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August 16, 2013

Vibrant new Pavilion on horizon as Concord looks to revive venue JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer

JULIE PIERCE

MAYOR’S CORNER Malicious vandalism is frustrating and expensive I hope everyone has had a great summer. As we enter the last two weeks before school starts, I think we’re all looking forward to that day. The level of malicious vandalism to city property this summer has been extraordinary. The Grove Park has taken the brunt of it, but all our parks and public facilities have been targeted. Our staff works hard to keep our facilities in top shape for events, and it’s frustrating to have the damage repeated as soon as it’s been repaired. An example: staff pressure washed the surfaces in The Grove the day before the last concert;

See Mayor, page 13

Photo by Jay Bedecarré

THE NUMBER OF CONCERTS AT THE SLEEP TRAIN PAVILION HAS DROPPED TO JUST 11 each of the past three years, making the box office at the venue on Kirker Pass Rd. not the busiest of places. In bygone years, August alone would see more than 11 concerts.

Bocce ball plan is now in CBCA’s court PEGGY SPEAR Clayton Pioneer

By this time next year, if a dedicated contingent of civic leaders keep the ball rolling, Clayton’s summer nights will be filled with the thwack of palinos hitting bocce balls. At the last Clayton Business and Community Association

(CBCA) meeting, Skip and Kent Ipsen and Ed Hartley shared their vision of having the organization help create four bocce courts at the corner of Main and Oak Streets, on property owned by the Ipsen family. It’s an ambitious plan, and one that hinges on CBCA support, switching the tax exempt status of the CBCA, city plan-

Dana Hills wins 21st City Swim Meet title

ning approval and funding for the $250,000 project. But, borrowing from another sports metaphor, Skip Ipsen and Hartley think that they have their bases covered. “This is by far the biggest endeavor CBCA has ever done,” Hartley says. “But it’s really a win-win-win for the city. Not only do we think we can afford it, the idea of bringing a vibrant presence to downtown Clayton will be a boon for current and future businesses.” Under the proposal, the Ipsens will build the courts on their property during the planned remodel of Skipolini’s restaurant next January. Skip Ipsen would also contribute $125,000 cash to the CBCA, while the club would agree to

front the remaining $125,000. CBCA would operate and maintain the courts, and residents would have the opportunity to purchase “naming rights” to the courts, benches tables and other attractions at the lot. To solicit donations, CBCA would have to ask the IRS to change its status from a 501(c)(4) “social group” to a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, a process that can take as long as several months. “We’ve talked about doing that for years anyway,” says Hartley, past-president of CBCA. “Now, we have the impetus.” Bocce talk is nothing new for Hartley. As a vice-commissioner of the Concord Bocce Federation – which maintains

the bocce courts at Newhall and Baldwin Parks – he knows what goes in to creating what he calls “a vibrant public meeting place.” For 12 years he and his wife Cecilia organized the Sunday Clayton leagues at Newhall Park, which grew to more than 280 players. They were also instrumental in trying to build seven courts behind Clayton City Hall four years ago, a project that got a lot of community support but that was ultimately derailed by rising costs. Skip Ipsen has also been a long-time bocce player, but his devotion to the proposed courts goes a bit deeper. “I have always wanted to give something back to this community,” he says. “I love

See Bocce, page 3

Photo courtesy CSKphotography.net

Over 1000 swimmers took part in the 47th annual City Meet Swimming Championships earlier this month over three days at Concord Community Pool. Dana Hills Swim Team of Clayton won its 21st championship in the last 22 years with local teams Springwood third, Oakhurst seventh and Walnut Country ninth. This heat of the boys 9-10 50-yard breaststroke included, from left, Nolan Degener (Oakhurst), Joshua Ewert (DHST), Devin Kelly (DHST), Robert Santa Maria (Forest Park) and Joey Dern (DHST). For our story see page 10.

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What’s Inside

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID CLAYTON, CA 94517 PERMIT 190

Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Behind the Badge . . . . . . . . .7 Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

THIS MONTH, THE CBCA MEMBERSHIP WILL VOTE ON WHETHER TO COMMIT $125,000 and ongoing management for a bocce park downtown. The Ipsen family has pledged the use of the lot at Oak and Main Streets and another $125,000 for construction. If approved by the city, the park could open by early 2014.

Community Calendar . . . . .16 Concord Beat (NEW) . . . .15 Design and Décor . . . . . . . .18 Directory of Advertisers . . . . .5 Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 From Oakhurst (NEW) . . . .6 Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Letters to the Editor . . . . . . .7 Mind Matters . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Obituary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Performing Arts . . . . . . . . . .17 Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Pocket Parenting . . . . . . . . . .7 Readers Forum . . . . . . . . . . .7

Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Sports Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Sports Shorts . . . . . . . . . . .12 Take a Hike . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Teen Reads . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Travels with Woody . . . . . . .20

Those motorists stuck in snarled eastbound traffic on Ygnacio Valley Rd. leading onto Kirker Pass Road during the July 23 commute can blame the Matchbox Twenty concert at the Sleep Train Pavilion. But they can take solace in the fact that there won’t be another concert at the venue for an entire month and not a single other weekday event this year. While drivers and those in and around the Pavilion will be happy about that, the city of Concord, which owns the facility, is more than a little concerned about the lack of activity in the venue. Over the past three seasons, operator Live Nation has presented just 11 concerts a year, and its contract is set to expire this year. To see what’s next for the Pavilion, it helps to take a look back.

See Pavilion, page 14

Driver in June 27 crash with motorcycle charged with felony DUI The district attorney has filed felony drunk driving charges against a 21-year-old Clayton woman for a June 27 crash that critically injured a motorcyclist. According to police records, Jessica Mercurio’s blood alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit when she lost control of her car on Clayton Road, jumped the median and hit Mark Tomaszewski, 51, head on. Witnesses at the scene say they overheard her tell officers she was texting at the time of the crash. Because of the seriousness of the injuries caused, Mercurio faces eight years in state prison if convicted. Tomaszewski, an operating room technician at the Sequoia Surgical Center in Walnut Creek, suffered internal injuries, severe head injuries and multiple broken bones. He remains in the trauma care unit at John Muir Medical Center where, according to his brother, he is progressing well and is “humbled by all the support from the community.” His co-workers have donated their unused time off to him and a website has been set up to raise funds to help with his mounting medical bills. For information, go to http:/www.youcaring.com/medicalfundraiser/teammarkt/70184.

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August 16, 2013

Around Town Cancer Relay for Life donations top $75,000

CHRISTY AND JOEL HARRIS LEAD MORE THAN 100 FRIENDS and supporters of “Team Christy” on the first lap in the American Cancer Society’s 2013 Relay for Life. The team raised more than $33,000 of the $75,000 event total for cancer research.

Walkers and dollars raised grew by leaps and bounds for this year’s Relay For Life in Clayton on Aug. 3 and 4 at Clayton Community Park. Over 300 walkers raised $75,000 for the American Cancer Society compared to 160 participants and $43,000 in 2012. Hope for a cure for cancer

remains immeasurable. Event chair Mindy Thompson welcomed and thanked the teams for their dedication. “It takes a village to build a relay,” Thompson says. Guest speaker and cancer survivor Bruce Bogart stepped up the enthusiasm by acknowledging that teams chose to attend

Clayton nonagenarian fills his dance card Bud Harmon, who turned 90 in June, doesn’t believe in sitting it out – especially when Saturday night concerts are rockin’ The Grove. Bud is a big fan of brass and is really looking forward to the August 17 concert when Laurent Fourgo’s six-piece band, The Flash Backs brings all the old swing and big band era tunes to downtown. The concert begins at 6 p.m. Blankets and chairs can be set up anytime after 4 p.m.

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the relay over ball games and barbecues that day “because we’re going to beat cancer.” Cancer survivors wearing purple relay shirts walked the first lap of the event after opening ceremonies to celebrate their survival. Team members took turns walking laps to keep someone on the field for all 24 hours of the relay. Team Christy carried a cardboard cutout of their captain, Christy Harris, who is currently fighting cancer, for the duration of the relay. Teams also had booths flanking the track with goodies like trail mix or jewelry for donations or give-aways like sunscreen. Campers For A Cure returned with their popular free beads to thread on a string tracking one’s laps. Eight laps equaled a mile. Kathryn Mills of Concord had a colorful string totaling 36 miles. “I’m walking in memory of my Dad, but to help raise

money, too,” Mills says. Magic Entertainment DJ Services kept the energy level high with music and midnight movies. Giants’ mascot Lou Seal made a guest appearance to show off the Giants’ two World Series rings and encourage walkers. Raffle prizes included Giants tickets and autographed baseballs. Luminarias decorated with words of remembrance for loved ones touched by cancer lit the relay track as night fell. A short ceremony set the tone before participants walked the first lap in silence. When Joy Armstrong was overcome with emotion and could not finish singing “In My Life” by the Beatles, the crowd sang for her. Walkers wrapped up the relay with a final lap in commitment to fighting back against cancer by making strides to live a healthier lifestyle.

Pioneer Travels

BUON GIORNO FROM ITALY When Judy Crosby, Kathy Burton and Patty Bowers packed for their June trip to Italy, they didn’t forget the most important thing – US! Here we are on the lovely Isle of Capri with the three lifelong friends who started school together in 1950 at Queen of All Saints in Concord and grad-

uated together from Mt. Diablo High School in 1963. HELLO FROM MACHU PICHU

YOSEMITE

Dick Ellis and Johnny Mathis take a stroll down memory lane Clayton’s Dick Ellis reunited with college friend and famous singer, Johnny Mathis, on July 21 at the Eric Marienthal benefit concert for the High Hopes head injury program in Newport Beach. Ellis was a javelin thrower and Mathis was a high jumper at San Francisco State University. On Mother’s Day 1955 — the day after Mathis set the college high jump record — he, Ellis and two others decided to buy cards for their mothers. Only Ellis had enough money for the 50-cent cards, so he paid for everyone. Ellis reminded

DICK ELLIS AND JOHNNY MATHIS

Mathis of this debt at the concert. Mathis says, “If I pay you, we’ll lose the story.” So the beat — and the debt — goes on.

Last month, Chris Smith and Sue Elliott of Clayton hiked the six Yosemite High Sierras Camps on a 7-day, 56 mile trek. We let them do the heavy work while we rode along in the backpack and enjoyed the scenery. The highest camp, Vogelsang, at 10,100 feet sits in a true alpine setting nestled next to Fletcher Creek.

6024 Golden Eagle Way, Clayton

Even after landing on the front page of the Pioneer for her work organizing Clayton’s Family Fair, Emma Hall just couldn’t get enough of us. We tagged along with Emma on her 20-day community service trip to Peru where she worked with her group from Athenian School building a greenhouse and helping in the local school in a remote village in the Andes. We were also there while she worked in a shantytown on the outskirts of Lima, Peru’s capital city. But, it wasn’t all work. Here we are at the top of the world (or at least near it) at Machu Picchu.

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Around Town Whooo is the new neighbor?

ONE OWLET remains and peeks out of a nest box at the Cruz home in Clayton.

Five owlets made Linda Cruz’s Clayton home their home this summer. The adult owls nested in the Cruz backyard in 2011. “Mama and papa owl have been busy helping five owlets come out of their nest box and into the world. It is a very noisy job,” Cruz says. Cruz is a member of the Clayton Valley Garden Club. She reports that the Garden Club recently sponsored similar nest boxes for Ryan Nebeker’s Eagle Scout project. Ryan built six boxes. They were installed nearby, including at Mt. Diablo Elementary School, Diablo View Middle School and the Clayton Museum. Biologist Jim Hale offered to make a display box for the museum showing the various creatures consumed by Clayton barn owls based on studying the pellets of the owls in Cruz’s yard.

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page 3

s t r e c n o C he Gro

VIPS work to keep neighborhoods safe When Concord resident Gina Scheer and her husband Rod moved from New York to California, the last thought on their minds was helping out their new community as volunteers for the local police department. But what was on the tops of their minds was, “We have no idea what to do in an earthquake.” They attended Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training to educate themselves and continued going to monthly CERT meetings where they learned about Volunteers in Police Service, or VIPS, for the cities of Clayton and Concord. “We just absolutely love it,” Gina says. They each work, but are driven to participate in such programs as Neighborhood Patrol, tow hearings, CERT and the Park Steward Program. They say they now value assuring citizens that VIPS are there making sure everything is all right, and both have been honored as Volunteer of the Year. “We’ll make a difference in someone’s life

Saturdays

6 to 8:30 p.m. At the Gazebo in The Grove

Set up chairs and blankets on the lawn after 4 p.m.

August 17 Flashback Six-piece band featuring hits from big band/swing, early rock 'n' roll, Motown/soul, R&B/funk, classic rock, disco and country.

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

CONCORD VIPS ARE AN ACTIVE REMINDER OF COMMUNITY-ORIENTED POLICING PRACTICES. The royal blue-clad volunteers are a mainstay every week at Music and Market in the Todos Santos Plaza. Pictured are Captains Gina and Rod Scheer (center front) together with their team Ken and Pat Rishell, Pam Erickson, Tom Ferruggia, Suz Josephs, Ben Hornstein, Dorothy Ziolko,Cheryl Lundstrom and Ernie Bonacum.

when that earthquake hits,” Scheer says. The VIPS program is based on the concept of communityoriented policing, an organizational philosophy that promotes community, government and police partnerships to solve problems. In other words, no

Bocce, from page 1 the idea of having something that attracts people to downtown, where people can have fun. Bocce just makes sense.” Indeed, bocce is not the bastion of old Italian grandpas anymore. In a recent survey in Clayton, residents voted bocce as the No. 1 desired recreational amenity. Nearby cities have already seen the growth in pop-

ov e

T in

PAMELA WIESENDANGER Clayton Pioneer

ularity, as the 25 courts in Martinez and the 12 courts in Concord are always full with league play, tournaments and recreational players. “Bocce is ageless,” Ipsen says. “You can be 8 or 80 and still enjoy the game. It is a very social game where friends and family can have fun in a relaxing, yet competitive atmosphere.”

one police department is large enough to keep a city safe on its own. VIPS get involved to create a safe, vibrant place to live, work and play. Concord VIPS formed 25 years ago by now retired Lt. Jim Alcorn, who still actively participates in the program. It is run

today by Margaret Romiti, manager of volunteer services. In the late 1990s, Concord VIPS had about 60 volunteers. Today, there are 116 volunteers and more than 34 programs with the fundamental goal of bringing

The construction of the Clayton courts will hinge on the Skipolini’s remodel, which is scheduled for January through March 2014. Skipolini’s would absorb all “soft” costs related to the court design, plans, specifications and the city approval process. Clayton City Manager Gary Napper said he could not comment on the bocce proposal yet because nothing official has come before the city, but Hart-

ley says he believes the plan should have no trouble adhering to the Town Center Specific Plan. At this point the CBCA must wait until after its August meeting to formalize any plans. At that meeting, scheduled for Aug. 29 at the Oakhurst Country Club, two-thirds of the members present must approve the proposal to convert to a 501(c)(3), and agree to take on the responsibility of running the courts.

August 31 The Chicago Tribute Authority This upbeat tribute band plays the music of the greatest hit bands of the last 45 years.

Sept. 14 East Bay Mudd This 10-piece cover dance band with a powerful 4man horn section, will keep you on your feet asking for more.

