AUG 04 Clayton Pioneer 2006 by Pioneer Publishers

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID CLAYTON, CA PERMIT 190

IT’S YOUR PAPER www.claytonpioneer.com

August 4, 2006

925.672.0500

Clayton families welcome children from afar JILL BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer

Nearly 19 years ago, my husband Jay and I found ourselv es heading to Los Ang eles International Air port to meet our new bab y daughter , Julie, for the first time. At the airport we anxiously w aited with many other expectant families who were also adopting infants and young children. Julie ar rived from K orea with eight other c hildren and two escor ts. She w as brought through customs with Holt Agency volunteers. I remember them calling our last name and handing J ulie o ver to us . She was four months old dressed in a tiny pink outfit. She had a pacifier and manila en velope which contained her passpor t and all her w orldly belongings . Her black hair stood straight on top of her head and her Korean escort k ept bo wing and sa ying “beautiful bab y.” We w ere speechless. We w ere anxious to bring her home and introduce her to her tw o brothers , Jason and Justin. In the years that followed, we leg ally adopted J ulie through the cour ts. She w as joined by her y oungest brother Jared less than a year later and became a U.S. citizen when she was three in a w onderful ceremony in Hercules. Here are the stories of three other Clayton families who, not afraid of the unknown, opened their homes and their hear ts to orphaned c hildren from lands far from Clayton. Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

DICK, KATHY, ALLI, 17,

AND

ZACH, 13, HOM

WITH CANINE COMPANION

RAY had a positive experience with two international adoption agencies.

See Children, page A11

Clayton man charged with a string of arson fires TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer

A member of one of Clayton’s oldest families has been arraigned on fi ve counts of “felony arson of structure or forest” in connection with the string of grass fires in the Morg an Territory and Marsh Creek areas.

What’s Inside SECTION A Around Town . . . . . . . . . . .A2 Upcoming Events . . . . . . . .A4 Directory of Advertisers . . .A5 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A7 Financial Sense . . . . . . . . . . .A9 Sharing History . . . . . . . . .A10 Food for Thought . . . . . . .A11 Movie Review . . . . . . . . . . .A12 Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . .A13

SECTION B

Hiker’s Haven . . . . . . . . . . . .B1 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B2 Weather Words . . . . . . . . . . .B4 On the Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B5 Pet Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B6 Dining Around . . . . . . . . . . .B7 Church News . . . . . . . . . . . .B8 School News . . . . . . . . . . . . .B9 Crossword Puzzle . . . . . . . .B10 Community Calendar . . . . .B11 Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B12

Investigators from the California De partment of Forestry (CDF) ar rested J esse Lloyd Galvin, 53, at his home on Marsh Creek R oad at 10:30 p.m. on J uly 17. He w as arraigned on July 28. The first in the string of arson fires w as May 21, when a fire in Cur ry Canyon destroyed

an R V and pic kup. The latest occurred on Marsh Creek Road, across from Schwartz Trucking, about 2:30 p .m. on July 17, the afternoon of the arrest. All the fires w ere quic kly extinguished, said Capt. Eric Gomberg of the CDF Sunshine Station on Marsh Creek R oad. However, each fire threatened

homes in the area and had the potential to become a dev astating wildfire. Investigators from the CDF Arson In vestigation Unit are reviewing other fires in the area, and additional c harges could be filed against Galvin. Galvin had been under surveillance for some time before

his ar rest. CDF spok esman, Jesse Estrada, would not confirm local r umors that there were video cameras placed strategically along Morg an Territory and Marsh Creek that aided in the ar rest. It w as not kno wn at press time ho w Galvin w ould plead nor had a date been set for trial.

Heat wave stresses PG&E equipment TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer

Triple digit temperatures and record breaking energ y demands deli vered a one-tw o punch to PG&E’s transformers, leaving sev eral thousand Clayton customers without power, some for sev eral da ys, during the height of the recent heat wave. Among the hardest hit w as the Cla yton Station Safew ay, where a series of outages beg an Friday evening, July 21 – forcing the 24-hour store to close at 6 p.m. The store opened ag ain for a few hours Saturda y mor ning, but another outag e about 2 p .m. closed the store until 6 a.m. Sunday. Again on Sunday, an outage closed it for several hours.

“We lost all the perishables,” said store manag er Aaron Koellsted, “meat, produce, dairy and all the org anic products .” The amount of the loss had not been determined at press time. Despite sev eral outag es in Clayton, Diamond T errace Retirement Comm unity w as mercifully spared, said Assistant Administrator Gw en LewisPhillips. “We had family members calling on Saturda y w orried. We told them there was no need, everyone was in the living room ha ving a par ty,” she laughed. Because Diamond Terrace is not an assisted li ving facility, they are not required to have a g enerator. A power outage during a major heat w ave would require evacuation of the

See Heat, page A9

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

CLAYTON STATION SAFEWAY WAS HIT HARD recently during the PG&E outages losing all the store’s perishables.

DAVE SHUEY

MAYOR’S CORNER Like a good neighbor, Mike Bell is ther e. Good neighbors are hard to find (just ask m y neighbors – and you can take that either way you w ant), and so it is important to recognize neighbors that go out of their w ay on y our behalf. So I w ant to gi ve a big shout out to Mik e Bell and George Allen at the Cemex quarry on Mitc hell Cany on Road for being great neighbors. Recently, our police disco vered that cars had to dri ve through a maze of tar and gravel that had spilled after business hours. Since our city personnel were gone for the da y, our own resourceful police Sgt. Tim O’Hara drove up to the quar ry, where Bell w as just lea ving to go home to his family. However, when informed of the situation and the impact on

See Mayor, page A7

Page A2

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 4, 2006

Around Town Diamond Terrace residents sip tea with their second grade pen pals

Photo courtesy of Mt. Diablo Elementary School RESIDENT with his pen pals Maris

FRED STROMBERG, DIAMOND TERRACE Degener and Mitchel Mikkelson.

It was “tea for tw o” as Mrs. Currier’s second g rade class held their ann ual tea with pen pals from Diamond T errace Retirement Comm unity. Each student w as paired up with a Diamond T errace resident and wrote fi ve letters to their pen pals and recei ved letters in return. On J une 14 the Diamond Terrace bus pulled up to Mt. Diablo Elementar y to find the c hildren w aiting to meet it. As eac h passeng er g ot off the bus they said the names of their pen pals . The children then g reeted them, gave their Diamond Terrace pen pal a rose and then escor ted him/her to the classroom. The tables w ere set with linen clothes , china cups and saucers. Tea, scones and muffins w ere ser ved. Polaroid pictures were taken of the children with their pen pals and both the children and their pen pals g ot to k eep copies of the pictures. Mrs. Currier spoke and thanked the Diamond T errace pen pals for writing to the c hildren. Parents who attended the tea re ported there w asn’t a dr y eye in the house.

Sandra Watson weds Robert Robinson

Movies under the stars

Despite the heat of 108 degrees, an estimated 550 people came to w atch a pre-release of Ice Age 2: The Meltdown in the Clayton Community Church parking lot on Fri., July 21. It was a g reat time for families to g ather tog ether with the community for a night of fun, food, raffle prizes and entertainment by DJ Terry Newberry of Clayton. The night included ice cream sundaes with all the toppings and tiramisu donated b y La V eranda, and plenty of water.

Raffle prize winners Marci Henrickson w on tic kets to an A’s vs . Boston R ed So x Game and Ann Antonson w on a “Family Fun Night” basket with games, candy, popcorn and movie rentals. The parking lot w as pac ked with families w ell-equipped with blank ets, chairs, pillows and sleeping bags to spra wl out on. This is the second year that Clayton Community Church has sponsored this community wide event.

Carrie Pettigrew marries David Wenslawski

Sandra W atson and R obert Robinson were married June 10 at the Concord United Methodist Church. The bride w ore a tw o piece tea length sheath of soft dusty rose lace. Her attendants c hose dresses in burgundy, gray, green and blue. The flower girls w ere in lavender. All of the attendants w ere members of the bride’ s and groom’s families and included four of their fi ve c hildren and their respective spouses and all five g randchildren. The bride was escor ted down the aisle b y her brother and her son. The groom’s family tra veled from Texas for the big event. A buffet rece ption followed the w edding at the Oakhurst Country Club. The couple honeymooned in Maui and will li ve on Tiffin Drive in Clayton.

Carrie Pettigrew and Da vid Wenslawski ex changed v ows last September 24 at the Nor th Hills Churc h in V allejo. A reception follo wed at Ranc ho Solano Golf Course in Fairfield. Carrie is the daughter of Gary and Susan P ettigrew of

$1,775,000 Clayton New Constr uction on 20 Acr es – Beautiful home with over 4,100 s.f. including 2 living rooms, office & a state of the art kitchen. So many extras!

Benicia. She is a Manag ement Analyst with the City of Benicia. David is the son of Frank and Susan W enslawski of Clayton and is a W ater Quality Technician with the City of Benicia.

Clayton $1,650,000 Morgan Territory – 2 homes on a wooded 10-acre lot have 6 bedrooms, 4 baths total. Main house has gourmet kitchen w/granite. Call Jim Bartneck (925) 381-2141

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

Lexie Wakefield, (front) with parents Brent and Jeanine Wakefield and Denise Terry at the raffle prize table.

Clayton $899,000 Regency W oods – Tropical landscaping, pool, spa, deck & patios! 4 bedroom, 3 bath with one full bed & bath on 1st floor. Call Ruth Reed (925) 260-6731

Clayton $879,980 Ironwood @ Oakhur st – Premium view lot! 5 bedroom, 3 bath with 2,854 s .f. Large kitc hen opens to family room. Master suite has balcony w/ views.

$829,980 Clayton Dana Hills – 4 bedroom, 3 bath w/for mal living & dining rooms plus a g ourmet kitc hen with g ranite. Landscaped yard, pool & spa with views.

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$809,980 Clayton Dana Hills – Wonderful 4 bedroom, 3 bath home with over 2,100 s .f. has guest bed & full bath on the lower level. Backs to Mt. Diablo State Park.

Clayton $679,980 Oak Hollow – Easy living in this 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath in a great neighborhood! Light & bright w/open f loor plan, formal living & dining rooms!

$699,980 Clayton Diablo Ridge – Premium Oakhurst Golf Course property w/3 bedroom, 2.5 bath. Master bedroom on the 1st floor. Covered deck w/wet bar!

Clayton $599,980 Chapparal Springs – 3 bedroom, 3 bath to wn home w/one full bedroom & bath downstairs. End unit with views, backing to Oakhurst Golf Course.

Clayton $524,980 Marsh Creek Villa – Updates on this 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath include carpet, paint & fixtures. Pool & clubhouse with views! Call Ruth Reed (925) 260-6731

Clayton $489,980 Marsh Cr eek V illa – Upgraded 3 bedroom, 2 bath patio home w/clubhouse & pool amenities & attached 2-car garage. Call Heather Gray (925) 765-3822.

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It's a great time to invest in Real Estate! Call Lynne for a free consultation.

"The Lynne French Team" (L-R): Julie Clairmont, Jim Bartneck, Ruth Reed, Inge Yarborough, Danny French, Heather Gray, Lynne French.

August 4, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page A3

Around Town Maureen Thomas walks 40 miles for a cur e for cancer Maureen Thomas completed both da ys of The A von W alk for Breast Cancer , walking 26.2 miles on Saturda y, July 8 and another 13.1 miles the next da y. “I made it through without any injuries or blisters . It w as amazing!” she said. Maureen, herself a breast cancer sur vivor, raised $2375 through donations from friends and family suppor tive of the cause. The total raised from the weekend w as o ver 5.4 million. Avon w as able to immediately distribute a large portion of the

money to assist those w omen that do not have direct access to care and treatment. Money also went to local hospitals dedicated towards research and clinical trials to help find a cure . There were over 2300 w alkers with 200+ sur vivors making the w alk. Some of them w ere still undergoing treatment. “I w ant to thank ev eryone who helped me attain this g oal that allo wed me to do something I can’t quite believe I did... walk 40 miles to find a cure ,” said Maureen.

LeRoy Shults waves his last farewell TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer

Photo courtesy of Maureen Thomas

Maureen Thomas (center) with friends and fellow walkers, Elizabeth Rosenberg (left) and Rosemary McKinney.

Jeana Bagno and W illiam Hatcher exchange vows Jeana Christine Bagno and William Blake Hatcher, both of Clayton, were mar ried at the Contra Costa Countr y Club on June 2. The bride w ore an A-line dress with a ball g own skir t, sweetheart neckline and lace-up back, all trimmed with rhinestones. The bride’ s parents , Frank and Mar y Bagno , and the groom’s parents Alan and Tammy Hatc her are all from Clayton. The bride’s attendants included her sister , Jamie Hunt as Matron and J amie Hunt, Mary Pattillo, Candice Ohl, and Ashley Bagno. The attendants w ore elegant black strapless f loor-length dresses with white trim. Best Man w as Moses Hunt and the groomsmen were Travis Menke, Anthony Bagno and Zac hary Hatcher, the groom’s brother. The w edding w as follo wed

by a rece ption that included a buffet style dinner in the Country Club’ s banquet room followed by hours of dancing. Guests tra veled to the w edding from as far a way as Georgia and Korea. Jeana is a student and a nanny. She will g raduate from JFK University in 2007. William is a Pittsburg Police Officer. After a honeymoon at Oc ho Rios, Jamaica, the couple returned to Concord where they will reside.

Diamond T errace resident, LeRoy Shults died last week after a shor t illness . A popular and familiar face around town, LeRoy was featured in Colleen Elwy’ s column, Sharing Histor y in the January 13 issue of the Pioneer. With his g entle nature and warm hear t, wrote Colleen, LeRoy Shults of Diamond Terrace mak es me smile . And that’s exactly what ev eryone else does when they are around him. LeRoy’s gifts to the comm unity of Clayton come as g reetings to those that pass him each morning in front of Diamond T errace where he waves to passersby and gives them a c hance to smile back. Ten years ag o, LeRoy w as stricken with P arkinson’s disease. But, no matter how tough things got sometimes , he still g ot out every da y to w alk and wave….and smile . As his illness progressed, LeRoy w ould need the help of a walker on his daily

stroll around to wn. Sometimes his steps were more of a shuffle. Sometimes his mind w ould be moving a little faster than his feet and he would fall. He would fall, but he didn ’t sta y do wn. There was alw ays a friend nearb y to help him up. LeRoy was a g racious gentleman…a rarity . No matter ho w your da y w as g oing, after an encounter with LeR oy, however, brief it might be , your da y g ot better. “I am out here every morning waving to the c hildren g oing to school…people on their w ay to work and all others who come by here,” he told Colleen in J anuary. “People ev en ha ve their dogs waving to me from their cars.” ‘Bye, LeRoy. Godspeed. Funeral Ser vices are set for Sun., Aug. 6, at St. Matthew Lutheran Churc h, 399 Wig et Lane in Walnut Creek. Time to be announced. A viewing will be held on T hurs., Oct. 3, from 4-8 at Ouimet Bros . Concord Funeral Chapel, 4125 Cla yton Rd., Concord.

What’s happening Around Town?

Know someone that’ s g etting married? Graduating? Did y ou vacation somewhere interesting or celebrate an anni versary lately? Is there a new bab y in to wn? Ha ve out of town guests? Send y our “ Around T own” news item to tamara@ claytonpioneer.com, or g o to www.claytonpioneer.com.

LEROY SHULTS

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Page A4

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Obituaries

Jesse Jane Putnam 1911 – 2006

Jesse J ane Putnam passed away on July 15 in Concord. She was 95. A nati ve of Arkansas, Jesse had lived in Cla yton for 48 years. She w as a member of Clayton V alley Presbyterian Churc h in Clayton and a faithful v olunteer, having given her time and energy to American R ed Cross, Contra Costa Juvenile Hall A uxiliary, Clayton Public Library, Loaves and Fishes, and Habitat for Humanity. She was a

homemaker. She is sur vived by daughters Carol Putnam of Clayton and Sheila Ma y of Concord; sister Jean Krac ht of La Mesa, California and many brothers and sisters-inlaw, nieces and nephews. She w as preceded in death b y her husband of 46 years , Joe A. Putnam. Funeral ser vices w ere held J uly 20 at the R edwood Chapel, Oakmont Memorial Park, 2099 Reliez Valley Road in Lafayette.

James Douglas Swanson 1964 – 2006

James Douglas Sw anson passed away a t home of a sudden illness on J uly 12. He w as 42. James w as raised and li ved most of his life in Cla yton. He graduated from Cla yton V alley High School. He pla yed tr umpet and w as awarded Honorable Mention in the 1982 edition of “Who’s Who in Music .” In 1992 he received the “Beam A ward,” a radio industr y a ward for ex cellence in broadcasting while working as a Disk J ockey and Engineer for KPPL in Chico ,

California. James lo ved m usic and cooking. He brought jo y to his family and friends with his witty sense of humor and his dee p affection and loyalty to his loved ones. He was preceded in death by his father, Thomas Swanson, Jr., his mother, Ruby Swanson and brother, Robert Swanson. James is sur vived by his sister Connie Bumann and his brothers Colb y Sw anson and Thomas Sw anson, III. He is also survived by five nieces and two nephews.

occupied. Adding ev en more ex citement to the da y is a Classic Car Show featuring a for mula dragster and a fire tr uck. To register for the race, contact P eggy Bidondo at 6729708. For information regarding the Classic Car Sho w, contact Don Holmes at 689-8759. OKTOBERFEST If the toe-tapping sounds of The Inter nationals g ot y ou dancing in the street last year , get ready for some more oompah tunes at the third ann ual Oktoberfest coming in late September. You can once ag ain ride the Mer ry-Go-Round or twirl around and around on the

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The UPS Store

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Looking for a better Mailbox?

Upcoming Events THIRD ANNUAL LABOR DAY DERBY A f leet of soapbox derb y cars will once ag ain f ly do wn Main Street as kids from 7 to 16 participate in the family-friendly Clayton Comm unity Great Labor Day Derby. The ev ent, presented b y Clayton Comm unity Churc h in association with IMC (Insurance Manag ement Corporation), was created b y Rev. Shawn R obinson as a w ay for families to stay in town during the Labor Da y w eekend without doling out a lot of dough. Children can race from 9 a.m. to 3 p .m. “Community Cars,” provided b y v arious Clayton businesses are a vailable for those who do not have their own car . If you w ant to build your o wn car , contact Mik e Fossan at 672-1646 for information. Bottled water and sno-cones will k eep ev eryone cool and there will be acti vities for the younger kids to k eep them

August 4, 2006

Secure 24-hour access, plus it’s a real street address for all your deliveries.

