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April 6, 2018
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Historical Society, Natives showcase best of Clayton’s gardens in double-tour weekend BEV BRITTON Clayton Pioneer
KeiTh hAyDOn
MAYOR’S CORNER
Buy books, drink wine and clean up
I hope you are enjoying our spring weather. After some much-needed rain, our valley is greening up nicely – encouraging us to get outside and enjoy our beautiful community. It’s a busy month in Clayton, with three community events. Two will take place outdoors so we can appreciate the town’s picturesque setting. The first event is the Spring Used Book Sale by the Clayton Community Library Foundation. It is scheduled for 4-7 p.m. April 13 (members only), 10 a.m.-6 Julie Pierce p.m. April 14 and noon-4 p.m. The “illusion” of a river in the front yard of Lynn Vogensen’s Dana hills home is just a sample of the creative April 15 at Hoyer Hall in the details incorporated in her revamped garden when she ditched her thirsty lawn. Vogensen’s garden will be Clayton Community Library. This sale raises funds for the one of six homes on the Clayton historical Society’s Annual Gardens Tour May 6.
See Mayor, page 7
May is the perfect time for a garden party, and the weekend of May 5-6 brings two such events to Clayton. The Clayton Historical Society’s Gardens Tour features five gardens in Clayton and Concord, while four Clayton yards will be part of the Bringing Back the Natives Tour. Historical Society vice president JoAnn Caspar says Lynne Vogensen has one of the best gardens she’s seen in the 26 years of the Clayton tour. When the Dana Hills resident decided to ditch her lawn, Vogensen didn’t want her yard to look like a typical revamp. Rather than creating a false river in the front, she added “the illusion of possibly a river.”
See Gardens, page 4
Clayton women honored by Soroptimists BEV BRITTON Clayton Pioneer
Clayton’s community spirit was on full display at the recent Women of Distinction awards from the Soroptimist International of Diablo Vista. The group recognized LaTonya Watts and Roxanne Pardi for their work with ClayMarch’s showers bring ton Theatre Company and ClayApril’s flowers – and some ton resident Linda Cruz for her weeds and rubbish, too. myriad volunteer contributions. Residents can help toss the trash at this year’s Clayton TIGHT-KNIT Cleans Up on April 21. Rain or THEATER TROUPE shine, check in at 9 a.m. at Pardi has known Watts Clayton City Hall to get a volunteer shirt and garbage bag. Fill the bag to the brim, then return to City Hall for a free barbecue celebration. The Clean Up also embraces Earth Day. Volunteers can hear ideas from local clubs and organizations about enjoying area trails, recycling, gardening, conserving water and do-it-yourself projects. Make a morning of it with family, friends, neighbors and clubs. Clayton artist Renaye Johnson returns as the designer of this year’s T-shirt, featuring a favorite scene in town. Johnson is a member of the Creekside Artists Guild and is the library’s art exhibit liaison. The Clayton Pioneer and the city of Clayton sponsor the event, with donations from Republic Services, the Clayton Business & Community Association, Travis Credit Union and Innovative Impressions.
since their teacher/student days at Pittsburg High School. “It was kind of a joke when she graduated, she said: ‘Hey, someday we should start a theater company together,’ ” Pardi recalls. The two reunited a few years back and got serious about their plan. The Clayton troupe just concluded its sixth season at Endeavor Hall and has won five Shellie Awards for community theater. Although Pardi says it’s been a challenge getting the word out about the small Clayton venue, they had record
attendance at recent performances of “Lend Me a Tenor.” In addition to three-week runs of a musical in the fall and a play in the spring, the pair offer a children’s drama camp in the summer. This year, participants will perform a reduced version of “Seussical.” Pardi, the managing director, and Watts, the artistic director, both wear many other hats – including choreography and costuming. Members of the board of directors also help out at each performance.
See WOD, page 4
Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer
Roxanne Pardi, left, and LaTonya Watts received their certificate and bouquets from Clayton resident and Soroptimist member, Sonja Wilkin.
Odyssey kids reach for the stars
Download a registration form from the city of Clayton website at ci.clayton.ca.us and bring it filled out to event. For more information, call the Pioneer at 925-672-0500.
BEV BRITTON Clayton Pioneer
Contributed photo
Odyssey of the Mind team Awesome Sauce cleans up at regional and state competitions. From left, 4th grader Chris Dent and 5th graders Joshua Peach, Ava Chan, Ruby Bartholomew, Mikayla Agnew, Billy Blackwell and Anja Perreira.
Mt. Diablo Elementary School students gave a stellar performance, going to outer space (and Riverside) in this spring’s Odyssey of the Mind competition. The team placed first at the regional event, earning them the trip to UC Riverside on March 24. Team coach Renee Culp called the competition “fierce,” yet the Mt. Diablo kids ended up fifth in the state out of 40 teams. Odyssey of the Mind (OM) is an after-school enrichment program run by parent volunteers. Team members work together at length to solve a predefined long-term problem and present their solution at a competition. During a sponta-
neous portion of the event, students must generate solutions to a new problem. “The long-term problem solution often takes many months to complete and involves various elements of theatrical performance, construction and design,” Culp says. With Culp and co-coach Kelly McDougall, Team Awesome Sauce has made it to the state competition three years in a row. This year’s long-term problem was Stellar Hangout. “In the outreaches of the universe, there is an Intergalactic Hangout where all sorts of creatures from different worlds stop, eat, refuel and relax,” Culp says. “Teams create a humorous performance
See MDES, page 6
What’s Inside
Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Community Calendar . . . . .11 Directory of Advertisers . . . .7 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
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Around Town
Page 2
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Students recognized for Kindness, Self-Discipline
April 6, 2018
New ‘blossom’ in town
The Pioneer wants to know about your anniversaries, weddings, engagements, births, awards and milestones. Please send a short description of your event, a high-resolution photo and your contact info to editor@pioneerpublishers.com
Clayton residents Jerry Smith and Linda Karp welcome new granddaughter Jesslyn Alena, born March 14. her parents are Rachel and David Ferreira and she has two big brothers, Dominic and Josiah. Linda Karp is the moving force behind the annual “Blossoms for Barbara” effort that distributes over 1000 flower pots to local seniors on Valentine’s Day.
15th annual Creekside Arts 2018!
honored students, from left: Zack Storn, Max Keil, Alexander Aki, Laine Moraes, Mayor haydon; standing in front: Delainey Brady.
The City Council honored five students from three schools for their strong showing in the Do the Right Thing character-building initiative at the council meeting March 6. For showing great Kindness during November and December, CVCHS Academic advisor Bob Ralston lauded senior Zack Storn. “Zack’s a winner,” Ralston said. “He tutors fellow students and he’s always there to give help when needed.” Zack plans on becoming a doctor. Five more students were honored by the council for their strong self-discipline. Delainey Brady, a thirdgrader from Mt. Diablo Elementary School was nominated by her teacher for showing great self-discipline in and out of the classroom. “She is patient, attentive and pragmatic.” Diablo View Middle School principal Patti Bannister introduced two students she said are the “best of the best” and
exemplify the quality of selfdiscipline. Lane Moraes is patient, kind and attentive, said her teacher, Laura Ploetz. Lane is a member of the leadership team and was one of six students selected to greet Congressman Mark DeSaulnier on his recent visit to the school. “She’s a behind-the-scenes worker and the first to volunteer for extra work. She has all the qualities of DTRT.” Next up from DVMS was Alexander Aki, a member of the robotics club. This year, Alex designed and assembled a 3-D printer as a club project. Bannister marveled at his work. “When I asked him how he did it, he said ‘I just kept working at it.’” “He’s an Elon Musk in the making,” said Ploetz who is also Alex’s teacher. CVCHS’ Ralston introduced Max Keil, nominee for the self-discipline recognition. Max is the first freshman to be honored in the Do the Right
Thing program. Recommended by his coaches, they described the hard-working Max as a “little grinder.” “He has no tardies and no absences,” said Ralston. “He comes to work every day and does the best he can.” Also lauded for her self-discipline was Margaret York who was unable to attend because of a swim practice conflict. Margaret is “not an average student,” said Ralston. She is one of nine siblings whose mother died a few years ago. “She stands out for her drive to be successful and dependable,” said Ralston. She is involved in ROTC and plans to be a nurse. Do the Right Thing is a community-wide initiative embraced by the city, the schools and the police department. The program emphasizes six character traits that rotate throughout the year: Responsibility, Respect, Kindness, Self-discipline, Integrity and Courage.
Mayor Keith haydon joined Diablo Taiko Japanese drumming group in the closing presentation at last weekend’s Creekside Arts 2018. in keeping with the celebration theme, “The healing Power of Creativity,” audience members and the mayor danced together to “ei Ja nai Ka!” meaning “it’s All Good!” The song is about encouraging the human spirit to power through life’s challenges. The performance capped a weekend of art exhibits, wildlife presentations and music.
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April 6, 2018
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Page 3
Editorial Around Town Hands-on science at STEM Showcase Survival of local newspapers
Students displayed their ingenuity with hands-on science and engineering stations, robotic challenges and a monster robot demonstration at the second annual Mt. Diablo Unified School District’s STEM Showcase. Hundreds of families, along with school board members, district administrators and Superintendent Nellie Meyer attended the March 11 event at Willow Creek Center. STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and math, and the showcase is the modern-day equivalent of the science fairs that used to be held at elementary schools. Rather than a competition, however, the selections on display were chosen on a loose set of criteria that asked students to explain why
they selected the topic or move onto any further comproblem. The students do not petition.
Contributed photo
elizabeth Chapman, left, a fourth-grader at Mt. Diablo elementary in Clayton, focused on “The Curiously Strong Mints” with help from her sister Alice.
SMD’s Seth Adams honored for service
On March 22, a sold-out crowd of 300 guests gathered at the Lesher Center to celebrate Seth Adams, Save Mount Diablo’s land conservation director, on his 30th Anniversary with the organization. Adams central contributions have led to critical gains in land conservation in the East Bay. Speakers included Assemblywoman Catharine Baker, Contra Costa County Supervisor Diane Burgis and East Bay Regional Park District General Manager Robert Doyle. Adams was presented with a large photo of Mount Diablo viewed from Round Valley by celebrated landscape photographer Stephen Joseph.
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Page 4
Gardens, from page 1
In the same vein, the designer made the back yard look bigger by altering the deck layout and flagstoning the eating area. “His concept was he wanted the deck to look like an extension of the family room when you are standing inside the house,” she
says. Vogensen feels like she is strolling through the woods in her back yard, thanks to many Chinese maple and crepe myrtle trees. The yard is also filled with the sounds of wind chimes and the frogs that took up residence
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com after she added fountains. “The frogs in the back fountain and the frogs in the front fountain seem to talk to each other,” she says. “It’s like a ping pong game of frog croaking. It’s so much fun.” But tour-goers might not even notice what Vogensen considers the most precious parts of her yard. “The crazy thing about this yard is that I can look in any direction and find something that is a reminder of my mother,” she says. The yard includes potted plants and beach rocks she brought from her mom’s home in Bodega Bay, along with a “funky, elf-looking house” the designer made from a dead birch tree. “To me, that’s my mom’s house by the fountain in the back yard.” she says. “There’s a sun hanging on the fence that used to hang at my mom’s house,” she adds. “When I look at that and see the crazy face, I think of my mom.”
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native plants and grasses fill the front yard of Clayton residents Karen and Jeremy Amos. Their garden will be part of the Bringing Back the natives Tour on May 6.
‘ZEN-LIKE YARD’ Concord resident Curtis Jacquot has wanted to be on the Clayton Historical Society tour since he revamped his yard in 2009. After reworking his landscape for a third time last fall, he finally got around to contacting tour organizers. Jacquot dumped his lawn in favor of hardscapes and walls. For a small lot, his yard has “a lot of things going on” – custom brickwork and a brick archway, beehives and a pond with two waterfalls. “It’s kind of a Zen-like yard,” he says. And let’s not forget the fruit trees: avocado, peach, pomegranate, orange, lemon, Kaffir lime and kumquat, plus blueberry and huckleberry bushes. He also planted some trees from Australia in 2000 and still has a strawberry tree that was on the property when he bought it in 1985. Flowers include common ones like geraniums along with gardenias, daphnes and a fragrant camellia that was in bloom when he spoke to the Pioneer in late March. Like most gardeners, Jacquot has learned through trial and error. “Some areas didn’t grow as well as they could have, or I just got tired of them,” he says. “It’s kind of fun to rework the slate every
GOING NATIVE The 14th annual native garden tour on May 6 features 40 stops in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, along with a native plant sale at Concord’s Markham Arboretum May 5-6. With a theme of “Art and Music in the Gardens,” the event will include artwork for sale in some gardens and music performances at other stops. During 50 lectures, visitors can learn how to select and care for California native plants, lower water bills and design low-maintenance, pesticide-free gardens. At the Clayton home of Karen and Jeremy Amos, Contra Costa Water District staff will be available to answer questions about receiving a rebate for removing your lawn. Chris Dundon will talk about water conservation and rebates at 11 a.m. May 6, followed by Karen Amos’ presentation
“How to maintain your native plant garden.” Having already replaced their back lawn with native plants, the Amos family ripped out their front lawn in 2013 and now has 98 percent native plants. Their water bill dropped by almost 50 percent, and they received a $500 rebate from the water district’s Lose the Lawn and Grow a Garden program. “The rebate certainly didn’t hurt, but our primary motivation was we wanted to reduce our water consumption,” Jeremy Amos says. “We also weren’t fond of the big spread of grass and actually prefer the natives.” The front yard revamp cost $20,000, with the bulk of that being hardscape to create a tiered slope with moss rock. Plants include ceanothus, manzanita, salvia and deer grass. “We also have a small meadow with Carex pansa,” he says. “It can be cut and maintained as a more traditional lawn, but we just let ours grow as a wild meadow to fit with the yard presentation.” He says they do “as much maintenance as we want to do.” “We do cut things back in the fall as needed, and some buckwheats have deadheads that need to be trimmed off once a year,” he says. “It is very minimal maintenance in the grand scheme of things.”
the state. “I knew absolutely nothing, so I was reading and learning and initiated all these things the garden club had never done before – and awards was one of them,” she says. “And now we’re always winning awards.” She has her own share of awards, including as Diablo
Foothill District’s garden club newsletter editor and an Award of Honor from both the state and national garden clubs. Cruz is also on the Clayton Historical Society board, serving as newsletter editor and as a garden tour coordinator. She is thankful that her husband Jesse supports all her community projects. “Where there is a need, I keep trying to help,” she says simply.
once in awhile to have a fresh look on your yard.” He wasn’t quite as enthusiastic about his second irrigation project, which led to a subterranean system to replace drip irrigation with malfunctioning plastic emitters. “That was a huge effort, because you’re digging around plants and roots,” he notes.
WOD, from page 1
“As far as we know, we’re the only all-woman run theater company, at least in Northern California,” Pardi notes. The Pardis are long-time Clayton residents. Her husband Herc coached football at Clayton Valley for 37 years. Watts lives in Antioch. BRIGHTENING THE COMMUNITY
After retiring from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Cruz joined the Clayton Valley Garden Club in 2004. “I grew up in housing projects and foster care in San Francisco and I was always surrounded by cement, so I always wanted a garden and greenery,” she says. Cruz was garden club president in 2009 and became more involved with the club’s inner workings. “People kept recruiting me for things that I had never done before,” she says with a laugh. She submitted club memTamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer bers for state awards in 2010 Clayton resident and Soroptimist member Gloria Utley, left, and hit the jackpot when the presented Linda Cruz with a certificate and bouquet. club won the most awards in
Soroptimist Women of Distinction
The Soroptimists’ mission is to improve the lives of women and girls through social and economic empowerment. The group honored six other women at the March 21 event at Contra Costa Country Club: Concord City Councilwoman Carlyn Obringer, for elevating the status of women. Lind Higgins, co-founder of John. F. Kennedy University, for education and preservation of Concord history. Christena Reinhard, for her charity Union & Fifth, a clothes reseller. Cassidy Tshimbalanga, for launching asistersproject.org with her sister to help end violence against women and children. Marian Nakhla and Nicole, mothers and students at Diablo Valley College. For more information, visit www.diablovista.org.
