AUG 10 Clayton Pioneer 2007 by Pioneer Publishers

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IT’S YOUR PAPER www.claytonpioneer.com

August 10, 2007

925.672.0500

Downtown projects near finish line TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer

BILL WALCUTT

MAYOR’S CORNER

New interest rate for Oakhurst bond Let me start off with some good news for Oakhurst residents. In May, the City Council approved the refinancing of bonds for the Oakhurst Community Facility District. Here is a little background. In June 1990, the City Council established the Oakhurst Community Facility District with the issuance of $6.5 million in municipal bonds. The initial interest rate was 8.6 percent. In November 1997, as interest rates starting dropping, the council approved the refinancing of these bonds to obtain a lower interest rate of 5.9 percent. The cost savings was passed along to the district’s ratepayers: Oakhurst residents. In May of this year, the council again approved the refinancing of these bonds to obtain an even lower interest rate: 4.1 percent average. The refinancing is now complete, and the cost savings will be passed along to the district’s ratepayers beginning with 2007-’08 property tax bill. The duration of the bond did not change and it is projected to be repaid by 2022-’23. The saving will vary by the size of the parcel. Ratepayers will save $331 to $576 over the next 15 years, which is the remaining life of the bond. This is about $22 to $39 a year per parcel. It’s not huge, but it all adds up. Now, on to my favorite subject: garbage. Politicians in Sacramento are busy trying to figure out how to reduce waste. Unfortunately, it has nothing to do with cutting waste in Sacramento to help balance the state’s budget. They are trying to figure out how to get us to reduce waste – our household waste/garbage. In other words,

See Mayor, page A12

What’s Inside

Downtown Clayton is a noisy, dusty place these days as construction proceeds on three major downtown projects, all of which are nearing completion. The Village Market on Main Street is set to re-open in late September, says Project Consultant Gary Hood. The market has been closed since a fire caused extensive damage to the building in January, 2004. Rebuilding stalled while owner Sam Sandhu settled a lawsuit against the Farmers Insurance Company which held the fire policy on the building. The suit was finally settled in Sandhu’s favor in August of 2005. Construction began in December 2005. “It’s been a slow project,” Hood says. “Sam’s made some adjustments along the way and that takes time. But it will definitely be a first class project when it’s finished.” Plans call for a retail store fronting Main Street, retail or food service space facing Center Street and two executive offices upstairs—one 450 square feet and one 650 square feet. Both offices will have a full bathroom, including showers. “We already have ten people on our list who are interested in the space,” reports Hood. Use of the 2,000 square foot retail/food service space is still up in the air. If it’s food service, it will be contracted out. The electrical and HVAC work should be complete and the siding should be going up by the time the Pioneer is in the

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

Clockwise from top: Crews prepare to pour the hardscape in the park; the new Longs is on schedule for an early fall opening; after many delays, the Villiage Market should be open in September.

mailboxes, Hood says. By early fall, the new Longs Drugs at the corner of Center Street and Clayton Road should be finished. The store will be about 10,000 square feet and will include a drive-thru pharmacy, said Longs spokesperson Farra Levin. Longs plans a festive community grand opening. “We are really excited about this location,” said Levin. “It’s a fantastic area and the community has

been very supportive.” Longs will hire locally for store personnel. “Construction on the downtown park is progressing right on schedule without any blips,” reports City Manager Gary Napper. The one acre, $1.5 million park will have a grandstand gazebo with a sound system and speakers throughout the

See Downtown, page A7

Fast moving brush fire threatens homes in Russelman, Pine Lane, Oakwood Circle area TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer

A brush fire last Friday charred 10 acres and threatened several homes in the Russelman Road and Pine Lane area. The fire burned right up to the Waldamar Court homes owned by Bob and Sherry Mazza, Joan and Stan Bergum and Tom Legault. Waldamar Court is about

a half mile up Russelman Road and runs between Russelman and Pine Lane., where the fire was stopped at the back fences of homes on Oakwood Circle. According to Contra Costa Fire Batallion Chief Kevin Nieland, the fire started next to a small abandoned house on Pine Lane. The house, which is on property owned by Leonora and

Neil Holmes, who were away, had been vacant for years and was used primarily for storage. The building and a small shed next to it were a total loss, said Nieland. The Holmes’ residence, an 80 year-old historic landmark, was not harmed. The fire started around 3:20 p.m. on Friday, August 3, when temperatures were well over 100

SECTION A Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . .A2 Going Green . . . . . . . . . . . . .A4 Classified Ads . . . . . . . . . . . . .A5 Directory of Advertisers . . . .A5 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A6 From the Chief . . . . . . . . . . .A7 Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A7 Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . .A9 On the Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A9 School News . . . . . . . . . . . .A10 At the Movies . . . . . . . . . . .A12 Travel Tales . . . . . . . . . . . . .A13 SECTION B Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . .B1 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B2 Sharing History . . . . . . . . . . .B6 Crossword Puzzle . . . . . . . . .B7 Community Calendar . . . . . .B8 Food for Thought . . . . . . . . .B9 Weather Words . . . . . . . . . . . .B9 Hiker’s Haven . . . . . . . . . . .B10 Music Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . .B10 Financial Sense . . . . . . . . . . .B10 Paws and Claws . . . . . . . . . .B11 Church New . . . . . . . . . . . . .B12

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

Neighbor Sherif Sandelin came to the aid of a horse and a mountain sheep owned by the Holmes when it looked like the fire was getting too close to them.

degrees. Joan Bergum, whose home on Waldamar Ct. is directly above the Holmes property, was the first to spot the fire, “I saw the smoke, came inside to get the phone and by the time I got back out on the deck, the flames were racing up the hill. We grabbed the dogs and the Mazza’s kids who were home alone, and got out of here. There’s only one way out of here and we didn’t want to get trapped.” First on the scene was an East Bay Regional Parks helicopter which dropped water on the flames, preventing them from racing up the side of Mt. Diablo. Units responded from Central and East Contra Costa Fire Protection, Cal Fire (formerly called CDF) and East Bay Regional Parks. The fire was contained within 45 minutes. “This just brings home the need for creating 100 feet of defensible space around your house,” said Nieland, “especially if you live on a knoll. The view is beautiful up there, but it’s dangerous.” The cause of the fire was still under investigation at press time. For more information on creating defensible space go to www.cccfpd.org.

New officer likes small town values

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

Marilyn Blanchard pins the Clayton PD badge on son, Matt Blanchard, at his July 23 swearing in ceremony at City Hall.

JUSTIN BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer

At age 24, Matt Blanchard is the newest member of the Clayton Police Department. Clayton’s family atmosphere and small department attracted Blanchard to the force. Blanchard was born in Walnut Creek and grew up in the East Bay, namely Antioch. He graduated from De La Salle High School, went to Chico State as an undergraduate and subsequently went to Butte

See Officer, page A6

Page A2

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 10, 2007

Around Town Deborah Biron marries Christopher Lawrence

Moraga site of WestWhitworth wedding

Librarian fosters a passion for reading Mary-Alice Mckillen-Wright is making a mark in Clayton children’s lives as the children’s librarian for the Clayton Community Library. She has implemented summer reading programs and visits local schools to further children’s interest and love for reading. Mary-Alice took over the position six months ago, “following a line of great librarians.” She is a long-time employee of the Contra Costa County library system, working in Pleasant Hill, Danville, Pittsburg, Brentwood and now Clayton during her 18-year tenure. For Mary-Alice, this community stands out from others because children already have a love of reading. “It is wonderful to have this love of reading in place so I can encourage and foster this love. It isn’t always the case,” she says. This summer, the Clayton Library is sponsoring a summer reading program in which children read for 20 minutes, takes a “reading record” and earns incentives for participating. “We are able to give out paperback books and, for the first time, we can give out Beanie Babies thanks to the Clayton Community Library Foundation,” Mary-Alice notes.

Justin Bedecarré/Clayton Pioneer

CHILDREN’S LIBRARIAN Mary-Alice Mckillen-Wright

To further her outreach and recruit more young visitors to the library, she also visits Mt. Diablo Elementary School. Her goal is to introduce youngsters to the library system and give out library cards to those who have not yet received them. Mary-Alice has extensive knowledge of the library system as well as suitable books for kids of every age. She can be found by going to the circulation desk.

Nicole West and Bobby Whitworth became husband and wife in a June 24 wedding at the Hacienda de las Flores in Moraga. The ceremony was performed by Larry Rust, who was best man at Bobby’s parents’ wedding nearly 40 years ago. Nicole wore a strapless, white chiffon, lace-up back, floor length dress studded with Austrian crystals. She was attended by Rhonda Creegan, Lisa Crabtree, Kelli Elmore, Erin Browning, Christina Splendorio, Kelly Orosco and Rachel Fulton. Ashley Crabtree served as flower girl. The bride’s attendants wore sage and sea foam green, spaghetti strap dresses with lace-up backs and handkerchief hemlines.

See West-Whitworth, page A3

DEBORAH BIRON AND CHRISTOPHER LAWRENCE

Christopher Lawrence and Deborah Biron exchanged vows on June 6 at the Sheraton Hacienda Del Mar in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, followed by a sit down dinner and dancing on the patio overlooking the Sea of Cortez. Christopher, a 1990 graduate of Clayton Valley High School, is the son of Mary Ann and Jim Lawrence of Clayton. Deborah graduated from Liberty Union High School in Brentwood. Her parents are Dave and Doris Biron of Oakley. The bride wore an ivory chiffon dress and was attended by Jennifer Gonsalves, Jamie Terry and Leslie Lawrence. Paul Lawrence, Jason Lawrence and Jeff Ballard served as groomsmen. Relatives and friends traveled from California, Australia, Michigan, New Mexico and New York to attend the wedding at the luxury seaside resort. The guests stayed on for a week of vacationing at the resort and to celebrate Mary Ann and Jim’s 25th wedding anniversary Deborah is an inventory manager with Chiron Corp. and Christopher is a systems analyst with Axa Rosenberg. The couple will make their home in Concord.

Gretchen Koellermeier marries Michael Stenson

MICHAEL STENSON AND GRETCHEN KOELLERMEIER

Gretchen Koellermeier and Michael Stenson were married in a July 4 ceremony at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Concord. Gretchen’s dress, made by her mother, was simple and elegant with a huge pink bow in the back. The attendants’ dresses were a satin halter

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BOBBY WHITWORTH AND NICOLE WEST

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See Koellermeier-Stenson, page A8

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design. Maid of honor, Katrina Koellermeier and flower girl, Charis Dietemeyer, wore dusty rose. Charis’ mother, Heidi Dietemeyer, was a flower girl in the bride’s mother’s wedding in 1975. The bridesmaids were Paula and Mandy Schell and Liz and Meg Martucci. Two of the bridesmaids dresses were periwinkle blue and the other two were lavender. TJ Martin stood with the groom as Best Man. Other groomsmen were Brad Johns, Jake Leenerts, Pat Martucci and Glenn Stenson as Jr. Best Man. Ring bearer was Brandon Martin. The wedding was followed by a buffet luncheon in the gardens at Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek. Gretchen is the daughter of Lee and Lynn Koellermeier of Clayton. She is a 1998 graduate of Clayton Valley High School and a 2002

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August 10, 2007

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page A3

Around Town Clayton women walk for breast cancer

Photo courtesy of Amy Lamoreaux

Seated (l-r): Andrea Samonek and Maria Forester. Standing (l-r): Kelley Hollinger, Tracy Callahan, Amy L’Amoreaux and Kristy William.

Six determined Clayton women joined 2,400 other walkers in completing the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer July 1213, raising over $20,000 for breast cancer research.

New baby son for the Oxenbol Family Erik Oxenbol and Sophia Acevedo welcomed their first child last month. Dane Oxenbol was born June 19 at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital in Grass Valley. The proud grandparents are Peter Oxenbol of Clayton, Coleen Novo of Grass Valley, Nicole Ali of Hayward and Dave Davis of Sacramento. Erik is an Army veteran. He served two tours in Iraq and is working in the construction trade. The family will continue to live in Grass Valley.

Andrea Samonek, Maria Forester, Kelley Hollinger, Tracy Callahan, Amy L’Amoreaux and Kristy Williams participated in the two day walk which covered over 39

miles through Marin County, across the Golden Gate Bridge, ending at Chrissy Field in San Francisco. The women walked for their mothers, grandmothers, mothers-in-law, aunts, sisters and friends. Amy L’Amoreaux was walking for her mother who was diagnosed 11 years ago at age 48 and who will be on a chemotherapy regime for the rest of her life. “My mom is an RN and has had so much impact on so many people,” says Amy. “People my mom has touched donated over $11,000 of the money we raised.” The women all trained at their own pace starting about four months ago. This was the first time any of them had participated in a breast cancer walk. “I think the most memorable experience for all of us was the start,” Amy says. “There were over 2,400 women and we were all waking for a cure.”

For more information on the Avon Walk for a Cure or to make a donation, visit their Website at walk.avonfoundation.org.

Alan James makes his entrance south of the border

ALAN JAMES RICHARDSON

Alan James Richardson made his debut appearance July 19 in Santiago de Queretaro, Queretaro, Mexico. He weighed in at 6 lbs. and was 19 inches tall. Alan’s parents are Don and Silvia Richardson of Queretaro. Grandparents are Pioneer publishers, Tamara and Bob Steiner of Clayton. Don grew up in Clayton and attended local schools. He is an English teacher for United English Schools in Queretaro. Alan is the third child for the Richardson family, which includes big sisters Tamara Lucia 5, and Jennifer Rhyann, 15 months.

Wayne and Jackie Buckman celebrate 50th anniversary

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ronment, disposable or cloth diapers?

The “disposable versus cloth” debate has raged among environmentalists for years. Nondegradable disposable diapers can sit for decades, even centuries, in landfills and require thousands of tons of plastic and hundreds of thousands of trees to manufacture. However, the water and chemicals used to clean cloth diapers, and the fossil fuels diaper services consume to transport them, suggest that their relative environmental impact could be a wash. However, modern advances in water- and energy-efficiency in washing machines and dryers have reduced the environmental impact of diaper laundering. Concerned parents should also consider the issue of sewage. The urine and feces in disposable diapers enter landfills untreated, possibly contaminating the ground water supply. Whether cloth diaper waste is flushed down the toilet or removed in the washing machine, that dirty water will enter a sewer sys-

tem and, most likely, a wastewater treatment plant. Also, John Shiffert, executive director of the National Association of Diaper Services (NADS), points out that the chlorine byproduct dioxin, a carcinogen, has been found in trace amounts in disposables. Those concerned about the environment who want the convenience of disposables can try cornstarchbased diapers that can be composted. Using flushable cloth diaper liners, made means only the thinnest—and messiest— part gets thrown away. Parents who want to use cloth diapers can hire a diaper service to do the dirty work. For diaper service in Clayton and Concord, call ABC Diaper Service, 935-4502. See their ad this page. For more information contact: National Association of Diaper Services (NADS), (610) 971-4850, www.diapernet.com; Nature Boy and Girl, (425) 771-1339, www.natureboyandgirl.com; Tiny Tush, (608) 3562500, www.tinytush.com.

Green Your Gadgets Electronics become “outdated” so much more quickly than 10 or 20 years ago. To insure you are responsible with your gadgets, consider doing the following: Resist the urge to upgrade every time a “newer” or “cooler” gadget comes out. Reduce at the source - you save money and the time (and frustration) to learn how to operate and program the new gadget. Donate working electronics to charities or school programs resell or refurbish them. Refill or recycle your inkjet or toner cartridges Close the recycling loop and buy recycled, post-consumer content paper for your printer. Most local office supply stores offer a growing selection of environmentally friendly papers. Completely broken? Recycle! Electronics are the new “hot” item being recycled across the country. Rapid Recycle is open for free E-waste drop off Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. The Rapid Recycle Collections Facility is located at 110 Second Avenue South B-1 in Pacheco. Call for more information, (925) 671-8008.

Sophia and Erik with baby Dane

West-Whitworth, PUT YOUR OLD CELL PHONE

from page A2 The groomsmen were Bob Whitworth, Chris Crabtree, Matt Gentry, Scott Whitworth and Eddie Wheeler. Joshua Petrill was ring bearer. The ceremony was followed by a sit-down dinner in the garden of the Hacienda de las Flores. Guests were from all across the country. Nicole is the daughter of Herb and Vonda West of Clayton. She is a 1996 graduate of Berean Christian High School in Walnut Creek and a 2000 graduate of Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California. She is a teacher at Ygnacio Valley Christian School in Walnut Creek. Bobby graduated from Alhambra High School in Martinez in 1990 and is employed by Richard Avelar and Assoc. as a construction technician. After a honeymoon in Kauai, Hawaii, the newlyweds are at home in Concord.

