APR 13 Clayton Pioneer 2007 by Pioneer Publishers

See new Home Improvement Guide Section B

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID CLAYTON, CA PERMIT 190

IT’S YOUR PAPER www.claytonpioneer.com

April 13, 2007

925.672.0500

Officials dig into downtown park TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer

BILL WALCUTT

MAYOR’S CORNER Think about safety at school drop-off Pam and I w alk almost everyday, and sometimes w e walk when Ben, the crossing guard for Mt. Diablo Elementary School, is on duty. Ben is responsible for g etting our c hildren safely through the intersection of Oak and Center streets do wntown. He is very serious about k eeping our children safe. He is also quick to assess whic h adults need help crossing the street and whic h ones do not. When he sees us approac h, he always jumps into ser vice to give us the assistance he kno ws we need. He told me he is amazed that we are able to cross some 15 intersections on our daily walk without his help. I am not sure what he meant b y this comment, but I am sure it was a compliment. All kidding aside , Ben is always alert to unsafe conditions or unintentional acti vities b y parents or drivers. As one of my most dedicated readers , he suggested that I write a column reminding parents of some unsafe habits during drop-off in the morning. As most of you kno w, the Oak/Center street intersection becomes extremely congested in

See Mayor, page A21

What’s Inside This Mother’s Day, make your mom

Queen for a Day

See page A12 for details Around Town . . . . . . . . . . .A2 Classified Ads . . . . . . . . . . . .A5 Directory of Advertisers . . .A5 Upcoming Events . . . . . . . .A8 From the Chief . . . . . . . . . . .A9 Letters to the Editor . . . . .A10 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . .A11 Tea for You . . . . . . . . . . . . .A12 Food for Thought . . . . . . .A13 Book Review . . . . . . . . . . .A13 At the Movies . . . . . . . . . . .A14 Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . .A14 Church News . . . . . . . . . . .A15 School News . . . . . . . . . . . .A15 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A16 Music Notes . . . . . . . . . . . .A18 Clayton Calendar . . . . . . . .A19 Paws and Claws . . . . . . . . .A20 On the Net . . . . . . . . . . . . .A21 Old Times in Clayton . . . .A21 Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . .A22 Hiker’s Haven . . . . . . . . . . .A23 Weather Words . . . . . . . . . .A23

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer After years of planning and waiting, Clayton City Councilmen Dave Shuey, Hank Stratford, Greg Manning, Mayor Bill Walcutt, Councilwoman Julie Pierce and retired Councilman Pete Laurence break the first ground for the downtown park.

It was a day long awaited for Clayton when all fi ve City Council members and Councilman Emeritus P ete Laurence picked up shovels and dug into the cla y to break ground for the m uch-anticipated city park. “This is a dream come true,” city manag er Gar y Napper said in addressing the small g athering, which included do wntown businessmen Skip Ipsen and Ed Moresi, members of the park design committee , city staffers , park project manag er J ohn Crosswhite and other park supporters. “This is a monumental milestone in the city’ s histor y,” said Napper. “The park is a k ey element in the revitalization of downtown. It will be the city’ s signature feature.” The park is expected to open on Oct. 19. Final plans for the one-acre park call for a c hildren’s pla y villag e, a w ater pla y feature, a plaza with game board tabletops, a picnic area with See Park, page A6

Garden tour a sure cure for spring fev er JILL BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer

If you need a little inspiration for how your garden should look this spring, take a peek at what the master g reen thumbs are doing in the Cla yton and Concord area during the Clayton Historical Society’ s 15th ann ual Gardens Tour. The self-guided tour in vites residents to enjo y fi ve g orgeous gardens and g rounds, from 10 a.m. to 4 p .m. on Saturda y and Sunday, April 28-29. There’s also a g arden par ty in a sixth g arden from 2:30 to 5 p.m. each day. The weekend event promises a delight of the senses , from splashes of brilliant color to delectable scents from the aromatic displa ys of fragrant f low-

ers. You might here the c hatter of quail or some melodic songs from other birds that inhabit these inviting garden settings. For J ohn and Linda P erkins, their Cla yton g arden set ag ainst open space is “tr uly a paradise found.” The couple started from scratch and built retaining w alls, walkways, a filtered pond with a water feature and w aterfalls. There’s an eleg ant spiral metal staircase that descends from the master bedroom dec k to the patio. “The beauty and gracefulness of nature’s displa y nev er ceases to amaze us,” says John. For F ather Ric hard Mangini, it’s not so m uch the g arden that delights, but the context of the house and g arden that sets it apart. He calls his proper ty off

Pine Hollo w R oad “an impressive little jewel of a ranch next to the city ,” and his v oice exudes pride in the “beauty of a g rowing vineyard and the beautiful vistas” from various parts of the ranch. Put your walking shoes on to keep a comfor table pace as y ou stroll among roses, annuals, statues and fountains . The main house w as occupied b y the Manginis in 1904 and has since been remodeled for Ric hard’s apartment upstairs and quar ters for his sister, Karen, on the first floor. Don’t miss the bar n and a possible sighting of the family of screech owls. Paul and Kim Drobratz are garden professionals who ha ve meticulously designed their Concord g arden to capture the

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

Mangini Ranch is one of five homes on this year’s Clayton Historical Society’s gardens tour. essence of outdoor li ving. As you approac h the front of the house, you are g reeted with primary colors and an English-style country design. White wic ker

Musical’s theme plays into DramaMama’s goals JILL BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer

The frenzy o ver Disney Channel’s “High Sc hool Musical” is still g oing strong more than a year after the madefor-TV film was released. Young thespians across the country clamor to pla y the stuck-up drama queen Shar pay Evans, or the talented, but sh y, Gabriella Montez. Even the guys are lo ving the limelight on stage, as they por tray T roy Bolton, the basketball jock who can belt out a tune , or Sharpay’s brother, Ryan, who seems to land the lead role ev ery time in East High’s annual musical. Now it’s Diablo View Middle See Musical, page A7

furniture sets off the reds , yellows, oranges and blues. In the bac kyard, take adv anSee Garden, page A10

Officer Enea leads Clayton force in DUI arrests BEV BRITTON Clayton Pioneer

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

DramaMama Productions, an after school program at Diablo View Middle School has two casts for their spring production of “High School Musical” with more than 60 students participating.

When Clayton Police Officer Rich Enea recei ved a Hero Award for his dr unk dri ving arrests last month, the focus of the da y w as educating y oung drivers. “That is the theme for all the agencies being recognized – trying to reac h the teens before they go out and get into an accident,” says Enea. “There are a lot of young people drinking and driving,” he See Enea, page A6

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

April 13, 2007

Around Town Easter egg hunt draws nearly 1000

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

Several hundred kids turned out for the annual Easter Egg Hunt and BBQ and to pose for pictures with the Easter Bunny at the Clayton gym on April 1. It w as a da y for the whole family when somewhere near 1000 kids and adults tur ned out for the F ourth Ann ual Easter Egg Hunt on Palm Sunday. Sponsored b y the Cla yton YMCA, Clayton Comm unity Church, the city of Clayton and Wendy Moore of Alain Pinel Realty, the ev ent drew nearly twice the n umber that attended last year. The Cla yton Pioneer’s co-publisher Bob Steiner did Easter Bunny duty. The kids lined up at the starting line on the ball field where 2000 plastic eg gs stuffed with candy were hidden in plain sight and the countdo wn beg an. “Go!” said announcer , Liz Rookstool and sev eral hundred youngsters swarmed like locusts. In less than one minute, the field

was clean. “Sure wish they could pic k up their rooms as fast as they picked up those eg gs,” commented the Easter Bunny from the sidelines. Several of the eg gs contained a “g old” coin and the finders of these could c hoose a prize from a table laden with toys, stuffed bunnies and gift certificates. Meanwhile, BBQ master chef, Eric Moore , was cooking up the 1000 hot dogs it w ould take to feed the cro wd and the Easter Bunny w as posing for photographs with the children. “It w as really a fun, family day in the sun, ” remarked Wendy Moore , who co-c haired the event with Liz R ookstool of the YMCA. “People hung

Event co-chair Wendy Moore gets a well deserved pat on the back from the Easter Bunny.

around all after noon picnic king and watching the soccer g ame.”

Janice Martling weds Christopher Burgess A pristine redw ood g rove at Camp Mendocino near F ort Bragg w as the setting for the September 16, 2006 wedding of Janice Marie Mar tling and Christopher Mic hael Burg ess. The bride is the daughter of Jim and Sue Mar tling of Clayton. The g room’s parents are Christine Burgess of Vallejo and Tom Burg ess of San F rancisco. A rece ption dinner and dance followed the ceremony at the camp lodge. The bride is a g raduate of Clayton Valley High Sc hool and UC Da vis. She is cur rently enrolled in g raduate sc hool at Chapman Uni versity, working toward a deg ree in Mar riage and Family Therapy. She is employed as a Montessori teacher in Davis. The g room is a g raduate of Benicia High Sc hool in Benicia, and attended Uni versity of the Pacific in Stoc kton. He is employed b y A uto-Chlor as a sales and ser vice re presentative, and is a cer tified EMT and firefighter with the Suisun volunteer fire department. The Reverend Allan Martling of Michigan, uncle of the bride, officiated at the outdoor ceremony. The bride w ore a full-length white satin princess-style g own with empire w aist, embroidered with f lowers and accented with tiny pearls. She carried a cascade of colorful fall flowers. Bridesmaids w ere attired in moss g reen tea-length dresses with spaghetti straps and empire waist. Maid of Honor w as former Cla yton resident Ang ela Hanly, now of Auburn. Other bridesmaids included sister of the bride , Jennifer Mar tling of

Clayton; Kimberly Gr unert of San Ramon; Erin J ohnston of Foster City; and Tiffany Diaz of Everett, Washington. Flower girl was Kira Yonelinas of Davis. Mark Smith of Oregon, brother-in-law of the g room, served as Best Man. Groomsmen included Dominic

Rojas of Vallejo; Robert Zolensky of Reno, NV; Theodore Tulle of Fairfield; and Scott F oy of Vacaville. Jason Rojas of Vallejo was ring bearer. The couple enjo yed a shor t honeymoon in the Mendocino area following the wedding. They make their home in Fairfield.

Photo courtesy of Sue Martling

JANICE MARTLING AND CHRISTOPHER BURGESS

(925) 672-8787 www.LynneFrench.com Lynne@LynneFrench.com

6200-E Center St. Clayton, CA 94517

rom the city to the country, the East Bay Area is a place full of surprises. Just ask longtime resident and local real estate professional, Lynne French. For her, it provides the ideal setting for some of her favorite hobbies, which include golf, hiking, jogging and horseback riding. “I discover something new here every day,” Lynne says. “That’s why I take such great pride and joy in helping others make the most of their real estate opportunities in the East Bay Area.” With her straightforward determination and in-depth knowledge

of the local home market, Lynne has guided many East Bay residents to excellent results. She is backed by a team of skilled professionals, including her husband, Danny, a former general contractor, giving her unique insight into every aspect of your home. When it comes time to buy or sell a home in the East Bay area, Lynne French is the ultimate guide. Her experience, care and energy will make your move a complete success. Give her a call today and Discover the Possibilities in the local real estate market.

April 13, 2007

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Around Town Take a walk through 150 years of Clayton history Ever wonder where, precisely, the center of Contra Costa County is? Or why the jail stands behind the J oel Cla yton House? Do y ou w ant the real stor y

behind the poltergeist house? Or why the restoration of the Gomez house is taking so long? Or ponder the history of the big house on the hill?

The 41 people who attended the first of Clayton’s Sesquicentennial w alking tours sponsored b y the Cla yton Historical Society ha ve the

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

THE FIRST OF THE SESQUICENTENNIAL WALKING TOURS got off to a roaring start on March 24 when a crowd of 41 adults, kids and dogs followed historian Dick Ellis as he gave a complete rundown on Clayton history. The next Tour will be April 28.

answers to these and many more Clayton history questions. The hour and a half tour, led by Historical Society member , Dick Ellis on March 24, began in front of the museum, moved up Main Street, crossed the bridg e to the K eller house , doubled back and contin ued up Oak, down High and ended bac k on Main across from the Museum. Ellis’ narrative was illustrated b y old photographs which had been enlarged and laminated so they were visible to all on the tour . Don’t stay in the dark. Be in the kno w. Put on y our w alking shoes and meet at the Museum, 6101 Main Street, at 10 a.m. on the four th Saturda y of the month through Se ptember, rain or shine , to g et the answ ers to these and many other Cla yton history questions. The tour ends at about 11:30 a.m. at whic h time, you can visit the Museum.

For mor e infor mation, call at 672-0240.

Museum flagpole gets a spiffing up for Sesquicentennial The flagpole in front of the Clayton Historical Society Museum on Main Street w as gently removed for refurbishing recently. The f lagpole w as given to the Cla yton Historical Society b y Ra y Olofson who was a descendant of one of Clayton’s pioneering families . Ray’s g randparents, Peter and Clarissa Olofson, homesteaded the Curry Creek area in 1892. The Olofson family received the pole in 1907 as a thank y ou gift for housing refugees from the 1906 San Francisco ear thquake and fire .

Some of the Olofson’s descendants are still around and they recall that the “refug ees” were actually their “city cousins” from San Francisco. The 100 year old pole is being spruced up in recognition of Clayton’s Sesquicentennial. Mary Spr yer, curator of the Clayton Museum, contributed to this story. The Museum is open Wednesday and Sunday fr om 2-4 p.m. and by appointment. F or mor e information, call 672-0240. The Museum is located at 6101 Main Street in downtown Clayton. Photo courtesy of Mary Spryer.

Page A3

You’re a good sister, Sally Brown

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer Melissa, left and Kristina Schoell appear in S.T.A.G.E. Too! production.

Two Clayton sisters will perform in S .T.A.G.E. Too!’s production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Kristina Sc hoell, 11, and Melissa Sc hoell, 9, are both enthusiastic about the sho w. Kristina, who played Jasmine in “Aladdin” last year at MDES , appears in the role of Charlie Brown’s little sister, Sally. Melissa will be playing Woodstock’s bird friend, Conrad. The sho w’s ensemble has been double cast and Melissa will appear in half the sho ws. When not on stag e, she helps out bac kstage. Kristina, in a leading role, will appear in every show. “Charlie Brown” has been a family affair from the beginning. Mom, Susie, made the girls’ cos-

tumes and their dad pro vided the transport. As demanding as the rehearsal schedule is, neither of the y oung T hespians is tired, yet. Auditions are coming up shortly for “ Alice in Wonderland” and both girls intend to try out. “We just want to sing and dance,” said Melissa. Show perfor mances are April 12-15 and April 20-22 at 7 p.m. Matinee performances are at 2 p .m. on April 14,15,21,22. Shows on Apr . 12-15 will be held at Sc hool House T heater, 2050 Oak Park Blvd in Pleasant Hill. Shows on Apr . 20-22 will be held at Winslow Center, 2590 Pleasant Hill Rd., Pleasant Hill. Tickets are $10 for advance purchase, $15 at the door. Call 6820896 for tickets.

ST T LI

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Page A4

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

April 13, 2007

Around Town YMCA Kidwatch gives kids a night in and par ents a night out

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

Kayla Reed, 7 and Alyssa Birder, 3, get a helping hand with their craft projects from YMCA staffer Katelyn Cook at the first “Kid Watch” night at the Clayton gym.

The YMCA ’s “Kid W atch” program kic ked off on Marc h 24 at the Cla yton g ym where YMCA’s J acob Duncan and Katelyn Cook pro vided an evening of crafts, sports and a pizza dinner for 11 local kids while their parents enjo yed a well deserved evening off. The program has been done at many YMCA ’s across the country. “Its purpose is to support the comm unity by providing an ev ening of fun for kids while parents enjo y an ev ening on their o wn,” says Liz Rookstool of the YMCA. “As

Judith Ranieri attends women’s conference Judy Ranieri, Clayton resident and Co-founder of The Notebook Project, brought the Clayton Pioneer with her as she participated in the 51st Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations . Ranieri recei ved her deleg ate status through the Women’s Intercultural Netw orking, WIN which joined forces with two other California based, grassroots org anizations, Gather the W omen and the 5th W omen’s W orld Conference led b y Jean Shinoda Bolen, MD and Author. Ranieri had the opportunity to meet w omen from all over the world. 4500 women attended the tw o-week long conference.

Thys double their pleasure with twins

Clayton Girl Scout Troops #2386 and #1592 got together with the residents of Diamond Terrace recently for a special craft event. In coordination with “Meals on W heels” they made meal tra y g reetings to benefit those that are housebound and ha ve meals deli vered to them in Cla yton and Concord T he g roup made over 300 greetings. For more infor mation on Meals on W heels, (925) 7784379.

www.NWREI.net

Sales Price $166,000

People like you are buying investment homes just like this one!

Year Built: 2007 Required to close $9,300 Total monthly cost $1,317 Rents for $1,350

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Photo courtesy of Judith Ranieri

Judith Ranieri took the Pioneer along when she attended the recent UN Commission on the Status of Women.

It’s a new granddaughter for Ingrid Hempnell Ingrid Hempnell, formerly of La Cocotte R estaurant in downtown Cla yton is Oma (German for Grandmother) to a new g randbaby named Morgan Elizabeth Hempnell born on March 15 and weighing in at 7.5 pounds . Morgan w as 21 inc hes long . Parents Christian and Brooke Hempnell live in Atlanta, Georgia.

MORGAN HEMPNELL WITH DAD CHRISTIAN

We want to know what’s happening in y our neighborhoods. Send your news of births, engagements weddings, anniversaries, special recognitions, etc. to info@claytonpioneer.com.

Photo courtesy of Colleen Elwy

Kaytlyn Coyne, June Case and Jessie Drum, together with their scout troop and other seniors made over 300 greetings for Meals on Wheels trays.

or call NOW to RSVP for our FREE April 25 Workshop.

…And babies make 7 at the home of David and Janet Thys as they w elcome their new twins into the family . Madison Jean w eighed in at 5 lbs . 6 oz and her brother T ravis J ames was only 4 lbs . 5 oz. The tw o infants join their siblings Michael, 14; Alexis, 13 and Daniel, 11.

MADISON AND TRAVIS THYS

the prog ram becomes more popular, we will consider expanding to additional evenings eac h month. ” The Y staff hopes the prog ram will g row to ser ve at least 50 families at eac h ev ent. “There will always be at least tw o staff at eac h ev ent,” says R ookstool, with a staff ratio of no more than 10 kids per staff member. Cost is $20 for Cla yton residents and $25 for those outside the 94517 zip code . For more information or to sign up for Kidwatch, call Liz Rookstool at 925-889-1600.

Scouts, seniors make greetings for Meals on W heels

When: Wed. April 25, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Where: Heald College Conference Center, 5130 Commercial Circle, Concord Topic: Is it time to reposition your California equity to better perform in areas in

the U.S.? We will discuss what areas are currently top performers & how to easily move your equity from California to those locations.

Call (925) 777-1920 or visit www.NWREI.net

NATIONWIDE REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS

Full Service Auto Care All types of mechanical repairs and computer diagnostics including 30K, 60K, 90K factory maintenance on all European, Imported and domestic vehicles. Official Call for

Smog Te st Repair S and tation

d kup an free pic delivery

You’re invited to Dinner! Featuring fabulous 4 course meals

iano p e v i L ! music

every Friday night like Citrus glazed salmon, Oven roasted tri tip steak, Chicken Oscar, & much more! Wine & champagne cocktails! Great appetizers & desserts!

Open daily for lunch and afternoon tea

Englund's Tea Cottage 5433 L Clayton Road

www.EnglundsTeaCottage.com For Reservations, call 672-TEAS (8327)

Our professionals are here to serve you: Amir, Jameson, Jeff & Ray (back). Alex, Peter & Gary (front)

Corner of Clayton Road and Kirker Pass Road

FREE Brake Inspection $54.50 value Clean and adjust all four brakes, inspect brake hydraulics* (*Valid if brake work is done at this location.) exp. 4/27/07

Smog Check

$10 off (plus certificate) coupon valid for most cars.

exp. 4/27/07

925 672-3900

Oil Change Includes under hood inspection

$24.95 (regularly $29.95) coupon valid for most cars

exp. 4/27/07

April 13, 2007

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page A5

Classified PETS

SERVICES

Pet Sitting. Peace of Mind Pet Services. Spring break is coming up. Need help with your pets? Call local resident Linda Pastor at 672-9781 or 202-8781. Licensed, insured, and bonded. Reasonable rates, Clayton area.