Tilt-A-Whirl at the car nival which opens F riday, Sept.29 from 5 to 10 p.m. Advance ticket sales (whic h are discounted) for the car nival will be a vailable at retail establishments in the area on Sept. 1. Oktoberfest will fill the streets with g reat m usic and mouth-watering Ger man fare on Sat., Sept. 30 from 12 to 10 p.m. and Sun., Oct. 1 from 12 to 8 p .m. The parade do wn Main Street is set for Sat., at 1 p.m. with the k eg tapping b y Clayton’s ma yor Da ve Shuey slated for 1:30 p.m. You w on’t want to miss Oktoberfest’s new additions this year including Marcus, a street performer who will delight audiences with his sho w

3 MONTHS FREE mailbox services with a twelve-month agreement.

in the plaza during the tw o-day festival and perfor mances b y German dancers. There will also be a home-brew beer contest with judging on Sunda y. If you’re interested in participating in the contest contact J ohn Rubiales Jr. at 682-9486. Sponsored b y the Cla yton Business and Comm unity Association, Oktoberfest is expected to dra w thousands of people to do wntown Cla yton for the three-da y ev ent. For more infor mation call the CBCA at 672-2272.

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Notary, Packaging, Fax and Copy Services are available too!

Clayton/Concord Location: Vineyard Shopping Center

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

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

Taking Care of Families

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TOLL FREE: 888-910-9500

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GENTLEMAN’S RANCHER ON 1.05 ACRE LOT! Oakley - 3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths. Classic spacious rancher w/game room & full service bar . Grounds have pool, barn & workshop.

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1536 Kirker Pass Road, Suite D

Clayton, CA 94517

August 4, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Directory of Advertisers

Classified FOR LEASE

Concord - Excellent location, 507 sq. ft. in professional office building, move-in ready, ample parking area. Lease. Contact Maureen (925) 685-0324.

HELP WANTED

City of Clayton Needs Commissioners. Community Service Commissioners ($75/ month stipend). If you would like information about these openings please visit City of Clayton’s website at www.ci.clayton.ca.us. Or contact Rhonda Basore, City Clerk, at 925-673-7304.

LOST

Grant Meylan has lost his two turtles, “Scooter and Esmeralda.” Please keep an eye out for them and should you find them, please call 673-1548.

VOLUNTEERS WANTED

Greeter. 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. The Clayton Community Library is seeking to fill the following volunteer positions: (All positions require a minimum age of 13 years

MISC.

SERVICES

TAMARA

AND

R OBERT S TEINER , Publishers

TAMARA S TEINER , Editor J ILL B EDECARRÉ , Assistant Editor and Display Advertising B ILL WAGONER , Sports Editor P ETE C RUZ , Graphic Design B EV B RITTON , Copy Editor and Feature Writer B ETH N EUDELL , Administrative Assistant

Summer’s Arrived! Bring the outside in with all the great new fabrics that have just arrived.

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 info and pricing. 925-673-1746 (leave msg) gardengirl94517@yahoo.com.

Redo the dining room drapes and table runners, reupholster the old sofa with fabulous new fabrics. Stay cool inside and enjoy your new look.

Call Joanna at (925) 673-8911

VACATION RENTAL

Cabin in Blue Lake Springs (Arnold, CA). Sleeps 6, fully remodeled, quiet, use of recreation facilities.

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PIONEER INFO 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

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

CPR First Aid Training. CPR instructor specializing in AHA and ASHI training, call Kevin at 925383-9430, lukehollywood@gmail.com.

Clayton Resident

ove

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ton

be detail oriented and familiar with the Dewey decimal system. Lead Tutor - to coordinate and match the tutors/homework helpers with student requests. 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.

HOW TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD

RV parking space needed in Clayton or near the Clayton/Concord border for 34’ Pace Arrow. Space rental negotiable. 925-672-8619. Readers of The Urantia Book will start a new study group this spring. The group will meet in a downtown Clayton café. New and seasoned readers will explore the book by topics. The group will decide the time (hour and day). Email urantian@mac.com or call 925-672-4689 and ask for Tery.

and a 6-month commitment. Training will be provided). Graphic Displays - to work on billboard displays throughout the library. Have fun arranging photos, signs, lettering, etc. 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 (Tues. between the hours of 10am-2pm, Wed. 3-5p.m., Sat. 11am-1pm & 2-4pm). Shelf Reader - to ensure the correct placement of books on the library shelves...must

$150/night, $950/week. Call Kevin Parker @ (925) 383-9430 or http://www.vrconnection.com/parkerpaw

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To place y our 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 ma y fax y our typewritten ad and credit card information to (925) 672-6580 All classifieds m ust be paid for in adv ance b y credit card (Master Card or Visa) We will not accept any ad that discriminates on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, nationality, family status or disability. The Cla yton Pioneer reserves the right to reject any advertising w e believ e is unsuitable.

LET US KNOW

Weddings, engagements, anniversaries, births and deaths all w eave tog ether as part of the fabric of our community. Please let us kno w of these important events. We ask only that the announcement be for a Cla yton resident. You will find the appropriate for m for your announcement on our Website. Attach your photo to the form. Also on our W eb site are forms for submitting Community Calendar items and press releases for your organization.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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Reap the benefits of updating and landscaping

Private and quaint 2 bedroom, 2 bath.

1-800-634-4505 ext. 1004

1-800-634-4505 ext. 4004

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Wow! 3 bedrooms, 2 bath, 2 car garage.

Huge lot. Gorgeous 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths.

1-800-634-4505 ext. 2004

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The Cla yton Pioneer w elcomes letters from our readers. As a general rule, letters should be less than two double spaced pages and submitted at least one w eek prior to publication date. Letters concer ning current issues will ha ve 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 daytime telephone number. We will not print letters from “anonymous.” E-mail y our letter in a Word Document to tamara@claytonpioneer.com. Letters MUST be submitted via E-mail.

Just Listed

yto

Are you looking for that perfect horse set-up? Specialist in Ranch and Country Properties.

3 bedroom, 3 bath. Stunning!

1-800-634-4505 ext. 1224

1-800-634-4505 ext. 3004

Abbey Carpets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .686-9901 Accent Counter Tops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .432-0570 Advanced Voice and Data, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .681-2800 Aircloud Wireless Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260-4119 All Loving Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0752 Apronstrings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-7621 Applause Staging and Interiors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7701 Aqua Pro Pool & Chemical Service, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . .673-7000 Asemi, Hamid - State Farm Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . .726-0154 Benton, Mureleen - Ameriprise Financial . . . . . . . . . .685-4523 Burkin Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1519 California Reverse Mortgage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .899-3511 Calkins, Bill - Charlotte Clifford Realtors . . . . . . . . . . .673-9164 Candy Created Bouquets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6818 Carol Keane and Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .937-5200 CD Federal Credit Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .825-0900 Clayton Community Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9708 Clayton Family Dentistry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0110 Clayton Fitness and Tanning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2010 Clayton Home Inspection Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9405 Clayton Valley Bowl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-4631 Clayton Valley Medical Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6744 Clayton Valley Shell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-3900 Clayton Valley Villa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8401 Clean Cleaner Carpets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .383-1253 Cleary, Joe - Home Loan Experts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .497-5270 Clip n Clean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .676-9355 Computers USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9989 Cookies by Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .256-1137 Cruise Adventures Unlimited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .935-7447 Denim & Lace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0345 Diamond Terrace Senior Retirement Living . . . . . . . . .524-5100 Dromlewicz, Kim - Century 21 Diablo Valley Realty . .682-4663 Eagles Peak Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465-0435 Eternal Life Lutheran Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0295 Fashion Cleaners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-9005 Festival Opera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .943-7469 Flannery, Patty - Diablo Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0541 French, Lynne - Windemere Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . .672-8787 Galaxy Nail Spa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .676-8668 Garaventa, Les - American Financial & Tax Services .676-3400 Gourmet Subs and More . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-5550 Help You Sell Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .680-4950 Highfill, Lynne - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .932-7335 HomeEquity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-9737 Hudak, Jim - Pianist and Composer . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-7293 Joanna's Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-8911 Kelly Marshall Garden Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .914-0327 Ladies Workout Express . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .405-8888 Laurence, Pete - Better Homes Realty . . . . . . . . . . . .939-7920 La Veranda Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0011 Lela's Hair Salon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2000 Lerner Eye Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .685-1130 Littorno, Richard - Attorney at Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6463 Lopez, Stephanie - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . . .932-7329 Los Chivos Taqueria Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .680-0914 Mazzei Auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .757-5600 Mike's Auto Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-1739 Mingham, Pete - Elite Financial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .906-8166 Model A Cabinets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-0827 Monte Vista Veterinary Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1100 Dr. Steven Moon, Chiropractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-8400 Moore, Wendy - Alain Pinel Realtors . . . . . . . . . . . . . .570-5187 Morucci, Kim - Intero Real Estate Services . . . . . . . . .280-8563 NBS Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-1845 Neptune Society of Northern California . . . . . . . . . . . .944-5100 Nichols Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9955 Nuchols, Alicia - Premier Home Loans . . . . . . .691-5070 X 323 Ouimet Funeral Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-4242 Pasta Primavera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .687-5300 Rahimzadeh, Helen - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . .932-7375 R&M Pool, Patio & Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0207 Ray's Hideaway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246-8684 Roberta Claire Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .625-1123 Robin's Ranches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7323 Rocco's Ristorante & Pizzeria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .947-6105 Schaefer's Painting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260-6065 Skin Care by Trina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2000 Smith Bernal Roofing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-6461 SPA'tique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .437-1712 Sposito, Stephanie - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . .932-7334 Steffen, Tim - Better Homes Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .890-4407 Steve Youse Painting and Decorating . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6945 St. John's Episcopal Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8855 Stone Tree Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-2094 Straight Line Imports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .335-9801 Swint, Brad - Team Funding Group . . . . . . . . . . .627-1400 X 12 The Maids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-6243 The Pool Shark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .408-7585 The UPS Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-6245 Tipperary Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-2679 Travel Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .304-5000 Van-Fleet-Bronson, Intero Real Estate Services . . . . .672-4333 Van Wyck, Doug - State Farm Insurance . . . . . . . . . . .672-2300 Vujnovich, George - Better Homes Realty . . . . . . . . .672-4433 Wagoner, Bill - United American Insurance Company .864-1886 We the People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246-0370 What's My Home's Value.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .286-9489 Williams, Mike - Williams Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260-5363 Wooden It Be Nice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-5595

www.robinsranches.com Cla

Completely remodeled inside and out. A must see!

Page A5

Ever consider selling? Before talking to anyone you'll want to know...

Thinking of selling? Robin’s Ranches web page gets more than 6,000 viewings a month

Concord - Two great parcels with approved plans. 1931 Ayers Road. Concord - 4/2.5 Gorgeous! Rv Parking, Park Like Gardens. $808k Livermore - 5/3 RV Parking Mature neighborhood Lots of Room! $755k Livermore - 3/2 RV Parking, Huge Family Room, Master Suite, $648k

Brentwood, 136 Walnut Blvd

Knightsen, 1180 Sunset Road

5 +/- acre horse set-up. Brand new 3 bed 3 bath home. A Pure 10! Plus great 1 bedroom, 1 bath separate cottage. 8 fenced paddocks and 2 loafing sheds,white vinyl fencing and cross fencing. Direct acces to Los Vaqueros Trails! This horse property is beyond belief.

10.8 acre horse set-up and home. By appointment only. $1,599,000

Brentwood, 620 Sellers Ave.

44 +/- acre ranch. Beautiful 5 year old home on quiet court. Only 7 homes in this development . 10 stall barn. Owners bought another. $1,998,000 or best offer.

Oakdale, 12706 Sierra View Dr. 9 +/- acre ranch. Beautiful 3 year old custom home, over 3100 square feet. MUST SELL! $1,790,000

Robin’s Ranches (925) 672-7323 / 550-2383 Full Broker Co-operation on all Robin’s Ranches listings

Kropa Realty Walnut Creek, CA

robin@robinsranches.com

Page A6

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 4, 2006

e a h c S fer’s

YMCA campers encouraged to get cr eative On W ednesday mor ning, Clayton resident Juliana Riva, 7, shows off her underw ater sketch of a starfish, a sea tur tle and sea weed. Her fa vorite par t of camp so far w as Monda y’s watercolor session, but she prefers a type of art where “you dot while y ou’re painting and then it becomes a picture .” Juliana says she lear ned the skill at “a place called Bar nes and

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Let’s walk through YOUR space and focus on YOUR vision Kelly Marshall Garden Design in a one-on-one consultation. Then, I’ll create your dream... 925.914.0327 from beginning to end.

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Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

CLAYTON RESIDENTS MADISON DOWNS, LEFT, AND CAMI COHEN work on their sea creature drawings during YMCA Art Camp at the Clayton Community Gym on July 26.

3.5%*

CLAYTON

$769,000

PENDING SALE

1016 Tiffin Dr.

$799,900

WALNUT CREEK

FOR SALE

SOLD

$829,900

2730 Oak Rd. #4

$389,000

CONCORD

CLAYTON

SOLD

$629,000

SOLD

1525 Mendocino

$529,000

2584 Oak Rd. #222 . . . . .Walnut Creek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Coming Soon 233 N. Santa Rosa . . . . . .Los Banos . . . . . . .$349,000 . . . . .Sale Pending

*3.5% - ( 1% to Eagles Peak Realty - 2.5% to Buyers Agent )

www.EaglesPeakRealty.com 925-708-1046

For more infor mation on YMCA programs, call 889-1600 or visit www.mdrymca.org.

A R EFERRAL AGENCY

Caregivers/CNA’s House cleaners Catering servers Party/kitchen helpers

y ng

our peace

call for a free assessment

925.672.0752 fax: 9 2 5 . 6 7 2 . 2 6 9 4 mobile: 925.457.0954

P.O. Box 688, Clayton, CA

days, kids in kinderg arten through sixth g rade enjo yed supervised crafts , sports and board games. Other summer y outh programs at the g ym include tee ball, which beg an J uly 8, and basketball, which started July 15. Adult v olleyball beg an on June 29, and the popular “I Can Jump” Men’s Basketball League has eight teams participating.

Noble.” Hannah T hompson, 6, shares that dolphins are her favorite things to dra w. However, the Cla yton resident quickly thro ws her ar ms o ver her sketch – reluctant to rev eal her unfinished work. Claire Smithey is also dra wing a dolphin – “a lady dolphin” to be precise. The 7-yearold Cla yton resident has both hands fir mly wrapped around the pencil as she colors in the sea creature. Friends Madison Downs and

We can help with personal care, respite care, light housekeeping, transportation, meal preparation & catering personnel.

ind of m

year of summer camps at the gym. In J une and J uly, young athletes improved their skills at basketball, volleyball and Super Sports camps . Spots are still available for J unior Engineers , Aug. 14-18. Cox’s goal for the Ar t Camp is to create a lifelong love of art. She enjo ys tapping into the campers’ potential. “They tr y hard, and y ou can see ev ery emotion in their faces,” she says. “At this ag e, they allo w themselves to be frustrated – or to be proud of themselves.”

CLAYTON

1291 Shell Circle

(Cell)

FREE In Consu itial ltation

FOR SALE

121 Gold Rush Ct.

Because the Finish Counts

with a creative down-to-earth garden designer

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Cami Cohen, both 7-year -olds from Cla yton, ended up with similar sea scenes , but their watercolors w ere dra wn from their indi vidual imaginations . Madison included a night sk y, a white moon and a fire , while Cami’s featured f lowers, trees and big purple clouds. In addition to the camps , a new Gym Club was offered this summer. From 1-5 p .m. week-

If you w ere a color , how would you move? Well, if you w ere orang e, perhaps y ou’d bounce up and down like a basketball. Or if you were red, maybe you’d scoot on your bac k to imitate a soupedup sports car. That’s ho w the y oung students inter preted the perfor ming ar ts assignment during the YMCA Ar t Camp held J uly 2428 at the Cla yton Comm unity Gym. When the blue g roup decided to be a w ave, class coordinator Katie Cox seized the opportunity to g et all the students involved. “Let’s do one big wave for our g rand finale ,” she shouts. After lining them up, she leapt from end to end to k eep the wave going. Then it w as bac k to the classroom for a lesson on watercolor painting. “We’re going to do it like real artists do . We’re g oing to plan out our picture first to mak e sure things are balanced, ” says Cox, leading the students in a discussion of balance v ersus symmetry. After assembling sk etchbooks, the students w ent for a short hik e up the stairs to the Clayton Comm unity P ark. “In Clayton, we ha ve this beautiful panoramic landscape,” Cox says. “Look for things in nature that you find inspiring.” As the c hildren sit in small groups sk etching, Cox g ently critiques their w ork. “If you really look at the trees , what do they really look lik e?” she asks one camper. The end result w as a precise dra wing of one leaf , next to the previous sk etch of an indistinguishable bush. As they head bac k to the

classroom to plan out their watercolors, the kids anxiously chat about lunch, which isn’t for another 45 min utes. But Co x wisely alters the schedule, seeing that the 27 budding ar tists are losing their focus after their time in the hot sun. Cox is the comm unity program director for the Concord/Clayton YMCA, which is wrapping up its second

embra c

BEV BRITTON Clayton Pioneer

La z a ro , ma n

web: alllovingcare.com

August 4, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

A hybrid mortgage gives homebuyer some options

Est.1972

Smith & Bernal

Roofing

Reroofs Repairs All Types Tile repairs Wood shake Tar and gravel Gutters Inspections Ventilation

Repair Specialists Same day response

(925) 672 0138

Free estimates

Page A7

Clayton resident

Lic. Number 727021

The recent hik e in mor tgage rates comes at an inoppor tune time for many homebuyers . Rising home prices around the country were already challenging buyers to either come up with larger cash do wn pa yments or stretch to qualify for larg er mortgages. These higher interest rates make qualifying for a mortgage even more difficult. In years past, the easy solution to rising interest rates w as to switch from fixed-rate financing – which is in the 6 to 7 percent rang e – to an adjustablerate mor tgage (ARM). But buyers often feel uncomfor table signing up for a mor tgage with monthly pa yments that can rise over time, particularly in a rising interest rate en vironment. A hybrid mor tgage is a palatable alternative that pro vides interest rate security and lo wer monthly payments.