Clayton residents Wayne and Jackie Buckman will be celebrating 50 years of marriage with family and friends at a South Pacific Luau on Aug. 11. Wayne and Jackie were married in San Francisco on Aug. 10, 1957. They have two daughters and two sons and eight grandchildren. Wayne is retired from Pacific Bell and Jackie is retired from the FDIC. Jackie is a Clayton Bocce player and Wayne plays senior softball for Walnut Creek.

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Page A4

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 10, 2007

Crash damages Clayton fire house

A 1999 Toyota Camry slammed into Clayton’s Station 11 after witnesses say the driver ran a red light.

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Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

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TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer

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NOW OPEN!

While Clayton’s Station 11 firefighters were fighting the Russelman Road/Pine Lane brush fire last Friday, a Bay Point man on his way to a wedding rehearsal at Oakhurst drove into the side of the firehouse, knocking down a fence and breaking a gas line. Witnesses say the man, driving a 1999 Toyota Camry, was heading east on Clayton Road when he ran the red light at the intersection of Clayton Road and Center Street. He was hit by an Izusu Rodeo that had started across the intersection heading north on Center. The collision caused the driver of the Camry to lose control, bounce up over the curb and slam into the firehouse. There were no injuries.

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Local Christians find travels to be uniting JUSTIN BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer

The crystal clear waters of the Bosphorus Strait traveling north to south in the city of Istanbul separate two great continents within the same city, Europe to the west and Asia to the east. Members of two local parishes, St. Bonaventure (Roman Catholic) and St. Demetrios (Greek Orthodox) cruised this existential wonder together at the conclusion of their recent ecumenical Jubilee Tour through Italy, Greece and Turkey. As these eastern and western denominations of Christianity floated under the Bosphorus Bridge connecting the continents, the worldly significance of their trip materialized in an international ambiance. Seven Clayton residents and fellow parishioners of the two churches, along with Roman Catholic priest Father David Lawrence and his Greek Orthodox counterpart Father Marin State, witnessed Pope Benedict XVI at an audience and met with his holiness Patriarch Bartholomew I, the heads of their Christian religions. The two branches of Christianity differ in theology and doctrinal matters, most notably the primacy of the church. This trip, culminating in the Bosphorus, sheds hope for the Christian movement and contradicts recent media interpretations of Pope Benedict’s writings. Within the last month, the Vatican propagated comments

concerning other Christian faiths compared to Catholicism, bringing the Roman Catholic leader under profound scrutiny by the media and ostensibly thwarting Christian unity. A July 11 article in the New York Times titled “Pope, Restating 2000 Document, Cites ‘Defects’ of Other Faiths” insinuates that

clude unity, but the local churches that embarked on this pilgrimage believe Christian unity is feasible. “The coming together of millennial traditions on this trip proved to be a bridge for Catholics and Greek Orthodox,” explains Father Marin.

Photo courtesy of Fr. David Lawrence

FR. MARIN STATE

ST. DEMETRIOS’ GREEK ORTHODOX and

Fr. David Lawrence of St. Bonaventure’s Catholic Church see European trip as a way to bring unity to their respective faiths.

the pope is unwilling to unify the factions of the Christian faith, but Father David repudiates these claims. “The pope wants Christians to unite with one another and share understanding of the faith. Unfortunately, his theological writings have been misinterpreted to the contrary,” Father David says. The antediluvian and esoteric traditions and nuances differentiating Christian faiths, notably Roman Catholics and Greek Orthodox, could pre-

The group toured the art and monumental sites in each country, paralleling their religious destinations. Their trip began in Italy, where they observed Pope Benedict give 25,000 pilgrims a greeting in Rome. They visited Michelangelo’s masterpiece in the Sistine Chapel, Jesuit churches, the Colosseum, Roman Forum and the Pantheon. As the group traveled throughout Italy, they went to the birthplace of St. Francis Assisi and traveled through

Tuscany to Florence, where they saw the Cathedral Church and Michelangelo’s statue of David. Italy included many Catholic landmarks and traditions, and the Greek Orthodox portion of the local delegation listened and observed attentively. The group then experienced mystical days in Greece. “It was raining with swirls of clouds hung over the monasteries,” describes Father David. The Catholic and Greek Orthodox parishioners visited 24 Greek Orthodox monastic communities sitting atop hills and mountains. In order to enter the isolated areas, they had to be lifted up in baskets. They visited the original St. Demetrios Church in Thessalonica, where the Orthodox shared significant icons of their faith. The travelers subsequently moved through Macedonia and Kavala before reaching the Turkish border. The predominately Muslim state of Turkey proved enlightening for Father David. “We became so much more aware of the Muslim contribution to the world. Their rich culture has become underappreciated due to the radical fundamentalists’ interpretation of the religion.” They went to the heart of the Byzantium, the imperial city of Constantine, to view Christian churches, many of which have been converted to Islamic mosques. Istanbul, while secular, has moved toward modernity, allowing more personal freedoms and a moderate exercise of faith.

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August 10, 2007

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page A5

Classified HELP WANTED REPORTER/FEATURE WRITER PT position for the Clayton Pioneer covering local news, events and people. Must live in Clayton, have reporting or feature writing experience using the AP Style Guide, will have excellent language skills, will be computer savvy and competent with a camera. Must be flexible with scheduling and available to cover weekend events. Send resume and writing sample to tamara@claytonpioneer.com, or mail to PO Box 1246, Clayton, CA 94517, or drop off at the office, 6200 F Center St.

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REAL ESTATE

CITY OF CLAYTON accepting applications for two Clayton residents to serve: One as Appointed Member and the other as Alternate Member on the County Library Commission The Library Commission is organized under the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors and was created to serve in an advisory capacity, provide a community linkage, assist the Board of Supervisors and the County Librarian to provide library services based on assessed public need and develop and recommend proposals to the Board of Supervisors and County Librarian. Members are appointed by the City Council from each of the 18 cities (towns) in Contra Costa County.

OAKHURST STAGED BEAUTY: 7014 Molluk Way. 3 Bd. + Loft, 2.5 Bath. ¼ acre lot! Workroom + 2 car garage. Online: www.elainefry.com. $775,000. Elaine Fry, Coldwell Banker, (925) 519-9000.

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.

P ETE C RUZ , Graphic Design

The Clayton Garden Tour committee is looking for yards and gardens to consider for the 2008 Garden Tour. The committee is looking for new volunteers to help organize the tour for 2008. The current committee has had their hands on the event for many years and would love some help. For more information, email Nicole at gardengirl94517@ yahoo.com or call 672-0207.

How to Apply: In person . . . . . .Clayton City Hall, 6000 Heritage Trail By mail . . . . . . .Call City offices at 925-673-7300 Online . . . . . . . .www.ci.clayton.ca.us E-mail . . . . . . . .ljackson@ci.clayton.ca.us

Must be ready to start immediately.

Return a completed application to the City Clerk by 5 p.m., Aug. 24, 2007. The City Council’s screening committee will interview applicants in late August and recommend appointments to the City Council. Appointments are expected to be made at the first City Council meeting in September.

Tel: (925) 672-0500 Fax: (925) 672-6580 CONTACT US Tamara Steiner tamara@claytonpioneer.com Beth Neudell beth@claytonpioneer.com Send ads to ads@claytonpioneer.com

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LET US KNOW Weddings, engagements, anniversaries, births and deaths all weave together as part of the fabric of our community. Please let us know of these important events. We ask only that the announcement be for a Clayton resident. You will find the appropriate form for your announcement on our Website. Attach your photo to the form. Also on our Web site are forms for submitting Calendar items and press releases for your organization.

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Duties: The Appointed member must attend the Library Commission Meetings and the Alternate must attend meetings in the absence of the Appointed member. Meetings are held quarterly at 7 p.m. at the Contra Costa County Library Headquarters, 1750 Oak Park Blvd., Pleasant Hill or other designated location.

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B EV B RITTON , Copy Editor and Feature Writer R ANDY R OWLAND , Sports Writer M EGHAN PARDI , Sports Writer B ETH N EUDELL , Administrative Assistant

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Page A6

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 10, 2007

Buyers hoping to trade up should consider options LYNNE FRENCH

REAL ESTATE The past couple of years were tough on homebuyers. Trade-up buyers who were selling one home to buy another had a particularly hard time. If they needed to sell in order to buy, they couldn’t compete against buyers who could afford to pay all cash. But if they sold their current home first, there was no telling how long it would take to find a suitable replacement home. Inventories of homes for sale were at a record low. There were too many buyers competing for too few listings. Now the tables are turning. Inventories of homes for sale are rising and the housing market appears to be slowing from last year’s vigorous pace. This doesn’t mean that you won’t find yourself in competition with other buyers for a wonderful

home. But a slower market has created a more level playing field. It remains to be seen if, and how much, home prices will soften. It will vary from one location to the next and possibly from one house to the next. The most desirable homes tend to hold value better than less desirable homes in the same marketplace. A softening in home prices can actually work in favor of homeowners who are attempting to trade up. Suppose prices decline 5 percent. You’ll sell your home for 5 percent less than you might have last year. But you’ll pay 5 percent less for a more expensive home, so you’ll come out dollars ahead. A dilemma facing most trade-up homebuyers is whether to buy or sell first. If you buy first, you know where you’re going and when. You also know how much you’re paying for your new home. The unknowns are how long it will take to sell your old home and how much you’ll net from the sale. Trade-up buyers who

Safeway bomb threat hoax backfires on Pittsburg teen A 17-year-old Pittsburg youth was arrested recently for calling in a false bomb threat to the Safeway store in Clayton Station. A little after 10:30 p.m. on July 25, a Safeway employee picked up the phone to hear a voice on the other end warn “get out of the store, there’s

a bomb.” The teen was calling from a pay phone in front of the Safeway and was overheard by a passer by who alerted Safeway. The teen was cited and released to his mother. Charges were pending at press time.

choose to sell first have the benefit of knowing exactly how much cash they’ll net from the sale. When the real estate market is in transition, as it is now, there can be more uncertainty about selling prices. This increases the risk of buying before you sell. You could find yourself selling for less than you had anticipated. There are ways to minimize the risk. First, be realistic about the value of your home. Have your real estate agent prepare a current market analysis of your home to establish its approximate value. The most recent comparable sales provide the best information about the probable sale price of your home. Comparable sales from several months ago may be out of date. Don’t rely on a refinance appraisal. This may not be an accurate reflection of current market value. One trade-up buyer relied on a bank appraisal of her current home in calculating how much she could pay for a trade-up

Police Academy near his alma mater Chico. He made his way back to the Bay Area to be near his parents in Antioch and sister in Oakley. “I wanted to come back home. I heard great things about the Clayton Police Department and wanted to be part of the team,” says Blanchard. He appreciates the support from the Clayton citizens as he performs his duties. “In many

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Lynne French is the broker/owner of Windermere Lynne French & Associates and a Clayton resident. For any real estate needs or questions, contact her at 672-8787, Lynne@LynneFrench.com or stop in at 6200 Center St. in Clayton.

Officer, from page A1

Ryan Spangler

home. After she was in contract to buy the new home, her real estate agent told her that her home would probably sell for significantly less than the appraised value. The safest way to make a trade-up move is to buy your new home contingent on the sale of your current home. However, in many areas, this strategy is unacceptable to sellers. A more realistic approach is to sell your current home first with a provision that you may need a long close of escrow and, perhaps, a rent-back. A rentback lets you stay in your home for a period of time after closing. When the inspection and financing contingencies are removed from your sale contract, start shopping in earnest for your new home.

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cases, I can talk to people and they will talk back to me with respect,” Blanchard adds. “People are always waving with all five fingers.” He went on to note that even when he breaks up parties or deals with a conflict, the people in Clayton usually cooperate. Blanchard appreciates the small size of the department, so he can learn more in his novice years as a police officer.

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August 10, 2007

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com

Page A7

INTEGRITY HANDS-ON

County rules apply to barking dogs

BUILDERS

Most dogs have little reason to bark while their owners are home. However, many dogs that “nuisance bark” do so because they are lonely or bored while their owner is away. The problem is probably solved the moment the dog’s owner returns. Since the owner never hears the nuisance barking, he does not experience the problem – but the neighbors do. The continual barking can lead to a frustrating situation for neighbors, especially at 3 in the morning. Continual nuisance barking is a violation of the County Animal Services Ordinance 416-12.202. The city of Clayton contracts with County Animal Services to investigate and resolve these issues. The police department is usually the first to receive a report of a barking dog and frequently responds to nuisance barking complaints.

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citizens in maintaining good neighborhood relations. Typically, when the police dispatcher receives a call about a barking dog occurring after hours, a Clayton officer is dispatched to investigate. The officer will try to contact the dog’s owner. If no one is home, the officer leaves an informational card for the dog owners describing their responsibilities pursuant to the county’s dog barking ordinance. If the dog continues to bark, the victim is referred to Contra Costa Animal Services. The process includes the following steps: First complaint. A strongly written letter is sent to the dog owner with information about the county’s dog barking ordinance and possible legal action if the barking continues. This usually resolves most dog barking issues.

DAN LAURENCE

FROM

THE

CHIEF

We get about three to five calls each week from frustrated residents who report a situation involving a continual barking dog while their neighbors are away. These calls are usually from residents who are experiencing this problem at night or on the weekends. Although these investigative calls take officers away from other duties, our goal and policy is to keep the peace and to assist

Second complaint. An Animal Services officer will make personal contact with the dog owner in order to reinforce the county’s dog barking ordinance. The officer will also confirm if the victim is willing to pursue further legal action. Subsequent complaints. This may result in a citation and referral to the district attorney’s office for possible further action. Although enforcement of barking dog laws seems to be a trivial matter to many, I can assure you that victims of nuisance dog barking feel just the opposite. For more information, contact the Animal Services office at 335-8300.

Dan Lawrence is Clayton’s Police Chief. Please send your questions, comments or topics you’d like to see covered to DanL@cpd.ci.concord.ca.us

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As eager young Harry Potter fans gathered to share their philosophies on the popular books, answering trivia about the wizarding world was, well, child’s play. What is parseltongue? Which character is afraid of spiders? Who is Fluffy? They spit out the answers faster than Clayton Books employee Mary Millard can ask them. She finally stumped them with a few Master Level questions.

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Nanny Nicole Martinez brought her four charges to the July 26 discussion. As the eldest in the group, 12-year-old Megan Mayhew of Clayton explained the Pottermania enveloping them since the release of “Deathly Hallows.” “They are all obsessed with Harry Potter,” she says. “They’ve been talking about it every day since the book came out. They discuss who is going to die and what’s going to happen next and what page they’re on.” Stepping back to discuss the series as a whole, the kids talked about their favorite characters. Katie Hays, 11, of Antioch opted for Professor Dumbledore while Clayton resident Keaton Hill, 9, chose Professor Snape. “He’s creepy,” he explains with a sly smile. Katie Mayhew, 9, and her sister Megan both favor Harry. “He really has to find himself in this book,” says Megan. “And he has to make big decisions that I wouldn’t want to make.” Overall, Martinez was impressed with the series finale and feels that author J. K.

Rowling did a good job wrapping up the series. However, she notes that a few mysteries were left unsolved and some connections were tenuous at best. “She did a couple of those explanations where you just had to trust her. It was kind of a leap how she sewed up all the loose ends.” Clutching their copies of “ D e a t h l y Hallows,” the J.K. Rowling’s final Harry Potter novel c h i l d r e n expressed remorse about the went back and discussed passing of some beloved char- Dumbledore’s past? She could acters. And, of course, there go back and write a book like was general malaise about the that, about the past,” Millard says. “There’s a future at end of an era. Millard is optimistic that Hogwart’s as well. And those Rowling will continue the kids will have their own stories theme. “You know how they to tell.”

