosaurs Rock Families can’t miss this amazing display of dinosaur bones and other fossils. Best for kids ages 5 – 11. 4 p.m.
Veterans of Foreign Wars Breakfast 8-11 a.m. second and fourth Sundays of the month, 2290 Willow Pass Road, Concord. Eggs, pancakes, sausage, beverage. $4, $2 children under 12.
GOVERNMENT 1st and 3rd Tuesdays Clayton City Council 7 p.m. Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 6737304 or ci.clayton.ca.us.
Ygnacio Valley Republican Women Meets third Wednesday of the month, except June, July, August. September 19 speaker: Becky Kolberg, chairwoman of the Contra Costa Republican Party. 10 a.m. Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Drive, Clayton. Reservations required for lunch. $25. Call Barbara Allen at 672-5061.
September 14, 2012
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Club News Clayton Valley Art Collaborative
Clayton Business and Community Association
CVCHS director gives glowing account of first weeks CBCA also gears up for Eagles football, a new exhibit and Oktoberfest GARY CARR Special to the Pioneer
CVAC STEERING COMMITTEE: Seated: Julie Vanwyk, Nancy Garrett. Standing: Mary Coakley, Leo Schindler, Candace Bass,CVAC Director.
Clayton Valley Art Collaborative (CVAC) continues to support and collaborate with a wide range of organizations, businesses and individuals. This past year, CVAC donated artwork to two community fundraisers, including the silent auction and dinner for CBCA’s 26th Annual Clayton Classic Golf Tournament. CVAC will be hosting a coffee at Diamond Terrace from 3-5p.m Oct 18. Craig Andersen, of Clayton Frameworks will be the guest speaker. He will be presenting tips on “Proper Framing.” For more information contact Candace Bass at kndbass@aol.com.
Page 15
Little wonder that Clayton Valley Charter High School has burst out of the blocks for the start of the new school year. David Linzey, the charter school’s first executive director and principal, was a ball of enthusiasm as he presented the Clayton Business and Community Association with a glowing report on the progress of the school so far and his vision for its future. He spoke of how proud the student body feels to be a part of this brand-new approach to their education. The proof of the pudding thus far, he says, is that after lunchtime breaks, not a scrap of trash was to be found on the patio. Certainly a good omen in the educational process,
where attitude is everything. Mary Spryer, Curator of the Clayton Museum, was equally enthusiastic about the programs and future of the museum and the Historical Society headquartered in the little white frame house on Main Street. She praised the volunteers who keep the place alive and lively and invited everyone to the Nov. 4 grand opening of the exhibit that will honor the 200th birthday of the city’s founder, Joel Clayton. The museum is open Sundays and Wednesdays from 2 to 4 p.m. and by appointment. It also hosts tours for school groups. At the end of their visit, Spryer says, third-graders learn that they will have a homework assignment. But before the kids’ faces can fall too far, Spryer hands out “antique” lollipops (Dum-Dum suckers were invented in 1924) so that the students can take home a taste of history. Turning to the CVCHS foot-
Church News Community raises $6,400 for the Concord Salvation Army’s back-to-school program The Concord Salvation Army announced that more than $6,400 was raised by the local community for The Army’s Back-to-School program. The money was used to purchase new school clothes and supplies for more than 60 underprivileged children, assisted by 90 volunteers, on a shopping spree at Target on Aug. 21. The Salvation Army Disaster Team supplied a hot breakfast from The Salvation Army Emergency Canteen to the children and volunteers prior to their
shopping experience. Several companies contributed to the program. Rotarian groups from Pleasant Hill, Clayton Valley Sunrise, Concord/Diablo and Concord not only contributed financially, but also lent a hand as escorts for the children during the spree. Major Audrey Madsen, Salvation Army associate corps officer, said, “I firmly believe that having the right school supplies are so important in the development of these young students in both their academics
SALVATION ARMY ADVISORY BOARD
MEMBER
BOB HUCK
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with one of the lucky Back-to-School program recipients.
and self-esteem. I want them to come back to school prepared.” The Back-to-School program is one of The Salvation Army’s
many year-round programs and services.
