JUL 21 Clayton Pioneer 2006 by Pioneer Publishers

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IT’S YOUR PAPER www.claytonpioneer.com

July 21, 2006

925.672.0500

...and the walls came a tumblin’ down DAVE SHUEY

MAYOR’S CORNER Fun time awaits all down at City Hall I w as sta ying at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Y osemite a few w eeks bac k and happened to o verhear a con versation between tw o couples . Coincidentally, they w ere talking about the Pioneer. They all said how they loved the paper (shameless plug, but I might need a fa vor one da y), but one woman said she just did not get the mayor’s column. She said that it seemed the ma yor was always making inside jok es or references and she just did not get it. Of course, I was dismayed, but then I realized she w as right. What is the moral of this story (or wh y is he w asting my time with this)? Quit eavesdropping on con versations or y ou See Mayor, page A8

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

DEMOLITION

BEGAN LAST WEEK

TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer

With dust and r ubble flying, the first w alls of the old Claretian Seminar y came do wn last w eek as bulldozers beg an preparing the land for 24 new

on the Claretian Seminary on Regency Drive to make way for 24 luxury homes. luxury homes. The bo xy, angular building, constructed in 1965 b y the Claretian Missionaries as a training center for y oung priests never produced a single priest for the order. The building, called an “eyesore” by some and “holy

ground” by others has been vacant since the mid-80s , although it has seen periodic use as a retreat house. Since the early sev enties, there have been many proposals for the proper ty, including a church, a militar y academy and an inter national boarding

school. Each project either failed to raise the needed funds for dev elopment or met with resistance by the neighbors over traffic and noise issues. In 2003, Lemke Construction purc hased the 24 acres known as Seminary Hill to build 24 luxur y homes with an

average lot size of 13,000 square feet. Six of the lots will be almost a full acre—big enough for horses . The homes will be as larg e as 4500 square feet and will sell in the $1 million range. “The actual price will See Seminary, page A11

Program gives teens a front seat view of police work While there are signs of wealth throughout Clayton – fr om the granite counter tops to the BMWs , the city itself is low-budget. The staffs at City Hall, the librar y and the Police Department all rely on volunteers to help keep things running smoothly. In the J une 16, the Pioneer look ed at some of the local r esidents who “clock in” down at City Hall. In last issue, we focused on the multitudes that conver ge on the librar y to pitch in on a w eekly basis. In this issue, we take a look at the teens w ho, through the Explor er program, answer the call to ser vice with the P olice Department. In talking with these volunteers, a common theme rings thr ough – it’s all about making this gr eat community we live in even better. BEV BRITTON Clayton Pioneer

Lauren Gehring is quic k to recall her first experience as an Explorer with the Cla yton Police Department. “I saw a dead body,” the 19year-old reports calmly during a ride-along last w eek with Officer Sean McNamara. “It wasn’t even my first ridealong,” she adds . “I w as g oing to get my uniform.”

What’s Inside SECTION A

Besides the hear t attack victim, she has w atched as a postoperative patient ho vered near death and has par ticipated in an all-night search and rescue with bloodhounds. She also has ridden along with suspects to the Concord and Mar tinez jails and Juvenile Hall. And she k eeps coming bac k for more. “Fear is not something I often think about, ” she sa ys. “It’s exciting to g et to see ho w

the officers react while on calls.” Seven local teens cur rently participate in the free career guidance prog ram, which is affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America. Each Explorer mak es a commitment of 16 v olunteer hours a month, and the Clayton department pa ys for their uniforms. “Their main role is to provide suppor t ser vices, such as helping out at comm unity events,” says Chief Dan

Lawrence. “We show them how to direct traffic, how to act on a ride-along, how to stand b y a barricade or at the scene of an accident so they remain safe and how to ha ve a commanding presence.” They also meet with the officers in c harge every two w eeks to learn about police w ork. Sgt. Scott Dansie and Officer Ric h Enea Jr. recently took o ver the project from Sgt. Tim O’Hara. “The next meeting will be about aspects of car searc hes,” Enea sa ys. “We will plant fak e evidence and they g o out and try to find it. Then they w ould write a report.” See Teens, page A10

At casual car show, it’s all about relaxing in the sun BEV BRITTON Clayton Pioneer

Around Town . . . . . . . . . . .A2 Theater Review . . . . . . . . . . .A4 Directory of Advertisers . . .A5 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A6 Food for Thought . . . . . . . .A7 Movie Reviews . . . . . . . . . . .A9 Your Health . . . . . . . . . . . .A10 EcoFocus . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A11 Garden Girl . . . . . . . . . . . .A12

SECTION B

Hiker’s Haven . . . . . . . . . . . .B1 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B2 Just My Opinion . . . . . . . . . .B6 Pet Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B7 Community Calendar . . . . . .B8 School News . . . . . . . . . . . . .B9 Church News . . . . . . . . . . .B10 Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . .B10 Dining Around . . . . . . . . . .B11 Crossword Puzzle . . . . . . . .B11 Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B12

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

AS PART OF HER POLICE TRAINING, Explorer Lauren Gehring prepares for a ride-along with Clayton Officer Sean McNamara on July 11. Gehring usually stays with the officer for at least eight hours.

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

FOR CLAYTON RESIDENT STEVE SLINGERLAND, the Wednesday night car show is more about hanging with his friends than showing off his 1975 Plymouth Duster.

If it’s W ednesday and it’ s summer, expect to see Cla yton resident Stev e Sling erland and his buddies dri ving their classic cars to downtown Clayton. After parking them in the Community Churc h lot, they head o ver to Skipolini’ s for pizza and beer , with bac kground m usic blasted b y DJ Don Vogel, aka “The Colonel.” Vogel fields requests from his collection of hits mainly from the ’50s and ’60s . He’s actually broadcasting the m usic live on W CAR, 104.9 FM. “It’s a very small station broadcast in the area – three bloc ks at the outside,” he says. Slingerland has been coming to the casual car sho w since it

was launched 12 summers ag o. “I lik e being outdoors and everyone is so friendly ,” Slingerland sa ys. “You don ’t even ha ve to bring a friend – everyone here is so nice . And the music’s not bad either.” He keeps an eye on his 1975 Supercharged red Plymouth Duster from his seat on the patio at Skip’s. He used to hang out by the car to answ er questions from passers-by, but those days are long g one. “When y ou first g et a car , you’re all ex cited and y ou want to sit there and have people ask you the same questions o ver and o ver,” Slingerland sa ys. “But now, we all sit here and the cars just sit over there.” According to Skip’s manager See Car Show, page A13

Page A2

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Around Town Boy Scout Troop 262 spends a w eek on Catalina

JUSTIN DAVIS (LEFT) AND ROBBY VAN WYCK their weeklong trip to Catalina Island.

Baby Adam joins the Barry clan

Kevin and Debbie Bar ry of Clayton welcomed their second son with the bir th of Adam Henry on J une 16. He weighed 6 lbs. 11ozs. and was 19 inc hes tall. Adam joins his brother Kyle Ra y in the g rowing Bar ry household.

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CLAYTON’S TROOP 262 prepare for a day on the water during

Sue and Vern Felton welcome their third grandchild Sue and V ern F elton of Clayton are celebrating the birth of their third grandchild, Norah R. Felton, born 5/17/06. Norah’s parents are Vernon Felton and Jena Lopez Felton of Arcata. Jena is the daughter of Nettie Na va and Martin Lopez of Pittsburg. Vernon w orks at Humboldt State Uni versity in Public Relations and is editor of the Humboldt Stater. He is also an associate editor for Bike Magazine. Jena is an emergency physician and w orks in Fortuna and Eureka.

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Vernon Felton and Jena Lopez with new baby, Norah

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Last Month, Clayton Bo y Scout Troops 262 and 236 of Danville combined forces for a w eek of summer camp at Camp Cher ry V alley on Catalina Island. The Scouts beg an their week with a da y at Disney’s California Adv enture and a cruise from Long Beac h to Catalina Island. The scouts and parents filled sev en da ys with swimming, hiking and working for merit badg es. Troop 262 collecti vely ear ned more than 25 merit badg es during the week. Troop 262 meets ev ery Tuesday a 7 p .m. at the Concord Mt. Diablo Trail Ride Association on Mt. Diablo. For more infor mation call Doug V an W yck (925) 7835620.

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$599,980 Clayton Chapparal Springs – 3 bedroom, 3 bath town home w/ one full bedroom & bath do wnstairs & master suite on upper level. Patio w/English g arden backs to Oakhurst Golf Course. Views from every room of this end unit.

Clayton $719,980 Diablo Ridge – Premium Oakhurst Golf Course property w/3 bedroom, 2.5 bath. Master bedroom on the 1st floor. Eat-in kitchen and li ving/great room w/fire place. Large covered deck with wet bar is ready for entertaining!

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Trekkers Karen Schussman and Rachel Anderson; AAUW’s Kay Lane and CBCA President John Rubiales.

Local students Adrienne Young, Karen Sc hussman and Rachel Anderson g ot a preview of college life while lear ning that math and science can be fun. The Diablo View Middle School students attended T ech Trek Science Camp for Girls , a summer prog ram for 8th g rade girls sponsored by the American Association of University Women (AAUW-CA). The students li ved on the campus of Mills Colleg e in Oakland for a w eek this summer. They attended classes taught b y credentialed middle school teac hers, featuring hands-on experiments . Women in the fields of math, science and technology were guest presenters. AAUW v olunteers served as camp directors, nurses and chaperones. Teachers nominate students to attend the science , math and technology camp . The Cla yton AAUW and the Cla yton Business and Comm unity Association provided the fund-

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$799,980 Clayton Regency Woods – 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath plus office on 1st floor. Living room w/vaulted ceilings & family room w/fireplace. Kitchen with sk ylights, garden windo w & hardwood floors. Park-like yard w/pool & spa.

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ing and selected the campers. Adrienne, Karen and Rachel are all interested in math and science. They ag reed that T ech Trek w as a g reat experience . Karen said she lik ed the bat presentation, where she lear ned about the habits and en vironment of the bat. Rachel commented on the professional women’s dinner, were she talked with a civil engineer. The field is of interest to Rachel. The first Tech Trek was held at Stanford Uni versity in 1998, with initial funding from the AAUW Educational Foundation. This year , there were six regional camps , at Mills, Stanford, Cal State Fresno, UC San Diego, Whittier College and UC Santa Barbara. Tech T rek is contin uing proof of AAUW’s mission – to support equity and education for all women and girls. To suppor t pr ograms lik e T ech Trek or to lear n mor e about the AAUW, contact T ech Trek coordinator Kay Lane at 672-4212 or kvlane2@aol.com.

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Concord $735,000 Turtle Creek – 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath with formal dining & living rooms, and family room w/fireplace. Dual-pane windows, hardwood floors & a large master suite w/two closets. Nice yard on a larg e lot with a 3-car g arage.

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Tech Trek campers zero in on math and science

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July 21, 2006

Clayton $809,980 Dana Hills – Wonderful 4 bedroom, 3 bath home has serene views from upstairs rooms & guest room & bath on the lower level. Spacious kitchen opens to family room w/wet bar & fireplace. Backs to Mt. Diablo State Park.

Clayton $829,980 Dana Hills – 4 bedroom, 3 bath w/formal living & dining rooms. Gourmet kitchen w/built-in granite breakfast nook & pantr y. Family room w/fire place & access to freshly landscaped yard, including pool & spa with views.

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Clayton $699,980 Oak Hollow – Easy living in this 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath in a g reat neighborhood! Light & bright w/open f loor plan, formal li ving & dining rooms! F amily & li ving rooms share 2-way fireplace. Community pool & spa.

July 21, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Around Town Bruce Bowman takes yard work to the next le vel An energ etic g roup of Clayton moms hik ed to the summit one mor ning in early June. The g roup takes a w eekly hike tog ether in Mt. Diablo State P ark and eac h year , just before school is out, they climb to the summit. This year their hike took 3 hours and 20 minutes to the top where they refueled with a picnic lunch. On the w ay up, the w omen came across a fellow Claytonian

doing a bit of yard work on the trails. Bruce Bo wman v olunteers every year to cut the poison oak back from the trails so hik ers can enjoy their hikes without an unpleasant br ush with nature . Bowman sa ys “I feel luc ky to have the mountain in m y bac k yard. I hope people will tak e advantage of the trails, wildlife and scenery.”

BRUCE BOWMAN, Megan Kommer, Denise Stephens, Jane Hennis, Caren Case (peace sign), Peggy Dunkley, and Deanna Merrigan. Nancy Llacuna was taking the photo.

Page A3

Laurence won’t run for fifth ter m TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer

After 16 years on the Cla yton City Council, Pete Laurence announced last w eek that, come November, he would not be seeking a fifth ter m. “The city staff and police department are in good shape,” Laurence said. “The budget is balanced and most of the big problems are solved. It’s time to step aside.” Disappointment and sor row at the announcement were recur ring themes in the responses of the city manag er and most council members. “Clayton’s the poorer for it, ” said Mayor Dave Shuey. “He has put in a lot of blood, sweat and tears . He’s done a w onderful job for the city.” “It’s the end of an era for Cla yton politics,” said City Manag er, Gary Napper. “He’s always been “Mr . Clayton” in many respects…he li ves, eats and breathes Clayton.” In the 16 years that Laurence has ser ved, Clayton’s population has grown from 7300 to nearly 11,000. This g rowth did not come without its share of drama, angst and conflict. There w ere major dev elopment issues with the completion of 1500 homes in the Oakhurst Countr y Club , some stic ky and public personnel issues and a failed attempt to recall Laurence in 2002. Laurence often butted heads with his fello w council members. “Some of our spats are notorious ,” said Councilwoman Julie Pierce. “But, his heart is absolutely in the best interest of Clayton as he sees it…while w e don ’t alw ays ag ree; we’ve been able to w ork w ell tog ether. He w orks hard at this job. He loves this town and always has. His commitment is really admirable.” Vice Ma yor Bill W alcutt w as not disappointed at the news . Walcutt and Laurence have frequently been on opposite sides of issues. “I think it’s good to have new blood on the council…it will revitalize the council with new energy.” Walcutt was instrumental in the 2002 recall attempt. Laurence who said he would not have run in 2002 had it not been for the recall attempt. “My wife, Sherie, didn’t want me to r un for a fourth ter m, but when they tried their B .S. attack she not only w anted me to r un, she

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

COUNCILMAN PETE LAURENCE stands in front of the downtown clock which has come to symbolize Clayton. Laurence and his brother donated the clock in memory of their parents.

wanted to head it and ‘kick their ass’— which she did.” “The recall attempt was a minor bump on a successful 16 years ,” says Laurence , “and reflects more neg atively on those that did it rather than on me…”

There will be two seats up for election this fall, Laurence’s and Shuey’s. Shuey has already announced his intention to run for reelection. Clayton insurance brok er and CBCA Board Member , Joe Medrano , has indicated an interest in seeking the office . “I’m considering it,” he said after Laurence’ s announcement was made public . “The paperwork will be available next w eek and after I see what I have to do, what disclosures I ha ve to mak e, I’ll decide.” Laurence plans to spend more time with family and his real estate business . “Being on the council has cost me about $50,000 a year in business I had to tur n a way…deals that could have caused a conf lict of interest,” he said. “I also w ant to write a book about the Cold War and ho w we won it…it will be an historical, factual work.” Laurence, 60, moved to Cla yton with his family in 1954. He w as in the first four th grade class in the newly built Mt. Diablo Elementary Sc hool. He g raduated from Clayton Valley High in 1963. After high school, he enlisted in the Army and ser ved in Viet Nam as a Green Beret. Following his stint in the Ar my, he attended Diablo Valley Colleg e where he recei ved an A.A. degree. After a few months tra veling Europe on his motorcycle , he retur ned to Clayton, got his real estate license and went to work for American Realty. Two years later he received his broker’s license. He and Sherie have three children, all married. Todd, 40, lives in Concord, Alana, 29 lives in Dan ville and Alise , 28, lives in Sonoma. They have one “g randcat” and two “grandpuppies.”

Meghan Pardi completes her third year at Loyola Meghan P ardi, daughter of Clayton’s Herc and R oxanne P ardi, completed her junior year at Lo yola Mar ymount University in Los Ang eles where she is majoring in sociolog y with a minor in business. Megan made the Dean ’s List for the spring semester with a 3.5 GPA. Megan ear ned her third letter on the women’s w ater polo team. Meghan’s sea-

son highlight w as two goals in a 10-3 victory over Indiana. Meghan ac hieved a third National Scholar Athlete Award and will again serve on the LMU Student Athletic Commission. She will spend the summer abroad, studying at T rinity Colleg e in Ireland for tw o months and then touring Europe for a month.

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Page A4

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

July 21, 2006

Theater Review

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Cal Shakes offers Amy Freed’s rarely produced ‘Restoration Comedy’

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even Amanda’ s pining a comic edge instead of pathetic sighs . The languag e has been w eeded and seeded to include both rapturous poetr y and 21st centur y slang. The blatant sexuality of the Restoration period (the king had 14 illegitimate c hildren; this was hardly Victorian pr udery) is intact, creating opportunities for hilarious ph ysical and v erbal comedy. The set design b y Hugh Landwehr is elaborate and unique--two-dimensional whenever possible and entirely blac k and white. In contrast, the costume designs by Anna R. Oliver are splashy and vibrant, with the women in g owns of primary colors while the men f lip their Captain Hook wigs and shr ug into vivid coats.

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Loveless (Elijah Alexander) seduces Amanda (Caralyn Kozlowski) in Amy Freed’s Restoration Comedy

his vices in France. He returns in a drunken stupor when he hears that she has died, since he is now free to pla y in his hometo wn of London. Alas, she is not dead and still desires to tame his hear t. Love (or lust) triangles ensue, forming and rear ranging as c haracters make their entrances . A theme emerges: Can man truly be satisfied or faithful with one w oman forever? W hat happens when a married couple w ant different things from their relationship – do they tr y to c hange for their mate or se parate? Eac h act of “Restoration Comedy” answers that a question in a different way. Freed’s adapti ve abilities focus the rather stic ky world of 17th centur y manners to gi ve

Amy F reed’s “R estoration Comedy” is a rarity among the California Shakespeare Theater’s repertoire in that it is written in the 21st century by a female Bay Area author and has rarely been produced. How delightful, then, to report that ar tistic director Jonathan Moscone does not squander this opportunity. The R estoration period began in 1660 when Charles II regained the throne from the Puritans and Oli ver Cromw ell, thereby “restoring” the monarchy in England. Charles II was a famed patron of the arts, as well as a lo ver of women, so he banned the bo y actors from playing women’s parts (as it had been in Elizabethan times) and put w omen on the stag e. This ushered in a new era of sexuality and decadence. Directed b y Sharon Ott, an ex-artistic director of both Berkeley and Seattle re pertories, this new w ork w as inspired b y two 17th centur y comedies: Colley Cibber’ s “Lo ve’s Last Shift” and Sir J ohn Vanbrugh’s “The Relapse,” which was written as a cynical response to Cibber’s happy ending. Each pla y for ms one act of the modified “R estoration Comedy.” Characters are altered to bring some personalities forward, while others retreat to supporting roles. The stor y is simple: Mr. Loveless (Elijah Alexander) is a faithless rak e who abandoned his constant wife , Amanda (Caralyn Kozlowski), to indulg e

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The direction is quic k, the actors masters of comedic timing and the script witty . Overall, “Restoration Comedy” is a delightful evening at the theater. Take a picnic , take y our friends and tak e adv antage of this fantastic oppor tunity to see a delightful piece long before the rest of the literary world.