Club News CLAYTON BUSINESS & COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION The CBCA’s summer project was to work with Volunteer and Emergency Services Team in Action (Vestia), donating money and school supplies for needy children. With kids going back to school soon, there was a big push to get things taken care of by the July meeting. Members came up with hefty donations, including supporting a raffle for a huge margarita bowl with all the fixings. CBCA then matched funds of $1,500. Next up is Oktoberfest the

first weekend in October. There is always a need for volunteers to make this a successful event. Not far behind that is Christmas, when the CBCA decorates downtown Clayton. Please consider getting involved. The group’s next meeting is Aug. 30 at Oakhurst Country Club. Cost of the dinner is $24, and reservations must be called in to 672-2272 by noon Aug. 28. ROTARY CLUB OF CLAYTON VALLEY/CONCORD SUNRISE Members of the club pitched in at the July 27

Downtown, from page A1 the park, game tables, a waterplay structure playground and a grassy area for picnics. An interactive, life-size statue of seven children playing “Ring Around the Rosy” will stand at the corner of Main and Center. The round wood framing for the gazebo and all the underground work is finished and crews are ready to begin pouring the hardscape next week. “It’s going to go a lot faster now,” says Napper. “Once the concrete is poured for the plaza, we can install the prefab restrooms which are a Victorian design that will go with the rest

of the town.” Community interest in the project remains high, Napper reports, with regular Friday visits by “certain people that come by just to check things out.” Napper anticipates a community-wide grand opening sometime around the end of October or first of November. The Christmas tree lighting will be the first community event in the new park with “Christmas music playing over the sound system and maybe Santa and Mrs., Claus waving from the gazebo.” he said.

Firefighters Memorial at the Sleep Train Pavilion in Concord. In conjunction with the Salvation Army, Richard Leuck volunteered to drive the emergency services canteen to the event and distributed hundreds of bottles of water. Chuck Graham, Jeff Rondini, Jane Moses, Lisa Truesdell and Jim Tomtania also volunteered at the somber event honoring two members of the Contra Costa Fire District who were killed in a house fire.

NEW CONSTRUCTION Construction on Oak Center, a two-story retail and office building at the corner of Oak and Center Streets is set to begin the end of September with completion expected by June 2008. Owner and developer Uzoma Nwakuche expects to have an upscale seafood restaurant and a Wally’s Bagels among the ground level retail establishments. The Creekside Arts Association will also have an art gallery in downstairs space donated by Nwakuche for the purpose.

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

More Around Town Gaunts gather for family reunion

Members of the Gaunt family gather for a reunion at Stan and Glenda Gaunt’s Clayton home.

Stanley and Glenda Gaunt hosted a party at their home in Clayton on June 30, bringing together Hugh Gaunt’s family from North Carolina and Florida with Stan’s family from Clayton, Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood, Concord and Temecula.

Attending the Gaunt Reunion were members of Stan and Glenda’s family, Michael and Kathy Gaunt of Pittsburg; Michael Jr. and Denise and their children, Zack, Giana and Michael Quinn Gaunt of Antioch; Nickolas and Hazel

Gaunt of Brentwood; Bill and Terry Gaunt and Bill’s children, Courtney, Chantal and Aaron Gaunt of Concord (Ryan Gaunt could not attend as he is in Iraq); and John and Debbie (Gaunt) Phillips and their children, Chad, Shane and Shaun of Temecula. Hugh Gaunt passed away on April 14, 2002. Attending from his family were his wife Barbara; Greg and Pat and their daughter Hailey of North Carolina; Dr. Richard and Tammy Del Boccio and their son Brandon of Florida; and Robert and Terri Hebert of North Carolina. Lugi’s Deli of Concord catered the patio party. The festivities continued in the Napa Valley wine country for ballooning and wine tasting, then on to San Francisco July 3 for sightseeing and then a July 4 celebration.

August 10, 2007

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Dr. and Mrs. Carl Crandall recently returned from a trip to Evansville, Ind., where they witnessed the commencement ceremonies at Master’s International School of Divinity. During the ceremonies, their son, Rev. Matthew Crandall, was awarded his second doctoral degree. Matthew attended Clayton Valley High School and Los Medanos College.

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Clayton youth join ‘High School Musical’ Two Clayton teens, Elise Giverink and Kristen Engle, are participating in Contra Costa Christian Theatre’s production of Disney’s “High School Musical” this weekend in Pleasant Hill. The Aug. 10 and 11 performances will be the first from CCCT’s teen summer program, directed by Steve Kinsella from the Kinsella Theatre Group in Brentwood and choreographed by Amy Warner, who choreographed CCCT’s “Seussical.” “High School Musical” is based on the popular Disney Channel movie. This theatrical adaptation provides the fun, wholesome family entertainment that is the trademark of CCCT productions. More than 50 teens and young adults will bring to life the story of Troy and Gabrielle, two East High students who meet at a New Year’s Eve party. The show will feature a variety of cliques – the jocks, thespians, brainiacs, skaters dudes, band, preps and cheerleaders – as they dance

What’s happening Around Town We want to know what’s happening in your families and in your neighborhoods. Send your news of births, engagements weddings, anniversaries, special recognitions, etc. to info@claytonpioneer.com.

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Clayton and Concord students rehearse Disney’s High School Musical. From left: Thomas James, Andrew James, Charlie Baggett, Shelly McDowell, Janae Werner, Clayton teens Elise Giverink and Kristen Engle, Rachel Kagawan and Rekah Kagawan.

and sing their way across stage. The technical running crew is also made up of summer camp students. The costumes, set design and construction, along with lighting and sound, were created by a talented group of students under the guidance of Kimberley James, CCCT’s director in charge of productions, and stage managed by Tech Track student Addie Mason of Pleasant Hill.

What: “High School Musical” When: 7:30 p.m. Aug. 10l; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Aug. 11 Where: DVC Performing Arts Center, 321 Golf Club Road, Pleasant Hill Tickets: $15 For more information: www.ccchristiantheatre.org or 943-SHOW

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com

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Everybody who lives within the foothills of Mt. Diablo has lived through Gary Bogue’s newest book about opossums, those funny looking marsupials we see in our backyards. The author’s previous book, “The Raccoon Next Door: Creatures of the Urban Wilderness,” was a self-help book for homeowners in their neverending struggle to keep their garbage cans upright in the presence of raccoons. In contrast, “There’s An Opossum In My Backyard” is a picture book to be loved by children and adults. From the moment a baby opossum falls off her mother’s back while walking along a fence and lands in the backyard of the Green family, we are once again in Bogue territory.

Chuck Todd’s illustrations, both striking and humorous, capture the text and heart of Bogue’s story. We see the plight of the abandoned baby opossum through her own eyes: in the glare of oncoming headlights, the fearsome predatory swoop of an owl and the ferocious bearing of the family dog protecting his bowl of food. Bogue’s gift for teaching through storytelling is in full swing in this book. It is a book in need of a lap. When youngsters see the cover and recognize the animal on it, they will clamor to have the book read aloud. And Todd’s cover says it all. We see the opossum looking straight at us from the branch of a tree, and within the curve of her tail we see the Green family, behind closed sliding glass doors, staring out at the opossum with a variety of expressions on their faces. A remarkable coexistence is

about to happen. What you have here is everything you ever wanted to know about opossums but were afraid to ask. It is the kind of picture book that gives the outloud reader plenty of room to pause in the story, rest the book for a moment and engage the young listeners in comments and questions. “There’s An Opossum In My Backyard” is educational without using a sledgehammer. Bogue would never do that. He has as much respect for his readers as he does for the creatures he describes in this wonderful book. Bogue’s respect for his subject matter is borne out by the fact that the abandoned opossum is never personified or given a cutesy name but remains her own distinct, odd little self. This engaging creature may live among humans, but she remains, “little opossum.”

Meet Bogue and Todd, and a possible surprise special guest, at 2 p.m. Aug. 25 at Clayton Books, 5433 Clayton Road, Suite D, Clayton.

Sunny Solomon is the BookLady and manager of Clayton Books in the Clayton Station. She holds an MA in English and Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. Sunny is a poet and loves to “talk books.” Reach her with questions or comments at 673-3325.

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you’re emailing your resume. Indeed.com is the simplest of the three to use. Its home page looks like Google’s, with just two search boxes. To start, type a job title or company name and hit the Find Jobs button. Unlike Craigslist and HotJobs, Indeed searches newspapers, company career pages and other job search Websites

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like Monster and Careerbuilder. The site offers more choices than its competitors because it pools thousands of results together. If you’re sick of commuting, Indeed lets you search for jobs nearby. I searched for accounting jobs near Clayton and found nine within five miles. Indeed lets you find jobs up to 100 miles from your initial search point. One of Indeed’s special features is a salary tracker that displays how much you’ll earn on average for the desired job. Click on the salaries tab at the top of the results page after you’ve searched for a job. A search for accounting jobs near Clayton found an average salary of $49,000 – 3 percent higher than the national average, according to the site. Craigslist (http:// sfbay.craigslist.org/) is a popular classifieds site that lets people search for jobs by industry. My mom found her job there. However, the site can be difficult to navigate. It’s easier to select a category like “writing/editing” from the home page than to use the site’s search box. When I searched for writer, I came up with ads for people selling comic books. Job postings on Craigslist are organized by regions, like the Peninsula or East Bay. This means if you’re looking for an accounting job in Clayton, you’ll have to sift through jobs from

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other East Bay cities. Each job posting includes a special email address if you have questions or wish to apply for a job. HotJobs (http://hotjobs. yahoo.com/) has a different take on the job search front. With HotJobs, you can create an online resume for prospective employers to see, and you can search for jobs as well. HotJobs has a neat feature which lets you cross-reference jobs by experience wanted, city and job categories. After you search for a job, check out the side bar on the left side of the page. When I searched for accounting positions, I found 27 entries that required less than one year of experience and 188 that wanted at least two to five years. A final warning: Not all job entries are created equal. Some entries, especially on Craigslist, may contain only a few sentences in their description. Make sure to research the company and ask questions. Job sites are most effective for those who are motivated and continually refine their searches. So don’t get discouraged. Your perfect job is waiting in cyberspace. Mark Freeman is a graduate of De La Salle High School and a freshman at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga. He plans to study economics and currently writes for the school paper. Questions/comments can be sent to mfreeman543@gmail.com.

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This is a must see. Beautifully updated 3 bedroom 2.5 bath free standing condo directly across from Newhall Park and the lake. Enjoy the view of the lake and the ducks from the updated kitchen with tile floors and custom cabinets. Rich hardwood floors and crown molding in the living and dining room complete a fantastic downstairs living area. All of the bathrooms have been tastefully updated. A wood burning fire place, 6 panel doors and a 2 car garage are just some of the amenities of this exceptional property. This is a short sale and will not last. Offered at $459,000

Great 2 bedroom 1 bath home on a 10,000 square foot country lot. Extra tall covered RV/Boat parking with access to the rear yard. Large eat in kitchen with tons of storage. Hardwood floors in the bedrooms and under the carpet. Garage converted to a roomy office/den. Backyard features a redwood gazebo, fruit trees, rose bushes, lawn area and 2 large workshops. Easy access to the freeway. Offered at $439,000

All Offers Considered

Page A10

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 10, 2007

Start planning now for next year’s college funds SEAN CONNORS Special to the Pioneer

I find that parents of college-bound children are willing to do everything they can to get the biggest possible piece of the college funding pie. After all, college is one of the largest expenses any family faces. However, parents often are in a quandary because they don’t know how to get started, when to take action and what to do next. Here is a strategy that parents must follow this fall to get the best possible college funding. SEPTEMBER: Have your child request applications to at least six to eight schools. The more applications you send in, the more options you will have in college funding. Get an estimate of your expected family contribution (EFC). This is the minimum amount of money you will be expected to pay out of pock-

et for one school year. Meanwhile, start doing some income and asset planning, setting up your finances in the most favorable way legally allowable. It’s best to do this before you fill out the financial aid forms later in the year. OCTOBER: It’s time for your child to start completing and sending in college applications. Set up a check-off chart to help you keep track of all the applications and other forms that you and your child will need to complete in the coming months. The chart should include significant deadlines. Have your child take the SAT to try to increase his or her score. You will get a much better college funding package (with more grants and fewer loans) if your child is in the top 25 percent of a college’s incoming freshman class. Search for college scholarships, but don’t expect to get all the money you

need from these. Meanwhile, high school juniors should take the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT). NOVEMBER: Have your child pick up a few copies each of the free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CSS Financial Aid Profile Registration Form (also known as the profile or Financial Aid Profile). Everyone who is seeking college funding must fill out the FAFSA. However, not all colleges require the Financial Aid Profile. If the schools you desire require the profile, submit it well before the earliest deadline. If the any of the schools your child is interested in require supplemental applications or other forms, make sure these are completed and submitted on time. Also request applications from scholarship providers at this time. DECEMBER: Do any lastminute income and asset planning before the end of the year.

School News Deirdre Ruscitti, a recent graduate of Clayton Valley High School, is a recipient of the 2007 San Francisco Bay Area Pitt Club Scholarship. The award is granted annually by the University of Pittsburgh’s Alumni Association. The San Francisco Bay Area Pitt Club scholarship is one of 12 Matching Club/Affinity Council scholarships awarded through the Pitt Alumni Association. This award is regionally based. The club will provide academic funding for Ruscitti’s freshman year at Pitt.

The Pitt Alumni Association, in conjunction with the University’s Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, will provide a $1,000 gift as a supplement to the initial award, resulting in a $4,000 accolade. Funding will be provided for up to three subsequent years of Ruscitti’s undergraduate experience through the Pitt Matching Endowed Scholarship Program. Students remain academically eligible for this grant by maintaining a 3.0 grade point average throughout their undergraduate careers.

DEIRDRE RUSCITTI

Remember, this is the last month of your Base Financial Year: the year that your income, assets and taxes will determine your child’s eligibility for financial aid and the types of aid he will receive. There are many legal and ethical actions that you can take in the base financial year to improve your chances of receiving the best financial aid deals next year. Have an expert review your finances, sort through your options and help you devise a sound strategy. Meanwhile, ask your accountant to help you estimate this year’s income and tax information. Then, fill out the free FAFSA and the CSS Financial Aid Profile, if you have not already done so. Make sure you fill out the forms completely and accurately. If you don’t have all the financial and tax information the FAFSA requests, provide estimates and change them once you have final figures. JANUARY: Submit the FAFSA within two weeks of January, because aid is awarded on a first-come, firstserved basis. The deadline for submitting the FAFSA can vary, so make sure you know your institutions’ deadline dates. Meanwhile, high school juniors should investigate possible colleges and universities. Send away for catalogs and videos. FEBRUARY: You will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) within six to eight weeks after you submitted the FAFSA. The SAR gives you a calculation of your EFC based on the federal financial aid formula. Correct or update any estimated income or tax information and anything else that is incorrect. A section in Part II of the SAR is set aside to allow you to update or correct informa-

FOR MORE INFORMATION, attend one of three, free college planning seminars this month. I will teach the workshops with Alexis Alekna, an expert on paying for college. We are coauthors of “How to Give Your Child a 4-Year College Education Without Going Broke.” The workshops are 6:15-7:45 p.m. Aug. 28 at the Ygnacio Valley Library, 2661 Oak Grove Road, Walnut Creek; 7:158:45 p.m. Aug. 29, Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road; and 6:15-7:45 p.m. Aug. 30, Danville Library, 400 Front St. To reserve a seat, call 888-210-2606.

tion from your original FAFSA. After completing the corrections and updates, resubmit only Part II of the SAR. It’s also time to submit applications for scholarship, according to their deadlines. MARCH: You should receive an updated SAR about four to six weeks after you sent in any corrections. Review it to make sure it is complete and accurate. Then, submit a copy of the SAR to the appropriate colleges. At this time, high school juniors should talk to a high school guidance counselor about college. APRIL: Look in the mail for financial aid award letters from the schools that have accepted your child. Review each award letter carefully, because a school may underaward or misaward funds. Make sure you accept all award packages before the school’s deadline, while you prepare to negotiate a better package at the schools that gave you unacceptable packages. MAY: For each school that sent you an unacceptable award package, write a letter of negotiation. Use favorable award letters from comparable schools to leverage a better financial aid package. Be courteous, polite and non-confrontational but matter-of-fact. If your child is especially “desirable” to colleges for some rea-

son (academics, athletics, etc.), use this as a negotiating factor. Consider calling financial aid officers to plead your case directly. Have your child make a final decision on the college she will be attending in the fall. The child should notify that college as well as the non-selected schools. If applicable, she will also need to complete paperwork for on-campus housing. High school juniors should make arrangements to visit colleges of interest when school is in session. JUNE-AUGUST: As soon as possible, determine how you will pay your EFC. Perhaps you have been saving for this day for many years, and now it’s time to break open the piggy bank. Or, you might look into financing the expense out of your current after-tax income, or through loans or tuition payment plans. Keep in mind that some loans are more favorable than others, and some are even tax-advantaged. Encourage your child to work this summer and earn cash for college expenses. Because the college financial aid officers have already made their offers, your child can earn up to $2,200 this year without those earnings affecting the offers, this year’s EFC or next year’s EFC.