April 6, 2018
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Page 5
Clayton Valley Little League proposes partnership with City to find a permanent home for youth baseball teams JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
For over 40 years Clayton Valley Little League had its primary fields it built and maintained on Clayton Valley High School property. That began to change in 2014 when the school’s softball team and the youth baseball group escalated a simmering conflict between the two over field use. Now, the little league has approached the city of Clayton proposing a partnership to develop and use Clayton Community Park fields for the league. Last month, Clayton Valley Little League made a presentation to the city council
for a long-term, phased project at the city fields adjacent to Diablo View Middle School that could eventually include as many as seven fields to house CVLL programs for boys and girls from t-ball through the major division. Council passed the proposal on to city staff to look at the project. City Manager Gary Napper says staff has yet to begin looking at it. Councilmember Julie Pierce says, “We’re open to seeing what we can do working with Clayton Valley Little League.” She mentioned that with local soccer groups no longer using the park there was no apparent objection to look-
ing at field modifications that could make the main Field 1 primarily viable for baseball. Councilmember Dave Shuey, a long-time CVLL volunteer, executive board member and player agent, enthusiastically supports the plan. The city is currently seeking an opinion from the State Attorney General’s office to see if Shuey can participate in any votes and negotiations on this matter. He has recused himself from Council discussions so far. CVLL and the high school softball teams began having conflicts over use of two of the little league fields on the school campus off Academy
Graphic courtesy Clayton Valley Little League
Clayton Valley Little League recently made a presentation to the Clayton City Council proposing a multi-phase project to upgrade the three ball diamonds at Clayton Community Park into what would eventually be a seven-field complex for the youth baseball and softball league. CVLL envisions converting Field 1 and the adjoining lower soccer field next to Diablo View Middle School into five fields. The five red diamonds on the project layout indicate where the league proposes infields would be located. The blue area on the right side of Regency Rd. indicates proposed additional asphalt parking stalls.
Rd. several years ago. That matter increased this year when CVCHS added a freshman softball team for the first time and thus needs to use three fields originally developed by the little league to accommodate over 60 girls playing this spring. The league also practices and plays games at Highlands and Mt. Diablo elementary schools and CCP. Two years ago, they stopped using Boatwright Fields when they could not come to an agreement with the city of Concord over fees for Ricky Henderson Field on the Cal State East Bay campus. Shuey says the league currently has about $100,000 in reserves that they can put towards the first phase of work at Clayton Community Park. They would entail putting elevated scorekeeping booths behind home plate above storage units at the three fields. He says CVLL would love to get that phase done in time for next season but realizes that is not an easily accomplished timeline. CVLL proposes using volunteer labor to do much of the work. They also realize a substantial amount of fundraising will be needed to accomplish the full proposed project. When the league began looking for a new site to put together a “first classes field complex” they met with the CEMEX company about utilizing land at their quarry on Mitchell Canyon Rd. With an initial positive reaction from the company the league got buy-in from Save Mt. Diablo for the project. A more recent change in leadership at CEMEX has slowed that process and CVLL turned to the Clayton Community Park site.
Long-term (“up to seven years,” Shuey says) the CCP project could include three diamonds on Field 1 with work that would include moving the current infield much closer to the backstop, adding a snack shack and eventually adding diamonds in leftfield and right centerfield. They are proposing added parking stalls on Regency Dr. as it goes up hill towards Field 2. A snack shack at Field 2, potential batting cages at each field and lights at Fields 2 and 3 are other parts of the proposal. The final phase, according to Shuey, would be making two tball diamonds on the lower field next to Diablo View. “We would
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not do anything to negatively impact the school or All Out Sports League [which uses Clayton Community Gym for recreation programs],” Shuey added. Ground squirrels and earth settling have made the 25-yearold CCP fields unconducive for youth soccer. Shuey says that if this program is completed Fields 2 and 3 could be used again for younger age group soccer teams. “We want to make a great facility for Clayton Valley Little League and the community. This is a multi-year project that will take little league, city and community efforts but we envision it as something which will make everyone proud,” Shuey added.
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Sponsored Content
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The American Cancer Society has designated April as Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month. Head and neck cancer refers to a variety of tumors in the mouth, throat, larynx (voice box), nose and sinuses. Historically, oral, head and neck cancers were caused by excessive use of tobacco and alcohol. Within the last 10 years, a new risk factor has emerged for developing head and neck cancer – the human papillomavirus (HPV). Head and neck cancers account for 3 percent of can-
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HPV infections leading to more head and neck cancer cers in the United States today. They are typically squamous cell carcinomas found in the mouth, nose and throat. The most common types of head and neck cancers are oral cancers and oropharyngeal cancers. Oral cancers are classified as cancers of the oral cavity (tongue, gums or inside of cheek) and are primarily caused by heavy tobacco and alcohol use. Symptoms of head and neck cancer can include a lump or sore in the mouth that does not heal, a sore throat that does not go away, difficulty swallowing and a change in voice. Typical treatment includes surgery and radiation treatment. Chemotherapy may be used in more advanced stages. Heavy alcohol and tobacco use (including smokeless tobacco) are known to cause at least 75 percent of head and
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neck cancers. Smoking increases your risk by 15 percent. People who use both tobacco and alcohol are at a much greater risk. Head and neck cancers that develop due to alcohol and tobacco use typically occur on or near the areas with the most contact, such as where a cigarette sits on the lip or where chewing tobacco is placed in the mouth. The incidence of oropharyngeal cancer continues to rise. These include cancers of the base of the tongue and tonsils. Some studies indicate that by the time oropharyngeal cancers are diagnosed, two thirds are already in late stage III and IV. In the United States, the incidence of head and neck cancers caused by HPV is increasing, while head and neck cancers caused by alcohol and tobacco are decreasing. HPV is a DNA virus from
the papilloma virus family that is capable of infecting humans. It is the most common sexually transmitted infection, with an estimated 14 million people being newly infected each year. In nine out of ten HPV infections, the virus goes away on its own and doesn’t cause health problems. But the infection can linger and lead to health problems, including genital warts and cancer. HPV infections have long been associated with the development of cervical cancer, but now the incidence of HPVassociated oropharyngeal cancer has surpassed that of cervical cancer. Vaccines have been developed to prevent cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancers. The vaccine might also prevent head and neck cancers since it helps prevent initial infection with high-risk HPV types.
Oral HPV is about two times more common in men than it is in women. HPV-associated head and neck cancers are more common in men. Vaccination of boys is essential in preventing infection and possible cancer in men. The HPV vaccines currently on the market are strongly recommended for young women and young men. In recognition of Oral Head and Neck Cancer Awareness, we are sponsoring an educational talk on April 11 at the Walnut Creek Library. To register, call 925-677-5041. Dr. Arash Mohebati is a board-certified general surgeon who completed additional fellowship training in head and neck oncologic surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He practices with West Coast Surgical Associates in Walnut Creek and can be reached at 925-933-0984.
Clayton’s link to old lumber schooners
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April 6, 2018
In the past, Clayton was home to quite a number of seafaring men. Between 1860 and World War I, the West Coast was rapidly expanding and little towns were popping up everywhere. The redwood, spruce and Douglas fir forests of Northern California, Oregon and Washington were ready sources of wood for buildings and fuel, but getting the lumber to market was a challenge. Numerous rivers ran from coastal mountains to the sea, so moving goods along the land route was slow before bridges were built. Enter the small and nimble lumber schooners powered by sail and later by steam. They had two masts with sails of a particular arrangement that allowed the schooners to dart in and out of the tight, rocky coves where the lumber mills were located. These ports were known as “dogholes” and were said to be so small that even a dog was unable to turn around in them. Perhaps you have seen dogholes along our coast in Sonoma and Mendocino counties at Fort Ross, Timber Cove, Sea Ranch or Point Arena, to name only a few. The mills delivered boards down long chutes or slings that stretched from the steep cliffs to the schooners anchored below. Because lumber could be stowed in unobstructed holds as well as
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on the spacious decks, these little ships were able to carry a surprisingly large amount of cargo. Crews on the ships were relatively small, often only eight or nine men. Trips usually lasted one or two weeks. The food was fresh and most of the schooner captains were well-liked, making a position on these vessels desirable. A captain and his crew possessed a mutual respect, and crew members would loyally follow their captain as he moved from ship to ship. Thanks to Charmetta Mann’s extensive genealogical research of her pioneering Clayton family, we know that her great grandfather, John Stockfleth, was a perfect example of a highly esteemed schooner captain. He was described as a “unique, caring, gentle giant,” ruggedly handsome and robust with huge hands and powerful arms. He was born in Germany and worked his way up from a cabin boy at age 12 to a master mariner as an adult. Other Clayton seafarers were Capt. Friedrich Russelmann and his nephew, Diedrich, both born in Germany. They ran four bay schooners. Howard Nichols had sailed a tall ship in Massachusetts, Joseph deWolfe was a lumber schooner captain and Robert Lewis was an Englishman listed as a “boatman” in a U.S. census. All six men came to live in Clayton. Mann and her cousin, Janet Easton, believe Friedrich Russelmann spread the word on the San Francisco docks – extolling the virtues of our little city as a beautiful and peaceful retreat. Debbie Eistetter is membership chair of the Clayton Historical Society. For more information about the Clayton Historical Society or to become a member, visit claytonhistory.org. The museum at 6101 Main St. is open 2-4 p.m. Wednesdays and Sundays. Admission is free.
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Residents can shred documents at free event In partnership with DataSafe, Travis Credit Union is hosting free document shredding to help prevent identity theft. The Clayton Police Department will be available to answer questions on fraud prevention at the event, 10 a.m.noon Saturday, April 14, at the Clayton Station Travis Credit Union, 5441 Clayton Road. Contra Costa County residents and small businesses owners can bring up to three boxes or paper grocery bags of documents to be shredded. “Shredding sensitive paper documents is an important
first step, but it doesn’t end there,” said Barry Nelson, president and CEO of Travis Credit Union. “That’s why Travis Credit Union will also distribute important advice and simple steps everyone can take to prevent ID theft in their daily lives, both online and off.” Last year, 8.1 million Americans became victims of ID theft – resulting in the loss of $45 billion. “This is largely a crime of access,” Nelson noted. For more information, call 1-800-877-8328.
Odyssey, from page 1
centered on this science fiction hangout that includes original creatures, foods and a search for space treasure.” Teams are allowed to spend $125 on the eightminute performance. Culp says Awesome Sauce used household and recycled items for almost all costumes, props and backdrops. “The only heart-stopping moment was when the backdrop fell apart trying to transport it to the performance,” Culp recalls. “The kids kept their cool and quickly put it
back together just in time to perform for the judges.” OM was created in 1977, and there are currently several teams from Mt. Diablo Elementary as well as Diablo View Middle School. “Luckily, the Parent Faculty Clubs of the schools help pay for the membership fees and tournament fees,” Culp says. “This enables us to have more kids involved in the Odyssey of the Mind program.”
For more information, visit sfbayodysseyofthemind.org.
April 6, 2018
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Obituary
Joann Parsonage
P.O. Box 1246 6200 Center Street, Suite H, Clayton, CA 94517
TAMARA
AND
R OBERT S TEINER , Publishers
Former Clayton resident
TAMARA S TEINER , Editor
P ETE C RUZ , Graphic Design
B EV B RITTON , Copy Editor J AY B EDECARRÉ, Sports
PAMELA W IESENDANGER , Administration, Calendar Editor
S TAFF W RITERS : Pamela Wiesendanger, Jay Bedecarré, Bev Britton
C ORRESPONDENTS : Kara Navolio, John T. Miller We remember Jill Bedecarré
PIONEER INFO CONTACT US
Tel: (925) 672-0500 Fax: (925) 672-6580 www.ClaytonPioneer.com
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 School News to
schoolnews@claytonpioneer.com 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 resident in our home delivery area. Submit on our website and be sure to attach a JPG photo that is at least 3 MB but not bigger than 6MB. You can also mail or bring your print to the office and we can scan it for you. Also on the website are forms for calendar items, events & press releases. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Both Pioneer newspapers welcome letters from our readers. As a general rule, letters should be 175 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 name, address and daytime telephone number. We will not print anonymous letters. E-mail your letter to tamara@claytonpioneer.com. Letters must be submitted via E-mail. CIRCULATION
Total circulation of the Clayton Pioneer is 5,500 to ZIP code 94517, all delivered by US Mail to homes and businesses. We cannot start or stop free delivery to individual addresses. This must be done directly through the Post Office. The Concord Pioneer is delivered monthly to 30,500 in Concord by carrier. Papers are delivered once a month on a Friday morning near the end of the month. To stop delivery for any reason, call the office at (925) 672-0500 or send an email to circulation@claytonpioneer.com. If you are NOT receiving the Pioneer, please check the distribution map on the website. If you live in the shaded area and are not receiving the paper, please call us or send an email to circulation@claytonpioneer.com. If you are not in the shaded area, please be patient. We will come to your neighborhood soon.
SUBSCRIPTIONS To subscribe, call the office at (925) 672-0500. Subscriptions are $35/year for each paper, $60/year for both.
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Joann Parsonage, who was instrumental in making Clayton’s dog park become a reality, died March 7. She suffered from two kinds of cancer and myriad health issues. As a registered nurse, she understood her medical condition. And as a devout Catholic, she was accepting of what was to be. Parsonage grew up in New York and came west in 1976. She lived in Clayton for about 10 years. She had a generous heart and an enormous love for animals. Similar to the movie “The Bucket List” and as was her wish, her ashes and those of her beloved dog, Ursula, will have their resting place together.
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Business Services Rising Moon Marketing & Public Relations . . . .672-8717
Construction and Trades Appliance Repairs by Bruce, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . .672-2700 Diablo View Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .822-5144 Gary’s Home Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .787-2500 J.A. Ronco Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .872-3049
Events Camp Concord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .671-3006 CBCA – Art & Wine Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2272 City of Clayton – Concerts in The Grove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.ci.clayton.ca.us Contra Costa Home and Garden Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.capitalshowcase.com
Joann is survived by two daughters, Natasha and Mariah, and four grandchildren. Services were held March 16 at St. Bonaventure Catholic Church.
club’s motto and driving incentive). This club and its volunteers hold not only the Art & Wine Festival, but also the Clayton BBQ Cook Off scheduled for July 14, the Clayton Oktoberfest scheduled for Oct 6-7 and the Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony scheduled for Dec 1. CBCA is a major sponsor of the popular Concerts in The Grove summer concert series held in our downtown park, which starts on May 12 this year. Additionally, they recently partnered with the city to improve Daffodil Hill, located at the town entrance at Clayton Road and Marsh Creek Road, to promote our downtown business area. Working with the Ipsen family, the club helped build the Ipsen Family Bocce Park. The area creates a favorable first impression of Clayton’s downtown area as people exit Clayton Road using the Oak Street ramp. CBCA manages the Clayton Bocce League, which uses the Ipsen Family Bocce Park for three league seasons – bringing more than 1,800 bocce players and friends into Clayton’s downtown area on weekday evenings. CBCA welcomes new members who are eager to help others and have fun doing so. The club encourages interested area residents to attend its monthly general meetings on the last Thursday of each month. Please contact the CBCA at claytoncbca.org or 925-672-2272 for more information. Lastly, I invite you once again to enjoy Clayton’s excellent trail system. Revisit your favorite trails and explore some new ones while our gorgeous valley is green and many creeks are flowing with rain water. I hope you have a good month. I look forward to sharing more information about Clayton items and activities with you in upcoming issues. Feel free to send comments to me at khaydon@ci.clayton.ca.us.