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Clayton, CA 94517

July 21, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page A5

Directory of Advertisers

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

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

The Clayton Community Library is seeking to fill the following volunteer positions: (All positions require a minimum age of 13 years and a 6-month commitment. Training will be provided). Graphic Displays - to work on billboard displays throughout the library. Have fun arranging photos, signs, lettering, etc. Scrapbook Historian - to document the many interesting activities the library provides to the community using newspaper clippings, event photos, flyers, etc., Will be put on display at the annual March library birthday celebration. Shelver - to shelve and sen-

Perennial Garden Design by Nicole Hackett AKA The Garden Girl. Personal consultations regarding plant choices, placement, identification, fertilizing and maintenance. Spring is just around the corner. Call or email for info and pricing. 925-6731746 (leave msg) gardengirl94517@yahoo.com.

sitize books...must be detail oriented (Tues. between the hours of 10am-2pm, Wed. 3-5p.m., Sat. 11am-1pm & 2-4pm). Shelf Reader - to ensure the correct placement of books on the library shelves...must be detail oriented and familiar with the Dewey decimal system. Lead Tutor - to coordinate and match the tutors/homework helpers with student requests. Tutor/Homework Helper - to work one-on-one with local students in our community. You choose the age range, subjects, remedial or light help, and days/times. Office Assistant - handle filing, word processing,

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

STUDY GROUP

TAMARA

Readers of The Urantia Book will start a new study group this spring. The group will meet in a downtown Clayton café. New and seasoned readers will explore the book by topics. The group will decide the time (hour and day). Email urantian@mac.com or call 925-672-4689 and ask for Tery.

AND

R OBERT S TEINER , Publishers

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

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

www.cookiesbydesig n.co m

VOLUNTEERS WANTED Greeter. Clayton Historical Society Museum needs a greeter the second Sun. of each month from 2 - 4 p.m. Training is provided. If interested, call 6720240, email claytonmuseum@sbcglobal.net or visit the museum between 2 and 4 p.m. on Wed. or Sun.

Deborah & Anthony Nork Clayton Station, 5433A Clayton Rd.

® 925-524-9901 $5 off purchases $25 or mor e (excludes delivery) Cookies by Design. one coupon per customer, expires 8/18/2006

Oakhurst living in the lower $800's his 4 bedroom, 3 bath has formal dining, family room, an island gourmet kitchen, wet-bar, bay windows, a downstairs bedroom and full bath, delightful yard and waterfall, and is ready to Sell! Call today!

Million Dollar Views of Mt. Diablo! ave your own private shang-rila backyard resort! Unobstructed views of our state park over your own lake-like swimming pool, a hot-tub, garden area and RV parking, all with total privacy on a quiet Clayton Court. With this comes a 2,341 sq ft 2-story home with Monier tile roof, a $100,000 gourmet granite kitchen, and an oversized master suite with it's own private viewing deck!

00 0 , 9 6 8 $ o t d e c u d e R Now

Abbey Carpets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .686-9901 Accent Counter Tops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .432-0570 Advanced Voice and Data, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .681-2800 All Loving Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0752 Apronstrings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-7621 Applause Staging and Interiors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7701 Aqua Pro Pool & Chemical Service, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . .673-7000 Asemi, Hamid - State Farm Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . .726-0154 Benton, Mureleen - Ameriprise Financial . . . . . . . . . .685-4523 Broxham, Jenny - Keller Williams Realty . . . . . . . . . . .200-0004 Burkin Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1519 California Reverse Mortgage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .899-3511 Calkins, Bill - Charlotte Clifford Realtors . . . . . . . . . . .673-9164 Candy Created Bouquets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6818 Carol Keane and Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .937-5200 CD Federal Credit Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .825-0900 Clayton Community Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9708 Clayton Family Dentistry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0110 Clayton Fitness and Tanning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2010 Clayton Home Inspection Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9405 Clayton Valley Bowl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-4631 Clayton Valley Medical Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6744 Clayton Valley Shell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-3900 Clayton Valley Villa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8401 Clean Cleaner Carpets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .383-1253 Clip n Clean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .676-9355 Computers USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9989 Cookies by Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .256-1137 Cruise Adventures Unlimited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .935-7447 Denim & Lace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0345 Diamond Terrace Senior Retirement Living . . . . . . . . .524-5100 Dromlewicz, Kim - Century 21 Diablo Valley Realty . .682-4663 Eagles Peak Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465-0435 Englund's Tea Cottage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8327 Eternal Life Lutheran Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0295 Fashion Cleaners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-9005 Festival Opera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .943-7469 Flannery, Patty - Diablo Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0541 French, Lynne - Windemere Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . .672-8787 Galaxy Nail Spa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .676-8668 Garaventa, Les - American Financial & Tax Services .676-3400 Gourmet Subs and More . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-5550 Help You Sell Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .680-4950 Highfill, Lynne - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .932-7335 HomeEquity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-9737 Hudak, Jim - Pianist and Composer . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-7293 Joanna's Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-8911 Kelly Marshall Garden Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .914-0327 Ladies Workout Express . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .405-8888 Laurence, Pete - Better Homes Realty . . . . . . . . . . . .939-7920 La Veranda Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .524-0011 Lela's Hair Salon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2000 Lerner Eye Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .685-1130 Littorno, Richard - Attorney at Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6463 Lopez, Stephanie - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . . .932-7329 Mazzei Auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .757-5600 Merrigan, Deanna - Team Mount Diablo Realty . . . . . .890-0430 Mike's Auto Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-1739 Mingham, Pete - Elite Financial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .906-8166 Model A Cabinets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-0827 Monte Vista Veterinary Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-1100 Dr. Steven Moon, Chiropractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-8400 Moore, Wendy - Alain Pinel Realtors . . . . . . . . . . . . . .570-5187 Morucci, Kim - Intero Real Estate Services . . . . . . . . .280-8563 NBS Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-1845 Neptune Society of Northern California . . . . . . . . . . . .944-5100 Nichols Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-9955 Northgate Gardening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .944-8711 Nuchols, Alicia - Premier Home Loans . . . . . . .691-5070 X 323 Ouimet Funeral Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .682-4242 Pasta Primavera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .687-5300 Postal Annex + of Clayton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8900 Rahimzadeh, Helen - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . .932-7375 R&M Pool, Patio & Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-0207 Ray's Hideaway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246-8684 Roberta Claire Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .625-1123 Robin's Ranches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-7323 Rocco's Ristorante & Pizzeria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .947-6105 Schaefer's Painting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260-6065 Skin Care by Trina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-2000 Smith Bernal Roofing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-6461 SPA'tique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .437-1712 Sposito, Stephanie - Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . .932-7334 Steffen, Tim - Better Homes Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .890-4407 Steve Youse Painting and Decorating . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-6945 St. John's Episcopal Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .672-8855 Stone Tree Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-2094 Straight Line Imports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .335-9801 Swint, Brad - Team Funding Group . . . . . . . . . . .627-1400 X 12 The Maids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798-6243 The Pool Shark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .408-7585 The UPS Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .689-6245 Tipperary Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216-2679 Travel Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .304-5000 Tullis, Shanan - Team Mount Diablo Realty . . . . . . . . .286-1268 Van-Fleet-Bronson, Intero Real Estate Services . . . . .672-4333 Van Wyck, Doug - State Farm Insurance . . . . . . . . . . .672-2300 Vujnovich, George - Better Homes Realty . . . . . . . . .672-4433 Wagoner, Bill - United American Insurance Company .864-1886 What's My Home's Value.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .286-9489 Williams, Mike - Williams Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260-5363 Wooden It Be Nice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .673-5595

create flyers, volunteer database input on Microsoft Access, assistance with meetings/programs. Contact: Arlene @ 673-9777 or email: akikkawa@ccclib.org.

LOST

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

PIONEER INFO HOW TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD Classified rates per insertion: Non-profit: $12 for first 30 words, $.20 eac h additional word Individual/non-commercial: $18 for first 30 w ords, $.30 each additional word Commercial: $48 for first 30 words, $.40 eac h additional word To place y our classified ad over the phone , call the office at (925) 672-0500 betw een 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Or, you ma y fax y our typewritten ad and credit card information to (925) 672-6580 All classifieds m ust be paid for in adv ance b y credit card (Master Card or Visa) We will not accept any ad that discriminates on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, nationality, family status or disability. The Cla yton Pioneer reserves the right to reject any advertising w e believ e is unsuitable.

LET US KNOW

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

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The Cla yton Pioneer w elcomes letters from our readers. As a general rule, letters should be less than two double spaced pages and submitted at least one w eek prior to publication date. Letters concer ning current issues will ha ve priority . We may edit letters for length and clarity . All letters will be published at the editor’s discretion. Please include y our name , address and daytime telephone number. We will not print letters from “anonymous.” E-mail y our letter in a Word Document to tamara@claytonpioneer.com. Letters MUST be submitted via E-mail.

Featuring a wide selection of children’s boutique clothing

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most clothing

July 20-29

Knowledge, Service, Integrity, Results PETE LAURENCE

Office: 939-7920 Fax: 939-1939 VM 24 hr: 940-2777

Broker-Owner, Realtor, GRI

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

5458 Ygnacio Valley Rd. Ste. 20 Clayton Valley Shopping Center

925-524-0345

Sherrill O’Brien

www.denimlace.com

Page A6

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

July 21, 2006

Take steps to reduce stress of moving Buying or selling a home ranks high on the list of stressprovoking situations . It’s disrupting, uncertain, unsettling and time-consuming, not to mention expensive. Sellers whose homes sell quickly worry that they sold too low. Sellers whose homes tak e months to sell w onder if they’ll ever sell. Buyers ag onize o ver paying too m uch. And both buyers and sellers complain that the process takes too long. People move for a variety of reasons, not always by their own choice. Frequently a mo ve is forced on a family because of a death, a divorce, a job loss or an unanticipated transfer . So the reason for the mo ve can add stress. And since most people dislike c hange, the v ery act of moving is bound to be stressful. To help ease the pain, pick your real estate ag ent carefully. A good agent will go out of his or her w ay to mak e the mo ve easier for y ou. Make sure that your ag ent will comm unicate with y ou regularly and will be available to consult with y ou on

short notice. The unpredictability of the real estate experience can be unnerving. Your ag ent should review the buying and selling process with y ou so that y ou know what to expect. Buyers moving to a new area should find an ag ent who has experience working with buyers who are relocating . Your employer can probably pro vide you with a g ood recommendation or ask the ag ent who is helping sell y our home to refer an ag ent. Be sure to ask for a relocation pac kage. It should include infor mation about y our new community as w ell as sample listings of homes for sale. The Inter net is a g reat source of information. For example, www.realtor.com lists 1.3 million proper ties for sale across the countr y. It includes maps, photos and comm unity facts. Getting your home ready to sell can be a huge task. If you’re short on time , consider hiring help if you don’t have family or friends who can pitch in.

Randy Glasbergen

Showing y our home to prospective buyers is an in vasion of your privacy. It’s best to leave y our house when it’ s shown. It may make life easier if you plan to eat out when the home is new on the mark et and is getting a lot of showing activity. If you’re buying or selling a home with a par tner, divide the workload so you don’t duplicate efforts. Perhaps one of you can preview new listings and the other can ar range the financing. Make good use of modern technology to lighten your load. Use email, voice mail and facsimile rather than length y tele phone communications to ex change messages. Moving alw ays seems to come at an incon venient time . But ev en though y ou feel pressed for time, don’t eliminate stress-reducing acti vities lik e jogging or cycling from y our schedule. Staying in volved in your favorite hobbies and sports will add some semblance of order to your chaotic life, as well as provide needed relaxation.

Plan time outs for y ou and your family. Take day trips or go away for a w eekend. If you’ve been looking for a home for months with no luc k, take a break and enjoy yourself.

LYNNE FRENCH

REAL ESTATE There will undoubtedly be times when you feel stressed out or de pressed. Understand that these feelings are nor mal and they will pass. Clayton resident Lynne French is a Realtor with W indemere Real Estate. For any r eal estate needs or questions, contact her at 672-8787 or Lynne@Windermere.com.

Professional Nail Salon For Men and Women

e're proud to welcome you to our beautiful new nail spa. You will find our highly trained staff to be experienced in all phases of nail care and enhancement, facials and waxing.

Dan Rosendich

In pursuit of the utmost in cleanliness and comfort, we are pleased to offer LaFleur spa chairs, the latest in cleanjet no-pipe technology. Our goal is to pamper you in a spa-like environment so that you feel relaxed and rejuvenated every time you visit.

UÜ|Çz|Çz çÉâ à{x uxáà Éy uxtâàç $10 off

any new set of pink & white (we specialize in pink & white) Concord salon only. 1 coupon per customer. Cannot be combined with any other of fers.

Exp. 8/4/06

Concord 4436 Clayton Rd, Suite G Across from FoodMaxx

(925) 676-8668

$5 off

any service over $20 Concord salon only. 1 coupon per customer. Cannot be combined with any other of fers.

Exp. 8/4/06

Also located in San Ramon: 130 Sunset Dr., (925) 866-0666

er in Cent ffer “CK” e y E o Only st Bay to a the E

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Safely see young. Again. San Ramon Office 2333 San Ramon Vly Blvd., #145 San Ramon (925) 820-9600

Concord Office 2338 Almond Ave. Concord, (925) 685-1130

Pittsburg Office 2260 Gladstone Dr. #4 Pittsburg, (925) 432-9300

For directions to each office visit our website at www.lernereyecenter.com

0% financing available

Call now to schedule a free consultation (worth $150). Offer valid until July 21.

July 21, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page A7

Schaefer’s PAINTING

Because the Finish Counts (Cell) 10%

260-6065

bpaintingdog@sbcglobal.net

Any o or e full int ff x erio for P teri r o io men neer re r job ad ti exp. on this ers, 8/1 8/0 ad 6

Licensed Bonded Insured

Bryan Schaefer Clayton resident since 2000

If I left y ou scratching your head about the significance of eggs as “the cement that holds the castle of cuisine together” in the last column, consider this: Eggs can be used to bind ing redients, leaven bak ed g oods, thicken and emulsify sauces and clarify liquids. Eggs have been a significant component of world cuisine for ages. By the time of the French Revolution, French c hefs had already created nearly 700 different ways of preparing eggs. One of the pre parations I associate with the F rench is a meringue, which w e Americans use to top pies and mak e cookies when combined with sug ar. Stiffly beaten eg g whites for m the foamy structure for a souffle and loc k in the airiness of an angel food cake. An egg yolk is best separated from the white when it is cold. However, beaten egg whites will reach a g reater v olume if allowed to come to room temperature. One of my favorite ways to use eg g whites is in a Sev enMinute Frosting for a cak e. It is satiny with almost a marshmallow taste and mak es a g reat fatfree (but not lo w-cal) filling for dark c hocolate or lemon cak es. My recipe is dra wn from the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook, but I tinkered with it a bit to mak e it taste more lik e m y mom’s frosting.

Lic. #708321

certi signi fied loan ng ag ents

Notary, Fax and Shipping Services 3 Months FREE Mail Box Rental for New Customers (six months or longer)

Julia Aguilar, owner

672-8900 5433 Clayton Rd., #K, in the Clayton Station shopping center

Services Provided: Packaging & shipping UPS, FEDEX, DHL, CAL Overnight & U.S. Post Office

Key Making Mail boxes Notary Copying / Fax

t s y It’s alwa

SEVEN-MINUTE FROSTING 2 egg whites 1½ c sugar ½ c water 1 vanilla bean 1 Tbsp light corn syrup ¼ tsp cream of tartar Dash salt Boil w ater and v anilla bean until fragrant. Remove bean and strip out seeds . Return to w ater and boil until reduced to onethird cup. Cool to room temperature. (You can skip this ste p by substituting 1/3 c w ater and 1 tsp vanilla extract.) In top of double boiler or metal bo wl larg e enough to sit on a sauce pan, stir together egg whites, sugar, corn syrup, vanilla liquid (or 1/3 c w ater and 1 tsp vanilla extract), cream of tartar and salt. Set pan or bo wl over a saucepan that contains simmering water. Do not let the bottom of the double boiler or bo wl contact the water. Using an electric mix er, beat the ing redients at medium-high speed for about sev en min utes or until the frosting for ms glossy peaks. Remove from heat and whip until thick and suitable for spreading, about one minute. After cereal, eggs are the most common American breakfast menu item. Let me sug gest ways to spiff up y our mor ning meal with the follo wing v ariations: French Toast: Mix two eggs

with a half-cup milk and ¼ tsp cinnamon. Butter a g rill pan, soak old sliced bread in the eg g mixture and g rill until toasted on one side , turn and re peat.

LINDA WYNER

FOOD

FOR

THOUGHT

Serve with jam or syr up. Toad-in-the-Hole: Cut a large hole in a piece of bread, butter a fr y pan, center the bread and break an eg g into the hole. Cook until done to taste . This dish fascinates kids. Eggs Benedict: Toast tw o English muffins, microwave two slices of Canadian bacon and poach two eg gs. Assemble with bacon on the m uffin, topped with the eg g. Spoon on some Hollandaise sauce (Knor r makes a g reat package variety if you do not w ant to tac kle a homemade version) and garnish with steamed asparagus. Eggs F lorentine: Serve poached eg gs atop spinac h sauteed with some minced shallot and g arlic. Some folks add

Hollandaise to this dish, too. Huevos R ancheros: Fry eggs and ser ve on top a w arm soft or fried cor n tor tilla and topped with fresh salsa, sour cream and a little g rated cheese. Scotch Eggs: Crumble and brown ½ lb . sausage. Cut six hard-boiled eg gs into larg e pieces and place in casserole dish. Sprinkle sausage over eggs, top with w ell-buttered cr umbs and bake at 325 until crumbs are slightly browned and the dish is warmed through. At the end of the day, don’t forget to incor porate eg gs into something your sweet tooth will appreciate – custard sauce on an English trif le; cream puffs , key lime pie and creme br ulee. If you’re like me and forg et when y ou purc hased those last three orphan eggs in the fridg e, you can g et an idea of how old they really are. Place an eg g in a deep bowl of water. If it sinks, it’s fresh. If it’s g etting old, it will stand on end. And if it’s really w ell-aged, it will f loat because the yolk and white have dehydrated and there’s more air space in the shell. Even those f loaters can be used, but break them into a separate bowl to make sure there is no off-odor. Linda W yner is an attor ney in Walnut Cr eek by day , and an accomplished chef and “foodie” by choice. Direct your suggestions or questions to lwyner@claytonpioneer.com

Professional, Personal & Dependable Service Fr ie

ight time for tea r e h

Why pay 6% or even 5% ? List & sell your home for

ath

er CLAYTON

3.5%*

WALNUT CREEK

FOR SALE

Englund's Tea Cottage The perfect place for lunch! Sip one of 20 different fresh & fruity iced teas while enjoying:

Artichoke bisque soup with chicken croissant sandwiches Fresh fruit salad topped with berry sorbet Apple, chicken & glazed walnut salad Quiche w/ fresh fruit (or cup of soup) and scone Mediterranean or Oriental Chicken salad PLUS MUCH MORE!

A great place for bridal and baby showers! and Come our browse and op gift sh ibles collect

158 Regency

$769,000

2730 Oak Rd. #4

CLAYTON

$389,000

CONCORD

SOLD

$829,900

121 Gold Rush Ct.

SOLD

1525 Mendocino

$529,000

OAKLEY

CLAYTON

SOLD

1291 Shell Circle

$629,000

SOLD

475 Vinewood

$567,750

1016 Tiffin Dr. . . . . . . .Clayton . . . . . . .$799,900 . . . . . .new listing 1315 Peralta Rd. . . . . . .Pacifica . . . . . . . .$859,950 . . . . . . . .for sale 233 N. Santa Rosa . . . .Los Banos . . . . . .$349,000 . . . . . . . .sale pending

5433 L Clayton Road (in Clayton Station)

672-TEAS (8327) www.EnglundsTeaCottage.com Closed Mondays

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

www.EaglesPeakRealty.com 925-708-1046

Page A8

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Fruits and veggies too late for this year’s downtown fruit stand Every year, around the first of July, the Smith family drives in every Wednesday and Saturday from Brentw ood, their tr uck loaded with fresh produce from their far m. Every year, that is, except this year. Usually, by this time , the Smiths ha ve set up shop behind Skipolini’s and the first of the peac hes, Brentwood

corn and juicy red tomatoes have made their entrance. But, this year , says Bill Smith, everything is at least a month or more behind. “The fruit crop is pitiful, ” he said. “The late rains knocked all the blossoms off and w e’re g etting only a couple dozen peaches per tree . And the tomatoes won’t be ready for at least another month.”