For more information, go to salvationarmyusa.org.
ball team, CBCA voted overwhelmingly to grant the school $5,000 toward the purchase of football helmets and other protective gear. The CVCHS football program currently has 165 participants, 40 more than last year. The program is entirely self-funded, relying on assistance from its booster club, parents and fundraisers involving the players themselves. CBCA President Keith Haydon reiterated the quid pro quo nature of all such association funding. In return for a grant, all grantees are required to volunteer to assist in CBCA’s community events, such as Oktoberfest, which raise funds for these types of requests. Speaking of Oktoberfest, co-chair Marilyn Schmidt
reminded everyone of the need for volunteers for this year’s event, to be held Oct. 6 and 7 in downtown Clayton. From the floor, several members spoke of the danger of “the core faithful” burning out after working on every event for many years and the need for more volunteers to continue the club events. Clayton residents and people who do business in the Clayton area are encouraged to join CBCA and lend support “for the good of the Clayton community.” CBCA events provide a way to meet and interact with people in the community and lend support to a variety of local causes. Plus, they are fun. To play a part, visit www.ClaytonCBCA.org or call 925-672-2272.
Page 16
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Performing Arts
The 21st Annual
San Francisco
A.C.T to electrify audiences with production of ‘Elektra’ Direct from its sold-out premiere in Los Angeles, American Conservatory Theater will bring Artistic Director Carey Perloff ’s sweeping production of Sophocles’ Greek tragedy “Elektra” to the Bay Area. The intense, 90-minute production, a fast-paced thriller, is a new interpretation of the timeless Greek tragedy. The play features a specially commissioned new translation by Olivier Award–winning British playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker, an original score
Sept. 14 - 16
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by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang, and Academy Award winner Olympia Dukakis, reuniting the team that brought Bay Area audiences the 1995 critically acclaimed, smash-hit production of Euripides’ “Hecuba.” Love and revenge take center stage in “Elektra,” which will haunt the A.C.T. main stage just in time for Halloween. After her father, King Agamemnon, is murdered by her mother and her mother’s lover, Elektra is consumed by grief and fiercely
intent on revenge. Every day, she prays to the gods that her exiled brother Orestes might return to help her avenge their father’s death, and every night, the silence of the gods drives her closer to madness. “Elektra” runs Oct. 25 through Nov. 18 at A.C.T.’s Geary Theater, 415 Geary Street in San Francisco. Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased online at www.act-sf.org or by calling 415-749-2228.
Violinist Jeremy Cohen to perform in East Bay Internationally acclaimed violinist Jeremy Cohen will perform in the East Bay on Sept. 22 and 23 as the Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra presents “Seven Wonders of the World.” Cohen is the first violinist in Grammy-nominated Quartet
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San Francisco, and also performed on Carlos Santana’s Grammy-winning CD “Supernatural.” He is wellknown as the solo violinist in “Forever Tango,” and his credits also include soundtracks from “The Dukes of Hazzard” and “Dollmaker.” His sumptuous style is often heard on recordings for Skywalker Sound at LucasFilm. Cohen will perform a trio of tantalizing tangos with the orchestra, and the program will also feature selections from Russia, Norway, Hungary and Great Britain. The orchestra will close with the arrangement of “America the Beautiful” by Antioch-born Carmen Dragon, who conducted the Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra. During his career in radio, TV and films he won an Emmy and an Oscar, and was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Academy Award-winning actress Olympia Dukakis stars in a highly acclaimed new translation of Sophocles’ Greek tragedy “Elektra,” opening the Geary Theatre on Oct. 25.
Diablo Theatre Company opens season their way, with ‘My Way’
VIOLINIST JEREMY COHEN
Conductor Timothy Smith will introduce each piece with insights into the composers’ lives and work. The orchestra will perform two shows. The first, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22, will be at the Los Medanos College Recital Hall in Pittsburg. Tickets are $5-$10 at the door. The second show will be at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23, at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek. Tickets are $10-$30 at the door. Or, you can order them by phone at 925-943-SHOW or online at their website, www.LesherArtsCenter.org.