A h ybrid mor tgage, also called a fixed-period ARM, combines features of both fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgages. A hybrid loan star ts out with an interest rate that is fix ed for a period of years (usually 3, 5, 7 or 10 years). Then the loan converts to an ARM. The beauty of this mortgage is that the initial interest rate for the fix ed period of the loan is considerably lower than the rate will be on a mortgage that’s fixed for 30 years. Usually, the shorter the fixed term of the loan, the lower the initial interest rate. But while the savings might be g reater in the short run with a 3-year or 5-year fixed, most buyers prefer the 10year fixed hybrid. Recent studies have sho wn that most homeowners either refinance or sell their home within 5 to 7 years . So most buyers who opt for a

Mayor, from page A1 the community, Bell jumped onto a street sw eeper in the yard and used his own time to clean up the debris, eliminating the hazard and possible damages to cars. Allen, the chief mucky muck (OK, I do not kno w his exact lofty title so figured m ucky muck would con vey his importance without offense) at Cemex, has alw ays recognized the value of being a good neighbor and his attitude has ob viously r ubbed off on the employees. Bell is now the unofficial leader of the First Clayton Mechanized Calv ary that came to our rescue. Thanks and g reat job neighbors!

On another front, the latest information w e ha ve is that Longs Dr ugs expects to commence g rading of their project in late A ugust or early September. They are shooting (Old W est theme consistent with our histor y) for a Marc h 2007 grand opening. What about Sam Sandhu’ s blue store , you ask? W ell, Sam has apparently received his final fire district clearance and so can now hire a contractor and commence w ork on his remediation/remodel. From the plans, it looks to ha ve some g ood additions and I know my kids will be excited to once ag ain be able to con Dad into buying them a Gatorade and piece of candy after riding bik es or w alking downtown, thus defeating the purpose of walking or riding in the first place . Oh, well, what can I say, Dad is a softy and has been known on occasion to g et his o wn treat (adult bev erage anyone?). The only downside I can see

10-year fix ed will nev er experience adjustable-rate payments. Be a ware that many fix edperiod ARMs ha ve pre payment penalties. Although pre payment penalties are illeg al in some states, they are leg al in California. The pre payment penalty usually r uns for the first three years of the loan. So if your plans w ere to c hange and you sold your home within three years of originating the loan, you’d ha ve to pa y the lender a penalty fee. If you think there’ s any chance that y ou won’t be in your home for three years , you could be better off taking an ARM. Some buyers elect to tak e balloon pa yment fix ed mor tgages. These loans often ha ve lower interest rates than either 30-year fixed-rate loans or fixedperiod ARMs. Balloon payment mortgages have a shor t ter m of is that for as long as I can remember, it has alw ays been known as the “blue store .” Approved plans call for a sag e and beige (I dare you to say that five times fast) type color scheme. I say “type” because the actual colors are something lik e “Valley Mist” and “W e can ’t market tan so w e will call it something more glamorous .” (Wouldn’t you love to be the one who gets to name paint colors?) In any ev ent, we will no longer be able to sa y the “blue store,” or w e might g et some weird looks (or in m y case , weirder looks). In addition, the Oak Center Commercial Building across from Endea vor Hall w ent through an infor mal study session before the Planning Commission recently and will be considered fully in September. This project should also be completed next year. Downtown should be hopping next year, and I hope that is not just because I will ha ve completed m y tur n as ma yor (hmmmm). Shameless plug coming, so send the kids out of the room.

WE THE PEOPLE LOW COST, FAST, ACCURATE DOCUMENT PREPARATION YOU

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Divorce . . . . . . . . . . . . .$399 Living Trust . . . . . . . . . .$499 Incorporation . . . . . . . .$399 Probate . . . . . . . .(call for pricing) We offer more than 100 services to meet your needs! LDA#68 We are not attorneys and cannot offer legal advice Olivia Moore-Wraa, owner, Clayton resident

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REAL ESTATE 5, 7 or 10 years . At the end of the ter m, the remaining unpaid balance on the mor tgage is due in a balloon payment. Some balloon pa yment mortgages have a provision that allows the loan to be extended for one year at an adjustable rate. This pro vides a safety net if mortgage rates are very high and refinancing is difficult when the loan is due . With a balloon pa yment mortgage, it’s wise to plan ahead and refinance early. Lynne F rench is a r ealtor with Windermere Real Estate and a Clayton r esident. F or any r eal estate needs or questions contact her at: Phone (925) 672-8787 or E-mail: Lynne@LynneFrench.com While the do wntown will be awesome, just imagine ho w much greater it would be if we, the voters, approved the do wntown park in No vember’s election and the park w as built as our centerpiece? Come on people, it is less than $17 per year per residential parcel, which is less than one pizza. We can do it! We should do it! I w ant it! I want it! (Sorry, reverting to what works for m y kids, but you g et the point.) In closing, I offer up this nugget from late night talk sho w host Conan O’Brien: “A study in the W ashington P ost sa ys that women ha ve better v erbal skills than men. I just want to say to the authors of that study: ‘Duh.’ ” Email me at shuey@rankinlaw.com and have a great week.

Letter to the Editor On J uly 26th betw een the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. our home was broken into and burglarized using g arden tools that w ere taken from our backyard shed. They stole all of our jew elry including precious irreplacable items that w ere my mom’s before she passed away, small electronics , a bo x filled with tax documents from the past 12 years and an ice tea from our refrig erator. I guess they w ere thirsty after a hard day of robbing us . If anyone saw or heard anything suspicious, please contact us or the Clayton Police Dept. – Julie and Paul Mitchell 200 Mountaire Parkway

Page A8

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Cultural pride on display at Japanese festival BEV BRITTON Clayton Pioneer

What: The Diablo Japanese American Club’s Summer Festival When: 1-9 p.m. Aug. 12 and noon-8:30 p.m. Aug. 13 Where: 3165 Treat Blvd., Concord Cost: Admission is free, plus free parking and shuttle ser vice from Woodside Elementary School, 761 San Simeon Dr. For more information: 682-5299 or www.diablojaclub.org

Like many J apaneseAmericans after W orld War II, Sandra Bohn ’s parents encouraged her to become “Americanized.” “My parents decided not to teach us J apanese. They felt w e with the comm unity, and I had a hard enough time in always see people I know.” school. I w as called a dir ty J ap Meanwhile, her husband can daily. I was hated,” Bohn recalls be found cooking up “fantastic” of her c hildhood in the San chicken teriyaki from a secret Gabriel Valley. recipe. Bohn recommends that “Part of not teac hing us visitors also tr y the udon nooJapanese w as that they w ere dles. “The broth is also a secret ashamed, in a w ay, because of recipe, so it’s really, really good,” the w ar and she says. they didn ’t The three want to stir Bohn siblings up trouble.” – 23-year -old T h e s e Nick, 20days, howevyear-old W es er, Bohn is and 17-year proud to pass old Marina – on her will be taking Japanese hertheir usual itage on to spots in the her c hildren. games area. Shortly after Along with KEN AND SANDRA BOHN moving to basketball Clayton 13 years ago, she joined and ring toss, children can learn the Diablo J apanese American about jaro , a J apanese n umber Club. game. “With so many Caucasian Inside the air -conditioned people here, I wanted my kids to gym, there will displays of bonbe aware of our religion and just sai plants and f lowers ar ranged socializing with the J apanese in the ikenobo style. Groups will people to see what the J apanese demonstrate judo and k endo, culture is like in American socialong with bon odori folk dancety,” Bohn says. ing. Each A ugust, she brings The Taiko Dr um Sho w is a husband K en and their three highlight for many festi valchildren to help out at the club’s goers. As par t of the 50th Summer F estival. Next w eek- anniversary celebration, the San end’s event is the fiftieth festival Jose troupe will perfor m both for the Concord-based g roup. Saturday and Sunday at 6 p.m. “It’s all r un b y v olunteers “They are quite outstanding . and it’s just amazing . The food They’ve tra veled the w orld,” is w onderful and v ery reasonsays Bohn. ably priced,” reports Bohn, who Despite all the acti vities will help clear tables and g reet offered, many visitors are there customers at this year’ s festival. for the food. “I ha ve friends “I like it because I get to mingle who just mak e it a point to g o

there ev ery year to g et their Japanese food fix,” says publicity chair J ennifer Gee . “It’s all cooked fresh and is cheaper than at most Japanese restaurants.” Along with the udon noodles and c hicken teriyaki, the festival offers g yoza (J apanese pot stic kers), tempura, sushi made on-site and bak ed g oods. “And, of course, there are hot dogs and sha ved ice for the kids,” says Gee. She and her family disco vered the club through its basketball prog ram. “Everyone involved in the J A group in any way has to help with the festival,” she notes . “It’s our main fund-raiser.” According to Gee , the club was for med “to pro vide Japanese people with a place to get tog ether and also to share our culture with the comm unity.” And Gee , who is Chinese , notes that the club isn ’t ex clusively for those of Japanese descent. Nick Bohn sa ys the festi val is a great place to meet new people and renew friendships with those he hasn ’t seen in a while. Some of his pals ha ve tak en Japanese languag e classes and have taught him a few words. “I would like to learn the language some day, but right now, I’m so busy with other things,” he says. While that ma y be on his long-term list, the Buddhist philosophy of karma is already something close to his hear t. “I’ve lear ned that if you are a good person, it will come bac k to you,” he remarks.

Filming will shut down Clayton Road Sunday night LAURA HOFFMEISTER Special to the Pioneer

Aurora Sky Films, co-owned by Cla yton V alley residents Scott and Tim O’Hara Jr ., will be filming a moc k car accident in Cla yton on Sunda y night, Aug. 6, through early Monda y morning. The footag e will be used in educational training for la w enforcement and for anti-dr ug prevention prog rams for schools. Filming will involve a staged

car accident, with a stunt driver, at the intersection of Clayton Road and Peacock Creek Drive. In order to ensure minimal traffic impacts , the filming will occur betw een 11 p .m. and 3 a.m. In order to create a safe zone for the filming, there will be a temporary detour for w estbound traffic of Marsh Creek Road, routing traffic to old Marsh Creek R oad to Cla yton Road. Traffic f low will be allowed via controlled traffic breaks for eastbound Marsh

Creek R oad and for P eacock Creek Drive. In order to a void impacts to nearby residents , no amplified noises or sirens are planned. However, there may be temporary lighting, non-amplified sound and use of emergency vehicles with lights. The park and ride lot at Peacock Creek Dri ve will be used for crew parking and preand post-production support.

Look for a f eature ar ticle on Aurora Sk y Films in the Aug . 18 Pioneer.

August 4, 2006

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Page A9

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The face of retirement is changing. Those in politics and the media bombard us with debates o ver the questionable longevity of Social Security, and corporate pension plans that previous g enerations took for granted are becoming less reliable. For the y oungest members of our country’s workforce, this magnifies the impor tance of taking responsibility for financial security in retirement. Comprised of more than 65 million people, Generation Y is generally considered to be those people bor n betw een 1977 and 1994. They are also refer red to as Ec ho Boomers or the Millennium Generation. A considerably larg er g roup than Generation X, they are the biggest w ave to hit the American demog raphic scene since the 72 million Bab y Boomers. “Three Generations Pre pare for Retirement,” a recent survey by Hewitt Associates , revealed that 56 percent of Generation Y workers rarely or nev er think about retirement saving. In fact, just 31 percent of Generation Y employees who are eligible to participate in their emplo yersponsored 401(k) do so (compared to 63 percent of Generation X and 72 percent of Baby Boomers). The a verage Generation Y par ticipant contributes 5.6 percent of pay – less than is required to obtain the common full company match of 50 cents on the dollar up to 6 percent of pay. Generation Y members cite financial constraints suc h as day-to-day needs (78 percent)

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MURELEEN BENTON FINANCIAL SENSE and lifestyle purc hases (61 percent) as the primar y obstacles that prev ent them from contributing to a retirement sa vings plan. Most (63 percent) say they “don’t have enough information and really don ’t kno w what to do” to manag e their retirement accounts. The majority (81 percent) of Generation Y w orkers believ e they will fund retirement through savings they put away at a later date. Hence, the problem: putting off getting started. When y ou are y oung and time is on y our side, the power of compounding is truly incredible. Even small retirement plan contributions will g row exponentially. Delaying years – or even months – can significantly reduce the retur n on an in vestment. Consider this example: Jane begins in vesting $100 a month in her emplo yer-sponsored 401(k) plan when she is 25. Mark does the same – only he

begins when he is 35. Assuming a 9 percent annual rate of return compounded monthly , when Mark retires at 65, he’ll ha ve $183,074. Jane will ha ve $468,132 – more than 2½ times Mark’s total. You can see the power of compound interest. Admittedly, those just star ting out in the w orkforce face significant obstacles suc h as loan pa yments, high rent and lower w ages that prev ent them from vig orously sa ving for the future. However, since Social Security and traditional pension plans ma y not be a vailable, those in Generation Y need to explore alternative strategies for building their o wn retirement nest egg. It’s a g ood idea to enroll in your employer’s 401(k) plan and automatically in vest a cer tain percentage of your income each paycheck. Some companies have established plans in whic h employees are automatically enrolled in the 401(k) and m ust opt out if they don ’t w ant to contribute. While this can be a great w ay to g et star ted sa ving for retirement, many automatic enrollment plans invest a significant portion of assets in stable or low-risk investments – minimizing the c hance for larg er returns. To make the most retur n on your in vestment, you’ll need to consider the deg ree of risk you are willing to acce pt. The more time y ou ha ve until retirement,

Heat, from page A1 facility, said Lewis-Phillips. The temperatures and demand caused sev eral transformers to o verheat and shut off, said PG&E spokesman Paul Moreno. The outside temperatures and the added demand caused the transfor mer to overheat and an inter nal circuit breaker shut it do wn, he explained. “For continued day after day record temperatures and consumption, it may cycle off several times … in some cases, they failed completely and had to be replaced,” said Moreno. The transformer that powers the signal at R egency Drive and Marsh Creek Road was one that

needed re placing, leaving the intersection without a signal from late Sunda y night until Tuesday. Many customers lost the contents of refrigerators and freezers. It’s possible that PG&E will reimburse for some of these losses . “In extreme conditions of record hot weather o ver a prolong ed period of time, it’s lik e a sev ere winter storm – it’ s bey ond our control,” said Moreno , “however, we will evaluate each claim on a case by case basis.” Overall, Moreno said, the system perfor med w ell. “We have about 1 million transfor mers,” he said, “and only 1,100 of

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the g reater risk y ou can afford to take. If you aren ’t sure where to begin, consider looking at target retirement funds . These funds take into account the length of time y ou ha ve until y our targ et retirement date . Early on, your money is in vested primarily in stocks to encourag e growth. As you approac h retirement, your portfolio is shifted to include more conser vative in vestments to protect your assets. Taking charge of your retirement por tfolio can be o verwhelming, so developing a relationship with a tr usted financial advisor ma y g o a long w ay toward establishing smar t money management techniques. A professional financial advisor can help y ou estimate y our retirement needs and dev elop a plan to accum ulate a retirement fund to help provide the income you will need. The sooner y ou star t saving and investing, the better off you will be in the long r un.

Mureleen Benton is a Cer tified Financial Planner. Call her with questions at 685-4523 This infor mation is pr ovided for infor mational pur poses only. The infor mation is intended to be generic in natur e and should not be applied or relied upon in any particular situation without the advice of your tax, legal and/or your financial ad visor. The views expr essed may not be suitable for every situation. Ameriprise Financial Ser Member N ASD, par t of Financial, Inc.

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them w ent out. So, 99.99 percent of them have continued to operate admirably under these extreme, record setting temperatures.” The recently PUC-appro ved Smart Meter , which will allo w the company to c harge higher rates during peak usag e times , should pro vide PG&E better information for planning . “We will know in a par ticular neighborhood what their peak load is and that will be a great planning tool. Now w e ha ve to rely on computer models ,” Moreno said. PG&E will begin installing the new meters in Contra Costa County next summer . Moreno was unsure when they would be in Clayton.

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Page A10

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 4, 2006

Nellie Courso went from pioneer woman to savvy world traveler

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SHARING HISTORY Family, career and tra vels have brought 90-year -old Nellie Courso to look back on a fulfilling life. “I really have had a great time,” a beaming Nellie says. She w as raised in El Segundo, where her father was a pioneer and ev en has a street named after him. “My grandparents wanted to be far mers, so they mo ved down that w ay from the Ba y Area. My parents went also and bought 10 acres of land not too far from where Los Angeles airport no w stands ,” Nellie sa ys. “Everyone was a pioneer at that time.” Her mom died when Nellie was 2, and her g randmother helped her dad raise the fi ve children. Nellie laughs as she remembers a stor y about the land her dad owned. “A major oil company offered m y dad money to pump oil on his proper ty. We were so excited and thought w e were g oing to become millionaires. But the guy who came to set everything up was drunk and he blew up the oil. It w as all over our land and our house , along with dirt and rocks everywhere,” Nellie shares. “There w ere none of those lawyers around lik e no wadays, so the company compensated my dad v ery little for that. And there w ent our millionaire dreams.” After Nellie star ted colleg e, two of her older sisters had the idea to travel in their dad’s brand new F ord. They con vinced Nellie not to retur n to colleg e, but instead to g o to beauty school so that she could ear n extra money and travel the summer with them. “My sisters w ere teac hers and had three months off . So we w ent all around the United States and Canada in that Ford,” says Nellie. “I was just 18 years old and g ot to see the Empire State Building and so many other places.” When they retur ned home , Nellie decided to w ork at a beauty salon and g ot a job in Hollywood. The owner, later to become Nellie’s husband, was a make-up ar tist for mo vie studios such as MGM and RKO. “I

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became a hairdresser to all the extras in the movies. Many people think it’ s a glamorous job , but you had to be up at 5 a.m.to do people’s hair and be on the movie set the whole time also ,” Nellie reports. After a n umber of years, Nellie and Stev e mar ried and her husband w as offered a job selling beauty products throughout the w estern United States , later including California. Nellie constantly tra veled with him until they had their tw o sons , Steven and Gerald, and settled back in the Los Ang eles area near Nellie’s siblings. Traveling didn ’t stop for Nellie, though. They w ould all go to Europe during the summer – but with m uch perseverance. “My husband w ould not fly at all at that time , so w e would take our sons on the train to New York and then tak e the ship across the Atlantic ,” says Nellie. “Then, the Concorde came out and for $100 more than first class, we could eat our lunch on the plane and be in Europe right after that. We g ot to fly on that nine times for our trips.” Over the years , Nellie and Steve o wned beauty sc hools in

Southern California. They eventually sold them so that they could li ve in Zuric h, Switzerland, where her husband was bor n. While there for 10 years, the couple traveled extensively and explored v arious countries and cultures. “I rode a camel along the Nile Ri ver and shopped in Algiers with friends ,” remembers Nellie. “Our favorite place was Italy , because the food is great and the people are so friendly. I think that ev eryone should tak e as many trips as they can to learn about the peo-

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ple and their cultures lik e w e did.” Nellie and Stev e returned to California, and Stev e died 10 years ag o. Now Nellie spends her da ys at Diamond T errace. Both her sons enjo y tra veling with their families , along with her three g randchildren. And Nellie c herishes the memories of a most wonderful life. If you ar e a senior li ving in Clayton, or know of a senior that would like to share their life story with the Clayton Pioneer r eaders, please contact Colleen Elwy at 672-9565 or at colleensbyline@aol.com.