Mayor, from page A1 will be forced to write another inside reference for that one person who happened to be at the Ahwahnee? It’s all good fun and I hope she laughs along with me. Along those same lines, I got several comments from people saying that I m ust ha ve been mad at Councilman P ete Laurence last month. On the contrary, Pete and I are g ood friends and jok e often, which is why I thought I would have a little fun with him in the column. There is nothing wrong with having a w arrior attitude or enjoying life’ s pleasures . So I apologize to the many people who did not g et m y humor (there is apparently an epidemic). Which brings me to official business. Do you think y ou can write a better column then I can (pleeeeeease, you cannot be serious)? Do you want to make lots and lots of money (OK, truth is the stipend works out to considerably less than y ou pay even a really bad bab ysitter) w orking for this wonderful city? Do y ou like criticism (this one is tr ue,

sorry)? Do you like the idea of your fellow citizens pa ying for y our European vacations (oops, they were vital fact-finding tours and were actually to Concord)? Do you w ant millions (w ait, that’s thousands; no, hundreds; no, tens; OK, I believe that resident Mike F ossan w atches on occasion) of people to see y ou on TV making decisions that impact them? Do y ou lik e making life or death decisions (in fair ness, we did mak e a mon umental decision on sheds recently)? If you answered either yes or no to any of the abo ve questions, then do I have the job for you. That’s right, two Cla yton City Council positions are up for grabs in our November election. The r umor has been confirmed that the ma yor has convinced his wife and kids that it is more fun if dad is away at meetings, so he will be running again. However, after 16 years on the council, Pete Laurence will be hanging it up in order to spend

“We’ve made a lot of friends in Cla yton, and w e’ll miss seeing ev eryone,” said Smith. “But, we’ll be bac k next year.” If fresh fr uits and v eggies are worth a 20 minute drive to you, head on do wn to T he Smith F amily F arm at 4430 Sellers A ve., in Brentw ood. (925) 625-5966. more time with his family , play more golf and increase his v ast personal wealth (this is a theor y on m y par t). The city will be poorer for the loss, but Pete has promised to k eep w atch and keep future council’s honest. So, if you w ant all the jo y, love and peace of mind that the job brings , come do wn to City Hall and g rab an election pac ket. As for those of you who still have not done y our par t b y making sure that y our recycling can is big ger than y our garbage can, please, please, please make a strong er effor t to recycle as the city is not quite meeting our state-mandated recycling goal. Remember, recycling is important for the city, your kids, your g randkids and the w orld. (insert strong bac kground theme m usic here for this sweeping statement). In closing, I will once ag ain quote humorist Will R ogers: “We could cer tainly slo w the aging process do wn if it had to work its w ay through Congress.” Do y ou think any one ev er said he made inside jokes? Email me at shuey@rankinlaw.com and have a great week.

July 21, 2006

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July 21, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page A9

At the Movies

‘Dead Man’s Chest’ draws mixed reviews Editor’s Note: The summer b lockbuster “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” is making big money at the bo x office. But not everybody has gone away happy. Our movie r eviewers share their reactions, standing squarely on opposite sides of the gangplank.

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Photo: Disney Studios

JOHNNY DEPP stars as Caption Jack Sparrow in “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.”

Too much mayhem makes for a disastrous film First, let me say that I enjoyed the first “Pirates of the Caribbean.” I found Johnny De pp, Rush, JEANNA Geoffrey O r l a n d o ROSS Bloom and Jonathan Pr yce entertaining. The designs w ere lavish, and the script w as pe ppered with acidic one-liners. Therefore, when the advertising for the second film hit theaters last year , I w as nai vely delighted. Add in Bill Nigh y and Stellan Skarsgard, and I assumed that Disney couldn’t fail. But they did – spectacularly actually.

In this second adventure, Jack Sparrow (De pp) has launc hed himself into difficulty with Da vy Jones. After searc hing the Internet, I disco vered that Da vy Jones is a nic kname for the devil of the sea. Would that not ha ve been lovely to know before viewing the movie? Of course, Will T urner (Bloom) and Elizabeth Sw ann (Keira Knightley) m ust battle their way alongside J ack to o vercome ... whatever. Frankly, the storyline doesn ’t matter because the audience was never sure what was happening to whom, where or when. Poor sound editing and

mumbling, overly accented actors drowned out entire con versations. As if that w eren’t enough to battle, the audience is left to decipher moti vation and timelines based upon the most miniscule of information, as though director Gore V erbinski decided there wasn’t time to waste. Contrarily, he spends copious minutes on elaborate c hase and fight sequences designed, one can only assume, to daze and confuse since their per tinence to the plot is negligible. This film tries too hard. The beauty of the first mo vie was its

organic nature. No one expected Depp’s humor or Rush’s dastardly villain. The dialogue w as witty and the plot tight. Now, with expectations riding them lik e sla vedrivers, they simply tried to make more and bigger – rather than in venting new and interesting ways to tell the stor y. Still, “Dead Man’s Chest” will rake in millions for the view of a massive octopus eating a ship.

Jeanna Ross is an Eng lish teacher at Clayton V alley High School. Send y our comments to movies@claytonpioneer.com.

‘Pirates’ is adventure and great fun In “Dead Man ’s Chest, ” the whole “Pirates of the Caribbean” crew retur ns, brimming with “Curse of the Black Pearl” jokes and references but also bringing new fun on board. The soul-stealing Da vy Jones has a claim on the notorious Capt. Jack Spar row, who does not plan on gi ving in easily . He must flee an eternity of servitude on the cree py Flying Dutc hman, while managing to drag old friends Will T urner and Elizabeth Swann into the calamity on their wedding day. The magic of Johnny Depp is what carries “Dead Man’s Chest” through its two and a half hours. Never failing to steal a scene or make a dramatic entrance (he’ s still w orking on the clean escapes), Depp’s Spar row capti-

vates with his buccaneer swagger and charm. Amazing special effects are once again a highlight, especially the tr uly hear tless Da vy J ones (Bill Nigh y sprouting a tentacle beard), his fishy crew and a legendary sea monster under his command. That is enough to keep the characters busy, though the plot becomes m uddled with individual subplots. One element never fails, however, and that is the spectacle of sword fights that mak es this movie so amusing. The best scenes in volve a three-way sw ord fight betw een Jack, Will and a retur ned Commodore Norrington, replacing the wig with a shambled life . Where the mo vie fails to be as good as the original is its lac k

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of freshness and a far-reaching g oal. As a sequel, with another on the way, it doesn ’t try to stand on its o wn. Instead, it delivNATALIE ers us a BUDESA cliffhanger ending that guarantees y our spot in theaters next summer. Not ev en a twisted tale or winding explanation from the clever J ack can talk y ou out of that one.

Natalie Budesa a sophomor e at CVHS. She aspires to a career as a cinematographer. Send your comments to movies@claytonpioneer.com

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Page A10

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Work on ways to eliminate your pain If you are in pain, feeling stiff, unable to do the things you want to do or just not feeling right, it may be time to mak e a change in your life. First, consider moderate exercise. As long as y our whole body sta ys in motion, you stay healthier. If any par t of your body stops mo ving, it degenerates. Great exercises include walking, swimming, upright biking, yoga, tai chi, breathing exercises, eye ex ercises, exercise balls and mini-trampolines. Always c heck with y our doctor before beginning an exercise program. Good n utrition is also k ey. That means balanced meals with the basic food g roups, plenty of water and a voiding foods that are bad for y ou. If you are deficient in some aspect of nutrition, your body will do the best it can but it won’t work as well. Perhaps y ou will need supplementation, but just taking whatever you see on TV or the latest fad ma y not be what y ou

DR. STEVEN MOON

YOUR HEALTH need. Some things ma y even be bad for y ou. There are simple tests to see if you need n utritional suppor t and in what doses. Stress is a par t of daily life, and some stress is actually good for y ou. However, if you are under too m uch stress for too long, your body goes into overload and star ts to break do wn. Your adrenal glands can stop functioning cor rectly and ma y need n utritional suppor t to help y ou handle stress better . Again, a simple test can be

Teens, from page A1 While on ride-alongs , the Explorers’ role is mainly observatory. “We sta y in the car on pretty m uch anything where there is a dang er of us g etting hurt,” says Gehring, who doesn’t interact with those being questioned or arrested. “At comm unity ev ents, I don’t think people can tell the difference betw een me and the officers, so they treat us the same. I’ve nev er had anybody say anything mean or anything,” she adds. Gehring sa ys she’ s alw ays had an interest in la w enforcement. “I remember when I w as in kinderg arten, my teac her asked what we wanted to be and I said police officer . And it just stuck with me.” The 2005 CV g rad plans to graduate from Diablo V alley College next year and then acquire a bac helor’s deg ree in criminal justice from Cal State East Bay. “I’d like to start off in patrol, but after a while I’ d like to g et into in vestigations,” she says of her career plans. After 2 ½ years in the pro-

gram, Explorer Stev en Moeller also remains on targ et for a la w enforcement career . The ’06 graduate of De La Salle plans to attend D VC, then the police academy in Napa or Pittsburg. “I w as alw ays interested in police work,” says Moeller. “It’s pretty ex citing helping people out – and putting bad guys in jail is always fun.” When friends see Moeller on duty at comm unity events, they have lots of questions. “First they wonder if I have a gun, or if I have nor mal police rights ,” says Moeller, who has to explain that he doesn’t have either. Katherine Marcil became intrigued with la w enforcement through a class at Los Medanos College. The karate student joined the Explorer prog ram last year on the advice of O’Hara and his sons, who operate O’Hara’ s Mar tial Ar ts in downtown Clayton. “I’ve lear ned a lot about behind the scenes in la w enforcement,” says Marcil, who graduated from Cla yton V alley last month. “It’s not something

done to check this. Other things that help with stress are c hiropractic adjustments, massage, exercise, meditation, breathing ex ercises and simply taking time in your day to relax or have fun. It’s also a g ood idea to kic k any bad habits . Obvious poor habits include using dr ugs (even prescription dr ugs), smoking, slouching, poor posture , improper lifting, poor w ork habits and lac k of exercise. Overdoing anything can be hard on y our body . That includes alcohol, junk food, computer or video g ames, over-working and even over-exercising. Another option is a c hiropractic adjustment, the No . 1 procedure perfor med b y c hiropractors. The adjustment tak es the pressure off nerves and joints b y releasing spinal fixations or mal-positioned joints. Although this concept scares some people , there are many gentle methods to adjust the spine without pain.

Chiropractors use adjusting techniques for the spine, extremities, pelvis, TMJs, joints and muscles, plus cranial and visceral manipulation. Many offices offer both regular adjusting and gentle light force adjusting, specifically tailored to y our needs and according to y our conditions. You may need the latest technology to g ently g et results . Chiropractic ph ysiotherapy ma y include cold laser therapy , acupressure, percussion therapy , diathermy, intermittent intersegmental traction, low-volt electric stimulation, infrared therapy , non-invasive disc rehabilitation, Qi Gong infrasonic therapy , chi machine, neuromuscular re-education, myofascial release, interferential therapy , microcurrent therapy, exercise and ultrasound. Dr. Ste ven Moon is a doctor of chiropractic medicine in Concord. For a copy of this ar ticle or for mor e information, call Dr. Moon at (925) 682-8400 or visit his W eb site at www.drmoon.com.

I want to do with my life, but it’s something I’m interested in right now.” McNamara had similar thoughts about his stint as an Explorer in Mauldin, S.C., in the ’80s. He was referred to the program after taking a career interest survey in high school. “I had in mind that I wanted to be an engineer ,” recalls McNamara, who instead ear ned a degree in psychology. “When I moved to Califor nia, I pretty much forg ot about being an Explorer. Later on, when I w as re-evaluating m y career , I thought bac k about it and remembered how much fun I’ d had.” In 2003, McNamara joined the Hayward force and took the job in Clayton in July 2004. Clayton Officer Tim Marchut and Enea also w ere Explorers as y outh – both with the Clayton force. “As an Explorer here, I liked how the officers dealt with the community. I lik e the small town feel, ” Enea sa ys. “Our Explorers are v ery eag er to learn. And since I w as an Explorer, I know what they are looking for as far as training.”

Moeller credits the officers with helping him better understand the comm unity he calls home. “They are very accepting of the Explorers and alw ays willing to teach us a lot,” he says. “They’re just a lot of fun to be around.” The camaraderie with the other Explorers is another plus for the teens . “It’s just kind of neat to be around other kids who enjo y la w enforcement, ” says Gehring . “Most kids hear ‘police officer’ and they kind of cringe.” The Clayton P olice De partment is hoping to add se veral mor e teen Explorers to the pr ogram. For application infor mation, contact Of ficer Enea at 673-7350.

CLAYTON POLICE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR NEW VOLUNTEERS The Clayton Police Department is revamping its volunteer program and will soon be looking for a few residents who are willing to pitch in. Two residents had been helping out but had to stop due to other commitments. According to office coordinator Lynn Christ, the Clayton staff is

meeting with members of the Concord Police Department to set new parameters for the volunteers. “We’re really trying to research the liability issues,” says Christ, noting that all volunteers would need a thorough background check. Volunteers would help in

the office, answering phones, shredding documents, purging records, maintaining the police library, taking inventory, writing letters regarding alarm service and updating crime tip brochures. Vehicle maintenance may be another option. For more information, contact Christ at 673-7350.

July 21, 2006

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

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Page A11

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All plants ar e our br others and sisters. They talk to us and if we listen, we can hear them. – Arapaho Indian proverb Flowers fill our lives with joy. The f lowers of spring tur n nature’s mind to ward rebir th, revitalization and hope. Birds and insects become active. Forest animals come out of their winter dens and hiding spots. The v ery air smells fresh and new. The gift of life dra ws attention to itself once ag ain, uplifting mind and spirit. Infinite possibilities stand in spring’s path. Spring f lowers send for th dee per and ric her kaleidoscopes of color for summer, creating an impressionistic painting-like can vas of colors that complement our ev ery mood. We are lofted up on the scents of summer. The blossoms of color release a cacophony of enchanting frag rances, some that can almost be tasted. The f loral scents of summer’s passag e evoke memories of childhood, of friends, places and ev ents, of school’s out euphoria, of playing pirates, of first teen romances , of engagements, weddings and funerals. Flowers re present all of this to us, and more. But how did this come to be? As I have shared with y ou in the past, all life on ear th has origins traceable to the first bacterial cells that appeared on ear th some 3.5 to 4 billion years ag o. Due to extreme competition for limited resources, some of those bacterial cells cooperati vely organized into the more complex modern cell in an evolutionary progression from bacteria to single-celled animals and alg ae, to advanced plants and animals . The primiti ve alg al cells (eac h cell itself actually a colony of cooperating bacterial cells) g ave rise to the seaweeds. Competition among the seaweeds for limited nutrients led to beneficial ev olutionary c hanges in some and extinction for others unable to c hange adequately and/or fast enough. For cer tain green alg ae that g enerally w ere

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poor competitors , the ability to survive in w ater with less dissolved salt pro ved to be for tuitous. Future generations of seaweeds deri ved from this offshoot g roup in vaded coastal waterways, estuaries and ri ver systems. They mo ved up-ri ver and, finding no other competitors there, proliferated. The g reen sea weeds became the “seed” population for the early ter restrial plants . Still restricted to w ater for n utrients and re production, these primitive plants colonized the w et shores of rivers, estuaries and coastal zones , where they g rew without predators, since no animals had yet in vaded the land. These early land plants also faced no competitors but eac h other in their new homes. These w ater/land interface seaweeds gave rise to the mosses. Mosses ha ve no roots , take up nutrients directly from water and use water to reproduce as well. Further dev elopment in plants symbiotically w orking in cooperation with cer tain fungi led to the appearance of primitive roots , as seen in the fer ns. Roots buffered the plants from dry spells and allo wed them to move a bit fur ther inland, since water stored in soil could now be accessed and in a more leisurely fashion. As w ays of using and conserving w ater contin ued to develop, plants mo ved fur ther and fur ther onto the land. Reproduction based on a windblown pollen (the plant’ s male sex cells) delivery system became well-established. While this w as g oing on, back in the sea, certain cr ustaceans w ere being out-competed and found themselv es isolated in coastal w aters. As with some of the green seaweeds, certain crustaceans became adapted to less salty water, since no competitors existed in the lo w salinity habitats . These cr ustaceans moved up-estuary and up-river. A sub-g roup of these freshwater-tolerant crustaceans developed proper ties and str uctures that allo wed them to lea ve the water and in vade land for brief

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to extended periods of time. These cr ustaceans w ere the ancestral insects. Upon their ar rival up-ri ver and onto land, the insects found a treasury of vegetation available for food. Insects and plants have been co-ev olving ev er since , each contin ually causing the other to c hange. Later, some insects turned on eac h other for food and became the first terrestrial car nivores, even as most insects continued to li ve as herbivores. Due to the larg e amounts of pollen needed to assure adequate random fer tilization, wind pollination proved to be a very costly and relati vely ineffecti ve means of plant reproduction. However, insects began eating pollen, traveling from plant to plant to harvest it. This insect plant-to-plant visitation pro ved to be a m uch more efficient means of crossplant pollination. Plants encourag ed this b y making pollen more nutritionally valuable for the insects . Insect pollination became so successful that plants competed with eac h other to attract insects. They did this not just b y offering more nutritious pollen, but b y also offering sweet, nutrient-rich nectars. Flowers and their fragrances are extensions of this, all meant to attract insects to visit and transfer pollen. The insects and plants m utually help eac h other . This accounts for ev erything from color, shape and frag rance of flowers to the timing of flowering. In the more adv anced plants like orc hids, flowers are asymmetric, multicolored and m ultipatterned in nature . Some ev en resemble insects and release pheromone-like scents to attract insects. When an insect attempts to mate with a “sexy par tner-looking” flower, it exchanges pollen. These plants no long er need to offer n utritional rew ards in the form of nectar or pollen to attract pollinators . They are assured cross-fertilization at lo w personal energ etic cost just due to their looks and smells.

GERARD CAPRIULO

ECOFOCUS Earth’s evolutionary processes contin ue to fascinate . Once again we find cooperation acting as the cor nerstone of life’s development. Also, once ag ain we recognize the oceans as the cradle for all of life. Please tip y our hats to the sea. Gerard M. Capriulo , Ph.D ., is the Fletcher Jones Professor of Biology and Envir onmental Science at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga.

AAA’s CD helps seniors drive safely AAA R oadwise R eview CDs are no w a vailable at the Contra Costa County Librar y, thanks to a g enerous donation from the American Automobile Association (AAA). Library users can check out the CD, which w as created to help seniors drive safely longer. This easy-to-use CD-R OM will help view ers identify health and fitness issues that affect driving by checking visual, mental and ph ysical responses. Other topics will identify steps to reduce risk behind the wheel, how to talk with y our doctor about maintaining y our fitness to dri ve, and ho w to monitor y our “dri ving health” in privacy. CD-ROMs are a vailable in Windows and MA C v ersions. AAA R oadwise R eview requires a computer with CDROM capability. Contact the Cla yton Community Librar y, 6125 Clayton R oad. Or call 6730659.

Seminary, from page A1 depend on the mark et,” says Project Manager, Susan Larson. Construction will begin in the next couple of months, said Larson. Father Lar ry Christian, the Claretian pastor at St. Bonaventure’s during the midnineties and no w r unning a seminary in San Antonio, Texas recalls, “I tried to g et the Claretians to sell that proper ty

years ago…it was never a ‘beautiful’ building, was it?” Long time Cla ytonian, Eldora Ho yer, however, has fonder memories of the place . “St. Anthony Claret J unior Seminary w as built to endure . Its demolition will be hard…to watch. We, who knew those who built it with such devotion, are glad that they cannot witness its destruction.”