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Page A11

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The Clampers like to throw around a lot of slang, from the Orphans and Widders ball and the quarterly parties they call Doin’s to the name of their leader – the Noble Grand Humbug. “Just like ‘The Flintstones’ have a Grand Poohbah, we have a Humbug,” says Red Read of Antioch, a member of the Joaquin Murrieta Chapter of E Clampus Vitus, commonly referred to as the Clampers. But when they get down to business, the fraternal group is dedicated to the study and preservation of Western heritage. A walk down Clayton’s Main Street reveals their handiwork. Jon Wilson of Concord recalls helping build the stone monument in front of the Clayton Museum in 1976. “My son was 3 years old, and he handed us rocks to put in the monument,” says Wilson, whose son Martin is now also a Clamper. This past June, Clampers restored the aging flagpole in front of the Clayton Museum. In recent years, they also dedicated plaques at Black Diamond Plaza, the Clayton Club and the DeMartini Winery. A contingent of red-shirted Clampers participate each year in the Clayton Fourth of July parade, drawing laughs with their “Precision Drill Team.” As a child, Tyson Freeman watched with envy as the Clampers strode by in the parade. “I told my folks when I was just a little kid: ‘I want to be one of those guys.’ They looked like they had a good time,” he says. “I joined as soon as I turned 21.” The Clayton resident, now 28, also encouraged his younger brother Brandon to join. Tyson helps at a variety of work parties as well as the Christmas toy drive for Children’s Hospital in Oakland. “I really enjoy being a part of this group and doing all we can for the communities,” he says. “He’s ready to work anywhere, anytime,” Wilson notes. Wilson was a member of a Clamper group in the Gold Country before helping launch the Contra Costa/Alameda chapter in the ’70s. “What I like best about the group is the history and the camaraderie. History was my favorite subject in school,” says Wilson, noting that his great-great uncle took part in the Bear Flag Revolt. “Jon is history,” says a laughing Read.

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

The Clampers Precision Drill Team in the July 4 Parade inspired member Tyson Freeman to join as soon as he turned 21.

On July 20, Read, Wilson and Eric Sorenson of Oakland were working on the Potter’s Field monument at the Pioneer Cemetery in Martinez. They added another layer to the stone monument to house the ashes of Clamper Dave Horton of Pleasant Hill, who “went to the golden hills” on July 2. When the Clampers started caring for the cemetery in the ’70s, they didn’t even know the Potter’s Field existed because it was so covered in weeds.

Photo courtesy of the Clampers

Back: Clampers Jeremy Woodsworth, Jon Wilson, Anthony Croft; Front: Tyson Freeman, Brandon Freeman, Jesse Olinger at the Clayton museum flagpole.

“Our first project was returning bones, caskets and parts of headstones that had been washed away. This was a very neglected cemetery back then,” says Wilson. “Dave did a lot here. This was his main interest,” Wilson adds. “There are headstones here that Dave, with his engineering skills, helped us get set up right.” The Clampers also tend to Live Oak Cemetery in Concord, where Joel Clayton and other local historical figures are buried. At the upcoming September work party at Live Oak, the group will trim trees and continue to add rebar around the fence to thwart vandals. “My first year at Live Oak, we had so many tumbleweeds, it took us 10 loads to get them out,” Read notes. Janet Easton of the Clayton

Historical Society became acquainted with the Clampers in 1998, when the society had a headstone made for Joel and Margaret Clayton. “We needed someone to install it and I was referred to Duncan Kibble,” Easton says. “I called Duncan and said, ‘I need a Clamper.’ He replied, ‘Lady, my prayers have been answered. Just tell me where and when.’ ” Beyond the work parties to spiff up historical sites, the Clampers host casual Doin’s, where as many as 700 members dig into a barbecue. And while each chapter has a vice president in charge of libations, the group’s reputation as a drinking club is ill-deserved, says Clayton resident Wayne Buckman. “I get tired of people saying the Clampers are just a bunch of heavy drinkers,” says Buckman, who helped the group erect the marker at the Clayton Club. Members remain secretive about some aspects of the club, including the origins of the name. “Even to me, the meaning has not been revealed,” quips Wilson. Buckman, however, researched the Latin roots and believes E Clampus Vitus can be translated into “Friends for Life.” When he forwarded his thoughts to Clamper officials, though, they said: “No, no, no. We want it to continue to just be for fun.” “I was very disappointed with that,” says Buckman. However, he still laughs when recalling his initiation ceremony. “I got all dressed up in a three-piece suit and had my shoes shined. This way, I thought they wouldn’t do anything to me. Well, I was wrong. I had to throw the suit away when it was over,” he says, pausing before adding: “But no one was hurt.” Wilson says the rites are all in fun. “It’s primarily an opportunity to play games with their minds.”

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Page A12

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 10, 2007

Friday the 13th is a lucky day for these two Clayton mortgage companies JUSTIN BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer

Two Clayton mortgage companies have joined forces to serve the local market with a client-oriented philosophy and 34 years combined experience. Ted Sudderth surrendered the ComUnity Lending name to become part of the Clayton Financial team, combining offices on Friday, July 13. “We’re trying to make it a lucky day,” says Sudderth. ComUnity Lending and Clayton Financial competed in the mortgage business for the past seven years. Due to current market conditions, Sudderth approached Dave Doig of Clayton Financial with a proposition. “Ted found us through our article in the Clayton Pioneer and came in the office with an idea to work together as opposed to

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

COMUNITY’S TED SUDDERTH (holding Casey) joins forces with Clayton Financial’s Valerie Johnson (center) and Dave and Misha Doig.

competing for the same business,” Doig explains. Sudderth owned and operated ComUnity Lending for 27 years and has been in Clayton for 30 years. He worked beside his wife Judi for all those years and

now has Doig sitting across from him. “It’s been fun,” Sudderth notes. “We are here to make a living. It didn’t make sense to compete against one another.” Clayton Financial prides itself

on working with clients and treating them as neighbors. “We’re in it for the long haul,” says Doig. “Ted has the same philosophy as us of caring about our customers. When we do business, we hope they’ll come back and thus we conduct ourselves accordingly.” Doig and his associates moved into Sudderth’s office in the Village Oaks building above Ed’s Mudville Grill. They combined furniture and equipment for the four full-time employees. “I’m looking forward to this business relationship,” says Doig. Both men give back to the community they depend on for their livelihoods. Sudderth is involved with the Animal Rescue Foundation and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and Doig supports youth sports in the area. “Cumulatively, we can give even more to charity,” Sudderth explains.

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At the Movies

‘Dawn’ plays with the facts, but who cares?

JIM BRIGGS

THE

MOVIES

There are a handful of directors whose films I anticipate. In the case of Werner Herzog’s “Rescue Dawn,” I’ve been waiting over a year and I am pleased to report that it was worth the wait. “Dawn” is the story of the capture, imprisonment and escape of German-born American pilot Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale) in the years leading up to the Vietnam War. Dengler’s plane crashes about 20 minutes into the film. He’s captured and tortured in a Laotian village before being carted away to a

remote prison camp. Among the five other prisoners are Duane (Steve Zahn) and Gene (Jeremy Davies). During Dengler’s time in the prison camp, he naively thinks they can all escape together. Even though he’s able to impress the other prisoners with his resourcefulness, escaping is a tough sell. “The jungle is the prison,” Duane says. Herzog shoots are notoriously difficult. On the set of “Fitzcarraldo,” a lumberjack sawed his own foot off after being bitten by a poisonous snake. While location scouting for “Dawn,” Herzog and his wife were sleeping in hammocks near a village of cannibals. Herzog calmed his wife’s nerves, telling her: “If they sneak up on us, we will not hear them.” Bale invests himself in his roles emotionally as much as he does physically. In “Batman Begins,” he’s big and muscular (well, he’s Batman), while the

year before he’s completely emaciated in “The Machinist.” In “Dawn,” he starts out a wideeyed, patriotic, beefy soldier and probably drops 50 pounds, his skin literally hanging from his bones. The film was shot in reverse order because as anyone who’s ever dieted knows, it takes a lot longer to lose weight than it does to gain it. Zahn (“Out of Sight,” “Joy Ride”), who’s always brilliantly played a goofball, shows a new set of acting chops as Duane. While it is a dramatic roll, Zahn finds ways to inject humor where maybe it doesn’t belong, but it always works to the benefit of the scene. Dengler’s story is thematically consistent with Herzog’s previous work. Dengler is a character with an obsession (in this case with flying first, then escape) who comes face to face with Mother Nature. Herzog, believing in what he calls the “Disneyization of nature,” refuses to sentimentalize it in

his films. While his locations are always beautiful, he goes out of his way, even in a documentary like “Grizzly Man,” to push the idea that nature would get rid of us if she could. Herzog has been accused of being too loose with the facts of Dengler’s story. He has the rare advantage of having already made a film about Dengler, a documentary called “Little Dieter Needs To Fly,” in which he stayed true to the facts. Though based on a real man’s experiences, “Rescue Dawn” is fiction and, for that reason, he’s able to take dramatic liberties. It’s a tribute to Herzog’s recently deceased friend Dengler, whose story is worth telling twice. 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 reviews for Entertainment News Int. Send comments to movies@claytonpioneer.com.

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Uniting, from page A4 The local parishioners were able to meet personally with His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew I in the Cathedral of St. George in Istanbul. The gathering followed a meeting between the patriarch and the pope only weeks before. For Marin, “his sincerity in meeting with us” was the highlight of the trip. After 15 minutes of engaging conversation, the group moved on, anticipating more progress with the next meeting of the patriarch and pope in the ensuing weeks. Clayton residents Margene Ralston of St. Bonaventure and

her husband Chuck of Christ Community Presbyterian in Walnut Creek illustrate their appreciation for the ecumenical effort through their marriage as well as their attendance on the trip. “I was impressed with meeting the patriarch in Istanbul, the fact that he knew our group was coming and talked of his meetings with the pope,” says Chuck, who also went with daughter Nancy of St. Bonaventure. After the trip concluded, Silvia Marks of St. Demetrios says she sees an auspicious future for the movement. “This

Mayor, from page A1 they want us to recycle more. Current law requires cities to recycle 50 percent of their residential waste. As I have mentioned before, Clayton is struggling to get to this level. We are close, but we are still not there. Our average recycle rate is currently less than the 50 percent diversion rate required by state law. Under a new law being proposed, the California Integrated Waste Management Board would be required to enact poli-

cies and programs to ensure the state (cities) achieves a 60 percent diversion rate by 2012 and a 75 percent diversion rate by 2020. The unfortunate thing about this piece of legislation is there is no money attached to it from Sacramento, and new programs to achieve these higher recycle rates are more expensive. This means residential garbage collection rates would ultimately have to go up to cover these cost. This is called the taxpayer diver-

tells us there is a lot of hope. We put it to the test, and we are all still enjoying each other’s company and looking for more.” The encounters with the pope and patriarch, the myriad religious and monumental sites, the camaraderie of the two groups and the overarching message of Christian unity culminated in the cruise down the Bosphorus. The groups became symbiotic and proved the ecumenical movement can overcome rhetorical dissonance and be realized through grassroots action. “We are the same faiths seen through different lenses,” says Father David. In the wake of this trip, the Romanian Patriarch Teoctist I,

sion rate. (Just kidding.) No matter how you feel about this legislation (SB 1020), you can contact your elected representatives in Sacramento and let them know. I am sure they would be happy to hear from you. As Will Rogers once said: “If you make any money, the government shoves you in the creek once a year with it in your pockets, and all that don’t get wet, you can keep.” As always, if you have any questions, concerns, comments or advice, please send me an email at wrwalcutt@aol.com.

the first Christian Orthodox patriarch to invite the pope into his country, died on July 30, passing the tradition and hope of Christian unity onto the current religious leaders and followers. The two local churches of St. Bonaventure and St. Demetrios have undertaken this timely, worldly endeavor.

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August 10, 2007

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

A touch of

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Page A13

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San Diego is many things to many people. To some, it is a hub of culture and art, centered in the gorgeous antique architecture of Balboa Park. To others, it is a sportslover’s dream, with pubs, bars and stadiums in close proximity and pre-game happy hours to sweeten that first pitch. To still others, it is a child’s playland, with the cuddly koalas of the San Diego Zoo mere minutes from the captivating thrills of SeaWorld’s Shamu. It is a naval base. A beach. A foodie’s dream come true. A resort. A sunny paradise. My excursion to San Diego began at the lovely international airport, relishing the fact that my wait in the long lines that mark the beginning of this year’s travel season are over. The airport is accessible via a downtown trolley, but I ventured in a cab for the four-mile ride to the historic Gaslamp Quarter in the heart of downtown. Dotted with gorgeous 19thcentury lampposts, the Gaslamp consists of 16 square blocks lined with 125 restaurants, bars and coffeehouses. The area’s best hotels are centered around this nightspot hub. Eclectic shops and galleries fill in the remaining space. It is an adult’s dream, assuming that the visitor is an unencumbered adult inclined to stay out until the wee hours of the morning. Should that not be the case, San Diego has alternative offerings.

The San Diego Zoo is one of the most important research and conservation organizations in the world, dedicating much of its funding to the protection and breeding of endangered or threatened species. The Giant Panda Research Station houses the largest number of pandas in North America. In the Absolutely Apes exhibit, one can watch families of apes and orangutans play (or fight –

PANDA AT SAN DIEGO ZOO

depending on the mood). If you can’t make it to the zoo, check out the live Web cams at www.sandiegozoo.org/videos/ index.html. For those interested in a more in-depth experience, the Wild Animal Park is located 30 miles north of the zoo, in Escondido. The 2,100-acre park exhibits animals in a “natural” habitat. Visitors can observe the wanderings of these animals via

walkways and a quiet railway through the park. The zoo is merely a portion of Balboa Park, “the nation’s largest urban cultural park” with an incredible array of museums, theaters and gardens. Constantly modified through the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this park boasts some of the most luscious landscaping and architecture in California. For a comparison, think of the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. The outdoor areas are all free to wander through, as is the Botanical Building. The various independent organizations that have residence in the park take turns offering free exhibitions and tours on Tuesdays. The Old Globe Theatre offers both regional and touring productions. The Fleet Science Center houses an IMAX and planetarium. The Automotive and Model Railroad Museums are self-explanatory. The Museum of Man tells the story of our history as a people on planet Earth. The Hall of Champions celebrates San Diego’s sporting legacy. The Balboa Park Visitor’s Center provides the “Passport to Balboa Park,” a seven-day pass to experience 13 museums and the zoo for $59 for adults. For those overwhelmed by the city’s delights, there are always the soft white beaches. My concierge recommended Ocean Beach, near Sea World and Old Town, but I chose to take the ferry to historic Coronado Island.

JEANNA ROSS

TRAVEL TALES Located just off the coast in San Diego Bay, Coronado is a seven-mile island village that shares its small home with the Naval Air Station that trains the elite Navy Seals. Watch the coastline closely and you may see the Seals training in water races on the horizon. The town of Coronado, particularly the areas near the ferry, is nothing special, though activity does pick up closer to the water. It is the famous Hotel del Coronado that gives this island its richest architectural jewel. Though many areas are closed to non-guests, this gorgeous 1888 hotel offers open access to Coronado Beach, as well as its own collection of shops, restaurants and bars. A visit to San Diego is something everyone should work into their busy summer schedules. Where else could one find such a diverse array of activities in such close proximity to our own beloved playground? With airline fares as low as $50 per person, it’s one of the cheapest places to visit while still maintaining the illusion that one is, in fact, away from home. Jeanna Ross is an English teacher at Clayton Valley High School and a free lance writer. She regularly contributes to the Pioneer. Send comments to her at movies@claytonpioneer.com.