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Mayor, from page 1
foundation to purchase materials for our library. It is always a popular opportunity to purchase pre-owned books, CDs and DVDs in many different categories at substantial savings. Come early to get the best selection. Formed in 1989, the Library Foundation additionally provides volunteer staff and improvements at our excellent local library. The second event is the Clayton Cleans Up scheduled for Saturday, April 21. The Clayton Pioneer sponsors and coordinates the clean up, with support from local businesses, the Clayton Business and Community Association (CBCA) and the city. This event starts at 9 a.m. in the lovely courtyard of Clayton City Hall, where helpful volunteers pick up trash bags and gloves used in cleaning up assigned sections of Clayton – such as trails segments and along local streets. This annual spruce up beautifies our city for spring and the Clayton Art & Wine Festival scheduled the following weekend. At the completion of the work, participants are treated to a complimentary barbecue lunch 11 a.m.-noon back at City Hall. Headlining the month is our biggest event of the spring: the Clayton Art & Wine Festival April 28-29. Clayton’s quaint Main Street is closed for this popular annual event, which is sponsored, organized and managed by the CBCA. The CBCA acts as our Chamber of Commerce, yet contributes so much more to the Clayton community. The CBCA is a philanthropic 501 (c) (3) organization of local residents, business entities and others who wish to serve the Clayton community. All profits the CBCA earns from its community events are reinvested in our community, infusing money into local charities, schools and special projects – all “for the good of the Clayton community” (which is the
Page 7
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Financial, Insurance and Legal Services Van Wyck, Doug – State Farm Insurance . . . .672-2300 Funerals Ouimet Funeral Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-4242 Health and Wellness Yellowstone Spa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-7798
Home and Garden Clayton Furniture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .686-2299 Diablo Lawnscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .381-3757 Nichols Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9955 Skim ‘n’ Dip – Pool Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .348-5609 Waraner Bros. Tree Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .831-2323 Waraner Tree Experts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250-0334 Mailing Services The UPS Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-6245 Real Estate and Mortgage Services Bennett, Nancy – Keller Williams . . . . . . . . . . .606-8400 Clayton Fair Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .685-0324 Dajani, Joe – Berkshire Hathaway . . . . . . . . . .672-3000 French, Lynne – Windermere Real Estate . . . .672-8787 Klock, Leigh – Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . .212-5593 Lopez, Stephanie – Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . .305-9099 Mazzei, Matt – Mazzei Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . .693-0757 Stojanovich, Jennifer – Better Homes Realty . .567-6170 Vujnovich, George - Better Homes Realty . . . .672-4433
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
April 6, 2018
New county ordinances target tobacco
KARen MiTChOFF
COUNTY
SUPERVISOR
The Board of Supervisors recently approved new county ordinances that will help protect youth from tobacco influences. These new regulations include prohibiting the sale of flavored tobacco products, such as menthol cigarettes and flavored e-liquids, within 1,000 feet of schools, parks, playgrounds and libraries in unincorporated parts of the county. In addition, the county will not grant new tobacco retailer licenses to businesses located within 500 feet of another business that sells tobacco. The rules also prohibit the sale of cigars in pack sizes less than 10 in unincorporated areas. Retailers were given six
months to prepare for these changes. The county’s Tobacco Prevention Program has been doing education and outreach to all tobacco retailers in recent months to help ensure compliance with these new youth protections. A 2016 survey showed that more than 80 percent of stores licensed to sell tobacco that are located near schools in Contra Costa County carried flavored products, such as watermelon or tropical blast cigarillos or little cigars. Many small cigars and cigarillos sell for less than $1, making them attractive and affordable for youth. The e-liquids also come in candy and fruit flavors that appeal to new, young smokers. A recent UC San Francisco study showed that many teens who vape would not have started smoking if only traditional tobacco products were available. Other research shows that teens who vape are four times more likely to begin smoking cigarettes a year later than those who do not vape.
In addition, the Board of Supervisors will ban sales of tobacco products in pharmacies after their tobacco retailer licenses expire. This will take effect in July. In March, we also approved an ordinance that prohibits smoking in all dwelling units in any multi-unit residence and prohibits smoking in all guest rooms in hotels/motels. The health benefits to the residents of Contra Costa are important, and it’s one of the reasons I supported this ordinance.
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anticipation that all multi-unit housing residences will be smoke-free by July 1, 2019. While the vast majority of Contra Costans do not smoke, many people are exposed to second-hand smoke where they live. Especially vulnerable are children, the elderly and people with illnesses who spend much of their time at home. Second-hand smoke and the harmful chemicals contained in the smoke are associated with sudden infant death syndrome, respiratory
infections, ear infections and asthma attacks in infants and children. This ordinance will support the health of all residents living in multi-unit housing.
For more information about the county’s new tobacco regulations, visit cchealth.org/tobacco. Karen Mitchoff is Contra Costa County District IV supervisor. Email questions or comments to karen.mitchoff@bos.cccounty.us
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Providing Dignified Professional Services
In order to provide sufficient time notification to landlords and owners, the ordinance will take effect on July 1. Every new, renewed or continued lease or other rental agreement for the occupancy of a dwelling unit in a multi-unit residence must include terms that prohibit smoking in the dwelling unit. Contra Costa County Health Services will develop an implementation plan to provide outreach and education to landlords and occupants in
So far in 2018, Steven Soderbergh has shown he is a master of the miniseries format. “Godless” is entertaining and “Mosaic” nearly flawless. Somehow, he found the time to direct “Unsane,” a claustrophobic thriller that continues his string of telling tales from the fringes of the medical community (“Side Effects,” “Contagion,” TV’s “The Knick”). “Unsane” flirts with being crazy enough to live up to its title. However, when Soderbergh violently switches gears halfway through, it ends up having too much of a split personality. The film begins with frazzled twenty-something Sawyer (Claire Foy) trying to pick up the pieces of her life at a new job in new surroundings. It’s unclear what her previous issues were until a routine doctor visit turns into voluntary commitment. Soderbergh makes the audience wonder if she deserve what she considers an involuntary commitment or if there is something sinister at play with the hospital’s procedures. Soderbergh has always been a wizard at meticulously placing the camera. There is a story in every angle of every shot. With “Unsane,” he pushes for maximum viewer discomfort. Using many tight shots from below the actors, he makes the audience feels trapped beneath the same weight as them.
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He shot the film at an obscure aspect ratio of 1.56:1, which causes the width of the screen to be pushed in. Even sitting in a plush new reclining seat, I felt confined. Filmed with an iphone7, “Unsane” looks like it was shot with a security camera – as if we are peering into what’s happening. As Sawyer gets more entangled in her confusing predicament, we meet other members of the facility: nice guy addict Nate (Jay Pharoah showing off a good mix of comedy and empathy), eccentric Violet (Juno Temple) and staff member George (“Blair Witch alum Josh Leonard), whom Sawyer can’t help but feel has been stalking her. After several violent outbursts, Sawyer becomes convinced George has changed his name and gotten the job just to continue hounding her. This is where the film takes an unfortunate turn. Up until this point, we’ve been just as confused as Sawyer. Soderbergh turns a mystery into a cat-and-mouse game. The violence, once subdued, now takes center
indieWire
Steven Soderbergh’s new thriller, “Unsane,” starring Clare Foy as a young woman who has been the victim of a stalker.
stage. When all the cards have been played and the suspense disappears, we are left with a rather tired storytelling trope. The interesting subplot of the facility’s involvement in forcing people to stay is unfortunately pushed too far to the sidelines. We’re never sure if Sawyer ever gets any real treatment, although the bookend scene is a nice touch. Soderbergh should have used his skill as a storyteller to continue the movie on a
true path to insanity. I would much rather be confused about Sawyer’s psyche than be confused as to why Soderbergh chose to alter the path so significantly. I hope he chooses a miniseries as his next project. B-
include beefsteak tomatoes, chili peppers and both English and Persian cucumbers. They also have about 400 pastured chickens roaming freely around the farmhouse and among the orchard trees, eating insects, greens and dropped fruit. The chickens have a covered space where they can rest and lay their eggs. Nojaba Farms will bring eggs and vegetables to the Clayton Farmers Market when it opens on May 12. Please welcome them and their wonderful products to the market. They are available year-round at the Tuesday Concord Farmers Market as well. “The general food source for most people who live in cities is the supermarket, but changing their thinking to include a trip to the farmers market allows for a direct link between farmers and food,” he says. “As a doctor customer of mine noted, ‘People either buy real food or pay for my bills down the road.’ ”
ASPARAGUS AND EGG SALAD
Jeff Mellinger is a screen writer and film buff. He holds a BA in Film Studies and an MFA in film production. He lives in Concord. Email comments to editor@pioneerpublishers.com.
Nojaba Farms works to make community healthier
DEBRA MORRIS Pacific Coast Farmers Market
Nojaba Farms from Gustine is new to the Clayton Farmers Market this year. Michael and Karmela Nojaba retired early from the tech and food management industries to start their own orchard and raise chickens for their eggs. Mamma Flora, Karmela’s mother, is also an important part of their farming operation – creating pickled products, jams and jellies. After fairly successful lives, the Nojabas try to give back to their community as often as they can. “Our belief in the quality of the food and its direct effect on a family’s health has led us to sharing our family farm’s bounty with our neighbors,” he says. “Many of my customers hear me say, ‘What you see in my booth is what I feed my family.’ ” The family grows walnuts, pistachios and Independence almonds, as well as a variety of peaches, Saveh pomegranates and vegetables that
1 dozen medium eggs 1 lb. asparagus 1 T. dill (or basil, chive, scallion, thyme or tarragon) 1 c. mayonnaise Salt and pepper to taste
Hard boil eggs. Cool in cold water, peel and dice the eggs. Wash asparagus. Snap off the hard ends by grasping the middle of the stalk in one hand and the end of the stalk in the other. Bend and allow the asparagus to break at its natural breaking point. Each stalk will be different. Cut off tips and cook separately. Blanch for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until tender but not mushy. Reserve for garnish. Slice the stalks into thin rounds and blanch in boiling salted water for 20 seconds. Cool all asparagus in cold water. Drain asparagus rounds and mix with other ingredients, using tips as a garnish. Recipe courtesy of chef Marisa Ades of Cookin’ the Market. Find out how to make your own mayonnaise at pcfma.org/eat/recipes.
April 6, 2018
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
T HE ARTS
Page 9
Ghostlight ready to entice East County audiences
SALLy hOGARTy
STAGE STRUCK There’s a new theater company in town, and members can’t wait to “keep the lights on” in Brentwood as they prepare to entertain, educate and enrich audiences through diverse theatrical experiences. Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble plans on staging large musical theater productions and plays in East County, as well as small musical reviews in various Delta venues. Ghostlight hopes to fill a gap due to the retirement of Jack and Betty Gaughan, who ran Brentwood Theatre Company for many years. “Several of us got together to think about what we would like to do to fill the void,” said Helen Moore Dixon, vice president
Sue Jerecyzk
Kim Donovan and David Ghilardi in B8’s production of “Tartuffe,” running April 5 - 21 in Concord.
and artistic director. The new company will take over Brentwood’s summer production of “Man of La Mancha” as well as the Performing Arts Youth Academy. For more information, email Dixon at helen@thebrentwoodtheater.org. Meanwhile, Pittsburg Community Theatre will present the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical “Next to Normal,” April 20-29 at the California Theatre, 351 Railroad
yasmin Mari
Melissa Marie is natalie and Kamanhi huck is henry in Pittsburg’s “next to normal,” running April 20 - 29 at the California Theatre.
Ave., Pittsburg. Dianna Schepers directs this powerful look at how one suburban household deals with the effects of mental illness. This modern rock musical with a mix of musical styles gives a heartbreaking yet often humorous portrayal of one family’s struggle. Music director Mark Dietrich conducts the six-piece band. For more information, call 925-427-1611 or go to www.pittsburgcaliforniatheatre.com. If you’ve ever wanted to get on stage, here’s your chance. Clayton Theatre Company will hold auditions for “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” 7-10 p.m. April 24 at Endeavor Hall, 6008 Center St., Clayton. No appointment necessary. Prepare a two-minute comedic monologue and 32 bars of a song in your key. An accompanist will be provided. Rehearsals start in mid-September, with the production taking place in November. For more information, visit the theatre’s website at claytontheatrecompany.com.
‘Round House’ a riveting oral history SUnny SOLOMOn
BOOKIN’ WITH SUNNY
“The Round House” is a story of mothers and sons, sons and fathers, and a community that struggles to find justice for the mother of 13year-old Joe Coutts. It begins with the mysterious disappearance of Geraldine Coutts and her bloody return hours later, brutally attacked and raped. After the father carries his wife to the back seat of his car, Joe gets in, cradles his mother and demands to stay with her until they reach the hospital. “I almost never challenged my father in word or deed.” A look passed between the father and son, “as if between two grown men, and I had not been ready.” It is just such a line that makes reading Louise Erdrich’s novels so meaningful. Ready or not, Joe’s life will never be the same. When Geraldine is released from the hospital, she retreats from her prior life as tribal enrollment specialist and seldom leaves her bedroom – sleeping, barely eating and hardly speaking. Both father and son are intent on finding the rapist and bringing him to justice.
The book is a mystery; it is a story of bifurcated justice, one system for whites and another for Indians. Where the rape and attack took place and whether the rapist was native or white defines which system of justice will prevail. The story takes place in one summer in which Joe, his mother and father will find their way back to each other. But did justice prevail? The book is Joe’s oral history of that terrible summer. We are not so much readers as we are listeners. The round house of the novel’s title is at the edge of an Ojibwe Indian reservation in North Dakota, built before the turn of the 20th century. It represents the legendary body of Grandmother Buffalo, “the poles my ribs, the fire my
heart. It will be the body of your mother and it must be respected the same way.” The building instructions were given to a young Ojibwe son who had defended his mother against their community. Grandmother Buffalo is but one of Erdrich’s seldom forgotten characters. Because it is summer, Joe and his three best friends have time to also look for answers as only 13-year-olds could. The crime against Joe’s mother awakens the community as facts long-hidden come to the surface. Much of what the reader learns is from oral history, Ojibwe stories handed down through generations. Erdrich gives us a taste for a tradition rich in imagery, imagination and morality. It is as much a story about the search for a rapist and justice as it is about the strength of families and their capacity to endure. The legal history of the U.S. government’s treaties with native Americans is deeply woven into “The Round House.” And although the story takes place in the summer of 1988, it leaves a most discomforting sense of our own time. Sunny Solomon is a freelance writer and head of the Clayton Book Club. Visit her website at bookinwithsunny.com for her latest recommendations or just to ‘talk books.’
Center Repertory continues its 50th anniversary season with a revival of its hit show “Shirley Valentine,” starring Kerri Shawn and directed by George Maguire. Running through April 29 at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., the story follows a Liverpool housewife who makes chips and eggs for her husband while talking to the wall and wondering how her life has disappeared. An out-of-the-blue offer to accompany her best friend on a trip to a Greek island awakens the promise of her unfulfilled dreams of adventure. Call 925-943-SHOW or go to www.lesherartscenter.org. B8 Theatre Company presents Moliere’s “Tartuffe” through April 21 at 2292 Concord Blvd., Concord. Moliere spins religious hypocrisy into high comedy in this biting satire about the impostor Tartuffe, who charms his way into Orgon’s household and schemes to marry his daughter, seduce his wife and steal his fortune. This would be a fun comedy even if it weren’t more relevant today than when penned in the mid-1600s. Call 925-890-8877, or go to https://m.bpt.me/event/3354 718 or www.B8theatre.org. More bawdy fun can be had in Aphra Behn’s comedy “The Rover,” running April 13-29 at Danville’s Role Players Ensemble, 233 Front St. First produced in 1677, the play takes place during carnival time in Naples where a band of English cavaliers is looking for adventure and love.
Aphra Behn was a woman decidedly ahead of her time. Born not long after Shakespeare died, she was a poet, novelist and playwright, as well as a spy for the king of England. The role of the courtesan was originally played by Nell Gwyn, mistress of King Charles II. Eric Fraisher Hayes directs the Role Players production. Call 925-314-3400 or go to www.roleplayersensemble.com The Altarena Playhouse
Director eric Fraisher hayes puts on the mask to promote Role Players production of “The Rover,” running April 13 - 29 in Danville.
A must-see blockbuster!
in Alameda auditions for “One Man, Two Guvnors” by Richard Bean on April 15-16. Women 20-40 and men 18-65 are needed. Director Tim Beagley requests that actors bring a joke in a British dialect of their choosing. The joke, in story format, must be no more than one minute. You may also be asked to read a scene from the script. A small group of musicians to perform in the Skiffle Band is also needed. Actors and musicians receive a stipend. The show runs Aug. 10-Sept. 9. For more information or to schedule an appointment, email Beagley at julesvegas@comcast.net.
Sally Hogarty is well known around the Bay Area as a newspaper columnist, theatre critic and working actress. She is the editor of the Orinda News. Send comments to sallyhogarty@gmail.com
Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm’s
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Mar. 24, 31 & Apr. 7, 2 pm
(415) 798-2682
533 Sutter Street, San Francisco 2 blocks from Union Square Parking at Sutter-Stockton Garage
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Schools
Page 10
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
April 6, 2018
MDUSD adding active shooter training to safety protocols JOHN T. MILLER Clayton Pioneer
With the reality of school shootings becoming more of a norm than anyone would like to admit, the Mt. Diablo Unified School District has instituted active shooter training to minimize damage in a crisis situation. “It’s sad,” said Ygnacio Valley High School principal Efa Huckaby. “This isn’t what I went into education for, but the reality of our times, and our job, is to keep our students safe.” In contrast to intruder drills conducted in the past, the active shooter training emphasizes strategies to reduce the chances of a school shooting in advance. Students are encouraged to say something if they see or hear anything that might be dangerous, including if they know that a student has brought a weapon on campus. All campuses practice shel-
ter-in-place drills, supervised by local police officers. The protocol includes locking doors, closing curtains, turning off lights and remaining silent while taking cover behind desks. The doors cannot be reopened for students who may have been outside of class. Those outside are instructed to run, especially in the direction of any arriving police officers, find a hiding place or, as a last resort, fight. In a message posted on the MDUSD Website shortly after the Florida high school shootings, superintendent Nellie Meyer noted that every school in the district has a safety plan on file specific to that site and that a comprehensive, district-wide emergency preparedness and crisis response plan is in place. “The safety and security of our schools and communities is a top priority,” she wrote. “This tragedy highlights the critical importance of ensuring that our
community stays vigilant in reporting concerns about suspicious or worrisome behaviors.” Meyer also noted that mental health services, counseling and other assistance is available for all stakeholders in the district. With 53 different physical layouts in the MDUSD, most of them with multiple access points, the district has hired a consultant to make recommendations on how to improve safety. Since the beginning of the school year, Northgate High had planned an intruder drill for early March – just three weeks after the Florida tragedy. Officials canceled the drill after rumors circulated about a troubled student planning an attack. “Even though the rumors were completely unfounded, the community wanted us to take a breath,” said Northgate principal Michael McAlister. “The level of fear is completely understand-
able; we just need to work through it.” The intruder drill was scheduled for the end of lunch period, when students were not in class. “It’s critical that we rehearse for the unimaginable,” McAlister noted. An article in USA Today, published on the same day of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas, related that even though students and administration of the school had undergone various levels of active shooter training, “the gunman, who was familiar with the emergency plans, got around them by pulling the fire alarm.” When asked about guns in the hands of teachers, both Huckaby and McAlister shuddered. “High schools are an inherently chaotic environment already. Bringing guns in is an incredibly bad idea,” McAlister said. YVHS vice principal Erica
Why halt CV’s non-violent protest?