Greeter Work your own hours. Represent your city (Concord, Clayton and Pleasanton) and local businesses by welcoming new homeowners. Paid per visit. Incentives offered. Call (925) 944-0488.

Perennial Garden Design by Nicole Hackett AKA The Garden Girl Personal consultations regarding plant choices, placement, identification, fertilizing and maintenance. Spring is just around the corner. Call or email for information and pricing. 925-673-1746 (leave message) gardengirl94517@yahoo.com.

VACATION RENTAL Cabin in Blue Lake Springs , Arnold, CA. Sleeps 6, fully remodeled, quiet, use of recreation facilities. $150/night, $950/week. Call Kevin Parker @ (925) 383-9430 or http://www.vrconnection.com/ parkerpaw.

Tel: (925) 672-0500 Fax: (925) 672-6580

Clayton Historical Society, Museum needs a greeter the second Sun. of each month from 2 - 4 p.m. Training is provided. If interested, call 672-0240, email claytonmuseum@sbcglobal.net or visit the museum between 2 and 4 p.m. on Wed. or Sun.

Tamara Steiner tamara@claytonpioneer.com Jill Bedecarre jill@claytonpioneer.com

Your home is where my heart is

Ruth Reed RE/MAX Accord

Clayton Valley Highlands

y t i n u m m o C

April 21 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Deadline to register: April 16

Don’t miss this opportunity to turn your “stuff” into cash.

call 260-6731 Remember – “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.”

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Easy Diablo living - convenient to hiking, biking and shops

Come take a peek at this wonderful home!

rice New P

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Amazing kitchen updates Pergo flooring, Corian counters, and new appliances.

New paint, wainscoting, crown molding and baseboards.

Powder rooms completely updated with decorator lighting, fixtures & fans. Updated central HVAC with energy efficient furnace.

Realtor

Beth Neudell beth@claytonpioneer.com Deanna Merrigan sports@claytonpioneer.com Send ads to ads@claytonpioneer.com Send Sports News to sports@claytonpioneer.com Send Club News to clubnews@claytonpioneer.com Send Church News to

churchnews@claytonpioneer.com

HOW TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD

Classified rates per insertion: Non-profit: $12 for first 30 words, $.20 eac h additional word Individual/non-commercial: $18 for first 30 w ords, $.30 each additional word Commercial: $48 for first 30 words, $.40 eac h additional word To place your classified ad over the phone , call the office at (925) 672-0500 betw een 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Or, you may fax your typewritten ad and credit card infor mation to (925) 672-6580 All classifieds must be paid for in adv ance b y credit card (Master Card or Visa) We will not acce pt any ad that discriminates on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, nationality, family status or disability . The Cla yton Pioneer reser ves the right to reject any advertising we believe is unsuitable.

$470,000

Charming 2 bedroom, 1 bath home.

Large, flat yards with patio and space for a hot tub

One car attached garage with opener

Carpet over hardwood floors.

Cozy woodburning fireplace in the living room

(925) 260-6731 (cellular) (925) 297-0300 (fax)

Weddings, engagements, anniversaries, births and deaths all weave together as part of the fabric of our community. Please let us kno w of these impor tant events. We ask only that the announcement be for a Cla yton resident. You will find the appropriate for m for y our announcement on our W ebsite. Attach your photo to the for m. Also on our W ebsite are forms for submitting Community Calendar items and press releases for your organization.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Clayton

Ruth Reed (925) 283-9200 (office) ruthreed@remaxaccord.com www.homesbyruth.com

LET US KNOW

Maps, advertising and signs provided by Ruth Reed, RE/MAX Accord and Jim Louchis, RPM Mortgage.

Lovely 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath home, 1,457 s.f. with dualpane windows.

PIONEER INFO

VOLUNTEERS WANTED

The Clayton Community Library is seeking to fill the following volunteer positions: (All positions require a minimum age of 13 years and a 6month commitment. Training will be provided). Scrapbook Historian - to document the many interesting activities the library provides to the community using newspaper clippings, event photos, flyers,

etc., Will be put on display at the annual March library birthday celebration. Shelver - to shelve and sensitize books. Must be detail oriented, various days and hours. Tutor/Homework Helper to work one-on-one with local students in our community. You choose the age range, subjects, remedial or light help, and days/times. Office Assistant - handle filing, word processing, create flyers, volunteer database input on Microsoft Access, assistance with meetings/programs. Contact: Arlene @ 673-9777 or email: akikkawa@ccclib.org.

Well-maintained, spacious, 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath home - 1,378 s.f. Fresh interior paint, baseboards and covering, retextured ceilings. Upgraded guest and master bathrooms and kitchen. Dining area, central heat and air, enclosed patio with beautiful trees. Two car attached garage and amenities including clubhouse, greenbelt and pool with wonderful Mt. Diablo and valley views.

The Cla yton Pioneer w elcomes letters from our readers . As a g eneral r ule, letters should be less than tw o double spaced pages and submitted at least one week prior to publication date . Letters concer ning cur rent issues will have priority. We may edit letters for length and clarity. All letters will be published at the editor’s discretion. Please include y our name , address and da ytime tele phone number. We will not print letters from “anonymous.” E-mail your letter in a W ord document attac hment to tamara@claytonpioneer.com. Letters MUST be submitted via

E-mail or on a CD or disc . We cannot retype letters.

P.O. Box 1246 6200 Center Street, Suite F Clayton, CA 94517 Office: 925.672.0500 Fax: 925.672.6580 TAMARA

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

April 13, 2007

Park, from page A1

Main Street

6 7 rs Ma

hC o ad

ree

Photo provided by Gary Lee Price

grass (not artificial turf), a gazebo bandstand donated b y the Clayton Business and Community Association, a full sound system and a bronze sculpture b y reno wned ar tist Gary Lee Price . He has also been commissioned to sculpt the “Statue of Responsibility” for San Francisco. ART FOR THE PARK The life-sized sculpture of seven c hildren pla ying “Ring Around the R osie” is designed to be an interacti ve pla y piece for c hildren. It will occupy a place of prominence at the corner of Center Street and Marsh Creek Road. Purchase of the $89,000 statue w as appro ved in a 4-1 vote at the Marc h 20 council meeting, with Councilman Dave Shuey casting the “no” vote. Even though the new Longs Drugs comes with a 10-year , $10,000 a year donation to the park b y the dev eloper, Endashiian Inc., Shuey opposed the purchase. “That money was something we could use for something else.

I ha ve a philosophical problem with using public money to buy art … which is a very subjective thing,” Shuey said. “You are always g oing to ha ve a por tion of the public that is not going to like it. Art is a m uch more di visive issue than a c hildren’s pla y structure or a gazebo.” He went on to sa y, however, that he lik es the piece c hosen for the park. “It’s great. My kids will probably be the first ones to hold hands and ha ve their picture taken with it. I will be down there enjoying it, but I wouldn’t have purc hased it with m y money so wh y should I do it with the city’s money?” According to Napper , many cities fund public ar t b y c harging the dev eloper a percentag e of a project’s cost, much as the residential dev eloper is c harged for open space or additional schools. In this case , however, the Endashiian donation came to the city with no restrictions on the use. GOING FOR THE REAL THING Contrary to other published reports, the council nev er really

Enea, from page A1 notes. “We have zero tolerance on that. You will be ar rested, and you will lose your license.” Enea w as among 140 state officials honored b y Mothers Against Dr unk Dri ving (MADD) at the 9th annual Law Enforcement and Comm unity Recognition Ev ent. In 2006, Enea ar rested 31 adults for drunk driving – with 42 ar rests the year before. “Working with a small agency, Officer Enea has developed an expertise in the area of DUI enforcement, arresting over 60 percent of the de partment’s total DUI ar rests for 2006,” Clayton Sgt. Shelly Crane wrote in Enea’s introduction at the MADD ceremony . She joined Enea at the Sacramento rece ption, along with Cla yton Chief Dan Lawrence and Sgt. Scott

Dansie. According to K endall Person, state development officer for MADD , the Hero Awards fuel competition within the policing ag encies. “This is all part of aiding MADD in its mission of taking drunk drivers off the streets ,” Person sa ys. “They are making the roads and communities safe for commuters and pedestrians.” “It w as a v ery nice ev ent, and I hope to be bac k there again next year,” says Enea. The officer also w as honored by Contra Costa County in 2004 and 2006 for his role in the success of the Avoid the 25 campaign. In December , Clayton hosted the annual event in which all 25 county policing agencies work together to target DUI drivers. In his three years with the

9 Village Market

The “Circle of Peace” sculpture is a life-sized statue of 7 children playing “Ring Around the Rosie.” The artist, Gary Lee Price, explains the symbolism: The circle that the children form represents the continuum of humanity. The clasped hands represent the interaction and cooperation, together with compassion and respect, which engenders humanity. Respect for each other’s uniqueness bridges the gap between any indifference.

1 2

3 4

Center Street Merrill Morris, Landscape Architects & Planners

TINY

PARK IS PACKED WITH FEATURES: The downtown park is just a hair over an acre, but it will have something for everyone. This artist’s rendering has been updated from the one on the sign at the corner of Center and Marsh Creek Road. Main features include: 1. Children’s play village which will include a stationary train; 2. Water play feature; 3. Bike racks; 4. “Circle of Peace,” life sized bronze sculpture and seating area; 5. Gazebo/grandstand; 6. Park monument sign; 7. Plaza, seating, tables with game board tops; 8. Restrooms, lockers; 9. Open grassy areas

considered ar tificial turf an option for the do wntown park. Rumors began to fly after a special study session on Marc h 20 in which the city viewed presentations b y sev eral ar tificial turf vendors in the course of doing their “due diligence.” It w as decided that ar tificial turf would only be used in the play area under the sculpture, to provide a soft landing pad for children playing on the statues. The sod will be one of the Clayton force, Enea has noticed a change in the type of people arrested for DUI. “It used to be a lot of people tra veling through, but recently, I’ve been arresting a lot of residents in our town,” he reports. “We are finding a lot of people who ha ve had a DUI maybe fi ve years ag o or ev en more recent, ” he adds . “Some of them don’t learn.” The Cla yton P olice Department is hoping to k eep teens from joining those statistics b y par ticipating in “Ev ery 15 Min utes” at local high schools. The prog ram provides a dramatic experience involving teens and drunk driving, including a moc k car accident and funeral. For MADD, educating teens is part of its three-fold mission, along with stopping drunk drivers and supporting victims. “We don’t tell them: Don’t drink and drive. That is sending a mix ed message, because it’s illeg al for Q plea uestion se c s on or co (92 tact R mmen 5) 3 a 81- ndi An ts, 065 dru s 9

last things to go in the park, says Napper. It will remain fenced off from public use for sev eral weeks after the park opens to allow it to get a healthy start. The city will, however, consider re placing the sod on the ball fields with ar tificial turf , which is more durable and lasts longer than grass. Napper en visions many city parties and concerts in the park, which will be entirely wired for sound. There will be three-w ay

IT’S ALL IN A NAME The city will officially name the park at the April 17 council meeting. Several names ha ve

been sug gested, including Central P ark, The Gro ve and Grove Park. So far, The Grove appears to be the front-r unner, said Napper. The city is still taking nominations. Send y our ideas to gnapper@ci.clayton.ca.us. “This project will be done right,” Mayor Bill W alcutt said as he readied his sho vel for the first dig. “We will give the public a park to be proud of for many years.”

Get rid of personal records safely at Community Shred Day

OFFICER RICH ENEA

them to drink under age 21 anyway. We tr y to g et them to understand how alcohol affects your body,” Person says.

With identity theft an ever-looming problem, tossing old tax retur ns, bank statements or other documents with sensitive or identifying information can invite trouble. St. Bonaventure’s Catholic Churc h is sponsoring a “Comm unity Shred Day” from 9 a.m. to 1 p .m. on Saturda y, April 21. Golden Bear Shredding has volunteered its ser vices for the day.

Bring your old checks, tax returns, credit card statements, client files and business records to the St. Bonaventure’s parking lot, 5562 Cla yton R oad. It will cost $5 to shred a shopping bag full of documents, or $10 per bo x. All proceeds benefit a Bangladesh c harity that takes in street children. For more infor mation, call Alma Alv arez at 6720258 or P atty Priest at 6760568.

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speakers and electrical outlets on every light pole. “And how about a “Battle of the Bands?” he asks . “We can close off Marsh Creek betw een Center and Main and ha ve bands set up both in the gazebo and in Blac k Diamond Plaza across the street.”

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April 13, 2007

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com

Musical, from page A1 School’s (D VMS) tur n to str ut its stuff in DramaMama’s production of “High Sc hool Musical,” opening May 4 in the multi-use room. Patti Pratt, director of DramaMama, is passionate about her prog ram and the spring production. However, she remains g rounded about its purpose. “I never lose sight that this is an all-inclusi ve production,” says Pratt. “If anything, I want the kids to feel o wnership of the show. We’re not attempting to mak e it something it’ s not.”

MORAL THEME TO MUSICAL “There’s a strong moral foundation to the pla y,” Pratt says. “Eventually, everyone

reach a fev erish pitc h at times , Pratt keeps control with a lot of help from her assistant, Gabriela R owland, and parent volunteers lik e Mic helle Campbell-Wiggins, Kari Schoonover and James Gee.

STUDENTS HAVE A SAY IN THE PLAY

To suppor t her g oal, Pratt primarily directs the kids in the show, but she also lets them make a lot of their o wn decisions. Young cast members choreograph dance n umbers, interpret their c haracters’ parts and make suggestions about the direction of the musical. Pratt has also opened up the musical to include more students, by double-casting the roles. The two casts encompass about 60 kids , ranging in ag e from 11 to 14. Some of the leads in Cast A are bac kground roles in Cast B , and vice v ersa. Pratt makes sense of it all with weekly rehearsals that sometimes last hours. “High Sc hool Musical” has the joc ks, the brainiacs , the popular kids and, of course, the cliques. The story line is simple: East High students Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez decide to audition for the sc hool pla y. Troy is the bask etball star and Gabriella is a sh y, serious science and math student. When word gets out that the two pose a threat to Shar pay Ev ans and her brother R yan, shoe-ins for the leads , the ri valry tur ns the school upside down.

Page A7

it’s close to home. “I w anted a prog ram that would fit into kids’ busy schedules,” Pratt sa ys. “Other programs are limiting.” Each student pa ys $80 per month for the prog ram, which includes a holida y sho w and a spring production. There are additional costs for things lik e costumes. Kids are required to audition for the spring production. To cast the m usical, Pratt enlisted help from teac hers and a cer tified vocal coach. She’s dev oted to including all students in DramaMama productions. “I never turn anyone down,” she says. “If a student wants to be on stag e, they are on stage.” STUDENTS BUILD SELF-CONFIDENCE

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

Camila Rowland and Chris Lopez play the two leads, Sharpay and her brother Ryan Evans in DramaMama’s Production of High School Musical at Diablo View Middle School. Opening night is May 4.

accepts who they are.” Lauren Warzecha, who plays Sharpay Evans, agrees. “I think it symbolizes that y ou ha ve to be y ourself, because y ou’re going to fit in some place,” she says. “If you set y our mind to it, you can do it, ” seventh-grader Ted Hall sa ys about the sho w’s theme. He pla ys Coac h J ack Bolton and says the after-school program has helped him become a better speaker. Although rehearsals can

PARENTS PRAISE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM

Gee speaks highly of Pratt’s after-school program at Diablo View. “I think it’ s w onderful what P atti is doing, ” he sa ys. “The prog ram is ex cellent and allows kids to see all the benefits of drama.” Gee, an accomplished actor, has perfor med in a v ariety of shows and tra veled many miles to rehearse . He likes the fact that Pratt’ s program is available to all kids and

At first, Gee’s daughter , Kamryn, wanted to par ticipate backstage but decided to audition for the ensemble . “I enjoy the dancing and singing . I’m a lot more confident,” she says. She went from an attitude of “I don’t think I can do this” to “I know I can,” explains Gee. Pratt w ants her prog ram to build self-confidence in the students. “I see it as a mix of everything. For some , it helps with g etting up and doing a book re port and not being afraid,” she sa ys. “I ha ve some parents who nev er heard their kids sing and no w they ha ve lead roles.” PFC LENDS ITS SUPPORT DVMS P arent F aculty Club president Alison Bacig alupo says the parent g roup suppor ts Pratt’s after-school prog ram b y allowing students to rehearse and use campus facilities . The PFC also gives Pratt a vehicle to disseminate infor mation about her program to parents. “We all feel that the opportunity for an after -school enrichment program is so exciting,” says Bacig alupo. “Patti is

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very acti ve in this role and the kids all respect her.” Bacigalupo’s son, Cameron, started out as a stag e manag er and no w has a presence on stage because of the prog ram. “That’s huge,” Bacigalupo says. Despite suppor t from parents and teachers, Pratt still hasn’t pulled a salary from the program and many of the expenses come out of pocket. Fees for the rights to “High Sc hool Musical” are nearly $10,000. PRATT’S TALENTS HAVE ROOTS IN HER PAST

Her program, now in its second year , continues to g row. Last year, Pratt had 25 kids. She hopes to star t a summer drama program for kids 7 to 12, and she’d like to add a dance class to her drama program next year at Diablo View. Pratt’s lo ve of theater has

One of the hardest things for Pratt is having her own children in volved in the prog ram. She mak es ev ery effor t to use objective judges who assign the roles, without sho wing favoritism to her three middle school students.

“I wanted a program that would fit into kids’ busy schedules. Other programs are limiting.” Patti Pratt, DramaMama Her daughter, Cristina, supports her mom and w ants everyone to kno w ho w hard Pratt and Rowland work behind the scenes. “They go online, listen to m usic nonstop and g o nights without slee ping, all for the sho w. They are not in this for the money,” Cristina says. “Eighty percent of my job is therapy,” says Pratt. “There’s drama within drama. Kids need to w ork through their issues and ha ve the freedom to mak e choices.” See www.dramamamaproductions.com for more information.

PERFORMANCE DATES FOR HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL

PATTI PRATT

roots in her past, from a job in New York where she pre pared kids to work professionally with talent ag ents to orc hestrating backyard productions of musicals lik e “Cats” with neighborhood children. She volunteered at Mt. Diablo Elementar y School in the ar ts prog ram before bringing her prog ram to Diablo View.

Fri., May 4 at 7 p.m. Sat., May 5, 3 & 7 p.m. Fri., May 11, 7 p.m. Sat. May 12, 3 & 7 p.m. Tickets available online at

www.dramamamaproductions.com Adults, $12 Children 12 and under, $8 DVMS students $8 Cast members $8

Clayton Valley

Pumpkin Farm & Christmas Trees

ouse H n e p Spring O Saturday, April 28 Saturday, May 5 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Join us for family fun and an educational day at the farm!

Be sur et take a tour o o full-sc f ou a Secret le working grerennew h Garde will be n P l a n ouse! selling t Nurs plants Open ery during House both S ornam dates, pring ental g f rasses eaturing other , herb assort ed pla s and nts.