See VIPS page 4

Thursday Night Concerts In the Grove 7 – 8:30 p.m. Aug. 22 My Evergreen (Contemporary) Sep. 5 Mamaluke (Pop/Rock) Sep. 19 PHDs (R&B/Rock) For more band info, go to www.cityofclayton.org. Chairs and blankets may be set out after 4 p.m. on concert days.

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VIPS, from page 3 in people with definite talents and skills to fill gaps in police and other services, Romiti says. The application process includes a background check and questionnaire to match skills and interests with available roles. For instance, those with a desire to keep neighborhoods safe can get involved with Neighborhood Watch meetings or Neighborhood Patrol. Those who like more behind-the-scenes work can help out with administrative tasks at the police department. Other VIPS activities that involve contact with the public include attending the weekly Music and Market concerts, conducting the Pre-school Safety Program and the Park Steward Program. Clayton resident Janet Johnson volunteers for both Concord and Clayton. Johnson was part of the Neighborhood Patrol program in Concord until recently. She does administrative work, training and tow hearings now. She developed the VIPS website for Clayton.

“It’s a really rewarding program for me,” she says. “I thoroughly enjoy the tasks. They really try to fit your skills.” The Clayton VIPS program is less than a decade old and is led by Sgt. Tim Marchut. These VIPS offer Neighborhood Patrol, Neighborhood Watch and lead the CERT program. CERT conducts free training to residents about disaster preparedness and now participates in CPR and Automated External Defibrillator training to qualify Clayton as a HeartSafe community. It is a great opportunity “if an individual wants to give something back to the community,” Herb Yonge of Clayton VIPS says. Marchut says, “The department recognizes there are residents throughout our city who possess key skills that can assist Clayton Police Department with certain tasks. To say we are appreciative of their efforts would be a huge understatement.”

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Severe cuts to the Contra Costa Fire Protection District budget has resulted in the closure of several stations. In looking forward, the District has contracted with a private consulting company to study and recommend future service options. As part of this study, the consultants have scheduled three Town Hall meetings and are asking for input from the public. Date: Monday, Aug. 19 Time: 6:30pm Location: Pittsburg Community Library 80 Power Avenue, Pittsburg

LEIGH KLOCK

For more information about Concord VIPS, go to cityofconcord.org/ police/joinin/volunteers. For Clayton VIPS, visit claytonpd.com/ VIPS_t.html.

Date: Wednesday, Aug. 21 Time: 6:30pm Location: Clayton Community Library 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton Supervisor Candace Andersen of District II stated that citizen engagement in the study process is key to its success. “Citizens offer direct, practical feedback that is critical to evaluating the future of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District,” Andersen added. Fitch plans to present study findings to the Board of Supervisors in January 2014. For more information regarding Fitch and Associates, LLC and the Fire Study, please visit www.cccounty.us/ConFireStudy.

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CLAYTON VIPS JOHN MOILAN prepares to leave on a Vacation House Watch patrol. He checks the outside of the home to be sure it is secure and if there is a problem, he notifies Clayton police. The emergency contact provided by the resident is also notified.

Town Hall meetings on CCFPD closures seek input from citizens

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C O N C O R D 1 4 6 0 C O N C O R D AV E N U E 9 2 5 . 9 6 9 . 9 8 9 0 PITTSBURG 2685 EAST LELAND RD. 925.473.1400 Plus four other locations in the Greater Bay Area. Go to www.floorstores.com for directions.

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August 16, 2013

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Directory of Advertisers

Obituary P.O. Box 1246 6200 Center Street, Suite H, Clayton, CA 94517 TAMARA AND R OBERT S TEINER , Publishers TAMARA S TEINER , Editor P ETE C RUZ , Graphic Design P EGGY S PEAR , Copy Editor J AY B EDECARRÉ, Sports PAMELA W IESENDANGER , Administration S TAFF W RITERS : Denisen Hartlove, Pam Wiesendanger, Peggy Spear

We remember Jill Bedecarré - Her spirit is our muse

PIONEER INFO CONTACT US

Tel: (925) 672-0500 Fax: (925) 672-6580 Tamara Steiner tamara@claytonpioneer.com Send ads to ads@claytonpioneer.com Send Sports News to sports@claytonpioneer.com Send Club News to clubnews@claytonpioneer.com Send Church News to churchnews@claytonpioneer.com

Send School News to schoolnews@claytonpioneer.com

Send Classified Ads to classified@claytonpioneer.com

CLASSIFIEDS Classified rates per insertion: $48 for first 30 words, 40 cents each additional word Non-profit: $24 for first 30 words, 20 cents each additional word To place your classified ad over the phone, call the office at (925) 6720500 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Mon.Fri. All classifieds must be paid for in advance by credit card (Master Card or Visa) We will not accept any ad that discriminates on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, nationality, family status or disability. The Clayton Pioneer reserves the right to reject any advertising we believe is unsuitable.

LET US KNOW Weddings, engagements, anniversaries, births and deaths all weave together as part of the fabric of our community. Please let us know of these important events. We ask only that the announcement be for a resident in our home delivery area. Submit on our website and be sure to attach a JPG photo that is at least 3

MB but not bigger than 6MB. You can also mail or bring your print to the office and we can scan it for you. Also on the website are forms for calendar items, events & press releases. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Clayton Pioneer welcomes letters from our readers. As a general rule, letters should be 250 words or less and submitted at least one week prior to publication date. Letters concerning current issues will have priority. We may edit letters for length and clarity. All letters will be published at the editor’s discretion. Please include name, address and daytime telephone number. We will not print anonymous letters. E-mail your letter to tamara@claytonpioneer.com. Letters MUST be submitted via E-mail.

CIRCULATION Total circulation of the Clayton Pioneer is 15,500. Papers are delivered to households in ZIP codes 94517, 94518 and 94521. In Clayton, all papers are delivered Every Door Direct by the US Post Office. We cannot start or stop individual addresses. All Concord delivery is by carrier and delivered twice a month on a Friday morning. To stop delivery for any reason, call the office at (925) 6720500 or email circulation@claytonpioneer.com. If you are NOT receiving the Pioneer, please check the distribution map on the website. If you live in the shaded area and are not receiving the paper, please call us or send an email to circulation@claytonpioneer.com. If you are not in the shaded area, please be patient. We will come to your neighborhood soon.

SUBSCRIPTIONS To subscribe, call the office at (925) 672-0500. Subscriptions are $50/year and are not pro-rated for mid-year stops.

James Watkins Schmalzel

Beauty and Pampering Bella Mia Spa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .680-7792

July 28, 1933 – July 20, 2013

Business Services Rising Moon Marketing & Public Relations . . . . .672-8717 Village Oaks Building . . . . . . . . . . . .408-371-8770, ext. 21

James “Jim” Schmalzel, a longtime Clayton resident and avid volunteer in everything from the Lesher Theater to Meals on Wheels to the Concord Police Department, passed away on July 20. He was 79. Jim was born to Joe and Lucile Schmalzel, July 28, 1933, in Arizona. He graduated from Benson Union High School in 1951 and attended and played football at Stanford University. He then transferred and graduated from the University of Arizona in 1956, with honors in mechanical engineering. He spent the next 30 years working for Babcock & Wilcox in San Francisco and Walnut Creek as a project engineer. After retiring from B&W, Jim kept busy by working at Exxon, taking courses at DVC, and volunteering at the Lesher Theater, the Suicide & Crisis Hotline, Meals on Wheels, the Clayton Library, Operation Shoebox, Boy Scouts of America, coach and board member for PCL and CAL, and the Concord Police Department’s Crime Scene Investigation with good friend Ekk Keller. Jim married wife Priscilla in 1959 in Tampa, Florida. After short stays in Georgia, Lafayette, Atascadero, Pacheco, and Concord, they decided to raise their sons in Clayton, where they have lived since 1965. Jim was a world traveler and had placed a foot on all seven continents. An avid Giant and 49er fan, Jim’s most joyous times were when his family and their

Construction and Trades Appliance Repairs by Bruce, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2700 Belfast Plumbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .457-5423 Burkin Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1519 Diablo View Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .822-5144 Gary’s Home Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .787-2500 Iron Horse Concrete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .595-3951 Steffan Smith Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .914-0497 Tipperary Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-2679 Dining and Entertainment Clayton Club Saloon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-0440 Johnny’s Deli & Café . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1203 La Veranda Café . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0011 Oakhurst Country Club . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9737, ext. 205

friends would visit, especially the grandkids. Jim was predeceased by his older brother Joe in 2005. He is survived by his wife, Priscilla; his son Bill, sons Eric and Ryan, and grandson Andre; son Steve; grandchildren Alex and Andie; son Ed; and grandchildren Brock, Dana and Carter; brother in-law Dick Hamilton; and sister in-law Janet Hearn. Memorial donations may be given to the Clayton Police Department’s Heart Safe Communities Program (6000 Heritage Trail, Clayton, 94517) or Concord Police Department’s K9 Association (1350 Galindo Street, Concord, 94520). Service and interment will be held at a future date in Benson, Arizona.

Classified Buyers and Sellers – the time is right This expanded 3 bedroom, 2 bath also has a huge family room, dual pane windows, central heat & air, a stucco-walled front courtyard, sliding doors to rear patios, RV Parking, very nice landscaping and is in the CV Charter High School attendance area! Priced to sell at $449,900!

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This 3200 sq. ft. estate home is located in the c East Bay’s most prestigious community comPete rs too! plete with security gate entrances and driveyou able to Silicon Valley employment. Enjoy custom moldings and upgraded appointments throughout, its gourmet kitchen, a Master suite fit for Royalty, a large 3+ car garage, manicured grounds front & rear, and its pool, spa, privacy and Views!

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CHILDCARE/ PRESCHOOL Clayton Community School at Mt. Diablo Elementary offers school-age childcare 6:45 a.m. 6:15 p.m. Preschool 9 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Mon.-Fri. Call 672-0388 for details.

3 BEDROOMS, 2 BATH AT ONLY $449,900!

BLACKHAWK ELEGANCE & SECURITY,

Page 5

INTEGRITY

RESULTS

Flower Gardening by Nicole Hackett Perennial, ornamental, rose and container care. Keep your garden in flowers this year with monthly fertilizing and pruning visits. Email for consultation or details. Gardengirl94517@yahoo.com.

HELP WANTED Computer Tech Growing business has position for onsite pro computer tech in Contra Costa County. Must have experience in Windows and Mac OS, network repair and troubleshooting. ComputersUSA! 672-9989. Come join Mazzei Realty! Currently interviewing and hiring new and experienced real estate agents. Call 693-0757 for details. Real Estate Agents Be Successful! Lynne French is expanding and interviewing for a few agents. Call her today 672-8787.

VOLUNTEERS Help Fight Hunger Anna Chan – AKA: The Lemon Lady needs your help! Weekly commitment appreciated. For more info and contact numbers, go to thelemonlady.blogspot.com. Clayton Historical Society Museum. Greeters needed for two hours per month from 2-4 p.m. Wed. or Sun. Summer volunteers needed 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. on Sat. and 6 – 8 p.m. Wed., through August; 4 – 6 p.m. on concert Saturdays. Call 672-0240. Clayton Community Library Needs volunteers. Minimum age 13. Minimum commitment is 6 months. Some training provided. Contact: Arlene at 673-9777 or nielsenjanc@aol.com.

Events City of Clayton – Concerts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-7300 Clayton Community Church – Derby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .825-9090 Financial, Insurance and Legal Services DuRee, Daniel – The Law Office of . . . . . . . . . . .210-1400 Held, Chris – Morgan Stanley Smith Barney . . . .930-3815 Littorno, Richard – The Law Office of . . . . . . . . .432-4211 Mingham, Pete – Guild Mortgage Company . . . .906-8166 Prosperitas Wealth Management . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7700 Sorensen, David – Wells Fargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . .296-3086 Travis Credit Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-877-8328 Van Wyck, Doug – State Farm Insurance . . . . . .672-2300 Funerals Ouimet Funeral Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-4242 Groceries Doorstep Farmers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .349-4568 Home and Garden Clayton Furniture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .686-2299 Diablo Lawnscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .381-3757 Interiors Panache . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7920 Just Floors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .681-4747 Nichols Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9955 Refresh Pool Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .286-8601 The Floor Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .969-9890 The Maids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-6243 Utopic Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0055 Waraner Bros. Tree Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .831-2323 Waraner Tree Experts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250-0334 Mailing Services The UPS Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-6245 Optometry Foresight Optometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4100 Pet Services Cat Hospital of Clayton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2287 Monte Vista Veterinary Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1100 Pittsburg Pet Resort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .432-7387 Rodie's Feed and Pet Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-4600 Real Estate and Mortgage Services Crosby, Meg – J.H. Russell Real Estate Group . .323-2139 French, Lynne – Windermere Real Estate . . . . . .672-8787 Geddes-Sinclaire, Christine – RE/MAX Realty . .286-7593 Howard, Don – Better Homes Realty . . . . . . . . . .408-3184 Klock, Leigh – Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . . .212-5593 Laurence, Pete – RE/MAX Realty . . . . . . . . . . . .890-6004 Lopez, Stephanie – Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . .932-7329 Mazzei, Matt – Mazzei Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .693-0757 Stojanovich, Jennifer – Better Homes Realty . . .567-6170 Vujnovich, George - Better Homes Realty . . . . . .672-4433 Recreation and Fitness Clayton Valley Bowl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-4631 Earthquake Arabians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .360-7454 East Bay Regional Park District . . . . . . . . . .888-327-2757 Senior Services Chateau on Broadway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .686-1700 Diablo Senior Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .360-2936 Montecito – Oakmont Senior Living . . . . . . . . . . .852-6702 Services, Other ComputersUSA! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9989 Net Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6029 Recycling Center & Transfer Station . . . . . . . . . .473-0180 Travel Celebrity Cruises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .888-456-7887 Travel to Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9840

Page 6

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

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Aquanuts dive into national spotlight DENISEN HARTLOVE Clayton Pioneer

For all you exercise nuts out there, try this: Combine dancing and aerobics, then add gymnastics, some lifts and dives, and do it with a group, to music. Now do it underwater, in high heels. That’s the basics of synchronized swimming, and for 18year-old Clayton resident Morgan Boneberg, this underwater ballet is her life. Boneberg took up the sport when she was eight, and she now belongs to the prestigious Aquanuts swim team in Walnut Creek. Under the tutelage of Olga Kouznetsova and Olympic goldmedalist Kim Probst, the team practices 10 hours a day for six days a week during the competitive summer season. Even in the off-season they practice four hours a day for six days a week. Not surprisingly, many of the girls hope to land spots on the USA National Team, and potentially

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August 16, 2013

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even compete at the Olympics. Boneberg – along with many of her teammates – practice so extensively they end up switching from traditional classroom schools to independent study programs in order to be able to devote the time demanded to achieve success. Their efforts seem to pay off. The team itself boasts 12 National Championships, and counts as its alumni 17 people who went on to compete in the Olympics, eight of whom took home gold medals. In addition to the prestige of belonging to such an award-winning team as the Aquanuts – and on top of the excitement of looking forward to competing at national and Olympic levels – this year the swimmers attained pop culture fame when they travelled to New York and competed on the popular TV show “America’s Got Talent.” Dressed in glamorous tuxedo-styled and rhinestoneadorned suits reminiscent of an Esther Williams routine, and wearing high heels (not usually swim gear), the team shone bright as they first blew handfuls of glitter towards the cameras before diving, one at a time, into a rooftop pool. Surrounded by screaming fans, the athletes (who persevered through auditions in several cities before competing on the show) performed their routine to Rhianna’s song “Diamonds,” legs flashing and making seemingly effortless formations in the water – and wowing the show’s celebrity judges in the process. “What you do, it’s amazing,” said Howard Stern. “It’s spectacular.” Heidi Klum agreed. “It’s hardcore what you girls do. I really enjoyed it.”