OLiViA MOnTiJO
TEENSPEAK
March 14 marked one month since the shooting at a Florida school, and students all over the nation participated in a peaceful protest by walking out of their schools. I thought that as a student at Clayton Valley Charter High School, I would be participating in this walkout. Instead of being able to stand up for my
beliefs in a non-violent, peaceful way, I was deprived of any participation. After the bell rang at 10 a.m., I left my English class and started to walk toward the flagpole where students had agreed to meet. I noted several members of the administrative staff standing in front of the path leading to the flagpole. They were on their phones and walkie talkies, not interacting with the students at all. I further noted that all the gates were locked. I moved to where the principal was standing in front of the locked front gate and asked: “Why are you locking us inside the school when we are trying to be a part of a peaceful protest?” He replied: “The gates were locked like this in Florida and
besides – students said what they felt the need to say right here; is that not enough? What does walking out do?” I said: “It is a protest that people are doing all over the nation for the lives lost and to bring attention to the serious issues of gun laws in this country.” He replied: “We bought a banner to give to the Stoneman Douglas School.” I asked: “What does buying the school where the shooting occurred a banner do? Why wouldn’t we donate that money directly to the school instead of wasting money on a banner?” Instead of having a walkout, the administration had a “walk up” and told us all to be kind to someone today. While that is always an excellent idea, it should not preclude participation in a national, non-violent
action. This protest was not designed to bring attention to inclusion and kindness; it was about gun control I am disappointed in my school. We lost an opportunity to be a part of something larger and come together at a pivotal moment in this country. Instead, there was increased division and disillusionment. I understand that many schools across the country had a profound experience shared by students, teachers and administrators. I hope the students who experienced these life-changing moments treasure them. My friends and I will struggle to make our peace with what happened at our school.
childhood nutrition, challenging our school system to propose solutions and address barriers that prevent students from enjoying a sufficient, healthy diet. We will emphasize gardens where students grow their own food, preparing meals and trying them at home with their families – bringing “Farm to Table” to our schools. The goal is to integrate hands-on gardening, nutrition and cooking education to support lifelong wellness and achievement for 32,000 MDUSD students. The grant will help us improve the understanding of the importance of
good nutrition, as well as the access to healthy, flavorful food. We plan to transform our food by teaching healthy choices to students and families through our curriculum. Cafeterias will become learning spaces for gardening, cooking and nutrition, along with expanding after-school programs with family involvement. This will change the stereotype of cafeteria food while teaching lifelong skills.
and encouraged students to find careers that inspire passion. It is fitting that the March 9 event, held during Women’s History Month, included some amazing female speakers. In truth, all the presenters were terrific. They encouraged us to be the best we can be, telling us we can be anything we want in life – no matter our gender, KASey MOnTGOMeRy race or background. The speakers represented a DVMS wide variety of job. Geologists, CORRESPONDENT engineers, police officers and sergeants are just a few examDuring Diablo View Middle ples. It was wonderful to see the School’s Career Day, parents and breadth of possibilities in life. friends talked about their careers There are so many paths to take,
with so many journeys and destinations. It was also fun to see some of my classmates’ parents and find out about their careers. As an added bonus, Laymon Hicks, a talented youth speaker from Florida, spoke to the whole school at an assembly. He made us laugh at lively anecdotes from his life while urging us to dream big. We learned that our impact on people can sometimes have unknown significance, and this can directly or indirectly influence your future. To be successful, Hicks say you have to be positive, motivated and focused.
SyDney SKOW
CVCHS
CORRESPONDENT
I think Career Day was a big success. I had a lot of fun and learned a great deal. Today’s students are the problem solvers of tomorrow, and learning about these jobs can help us make better decisions for the future. The advice and knowledge gained from Career Day is invaluable. I want to thank the speakers, coordinators and teachers. Their dedication is inspiring, and their support and guidance helps students prepare for our futures.
For more information, search for “Active Shooter One Pager” on the Federal Emergency Management Agency Website.
march was those who were behind it: students. Students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland created, promoted and organized the main March For Our Lives after their school was attacked. Students in the Bay Area took it upon themselves to plan a sister march in San Francisco. My friends and I decided to attend the march as we are passionate about the issues of gun control and gun violence. I am also a part of the gun control focus group for CVCHS’s Public Service Academy’s second semester project, and a few of my fellow group members attended the march. “It definitely was a new experience and something I’m glad that I did,” says CVCHS junior Ryan Diaz. “It was surprising to see how many people were there, but it’s good to know so many participated and took part in something they believed in.” It was inspiring to hear sixth-graders Dylan and Charlotte Dodson of Marin talk about their experiences of participating in lockdown drills since the age of 6, as well as to hear multiple students from Bay Area high schools speak to the topic. I had never attended a political rally before, and I really liked the experience.
See Guns, page 16
Clayton Valley students participate in national movement
Dr. Nellie Meyer is Superintendent of Schools for MDUSD. Email questions or comments to meyern@mdusd.org
Career Day a peek into students’ futures
“Teaching students what to do in a crisis situation is a life skill they need to learn,” Parlog said.
Student involvement crucial to solving school gun violence
The past month’s events ignited a fire in Clayton Valley students to create change and to continue the conversation regarding gun control and gun violence. In addition to the Walk-Up on March 14 and the Students Speak on March 23, students attended the March For Our Lives in San Francisco and Walnut Creek on March 24. More than 1 million people attended the multiple March For Our Lives events. There were 800 marches worldwide, with 700 in the United States and several in the Bay Area. The original March For Our Lives in Washington, D.C., Olivia Montijo is sophomore at was organized in the wake of CVCHS. Send comments to edi- the tragic shooting in Parkland, Fla., in February. Rallies like tor@pioneerpublishers.com this are not rare; San Francisco and other large cities host the Women’s March as well. But the uncommon aspect of this
Grant helps bring nutrition to the table Knowing the link between healthy bodies and healthy minds, the Mt. Diablo Unified School District has an exciting partnership designed to increase healthy choices and support nutrition in our schools. The REAL Food in Schools Collaborative is a partnership with Life Lab, a Bay Area pioneer in garden-based science neLLie MeyeR and nutrition education; Eat REAL, a non-profit dedicated to MDUSD a rigorous healthy food certificaSUPERINTENDENT tion; and Wellness in Action, a community-based wellness education and advocacy organiza- awarded the program a $189,430 tion. Battery Powered, a mem- grant. The theme for this grant is ber-funded giving program, has
Parlog concurred, saying: “We already ask teachers to wear a lot of hats.” The school officials praised their Student Resource Officers (SROs) from the Concord and Walnut Creek police departments, respectively, calling them a great addition to the schools.
JeFF AnDeRSOn
CVCHS PRINCIPAL
and Chrystina Heuerman brought together students to participate in a multi-faceted event that included a remembrance of the fallen students and staff from StonemanDouglas. With more than 100 students in attendance, four students expressed themselves on the Second Amendment, school security and student empowerment. The event also included a voter registration table and information about how to get more involved in the nationwide, student-led movement. On March 14, Clayton Valley students gathered to express concerns and support the students of StonemanDouglas. Students signed posters and created support cards to send to Florida. Our Ugly Eagles also raised money to purchase a support banner for the StonemanDouglas school community. They are also the Eagles, so we hope to create a bond that will last well into the future.
After one of the most recent school tragedies, the shooting at Stoneman-Douglas High School in Florida, students around the country are reflecting and acting on their thoughts and emotions about something that affects them directly. On March 23, students from the Public Service Academy (PSA) at Clayton Valley Charter High School organized and conducted an activity that combined public service, awareness and action. Kasey is in the 8th grade at At lunch in the small gym, Send comments to editor@pioDVMHS. Send comments to Clayton residents Sydney Skow neerpublishers.com editor@pioneerpublishers.com
April 6, 2018
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Page 11
Clayton Community Calendar
PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. MAY 2 FOR THE MAY 11 ISSUE. ITEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO calendar@claytonpioneer.com
IN CLAYTON
Apr. 21 Clayton Cleans Up
Honor Earth Day with a town spring cleaning. Help pick up trash, pull weeds and share in community spirit. Rain or shine. T-shirt, gloves and garbage bags provided; barbecue after. 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Clayton City Hall, 6000 Heritage Trail. Register at ci.clayton.ca.us. Call Pioneer with questions at (925) 672-0500.
Apr. 24 Auditions
Auditions for Clayton Theatre Company’s fall production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” 7 – 10 p.m. Endeavor Hall, 6008 Center St. Go to claytontheatrecompany.com for info and audition forms.
Apr. 28 - 29 Art and Wine Festival
Arts, crafts, food, music, wine. Sat. 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Sun. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Main Street. Free admission. claytoncbca.org. (925) 672-2272.
May 5 - 6 Clayton Gardens Tour
Beautiful gardens on self-guided tour in Clayton area. Benefits Clayton Historical Society. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Rain or shine. Starts at Clayton Museum, 6101 Main St. $35 in advance; $40 day of event. claytonhistory.org. (925) 672-0240.
IN CONCORD
Tuesdays and Thursdays Farmers’ Market
Tuesdays, year round, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Thursdays, starting April 19, 4 – 8 p.m. Todos Santos Plaza, downtown Concord. pcfma.org.
Second Thursday of the Month Advance Health Care Directives
Legal clinic to prepare and notarize advance health care directives for seniors 60 and older in Contra Costa County. 9:15 11:30 a.m. Concord Senior Center, 2727 Parkside Circle. Free. Call for appointment (925) 671-3320.
3rd Sundays Antique Faire
Antiques, collectibles, handmade arts and crafts. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Todos Santos Plaza, downtown Concord. Free admission. concordantiquefaire.com.
Apr. 7 - 8 Quilt Show
EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Thru Apr. 21 “Tartuffe”
Two mile walk. 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Loma Vista Adult Center, 1266 San Carlos Ave. $15-$25. Register by Apr. 11; alc-ca.org. Contact Jordane Tofighi with questions: jtofighi@alc-ca.org.
ON AND AROUND THE MOUNTAIN
Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve programs are available for registration through ebparks.org. Parking fees may apply. For additional information, contact Black Diamond Visitor Center at (510) 544-2750 or bdvisit@ebparks.org.
Apr. 21 – 29 Wildflower Hikes
Apr. 21 Concert
A thrilling, cheer-raising piece of theatre. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $34-$56. centerrep.org.
May 5 “Encounters”
Thru Apr. 29 “Shirley Valentine” Thru Apr. 29 “West Side Story”
Presented by Contra Costa Musical Theatre. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $49-$71. lesherartscenter.org. (925) 943-7469.
Apr. 6 – 7 Comedy
Circle the mountaintop. 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Meet at Juniper Trailhead.
Apr. 8 Wildflower Walk
Diverse display of spring wildflowers. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Meet at Mitchell Canyon Visitor Center.
Apr. 13 Curry Canyon and Windy Point Hike
Outstanding views of the summit, North Peak, Riggs Canyon and Highland Ridge. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Meet at Curry Point Trailhead.
Apr. 15 Round the Mountain Hike
Views in all directions. 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Meet at Juniper Trailhead.
Apr. 20 Windy Point and Riggs Canyon Hike
A 14.5-mile hike. 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Meet at Curry Point Trailhead.
Apr. 21, May 5 Butterfly Walk
This hike is beginners and advanced lepidopterists. 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Meet at Mitchell Canyon Visitor Center.
Apr. 22 Diablo Falls and Donner Canyon Hike
Enjoy wildflowers and water on the rugged north side of Mount Diablo. 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Meet at Mitchell Canyon Visitor Center.
Apr. 29 Wildflower Walk
Diverse display of spring wildflowers. 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Meet at Mary Bowerman Trail. Reservations required.
Apr. 30 North Peak Hike
Stunning views from North Peak and Mount Olympia. 10:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Meet at Morgan Territory Road Parking Lot.
Save Mount Diablo’s Discover Diablo is a free public hike series. Go to discover-diablo.eventbrite.com for more information.
May 5 Family iNaturalist Walk
Use the iNaturalist application on the Mary Bowerman Trail. 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Meet at Lower Summit Parking Lot. Reservations required.
Performed by Glenn Staller. 7:30 p.m. Clayton Valley Presbyterian, 1578 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton. $15. cvpresby.org. One-man show performed by Chuck Neighbors. 11:15 a.m. Seventh-day Adventist Church, 1655 West St., Concord. Free. concordinternationalsda.org.
May 4 – 20 “Godspell 2012”
SCHOOLS
Performed by Sinbad. California Theatre, 351 Railroad Ave., Pitts- The story of Jesus’ life dances across the stage. Diablo Valley College, 321 Golf Club Road, Pleasant Hill. $16-$21. dvcdrama.net. burg. $30-$40. pittsburgcaliforniatheatre.com. (925) 427-1611.
Apr. 7 “An Evening with the Sun Kings”
Premier Beatles tribute act. 8 p.m. El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. $12-$29. elcampaniltheatre.com. (925) 757-9500.
Apr. 8 Bay Area Kids’ Book Fair
Authors, illustrators, publishers, educational programs, vendors, meet and greet characters, activities. 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Acalanes High School, 1200 Pleasant Hill Road, Lafayette. Free admission. bayareakidsbookfair.com.
Apr. 8 “Master of the Movies: John Williams”
Presented by Diablo Symphony Orchestra. 2 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $35. lesherartscenter.org. (925) 943-7469.
Apr. 12 Concert
Edgar Moreau, cellist. Presented by Chamber Music San Francisco. 7:45 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $50. lesherartscenter.org. (925) 943-7469.
Apr. 14 Concert
Pulp”
Presented by Synergy Theater. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $20. lesherartscenter.org. (925) 9437469.
Apr. 20 – 21 “Legally Blonde The Musical JR”
Presented by SingOut! Musical Theatre. Del Valle Theatre, 1963 Tice Valley Blvd., Walnut Creek. $20. lesherartscenter.org. (925) 943-7469.
Apr. 20 – 22 “The Magical Lamp of Aladdin”
Presented by El Campanil Children’s Theatre. El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. $9-$13. elcampaniltheatre.com. (925) 757-9500.
Each hike explores a unique plant community and covers steep and rugged terrain. 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Meet at Black Diamond Apr. 20 – 29 “Next to Normal” Mines. Musical about a mother struggling with worsening bipolar disorder. California Theatre, 351 Railroad Ave., Pittsburg. $16-$25. Mount Diablo Interpretive Association programs listed are free with the exception of park entrance fee. Go to mdia.org and click pittsburgcaliforniatheatre.com. (925) 427-1611. on Event Calendar for more information.
Apr. 6 Summit and Oak Knoll Hike
CHURCHES
One of the French theatre’s most famous comedies. B8 Theatre Company, 2292 Concord Blvd., Concord. $15-$25. b8theatre.org. (925) 890-8877.
Lacy J. Dalton, country music legend. 8 p.m. El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. $12-$29. Quilts, demos, vendors, boutique, opportunity quilt. Sponsored by elcampaniltheatre.com. (925) 757-9500. the Guild of Quilters of Contra Costa County. Sat. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sun. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Centre Concord, 5298 Clayton Road. Apr. 19 – 22 $10; good for both days. gqccc.org. “Spontaneous Noir! An Improvised Piece of
Apr. 21 Autism Awareness Walk
elcampaniltheatre.com. May 13: Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $10-$30. lesherartscenter.org.
Apr. 21 History Talk and Book Signing
“The Polar Adventures of a Rich American Dame: A Life of Louise Arner Boyd” by Dr. Joanna Kafarowski. 1 – 3 p.m. CoCo History Center, 724 Escobar St., Martinez. $10 suggested donation. Reservations req.: mkting@cocohistory.org or (925) 229-1042.