Mike Williams, owner/broker

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Page A12

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

July 21, 2006

Sedum is glorious on the ground or in containers NICOLE HACKETT

GARDEN GIRL Sedum is a group of unusual-looking perennials that are among the most heat- and suntolerant plants that Cla yton Valley gardeners can install and enjoy. The reliable herbatious perennial has the guts to stand tall when temperatures soar, yet it’s pretty enough to be highly attractive to butterf lies. The fleshy foliag e is its trademark, making sedum easy to recognize and fast to appreciate. Sedums mak e g reat introductions to the g arden in both the ground and containers. This plant is w onderful standing alone, maybe using a boulder as an accent, or in a grouping, surrounded by earlier bloomers or even an evergreen. The flowers found on all of the sedum are similar in style . Tiny star -shaped f lower heads come together at the end of the flesh-like stems . Blooming begins in J uly and has been known to contin ue w ell through September. Ground cover varieties have smaller f lower heads, while the larger upright sedum can ha ve heads that easily measure 8 inches across . That size of bloom is often refer red to as a “butterfly landing pad. ” Once you have grown such an attractive perennial, you will see

SEDUM MATRONA

Cape Blanco. Dragon’s Blood reac hes only 1 to 2 inches tall and wider through the seasons . Rich red, rosette-like foliage adds texture

“This plant is wonderful standing alone, maybe using a boulder as an accent, or in a grouping, surrounded by earlier bloomers or even an evergreen.” Nicole Hackett to the g arden. As the summer becomes w armer, Dragon’s Blood’s f lower heads begin to form, and the red foliag e is

SEDUM DRAGON’S BLOOD

where it gets that name. Ground cover varieties are among the earliest found sedum eac h year . All of the ground cover varieties root as they g o. This means that the sedum slowly walks across wet soil. Three that are fa vorites of mine are the Dragon’s Blood Sedum, Tri-color and

topped with small pink, starlike flower clusters. Sedum Tri-color is a c hoice that cottage-style gardeners can appreciate. The white , green and pink v ariegation on this selection is soft and delicate . Pink, star-shaped f lowers are found on the T ri-color sedum as w ell, but with the v ariega-

tion, the whole look of the plant seems different. Tri-color sedum is used to soften roc ky borders and often added to containers to tric kle o ver the side, adding interesting foliag e and extended lengthy bloom. Cape Blanco is one of the evergreen sedums . Blanco means white , and as y ou ma y have guessed it, the foliag e of this selection is as white as a leaf can get. Cape Blanco has a yellow, star-shaped bloom that becomes quite ob vious when compared to the white leaf. Use this plant in the g round or in a container – where ev er contrast is desired. Mix this evergreen with darker leaves for drama. Platt’s Black phormium is a dwarf New Zealand Flax with the dark est of blades. Surrounded with the Cape Blanco, it will add a wow factor to the g rouping. Plant this collection in a container with some Tequila Sunrise Million Bells and you’ll have a planter worthy of your porc h for all the autumn months. Rosy Glo w and Vera Jameson are among the medium-sized sedum. These selections are not quite a g round cover and not quite an upright. Their pur pose in the g arden is to co ver up other plant’ s bad features. Monarda is a w onderful perennial that has a g reat bloom on top and lots of bare legs do wn belo w. Layering the Bee Balm with a selection lik e the R osy Glo w Sedum allo ws the gardener to mak e the most out of the garden. Rosy Glow reaches 15 to 18 inches tall and wide , with pink, star-shaped blossoms standing up on light g reen foliage – perfect for co vering up Monarda’s bad side . Vera J ameson has a similar g rowth habit to the Rosy Glo w, yet V era has ric h

bronzy foliag e with the pink blossoms. The uprights of the sedum family are easily found. Autumn Joy is the most basic and rew arding sedum. This robust plant reac hes 2 feet tall and about as wide , with a rounded g rowth of green rosettes that build up all spring and early summer. The tips are so large they resemble medium clusters of broccoli, topped with red, star-shaped f lowers that take their time aging to an unusual bric k color that’ s perfect for fall. I lo ve this perennial in the ground as well as in a container. The large flower head is a perfect “butterf ly landing pad. ” Sedum Brilliant is similar to Autumn Joy in size and shape , just not the color . This plant must ha ve been designed for the pink people. Both of these plants w ould be excellent pool-side plants as there is nev er any leaf drop. Install a way from w alkways or heavily splashed areas. Sedum Matrona is the collector’s perennial that the sedum lover should value. This selection has pur plish bronze foliage that stretches taller than the other family members . The leaf is w avy and the bloom is pale pink. Once y ou disco ver and g et into the family of sedum, the Matrona is a definite must-have. Nicole is the Garden Girl at R&M Pool, Patio and Garden Contact her with questions, comments or sug gestions at gardengirl@claytonpioneer.com

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July 21, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer .com

Museum keys in on cars to complement downtown car show

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When Cla yton resident Charmetta Mann bought her 1957 blac k Chevy Nomad in 1963, she already knew it w as going to be a classic. “I had a friend who had one and I just lo ved it. It’s m y first car – and m y only car . It’s m y baby,” Mann gushes . “I just liked ’57 Chevys . They w ere gorgeous and they still are.” For a closer look at the station wagon, stop by the Clayton Museum on a W ednesday night this summer. Mann is parking it out front to lure visitors to the classic car photo and memorabilia exhibit. Just don ’t ask Mann if the Nomad is for sale . “For 43 years, I’ve been sa ying no,” she says with a laugh. The museum will be open 68 p.m. Wednesdays this summer, in conjunction with the classic car sho w on the other end of Main Street. The exhibit star ted off as a historical photo essay of Clayton residents and their cars but has g rown to include things such as an old porcelain R ed Crown g as sign and a 1954-’63 Chilton’s Auto Repair Manual. “I’m not a car buff , in that I collect cars or anything, but I really lo ve this exhibit, ” says museum curator Mar y Spr yer. “There are all sor ts of fun things here and people keep saying, ‘Oh, I ha ve an oil can – would you like that? Or , I have some old hubcaps.’ ” Spryer is still welcoming his-

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Zach Zodik off, the car o wners don’t w orry about damag e to their cars while at the sho w. “I don’t ever remember having the cops do wn here on a Wednesday night, ” says Zodikoff, who has w orked at the restaurant for six years. “Down here , we ha ve the respectful ones. We have crowds out here on hotter nights that are twice as big as this , but w e are luc ky to ha ve the type of crowd w e do ,” he sa ys, noting that the cooler temperatures may ha ve k ept visitors away from the July 12 show. Skipolini’s, which sponsors the sho w, pays for a city noise permit to allow for the DJ. And abiding b y state la w, all alcohol must remain on the restaurant premise. There are no r ules or fees for displa ying y our car at the show. “It should be something that is different, older, that you’ve worked on – a hot rod or something,” notes Slingerland. His buddy , Bob Li vingston of Concord, helped rebuild the

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

CLAYTON RESIDENT CHARMETTA MANN PARKS HER ’57 NOMAD in front of the Clayton Museum on Wednesday nights to draw people to the new exhibit.

torical items and photos. “Even though you may not have grown up in Cla yton, it’s y our family and your car,” says Spryer, who offered a photo of her mother with a new 1946 F ord at the family home in Wisconsin. Closer to home, Hilda Rhine Atchinson, wife of stagecoach driver J ack Atc hinson, is pictured in Cla yton’s first F ord. “Little Bobby Hoyer, who grew up to be Cla yton’s first ma yor, sits in a 1924 v ersion of Ford’s first station w agon. Current Clayton P olice Chief Dan Lawrence also makes an appearance, showing off his 1960 turquoise Dodge pickup. Harold R ussell cuts a handsome pose next to his ’37 F ord coupe. “We bought it in Pittsburg and kept it for a lot of years until

Duster. Slingerland originally purchased the car for his son ’s 16th birthday. After the son died in a w ork accident, Slingerland got the car bac k. “That’s the memory I have of him,” he says. “It’s the only car I’v e ev er bought twice.” Livingston purc hased his 1964 tan No va station w agon about tw o years ag o. “That’s what the surfers used to dri ve back in the ’60s ,” says Livingston, sporting a P edro Point Surf Club T-shirt. True to his character, the wagon has two surfboards strapped to the roof. While Li vingston sa ys he uses his No va regularly , Marty Brooks of Concord mainly drives his ’51 red Bel Air hard top to East Bay shows or on the weekends. “These cars aren ’t exactly fuel-efficient, ” he sa ys wryly. Brooks bought the car about three years ag o (“W hen y ou turn 40, you w ant to ha ve a toy”), but he’s been coming to the Clayton show on and off for years. “It’s lo w-key,” he sa ys.

we finally had to get a bigger car,” says Russell, who grew up in the house now converted to a dental office in downtown Clayton. “It was just a little backwood town,” he recalls. “It had three saloons on the main street going through to wn. It w as a wild place on a Saturday night.” A 1954 Chevy Bel Air owned by Mel Gomez is in tw o photos – one at the family’ s home on Oak Street in 1958 and one in Yosemite in 1955. “I didn ’t lik e the color ,” Gomez recalls of the two-tone yellow car with a g reen top. “I guess if I had a fa vorite, it would be my 1960 blue Impala.” Another historical photo shows his uncles J ohn Brazil and J oe J oaquin, “just tw o old cowboys,” standing in front of a

Star. “In the old da ys of the Model T Fords, when they came to a stee p g rade, they w ould have to g o bac kward. The Star was a breakthrough in that it came out with a fuel pump ,” Gomez says, relating a story told to him b y Cla yton Historical Society president Janet Easton. Along with photos of her dad and brother with their cars , Easton donated a set of spinner hubcaps from a late ’50s Oldsmobile. “You never find all four of them tog ether, because they w ere stolen regularly ,” she notes. The Clayton Historical Museum is at 601 Main St. Summer hours ar e 2-4 p .m. Sundays and W ednesdays and 6-8 p.m. W ednesdays. F or mor e information, cal 672-0240.

“You’re able to w atch the cars and have a good dinner.” Clayton residents Gordon and K eli J udd w alked do wn to the July 12 sho w with their dog in tow. “We’ve got the project in the garage that should be do wn here some da y,” Gordon sa ys with a laugh. That w ould be his ’66 Mustang F astback, which he says is “all in once piece” but not quite ready for displa y. His Datsun Z is another stor y. “It’s totally frame off . There are no two par ts of the car that are connected.” The J udds come to about a third of the summer car sho ws. “We g o for a w alk ev ery night and this is a g ood distraction,” he says. “I’m a car head and I’m trying to mak e m y kids car heads, too.” This week, he has his eye on the ’66 red Cobra con vertible, which he believ es is a re plica. The o wner can ’t be found to confirm or deny suc h claims , but the car is also a favorite with Clayton resident Greg Carbral. Carbral has his own pride and joys bac k home in the g arage – but in “first class” condition. He

bought his ’71 tangerine Porsche 911E T arget new in Europe , while his ’72 metallic g reen BMW 3.0 CS came to him used. “They’re kind of classics – I’ d call them new classics,” he says. Don and Mar y Ann Del Bene’s 1947 dark g reen Super Deluxe Ford is one of the tr ue oldies at the show. The Concord residents have been bringing the car to Cla yton on and off for eight years. Don found the four -door car in Concord and rebuilt it “from the ground up,” including a Ford 302 AOD transmission. “Last week, there was a 1922 Dodge Brothers car . That’s the oldest I’v e ev er seen, ” Vogel notes. Don Molls’ two-tone blac k and primer 1940 Chevy pic kup is a breed of its o wn. He’s tricked it out with a shor tened ’73 Chevy three-quar ter ton chassis and f lames cut into the front bumper . According to Molls, the four-wheel drive tops out at 100 mph on the freew ay. “I’ve been working on it for 15 years,” says the Concord resident. “I built it all myself. You’ll never see another one like it.”

2209 Flagstone Way , Concord Beautiful Home Built in 1993 2,000+ Square Feet 3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths

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Page A14

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

July 21, 2006

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ated on a quiet court. 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, approx. 1,235sf, inside laundry & 2 car garage. New paint & carpet. Neutral décor throughout! Tile kitchen with eating area. Cozy low maintenance rear yard. Conveniently located within walking distance of community pool.

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

DIABLO RIDGE AT OAKHURST COUNTRY CLUB!

WINDMILL CANYON AT OAKHURST COUNTRY CLUB!

Meticulously maintained “Kirker” model! 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, approx. 2,313sf

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backs to 7th fairway with wooded, golf course, lake & surrounding hill views! 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, approximately 1,554sf, inside laundry & attached 2 car garage! Quiet rear end unit setting. Upgraded laminate wood floors in living/dining area, family room & kitchen. Gourmet kitchen with tile counters/breakfast bar , all white appliances & maple cabinets. Master suite looks out to golf course, hills & lake. Cozy rear deck with lawn area backs to tranquil/serene golf setting. $595,000

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

Absolutely immaculate!

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

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

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

Clayton Market Update

PEACOCK CREEK AT OAKHURST COUNTRY CLUB!

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Mortgage Market Update

Conforming $417,000 or less (no points)

Jumbo $417,001 and up (no points)

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

30 year, fixed for 3 . . . . . . . .6.75% 30 year, fixed for 5 . . . . . . .6.675% 30 year, fixed for 7 . . . . . . .6.875% 30 year, fixed for 10 . . . . . .7.125% 15 year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.625% 30 year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.875%

3405 Coyote Circle 365 Blue Oak Lane 202 Round House Pl 1391 Yosemite Circle 3905 Coyote Cir 711 Acorn Drive 235 Mountaire Pkwy 1131 Peacock Creek Dr 32 Jalalon Place 1291 Shell Circle 5640 Southbrook Dr 4021 Hummingbird Wy 1328 Shell Lane 1126 Peacock Creek Dr 1450 Yosemite Cir 811 Coachman Pl 739 Black Point Pl 5013 Keller Ridge Dr 121 Gold Rush Court 407 Wawona Lane 1941 Eagle Peak Ave 610 Julpun Loop 5612 Frank Place 5016 Raven Way 746 Bloching Circle 3036 Windmill Canyon Dr 74 Nottingham Pl 1425 Indianhead Way

PRICE $495,000 $1,100,000 $610,000 $690,000 $455,000 $1,055,000 $885,000 $1,085,000 $524,000 $625,000 $775,000 $839,00 $539,000 $1,265,000 $695,000 $1,100,000 $862,000 $729,000 $824,900 $918,000 $595,000 $649,900 $863,000 $799,000 $899,000 $745,000 $889,000 $580,000

SALE DATE

07/11/06 07/07/06 07/07/06 06/30/06 06/29/06 06/28/06 06/26/06 06/26/06 06/25/06 06/23/06 06/23/06 06/17/06 06/15/06 06/09/06 06/08/06 06/08/06 06/06/06 06/05/06 06/02/06 05/26/06 05/25/06 05/25/06 05/18/06 05/17/06 05/17/06 05/16/06 05/12/06 05/11/06

1,252 2,981 1,749 1,734 1,026 2,836 2,960 2,748 1,235 1,709 1,986 2,315 1,430 3,820 1,804 2,450 2,164 1,639 2,171 2,505 1,554 1,991 2,398 2,053 2,325 1,877 2,088 1,430

BED/BATH 2/2.5 4/2.5 3/2.5 3/1.5 2/2 3/3 5/3 4/2 2/2 3/3 4/2 4/2.5 3/2.5 4/2.5 3/2 4/3 5/3 3/2.5 4/2.5 3/2 3/2.5 3/2.5 4/2.5 3/2 4/2.5 3/2.5 4/2 3/2.5

CLAYTON PIONEER July 21, 2006

Section B

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page B1

Emerald Bay a gold mine for eager explorers offers views of a cascading waterfall appro ximately 90 feet high. At 0.4 miles , Upper Eagle Falls is a much shorter hike with a height of about 60 feet. Both Upper and Lo wer Eagle F alls are accessed from parking areas adjacent to Highway 89. Seeing both w aterfalls is worth the hike, and spring is the best time to see these f lowing into Lake Tahoe. Whether y ou tra vel b y boat or car, have a few hours to spare or a few days, there are so many things to see in and around Emerald Ba y State P ark that I could make you a list that would literally nev er end. That said, I strongly sug gest taking off that extra da y or putting off that home project to enjo y a slice of nature that some people tra vel halfway around the world just to glimpse.

KEVIN PARKER

HIKER’S HAVEN In any season, Lake T ahoe and the sur rounding area provide enough recreational opportunities to k eep any a vid outdoorsman busy for the next few decades. So with w arm mountain temperatures and sno w-capped peaks still present from the heavy winter sno wfall, I headed to Emerald Ba y State P ark for an after noon ex cursion I will not soon forget. Emerald Bay was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1969 for the ob vious beauty of the glacial carved granite, as well as a panorama of trees, peaks and the sur rounding body of vividly colored blues and g reens known as Lak e Tahoe. Emerald Bay actually boasts the only island in Lak e T ahoe (F anette Island) and the only w aterfall flowing directly into the lak e

FANETTE ISLAND CLOSE UP OF TEAHOUSE

For more information on this hike or other outdoor experiences , contact Ke vin at hiker@claytonpioneer.com. Kevin Parker/Clayton Pioneer

FANETTE ISLAND IN LAKE TAHOE’S EMERALD BAY

(Eagle Falls). Vikingsholm is one of the park’s most popular attractions . It w as built in 1929 b y Lora Josephine Knight as a summer home. The outstanding arc hitecture, wood-carved beams , round g ranite boulders and Scandinavian motifs mak e this an eleg ant but r ustic mountain home. Tours of Vikingsholm are available sev en da ys a w eek from mid-J une to the end of September, 10 a.m.-4 p .m. The tour lasts about a half hour and costs $5 for adults and $3 for children. The parking lot is off

Highway 89. The one-mile trail down to Vikingsholm is v ery steep but also v ery scenic, with plenty of resting areas . Since parking is limited, I recommend arriving early in the da y. (For more infor mation, visit www.vikingsholm.com.) Fanette Island w as also purchased b y Knight, who had a teahouse constr ucted. As y ou can guess , serving tea on the island w as quite a production, but for her summer guests , she spared no expense or lev el of hospitality. Desolation Wilder ness has left a lasting imag e in m y mind

from the countless bac kpack trips throughout the 63,500-acre wilderness area to the actual spot where I ask ed m y wife to marry me (Lake of the Woods). The myriad small streams, more than 150 lak es and elev ations ranging from 6,500 to more than 10,000 feet all complement this outdoor w onderland of granite, timber and high mountain flora. Whether y ou are on a da y hike or decide to bac kpack in and spend a night or two, this is truly g od’s countr y in ev ery sense of the word. Permits are required, fires are not allo wed

with the ex ception of stoves and y ou couldn ’t find a better place to tak e the dogs . (For more infor mation, visit www.fs.fed.us/r5/eldorado/.) Eagle F alls (upper and lower) can be accessed from the same parking area used to see Vikingsholm. Lower Eagle Falls is about a 2.2-mile hik e and

CORRECTION

Dan Cook T rail ar ticle (fr om 7/8/06 issue). It was br ought to my attention by Har vey Br osler from MDIA that the Dan Cook Trail does not exist. In fact, the

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EMERALD BAY STATE PARK, LAKE TAHOE Trailhead: 22 miles south of Tahoe City Travel Time: 3.5 to 4 hours (by car) Highlights: Vikingsholm, Fanette Island, Eagle Falls, Desolation Wilderness

entire trail fr om the trailhead at Southgate Road up to Roc k City is indeed Summit T rail w hich tra vels up Dan Cook Canyon. My apology, but with r eader’s as shar p as Harvey, I can slip from time to time.