See Aquanuts, page 16

CLAYTON RESIDENT MORGAN BONEBERG (circled), who recently competed with her team, the Walnut Creek Aquanuts, on America’s Got Talent, said one of the greatest parts of her experience was the camaraderie and friendships developed between groups backstage at the show. Here she is shown with her team, as well as a few of the other hopefuls, including country singer Marty Brown and rap group Tone the Chiefrocca.

A stirring martini that's just perfect

STACEY BILLERA

FROM OAKHURST For the past several years, the martini – a drink once reserved for genteel rat-packers, James Bond and Don Draper wannabes – has taken on a new life as a refreshing summer libation. Stacey Billera, master mixologist, shares her recipe for The Perfect Martini. Billera, who prides herself as being is an alchemist and entertainer, performs on her stage at

the stylish Bistro 19 bar, overlooking the golf course, Clayton Valley and the vista beyond. First step: She fills a beaker with chiseled ice. Then, vodka or gin from exclusive sources is added and the chosen infusions dropped in, and all gently stirred. She takes a chilled glass, lined with a splash of vermouth, holds it at arm’s length below the beaker, and from a great height the liquor is poured, the flavor expanding as it falls into the glass. She adds a final twist, and the martini is complete. Stacey Billera is the Food and Beverage Director for the Oakhurst Country Club.

August 16, 2013

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page 7

Readers Forum

Transit strikes should be illegal In the last issue of the Clayton Pioneer, Pete Lawrence ably pointed out that BART workers, threatening to shut down BART in a strike, already receive salaries and benefits far in excess of their counterparts in other industries and agencies. Why are BART workers allowed to hold the transit system hostage in the first place? And why is this fundamental issue almost completely absent from media reporting? Northern Californians spent $1.6 billion – in 1960’s and ‘70’s dollars – to build the beginnings of the BART system. Now we invest over half a billion dollars every year to run BART. Do we pay these astronomical amounts to provide the public with a reliable alternative transportation system? Or did we build BART in order to give a small group of workers a nuclear weapon for salary negotiations? According to BART’s website, it is the

CHRIS THORSEN THE

Could it have something to do with union influence in the political party that dominates California politics? Why is this topic completely missing from media coverage of the “negotiations?” Why are they even called “negotiations?” Holding the strike card, the union has all the leverage. It is permitted to unleash chaos should its demands not be met. Unlike the real world, BART worker salaries have nothing to do with the marketplace value of work skills. It’s the same with Somali pirates. In both instances, the compensation rates result from unbalanced negotiating leverage, based on one party’s threat and ability to inflict harm on a hostage if its demands are not met. Although in fairness, the harm the pirates can inflict is not so far reaching. Our legislature’s fiduciary duty is to be a vigilant steward of taxpayer dollars. Thus, work-

ers the government hires, including BART workers, should be paid according to the marketplace value of their skills, not according to a ransom measured by our desperation to avoid a threatened sabotage. Of course anything resembling a negative view of union power is akin to criticizing Scientology in terms of drawing inflamed response, but please note, this is not an indictment of unions. It is an invitation to add an important topic to the public discourse on this issue – why do we extend, to certain public employees, the power to cripple our region as a negotiating tool? In places like New York and Washington DC it is illegal for transit workers to strike. There, lawmakers have determined that the transit systems belongs to the public, not unions.

BADGE

As I write this, I’m stunned the summer is coming to a close. It seems only yesterday we were celebrating the close of the school year and began making plans for summer vacations. With the return of the school year, you will no doubt notice increased traffic, especially during the morning hour. Many of our high school kids will be off driving themselves, and our younger kids will be carted by moms and dads entering the crowded traffic patterns around the elementary and middle school. Remember, many of our students and parents are dropping off at their respective schools for the first time. It takes a couple weeks for everybody to learn the routine, so be patient. Traffic, especially around the elementary schools, is congested. Officers from the Clayton Police Department will be on hand to help facilitate the traffic flow. Here are few pieces of advice that will help everybody as we move through the first weeks of school:

See Car Smarts, page 9

Residents of the Clayton Regency Mobile Home Park will have something to toast soon, as a new project aims to bring clean, reliable water to the park. The County’s Health Department recently determined that the mobile home park’s treated water supply system constitutes a public health emergency. Contra Costa County officials requested that the Contra Costa Water District install an Emergency Pipeline Extension and Disinfectant Booster Station to keep residents healthy. While generally welcomed by residents, the pipeline project, which began July 28 and should take two to three months to complete, will not be without its share of construction issues: There will be single lane closures when work is underway. Motorists should expect up to 30minute delays. Street work will occur on Marsh Creek Road between approximately Royal Oaks Drive

and the Clayton Regency Mobile Home Park. Work will occur on a rolling basis down Marsh Creek Road to minimize impact to residents and motorists. The speed limit will be reduced to 25 MPH in work areas for motorist safety. Convenient access to driveways will be maintained as much as possible. In situations where access restrictions are necessary, residents will receive advance notice. Access restrictions will be kept as brief as possible. Traffic controls (including California Highway Patrol cars) will be in place to help motorists and cyclists safely navigate the road. There will also be some noise and dust associated with this project, which could be noticeable from homes along Marsh Creek Road. Certain residents may encounter driveway restrictions during the construction of the

pipeline. There may be one-way traffic or open trenches near some homes. To ensure residents’ safety, access to and from driveways may be restricted for up to 20 minutes from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday. If there is work or single lane closure currently in front of your home, and a resident needs to exit their driveway, they should stop in their driveway before reaching Marsh Creek Road and notify construction crews. Construction crews will provide instructions on how to safely exit the driveway. When returning to their homes, residents should notify one of the flaggers that they are returning. Construction crews will provide instructions on how to safely enter the driveway. Construction crews may need to have steel plates temporarily placed over a trench and move equipment to ensure residents can safely access their residence. For more information or updates go to ccwater.com

It makes good sense to play with your child DARCIE AZZOLINI PAIVA POCKET PARENTING Most parents are pretty savvy about how to feed their children to make their bodies strong, but what about food for the mind? Most experts agree that sensations are considered the best “food for the brain.” Sensory information comes into our brains from our eyes,

ears, nose, mouth, muscles, skin, and from every part of our body. Our brain has the job of organizing this incredible amount of input into useful information. Learning to organize sensory input can help children with many things, including learning to tolerate noisy environments and learning to concentrate on a task. The main sensory systems are vision, smell, taste, hearing, touch (tactile), head movement (vestibular), and deep pressure (proprioception). The tactile

system is the largest sensory system and is very important to us both physically and mentally. It often operates automatically, such as when you touch something hot your hand pulls away without you thinking about it. It helps us determine textures and shapes and adds feedback to most other sensory systems. The vestibular system is found in the inner ear and tells us many things, including how fast and in what direction we are

See Parenting, page 9

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BEHIND

former. Yet somehow the public’s investment in BART has become the latter. California citizens are free from the threat of police / fire strikes. They are illegal. The legislature recognizes that the well being of the general public outweighs the risk of interruption of these important services. Is our public transport different? While police / fire strikes would pose a heightened risk of public harm, a BART union strike represents guaranteed monumental public harm. Businesses lose tens of millions of dollars in productivity. Air pollution skyrockets. Many dangers arise from traffic gridlock. Tens of thousands of daily schedules are thrown into turmoil. Quality of life is downgraded for everyone. So why does the legislature allow BART unions to wave this gun in the face of the citizenry who paid to build BART?

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Beer only. Good anytime with original coupon. Exp. 8/29/13

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Page 8

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Shouldn’t ‘as-is’ really mean as-is?

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Q. Last year we put our house on the market and got an offer after two weeks. We accepted a price that was below market value because our home needed some repairs. We gave the buyer our disclosures that we filled out and after reading them they agreed to buy the house “as-is.” After the buyers did

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their inspections, and when they removed their inspection contingency, they asked for a huge price reduction based on the findings of their inspectors. This reduction included repairs they had agreed to accept “as-is.” I simply said no. The new price was ridiculous and, more importantly, I feel the buyer negotiated in bad faith. I took my house off the market. I am planning to put it back on this spring. Is there anything that I should have done or that I should do different now? A. If you want to sell your home “as-is” you should provide complete inspections when you put it on the market. That would be a “Structural Pest Control” report (termite

report), a general building inspection and a roof inspection. If you feel there is structural damage you should provide an engineering report. That way the buyer knows exactly what they are buying. You can deal with issues at the offer stage. One thing you could have done before simply cancelling the contract is given the buyers a 24-hour notice to remove their contingency. This is provided for in the contract. If the buyer proves to be really unreasonable though, then it is best to cancel the contract. You could waste your time holding out hope for a buyer that may never perform. Sometimes it’s not easy to determine which party to the contract is behaving unreasonably. In an ever-changing market like we have, the gap between

the seller’s expectations and what buyers will be willing to pay could widen. Before giving a buyer an ultimatum, carefully consider the pros and cons of the transaction. Is the buyer financially able to close the sale in your timeframe? Could you easily replace this buyer or will you need to wait for another one while the market softens? You could be stuck selling for a lesser amount. Though you may not approve of the buyer’s tactics, don’t let your emotions interfere with closing a sale that works to your advantage. Send your question and look for your answer in a future column. Email Lynne@LynneFrench.com. French is the broker/owner of Windermere Lynne French & Associates and a Clayton resident. For any real estate needs or questions, contact her at 672-878 7or stop in at 6200 Center St., Clayton.

A week’s worth of fitness plans

Hunter Douglas

call for details

August 16, 2013

Want to get fit, but are intimidated by all the choices out there? Don’t worry –setting up an exercise program is not as difficult as it sounds. Planning is essential to keeping on track. Be willing to learn about yourself and your limitations. Be willing to accept yourself and gain access to the strength and wisdom that has been hidden inside. For beginners: Start slowly with a basic cardio program and a full-body resistance training routine. You’ll want to have recovery days to allow your body to rest and your muscles to heal from your new routine. A typical beginner program will include about three or so days of cardio and about two days of strength training. Here is a sample schedule just to give you an idea of a typical week of workouts: Monday: Cardio for 20-30 minutes, stretch Tuesday: Full-body strength training, stretch Wednesday: Cardio for 20-30 minutes, abdominal workout, stretch Thursday: Rest or Pilates/yoga Friday: Full-body strength training, stretch Saturday: Cardio for 30 minutes, stretch For Intermediate/Advanced Exercisers with the goal of weight loss and health: If you’ve been exercising for a while and your goal is to lose weight, you want to shoot for 20-60 minutes of cardio about five times a week. Your strength training schedule will depend on what

type of workouts you’re doing (e.g., total-body training or a split routine). You can do cardio and weight training on the same day, depending on your time constraints. It doesn’t matter which one you do first, so vary your routine and try different combinations to find the one that is right for you. Here’s a sample week of workouts: Monday: Cardio for 30 minutes, upper body, lower body, strength training, stretch Tuesday: Rest or Pilates/yoga Wednesday: Cardio for 30 minutes Thursday: Rest or Pilates/yoga Friday: Full-body strength training, stretch Saturday: Cardio for 60 minutes, stretch For Intermediate/Advanced Exercisers with the goal of muscle gain: If you’re trying to gain muscle mass and strength, focus on your strength-training routine. Doing too much cardio beforehand can make you too tired to lift. Since you’ll be using more weight and doing more exercises for each muscle group, you’ll typically do a split training routine and less cardio. Here’s a sample week of workouts: Monday: Chest, shoulders and triceps, and cardio for 20 minutes Tuesday: Rest or Pilates/yoga Wednesday: Back and biceps, legs and abs, and cardio for 20 minutes Thursday: Rest or Pilates/yoga

Friday: Full-body strength training for one hour, stretching Ilima Heuerman holds multiple fitness certifications. She trains at Levity Fitness studio in Clayton. Email Ilima at IlimaHeuerman@levityfitness.com

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Show how your farmers’ market really clicks Clayton residents may have noticed a bit more activity at the farmers’ market last week as the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association celebrated National Farmers’ Market Week. But if you missed the giveaways and special activities, don’t worry, as PCFMA will celebrate National Farmers’ Market Week during the entire month of August with the “Love My Market” photo contest. Those interested in participating, should submit a photo of what they love about their farmers’ market to lovemymarket@pcfma.com by Aug. 31. Winners will be announced Sept. 16. Contestants will have a chance to win the grand prize of a two night retreat at Lone Oak Ranch, including cottage accommodations on the Kings River, dinner and a farm tour. Lone Oak Ranch is a certified organic fourth-generation family farm that produces citrus fruits, grapes, almonds and more. Second and third prizes include “Carrot Cash” (which is good at any farmers’ market that PCFMA operates), a reusable bag filled with fresh seasonal produce

and a market cookbook. Each year, an increasing number of Americans in diverse communities get more of their food from farmers’ markets. From 1994 to 2011, the number of farmers’ markets in the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Farmers Market Directory increased from 1,755 to 7,175 – a 308 percent increase. Still continuing to rise, from 2011 to 2012, farmers’ markets increased 9.6 percent, with 7,864 farmers’ markets being listed in the directory. The Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association is the state’s largest operator of certified farmers’ markets and celebrates its 25th year in 2013. With more than 70 weekly markets in the Bay Area. All PCFMA markets accept WIC FMNP (Woman Infant and Children Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program coupons) and CalFresh EBT (the Golden State advantage food stamp cards). For more information, contact the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association at 800-949-FARM or visit pcfma.org.

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August 16, 2013

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Eight girls face drama and heartbreak when they land on ‘The List’

EMILY YORK

TEEN READS Everyone knows that high school is a challenging four years. Even people who haven’t experienced it yet know that. But in “The List” by Siobhan Vivian, high school life is even more dreadful. Every year at Mount Washington High School, eight girls, two each from the freshman, sophomore, junior and senior

classes, are put onto one list that is posted throughout the whole school for every student and staff member to see. One girl is the ugliest and one is the prettiest. This story focuses on all eight girls throughout the year and describes their reactions, their classmates reactions as the plan reverberates throughout the school and the all the nerve wracking events that are caused by the list. The biggest mystery is that nobody knows who the author is until one day when the truth is revealed, Mount Washington High changes forever. This intriguing story will keep you on the edge of your seat and your eyes glued to every page. Emily York is a freshman at CVCHS. She loves to read and hopes her reviews will keep teens reading through the summer.

Page 9

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Car Smarts, from page 7 Plan ahead: There will be traffic congestion, so it will take you longer than expected to maneuver through the traffic. Plan on leaving a bit earlier than normal. Consider Carpooling: Simply put, the roads around the school, particularly the elementary school, were never designed to handle a large volume of vehicles in such a short period of time. Reducing the number of vehicles will ultimately help everybody arrive on time. Have an agreed upon place for pick up with your children: Encourage your child to be at their pick-up spot immediately after school. By parking in the pick-up lane, you are impeding traffic and slowing the process. Don’t arrive too early: There are parents who arrive as much as an hour early to assure they have a “good spot.” However when you are waiting, you clog the process.