Apr. 27 – 28 “12 Angry Jurors”
Presented by Contra Costa Christian School. 7:15 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $12. lesherartscenter.org. (925) 943-7469.
Apr. 29 “The Carole King Songbook - You’ve Got a Friend”
Performed by The Rhythm Method 4. 3 p.m. El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. $12-$29. elcampaniltheatre.com. (925) 757-9500.
May 2 – 5 “Alice in Wonderland”
Presented by DLUX Puppets. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $10-$15. lesherartscenter.org. (925) 943-7469.
FUNDRAISERS
2nd and 4th Sundays Pancake Breakfast
Veterans of Foreign Wars serve breakfast to the public: Eggs, pancakes, sausage, beverage. 8 – 11 a.m. VFW Post 1525, 2290 Willow Pass Road, Concord. $5, $3 children under 12. vfwpost1525.org.
Apr. 14, May 5 - 6 Plant Sale
Apr. 14: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. May 5 – 6: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Markham Regional Arboretum Society Nursery. 1202 La Vista Ave., Concord. Free admission. markhamarboretum.org.
May 6 Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour
Self-guided tour of 40 Alameda and Contra Costa County gardens. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. $15 suggested donation. Pre-register: bringingbackthenatives.net.
AT THE LIBRARY
The Clayton Library is at 6125 Clayton Road. Programs are free unless otherwise noted. See full schedule of events at claytonlibrary.org or call (925) 673-0659. Apr. 9: Clayton Library Book Club, 7 p.m. Apr. 9, 23: Clayton Knits, 1:30 p.m. Apr. 12, 26: Kindergarten Countdown, 2 p.m. Apr. 13 – 15: Used Book Sale Apr. 18: Edible Garden & Healthy Soil Building, 7 p.m. Apr. 26: Make a Rainbow Craft, 4 p.m. Apr. 30: Children’s Book Week Stories and Craft, 4 p.m. Apr. 30: MCE Presentation, 7 p.m. May 7: Make Your Own Comic Book, 4 p.m. May 10: Mother’s Day Craft, 4 p.m.
The Concord Library is at 2900 Salvio St. Programs are free unless otherwise noted. See full schedule of events at ccclib.org or (925) 646-5455. Thru Apr. 14: AARP Tax Help, Fri. and Sat., 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Registration required. Apr. 9: Make Toys from Recycled Materials, 4 p.m. Apr. 9: Teen Uno Tournament, 6:30 p.m. Apr. 11: Teen Poetry JAM, 4 p.m. Apr. 16: Kindergarten Countdown, 2 p.m. Registration required. Apr. 19: MCE Presentation, 5:30 p.m. Apr. 20 – 22: Book Sale Apr. 21: Saturday Social, 12 – 1 p.m. Apr. 26: Write from the Heart, 6 p.m. Registration required. May 6 – May 28: CLOSED for refurbishments.
GOVERNMENT
1st and 3rd Tuesdays Clayton City Council
7 p.m. Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. (925) 673-7304 or ci.clayton.ca.us.
2nd and 4th Tuesdays Clayton Planning Commission
7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. (925) 673-7304 or ci.clayton.ca.us.
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May 3 “Spring Sing”
Presented by Concord High School Choir. 7 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $15. lesherartscenter.org. (925) 943-7469.
May 4 – 5 “Celebrated Masters”
Presented by Diablo Ballet. Del Valle Theatre, 1963 Tice Valley Blvd., Walnut Creek. $40. lesherartscenter.org. (925) 943-7469.
May 5 “The Ultimate Tribute to Fleetwood Mac”
Performed by Fleetwood Mask. 8 p.m. El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. $12-$29. elcampaniltheatre.com. (925) 757-9500.
May 6 “Ballet Joyeux Spring Concert”
Presented by The Ballet School. 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $35. lesherartscenter.org. (925) 943-7469.
May 6 “Something Old, Something New”
California Symphony’s season finale. 4 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $42-$72. lesherartscenter.org. (925) 943-7469.
May 12 – 13 “American Idols”
Presented by the Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra. 2 p.m. May 12: El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. $7-$15.
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Sports
Page 12
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
April 6, 2018
Prep sports roundup: Local schools continue track domination JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
Clayton Valley Charter, De La Salle and Carondelet have enjoyed a lot of track and field success in the past few years, dominating North Coast Section team championships in 2015, 2016 and 2017. This spring looks like it more of the same with the three local schools posting numerous top NCS marks as the seasons rolls towards its big May and June meets. Aidan Jackman, Cameron Reynolds, Daylon Hicks, Kelly Kern and two De La Salle relay teams have posted season best marks among all NCS athletes, foreshadowing potential strong team showings at league, Section and State Meets this spring. CVCHS boys won the NCS Tri-Valley and Meet of Champions titles last year while Carondelet was first at Tri-Valley girls and third at the MOC. De La Salle won the Tri-Valley boys in 2015 and 2016 and the Meet of Champions in 2016. Eagles junior Jackman is ranked first in NCS for both hurdle events and second in the high jump to classmate Hicks. The CVCHS boys have Reynolds, another junior, as the top ranked 200-meter sprinter as well as Justin Lowe (5th, 200), Bryson Benjamin (5th, 400, 3rd, triple jump), 4x100 relay (4th), 4x400 relay (2nd) and Kyree Williams (5th, long jump). De La Salle is No. 1 in both boys relays. Sprinters Kyle Johnson (3rd, 100) and Miles Duncan (2nd, 400) plus junior distance runner Connor Livingston (2nd 1600, 4th 3200) are among the NCS leaders.
Jason Rogers
eagles junior Aidan Jackman is ranked first in north Coast Section for both hurdle events and second in the high jump to classmate Daylon hicks. CVChS won the nCS Tri-Valley and Meet of Champions boys team championships last year and look to repeat this spring.
Carondelet sophomore Kern of Clayton has a season best 12-6 pole vault, a mark that would have won NCS last year when Kern was third as a freshman. The 12-6 is a school record. Mia Avila is ranked fifth in the 100 and 200 for the Cougars and their 4x400 relay is third in NCS. Ariya Chestnut-Lockett is fourth in the shot put and Kiersten Fouts is fourth in the discus. The Diablo and East Bay athletic league meets are May 5 (trials) and May 12 (finals). The Tri-Valley NCS Championships are May 19 in Dublin,
the NCS Meet of Champions is May 25-26 at Cal Berkeley and the State Meet June 1-2 in Clovis at Buchanan High Baseball — CVCHS has an 8-4 non-league mark with two more games before the DAL league season begins April 17. The Eagles and Northgate are in a highly-competitive DAL Foothill Division with Acalanes, Alhambra, Campolindo and College Park. College Park has had the most recent success at NCS including the 2014 and 2015 championships and semi-final showings the last two years. Perennial NCS participant
CVCHS has been eliminated in the quarterfinals three years running. Northgate was a Division II finalist in 2016 when Acalanes was NCS DIII champ. DAL teams will play a home and home series with league games ending May 17. The NCS playoffs begin May 22-23 with the finals set June 1-2. De La Salle won the title the last two years and the Spartans have taken four of the last six Section crowns. Boys Golf — The DAL tournament for each division is April 30 at Diablo Creek in Concord while the EBAL tournament is April 20-May 1. The
ming) and Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak (1995 soccer and track) are the three athletes being honored along with the 1996 state championship cross country team. Ygnacio Valley’s Hall of Fame class includes six individual athletes, one coach and a team. This year’s inductees are Alan Bell (Class of 1968 swimming), Craig Johnson (1975 baseball), Rob Tomlinson (1986 football, basketball, baseball), Shanita Bryant Williams (1900 cross country, volleyball, basketball, track, softball), Dave Zawatson (1984 football), Gary Schneider (1970 football, track), swimming coach Gino Barsug-
lia and the 1971 football team. Schneider and Barsuglia are being inducted posthumously. Carondelet’s first-ever Hall of Fame class is recognizing the athletic and professional accomplishments of alumnae who attended the Concordbased girls’ school between 1993 and 2006.
meter backstroke gold medal in consecutive Olympics. Her success earned her NCAA women’s swimmer of the year three times for the Cal Bears, world swimmer of the year and American swimmer of the year three times. She has won 60 medals in major international competitions. Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak: During the 1993 season at Carondelet, Roberts scored 34 goals and had 20 assists helping Carondelet to North Coast Section and mythical state championships and the No. 1 national ranking. As a junior she took second in the 800 meters at the state track meet. Named the 1994 California high school player of the year, she went on to help the University of North Carolina to the 1996 and 1997 NCAA soccer national championships. She debuted with the USA Women’s National Team while a Carondelet student at the age of 16, won a gold medal in the 1996 Summer Olympics and earned more gold at the 1998 Goodwill Games. Roberts was also a member of the 1999 U.S. national team that won the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She played over 100 matches for her country and was a founding member of the WUSA, the first US women’s professional soccer league. She is currently the head coach of the women’s soccer team at the University of Central Florida. 1996 Cross Country Team: The Cougars 1996 cross country team was the first state championship team in the school’s history. The team’s runners were led by senior Kristen (Gordon) Henehan, winner of both the 1996 California State and U.S. National cross country meets. Joining Gordon on the CIF Division III champs were Ginaea (Carrillo) Bauer, Kelly (Piatanesi) Clasen, Cristyn Enea, Kristen Hart, Kerri Bock-Willmes, Maura Kelley, Carolyn King and Katie Nash. The team’s head coach, Helen Lehman-Winters, went on to
NCS Division I qualifier and D-II championships are May 7 and the DI championship is May 14, one week before the NorCal championships. De La Salle won the 2015 and 2016 NCS team championships. Lacrosse — The Clayton Valley boys are 8-2 overall and 3-1 in DAL while the girls are 3-6 with a 1-3 league mark to date. DAL are playing a single round-robin weekly schedule that runs through April 27. NCS tournaments for boys and girls begin May 9. DLS is the defending Division I Section champion. The Spartans are 7-3 overall and 4-1 in EBAL.
Softball — The DAL softball schedule matches baseball with the double round-robin schedule running from April 17 to May 17. Carondelet won its first two EBAL games. Their league season finishes May 10 with the league playoffs the following week. NCS playoffs begin May 22-23 with the finals June 1-2. Swimming & Diving — Clayton Valley pulled off a dramatic come-from-behind victory to win the De La Salle Invitational last month with over 25 teams participating in the two-day meet. The girls found themselves down three points to longtime DAL rival Northgate, with only the 400 freestyle relay left to swim and the two teams were seeded next to each other. With both schools having a pair of relay teams CVCHS would need to not only beat Northgate with their “A” relay, but would also need an equally strong performance from their “B” team. Clayton Valley took first and sixth in the relays and came away with the championship. DAL dual meets run through the week of April 16. The DAL championships are May 3-5 while the EBAL meet is May 4-5 at Dougherty Valley. Concord Community Pool will again host NCS May 11-12 and the CIF State Meet is at the Clovis West Aquatics Complex May 18-19. Boys Tennis — DAL tennis matches in a combined single 10-team league run through April 19. CVCHS is currently 301 in the Valley Division. The DAL championships are at College Park April 26-28 while
See Roundup, page 14
Carondelet, YV announce their Hall of Fame classes JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
Carondelet and Ygnacio Valley have announced their 2018 classes for the school’s Athletic Hall of Fames. This will be the sixth annual YVHS Hall of Fame Induction dinner on Saturday, May 19, while Carondelet will be inducting its inaugural Hall of Fame class on Saturday, April 28, with three athletes who won gold medals representing the United States headlining the first class. Carondelet announced that Jayne Appel-Marinelli (Class of 2006 basketball), Natalie Coughlin Hall (2000 swim-
CARONDELET HALL OF FAME
Jayne Appel-Marinelli: At Carondelet she was a four-year letter winner in basketball as well as a three-year water polo letter winner. In addition to being the Gatorade State Player of the Year she earned national honors as a McDonald’s All-American, MVP of the all-American game and an all-American by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. Appel played for the U18 women’s national team at the FIBA Americas. At Stanford she was named Pac-10 Conference player of the year for the 20082009 season. She helped the Cardinal to three consecutive Final Fours, including two NCAA championship games. She held the record as the Pac-10 all-time leading rebounder. Additionally, she earned a gold medal at the 2010 FIBA World Championship and went on to play for the San Antonio Stars of the WNBA. Natalie Coughlin Hall: Coughlin became the first swimmer to qualify for the USA Summer Nationals in all 14 events while she was enrolled at Carondelet. She also broke two individual national high school records in the 200-yard individual medley and 100-yard backstroke. A 12time Olympic medalist, Natalie was the first woman ever to swim the 100-meter backstroke in less than one minute. At the 2008 Summer Olympics she became the first U.S. female athlete in modern Olympic history to win six medals in one Olympiad and the first woman ever to win a 100-
Photo courtesy Carondelet Athletics
Tiffany Roberts was such an accomplished soccer player that she missed the last half of her senior year at Carondelet to train full-time with the United States national Team in preparation for the 1995 World Cup where she was a starter for the bronze medalists Americans. She won two nCAA championships plus Olympic and World Cup gold medals. coach at USF where her women’s cross country team captured national runner-up honors at the 1997 National NCAA Division I meet.
YGNACIO VALLEY HALL OF FAME
Rob Tomlinson: He was an outstanding football and basketball player, earning all-league and all-East Bay honors as a quarterback and baseball player. He quarterbacked Chico State
from 1988-91, was a four-year starter, three-time all-league selection and then became the Wildcats head coach for the 1996 season, which was the final year the school played intercollegiate football. He was inducted in the Chico State Hall of Fame in 2003. Alan Bell: He earned high school all-America honors in the 200-yard freestyle and was a
See Hall of Fame, pg 13
Sports
April 6, 2018
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
center. He was a captain of the football and lacrosse teams. He has received multiple Coach’s Awards, Scholar Athlete Awards and game recognition. Smith maintains a 4.67 GPA while being a member of the school’s Engineering Academy, serving on the academy’s leadership team and participating in National Honor Society and Senior Men. He is also a National Merit Commended Scholar and an AP scholar with distinction. Smith plans to attend a four-year university and major in aerospace engineering starting this fall. CVCHS student journalist Sydney Skow wrote this Spotlight.
Athlete Spotlight
Henry Smith
Grade: Senior School: CVCHS Sport: Lacrosse, Football
Smith is ending his high school athletic career this spring on Ugly Eagles lacrosse. He has started on the varsity team all four years as close defense. Smith began playing lacrosse when he was young and stuck with it as he enjoyed the game and his teammates. He says, “Going through the hours of practice and miles of running really brings us together. It [our team] truly is
a family.” CVCHS lacrosse coach Scott Neal has coached Smith throughout his high school career. “Hank is a student of the game,” Neal says. “He studies angles, his position and his opponent better than anyone else. Doing such allows for Henry to anticipate, recognize and never be in the wrong spot.” Smith played his final season of football last fall on varsity as a guard and
The Clayton Pioneer congratulates Henry and thanks Athlete Spotlight sponsors Dr. Laura Lacey & Dr. Christopher Ruzicka who have been serving the Clayton and Concord area for 25 years at Family Vision Care Optometry. www.laceyandruzicka.com Do you know a young athlete who should be recognized? Perhaps he or she has shown exceptional sportsmanship, remarkable improvement or great heart for the sport. Send your nomination for the Pioneer Athlete Spotlight today to sports@claytonpioneer.com.
Page 13
Clayton youngster had busy March of speedskating
Photo courtesy Sharma family
Mt. Diablo elementary School fourth grader Shubh Sharma was busy in March competing in the sport he loves—speedskating. The 10-year-old won a bronze medal in early March at the California Speedskating Championships in Southern California. That qualified him to travel to Saratoga Springs, ny for the United States Age Group nationals to compete against the fastest skaters from around the country at the end of the month. Sharma began skating when he was five-yearsold living in Ohio. When his family moved to Clayton he took a break from the sport but has been training consistently for the past two and half years. he’s a member of the norCal Speedskating Association and trains every weekend at Oakland and San Jose ice rinks. his family is planning on getting him additional training this summer in Washington, DC.
Legendary Clayton Valley High School wrestling coach, 1952 Olympic gold medalist Bill Smith has died at 89 JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
Bill Smith was the only American to win a freestyle wrestling gold medal at the 1952 Helsinki Summer Olympics but it’s as the legendary, State championship wrestling coach at Clayton Valley High that he is best remembered locally. Smith, 89, died Mar. 20 in in an Iowa nursing home. He was among the inaugural Clayton Valley High School Athletic Hall of Fame inductees in 2008 on the 50th anniversary of the school opening. That he coached at CVHS is a story of its own. He was coaching the Pacifica High School wrestling team when the Mt. Diablo Unified School District closed the West Pittsburg school following the 1976 school year. Smith and many of his wrestlers came to Clayton Valley that fall and the Eagles won the 1977 California State wrestling championship with Bruce Kopitar at 191 pounds and Brian Strock (133) winning individual titles. Warren Turnage (112) was second and Rocco Cardinale (138) fourth for the champions. The only other North Coast Section school to win a state wrestling championship is Antioch in 1988.