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Page A11

Children, from page A1 Kathy Hom of Clayton likes to think that destiny played a significant role in connecting her with her tw o adopti ve c hildren. She remembers the adoption agency, Holt Inter national calling to sa y they had a bab y girl. Kathy and her husband Dic k received a small photo in the mail and w ere ask ed to mak e a decision within a few da ys. For Kathy and Dic k, there w as no decision to make. This baby was theirs and nothing could c hange that. “We felt v ery connected, ” Kathy says. “You pray your way through the process . This w as the c hild that w e w ere destined to have.” After tw o second ter m miscarriages, Kathy describes the decision to adopt as “a no brainer.” “I felt driven,” she says and Dick was willing to g o whatever way his wife wanted. Kathy decided to pursue an international adoption as reassurance that the bir th mother couldn’t come bac k at a later date to claim the c hild. “That was crucial to me,” she says. “I didn ’t w ant someone knocking at m y door w anting their bab y bac k and with international, (adoption) that could never happen.” The closed adoption aspect of international w as also appealing to tw o other local families who successfully adopted baby girls.

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the process,” Dave says. America World operates as a ministr y that shares the belief that it is God’ s most profound blessing to experience a child by adoption. “It w as more of a calling, ” Dave sa ys of the couple’s decision to adopt a bab y from China. The plight of young girls around the w orld, especially in China is bleak, he explains, and the Shuey’ s w anted to mak e a difference. They also agreed that they w ould acce pt Catherine who had a cong enital hear t disease that was surgically corrected in China. When the Shuey’ s received Catherine’s photo in the mail, “How could y ou say no?” Dave sa ys. The family f lew to China and met tw o and a half year old Cat. That day which the agency calls the “g otcha da y” was a memorable one for the Shueys. “We were overwhelmed with love,” Dave says. A CHANGING SYSTEM Although Kevin Sullivan and Tamara T hompson had alw ays planned to adopt a baby internationally, Kevin was also w ary of U.S. adoption la ws in the early 90’s, citing sev eral cour t cases , news reports and adoption decisions being o verturned. This further influenced their decision to adopt from another countr y. Since T amara w as a J apanese translator and the family had

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Clockwise: Andrew (A.J.) (9), Mayor Dave Shuey, Samantha (11) and Catherine (3).

DOING THE RESEARCH Clayton Ma yor Da ve Shuey and his wife Shelly recently brought Catherine “Cat” home from China. After two biological children, Samantha, 11 and A.J., 9, the Shueys pursued adoption for medical reasons. “We always wanted four kids ,” Shuey said. They comm unicated with some people who had a very bad experience and a long leg al battle with an American adoption. The couple beg an looking at adopting a child from another country. “Shelly researc hed long and hard,” says Da ve of the searc h for an ag ency with inter national experience. The Shuey’ s c hose America W orld Adoption Association, a Christian-based agency founded b y Brian and Renee Luwis in 1994. “We were most comfor table with America World’s service, experience , representatives and ways of handling

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tional leaders tog ether to talk about adoption as w ell as c hild welfare issues,” Cox explains. A HAPPY DAY Alli Hom w as eight months old when Kathy and Dick drove to San F rancisco Inter national Airport to meet their bab y daughter for the first time. From the time they sa w her photo in May, 1989 to Alli’s arrival at San Francisco Inter national, the following December , the w ait w as “agony.” She w as theirs and Kathy w orried about all the things that could g o wrong . Fears tur ned to “indescribable joy” when Alli w as handed o ver to the Homs with a pacifier , manila en velope and a tiny Hanbok, the traditional K orean dress from Alli’ s foster mother who ask ed that she w ear it for her first bir thday. “It w as indescribable,” says K athy. “What a glorious gift.” Despite the ag onizing w ait time for their daughter Alli, the Hom’s reli ved the adoption process three years later with their son Zac h. This time they went with B ASS because the agency was willing to w ork with older parents. With international adoption, each indi vidual country has its own age requirements for parents . BASS re ports that each parent m ust be at least 25 years old and at least 10 years older than the child. The parentled ag ency boasts hands on experience gi ving prospecti ve parents personal insights along with academic credentials . America W orld re ports ag e requirements for sev eral countries. For example in China, both spouses must be at least 30 years old and one parent m ust be 55 or under . There are similar restrictions in R ussia, Ukraine and Vietnam. The w ait time for Zac h w as considerably shorter than it w as for Alli. Kathy, Dick and Alli found themselves on an airplane heading for China in Ma y, 1993 only tw o months after they received Zac h’s photo in the mail. Although doctors g ave

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Zach a clean bill of health, Kathy says she knew something wasn’t right. She couldn ’t help but worry because Zac h was so thin and screamed non-stop . Despite this, there was immediate bonding with the whole family, Kathy recalls. “We were all so totally smitten,” she says. Several months later , four months sh y of his first bir thday, Zach w as diagnosed with cerebral palsy. “I was elated, ” Kathy sa ys. “I can

deal with that, ” she remembers thinking. “He was going to live.” The Sulli vans beg an the adoption process, which in most cases, includes a lot of paper work and an intense home study and then stopped when T amara found out she was pregnant with their first son, Brendan. When the couple resumed the adoption process , they only had to wait a shor t time .The Sulli vans got word that Kendall was available in November, 1993 and met her for the first time in Japan the following January. “ I burst into tears,” says Tamara recalling the first time she saw Kendall. They spent 10 days in Japan, traveling with their son Brendan, and Kevin’s mother, Joan.The couple has since had another biological child, Jonathan. Holt lists the a verage w ait time for inter national adoption as betw een 10 and 22 months , but it varies within each country. Costs for the adoption process range from about $15,000 to $20,000 and fees include most of the paperw ork and home study programs except for travel. BLENDING OF CULTURES All three families ag ree that their adopted c hildren are v ery Americanized. The Sulli vans have their J apanese connection through T amara’s w ork and Japanese families abroad that they befriended over the years. Dick Hom is of Chinese heritage and helps with Zac h’s homeland connection. The Homs made effor ts early on to keep Alli’s Korean heritage alive through friends and suppor t groups. The Shueys will probably celebrate Chinese New Year, but for the most par t they plan to raise Catherine as an American. “She’s ours. She’s an American kid, ” Dave sa ys. “When she g ets older , if she wants to explore her heritage, we will do whatever we can to help her,” he explains . And will the Shuey’s desire to ha ve four c hildren c hange the family dynamics? “Shelly’ s already looking, ” says Dave.

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spent several years in J apan, the couple approac hed Ba y Area Adoption Ser vices (B ASS) of Mountain View with a specific country in mind. They lik ed BASS’s parent in volvement and its 22 year -commitment to connecting c hildren and families worldwide. Susan Soon-Keum Cox, vice president of public policy and external affairs for Holt, reports that the “closed” aspect of international adoption is slo wly changing. “Every c hild has a birth family and that shouldn ’t be ignored, ” she sa ys. International adoption, for some is easier than adoption within the U.S. foster care system which can be a long process ,” she says. Cox reports that Holt is currently working on adoptions within Vietnam and K orea where the birth mother sta ys in volved in the process. “In a perfect world, adopting within the countr y is prefer red, but it’s not a perfect world,” Cox adds. Holt’s commitment to finding lo ving families for

orphaned children dates bac k to the mid 1950’ s when Har ry and Bertha Holt adopted eight Korean children at a time when adoption was kept a secret. Holt was incor porated in 1956 and has since united nearly 40,000 children with adoptive families in the United States. Cox is currently planning an inter national conference in October to celebrate Holt’s 50th anni versary. “The conference is bringing inter na-

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Page A12

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 4, 2006

It’s a perfect time to pit a peac h

LINDA WYNER

FOOD

FOR

THOUGHT

“An apple is an excellent thing – until you have tried a peach.”

California winters and hot summers, but they are also at home throughout par ts of the Midwest and souther n United States. You’ve probably heard Georgia referred to as the Peach State, but it is South Carolina that appropriated the peac h as its state fruit. Peaches are par t of the rose family. Called dr upes (stone fruit), they share a past alongside c herries, plums and apricots. They are just becoming locally abundant this time of year.

– George du Maurier (1834-1896)

Prunus persica receives its name from a mistak en European belief that peaches originated in P ersia. Instead, they have been cultivated in China for eons and are considered a symbol of long life and immortality. In China, the wife of the mythic J ade E m p e r o r arranged an exquisite peac h banquet for her husband’s immortal allies. Peach images on pottery are considered highly esteemed gifts throughout Asia. The sag a of Momotaro has been told to J apanese c hildren for g enerations. Legend has it that “P each Bo y” was bor n from a large peach and grew up to vanquish the oni or ogres that preyed on villagers. Peaches mig rated with traders from China to the Middle East and then to Europe. European settlers in North America planted peac h trees, and the Spanish missionaries introduced the fr uit in California. Peaches lik e our cool

Yellow or white? F reestone or cling? Yellow peaches tend to be fa vored among Americans and Europeans , while white peaches, which are a sw eeter, less acidic v ariety, are prefer red in Asia. A freestone peac h is one where the f lesh easily se parates from the pit, while the cling … well I bet you can figure that out. Cling peac hes are among the v arieties that ripen earliest eac h year , and the bulk of the commercial crop is

canned. Peaches w on’t ripen once they are pic ked. In a few da ys time, they become softer and more frag rant (but no sw eeter). You can speed up the process by placing tw o to four peac hes in a bro wn paper bag for a da y or two. Peaches are equally tasty raw or g ently cooked. They are terrifically v ersatile in quic k meal preparations. Mix c hopped peaches and granola into yogurt or cottag e c heese for a health y snack or breakfast. Freeze peaches to add to y ogurt, banana and any fa vorite supplements to mak e a tasty smoothie. Finely c hop canned, drained peaches and mix into Cool Whip for a flavorful filling for spong e or ang el food cake. I almost always ha ve a few jars of homemade peach r um preserves on my shelf . A true culinar y multi-tasker, it’s spread on toast, warmed in the microwave and ser ved atop vanilla ice cream and used as a base for Chinese sauces. PEACH RUM JAM 4 lbs . ripe peac hes, pitted, peeled and chopped 5 c granulated sugar ½ c brown sugar 1 pac kage po wdered fr uit pectin ¼ c dark r um In dee p hea vy-bottomed pot, combine fr uit and pectin. Stirring constantly throughout the cooking stag e, bring to a boil. Add sug ars and bring to a full boil again. Boil one minute. Remove from heat and immediately add r um (de pending on y our fondness for this liquor, you can stand a little

closer to the pot and breathe in deeply to inhale the w onderful rum-scented steam). Stir and skim occasionally for about 5 minutes. Seal in sterilized jars and process in a boiling w ater bath for 10 min utes (longer in higher altitudes). I won’t open a jar of peach rum jam until it’ s ag ed at least three months. Note: To remo ve the skin from a peac h easily , dunk in boiling w ater for about 10 seconds, then plunge into ice water and the skin should slip right off.

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SWEET ’N’ SOUR DIPPING SAUCE ½ c peach rum jam 2 Tbsp chili sauce 1 to 2 Tbsp white or rice vinegar ¼ tsp chili flakes ¼ tsp soy sauce Melt jam over low heat or stir until a sauce-lik e consistency is reached. Add remaining ingredients and let stand for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Use for egg rolls , roasted pork or stir fried boneless chicken pieces. ITALIAN-STYLE PEACH ICE 1 c sugar 2 c water 1 lb . peaches, skinned, pitted and chopped 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 3-inch b y 1-inc h strip lemon zest Make simple syrup by bringing sug ar and w ater to a boil. Maintain boil for one min ute. Cool and refrigerate. Puree peac hes with lemon juice and add to syr up. Add peel. Combine w ell and pour into shallo w, high-sided pan to depth of about 1 inch. Stir every half hour to mo ve frozen slush to middle of the mixture. When middle of mixture star ts to freeze, remove peel, cover and allow to freeze entirely.

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Linda W yner is an attor ney in Walnut Cr eek by day , and an accomplished chef and “foodie” by choice. Direct your suggestions or questions to lwyner@claytonpioneer.com

This ‘Lady’ is an unwelcome visitor According to writer/director M. Night Sh yamalan, “Lady in the W ater” is based on a bedtime stor y he told his c hildren. Just k eep that in the bac k of your mind if you ever meet his kids and their names turn out to be Narrative and Subtext. With this film, he tries to break the standard Sh yamalan formula (setup , mislead, new setup, sucker punch), and in that respect he succeeds . Unfortunately, he seems to have tipped his hand, because he doesn’t appear to kno w how to tell a story without his left hook. “Lady” is a claustrophobically told, heavy-handed mess . What’s really unfortunate is that it’s only about three deg rees of arrogance away from being an interesting film.

JIM BRIGGS

THE

MOVIES

The film opens with cr ude (but effecti ve) animation that shows the histor y between man and narf (pale, red-headed sea nymph). Paul Giamatti – who g ave one of the most mo ving performances I’v e ev er seen onscreen in “Sideways” (2004) – plays Clev eland Hee p, a stuttering, everyman wannabe. After a personal tragedy, he becomes the property manag er at an apartment complex. We are clev erly introduced to the tenants at the Cove by their apar tments. Shyamalan is g ood at this . We g et to kno w a lot of characters in little time . The tenants include smarmy film critic Har ry Farber (Bob Balaban), crossword puzzle enthusiast Mr . Dury (J effrey Wright) and 24-hour par ty girl/college student/double stereotype Y oungSoon Choi (Cindy Cheung). They are dev elPaul Giamatti stars in Lady in the Water. oped early only to be

wasted later. One night, Heep catc hes someone swimming in the pool after hours, apparently a big nono at the Cove. She turns out to be a narf from the “Blue World.” The ironically named Story is pla yed stiff ly b y Br yce Dallas Howard. And go figure, Choi recalls a bedtime stor y she heard as a child that bears an eerie relevance to Hee p’s dilemma. About this point w e’re ask ed, almost directly , to tak e a ste p back and examine our place in the uni verse (unfor tunately w e don’t have narfs tur ning pale in our shower to at least gi ve us a clue) and the film g oes south from there . An extended, selfconscious creation of a story to help Story follows. (Follow?) Shyamalan pla ys a writer named Vick Ran, who is asked if he w ants to kno w his future . The tur ning of his subplot thereafter leads me to believ e Shyamalan is por traying a selfprojected version of himself. He ambitiously poses a few universal questions , and wh y not? It’s a productive use of the medium. The problem is that these questions are o verrepresented in the stor y, and characters still have to ask them of one another. He doesn ’t respect us , the audience, enough to believ e that we have our o wn intellects and w ould ask ourselv es the same questions. In addition, he seems to think he has the answ ers. If so, perhaps he should star t a religion and stop bombarding

screens with mediocrity. If you’re escaping the summer heat in a movie theater, taking a dip in this “W ater” won’t be all that refreshing. Jim Briggs is a composer and music teacher. He has a BA in Jazz Composition from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. He writes film r eviews for online magazine Dissolver (www.dissolvermagazine.com). Send comments to movies@claytonpioneer.com.

UT WALN E E CR K

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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August 4, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com

Page A13

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The last few w eeks ha ve wreaked havoc on our plants and gardens. Looking around the yard and n ursery, you can see signs of sun damage everywhere. Young roses blossoms ha ve scorched edg es. Some plants have yellowish leaves due to too much w ater. The J apanese maples ha ve perimeter leaf burn. The last remaining spring blooming perennials, such as the Bleeding Heart and the Siberian Bugloss, have almost been thrown into early dormancy, and lots of lawns round to wn are patchy yellowish brown. August is an impor tant g arden maintenance month. If we start doing our yard and g arden work now, we will have three full months of garden enjo yment before the c hill of fall ste ps in and quiets down our plants. Our g arden’s roses are looking spent and tired at this time . The feedings that w e applied in February and Marc h ha ve been used up , and signs of summer are defiantly sho wing. First, it is time to cut bac k all blooming stems a third down, removing all the tired and w oody stems. This is a g ood idea to do to all roses , hybrid teas to car pet roses. Cut them bac k and gi ve them a reshaping. Pull off the inner leaves that are yellow or diseased and discard all the remnants into your green waste container. Watering the roses is next on the list. It is a garden rule to only fertilize wet soil. After the fertilizer and minerals ha ve been applied and worked into the soil, another w atering session is needed. This is an impor tant step, because watering the fertilizer mak es it a vailable to the plant sooner , before the soil

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becomes dry again. Take some additional rose time early in the morning before the sun and the heat, or late at night, to apply a dose of horticultural oil. This will w ork as a pesticide as w ell as a prev entative to r ust and blac k spot. If using hor ticultural oil, you should apply ev ery tw o to four weeks during the summer and never in the heat of the day.

just helping nature along. Cloud co ver should also be applied at this time to help prevent leaf dehydration caused b y late summer heat spells . Next season, we need to remember to use products lik e cloud co ver earlier in the year to prev ent summer stress on our plants. Our garden’s perennials need some tending as w ell. All of the spring bloomers should ha ve a

JAPANESE MAPLE WITH LEAF BURN

Cloud co ver can also be applied to y our roses, especially on new installations . This will help prev ent any foliag e deh ydration. Japanese maples definitely need some attention after the heat wave. To maximize our fall color enjoyment, our trees need good lea ves. By stripping the damaged lateral leaf and stem away now, you free up the energy of the plant to focus on new leaf growth. Look closely at the stem. If the tree already has the bud of a new leaf trying to push out the damaged mature leaf , you are

third of their g rowth remo ved. This may encourage a fall bloom display. Look around the g arden for any African Daisies , English Lavender, neimesia, diascia corydalis, salvia g reggi, spirea and monarda – then cut them bac k. Spiking perennials need to have for mer blossoms remo ved as w ell, like all the heuc hera, salvias suc h as Ma y night, the fox v arieties of veronica, the society garlic and agapantha. Once the pruning is finished, water, fertilize and water again. The acid lovers in the garden also are hung ry. Feed y our camellias, azaleas, gardenias,

NICOLE HACKETT

GARDEN GIRL loropedalum, conifers, boxwood and h ydrangeas with food designed for acid-lo ving plants . At this time , add iron to the plants drip line. We eat our food and take our vitamins; our plants need to also. Read the directions on the label of your fer tilizer. Avoid working the feed into the soil around the roots , because acid lovers have a shallow root system easily damaged by cultivation. Keep your lawn on the high side during summer months to help prev ent dr ying out. Water in the early mor ning. Feed with lawn food, following the bag’ s directions for application. Apply iron to the lawn before August passes and spread some granular insecticide if hopping bugs or grubs are present. As you look around at y our dry, cracking soil, consider spreading some m ulch or bark around all your yard and plants. Not only will the overall look of the yard impro ve, the conditions for plant g rowth will improve as w ell. Covered soil stays moist long er, keeping plants happier . Happy plants also make the people who care for them happier. Take some extra time in your garden. Then, sit back and enjoy the rewards. 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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Page A14

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 4, 2006

Trust your home to

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

BLACK DIAMOND AT OAKHURST COUNTRY CLUB!