Admission is $6.50 per child (12 and under) and $5.50 per adult

Activities include:

Visit 3 Learning Stations: Station 1: worms and compost Station 2: bugs! Station 3: All about plants

Train ride on the “Pumpkin Farm Express” See baby animals with 4-H members Spring scavenger hunt Duck races

Children’s spring crafts with Kidz Art Decorate a seed card, bug magnet, or create a garden pinwheel (additional fees apply)

*Minimum Listing Fee May Apply

www.EaglesPeakRealty.com 925-465-0435

More info: www.cvpumpkinfarm.com 1060 Pine Lane, Clayton 925-672-5198

Providing family fun & learning to the Clayton community since 1980

Page A8

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Fire hits Clayton Road businesses TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer

A fast-moving, two-alarm fire caused sev ere damag e to 5354 Clayton R oad last w eek. The building is home to Sonset Flowers, A Touch of Class Hair and Nail Salon, Cegielski Jewelers and HomEquity R eal Estate Sales and Financing. The fire star ted just before 5:30 p.m. on April 4 in the driveway that r uns betw een 5354 Clayton R oad and the Hospice Thrift Shop next door . Officials believe teens set fire to a couc h that w as near a dumpster . The couch caught the dumpster on fire and the fire r uptured a g as line, sending the f lames higher than the building, says Cla yton resident Donna Richey, owner of Sonset Flowers. According to Ric hey, there were sev eral witnesses . Hospice employee J ulie Campbell w as moving the last of the outside display indoors when three men in their late teens approached her to ask if she were closing. When she told them yes , they disappeared around the cor ner into the dri veway that se parates the buildings. Several min utes later , Campbell said two younger teens on bikes rode up to the front of the store and re ported that a couch that w as up ag ainst the Sonset Flo wers building w as on

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

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A TWO ALARM FIRE caused extensive damage to the ceiling, wiring and HVAC system at 5354 Clayton Road. Although her damaged store is boarded up, Sonset Flowers owner Donna Richey will open within two weeks in temporary space across the parking lot.

fire. “Oh, the flames were rolling. They w ere cra wling up to the ceiling,” Campbell said. “Someone came with a fire extinguisher, but it didn ’t ev en slow it do wn. Then w e heard hissing and someone yelled: ‘It’s going to blow’ and we all ran.” The ruptured gas line did not cause an explosion, but it did turn the f lames into a vir tual blowtorch. HomEquity o wner Greg Ferrand, another Cla yton resident, was at home when he got a call about the fire . “Someone who didn ’t speak English v ery well just said ‘fire’ and ‘business’

Upcoming Events CLAYTON CLEANS UP APRIL 28 Make it a family day to help clean up Clayton on Sat., April 28 from 9 a.m. to noon. A barbeque sponsored b y the Clayton Pioneer will follo w, Everyone is ask ed to meet at City Hall to pic k up bags and gloves. Call the city at 6737300 for more infor mation.

sored b y the Cla yton Community Librar y Foundation is set for April 28 from 10 a.m. to 6 p .m. and April 29 from 12 noon to 4 p.m. Most books sell for $1. On Sunda y, there is a $3 bag special from 2-4p.m. and most books sell for 50 cents . If you want to g et a jump on the selection, there is a Member’ s Only Preview F ri., April 27 from 4 to 7 p.m. Memberships can be purc hased at the door . Individual membership is $10

CLAYTON LIBRARY USED BOOK SALE - A PRIL 28-29 Book lovers pay heed. The annual used book sale spon-

several times . I’d sure lik e to thank them.” Not kno wing quite what to expect, Ferrand headed up Clayton Road. As he got close to his office , flames, smoke and emergency lights from 10 fire engines and countless Concord Police cars made for a dramatic sight. “When we saw all the lights, I knew it was bad.” HomEquity, however, was one of the luckier tenants. They will not ha ve to mo ve out of their offices during the reconstruction. Cegielski Jewelers, owned b y CBCA member Anna Cegielski,

and family membership is $15. Contributing Member is $30. The librar y is located at 6125 Clayton Road. For more information call 673-0659. CLAYTON SPRING GARDEN TOUR - A PRIL 28-29 This is the 15th ann ual spring g arden tour sponsored by the Cla yton Historical Society. This year’ s tour will be held rain or shine on Saturday and Sunday, Apr. 2829 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring fi ve g ardens from the Clayton and Concord area. Tickets are $20 in adv ance or $25 at door. As in the past, the tour is self guided and begins

will also continue to operate at its current location. Damage was extensive to the ceiling, the electrical system and the HV AC system, says Chad Smith of Mark Scott Construction, the Pleasant Hill firm that will be doing the reconstruction. It will likely take a couple of months to complete. Richey recently purc hased her f lower shop from J ory’s Flowers and opened in J anuary. Undaunted, she has arranged for temporary space across the parking lot and plans to reopen within two weeks. A Touch of Class Salon has relocated its personnel to other shops in the area.

at the Cla yton Museum. No children under 12 are allowed. All proceeds from the tour benefit the museum. For more information call the m useum 672-0240 or Sally T urner at 672-2117.

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Christmas Patriotic Bridal Showers Baby Showers St. Patrick’s Day Easter

ART & W INE FESTIVAL MAY 5-6 The Cla yton Business and Comm unity Association (CBCA) presents the 12th annual Art & Wine F estival in do wntown Cla yton, Sat. May 5 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sun. May 6 from 10 a.m.to 5 p .m. Enjoy ar ts and crafts, sample premium wines and beers , satisfy your hung er with a food court and listen to continuous li ve m usic. Call CBCA for more information 672-2272.

Mike Kavanaugh

April 13, 2007

Mother’s Day Father’s Day Valentine’s Day Halloween Thanksgiving and more

Bring in this ad and receive a FREE BAG OF LATEX BALLOONS Good while supplies last. Exp. 4/30/07

John Sharapata, Owner & Clayton Resident *While supplies last. Cannot be combined with sales or other of fers.

Mon - Thu 9 - 7, Fri & Sat 9 - 8 5434 Ygnacio Valley Road, Ste. 130 in the Clayton Valley Shopping Center Closed Sun 672-4425 on the Washington Blvd. side. visit our online store: seasonalreflections.com

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“Your Neighbor for over 20 years”

9 Barcelona Way, Clayton

925-383-6102 mkavanaugh@ remaxaccord.com

This gorgeous remodeled home is tucked away on a quiet court in one of Clayton’ s most prestigious neighborhoods. From the p ark-like backyard with gazebo and redwood decks to the gourmet kitchen with slab granite counters, this home is designed for entert aining. The home is highlighted with new hardwood flooring, dual p ane windows, custom oak shelving and crown molding throughout. With 2,324 square feet there is plenty of room for everyone. The yard is large enough to add a pool and still have plenty of area for outdoor entertaining. The perfect family home. Offered at $845,000

4218 St. Paul Circle

Fantastic 4 bedroom 2.5 bath home in the Highlands. This home features an updated kitchen with granite counters and newer appliances, large family room with wood burning fireplace and formal living room with vaulted ceilings. There is also a separate office with built-in wet bar. All bathrooms have been updated and there are 6” baseboards and crown molding throughout. A custom front door with dual sidelights and newer dual pane windows complete the home. Don’t miss the fant astic back yard sport court area, built-in BBQ, RV/Boat parking and still room for a pool. Offered at $629,950

1,080 acres adjacent to State Park

Nestled at the end of a quiet canyon off Morgan Territory Road sits this fantastic country estate situated on 3 parcels totaling 1080 acres. The upper 560 acre parcel is adjacent to Mt. Diablo S tate Park and of fers a variety of out door activities. The lower p arcels, tot aling 520 acres, are in a gentle canyon and feature a 3,000+ square foot custom home built beside a seasonal creek. There is plenty of acreage for vineyards, orchards and grazing land. Most of the lower 520 acres is also surrounded by Mt. Diablo State Park. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to own a piece of Mount Diablo. Call for Price

April 13, 2007

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com

View of the hills

$1,150,000

Page A9

Beware of callers asking for your credit card infor mation

family room

his Lafayette charmer has 4 bedrooms, 3 baths and 2,460 square feet of elegance with views of Mt. Diablo and hills! Award winning Lafayette schools and a great neighborhood with a large lot with patios, lawn, Koi Pond and waterfall, your own putting green, and concrete RV Parking. Marble entry and fireplace in formal living

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room, a beautiful washed-oak kitchen overlooks the huge step-down family room with entertainment center, conversation nook and cofferred ceilings, and 3 bedrooms, 2 baths on the main level. Below is the 4th bedroom and 3rd bath plus another livingroom and kitchenette, ideal for teenagers, in-laws, and Au Pair or your own home of fice! Office (925) 939-7920 Fax (925) 939-1939 VM 24 hr (925) 940-2777

1511 Treat Blvd. #100, Walnut Creek, CA 94598

PETE LAURENCE Broker-Owner, Realtor, GRI

DAN LAURENCE

FROM

THE

CHIEF

By now, all of us should be acutely a ware of the damag e identity theft can cause to a credit rating. Identify theft is the theft of any of your personal identifying information and the use of this information for any unla wful purpose. My hope is that ev eryone is taking an acti ve role in protecting their personal information. However, thieves are increasingly innovative and continue to come up with new ways to capture y our personal information. One of the latest methods is the “T elephone Credit Card Scam.” Basically, the thief makes an unsolicited tele phone call to you and identifies himself or herself as a re presentative from y our Visa/MasterCard company.

The scam ma y w ork something like this. The person calling sa ys: “This is Sophie , and I’m calling from the Security and Fraud De partment at Visa. My badg e n umber is 12460. Your Visa card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I’m calling to v erify that these c harges w ere made from your credit card, which w as issued b y (name of bank). Did you purc hase an AntiTelemarketing Device for $497.99 from a mark eting company based in Arizona?” When y ou sa y, “NO!” the caller continues with: “Then we will be issuing a credit to y our account. This is a company w e have been w atching and the charges rang e from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase pattern that automatically flags most cards . Before y our next statement, the credit will be sent to y our address (whic h the caller gi ves y ou), is this correct?” You sa y, “Yes.” The caller continues: “I will be star ting a fraud investigation. If you have any questions , you should call the 800 n umber on the bac k of your credit card and ask for security.” The caller will probably provide y ou with a six-digit

“control number.” Here is the important part of the scam. The caller then sa ys: “I need to verify you are in possession of your card.” The caller will ask y ou to tur n y our card over and look for sev en n umbers. The first four are par t of the account n umber; the last three are the security n umbers that verify that y ou are holding the card. After y ou gi ve the three security n umbers to the caller , unauthorized purc hases can now be made on y our account without your knowledge. During the tele phone conversation, the caller does most of the talking. You actually sa y very little. Please note: The bank will never ask for v erification from you b y asking for infor mation they already ha ve. If anyone takes y ou though a similar scenario, tell them y ou will call Visa/MasterCard directly for verification and hang up. That’s the k ey to protecting your credit card infor mation. Never provide credit card information to any one over the telephone. Dan Lawrence is Clayton’s Police Chief. Please send your questions, comments or topics you’d like to see covered to DanL@cpd.ci.concord.ca.us

CERT class prepares residents to respond in emergencies, disasters TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer

In the Clayton Station New Owners and Clayton residents

Joel and Christy Harris

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It was a full house last week when 40 Cla yton residents showed up for the first of six CERT. (Community Emergency R esponse T eam) classes. They w ere there to lear n about fire suppression and safety, search and rescue methods, medical triag e and first aid, sanitation and w ater purification and ho w to respond to a ter rorist attac k. These are skills they will need to help themselv es and their neighbors in the da ys follo wing a major disaster , when Clayton is lik ely to be cut off from la w enforcement and relief agencies. The g oal is to ha ve a trained CER T team in ev ery neighborhood, said instr uctor Mike Forster, a fire safety specialist with the Contra Costa Fire Protection District. A CERT team must also be ready to ser ve in areas outside

Children’s author & illustrator

their immediate neighborhood, Forster noted. “You may g et sent to Ha yward or Oakland.” The first class kic ked off with a small g roup ex ercise, where students w ere ask ed to list the most lik ely disasters to strike Clayton. A major ear thquake topped the list, but other scenarios included a broken g as main, wildfire, landslides and f looding — all eventualities for whic h the CERT teams will be pre pared. Registration for the training beg an last fall and quic kly reached its 40-student capacity. The class is about ev enly divided betw een men and women, ranging in ag e from teens to se ptuagenarians. There are about a dozen on the w aiting list for the next class, which may begin as soon as early summer, said program coordinator Lynn Christ of the Cla yton P olice Department. The CER T prog ram is administered and regulated b y

Mike Forster, Fire Safety Specialist can receive the CERT training, says Christ, and no ph ysical requirements. Residents interested in serving on the Citizens Cor ps Council or in signing up for the next CER T training are asked to contact Christ at 6737350.

Welcome home

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a Citizens Cor ps Council, overseen by Clayton PD’s Sgt. Scott Dansie. The $28.50 cost of training eac h v olunteer is covered b y a $60,000 Homeland Security grant. There is no limit to the number of volunteers who

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Vinnie & Susan Yazurlo - Owl Way Donna Sullivan - Shell Cir.

SOLD 2 master suites, 2.5 bath, quiet court. Still available 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 2,231 sq. ft. home on .18 acres.

Mike Williams broker/owner

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Page A10

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Letters to the editor Neighbor pleads for return of stolen statuary My name is Kelly Adams (Clayton resident) and I am writing on behalf of my friends and (not too distant) neighbors, Ginny and Hank Risser. On Thursday, March 22, Ginny walked out to her front yard at 5505 Nebraska Drive and noticed that someone had “taken” some of her decorative deer display from her lawn—1 large doe and 2 small does. Ginny was crushed—not so much about the dollar value loss, but the principle of the situation. What would inspire a person (to take someone else’s) belongings? This was a yard display that brought pleasure to the neighborhood and joy to Ginny and Hank. Due to this theft, Ginny has had to remove all of her animal/nature-related statuary and figurines out of concern for the possibility that they, too, might be stolen. Several of Ginny and Hank’s neighbors are saddened over the loss of the nature display that they enjoyed...but most of all, disappointed at such disregard for someone else’s personal property. This is a friendly, upstanding,

decent neighborhood with caring people—they all just want the deer returned to Ginny and Hank’s yard. Is such a happy ending possible? Kelly Adams Concerned friend and optimistic citizen

More on CCC downtown land purchase Recently there have been letters, both pro and con, regarding the building of a church in downtown Clayton. My concern is not so much the loss of taxes (although that certainly is important), but the lack of parking and the gridlock that will result downtown before and after church services. Additionally, during weekend events such as the Art and Wine Festival, Oktoberfest etc., there will be serious parking problems on Sundays. Parking is already difficult during these events, and would be almost impossible when events coincide, particularly with the loss of the lot where the new Long’s Drugstore will be. I am sure most people w ould support another church in Clayton, but downtown is not the right location. I hope the

Garden, from page A1 spell to enjo y pastel colors , arbors, water features and birdhouses. Kim designs and g ardens, while P aul is the landscape contractor. Birdhouses ha ve also captured the hear t and soul of Nancy Westman. They bring a whimsical addition to her country-style g arden, which bac ks up to the Oakhurst golf course. And don ’t miss the displa y of 300 g olf balls, lost b y er rant

…The primary difference of opinion regarding building a church in downtown Clayton stated in multiple letters to the editor, seems to line up in two basic camps. The “nays” cite that a church building in downtown will “not generate revenue” for the City. The “yeas” cite that increased foot traffic after Sunday services and throughout the week, will “enhance the revenue of local businesses and increase employment.” The beauty of free speech is that writers are certainly allowed to voice their opinions, but I caution any readers of these letters that many statements are just that; opinions. For example, Mike Neer’s statements in his letter printed on Feb. 23 contained many inaccuracies that warrant rebuttal. Mr. Neer contends that CCC will be built “with no parking for services”. Actually, an integral part of the plan to build this facility will be to work very closely with the City Council on a parking plan that will accommodate the needs of all users of downtown Clayton. Mr. Neer’s statement that CCC will “take over the downtown area every time there is a

church event” is a gross exaggeration. Ask anyone who has been in the downtown area during the annual Labor Day soap box derby or the summertime Friday night outdoor movies; did CCC “take over” downtown or provide a venue for fun, entertainment and community? Nor did CCC plan to “build their own city” off of Marsh Creek road. The plan was to build a worship center and other buildings that would be used for youth events and events such as weddings; similar to the current vision for downtown Clayton. As outlined in the featured Pioneer article on Jan,12, costs to develop the Marsh Creek property quickly got beyond the financial reach of CCC. For example, it would have cost over $20,000/acre to relocate the endangered alameda whip snake and substantially more money for traffic and sewer improvements. … Our church locating in downtown Clayton will dramatically enhance this town through community, outreach and yes, foot traffic for local merchants. For those who are unsure of CCC’s plan, or are opposed to it; please come to one of our Sunday services to get to know the great people at CCC. Ed Cleland

er g arden as y ou lea ve the Westmans. It tur ns out to be a full w all m ural of a g arden entrance painted b y Cla yton artist Janet White. Color is Helen Kresic h’s favorite word, and you can see why as you enter her lovely hillside garden. Helen and her husband, John, successfully conquered all the c hallenges of a hillside setting with seating areas, lilies, lantana, fountains and winding pathw ays. A small swimming pool is nestled into the hillside , and the Kresic hes

enjoy enter taining on their wooden dec k and barbecue area. Tickets for the tour are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. There is an additional $10 donation for the g arden par ty. Proceeds benefit the Historical Society. Tickets are a vailable at the Clayton Historical Society Museum, 6101 Main St., or R&M P ool P atio & Gardens , 6780 Marsh Creek R oad. For tickets or more infor mation, call Sally Turner at 672-2117.

City Council will take a hard look at all the issues and mak e the right decision. Rick Gorin

golfers. Nancy and Ar t ha ve creatively incor porated them into the garden design. A li ving shield of several potted plants gi ves the Westmans pri vacy, as w ell as a row of oleanders on the outside of their fence line. Crystals hang from some of her lo wer tree branches, adding sparkle and romance to the garden setting. Don’t attempt to w alk through the entrance to anoth-

April 13, 2007

The recent fire has not shut our doors. We expect to reopen the third week in April in temporary quarters (across the parking lot) at 5356 Clayton Road. Place online orders at

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serving all your

Real Estate needs Call me

voicemail: 925.975.5255 residence: 925.672.0541 email: granyflany@hotmail.com

Spring is here ! Want a fresh new look, new spring colors? How about a bright, new home. Re-do the dining room drapes & the table runners. Re-upholster the old sofa with fabulous new fabric for a fresh look for spring.

Spring into a new home.

Call Joanna at (925) 673-8911 Clayton Resident

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New “Single Story” Executive Homes from $1,184,900 Construction is underway on Lenox Homes new residential community of sought after “Single Story” homes on spacious 13,000 + sq. ft. lots. Now is the time to move up to a dream home with no stairs and a yard that is designed for great outdoor living. These four and five bedroom Lenox Homes offer all the amenities and features you ever dreamed of having. The array of custom features include: Spacious floor plans from 2,980 sq. ft. 10 ft. ceilings, crown molding & radius corners Gourmet kitchen with granite countertops & maple cabinetry Elegant master bedroom & bathroom Many more extras Delivery Spring 2007 Early home buyers have the opportunity to personalize their new home from a wide selection of options and upgrades. Thinking about remodeling your current home? Call our sales office first and discover what the possibilities are in a new Lenox Home.

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April 13, 2007

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Start early for best results

Put money into your retirement account as early in 2007 as possible. Employer matches, deductible contributions and tax-deferred growth are good reasons to deposit all you can af ford in your IRA, 401(k), or other retirement plan. The earlier you contribute each year, the longer your money has to grow. The IRA contribution limit is $4,000 for 2007 ($5,000 if you’re 50 or older), and the 401(k) limit is $15,500 ($20,500 if 50 or older).

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Charlotte Clifford Realtors

With 28 years of real estate sales experience Clifford Realtors will provide you with reliable, knowledgeable, and attentive service when buying or selling your home. At Clifford Realtors, we offer you ALL the services available from any of the big companies, combined with the personal touch that only a one-on-one local agency can provide without all the overhead. You won’t feel like you are just another client lost in the shuffle and you won’t get “passed” over to an assistant ever ! Your needs are important to us, and as your AGENT we will be with you every step of the process, from the first Call to the Close of Escrow.

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Call Bill Calkins at 673-9164 Clifford Realtors is a proud sponsor the CVLL Minor A Reds.