BILL SMITH
Turnage came back in 1978 to win a State title at 120 pounds. Since that time only two local wrestlers have claimed state crowns—Nick Pica of Concord High in 2009 and Peyton Omania of De La Salle this year. Smith’s CVHS teams won seven Diablo Valley Athletic League championships from 1977 to 1983. The 1977 and ‘78 teams were NCS champions. Two-time NCS champion Brett McNamar said, “Coach Smith was a superior technician, motivator, strategist and understood the mental aspect of coaching. His passion for the sport was evident and spread to his wrestlers. He stressed discipline, dedication and sportsmanship at all
Hall of Fame, from pg 12
North Coast Section 200 and 400 free finalist in 1966 and 67. At the University of Washington he was an all-America swimmer. Craig Johnson: His 1975 allDVAL and all-East Bay recognition helped Johnson earn a baseball scholarship to UCLA. With the Bruins he set a Pac-10 home run record and was named allleague. He was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 1980. Shanita Bryant Williams: The multi-sport standout participated in cross country, basketball, track, volleyball and softball for the Warriors. It was in track and field that she excelled, winning three consecutive NCS long jump titles. She set an NCS record in the high jump. At Sacramento State University she is still the record holder in the long jump. Dave Zawatson: He earned all-DVAL honors on offense and
times. “But the most enduring thing about coach is his personality; you just wanted to be around him. Coach is a mentor and lifelong friend. He had a story for every situation, be it related to wrestling or life. Those moments we as athletes cherish more than any medal.” Smith’s selection to the CVHS Hall of Fame was his 12th such induction. He is in, among others, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member, Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame, Iowa High School Wrestling Hall of Fame, University of Northern Iowa Hall of Fame, Des Moines Register Iowa Sports Hall of Fame, Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame, IHSAA Wrestling Hall of Fame, Olympic Club Hall of Fame and California Wrestling Hall of Fame. In 1956 Smith’s Rock Island High School team won the Illinois state championship, which prompted him to take over the University of Nebraska wrestling program. By winning high school titles in Illinois and California he was one of a select few to lead their schools to state championships in two states. He was drawn to California in 1960 when became San Francisco Olympic Club
swimming championships and six consecutive NCS boys titles from 1969-74. Girls began competing in NCS swimming in 1977. Ygnacio Valley was the first local high defense as a senior and was allschool to win a NCS swim chamEast Bay. He went to Cal Berkeley pionship. He was named the Fitzand made all-Pac 10 his junior Patrick Chevrolet Super Sport and senior seasons. He also garCoach of the Year. nered all-Pac 10 academic honors. He was drafted in the second For the Ygnacio Valley inducround by the Chicago Bears in tion dinner at the Contra Costa the 1989 NFL draft and played four years in the league for the Country Club in Pleasant Hill, Bears, New York Jets, Miami Dol- social hour is at 5:30 p.m. and dinphins and Atlanta Falcons. ner at 6:45. The dinner is $70 per Gary Schneider: He was a person with children under 12 years speedy wide receiver for the War- of age $20. People interested in riors, making the 1970 all-East attending should contact Debbie Bay team and was selected to Carlin at 518-8455, by email at play in the Contra Costa-Alameygnaciovalleyhalloffame@gmail.com da and North-South Shrine allstar games. He led the DVAL in or visit yvathletichof.com. Carondelet will induct the inauscoring as a senior. He was gural Hall of Fame class at a spenamed to the DVAL all-decade team. He excelled in the 120 high cial ceremony on Saturday, April hurdles and 180 low hurdles on 28 followed by dinner and is open to the track. all. Tickets are now on sale and may Gino Barsuglia: He be purchased at CarondeletHS.org/ coached the Warriors to 10 DVAL HallofFame.
those that taught me were who will always be rememtaught by him. And I still try bered as one of the sport’s to pass down his legacy to my greatest wrestlers and coachcurrent wrestlers. USA es,” said US Wrestling Hall of Wrestling lost a legend.” Fame Executive Director Lee Wrestling historian Arno Roy Smith. “His legendary Niemand, author of “Dream career as a student athlete, as Team ‘47” identified Bill Smith an Olympian and as a coach as having been the oldest living leaves a legacy of inspiration U.S. Olympic gold medalist at “On behalf of the Hall of the time of his passing. “He Fame, we extend our deepest was one of the giants of U.S. sympathies and our thoughts wrestling in the post-World and prayers are with his family, War II era.” friends, former wrestlers and DENIED 2ND OLYMPICS “We are saddened to hear students.” Four years later he won of the passing of Bill Smith, the US Olympic Trials at 174 pounds, pinning Oklahoma superstar Dan Hodge in the finals. Incredibly, he was ruled a professional and removed from the team before the Olympics because he had begun his coaching career and thus was no longer considered an amateur! Hodge took his place in the Olympics and won a silver medal. It could be a virus, or Long-time CVCHS it could just need a tune-up. wrestling coach Kyle BehmPrevent problems caused by viruses and spyware lander says, “I only met him with regular proactive maintenance. once. He was in his 60’s and he still was an imposing man. TOTAL DESKTOP CARE & SERVER WATCH He carried himself like a Low cost, fixed fee champion. My high school services that coach Karl Boeger wrestled monitor & maintain for him and was a part of the State championship team. He your network Call Mark 925.672.6029 or spoke in awe of him, and not to minimize info@netsolutions-ca.com about the wrestler but about IT problems the man. “Everyone I’ve met that knew him spoke that way about him. I’m a product of Bill Smith even though I met him once and that’s because coach where his teams won nine AAU national championships and he had six wrestlers on the 1964 US Olympic team. He was a two-time NCAA champion for Iowa State Teachers College — now Northern Iowa –where he went 52-0-2, winning NCAA crowns in 1949 and 1950. He won his gold medal at 160.5 pounds in Helsinki.
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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
April 6, 2018
Sports Terrapin swimmers excel at Jr. Olympics, Roundup, from page 12 Texas Super Section Championships the EBAL tournament at Crow Canyon CC is April 26-28 and 30. The Section team championships are May 8-10-12 after the singles and doubles tournament May 4-5. Boys Volleyball — The double-round robin DAL schedule runs through May 3 with matches on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Clayton Valley Charter split its first two DAL matches. The EBAL schedule continues through May 3 as well. Amador Valley defeated defending champion De La Salle in the Section championship match last spring. NCS playoffs are May 8-19 and the NorCal championships are May 22-26.
JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
Sixteen Terrapin swimmers participated in the 14 and under short course Junior Olympic Championships last month in Pleasanton and the team had over 50 lifetime best swims. Also, senior Terrapin swimmers went to the University of Texas for the Texas Super Section championships and the team placed third, led by Olympian Alexei Sancov of Northgate High. At the Jr. Olympics, 11-yearold Lily Struempf placed first in six out of her seven events, posting breakthrough times. Davidka Skov and Aden Li led the way for the Terrapin boys, achieving multiple best times and qualifying for finals in every event they swam. Kaya Andresen and Elizabeth Joseph both achieved multiple best time swims, Maile Andresen, 14, led the way for the team’s top age group. Other local swimmers with best times were Sofie Curran, Diana Chan, Emily Viscia, AJ Fong, Jasmine Kohlmyer, Steven Tanos, Damien Donado and Sophia Miller. The Terrapins will be competing at this week’s Far Western Championship meet in
DE LA SALLE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE CHANGES
Photo courtesy Terrapins
Senior Terrapin Swim Club competitors went to the University of Texas for the Texas Super Section championships last month and the team placed third, led by Olympian Alexei Sancov of northgate high. The Terrapins competing in Texas included, from left, Andrew Rodriguez (northgate), Will nagle, nicklas Weigelt (Clayton Valley Charter), Sancov, Matt Fetterman, Anthony Vizental (CVChS), emily Lo, Robert Mitchell, Adrian Dulay (northgate), Delanie Gearing (northgate), Jessica Larson and Gennady Sytnik.
Santa Clara. In Texas, the Terrapins were led Sancov who won five events and recorded one of the fastest 200-yard freestyle swims in history for the 17-18 boys age group. He won the 50, 100, 200
Sports Shorts
and 500 freestyle and 200 individual medley. In addition, the Terrapins won the men’s 400 free relay in 3:01.90 (Alexei Sancov, Matt Fetterman, Niklas Weigelt, Andrew Rodriguez) and the 400 medley relay (Gennady
Sytnik, Adrian Dulay, Alexei Sancov, Andrew Rodriguez). Emily Lo also contributed with wins in the 100 and 200 breaststroke. Jessica Larson won the 50 free with a blistering 22.87.
area’s premier soccer club is offering this new fall season program that includes two practices per week and one game per weekend. Volunteer parent coaches get free registration for their child. The 8-10 game season includes coaching education proCONCORD AMERICAN LITTLE LEAGUE FREE vided by Diablo FC staff. Additional free clinics run by DFC CHALLENGER DIVISION PROGRAM UNDERWAY coaches for rec players are offered in addition to team practices. Concord American Little League is again offering players Fee is discounted to $145 if players register by June 1. Fee with physical and mental challenges an opportunity to play base- includes a uniform. Visit diablofc.org for details. ball in its Challenger Division. Players from ages 4-18 (up to age 22 if still enrolled in school) can take part in the free program. GEHRINGER PARK SWIM TEAM For more info email Mia Haywood at ONLINE REGISTRATION UNDERWAY call.challengers@gmail.com or call 472-8940. For info on all The family-oriented Gehringer Park community swim team Concord American Little League programs visit callbaseball.org. for swimmers ages 4-18 is accepting online registration. For DANA HILLS OTTERS SWIM TEAM SIGNUPS OFFERED ONLINE Concord City champion Dana Hills Swim Team is accepting registration from new and returning families online. Practice begins April 9 and the final day for swimmer registration is May 18. Boys and girls 3-18 years-old are welcome. For more info visit danahillsotters.com.
WALNUT CREEK AQUANUTS GEAR UP FOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, 50TH YEAR CELEBRATION MAY 5
Walnut Creek Aquanuts synchronized swimming team had a successful March qualifying all of their junior and 13-15 athletes for Nationals through the West Zone Championships they hosted at Clarke Memorial Swim Center with athletes from California, Nevada, Arizona, Washington and Oregon. The Aquanuts will travel to junior and 13-15 Nationals April 11-15 in Texas. The Walnut Creek Aquanuts will mark 50 years for the club that was founded in 1968 at a May 5 fundraising show. The Celebration of Champions will start at 2 p.m. and includes a show, auction and the commemorative wall reveal highlighting 50 years of producing champions. Visit aquanuts.org for more information.
23RD ANNUAL RED DEVIL GOLF CLASSIC RETURNS JUNE 22 The Mt. Diablo High School Red Devil golf committee is holding its 23rd annual golf tournament on Friday, June 22, at Diablo Creek Golf Course in Concord. Registration starts at 11 a.m., followed by lunch, golf, dinner and raffle/silent auction. Proceeds go to help academic and athletic programs at Mt. Diablo. Those interested in participating in the golf or dinner should contact Lou Adamo 212-9332 or louadamo@gmail.com or Ralph Vallis 825-7593 or rv76667@aol.com. For more information check reddevilclassic.com.
CONCORD CUP XXV ACCEPTING TEAM REGISTRATIONS
more information visit gehringerparkswimteam.com.
YGNACIO VALLEY HIGH LOOKING FOR ALUMNI SWIMMERS , 1971 FOOTBALL PLAYERS FOR HALL OF FAME INDUCTION MAY 19
Ygnacio Valley High’s Athletic Hall of Fame is inducting its newest class on May 19, including swim coach Gino Barsuglia and the 1971 football team. The committee is looking for alumni who swam for the Warriors under coach Barsuglia to invite them to join in honoring him posthumously. Coach Rick Silvey will be accepting on behalf of Barsuglia to share the achievements of his YVHS swim teams winning five DVAL championships and five consecutive North Coast Section championships from 1969-74. Swimmers can get in touch with YVHS via email at ygnaciovalleyhalloffame@gmail.com. The committee is also trying to find nearly 20 members of the ’71 football team. Contact Jim Grace at jfpgrace@astound.net if you are aware of team members.
Neither Priceline nor Travelocity were able to solve the challenges De La Salle High had in trying to book flights and hotel rooms for their scheduled Sept. 29 at Utah power East. Coach Justin Alumbaugh said rates and availability for flights and rooms were double what the school had budgeted for their return game vs. East, who defeated the Spartans in 2016 23-21 on a last-season field goal in Concord. The teams even looked into having East return to
Concord but nothing worked out so DLS has canceled the game and instead will travel to Clovis to play Buchanan on Sept. 21 on what was their scheduled bye date. Buchanan lost the Central Section championship game last December to Central of Fresno, which had lost to the Spartans earlier in the season. East was one of two games on the De La Salle schedule that had “revenge” marked for the date. The other is Aug. 31 when Bishop Gorman visits Owen Owens Field. The Las Vegas power thumped the Spartans 34-7 last fall. CVCHS ALL-DAL HONOREES
Wrestling DAL: 2nd team- Cade Behmlander (CVC); 3rd teamGabe Navarro, Maurizzio Baglieri, Chris Palacios, Jacob Coppa, Ben Acebo, Anantvir Grewal, Jacob Sartorio (CVC) Boys Basketball DAL Foothill: 1st teamGarrett Pascoe, Nick Klarman (CVC); JD Williams, Roman Merritt (CVC)
Girls Basketball DAL Foothill: 1st team-Ysobelle Eustaquio (CVC); HMKelly Osterkamp, Katriel Segovia (CVC)
as they were on both teams. Online registration for 2018 has begun at cvaajreagles.com or email cvaajreagles@gmail.com.
REGISTRATION DEADLINES FOR ALL OUT SPORTS LEAGUES SUMMER PROGRAMS COMING UP
Youth basketball and volleyball leagues and adult softball league are scheduled by All Out Sports Leagues in Clayton. AOSL is taking registration online. For complete information on All Out Sports leagues, clinics and other programs, visit alloutsportsleague.com.
SPRINGWOOD SWIM TEAM REGISTRATION DAY THIS SUNDAY
Springwood Swim Team begins preseason practices on Monday, April 23, in its newly remodeled pool. For more information please email team director Kristi Buchholz at springwoodsprinters@gmail.com or visit springwoodswim.com.
UGLY EAGLES HOST 2 BASKETBALL CAMPS IN JUNE
Head coach Eric Bamberger and his record-setting Clayton Valley Charter High School coaches and players are offering two Ugly Eagles Basketball Camps this month for boys and girls. The sessions for incoming second through eighth graders are June 11-15 and June 18-22. Sessions run from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. with the gym open an hour before and after the formal camp for pickup play. The camp includes offensive and defensive instruction and games. For more information and to register contact coach Bamberger by phone 726-9999 or email uglyeaglebballcamp@att.net.
WALNUT COUNTRY SIGNUPS FOR SUMMER SEASON UNDERWAY
Walnut Country Swim Team head coach Adrian Lohse says NORTHGATE YOUTH FOOTBALL TECHNIQUE CAMP the team is accepting registration for boys and girls in the six and TAKING REGISTRATIONS under through 15-18 age groups in preparation for the start of Northgate High School’s Youth Football Technique Camp is practice on April 16. More information and to register for the June 12 - 15 for players entering second through ninth grades. summer season visit walnutcountryeaglerays.com. Campers of all skill levels are invited to attend and learn proper football technique and develop individual confidence within a DIABLO FC HOLDING SOCCER TRYOUTS team philosophy. Campers will be instructed by head coach Ben STARTING MAY 14 Ballard and the Northgate football coaching staff with the most Diablo FC 8 under through 19U competitive soccer teams current football techniques. Camp fee includes camp shirt, (birth years 2000-2011) will begin tryouts May 14. Email director snacks, fundamentals and techniques, competition, offensive and of coaching Zach Sullivan at docdiablofc@gmail.com with any defensive instruction, individual awards, personal written evaluquestions about the club or tryouts. Visit diablofc.org to get ation and professional trainer on site. Visit northgatebroncos.org more information on the area’s premier youth soccer club and to for more info and to register. sign up for the appropriate age group tryout.