It all works best if your move through the drop-off and pick-up areas is quick and doesn’t require you to stop for long. Be prepared: Drop off is not the time to search the trunk for last night’s homework assignment or lunch for the day. Have your child ready to exit the vehicle, drop them off and move along as soon as practical. Respect the neighborhoods: The established traffic patterns have been put in place in part, to preserve the quality of life for those who live near the schools. Please help everybody concerned by abiding by the rules. Be patient. We all want the children to arrive safely and on time. Safety is the primary concern. Nobody benefits when drivers are angry or frustrated in a school zone. Chris Thorsen is Clayton’s chief of police. For questions and comments, call him at (925) 673-7350.

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Parenting, from page 7 going and if we are upside down or not. The proprioceptive responses are so automatic that we are often not aware of them. When we bend, stretch, reach, pull and push we are getting feedback from this sense. This helps us know how to respond to many things, such as how to bring a cup of coffee to our lips while reading the paper, staying upright when we walk on uneven surfaces, or judging how and where to throw a ball.

Everyone needs sensory input and nobody has “perfect” sensory integration. We all vary in how we process input from these different areas and in how much input we need and how often we need it. GO PLAY Play is the way children learn almost everything. Children learn about the physical properties of their playthings by interacting with a variety of items and watching the results of

those interactions. They learn about many things including size, weight, texture, depth perception, spatial relations and how things fit together. The brain needs input in order to function well and learn to make adaptive responses. When we are successful this is usually perceived as “fun.” We learn and grow from this process. Think of learning to ride a bicycle. The whole body is involved in learning what it needs to do to repeatedly correct itself until you finally learn to stay upright. Sensory input gives our body more informa-

tion helps us learn more aspects of an activity or task. Many fun activities already include sensory components. Going for a walk and collecting leaves or flowers then using glue to make a collage, planting flowers in the dirt, rolling and cutting play dough, swinging, rolling down a hill and jumping on a trampoline are just a few examples. Experiencing a variety of activities increases your child’s opportunities to learn new skills. Darcie Azzolini is Director of Developmental Services at We Care Services in Concord.

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 16, 2013

Sports Dana Hills 21st City Meet swim title just as sweet as the others JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer

With over 1000 swimmers crowding Concord Community Pool the Dana Hills Swim Team did what it’s done so many times before in winning its 21st City Meet championship in the past 22 years with strong performances across all age groups. The meet used a different scoring method for the third straight year but the final tally saw Dana Hills 360 points ahead of runner-up Forest Park, which actually entered a few more swimmers than the Otters. Host Springwood was third in A Division scoring. Forest Park took the B title with DHST second. Oakhurst Country Club was seventh in both divisions. Dana Hills and Forest Park dominated the top awards at the 47th City Meet with the Otters again taking best boys and girls relay honors. In the individual A Division high point awards Forest Park edged Dana Hills with six top scorers vs. five for Dana Hills. Clayton’s Jordan Tate of Springwood tied for the leading scorer in 15-18 boys while Ryan Levy of Springwood and Sean Thomas from Dana Hills dead-

Photo courtesy CSK Photography

MORIAH MCCLOSKEY, a 10year-old on the Walnut Country Swim Team, placed eighth in the final of the 9-10 50-yard breaststroke in 45.66 seconds while dropping 2.22 seconds from her preliminary time. Her improvement was the largest among the 10 finalists in her race at The City Meet.

locked for 13-14 honors. Dana Hills girls grabbed four top scorer honors with Nikki Palmer (15-18), Jenna Ewert (13-4), Gabi Mancini (11-120 and Molly Boland (6 and under). Miley Catalan (6 and under, DHST), Julia Urteaga (13-14, Oakhurst) and Ian Wright (9-10, Walnut Country) all nabbed B Division high point awards. Once again Dana Hills used its tremendous depth to take both outstanding relay awards. The 13-14 girls medley relay of Lily Stagner, Erica duLong, Ewert and Alina Weigelt swam 1:54.72. The Otters 11-12 boys freestyle relay shattered two meet records including posting 1:45.79 with strong swims by Anthony Trimble, Niklas Weigelt, Colton Seastrand and Jackson Trimble. The quartet was almost four seconds below the 2003 standard. The same 11-12 boys medley was 3.7 seconds under the 2003 meet record to sweep both relay finals. The Trimble twins and Weigelt were part of a DHST team that also got the meet relay award in 2012. MEET RECORDS FALL Thirteen meet records fell by the wayside with DHST setting four of the new marks. Among the records that fell were 7-8 boys standards that had stood since 1979 and 1983 broken by AJ Fong of Forest Park. Isabella Samardzic clocked 26.43 in the 50-yard free for 1112 girls while Anthony Trimble broke a 20-year-old mark in the 11-12 backstroke by over one second with a 27.96. Walnut Country’s Levy also nabbed a meet record with a 22.99 clocking in the 13-14 50 freestyle, the first time a swimmer in that age group got under 23 seconds. The City Meet doubles points for relays compared to individual placings and Dana Hills continued to rack rolled up 15 relay victories and five runner-up finishes in the 24 relay events. In fact, Dana Hills would have finished fourth in the meet simply with the Otters relay scoring of 380 points. Dana Hills relays swept the 9-10, 11-12 and 13-14 free style and medley relays for boys and girls. DHST girls free relays had

Susan Safipour photo

OAKHURST HEAD COACH JASMINE MILLAN (center) is surrounded by her Orcas at The City Meet in Concord. The Clayton team was seventh in both A and B divisions and included B Division high point winner Julia Urteaga in 13-14 girls.

five firsts and one second. Oakhurst Country Club got top three finishes from Nolan Degener, John Safipour, Clarice Roo, Jena Lewis-Bernardo, Georgia Moraes, Ryder Conrad, Tyler Brown, 9-10 boys medley and free relays, Julia Urteaga, William Miller, Hunter Silva, Carly Urteaga and Terrell Hopson. Springwood swimmers from Clayton in the top three were Jordan Tate, Nicholas Williamson and Alex Jennings. WCST EARNS MEDALS Walnut Country listed Akshitha Kannan, Jessie Boucher, Eric Taboada, Levy, Jerron Miller, Asa Johnson, Ami Boucher, Brady Cannon, Will Badorf, Wright, Nathaniel Wu, Sidnee and Skyleur Prince, Kara Howard, Aiden Johnson, Luke Haymes, Troy Beckon, Ryan

Bulmer, Sydney Valett, Marisa Delizo, Grace McNally and 1314 boys free relay and first, second and third-place finishers. Dana Hills had individual event winners in Logan Meyer, Mancini, Jenna Ewert, Abbie Kubota, Connor McMurdo, Morgan Streeter, Ryanne Boland, Jason Woodling, Samardzic, Sarah Mirabella, Alina Weigelt, Palmer, Molly Boland, Libby Celentano, Paige Landstrom, Joshua Ewert, Isabella DeVera, Sean Thomas, Anthony Vines, Catalan, duLong, Nick Bazan, Jake Dern, Jason Woodling, Mancini and Anthony Trimble. Other Otter swimmers who took top three finishes were Cami McGee, Isabella Castaneda, Camille Cline, Emran Solayman, Kayla Conger, Mason Bamberger, Joey Dern,

Kate Madigan, Anthony Friedman, Bethany Anzelone, Liam Calkins, Zoe Lahanas, Colton Seastrand, Jack Skow, Logan Sherman, Jackson Trimble, Joe Snyder, Kayla Conger, Stella Sheridan, Isabella Belusa, Niklas Weigelt, Kate Madigan, Kyler Kubota, Cami McGee, Ethan Cline, Kennedy Littlejohn, Karlie Seastrand, Clayton Seastrand, Kaiti O’Connell, Lily Stagner, Gabby Brown, London Kochly and Keegan D’Arcy. Vista Diablo Dolphins won the coveted Team Sportsmanship Award. The rec swim season ended last weekend at the 53rd annual Contra Costa County Meet at Acalanes High in Lafayette. Dana Hills had nearly 60 swimmers earn county qualifying times during the season. The

Otters were second at county meet two years ago and fifth last year. Based on those results 2013 is the “up” year for a number of DHST swimmers. CITY MEET TEAM STANDINGS A Division - Dana Hills 1131, Forest Park 771, Springwood 423, Bishop Estates and Pleasant Hill Dolfins 244, Ygnacio Wood 221.5, Oakhurst Country Club 182.5, Forest Hills 175, Walnut Country 164, Gehringer Park 117, Vista Diablo Dolphins 107. B Division - Forest Park 195.5, Dana Hills 142, Bishop Estates 119.5, Pleasant Hill Dolfins 104.5, Walnut Country 93.5, Ygnacio Wood 75.5, Oakhurst Country Club 74.5, Springwood 74, Forest Hills 73.5, Gehringer Park 67, Vista Diablo Dolphins 53.5.

Kara Kohler off to Korea for World Rowing Championships JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer

Since taking up rowing as a freshman at Cal in the fall of 2009 Clayton’s Kara Kohler has traveled all over Europe for meets in Great Britain, Switzerland, Serbia, Belarus and Slovenia. Now she’s off to Chungju, South Korea where the secondever World Rowing Championships held in Asia take place Aug. 25-Sept. 1 as a climax and conclusion to the 2013 international rowing season. As part of the United States quad team Kohler might be in another country but she’ll be surrounded by familiar women. The USA team also includes Megan Kalmoe, Esther Lofgren and Susan Francia. Kalmoe was Kohler’s teammate just about one year ago when their boat took third and the bronze medal at the London Olympics. Kohler, Lofgren and Francia were three-quarters of the American quad squad last month in the final World Cup III race in Lucerne, Switzerland. Kohler has competed at the highest levels over the past five

years and this is her second Worlds but the first time she will be in an Olympic Class event at this meet. In 2011 she was part of a gold medal American team in the Women’s 4- boat, an event that is not part of the Olympic program. The American quad will be looking for some redemption at the World Championships. In their World Cup race last month they were in contention for the bronze medal nearing the last 300 meters in the finals when they caught a crab and had to row across the finish line more than a minute behind the field in sixth (and last) place. As down as they were it turns out that by completing the course they earned two points for the US in the meet standings. After their teammates went on to have a fabulous final day the United States topped the World Cup medals table. It is the first time since 2008 that the country had won a men’s event. Along with the men’s and women’s eights, the United States also struck gold in the men’s four. The US also won medals in the women’s pair

(bronze), lightweight women’s double sculls (silver) and the women’s double sculls (bronze). The final country standings gave the US the team champi-

onship over New Zealand. The margin of victory was two points. Had the women’s quad not finished their race down one rower the US would not have received

those two points and won the outright team championship. After the World Championships Kohler will return to Berkeley to prepare for her sen-

ior season with the Golden Bears. The three-time All-America skipped the 2011-2012 school year to prepare for the London Olympics.

Kristian Ipsen finals in FIFA World Championship 3 meter in Spain Clayton’s Kristian Ipsen reached the finals of the threemeter springboard at the recent World Swimming Championships in Barcelona. It’s the first time in three individual events at the senior world championships the Stanford diver has made the finals. Ipsen ended up 12th in the 3M by scoring 413.35 points, highlighted by 84 points on his reverse 3 ½ tuck in the fifth round. He was 11th after his first two dives but missed his inward 3½ tuck for just 42.50 points in the third round to drop to 12th for the duration of

the final. “I didn’t compete that well. I was a little excited so I ended up going over on just about everything, but I didn’t want to hold back on anything. You just can’t in a contest like this,” Ipsen said. “But I’m really happy that I did three great reverse 3½ tucks in this meet.” China’s He Chong won the 3M gold with 544.95 points, with Russia’s Evgeny Kuznetsov second and Mexico’s Yahel Castillo third at 498.30. Ipsen had finished 10th in the three-meter semifinals, recovering from a missed third-

round dive to qualify for the finals. Ipsen scored just 37.40 points on his inward 3½ tuck and found himself in 17th place at the halfway point of the contest. He responded with 81.60 points in the next round, bumping him up to 15th. Then in round five, he scored 77 points that moved him into 13th – one spot shy of qualifying for the finals – with one round to go. He closed out his list with 86.70 points on a reverse 1½ with 3½ twists to jump to 10th in the final standings in the semis. “I didn’t know where I was

(heading into the last round of the semis), but I told myself I wanted to end with a good dive regardless. I thought back to Olympic Trials when I needed to do a really good dive and told myself I’ve done this dive a million times,” Ipsen said. “In diving you always have to think you have a chance to come back, but I knew it was going to be tough. I knew if I drilled those last three dives, I’d have a chance, and I did it. I’m really happy how it turned out.” USA Diving contributed to this story.

August 16, 2013

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page 11

Sports “ Let Us Light Up Your Life”

Diablo FC teams claim championships at major tournaments this summer

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Girls and boys teams from Diablo FC continue to rack up excellent results this summer at tournaments up and down the state with the under 14 girls Diablo FC 99 leading the way with a pair of titles last month. The club also had a record four teams take part in the prestigious Surf Cup XXXIII in San Diego, led by the Diablo FC 96 boys who lost the U17 championship game to the Texas South champions. At the Pleasanton Rage 10th anniversary College Showcase Diablo FC 99 won three bracket games including a pair of shutouts to reach the premier division finals. Coach Richard Weiszmann’s team then defeated Marin FC 2000 Blue in the finals of the 12team bracket 4-2. The U11 girls Diablo FC 02 coached by Miguel Gonzalez were also undefeated in Rage College Showcase bracket play, outscoring their opponents 9-3 to earn a finals berth against Clovis Jr. Crossfire, which won the title game. At the 12th annual Santa Cruz Breakers Cup Diablo FC 02 again went 3-0 in bracket play before losing a 1-0 game to Ajax 03 Green in the premier division championship match. Chris Linzey and his Diablo FC 99 Black girls ended up

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COACH CHRIS LINZEY saw his Diablo FC 99 girls zoom past Mustang Fury 4-0 in the championship match at the 12th annual Santa Cruz Breakers Cup tournament. The team includes, front row from left, Sarina Valerio, Kailey Lewis; middle row, Lizzie Annison, Isabella Aguilar, Hannah Thompson, Caroline Silberglitt, Kaitlyn Parodi; back row, coach Peter Valerio, Xyaire Hartwell, Emily Roberts, Karina Linzey, Kaitlyn Linzey, Maddie Annison, Rebecca Phelan, Emily Kaleal, Rebecca Lonergan and coach Linzey.

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winning its U14 division at the Breakers Cup. They opened the tournament tying their first game 2-2 then rattled off 10 goals while giving up only one including a 4-0 shutout of Mustang Fury in the Breakers Cup finals. At the 11th annual Diablo FC Summer Classic for Girls Diablo FC 01 girls coached by Weiszmann were undefeated while playing up in the U13 age group. They defeated Diablo FC

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DIABLO FC 99 GIRLS WON A PAIR OF U14 CHAMPIONSHIPS in recent weeks while sweeping to victory in the Pleasanton Rage College Showcase and Diablo FC Summer Classic. Coach Richard Weiszmann’s team was undefeated in both events. The team includes, front row from left, Carly Agostino, Katie Christman, Amanda Zodikoff, Kailee Gross, Kylie Schneider; middle row, Alexandra Diaz, Mariana Giovanetti, Susanna Garcia, Rajneet Sahota, Gabby Hair; back row, Stephanie Neys, Cassie Bizicki, Maaeva Dwiggins, Janet Lopez, Samantha Gotz, Kaytlin Brinkman, Sophia Jones and Weiszmann. Not pictured, Payton Mannie.