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

Summer Day Camps July August Monday-Friday 9 a.m. – 2.p.m. We also offer lessons from beginning riders to advanced riders and horsemanship courses. To register or for more information, call 925-516-5942 or download a registration form at

photos by Jeanna Ross

skylarkequestrian.com

A VACATION IN SAN DIEGO IS NOT COMPLETE without a trip to the historic Hotel del Coronado. The “Hotel Del” is iconic of San Diego and offers open access to the long, white beaches of Coronado Island and is accessible by the San Diego-Coronado bridge or by ferry.

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Page A14

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 10, 2007

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CLAYTON PIONEER August 10, 2007

Section B

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

Page B1

Hang in there with petunias, zinnias and more

NICOLE HACKETT

GARDEN GIRL Planting a hanging basket using a combination of annuals and perennials is a great way to accessorize house corners, eves, overhangs or a decorative hook poked within a garden bed. Using more than one plant variety and multiple textures and colors will make your creation look unique and professional. Easy Wave petunias, Million Bell petunias, Bacopa Snowstorm, Persian Carpet zinnias and Supertunia verbenas are some excellent annual and perennial choices to make any hanging basket dazzle with flower power. Mix in Ipomeas Black Heart or Margarita, Black Scallop Ajuga, Sedum Angelina, Creeping Jenny or coleus for some foliage flare and suddenly you have a hot hanging basket. Easy Wave petunias are a group of annuals that were introduced to the garden scene a handful of year back. They were voted the annual of the year in 2005. Reaching heights of 6-8 inches and widths of 24-36 inches, Easy Wave is dominating in any hanging basket or con-

tainer. They are easy to grow and easy to bloom with high impact pinks, reds and purplish blue. As with all petunias and their relatives, keep the BT or Spinosad handy. You will definitely have to spray for budworm. This step is a pain, but the rewards outweigh the work. Million Bell petunias are recognizable and commonly found at nurseries and garden centers. They are short-lived perennials that will last in the Clayton Valley area for two to three years before giving all that they can. The blossom on this petunia is smaller than usual, and the display is consistent, almost hugging and falling from the side of the hanging basket. Million Bells have unique colors to offer, with several shades of red, pink, peach and blue. Tequila Sunrise is an excellent peachy color that looks great with blue Easy Wave petunias. Cherry Pink is a darker shade of pink, which adds dimension to lighter color complementary perennials like Bacopa Snowstorm. Bacopa Snowstorm is a perennial that sometimes acts like a short-lived evergreen. The small green leaves add a touch of feminine grace to the simple white blossoms. The cascade of this plant is thin-looking, and any hanging basket can use a bit of this bacopa. Carpet-style zinnias are great for hot color lovers. The blast of orange and reds adds heat to cool-colored Easy Wave petunias or flower power to

major foliage baskets. Small, simple blossoms tightly line wiry stems of cascading zinnias foliage, producing color easily through October. This selection grows up to 12 inches tall and then will flop over the side of the hanging basket another 12-24 inches. Pinch blossoms to enjoy in bud vases, because zinnias make great cut flowers as well. Plant in combination with the Black Heart Sweet Potato vine and trailing blue Million Bells, and suddenly you have a hanging basket garden with lots of color and texture. Verbenas were perfected and reintroduced five years ago, calling themselves Supertunias. This family of limited color is thrilling in a basket or container, or in the garden. Aggressive and huge, each plant will reach heights of 8-12 inches and widths of 36 inches or more. The globes of dark blues, purples and burgundy are larger than any other verbena around town. This selection should be installed into a larger basket. The center of this plant may look thin, so planting with a combination including zinnias or Million Bell petunias is a great idea. Foliage is needed in any container, hanging or not. Ipomeas Black Heart and Margarita are polar opposites when color is compared. Black Heart is a multi-bronze, spade-shaped leaf with purple undersides. The color looks like fall all growing season long. Margarita has chartreuse foliage that adds light

CHOOSING A VARIETY OF PLANTS and foliage will result in a profusion of color and a dramatic hanging basket.

and contrast to darker blossoms. Ipomeas are annuals that are worth every penny spent. You will be so pleased with their performance that you will look for this gem earlier and earlier every year to have more time to spend with this annual. The overall growth is cascading with body. The size of the leaves adds a billowy look. This plant narrows towards the end, looking like a bridal bouquet.

Sedum Angelina is a great evergreen selection for hanging baskets, containers and in the ground. The small, rosemarylike leaves are lime green and mix well with pink. Lysimachia Creeping Jenny is another lime green perennial that has a round leaf and irregular growth. This selection will have a thin cascade and looks great with blue Million Bell petunias. During the winter,

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Creeping Jenny rests. Acorus Ogon is a grass-like evergreen that reaches 12 inches tall and wider with age. This selection has yellow blades margined with dark green strips. Acorus Ogon arches gracefully and adds easy texture. Coleus is an annual selection that comes in many desirable colors. Any hanging basket can make use of its foliage. Coleus will eventually bloom, and that too is thrilling. Mix Dappled Apple coleus with Cherry pink Million Bells and Snowstorm Bacopa. If your hanging basket has enough room, add the Acorus Ogon, and you have a photo-worthy design. All hanging baskets should be planted with a professional potting soil and a soil moist product during installation. This will help keep your creation from drying out. Hanging baskets need water every day, preferably in the morning hours. Adding a drip line to the location will definitely help. Fertilizer is necessary for high-impact combinations. Use a bud and bloom, water-soluble selection every two weeks. The higher the middle number, the better. Occasionally spin your baskets by one quarter, so each side gets enough sun. These baskets take more time and effort, but the results are amazing. Nicole is the Garden Girl at R&M Pool, Patio, Gifts and Garden Contact her with questions, comments or suggestions at gardengirl@claytonpioneer.com

Page B2

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 10, 2007

Clayton Sports Clayton’s Kim Lackey wins national tennis title Although she has played other sports and even played a little basketball at Clayton Valley High School, Clayton resident

Kim Lackey has had a lifelong love affair with tennis. Her passion for the game is obvious, and her enthusiasm for this sport is contagious. Lackey recently competed in the U.S. Tennis Association

(USTA) Senior Championships over 45s in Homewood Flossmore, Ill., where she won her first national title, in women’s doubles. She played with Lori Fahrenholz of Wisconsin.

Photo: Richard Fahrenholz

CLAYTON TENNIS PLAYER, KIM LACKEY (right) took her first national title with partner Lori Farenholz at the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) Senior Championships where the pair took first in the Over 45 womens’ doubles.

She has been playing on and off with Farenholz around the country for 15 years. This was their third attempt at this competition, where they had previously been runner-ups. The May event was an open event and featured many of the top amateur players in the country. It’s one of the Grand Slam events held throughout the country and features tournaments on all four playing surfaces, grass, indoor, hard courts and clay. Their win was at the indoor championships. Lackey picked up her first racquet, a wood Wilson Jack Kramer, when she was 5 years old and she has not looked back. She was encouraged by her parents, who were both tennis players, to take lessons at Berkeley Tennis club. She trained with Dennis Van der Meer, who has coached professionals such as Brad Gilbert and Billie Jean King. She played four years of varsity tennis at Clayton Valley, where she competed at the No. 1 singles spot. Her highlight there was competing against Northgate, which was consistently strong. Lackey received a full-ride scholarship to Cal State Bakersfield, a Division III NCAA school. She played four years and competed against mostly Southern California schools. Upon returning to the area in 1985, Lackey was recruited to coach varsity boys and girls at Clayton Valley High, where she remained until 1990. Her biggest accomplishment there was when the varsity boys went undefeated in 1988, winning league. “Northgate had always dominated tennis in this area,” says Lackey, “so beating them and

Former Clayton Valley Eagles, DVSC teammates face Major League teams JAY BEDECARRÉ Special to the Pioneer

United Soccer League’s Super-20 League North American finals in early August at Seacoast United’s sprawling soccer complex in Southern New Hampshire included Major League Soccer franchise U20 teams from D.C. United, Red Bull New York and Chicago Fire. The North American finals also featured the Diablo Valley

Soccer Club U20 men’s team who traveled across the country after qualifying as Pacific Division champs. Coach Richard Weiszmann’s team features players from the Contra Costa area including former Clayton Valley High School standouts Felix Luna and Paul Bockenkamp. Several of the DVSC players are playing collegiately for Cal Berkeley. Other colleges represented on the team, populated primarily with

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former DVSC youth players, are St. Mary’s College, UC Davis, San Diego State and San Francisco State. DVSC won eight of 10 Super-20 league games including a 5-1 thrashing of Bakersfield Brigade, the other Pacific Division winner. This is the second year of the Super-20 North American finals. The league is run by United Soccer League, which has programs for youth (SuperY League), women (Super-20,

W-League) and three levels of men’s professional leagues (USL First and Second Division, PDL). DVSC is the exclusive Super Y-League franchise in the area and has qualified teams for the North American finals for the past five years. DVSC qualified for last year’s Super-20 finals but declined the invitation because of last-minute travel challenges.

winning our league was a great accomplishment and very satisfying.” Following her stint at the high school level, Lackey moved over to Diablo Valley College. She taught tennis in physical education classes and coached the DVC team for 13 years. She enjoyed the college game and was fortunate to coach players who reached the Junior College State Championships in Ojai. Throughout her coaching career, Lackey continued to play tennis and belonged to both the Concord and Berkeley tennis clubs. She currently teaches three days a week in Berkeley, where she works with head pro Lynn Rolley, another former professional player. She is a 5.0 rated player, which is just below the open division. She competes yearround in tournaments locally and nationally. This month, she will travel to Carmel to play in the USTA 5.0 sectional playoffs. This is also the venue for her next national tournament, the U.S. Hardcourt Championships in September, where she will likely be playing doubles again. Lackey just returned from New York and Philadelphia, where she competed at Forest Hills Tennis Club, the prior site of the U.S. Open. She reached the finals and semi-finals of the women’s doubles and was able to play on grass courts. “That is probably my favorite surface,” she says of grass. “But my best surface is

definitely hard courts, because I am used to them and grew up playing on them.” The only surface she stays away from is clay. “I haven’t learned to play the game on clay, and it’s too dirty,” she says, laughing. Lackey has been fortunate to avoid the serious injuries common to tennis players. She had a minor knee problem in college and a right shoulder injury a couple of years ago but is almost back to full strength. She does tai chi conditioning two times per week, but her time on the court is her primary workout. Lackey’s racquet of choice is still a Wilson, although she is now playing with a Wilson Tour and has long since traded the old wood model. She receives some equipment from Wilson each year and uses a personal stringer to make sure her racquets are ready for all of the demands of her game. She describes her game as “all court,” but she does not shy away from serving and volleying, especially in doubles. She sums up her passion for tennis by saying: “I like the competitiveness of tennis, both singles and doubles. Doubles is a different challenge, but I enjoy it because I am always learning something new.” She also loves the game because she can “continue to play forever.” And she has no plans to slow down anytime soon.

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August 10, 2007

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Page B3

Clayton Sports Jenna Stelzner

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Free Family Fun Clayton Community Church presents the Fourth Annual

Favorite Sport: Swimming Favorite Athlete: Natalie Coughlin Favorite TV Show: “Gilmore Girls” Favorite Subject: Science Favorite Food: Pizza Favorite leisure activity: “Hanging out with my friends.”

PIONEER ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT Jenna Stelzner is always looking for new personal best As a down year swimmer in the U 13/14 girls age group, Jenna Stelzner of Clayton has produced some of her finest times to date and has consistently been one of the top performers for a strong Dana Hills Swim Team. Jenna, an eighth-grader at Diablo View Middle School, is in her ninth season swimming for DHST. She spends at least an hour and a half in the pool each day and also trains by going to the gym and playing other sports in the off-season. She has also trained with USS Swimming coach Serge Victor. She has played two years of class I soccer for the Mt. Diablo Soccer League and recently played a season of CYO basketball for St. Bonaventure. However, when it comes down to it, she would rather be in the pool. “I get to compete individually and for a team,” she notes. Jenna learned to dive in Kentucky as a 3-year-old and loved being around the water

JENNA STELZNER from an early age. She moved to Clayton in 1997 and signed up for the Dana Hills Swim Team before entering kindergarten. Her earliest success was in the under 6s, when she won the 25-yard freestyle at the Concord City Championships. Stelzner won high point awards for Dana Hills at U6, U8 and U10. This award is a season-long accumulation of points at swim meets and events. She went on to achieve high points at the Woodland Invitational as a down year U11 swimmer by winning her specialty race, the 50-yard breast stroke, along with the 100-yard Individual Medley. Last year at the Concord City Championships, Jenna broke two long-standing records for the 11/12 division. She clocked an impressive 33.42 in the 50-yard breaststroke and a 26.67 in the 50yard freestyle. She was also a

part of the relay team which broke two records and was named the top county freestyle relay team. This season, Jenna placed second in her age group at the Devil Mountain Pentathlon, winning the breast stroke and coming in second in the butterfly and freestyle. Jenna is preparing for the season-ending City Championships this weekend. “I look forward to swimming against Springwood, because our rivalry with them brings a lot of excitement to the meet every year,” she says. She will compete in five events, the 50-yard breaststroke and freestyle, the 100yard IM, and the IM and freestyle relays. “I like to try and beat my personal bests every year,” she says. “This year, I have already beaten my best time in IM, and I am trying to do that in breast.” Jenna plans to continue swimming at Dana Hills and also at Clayton Valley High School, where she may also try her hand at water polo.

The Clayton Pioneer spotlights a local youth athlete from our circulation area in the second issue each month. If you are a coach or an administrator and would like to nominate a young person (under 20 years of age) for the Rocco’s Athlete Spotlight, please send information to sports@claytonpioneer.com or fax to 672-6580. Nomination deadline for our Sept. 14 issue is Sunday, Sept. 2.

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Photo: Rick Hardesty.

THE CLAYTON VALLEY HEAT

beat the Martinez Wildcats 2 – 0 to win the District 4 Senior Division Softball Championship game.

Back row: Michelle Eberhart, Manager, Kristin Hardesty, Sarah Bostwick, Heather Gale, Coach Francisco Partida.Middle row: Coach Dan Minor, Janelle Partida, Kristina Duncan, Deanna Partida, Becky Warner, Shannon O’Neill, Amber Minor, Coach Gary Boswell. Front row: Avery Van Horn, Katie Gwizdak, Laura Jegers, Allison Palmer, Audrey Van Horn, Dallas Cooney.