RV parking on city streets is illeg al without a permit. You can park your RV in your driveway for a maximum of 120 consecutive hours. With a per mit, RV parking is limited to 72 hours before and after a trip. Seven days must lapse between trips. The per mit process will be handled online . Fill out a simple form and the per mit will be emailed to y ou. You can also obtain a permit in person at the police department, or by mail. There is no fee for a per mit. Permits will be issued online beginning May 1. Guest RV parking is limited to 10 da ys with a per mit. There will be a fee (amount to be deter mined) for this per mit. Obtain this permit from the police de partment. According to Ordinance No . 405, a recreational v ehicle includes: motor homes and travel trailers, dirt bikes, dune buggies, off-road vehicles (multi-wheeled or tracked) and boats or watercraft of any size, with or without the transpor ting trailer. Pickup trucks carrying a camper and used for daily transportation are not included in this definition. For questions or more infor mation, call the Cla yton P olice Department, (925) 673-7350.

a trip. There must be seven days between trips. The first proposal set the limit at 24 hours, which council members felt didn ’t allo w enough time on the front end to g et the v ehicle ready and pack it for a trip or on the back end to g et it cleaned up and ready for storag e. They said 72 hours allo ws enough time for “lawful light maintenance.” It seemed that ev ery time a question was raised, three more came up. And every time a term was used, it required defining or clarifying. “Keeping this simple is complicated, ” said Councilwoman Julie Pierce. In grappling with the w ording of the ordinance , it w as clear that none of the council members w ere par ticularly enthusiastic about writing an RV parking ordinance in the first place . But, the police department has been plagued, especially in the summer months, with complaints about RVs park ed for extended periods on residential streets — creating neighborhood eyesores. In his re port to the council, Police Chief Dan La wrence cites one instance where a caller, whose home is on the

market, complained that she lost a possible sale because an oversized R V w as park ed on the street near her home. Enforcement of the ordinance will be “complaint dri ven,” says Lawrence. It w as for this reason that council member Hank Stratford voted ag ainst it. “I’m disappointed that there are R V owners who abuse … (but) I’m uncomfortable with a law that’s only enforceable b y complaints,” he said. Ultimately, the council came up with an ordinance that, in the w ords of Councilman Bill Walcutt, will “be easy on the law-abiding citizens but meaty enough that we can go after the ones that abuse it.” The ordinance allo ws for considerable police discretion in dealing with indi vidual situations. “It is not our intent to make outlaws out of the whole community,” said Walcutt. The ordinance w as introduced at the April 3 for the first reading. Before becoming a law, the ordinance m ust be read once more. The second reading will be April 17 and the law take effect 30 da ys after the second reading which is May 17.

Buyers’ remorse a common side affect

(expires 4/27/07)

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The city is about to ha ve a new law regulating the parking of recreational vehicles on public streets. After discussion at three

separate meetings and m uch tedious nitpic king, the City Council v oted 4-1 to appro ve for the first reading, an ordinance that would require an RV owner to g et a per mit to park his vehicle in front of his house for a maxim um of 72 hours before and after returning from

Helping People Find Their Way Home!

Did I buy the right house? Will I be able to afford the monthly pa yments? W hat if I lose m y job? W hat if home prices drop? Did I overpay? If these or similar w orries plague y ou, don’t despair . You’re probably suffering from a common homebuyers’ malady called buyers’ remorse. Buyers’ remorse is an emotional response many homebuyers experience during the course of a real estate transaction. The response can take various forms, but it’s usually manifested b y feelings of regret, fear, depression or anxiety. Typically, the remorse sets in after buyers ha ve entered into an ag reement to purc hase a house. But it can strik e ev en before an offer is written. If you find y ourself searching for reasons not to buy a house that you’ve searc hed for months to find, you ma y be suffering an early onset of buyers’ remorse. The feelings seem to be triggered b y the uncer tainty that results from relinquishing control. Even though y our present abode ma y no long er suit y our needs, it’s home . It’s comfor table and it feels secure . When you decide to buy a new home ,

you’re forced to ste p outside your current comfort zone into the realm of the unknown.

LYNNE FRENCH

REAL ESTATE Your mind ma y tr y to compensate psychologically for feelings of uncertainty by mentally undoing the ev ent. In other words, you may try to talk yourself out of buying the home. Couple feelings of uncertainty with the fear of making a long-term commitment, and it’s easy to understand wh y home buyers can suffer from bouts of anxiety. Some people w on’t experience remorse at all. Others will worry incessantly. Most homebuyers will fall somewhere in between the two extremes. A lot depends on the indi vidual. For

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instance, if you have a high tolerance for uncer tainty, you’ll suffer less than someone who has a need to feel in control. The first thing to do if you suffer an attack of remorse is to remind y ourself that what you’re feeling is nor mal. The uncomfortable feelings will pass. Don’t make the mistake of attaching more significance to these feelings than is warranted. For example , just because you’re feeling reg retful about your decision to buy the house doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t go through with the purc hase. Some people will be inclined to think that if their decision to buy w ere a g ood one , they wouldn’t be feeling anxious . To the contrar y, people who are prone to suffer from buyers’ remorse will probably feel uncomfortable about making any major commitment. One w ay to minimize buyers’ remorse is to do y our homework before y ou buy . Become kno wledgeable about home prices in the area. Find out about different kinds of mortgages. Study a sample purchase ag reement before y ou buy. Have the house y ou’re buying thoroughly inspected to

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make sure y ou aren ’t buying unwanted problems . Budget your finances to make sure you aren’t g etting in o ver y our head. Revisit the house to help put y our decision in proper perspective. Some buyers v alidate their purc hase decision b y continuing to look at other houses until they ha ve inspected the house they’re buying and have lined up financing . Ask your ag ent to k eep y ou informed about other sales in the area. And mak e sure y our agent keeps you well infor med during the transaction. This will help to minimize any anxiety y ou ha ve about this unfamiliar situation. Prepare yourself for one of the most important, and gratifying, purchases y ou’ll mak e in your lifetime . This will help diminish the uncomfor table psychological feelings that can go along with suc h a big commitment. Clayton resident Lynne French is the broker/owner of Windermere L ynne French & Associates. For any real estate needs, contact her at 672-8787, email Lynne@LynneFrench.com or stop in at 6200 Center St. in Clayton.

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surrounded by stunning Mount Diablo Hillside and Canyon views. Privacy with the conveniences and comforts we all enjoy. This spacious 5 Bedroom, 3 Bath Craftsman home is perfect for enter13960 Marsh Creek Road, taining guests. Extensive redClayton wood decks and patio areas surround a swimming pool that includes a waterfall backdrop as part of the gorgeous terraced landscaping. There’s also a Guest House built above a large garage with a bedroom, bath and its broker own kitchen. This definitely has the potential of becoming an office with its own workshop. 1.6 acre Keller Williams Realty property includes areas for (510) 333-4460 (Cell) potential additions, possibly to (510) 528-4500 (Office) include horses or RV parking.

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

April 13, 2007

Understanding all the buzz about caffeine in tea PAM BARNETT

TEA

FOR YOU

“If a man has no tea in him, he is incapab le of understanding truth and beauty.” – Japanese proverb

Caffeine w as disco vered in tea in 1827 and w as named theine. It w as later found in mate and v arious other plants . Eventually, it w as sho wn that the theine of tea was identical with the caffeine of coffee, and the ter m theine w as dropped. While coffee and tea are both sources of caffeine, the amount of caffeine in a serving varies significantly . According to the Institute of Food Technologists’ Expert Panel on Food Safety & Nutrition, an average ser ving of coffee contains the most caffeine . The

same ser ving size of tea provides about one-third to half as much. One of the more confusing aspects of caffeine content is the fact that coffee contains less caffeine than tea when measured in its dr y for m. However, the caffeine content of a prepared cup of coffee is significantly higher than the caffeine content of a pre pared cup of tea. All real tea comes from the same botanical, Camellia sinensis, which contains caffeine . Herbal teas like chamomile and peppermint are made from unrelated plants and are naturally caffeine free. Decaffeinated tea is not caffeine-free. It still contains up to 4 percent caffeine b y dr y weight. You can decaffeinate any tea yourself by pouring just enough boiling water over the lea ves to cover them. Allow the leaves to sit for 20 to 30 seconds and

then throw out the w ater. Now use the same lea ves to mak e your cup or pot of tea. About 90 percent of the caffeine will have been released in those first 20 seconds. If you are looking for a caffeine pic k-up, try a hear ty breakfast tea like Assam. Chai is also c hockfull of caffeine and will gi ve y ou the jolt y ou ma y need. As far as caffeine-related health concer ns, the U.S. Food and Dr ug Administration and the American Medical Association ha ve conducted research and review ed the extensive scientific literature on caffeine. They ha ve found no evidence to show that moderate use of caffeine poses any significant health concern. According to Stash T ea’s Website, here are the milligrams of caffeine in an a verage ser ving of some beverages. All the tea is in 8-ounce ser vings. 5-oz. cup coffee, 80 mg.

12-oz. can cola, 45 mg. Black tea, 40 mg. Oolong tea, 30 mg. Green tea, 20 mg. White tea, 15 mg. Decaf tea, 2 mg. Herbal tea, 0 mg. As a well-informed beverage consumer, now y ou can mak e the c hoice of how m uch caffeine is right for you. Pam Bar nett was an Eng lish major in college and a teacher before becoming co-owner with Sally Eng lund of Englund’s T ea Cottage in the Clayton Station. Email her at Pammbarnett@aol.com

Diamond Terrace wins Diamond Certified Customer Service Award The American Ratings Corporation has announced that Diamond T errace R etirement Community is the recipient of its prestigious 2007 Diamond Certified Customer Ser vice Award. Jim Stein, Chief Executive Officer of the American Ratings Corporation said, “In addition to Diamond T errace’s high client satisfaction rating score , I was equally impressed with all of the enthusiastic client comment in the v erbatim client sur vey comments.” The Diamond Cer tified Award can only be ear ned b y companies that are inde pend-

ently rated highest in quality in ongoing studies of their customer satisfaction. In order to ear n this a ward, a twelve ste p LINDA rating and JOHNSON certification process w as involved and a random sample of past and present customers were asked to rate the company on a scale of 1 to 10 for quality. Customers were also polled as to

their willingness to retur n or to refer other consumers to the company. Most retirement communities can ’t pass the rating requirements because a customer satisfaction sur vey score of greater than 90 on a 100 scale is required. Administrator Linda Johnson said, “To ha ve passed the most rig orous test for local service companies in the Ba y Area means ev eryone can ha ve total confidence in our performance. Our entire team at Diamond T errace R etirement Community is proud to recei ve this honor. We are simply the best!”

Sunday, May 13, 2007 Seatings at 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM or 2:00 PM Our picturesque golf course and elegant clubhouse will provide the perfect backdrop, while our delicious cuisine including Seafood Newberg, chicken with garlic cream sauce, braised tri-tip and roasted pork loin will impress even the most discriminating guests.

Moms are the g reatest. They spend most of their waking hours taking care of everyone else before they do anything for themselv es. You can fix that. Write an essay telling us why your mom should be crowned the Clayton Pioneer Mother’s Day “Queen for a Day,” and win a day of pampering in Pioneer Territory for the “queen of your heart.” If yours is the winning essay, your mom will receive a very special gift basket full of everything she needs to feel pampered, pretty and appreciated. There will be products , services especially for her and special enter tainment sur prises. But most impor tantly, this is y our chance to tell the w orld why y our mom is the “absolute best.” The Pioneer will publish the winning essa y along with a photo of you and your mom in the Ma y 11 issue. To be eligible , you must be a Clayton resident between the ages of 6 and 18. Your essa y should be typewritten and at least 200 w ords and no long er than 350 w ords. Please make sure y our name , address, age and phone number are on your essay. Mail or e-mail y our essay to T he Cla yton Pioneer, PO Bo x 1246, Clayton, 94517; essay@ claytonpioneer.com, or Elizabeth Cerrutti submitted the essay that won our 2005 drop off at the Pioneer Queen for a Day Mother’s Day contest winning for her mother, office at 6200 F Center Tammy, a gift basket that included an elegant “Tea for Two” at Englund’s Tea Cottage, a relaxing massage and very special gift St., Clayton. Deadline for basket from Clayton Mind and Body Connections, a pampering entries is 5 p.m., April 30. facial and a bouquet of lovely spring flowers.

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April 13, 2007

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Gin is the herbaceous spirit

La Veranda Café Northern Italian Cuisine in downtown Clayton Fresh soups, salads, antipasti, pizza and pasta Dinner and lunch daily Brunch on Sunday Children’s menu and take out service available

A touch of Napa in Clayton At 1007 Oak Street, Clayton

Remember Mother’s Day is coming May 13 Massage makes a great gift. Ask about special Mother’s Day gift certificates. visit us on the web or call (925) 673-0686 www.mind-and-body-connections.com Treat M for Mo om ther’s Day

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This single story 4-bedroom, 3-bath home with fabulous views has numerous upgrades Priced @ $1,049,000 including new cabinetry, crown moulding, fresh paint, wood blinds, whole house audio in & out, closet organizers, 10 ft. ceilings & a huge master suite. Professionally landscaped grounds with sprinkler system, new lawn & fencing. Large 3 car finished garage has custom cabinets & additional overhead storage.

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Move o ver wine and beer : The cocktail is back. I’ve alw ays found the f lavor of gin to be inconsistent and elusive. Gin and its cousin g enever (jenever in Belgium) are clear spirits distilled from g rain — usually wheat or r ye — and f lavored with juniper berries and an assortment of herbs and spices . Additional f lavoring ag ents can include anise, cinnamon, orange peel and coriander. Each mak er has its o wn secret recipe, incorporating from a few to more than a dozen of these so-called botanicals . Topquality gins extract their f lavors through alcohol v apors created in the distillation process; lower quality gins simply mix in extracts. There are sev eral versions of gin. “London Dr y Gin” is the dominant style seen in the United States and is used principally in mixed drinks. “Old Tom Gin” was a lightly sweetened gin popular in the 1700s . Its name derives from blac k cat placards posted on English pubs . Thirsty passersby de posited c hange in the cat’s mouth and suc ked on a small tube betw een the cat’ s paws, where the bar tender poured a shot of gin.

Dutch-style gins (g enevers) are aged in oak casks and ser ved straight up , often with a dried green her ring as an accompaniment. Fruit-flavored genevers are gaining popularity . My guess is it’s probably because they aren ’t served with the dried her ring. Spaniards rather like gin, having the highest per capita consumption in the w orld. The country produces quite a bit of the London Dr y v ariety, although it’ s often ser ved with cola. Gin probably originated in the Netherlands . The British troops fighting the Spanish in Holland in the 1500s disco vered “Dutch courag e.” A centur y later, a physician in the uni versity town of Leiden used a juniper and spice flavored concoction as a diuretic , and the English thought it could cure colic. The popularity of gin in England led to a g ood deal of public drunkenness, and the Gin Acts in the 18th centur y w ere early prohibition la ws aimed at tackling the problem. They were only successful in regulating gin production and making it into a “gentleman’s drink.” Gin w as an expor t of the British Empire , as w ell. Wherever the British w ent, gin was sure to follo w. George Washington and P aul R evere were quite fond of gin. Even the Quakers w ere kno wn to imbibe gin toddies after funerals. In the British militar y, the mastery of gin-based drinks was considered part of a young officer’s training. The gin and tonic was created to help troops tak e their daily dose of quinine to prevent malaria. Modern tonic water still contains quinine , but

in far smaller amounts , as it is very bitter. The coc ktail, so popular through the 1950s, began staging its comeback in the 1990s — led by the mar tini. There is some debate over the martini’s origins. One v ersion is that a bar tender at San F rancisco’s Occidental Hotel mix ed up a “Mar tinez” (made of bitters, maraschino, vermouth, ice and Old Tom) for a tra veler heading to that to wn. Another v ersion has a g old miner in Mar tinez pa ying for a bottle of whiskey with a n ugget so big he demanded an extra drink — whic h the bar tender called a “Martinez.” The third version has Martini di Arma di Taggia, a bartender at New Y ork’s Hotel Knickerbocker in the early ’20s , mixing a coc ktail using equal parts of gin and dry vermouth. Whatever its origins, the martini is evolving. A typical martini contains about 2 ounces gin and 1 to 2 tablespoons dr y v ermouth, shaken o ver ice , and strained into a c hilled stemmed glass. The less v ermouth used, the “drier” it becomes . Winston Churchill reputedly believed that passing the cork from a v ermouth bottle over a glass of gin was sufficient. A Ramos fizz contains gin, lemon and lime juice , egg white (powdered eg g white for food safety), sugar, cream, orange flower w ater and soda w ater. Originally kno wn as the New Orleans Fizz, it was a favorite of Louisiana g overnor Huey P . Long. He had his bartender train New Y ork bar tenders at the Roosevelt Hotel how to make it, and the R oosevelt Hotel Group

(now the Fairmont) trademarked the name in 1935. The Sing apore sling w as invented at the Raff les Hotel in Singapore around 1910. It’s now available on all Sing apore Airlines f lights, and I hear that it’s free of charge in all classes of travel. Rather than pay $20 for a pre-mixed Sing apore sling at Raffles Hotel toda y, make yourself a fresh original.

SINGAPORE SLING 8 parts gin 4 parts cherry brandy 1 part Contreau 1 part Benedictine 2 parts grenadine 16 parts pineapple juice 6 parts fresh lemon juice dash Angostura bitters Shake well with ice and strain into a tall glass. Serve with a designated driver. Linda W yner is an accomplished chef and “foodie.” She r ecently opened her kitchen stor e in Pleasanton and the cooking school will open soon. W atch the Pioneer for details. Direct your sug gestions or questions to lwyner@claytonpioneer.com

Atwood’s ‘Disorder’ a poignant read If you ha ve nev er read Margaret Atw ood, “Moral Disorder” is as fine a place to start as any. On the other hand, if you are already an Atw ood fan, this book should be at the top of your “must read” list. “Moral Disorder” is made up of 11 shor t stories, all with the same central c haracter – Nell. The settings are urban, rural, suburban, mountainous and all Canadian. The collection begins with a scene from Nell’s less than idyllic mar riage. We meet her ag ain, at age 10, knitting a layette for her soon to be born baby sister. The interwoven stories mo ve us from the 1930s to toda y, culminating with the last tw o stories, each a hear t-breakingly superb

account of the death of her parents. Through the telling of almost photog raphic tales , Atwood has created a full and complex life for Nell. I’m not sure if it should be classified as a collection of short stories, or a novel. The sister for whom she knitted the la yette follo ws Nell throughout the book. One stor y takes place when the sisters g o to visit their elderly mother . Atwood’s stor ytelling puts the reader in the bac k seat, eavesdropping as the younger sister drives. In the hands of a lesser writer, the poignant and thoughtful m usings of mature sisters, ready to be honest with one another, might have turned

saccharin. But here, their heartfelt con versation is constantly and hilariously shot through with the younger sister’s acerbic takes on every bad driver on the road, never skipping a beat before slipping bac k into the conversation. It is shar p, crass and emotionally rich all at once . Atwood steers the reader from laugh-outloud to deeply moved, and you’re tempted to g o bac k and read it again just to see how she does it. If you are pressed for time , read “Moral Disorder” one story at a time . It almost doesn ’t matter in whic h order they are read. Or read this slim v olume in one sitting. Either w ay, by the time you close the book for good, you will kno w and care about Nell, her family , her friends and her enemies. Atwood’s insight into human behavior and her eye for its surrounding detail mak e these sto-

SUNNY SOLOMON FOR THE BOOKS ries accessible, intimate and surprisingly familiar . Nell’s life touches our own, with sufficient compassion for all. Sunny Solomon is the BookLady and manager of Clayton Books in the Clayton Station. She holds an MA in Eng lish and Cr eative Writing fr om San F rancisco State University. Sunny is a poet and loves to “talk books .” Reach her with questions or comments at 673-3325.