Diablo Theatre Company opens its 53rd season with “My Way, A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra,” the music, the man and the icon of cool. In this 53-song tour through the music and legend that was Ol’ Blue Eyes himself, four singers and eight dancers take the reins of Sinatra’s songbook. Their destinations? Everywhere from Sinatra’s early big band recordings with Tommy Dorsey (“I’ll Never Smile Again”) to the bright lights of Las Vegas (“It Was a Very Good Year,” “Strangers in the Night”) to the September years of his career that produced, surprisingly, some of his most trademark work (“My Way” and the Theme from “New York, New York”). “My Way” recreates an elegant supper club at the height of the Swing Era, allowing audiences to hear this treasured music as they might have heard it 70 years ago. David Grapes and Todd Olson co-created this revue, which premiered in 2000 and has since delighted Sinatra fans and fans-to-be throughout North America. Unlike many tribute musicals, which attempt
Theatre,from page 1 “Not like the larger regional companies that are run as big businesses with professional staff, huge budgets and the constant financial stress that goes that,” says Pardi. “La Tonya and I won’t be quitting our day jobs.” At most, the company will pay a small stipend – no professional career spots here, she says. They will call on the community
for performers, directors, stage crew and, of course, donations. Because of its size, Endeavor Hall will present some real challenges for staging. “With virtually no wing space, we won’t be doing any large scale musicals like ‘Phantom of the Opera,” she laughs. “But, she adds, “The small venue creates the intimacy we are striving for.”
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Michael Kern Cassidy stars as Man #2 in Diablo Theatre’s tribute to Frank Sinatra now playing at the Lesher Center.
to recreate the life of a person in just over two hours, “My Way” is a celebration just as Mr. Sinatra would have wanted: a few stories, a few drinks, and plenty of knockout tunes. “My Way” plays through Sept. 29 in the Hoffman Theatre at the Lesher Center, 1601 Civic Drive in Walnut Creek. For show times and ticket information, call the box office (925) 943-7469 or go to www.diablotheatre.org.
The Clayton Theatre Company (CTC) has been percolating in the minds of the pair for more than four years. Pardi, who is managing director of the company, was once Watts’ teacher at Pittsburg High School and the two have shared their passion for performing through the years, working on productions together and supporting each other professionally. Neither are strangers to the performing arts community. Pardi has lived in Clayton for 25 years and is a private voice and piano teacher. Watts runs a dance studio in Pittsburg. Both have a long list of performance, directing and choreography credits. The pair has already put together an impressive coalition of community support. The Clayton Business and Community Association has stepped up with a $3000 matching grant and Pardi credits city manager Gary Napper for helping to set up an affordable use plan for the cityowned Endeavor Hall. But, they still have a way to go before opening night. Fundraising will kick into high gear at a Launch Party at Endeavor Hall on Sept. 29 at 6:30 p.m. “The biggest reason people don’t donate is because they weren’t asked.” So, Pardi is asking. “Come by, sample a bit of the song and dance in store for the coming season, and learn more about CTC.” A tax deductible donation can be made to CTC, PO Box 991, Clayton, 94517, or online at eTeamsponsor.com.
September 14, 2012
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Page 17
Dress up your windows for style and function
What do you like in a window treatment? Long, full, functioning drapery panels with a slight kick at the floor? Perfectly stacked mini or wooden blinds
to block out afternoon sun? Organic-feeling natural woven flat Roman shades mounted inside a window frame? Decorative fabric valances fram-
ing a window header to conceal a secondary, functional privacy roller shade? The choices seem endless. Draperies, blinds, curtains, shutters, sheers, Roman shades, fabric or natural woven, swags, roller shades, valances, cornices...with so many window treatment designs, how do you determine which treatment works best for your window? Consider a few things: What available space do you have to work with in or around the window frame? Are you looking to make a design statement or create a specific atmosphere? Do you need to address functional needs of your window like privacy, sun control or acoustics? What size is the actual window?