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ONLY THE TEXAS SOUTH STATE CHAMPIONS STOOD IN THE WAY of Diablo FC 96 boys winning the prestigious Surf Cup U17 boys title recently in San Diego. Coach Chris Brown’s finalists include, Chris Kwasny, Chase Corallo, Seth Kofman, Arthur Chiok, Michael Samaniego, Blaz Perko, Scott Smoot, Chase Redd; back row, Luke Dennison, Matteo Notini, Tony Zumaya, Ryan Donat, Jeremy Raine, JJ Hernandez, Aiden Lineweaver, Miko Villarama, Alfredo Ornelas, Ben Linzey and Preston Kilwien. Not pictured, Jacob Buchanan.

00 Blue 1-0 in the finals. In the U14 bracket at Summer Classic Diablo FC 99 won 2-0 over Diablo FC 99 Blue in a U14 semifinal but then fell by the same scoreline to Spanish Springs SC Aquila in the finals. It was the third straight trip to the Summer Classic finals for Diablo FC 99.

In the Summer Classic for Boys Diablo FC 99 lost in the U14 semi-finals. The Surf Cup draws the top teams from around the country with strict acceptance guidelines. Diablo FC got four teams

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Fall Leagues Starting in Sept.

Did A’s drop a chance at 2013 playoff run? TYLER LEHMAN SPORTS TALK Summer is currently winding down, but excitement for MLB playoffs is almost upon us. In the dog days of summer, baseball teams tend to start showing their true colors, whether they are a “contender” or a “pretender.” The Oakland Athletics are currently showing how they are very much a contender, especially sitting atop the AL West with a 64 win and 47 loss record (as of August 5). Unfortunately for the A’s they have a very strict budget, and this was made apparent at the trade deadline, which ended on July 31.

There is no debating the fact that the Oakland A’s are a great team this year, possibly even the best in baseball, but they do have holes. Second base has been a big issue of production for them, being primarily filled this year by Eric Sogard, who has produced only 20 RBI’s on the season. A’s General Manager Billy Beane definitely could have been more aggressive in acquiring a starting second basemen, possibly Michael Young of the Philadelphia Phillies. The A’s also could have acquired more pitching at the deadline. Starting pitching should be a very big concern for the A’s right now. They currently only have one reliable starter in Bartolo Colon, who is a possible Cy Young candidate with the fantastic year he has been having. Their next four pitchers in the

rotation, A.J. Griffin, Jarrod Parker, Dan Straily and Tommy Milone, have all shown flashes of greatness, but also shown extreme inconsistency on the mound. When heading into the playoffs, if a team is serious about winning a World Series, they must have at least two starting pitchers, if not three, that they can count on to go out and throw six to seven innings and give up less than three runs. Simply put they need their starters to have quality starts in the playoffs. All the A’s pitchers are capable of doing this, but will they do this is the big question. The A’s definitely could have added another arm to the rotation to add some consistency, but again failed to address a serious need through the tradedeadline.

The A’s were not completely stagnant at the trade-deadline. They at least acquired third baseman Alberto Callaspo from the Los Angeles Angels for infielder Grant Green. The trade itself isn’t bad. The A’s get a veteran guy who can DH, and spell Josh Donaldson at third when he needs a rest. This trade isn’t one that puts the A’s over the top and makes you say “Wow, they are definitely ready to make a run for the World Series now.” It makes sense why the A’s didn’t spend a bunch of money at the deadline and make big trades; it is because the ownership has a very profitable team and doesn’t want to spend too much money. When your team is obviously ready to contend for a title though, the fans want to see a championship, not profit margins. Tyler Lehman is a sophomore at Diablo Valley College and a 2012 CVHS graduate. He plans to major in journalism and wants to be a sports writer. Email your comments or questions to Tyler@claytonpioneer.com.

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August 16, 2013

Sports

3 Concord high schools in top 11 of SportStars Cup 2012-2013 JAY BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer

Clayton Valley Charter, De La Salle and Carondelet high schools finished in the top 11 of the SportStars Cup for the 2012-13 school year. The locally-based magazine accumulates results for league and section championships in every sport during the year and ascribes points to determine the top performing schools in the East Bay. Campolindo won the cup for the second successive year with 7300 points with De La Salle (6600) second, Carondelet (5800) fourth and Clayton Valley Charter (2800) 11th. The next highest local finisher was Concord (800) in 33rd. The rankings assign points for league, section and state championships for teams and individual section and state titles. There are also points for team academic honors and individual post-season awards. Clayton Valley Charter accumulated its 2800 points with the football team’s North Coast Section championship plus Kristina Artega’s NCS wrestling 146-pound title. The Eagles also won Diablo Valley Athletic League titles in football, girls basketball, baseball and softball. Although no points are given for second place, CVCHS girls softball and basketball

teams were NCS runners-up. De La Salle was second to Campolindo for the second year. The Concord school is all-male and thus competes at the disadvantage of not having girls teams to earn points. DLS exclusively scored points in all nine categories that SportStars uses to determine the Cup standings. They won the football state championship and hurdler Marquis Morris was state 110M champ. The DLS golf and football teams were NorCal champs while they won NCS team titles in wrestling (team and dual), soccer and football. Those teams also took East Bay Athletic League championships as did Spartan water polo, basketball and lacrosse. Michael Hutchings and Austin Hooper of the football team and wrestlers Aaron Pease and Devin Aiello earned individual honors while the cross country team was NCS scholastic winner. As an all-girls school Carondelet has its point totals doubled to make up for not having a boys program. (SportStars does this for all single-gender schools except De La Salle as they feel DLS can be competitive in the standings without that adjustment.) Carondelet was fourth overall as the basketball, lacrosse and swimming teams won NCS along with section titlists Chelsea Chenault (2X

Diablo FC, from page 11 into Surf Cup XXXIII. Diablo FC 94 and 95 boys have won Surf Cup crowns in recent years and their clubmates Diablo FC 96 almost made it three with a strong run by coach Chris Brown’s U17 team. Diablo FC 96 opened play

with a 1-0 loss to Lonestars 97 Red, the No. 1 team in Texas South. From that setback the team came back with wins over Black Watch Premier of New York and Central Valley Gunners to make the playoff round in the 16-team gold division.

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swimming), Madison White (swimming) and Christina Chenault (track) along with a Cougars girls swimming relay. They also won the scholastic award for softball and the EBAL basketball championship. SportStars Cup is fash-

ioned after the Sports Directors Cup that tracks the top performing NCAA schools by placing an equal value on both genders and all sports. In the collegiate ranks Stanford has won the Directors Cup 19 years in a row.

New track up and running at Clayton Valley Charter

Photo by Jay Bedecarre

An all-new blue running track with eight lanes is already in use after a summer installation at Clayton Valley Charter High School. The project was ready for use late last month before the high school teams began their official training for the 2013 fall sports season. The school opens Aug. 14. Operations Director Pat Middendorf announced that new bleachers, snack shack, fencing and walkways will be installed during the fall to complete the project which began over the December-January holiday break with a new turf field.

In the quarterfinals Diablo FC 96 blanked the No. 4 team from Illinois Cicero Mayas Academy 2-0 and then matched its earlier 3-1 win over Central Valley in the semi-finals. That brought them full circle to a rematch with Lonestars Red in the Surf Cup finals. Despite strong play coach Brown’s team again dropped a 1-0 verdict to

finish second. Diablo FC 95 boys fell short of the playoff round in the U18 bracket while the U14 Diablo FC Academy boys coached by Cody Worden won its bracket while tying eventual tournament champ Pateadores 3-3. Coach Scott Alexander’s Diablo FC 97 U16 girls made their first trip to Surf Cup as well.

his publication will be the “Official Prep Sports Magazine Partner” of the CalHiSports.com website. SportStars Magazine launched in 2010 while Cal-Hi Sports was started in 1979.

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES SOCCER SCHOOL IN CONCORD THIS FALL

St Bonaventure CYO cross country begins its third season with training Aug. 21. The program is open to boys and girls in 2nd-8th grades in the St. Bonaventure attendance area. Cross country is a short, family-oriented season with practices Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 5:30 p.m. Parents are highly encouraged to run too. Meets begin in late September on Friday evenings with the Oakland Diocese meet in mid-October. The team meets at Newhall Park by the big oak tree. Signups will be taken at practice.

The San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer are holding their Regional Development School fall session at Boatwright Fields in Concord on Fridays from Sept. 13 through Nov. 1. Girls and boys 5-10 years of age are eligible for the school which brings professional coaching experience and guidance to youth soccer players of all skill levels. Brazilian World Cup and Olympic player Tafa heads the teaching staff. For more information visit the Earthquakes Youth Alliance Partner’s website at diablofc.org.

CLAYTON VALLEY FALL YOUTH BASEBALL PROGRAM STARTS SEPT. 10

FALL YOUTH, ADULT PROGRAMS COMING TO CLAYTON GYM

Clayton Valley Charter High School baseball coaching staff and players are offering a fall instructional program Sept. 10-Nov. 14. The 10-week, 30-hour program focuses on the skills necessary to be a successful player including batting, fielding, pitching, catching and base running. Sessions are held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-5:30 p.m. at the Clayton Valley Varsity Baseball Facility for boys and girls ages 5–13. Contact Eagles head coach Casey Coakley at casey.coakley@claytonvalley.org or (925) 285-9417 with questions.

NORTHGATE FOOTBALL MEAT & SEAFOOD FUNDRAISER AUG. 17-18 The Northgate High School football team is holding a meat and seafood sale at the school this Saturday and Sunday from 12 noon-5 p.m. A butcher will be on hand for the sale of USDA choice or better meat. Proceeds benefit the Broncos football team, which is ranked No. 25 in pre-season poll by PrepsByTheBay.com. For more information on the sale email nhsbroncosfootball@gmail.com.

SPORTSTARS TEAMS UP WITH CAL-HI SPORTS FOR PREP COVERAGE

Concord-based SportStars magazine and CalHiSports.com editor-publisher Mark Tennis jointly announced that Cal-Hi Sports will provide SportStars with official statewide high school rankings as well as all-state teams and state records beginning this month. In turn, SportStars publisher Mike Calamusa of Clayton says

Fall leagues are taking signups now for All Out Sports League programs through Clayton Community Gym. Adult softball (ages 18 and older) begins Sept. 8 and youth volleyball league (8-16 years-old) starts Sept. 14. Evaluations for rec basketball (4-16 year-olds) are this Saturday from 6-9 p.m. and Blaze AAU-style basketball tryouts are this Sunday from 2-6 p.m. at the gym. There are different deadlines for each program. A basketball clinic for girls and boys 6-16 is coming up on Tuesday evenings Aug. 27-Sept. 10. For complete information, visit alloutsportsleague.com.

THE PIONEER WANTS TO HEAR YOUR SPORTS STORY We get plenty of information from local high schools, sports leagues and clubs. What we don’t hear about so often are from our neighbors who are competing below that radar screen. There are Claytonians who are participating in sports and recreational endeavors that we don’t normally hear about but we’d like to tell their stories too. If you know of someone—-or even if you are that someone—-let us know what you’re doing and perhaps we’ll find it something our readers would love to read about! If you’re running, jumping, hiking, biking, swimming, skydiving, bowling, golfing or participating in any of dozens of other sports and recreational activities let us know. Give us a brief rundown and your contact information and we might be in touch with you. It’s as simple as sending an email to sports@claytonpioneer.com.

August 16, 2013

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page 13

New guidelines say regular dental care is vital to keeping pets healthy MARYBETH RYMER,

DVM

PET PALS Pet lovers can sink their teeth into this: The American Animal Hospital Association, AAHA, has published new Dental Care Guidelines this

year compiled by a board of Diplomates of American Veterinary Dentistry. The guidelines state that dental care is essential for the preventative health of our pets. Untreated dental disease is painful and may lead to other local and systemic diseases. Because our pets cannot speak, we are often unaware of their dis-

comfort until dental disease is quite advanced. A new recommendation is to rename “dentals” as a Complete Oral Health Assessment and Treatment, COHAT, or better yet an Oral Assessment, Treatment and Prevention, OralATP. This reflects the steps taken in a thorough professional dental procedure

Tuck and Camelot are ARF’s Stars

TUCK

3-year-old Tuck is a sweet and gentle dog who is sometimes misunderstood because he is deaf. Tuck knows how to sit, likes to offer his paw for shake, and likes to lick people’s faces. Tuck would love to go home with someone who is patient and willing to show him the routine in his new home using plenty of visual cues and some loving touch. The adoption fee for adult dogs is $225 and includes 60% off one 7-week dog training

CAMELOT

session. 5-year-old Camelot is a sweet,sweet guy. He would like nothing more than to curl up next to you and get lots of petting and attention. Camelot’s adoption fee has been prepaid by a generous donor. Meet your forever friend at Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation, 2890 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, during adoption hours: Noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday, 3 to 7 p.m. Thurs-

Mayor, from page 1 24 hours later, there was an unknown sticky goo all over the sidewalks and many of the tables. The cost to repair the damage comes out of our park and general funds and the time takes away from other maintenance duties. If you witness vandalism in progress, please report it immediately to the Clayton PD at 673-7350. If you find damage somewhere, let us know. Please be as specific as you can. MILESTONES Earlier this month, Clayton Finance Manager Merry Pelletier announced she will retire in December following 13 years of service to our city. We will miss her bright smile at City Hall and wish her well in her upcoming retirement. The city will be conducting a search for her replacement. The job posting will be on the city’s website in September.

Contact City Hall for further information. Some good news: To address the speed of commute and other traffic and improve the safety of students near Diablo View Middle School, Clayton has accepted a $40,000 grant from the 511 Contra Costa Street Smarts Infrastructure Program for the purchase and installation of two solar-powered traffic signs with flashing beacons and speed readouts along Marsh Creek Road adjacent to DVMS. The signs will be placed in the median islands to help reduce vandalism. Clayton had introduced an ordinance that will prohibit the establishment of marijuana dispensaries within city boundaries. It also will prohibit any cultivation of marijuana beyond that for personal medical use with a permit. Final adoption of the ordinance is anticipated

day and Friday, Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The primary caretaker must be present to adopt. ARF also encourages kids 16 and younger and canine family members (dog adoptions only) to be present during the adoption process. Be part of the heroic team that saves the lives of rescued dogs and cats. Share your talents to connect people and animals. ARF volunteers are making a difference! For more information see our website, www.arf.net, or call 925.256.1ARF.

following the public hearing at the August 20th council meeting. Fire Station Closure update: In response to the closure of four stations, including Clayton’s, and anticipated closure of additional stations, the county Board of Supervisors has commissioned a study of the County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency and an integrated operations study of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. The studies of both the EMS Agency and Fire District are being conducted by Fitch & Associates, LLC. As part of the study, the consulting team is seeking input from cities regarding the future of the Fire District. Fitch & Associates will conduct a community meeting at the Clayton Library at 6:30 pm on Wednesday evening, August 21st. Bring your questions, concerns and suggestions. As always, you can contact me by email at JPierce@ci.clayton.ca.us

which must be performed by a licensed veterinarian. Assessment starts with an oral exam performed on an awake patient. This allows the veterinarian to design a preliminary treatment plan. A complete and thorough oral assessment can only be done with general anesthetic, which includes gas anesthesia administer by an endotracheal tube. AAHA advises that “Cleaning without general anesthesia is considered unacceptable and below standard of care.” Anesthesia allows the technical staff to perform a toothby-tooth evaluation with full mouth dental x-rays and gum probing. Findings are then recorded on a dental chart. Full mouth x-rays are recommended because 60 percent of dental disease is found under the gum line. Abscesses, cracked roots, resorptive lesions, extra teeth, non-erupted teeth and jaw bone tumors may be found. Treatment plans are then formulated after the assessment. This may have changed from the original plan if additional disease is found. Treatment may include teeth extractions, root canals with crowns, periodontal therapy, gum surgery and antibiotics. As well as pain management with nerve blocks, opioid injections during and after the procedure, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories and home oral pain medications can be used. Prevention starts after the oral procedure. The veterinary team will provide home oral hygiene counseling to develop a customized plan that best meets you and your pet’s needs. Routine brushing is the best prevention.