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

April 13, 2007

At the Movies

Advertise with the Pioneer 672-0500

‘Lookout’ among early ’07 standouts

JIM BRIGGS

THE

MOVIES

It wouldn’t be spring without a bank heist mo vie. This year , Oscar-nominated screenwriter Scott F rank (“Out of Sight,” “Get Shor ty”) w eighs in with his directorial debut, “The Lookout.” Joseph Gordon-Levitt (“Brick”) pla ys Chris , a once promising hoc key pla yer who suffers from a head injur y after a car accident. He appears normal but has trouble remembering things and is forced to write things do wn on a note pad, almost lik e Guy P earce’s Leonard in “Memento.” And lik e first-time view ers of “Memento,” Chris has a problem with c hronology. Chris’ roommate Lewis (J eff Daniels), in spite of being blind, looks out for him, sometimes going a little too far. Chris is approac hed in a bar one night by Gary, who’s played by an unrecognizable Matthew

Goode (“Matc h P oint”). He almost no ph ysical manifestabelieve he has one line . claims to ha ve dated Chris’ sis- tion of Chris’ problem. Otherwise he sits there silently , ter. The tw o quic kly become He leaves the scener y chew- wearing sunglasses and holding friends and Chris star ts dating ing to Daniels , who tak es full a shotgun. His presence alone is Luvlee (Isla Fisher), a friend of advantage. He doesn ’t pla y the intimidating. Gary’s. sympathetic blind character; he’s Frank’s script is also about Following a the v alue of b e l a t e d s t o r y t e l l i n g. T h a n k s g iv i n g “Stories are dinner, Gary what help us reveals to Chris make sense of his plan to rob the world,” says the bank where Lewis. Chris is a janiThough tor. Gary and inventive and his accomplices fun, the film is need Chris’ not f lawless. help. The relationAs ob vious ship betw een as Gar y’s Chris and exploitative plan Luvlee is left is to the audihanging. It ence, it’s underalmost feels as standable wh y Jeff Daniels and Joseph Gordon-Levitt star in “The Lookout.” if there’s a Chris goes along scene missing . with it. Goode gi ves suc h a sassy and inappropriate. On the And there’ s a c haracter who’ s compelling and charismatic per- rare occasion that w e see his introduced only to be sacrificed formance that w e’re almost eyes, he’s nev er looking at the later. suckered into the plan as w ell. person to whom he’ s talking . In the pre-summer doldr ums “You ha ve the most imporDaniel’s Lewis tr umps Br yce at the m ultiplex, there are a few tant job of all,” says Gar y. Dallas Ho ward’s uncon vincing standouts and “The Lookout” is “You’re the lookout.” Ivy in “The Village” (strange for certainly among them. All the leading performances an actress who sometimes tak es Unfortunately, it was a box office are strong . Gordon-Levitt — performances too far) and ranks disaster in its opening w eekend who I’m convinced can do any- with T oni Collette’ s ter rifically so catch it before it’s gone. thing after “Bric k” —shows a haunting role as Donna in “T he For these smaller films , your lot of restraint. He has so many Night Listener” (an otherwise box office dollars do count. opportunities to ham it up , but forgettable film). Wage war on “300” and g o see he under plays Chris’ ailment. Another interesting per“The Lookout.” He respects it. Outside of a formance is from first-timer Jim Briggs is a composer and heavy, deliberate w alk, there’s Greg Dunham as Bone . I music teacher. He has a BA in Jazz Composition from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. He writes film r eviews for Entertainment News Int. Send comments to movies@claytonpioneer.com.

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Namely, what do y ou w ant t o do in the y ears ahead? Ma ybe join the P eace Corps? Mak e y our own mo vie? Star t a ne w business, perhaps? Or maybe you’re not even sure. As an Ameriprise financial advisor, I am proud to exclusively offer the Dream Book.SM It’s a guide to help y ou figure out what e xactly you want to do in the y ears ahead, and it’s the per fect starting point for us to develop a financial plan that can help get you there.

So call me at (925) 685-4523 today or stop by our office for a complimentary copy of the Dream Book . Mureleen Benton CFP® 5356 Clayton Rd., Suite 211 Concord, CA 94521 925-685-4523

For Scrabble buffs, the word is everything Call today for a personal tour & complimentary lunch

TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer

Clayton wordsmiths have a good reason for spending their Saturday after noons at Carl’ s Jr., and it has nothing to do with hamburg ers or fries . Every second and four th Saturday of the month, Scrabble Club No . 632 meets for casual pla y, tournaments and exhibitions at the fast food restaurant in the Cla yton Station. Chartered under the National Scrabble Association, Scrabble Club 632 is the only club betw een Oakland and Sacramento and dra ws players from all over the Bay Area. “They come for the competition and camaraderie,” says club director Mik e T reshler. “Some pla yers come because no one in their family will pla y with them anymore – they beat everyone.” On this particular Saturday, the atmosphere crac kles with excitement as tw o nationally ranked players prepare to tak e on eight c hallengers at once . The first player to step up was 17-year-old Conrad BassettBorchard of Moraga, ranked 50th in the nation and third in the state b y the National Scrabble Association. Next followed Chris Morg an, 37, also a nationally ranked player.

YGNACIO VALLEY REPUBLICAN WOMEN’S CLUB The club is hosting its Spring Fling, featuring a luncheon, fashion sho w and boutique, from 11 a.m. to 2 p .m. Saturday, April 21. The ev ent will be at Oakhurst Countr y Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr . Cost is $30, with a no-host bar. Fashions will be from Coldwater Creek. The boutique will include Anbran jew-

(925) 524-5100

Retirement Community

CLAYTON RESIDENT STEWART SPADA GOES UP AGAINST 11-YEAR-OLD WALNUT CREEK PLAYER NOAH SHPAK at a recent Scrabble Club No. 632 meet. Noah started playing Scrabble at age 4 and this year will go to the National School Scrabble Championships in Providence, R.I.

Scrabble is a popular w ord game in whic h pla yers score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles on a 15-by-15 g ame board. The words are for med across and down like a crossw ord puzzle. Each w ord used m ust appear in the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary. Sometimes, in the heat of the competition, a stumped player will tr y to bluff the opponent by simply making up a word that sounds g ood. The other pla yer, however, often meets the bogus pla y with a challenge. If the w ord is particularly ridiculous , it could

win the matc h’s “Most Unusual or Outrag eous Pla y” of the da y. For example , “delice” – as in delousing more than one louse at a time . Don’t look it up . It isn ’t a word. Other prizes are a warded for Highest Scoring Pla y, Highest Losing Game Score and Lo west Winning Game Score. Cost for the day’s play is $2, and all proceeds g o to buy token prizes . Scratch-off lottery tic kets are a par ticular favorite. For mor e infor mation on Scrabble Club 632, call Mik e Treshler at 639-1987.

elry, Mary K ay cosmetics , Tastefully Simple food items and accessories from Butterf ly Connections. For tic ket infor mation and menu c hoices, call Barbara Allen at 672-5061.

1001 Peacock Creek Dr. Speakers include Dr . History of Hot T alk 560 KSFO radio and for mer Clayton Mayor Pete Laurence. The cost is $35, including lunch. Make checks payable to CFRW-ND6 and mail to 735 Winterside Circle, San Ramon CA 94583. For more infor mation, email jngcabot@pacbell.net, call 519-8753 or visit www.yvrwf.org.

CONTRA COSTA REPUBLICAN WOMEN The group’s annual conference will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p .m. Friday, April 27, at Oakhurst Countr y Club,

Join us for our Thursday Socials at 4pm.

6401 Center Street Clayton CA 94517

www.diamondterrace.net

“ I love Diamond Terrace because of staff and residents. It’s just like home. It is very picturesque outside and comfortable inside. Diamond Terrace to me is the jewel of Clayton.”

– Fred Stromberg

Desirable Brentwood Neighborhood

SOLD

$649,000 -

Kimberly Morucci (925) 280-8563 kmorucci@interorealestate.com www.kimmorucci.com Recipient of Intero Executive Circle Award Member of Intero’s Top 10% Producers Clayton resident & ranch property owner.

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April 13, 2007

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

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‘Displace Me’ sheds light on Ugandan plight KENDALL DE JONG Special to the Pioneer

10 am Sunday School & Bible Class, 11:15 am Worship

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Imagine people being forced to leave their homes and all their belongings behind and ha ving nothing but a cardboard box for shelter. This is exactly what is happening in the African country of Uganda. It has been riddled with w ars and political po wer struggles that ha ve displaced families and ended c hildhoods early. A mo vement has star ted in the United States to tr y to help those affected b y the w ar in Uganda. To raise a wareness of this plight, the non-profit organization In visible Children is hosting a nationwide ev ent called “Displace Me.” In 15 cities nationwide , participants will be “displaced” to specific venues to simulate what people in Uganda are experiencing. The only items that par ticipants will be allo wed to bring

The “Displace Me” event at the Cow Palace later this month simulates the situation Ugandan children like these find themselves in every night.

with them are w ater bottles , a sleeping bag and a cardboard box for shelter . All par ticipants will recei ve the profile of a Northern Ug andan, and they will assume that identity for the night. San F rancisco’s Co w P alace will be hosting a “Displace Me” event at the end of this month. According to P aul Gw adirah, one of the event’s coordinators,

there will be tents set up inside the arena with exhibits sho wing the hardships the Ugandan people are facing. “People cannot help something they kno w nothing about,” he sa ys of the Ugandan problem. “People don’t really kno w in de pth what is happening. We want to show them.” Catherine Pir tz will attend

the ev ent, representing the Clayton/Concord area. After she and a Chico State classmate saw posters adv ertising “Displace Me ,” they w anted to be a part of it. “I feel lik e something needs to be done ,” Pirtz sa ys. “It affected me, and I w ant to help make a change.” Documentary filmmak ers Bobby Bailey, Jason Russell and Lauren Poole founded In visible Children in 2005 after making a documentary about Ug anda’s children. The film is about Ugandan c hildren who are abducted and brainwashed to be soldiers. Screenings of the documentary are being held nationwide to help publicize the tragedy. The free “Displace Me” event begins at noon April 28 and will last until about noon April 29. Coordinators expect 7,000 to 10,000 participants. To sign up , visit www.invisiblechildren.com.

Church News

Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church 925-672-4848 1578 Kirker Pass Road Mission Statement to

follow the risen Christ by studying His Word to live God's love through service to others to nurture our church family to accept all who enter our doors to tell others about God’s grace Patricia Stout, Pastor

Sundays 10:30 a.m.

ST. BONAVENTURE’S CATHOLIC CHURCH The Men’s Spiritual Network is sponsoring a Men’s R etreat at San Damiano R etreat Center on Ma y 18-21. Father Tom Bonacci, parochial vicar of St. Ignatius parish in Antioc h, will lead the retreat. He is a nationally known retreat master and scripture scholar. Men or any faith are in vited. For more infor mation, visit w w w. s t b o n a v e n t u r e . n e t / msnretreat.shtml or call Matt Remington at 672-4006 or Peter Nixon at 363-5884. **** The four th Mother/ Daughter T ea will be held at

www.cvpresby.org

1:30 p.m. Saturday, May 5, in the parish larg e hall, 5562 Cla yton Road. Treat y our g randmother, mother, aunt, sister or daughter to a tea party which includes tea, light sandwic hes, dessert and entertainment b y har pist Diana Farias. Kathy R oberts, teaching director of Community Bible Study, will present a mother/daughter ref lection while the little girls create an arts and crafts project. Proceeds and a gift bask et raffle will benefit the Ba y Area Crisis Nursery. Tickets are $10 for adults . Young women 5 to 10 years old are $5, while those under 5 are

free. For more infor mation, call Sandy F ogarty at 673-1071 before April 27. **** A Grief Workshop begins at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 19, in the St. Bonaventure Chapel, 5562 Clayton R oad. A team of peer ministers will facilitate the sixweek w orkshop to help par ticipants begin the healing process. Whether the death w as sudden and tragic , or one with warning and pre paration, the reality of death lea ves most of us shoc ked, confused and sad. Grieving people need time and space to honor their g rief. For more infor mation or to register, call 672-5800.

CLAYTON VALLEY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH “Christianity: The First Thousand Years” is a new series for the 8:45 a.m. Sunday Adult Education. The Y outh Group meets 6:30 p .m. Tuesdays. The Women’s Suppor t Group meets at 3 p .m. the first and third Tuesdays. Women’s Bible Study is at 2 p.m. the second Tuesday and 7 p .m. the second W ednesday. The Men ’s Discussion Group gathers at 8 a.m. Fridays. Sunday ser vices are at 10:30 a.m., with school and child-care provided. The church is at 1578 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton. For more infor mation, call 6724848.

School News MT. DIABLO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL The Parent-Faculty Club will host its 7th ann ual Benefit Auction, “Hollywood Nights ,” from 5 to 11 p .m. Saturday, April 21, at Centre Concord. Information about the li ve auction items and Class Bask ets can be found at www.mdusd.k12.ca.us/mountdiabloelementary. Raffle tickets are on sale, for $100 eac h. The winner will receive a c hoice of any of the live auction items. You need not be present to win. Absentee ballots are also a vailable on the school Website. The auction committee is looking for tw o v olunteers to provide quality control, confirming that the winning bid

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number matc hes the bidder name. For more infor mation, contact Kim Lally at 672-0270 or lallys@sbcglobal.net. ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI St. Francis of Assisi is accepting applications for the 2007-’08 school year. St. Francis provides a faith-based Catholic education in a safe and n urturing environment for students in grades K-8. For an application, visit www.sfaconcord.org or call 682-5414. VFW S CHOLARSHIP Clayton V alley’s VFS P ost 1525 will a ward a $600 sc holarship to a high sc hool g raduate or a member of a high sc hool graduation class who meets eli-

gibility requirements. Each applicant m ust sho w that he or she is a natural or adopted son, daughter, grandson or g randdaughter of a current or deceased member of the Lt. Jerry Novakovich Post 1525, Veterans of Foreign Wars. Applications are due by May 1. For more infor mation, call Thomas Baublitz at 672-2372 or Nelson Baker at 672-7188. CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL The P arent-Faculty Club presents its second ann ual Fiesta De Ma yo, a benefit for technology, on Friday, May 4, at Centre Concord. Last year’ s ev ent raised money to place 20 new computers in the Cla yton V alley High

library, but the 2,000 students and 90 staff members are faced with many more tec hnological needs. Residents ma y become an event sponsor, donate items for the silent auction and raff les, or volunteer to work the event. For more infor mation, contact event c hair P amela New acheck at 671-2201 or oldacash@astound.net, or PFC president Melinda Moore at 672-0930 or melindammoore@yahoo.com. The Society f or International T ravel is taking applications for a trip to Athens and R ome in A ugust. Parents and students are w elcome to register. E-mail rossj@mdusd.k12.ca.us for more information.

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

April 13, 2007

Clayton Sports Lauren Vance PIONEER ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT VANCE FINDS SUCCESS ON SOCCER AND LACROSSE FIELDS The coac h describes Lauren Vance as “a phenomenal athlete who is dri ven to be the best in whatev er she pursues.” Lauren, goalkeeper for the CVHS varsity w omen’s soccer team and leading scorer on the lacrosse team, is not afraid to w ork hard to accomplish her g oals. The senior has been on the varsity soccer squad since her freshman year and was named a captain this year. She pla ys soccer year -round, including club soccer with the Walnut Creek Rush under 18 Class 1 team. “I like playing soccer, because it is a for m of escape for me. When

LAUREN VANCE

I’m on the field, I g et lost in what I’m doing and for that time , nothing else matters,” Lauren says. “I also lo ve being par t of a team and the great friends I’ve made along the way. And of course, there’s nothing lik e the feeling of making a game-winning save,” she explains. Highlights of Lauren’s soccer career include the moment when the varsity w omen’s soccer team beat

Carondelet and then won the BVAL. Coach P at Middendorf noted that Lauren “w as instr umental in our attaining BVAL League Champions.” Getting past the first round of NCS b y beating Colleg e P ark w as icing on the cak e. “It w as the most amazing feeling to kno w that all our hard work over the years finally had something substantial to it. We beat the odds,” Lauren notes. She was excited to be named player of the g ame during Comcast Game of the W eek, for the soccer game at CV ag ainst Carondelet. Lauren has also played lacrosse at Clayton V alley since its ince ption, which was during her freshman year. She is the only pla yer left from that inaugural team. She’s been team captain since she was a sophomore. “I g et a different feeling of it than soccer, because I’m a forward in lacrosse, unlike soccer,” she says. She has been the leading scorer for lacrosse for the past three years , with 52 g oals in 11 g ames this season. Soccer and lacrosse will most likely be a par t of Lauren’s future . She has acce ptances from sev eral universities, with one of them offering her a spot on their team.

Favorite Subject: Photography Favorite Sport: Soccer Favorite Athlete: Soccer goalkeeper Pat Onstad Favorite Music: Alternative and Hip-Hop Favorite Food: Pizza In her spare time: “I love to go to concerts and baseball games, or just San Francisco in general.”

The Clayton Pioneer spotlights a local youth athlete from our circulation area in the second issue eac h month. If you are a coac h or an administrator and w ould lik e to nominate a young person (under 20 years of age) for the Rocco’s Athlete Spotlight, please send infor mation to spor ts@claytonpioneer.com or fax to 672-6580. Nomination deadline f or our May 25 issue is Sunday, May 15.

Clayton Royal Oaks take home Over 40 championship In a friendly , yet intense game, the Cla yton R oyal Oaks Over 40 soccer team bested their club ri val, the Cla yton Orient, 3-2 in the East Ba y Senior Soccer League (EBSSL) Championship Cup. Under a clear sky at Hillcrest Park in Concord on Marc h 4, the classic matc h all wished for was g ranted. Hundreds of fans basked in the mor ning sunshine to cheer on family and friends. The Royals manager, Martin “Dixie” Kindred, claimed during his pre-match team talk that “this w ould be the closet the Royals would come to realizing the dream of playing in an F A cup final.” No team w as dominant in the first 20 min utes, with both playing a cautious passing g ame trying to outwit the other . The fans enjo yed some g ood, controlled football. In the 22nd min ute, following superb inter play betw een Marty “Skinny” Foster and Dalton “DD” Duvall, the Royals notc hed a g oal through Sean “Timmo” Timmons. A second g oal came when center forward Victor “Vicky” Escobar struck with a lo w dri ve to the keeper’s left. The Orient seemed destined for what surely w ould be a demoralizing defeat.

Photo courtesy of Martin Kindred

Back row: Martin Barber, Paul Brook, Rob Sears, Alex Dadiamov, Tom Applebaum, Gary Teicheira, Martin Kindred, Sean Timmons, Paul Siwek. Front row: Dalton Duval, Marty Foster, Steve Foster, Paul Jenkins, Steve Connelly, Danny Cooke, Declan Wood, Gary Farmilo.

But they did not gi ve up . Orient coac h Mac Couto made some tactical c hanges and ordered a redoubling of efforts from his deter mined team. His magical touc h w as rew arded in the 38th min ute with a smash and g rab g oal from midfield maestro Noah Ismen, leaving the Royals praying for half time. The Orient fans celebrated as if they had won the cup, and their pla yers w ere soon to join

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The Orient retur ned for the second period with renew ed vigor, determined to fight bac k. Their effor ts w ere rew arded when Noah again found himself in position to score , and the game was tied 2-2. Shortly afterward, the Orient hit the cross bar and came close to a g oal with an off the line clearance that left P aul “Brooky” Brook injured and

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midfield. He surg ed forw ard with the ball at his feet, an inch perfect pass to Gaza F armilo. The ball landed at the feet of Steve “Scooter” Foster to bulg e the back of the net. The crowd was ecstatic. The final moments w ere tense and scrappy . End to end football ensued. The Orient started to peg the Royals back in their last third and one c hance created was ushered to safety by

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unable to contin ue. Danny “Cookie” Cook w ent in for Paul. Dixie w as tr ue to his w ord that he w ould field ev ery member of his squad during the game. Declan “Woody” Woods and T om “ Apple” Applebaum adjourned the f lanks, and the Oaks dug dee p for another push. Soon Mar tin “Nails” Barber began a mo ve from cong ested

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the brilliant Stev e “Driftw ood” Connelly and Rob “TB” Sears. Dixie sa ys the R oyals w ere lucky to pla y their respected friends. He believ es this lastgasp win was a “massive result” in the EBSSL season. “Orient will feel v ery unlucky, and they deserve to. We had a lot of narrow escapes, and Orient upset our rh ythm in the second half,” Dixie says. “We’ve had that bit of luck, but y ou need luck if you are to win cups. The passion showed by my players w as the difference . They kept g oing and nev er ever g ave up.” Both Cla yton teams joined the celebration, and the Orient showed tr ue sprit b y sharing their beer with the victors. The Over 40 Division is only in its second season. Two teams currently pla y in the Ov er 40 Division of the Clayton Soccer Club. The R oyals ha ve been there since it star ted, while the Orient switc hed from an Ov er 30 to Ov er 40 team this year . They ha ve pla yed tog ether and against eac h other for many years. Most of the people who started the club in 1984 are still active, with a few still playing. Martin Kindr ed and Deanna Merrigan contributed to this ar ticle.