If you have an abundance of wall space around your window, and your window frame is deep enough for inside mount shades, you can pretty much entertain the idea of any style appropriate to your design aesthetic. Workable space is king with window treatments because nothing is limiting your creativity or hardware placement. In a dining room, bedroom, or living room where windows are typically large and wall space generous, drapery panels with decorative hardware, traditional or modern, is a great option. Drapery panels can be fully functional; opened and closed daily to help with sun control and privacy. Or, drapery panels can be fabricated to be stationary and not intended to cover the window. They are only used as a decorative frame on either
side of a window, French doors, or glass sliding doors. In a bathroom, kitchen or den where space around a window may be tight due to cabinetry, closets or appliances, Roman shades (fabric or natural woven reeds) or blinds offer functional design. If your window frames are deep enough, typically a minimum of 1-1/2inch, you can mount shades inside the frame and keep the design confined to the window itself. Your living space may have a well rounded display of seating, perfectly placed accessories and an abundance of lighting highlighting all the right areas, but if your windows are undressed, the living space is incomplete.
JUDITH MARSHALL
FASHION OVER 50 According to the fashion industry, Labor Day is the start of the “Fall Season.” So what’s a woman to do when the weather stays warm through Halloween? Here are some tips for transitioning your wardrobe to fall
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ply out of place come September. Store the straw. Put away straw bags, straw hats, bags with plastic parts or grosgrain ribbon. In general, take a common sense approach when transitioning from your summer to your fall wardrobe. If it’s 80 degrees, you’d look ridiculous in a wool tweed suit, even if it is October. Conversely, you’d look ridiculous in a flowy sundress and flip-flops in October, even if it is 80 degrees. Live long and pester! Judith Marshall is the author of “Husbands May Come and Go but Friends are Forever.”
DESIGN & DÉCOR No doubt about it, window treatments are an integral part of an interior design plan, whether their purpose is decorative or to provide a function like privacy and sun control. Jennifer Leischer is the owner of J. Designs Interior Design based in Clayton. Contact her with questions, comments and suggestions at jenna@j-designs.com
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Make your summer closet work after Labor Day when it still feels like summer: Wear some tights under your favorite summer frock and add a cardigan. Layering is the perfect strategy for transitioning to cooler weather. The rule is no more than three layers. Lighten up your hard-core fall pieces by pairing them with sandals. Pair your structured summer pieces with lighter weight winter wear – say a thinner sweater with a cotton skirt. Between seasons, a scarf will update any outfit. For some unexpected texture, try one
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Page 18
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
September 14, 2012
Fall in love with autumn roasted Brussels sprouts
Gross little grubs may be getting your grass
DEBRA J. MORRIS Pacific Coast Farmers Market
NICOLE HACKETT
GARDEN GIRL Our Clayton Valley lawns have been invaded by grubs. These short, fat, white wormlike insects are the culprits causing the damage we are now seeing in our yards. Curving strips of dead grass and areas of thinning dead grass are the result of this disgusting-looking insect. In all my years at the nursery, with all the insects that I have encountered, the grub is the one that truly makes my skin crawl. Grubs are really the larvae stage of other insects, usually some type of beetle or crane fly. These hungry grubs will eat away at the roots of a lawn during August and September. This year the grub damage seen around our Clayton Valley landscapes has been extreme. Lawn maintenance people have been mis-diagnosing this problem, treating the damage as if it has been caused by gophers. What’s the difference? The difference is in the damage. Gophers create mounds of tunnels, while the grubs create dead areas of lawn. Another indication that you may have grubs in your lawn is nighttime visits from proteinseeking critters. Raccoons and skunks love grubs. They think they are tasty little buggers. They will grab chunks of your grass, leaving shallow holes. In some cases, raccoons can even roll up sections of the lawn. Once you are in the path of these critters it is hard to keep