FOREST PARK SWIM TEAM SIGNUPS UNDERWAY The area’s largest annual youth soccer tournament, Concord CARONDELET GRAD VANDERKLUGT EARNS Forest Park Swim Team coach Jeff Mellinger has invited Cup, returns for its landmark 25th season at a variety of ConFRESHMAN OF YEAR COLLEGE BASKETBALL HONORS cord parks May 19-20. Boys and girls club and recreation teams swimmers of all skill levels ages 4-18 to join the Flyers summer Michaela Vanderklugt earned All-PacWest accolades followfrom 9 under (2009) through 19U (1999) are eligible to partici- rec swimming program. Practice begins this Monday, April 9. ing an impressive season for the Concordia Eagles. Concordia pate. Diablo FC, Mt. Diablo Soccer and Concord AYSO co- Contact coach Mellinger at jeff.mellinger@gmail.com for details. finished 16-10 overall and snagged a bid to the PacWest Confersponsor the tournament. Visit concordcup.com for complete B EREAN CHRISTIAN TRAP TEAM SEEKS FUNDS ence Tournament. Vanderklugt was Carondelet High’s senior information and to register a team to participate. athlete of the year for 2016-17. She was named PacWest freshFOR US OPEN TRAVEL man of the year and third team All-PacWest. Vanderklugt made Coach Richard Walshin of Clayton has setup a Go Fund Me TERRAPIN WINTER-SPRING SWIM CLINICS UNDERWAY an immediate impact on the Eagles with not only her scoring, The nationally-ranked Terrapins Swim Team are taking signups effort to raise funds for his Berean Christian High School trap but her defensive efforts and work load. She scored 394 for swimmers ages six and above for all levels in their year-round shooting team to go to Las Vegas for the US Open competition points and grabbed 204 rebounds, averaging 15.2 points per July 9-14. The team includes seven girls and seven boys. The USA Swimming team. For info visit terrapinswim.com. game. She was named PacWest freshman of the week three Open includes trap, skeet and sporting clay competitions. Visit times and PacWest player of the week once with six double-douGoFundMe.com and enter Berean Christian Trap Team to conOAKHURST ORCAS SCHEDULE SWIM TEAM SIGNUPS bles and a career high 32 points in a single game. Oakhurst Orcas and head coach Jasmine Castillo have sched- tribute. uled meet and greet registration on Wednesday, Apr.18, from CONCORD AYSO NOW ACCEPTING CLAYTON VALLEY ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION 6:30-8 p.m. at Oakhurst Country Club. Registration forms are FALL SOCCER REGISTRATIONS CHEER DOES IT AGAIN available at oakhurstorcas.com under the forms tab. Spring pracConcord AYSO has begun accepting registrations for their Team Soar and Team Flight went back to Las Vegas this wintices begin Monday, Apr. 23. fall soccer program online. The fall season starts Aug. 1. There ter as returning National Champions. Team Flight won a title for will be in-person registration events on April 5, April 19, June 4 the third year in a row with their show cheer win and Team Soar DIABLO FC FALL REC SOCCER PROGRAM and June 21 from 6:30 8:30 p.m. and May 12 from 10 a.m. – 3 collected their second championship performance cheer. Each OPENS REGISTRATION p.m. at Concord Bible Church, 4975 Concord Blvd. The regisBoys and girls of all skill levels in the 6U-19U (1999-2014) CVAA Jr. Eagles squad competed again nine teams. Team Soar tration fee includes a uniform, ball and insurance. Players who age groups are invited to sign up for the Diablo FC fall rec soc- went on to compete in the State championship in Bakersfield register before May 13 receive an early bird discount of $40. cer program which runs from August through October. The and brought home the State championship. Addison Warren and Visit concordayso.org to register and get more information. Morgan Wigton were honored with two national championships
April 6, 2018
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Page 15
Sports
CV, Carondelet, DLS basketball seasons end abruptly JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer
Clayton Valley Charter, De La Salle and Carondelet basketball each earned a berth in the Northern California Regionals, but the three local schools weren’t around long— or not at all—in the NorCal tournament used to determine the North State’s entries in the CIF State championship games. Clayton Valley Charter was the fourth seed in Division I boys and DLS was placed ninth in the Open Division seedings. Each team lost its opening-round game to conclude the season. Carondelet can only wish it played a NorCal game, where the Cougars were sixth seeds in the Open Division. The Cougars won their second straight North Coast Section Division I championship with a 71-58 win over Heritage of Brentwood at St. Mary’s College right before CVCHS would lose the D-I boys finals on the same floor to the Heritage boys 71-66. The following Tuesday (just three days before the NorCal tournament was to begin) the school announced that “Carondelet will forfeit the CIF basketball tournament game scheduled for Friday, Mar. 9, as a result of the viola-
tion of team rules at a nonsanctioned event off-campus. Carondelet expects students to adhere to team and school standards at all times. Carondelet remains committed to the continual learning and growth of our students in all areas of their development.” It’s been reported that Carondelet players held an offcampus party after winning NCS and behavior there broke school rules. The coach of their opponent at NorCal, Pinewood’s Doc Scheppler, was not happy about the withdrawal. “I wish it could have been rectified prior to the seeding meetings” as Scheppler bemoaned a long layoff for his girls before resuming play. CIF executive director Roger Blake commended Carondelet for its decision. He told the East Bay Times, “I’m sure Coach Scheppler will realize that the last thing Carondelet wanted to do is withdraw and not play, but teaching lifelong lessons must be our purpose in education-based athletics. We all should applaud the leadership and administration [at Carondelet].” Scheppler’s team then stunned America’s No. 1 ranked girls team, Archbishop Mitty, in a triple overtime classic to win the NorCal Open championship. Pinewood, in
turn, lost the State title game to Windward of SouCal 58-47. Clayton Valley (26-4) soared to new heights before suffering back-to-back disappointments to end the season. Coach Eric Bamberger’s team lost a back and forth struggle to Heritage of Brentwood in the NCS Division I championship game as each team sought its first-ever NCS basketball championship. The Ugly Eagles started this season with 18 consecutive wins before losing at Campolindo in double overtime, 100-98. They later lost to Las Lomas, which won the Diablo Athletic League Foothill Division with a 9-1 record to Clayton Valley’s 8-2. Las Lomas reached the State Division I championship game where they fell to Chino Hills by five points. SouCal champion Chino Hills, made famous by the Ball brothers who defeated De La Salle in the 2016 Open Division finals. With 26 wins the Eagles set a new record at the 60-year-old school. De La Salle (21-9) lost to Berkeley 54-51 in the NCS quarterfinals in defense of its 2017 Section championship but the Spartans still advanced to the NorCal Regionals as the ninth seed. They lost at Palo Alto 62-49 in the opening round. The Spartans, like
Former Eagle Kayla Taylor selected to all-league basketball for Chico State Athletic honors are nothing new to 2014 Clayton Valley Charter high School grad Kayla Taylor and those continued this winter while she concluded her senior year on the Chico State basketball team. Taylor was named to the California Collegiate Athletic Association all-conference second team for the Wildcats, who reached the CCAA tournament semi-finals. Taylor played three years at Chico after earning second-team all-state honors as a freshman at Diablo Valley College. She led her team this season in field goal percentage and blocks. Taylor was honorable mention all-CCAA as a junior. She was a volleyball and basketball standout at CVChS and was the school’s 2013-14 Athlete of the year. During her final two basketball seasons the eagles made it to the northern California championships, reaching the norCal semi-finals in 2014.
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www.nicholslandscape.com
Diablo View Construction
Spring is a great time to sell Call Mazzei Realty today. Photo courtesy Chico State Sports information
CVHS grad Nick Goff made it to NCAA basketball Big Dance again
Allison Rodriguez photo courtesy Wright State Athletic Department
nick Goff cuts down the net after Wright State wins horizon League tournament.
Nick Goff was cut from the Clayton Valley High School freshman basketball team in 2002 but persisted in
CVCHS, lost its final two Southern Section soccer all the goals scored in the regionals since 2008. This opening half. games of the season. was the first time for NorCal The Ygnacio girls had INAUGURAL winter teams to have playoffs ventured north three times in NORCALSOCCER extend beyond the section eight days in the NCS D-III De La Salle and Caron- level. tournament before finally delet plus Ygnacio Valley’s North Coast Section boys losing to No. 1 Analy in girls were part of the historic champion De La Salle (17-3- Sebastopol. Ygnacio headed inaugural Northern Califor- 7) was seeded third and host- north again and lost 1-0 to nia Regional soccer playoffs ed Burlingame in their Nor- top seeded Shasta in the Norlast month, but only the Cal D-1 opener. The Spartans Cal D-III regional opener. Cougars were able to come fell 2-1 in another game with away with a victory. Fifth seed Carondelet (187-4) visited Davis in their Northern California Regional Division I opener. Davis hadn’t lost a girls soccer match since May 2016 but the Cougars came away with a 21 victory as all the goals were scored in the opening half. It was sweet revenge for the Concord school after they played Davis in November and fell to three second-half FREE goals 3-0. The win pitted Carondelet ESTIMATES against Monte Vista for the fourth time this year in the •Lawn & Plant Installation •Paver Patio & Walkway NorCal semi-finals and once •Retaining Walls •Drainage •Low Voltage Lighting again the Mustangs came out victorious, 2-1, on a secondhalf penalty kick. Monte Vista went on to defeat Archbishop Mitty in the finals 1-0 to claim the first-ever NorthBoyce Nichols - Owner Lic. 542812 ern California Regional Clayton Resident Fully Insured championship. Carondelet was one of three East Bay Athletic League schools among the eight teams in the NorCal DI girls bracket. Entering the playoffs, Davis was ranked Why advertise in the Pioneer? 16th in the nation and Monte Since I started advertising in the Clayton Vista rated No. 1 in California and second in the USA. and Concord Pioneers, my business has EBAL girls soccer has long exploded. I can hardly keep up with the been held up as one of the calls. strongest leagues in America. Kevin Schmidt, General Contractor CIF has been hosting
working on his game and eventually played varsity as a senior. Goff called himself “more of the inspirational
type than point guard” for the 19-win Eagles that featured Adam Carp, Drew Menez and Johnny Del Bene. After graduating, Goff was off to Nevada Reno where he was a student manager and has since worked for the college basketball programs at Nevada, South Dakota State and now at Wright State in Ohio. Goff is the director of operations for men’s basketball and his Wright State team won the Horizon League to earn the 14th seed in the NCAA Southern Regional, where the Raiders lost to No. 3 Tennessee. It was the fourth time in seven years he’s worked for a team reaching the NCAA Division I Tournament. Goff, who was married last summer, last visited his CVHS alma mater to speak at a Career Day at the request of teacher Sarah Lovick.
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Page 16
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
April 6, 2018
Mmmmm – tomato planting season is upon us It’s time for tomatoes: the most planted food crop in Clayton Valley containers and gardens. Plant lovers covet the tomato, basing their entire green thumb success on the production of this juicy, sweet red fruit. First you need to know what kind of tomato to install. Are you looking for the heavy, fleshy varieties? Are you interested in juicy varieties for sandwiches? Do you make sauces, or like to pick and eat straight from the plant? Champion tomatoes are an excellent choice for Clayton Valley tomato growers who don’t have lots of room. Champion tomatoes grow only 20-30 inches tall, and they produce 34 inch fruit after just 70 days. They are easy and fantastic.
STACi hOBBeT
ON THE MOUNTAIN
Candace Utterback is a woman on a mission. She and her husband James live just west of the Concord Pavilion in a townhome community bordering on open space. It’s a lovely area, with views of the low, rolling foothills of Mount Diablo. A veteran volunteer at the Lindsay Wildlife Experience as well as a member of Mount Diablo’s Peregrine Team, Utterback pays attention to what she sees from her home. Owls, hawks, kestrels, kites, coyotes, bobcats, lizards and ground squirrels are all members of a healthy grassland environment. But two years ago, she realized that her homeowners association had contracted with an exterminator to keep rodents under control. The HOA didn’t seem to care how it was done, as long as there
niCOLe hACKeTT
GARDEN GIRL
San Marzano tomatoes are for those who love to make tomato sauces. They have meaty flesh, fewer seeds and thinner skin than other selections. They are pear shaped and bright red when ripe. Plants grow 36 inches tall and wide, and fruit should begin to ripen after 75 days.
Celebrity is a bigger tomato, maturing to about 7 ounces per fruit. Celebrity tomatoes are sweet, with an average amount of seeds and lots of juice. This tomato is good for the sandwich lover. You can expect large yields from this plant. Ripening begins 70-95 days after the flower has set. Early Girl is a very soughtafter selection. It’s tasty and gives huge crops of 4-6-ounce tomatoes. They ripen 55-65 days after flower sets, making them some of the earliest tomatoes you’ll enjoy. For tomato lovers interested in heirloom varieties, Cherokee Purple is rewarding and productive. The bi-color, purplish red fruit is sweet and fleshy. Brandywine is also a good producer that ripens 90 days after flower.
EARLY GIRL TOMATOES
Sun Gold tomatoes are another popular selection. The sweet flavor makes them desirable in salads or enjoyed right off the plant. Black Cherry is a cherry tomato with dark purple,
Pets
weren’t rats, mice or ground squirrels in or around the community. The exterminator put out poison bait boxes, one for each of the 42 units. There was one in Candace’s back yard – a bulky thing, baited with a brutally slow-killing anti-coagulant rodenticide. She started finding dead rodents. She’d seen her share of poisoned animals as a wildlife rehabilitator at the Lindsay, and she knew that vets often see poisoned dogs and cats. Her mind raced to the animals she was seeing in the surrounding meadows. If they ate these poisoned rodents, they would be poisoned too – victims of secondary poisoning. Utterback went to work, gathering information on rodenticides, how they accumulate in the food chain, the high percentage of wildlife they affect and methods of rodent control other than poison. She learned that the animals she was seeing from her house are a major part of a natural, cost-free rodent control service – if only we’d let them do their jobs. Barn owls, those quiet hunters of the night, eat a rat a
day. A single nesting pair will catch 1,000 annually. Utterback thought that the last thing the HOA should do was put the birds at risk. Her first presentation to the HOA didn’t go well. Neighbors worried about what would happen if they gave up poison. Like all of us, they are busy people: it’s easy to put out poison and avoid thinking about the consequences. But Utterback stayed in touch with the HOA, re-armed herself with facts and tried again in March. She offered to install and monitor three nesting boxes for barn owls on the communal property. She also volunteered to put out bids for exterminators who would not use poison. The HOA members voted unanimously to go poison-free. Within two weeks, the
exterminator was dismissed, the bait boxes had been removed and the property manager was calling around for bids. The nesting boxes may not go up soon enough to lure barn owls this season, but they’ll be ready for next year. In the meantime, the wildlife around Utterback’s community won’t be eating toxic rats. For this choice to go poison-free, the East Bay-based Raptors Are the Solution nominated Utterback and her HOA for an O.W.L award.
For more information, visit raptorsarethesolution.org/owlwise-leader.
Staci Hobbet is a docent with the Contributed photo Mount Diablo Interpretive Associa- Candace Utterback, a Lindsay Wildlife volunteer, pertion; mdia.org. suaded her homeowners association to dump poison bait boxes.
Club News
Clayton Valley Woman’s Club
compromises and solutions to our problems, we must become involved in politics from a young age. Our voices are important and can make an impact, so we should utilize them to the fullest extent.
Photo courtesy of CVWC.
Sydney is a junior at CVCHS. Judy Disbrow, committee chair, worked with CVWC memSend comments to editor@pioneer- bers to decorate beautiful, multi-themed tables for the 2018 Festival of Tables in March. publishers.com
Meet ARF stars Ted and Luna
TED
Six-year-old Ted is a tiny scruff-monster with very expressive, outsized ears. He’s a bouncy, happy personality who prances proudly as he walks. Ted wants his adopters to know that he absolutely adores having his fuzzy hindquarters scratched. So if he backs up to you, don’t take
Nicole is the Garden Girl at R&M Pool, Patio, Gifts and Garden. You can contact her with questions or comments by email at Gardengirl@claytonpioneer.com
HOA goes poison-free to protect wildlife
Guns, from page 10
As the focus of the media and politics turns to gun control and gun violence following tragedies such as the shooting in Parkland, I believe it is crucial that the younger generations of our country remain educated about and involved in the movement. We are the ones who will be running this country in the coming years. In order to find
almost black skin. They have a high yield and are sweet and fun. Install tomato plants into well-amended, rich, replenished soil. Remove many of the bot-
tom leaves and plant 3-4 inches of the tomato stem below the soil line. Remove the blossoms on your new installs and remove the next set as well. You want your plants at first to focus on strong roots. After planting, work a granular tomato fertilizer into the soil. Feed with a water-soluble fertilizer bi-weekly for growth. Use a product with a larger first number than the middle number, 15-6-3 for example. When you let the tomato flower, change your fertilizing product to one that has a larger second number than first, i.e. 3-20-20, or 2-10-10.