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The CY O St. Bonaventure American II fifth-g rade bo ys basketball team capped off what coac h Chris K emple described as a “magical season” by capturing the 2007 Oakland Diocese Championship. Their incredible season also included winning the team Knights of Columbus F ree Throw Contest, playing a halftime exhibition at a Cal g ame and attending a St. Mary’s College game. After finishing the 2005-’06 season with just 3 wins and 7 losses, the team w on the 2006’07 Diablo East League regular season title with 9 wins and a lone loss b y one point. They then advanced to the league and Oakland Diocese playoffs. Their tremendous post-season r un beg an ag ainst St. Anthony’s, with Kevin Cuff hitting his typical long-range bomb to get the Heat on track. The St. Bonaventure team squandered a 17-6 halftime lead, finding themselves do wn 23-26 with less than one minute to play. Two clutc h free thro ws b y Hunter Loc khart tied it up 2626. After a defensive stop and a steal by Brett Rideau, he pushed the ball up the cour t. His shot bounced off the rim into the waiting hands of Omari Bailey, who made the put bac k shot with 1.3 seconds left to win the game. “If that shot didn’t fall, none of the other team successes would ha ve been possible ,” notes coach Craig Rideau. St. Bonaventure dominated the League Championship game. The Heat took a 20-5 halftime led into a 30-17 victory over Immaculate Heart. The Heat then mo ved onto the Oakland Diocese FifthGrade Bo ys Championship Tournament. The first challenge was ag ainst a m uch taller and stronger St. Perpetua team from

Photo courtesy of Mike Metz

Front Row (kneeling): Brett Rideau, Alex Zavala, Kyle Metz, Hunter Lockhart, Quinten McLane. Second Row: Stephano Rahimzadeh, Nathan Czarnecki, Kevin Cuff, Omari Bailey, Brendan Kemple. Back Row: Coach Craig Rideau, Coach Mike Metz, Head Coach Chris Kemple, Coach Shawn Kemple

Lafayette. The Heat found themselves do wn 6-12 early on but battled back to tie the g ame at halftime 12-12, with the help of coach Sha wn K emple’s press-break pla ys from his Clayton V alley High Sc hool freshman team pla y book. Ultimately, the quic ker St. Bonaventure team prevailed 2522. Next up w as Holy Spirit of Fremont. With a 22-10 victor y, the Heat adv anced to the Diocese Championship g ame against St. Anne’s of Union City. The Heat star ted off hot with Brendan K emple hitting a 15-foot baseline jumper, leading the team to a 20-10 halftime lead. Stephano Rahimzadeh hit a 10-foot jumper to k eep the Heat’s lead at 30-20 with less than 3 minutes to play. However, much lik e their

Sports Shorts CLAYTON VALLEY/CONCORD SUNRISE ROTARY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION BASKETBALL SHOW Harlem Ambassadors vs . Diablo V alley Admirals*. Sunday April 15, 2007, 7:00 p.m. at the Diablo V alley Colleg e Gymnasium. *The Diablo

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Association Youth Football and Cheerleading is having sign ups. Final c heer sign up is Sunda y, April 22, 1:00 -4:00 at Mountain Mikes Pizza, 5358 Cla yton Rd. (next to Cla yton V alley Bo wl). Football sign ups will also be taken. For additional infor mation: call Cindy for c heering or Gil for football at (925) 9277377, or visit the w ebsite at www.cvaafalcons.com.

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The first overtime went back and forth, as Alex Zavala took a defensive rebound coast to coast for 2 points . After yet another steal from Kyle Metz, a long pass do wn cour t to center Nathan Czar necki led to a fine 10-foot turnaround bank shot. However, St. Anne’s battled back and w ent up 37-35. With the Heat ag ain applying v oracious defense , a steal led to a series of passes that put the ball into Quniten McLane’ s hands . He hit a 14-foot jumper with 0.2 seconds left to send the game to its second overtime. After all team players scored during their final pla yoff game, the St. Bonaventure Heat prevailed 45-44 for a final season record of 14-1. The coaches thank the bo ys for “a lifetime of memories through one v ery special season.”

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first pla yoff game, the Heat suddenly found the bask etball bouncing the other w ay. St. Anne went on an 11-0 r un, and St. Bonaventure w as do wn 3031 with 0.3 seconds to go in regulation. Coach Chris w ent to the drawing board with the ultimate last-effort pla y. It w orked to perfection as guard Hunter w as knocked to the g round under the basket on the inbounds play with no time on the cloc k. With 250 to 300 fans in attendance, you could ha ve heard a pin drop as Hunter stood alone on the free thro w line. He calmly hit his first of two free thro ws, making the score 31-31. The second shot bounced in and out. Hunter was devastated as he thought the game was lost, but there w ere still three minutes of overtime to be played.

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

April 13, 2007

Clayton arts celebration illustrates artistic devotion JIM HUDAK

MUSIC NOTES The life of a committed artist isn’t easy. It’s one thing to work at ar t in one’ s spare time , which of course is w orthwhile. But it tak es a special person to do ev erything in his or her power to mak e ar t a “full-time thing.” Last month’s Creekside Ar ts Celebration ex emplified what’ s involved in making ar t a fulltime career endea vor. Some do so quite triumphantly , and others are still working to get there. At best, it’s a struggle. It w as fun w alking around the librar y, getting to kno w fellow artists from all types of disciplines. Painters, sculptors,

musicians, photographers and even an animation/cartoon specialist took par t in the ev ent. It was inspiring to hear their stories and share some of the pain of their sacrifice and dev otion to their work. In the case of a full-time artist, the saying “no man is an island” rings especially tr ue. One woman who paints beautiful ar t w as telling me ho w she used to work as an executive at a financial institution, making “great money .” But something inside kept telling her she wasn’t being true to herself. She talk ed it o ver with her husband, who ag reed to adjust his workload and tak e on some added financial responsibility to allow her to answ er that small voice inside. At the arts celebration, she was working on a new painting at her display table – in

conjunction with keeping an eye on her daughter while her husband worked at his job o ver the weekend. Some m usicians who performed dro ve to Cla yton from Santa Cr uz, a g ood tw o hours away, just to g et some East Ba y exposure and to play for the fun of it. They sounded g reat. The band has been pla ying tog ether for many years for the jo y and camaraderie of making music. Financially, some of the artists did quite w ell o ver the weekend, while others made nothing. One w oman who had no sales was happy to meet and interact with the public , saying that she alw ays g ets v aluable feedback and new ideas when she displa ys her lo vely photographs. Not just any one can par ticipate in a three-da y event – with

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no money to sho w for it – and still be smiling. People become ar tists for that indescribable jo y of “getting it do wn” – on paper , on canvas or in a recording . When you’ve created something that’ s unique and w onderful, there’s no other feeling like it. With the added possibility that someda y y ou might ev en become ric h and famous , there promises to be an abundance of artists pursuing their ar t till the end of time. And that’ s a g ood thing . It benefits all of us. Jim Hudak’s Music Notes column appears r egularly in the Pioneer. Contact him at jimm ydak@pacbell.net. His piano music CD’s ar e a vailable fr om his W eb site at www .jhudak.com or at amazon.com.

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Eagles soccer team celebrates NCS showing The Cla yton V alley Eagles women’s soccer teams had an amazing and memorable season. The v arsity w omen sw ept the Bay Valley Athletic League (BVAL) and adv anced to the second round of North Coast Section (NCS) pla y. This ensured the v arsity w omen recognition for their hard work, and g ave them jo yous memories as they look back on their days at CVHS. To honor their ac hievements, the w omen w ere acknowledged at an A wards Banquet on Marc h 12 in the multi-use room. Athletic director and coac h Pat Middendorf noted that Karin Volpe w as named MVP of the league. Also, Volpe and Christine Coleman made the BVAL first team all league. Sam Walker, Sarah Sha w, Lauren Vance and Kristen Elms made second team all league , while Tayler Nic hols and Allison Nolen made honorable mention. After sev eral tough g ames, and most notably beating Carondelet twice , the Eagles were the top team in the league. “It’s not easy winning league in the BVAL,” Middendorf notes. Next, the women geared up

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AWARDS BANQUET SENIORS (left to right) Karin Volpe, Gagan Cheema, Allison Nolen, Christine Coleman, Lauren Vance, Gwendolyn Schiff, Claudia Galan and Lindsey Alexander.

for the NCS c hallenge – unfamiliar ter ritory for the Eagles . They w on a nail-biting g ame against the Colleg e P ark Falcons, and the w omen w ere set to tak e on Monte Vista in the second round. Unfortunately, their season ended after a loss there. But the Eagles finished on a positive note , knowing that

they “beat the odds ,” as Vance said. This season, the Eagles frosh team w as undefeated, at 17-0-3. The JV team w as 16-50, and the varsity team was 141-1 in league and 18-4-4 o verall. The JV team w as undefeated until they pulled three of their pla yers up to v arsity because of injuries.

Archillies Walker, the athletic trainer , became the third coach because of all the injuries sustained o ver the season. “It w as a miracle that w e could field a team, let alone become league c hampions and win the first Nor th Coast Section c hampionship g ame,” Middendorf reports.

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April 13, 2007

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page A19

Clayton Community Calendar PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M., APRIL 18 FOR THE APRIL 27 ISSUE. FAX TO 672-6580 OR E-MAIL calendar@claytonpioneer.com

THROUGH MAY 3 Picture Book Time @ Clayton Community Library 11 a.m. Thursdays. Story time for 3 - 5 yr olds. Child may attend without caregiver. No registration necessary. 673-0659. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton.

APR. 26 "Simply the Best" Celebration @ Diamond Terrace Retirement Community 4-6 p.m. We have been awarded the prestigious Diamond Certified award and want to celebrate with you! Join us for great food, entertainment and a good time. Please RSVP by the 19th by calling 524-5100. Diamond Terrace, 6401 Center Street, Clayton.

THROUGH MAY 8 Patty Cakes Story Time @ Clayton Community Library 11 a.m. Tuesdays. Story time for babies - 3 yr olds. No registration necessary. Child attends with caregiver. 673-0659. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton.

APR. 26 Author Elisa Kleven @ Clayton Books 4 p.m. Join children's author and illustrator Elisa Kleven for a presentation. After the program Ms. Kleven will be available to sign a wide selection of her books. This event is free and no reservations are required. Clayton Books, 5433 Clayton Road, (925) 673-3325.

EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT

APR. 13 - MAY 6 Seussical The cast of over 45 explode on to the Del Valle Theatre Stage. Seussical, was adapted from the works of Theodor Seuss Geisel and includes characters and elements from at least 15 of his most famous books. The CCCT production is directed by Eric Neiman. The heart of this production pumps with incredible music, and an incredibly talented cast will carry all on an amazing journey. Ticket Prices are regular: $26, senior: $24, youth and child: $18and $16. For Tickets and show times call 943-SHOW (7469) or visit www.ccchristiantheatre.org. Del Valle Theatre, 1963 Tice Valley Blvd., Walnut Creek. APRIL 14 Mt. Diablo Astronomy Society in Mt. Diablo State Park The Public Astronomy Program is held at the lower summit parking lot in Mount Diablo State Park. Take a tour through the telescopes to see stars at all stages of their lives. The park gates close around sunset, so be certain to arrive in plenty of time. Once these sessions are scheduled, they are only canceled due to rain or fire hazard. For more information, call the Mt. Diablo "Hotline" at (925) 837-2525 x 4#. Mt. Diablo State Park lower summit parking lot. APRIL 14 Scrabble Club @ Carl's Jr. 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Come down and play a game of Scrabble. All ages and skill levels. Prizes and contests.$2.00 to play. Club meets the second and fourth Sat. of the month. Carl's Jr., 1530 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton. APRIL 14 Mount Diablo State Park Information @ Clayton Community Library 2 p.m. Meet Rich McDrew and Harvey Brosler, Mount Diablo Interpretive Association Board members who will give a presentation covering the many activities available within Mount Diablo State Park, and how MDIA assists park personnel to enhance the enjoyment of the park for patrons. A question and answer period will follow the presentation. 673-0659. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton. APRIL 15 Contra Costa Wind Symphony @ Dean Lesher Center for the Arts 8 p.m. Carlos Reyes, internationally acclaimed Paraguayan harp and violin artist will star in a concert with a South American beat. Tickets are $18, $15 for seniors and $12 for students. Dean Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek, (925) 943-7469. APR.19 The Fratello Marionettes @ Clayton Community Library 4 p.m. Vaudeville Follies, a family variety show for all ages. (Sponsored by the Clayton Community Library Foundation). Free to all. 673-0659. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton. APR.19TH Scrapbooking @ Diamond Terrace. 10 a.m. Two representatives from Creative Memories will be here to teach how to showcase memories captured in snapshots. Attendees should bring 3 photographs. Questions? Please call 524-5100. Diamond Terrace, 6401 Center Street, Clayton. APR. 20 CD Federal Membership Festival @ CD Federal Credit Union 3 - 7 p.m. $5 Deposit for New Member Accounts. Catering by Digger's Diner. There will be raffles, a prize wheel, face painting, a jumpy house, vendor booths, loan discounts CD specials. Prizes on the prize wheel include movie tickets, ice cream certificates, and more! Raffle prizes include an IPod, DVD's and a $500 Gift Certificate to Lowe's! Visit www.cdfcu.org for more information about CD Federal and how to join. APR. 21 Community Garage Sale @ Clayton Valley Highlands 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. Don’t miss this opportunity to turn your “stuff” into cash. Deadline to register is April 16. Remember - “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.” Come see the beautiful antiques, furniture and jewelry included in this sale. Maps, advertising and signs provided by Ruth Reed, RE/MAX Accord, and Jim Louchis, RPM Mortgage. Call 260-6731 to sign up. APR. 24 The Art of Retirement Classes @ Loma Vista Adult Center 7 - 9 p.m. The course is five weeks in length and costs just $18 for people 55-plus. Topics include: health in retirement, life expectancy factors,and long term care insurance. Call (925) 937-1530 for registration information. For more information on the class, please call instructor George Fulmore at (925) 686-6916. Loma Vista Adult Center, located at 1266 San Carlos Ave., Concord.

You are invited Ygnacio Valley Republican Women’s

Spring Fling Luncheon, Fashion Show & Boutique Saturday, April 21, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oakhurst Country Club 1001 Peacock Creek Drive, Clayton $30 per person, No host bar Fashions are from Coldwater Creek, Boutique will include fine Anbran jewelry, Mary Kay cosmetics, Tastefully Simple food items and lovely accessory items from Butterfly Connections. For ticket information and luncheon menu choices, call Barbara Allen, 672-5061. Deadline for reservations, April 15.

APRIL 27 - MAY 20 Moliere's The Imaginary Invalid @ Diablo Valley College Performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Moliere's classic satire of the medical profession about an eccentric, wealthy man crippled by severe hypochondria tries to marry his daughter off to a physician in order to have a doctor around. Hilarity ensues as our dramatic hypochondriac spends all of his money on his imaginary ailments. Tickets are $10-$13, box office (925) 687-4445. DVC Performing Arts Center, 321 Golf Club Road, Pleasant Hill. Apr. 28, 29 Clayton Community Library Spring Used Book Sale Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Sun. 12 - 4 p.m. This is your opportunity to stock up on recent releases and old favorites. $3 a bag special from 2-4 p.m. Sun. Most books sell for $1, Sun. most books cost 50¢. Member's only preview Fri. Apr. 27 from 4 to 7 p.m. Memberships can be purchased at the door. Sponsored by the Clayton Community Library Foundation (CCLF) Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Rd. APRIL 28, 29 Clayton Gardens Tour 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. rain or shine. Self guided tour of 5 beautiful gardens in the Clayton Valley. Tour is $20 and benefits the Clayton Historical Society Museum. Reservations available at R &M Pool, Patio and Gardens, or call 672-0240 or 672-2117. APR. 28 AND MAY 5 Clayton Valley Pumpkin Farm Spring Open House 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Celebrate Spring at the farm! Have fun and learn about worms and compost bugs, plants, and a train ride on the Pumpkin Farm Express. There will be duck races, a working greenhouse, children's crafts with KidzArt, baby animals from 4-H and a spring scavenger hunt. Plant a sunflower seed to take home! For ages preschool - nine years old. $6.50 per child, $5.50 per adult. Phone Number (925) 672-5198, Website: www.cvpumpkinfarm.com. 1060 Pine Lane, Clayton. Apr. 28 Clayton 150 Year Anniversary Guided Downtown Walking Tour 10 - 11:30 a.m. In honor of Clayton's sesquicentennial the Clayton Historical Society is hosting a monthly walking tour of downtown Clayton. See where the stagecoach stopped and where the jail stood. Meet in front of the museum at 6101 Main St. the 4th Sat. of the month from Mar. - Sept. rain or shine. Wear comfortable shoes; the tour is approximately 3/4 mile. For more information, call the Clayton Museum at 925-672-0240. APRIL 29 Veterans of Foreign Wars Breakfast @ Concord Veterans Memorial Hall 8 - 11 a.m. VFW Post 1525 is hosting a breakfast at the Concord Veterans Memorial Hall. Breakfast includes eggs made to order, pancakes, sausage, coffee, and orange juice. The donation is $4.00 for adults and $2.00 for children 12 and younger. See you there. Pete Loechner (925) 682-6533. Concord Veterans Memorial Hall, 2290 Willow Pass Road, Concord. MAY 5, 6 Art & Wine Festival, Downtown Clayton Sat. from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. and Sun. from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. The Clayton Business and Community Association (CBCA) presents the 12th annual Art & Wine Festival. Enjoy arts and crafts, sample premium wines and beers, satisfy your hunger at the food court and listen to continuous live music. Call CBCA for more information 672-2272.

CLUBS & ORGANIZATIONS APR. 12, 19, 26 Rotary Club of Clayton Valley Concord Sunrise @ Oakhurst 7 a.m. Meets every Thurs. for breakfast and usually features a speaker. www. claytonvalleyrotary.org Chuck Graham 689-7640. Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Drive, Clayton.

Apr. 11 Ygnacio Valley Republican Women @ Oakhurst County Club. 10 a.m. The cost is $18.00. Please phone Barbara Allen at 672-5061. Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Drive, Clayton. APRIL 19 Stroke Support Group @ John Muir Medical Center, Walnut Creek 7 - 9 p.m. Speaking will be Linda Thaxter from Nightingale Home Care on the topic "How Humor Reduces Stress." For more information, contact Ann Dzuna at 925-376-6218. Meetings are free and open to the public." John Muir Medical Center-Walnut Creek Campus, 1601 Ygnacio Valley Road , Ball Auditorium, Walnut Creek. APR. 19 Veterans of Foreign Wars Meeting @ Veterans Memorial Hall, Concord 6 p.m. Meeting begins. at 7 p.m. VFW meets the third Thurs. of the month. All Veterans of foreign wars are invited to attend. The VFW is here to support eligible Veterans and their families. Wives and daughters of eligible Veterans are invited to join the Ladies Auxiliary. Meetings are held at Veterans Memorial Hall, corner of Colfax and Willow Pass Road, Concord. APR. 23 AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund Program @ Diamond Terrace 7:30 p.m. The Clayton Branch of AAUW will present an informative program on recent legal advocacy fund cases. The speaker, Joanne Brown, is a past president of the CA AAUW. The public is invited to attend and refreshments will be served. For more information call Sheila Driscoll 672-7947. Diamond Terrace 6401 Center St. Clayton. APR. 24 Clayton Valley Woman's Club @ Holy Cross Lutheran Church 9:30 a.m. Regular monthly business meeting starts with coffee; the meeting begins at 10 a.m. CVWC is a non-profit, non-denominational service organization that is open to all women interested in charitable work in the Clayton Valley community. Meetings are held on the second and fourth Tues. of the month. For more information, please call Joyce at 672-3850 or Sheila at 672-7947. Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 1092 Alberta Way, Concord. APR. 25 Blue Star Mom Meeting in Concord 6:30 p.m. Small group Blue Star Mom meetings held the fourth Wed. of each month. Blue Star Moms is a support and service group for those serving in all branches of the Armed Forces. 1792 Elmhurst Lane, Concord. Call 676-3654 for information.