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

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August 16, 2013

Pavilion, from page 1 60 TO 70 EVENTS A SEASON The Concord Pavilion opened in May 1975 and was run by the city while Live Nation Worldwide (and predecessor companies) has operated the Pavilion since 2000. Concord Mayor Dan Helix has a lot of history with the facility. As mayor and a city councilman in the early 1970s he negotiated with developer Ken Hofmann to get 122 acres of rolling land as a site for the Pavilion. It was part of a large parcel of more than 300 acres on Kirker Pass Road that Hofmann was looking to develop for homes. The venue was originally constructed as an 8,500-seat amphitheater designed by worldrenowned architect Frank O. Gehry and costing $4.5 million. In the early 1980s, with the summer concert business becoming more competitive and much larger amphitheaters springing up around the country, the city decided to expand the Pavilion. That project began at the end of the 1995 season and the new 12,500capacity version, also designed by Gehry, opened in August, 1996. It was expected that increased capacity would enhance the viability of attracting larger, more lucrative acts. With the new construction also came a $20.1 million price tag and yearly debt service many times the original $220,000 annual bond retirement from 1975. In the 1970s and 80s the Pavilion regularly would host 60-80 events during a season that extended from April through October. During those busy early years of the Pavilion the venue drew most major artists (aside from “stadium-caliber attractions”) in rock, pop, country, jazz, R&B and classical music. In addition there were numerous free and low-priced concerts and community events, which have totally disappeared from the Pavilion calendar. PROMOTER TAKES REINS The city of Concord ceased operating the Pavilion after the 1999 season, turning over operations to SFX Entertainment, the successor to Bill Graham Presents – which had done concert booking at the Pavilion since 1985. When the operating contract first went into effect in the 2000-2003 time period there were 26-29 concerts annually with total attendance ranging from 153,000190,000. But since 2003 there have only been three years with as many as 20 concerts and only once in the past five years have there been more than 11 Pavilion shows. Annual attendance has been under 100,000 each of those years, even while the average perconcert attendance has been the highest during the 13 years of the contract. Joan Carrico, Concord’s Director of Community and

Pavilion Timeline

Recreation Services, is the staff person overseeing the Pavilion. The Clayton resident expects that the city will soon be soliciting formal proposals for the contract starting in 2014. She reports city staff and the city council have already held closed sessions to discuss the Pavilion’s future. Helix, who returned to the city council in 2011, says, “We won’t be able to return the Pavilion to its ‘glory years’ but we can do a lot better than we have been. We’re looking at alternatives [for operating and booking].” Live Nation is responsible for paying the city a $500,000 rental fee plus $3 per ticket surcharge. The contract with Live Nation has been renegotiated three times (most recently in March 2011) as the promoter produced fewer and fewer events in Concord, yet the modified arrangement still did not bring more acts to the Pavilion. Live Nation did not respond to phone calls and email from the Pioneer to comment on the season or their intentions to seek a contract extension.

1969-1974

CHALLENGES TO OPERATE Gary Bongiovanni, the editor of Pollstar, a leading concert industry trade publication and website, says that Live Nation owns and/or operates “90 percent of the summer amphitheaters around the county.” He says that Live Nation only sells underperforming venues to outside interests who are buying for real estate purposes and not to keep as a concert venue. An industry insider explained that the Pavilion contract has several challenges for an operator, including a separate food and beverage arrangement between the city and concessionaire Aramark that runs through 2020 and limits the possibility of a promoter gaining sufficient ancillary income above ticket sales from underperforming concerts. He added that the lack of concert dates impacts selling box seats and sponsorships as well. Aramark’s predecessor paid $2 million in 1995 to help fund the Pavilion expansion in return for a long-term contract. Another issue at Concord is the need for capital improvements. With the city owning the building – yet going through its own economic challenges – any promoter is unlikely to pledge large sums for new amenities to keep the venue up to industry standards. Bongiovanni cites three California-based potential companies most likely to enter the bidding with Live Nation to operate the Pavilion. Other industry observers confirmed his list. AEG Live is a national promoter that operates 35 venues around the country (“not big in amphitheaters,” according to Bongiovanni) including the Warfield Theatre in San Francis-

1995-1996

1975

1976

1977

1979-1984 1985 1985-1999

1986 1991

1997 2000 2001

2004

2005 2006 2013

Concord Summer Festival founded and run by local businessman Carl Jefferson at Concord Blvd. Neighborhood Park (now Dave Brubeck Park), providing impetus for construction of the Concord Pavilion, which is owned and operated by the city of Concord. Concord Pavilion opens May 16 with benefit concert featuring Henry Mancini and Sarah Vaughan. First sellout concert of Pavilion’s 8,500 capacity May 21 for Boz Scaggs & Friends. Front row seat: $6.50 Bing Crosby gives his final U.S. concert Aug. 16 at the Pavilion on the same day Elvis Presley dies. Crosby died two months later. Nederlander Corp. is exclusive booking agent for the Pavilion. Bill Graham Presents of San Francisco awarded Pavilion booking contract. BGP is booking agent for the Pavilion. The city of Concord continues to also produce events and operate the facility. BGP opens 22,500-capacity Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View. Promoter Bill Graham dies Oct. 25 in helicopter crash after leaving a Huey Lewis & The News concert at the Pavilion. Pavilion re-opens in August 1996 after an expansion that increases capacity to 12,500. Bill Graham Presents sold to SFX Entertainment. SFX takes over full operation of the Pavilion from the city of Concord. SFX purchased by Clear Channel Entertainment and facility renamed Chronicle Pavilion at Concord. 35th Fujistu Concord Jazz Festival held Oct. 24 as free concert. No festival held in 2003 or since 2004. Clear Channel concert operations spun off to Live Nation Worldwide. Venue renamed Sleep Train Pavilion at Concord. Operating contract with Live Nation expires at end of year.

co. As well as being North America’s largest producer of festivals, AEG is also involved in professional soccer. Another Planet Entertainment is an East Bay company formed in 2003 by long-time Bill Graham Presents executives Gregg Perloff and Sherry Wasserman. They produce the wildlysuccessful Outside Lands Festival every year in San Francisco and book the Greek Theatre concert series in Berkeley. The duo was also very involved with booking acts into Concord for many years. Nederlander Concerts was the exclusive booking agent for the Pavilion from 1979-1984 before being displaced by BGP in 1985. Nederlander was the original national amphitheater promoter and still operates throughout the West Coast including San Jose Civic and Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. The family-owned company is a major producer of Broadway shows and is partner in Shorenstein Hays Nederlander of

San Francisco. “The problem is not the size of the venue but competition from other venues in the Bay Area,” Bongiovanni says, mentioning the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View (22,500 capacity), Berkeley’s Greek Theatre (8,500) and Mountain Winery in Saratoga (2,500). Whatever the outcome in finding an operator for seasons to come Helix is adamant that the city “can’t assume any risk” in meeting its annual obligations to make Pavilion financing payments and he’s “very enthusiastic about re-invigorating the Pavilion and returning the facility to a vibrant community asset.” There’s a concert biz adage that “there are no bad acts, just bad deals.” The months and years ahead will test that truism in Concord. Editor’s note: The author was on the original Concord Pavilion staff and did the venue’s marketing for 25 years.

August 16, 2013

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page 15

Make change for real change

RON LEONE

CONCORD BEAT One of the things I’m most proud of in Concord is our Change 4 Real Change program, which was initiated last year to address our large homeless problem. Through these efforts, plus with the Concord Police Department’s homeless sweeps, we have

worked to reduce our homeless population by nearly 50 percent. Many members of our local homeless support advocates and our business community have joined together in this venture because they believe that this program can help get many of the homeless away from our businesses and into shelters where they can receive much-needed social services. Through the Change 4 Real Change program, we have jars for collecting money in stores around Concord. Because this is an all-volunteer program, 100 percent of the money collected goes to either

Anka or the Central County Homeless Shelter. We also have a Change 4 Real Change voucher program. Vouchers can be purchased at the Concord Police Station or the Concord Senior Center for $5 for a packet of five. Tear off one voucher and give it to a homeless person for free transportation and a meal at the homeless shelter. We recognize that many people are sympathetic with the plight of the homeless; however, the common practice of giving money directly to a homeless person is often counterproductive.

When we give money directly to the homeless we are enabling them to stay on our streets instead of encouraging them to seek the help that so many of them need. Please help us end the homeless problem in our community by giving to the jars for Change 4 Real Change in our retail stores or purchase the C4RC vouchers Ron Leone, a Concord city councilman and former mayor, welcomes comments and questions. Call him at is a Concord city councilman and former mayor. Call him at 925.680.1776 or ronaldleone@comcast.net.

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Police agree to pay vet bills in dog shooting DENISEN HARTLOVE Clayton Pioneer

Concord police, local residents and dog lovers from throughout the East Bay are still trying to make heads or tails of an officer-related dog shooting that garnered media attention from throughout northern California. No one disagrees as to the basic facts of what happened that June evening. Concord Police officers responded to a report of suspicious activity in the residential neighborhood near Treat and Oak Grove Road in Concord. In the process of searching for a prowler, an officer crept into the backyard of Jason Grimm’s home via a side gate, where he was met by Kirby, a Cocker Spaniel-Golden Retriever mix. Kirby barked, and then charged at the officer. The police officer responded, however, with what some say was an out of proportion use of force given the circumstances, and shot the elderly, 29-pound dog. Horrified, Grimm, who was

home at the time, immediately rushed his injured and bleeding pet to the veterinarian, who performed surgery and was able to save Kirby’s life. Bills topped $1,400. Considerable media coverage ensued, as print and broadcast media descended, social media postings appeared, and word spread. One online article about the incident garnered 184 responsive comments, the majority critical of the police. Grimm filed a complaint with the Concord City Attorney’s office. “He should never have been in my yard in the first place,” he fumed about the responding officer. In a development sure to set tails wagging, the Concord Police Department responded. Following the shooting – as with any police situation involving use of force – the department conducted a review to determine everything from whether the officer performed exactly as department training mandates, whether disciplinary action was warranted based on officer conduct and

Denisen Hartlove

KIRBY, WITH OWNER JASON GRIMM, recovers at home after taking a gunshot to the shoulder from a cop chasing a burglar.

behavior, or something in between. Although they wouldn’t provide a copy of the report, citing it as an internal document, Police Chief Guy Swanger added his department’s perspective. “The officer felt threatened

while he was doing his job, which was looking for a suspected burglar,” Swanger said. He explained that the officer had attempted to kick the dog away, only to be charged again. It was only then that the officer – a former Animal Control Services worker – shot the dog. Swanger pointed out that while officers do also carry Tasers and pepper spray, they aren’t necessarily a foolproof solution. “The officer used the level of force he thought was appropriate,” he said. “It wasn’t accidental.” Nevertheless, the CPD, whose members are in large part dog lovers themselves –as evidenced by their own well-regarded K-9 division – has agreed to cover the not inconsiderable cost for Kirby’s veterinary treatment and incidentals following the shooting. “We have very high standards,” said CPD spokesman Captain Garrett Voerge. “And we need to have a process to ensure that we’re doing the right thing, and the right thing the right way.”

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

August 16, 2013

Aquanuts,

Book Review

Don’t lose sight of ‘The Vanishing Act’

CYNTHIA GREGORY

FOR

THE

BOOKS

Every once in a while it’s good to immerse yourself in a fable, something to slow you down and make you think about the small things. Mette Jakobsen’s debut novel, “The Vanishing Act,” (W. W. Norton & Company; September, 2012) is a gem of a work that while small in stature, earns itself a place in the lexicon of modern fables. “The Vanishing Act” is a tale

delivered by 12 year-old Minou. She lives on a small island that is so remote that all of the inhabitants live in each other’s pockets. There is Minou, a girl who watches the people around her and measures their need for necks scarves, which she knits with dedication, sitting high in the lighthouse and surveying the landscape that is her home. There is Minou’s Papa, lighthouse-keeper and philosopher, who believes that he and his dark-haired daughter are descendants of the great philosopher, Rene Descartes. The island is also home to Priest, a sweet and neurotic man who is afraid of the dark, and when storms buffet the island he rings the church bell for comfort. Priest has a penchant for making pretzels, and occu-

pies his days baking. There is also Boxman, a retired magician, whose name is also his profession. Boxman occupies himself with making magic boxes for illusionists across the sea, while simultaneously pining for lost loves. Boxman is a dreamer, much like Minou’s absent Mama. The last resident of the island is No Name, a frisky little dog who arrived mysteriously on a ship one day and without hesitation moved into Boxman’s barn. There are two final inhabitants of the island: Minou’s Mama, who is really more of a ghost, having disappeared the year before, and whom all but Minou believe was carried off a high cliff by a gust of wind and drowned. The only clue to her fate is a single shoe found on a

beach, and even though a “shoe funeral” is performed in her honor, Minou steadfastly believes that her Mama has taken a journey to an exotic land and will return again to her home. The last inhabitant of the island is Dead Boy, a body found washed up on the shore by Minou and her Papa. Being a remote island with few visitors, Papa and Minou bring the boy into the blue room of the house, Mama’s room, and lay him on the bed until the next boat arrives to take him away for burial. They prop the window open to let in the freezing air and to keep the body ice-cold. Minou and Papa take turns visiting with Dead Boy, keeping him company, telling him stories and trying to make sense of his arrival. Minou’s island is a habitat of

the magical, the unusual. Mama believed in magic, and Boxman is a man of magic. Even though she is a philosopher like her Papa, Minou wants to believe in magic. In the end, Minou dreams of her Mama floating in the crashing surf, of sailing away in a bathtub. She understands, finally, that her Mama will not return. This is a beautiful book and a charming tale. Be sure to add “The Vanishing Act” to your list of must-reads, before summer disappears altogether. Cynthia Gregory writes book reviews, award-winning short stories and a blog. Visit her blog at PersephonesStepSisters.Wordpress.com or send email to her at cgregory111@gmail.com

from page 6 Although the team didn’t win the show’s $1 million prize, Probst said the girls enjoyed most the chance to meet and bond with the other acts backstage, while enjoying the support the community gave them from back home. “There was really a cool hometown spirit,” she said. Now back home, Boneberg is ready to dive in again. After a week off to rest following the show, team members are back in the pool, rehearsing their annual water spectacular, “Aquanuts Into the Abyss,” an opportunity for locals to see them perform in person. “It’s a whole new level of perseverance, of never giving up” said Boneberg – who one day plans to major in business and go on to practice law – of the team’s efforts. “You can’t just move on. You have to keep going, until it’s perfect.”