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EAGLE PEAK AT OAKHURST COUNTRY CLUB!

Highly desirable & rar e single story “Alpine” model. situated on a quiet court. 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, approx. 1,235sf, inside laundry & 2 car garage. New paint & carpet. Neutral décor throughout! Tile kitchen with eating area. Cozy low maintenance rear yard. Conveniently located within walking distance of community pool.

$525,000

Spectacular “Lassen” model! tucked away on a quiet court with views of hills, open space & city lights! 4 bedrooms, plus upgraded loft, 2.5 baths, approx. 3,162sf, 2 fireplaces & 3 car garage! Upgrades include: laminate wood, tile & carpet floors, dramatic light fixtures, thick baseboards & designer paint colors & cabinet treatments! Gor geous gourmet kitchen features slab granite counters, break-fast bar & center island. Separate formal dining room with upgraded columns.Huge master suite with fireplace & jetted tub! Private professionally landscaped lot features an exposed aggregate patio, nice lush lawn area, many trees & colorful flowers. $995,000 PEACOCK CREEK AT OAKHURST COUNTRY CLUB!

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backs to 7th fairway with wooded, golf course, lake & surrounding hill views! 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, approximately 1,554sf, inside laundry & attached 2 car garage! Quiet rear end unit setting. Upgraded laminate wood floors in living/dining area, family room & kitchen. Gourmet kitchen with tile counters/breakfast bar , all white appliances & maple cabinets. Master suite looks out to golf course, hills & lake. Cozy rear deck with lawn area backs to tranquil/serene golf setting. $579,000

“Waterford” model backs to open space on lar ge lot boasting a private paradise setting featuring a refreshing pool with spa & waterfall feature, trellis covered BBQ island! 5 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, approx. 3,200sf & rare 4 car garage! Gourmet kitchen opens to spacious family room. Enormous master suite features a retreat with fireplace & balcony overlooking open space! $1,179,000 DANA HILLS!

WINDMILL CANYON AT OAKHURST COUNTRY CLUB!

Original owner has meticulously maintained this spacious 4 bedroom plus a

Former “Kirker” model on a premium golf course lot! backs to

huge bonus room, 2.5 bath home. Approximately 2,619sf. Large downstairs bedroom, living room & separate formal dining room of f kitchen. Kitchen features tile counters & eating area. Family room offers a brick fireplace with raised hearth. Spacious master suite! Large secondary bedrooms have Mt. Diablo views. Bonus room with dual sliding glass doors leading to balcony with hill views. Private lot features patio, lar ge lawn areas, towering trees & views of Mt. Diablo! $849,000

10th fairway with course , Mt. Diablo & surrounding hillside views! 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, approx. 2,313sf. Lots of custom builtin including media center in family room & night-stands/book shelves in bedrooms. Spacious family room with fireplace & wet bar . Kitchen features tile counters & floors. Spacious master suite overlooks golf course. Private backyard with various patio area, lawn & views of golf course. $799,000

Clayton Market Update

WINDMILL CANYON AT OAKHURST COUNTRY CLUB!

Meticulously maintained “Kirker” model! 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, approx.

2,313sf &2 car garage. Upgraded laminate wood floors throughout first floor! New carpet & neutral décor throughout! Living room with soaring ceiling. Formal dining room. Gourmet kitchen features tile counters, island & breakfast nook opens to family room with fireplace & wet bar . Spacious master suite with walk-in closet, oversized soaking tub & separate stall shower. Private yard of fers a covered patio, maturing trees & flowers. Walk to community $769,500 park.

PENDING PROPERTIES

ING D N PE

Peacock Creek . . . . . . . . . . .$1,049,000 Eagle Peak . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1,198,000 Windmill Canyon . . . . . . . . . .$799,000

Mortgage Market Update

Conforming $417,000 or less

Jumbo $417,001 and up

30 year, fixed for 3 . . . . . . .6.625% 30 year, fixed for 5 . . . . . . .6.625% 30 year, fixed for 7 . . . . . . . .6.75% 30 year, fixed for 10 . . . . . .6.875% 15 year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.5% 30 year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.875%

30 year, fixed for 3 . . . . . . . .6.75% 30 year, fixed for 5 . . . . . . .6.625% 30 year, fixed for 7 . . . . . . . .6.75% 30 year, fixed for 10 . . . . . . . .7.0% 15 year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.5% 30 year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.875%

Provided by George Vujnovich of Better Homes Realty ADDRESS 1049 Kenston Drive 303 Saclan Terrace 3405 Coyote Circle 365 Blue Oak Lane 202 Round House Pl 1391 Yosemite Circle 3905 Coyote Cir 711 Acorn Drive 235 Mountaire Pkwy 1131 Peacock Creek Dr 32 Jalalon Place 1291 Shell Circle 5640 Southbrook Dr 4021 Hummingbird Wy 1328 Shell Lane 1126 Peacock Creek Dr 1450 Yosemite Cir 811 Coachman Pl 739 Black Point Pl 5013 Keller Ridge Dr 121 Gold Rush Court 407 Wawona Lane 1941 Eagle Peak Ave 610 Julpun Loop 5612 Frank Place 5016 Raven Way 746 Bloching Circle 3036 Windmill Canyon Dr

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SALE DATE

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CLAYTON PIONEER August 4, 2006

Section B

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page B1

Gorgeous Lake McClure, a peaceful getaway KEVIN PARKER

HIKER’S HAVEN With the constr uction of a concrete g ravity arch dam bac k in the late 1920s, a 280,000-acre foot w ater reser voir w as bor n that no w supplies many people with year -round oppor tunities to recreate. Sparkling clear w ater fed from the Merced Ri ver as it flows into Lak e McClure from Yosemite Park complements the more than 80 miles of shoreline. For those hoping to see local wildlife, look no far ther. Deer, raccoons, eagles and hawks were all present during our long weekend spent at this beautiful destination. Although w e did not visit neighboring Lak e McSw ain, I am told that this cr ystal-clear lake provides a mecca of opportunities for the fishing enthusiast. There are fi ve campg rounds to c hoose from while visiting Lake McClure , but w e c hose Horseshoe Bend because of a hot tip from some friends who frequent this area. Horseshoe Bend has different loops and campsites ranging from R V hookups to g ood old tent sites . Our campsite pro vided us with a picnic table, level ground ideal for pitc hing a tent, some trees for shade and nice views of Lake McClure.

Here are m y recommendations for visiting Horseshoe Bend: A-Loop, Campsites 7,8 or 9/C-Loop, Campsites 11,12,17 or 18. Some campsites offer little or no shade and on a w eekend that topped 113 deg rees in the shade , we needed ev ery advantage w e could g et. Other amenities include a small g eneral store, bathrooms with sho wers, 32 picnic units, a swimming lagoon and tw o launc h ramps for boats. What I still cannot believ e

about this beautiful area is the lack of people who actually use Lake McClure. Horseshoe Bend was par tially full for the w eekend, but it w as very quiet while boating on the lake. That’s fairly surprising for a nice , warm weekend in July. Although it is not mandatory, our ski boat played heavily in our favor in this unbearable hot spell. A $5 blo w-up raft could have ser ved a similar pur pose, but there w as something about exploring this v ast lak e and its

many co ves and fing ers, where sometimes hours w ould g o b y before we saw another boat. The w ater-skiing and w akeboarding was phenomenal, with glassy smooth water found during the mor ning, afternoon and evening hours. Whether we were swimming in the lag oon, cruising the lak e or just hanging out on a raft some 20 feet from our campsite, one word summarizes what the weekend w as all about – relaxation. With no one in too m uch

of a hurry and no place to really be, the sun w as hot, the lake was crystal clear and the scenery was absolutely beautiful.

Next time y ou are looking for a quick getaway, pack up the family, the tent, the sto ve and plenty of sunscreen and w ater and head out to see what Lak e McClure has in store.

Get out there and enjoy!

For mor e infor mation on this hik e or other outdoor experiences , contact Ke vin at hiker@claytonpioneer.com.

Kevin Parker/Clayton Pioneer

UNKNOWN COVE ON LAKE MCCLURE

LAKE MCCLURE, HORSESHOE BEND CAMPGROUND Getting There: From Highway 5, take Highway 132 through Modesto until you reach the Horseshoe Bend Campground Sign. Driving time is about 4 hours. Activities: Houseboating, camping, fishing, watersports, wildlife viewing, picnicking, nature walks and much more. For more information: Visit www.lakemcclure.com or call Horseshoe Bend for reservations at 1-800-4688889. Campsites should be reserved and cost $22 per night.

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

omeone who’s always on the go and always in the know, Lynne French’s natural energy and positive personality drive her to make the most of every moment, whether it’s in her hobbies, in her home life with husband, Danny, or in her role as one of the area’ s leading real estate professionals. With such a determined approach, it’s easy to see how Lynne has made such a

lasting impact through her long-running real estate career. By working her hardest and providing the most possible options, she has helped many Discover the Possibilities in the East Bay Area real estate market. Whether you’re buying or selling, Lynne French and her team are the ones to know for a higher level of service. Give them a call today and experience the difference for yourself.

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Page B2

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 4, 2006

Clayton Sports Kevin White turns Firefighter’s Olympics into gold BILL WAGONER Clayton Pioneer

Clayton resident K evin White brought home the g old medal at the recent Firefighter’s Summer Olympics. The 35th ann ual Califor nia Firefighter’s Summer Olympics, governed b y the Califor nia Firemen’s Athletic Association, were held in San J ose J uly 1621. More than 2,500 firefighters competed at venues throughout the South Ba y in 29 areas of competition, from basketball to bass fishing and motocross. Reached on his da y off (which included his twiceweekly road bik e ride up Mt. Diablo for conditioning), White explained that his competition was not as originally planned. “Actually, I was g oing down to participate in a pok er tour nament with three other guys from my department,” says the Berkeley firefighter. With the pok er action canceled, apparently due to San Jose g aming issues , White began surfing the Firefighter’ s Olympics W ebsite and came across the physical fitness competition as an alternative. A GRUELING EXPERIENCE The ph ysical fitness program w as comprised of seven events: 100 meter swim, 100 yard dash, bench press (n umber of repetitions with 80 percent of the entrant’ s body weight), pull-ups (re ps in 90 seconds), sit-ups (re ps in tw o minutes), 5K r un and then … after six hours in the hot afternoon sun, the final ev ent w as aptly titled the “modified combat c hallenge course .” This obstacle course , centered around firefighter tec hniques and tactics , proved to be the most challenging. “I was best prepared for the 5K r un, because I do a lot of running,” White recalls . “The obstacle course w as g rueling, because we had already r un six events and it w as very hot. We were w earing 25 pounds of equipment in blazing hot sun. “I don’t want to compare it to w ar,” he sa ys with a sigh, “but it w as really br utal. You almost gi ve y ourself a pat on the bac k just for finishing that event.” White said his g oal was “to appease myself.” “I didn’t want to disappoint myself in the competition, ” he notes. “I wasn’t anticipating the results.” The par ticipants were se parated into ag e g roups with a scaled point system, with the

Photo courtesy of Kevin and Tonya White

KEVIN WHITE AT HOME (6) and Christian (3).

OAKHURST, with wife Tonya and sons Dylan

Following 10 years as a paramedic for pri vate ambulances locally, White has been with the Berkeley Fire De partment for eight years . At Station 2, his department ser vices the do wntown area and the UC Berk eley campus. OLYMPICS? I N WINTER? White laughs at the sug gestion of the Firefighter’s Winter Olympics, to be held late February ’07 in Mammoth. “I’m not a winter guy ,” he says. “Maybe if they came up with an ev ent where I could strap spikes on my feet and run, I might do it. I’m definitely a spring-summer, warm-weather guy.” For regular conditioning, he runs a lot. “Either the treadmill at work or, when I’m at home ,

around Cla yton. We break down our sc hedule into threeshift, 72-hour tours. Daily, we’re training one to three hours on rope rescue or auto extrication and train for specific situations that we might encounter on the job, plus time for our o wn physical fitness of ‘target exercises.’ ” Circumstances didn ’t allo w White to compete previously. “I wanted to mak e m y mark and get better at what I’m doing, ” he concludes . “I’m v ery dedicated to my family, my boys and my wife.” But he’ll lik ely find time for the ann ual Firefighter’ s Summer Olympics . “I’ll g o down there and thro w m y hat in the ring, ” he sa ys. “I’m almost compelled to contin ue participating.”

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KEVIN WHITE WINS THE 5K RUN, one of seven physical fitness events that led to a gold medal in the 2006 California Firefighter’s Summer Olympics in San Jose.

top four results a warded 10075-50-25 points in eac h ev ent. The total of all sev en ev ents resulted in the overall scores. White ear ned a g old medal in his ag e g roup (40-49) and a silver medal o verall for all ag es – meaning second o verall among the 45 firefighters willing to enter the ph ysical fitness competition. “You ha ve to consider yourself to be in fairly decent shape,” White admits , “to even w ant to put y ourself

through this.” LONG-TIME ATHLETE White, 41, has li ved in Oakhurst for five years. He and wife Tonya will be mar ried 10 years in Se ptember, and they have two sons, 6-year-old Dylan and 3-year-old Christian. Dylan, who will be a first-grader at Mt. Diablo Elementar y, played CVLL tee-ball and has been active in the Cla yton YMCA summer sports camp. Born in San F rancisco,

White mo ved to W alnut Creek in the second g rade and g raduated from Nor thgate High. Following a high sc hool football and bask etball career , he was an admitted “intram ural rat” at UC Santa Barbara. He’s a regular on the triathlon circuit and pla ys basketball twice a week at Big C in Concord. He also plays softball on a W alnut Creek C League , “with the same guys for about 20 years now – guys I’ve known since elementary school.”

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August 4, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Clayton Sports CV summer football preps for ’06 g rid season

Page B3

The Clayton Connection for all your financial & real estate needs

BILL WAGONER Clayton Pioneer

Clayton Valley High Sc hool football is just around the corner, as summer camps and college commitments also fill the coach’s thoughts. Herc P ardi, now embarking on his 12th season as the Eagles head v arsity football coac h, reports that three 2006 grads will play at the college level this fall. QB Rich Martinez has committed to Graceland Uni versity (NAIA) on a par tial athletic scholarship. Martinez will be attending the Lamoni, Iowa, campus as a possible 2006 redshirt. Vinnie Levine has signed a letter of intent to Di vision III Menlo Colleg e in Ather ton. According to his coac hes, the linebacker may see pla ying time this fall at the non-sc holarship school. Offensive lineman Ha yden Piper is an in vited prefer red walk-on at the Uni versity of Oregon. Reports out of Eugene indicate that Piper may be a redshirt in 2006 for the Di vision I Ducks. Meanwhile, the 2006 CV varsity and junior v arsity participated in the full-contact San Jose T eam Camp J une 18-21. Both squads finished as r unnerups in the final da y King of the Hill scrimmage.

See Football, page B5

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Photo courtesy of Frank and Lisa Quadrato

CLAYTON’S CHRIS QUADRATO, IN JUST HIS FIRST YEAR OF FOOTBALL LAST SEASON, played on both sides of the ball for the Clayton Valley Falcons. Chris was selected by the CV coaching staff as “Outstanding Lineman” among all incoming freshmen participating in the recent youth football camp.

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In ’97, Zach Wells put Clayton on the baseball map BILL WAGONER Clayton Pioneer

In recent ar ticles about the MLB draft of local baseball players and the subsequent professional signings of Nick Moresi and Cla yton Tanner, it had been written that “the signing puts an ex clamation mark on the end of a 15-year

ZACH WELLS

Sale Pending

drought since Damon Mashore signed with the Oakland Athletics bac k in 1991.” In fact, Clayton produced one other professional baseball player during that 15-year span. Zachary W ells w as the Giants’ 29th round selection (No. 868 o verall) in the 1997 amateur draft. Wells, the son of Gordon and Dorothy Wells of Clayton, was league MVP his senior year at Cla yton Valley High in 1995 and w ent on to star at DVC for two seasons. Following his selection in June 1997 as the first-ev er signing b y Giants director of scouting Matt Nerland, Wells immediately went to the shortseason Northwest League. Playing for the same Salem-Keizer club to whic h Tanner has recently been assigned, the outfielder put up

impressive numbers in his first pro season. Wells hit .284 with 10 homeruns and 43 RBI over 62 games. The follo wing season, he was promoted to Bak ersfield of the Califor nia League and struggled a bit offensively. Under the direction of the Giants farm system, his strong arm lead to a con version to pitcher for the 1999 season. Returning to Salem-K eizer, Wells w ent 4-1 with a 3.48 ERA over 20-plus innings and again ear ned a promotion to Bakersfield. He threw 72 innings in relief during the 2000 season at Bakersfield, while appearing in 40 games. He concluded his professional baseball career the follo wing season under manager (and for mer Giants star) K evin Mitc hell with the Sonoma Cr ushers of the Western Baseball League.