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Page B4

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 10, 2007

Clayton Sports Roberts brothers excel on the links RANDY ROWLAND Clayton Pioneer

Clayton brothers Andrew and Brandon Roberts could almost say they were born and raised on a golf course. Andrew was 6 months old when the family moved to the new Oakhurst development in 1990. Their house overlooked the 10th hole of the course, which hadn’t opened yet. Little brother Brandon came along four years later. Andrew, a senior at De La Salle High School in Concord, has found great success in the three years he’s been playing golf. Brandon got an earlier start, getting on the course at age 8. He’s now an eighth-grader at Dorris Eaton Middle School in Walnut Creek. The boys grew up playing a number of sports. Andrew played baseball with Clayton Valley Little League for nine years and was an All Star for two of those. He really made his mark in soccer and played competitively with Mt. Diablo Soccer League (MDSL) for seven years beginning with U10. He was the goalkeeper for the MDSL Blast, a gold Class I team coached by St. Mary’s College head coach Adam Cooper. Andrew also played at De La Salle for current MDSL director of coaching Brian Voltattorni. “He definitely knew what he wanted and playing two sports

photo courtesy of the Roberts family

Brandon Roberts (left) and Andrew Roberts (right) hold their trophies from their wins in the JGANC Junior Championships at Diablo Country Club in Danville. Brandon won the 12/13’s age division and Andrew the 16/17’s.

at that elite level is hard,” Voltattorni says. “This turned out to be a great decision for him. I really enjoyed coaching him.” Following the State Cup soccer tournament his sophomore year, Andrew hung up his cleats permanently to take up golf. He had dabbled in it before, sometimes playing a round between soccer tournament games. “It was a big decision to give up soccer,” says Andrew. “I just saw a bigger future in golf and

could see a career in golf.” Once he hit the links, Andrew committed to his golf game. He has gone from being cut from the De La Salle team at freshman tryouts to recently winning the junior championships at Diablo Country Club. He also just won a qualifier in Fresno to compete at the Northern California Golf Association Junior Championships at Lake Merced in Daly City. “Being cut as a freshman really motivated me,” says

Otters and Orcas head to Concord for big city meet JUSTIN BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer

The 41st annual Concord Cup Swim Championships are this weekend at Concord Community Pool and, once again, the Dana Hills Otters will be among the favorites to capture the coveted team trophy. The Otters have won 13 of the past 14 years’ A Division meet. More than 900 swimmers are taking part in the culmination of this year’s recreational swim season. Oakhurst County Club won’t be competing with Dana Hills, Springwood and Ygnacio Wood for top team honors but the Oakhurst Orcas coach is excited about her swimmers in the Concord Cup. Bishop Estates, Forest Park, Derringer Park, Vista Diablo and Walnut Country round out the nine teams in the meet. Oakhurst head coach Jane Robinson is bringing more than 60 swimmers, compared to 45 last year. “We are excited to see

kids get personal bests. We are aiming for over 80 percent,” says Robinson. “The kids have come the furthest in technique, dives and stroke, and we are looking to see more improvements in times and stroke at city.” Dana Hills coach Kelly McCabe stresses technique with her swimmers as well. “We want no DQs (disqualifications) and no false starts, and we hope the swimmers close to county honors will reach county times.” Some Dana Hills stalwarts include Danny Boessenecker and Kelsey Brassill, both 18; Dana Hill, 17; Patrick Keane, 16; Nikki Palmer, 12; Alina Weigelt, 8; and Niklas Weigelt, 6. “We have stars in every age group who will shine at city,” McCabe adds. Dana Hills outscored runner-up Springwood by more than 100 points at last year’s meet, while setting a slew of meet records and capturing the Outstanding Relay awards for both boys and girls with their

11-12 relays. But McCabe acknowledges Springwood as their toughest competitors again. The meet starts at 6 p.m. Aug. 10, when all the individual medley races are contested. IMs and the relays concluding the Saturday and Sunday competitions are timed finals. On Saturday, the freestyle and butterfly races precede the medley relay. There are preliminary races in the morning and finals in the afternoon in A and B divisions in the free, fly, backstroke and breaststroke. Boys and girls compete in the 6 and under, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14 and 15-18 age groups. An individual can enter three events. Each team can enter one relay in each age group. Saturday and Sunday meets start at 8:30 a.m. There will be a guest celebrity on Saturday to begin the meet. Concord Community Pool is at 3501 Cowell Road. Admission is free all three days.

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Andrew. “I just wanted to make the team and play every day.” These days, he does play every day, year-round. “I mostly work on my chipping and putting, but we play a round every day,” he adds. Jim Hamm is his swing coach, while high school coach Leo Lopoz also has helped his game develop in three short years. Andrew’s best score for De La Salle was a 1 under par 35 at Diablo County Club, and he has made even par many times. This year, the team went 13-0 in league play, was third at the North Coast Championships and second in Nor Cal, qualifying the Spartans to compete in the State Championships at Poppy Hills on the Monterey Peninsula. Andrew recently won the Junior Golf Association of Northern California (JGANC) Junior Championships 16-17s at Diablo Country Club in Danville. He shot a 1 over par 72, winning with a birdie on the third playoff hole. His tournament scoring average for the season is 78.1 in about 20 tournaments. Andrew plans to study professional golf management at Arizona State University or New Mexico State and earn a B.S. in business management. After college, he would like to take a couple of years trying to get his tour card before starting a career. Brandon’s foray into golf had nothing to do with his brother. “I wasn’t really happy playing soccer and played a tournament for the experience and really liked it,” he reports. Brandon also plays every day. Even before doing his homework, he gets on the Oakhurst course to practice. He plays up to 12 hours a day during the summer. He feels fortunate to grow up around a great golf course and have the opportunity to play the game. “My best things about golf are the peace and quiet out on the course, and of course, the great clothes and my clubs,” he says. Brandon plays for the Oakhurst Country Club team and competes against other clubs in the area. He also enjoys playing with and competing against his big brother. They love the challenge of outplaying the other, and Brandon says he is a real student of the game. “I carry the golf rule book with me on the course. You never know when you come across a situation that we haven’t faced before,” he says. Brandon recently won his

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August 10, 2007

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page B5

Chic’z have sporting needs in the bag JUSTIN BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer

The name Chic’z On the Go alludes to “tweener” female athletes participating in sports and extra-curricular activities, but the slogan also suits the blonde/brunette duo of “soccer moms” and entrepreneurial business partners Roxana Mercado-Ryan and Diane Blake. Almost one year ago, they developed Chic’z On the Go to specialize in survival kits for young female athletes. Roxana approached Diane with a business idea to create bags packed with supplies such as sunscreen, nail files, mirrors (most importantly) and many other products that girls always need before, during and after sports games. Before long, they were designing logos, financing a business and creating products for distribution. “Girls are always running out of something, whether it be sunscreen or shampoo,” Diane explains. Chic’z on the Go makes kits for weekend-long soccer tournaments or daylong swim meets, customizing bags for different sports and events. From purely spectators to novice entrepreneurs inextricably participating in their daughters’ games, the two developed a unique product. “I like the fact that we are soccer moms. Our kids are really proud that we came up with

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this idea,” says Roxana. While their marketing budg- activity. They will customize Diane and Roxana own and et does not allow for this exorbi- bags for back-to-school, party operate this novel business tant investment, Chic’z on the bags and just about any sport. together, bringing their different Go has reached out to the Bay “We made the swim bag bigger skills and personalities to the Area and beyond in several to fit all the suits, goggles and table. ways. “Our major sponsor is our products … but we also “We both provide have a smaller bag ideas. I deal with with the bare esseninventory and operatials for any outing,” tions, while Roxana says Roxana. manages the finances They offer bags and logistics meticufor soccer, basketball, lously,” says Diane. softball, volleyball, “I love it,” Diane swimming/water adds enthusiastically. polo, lacrosse, golf, “We have our own chorus and dance, all hours; there is one with specialized person to talk to, no products for the HR and no legal activity plus much team.” more. While Diane and While the duo Roxana are the only have had hiccups official employees of along the way with Chic’z On the Go, printing problems they have a creative and costing issues, team always ready to they are looking forROXANA MERCADO-RYAN AND DIANE BLAKE test products or ward with innovative brainstorm marketing strategies. Walnut Creek Soccer Club. We ideas, all stemming from a Roxana has two children, Shane, have created a Website, 800 unique product. 13, and Taylor, 12, and Diane number and fund-raisers for “People love it. They always has three kids, twins Tommy schools. We’ll try almost any- say, ‘Why didn’t I think of and Paige, 10, and their older thing,” says Roxana. that?’ ” says Diane. sister Hannah, 12. Just as their market strategy “We searched long and hard “We have our kids try a few has evolved, so too has their on the Internet to find similar shampoos and pick their product and distribution, start- products.” Roxana adds. “There favorite one. We try to use pop- ing with their logo. “We first is a sporting bag for older kids, ular products to fill our bags,” had a Barbie-like stick figure, but ours is much cuter!” says Diane. and we ended up with a hip Their home-based business The kids’ input does not end ’50ish Jetson’s style girl,” Diane has several deals for teams and at product testing. “Hannah describes. They also personalize mass purchases along with free came up with our name, and their logo for every sport. shipping for locals. Tommy thinks we should sponChic’z On the Go is diversiFor more information, visit sor a hole at a professional golf fying their products to accom- www.chiczonthego.com or call 877tournament,” Diane says. modate every sport and school 933-6644.

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The Concord/Clayton U10 All Star JOBL baseball team placed first in recent tournaments in Rohnert Park and at the Nor Cal/State tournament in Concord. Pictured: Drae Martin, Austin Dron, Sam Phillips, Brent Tovrea, Andrew Beamish, Bobby Klarman, Manager Ed Martin, Joe Molnar, Sven Wikstrom, Trevor Donato, John Pluth, Mike McAdoo, Wesley Vickers, Eric Carlson, Coach Marck Beamish and Coach Dan Phillips.

You can now submit competition results, ideas for stories, nominations for Athlete Spotlight and Sports Shorts on our Website. Go to www.claytonpioneer.com.

Page B6

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 10, 2007

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SHARING HISTORY Kathleen Bailey, 79, has always made simple pleasures the most important parts of her everyday life. Kathleen, who was born in Michigan but moved to Pasadena when she was very young, remembers the splendor of where she was raised. “The streets were so clean and the mountains were so beautiful,” Kathleen says with a smile. “I had a wonderful childhood. I remember my dad would drive us all to the ocean so we could wade in the water and then have a picnic together.” Kathleen lived in that area until she met her husband Roy while on a vacation in San Francisco. Roy also was from Southern California but was attending UC Berkeley. They wrote to each other for a brief period. “I only saw him seven times before we got married,” Kathleen says, chuckling. “I always told my children not to do what we did, but it worked out for us and we have been married for 57 years now.” And the family has grown since then, with six children and 11 grandchildren. Having raised a large family in the area, Kathleen shares several valuable lessons that could benefit us all: Enjoy what life brings to you. “We had five sons and one daughter and thank goodness my husband had a lot of pep and energy,” says Kathleen. “My first three sons were having so much fun playing together that I wanted my daughter to have a sister. So I tried to have another girl and ended up with two more sons. We were young and foolish, but it worked out so

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FAMILY HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE CENTER of Kathleen’s life. Here Kathleen and husband Roy celebrate Thanksgiving in 1968 with their young family. well for us.” hours. And two of my children After raising her children, were married there also.” Kathleen went back to school to Appreciate what you have get her nursery school credential throughout your life. “For me and worked with young children as a child, one of the biggest for 18 more years. “Sometimes things I remember is having a the mothers at the school radio and listening to the would say to me: ‘I ‘Amos and Andy’ radio am so embarrassed shows,” says by what my child Kathleen. “I was doing.’ And remember also I would tell that during the them there’s Depression, nothing you people would could tell me put cardboard in that I already their shoes don’t know,” because they she says with a couldn’t afford laugh. new ones. My Build a mom could cook gazebo in your with just about backyard and nothing, and on people will Sundays she would come. “We had a make a one-egg KATHLEEN BAILEY gazebo in our cake. That was a TODAY backyard,” huge treat for us. Kathleen shares, “and that held But we never felt deprived.” such special times when friends Be passionate about your would come to sit out there and interests. Kathleen’s varied colspend time together with us. I lections are displayed throughhad the women’s group come out her home and she shows and we would chat out there for them with great pride. A beauti-

ful curio chest holds items with hearts on them and antique birdcages decorate the house. But it seems to be her collection of teapots from all over the world that Kathleen enjoys the most. “I had over 100 teapots that were displayed in the Clayton Museum before,” she says. “I love them, and I let everyone choose a teapot they fancy when entertaining friends.” Her husband Roy has taken classes in things outside of engineering that he was interested in, including baking, geology and woodworking. Due to a recent leg injury, Kathleen has been doing scrapbooking but she hopes to be active with her biking and traveling again soon. “Things have been simple in my life, and we have always been contented,” she says. “It’s been lovely.” If you are a senior living in Clayton, or know of a senior that would like to share their life story with the Clayton Pioneer readers, please contact Colleen Elwy at 672-9565 or at colleensbyline@aol.com.

yourself.” He is taking the sport one day at a time, but he would like to play in college. His dream would be to play at Stanford or possibly follow his brother to ASU. Brandon has high career aspirations beyond golf and would like to be a civil engineer. Andrew and Brandon have made a lot of friends through the sport, and neither regrets giving up other athletics to be

on a golf course. Both love golf because “they can play it forever.” They have played in tournaments throughout the country, including Hawaii, Texas and Arizona. But they are happiest playing in their own backyard, here at Oakhurst in Clayton, where they tee off every day on hole No. 10 – exactly where it all started for them all those years ago.

Roberts, from page B4 first tournament, the JGANC juniors 12-13s at the same Diablo Country Club junior event, with a round of 78. Andrew admits Brandon will be a better player than he is in high school, which makes Brandon proud. Brandon believes his iron play is the best

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part of his game, but he is not afraid to use any club. He takes his approach to the game seriously and works hard at improving. “Golf is such a mental game,” says Brandon. “It is your fault if you mess up, and you can’t blame it on anyone except

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August 10, 2007

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page B7

Crossword Puzzle

Patty Flannery

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DVSC KAOS EDGED IN OVERTIME 1-0 IN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME Battling through their fourth game in stifling East Coast heat in less than 65 hours, DVSC Black Pearl 92 Kaos finished regulation time in a scoreless tie with USA 17 Academy before dropping a 10 decision in the US Club Soccer Under 14 Super Group national championship game

last Tuesday. This is the second straight year DVSC Kaos has reached the national championship game only to suffer an agonizing 1-0 defeat. DVSC Black Pearl 92 Kaos traveled 2,314 miles to Burlington, NC for National Cup VI to compete in the national finals with U14 girls teams in Super and Premier flights from New York, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Southern California. Kaos ended up playing for the National Cup championship against rival USA 17 Academy from Santa Clara, a club just 43 miles from DVSC home turf. The two NorCal powers quali-

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1- Strike breaker 5- Yonder thing 9- Flower-part 14- Accent 15- Hindu music 16- Got up 17- Pertaining to knowledge 19- Nigerian city 20- Monetary unit of Ghana 21- Pleasing 23- Light brown color, common to pale sunworshippers 24- Discover 26- When said three times, a 1970 war movie 28- Drawing room 30- Finger 34- Compose 37- Excision of part of the cornea 39- Bedouin 41- McCartney title 42- Agitate 43- Confirm 48- Before 49- Previous monetary unit

fied for North Carolina by winning USCS Region H in Modesto (USA Academy) and Region G in Boise (DVSC). Both Bay Area teams won two National Cup VI games and tied one in pool play to finish tied for first place with seven points apiece in a very competitive bracket. Kaos won its U14 Super Flight (the top flight of U14 girls teams in the country) opener by scoring two goals in the opening 10 minutes and moving on for a 2-1 victory over Loudoun Soccer Red 92 of Virginia. Loudoun is a club in Northern Virginia with over 15,000 players. In their second game, DVSC played Southern California powerhouse ISC Strikers to a scoreless draw. Needing a win in its final

1- Pace 2- Managed 3- Licorice-like flavoring 4- Assails 5- Molasses 6- Thigh 7- Not fer 8- Implied 9- Cocktail 10- Period of history 11- Harbor 12- The most heavily populated continent on Earth 13- The Tower of Pisa does this 18- Twist 22- Message symbols 25- Trunk 27- Plays are divided up into these 29- Currency unit in Nigeria 31- Carry 32- Primordial giant in Norse myth 33- Harp relative 34- Tempo 35- Greek god of love 36- DEA agent 38- Snares 40- Very dry champagne 44- Long journey 45- Adriatic wind 46- Bartender 47- Mistake 51- Floor cover, perhaps 53- Killer whales 55- Chairman's hammer 56- View 57- Turn over 58- Got up 59- Expel 61- Distribute, with "out" 63- Biblical garden 65- Exclamation of contempt 67- Born

pool play game vs. Century United Red 92 of Western Pennsylvania to qualify for the title game, coach Jess de Guzman’s girls won 1-0. DVSC scored in the first half and kept up a strong defense to blank Century Red. DVSC allowed only two goals in nine Regional and National Cup games while scoring 15. Black Pearl 92 was a National Cup V finalist as a U13 team a year ago but lost the final game 1-0 to be denied the ultimate prize. They are the fourth DVSC team in the past three years to reach a National Championship game.