them away. Even after you resolve the grub problem they still may drop back by next year for a peek to see if you have more goodies to eat. Getting rid of grubs is fairly easy. An application or two of granular insecticide usually does the trick. Sevin is a popular, easy-to-find product that takes care of grubs as well as other ground living insects. Sevin isn’t kill-specific. This means it will kill not only the grubs, but also sow bugs, beetles, ants and earth worms, which are beneficial to the lawn. We like people to use granular insecticides sparingly, as needed, rather than as a preventative. As always, please apply the recommended dose; using twice as much won’t kill the grubs any faster. Please be a responsible user of all insecticides and herbicides, and always follow the product directions. Once your grub problem has been taken care of, you’ll need to fix the damage left on your lawn. You’ll want to proceed differently depending on the damage. Most homeowners will be able to fix their grass themselves. You will need a steel rake, a bag of rich soil conditioner and a box of seed. Use the steel rake to aggressively remove much of the dead grass. Choose a soil conditioner that has chicken manure, earthworm casting, bat guano and mycorrhizal fungi. Spread the soil conditioner throughout the entire lawn,
about 1-2 inches thick. Apply the grass seed after the conditioner. If you are like most Clayton Valley lawn owners you probably don’t know the exact seed combination of your lawn. This is why we apply seed to the entire area rather than just the damaged section. A safe seed combination to purchase is a 95 percent Tall Fescue and 5 percent Kentucky Blue. A little seed goes far – you can expect one pound of seed to cover 500 square feet. Just add a touch more to the areas where the grub damage is located. Water
thoroughly after spreading the seed. If you would like to consider a green alternative for grub control, next spring drench your soil with beneficial nematodes. They won’t be effective for control this year, but next summer, the grubs may be gone. Nicole is the Garden Girl at R&M Pool, Patio, Gifts and Garden and the 2012 president of the Clayton Valley Garden Club. Contact her with questions, comments or suggestions at gardengirl@claytonpioneer.com
Autumn is coming and that means the arrival of fall and winter vegetables like root vegetables, artichokes, winter lettuce and more. But the star this season is the Brussels sprout. Most of the Brussels sprouts grown in California come from the Central Coast, which offers an ideal combination of coastal fog and cool temperatures yearround. Harvesting takes place from June through January with availability at your farmers markets in the fall months. Visit G&A Farms at the market for some wonderful little sprouts. Sprouts grow in rows on long stalks and look like golf ball-sized knobs. Sections of these stalks, about two to three
Pioneer Photo Album Chandler Wakefield, 15, took this photo of the double rainbow that appeared over the Clayton Valley hills just about an hour after CHP officer Kenyon Youngstrom was pronounced dead on Sept. 5. The Pioneer is proud to spotlight our readers’ photos. Email your photo in a high-resolution format to tamara@claytonpioneer.com with a description of the photo, where and when it was taken and a little about why you like it. Include your name and phone number. Then look for it in the next Pioneer.
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feet, are sold with the sprouts attached, or loose in bulk display. Select those of comparable size if buying in bulk so they cook evenly. The individual sprouts should have a bright green color and fresh appearance. The head shouldn’t be puffy or soft or have any black spots, holes or yellow leaves. The stem ends should be clean and white. Here is one of my favorite Brussels sprout recipes:
ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS 1 lb. Brussels sprouts 2-3 medium shallots, peeled and sliced 3 Tbsp. olive oil Salt & pepper 1 Tbsp. butter Juice of 1/2 lemon Preheat oven to 425°F. Trim the base of the Brussels sprouts with a knife. Peel off the outer leaves and cut the sprouts in half. Toss sprouts, shallots, olive oil, salt and pepper together. Pour into a baking pan large enough so that there is a single layer of sprouts in the pan. Roast for 15 minutes and remove from oven to toss the sprouts around. Roast another 15 minutes and repeat. Roast a final 10 minutes and remove from oven (total time should be about 40 minutes). Stir the butter into the sprouts, then add the lemon juice, toss and serve.
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