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Page B4

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Clayton Sports Curing the “Kneasles” DAVE GRAY GRAY ON GOLF The role of the knees in a good g olf swing is to pro vide stability and resistance . However, many amateurs mistakenly allo w their knees to sway to the right, during the backswing, something I call the

“kneasles”. The most common result is a w eak slice , but depending on ho w m uch y ou sway laterally, you might also hit behind the ball or top it. With control knee action, your left knee moves behind the ball in the bac kswing only in response to the turning of your upper body . Your right knee remains f lexed in its address position. During the forw ard swing, or downswing, your left knee mo ves to ward the targ et and your right knee chases your left, catching up with it at the end of your follow-through. A g ood drill I ask m y stu-

dents to do for dev eloping correct knee action, is to hit balls with a camper’ s stool betw een your legs. (A camper’s stool has a canvas seat with legs that fold together). To groove the correct knee action on y our backswing, avoid collapsing the stool. On the do wnswing, let y our right knee follo w y our left until the stool completely closes up. Remember at the star t of this article, I mentioned stability and resistance . I cannot emphasis enough the importance of these factors in our golf swings. For example, take a spring and wind it up . When

One of the most interesting aspects of meteorology is the incredible balance of forces that must take place to produce the weather conditions that sustain life on this planet. But there also are countless other examples of balance in our world. One of my fa vorite examples of balance is the g ame of baseball. Over the last few decades, I’ve spent a lot of time observing the g ame. Besides attending hundreds of A’s and Giants g ames, I’ve w atched both m y sons pla y 10 years of Little League . My y ounger son now pla ys high sc hool ball at Clayton Valley. The balance betw een pitc hing, hitting, fielding and running makes it a g ame where momentum can c hange at any time . Hitting a baseball is a real c hallenge. You often hear coac hes tell a player: “See the ball, hit the ball.” But it isn’t that easy. So w e ha ve tw o, well-balanced systems – w eather and baseball. Have y ou considered the effects that w eather has on the game of baseball, especially on ho w far a batted ball might travel? T here are some subtle and not so subtle effects that the four main w eather variables (wind, pressure, temperature and relati ve humidity) ha ve on the flight of a baseball. As a baseball moves through the air, its flight is altered by two main forces – g ravity and friction. The force of gravity pulls the ball downward, at a rate that is nearly constant throughout the atmosphere , so it affects every ball in the same w ay. The force of friction, however, can change with the weather, affecting ho w fast and far a baseball

will travel. Wind has the most dramatic effect on the flight of a baseball. If the wind is blo wing ag ainst the flight of the ball, it encoun-

WOODY WHITLATCH WEATHER WORDS ters more molecules of air. There is increased frictional drag on the ball and it slo ws down. If the wind is blowing in the direction of the ball’s flight, the ball encounters few er air molecules and will fly farther. For example, a ball that travels 400 feet on a calm da y will travel 445 feet with a 15 mph wind behind it. Air temperature affects the flight of the ball because the density of the air (the n umber of molecules of air in a specific volume) is lo wer in w armer air. In other w ords, the warmer the air, the few er air molecules in the air to provide frictional drag on the baseball. It is estimated that a ball hit with the same force will car ry 400 feet when the temperature is 45 deg rees F, but it will tra vel 420 feet when the temperature is 95. Relative humidity , the amount of water v apor in the air, also affects the f light of a ball. It tur ns out that w ater

vapor is less dense than dr y air. So, in a parcel of air with a constant temperature, the air density decreases as the relati ve humidity increases. Therefore, a ball will travel a little bit far ther in humid air (as long as the ball does not become heavier due to its exposure to increased moisture). Finally, there is the effect of atmospheric pressure . As air pressure decreases , the density of the air decreases and a ball will travel far ther. At any stadium, air pressure can c hange from da y to da y, affecting ho w far a ball can travel. Changes in altitude provide a much greater change in air pressure, since atmospheric pressure decreases rapidly with height. A ball hit with enough force to send it 400 feet at Oakland (near sea level elevation) would travel 440 feet in Den ver, the mile high city. When the Colorado R ockies began pla ying in Den ver, more home runs were hit in that stadium than any other stadium in the major leagues . Robert Adair , a physicist consulting to Major League Baseball, proposed that the R ockies begin storing baseballs in humidors. This makes the balls heavier than those stored in dry air conditions , increasing the force of gravity on the ball and shortening their flight. Since 2002, the use of humidor-stored baseballs has been credited with reducing the number of home runs at the Rockies home stadium. Of course, it could be that the R ockies ha ve better pitc hers no w than they did before 2002.

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you release it, it snaps back into place with enor mous po wer. The same thing happens with our lo wer body action. That uncoiling of our hips pulls the upper body into a po werful position through the impact. So take a stool sample from me and wipe those “kneasles” away, or just quit the g ame and go camping. Whatever! Dave Gray is a teaching professional at Diab lo Cr eek Golf Course in Concord. E-mail y our questions or comments to him at sports@claytonpioneer.com

Weather plays games with America’s favorite sport

August 4, 2006

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Richard A. Littorno Littorno & Morrison, Attorneys At Law “The planning solutions are here.”

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Free Family Fun Clayton Community Church presents the Third Annual

In association with Insurance Management Corp.

See Weather, page B5

Sat., Sept. 2, 2006 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This event is intended as an opportunity for family fun. Kids age 7-16 can register. There is NO fee to participate. Register by August 19th to get a free t-shirt and run in two races.

e! e r F e c Kids Ra rovided! p e r ce car, a a r n s r w o a r u C

build yo o t h t i w ossan. F e If you k i M t contac For event info contact: Mike Fossan (925) 672-1646 mfossan@sbcglobal.net

The day’s events will also include Classic Car Show, Music, Inflatable Jump Rooms, Free Sno-Cones and Drinks! Food Available at Local Restaurants!

For registration info contact: Peggy Bidondo (925) 672-9708 pbidondo@pacbell.net

August 4, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

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Blogging is good therapy at any ag e Ralph Leonard seems lik e a typical blogger. His blog, “Last Quarter – Game of Life,” tells his daily adv entures and recollections. But in reality, Leonard is no ordinar y blog ger – he is 81 years old. Most people assume that the people who blog are involved in some technical field and are between the ages of 18 and 25. But the fact that senior citizens lik e Leonard are blogging rev eals that there is no typical blogger. According to the Ag eless Project (http://jenett.org/ ageless/), a Website that trac ks

“personal, creative side of the Web is diverse and ageless.” Leonard, who li ves in Florida, tells ho w he star ted blogging in J une 2005 because he had “a bac klog of nostalgia and w ar stories” cluttering his head. With his memor y slipping, he decided to preserve his thoughts for his g randkids. His simple blog no w g ets hits from all o ver the w orld, including India, China and South America. He sa ys he keeps blog ging because he owes it to the people who have become steady readers. Leonard connects to his

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Ralph Leanard’s blog chronicles his daily adventures.

Old-Fashioned Service with Modern Technology

The Clayton Pioneer’s “Music Notes” columnist

Clayton’s own

Jim Hudak Pianist and Composer For bookings and performances:

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Page B5

blogs b y their o wners’ birthdates, there are numerous blogs for people bor n in the 1920s . The project explains that the

readers through a vast, expanding Inter net comm unity. To some, it may seem like a daunting challenge to reach so many

Football, from page B3 Clayton v arsity pla yers recognized by Coach Pardi as ha ving outstanding camps included Luis Casug a, Kevin T ellian, Kevin Mur phy, Dan Roper and Spencer Blumberg . At the JV level, Chris Mazza, Brady Raye, Arne P anzer, Luke Heising er, Jon Mur phy and Stev en Meyer drew praise from the staff. Closer to home , Clayton Valley players and future players participated in four camps o ver the summer break. YOUTH FOOTBALL CAMP CV coac hes ran their 5th annual youth football camp June 26-30. Covering 5th thr u 9th grades, the program was attended b y 70 campers and g ave coaches an early look at incoming freshman. Outstanding Camper awards went to the par ticipants who most impressed the coac hing staff. INCOMING FRESHMEN: Outstanding Lineman: Chris Quadrato Offensive Award: Justin Dalton Defensive Award: Vince Buhagiar Most Impr oved: Danny Pr uitt, Chris Burnett

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Complimentary Blood Sugar Test offered Monday through Friday from 1 to 4 p.m. If you are not a patient of Clayton Valley Medical Group and would like to become one, please contact Sue at (925) 672-6744 x14

7TH-8TH GRADES: Outstanding Lineman: Alex Rodriguez Offensive Award: Joel Ferguson Defensive Award: Mark Martinez 5TH-6TH GRADES: Outstanding Lineman: Greg O’Neill Offensive Award: Josh Ballard Defensive Award: Jesse Medrano Pardi also cited solid performances b y Dominic and Vince Gara venta, Brady Formoso, Marcus Mar tinez, Payton R ussum, and Cla yton’s Jeremy McKillip and Ev an Goodrich as highlights of the five-day camp. VARSITY AND JV COMPETITION

July brought the 5th annual JV Shootout, held at CVHS. The CV White squad, consisting of Joey Levine, Dozie Iwugwu, Josse Tejeda, Michael Adan, Bobby Morales, Jordan Dyer , Jake Looney and Danny Pr uitt, won the event. The team, coached by Pat Protheroe, beat Pittsburg (136), CV R ed (32-6), Foothill (2115) and finally CV Blue (34-12) en route to a 4-0 record.

people through the Inter net. But there are many W ebsites that mak e tapping into the Blogosphere simple . Leonard uses Blogger, one of the original blogging communities. His blog (http://ag edandg r u m p y. b l o g s p o t . c o m / ) includes a profile that lists some of his fa vorite mo vies, music and films . Users can search Blogger for people with like interests , or find posts about cer tain topics . But a blogger is not limited to writing about their listed interests . People can write about anything and “tak e as long as w e like, or need, to for mulate our thoughts,” says Leonard. Some blogs maintain a primary focus, like “The Bay Area Is Talking” (http://www.kronnews.com/bait/about.htm), a Website maintained b y KRON 4 about the “daily conversation … in the San F rancisco Ba y Area comm unity.” But most are simply the c hronicles of life. Leonard seems to enjo y the latter and has links to some of his favorite blogs on the side of his page. According to Leonard, blogging is the “perfect w ay to vent the eg otism” that ev eryone has . By putting one’ s thoughts on paper , or in this case on the W eb, blogging can be therapeutic. Blogging gi ves Leonard

“something to look forw ard to each da y” and allo ws him to indulge in something creati ve instead of drifting into a

Next on the football calendar was the Delta Colleg e Mustang Round-Up, a lineman competition in Stoc kton on J uly 8. In a combination of events that included bench press, 440 football relay, agility drills, tractor tire flip, tug-of-war, five-man sled and hoops drills , Clayton Valley returned from Delta Colleg e with another title. The CV No. 2 team, comprised of Travis Ford, Quint Sereal, Jake Turrin, Vince Stoddard and Dan Gentr y, won the event with 97 points. The CV No . 1 team, with Dan Velasco, Matt Ghrist, Matt Lewis, Kevin Murphy and Clark Macario, placed 4th in the 12school event. On J uly 14-15, CV ear ned second place in the DVC Passing Tournament. Winning quar terfinal and semifinal g ames o ver

Antioch and F airfield on “sudden death yardag e” after tw o overtimes, the Eagles lost in the championship to De La Salle. Outstanding recognition on the offensive side went to Travis Ford, Justin Ec klin, Vince Stoddard, and quar terbacks Rocky Casug a and J oey Levine. Defensively, Keith F ranklin, Julius Decasin, Terrell Woodall, Jake T urrin and K evin T ellian drew praise from the CVHS coaching staff. Pardi, who lives in Dana Hills with his wife R oxanne, will launch football practice on Monday, Aug. 14, two w eeks before the first da y of school. Two-a-day practices begin the following Monday in preparation for scrimmag es and the Se pt. 8 league opener at College Park.

MARK FREEMAN

Mark Freeman recently graduated fr om De La Salle High School and will be attending St. Mar y’s College of California in the Fall. He plans to study Economics and write for the school paper . Questions/comments can be sent to mfreeman543@gmail.com

Weather, from page B4 Because of the effects that weather has on baseball, that statement “See the ball, hit the ball” should be amended to sa y “See the ball, hit the ball … preferably with the wind at your back, on a w arm day, with high humidity and lo w barometric pressure.”

THE LOAN YOUR BANK DOESN’T WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT!

If you are interested in more details on ho w w eather affects baseball, check out Adair’ s book, The Physics of Baseball. Woody Whitlatch is a meteorologist with PG &E. Email y our questions or comments to clayton_909@yahoo.com

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“couch potato existence .” Reading other blogs helps him appreciate ho w different people are and “ho w each lifestyle is as acceptable as another.” He encourages those his age to start blogs. “The concentration is g ood for y ou, and it takes y our mind off the ac hes and pains w e old folks ha ve to live with, ” Leonard sa ys. “For arthritis, it can work better than Aleve.”

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Page B6

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 4, 2006

Historical perspective on the tr uth about cats and dogs I am often ask ed if I prefer working with cats or dogs . This question is impossible for me to answer since I am fond of both species and appreciate them for their differences and unique abilities. The best answ er I can gi ve involves a discussion of the history behind these tw o species with whom w e share our li ves. Understanding ho w they came to be can help all of us to better understand their behaviors. The domestic cat was probably derived from a subspecies of the African wildcat about 8,000 years ag o. By comparison, humans ha ve shared their homes with the domestic dog for more than 15,000 years. So, why did it tak e so long for early humans to domesticate the cat? It has been h ypothesized that cats w ere more trou-

JULIE BOND

PAWS

AND

CLAWS

blesome and less v alued for domestication. They were more useful to early humans in their “wild” state. Cats were probably attracted to human settlements b y the rodents that could be found there. We can assume that early humans w ere g rateful for the cat’s ability to control the rodent population and didn ’t discour-

Spud and Harley are ARF’s adoption stars Spud is a v ery friendly and easygoing guy. He loves to pla y but is equally happy to be curled up in a w arm lap . The adoption fee for Spud is $200 and includes the first six training courses. Harley is a happy and enthusiastic guy who lo ves everyone he meets . He enjo ys spending time with feline friends, and has ev en become buddies with some cat-lo ving canines.

HARLEY

The adoption fee for Harley is $100. Bring everyone who will live with Harley or Spud to meet

age cats li ving in their settlements. To this day, most cats do not have to be taught to be g ood mousers because their predatory ability is innate. Dogs, on the other hand, are descended from wolves, a packliving species . Their social system is similar to ours , which may explain why dogs have been tied with humans so m uch longer than cats. It has been theorized that wolves w ere attracted to early human settlements b y the smell of meat and the pro ximity to warm fires. Early humans could take adv antage of not only the wolves’ superior hunting abilities, but their k een hearing to help alert them to predators. The differences between dog behavior and wolf behavior can be attributed to the domestication process. For example, adult wolves do not bark, beg for food or pla y as m uch as w olf pups do , and w olf pups do it less than domestic dogs of any age. Early humans selecti vely chose these beha viors as desirable and that is why they persist in dogs today.

In addition, we ha ve modified many specific dog beha viors (and physical characteristics, for that matter) to suit our o wn needs. These modifications have led to the dev elopment of different breeds , some who are good hunters, trackers, herders, defenders and retrievers. The tight association between humans and dogs has led many researc hers to conclude that humans and dogs “codomesticated.” In contrast, the social systems within the cat family are much more complex. Early humans did not modify or select certain beha viors in cats but instead exploited their natural abilities. Because cats g enerally hunt alone, they have been described as aloof, unfriendly and asocial. Actually, cats are extremely flexible creatures who can easily live alone or in a g roup. In fact, domestic cats can live and thrive in extremely complex, multi-cat situations. The popularity of the domestic cat has risen in the United States . Recent estimates indicate that the cat has edg ed

out the dog as the most popular household pet, with 55 million dogs and 60 million cats . It is interesting to note that as the cat’s popularity has increased, that of the dog has decreased. This ma y be due in par t to changes in the economic str ucture of our society, with long er work hours , smaller li ving spaces and less free time. Regardless of the reason, we cannot discount that our society’s fondness for cats is on the rise and the amount of good information out there on cats and their beha vior is constantly increasing. Whether you consider y ourself a dog person or a cat per-

son, it is impor tant to understand that these domestic species ha ve different histories and, therefore, different beha vioral re pertoires. Though they are undesirable , many of the behavior problems noted by pet owners are actually nor mal, species-typical beha viors. Understanding the beha vior of our pets not only opens a window into their w orld but can teach us about our origins as well. Julie Bond is an animal beha viorist. Addr ess your pet questions to her at P .O. Bo x 21552, Concord, CA, or y ou can e-mail her at K9Freud@aol.com.

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SPUD

them at Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue F oundation, 2890 Mitchell Dri ve, Walnut Creek, during adoption hours 3 to 7 p.m. Thurs. and F ri., Noon to 4:30 p .m. Sat. and Sun. Visit www.arf.net or call (925) 2561ARF for more infor mation. Would you like to be part of the heroic team that sa ves the lives of rescued dogs and cats? Can y ou share y our talents to connect people and animals? ARF v olunteers are making a difference. For more infor mation see our W eb site , www.arf.net, or call (925) 2561ARF.

Where: Petaluma What: A self-guided film walking tour Description: This dog gie date is a m ust for film buffs . Take a leisurely stroll along Keller Street and W estern Avenue in do wntown Petaluma and test y our film location kno wledge. Petaluma has quite a few iron front buildings that ha ve been used as bac kdrops for many films . “American Graffiti” and “Basic Instinct” were filmed in town. Do y ou recognize the big, white house at 226 Liberty St.? T hat’s P eggy Sue’s house in “Peggy Sue Got Mar ried.” How to get ther e: Take Highway 680 nor th across the Benicia Bridg e. Take Highway 780 w est, then merg e onto Highway 80 east to ward Sacramento. Merge onto Highway 37 w est to ward Napa. Take Highw ay 101

north toward Santa Rosa. Take the Highw ay 116 east exit toward Sonoma/Napa. Turn right onto the Lak eville Highway/Highway 116. That becomes Lakeville Street. Turn left onto East W ashington Street and then left onto Keller Street. Begin your walking tour by parking in the city garage at the corner of Keller Street and Western Avenue. Pointers: For more information, visit the P etaluma Visitor Center at 800 Baywood Dr., Suite 1. The Visitor Center is at the northwest corner of Highway 116 (Lakeville Highway) and Baywood Drive, next to the P etaluma Marina. Or call 1-877-273-8258 or visit www.visitpetaluma.com. – Julie Bond

Grace Carson & her dog, Blue

Was it “ruff” saying goodbye this morning? Apronstrings Pet Sitting

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Monte Vista-Medical care for your pet with lots of TLC JILL BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer

Dewey, the office cat, sits watch o ver the computers and usually g reets clients when they come for a check. He was found wondering around Long’ s Drugs five years ag o and decided to hang out at Monte Vista Animal Hospital. Dewey seemed to kno w that there would be vacancy at the hospital that he could fill. Shortly after he ar rived, the hospital’ s longtime cat boarder , Panther died of heart disease. Dewey settled into his new home. On any given day, you’ll find a v ariety of dogs, cats, rabbit and rodents lik e Dillon, the hamster, who w as suffering from a possible bladder infection and Mar tha the pug, who suffers from back and leg problems. Monte Vista Animal Hospital on W ashington Blv d. in Concord has been treating companion animals for nearly 40 years with in-de pth medical workups, surgery and adv anced dentistry including dental cleaning, x-rays and treatment. Owner Dr. Marybeth Rymer, D.V.M. has been with Monte Vista since 1990 and has experienced her share of emergency

situations and w ellness programs for pets. “Extensive wellness care is a good screening for early health problems ,” Rymer says. “We try to prevent that crisis from ev er happening .” Wellness prog rams include health exams , blood w ork and screening for v arious health problems. “We tr y to c hange your pets lifestyle,” she says. Her daily ritual of helping animals k eeps her passionate about her job. Rymer feels good at the end of each da y when she’s helped an animal live more comfortably. She is also a ware of the human bond betw een owner and pet. Pets are li ving longer these da ys, she explains. “We ha ve some cats who are twenty years old. People get terribly attac hed to their pets and it’s very stressful for them when their pets are sick. I feel that we treat not only the pet, but the owner as w ell,” Rymer sa ys. Rymer and her staff of 15 take pride in spending time with each client to discuss their pet’s medical problems and create a bond between the veterinarian, owner and pet. While the business end of the r unning an animal hospital is most c hallenging for R ymer, she loves the day to day interac-

Spark creativity

DR. MARYBETH RYMER, DVM, AND DEWEY

tion with animals and o wners. She especially enjo ys w orking with four teen year old Mar tha, who has the best spirit of any patient, explains R ymer. Although the little pug is almost completely blind, “she tries to look y ou right in the face .” Martha has had bladder stones , back problems , weak legs and has underg one surg ery to correct a breathing blockage. Rymer holds a B.A degree in biology from San J ose State University and g raduated from the Sc hool of Veterinary Services at Da vis in 1981. She’s been a small animal pri vate practitioner ever since.