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Page B8

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 10, 2007

Clayton Community Calendar PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. AUG. 15 FOR THE AUG. 24 ISSUE. FAX TO 672-6580 OR E-MAIL calendar@claytonpioneer.com EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT THROUGH AUG. 20 “Get a Clue” Summer Reading Program @ Clayton Library Super sleuths can discover the key to summer reading fun with programs for babies to adults. Sign up and get a “reading record” on which to track your reading. Read books and get prizes. The program is free. 673-0659. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road. AUG. 11, 14, 17, 19 “Our Town” @ Festival Opera 8 p.m. Aug. 11, 14, 17; 2 p.m. Aug. 19. The story reinforces a fundamental truth, that it is our personal relationships that bring the greatest joy and value to our time on earth. Conductor Michael Morgan believes the classic is even more powerful as an operatic piece. Tickets are $36-$100; $10 discount for age 18 and under. www.FestivalOpera.com or 943SHOW. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. AUG. 11-12 Japanese Summer Festival @ Concord Japanese Cultural Center 1-9 p.m. Saturday; 12-8 p.m. Sunday. The festival features Japanese food, exhibits, and demonstrations. Admission is free, and there is free parking at Ygnacio Valley High School, with a free shuttle to the festival. www.diablojaclub.com or jasummerfestival@yahoo.com. Concord Japanese Cultural Center, 3165 Treat Blvd., Concord. AUG. 12 Concord Mystery Book Club @ Concord Library 2:30-4 p.m. second Sunday of the month. All mystery readers are invited to participate and explore a different genre each month. 646-5455. Concord Library, 2900 Salvio St. Aug. 12 Taste of Concord @ Todos Santos Park 1-5 p.m. A strolling tour of restaurants and businesses surrounding the park. Your $20 donation gives you access to more than 40 participating establishments offering their signature dishes or special offers on products and/or services. Also a silent auction and free wine tasting by Concord’s Sterling Albert Winery. Proceeds benefit Matteo’s Dream playground and other charities. Call Mike Elder at 676-1937 or Rocci Barsotti at 285-2225. AUG. 13 Introduction to Museum Docents @ Lindsay Wildlife Museum 10 a.m.-noon. If you are seeking a rewarding volunteer experience, the Lindsay Wildlife Museum needs docents. Sign up for a class to watch docents in action. No experience necessary. Fee $8 non-members, $6 members. Call Polly Gusa at 627-2944 to enroll. Lindsay Wildlife Museum, 1931 First Ave., Walnut Creek AUG. 13-17 Basketball Camp @ Clayton Community Gym 1st-6th grade. 609-9622. Clayton Community Gym, 700 Gym Ct. Aug. 14-Oct. 2 Patty Cakes @ Clayton Community Library 11 a.m. Tuesdays. Story time for babies up to 3 year olds. Child attends with caregiver. 673-0659. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road. AUG. 15 Teen Game Day @ Clayton Community Library 3-7 p.m. Drop by, stay cool and play board games in the Young Adult area. 673-0659. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road. Aug. 16 Just Kidding musical program @ Clayton Community Library 4 p.m. Enjoy traditional American music on many instruments. You might even get to play along. 673-0659. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road. Aug. 16-Oct. 4 Picture Book Time @ Clayton Community Library 11 a.m. Thursdays. Story time for 3-5 year olds. Child may attend without caregiver. 673-0659. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road.

Aug. 18 Lee Harvell Classic Auto Show @ Crossroads Covenant Church 5:30 p.m. to sunset. Free barbecue and music, free water play area for kids and free registration. If you’d like to show off your car or motorcycle, register at www.crossroadschurchweb.org. 798-5905. Crossroads Covenant Church, 5353 Concord Blvd, Concord. AUG. 20 The Psychology of Small Business Success @ Clayton Library 7-9 p.m. Presented by management consultant Randall Shores. Whether you're dreaming of owning your own business, taking the first investigative steps or writing a business plan, this seminar will outline the traits and skills you need to be successful. Topics include the characteristics of the successful small business owner, developing a success-oriented mindset and problem solving business skills of successful entrepreneurs. 673-0659. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road. AUG. 20 CVHS Athletic Boosters Club Golf Tournament @ Oakhurst 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. lunch and registration; 1 p.m. tee off. The tournament benefits the Clayton Valley High School football and golf programs as well as the Athletic Boosters Club. Contests on the course include hole in one, longest drive and closest to the pin. Golf is followed by a dinner/banquet, raffle prize drawing and silent auction. Your significant other can join you at the banquet. www.cvhsboosters.org or call Fred Roper at 548-4451 or fred.roper@att.com. AUG. 24 Century 21 Diablo Valley Realty/Clayton Valley Sunrise Rotary Golf Tournament @ Diablo Creek Golf Course The tournament benefits Easter Seals of the Bay Area, the We Care Center for Children autism project and the Rotary Foundation. Call 682-4663 for tickets. AUG. 25, SEPT. 22 Clayton Historical Society Walking Tour @ Downtown Clayton 10 a.m. Meet in front of the museum, 6101 Main St. The free, guided tour takes about 1 hour, 30 minutes and is about 3/4 mile. Wear comfortable shoes. Call the museum at 672-0240 or Dick Ellis at 672-4753. Aug. 28, 29 & 30 College Planning Seminar @ Local Libraries Aug. 28, Ygnacio Valley Library, 2661 Oak Grove Road, Walnut Creek. or Aug. 29, Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road. or Aug. 30, Danville Library, 300 Front St. Tuesday and Thursday classes are from 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. The Wednesday class in Clayton is from 7:15 to 8:45 p.m. The free workshops are taught by Sean Connors of Peregrine Lending and Alexis Alekna, an expert on paying for college. They are co-authors of "How to Give Your Child a Four-Year College Education Without Going Broke." To reserve a seat, call 888-210-2606. SEPT. 1 Labor Day Derby and Classic Car Show @ Downtown Clayton 9 a.m.-3 p.m. If you have kids age 7-16, you won't want to miss the annual Labor Day derby and car show. Kids race for free and get a T-shirt if they register before Aug. 26. Pick up a registration form at the Clayton Community Church office, 6055 Main St., or visit www.claytoncc.com.

CLUBS & ORGANIZATIONS AUG. 11, 25 Scrabble Club @ Carl's Jr. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. second and fourth Saturdays. Come down and play a game of Scrabble. All ages and skill levels. Prizes and contests. $2 to play. Carl's Jr., 1530 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton. AUG. 12, 19, 26 Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting @ Clayton Community Church 7-8 p.m. AA Big Book Study every Sunday night. 673-9060. Clayton Community Church, 6055 Main St., Clayton. AUG. 14, 21, 28 Kiwanis Club of Walnut Creek 12-1:30 p.m. every Tuesday. All are invited to check us out and be our guest for lunch. Call Sam Totah at 941-1536. Massimo’s Ristorante, 1604 Locust St., Walnut Creek. AUG. 14, 28 Clayton Valley Woman's Club @ Holy Cross Lutheran Church 9:30 a.m. coffee; 10 a.m. meeting the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. Call Joyce at 672-3850 or Sheila at 672-7947. Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 1092 Alberta Way, Concord.

AUG. 16, 23, 30 Weights Watchers Meeting @ Contra Costa Farm Bureau Building 10 a.m.and 5:30 p.m. Thursdays. Weekly Weight Watchers weigh-in and meetings. Call 800-326-8450, x 2023. Contra Costa Farm Bureau, 5554 Clayton Rd., Concord. AUG 16 Veterans of Foreign Wars Meeting @ Concord Veterans Hall 6 p.m., with meeting beginning at 7 p.m. the third Thursday of the month. All veterans of foreign wars are invited to attend. The VFW is here to support eligible veterans and their families. Wives and daughters of eligible veterans are invited to join the Ladies Auxiliary. Veterans Memorial Hall, corner of Colfax and Willow Pass Road, Concord. AUG. 16, 23, 30 Rotary Club of Clayton Valley Concord Sunrise @ Oakhurst 7 a.m. every Thursday. Meeting includes breakfast and usually features a speaker. Visit www. claytonvalleyrotary.org or call Chuck Graham at 6897640. Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr., Clayton. AUG. 22 Blue Star Mom Meeting in Concord 6:30 p.m. the fourth Wednesday of each month. Blue Star Moms is a support and service group for those serving in all branches of the Armed Forces. 676-3654.1792 Elmhurst Lane, Concord. Aug. 30 Clayton Community & Business Association @ Oakhurst Country Club 6:30 p.m. This is a great place to meet fellow Claytonites and become involved in some of the ongoing events that CBCA sponsors. Cost of the dinner is $24. Reservations need to be called in at 672-2272 by noon on Aug. 28. Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr., Clayton. SEPT. 2 Knitting Club @ Concord Library 2-4 p.m. the first Sunday of the month. Have you noticed that knitting is all the rage? Join the group and get creative. 646-5455. Concord Library, 2900 Salvio St. SEPT. 4 Knights of Columbus @ St. Agnes Church Hall 7:30 p.m. the first Tuesday of the month. We look forward to seeing our brother Knights at the general membership meeting of the Knights of Columbus Concord Council 6038 of Concord and Clayton. St. Agnes Church, 3478 Chestnut St., Concord. SEPT. 6 Sons in Retirement Meeting (SIRS) @ Oakhurst Country Club 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. the first Thursday of the month. SIRs is dedicated to promoting the independence and dignity of retired men and has no initiation fees or dues. The only requirement, other than being a man who is retired from his primary employment or career, is attendance at the monthly luncheons. Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Dr., Clayton. For more information, call Carl Sisson, 672-6418.

GOVERNMENT AUG. 13 Clayton Trails and Landscape Committee @ Clayton Library 7 p.m. the second Monday of the month. Clayton Community Library Meeting Room, 6125 Clayton Road. AUG. 14, 21, 28 County Board of Supervisors @ County Administration Building 9 a.m. Tuesday mornings. www.co.contra-costa.ca.us or 335-1900. County Administration Building, 651 Pine St., Room 107, Martinez. AUG. 14, 28 Clayton Planning Commission @ Clayton Community Library 7 p.m. the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. www.ci.clayton.ca.us or 673-7304. Clayton Library Meeting Room, 6125 Clayton Road. AUG. 21 Clayton City Council @ Clayton Community Library 6 p.m. the first and third Tuesdays of the month. Agendas posted at City Hall, 6000 Heritage Trail. Clayton Community Library Meeting Room, 6125 Clayton Road. SEPT. 13 Clayton Community Services Commission @ Clayton City Hall 7 p.m. the second Thursday of the month. Clayton City Hall, 6000 Heritage Trail.

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August 10, 2007

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

It may be rice wine to you, but “Sake to me”*

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Sake (sahh-kay) is the traditional rice wine of Japan. The formal drink, sake-mizu or “prosperous waters,” is the fermented result of the ancient practice of combining steamed rice, water, yeast and koji (a starch-dissolving mold). Its 2,000-year history is closely tied to tradition and culture in Japan. Around 300 B.C., the Japanese began wet rice cultivation (flooded field planting). As part of Shinto religious ceremonies, villagers would chew rice and nuts together to polish the rice kernels. The mixture would be spit out into a communal tub where the mouth enzymes started the fermentation process. A few centuries later, koji and yeast were found to be more efficient (and sanitary) fermenters and mass production could be accomplished. In the 1700’s, a disgruntled employee tried to destroy a batch of sake by tossing ashes into it. Instead, the ashes settled out the particles that had made sake so cloudy. Inadvertently, the employee furthered the popularity of the drink. During World War II, rice shortages resulted in the introduction of sugar and pure alcohol to the rice mash to increase the production yield. The process still continues today in lesser quality sakes. Sake’s role in Japanese culture is well-established. It was originally consumed to mark important occasions. The consumption and traditions of sake are expanding beyond life in Japan—where it is still an inte-

gral component of Shinto religious practices—and it is becoming popular around the world. Because it is meant to be enjoyed with family and friends, tradition holds that one never pours his own sake. Instead, another pours it for you and you pour it for them. You are supposed to check your friend’s cup periodically and serve them more if it is getting empty. Similarly, if some-

LINDA WYNER

FOOD

FOR

THOUGHT

one wants to serve you more sake, you should quickly empty your cup and hold it out for the refill. Do not start to drink sake until everyone at the table is served and cups have been raised in a toast, usually “kampai.” (Avoid using “chin chin” when drinking a toast, since in Japanese the expression refers to the male genitals.) Sake should be stored away from light and in a cool spot; refrigeration is best. It should be almost transparent in color, but it degrades to a darker brown if stored improperly or if it’s too old. There are more than 10,000 sakes marketed today in Japan and around the world. Wellmade sake is not inexpensive, ranging from $20 to $40 for a

750ml bottle. Tasting sake is the best way to determine what you might like. You can also choose from the label. Junmai is table sake and has early, uncomplicated flavors. Ginjo is premium sake with lighter and drier flavor profiles. Daigingo is superpremium sake which rivals some of the world’s premium wines. The Nihonshu-do of sake (also called the Sake Meter Value (abbreviated SMV) in English) refers to its specific gravity. It indicates how much of the sugars created from the starches in the rice was converted to alcohol, and how much remained to contribute to sweetness. By ancient convention the higher the number, the drier the sake. So, in theory, +10 is quite dry, -4 is quite sweet and +3 is neutral. Sake has a deceivingly complex flavor and fragrance. Unlike Americans’ quest for the perfect wine-food pairing, sake’s more chameleon characteristics make it a good fit with many foods (its subtle flavorings rule out most red meat, spicy food and dishes with richly flavored sauces). A fruity fragranced sake, like daigingo sake, will be an excellent aperitif on its own. Sweeter sake (not mirin which is fortified sake) will pair well with full-flavored dishes while dry sake enhances fresh seafood. Acidic varieties temper the oiliness of fried dishes such as tempura. For those of us who would read the food label if there was one on a sake bottle, we would learn that there are between 180 and 240 calories in a typical serving. You can cook with sake where recipes call for wine, but you can also tinker with sake’s flavor in alcoholic beverages. Food Network Channel’s Sandra Lee combines 2 cups sake, 2 cups plum wine, and ¼ c

maraschino cherry juice for her “plum sake.” Other mixologists have combined pineapple and mango with sake and allow the mixture to combine for five days. Serve ice cold or over ice. Flavor-infused sakes can also be used in cooking as well. SAKE-STEAMED FISH ¾ c sake ¾ c bottled clam juice 1” peeled and minced ginger (about 1-2 Tbsp) 1 lb. halibut, sea bass, grouper or other thick meaty fish (cut into four portions) 4 green onions, chopped 1 tsp minced jalapeño (or green pepper if preferred) 2 Tbsp soy sauce 1 tsp oriental sesame oil 3 Tbsp chopped cilantro 1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted Combine sake, clam juice, and ginger in pan larger enough to hold a steamer rack for the fish. Bring the liquid to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Place rack in pan and fish portions on the rack. Top the fish with the onions, pepper and drizzle with soy sauce and sesame oil. Cover the pan and steam for about 5 minutes or until fish is just opaque. Remove the steamer rack and add cilantro to the pan juices. Serve fish over prepared rice and add steaming juices and sesame seeds for garnish.