Page B2

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

July 21, 2006

Clayton Sports Thomason earns teen and men’s bodybuilding acclaim BILL WAGONER Clayton Pioneer

Michael T homason, a 2004 graduate of Clayton V alley High, has emerg ed as a local bodybuilding c hampion with two top a wards from a recent competition. Thomason, 19, captured second place in the teen class and first place in the men ’s lightweight class at the Central Valley Classic in Livermore on July 8. The rig ors leading up to his first-ever competition, however, were not easy. Thomason has li ved in the Concord-Clayton area since ag e 6, attending Mt. Diablo Elementary, Highlands Elementary and Pine Hollo w Middle Sc hool en route to Clayton V alley High. Pop Warner football and CVHS wrestling and football opened up a world of personal training. “Since m y senior year , I’ve wanted to work toward competing in bodybuilding, ” Thomason re ports. “Coach Coakley is the one who first helped me get interested in personal training.” Bodybuilding and n utrition specialist K enny Tali, owner of Max Muscle in W alnut Creek, contributed to T homason’s intrigue with competition. “For the past 18 months , I’ve been focused on n utrition, training every day and targ eting the Ma y 2007 Contra Costa Bodybuilding competition, ” he says. “Kenny encouraged me to compete in Li vermore while I was still a teenager.” The teen class was without a weight division, while the men’s class is di vided into m ultiple weight classes . Going in, Thomason w as targ eting a first

in the teen class and placing in the top three in his middleweight men’s division. With an “off-season” build of 5-9 and 205 pounds , Thomason committed to an eight-week daily diet of at least one pound eac h of asparagus, chicken, and fish. “Well over a pound of each,” he specifies. Nutritional supplements (vitamins, fat and protein supplements and glutamine) are key to providing the other essentials during the tw o-month final preparation for competition. And, no water for three days. “I cut f luids on T hursday afternoon,” Thomason reiterates, “until after the competition on Saturday night. It pulls all the water out from under neath the skin to mak e y our body more defined.” He was 40 pounds lighter for competition, at 165, than just eight weeks prior. The pre-judging is done much earlier in the da y than when the results are announced. “Register, weigh in and then they set you up according to class for pre-judging, ” Thomason recalls. “The competitors stand side-by side in eight mandator y poses with four quar ter-turns. The judges are looking for symmetry and definition.” Thomason says he didn’t feel well that da y. “No w ater – it takes a lot out of you. It’s tiring. Your hear t rate g ets g oing. You’re perspiring . Having no water for three da ys is one of the toughest things I’v e ev er done in sports.” He w ound up disappointed

Clayton resident Bob Ralston is retur ning to coac h at the junior colleg e level that w as so important to him as a pla yer. As the NCS baseball playoffs were unfolding recently, Ralston announced his decision to accept the head baseball coac hing position at Diablo V alley College.

Photo courtesy of Bob Ralston

BOBBY RALSTON’S 1988 BASEBALL CARD with the AAA Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League, a Minnesota Twins affiliate at the time.

“The junior colleg e system was a real plus for me as an individual g rowing up. I was a v ery solid high sc hool pla yer, but I didn’t ear n a sc holarship,” Ralston sa ys during a break at his summer y outh baseball camp. “I w ent to comm unity college for tw o years, and it w as a great growing time in m y life as a baseball pla yer and in the classroom. It w as a tur ning point in my life at JC that helped me ear n a sc holarship to the University of Arizona.” Because of that, Ralston knows that a junior colleg e can

“For the past 18 months, I’ve been focused on nutrition, training every day and targeting the May 2007 Contra Costa Bodybuilding competition. Michael Thomason can’t eat certain stuff.” Thomason will contin ue to pursue bodybuilding, with the Contra Costa Bodybuilding next on his calendar . That sho w, at Chabot College in May of 2007, is viewed as the big gest show in Northern California. Beyond that, he is a regular on the free w eight f loor at Clayton Fitness while also ear ning his personal training license. “I want to own my own gym or own my own nutrition store,” Thomason concludes . “Bodybuilding is what I w ant for a career. I want to see where bodybuilding takes me.”

Photo courtesy of Ashley Rincon

MICHAEL THOMASON, COMPETING IN HIS FIRST BODYBUILDING EVENT, walked away with a first and second place trophy at the Central Valley Classic in Livermore.

Ralston accepts DVC coaching challenge BILL WAGONER Clayton Pioneer

with a second place in the teen competition. “The teen that beat me ,” he sa ys, “weighed about 180 pounds as a middleweight.” He w as ecstatic , however, when the judges placed him first in the men ’s middleweight division. Not quite as orc hestrated, yet Mike still came home with a first and second in his initial bodybuilding competition. “I’m bac k to 195 pounds ,” he sa ys just four da ys after the competition. “I’m still not feeling right. Still taking it easy and

have a g reat impact on a student. “Not ev eryone ear ns a scholarship or signs out of high school, and I am a perfect example of that. I would never have gone to UofA without the JC experience,” he notes. “When that job opened up, I just said I’ve got to give it a shot. I lo ve c hallenges, it mak es y ou better.” STILL TEACHING AT CV Ralston will contin ue teac hing ph ysical education at Clayton Valley and split his days

between the two schools. “I’ll hustle o ver to D VC in the afternoons,” he says. “Larry Quirico, my assistant there , has been at the comm unity colleg e level for 30 years and has a system in place . I’m real for tunate to ha ve his kno wledge and expertise.” Ralston credits the success at CV on sound fundamentals , defensively and on the mound. “It enables us to alw ays be in a ballgame and ha ve a c hance to win. Our record speaks for itself,” he sa ys of his 167-50

standing o ver eight years , a sparkling .770 winning percentage. CV has produced some outstanding pla yers in his ten ure, particular pitchers. Ralston runs through a shor t list: “The tw o Gorgen bo ys (Cla yton twins Scott and Matt), Adam Elliott (2002) signed with the New York Mets, Jim Gilbert (2003) is in the Dodgers organization.” According to Ralston, the close-knit atmosphere mak es

See Ralston, page B5

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July 21, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Clayton Sports Liam Calkins Favorite Subject: Math

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Favorite Athlete: Rich Gannon

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YOUNG ATHLETE EAGER

LIAM CALKINS

Liam Calkins is coming off a fine Little League baseball season to help ignite the Dana Hills Swim Team. Nominated for recognition by his collective coaching staff with the Otters , Liam brings infectious enthusiasm and team spirit to an otherwise individual sport. “Liam doesn ’t slac k. He’s always here and w orks hard in practice,” assistant DHST coach K elsey Brassil re ports between workouts recently. “He’s so cute , because he always gets very intense before his races ,” she elaborates . “He’s so focused, just looking straight ahead. Liam’s a g reat kid.” Kelsey, a 2006 Carondelet High g raduate coming off a fine swimming and w ater polo career herself, works primarily with the 10-and-under swimmers at Dana Hills. Liam’s father, Bill, appreciates the camaraderie of swim team. “There is no other spor t like swim team, where an 8-

bugs in the bac kground, Liam spent da y tw o at the recent Devil Mountain P entathlon meet either at the DHST coaches’ desk or on the pool deck with K elsey c heering on his teammates. “Liam is very competitive,” his dad notes. “He’s very good about fair pla y and being a sportsman. The team thing is hard to do in individual sports. He’s very coachable. He listens to tips and w orks on implementing them.” Liam, who has li ved in Dana Hills since before his first birthday, is working off a 2005 season in whic h he w as named “most impro ved” swimmer in his ag e group and was in the r unning for “high point.” Butterfly is his strong est stroke, and he’s already qualified for the county meet. He’s also within 0.85 seconds of county qualification in freestyle. Backstroke follo ws with county in sight. In breaststroke, admittedly not his

Photos courtesy of Bill Calkins

QUICK OFF THE BLOCKS, LIAM CALKINS (foreground) en route to a strong showing in the 7-8 age division at the recent Devil Mountain Pentathlon.

year-old swimmer g ets a chance to hang out with the older kids and be acce pted. The lines are blurred. Liam has friends in all ag e g roups,” Bill says. While other kids in his ag e group might be hunting do wn

The Clayton Connection

Favorite Music: Green Day

PIONEER ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT FOR COMPETITION

Page B3

strongest ev ent, Liam has set several new personal bests this season. Liam, who will enter the fourth g rade at Mt. Diablo Elementary, started swimming for DHST at age 5 as an Otter Pup, following brother R yan

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Favorite Activity: Trampoline with friends in the back yard who no w swims as a 10-year old. “He had never been on the blocks before ,” Bill recalls fondly. “Liam do ve in, swam about a quar ter-length, then hung onto the lane rope and looked to me as if to sa y, ‘Come sa ve me Dad. ’ He put his head do wn, repeated that process a few times and completed the lap.” At the J uly 8-9 P entathlon, where more than 800 swimmers competed for best time over a combined fi ve ev ents, Liam placed 4th in his ag e group. Liam also is a strong baseball pla yer, having just completed his CVLL season with the Minor B Giants. Pitching is his favorite position. Liam also has completed four years with the Cla yton Thunder MDSA soccer club , where dad coaches. “Forward,” Liam sa ys of his soccer position, although dad sa ys he’ s probably strongest as a midfielder. “We just g ot another call, trying to recr uit Liam for an MDSL tra vel club ,” dad reports. That decision, which would be more of a year around commitment, will be largely up to Liam. Much of Liam’s soccer attraction comes from three cousins on his mother’ s side who recently mo ved to the area from England and pla y travel soccer . Mom Kim moved here from England about 20 years ag o. “I w ant to pla y bask etball also,” Liam says, with the lowkey YMCA prog ram being the likely first step. “And football, too,” he adds, which is where dad draws the line for now. “Soccer builds foot-eye coordination,” Bill concludes . “Baseball the hand-eye , and swimming helps stretc h and condition the body.”

The Clayton Pioneer spotlights a local y outh athlete from our circulation area in the second issue each month. If you are a coach or an administrator and would like to nominate a young person (under 20 years of age) for the R occo’s Athlete Spotlight, please send infor mation to sports@claytonpioneer.com or fax to 672-6580. Nomination deadline for our August 18 issue is Sunday, Aug. 6.

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Page B4

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

July 21, 2006

Clayton Sports Swimmers flock to Clayton for Pentathlon

Clayton resident, Mike Rose, has been in business for over 34 years and has always provided quality repair with excellent customer service!

BILL WAGONER Clayton Pioneer

Twelve swim clubs with w ell over 800 registered swimmers descended upon Dana Hills Swim Club over the weekend of July 8-9 for the 11th ann ual “Devil Mountain Pentathlon”. A vir tual “tent city”, with an overflow on the front la wn outside the cor ner entrance for several swim clubs, marked the community for full days of swimming on Saturday and Sunday. The pentathlon features each swimmer par ticipating in five ev ents – four strok es (freestyle, butterfly, breaststroke, and bac kstroke) plus an individual medley that consists of all four strok es in a single race. Swimmers are competing based on ag e (6-under , 7-8, 910, 11-12, 13-14, and 15-18) and by proficiency (“ A” and “B” swimmers), with the g oal being lowest total time for all fi ve events. Individual winners also contribute points to wards over-

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Bill Wagoner / Clayton Pioneer

DANA HILLS SWIM CLUB IS SWARMED by more than 800 swimmers and their families during the two-day Devil Mountain Pentathlon.

all team standings. The Dana Hills Otters (180) and Pleasant Hill Dolfins (181) were the two largest swim teams participating. DHST does not figure into the team standings , with Pleasant Hill and the Valley

Vista (Walnut Creek) Barracudas claiming the two top team spots. First place “ A swimmer” honors from Dana Hills included Kenny Johnson (men 11-12), Kaitlyn O’Connell (w omen 1112), Ashley J ennings (w omen

13-14), and Danny Boessenecker (men 15-18). A complete list of combined times for all Dana Hills and Oakhurst Swim T eam par ticipants who completed all fi ve events follows:

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DEVIL MOUNTAIN PENTATHLON RESULTS: Dana Hills & Oakhur st Swim Teams Men 6 & Under Pentathlon - A Swimmers

5th 8th

DHST DHST DHST OAK

Williams, Jonathan (6) . .3:04.97 Weigelt, Niklas (5) . . . . .3:14.11 Gruen, Ross (6) . . . . . . . . .3:33.60 Collins, Kyle (6) . . . . . . . . .3:38.52

5th 6th 8th

Men 6 & Under Pentathlon - B Swimmers

6th

DHST OAK DHST DHST DHST

Leal, Spencer (6) . . . . . .4:04.29 Smith, Henry (6) . . . . . . . .4:22.58 Silveira, Joseph (6) . . . . . . .5:11.76 Gloekler, Ryan (5) . . . . . . .5:31.77 Sanchez, Mateo (5) . . . . . .6:25.85

Women 6 & Under Pentathlon - A Swimmers

6th

DHST Stagner, Lily (6) . . . . . . .2:46.69 DHST Cooper, Lauren (6) . . . . . .3:25.67 OAK DHST DHST DHST DHST DHST DHST DHST DHST

Verderame, Jessie (5) . . .3:44.07 Tehaney, Grace (6) . . . . .3:51.59 Orozco, Francesca (6) . . . .4:01.15 Livingston, Kelly (6) . . . . .4:09.81 Watson, Kiyomi (6) . . . . . .4:41.96 Norrish, Sierra (5) . . . . . . .4:43.71 Skow, Emma (5) . . . . . . . .5:15.67 Bazan, Cammy (6) . . . . . . .5:35.75 Deely, Julia (4) . . . . . . . . . .7:24.86

Women 7-8 Pentathlon - A Swimmers

8th

DHST DHST DHST DHST DHST OAK DHST

Weigelt, Alina (7) . . . . . .3:10.75 Schoell, Melissa (8) . . . . . .3:13.33 Livingston, Jenna (7) . . . . .3:28.39 DeSchane, Bailey (7) . . . . .3:37.69 Miller, Katie (8) . . . . . . . . .3:40.06 Wolfram, Erika (8) . . . . . . .3:44.25 Klock, Tori (7) . . . . . . . . . .3:54.75

Women 7-8 Pentathlon - B Swimmers

8th

4th 7th

DHST OAK DHST DHST DHST DHST DHST OAK

Hall, Emma (8) . . . . . . .4:05.96 Collins, Kaylie (8) . . . . . . .4:08.37 Schau, Heidi (7) . . . . . . . . .4:28.34 Webb, Giovy (8) . . . . . . . .4:34.07 Oshel, Sarah (8) . . . . . . . . .4:46.18 Ulinger, Ashley (7) . . . . . . .5:07.65 Drolette, Michaela (7) . . . .5:34.38 Verderame, Sarah (7) . . . . .5:43.12

Men 7-8 Pentathlon - A Swimmers DHST DHST OAK OAK DHST

Calkins, Liam (8) . . . . . .3:13.35 Weiss, Justin (7) . . . . . . .3:39.76 Longman, Mitchell (7) . . . .3:49.25 Del Monte, Dominic (8) . .4:03.96 Sullivan, Jonathan (8) . . . .4:04.84

DHST DHST OAK DHST DHST DHST OAK OAK OAK DHST DHST DHST

Watson, Masimius (8) . .4:34.26 Mitchell, Robbie (7) . . . .4:34.41 Edelen, Hunter (8) . . . .4:39.03 Friedman, Anthony (7) . . .4:42.33 Dugan, Kyle (8) . . . . . . . . .4:49.65 Norrish, Casey (7) . . . . . . .4:49.76 Reyes, Jordan (7) . . . . . . . .4:51.76 Wolfram, Joshua (7) . . . . . .4:59.07 Robichaud, Jordy (7) . . . . .5:05.40 Adams, Tyler (7) . . . . . . . .5:17.95 Goodshaw, Danny (7) . . . .5:42.56 Siegrist, Jared (7) . . . . . . . .6:19.33

OAK OAK DHST DHST DHST OAK OAK 1st 5th 8th

Men 9-10 Pentathlon - A Swimmers DHST DHST DHST DHST DHST DHST DHST

Women 6 & Under Pentathlon - B Swimmers

3rd 6th

Men 7-8 Pentathlon - B Swimmers

1st 2nd 4th 6th

Bazan, Nick (10) . . . . . . . .4:17.05 Marr, Patrick (10) . . . . . . .4:18.08 White, Tanner (9) . . . . . . .4:24.84 Jennings, Alex (10) . . . . . .4:35.62 Newton, Carter (10) . . . . .4:45.89 Calkins, Ryan (10) . . . . . . .4:47.59 Burmeister, Max (10) . . . . .5:09.29

Men 9-10 Pentathlon - B Swimmers DHST DHST DHST DHST OAK DHST DHST DHST DHST OAK

Parker, Robbie (9) . . . . .5:10.59 Orozco, Marcelo (10) . . .5:13.99 Cooper, Ryan (9) . . . . . .5:15.73 Nejad, Ryan (9) . . . . . . .5:25.45 English, Collin (9) . . . . . . .5:37.45 Drolette, Brandon (10) . . .5:38.19 Traynor, Liam (9) . . . . . . . .6:06.34 Rahimzadeh, Stephano (10)6:34.20 McMurdo, Connor (9) . . . .6:44.60 Tretola, Christopher (9) . .7:07.77

Women 9-10 Pentathlon - A Swimmers

5th 7th

DHST DHST DHST OAK DHST DHST DHST DHST DHST DHST

Schussman, Megan (10) 3:56.31 Goodspeed, Megan (10) 4:04.62 Ryle, Taylor (10) . . . . . . . .4:15.51 Trimble, Justine (9) . . . . . .4:17.71 Johnson, Sara (10) . . . . . . .4:22.04 Brown, Gabby (10) . . . . . .4:27.29 Anderson, Kimberly (10) .4:30.60 Haley, Megan (9) . . . . . . . .4:36.73 Schoell, Kristina (10) . . . . .4:42.57 Goodshaw, Katie (10) . . . .4:42.77

Women 9-10 Pentathlon - B Swimmers

3rd

DHST OAK DHST OAK

McNulty, Ashley (9) . . .4:54.35 Roo, Clarice (9) . . . . . . . . .5:01.88 Haley, Nicole (9) . . . . . . . .5:11.60 O’Bryan, Monique (10) . . .5:12.24

7th

Shamblin, Rachel (9) . . . . .5:17.40 Macaulay, Allison (9) . . . . .5:19.46 Deely, Jordan (10) . . . . . . .5:25.27 Williams, Sarah (9) . . . . . . .5:27.78 Adams, Ashlynn (10) . . . . .5:28.34 Edelen, Sabrina (10) . . . . .5:29.92 Dennis, Rachel (10) . . . . . .5:58.29

Men 11-12 Pentathlon - A Swimmers DHST DHST DHST DHST DHST DHST

Johnson, Kenny (12) . . . .3:31.81 Anderson, Derek (12) . .3:42.35 Brassil, TJ (12) . . . . . . . .3:45.10 Deely, Jared (11) . . . . . . . .3:46.71 Keane, John (12) . . . . . . . .4:03.46 Lopez, Christo (11) . . . . . .4:12.00

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Men 11-12 Pentathlon - B Swimmers DHST DHST OAK DHST DHST DHST

Hall, Ted (12) . . . . . . . . .4:42.59 Dugan, Ryan (11) . . . . . . .4:44.15 Smith, Blake (12) . . . . . . . .4:47.88 Ulinger, Justin (11) . . . . . .4:49.59 Klock, Dalton (11) . . . . . .4:56.73 Haley, Ryan (11) . . . . . . . . .5:05.91

Women 11-12 Pentathlon - A Swimmers

1st DHST O’Connell, Kaitlyn (12) .3:15.33 2nd DHST Stelzner, Jenna (12) . . . .3:20.29 6th DHST Traynor, Chloe (11) . . . .3:33.34 DHST Goodspeed, Katie (12) . . .3:45.95 DHST Reilly, Paige (12) . . . . . . . . .3:53.84 DHST Sullivan, Kendall (12) . . . .3:53.95 DHST Rogers, Bailey (11) . . . . . . .3:55.71 DHST Van Horn, Avery (12) . . . .3:56.41 DHST Hunziker, Peyton (11) . . . .3:59.28 DHST Boeger, Samantha (11) . . .4:00.46 DHST Neal, Allie (11) . . . . . . . . . .4:05.01 OAK Morrice, Carolyn (12) . . . .4:08.15 DHST Weiss, Rachel (11) . . . . . . .4:08.88

Women 11-12 Pentathlon - B Swimmers

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2nd DHST Van Horn, Audrey (12) .4:12.94 3rd OAK Murphy-Hopson, Devan (11)4:13.09 OAK Raymond, Heather (11) . . .4:33.53 DHST Brock, Cherllyn (12) . . . . .4:40.71 DHST Jennings, Shelby (12) . . . . .4:58.38

Men 13-14 Pentathlon - A Swimmers DHST DHST DHST

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July 21, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Page B5

Clayton Sports Ralston, from page B2 CV special. “Kids come back all the time . We had 30 pla yers come bac k from the last eight years for our alumni g ame over the holiday break in December.”