Community Calendar PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M. AUG. 21 FOR THE AUG. 30

IN CLAYTON Aug. 17, 24 Farmers Market 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Saturdays. Diablo Street between Main and Center streets, downtown Clayton. Music: Aug. 17, Paul Anderson; Aug. 24, Flutopia. pcfma.com/clayton. Aug. 22, Sept. 5, 19 Thursday Concerts in the Grove Featuring local talent. 7-8:30 p.m. Grove Park, downtown Clayton. Free. Aug. 31 Concerts in the Grove 6-8:30 p.m. Grove Park, downtown Clayton. Free. For a complete concert series list, see Page 3. Aug. 31 Derby and Car Show Clayton Community Church’s 10th Annual Labor Day event. Kids 7 – 14 race derby cars down Main Street. Car show and parade. 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Main Street, Clayton. Free. Register at claytonderbycarshow.org. First Thursdays Oakhurst Business Network Meets first Thursday of the month for social hour. Hosted hors d’oeuvres, cash bar. 5 – 7 p.m. Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Drive, Clayton. oakhurstcc.com.

IN CONCORD Thursdays through Sept. 12 Music and Market Thursday night live music and farmers market. Market 4-8 p.m.; music 6:30-8 p.m. Todos Santos Plaza, downtown Concord. Free. Music: Aug. 22, Zepparella; Aug. 29, California Symphony; Sept. 5, The Mashtones; Sept. 12, Evolution. cityofconcord.org.

ON THE MOUNTAIN Mount Diablo Interpretive Association programs listed are free with the exception of park entrance fee. Go to mdia.org and click on Events Calendar for more information. Aug. 17 Mount Diablo by Moonlight An evening nature hike in the Mitchell Canyon area. 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. Meet at Mitchell Canyon Visitor Center. Reservations required. Aug. 24 Tarantula Hunt Join Helene Cahill with her pet tarantula to learn about the life of the hairy spiders and then hike at a slow pace to see if you can find the native tarantulas. 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. Meet at Mitchell Canyon Visitor Center. Reservations required. Aug. 31 Tarantulas Learn about the hairy spiders that roam the mountain at this time of year and meet the Visitor Center tarantula. Then take a walk to see if you can find any. 6 – 8:30 p.m. Meet at Mitchell Canyon Visitor Center. Reservations required. Check the website for more tarantula hikes. Reservations are required and fill up fast. Save Mount Diablo programs listed are free unless otherwise noted. Go to savemountdiablo.org and click on Activities/Guided Hikes for more information. 947-3535.

EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT Aug. 16 Red & Navy in Concert Live rock music. Support new artists. 7:30 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $8-$10. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469. Aug. 16 Yuri Liberzon Classical guitarist. 7:15 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $25. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469.

ISSUE. ITEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO

Aug. 17 Void Where Inhibited Improvised interaction between actors and audience presented by Ready or Not Improv. 8:15 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $13. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469. Aug. 17, 24 Jazz Jazz in Walnut Creek comes out swinging in August. Aug. 17, singer/pianist Eliane Elias; Aug. 24, Stride Piano Summit. 5 and 8 p.m. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $25$40. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469. Aug. 23 – Sept. 1 “[title of show]” Musical comedy by OMG, I Love That Show Productions that documents its own creation from idea to Broadway opening. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $30-$35. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469. Aug. 26 Mini Mondays Children aged 2-5 discover the natural world around them. Children must be accompanied by adult. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Lindsay Wildlife Museum, 1931 First Ave., Walnut Creek. $15. wildlife-museum.org. 935-1978.

calendar@claytonpioneer.com

Aug. 18 Joel: “The Band” A tribute to the songs of Billy Joel to raise money for the Relay For Life fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. 3 p.m. El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. $15-$33. elcampaniltheatre.com. Sept. 7 Moonlight on the Mountain Elegant dinner, live and silent auctions, live music and dancing to benefit the care of Mount Diablo. 4 – 10 p.m. Mount Diablo’s China Wall. $250 per ticket. savemountdiablo.org. Sept. 15 Caboose Ride Clayton Historical Society’s chartered caboose rides the rails through Niles Canyon to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the groundbreaking for the First Transcontinental Railroad and to raise money for the museum. 12:30 p.m. Niles Canyon Railway, 5550 Niles Canyon Road, Sunol. $15-$20. Space is limited. Reservations required. Contact Steve Lane at 672-8325.

Aug. 28 Illusion Fusion The magic of Alex Ramon. 7 p.m. El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. $25. elcampaniltheatre.com. Aug. 30 Summer Concert Lure of the South Pacific. 6:30 p.m. Montecito, 4756 Clayton Road, Concord. Free. Reservations required. Call Michaela at 692-5838. Aug. 30, 31 Les Miserables in Concert Presented by Cinestage Theatre Company. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $30-$35. lesherartscenter.org. 9437469. Sept. 6 – 28 “Shrek the Musical” Diablo Theatre Company brings the hilarious story of everyone’s favorite ogre to life on stage. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $49-$53. lesherartscenter.org. 943-7469. Sept. 6 – Oct. 12 “Ella the Musical” Exhilarating new musical that weaves myth, memory and music to tell the uplifting and poignant story of one of the greatest jazz vocalists of all time. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. $37-$64. centerrep.org. 943-7469.

CHURCH Aug. 23, 24 Movie Night Showing “The Finger of God,” an uplifting movie about miracles God has performed all over the world. Refreshments served. Fri. 6 p.m. Sat. 7 p.m. Crossroads Covenant Church, 5353 Concord Blvd., Concord. Free. 798-5905. Aug. 25 Kaleidoscope, A Harp Recital Delightful afternoon of classical music, jazz and spirituals. 4 p.m. Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church, 1578 Kirker Pass Road, Clayton. Free will offerings accepted. 672-4848. Aug. 27 Healing the Heart A safe place to express grief and begin healing after the loss of a loved one. Tuesdays for six-weeks beginning Aug. 27. 7:30 – 9 p.m. St. Bonaventure Catholic Community, 5562 Clayton Road, Concord. Registration required. Call Janie Eddleman at 623-6254.

AT THE LIBRARY The Clayton Library is at 6125 Clayton Road. Programs are free unless otherwise noted. claytonlibrary.org or 673-0659. Wednesdays Book Buddies A volunteer will read stories for children 3 and older. 1-2 p.m. Call in advance. The Concord Library is at 2900 Salvio St. ccclib.org or 646-5455. Aug. 19 College Planning Choosing, applying to and funding college. 6 – 7:30 p.m.

GOVERNMENT 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, except Sept. 3 Clayton City Council 7 p.m. Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304 or ci.clayton.ca.us. 2nd and 4th Tuesdays Clayton Planning Commission 7 p.m., Hoyer Hall, Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. 673-7304 or ci.clayton.ca.us. 1st, 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, except Aug. 27 Concord City Council 6:30 p.m., Council Chamber, Concord Civic Center, 1950 Parkside Dr.

FUNDRAISERS Thru Aug. 30 Backpack Campaign 11th annual back-to-school backpack program by the Clayton Business and Community Association. Provide backpacks (no red or blue) for any grade (K through 12) and/or supplies. Contact Sue at 672-2272 or Joan at 672-6710.

Meeting dates and times for local clubs and organizations are listed at claytonpioneer.com. Click on ‘Links’

August 16, 2013

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page 17

Performing Arts

Center REP starts season with jazzy Fitzgerald tribute

Yvette Cason plays Ella Fitzgerald in “Ella, the Musical!” at the Lesher Center opening in September.

The Queen of Jazz, Ella Fitzgerald, will take center stage as Center REPertory Company kicks off its 20132014 season with “Ella, the Musical!” This exhilarating new musical weaves myth, memory and music to tell the uplifting and poignant story of one of the greatest jazz vocalists of all time. It’s 1966 and the fabled songstress is preparing for one

of the most important concerts of her career. Fitzgerald reflects on her life, her secrets and the love of music that made her soar. Featuring more than a dozen of her most famous hits, including “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” “How High the Moon” and “That Old Black Magic,” this swinging celebration is a mustsee dazzling musical event for anyone who loves the magic and soul of Ella Fitzgerald. Broadway veteran Yvette Cason stars as the indomitable Ella. “Ella, the Musical!” runs Sept. 6 - Oct. 12. All performances will be held at the Lesher Center for the Arts,1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit centerrep.org or call 925-943-SHOW (7469).

Coming in September

Rousing ‘1776’ comes to A.C.T. in Sept.

Juan Davila

JARROD ZIMMERMAN AS EDWARD RUTLEDGE performs ‘Molasses to Rum’ in the passionate and patriotic ‘1776’ opening at the American Conservatory Theatre on Sept. 11.

American Conservatory Theater will launch its 2013–14 season with passionate – and patriotic – fireworks with the West Coast premiere of Tony Award–winning director Frank Galati’s new staging of the musical “1776.”

Auditions set for Diablo Symphony The Diablo Symphony Orchestra is looking for talented musicians for its 51st season. The orchestra especially needs section string players, but qualified woodwind and brass players are also welcome to audition. The DSO is a Walnut Creekbased community orchestra under the leadership of Matilda Hofman. The orchestra performs throughout the year at the Lesher Center and other venues. The first concert of the season is Sunday, Oct. 13 at the Lesher Center and will feature Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and the Schumann Piano Concerto performed by Eric Zivian. Auditions dates are Sept. 4 and 5. To set up an audition time, email Robert Hamaker at rhamdrum@astound.net or call 925.215.6293.

tival s e F e g n Fri Sept. 6 - 21 The Best of Edgy, Independent Theatre Eating Pasta off the Floor, one of the 36 shows at this year’s Fringe Festival.

EXIT Theatre

$5-10 per show 156 Eddy St., 2 Blocks from Powell St. BART, 3 blocks from Union Square For Info, Contact Gary Carr

Diablo Ballet plans lively anniversary season

Aris Bernales

For more information, go to pittsburgcommunitytheatre.org.

San Francisco

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Community theatre sets auditions for Simon’s ‘Odd Couple’ Pittsburg Community Theatre will kick off their 40th season in October with the Neil Simon classic, “The Odd Couple,” directed by Clayton resident Barbara Halperin-Jacobs. The group has been a “cultural gem” in the community since 1973, says Halperin-Jacobs. The company, its actors and staff have received numerous Shellie Awards over the years. Last year, PCT made their permanent home in the recently renovated California Theatre at 351 Railroad Ave in downtown Pittsburg. After being dormant for 60 years, theatre underwent a $7.2 million renovation in the Art Deco style and opened with a black tie affair last January. Auditions for “The Odd Couple” are Sept. 3 and 4, at 7 p.m. at the Community Presbyterian Church, 200 E. Leland in Pittsburg.

In the spirit of the national political debates spurred on by the acclaimed film “Lincoln,” “1776” is a vivid musical look at the revolutionary events that shaped the republic more than 230 years ago, as founding fathers wrestled with infighting,

held heated debates, and negotiated compromises while drafting the Declaration of Independence. Filled with superb music and colorful characters, this new production will include 15 Bay Area actors new to the production takes audiences on a timely, rousing and suspenseful adventure into the fascinating first chapter of American history. When it premiered on Broadway in 1969, “1776” ran for more than 1,200 performances and was the recipient of three Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The musical features the songs “Sit Down, John,” “Momma, Look Sharp,” and “He Plays the Violin.” A.C.T.’s production of “1776” runs Sept. 11 through Oct. 6 at the Geary Theater, 415 Geary Street, San Francisco). Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased online at act-sf.org or by calling 415-7492228.

The 22nd Annual

DIABLO BALLET CELEBRATES ITS 20TH SEASON when it opens in November with the premier of “Our Waltzes.”

George Balanchine, “Billy the Kid” and a new resident choreographer will highlight the 20th Anniversary season of the acclaimed Diablo Ballet Company. “Diablo Ballet’s 20th Season will not only honor the past but it will also celebrate the future,” says Lauren Jonas, Diablo Ballet’s artistic director and co-founder. “I am humbled and honored to be celebrating this milestone anniversary.” Robert Dekkers, dancer and choreographer with Diablo Ballet, has been promoted to Resident Choreographer, and will be a major part of the company’s Anniversary Celebration on March 6, 2014. There, Diablo Ballet will offer a special performance at the Lesher Center for the Arts that will feature works from the ballet’s 20-year history. The celebration includes the company premiere of Eugene Loring’s Sweetheart Pas de Deux from “Billy the Kid,” Val Caniparoli’s “Lady of the Camellias” Act 1 Pas de Deux, George Balanchine’s “Who Cares?” and a new work by Dekkers. A film retrospective will be an

integral part of the performance, featuring surprises by former alumni dancers. Following the performance will be a Gala reception and dinner with the dancers at Scott’s Garden. The season begins Nov. 9 at the Smith Center at Ohlone College in Fremont with the Diablo Ballet premiere of “Our Waltzes” by renowned choreographer Vicente Nebrada of Ballet Nacional de Caracas. Also on the program is the West Coast premiere of “Compulsive,” choreographed by Mário Radaèovský. The November program continues Nov. 15-16 at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek with the 2013 Edition of “A Swingin’ Holiday,” created in 2012 by Sean Kelly, former resident choreographer for the national tour of the musical “Billy Elliot. Diablo Ballet’s new 2013 edition features favorite holiday tunes from the 1930s and ‘40s by such legends as Duke Ellington, Nat “King” Cole, Wynton Marsalis, and Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker Suite” performed live by the Diablo Ballet Swing Orchestra, under the direction of Greg Sudmeier.

Diablo Women’s Chorale seeks new voices for upcoming concerts Singers, come out of the shower and let your voices be heard. The Diablo Women’s Chorale is looking for some new members to help launch its fall season beginning Aug. 26. The Diablo Women’s Chorale, founded in 1942, is a diverse group of women singers from the Bay Area. Main concerts are presented in December and June. The Chorale also performs at community and private events in the area. It is directed by Mary Sorenson and accompanied by Stephen Evans. Recent concerts have included the music of Aaron Copland, Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, George Gershwin and James Taylor. American styles

of music are emphasized, including jazz, folk, country, blues, spirituals, gospel, Broadway and pop. Rehearsals are from 7 to 9 p.m. Mondays at St. Matthews Lutheran Church, 399 Wiget Ln., in Walnut Creek. The December concert “Home for the Holidays,” will feature mostly American music themed to home and the season. Open rehearsals will be held on Mondays, Aug. 26 and Sept. 1. An informal audition is required to join; call director Mary Sorenson at 925-256-8961 for an appointment. For further information visit diablowomenschorale.org/join.html.

Diablo Ballet’s season continues in 2014 when the acclaimed Inside the Dancer’s Studio series returns Jan. 31-Feb. 1 and May 9-10 at the Shadelands Arts Center Auditorium in Walnut Creek and April 11-12 at Hillbarn Theatre in Foster City. The Inside the Dancer’s Studio Series places the audience within yards of the stage, and features live music and a lively, interactive question-and-answer session with the dancers hosted by local celebrity moderators. For ticket information, performance times and venues, go to diabloballet.org, or call 925-943-1775.