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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

For reservations call (925) 524-0011 6201 CENTER ST. CLAYTON

For some truly out of the ordinary Mexican food, think outside the taco and head down Clayton Road to LOS CHIVOS at the corner of Bailey and Clayton Road. Here you will find such hard to find delectables as Carne con Nopales. Nopales are prickly pear cactus pads— and delicious…not something you’ll find at your local fast food stop or drive thru. Owner, Gonzalo Barajas, wants everything he serves to be fresh, perfectly cooked and authentic. Take his Chicken Mole, for instance. “It’s real mole,” says Barajas. Some people consider mole, a flavorful blend of chili powder, nuts and (believe it or not) chocolate, to be the national dish of Mexico. The menu is extensive. You’ll find several choices of tacos, tortas, quesadillas, burritos and tostadas along with nearly a dozen seafood choices. But, save room for dessert. You’ll want to top off your meal with a smooth flan or Arroz de leche (Mexican rice pudding flavored with cinnamon and raisins) or one of several other choices. Barajas, together with his father and brothers, own and operate at two locations—Los Chivos #1, opened seven years ago, and Los Chivos #2 which opened on Clayton Road last year. This is a bright, comfortable, “make yourself at home” place to eat. Or, order ahead for take out. Prices range from $1.25 for a taco to $7.95 and $8.95 for a complete meal with rice and beans. Located at 4787 A Clayton Road, Los Chivos is open Mon.-Fri. from 9:30 a.m. (stop by for a breakfast burrito) until 8:30 p.m., and Sun. 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone 680-0914. This is not your kid’s sub, and there’s nothing ordinary about the gourmet sandwiches served up at the new GOURMET SUBS AND MORE. Owner, Sadie RangerNazzal, had something special in mind when she opened her new sub shop next to the Shell station at Clayton Road and Ygnacio. First, the menu – you’ll find no less than 25 different

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from the ardent pasta lover to the fresh fish and salad lovers. T h e Linguine with garlic and mushrooms in virgin olive oil will arrive at your table piping hot and smelling absolutely delicious and is sure to become the personal favorite of many. The cream of broccoli soup has a perfect texture and flavor that will live long in

Dining Around

Fresh ingredients Everything homemade

Out of the ordinary Uncommonly good Authentic Mexican Cuisine

Page B7 12 and free for children under 6. Price includes champagne or sparkling cider, choice of fresh fruit juice, dessert and coffee. Brunch is served from 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. La Veranda is open daily for lunch and dinner and serves a Northern Italian menu of pasta, pizza, chicken, veal and fish starting at $8.50 for Bruchetta with olive oil, fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil. Pasta dishes range from $9 for Penne All’arrabiata to

sandwiches, served either “sub style” or “Panini” style and all calling for nothing but the freshest ingredients. Her menu is also “vegetarian and vegan friendly.” All subs are oven baked and all Paninis are grilled. For the meat lover in you try the Tri-Tip House Special— oven roasted trip tip served au-jus with provolone for $5.99. If you’re super hungry, size up to $7.99. And the list g o e s on…Chipotle Cheese Steak, C h i c k e n Parmigiano, The Blue – oven roasted or smoked turkey breast, ham, bacon, avocado all topped with a blue cheese Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer dressing. Or, NOW THAT IT’S COOL ENOUGH to sit outside, treat the family to pizza on how about a the patio at Rocco’s turkey breast with cranberry $11.75 for Spaghettini Frutti your memory. sauce and cream cheese. di Mare. Another favorite is the Panini lovers can have For reservations for seafood salad featuring their sandwich with garlic, brunch, lunch or dinner, call shrimp and scallops on a bed Cesar or ranch spread or basil, black olive and sun of spinach in a warm lemon 524-0011. A little more on the casual dried tomato pesto…all Dijon sun-dried tomato dressside and a great place to take ing. homemade. ROCCO’S the kids is Prices are very reasonable If you’re watching your R I S T O R A N T E at 2909 which make Pasta Primavera carbs, dig into one of Sadie’s Ygnacio Valley Road in a perfect choice for any occagarden fresh salads. Try an Walnut Creek. Voted the best sion. Oriental Chicken Salad of This Sunday, treat yourself pizza in the Bay Area by a grilled chicken breast with an to brunch at LA VERANDA Contra Costa Times Reader Oriental dressing or an All C A F E. Poll, Rocco’s serves up a killer American Albacore Tuna house specialty. The This all inclusive Sunday salad. All dressings are Dominator, piled high with Champagne Brunch will homemade. At this end of Clayton tempt you with some old pepperoni, salami, mushham, linguica, Road’s “fast food row,” this favorites including a unique rooms, sausage and onions, is not for take on the old tried and true family owned and operated the faint of heart. At $19.97, Joe’s Special--a scrumptious eatery is a welcome respite this large pizza will feed a mix of sausage, spinach and from MSG and deep fried small army. eggs. And the Eggs Benedict “stuff.” Priced from $1.99 for Rocco’s also has several a cup of homemade soup to will delight with its smooth choices of classic Italian and satiny Hollandaise. $7.99 for the biggest Tri Tip pasta, homemade minestrone But there will be a few surSpecial, Gourmet Subs is as and several salads. All pasta prises, as well. Look for a light good for your wallet as it is for dishes are served with fresh and luscious Chicken Piccata, your health. bread. Top your pasta dinner chicken breast sauteed in Located at 5415 Clayton Road at the corner of Clayton white wine with lemon and off with a glass of wine and Road and Ygnacio, Gourmet capers or a gentle salmon you’re well fed and satisfied for well under $20 (tax and tip Subs is open Mon.-Sat. from with a light cream sauce. included.) Rocco’s opens Salads will include fresh 10:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. every day at 11 a.m. fruit and the personal favorite Closed on Sunday. And, ROCCO’S NEW of many La Veranda fans, the If you want a special place S P O RTS BAR is now open. Insalata Della Reina...baby for lunch or dinner, you might With a full bar, 12 big flat greens with walnuts and gorwant to stop by PASTA screen TVs and LIVE MUSIC, gonzola tossed with balsamic PRIMAVERA at the corner of sports fans might just think vinegar and olive oil Clayton Road and Treat Blvd. they’ve found heaven. And those Sunday breakin Concord. And for those who need a fast traditionalists will still be The dining room is charmlittle break from sports, check able to order eggs, omelets ing with dark cherry wood out the beautiful new fresh and buttermilk pancakes from chairs and tables and mirwater aquarium behind the the menu. rored back wall. bar. All this is offered at $18 The menu is sure to please See you at Rocco’s. the most discriminating palate per person, $9 for children 6-

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Page B8

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 4, 2006

New Vicar joins St. Bonaventure’s TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer

St. Bonaventure’s Catholic community welcomed their new parochial vicar last month. Father P eter San V o beg an his assignment with St. Bonaventure’s on J uly 10. In addition to his Mass and Sacramental duties , he will be teaching a religious education class this fall. Born in Danang in Central Vietnam, the y oung San V o escaped to the countr yside during the tumultuous years following the fall of Saigon. His father

spent sev en years in a post Vietnam War communist prison because he had ser ved on the police force in the South Vietnamese government. San Vo retur ned to Danang and lived with a priest during his high sc hool years , learning about parish life and ministr y and eventually receiving his call to the priesthood. In 1968, He came to the United States with his parents and sister as par t of a special political refug ee prog ram. He entered St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo P ark in 2000 and w as ordained on May 10, 2006.

Photo courtesy of St. Bonaventure

Peter San Vo with Bishop Allen Vigneron at Peter's Ordination.

St. Bonaventure Bible Camp was a Tropical Success The hot w eather set a tropical bac kdrop for St. Bonaventure’s V acation Bible Camp, Son Treasure Island, during the week of July17 - 21. The 185 teen counselors and 70 adult v olunteers transfor med the church and g rounds into an island paradise , complete with ocean waves, sand, tropical fish, palm trees and fun. The w eeklong camp took 310 campers on an island adv enture. Each da y after the opening prayer service, the skit team introduced the day’s theme and sent the campers off with clues to help them disco ver the “g reat treasure.” The campers sang songs , played g ames, made crafts, met new friends, ate tropical delights and lear ned the impor tance of

Photo courtesy of St. Bonaventure

JOSEPH ALEXANDER, counselor, cools off on the slip-n-slide.

loving one another . Highlights of the week included Crazy Hair Day, Funny Face Day, Wet and

Wild Wednesday, camp adaptations of popular g ame sho ws such as “Bible Camp Has

San V o’s family has a long history of living the Catholic faith, going bac k to the early 19th centur y in Vietnam. His ancestors, along with thousands of other Catholics , were martyred for their faith in the antiCatholic persecutions of the mid-1800s. The area around Danang is called the Country of Martyrs. Sports tak e high priority when San Vo has spare time. He enjoys tennis, volleyball and soccer and lo ves to w alk. He is a great fan of the mo vies and loves “shopping for and pla ying with high-tech gadgets.” Talent” and “Jesus or No Jesus” and a Tropical Carnival. The campers suppor ted various non-profit org anizations throughout the week including a clinic in So yapongo, El Salvador, Garden P ark Apartments transitional housing, St. Cornelius Sc hool in Richmond, Stonebrook Convalescent Hospital, and St. Bonaventure Food Pantry. As a result of the g enerosity of campers and their families, over $3500 worth of cash and donations were collected and distributed. Camp director , “Captain Rose” (Rosann Halick) successfully led the campers to disco ver that the g reatest treasure is the love God has for us. The camp has become extremely popular and usually fills up in the first w eek of registration. The volunteers say it is ministry at its best since adults guide the teens who in tur n mentor the younger ones.

Stop in this Sunday for relief from the Son! Join us for Bible-based and Christ-centered worship, education and fellowship.

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

Bible-based & Christ-centered worship, education & fellowship

5554 Clayton Rd., Concord (in the Farm Bureau building) (925) 524-0295 William Kant, Pastor

www.EternalLifeLutheranChurch.org Member of WELS (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod)

New book looks at r eligion as a personal experience

reality of the living gospel of Jesus—the sonship with God and brotherhood with man,

TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer

“The inner circle is the Father, the middle is the Son and the outer is the Spirit. To get to the F ather and the Son, you need to g o through the Holy Spirit, ” says Tery McCade, explaining the g raphic on the co ver of his new book, Words of Life. Written under the penname Elizach John, and taking an ecumenical approach, the book looks at the need for a personal and indi vidual relationship with Jesus Christ. “The whole world is ready for presenting to the peoples of all faiths ,” says McCade , “not the g ospel about Jesus, but the spiritual

comprehended b y the indi vidual li ving it— the experience of a personal religion.” McCade, a retired graphic artist, has been interested in religion most of his life , especially w orld religions . He w as the org anizer and coordinator of the “Spiritual Renaissance Conference,” held at the P acific School of Religion in Berk eley from 1975 until 1984. McCade is a suppor ter and past board member of the Clayton Historical Society. The book is available at both locations of Bonanza Books , the Cla yton Station and downtown Walnut Creek, for $25.

Church News CLAYTON COMMUNITY CHURCH Third Ann ual Clayton Community Great Labor Day Derby! Sat. Sept. 2 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Racing derb y cars (see Upcoming Ev ents), refreshments, inflatable bounce houses and slides , and a professional race car and dri ver where kids can get their picture tak en. The contact for sponsors is Mik e Fossan at 672-1949 or msfossan@sbcglobal.net. The contact for registration is P eggy Bidondo at 672-9708 or pbidondo@pacbell.net. We meet ev ery Sunda y at 9 and 10:45 a.m. at Diablo View Middle School. CROSSROADS COVENANT CHURCH Crossroads Co venant Church is hosting its second annual car sho w A ug. 19. The Lee Har vell Classic Car Sho w will r un from 5:50 p .m. until sunset. All mak es and models of cars and motorcycles are welcome. No entr y fees . Free BBQ, music and pla y area for kids. If you would like to show your car or motorcycle , please call Aaron for infor mation at 798-5905 ext. 204.

INTERFAITH DEVOTIONS AT DIAMOND TERRACE Please join us on the first Sun. of each month for dev otional readings and prayers from various religious traditions . Feel

free to bring y our own favorite readings or pra yers. Music and refreshments are pro vided. The next devotional meeting will be on Aug. 6 from 10 a.m. – 11a.m. downstairs, in the Movie Room.

Send your church news, announcements and upcoming church events to us at churchnews@ claytonpioneer.com

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Everyone kno ws about the Holocaust and the millions of people who w ere m urdered in concentration camps and on the battlefield. Now, the actions of the Holocaust are being re peated. Unless we act, mass murder and rape will continue. This time , the g enocide is occurring in the Darfur region of Sudan, which is in Africa. Arab militias, sponsored by the Sudanese g overnment, regularly rape, castrate and m urder innocent citizens. According to the g roup Darfur Genocide , about 500 more people die eac h da y. Before they are killed, women are usually raped and men are tortured. Children are not immune from the violence and are murdered, too. On the w ebsite www . darfurgenocide.org, there are

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pictures far too g raphic to print here. One victim is a small child, perhaps 8 years old, with his face bashed in with a rif le butt. Another is of a man who w as shot in the head after being mutilated and castrated. And those are only tw o of the estimated half a million or more victims. I’m telling you about this not to disgust or offend y ou. Instead, I hope that these tales of unspeakable hor ror can stir some of you to act. If no one acts, then there will be more children with their faces bashed in b y rif le butts . There will be more w omen and girls raped. There will be more people killed. There will be more misery. Maybe you won’t hear about it. But it will still be happening. For a while , it seemed lik e the problems in Darfur w ere

being noticed b y a wide g roup of people. George Clooney spoke about the g enocide on the W ashington Mall. Nicolas Kristof, a New Y ork Times columnist, regularly covered the issue. But soon, the publicity died away and the violence continues. I understand the desire to remain in the dark reg arding genocide. It’s a brutal topic, and even reading about it can mak e you de pressed. However, not thinking about this issue will not make it go away. There are actions y ou can take to help stop the violence. A small donation to a g roup lik e AmeriCares or Darfur Genocide can pro vide the resources necessar y to sa ve lives. Sending emails to y our representatives is of invaluable help – and is free . If every Clayton resident w ere to write

DEIRDRE RUSCITTI

CVHS REPORTER an email, it would make a hug e difference. Writing to newspapers , urging them to co ver this pressing issue, also can help . It doesn ’t matter if the newspaper is local or international. All that matters is that the editors will know that people w ant to read about the issue, and more pressure will be placed on the people who can help. If we don ’t do something, there will be more children with their faces bashed in. It’s our choice. Please act. For comments or questions contact Deirdre at CVHS@claytonpioneer.com

Cool kids at Mt. Diablo Elementary BETH NEUDELL Special to the Pioneer

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Hundreds of children at Mt. Diablo Elementar y will star t school as cool as cucumbers thanks to the fundraising efforts of the P arent F aculty Club (PFC). Three w eeks ag o the PFC’s Ann Kinney g ave the school district $112,989 to pa y for installation of air conditioning in 11 classrooms . Work is now underway with the g oal of finishing the project before school begins at the end of

August. Funds from Measure C paid for electrical upg rades that made the air conditioning installation possible. There is money from measure C and Prop. 55 to pay for air conditioning in Mt. Diablo district schools; however the funds are insufficient to co ver all the schools, explains Kinney . The first priority is schools that host summer sc hool. Clayton V alley High School has summer school but Mt. Diablo Elementary does not. As money becomes a vail-

able through bond measures the district will install air conditioning in additional sc hools. With recent tight sc hool budg ets the PFC was fearful they might not get money from the district, so they v oted to use money from six years of hosting auctions , other fundraisers , and a larg e sum of money from an anonymous donor to get the air conditioning project started. There are four classrooms that still need to be air conditioned, as well as the office and

the m ulti-use room. More fundraising is planned to raise money to star t w ork on the remaining classrooms during winter break of 2006. The Clayton Business and Community Association (CBCA) has ag reed to donate $20,000 for the second phase of air conditioning installation, explains Kinney. “That will help us g et the ball rolling for our second phase which we hope to have completed during the Christmas break.”

guardians must accompany their student. First da y of school is Mon. Aug. 28. Regular bell sc hedule, 8:35 a.m. to 2:55 p .m. New enrollees, call the office for registration info. (925) 672-0898.

Attention parents . The CVHS W eb store is coming soon. Watch for the link titled “Web store” on our Web site @ www.mdusd.k12.ca.us.claytonvalley. The sc hool office will reopen Mon. Aug. 7. Summer office hours will be 7:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1 – 4 p .m. Aug. 22 is w alk-through for students entering 10 - 12 g rades. Hours are 7 – 11 a.m. and 1 – 5 p .m. Freshman orientation and walkthrough is A ug. 23 from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p .m. and w alkthrough for freshman only is from 7 – 9 a.m. School begins on A ug. 28 with w alk-thru registration for 10 – 12 g rade students on A ug. 22, from 7 – 11 a.m. and 1 – 5 p.m. Freshman w alk-through will be on A ug. 23 from 7 – 9 a.m. Freshman orientation begins at 9:30 a.m.