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TRYING IT IN THE MAJORS Ralston, 44, was bor n in Santa Cr uz and g rew up in the East Ba y, graduating from Moreau High in Ha yward. When a four -year colleg e baseball opportunity didn’t materialize, Ralston opted for Chabot Junior College in Hayward. He later ear ned a baseball scholarship to the Uni versity of Arizona in 1983 and w as v oted 1984 first team All-American honors as a Wildcats second baseman. Drafted in the sixth round b y the Minnesota Twins, Ralston was fortunate in a lean organization to be sent directly from his colleg e season into Double-A professional baseball, bypassing the traditional rookie league or Single-A route of most draftees . With Orlando of the Southern League, Ralston pla yed for manag er

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Charlie Manuel, today the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. “I hit roughly .280 that first year,” Ralston says of his quick start, “and .301 m y second season (1985) with Charlie at Orlando. I had a lot of success there.” Ralston’s success didn ’t quite earn an in vitation to join the Twins in their 1986 big league camp. He did, however, play in some of those 1986 big league spring games as often is the case when a few players are called over from the minor league camp. He pla yed three seasons at the T riple-A lev el, with the Toledo Mud Hens (ag ain with Manuel) and the P ortland Beavers. After six seasons in the minor leagues, including a brief stint with the Oakland Athletics organization, Ralston became frustrated and closed out his pro ball career. “I lost that fire. Lost the spirit,” he admits . “Back then, 28 was old. I played very hard and was a scrappy player. I did all the little things – bunt, hit the other way, was a great hit-and-run guy … but didn’t have any power.” “You hit no home r uns?” son Bill reminded him just in the past w eek after reviewing the back of some old baseball cards. Ralston’s career amassed 50 stolen bases o ver the first fi ve years, with high-w ater marks of .301 in 1985 (Orlando) and .286 in 1988 (also with Orlando) in 280 at-bats. BACK TO THE WORKING WORLD

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Unlike many athletes who leave the g ame unpre pared, Ralston had attended Cal State Hayward during the off-seasons and finished his deg ree. That’s also where he met his wife , Colleen, and completed his masters, allowing him to coac h and teach at the college level. “It’s a tough transition to the real w orld,” he sa ys. “A lot of guys don ’t mak e it. You think, ‘Oh yeah, people know who you are.’ No one cares who you are.”

After coac hing stints as a graduate assistant at UC Berkeley and then at Castro Valley High, Ralston w as brought into the D VC staff as an assistant to then head coac h Steve Ward in 1993. One season at Solano College led to the head coaching position at St. Patrick’s High in V allejo, where Ralston’s team w on tw o Sac-Joaquin sec-

Bill Wagoner / Clayton Pioneer

CVHS BASEBALL COACHES following a recent summer baseball camp program (from left) new Varsity Head Coach Casey Coakley, Varsity Assistant Coach Korby Altman, and 8-year CV Varsity Coach and new DVC Head Baseball Coach Bob Ralston.

tion titles in four years. In 1999, he beg an his string of eight seasons at Cla yton Valley. While at St. Patrick’s, Ralston also got his first taste of managing in professional baseball. Williamsport, Pa., (home to the Little League World Series) w as his summer home in 1997 and ’98, as he manag ed a shor t-season Class A club in the NY Penn League. The Ralstons ha ve li ved in Clayton since joining the CVHS staff eight years ago. Son Bill, 8, prefers playing shortstop on his Farm A CVLL team while daughter Ellie, 7, swims for the Oakhurst Orcas. They live close enough to w alk to Mt. Diablo Elementary. Colleen teac hes at Los Medanos College. “Clayton’s a g reat community,” Ralston sa ys with pride . “Great schools and I feel like I’ll always be a par t of this high school. I’m a real firm believer in Clayton Valley.” He’s also widely kno wn for giving bac k to the comm unity

Pentathlon, from page B4

DHST DHST DHST OAK DHST DHST

Men 13-14 Pentathlon - B Swimmers

1st DHST Sullivan, Brendan (14) . .3:32.90 2nd DHST Stelzner, Michael (14) . .3:32.94 6th DHST Mitchell, Dylan (14) . . . .3:39.38 DHST Fong, Nick (13) . . . . . . . . .3:48.00 DHST Livingston, Ian (13) . . . . . .3:58.00 DHST Barber, Karl (13) . . . . . . . .4:25.61

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Women 13-14 Pentathlon - A Swimmers DHST DHST DHST DHST DHST DHST DHST DHST

through his local y outh baseball camps. Evolving from Easter and Christmas break camps in 2000, the summer Eagle Baseball Academy is in its second year . For four w eeks, Ralston, incoming v arsity head coac h Casey Coakley and K ayle Behmlander run a four -hour camp for bo ys and girls ages 7 to 14. Former players such as 2005

Jennings, Ashley (14) . . .3:04.31 Marr, Marisa (14) . . . . . .3:21.56 Pearson, Jessica (13) . . .3:23.52 Polshuk, Hannah (13) . .3:24.51 Stucker, Jennie (14) . . . . . .3:30.35 Carrigan, Kelsey (14) . . . . .3:38.10 Galeotti, Alissa (13) . . . . . .3:40.52 Jones, Lauren (13) . . . . . . .3:43.85

Women 13-14 Pentathlon - B Swimmers

2nd DHST Grove, Kelsie (14) . . . . . .3:53.61 7th DHST Warner, Becky (13) . . . .3:59.91

1st

7th

grad Scott Gorgen, coming off a fine freshman pitching season at UC Irvine, help out with the 60 plus participants. Ralston is taking his future one ste p at a time . “It’s a four year thing, ” he sa ys about the prospects of moving up another lev el from junior colleg e, “might be a nice oppor tunity down the road. The amateur level is more rewarding.” As for the pro level, he doesn’t see himself doing that ag ain. “It’s really a business . Even when I was managing in Class A, I felt lik e at times I w as being told what to do and who to play. Your hands are tied,” he reports. “Basically, the people at the top are running the show. That’s one part of the game I didn’t enjoy.” Baseball at the JC lev el allowed Ralston to earn a PAC-10 baseball scholarship and li ve the dream of becoming a professional ballplayer. He’s taking the next step, coaching at the JC level with Diablo V alley Colleg e, to help provide the same opportunity for other young baseball players. Darfler, Jenna (14) . . . . . . .4:02.76 Chernyk, Olivia (13) . . . . .4:10.86 Boeger, Katy (13) . . . . . . .4:19.36 Pedrani, Kayla (13) . . . . . .4:24.11 Rondini, Keenan (13) . . . .4:46.25 Casey, Sara (13) . . . . . . . . .5:08.31

Men 15-18 Pentathlon - A Swimmers

DHST Boessenecker, Danny (17)4:52.85 DHST Farizell, Jared (16) . . . . .5:12.73 DHST Klock, Tyler (15) . . . . . . . .5:29.88

Men 15-18 Pentathlon - B Swimmers

DHST Keenan, Nick (18) . . . . .5:51.60 DHST Harmon, Zach (15) . . . . . .7:03.41

Women 15-18 Pentathlon - A Swimmers DHST Brassil, Kelsey (17) . . . .5:50.02 DHST Hill, Dana (16) . . . . . . . . . .6:05.85

Women 15-18 Pentathlon - B Swimmers DHST

Teicheira, Krissy (15) . . . . .6:46.40

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Page B6

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

July 21, 2006

Ladies Work Out Express is the Nordstrom’s of ladies fitness clubs

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

Clayton resident Susan Kendall meets with Pam Davis to talk about a membership in Ladies Workout Express. Susan is presenting the Pioneer advertisement for Workout Express’ July 4 special.

JILL BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer

One visit to Ladies Workout Express in Concord and y ou get a pretty g ood idea of how the business is r un and the petite dynamo who r uns it. Pam Da vis celebrates her third anniversary this month as owner of Ladies W orkout Express. After three years , her excitement and enthusiasm for the business and her customers is still g oing strong . “I care about the w omen,” she said from her storefront on T reat

Blvd. and Clayton Road next to Pasta Primavera. She refers to her business as the Nordstrom’ s of ladies fitness clubs. “Customer service is our priority,” Pam said. With over 400 clients, Ladies Workout Express attracts women and teenagers who want a small, intimate place to ex ercise, Pam explains. Her w orkout is different from other similar g yms in the area in that clients can ’t plateau on the h ydraulic equipment. “We can c hange the resistance of the mac hines and w e can

also c hange the amount of time,” Pam said. “My clients have no idea what w orkout awaits them each day. They like that element of surprise,” she adds. Amidst a bright pink atmosphere with li vely m usic, ladies are offered a 24-station circuit training and targ et 30-min ute workouts. Ladies W orkout Express offers fitness prog rams for women of all ag es and to encourage the y ounger set to join, Pam is offering free teen workouts through September 1.

Men, think before saying ‘call me’ Hello J udith: What’s up with those men who gi ve you their business card or telephone n umber and sa y ‘Call me’? Sometimes they ev en specify a call time , which makes me think they may be in an existing relationship or worse yet married. I have recently re-entered the dating scene and find it a wkward to call a man I don ’t even know. I am a striking, intelligent and successful w oman and find it a definite tur n-off for men to approach me in this manner . For those men who toss a telephone number at me, you’ve got the wrong number. – Bettie Hi Bettie: It’s unfortunate that some men w ear their overlar ge egos on a placard ar ound their nec ks. But there are still good, honest men out there, so don’t despair. You sound lik e a w oman w ho

can take care of herself. I feel confident y ou will find that str ong, wonderful man someday to complement y our lif e. In the meantime , your last lime is perf ect--just add a sorry to it.

JUDITH HALL

JUST

MY OPINION

Dear J udith: My ex-wife and I have a son who is almost 16, and I ha ven’t seen him for two years. Long sad stor y. She has clever attorneys, and I had some personal issues that they used against me.

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I am a good, hard-working man, and I just want to see my son. She does ev erything to block contact. My parents are elderly and also dearly wish to see him ag ain. I kno w y ou can’t do anything, but it just about breaks m y hear t. Your thoughts on this w ould be appreciated. – Thanks, Roger Dear Roger: My heart goes out to you. I don’t know the other side of the stor y, so I don’t know what brought the ex to the point of blocking access to y our son. But I feel your anguish. You sound lik e a good man. Please talk to a good family law attorney or a mediator w ho can advise y ou in this . Lif e is far too short to be without your child. Judith Hall, married and the mother of three teenagers. Email your problem or second opinion to opinion@claytonpioneer.com.

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All first time members can join now for only $4 through the end of July. Pam sa ys that women really enjo y the w eighted hula hoops whic h ha ve become a fa vorite par t of the training. Clients attribute the success of Ladies Workout Express to Pam’s personality and her ability to handle indi vidual relationships. Clients tell her that the business is the way it is because of her. However P am believ es her success is because of the team she has assembled. She handpicks her employees and they all have the same vision for da y to day operations. “I couldn’t do it without them,” she says. It was Pam’s commitment to the business that inspired her to take on o wnership three years ago. She w as w orking at the time as a personal trainer at Ladies W orkout Express and liked the w ay the business w as run. Unfortunately the o wners were both lea ving the area and put the business up for sale . “I didn ’t w ant the momentum to stop ,” she said. And although she had only been working at the g ym for a few months, she decided she w ould become the o wner and mo ve the business forward. Pam li ves in Concord with her husband Stew art and tw o children, Payton and Brandon.

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July 21, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Rodie’s helps County out with adoptions

Professional pet grooming salon for dogs and cats

TAMARA STEINER Clayton Pioneer

Self-service pet wash available

Tues - Sat, 8-5 Experienced staff with more than 20 years of service

Page B7

est. 1978

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925-676-9355 4375 Clayton Rd. Unit K Concord owner & Clayton resident Grace Carson & her dog, Blue

Taking Care of Families

Corky Francis Senior Loan Officer 1st Sgt. US Army, Retired (925) 899-3511, fax: 798-5144

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Last Ma y, Sarah and Bob Rodenburg, owners of Rodie’s Feed and Countr y Store on Marsh Creek R oad, came home from vacation to find their tw o cats, Romeo and Isabella, dead on the dec k of their Marsh Creek home. The two pets had been mauled to death b y a neighbor’s tw o dogs , a Queensland Heeler and a Rottweiler. Ordinarily, the cats lived in the house , but a pet sitter had allo wed the cats outside where they met their tragic end. Sarah and Bob w ere g rief stricken. She could not imagine her home empty of her beloved cats. So, late last month, she headed off to Animal Ser vices in Mar tinez to adopt a pair of felines. “There were so many kitties there running out of time,” said Sarah. She beg an to think that she and Bob could help the

and one cat named Jasmine.” They ha ve since tak en fi ve more kittens and tw o cats, one of them a big, white 7 month old lover named “Sly.” The felines are all ready for immediate adoption. They have all had their shots , been spayed or neutered and micro c hipped. Each kitty comes with a cer tificate for a free v eterinary visit. Several vets in the Cla yton area participate in this prog ram including Monte Vista Veterinary Hospital and Clayton Cat Hospital in the Cla yton Station. Adoption fees are $90 for a female and $70 for a male (spaying is more costly than neutering). Fees for the older cats may be less if they have already been spayed or neutered. For information on how you can adopt one of these kittens or cats, call Sarah Rodenburg at 672-4600 or stop by the store at 8863 Marsh Creek Road.

Tamara Steiner/Clayton Pioneer

Sarah Rodenburg holds 7 month old Sly, who wants to adopt a family.

county with the placement of these cats. She spok e with Sue Underwood, Volunteer

Coordinator, and tog ether they set up an adoption center in the store. “In the first tw o w eeks,” Sarah said, “we placed 10 kittens

Adding a second kitty takes patience and a little planning If you’re thinking about adding a second feline to y our family, a little pre paration, time and patience can pave the way for peaceful inter-kitty relationships. Before you head to the animal shelter to pick out your pet, spend a min ute thinking about the personality of your existing cat. If your cat is acti ve and playful, she is likely to enjoy the company of another kitty with a similar energ y lev el. On the other hand, if your cat is quiet and sh y or a senior , look for a gentle, mild friend. According to Kris Sw anson, behavior specialist at the Animal Rescue F oundation, a few preparations m ust be made prior to bringing home y our new friend. Set up a room that

will be y our new cat’ s own private space for sev eral weeks. A spare bedroom is ideal, stocked with food, water, toys, bedding and a new litter box. When you bring your new cat home, take her directly into the room, open the car rier, close the door and lea ve the room. Give her a few hours of alone time to de-stress and explore her new territory. This is the perfect time to gi ve y our existing cat extra attention, as she has undoubtedly noticed the new cat’s smell. Don’t be surprised by some hissing and swatting betw een the tw o under the door. On day three, swap the bedding of your cats so they can become accustomed to eac h other’s scents . During the next

three da ys, close y our original cat in a different room sev eral times eac h da y and open the door of the new cat’ s room. Allow her sev eral hours to investigate the rest of the house without ha ving to encounter your original cat face to face . Once a w eek has passed, secure the bedroom door open just a crack. This allows the cats to meet each other nose to nose and interact without the threat of a fight. Supervise these sessions (sev eral eac h da y) and when there is no more hissing, growling or sw atting, the cats are finally ready to meet. Wait until your original cat is asleep or resting away from the door. Nonchalantly w alk up to the door, open it, step back and

ELENA BICKER

PAWS

AND

CLAWS

observe. Let the cats meet at their o wn pace and don ’t be alarmed b y some hissing and swatting. They may posture and wrestle around but don ’t intervene unless y ou think one of them is g oing to be seriously injured. If a real fight does occur , spray them with a w ater-filled squirt bottle . Never put y our hands in between fighting cats. Elena Bicker is the general manager of Tony La R ussa’s Animal Rescue Foundation. She can be r eached at (925) 256-1ARF (1273)

Boots and Rocket are ARF’s adoption stars Eleven-week-old Boots is a sweetheart who will capture your hear t with her pla yful antics and loving purrs. The adoption fee for Boots is $125. Rocket is a sweet and gentle girl who lo ves ev eryone she meets. She is relax ed and mellow and will be happy with a few shor t w alks around the block. The adoption fee for Rocket is $200 and includes the first six training courses. Bring ev eryone who will live with Boots or R ocket – including any canine family

Model A Cabinet Company is a family-owned & operated business. Owner Scott Carlson, a Clayton resident for the past decade, brings over 20 years of general contracting & cabinet making experience to his craft. Scott will personally measure & build your cabinets to fit your individual style & needs.

Design and remodel / contracting services are available as needed. Contact Scott Carlson to arrange for a free estimate

925.673.0827 925.765.2178 cell Model A Cabinet Company is a licensed General Contractor in the state of California and is fully insured and bonded. Lic. #818588

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members for dogs – to meet them at T ony La R ussa’s Animal R escue F oundation, 2890 Mitc hell Dri ve, Walnut Creek, during adoption hours: 3 to 7 p .m. Thursday and Friday, Noon to 4:30 p .m. Saturday and Sunda y. Visit www.arf.net or call (925) 2561ARF for more infor mation.

Would you like to be par t of the heroic team that sa ves the lives of rescued dogs and cats? Can y ou share y our talents to connect people and animals? ARF v olunteers are making a difference! F or more infor mation see our W eb site , www.arf.net, or call (925) 2561ARF.

