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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
Carondelet golfer to play in official PGA Tour Champions event
Photo courtesy The First Tee of Contra Costa
Carondelet junior Isabelle O’Brien (left) and two other high school girls will represent The First Tee of Contra Costa at the PURE Insurance Golf Championship at Pebble Beach and Poppy Hills Sept. 24-30. Angelica Antonio (center) and Hailey Salomone are among the 81 junior golfers from 22 states in The First Tee who will be teamed with 81 PGA Tour Champions players and 162 amateurs during the official PGA Tour Champions tournament. O’Brien, Antonio and Salomone will be competing for the pro-junior title. They were selected based on playing ability and application of the Nine Core Values and life skills learned through their involvement with The First Tee’s programs. O’Brien has been part of The First Tee for 10 years. She says, “Because of The First Tee I am respectful to others, to my surroundings and myself. I am also reliable. When I commit to helping others, at home, at school, at church or at The First Tee, I follow through with whatever I say I will do. When I am doing anything that is difficult or not going as I want it to, I persevere through it instead of giving up. The First Tee has given me tools that I need to be successful in dealing with everyday life at school and at the golf course. I am thrilled to be representing our chapter at the PURE Insurance Championship, Impacting The First Tee.” The First Tee of Contra Costa is one of 150 chapters around the country and world introducing the sport of golf and The First Tee’s Nine Core Values to kids, positively impacting their lives.
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Around Town
Clayton family finds beauty amid nature’s worst
After planning a family trip to the Hawaiian Islands months before, we frankly had to laugh at our obstacles upon arrival. Our first island to visit, Kauai, had historic floods. Then the Kilauea volcano erupted in May, sending an ash cloud 30,000 feet high. The storms wiped away some key roads, hiking trails and snorkeling areas in Kauai. Although access to Kauai’s Na Pali coastline was limited, short
A welldeserved break
Michelle Howisey, a third-grade teacher at Mt. Diablo elementary School, enjoyed her summer break at the traditional mineral baths in Budapest, Hungary. She traveled europe for three weeks, visiting a friend in Amsterdam and making other stops in germany, the Czech Republic, Austria and Slovakia.
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This beautifully updated 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath home with 2,089 sq feet of living space is light and bright with soaring ceilings, granite counters, and stainless steel appliances. The kitchen is open to the family room which has a wall of windows and sliders leading to the private yard that is an entertainer’s dream, offering a sparkling pool, decking, and lush landscaping. Don't miss this ideally located home less than 1 mile from Trader Joe’s and about 3 miles from the Pleasant Hill Bart Station.
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drives still afforded massive waterfall views. And we found a breathtaking look at Hanalei Bay from the St. Regis lobby. Boating through waterfalls into secretive caves along the Na Pali coastline brought thoughts of hidden pirate coves. A few times, entire ships disappeared into a cliff before coming out of the rocks on the other end. We also enjoyed snorkeling in pristine turquoise waters, with schools of colorful fish and huge sea turtles taking a break in the reef. Spinner dolphins careened out of the waves in groups of five or more and spun in the air with what seemed like pure delight. We left with magic in our hearts. Arriving next on the big island of Hawaii, we were surrounded by volcanic haze known as “vog.” It was thick enough that we could not make out the beautiful mountainous terrain. This year, though, is certainly the year to see Kilauea. It was raining the day we went up, cooling the top layer of the eightmile river of lava. At first, it seemed like a solid black river. Looking closely, we could see the earth seething and moving the crust of the river downstream. We moved further up the mountain to see the spewing lava at Fissure 8. Its gaping red mouth could be seen from miles away.
From the air, two explosive areas of hot lava seemed akin to lava rapids. We watched in awe from the helicopter as we turned from the main eruption and followed the molten river down toward the sea. To the left, a lava flow stopped – avoiding a few buildings. We saw lush green
vegetation. But to the right was total destruction. Down at the ocean’s edge are three miles of new land mass that are still growing. Pele’s creations lay in the middle of the Pacific. “She calls to you.” Go. Travel. It will be unforgettable. Jennifer Gladding-Buticci
Culinary tour begins and ends with vodka
When in Russia, you drink vodka. And that’s just what Clayton residents Diane and Rolf Selmer did on a cooking and vodka tasting tour of St. Petersburg. During a two-day stop on a Baltic cruise, the Selmers visited chef Alexeoy F. Delemi at Amo Cucinare. The excursion began with beluga caviar and two types of vodka, then the group learned to make Russian meatballs – which they sampled with more vodka. “They called them meatballs. I found them to be more like dumplings or tortellini,” Diane Selmer says. Delemi uses both beef and pork for the restaurant version, but the chef skipped the pork for the tour group. Their guide interpreted the chef ’s Russian for the visitors. “He was very thorough in his explanations,” Selmer says. “He was really proud of his job.” The finale was a Russian dessert – served, of course, with a dessert vodka. Amo Cucinare gets rave reviews on Trip Advisor and Facebook, with comments
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Jennifer gladding-Butticci
Jennifer gladding-Butticci and her children, James and grace, take in the wonders of Hawaii alongside King Kamehameha.
Rolf and Diane Selmer of Clayton met with chef Alexeoy F. Delemi during a tour in St. Petersburg. “i couldn’t get him to smile,” Diane Selmer says with a laugh. “This was the best he could do.”
such as “best pasta in the city” and “cooked to perfection.” According to the Website, the Italian restaurant is the new project for the owners of the popular café Fruktovaya Lavka (Russian for Fruit Grocery). This was just one of several
trips to Russia for Selmer, who operates Selmer’s Tickets and Tours. “I do some really unusual tours, and I try everything first,” she says. “This one really surprised me, how thorough and professional it was.” -Bev Britton
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