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MT. DIABLO ELEMENTARY Prep Night for Mt. Diablo Elementary School will be held Wed., Aug. 23 from 4 to 8 p .m. Volunteers w orking that da y may come betw een 3:30 and 4 p.m. to turn in completed forms and recei ve class assignments . All other families plan to attend according to the follo wing schedule: 4-5:30 p .m., families with last names A-L, 5:30-7 p.m.; families with last names M-Z, 7- 8 p.m., as well as families A-Z unable to mak e their assigned time . Packets containing fur ther infor mation and required for ms should be received b y sc hool families in early August. If you wish to volunteer for Pre p Night, please contact K aren O’Lear y at kkoleary@ comcast.net or Deb Meylan at 4meylans@sbcglobal.net. The student council’s annual

Entertainment Book sale will start in A ugust. Pre-order at marydm64@yahoo.com . The books are $25 eac h and proceeds will benefit the sc hool’s computer updating project, assemblies and librar y needs . For more info call Mar y Del Monte at 672-5723. DIABLO VIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL Registration is T hurs. Aug. 17. Camp Diablo View (for six graders) runs from 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. Day begins with registration, school pictures and a brief orientation. Students are also given a tour of the school. Plan on attending for the full three hours . Parents or guardians m ust accompany their student. Grades 7 and 8 register between 2-7 p.m. Pick up schedules and pictures . Parents or

CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL The 15th Ann ual Athletic Boosters Club Golf Tournament, sponsored b y Clayton V alley High Sc hool, is Aug. 12. Proceeds from the tournament benefit the football and golf programs as well as the Athletic Boosters Club . Fee includes lunch and contests during the tournament. Golf is followed by dinner, raffle drawing and silent auction. Cost is $175. Contact cvhsboosters .org for entry forms and information, or call F red Roper at 548-4451 or fred.roper@sbcglobal.net.

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Clayton Pioneer â&#x20AC;˘ www.claytonpioneer.com

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Clayton Community Calendar PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M., AUG. 9 FOR THE AUG. 18 ISSUE. FAX TO 672-6580 OR E-MAIL calendar@claytonpioneer.com EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT THROUGH AUG. 4 YMCA Summer Gym Club @ Clayton Community Gym Do you need some time to shop or are you looking for a safe place for your children to play? The YMCA is excited to provide your children with fun filled afternoons during the summer months. Afternoon activities are arts and crafts, movies and gym games. For children entering grades one through four. Cost is $7 per day for Clayton residents, $9 per day for nonresidents. Concord/Clayton YMCA, 925-889-1625. Through Aug. 10 Patty Cakes and Picture Book Time @ Clayton Community Library Patty Cakes - 11 a.m. Tuesdays, story time for birth to 3 years. Picture book time - 11 a.m. Thursdays, child may attend without parent. For 3 to 5 years. No registration required. Aug. 10 Picture Book Time will be a story and craft program. Please register. 673-0659, Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton. THROUGH SEPT. 30 Clayton's Classic Cars Display @ Clayton Historical Museum Wednesdays 2 - 4 p.m. and 6 - 8 p.m. and Sundays 2 - 4 p.m. Photographs and memorabilia of old Clayton cars or cars belonging to current Clayton residents are on display. Many old license plates are shown. Clayton Historical Society Museum, 6101 Main Street, Clayton, 672-0240. AUG 5 Buchanan Airport 60th Anniversary Celebration @ Crown Plaza Hotel 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. The public is invited to the anniversary celebration hosted by the Airport Manager's office. There will be planned events and free plane rides to kids 8 - 17. The event will take place behind the Crown Plaza Hotel, Concord. The main entrance is from Concord Blvd. Parking will be available at Sam's Club. AUG. 5 Late Summer Plant Sale @ Markham Garden Center 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Featuring many unusual dahlia and perennials. Four inch pots are $2, one gallon pots are $4. Large selection of hard to find perennials, shrubs and trees. For more information call 925-681-2968. Markham Garden Center, 1202 La Vista Avenue, Concord. AUG. 7 - 11 YMCA 1/2 Day Art Camp @ Clayton Community Gym Join us as we learn various art skills through fun sessions and games using everything from paint to clay. For kids entering grades 1-4. Concord/Clayton YMCA, 889-1625. AUG. 7 Clayton Valley/Concord Sunrise Rotary Golf Tournament @ Oakhurst Country Club It's tee time for the Clayton Valley Sunrise Rotary’s 17th annual charity golf tournament. Tournament fees are $195 per person and $750 per foursome and include course fees, cart, tee prizes, raffle tickets, mulligans, lunch and dinner. Registration for the event is due by July 24. For more information about the Charity Golf Tournament, please call: Barbara Langsdale, (925) 671-0777, ext. 13; or e-mail: rotarygolf@gmail.com. S AUG. 8 Clayton Knitters @ Clayton Community Library 3 - 5 p.m. Are you an old hand at knitting or just starting? Come join likeminded folks for an afternoon at the library. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road, 673-0659. AUG. 9 Summer Fun @ the Clayton Museum 10 - 11:30 a.m. Play games from long ago, make an old fashioned "flashlight" that doesn't use batteries, and write your name using old fashioned pens and ink. Refreshments. For 8 - 12 year olds. No charge, registration requested by July 31. Call the museum for more information. Clayton Historical Society, 6101 Main Street, 672-0240. AUG. 9 Meeting of The Creekside Artists @ Clayton Community Library 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. The Creekside Artists in Clayton meet the second Wed. of each month. We provide an environment for all artists to inspire, create, educate and prosper. This newly forming eclectic group of local artists is creating a unique artists association. All levels from beginner to professional and all types of art forms are welcome. If you desire, bring one to two pieces of your work to inspire. Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. Arlene Kikkawa-Nielsen (925) 673-9777, email: akiksen@aol.com or akikkawa@ccclib.org AUG. 9 Rafting Adventure Camp @ YMCA Join the YMCA and ride the rapids on this exciting one day trip to the South Fork of the American River. This Class III fourteen mile trip starts off gently and builds up to non-stop excitement. This rafting trip is the most popular run on the American River. For kids entering sixth through eighth grades. Call Delise Young, Program Director Concord/Clayton YMCA, 889-1625.

AUG. 10 Floppy Eared Doggy Dear Stories & Craft with Mrs. L @ Clayton Community Library 11 a.m. You’ll want to “flea” to these “tails” and crafts. Recommended for three to five year olds. Registration required. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road, 673-0659.

can increase biodiversity and add color and interest to your garden. Learn techniques that can keep native plants healthy and thriving. Clayton Community Library Meeting Room, Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road, 673-0659.

AUG. 12 Seventh Annual Concert in the Hills Series @ Cal State East Bay Concord Campus Gates open at 6 p.m., opening act at 7 p.m., main act at 8 p.m. Admission and parking are free. Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums play hot jump blues, swing-boogie woogie and jazz. Go to www.concertinthehills.com or 925-602-8654 for more information. Cal State East Bay, Concord Campus, 4700 Ygnacio Valley Road at Campus Drive in Concord.

AUG. 8, 15, 22, 29 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. See Club News for more information.

AUG. 12, 13 50th Annual Summer Festival @ Japanese Cultural Center Aug 12 from 1 - 9 p.m., Aug. 13 from 12 - 8 p.m. Admission is free. Parking available at Woodside Elementary School (761 San Simeon Drive, Concord) with a free shuttle to the Festival. There will be Japanese food (sushi, tempura, udon, teriyaki chicken, teriyaki beef, gyoza); Bonsai and Japanese flower arrangement exhibits; Taiko drum performances by San Jose Taiko on both nights, as well as Japanese folk dancing, Kendo and Judo demonstrations, along with flower arrangement demonstrations. More information is available at www.diablojaclub.com or by emailing jasummerfestival@yahoo.com. Sponsored by the Diablo Japanese American Club. Japanese American Religious and Cultural Center at 3165 Treat Boulevard in Concord. AUG. 14 Adult Classes to Connect with Children @ Lindsay Wildlife Museum 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. If you have ever thought about making a real difference in the life of a child, this is an opportunity. Lindsay Wildlife Museum is offering, for the first time, a mini class for adults. Docents will show you how to teach children to make a connection with California wildlife. A behind the scenes tour will be included. $6 for members, $8 for non-members. To register call 935-1978 Ext. 413. Lindsay Wildlife Museum, 1931 1st Avenue, Walnut Creek. AUG. 14 - 18 YMCA 1/2 day Junior Engineers Camp @ Clayton Community Gym Campers will design and construct bridges, assemble 3-D puzzles and even build an igloo. A trip to the famed Golden Gate bridge will be included as part of this camp. Grades: entering 4th - 8th grade. $175. Concord/Clayton YMCA, 889-1600. AUG. 17 Spirit of the Rainforest @ Clayton Community Library 2:30 p.m. Transport yourself to some of the most wondrous rainforests of the world. Students will see unusual animals, hear the mysterious sounds of the living forest and, on a projection screen, view close-ups of rainforest habitats and the diverse native peoples who inhabit them. This program is a powerful multi-cultural learning experience.Family fun for all ages. No registration required. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road, 6730659. AUG. 19 Canine Companions for Independence @ Clayton Community Library 2 p.m. Learn about the process of raising and training puppies to become assistance dogs for people with disabilities. Meet a puppy trainer and assistance dog. Recommended for kids in grades K-5, but all are welcome to this family event. No registration required. Sponsored by the Clayton Community Library Foundation. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road, 673-0659. AUG. 19 The Lee Harvell Classic Car Show @ Crossroads Covenant Church 5:50 p.m. until sunset. Crossroads will be hosting its second annual car show. All makes and models of cars and motorcycles will be welcome. No entry fees. Free BBQ, music and play area for kids. If you would like to show your car or motorcycle, please call Aaron for information at 798-5905 ext. 204. AUG 21 CVHS Athletic Boosters Club Golf Tournament @ Oakhurst The 15th Annual Athletic Boosters Club Golf Tournament is sponsored by Clayton Valley High School and benefits the football and golf programs as well as the Athletic Boosters Club. Entertain clients or relax and play with friends. There is lunch before play and contests during the tournament. Golf is followed by dinner, raffle drawing, and silent auction. Cost is $175. Contact cvhsboosters.org for entry forms and information, or call Fred Roper at 548-4451 or fred.roper@sbcglobal.net. AUG. 23 Landscaping Native Plants at Clayton Community Library 7:00 p. m Bethallyn Black, local UCCE Master Gardener Program coordinator and urban horticulturalist will be sharing her tips on landscaping with favorite native plants for our area. Native plants can be low-maintenance,

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AUG. 9 Clayton Valley Garden Club @ Diamond Terrace 7 p.m. The Clayton Garden Club meets the second Wed.of the month at Diamond Terrace. Every meeting has an informative program concerning some aspect of gardening. The speaker this month will be Brian Utting of Full Bloom and Bloom Fusion Florists of Concord. Brian will be teaching and demonstrating floral arranging. Raffle tickets will be sold for Brian's floral arrangement creations. Anyone interested in gardening is welcome at our meetings, Diamond Terrace, 6401 Center Street, Clayton. Call Jeff at 6727579 or Barry at 827-9540 for information. AUG. 10, 17, 24, 31 Weights Watchers Weekly Meeting @ Contra Costa Farm Bureau 10 a.m.and 5:30 p.m. Weekly Weight Watchers weigh-in and meeting on Thurs.. 800-326-8450 x 2023.Contra Costa Farm Bureau, 5554 Clayton Rd., Concord. AUG. 10, 17, 24, 31 Rotary Club of Clayton Valley Concord Sunrise @ Oakhurst 7 a.m. Meets every Thurs. for breakfast meeting that usually features a speaker. www. claytonvalleyrotary.org Chuck Graham 689-7640. Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Drive, Clayton. AUG. 13 Concord Mystery Book Club @ Concord Library 2:30 - 4 p.m. All mystery readers are invited to participate and explore a different genre each month. Group meets the second Sun. of the month. Concord Library, 2900 Salvio Street, Concord, 646-5455. AUG. 23 Blue Star Mom Meeting in Concord 6:30 p.m. Small group Blue Star Mom meetings held the 4th Wednesday 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. AUG. 31 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. John Rubiales, President. Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Drive, Clayton. SEPT. 5 Knights of Columbus @ St. Agnes Parish Hall 7:30 p.m. Concord Council 6038 of Concord & Clayton holds their monthly meeting the first Tues. of each month. Monthly officers meeting is the last Tues. of each month at St. Agnes Parish Hall, at 7:30 p.m. We look forward to seeing our brother Knights there. St. Agnes Parish Hall on 3966 Chestnut Ave, Concord.

BUSINESS & GOVERNMENT AUG. 8, 15, 22, 29 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. AUG. 8, 22 Planning Commission Meeting @ Clayton 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. AUG. 10 Clayton Community Services Commission Meeting @ City Hall 7 p.m. City of Clayton Community Services Commission meets 2nd Thursday of month. Open to the public. www.ci.clayton.ca.us 673-7304, Clayton City Hall Conference Room, 6000 HeritageTrail, Clayton. AUG. 15 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 the following locations: City Hall, 6000 Heritage Trail, Clayton, Ohm's Bulletin Board, 1028 Diablo St., Clayton, Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Rd., Clayton.

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 4, 2006

Watch history come alive on Mackinac Island The wonders of the California coast ar e familiar to most: the golden hills, the crashing waves, the winding r oads, the mountain pines, even the loving grin of Mickey Mouse. But what about the summer attractions of the rest of the country? The rest of the world? What about humid nights chasing flic kering fir eflies? W hat about r ushing r oller coasters w hile screams fill the air? W hat about island escapes? F ollow me this summer as I brave the humidity, the construction zones and the landlocked pleasures enjoyed by our compatriots in America’s Midwest. JEANNA ROSS Special to the Pioneer

Every school child can identify Mic higan b y its mittenshaped lo wer and rabbitshaped upper peninsulas . Between these two land masses, a fi ve-mile suspension bridg e crosses the Straits of Mackinac, the w ater passag e se parating Lakes Mic higan (to the w est) and Huron (to the east). Slightly to the east of this magnificent str ucture lies one of the most lovely tourist areas in the countr y. Accessible only by air or sea, Mackinac Island (pronounced Mac kinaw) is a 4.4 square mile paradise that retains its culture as both a historical for t and antique Victorian summer colony. Only 500 people reside on

the island year -round; the rest arrive via one of three fer ry companies to the island’ s southeast doc ks. There are no cars allo wed on Mac kinac Island. All transpor tation is accomplished via bicycle, horse or foot. Upon disembarkation, one is immediately o vercome b y a bustling thoroughfare of carriages dra wn b y teams of Clydesdales, bicycle rental shops, souvenir stands and – most impor tantly – assailed b y the scent of freshly made fudge and taffy, Mackinac’s most popular mementos. There are copious Victorian-style hotels , bed and breakfasts, resorts and inns, but the g randdaddy of them all is the Grand Hotel. Nearly 120 years old, the hotel boasts 383

DOWNTOWN MACKINAC ISLAND

unique Victorian-style rooms , suites designed b y First Ladies , evening dress codes and a fi vecourse dinner and full breakfast included in the room price. The basic rooms begin at $345 per night, topping out at $645 for a weekend suite. The views from the 660foot porch, the world’s longest, encompass the lakes, the bridge and most of the island’ s delights, including the hotel’ s famed g ardens. Should y ou choose to sta y elsewhere , visit the hotel during the day to soak up the opulence or ha ve afternoon tea in the salon. “Somewhere in Time,” starring J ane Seymour and Christopher R eeve, was filmed on the island and at the hotel in 1979. Most of the Victorianstyle furnishings remain similar. Of course, there are the usual luxur y hotel amenities , including an 18-hole g olf course, spa, tennis cour ts and the Esther Williams Swimming Pool (named after the actress who filmed “T his Time for Keeps” there in 1949). The island tourist season runs Ma y through October , as determined b y the Grand Hotel, though it is still a winter destination for cross-countr y skiing and sleigh rides. Take a horse-dra wn taxi to your hotel, deposit y our luggage, then decide whic h of the island’s magnificent sights to attempt first. History buffs should head for one of the highest points on the island: Fort Mac kinac. The entrance fee to the for t earns you access to sev eral other locations of importance on the island and in Mackinaw City , including Colonial Michilimackinac, so be sure to purc hase the “T riple

Photos by Jeanna Ross

THE GRAND HOTEL is nearly 120 years old and boasts 383 Victorian-style rooms and suites.

Choice” package for $20. Inside the for t, uniformed soldiers demonstrate rif le and cannon firing (plug y our ears!), military music and even a court martial reenactment as you tour the exhibits of daily life through the 18th and 19th centuries. After the cannon demonstration, follow the soldier through his nar ration of daily life. Don’t miss the “hole” (pre-jail cell prison) at the Guardhouse. There are also children’s exhibits to enter tain tykes who aren ’t jazzed b y museums. If natural histor y strik es your fancy, rent a bike from one of a plethora of downtown vendors (or at your hotel), grab

a souvenir map for $1 at a nearby gift shop and take off on an eight-mile jour ney around the island’s perimeter . Along the way, you’ll be awed by the stone formations left behind from when the island was covered by glaciers. Watch out – Arc h Rock is easy to miss. The distance ma y sound daunting, but the perimeter roads are nearly flat, so the trek is simple. The interior roads are much more c hallenging, especially if you head up past the fort. But the views are incredible, so hit the trail if you have the stamina. For you lovebirds (or adults with young children who won’t last the trip), rent a tandem.

They are easy to use, as long as you and your partner can ag ree who is allowed to drive. The island can easily be covered in 24 hours , with another half-day scheduled to enjoy the costumed Mic hilimackinac colonials at the base of the Mackinac Bridg e. But do sta y one evening, as nightlife on the island is sur prisingly upbeat. Most of the restaurants become pubs after dark and the island’s w orkforce is primarily college students , so there is always m usic and m unchies available until the wee hours. For more infor mation, visit www.mackinacisland.org.

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Concord

Pleasant Hill

Beautifully Presented 3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths, 1,820 SF, Located in the Elegant Gables Community of Victoria by the Bay. Modern Kitchen w/ Corian Countertops and Stainless Steel Appliances. Lovely Master Suite w/ Huge Walk-In Mirrored Closet. Spacious Landing w/Tech Center and Laundry Upstairs.

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4818 Boxer Blvd.

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1206 Bridlewood Court

$1,199,950

5071 Bonwell Drive

$595,000

Martinez

Concord

Clayton

Concord

Spacious 3 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath , 1,639 SF, built in 1993. This property features an elegant living room with fireplace and tile floors, a cook’s kitchen with tile countertops and hardwood floors, patio off family room, full-sized laundry with washer & dryer included, 2 car garage, and fully landscaped front and back yard. Too many upgrades to list! HOA only $37 mo., includes clubhouse, pool, and parks.

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29 Rhine Court

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Concord

Clayton

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