*For 70’s TV fans…from “Laugh In.” Linda Wyner is an accomplished chef and “foodie.” She recently opened her kitchen store in Pleasanton and the cooking school will open soon. Watch the Pioneer for details. Direct your suggestions or questions to lwyner@claytonpioneer.com

Afternoon thunderstorms can quickly wreck a picnic This weekend my sons and I are planning a hike up Mt. Diablo. We’ll be prepared with plenty of water, snacks and sunscreen, and check the latest weather forecasts before we go. However, it’s summer in the Clayton area, and we rarely have to worry about adverse weather conditions ruining our plans. How different summer weekend plan-making was in the Midwest where I grew up. We always had to have a contingency plan because the weather could quickly change. Often, neighborhood get-togethers had

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to be quickly transferred indoors. Clear sunny afternoons quickly give way to dark billowing cumulus clouds. Swirling winds developed and loose napkins became airborne. In a matter of minutes marble sized raindrops began falling through the hot humid air. Midwestern natives know what happens next. Bright flashes of lightning were followed by the crackle of thunder. At first the thunder trailed the lightning by a few seconds. As the storm passed overhead the lightning and thunder occurred simultaneously. Then, as quickly as the storm appeared, it would pass, and soon a neighborhood party in the next town would be disrupted just as we were. The type of thunderstorm described above is called an ‘air mass’ thunderstorm. These storms develop during hot humid afternoons in the eastern half of the United States during summer, and are usually isolated. Other types of thunderstorms include mesoscale convective systems, which develop along weather fronts, and super cells, the large rotating storms that spawn tornado activity. Like all weather phenomena, a certain set of ingredients are necessary for thunderstorm development to occur. The main ingredients for thunderstorms are a source of moisture in the lower atmosphere, an unstable atmosphere, and a mechanism to trigger the thunderstorm’s updraft. In the eastern U.S., the main source of low level moisture is the Gulf of Mexico. During the

warm season, the air circulation around a high pressure system over the western Atlantic results in southerly winds that move warm moist Gulf of Mexico northward. This circulation pattern produces the heat and humidity that Californians complain about when they travel to the east. The concept of ‘atmospheric stability’ is key to understanding the potential for storm development. To quantify atmospheric stability, meteorologists evaluate the change in temperature with height on a given day. This rate of temperature change with height, which is measured by instrumented balloons, is called the environmental lapse rate. The measured environmental lapse rate is compared to a standard lapse rate, called the adiabatic lapse rate, which is the rate a parcel of air would cool if it was lifted to a higher level. The atmosphere is unstable, or ripe for thunderstorm development, if a lifted parcel of air is warmer than the air around it. Since warm air is less dense than cold air, it will rise on its own, or become unstable, until it becomes as cool as the air around it. We call the level that a parcel of air will begin rise on its own the ‘level of free convection’. If the atmosphere has a deep unstable layer, and air is lifted to the level of free convection, the updrafts needed for thunderstorm development will form. The final ingredient needed for thunderstorm development is a mechanism to lift air to the level of free convection. In the case of the air mass thunder-

WOODY WHITLATCH WEATHER WORDS storm, strong heating of the earth’s surface makes the lower atmosphere unstable, and some air parcels rise high enough to reach the level of free convection and become a thunderstorm updraft. Cold fronts are usually responsible for lifting large parcels of warm moist air. These fronts are usually the trigger mechanism for mesoscale convective systems. Lines of thunderstorms associated with these fronts can stretch for hundreds of miles. If there is strong wind shear, winds that change direction with height, rotating super cell thunderstorms that can spawn tornadoes develop. Thunderstorms are a part of daily summer life in many parts of the United States. They are beneficial as a primary source of summer rainfall in many agricultural areas. Spectacular to watch, the lightning, hail and tornados they produce can cause extensive property damage and result in injury and death. The Clayton area rarely experiences summer thunderstorms because main ingredients necessary are seldom present. It makes planning outdoor activities like our weekend hike ‘a breeze’. Woody Whitlatch is a meteorologist with PG&E. Email your questions or comments to clayton_909@yahoo.com

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 10, 2007

Take some time to share Matteo’s Dream KEVIN PARKER

HIKER’S HAVEN I had heard the name many times, but it wasn’t until I overheard a conversation at the local coffee shop about Dr. Seusstype musical instruments and an area that covered more than 12,000 sq. ft. that I had to see it for myself. Matteo’s Dream Playground has been called the largest and most elaborate playground for disabled kids. It’s part of Hillcrest Community Park,

which boasts athletic fields, picnic areas, a creek and even a Korean War Memorial, all of which make up 26 acres. Matteo’s Dream is named for Matteo Lamach, a 7-year-old boy who is blind and uses a wheelchair. Having seen other playgrounds built for disabled children, Matteo’s mother was convinced she could do better. So began the long journey of fund-raising. The price tag for the playground itself was $750,000, with the city of Concord donating $230,000 and the land. Interviews were conducted with various disabled children, their parents and doctors to find out what they’d like in a playground. More than 2,000 volunteers showed up to help with the

This large xylophone lets everyone make music that sounds great.

construction efforts. About 1,400 people helped out on a weekend in mid-April, even though it was raining. And so Matteo’s Dream was born and now provides a plethora of opportunities for children of all ages and abilities. Being a “big kid” myself, I enjoyed chasing my little one around as he laughed, climbed, crawled and ran. The playground structure is impressive, but other items such as elaborate mosaic tile along the perimeter walls, a rubber ground mat and even areas that provide shade on hot days are all great ideas that obviously reflect the type of planning that went into this park. However, the real hidden treasures of this playground lie within the purpose of why it was created. Features include a tree house accessible by wheelchair, wide ramps that allow wheelchairs to pass each other, plastic and metal slides (children with plastic ear implants cannot ride a plastic slide due to static electricity), a colossal rocking boat for kids in wheelchairs, textured slides for blind children and a large variety of other hands-on items. My favorite aspect of the park was the large-scale xylophone-type instruments, which allowed even the most inexperienced musicians to make music

photo: Kevin Parker

MATTEO’S DREAM PLAYGROUND in Concord’s Hillcrest Park is designed for children in wheelchairs and others with mobility restrictions.

that actually sounded good. Matteo’s Dream and the variety of accessible features will not only benefit children, but also grandparents who might use walkers, parents in wheelchairs and anyone else who might have issues with access. I noticed a common theme while visiting the park: “create something that offers the greatest good for the greatest number of people.” In this

Glasbergen Chuckles

ture songwriting ideas, or take the recorder with me when I go for a walk in the woods with the guitar. But the new portable digital recorders are more complicated. Instead of tape, compact flash cards “store” the data and music, requiring much more time and effort. For a guy like me, with rather large, fat fingers, the tiny knobs and buttons on these machines present problems. Not to mention that each of those knobs performs several different functions. It takes time to figure out how and when to best utilize each feature and option. With no tape to fast forward or rewind, the songs are now created and stored in “files” that you open or close as needed. The process goes like this: Turn on the recorder, set the mode to “record,” give the recording a file name (many machines require this cumbersome, letter by letter song naming step before the recording can begin) and start recording. Then bounce the recorded track or tracks to different tracks in order to be able to convert them to a .wav file. Next, you upload the .wav file to your computer and finally “move” the .wav file to your CD burner and burn a CD of the song. If it sounds involved, it is. I’m now on my third digital recorder, hoping that this one is more user-friendly than the previous two. But most importantly, this baby boomer has adjusted his mindset. Goodbye to tape transporting, and hello to zeros, ones and compact flash cards. Hey, no one said that change is easy, but I’m getting there. Jim Hudak’s Music Notes column appears regularly in the Pioneer. Contact him at jimmydak@pacbell.net. His piano music CD’s are available from his Web site at www.jhudak.com or at amazon.com.

What: Hillcrest Community Park and Matteo’s Dream Playground Where: 2050 Olivera Road (past Pixie Playland just over Highway 242)

case, I would say mission accomplished. Whether you’re a small kid or a big kid, this park was created and built so that children of all abilities would be able to swing, slide, laugh and enjoy a park that is bigger and more spectacular that any park I have ever seen. Don’t forget to let your kids be kids and head out to the park. Enjoy.

For more information on this hike or other outdoor experiences, contact Kevin at hiker@claytonpioneer.com.

Before you retire, know your life insurance options

Portable digital recording is a whole new ballgame Those of you who read this multi-track recording in the ’40s column know that I’m not a and ’50s. techno-geek. Much of what’s Best of all, recording on presented here has a baby tape was easy. My recorder had a boomer’s perone-button “start spectives. So, recording” mechatoo, will today’s nism that wasn’t topic: portable complicated. I’d lay digital recorddown my original ing devices. track, rewind the I’m proud tape, press another of the fact that button and play in 1968, fresh back the original out of grade track while adding school, I had a new one on top saved enough of it. Simple. JIM HUDAK hard-earned Not too many money from years later, cassette MUSIC NOTES my paper route recording became and berry pickpopular. This was ing to buy an RCA reel-to-reel nice, because they began making tape recorder. It had a feature portable cassette recorders and called “Sound on Sound,” even cassette “porta-studios,” which allowed me to “double- featuring eight tracks of recordtrack” my voice, piano, guitar, ing capability that were easy to and then bounce those tracks move around. I bought a top of back and forth, ending up with the line Sony cassette recorder, stacks of harmonies, several the kind that concertgoers used guitar parts and piano overdubs. to hold above their heads and When I’d call upon my little record shows. Some of those brother to add some of his recordings, of course, became vocal harmonies, we’d create live bootleg albums. full, multi-layered recordings. Enter the digital era. What fun! Suddenly, the rules of recording It was roughly the same have dramatically changed. technology that was used by the For me, a portable recording Beatles, the Mamas and Papas, device serves primarily as a and originally, by Les Paul and composing tool. I like to keep a Mary Ford, who pioneered recorder near the piano to cap-

Hike of the week

DOUG VAN WYCK FINANCIAL SENSE The life insurance coverage provided by your employer is one of the many benefits you may not think about on a regular basis. As long as you’re working, it’s something listed on your pay stub and in a yearly benefits statement. But after you retire, will you still have the coverage? Or does it retire when you do? These are questions that will eventually need answering. There are a number of ways your group life insurance coverages can be affected when you leave the workforce. If your employer offers extended coverage, the level of coverage you enjoyed while you were working may not be available to you. In addition, the flexibility of your prior coverage may not be part of the extended coverage. The cost of extended coverage also may be prohibitive.

Because the premiums will be determined by your age at retirement, the price may be a great deal higher than you can afford. And, if your surviving spouse qualifies for survivor benefits from Social Security, it may not be sufficient to maintain your surviving spouse’s standard of living. After you meet with your company’s benefit specialist for information about what options

you have for continuing your group life insurance after retiring, talk with your insurance agent about your life insurance options. Sitting down with someone today can give you and your loved ones confidence in your future financial security. Doug Van Wyck is a Certified Financial Consultant and a State Farm agent. You can reach him at 672-2300.

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older, have health problems or their owners have moved away and can’t keep them anymore. However, people most often relinquish their dogs because of behavior problems. The No 1. reason pets are euthanized in the United States is because of behavior problems. Although the humane movement still generally considers pet overpopulation its primary concern, most veterinarians, behaviorists and trainers believe that helping people solve their pet behavior problems should be a top priority. Here’s a common scenario for a shelter dog. An owner acquires a dog; this owner is unable to control the animal’s behavior; the owner gives the animal up to a local shelter; the animal is placed with a new owner who may or may not be aware of the animal’s behavior problems; the new owner is unprepared for these established problems; the animal ends up at the shelter again. Many shelter dogs are seasoned veterans at being transferred from home to home and owner to owner. The most common behavior problems seen in shelter dogs are inability to house train, constant barking, destructiveness and aggressive behavior. However, all of these problems are potentially correctable.

But because these problems haven’t been addressed, these dogs rarely become attached to their new families. Generally speaking, behavior problems disrupt the human-animal bond and make giving up a pet easier. Training is the key to unlocking this vicious cycle and ultimately saving the lives of these dogs. Many animal shelters are expanding their focus and developing training programs which combine basic dog behavior with obedience training. These progressive shelters not only offer free or low-cost training classes, but they counsel owners on how to establish and maintain a bond with their adult dogs. For example, the Marin Humane Society offers a Good Manners class where dogs available for adoption take part in a weekly class in basic behavior. Prospective owners are encouraged to attend the classes and observe the dogs before making an adoption decisions. Programs such as this have incredible success rates as measured by adopted animals who remain in their new homes. Unfortunately, the budgets of most shelters are limited and many cannot afford to institute such programs. This is where local trainers, behavior specialists and other animal advocates can be of service.

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Although all dogs can benefit from obedience training, it is of particular importance for dogs acquired from a shelter. Only 30 percent of dog-owning households have an obedience school graduate, which means that the majority of dogs are trained solely by their owners. While there is nothing wrong with people training their own dogs, the benefits of structured obedience classes far outweigh the cost. Classes promote socialization among dogs in a friendly setting that also encourages the development of the human-animal bond. This formal setting seems even more critical for the shelter dog. A class situation fosters relationship formation and helps the dog understand its place in the new family.

See Paws, page B12

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first six training courses. Meet your purr-fect match at Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation, 2890 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, during adoption hours: 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Noon to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The primary caretaker, kids 16 and younger, and canine family members (dog adoptions only) must

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 10, 2007

Meditation Garden a soothing respite for volunteers and parishioners BEV BRITTON Clayton Pioneer

When Bob Cartan planted the Meditation Garden at St. Bonaventure’s Catholic Church in 1986, few parishioners knew about it. But as the garden grew, people began to take notice and wander the area. “You will especially see a lot of people meditating around here at Easter and before Christmas,” says caretaker Hans Wiesendanger. As a member of the church’s building committee, Bob volunteered to launch the garden. Then he found out there wasn’t any money. His prayers were answered when the garden became the benefactor of a nursery going out of business in Pinole. “Their name was the Paradise Nursery. We figured that somehow tied in with God’s garden, so we took it as a good omen,” Bob says. Bob Cartan still tends to the original garden area, leaving the newer areas to Hans, who began volunteering in 1992. “I was so grateful to find a place like this,” Hans says, “because I don’t have the kind of room to do it for myself.”

HANS WEISENDANGER

For the first few years, Hans worked in the garden 40-50 hours a week. “And do you know what happened?” he poses during a tour of the grounds. “He didn’t know when to stop,” finishes fellow volunteer Denny Desmond of Clayton.

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THE AWARD-WINNING MEDITATION GARDEN at St. Bonaventure’s is home to hundreds of memorial plants, trees, bushes and shrubs, prompting a renaming recently to Meditation and Memorial Garden.

“Yes, that’s right,” a smiling Hans says of his labor of love. These days, Hans is flooded with requests for memorial plants. So much so that it’s now called the Mediation/Memorial Garden. “I have to scrounge for a place to put new plants, because it’s really getting filled up,” he says, hands raised to the sky as he gazes at the beauty surrounding him. Hans, an immigrant from Switzerland, recalls how cemeteries were usually built right behind the churches in Europe. “So when people would to go church, they would go visit the graves,” he says. “This is the next best thing – to have this garden here. The families come here and enjoy the memorials and maybe pray a little.” The garden has also caught the attention of local plant enthusiasts. Hans recently gave a tour to members of the Orinda Garden Club. And in 2001, it received a first place award from California Garden Clubs Inc. Over the years, Boy Scouts working on Eagle Projects have helped with beautification proj-

ects. A core group of 10 parishioners also routinely pitch in. Steve McMurdo is a newcomer to the volunteer group, known as “The Garden Angels.” “I was looking for some way to volunteer with the church, so this worked out well,” Steve says, pausing from his trimming

Paws, from page B11 an as well as trainers and animal behavior specialists regarding the best means to correct particular behavior problems you

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duties. “And I’m learning things and now planting things at home, too.” Hans has nothing but praise for the Garden Angels. “They are all very good. I cannot stress that enough,” he says emphatically. “I feel very, very good about this place. You just have to follow your passion.”

Church News CROSSROADS COVENANT CHURCH The church is hosting the third annual Lee Harvell Classic Car Show from 5:30 p.m. to sunset on Saturday, Aug. 18. The event includes a free barbecue and music, a free water play area for kids and free registration. If you’d like to show off your car or motorcycle, register at www.crossroadschurchweb.org. The church is at 5353 Concord Blvd, Concord. Call 798-5905 for details.

Preplanning means accommodating your wishes, your budget and your attitudes about death, dying and parting rituals. It means providing an environment where you can make choices based on your own personal values. It means dignity without an astronomical price tag. It means doing things your way, not someone else’s way.

CLAYTON COMMUNITY CHURCH The church is sponsoring the Labor Day Derby and Classic Car Show from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 1, in downtown Clayton. Kids race for free and get a T-shirt if they register before Aug. 26. Stop by the church office at 6055 Main St. and pick up a registration form or go online at www.claytoncc.com.

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Whether an owner chooses a book, video or instructor for his shelter dog, the most important aspect that should be assessed is the training method. It should be a gentle system based on rewards and positive reinforcement. A quiet, yet firm style is often successful with shelter dogs given that their experience with people has been so varied and unpredictable. Some of these dogs may also be survivors of extremely difficult, neglectful or even abusive home environments. Dogs that have been exposed to these types of situations frequently do not respond to “heavy-handed” training methods. They often retreat within themselves and appear to be unreachable or stubborn. This makes training a shelter dog more challenging but ultimately more rewarding. Only through obedience training can a new owner unlock the potential in a shelter dog. When choosing a shelter dog, remember that these dogs require special consideration by all family members and must be given time to adjust to their new surroundings. It is also important for all family members to be involved in the obedience training and to begin training early. Consult with your veterinari-

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might be encountering. In order to stop the cycle of dogs being repeatedly relinquished to shelters, veterinarians, dog fanciers, behaviorists, trainers and other animal advocates must join together to educate owners about dog behavior

and how to live with the dogs these people already call their own. Julie Bond is an animal behaviorist. Address your pet questions to her at P.O. Box 21552, Concord, CA, or you can e-mail her at K9Freud@aol.com.

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