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Page B8

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

July 21, 2006

Clayton Community Calendar PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR CLAYTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS BY 5 P.M., JULY 26 FOR THE AUGUST 4 ISSUE. FAX TO 672-6580 OR E-MAIL calendar@claytonpioneer.com EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT THROUGH AUG. 4 YMCA Summer Gym Club @ Clayton Community Gym Do you need some time to shop or are you looking for a safe place for your children to play? The YMCA is excited to provide your children with fun filled afternoons during the summer months. Afternoon activities are arts and crafts, movies and gym games. For children entering grades one through four. Cost is $7 per day for Clayton residents, $9 per day for nonresidents. Concord/Clayton YMCA, 925-889-1625. THROUGH AUG. 30 Clayton's Classic Cars Display @ Clayton Historical Museum Wednesdays 2 - 4 p.m. and 6 - 8 p.m. and Sundays 2 - 4 p.m. Photographs and memorabilia of old Clayton cars or cars belonging to current Clayton residents are on display. Many old license plates are shown. Clayton Historical Society Museum, 6101 Main Street, Clayton, 672-0240. Jul. 18 - Aug. 10 Patty Cakes and Picture Book Time @ Clayton Community Library Patty Cakes - 11 a.m. Tuesdays, story time for birth to 3 years. Picture book time - 11 a.m. Thursdays, child may attend without parent. For 3 to 5 years. No registration required. Aug. 10 Picture Book Time will be a story and craft program. Please register. 673-0659, Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton. JULY 19 - 20 YMCA Gym Sleep Over @ Clayton Community Gym 7 p.m. Wed. - 9 a.m. Thurs. All you need is a sleeping bag and a pillow. The YMCA will provide the rest. We will have a movie room, pizza, and plenty of snacks. You can race your friends on our inflatable obstacle course, challenge them to a board game or play any kind of gym game you can think of. End the night with a sleep over with all your friends on the gym floor. For children entering grades 4-6. $40/Clayton residents, $50/non-residents. Concord/Clayton YMCA, 889-1625. JULY 22 Seventh Annual Concert in the Hills Series @ Cal State East Bay Concord Campus Gates open at 6 p.m., opening act at 7 p.m., main act at 8 p.m. Don Neely & the Royal Society Jazz Orchestra continues the summer series, bringing big band sound and traditional jazz. Admission and parking are free. Go to www.concertinthehills.com or 925-602-8654 for more information. Cal State East Bay, Concord Campus, 4700 Ygnacio Valley Road at Campus Drive in Concord. JULY 22 Mt. Diablo Mountain Bike Adventure Camp @ Clayton Community Gym Calling all mountain bike enthusiasts. This one-day camp is for you. This camp will begin with a one hour class filled with great tips to help master the mountain, and will include a segment on nutrition. Following the class, campers will be taken on a fun and exciting ride on the trails of Mt Diablo. The only thing the camper are required to bring is a Mt bike and helmet that fits and an attitude that fits. For kids entering grades 6 - 8. Concord/Clayton YMCA, 889-1625. JULY 23 Opera in the Park @ Civic Park, Walnut Creek 6 p.m. Festival Opera will present its free summer concert – Opera in the Park. This showcase of Festival Opera talent, features singers from the upcoming production of Don Giovanni. Bring a dinner picnic and a lawn chair to enjoy this casual presentation of opera. For more information visit www.festivalopera.com or contact Roberta Emerson at publicity@festivalopera.com JULY 24 - 28 AND AUG. 7 - 11 YMCA 1/2 Day Art Camp @ Clayton Community Gym Join us as we learn various art skills through fun sessions and games using everything from paint to clay. For kids entering grades 1-4. Concord/Clayton YMCA, 889-1625. JULY 26 Bingo Game Night at Clayton Community Library 7 - 8 p.m. Play bingo and win great prizes. Recommended for kids in grades 2-6. Registration required. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road, 673-0659. JULY 26, 27 Water World and Marine World Adventure Camp @ YMCA Leave your parents behind and experience our two day six flags extravaganza. For kids entering sixth through eighth grade. Call Delise Young, Program Director Concord/Clayton YMCA, 889-1625. JULY 29 Free Dog Wash @ Concord Feed 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Dog wash, nail clipping, raffle, prizes, food, and trainer all on site for free. Concord Feed, 5288 Clayton Road, Concord. JULY 29 We Care's Family and Friends Day with the Oakland A's We Care Fundraiser - Oakland A's Baseball Game. Tailgate party 11:30 a.m., game starts at 1:05 p.m. Field level tickets $22 per person. For information/tickets: Patty Kaplan, (925)672-4366 or e-mail: WeCareKids@aol.com JULY 30 Screening of film "My Child - Mothers of War" @ El Campanil Theatre, Antioch Picnic/rally at 11:30 a.m., screening at 2 p.m. Three local moms were chosen to be in the film, which tells of what every mother goes through when she sends her child to war. The screening is free, donations accepted. For tickets call Suzanne at 7067726. El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. 2nd Street, Antioch. AUGUST 2 Resources for Independent Living @ Clayton Community Library 5:00 p.m. Bryan Balch, Executive Director of Independent Living Resource, will talk and take questions about services available for residents with disabilities in Contra Costa and Solano counties. Clayton Community Library, Community Room, 6125 Clayton Road, 673-0659.

AUG. 7 Clayton Valley/Concord Sunrise Rotary Golf Tournament @ Oakhurst Country Club It's tee time for the Clayton Valley Sunrise Rotary’s 17th annual charity golf tournament. Tournament fees are $195 per person and $750 per foursome and include course fees, cart, tee prizes, raffle tickets, mulligans, lunch and dinner. Registration for the event is due by July 24. For more information about the Charity Golf Tournament, please call: Barbara Langsdale, (925) 671-0777, ext. 13; or e-mail: rotarygolf@gmail.com. See Club News in this paper for more information. AUG. 8 Clayton Knitters @ Clayton Community Library 3 - 5 p.m. Are you an old hand at knitting or just starting? Come join likeminded folks for an afternoon at the library. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road, 673-0659. AUG. 9 Summer Fun @ the Clayton Museum 10 - 11:30 a.m. Play games from long ago, make an old fashioned "flashlight" that doesn't use batteries, and write your name using old fashioned pens and ink. Refreshments. For 8 - 12 year olds. No charge, registration requested by July 31. Call the museum for more information. Clayton Historical Society, 6101 Main Street, 672-0240. AUG. 9 Meeting of The Creekside Artists @ Clayton Community Library 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. The Creekside Artists in Clayton meet the second Wed. of each month. We provide an environment for all artists to inspire, create, educate and prosper. This newly forming eclectic group of local artists is creating a unique artists association. All levels from beginner to professional and all types of art forms are welcome. If you desire, bring one to two pieces of your work to inspire. Clayton Library, 6125 Clayton Road. Arlene Kikkawa-Nielsen (925) 673-9777, email: akiksen@aol.com or akikkawa@ccclib.org AUG. 9 Rafting Adventure Camp @ YMCA Join the YMCA and ride the rapids on this exciting one day trip to the South Fork of the American River. This Class III fourteen mile trip starts off gently and builds up to non-stop excitement. This rafting trip is the most popular run on the American River. For kids entering sixth through eighth grades. Call Delise Young, Program Director Concord/Clayton YMCA, 889-1625. AUG. 10 Floppy Eared Doggy Dear Stories & Craft with Mrs. L @ Clayton Community Library 11 a.m. You’ll want to “flea” to these “tails” and crafts. Recommended for three to five year olds. Registration required. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road, 673-0659. AUG. 10 Canine Companions for Independence @ Clayton Community Library 2 p.m. Learn about the process of raising and training puppies to become assistance dogs for people with disabilities. Meet a puppy trainer and assistance dog. Recommended for kids in grades K-5, but all are welcome to this family event. No registration required. Sponsored by the Clayton Community Library Foundation. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road, 673-0659. AUG. 12, 13 50th Annual Summer Festival @ Japanese Cultural Center Aug 12 from 1 - 9 p.m., Aug. 13 from 12 - 8 p.m. Admission is free. Parking available at Woodside Elementary School (761 San Simeon Drive, Concord) with a free shuttle to the Festival. There will be Japanese food (sushi, tempura, udon, teriyaki chicken, teriyaki beef, gyoza); Bonsai and Japanese flower arrangement exhibits; Taiko drum performances by San Jose Taiko on both nights, as well as Japanese folk dancing, Kendo and Judo demonstrations, along with flower arrangement demonstrations. More information is available at www.diablojaclub.com or by emailing jasummerfestival@yahoo.com. Sponsored by the Diablo Japanese American Club. Japanese American Religious and Cultural Center at 3165 Treat Boulevard in Concord. AUG. 14 Adult Classes to Connect with Children @ Lindsay Wildlife Museum 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. If you have ever thought about making a real difference in the life of a child, this is an opportunity. Lindsay Wildlife Museum is offering, for the first time, a mini class for adults. Docents will show you how to teach children to make a connection with California wildlife. A behind the scenes tour will be included. $6 for members, $8 for non-members. To register call 935-1978 Ext. 413. Lindsay Wildlife Museum, 1931 1st Avenue, Walnut Creek. AUG. 14 - 18 YMCA 1/2 day Junior Engineers Camp @ Clayton Community Gym Campers will design and construct bridges, assemble 3-D puzzles and even build an igloo. A trip to the famed Golden Gate bridge will be included as part of this camp. Grades: entering 4th - 8th grade. $175. Concord/Clayton YMCA, 889-1600. AUG. 17 Spirit of the Rainforest @ Clayton Community Library 2:30 p.m. Transport yourself to some of the most wondrous rainforests of the world. Students will see unusual animals, hear the mysterious sounds of the living forest and, on a projection screen, view close-ups of rainforest habitats and the diverse native peoples who inhabit them. This program is a powerful multi-cultural learning experience.Family fun for all ages. No registration required. Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Road, 673-0659. AUG. 19 The Lee Harvell Classic Car Show @ Crossroads Covenant Church 5:50 p.m. until sunset. Crossroads will be hosting its second annual car show. All makes and models of cars and motorcycles will be welcome. No entry fees. Free BBQ, music and play area for kids. If you would like to show your car or motorcycle, please call Aaron for information at 798-5905 ext. 204.

CLUBS & ORGANIZATIONS JULY 23, 30, AUG. 6, 13, 20 Concord Mystery Book Club @ Concord Library 2:30 - 4 p.m. All mystery readers are invited to participate and explore a different genre each month. Concord Library, 2900 Salvio Street, Concord, 646-5455. JULY 25, AUG. 1, 8, 15 Kiwanis Club of Walnut Creek 12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Meetings every Tues. All are invited to check us out and be our guest for lunch. Massimo’s Ristorante, 1604 Locust St., Walnut Creek. for more information call Sam Totah, 941-1536. See Club News for more information. AUG. 1 Knights of Columbus @ St. Agnes Parish Hall 7:30 p.m. Concord Council 6038 of Concord & Clayton holds their monthly meeting the first Tues. of each month. Monthly officers meeting is the last Tues. of each month at St. Agnes Parish Hall, at 7:30 p.m. We look forward to seeing our brother Knights there. St. Agnes Parish Hall on 3966 Chestnut Ave, Concord. AUG. 9 Clayton Valley Garden Club @ Diamond Terrace 7 p.m. The Clayton Garden Club meets the second Wed.of the month at Diamond Terrace. Every meeting has an informative program concerning some aspect of gardening. The speaker this month will be Brian Utting of Full Bloom and Bloom Fusion Florists of Concord. Brian will be teaching and demonstrating floral arranging. Raffle tickets will be sold for Brian's floral arrangement creations. Anyone interested in gardening is welcome at our meetings, Diamond Terrace, 6401 Center Street, Clayton. Call Jeff at 6727579 or Barry at 827-9540 for information. JULY 27, AUG. 3, 10, 17, 24 Weights Watchers Weekly Meeting @ Contra Costa Farm Bureau 10 a.m.and 5:30 p.m. Weekly Weight Watchers weigh-in and meeting on Thurs.. 800-326-8450 x 2023.Contra Costa Farm Bureau, 5554 Clayton Rd., Concord. JULY 27, AUG. 3, 10, 17, 24 Rotary Club of Clayton Valley Concord Sunrise @ Oakhurst 7 a.m. Meets every Thurs. for breakfast meeting that usually features a speaker. Feb. 16 is the Annual Valentine's Day breakfast. Members can bring their spouses/partners/sweethearts for a program that celebrates affection and romance. www. claytonvalleyrotary.org Chuck Graham 6897640. Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Drive, Clayton. JULY 26 Blue Star Mom Meeting in Concord 6:30 p.m. Small group Blue Star Mom meetings held the 4th Wednesday of each month. Blue Star Moms is a support and service group for those serving in all branches of the Armed Forces. 1792 Elmhurst Lane, Concord. Call 676-3654 for information. JULY 27 CBCA (Clayton Business & Community Association) Meeting @ Oakhurst 6:30 p.m. Monthly dinner meeting, last non-holiday Thurs. of the month. Reservations due by Tuesday noon prior, 672-2272. John Rubiales, President. Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Drive, Clayton. AUG. 3 Sons In Retirement @ Oakhurst Country Club 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. SIRs, which is dedicated to promoting the independence and dignity of retired men, has no initiation fees or dues. The only requirement, other than being a man who is retired from his primary employment or career, is attendance at the monthly luncheons. For more information about joining SIRs, Branch 19, call Al Brunner at 687-0594. Oakhurst Country Club, 1001 Peacock Creek Drive, Clayton.

BUSINESS & GOVERNMENT JULY 25, AUG. 1, 8, 15, 22 Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors Meeting @ County Administration Building 9 a.m. County Board of Supervisors holds regular weekly meetings Tues. mornings. Open to the public. www.co.contra-costa.ca.us 335-1900. County Administration Building, 651 Pine Street, Room 107, Martinez. JULY 25, AUG. 8, 22 Planning Commission Meeting @ Clayton Library 7p.m. City of Clayton Planning Commission meets 2nd and 4th Tues. of month. Open to the public. www.ci.clayton.ca.us 673-7304, Clayton Library Community Room, 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton. AUG. 9 Clayton Valley Garden Club @ Diamond Terrace The Clayton Valley Garden Club was formed to bring together people in our area who have a common interest in gardening. Our club motto is: "Life begins the day you start your garden." We meet on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at Diamond Terrace at 7 p.m. We hope that you will join us. Diamond Terrace, 6401 Center Street, Clayton. Call Jeff at 672-7579 or Barry at 827-9540 for information. AUG. 10 Clayton Community Services Commission Meeting @ City Hall 7 p.m. City of Clayton Community Services Commission meets 2nd Thursday of month. Open to the public. www.ci.clayton.ca.us 673-7304, Clayton City Hall Conference Room, 6000 HeritageTrail, Clayton. AUG. 1, 15 Clayton City Council Meeting @ Clayton Community Library 6 p.m. City Council meets on the first and third Tues. of the month. Open to the public. Agendas posted at the following locations: City Hall, 6000 Heritage Trail, Clayton, Ohm's Bulletin Board, 1028 Diablo St., Clayton, Clayton Community Library, 6125 Clayton Rd., Clayton.

July 21, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

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Van Wycks: Good neighbors in Clayton JILL BEDECARRÉ Clayton Pioneer

“Like a good neighbor, ‘Doug and Hildy’ are there.” The famous State F arm Insurance slog an could easily be Doug and Hildy Van Wyck’s personal motto if you look at their in volvement in the local community. While r unning a successful State F arm insurance office for the past 27 years in Cla yton, The couple has spent countless hours volunteering their time in v arious non-profit g roups. They are known throughout the community as insurance ag ents and g oodwill ambassadors. Doug has been in volved in local scouting for 10 years star ting with the Tig er Cubs . He devotes countless hours to Troop 262, as Committee Chair. He was also Assistant Cubmaster for Pack 262. Both of his sons , Robby, 15 and J amey 13, are members of the Troop 262 and are w orking to wards becoming Eagle Scouts. Doug’s v olunteer da ys beg an early on when he joined the Clayton Business and Community Association (then kno wn as the Clayton Business and Professional Association). After having been to only one F ourth of July parade in Cla yton, Doug

knew that this is where he wanted to li ve and do business . He opened his state far m office in 1979 in downtown Clayton in the “little red house” that now houses Hair b y Jim, and never looked back.

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He eventually moved his family to Clayton in 1990 and his children attended Mt. Diablo Elementary School. Doug and Hildy dug right into the educational system and offered their time and talents.

School News Clayton Valley High School Flags Color Guard, Drill Team

The fall 2006 Clayton Valley marching band is recruiting for the color and pizzazz element of the team. Performing to the roc k m usic of Journey, Blink 182, Evanescence, and Lynyrd Sk ynyrd, the CV band is looking for 10 more guys and girls that will learn to spin, toss, throw, and move to add excitement to the fall competitive band. The band utilizes roc k instr uments including guitar , bass, synthesizers, and drums, as well as standard band instrumentation. The group will perfor m in San J ose, Lodi, Stockton, Union City, and Modesto this fall. Students entering ninth to tw elfth g rade at Cla yton Valley are eligible. Next meeting for students and parents is Mon. Aug. 7, at the CV band room. For more information, contact Mr. Viar, Band Director, at ClaytonBands@aol.com. CLAYTON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL The CVHS Web store is coming soon. Do you want to a void the long cashier line at walk-thru? All items purc hased at w alk-thru will soon be a vailable at the new web store . Watch for the link titled “W eb store” on our W eb site at www .mdusd.k12.ca.us.

They ha ve been in volved with Toys for Tots program during the past four years collecting toys for the needy of our community, tapping their State Farm clients for donations . They’re also in volved with the Special

ROBBY AND DOUG VAN WYCK are often seen together at the State Farm Office on Center Street in Clayton.

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claytonvalley. The sc hool office will reopen Mon. Aug. 7. Summer office hours will be 7:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1 – 4 p.m. Aug. 22 is walk thru for students entering 10 - 12 g rades. Hours are 7 – 11 a.m. and 1 – 5 p.m. Freshman orientation and walk thr u is A ug. 23 from 9:30

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Olympics and v arious other non-profit fundraisers throughout the countr y that State F arm sponsors. “I want to be an ambassador to the world,” Doug says, talking about giving back to his commu-

a.m. – 12:30 p .m. and w alkthrough for freshman only is from 7 – 9 a.m. The CV Athletic Boosters Club Fifteenth Ann ual Golf Tournament (for merly the CVHS Books and Balls Golf Tournament) will be Mon. Aug. 21 at the Oakhurst Countr y Club. Registration is from 11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m., shotgun start at 1 p .m. Contests for hole in one, longest drive, and closest to pin. Call F red R oper at 5484451 with questions. School begins on A ug. 28 with w alk-thru registration for 10 – 12 g rade students on A uf. 22, from 7 – 11 a.m. and 1 – 5 p.m. Freshman walk-thru will be on A ug. 23 from 7 – 9 a.m. Freshman orientation begins at 9:30 a.m. MT. DIABLO ELEMENTARY The student council’s annual Entertainment Book sale will start in A ugust. These are the new 2006/2007 books . Preorder at marydm64@yahoo.com . The books are $25 each and the proceeds will benefit the sc hool’s computer updating project, assemblies, library needs and more. Call Mar y Del Monte at 672-5723 if you have questions. Diablo View Middle School Registration is A ug. 17 for Camp Diablo View (for sixth graders). The da y r uns from 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. and begins with registration, school pictures and a brief orientation. Students are also given a tour of the sc hool. Plan on attending

nity and beyond. However, it’s here in Cla yton where he feels he has the most impact through his w ork and community involvement. “When w e w alk in the door , we kno w that somebody needs our help,” Doug says about coming to his office each day. His State F arm Office in the Village Oaks building on Center Street handles all types of insurance needs including auto, homeowners, life and disability and commercial. Doug spends hours w orking on policies to protect his clients before something happens. “It’s a way of helping people that is unique,” he adds. He even comes into the office on Saturda y to accommodate clients who are busy during the week. When disaster strik es, Doug and Hildy are also there to help their clients deal with an auto accident, property damag e, fire and other hardships . Doug g oes the extra mile to find the best contractors and quality w ork for his clients, helping them through a tough time. “Integrity is the k ey to m y business,” Doug sa ys. Insurance is a piece of paper. You have to back that up . At the end of the day, what matters most is “Doug did right by me,” he says.

for the full three hours . Parents/guardians must accompany their student. Seventh and eighth g raders register betw een 2 and 7 p .m., Pick up sc hedules and pictures . Parents/guardians must accompany their student. First da y of school is Mon. Aug. 28. Regular bell schedule is 8:35 a.m. to 2:55 p.m. For new enrollees , the school office will open T ues. Aug. 1 from 8 a.m. – 1 p .m. Please register students then for the 2006-2007 year so that classes can be sc heduled before registration on Aug. 17. MT. DIABLO SUMMER ARTS PROGRAM The Mt. Diablo Unified School District included an arts-based summer sc hool this year for middle school students. Held on the Cla yton Valley High School campus, the 20day session provided oppor tunities for students to pla y music, create a r t w o r k , Shyna Deepak studies the guitar in dance, and the Summer Arts act. The 64- Program. student pilot program represents seven of the 10 Mt. Diablo middle sc hools, including Clayton’s Diablo View Middle Sc hool. Summer Ar ts will end Tues. July 25.

CLAYTON COMMUNITY CHURCH

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

Church News CLAYTON COMMUNITY CHURCH

The Pioneer -- It’s your paper! Lee Harvell Classic Car Show will r un from 5:50 p .m. until sunset. All makes and models of cars and motorcycles are w elcome. No entry fees. Free BBQ, music and pla y area for kids . If you would like to show your car or motorcycle, please call Aaron for information at 798-5905 ext. 204. ETERNAL LIFE LUTHERAN CHURCH Eternal Life’s regular Sunday schedule is Sun. school and Bible study at 10 a.m. and worship at 11:15 a.m. Eternal Life Lutheran Churc h is located at 5554 Clayton Rd., Suite 1B (the Farm Bureau building), in Concord. Eternal Life is a member congregation of the WELS. Please call 524-0295, or visit the church w ebsite at w w w. E t e r n a l L i f e L u t h e r a n Church.org.