BUSINESS & GOVERNMENT APR. 12 Clayton Community Services Commission Meeting @ City Hall 7 p.m. City of Clayton Community Services Commission meets 2nd Thurs. of month. Open to the public. www.ci.clayton.ca.us 673-7304, Clayton City Hall Conference Room, 6000 Heritage Trail, Clayton. APR. 17, 24 Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors Meeting @ County Administration Building 9 a.m. County Board of Supervisors holds regular weekly meetings Tues. mornings. Open to the public. www.co.contra-costa.ca.us 335-1900. County Administration Building, 651 Pine Street, Room 107, Martinez. APR. 17 Clayton City Council Meeting @ Clayton Community Library 6 p.m. City Council meets on the first and third Tues. of the month. Open to the public. Agendas posted at City Hall, 6000 Heritage Trail. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Rd., Clayton. APR. 24 Planning Commission Meeting @ Clayton Community Library 7p.m. City of Clayton Planning Commission meets 2nd and 4th Tues. of month. Open to the public. www.ci.clayton.ca.us 673-7304, Clayton Library Community Room, 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton. APR. 26 CBCA (Clayton Business & Community Association) Meeting @ Oakhurst 6:30 p.m. Monthly dinner meeting, last non-holiday Thurs. of the month. Reservations due by Tuesday noon prior, 672-2272. Mike Fossan, President. Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Drive, Clayton.

SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION

APR. 12, 19, 26 Weights Watchers Weekly Meeting @ Contra Costa Farm Bureau Building 10 a.m.and 5:30 p.m. Weekly Weight Watchers weigh-in and meetings on Thurs. 800-326-8450 x 2023. Contra Costa Farm Bureau, 5554 Clayton Rd., Concord.

Apr. 17 Parent Faculty Club Meeting @ Diablo View Middle School 9 a.m. Meeting to be held in the Community Room of the gym. All parents welcome. Diablo View Middle School, 300 Diablo View Lane, Clayton. ntary/.

APR. 15, 22, 29 Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting @ Clayton Community Church 7 - 8 p.m. AA Big Book Study, every Sunday night in the meeting room at Clayton Community Church, 6055 Main Street, Clayton, 673-9060.

Apr. 17 Mt. Diablo Elementary Parent Faculty Club Meeting @ Mt. Diablo Elementary 7:00 p.m., Multi Use Room. Make a difference in your child's education. For items to be included on the agenda, contact Stacey Wickware 673-1999, the5wicks@sbcglobal.net or Kristy Smith 673-1795, kristinsmith@yahoo.com, PFC Co-Presidents. Childcare is available. Watch website for details. http://www.mdusd.k12.ca.us/mountdiabloelementary/.

APR. 17, 24 Kiwanis Club of Walnut Creek 12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Meetings every Tues. All are invited to check us out and be our guest for lunch. Massimo’s Ristorante, 1604 Locust St., Walnut Creek. For more information call Sam Totah, 941-1536.

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

April 13, 2007

Spring into action and be prepared for your new bunny JULIE BOND

PAWS

AND

CLAWS

Four beautiful bunnies w ere born last month in my son’s preschool classroom. Seeing those eager c hildren holding those baby bunnies reminded me that they might not be the only kids receiving rabbits as pets this spring. While rabbits can make wonderful pets , their care is more complex than many new owners realize. Rabbits do not sur vive and thrive on carrots alone. There are sev eral breeds of rabbits readily a vailable. Whether y ou c hoose a Lop , miniature, Angora, etc., you can expect your rabbit to live five to 10 years , with some li ving as long as 15 years. Many people are surprised to learn that rabbits can be litter box trained, just like cats. They are tidy b y nature , generally non-aggressive and quiet — all qualities that mak e them desirable house pets for many li ving situations. Pet rabbits not intended for breeding should be neutered any time after 5 months of age. Males of some rabbit breeds may become ag gressive and

spray urine to mark their territories if left un-neutered. Spaying female rabbits will prevent uterine cancer (a common disease in rabbits) as well as reduce territorial aggression.

ceramic bowl for food and a litter box. If your rabbit has already shown a preference for one area of your house for its bathroom habits, it would be wise to place

Bunnies can make lovable and loyal pets, but caring for them is complex. Be prepared before bringing home that little Easter bunny.

Rabbits can be housed indoors or outside. Rabbits that are k ept strictly indoors should be confined in a suitable enclosure if their activities cannot be monitored. Provide a large wire cage and cover half the f loor with either towels or Plexiglas to prev ent sores on the feet. You can use a water bottle or ceramic bo wl to provide the rabbit with fresh water. Also include a se parate

A DATE WITH YOUR DOG

Santa Barbara parade brings out the do gs

Where: Santa Barbara What: 13th annual Big Dog Parade and Canine Festival When: Saturday, June 2. The parade begins at 9:30 a.m., with the festival starting at 10:30 a.m. Description: This is one of my all-time fa vorite canine ev ents. Sponsored by the Big Dog Co ., this parade dra ws more than 1,200 dogs and 16,000 people eac h year to do wntown Santa Barbara. It is touted as the larg est dog parade in the countr y. Dogs are encouraged to walk the parade in costume, competing for the highest honor of “Best in P arade.” After the parade do wn State Street, the fun contin ues at the Canine Festival on the beach at Old Chase Palm Park. There are vendors, kids’ activities, live music, great food and usually some celebrity guests – making it fun for par ticipants of all ages. What makes this ev ent especially rew arding is that all the proceeds go directly to the Big Dog F oundation, a 501c nonprofit org anization dedicated to bettering the li ves of dogs, children and dogs that assist people . This foundation has donated millions of dollars to charities dedicated to its causes. For more information: www.bigdogs.com or (805) 963-8727, ext. 1398. - Julie Bond

a litter bo x in this location as well. You can ev en place some of the rabbit’ s fecal pellets in the litter box to encourage them to use it. If you are housing your rabbit outdoors , you will w ant to provide all of the above plus a shady area to escape the heat or rain and a den to slee p in and use to hide in when frightened. Remember to handle y our rabbit daily and socialize it with all the members of your family. Rabbits raised with dogs and cats can lear n to g et along amicably. This does not mean, however, that you can leave your rabbit alone in a room with other pets. Certain dog breeds (ter riers, for example) are quite predator y with regard to any small, rodentlike animal and are not to be trusted alone around rabbits. It is particularly important to teach children the proper way to handle a rabbit. They should never be picked up by their ears or legs . Fractures, dislocations of the bac k and spinal cord damage can result from improper handling. The best method for picking up a rabbit involves sliding your hand under neath its body and grasping both front legs between your fingers. Place your other hand under the rear end, so y ou can pro vide the rabbit with full suppor t as y ou bring him closer to your body.

Hickory and Judith are ARF’s adoption stars Hickory is a very sweet, gentle little guy, who has a lo yal and lo ving personality. He can be sh y when meeting new people , but w arms up in no time at all and loves to talk to his human friends . The adoption fee for Hickory is $100. Judith is a confident and acti ve dog. She will thrive in a stable home with Chihuahua experience and with a structured and consistent daily routine. The adoption fee for J udith is $200 and includes the first six training courses. Bring everyone who will li ve with Hic kory or

Julie Bond is an animal beha viorist. Address your pet questions to her at P .O. Bo x 21552, Concord, CA, or y ou can e-mail her at K9Freud@aol.com.

JUDITH

HICKORY

If the rabbit str uggles or begins to kick out with its back legs (beha viors whic h can potentially cause sev ere bac k injuries), release it. Give it a chance to relax and tr y again. Their diet should include commercially a vailable rabbit pellets, hay and fresh v egetables. Rabbit pellets should be purchased in small quantities and stored in the refrig erator or a cool, dry place to prev ent them from g oing rancid. Most pellets can also be frozen to maintain their freshness. See the pac kage for specific feeding directions based on the body w eight and ag e of your rabbit. Do not o verfeed y our rabbit, as this can lead to obesity, heart disease and c hronic diarrhea. It is also impor tant to provide loose oat or g rass ha y to your rabbit on a daily basis in unlimited amounts. Hay is fiber rich and promotes nor mal digestion and prevents hairballs. Hay must be stored in a cool, dry place . Discard any w et ha y or hay that doesn’t smell fresh. Avoid alfalfa ha y for y our rabbit, especially if you are using rabbit pellets that already have a high quantity of alfalfa in them. Too m uch alfalfa means too much calcium and too many carbohydrates, which can lead to more physical problems. Make sure y our rabbit receives three types of leafy greens daily. Rabbits enjo y carrots (including the leafy tops), kale, collard g reens, broccoli (including the leaves), bok choy, spinach, parsley and romaine lettuce. Do not gi ve your rabbit iceberg lettuce, as it provides no nutritional value. Treats suc h as stra wberries, apples, pears, melons and whole grain bread can be given in small amounts daily . Bananas and dried fruits can also be gi ven as treats, but in ev en smaller amounts. Avoid giving your rabbit sug ary or salty snac k foods or breakfast cereals. If you are feeding a w ellrounded diet, vitamin supplements are unnecessary. Some o wners lik e pro viding salt licks for their rabbits. These are g enerally not needed but may pro vide a g ood c hewing surface for rabbits prone to gnawing on their cag es or items within them. Many o wners are sur prised (and disgusted) to disco ver that their rabbits eat some of their own feces every day. If you look closely, these droppings are different from their usual stools and provide the rabbit with necessary protein, vitamins and minerals. While some rabbit breeds require daily br ushing, most are easy to maintain. Take your rabbit to see y our v eterinarian for nail trims (and teeth trims if your rabbit has o vergrown incisors) on a regular basis.

Judith – including any canine family members for dogs – to meet her at T ony La R ussa’s Animal Rescue Foundation, 2890 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, during adoption hours: 3 to 7 p .m. Thursday and Friday, Noon to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Visit www.arf.net or call (925) 2561ARF for more infor mation. Would you like to be par t of the heroic team that saves the lives of rescued dogs and cats? Can you share your talents to connect people and animals? ARF v olunteers are making a difference! For more infor mation see our W ebsite, www.arf.net, or call (925) 256-1ARF.

Dan

Brand New Cat Boarding Place

(925) 524-0652

Dave

Visit our website for photo’s and info or call Denise Eberle for a tour. www.DanAndDavesCountryInn.com We offer a pick-up and delivery service for our boarders

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The Clayton Pioneer’s “Music Notes” columnist

Clayton’s own

Jim Hudak Pianist and Composer For bookings and performances:

Visit our Website www.jhudak.com E-mail jimmydak@pacbell.net Piano CD’s available on his Brainstorm Records label

Call Or Write:

Brainstorm Records P.O. Box 488 Clayton, CA 94517 (925) 673-7293

April 13, 2007

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page A21

Virtual movie information is film-tastic

Like many people , I rely on movie reviews in the newspaper to see if I want to shell out $10 or just sta y home . But sometimes I’v e w ondered whether my local critics are the only ones who love or hate a par ticular film. Thanks to the Internet, there are many resources to help me confirm or reject their opinions, as well as learn more details than you would find in a newspaper.

Rotten Tomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com) is probably the best site on the Internet for current movie reviews. The site compiles reviews from major media outlets as w ell as smalltime critics into a percentag e called a “Tomato rating,” which measures ho w g ood or bad a film is. If more than 60 percent of the reviews are positi ve, the movie is considered “F resh.” Movies that don’t get at least 60

percent positi ve reviews are deemed “Rotten.” The most recent tomato ratings can be found on the left side of the R otten T omatoes home pag e, which also lists information for current movies and bo x office n umbers. You can clic k on a mo vie to see a complete list of reviews, as well as theatrical trailers. Rotten T omatoes also lets you find out whic h movies are

Old times in Clayton The Legend of Bully Ingram Robert Daras Tatum In 1826, two decades before the little village of Clayton was founded, this area had a famous visitor. He was Jedediah Smith, explorer, trapper and preacher—and the man who opened up the Central Overland Trail. As the Smith party rode down a hillside into what is now downtown Clayton, they met a tall muscular man. This was Bully Ingram, a

retired British pirate, with a wooden leg and eye-patch. He lived in a cave near a creek where fish and game were plentiful. Later in 1836 or ’37, Bully Ingram was guiding Michel Torena, Mexican governor of California, through nearby Dark Canyon. They were ambushed by hostile Indians and everyone in the governor’s party was killed.

Mayor, from page A1 the mor ning, with parents dropping off children and people dri ving to w ork. These streets do not ha ve curb parking in some areas, because they are not wide enough to allo w for a vehicle to safely park.

The curbs are painted red. According to the Califor nia Vehicle Code , that means no stopping, standing or parking, whether the vehicle is attended or unattended. In other words, you cannot

Bully Ingram’s cave, located below School Hill, looked like a root cellar when this writer saw it in 1978 on an historical walking tour of Clayton. The tour was led by Eldora Hoyer, wife of Clayton’s first mayor, under the auspices of the Clayton Historical Society.

For mor e of Robert Daras Tatum’s local histor y, read his book Old Times in Contra Costa. Copies ar e available at Clayton Books in the Clayton Station.

stop next to a red curb to drop off your c hildren. This is an unsafe practice , because through traffic m ust pass into oncoming traffic to get around you. Some parents are letting their c hildren exit on the left side of the v ehicle – into oncoming traffic . This is another unsafe situation,

playing in local theaters b y typing in your zip code in a searc h box above the box office n umbers. I’ve found that the T omato Ratings are pretty reliable when it comes to se parating ex ceptional mo vies from g eneric ones. Academy Award winning films lik e “T he Lord of the Rings: Return of the King” and “The De parted” both had ratings o ver 90 percent, while “Rotten” movies lik e “Norbit” and “Gigli” received less than 10 percent positive reviews. Keep in mind, though, that your opinions on a movie might not alw ays matc h up with the critics. I’ve enjo yed many movies that ha ve recei ved Rotten status. While R otten T omatoes is useful for finding reviews , the site is cluttered, making it hard to use at times . It took me awhile before I could find a list of cast members in a recent movie, and even then I had to load a se parate pag e before I could see the list. Rotten Tomatoes is also limited in that it tends to focus on contemporary mo vies. You won’t find a lot of reviews on 1969’s “Goodbye Mr. Chips.” But nev er fear , there are

other resources out there for movie buff . Movies.com and the Inter net Mo vie Database (www.imdb.com) pro vide cast information, lists of awards and reviews about mo vies dating back to 1900. While you can find this information on Rotten Tomatoes, Movies.com and IMDB are more accessible and not as a wkward to na vigate. Both sites pro vide searc h bars to easily look for movies. On both sites, I searched for 1939’s “Gone With the Wind. ” They provided similar amounts of detail, including information on cast, awards and reviews b y ordinary people . While IMDB has more details about the movie, such as selected quotes and trivia, Movies.com is more organized and doesn ’t offer technical infor mation, like sound mixing. User reviews are the most interesting feature of both Movies.com and IMDB . Both sites allow people to share their opinions on their fa vorite movies. On Movie.com, people can assign letter g rades to a movie and then compare it to what critics said about it. While critics g ave “Gone With the Wind” an A, fans only gave it a B+.

because approac hing/passing vehicles may not see them until it is too late. It is not safe to stop in the traffic lane to drop off your children, whether it is next to a red curb or next to an occupied/unoccupied parking space. There are plenty of parking spaces y ou can use to safely drop off your c hildren,

and Ben is there to help them cross the street. Keeping y our c hildren safe is a team effort, and Ben is our coach. He does not ha ve an easy job, and I know he is genuinely concer ned about this problem. Please help him k eep y our children safe b y pulling completely out of the traffic lane

MARK FREEMAN

THE

NET

IMDB lets people rank movies on a 1-10 scale and breaks do wn ho w people of different demog raphics v oted. In the case of “Gone with the Wind,” women g ave Rhett and Scarlett’s adv entures higher points then men did. Thanks to these sites , I can see whether the New Y ork Times critics w ere right or not. Eddie Mur phy’s latest mo vie, “Norbit,” looked funny , so I wasn’t sure whether the Times’ critic was too harsh with her 1 out of 5 star rating . But after seeing the film’ s 9 percent Tomato Rating, I think I’ll sta y home. Sometimes newspaper reviews are right, after all. Mark Freeman is a graduate of De La Salle High School and a freshman at Saint Mar y’s College in Moraga. He plans to study economics and cur rently writes for the school paper. Questions/comments can be sent to mfreeman543@gmail.com.

before letting them exit on the right side of the vehicle. Remember: “Good advice is something a man gives when he is too old to set a bad example.” (Francois de La Rochefoucauld) As alw ays, if you ha ve any questions, concerns, comments or advice , please email wrw alcutt@aol.com.

When it’s time to inspect, call the experts Roger and Lori are true professionals. They are extremely thorough and responsive to the buyers and sellers needs. Their reports are not only thorough but done in a timely manner. Simply put, they’re the best I’ve seen, and my clients love their service.

Stunning views from ridgeline lot above Marsh Creek Road Keller Ridge $4.4 million

We have the highest standards in the industry and would like the opportunity to serve you.

-Mark Hutfliess, Kropa Realty Lori Hilts-Galvin & Roger Galvin

155 Acres 1/4 Sec.

Family owned and operated for over 14 years with two locations to serve you

Less than a mile from Clayton’s city limit, this magnificent property climbs 1,500 feet to one of the most spectacular ridgeline one-home building sites in Northern California.Truly a one-of-a-kind property. Will balance in value a 12,000 to 15,000 square foot luxury mansion. You select the final site details. Enjoy sweeping views from the ridge about 35 miles westward to Mt.Tamalpais, Marin and Sonoma.To the east are the gentle hills towards San Joaquin Valley and the lights of Tracy. Imagine your picture window and veranda dance floor with an unobstructed view of the Mt. Diablo Summit Museum Center just a little over three miles away.

Clayton office 925-672-9405; Antioch office 925-755-HOME (4663) chisinspector@hotmail.com

Please visit our Website at www.ClaytonHomeInspection.net

Richard A. Littorno

The slopes of this property guarantee permanent unobstructed views in all directions. An additional comparatively modest three acre level building lot at the lower 750’ elevation is included.

Rives & Littorno, Attorneys At Law

"MORNING" side of Mt Diablo 165 Acres by appointment only

Over a quarter-section (165 acres) of rugged, sloped, isolated seclusion with massive varied vegetation and granite outcropping beauty bordering parklands at an affordable price. Zoned Agricultural 2. Needs time, work and challenging development but singularly spectacular could be the successful result. County Certified for “sale, lease or financing” in year 2006.

Long-standing commitment to community, family and customer service

Martin Easton Realtor

office 925-672-8552 cell 925-381-4679 fax 925-672-3546 email eastonm@ sbcglobal.net

3 Offices Liberty Homes Belleci Realty Tassajara Valley Realty

“My family roots in Clayton go back 115 years”

“The planning solutions are here.”

Since 1979

Living trusts wills conservatorships Probate & trust administration elder law Creative estate & tax planning Asset protection & general business

Clayton office:

Pittsburg office:

6160 Center St., Suite D Clayton, CA 94517 Phone: (925) 672-6463 rlittorno@msn.com www.littornolaw.com

2211 Railroad Ave. Pittsburg, CA 94565 Phone: (925) 432-4211 Fax: (925) 432-3516

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

April 13, 2007

Time to install per ennials in shady ar eas

NICOLE HACKETT

GARDEN GIRL Yards and g ardens need a combination of staple ev ergreens and perennial accessories to ac hieve a balance of interest in the planted areas. The shape and stability of evergreen plants highlight the structure of our home and garden. Using an ev ergreen selection under a ro w of windows adds a li ving frame , while accenting a mo w strip with a staggered ev ergreen creates a necessary living border. Although essential, evergreens are only made interesting by the accessor y perennials that w e install to offer the yard or g arden some originality. Some homeowners are starting from scratch and will need to decide on their li ving framework. Others may have some existing framing plants and need the perennial accessories. This column focuses on the perennials that will add personality to the framed-in yard and g ardens found in the shade. Next edition, I will write about the accent perennials for the sunnier parts of the yard. Camellias and azaleas are generally found in mostly shade garden locations . These base evergreens add the frame to the home or fence . They are nice plants with a long season of bloom. Camellias star t to bloom in January and taper off in April, depending on the v ariety. Azaleas sho w their f lowers March through April, and they may offer some spontaneous blooming during the late spring through summer. Both of these ev ergreens are great installs, but they leave a little something to be desired for the duration of the growing season. This is a perfect place to bed in perennial accent plants for a higher deg ree of interest. Good perennials for shady g ardens include Hosta, Heuchera, Tiarella and Heucherella. Hosta is a v ast g roup of leafy herbaceous perennials . They thri ve in bright shade locations as a border plant or

massed in a group. These plants make g reat under -plantings to small trees and larg er shr ubs. This g roup has interesting foliage, which is just as attractive as the summer flowers. August Moon is an ex cellent selection of Hosta. The veined, textured lea ves emerg e with a bluish tint and mature to ag olden, almost c hartreuse shade of green. August Moon can handle some direct sun and will reach 20 to 30 inches wide, with a summer f lower stalk of fragrant white that can reac h 28 inches tall. Planted beneath standard-shaped camellias , it will extend appeal and bloom to that cor ner of the border or garden.