LUNA
offense, just talk to the butt! The adoption fee for puppies under 6 months is $300, for adult dogs is $250, and includes a discount on the first six-week session of a manners class. Two-year-old Luna is a gorgeous kitty, with her luxurious coat and soft eyes. She is such a social lapcat - she is
playful, chatty and loving, and likes LOTS of attention. The adoption fee for kittens under 6 months $125 and for adult cats is $75. Meet your forever friend at Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation, 2890 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, during adoption hours: Noon to 6 pm Wednesday & Thursday, Noon to 7 pm Friday, and Noon to 6 pm Saturday & Sunday. Would you like to be part of the heroic team that saves the lives of rescued dogs and cats? Can you share your talents to connect people and animals? ARF volunteers are making a difference! For more information see our website, www.arflife.org, or call (925) 2561ARF.
The Clayton Valley Woman’s Club hosted their 13th Annual Festival of Tables and Song on March 24. Over 90 attendees enjoyed a delicious lunch and were waited on by husbands, sons and a grandson of members outfitted handsomely in black slacks, white shirts and black bow ties. Entertainment was provided by The Vintage Harmonic Trio. The Clayton Valley Woman’s Club invites guests to attend their monthly meeting on Tuesday, April 10 to hear guest speaker Dr. Ann Thomas discuss the topic of “Aging Well in Today’s World.” Thomas is a leader in the area of journeying mindfully into the elder years. She has a varied
Quilt Show
background as an author, storyteller, teacher and psychotherapist. Thomas explores what makes aging different for today’s seniors and how, along with the difficulties, come opportunities for growth. She will also explore how finding and utilizing humor is helpful. This element of humor is the topic of her newest book, “Unmistakably Old and Doing Pretty Well, Considering.”
The CVWC is a local nonprofit organization of women serving local communities. Monthly meetings are at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 5555 Clayton Road. Business meeting at 10 a.m.; speaker at 11 a.m. Guests are welcome. For more information, go to claytonvalleywomansclub.blogspot.com.
Time to “Tile Tango” with the Guild of Quilters of Contra Costa County at their annual Quilt Show on April 7 and 8 at Centre Concord. The show theme this year is derived from a traditional-meets-modern quilt designed by Becky Goldsmith called “Tile Tango.” The featured artist this year is Anelie Belden, author of “Thoroughly Modern Dresden.” She will have choice pieces from her collection and conduct a demonstration at 1 p.m. on foundation piecing without applique on both Saturday and Sunday. Over 150 beautiful quilts made by members will be displayed at the quilt show. Shop the popular Country Store for great prices on fabrics and other goodies, participate in a quilt treasure hunt, experience a Polka Dot Challenge and peruse quilting and gift vendors. Show hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 7 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 8. Centre Con- The drawing of this hand quilted keepsake cord is at 5298 Clayton Road, Concord. $10 for “Tile Tango” quilt is at 3 p.m. on April 8 at weekend admission. For more information, go the Quilt Show in Concord. to www.gqccc.org/quilt-show.
April 6, 2018
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Page 17
The cruisin’ is easy from Port of San Francisco If You Go
ROBERT CASEY PLACES TO GO
For cruisers who have been intimidated by bustling ports such as Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Long Beach or Boston, there’s a convenient option in our backyard: San Francisco. As a sailor on San Francisco Bay, I would often spot large cruise ships docked along the Embarcadero and wonder where they were coming from and where they were off to next. After visiting Pier 27 recently, I have some answers. Last year, the Port of San Francisco hosted 81 cruise ship calls and 280,000 passengers at the Pier 27 and Pier 35 cruise terminals, according to Michael Nerney, the port’s assistant deputy director. He said projections for 2018 are down slightly, to 77 port visits and 270,000 passengers. But he expects 89 bookings and more than 300,000 passengers in 2019. The visits include round-trip cruises from San Francisco to Alaska, Hawaii and Mexico, as well as repositioning cruises in the spring and fall. There are also Panama Canal transits sailing out of San Fran-
were also lots of guides and Embarcadero. Winds Cruises & Expeditions in porters to help passengers If you want to stay in the city Clayton. He can be reached at 925through the maze of baggage. before your cruise, there are 787-8252 or fairwindscruises.com. In front of the cruise ter- many excellent hotels nearby. His email is caseyrdc@gmail.com. minal is a 2.3-acre grassy plaza Casey is president of Fair with benches that allow passengers to relax and take in the views of the city. While cruise ships generally dock at Pier 27, when multiple ships are in port Getting there: On BART, get off at the Embarthey may be assigned to nearby cadero station and walk east on Market to the Ferry Pier 35, which is more than Building. Then turn left and walk 0.9 miles. Pier 27 100 years old. will be on the right. But if you’re going on a cruise, The cruise terminal is also take a taxi to the Pier 27 terminal and get dropped off convenient to many San Franciswith your baggage at the ship. There’s a spacious co attractions. The Exploratoridrop-off area and parking garages on the pier. um, one of the finest science Cruise lines: The Port of San Francisco hosts museums in the Bay Area, is these major cruise lines: Celebrity, Cunard, Holland next door. Coit Tower on TeleAmerica, Crystal, Disney, Norwegian, Oceania, P&O, graph Hill looms over the pier. Princess, Regent Seven Seas, Royal Caribbean and Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39 Silversea. are a 10-minute walk along the
The Coral Princess looms over the James R. herman Cruise Terminal at Pier 27 in San Francisco.
cisco. I was able to witness the beginning of one of these on March 6, when I toured the Coral Princess at Pier 27. The 2,000-passenger ship sailed later that day on a 15-day cruise to Cabo San Lucas, Nicaragua, Colombia, Aruba and Fort Lauderdale. The James R. Herman Cruise Terminal at Pier 27 opened on Sept. 25, 2014. The 91,000 sq. ft., two-story building was built in response to trends in the cruise industry. It also serves as the Bay Area’s newest large venue for corporate and special events, with space that can accommodate 500 guests. The Pier 27 terminal is designed to handle cruise ships up to 4,000 passengers. As opposed to cruise terminals in many other cities, Pier 27 is easily accessible and comparatively
Captain Grammar Pants
Not only is “artic” not a word in reference to the far North, but neither is “antartic” referring to the far South. ARCTIC (Greek, “bear,” Ursa major, referring to the North Star but going all the way back to *rkto, Proto-Indo-European for “bear”) is an adjective (description) and a noun (place). ANTARCTIC is, of course, the opposite of the North. The middle c was temporarily dropped but was restored in the 16th century. No matter where you live, you MUST pronounce the c in the middle of each of these words. This is a deal breaker; pronounce it “artic” and you might as well turn in your Grammar Guardian card right now. What brings tears to my eyes is that I live near a town called “Artic,” Washington Sean Williams is a professor of ethnomusicology at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash. She is currently working on a Captain Grammar Pants book. Follow her regular postings on Facebook.
easy to navigate. There were clearly marked entrances and exits, as well as a large drop-off area next to the terminal. There
Key considerations before creating a website
WiLL CLAney
TECH TALK
Websites are everywhere. Some are cool, some not so much, but it seems everyone wants one. Few, however, understand what is involved with setting one up and maintaining it. Most web novices believe the GoDaddy hype: “Build a better website in under an hour.” I talk to many people daily who think the site will not cost much or be complicated to set up. With a simple $39.99 payment, they think it will be up and running, making money and influencing their audience. Well, not so fast, there are a few things you may have overlooked. Before you consider launching a launch, first and foremost you need a strong reason and sharp focus for the purpose of your site. What is your site about? What are you promoting
or selling? If you understand the site, others will too. Once you have established why you want a site, decide what software you need to pull it off. There are at least two approaches to building a website: building the site from scratch or using a website “builder.” If you build a website from scratch, be prepared to spend lots of money and time. It takes 3-12 months to make a site from scratch. If you take the “builder” route, you could have a page up in an hour. However, if you want to proceed with a single page website, you are pretty much on your own. No one wants to work on a site that costs less than a hundred bucks to make If you’re still set on creating a useful site, you’ll need a domain. The domain name is your web address (URL), for example mine is www.shopcusa.com. It’s like getting a phone number; a domain provider assigns you a web address. Not all domain registration companies are the same, and there can be pitfalls over “ownership” of the domain name. Once you have a web address, you’ll need a company to “host” it. This may or may not be the same company that
How to wear a sports jacket with jeans
SUSAn SAPPinGTOn
CLOTHESUP
The sports jacket is one of the most versatile items a man can have in his wardrobe. It enhances the silhouette, broadening and heightening shoulders, slimming the midsection and providing a more masculine appearance overall. It also offers a good number of pockets, so you can lighten the load on your trousers. And it affords you an opportunity to be a gentleman. Should a lady friend become cold, you can remove your jacket and lend her its warmth. Thus, any way to extend the times and places in which a sports coat may be worn is a win. One such way is to pair it with jeans. When executed well, it results in a sharp, casual look that will easily become your go-to getup for a variety of situations. The key is choosing the right jeans, the right jacket and the right accessories. The main reason the look fails is that the two pieces are too jarringly matched. Generally, the jeans are too casual
and the jackets too formal. And often both pieces are too baggy. Your jeans should be a little more formal, your jacket a little more casual. And everything should fit well. Choose clean, dark, wellfitted, trouser-esque denim. Avoid ripped, baggy, faded and distressed jeans. Lighter denim can sometimes work, but go with a deep indigo to keep it simple. Generally, the coat should be of the sports variety. A suit jacket is more structured, spare in details, smooth in fabric and formal in appearance. When paired with the casualness of jeans, it can look discordant and jarring. The blazer sits in between the formality of the suit jacket and the sports jacket. It can work with jeans, especially if it is made of a thicker, more textured fabric like flannel or serge, rather than the fine worsted wool common to suit jackets. But it can still come off as too formal to pair well with denim. Most men are better off adhering to fairly simple rules, rather than delving into nuances and exceptions. So when it comes to donning a jacket with jeans, I recommend sticking with the sports coat. The sports jacket was created in the 19th century for gentlemen who needed a more rugged, utilitarian garment for active pursuits like shooting,
idleMan
Jeans more on the formal side and a casual sports jacket work, but no matchy-matchy. Keep the contrast high
hunting, riding and golf. The jacket was constructed of thicker fabrics and adorned with patch pockets for cartridges, elbow patches for durability and slits in the back for mobility. These rustic, casual details are what make the sports jacket a fitting companion for the rustic casualness of denim. Here are a few things to generally look for in a sports jacket that will pair well with jeans:
• Two buttons instead of three. • Thin notch lapels over peak lapels.
Well-fitted. Sports coats are cut roomier than suit jackets and blazers to allow for layering, but you don’t want it too baggy. High color contrast with jeans. Unlike suit jackets, sports coats aren’t supposed to match your pants. They look best when they form a sharp contrast. Thus, a light-colored • Unstructured and soft- sports coat generally looks best shoulders. with dark denim. • Casual, textured fabric. Linen or cotton in warmer For help with your wardrobe, months, tweed and cor- contact Susan Sappington at duroy for colder weather. susan.sappington@jhilburnpart• Casual details like patch ner.com. pockets and elbow patches.
provides your domain name. Hosting involves a bunch of computers in a data center that respond to a request by a web surfer once the site is requested. You could “host” the site yourself with your own servers, computers and network. (If you want this, so do I. Call me.) Once you have a domain and a web host, it’s time to create the “code” that makes the site work, e.g. what the site looks like and how pages are displayed. Software is usually HTML code that can be written by hand or by using a “builder” site, where the code is written for you as you make “drag-n-drop” design decisions. GoDaddy, WIX, Weebly and SiteBuilder are examples of builder companies that use drag and drop web code writers. Don’t forget content (text stories) and graphics. Maybe you need a good graphic artist. Once you have your website up and running, security is an issue. You need to protect the site against cyber hackers and data loss, so cyber security and backup are essential elements to help your site grow and prosper. Most viruses or malware come from simple sites that have not been well secured. Imagine a customer or friend dropping by your site to check you out, and they get hacked from your site. It’s not a good business idea, so you need security certificates. If you want to sell items on your site, incorporate what is known as an e-commerce module. It lists your products for sale,
tracks inventory and links to a payment processing site like PayPal for credit card sales. Next come maintenance and promotion for your site. Will you be updating prices, photos and content yourself or will you use a maintenance provider? If you do it yourself, you should have a marketing or IT department to help you. Website promotion is a good idea. Why have a site if no one can find it? Websites need promotion so they appear in search sites like Bing, Yahoo and Google. You could buy ads in these search sites, but you could be investing time and money you don’t have. Or, you could generate free “organic” traffic, if you know how. Having a website is a great idea and can help your bottom line, but you need to know what you are up against. Your time and money may be a good investment – it just depends on your first and foremost reason for the site. There are costs, details and tricks to making a site successful. But doing it on your own, or on the cheap, simply won’t work. It’s like anything else in life. “Anything worth doing, is worth doing right.” – Hunter S. Thompson. Contact a professional.
William Claney is an independent tech writer and former owner of Computers USA in the Clayton Station. Email questions or comments to willclaney@gmail.com.
Sun protection an essential part of outdoor decor
Page 18
Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
JenniFeR LeiSCheR
DESIGN & DÉCOR
Spring has waited patiently to make an appearance, but it has arrived. It’s hard to miss this whimsical season, with its blooming bulbs, cheerful rainy days and the occasional rainbow casting a magic spell—calling us all to head into our backyards and decorate. Colorful ceramic flower pots, decorative cushions and pillows on lounge seating and brightly colored, striped market umbrellas that hover with purpose are ready to come out from their hiding places and flaunt their colors. Outdoor
These canvas cushions will resist sun-facing better than some other fabrics.
spring decorating is irresistible. If taken care of season after season, your outdoor accessories will go the distance. If you’re using fabric outside—for pillows, umbrellas, seat cushions and even drapery—make sure it’s some form
of synthetic. Outdoor fabric manufactures like Sunbrella and Perennials have been around for some time. Their fabrics are durable and can stand their ground pretty well when it comes to harsh outdoor weather conditions.
It’s important to remember that while a fabric says it’s made for outdoors, it still requires care and maintenance. Canvas is a tried and true outdoor fabric. It’s traditionally made of cotton, linen or hemp and is a super strong
ensure that students can exercise without fear of injuries. Volunteers have been working with the Mt. Diablo Unified School District and community members since fall 2016. The district has agreed to maintain the fields regardless of drought conditions, pledging $350,000 of Measure C Funds. The group’s fundraising effort brings the total to about $612,000, or 82 percent of the total.
The Playfield Committee’s original goal was to have a synthetic turf field, but costs and associated facility upgrades exceeded its budget. The committee is now opting for natural grass, with a proposed start date of Aug. 1 and completion in November. Plans include removing the existing field, upgrading the existing track and installing gopher guard and irrigation.
Local businesses have made significant donations, and the committee has reached out to the Clayton Business & Community Association and Clayton Valley Little League. The group is also hosting a poker night or bocce tournament in Clayton in June. Community members can purchase fundraising pavers from $100 to $5,000 at mdesplayfield.com/personalizedpavers.
April 6, 2018
material used for making anything from nautical sails to artwork. Canvas will fade over time, but its fibers are strong. It will take some time before the fabric itself starts to break down. Manmade fibers like acrylic, olefin and polyester are other options to look for when shopping for outdoor fabrics. These fabrics will have descriptions like sun-resistant, UV resistant, color fast, fade resistant or water resistant. If you want a fabric that does all of the above, look for PVC polyester. It’s a woven mesh material that looks like fine, woven plastic. You’ve probably seen this fabric in the form of floor mats, shopping bags and placemats. Outdoors, you would typically see this material on sling-type chairs, seats and backs. While it’s a hardworking outdoor material, it’s not a cozy and plush material you’d want to use for outdoor pillows and drapery. Secretly, I think this celes-
tial star of our solar system is laughing at the products we use indoors and out to protect hardwood floors, area rugs, case goods and upholstered furniture. For a material to be 100 percent immune to the rays that the sun casts our way, it would need to be invincible, as in Clark Kent invincible. All fabrics will lose the fight over time when it comes to sun exposure. Your best bet is to be smart about where you place fabric pieces outside. Take advantage of spaces like where an umbrella takes the brunt of the sun exposure, a tree naturally protects your outdoor living space or under a pergola. When you know you won’t be enjoying your festive backyard, play a little hide and seek with the sun and bring fabric pieces inside. 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.
Full steam ahead for school playfield project HOLLY TILLMAN Special to the Pioneer
The Mt. Diablo Elementary Playfield Committee is in full swing, striving to keep students safe while using the fields on campus. The group is asking the community to help reach the goal of $750,000 to replace the field, which is in poor shape due to the drought and lack of maintenance. They want to
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