Big crowds are expected for the two remaining CCC’s Summer Movie Night shows. This 12’ x 20’ screen was specially built for this summer’s series.

More than 300 tur ned out for the first of CCC’s Summer Mo vie Nights. Movie fans set up lawn c hairs in the c hurch parking lot to see Disney’s “Nar nia” on a 12’ x 20’ screen with Dolby Surround Sound. The weather was in perfect cooperation, warm with no wind, and everyone chowed down on hot dogs and sodas before the mo vie. Clayton Community Church’s T hird Ann ual Clayton Community Gr eat Labor Day Derby is Sat., Sept. 2 from 9 a.m. – 3 p .m. Mark your calendar for a da y of fun and family enjo yment as kids aged 7 - 16 race official Soap Box cars do wn Main Street, Clayton. There will also be refreshments, inflatable bounce houses and slides , and a professional race car and dri ver where kids can g et their picture tak en. The contact for sponsors is Mike F ossan at 672-1949 or

This Friday, July 21, CCC will screen “Ice Age: The Meltdown.” The last film in the series will be July 28, when Bog art and Bergman light up the screen in the classic, “Casablanca.” The event is free , but donations are g ratefully accepted. Come at 7:30 for snacks and drinks. The movie starts as soon as it’s dark, around 8:45 p.m.

msfossan@sbcglobal.net. The contact for registration is P eggy Bidondo at 672-9708 or pbidondo@pacbell.net. CCC meets every Sunday at 9 and 10:45 a.m. at Diablo View Middle School. BAHA’IS OF CLAYTON The Baha’is of Clayton are extending an in vitation to a talk and an ev ening of fellowship. The subject of the talk is Hope for Humanity T hrough Spiritual Reconstruction. The speaker is Ms . Pamela Car r. A graduate of Mills Colleg e, Ms.

Carr served as a volunteer at the Baha’i W orld Centre , in Haifa Israel for ten years. The prog ram star ts at 7:30 p.m. on Fri. Aug. 4 at the Toloui residence in Clayton, with a period of interfaith dev otions followed b y Ms . Carr’s presentation. For more infor mation and directions call (925) 672-6686. Everybody is welcome. CROSSROADS COVENANT CHURCH Crossroads Co venant Church is hosting its second annual car sho w A ug. 19. The

July 21, 2006

INTERFAITH DEVOTIONS AT DIAMOND TERRACE Please join us on the first Sun. of each month for dev otional readings and prayers from various religious traditions . Feel free to bring y our o wn fa vorite readings or pra yers. Music and refreshments are pro vided. The next dev otional meeting will be on Aug. 6 from 10 a.m. – 11a.m. downstairs, in the Movie Room. HOLY CROSS LUTHERAN CHURCH Back b y popular demand the scenic dri ve through the Delta to the old to wn of Locke and the renowned restaurant “Al the Wop’s.” Join the Nifty Fifty Seniors of Holy Cross on T ues. July 25 and enjoy the vistas of the Delta offered from atop the Twitchell Island lev ees and the historic to wn that time forg ot. Meet at the c hurch at 10 a.m. leave promptly at 10:15 a.m. Lunch at 11:30 a.m. Sign up sheet posted in Social Hall.

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

www.EternalLifeLutheranChurch.org Member of WELS (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod) The Clayton Pioneer’s “Music Notes” columnist

Clayton’s own

Jim Hudak Pianist and Composer For bookings and performances:

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Club News

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ROTARY CLUB OF CLAYTON VALLEY/CONCORD SUNRISE The R otary Club of Clayton V alley/Concord Sunrise served over 1,400 people during their ann ual 4th of July pancake breakfast. The club netted over $4200 and will use the money to purchase dictionaries for sev eral local third grade students. The dictionar y project has been par t of the Rotary literacy prog ram since 1998. Many Rotary clubs around the state participate in similar projects. Thank you letters from past recipients of dictionaries w ere on the tables for the diners to read as they ate. For more infor mation about Rotary membership contact Chuc k Graham, 925-6897640 or email c huck@rotarococo.org. The Cla yton Valley Sunrise Rotary will hold its seventeenth ann ual charity golf tournament on Mon., Aug. 7 at Oakhurst Country Club. The tour nament fees are $195 per person, $750 per foursome, and include course fees, cart, tee prizes, raffle tickets, Mulligans, lunch and dinner. Sponsorships are also a vailable from $50 to $5,000. Check-in begins at 10 a.m., followed b y lunc h and a shotgun start at 12:30 p.m. After the tour nament, guests are in vited to a no-host cocktail rece ption and silent auction, dinner and tour nament awards. The registration deadline is July 24 and is subject to a vailability. For more infor mation about the tour nament, please call: Barbara Langsdale , (925) 671-0777, ext. 13; or e-mail: rotarygolf@gmail.com.

Photo by John Hemm

Ben Wentling, George Beckman and Richard Lueck helped Rotary raise over $4200 at the July 4 breakfast.

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July 21, 2006

Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

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

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

Gran

Vegan & Vegetarian friendly

550

3-5 67 Shell)

xt to mention d. (ne R n o t this ad for y a l C 5415 FREE fountain soda & chips with any sand wich or salad pur chase exp. 8/4/06

joy An Italian En Fe

ast at Ou r

Mon. – Thurs. Co zy P fé 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. asta Pr avera Ca im Fri. 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m. Sat. 12 noon – 10 p.m. / Sun. 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Fine Italian dining with an extensive menu • Weekend Special - grilled steaks • Gourmet desserts and fine wine s Very reasonable prices

sun-dried tomato dressing. Prices are very reasonable which make Pasta Primavera a perfect choice for any occasion. There’s something new and something old on the table at downtown Clayton’s LA VERANDA CAFE. The new is their all inclusive Sunday Champagne Brunch-the old are many of your

Dining Around

La Veranda Café

July g n i n e d Op

Page B11

4425-F Treat Blvd. Concord, CA 94521

687-5300

www.pastaprimaveracafe.com

This is not your kid’s sub, and there’s nothing ordinary about the gourmet sandwiches served up at the new GOURMET SUBS AND MORE. Owner, Sadie Ranger-Nazzal, had something special in mind when she opened her new sub shop next to the Shell station at Clayton Road and Ygnacio. First, the menu – you’ll find no less than 25 different sandwiches, served either “sub style” or “Panini” style and all calling for nothing but the freshest ingredients. Her menu is also “vegetarian and vegan friendly.” All subs are oven baked and all Paninis are grilled. For the meat lover in you try the Tri-Tip House Special—oven roasted trip tip served au-jus with provolone for $5.99. If you’re super hungry, size up to $7.99. And the list goes on…Chipotle Cheese Steak, Chicken Parmigiano, The Blue – oven roasted or smoked turkey breast, ham, bacon, avocado all topped with a blue cheese dressing. Or, how about a turkey breast with cranberry sauce and cream cheese. Panini lovers can have their sandwich with garlic, Cesar or ranch spread or basil, black olive and sun dried tomato pesto…all homemade. If you’re watching your carbs, dig into one of Sadie’s garden fresh salads. Try an Oriental Chicken Salad of grilled chicken breast with an Oriental dressing or an All American Albacore Tuna salad. All dressings are homemade. At this end of Clayton Road’s “fast food row,” this family owned and operated eatery is a welcome respite from MSG and deep fried “stuff.” Priced from $1.99 for a cup of homemade soup to $7.99 for the biggest Tri Tip Special, Gourmet Subs is as good for your wallet as it is for

Live music 8:3 0 pm

every Saturd ay night

your health. Located at 5415 Clayton Road at the corner of Clayton Road and Ygnacio, Gourmet Subs is open Mon.-Sat. from 10:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. Closed on Sunday. If you want a special place for lunch or dinner, you might

PASTA PRIMAVERA

want to stop by PASTA PRIMAVERA at the corner of Clayton Road and Treat Blvd. in Concord. The dining room is charming with dark cherry wood chairs and tables and mirrored back wall. The menu is sure to please the most discriminating palate from the ardent pasta lover to the fresh fish and salad lovers. The Linguine with garlic and mushrooms in virgin olive oil will arrive at your table piping hot and smelling absolutely delicious and is sure to become the personal favorite of many. The cream of broccoli soup has a perfect texture and flavor that will live long in your memory. Another favorite is the seafood salad featuring shrimp and scallops on a bed of spinach in a warm lemon Dijon

breakfast favorites right off the old brunch menu. You’ll still find the tried and true Joe’s Special--a scrumptious mix of sausage, spinach and eggs. And the Eggs Benedict will still delight with its smooth and satiny Hollandaise. But there will be a few surprises, as well. Look for a light and luscious Chicken Piccata, chicken breast sauteed in white wine with lemon and capers or a gentle salmon with a light cream sauce. Salads will include fresh fruit and the personal favorite of many La Veranda fans, the Insalata Della Reina...baby greens with walnuts and gorgonzola tossed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil And those Sunday breakfast traditionalists will still be able to order eggs, omelets and butter-

milk pancakes from the menu. All this is offered at $18 per person, $9 for children 6-12 and free for children under 6. Price includes champagne or sparkling cider, choice of fresh fruit juice, dessert and coffee. Brunch is served from 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. La Veranda is open daily for lunch and dinner and serves a Northern Italian menu of pasta, pizza, chicken, veal and fish starting at $8.50 for Bruchetta with olive oil, fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil. Pasta dishes range from $9 for Penne All’arrabiata to $11.75 for Spaghettini Frutti di Mare. For reservations for brunch, lunch or dinner, call 5240011. A little more on the casual side and a great place to take the kids is ROCCO’S RISTORANTE at 2909 Ygnacio Valley Road in Walnut Creek. Voted the best pizza in the Bay Area by a Contra Costa Times Reader Poll, Rocco’s serves up a killer house specialty. The Dominator, piled high with pepperoni, salami, mushrooms, ham, linguica, sausage and onions, is not for the faint of heart. At $19.97, this large pizza will feed a small army. Rocco’s also has several choices of classic Italian pasta, homemade minestrone and several salads. All pasta dishes are served with fresh bread. Top your pasta dinner off with a glass of wine and you’re well fed and satisfied for well under $20 (tax and tip included.) Rocco’s opens every day at 11 a.m. And, ROCCO’S NEW SPORTS BAR is now open. With a full bar, 12 big flat screen TVs and LIVE MUSIC, sports fans might just think they’ve found heaven. And for those who need a little break from sports, check out the beautiful new fresh water aquarium behind the bar. See you at Rocco’s.

Crossword Puzzle

Open at 11 a.m

., 7 days a week

Banquet Rooms Patio Dining

Rocco’s New Sports Bar NOW Open

Locally owned by Rocco Biale & family

Full Bar Available

12 Flat Screens, 16 Draft Beers,

Team Parties

Watch all the games

Corporate Catering

8-10 out of market major league baseball games per night

2909 Ygnacio Valley Rd. at Oak Grove Rd. in Walnut Creek (925) 947-6105 • Fax (925) 947-6106 www.roccospizzeria.com

Solution for 7/08 Crossword

ACROSS

1- Charge; 4- Swindle; 8Bewail; 14- Pasture used for grazing; 15- Latte spot; 16Slowly, musically; 17- Pot used to contain the ashes of a dead person; 18- Rectangular pier; 19- Awning; 20Mishap; 23- Tidy, without fault; 24- Burning of another's property; 25- "Much ___ About Nothing", play by Shakespeare; 28- Valuate; 30- Squid; 33- Make isochronal; 36- Path; 40- Regret; 41- They get high twice a day; 42- Until we see each other again; 45- Having three unequal sides; 46- Resembling an echo; 51- Close friend; 52- Monument; 55- Swedish pop band whose hits include "Waterloo"; 56- Of pleasant disposition; 59- Dry red wine; 62- Malarial fever; 63- Before; 64- Seventh planet; 65- Bring on board; 66- Transgression; 67- Fortitude; 68- River in central Europe; 69- Posed

DOWN

1- Female graduate; 2- Sequence; 3- Topeka's state; 4- Great quantity; 5- Solicit votes; 6- Later; 7- Averages; 8- Ceiling; 9- 6th month of the Jewish religious calendar; 10- Long luxuriant hair; 1 1- Feeling of self-importance; 12- Pinch; 13Plaything; 21- Consumed, usually food; 22- Dowry; 25- Among; 26- Stupefy; 27- Minerals; 29- Sift; 31- Living in flowing water; 32- Singer DiFranco; 34- Severe experience; 35- S timulus; 36- Coarse file, angry tone of voice; 37- Killer whale; 38- Russian range; 39- "... ___ the cows come home"; 43- Shut in; 44- Reproach in a harsh manner; 47- Ten of these equal one dong in Vietnam; 48- Haunt; 49- Spain and Portugal; 50- Rhythmic; 53- Spud state; 54- S tiff; 56- Habit; 57- 12th month of the Jewish religious calendar; 58- Noble; 59- Derelict; 60- Exist; 61- Urban scour ge

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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com

July 21, 2006

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

Cedar Point is, without exaggeration, one of the most impressive am usement parks in the universe. Located in Sandusk y, Ohio (between Toledo and Cleveland), Cedar Point is home to 68 rides and 16 roller coasters – more than any other park on ear th. The resor t also featured an 18acre w aterpark, four resor t hotels, a campg round, cabins, marinas, a Challeng e P ark, live shows, children’s areas featuring the “P eanuts” gang, midway games and shops. Cedar Point began its journey to international superstardom in 1870. Its first roller coaster , the

Switchback Railw ay, premiered in 1897 at a height of 27 feet and a maxim um speed of 10 miles per hour . That’s quite a c hange of pace from the mammoth, award-winning str uctures that dominate the 364-acre am usement park and resort today. The larg est typical out-andback coaster in the park is Millennium F orce. At its 2000 debut, this coaster demolished 10 Guinness W orld Records. At 92 mph, Millennium F orce derives its power from the elevator cable system that whips the car up the first 310-foot, 80degree drop in a matter of seconds, rather than the usual prolonged agony of listening to the chains clank up-up-up. The complete lac k of brak-

ing through the 2 minute, 20 second ride allo ws the cars to rip through tw o tunnels , two 122degree o verbanked tur ns and three 160-foot-plus hills without slowing until the final halt in the disembarkation area. It. Is. Awesome. The tallest ride is the T op Thrill Dragster, a 420-foot vertical climb whic h tops out at 120 mph (in a mere four seconds) while twisting 270 degrees. At its premiere in 2003, the ride became the tallest and fastest roller coaster ever. Despite the addition of several new rides , Top T hrill Dragster is still the most popular and most cro wded ride . When the park opened at 10 a.m., the line already stretc hed out of the metal corrals and down the sidewalk – more than a tw o-hour wait. However, with a capacity of more than 1,500 riders per hour, the line does move quickly so do not miss this breathtaking experience. Visitors can co ver the main park of Cedar P oint in one weekday. But that does not

CEDAR POINT amusement park holds the amusement park record of 68 rides and 16 roller coasters.

include the Soak City w aterpark or the smaller attractions , so the best deal is the $64.95 tw o-day Ride & Slide ticket. Early admission is a vailable to those sta ying in the resort hotels. Use the time to join the line for the Dragster . The best time to hit the major coasters is after 5 p.m. We rode almost all the major coasters with less than 30 minute lines on Tuesday night, then spent the crowded W ednesday mor ning hours covering the older coasters and slo wer Railroad and Paddlewheel Excursions. The park is tr uly g eared toward thrill-seek ers, but there are tranquil rides to occupy those without death wishes. The coasters are supplemented with spinning, carnival-style rides for those afraid of heights. Anyone under 52 inc hes tall will be restricted from some rides , but there are three c hildren’s areas for those who do not meet the height requirements. Discounted tickets are a vailable for c hildren under 48 inc hes and adults o ver age 62. The park stands on a peninsula and is sur rounded on three sides by g orgeous Lake Erie, so the view from the roller coaster heights is sparkling w ater and clear skies (a nice distraction from imminent doom). Arrive by air through Clev eland Hopkins Inter national Air port, which i s 6 0 m inutes away . The park is also a four and a half hour drive from Chicago. But beware of the drive into Sandusky. Warm weather brings on a heinous constr uction season in the Midw est, so do not follow Inter net maps . Instead, use the instr uctions from the park’s W ebsite and follo w the posted detours carefully. Due to Ohio’s snowy winters,

Photos by Jeanna Ross

EACH TOWER OF THE WICKED TWISTER twists 450 degrees, providing one of the most unique ride experiences ever.

the park is closed from the beginning of November through the end of April. Cedar Point’s peninsula location allo ws them to control the hotel mark et, so reser ve rooms at the resor t instead of paying a $9 fee to fight the parking lots for distant chain motels. The historic Hotel Break ers is the most convenient and classic resor t, but is also the most expensi ve. For those with kids , the new Castaway B ay r esort has a fi vestory water park inside the hotel. All hotels come with Lak e Erie beac h access and offer a

variety of kid-friendly restaurant options in addition to the usual park fare. Cedar P oint is an incredible destination, whether as a final stop or en route to other pleasures. Its central location makes it accessible from both Midwestern and East Coast locations, and its reputation surpasses any other Nor th American park. In your next vacation, be sure to reser ve time for Cedar P oint: America’s Rockin’ Roller Coast. For more infor mation, visit www.cedarpoint.com.

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visit us online at

helpusell.com

4918 Clayton Rd., Concord, CA 94521 (925) 680-4950 Area! Best Price in

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Hercules

Concord

Pleasant Hill

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

4 Bedroom, 2 Baths, 1,919 SF. Well maintained home in Dana Farms. Family room off updated kitchen, formal dining room, large lot with possible RV parking, and community pool and club house.

3 Bedrooms & 2 Baths, 1,437 SF. Perfect for barbeques and gatherings, this home includes a formal dining room and large family room with fireplace, dual pane windows, central heat & air, and updated kitchen with granite counter tops. French doors lead to the backyard from the family room as well as the living room.

3 Bedroom, 1.5 Bath , 1,056 SF, with cathedral ceiling in living room and original hardwood flooring throughout. Bright country kitchen, new windows, new paint, new redwood fencing and landscaping, new water heater, new central heat & air, newly poured driveway and patio, 2 car garage with additional detached garage, and 2yr. old roof. This property is surrounded by mature trees nestled in a quiet setting. You will fall in love with this home!

d! Price Reduce

Days! Pending in 4

Country Club ½ Mile from

0! aved $21,75 Sold Seller S

765 Parkway Drive

$589,000

4818 Boxer Blvd.

$440,000

1206 Bridlewood Court

$1,199,950

5071 Bonwell Drive

$595,000

Martinez

Concord

Clayton

Concord

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

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3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths, 1,400 SF. Owner wishes to carry the first trust deed. Below market terms, fixed rate, quick and easy to qualify. Low or no down possible. Large lot with separate out building, great for storage or workshop.

Paradise!

Turnkey!

Unbelievable

0! aved $25,05 Sold, Seller S

934 Hamilton Drive

$929,000

2578 Hamilton Ave.

$595,000

Pleasant Hill

Concord

Gorgeous Tri-Level 4 Bedroom, 3 Bath , Located on the End of a Street. This Property Features a Gourmet Kitchen with Granite Counter Tops, a Formal Dining Room with Brick Fireplace, Views of Mt. Diablo, Cherry Wood Cabinetry, Hardwood Floors, Upgraded Appliances, Wet Bar, and Private Backyard with Redwood Deck and Hot Tub. A Lovely Home That Has Been Well Cared For.

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5118 Olive Drive

$1,275,000

1705 Greer Ave.

$550,000

Concord

Custom 4 Bedroom, 4 ½ Bath , 3,764 SF, Spanish Villa built in 2002 on a raised foundation - unlike any home around. Knotty Alder cabinetry and Italian porcelain tile flooring throughout, spiraling maple staircase, 8 foot doors throughout, dual furnace and air conditioners, CAT 5 wiring, central vacuum system, and re-circulating hot water. This home is superiorly energy efficient with no short cuts and all the bells and whistles.

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Visit our office at 4918 Clayton Road