HOSTA ALBO PICTA

Hosta Albo-picta is a variegated v ariety with yello w-green foliage sur rounded b y a dark green border . Pale, lavender flowers appear during the summer months . Albo-picta has a more compact g rowth habit. Reaching heights and widths between 18 and 24 inc hes, this leafy herbaceous perennial would make a great companion to ferns. Other Hosta to look out for are Elvis Li ves, Guacamole , and Sum and Substance . Textbook care of Hosta includes division in the spring every three to four years, protection from slugs and snails and a touc h of balanced fertilizer applied three or four times during the g rowing season. It is a g ood idea to put the plant’s tag in the ground next to where the perennials are installed. It w ould be a pity to dig up a perennial during its dormant period, just because you forgot it was there. Tiarella is commonly called

the foam f lower. It is another shady herbaceous perennial that makes a g reat introduction

HEUCHERA MARMALADE

to a g arden to suppor t base evergreens. Pink Sk yrocket is considered one of the better pinks found in a shady location. Strongly dissected lea ves mound together to reach 1 foot wide. These shiny green leaves are highlighted b y a central blac k blotc h. During the late spring through summer, brushlike f lower stalks of pink stand 8 inc hes above the plants foliag e. Tiarella is a g reat border perennial or shady rock garden plant. Azalea Geor ge T aber would benefit from an accessory planting, such as the Skyrocket foam flow er. Tiarella Pirates P atch is a new er foam flower. Introduced in 2004, this herbaceous perennial has broad, uncut leaves. The central patch of each leaf is dark – like the heart of a pirate. It is unique because of its low, creeping stems that will widen like a small-scale g round cover. Its habit is outstanding, and the fall color is pretty great, too. Heuchera is a w ell-known family of perennials and ev ergreen accessor y plants . New selections are introduced eac h year, and the breeders k eep outdoing themselves. Heuchera Mar malade is a newer one that can tolerate a larger amount of sun. This selection has stunning, undulating foliag e in umber blending to deep sienna with pink undersides. It is remarkable that a perennial with suc h g reat foliage is also a g ood bloomer. Wands of whitish, bell-shaped flowers top this selection off and on through spring and summer.

Independently owned and operated

t Intero, we begin D and end each day OR C N with one goal: to proCO vide our clients with the finest customer service available in real estate. Every Intero real estate professional is guided by TRUCKER? CONTRACTOR? LANDSCAPER? OWN A BUSINESS OR HAVE LOTS OF RV’S? THIS IS THE PROPERTY FOR YOU! principles of trust, Property has tons of parking and a great home as well. respect and integrity.

Home is approx. 1,829 sq ft of living space, fabulous open floor space. Upgraded A/C & heat, plumbing, electrical, interior sheet rock, exterior siding, roof and dual pane windows. All done with permits. Back Building can be used as a business office, workshop, etc!

A Top Producer Working for You Since 1989

JOSIE VAN FLEET 925-672-4333

Broker/Owner

Recipient of Intero’s Chairman Circle Award 22 year resident of Clayton

www.CallTheVanFleetTeam.com

Heuchera Dolce Key Lime is another selection w orth mentioning. The c hartreuse foliag e and white f lowers will brighten up any bright shade or mor ning sun garden. A couple years ago, Heuchera and Tirella met and made plant magic. Now we ha ve the option of installing Heucherella, the offspring of two g arden favorites. Heucherella Stop Light is commonly called Foamy Bells . This plant has both dramatic-colored foliag e and fabulous blooms. Striking, electric yellow leaves with blood red center patches are topped with a profusion of small white f lowers early spring through summer . Add this selection as an accent to dark-leafed Azaleas or beneath red Japanese maples. Heucherella Birthday Cake has milk c hocolate colored foliag e and m ultitudes of white f lowers resembling the candles on a birthday cak e. This plant is a strong g rower, reaching 18 inches tall and wide. The accessor y plants that we install into our yards and gardens gi ve us the originality that sets our yards aside from the rest. Look at all the perennial options for shady areas and choose what is attracti ve to you. Nicole is the Garden Girl at R&M Pool, Patio and Garden Contact her with questions, comments or sug gestions at

gardengirl@claytonpioneer.com

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Clayton/Concord Location:

Store Hours M-F 8-7 Sat 9-5

Vineyard Shopping Center

5100 Clayton Road Concord, CA 94523 ph: 925-689-6245

San Francisco Bay Area General Agency Concord Airport Plaza 1200 Concord Ave., Suite 100 Concord, CA 94529

Allen Lampo Agent

CA.Lic.#0F11332

Tel: 925-681-4438 Cell: 925-914-7828 Fax: 925-680-1084 alampo@jhnetwork.com

April 13, 2007

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page A23

Trek to Donner cabin is short, but oh, so sweet

Timeless Furniture

with today’s style

KEVIN PARKER “...don't miss this adorable, petite gift shop.”

HIKER’S HAVEN

- San Francisco Chronicle

1030 Diablo St. across from Skip’s

925-672-2025 9 am - 5 pm

Tues. - Sat.

Kevin Parker/Clayton Pioneer

Give your kids the experience of a lifetime this summer. Let them spend a week with our wonderful horses

Summer Day Camps June August Monday-Friday 9 a.m. – 2.p.m. To register or for more information, call 925-516-5942 or download a registration form at

skylarkequestrian.com 20350 Marsh Creek Road, Brentwood

The hike from the Regency gate to the John Donner cabin site and back is an easy 2 mile walk with minimal elevation gain – good for a quick walk after work. A few months bac k, before the hillsides w ere painted in shades of green and flowers of all types and colors pe ppered the area, I spend par t of a Sunda y morning introducing my little one to the finer points of hiking. I planned on thro wing him into our tr usty Kelty Kid Car rier, which for all intents and purposes is the best w ay to maximize time spent on the trail. However, as w e pac ked up some gear, a few snacks and water, it became ob vious that no bac kpack rides w ere g oing to tak e place during this hik e. OK, so he wants to hik e under his o wn power, I thought. I couldn’t help but smile , knowing dee p do wn that a distracted 2-year -old can hike 100 yards in just less than two hours if you let them. So we hit the trail, entering Mt. Diablo State Park through one of my favorite access points, Regency Gate. I figured that shor t legs equal shor t hik es, which is wh y

completely exposed to sun, but as this is a g ood one for all who you meander along past the might want some time on the trail Clayton Oaks R oad junction, sun without a long time commitment. gives way to shady sections of the Donner Cany on R oad is the main artery up into a well-traveled trail until y ou reac h the Donner portion of the park. Hikers, hors- cabin site. The actual name is the “John Donner Cabin,” which is in es, bicyclists, wildlife view ers and no way related to the even a few strollers ill-fated Donner Party. frequent this trail, The cabin w as which is mainly a fire once a park residence, road. The first quarter but it bur ned do wn mile tra vels adjacent some years bac k. All to Donner Creek, that is left is a foundawhich during this time tion and some miscelof year has a somelaneous artifacts. what steady w ater After w e spent flow that enhances some time exploring the experience. the area around the Panoramic views cabin, we set up a of the summit (elev . lunch spot on the 3,849), North P eak Avid Outdoorsman rocks near Donner (3,557) and Mt. in training. Creek for a few handOlympia (2,946) can be seen as you travel over relative- fuls of Cheerios, some fruit and a ly flat land with minimal elevation much-needed water break. This area is an excellent access gain o ver the first mile or so . In point for a lot of trails that spur addition, you can see Meridian directly off Donner Cany on Ridge and Bald Ridg e directly to the west as Donner Cany on Trail Road. Check out Br uce Lee Trail, forges up into the hear t of Mt. Hetherington Loop and Tickwood Trail, which all require Diablo. steady uphill ascents but rew ard The first por tion of trail is

hikers with spectacular views of Mt. Diablo and the sur rounding area. I figured it w as most lik ely time to tur n around as the little guy’s legs w ould be tired b y now, so I attempted to load him into the backpack for a quick trip back to our star ting point. A little g rimace, a few moans and the words “no, no, no” made it fairly obvious we w ere both hiking bac k to Regency Gate under our o wn power. It was a proud moment for the Avid Outdoorsman. I hope m y “Little A vid Outdoorsman in Training” will have the same lo ve and respect for the backcountry as his dad. So as w e hik ed through the shady trees , picked up roc ks and sticks and shared some friendly words with other folks on the trail, it dawned on me that this is what it’s all about – time spent with loved ones doing what mak es you happy. For those looking for a shor t hike, whether y ou ha ve kids or not, this is the perfect one . Get outside and enjoy. For more information on this hike or other outdoor experiences , contact Ke vin at hiker@claytonpioneer.com.

Hike of the Week Donner Canyon Road (Donner cabin site) Trailhead: Regency Gate (end of Mountaire Parkway or Regency Drive) Difficulty: Easy Distance: 1-2 miles Duration: About 1 hour

Lenticular clouds are often taken for UFOs WOODY WHITLATCH WEATHER WORDS One of my fa vorite cloud types is for mally given the name “altocumulus standing lenticularis.” These are middle clouds (alto) that are vertically developed (cumulus), seem to be standing still (standing) and are lens shaped (lenticularis). Last month, I discussed clouds from the perspecti ve of how they are classified. Recall that low, middle and high clouds are given the prefix es strato, alto and cir ro, respectively. Also, layered clouds are referred to as stratus, vertically dev eloped clouds are called cumulus and high wispy clouds are called cirrus. The interesting, lens-shape clouds may resemble pancakes or UFOs, but are most often referred to as lenticular clouds . They are c haracteristic of all mountains, including Mt. Diablo, and they for m in response to wind flow over the mountain. All parcels of air contain some amount of water v apor. When strong winds blo w toward a mountain, some of the air is forced to rise up and lift o ver the mountain. When air rises , it cools. If it cools enough, the parcel of air will reach the dew point temperature. This is known as the “lifting condensation level.” Any fur ther lifting and cooling will result in condensation, because the parcel of air is fully saturated and cannot hold any more water vapor.

LENTICULAR CLOUDS perfect moment.

FORM OVER

MT. SHASTA

Condensation simply means that w ater v apor will condense into visible w ater droplets . A cloud is nothing more than an organized collection of water droplets. Lenticular clouds are considered “standing” clouds because despite the fact that the wind is blowing strongly, the cloud itself remains stationar y. These clouds are stationary because the mountain is stationar y. The clouds will not move with the wind because the process of lifting the air is due to the mountain. In reality, the notion that the cloud is stationar y is an optical effect. The cloud is contin ually forming on the upslope side of the mountain and disappearing on the downslope side. Remember, if air cools and reaches the lifting condensation level as it goes up the mountain,it will warm to above the dew point temperature as it moves down the other side. Lenticular clouds ma y also form some distance do wnwind of a mountain. When air f lows

over a mountain, waves will form in the downwind sector similar to the way water waves form downstream of a rock. Under the right temperature and moisture conditions, a lens-shaped lenticular cloud can for m in the crest of a downstream wave. An example of lenticular clouds that ha ve for med do wnwind of Mt. Shasta is sho wn in the accompanying picture . It is easy to see the lens-shape for mation of these clouds. The most fa vorable time to find lenticulars over or downwind of Mt. Diablo is just after a storm has passed and strong nor thwest winds dev elop. These are w onderful clouds to photog raph, especially near sunset. I have obser ved these clouds a few times , but nev er with m y camera at the ready . If any readers ha ve Mt. Diablo lenticular photographs they w ould lik e to share, please send me an email. Woody Whitlatch is a meteorologist with PG&E. Email your questions or comments to clayton_909@yahoo.com

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

April 13, 2007

georgevujnovich.com

Trust your home to

GEORGE VUJNOVICH , Broker Helping friends, neighbors and newcomers buy and sell their homes since 1979

PEACOCK CREEK AT OAKHURST COUNTRY CLUB!

Exquisite “Belvedere” model on premium view lot! nestled in a quiet court. Decorator ’s

showplace features 5 bedrooms plus a den, 3.5 baths, approx. 4,100sq ft & rare 4-car garage. Downstairs bedroom with full bath. Extensively upgraded throughout featuring 16” tile floors, custom window treatments, ornate lighting fixtures, designer paint, central vacuum & extensive closet or ganizer systems. Gracious living room with fireplace & dramatic formal dining room. Chef ’s dream gourmet kitchen of fers commercial grade appliances, granite tile counters & island, maple cabinetry & spacious pantry. Enormous great room with impressive two-way granite tile fireplace & walk around bar. Lavish master suite boasts a large “Trex” deck balcony offing sensational views! Remarkable private oasis lot backs to open space with Mt. Diablo, canyon & ridgeline views & features a spectacular freeform pool with raised spa boasting a stacked stone backdrop featuring a cascading waterfall, custom outdoor kitchen & lush professional landscape. $1,495,000

Each Office Is Independently Owned & Operated.

Tel: (925) 672-4433 6160 Center Street, Suite E, Clayton 94517

OAK HOLLOW AT OAKHURST COUNTRY CLUB!

Delightful & rar e single story San Antonio model! 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, inside

laundry & 2 car garage. Upgraded gleaming hardwood floors extend from entry through living, dining & kitchen. Open living & dining room with soaring ceiling & fireplace. Lar ge eat-in kitchen features wainscoting, decorator paint, maple cabinets & tile counters. Spacious master suite with semi-vaulted ceiling, upgraded lighting with fan & slider to patio. Private yard of fers a trellis covered patio, vibrant colorful landscape & mature privacy trees. A short distance to community pool/spa & miles of walking trails! $595,000 IRONWOOD/WINDMILL CANYON AT OAKHURST COUNTRY CLUB!

Great “Balustrol” model! 4 bedrooms plus a den/office, 2.5 baths, approx. 2,355sf, inside laundry & oversized 2 car garage. Tiled entry features soaring ceiling. Sunken living room & formal dining room with upgraded carpet. Gourmet kitchen featuring upgraded maple cabinets, pantry, tile counters, island, & floors. Family room of fers a cozy fireplace, media alcove, high ceiling with upgraded ceiling fan. Spacious master suite features a walk-in closet, separate tub, shower & tile floors. Professionally landscaped lot of fers a cement aggregate patio & large lawn area. $775,000

DANA HILLS!

Largest Model situated at the top of Dana Hills! with spectacular Mt. Diablo views! 5 bedrooms,

3 full baths, approx. 2,960sf, inside laundry with convenient 2nd floor laundry chute! 3 car garage with drive thru feature! Kitchen features solid slab granite counters with tumbled travertine backsplash, 16” tile floors, pass thru window for outdoor entertaining. Family room with brick fireplace & wet bar. Formal living & dining rooms. Enormous master suite with postcard perfect Mt. Diablo views! Downstairs bedroom & full bath. Huge private yard features a sparkling in-ground free-form pool, covered brick patio, lush expansive lawn area, roses & mature trees. $875,000

PEACOCK CREEK AT OAKHURST COUNTRY CLUB!

Stunning Single Story “Lennox” model! on

a prime view lot overlooking hills & canyons! 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, approx. 2,748sf, inside laundry & 3 car garage. Formal living with neutral carpet & plantation shutters. Formal dining room features upgraded 13” tile floors & plantation shutters. Lar ge family room of fers a contoured ceiling with built-in speakers featuring surround sound, a ceramic log fireplace, media recess & cabinet. Gourmet kitchen with tile counters, island & upgraded 13” tile floors. Huge master suite! Fantastic private lot offers lush lawn areas, custom patio & a secluded deck $1,035,000 with relaxing spa.

IRONWOOD/WINDMILL CANYON AT OAKHURST COUNTRY CLUB!

Absolutely Fabulous “Doral” model! 4 bedrooms, plus a downstairs den & upstairs loft, 3 baths, approx. 2,854sf, inside laundry & 2 car garage. Convenient first floor bedroom & full bath. Upgraded gleaming hardwood floor entry extends into living & dining room featuring a soaring ceiling, wall of windows & French doors to rear yard with views of hills. Awesome gourmet kitchen boasts 18” tile floors, corian counters & large center island with pendant lighting, all stainless steel appliances including sub-zero & wine fridge, raised panel maple cabinets & pantry with frosted door . Big family room with fireplace & custom maple built-ins & media storage. Spacious master suite with ‘Trex” deck balcony offering views of hills-mountain range-valley & city lights! Lavish master bath boasts extensive use of gorgeous travertine: 12” tile floors, shower, jetted tub surround, counters with dual sinks, curved vanity & 2 walk-in closets! Great professionally landscaped lot features an aggregate trimmed patio, large lush lawn area, lots of trees, flowers, ornamentals & views. $869,000 EAGLE PEAK AT OAKHURST COUNTRY CLUB!

Fantastic “McKinley” model! on a prime view lot over-

looking hills, city, valley & beyond! 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, approx. 3,005sf, 2 fireplaces & 3 car garage. Beautifully updated & decorated. New carpet & designer paint colors. Desirable downstairs bedroom & full bath. Formal dining room features Tuscan columns & sweeping views. Step down living room looks out to hills. Gourmet slab granite kitchen with breakfast nook overlooking valley views opens to spacious family room with brick fireplace & granite dry bar . Gracious master suite offers a romantic two-way fireplace & sitting area with sweeping views. Private lot features a deck great for entertaining & enjoying the picture perfect views of hills, city & valley below . $899,000

Mortgage Market Update Conforming $417,000 or less

Jumbo $417,001 and up

30 year, fixed for 3 . . . . . . . .6.25% 30 year, fixed for 5 . . . . . . . .6.25% 30 year, fixed for 7 . . . . . . . .6.25% 30 year, fixed for 10 . . . . . . .6.25% 15 year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.0% 30 year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.375%

30 year, fixed for 3 . . . . . . . .6.25% 30 year, fixed for 5 . . . . . . . .6.25% 30 year, fixed for 7 . . . . . . .6.375% 30 year, fixed for 10 . . . . . .6.375% 15 year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.125% 30 year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.5%

Clayton Market Update Provided by George Vujnovich of Better Homes Realty ADDRESS 1585 N. Mitchell Canyon Rd 1169 Shell Lane 901 Sylvaner Court 927 Arrowhead Terrace 1831 Eagle Peak Ave 974 Tiffin Drive 317 Windmill Canyon Pl 602 Julpun Loop 254 Stranahan Cir 8 Goethals Court 208 Mountaire Parkway 5833 Pine Hollow Road 1124 Peacock Creek Dr 19 Clark Creek Circle 596 Mt. Dell Drive 100 Gold Rush Court 32 Nottingham Circle 407 Grenache Circle 1342 El Camino Drive 5472 Tara Drive 236 Stranahan Circle 1287 Shell Lane 7 Mt. Wilson Way 115 La Encinal Ct 11 Mt. McKinley Ct 501 Condor Place

PRICE $836,000 $509,000 $815,000 $635,000 $750,000 $680,000 $695,000 $610,000 $590,000 $1,169,000 $750,000 $565,000 $1,069,000 $440,000 $575,000 $600,000 $696,360 $765,000 $685,000 $600,000 $599,000 $503,000 $475,000 $895,000 $760,000 $515,000

SALE DATE

3/30/07 3/30/07 3/30/07 3/23/07 3/16/07 3/14/07 3/14/07 3/09/07 3/09/07 3/08/07 3/05/07 2/28/07 2/27/07 2/27/07 2/27/07 2/23/07 2/22/07 2/21/07 2/16/07 2/16/07 2/15/07 2/09/07 2/08/07 1/31/07 1/24/07 1/24/07

2,015 1,355 2,116 1,991 2,467 1,508 2,053 1,939 1,650 3,069 2,325 1,450 3,307 1,113 1,926 1,597 2,088 2,052 2,325 1,739 1,650 1,367 1,378 2,428 1,981 1,595

BED/BATH 3/2 3/2.5 4/2.5 3/2.5 4/3 3/2 3/2 3/2.5 3/2.5 4/3 4/2 3/2 5/2.5 3/2 4/2.5 3/2 4/2 4/2.5 5/3 4/3 3/2.5 2/2.5 3/2.5 4/2.5 4/2 3/2.5