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Page 18

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

UTOPIC GARDENS

Scratching the surface of countertops

JENNIFER LEISCHER

DESIGN & DÉCOR Create an Inviting Space

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August 16, 2013

How do you find a material for your kitchen countertops that will fit your design aesthetic, as well as stand the test of daily wear and tear? From well-known and widely-used natural stone to ecofriendly and trendy countertop materials, here are a few categories to consider when searching for your kitchen counter material. NATURAL STONE Natural stone is a very popular category when it comes to kitchen countertops because of its durability, natural heat-resistant composition, and because there are so many textures and variations to choose from. Stone slabs can be somewhat of an investment because of the labor to fabricate (meaning to cut down the slabs to fit the kitchen counter layout) as well as the labor to install the

slabs, typically by a contractor. The wear and tear factor of natural stone is high, but with the more porous stone slabs like limestone, marble and soapstone, these materials need to be sealed routinely, every six months or 12 months is recommended. If routine sealing is not done, the potential for permanent staining increases in a busy kitchen. CULTURED-STONE VS. SOLID SURFACING These two categories have a few things going on when it comes to the materials that make up their composition. They use ground-up quartz, granite and polyurethane resins to create slabs that have amazing durability, relatively low maintenance and are resistant to heat and stains. Not necessarily less of an investment than natural stone – because it still has to be fabricated and installed by a contractor – these categories offer wide ranges of color and patterns. TILE Tile is a timeless kitchen counter material that has been used for many, many years. You can find tile at just about any DIY home store, at any price point, and in any color and design. Some tiles are even being made with recyclable content for those of us

who are looking to create an ecofriendly environment. Tile is naturally heat-resistant and the tile itself is easy to clean, but the grout lines can be an issue for some. This material is great for a backsplash to add interest to a natural stone slab or cultured stone countertop. ECO-FRIENDLY & TRENDY Bamboo, recycled glass and paper composites (combination of resin, pigments and recycled paper) are all eco-friendly countertop materials. Most of these are really easy to clean and care for, but do come with their own maintenance routine. Countertop materials such as wood, cement and stainless steel are very festive

and chic, but again, have their own maintenance routine that needs to be followed. When using a material that hasn’t been traditionally used in the past, I like to do my research – and then research the product again. Countertops of any kind are a significant investment for your kitchen because they are used daily, to some degree, and not only provide a functional prep and cooking area, but also play a huge part in the overall design and décor of your kitchen. Jennifer Leischer is the owner of J. Designs Interior Design based in Clayton. Contact her with questions, comments and suggestions at jenna@j-designs.com

Give your garden some late summer love

NICOLE HACKETT

GARDEN GIRL Early July’s heat proved too strong for some of our Clayton Valley landscape favorites. Lucky for us, the past couple of week’s weather has been very kind to our plants, and many have begun to repair themselves. It is now the time for us garden lovers to care for the plants that make us so happy. Hydrangeas will need some tending to. Their browning flowers need to be cut back. It is easy to see where to make your cuts. Hydrangea shrubs aren’t shy about telling their growers what they need. New leaves should be growing from the bud unions down the stems of the fading flowers. Make your cuts right above what looks to be the strongest set of leaves. Sometimes you’ll cut at the first set or you may cut at the third set. As you are reaching into your hydrangea shrub, keep your eyes open for any dead branches. Cut those entire stems away. After tending to your hydrangeas, you should follow

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up with a dose of acid fertilizer. Maxsea Acid is perfect for a quick shot of natural nutrients. Acid loving plants really respond to this product. Application is very easy. Just dissolve in water and apply. Follow up with a drink of water after summer fertilizing. Lawn care is a must during the month of August. Summer heat and drying winds have left our Clayton Valley lawns brownish and tired. There are a few things that you can do for your lawn to really help it out. First off, apply a soil surfactant. This product will make your lawn more accepting of water and fertilizer. Apply to a wet lawn. After application, turn the sprinklers back on to work into soil. Some soil surfactants have an additional touch of nitrogen

built in. This type of product is recommended. Two weeks after using the surfactant apply lawn food. Two weeks after applying a fertilizer, hit the lawn with a dose of iron. As always follow product directions, and be aware of surrounding concrete. Iron can stain. Grubs in a lawn equal raccoons. They can’t resist those fat little larvae. August is the time to apply a granular insecticide to your lawn to kill the grubs. If you had a raccoon problem last year, they’ll be back, so apply soon. Some vegetable plants aren’t behaving this year. Many are complaining about lots of growth, but not a lot of production. We have to get busy fertilizing with a product that focuses on flowers and fruit, not

plant growth. Look at product labels. All fertilizer labels have three numbers separated by dashes on them. You are looking for a label where the first number is smaller than the second or third. It would be a good idea to use a water soluble fertilizer at this time. This type of feeding is available to the plants faster. Consider feeding every other week to get the results you desire. As you prune your roses, take deep cuts. Strip off unsightly leaves. Resist spraying roses in the summer. It never seems to make leaves look any better. Fertilize instead to encourage new, healthy growth. Nicole is the Garden Girl at R&M Pool, Patio, Gifts and Garden. Contact her with questions or comments at Gardengirl@claytonpioneer.com

Children need special care during moves When I think of summer I think of moving vans. While I was growing up, my family moved five different times and always during the summer because I was out of school. You can imagine that I started to dread summer vacation because who knew where I’d end up next. Considering that one out of five American families move each year, this is not an uncommon experience for children to have. However, a recent study in the Journal of Social and Personality Psychology reported that moves can be especially tough on children and disrupt important relationships. It can be more problematic for kids who tend to be introverted, anxious and inflexible. While moves can be exciting and due to positive life events, moves are more often precipitated by family stressors (i.e. divorce, job loss, death). Whether you are considering leaving Clayton or are just settling in to your new home here, here are some tips from the National Network for Child Care to help ease the transition for your child. MOVING YOUR INFANT OR TODDLER

The youngest ones tend to have the easiest time moving. However, they may pick up on

your stress and become more fussy and demanding before and after the move. It is important to maintain as regular and predictable a routine as you can. Also, make sure you take time to hold and play with your baby. And, of course, don’t pack away any favorite lovies. MOVING YOUR PRESCHOOLER Preschoolers can get very excited about moving. However, they may not understand completely what is going on and why. They may not comprehend that they won’t keep their old house or that their friends are not moving too. Preschoolers also tend to internalize and blame themselves for the stress and chaos around them. So if a parent is having a hard time, their child will think they caused it. Try to pack your child’s belongings last and include children in the cleaning and packing as much as they want to be involved. See if you can find picture books about moving. Also keep your child’s routine as predictable as possible. MOVING YOUR SCHOOL-AGED CHILD School age children can have real mixed emotions about moving. On one hand, they get excited about the move and can see it as a project to put energy into.

STEPHANIE HO MIND MATTERS On the other hand, they get that they are going to be separated from friends and neighbors and may feel angry or grieve this loss. Give children a concrete way to say good-bye and research ways to get them connected in their new community. MOVING YOUR TEENAGER Teens can have the hardest time with moves as they are developing skills in making longlasting relationships and finding a peer group to belong in, and so may experience a profound sense of loss. It is important to give teens as much advance notice of a move as possible. Allow them a chance to explore their new environs. Also, remember to provide a listening ear to help your child through their mixed feelings about their experience. Stephanie T. Ho is a licensed psychologist. She has a private practice office in Walnut Creek and also works at UC Berkeley. She can be reached at stephanie.ho.phd@gmail.com.

August 16, 2013

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page 19

Head up to the lake country for Mammoth fun

SHARON ANDERSON

TAKE

HIKE

My favorite way to escape the dry East Bay heat is with a dip in some cool mountain water. California’s Mammoth Lakes is the best spot with so many choices for lakes, streams, and my favorite, waterfalls. I decided to backpack into Ediza Lake at 9,300 feet in the Ansel Adams Wilderness. It is a seven-mile round trip with 1495 feet in elevation gain. This hike starts at Agnew Meadows in Devil’s Postpile. It

follows the San Joaquin River up the canyon. After climbing a few switchbacks you are cooled off with waterfalls from breathtaking Shadow Lake. From there I followed more waterfalls, lush foliage and colorful wildflowers to Ediza. If I had continued two and a half miles past Ediza, I would have arrived at Iceberg Lake at 9,780 feet. But I was happy camping at the bottom of the 13,000-foot peaks. I took an extra day at Ediza and hiked to the bottom of Ritter Ridge glaciers. I looked to the South at the Minarets and to the north toward Banner Ridge. What a view! Climbers with the right equipment were actually climbing the Ritter Glacier. The alluring nature of Mammoth is that there is something for every level of outdoor enthusiast. If backpacking is not your thing you can day hike, fish, kayak, mountain bike, or go fourwheeling. If you don’t want any strenu-

ous hiking you can choose from lakes that are in a moderate fourmile hike. Swimming, wildflowers, great fishing and dramatic views can be found on the Duck Pass Trail. Starting at Coldwater Campground the trailhead sits at 9,128 feet. It climbs one-and-ahalf miles to Arrowhead Lake. Then there is Skeleton Lake, then Barney Lake and then the climb begins to the pass at 10,814 feet. The reward is looking down on Duck Lake with its intense deep blue color. Emerald Lake can be found at the same trailhead and that is just a relaxing mile hike following the meandering stream. All of these trails are a great opportunity for fantastic photographs. Sherwin Lakes has the lowest elevation trailhead in Mammoth at 7,823 feet. This is off the old Mammoth Road. This trail leads hikers from the sage-covered valley floor to the dramatic subalpine basin. The roundtrip to the Sherwin Lakes and back is about

four-and-a-half miles with a little bit less than 1,000 feet of elevation gain. The largest of Sherwin Lakes sits at 8,700 feet. Continue up another 1,000 feet in elevation to Valentine Lake, which lies sandwiched between rugged walls of granite. There is great fishing here. If pulling up to a shoreline is your style, try Lake George, Lake Mary and Lake Mamie around 8,966 to 9,010 feet. This is the Lakes Basin. They are more crowded, but with all three you can usually find a little spot to call your own. Within a few short miles from Lake George you will find Barrett, T.J. and Crystal Lakes at 9,600 feet. Yes, dipping in Ediza Lake was very cold, but it sure did feel good. Directions: Take the Mammoth Lakes exit off of Highway 395. You will be on Highway 203 which runs through town. Follow 203 past the Mammoth Mountain Ski

Oktoberfest. In other voting, the group approved the donation of funds to Vestia for its backpack and school supplies project. Vestia provides these materials to needy school kids in grades K through 12 in Contra Costa County. In addition, CBCA is holding its 11th annual Back-to-School backpack campaign. The club will be collecting backpacks (no red or blue) for any grade K through 12, as well as all the fillings: paper, pens, pencils, etc. For more information, contact Sue (925-6722272) or Joan (925-672-6710). The club also approved a small donation to the summer Outdoor Movie Program organized by the Clayton Community Church. The popular program is open to all. In addition, CBCA will sponsor a

soapbox derby car in the Labor Day race, also overseen by the church and open to all. No word on who will be plastering CBCA decals on the race car. The final portion of the meeting featured a presentation by Skip

Ipsen (live) and his son Kent (on tape) explaining the concept of building a four-court bocce complex on the vacant lot at the corner of Oak and Main streets, which is owned by Ipsen. For more on this story, see the front page.

Sharon Anderson

LAKE EDIZA IN THE ANSEL ADAMS WILDERNESS

Area, bringing you to the entrance of Devils Postpile and a pay station. In early spring you may drive down to the trails and lakes for a fee. After a certain date you will need to take a shuttle for a fee. Although during that time you may drive your own car down if it is before 7 a.m. The Agnew

Meadows trailhead is on the right of the road at the bottom of the long descend. Agnew’s trailhead can take you to Shadow, Ediza, Garnet and Thousand Lakes. Sharon Anderson is a Clayton resident and lifelong hiker. This is the second of a four-part series on hiking in the Sierras.

Club News CBCA gets the balls rolling Courts were on the minds of the Clayton Business and Community Association last month when the club met at the Oakhurst Country Club. Not the legal kind, but the fun kinds: tennis and bocce. By a strong majority, CBCA voted to donate funds for the repair and resurfacing of the six tennis courts at Clayton Valley Charter High School. The club will require the CVCHS tennis team and its supporters to raise half the money on their own as a condition of receiving the balance from CBCA. In addition, the tennis team and supporters will continue to volunteer at club events like the Art & Wine Festival and

All aboard for new additions to the railroad exhibit at the Clayton Museum Travel back in time to see the Concord Southern Pacific passenger and freight depot site where Concord BMW stands today. Next stop is the Walnut Creek Depot, home of a former electric railway passenger and freight depot site, now home of Lesher Center for the Arts. The final destination is the community of Cowell and the

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Cowell Portland Cement Plant and limestone quarries of Lime Ridge where trains were a vital part of construction and daily operations. A sampling of the railroad display is also at the Clayton Library through Aug. 31. The Clayton Museum is at 6101 Main St. For more information, go to claytonhistory.org.

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No rocky roads on Venetian vacation The Orsoni mosaic factory contains the only operational glass furnace in Venice. Our hosts provided us with a tour of the facility, and we were dazzled by the array of colors of glass that are produced. In fact, the factory has a “color library” that contains thousands of examples of colored glass. We did spend some time walking through the main touristcrowded areas along the Grand

WOODY WHITLATCH TRAVELS WITH WOODY I’ve always thought that a trip to Venice is like going to another planet. There is truly no other place like it on Earth. Venice, like many European cities, has a long and varied cultural and political history. From the ninth to the 12th century Venice developed into one of the most powerful city-states in Europe, and remained a military power until the 15th century. The city was built on a group of 118 small marshy islands in a lagoon in the northern Adriatic Sea. Its buildings were constructed on wooden pilings made mostly from alder trees, which were chosen for their water resistance capabilities. The pilings were driven through a layer of sand and anchored in a layer of hard clay. A maze of canals serves as the streets of Venice. The Grand Canal is the S-shaped “freeway” that cuts through the heart of the city. More than 400 pedestrian bridges connect the islands of the city. The most famous bridge, Ponte di Rialto, is one of four that cross the Grand Canal. The city is divided into six sectors called sestiere. Most tourists flock to Sestiere di San Marco, the home of St. Mark’s Cathedral. We chose to stay at a bed and breakfast in Sestiere di Cannaregio called Domus Orsoni. The Orsoni family established a residence and mosaic glass factory in the 19th century. Our room was beautiful, and decorated with mosaic glass artifacts.

tions in the world. Peggy Guggenheim’s collection of works from Picasso, Calder, Motherwell and dozens of other artists are displayed in her palazzo overlooking the Grand Canal. Walking along the canals makes you forget that cars and trucks even exist. On an early morning walk we watched a garbage boat equipped with metal arms that dumped refuse bins into the hold. Later that after-

WOODY WHITLATCH AND SANDY STEINER

Canal and in St. Mark’s Square. However, most of our Venice adventure was spent away from the tourist havens. Roaming along the canals of various neighborhoods we watched children playing soccer in the alleyways while moms hung laundry out to dry on clotheslines strung between houses. Several times we felt hopelessly lost in the Venice maze of narrow walkways. However, we could always find a cozy outdoor table at one of the thousands of Venetian restaurants and enjoy a gelato or glass of wine while consulting our maps to find our way. One wonderful Venice attraction was the Guggenheim Museum, which houses one of the premier modern art collec-

noon we saw the boat-equivalent of a moving van, ferrying furniture down a canal. Police boats patrol the canals. Red and white fire boats with the words “Vigili Del Fuoco” painted on the side scream past gondolas and water taxis on their way to an emergency. There are no traffic lights or traffic jams. Just about every experience we had in Venice was unique in this world. And the food, well lets just say it’s out of this world. Yes, a visit to Venice seems like a visit to another planet. Woody Whitlatch, a retired PG&E meteorologist, regularly writes the Pioneer’s Weather Words column in addition to contributing frequent travel articles.

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